Second Equation

'New factors will determine the unpredictability in the solution.'

Ian Malcolm

Chapter 5

The Dinosaur Man

The Triceratops charged across the sand of the endless desert, roaring mightily. Several feet away, a Stegosaurus roared and charged as well in the direction of the Triceratops. They met in the middle as the Trike rammed its horns at the turning Stego, whose spiked tail swiped at the Trike's side.

"Actually, Charlie, those two are herbivores," Dr. Alan Grant stated, pulling Charles Henry Reiman out of his fun in the sandbox. "They wouldn't really be interested in fighting one another, but these two here are carnivores, and they love to fight each other." Grant held up a Velociraptor and a Herrerosaurus.

Dr. Ellie Sattler-Reiman moved forward from the house, holding her young daughter Ginny, looking onward with a raised eyebrow.

"They use their teeth and their claws to rip each other's throats out," Grant continued to explain to Charlie.

"Alan," Ellie began, "he's three. Let's wait till he's five."

"Right." Grant nodded to the arriving Ellie and then smiled to Charlie. "Sorry, Charlie."

Charlie instantly went back to having the Triceratops and Stegosaurus fight.

Ellie's business assistant, Hannah Marks, stepped out of the house with a cell phone in hand. "Ellie, it's the editor again. He wants to know when you're going to have the next chapter finished."

"Just tell him I'm not going to lose another Jack Horner quote," Ellie told her. "It'll be ready when it's ready."

Hannah took off back inside.

Ellie shifted Ginny's weight in her hands. "My editor thinks he's a Paleontologist."

Grant stood up and cleared the distance to Ellie, smiling to young Ginny. "She's getting so big."

"I'm waiting for her to have a growth spurt," Ellie said. "I'll blink and they'll both be adults."

Grant groaned. "And we'll be old and gray."

Ellie laughed. "You already are."

"Don't remind me," Grant told her.

A car pulled into the driveway. Ellie looked that direction and smiled. "There's daddy, Ginny."

Ellie carried Ginny toward the car as Grant followed.

Dr. Mark Reiman stepped out, closing the door. He cleared the distance to Ellie and kissed her on the lips before taking Ginny from her. "Hello there. Did you miss me, sweet girl?" Mark turned to Grant and reached out his free hand. "Good to see you again, Alan. It's been too long."

"Same to you," Grant responded, accepting the handshake.

Charlie ran over, holding a Brachiosaurus toy that was almost as big as he was. "Daddy! Daddy! This is a Herbivore, and that's the dinosaur man."

"Dinosaur man," Grant repeated with a laugh as Ellie and Mark both joined in.

Jack the parrot sat motionless in the cage, staring forward as Alan Grant held out a cracker toward him.

"Jack?" Grant asked. "Jack, what's my name? Is my name Alan? Is my name Alan?"

Jack continued to just stare at him.

Grant sighed and moved over to the table where Ellie sat, clearly amused. "He used to know me." He sat down across from Ellie.

"Mark started his tenure last week," Ellie told him.

Mark brought over several plates of food, setting them down. "About time too."

"Physics Department just as slow as my investors?" Grant asked.

"No, but Berkeley has been more concerned with disappearances lately," Mark told him. "We're losing people to companies, and the higher ups aren't replacing fast enough."

"Have you heard back from Dr. Elliot?" Ellie asked.

Mark shook his head. "Peter does as he likes. He talked about a return trip to the Congo, but I don't think he did." Mark looked to Grant. "Peter Elliot's a Primatologist. First friend I made in Berkeley."

"You think one of the companies acquired him?" Grant asked.

"Doubtful," Mark replied. "Peter isn't a company man. He lectures fulltime. Him taking off again… I don't know."

From a different room, the sound of Ginny crying got their attention.

"Oh, no," Ellie said, starting to get up. "Here we go."

"No, I've got it," Mark said, standing up. "You guys catch up."

"Thanks, babe," Ellie said, watching him go. She finally looked back to Grant.

"I'm glad my teams aren't disappearing," Grant said. "I can't pay them nearly enough, but to lose even one would mess everything up."

"I don't really think Berkeley's problem is what he's making it," Ellie said. "Mark likes to exaggerate from time to time. He's turned into a conspiracy theorist the last few years…He's the only person I ever told about Costa Rica. He didn't like having to keep it to himself, because of my nondisclosure agreement, so I think this is his way of trying to distract himself. He thinks that if dinosaurs were brought back from the grave that there could be other things really going on, like Area 51, and his colleagues disappearing. Did you ever tell anyone?"

Grant shook his head. "Almost did at that conference I went to in Peking. There was… well, hell, you probably know him. Richard Levine."

Ellie sighed. "There isn't anyone in the Paleontological community that doesn't know who that arrogant man is. Why would you tell him?"

"He already had suspicions about it," Grant told her. "I wasn't about to break the nondisclosure agreement, but sometimes it feels like it might be better to have someone to lay the horrors on other than you."

"You don't talk to Lex or Tim?" Ellie asked.

Grant shook his head. "Better to leave them be."

"I get a call from Tim once a month," Ellie told him. "Just a check in really, I guess, but he asks about you every time. I have to tell him that I'll make sure you know, but I figure I'm wasting my breath."

Grant looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sure he'll understand someday… Malcolm leaving you alone?"

Ellie laughed. "I think he has a woman in his life, last I heard."

"Good," Grant merely said. "Bad for her though."

"So what are you working on now?" Ellie asked, trying not to let the conversation continue to dwell on Ian Malcolm of all people.

"Raptors mostly," Grant replied.

Ellie hesitated for a moment. "My… favorite."

Grant leaned forward. "Do you remember the sounds they made?"

Again she hesitated. "I try not to."

"Ellie, what we've been finding is extraordinary. Recent discoveries from fossilized vocalization chambers, what they were capable of… we weren't even close."

This finally peeked her interest as she leaned forward. "Tell me."

"Ellie, they were smart," Grant told her. "They were smarter than dolphins or whales… They were smarter than primates."

"The attack on the Safari Lodge," Ellie said, looking like she was a million miles away. "I can remember it like it was yesterday. Part of me wishes you'd seen it, but only for scientific purposes. If the island hadn't been blown up, you could've looked at the security camera footage or something." She looked down.

Grant reached forward, placing a reassuring hand on her own. "It's alright. You don't have to do this. You've barely discussed the island the last six years."

Ellie shook her head. "It's fine."

Grant pulled his hand back and sat back in the chair.

"The attack was coordinated," Ellie told him. "At least, it sure as hell seemed like it. They cased the whole area like a military team and found a tree too close to the fence. One of them climbed over and got on the roof. When Muldoon and I were trying to distract the other Raptors away from the Visitor's Center, I think we ultimately forgot that one Raptor was even up there."

"It was a risk you had to take," Grant reminded her.

Ellie nodded. "Doesn't change the fact that because of what we were doing, we got Henry Wu killed."

Grant shook his head. "You can't blame yourself for that."

Ellie wiped a tear from her face. "I see his death every night when I close my eyes, Alan. I don't know if that'll ever go away. I try to rationalize it in my head, that he helped bring those horrors to the world, but I'm not a horrible person. I can't condone the things he's done, but I don't think he deserved to die simply because he strived to bring something amazing to the world."

Ellie picked up her fork, playing with her food for a moment before putting it down again.

"Not hungry anymore?" Grant asked.

Ellie smiled weakly. "I have a hard time eating. I have to put the past from my mind long enough to put food down."

"Your PTSD sounds about like mine," Grant told her. "But at least you don't have Raptors calling out your name to you in your sleep."

This made Ellie's smile a bit brighter. "Seriously?"

Grant nodded. "Makes me think I should stop going to the bar so much. The alcohol isn't doing me any favors."

"You might be right," Ellie told him.

Grant leaned forward. "You can't blame yourself for the rest of your life. You and Muldoon had to give me my best chance to get the power back on. It worked, and we're alive today because of it. Besides, wasn't it Dr. Wu that was trying to get you back inside? He risked his life for yours. You have two beautiful kids now because of him. I never asked, but I'm guessing that's why Charlie's middle name is Henry, right?"

Ellie nodded. "Yeah."

"Does Mark know?" Grant asked.

Ellie shook her head. "It's always been too hard for me to get up the courage to tell him this part of the story. I can only bring myself to tell you because you were on the island."

"You should tell him someday."

"Maybe I will."

Grant rolled the window down in his car as Ellie leaned down, smiling to him.

"I know I've told you this before, but sometimes you forget to ask," Ellie said. "If you ever need me, for anything, you need to call me. Anytime."

"Sure," Grant told her with a nod.

"You're still the best," Ellie said. "Best teacher. Best friend. I want you to know that."

Grant smiled. "The last of my breed."

"Good luck at tomorrow's lecture," Ellie said. "Mark and I will be there, front row."

"I appreciate it," Grant said. "See you tomorrow." With that, he pulled out of the driveway, Ellie crossing her arms and watching him go.