(A/N: I do NOT own Jurassic World, Park, Park, or Park. Dang nabbit. Aaaaanyway, rated M for possible... Activities in later chapters.)
Chantel Mayes looked dubiously down at the manila envelope Mr. Masrani had pushed into her hand. "In that, contains a two way ticket to Isla Nublar, should you decide you don't want to stay. Also you're room key, which wont be permanent. If you choose to remain on the island, you will be moved to the employee section." Simon said, in his strangely calm tone. Chantel couldn't help but be fascinated by it, for a reason that she couldn't exactly place.
"Mr. Masrani-" the dark-haired woman started.
"Simon. Call me Simon."
Chantel blinked at him, "Simon. You're a very persuasive person." She said with grim admiration, sighing. "Im just... hesitant. I prefer to not be on the island when history repeats itself." She said, pointedly remembering the original Jurassic Park.
"It wont." He said simply, his eyes trained on her movements. "We have the most up-to-date technology in the world, including our defenses." The eighth richest man in the world glanced down at the coffee she had provided him, stirring it thoughtfully. "Just consider it Ms. Mayes-"
"Chantel." She corrected.
He laughed and nodded, draining the last of his coffee and setting the mug on the counter. "Thank you for the coffee Chantel." Simon grinned as he draped his smoky grey suit coat over his shoulders. "I shall, hopefully, be seeing you within the week." He said before stepping out of the apartment, turning to close the door behind him.
The woman stared at her mug thoughtfully for a moment. "Why me?" She asked him suddenly, just as the door was about to shut.
"Because you're the best." He said, laughing, "spare me the modesty." The door shut quietly before Chantel could say anything else.
The animal behaviorist, sat in the spindly wooden chair, weighing her options as she sipped her coffee. "Dinosaurs. Fucking dinosaurs." She said aloud, chuckling.
Chantel fished out her cellphone from her jean pocket. She dialed a few numbers before bringing the device to her ear. It rang a few times before someone picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey Claire, guess what? Im coming."
"Blue! Cut the shit." Owen said firmly, his hand raised as he pressed a series of clicks. The raptor glared at him with her calculating amber eyes, appearing to be debating on whether or not she should annoy him further just for the hell of it. She seemed to decide against it, but settled for growling quietly.
"Good, that's my girl." He said approvingly. "We're movin'." The metal catwalk creaked lightly under Owen's weight as he moved to the pail of dead, white rats.
The raptors followed in relative unison, all of their eyes trained on the man above them. Echo's claw tapped impatiently in the dust, little growling noises escaping her jaws as she watched Owen intently, knowing there would be a treat involved.
"Echo!" The man said, her head raising in response as a rat was thrown down to her. She snapped it put of the air, swallowing the morsel whole.
"Delta, Charlie! These ones are for you." Owen tossed the two corresponding rodents to the waiting raptors.
"Blue." He said, directing his full attention towards the beta. "Eyes on me." Owen breathed, fishing out the last rat from the bucket. He raised his arm, her gaze following it as he did so. Owen threw down the white rat, watching as she plucked it out of the air with ease. "That's my girl." Owen breathed, leaning his tanned forearms against the railing as the raptors dispersed.
"Owen! Great job. The girls are getting along." A man's voice boomed. The raptor trainer turned to see his friend and co-worker, Barry striding towards him, a big smile spreading across his lips.
Owen grinned and glanced back down into the enclosure. "They sure are." He said happily, accepting a congratulatory shoulder clap from Barry. "Too bad Masrani didn't schedule to see them today. They probably wont be very cooperative on Wednesday. Vaccines always gets them antsy." Owen said as he scratched the back of his neck and shrugged.
Barry laughed, "don't remind m-"
The black man trailed off, his gaze turned to the gravel road that lead to the main park. He laughed as Simon Masrani stepping out of the sleek black car. "Speak of the devil." Barry nodded toward the "car lot".
Owen turned to see a small group of very muscular men escorting Mr. Masrani up the metal staircase, their guns, which were apparently supposed to be cleverly concealed, bulged underneath their suits. Owen snorted, shaking his head as he shifted his weight onto his other hip as he waited for Masrani to reach him.
The group stopped only a few feet in front of the two men, before Simon waved the guards away as if they were bothersome flies. "Wait for me in the car." He said shortly, watching them over his shoulder as they began to step away.
Only once they had reached the bottom of the metal staircase, did Simon Masrani return his attention to the raptor trainers.
"I am not going to waste time with polite formalities. I am a busy man." He said simply, his gaze scrutinizing the two men before him. "You will have a young woman who will potentially be observing the velociraptors from a distance. She is a trained professional in animal behavior and will be ideally talking up at job as a trainer."
Owen began to protest but was cut off by Masrani's hand. "Wait until I'm finished before you judge what I have to say." Owen crossed his arms, scowling. The raptors didn't need anyone else but him; he couldn't understand why Masrani was forcing an "animal behaviorist" onto him. Owen was fine without unwanted extras who would probably just end up getting in the way. He bit his lip in agitation and stared at the ground.
"She will only be with you for a week, if she comes at all." Simon continued as he looked at Owen. As if reading the raptor trainer's mind he added, "and she will most assuredly not get in the way."
Owen 'hmph-ed' and returned his gaze to Mr. Masrani.
Barry, who had been his usual quiet, attentive self, watched the exchange, carefully noting all that was said.
"Owen she'll only be here for a week. Why not give her a shot?" Barry said suddenly, shrugging his shoulders. "Besides, we have yet to see how the girls react to females. They've only worked with men before. It should be interesting to see."
Owen inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. "Fine." He said angrily, "just as long as I get to be in charge of her. I don't want any soloists." He glared at Masrani, despite the fact that he wasn't actually mad at Simon himself, rather what the billionaire had come to say.
Simon Masrani smiled. "That can certainly be arranged."
Owen nodded grimly and turned away, eager to get back to work and put this so-called "animal behaviorist" out of his mind.
"I expect I shall be seeing you boys shortly." Came Mr. Masrani's voice as he stepped back down the stairs and into the black car that awaited him.
Owen turned once they had left, watching the dust settle where the car had just been. Barry, stepped so he was standing next to the moody raptor trainer. "Forget about it. We have a few days before we have to start worrying." Barry said with a laugh before patting a large hand on Owen's shoulder and turning to walk away.
Owen glanced back at his friend and sighed, shaking his head. A few days wasn't long enough.
Chantel swept her gaze across her now bare apartment, running her fingers against the doorway as she stood. Though it hadn't been the most ideal living space, it had become her home in the years that she had lived there.
She had already called Mr. Masrani to tell him that she would be staying on the island permanently despite the fact that she had never seen Isla Nublar before, and that there was no need for him to prepare a temporary living area.
The dark-haired woman sighed and turned away from her old home, dragging her bags down the stairs and heaving the luggage into her car. She pursed her lips carefully, her hands on the steering wheel as she sat for a second. Today was the beginning of her new life. There was no room for doubt.
Chantel inhaled deeply and started up the car, pulling out of the garage and making her way to the LAX. The city of Los Angeles sped past her as she drove, little pockets of different cultures that lived within the one city became blurred.
Once inside the airport, Chantel narrowed her eyes. No matter how many times she had been to LAX, it never ceased to be confusing as hell. She groaned inwardly as she glanced down at her ticket. This should be the right line, but somehow it always felt like she was in the wrong place. Chantel thrusted her hands into her hoodie pocket, her lips downturned in a slight frown as she waited.
Finally after what seemed like hours, she had all her baggage checked in, and he carry-on's surrounding her seat as she waited for her flight.
"All those flying on the 10:30 LA to Costa Rica flight, please check in over at desk two." A cool female voice echoed throughout the huge building.
Chantel stood, taking her earphones out and stuffing them into her pocket before getting in line behind a boy who appeared to be a few years younger than her. To her slight dismay (she wasn't exactly feeling like a social butterfly at the moment), the boy turned around and he smiled broadly at her. "Costa Rica, huh?" He asked excitedly.
Chantel paused. "Yup." She said, a hint of exasperation is her tone. 'That's why I'm in this line that's conveniently labeled: Costa Rica.' She thought to herself.
Chantel closed her eyes briefly, reminding herself that she was trying to be on good behavior. "So what are you there for?" She asked him politely, though she wasn't really interested.
"Im going to Jurassic World!" He exclaimed, his face lighting up with anticipation. The woman couldn't help but smile softly. "Me too." Chantel said, tucking a strand of raven hair behind her ear. "Im going to be a trainer there. Hopefully." She laughed as he stared at her in awe.
"You're going to be with the dinosaurs?!" He asked, astounded.
She nodded and shrugged. "Who knows how it'll go though. I might end up as dino snacks." The young man laughed at this as stepped forward in line, the rest following suit. "Do you know which dinosaur you'll be working with? You could get an herbivore." He said pointedly.
Chantel shrugged again, "Yeah," she nodded toward the woman at the desk who was waiting for the young man's ticket. He hurriedly handed her the piece of paper. "I think I'd rather a carnivore." Chantel continued as she too handed the slip to the stewardess. "I personally find them to have more interesting behavior patterns." She said, keeping pace with the man, their footsteps echoing around the low metal tunnel.
"Mm. I guess I could see why that is." He thought aloud with raised eyebrows. "Oh by the way I'm Evan Peters." He awkwardly transitioned his bags to one hand in order to shake hers.
Chantel gripped his. "Chantel Mayes." She said shortly before stepping up the stairs that led into the plane. "I doubt we'll have a seat together but maybe Ill see you at the park." She said, smiling, before disappearing into the belly of the plane.
Evan smiled and nodded, despite the fact that she could no longer see him. He sat down in a window seat near the front, his elbow leaning against the window. Later during the two hour flight, his dreams would be occupied with flesh eating dinosaurs, roaming across the earth.
Chantel, who never fell asleep while traveling, stared out of the window and waited to be up in the air, pulling her earphones out once again to pass the time. She slid her phone out of her pocket too and unlocked it, pressing on Claire's name before typing a few words: 'On my way.'
Owen sat at the leather bar stool, a beer in hand. Margaritaville was a good place to relax after a day filled with feisty raptors. He pressed the glass against his lips, tipping his head back and draining the bottle.
"Hey Owen," a voice purred to the left of him. It was Anna, a brunette with big dark eyes and a very low-cut dress. He glanced at the dress, which was too short to be counted as a dress, more like a tank top. He smiled half-heartedly, not interested in her weak attempts at flirting. He had had a few one night stands with her but it hadn't been great. There was no passion in it.
Owen cringed inwardly as she trailed a hand down his arm. "Anna-"
"Shh." She put a finger to his mouth.
He glared at her. "I'm not interested." He said, pushing her finger away and standing up. He stepped out of the bar without a backward glance.
Cool air caressed his face, a few dry autumn leaves blowing across the ground. At this time of night, Jurassic World had undergone it's transformation into a ghost town, all the tourists seeking shelter from the chilly wind.
Owen swung his leg over his motorcycle, revving up the engine a few times before kicking it into motion and speeding along the "employee only" dirt road.
The dark jungle blurred beside him, his headlight creating a pool of light in front of him.
At the first turnoff, he made a wide arc, the dust billowing up behind the wheels. The bike rumbled to a stop in front of his bungalow, golden lights strung up around the porch.
Owen couldn't help but smile as he got off and trudged up the worn stairs. It had been a long day and his bed had never been more attractive, even if it didn't have a woman in it.
Owen pulled another beer out of the fridge and glanced up. Across the lake, he could make out a light that was coming from a previously unoccupied cabin. The raptor trainer blinked. "Oh shit." He breathed, putting two and two together. The new girl had supposedly arrived today, though somehow he had totally forgotten about it.
"Oh shit." He repeated once again, turning away from the bungalow across the water. Not only would he have to deal with a damn animal behaviorist at work, but he would have to deal with her here too.
Owen groaned and collapsed on his bed, too drained to finish his beer. He quickly undressed, pulling on a white wife-beater and boxers, and lay on his bed, somehow exhausted but wide awake at the same time. He rested his head against his arms and stared up at the ceiling.
After a while Owen fell into a restless sleep, worry plaguing his thoughts.
Owen wasn't the only one who had lain awake. Chantel had also spent a considerable amount of time thinking, and staring at the newly furnished cabin. It had only been then that she had fully realized that she was on Isla Nublar, home to animals that should have been long extinct.
Not to say that she wasn't excited beyond wits end. The moment she had stepped off the boat, she had gasped, her eyes lighting up in wonder. Everything had been so colorful and lively, people laughing, talking, and picking up loved ones after their journey. Everyone was reuniting with old friends and family, Chantel had realized with a slight twinge of sadness that nobody was there for her.
The woman had quickly pushed that aside to make room for her amazement as she wandered through the crowds. Suddenly she had then realized that she was clueless in terms of where to go. She had immediately slipped her phone out of her pocket and texted Claire.
Chantel: Hey, im here but idk where to go :P
Claire: Is Bryan not there?! I sent him to pick you up. Won't be able to see you today, you'll just have to entertain yourself. ;)
Chantel: Shouldn't be TOO much of a problem lol (i would keep an eye out for this so called Bryan but i have no idea what he looks like)
Claire: Well he's holding up a sign with your name on it so I think it'll be pretty easy for you to find him.
Chantel: Ughhh i hate when people have those signs. It's sooo awkward. My mom and dad used to do that... Still having nightmares about it
Claire: Haha poor little child. :P Anyway I gotta go. Text you later.
Chantel had grinned at her phone and shoved it back into her pocket, scanning the crowd for "Bryan". Finally she had spotted a moonfaced man wearing a pristine white suit. He had mopped his brow with a handkerchief before extending a nervous hand toward her. "P-pleasure to meet you ma'am."
She had met his hand, gripping it firmly, thus initiating the start of their tour. They had started with the control room, where she met all the employees and had engaged in a long conversation with Vivian and Lowery, both of whom seemed very friendly. Lowery in particular has seemed to pay attention to her, with a few awkward compliments that were cute nonetheless.
Chantel had left feeling very flattered. She hadn't always had the best of luck with men...
She had then been shown to her bungalow with the permission to wander wherever she wanted to throughout the park, and get familiar with it. She had made a bee-line toward the Mosasaurus exhibit, and left feeling thoroughly drenched but, but ecstatic.
Chantel was pulled out of her thoughts as her phone dinged from her bedside table. She sat up, reaching for her device. A text from her old friend Dr. Grant popped up onto the screen:
Dr. Grant: How is it so far? You promised you would text me as soon as you got there. You little liar.
Chantel laughed and swung her legs over the bed as she replied:
Chantel: Sorry mister. :P kinda busy getting drenched by a giant Mosasaurus. Whatcha been up to?
Dr. Grant: oh the usual, not as exciting as running for your life from a t rex...
Chantel could tell that he was joking for the most part, but there was still a hint of a warning there. When Chantel had told him that she would be working at Jurassic World, he had totally flipped out, reprimanding her ear off on the phone whenever he had the chance.
Finally after a while he had simmered down but he was constantly dropping not-so-subtle hints. Chantel sighed and fell back onto the bed, phone in hand. She quickly typed a response.
Chantel: Haha. Very funny. Ill text you tomorrow after work, should be an exciting first day.
Dr. Grant: Alright missy. Sweet dreams
Chantel: thanks dad. :P
Chantel smiled to herself, turning off her phone and sliding it to her bedside table. That last text had been a joke but it was partially true; Dr. Grant had been the dad she'd never had. Her real father had been too busy getting drunk to deal with her, so at the first opportunity she had, she moved away.
The woman glanced over at the lamp before outstretching a hand to turn it off. She pulled the blankets over her shoulders and closed her eyes, thinking about a quote she'd read somewhere: "before you fall asleep, you must first close your eyes and pretend to be asleep." Chantel smiled softly and waited, waited for sleep to come, bringing her very first day on the job.