Hybrids: An Indoraptor Story ✓

Autumn

|| 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓 ||

"You know that I'm not at liberty to reveal the assets' genetic makeup. Modified animals are known to be unpredictable-"

    "It just killed people, Henry."

Henry Wu pursed his lips, an unfazed look falling across his eyes. "That's unfortunate."

Doctor Masrani began rounding the silver table, bewildered by the lack of surprise in the scientist's words. "What purpose could we have for a dinosaur that can camouflage?" he then asked.

"Cuttlefish genes... were added to help her withstand an accelerated growth rate," Wu explained without a blink in the eye. "Cuttlefish have chromatophores that allow the skin to change color-

"Chromatophores?" He flared his nostrils. "It hid from thermal technology."

Wu's brow raised. "Really?"

"How is that possible?"

And to that, Henry stood up from his tea kettle to explain. "Tree frogs..." he began, "can modulate their infrared output; we use strands from their dna to adapter to a tropical climate but I-" he raised his hands, "-never imagined what-"

"Who authorized you to do this?"

Wu scoffed, a glint of amusement flooding his face. "You did."

Masrani tilted his head.

"Oh c'mon. Bigger. Scarier? Um-" He snapped his fingers with a laugh. "Cooler, I believe, is the word that you use in your memo."

"This is not what we wanted."

"Please..." Wu chuckled. "You cannot have an animal with exaggerated predator features without the corresponding behavioral traits!"

"No, what you're doing here..." he shook his head. "What you have done... the board will shut down this park, seize your work, and everything you've built. And Hammond won't be there to protect you this time."

"Hammond..." Wu echoed the name with a hiss as if cursed. "All of this exists, doctor... because of me! If I don't innovate, somebody else will!"

There. That was the tipping point Masrani was looking for. The doctor stood up gracefully, adjusting his jacket by the knick of a button, and narrowed both eyes at the furious scientist as if gazing upon a child. "You... are to seize all activities here, immediately."

"You... are acting like we are engaged in some kind of mad science but we are

doing what we have done from the beginning!" Wu growled. "Nothing in Jurassic World is natural, we have always, 'always' filled gaps in the genome with the DNA of other animals, and if their genetic code was pure... many of them would look quite different. But you didn't ask for reality, you asked for more teeth!"

"I never asked for a monster!"

"'Monster' is a relative term," Wu said calmly. "To a canary a cat is a monster. We're just used to being the cat."

"You-" The doctor pointed a finger for a brief second then drew them to his mouth, rubbing against the bristles of hair as his head shook about. Enough spoken. This was a matter of life and death, he couldn't bear another word with Henry. And so he began to fumble backwards toward the door, horror still building in his voice and eyes. "No. This... this is mad. You... you're done."

"You can't blame an engineer for a broken blueprint..."

"You done, Henry!" Masarani called, slamming through the doorway. Wu only grimaced, neither afraid nor amused by the male's persistence. He stepped away from his table, hands diving through his pants pocket now buzzing about with madness. A phone call. Glancing back out the glass window at the fleeing doctor, he raised it to his ears to answer.