Chapter 5: Stowaways
The Trailers, Isla Sorna, May 1997
In the expedition's absence, the Challenger trailers were left in silence. Only the muffled gurgle of water recirculating through the sink could be heard. At the dashboard, several monitors glowed, displaying various windows of information. In the living room, above the beds and the kitchen, several upper storage compartments were located near the ceiling. These compartments were mostly empty, with two major exceptions.
Suddenly, one of the compartment doors swung down and opened. A small body crawled out and dropped to the floor. Arby Benton groaned, stretching his body as he stood up straight. He then felt an intense pressure in his waist.
"If I don't pee, I'm gonna scream," he said with a wince. He hurried off to the small bathroom on shaky legs and, a moment later, sighed with relief.
While it had been Kelly's idea to sneak onto the trailers, it was Arby's job to figure out the details. It had been a lot of work and in a short amount of time. Sneaking into the trailers was relatively easy, but Arby also had to figure out how they would survive the multi-day journey across the South Pacific. Not to mention, they had to do it without getting caught.
But, Arby had figured everything out perfectly - at least almost everything. He knew that the trip would take several days, about four to reach the island chain. They would need plenty of food and water. The trailer had a kitchen, with a refrigerator full of food and a microwave to warm some of it up. But Arby knew they couldn't rely on the expedition's supplies, or else they could leave them with no food to survive on. The sink had plenty of water, but Arby didn't want to risk depleting that supply either. So, he had gone to the superstore and bought a massive stock of food and drinks. Not just snacks and soda (though he did buy plenty of that), but microwavable meals and plastic water bottles as well. He even got a cooler, which he kept hidden under the sink.
Arby had also correctly anticipated shifts in the temperature. While it would be hot in the day, especially near the equator, Arby guessed that the nights would be cold. He bought plenty of small, battery-powered fans for the heat, and plenty of blankets and sheets for the cold. He also bought several pillows to sleep on. Then, of course, they would need entertainment. Arby bought plenty of books, and flashlights to help read them. He also bought magazines, coloring books, and an ample supply of pencils, both graphite and colored.
Arby thought that he had taken care of everything. But then, just as the ship was about to set off, Eddie Carr came in and latched all of the storage compartments. All of them from the outside. This had posed quite a problem, considering that, even with all of their supplies, Arby and Kelly would need to step out for various necessities, particularly using the restroom. But with the compartments locked, that would be impossible. Arby couldn't imagine going a day without using the toilet, let alone four.
But then Arby had an idea. He had brought along a credit card, one given to him by his parents. He hadn't brought it because he thought it would be important. He had forgotten that it was with him at all. But when he found the card in his pocket, Arby realized that it could be his ticket out. He stuck the card through a crack in the compartment door and slid it up, pressing it against the panel latch, until it was unhooked and the door could open. With the compartment doors unlocked, and a plan for if they were ever locked again, the rest of the trip went according to plan. That didn't make it any less uncomfortable, considering they were stuck in a tiny compartment for the better part of four days. But, they had survived, and that was important. Now they are here. They had arrived.
After finishing up, Arby opened the door to find Kelly standing outside, rocking back and forth.
"Hey," he greeted cheerfully. "We made it!"
"Yeahyeahyeah," Kelly said quickly. She pushed past Arby and rushed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
"We did it!" Arby proudly stated to the bathroom door. "We're here!"
"Just a minute, Arb," Kelly's voice echoed from the door. "Okay?"
Arby shrugged and walked away. He went over to the sink, pulled the soap out of a drawer, and washed his hands. Once done, he then pulled out the cooler and set it beside the refrigerator. There was no use hiding it anymore.
Arby then turned and looked out the window. While he had left his compartment several times during the trip, he never had much time to look out the window. He didn't want to risk getting caught, so he was always sneaking around. Keeping his head down. He only looked out the window when he was making sure no one would see him.
Now he could truly appreciate the outside, and this time the outside was more than just the blue sky and rolling waves. Now there was a grassy clearing with a dense jungle to the front and sides and with a sheer cliff at its rear. In the distance, above the tops of the jungle trees, Arby could see the shape of a mountain, its peak hidden by fog.
Arby remembered hearing the muffled shout of the ship's captain. Not only had he been difficult to hear, but he spoke Spanish as well. But the captain had said a familiar title. A name that Arby could only assume belongs to the island they were now located on.
Isla Sorna.
Arby smiled. The four days of excruciating confinement were finally over. The adventure could finally begin.
For the first time, Arby felt that he was on the brink of something exciting. Not just something he sees on television or plays in a video game. Something that Arby was a part of. Something truly exciting, not like the dull life he had back home. There were never any fun adventures there. For one thing, everyone treated him weird. It wasn't a mystery why. He wasn't big or strong. He wasn't good at sports. He wasn't handsome or charming. He wasn't dumb. But while Arby considered himself to be intelligent, he was well aware that school wasn't entirely his strong suit either. Not for a lack of understanding, but because they were all so boring. It was a struggle to stay awake. Arby was very adept at computers, but that was about it. Computers were the only things he was interested in. He didn't care about tv shows or football or anything everyone else liked. None of that stuff was important to him. But that only alienated him from the conversations of others. He couldn't go on any sort of adventures with anyone else. No one understood him. No one except Kelly, at least.
Kelly was the only person willing to hang out with him. The only one who had an understanding with him. The person that Arby sometimes even had fun with. This plan of hers took the cake. Sneaking onto an expedition to a far-away island? At first, Arby's technical mind was hesitant. But then he realized the opportunity being presented before him. Kelly was inviting him to join a daring adventure. A journey like those from movies or video games, but actually real. Something that Arby wasn't just watching or playing. Something that Arby Benton, the weird, computer nerd, was actually a part of. Of course, he agreed.
The bathroom door opened and Kelly stepped out. "So this is Isla Sorna," she observed, looking out the window at the surrounding jungle.
"I guess it is," Arby said.
Kelly was quiet for a moment, clenching and unclenching her hands. She then looked over at him. "You remember when we first got here," Kelly said, "and the trailers were driving here."
"Yeah?" Arby said.
"Well, did you hear what they were talking about?" Kelly asked. "Ian and the other guy?"
Arby shrugged. "Kind of," he said. "It was kind of hard to hear with the engine and all." He had heard a conversation occur while the trailer was driving across the island. He hadn't heard much of it, but Arby could tell that it was about a campsite or something.
"Same here," Kelly said, "but Ian seemed nervous about something.
"Yeah, he did," Arby agreed. Malcolm had seemed anxious about something. What it was, Arby couldn't tell.
However Kelly, despite what she said, seemed to have a better idea. "I think they were talking about dinosaurs," she said suddenly.
Arby gave her a look and scoffed. "Dinosaurs? Why would they talk about that?"
"Well, you've heard about Ian's stories," Kelly said. "You've seen him on the tv."
Arby knew what she was talking about. He was well aware of the stories Malcolm had claimed were true. Stories of parks and fences. Of science gone too far. Stories of dinosaurs, and the terrible disaster at Jurassic Park. Arby had heard of them, and so had his parents. It took them a while to trust Arby with Malcolm, and even now they would act weird around him. Arby found the man to be weird himself. Even without the tales of science fiction, he found Ian Malcolm to be… odd. But if Kelly trusted him, Arby did too. Not that he believed that the dinosaurs were real, but he believed that Malcolm was trustworthy. Though, Arby certainly was curious about the idea of living dinosaurs. He had never been super interested in them, but the idea of real-life dinosaurs living on an exotic island had caught his curiosity. It seemed like another great adventure. A story that seemed, despite the many dangers, daring and grand, even if it wasn't real. A part of Arby would have liked to experience it. But the dinosaurs were extinct, gone forever.
Right?
"Kelly," Arby said, "there are no dinosaurs. They're extinct. They have been for sixty-five million years."
"But look at where we are," Kelly said. "We're on an island in the South Pacific, and only like eighty miles from where it happened."
"If it happened," Arby said, "and even if it did, why would the dinosaurs be here? And why would Doctor Malcolm be here, if what you say is true."
"I don't know," Kelly said, looking back out the window, "but there has to be a reason. Ian didn't come here for nothing." She sighed. "Perhaps…"
"We'll find out why in a bit," Arby said. "They should be back soon." He then frowned. "Though, when they do, they'll be pretty annoyed with us," he said anxiously. "How should we tell them?"
Kelly shrugged. "We can just let it be a surprise," she suggested.
"They'll probably be mad," Arby pointed out.
"Then I'll make it a pleasant one," Kelly countered. "I'll cook them dinner or something. Besides, what can they do about it?"
"Yell at us. Make us leave," he suggested. Arby was troubled by this thought. He had always hated the idea of breaking the rules and getting into trouble. Even a mild reprimand from a teacher would cause a flare in his anxiety. It was the largest voice against going along with Kelly's plan. Though Arby's desire for adventure eventually won out, the thought of the expedition's reaction had been a nagging thought throughout the ship.
Kelly clearly didn't share his concerns. "They can't," she dismissed. "It would be too much trouble for them. All they'll do is give us a good slap on the wrists and everything will continue as normal."
"If you say so…" Arby said doubtfully.
"Besides," Kelly continued, "we can help them with their expedition. We'll be their assistants. By the time we go home, they'll be glad we came."
"Maybe…" he said. Arby still wasn't convinced, but he decided to drop the subject.
"I think I will cook that dinner," Kelly said, talking mostly to herself. "That should make them happy."
"I guess." Arby sighed, looking back out the window. He felt a pang in his stomach, but it wasn't severe. He could wait a while before he was really hungry. Besides, Arby felt more tired than anything. The storage compartment wasn't exactly comfortable.
"I'm gonna take a nap," he announced.
"Go ahead," Kelly said, walking over to the fridge. "I'll wake you up when they come back."
Arby walked over to one of the bunks and stretched out on the bed. He decided that he would only sleep for a little bit. He wanted to be awake when the expedition returned. But he soon realized that sleep was fast approaching. He was more tired than he thought. Arby adjusted his position before he closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.
The Stream
Alan Grant watched in amazement as the dinosaur stepped out from the jungle and entered the streambed, revealing itself in all of its beauty.
The dinosaur was huge. It was easily twice her height, and that wasn't even including the double-row of spade-shaped plates that stuck up from a ridge that ran along the middle of the animal's arched back. The body was held up by four, trunk-like legs, each with a set of stumpy toes. At the front of its jungle green body, attached by a thick neck, was a small, pointed head. The dinosaur's mouth was outfitted with a beak, perfect for tearing off leaves and other vegetation. The dinosaur's tail was short, hovering off the ground. A collection of a half-dozen, foot-long spikes stuck out from the tip of its tail, glistening as the tail swung gently back and forth. As Grant stared at the dinosaur, it seemed to stare back, giving him a curious but otherwise unconcerned look.
Grant immediately recognized the dinosaur from all the skeletons in museums and pictures in books. It was a famous dinosaur, particularly for its giant fins and its dangerous tail spikes. While Grant had not seen one on Nublar, he was not surprised to find that such a notable animal had been recreated.
"Stegosaurus…" he breathed in awe. Even with everything he knew, Grant was astonished by the sight. It amazed him that he hadn't fainted when he first saw a dinosaur. On second thought, Grant remembered that he almost had. The majesty, the grace. Everything felt like a dream. When Grant had finally returned from Nublar four years ago, he had thought he would never see a dinosaur again. A part of him was glad, considering everything he had been through. But with the sight before him now, he was most definitely glad he was wrong. He was glad he had decided to join this expedition. Dinosaurs were truly majestic creatures. There was no arguing that.
Grant could tell Ellie felt the same way. She stood, her rifle already lowered, pointing at the ground. She stared at the dinosaur, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. A wide smile was on her face.
"Stegosaurus," Eddie repeated nervously, gripping the rifle firmly in his hands. "What, is that bad?" he said. "Is it dangerous?"
Grant sighed, shaking his head. Apparently, the Stego wasn't as famous as he'd thought. "Only if you disturb it," he replied.
"And how do we not do that?" Eddie asked.
"Don't shoot it, for starters," Malcolm said.
Meanwhile, Nick had frozen in place. His mouth was wide open, so much so that his pink bubble gum fell loose. It dropped out of his mouth, falling to the ground below. But Nick didn't seem to care. He didn't even seem to notice.
Suddenly, the foliage ruffled, and a second Stegosaur stumbled out into the streambed. This one was an infant, only about a quarter the size of the adult. The baby followed the adult-like a cub trailing after its mother, occasionally glancing at them in curiosity.
Grant knew that there was much heavy debate over the relationship dinosaurs had with their offspring. Some believed that dinosaurs behaved like turtles, abandoning their young once they hatched, or even before. Others, including Grant, held a more sympathetic view of parental dinosaurs. He believed that dinosaurs cared for their young like a mother bear would her cub. Grant had even found evidence of such at dig sites in Montana and Colorado. But those had been regarding hadrosaurs. Duck-billed dinosaurs like the Maiasaura, which were now more widely considered to be nurturing parents, thanks in part to Grant's work. Stegosaurus was a different matter. Watching them now, however, Grant concluded that Stegosaurus, or at least Hammond's Stegos, were the same.
Heavy footsteps thundered behind them, disrupting Grant's thoughts with their vibrations. Turning around, the group found a third Stegosaur, the largest of the three by far, lumbering out of the jungle behind them. It followed the mother and her baby, passing easily within ten feet of them.
Suddenly, as if unable to control his astonishment any longer, Nick burst into helpless laughter.
"Shut up!" Malcolm growled, glancing worriedly at the massive dinosaur.
The Stegosaur, however, continued forward without care, apparently unconcerned about the strange creatures standing around in its environment. Nick continued to laugh, shaking his head. "I don't believe it," he said. "He was telling the truth. The senile son-of-a-bitch was telling the truth." The trio, even the baby, stepped over the fallen logs with ease, disappearing into the foliage.
The group stood for a moment, stunned by what they had just seen. But then Ellie stepped out of her astonished stupor. "Come on! Let's follow them!" She then ran after the family of dinosaurs.
The group rushed after her, climbing over the logs and pushing through the bushes. On the other side, they came to a large, rocky clearing. It seemed to have once been a large pond, though now only the stream flowed through the area. Even so, the group froze, stunned at the sight before them. Not at the scenery, but at what was in it.
An entire herd of Stegosaurus.
"Oh my god…" Ellie muttered.
Drinking from the stream, grazing near the edge of the clearing, or simply existing peacefully in their environment, Granted easily counted over twenty Stegosaurus, including the trio that had just joined the herd. They all ranged from young infants to seasoned adults. It was a sight not unlike the one Grant had come to when he first saw dinosaurs on Isla Nublar. Then, there were multiple species of dinosaurs. Here, there were only Stegosaurus, but the scene was beautiful all the same.
Every member of the expedition stared in stunned silence, watching in awe at the magnificent sight.
Nick van Owen, remembering that he had a camera, jolted from his awe-induced stupor. Setting down his video camera, Nick took out a smaller camera and brought it up to his face. He began to snap pictures. Why wouldn't he? There he was staring at dinosaurs. An entire herd of them. Animals that had been extinct for who knows how long. He would be damned if he didn't take a few photos, even to just convince himself that he wasn't dreaming.
Nick decided to climb up onto the fallen trees, hoping to get a better shot of the herd. He gradually made his way down the log, getting further and further away from the group. Eventually, he stopped, finding a good angle at a pair of dinosaurs - Stegosaurus, as Grant called them - drinking from the stream. It was a good shot. A great shot. The grand opus of shots considering what was in them. No wonder Hammond had tried to make a theme park out of these things. One picture alone, even a poor one, could make thousands of dollars. A shot like this could make tens of thousands. All he had to do was just…
"Hey Nick!"
The shout, which was loud and sudden, caught Nick completely by surprise. He jumped, losing his balance on the slippery wood. He cursed as he fell backward, roughly landing in the brush with a thud.
When Nick regained awareness of his surroundings, he heard laughter come from below him. Getting up, he looked at the source. His eyes widened in surprise. There stood a young, ginger-haired woman. About thirty. She had a very athletic body, developed through years of working in the wild. She was dressed in field gear, with a notepad strapped to her left wrist.
She greeted him with a wide, friendly smile.
"I got the jump on you, didn't I," she said, laughing.
Nick sighed, mostly with relief. "Yeah, you did," he said.
"Sarah."
"Do you believe your eyes?" Malcolm asked, standing beside Thorne.
The former professor chuckled. "I'm trying to."
"Well get used to it," Malcolm said grimly. "You're not gonna want to."
Thorne responded by giving Malcolm a concerned glance. "What did you see, four years ago?" he asked.
Malcolm thought for a brief moment. Eventually, he just said, "Enough."
"My god…"
Malcolm turned to see Eddie gawking at the herd before them. The fear from just a few minutes earlier had vanished. Nothing but awe and wonder remained. Naive awe and wonder.
"This… this is magnificent!" Eddie said excitedly.
Malcolm sighed. "Yeah, 'oooh,' 'aaah,' that's how it always starts," he said forebodingly. "But then later there's running, and, uh… screaming."
The others seemed to ignore him. Or at least try to.
Suddenly, Malcolm heard a commotion to their left. He, along with everyone else, looked over to find Nick walking back to them, a bit dirtier than when they last saw him.
And at his side was Sarah Harding.
"Hey guys!" Nick called with a wave. "Look who I found!"
Sarah laughed. "Who you found?" she challenged. "Was that fall what you call finding me?"
Nick dismissed her with a wave. "I just slipt," he shrugged.
"Uh-huh," she scoffed doubtfully.
Sarah had been on the island for about a week. Though she had been doing this sort of thing - adventuring out alone into the wild for weeks at a time - for about a decade, this had to have been the most exciting adventure she's had yet. She was used to lions and hyenas. Dinosaurs were a whole other matter. Almost nothing was known about them. Not even with Hammond's park was much learned about the animals. Back then, they were just for show. Now the dinosaurs were free, and they had developed a functional ecosystem in which they thrived in. This would be the closest anyone would come to having an authentic Mesozoic environment. And she was at the frontier. Many of the secrets out of reach of paleontologists were in her grasp. It was beyond exciting.
Sarah saw Doc Thorne approach her, a small smile on his face.
"Hey Jack," she greeted cheerfully. "You got a Power Bar or something? I'm starving."
"We got food for ya," he said with a nod.
Sarah realized something was off about the expedition's appearance here. They had agreed to arrive a little over a week after Sarah did. If she had counted right, the expedition shouldn't have arrived here for another two or three days.
"I must have lost track of time," Sarah said. "Is it Wednesday already?"
To her surprise, Thorne shook his head. "No, it's Sunday," he confirmed.
"Why so early?" Sarah asked curiously.
Thorne smiled. "Your guardian angel," he said, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.
Confused, Sarah looked past Thorne, looking to where he had pointed. Her eyes widened when she saw him. Standing there, arms crossed, was none other than Ian Malcolm.
After realizing she wasn't dreaming, Sarah sighed and shook her head. "I never thought in a million years Hammond would get you to come here."
"He has his ways," Malcolm muttered, frowning.
Sarah could tell that he wasn't happy, and she guessed why. But she decided to avoid that conversation. At least for a while. There was still work to be done.
Sarah began to walk toward her boyfriend. On the way, she spotted Eddie, who was standing around nearby.
"Hi Eddie," she greeted.
"Hey Sarah," Eddie said, waving and giving a shy smile.
She then reached Malcolm. "Those animals that just walked by, did you see 'em?" Sarah said excitedly. "That wasn't just a pair bond, that was a family group! And long after that infant was nestbound. Every clutch I've seen had empty egg shells that were obviously crushed and trampled. The hatchlings definitely stay in the birth environment for an extended time. That's conclusive. I can put that controversy to rest if I can just get a shot of the nest."
"Sarah," Malcolm said, getting in a word. He then lifted up his arm, and Sarah realized he was holding a backpack. An old, worn backpack. Her backpack. "You get attacked?" he asked.
"Oh, no," she responded, shaking her head. "That's my lucky pack," she explained. "It always looks like that." Sarah had owned that pack for about six years, and it had seen plenty of action from her adventures across Africa. It only seemed right that such a pack would also accompany her on this adventure.
"Well," Malcolm said, ruffling a hand through her pack. He pulled out her satellite phone. "When this rings, you answer it."
Sarah sighed and rolled her eyes. "We'll talk about this later," she said, beginning to walk past him. Malcolm was about to protest when Sarah stopped in her tracks, staring past Malcolm at the two people behind him.
"Doctor Grant? Doctor Sattler?" Sarah said in surprise. She walked over to the famous scientists, ignoring Malcolm's exasperated sigh, shaking their hands and sharing greetings. Sarah had met Grant and Ellie at a hospital in Costa Rica when they had come to visit Ian. During that time, they had become friends. But Sarah didn't expect them to be here. She thought that Hammond had left them out, leaving them to continue their work in Montana.
"Hammond didn't tell me you two would be here," Sarah said.
"Hammond doesn't know we're here," Ellie Sattler replied. She nodded over at Malcolm. "Ian called us. Asked us to help find you."
Sarah glanced back at Malcolm, noting his stern expression. Ignoring it, she turned back and said, "Well, it's good to have you here." The nearby call of a Stegosaurus reminded Sarah of her goal. "Sorry, but I gotta go," she said quickly, before turning around and scurrying towards the herd. She didn't want to lose the chance to take a photo of a nest.
"No, no, Sarah, wait!" she heard Malcolm say.
"Just wait there," Sarah called back. "And keep quiet. I'll be right back!"
Malcolm cursed, watching as Sarah charged off towards the herd of dinosaurs. He rushed over but was too late to bring her back. But all he could do was squat down by a fallen branch and watch helplessly. He wasn't a dinosaur expert, but he didn't like the look of the long, sharp spikes tipping the dinosaurs' tails. He cursed again.
The others quickly noticed Sarah's bold actions and rushed over to join him. After a moment, Nick looked over at Malcolm and smiled.
"Should we rescue her now or after lunch?" he quipped.
Malcolm just sighed.
Sarah ran over to a patch of the dense foliage at the edge of the clearing the Stegosaurs were congregating in. She knew that there were a few nests on the other side of this vegetation. She could easily go around the foliage or even run right through it, but Sarah knew that catching the attention of the adults would not bode well. Instead, Sarah got down on her hands and knees and began to crawl through the vegetation. She grabbed her Nikon camera, keeping it close to her chest as she made her way toward the nesting site.
Suddenly, she heard a deep, gargled grunt. Sarah looked up, eyes wide, only to relax when she processed the source of the sound. She smiled.
Sarah was staring face-to-face with a baby Stegosaurus.
Malcolm's fists were clenched as he watched Sarah carefully approach a baby dinosaur. She only stopped when she was an arm's length away, and she only did so to take pictures.
Malcolm winced as she did so. "No, no," he muttered. "Much too close, she's much too close."
Grant and Ellie stood beside him, watching Sarah intently. Thorne and Eddie were beside them, clutching their rifles. Nick stood to Malcolm's right, lifting his video camera to his face as he began to film the scene unfold.
Malcolm was too focused on Sarah to comment. He sighed again and muttered, "She's too close."
Sarah slowly lowered her camera, staring in awe at the baby dinosaur. She looked into its eyes, big and brown. It was staring at her curiously. No fear at all. It was even a bit cute, in a way. But more than that, Sarah was amazed by the innocent creature. It was an animal that had been extinct for millions of years. The Stegosaurus was so old that its extinction was closer to the Tyrannosaurus Rex than the Rex was to humans. Yet, Sarah was now staring right at one, and a baby at that. She was so close that she could reach out and touch it.
Hell, why not? Sarah thought. It was right there, after all, and Sarah doubted that she would get another opportunity like this again. Sarah sighed in wonder. To touch a dinosaur! What an exhilarating thought. Surely it would be okay to do so. Ian would probably kill her, but as long as she didn't harm or disturb the animal, and as long as she didn't leave any trace of her behind, it should be fine. Soon the idea was overpowering the risk. Sarah doubted she would be the first person to touch a Stegosaurus, let alone a dinosaur, but merely touching a dinosaur in and of itself would be an experience that would last forever. It wasn't just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It was once in a sixty-five million-year opportunity.
And it was one she had to take.
Slowly and carefully, Sarah began to reach out with her right hand, cautiously approaching the Stegosaurus's small head. The baby moved its head back, hesitant to allow such a strange creature to touch it. Sarah carefully held her hand in front of the dinosaur's flaring nostrils. She hoped that the animal may be more comfortable with her if it became familiar with her scent, like with dogs. Of course, a Stegosaurus was far removed from dogs, but Sarah figured it was worth a shot. Surprisingly, it seemed to work. The nostrils flared as the dinosaur snorted, smelling Sarah's hand. The baby then lowered its head, holding it by her hand.
Sarah's hand was near shaking as she gently placed it on the baby Stegosaur's snout. The animal grunted as Sarah carefully pushed her hand forward, and began gently rubbing the dinosaur's head. Sarah had to fight her hardest to keep herself from squealing.
She was touching a dinosaur.
She was touching a dinosaur. Malcolm blinked, hoping that he was imagining it. But, indeed, Sarah was rubbing the head of the baby dinosaur.
"What the hell is she doing?" Malcolm angrily whispered. He released an exasperated sigh. "Just don't touch it. Why do you have to touch it? Why can't you just not touch? Why do you always gotta…"
Malcolm sighed again, absolutely astounded.
"Wow…" he heard Eddie muttered, watching wide-eyed. "Is this even possible?"
Grant chuckled. "I know what you mean," he said, watching in awe.
Malcolm, however, looked over at Eddie. "What?" he said, confused. "What did you think you were gonna document? What did you think you were here to see?"
"Animals…" Nick responded. "Maybe, uh… big iguanas."
Malcolm shot a glance at Nick before looking back at Sarah.
He sighed… again.
After a moment, the baby suddenly jolted away from Sarah's hand. It made a small roar, calling up into the air. It didn't seem distressed or annoyed. Just curious. Sarah reached down to the camera hanging around her neck and lift it. She had to get a picture of this. A photo of a dinosaur so up close may be able to convince people that the animals were real, and not just complicated hoaxes. It could be enough to convince the public that Ian's story was true, redeeming his reputation. She carefully took a photo of the baby Stegosaurus…
… and the camera's autowinder whirled to life.
Sarah looked down at the camera in horror, its motor whining loudly in her hands. She fiddled with it, trying to shut it off. But it was too late. The baby was startled, roaring once more but in a more distressed tone. When Sarah looked up, she saw that the baby was scurrying away from her. In front of the baby, a few yards away, an adult Stegosaurus was rushing towards it, the animal's tail swinging defensively. No, not towards the baby, Sarah realized.
Towards her.
Sarah stood up and began to slowly back away. The Stegosaur stared at her as it approached, its spinal plates bristling. She hoped that she could calm the adult down by appearing submissive and unthreatening. But then she heard a large crash from the jungle beside her. There was an angry roar, and Sarah turned to find another adult Stegosaurus just a few feet away. And it was charging at her.
Sarah had no choice but to turn and run.
"SARAH!" Malcolm yelled, leaping over the branch and charging towards the herd. He did not come all this way to this island just to watch his girlfriend get trampled by Stegosaurs. But then Malcolm suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around him, holding him back.
Malcolm turned to see that Nick had grabbed him. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked sharply.
"You can't just run in there!" Nick argued. "It's too dangerous. You'll get yourself killed."
"Sarah will get killed if we don't help her," Malcolm retorted. He looked over at Eddie, who was aiming his rifle at the herd, nervously grasping it. "Shoot it!" he ordered.
Eddie looked back at Malcolm, wide-eyed. "They're just protecting their baby," he pointed out.
"So am I!" Malcolm snapped back. "Someone shoot it already!"
Grant suddenly grabbed Malcolm's shoulder. "Ian," he said, "you can't just run in there. You'll get trampled, and Sarah won't be any safer."
"We can't leave her there!" Malcolm said.
"We aren't," Ellie said. "We just need to be smart about this."
Thorne then walked over. Suddenly, he said, "I have a plan." When everyone gave him their attention, he continued, "You guys go get Sarah. I'll distract the dinosaurs."
"Are you sure?" Grant asked. "Stegosaurus aren't carnivores but they're still dangerous."
"I'll be fine," Thorne dismissed.
"Not alone you're not," Nick said, letting Malcolm go.
Malcolm stood there, giving Thorne a hard stare. "Don't underestimate these things," he warned.
"I won't," Thorne said. "Just go rescue Sarah."
Sarah had tried to run back to the others but found herself cut off by another Stegosaurus, roaring as it swung its tail threateningly. She watched as its tail pulled back, preparing to swing. Sarah turned around, diving to the ground as the dinosaur swung its deadly tail. She heard a loud whoosh and felt violent winds suddenly pull at her clothes. Dust brushed her face as the Stegosaur's tail flew past at a surprising speed. It missed, though it only seemed to be by a foot at most.
Sarah scrambled to her feet, regaining a sense of her surroundings. She found herself to be in a clearing. A few yards away, several Stegosaurs were in a clump, protecting the babies hiding behind their legs. But that didn't make up the entire herd. Several animals were circling her, roaring angrily and giving her a fierce stare. Sarah turned and saw that one particularly large Stegosaur was crashing through some nearby ferns, charging towards her.
She wasted no time in running away, grasping her camera as she fled. Sarah spotted a large, hollow log at the edge of the clearing, and ran towards it. She could hear the thunderous thuds of the Stegosaurus's steps as it chased her. Sarah doubted she could outrun the Stegosaur, but she might be able to use the log as shelter, even for a moment. Then she could run into the jungle and get away. But she had to get the log first.
She dived into the opening of the hollow log, clutching the camera to her chest, and began to crawl through it. There was a roar, followed by a sudden crunch. Sarah yelped at the sound, looking back in time to see a couple of sharp, bony spikes pull out of the log. The Stegosaur had tried to stab Sarah through the wood with the spikes on its tail, and it had only missed by a foot or so.
Sarah ignored this scary revelation and continued crawling through the log. It took only a moment for her to reach the other side. She pulled herself out of the hollow log, looking back to see the whereabouts of the Stegosaurus. To her surprise, the animal was now facing away from her. It lashed its tail back and forth and it roared angrily, but it no longer seemed interested in her. Sarah looked and spotted what had the dinosaur distracted.
It was Thorne and Nick. They were standing at the edge of the clearing, waving their arms and yelling at the Stegosaurs. Sarah stood up. As much as she appreciated the effort, she didn't want the others to risk their lives. She was about to jump back into the clearing, hoping to draw the animals' attention away from Thorne and Nick, when she felt something grab her.
She yelped, looking back, but was relieved to find that it was only Malcolm who had grabbed her. He gave her an intense look and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Sarah said dismissively. She glanced back at Thorne and Nick. "What about -"
"They'll be fine," Malcolm interrupted. "We have to go." He then pulled on her arm, turning to enter the jungle.
Sarah glanced back but reluctantly followed him.
"Hey! Hey! Over here!" Thorne yelled, waving his hands above his head. The dinosaur, as it retrieved its tail from the hollow log, turned and glared at him.
"Come on!" Nick shouted. "Don't you want some tasty humans? Come and get us!"
They planned to make a commotion and hope that it would draw the dinosaurs away from Sarah. Thorne knew it wasn't a very solid plan, but it was the only thing he could think of. Besides, it seemed to be working. Several dinosaurs were turning to face them, roaring angrily as their deadly tails swayed warningly.
"How long do we have to keep this up?" Nick said nervously as the Stegosaurus began to approach them.
"Just until Sarah gets out of there," Thorne said, glancing at the hollow log Sarah disappeared in. He then saw Sarah climb out the other side. Thorne then smiled when he saw Malcolm step out of the jungle and grab her wrist.
"Alright, he's got her," Thorne said, turning to Nick. "Let's get out of here."
Nick nodded, and the two quickly retreated from the scene, running towards the jungle. Thorne glanced back when he got to the edge of the clearing. Fortunately, the dinosaurs weren't giving chase. The Stegosaurus roared and lashed their tails, but didn't stray very far from their babies.
Thorne sighed with relief and retreated into the jungle.
The Trailers
Arby blinked as he returned to consciousness. He yawned, sitting upright in the bed. He then remembered that he wasn't in his own bed back at home. He was on Isla Sorna, thousands of miles away.
He threw his legs over the side of the bunk and stood up. Walking up to the window, Arby peered out at the surrounding scenery, looking for any change in their surroundings. There was only one he could spot. Kelly was outside, sitting on her knees. She was fiddling with a bundle of sticks that sat in the center of a circle of rocks. It was clear that she was trying to start a fire, probably to cook dinner.
How long Arby slept, he didn't know. But it didn't seem to be very long. Kelly was still in the early stages of the cooking process and the expedition had yet to return. The cars were still gone, and the trailer was still isolated in the small clearing.
Arby clenched and unclenched his hands. He was now starting to grasp just how insane this all was. He had devised a plan to sneak Kelly and himself into an expedition headed thousands of miles away to a desolate island in the middle of nowhere. At the time, Arby had felt daring, and he had felt clever with how he devised and executed their plan. But now he just felt guilty. Guilty of trespassing on a private expedition and for lying to his parents about it. Most of all, he felt alone. Alone on an island thousands of miles from his home and his parents. And he had no idea how long it would take to see them again.
Arby needed to contact the expedition. He needed to turn themselves in and confess. But most of all, he needed to talk to someone. He needed to hear someone's voice.
He walked over to the front of the trailer, sitting down in the driver's seat. The keys were still in the ignition, though Arby doubted there was anyone around to steel the vehicle. At least, anyone that the team knew of. Arby turned the ignition key, making the engine rumble. He then grabbed the radio handset.
Raising the radio to his face, he said, "Hello? This is Arby. Is anyone there? This is Arby. Over."
Only static responded. Arby lifted the radio to make another attempt but was interrupted by the sound of someone entering the trailers behind him.
"What are you doing?" Kelly asked curiously, peering in from the other room.
Arby turned around. "I'm trying to contact the team," he said. "I want to tell them that we're here."
Kelly frowned. "Why?" she asked.
"It might lessen the shock a bit," he shrugged.
"Okay," she said hesitantly. "Just don't tell them about my dinner," she then added. "I want it to be a surprise."
He nodded and Kelly disappeared around the corner. Turning around, Arby studied the dashboard. No one was in either of the AAVs, assuming the radio was even connected to them. However, there was a dashboard systems monitor, which displayed which systems were operational. According to the monitor, all of the systems were. But of these systems, communications didn't seem to be one of them. Arby considered that the communications system might be hooked into a computer. He decided to give it a shot.
Getting up, Arby went to the middle of the trailer, locating the computer. Sitting down on a small chair, he unstrapped the keyboard, plugged it in, and turned the computer on. He was greeted by a menu screen that displayed, "Thorne Mobile Field Systems." Underneath was a list of subsystems inside the trailers. Sure enough, one of them was communications. Radio communications, to be exact. Arby clicked on it, turning it on.
The screen shifted into a hash of scrambled static. But, near the bottom, Arby saw a command line that read, "Multiple Frequency Inputs Received. Do you want to Autotune?"
Despite his vast knowledge of computers, Arby was unsure as to what this meant. However, he was undeterred. He was fearless with computers. In fact, Autotune seemed interesting. Without any hesitation, Arby typed "Yes."
The static remained but numbers rolled at the bottom, which Arby guessed were frequencies presented in megahertz. Then, after a moment, the screen suddenly went blank. All that remained was a single word flashing in the upper-left corner of the screen.
LOGIN:
Arby leaned back in his chair, frowning. He was surprised to find that he needed to log into the trailer's computer system. There was an infinite number of passwords that could work, but Arby decided to give it a try. Perhaps he could use educated guesses to get it right. First, he tried: THORNE.
Nothing happened. The cursor simply moved to the next line and began to flash.
After a moment, Arby tried Thorne's company: THORNE MOBILE FIELD SYSTEMS.
Again, nothing happened.
Arby tried: MOBILE FIELD SYSTEMS.
Nothing.
JACKTHORNE.
Nothing.
CARR.
Nothing.
EDDIECARR.
Nothing.
USER.
Nothing.
Arby sighed and reluctantly tried: PASSWORD.
But, alas, nothing.
However, Arby had gained some valuable information from his failure. Typically, networks would forcefully log you off after three wrong tries. With this system, it seemed someone could make as many guesses as they wanted. No security feature beyond requiring a password was created. Arby couldn't help but frown at the poor, insecure design. The system was far too patient and helpful for his liking.
Arby suddenly got an idea. There didn't seem to be any function that allowed the user to find or change their password if it was lost. But Arby doubted that the system lacked any sort of feature to help the user. If there was, it was probably activated by a keyword. That keyword was obvious.
He tried: HELP.
The cursor moved to the following line. However, this time, it didn't flash. After a pause, the drivers suddenly whirred.
Arby smiled. "There we go," he said.
He watched as white lettering slowly printed across the screen: ARE YOU A FIRST-TIME USER OF THE NETWORK?
He typed: YES.
After another pause, the screen-printed: ENTER FULL NAME.
He entered his name.
DO YOU WANT A PASSWORD?
Arby scoffed. This was easy. Too easy. Almost disappointingly so. Arby thought Thorne would have been more clever when designing his computer system. Even an amateur could have entered it. He quickly typed: YES.
Another moment later: YOUR NEW PASSWORD IS IGTP/&*958/. PLEASE TAKE NOTE.
Sure thing, Arby thought. He took a few moments to find a pen and a scrap of paper before copying it down. Shoving the scrap in his pocket, Arby returned to the monitor and hit the enter key.
PLEASE ENTER YOUR PASSWORD.
He peeked at the paper before typing in the password. There was another pause, longer than usual. When letters began printing onto the screen, they did so at a slower pace and seemed to lag every so often. Arby wondered if the system was even functional. But then the rest of the message was printed.
PASSWORD CONFIRMED. THANK YOU.
Suddenly, the screen flashed and turned a dark blue. An electronic chime sprang from the computer. A new image appeared on the monitor, making Arby stare in surprise.
Now the screen read:
INTERNATIONAL GENETIC TECHNOLOGIES
SITE B
LOCAL NODE NETWORK SERVICES
Arby tilted his head in confusion. International Genetic Technologies? Site B? What network was this? Arby had been under the impression that Isla Sorna was a deserted island. No one was here except him, Kelly, and the expedition. How did he log onto a random network? What even was the International Genetic Technologies? Some sort of biotech company? The name actually sounded vaguely familiar to Arby, but he just couldn't put his finger on why. Regardless, the trailer wasn't connected to anything via cables, so this had to be a radio network. But that would imply that there was some semblance of civilization on this island. Sure, that was possible, but why did the expedition camp in the jungle instead of heading towards this company's facility?
Whatever the answers to these questions, Arby knew he wouldn't get them for some time. So he decided to explore this mystery network. When, after a few moments, the screen failed to change, Arby hit the enter key, hoping that would spur a response. Sure enough, the screen changed.
Remote Network Services Available
CURRENT WORKFILES Last Modified
R/Research 10/02/95
P/Production 10/05/95
F/Field Rec 10/11/95
M/Maintenance 10/15/95
A/Administration 10/18/95
STORED DATAFILES
R1/Research (AV-AD) 10/06/95
R2/Research (GD-99) 10/13/95
P/Production (FD-FN) 10/18/95
VIDEO NETWORK
A, 1-200 CCD NDC.1.1
This was quite curious. It seemed that nothing on this system had been updated for about two years. Relatively speaking, this was an old system. Arby even wondered if it was abandoned. But if so, why? Who were the creators of this system, and why did they leave it untouched for so long? Arby wondered if the network still worked. Out of curiosity, he clicked on VIDEO NETWORK.
The screen began to fill with small boxes, each containing a video image. There were ten in all, and Arby noticed that, near the bottom of the screen, there was printed: 1/20. This seemed to be some sort of page number. Focussing on the images, Arby realized that he was seeing views of various parts of the island. Most of these images are from a high angle, indicating that the cameras were mounted in the trees. Arby squinted. Some of the images only displayed a jungle environment, but a few of them showed…
Arby's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.
They showed dinosaurs.
He squinted and blinked a couple of times. He even removed his glasses, cleaned them with the edge of his shirt, and put them back on. The images did not change. In one, Arby saw a herd of triceratops. In another, he saw several reptilian heads sticking up out of some tall grass. Arby began to click on the right-facing arrow next to the page number, flicking through the screens of images. Some of them only showed vegetation. Some of them showed nothing, indicating that the camera was damaged or broken. But, without a doubt, some of the images showed living, breathing dinosaurs.
Surely this had to be some kind of movie. They had to be. Arby had just accidentally accessed the dinosaur channel. Nothing more. How Arby connected to it, he had no clue, but it made more sense than their being real-life dinosaurs. Yet, Arby remembered the words of Kelly and Malcolm. Kelly had mentioned the possibility of dinosaurs living on this island. Malcolm had been the one to claim their existence in the first place. Could they actually be right?
Then Arby clicked onto the eighth page. Near the bottom, he saw a peculiar image. No dinosaurs. No people. Just two, empty, Mercedes Benz AAVs.
"Oh my god…" he said quietly, eyes wide in shock.
He couldn't believe it. Kelly was right. Malcolm was right. The pictures were real.
The dinosaurs were real.
