Chapter 6

Cathy watched as some of the other trainees pulled their hair back, or paused before putting on their gloves. They may all have applied for this job, but it seemed not all of them fully realized what it was going to entail. There was a certain jerkiness to their movements, like they were half thinking about stopping it and asking if the handlers were serious. A slight pause to glance at a pitchfork with mild disgust, or a slight twitch after an-all-too-deep breath.

She had not paused at all while preparing, and even adapted her outfit for the most likely job, which had turned out to be correct. Today, they would be learning the ropes of the Gentle Giants.

It only made sense to start there. The baby animals were not particularly hard to handle, and there were a wide variety of tasks that could be applied to other parts of the park. They also didn't need too much specialty equipment, or jeeps to move around.

Their small groups would be handling the morning shift for their orientation. This meant a lot of the other trainees were tired, not being used to waking up early. Even though the clock told her it was only a little after eight, the skylights made it seem like it was noon with how bright the sun was. The shaded building had a bit of a claustrophobic feel to it, with a low roof and the entire building being made of concrete on the inside. Even the cages were pretty simple, being mostly metal bar panels, though more rigidly enforced. The organized chaos of tools did not lend an open feel either.

The best part was the smaller nature of the morning shift. No one wanted to do it, which meant there were less people, and they were more reticent to be there. It would make the public side of her plan easier.

"Alright folks, we're going to flip you between jobs in order to get some training on all fronts. You lot are going to come with me and assist with watching the animals." Cathy glanced over at their instructor, Mr. Ryde. Given the way the others gave deference to him, he was likely the supervisor, or at least, the one to take charge. More importantly, she was not in the first group.

"That means the rest of you will be coming to the back to help us with running behind the scenes. Come with us." One of the other staff members was giving commands. A younger woman that Cathy recognized the face of, but not the name. She'd shown up in a few videos, often just in the background.

While the rest moved in a begrudging manner, Cathy felt her attention focused like a knife. This was her first time actually being present in the attraction, and she was behind the scenes. She was taking everything in, cataloguing anything she thought might be important.

There were instructional documents everywhere, probably for safety regulation. More directly enforcing security were the cameras, which looked over every inch of the backstage. Instructional posters lined the walls, dictating protocol and regulations, all dictated by law. Folders full of numbers and records lined surfaces, and overflowed from drawers.

There were a fair number of jobs to be done; from cleaning the stalls, to moving equipment. Almost all of it manual. She had to admit that she was not an expert at manual labour, but she was more than willing to throw her back into it. Grabbing a pitchfork, she maneuvered to one of the pens close to the entrance.

Once she got into the initial rhythm, she was able to devote more time to observing. One of the first things she saw was the fact that when they let the animals out, they went through an intermediate holding area, where they were checked over by the staff, who made some notes on a tablet. The tablet was then laid down on a table, presumably to be ready for the next batch.

She had worked her way into the stall nearest to the intermediate area, and was waiting for the next batch. If it was anywhere near regular, then it would happen soon. She just finished scraping a corner when they brought the next group through.

"What are you recording?" she asked, looking over the short fence.

One of the keepers glanced up, pausing a half second before responding to glance around, as if snapping out of a trance, blinking her eyes disorientedly. "Oh, we just do a quick inspection to make sure the animals are ready for display. Not overly dirty spots, or injuries. If we see one, it's recorded, and dealt with."

"Do you keep track of heights and weights?"

"Yeah, but that occurs at a different time, and as part of a specialized process in order to make sure the animals are making their growth curves. Kind of like a wellness check up. The genetics crew come around when that happens."

"Mind if I watch a couple?" she inquired, taking a half step to the side. She smiled to herself as she saw the handler glance at the stall she was working on, then peek at the others, mentally weighing the factors.

"Sure, why not," she agreed with a shrug. "Come over here. We'll rotate through you all, let you get a chance to see how it works."

Cathy nodded, setting the shovel aside from the moment before hopping the low fence. The handler scooted over so she could stand by their side as another one of the animals was brought through; a young Apatosaurus.

"First, we look to see which animal is being let through. Because our dinosaurs don't have a lot of soft tissue, we can't use tags for identification. Instead, we use colour spots." Cathy watched as the handler lifted the Apatosaurus' head, revealing an orange spot under its jaw. "Then you consult the chart in order to find the individual in the species section."

The handler titled her tablet so Cathy could see. It only took a few taps to locate the individual; just inputting the species and the colour. A chart appeared, giving a list of aspects to inspect, and the date of inspection. Some were obvious things, like injuries, or emaciation, but she was pleased to see there were a couple of things that were a bit more specialized, like inspecting the leg joints of the Apatosaurus.

"A lot of first time handlers start from the top and work their way down, but after a while, you learn to go from one end of the animal to the other, and just fill out whatever applies at the time."

Cathy nodded as the handler went step by step through the inspection. Part of her was focused on at least partially memorizing the procedure, but another part of her was taking in some of the information up to this point. It was fascinating to some extent, especially when the handler invited her to touch the animal.

Taking a deep breath, she kneeled down beside the small dinosaur. Despite its small stature, she knew just how large they could get. Even so, she'd never been this close to a dinosaur, let alone a young one. The footage she had of the young was scant, but here was one living and breathing. For just a moment, she could set aside everything and enjoy the moment.

The scales were almost slightly bumpy under her fingers, and surprisingly warm. She knew from her own observations that the dinosaurs were a strange mix of warm and cold blooded, but to feel it with her own hands was something else. She wanted to run her hands over the whole thing, and just memorize every inch, but she knew that there wasn't time. Reluctantly, she stood back up, feeling her heavier thoughts pressing back in.

Although she knew how involved the genetics crew was with the management of the park, she hadn't realized just how much of a...stranglehold it was. The handlers didn't even do the most important things, and were basically glorified showmen. Caretakers for a production line, which she supposed made sense considering the model of the park. Still, she couldn't approve of that, not in the least because it made her job harder.

She would have to find some way into the genetics circle in order to get some of her information, and more importantly, samples.

As Cathy watched, she idly pointed a couple of things out, and asked questions, trying to gauge just how specific the task was, while also sounding invested. Eventually though, the diversion came to an end, and she watched as the Apatosaurus waddled out into the corral, almost immediately getting swarmed by the children.

The less said on that, the better.

"What happens when they get bigger?" she asked.

"Eventually, they move to the main enclosure. We usually get some new babies around that time. In fact, we're getting some new ones soon. They're usually a bit more uppity before they settle into it."

"Well, I guess I should get back to work," she announced, moving to hop back over the fence.

"Alright. Send one of the others over for the next one."

Cathy flashed a half-hearted thumbs up over her shoulder, quickly glancing around to look at the other candidates. One of them, a woman, quickly glanced away, and Cathy smiled to herself. It was obvious she had been listening, and paying close attention.

Fixing her gaze on the woman, it was impossible for her to keep looking away. Cathy pointed to her, trying to look as authoritative as possible. "You're up next."

Cathy jerked her thumb over her shoulder before turning, giving the appearance of not being particularly interested. Starting to cultivate her reputation now would go a long way later. She needed to look like she knew what she was doing, and being able to integrate into systems like this was part of that. It was callous, but that was the point.

Even so, she observed the woman far more discreetly than the reverse had been. It was easy to see her enthusiasm, and Cathy paid special attention to the questions being asked. It wasn't too long before Cathy got a rough outline of the woman's personality.

At least borderline knowledgeable, as evidenced by some of the more specific terms she threw around. Perhaps a bit too attentive, if her questions about the animal's health were anything to go on. Not anything too concerning, just another vet type.

As the shift dragged on, she learned a lot about her potential rivals. Who worked hard, and who shirked, or at least, tried to. Who knew what they were talking about, and who was learning it as they went. Already, she was able to cross a few of them out of competition, and sort the others into those who she might be able to work with, and those she might clash with.

It struck her that the people in charge would likely be even more harsh when judging them.

"Alright folks, time to swap places!" Cathy glanced up, seeing the other half of the recruits stepping back in from the light. Talking and laughing amidst themselves, looking quite pleased with the experience. Pushing her irritation down, Cathy carefully returned her equipment back to where she had gotten it from, even grabbing a carelessly discarded pitchfork. By the time she was done, the others were already crowding around the handler. No doubt they were eager to leave the backstage, and the dirty work.

Despite their energy, their handler did an admirable job of centering their attention, and holding them all back. "We have some rules to go over before you can step out."

"First, don't harass the animals. If one brushes up against you, you can give it an encouraging tap to move along, but we don't want to rile them up. Secondly, your primary focus is on the guests. Make sure they are following rules and are safe at all times. Losing focus can lead to an accident. Do headcounts. And finally, make sure to clean up after you exit the building. After this, you will be dismissed from this area. I will remind you again at the end, but it bears mentioning."

Cathy was almost impressed by the serious tone of the handler, and the way he met their gazes, firmly impressing his instructions upon them. After a minute, he stepped to the side, hand on the gate. "Let's get out there then. Watch your feet."

Despite herself, Cathy found herself getting a little excited at the prospect of interacting with the animals. Even as the sun hit her, she could not help but smile a little. It was the noise that made her smile the most. The calls of the young dinosaurs, discordant. And perfect.

Dozens of tiny sounds, playing over each other, ranging from inquiry to alarm. Music to her ears.

It took a moment for the handler to regain their focus enough to explain the process. They would spread out around the pen, and keep watch. It was a simple enough job.

Cathy already knew where she wanted to go. The path guests used to interact from the outside curved along one side of the pen, but the other side faced the jungle. The building itself jutted slightly into the pen, blocking off one corner of the jungle side. A little corner to herself.

Taking her post, she had to admit the shade was an added benefit, and she wasn't the only one enjoying it. A couple of the young triceratops were enjoying the corner. Leaning against the fence, she scanned the pen, taking in the sight.

Despite all the hours, weeks, and months she had studied dinosaurs, it had been almost two decades since she had interacted with them physically, and she didn't really count the first time.

Looking at the dinosaurs, the thought couldn't help but change the way she perceived them. All these small children, some unaccompanied by their parents, around all these young dinosaurs. It didn't take a large animal to harm a child.

Triceratops, even with blunted horns, could batter even an adult to death.

Gallimimus had powerful legs, even if they did not have the teeth for it.

Even the Apatosaurus, who waddled almost comically, had a tail that they could learn to crack hard enough to break the sound barrier.

A small noise caught her attention, and she glanced down to see one of the young Triceratops had approached, appraising her. Instantly, she tuned in to the sounds it was making.

Inquiry. Hunger.

It thought she had food. Of course.

She paid it no mind. It would lose interest soon enough. Still, as it looked at her, she couldn't help but feel irrationally irritated. Something about it was bugging her. Sighing, she glanced back down, running her eyes down the animal's body.

No injuries on the face or frill, and the only thing she could see wrong was that all the horns were carefully blunted to prevent injury.

Leaning, she tried to look at its body, but couldn't see anything wrong. No scratches, or even just irritated patches. From what she tell, it was just fine. Her eyes narrowed as her irritation grew. The damn thing was practically begging now, just uttering the same damn hunger call, like some annoying little dog.

Then it hit her, and she could feel her stomach first drop, then rise in anger.

The call was all wrong. It was a hunger call all-right, but a half-hearted one at best. It was as if someone had taken the call, and reduced it to its simplest form. She knew that the calls of the young were simpler than the adults, but this was something else entirely. There were entire sub-harmonics missing.

Taking a breath, she composed herself, hiding the shock that had briefly flashed across her face. She supposed it could be explained. Growing up away from the herd could do that. It only made sense. But it still bothered her, and she couldn't help but feel a rising sense of anger.

Glancing around, she could see no one else was close to her. With a small smile, she turned back to the young Triceratops, taking a deep breath. Quietly, but firmly, she mimicked her best alarm call, causing the small animal to stumble back in surprise before seeming to recover its wits and waddle away. Cathy watched, bemused, as it left. Before long, it ran into the range of the children, and was distracted from its distress by the placation of the food they carried.

Looking out into the pen now, she took the time to watch some of the other handlers, not really looking for anything in particular. It was kind of like bird watching, in a way. After having to be amongst them for most of the morning, it was kind of nice to be able to step back, and ignore all pretenses in favour of just working. Sure, she would have preferred to be listening to the dinosaur calls, and actually doing study, but this was still a step up.

Only an hour or so more, and she would be free. In the meantime, she contemplated getting a closer look at the young Gallimimus. Purely for research purposes, of course.

The Innovation Center was a much more refreshing locale to her.

Ignoring the masses of people, she casually strolled towards the center, where the hologram projector was set up. At the moment, a large Apatosaurus was meandering in place, towering over the visitors. Seeing the panel was unattended, she stepped up, sliding her hand along the choices.

Finally, she settled on Dilophosaurus, smiling as she looked up. With bated breath, she pressed the button, and the pixels collapsed, forming rapidly into a much smaller creature. In a flash, the theropod appeared, its crest expanding as it hissed a challenge feet from her face.

A few of the guests behind her flinched away, but she actually found herself leaning in a little. Even now, she could see the mild inaccuracies with the design. Jurassic World had no Dilophosaurus on display. As far as she knew, they had tried to grow them once, but they had been discontinued for reasons never publicly disclosed. As much as she liked to think it had been some colossal fuck up on their part, she knew it was likely they had decided it wasn't popular enough to spend time and money trying to remove the negative traits, like the poison spit.

Pushing the thought from her mind, she took the moment to just appreciate as much of it as she could. With each of the synthesized steps, she could see the attempt to mimic the real thing, and it was pretty convincing, if she was being honest. Despite not having all the physical details right, the actual motor functions were pretty spot on.

With the hiss of the projection, it rearranged itself, and she glanced to see a small child playing with the controls. Pulled from her reverie, she took that as her signal to continue with her original intent. Stepping back, she followed the flow of the crowd, heading towards the back of the center. She almost made it to the back before she found herself forced to stop once more.

Amidst the crowd, she spotted one thing that made her pause more than any other sight; the John Hammond statue. Cast in metal, he stood tall and proud above the crowd, his amber-headed cane clutched in his hand. More than any other face associated with the park, she had seen him.

Technically, she had met him once, but she had been much younger. It was just after the attack, and her parents had sued him for the harm he had caused. She still remembered it, if just vaguely. He had seemed so genuinely saddened by it, and settled with her family rather easily.

Retrospectively, it made sense. Despite the park going under, he was still quite wealthy and secure. Considering he had then pushed to have Sorna instated as a natural preserve, she had no doubt it was also a good case for his cause.

But on some level, she couldn't even hold it as callous business management. Cathy didn't trust many memories from her childhood, knowing how naive and young she was at the time, but she trusted that one. If anyone involved with Jurassic Park had wanted it to be something other than a corporate bounty, it was him.

Fondly, she gently ran her hand along the plaque, memorializing him. Granted, it was yet another grab at the legacy, but she couldn't help but be thankful for it. In a manner of speaking, he was the one responsible for her being here, even if they had only met once.

To some extent, she felt like she knew him. His memoirs were deeply personal, and made no illusions about his hopes and dreams for the park. She could even sympathize with him.

Her smile quirked slightly as another thought crossed her mind. He practically made her. He had laid the path for the dinosaurs to be a reality, and now she was embracing it while everyone else built their market around it. His desire to study and understand the dinosaurs was something she knew better than anyone.

She would be continuing his work.

Pulling herself away from his statue was hard, but she managed it, only sparing a last glance back as she went down the hall, the bright orange of the main building fading away to the cool, clean blues of the gene labs. At least, the public side.

The path remained narrow enough to just fit more than two lanes of traffic, and she weaved towards the central hub, trying to ignore the crowds. They passed through, glancing in interest, or taking pictures, but what was going on here was far beyond their comprehension.

It was nothing short of magic for the average person. Bringing extinct animals back from rock. Each step was practically its own field of science, and InGen had refined it into a perfected one. Which was immensely helpful for her.

Standing in the hub, she watched the geneticists at work, observing clutches of eggs, or analyzing DNA strands. Some of it was doubtlessly for show, but a good portion was actual work.

Looking at the eggs, she edged close to the glass, trying to identify the species. The oblong, hard shells made her think it was likely some kind of theropod. Normally, clutch size would be a good indicator, but in such a controlled environment, that meant nothing. The slight yellowish tint was a little more indicative, along with the slight mottling on the surface. Likely Gallimimus.

It had been a while since their last generation of young Gallimimus, if she recalled correctly. The ones at the Gentle Giants were almost aged out, so they would need to replace them.

Her attention was distracted as she watched one of the doctors approach the open walls, tapping a combination into the pad. The edges of the door became more apparent as the wall popped slightly, and the automated motors slowly opened it wide, allowing her a clear view of the lab beyond.

Unlike the viewing lab, the real lab was quite dark, and even more densely packed than the display. Inside, she could see sample containers, and rows of machines. No doubt some high profile data was located on those computers.

But what she was interested in was the genetic samples. In that dark room, they did all the tampering with genetic material, forming whatever creature they desired, cutting out undesired traits, and splicing in replacement parts. Somewhere in there, they also had the pure samples, unchanged form their original form, and carefully cultivated from years of excavation.

Just the thought of it made her excited.

"Mosasaur show in ten minutes." And just like that, the intercom system snapped her out of her bliss. She briefly flashed a sharp glare at the speakers before the message clicked. There was going to be a show soon. One she had a special ticket to. And one that would get her close to a staff member.

There was no time to waste.