Chapter 4
It had taken a lot of restraint for Cathy not to betray her nervousness when the porters took their luggage at the exchange. Considering they would be going on a tour first, it only made sense for the luggage to be sent on ahead. The only thing she could think of was that every moment was another chance someone caught her.
So she tacked on her best attempt at a smile as the monorail slid smoothly away from the harbour, and to the park. Their guide was giving a canned speech, but she wasn't paying attention. How many times had she seen this section of the tour? Had to be several dozen times at the minimum.
She had to admit it was a clever marketing trick. The monorail was a nice touch; clean and futuristic, and using it to move passengers to the park was a good way of getting them "into the mood." The rushing jungles around them were perfectly groomed to not be a threat to the monorail despite the tunnel-like appearance. All according to specifications.
It was to immerse the customers; make them pretend for a moment that they were being whisked back in time, through the jungles of the Jurassic. Never mind that most of the species were from the Cretaceous.
Cathy heard a clamoring, and turned to see her colleagues crowding forward. We must be approaching the gate, she thought, leaning against the glass to look. And despite herself, she felt her breath hitch for a moment.
The gate was huge, and the dominating silver-trimmed blue letters stood out in the brilliant sunshine. With a massive creaking, the charcoal coloured wooden gates swung open, filling Cathy with a sense of amazement and wonder.
It quickly faded when she saw the main street, crowded with advertisements and tourists, drones buzzing the airspace.
"On the right you can see the Mosasaur pool. At three million gallons, it is the second largest aquarium in the world. Dr. Lynn is in charge of that particular attraction, and works closely with the handlers in order to make sure everything runs smoothly. If you are lucky, you may be able to apply to work with her."
Cathy perked up, turning away from the ghastly sight before her in order to tune in to the speech. This was new material, and while she didn't have a pencil and paper, she did have her phone. Quickly, she opened her notepad app, and began furiously typing names and positions.
"On the left side, you can see both the golf course and the bamboo forest. Popular attractions for our more mature audiences." Cathy had to roll her eyes at that, but still moved towards the left side for what would come next. As the monorail began to turn back towards the park, it would begin to lower down to the Innovation Center Station, but before then, it passed by one very important feature.
Standing on her toes, Cathy's eyes scanned the section of jungle beneath them. They had just passed over the metal and concrete security wall, and she could see the log overpass the visitors used to observe its inhabitant. Normally, it would be hard to pick it out in the foliage, but Cathy was used to spotting them.
The greyish skin of the Tyrannosaurus was a perfect shade for breaking up her large form among the striped shadows of the trees. A thin series of darker stripes on her back further contributed to the appearance. Even more impressive was her head, which was short, but very powerful. Underneath the raised cheek bones were impressive muscles that could snap her massive jaws shut easily. With each step, Cathy could see the trees sway slightly, and she felt a chill run down her spine. Even given the circumstances, she could not help but smile.
The Rex was one of the animals to have survived from the original park, and showed it. She was less refined than the others, and had scars across her face and back consistent with raptor claws. Seeing such a symbol of pure power was thrilling.
The moment was over too soon as the rail dipped below viewing level. Some of the others groaned in disappointment, but Cathy ignored them as Jacklyn continued speaking. "Dr. Jones is in charge of the Tyrannosaurus Kingdom, but access to that division is restricted to senior employees. Now, if you follow me, we are arriving at the station."
The monorail doors opened into a carefully maintained and air conditioned station. If Cathy had to guess, they would likely exit through the streetside doors, and enter the park proper in order to showcase some of the attractions and show off some animals.
She took a moment to look around, taking in the signs and atmosphere of the station. The blue colouration to everything was no doubt designed to look "science-y", but she had to admit it did look nice. Through the angled skylights, she could see the mountain range. Squinting, she could still make out the vague impression of what had once been man-made foundations in the cliff face, long torn down. Without knowing they were there, it would have been much harder.
The remains of the first attempt at an aviary, back when it had been Jurassic Park.
"As entry level veterinarians, you will first be shadowing some of the workers in the less risky park divisions. Two of them are nearby; the Gentle Giants and the Pachy Arena. Both are headed under Dr. Roth, who will be managing your positions for the first part of your internship."
Another note to add. Cathy followed close in the group as they walked, stepping out onto Main Street. Without the interruption of the monorail or vaulted ceilings, the tropical sun once more beat down on Cathy and she squinted her eyes. It was all she could do to avoid hissing, the combination of heat and blinding light irritating her senses.
The smells and sounds of Main Street hit her harder than the sun. The entire space of the street was taken up with people, garbed in garishly tourist-y colours and patterns. Even worse was the scent of grill char and alcohol. Despite her discomfort, she found herself shrinking closer to her group as they moved into the masses.
The walk down to the end of Main Street was the longest of her life, and she was just relieved when the crowd cleared slightly by the time they reached the fencing of the Mosasaur exhibit. Jacklyn paused for a moment beside the massive tank, sensing the eagerness of some of the others to take a look up close.
Cathy found herself joining them, looking out at the water, scouring the surface for any hint of the creature. For once, she was at a loss; she'd never had to look for aquatic animals.
"There it is!"
Cathy automatically turned to look to see who had spotted it, but all the others were looking towards her. Turning around, she was surprised to see a small child pointing out into the water, and she took a half step back before processing what he had said.
When she followed his finger, she could indeed see the dark shadow of the Mosasaur moving beneath the surface. It took a moment to make out the details, but when it moved, it was almost snake-like, slithering through the water. It never broke the surface, but in the few moments that it was visible, she felt breathless as she realized just how big it was.
That thing could snap her up and not even think about it.
And then they were moving again. Cathy glanced over her shoulder, making a mental note to come back to the mosasaur exhibit. Idly, she wondered if they kept autonomous recording in the tank.
The sound of children screaming and playing caught her attention, and she grimaced as she suddenly remembered just what hell the Gentle Giants was. The outside pen was swamped with children and their parents, forming a human wall.
Just as she was about to lose her composure, Jacklyn turned, leading them around the mass of people. Beside the main building was a gate inset in the wall, clearly designed to prevent entry to the area. A card was pressed to a scanner, and the door unlocked. "Watch the step."
Crossing the threshold of the door, Cathy noticed a person was waiting for them, with a slightly greyish undershirt topped by a cream coloured vest, marking them as part of the veterinary staff.
"Dr. Roth, nice to see you could meet us," Jacklyn greeted cheerily. As the others thinned into a semi circle, Cathy got her first clear look at the doctor.
She seemed of the age to be able to fit in with Cathy's professors, but her physique was more akin to a field researcher. A small smile was all she allowed herself as she shook Jacklyn's hand. Professional, Cathy noted.
"Of course. It is always good to get some fresh blood in the program. Now, I am sure you all are eager to get inside, but before we do, there are some procedures to follow. On entering, please use the sinks to wash your hands thoroughly, then grab some handling gloves. Do not touch the animals without handler permission, or handle equipment without authorization."
One by one they filtered through the staff entrance into the building. The entrance was quite simple, serving as a storage room and sanitation station. The row of sinks was obviously designed to handle workers coming in shifts, and it did not take long for everyone to follow procedure. She had to stifle a chuckle as she saw the others flexing their fingers uncomfortably inside the gloves. She actually felt more comfortable with her hands covered.
"Alright everyone, follow after me," Dr. Roth instructed firmly, leading them into the staff area. Immediately, the sound of the crowd was back, roaring through the open doorways connecting the work area with the display pen. The only thing separating them was a low wall. A few of the children looked over at them as they came into view, but were quickly distracted by the young dinosaurs.
From this angle, Cathy could see the young babies, and immediately, she found herself frowning. They were all wrong. The frills of the Triceratops were too tall and thin, the Parasaurolophus had crests, and… Cathy had to fight a wave of deep hatred as she saw the teeth in the Gallimimus beaks.
Who on earth had been in charge of that?
This time she couldn't hold back her scowl. The only thing she could do was avert her eyes away from the...mistakes. Forget Main Street, this was going to be the worst experience of her life.
"As you can see, we have a few different species here on display. A lot of the time we have the vets work with the young in order to get familiar with the way they work before they grow old enough to join the herd," Dr. Roth explained.
"Aren't you worried about imprinting?" Cathy asked, no longer able to hold back. She was just thankful she managed to make it sound questioning rather than spiteful.
"Not exactly. Since dinosaurs are not an extant species, we don't have to worry about reintroducing them to the wild. By making them comfortable around humans, we don't have to worry about them freaking out about the park guests."
Thankfully, Cathy was spared any further scrutiny by another member of the group piping up. "So when do we work with the larger animals?"
"That will depend on your application and how impressed we are with your internship. Some of you have more experience with large animals, and that will certainly help your resume. However, working with dinosaurs is unlike any other experience, and thus you will largely be evaluated on your performance here in the park."
Strangely egalitarian, Cathy noted humourlessly. Glaring through the sunrays, she watched the staff. The keepers on duty stood in carefully scoped locations, looking over the children in the pen from behind their sunglasses. Their uniforms marked them as part of the veterinary division, but their equipment clearly indicated they were meant to be in the heart of the park.
Not a single defensive tool amidst the lot of them.
Cathy shoved the thought from her mind as the Doctor began giving instructions, no doubt testing them. Well, she was more than up to the challenge; anything to get her mind off the monstrosities on the other side of the fence.
A cold sense of dread hung over Cathy, and she knew for certain it was not the air conditioning.
The Creation Center lab was carefully climate controlled, with powerful air filtration systems that ran on their own backup power grid. Every room aside from the visitor observation hall was carefully sealed and the protocols strict.
"Dr. Wu, I'm so glad you could meet the new workers," Jackie thanked politely, shaking the older man's hand. His smile was a carefully controlled one, with the signs of his age showing nicely in the slight crinkles around his eyes. Even though he was not in his lab outfit, he was still clearly professional with a smart shirt that made him look like a slightly asiatic Steve Jobs.
"I assure you it was no problem. Thought I might come see the new blood for myself," he answered smoothly. He gave them a quick pass over, nodding slightly, and she could see him briefly soaking in the open admiration some of the others held for him.
Not entirely unwarranted, she had to admit.
"Well, as I am sure some of you are aware, this is the Creation Center, the lifeblood of Jurassic World. Here, we handle almost the entire process of creating dinosaurs for the park." Wu stepped to the side, turning his back to the glass, though he gestured as if he had it all memorized. Cathy didn't doubt he did. "Here, we take the genetic material gathered in the field and process it. InGen employees carefully screen the material into the databanks, where it can be used in order to create our dinosaurs."
Wu skillfully lead them down the pane of glass, pointing out other steps in the process, his measured smile and focused poise never breaking. It reminded Cathy of a predator, carefully composed and ready to spring. The way his eyes scoped out the crowd, she knew he was looking for the best picks.
Whether it was to eliminate challenge or enlist the best, she wasn't sure. Neither was particularly comforting. It was not a long tour to see all the publically available space. The subdivision of Masrani corporations meant that there were certain things they were not contractually able to see.
And it was one of the few places she was in the dark.
She knew how the old park did their genetic research; the process of "bringing it up the well" as Hammond had called it. But the specifics on how InGen under Masrani brought their animals to life was much scarcer. Jurassic World employees ran the park without the slightest idea of what went on behind the scenes. Somewhere in the walls of this building was the new technology that InGen had created to make their dinosaurs.
It was more curiosity than actual need that made her wonder. After all, most of the infrastructure was already on the island; she just needed to tune it up. But she did have an appreciation for steps forward in technology, especially in this case. It was almost a shame she was doing this for her own reasons, rather than sabotage. Someone was probably willing to pay loads of money for that tech.
Cathy suddenly became aware than Wu was wrapping up his presentation, throwing out some kind of stock pitch about the wonders of Jurassic World's genetic division. More concerning, he was shaking hands, his broad smile trying a little too hard to look sincere.
"Thank you for coming, Ms..?" Wu seemed to be inquiring as to the names of each of the applicants. Cathy was not sure she was entirely surprised. Wu seemed like the type to try and keep his finger on everything. Finally, it rolled to her turn, and she offered her hand as smoothly as she could, which still came out stilted.
"Thank you for coming, Ms..?"
"Cathy will do," she insisted, trying to hold back the flinch as he shook her hand. For a moment they met eyes, and she could see the brief narrowing of his eyes as he searched his memory, but they quickly moved to the next person in line, gauging that he didn't have time for small talk. She didn't give him the chance to reconsider, loosening her grip. Reflexively, he loosened his, and she slid out , moving away quickly, leaving him with the rest of the others.
It wasn't until they left the building that the cold feeling in her chest left.