Case 2: The InGen Conspiracy, Part 3
Disclaimer: Same as before.
~ ~ ~ ~
13 May 2000: 'Five....six...seven guards in that corridor alone.' Hal thought, instinctively assessing the security systems of Jurassic Park. Part of his SAS training taught him how to either infiltrate such facilities or take notes on them for later assaults, 'They're all carrying nothing lighter than .40 caliber handguns. I also noted two carrying 12- gauge shotguns in the guardroom eight meters down that side corridor.'
'What's he doing?' Ivy thought, watching Hal, who seemed to be cataloging the locations of security cameras and guards.
Peter Ludlow joined the group at the table with John Hammond sitting at the head of it. To his right sat his nephew and to his left sat Gennaro. "A wonderful recipe on the menu for tonight, shrimp cocktails followed by Alberto's famous Caribbean chicken is what we're having. Dessert's a surprise."
Ivy noticed Ludlow seemed distracted, slightly nervous, yet hiding it fairly well from everyone else at the table. "I hate to be morbid at the table, but what can you tell me about the Arguilla accident last week?" Ivy said.
"You mean the construction worker that got injured." Ludlow began, "May I ask why you're interested?"
"His brother's a colleague and friend of ours." Hal replied, coming to Ivy's aid. She shot him a look that was a mixture of a thank you and an 'I can handle him myself'. He decided to focus on the thank you and smiled back at her.
"A dreadful incident, really." Hammond said, "I was visiting my daughter in America when this happened. Peter told me that he fell from a scaffolding and an earth mover had run him over."
"Do you think we could look at the medical records from this incident?" Ivy asked, "Not that we don't trust you, we just need to review the facts."
"Of course. I'll have Peter take care of that for you." Hammond replied.
"Well, I'm certainly famished." Malcolm quipped.
"As am I." Hal said, with a serious tone, "Trust me, being a marine I've eaten in some pretty nasty circumstances."
Dinner went by smoothly with only a little banter, the only noteworthy event was that Ludlow left the table, ostensibly to go handle some reports that needed looking over and to get the accident reports ready.
"So, have either of you heard anything about nonlinear dynamics? Strange attractors?" Malcolm asked Hal and Ivy.
"My brother's talked about it sometimes, but it's over my head." Ivy said.
"I refuse to believe that attraction is a concept over your head, Ivy." Malcolm began.
Grant rolled his eyes, which caused Hal to chuckle. "He's used that line, or variations of it, before." Grant replied.
"If I wasn't already with you when he said it, I would have been charmed, personally." Ellie replied, "What about you Hal, is there someone special in your life?"
For a moment Ivy saw what seemed to be a flash of pain under Hal's normally controlled façade. "No, not right now, I'm single and enjoying it. I find it liberating in fact." Hal replied.
'Though damned lonely.' Hal thought, 'That really hit a sore point with me. It hasn't even been a year since Diane was murdered and now I'm partnered with someone who looks exactly like her.'
"Really?" Ellie said, in a tone that said, 'I don't really believe you, but I don't want to rock the boat.'
"I'm sure someone will come along for me eventually." Hal replied.
"What about you, Ivy?" Ellie asked.
"I was, until three years ago. We broke up for good then. Beforehand it was on again, off again." Ivy said, "The sad part is I really loved him but as the years went by he changed."
"People do sometimes. Who knows, maybe the person who'll steal your heart away is right under your nose." Ellie said, taking a subtle glance at Hal who nearly choked on his water.
Grant slapped him on the back and said, "My fiancé's gotten into a match making streak lately. I apologize."
Hal coughed out, "Accepted, and no need to apologize."
"Well, we've got a long day tomorrow, I'm going to bed, good night." Ivy said.
Alan Grant stood up, gave Ellie a kiss and said, "I'll see you back at the room, clothing is optional, you know."
"Alan." Ellie said, in a chastising but teasing tone, "Behave."
"So, were you and Ivy ever involved?" Malcolm asked.
"No." Hal replied, "I only started working with her a week or so back."
"Well you seemed to space out sometimes when you looked at her. What was that all about?" Ellie said, "I'm sure it wasn't some kind of infatuation."
He told her about Diane. There was something about Dr. Sattler that made her trustworthy, someone he could tell his darkest secret to. He told her almost everything, how they met, how they were ready to take their relationship to the next level when she died.
"That's rough." Ellie said, "I don't think I could handle that. You really must have loved her."
"I did, with all my heart. I'm not sure I can't either sometimes." Hal replied, "Sometimes when I see Ivy it's like staring at Diane's ghost even though they're nothing alike. I mean, I like working with Ivy, it's like we compliment each other. I'm starting to befriend her, but I'm not sure how she'd react to this whole thing."
"You've gotta tell her some time. And if your friendship with her blossoms into something more, I'm sure Diane would give you her blessing from above." Ellie replied.
"It's not been a year yet, since it happened, but somehow talking to you makes it feel better." Hal replied, "And right now, I'm not sure if I'm really looking for love right now."
"If you want to find love, stop trying to look for someone just like Diane. I'm sorry but she's gone and no one in the world can replace her. Don't close your heart off to others though. Remember your own saying, they'll be someone along for you eventually." Ellie replied, leaving Hal alone with his thoughts.
~ ~ ~ ~
Hal went to meet Ivy at her room, "So what did you see in that report?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. It's just how Hammond described it, but I've got a nagging feeling...." Ivy said.
"Really." Hal said.
"I can't put a finger on it, yet, but I know something's wrong." Ivy replied.
'Though you're going to really go off on me if I told you just how I plan to get a hold of what exactly is wrong.' Ivy thought, 'Therefore I'm not telling you jack.'
"Well, I'm going to turn in for the night." Hal replied, "I'll see you tomorrow morning."
~ ~ ~ ~
"Harold." The voice came, it was a woman's voice, kind and soothing.
"Diane?" Hal asked, "Where are you?"
"Come into the light." Diane replied.
"What light?" Hal replied. The area around him was dark and forbidding.
"Find the light, it will set you free." Diane replied cryptically.
Hal saw a light in the middle of the darkened area in which he stood. In the center of the cone of light stood Diane, she wore white and seemed to exude an angelic beauty, surpassing that which she had in life. "Diane."
"Harold, please, I can't stay, you know that." Diane replied, "But know that people in this world need you now."
The world distorted and again Hal stood in the parking lot in Hereford, seeing the stretcher and the body bag. The top was open, and Hal saw Diane's face again, this time, half of it was covered with blood. Bells started ringing, no, chimes of some sort and Hal sat up in bed, realizing it was his alarm clock ringing and the next day had dawned.
Diane's words floated airily in his head, "But know that people in this world need you now."
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC
Disclaimer: Same as before.
~ ~ ~ ~
13 May 2000: 'Five....six...seven guards in that corridor alone.' Hal thought, instinctively assessing the security systems of Jurassic Park. Part of his SAS training taught him how to either infiltrate such facilities or take notes on them for later assaults, 'They're all carrying nothing lighter than .40 caliber handguns. I also noted two carrying 12- gauge shotguns in the guardroom eight meters down that side corridor.'
'What's he doing?' Ivy thought, watching Hal, who seemed to be cataloging the locations of security cameras and guards.
Peter Ludlow joined the group at the table with John Hammond sitting at the head of it. To his right sat his nephew and to his left sat Gennaro. "A wonderful recipe on the menu for tonight, shrimp cocktails followed by Alberto's famous Caribbean chicken is what we're having. Dessert's a surprise."
Ivy noticed Ludlow seemed distracted, slightly nervous, yet hiding it fairly well from everyone else at the table. "I hate to be morbid at the table, but what can you tell me about the Arguilla accident last week?" Ivy said.
"You mean the construction worker that got injured." Ludlow began, "May I ask why you're interested?"
"His brother's a colleague and friend of ours." Hal replied, coming to Ivy's aid. She shot him a look that was a mixture of a thank you and an 'I can handle him myself'. He decided to focus on the thank you and smiled back at her.
"A dreadful incident, really." Hammond said, "I was visiting my daughter in America when this happened. Peter told me that he fell from a scaffolding and an earth mover had run him over."
"Do you think we could look at the medical records from this incident?" Ivy asked, "Not that we don't trust you, we just need to review the facts."
"Of course. I'll have Peter take care of that for you." Hammond replied.
"Well, I'm certainly famished." Malcolm quipped.
"As am I." Hal said, with a serious tone, "Trust me, being a marine I've eaten in some pretty nasty circumstances."
Dinner went by smoothly with only a little banter, the only noteworthy event was that Ludlow left the table, ostensibly to go handle some reports that needed looking over and to get the accident reports ready.
"So, have either of you heard anything about nonlinear dynamics? Strange attractors?" Malcolm asked Hal and Ivy.
"My brother's talked about it sometimes, but it's over my head." Ivy said.
"I refuse to believe that attraction is a concept over your head, Ivy." Malcolm began.
Grant rolled his eyes, which caused Hal to chuckle. "He's used that line, or variations of it, before." Grant replied.
"If I wasn't already with you when he said it, I would have been charmed, personally." Ellie replied, "What about you Hal, is there someone special in your life?"
For a moment Ivy saw what seemed to be a flash of pain under Hal's normally controlled façade. "No, not right now, I'm single and enjoying it. I find it liberating in fact." Hal replied.
'Though damned lonely.' Hal thought, 'That really hit a sore point with me. It hasn't even been a year since Diane was murdered and now I'm partnered with someone who looks exactly like her.'
"Really?" Ellie said, in a tone that said, 'I don't really believe you, but I don't want to rock the boat.'
"I'm sure someone will come along for me eventually." Hal replied.
"What about you, Ivy?" Ellie asked.
"I was, until three years ago. We broke up for good then. Beforehand it was on again, off again." Ivy said, "The sad part is I really loved him but as the years went by he changed."
"People do sometimes. Who knows, maybe the person who'll steal your heart away is right under your nose." Ellie said, taking a subtle glance at Hal who nearly choked on his water.
Grant slapped him on the back and said, "My fiancé's gotten into a match making streak lately. I apologize."
Hal coughed out, "Accepted, and no need to apologize."
"Well, we've got a long day tomorrow, I'm going to bed, good night." Ivy said.
Alan Grant stood up, gave Ellie a kiss and said, "I'll see you back at the room, clothing is optional, you know."
"Alan." Ellie said, in a chastising but teasing tone, "Behave."
"So, were you and Ivy ever involved?" Malcolm asked.
"No." Hal replied, "I only started working with her a week or so back."
"Well you seemed to space out sometimes when you looked at her. What was that all about?" Ellie said, "I'm sure it wasn't some kind of infatuation."
He told her about Diane. There was something about Dr. Sattler that made her trustworthy, someone he could tell his darkest secret to. He told her almost everything, how they met, how they were ready to take their relationship to the next level when she died.
"That's rough." Ellie said, "I don't think I could handle that. You really must have loved her."
"I did, with all my heart. I'm not sure I can't either sometimes." Hal replied, "Sometimes when I see Ivy it's like staring at Diane's ghost even though they're nothing alike. I mean, I like working with Ivy, it's like we compliment each other. I'm starting to befriend her, but I'm not sure how she'd react to this whole thing."
"You've gotta tell her some time. And if your friendship with her blossoms into something more, I'm sure Diane would give you her blessing from above." Ellie replied.
"It's not been a year yet, since it happened, but somehow talking to you makes it feel better." Hal replied, "And right now, I'm not sure if I'm really looking for love right now."
"If you want to find love, stop trying to look for someone just like Diane. I'm sorry but she's gone and no one in the world can replace her. Don't close your heart off to others though. Remember your own saying, they'll be someone along for you eventually." Ellie replied, leaving Hal alone with his thoughts.
~ ~ ~ ~
Hal went to meet Ivy at her room, "So what did you see in that report?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. It's just how Hammond described it, but I've got a nagging feeling...." Ivy said.
"Really." Hal said.
"I can't put a finger on it, yet, but I know something's wrong." Ivy replied.
'Though you're going to really go off on me if I told you just how I plan to get a hold of what exactly is wrong.' Ivy thought, 'Therefore I'm not telling you jack.'
"Well, I'm going to turn in for the night." Hal replied, "I'll see you tomorrow morning."
~ ~ ~ ~
"Harold." The voice came, it was a woman's voice, kind and soothing.
"Diane?" Hal asked, "Where are you?"
"Come into the light." Diane replied.
"What light?" Hal replied. The area around him was dark and forbidding.
"Find the light, it will set you free." Diane replied cryptically.
Hal saw a light in the middle of the darkened area in which he stood. In the center of the cone of light stood Diane, she wore white and seemed to exude an angelic beauty, surpassing that which she had in life. "Diane."
"Harold, please, I can't stay, you know that." Diane replied, "But know that people in this world need you now."
The world distorted and again Hal stood in the parking lot in Hereford, seeing the stretcher and the body bag. The top was open, and Hal saw Diane's face again, this time, half of it was covered with blood. Bells started ringing, no, chimes of some sort and Hal sat up in bed, realizing it was his alarm clock ringing and the next day had dawned.
Diane's words floated airily in his head, "But know that people in this world need you now."
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC