|
Jurassic Park 3 novel - Prolouge
By SeanArcher
PROLOUGE:
Return to Paradigm
The morning sun sparkled down over the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of Isla Sorna. It was a beautiful summer day in the south Pacific Ocean - a beautiful day for dino-spotting.
Ben Kirby stared out across the monotonous blue ocean as the rugged speedboat that he was in raced forward over the rolling ocean. The view was spectacular: an endless expanse of ocean meeting with a cloudless blue sky at a distant horizon. Miles ahead, he could see the rugged coast of Isla Sorna, rising high above the water. There was not another vessel anywhere in sight, and it had been that way for hours. It was an elegant sight, but he wasn't there for the scenery.
Ben was a twenty-one year old jock from Enid, Oklahoma. Since his early highschool days, he had always been a wild and daring thrill-seeker constantly searching for the ultimate rush, always living on the edge and always trying something new and exciting. He had done it all: parashuting, mountain climbing, bunjee-jumping; he had even had some near-fatal spills with his Harley, but he didn't let anything hold him back. Ben was fearless. So when he heard the incredible reports of living dinosaurs roaming a small island chain off the west coast of Costa Rica, he jumped at the chance of witnessing them first-hand.
He had been planning this trip for years, a once in a lifetime chance at witnessing the world's most fascinating creatures existing on the planet for the first time in millions of years - accompanied by his twelve-year-old dino-obsessed brother, Eric. Their parents were in the middle of a rough divorce, and Ben and Eric were constantly caught right in the middle of the chaos. Recently they had had another big fight, and the feuding was driving Ben and Eric nuts. It was all too much for them. They had to get away.
Their parents would never have approved of the trip, but they didn't care. Their parents no longer existed, as far as Ben and Eric were concerned. Ben had always looked after Eric, better than his father did. He decided to take him along for the trip. So they packed their bags and snuck out of their house one night and headed down to Costa Rica, and began searching for a daring enough guide who would take them to the island. This is how they met Enrique Cardoso, a rugged middle-aged Costa Rican smuggler turned illegal Isla Sorna tour guide. Enrique wore cut-off jeans and a cheap Hawaiin T-shirt and gave Ben the impression of someone trying to cash in on other's obsessions, a scoundrel. Enrique ran this "Dino-Soar" business with a friend of his, and the two of them were probably making a fortune off of it. The idea was to provide its customers with a bird's-eye-view of the island's dinosaur-hotspots via parasail.
The trip cost a pretty penny, but it was well worth it, Ben thought. With all the government debate over what should become of the island, who knew how long it would be before they decided it was too dangerous and demolished it?
The island had been ordered restricted to the public, but it made little difference. An occasional patrol plane and radar was all that stood in their way, which the small boat easily avoided.
The boat crashed over a big wave, sending a surge of water over the front of the boat. They must be getting close now, Ben thought. He checked his watch. It was going on 10 o'clock.
They had left the mainland just before dawn, and had been traveling for hours now. Their destination was about 200 miles off the Costa Rican coast, which seemed like an eternity after traveling all morning in the crowded boat. Ben found the wait grueling, like he was waiting in line to ride the world's greatest rolarcoaster. He wanted to see some dinosaurs.
Ben looked over at Eric. He had the intent look on his face of a kid arriving at his favorite toy store. He couldn't wait, just as Ben couldn't wait.
Ben had felt a little insecure at first about bringing Eric along on this trip. He was so young. But they had been assured that Dino-Soaring was completely safe. How could he tell him no? Besides, Eric was smart. He wasn't a wild-ass dare devil, like Ben had been known to be.
Suddenly, there was movement in the front of the boat. Ben looked up and saw some communication going on between Enrique and the boat driver, but the drone of the boat's twin engines made it impossible to hear anything they were saying. Enrique raised the pair of binoculars he had strapped around his neck to the horizon and stared for a moment, then lowered them. There was another brief exchange of words between the two, and then Enrique turned and put a big smile on his face and started to make his way towards the back of the boat.
"Let's get you two strapped in now." Enrique said. "We're almost there."
***
Enrique Cardoso made his way to the back of the boat, and suddenly stopped as a shallow humming in the distance caught his attention. He quickly turned and panned the skys. It sounded like an engine... an airplane engine, he thought.
He turned and ushered the boat driver to cut the engines. Ben and Eric look on nervously as the boat revved down and came to a quiet stop, bobbing from side to side in the choppy waters.
Enrique scanned the sunny sky in all directions, shielding the sun with his hand. There was nothing though. Not a plane or ship or anything else in site, just a faint whirring moving through the humid air. He raised his binoculars and continued searching the sky.
Ben stood up in the boat and turned to Enrique, trying to gain his balance. "Is everything allright?" he asked. Enrique just ignored him.
Normally patrol planes weren't too big of a threat for Enrique, as the patrolers normally relied on radar, which Enrique's small boat easily avoided. Enrique had also painted his boat to blend in with the ocean, just as a precaution.
Enrique's binoculars came to a stop as he spotted the source of the noise: a small Costa Rican patrol plane flying high in the skies above, appearing in and out of the island's fog with a predatory sense. Enrique could only watch and hope they hadn't been spotted as the plane passed overhead. But the plane kept its heading around the island and soon dissappeared in the distance, returning a feeling of isolation to the area.
Enrique lowered his binoculars and gave another look around, making sure they were safe.
"Is everything allright?" Ben asked again.
Enrique turned to him and smiled. "Yes, it's nothing," he said. "Slight close call is all."
Enrique gave another quick glance at the empty sky and turned to the boat driver and patted him on the back.
The boat driver pushed down on the throttle and the boat slowly roared back to life. Soon they were racing forward again across the ocean.
Enrique turned to Ben and Eric. "So, you two ready for the ride of your lives?" Enrique asked, signaling them towards the back of the boat.
Eric smiled and moved with Ben towards a makeshift platform at the back of the boat.
Enrique began strapping the two of them into a two-person parasail harness.
"Listen." Ben said. "Be sure to get us as close as you can. I want to get a good view of them. If it's a good trip, I'll give you a little something extra."
Enrique smiled as he made the final adjustments. "Don't worry, amigo. I'm gonna get you close, but not too close, eh?" he said, ruffling Eric's hair. "You don't want to get eaten."
Ben laughed as Enrique clipped the end of a long parasail line onto the front of the harness. "You're all set. Now just sit back and wait for my signal." Enrique said, and began heading towards the driver's seat.
Ben felt his excitement soar as they made their way closer and closer to the vast island. He gripped the pair of handrails to keep his balance and took in the beautiful tropical island cliffs that laid ahead, preparing for liftoff.
Enrique eyed the speedometer as the boat neared the shore of the island and made a quick check over the winch that was bolted to the deck. They were good to go. He turned to his clients and gave a thumbs up. "You ready, amigos?" he said, yelling over the drone of the engines.
Eric smiled and nodded excitedly. "Ready!" he said.
Ben gave a big thumbs up and shouted over the roar of the boat, "Ready!"
The boat cut swiftly through the choppy waters and entered a wide river under the looming cliffs of Isla Sorna.
***
"Three!... Two!... One!" Ben shouted, and jerked at the rip-cord at his chest, deploying a huge colorful parasail that snapped open, suddenly jerking Ben and Eric up and away from the back of the boat. The two of them screamed and kicked their legs excitedly in the air as they were quickly hoisted higher and higher in the air.
Eric felt like he was on a wild rolarcoaster ride. The wind rushed against his face as he was rocked back and forth in the air and the boat and water below quickly grew further and further away. It was a wild and exciting fear he felt. He never felt more alive in his life.
Ben yelled out cheerfully as they were lifted hundreds of feet above the island, gaining a beautiful bird's-eye-view of the island's lucious cliffs and extensive green valleys. Off to the right he could see a large grassy plain on the edge of a thick jungle. He raised his camcorder and recorded the action.
"You scared, little man?" Ben asked.
"No way!" Eric exclaimed. "This is great!"
Ben laughed cheerfully and gave out a big yell. For the first time in a long time, he forgot all about all the troubles in his life. The whole trip was finally turning out worthwhile, and here they were on the greatest place on Earth. Everything was great.
Enrique watched his happy clients from the boat and listened to their cheerful screams echo through the wide cliffs. He turned and locked off the reel and then joined the boat driver up front. The river ahead of them was clear and calm. Everything was going smoothly.
Enrique had been fairly familiar with this area of the island, as it was the route he had always taken. The river was big enough to easily maneuver through and it was a great spot to spot dinosaurs, as they often drank from the banks of the river. So far he hadn't seen a single one though. It was odd. It was as if they had all been spooked and picked up and left.
Enrique kept an eye on his customers and monitored the area ahead of them. He noticed a light fog rolling off the side of a mountain ahead of them, and motioned for the driver to continue through it.
The boat sped further and further upstream. Enrique watched as the fog around them quickly grew thicker and thicker. Fog had often been a problem, as the island was classified as one of the rainiest places on Earth, but this was like nothing he had every seen before. It came out of nowhere and engulfed them, surrounding them with a blinding white mist. Soon he had to struggle just to see the shoreline. If this got much worse, he might have to call it a day and turn back.
Enrique heard a splash in the distance, and froze. It was no ordinary splash like he'd heard before. Something big was in the water. He turned to the water and quickly searched the area around him, straining to see anything through the blinding fog. He heard more slushing in the water nearby, growing closer.
"Speed up the boat." Enrique said.
The driver turned to him with a puzzled look on his face. "What? Why?"
"Just do it!" Enrique said. "There's something out there."
The driver pushed down on the throttle, giving a boost in the boat's speed.
Enrique jumped up onto the platform at the back of the boat and held onto the handrails as he scanned the passing water behind him.
He thought about the sound of the splash. It sounded like a big animal jumping into the water. Then there was the slushing noise, which sounded like an alligator swimming through the water. Enrique considered the possibilities and felt his pounding heart beat. In four years of running this business, he had never ran into any real threat by a dinosaur. They always stayed on land, they were afraid of the water. Research of the company that created them had taught him that they hadn't even created an aquatic dinosaur. The rest stayed on land. As long as they stayed on the water, they were safe.
Enrique froze as he saw the most frightening thing he had ever seen - a large shadow in the water moving right towards them.
***
Ben and Eric drifted through the air, high above the beautiful landscape of the island. Ben held onto the toggles and guided them with it.
Eric scanned the island's extensive valleys, searching for any unique lifeforms. So far the island just seemed like another ordinary island, and he began to wonder if there was even really any dinosaurs on this dinosaur island.
"You see anything yet?" Eric asked.
"No, not yet..." Ben said, wondering if Enrique had conned him out of his money.
They coasted through the air a little longer.
Eric noticed a patch of fog coming off a mountain summit ahead of them.
"Oh man, look at that." Ben said. He hoped it wouldn't mess up their trip at all. He looked below them and saw the boat keep its course up the river. All they could do was sit back and watch as they were carried into the mist.
Eric kept his eyes on the boat below as it moved through the mist, slowly fading in the fog and soon becoming almost impossible to see.
"Ahhh, shit. Can't see a damn thing." Ben said. He lowered the camera, letting it dangle on the strap, and grabbed onto the toggles and began guiding them with it.
Ben and Eric watched in disappointment as their view became completely obscured by the dense fog. The boat below them had disappeared, and the only sign of it that remained was the faint roaring of the engines. They could see nothing. It was pitch white all around them.
Eric followed the rope with his eyes as it trailed down and eerily dissapeared in the passing fog. They continued to move through the fog. He hoped they would come out of it soon.
All of a sudden, a forceful jerk on the roap jerked Ben and Eric forward.
"Whoaaa." Ben said.
"What was that?" Eric said fearfully.
"I don't know."
The two of them sat there for a moment in silence. But before they could consider what just happened, there were more violent jerks on the roap, and Eric and Ben were violently jerked back and forth in the air. They could hear terrified screams below, which were one after the other abruptly cut off. Eric screamed in fear and braced himself for the sharp jerks and watched as the rope in front of him whipped back and forth.
"What's happening?!" Eric cried. He clutched onto the harness as tight as he could and braced himself for the mayhem.
"Make it stop! Make it stop!" Eric pleaded.
"Just hang on!" Ben said.
Suddenly, the chaos died down and stopped, and Ben and Eric were left with a horrifying feeling of peril. Something had gone terribly wrong.
Ahead of them, Ben could see that they were coming out of the fog. He looked down and watched as the boat became visible, and felt his heart sank as he saw the most horrifying thing he had ever saw. Enrique and the driver were gone. The tarp was shreaded to pieces and blood was splattered across the deck of the boat.
"Oh my God." Ben said. They were in serious trouble.
"What happened?!" Eric said.
There was no one to control the boat, though the throttle was still locked forward, running the boat automatically. Ben followed the river ahead of them. There was a sharp turn in the river ahead, and the boat was headed right for the face of a sharp cliff. They were going to crash, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"Oh no." Ben said.
Eric didn't take his eyes off the boat. He was terrified. As it neared the edge of the cliff, he realized their situation.
"We're gonna crash!" Eric said.
Ben raced to think of something, but there was nothing he could do. Eric was panicking and kicking wildly in front of him.
"Do something!" Eric said.
Ben decided to do the only thing he could do, unclip them. He grabbed the roap and struggled to move Eric's death grip from around the clip.
"Let go of the roap!" Ben said. "I'm gonna cut us loose, let go of the roap!"
Eric eased his grip as Ben hurried to unclip them. The doomed boat neared the edge of the cliff as Ben frantically fumbled with the clip and finally unhooked them, letting the line fall to the ground.
The two of them watched in astonishment as the boat slammed into the rocky face of the cliff at high speed and splintered into a million pieces, completely demolishing the boat. They were on their own.
Ben grabbed the shutes toggles and steered them over the forboding island. A gust of wind caught them and carried them through the air.
Things had gone horribly wrong. It all happened so fast, but they were now stranded on this island. A million thoughts ran through Ben's mind as they sailed towards the island. Enrique was dead. He wasn't sure what happened, but he had to focus on them now. He felt a sudden sense of responsibility for Eric. Eric was in shock, not saying a word as he silently panicked.
In the distance, he saw a small compound in the jungle, and he guided them towards it. Maybe they could find shelter and call for help.
"It's gonna be OK bud, it's gonna be OK." Ben reassured him.
As they drifted closer and closer towards the island, Ben realized they were going to land in the forest. Eric didn't say a word.
"It's gonna be OK bud, just hang on." Ben said as they approached the treeline. "Hang on!"
Ben gave another quick look around at the island and then braced himself for impact as they slammed into the treeline.
7/18/2002 4:03:16 AM
(Updated: 7/18/2002 4:58:42 PM)
(Updated: 7/18/2002 10:38:26 PM)
Comment on this fan fiction!
|
|
|
