Jurassic World: Return, Prologue/Chapter 1 - A last wish
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of the Jurassic Park saga, they are all owned by Universal Pictures. This story features a mixed Jurassic Park/Jurassic World adventure, with characters of both movies in it.
Authors note: I have to admit, I'm a huuuuuge fan of the JP saga! :-) I have to excuse me for one fact, and that is that everything's not quite synchronized with each other. Lex and Tim are still young kids, 12 and 9 years old, but that is because I love them in that form. Honestly, I can't imagine them in their adult forms, they are too cute :-$
This story will include mostly Lex and Timmy adventures, but there are also some other dialogues in it to give it some background. I got the idea of the story from the Murphy siblings, I really really love them! Anyway, enjoy the story and leave a review or feedback if you like it. If I notice that people like the story, I probably do my best to update quickly ;-)
~Blue
Footsteps were heard when the Indian man quietly walked to the master bedroom of the Hammond Mansion. He was thinking for possible reasons, why his old friend has summoned him. John Hammond was at the end of his powers, nearly reaching the age of 85, it was time for him to find his final rest. And that would happen soon. He was spending the last days of his life in his trusted home, far from any commotion or other misery. InGen was almost fully in the hands of the company of his friend, the Indian businessman Simon Masrani. His raise in the big wide world had impressed Hammond. The Masrani Global Corporation started small under the lead of Sanjay Masrani, also a good friend from John Hammond, and when he became too old for the work, the company passed to his son, Simon Masrani. It kept expanding it's several divisions, including telecommunication and oil, until the company had grown up to one of the biggest innovating corporations of the world. The happenings at Isla Nublar, and it's relation to InGen, intrigued Masrani very much. He met Hammond and they discussed about the future of the bio-engineering corporation, resulting in the handover of InGen. Masrani came as a hero, tough. After chapter 11, the Isla Nublar and the San Diego incident, the company was a wreck. It seemed that they were going to drown in a pit full of guilt and debts. When Masrani took over the company and funded it again, InGen was able to pay the insurances and investors. Now, it was a kind of stand-by. It's biological projects were confiscated by the Costa Rican government, with a unknown fate. Isla Nublar and Site B weren't used, employees were not working, and Hammond was resting in his mansion. Until he invited Simon Masrani.
Masrani knocked a few times at the door before he entered the room. Hammond lay in his bed, but when he caught him in the eye, he immediately sat up in his bed and smiled to his friend. The process was a bit difficult for him, tough.
"Hello Simon." he just said.
"Good afternoon John. It's wonderful to see you again!" Masrani greeted back. He studied the old man in the bed. He was wearing a dark blue gown, the only warmth that was given to him this last time. His once jovial face had still those enthusiast minuscule laugh lines and twinkling eyes, but there seemed to lay a cloak of fatigue over it.
"Please, have a seat. I didn't let you come to just stand in my room and stare at me!" Hammond said suddenly. Masrani noticed he was indeed staring at is friend, and made some embarrassed moves while he took a chair from the corner of the room.
"As I said, wonderful to see you again," he started, "how are you feeling at the moment?"
"Oh well. You know, how I'm feeling all the time... I would love to make a walk in the garden or visit my family for a day, but my body doesn't want it. It feels like I'm a prisoner of my own body, if you would like to hear it like that." Hammond sulked.
Masrani nodded in understanding. He laid his hand on that of Hammond.
"But you have to know, my friend, that you had a fantastic life. You have a family that cares about you. If you can't visit them, they visit you. As long as they and your friends don't forget you, I think you don't need to complain."
He thought about his daughter and grandchildren. Tough his friend told him some about them, he didn't know Alexis and Timothy Murphy that well. But as long as they had the same goal; helping their friend and grandpa, he knew they had a very close relation.
"Oh yes, yes, of course I know that, and I don't complain about all those things. It's just so... so strange now everything is happening so fast. Do I deserve this?"
"No, you don't, but death is something that is inevitable. It just... happens. Happens to us all. It's hard to embrace it, but you have to do it. If you keep trying to escape it, it's becoming more worse than it has to be."
"You know my friend," Hammond smiled, "you're right again. But you need to know that I'm just a bit worried about my family and legacy. What do they need to do when I'm not there anymore? I cared for them, I raised them. I saw them growing up, developing. It's heartbreaking to see all of this disappear. It's hard to leave this behind."
A few tears were forming in his eyes. Masrani was just quiet, processing the sadness of the old man. He decided it was the best to just let him go for a few seconds. He understood it was hard, and he knew the hell Hammond had to go trough. His own father, Sanjay Masrani, died some years ago. The loss was quite big; it's always hard to leave someone who you love behind. But Hammond was there. He supported him, shared his sadness, and comforted him when it was needed. Now he had to do something back. Support him in this difficult stage of his life.
"Who is going to take care of my grandchildren? The divorce hit my daughter too hard. She's in a depression, laying in her bed too much. Lex and Timmy need to take care of themselves. They can't hold this soon. Damn, they're just innocent, fragile children with terrible traumas! If I'm gone, who's going to find a solution and help them?" Hammond said in a mix of anger and sadness.
"Oh John," Masrani comforted him, "they will be fine. You can't blame your daughter on all that happened. A divorce is hard to go trough. They just need some time to process it, just like you have to process the last time of your life. Concerning the children, I think I've an idea. I'll visit them and get a therapist for them. I think they're independent enough after all that happened. Don't worry about them, I guess they are more worried about you than you are about them. Lex and Timmy are strong kids, John, give them some time and space, and it'll be fine."
"I know, they... they are b...beautiful..."
Finally, Hammond let it go. He broke down in tears on Masrani, who supported him. He stroke gently over the back of his friend while he abandoned al his sadness in once. It came a bit as a surprise tough, because he never saw Hammond cry actually. Tears began to form in his eyes as well. He grinned by the ironical situation. Both friends were now embracing the terrible death.
Finally, Hammond was done. With a sigh he let go Masrani and sank back into his back, wiping his left tears off his cheeks and out of his eyes.
"Thank you. That was just what I needed." he sniffed. Masrani smiled.
"No problem, my friend."
He stood up and walked over to a service tray where some bottles and medicines were present. He studied some of them; all mild liquid with less alcohol. Perfect for some pepping up, but also not too bad in Hammond's condition. He took some glasses and a bottle, pouring the red liquid in the crystal forms. While he was doing the process, he was watching the paintings and pictures on the walls. Some of them were including Hammond alongside two children. He took a closer look at one.
"Say, these are your grandchildren, right?" he asked, pointing to the picture. Hammond raised his head and smiled when he saw it.
"Yes, those are them. As I said, they're beautiful."
"And where was this taken?" Masrani asked again.
"Somewhere near a lake in a pine forest. I don't remember the location quite well, actually. I only know that it was fantastic to wander around with Lex and Tim, we counted birds, climbed in the trees and lunched at the lake. It was wonderful, really. Spending time with them was one of my favorite pursuits. No worries or business, just them and me." said Hammond dreamily.
Masrani looked closer again. Lex was a 12-years old girl, blonde hair which she preferred to wear in a braid, and a beautiful young face with a joyful smile. She seemed to be a strong, active girl, but also a little reticent. Probably big animals, especially dinosaurs, really frighten her, so it wasn't quite a wonder that she seemed to be a bit fragile sometimes. Timmy was 9 years old, with a bit straggly, brown hair. He had a adorable face with twinkling eyes and a really, really cute smile. He seemed to be a sportive, curious boy who was always in for a fantastic adventure. Except a meat-eating dinosaur adventure, Masrani thought. He smiled by seeing the heartwarming sight.
"Well, I have to admit, I would be pleased to meet them soon. You're right John, they're beautiful kids."
He handed a glass to Hammond, and they raised their glasses in a toast. They both enjoyed it, now it was probably one of their last drinks together. When Hammond took a sip and lowered his glass, he stared at the bright white sheets in concern.
"You know Simon, I feel a bit guilty for my poor grandchildren. It's a feeling that I just can't get out of my head since our leave from Costa Rica."
"Why?" Masrani asked surprised.
"Well, I feel responsible for everything that happened to them in the park. They were attacked by a T-Rex, Timmy crashed in a tree and was electrocuted by a fence, and they were nearly killed by Velociraptors! I gave those poor kids traumas for the rest of their lives! Their visit was meant to be comforting for the nasty divorce they had to go trough, not to make it worser. Now it's even harder to give these children just a normal life."
"Oh John," Masrani sighed, "it wasn't all your fault. You had the best intentions with it, that's what matters. You just made the mistake to hire Dennis Nedry, and that's not a shame. Everyone makes mistakes, even I do."
He was a bit concerned about Hammond's mood. He used to know him as a jovial, enthusiast old man and not as this kind of an emotional wreck. He blamed everything on himself and thought everything was his fault, but it wasn't, and everyone knew that. Oh well, he was worried about the future of his family and friends, and that was noble. Masrani just tried to comfort him a little.
"You know, just let it go. The past is the past; unfortunately, some nasty things happened and we can't change that. But we can make sure that the future is going to be more bright, we need to innovate and look forward. I will speak with your grandchildren and together we will find a solution. Right?"
Hammond nodded. He put the glass on a table next to his bad and shifted a bit more comfortable. Then he folded his hands.
"I can't thank you enough, Simon. You have already done so much for my company, my lifework, and now for my family too! What have I done to deserve this?"
"Oh please John," Masrani smiled in embarrassment, "we're friends, you can expect this from me! I never met anyone who is so ambitious, passionate and has so much imagination as you! I just continue where you had to finish. Your lifework has to be saved, you invested so much effort and time in it that it can't simply disappear in the awful trash bin of guilt and debts. Now please don't be so praiseful about me, because I feel it's my responsibility to do this. Relax a bit!"
The old man took a sip of his glass again and suddenly laughed. Masrani was a bit surprised by the suddenly changing of mood from the grumpy old man to the nice, happy millionaire.
"Simon Masrani, I don't understand why you're always right! But you don't get away from this one, your actions are worth a compliment! Well, enough about the past. I invited you because I want to discuss something with you. Is the door closed?"
Masrani checked the door. After he was sure that no one could overhear them, he curiously went back to the bed and waited impatiently for the words of the old man. This is going to become very special, he thought. Hammond wanted to discuss something with him, in the last time of his life?
"Well, Simon," the old man said while he polished his glasses, "speaking of my 'intentions' with Jurassic Park, you know what they were?"
"Sure I do," Masrani answered, "you told me everything about the park. You wanted to bring these wonderful creatures back to the earth, and let people enjoy them."
"Precisely. I wanted to give people something that they could see, and touch. I wanted to let them experience dinosaurs. Not just animated fake things or machines, real, breathing dinosaurs."
"An noble aim."
Hammond nodded.
"Yes, and I almost succeeded in it. You know, Simon, what I felt when Henry Wu leaded me to the hatching room in the InGen headquarters? I felt a wonder. When I saw the eggs hatch and a little paw coming out of it, I knew my dream had became true. We succeeded in bringing dinosaurs back to life."
I can imagine how you felt." Masrani smiled, "when I first heard about the InGen process, I couldn't believe my eyes. It's a true wonder!"
"Indeed! I bought Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna from the Costa Rican government, and we started to realize my dream. I saw it rise out of the ground, just as I imagined. Everything was perfect! We had a beautiful visitor's center, the strongest security and the most spectacular thing of all; the tour. I was so proud of those automatic Ford Explorers, I could watch them ride every day!"
Hammond laughed by the thought.
"And then, we transported dinosaurs to the park. I was flurried by seeing the Brachiosaurs stamping trough the green fields. Herbivores peacefully wandering alongside the lakes, and the mighty carnivores hunting on the unsuspecting preys. It was my dream, Simon, and my dream had became true!"
Masrani nodded in agreement.
"It must had been wonderful, John."
Suddenly, the smile on Hammond's face began to disappear. His eyebrows bent and he sighed angrily.
"Everything was perfect. Just perfect. Doctor Grant and the other scientists were flabbergasted by seeing the mighty creatures. My grandchildren were amazed, totally forgetting that terrible divorce and enjoying the trip. Nothing could go wrong at that moment, nothing. Until... That damn Nedry shut down the power. The dream transformed in a nightmare. My guests struggling to survive, my grandchildren almost killed... It was terrible. Everything was ruined."
Masrani patted encouragingly on the hand of his friend.
"I'm sorry for that, John. It must have been a hell."
Hammond nodded.
"It was. After we left the island, the madness wasn't over yet. We had the San Diego accident, and chapter 11... I just couldn't see the light. My dream was ruined and my life's work was destroyed. InGen was destroyed. Until you came, Simon. You saved my dream and my life's work. You were a hero for me and my employees."
"Oh, it was the least I could do." Masrani smiled.
"Simon, you have to know that I'm proud of you and your company. I believe in your power and vision. I know it's very overwhelming, but I have one last wish before I leave this earth. A wish which has to be fulfilled."
Masrani stared at his friend. A dying wish, for him? Now? That was really one of the last things he expected from Hammond.
"Oh, uh, and... what is that wish?"
"I thought you'd never ask." his friend smiled, "Simon, I want you to complete my dream. Recover the faults and mistakes I made. Improve the security. Let guest feel amazed. Rebuild Jurassic Park."
A pretty uncomfortable felt between the two friends. The wish was very overwhelming indeed, leaving Masrani with his mouth open and his eyes widened. It took some time before he realized that Hammond wasn't joking, he really wanted him to rebuild the park.
"I-I, but, err, w-what..." he stuttered, "you mean that you ask me to rebuild the original Jurassic Park? With dinosaurs?"
The old man nodded.
"Yes, of course! I know you have the power to do this, Simon. I trust you, people trust you. You can do this!"
"But John," Masrani interrupted, "you said InGen was ruined! They destroyed everything relating the dinosaurs, like embryos, amber, files... They bombed Isla Nublar! Every single dinosaur is dead! How can I recover all that work? That is going to take years!"
Hammond grinned at him with a strange look.
"Well, actually, not everything is destroyed..."
"What?!"
"I had foreseen the Costa Rica government would confiscate everything in InGen, so I ordered Dr. Wu to store the most important things. He secured every thing you're going to need to rebuild the park. He has all of the dinosaur-DNA, some amber, even embryos! They're all waiting for you in a safe place. Just ask Henry to restart the process and InGen will recreate all of the dinosaurs from the original park. Problem solved!"
Masrani felt like he was falling trough the floor. InGen really had these dinosaurs? Hammond was way more smarter than he thought.
"Okay, but how I'll know what went wrong in the old park? I mean, what do I need to improve? Of course, I could meet all of the survivors, but that's going to take much time too. Can't that be done easier?"
"Don't worry, I thought about that! I know two persons who faced death very close, and they know very much about safety child friendliness. Simon, I bet Lex and Timmy can tell you everything about the faults in Jurassic Park. And hey, if you visit them for therapy, you can directly ask everything you want about the park! Kill two birds with one stone!"
Masrani gasped. John had planned everything of this! He was a bit struggling with himself. One side of him said that he had to do the challenge, but his other side wasn't quite sure about it.
"Well, if you see it like that, I think I could to it. It's just, I'm not quite sure about it. It's going to be a incredible project and much things need to be done. I don't know if I can do this."
"Simon Masrani," Hammond said severely, "if I know you couldn't do this, I didn't ask you to do this. But you CAN do this, Simon! I'm positive about that! Please, people have the right to enjoy these creatures. Give them the chance, fulfill my dream like it was meant to be. You would do me, and the world, a big favor."
"Okay, okay," Masrani finally sighed, "but I'm going to build it much safer and bigger than the original park. I have to innovate it. Jurassic World will have safety at it first priority, but it'll give people the full dinosaur experience. Like you want it. We'll spare no expense."
"Oh Simon, I bet it'll be fantastic if you do that!" Hammond smiled while he shook the hand of his Indian friend. "There are no words that describe what for wonderful man you are. Thank you, just thank you."
For the next hours, they talked about the original park and the new 'Jurassic World'. Simon listened carefully to the stories of John and InGen. His mind was already planning the building of the new park and possible attractions that he could make. He already had found the perfect manager for the park too. It would be Claire Dearing, a woman that he met some years earlier. She was the head of his marketing division and did her job very good. Yes, she was kind of a workaholic, but that wasn't bad for the results of Masrani Global. Probably she could develop herself further if she received more responsibility, such over a theme park. He would give it a try.
After Hammond finally ended his story about a Triceratops, Masrani sighed and looked on his watch.
"Well, it's pretty late. I think I should go home and have some rest. My week is full of meetings and visiting projects, so probably I could meet Lex and Timmy at Sunday or something."
"Excellent," Hammond smiled, "thank you, and good luck. Be a bit careful with them, especially Lex. She's a bit fragile after all what happened in the old park. She was already a bit scared of big, meat-eating animals, even in the zoo. Just don't jump to fast to the subject and comfort them a little, I think that will work."
"I will. Well John, goodbye. Relax and have some rest." Masrani smiled.
They gave each other a warm hug and then Masrani left the room. Hammond stared happily to the many paintings at the wall and while he sank back into his warm bed, he thought satisfied about Jurassic World.