Chapter 3

When the jeeps stopped, we were at a type of welcoming building.

I jumped out with a big smile on my face.

Mom asked "You excited?"

"Of course I am!"

I took her hand while we all went into the building.

When we entered, we saw a big Tyrannosaurus skeleton in the middle of the room! There was also a banner above it that said "WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH".

"The most advanced amusement park in the world, combingin all the latest technology. And I`m not just talking about the rides you know. Everyone has rides. No, we`ve made a living biological attraction so astonishing, they`ll capture the imagination of the entire planet!"

I look up at Alan shaking his head while we head up the stairs.

"Alan what are you thinking?" Mom asks while still holding my hand.

"I think we`re out of the job."

"Don`t you mean extinct?" Ian jokes.

"Ha, ha" I thought.

A couple minutes later, we arrived in a type of showroom. I sat down next to Alan and mom with Ian sitting next to Ellie of course while Genaro and John sit in the back.

We watched a small video of how the dinosaurs were made.

After the video ended, suddenly the bars in front of us went down and we started moving!

We moved to a window with scientists working hard.

Mom and Alan were talking enthusiastically with each other while Ian was trying to make small talk with me and John and Genaro were talking to each other.

I then saw something near the back of the room, some dinosaur eggs!

"Mom, mom!"

"What is it?"

"Look!" I pointed to the eggs.

I turned around to John and asked "Can we see the eggs?"

"Soon my dear, soon."

Alan was trying to take the bars off and said "Can`t you stop these things?"

"Sorry it`s kind of a ride."

We looked at each other and nodded. Ian counted to three, than we took the bars off and walked out with John and Genaro following.

John opened a door where the eggs were and walked in.

"Good day Henry."

"Oh, good day sir." said the worker.

I looked around and saw the eggs! I walked quickly to them trying not to knock anything off something.

When I got to the eggs, I said "Mom, Alan, get here quick!"

They walked to me with Ian, Genaro, and Hammond following.

Before they could get over there, I saw one of the eggs hatching!

"Mom, one`s hatching!"

"Oh, perfect time! I`d hope they hatched before I had to go to the boat!"

"Henry, Henry, Henry! Why didn't you tell me?! I insist to be here when they were born!" Hammond said while putting on rubber gloves.

I was watching the egg hatching with a big smile on my face when I saw a head poking out!

"Come on then. Out you come, very good, push." Hammond said treating it like it was his child, taking some of the egg shells off of its head.

"They imprint on the first living creature they come in contact with. That helps them to trust me, I`ve been present for every birth for every animal on this island."

"Surely not the ones that have been bred in the wild." Malcom says.

"Actually, they can`t breed in the wild. Population control is one of our security precautions here. There is no unauthorized breeding in Jurassic Park."

"How do you know they can`t all breed?"

"Because all of the animals in Jurassic Park are female. We engineered them that way."

Hammond and I keep our attention on the baby dinosaur as he cleans it off.

"Blood temperatures feel like high eighties." Alan says.

"Ninety-one" Henry answers.

"Really, it holds that temperature?" I asked. He nods.

"Homoeothermic? Ninety-one? Incredible." Alan says.

"But again, how do you know they`re all female? Does someone go in the park and uh lift up the dinosaur`s skirts?" says Ian.

I rolled my eyes and thought "Yep, going with Alan."

"We control their chromosomes. It`s not that difficult. All vertebrate embryos are inherently female anyway. It takes a right hormone at the right development stage to create a male, and we simply deny them that."

"Deny them what?" Mom asks.

"John, the kind of control you are attempting is not possible. If there`s one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it`s life will not be contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories. It crashes through barriers. Painfully, maybe even- dangerously, but and- well, uh, there it is." Ian remarks.

"You`re saying that a group of female dinosaurs will, breed?" Henry says.

"No, I`m simply saying that life, uh, finds a way."

Alan puts on some rubber gloves and picks up the baby.

"I never knew Alan would hold a baby." I whisper jokingly to mom.

"What breed is this?" Alan says with slight fear.

"Uh, it`s a velociraptor."

"You bred raptors?"

Henry nods.

When we got out of the jeeps we were at some type of paddock that held velociraptors.

"Grace, Dr. Sattler, and Dr. Grant, as I was saying, we`ve laid out lunch for the three of you before you head out into the park. Alejandro, out head chef-." John was saying before Alan interrupted.

"What are they doing?" Alan said as a cow was being lowered.

"Feeding them"

I then ran onto the stairs to get a closer look.

"Grace!" Mom shouts as she and everyone follows me.

I hold onto the railing as everyone makes their way there.

"Gracie, close your eyes." Mom says.

"Why?"

She ignored me and put her hands on my eyes and ears.

I could still hear the cow being eaten but couldn't really see.

"They should all be destroyed." I heard a voice say.

Mom took her hands off my eyes and ears.

"Oh, Robert. Robert Muldoon, my game warden from Kenya. Bit of an alarmist I`m afraid. But he`s dealt with raptors than anyone else."

Alan shook his hand and introduced himself.

Mom was talking to John Hammond, so really I had no one else to talk to.

Then after a few minutes, I heard the crane lifting.

I looked up and saw the tarp completely torn apart with some blood on it.

"Ew." I said aloud.

Everyone stopped talking and stared at me with my back turned.

"Well, who`s hungry?" John asks.

We went into a building and ate lunch. I wasn't really listening to what everyone was saying and just fiddled around with my food being bored out of my mind.

"What about you Grace? You were excited about everything in the jeep, What`s your view on this?" Genaro asked suddenly.

My head shot straight up and saw everybody looking at me! Why did they want my opinion on this?! I know I`m part of the target audience, but did they really expect an eight and a half year old to really listen?!

I was really nervous and was about to rush out and give an excuse that I had to go to the bathroom, but mom held my hand comforting me.

I took a deep breath and said "Well, I was very excited when I got here, but, when I saw the raptors it made me remember not all of the dinosaurs are harmless. And, what would happen if someone turns off the power, or the fences are out and someone climbs over them?"

John chuckled and said "I don`t believe it. I expected you to come down here and defend me from these characters and the only one I got on my side is the bloodsucking lawyer!"

I giggled quietly but mom whispered "Grace."

"Thank you." Genaro said trying not to sound angry.

A man then came and whispered to John.

His face lit up and stood up and said "Well, they`re here."

We were all confused but we followed him.

We walked out to the lobby while John said "You five are going to have a little company out in the park. Spend a little more time with the target audience."

I heard Alan mumble "We already have someone." I just rolled my eyes.

"GRANDPA!" We heard two voices yell.

I looked over and saw two kids!

I thought "Oh thank gosh people I can actually talk to!"

"Kids!" Hammond yells as the kids run into him causing him to fall.

"We missed you!"

"Thanks for the presents!"

"We love the presents!"

"You must be careful with me, did you like the helicopter?"

"It was great! We were dropping."

I looked up and saw Ellie smiling. I smiled too.

We walked out of the visitor`s center and saw two cars.

"No brakes?" asked Genaro.

"Brakes? No, no brakes, they`re electric cars guided by this track on the roadway, and totally non-polluting, top of the line!"

"It`s an interactive CD-ROM! Look, see you just touch the right part of the screen and it talks about whatever you want!" said the girl.

"I`m going to ride with Dr. Sattler." said Ian. I rolled my eyes.

I walked over to mom.

"Hey mom, is it ok if I ride with the kids?"

"Of course it is. I could tell all day with that look in your eyes that you were bored."

I smiled.

"I read your book." I heard a voice say to Alan.

"Oh yeah, that`s good."

Mom and I smiled knowing how uncomfortable Alan was.

Mom called for the girl who was going crazy for the machine in the car.

"Hey, what`s your name?"

"Lex"

"Hi, Lex this is my daughter Grace."

Lex turned her head to me "Hi"

"Hi"

"So, how old are you?"

"Eight and a half"

"Cool, I`m thirteen."

We both smiled.

Mom then said "Hey Lex."

She turned her head towards mom.

"Can you do a favor for me?"

She nods.

"Can you ask Dr. Grant that you thought it is good for him to sit next to you?"

She smiled and nodded.

"What did you do?"

"You`ll see."

When Alan slammed the door to the front car on the kid that looked my age, he turned around and saw Lex playing with her hair smiling.

"She said I should ride with you because it would be good for you."

Alan turned his head toward mom and me.

I said trying to get away "I had nothing to do with this."

I then ran into the first car and slammed the door.

"Hi"

I jumped a little bit and saw the boy.

"Hello"

"What`s your name?"

"Grace, but you and your sister can call me Gracie."

"I`m Timmy"

"How old are you?"

"Nine"

"I`m eight and a half"

"So, is Dr. Grant your dad?"

I froze for about a couple of seconds.

"No, but the woman in the front seat on the back car is my mom."

"Oh"

"Is something wrong?"

"My mom and dad are getting a divorce."

"Oh, I`m sorry to hear that, my mom and dad died."

He looked at me.

"My actual mom and dad, if you couldn't tell, I don't look like Dr. Sattler."

He nods.

"My mom and dad died in a car crash when I was one, and Dr. Sattler adopted me when I was two."

He nods.

He then tries to lighten the mood for me and said "What do you call a dinosaur that sleeps?"

I shrugged

"A stegosnorus."

I giggled.

Then Lex came in.

"I see Dr. Grant didn't want you to ride with him."

"Nope"

I shook my head then the car started moving!

Lex and Tim were shrieking with excitement.

We were approaching the two big wooden doors when Lex said.

"Are we going to hit that?"

"Nope"

Just as I said that, the doors opened and the radio said.

"Welcome to Jurassic Park!"

I really hope this tour will go alright.