(Page 6)
Richard stood silent for a moment, picked up a piece of paper and read aloud.
“Article four of an agreement between the UN and InGen made October 22nd, 1999: Any expenditures made on behalf of the islands in any form will be paid for in half or more, as determined by the UN, by the party of the second: InGen.”
“And if I quit?”
“Then InGen will sue you for breach of contract you lousy son of a bitch,” Richard snapped, throwing the papers onto the table.
“You know as well as I do that if any of us backs out of this, InGen will be caught. We can’t allow for that! If we don’t give into the demands of the UN, they will take all of this away and realize what’s been going on these four years and put every single one of us in jail! It’s either your house, or your life.”
With that, the conference room grew silent. The man sitting at the table leaned back into his chair silent.
“People, people,” Richard said pleadingly, “don’t forget why you elected me CEO. And don’t forget the plan. Sacrifice a little now, and at the end, InGen will be paying you back ten fold if not more.
“I promise.”
“Good, good John,” Alan replied, helping John to sit in the chair at the small café where he and Billy had been sitting.
John’s white hair was thinning and his face had begun to look tired and lifeless. John was getting older and Alan knew the pleading look in John’s eyes as those from an anguished soul.
“And yourself, John?”
“Oh, I’ve been getting older and liking it less,” he replied with a cough and slight grin.
“Not like I used to be. That is actually why I came to see you.”
“Why is that?” Alan asked leaning in towards John.
“You see, I’m not as dumb as these doctors think I am. I know I’m dying–“
”Oh John,” Alan interrupted.
“No, no, no! I know I am. I’ve also had a lot of time to look back on my life. Then I heard that you were in charge of an expedition to my islands. I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What’s that, Mr. Hammond.”
“I want you to make them protect the islands. The animals deserve to live. We breathed life into fossils, and they walked, and ran, and broke free like children will do! They are the relics of the ancient world and the dreams of childhood. We must preserve them. You must do all you can to save them. They’re my children.”
“Mr. Hammond, the decision is not mine to make. The UN will decide based on the expedition how safe the animals are to the environment. Don’t forget, these are wild, living things that if they ever made it to the mainland, they could bring about horrible deaths to innocent people.”
“Hmph,” Mr. Hammond laughed slightly to himself.
“You see, Dr. Grant. These animals were made for the soul purpose to please the public. They are one of a kind, and rare indeed: as rare as the DNA we found to clone them. I wanted something that was real and something that people could come up and touch and know for sure it was real. Even if they can’t do that physically as I had originally dreamed, they may do so now through the knowledge that the island exists and that there is still mystery in the world.
“Please. Alan. Do what you can. Bring back photographs and information on them. Correct the text books. Make the world know that Dinosaurs are here. Make my dream, my life-long work, come true. I’m too old to do this anymore.” he trailed off, his eyes glazing over.
“You’re my last hope at redemption.”
Convergence