Crimson Eyes
Title: Crimson Eyes
Rating: T
Fandom: Jurassic World
Summary: The Indominus Rex had a parent, someone who take care and interacted with her. But after she was torn apart from him, she was placed in solitude. Years later, she sees an opportunity to escape and takes it, beginning her search.
The TV showed several clips of Isla Nublar as Philippa Thomas read the news. "It's been half a year since the closure of Jurassic World and the debate over Isla Nublar rages on. The island's long dormant volcano, reclassified as active, has shown considerable unrest in recent months. Theologists now predict and extinction level event will kill off the last living dinosaurs on the planet,"
"Activists have mobilized around the globe in what has become the flashpoint animal rights issue of our time. With an eruption at any moment, the US Senate has convened a special committee to answer a grave moral question: Do dinosaurs deserve the same protections given to other endangered species, or should they be left to die?"
The scene changed to Ian Malcolm and Senator Sherwood. It was Malcolm who spoke first. "I think that we should allow our magnificent, glorious dinosaurs to be taken out by the volcano. As deeply sad as that would be, we altered the course of natural history. This is the correction,"
"Are you suggesting the almighty is taking matters into His own hands?" Sherwood asked.
"Senator, with all due respect," Malcolm continued. "God's not part of the equation. No, what I mean is that in the last century, we amassed a landmark technological power. We've constantly proven ourselves incapable of handling that power. Eighty years ago, who could've predicted nuclear proliferation? By then, there it was. And now, we've got genetic power. So, how long is it gonna take to spread around the glove, and what's gonna be done with it? It won't stop with the de-extinction of the dinosaurs,"
"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about," Sherwood said.
"I'm talking about manmade, cataclysmic change," Malcolm explained. "Change is like death. You don't know what it looks like until you're standing at the gates,"
In the San Francisco headquarters of the Dinosaur Protection Group, Zia was speaking to a woman on the phone. "As a matter of fact, I do have the dinosaurs' best interests in mind. I'm a paleo-veterinarian,"
"Is that a real thing?"
'Yes, it is a real thing," Zia nodded her head as she smiled.
"You've seen one?"
"No, I haven't seen one with my own eyes," Zia beckoned Claire over to her desk and handed the phone to her.
"Hello, um…Congresswoman Delgado. I'm Claire, the lead organizer here…Of course, but if I can just have a moment of your time?" Claire high-fived Zia as she walked away to continue the conversation.
"That was, like, forty seconds," Franklin, who sat in the desk in front of Zia, commented. "You're getting better,"
"You gotta stop letting your mom shop for you," Zia snapped.
"You don't need to insult me every time someone pisses you off," Franklin said.
"Dude, I'm a doctor, not a telemarketer," Zia told him. "What's your job again? You plug in the cords, right?"
"It's actually more important than it sounds," Franklin claimed.
Claire was still on the phone with the congresswoman. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Go on,"
"Do you have kids?"
"Two girls,"
"An entire generation has grown up in a world where dinosaurs are living and breathing," Claire stated. "But soon, they're going to have to watch them go extinct. Or not. It's people like you who make a difference," After hearing that the woman would agree to help, Claire ended the call. She turned up the volume on the TV to hear the rest of the news.
"After thorough deliberations," Sherwood announced. "The committee has resolved to not recommend any legislative action regarding the de-extinct creatures on Isla Nublar. This is an act of God, and while of course, we feel great sympathy for these animals, we cannot condone government involvement on what amounts to a privately owned venture,"
Claire turned off the TV. "They're all going to die and no one cares…" She turns to the others. "Has Mr. Masrani and Alaina returned from Italy yet? Do they know if the Italian government will help rescue the dinosaurs?"
"They haven't returned yet," Zia informed.
"Let's hope they get their support before Mount Sibo erupts," Claire sighed. Her phone rang and she answered it. "Hello?"
"May I speak with Ms. Dearing?"
"Yes, this is Claire Dearing,"
"Good morning. I'm calling from Mr. Benjamin Lockwood's estate. Would you mind holding for a second?"
"Yes, of course. I'll hold,"
XXX
Claire drove up to Lockwood Manor and walked up to the door. Iris Caroll, the housekeeper, opened the door. "Ms. Dearing, you're early. Would you like to step in?"
"Thank you," Claire entered the manor.
"I will inform Mr. Mills that you've arrived," With that said, Iris exited the room. Claire saw the multitude of portraits of different people adorning the walls. She stopped and focused on one of John Hammond.
"John Alfred Hammond, the father of Jurassic Park," Mills said as he walked over to her. "But of course, you knew that. Hello Claire, I'm Eli Mills and I work for Ben Lockwood. We actually met once, seven to eight years ago. You probably don't remember—"
"Of course I remember," Claire said. "You've been running his foundation since…"
"Since college," Mills finished. "He wanted someone young and idealistic to expand his fortune. I used to be both. Please follow me," He led her into another room where several dinosaur related things occupied. "Let me give you a bit of history. This is where it all began. Before the island, Sorna, Jurassic Park, all of it. Hammond and Lockwood built a custom lab in a sub-basement where they extracted the first DNA sample from amber. It's all here, right beneath our feet,"
"What they did here was a miracle," Claire gaped. "I still can't believe that,"
"So do I, Claire," Mills agreed. "And I still believe that what happens to those animals matter. There is something Mr. Lockwood would very much like you to do, Claire. You can call it a favor for an old friend. We have a piece of land, a sanctuary, protected by natural barriers. It's fully self-sustaining. A new home where dinosaurs will be safe and free,"
Claire stared at him with disbelief. 'We don't have to wait for the Italian government's answer. We can hurry up and rescue them much sooner,' "You're gonna get them out? You're gonna save them?"
"No, Ms. Dearing, I'm going to save us," Benjamin Lockwood entered the room, though he looked extremely ill. "We could both use a touch of redemption, couldn't we? This was all John Hammond's dream, to let those creatures live in peace. So we have created a sanctuary. No, fences, no cages, no tourists. Just as Mother Nature intended. John said it best: 'These creatures don't need our protection. They need our absence.' When we were young, we both shared this passion, John and I. What fools we were, trying to run before we'd learn to walk, as all young men do, I suppose. But we learned. Unfortunately, in the end, it drove us apart. Life teaches us very hard lessons,"
Iris reminded Lockwood that it was time for his medications. Claire caught sight of a child and Iris informed her that it was Lockwood's granddaughter. After Lockwood and Iris left, it was just Claire and Mills. "So, what do you need from me?"
"There was a tracking system at the park," Mills recalled. "Radio frequency ID chips in each dinosaur. If we could access that system, our ability to locate and capture those animals safely will increase tenfold. We need your handprint to access the system. But what I really need is you, Claire. Moving endangered species isn't exactly legal, but it's the right thing to do. No one knows this park as well as you do and we need that expertise,"
"How many can you save?" Claire questioned.
"Eleven species for sure," Mills answered. "I mean, more if we can. But time is against us I'm afraid. There is one animal, in particular, that will pose a real challenge for us,"
"Reggie?"
"No, not the Indominus," Mills shook his head. "We already have Alistair Rei's cooperation. The Velociraptors are the trickiest creatures. They don't seem fond of humans,"
"They're fonder of Owen than Alistair since Owen raised them from birth," Claire stated. "But he doesn't seem to care about Nublar anymore. He's not even part of the Dinosaur Protection Group,"
"Maybe you could convince him to help?"
XXX
Claire arrived at the location where Owen was currently building his cabin. "Owen! Hey, Owen!"
Owen stopped hammering and turned to her. "Back for more, huh?"
"Can I buy you a beer?" Claire offered.
"You mean bring 'em, or are we gonna like go somewhere?" Owen asked.
Claire and Owen headed over to the closest bar and Claire bought a round of drinks for the two of them. After a few minutes of catching up, Claire decided to bring the topic of Isla Nublar up but Owen already knew why she was there. "Lockwood's little flunky called me. Rescue op. Save the dinosaurs from an island that's about to explode. What could go wrong?"
"I'm going," Claire told him.
"Don't,"
"I don't have a choice," Claire claimed.
"What? Of course you have a choice," Owen corrected her. "Alistair had a choice to leave the island but he decided to stay there to die with them,"
"So what? I should just build my own cabin?" Claire asked. "Play pool? Drink beer all day? While these dinosaurs go extinct?"
"Yeah,"
"Blue is alive,"
Owen groaned. "Jesus, Claire,"
"You raised her," Claire reminded. "You've spent years of your life working with her. Are you just going to let her die?"
"Well…yeah," Owen shrugged. "I'm not a suicidal man like Alistair,"
"Forget it," Claire stood up. "There's a chartered flight leaving tomorrow. You're on the manifest. I just thought I should let you know,"
After reviewing some videos he had of the raptors when they were babies, Owen had a change of heart and decided that he would go.
XXX
Owen, Claire, Zia, and Franklin arrived on Isla Nublar where they encountered Ken Wheatley and Vic Hoskins. Owen eyed Hoskins suspiciously as introductions were exchanged. 'Why would he help run a rescue op? He doesn't care about the dinosaurs. Something's going on here,'
Hoskins noticed Owen's glare. "I had a change of heart, you know. People change. I mean, Claire didn't care about the dinosaurs before and now look at her. She's saving the dinos,"
'I doubt that he changed,' Owen thought but didn't say anything.
A loud bellow was heard and Zia ran off in the direction it came from, despite other mercenaries warning her that the area wasn't secured. They caught sight of a Brachiosaurus passing by and eating a mouthful of leaves from a nearby tree. "Look at that. Never thought I'd see one in real life. She's beautiful,"
"Where's Alistair?" Owen asked.
"He's already out helping to capture some dinosaurs," Wheatley lied.
'They're lying,' Owen realized. 'But by their equipment, I can tell that they are getting dinosaurs off the island. Why are they lying about Alistair's whereabouts?'
XXX
Claire managed to access the system and found the location of the Velociraptors. Owen and Zia left to go find them. After a while, Owen ordered Wheatley and his men to stop their trucks. He held pieces of meat in his hands as he approached a turned over jeep. A few Compsognathuses fled from the jeep as Owen drew closer.
Blue suddenly jumped onto the jeep and let out a hiss directed at the man. "Traitor alpha!"
"You abandoned pack!" Delta appeared out of the brush.
"You are with bad humans!" Echo snarled from beside her sisters.
"Bad humans took Reggie and Alistair!" Charlie barked. "Bad humans killed Nario!"
"You four know me. I brought you guys something," Owen tossed a piece of meat at Blue who growled in response. "Okay…Eyes on me,"
"Traitor!" The raptors were not being friendly with Owen at all.
"Come on girls," Owen said. "It's me, Owen, your alpha,"
"Not alpha!"
A tranquilizer was fired and hit Blue in the neck, causing her to screech and thrash around. "Why are you all just standing around for!?" Hoskins snapped. "Fire!"
"Stop!" Owen yelled but they ignored him as a tranquilizer was fired at each of his raptors.
Delta managed to kill Hoskins before being rendered unconscious. The other raptors also managed to cause some casualties. Blue, despite being the first one hit, still fought to stay conscious as her sisters fell one by one. She lunged at one of Wheatley's men.
"Don't shoot her!" Owen cried out.
But the man, fearing for his life, pulled the trigger. Blue let out a yelp of pain before collapsing.
"Wheatley you son of a bitch!" Owen charged at the mercenary.
Wheatley fired a tranquilizer at Owen. Owen stared down at the tranquilizer and then at Wheatley before falling backwards. Zia rushed over to him and pulled the tranquilizer out, but it was already half empty and had taken effect. She grabbed a fallen gun and pointed it at Wheatley, though Wheatley and his men had her surrounded. "You shoot me, and that animal dies,"
"I think we have the drop on you, sweetheart," Wheatley said.
"Blue's losing blood," Zia reminded. "If I don't treat her, she'll never make it back to camp,"
"How about this then?" Wheatley threatened. "If that animal dies, I shoot you. You're gonna take care of her,"
I really just included Hoskins because I wanted him to die like in the first movie.
I'm thinking of discontinuing this version and starting a rewritten version instead. The rewritten version will be titled Untamable Heart and will be better written with more details. I'm not sure when the first chapter will be published.