Fifteen Plus One

One year had passed since Dennis Nedry's sentencing in court. Life thrived on Isla Nublar for everyone. Elaborate plans were being developed for International Genetics' future—plans that excited Henry Wu and John Hammond. At the moment, they were hunched over a large rectangular incubator in the hatchery room. Hammond placed a reassuring arm around Wu, who smiled.

"You've done it again, Henry," Hammond beamed.

"It seems like it," Wu said.

"Be positive—look!"

Hammond pointed at a cream colored egg as a crack appeared. He nudged the egg gently and another crack appeared. It emitted a sound like a twig snapping. Wu's eyes widened with excitement. They had been waiting three hours for this one particular egg to hatch. It was a slow one, but like all the eggs before it, it was worth watching and waiting for.

Two other geneticists dressed entirely in white stood close by. They put on plastic gloves and approached the incubator when Hammond motioned them to come near. They gently picked up the egg as the shell came apart and fell into the incubator. A brownish red duckbill poked out and sniffed the air. Wu observed Hammond next to him. He giggled like a child receiving gifts on his birthday. It always brightened Hammond's day when a new dinosaur was born in Jurassic Park.

The geneticists handed the small dinosaur to Wu, who cradled it in his hands. Wu already had plastic gloves on and he felt the egg's thick yellowish liquid around the dinosaur's body. It was protective fluid for the baby. He brushed it off and the fluid fell in thick lumps on his white uniform. Wu was used to this, as he had witnessed many dinosaur births and held many of the babies before they were taken to their designated paddock to live with their own species. He held the dinosaur to the light, examining the tiny limbs and her reactions as he gently squeezed them.

"How much does she weigh?"

"I'd say about a pound, a pound and a half."

"She's tiny. Does she get a clean bill of health?" Hammond asked.

Wu lowered the dinosaur away from the light. "Do you have your gloves on?"

Hammond quickly set his cane aside and put on his rubber gloves.

"Remember, it's to protect you as much as it is the dinosaur." Wu placed her in Hammond's hands. "She's going to be fine."

Hammond cradled the infant, feeling the animal's pebbly textured skin. Her black beady eyes blinked as they adjusted to the light in the laboratory. The baby opened her jaws and made a scratchy cawing sound. "Listen to that, Henry. Her first word!"

Wu removed his gloves and disposed of them in a nearby trashcan. He washed his hands thoroughly at a sink and looked over his shoulder at Hammond. Hammond was entranced by the baby dinosaur. His eyes lit up with joy and he held the baby close to his chest, giving her warmth. Wu found his clipboard and pencil and jotted down notes.

"How long before we place her in the park?" Hammond asked.

"Not too long…give or take three months. Then she's all set to go."

"Which species is she? Could you tell?"

Wu gestured for the geneticists standing by to come forward. Hammond gave them the infant. Before the geneticists left with the infant, Wu gave it quick glance, noting the flat skull and tiny crests in front of the eyes. "A baby maiasaura," he said.

The geneticists left the hatchery with the squeaking dinosaur. Wu knew they would return later with the baby. Right now, they had to take her to the nursery located in the next room. Rotating staff would watch the baby maiasaura for twenty-four hours to ensure she received proper nutrients and adequate care. At a later date, she would be integrated with the park's maiasaur population.

Maiasaurs were welcoming to new additions in their paddock. Their name, Maiasaura, translated to "good mother lizard". Discovered in Montana, maiasaurs were the fist dinosaurs to be found alongside their eggs. Paleontologists theorized that they nurtured their young, hence the name given to them. They grew at a rapid pace, which is why Wu wanted to hold the baby for three months in the lab before integrating her with the park population. In time, the baby maiasaur would mature into a large semi-intelligent plant-eater, and grow about thirty feet long, eight feet tall, and weigh between two and four tons. They were the most peaceful dinosaurs in Jurassic Park.

Hammond threw out his gloves and went to the same sink Wu had used. Above the running water, he heard Wu ask, "Are we still meeting with Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler at three-thirty this afternoon?"

Hammond turned off the faucet and wiped his hands with a paper towel. Wu patiently waited. He still didn't answer.

"Mr. Hammond?" Wu asked.

Hammond looked at him, a confused look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Henry what were you saying?" He massaged his temples. "I just got a headache—came from nowhere."

"Are you alright?"

Hammond nodded quickly. "I'm fine."

"I brought copies of our lists." Wu held up a manila folder. "Unless you want to reschedule the meeting with Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler for another day?"

"We're still on for this afternoon. Don't forget that after our meeting, we're throwing a surprise birthday party for my granddaughter," Hammond said, smiling. He winced briefly and pressed down on his temples. "I'm just a little tired." He patted Wu's shoulder and they left the hatchery.

oOo

Hammond stared at the aqua blue InGen logo in the visitor center's conference room.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Dr. Grant…doing just fine."

Alan Grant nodded. He sat next to Hammond and glanced at Wu, who stacked two piles of papers at the end of the table.

"We're just waiting for Dr. Sattler and Dr. Malcolm," Wu said.

The door opened. Ellie Sattler and Ian Malcolm strolled in, holding hands. Hammond was discreet and kept staring at the InGen logo painted on the wall. Grant eyed them as they sat down across from him.

"Hello Alan, John," Ellie said. "Do you need help with those papers, Henry?"

"I got it. Thanks," Wu said. He picked up both stacks and set them aside.

Grant nodded politely at the couple, but remained silent.

"Good afternoon, dreamers," Malcolm said, grinning.

A tight smile tugged at the corner of Hammond's lips. Already, Malcolm was trying to get under his skin. It wasn't new by any means. Ian Malcolm was straightforward in his viewpoints. He didn't live to offend anyone. He questioned and analyzed everything around him, and was always content to do so. Hammond was surprised Malcolm stayed around the park for this long. He had been against the Jurassic Park project from the beginning. Even after the successful inspection, he still voiced doubts about the park staff being able to control animals in a simulated natural environment.

Malcolm draped his arm around Ellie and squeezed her shoulder. Grant shifted in his seat.

"I hope you won't turn my dream into a nightmare," Hammond said, half serious and half joking.

Malcolm shook his head. "Now why would I do that?"

"I know you well enough. Mathematicians like you—"

"Chaotician; get it right, John. I specialize in chaos theory."

"That's not all you specialize in," Grant muttered under his breath. He folded his arms across his chest and fixed his stare on the clock on the wall.

Hammond jerked his head in Grant's direction and then back to Malcolm. Malcolm didn't appear to hear his comment. He leaned back in his chair comfortably and kept his arm around Ellie's shoulder.

"We're ready to start, Mr. Hammond" Wu said, holding up the papers.

Hammond's heart jumped with excitement. "That's fine, Henry." He turned his attention back to Malcolm. "Did anyone ever tell you that you suffer from a deplorable excess of personality?"

"I tell him that all the time," Ellie said, elbowing Malcolm.

"Dr. Sattler, how is your greenhouse coming along?"

Ellie beamed at the mention of her greenhouse. Eight months ago, she had requested for a greenhouse to be built on a part of the island that had not been utilized for the park. Hammond gladly acquiesced to her request and "spared no expense" (as he often stated) in purchasing the equipment she needed to make it a top-notch success. Ellie studied paleobotany and the greenhouse served as an extension of her studies. She operated the greenhouse and its functions. Occasionally Hammond stopped in to check on its progress.

"It's coming along great. Lex loves spending time there."

"That's wonderful to hear." Hammond smiled at Ellie. "Whenever you're ready, Henry."

Wu gave everyone a paper and sat at the end of the table. The group pored over the list. At the top of each page was InGen's blue logo. Below in bold print was a list:

JURASSIC PARK'S CURRENT DINOSAUR POPULATION

1. Tyrannosaurus Rex
2. Maiasaur
3. Stegosaurus
4. Triceratops
5. Procompsognathus
6. Othnielia
7. Velociraptor
8. Apatosaurus
9. Hadrosaurus
10. Dilophosaurus
11. Pterosaurus
12. Hypsilophodontids
13. Euoplocephalids
14. Styracosaurus
15. Microceratops

Grant and Ellie studied it and Malcolm ran his finger down the list. Wu nodded at Hammond to start.

"This is a list of dinosaurs that Jurassic Park contains. We have fifteen species and two hundred and thirty-eight animals all together. Hank and I have talked about adding another dinosaur to the park." Hammond glanced at Wu, who smiled reassuringly. He was the only one that referred to Wu as 'Hank'. "We spent hours delving into various dinosaur species with Dr. Grant's assistance. In the end, we selected ten."

"Only ten?" Malcolm asked. His eyebrows rose and he shook his head in disapproval.

Hammond gave him a dismissive wave. "I would say hold your applause, but in your case, Dr. Malcolm, it's more apt to say hold your skepticism until we're finished." Proud of his quip, he smirked.

"I didn't say anything."

"Not yet, you haven't."

Hammond and Malcolm stared at each other while Wu passed around the second stack of papers. This paper was similar to the last one with the blue InGen logo at the top.

JURASSIC PARK: OPERATION 16

1. Herrerasaurus (Late Triassic)
2. Coelophysis (Late Triassic)
3. Spinosaurus (Late Cretaceous)
4. Eustreptospondylus (Middle Jurassic)
5. Allosaurus (Late Jurassic)
6. Camarasaurus (Late Jurassic)
7. Diplodocus (Late Jurassic)
8. Iguanodon (Late Jurassic)
9. Stygimoloch (Late Cretaceous)
10. Avimimus (Late Cretaceous)

After a long pause, Hammond asked, "So what does everyone think?"

"Do you have amber deposits yet?" Grant asked.

"We're working on that," Wu said. "This is just a tentative list of what we're hoping to discover and eventually clone. We'll see how it goes."

Grant nodded. "What about the lysine contingency? If you engineer another dinosaur, do you plan on doing the same as you have with all the others?"

Wu thought for a moment. "We might…so far, we're trying to expand the lysine factor in the current population. That's still an experiment, or more so, a thought process. We haven't actually done it."

Ellie said, "Have you considered a herbivore? That way your carnivore population won't be the majority. It'd give the park an even balance."

"That's a good idea. Dr. Grant can tell us which dinosaurs from the list are carnivores and herbivores, what prehistoric time period they lived in, as well as research and information." Hammond coughed. "Dr. Grant?"

"The time periods in which the animals lived are in italics. Of the ten listed, only four are herbivores," he said.

Ellie heard the iron calmness in Grant's voice. He didn't meet her eyes when he spoke to her. "And those are? Remember, I'm the paleobotanist, not the paleontologist." She smiled at Grant, hoping to melt the icy tension between them. He didn't return the smile.

Grant pointed to the names on the paper. "Camarasaurus, diplodocus, iguanodon, and stygimoloch."

Ellie nodded and didn't press the point.

"Wait a minute," Malcolm said. "You plan on cloning all ten of these species?"

Grant sent him a blank stare.

"No, no," Hammond said. "Out of these ten, Henry and I are picking one and will take it from there."

Wu said, "It depends if we get more dino DNA from the amber deposits. We still don't know which species will be cloned. But when we do it, we'll have sixteen species on the island."

"One suggestion." Malcolm held up his index finger.

"What's that?"

"If you're going to clone another dinosaur, make sure everyone can pronounce the name. Look at number four: yoo-streep-to-spond-ee-lus. Am I saying it right? Probably not."

"Close," Wu said. "It's yoo-strep-toh-spon-dee-lus. Eustreptospondylus. This species lived in…Dr. Grant?"

Grant picked up where Wu left off. "Middle Jurassic period. The name means 'well curved vertebra'. It was the best known carnivorous dinosaur in Europe for a long time and was confused with megalosaurus. A very well preserved skeleton of the species was found in Oxfordshire, England in the mid-nineteenth century."

"Very interesting. It's got one helluva name to pronounce," Malcolm said.

"I didn't name it."

Malcolm blinked at his sharp tone.

Wu and Hammond exchanged a quick glance.

Grant was uncomfortable, but he tried to put on an extra air of professionalism in front of everyone. He had been doing so ever since Malcolm and Ellie started dating six months ago. Everyone on the island knew Grant felt awkward and it was never brought up in conversation. Hammond hoped Grant would be able to put his personal feelings aside and focus on the goal of cloning a sixteenth species for the park. So far, he had done so until his last comment slipped out. It wasn't often when his annoyance was this obvious. Most times, he was preoccupied with his research in the park. Nobody saw him upset. He went through great lengths to cover up how he truly felt. Grant stayed on the island and helped Wu, Muldoon, and Harding by observing the dinosaurs' behavioral patterns. It gave him a chance to expand his research and test his theories. It also kept his mind busy so that he wouldn't dwell on what had happened between him and Ellie. Every now and then he couldn't hide what he truly felt under a somber guise, and those around him sensed his disappointment.

Ellie sensed it too and redirected him. "How about the last one—Avimimus?" she asked.

Grant shook his head. "It's a fascinating species, but I doubt Henry could successfully clone it. Complete skeletal remains of Avimimus have yet to be discovered. Only three partial skeletons have been found in Mongolia recently."

"How recent?" Malcolm asked.

"As recent as late 1970s and early 80s. Avimimus is very birdlike, and is believed to have had a beak that resembled a cockatoo. Paleontologists have also debated if it had feathers. It would be a wonderful addition to Jurassic Park, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. I doubt there are any mosquitoes encased in amber lying around with its genetic code trapped inside."

"Thank you, Dr. Grant," Hammond said.

"Your welcome." Grant kept his eyes on the paper.

A brief silence passed.

"So…when do you plan on doing this?" Malcolm tapped the paper listing the ten dinosaur species.

"Is that directed towards me or Mr. Hammond?" Wu asked.

"John."

"Yes?" Hammond looked up.

"When do you plan on doing this?"

"Soon."

"Does your staff know about your ambitions?"

"Not yet, but they will soon enough."

"That means you haven't told them anything."

"But I will."

"If you're going to extend your little science project, then your staff should know now John." Malcolm sat back in his chair. "Not tomorrow. Not next week and not next year. Not the day before you start cloning. Now."

Hammond shook his head in disbelief. "I knew you'd say something to put a damper on what I want for this park. You always do."

"Nobody's putting a damper on anything. I'm giving you a reality check."

"That I didn't ask for."

Ellie and Wu exchanged a knowing glance. She knew Malcolm would say something to Hammond and Wu knew Hammond wouldn't be happy with whatever Malcolm said about his ambitions. If Malcolm had been completely for it, Hammond would have wondered what was wrong with him.

"Please, Ian; spare me your lectures of 'life finds a way' and 'the essence of chaos.' I don't want to hear it," Hammond said, standing up.

"Then why did you ask me to come to this meeting? You know I always tell you what you don't want to hear."

"Because…" Hammond was at a loss for words.

Malcolm stood up, and they faced each other. "Because I'm honest with you. Let's face it; I don't pretty things up for you. I tell you exactly how it is whether you like it or not."

Hammond bit his lower lip.

"And right now, I'm telling you that cloning a sixteenth species is a very bad idea—very bad. You have too much on your plate with fifteen species as it is. You can't even integrate the velociraptors into the park setting because of their brute viciousness and now you're talking about cloning a sixteenth species?! What's wrong with you, John?"

Hammond was trying to formulate a response when one came to him. "You make me want to vomit with your nonsensical tirades," he said and stomped out the conference room.

"Make sure you clean up after yourself!" Malcolm called after him.

He grinned, as though thrilled with the fact that he had irritated Hammond for the umpteenth time. Hammond constantly ignored his opinions. It was natural for them to argue. He planned on telling Hammond later on that he was joking about cleaning up after himself—but prior to that, he was serious in his stance against cloning a sixteenth species. Malcolm knew he was viewed as pessimistic, but it never bothered him. He looked around the room now that the meeting had abruptly ended. Ellie kept glancing at the door. Grant gathered the papers and passed them to Wu.

"Nothing personal, Henry," Malcolm said to clarify what he told Hammond. "I just think what you and John are trying to do isn't a good idea. Fifteen extinct species brought back after millions of years is already a job in itself. Adding an extra species," he shook his head, "should wait for another time or not happen at all."

Wu looked across the table at him. "I appreciate what you have to say Dr. Malcolm, but right now we're only in the beginning stages of this project. We'll see what happens down the line. I don't think the plan will be put into action right away, at least not until a few months."

"Fair enough."

Wu brightened. "The sixteenth species isn't the only 'sixteen' we're celebrating today."

"That's right, Lex's Sweet Sixteen is taking place in three hours," Ellie said. "I have to go to my greenhouse and pick some flowers out to use for decoration in the cafeteria."

"Sounds like a plan," Wu said. "See you in a few hours. Alan?"

Ellie watched Grant leave with Wu. He didn't say good-bye to her or Malcolm and seemed happy to finally go. She sighed.

"Hey, don't look upset. It'll be a fun party," Malcolm said, taking her hand.

"I know. It's Alan…nothing's been the same since we started dating."

"Are you happy with us being together?"

Ellie didn't answer right away.

"Ellie?"

"I am happy, but I wish it wouldn't interfere with everything. Even when we work together, he acts like I'm a total stranger."

Malcolm nodded. "Go to the greenhouse, give yourself time to think, and I'll meet you in the cafeteria later. Focus on Lex's party for the time being. The rest, we'll discuss later."

oOo

Alexis Murphy pulled over the gas-powered jeep next to the small greenhouse. Ellie had told her to meet here before going to the visitor center this afternoon. Lex knocked and waited patiently. She was excited about today—her sixteenth birthday! The big one six. Sweet sixteen. It seemed like yesterday that Lex was thirteen when she first visited Isla Nublar for the weekend with her brother, Tim. Since that time, Lex had grown gracefully. She was several inches over five feet, had a slender physique, and her blonde hair fell past her shoulders.

Unfortunately, her divorced parents wouldn't be present for her special day. Rather than go back and forth between their mother and father, Lex and Tim stayed on the island under Hammond's guardianship. This matter had been situated shortly after the weekend inspection tour that Tim and Lex had attended. Lex loved it, nothing could compare to waking up to a tropical paradise every morning. And today, for her Sweet Sixteen, she was ready to go. She knocked again and wondered how her birthday would turn out, considering it was on the island. What other girls spent their sixteenth birthday on an island populated by scientists and dinosaurs?

"Come in!" Ellie called from inside the greenhouse.

When Lex opened the door, she was greeted with a variety of soul-soothing scents. Tropical flowers adorned the greenhouse. They were placed on long tables, side by side, some given more space than others depending on how much they grew. Lex was always amazed at the variety of plants found in Ellie's greenhouse.

Lex closed the door behind her and walked further in, surrounded at each turn by magnificent flora. Comparing the flowers to the rainbow didn't give justice to all the hard work Ellie had put into cultivating her plants. Calling them "eye candy" wouldn't be right either. The flowers' various shades and tints resembled an open box of Crayola, the crayon company famous for dreaming up new fantastic colors.

Vibrant colors leaped at her from all over the greenhouse: cerulean blue, ruby red, fire-truck red, magenta, fuchsia, hot pink, carnation pink, turquoise, lilac, sky blue, lavender, periwinkle blue, deep purple, royal purple, blood red, violet, amber, tangerine orange, sunshine yellow, golden yellow, and ivory white. Even the stems and leaves of the plants were breathtaking: forest green, hunter green, lime green, and olive green. Lex loved to spend time with Ellie in the greenhouse. It truly was a paradise within a paradise. The far left wall had shelves stocked with fertilizer, empty flower pots ranging in various sizes, compost, coils of hose, flower seeds, soil packages, gardening tools, gloves, and other gardening equipment.

Towards the back of the greenhouse, Ellie sat at her desk making a crown of flowers. She had came back from the visitor center after decorating the cafeteria with flora for each table and returned in time to create a birthday crown for Lex.

"Hey El!" Lex waved.

Ellie looked up at the sound of the nickname Lex had given her. El. Ellie and Lex had become very close over the past year. Ellie treated Lex like the younger sister she never had and Lex looked to her for someone to confide in. Perhaps their bond was strengthened based on the fact that they were (with the exception of the part-time female worker, Kathy, in the nursery) the only two human females on the island. They spent most of their time in the greenhouse where Ellie taught her gardening techniques and the science of botany. Wherever Ellie was, it was certain that Lex wasn't far behind.

Lex watched Ellie attach a flower to the crown.

"You look beautiful." Ellie smiled.

"Thanks." Lex wore the gift that Ellie gave her: a pale blue cotton sleeveless dress with buttons down the back. "This is the only time you'll see me in a dress, El," she joked, picking at the dress. "After today, it's back to jeans and sneakers for me." Lex was still a tomboy who loved sports, but she was also quiet, mature, and lovely.

"You won't wear it again?" Ellie pretended to pout and set aside the crown.

"Of course, I will! I love it, it's really beautiful." Lex gave her a warm hug. "Thanks, El."

"For you, the birthday girl." Ellie fixed the crown of flower on Lex's head.

"I'm the queen for today."

"That's right. Ready?"

Lex nodded. "I didn't go near the visitor center."

"Good, you weren't supposed to," Ellie said, laughing.

They exited the greenhouse. Ellie locked the door as Lex started up the gas-powered jeep. She sat on the passenger side. Lex sent her a questioning glance.

"Don't you want to drive?"

Ellie shook her head as she connected her seatbelt. "It's your birthday and I want you to put those driving lessons to work." In the last six months, she had been given Lex driving lessons. They used the gas-powered jeep on the park's maintenance roads, practicing turns, parking, reversing, and the usual. Lex was a quick learner.

"Alright, 'cause you said so." Lex put her seatbelt on, and started down the maintenance road leading to the visitor center. "Happy Birthday to me, I'm sixteen years old," she sang.

"You're getting too old for me Lex," Ellie teased. "Soon you'll be taking care of me."

oOo

Hammond entered the cafeteria, leaning on his cane. He smiled, pleased with what he saw. Ellie had placed tropical flowers on each table. Silver streamers adorned the walls and entrance. A long banner with giant bubble letters was taped to the far wall of the cafeteria. It read: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEXIS! A sketch of a tyrannosaur holding a birthday cake in its tiny arms had been drawn next to the words. The banner temporarily covered a mural depicting a prehistoric scene. Tim Murphy, his thirteen-year old grandson, had made the sign for his older sister. He was turning out to be a talented artist, Hammond observed.

Everyone was busy getting ready for Lex's arrival. Robert Muldoon and Ray Arnold decorated the walls with lilac and turquoise crêpe paper, the colors Lex had chosen for her Sweet Sixteen. Grant tied matching balloons to the chairs while Tim tossed confetti on the tables. Gerry Harding and Wu had set up a table with soda, ice, and cups. They went back and forth into the kitchen bringing out several buckets of frozen ice cream. Ginger, French vanilla, forbidden chocolate, and several other flavors were brought out.

"How did the meeting go?" Donald Gennaro asked Hammond.

Hammond handed Gennaro a copy of both papers he had looked over earlier in the conference room. Gennaro skimmed through them. He couldn't pronounce the dinosaur names to save his life. He just knew no matter which species Hammond and Wu decided on, they would make a fortune off it. That's what mattered most.

"The park isn't even open yet, John. Are you sure you want to clone another species?"

"Why not? It would be a fun little project to focus on while we wait."

"Do you know how long this will take?" Gennaro had an edge in his voice that Hammond was familiar with.

"No need to be worried. It's fun and it will take up enough time. By then, the world will finally be able to visit this marvelous park."

"That's the danger in all this, you see this project merely as 'fun'. You still don't grasp what you're doing as something serious and deserving of more care and respect. Bringing an extinct animal back to life isn't just 'fun'."

Hammond closed his eyes, clearly annoyed by the intrusion. "For your information, Dr. Malcolm, I was addressing Donald and not you."

"We had this conversation earlier today about your little science project."

"And we're not having it now. I won't let you ruin my granddaughter's special day."

Malcolm held up his hands in surrender. "I wouldn't do that, John. That's not my style. I'll help your staff with whatever needs to be done."

Gennaro nodded at Malcolm as a form of greeting. Malcolm returned the nod and went to help Muldoon and Arnold put up the rest of the party decorations. Hammond watched him leave.

"What's on the menu?" Gennaro asked.

"You know my Lex," Hammond said proudly. "She's a vegetarian, so I had the chefs prepare a special cuisine for her birthday. There'll be Chilean sea bass, grilled salmon, stir-fry vegetables, sautéed spinach, several types of omelettes, hors d'oeuvres. Spared no expense."

Gennaro made a sour face. He couldn't stand vegetarian food.

"Donald, dear boy, relax. There'll be something for everyone to enjoy, including you."

"What about desert?"

"We've prepared a triple layer cake made from delicious German chocolate and the best buttercream."

"She's only turning sixteen, John. She's not getting married."

"She's my granddaughter and I'll see to it that she has the best Sweet Sixteen. Try to enjoy yourself," Hammond said. "It's not a hard thing to do."

The double doors opened and Ellie rushed into the cafeteria, a bright smile on her face. "Here she comes, get ready everyone!"

They could hear Lex's soft footsteps as she approached the cafeteria's double doors. Hammond positioned everyone to stand in a wide half circle, so they could greet Lex when she walked in. Ellie's squeezed Malcolm's hand excitedly. They stood next to Arnold, Muldoon, Harding and Wu. Tim situated himself between Wu and Grant. Hammond went next to Grant, with Gennaro trailing behind as the last person to complete the formation. On the other side of the doors, the footsteps stopped. The doorknob on the cafeteria's side turned slowly as Lex maneuvered it from outside. Everyone held their breath.

Lex swung open the double doors of the cafeteria and walked in to see everyone waiting for her. The entire room was decorated with colorful balloons, streamers, and crêpe paper.

"SURPRISE!"

Lex laughed, excited and overwhelmed. She knew Ellie had something up her sleeve when she told her the night before to stay away from the visitor center until the afternoon. Before Lex could get over the shock of her surprise party, everyone joined together in singing happy birthday.

"Happy birthday to you!" Lex sang along with the park staff, her grandfather, and her brother. Everyone was smiling, completely jubilant to be there for her birthday.

"You live in a zoo!" Malcolm sang as he pointed to the Jurassic Park emblem on a nearby wall and then gestured to everyone else.

Lex laughed harder. Leave it to Malcolm to add his own twist. Arnold and Ellie started the birthday count.

"Are you one? Are you two? Are you three? Are you four? Are you five? Are you six?"

Lex shook her head, and fixed her crown of flowers. The rest of the staff joined in, even Hammond was counting along.

"Are you eleven? Are you twelve? Are you thirteen?" Are you fourteen? Are you fifteen? Are you sixteen?"

Lex made a movement like a sports referee making a call. "That's it, I'm sixteen!"

Applause and laughter followed. Everyone went to the tables and waited for the next part of Lex's party. Leaning on his cane, Hammond made his way to the front of the cafeteria.

"While we wait for the food to come out," he said, "we'll get started on the gifts. How does that sound, Lex? You're the birthday girl; it's your call."

"Sounds perfect."

"Great! So who's first?" Hammond scanned the cafeteria.

Muldoon, Arnold, Wu, and Harding sat together at a table. The tables had also been arranged in a semi-circle. Another table had been set aside for Lex's gifts. At the far right wall, two long tables were set aside for the chefs to set up the food in a buffet style. Arnold raised his hand and next to him, Muldoon held an envelope in the air. Hammond beamed, pleasantly surprised. Muldoon handed the envelope to Arnold and he went to the front where Lex and Hammond stood.

"This is from all of us—Henry, Robert, Gerry, and myself—to you, Alexis. Happy birthday," Arnold said warmly, handing the envelope to Lex.

"Should I open it right now?" Lex asked, glancing at the table where the park staff sat.

"Absolutely," Arnold said, and they nodded in agreement.

Lex tore open the envelope to reveal a birthday card. She opened the card to find a stack of hundreds bound together with a silver ribbon.

"Woah! That's a lot of money!"

"Read the message, Lex," Hammond said.

"'To Alexis, a charming young lady, may your sixteenth birthday be one to always cherish in your heart. Happy Sixteenth Birthday! May you celebrate many more in the future!'" She smiled at Harding, Wu, and Muldoon. "Thank you all very much."

"How much money did you get?" Tim asked.

Lex gave the card to Hammond, and he set it aside on the table.

"We weren't sure what to get you, so we thought since you're turning sixteen, why not give you sixteen hundred dollars. There were four of us, so we all chipped in four hundred."

"Thank you." Lex smiled and they hugged briefly. Arnold went back to his seat.

"I guess that means you and Dr. Sattler are going shopping on the mainland?" Wu asked.

Lex shook her head. "No, I'm going to save it for a later date." She put the wrapped bills in the envelope and placed it next to the card. "Thank you again."

"Who's next?" Hammond asked.

Gennaro stood up and handed Lex a card. As Lex opened the card, the dining staff placed hors d'oeuvres on the tables. Lex read the card to herself while everyone helped themselves to mini potato wraps. She smiled and nodded at Gennaro, who had already gone back to his seat.

"Thank you, Mr. Gennaro."

"Your welcome."

Hammond took the card and placed it with the staffs', while Grant went to Lex.

"Enjoy this day to your heart's content, Lex." He gave her a peck on the cheek and handed her a small silver envelope, which she opened.

"Thanks, Dr. Grant." She held the gift card for everyone to see. "It's a gift card to the Mirador Vista del Valle Restaurant. Awesome!"

"What restaurant is this?" Hammond asked.

"It's a restaurant located in the mountains of Talamanca, about two and half hours away from San José," Grant said. "They serve Costa Rican cuisine, have orchid collections and bird watching, since they're hundreds of meters above sea level. I thought it'd be a unique gift."

"It really is. Thank you!" She hugged Grant and he sat down afterwards.

"I'm hungry; when are we gonna eat?" Malcolm asked. He sat with Ellie at the table next to Arnold's. "Or do you plan to starve us?"

"I'll let everyone eat and you starve, Dr. Malcolm," Hammond said, smirking. "A starved mathematician can't lecture me about my 'little science project'."

"That's great to know, John. I'll keep that in mind."

Ellie playfully elbowed Malcolm in the ribs.

"What did you get me, Dr. Malcolm?" Lex asked, now that everyone's attention was focused on him. She meant it jokingly, as her and Malcolm always shared funny exchanges.

Malcolm stood up from the table. "Ah, that's a good question, what did I get Lex for her sixteenth birthday? Hmm…"

He went to a nearby shelf filled with plush dinosaur collectibles. Malcolm grabbed a tiny neon green brachiosaur and threw it across the room to Lex, who caught it. She held it up in triumph and everyone cheered.

"I see your athletic skills haven't diminished," Malcolm said, remembering how much Lex loved baseball.

"This is it?"

"You couldn't predict which stuffed animal I was going to give you. I could've given you a triceratops or a stegosaur."

"Or that you'd reach over to the shelf and get me one," Lex chimed in as she started to laugh.

"Precisely!" Malcolm clapped his hands together. "That's the essence of chaos."

The room filled with laughter. The chefs had begun setting out the food, and looked at everyone, wondering what was so funny. They went back in the kitchen.

"Even during a special occasion such as your birthday, chaos is around us at every turn. Isn't that fascinating?" Malcolm asked, as he made his way to the front where Lex and Hammond stood. As always, he was dressed entirely in black. It didn't matter that the occasion was festive, Malcolm was comfortable in only two colors: black and grey. He explained this to anyone who cared to listen to him. He reached into his leather jacket and produced a tiny box. "Happy birthday, Alexis." Malcolm gave her the box.

Lex opened the box and her eyebrows rose. She removed a silver bracelet and held it up for her guests to see. Malcolm placed the box aside and fastened it to her wrist.

"It's beautiful…thank you, Dr. Malcolm."

"Always." He went back to sit with Ellie. "I'm still hungry, John!"

"Bah! You can wait a few more minutes. That leaves us with…" Hammond's voice trailed off and then he pointed at Tim. "Tim, you're the last one."

Tim, who was three years younger than Lex, came up to the front.

"Your gift is on the wall." He pointed to the banner. "You can put it in your room at the lodge."

Lex nudged him away. "Cheapskate," she teased.

"I'm just messing. When you get back to the lodge, you'll see your gift in your room, set up on your desk. It's a Sony Style Laptop with a CD-ROM drive and other special features. You're still a nerd."

"C'mere you!" Lex pulled Tim in for a hug. "Thanks so much, I can't wait to use it."

"Can I use it too?"

Lex gave him a look and then broke into a wide smile. "Of course, Timmy, but I get first dibs."

"I can live with that." Grinning, Tim went back to his table and sat next to Grant.

"That's it, hon," Hammond said. "Anything you want to say?"

"Speech!" Malcolm called out.

Lex turned to her party guests. She thought for a moment of what to say. She didn't want to come off corny or sappy, but she wanted to show her appreciation to everyone for making her Sweet Sixteen memorable.

"Thank you everyone for making my day special. I'm really lucky to be here with Grandpa, Tim, and the rest of you. I love you." Lex gave her grandfather a warm hug. "Grandpa has the most awesome staff." She smiled at the table where Muldoon, Arnold, Harding, and Wu sat. "El, you mean a lot to me. Dr. Malcolm, one of these days I'd like to hear about chaos theory." Malcolm's eyes lit up with joy. "But not today!" Everyone laughed. "Mr. Gennaro, thank you again. Dr. Grant, you've always been there for me and Tim. Um, who am I forgetting?"

"Me!" Tim said, waving his hand.

"You're my brother, blood is thicker than water."

"But water tastes better," Tim finished up for her. They always did that exchange as a joke when people couldn't believe they were related.

"You know I love you, Timmy." Lex touched her silver bracelet, and felt a tear of happiness slip down her cheek. "Thank you all for coming together for my birthday. I hope everyone's having a good time. If not—start enjoying yourself!" She glanced at the table where the cafeteria staff finished placing out the main dishes for the party. "I feel like Dr. Malcolm now after opening all these cards and gifts. Let's eat!"

Everyone formed a line by the buffet table, and waited for Lex and Hammond.

"After you, Lex," Ellie said, gesturing for her to be first in line at the buffet. "Happy Sweet Sixteen."