The Eggs

Chapter 4

We made our way back into the cars completely awestruck; it was amazing what we had just seen. Real live dinosaurs in the flesh my hands couldn't stop shaking in anticipation of what to come next. I couldn't wait to explore more the island. By the looks on Dad and Ellie's faces they couldn't either.

Finally on what seemed forever we arrived at a building which said VISITOR CENTRE. As we pull up and get out Ellie comes over to me and links my arm through hers with a smile. Dad walked ahead with John and Dr. Malcolm and the lawyer tagging along behind us.

"So what you thinking up to now?" Ellie asked as we walked up the steps.

I honestly did not know what I was thinking at the moment, a million things were running through my mind.

"I don't know to be honest, my mind is frazzled."

She chuckled, "I know same here."

The doors opened and a large skeleton of a tyrannosaur that is attacking bellowing sauropod. A workman in the basket of a Condor crane are still assembling skeletons. A staircase climbs the far wall, to another wing.

"Wow." I whispered, looking around as we walked. John led us to a staircase, the most advanced amusement park in the world,

"Combining all the latest technologies. I'm not talking rides, you know. Everybody has rides; we made living biological attractions so astonishing they'll capture the imagination of the entire planet!"

Dad stares up at the dinosaur skeletons and just shakes his head. Ellie catches his reaction while still linking me.

"So what are you thinking?"

"That we're out of a job."

Dr. Malcolm pops in between us, "Don't you mean extinct."

After a boring but also interesting video about how John made the dinosaurs and how he came to make Jurassic Park this big. We struggled to get the seat bars away from us before we went down to see to the unfertilized eggs.

"Double wow." I said as we walked into the room. There were people with white labatory coats and protective gloves and face masks. A man came over who looked like he was in his late twenties, coat works at a nearby table, making notes.

"Good day, Henry." John said.

"Oh, good day, Sir." He said with a white clipboard.

Dad goes to a round, open with various eggs under a strong light. One of the eggs makes strong movements - a robotic arm steadies the shell.

"My God, Look!" I said, pointing to a egg beginning to hatch.

Dad rushes over to me, and John, Ellie, and Dr. Malcolm join us as does Henry.

"Ah, perfect timing! I'd hoped they'd hatch before I had to go to the boat."

"Henry, why didn't you tell me? You know I insist on being here when they're born. John puts on a pair of plastic gloves.

The egg begins to crack. The robotic arm moves away...a baby dinosaur tries to get out, just its head sticking out of the shell.

John reaches down and carefully breaks away egg fragments, helping the baby dinosaur out of its shell.

"Come on, then, out you come." John turned around to us, "They imprint on the first living creature they come in contact with. That helps them to trust me. I've been present for the birth of every animal on this Island. Just look at that." He said.

"Surely not the ones that have bred in the wild?" Ian asked. I decided to call him Ian since Dr. Malcolm is abit of a mouthful.

"Actually, they can't breed in the wild. Population control is one of our security precautions here. There is no unauthorized breeding in Jurassic Park." Doctor Henry told us, Dad and Ellie exchange a look.

"How do you know they can't breed?" Ian asked yet again curiously.

"Because all the animals in Jurassic Park are females. We engineered them that way." Henry told us leaning against the wall. John keeps his attention trained on the new dinosaur.

"There you are. Out you come." John whispered, Ellie leaned in closer. "Oh my God."

"Could I have a tissue please?" John asked, and Henry grabbed him one.

The animal is now free, John sets in don carefully next to it's shell. Dad picks it up and holds it in the palm of his hand, under the incubator's heat light.

"Blood temperature feels like high eighties."

"Ninety-one actually." Dad picks up the large, broken half-shell, but the robotic arm snatches it back out of his hand, and puts it down.

"Really it holds that temperature?" I asked. Never before have had I heard of a animal holding that kind of temperature. Looks like neither did Dad.

"Homoeothermic? Ninety one? Incredible."

"But again, how do you know they're all female? Does someone go into the park and, uh lift up the dinosaurs' skirts?" Ian asked sceptically, while looking at me.

I rolled my eyes; please I'm sixteen years old.

"We control their chromosomes. It's not that difficult. All vertebrate embryos are inherently female anyway. It takes an extra hormone at the right developmental stage to create a male, and we simply deny them that." Henry explains proudly.

"Your silence intrigues me." John says to Ian who is in deep thought.

"John, the kind of control you're attempting is not possible. If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free. It expands to new territories. It crashes through barriers. Painfully, maybe even... dangerously, but and...Well, there it is." Ellie listens to him, impressed.

"Watch her head…support her head." John said.

Dad ignoring us picks up the baby dinosaur, and holds it on the palm of his hand, under the incubator's heat light. He spreads the tiny animal out on the back of his hand and delicately runs his finger over its tail, counting the vertebrae. A look of puzzled recognition crosses his face.

"You're implying that a group of composed entirely of females will breed?" Henry said.

"I'm simply saying that life….finds a way." Ian said, it was truth though.

I moved closer to Dad who was still obsessed with the baby dinosaur. "What species is this?" He whispered although he was dreading the answer.

"Uh, it's a Velociraptor."

Dad and me turn slowly and look at each other, then look at

John astonished.

"You bred raptors?"

Henry nodded slowly. Me and Dad looked at each other again and then looked down at the baby which would soon turn into a vicious killer.

So sorry for the lack of updates! Been busy with college and over the Christmas period my Nan died and that prevented me from updating as I was going to give you all a Christmas update but it didn't work out!

Anyway I'll try to update sooner and more often.

Hope you liked this chapter.

Sarahmichellegellarfan1