Jurassic Island

Chapter 7 – Lights Out

"What's this I hear about a storm?" Hammond inquired as he strolled down the ramp, leaning heavily against his cane with each step.

Arnold looked up from the computer monitor, the unlit cigarette bobbing in his lips. He stood up to meet Hammond on the raised platform in the center of the darkened control room. He gestured towards a large monitor to their right, which showed a detailed Doppler radar of the small island chain and the west coast of Costa Rica.

"That storm center hasn't dissipated or changed course," he said. "We were hoping it would, but it seems Mother Nature has a different plan. We're going to have to cut the tour short, I'm afraid. Pick it up again tomorrow where we left off."

"That's unacceptable," Hammond grounded out. "We have paying customers. We can't just go around rescheduling the park tours because of some bloody storm."

"It's a big one, John," Arnold tried again, using his employer's first name so that the man would understand the severity of it. "Similar to the one that hit us during the inspection two years ago. We got lucky then, but it's not worth taking a chance… especially with paying customers."

"Fine," Hammond grumbled, obviously disappointed. "I'll have to tell Miss Hemshaw to set up a new rotation for the tours."

"It's for the best, sir," Arnold reassured him, stepping back over to his workstation to pick up his phone. "I'll give Muldoon a call. He's probably going to want to ensure that we batten down and secure some of the pens."

Hammond turned around, glowering. If there was one thing he loathed more than a meeting with his Board of Directors, it was disappointing paying customers. He had made Jurassic Park for them. He wanted to share InGen's discoveries with the entire world. He jammed the butt of his cane against the floor and cursed. "Damn!"

XXX

The Explorers curved around a large river while Richard Kiley's voice informed them of the River Ride Adventure attraction. According to his narration, park visitors would soon get to ride a raft down the river through the habits of the more docile herbivore exhibits. Castle turned to Kate with a grin and waggled his eyebrows.

"That sounds fun," he asserted. "We'll have to come back when that attraction opens up."

Kate replied with a noncommittal shrug. "Sure, and maybe we could make it a family thing. Bring Alexis and Martha."

"Hmm," Castle hummed in thought, rubbing his chin. "I don't know about Mother, but Alexis would definitely be game. Ooh, and perhaps Lanie and the boys might be interested. It would be nice to spend some time together other than at crime scenes."

Kate inclined her head, really liking the idea, much to his relief. "Yes, Castle, that sounds good. We should discuss it when we get back home."

Castle reached across the center console and took her hand in his, quickly interlacing their fingers, just wanting to hold her hand. She pursed her lips and smiled back at him. His eyes sparkled and hers locked with his. Castle slowly rubbed the pad of his thumb across her knuckles, and Kate returned the gesture. He could feel the mutual love and respect pulse between them. It still stunned him that a woman such as Kate Beckett would actually want to be with him, to love him. For a time, Castle was ashamed to admit, he'd actually given up on the idea of true love. But when he met Kate Beckett, his world changed. She was everything he didn't know he was looking for. And he supposed it had been the same for her.

"This is so boring," Todd complained from the back, breaking the sweet moment between husband and wife. Castle nearly groaned out loud, wishing he'd been able to talk the park attendant into letting them ride alone in the Explorer. Kate didn't even try and suppress her eye roll as the man continued. "We haven't seen any cool dinosaurs yet. Just stupid plant eaters!"

"Ah, come on, honey," Sally tried to soothe her fiancé with her high-pitched voice, grating on everyone's ears. Castle glanced back at the couple through their reflection in rearview mirror. Even Todd looked annoyed at her voice. He seriously hoped the young man knew what he'd signed up for when he'd proposed to the woman with the piercing voice.

Castle tried to block them out as the started to bicker. He exchanged a look with Kate and she furrowed her brow, reaching up with her free hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. Besides the couple sharing the Explorer with them—well, more precisely Todd, Sally was okay, except for her high-pitched voice—the tour had been rather enjoyable. As he leaned back in his chair, trying to focus on listening to Richard Kiley's voice—he was now telling them about the different theories on the tyrannosaur behavior that had now either been proven or disproven—Castle noticed that fat droplets of water were starting to pebble the windshield. He arched his neck and flicked his eyes up towards the looming gray clouds slowly forming overhead.

"Looks like one hell of a storm's brewing," he said, glancing over at Kate with an amused tug to his lips. "Get it… storm's brewing?"

Kate rolled her eyes.

XXX

Hammond shifted his weight in the chair, spinning his amber topped cane around in his fingers, staring at the ancient mosquito trapped within the amber. He was absently aware of the hubbub around him as the control room staff worked to prepare the island for the oncoming storm.

"I've had the maintenance crews get to work at preparing the emergency bunkers," Arnold informed him, pulling him out of his malaise. "Just in case."

"Better to be safe than sorry," Hammond inclined his head, repeating Game Warden Muldoon's oft-said motto. He frowned and stamped his foot in frustration. "Rotten luck, this storm."

"We'll weather it," Arnold assured him, "just like the others." He leaned over his workstation, checking on something. A wiry grin had his lips curling up, and he twirled the unlit cigarette in his fingers.

"What is it?" Hammond asked, his brow furrowing as he arched his neck and squinted, trying to make out what was on the computer screen.

"I found a way to re-route through the tour program," Arnold said, placing the unlit cigarette back between his lips. "After the Rex stop, the cars will turn around in the rest area loop." The phone rung on his desk and he picked it up. Hammond absently listened to Arnold's half of the conversation. "Muldoon's on his way back," Arnold informed him after he hung up. "The raptor pen is bunkered down and secure, running on the back-up generators."

"You don't think we'd lose power, do you?"

"Just being safe, sir," Arnold said, rolling his chair over to another computer at his workstation. He typed in a few commands, and rolled back, giving Hammond a soothing look. "It could be worse, John. It could be a lot worse."

Hammond nodded in agreement. Out of everything that could have happened, a small storm wasn't too bad. And, in the scheme of things, doing a reschedule of the park tour wasn't really that big of a deal. "We'll give them a voucher for a free lunch at the Tree Top Café," he suggested. Arnold gave an absent nod.

"Anybody want a Coke?" Dennis Nedry asked as he stood up, shaking slightly as he zipped up a large pale blue jacket around his rotund form. "Anybody want something from the machines? A soda or something? I thought I'd get something sweet."

Hammond and Arnold both shook their heads, equally puzzled by Nedry's nervous ramblings. The big man started to leave, but then stopped, turning back toward them with what have must be an afterthought.

"Oh, I finished de-bugging the phones," Nedry babbled out so fast that his words nearly slurred together. "And I've started running that diagnostic on the security system that you asked for. So the system's compiling for eighteen minutes… or twenty. So, some minor systems may go on and off for a while. There's nothing to worry about. Simple thing…

"Okay, Dennis," Hammond interrupted him. "We get it. Go get your soda."

Nedry nodded, and turned back around to one of the computers at his station. He typed something, and then grabbed the can of shaving cream, shoving it into his jacket pocket as he huffed up the small steps and shuffled up the ramp towards the security door. He was gone before anyone took notice.

XXX

Robert Muldoon drove his jeep down the long ramp and into the basement garage underneath the Visitor Center. It was beginning to rain out there. He'd made sure that the raptor pen was locked down and secure. The big female was a clever girl, and it wouldn't be the first time that she'd try something during a storm. He wanted to be prepared for such an occasion. Still, if he had his way, they'd put the bitch down and be done with the lot of them. Unfortunately, his employer did not see it the same way.

He turned his jeep to the right, and the wet wheels squealed against the dry concrete as he expertly parked the jeep into one of the empty slots in the garage. Killing the engine, Muldoon pulled the keys out of the ignition. For a moment, he remained in his seat, not for the first time contemplating accepting Hammond's job offer.

Muldoon had hunted big game in Africa, providing rich weekend warriors with a taste of the safari. During the lull between hunting seasons, he had found employment at Hammond's park in Kenya as a game warden. Part of him wished he was still there, but at the time, when Hammond had first mentioned the idea of Jurassic Park, the challenge of supervising some of the deadliest predators that had ever existed had been too enticing.

Sighing, knowing it was a little too late to second-guess his career decisions, Muldoon popped the door open and climbed out of the jeep. Stepping out of the parking slot, he spotted Wallace, one of the chaperon drivers, talking with another driver.

"No, I'm telling you," Wallace was saying. "It was Richard Castle. You know, the guy who writes those crime novels."

"You sure?" the other driver said.

Wallace nodded. "My ex-girl friend was really into his books. She really liked them. She forced me to stand in line with her at a signing once."

"Isn't he married to some New York cop or something?"

"I don't know, but if he is, he certainly found the hottest one," Wallace said. "I'm telling you, she was like a model. Long legs, perfect figure… and damn… she had the best ass I'd ever seen."

Muldoon narrowed his eyes, overhearing their conversation. If Mr. Castle and his wife really were guests, Muldoon didn't like them gossiping about them like this. He cleared his throat, catching their attention.

"Hey, Wallace, can you fill up my jeep?" he asked, but it was more of an order.

"Sure thing, Mr. Muldoon," Wallace said, accepting the keys as he tossed them to him.

Muldoon stalked across the parking garage, leaving the two men behind him. From the glare he shot them, he was certain they knew he'd overheard their conversation, and had disapproved. He headed for the staff elevator. He pulled his keycard out of his pocket and swiped it through the security panel. The monitor blinked on and his picture flashed across the screen, before the elevator dinged and the doors rattled open. He stepped inside, adjusting his jacket, and punched the button for the control room, ready to stand watch for the duration.

XXX

Dennis Nedry waddled down the hall, occasionally glancing anxiously over his shoulder. He shook his arm, and tugged down the sleeve of the jacket, uncovering his wrist. His eyes narrowed in on the watch. "Almost there," he mumbled to himself, and picked up the pace, pumping his thick legs.

He moved around the corner and let out a small sigh of relief when he found a silver door labeled: Embryonic Cold Storage. He bent down, pressing himself against the wall, and proceeded to slowly shimmy along the concrete wall until he was right up next to the door. He flicked his eyes up through the plexiglass window in the center of the door, seeing the security camera slowly rotate back and forth. Shaking his arm, he tugged the sleeve of the jacket back again, and checked his watch.

"Five, four, three, two… one."

On cue, the security lock panel went dark, and the security camera stopped, the red light indicating active status winking off. Nedry grabbed the large flat door handle, pulling it out, and opening it. The door opened with a hiss. He shuffled through, hurrying into the freezer. Reaching inside his jacket pocket, he pulled out the can of Barbasol shaving cream.

Nedry headed over to the cooler, unscrewing the can as he went. Shivering from the chill in the storage freezer, he rushed over to a flat-topped pillar situated in the middle of the room that was labeled with the words: Viable Embryos – Handle With Extreme Care.Nedry ran his tongue along his lips in a nervous fashion as he pulled the lever, and the seal on top of the pillar popped open with a hiss, white mist issuing out around the opening. A lighted column with slotted compartments rose up from the opening.

Each slot was marked by the name of a dinosaur, Stegosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Pteranodon, Triceratops, Velociraptor, and Tyrannosaurus Rex to name a few. Nedry quickly set to work taking the thin glass slides out of the rack, one by one, and depositing them within the waiting slot in the shaving cream can that Dodgson had provided him with. Collecting enough specimens, Nedry pushed the lever back into position and watched as the column lowered back into the pillar. The top hatch closed with a hiss.

Exhaling and seeing his breath fog in front of him, Nedry hurried back to the door, screwing the shaving can back together as he went. He grabbed the flat door handle, tugged it up and the door slid open. He quickly shuffled through it and rushed down the hallway, huffing and puffing, cheeks pink. He cut around the corner and headed for the garage.

XXX

Ray Arnold pulled a lighter out of his pocket. He was just about to indulge in his daily cigarette when something on the computer terminal caught his attention. His brow furrowed in puzzlement as red and blue lines along a map of the Visitor Center started blinking off in succession.

"What the…?" he mumbled, the unlit cigarette dropping from his mouth.

Hammond lowered his cup of tea as he raised his eyebrows in question. Muldoon, who had returned from checking on the raptor pen, stepped over, scowling down at the computer screen with a confused expression.

"What is it, Ray?" Hammond asked.

"The door security systems are shutting down," Arnold informed them.

Hammond shrugged his shoulders and raised his teacup back to his lips. "Well, Nedry said a few systems would go off-line, didn't he?"

XXX

Thunder sounded in the distance. The dark clouds were now covering the late afternoon sun and the rain was now coming down in thick droplets, smacking against the windshield. It had only taken a second or two after the first signs of rain before the automatic wipers started whishing back and forth over the windshield. The headlights illuminated the track ahead of them, the Explorer in front of them just barely visible through the thick downpour.

Castle sighed, and leaned back into his chair. "I don't think we'll get to see the T-Rex in all this rain," he pouted, sticking out his lower lip. Kate gave his knee a sympathetic pat.

"This is bullshit, man," Todd grumbled in the backseat. "They better give us something after this shit."

"Honey, calm down," Sally tried to soothe him. Todd mumbled something under his breath, and gratefully went quiet.

The Explorers broke out of the dense foliage, rolling up alongside a curved electrified fence. Off to the right of the tall fence, stood a sign informing them that they'd arrived at the Tyrannosaur Paddock. Both cars slowed to a stop. And Richard Kiley's voice filtered through the speakers, providing them with further information on the Tyrannosaurus Rex. "Here we'll see the famous 'Tyrant King' of the Cretaceous. It is interesting to note that—" Kiley's narration suddenly went silent and the touch screen display on the center console winked off, going dark. The low electric hum that had come from the electric track along the center of the road ceased.

"Did… did the power just go out?" Sally asked from the backseat, the waver of distress unmistakable, even through her high-pitched voice.

Castle glanced around, his brow furrowing as he exchanged a look with Kate. "The headlights are still on," he shrugged.

"They could be running off the batteries," Kate suggested. She shifted forward, bringing her hand up to the center console. Castle watched as she pressed a circular button with a stylized question mark on it. Nothing happened. She pressed it again. And again… nothing. She looked up at Castle, her hazel eyes filling with worry. "The intercom is out."

"Great!" cursed Todd. "Now we're stuck in the middle of a storm."

Castle shook his head, ignoring the man as he continued to rant, Sally doing her best to calm him. Kate kept trying to get the Jurassic Park internal "OnStar" button to work, but it was futile. The power was out. Castle tilted his head and gazed out the side window, staring up at the tall fence curving along the side of the road. A tight knot of anxiety formed in the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't right. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was definitely something wrong. He narrowed his eyes at the fence, arching his neck up to look at the very top edge. His eyes went wide when he saw it.

"Oh shit."