Chapter 2
The view looking out over the Brachiosaurus enclosure was magnificent. A large plain spread for miles in one direction, while rolling hills covered by dense forest stretched in the other. Three massive Brachiosaurs waded near the middle of the pond while two younger ones edged closer to the water. Other animals, tiny in comparison to the Brachiosaurs, walked lazily along the shoreline.
David and April sat together on the hood of the Jeep. A few sprinkles had made him decide to put the canvas roof up. But the drizzle had stopped for the time being, so they decided to watch the animals from outside the vehicle.
"Did you expect anything like this when they first told you about the park?" April slid closer, leaning against David's shoulder as she looked out across the enclosure.
"Honestly, I thought it would be some type of amusement park, with roller coasters and maybe a few automated dinosaurs," David replied. "I never thought in my wildest dreams this could be possible. It's unbelievable."
For several more minutes, David and April sat quietly, enjoying the view and each others' company.
A loud thunderclap broke the serenity of the moment. The dinosaurs below bolted upright, the younger ones huddling close to the older. Lightning flashed just over the hills and another, louder crash of thunder resounded. This time the animals began methodically moving toward the trees. The wind gusted, bringing with it large drops of rain.
Scrambling off the hood, David and April quickly jumped back inside the Jeep. Seconds later the downpour began.
"Guess this means the tour's over." David watched as sheets of rain swept across the open field. The tall grass moved like ocean waves as the storm unleashed its fury upon the island.
"Well we still have the drive back," April said. "There's no real need to hurry."
David smiled. Turning the lights on he pulled the Jeep back onto the now muddy road. On a clear day it would take almost twenty minutes to get back to the Visitor's Center from the lookout point, but in the middle of a storm it could be considerably longer. David felt the same as April though; he was in no rush to get back.
Palm leaves slapped against the windows as rain pummeled the outside of the Jeep. Darkness had set in quickly with the onset of the storm, especially in the thick foliage surrounding the road. Constant flashes of lightning lit up the jungle, giving David and April brief glimpses of their surroundings. They had been driving for about five minutes and in that time the conditions had gone from bad to worse. Massive puddles stretched from one side of the road to the other, forcing David to slow down before driving through. To his right, he could see one of the perimeter fences looming above the trees. Something tugged at the back of his mind, but another huge puddle quickly took his attention.
"What enclosure is that?" April asked as lightning silhouetted the fence. The storm hadn't dampened her mood at all, David realized with relief. She seemed to be enjoying herself as much now as she had been when they started out.
"Actually that's the perimeter fence," David replied. "It runs the entire length of the main road." Suddenly he realized what was amiss. Slowing the Jeep to a stop, he peered up at the fence.
"What's the matter?" April too leaned closer to the windshield.
David had to be certain. He waited for another flash of lightning. For what seemed like an eternity, all he could hear was the drumming of the rain and the swish of the windshield wipers.
"David?"
Lightning lit up the jungle. With it came a sinking feeling in David's stomach.
"Look up at the fence," he told April. "Do you see anything?"
Squinting her eyes April said, "I can't really see anything, it's so dark. Why?"
"At every junction where the cables meet the support beams, there are two lights; a blue one and an orange one. They flash alternately to let you know the fence is working, that it's got electricity flowing to it." David looked again, but he was sure now. "Those lights are off. There's no power in that fence."
April looked from David to the fence, and then slowly turned back to David. Her voice was shaky. "But what if the animals…"
David was thinking the same thing. If the fence was no longer electrified, there was no way to keep the animals from breaking through the cables and wandering freely throughout the park.
"There's a supply shed a little ways up the road," David remembered. "It'll have a phone and I can ask what's going on."
"OK." April sat rigidly in her seat, glancing up at the fence as the Jeep started down the road. David ignored the puddles as he sped through them, muddy water spraying high enough to splatter the windshield. If he could get a hold of the Command Center, maybe they would tell him it was all a planned outage, just a reboot of the system. Another flash of lightning. Still the dark supports and cables were all that could be seen of the fence.
The supply shed stood just off to the side of the access road. David pulled the Jeep up so its headlights would shine on the small wooden building. Reaching behind his seat, he grabbed his yellow rain jacket and a flashlight.
"I'm going to see if I can get a hold of anyone," David said. "You'll be okay here, right?"
"Yeah." April looked at David. She seemed a bit on edge, but so was he. "Be careful, David."
Removing the master key from his keychain, David slipped the jacket on and stepped out into the rain. The first thing he noticed was how cool it was outside the Jeep. The temperature must have dropped fifteen degrees since the storm hit. Splashing through the mud, he reached the door and grabbed the padlock. Lightning crashed nearby. He turned around and saw April watching him through the windshield. He wanted to stay with her in the Jeep, wanted to make sure she was safe, but he had to try and find out what was going on. Turning back, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The headlights lit up the whole interior of the shed. It wasn't much bigger than a walk-in closet. Directly in front of David was a panel of switches he presumed were for the fence. They were all in the "on" position. Next to the panel was a shelf containing what looked like replacement parts for the cables and fence supports. On the wall beside the door was the phone. The park's phone system was on a separate line from the main circuits that ran the fences, so even if the power went out, a call could still be made. Quickly David turned on his flashlight and picked up the receiver. He pressed the outgoing call button and waited. Nothing. No dial tone, no static, just silence. He dialed the service number, dialed the main control number, and still nothing. David suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation. There was no way to contact anyone or call for help, and no one knew they were out in the park.