Jurassic Park

Chapter One – The Homecoming

The shrill sound of the doorbell announced that Jo's expected visitor had arrived. Drying her wet, soapy hands on the tea towel and brushing away a stray wisp of blonde hair, Jo tripped lightly out into the hall and opened the front door. Her pretty face beamed and her blue eyes shone as she greeted her brother with a warm hug and a kiss. "Alan!" she exclaimed in delight. "It's so good to see you!"

Dr. Alan Grant stepped into the large hallway, carrying a hefty brown suitcase in one hand and a bulky duffle bag in the other, while his sister's smile reflected on his sun-burnt face. "It's been a long time, Jo," he said as he gave his sister another hearty squeeze.

"A year and two months, to be exact," Jo replied as she led Alan into the spacious sitting room.

Alan Grant looked around him with a fond look, as distant memories swept back over him. "Nothing's changed," he said, as he familiarised himself with the sights that he had been accustomed to before his trip away to South America. He looked back at the slim, trendy figure of his sister. "Not even you, Jo. You're just the way I've always remembered you."

Just then the young voice of a small seven-year-old boy met their ears. "Uncle Alan!"

Alan turned to greet his nephew who bounded towards his esteemed uncle with energised joy. He flung himself at the palaeontologist with a squeal of delight. Dr. Grant laughed as he ruffled the boy's hair. "But you have changed since I last saw you, Robbie. Look how you've grown!"

Robbie gave his uncle a large grin, revealing a gap on the top and lower jaw, where two milk teeth once dwelt. "I'm nearly eight now!" he announced proudly as his uncle placed him back on the ground. Then noticing a large duffle bag for the first time that had been tossed onto the floor, he said eagerly as he eyed it hungrily, "Did you bring me anything?"

Alan gave a laugh whilst Jo said, "Robbie!" in a reproving manner.

"It's quite alright, Jo. Yes, Robbie I've brought you back something." Dr. Alan Grant knelt down beside his nephew whilst reaching for his duffle bag. He slowly unzipped it whilst talking to Robbie. "When I was on an excavation site in South America, we were doing this dig, and we discovered several skeletons of velociraptors. This got me thinking: who did I know who loved the study of dinosaur bones almost as much as I do?"

"Me!" Robbie exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Right! Then I remembered what a friend of mine had done a few years ago with a raptor skull . . ."

"I know! I know!" interrupted Robbie as he jumped up and down in his excitement. "You've told me before – he scanned the skull to make a model of the raptor, so when you blow on it, it makes the sound raptors make!"

"Robbie, don't interrupt your Uncle," Jo said in an admonitory tone.

Alan laughed at the boy's enthusiasm. "That's right, Robbie. My friend, Billy Brennan, was able to make a replica of the raptor's resonating chamber. I thought of you when I found the skull, and decided to do the same. So, here you are Robbie – your very own raptor resonating chamber!"

Robbie's eyes grew wide as his uncle drew out the prized article. He took it from Alan's hands eagerly, soaking in the novelty of possessing a thing so rare and precious as he fingered it with an expression of awe and wonder painted on his face. He handled it like a collector with an antique – almost lovingly but with a respect so profound words fail at such an eminent moment. It was not very heavy – Robbie handled it with ease as he turned it over and inspected it with a fascinated eye.

Alan glanced up at his sister, who was viewing the scene with a very different frame of mind. Whatever she had been thinking was clearly written on her face, for her brother said quickly as he rose to put his arm around her, "Will you relax, Jo? What harm can he come to with that?"

Jo's face was grave with concern. "Oh, I don't know Alan. . . it's just that, well, I'm not sure it's a very healthy enterprise for a young boy playing with something like that."

"Oh, come on Jo – it's only a replica of a raptor's resonating chamber, not the real thing! What harm is there in that?"

Jo looked at her brother and arched an eyebrow with a look that clearly conveyed her doubts upon the subject.

"Hey, come on," said Alan, as he gave his sister a squeeze. "Don't spoil it for Robbie. Just look at him, he loves it!"

"I know he does – that's what I'm afraid of. He'll be blowing on that thing till I'm distracted out of mind!"

At that moment, a hollow, moaning sound erupted the stillness which caused Jo to jump violently. Robbie looked up at his Mum and grinned. "It sounds just like a raptor!"

Jo placed a hand over her chest as she drew a long breath. "Oh, Robbie, if you must use that thing play with it outside, or up in your room!"

"I'll go outside and show Tim! He'll be so jealous he doesn't have one!"

Alan laughed as Robbie gave him a parting hug with a hearty, "Thank – you, Uncle Alan!" and rushed out the front door to flaunt his new 'toy' to his friend who lived at the next house down the street.

When Robbie had left, Jo turned to her brother. "Oh, Alan, I wished you hadn't given Robbie that thing. It gives me the shivers!"

"Oh, Jo, I think you're creating a fuss over nothing. Why does it bother you so?"

Jo slowly shook her head. She looked almost anxious. "I don't know Alan. Maybe I am just being silly. It's just that it sort of disturbs me somehow . . ." she gave a little toss of her head as if it would shake away the apprehensive feelings that had so troubled her. She smiled up at her brother. "Coffee?"

Alan grinned. "I'd like that."

He followed his sister into the kitchen. "So, how are things for you? Still seeing Harry?"

"Yes, I still see him. Robbie takes to him well, and it's nice for him to have a kind of father figure for him to look up to, since he never knew his own father. He was scarcely a month old when Jason died." A sad cloud passed over her face as distant memories washed over her. "That's something I've never been able to give Robbie – it's something he needs, a father to look up to and try to emulate. Harry's a good man, and he and Robbie get on well together. We've discussed about getting married sometime in the near future."

"Have you told Robbie about that?"

"Yes, we've talked it over together. He seems to be pretty used to the idea, although at first I don't think he wanted things to change. Here's your coffee."

Alan gratefully took the offered cup, and together they made their way over to the table to continue their conversation. They had a whole year to catch up on.

Jo sat on the side of Robbie's bed, as she leaned over to kiss him goodnight.

"Mum," said Robbie. "When I grow up, I want to be just like Uncle Alan. I want to study dinosaur bones like him."

Jo smiled. "Do you Robbie?"

Robbie nodded his head vigorously.

"That's nice honey. Now get some sleep."

Jo quietly left the room and went downstairs to join Alan in the living room, who was watching the evening news on the T.V.

"I'm going to make some coffee. Want some?" asked Jo.

Alan smiled and nodded in the affirmative. "I'd love some."

Jo's eyes twinkled back at her brother as she left the room to brew some fresh coffee. It was good to have her brother home. The evenings were often quiet and lonesome for Jo, so she was glad to have Alan's company while he stayed for a few weeks. Being a single parent was not easy, and although she loved Robbie dearly, she often found herself yearning for adult company, where she could indulge in more mature conversation.

Alan lay back into the sofa and stretched contentedly. He extended his arms behind his head and stared lazily into the screen before him. The T.V. seemed to be getting narrower and fainter as his body relaxed into a comfortable position, until a familiar picture arrested his half-open eyes and the name 'John Hammond' appeared in bold lettering under the photo. Alan's forehead creased into a frown as the news report followed.

The Chairman of InGen, John Hammond, has been reported missing by police. Investigators believe him to have been kidnapped, and police are now undertaking a thorough search for the missing billionaire, whilst detectives undercover the meaning behind his disappearance . .

A voice from the kitchen interrupted the report. "I was talking to Robbie before he went to sleep . . . "

Alan strained forward to catch the news. "Quiet, Jo!" he said, almost brusquely. He was wide awake now, and was leaning forward in his seat, tense and confused.

Jo, somewhat surprised by her brother's impatient manner, wandered into the sitting room, where she found Alan's intent gaze upon the television. She followed his eyes onto the screen, and listened keenly to the subject of Alan's keen observation.

Matt Hammond, who is the son of the missing InGen Chairman, states that his father had been in recent contact with science Professor and long term rival Phil Gates, who had asked Hammond to co-operate with him in his current project of the earth's most dominant creatures that ever lived: dinosaurs. Matt Hammond revealed that his father had refused Professor Gates' requests, which had been repeated upon several occasions, but also admitted to be unaware of the designs of the Professor's project, or the reasons behind why his father declined to co-operate. Police had believed the Professor to be behind the disappearance of InGen's Charmain, but have for now dismissed their first suspect after no evidence has been found against him. We now hand over to Carrie Robinson for this evening's weather report . . .

Here the T.V. went blank. Jo put down the controls and looked at her brother, who was still leaning forward in that meditative and baffled posture. His elbows were resting on his knees as he slowly and pensively rubbed his hands together. Jo's soft voice interrupted his thoughts as she gently laid a hand on Alan's shoulder.

"What do you think happened to him?"

Alan shook his head in a thoughtful, meaningful manner, and said, in a low and purposeful tone, "I don't know, but I'm going to find out!"