Notes
Soundtrack suggestions:
- Prologue, London 1957 - Tilman Sillescu and Pierre Langer, Paraworld.
- The Dream of Cleon the First - Bear McCreary and Raya Yarbrough, Foundation (Up to 03:00).
- The Wild Blue Yonder - Michael Giacchino, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Up to 02:34).
-o-
Elijah Mills' office was a lavishly furnished room, with a large personal desk, bookshelves, a conference table and even a fireplace. Claire and Owen were seated at the table, facing the desk.
"Would you like some wine?" Eli asked them.
Standing near his desk, he showed them a bottle of red wine.
"It's French. A Cabernet Franc from an estate near Chinon," he said. It was gathering dust in Benjamin's cellar. If I'm not mistaken, you're a fan of wine, Claire."
"Indeed. If you propose, I'll have some, please."
Eli grabbed a glass and started pouring wine.
"Owen?" he asked.
"No thanks. I've already had a glass of champagne and I'm the driver," the keeper replied, still watching Eli's hands.
Once the first glass was filled, the manager of the Lockwood Foundation grabbed a second glass, not to serve Owen but himself. He then returned to the conference table and handed Claire her drink. She thanked him but as she was about to grab her glass to take a sip, Owen ran his hand over his girlfriend's triceps and pinched it lightly, stopping her, and waited for Eli to drink first before moving his fingers away. Claire then raised her glass to her mouth and as she analysed the wine's taste, the office's door finally opened, letting in Benjamin Lockwood.
"Thank you, Iris," he said. Could you go check if Maisie is in her room? It will soon be the time for her bath."
"I'll go right away, sir," the governess replied.
Iris closed the door and they heard the sound of her heels fading away as she walked away. Lockwood moved to position himself in front of the couple, at the spot where Eli had earlier removed one of the chairs so that the manor's owner could roll to the edge of the table with his wheelchair. Eli went back to his desk to get a folder and then sat next to Benjamin Lockwood.
"You wanted to make an offer to us? Which one?" Claire asked them.
"It's related to the resumption of Operation Fallen Kingdom. We would like to invite you to be involved as interns of our foundation," Eli began, opening the folder to take out documents. "Here's the contracts..."
He gave each two copies of the contract and a pen.
"And InGen is okay with letting two resentful ex-employees take part in an operation crucial to its survival?" Owen asked.
"My foundation is one of the operation's funders. They will be forced to accept, Benjamin answered. "And you are the best people I know for this job."
"If I understand correctly, you want to send us to Costa Rica to help InGen transfer the last animals of Jurassic World to the United States so they can sell them at an auction?" The keeper summarized.
"Broadly, yes," Eli confirmed.
"And who will those buyers be?" Owen asked more and more inquisitively. "We saw Lord Francis Clayton at the reception and he told us about his wishes to acquire several animals, including Blue, but what guarantees us that others will be as well-intentioned as he is? What if there are representatives of pharmaceutical companies among the buyers, or emirs who wants a baby dinosaur for their kid, or even mobsters? If it's the case, I fear for the animals' fates and I don't know about your stance Claire, but I won't be a part of this."
"We understand your fears, Mr Grady," Eli said, "but let us reassure you. Although extinct species don't have the same rights as modern endangered species, selling the disaster's survivors to the kinds of individuals you described would be bad for InGen's image, which is already fragile after the fall of Jurassic World. And it would be bad for ours as well, since we will be hosting the auction. Given that the operation's resumption will probably be heavily covered by the media, the revelation of a scandal could have catastrophic consequences."
"These animals cannot be released in the Five Deaths, and neither InGen nor my foundation have the means to build and operate a sanctuary," Benjamin added. "The buyers will be exclusively representatives of zoological organizations and their list will be provided to the World De-extinction Monitoring Center. These animals deserve a new home. It's much better than letting them waste away at the Farm. I think you agree, Mr. Grady, since animal welfare is your domain."
"You said you will host the sale. Does that mean the animals will be transported here? Claire asked.
"Do you have anything to house them?" Owen added.
Benjamin nodded and Eli pulled out more documents from the folder. He gave them to the couple and they looked at them. They consisted of plans and photos of construction work.
"When the operation was set in motion in the greatest secrecy after we learned that an upcoming eruption of Mount Sibo was going to destroy Isla Nublar, I launched the construction of enclosures in this estate, in a basin just behind the ridge that overlooks the manor," the ex-CEO told them.
At the mere mention of Operation Fallen Kingdom's secret preparation, Claire tensed and sighed, still resentful of those who had left her in the dark. Were it not for a visit from an official of the Costa Rican government during her convalescence at Nicoya Hospital, she would still think the eruption had occurred without noticeable warning signs. Benjamin Lockwood noted her aggravation.
"I wanted you to be informed," he told her after a moment of silence, "so that you prepare as much as you could on your side, and it was even among my instructions but when I learned that those got lost along the way, it was too late. Probably Susan's fault…," he grumbled.
"And Sim…" Claire began in a strangled voice before getting a grip on herself, "Masrani, when did he intend to tell me about it?"
"Simon thought his park was going to be like Rome, eternal. He did fund most of the operation, but he thought Jurassic World would recover from the eruption."
Learning that Simon Masrani had more or less sacrificed her out of arrogance, Claire felt anger rising within her and she ended up thinking that he might have deserved his atrocious death in the Indominus' claws after all.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because you deserve the truth, and know that I deeply regret the treatment you have suffered," he replied. "Life teaches us cruel lessons sometimes," he added, looking first at Claire's half-mask and then at his own wheelchair.
Claire remembered the photos they had seen in the entrance hall, where Benjamin Lockwood appeared full of vigour, a far cry from the frail old man in a wheelchair in front of her. Remembering the photos taken when she was beautiful and promised to a great future, she could not help but approve of the implied comparison between them.
"Yes," she said in a low voice.
"Of the triumvirate that I once formed with John and Norman, I am the only survivor and since Simon is no longer of this world and that Masrani Global seems to distance itself from InGen and the dinosaurs, guaranteeing the integrity of John Hammond's dream and righting wrongs are my responsibilities," Benjamin explained. "I would love to see InGen get back on the right track before I die..."
Owen wanted to point out to him that this so-called integrity had already been undermined by Simon Masrani and that the point of no return had been reached for InGen, but he refrained. If he contradicted Lockwood, he feared to offend him and jeopardize the deal he was about to make with Claire.
The ex-CEO of InGen looked Claire in the eyes.
"For you and me, this operation is a last chance of redemption," he said.
The fallen park director nodded.
"What will be our missions during this internship? Owen asked.
"For you, Owen, it won't be so different from your past occupation at Jurassic World because you will join the team of keepers," Eli explained. "You, as well as Claire, will assist them in their tasks throughout the operation's duration. As for you Claire, you will also help the estate in the organization of the animals' reception and the auction but the bulk of your work will consist of acting as a liaison between us, InGen, and the Dinosaur Protection Group. They'll be in too and you will have to organize their trip and their stay in Burgo Nuevo."
"The DPG?" The keeper repeated, surprised by their future involvement in the operation.
"Hence the presence of Alexander Singer at this reception," Claire concluded. "I saw him earlier."
"They and us have both the dinosaurs' welfare at heart," Benjamin Lockwood said, "so why don't we work hand in hand?"
"There's something else…" Eli said. "We would also like that you report us on the situation there and if you see or learn about anything strange or suspicious about InGen's local activities, you will have to inform me in private, even if they're nothing but crazy rumors or fears. This part of our meeting must remain secret of course."
"You're basically asking us to spy for you…" Owen said.
"The word spy is a bit excessive," Benjamin replied. "I may be old and sick, but I'm not senile as Susan would have you believe. I would just like to be reassured about the animals' welfare and the safety of the facilities as well as InGen's transparency. I hope that the Farm hasn't been hit too hard by the imposed budget restrictions, but I fear that this is just wishful thinking. Hammond liked to say he spared no expense. He indeed did in many areas, but as idealistic as he was, he neglected others and it just needed a poorly paid computer engineer to doom Jurassic Park. And it happened when InGen was flourishing and we are in a time of crisis… Who knows what will happen if similar mistakes happen again in Burgo Nuevo?"
Another San Diego or worse, Owen answered in his head.
"What will we gain in exchange for this internship?" Claire asked.
Benjamin cleared his throat.
"Forgive me for the indiscretion of the question I'm going to ask you but have you already been summoned in court?"
"Not yet, but I know it's only a matter of time," she replied in a tight voice, greatly fearing the day when it will happen.
Benjamin Lockwood and his aide both gave her a sympathetic look.
"Claire," Eli began, "you will need allies in your future trial. Informants have told us that people loyal to Susan Lynton are seeking to set your own half-sister against you, using the death of her younger son during the Fall and encouraging her to take you to court. Symbolically speaking, they would give you a huge blow..."
Unpleasantly surprised by this news, Claire clenched her fist.
What a bitch!
"Let me be your ally," Benjamin told her. "If you carry out your missions, I promise to testify in your favor during your future trial. And if anything ever happens to me in the meantime, Eli will do it on my behalf… What do you say?"
Claire let out a barely audible sigh and looked up at Owen. He looked at her, waiting for her decision. In his eyes, she read that whatever she decided, he was going to follow her.
"You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by accepting this internship," Eli added. "Would you like a moment in private to confer?"
Claire turned to the foundation's manager.
"That won't be necessary," she replied, sliding her copies of the contract towards her.
But as she and Owen filled in the lines associated with their contact details, doubt gripped her. It was too good to be true.
Still, she wanted to believe in Benjamin Lockwood, whose fatherly attitude towards her was comforting, and the person in the room she trusted least was Elijah. He had certainly behaved with courtesy but it was as if he was being too nice. He hadn't reprimanded them in any way for their altercation with Dominick Silverman, even offering them Cabernet Franc as soon as they arrived in this office, a Cabernet Franc which had a weird taste but she had not drunk any for years so one thing explained the other.
Deep down, she knew something was wrong with this whole affair, something she couldn't put her finger on. But she was out of solutions, it was this or nothing. If she refused, she would have no support during her future trial, would lose it, be sent to prison and Sigurd would grow up without his mother...
She was taken out of her thoughts by some noise in the hallway, that of someone walking with difficulty, frequently stumbling and occasionally bumping into the walls. Eli got up to lead the drunken guest away. The latter was humming:
...
But when it came down to the wire
I called my family to my side
Stood up straight, threw my head back, and I...
While Owen, who was waiting for her to sign before signing too, tried to remember from which song the lyrics belonged, Claire looked up to Lockwood and saw a benevolent look in his eyes. She put the tip of the pen on the sheet and signed.