Welcome...to the Ocean

Chapter 17

This Place is a Prison

Owen leans against the crisp, cool wall. His fingers gently trace the royal blue stripe around his girl's eye. The raptor shifts slightly, readjusting her head on his lap and snuggling closer to him. A soft coo leaves her lips.

"You can come inside the enclosure," he says with a glance toward Doe. "I'm pretty positive she won't attack you. You're kind of like Dr. Phil."

"It's amusing how you suddenly understand exactly what Blue thinks."

Turning his attention toward her, he gives a soft smile. She's sitting on a bucket just outside the entrance, wrapped in a light sweater. Doe's been there nightly giving him tips as he works on his "Blue bonding" as he's come to term it. Never once has she attempted to enter, and he isn't sure if it's because she wants Owen to work on his bonding, or because she's afraid Blue might attack her.

With his free hand, he scratches his chin. "Then you know she won't eat you."

"Most of the attractions here won't eat you," she comments, and her gaze shifts to the night sky. "Provided you respect them. "

"You've visited other attractions? Are you friends with other dinosaurs? Are we talking acquaintances or more like you're making friendship bracelets?" Owen pauses and his brow scrunches as something dawns in on him. "Wait… I wasn't respecting Echo?"

"With the noise from the machinery and the lack of food, it's not surprising one of them attacked. Stress does odd things to creatures…and people."

His fingers gently skim the surface of Blue's head. He can feel each indent of skin, each bump along her hide. Stress has affected them all. Taking a peek at Doe, he clears his throat, but his voice is still barely a whisper. "They want to put Echo down."

Her arms wrap around her stomach as she leans gently forward. He watches as she bites her lip and gazes at the ground. Again, he can't help but feel anger rising in her lack of answers.

"Why would InGen do that?" he prods. "These creatures are money makers."

Somewhere Owen hopes she'll take a hint. After all the thoughts he's had to sort through, he's decided this is her last chance at the truth. If she doesn't give him an answer tonight, he'll reassign her to another paddock. Doe clearly knows more than she lets on, and with his CO turning up empty leads on her, Owen has no other choice.

Besides…

At some point doesn't she owe the truth to him?

Standing, Doe flips over the bucket. "Come. Let me show you something."

Blue rises. With a look at Doe, she trots into her paddock and disappears into the bushes.

Shaking his head, Owen rises to his feet. He was shocked the first few times Blue seemingly understood what Doe said. Now, he realizes the raptors are much more intelligent than InGen even understands. The company has no idea what they're truly dealing with. Releasing these creatures into a military setting would have disastrous results.

After closing the paddock gate, he opens and exits the entryway. Doe says not a word as she climbs into the X-terra and waits for him. Once he's hopped in and buckled up, she starts the engine and drives toward the park.

The stars twinkle down at Owen as he watches the night sky.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

The stars blink softly above my rock. There's a soft wind running over my skin, but the rock is warm. I've enjoyed my time with Alpha. After so long without him, it's comforting to know he still cares. It's comforting to know he still loves me.

Despite being able to feel when Meat Bringer wants me to leave, I wish I could understand what they were saying. Sadly, only Delta is gifted with that. Too bad Alpha doesn't call her from her cage. Too bad Alpha doesn't spend time with her as well. Then she could translate…

Except I'm glad he doesn't call her. I don't want to share my breaths with her. Alpha was mine first. Alpha has always spent the most time with me. I'm Alpha's beta.

Rolling over on my rock, I stare at the water below as it reflects the stars above.

Am I Alpha's beta? It doesn't always seem that way. He sings to me, but he doesn't run with us. He doesn't hunt. He's not in the bush giving orders to the pack. Perhaps he's not even one of us.

My tail curls toward my jaw. Should I even be listening to him if he's not one of us? My head shakes as I snort. Of course, I should. He's still my Alpha.

Maybe Alpha doesn't mean what I think it means.

Maybe it actually means what Charlie thinks.

Maybe it means Daddy.

Blinking, I take a large breath of sweet air. Charlie calls him Daddy. She still sees him as Alpha, so perhaps those words are one in the same. If that's the case, then he doesn't have to run with us. He doesn't have to hunt with us. He can just watch over us and love us as he already does.

And sometimes daddies make mistakes like when I attacked Echo. Sometimes daddies can't protect their hatchlings like they want to, like if I can't save Echo from the fleshlings. Sometimes daddies can't be with their hatchlings…

My eyes droop shut. Alpha has made mistakes, but he is a good daddy.

I wouldn't ask for any other.

｡.•°•.｡ɹǝƃunH｡.•°•.｡

Owen is completely baffled when Doe enters the Aquatic Park section. He knows there are a few things behind the scenes: baby trilobites, creepy sea scorpions, and the odd—and significantly stupid—baby basilosaurus. Apparently just having a mosasaurus is not enough these days.

InGen always wants more.

However, he can't imagine that Doe is taking him to any of these unfinished attractions.

After making a bet with himself that she will not give him a definite answer, he goes ahead and asks, "So, where are we headed?"

True to form, she continues on without a word. It's a curious thing, that she seems to know how creatures work so well, and yet, she can be—is—extremely socially awkward. He can't pinpoint it, but he decides it has something to do with her past.

Doe brings the car to a halt in the back of the mosasaurus exhibit. After dropping his phone in a cup holder, Owen follows her lead as she hops out. Walking to a fridge, she opens it to reveal long objects wrapped in paper. She pulls one from the fridge and kicks the door closed.

As she moves into the light, Owen can see a fin sticking out the package and realizes it's a fish. Suddenly, it doesn't take her leading him past a vibrant, red sign screaming danger and restricted to figure out she's leading him to impending doom.

Descending the rock formation on the far side of the tank, she pauses at the bottom to unwrap the fish. Its oval body and black and yellow fins glimmering in the moonlight let him know it's a Blackfin Tuna. Taking a step closer, he looks at its obsidian, lifeless eye.

A sudden panic rushes through his veins as he can see Echo. If she's killed by InGen…

Doe tossing the tuna into the water pulls his attention. He's thankful for the distraction. Watching it sink, he wonders how she's going to get the mosasaur to greet them—if it's supposed to greet, or eat, them.

"You must enjoy living on the edge," he comments in an attempt to make small talk and take his mind further from the lifeless eyes. "Especially since this seems like a terrible plan."

Glancing over her shoulder, she gives a tiny shrug. "You have no faith in me."

"Can you blame me? I'm standing on the side of the tank like an hors-d'oeuvre."

"Blue hasn't eaten you, has she?"

He really can't argue that. So, he takes a deep breath and moves closer.

The water gently laps the rocks creating a false sense of security. It's almost hypnotizing. The ripples seem to draw him, beckoning him in only to be stopped by the stones he stands on. There's a peace about it, and he can feel his muscles relax.

Until an enormous set of jaws breaches the surface, and he's soaked from head to toe.

Owen's shoulders tense as arms splay outwards, dripping sea water. He finds himself spitting to get the salt out of his mouth. He can feel his face twist in disgust. That's always been a flavor he hated. After spending years out on the open ocean, he's only grown to hate it more.

Dropping his gaze, he sees Doe with biting her lip as she tries to gauge his reaction. He can't help but give her a half-smile causing her to laugh.

"Sorry, I suppose I should have warned you." Standing, she can't seem to keep from laughing. It's something Owen's not sure he's ever witnessed from her. He's never seen her so happy.

Grabbing his hand, she pulls him toward the edge. Kneeling, she swishes her hand through the water and looks at him. Taking a breath, he watches as the mosasaur gently pops above the waves like an ocra.

Slowly, the giant beast moves toward Doe. It comes to a stop next to her and allows her to run a hand over it. The moment reminds him of the movie Free Willy, and it stuns him.

Owen's seen how vicious it can be; he's seen it pull down Great Whites from the line for the audience, knows its killed several employees. He's always heard the mosasaur is more dangerous than his raptors.

Yet there it floats, in front of Doe, just as docile as Blue. He knows he probably shouldn't be surprised. These creatures aren't what InGen says. There's more to them.

"This place…" Doe whispers, "is nothing but a prison."

Owen can see how that relates to the animals. Blue is being forced into a career she shouldn't be, the mosasaur is made to look like a murderer, and the T-Rex—the one who's been there since Hammond's original creation—is probably not as dull as it appears. He kneels next to Doe.

"May I?" he questions with a hand reached out.

With a nod, Doe looks at him. "Soni won't hurt you."

His brow quirks. "Soni? Like, Rebecca Soni? The Olympic swimmer?"

A soft smile graces her lips, and she looks away. Her hand runs over the mosasaur in long gentle strokes. "Yeah, no one else gave her a name. I figured since Soni had done so well when she competed and holds all those records, why not? The mosasaur is fast and graceful. I'm also sure she could earn herself a few Olympic medals like her namesake."

"Name fits her well, except I don't think Rebecca ate humans…" Owen's hand touches the mosasaur and it snorts before disappearing under the water. "Uh…?"

Doe chuckles. "You offended her."

"Does she speak English?"

"No, she can't speak it," she replies and looks at him. "But she can understand. Some of the creatures here can. InGen doesn't... understand this."

Owen should have placed a call to a shrink right then and there, but…her statement seems more like confirmation than crazy. With the way Delta watches them, it wouldn't be insane to think that maybe she can understand every word being said. Perhaps that's why she gets along so well with Barry. He's the one that spends hours speaking softly to her.

Taking a deep breath, he looks at Doe. "You worked for InGen."

It isn't a question, and from the look on her face, she knows it.

Her gaze remains on the water, but he can see her lips purse in the pale light. The beams of the moon shimmer off the tears gathering in her eyes. Owen's struck a deep nerve—the kind that threatens to break you if you don't find a way to patch it. He can't tell if she's going to continue to deny what he already realizes, or…

"This place is a prison. Not just for these creatures, but for every worker here,]." She clears her throat. "The further in they let you, the further into maximum security you go…and there is no hope of ever escaping."

Owen can see the patches she's placing over the nerve he exposed. He can't fault her. How many times has he done it? He runs his hands over his wet pant legs. "But you must have escaped since your past is erased."

A bitter laugh escapes her lips. "By killing myself."

"So, you're a ghost?" he questions in an attempt to break the dark mood. Suddenly, he's unsure if he wants to know about her past. With each ticking second, the moon seems to grow darker and darker despite being nearly full.

She looks at him. "Do you trust them, Mr. Grady?"

"It's Owen."

"Do you trust them…Owen?"

He gives her a nod. "Barry."

"The others?"

He shrugs. "I'm supposed to. You're supposed to trust your team."

Doe shakes her head and looks down at the rock they're sitting on. "They're not your employees. They're not your friends. They're not even your coworkers. These people are only in it for themselves."

"How would you know what people are thinking? Are you psychic?" Owen questions with a narrowed gaze. Perhaps she is clinically insane.

"Tell me, Owen. What did you have left after Jessica left you?"

He can feel the blood drain from his face and Owen's nearly certain if he doesn't catch his breath, he's going to faint into the mosasaur's water. How does she know…?

"They take everything from you," she says. "Leave you with nothing, and then resurrect you by giving you a purpose to live again. It's a cycle they repeat. As soon as you believe you're safe, they rip the carpet out from under your feet. Warp your mind."

And that's it.

He can't feel anything.

He can't breathe.

Owen's being suffocated by so many things. The air around him is gone. He's freezing. This is no longer just a prison, but he's on death row. His time has come. He's going to die. He never got to say goodbye to those he loved most. He never told his mom she was his solid ground, or that he loved his father despite their differences. He'll never get to see his nieces and nephews grow up. He'll never have real children or be married.

He'll never be able to keep Blue safe.

Because Doe is right.

Her words make him realize he something he didn't—couldn't—on his own.

InGen is not out for the good of everyone. They're simply evil incarnate.

For your convenience, please click the follow option below and you will be alerted to the next event.

Please take a moment to fill out the comment card below.