Science Fiction Jurassic Park: Conquest

IC: Sunita
Mistress of Potions

Sunita listened as the mission was discussed and ideas bounced around the lobby. The task was getting more and more hazardous... like falling deeper and deeper into a dark sea full of sharks.

She wondered who would be more dangerous, the dinosaurs or their fellow humans from BioSyn. What was that line from the Aliens movie? "You don't see them betraying each other for a percentage." Something like that.

Ryan had noticed something about the physical appearance of the T-Rex - something about spliced DNA. Sunita's attention piqued - but unfortunately Hoskins was not forthcoming. She scowled. That could be really important information!

But the feeling did not last long when Owen suggested they try and get the Rex and the Raptors into some sort of pit fight. Sunita paled a little at that idea - far too wild and out of control!

Finally, Hoskins rounded on her...

Sunita rose to her feet. She felt their eyes upon her. She needed to give her input. She took a breath. They were tough men, military men, but there were scientists and specialists amongst them, too.

"I have more of the methane bombs, yes. But they will make the dinosaurs run away. It is unpredictable, maybe not what we want."

She hesitated a moment. Will they take me seriously?

"Apex predators like the T-Rex, they tend to mark out an area and patrol it," she glanced to Owen for approval. This was his area of expertise as the animal behaviourist, but it was also evolutionary science: The 'Survival of the Fittest' principle. The toughest animals could control the largest territories, which in turn gave them the best selection of prey, which in turn tended to lead to their survival, and so their genes were passed on down to the next generation. And so on. That was why they instinctively followed this pattern of behaviour.

"So if we can figure out the patrol pattern, we can maybe figure out where the Rex will be at a certain time. Modern mammal predators often mark the boundaries of their territory with... faeces."

"Or, there is the oldest trick that Homo Sapiens has used for thousands of years... bait. Preferably live bait, to draw it out." Again Sunita hesitated. She looked to Claude, the ranger. "Do you have a tranq gun big enough to take down a T-Rex?"

After he answered she offered a shrug to the gathered group. "I am afraid I don't know what we can do about the Raptors or the BioSyn people..."

@BobaMatt @darthbernael @Sinrebirth @T4M1-7 @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

Hoskins

"Establishing patrol patterns could be helpful." Hoskins nodded, but cocked his head slightly. "Unfortunately, our paleontological consultants have assured us a grown T-rex's territory could be as a big as 40 square miles. And Isla Nublar is about 10 square miles smaller than that." He reclined in the chair. "Still, we know they like to stay in the forest, ambushing their prey in clearings. We can provide the estimated stats on her size, for medical purposes. Our first priority should be herbivore captures, and destroying the raptors, then we move on to a concerted effort to capture the T-Rex."

The mention of drones made Hoskins chuckle. "What are we, the army? We bombing insurgents all of a sudden? We keep trying to get our hands on that kind of stuff, and scientists keep trying to make 'em smaller, but that won't be for a few years. Sorry to disappoint, soldier-boy."

"Today I'd like to launch a convoy into what used to be the Brachiosaurus territory. Lots of diurnal herbivores hang out there. We'll be well positioned to maybe make a few captures. We'll set up and scout, and Owen and Barry will lead us out on safari. We have four humvees, a couple of trucks... about a dozen men at your combined disposal. How does that sound?"

TAG: @darthbernael @Sinrebirth @T4M1-7 @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

IC: Sunita
Mount up and move out...

Sunita conceded Hoskin's point with an acknowledging nod. Yes, that would mean the entire island is well within the Rex's hunting zone.

It was a shame they had no airborne capability - that was a good suggestion from Ryan - especially considering the extensive budget for this project. But they had what they had and no point complaining. She shouldered her rucksack and prepared to move out with the others.

"Sounds like live bait," she whispered from the corner of her mouth to Ryan.

Then a thought suddenly came to her. She turned back to Hoskins.

"Wait a minute... I thought I read in the old files that they had electronic tracking tags on all the animals? Don't we have access to that information here?" she gestured to the complex around them.

@BobaMatt @darthbernael @Sinrebirth @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

IC: Hoskins

Hoskins shook his head. Were they slouching? Were the recruiters wrong about them? They were careful, that was good, but were they too careful. Were they, God forbid, timid? He sat back. "Good thinking on tracker data, but there are a few obstacles to that. First of all, the computers are in the visitor's center on the other side of the island. There have been no efforts to retake the visitor's center, and InGen was happy to just let it go and base things here. That's a lot of infrastructure that has just been sitting in a tropical jungle unprotected for about ten years now surrounded by megafauna, to say nothing of the weather and climate. Even if we could get the computers up, we'd have the same stupid problem the arrogant farts who set it up had: their primitive computer system was only programmed to track the expected number of individuals, numbers that were maintained manually, so it didn't account for hatchlings. And that's the real rub - these monsters aren't born with trackers, my friends. It's been ten years. They've been getting frisky for a decade's worth of mating seasons. We need to see what's out there, and chopper support will make the creature's skittish."

"As for Rexy..." he stood up, "her arms are too short to hold a gun or drive a car. I think you'll be okay."

He finished his coffee with a swig, trying not to let it touch his tongue and just burn down his throat. He cleared his throat. "I'm going to split you into teams. Owen, you're with Sunita, the Padre, and Ryan. Barry, you'll go with the others. We'll be here in the hotel in the interim. Barry and Own, you keep an eye out for our friend the hotelier, yeah? You'll each have another have dozen men with you in the humvees. I'll share your patrol route. You tell us what you see, you count, and then you come back. Got it?

TAG: @Sinrebirth @T4M1-7 @darthbernael

 

IC: Sunita Chandra
Time to go hunting...

Sunita shrugged. So, no trackers, no airborne support, the Rex could likely claim the entire island as hunting territory... Can it get any worse?

It was what it was. They were going to have to just get out there and find what they were looking for. She was pleased to be teamed up with Owen and Ryan. Somehow, that made her feel safer.

She was actually starting to feel excited. Last night's drama notwithstanding, it was still a chance of a lifetime to see these amazing creatures in the wild. And they had a platoon of soldiers to protect them. She was eager to get going.

Ryan had a last moment query on the team arrangements.

She found herself smiling back, unexpectedly, remembering their hands touching the night before. But she shook her head quickly. Remain professional, Sun! She thought she knew the answer to the question.

"I think he meant for Owen to come with the Padre, you and me... then he asked Owen and Barry to each keep an eye out, with each respective team, not together."

She moved closer and whispered, "Like he just made Owen our team leader."

The day was quickly warming up. Sun felt ready to face the heat.

@darthbernael @Sinrebirth @BobaMatt