Jurassic World: The Gift

Part 2: Vic's Idea

One Year Later...

Victor Hoskins was observing the raptors in their containment. They were distressed by his presence, anyone could see that. And it was so prominent that it made Astrid herself nervous. She saw that the raptors were distressed, and tried to calm them. She was with Blue, stroking the top of her head. Blue was calm at the moment, but then Victor came along and Blue began to thrash. "You able to make the raptors listen, too?" He asked. "No, my job is to calm them while they're being trained and checked up on. I have a way with reptiles." Astrid acknowledged. "Well, to me, it seems they listen to you better than they do Owen. After what happened in that pen back there you pretty much commanded them to retreat." Victor commented. "I'm thinking if something happened to Owen, someone would have to step up." He said.

"If you're implying that I'll be taking Owen's position as their alpha, you would be wrong. I don't plan to become the alpha, and even though they are calm in my presence I am still very cautious of these animals." Astrid explained. She kept stroking Blue's head and keeping her calm. "I only touch them when they are in these devices, and it's to keep them calm while they recieve their routine examinations." She added.

"Then how do you keep them calm while they're being trained?" Victor inquired. "I stand on the catwalk with Owen. I never go in the paddock, I don't command them, and I don't train them. The only thing I do besides this is feed them, and I don't feed them by hand like I do with the herbivores." Astrid replied. She rested her hand on the side of Blue's neck, seeing her efforts to calm her were in vain. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to maybe back away so that I can perform my duties, sir. You're distressing her, Mr. Hoskins." Astrid insisted.

Victor scoffed, and walked off, leaving Astrid and Blue for Barry and Delta. Astrid huffed in irritance, but was relieved that she didn't have to deal with him while doing her job. Astrid laid a hand on the top of Blue's head. Blue stopped growling and calmed after Hoskins left.

X X X X X X

After a while, Owen came over to Astrid while she was sitting down on the stairs. "How did it go?" He asked. "Well they found a couple of scars on her but other than that Blue-" "I meant did Vic give you any problems." Owen interrupted. "I don't know, he kind of distressed the raptors and made it harder for the medical staff to examine them, but he really didn't do anything." She responded. Astrid uncapped a bottle of water and took a long sip of it. Owen sighed. "He tried to get me on his side with the whole dinosaur soldiar thing, but I told him that I was against it because it was a stupid idea." She spoke. "He went to Barry and started talking about 'young impressionable youth' and 'corruption'." Astrid complained. Owen mumbled something Astrid could not hear, then he spoke up. "Just ignore him, Astrid. If he tries anything, tell me." Owen spoke with a stern tone. "Ok." Astrid mumbled.

Owen had to assume the parental figure while Astrid was working in the park. Astrid had no one looking after her, and her cousin was never around. So Owen stepped up and took up the role of a parental guardian. He was sort of like a part-time father in a sense. He tried to make sure nothing happened to her, and took care of her until her cousin could take her back to where they lived. Owen didn't hug her or anything like that, but he did try to protect her from the raptors when he thought that they would attack her. Though with her special gift, that wouldn't be a problem. What he did have to worry about, however, was Vic giving her a hard time and convincing her to "put her gift to good use" as he said.

Oh, Vic hounded Astrid more than he should have. And Owen didn't like it one bit. Victor was persistant with getting Astrid on his side, and Owen knew why. It was the same reason Victor hounded him: controlling the mighty beasts that were these dinosaurs. Except Astrid did have the ability to possibly tame a dinosaur and obtain it's loyalty and trust. And that was apparently enough to be able to sick dinosaurs on someone.

Yes, Astrid's gift was indeed a special and amazing one. Yet, in the wrong hands, this gift could do much more harm than good. And Owen felt inclined to keep that gift out of the wrong hands. Even if it meant disobeying his superiors...