Subtitle: The Ian Malcolm Chapter.
Claire was on her way to lunch when she heard her text tone. She checked her phone and saw a "real-time location" notification from a blocked number. The location was on the north side of the island, above the park. She could get there by vehicle in twenty minutes. Claire decided to skip lunch and headed to the parking lot. She tried to clear her mind of all thoughts and just be in the moment as she drove to her destination. When she reached the coordinates, Claire saw a familiar InGen-marked SUV and breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she saw him, sitting on the ground and leaning his back against a tree by the lake.
Owen turned his head when he heard her car. At least, he assumed it was her car. He didn't tell anyone else where he'd gone after getting off the phone with Hoskins and being released from custody. Claire was the only person Owen wanted to see right now. It was only fair, after she summoned him to the botanical gardens at dawn. Claire didn't let him down. He watched her walk awkwardly toward him in a navy blue dress and black pumps. Owen wondered if she'd feel comfortable sitting next to him in the grass. He wordlessly motioned her to his right side. Claire raised her eyebrows and smiled, "I'm not getting grass stains on this dress."
"Have it your way," Owen teased as he criss-crossed his legs and patted his lap for her to sit there instead. She took off her pumps, sat in his lap, and leaned her back against his right side. Owen kissed her neck, giving her goosebumps. After several minutes of silence, Claire asked, "Why here?"
"This is where I'm going to live," he replied. Claire was confused, "Where do you live now?"
"I have a trailer. It's currently parked next to the raptor paddock." Claire feigned gagging. "I know," Owen laughed, "This spot is more befitting a loner."
"It's beautiful here." Owen could feel Claire's heart pounding and wondered whose was beating faster. She asked hesitantly, "You're still employed then?"
"Yes," he sighed. "Two week suspension without pay. Oh, and Henry said I can't come to the lab alone ever again." He paused then added sheepishly, "Sorry if I caused any trouble for you."
"You didn't hurt anyone, and Henry probably deserved it."
"He knows we're...communicating."
"I know. I saw him yesterday...after whatever pulled ACU off my radar."
Owen sighed, "I don't want to talk about that." He kissed her neck again. Claire closed her eyes and moaned, "What are you doing to me?"
"Distracting you." Just then, Claire's phone rang in her pocket. Owen groaned, "Turn that thing off or it's going in the lake."
"You may be suspended," Claire scoffed, "but I am still a very important person to the park."
"Can't you just be a very important person to me right now? I came to the gardens for you."
"As if there was nothing in it for you," she huffed.
"And there's nothing in this for you?" Owen lightly nipped her earlobe with his teeth. He could tell she was breathing more heavily. Claire turned herself around in his lap and pushed his back against the tree, "If you want to mess around, let's mess around." She was careful not to touch the left side of his chest when she pressed against him and kissed him hungrily. Owen had not expected her to be so aggressive and almost lost it. She was pinning him so hard that he felt like he couldn't move without re-injuring himself. He uncrossed his legs, forcing her legs to the ground and breaking her vise grip on him. Claire surprised him again by suddenly unpinning him and opening his pants. Owen broke their kiss, "I thought you didn't want grass stains?" She smiled seductively, "This is just about you today."
"Are you sure?" Claire didn't answer before resuming their deep kiss and wrapping her hands around him. Owen was almost embarrassed by how quickly he came. Almost. As he caught his breath, Claire smiled at him like the cat who ate the canary. She stood, brushed the grass and dirt off her knees, and slid her feet back into her pumps. Owen struggled to put his pants back together and stand before she started to walk away from him. He caught one of her hands and whispered, "You own me." Claire licked her lips, "You owe me." She squeezed his hand and added sympathetically, "I'm sorry...for whatever happened yesterday."
"Thanks." Owen let go of her hand and watched her leave. He wondered what she saw in him, a guy who lives in a trailer next to his job site, throws rocks through windows, and makes her job more difficult. Regardless, Owen wished he could spend the next two weeks in bed with her.
"The eagle has landed," Lowery announced gleefully as he, Vivian, Claire, and Zara watched Ian Malcolm step off the Jurassic World ferry on the the control room screen. It was the best day of Lowery's life on the island. Claire and Zara groaned, almost in unison. Vivian laughed. Lowery turned to Zara, "You think you'll be able to diagnose a more specific Personality Disorder by the end of the day?"
"I may have to formulate a new classification as unique as him," Zara said with a wink. "Alright, last chance to review the itinerary." Claire had already memorized the itinerary - all the good that endeavor would do. Ian Malcolm was famously unpredictable and might balk at everything her team had planned for the day. Transparency was the word of the day. Jurassic World had nothing to hide. InGen might be another story, but Claire had no control over that. It was her idea to meet him inside the Innovation Center, near the monorail stop. Miranda thought it was risky and wanted her to meet him at the ferry landing. Claire wanted park operations to be consistent with its transparency and show that they trusted Dr. Malcolm. She was not going to walk on eggshells around him, but she wasn't a babysitter either. It was a fine line to walk, and Claire felt confident that she was up to the task. Lowery clicked from camera to camera so that they could watch Dr. Malcolm's movements until he entered the monorail. Other visitors on the monorail asked him for autographs and to take selfies with him. Claire was impressed by how gracious he seemed to be when asked. "Okay," she told them, "Don't spend all day watching us. We'll come here after the 4pm T. rex feeding...if he sticks to the itinerary."
"Good luck," Zara replied as Claire walked to the elevator. Claire stopped in the ladies' room to give herself a final look-over. She picked a deep purple knee-length dress that was conservative but not prudish. She wore her hair in a chignon. Claire looked at her phone one last time before leaving the bathroom. There was nothing new from "Voldemort." She re-read, for probably the one-hundredth time, his message from yesterday: "I miss you." No matter what happened today, they had a standing plan for another dawn walk in the gardens before the end of Owen's suspension.
Owen was drinking a mug of coffee and looking out over the lake. He wasn't allowed to go to the paddock to assist with the moving of his trailer, but InGen allowed his staff to relocate it for him. Setting up his new home base gave him something to do. It had been a pleasant, if not lonely, endeavor for the last ten days. Owen decided he needed more than the spartan trailer and was planning to construct a bungalow closer to the water. These were the thoughts he allowed himself during the suspension. He was willfully avoiding thoughts about the raptors and his research project. Owen had no idea what the new normal would be at the paddock after his suspension ended. Hoskins wasn't particularly mad at him and only gave him the suspension to appease Henry. Hoskins made it clear to Owen that he was invaluable and irreplaceable to InGen. Barry came by the lake once a day to talk about mundane things and slip in a few updates about the pack. It didn't help Owen to hear that they seemed "lost" without their Alpha. Barry seemed a little lost without his Omega. Owen thought he was fortunate to have Genevieve.
After the media obtained a guest's smartphone video of the amber flying through the glass and his being escorted away from the lab, Owen nixed any thoughts of spending a significant portion of his suspension with Claire. He did not want to and, frankly, could not (on account of his suspension) talk to the media. InGen PR took the lead, as expected, minimizing the incident as a disagreement between staff and referring to Owen as a "spirited employee." As Claire intimated, the focus was on the fact that no one was harmed - save for Owen's pride. Someone from Jurassic World media relations spoke to the press, apologizing for any alarm that the incident caused guests and emphasizing that the clean-up and management by park staff showed how capable they were of handling "unexpected drama." Claire was not talking to the media. In fact, she had texted Owen the word "embargo" when he asked. Her Time Magazine cover somehow hinged upon today's Ian Malcolm visit. Owen didn't have a remote understanding of the situation, but he knew Claire was anxious and busy. He had an overwhelming sense of powerlessness in his professional and personal lives. It was a very uncomfortable position for Owen. He had revealed very little to Claire during their few phone conversations and text messages since her visit to the lake. Owen had already decided not to contact Claire at all today. He didn't want her getting "caught" knowing things that she shouldn't know. He wanted her to have plausible deniability and appear genuinely surprised if certain things were discussed or occurred. Owen also didn't want to distract her. As he looked out over the lake, he mused that this was not likely a good starting point for a relationship.
"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Malcolm," Claire said earnestly while shaking his hand.
"Are you sure?" he teased.
"Absolutely. Your insights and feedback helped make Jurassic World what it is today."
"You say that with such conviction."
"I bring conviction to everything I do."
"That sounds exhausting." Dr. Malcolm smiled at her, and Claire couldn't help smiling back. "Now, what do you have planned for us today?"
"Several things," Claire cleared her throat, "Is there anything in particular that you would like to see?"
He grinned at her, "Oh, plenty, but out of respect for you, let's stick to whatever you have planned. At least, for the time being."
"I appreciate that," Claire said with a nod. She could hardly believe he was just going along with this. Claire had prepared for some sort of battle. Before getting too cocky, she reminded herself that he could switch on a dime. Claire led Dr. Malcolm through the Innovation Center. He nodded to the statue of John Hammond and then gave Claire an unsettling look. She shook it off, and they continued to the lab. Henry was waiting for them, wearing his lab coat, and doing his rounds. He slightly sniggered at their approach. Before Henry could say anything, Dr. Malcolm announced to the room, "There's not enough joy in here. I was expecting something closer to Santa's Workshop."
"Hello, Ian," Henry smiled smugly.
"Henry," Dr. Malcolm said while gesturing with one hand as if addressing royalty. "I'd make a joke about promising not to break anything in here, but I suppose you wouldn't find that funny now."
"I haven't lost my sense of humor. Besides, everyone needs a little spice in their life. Don't you agree, Ms. Dearing?"
Claire was unflustered and just smiled, "You know me well, Henry."
"Ms. Dearing and I have a very collegial working relationship. I do think it's one of her secrets to success as Senior Assets Manager."
"You always got along well with John Hammond," Dr. Malcolm interjected.
"The park has a well-developed support structure beyond anything that John Hammond imagined, Dr. Malcolm," Claire asserted, "I'll be introducing you to my core staff later today." Dr. Malcolm looked around the lab and watched the guests in the hallway "ooh and ah" through the glass walls. Henry interrupted his quiet contemplation, "Still think this is 'mad science'?" Dr. Malcolm smirked, "It's science, and it's mad, but it's not 'mad science.' Congratulations, Henry." The two men shook hands, and Claire caught what looked like a sigh of defeat from Dr. Malcolm. When she and Henry made eye contact, they were both pleasantly surprised. Claire thought, however, that Henry seemed suspicious as he watched her lead Dr. Malcolm out of the lab.
Claire was mentally ticking off itinerary items as the afternoon progressed. Dr. Malcolm said very little as they toured the pachy arena, underwater observatory, and the Cretaceous Cruise area. She warmly and confidently reviewed park statistics and safety features. After living on the island for over four years, Claire not only had data to present but also poignant anecdotes about the staff and assets. The more she spoke, the more confident she became. This was truly Claire's island, backwards and forwards. She noticed that Dr. Malcolm was particularly taken aback when they reached the aviary. Claire knew that he had never seen pteranodons during his previous visits to the islands. She decided to mirror his reticence and wait for him to speak. Claire laughed to herself, thinking that her few experiences with Owen had taught her to feel more comfortable with silence. Dr. Malcolm still hadn't spoken by the time they boarded the monorail for the Gallimimus Valley stop. He turned to her as soon as the doors shut, "What were you ruminating on back there?" Claire was caught off guard but recovered quickly, "I was trying to give you space and time for your thoughts."
"Certainly," he laughed, "You needed to give your voice a rest." He shifted to being earnest, "You've been using your marketing smile all day, but something different just broke through. It was prettier." She swallowed and said nothing. Dr. Malcolm appeared guilty, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude on your private thoughts. So, gallimimus, huh? Alan and Tim really enjoyed them...before the T. rex did." Claire gibed, "You should keep a rimshot sound effect button in your pocket to follow your jokes."
After the aviary, Dr. Malcolm started to talk more. He got in a few digs about InGen's past missteps and some of Masrani Global's less flattering enterprises, but he genuinely seemed in awe of the park. Dr. Malcolm passed on the gondola ride, however, telling Claire that his past helicopter "tours" of the island were enough. They were subsequently running ahead of schedule. Claire decided to use some time before the T. rex feeding to show him the Aquatic Park. Dr. Malcolm joked about not bringing his swim trunks and then asked Claire if she was planning to change into a bikini. She felt uncomfortable with how he looked at her when he said it. Claire didn't feel like he was leering at her, but there was something sinister behind his eyes. It reminded her of how he looked at her near the John Hammond statue. She brushed it off by saying that today wasn't "casual Friday." Claire was unnerved and walked in relative silence toward the T. Rex Kingdom. She looked forward to rejoining her team in the control room. Claire was pleased to discover that the T. rex show muted Dr. Malcolm once again. He even refused autograph seekers in the viewing area. Claire thought that Dr. Malcolm appeared more pensive than he had all afternoon. He lingered at the glass after the majority of the other guests headed to the exit. The T. rex paid no attention to him. Claire wondered if Dr. Malcolm was offended. In the midst of the stillness, she fought the urge to check her phone. Out of respect for Dr. Malcolm, and at the directive of PR, Claire had kept it in her pocket with the ringer completely off all afternoon. He truly had her precious, undivided attention. She eventually positioned herself on the opposite end of the glass window where he was standing.
"In twenty years," Dr. Malcolm said while watching the carnivore, "everything has changed but nothing is new." Claire listened intently and waited for him to continue. "Your boss is right. This place makes people feel insignificant...and frozen." He swallowed and finally looked toward Claire. Dr. Malcolm had that same, strange gaze from before.
"Did you tell her?" Barry asked anxiously.
"No. We're not supposed to talk with park operations, remember?" Owen responded condescendingly. Barry rolled his eyes, "Do you talk?" Owen smirked, "Not much." They both laughed before Owen continued, "I don't think she'll be upset with me. She'll have an opportunity for an honest reaction in front of Ian Malcolm." He took a deep breath, "I wanted to tell him not to interrupt her important day, but then I would've revealed too much." Owen looked out over the lake, and his friend picked up on his melancholy mood. "You don't go after the easy ones, do you?" Barry teased. "That wouldn't be 'consistent' with your character to do so." Owen was exhausted from keeping so much inside and trusted that Barry was the right confidante. "Look," Owen began, "I never wanted something difficult. I didn't want anything at all...before I met her. I don't even really know her, but she has this effect on me - like a spell. It's maddening and thrilling at the same time. In a way, it's helpful to hide behind the contact prohibition."
"Maybe you just need to sleep with her."
"I already have." Barry was legitimately shocked and speechless. "Just one time. The night of the hatching, and it was the hottest sex I ever had."
"Maybe it was so hot because it's forbidden." Owen frowned, "I hope not."
"You got it bad, my friend," Barry laughed. "See her more. Talk. De-mystify it. See if she feels the same way." Owen went quiet. He didn't like feeling vulnerable. It scared him to think she didn't feel the same way. Barry almost read Owen's mind, "You're over-thinking again. Life is too short for that. I wish I could show you a picture of your face after you met her in the gardens."
"I see your face after you spend time with Genevieve."
"I don't mean to rub it in." Barry smiled and patted Owen on the shoulder before bidding him adieu.
Claire felt uneasy sitting in the restaurant across from Ian Malcolm. She wished they were still in the control room. Watching Lowery sputter in front of him had been priceless. He lost his ability to make wisecracks while Vivian held her own and showed off her formidable multi-tasking skills. Zara did not make an appearance due to being busy with something unexpected that she promised to explain after Dr. Malcolm boarded the ferry back to the mainland. Claire knew that the unexpected was part of her job, but she had felt on her toes all day and wanted some relief from it. She brought Dr. Malcolm to the top-floor restaurant in the resort that overlooked the lagoon as the "final stop" of their day. He made a joke about sea bass that went over her head, and they had been silently perusing their menus for the last minute. Dr. Malcolm suddenly looked up at her and asked, "Do you see eggs Benedict on the menu?"
"No," Claire answered suspiciously.
"Must be tonight's special." Ian cleared his throat and said under his breath, "Incoming."
"Ian Malcolm, how the hell are you?" Billy Brennan asked jovially. Claire fought the urge to roll her eyes and wondered if Billy was Zara's "something unexpected." Dr. Malcolm couldn't hide the irritation in his voice, "We've never actually met, Billy."
"That's right," Billy quipped, "You've been so vocal against my employer, I guess I feel like I know you already." He turned to Claire, "Good evening, Ms. Dearing. You look lovely as always. Sorry to interrupt your dinner."
"Why are you interrupting?" she asked with a forced smile.
"I just wanted to say hello to Ian while he was here. Alan always said how...amusing he was." Dr. Malcolm rolled his eyes, "Such a happy coincidence we're on the island at the same time." Billy shifted into his serious, spokesperson mode, "I'm meeting with park operations tomorrow and needed to confer with InGen staff today."
"Checking up on the Neanderthals working on your pet project?" Dr. Malcolm asked mockingly.
"We're all dedicated to our jobs. Aren't we, Claire?"
"Yes," she responded confidently while hiding sudden alarm. Claire wondered if he knew something about her and Owen. She shuddered on the inside at the thought of Henry gossiping to Billy. Dr. Malcolm gave her a puzzled look.
"This is an extraordinary place," Billy said with sincerity. "Unparalleled entertainment and scientific value. Worlds collide for fun and learning, and everyone is working together to keep it that way. I hope you have a better appreciation of that now." Claire was impressed. The Billy Brennan who had been so reassuring during that first press conference about the raptors just nailed it in person. Dr. Malcolm did not employ a snarky comeback before Billy apologized once more to Claire and excused himself. Their waiter was at the table in a flash to take their orders. When they were alone again, Dr. Malcolm clicked his tongue and said, "Do you know what that was really about?"
"Enlighten me," she replied.
"I wanted to see them - the raptors - while I was here. InGen denied my request. No one told you?"
"Velociraptor research is outside the purview of park operations. I don't manage those assets."
"You trust the wild men who do?"
Claire rolled her eyes and shook her head, "They are scientists who care deeply about their work. They know their raptors best. They have to protect themselves from danger every day. They keep everyone else safe, too."
Dr. Malcolm clapped, "Bravo, Claire. That was an impassioned plea, the likes of which I haven't heard from you all day." She sharpened her gaze at him. He smirked, "I've been studying you. You like your job. Perhaps, it's the power...the control? But you're not passionate about it. In fact, you're emotionally detached from it. Don't get me wrong. That's a really good thing for your position. John Hammond was too emotionally attached - one of his downfalls - so he lost the forest for the trees...uh...dinosaurs." Dr. Malcolm paused to laugh then added, "There is so much more than the 'Domino's principle' going on with you."
"What is the 'Domino's principle'?" she asked with irritation in her voice.
"Domino's pizza figured out, decades ago, that you always have women answering the phone to take the orders. Customers buy more and are willing to consider more add-ons when women are at the other end of the phone line. It's not sexism; it's good business."
"You think I have my job because I'm a woman?"
"I think it's one of the reasons. I much preferred spending the day with you compared to John Hammond. To your credit, you're excellent at delivering those company lines, but you're not a whore for your employer." Claire knew he was trying to get a rise out of her by using the word "whore." She now understood his strange gaze throughout the day. Dr. Malcolm was testing her and, by extension, the park. The waiter arrived with their appetizers, and Claire felt like a sitting duck. She worried about how to respond to further questions from him. Claire had made a conscious effort to rein in her emotions after his "wild men" remark, but he was too observant. She suddenly wished she had ordered a glass of wine. After several bites of his salad, Dr. Malcolm broke the awkward silence, "Relax, Claire. I don't have an issue with you. I'm just fascinated by you."
"I'm flattered," she deadpanned.
"You are an enigma. Before we met, I assumed that you had some personal investment in Jurassic World. Why else would an attractive, well-educated woman choose to live on this tiny island far away from the comfortable, cosmopolitan, Ivy League world?"
"I am personally invested. I ran the marketing department for three years before I became Senior Assets Manager."
"Ah, well, there's a difference between personal investment and enjoying the rarefied air."
"You find me cold and egotistical."
"I didn't say that," he chuckled, "You did." Claire was getting frustrated and didn't know where he was going with all this. "Claire, to be honest, I think anyone in a position of authority at Jurassic World and InGen is an egotist. You're all flippantly wielding power with little thought to the consequences. How can this park teach humility to guests if its leaders don't possess that quality?" He raised one eyebrow and stared her down while she maintained her stone face. Their waiter was confused and anxious when he brought the entrees. He whispered nervously, "Enjoy your food," before slinking away quickly. Dr. Malcolm took a deep breath, "Maybe your emotional detachment is your defense mechanism - to distract you from the difficult questions surrounding this park and your role in it."
"I thought you were a mathematician, not a psychologist," Claire scoffed.
"A high level of abstract thought is required in complex mathematics. It's not so different from making interpretations about human behavior. Plus, one of my ex-wives is a psychiatrist. Her greatest gift to me was validating that humor is a mature defense mechanism. She would probably say that both of us are 'well-defended.'" Claire smiled at him and relaxed a bit. "For what it's worth," he added, "I prefer egotists who are emotionally detached to hotheaded ones. Breaking things is definitely not a mature defense mechanism."
"Oh, c'mon," Claire teased, "I would've thought you enjoyed Henry's office wall getting smashed."
"Yes, I did actually. It's one of the reasons I wanted to meet Owen Grady. He's clearly a passionate guy." Claire shrugged her shoulders and nodded slightly but remained tight-lipped. She reminded herself that it was almost over and hoped that he wouldn't order dessert. They ate largely in silence, and Claire wondered if Dr. Malcolm would try to make another interpretation of her behavior. As he was finishing his meal, he asked almost rhetorically, "The raptors challenge your defense mechanisms, don't they?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's harder to be emotionally detached when such a threat exists. A threat over which you have no control. Sounds like a real disaster for you. I mean, in terms of an internal conflict."
"I manage." Claire was unable to fully dampen the condescension in her voice. Dr. Malcolm shook his head and smiled, "There you go again, confirming that I stuck a nerve. You must have a complicated relationship with those raptors...or...you're sleeping with Billy." Claire literally bit her tongue to prevent herself from responding. She felt placed in a double bind. Claire couldn't come up with an answer that would allow her to escape this conversation without giving up more information. She audibly breathed out and stared at him blankly. Dr. Malcolm relented, "I'm sorry. It appears I've over-stayed my welcome. Thank you for the lovely day in Jurassic World." Claire stood when he did as a sign of respect. While shaking her hand, Dr. Malcolm pulled in close and whispered, "I won't write about you, but I hope to understand you better someday."
A/N: I'm curious as to others' thoughts on my depiction of Malcolm and his interactions with Claire. Please let me know. Non-Malcolm feedback is, as always, welcome!