(Dinosaur TFs, Bird TFs)
By grapehyacinth(Next up in the Fox Serum Universe)
Characters from previous stories are used:
Arthropod Annex (A Fox Serum Story)
andZoo Tour (A Fox Serum Story)
Chandra sat on her perch, enjoying the afternoon breeze. She made a lovely passenger pigeon, and she was very happy with her life choice to be a 'test subject' of the famous Fox Serum. Several years ago, she had agreed to let Dr. Craig Welton inject her with the first serum containing the DNA of an extinct species, the passenger pigeon. Her transformation had been watched by millions, and she actually liked being studied and being made such a big deal of. In her human life, she had been a rather inept librarian. Here, in the zoo run by Mission Replenish, she had a luxurious existence, and she hadn't a care in the world. She was more than happy to remain this way for the foreseeable future.
Then Dr. Welton showed up one day, a familiar, lanky-looking man beside him.
“Chandra, remember John?”
Chandra studied the young man through her avian eyes. Messy brown hair, greenish eyes...Yes! This was the PhD student that often visited the library so many years ago. She remembered him watching her over his books, but he never spoke to her more than to request a periodical from the back or to ask her to locate a missing book.
She nodded slowly in recognition.
“You are beautiful, Chandra. I heard you had volunteered for Mission Replenish, and I was so proud of you. Actually, jealous too, in a good way.” He inhaled deeply. “My God, you really are beautiful.”
Dr. Welton chuckled. “John has agreed to become your mate.”
After the initial awkward shock passed, Chandra swooped down to a branch that was eye-level with the two men. Dr. Welton explained that, until studies could be done to determine the possible effects of releasing previously extinct species into the wild, they were going to start a park where people could be transformed into them, just like Chandra. It would be called the “Extinct Extension” of Mission Replenish's Zoo.
The scientist blushed slightly. “We'd like to see if we get any progeny. I don't see why we wouldn't, because transformed people have proven to be capable of reproduction. But as I always say, no pressure.”
Chandra shuddered. Suddenly her halcyon universe was about to be ripped open by this intruder that she did not even know. Forget mating with him; she did not even know him, let alone like him.
John followed Dr. Welton back into his office. “She hates me,” he said dejectedly.
“She doesn't hate you. You said she doesn't even know you.”
“What if she won't mate with me?”
Dr. Welton looked his scrawny body up and down. “When the Fox Serum's done with you, she won't be able to resist.”
As the young man pondered this, Mary, one of Dr. Welton's assistants, poked her head in the door. “Sybil Rines is here. The one to be a dodo?”
“Be right with her.” Dr. Welton tapped John on the shoulder. “John, get your life in order, and we'll see you soon. A new, wonderful life awaits.” He winked knowingly at the young man.
John walked out, and a cute blonde walked in. Dr. Welton was surprised that such an attractive and successful young businesswoman was willing to give up years of her life. Especially to turn into one of the silliest looking birds nature had ever come up with.
“So, Sybil, your paperwork's all in order. You're the next step on our road to the dinosaurs.”
She smiled. “If I work out, then you know you can make dinosaurs?”
“Not necessarily. But if we can get usable DNA from extinct specimens, it's very promising. Of course the dodo was extinct in 1662, so the DNA is much more viable. We're working on processes to restore completely degraded DNA back to its original form, and the results are amazing. We might try one more animal that was extinct much earlier than the dodo before we do the dinosaurs. When we're ready for dinos, we'll do something small first...I'm thinking pterodactyl, if we can make usable DNA. Now, Sybil. Why do you want to be turned into a dodo bird?”
Sybil sat down on a chair, crossing her legs carefully. “I'm tired of the rat race. Up at five, tons of meetings with people I can't stand all day, and yet I have to keep the perfect front...Perfect smile, perfect makeup, clothed to the latest fashion...I want a break. I want to be something...not perfect. Make me a dodo bird.”
“Sign here, and your wish is our command.”
***
John's body was changing, and it felt wonderful as advertised, but he didn't care. He wanted to transform as quickly as possible. All he wanted was to be with Chandra. He had missed her sorely, and when he saw her soft feathers and beautiful avian form, he fell in love with her all over.
He had never admitted his feelings to her; now he could - in the sweet song of a bird that had not graced the sky for a century.
***
“Sybil's changing...she's changing...!” Everyone watched in awe as the shapely blonde began to shrink. More than one male in the crowd was sad to see the perfect curves growing plump and bowing into an almost turkey-like figure. Her long, lean arms plastered to her sides as dumpy, useless wings, and they were shuddering with her changes. Sybil watched herself the whole time in a large mirror. All she could gasp was, “I'm growing feathers! Look! I'm really growing feathers!” The bland gray plumage burst forth from her body, and Dr. Welton stepped in to remove the clothing draped over her.
The crowd gave a victorious shout as Sybil's transformation was complete, and she now stood, a chubby, ungainly avian, testing out her bizarre bird-feet.
“Welcome to our new dodo bird! First one to stand on this earth for four hundred years! Sybil, how do you feel? Any pain? Anything off?”
The ridiculous-looking bird shook its head 'no' to each question, doing a small, clunking dance in excitement. Dr. Welton, Mary, and Hannah, the other assistant, went over to examine the new animal, and Rod Sloane, the program director, nearly dropped the microphone from his hand. Yelling over the cheers of the crowd, he cried, “Well, my friends, we're getting closer and closer to our first dinosaur!” The crowd burst out of their chairs, roaring enthusiastically.
***
“This is becoming such a spectacle,” Dr. Welton uttered. He sat before Rod's desk as the program director sipped a cup of tea.
“People are excited, and catering to that helps raise funds so we can help the animals, Craig. It is what it is. Meanwhile, forget other animals. We've been successful recovering ancient DNA. I think we should try a dino next,” Rod Sloane suggested, the raw anticipation very evident in his tone. “They're breaking ground tomorrow for that section.”
Dr. Welton looked deep in thought. “Prehistoric Park, huh? Pretty good name.”
“Well, we can't call it 'Jurassic Park'. I'm sure there's royalties galore there. Plus, it's not necessarily going to be all Jurassic. Anyway, I say it's dino time. We found a treasure trove of prehistoric specimens preserved so well that the DNA was easily returned to usability. I mean, it's literally asking us to bring them back!”
“The dodo DNA was a lot more recent than dino DNA...”
“Look, you and I know we've made this pterodactyl DNA perfectly viable. Yes, it's not really a dino–”
“It's a pterosaur, actually.”
Rod appeared somewhat insulted at Dr. Welton's comment. “Yes, I know that. Now listen, we already have a list of people who desperately want to be one, whatever the risk. Here's Julia Feder, at the top of the list. Remember her? She's done several things with us, starting with the moth?”
“What if it goes wrong?”
“She doesn't care. She even wrote it on her form: 'Experiment all you want on me. I'll sign anything.'”
“Talk about trusting someone with your life.”
***
The pretty bird settled down beside Chandra with a light, calming coo. Having been dozing, the first thing she noticed was his scent. It was new, it was intoxicating, it was...
“This is John, Chandra. Look how nicely he came out!” The voice was Hannah's, the assistant.
John held out his wings and chirped proudly.
“You really do look awesome, John,” Hannah smiled, carefully stroking his back.
He bowed his head and turned to Chandra. She preened herself coyly.
“Guys, just so you know, you're going to be moved. We're building an “Extinct Extension” where the newly un-extinct animals will live. Then, at the very end, will be the entrance to Prehistoric Park. Believe it or not, if we're successful, you'll be making the acquaintance of some impressive dinosaurs soon!”
The male was so attractive to her, that Chandra almost forgot that it was the lanky boy from the library. As a bird, he was gentlemanly as they came, and, perhaps from being a single bird for so long, she felt a deep lust taking hold.
And he began to court her. Dr. Welton observed, taking notes and wondering if this was a normal passenger pigeon courtship display, or it was simply John's idea of being sexy. Who knew? But it was being recorded, so he could play it over and over. And the end result was quite...pleasing to watch.
But he viewed it all in the name of science...only...
***
The ground-breaking ceremony for the prehistoric section attracted many dignitaries and important people. Rod Sloane stood up before the crowd, a passenger pigeon perched proudly on each shoulder. “Chandra,” he nodded to the female on his right, “and John,” he motioned to the male, “are taking time away from their newborn chicks to welcome you to the groundbreaking ceremony of Prehistoric Park! Welcome, all!” TV cameras bored into his face, and reporters typed furiously at their computers. “And, here is the next step in our adventure, Miss Sybil Rines, who not to long ago was Vice-President of ComputCo. Hello, Sybil!” A door opened behind him, and a dodo bird waddled in. The crowd cheered. “Yes, you've seen Sybil, the first dodo bird in existence since 1662. Sybil might be interested in a male companion,” he raised his eyebrow at this, “so we're taking names. If interested, talk or e-mail Mary or Hannah, my assistants.” The dodo bird waddled up a stepstool and seated itself on a chair behind the program director to watch the proceedings.
Rod called for the murmuring crowd to quiet down. “So, next step. As you may have heard by now, we have viable pterodactyl DNA, and a volunteer to become one... Yes, Miss Julia Feder is to become the very first resident of Prehistoric Park. Stand up, Julia!”
A mousy brunette rose and smiled shyly, then sat down quickly.
“And if all goes well, you're going to be seeing a true-to-life Jurassic Park right before your eyes!”
After a loud cheer, Rod Sloane began to invite several people up to talk. One of the speakers was Rick Stanis, famous for Mission Replenish's first “accident”. He discussed the urges he had had as a spider, and how he had tried to eat his boss, who had been transformed into a moth. The trial after this had been a long one, but it helped to put new safeguards in place on the Fox Serum community. Being an animal would never be safer than here.
As Rick sat down, Rod Sloane asked across the crowd, “Thanks, Rick. Will you be joining us again soon?”
Rick smiled sinisterly. “I might just do that.”
***
Julia's change was to be done in private, in a closed room with only Dr. Welton, Hannah, and Mary present. All involved agreed that, should something go terribly wrong, it was best if all of the world did not witness it.
But they would film it.
Julia had never signed so many papers at once. She knew she was literally signing her life away, but she desperately wanted to get away from her very existence. She had changed before for Mission Replenish, the first time with disastrous results. She had been a lovely endangered moth with her boyfriend Rob until Rick, her ex, transformed into a spider and tried to eat him. Yes, Rob had stolen her from Rick, and yes, Rob had been Rick's boss. She understood Rick's anger now, and she felt deeply sorry for falling for Rob. Rob was one of those arrogant jock-types that Julia never went for, but he had been so convincing, and it was such a change...
Poor Rick. He really had been good to her. It was nice to see him at the ground-breaking ceremony, even if from afar. He had not bothered to approach her, and she did not have it in her to speak to him. After the trial and all that had occurred, she still remained horribly guilty for what she had put him through, and for his response. Not to mention the fact that he had ruined Rob's life as well. All because of her...
“Cameras are rolling,” Mary reported, and stepped into the corner.
“You're ready for this, Julia?”
She was as ready as she would ever be. She was looking forward to leaving the human race, to gain the instincts of an animal that humanity had never seen. She wondered what the transformation would be like. But she was not scared. She was in good hands, and, if anything went wrong, there was always the anti-serum. And if that didn't work...
Well, she deserved whatever came to her.
She almost did not feel the pinch of the syringe as it introduced some Fox Serum into her arm. But as the pleasure-inducing drugs kicked in, she let out a happy moan, fighting the urge to clutch at herself as the changes progressed.
Dr. Welton, hands clasped excitedly together, cried, “There you go, Julia! Become a pterodactyl for us...good girl!”
Mary let out a nervous giggle as Julia began to shrink.
“Look – it's true! She's growing the pycnofibers they talked about! It's not feathers at all!” Dr. Welton knelt over the transforming woman. “And her neck is elongating! And she's growing a crest!”
“Lie down, Julia,” Hannah muttered.
Julia stumbled to the floor, her arms giving way to wings.
***
The world was abuzz. Video of the new pterodactyl was released, and the news was full of it. Never mind the wars, famines, and murders...there was a real-live pterodactyl at Mission Replenish's Zoo, and Rod Sloane and company were becoming rich off ticket sales.
A news crew stood before the entrance to the prehistoric section. “This is Madeline Forsyte, coming to you direct from Prehistoric Park!” a reporter began. “Shall we go in?”
She entered, walking past builders and workers. “They're working tirelessly around the clock here at the new park. Now that we have a pterodactyl, you know what's next, my friends!”
She came up to Rod and Dr. Welton, who waited for her in front of the pterodactyl enclosure. “This is director Rod Sloane, and Dr. Craig Welton, who took over for Dr. Adam Fox, the inventor of the Fox Serum. As you all know, Dr. Fox chose to be a fox for the rest of his life, and they have been working on a permanent serum for him, but so far, no luck. Dr. Fox must return every few years for a new dose of the serum to remain a fox. He reports being very happy with his choice. He's fathered many kits,” Madeleine blushed at this. “Now, can we meet Julia?”
“Right this way,” Rod said, ushering her inside.
“Julia!” Dr. Welton called into the enclosure. It was very large and filled with prehistoric-looking trees and plants. Soon an odd winged creature came barreling at them, and the reporter ducked instinctively.
The creature perched as well as it could on Rod's shoulder, and he grinned, noting her leathery wings, long tail, and “beak” with pride.
“Hi, Julia,” Madeline said hesitantly.
Julia screeched, and Madeline gave a start.
Rod laughed, patting at the pterodactyl's delicate figure. “It's okay. She won't hurt you. There's a human mind in that pterodactyl body. Right, Julia?”
The pterosaur nodded its head.
“She's a member of one of the smaller Rhamphorhynchus groups. Show them your wings, Julia.”
The animal raised itself up and stretched out its four-foot wingspan proudly.
“Do you like being this way?” Madeline asked with interest.
The animal nodded vigorously.
“She wouldn't have it any other way,” Rod answered for her.
“Really?” Madeline asked.
Julia nodded even more earnestly.
“Amazing,” said the reporter. And she meant it. “So when's the dinosaur happening?”
“Well, as you know, through a special process, we were able to come up with viable DNA for the Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, so as soon as we're good and ready, it'll be happening...”
“How exciting! Doctor, what made you get involved in bringing extinct animals back?”
Dr. Welton inhaled deeply. “Ever google 'extinct animals' online? It's horribly sad and depressing! Man destroyed these animals, so it's up to man to repair our damage and bring them back! And I'm happy to be at the forefront of this incredible journey.”
“And we're all thrilled for you. Thanks, Dr. Welton.”
“Come again anytime.”
***
“Rick, it's Rod Sloane. Know the way you volunteered for the dino spot?”
Paid or 'donated' was more like it, Rick smiled to himself, pushing the phone away from his mouth.
“You up for it?”
“Really, Rod? I heard about a Spinosaurus or something...”
“That's the one.”
“I'm so there. You just tell me when.”
Finally, Rick could get back at the ex that had done him wrong. Spinosaurus was a natural enemy of pterosaurs, he had learned from careful research.
He couldn't wait to change.
***
'Dino Day' came, and if possible, there was an even larger crowd present than ever before. News crews from around the world vied for the best view of the event. For, in the truest sense of the word, today mankind would be creating a monster.
Rick, who paced back and forth in Rod's office, greatly looked forward to his transformation. He had not really paid attention to his last one, as he had just wanted to become a spider so he could get to his boss. Now, as much as he wanted to get to Julia, he also wanted to be a dinosaur. It was a childhood dream that he never imagined would come to pass.
Dr. Welton poked his head in. He had an expression of misgiving on his face. “You ready, Rick?”
Rick studied the doctor. Did he have any inkling what Rick's intentions were? “Yup! You okay, Doc?” he asked as he followed the man through the back halls and outside onto the stage. It was a newer, very large one, consisting of wood planks laid directly on cement that seemed to stretch for miles. I'm going to be that huge? He could not help thinking excitedly.
Oblivious to the cheering of the crowd, Dr. Welton brought Rick forward. “I hope we're doing the right thing,” he uttered, and turned away.
“Welcome! Welcome to you all! I'm so glad you could all be with us for this momentous occasion! Those of you in the standing area, move up forward, if you could. There's still lines for miles outside the gates!” The crowd moved in and further spectators joined them. Rod wiped the sweat from his forehead with a cloth and continued his introduction. “The whole world is watching and waiting! After eons, dinosaurs will walk once again! Replications have been made from fossil evidence, but who knows how accurate they are? Now we'll know! Now we'll watch it happen right before our very eyes! I give you Rick Stanis, a spinosaurus-to-be! Rick, any 'last' words?”
Rick walked up to the microphone and tapped it. “Turn me into a dinosaur, Dr. Welton!” he cried, and Dr. Welton stepped forward.
The injection pierced Rick's skin, sending through him the rush of pleasantness that was well-known in the Fox Serum community. This time Rick simply gave into the changes, half because he wanted to, and half because he had been prompted to 'put on a show'. He could feel his body begin to grow, and his clothes, left on for effect, began to pull and tear. Everything seemed to be expanding. His very skeleton was enlarging and changing, and he was bursting into the air. “Yes!” he screamed in true bliss. “YES!”
The audience went from quiet murmurs to an excited uproar.
“Look how tall he's getting!”
“Look at his neck!”
His changing body was no longer his own, but a writhing, expanding muscular museum piece. The stage began to creak under his increasing weight, and he was soon towering over the audience, his impassioned cries now an inhuman roar coming out of an enormous, elongated jaw. His tail, which had first burst forth as a tiny insignificant appendage, now snapped about with his contortions, slamming against anything in his path and scattering the titillated crowd.
“Look at him! Look at him!”
“He's really turning into a dinosaur!”
He could actually feel his eyes growing large and his sight was becoming drastically different. He was forced to hunch over as his back expanded and grew the famous spinosaurus “sail”, and his arms hung from him, now the smaller front legs of a dino. His feet had grown long and clawed, and the pressure of his enlarging teeth was almost unbearably wonderful.
As his changes concluded, he stared down at himself. The floor seemed miles from his gaze, and he tottered a moment as he adjusted to his immense height. My God, I am really a dinosaur! I, Rick Stanis, have officially become a spinosaurus!
Rick thrust his head over the crowd and trumpeted triumphantly. He had been told to do this, but now he truly felt the need to as well. Look at me! he cried in his mind. I'm king of you all! I can crush you with my toe!
But his roar was swallowed up with the cheering and celebration of the crowd. The whole world was in a happy, delighted uproar. The dinos were back!
“Our first dino, Rick Stanis!” Rod screamed in pride as the assistants circled the enormous creature studying it and checking that Rick was in no danger. “The pictures don't do this magnificent creature justice!”
No one noticed Dr. Welton walking quietly away. “What have we done?” he murmured to himself. “What have we done?”
***
They were keeping Rick alone so he would have a chance to get acquainted with his new body and more primal urges. “No eating anything we don't give you,” Dr. Welton had stressed. Rick wondered what was behind the scientist's words, but he didn't care. Dr. Welton was an insignificant human. Rick was king of all evolution, the largest creature in the world, with an intelligent human mind to boot... He could take over the planet!
But he had no interest in world destruction or domination, as fun as it sounded. He loved being a dinosaur so much, he did not care about anything else in particular. He relished his days, stomping through the woods, the very ground shaking under his immense mass. He felt so strong, so healthy, and he was quite impressed with his new body.
Meanwhile, against Dr. Welton's warnings, Hannah began a long string of visits in which she would bring different transformed people in to see the new dinosaur. “They really want to see him,” she had pointed out. She knew this was how Rick had gotten to Rob, but there was a deep-seated anger feeding his animal instincts in Rick's case that was not present in anyone else.
Chandra and John came separately so one of them would be on hand to watch their growing chicks. Sybil came in cradled in Hannah's arms. Each animal's amazement was very evident in their eyes when they viewed Rick, and the dino secretly loved this. He stamped around and roared, making a great show for them as well as the infinite stream of spectators that came to view him.
Finally Julia was offered the opportunity to visit Rick, and she quickly turned Hannah down. She was not sure how he would react to her, and she had a perfect view of him anyway as he was in the next enclosure over. She merely needed to fly into the tree tops and glance through the transparent roof to see him.
With some jealousy, she noted that he seemed quite content stamping around in his new body, tearing at the food they brought him. He often would emit his deafening roars, and she wondered if he was doing this for effect, or he was truly feeling the dinosaur instincts that deep.
Admittedly, she was fascinated with Rick's form, even more so than her own. He was so large, maybe fourteen feet, and so long that he would crush saplings in his wake. And he seemed to enjoy this immensely.
Idly, she wondered if this time he was simply doing this to get after her.
***
Julia had no idea that Rick watched her as well. He was so tall that he merely needed to glance her way to observe her. She was a pretty ugly creature, actually – her body was awkward and she had grubby-looking wings. She had been much cuter as a green moth in the Arthropod Annex, where he had eaten his boss...
And yet he had mixed feelings towards her. On one hand, he wanted to shake her little body senseless and crush it in his feet or jaws...She had put him through such pain! He had been planning to ask her to marry him, but she had run off with that asshole of a boss he had...
On the other hand, though, this was little Julia Feder, the woman he had loved, the woman he had gone through so much for, even being transformed twice to prove a point...
She was so tiny compared to him. So very tiny...He could just smash through her enclosure and gobble her up whole...
***
As the days went by, Julia grew increasingly nervous. The crowds were there to view her and Rick nearly around the clock, but this did not faze her. But the question of Rick's intentions slowly ate at her more and more, instilling more guilt in her, and she wished she could just talk to him...
***
The next time Hannah offered to let her see Rick, Julia gave in. She needed to put an end to the anxiety and the worrying. If Rick wanted to, he could easily get to her, and she hated living with this fear. Whatever he planned to do, if anything, she needed to get it over with. And if that meant he was going to kill her, well, she partially deserved it. She couldn't stand this torture anymore.
“Rick! Visitors!” Hannah called as they entered the dino's lair. Julia balanced on the assistant's shoulder, trying her best not to dig her claws into Hannah's skin.
Rick had been in a particularly bad mood when they arrived. In stead of the fish he was often fed, a meal in the form of some kind of bird had been delivered live to him, but it had flown off. His huge stomach growled as he sought out his lunch, and then he heard Hannah's call.
The dino in him ignored it, but the word 'visitor' gave his human side pause.
He crashed back through the trees to a clearing, and there was Julia, on Hannah's shoulder.
I could destroy her with a flip of my claw, he snickered to himself. That little betraying bitch...I can't believe Hannah was stupid enough to bring her in here...
The pterodactyl blinked back at him patiently. The look in its eyes was soft and forgiving...
Forgiving? What do I need forgiveness for? It was all her fault! He charged forth, knocking Hannah to the ground, which sent Julia flapping desperately into the air. His dino senses hit him hard, and he fished for her, pulling her from the air and flinging her to the earth.
She lay there flailing helplessly, and he grabbed her up in his claws. You bitch! You bitch! You left me for that bastard that hated me! But the words only came out as deafening roars which further injured the flailing creature pinned between his legs.
I should eat you! That way you'd be good for something other than...ripping my heart out...
Her body was so frail, like a little child's kite... She was peering into his eyes, so plaintively. And she held a sadness so deep, he could practically feel it radiating from the little pterosaur's body. But there was still forgiveness.
I don't want your forgiveness! How can I ever forgive you for leaving me? We were going to be so happy together! He brought her to his mouth, crushing bones with his claws in the process. But she did not struggle in the least. She lay in his grasp, and her eyes were half-closed... If she died, then...
And he knew deep down, despite the intense animal anger that fueled him, that he could never live with himself if he killed her.
For a moment, he turned and looked at Hannah, who lay splayed out on the ground, very unconscious. There would be no help there. Julia made something that sounded suspiciously like a sob, but when he made eye contact with her, her eyes were clear of any tears...If pterodactyls could even cry, which he assumed they couldn't...
Oh, Julia...I can't... I can't kill you. I love you too much.
Belllowing an ancient, unearthly howl, he gently he lowered her down to the ground. He studied her for a long second, then he walked off to the back area and pressed the button to summon a human being.
Dr. Welton came running in clutching a 'translation' placard and arching his neck over the shrubbery. “What's wrong, Rick? We're about to open up the gates! You've got quite a crowd today!” But the dinosaur's expression told him everything. He pushed his way into the clearing. There lay Hannah right before him, and Julia lay several feet away near the edge of the trees.
Dr. Welton gasped, tapping at his pocket to make sure his tranquilizer gun was available should it be needed. “Oh, no, Rick. I knew she shouldn't bring her to you! Oh, no...Did you...kill them?”
Rick shook his enormous head back and forth vehemently. Dr. Welton bent down, checking Hannah's vital signs, then straightened up with relief. “She's alive, thank God,” he said, tossing an angry glance at the enormous dino. As he moved to check Julia, Rick tapped at the placard, which contained several sentences: “I'm hurt”, “I'm hungry”, and “Please change me back.”
Rick indicated the last one with his claws.
“Why?” Dr. Welton demanded.
It wasn't as if Rick could tell him, but his staring at the struggling little pterosaur made it plain.
“You still love her, don't you, Rick?”
The dinosaur looked away, nodding a bashful 'yes'.
“Good reason to mangle her,” the doctor muttered. “Okay, Rick. I think that's a very good idea. Let me just make sure she's okay.”
Dr. Welton went over to the pterodactyl, followed at a safe distance by the lumbering spinosaurus. He knelt down. “Julia, are you alright?” She was shaking, and her wing covered her
head. He pulled it away gently and examined her.
Feebly, she pushed at him with her claws. “Julia. Just hang on. Let me check you out.” He studied her further. “You have a few broken bones, I think. I guess he gave you quite a scare. We should never have put you two together.”
Julia pointed to his card, and he held it up curiously.
She tapped at the “turn me back” area.
Dr. Welton nodded, standing up. “Rick wants to also. I think you both are long-overdue for a talk. I'll be right back with the anti-serums. That should heal you up as you grow into human form, too.”
As much as Rick needed to become human, he hated changing back. He had been so tall and strong! Now he was becoming...puny. But as his point of view lowered from up in the air to human-height, he, for the first time in a while, felt relieved. He would work this out.
***
The first words from Julia's human lips were directed at Rick. “What is it like to be so big and strong like that?” she asked weakly from the folding chair she sat in.
He smiled, his discomfort falling away. “Awesome. Absolutely awesome.”
She cast her eyes to the ground, all her sadness and despair flowing back. “You know, all I wanted was to escape from human life. I wanted to be something else and be doing something good in the process. Here I could save a species! And I thought Rob wanted that too, but he just wanted me. Then I thought you were into the whole idea of saving species too, but you really just wanted to get back at me. So you both ruined my life. Thanks.” She kicked at the chair leg, sighing.
Rob looked down at her bowed head as he spoke. “Julia, yes, I admit that's why I did it both times. But when I had you in my claws, and you were so tiny and helpless, I knew I couldn't go through with it. I realized that I truly love you, and I could never hurt you. But you have to understand, when you fell for Rob, I basically lost all hope in humanity. I mean, you're brilliant – you should have seen right through him!”
“I did. But I was so blinded by it – I used to be the wallflower that none of those captain-of-the-football team guys wanted. And you never had time for me with your job and everything...I guess I just wanted some excitement.”
“Well, you can still have it, and I can give you all of my time. I'm going to have them change me back. Wanna join me?”
“But, they need a pterosaur.”
Rick pointed to the crowd outside the gate. “there's plenty other volunteers out there that no one's trying to eat. Now will you join me or not?”
Julia hesitated. “How can I ever trust you?”
“Well, first of all, I didn't kill you.”
Julia made a nasty smirk.
“And as a dinosaur, you could tear me apart just as easily. Some people think the female spinosaurus might even be larger than the male.”
“Great, so we can fight to the death. Two dinosaurs fighting will probably flatten the whole town.”
Rick was silent for a moment, his mind working. He put on his best roguish expression. “I bet I can father some pretty damn awesome dino-kids.”
Blushing, Julia shrugged, her mouth twisting into a small smile. She placed her hand in his and took a deep breath. “Dr. Welton, two dino serums, please!” she called out to the doctor.
“It's on the house!” he cried back with vigor.
***
Julia and Rick, male and female spinosauruses, had the first non-human wedding ever. After tying the knot in dinosaur form, they soon welcomed a family. They had no plans to become human in the foreseeable future, and even requested new doses of the Serum when it came time for their original dose to wear out.
More and more extinct animals came back to life inside Prehistoric Park as well as in the Extinct Extension, and the world looks forward to the day when pterodactyls and passenger pigeons freely grace the sky once more...all at once.