Mesozoic Park 2 (Part 2)
#3 of Mesozoic Park 2
Matt and Jayden ended up staying in a room together, mostly talking about the park and Jayden's plans, and before they went to sleep, they shared a kiss.
Everyone woke early and after breakfast, started to Jayden's warehouse, she excitedly drove them in her jeep, trying hard not to explain too much and ruin the surprise.
They pulled up to a big warehouse and Jayden excitedly jumped out "here we are!" she cheered before anyone else was even out. The jeep rolled and Matt pulled the emergency brake
"Something tells me you can be a bit forgetful" Jake said as the rest got out.
Jayden blushed and turned her head to hide it "a-anyways, lets get started, follow me please" She excitedly lead them in through the front door, the smell of metal work filled the air.
"Jayden, how did you get this place?" Gena asked.
Jayden smiled "I read Jake's book, the one he released before the park went wrong, I find it really inspiring, it makes me feel like if he can build a theme park with 65 million year old attractions, than I could set up a way to visit and study the animals"
Jake rubbed his brow, slightly annoyed "did you read my second book about how some dreams should stay as dreams?"
"I did, but I interpreted it differently" she stated before walking to the nearest vehicle and starting before Jake could say any more. "this is one of the main transport vehicles, it's an extremely modified school bus to make it more all terrain and less top heavy, it's armored with 13 millimeters of AR steel, which is capable of stopping an armor pricing 7.62X51"
"Yeah, thats all well and good, but those things hit with not even 3000 pounds of force, meanwhile a Tyrannosaur bites with. what? 12 000 pounds?" Jake stated, keeping his arms crossed in front of him.
"well, it's big enough that nothing can wrap it's jaws around it" Said a mechanic as he stepped out form inside the armored bus.
Jake nodded "fair, what else do you got?"
Jayden asked the mechanic something, he nodded and went back in the bus. She turned and walked towards a old military jeep "these will lead the way, same armor rating and with the added protection of a roll cage and bullet proof glass, capable of stopping a 50 cal"
Matt was really liking the sounds of her plans, he stood near to her, nodding, understanding and smiling.
Jake and Gena shook their heads, they would have said no even if she had a tank. "okay, weapons please" Jake said, not even trying to sound excited about it.
Jayden nodded and walked farther back in the warehouse, she showed Jake a large cabinet that took up an entire wall, locked to keep the guns safe, they could see through the mesh and glass "we have 12 gauge shotguns and 30 cal AR's"
"that it?" Jake asked.
Jayden reluctantly nodded, but said "we don't want to hurt the dinosaurs unless we have to"
"right, so if your being charged by a tyrannosaur, you expect a 30 cal to stop it?" Jake rhetorically questioned, Jayden let her head hang a little ashamed "have you heard of the emu war that happened in Australia in 1932? they used 30 cals and had trouble killing the birds... And don't even mention that pepper spray, the main ingredient doesn't even effect birds, an-"
"dad, calm down please" Matt cut him off, holding Jayden's hand "I'm sure she could get some better guns... Anyways, lets see your plan, I think it's a good one and with better weapons, it could work"
Jake took a deep breath as he was pretty close to going on a long rant and nodded as Gena pat his back and held his hand. "sorry that I'm getting so... Upset, I just don't want anyone to get hurt"
Jayden nodded "thats okay" she replied before giggling "I'm still your biggest fan"
Jake smiled back before she turned and lead them to a room that took up a corner of the warehouse.
Inside there was a desk with a map of the island spread out on it with several pins marking out locations, and a path drawn out in red with red pins.
They all took their seats around the table and Jayden smiled, she traced her finger over the water, stopping on a beach with a red pin "the boat will bring us to this beach here which is where we will offload and prepare all of our equipment" she traced the red line with her finger"according to our aerial photography, there is a sandy opening here by this river and that is where we will set up for our first night"
Matt excitedly listened, his tail wagging as he happily looked to his family for their reactions. Gena was impressed by the effort, but like her husband, didn't think it was safe to go to the island.
Jayden continued "taking things easy and giving us plenty of time to set up and take down camp, we will than proceed to head towards this forest, the trees are far enough apart to get the vehicles through, but it'll be tight, we will set up deep in the forest for the second night" she looked to Matt and smiled as he payed full attention "than we will leave the jungle and head towards the old park, to see what kind of condition it's in and if anything stays around it"
"so far, thats the only thing I like about this" Jake calmly stated "I am pretty curious about what the park is like, but not curious enough to go to a island that may be infested with dinosaurs"
Jayden smiled at Jake, her tail wagging a bit now "we will than have to leave the vehicles at the park and continue on foot, trying to access populations and such for two or three more days before turning around and taking a slightly different path back to the park and back to the boat" she paused before asking "any questions?"
Jake nodded "two... Are you crazy and whats that map behind you?"
Jayden let her head hang a little before spinning around to look at the world map, dotted with pins "oh, thats a map outlining the ocean currents, the red pins indicate dinosaurs that washed up after the flood, and the orange pins indicate dinosaurs that washed up more recently, after the original ones stopped washing up" she explained before opening a drawer and pulling out a orange pin and getting up to place it "and that marks the one we saw yesterday"
"What about the green and yellow dots?" Jake asked.
"oh, the yellow pins mark wash-ups that may be dinosaurs" Jayden stated before semi-reluctantly explaining further "and the green ones are reported sightings of live dinosaurs"
Everyone was shocked "l-live dinosaurs?" Jake questioned "you mean to tell me that some how, some dinosaurs found a safe way from that island to all over the world?"
Jayden nodded "certainly, it's just like Bigfoot, some are surely lies, but others are pretty convincing"
"why wasn't I informed?" Jake asked, taking a brief pause before saying "dinosaurs on the mainland is probably one of the worse things that could have happened... And how did they get there?"
Jayden flicked off the lights and turned on a projector, after a moment, it clearly projected a picture of two large, dry logs floating on the ocean, on top sat three Dromaeosaurids, the salt dried to their grey, brown and green feathers making them look pale, tired and sick. "natural rafts" she calmly stated before changing to the next picture, the same thing but a different angle "this fishing boat happened to pass by three dinosaurs on a tangled mat of logs" she started a video.
The boat was moving along at a steady pace, dragging its net through the ocean, but the camera wasn't focused on the catch or net or crew, it was focused on a shape on the water, the captain grabbed a bag of emergency rescue equipment and slowed the boat before racing out on deck, the camera following behind. The shape began to look like three animals on a raft and the captain became apprehensive "what is that?" he asked, letting the rope ladder go into position.
The shape soon came close and three bird-like animals sitting on top could clearly be seen lazily sitting on top, dazed by the heat and lack of water, they watch the boat pass them by, too exhausted to do any thing more than let out a few warning hisses.
Jayden and Matt where both saddened to see the poor suffering dinosaurs, but both Gena and Jake where surprised "would you be kind enough to allow me to take a picture of that map?" Jake asked, pulling his phone out.
Jayden nodded "and if you'd like, I could email you all the information I've gathered on sightings and wash-ups"
Jake nodded as he took a few pictures "yes please" soon finishing up and sitting down again "anyways, Jayden" he calmly stated before looking to Gena "we both agree that this is not a good plan"
Jayden gasped, letting her head hang for a moment, but she soon looked up again with a fake smile "well, thanks for coming to see, my plans, it was great getting to see you three..." she reached for a intercom "I guess I'll tell everyone now, may as well"
Matt grabbed her hand "Jayden, you can't just give up" he said, standing "I think it's a fantastic idea, and it has been okayed by the government, you've gone through too much to just give up!"
"Matt" Gena calmly said "we said no, we think it's too dangerous"
Jayden looked up to Matt "it's okay, I'll just go back home and sell the vehicles as scrap"
"did my dad get anywhere by giving up?" Matt questioned "no, he didn't, he kept at it and lived his dream"
Jake sighed, standing up with Gena, replying "Yeah, but I knew it was dangerous from the start, and I was willing to pay for the damage I cause, however who will pay for it this time?" he started for the door "you coming with us, Matt?"
He looked to Jayden and shook his head "I'll hang out here for a while"
Jake nodded and escorted his wife out. As soon as the door shut, Jayden broke down and started crying, Matt quickly sat next to her as she said "I was stupid to think it would ever work..."
Matt gently pat her back "hey, don't call yourself stupid, you designed nearly everything in here, and I never would have thought of any of it"
"If I'm so smart, why couldn't I convince your dad?" she asked, trying to get something from her pocket.
Matt sighed "he's just nervous, look at where bad ideas got him"
Jayden pulled out a few neatly folded pieces of paper and unfolded them one at a time. putting the important ones back, she kept the last one out, she let Matt see. It was a childish drawing of a canine in safari clothes standing next to a Triceratops. She quickly crumpled it and tossed it aside.
Matt caught it and put it in his pocket "Jayden, who's permission do you need to go anyways?"
She sniffed hard "Jake or a representative of him or the family" she replied.
Matt thought for a moment "would I qualify as a representative?"
"since your dad said no, I don't think so"
"well, I represent a younger Jake, the man that would never give up on a dream"
Jayden chuckled a little "ah, so the version of Jake that I have a crush on?"
Matt laughed "you have a crush on my dad?"
She blushed "well, on the younger version... He's a lot like you"
Matt blushed back "or am I a lot like him?" he joked.
Jayden leaned over and gave him a hug "I'm glad you stayed here, Matt... I had a pretty bad idea when your dad said no"
Matt nodded "hey, I can't just leave you here to do something stupid, after all your my first friend" he stated and after a brief pause he helped her up and lead her out "come on, lets go for a walk, help clear your mind?