Chapter 19: What’s up with the raptor

Pov: stationary laptop camera

A scrawny, pale woman of Indian descent enters the field of view wearing a lab coat and a gold pendant blurred in the low resolution.

“Is this thing on? Okay, looks like it, I’ll just edit this out in post, so lets start. This is Log… uh… Screw it, It’s hatching day of clutch two! Okay, it’s really clutch three, but still! Okay, calm down Erin, this is a professional log. Eh, screw the log, this one’s for me, I’m so excited! Okay, you obviously already know this, because you’re me, but I’ve been trying to figure out why clutch one went so wrong when clutch zero was, well” she chuckles sheepishly “also a mess but a really pretty one. Ahem. 

So I was looking at Steven, excuse me, Zero dash Seven’s brain scan, and for shiggles compared it to my own and that of an intern's kid from take-your-kid-to-work day, and I think I figured out why the rest were so volatile. They were teething and hungry with razor teeth. Okay, for posterity, I’ll explain that a bit more. That four year old's brain scan? It was almost a perfect mirror to Steven’s. Well, aside from an enlarged cerebellum and brainstem, but that’s not unexpected. 

Obviously, Ultratech isn’t going to approve anything I ask for, especially not a preschool for raptors, since it took SIX MONTHS of near constant requests just to do a basic brain scan when the interns do them for free, and they STILL haven’t let me see what exactly they spiked the master gene code with, although I suspect it’s cinder, but it’s fine, just fine. Just little hiccups. I managed to jury rig the brain scanner and the harness restraints into an impromptu neural stimulator that, if it works, should give them a first grade education based on my memories, jump starting them into a sellable product so those execs get off my ass. I haven’t really had the time for any real tests, what with the lack of human infants or chimps available in this middle of nowhere black site, but I’ve checked everything in triplicate, and assuming nobody messed with it like last time, it should work. 

As an extra safety, I set up the room to engage each egg separately in case it leaves me indisposed, and there’s a meat deployer in each corner to draw them away for the same reason. Wish me luck!” 

She jaunts away from the camera

“Blacksite Alpha, this is Doctor Erin Gupte, be a dear and open the hatchery doors”

[INVALID REQUEST]

She visibly deflates

“Ugh, forgot you don’t do contextualized requests. Ahem. Blacksite Alpha, this is UltraTech ID R dash nine-eight-six, four-four-seven, requesting doors H dash zero and H dash one unlocked for hatching experiment two dash one.”

[ACKNOWLEDGED]

[OPENING DOOR H-0]

She enters the decontamination chamber

[SEALING DOOR H-0 FOR DECONTAMINATION]

Loud hissing is heard on the audio

[DECONTAMINATION COMPLETE]

[OPENING DOOR H-1]

Muffled audio continues

“Thank you dear. Now, deploy egg two dash one”

[DEPLOYING EGG CLUTCH TWO]

“Shit shit shit shit shit, I said egg one. EGG ONE! FUCK, they’re hatching already! Okay Erin, just do it fast, it’ll be fine. It will be fine. You’ve got this Erin.  {AUDIO UNINTELLIGIBLE} FUCK! ALPHA, Deploy the food dispensers!”

[DEPLOYING FOOD SPRAY] 

[TARGET DESIGNATED: ERIN GUPTE]

“Oh fuck”

Audio continues with various dinosaur calls, curses in various languages, and a clattering of shoes.

A door is heard slamming

“Alpha, seal door H dash 1”

[INVALID REQUEST]

“Alpha, I swear to Kali, I will make you into a TOASTER. As acting research head, I, ID nine-eight-six, four-four-seven order you to seal door H dash one for security reasons!”

[REQUEST DENIED]

[ID 986447 CANNOT DECLARE EMERGENCY]

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“what? no, that can’t be right.” 

A woman of middle American descent enters the view of the camera, looking into the door window, seemingly delighted.

“Oh Steph, thank god, Alpha’s lost it, the batch went ballistic and I can’t feel my legs anymore, you have to help me out, please”

“Oh, so now you ask me for help?” she begins to lightly snicker

“I’m sorry Steph, I should have brought you in sooner, it’s just dangerous and I didn’t want you in danger, and I panicked, but I need help right now, Steph, please”

The southern woman’s snicker devolves into a full on cackle.

“Didn’t want me in danger? Oh, that’s a riot. Honey, I AM the danger. I’m the CEO of resource management, and I have been since before you finished that first batch of yours! I became your supervisor just because you wouldn't even talk to me, and here you are making kissy faces at animals? I am sick of it! I signed off on your fucking paperwork! I have been watching your back for years, but I have to practically pull teeth to get a word from you! I spiked your code! It was me! All because you care more about your stupid eggs and your stupid raptors than your own fucking Wife!”

The indian woman sounds delirious

“Please, Steph, I’m sorry, please, you have to help me, please”

“You know what, this isn’t fun anymore.” the visible woman walks out of view. “Alpha, be a dear and open door H one”

[ACKNOWLEDGED]

A quiet thud followed by wet squelches can be heard in the background.

“Ugh, this is going to be a mess to explain. Oh, I know! Alpha, have a SERVOR bring subject 0-7 to the hatchery for a meat and greet.”

[ACKNOWLEDGED]

From directly behind the camera walks a skeletal robot dragging a limp, black and yellow raptor by its tail.

"Here we go, this should fix my mood, watching her favorite pet be eaten by her latest pets."

[ACTIONS FLAGGED FOR RESOURCE LOSS]

*Sigh* "Alpha, as head researcher, I overwrite that flag. Actually, just don't flag anything I do that would be flagged."

[ACKNOWLEDGED]

[CLOSING DOOR H-1]

[OPENING DOOR H-0]

"Get on with it."

[DEPLOYING SUBJECT 0-7]

The raptor is tossed into the room, out of view.

A few moments later, a blur passes from the experiment room to behind the camera.

[SUBJECT 0-7 HAS ESCAPED]

“No shit! Get it back in there!”

[NEGATIVE, SUBJECT 0-7 IS SECURED]

“Fine, just tranq the damn thing, I’ll do it myself.”

The woman passes the laptop and closes it

{Log ends}

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