Despite being given Alan Grant's card, and an invitation to write to him with any questions, or for a reference letter if he wanted to go to the university where Alan was teaching, Owen never took him up on that offer. Money was tight in his small family, and Owen didn't feel like going massively into debt to go to an out of state college. Instead he went into the navy, which would pay for his college after he got out, and even offered classes that would count toward his degree while he was serving. And Alan went to Isla Sorna, but that was another story entirely.
Navy life suited Owen, much to many people's surprise. Physical training and the opportunity to put it to good use. Two things that didn't go hand in hand often enough, as far as he was concerned, and it gave him a chance to do something worthwhile and make money while he figured out what he wanted to do with his life.
He got to see the world and learn a lot of things that he wouldn't have otherwise. But it wasn't all fun and adventure. There were a few times when his life was on the line. There Owen learned just how cool he could be under fire, and how despicable other humans could be if they put their mind to it.
A little over half of a decade in the service saw the completion of about half of his bachelor's degree. He was able to get all the General Education courses out of the way, and was even able to take a few specialized courses. Most of those dealt with biology and animal behavior, but he managed to sneak a paleontology class in there too. He still had no idea just what he wanted to do with his life, but he was forced to take the next step in figuring that out when an injury put an end to his navy career, or at least put it on hold. In a firefight with some pirates down in Somalia, Owen got a little too close to an explosion. He woke up three hours later in the med bay, unable to hear anything out of his right ear.
The injury, while not permanent, got him an honorable discharge, and it was then that he was approached by Jurassic World, or rather Vic Hoskins, who came armed with a video of that day he'd met Dr. Grant, and the questions he'd asked at the end of the lecture, of all things.
"That's you on the tape there, ain't it, Mr. Grady?" Hoskins said with an easy, slightly greasy smile on his face as he regarded Own. "A member of my department served in the navy with you. He flagged this tape for me after he recognized you in it."
"Why?" Owen asked. He met Hoskin's hungry stare with an impassive expression.
"Because all your questions were extremely relevant to the project we're working on, and it was clear that even at age . . . how old were you then, nine?"
"Fifteen. But close."
"Even at that age, you were able to impress Alan Grant. And even though he's got a soft spot for kids, he is not so easily impressed when it comes to academia."
Owen was even less impressed with how this conversation was going. "What exactly is this all about?"
Hoskins leaned in close to his face. Owen could smell the onions on his breath, from whatever he'd eaten for lunch that day. But his words got to Owen, even through the stench, and were enough to get his full attention.
"How would you like to test them theories of yours?"