The Origami Dragon And Other Tales Read Online Free PDF Page A

Noah’s work that were still a mystery to me. For
example, I had no idea how the animals were miniaturised. My old
work mates had called it an extreme form of extreme dwarfism which
defied explanation. They would have killed to get their hands on
one of Noah’s animals, and they weren’t the only ones. I suspected
that Dr. Emzara knew how the magic was made, but I doubted she
would tell me.
    “Most of the
breeding labs are on a separate ship, the Genesis ,” she
explained, “which isn’t as large as this tanker but houses most of
the labs and a few smaller versions of the Park. That’s where we
test the animal interactions before general release. Here, look at
these.”
    She showed me
some samples of animals sent over from the genesis labs. There were
a couple of eagles, two new species of vulture and several new
plants. I examined the plants under a microscope, marvelling at
their perfect contours. We discussed the schedule of release. The
normal protocol was to release the animals into a fenced-off
section of the island to allow them to habituate to their new
conditions. After a few days, we would free them and then watch
them carefully to see how they went.
    The animals
were tiny, perfect replications of their larger brothers and
sisters. Like the Park itself, their lives were a throwback to a
world intact and pure, a time before man invented the combustion
engine and the rifle. There was no environment more pristine than
those Noah’s creations lived in.
    “The leopards
will be released directly into the wild,” Dr. Emzara continued,
staring at them fondly, “and as the island is probably too small to
sustain a breeding population we will need to import new animals
from caged breeding colonies. The genesis ships have far more room
for such things than the Park does, as they don’t need to
accommodate a showy dome or sustainable populations. The Genesis has a dozen zoos worth of animals stocked up in
boxes like the ones we have here.”
    The animals get
complacent when they live like this,” I said, motioning towards the
crates of wildlife.
    “They are fed,
watered, sheltered and protected. Why wouldn’t they feel safe?
That’s why we have the Park, so that they can be truly free. Free
to graze, to be hunted, to feel the cold rain pouring down on them.
I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer the crate, myself.”
    I smiled
slightly. I would have chosen the Park and its uncertain dangers
over the boredom of the crates, but the idea was purely academic.
We were playing God with the animals, but I knew that people would
never live in the Park.
     
    The rest of my
day was spent checking up on the animals recently released into the
Park. Hundreds of tiny cameras were spread through the Park, hidden
in stones and amongst trees. Telescopic cameras sitting in the
domed ceiling recorded the herd’s movements from above, while
cameras hidden in the rivers keep their vigil below the waters. A
few cameras were mobile: tiny robots that watched over the herds.
The work was complex, as some species were slow to adapt to the
presence of other animals. The lions always fed well for the first
few days of a new herbivore release, and I did my best to record
the mortality rates. It was hard, as the Park had seven day/night
cycles every twenty-four hours, meaning that I had a week’s worth
of days to review every afternoon. This also meant that the animals
aged faster than their full grown cousins, and so gave birth more
often.
    Things seemed
to be going well, remarkably well indeed. The lions had bred their
first litter of tiny golden cubs, which were incredibly sweet. The
trees were flourishing; the grazers and browsers were healthy. I
worked contently until late into the night, taking copious notes
and forwarding a number of the most promising clips to the video
team. We would need them soon.
     
    Harry dropped
by my office later that night.
    “T-minus
twenty-four hours,” he said cheerfully, “so I brought along a few
of