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Just Add Water -- Prologue
By CarnaRaptor
"The Biotechnology Revolution differs in three important respects from past scientific transformations.
First, It's broadbased.
Second, Much of the research is thoughtless or frivolous.
Third, It's uncontrolled....
~Michael Crichton
 Poster By Jurassic_Justin
"The Pachyderm Portfolio"
Norman Atherton patiently waited in his office, awaiting the arrival of his friend and soon-to-be business partner. Norman had never been approached like this before. He had been told that this proposition would be a huge fundraiser, though he had never been given any specific details. This kind of thing worried him, but that was just the kind of man Norman Atherton was – if the car sounds funny, he’ll tear it apart and put it back together and make sure it’s in perfect working order. Norman was a middle aged man in his early 40’s and was the head geneticist at Stanford University of California. He was a fairly thin man with shades of gray and milky tone of skin, he has never really left the cozy sanctuaries of the indoors. A knock beckoned from the door.
“Atherton, ‘tis Hammond” the man proclaimed in almost childlike tone. Atherton made his way to the door and greeted him. A short and very old man walked into Atherton’s office maintaining his balance only by a cane in hand. John Hammond was a fairly rich man with a very ambitious sense of thinking. For someone of his age, he was very enthusiastic with everything and always seemed to have a knack for creative thinking. Nevertheless, physically, he was unstable. He aged a lot faster than one of normality and his bones tended to be very weak, but he had been seeing a topnotch physician to clear that up.
“So John, what is this proposition you want to introduce to me” said Atherton as he sank into his leather chair and nestled his feet atop the desk.
“Well Norman, I’ll get straight to the point. This country needs excitement, and I’m not talking about more playgrounds and more Gilligans-esque characters, oh no. I’m taking about fascinating biological attractions that awe people with excite” Hammond replied in a distinct tone of anxiousness.
“You mean animals I presume?” said a somewhat bewildered Atherton.
“Not just any animals. Genetically altered animals. Animals that will pleasantly surprise all its witnesses. And we’ll make millions of it! Millions I say. We’ll take it to fundraisers, we’ll care for it, we’ll make duplicates”
“WHOA! John don’t get so far ahead….You know your proposition is ill-“ Atherton was cut off by Hammond.
“Illegal? No. There will be no legal obstacles in this. Just you and your genetics magic. You will be paid a hefty sum, as I’ve already said”
“Just what exactly IS this animal?”
“Well, an elephant. A dwarf elephant to be exact”
Atherton thought hard about this. A bit of sweat appeared on his fore head. He knew this kind of thing can put him over the top, but he still thought there was some sort of legal obligation. “Are you sure this kind of thing is legal?”
“Norman, you think I’d come forward to you about this if I haven’t already taken precautions?
“Well…”
“It’s simple Atherton, I’ve already arranged for you a shipment of dwarf elephant embryos…”
“And you want you want me raise it in an artificial womb with hormonal modifications, I know. I’ve read of this kinda thing before John”
“Then we have a deal?” said Hammond with an almost eerie grin over him. Norman Atherton looked away and contemplated, but then quickly shot back.
“Deal”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3 Years Later
In the spotlight of a crowded auditorium, Hammond was nearing the end of his speech on what he called “consumer biologicals”, some people seemed interested, most were not. They all were there to see one thing, that cute dwarf elephant that’s been all the talk around the country.
“…and that concludes my speech, now my assistant Norman will present to you what you all came here to see” Norman walked out onto the stage with a small cage covered by a blanket. He gently lowered it onto the table and wistfully unraveled the blanket. In the cage stood Denny, the worlds first dwarfed animal. Ooh’s and Aah’s filled the auditorium. Everyone loved it, and everyone paid to see it. It pleased Hammond more than anything. The funds for future animals as such have been astonishing – hundreds of millions. A man in the front row stood up and asked, “Are we allowed to pet it?” Norman and John exchanged glances.
“Sorry sir, I’m afraid not. He’s been a little antsy lately and it’s in the best interest if…Denny…is left alone. Any other questions? Alright then, well I thank you all for coming out here tonight.” Applause was given, yet between all the applause, Denny was screeching vigorously. John and Norman quickly left the auditorium with the elephant and sped off back to their lab. When they arrived there, Denny still hadn’t stop screaming. They took inside and immediately dosed it with minimal anesthesia.
“He’s been doing that a lot lately Hammond! And I can’t figure out why. There’s something wrong with this thing. Something expectedly wrong”
“What do you mean expectedly?” said a grinning Hammond
“Oh come on you couldn’t possibly think we would succeed without some sort of problem”
“There are no problems as far as I am concerned. Just little glitches every now and then”
“Little glitches huh? Let me tell you these little glitches. Ever since it was born, it’s been prone to colds. Nasty colds – especially during the winter. Not to mention the infections along its tusks lines and the countless number of times its tusks get caught in the cage. And he certainly doesn’t act normal. He may look like a bloody elephant, but he acts like a vicious rodent!”
“I assure you lad, its jus-“
“And by the way, duplicating Denny has been lagging, it’s not going very well.
Hammond turned serious, “What?”
“Embryos aren’t succeeding, it may take a while”
“We don’t have a while!” Hammond bellowed
“Why is it of such importance to you? We got this damn thing to live didn’t we?”
“Do you wanna know the truth lad?”
“I don’t get it”
“There’s a reason we need duplicate dwarfs. We’re trying to attract potential investors for my ultimate dream. Without more dwarfs, the investors will turn away because they already know of this animals behavior, and that'll quickly turn them off unless we have insurance dwarfs”
“What is your dream anyway. I thought it was this so called "Pachyderm Portfolio"?”
Hammond hesitated. Atherton deserved to at least know of the plan, after all he did make the dwarf and arrange all the visits. “Son, with the money we have now and the technology I’m eyeing, we will recreate the greatest living things to walk this earth. Their thunderous sounds and roars and graceful presence will please children and adults alike. Dinosa-“ Hammond was interrupted by a sudden thud. Atherton was nowhere to be seen, but than John looked down and noticed him sprawled on the floor. He was going into convulsions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hammond waited in the lounge of the hospital, filled with dread and thoughts of what had and could happen to his partner Norman Atherton. He looked around at the other people in the large white corner. He could see a couple rejoicing afer they had just delivered a new born baby. Other than that there seemed to be noone else around. Not surprising considering it was very late at night. Hammond heard echoing footsteps coming. The doctor who'd been treating Atherton approached him.
Hammond nodded, "Doctor"
"Mr. Hammond, have you ever seen something like this happen to Mr. Norman before?" said the doctor, who looked and sounded oriental. Hammond nodded in disagreement.
"Mr. Hammond, Norman Atherton had terminal cancer. Very serio-"
"Had? What do you mean had?"
The doctor looked down and took it all in.
"He's dead Sir."
COMMENT PLEASE, ALOT OF HARDWORK IS INVOLVED IN THIS AND MUCH MORE TO COME
6/9/2002 5:17:26 PM
(Updated: 6/9/2002 5:31:19 PM)
(Updated: 6/9/2002 7:46:34 PM)
(Updated: 6/10/2002 3:36:14 PM)
(Updated: 6/10/2002 3:36:14 PM)
Comment on this fan fiction!
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