Greetings from Books, here for another update.

I appreciate all the reviews, follows, and favorites on Chapter 1. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of reads and responses, making me realize just how many fellow JP/W fans are out there. :) I appreciate your time given and hope you continue to give your thoughts, as well as enjoy what I have to offer.

Thank you all.


"Jurassic World: Why So Blue?"

Chapter 2

"What We've Left Behind"


The whir of the helicopter's engines and propellers thrummed gently outside the cockpit, as smooth flight was comfortably maintained and only broken on occasion by the sea wind. Below them the great blue spread out in all directions, almost endless as it reached out to the horizon stirred with waves capped by white. To a former navy man it was beautiful, yet very familiar.

Gazing out the near window Owen sat stiffly in his seat, as he fixed his dark eyes onto the distant clouds and remained quite silent. After an hour and a half of flight his thoughts were hastened with anxiety, as their destination came ever closer.

What were they going to find on the island? What had they left behind?

Uncertainty was clawing at him, dreading the mission's outcome, until his thoughts were shaken by a rough pat. In lifting his gaze he turned to see Barry looking at him from the opposite seat. The man nodded softly, voicing what he had not.

"What will you do if you find Blue?"

Owen frowned, but his eyes drifted to the floor as his head shook from side to side. If couldn't be an option.

"When I find Blue. If I can try to guess what anything will be like on that island, then Blue is alive and well. She's a smart girl."

Claire's voice continued from his side, "A smart raptor you mean?"

Her correction was sharp and cut at Owen's patience, but he glanced to the red head and grit his teeth. The woman only sighed at his short nod and sat back in her seat, "I know you have good intentions, Owen, but I cant help worry this is a big mistake."

She crossed her arms and didn't meet his gaze, "You really think she'll remember you? Two months have passed and as I recall she did try to kill us once before."

Claire didn't hold much faith in the dinosaurs, as far as real emotions and feelings went. She had improved since the incident but Owen found she still struggled to remember they were living animals, not monsters just because there were born from a lab test tube. Could they not show affection, fear, happiness, and anger as all creatures could feel?

Suppressing his annoyance, Owen shook his head sternly and shifted in his seat, "She'll remember. If lions can remember their trainers after years of separation, then a raptor of her intelligence wont have a problem after two months."

There was an uncomfortable pause, which brought all three pairs of eyes to the floor and thoughts running. Each had their own doubts, and each were tense.

Feeling a need to keep talking, Owen muttered in order to break that painful silence, "When the park fell, Blue was far from tame, I know that. Not many may agree but she trusted me, as did all three of the other raptors. I was a part of their pack and their alpha. When the time came for them to kill me, did they? No."

"And what of the others? If you hadn't been with Claire and the boys in the courtyard they wouldn't have hesitated to kill them."

Barry shifted uneasily in his seat while talking, a small smile on his lips, "Blue even tried to attack me, if you would remember that, Owen."

The man was right, as much as Owen didn't want to admit it. He knew many had died the night the raptors were used and he knew if he wasn't present in the courtyard Blue, Delta, and Echo would have indeed killed Claire and the boys.

The raptors were far from tame, to neither Owen or humanity. He had earned his role as alpha only because they trusted him after his imprinting and years of bonding work. They had seen him as a leader in which to follow with trust rather than a commander in which to obey without question.

Vic Hoskins was a fool to think they were safe for his use.

Huffing, glancing to both friends, Owen pursed his lips. They were concerned for their safety as much as they had a right to be. They weren't wrong for fearing Blue would try attacking them again. Owen's confidence didn't stretch that far.

So, he nodded, "You two should remain in the helicopter with the pilot while I start the search. I've got enough to worry about making sure my own hide stays intact."

Claire's expression twisted for a moment and her lips quivered as if struggling to release a protest. Owen could see the disagreement in her eyes but with her failed attempts to speak he was pleased. She saw the truth in his words, and realized that her safety could not be guaranteed with Blue's presence.

Thankful he would not have to further argue with his friends, Owen shifted his attentions downwards and bent for the black duffel bag resting at all of their feet. Unzipping it he reached inside and retrieved a black compact air-rifle, which was soon joined by a small black box containing a small row of glass vials. On one side there was a soft green tuft, on the other was a hypodermic needle for injecting a clear liquid sedative upon impact.

Owen nodded and lifted a dart before loading it into the air-rifle's chamber, "These Moose Tranquilizers should be enough to put Blue under before she can react and try anything."

The bolt action slid shut and the air reservoir primed, ready for firing.

"Barry. I'm going to need you to take the gun and wait for me to come back with Blue."

Claire looked with interest at the rifle, "Why don't you take it yourself? Why bring Blue back here before sedating her?"

Why? He had plenty of reasons why. It was too risky to take the tranquilizer himself. He would take his hunting rifle for protection but he wouldn't be firing any shots on his own if he had to. If Blue was shot and he was out in the open, things could go wrong in an instant.

Barry had his cover from within the Helicopter. Blue would not sense him so quickly, and the shooter wouldn't be such a sitting duck. Out in the clearing Blue would also be easy to load. There also wouldn't be a chance for them to drag or carry a 300 pound raptor from some thicket in the jungle.

Owen shook his head and continued to give Barry instructions, "The second we get back and come within range, I want you to fire. Once she's out there is a cargo tarp in the storage compartments we can use to carry her out of here."

The gun now loaded and ready for action Owen handed it over to Barry, whom took it in silence as Owen added softly, "Just try to make your first shot count."

A scene of bloodshed and terror went though all three minds -which wrought a shudder from Claire-, but a shift of movement at the front of the helicopter caught their attention. The pilot's voice then rose in awe.

"Isla Nublar, up ahead."

All eyes rose, and Owen sucked in a short breath. He forgot what it looked like.

There, standing upon the sea in all its wild glory was the island, bathed in the sun as it hung above the highest of mountain tops. Even as they flew over the waters and waves broke onto white sandy beaches, Owen couldn't help but smile at the beauty of it all. He would miss this place, when his work here was done and he'd no longer have the reason to return.

Flying onwards sand faded to grass, then dense jungle trees as the helicopter rose up to crest the island's main mountain range. They were coming in from the east, so any of the park's facilities had yet to show themselves from the middle of the island.

Rolling terrain past under them, then cliffs and distant waterfalls. Owen could feel the helicopter lift and out of anxiety his hand gripped the edge of his seat. His eyes fixed ahead waiting for the moment, when they would top the ridge and meet their destination.

When they did, he could only sit back and hold his breath.

Far beneath them a flash of grey immediately caught his attention, proving to be the park's track platform. On it the trained would shuttle loads of guests to different areas of the island and the various attractions. Even from their heights he could see the way it had begun to melt into vines and foliage that insisted it become one with the jungle.

Owen's eyes followed the tracks like a guideline until they came to rest in the middle of a massive valley. Walled off on the north, east, and west side by mountains like a partial bowl, it was here that the trees became thinner, and grassy plains grew in size and frequency. The train tracks ran about to nearly all corners, yet Owen's eyes fixed on one spot and one spot alone, with the flash of the sun's rays upon a building rooftop.

Out of the corner of his vision the pilot turned in his seat and manage to say a few words, as he refocused his attention to the duties at hand. His voice was quiet when he addressed his employers. He had clearly never seen the island before.

"Where would you like me to set down?"

Set down? Yes he supposed landing would be a good start to their search now wouldn't it?

Clearing his throat Owen was about to nod and answer, when from his side a finger rose, and a calm voice joined it, "There's a landing platform just above and to the side of the valley's center. The main control room is located there."

The control room? Was she insane?

Claire, quite pleased with herself, sat back once again as Owen turned bewildered eyes her way. She saw him and smiled confidently, which made him grimace. She had no idea what she just tried to send them into.

"I might as well make some decisions on this little outing, I am paying for it after all."

Paying for it, and sending them to their doom.

Shaking his head frantically Owen's tone was sharp enough to make Claire flinch in surprise, "No!"

Both she, Barry, and the Pilot voiced their confusion in unison, "What?"

Owen huffed. Moving from his seat to lean over the pilot's shoulder he pointed in the direction Claire had just given. He dropped his tone, not as harshly as it had come out before, "Its too close to the Tyrannosaur's enclosure. She'll have expanded her territory beyond her old fences and the control room will no doubt be within that perimeter."

Claire stuttered, and the pilot became rigid from the mixed orders as he looked up at Owen, "So where do we land?"

That was the question he had been asking himself for hours. Where would be a safe place to land, yet close to where his search would begin and prove most successful? He had an idea where that was but it took him a moment to locate the area from their sky view.

Slowly Owen's finger lifted to point in the opposite direction of Claire's chosen landing point, "Head southeast and put it down in a clearing, that will keep us a good enough ways from the courtyard."

After a moment of consideration the pilot nodded obediently, and Owen became at ease. Before taking his seat once again he felt the helicopter swoop left, as well as Claire's eyes burning into the back of his skull. Upon turning those eyes only met his, and he gave a short shrug.

"I had to do something."

She snorted, "You could have gone a bit quieter about it."

He took his seat, and she diverted her eyes away for a moment of silence as they flew out over the courtyard structures. Countless vendor shops, informational stations, and the visitor's center all passed beneath them. She could see the attractions like the "Tyrannosaur Kingdom", or the small petting zoo in which young children used to interact with equally young dinosaurs. All were left in ruin from the attack of the Pterosaurs and I-Rex, with rubble strewn across the pavement in piles of stone, glass, and metal.

Claire tensed slightly and rubbed her arm at the sight and memory of it all, "I had told myself when we evacuated from the island I'd never come back here. I didn't want to come back and see it but you lured me along."

Owen pursed his lips. Lured? Last he checked there was no effort on his part to convince her to come along, it was quite the opposite actually. If she hadn't been so stubborn and ridiculous she could be back in the comforts of the hotel, so why did she pin this on him?

But, keeping the mood light and preferring he didn't set the woman off, Owen chuckled with a small crooked smile, "Nah. You just wanted to come down for a quick island vacation. I always said you worked too much."

Her responding snort made him chuckle again, as his eyes drifted out his window and to the water they now flew over. Crystal clear it glistened in a lagoon at the center of the courtyard, but at the sight of it Owen could only frown and tilt his head.

Down in the water there was a massive shadow. With the outline of a long tail and four flippers it closely resembled that of a whale, making Owen's eyes bulge. They were flying low. They were flying right over the Mosasaur Lagoon. Owen couldn't begin to describe the danger they were in and he was ready to sound the alert to the pilot, but it only died in his throat.

Something wasn't right.

Settling back into his seat the man took a second glance. There was no movement from the Mosasaurus. Spread out just beneath the surface he expected it to swim away when the water swirled beneath the helicopter's propellers, or prepare to leap up at them as he had immediately feared.

Barry's gentle voice came from his side, with a statement Owen could only agree was correct.

"She's dead."

Hearing that Claire looked up and frowned, "Dead? Who's dead?"

Owen eased into his seat and removed his eyes from the water, as they burned with pity and a slight anger, "The Mosasaurus."

"How?"

Claire's own voice rang with shock and pity, but Owen did not answer. He knew how the Mosasaurus died and he could only feel guilty he had not thought of her sooner.

Since the time she was very young, the park's Mosasaur was kept in a manmade lagoon. There she was routinely fed, given medical attention when needed, and kept healthy by maintenance runs to her water home. When the park was shut down, all care left with the staff.

By science theory, Mosasaurs were thought to have been ocean dwelling animals. They had a large area in which to support their more than impressive diet and were equally massive when fully grown. The park's Mosasaur was trapped in her glorified puddle, and left to starve, if not die from Lysine deficiency.

Lysine deficiency, that on a whole was an interesting topic.

In the development of the first park, a fail-safe of sorts had been created should things ever go south. One step of the precautions, were to ensure that all dinosaurs within the park were female to forbid unauthorized reproduction. The other, was an alteration in the animals' abilities in using Lysine.

Lysine, is an a-amino acid present in a creature's system that processes and breaks down essential proteins. Rather than being created within the body, it is taken in by digestion of plants. Those whom eat the plants receive their Lysine, and those whom eat the plant eaters receive theirs.

It was designed by Ingen scientist Dr. Henry Wu, to lessen the dinosaurs' abilities to draw Lysine into their system. Instead they required a weekly supplement in order to provide enough acids to properly digest their food. Without these supplements it was thought that the dinosaurs, should they ever escape from the park, would be incapable of self-sustainment. Their bodies would weaken, until shutting down and eventually dying.

But -when the park did fall and the dinosaurs actually escaped, they did not die as planned. Studies in later years revealed that the animals adapted to their handicap. By consuming food in larger quantities than even before, and choosing more Lysine rich plant life, herbivores and therefore carnivores were able to reach their needed Lysine count to survive.

Life, found a way, as some may have put it.

Shifting in his seat, Owen watched the visitor's center go distant as the jungle came around them. The Mosasaur claimed her home as her grave, for what food was to come to her in her seclusion? Lysine or not the prey would have learned to avoid her waters and starvation would have caught up with her.

Owen just hoped Blue had not shared that same fate. He hoped she adapted, and did not lay dead on the jungle floor as the Mosasaur now did.

His thoughts were dark, until the helicopter swayed and a voice drew his eyes upwards. He could see the pilot gazing back at them from under his grey visor.

"Just so you know, I'm not held liable for anything that should happen to you while on the island. You end up getting mauled by a dino I'm not staying behind to take the blame, or clean up the mess."

From beside them Barry winced, but Owen simply nodded, "Sounds reasonable."

He had to be confident the mission would run smoothly. He promised Claire they'd be fine and he was intent on keeping that promise.

The helicopter began to lower, and Owen realized with a breath that the pilot had found a clearing in which to land the aircraft. One last time he checked the pistol at his side and made sure a round was in the chamber. There was a lurch, and he glanced to Barry, "Keep an eye out on the tree line. The second Blue is out for a clear shot, take it."

His friend nodded, and Owen turned to Claire, whom kept her head turned away and eyes staring out the window.

"You alright staying here?"

She sat stiffly, but a sigh escaped her, "Long as you come back. Two hours and I'm coming in after you."

Owen smiled softly. Sometimes he liked her tenacious need to prove herself, when she had her head behind it.
Leaning down he kissed her lightly on the cheek and nodded, "I'll be back."

Claire was mad at him, for many reasons. He had kept the mission secret from her, and had skipped the country without notifying her or asking permission to withdraw a few thousand dollars from her bank account.

Stole, was the word she used when she confronted him at the docks. Owen assured her he had merely borrowed the money and would pay her back but she was adamant.

He needed the money, quickly. The pilot was firm on his offer and would have backed out of the deal if he didn't receive his down payment within 24 hours. Owen would have lost his chance for transportation, and would have had to leave Blue waiting on the island for weeks, if not months longer. Claire had the money he couldn't raise in a timely manner, but he had a feeling she wouldn't have agreed to his request.

Owen had to do it, but that reassurance soothed Claire's anger only slightly.

When the man stood once again, he felt a stability in the helicopter, and the pilot nodded, "You're clear to step out."
They had landed, and the engine's whirr had quieted to a gentle thrum, while Owen could see the shadow of the slowing propellers passing over grass outside the cockpit.

As doors opened a small green meadow came to view, as well as a dense tree line in the distance. With the quieting of the engines came the buzz of animal life. Some Owen could quickly determine as Costa Rican birds, others, he was disturbed to realize were distant Pterosaurs.

In that moment Owen's sense of dread and anxiety intensified. He worried for the risk of being attacked, and he worried for the chance he may not find Blue. She had to be alright, or he would never forgive himself.

Leaping out of the helicopter Owen landed with a soft thump in the grass. Giving a quick once over of his surroundings he glanced back at his friends, whom gazed back with a nervous quality. Barry handed him his high powered rifle from within the duffle bag, then without a word the doors closed.

Owen had a plan. He had worked it over for the past three days until he was sure there were no faults. First he would head for the park's Velociraptor enclosure, where he suspected Blue had returned and tried to live. With the loss of her pack she would have sought out a place of familiarity, where she felt comfortable. From the time she was a hatchling the cage like paddock served as her nest.

Quick feet took Owen out of the field and into the tree line, where heavy foliage closed in and filled his vision with green. Choosing a careful path he knew about disorientation, and knew to constantly check his direction. If he kept a good pace, he could arrive at the enclosure within a half hour.

Blue was in here somewhere. He could feel it.

So, slowing even if just for a moment Owen lifted his head, then released a breath and sent a shrill whistle into the canopy above. It had served as a pack call for his raptors, or the signal for a command. Hopefully his girl would hear it and know it was him.

Hope. He had to have hope.