Jurassic Island
Chapter 14 – Reboot
The rays of first light filtered through a high window up on top of the maintenance shed. Castle slowly blinked awake. His back was aching from leaning against the cold concrete, and his bad knee throbbed dully, still protesting from the strain he'd put on it the previous night. He stretched his neck, allowing the cobwebs of sleep to slowly clear as he assessed his surroundings. The bunker appeared undisturbed, and the children were still asleep. He gently extracted himself from them, careful not to wake the sleeping siblings. Standing up, Castle stretched his back, and walked over to the worktable on the other side of the small room.
Scrubbing his hands over his face, he blinked down at the map, more detailed than the one in his pocket. He ran his fingertip along the curve of the river, tapping the semi-circle of gray rectangles that were marked with the words Visitor Trailers. They didn't look that far. And judging from the topography of the map, this part of the island was at a higher elevation than the ridge the trailers sat on. Utilizing the raft, they could probably reach them in less than two hours. The trailers were self-powered by solar panels along the roofs, and were equipped with radio communications. If they reached the trailers, he could probably call for help.
Making his decision, Castle covered his mouth with a hand as he yawned. He looked back at the kids, still asleep, and decided he'd give them another hour of rest.
XXX
The sun was just cracking over the horizon, painting the lagoon in bright pinks and oranges. The boats bobbed listlessly in the water. The sight was almost serene. But little tranquility that existed was soon squashed by the harsh reality of the situation.
The loud squawk of a bullhorn sounded across the mass of people packed tightly along the loading ramp, all pushing and shoving, each trying to make it onto the departing ferries. The voice of a park employee echoed above the din, pleading with the desperate and frightened throng to remain calm. Security was out in force, trying to herd the assembled guests into manageable lines.
He watched it all, impassive and unmoved, from the passenger seat of one of the gas-powered jeeps. John Hammond had spent his life accumulating a fortune, a fortune which he had spent a considerable portion on this attraction and resort. Jurassic Park was supposed to be the crowning jewel of all tourist destinations. And now, like the Titanic before it, it was sinking. Yet instead of an iceberg, it had been a fat, slob of a man. Dennis Nedry had single handily brought Jurassic Park to its knees. What bothered Hammond the most was his inability to decipher a motive.
However, it didn't matter. Not really. In the end, the result was all the same.
He was ruined.
Out of the corner of his eye, Hammond caught sight of something scurrying out from the green foliage lining the road. People shrieked and cried out as compys scampered underfoot, in search of a quick meal. Just like pigeons in any municipal park, the compys had grown accustomed to park visitors tossing them food scraps. They were mostly harmless. Not once had the diminutive dinosaurs attacked a park employee or guest.
People shrieked and cried out in surprise as compys scampered around their feet, in search of a quick meal. The once welcomed tiny dinosaurs were no longer welcomed. The mob was on the verge of mass hysteria. Security moved in, shoving people aside, grabbing and snatching up the few compys they could reach, carrying them away. But there were so many. There was no way the park security could round them all up.
And then the unthinkable happened. A group of compys began snapping at the legs of a little girl. She screamed in terror. Her parents pulled her up into their arms and kicked at the little dinosaurs. The compys hooted and chirped, yet remained, circling the guests. Park security shoved their way through. Hammond watched in horror as the compys hooted and bounced, jumping at the security guard. He let out a grunt, swatting them away with a baton.
It didn't dissuade the little blighters. Soon the compys were scrambling all over the man. People backed away, too stunned to do anything but watch. The man blindly fired his pistol into the air, hoping to scare the compys off, but they were undeterred. One latched onto his leg, it's little razor sharp teeth digging into his calf. The security guard let out a cry of pain and collapsed. Hammond let out a terrified gasp as the compys swarmed over the fallen man.
The crowd burst into a panic. People screamed and cried as the emboldened compys began launching themselves at the other frightened visitors. Hammond watched from the safety of the jeep as the mob surged towards the docks, clambering for the ferries. The boats swayed dangerously as people shoved and pushed their way on. Security tried their best to contain the frightened people, but they were helpless.
Hammond grunted as he plopped down into the passenger seat of the jeep. He turned to the driver. "Get me out of here… NOW!"
The driver nodded, reaching for the gearshift, and punched his foot down on the pedal, sending the jeep careening in reverse. Hammond let out a startled cry a two compys jumped up on the jeep's hood, chirping and hooting, snapping their little jaws.
"Now, now, now!" he shouted at the driver, stamping his cane against the matted floor of the car.
The driver executed a swift spin, turning the jeep around. Unprepared for the sudden stop, the compys tumbled off with a surprised shriek. The driver put the jeep in gear and then sped away from the terrifying scene of death unfolding behind them. Hammond glanced back just in time to witness one of the ferries sway violently to the left, the cables anchoring it to the dock snapping as the flow of bodies clambered aboard. And then it was tipping. The screams were deafening, and Hammond shut his eyes, closed his ears to it.
Detective Beckett was right. Damn her. She was right. They never really had any control. It was all an illusion.
XXX
"This way," Castle said, leading the way out of the maintenance shed, holding the plastic gray case that had 'RAFT' stenciled on the lid in large lettering in his hands. The kids followed behind him, carrying the plastic red oars they'd found propped up against the wall, nearby the mounted case. He walked around the concrete platform surrounding the bunker and stepped down the ramp that led wooden dock that jutted out into the flowing river. The plants creaked under his weight, but held.
"I hope it's a big raft," Charlie said. "Because I can't swim."
"Don't worry," Castle said, arching his next over his shoulder.
"Maybe we can catch some fish," Zoe suggested, trying to lighten the mood, making everyone smile.
They reached the edge of the dock, and Castle set the case down with a grunt. He undid the buckles holding the lid down, and opened the case. Zoe and Charlie set the oars down and watched as he retrieved the deflated raft from inside the case. The synthetic material was of a yellow color, making it stand out in the dark greens and browns of the jungle around them. Castle turned the deflated raft around in his hands until he located a knob and handle. On the top interior of the lid were instructions. He read over them two more times, before placing the deflated raft above the water's surface.
"Ready?"
The kids looked at him hesitantly. He smiled, and tugged the strap, pulling it up and to the left, just as it said in the instructions. A loud hissing noise immediately filled the air, and the raft began to inflate at a rapid pace. Castle moved back, making sure he held on to the cord that he'd pulled on, as it was the only thing that would keep the raft from floating away once fully inflated.
The synthetic material rubbed together as the raft began to expand, unfolding and opening out, the yellow rubber stretching and filling with compressed air. It only took a minute for the entire thing to spread wide and flop down on the water with a loud splat. Silence returned the moment the raft finished inflating itself. Castle reached out and gripped the little red handles he found, and tugged the raft back towards the dock's edge.
After settling the raft, Castle gestured for the kids to climb in. Zoe went first, since Charlie was afraid because he couldn't swim. She held her hand out for her little brother. He took it, and anxiously stepped into the raft, curling into the center. Now it was Castle's turn. He turned and grabbed the oars. Picking them up, he handed one to Zoe, before he followed, and climbed into the raft, working at retaining his balance as the craft swayed in the water. He gently lowered himself to a sitting position, and with Zoe's help maneuvered the oars into place. And with one firm stroke of the paddles, they pushed off from the dock and began coasting down the river.
Castle hardly had to use the oars, the river's current was strong, and could carry them along, but from time to time, he had to adjust their trajectory to avoid hitting a stray log or jagged rock. Charlie's stomach growled loudly, and he put his hands over his middle, blushing slightly with embarrassment. Castle was hungry too. Though the maintenance shed had been full of some useful things, there hadn't been anything to eat.
"You sure about this, Rick?" Zoe asked, sitting on the bow of the raft and bending down to skim her fingertips along the surface of the water as they floated along with the current.
"From the map I found in the shed, yes," he bobbed his head, adjusting their direction to avoid a floating branch with pikes of leaves jutting out from the bark. "The river flows down into the hadrosaur paddock, curving along the slope before terminating in the lake in the valley below the ridge. We just need to reach the slope, and we'll be able to get to one of the camping trailers."
"I saw those in the brochures," Charlie spoke up, his voice a little meek from his fear of drowning, but a little more confident than it had been earlier. "I wanted to stay in one of those, but Mike said it was too expensive."
At the mention of his deceased stepfather, the boy furrowed his brow and looked down, growing silent. Zoe sighed, and crawled back to her brother, wrapping him up in her arms. Castle gave them a sympathetic look. When all this was over, the kids would have time to properly grieve their stepfather. As the children consoled one another, Castle tried not to let his mind wander, for fear he'd just lose himself in all the worse case scenarios that could be occurring at this very moment throughout the park. His eyes scanned the jungle canopy, vines hanging down from moss covered branches, the riverbank littered with fronds and ferns of various sizes and shades of green.
Beckett was out there somewhere. He swallowed thickly, praying that she was okay.
XXX
The mood in the room was hopeless. Kate was filled with a nervous energy and could not stop pacing. Hammond was arguing with Arnold about something, she really wasn't paying attention. Muldoon was sitting on one of the steps, scrubbing his hands over his face, still trying to grasp the reality of what had just happened at the visitor departure docks. Kate didn't blame him. She could scarcely imagine it herself. How on Earth could such small dinosaurs overwhelm a trained security force, attacking the evacuees, and cause, not just one, but both remaining ferries to topple over, taking away the only means of getting off the island?
Kate supposed they should at least be grateful that at least one of the three ferries that had been moored at the dock had already set off during the night, Todd and Sally amongst its passengers. So, she reckoned, there was still some hope that once that ferry reached the mainland, the help they so desperately needed could be sent. But any help that might come would be too late. It was daylight now, and she'd wasted enough time listening to everyone else's excuses.
Stopping her pacing, Kate turned towards Muldoon, intent on forcing him to make good on his offer to accompany her out in search of her husband and the children under his care. And if he refused, then she would just go herself. Kate stalked over to Muldoon, opening her mouth, but was distracted when Arnold suddenly jumped out of his chair, waving his hands in the air as he gave Hammond a look of absolute incredulity.
"No, no, no!" the operations manager shouted. "That's crazy! You're out of your mind." Arnold saw Kate and Muldoon staring at him with mirroring questioning expressions of their faces. He pointed at Hammond. "He's absolutely out of his god damn mind—!"
"Wait a minute," Kate held up her hand. "What exactly are you talking about?"
Hammond turned to face her, leaning heavily on his cane, a twinkle in his eye. "We're talking, my dear, about a calculated risk," he explained. "Which, if I'm not so bold in saying, is the only option left to us. We will never find the command Nedry used. He covered his tracks far too well. And I think it's obvious by now that he's not coming back." He paused to let the implication sink in. "So," he turned back to face Arnold. "Shutting down the system—"
"I will not do it," Arnold insisted, glaring at his employer. "You'll have to get somebody else, because I will not."
"—shutting down the system is the only way to guarantee wiping out everything Nedry did," Hammond continued, undeterred. "If I understand correctly, all systems will come back on to their original start-up modes… correct?"
Arnold took a puff of his cigarette and glanced up at Hammond. He offered a noncommittal shrug as he answered. "In theory, yes. But we've never shut down the entire system before. It may not come back at all."
Kate knitted her eyebrows together. "But would we get the phones back?"
"Yeah, again, in theory, but—"
"What about the lysine contingency?" Muldoon interrupted, speaking up for the first time. "We could put that into effect!"
"What's that?" Kate asked, wondering why it hadn't been suggested earlier.
Hammond shook his head. "It's absolutely out of the question," he insisted vehemently, stalking away to get a breather.
Kate turned to Arnold, and the man exchanged a look with Muldoon, before shrugging and giving her an explanation.
"The lysine contingency," he said, fingering his cigarette as he talked. "It's intended to prevent the spread of the dinosaurs in case they ever got off the island, but we could use it now. Our geneticists inserted a gene that makes a single faulty enzyme in protein metabolism. The dinos can't manufacture the amino acid lysine. Unless they're continually supplied with lysine by us, they'll go into a coma and die."
"How long would this whole process take?" Kate asked, wanting to know all her options. If there was a way to keep Castle safe, then she wanted to know about it.
"About…," Arnold scrunched up his face as he thought. "Seven days, more or less."
"Seven days?" Kate scoffed. "Are you serious?"
"It takes time to stop running the pro—"
"Time we don't have," Kate said.
From the other side of the room, Hammond finally lost his cool. He stormed back, leaning heavily on his cane as he did so. "PEOPLE ARE DYING!" he bellowed with every ounce of authority at his command, silencing all other conversations in the room. Several other staff members in the control room stopped what they were doing and watched with undisguised curiosity.
Kate straightened her back, glancing around at everyone. She could literally feel the tension in the air. From the looks she saw amongst the control room staff, she would wager good money that Hammond had never been so furious before. The silence stretched on, no one dared to speak.
Hammond inhaled a deep breath, regaining himself, before directing his gaze at Arnold. "Will you please shut down the system." Though it sounded like a question, it most definitely was not. It was an order.
Arnold swallowed, and reluctantly stood up. He glanced around at everyone, and then offered up a shrug. "Alright," he said. "You asked for it."
Kate stood by Muldoon, who bent down and retrieved a flashlight from a cabinet by the steps, and watched as the operation manager slowly walked across the room to a red metal box on the wall. He removed a key from his belt, and unlocked the panel, opening it up. The metal hinges groaned. There was a row of four gray switches inside, with a green one underneath, which was labeled 'MAIN POWER'. Arnold flipped them off, one by one, leaving only a single lever left. The large screens mounted on the walls flickered off, along with a batch of computer terminals on the left side of the room. His hand hovered over the green switch, and he glanced back at Hammond, who glared back at him. Arnold sighed, and flipped the last lever.
The electric droning hum of every computer tower in the room abruptly ceased. Every monitor, every terminal, every fluorescent light immediately went out, plunging the room into near-darkness. Muldoon flicked on the flashlight he'd retrieved, providing them with some illumination. They all just stood there in the eerie stillness for a moment.
"How long will this take?" Kate inquired in a hushed voice.
"About thirty seconds," Arnold replied, passing the time by taking another long puff of his cigarette.
Kate, along with everyone, waited in silence. She glanced over at Hammond, watching as he pulled a handkerchief from his breast pocket and dabbed his beaded brow. She may not approve of some of the man's decisions as of late, but she had to give it to him. This latest decision took some guts. And if it worked, they might just be able to restore some control over the situation. It would definitely make finding Castle a whole lot easier.
After the thirty seconds had passed, Arnold turned back to the electrical box. He flipped the top row of safe switches back again, but then hesitated over the main switch. He arched his neck and glanced back over at them. "Hold on to your butts," he said, cigarette bobbing in his lips. He flipped the switch, the sound echoing throughout the silent control room.
And nothing happened.
There was a very long pause.
"Uh?" Arnold mumbled, looking around as if he'd expected this.
Hammond dropped his head in his hand, letting out a groan of defeat.
"It's not working," Kate sighed, utter disappointment and hopelessness filling her chest as the idea of finding and rescuing Castle suddenly became all the more difficult.
"Don't despair, Detective Beckett," Muldoon reached out to touch her arm. "We'll go to the armory and get some weapons. Don't let this setback discourage you. We'll find your husband and those kids. I promise you that."
Kate bit her lower lip and bobbed her head, willing to believe in his certainty. But before they could leave, Arnold, who had been staring blindly past them, suddenly raced over to one of the computer terminals located in the center of the control room, right underneath the central wall monitor.
"Shit! Ha!" Arnold let out a laugh, uncharacteristically joyous. "Damn. It's okay! It's okay! Look!" He pointed at the blank screen. "See that?! LOOK!"
Kate and Muldoon exchanged puzzled expressions as they approached, squinting their eyes as they tried to see what it was that Arnold saw. All Kate could see was a blank computer monitor. She shrugged.
"I don't see anythi—" her voice trailed off as her eyes flirted up to the top left hand corner of the screen, and the small blinking words she saw there: /SYSTEM READY.
Arnold clapped his hands together, face beaming with triumph. "It's on! It worked!" he enthused.
"See, I told you it would work," Hammond declared, smiling broadly, looking so damn smug and proud.
"Wait a minute," Kate said, holding up a hand to halt everyone's congratulatory fist pumps. "What do you mean it worked? Everything is still off."
Arnold nodded. "The shutdown must have tripped the circuit breakers," he explained. "All we have to do is turn them back on, reboot a few minor systems in here—the phone, security doors, half a dozen others—but it worked!" he clapped his hands again. "System ready!"
Beside her, Muldoon narrowed his eyes. "Where are the breakers?"
"Out in the maintenance shed," Arnold answered. "Other side of the compound. I'll go out there. Ten minutes max, and I can have the power back on in the entire park."
Hammond nodded, stepping in to pat Arnold's shoulder in gratitude. The operation manager singled out three of his computer techs and instructed them to accompany him. Kate watched the group follow Arnold up the ramp and out of the room. Hammond turned to address the rest of the staff.
"Just to be safe, I'd like to have everybody else in the emergency bunker until Mr. Arnold returns, and the whole system is back on its feet again."
He turned and placed a soft hand on Kate's arm. "We should get going, my dear."
"No," she shook her head, shaking off his hand. "I'm not going to hide away in some bunker, waiting. I'm going out there to find my husband and those kids."
"But, Detective, be reasonable—"
"This is not up for debate, Mr. Hammond," Kate hissed, making her point clear and gracing him with the glare she usually only reserved for suspects in the box.
"As you wish, Miss Beckett," Hammond said, waving dismissively, as if he was washing his hands of her. He turned to Muldoon, gesturing towards the stairs. "Robert, if you will?"
Muldoon crossed his arms over his chest. "Sorry, sir, I can't," he said. "I made a promise to Detective Beckett, and I intend to keep it."
Hammond glowered at them. "Fine… have it your way." He turned and waved a young tech over. He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder and limped up the stairs.
Kate arched her neck and appraised Muldoon with a raised eyebrow. "You think he'll fire you for that?" she asked.
"Doesn't matter," Muldoon said. "When we're off this bloody island, I'm resigning." He cocked his head towards Kate and smirked. She returned it in kind. "Alright, lass, let's go. We'll stop by the armory first, get you equipped. What sort of weaponry are you cleared for?"