ISLA NUBLAR
APRIL 17th, 1993
2235 HOURS
John Hammond sat comfortably in his bungalow, admiring the gorgeous cane that he loved so. The pale, thin bamboo structure rested comfortably in the man's hand. In itself, it was a spectacular work of craftsmanship. It was assembled with care and patience, by some skilled woodworker on a Costa Rican island. Without it, the man dressed in white could barely walk. It helped Hammond reach new heights, and live up to his eccentric desires and loves. However, it wasn't the bamboo that the old man admired so much. What fascinated the now 76 year old was much more elaborate.
Fixed on the end of his bamboo cane was a finely cut piece of amber, glistening in the lighting of Hammond's room. Inside the prehistoric sap stone was a mosquito, frozen in the same position it was all those millions of years ago. To a normal bystander, it would have seemed odd for an insect to be so important. To the aging Scotsman, it represented much more. It represented years of hard work, sacrifice, perseverance, and scientific breakthroughs. More than that, it represented Hammond's big dream. Ambitious as it was, it was coming true. Many people had a hand in accomplishing this, but the one most often credited for it stood at the other end of Hammond's dinner table.
It was Henry Wu who led the team of scientists that took credit for possibly the greatest scientific breakthrough of the 20th century. Atomic power was in the past now. Splitting the atom paled in comparison to what Wu and his geneticists created. And here, on the tiny little island of Isla Nublar, that creation was withheld in complete secrecy from the rest of the world. However, that wasn't why the two were here, eating a delicious dinner of smoked salmon over the jungle-wood table in Hammond's bungalow. Wu had called for this meeting, with some pressing news to deliver to Hammond. Henry was just about to speak, when Hammond interrupted.
"Henry," The man said, laying his cane against the table.
"The fact that we're meeting on such short notice tells me that whatever you have to say is important." Wu cleared his throat and set his silverware down before speaking.
"Yes, you could say that. May I explain?" Hammond nodded.
"We had another incident. One of the feeders was slashed across the chest; it made quite a nasty scene."
"Accidents like this have been happening, Henry. What's different about it?" Hammond inquired.
"The animals have been… stubborn. Especially the-" Once again, Wu was cut off.
"I know which ones you're referring to." Wu forced a smile, trying not to show his frustration at the constant interruptions. The geneticist continued.
"If this stubbornness continues, we're going to get lawsuits like nobody's business. It could seriously delay the park's construction." Hammond put his head inside his hands and sighed.
"Oh, balls."
"I've come up with a solution though. It's a bit ambitious, but I have a good feeling about it." Hammond chuckled out loud.
"Henry," He said in between laughs, "This very park is the most ambitious scientific undertaking in decades." Wu chuckled along. It was true, during the park's construction, there had been dozens of scientific advances. Dozens of mishaps as well. Of course, nobody outside Isla Nublar knew anything of said advances. Hammond liked it that way.
"I seriously doubt any of my team would be willing to even think about it, however. Thing about them is, none of them are really… how can I say it… risk-takers?" Hammond chuckled again.
"Not exactly the most brave bunch?"
"You could say that." Wu replied, himself now chuckling.
"I've taken the liberty to recruit four American scientists to come here and take part. I've done some research on them beforehand, and they've got the personalities I need."
"I take it they weren't cheap."
"I took care of the financial issues involved." A smile grew across Hammond's face.
"That's going to help me a lot. When will they be shipping in from the mainland?"
"They'll be arriving tomorrow at around noon. I've arranged a tour of our facilities, as well as one with the subject of my project." Wu seemed extremely confident in the new recruits. He had thought of practically everything before he had even met with Hammond. This new idea of his would make running the park much easier. If it worked, that is. Not working was out of the question. Wu's idea was flawless. In his mind, at least.
"What are you going to call this project?" Hammond asked, still smiling at his favorite scientist across the table.
"The Gemini Initiative."
"Catchy." The old man rose slowly from his seat, supporting himself with his cane as he stood to full height. Standing straight up, Hammond was still short. Not that he cared; he liked himself just as he was.
"Henry, I'm impressed with what you've accomplished. Knowing your brilliance, I'm confident that whatever you have planned will work. It was lovely meeting you for dinner tonight; I hope to meet your new employees tomorrow." Henry Wu stood up as well. The two men met in front of the table, shaking hands like good friends. The relation was more than that. They needed each other. Hammond needed geneticists, and Wu needed financing. Neither could go on without the other.
"Thank you for having me John, it was a pleasure." With those final words, Henry Wu proceeded out the door. It slammed shut, warding off any unwanted pests. Hammond was alone in his thoughts. Not that he would mind. Walking along with his cane, the old man stepped slowly into his bedroom. As he sat down on the bed, he couldn't help but admire his marvelous cane yet again. So many successes and failures came from that piece of amber; it was Hammond's crown jewel. With one final look, one final smile, Hammond laid back onto his bed. With great thoughts spinning around in his head, the eccentric billionaire drifted off to sleep. He had a big day ahead of him tomorrow.
DENVER AIRPORT
APRIL 18th, 1993
0515 HOURS
"Hold it, that's my flight!" A tall, skinny man in a raincoat ran quickly towards the gate, holding a briefcase and two trunks of personal items. The airport boarding agents sighed, letting this final man through. They were sick of this job. Edward Stone breathed a sigh of relief as he ran through the gate before dropping his briefcase on the floor. Murmuring under his breath, the man scooted to a stop to retrieve his fallen luggage. He may have been a scientist, but he sure hadn't conquered the field of flying yet. Every time he had to get somewhere via plane, nothing went his way. Sucker's luck.
Finally, after a frustrating boarding process, Ed Stone made it onto his flight. His suitcases were on board by now, freeing the man up quite a bit. The crowd on board wasn't too bad, which allowed Stone to find his seat rather quickly. He felt relieved to finally be able to rest. The entire day had been hectic so far, from the moment he woke up. In the hurry to get to the airport on time (thanks to a broken alarm clock), he had neglected to bring his second pair of glasses. For now, he would have to rely on the ones he had. It hadn't stopped there. The road was jammed up with traffic, after a tractor-trailer had hydroplaned into a guard rail on a one lane road. Stone's bad luck was notorious among his colleagues.
Sitting down on the comfortable first-class seats to nap, he couldn't help but think about the suspicious background of his employers. InGen wasn't exactly open about what they were doing, quite the contrary in fact. In the past few years, the genetics company had purchased a great deal of equipment, as well as a private island off Costa Rica. It seemed even more fishy to Stone that the man who called, Henry Wu, refused any details about what exactly Stone would be doing under Wu. The only thing he had said was "I believe you'll find what we do here interesting. There's also a high pay rate." That had sold it for the man.
Stone had a background in genetics, visiting several colleges each year to give lectures and presentations to the young men and women who wanted to be like him. He loved what he did, and wouldn't change it for all the money in the world. One of the reasons he had accepted InGen's proposal was the mention of genetics being involved. At least Stone could continue on what he loved. Genetics weren't his only love, however.
Edward Stone rarely got free time. He was constantly busy, traveling across the country to do what he did best. But every now and then, he would have some time on his hands. With the large amount of money Stone had from his work, he could afford many things. His favorite investment was visiting the dig sites of the US Midwest, particularly in Montana. It was there, a few years back, when he had met the man he looked up to secretly: Alan Grant. Being a dinosaur fanatic since childhood, Stone had always wanted to be a paleontologist. That had changed, once he had gotten into genetics. But still, the 35 year old loved dinosaurs. Who didn't? Coming back to the present, Stone was awakened by a tap on his shoulder.
"Excuse me sir, are you Doctor Edward Stone?" A strange woman asked. Her hair was dark brown, cut at the end of her neck. She had a pair of cricular thin rimmed glasses on, which made an impression of a smart individual on Edward. Stone nodded ever so slightly; he had never had a stranger recognize him before.
"I thought so; I've attended some of your lectures. You're a remarkable person." She added. He couldn't help but blush at that remark.
"Why, thank you ma'am. What's your name?" He asked. It was only natural that he ask that question, to try to get to know the woman.
"Jessica Roberts, I'm a recent graduate from Denver University. Your works have inspired me to take up a job in genetics, a company recently hired me." Once again, Edward was flattered. He had never pictured himself as such an influence on others, this astounded him.
"Gee, that means a lot to me. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Roberts." Silence took up the seat for a few seconds.
"What field?" Stone asked out of sheer curiosity.
"I study animal behavior, and how creatures react to new environments." An animal researcher, Stone thought. Interesting.
"So Mr. Stone, where are you headed?" Stone slumped back in his seat, preparing to respond.
"Some company called InGen invited me to a private island off Costa Rica. Isla Nublar, I think. I'll be working there for the next year or so." Jessica gasped.
"Really? That's where I'm headed too!" Stone was thoroughly surprised at that remark.
"I had heard that three other scientists were invited, but I had no idea you were one of them!" Jessica added. What were the odds of this happening?
"Glad to know you'll be with me for the next year, you seem like a very smart and kind woman." Stone said, making Jessica blush slightly. Jessica was about to speak again, when the intercom started up.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts and put down your armrests, we're about to take off."
With those words, the jetliner's engines went to full throttle. Edward and Jessica were thrust back into their seats, much to Ed's dismay. The aircraft picked up speed rapidly, until the wheels lifted off the tarmac. With beauty and grace, the elegant Boeing 737 lifted off from Denver Airport, bound for San Jose, Costa Rica. From there, they would take a private plane to the mysterious Isla Nublar. From there, it was anyone's guess what awaited them. They would never believe what was in store for them.
ISLA NUBLAR
MAY 18th, 1993
0614 HOURS
Robert Muldoon stood over a large pen, observing the thick vegetation below. It wasn't really the plant life that so interested the burly Australian, but more what lie inside. The man, adjusting his hat, was worried. The creatures below him had caused much trouble so far. Over the past few months of work, several workers had fallen victim to their viciousness. From the very beginning, Muldoon had protested their addition to the park. He wanted them destroyed, but Hammond had protested.
"They make a key addition here, to capture the attention of our visitors." Hammond had once said.
"Without them, this park will not give the full experience." Muldoon disagreed. He had seen firsthand what these creatures could do, and what havoc they could wreak. Not only were they strong and vicious, but they were highly intelligent. In Muldoon's opinion, they were the most dangerous animals ever created. They would rip you apart in seconds, before you even knew they were there. And now, observing from above, Muldoon was about to see them at work again.
A few dozen feet from where Muldoon stood, a worker sat at the controls of the feeding crane. Grasped in the crane's claw was a large steer, dumb and blind as to what was about to happen around it. The crane ever so slow dropped the steer down, foot by foot until it was at roughly Muldoon's height. Then, the unexpected struck. A mechanical "CLANK" was heard. The crane stopped moving, suspending the bull roughly 20 feet above the ground. Muldoon looked on in dismay.
"What's going on? Why'd it stop?" Muldoon yelled, his Australian accent resounding through the paddock. The man at the crane's controls, a young Costa Rican in his mid 20's, leaned out to respond.
"I do not know sir, but I'm trying to fix it!" He said, fidgeting with the levers that operate the machine. Nothing happened. Muldoon watched with growing impatience. Every second wasted was a second the creatures below could use to escape. As if to confirm this, a shrill whine echoed through the paddock. On the other observation platform, two workers came into view to see what was happening. A few more seconds passed, but the crane wouldn't budge. Below, the vegetation began to rustle. Something was moving around inside, agitated. Muldoon had to act now.
"Cut the steer free, the buggers are getting restless!" He yelled, moving along the platform for a better look. The men on the other side of the paddock got to work, one of them running and grabbing a chain-cutter previously leaning up against the wall. Muldoon looked on with a worried expression on his face. This could go terribly wrong. He thought. The man with the pliers tried to reach out far enough to cut the steer free, but to no avail. Then, an idea popped into his head. There were a series of poles strutting out into the paddock, dangling over the plants below. He would climb out onto it, with his friend holding him from behind. Muldoon watched as the first man crawled inchworm style out onto the pole, a disaster waiting to happen.
"No no, that's just asking for trouble!" He yelled, but the two men continued. By now, the first was already out all the way. He was so close, reaching out with the pliers to cut the chain. Almost there…
Out of nowhere, a blurred shape jumped out of the vegetation. It nipped at the first man, missing before collapsing back out of sight. It served its purpose. The man was startled, dropping the pliers into the paddock. That was the least of his problems. Out of fear, the man lost his grip and slipped. Right before he fell to his death, he managed to grab hold of the pole. Now, the helpless man dangled over the most deadly creatures currently in existence. It was only a matter of time before he fell.
Muldoon had to act. The burly hunter darted across the observation deck, raced around the corner, and made his way out onto the other side. Scarcely a few feet away, the two men stood. The more fortunate man was now trying to reach out and take his comrade's hand, to pull him back in. That was a fool's errand. The man grabbed hold for a split second, before Muldoon could even protest. As the second worker did so, the first one lost his grip with one hand. This inadvertently pulled the second man down, losing his balance and falling into the pit below. There was no saving him.
The hunter ran over and looked down to see the man, whose back was obviously injured. Before he could even curse, Muldoon watched in horror as two dark trails cut their way towards the grass at high speed, converging on the kill. It was over in seconds. The first creature attacked from behind, where Muldoon hadn't even noticed it. It slashed viciously with its deadly claws, slicing the man across the gut. Innards spilled out onto the ground, surrounded in a pool of blood. Then came the screaming. The God-awful bloodcurdling screams. Except, the screams of the man were now barely audible. Replacing it came the sounds of screeching, inhuman in every aspect. Finally, when the man gave up to death, he was dragged out of view. The entire ordeal was over in precisely 13 seconds. Still, the other man remained. He still hung on, refusing to suffer the same fate as his friend. He was defiant. Muldoon raced over to where the other man once stood, only seconds ago. He wasn't going to suffer the same fate.
"Get over here and help me!" He yelled, getting the crane worker's attention. The Costa Rican ran quickly towards Muldoon, awaiting orders.
"Hold on to me and pull!" Muldoon said. The hunter reached out, careful not to fall like the recently deceased worker. The surviving man grabbed Muldoon's hand, looking gratefully at the Australian man. With a final heave, the two men pulled the worker to safety. As he lay back onto the observation platform, breathing heavily, Muldoon gave him a look.
"NEVER do that again." He said. The worker simply nodded, before fainting onto the metal walkway. Life on Isla Nublar was tough. That was something Ed Stone was yet to learn.