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SotF Complete Chapters 1-3
By Mr Goodbytes
Survival of The Fittest.
Prologue: Flight Home
Dr. Ian Malcolm leaned back in his seat. He could see the sunlight fading fast as the Boeing 727 lifted off the runway. Watching the ground drop away, he sat and contemplated everything that Dr. Grant had relayed to him. Alan was badly frightened, and Ian had not really wanted to leave him. Ian had been with Grant every day for the past two weeks. Alan had been healing steadily, and would probably be released in a few days. Malcolm regretted leaving, but he had a wife waiting for him at home.
It’s a good thing I gave them my number, he thought, if anything happens I can just hop on the next returning flight.
“Would you care for a drink,” asked the stewardess.
“No thanks,” He said, “What’s the in-flight movie?”
“It’s the documentary ‘Jurassic Park: 65 Million Years in the Making
.’ You know, the one that was made a few years ago by that team on one of the islands. It’s really quite…”
“I’ve already seen it,” Ian said interrupting.
************************
“He’s going into cardiac arrest!”
“I can’t get a pulse!”
“He’s flat line, Get the paddles STAT!”
As the voices in Spanish and English floated around the room of the Lady of Guadalupe Medical Center, all immediate attention was on one man. Dr. Alan Grant lay unconscious in his hospital bed. Twenty people gathered around him. They were all probing and taking measurements. His eyes fluttered, his body shook, and he was still aware of what was happening. He could hear them talking, but it sounded so far away.
So, he thought, this is how it all ends.
“Clear!”
Everything he sees and hears fades away. There is nothing.
*****************************
The loud ringing of his satellite phone awakened Ian. He fumbled for it, then pushed the receive button.
“Hello.”
“Dr. Malcolm?”
“Yes, this is Ian Malcolm.”
“I’m afraid we have some unfortunate news regarding your colleague, Dr. Alan Grant,” said the Woman’s voice on the other end.
“Oh my God. Yes, I’ll call her myself.”
Malcolm hung up his phone. He lowered his head, taking a deep breath. Ian quickly dialed the phone. A woman answered.
“Hello, Degler residence.”
“Ellie, It’s Ian. I have some bad news.”
Chapter 1 part 1: Awakening
Whispering voices filled the room. Rows of freezers and metal tables lined the area. A sign hung on the entrance. Written in Spanish, the sign read simply “Morgue.”
“Here he is Señor Buckley,” said a gruff voice in strained English, “I hope you are paying well. I could lose my job.”
“I’m sure this will be enough,” Buckley stated as he handed the man a large case full of bills, “Just stick to your story. It cost us a lot just to pay off the doctor”
“No problem Señor,” the man replied, “His body was cremated by mistake.”
“That’s right. Keep it that way,” Buckley said. He grabbed the gurney, and wheeled it out of the hospital.
*********************
Alan Grant opened his eyes slowly. Looking around, he saw that he was in a dimly lit room. Though he still had an I.V. in his arm, he knew that he wasn’t in the hospital any more. A dark figure approached the bedside.
“Where am I,” Grant asked in a sore voice.
“Biosyn facility 990-32.”
“I’m back on the island?”
“I’m afraid I cannot divulge that information Dr. Grant.”
“Who are you?”
“Don’t you remember me,” the man said as he stepped into the light.
“Dodgson,” Grant said.
“Can you stand?”
“I think so… Why am I here,” Alan asked as he got to his feet.
“I think you know Dr. Grant. Let’s take a walk.”
Grant began walking behind Dodgson. As they exited the room, an armed guard followed. Alan cringed as the man pushed the barrel of a gun into his spine.
I’m not going to make it out of here alive, Alan thought as he walked down the long hall.
“Why do you want me? You could have killed me easily.”
“I don’t want you dead unless necessary Dr. Grant. You see, that old saying ‘good help is hard to come by’ is true. We need a paleontologist. We can’t positively identify half of our own attractions.”
“So why didn’t you just hire someone?”
“Two reasons Dr. Grant,” Dodgson said, “One, because none of them come close to your experience.”
“I wish I had no experience…”
Dodgson chuckled slightly.
“The second reason is that if word got out about our attractions, our facility would be shut down. Even though we have broken no laws.”
“Broken no laws? How about murder,” Grant yelled angrily.
“Murder?” We killed no one. Your protégés all died in a plane crash.”
“What about me?”
“You Dr. Grant… You are already dead.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You died of heart failure last night.”
Grant stumbled backwards. Stunned at what he just heard.
“H-How?”
“A simple combination of drugs. It gives the appearance of cardiac arrest. Your heart slows to almost a stop, your breathing slows, your pulse is undetectable, and your muscles become ridged, mimicking rigor mortis.”
Alan began taking deep breaths. He closed his eyes, thinking to himself about escape.
“We’ll keep you here. You can’t leave, not until the park opens anyway. You will be paid, fed, and clothed for your service.”
“What if I say no?”
“I would advise against that Dr. Grant. After all, you are already dead as far as the world is concerned.”
Not much of a choice, he thought to himself. He turned, looking out the window of the large room that they were standing in. A large herd of Amargasaurus ambled across the large plane. The sun set behind them, outlining their graceful bodies against a red sky. Their unusual sail and spikes wobbling back and forth. Grant turned back toward Dodgson.
“Okay.”
“Excellent Dr. Grant.”
Something else suddenly caught Grant’s eye. The dinosaurs had strange collars around their legs.
“What are those?”
“That is the latest in invisible fencing technology. Our visitors will be able to get closer than InGen ever could have imagined.”
“Must have been expensive,” Grant said.
“We spared no expense.”
Where have I heard that before, Grant thought as a shiver ran down his spine. He turned back to the window, staring at prehistory.
Chapter 1 part 2: Morgue
“What the hell do you mean,” Ellie Degler screamed at the top of her lungs.
“We are sorry Dr. Degler,” said the orderly in English, “Our records say that he was cremated by mistake.”
“How do you cremate a body by mistake,” Malcolm asked shaking his head in disbelief.
“The orderly on call picked up the wrong chart…”
“What is a crematory doing in a hospital anyway?”
“Well,” the Orderly said, “Many families cannot afford the cost of a burial, so we provide it as a free service.”
Ellie began crying, and turned away. She headed down the hall with tears streaming down her face. Ellie had lost Mark in a car accident just two months earlier. Her children and Alan were all that she had left. If it weren’t for Alan, she would have been in pieces. He kept her calm, and she knew that he loved her. She loved him also. Ellie wasn’t prepared to lose him again.
“Is she alright,” Sarah Malcolm whispered to Ian.
He looked at Ellie. She sat on a hall bench, her head buried in her hands. Ian turned back to his wife, and shook his head.
“She’s had it rough the past few months.”
“We should try to comfort her,” Sarah said.
They both stood and began walking over to where Ellie was seated. Sarah knelt down in front of Ellie.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just was hoping that it was all a mistake. I just wish there was something to take home.”
“I know,” Ian said, “Alan and I never really saw eye to eye, but I’m going to miss pestering him.”
Ellie smile a little at Malcolm’s jest. She knew that it was harder on him than he was letting on. She finally got herself composed, standing to leave.
“Over here,” Whispered an orderly with poor English, “I have news of your Dr. Grant.”
The trio moved slowly towards this strange little man.
“We know,” Ian said, “He died.”
“Señor Grant no es muerto.”
“Pardon me,” Ellie asked, “Say again…”
“Señor Grant is alive,” the little orderly said.
“Señor Buckley, I do not know his first name, sobornado the doctor to droga Señor Grant.”
“What does sobornado mean?”
“Bribed,” Ian answered, “and droga is drug.”
“Sí, Then he pay me to sneak Señor Grant out.”
Ian, Sarah, and Ellie left the hospital dazed. Who was this Mr. Buckley? Why did he want Alan? It made no sense. As they climbed into their rental car, the orderly appeared again. He waved Ian over to him.
“Señor Malcolm,” he whispered, “Tell no one.”
**********************
The orderly stepped out of the hospital once again. He was heading home for the night after the long day. Walking to his 2006 Ford Thunderbird, the orderly scanned in every direction. He knew that if anyone had seen him talking with Grant’s friends, his life would be in danger. He placed his thumb on the lock plate, letting it scan his fingerprint. Taking one last look around, he climbed into his car. Safe, he thought. He placed his hand on the ignition scanner, and heard a slight pop. With a thunderous explosion, he and his car were incinerated. As onlookers screamed and ran in all directions, Troy Buckley dialed his cell phone.
“Mr. Dodgson,” he said, “He talked.”
“Did you take care of him?”
“Yes Sir,” Buckley said.
“Good, now find out what he told them.”
“I’m already on it,” Buckley replied.
He hung up, and placed his phone back in his pocket. As sirens filled the air, he climbed into a waiting Limo and pulled away.
Chapter 1 part 3: The Second Survivor
The large yellow life raft slammed onto the white sandy beach. The raft was weather worn and half deflated. It had clearly been adrift for some time. Constructed on the top was a small plastic canopy designed for catching rainwater. A young man with a scraggly facial hair, climbed over the sides. Collapsing immediately, the man began kissing the sand and laughing.
“Thank God. I made it!”
The man stood again, revealing his scrawny physique. He had clearly been without sustenance for several weeks, surviving solely on the rainwater, dew, and what little fat reserves he had to begin with. Spotting bright red berries at the edge of the beach, the man ran toward them. He thought only once about the possibility of poison. He didn’t care. He was starving. Cramming as many berries as possible in his mouth at once, Hank Corel was finally eating after two weeks on the open ocean. Hank gorged himself on the delicious fruit, and then headed off into the jungle in search of civilization.
*********************
Flashing lights appeared in the rear window of the black limousine. Buckley dialed his cell phone rapidly. He had to reach Dodgson right away.
“Lew! It’s Buckley,” He said as he motioned his driver to pull over, “The cops are onto me. You must send someone else.”
“How much trouble do you think you’re in?”
“Not much. Probably just questioning.”
“I’ll get K.T. on it right away,” Dodgson said.
Buckley pressed end on his phone, and placed it back in his pocket. He pressed the window button on his door. The tinted window slid downward slowly as the police officer approached.
“What seems to be the trouble officer,” Buckley said in Spanish.
**************************
Hank Corel wondered on through the dense jungle. He started to become fearful that he had returned to the island somehow. In the last two hours, he had seen no roads or buildings of any kind. He only saw jungle, just thick, dark, and dank jungle.
“Where the hell am I,” Hank asked himself.
As he cleared a small hill, Hank finally thought he knew where he was. There, over the hill, Hank found what he hoped he would not. Rising thirty-five feet, the vine-covered concrete of a barrier wall blocked his path.
“Oh my God. All that time on the ocean… I’m back… I’m back on this damn island!”
Not knowing which side of the barrier the animals would be on, Hank sat down on a stump to think. The loud roar of a familiar terror filled the air. It was far away, but he couldn’t decide which side of the wall the creature was on. Hank stood, he wasn’t going to stay around long enough to find out. He walked over to the barrier, and began climbing the thick vines.
Chapter 1 part 4: K.T.
Sitting in his black BMW, Kirby Trenton Brown watched the three targets walk into a roadside diner near the local airfield. KT. had received a call half an hour earlier from Buckley, telling him to find the three scientists and dispose of them. He already knew what they looked like. Dodgson hadn’t let any of the agents in Costa Rica forget about them for the past three days. K.T. hated Dodgson, and he hated his job.
“Now I’m down here doing Lew’s dirty work,” he mumbled to himself.
He had nothing to do but wait. All he wanted was to get the dastardly deed over fast. Then he would quit his job at Biosyn. If it weren’t for his fear for his own life, K.T. would just let them live.
***************************
Ian, Sarah, and Ellie sat quietly in the diner. They were all hungry, but they only ordered Cokes. No one had the stomach for it after their strange visit to the Lady of Guadalupe Medical Center. Ian broke the silence first.
“Biosyn, that’s the only explanation.”
“Well,” Sarah said, “If that little orderly was telling the truth.”
“Why would he lie,” Ellie asked
A man rushing in yelling something in Spanish interrupted them suddenly.
“¡Gire la televisión!”
The cashier pressed the button on the remote, turning on the television. There, on the screen, they saw the parking lot of the medical center. The remains of a car smoldered in the background as the reporter rambled on in Spanish. The news station flashed a photo of the vehicle’s owner. It was the little orderly!
“Biosyn,” Malcolm said, “We have to go. Now!”
**************************
K.T. watched as the three burst from the building. They were onto him! He burst from the car, pistol in hand. Malcolm saw him before K.T. had a chance to fire.
“Get down!”
They all dropped to the ground, rolling behind parked vehicles. Sparks erupted from the pavement as multiple bullets ricocheted. Ian crawled over to the women. Ellie was holding her shoulder. One of the bullets grazed the first two layers of flesh. It was enough for blood, but nothing to really worry about. K.T. rained shot after shot down toward the three scientists. Five more shots then Ian heard the loud click. The gun was empty! Ian stood; K.T. was fumbling for his second clip. Malcolm took his opportunity. Shoulders level, he charged K.T. Taking him by surprise, the gun spun down the pavement. K.T. head butted Ian in the face. Falling backwards, Ian grabbed his nose as blood gushed everywhere. K.T. Brown jumped to his feet, and began kicking Ian in the stomach. As his foot came down for a third kick, Ian rolled towards him. As Brown tried to steady himself, Ian let loose a well placed punch between the man’s legs. K.T. doubled over, letting Ian smash his face with another blow. Malcolm hit him so hard that he fell backwards. Malcolm stood again, and began stomping the man’s face. His forth kick knocked K.T. out cold. Ian picked up the gun and clip from the asphalt, and threw it to Sarah.
“Hold this for me, I’m going to look for identification.”
As he turned back to the man, K.T. was already on his feet. He lifted his arm, revealing a grenade in his hand. He pulled the clip, and pulled his arm back to throw it. Ian closed his eyes tightly, waiting for his fiery death. Instead, a shot rang out from behind. Sarah had loaded the pistol, and shot him between the eyes. Ian momentarily forgot the grenade, and started to say something to his wife. Then, he caught sight of the rolling object moving slowly towards him.
“Oh Sh…..”
A loud explosion cut him off. His body hurtled twenty yards through the air. He came to rest on soft grass near the diner.
“It,” he said finishing his sentence.
Looking up, he saw the police surround the area. Soon after, everything went dark.
Chapter 1 part 5: Hank
As quietly as possible, Hank Corel moved through the dense undergrowth. He had been hearing the strange sounds of the animals for several hours now, but he still had not encountered any. Ahead, he spotted a small rise in the landscape, and a decline in vegetation. Sunlight trickled down between the leaves, breaking the monotony of ever-present darkness. Hank approached the clearing cautiously. He knew, from his previous encounters, that large dinosaurs roamed the plains of this forgotten isle. As he pushed aside a rather large leaf, Hank saw something totally unexpected. Two, each men wearing the standard Biosyn garb, snatched him up by his arms. He had been caught, and his captors’ rifles told him that there was no escape. He glimpsed another large man in a Jeep, and buildings beyond that. His last visual was that of a rifle butt closing in on his skull.
“We found him at the compounds perimeter Mr. Dodgson.”
“Strange, I wasn’t aware that there were any other survivors.”
Hank opened his eyes with a jolt. He sat up on the table, and saw the face of evil staring back at him.
“I see no reason for him. Take him away and eliminate him.”
“Yes sir Mr. Dodgson.”
Hank began to struggle violently. Making a fist, he smashed the man’s mouth. He was started towards Dodgson, when a familiar voice interrupted the chaos.
“Hold it Mr. Dodgson. I have use for him.”
“Dr. Grant?”
“The one and only Mr. Corel.”
“How did you…?”
“It’s a long story,” Alan replied.
“Enough of the small talk,” Dodgson said, “How can you put him to use?”
“Well, he helped build the animatronics that were to be used in the movie.”
“So…”
“So, he knows a little anatomy. Don’t you Hank.”
“Yeah,” Hank said. He was clearly confused.
“I could use an assistant.”
“Okay Dr. Grant, But you keep him in line,” Dodgson said.
Dodgson turned, leaving the two alone.
“What did you just do to me Dr. Grant?”
“First, the name is Alan. Second, I saved your life, and third, you are now my assistant.”
“So, what does my work entail?”
“Let’s just say we’ll be working with the animals,” Grant replied.
“Great,” Hank said sarcastically.
“Would you rather be dead?”
“Not really,” Hank replied. Swallowing hard, he followed Alan into the lab.
Chapter 2 part 1: Two Weeks Later
Ian Malcolm hobbled down the concrete steps of the local police headquarters. The three had spent a week in detention. It was, however, for their protection. After the questioning, Sarah and Ellie had been sent back to the U.S. under heavy security. Malcolm, however, spent another week in the custody of the Costa Rican government. It had taken a lot of work, but Ian managed to get released. Ian was also offered protection, but promptly turned it down. He was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery alone. He knew that police or military would probably ruin the chances of getting Grant back alive. However, he wasn’t sure where to start first. He needed a clue.
************************************
“So, where are we Alan?”
“I’m really not sure,” Grant replied, “They won’t tell me. It looks like the island though.”
“Why won’t they tell us?”
“They probably think we’ll try to escape.”
Hank leaned closer to Alan and whispered.
“Will we try?”
“Not yet,” replied Grant, “I’m working on a plan.”
“Quiet! Finish your work,” shouted one of the guards.
Grant and Hank continued their animal cataloging. Searching photo after photo, and name after name. Most of the names were wrong. It was as if no one that worked for Biosyn knew anything about dinosaurs. Grant wondered what would happen when they finished their work. Would Dodgson keep his word? They needed out. Grant did indeed have a plan, but it wasn’t perfected yet.
Just a few more days, Alan thought to himself.
Chapter 2 part 2: Escape
Two days passed slowly into history. Alan and Hank were near complete with their cataloging. Grant was furious, and he tried not to show his anger. He had read the morning paper, and the main headline had been all about the incident with Ian and the others. Ellie’s injury really hit him hard, and he was determined to make his captors pay. However, Alan was also extremely worried. Dodgson was very unstable, and there was no telling what assignment they would get next. That is, if they got an assignment. Dodgson was likely to change his mind completely. Alan and Hank had been studying their surroundings intently. They were sure of where the vital systems were located. They had a plan of escape, but it was possible that they would die trying. The stakes were indeed high. However, they were in just as much danger staying as escaping. As the scoured over the photos and files of the dinosaurs, Grant turned to Hank.
“Tomorrow,” Alan whispered.
******************************
“Hello Todd,” Malcolm said. A young man of around 27 walked up to Ian, his hand lifted for Malcolm to shake. Todd M. Shal had lived in Costa Rica half of his life. He knew the people, plants, and animals better than most natives. Shal was an artist. He spent hours in the jungles doing nothing except sketching the beautiful birds. Todd knew every detail of avian anatomy, and could describe or draw birds with the finest detail. In fact, Malcolm had first met Shal through Grant. Alan was not the finest of artists. He had heard of Todd’s expertise on avian anatomy, and turned to him to help illustrate his third book. Grant had traveled to Costa Rica to meet Shal. Ian was working at a small university in the area whilst Sarah worked on a dig. He heard Grant was in the country, and decided to visit. Ian called Todd, and explained everything that had happened. Todd agreed to be Ian’s guide into the jungles.
“Are you sure that this facility is where they would take Alan?”
“I’m positive,” answered Malcolm
“Why is that?”
“Well, the island is too far. It would just waste time and money. Also, Dodgson doesn’t stay on the island.”
“How do you know,” Todd asked.
“Grant told me.”
Todd nodded. He sighed heavily as he glanced down at his watch. It was 10:15am.
“When do we start?”
“We get some rest. I still have one more person to meet. We leave tomorrow at noon.
**********************************
The sunrise was a glorious one as seen from Biosyn facility 990-32. Alan Grant and Hank Corel had finished breakfast, and headed off to do their duties. This would be their last day of paperwork. Grant was determined not to find out what Dodgson had meant about him “Working with the animals.” He had relayed his escape plan to Hank the night before, and this was the only day to do it. Moving into the control room, Hank waited for Alan’s signal. As usual, there were only two guards. Neither of which paid much attention. Grant was amazed that Dodgson had put up with such incompetence. In any case, it worked in their favor. Alan gave the signal as soon as the closest guard turned his back. Hank ran forward, tackling the man with full force. Stunned, the second man focused on Hank. He raised his pistol, and prepared to fire. Grant pounced before the man could squeeze the trigger. Wrestling with the man, Alan pulled a knife that he had smuggled from the kitchen. He plunged it as deep as possible into the man’s neck, killing him almost instantly. Grabbing the pistol, Grant rushed over to help Hank. The guard had taken control of the fight, and was pounding Hank in the face repeatedly. Hank freed one hand, and punched the man hard in the face. The guard reared back, grabbing his nose. Grant opened fire, shooting him directly in the back of his head. Hank climbed to his feet. He stared at Grant, completely speechless. This mild mannered man in front of him had just killed two people. It didn’t seem possible. Grant picked up the guard’s automatic rifle, and handed Hank the pistol.
“You know how to use one?”
Hank shook his head in response.
“Good,” Grant said as he grabbed three grenades off the dead men.
“Come on. The gunshot was silenced, but this won’t be.”
He pulled the pin of one grenade, and threw it into the room.
Chapter 2 part 3: Nanotyrannus
Alan and Hank fought their way through the guards. It was a Saturday, so there were only about fifteen in the whole compound. Nine men had rushed to the explosion, only to be mowed down by the escapees. The other six guards appeared as the two ran for the jungle. Bullets were buzzing by their heads and bodies. Heavy foliage soon enveloped them. They could still hear the gunshots, and feel the air part as the bullet sliced through. Weaving and turning at every opportunity, they finally managed to evade their pursuers. The gunshots cut off suddenly. Something was wrong. Alan and Hank stopped to rest, hiding in thick bushes. A horrid roar broke the almost total silence. Grant realized, to his horror, why the guards had turned back.
****************************
“Why are we stopping?”
“Quiet. Listen.”
Ian and Shal had been walking for hours. Todd knew where the boundary of the facility was located. He had spotted it on several occasions. No trespassing signs covered the concrete wall, so he never dared to cross. Now, they were a little over one hundred feet away from the barrier. Strange animal noises filled the air. Several large animals were moving beyond the wall. They could hear the growls and grunts. Then they heard another sound. It was the repeating report of an automatic rifle.
*****************************
“Go now!”
“I’m going!”
Grant and Hank ran as fast as they could. Six medium sized theropod dinosaurs roared in unison as they chased the humans. As Hank parted a stand of bushes, he came face to face with a brick wall. The two turned back to the dinosaur pack. They had come across ten of the beasts. It was obviously a family group, and an unusually large one at that. Grant had managed to take out four of the animals. Now, they had their backs against the wall as the entire pack of the pale yellow creatures moved in for the kill. Hank pulled his pistol, removed the silencer, and fired. The loud noise spooked them.
“Keep shooting,” Grant yelled, “Get them as far away as possible!”
Hank continued to blast, not sure how many shots were left. He pushed them back thirty feet. Grant grabbed one of the hand grenades, pulled the pin, and threw it at the dinosaurs!
“Get down!”
The lead animal caught the grenade in his mouth as it fell. Holding it gently, he carried it back for the others to inspect. As he moved towards the group, he stumbled. One of his massive teeth clicked the grenade. His head exploded in an eruption of fire and gore, killing the two closest animals. The two remaining juveniles fled back into the jungle.
*******************************
The jungle had been silent for about three minutes, when Todd broke the silence.
“Do you think they made it?”
“I’m not sure. It’s been quite a while since that explosion.”
Without warning, a massive shockwave knocked the two backwards. Chunks of concrete flew through the air. The barrier in front of them had somehow been blown apart. They lie on their backs, the wind knocked from their lungs. Less than a minute after the blast, two figures emerged from the dust. Ian looked up, not sure of the danger. Then, he saw the closest man’s face.
“I’ll be damned,” he said, “Here I thought you were in danger.”
“You know me Ian. I’m used to tough situations.”
“What the hack happened in there,” Todd asked.
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain right after I get me a good beer.”
They wasted little time getting away from the area. No one wanted to run into a dinosaur or a guard. Both were deadly in their own right. Soon, they were pretty far away from the area. Hank thought it might be safe to talk.
“What kind of dinosaurs were those?”
“Tyrannosaurus lancensis. They had it labeled as Nanotyrannus on their list, which is correct in a way.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when it was first discovered, it was believed to be a different genus. It’s now known to be a Tyrannosaur.”
“By the way,” Grant inquired, “How did you two get to the island?”
“Island? This isn’t the island.”
Grant froze. He began shaking violently, finally realizing the consequences of his actions.
“My God! What have I done?”
Chapter 2 part 4: Dodgson
“I can’t believe this! How the hell could two men escape, and destroy the main control room?”
“They caught us off guard Mr. Dodgson. They were armed.”
“So were you!”
“Yes, and we tried to stop them.”
“You didn’t try hard enough!”
“The animals cut us off,” the guard said.
“Yes, it was probably a mistake to rely on the invisible fencing technology,” Dodgson said to himself.
“There’s more sir. With the computers destroyed, all of the animals are free, and both male and female animals can interact without our help. They can breed now.”
Dodgson sat in silence. His second mistake became glaringly clear now. Biosyn’s animals had an extremely low survival rate, much lower than InGen’s. Dodgson proposed a plan to engineer the animals to breed at a high rate. As a result, the animals had a very fast gestation, and were able to breed at an earlier age. They essentially bred like giant rodents. Now, the male and female animals were mixed together. They were able to breed, and able to escape. Even Dodgson feared what would happen if enough escaped captivity.
“What about control backup?”
“It’s not ready sir,” the guard said, “Our only choice is to abandon the compound.”
“What about Katie? How long would it take to get Mrs. Harbin down here?”
“Approximately twenty hours Lew,” Buckley said.
“Good, send for her. She can get the systems in control two up in a few hours.”
“Yes sir,” the guard said. He exited the room, and Dodgson turned to Buckley.
“Do we have the resources to corral the animals,” He asked.
“No, not even half.”
“All we really need is to secure control two…”
“That can be done. I’ll get the men on it right away.”
Troy Buckley turned, and walked out the door. Dodgson sat in his chair, thinking about what he had caused. He had killed before, but if his fears were realized, he would be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocents.
Chapter 3 part 1: Control 2
“I can’t believe it. What kind of emergency requires me? Did their coffee makers stop working?”
“They said that they needed their second control room,” James Hart said.
“I really don’t get it. Did they say why they need me? Surly there’s someone else over there that can do it,” Kate Harbin said.
“Mr. Dodgson said that there are no computer technicians on the weekend.”
“I still don’t get it James. Call him back and tell him I’ll be on the mainland this afternoon.”
**************************
“I still can’t believe it. I was on the mainland the whole time,” Hank said as he trudged along.
No one replied. They all walked forward in silence until Hank broke the silence again.
“What were those orange collars around their necks?”
“I guess Dodgson didn’t tell you,” Alan replied, “They were using invisible fencing.”
“Pretty good idea in theory,” Malcolm said, “Visitors could get closer to the wonder. Unfortunately, the wonder is nothing but chaos and big teeth.”
Alan rolled his eyes. Ian was already starting to annoy him.
“What about the ones without collars?”
“From what I gathered,” Grant said, “The youngest animals have a small chip implanted beneath the skin.”
A loud cry floated toward them from the jungle. All four men quickened pace, practically running in the direction of civilization.
**********************************
“I can’t believe this! Why the hell didn’t you have the backups up and running?”
“We didn’t see it as necessary. No one could have predicted this,” Dustin Russell replied.
As head of security, Russell was responsible for everything that had happened. If it had not been for the complete lack of manpower after the escape, Dodgson would have killed him outright. However, he was in more danger from the escaped dinosaurs now. Dodgson entered the room. Buckley followed closely behind. Troy Buckley was Dodgson’s right hand man, and just as dangerous.
“How’s it going Katie?”
“Not so good. These systems are very old. Who the hell was the programmer?”
“Well, these are the original programs. We just had them carried over onto new hardware. All of the original programs are there along with new ones. There is no one programmer,” Dodgson replied.
“Great,” Katie said sarcastically.
Suddenly, the door burst open. One of the surviving guards fell forward, covered in bloody slashes.
“We were attacked,” the Guard stammered. “The Giganotosaurus…”
“Where?”
“By the aviary compound. It killed John, and kicked me across the field.”
Katie could see that the man was in pain. He had lost a lot of blood, and his voice was growing weak.
“Where is it now?”
“Inside the aviary… Please help me…”
Buckley pulled his pistol, and fired one shot into the man’s head. Katie turned away in shock and disgust. She was about to opine when a frantic voice came over the radio.
“Get--now! Su---m--us is out! It---move---control two!”
“Say again,” Russell said.
“Suchomimus--escape---eading---control---o!”
Chapter 3 part 2: Dragon
“What’s a Sucho whatever,” Katie asked.
No one answered. They were all staring out the large window. A large dinosaur lumbered slowly toward the compound. Just the sight of the beast terrified Katie. Rows of pointed teeth glistened in the sun as the animal opened its crocodilian jaws. Its long arms flexed as it swaggered along. A small red fin ran along the creatures back. It was like something from a nightmare. The Suchomimus continued along, paying no attention to the little humans behind the glass. Katie relaxed a little. It didn’t seem interested at all. She wondered why the others were still so tense. As the beast drew closer, she noticed small cuts running down the animal’s body. A glint of light caught her eye. There was a large piece of glass stabbed into the dinosaur’s side. The shard was way too large to have come from a normal window. This animal had been behind a glass barrier, but why? None of the other species had been. Before she could ask, three men ran forward. They all carried automatic rifles, and they were moving in for attack. The dinosaur saw them, but it paid very little attention. It wasn’t hungry. The Suchomimus simply walked into the shade of nearby trees, cooling off in the shadows.
“What the heck are those idiots doing,” Katie asked, “Are they nuts?”
“They’re just carrying out my orders,” Buckley said.
“Call them back in,” Dodgson said, “They’re too close.”
“Yeah. They must not realize what that is.”
Buckley turned on his radio, but it was too late. One of the men began firing. The Suchomimus roared. Its nap had just been rudely interrupted. A scream filled the air as the Suchomimus tore into the closest man. The others quickly turned away and began running. They were just out of the Sucho’s reach.
“Quick,” Dodgson yelled, “Open the doors!”
Russell sprinted to the glass doors, reaching them at the same time as the two men. However, before he could open them, the Suchomimus reared back. A jet of steaming liquid sprayed from a gland on the animal’s lower jaw. The three men screamed as boiling hot chemicals covered their bodies. Russell watched in horror as their skin blistered and peeled. More of the liquid splattered on the glass. The men were dead seconds later, their flesh still steaming. Russell was so caught up in the horror that he failed to see the dinosaur charging towards him. The Suchomimus rammed through the glass, tearing Dustin Russell from the floor. Blood splattered the area as the others ran to the rear of the compound.
***********************
Alan, Ian, Todd, and Hank had finally reached the hotel the night before. Alan’s immediate reaction was to call Ellie. He realized however, that she would want to rush down to see him, but it was now much too dangerous for that. He knew that the animals would soon learn of their freedom. Ian had tried to contact the Costa Rican military, but was only laughed. No one would even believe that he was Ian Malcolm, much less that there were dinosaurs on the mainland. There was nothing they could do. Their only choice was to take the next flight back to the states.
***************************
The Suchomimus continued to ram the building. It screeched loudly, trying to squeeze its massive body into the small control room. Boiling hot spray splashed on most of the equipment. Stream after stream flowed from the large glands on the animal’s lower jaw. From a room in the far end of the control building, the humans listened to the sounds of destruction. Katie sat in horror and shock. She couldn’t even think about what she had seen. It was just too sickening. Eventually though, curiosity got the better of her. Pushing the visuals to the back of her mind, she asked her question.
“What the hell was that?”
“That, my dear, was a Suchomimus. A living Dragon,” Buckley replied.
“What was that spray, some sort of acid?”
“In a way,” Buckley explained, “Have you ever heard of a Bombardier Beetle?”
“No, the only beetles I like are singers.”
“Well, as with the beetle, The Sucho has special reservoirs which produce hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinones. These chemicals are released to the second pair of thick-walled reservoirs called the combustion chambers where the chemicals are then mixed with enzymes, releasing heat, p-quinones, and water, at the same time accumulating pressure. The result is the explosive spray coming out of a pair of openings at the tip of the animals jaw. It’s pretty close to the fire breath which dragons were thought to have possessed.”
“Very informative,” Dodgson said, “You learn something new every day. Now, can we please cut the chatter and get out of here?”
Suddenly, the Suchomimus penetrated the control room. It tore half of the room apart as it entered. It gave a shriek of victory, and then started on the next wall. Halfway into his efforts, the beast yawned. As if deciding the little creatures were not worth the effort, the Sucho backed out of his excavation. Returning to his shady spot, the dragon lay down his head to finish his nap. Dodgson and the others fled from the building, running for the safety of the nearest bunker.
Chapter 3 part 3: Peace Interrupted
Lewis Dodgson sat in the bunker, staring at the only working video monitor. Mrs. Harbin and Troy Buckley slept on the small cots behind him. It had been nearly twelve hours since the Suchomimus attack, the weekend was nearly over, and the weekly staff was due to return in the morning. The last of the weekend staff were either dead or missing. It was just the three of them. Dodgson shivered at the thought of how alone they were.
“Damn you Grant,” He muttered to himself.
He watched the video intently, hoping for signs of human life. The only pictures broadcast to him were grainy night vision. It showed nothing but the occasional Gastonia, a small armored herbivorous dinosaur. It was a very tranquil scene. Watching the animals graze, Dodgson began to drift slowly to sleep.
***************************
Bright sunlight surrounded Dodgson as he opened his eyes. It must be noon, he thought to himself. He opened his eyes wider, and realized that he was laying on the ground. Looking around, he noticed all of the herbivorous dinosaurs grazing around him in the open field. Startled, he jumped to his feet.
“That damn Buckley betrayed me,” He muttered to himself.
He began to walk back towards the bunker, all the while planning a way to kill Buckley. Suddenly, the herbivores began to roar and honk. Dodgson saw the reason immediately. The Suchomimus was on the field, charging directly towards him. Giant Apatosaurs raced in the other direction, while the Gastonia herds stampeded in his. Dodgson ran, but the Sucho was too close. He saw the animal’s neck puff out, just before a stream of boiling chemicals smothered his body.
***************************
Dodgson jumped, screaming loudly. The others looked at him strangely.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Dodgson replied, “Just a bad dream.”
Dodgson turned back to the monitor just in time to see the Gastonia on the screen scatter. A man burst onto the screen, tripping over a branch. Someone was alive out there! The man tried to stand, but eight Eoraptors swarmed over him. The man rolled on the ground, but the dinosaurs’ venom had already taken hold. There was no hope for the man. Dodgson turned away from the scene, he hoped that the arrival of the weekday staff would be his saving grace.
Chapter 3 part 4: No Way Home
Alan, Ian, Todd, and Hank drove their rental car down the long stretch of road. They were nearly to the airport, and the next flight left in thirty minuets. Ian turned on the radio. The first station was cut into by a news bulletin. The four of them listened intently as a local described a bizarre animal attack. He told the reporter of strange little birds surrounding him as he walked his dog. The little creatures had surrounded him, and began biting him and his dog. He said that the animals had followed them until the dog collapsed. He had continued to run, even though his leg was swollen and bleeding. The man had been admitted to a local hospital with what appeared to be bites from a venomous animal.
“Eoraptors,” Grant said as he listened to the report.
“We tried to warn them,” Ian said, “but they wouldn’t listen.”
“Well, there’s little we can do now.”
The car rolled onward. They could now see the small airport in the distance.
“We’ll be home and safe pretty soon. The government can handle it.”
**************************
“What the hell happened here,“ Larry Doyle asked as he entered the control room. Doyle, and the rest of the weekday crew were shocked at the site. The entire room had been blown apart. Every computer was destroyed. Human remains were scattered across the floor. Fresh animal droppings littered the ground. Several of the control engineers turned away, clearly sickened. A shriek cut through the air.
“Deinonychus,” Doyle said, “We should try to reach the bunker.”
“Do you think anyone survived?”
“I’m not sure.”
***********************
Grant sat in the lobby, watching the news closely, even though he didn’t know much Spanish. He watched as a report on the bite victim aired. Alan couldn’t understand much, but he did know enough to realize the man had died. There was little doubt about his attacker now. Ian and the others walked towards Grant.
“Come on Alan. Our plane is here.”
Alan stood. He could not wait to get out of this impending death trap. He wondered if Ellie would be there to greet him. The four men headed to their awaiting transport. The sound of a propeller driven plane filled the air. No one noticed. No one cared. They were going home. However, their attention shifted when they heard a scream. None of them had noticed when the sound of the engines stopped, but now they could see the aircraft falling right towards the building.
“Everyone down!”
*************************
“Is anyone here,” Doyle asked as he entered the bunker.
“Yes. Over here!”
“Are you the only survivors?”
“Yes, Grant and Corel escaped. They turned the animals loose, and destroyed the control room.”
“What about Control 2?”
“We were attacked by the Sucho,” Troy said, “We’re not sure of the damage, but everything is almost certainly inoperable.”
“Very well, evacuation should start immediately.”
“No,” Dodgson replied, “We should at least try the computers again.”
“Are you out of your damned mind,” Katie screamed, “The only way I’m leaving this bunker is if we are getting the hell out of this death trap!”
“You will do as I say, or you will be the next victim of this death trap,” Dodgson screamed.
Katie became silent. She knew Dodgson was serious, and she had seen with her own eyes what Buckley was capable of.
“Let’s get this over with,” Doyle said, “Everyone grab a weapon when we get to the Jeeps.”
*******************
The impact came very fast. The nose of the plane ripped into the side of the building, throwing bodies and furniture in all direction. Grant and the others were pretty far from the actual impact, but debris still rained down upon them. Alan stood, approaching the aircraft. There were few survivors on the plane.
“Is that what I think it is,” Hank asked.
Grant looked closer at one of the propellers. A very large, bloody form was wrapped around the blades. A Pterosaur!
“Do you smell that,” Todd asked.
Alan and Ian sniffed the air. They looked at each other, and then looked at the plane. A large puddle covered the ground below the craft, and sparks popped from a busted light fixture above.
“Run,” Ian and Alan yelled at the same time.
As they ran down the corridor, Hank looked back to see the fuel fumes reach the sparks. The entire plane was engulfed in a mammoth fireball. The shockwave of the blast traveled down the corridor at the speed of sound, knocking all four men down flat.
“I don’t think we’re flying home any time soon,” Malcolm said as he regained his breath.
Alan felt like punching him, but he was too tired.
Chapter 3 part 5: Clash of the Titans
Everyone piled into the five gas powered Jeeps. Control 2 was within walking distance, but no one was willing to risk the trek. The vehicles moved through the jungle. It was almost completely silent. Not one bird chirped. Not one lizard could be seen. The only sound was the chugging of the automobiles. Dodgson was nervous. The Sucho was probably still in the area, and the Giga was also on the loose. They had never taken any sort of loud vehicle into the enclosures, so there was no way to know how the animals would react. The large clearing opened up before them. It was the exact same area Dodgson had seen in his nightmare. Gastonia herds grazed along the edges. Torosaurus and Pentaceratops herds wallowed in a patch of muddy ground. A lone Chasmosaurus infant wandered along, crying for his mother. The animals paid no attention to the Jeeps.
“They’re beautiful,” Katie said.
“Yes, they are,” replied one of the guards.
Unexpectedly, the animals began to bellow and roar. The adults gathered around their young. The little Chasmosaurus ran for the nearest cover he could find, the lead Jeep! The vehicle smashed hard into the poor little creature. The next two Jeeps couldn’t stop in time. They slammed into the back of the automobile.
“Is everyone alright?”
“Yes, but I’m afraid the road is blocked. We’ll have to walk the rest of the way.”
“Son of a bi…”
Dodgson was cut off. The herbivores became even more agitated. Something was stalking them. The ground began to vibrate. A very slight tremor that only came every few seconds.
“It’s big.”
“Mr. Dodgson, what do we do?”
“How the hell should I know?”
The vibration stopped. Every animal was frozen with tension. Whatever it was, it was about to strike!
***********************
“Is everybody okay?”
“As well as can be expected, Hank.”
“Alan, did you see that thing wrapped around the propeller?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Well, what the hell was it,” Todd asked, “I’ve never seen a bird that large.”
“That’s because it wasn’t a bird. It was Quetzalcoatlus northropi.”
“A Pterosaur,” Ian translated to the others.
“I think they could have figured that out themselves,” Grant shot back.
“How can you tell,” asked Hank, “It was pretty torn up.”
“Sheer size. It was too large to have been anything else.”
During their conversation, they had made their way out of the building. They were now standing in the parking lot. Police and paramedics were on the scene. One officer stepped in their direction.
“Por favor, una palabra con usted,” The man said in Spanish.
“A word with you please,” He repeated in English.
The four men went with him. Maybe they could finally get the government’s attention.
**************************
“Where is it,” whispered one of the men,” I don’t see anything.”
“Shhh…”
Everyone and everything in the clearing awaited the appearance of the unknown terror. The ground began to quake once more. Dodgson watched the massive animal emerge from the jungle. An adult Gastonia rose from the ground, clenched in the jaws of a giant. Throwing the animal into a nearby tree, the carnivore turned its attention towards the other animals. A small Torosaurus wriggled past its mother. It was open for attack. The Giganotosaurus screamed as it charged the little dinosaur. Katie gasped. This creature was so massive! The tallest man came only to its knee! She noticed the others staring at the spectacle, unable to move. Katie took charge. She decided that their lives were more important that curiosity. Telling the others to run, they used the opportunity to their advantage. The dinosaur reached the baby as the humans left. Squealing in pain, the little Torosaurus squirmed in the Giganotosaur’s jaws. The mother became enraged. She galloped towards the giant carnivore. Her horns pierced his tough hide. Razor teeth clamped onto her neck. The Giganotosaurus lifted her off the ground, but she continued to thrust her horns at the carnivore. He had already killed her infant, and she was probably next, but the mother Torosaurus refused to go down without a fight. Besides, her herd had already abandoned her. The Giganotosaur dropped her. She charged, ramming her horns into his knee. As he came forward again, the Giganotosaurus closed his powerful jaws on the only defense of the Torosaur. His immense bite pressure snapped the horns. Her exposed nerves fired pain signals throughout her body. The mother Torosaur began squealing in agony. She turned to flee, but it was much too late. The Giganotosaurus grabbed the mother, flipping her on her side. Her last breath came as the carnivore ripped the flesh from her soft belly. Intestines and blood covered the carnivorous dinosaurs face as he roared in victory. Though injured, he had three fresh kills to gorge himself on. Anyway, he had spotted a large group of easy prey during his battle with the Torosaur. He would just follow them while he healed.
Chapter 4 Part 1: Horror Hotel Coming Soon!
10/29/2002 8:26:25 PM
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