Anguirus111 Note: This is the prequel to Jurassic Park: Demons of the Past and chronicles the six month time period between when Nublar fell and when Sorna fell. I seem to be alone in my depiction of the scientist side of things, which surprises me since I find it more interesting to hear their side of the story then just the reactions of those who just witnessed the end results.
Sorna: "Hey! Henry!" Jake shouted after him. "We'll be fine, trust me."
Henry nodded solemnly and left Jake's office. Jake went back to his work, but could barely turn two pages before he got disgusted and tossed the thing onto his desk amongst the other paperwork. Sighing he rubbed his eyes before laying his head down on the desk. He didn't need this now in his life, Sorna was enough of a headache as it was, with the dinosaurs beginning to constantly wear down on his psyche, since Jeffrey had been killed. Their constant roaring day in and day out was driving everyone nuts and it hurt to look at a baby velociraptor or other baby carnivore and know what it could potentially do in the future. Then there was the fact that Jurassic Park, Site B, and Indigo had gone severally over-budget and the Park hadn't even been fully furnished yet. Ingen needed Jurassic Park to be a financial success because its other assets wouldn't be able to make up for its failure. Now it looked like fate, or was it chaos, had intervened and doomed them all. Ingen would never be able to recover from this, Jake knew it.
"Great, yet another thing I have to blame these bastards for," thought Jake angrily. He shoved back from his desk and decided to take a walk through the building to see what everyone else's reactions before Hammond arrived and hopefully gave them some reassuring information about their professional future. He walked down a pair of hallways and looked into people's offices. Some looked just as solemn as he had been while others were hurriedly talking on a phone. Still others hadn't heard the news and Jake envied them until they'd eventually find out. Some began to look at him questioningly, but he waved them off because he certainly didn't have any answers for them, only John would. Jake proceeded to the main auditorium where all the scientists usually gathered to hear announcements of future projects and recent DNA acquisitions. Now it would be used, not to learn about the past, but to learn about the future. Jake walked up to the podium and tapped it as some scientists began filing in. Jake pressed a button that cued into every speaker on the entire island.
"Attention everyone, if you are within the workers village and aren't doing anything important right now, please congregate in the main auditorium because Mr. Hammond is going to tell us where we stand right now. And if you don't what that means, let me be the first to tell you, Nublar fell to the dinosaurs. They overcame their protective barriers and killed at least four people before Hammond and his guests evacuated the park. We don't anything more than that, so hopefully Hammond will give us something good to work with. Oh yeah, if you're out in the island somewhere, it's on Sorna Network Channel 4," said Jake. More people began flooding into the room and then it was all full, but still more people flooded in until the room was jam packed. Henry joined Jake on the stage and they looked down at the fear and trepidation in the people's faces. Jake sighed and began drumming his fingers on the top of the podium in boredom. Some people looked at him and were about to ask something when Jake cut them off.
"Look I told you all I know," said Jake. "And I didn't bother to check Ingen's stock either so I can't tell you how well that's doing either."
"Hammond should be here in a few moments," said Henry trying to boost the otherwise sagging spirits, it didn't work. Several moments passed in awkward silence.
"Anybody know a good joke?" Jake asked finally. A nervous ripple emanated from the audience. More silence passed.
"So why aren't you people working?" Jake asked before immediately regretting asking it.
"What's the point?" someone shouted.
"Yeah," said someone else. "Nublar's gone, now where are all these specimens supposed to go?"
"I don't know," admitted Jake. "But if worse comes to worse we could always use either Indigo or the amphitheatre back in San Diego."
An uproar emerged from the crowd and many people began yelling at once.
"That amphitheatre is hardly built!"
"I'm not going to let those things have the chance to get loose on the general populus!"
"Indigo can't be converted to a new JP!"
Jake groaned and rolled his eyes as the crowd began yelling at each other over what the future would hold.
"This is a harbinger Henry, a harbinger of things to come," said Jake.
"You said we'd be fine," said Henry with a grin. Jake slumped down on the podium defeated.
"Johnny boy had better show up soon and give us some good news or mass hysteria is going to overtake this island," said Jake.
"Carpe diem Jake," said Henry. "Carpe diem."
"Screw that!" Jake shot back. "I never wanted to be a leader, I was content just doing what was needed to be done. I can't take control of this situation Henry, I just can't, it's just too out of control."
"Yeah but-," began Henry when suddenly a rhythmic thumping was heard. The crowd eventually heard it to and an eerie and immediate silence descended on the group. The helicopter got nearer and nearer until finally it was right over it and then it stopped.
"Now remember," said Jake. "No questions, no retorts, and no remarks until Mr. Hammond has completed his speech. Got that?"
A rumble of agreement emerged from the crowd. Right as it ended, John Hammond entered onto the stage still decked out in his white outfit that he had been wearing on Nublar when it had fallen. He was leaning heavily on his cane and had a shell shocked and distant look that instantly sent shivers down everyone's backs as they tried to figure just what he had seen on Nublar.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Ingen's CEO and our founder, Mr. John Hammond," said Jake stepping away. Clapping, that seemed more formal than for admiration, was heard and John Hammond briefly nodded before taking the podium. Instead of saying anything, he just stood their with that same shell shocked look on his face. Several moments passed upon which the awkwardness of the room grew greater and greater. Henry finally prodded Jake and Jake sighed, nodded, and walked over to the silent CEO.
"John," said Jake. Hammond suddenly snapped to attention and finally looked around at the crowd. He visibly cleared his throat and the crowd began to lean forward as if sharing a secret.
"Ingen will survive this. Somehow it will survive, we will all survive. Life will find a way," said Hammond. And then he walked off leaving everyone wide-eyed. Right before the room dissolved into mass hysteria, Jake threw up his hand to calm them down and chased after Hammond with Henry.
"John, what's going on?" demanded Jake.
"Yeah, that's not enough information to go on," said Henry.
"It's all I have I'm sorry," said Hammond with tears in his eyes. "It's gone, it's all gone."
"What's gone?" Jake asked. Hammond whirled to face them.
"Everything! The park, Ingen, my dream, they're all gone!" he shouted madly. With that the left the two and ascended the steps to the helipad. A couple moments later the helicopter roared off into the distance leaving a shocked Henry Wu and Jake Whitacre. Jake braced himself against a wall and just stared straight off into space, while Henry just tried to wrap his mind around the past two hours and how quickly things had changed.
"What do we do?" asked Henry finally. Jake just shook his head.
"I don't know Henry, I just don't know," said Jake. "We don't have a contingency plan for this sort of situation."
"So make one," suggested Henry.
"I can't," said Jake. "I'm in the same boat that they are. I don't know what future holds."
"Well at least talk to them," pleaded Henry. "Reassure them, something, because otherwise they may all loose it. I'll try and help out as well for as long as Hammond lets me stay here. Until then, we have to prevent this island from slipping into pandemonium."
"Oh God help us all," said Jake shaking his head as they headed back to the stage. They emerged and looked at the silent and solemn faces of the people below them.
"So what now?" someone asked for all of them. Jake looked at them all several times over.
"We do what we've always done, our jobs. We make dinosaurs, that's what we know how to do, and that's what we get paid for. Ingen can still recover from this, I do believe that. But if things fall apart here, you can kiss that and your jobs good bye. So tomorrow, wake up, stretch, exercise if you want to, but above all go back to work. In the meantime I have got to go to Indigo, can I rest assured that you will not all go nuts for the week or two that I'm away?" asked Jake worried. There were some soft mutters as assent.
"Tell you what Jake, why don't I go?" Henry suggested. "You know more about this island that I ever will. I'll go and appraise them of our current situation while you keep the ball rolling here."
"Thanks Henry," Jake said grateful. "Alright then no worries, okay everyone? We'll be fine, we will survive this. If the dinos can survive 65 million years of extinction, I think we can survive a few months."
A nervous laughter erupted from the crowd and they slowly began filing out.
"Well that's one bullet we've dodged, one of many I suspect are going to pop up before this is all settled," said Jake leaving the auditorium.
"Please," Henry said. "This'll be easier than high school at the very least."
"Yeah but back they would we same the same thing about now?" asked Jake incredulously.
"Sure," said Henry with a grin. "Why not, we never backed down from a challenge back then."
"You always were a nerd," said Jake smiling.
"A nerd isn't an element," Henry shot back. "So I wouldn't know what you're talking about."
"Touché," said Jake laughing. "Now where's my anatomy book so I can smack you upside the head with it?"
The two emerged into the open and walked down the street.
"So where're we going?" asked Henry confused.
"We've got to get you to the helipad so that you can take a copter to Indigo," said Jake.
"Now?" said Henry disappointed. "I was hoping to stay awhile and reacquaint myself with the place since it'll be my new home apparently."
"We'll have plenty of time to deal with that later," said Jake. "Right now Indigo needs the same speech that I gave over here or it might very well fall apart."
The two approached the parking garage with a makeshift sign above it reading: Jurassic Parks.
"He, he he," laughed Jake.
"That is so lame," said Henry rolling his eyes. "How can you get a kick out of that?"
"I put it up there," said Jake shrugging. "Why shouldn't I find it hilarious?"
"Alright," said Henry defeated. The two entered into the garage where several mechanics were hard at work fixing some of the various worker vehicles and discussing the day's events. Some of them nodded at Jake and he just nodded back as the two proceeded into the garage.
"Hey Henry," said Jake with a big grin. "Check this baby out."
Jake walked over to a tarp that was covering a vehicle and pulled it back to reveal a partially converted V-8 Interceptor from a '74 XB Ford Falcon. Henry grinned.
"So this is what she looks like," said Henry placing his hands on the slick exterior. "No wonder you kept talking about it enthusiastically over the phone, the pictures you sent me don't do it justice."
"I told you back during freshman year of college that I would one day own this car and I'm well on my way to making that dream a reality," said Jake leaning on the thing. Henry nodded.
"So how fast is she?" Henry asked looking at the partially constructed supercharger poking out of the hood.
"Like I keep telling you, speed is just a question of money," began Jake.
"How fast can you go," Henry finished, he'd heard it plenty of times before. "You don't know do you?"
"One day I will," said Jake. "When she was just the Falcon, I hit 90 on the only decent straightaway we have on this island, but had to immediately slow down. With the supercharger, she should be able to at least hit 120 on that same stretch if not faster."
"Well good luck with that," said Henry. "So how're we going to get to the helipad?"
"In style," was all Jake said. Henry looked at him confused as a pair of Jurassic Park Tour Vehicles rolled by headed for the basement. Jake hopped onto the hood of one of them and Henry hopped on as well as it rolled down the ramp. A couple moments later, Jake got off followed by Henry amidst a ramp filled with nothing but Cadillacs.
"Ah yes, the infamous Hammond caddy fleet," said Henry impressed. "I guess you can't get more stylistic than this."
"Hop in," said Jake getting into one of them, that was a convertible with the top down. He produced a large series of keys on a key ring and stuck one in the ignition and turned it causing the engine to roar to life. Henry leaped in on the other side and the car roared off up the ramp and out onto the main street. It approached the open main gates and roared off away from the village.
"Aren't you worried a dino might get loose and storm through there and kill a bunch of people?" Henry asked. Jake shook his head as he held his arm out the window as the air rushed by overhead.
"The dinos don't hate us Henry," said Jake. "They have no reason to attack us so we have no reason to fear them nor they us."
"If you insist," said Henry. "But you of all people should realize the dangers dinos post to humans. Remember Jeffrey?"
The caddy screeched to a halt leaving an abrupt silence punctuated only by the occasional bird chirp or dino roar.
"I will never forget Jeffrey," said Jake coldly. "Nor what was done to him. That will never happen on this island as long as I live, I swear it. The dinos will die before any human dies."
"What about Dr. Gustavius Graves?" Henry asked. Jake started the car again and it took off down the road.
"That idiot got was coming to him. I told him dimetrodons were too dangerous to breed, but he didn't believe me. Then he went behind my back and bred them anyway and paid the ultimate price for it. His death was his own fault," said Jake. "Besides now we know what to watch out for on this island should the power ever fail."
"Yeah I guess so," said Henry distracted as the car roared between a pair of fences displaying hadrosaurs on one side and maiasaurs on the other.
"Despite your reservations Jake, I think these creatures are really something else," said Henry.
"They're assets Henry, nothing more nothing less," said Jake. "When they've outlived their usefulness, they'll be liquidated like everything else. But for the moment they're too important to Ingen's future to be gotten rid off. But their day will come one day Henry, their day will come."
"We'll see old friend, we'll see," said Henry. The car cruised for a few more minutes before stopping in front of Rupert's Deli.
"You hungry?" asked Jake. "I figured I'd hop in and get a quick snack."
"No, but stretching my legs a little couldn't hurt. Seeing Rupert again should also be a good kick," said Henry. Both got out and proceeded inside the deli/supermarket.
"Hey Rupert," said Jake as the two entered.
"Hey Jake," said Rupert doing some sweeping. "Oh hey Henry, long time no see. What brings you to B?"
"Got a new home, seems my last one got overrun by a nasty pest problem," said Henry.
"Yeah so it did, I heard about it on the radio and on the TV. Let me guess Jake, the usual right?" asked Rupert.
"Yeah," said Jake as he grabbed the latest copy of the New York Times. He opened it to the market section and looked up Ingen's stock as approached the counter.
"2.15," said Rupert. Jake waved him off to have it charged to his professional account as he slammed the paper down on the counter.
"Read and weep," said Jake pointing at the stock. "That's the last time it'll ever be that high for a long, long time."
"Yeah real piece of history," said Rupert picking it up. "You want me to have it framed for you, is that it?"
"Yeah," said Jake taking his candy and apple juice and heading back outside.
"Bye Rupert," said Jake. Henry nodded and left as well.
"Get a hobby!" shouted Rupert after them as the roar of an engine was heard and the car took off into the distance. Moments later it approached the helipad where helicopter was just about ready to take off. Both ran over to it and Jake yanked open the door.
"Hey Kev, got room for one more?" shouted Jake. Kevin Steele looked at them and shrugged.
"Knock yourself out," was all he said. Jake nodded and shut the door. He ran tot the back and opened it up to reveal several crates onboard.
"He's going straight to Indigo with these!" shouted Jake over the blades. "So I guess I'll see you around."
Henry threw out his hand.
"It was good seeing you again old buddy," said Henry.
"See you in a few weeks," said Jake. He grabbed his hand and both shook it.
"Everything will work out in the end, it always does!" shouted Henry. He wedged himself in amongst the crates and Jake slammed the door shut and tapped Kevin's window before running off. The helicopter rose into the sky and took off for Indigo as Jake watched it go.
"Well see old friend, we'll see," said Jake. He then got back in the Cadillac and took off away from the helipad.