//------------------------------// // The Tour // Story: Jurassic Park Ponified // by RustyNails //------------------------------// Two explorer tour vehicles pulled up to the steps of the visitor's center as the ponies were coming down the stairs. "These are the tour vehicles ponies." said Uncle Orange. "Aren't they glorious. Custom made by the Baltimare Motor Company." The tour vehicles were SUVs painted in green and brown jungle camouflage. They had beige leather interiors, plexiglass sunrooves, and computer monitors in the consoles. "How come no drivers?." Said Applejack. "Because there are no drivers. They're electric. They run on the track in the middle of the road. And they're controlled remotely from the control room." "Boy, this place keeps getting 20% more cooler." The doors to the cars opened automatically. "Welcome to the Jurassic Park safari tour. Please enter the vehicles." "Is that Fancy Pants?" Rarity cried. "It is. As always we've spared no expense." The cutie mark crusaders jumped in the first car and were immediately taken with the features. Sweetie Belle fiddled with the computer console. "Interactive CD-ROM! Look, you touch one part of the screen and it talks about whatever you want." "Cool, just the thing for a computer nerd." Scootaloo joked. "I'm more of a hacker." The ponies all gathered into the cars. Applejack, Rarity, the Crusaders, and Daisy were in the first car; Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were in the second. Uncle Orange helped them into their seats and shut the doors. "There are radios beneath the glove compartments so you can talk to each other or contact us in the control room. Have a great time." Orange headed back inside. "Still worried about the park Twilight?" asked Fluttershy. "A little, but it will be cool to see live dinosaurs." "Ahh yeah. This is going to be so awesome." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uncle Orange and Octavia entered the control room where all of the park's systems were monitored and controlled. "There's a tropical storm heading this way." said Octavia. "Right now it's about 75 miles west of us." "Let's hope that doesn't spoil the tour for the ponies." "It doubt it, but I'll keep an eye on it. Hopefully it'll dissipate or swing south or something." A dark blue unicorn pony named Bright Bulb sat at the main computer desk. "Bright, start up the tour program." "Hold onto your hooves ponies." A click of the mouse initiated the tour. The cars started moving slowly down the track. "Hey look! It's driving itself!" shrieked the crusaders, amazed by the self-driving vehicle. "Amazin!" Applejack said in response. Rainbow Dash was also taken by the self-steering car. "The car is driving itself!" "Pull over you crazy driver!" Pinkie laughed. The cars made a left turn and headed down a long stretch of dirt road. "During the tour, the appropriate information will be displayed automatically. Simply touch the icon on the screen related to the current location." "Hey look." said Applebloom. Up ahead was the large wooden Jurassic Park gate. "Here we go everypony." said Applejack. "Welcome to Jurassic Park." The huge gate opened to let the cars through, then shut behind them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What do you think the first dinosaur will be?" Rainbow asked the others. "I hope its triceratops or stegosaurus or T-Rex." "Oh dear, I don't know if I really want to see the T-Rex." Fluttershy squeaked. "Don't be a scardey pony Fluttershy, It's not like the dinosaurs are roaming free in the park." "Yeah, their behind 10,000 volt electric wires." said Pinkie "They won't come and eat you all up." "I'm not worried about that, more about those poor dinosaurs being shocked by those fences." "Hey!" said Twilight. "I think were coming to our first dinosaur." The cars slowed down around a curve approaching the first enclosure. "If you look to the right of the vehicle, you'll see a herd of the first dinosaurs on our tour. Dilophosaurus." "Dilophosaurus!" "Cool!" The ponies leaned to the windows to get a look. "One of the earliest therapod dinosaurs hailing from the early Jurassic period, almost 150 million years ago. Upon it's introduction into the park, we discovered that Dilophosaurus is actually poisonous. When hunting, it spits a potent venom from glands within its jaw. Aiming for the eyes, the venom causes blindness and disorientation, rendering its prey utterly helpless. With sharp accuracy, the carnivore can hit a target from a distance of 20 feet. An expanding neck cowl adds an extra frightening touch. For your safety we ask that you keep windows shut as you pass the enclosure. Dilophasurus was an efficient predator of its time, making it a beautiful but deadly addition to Jurassic Park." The ponies looked around for the Dilophosaurus but it was nowhere to be found. There was nothing behind the fence except for thick leafy jungle. "Where is it? I don't see anything." said Sweetie Belle. The ponies all frowned with disappointment. "Ponyfeathers." Twilight shook her head. The cars drove away. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The cars travelled further into the park bumping their way down the dirt road. They came upon the second dinosaur enclosure. "Ahh, coming up on the left is the second dinosaur on our safari, Ankylosaurus. From the late Cretaceous period, Ankylosaurus is famous as the armored dinosaur, with hard osteoderm plates on its head and back and tail club as its primary weapon of defense. Although it's a herbivore and can be placid when calm, this dinosaur was not one to underestimate. With poor eyesight and a very short temper, it is easily provoked into defensive behavior. One swipe of its club could deal a fatal injury to most predators. These animals live together in small herds and are very protective of their territory and each other." The ponies looked around for the armored dinosaurs, but like the Dilophosaurus, they were absent. "What? Where is it?" Applebloom. "What in tarnation? Said Applejack. "Where could dinosaurs be in the middle of the day?" "Maybe it's naptime for them," said Sweetie Belle. "Just like how the elephants in the Canterlot zoo have a naptime." "Naptime or whatever," Scootaloo grumbled. "Why can't we just see one." The cars pulled away from the Ankylosaurus enclosure, disappointed yet again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Gosh, what is going on with these dinosaurs?" said Rainbow Dash. "As soon as we want to see them they don't show up." "Maybe they grew wings, turned into little birdy's and flew away. They are related to birds after all." "It's the other way around Pinkie." Twilight looked up from a JP brochure. "Birds are related to dinosaurs." "Really? How?" Fluttershy gasped. "It's really quite amazing when you think about it. A lot of dinosaur skeletons are structured similar too birds, and they have similar features. Some dinosaurs have been discovered with primitive feathers like a bird." "Oh my." Fluttershy was intrigued by what she was hearing. Twilight levitated a book out of her saddlebag, opening it to a page on compsagnathus. "Take this guy, comsagnathus. It's a dinosaur..." Twilight used her magic to make the book into sort of a flip book showing bird evolution. "But over millions of years it's front arms turn into wings, its snout turned into a beak, it learned how to fly, and likety split, you've got a bird in the sky." "Amazing, so the birds I have at my cottage in my choir could be long lost dinosaur cousins?" "Probably." "Wow, I'll never look at birds the same way again." The tour vehicles pulled up to the T-Rex paddock. "In this large paddock is the star attraction of Jurassic Park. The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex." "All right." said Scootaloo. "The T-Rex." The vehicles stopped in front of the fence to allow a better look. "Let's hope we finally see something." Rainbow Dash grumbled. "Third time's the charm!" said Pinkie. "The T-Rex was the top predator of its time in the late Cretaceous period, nearly 70 million years ago, and one of the largest carnivores ever to roam the planet. With excellent binocular vision, and banana sized teeth, any dinosaur was wise to avoid becoming its dinner. It's name literally means 'Tyrant Lizard King'. Despite its size, the T-Rex is a very capable runner, able to reach speeds of 30 miles per hour. However, it has one weakness, it's vision is based on movement... "What does that mean?" Rainbow asked. "It means if you remain perfectly still," Twilight answered. "and don't move a muscle, the T-Rex wouldn't see you. Thus you wouldn't get eaten." Fluttershy froze up. The other ponies looked at her. "Just in case." However, this small handicap is more than compensated by an excellent sense of smell and strong depth perception. We've stopped here for ten minutes to allow for a good look at this magnificent animal, and Jurassic Park's main attraction. The ponies watched the paddock for the T-Rex, but like the other two it didn't show up. "Maybe it isn't home." said Fluttershy. "Oh it's home." said Twilight. "There's few places it can go with that fence." The T-Rex still didn't come. "Don't tell me this one's not going to show up either." Rainbow Dash moaned. She rolled down the window. "Come on dinosaurs! Wake up!" Pinkie Pie also stuck her head out the window blowing a party horn. "Wakey wakey!!! Some ponies all the way from Equestria to see you!!" Nothing happened. Rarity yawned. Octavia came over the intercom. "We'll try and tempt the Rex now. Keep your eyes on the fence." A goat tethered to a pole came of of the ground in the paddock. "What's going to happen to him?" said Sweetie Belle. "It's gonna eat the goat!?!" "It is a carnivore Sweetie Belle." "What's the matter kid?" Daisy commented. "You've never heard of lamb chops?" "Last I looked, ponies didn't eat meat." said Applejack a little annoyed. "A T-Rex doesn't want to be fed, it wants to hunt." said Twilight. "You can't supress 65 million years of natural instincts." They waited another five minutes, but the Tyrannosaurus was a no show. The goat laid down in the grass as if to take a nap. The ponies shrugged and sighed disappointed yet again. "This really blows." Scootaloo kicked her hooves on the back of the seat. The tour vehicles started moving again. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uncle Orange sat at a TV monitor watching the feed from inside the cars. Pinkie Pie stuck her face in the camera. "Now eventually you might actually have dinosaurs on your dinosaur tour correct? Hello?" She tapped the camera with her hoof "Hello? Hello?" She breathed on the camera. Uncle Orange held is face in frustration.