Jurassic Park: The Isolated Island
By Joonatan Virtanen
Chapter one: Extinction
Prologue
A modern airport in San Fransico, United States.
It was the airport of tomorrow. And people knew it too. They were everywhere: Walking, eating, breathing. And unfortunately most of them were on rush. It was the busyest time of day-and the airport was working with all effort. Glass windows and ceilings opened the sight of the runway: Planes which were leaving, took some of these busy people away, and the arriving ones brung some back. It was just the way how an airport works on a hot afternoon in san Fransisco.
There was one different person; A person who had just arrived there. He was from totally different regions, and didnīt feel very comfortable here, with this population of busy people. His name was Roland Tembo.
Roland walked calmly through the terminal. The airport didnīt fit his appearance and feeling. No, the modern society wasnīt for him, certainly not. He didnīt belong here, in this city he was a complete stranger.
The people passing by - he was not sure when he had last sawn this much people; But still, in this huge society, everybody seemed to be alone. People were barely looking at eachother. Is this really the world today? Roland thought. Not my world.
The only reason for my presence here is that I have been invited.
By a sudden click, Roland Tembo was returned to the real world from his toughts, and he found himself standing in the mass of different people. Now it was his turn to get to his goal. He lifted his suitcase, and started searching for the exit. Luckily all modern airports have clear signs and informations, to help the outsiders to escape from that complex. And it was finally great to Roland to have some fresh air, when he found the exit.
The street was also busy - the busy people continued their way to the city by taxis. As mostly the other airport buildings covered the sight, Roland could see few skyscrapers to rise above the other structures. This was San Fransisco!
The San Fransisco of busy people. And Roland was not one, so he just sat on a bench, waiting for the person who had requested him to come - James Burton.
All he knew about Burton was, that he was in the service of InGen. Roland himself knew InGen too well. InGen had organized many things that it could not handle - and therefore Roland didnīt give any sympathy to that company. InGen was responsible for all it had caused - and Roland wandered why anybody had not found out that!
The front parking line was mostly for taxis, but now, a blue Cabriolet slowly rolled on that line, and stopped in front of Roland, who was currently reading the newspaper on the bench. The car seized, and the driver stepped out, taking a few steps torwards Roland.
"Mr. Roland Tembo?"
Instantly Roland rised his head.
"Who needs to know?" He said.
"What? Ahem...." The man said nervously.
Roland put the newspaper on the bench, and stood up.
"You must be James Burton, that correct?"
"I am. Welcome-"
But Roland didnīt give his hand to shake - he walked past Burton with his suitcase, to Burtonīs Mercedes cab, and opened the trunk.
"Hey-wait!" Burton ran to him. Now Roland could see clearly Burtonīs appearance: He was a middle-aged, pale man with unshaven light brown beard, and hair. He wore a relaxed brown suit. A Typical scientist, Roland thought.
"I am not responsible for any mistake InGen made, so if you have dragged me here to just heat up the paper-fight started few years ago, take it to the courthouse!"
Roland talked in his offensive style, while lifting his suitcase into the trunk.
"Mr. Tembo. You are here because of-"
"Iīm here to finish my part in this case. Not for you."
Roland had interrupted him again. He took his place at the front seat of the cab, whilst Burton climbed on the driversīs place.
"Now I want to deal with InGen for once and for all. Now take me to your superiors."
Roland thought that he had made a clear point.
Burton was smiling.
"No, I donīt want you to talk to anybody. Especially not anybody from InGen. Or to any other."
When Burton said this, the grin disappeared from his face.
"In Fact, no-one needs to know that you are here. Or that we ever met. And InGen does not want anything from you. My colleaques are now working on an another project."
"What are you trying to say, Burton? And use my first name; I suppose I can call you James."
Roland had calmed down a bit.
"Of course. But we have to discuss later. Are you tired? Jetlag, Roland? My favorite cafeteria in Palo Alto offers the best Cappucino in town."
"Sure."
Burton had actually just read Rolandīs mind. He reminded Roland from a friend - Ajay. Burtonīs style and personality was a bit like Ajayīs....well, perhaps only a bit. Ajay used to take Roland to their favourite cafeteria once back in Mosambique. He and Roland used to be like brothers, even when both were from totally different backgrounds, and their personalities were far away from each other.
As Burton drove through the airport area, he finally turned to the main highway of San Fransisco. Among with the other cars, they passed a sign which said:
PALO ALTO
8 miles
Isla Sorna
They had sighted Ricardo. They had smelled him. And they were after now. Ricardo didnīt know the numbers of them, and where they are. He ran through the rainy jungle; Exhausted, and frightened. The sounds of the surrounding woods at night, the total darkness were driving him to anxiety. He just run; Nothing but escape would save him.
Repeating the name of his sister helped a bit; maybe she will be waiting him somewhere - she must be alive. But Ricardo was in "somewhere" already. He didnīt have the slightest idea where he was. He swiped the wet roots and leaves off his way, but stopped. The Raptors...had he lost them? Maybe he should return to the direction he came - to the lagoon. To safety. But in which direction that was. Ricardo thought that if he got totally lost, he would just wander around this endless, violent island, and sooner or later the Raptors would arrive, and get him. Like they did his sister.
"Nina!"
Ricardo cried out. His sense warned him quickly that his screams would attract the Raptors. Nina...she had wanted to see Sorna. And Ricardo, being just a young boy, couldnīt had resisted the call of an adventure.
"Nina! Nina!"
She had not believed the existence of Raptors. Who would? Ricardoīs father had said: The americans own that island. Donīt go there, it doesnīt belong to us anymore.
Only the older boys talked about Raptors; Most of them being the sons of fishers. Ricardo and all in his age had always gathered around Luis, Angelo and others, who were chatting while fixing their motorbikes. Mostly about girls (and Ricardo didnīt bother, that was quite interesting too), but sometimes they mentioned Isla Sorna, and all the mysterious animals, which their fathers had spotted. And no-one talked about Diego, the young man who had worked as an assistant at the airport.
He left to Sorna to guide an american scientist few years ago, and never came back. He disappeared, and Luis said that Raptors had dealt with him.
The rain was endless. And the dark forest showed no life.
Ricardo walked. He had no place to go, no place to hide from Raptors. But - somewhere in the far left he saw an almost open, wide area, in the middle of the rainforest.
Whatever is there - it might be worth checking out. So Ricardo headed there. The first terrain enchancement he noticed was - a road! A road here, on Sorna? The rainfall had turned it very muddy, but two, continuing straight divides would be clearly seen: Vehicle tracks.
He crossed the road, coming to the wide open area. There were few info signs on the road side: Ricardo couldnīt read english, but he realized, that this was something the americans had left here. As he wandered past these signs, and looked at the distance, he saw forest - no it wasnīt all forest - it was a building. A badly forested building - an abandoned facility, actually. Trees were growing out of its roof, which might have been glassed, but now only steel girders were left. Would that thing be a place what the Raptors would ignore? Could be. Ricardo wished that Nina was there, she would know. Yes - Nina would hide there, maybe she is there?
" Nina!"
Ricardo ran to that dark building.
Palo Alto
"Roland. Roland?"
Roland was staring at the motorway, and the passing cars while sitting at the window seat with Burton, in the cafeteria in Palo Alto. The newly constructed café, called Typhoon, was mainly used by the InGen employees; The International Genetics laboratories were across the road.
"Yes. Where were we?" Roland finally responded. His thoughts controlled him, and he couldnīt keep them off his mind. Today, at least. All memories, about InGen. And Isla Sorna.
"Isla Sorna was InGenīs research site few years ago. Hammond, while still in charge of our company, builded the laboratories there, near Costa Rican coast." Burton started.
"Facility. It was a facility, no less." Roland corrected.
"Look - I know about your past with InGen, and what happened on Sorna. That is why I want you to help InGen - no, me, again." Burton sounded now quite aggressive, but not to Roland.
"It was a mistake; many people were left there forever, but thatīs no fault of mine, or neither yours. InGen learnt from that, finally. What has been created can never be controlled; Whether it was a mistake or not to bring those animals back, no man has the rights to own them. And Roland, my friend, that question has been under serious argument through the whole history of our world."
"I can not see your point, James." Roland said uninterested.
Burton looked straight into the eyes of Roland. His eyes were almost fanatic, or it was just Rolandīs imagination.
"Isla Sorna and its Animals were kept away from outer world, when considered dangerous. Those things were overdone with InGen, and Costa Rican government. We kept the ownership of the Island, so we were responsible for the Guarantee."
There was silence between Roland and Burton. Only the traffic sounds and the chatter of the other customers could be heard.
"So Sorna is still how it was few years ago?" Roland said, but his voice was still uninterested.
"Yes - or so we thought. Now - as I said - something, what lives there can never be controlled. So it got away." Burton said with low voice.
"Are you telling me that the Dinosaurs have left the island?" Roland wasnīt quite surprised, although then he left the chair, stepped on his feet, and was attempting to leave.
"That is InGenīs business. Donīt waste my time, I am not sorry at all." Then he started walking away.
"Damn!" Burton spoke with teeth, and then ran after the hunter.
They both stepped out of the café door simultaneously. Roland kept walking away, and Burton reached him, and tried to stop him to listen.
"Roland! Iīm not finished!" Roland stopped down the street, standing right next to Burtonīs Mercedes cab.
"Then we will finish our business at your office." He answered, when Burton got down there. Roland pointed to the InGen headquarters, arcross the street.
"There is no way to InGen to get me interested about their business." He said as the two men entered the car.
Unpredictable man, Burton thought. He would find some way to get this vagabond in. No way he couldnīt. But first, he would need to explain the whole picture clearly to Roland.
* * * * * * * * *
The InGen headquarters building was a big, and busy commercial complex. After Burton had parked his car to his personal site, the two men begun to walk to Burtonīs office. They saw people, InGen guards, secretaries and scientists, all destinated to enter some of the complex buildings, in order to complete their work. Busy people, Roland thought. Burtonīs office was above the great hall, in the main building. The few windows of the room opened the sight to the street, and other ones to the yard and parking zone. That modern workspace was like all for Bioengineers of today.
Burton closed the windows. He was looking around carefully, like something was missing.
"All right, James?" Roland asked.
"Huh? I want just to be sure, that we have no bugs in this room."
Burton sat down to his ergonomic office chair. He relaxed, and pointed to another chair.
"Have a seat, Roland."
lly Burton was able to reveal his subject.
"The Guarantee of Isla Sorna was broken. An uncounted number of Predatory dinosaurs got off the island. We had SatCam; Ingen had even recently brought shares of a satellite communications company, SatLogics - but we were not able to notice, how or when this happened."
Roland listened to Burtonīs story calmly, as he continued:
"The locals....suffered from this. I mean, people died, for christīs sake and we at Ingen are responsibe! Many Costa Rican residents are lost, presumably dead."
That got Rolandīs attention: "No. It is impossible to the Dinosaurs to reach the mainland by swimming."
"The Five Deaths. There are 4 other islands, for an example Isla Pená and Isla Talamanca which both have, though quite small Fishermen villages. Itīs the outback; And people wonīt talk about the casualties." Burton said.
Roland changed his position it the chair.
"So the Predators wonīt reach mainland. That is one thing what you, James, as an employee of InGen, should be happy of. And, which species were they?"
Burton scratched his beard.
"No, we are not sure. But listen me, Roland: The Dinosaurs arenīt threatening us."
"What is it about then?" Roland demanded. Maybe he would finally get the reason of him being here.
"Two weeks ago, Pentagon received a message from the Costa Rican government. That letter was a request: an offer, in a different way.
Costa Rica wiews that island; Sorna, as a threat to their people. Simply they have had enough."
"So what?" Roland asked. "InGen to remove those animals away?"
Silence.
"No. They want them to be exterminated."
"Real-"
Now Burton raised his voice:
"They demand, that United states has to order InGen to simply get rid of the dinosaurs. And fast. Otherwise, Costa Rica will end all relationships between these two countries. No exports, military support or anything."
Roland was watching out of the window. "And I presume U.S.A. does not want that to happen."
"Correct."
The hunter turned to Burton.
"James...when?"
"The order came in 10 days ago. InGen had an emergency meeting; we were told that everything will go on: Other projects can be continued, and InGen will not be Lawsued if Isla Sorna is free of any prehistoric animal activity on time."
Roland was walking around the room. He actually didnīt know how to react to these news. And Burton could see that.
"How - How they are going to do it?" Roland spat out."Napalm?"
"No.." There was a small grin on Burtonīs face. "The government wants no publicity. It has to be done secretly; As public, and surely every scientist in this world would be against it." Burton walked around his desk, to a file box. He opened it, browsed few files, and then found the one he was looking for.
"This is how they are going to do it." He handed the file sheets to Roland. "It is a transportation plan. A cargo from the U.S.A.n Influence Diseases center, signed to be here in 4-5 days." Burton explained to confused Roland, who took a quick look of the sheets, and then said: "...Itīs a virus of some kind...? Is Ingen about to set this on Sorna?" He gave those files back to Burton. "We presume so." Burton said. "What "we" are you talking about? And where you did get those anyway?" Roland felt that he didnīt know much what was going on.
"Iīll explain all later. But now, Roland...is it right to drive a number of specieses to extinction?"
This surprised Roland. "James - what are you actually up to?"
"Roland - it is hard to find an actual way to say this...but, as you know I was the leading Bioengineer on Sorna, and also on Nublar. These animals are the result of the research of many years: We made them - not to be abused - but to help us understand the mystery of extinction."
"Iīve heard a very different point of wiew." Roland griped. "Look, am I here just to agree your great guestions of morality?".
Burton then looked less enthusiastic; he took a more serious express.
"I have been there - from the moment the first ones ever hatched.
We canīt - InGen canīt just make them live - and then destroy them again; never in the history of humanity such things have happened.
No-one has the rights to play god that way."
"But you," Roland said, "canīt do anything for it. That order came directly from the White House. What they want, they are going to get it. And InGen has no power in this case - I suppose they wiew InGen as the criminals."
Burton had a surprisingly fanatic look. He was looking in the eyes of Roland. "I - canīt let that happen. We musnīt lost the Dinosaurs - no, never. The world canīt afford to lose such natural treasure.
This got Roland thinking. What was Burton - "James - what are you going to do? Hope not anything stupid."
"Listen, Roland! There is no way to stop InGen in proceeding that! We have no change - but to do it differently." Burton said, while taking few steps towards Roland, who was looking him very specially.
"James - no. I am not going to join in this. If you are planning to save the Dinosaurs from extinction, it is an illegal operation."
Roland shook his head. "I am not in - and donīt hope you will succeed."
"Think so?" Burton had a tricky expression. "Think, my friend; As a game hunter, what would you lose? Over dozen specieses, which no-one has hunted before. As soon as we get to Sorna - the Fauna is all yours."
Roland - literally - stopped in that place.
"You are going to Sorna!?" He said almost in anger.
Burton had a short pause.
"Yes. To save the animals, yes. Me and several other people from certain european academies donīt want to see the Dinosaurs dead."
"But wh-"
"Yes we have to." This time Burton interrupted Rolandīs talking.
"As the command from government came in - all network access to Sorna - or Site B - were denied from all Ingen employees. But - what they didnīt notice was the actual central computer of Sorna, which locates in the command center. That one has to be shutted down manually - so it is still on line! And there are still all the genetic data we created years ago. If we could transport that data out of there safely...."
Roland was in disbelief: "So you are heading to that island? It seems that you have learnt nothing from Ingenīs previous mistakes."
Burton pointed his finger to Roland. "That is, why I want YOU. You led a group of people out of Sorna ALIVE. Now i want you to do it again."
Isla Sorna
The roof of the low building had shattered long ago: It opened the sight of of a pit-like space or room. Ricardo was standing on the edge.
He couldn`t see nothing. Just darkness. He didnīt felt like going there. No way.
He had climbed the steps up to the roof just few minutes ago. Never seen this type building. It only had an empty pit below ground level.
Ricardo called his sister. "Nina!" His voice echoed in the darkness. The pit showed no marks of life.
Ricardo was unsure what did that building contain. He was unsure of everything; But he spotted a stepway which led down to the pit.
He jumped down from the roof to the first floor: It wasnīt a long way down, but as he catched the ground, few pieces of glass lying around made him slip. "Agh!" He cried, but then memorized that the Raptors might hear his sounds. And who knows whatīs down there - he looked again into the pit. From this ground-level platform he could see more. The beton walls were mud-stained. Trashed building elements and metal girders, along with leaves and dead vegetation, were lying all over the place. And a disgusting smell all over the air....of rotten flesh. If he only had a flashlight now....
He tried to walk the steps down as calmly he could, but even the smallest noise ripped the silence of the pit.
Ricardo was soon at the pit ground, just few meters... He looked up, and saw the night sky, although the trees curled to the edge blocked the most sight.
When he reached the bottom, he saw old cages - for animals, presumably. The junk, shattered glass - they covered the dark area. And....a dead animal. Mutilated, half-eaten - Ricardo couldnīt recognize what that horse-sized creature was - or what it used to be.
He walked around the area. What was this place for? What had caused those things to that animal?
On the other side of the pit, Ricardo could see that there were built-inside cages in the wall, with steel girder doors left open.
"Nina?"
Where were she? There?
A high-pitched scream sliced through the air! It maked Ricardo jump.
He looked up: It came from there - "Raptors!" A shadow elected to the pit floor - and another, but this time from the right. They were there - up, and - another two shadows appeared. They had surrounded the pit - and the only way out was the stepway up. Ricardo looked up in terror - there was no possible escape. And the raptors were watching him.
How many were there? Even more of their sounds could been heard. Low snarls, grunts, everywhere. And now they were coming down!
Ricardo ran around, terrified, looking for an alternate exit. There must be...otherwise-
He turned his head and saw three dark, agile characters - Raptors - running down the steps. One of them jumped off and landed to the ground of the pit standing on its legs. It ducked, and let out a high screech.
Ricardo ran away.
Where? Must go...must find - "Ah!" He hitted a loose air condition tube, and fell to the ground. The Raptor sounds were closing.
He stood up and continued running. And what he saw, on the other side of the pit, the compartment cages. There!
As fast as he could, he closed the girder door. Now he was - propably - in an safe area. But the Raptors wonīt give up yet - he knew.
Ricardo saw them - raptors, silently approaching. He screamed, and backed quickly against the wall. The built-in cage was more like a cell than an animal container, it was quite small.
Ricardo felt something under his foot, he looked at it - another dead animal!
Then he saw movement at the door. The Raptors - they were trying to open the door. They continuously hitted the door, until the lock would break....one of them tried to get its head through the girders.
It was looking at Ricardo - it snarled, pulled its head a bit backwards, and revealed its teeth. This sight maked Ricardo scream again.
The Raptors showed no mark of giving up - although they couldnīt get past that door. To those three Raptors joined even more. The hitting against the door and the screams were both getting louder, as Ricardo was crying in the back corner. The Raptors....
But then, a majesticly loud and powerful roar could be heard somewhere in the distance. Ricardo noticed that immediatly. And so did the raptors; The banging at the door stopped. They were silent for few moments, and then rised their heads and let out their calls.
Silence. The Raptors - whatever they are up to now, werenīt after Ricardo now. And the answer to their calls came; The same roar. From the same animal? But now it was louder and closer.
The Raptors started backing off. They instantly left the cage where Ricardo was in. And few heartbeats after, they were gone.
But Ricardo didnīt have the courage to lift a finger now. Although the Raptors were now gone-
A Tremor. A sudden ground movement, followed by another.
Again he felt it. And again, more stronger. And the pattern continued, less time left from tremor to another.
Whatever caused it - it was coming....
Chapter Two: The Trek
38 Hours later
James Burtonīs Private Plane - The Ocean Territory of Costa Rica
Part 2 coming
very soon...