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JP 4: The Lost Continent
By T-Rexaur
PROLOUGE page was messed up, so I will need to re-write it and post it at a later date. Right now, hope you enjoy what I have so far. I apologize if the text may be scrambled.
JP4
“Was God given any choice to create this world?”
Ian Malcolm
“One always has a dream about doing the best intentions that create the worst ones, regardless of how far the evolution takes it.”
Alan Grant
JURASSIC PARK IV:
THE LOST CONTINENT
Prologue
Isla Tenaco,
23 miles southwest of Isla Nublar
“One has to figure how one mistake happened in the past, and how we can make up for that mistake. And all of you in this room who have heard the rumors years ago…it’s not true…” Ian Malcolm said, lying through his teeth the best he could, because what he was talking about sort of referred to what happened at the “Theme park from hell”, in which he usually referred to it as, nearly ten years ago.
“A friend once told me…life will find a way. But unfortunately, some of us can’t express our ways, feeling, emotions, and truth to the best answer on that very opinion. And that just raises that very question on which life that is. Is it the life of the planet? Or is it life of the humans, animals and insects that inhabit this earth? Oh, and don’t forget the sea life that sees this earth as two worlds, the first world as the ocean, and the second world as the surface of this beautiful green and blue ball floating in space.”
Ian Malcolm said as he seemed that his workforce he worked with in DNA research and other science, that they were either understanding, or just plain slumped in their chairs like they usually are. Many people including his family and some well known friends he hasn’t seen in years usually referred to him as “The Chaotician”. Whenever people asked him about the adventures from the theme park nearly over a decade ago, he told them all the chaos that went on, including the creatures that roamed the park and other islands that nobody has set foot on. As for the stuff that happened to him and on the islands, he said it was all real, but he lied every time whenever someone mentioned something about ‘real dinosaur species’.
A man in his late forties raised his hand holding a half-eaten snickers candy bar in his hand.
“Yes Mr. Fuller?” asked Malcolm.
“So what you wrote in your book that you published years ago called ‘Ian’s theory of Chaotism’ means that you’re trying to hide the fact that these animals were genetically real?” Fuller asked.
Malcolm was about to tell half the truth, and half the lie just like he was always used to doing. Yet he wasn’t an expert at it, he could always explain truthful and uncanny stories about anything he experienced just enough to where he would leave nothing but questions that they cannot answer for themselves. He would think for a few seconds after a question, comment, or opinion would be told to him, and he needed to quickly come up with a way out of a impossible question to give a small or long answer to. Malcolm often thought his own life and traveling experiences were always asking him questions, ever since the secret disaster at the forbidden dinosaur theme park, which has been abandoned for a decade, along with the site B island he was in about three years ago, where him and his family barely escaped with their lives. Not to mention surviving the infamous “San Diego incident that practically even CNN or politics could not explain. But how was it possible to explain about a creature from the cretaceous period carried on a cargo boat and starts to walk around a city like a free United States citizen? So many questions and thoughts developed after the incident at San Diego, but the citizens were not given answers, and they were not told what kind of animal it really was.
Another guy in his 40’s asked another question. “Dr. Malcolm, do you believe we can recall this prehistoric species without the help of INGEN incorporated, though they’re in a financial crisis right now after the disaster at their theme park at Isla Nublar many years ago, and the failed operation at Isla Sorna which cost many of your companies human lives, not to mention the money John Hammond needed to get a loan from his First of America bank account to pay the surviving families for the loss of their loved ones?”
Malcolm seemed not confused about this question whatsoever. He grabbed a wooden stick with a white rubber pointer and pointed at the map of Isla Nublar.
“According to one person, though I forgot his name…” Malcolm said as he cleared his throat. “He says that you cannot recall an extinct species. That may have been true in that time. But in these days of sophisticated technology and science, recalling extinct species may very well be accomplished. Science is a very unpredictable thing indeed. Just imagine yourself in the prehistoric period having only stones and wood to build stuff. I’m sure just by those tools you wouldn’t expect to make it to the moon in the next million years or so in the future.”
Malcolm took a sip of water from his paper cup next to his desk. “As for the answer to your question, I seriously believe that science has waited long enough, and it’s definitely time for cloning and recalling extinct species. We just need the tools, the equipment, the science, and our intelligence in the wonderful world science. And as for the Ingen situation, I am somewhat saddened for John Hammond and his company. Even myself being in the disaster at Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna, those experiences that I escaped barely with my life gave me the opportunity to publish my own written documentary about the islands and the animals that inhabited them. Ingen helped benefit me with all the money I need for the rest of my life, and also to support my wife and adopted daughter. And for the number of casualties in both islands, we summed the death toll at approximately 74 people. Only 1 visitor of the park died, which was Hammonds former lawyer, Donald Gennaro. The rest of the deaths were people who were employed by Ingen. It does come to a shock to me about the financial crisis Ingen is going through, not to mention John Hammond’s medical condition right now.”
Malcolm remembered the last time he met with Hammond. It was close to three years ago when he met up with him when he was recovering after a stroke at his mansion. He remembered the IV’s and the hospital bed he was on. He could walk around freely, but not for too long since his muscles and tissue would weaken in a matter of minutes. And with the second stroke he has suffered, Malcolm thought it would be a good idea to see him once again, even if it was for the last time. He recently heard from Ellie Sattler, his long time friend who lived in northern Maine with her 5 year old son. He learned of Ellie‘s filing for divorce close to a year ago, and wanted to see her to try and comfort her somewhat. But the hours he worked, the family he needed to take care of, and the publishing of his book while at the same time writing his story on his exploration of Isla Sorna, kept him from buying time to do so, since he needed to remain at his hometown of New Orleans in case something came up from either Ingen, or appearances and meetings he had to attend for his studies on prehistoric topics and finances. All he knew about the divorce was that after Ellie caught her husband cheating on a waitress at a bar down in New Hampshire, she filed for divorce and had claimed and earned full custody of her 4 year old son. He last talked to her on the phone about six months ago, but was interrupted after he was called to an important meeting about his part 2 theory of dinosaurs. Malcolm remembered telling Ellie that in the coming months he would visit her in Maine, and pretty soon with the way Ingens financial losses are starting to decrease, he could take the time to do so. He would visit his old friend Dr. Alan Grant, but had no clue where his whereabouts were. Ian just hoped that Alan didn’t get suckered into another secret dinosaur operation at another island like he did, unknowingly to himself that Alan was indeed in Isla Sorna searching for the Kirby families lost son. Except that time Alan wasn’t killed. Malcolm occasionally thought, “Where is Dr. Grant? And if he’s still alive since the last time I talked to him about a year ago, why does he still wear that hat?”
Malcolm took another sip of his cup of tap water. “Any more questions before we end this meeting? I’ll take a few more from anyone here.” Malcolm said as he saw a woman’s arm raise up in the air. “Yes Irene?”
Irene stood up so she could be noticed and heard clearly. “How could you describe our existence after the rise and decline of the Earths atmosphere and the species on Earth. How long do you think it will all stay active?”
Malcolm said, “In the time of the prehistoric period, life started to take shape and form. It was thought it couldn’t be stopped, until an asteroid slammed into a peninsula which possibly caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. It is still thought that some survived until, and during the ice age. And regardless of what the Bible says, it is still not confirmed of how or when our human existence started here. To this date, there has been absolutely no comprehensive proof of how life started. We are all an experiment waiting to give out the results of its testing. And that test being performed on us is what we call evolution. Evolution takes us to great heights, and great falls. We continue like a flowing river until we either run dry, or rise higher in the evolution chain. There can be two answers to our test by evolution. One, either we receive the results by us wiping ourselves out with the greenhouse effects and the global warming. And number two…”, he said as he cleared his throat,
“We evolve into a cleaner species that will heal it’s land and themselves. And right now I believe we have been given the final results, and those results just might be our own destruction, and it’s mostly all due to our own intelligence and ideas. I remember Alan Grant saying this to me one time, which he said something like…One who tries to do the best of intentions could very well be doing the worst of intentions, regardless of what direction it’s evolution decides to take it. And in my thoughts, Dr. Grant always gave a great meaning by those words. Evolution is by far one of the most difficult things to predict or answer, much like the existence of God. God is by far a mystery as much as our own evolution. Even forensic analysis cannot determine how we ended up on our planet. Nor we can really scientifically prove it even with the most state-of-the-art advances in the human mind and our mechanical and technological advances. To put it in proper English to all of you, everything is a mystery…even some of the things we have proved have at least one mystery behind the scenes of what we find and confirm.”
Malcolm started to get a little tired of questions, since he never cared for talking in front of an audience of employees, just as much as answering them. He always had the tactic of giving the most detailed answer he could to attempt to lessen the questions asked to him.
Malcolm looked around the room and saw two hands raise up from two different people. He picked a man who was wearing a business suit, which Malcolm had reason to believe it had to be over a hundred dollars. For how professional the man looked, Ian thought that the guy needed a better looking tie instead of a light blue one.
“Alright, you.” Malcolm said.
“You’ve seen these creatures on Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna right? And you were not paid on either of those trips. And those two times you escaped the islands with your life. If you for some reason were asked to return to those islands, what would it take to have you return to those islands?” the man said as he smiled and sat down.
Malcolm gave out a distant smile as he said, “Even the wonderful smell and color of dollar bills could never even request me or give itself to me to get on any of those islands. A thousand dollars with Ben Franklins face on them won’t even get me on a boat destined for those islands. Even a family reunion scheduled there won’t let me take one step in the vicinity of an airport, or a shipping dock, and not even any method of preparation of transportation to escort me to those islands. I did my job there…actually two, but the second one was un-intentional and it made me want to ask the world how bad THEIR day was doing, especially at their job. And as you see that my leg is in a cast…”
Malcolm said as he pointed his black wooden cane on the cast, “…that is the leg that was nearly eaten by that T-rex creature. That one experience made me not want to even look at those islands anymore.”
“But do you place any blame on John Hammond for the incidents that occurred on Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna?” The man asked.
“John once told me after the helicopter ride, that he doesn’t blame people for their mistakes. Everything in terms of security and entertainment were brilliantly planned and worked in the park until that tropical storm shattered it like glass. John has no responsibility for what happened, yet some people might think the opposite way around. I respect him for what he has tried to do for me. He has helped pay for my injuries, and has given me hazard pay after the mass casualty operation at Isla Sorna when he actually sent my then-girlfriend to the island to do a few things on that island. Behind the pain I suffered and the times I went through, he has helped give me the stuff I have in my life for helping out in his work in dinosaur cloning and science.”
Another hand shook around in the air impatiently. Malcolm pointed at a man in his thirties, who needed a shave very badly and maybe just a short haircut. The only best appearance on him was his tie. It was trendier and more straighter than most the guys wearing their own.
“Yes…you?” said Malcolm.
The man stood up slowly and looked at Malcolm in the eye. “Out of all the species of plants and animals, how many do you think there were in the beginning and up until this point in time? And would it be possible during the coming polar shift and the ozone completely being distinguished. And what about the asteroid hitting the Earth and causing an ice age, do you think…” the man said as Malcolm shot his pointer finger at him.
“Whoa whoa! Quit talking like these events are coming tomorrow. And what’s this stuff about an asteroid just coming along causing an ice age just like that huh? Many asteroids and meteors have hit out planet and most of them, if not all have not given any significant damage to out planets health and environment. The Earth once suffered an impact which led to the ice age and the possible extinction of the dinosaurs.”
“Like I didn’t know that…” snapped the man.
“You honestly seem to not know the way it sounded coming out of you.” Malcolm said as his audience had looks on their faces like they didn’t want to listen to anymore words he was saying. “And this whole ozone layer thing disappearing on us has gone for too long, and is slowly having a stronger effect to the greenhouse gases, and one day the planet will rise in temperatures that the polar ice caps will break apart and melt off. And when that times comes oceans will rise, cities will fall…and whatever life survives will go on. Either it will be us, sea life, or bacteria that will evolve into us for another 65 million years.”
The guy sat down, not wanting to hear another word from a guy whom he personally thought he took things too far, and was too much on the skeptical side. And that person he had those feelings for was the guy in front of the whole audience with a black scratched up chalkboard.
“Alright, one more question or opinion and your so-called Chaotician will be out of here for today having a snack with his wife who will be meeting me at that steel picnic table in front of this building as soon as I‘m off for the day.” Malcolm said as everyone in front of him just sat and stared like they were statues.
As Malcolm was about to grab his books and his wooden cane, a man in his late 20’s raised his hand.
“Yes, you with the raised hand…got a question about the ozone layer?” Malcolm said, trying to make a point that he didn’t want any more questions like the last one. Confused, Malcolm decided to listen to what the possible anti-Chaotician may want to say.
The man spoke, “Dr. Malcolm…I believe you heard about the possible rumors of something surviving on the Isla islands. I want to know your thoughts about those rumors, since you’ve told practically the world about what you seen on two of those islands.”
Malcolm froze for a second, completely disturbed by what he said. He did indeed read those rumors and reports from secret Ingen Intelligence that a sea liner the other week spotted a strange creature roaming on the shores of the island of Isla Nublar. Though it wasn’t confirmed, Malcolm still thought that breeding would have gone down since the secret military service hired by John Hammond possibly controlled the islands stock level of dinosaurs from thousands to a near critical stage, much considered critical extinction. But after the operation years ago, the military flew off the island using helicopters, and were not contacted or gave information about the operation since that time. Malcolm swallowed as he said,
“Despite the rumors, just reading them gave me those experiences coming back to me from the past. I remember nearly getting my leg bit off, but years afterward my leg healed up. And just last year, the pain has returned because of a dead muscle in my left leg has helped fail a number of tendons in it, making it very difficult for me to walk without a cane. And thanks to new medicine, I can walk without a cane for periods of time. And as for my thoughts on the rumors of the 65 million year old creatures we named ‘dinosaurs’, I believe they are all extinct.”
“But what if there is an island we haven’t seen on this Earth that dinosaurs have survived on for the past sixty-five plus years?”
“The only answer I can give is, anything is possible. I can sincerely doubt there has been any T-Rex’s living in underground caves in the middle of the ocean feeding and mating with other ones for that long period of time. Much like there has been a few animals thought to be extinct, until video shots by amateurs and professionals from around the world has proved it. So one would have to wonder, did life find a way?”
Malcolm took a deep breath as he clenched his cane and grabbed his notebooks while walking out the door. He opened the wooden door which led to the main hallway. He refrained to look back at everyone behind him sitting in their steel chairs while he said in a tired sounding voice, “It’s been an honor everyone…”.
As Malcolm walked past the boundary of the meeting room and the hallway, he shut the door behind him. He walked a couple feet, leaning lightly on his cane each step. He stopped as he leaned back on the wall, which had a fire hydrant in a small chamber. The glass had one small crack in it. Malcolm leaned his head back to where he hit it on the wall. He took a couple small breaths as he thought about what that last guy told him. And yes, Malcolm was concerned. He was disturbed and scared that there was one thing that has been wandering on the islands for the past decade. They were real, and they were more than a reality than just something a regular tabloid would announce on their front page article at a local store. He knew only one thing, and he was given the possible 100% proof of Ingen and military officials weeks ago. Ian was almost theoretically and positively certain that something…had survived.
Minutes later after signing off for work, Malcolm walked outside holding his brown leather briefcase, which made him look like a lawyer, if he only had the intelligent look on him. He would be intelligent enough for a lawyer at his present time in life, but he was just short of a nice suit and tie. His hair began to turn gray in just a few spots in the left and right corners of his forehead about a year ago. For some reason, his wife Sarah thought it looked sexy for his age. Malcolm was now 45 years of age, with Sarah trailing about 8 years of age behind him. Malcolm was still thin for his age, though it wasn’t no surprise to anybody. After his surgery, Sarah noticed how quickly her husband lost weight as he quit eating meat and poultry after seeing enough of it recently killed by the 65 million year old supposed-to-extinct creatures back on the two islands in which he referred to as “Prehistoric Hell”. Just watching the food chain change from one end to another, or one species to another just made him not want to even look at meat in any supermarket.
He walked at a normal pace with his cane in hand as he approached Sarah eating a sandwich from a local Subway restaurant on the same steel made picnic table she always sat on while waiting for him. She looked up with a bite of sandwich still in her mouth and saw Malcolm walking towards her. Malcolm walked past a maple tree with three birds chirping away as they flew off from a branch. He waved as Sarah swallowed her piece of sandwich. Sarah waved back as she said “You’re a few minutes late sir.”
“That depends on what I’m late for.” he said in a weak voice. Sarah always got curious whenever his voice sounded dead.
“Them guys up there pretend you were the dinosaur man in that meeting?”
“Honey, every time I heard one guy asking me a question, I was thinking in my head, Godammit, you bastard…”, he said as he embraced Sarah in his two arms, almost pulling a few strings of her hair with his thousand dollar Rolex watch on his right wrist.
Malcolm kissed Sarah on the cheek as he asked, “Oh, how’s Kelly doing on her science project?”
“She said she’s going to look up a little more information on the internet about the early stages of the cretaceous period.” said Sarah.
“Aren’t there books at the school or the library she can read. A little more educational than something on the internet wouldn’t you think?”
“Ian, she’s been working on this all night and day for the past week. Internet or not you got to admire her dedication of her time to her future and education.”
Malcolm stood for a second with a thought in his mind.
“Suppose she’ll allow me to work on her science project with her?”
“She may, but you know our Kelly…she always tries to achieve stuff by herself.”
“Yeah, much like she tried portraying herself as a secret stowaway to our death-defying trip to Isla Sorna years ago. You remember, when she hid herself in that motor home control room, and later on in the night that instrument of destruction sent that thing sleeping with the fishes in the depths of the sea.”
Sarah put her hands on Malcolm’s shoulders. “Honey, let’s not talk about the island or anything that corresponds to what happened those years ago. We’ve started our new lives after that incident, and now let’s try to keep enjoying it for as long as we can.”
“Alright honey…” Ian said as he gently kissed his wife.
They soon sat down on the steel picnic table while Sarah pulled out her laptop computer.
“Gonna give somebody’s computer a cold?” asked Malcolm with a grin on his face.
Sarah laughed as she watched the Windows NT logo pop up on her screen with all her programs loading up on her screen one by one. She then moved the tip of her finger on a little soft rubber panel near the center of her keyboard, which moved the little arrow that helped point to programs in need of operation for the operator of the system. She clicked on a icon at the bottom of her Windows NT taskbar. The icon, which looked like two people embracing each other with a friendship hug and waving with their arms soon flashed a few times until a box appeared at the middle of the screen. It was an AT&T instant messenger, which you could use to connect with and talk with other people who are connected to the internet.
Sarah clicked on FRIENDS at the top of the menu bar and there was a screen name in a list of 4 different people. The second name, which was coded as “K_CURTIS” was Sarah and Ian’s adopted daughter. She was 12 years of age, African American origin and intelligent in forms of forensics and paleontology. The screen name was highlighted in green, which meant she was online. Sarah clicked on Kelly’s screen name and a box showed up. A message popped up: CONNECTED.
Sarah then typed Kelly a message with her screen name: S_harding63.
“Hi Kelly, It’s Sarah.” She typed and then sent the message by clicking “SEND”.
Sarah waited as she gotten an automatic response that said, “I am Away from my PC, studying for the oh-so-fun science project!”
Sarah smiled and she closed off her messenger, knowing with the auto-response she received that Kelly was busy.
Malcolm turned his head to look at the USA TODAY newspaper carrier next to a wooden bench.
“Be right back honey, forgot to get the newspaper.” said Malcolm.
“How about I just access the official site for you? Save ya fifty cents.” Sarah said.
“It’s okay honey. I need it for work tomorrow when I’m on my lunchtime tomorrow. I’d say hell with it, but you have some of that wildlife expedition work out in the ravaging wild tomorrow.”
Sarah laughed after her husbands response, “I prefer you call it nature and wildlife photography. You know, a job that can let me tell you bout the birds and the bees…”
“And the flowers and the trees…” said Malcolm with a smile. “Just a moment honey…give me a minute to walk over there and feed two George Washington’s in the coin slot in order to get my paper.”
Malcolm patted his wife’s hand as he walked away from Sarah and past a clean cut lawn which had a few empty potato chip bags laying around. Malcolm walked over to the USA TODAY machine as he pulled out two quarters out of his right pocket. He inserted them in the “quarters only” slot and tugged the handle next to the coin slot as he pulled open the door which contained two more issues inside. Reading the front article for a second, he pulled out an issue as he shut the door. He tugged it a second time to make sure it wouldn’t open again, so nobody would steal any of his favorite daily newspapers. He held the paper up to his face as he happened to catch an article near the bottom left. The sentence said in black print: TWO MEXICAN MEN FOUND MASSACRED ON ISLAND.
Ian read the small preview article below the subject, which read:
From the associated press:
Earlier today search and rescue teams found the remains of two
Slaughtered bodies on an undisclosed island near Costa Rica. The
Island has been closed to the public for years for specific classified
Reasons which are currently unknown to the public. Many body
Parts were lacerated and taken off in many places, which made the
Bodies unrecognizable. These killings are thought to be the doings
of an animal. Autopsies will be performed on the two men later this
Afternoon to determine…PLEASE SEE PAGE 2B for details…
Malcolm’s body felt very chilled and steady for a moment. He read the article one last time. The words “Costa Rica”, “Undisclosed”, and “Island” could only connect with one subject: the killing took place on an Island named after “Isla” The Isla islands were the only islands he knew of that were closed to the public.
Nothing came out of Malcolm’s voice except the words, “My God it’s happening again…”.
As he was adjusting his cowboy hat to his comfort, Alan Grant sat in the backseat of a taxi, staring out the window which showed a neighborhood of scenic luxury. Many homes were made of bricks. Black steel fences surrounded the front yards of most of the homes, and some fences surrounded the home all the way around. Many flowers and plants were bloomed beautifully in their gardens and areas that were lined up against driveways which were made of blacktop material.
Many of the mailboxes that were built in next to a brick wall which made up for the sides of driveway gates, were way too fancy looking for any home owner to have. Gloss black colored paint finish with gold ribbons around the handles literally would scare the average middle-class civilian who would walk around a neighborhood like this. Otherwise, the best thing Alan thought this neighborhood had, was a friend of his…yet that friend’s intentions and dreams killed many innocent people years ago. He was a friend who literally had a project completed in his own dream that became a reality. But that reality, in one second…shattered faster than a bullet through glass. Shattered, was all of a child’s dreams of seeing that one specific creature up close. Shattered, was many peoples lives…and for the families that lost their loved ones and family on two remote islands of human creation and resurrection. Those two words and the mind of a genius could all combine to name that one creation…Evolution.
And that friend of Alan’s could be one person in any one of those subjects…John Hammond.
2/19/2003 1:48:01 AM
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