stereo hearts

Employee peered around the corner to see if the strange dinosaur was still there.

His blood ran cold when he noticed that, not only was it still there, but it was looking right at him. The stranger looked somewhat like a crestless parasaurolophus but was even larger, possibly even bigger than Narrator. Employee considered running away, but he was also curious. There was a mystery afoot in the city after all, an influx of strange oviraptors (who were far too cagey to get any information from), and now sightings of these large herbivores. He didn’t want to miss his chance to finally find out what this was all about, and though his heart beat quickly in his chest as the beast began moving toward him, Employee did not move.

“Are you a local?”

Her voice was soft, melodic, and most importantly, not threatening. This calmed the cryolophosaurus down and he took a deep breath.

“I live here, yeah.” Employee tried to sound casual and unafraid.

“What kind of music do you folks on the surface listen to?”

Employee tilted his head. Music? Like the singing of songbirds, or the clinking of windchimes? While he tried to remember where the closest windchimes were, he suddenly got a better idea. He knew something that would no doubt impress the imposing stranger, and surely she would be happy to give him information in exchange for the experience.

“I know just what you’re looking for! Follow me,” Employee chirped confidently.

He thoughtfully avoided the narrow streets as he navigated his way towards the office building that he called home. As he got closer, he slowed down, double-checking the sides of the surrounding buildings.

“Hmm, I know there’s one around here somewhere… ah!” 

Employee stopped at a strange metal covering on a wall. He hooked his claw beneath it and eased it up, exposing some very small holes.

Bluebell looked on curiously, wondering what sounds might come out of it, and how.

“Just wait here a moment,” Employee assured, “I’ll be back with the device! It is very impressive, so prepare to be amazed!”

Bluebell sat down and patiently waited while the cryolophosaurus ran into a neighboring building.

—

Employee shot right into the office room that he nested in. Narrator was resting there too, and as Employee rustled through his stuff to find the device, it seemed as if the commotion roused the acrocanthosaurus from his nap.

“What’s going on?” Narrator grumbled, “Don't tell me it’s another oviraptor infestation.”

“Oh no,” Employee assured, “I’m going to impress one of those huge herbivores. You know, we were probably going about the wrong way trying to get information from those oviraptors before too. You catch more flies with honey, after all.”

Narrator gave Employee a grumpy look, but the cryolophosaurus didn’t notice as he finally dug out the device he was looking for and lifted it into his arms. 

“See you later!” chirped Employee as he carried the device out of the room.

“You catch more flies with honey,” mumbled Narrator as he watched Employee leave.

—

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” shouted Employee to Bluebell as he approached, hugging the device carefully.

The device was somewhat small, had an oblong shape, with a black color that shined in the sun. It also had a thin tail that nearly touched the ground. To Bluebell, this looked like some strange rock, and she wondered if the cryolophosaurus was going to hit it like a drum, or clank it against something else. Regardless, it didn’t look very impressive, but it might be amusing to see this little carnivore make a fool of himself.

Employee set the device carefully down and crouched next to the tiny holes he exposed earlier. He pulled on the tail and carefully maneuvered the end of it in his claws. The end had some metallic protrusions, and he was trying to line them up with the holes.

“This part is the trickiest,” explained Employee. “It’s just like a key, very difficult to get it in the hole but… ah, there it goes, it’s always worth it!”

Bluebell looked on with renewed interest. There were keys in Atlantis as well, relics from those that built the dome. What the cryolophosaurus stated about keys was certainly true, so she leaned in closer to the device. Would it open? Was there some kind of instrument inside?

“Okay, now, listen to this!” Employee said dramatically as he carefully pressed a button on the device with a claw.

Sounds emanated from the device. It was high and tinny, but there was no doubt about it, this was some kind of strange foreign song. The cries of a creature Bluebell had never heard before mingled perfectly with sounds from other instruments. The iguanodons of the court played instruments, but never this quickly and intricately. Bluebell couldn’t help but gasp as she listened, this truly was remarkable.

Employee smiled at the entranced look on his guest’s face. It had been a while since he last used the device, so he figured he’d press Bluebell for information later as he laid down and listened along with her.