The Lost World: Jurassic Kratts

Heart of Darkness

  Away from the perils of Site B, the warehouse was bustling with activity as the rest of the Wild Kratts team were hard at work, completely unaware of their teammates' plight. They had recently completed resupplying the Tortuga with much needed equipment, and with plenty of time to spare, decided to give a few extra hands around Eddie's workshop. Production was in full swing, and under Aviva and Koki's supervision, tremendous progress was being made. And having a larger crew, made up of Eddie's own work force, had its advantages as well, allowing the team the freedom to work on other gadgets and inventions while completing tasks in record time.
   Needless to say, the tech team had never been more in their element. The inventor herself was currently making modifications on a creature inspired vehicle of her own design, while Koki oversaw the progress and field tests for the more completed assets. Elsewhere, Jimmy Z was working overtime in delivering some much needed equipment to crewmen, courtesy of his teleporter.
   Caught up in their work as they were, little did the team realize they were being watched.
Lurking within the darkest corners of the warehouse, a hovering robot was on a covert operation, its red, unblinking eyes observing the various activities around the workshop.
Meanwhile from the comfort of his mansion, Zach Varmitech was spying through the eyes of his robotic minion, unbeknownst to anyone in the warehouse. Which was good for him; the last thing he needed was to have that orange lizard blow his cover again. "Those Wild Ratts don't suspect a thing."he said gleefully to himself. "And the best part of all, those pesky Ratt Brothers are stranded on that island, well out of the way of my big plans! Now to get rid of their annoying team."
Without the brothers to protect them, storming the warehouse with his Zachbots would be a breeze. As well as a number of Donita's mannequins, all of which were currently surrounding the entire building, just waiting for the signal.
  All he had to do was give the order.
Zach was considering his options when his green eyes fell upon a wooden crate with a certain insignia. InGen, it said. "Hello? What's this?" Staring at the crate, an evil grin spread across his face. He knew an opportunity when he saw one.
"What's the hold up Zachary?"came the impatient voice of Donita from a separate page on the screen. "I'm not getting any younger here."
"Hold that thought. I have an even better idea."the evil inventor replied.
  The spybot disappeared without a trace. Nothing else followed.
Meanwhile, Aviva had more on her mind than her current invention. Throughout the day, the inventor couldn't stop thinking about when she had parted ways with Chris. What did he want to say to her? Many possibilities crossed her mind, one in particular stood out among all others, causing butterflies to flutter in her stomach at the mere thought. Could he really be popping the question? she thought, practically bouncing with excitement.
All the signs were there: his sudden nervousness, being oddly secretive, and especially planning that romantic outing for their anniversary. In truth, she had been eagerly waiting for some time. I would say yes without question–
"Aviva!" Aviva was brought out of her thoughts when Koki called out, racing up to her teammate, with JZ tagging along. "I've just got a call from Mr. Hammond. He says it's urgent. Thank you." This was said to a crew member who gave the technician a cup of iced tea.
Aviva nodded in understanding, before turning to a nearby worker, a woman who had been assisting her throughout the project. "Can I leave you in charge of things while we're gone?"
"You bet!"the work hand chirped in a rather familiar voice. Aviva smiled; the Duplicator certainly had its advantages.
That matter of hand taken care of, the inventor turned her undivided attention to her friends. "What is it, Koki?"
"Hammond wants us run an investigation of the Bowman incident. He feels that there's something fishy about the whole thing, and to some extent I agree."the computer whizz replied.
The inventor narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Come to think of it, why were they on Isla Sorna in the first place? I've heard of tropical getaways, but why there?"
"And on an island that is unknown to the general public? A secret that's heavily guarded by InGen. It's too big a coincidence."
"Looks like we've got a mystery in our hands." The inventor giggled, a hand to her forehead. "Now I'm starting to sound like the Kratt Brothers,"
It was Jimmy who acknowledged the elephant in the room. "Speaking of which, does anyone else think it's odd that the Kratt Bros hadn't checked in lately?"he said, taking a bite of his pizza.
"Now that you mention it, they haven't been returning my calls," Aviva replied, scratching her head. "Neither have Sarah or Laura for that matter."
"You think maybe they're in trouble?"
A moment of thoughtful silence. "Nah!"they chorused simultaneously.
"I wonder what they're up to this time?" Koki wondered.
**** Somewhere on Site B...****
"Charting uncharted lands, boldly going where no man has gone before! That's one giant step for mankind, and just another day for the Kratt Brothers!"
Out of the shadows, Martin leaped into the dappled light of the moon, all the while striking ridiculous poses. Not far behind, Chris sprinted after his older brother, trying his hardest to catch up.
"Martin, wait up!" Chris called as loud as he dared. The last thing he wanted was to alert any nighttime predators to their presence in these woods. "This isn't one of our usual creature adventures!"
"I know!" Martin called back, stealth being the last thing on his mind. "It's a search and rescue operation and we gotta go post haste!" The younger Kratt rolled his eyes, but followed nonetheless.
Without skipping a beat, the Kratt Brothers raced past the abandoned clearing once alive with campers. Using their tracking skills, honed by years' experience, and their finely turned 'creature senses', as they called their trained intuition and instincts, they were able to deduce the pathway taken by the missing Dieter Stark. The pair slowed their pace, stalking cautiously along the trail, eyes open, creature senses on high alert. They weren't the only creatures prowling in the darkness.
"Hey Martin! Check this out."whispered Chris.
The pair stood before a towering pine tree, the trunk riddled with deep gashes and markings, each one parallel and almost perfectly uniformed. Dried tree sap oozed out of the scars as several slivers of wood were missing.
These were fresh, made no more than a few hours ago.
And it wasn't just one tree; several more trees in the immediate vicinity were also scarred with similar markings, all of them pine.
"Claw marks."said the younger Kratt, peering closely. "Judging by the size, I'd say Velociraptors."
"Could they be marking their territory?"pondered Martin.
"Don't think so."said Chris doubtfully. "Look how deep these scratch marks are. Seems like they were looking for something?"
"But what?"
"My guess is as good as yours. Raptors seldom eat insects after their first taste of meat. And tiny beetle grubs are hardly worth all that scratching. And notice how it's only pine trees that have been marked."
Martin shrugged. "A real head scratcher."
"Guess it's a creature mystery for another time."
Leaving the scarred trees behind, the pair continued their search for the lost Dieter Stark. It was another few miles when Chris came to a standstill.
Martin cast him a questioning look. "Uhh Chris? Why'd we stop?"
"Look." Martin looked to where his brother pointed to a large flock of small green animals. "Compsognathus." The tiny theropods scurried to the other side of the game trail, then squatted on their hind legs to look at the two humans, chittering briefly, before hurrying onward into the darkness.
"That's odd."said the Kratt in green after a moment of silence. "Compys usually don't travel at night. They climb up in a tree and wait for daylight."
"Then why are they out and about now?" Martin asked.
"Don't know. My guess is that they've found a midnight snack."
"Makes sense. Compys are mostly scavengers, and they have a tremendous sense of smell. They can smell a dying animal for miles."
"Should we follow them?"
"Why not? Let's go see where they're going."
With their next destination decided, the two creature adventurers took off in the direction taken by the vanguard of scavengers.
"Follow those compys!"
For another half mile or so, the two creature adventurers followed the band of tiny Compsognathus. The Kratt in blue's overeagerness got the better of him as he sprinted ahead of Chris. He noticed the steep incline too late.
"Martin! Watch out!"
But the younger Kratt's warning was of little use as Martin tumbled and fell down the slope, ultimately face planting into a creek with a SPLASH!
His clumsy landing frightened the compys away from their banquet.
"Martin! You okay, bro?"
Dizzy and disoriented, Martin shook his head to relieve the throbbing within. Once his eyes regained focus, they were greeted by a grisly sight. The Kratt in blue's eyes widened in horror.
"Uhh Chris?"he squeaked once he found his voice. "I think I found Dieter.... or what's left of him,"
Chris wasted no time in joining Martin at the edge of the creek. Before long, he looked in his brother's line of sight. He gasped at the morbid sight before him.
"Oh no! We're too late." Resting only a few yards away were the torn remains of Dieter Stark. Along the banks, scores of compys waited anxiously to feast on carrion.
"What are we gonna tell the others?"asked the older Kratt, though he was not expecting any answer. After a moment of hesitation, Chris slowly stepped forward to investigate the scene of the tragedy.
"What creature did this?"he wondered aloud. Analyzing the tattered flesh and gnawed bones, Chris felt his stomach churn. Dead animals were one thing, but actual human remains? One thing was strongly clear: on this island, humans were not on top of the food chain.
"Chris, look!"
The smoking gun came from a discarded tooth found close to the carcass. Picking it up, Martin noticed that the curved tooth was long, thin, and serrated like a steak knife. The owner of the fang was undoubtedly a formidable predator.
"It's too big to be from a Velociraptor."the Kratt in blue deduced, counting off potential suspects. "No evidence of claw marks on the body. And too slender to be an Allosaurus or a Metriacanthosaurus."
"And we can definitely rule out a T-rex."added Chris. "Otherwise there wouldn't be anything left of the body."
"Right. So what could have killed him? Hold on. Wait a minute." Martin took another look at the tooth. The serrated edges were coated in a thick, slimy substance. He quietly gasped.
"What is it?" Chris inquired.
"Venom." Martin answered, his voice barely above a whisper. The Kratt in green looked over his shoulder to see a dark splotch on a nearby fallen tree. It was immediately clear as to the identity of the perpetrator.
The pair froze upon hearing a soft hooting cry somewhere in the darkness. The killer had returned for its prize.
Sensing danger, the flock of Compsognathus warbled in alarm as they scampered into the dense undergrowth. The Kratt Brothers, petrified though they were, willed themselves to remain motionless; nothing excited a predator more than prey taking flight.
As they listened, the pair heard rustling as something moved along the forest undergrowth. It was getting closer and closer.... until the foliage gave up a fearsome looking dinosaur which uttered its hooting call to announce its presence. As the creature, undoubtedly a predator, silently entered the clearing, the creature adventurers took note of its size, standing nine or ten feet tall on its two hind legs and easily measuring over twenty feet long. Compared to other large carnivores, this predator was rather gracile and more lightly built for life in labyrinthine confines of dense jungles, with a camouflaged body to better blend into its surroundings. But the most distinctive feature was the pair of V-shaped crests crowned on its head.
  The Kratt Brothers could identify this theropod in almost no time.
"Dilophosaurus,"they whispered in dread.
Slowly, silently, the two creature adventurers moved away from the carcass, their eyes never leaving the crested carnivore. The beast simply starred back, as if determining whether or not these two intruders in its domain were a threat, fangs glistening in the moonlight. Displeased with their presence, the Dilophosaurus spread out its colorful frill from the base of its head like an angry cobra.
"She's expanding her frill. Dilophosaurs do this to frighten intruders away."warned the Kratt in blue. "She's saying, 'I'm bigger than you and I'm venomous, so back off!'"
The humans wisely gave the predator a wide berth.
   It was all Martin and Chris could do to keep themselves from hurling at the sight of the Dilo feasting on her kill, and the chilling sound of flesh being torn from the bones.
"We're not out of the woods yet. Dilophosaurus usually hunt in–" another hooting call answered for Chris, from directly behind them! "Pairs..."
Their suspicions were confirmed as they looked behind them, and there stood another of the crested theropods, the mate of the first, perched on the fallen tree.
"Just back away slowly, no sudden moves...."cautioned the younger Kratt. However, in trying to back away from the male, Chris and Martin inadvertently stumbled too close to the kill, much to the irritation of the larger female, growling her displeasure.
The pair stiffened, beads of sweat trickling down their faces, hearts hammering wildly in their chests. Martin's eyes darted in all directions, looking for some way, any way, to divert her attention. "Uhhh.... play fetch?"he squeaked, a sheepish grin on his face as he held a twig. Chris looked at his brother as if he had grown a second head.
The Dilophosaur gave a piercing shriek as it expanded its frill in threat. The two flinched.
"I'll take that as a no!"
The pair had taken no heed to their surroundings as they tried to run. Consequently, they tripped on the uneven ground, finding themselves face to face with three juvenile Dilos no bigger than small dogs.
The pair gulped. "We are in serious trouble, dude."said Martin.
Having the intruders that close to their babies was more than enough to stir the ire of the adults who began to advance with malicious intent, growling low.
"Shall we run for our lives?"
"Oh yes, let's."
The Kratt Brothers screamed at the top of their lungs as they suddenly bolted out of the clearing, with the Dilophosaurus pair hot on their tails!
"Evasive maneuver!" Martin screamed as the pair ducked, weaved and dived to avoid the slimy missiles shot by their pursuers.
"Whatever you do, don't get shot in the eyes!" Chris advised as they ran. "Yikes!" He ducked in time to avoid a venomous projectile that darted just over his head. "Or better yet: don't get shot!"
"Zigzag!"
"Serpentine!"
"Etch a sketch! Etch a sketch!"
**** Twenty Minutes Later...****
"I thought Sarah said Monolophosaurs were loners!"
"Well Monolophosaurus is only known from a single near complete specime– AHH!" The last part came out with a yelp as Chris dodged in time to avoid the snapping jaws of a midsize carnivore.
After narrowly escaping the Dilophosaurs, Martin and Chris were once again on the run. Thankfully, the double crested carnivores had no interest in pursuing them too far, only in driving the intruders away from their kill and their young; if the Dilophosaurs had wanted them dead, two more bodies would have been lying on the creek. But it was out of the frying pan and into the fire as the two creature adventurers were now being hunted by a pack of Monolophosaurus, numbering somewhere between four or six animals.
At eighteen feet, these theropods were nearly the same size as the Dilophosaurus, but the heads were where all similarities ended: instead of the double crests of their more venomous neighbors, these creatures possessed a large single crest on their heads, bigger and more brightly colored in the males.
"They're gaining!"cried the Kratt in green, not daring to look back as the crested dinosaurs shrieked from directly behind, their yellow eyes glowing in the darkness. Unlike the Dilophosaurs, the Monos saw these strange, awkward creatures as prey.
  "Not for long!"replied the older Kratt with a wink. Quick thinking and sharp turns had gotten the Kratt Brothers one step ahead of their pursuers so far. Suddenly, another of the vicious predators erupted out of the underbrush ahead of them, intending on cutting off their escape!
"Uh-oh! Mono at twelve o'clock!"warned Chris. Thinking fast, the younger Kratt spied an overhanging tree branch. "Follow my lead!" Accelerating his speed, Chris jumped vertically and caught hold of the limb, using his momentum to propel him forward past the bewildered Monolophosaurus below.
Martin jumped second. "Alley-oop!" The ambushing Mono made his lunge. But instead of the soft flesh of his prey, his jaws were instead greeted by a well placed kick to the face, knocking him to the ground.
"Sorry!"shouted the older Kratt over his shoulder as he and his brother made their getaway. However, bloodcurdling screeches told them that the crested dinosaurs were still in pursuit.
Martin took the lead. "This way!" The two creature adventurers dashed to a darker corner of the forest, with the ever relentless Monos still hot on their tails.
ROAR!
"Okay, not this way!"
Both hunters and hunted both ran back the way they came, with an angry Ankylosaurus charging at their heels. Having been rudely awakened from his slumber, the heavily armored herbivore had little time for their antics, bellowing his displeasure as he trampled any vegetation in his wake. Martin and Chris exchanged bewildered glances as their attackers ran right past them, leaving them to deal with the wrath of the four-ton ankylosaur.
"This place is a nightmare!"
***** One Chase Later...****
The pair had finally managed to give the Monolophosaurs and the cantankerous Ankylosaurus the slip and were now retracing their steps back to where they had left their party. They were unusually quiet and subdued, having just made it out of that deadly situation by the skin of their teeth. But the greatest burden was constantly nagging the back of their minds like an over persistent mosquito.
Another man had died on their watch.
After a while, Chris glumly excused himself, claiming that he had to answer nature's call. Martin didn't object, but leaned against a nearby redwood tree, allowing his brother to have his much needed privacy. Leaving the forest trail, the Kratt in green walked until he reached a small gully ringed by ferns. Satisfied that he was alone, Chris pulled out the little velvet box from his pocket.
"Aviva, we've known each other for so long. Since the time in Kenya, we've been through so much together. By getting closer and closer every day, we could overcome any obstacle. To think that our bond has become more... intense than simple friendship. And after that, well.. we've had some 'occasional flings' and I know that they didn't mean that much at the time!
"But I wanted to ask you if, you know... Aviva, if maybe you want to take our relationship to the next level? You're a really important person to me and–"the Kratt in green heaved a sigh, thinking about their current situation. "If we make it out of this alive–"
"Talking to ferns, bro?"
Chris jolted with a strangled gasp, nearly dropping the tiny box as he heard Martin laughing from behind.
"This trip on Isla Sorna is making you crazy."said the Kratt in blue after catching his breath.
"Nothing! I was saying nothing!" Chris shouted quickly. "Let's head back, shall we?"
To the younger Kratt's relief, Martin shrugged, deciding not to press the matter any further as they retraced their steps back to camp. For a while the brothers walked in relative silence, the only other sounds being the nocturnal calls of unseen creatures somewhere among the darkness. Unsettled by this quiet spell, the older Kratt stole a quick glance at his little brother.
"I know that look. What's on your mind, Chris?" Martin inquired after scrutinizing his brother closely.
"Nothing."the younger Kratt quickly denied.
"And what's that you got in your hand?" The older Kratt's eyes were on the item held within his brother's hand.
In response, Chris' face turned beet red. "Umm nothing?"
"Hmm. Sure doesn't look like nothing. Can I look?"
"No."
"Are you sure–"
"No means no."
Please?"
"No!"
"Pretty please?"
"Martin, cut it out!"
"C'mon! Just one— Chris, look! A Kentrosaurus!"
"Where? I don't see– hey!" By the time the Kratt in green saw through his brother's ruse, his eyes widened as he saw his precious box in Martin's hand.
"Give it back, Martin!"he demanded, trying to reclaim his surprise, but all in vain as the older Kratt used his superior strength to effortlessly hold him back with one hand. When Chris tried reaching for it, the taller creature adventurer simply held the little box out of his reach, making that impossible. The more that Chris struggled, the further Martin's curiosity was aroused. Might as well, he thought.
He opened the box.
What he saw made him gasp, eyes twinkling in obvious delight. "Oh my gosh! I knew it! I knew you would end up proposing to Aviva someday! About time!"
Chris flushed bright red in embarrassment. "Yes." There was no use in hiding it now.
The older Kratt was grinning from ear to ear, his heart swelling with happiness for his little brother. "That's awesome! When are you gonna ask?"
"Yesterday morning actually."answered Chris. "After our Veloci-tag game, Aviva and I snuck off to the cove for a date; it was our anniversary you know. You guys found us before I could ask."
Martin gasped. "Oh my gosh, dude, I'm so sorry!" So that's why Laura kept insisting that they were fine, he thought. She must have known about Chris' plan all along. Stupid! I'm such an idiot!
The younger Kratt chuckled dryly, kicking a stone. "It's okay Martin. Given the situation we're in, we have more pressing issues to worry about. Enough about my love life. How are things going on with you and Laura?" It was the older Kratt's turn to blush.
"I.... have no idea what you're talking about..."he denied lamely, rubbing the back of his neck.
Chris folded his arms with a smirk; he wasn't fooled. "Anyone with eyes can see that you like her. And my creature sense tells me that she likes you too."
"Really?" His brother nodded.
"Besides, any girl who can keep my big bro out of trouble is A-okay in my book,"
"Aww thanks Chris. That means– hey!"
Chris laughed despite himself. Martin soon joined in. Suddenly a distant call from some unseen creature brought the brothers back to their current reality.
"But first, we gotta get off the most dangerous place in the world."said Martin thoughtfully.
As suddenly as it had left, Chris' gloom returned. "Right. If we survive,"he mumbled, kicking a stone.
"Life's short, dude."the Kratt in blue replied, not hearing the last part. "We should know that better than anyone else. And besides, the time will come. You're overthinking it."
"But Martin, don't you see? We could really die out here! And I might never tell Aviva that–"
SLAP!
"Oww! What the heck was that for?!"
Martin then grabbed his brother firmly by his shoulders. "Listen to me, brother o' mine. We will get off this island. And you will propose to Aviva when the time is right. And when the time comes, turn off the old think noggin." Here, the older Kratt playfully tapped the younger's head before placing his hand to Chris' chest. "Listen to your heart. Just trust your instincts."
Chris took a deep breath, confidence returning. "Thanks. I needed that. But the thing is, what if we don't make it off this island? And the odds aren't exactly in our favor. People have died. Just like back in Jurassic Park, only no fences, we're out here with no way to contact the outside world, and people are dying–" Chris' lament was cut short as Martin once again grabbed hold of his little brother's shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes.
"But need I remind you bro that we've been through countless situations like this before? And we did not die. Those times we only almost died. I'm sure this time too, we will only almost die–" out of the blue, Martin froze.
Chris cast his brother a questioning glance. "Martin?"
"Shh! Get down!"whispered the older Kratt, pulling his brother into a stand of ferns. Chris looked questioningly at Martin who was absolutely motionless, as though frozen in place by Donita's pose beams.
"What is it?"he asked.
"Shh!"the reply came a bit harsher.
Before the younger Kratt could ask further, he felt a slight tremor. He placed his ear to the earth, listening carefully, and surely enough, it sounded again, like gigantic footsteps.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
There was no doubt about it; there was something big, and it was nearby. And something deep in Chris' gut told him that this was no herbivore.
They could feel their hearts pounding as the footfalls came closer, twigs snapping, foliage being torn from the roots. Suddenly a massive shadow descended upon them as a gigantic shape blocked the light of the moon. They looked, then wished they hadn't.
"T-rexes!" Chris whispered.
"Not just any T-rexes, it's Thundera and Strongfang!" True to Martin's word, the two tyrannosaurs were none other than the parents of the injured baby from the night before. And they were on the hunt. Normally the giant predators would hunt larger quarry out in the open, but with a youngster in tow, they couldn't afford to risk serious injuries. Smaller and easier prey would have to suffice.
The Kratt Brothers remained absolutely motionless, neither one daring to make a sound as they felt the earth shake with the T-rexes' silent footfalls, their nostrils sniffing the air for their next meal. The pair came dangerously close to the brothers' hiding place, causing their hearts to hammer, and it took all of their willpower not to take flight. They clung close to each other in a tight embrace to keep from shaking.
"Chris, stop sniffling. It's gonna be okay." Martin whispered comfortingly.
The younger Kratt raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sniffling. I thought you were sniffling."
"I'm not sniffling."
"Well somebody's sniffling."
The sniffling sound continued, this time closer, prompting the two creature adventurers to look to the source, no more than a meter away.
"A Troodon!"they exclaimed. A little too loudly as the T-rexes froze, alerted by the sudden sound. The pair quickly covered each other's mouths, muffling frightened gasps. The tiny theropod briefly looked in the humans' direction before turning her attention back to the forest floor.
"Oooh! It's you!"said Martin, a little more quietly, recognizing the very same Troodon they had rescued from Gourmand earlier that afternoon.
"What is she doing?"asked Chris, for the lithe little theropod searched the leaf litter for lizards and insects, almost unconcerned by the fearsome giants looming above them. Why didn't she run away or hide? Even as said giants were moving closer? Birdlike, the Troodon's head snapped up, as if finally taking notice of the approaching danger. Then, without making a sound, the small theropod dropped down and began to roll around in the leaf litter. Overhead, Strongfang's mighty head lowered slightly as he began sniffing the air for whatever creatures he knew were hiding from his sight. But the hidden Troodon seemed to allude him, even as his nostrils came just a hair's length away.
"I don't believe it! She's rolling around in the dirt to camouflage her scent."
"You're a genius!"praised the Kratt in blue quietly. "And that's what I'll call you: Jeanie!"
Chris raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Jeanie?"
"Yeah, Jeanie. It's short for genius. Plus Troodons have the largest brains in proportion to their bodies of any dinosaur. Now let's follow her lead."
The two creature adventurers each scooped up clumps of dirt and rotting leaves, rubbing it all over their bodies. And not a moment too soon. Strongfang's vast shadow descended upon the Kratt Brothers. Jets of hot air came out of the carnivore's nostrils in ragged snorts as they continued to search the undergrowth for prey, and it was all the creature adventurers could do to remain absolutely still, their eyes shut tightly as the tyrannosaur's massive teeth flashed only inches away!
A moment of agonizing silence... before thundering footsteps were heard, slowly lumbering away.
Martin and Chris opened their eyes. The older of the two looked around. "They're gone."
As suddenly as the T-rexes arrived, they had vanished.
"Where'd they go?" Chris asked.
Martin shrugged. "Don't know, dude. But let's get out of here while we still have the chance! Thanks, Jeanie!"
Jeanie watched them go, tilting her head in curiosity. Martin and Chris raced on, their surroundings becoming ever more familiar the nearer they came to base camp. But something strange was in the air as the Kratt in green came to a screeching halt. Something was wrong.
"What is it? What do you smell?" Martin asked, stopping right next to him.
"Something's not right." Chris climbed up the trunk of a redwood tree until he was high enough to feel the breeze and the cool night air. From his vantage point, he could pinpoint the general direction that the smell was coming from. As well as something big moving along the forest, shaking trees and frightening plumes of birds and bats. Down below, Martin transformed into his Velociraptor form, using his heightened sense of smell. Raptor olfactory senses weren't as advanced as tyrannosaurs, but they were just sensitive enough to identify a scent.
"It's coming from the west."announced the Kratt in green, sliding down from the tree. Right where we left the others! he thought with a chill.
"Something's burning." Martin sniffed, his head moving with the passing scent. "And... are those seasonings?"he sniffed again. "Coriander.... with a hint of pepper?"
The two exchanged horrified glances as they gasped in unison.
"Gourmand!"
**** When the Wild Kratts are away, the baddies will play. What big plans does Zach have this time?
Like many JP fans, I felt that the Dilophosaurus was the most criminally underrated dinosaur who deserved way more appearances in the franchise, which was why I added them to this story. I depicted them as big as they would have been in real life, with the smaller ones seen in the movies to be juveniles...
The Monolophosaurus were a last minute idea, and of course, they have made their appearance in the third season of Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, which I've had the privilege of seeing. I just couldn't resist adding them into this chapter...
And Jeanie the Troodon was a nod to Jurassic World the live action show from a couple years back. (Not a big fan of the grotesque night crawlers from the JP video game...) Whether it was canon or not is up to debate. And I found it kinda odd that they also had the idea of a device that reads dino brain waves. Highly coincidental as I had no knowledge about it when I began writing this story... Can the Kratt Brothers reach the camp before it's too late?