Whew. I really did not mean for it to take this long before I posted. I had hoped I'd get into the writing "groove" much faster, but it was more of a struggle than I expected. However, I did nano again in November, and managed to write over half of it that month alone. I'm just a couple of chapters away from a finished first draft, so I'm starting to post so that I'll have extra motivation to finish.
As with all my fics, this is/will eventually be clawen.
Prologue
"Hi. I'm Claire Dearing. Mr. Masrani asked to see me," Claire introduced herself to the assistant sitting outside of Masrani's office. She was working hard to make sure she sounded confident, hoping that the assistant couldn't tell just how nervous she was.
In Claire's three years at Jurassic World, she'd met Simon Masrani a total of five times, and four of those encounters had been at group events, where she was sure he probably had no memory of her. Being called up to his office had sort of felt like she was being sent to the principal's office, which was an odd feeling to have at 30, more than a decade out of high school. Maybe that was a feeling that just never went away, no matter how old you got.
"Ms. Dearing, right. Simon is expecting you. Go on in," the assistant replied after a quick check of the computer screen in front of her. She pointed towards the two large oak doors to her left.
"Thank you," Claire said, giving the assistant a forced smile. She walked the couple of steps over to the doors and then took a deep breath before pulling one open.
"Ah, Ms. Dearing," Masrani greeted her, standing up from behind his desk. "I'm so glad you were able to make it. I'm sorry about the last minute invite."
"It's no problem, Mr. Masrani," she said, stepping into the office. From the moment she'd received the invite, she'd known she had to go. She walked over to him and reached out to shake his hand. She tried to keep her focus on him, although she kept getting distracted by the various items in the room — actual dinosaur fossils, a few chunks of amber, and a large globe — and the panoramic view of the park that the floor to ceiling windows displayed behind him.
"Have a seat," Masrani told her, waving her towards a chair as he settled back down himself. "I've heard such great things about you. I've been looking forward to speaking with you. So much more exciting than meeting with investors. They can be so boring and tedious."
He rolled his eyes at that, chuckling a bit. Claire wasn't quite sure how to respond, so she just smiled nervously.
"But enough about that," Masrani continued. "I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to come by. What I could possibly need from you. Well, relax, it's nothing bad at all. One thing I'm always looking for within the park are employees with potential. I like to promote employees, rather than always bringing in new talent. There's something to be said for company loyalty, isn't there?" Claire was thankful when he didn't wait for a reply. "Well, your name has been brought to my attention a few times, Claire—Can I call you Claire?" She nodded. "Great. And I recall our few meetings over the years. We, your manager and I, have been trying to find the right position to offer you. Something that we believe would catch your interest and enthusiasm, and I think we've finally found it."
"Oh?" Claire couldn't help but ask, sitting up ramrod straight in her chair. She had had no expectations going into the meeting, but a promotion was one thing that had never even crossed her mind. Ethan, her manager, had never mentioned that he was looking to promote her. And, to be honest, she'd only been in her current position a few months, so it had still felt a bit too early to start asking.
"Yes," Masrani said with a satisfied grin. "We've just signed a new deal, you see. A joint agreement between Jurassic World, InGen—do you know about InGen? You must, right? You've been here a few years. They're the ones responsible for all our R&D."
"Yes, I've met a few of their employees," Claire confirmed. "Like Dr. Wu."
Masrani nodded. "Ah, Henry. He's an odd duck, isn't he?" he commented, before shrugging the thought away. "Where was I? Oh right, the agreement. The third partner is actually the Department of Defense. Well, sort of. It's with the Navy. I know, I know, you're probably wondering right now what the Navy could possibly want with us and vice versa. After all, we don't even have any ocean dwelling dinosaurs."
"I admit I'm curious," she said when he paused, looking at her expectantly.
"Well, I'll let you in on a little secret. We actually do have an ocean dinosaur in the works. A Mosasaur, you see," he told her in a loud whisper, as if there was a risk of being overheard. It almost made Claire want to look around the room to make sure they were alone, even though she was perfectly aware that they were. "But you can't tell anyone," Masrani added. At that, he laughed. "But, that's actually not what the Navy wants with us. They've been running a program for a few years now, called the Marine Mammal Program. Anyway, they've apparently been having a lot of success with dolphins and have been wanting to expand their program. Move to more land-based animals."
"Like dogs?" Claire asked hesitantly, unsure where Masrani was going. Surely he wasn't suggesting dinosaurs, was he?
"Well, no, not exactly," Masrani replied. "I mean, I suppose they could be doing stuff with dogs. But that's not what they'll be working with us on. No, instead they're interested in Velociraptors." He tilted his head as he studied her. "What do you know about Velociraptors, Claire?"
"Um, not a lot," she admitted. "I mean, I've seen the display about them in the Discovery Center, but we don't have any at Jurassic World. How are they planning to work with them?"
"Ah, good catch," Masrani said. "You're right, we don't have any. But we did. Or, well, Jurassic Park, our first iteration twenty years ago, did. So we know we already have the technology to bring them back."
"And that's what InGen and the Navy want to do?" Claire clarified.
"Exactly," he said with an excited grin. "They want to do a pilot program. I think they're calling it something like I… oh, what was the name. It stood for something. Something, something study of raptors, maybe? I think Intelligence was in the name somewhere. I'll have to check. Anyway, the plan is that InGen will create a couple of batches of raptors. Then, once they hatch, the Navy will be in charge of a training program."
"And what does this have to do with me?" she asked, feeling a bit lost.
"Ah, right, well this leads us back to where I started," Masrani said. "About looking for the right position for you. You see, we need someone to help coordinate this project. To manage the intricacies between InGen, the Navy, and of course, us, Jurassic World, since they'll be running the whole program here on Nublar. Now, I'm sure you're thinking, that doesn't sound like a very big job. That it may even sound like a bit of a demotion from what you're currently doing."
Claire tried to hold back her wince as the remark hit home. She had been thinking that.
"Ah, don't hide it. It's fine. And I'm sure it does seem like that. And we agree. So, while we do want to make that one of your responsibilities, we think it's best to start with someone who doesn't have a bunch of other on the go projects to take it on. Also, as I mentioned, we're working on a Mosasaur right now, which means our asset collection will be growing by two in the near future, between it and the raptors. And I know we'll be soon starting on some other projects. So what we really need is to grow our group of asset managers. We're starting to stretch them pretty thin with the number of species. So, we thought—if you want to, of course—that you might be interested in taking on an Asset Manager role. Assistant, I should say, but that's just to start. I'm sure you'll move up to full one quickly enough. You'd be in charge of this new project, as I mentioned, but you'll also have a couple other species you'll be responsible for. I'm not quite sure which ones yet."
Claire just stared at him, feeling a bit dumbfounded at all the information that had just been dumped on her without so much as a warning. Working with the assets? Managing some of them? She wanted to pinch herself, but knew that wouldn't look very professional.
"So, what do you think?" Masrani asked rather eagerly when she hadn't responded after a long pause. "Are you interested?"
o0o0o0o
"Grady!"
Owen looked up from the paperwork he had been busy scowling over for the past hour to see one of his crew mates peering around the doorway and into the office at him.
"What's up?" Owen asked.
"Captain Braddock wants to see you," Jefferson replied.
"Now?" Owen asked automatically, but he was already pushing his chair back and standing without waiting for a response.
"Yeah," Jefferson said, giving him a quick look of sympathy. "Sorry, man."
"Not your fault," Owen told his friend as he passed by him on his way out of the office.
Owen wanted to walk slowly, to delay getting there as long as possible, but he also knew that Captain Braddock would just find a way to also hold that against him. From the moment Owen had joined the Marine Mammal Program, he and the Captain had butted heads. Of course, the Captain didn't seem to get along with most people. Well, okay, that wasn't completely true. He had his group of pals, but Owen and the people Owen got along with were generally not among those.
Owen knew that if it had been just about their personalities clashing, he would've been able to put up with it (he'd hate it, of course, but he'd be able to deal). But the Captain and him pretty much didn't see eye-to-eye on anything involving the care and treatment of the dolphins.
Owen understood the goals of the project he'd been assigned to—that they were trying to use the dolphins to achieve military ends. But, in his opinion, that should not mean that the animals' needs didn't matter. The research had shown for years how important it was for police and military dogs to have down time, just like people. That they needed breaks and to run around and have fun. Owen felt like the dolphins needed the same. Time to just be themselves, without expectations being placed on their every move.
The Captain, however, didn't see it that way. And that had led to more confrontations between the two of them than Owen could even keep track of anymore. While he had no idea what he could've done to piss the Captain off this time, Owen knew that Braddock rarely needed much of a reason.
Entering the building that held the Captain's office, Owen confidently navigated the hallways until he arrived outside Braddock's office. Faster than he'd preferred, too, much to his dismay.
"Lieutenant Grady here to see Captain Braddock," he announced himself to the Captain's assistant.
"He'll be ready in just a few minutes," the assistant replied, before waving Owen in the direction of a couple of chairs.
Settling down into one, Owen did his best not to grumble under his breath. Of course, the Captain would keep him waiting. He was probably sitting in his office playing solitaire or something, just to get on Owen's nerves. Still, Owen knew it was best to try and keep his frustration under control as much as he could. While he may not get along with Braddock, he did really enjoy his job, and the last thing he wanted to do was to get reassigned somewhere else. Knowing the Captain, it would probably be to some ship out in the middle of nowhere.
The few minutes soon became ten minutes, and then half an hour. When the assistant finally called out his name, letting him know he could enter, Owen almost missed it. By then, he had almost completely zoned out from sheer boredom. However, he didn't waste a minute, leaping to his feet and heading in. The last thing he wanted was for something new to come up and him to end up having to wait even longer. How he wished he was actually back working on the paperwork that had been driving him crazy. At least, that would have given him something to do.
"Captain Braddock, you wanted to see me?" Owen said as entered the office, coming to a stop across from the Captain's desk.
"Ah, Grady, thank you for coming," Braddock said. "Have a seat."
A seat? That was… odd. Did that mean this meeting was going to take a while? Cautiously, Owen sat down. He'd never spent more than a couple of minutes in the Captain's office before, both of them too hot-headed around the other for it to ever be a good idea.
"What's this about, sir?" Owen asked.
"I just got off a very interesting call," Braddock said, placing his arms on his desk as he leaned forward. "Very interesting calls, I should say."
"About… me?" Owen was wracking his brain, trying to figure out if there was something, anything, the Captain could be upset with him about, but he was still coming up empty.
"No, not exactly," Braddock replied. "I mean, yes, in that the calls are why I've called you in here today, but no, they were not about you."
"O-kay…" Owen wasn't sure what that meant.
"What do you know about Jurassic World, Grady?"
The question threw Owen. Jurassic World. The dinosaur park? Why would the Captain be asking him about that?
"Jurassic World? The theme park? The one with the dinosaurs?" Owen asked. "I know of it, of course. But I've never been there. Never been something that interested me." He shrugged.
He was telling the truth. He had never been, but had also never really cared to go. Owen loved animals. It was why he loved his current position in the Marine Mammal Program that let him spend most of his days (minus all the paperwork) around the dolphins. Animals over people had long been his opinion. When he was a kid, he'd loved the zoo as much as the next kid. But as an adult, and as someone responsible for the health and well-being of a group of animals, the idea of zoos had lost their appeal. He'd much rather see animals out in their natural habitats. And so, while dinosaurs were cool, or at least the concept of them was cool, the idea of bringing back an extinct species, and then sticking them in cages, had never appealed to him. No matter how committed to the dinosaurs' well-being the park claimed to be.
He knew that working with his dolphins actually made him a bit of a hypocrite. After all, it wasn't like the dolphins were choosing to be there on their own free will. And, honestly, some days, especially after extra frustrating events, he'd been tempted to "Free Willy" his dolphins. But, so far, he hadn't.
"Really? I would've thought you'd have gone the first chance you had," Braddock said, sounding surprised. "Well, I guess this is going to be a bit bigger news than I expected."
"Did your meetings have something to do with the park?" Owen asked, getting more and more puzzled by the second. "What could they possibly want with the Navy?"
"As you know, the Navy runs many different R&D programs," Braddock started, and Owen nodded. "The dolphin program is just one out of hundreds that we run. Most of them usually revolve around technical advances, like designing better navigation systems and so on. Many of them are run in-house, like the dolphins, but others we work on in partnership with tech companies or other contractors."
"The Navy is going to partner with Jurassic World?" Owen couldn't help but ask when the Captain paused.
"No, well, not exactly," Braddock said. "Have you heard of InGen before?" Owen shook his head. "InGen is the research and development arm of Jurassic World. They're the ones responsible for actually figuring out how to bring back the dinosaurs and all the DNA science stuff. Jurassic World just showcases the animals that InGen produces. Anyway, long story short, InGen and the Navy have been working together on a joint proposal for some research."
"Were there… water dinosaurs?" Owen interrupted. He winced, realizing that he was probably going to make the Captain mad, but pushed forward anyway. "I remember having a dinosaur phase as a kid, but I don't remember any water ones."
"There were some, yes," the Captain answered. "But that's not what this is about. InGen has been very interested in the work we've been doing in the Marine Mammal Program. They want to try out something similar."
"They want to train dinosaurs," Owen said, his jaw dropping. "Really?"
"Not ex–"
"Wait, but what could this possibly have to do with me?" Owen kept on talking. "I know nothing about dinosaurs. I train dolphins."
"Will you let me finish?" Braddock said with evident irritation. Owen opened his mouth, about to ask more, but at the Captain's look he fell silent. "Thank you. As I was saying, InGen has been very interested in our work. They are building out a similar program and want to work with us on the design and implementation of it. They want to replicate what we've done with the dolphins, but with one of the dinosaur species. They've indicated that they believe the species in question is just as intelligent as the dolphins, and potentially even more so."
"Intelligent? Dinosaurs?" Owen scoffed, but he quickly shut up at the glare Braddock sent him.
"This deal, this project, is quite lucrative for the Navy," Braddock continued. "And we've decided it's in our best interest to work with them on it. Most of the people involved in the project will be InGen employees. Because of the nature of the request, and the animals involved, it will be located out on–" He looked down at a piece of paper on his desk. "Out at Isla Nublar, where Jurassic World is located. It won't be in the park. They have a separate area sectioned away from all the people who go there, that is just for stuff like this. It'll be out there."
"Why are you telling me this?" Owen asked, suddenly growing suspicious of all the details he was getting. This sounded exactly like the type of project that the Navy would keep classified. So why would he be being brought in?
"Because they need a trainer. They need someone used to working with animals. Who understands how we've structured our programs. Who can take the work we've done here and expand on it."
"And you thought of me?" Owen wasn't sure what to think about the Captain's comment. It had almost sounded like a compliment.
"Yes, your name came up a few times," the Captain confirmed. "The initial project timeline is for a year, and then based on the progress at that time, we'll determine if we extend it or not. But, we've agreed to lend you to the program for that time."
It took a few seconds for the implications of what the Captain had said to sink in, but when they did, Owen leapt out of his chair.
"You're sending me to Jurassic World? What about my training here? My dolphins? You'll throw all our research off track. You can't do this!"
"The hell I can't," Braddock replied, his voice rising to match Owen's. "You belong to the Navy, Grady. You go where you're assigned. And the decision has already been made. You leave Friday."
For a long moment, Owen just stared at the Captain, fury churning in his stomach, before he turned around and stomped out of the office. He could dimly hear the Captain saying something about having not dismissed him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Besides, what punishment could the Captain do? Not send him to Jurassic World? Because that would actually be great.
So... intrigued? Ready for more? Excited to see where this goes? I hope so. Looks like it'll be about 17ish chapters (plus this prologue) in the end. Similar to EE. I'll be doing my regular Thursday night posting schedule with this fic too.
Anyway, I'm hoping there's still a few of you around reading. If you're out there, please don't forget to favourite/subscribe and drop me a comment so it doesn't feel like I'm just sending this out into a black hole of nothingness.
And before I forget, Massive Kudos to Nadin for all her support with figuring out the whole idea for the story, outlining, editing, general motivation and constant cheerleader-attitude. If only you saw my chapters before she goes through them. 😳 Kudos to Elise for helping me understand military ranks and correcting my complete mangling of them.