The Ninth Circle of Hell
A Jurassic Park Fanfiction by Sassy Lil Scorpio
Disclaimer: The names mentioned in this fanfiction are the creative property of Michael Crichton, Steven Spielberg, and Colin Trevorrow. No monetary gain is being made from this work. Some characters appear in Topps Comics and Jurassic Park: The Game.
Summary: Hammond returns to Isla Nublar and finds out everything that occurred during his hospitalization. Wu is miserable working for Dodgson and dreams of escape. Nedry is apprehended right after running into the Biosyn team. Hammond fights for Nedry's freedom on two conditions: convince Wu to return to InGen and bring down Dodgson and his gang. {Sequel to Reign of Chaos Trilogy} {AU}
Rating: T
Author's Notes: This fanfiction is a sequel to the Reign of Chaos Trilogy. Initially, I had no plans to write a sequel. I was satisfied to let the story stand on its own. I also didn't mind that it had a bittersweet ending that left things open. Over the years, and even back when I first finished posting the story, readers/reviewers asked how John Hammond reacted to everything when he finally returned to Jurassic Park, where Dennis Nedry ended up, and if redemption is possible for Henry Wu. All great and valid questions! At the time I had finished the last book, I didn't have the answers to those questions. I also didn't want the story to drag on, since the main conflict had been resolved. After a lot of brainstorming, reading reviews wanting to see Hammond's return, and many thorough and awesome discussions with fellow JP fanfic writer, thebisexualagenda/sh11157, I finally have ideas for a sequel. It only took 10 years! This is the story and I hope it ties up the loose ends that the trilogy left.
Since this story follows right after Reign of Chaos, many events from all three books are referenced. I tried to write this story in a manner that is clear and understandable, even for those who haven't read the trilogy. The trilogy is very long and detailed, but I still wanted to make the sequel accessible and understandable to anyone who reads it. I hope the references are helpful in explaining the trilogy's key elements that are important in this fic. If anything is unclear or questionable, please feel free to question/comment or to private message me. I enjoy interactions with other readers/writers/reviewers!
I also used artistic license and took creative liberties when it comes to the criminal justice system. Any errors are mine.
Similar to the trilogy, a handful of characters have the same names and appearances, but they are not the same way they were presented in canon. For example: Victor "Vic" Hoskins, Eli Mills, Soyona Santos, Ramsay Cole, Paul Kirby, Udesky, and Peter Ludlow show up in the story, but their characters will be totally different from what you've seen in Jurassic World, Jurassic Park 3, and The Lost World. Some of these characters make a brief appearance or are mentioned, but I felt a note was needed to avoid confusion.
Dedication: This fanfiction is dedicated to Atlantech, thebisexualagenda/sh11157, and ThatHadleyBloke/CGPHadley. For Atlantech, thank you so much for being my friend and for encouraging my writing. For thebisexualagenda/sh11157, I enjoyed our discussions about the characters and your insights are thought-provoking. For ThatHadleyBloke/CGPHadley, thank you for all your support when it came to RoC.
This fanfiction is especially dedicated to Wayne Knight for doing a fantastic job of portraying Dennis Nedry, and for B.D. Wong for his amazing portrayal of Henry Wu.
Chapter 1 - Prank Calls
"Such a disappointment when you defend someone for so long thinking they are different, and they turn out to be just like what everyone said." - Khayri R.R. Woulfe
oOo
The control room was silent except for the video monitors showing the current happenings within Jurassic Park. The dilophosaurs were feeding at the jungle river. One stegosaur napped in her paddock under a giant tree. The tyrannosaur was staying away from the electrified fences which came as a relief to the park staff. They had to constantly monitor the tyrant lizard to ensure she didn't circle near the electrified fences—an issue Robert Muldoon had pointed out to George Lawala just yesterday. A young maiasaur that had been placed in her enclosure less than two weeks ago was thriving with the rest of the herd, flourishing in her environment. Right now, she stayed close to one adult maiasaur, walking alongside her during the day and sleeping nearby at night. The adult maiasaur often nuzzled the head of the younger one. Alan Grant and the park staff had labeled this behavior as "bonding". It was fascinating to observe their behavior, especially for Grant, who liked to see his theories proven—and even disproven. It just meant they had a lot to learn about dinosaurs!
InGen's newest employee, George Lawala, was present along with Robert Muldoon, Gerry Harding, and Ray Arnold. Every man sat at their own workstation, watching the monitors for anything unusual and to ensure that the dinosaurs were safe within the confines of their paddocks. So far, everything was quiet and nothing out of the ordinary had happened recently. The best part was observing the maintenance workers put the final additions on the enclosure for Jurassic Park's newest addition—Crichton's ankylosaur.
"Crichton's ankylosaur will have a new home soon," Harding said. "Let's hope she adjusts well to her new paddock."
"When do you transfer the dinosaurs from the nursery to the park?" Lawala asked. He was still learning the ropes of how the park was run—including placement of new dinosaurs in their enclosures.
"We usually wait until they're juveniles," Muldoon said. "We start off placing two at a time and then continue to add a new one to observe their social behavior. Once the first two to three mature into adults, we place a new juvenile once every three to four months. We also consult with Dr. Grant."
"It's a matter of timing and observation?" Lawala found that interesting. So far, his new employment with InGen turned out to be far more rewarding than his last run with Biosyn. Just being able to sit with the InGen staff knowing he was part of their team now gave him peace of mind.
"Exactly," Harding answered. "Once we get a sense of timing and their typical behavior, we'll take the next steps."
"That sounds great, I look forward to it," Lawala said.
There was silence for a brief time as they continued to watch the monitors.
"I've been wondering…" Arnold started. "Has anyone heard from Dennis?"
Muldoon glanced in his direction, hesitating at first before answering Arnold's question. "I did." After Muldoon had let Nedry leave Isla Nublar, Arnold had questioned him once about it, but never brought it up again. "He called the other day. Said he made it to the States and was heading to Cambridge."
"Did he tell you anything else?"
Muldoon shook his head. "No, but he sounded alright."
"That's good. Maybe he'll get the new start that he wants."
Muldoon's eyebrows rose. He was shocked by Arnold's response and took it as a sign that Arnold had made his peace with Nedry—especially after everything that had happened over the past several years. It had taken Muldoon a long time to see that Nedry's change of heart was genuine—he was glad if Arnold accepted it, even if it was on a small scale.
Just then, the phone rang in the control room, interrupting their conversation. Muldoon and Arnold glanced at each other, silently questioning who would pick it up.
Harding had seen Muldoon and Arnold demonstrate this behavior before when each man expected the other to take the call. It had been happening more often due to the string of strange phone calls they had been receiving.
"I'll get it." Harding said, picking up the phone.
Lawala looked up, curious as to who was on the other line.
"Hello?" Harding waited before trying again. "Hello? Anyone there?" There was no answer. Whoever it was, had hung up. He put the phone back, being mindful not to slam it down in frustration. "Again, with these annoying prank calls."
"That's the eighth time that someone's called and not responded," Arnold said. "What the hell's going on?"
"Seems to happen at the same time too," Lawala pointed out.
"Can we track where that call came from?" Muldoon asked.
Arnold typed rapidly on his keyboard and then sat back in his swiveling chair. "There it is."
He pointed at his computer screen. Harding, Lawala, and Muldoon stood up and gathered around his workstation to see what location he had found.
"Los Altos, California," Arnold said. "I'm sure if we track down the previous calls, they'd come from the same place."
"Let's do that," Harding suggested.
Arnold quickly typed on the keyboard, pulling up the eight phone calls that had been received in the past two weeks. In every instance, the caller had hung up when anyone in the control room picked up the phone. Every location could be tracked back to Los Altos.
"Not Palo Alto?" Muldoon was puzzled. "Or Cupertino?"
Arnold lit a cigarette. "Neither." He knew Muldoon referred to the location of InGen's headquarters in Palo Alto, and their corporate enemy's headquarters, Biosyn, in Cupertino.
"The map shows that Los Altos is between both areas," Lawala said, pointing at Arnold's computer screen.
Arnold was about to respond when Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler entered the control room using the new security system Nedry had installed before he left the island. It required a fingerprint and pin number.
"Donald just got off the phone with the hospital," Ellie said, as she and Grant came to the main area of the control room. "They told him John's being discharged this Friday, a week earlier than planned."
Everyone seemed to avoid openly responding to the news of John Hammond's pending return to the island. Arnold removed his headset and set it on his desk. Standing behind him, Muldoon and Harding exchanged an uneasy glance. Lawala was the only one who looked in Grant's and Ellie's direction.
"This Friday?" Arnold forced himself to speak up as he reached for his ashtray to put out the newly lit cigarette. He hoped his anxiety wasn't detected in his voice, although his actions gave it away. "That's only three days from now."
"His suite is ready in the staff lodge," Ellie said. "Tim and Lex finished setting it up this morning. They wanted to decorate their grandfather's room with pictures they took inside the park. You know, to go with the 'Welcome Back, Grandpa' banner? They plan on making a second one for the cafeteria."
"It's right here." Arnold handed Ellie a folded white banner with the message in turquoise letters. "I'll get to printing a second banner."
"Perfect! Thanks, Ray." Ellie took the banner and left the control room to meet Tim and Lex at the staff lodge.
Grant read the room and realized the park staff was unusually quiet about the notice of Hammond's hospital discharge. Even after Ellie mentioned how Tim and Lex wanted to put up a banner for Hammond, there was hardly any response. He knew why and decided to address it head-on. Grant went over to where Arnold sat in his swiveling chair and observed how uneasy Harding and Muldoon appeared standing nearby. They avoided looking in Grant's direction, while Lawala appeared interested in what he shared with them.
"I know we've been expecting John's return for some time now," Grant started. "We're all hopeful for him to return but dreading it at the same time."
He waited to see if this would garner a response. It did, on a subtle level. Harding sighed, while still staring at the floor. Muldoon reached into his pocket for his flask and took a quick sip. Arnold was staring down at his cigarette pack as though debating whether he should light another cigarette. Lawala glanced around, noticing their avoidant responses, and then turned back at Grant.
"How…" Arnold hesitated as he tried to formulate his words. "How will we explain everything? It will be too much for him…and even for us." He gestured towards Muldoon, Harding, and Lawala.
"We tell him the truth," Grant said. He understood the apprehension felt by everyone. "We do it together; that way the responsibility is on all of us, and one person isn't being burdened with telling him everything that's happened."
Harding nodded silently in agreement.
"I'll help in any way I can," Lawala offered.
"We appreciate it, George," Muldoon said. "You're fitting ri—"
The phone rang again, cutting him off.
Arnold sighed, exasperated, as he sat back in his swiveling chair. "I'm tempted to throw that damn phone against the wall."
Grant glanced at the phone as it rang continuously. "The prank calls have started up again?"
"It never stopped, Dr. Grant," Harding said. "Today is twice in one day, which is unusual."
Grant frowned. "That person must be really trying to get through."
"I doubt it because they keep hanging up. Not even ten minutes before you showed up, we got one of those calls. I picked up, said 'hello', and then the person hung up." Harding gestured at the ringing phone. "It's ridiculous."
"And predictable," Lawala added.
Arnold's eyes suddenly widened in recognition as he sat up again. "What if it's Henry trying to reach us?"
"If it's Henry, then he should be brave enough to speak to us and not hang up like a coward," Muldoon said.
He didn't change his stance when he saw Arnold hanging his head in disappointment. Muldoon often fluctuated between feeling angry at Wu for his betrayal and hoping he would return to InGen. On one hand, he didn't want to speak to Wu ever again, but when talking with Arnold, there were times when he softened his stance. Arnold chose to remember who Wu was before he teamed up with Biosyn—which had started rubbing off on Muldoon. As a result, Muldoon was conflicted on where he stood. Sometimes he didn't know which one he felt more of: anger or hope.
Right now, the constant nonsense phone calls and the caller hanging up annoyed him and he massaged his temples, trying to be patient. It bothered him because if it was Wu on the other line, why didn't he speak to them? Was he afraid to talk to his InGen family after all this time? Or was he mocking them for fooling them into believing he would always be loyal to them? Muldoon didn't know the answer and the uncertainty only added to his frustration.
The irony of Nedry's and Wu's betrayals plagued him.
Muldoon had been more accepting of Nedry's changing for the better (although he had initially questioned it), whereas he was still doubtful of Wu coming around. The opposite was true for Arnold, who would readily accept Wu back before Nedry, even if both men made amends to InGen for their treacherous acts. Arnold was still coming around slowly to accepting Nedry thanks to Muldoon. Muldoon was trying to see Wu through Arnold's perspective. Iron sharpens iron, as the Proverbs read. Muldoon and Arnold, as close friends and coworkers, sharpened each other.
The phone rang insistently.
"You can pick it up if you want," Muldoon said, resuming his seat at his workstation. "I just don't think it's him—not after all this time."
There was an awkward silence between Muldoon and Arnold, punctuated by the constant phone ringing.
"You get it this time, Robert," Arnold said, pushing the phone on his desk towards where Muldoon usually sat. "Next time, it'll be my turn."
He had nothing else to say in response to Muldoon's thoughts on Henry Wu. The pain from Wu's betrayal never lessened. It only increased as time went on. Arnold had never accepted it and he constantly went over in his mind: how did he not see it coming? What were Wu's motives? Why would he want to imitate Nedry's actions? Arnold knew Muldoon was the opposite in that he didn't feel sadness about Wu abandoning InGen for Biosyn—he felt anger that Wu would have the nerve to leave and then call them—that is, if it was Wu calling the control room.
Muldoon picked up the phone, held it for a second, and then slammed it down. "That'll teach them—bloody pranksters!"
oOo
At Los Altos, in an isolated office on the fourth floor, Henry Wu placed the phone down on his end after hearing the phone slam down on the other end. He had memorized the phone number to contact the control room, as he had been with InGen for several years prior to his current standing with Biosyn. Still, it pained him that he didn't have the right words to communicate with the people he once cherished as his work family…