Disclaimer: I own neither the book nor movie rights to Jurassic Park.
Dedication: This story is dedicated to be dear friend T! Enjoy, honey!
Author's Note: I'm not sure if I was clear about this earlier, but this story is based on the films more than the books. Although I do love the books by Michael Crichton, these are based on the Steven Spielberg-helmed films.
As always, I hope you enjoy!
"Wakey wakey, Bluebird." Nathan's voice penetrated the fog of Blue's dream, chasing away her subconscious thoughts like wisps of fog in the heat of the morning sun.
Blue stirred, twisting in bed and blinking blearily. "Wa' time izzit?" She mumbled, squinting at the bright light shining in her face.
Nathan was shoving a fucking flashlight in her face? What fucking time was it? And why did he have such a big fucking grin on his face at said fucking time?
"It's five o'clock in the morning, dear darling sister of mine." Nathan's wiseass grin was still firmly in place. "And since the old bastard will burst a blood vessel if I leave and you're still here, you have to get up and get moving."
"It would be kind of tempting to watch him do that…" Blue muttered darkly as she rolled to the edge of the bed and slowly stumbled out. She waved her hand dismissively (and uncoordinatedly). "Now get out. I need privacy."
"Your wish is my command." Nathan winked, turning off the flashlight and exiting the room. "Be quick about it, Primary – Oliver and the gang will be picking us up in half an hour."
Blue got ready quickly, shoving a few clothes in a small suitcase along with a backpack of paleontology books and National Geographic issues to read on the drive. She slung the backpack over her shoulder, grabbed the rolling suitcase by its handle and quietly left the room. She left the bed unmade.
As she closed her door, she heard Nathan talking on the phone to someone. His voice was low and tinged with urgency.
"You know I can't dare go against my dad. The old bastard will have my hide and enjoy doing it." Nathan listened to whoever was on the other end. "Well, she might get a kick out of it, but you really can't tell with her… she's responsible, for all her bluster. Look, we'll figure it out when we get there. I'll see you soon. 'Kay. Bye."
Nathan hung up and turned to see Blue standing in the hallway. She turned her head slightly and blinked; her classic "fess up" face.
"Oliver's not too pleased you're joining us." Nathan shrugged. "You know how he gets."
Actually, Blue knew Oliver to be one of the most laidback people she'd ever met, but she said nothing. A whiff of suspicion had entered her brain and floated around in there. Clearly, Nate and Co. were planning something that parents would not approve of.
She definitely had to get in on this.
"We should probably wait outside, or they'll honk the horn and wake everyone up." She suggested.
"Good idea." Nate agreed.
Suspicions in mind and suitcase in hand, Blue followed her brother down the stairs.
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Oliver was driving, of course. Laidback he may have been, but Oliver was nonetheless the de facto leader of Nate's group of friends. Caleb, Oliver's girlfriend, sat shotgun with her red-gold locks tumbling down her back and over her shoulders like usual, her alert green cat eyes reminiscent of Vivien Leigh. Robbie, the group's resident joker, sat curled up in the backseat. Her thin, petite frame was made even tinier by her position, her bright scarlet hair lying lank and limp hiding her elfin, freckle-splattered face. Next to Robbie was the slightly more awake Phil; the newest addition to the gang, Phil's charisma and charm extended to every aspect of his personality, from his choice of clothes to his perfectly shaven face and stylish haircut he'd gotten for his chestnut hair.
"Hop on in!" Oliver gestured, grinning. He'd recently grown out his straight jet-black hair, pulling it into a short ponytail. His almond eyes flashed like they had been filled with quicksilver and his odd, yet graceful manner of movement reminded one of a praying mantis.
Every single one of them was the child of a member of the one percent – although they had always been given high expectations as far as academics were concerned, partying was and always had been a way of life for them.
Nathan put their luggage in the trunk and then climbed in. Blue squished in between him and the window, pulling the door shut behind her. She then pulled out the comedic (and yet scientific) book The Care and Keeping of Dinosaurs and buried her nose in it for the duration of the trip.
When the car finally slowed, Blue saw that they were at a private airport. She frowned with her eyes, the edges crinkling up and narrowing. "This doesn't look like the Hamptons." She muttered.
"Nice book." Caleb commented. "You're into dinosaurs, huh?"
Blue slipped her book back into her backpack. "Yeah; I want to be a paleontologist when I grow up." She made a face. "That sound so childish – when I grow up."
Caleb laughed, but not unkindly. "I know what you mean."
While the boys unloaded the trunk, Robbie slowly uncurled herself from her tight ball. "Coffee, now." She yawned, stumbling out of the car. "Oh; heya, Blue."
"Hey there." Blue smiled.
"Your coffee is here, as promised, milady." Caleb said with a quirk of her lips, handing Robbie a tall thermos.
"Caramel mocha cappuccino?" Robbie's slack features perked up, transforming her from a sleeping Titania to a mischief-filled Puck. She took the offered thermos and gulped it greedily, tipping her head back so that Blue could see how her throat moved with each swallow.
"And we have signs of life! The patient is responding to the treatment!" Nathan said, grinning at Robbie. She flipped him the bird, but her eyes danced with laughter.
"C'mon, guys; our plane leaves in twenty minutes." Oliver reminded them.
"Why do we need a plane to get to the Hamptons?" Blue asked.
Oliver and Nate exchanged a look. "We'll explain on the plane, okay Primary?" Nate said finally.
Blue frowned with her mouth as well as her eyes this time, folding her arms accusingly. "Just what ridiculous idea do you all have in your heads this time?" She demanded.
"Don't worry about it." Phil said soothingly. Blue gave him a look that said you really think your bimbo-scoring moves are going to work on me?
"Trust me, Bluebird – it's all fine. I just didn't want to take forever to explain it to pops. You know how the old bastard is." Nate said.
Blue slowly unfolded her arms, but her frown did not waver. "Only because I know how he is am I going to trust you on this, Nate. You are going to have a lot of explaining to do when we get on this metal bird." She said, stalking off towards the waiting plane.
Ah, yes, nothing like a little sibling disagreement to start off an absurdly early morning.
"I told you not to lie to her, Nathan." Blue could hear Caleb say as she walked away.
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"Okay, Nate – spill."
They were sitting in the small but luxurious aircraft, courtesy of Oliver's media-mogul father.
Caleb and Oliver were curled up in one large semi-reclining chair, Caleb resting in Oliver's lap like a contented cat. Phil was at the mini bar, pouring himself a scotch on the rocks and scrolling through the contacts on his phone, and Robbie was lounging in a chair like she'd been dropped in it boneless. Nathan sat across from Blue, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. He took a deep breath before beginning.
"Have you heard of Underground River?" Nathan asked.
Blue nodded. The nightclub company was named after an essay/poem written by a man under the influence of opium as he tried to explain the feeling the drug gave him. There had been three – two in New York City and one in Los Angeles. The one in Los Angeles had been styled in a futuristic manner almost like the Tron films, while the two in NYC had been in a space-western and steampunk style, respectively. The owner of the wildly popular nightclubs, Gary Janus, had been under investigation for using the nightclubs as a front for his drug trafficking business, but the police had been forced to drop the charges through lack of evidence. The investigation, however, had succeeded in getting his nightclubs closed down.
"Didn't he have to shut down or something?" Blue asked. It had been a pretty big deal six months or so ago, even earning an article in the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Aldrich's bible.
"Well… kind of." Nathan looked over at Oliver, who shrugged as if to say 'she's your sister'.
"He had to shut down his nightclubs, but that doesn't mean he's out of the game. Mr. Janus is nothing if not an enterprising businessman. He always finds a way around the rules." Phil said, casually strolling over and settling into a seat near Blue.
"You want to explain it?" Nathan asked. It was meant as a reprimand, but Phil took it as an invitation.
"Underground River might have gotten enough of a bad rap, what with cops watching him, to shut down the clubs in more… legitimate… areas, but apparently, Janus already was working on a more… exclusive club spot." Phil shifted, and Blue sensed that he was now laying on his signature charm. "There's an old InGen site on a small island called Isla Sorna off the coast of Costa Rica – it's a part of a group of five islands."
"I've heard of it." Blue said. She'd heard rumors of a failed dinosaur-themed park on those islands. There'd also been a whisper of something else going on there, but Mr. Aldrich, despite being an investor in InGen, had never said anything no matter how much Blue pestered him (and she'd really, really pestered him).
"InGen's been on the rocks for years, so they sold the island to Janus. There's an old InGen complex on the island that he's redone as a kind of futuristic Dinotopia theme. It's the perfect setup – far away from any prying government eyes, and plenty of room to expand and do whatever his budget will allow. It's said he spared no expense." Phil explained.
"It's also the perfect place to run a drug operation." Blue pointed out.
Phil waved a hand and gave her a sure-of-himself, cocky grin. "I wouldn't worry about that. It could be that the people running the drug operation had nothing to do with him and only used the nightclubs for convenience; they could even have been employees of the club. He could have been framed. Or, he could very well be a drug lord. It doesn't matter. What matters is that his opening night is tomorrow evening, and it's an exclusive event. Word was spread very carefully by word of mouth; an 'I know someone who knows someone' situation. Somebody told me, and I told the others, and here we are!"
He leaned back, linking his hands behind his head. Blue rolled her eyes and leaned back into her chair.
"So what you're telling me is that the lot of you is going to a wildlife-filled island in the middle of nowhere to party at a shady nightclub owned by a possible drug kingpin away from any medical or law assistance? And in the middle of hurricane season, may I remind you." Blue pointed out. "Supposedly that's what shut down InGen's Jurassic Park plans in the first place – too many hurricanes to make it reliable. Their entire electrical system shut down one time. You guys really think this is a good idea?"
"Look, Blue it's perfectly safe. Whatever else Janus is, he's a good businessman. He's not going to put his patrons at risk, and I'm sure he has security and first aid kits or something should somebody get a little too rowdy." Nathan assured her. "I'm sure there's a bedroom or something where you can hang out, and we'll only be there for a couple of days. We are actually heading back to the Hamptons for the rest of the week after that."
Blue did not relax, her face set and her jaw clenched just a little, but she saw no way out of this potential mess. She was on a plane headed to this place, and the only reasonable thing to do would be to accept her situation and roll with it. If nothing else, she trusted Nathan. He would never put her in danger, and that knowledge was enough to keep her sane and feeling safe.
After a moment of contemplation, she nodded. "I'm not going to be a brat about this, and I'll keep your secret when we get back home." She said. "But you, Nate the great, owe me big time."
"How about a two-year platinum membership to the Natural History Museum and I pay to get your car all fixed up?" Nathan said cajolingly.
Blue pretended to think about it a minute before nodding to hide her smirk. She'd have settled for just the membership, but hey, she needed to take care of her little VW and it wasn't going to happen soon on her dime.
"I suppose that would be acceptable." She said.
Nathan grinned with relief and sat back. "Okay then!" He said, his grin widening. "Let's get this party started!"
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Blue had to admit, she was a little intimidated when they disembarked. The plane had landed on a small private airfield in Costa Rica, where they had been greeted by an Underground River employee and boarded a helicopter. The copter had then flown them out over the sapphire blue ocean and landed on a small landing pad near a waterfall.
Stepping out onto the concrete of the landing pad, Blue looked around at the vast amount of green. She had never been in the presence of so much green at one time, and it was beautiful. The foliage was dense, however, and there were dark patches and recesses that gave her a little shiver. There could be anything lurking in there, and while Blue didn't scare easily, she could sense the primal air of the place, and it daunted her. Before InGen had come along, had anyone been on this island? Or had Hispanic construction workers and ambitious corporate executives been the first humans to set foot on this place?
"C'mon, Primary!" Nathan called to her, waving for her to join them. Some kind of jeep had pulled up and two Underground River employees were busily loading the gang's luggage into the back. Blue hurried over and joined them, climbing into the vehicle next to her stepbrother.
"I wonder how on earth he got all this equipment without anyone noticing." Blue mused.
"A lot of it was here when we started setting up shop, actually." One of the employees said conversationally as he climbed into the front passenger seat. His colleague got into the driver seat and started the car.
"This doesn't have the InGen logo on it or anything." Blue observed.
"No, we redesigned everything to go with the futuristic style of the club – no tacky theme colors or corporate insignias here." The employee (who was dressed in a style reminiscent of a Jedi Padawan and lacking a nametag) appeared to enjoy explaining everything to Blue and the others. Most likely the other groups had been too busy joking and messing around to pay attention to him and his fellow employees.
"There was an entire hotel, with a restaurant and gift shop, along with various administrative offices and what appeared to be a science lab. It was connected to some kind of electric tour so we assumed it was for actors or something. They had pictures of DNA and stuff everywhere. Anyway, there was plenty of room to use, so the hotel rooms were redecorated and the restaurant and visitor's center redone as a massive bar and nightclub. You know, the usual.
"It's all futuristic, of course, as that's the common theme, but the particular style is based on the book Dinotopia."
"The movie was so cheesy." Nate said, and everyone chuckled.
"I guess you can relate, then." Robbie teased, winking at him. Nathan shoved her lightly, good-naturedly.
"We didn't really touch the rest of the park – the fences and all – but we did create an outside partying area." The employee went on. "We used whatever equipment there was, and believe me, there was a lot; these jeeps, for instance. We mostly just had to redesign stuff so it fit the nightclub's style."
"Were you involved in the construction process?" Caleb asked.
"Yes." The employee nodded.
"I don't mean to pry, but isn't that a little unusual? My father owns a large restaurant conglomerate, and the different divisions of employment are kept entirely separate. Those hired for hospitality aspects aren't even involved in the food-making process, for example. Yet you're also our guide, so to speak." Caleb explained.
Blue's respect for the girl rose a notch.
"That is normally true, but I'm sure you're aware of the delicate situation Mr. Janus is in regarding this nightclub. He wanted to hire as few people as possible – the less people who know, the less chance of word getting out, if get my drift. We were put through a very rigorous interview and application process." The employee explained.
Caleb nodded, relaxing into her seat. Oliver casually slung his arm around her.
The drive took roughly ten minutes, giving Blue plenty of time to gawk at the dense, wild, untouched jungle that flourished on either side of the dirt road. The air was warm and contained just a touch of humidity, and she wondered if this had been what it was like during the Mesozoic era. Perhaps that was why John Hammond, InGen C.E.O., had chosen this island as the site of his park.
They finally pulled up in front of a large, spacious building painted in earth tones, with the window panes cut into interesting geometric shapes and terra-cotta colored pavement tiles. There were pieces of stone that looked like predatory dinosaur teeth hanging over the doorway and sticking up from the stair platform, like menacing stalagmites and stalactites. The building looked both futuristic and yet recalled the Italian Renaissance at the same time.
Two porters hurried out and unloaded the luggage, assuring the group that it would be carried up to their rooms. The girls would be sharing one room and the boys another. The rooms themselves were spacious and luxurious, decked out in that futuristic style that was strangely historical, with large beds and bathtubs big enough to hold four people.
"When the bomb hits, this is definitely where you should duck and cover." Blue noted, rapping the edge of the tub. The tub would not look amiss in the Medici household, save for the fact that it was made out of some shiny metallic material that was vaguely reminiscent of Star Trek for some reason.
Caleb checked her watch. The two elder girls had changed into tasteful yet revealing dresses. Caleb's was a dark, slightly iridescent green that was a shade darker than her eyes; it had one wide shirt-sleeve shoulder, while the other shoulder was bare. The dress stopped just above her knees. Robbie's dress was silver with blue accents, and was strapless. While it went down to mid-calf, the dress had slits at each leg that went all the way up to just above mid-thigh. Both dresses were very form-fitting.
"We're going to meet the boys and go on down to the club. It's about five forty-five now, and the grand opening is at six." Caleb let Blue know.
Blue nodded and made herself comfortable in one of the chairs, pulling out another paleontology book – this one by a Dr. Alan Grant on the intelligence of raptors.
There was a knock on the door and Robbie opened the door to allow Nathan in. His eyes raked up her body, and she grinned at him. "Take a picture, Nate; it'll last longer." She joked, shutting the door behind him.
"I just wanted to check up on you." Nathan said to Blue. "I won't lie to you – we'll probably be down there until at least midnight, if not longer. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call my cell. I don't want you going down into that club if you can help it, though. You're not even eighteen yet."
Blue sighed. "I can take care of myself, Nathan. You guys go and have fun." She took in his appearance. "Nice outfit." Her mouth twisted into a smirk.
Nathan wore a pair of very nice blue jeans and a midnight blue dress shirt that complimented his dark eyes. While they didn't match in the usual way and Blue was sure it was unintentional, Nathan and Robbie's outfits complimented each other. The two of them made a nice couple, at least physically speaking.
"Seriously; you guys go have fun. If you're going to break the rules you might as well go whole hog and enjoy yourselves. I'll be up here, being my boring old self." Blue said, waving her book so that they could see it.
Nathan came up to her and gave her a peck on her forehead. "If you say so, Bluebird." He said, smiling. Blue smiled back.
The three of them left the room, closing the door behind them with a soft snick.
Blue looked around the room. "Well this, at least, is kind of like the Hamptons." She said to herself, before settling down to read.
Okay, so let me just say that while this all takes place on Isla Sorna, the island from the second and third films (because the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar, the island on the first film, all die without the humans giving them that vitamin supplement), the building that is made into a nightclub is based on the visitor's center from the first film. So I kind of blended the two islands. Sorry.
Oh, and did anyone catch the Jurassic Park quote? I'll give you a hint – John Hammond says it several times over the course of the first film. And Blue's line about the bathtub is from the book Heat Wave, which is the book by "Richard Castle" from my favorite television show "Castle". I just couldn't resist!
Reviews are appreciated, but I'm not going to stoop to begging for them… yet!