Trailer III is the fifth chapter in the Fifth Configuration. Here, while finishing the cast of the infant Tyrannosaurus rex, the trailers Malcolm and Harding are in get attacked by its parents.
Plot[]
As Sarah Harding finishes the cast for the young injured Tyrannosaurus rex, she discusses with Ian Malcolm how many Velociraptors there are on Isla Sorna. She concludes there are far too many and gives the example that there are one lion present every ten to fifteen square kilometers in Africa. Malcolm argues the prey on the island are large in numbers however she counters that is not a plausible argument. Harding surmises that there has to be a new food source supporting the predators and not an artificial one which would make them tame. She thinks there may be a differential death rate for prey on the island due to growth rate or dying fast at a young age while Malcom adds he remembers the dinosaurs here are do nor reach a mature size. Harding remarks that this should produce a differential death rate with evidence of many carcasses. Malcolm says he has not and they have a deep weird feeling regarding the island.
In the High Hide, Eddie wonders if the group there should return to the trailers, remarking to the indifferent Richard Levine that those structure are stronger and thus safer. Levine is still focused on the raptor kill of Howard King and arrogantly says he's not an fanatic. Eddie talks to the more reasonable Jack Thorne who says they will stay for a while then return to the trailers together.
Back in the trailer, Malcolm recounts the recent incidents of dinosaur carcasses washing up to the shores of Costa Rica and Harding wonders why only now. He checks the InGen network, recounting that he previously noticed memos of a disease amongst the dinosaurs as mentioned in the chapter Laboratory. Harding recounts her knowledge that diseases in animals in the wild are caused by viruses or prions such as Mad Cow Disease or scrapie. Malcolm finds the scientist fed the infant dinosaurs goat's milk, which Harding remarks is used in zoos and is hypoallergenic. Returning to the casted young Tyrannosaurus, she says the parents may not like the smell unless the compound hardens. They then realize it is dark and with the storm, they cannot return to the Tyrannosaurus nest. Malcolm finally finds the herbivores were fed plant matter while the carnivores got not chicken meat but rather sheep extract for one year.
Suddenly, the perimeter sensors activate and they realize it's not the wind which triggered it. In the High Hide, Kelly Curtis notices the trailer lights turned on and Thorne radios Malcolm. Eddie initially says convection currents may have triggered the too sensitive sensors. Malcolm and Harding initially do not see anything, the former dismissing a snorting sound. Harding suddenly spots the two Tyrannosaurus parents, causing vibrations on the ground. Harding wonders if they are coming for their baby yet Malcolm says it can't be; they are too far away from the nest. She reminds him that he previously noted they don't know "anything about their physiology, their biochemistry, their nervous systems, their behavior (or) their sensory equipment." She recounts snakes have infrared sensors, Bats have echolocation, birds and turtles are able to detect the earth's magnetic field. Yet Malcolm is not persuaded.
The adult Tyrannosaurus outside remain silent yet rapidly moving the heads in arcs. The pair continue to wonder how the parents are sensing and in the High Hide, while Levine is fixated on the adult Tyrannosaurus actions, the group hears Malcolm radio that the lights are attracting the parents. Levine notes the Tyrannosaurus are waiting as the dinosaurs are confused with the lights are turned off. Levine surmize that the trailers mark a change in the Tyrannosaurus' environment, expecting them to turn away, however they advance towards the trailers.
Malcolm and Harding now realize they are in deep danger and the Tyrannosaurus pair circle the trailer. Harding notes they aren't acting in hunting-like behavior and with one roaring, she remarks they are in fact searching. The other parent roars in reply, and two two academics fall onto the ground. As one Tyrannosaurus slams the trailer, Malcolm tries to comfort Harding the whole structure is strong, however, she give a dry response. As the other Tyrannosaurus also hits the trailer, Malcolm and Harding are thrown back and forth. Malcolm turns off the radio as Thorne checks in and Harding speaks the the dinosaur, tying to indicate its child is fine. She continues to talk as she unstraps the baby, telling Malcolm this talking has worked with lions. Despite her attempt, the female Tyrannosaurus smashes the trailer's window, the head entering the trailer. It reduces its violence, sniffing the cast first, then licking the child. Next, the mother rested her jaw on the unconscious young Tyrannosaurus for a while, staring at Harding, who told Malcolm to stay silent and down. The mother was hearing her child's heartbeat. Finally, she carries the young out of the trailer with her jaws.
Harding notes the mother is still licking the her child and pushing him then she hears from Malcolm he can't recall how much morphine they administered. The baby Tyrannosaurus finally awakes and the academics are relieved as the parents leave with the now conscious child. In the High Hide, they realize Malcolm turned off his radio, cutting off any updates. Eddie sees the Tyrannosaurus moving away and the group cheer, however, Levine replies they made a critical error.
In the trailer, Harding is fixed on the female Tyrannosaurus which suddenly lower her child down and she wonder if it's dead. The other parent has actually placed it in the fork of a tree. The academics realize they are facing another attack as the two adult Tyrannosaurus roar together and charge at the trailers. Malcolm is struck at his head and Harding screams with the continuous attacks. As she calls his name, the trailer turns sideways. Malcolm sees everything broken then one of the adult Tyrannosaurus and it moves the trailer across the dirt. He yells Harding's name as the trailer overturns. He tries to reach her and feels acid dripping on his shoulder. The adult Tyrannosaurus chew at the two trailer's connection with Malcolm hoping they will bite the electrical cable. As the dinosaurs attack the trailers, he finally reaches Harding who has a piece of glass stuck in part of her head. He holds a nearby towel on the wound and they discover the two Tyrannosaurus are pushing the trailer towards the cliffs and over. He realizes the power is out and then one of the Tyrannosaurus strikes it with is foot. Malcolm holds on to the fridge's door, however, loses his grip as the trailer falls, is thrown to its far end and fall unconscious.
Arby Benton asks Levine what just happened and the palaeologist couldn't give a definitive reply. Thorne questions why the Tyrannosaurus did that and Levine replies using his expertise that they, through taking the baby T.rex, changed the adults' 'perceived behavior.' He explains Tyrannosaurus do not think; they act by instinct, marking territory and defending where they marked. He says the two adult Tyrannosaurus will defend the territory once occupied by the trailers. Eddies yells that the accordion connector holding the two trailers will snap and Thorne immediately heads to rescue. He tells Eddie, who argues, to stay in the High Hide to take care of the kids. He judges the distance to the hanging trailers and knows he has little chance of reaching the trapped academics.
In the hanging trailer, Harding is initially disorientated then notes the trailer is hanging precariously. Her left eye is blocked by the blood from her head wound and as a survival expert, she quickly forms as makeshift bandage from her shirt. Seeing Malcolm, she calls him, however, there is no answer and he is still. The two adult Tyrannosaurus continue to push the remaining trailer off the cliff as she calls his name again. Ignoring the pain from her injuries, she successfully reaches Malcolm who has an injured leg again.
She repeatedly tells him they have to do something then he weakly informs her the power needs to be restored. The first panel activating the power is broken but he tells her there is a second in the other trailer. The Tyrannosaurus continue to kick as she finds the accordion passage was twisted and they may die. Suddenly, she hears an electrical hum and as she still calls Malcolm's name and searches wildly, she finally finds the other panel. As she presses the last button, the Internal Ursine Deterrent developed by Thorne electrocutes the two Tyrannosaurus yet the pounding continues.
Note[]
It is one of the longest chapters in The Lost World.
Trivia[]
Birds do have magnetosensors, similarly do turtles and bats navigate and find insect prey using echolocation.
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