Disclaimer: I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind.
3. Welcome To Jurassic World
Masrani and Gwyn were making their way down the visitors center's steps, once again subjected to the blistering heat. A park employee had taken Gwyn's bags to the hotel as per Masrani's instructions, now leaving her to use her arms freely. Gwyn slipped her sunglasses back on and donned her hat, which protected the back of her neck from the sun. The park owner smiled brightly as they set foot on the pavement of Main Street, which stretched all the way down to the tram and branched off to various attractions and places in the park. Different sections of the park were labeled with things like 'Tyrannosaurus Rex Kingdom' and other jargonous phrases, some of which didn't make sense. The restaurant names followed suit, such as the 'Cretaceous Café,' which was the place she'd bought her water earlier. It was very resort-like, and the difference between the two parks was mind boggling.
"Where would you like to start?" Masrani asked, shifting the strap of the bag that was slung over his shoulder. It was one of those bags that was essentially a briefcase, and it had been given to him by the same worker who took her bags. Gwyn glanced around and raised her eyebrows. A breath escaped her lips as they paused in the middle of Main Street. She laughed and shrugged, feeling overwhelmed by the crowds and the possibilities that were laid out before her like a fancy cheese platter.
"I… trust your good judgement, Mr. Masrani," she told him. She placed her hands on the flare of her hips while Masrani took a look around, carefully considering his options. His fingers pattered against the side of his leg and he clucked his tongue a few times; he figured it would be best to ease her into this all. He gestured to a restaurant that allowed open aired dining at tables shaded by umbrellas.
"Let's start with lunch then and discuss whatever questions you have," Masrani suggested. Gwyn nodded and smiled, gesturing for him to lead the way. "This is my favorite restaurant on the island. Excellent food and excellent service." The two were seated at the table of their choice, the server beaming brightly and popping off to go get them water. "So, tell me, Dr. Grant, what questions do you have for me?"
Gwyn pulled her sunglasses off and exhaled slowly, tapping her fingers on the tabletop. There were dozens of questions she could ask… dozens she wanted to ask, though some of them would bring out the snide, sarcastic side of her personality she was convinced she got from her dad. That was a side of her that didn't need to be seen on what was, very nearly, an interview. So she picked a fairly simple one and paused to thank the server who brought by their drinks and took their orders. Noticing her hesitation, Masrani smiled at her warmly and reached out to pat the back of her hand in a fatherly manner.
"Ask anything you may like; as I've mentioned before, I can only begin to fathom the apprehension you must be feeling." Gwyn smiled at him for a moment before clearing her throat and gestured around at their surroundings.
"How is it that park guests get to view the dinosaurs? The other park had you view everything from jeeps, and I can't imagine you kept that feature after what happened," she surmised. Masrani chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, we only use our jeeps for traversing the back roads, and even then we typically use our company vans. Unlike the first park, we have spread our attractions out across the southern half of the island, based around this, the resort. Our monorails deliver guests to and from our attractions; and we take every precaution we can to keep our guests safe while offering an up close and personal experience with our dinosaurs," Masrani explained. He pulled a map out of his briefcase and spread it out atop the table, pointing to different spots. "Here is where we allow our guests to kayak and see one hundred and forty five years of prehistoric history along the way. They see flora and fauna as well as a number of our herbivores––this allows them to come in close proximity with our brachiosauruses. Here is the tyrannosaurus rex paddock, where our guests are kept in a safe and controlled viewing area."
"Safe and controlled…" Gwyn murmured, sounding slightly sarcastic. Every experience she'd had with Rexy––as Muldoon had called her––made her think that 'safe and controlled' were two words that couldn't be associated with a tyrannosaurus. "And… You haven't had any trouble with the tyrannosaur?"
"No; she seems to have mellowed over time, and only comes out when we prompt her to." Gwyn's brows pinched together at the mention of 'mellowing.' That would suggest an older dinosaur, not one who was as old as the current park. Stirring the ice in her cup of water, Gwyn attempted to ignore the gnawing feeling at the back of her head, the weight that gathered in the pit of her stomach.
"Alright then… what about, um, the paddocks. What security measures have you taken with those?"
"We are still using electrical fencing systems to divide the jungle into different paddocks. Though, more dangerous creatures such as the T-Rex have been put into paddocks that are surrounded by concrete. Reinforced concrete that we have been assured cannot be broken."
Gwyn arched an eyebrow dubiously. "Not even by a tyrannosaur?" she deadpanned, sounding doubtful. "Forgive me, Mr. Masrani, but…" she leaned closer to speak quieter, as not to have any of the tourists hear, "I wouldn't trust concrete to keep my safe from a tyrannosaurus rex. They're supposed to way at least four and a half tons, that… that's a weight that could demolish a building if it so pleased."
Masrani clasped his fingers together and placed them atop the table. She wondered if, perhaps, she'd said something wrong. But the park owner nodded as though he understood her worries. She supposed he had to, if he wanted to successfully run the park and avoid disaster. But, somehow, that didn't make her feel that much better.
"All of our concrete is still reinforced. There's not one spot that is not strengthened by something other than stone. If we did not have the confidence that our tyrannosaur couldn't escape, then we wouldn't have allowed the paddock to be built in such proximity of the resort. As I mentioned before, she only comes out when prompted. Perhaps we shall go visit her once we are through with our lunch," Masrani suggested, smiling brightly. Gwyn put on a smile and nodded in tentative agreement to his suggestion. The server reappeared, chipper as ever, delivering their lunch and offering to refill their waters; Gwyn smiled and turned the offer down politely, instead turning to her plate of fish and chips.
Whoever had told her that sitting still while in the heat made it better was wrong. The longer she sat in her seat in one position, the hotter it seemed to get. Gwyn removed her father's hat and shifted her braid over one shoulder, deciding to use the fedora as a fan. Waving it in front of her hat, she popped a french fry into her mouth and then pointed up to the cloudless sky. It was a beautiful day despite the heightened temperature, but the weather could change on the turn of dime. It could change from a gorgeous day filled with sun to a day that was clouded over and sheeting rain; and, if they were horribly unlucky, a horrendous storm could roll in.
"How's your weather tracking system?" she inquired curiously. Masrani chuckled because it felt as though he were being interviewed for a job. That, or he was going through one of those system checks that he'd sat through dozens of times before the park even opened.
"We have six. Two on the north of the island, one on the east side, one of the west, one in the south, and one in the middle of the resort. They are dedicated purely to weather on each corner of the island, keeping in constant contact with one another and our park services, who monitor the goings on here minute by minute, day and night. If a light in a restaurant goes out… we'll know about it. If the fences turn off, we'll definitely know about it. Our emergency services are well trained and ready for anything be it a storm or…"
"An outbreak." Her tone was blunt and her face held a look to match. Masrani inhaled slowly, as though considering what to say next. He splayed a hand through the air and stared at his fingers, pausing mid inhale. Suddenly, Gwyn's stomach flopped unpleasantly and she wondered just how true the words in his emails had been. Just how careful had he been when considering the possibility of an outbreak?
"There are over a hundred security protocols, Dr. Grant, and under each protocol, there are a dozen more that are to be followed systematically. We are prepared for anything," he assured.
He had spoken slowly, carefully, as though it were a spiel he'd given hundreds of times before. Gwyn nodded slowly, popping another french fry into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. From the moment she'd met Masrani, she'd felt the urge to trust him and she always trusted her instincts on that sort of thing; but his change in words was odd to her. His assurance had gone from 'it won't happen again' in the emails to 'there are security protocols and we're ready to everything' in person. Though, Gwyn supposed with this sort of park you couldn't wholly promise an accident would never happen. Dinosaurs were unpredictable, she had first hand experience with that.
"So, um, my job. What exactly does it entail? I've never really heard of a… 'consulting paleontologist,'" Gwyn said with a slight laugh, trying to dismiss the uneasiness in her stomach.
"Ah, yes, of course! As our consulting paleontologist, you will be observing the behaviours of our dinosaurs. At first, of course, you will spend, say, a week at each paddock to notate the baseline behaviours, which will be used as comparisons to their daily behavior; this will allow us to ensure that they are happy. That they are being respected. You will then make weekly visits to the paddocks and send in your reports for reference and research," Masrani explained. Gwyn tapped her fingers on top of the table and then reached up to scratch at the back of her neck, nails scraping across the sun kissed skin.
"I can see how my studies in animal behaviourism would play a part in all that but… what about the paleontology bit? You know, the thing that I have a doctorate for," Gwyn said flatly. Masrani leaned back in his seat and turned his head to stare out at Main Street. Seeming thoughtful, he began to speak.
"I fear that, in time, we may lose sight of how this all became possible. We see ourselves as so big… but, in truth, we are very, very small, aren't we? And you…" he waved a finger at her, turning his gaze away from their surroundings, "you can see that. You have a respect for these creatures that many of us here don't have; you have studied them intimately, closely, and in their basest form. We need that kind of insight here. Your knowledge of dinosaur biology will benefit our scientists and our biologists. We need someone here who has the knowledge that you have. That, and perhaps you might give our guests talks about paleontology and how important it is. For, without it… this… all of this… would not have been possible."
Gwyn continued to rub at the back of her neck, taking in slow, deep breaths. Slowly, she began to nod. Perhaps that would be her true purpose, here––keeping everyone grounded. If she did that, maybe the likelihood of a momentous disaster would be lessened. If she stayed, she could point out warning signs she observed… she could also make notations of her own findings, get a better viewpoint on these brilliant creatures… these powerful, scary, beautiful creatures.
"So… is there a contract I need to sign?" she asked after a quiet moment. Masrani, with a bright grin, reached back into his bag and removed a binder that he placed in the middle of the table. Gwyn gaped at it. It had the capacity to fill two or three inches, and it was filled with papers. If that was the contract, she shuddered to think of all the tedious reading she would have to do. Placing her finger on the front of the binder, which bared the park logo, she gave Masrani a slightly worried look. "Is this… is all of this…?"
"Oh, heavens no. These are just park guidelines, rules, and relevant information for employees. I would suggest you carry it around for the first few days, just in case you have any questions. This, my dear, is the contract," Masrani told her, placing a packet of papers on top of the binder. It was, maybe, fifteen pages long, but none of them were double sided and some of them were bound to be medical release forms. Exhaling slowly, she took the pen Masrani had proffered her. It was sleek and silver, much like the monorail she'd arrived in.
The remainder of the meal was spent in relative silence as Gwyn read through the contract and signed at all the necessary places. As expected, it was mostly tedious reading, but she didn't skip a word or any of the fine-print. She made inquiries as they rose in her head, silently making note of them as she continued forward. When she reached the last page, the last signature line, she paused when placing the tip of the pen on the paper. This was it. One more signature and she was an official employee. She would be working for the franchise that made her feel fearful and filled with awe. Raising her chin a fraction of an inch, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Gwyn flicked her hand gracefully, signing her name in curling loops and slashes that finalized her position at the park. Masrani smiled as she handed the pile of papers back, securing them in his bag to file away later. Gwyn returned the smile and took the hand that he offered her.
"Welcome to Jurassic World, Dr. Grant."
OOOO
Gwyn and Masrani were brought to the front of the line when they reached the Tyrannosaurus Rex Kingdom after he flashed his ID badge. He waggled it at his new employee as they walked along, drawing the paleontologist's attention to the piece of shiny, laminated plastic.
"Tomorrow you'll receive your official ID badge, your own tablet, and the keys to your employee lodgings and company vehicle amongst various other necessities," Masrani explained, clipping the badge to the waistband of his pants. Gwyn nodded and licked her dry lips, thankful as they stepped into the cool interior of the lobby of the tyrannosaur exhibit. On the walls were diagrams comparing the size of a t-rex against a stegosaurus or dilong, the smallest of the tyrannosaurs. Children bounced up and down excitedly and parents chuckled and sighed as their hands were tugged on incessantly. Gwyn was tapping the fedora against her thigh in a strange concoction of apprehension and, dare she think it, excitement.
"Alright, if everyone would please listen for a moment!" called out a park employee. She was dressed in a blue polo shirt and her blond hair was tugged up into a ponytail so tight it looked like it might hurt. "My name is Veronica and I'll be showing you our fiercest dinosaur on the island today. If you'd please follow me, we'll make our way to the viewing area. Now, our tyrannosaurus rex has called this island its home since its birth in nineteen-ninety, making her somewhere in her mid-twenties. Tyrannosaurus rexes tend to be––"
Gwyn, who headed the group of people with Masrani, looked up from the map in her hand, eyes growing wide. Her heart began to thrum faster in her chest as she realized her initial suspicion had just been proven right. Rexy was still alive and thriving, having survived the last twenty-something years on the island; she would have loved to hear how they put her in captivity again. Scratching at the back of her neck, she glanced over at Masrani with a surprised, slightly concerned look. He simply chuckled and leaned down to whisper,
"We shall see if she recognizes you."
Gwyn's lips quirked into a tentative, worried smile as they began to make their way down what seemed to be a tunnel. But it wasn't a tunnel. There were skylights that revealed they were, in fact, outside somewhere. The walls were made of paneled wood and the floor was plushly carpeted. Tourists behind her were chattering excitedly and removing their cameras from the pockets of cargo pants and purses. Veronica stopped them by a set of two, wide windows that allowed them to see inside the paddock. It was lush forest filled with ferns and trees, dense enough to create the perfect amount of cover for the large dinosaur inside.
"Today we will be seeing our tyrannosaurus at feeding time. Down below you will see her favorite food––goat." Sure enough, there was a goat chained up in the paddock in perfect view of both windows. Gwyn stared at it, recalling the first time she'd seen a goat put into such a situation. "Now, our tyrannosaurus tends to be a bit shy, so it may take a moment for her to show up for feeding time."
Down below, a lit flare appeared, tossed or dropped from an indiscernible point. It landed just in front of the goat, sparking and glowing red. After a moment, they all felt the ground begin to tremble.
"We took a note from your father's experience," Masrani told Gwyn, clasping his hands behind his back. "The only way we can draw her out––"
"Is by flare…" Gwyn finished quietly. She remembered seeing her father silhouetted in a glow of red mist and rain, waving it through the air as he drew Rexy away from the jeep she, Lex, and Tim had been trapped in. Transfixed by the glow, she had followed it wherever it was tossed. It only made sense that she responded to it the way she did.
It was as Gwyn thought this over that Rexy finally came into full view. Gwyn didn't hear the excited cries of the park goers around her, didn't mind the feeling of claustrophobia that swarmed her as everyone tried to get look. The fight-or-flight instinct rose sharply in the paleontologist's chest, something that she actively pushed down as the tyrannosaur appeared. She was simply transfixed by the shockingly familiar visage of the dinosaur that had appeared from between the trees. A sense of awe renewed itself in Gwyn's chest, one that made a smile flicker onto her lips. It may have been the creature that nearly killed her––at least twice––but it didn't stop the pure wonder she felt. There was nothing more amazing than seeing a live dinosaur… even after everything she'd been through. Rexy bowed her massive head and snatched up the goat in one bite. Watching as she jerked her head up and down as she chewed, Gwyn tilted her own head and stared at the sharp rows of teeth that were coated in a slick layer of fresh blood. Her nose stung at the memory of its rancid, hot breath and her body shuddered at how close those razor-sharp teeth had been to her face. Rexy turned her head to the left, which let her audience see the right half of her face. Her sandy colored scales were marred with scars. Long, jagged scars that had long since healed, but had been left behind by the claws of a velociraptor. Gwyn took a subconscious step forward, which brought her closer to the glass. She was staring at the tyrannosaur's large, golden-brown eye, feeling like she'd been thrown back in time, feeling like she could very-well be eleven years-old again. But this time, there was less fear. There was almost a sense of respect she felt blooming in the pit of her stomach. Almost. Rexy turned her head ever so slightly and Gwyn could've sworn she felt recognized; but that was probably paranoia. As Rexy turned tail and started to slowly lumber off, Masrani nudged her with his elbow.
"Hm?" Gwyn hummed, watching as the dinosaur rubbed its head against a tree trunk, scraping off some bark.
"There is someone I'd like to take you to meet. Since you are to be working on dinosaur behaviourism, you will likely be working with him quite a bit. His name is Owen Grady; he's our velociraptor handler," he explained.
Broken out of the trance she felt she'd been placed under, Gwyn's head whipped around and she gaped at Masrani.
"Raptors?" she asked. "You have… velociraptors?"
"Yes, of course!" Gwyn's hand rose to touch her chest unconsciously, heart beating faster than it had when she'd seen Rexy again. Her fingers glided over a portion of her scar, and her gaze became slightly distanced. "Their paddock is not yet open to the public. Seeing as velociraptors are… how should I put it?"
"Highly aggressive, dangerous, ruthless, and intelligent pack hunters?" Gwyn offered up rapid fire in a deadpan. Masrani blinked at her shift in tone, vaguely noticing the scar that was mostly hidden by her button down.
"Yes. That." They departed the viewing area ahead of everyone else, allowing them a setting that made it easier for them to speak. "For all of those reasons, I called Mr. Grady in to train them so they might be publicly viewed one day."
"How many?" Her tone was the most forceful it had been all day. Pack numbers were important; it could determine just how aggressive they felt like they could be.
"Four."
"Perfect hunting numbers…" she muttered, fingernails scratching against the side of her leg. Masrani arched his brows, clearly not having caught onto what she'd said.
"Pardon?"
"Nothing, sorry. So, this… Owen Grady, he… trains raptors?" Once Masrani nodded his confirmation, Gwyn snorted and shook her head. That was a sure-fire way to get yourself killed. Sighing, she settled her hat onto the top of her head and grabbed her aviators from her back pocket.
"I'd like for you to meet him, if you have no objections," Masrani said. Gwyn scratched the back of her neck and stepped to the side as a few small children came barrelling past, roaring like a t-rex. That made her smile.
"Is he, uh… working with the raptors right now?"
"I would have to give the paddock a call to find out." Masrani eyed Gwyn's right hand, which still rested flat against the top of her chest, covering the middle of the scar. "I could always arrange for him to meet us elsewhere if you aren't comfortable with––"
"No, no, no," Gwyn dismissed in a shaky voice, waving a hand through the air. "I mean… I'll have to see them sometime, won't I?" Her brain was screaming at her, demanding to know why she hadn't taken Masrani up on his offer to have this meeting take place elsewhere. She would probably regret diving into this whole thing head-first later, but, at the moment, it seemed to be the best way to get into it all. Gesturing to the door as she slipped her sunglasses on, she made to follow Masrani back into the park. "Let's go meet this crazy sonofabitch."
Afterword: So, I did actually mean for Owen to be in this chapter, but… this just seemed like the best way for the chapter to go. He's definitely in the next one. I thought it would be best for Gwyn to get the perameters of her job addressed and get to ask some questions before we dive into her and Owen meeting and interacting.
Review Replies!
Nicole Rhiannon: Thank you, so much! I'm very happy you're enjoying it thus far! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!
Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967: I hope that you enjoyed this chapter just as must as the last one! Thanks again!
heroherondaletotherescue: I figured that the whole slight putting down of paleontology would occur, and that Gwyn would and will shut down anyone who tries to tell her its anything but amazing. I'm glad you're excited to read more! Thanks again!
mckennamarieh: Yay! Glad you're loving it so far; thanks again!
MidnightPenguin: Gwyn definitely has a deep sense of well-earned paranoia and will never truly be at ease in the park. Questioning their motives is definitely something that she'll always be doing. She and Dr. Wu will definitely have an interesting relationship… lots of fights to be had. I hadn't put thought into her being sort of like a vet… maybe her job will start to evolve into that; but she'll mostly be doing behaviour stuff. Also, have to say, your review helped me figure out what the job actually was––took me a while to try and get it down on paper the way I was imagining it––so thank you!
Soarking Hawk1: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks again!
d0 it like a dude: I've got the first few chapters of the prequel done and posted the first one :) I love writing Alan, especially as a dad, it's so funny. We meet Owen next chapter, and that'll be loads of fun! I'm very, very, very flattered you enjoy my style of writing! Also, I've actually been reading your story, and I'm really, really liking it so far! Again, thank you for the review, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
kitsunelover300: It may be forshadowing for when she has kids of her own; I think that she, as a mother, would be a cross between Alan and Ellie, who was very much a mother-figure to her. I actually have the scene where Owen finds out Alan's her dad and I think it's quite funny, actually. I've got some cute little things planned :) I'm also just really looking forward to writing scenes between them! Gwyn will get some more time with Rexy in the future since she is there to observe behaviour. I think recognizing scent could be plausable… it would probably be a very vague recognition, but it would probably be like barely recognizing the smell of a perfume you smelled years ago. My goal is for Gwyn and Claire to at least be friends in some capacity; I feel like she gets painted to be the villain in a lot of OC stories. They'd have their squabbles, but I think they'd get a long pretty well. Before you suggested Gwyn interacting with the Indominus Rex, I hadn't given that any thought… but… I have now, and I've got a couple ideas. Also, I love all the observations you made about the I. rex––I saw the movie twice and didn't pick up on much of that! Thank you, once again, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
InfinityMars: Oh, thank you so much! I'm unbelievably flattered you're liking my take on all this; I always worry I'm doing the franchise injustice when I decide to write a story. Alan's a tricky one to write, but I love writing him! The road of Owen and Gwyn's relationship will probably be a bit rough at first, especially with her distrust of his raptor squad, but, you're right, they would bond over the understanding they're living, breathing, animals that need attention and care. I'm glad that you're gonna be a loyal reader, you're so lovely! Also, I've got the first few prequel chapters done and posted the first one! And Lowery will definitely make an appearance soon… the fanboy shall, indeed, appear ;) I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you once again!
Shnitzel: Dear god, thank you for catching that typo, I went and fixed it, ahaha! Art would totally faint if she saw a dinosaur. She can deal with a lot, but dinosaurs… nah, bro, nah. Anyway, thanks again, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Myra the Dovahkiin: I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far; Owen and the raptors are up next chapter! That's gonna be interesting. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!
Hanna: Super happy you're enjoying the story so far; and thank you for being so lovely! :D
Guest: I hope the chapter was satisfactory, and hope you keep on reading! Thanks again!
hidansgirl1234: I love finding things that I didn't know I needed, and I'm happy that this story is one of those things for you! I'm also very happy that I've struck a good balance of the traits Alan passed on to her while keeping her her own person; I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!
lexzly: The raptors are up next chapter! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!
Guest: I hope that this chapter was as satisfactory as the last two! Thanks again!
And thank you to those who have added this story to their follows/favorites; it means a lot to me!
I cannot express how flattered and happy I am at how many of you are excited to see where this story goes! It really means a lot that you're all taking time to read the chapters and leave thoughtful reviews when you can––it's more than a writer could ever ask for :)
PREQUEL. I made one of those. First chapter is up now under the title Stick Together and Run. It's gonna be one of those things I'm gonna update when I can, but I've got the first three chapters done already. It's just the events of Jurassic Park but with Gwyn and Alan being a nerdy father-daughter duo. You also get to see how their relationship develops, and why Gwyn is the way she is in this story. I actually wrote most of the first chapter of the prequel before the first chapter of this story just to get a grasp on how Gwyn and Alan interact and whatnot. So, go check that out if you'd like!
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again for taking the time to read, lovelies! You all rock!
~Mary
