Conquering the Past
Chapter 1
Lex Murphy was on her third cup of coffee by noon, as she found that caffeine was just about the only way to get her through her harder pieces of work. She was finishing the last few sentences on an article about an inmate in Florida who was being released from a death sentence after the police department that arrested him for murder had finally processed the DNA samples present at the crime scene. All DNA samples led to another man—another man that was still in prison for another crime, but luckily for the other guy, he was released from prison.
This kind of piece was never easy for Lex. In the back of her mind she held a particular disdain for experimental science since that horrible few days some twenty years ago. She understood the benefit in science—clearing the name of an innocent man in this case—but she could never understand wanting to play god, as she saw it.
She loved her grandfather, it was true. He'd given her a wonderful childhood, where her parents' turbulent and ultimately unsuccessful marriage had failed. But he was the ultimate dreamer. In his dreamings, he had become involved with InGen, a company that had brought dinosaurs back from the dead, and he had hoped to make them a theme park attraction. Where InGen hoped to create a profit, John Hammond had hoped to create a park that would stay in the hearts of children across the world. By then he had already made his fortune. What he tried to create with Jurassic Park was a legacy.
Lex pressed the save button on her expensive computer, and sent it to her editor. Once Lex heard the "whoosh" sound that confirmed her message was on its way, she relaxed into her chair, wrapping her hands around her Columbia University mug. Idly she sat drinking her coffee, and staring at the framed photograph of her, her grandfather, and her brother Tim all in their Christmas sweaters many years ago. She smiled sadly.
Suddenly, she was brought out of her trance by one of her editors knocking on her open door frame.
"Hey kid, just got your article, looks great," he said, in a rather dismissive tone. Lex knew he wasn't here for any old prison article. He scratched his scruffy ginger beard, and looked down at the floor before looking up at her. "I've got an assignment for you."
"Yeah?" Lex sipped on the now lukewarm coffee.
"Yeah, and you're not gonna like it."
Lex felt ice fill her stomach. The last time Richard, her editor these past eight years, said anything like that about an assignment, it had been about the opening of Jurassic World. She waited for him to finish.
"They've got this… guy, down at Jurassic World. They say they're doing some kind of behavioral research, something government related. Anyway, my buddy Joe got this guy Hoskins pretty sauced up at a party a few months back, and he let something slip. So I want you on it."
Lex felt panicked. The very idea of stepping foot on Isla Nublar ever again would often send her into cold sweats. She had been in therapy for most of her adult life to treat the PTSD she'd experienced ever since her few days there. This, of course, her editor had no idea of. All he knew was that whenever any subjects like InGen, her grandfather John Hammond, or Jurassic World were brought up in a professional sense, she shut down. She'd refused all previous interviews about her experience. She'd refused to cover any of it.
"Rich, you know what my answer's going to be," her voice quaked a bit. She hoped he hadn't noticed.
"I had hoped to change your mind."
"Well, you know money isn't going to work on me," Lex said. Rich chuckled—he knew that when her grandfather had passed away, she was left so well-off that she really didn't even have to work another day in her life. She took the job at the New York Times because journalism was her passion.
"What about a promotion?" Richard became serious. Lex's eyes lit up, but darkened when she realized what kind of hell she'd be reliving by even getting on a plane to go back there. "Assistant editor. You've been here eight years, and you've worked your ass off."
Lex was quiet a moment. "And all I have to do is write an article about some behavioral experts?" Richard bit his lip.
"And a personal piece. I want it all, Lex, I want the full story, from your eyes. I've gone easy on you for these past eight years. Fact is, readership is down. Young people today, they don't want to read about death row inmates and tax fraud. They want scary, they want sexy, they want conspiracies. And you were in the middle of one when you were just a kid."
"Rich, I've never had any interest in profiting or drawing attention to myself for this," Lex's heart was racing.
"I know. But Lex, it's this, or it's being a journalistic grunt for another eight years while someone else gets promoted. Just think about it, ok? But I need to know Monday." At that, Rich left Lex's doorway empty.
