Paradigm Shift (The Game part 0)

i'm SOOOOO mad right now people of the innerweb, and

for once i know exactly what to direct this anger at... or in this case WHO!

that jerk (though he's still not quite in my cousins league of JERKiness...), professor paradigm has not only managed to ruin my second date with the girl of my dream's, but also completely destroyed lillian's life!!!

the worst part is neither me nor lillian know why... and though lillian may not be willing to put up a fight about it, i am!...

it's not lillian's fault mind you. we dinosaurs that are still alive (a vivus-fossil paradigm calls us) have it rough in the human world. the only way for us to make a living is to do what you humans want us to do...

for some reason being around lillian i don't care about that. i don't care that professor paradigm has major ties with the international palaeontological community, the world of museums, or perhaps most importantly my boss ms. rhonwyn. i don't care that through these he could probably ruin my finally back on track life. i certainly don't care that he may be the head of a powerful secret organization (by this i mean palaeo central).

so not caring i phoned up the melbourne museum with the intent of demanding paradigm explain himself to me... and you know what he said?

nothing. absolutely nothing.

the girl at reception informed me that the professor had not only left the museum this morning (right after confronting lillian), but that he had left the country!!!

ah man people of the innerweb! the one time i finally work the courage to do something great (and impress the girl i want to love me), and i'm robbed by the bad guy running away before i even find out there was a problem...

now my only way to help lillian is my really desperate, and probably stupid plan... all i can do right now is take her to my super duper mystery mega surprise location to cheer her up in the meantime, and while she is distracted try to set her up something resembling a successful life again.

so maybe its for the best paradigm left without me yelling at him. now that i think about it (with my limited mental capacity) what were the odds that my yelling at the mean old professor would get him to change his mind, and make things right for lillian?

yeah okay. so sure i didn't get to vent my anger, but at least this is the last time we'll ever have to see the professor again. i mean when's the next time i'm going to need a check up this bad (i've already been overdosed with magic after all!)? and lillian, if my plan goes right (please JUST once have one of my plans go right!) she'll be so famous that paradigm won't dare go near her again... good riddance is all i have to say! he can go ruin other people's lives!!!

uh okay so long as their not people i know...

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Meanwhile back in Canada at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology...

(From the personal journal of Craig)

It's been a long time since I've been in this place. A long time indeed, and I'm not sure either of us is ready for my being back so "soon"...

Only he would arrange for a meeting to be here. Though he tries to hide the fact he has emotions, occasionally his grossly dark sense of humour wriggles its way to the surface. On these rare occasions you get a rendezvous that is as appropriate as today's.
_

Obviously both me and the museum have changed. Fortunately for me, the museum's differences are more noticeable at first glance. I won't want any of my old colleagues or friends here to suspect what I've become in my absence.

The change to the museum helps make me forget that this was once my home. Forget all the experiences, good times, bad times, and especially the betrayal. Not that Traumador restricted his betraying to the Tyrrell alone.

Some of the new displays, like these Albertosaurs, are a nice addition. It's good to see the mission of teaching and informing the public goes on.

Some of the new displays like this sauropod leg, are maybe less nice than you'd think. Not that it doesn't have a great educational value. Yet at the same time it has a far more interesting secondary purpose that the majority of the museum's visitors will never even suspect.

The funny part is many of them will have enjoyed its infrastructure. Beside this massive leg of Camarasaur is a spot for people to stand and compare their size to this long dead giant. A very fun and interactive use of the spot, and most beautifully deceptive.

I too jump on up for a go. Not that I don't already know how much larger than me this dinosaur's leg was. Not that I have anyone with me to take a picture. In fact my visit is perfectly timed for when there is only two other visitors in the gallery, and their far from me at moment. Only the museum's surveillance is here to take notice of me. Which is preciously why I'm up here.

Man this satchel is getting heavy as I wait for it to work.

This display's secondary purpose is in the marked footing pads. 99.99% of shoes don't do a thing here. Mine are in that .01%. Having the special transmitters in my shoes, I set off the sensor inside the pads thus deactivating the security surveillance system for 15 minutes. Not for my benefit of course, but for his.

He can't afford for his enemies (my "allies" in his little game) to know that I am meeting him here. Of course it won't be an issue if he hadn't picked this museum as the meeting place. Like I said dark sense of humour.

Man this place has changed a lot. Lillian gone, and replaced with Ceratopsians.

The scary thing is I've changed more than this place many times over. Changed by the very people I was supposed to be able to trust. All for what? The greater good he keeps telling me.

A greater good maybe, but not mine that's for sure!

All his!

Paradigm as usual plays it like business as normal when I arrive at the meeting place and play that he is calm and cool, but I know better. He is actually relieved to see my satchel hanging heavy and loaded off my shoulder. Not relieved to see me mind you. Just the satchel.

After the hand off, and his prompt (and rather rude frankly) inspection of the "goods' he thanks me. Not that it is actually a thanks for the trouble he's put me through. Rather he thanks me because it's what he's observed other people do in these situations.

I ask for my leave. Unlike him, I still have a cover story to keep up, and this is the last place I want to turn up if I'm to keep it up. Those eggs I stole won't go unnoticed much longer.

Than he pulls a fast one on me, and considering who its coming from it's quite a fast one indeed. He has a new place for me to lie low in. Which isn't exactly standard procedure. The whole point of my lying low is so that my connection to him isn't obvious.

Of course no, like usual he "has a better use for me". Isn't that nice. Like I'm not feeling enough like a tool, without him essentially calling me one.

I politely (only in tone and wording, but we both know I'm not being polite about anything) remind him I don't actually work for him. I'm not one of his precise, and apparently completely obedient, "agents". I'm only on contract, and frankly he's over stepping his boundaries here (like always).

_

In reply as he often does, Paradigm proceeds to hold the things I've done for him over me as blackmail and threatens to take me in for them. And he wonders why I don't trust him ever?

I tell him where to stick it and that I'm through. Whether he throws what I've done (for him) out in the light of day for all to see or not. Than comes the fast one.

_

He wants me to go back to New Zealand! New Zealand of all places! Just when I thought the sense of humour couldn't get any darker.

_

I flat out tell him no, and start to walk away. Go me! I never thought I could pull it off. Yet here I did it.

_

Than he does something I've never seen before. He ran after me, and blocks me off. I expect for another round of threats. Instead he pleads with me to just read the job. Of course there'd be a job. With him there's always a job.

_

A job in New Zealand. I don't even need to look to have a guess. Exactly what my greatest little "discovery" has gone off and done I couldn't have said, but it wasn't like I didn't know what this would be about.

_

I can't believe my eyes when I read the summary. I look at Paradigm to see if this is a joke. He just nods to alert me to the fact he isn't joking. Of course I should know better, he "never" jokes.

_

Before I know it I'm in contact with this Agent Hamilton of the New Zealand Department of Conservation arranging for me to assist with this case of "hers". In reality it's his case like always, but I don't tell her that. She probably won't like to hear that he's likely to swoop in at the last minute and steal all the credit. I don't care.

_

This one might actually have something in it for me...

_

To be picked up soon...