Italicized text can represent several things (dialogue in another language, inner thoughts, flashbacks, etc.) please be aware of this and the context to better understand what is happening!
Sara double checked her phone as Jack pulled her off the ferry, "Jack! Jack, honey, I promise you the park isn't going anywhere." She laughed. Nora had sent her a photo asking if the new design for the trees was acceptable. She squinted at her screen in the sunlight.
"Please, please, please hurry up." Jack pulled her over to an escalator. Squeezing them through the crowd. Sara apologized and excused them both as he weaved her through the swarms of people. "I want to see everything!" Jack's eyes were sparkling with excitement.
"And we will," Sara nodded, "I promise." Her voice trailed off as she responded to Nora's text.
"That guy, by the way," Jack stood on his tiptoes as if that would give him an advantage on the escalators up to the gates. "Why does he care so much about your photos?"
"We'll see." Sara sighed absentmindedly, stepping off the escalator as she scrolled through the text messages Marani had sent her. Something about a meeting with one of his managers, she'd honestly been tempted to put their conversation on mute so every buzz from her phone didn't send her into a panic induced spiral.
She looked up and spotted a VIP entrance. "Come on," She grabbed Jack by his backpack and steered him over to the VIP gate. "Hi." Sara smiled warmly as she walked over to the bored looking guards.
One guard perked up, "Oh, sorry ma'am, all guests have to go through the standard admissions gate unless you've bought VIP tickets."
"Well," Sara clicked through her email, aware that Jack was watching her expectantly, "I just so happen to have VIP." She hated having to pull the entitlement card on people, but she also wanted the weekend to go smoothly and be ancient history by the time she got home on Monday. She turned her phone around, which showed the guards that they were indeed VIP.
Upon scanning her phone, their demeanor changed. They were suddenly much more cheerful and helpful. They were waved through a metal detector one at a time. "Have a wonderful weekend, you two!" They smiled and waved as Sara once again steered Jack in the direction of the park.
Jack looked at the park map they'd given him, "A waterpark, gyrospheres, a movie theater, a petting zoo!" He pointed the places out on the map as he noticed them.
"How about the hotel?" Sara asked.
"Uhh," Jack looked over the map, "Here?" He pointed it out and looked to Sara for confirmation.
Sara looked and nodded, the little cartoon hotel was on this side of the—, "Mosasaurus Lagoon?" She paled, her stomach churning. She sighed and shook her head, "Come on, let's get checked in."
"When are you meeting your friend?" Jack asked.
"He's not my friend." Sara muttered under her breath as she took the lead and walked through the crowds. Sara had learned from working under Sarah for years that, while cargo shorts and a bummy shirt would earn you the respect of your equally gritty peers, nothing split a crowd faster than a good pair of heels and a strong walk. There was something professional about a decent black dress and heels that made people get out of her way. She held her head high, squared her shoulders, and sure enough the crowd parted around them. Jack kept on her heels but was careful not to give her a flat tire.
"And I have no idea when I'm supposed to meet him." Sara finally answered him as they were out of the admissions hub. There were two paths they could take, the right led to a Park Hyatt hotel, and the left led to a Hilton hotel. "Left we go." She said, not stopping or slowly down.
"Hey, mom, they apparently feed the T-Rex every two hours." Jack said, still looking at the map, "Can we go watch?"
"I'd rather not, actually." Sara thought. "Maybe." She said out loud. She didn't want to be a downer for Jack. Just for this weekend, she would endure. She just had to get through this weekend, and she would be done with InGen and Masrani forever.
Sara sighed with relief when cool AC blasted them both as they walked into the Hilton. The walls inside were a lovely off-white, cream color. The Jurassic World emblem was embedded in the ground. All kinds of potted plants were placed strategically around the lobby, conveniently blocking filled outlets or speakers. The furniture was standard for a luxury hotel, but anything that could've had the Jurassic World name or logo on it had it. Towels, coasters, rugs, anything and everything. Mounted flatscreens alternated between pre-recorded videos of attractions, and live footage of different animal enclosures.
Although there were dozens of people sitting or moving about the lobby, Sara's eyes were immediately drawn to the woman entirely in white that was waiting by the front desk.
She was about the same height as Sara, and while Sara's outfit was entirely black, this woman's outfit was entirely white. She had her ginger hair cut in a short style. She seemed antsy, even with her back turned, her shoulders were tense, and her head nodded rhythmically.
The parallels were not lost on Sara. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and she marched through the lobby. Her heels clicked on the tile and the woman at the desk perked up and spun around to face them. She quickly looked over Sara and smiled brightly, "Sara Webb?" She greeted her cautiously. Her bright blue eyes brimming with professional enthusiasm.
Sara tensed up but did her best to smile politely to the woman. "Guilty." She said, glancing back to make sure Jack was still with her.
"Hi," The woman stuck her hand out, "My name is Claire Dearing, I'm the senior asset manager here at Jurassic World."
"Claire." Sara repeated, and she took her hand to shake once. "Soft hands. Probably never done anything more strenuous than typing on a keyboard." Sara thought, "But firm grip." She pulled her hand back, "Claire, this is my son, Jack." She turned to her son, instinctively introducing him.
Jack's smile was tight, but he took Claire's hand when she extended it.
"Jack?" Claire repeated, "Such a cool name." She said in that tone that adults would use when talking to a kindergartener. Jack eyed her suspiciously, and Sara had to resist the urge to laugh. "Well," Claire turned back to Sara, "Mr. Masrani can't wait to meet with you. You're kind of famous around here." She said out of the side of her mouth like she was sharing a secret.
Sara raised her eyebrows, "That so?" She asked.
Claire laughed lightly, her nose wrinkling, "Oh, absolutely." She nodded. "I mean, you're a legacy guest after all. And, you know, not a lot of people can resist Mr. Masrani's persistence for so long."
Sara took a breath, "Seventeen years." She smiled tensely.
"New record." Claire joked, "Now. Jack," she motioned to her son, "Is going to have a ton of fun here." Sara looked between Jack and Claire, confused, "I've got my assistant working to clear out the T-Rex Kingdom, and then it's a quick monorail trip over to the gyrospheres—,"
"I—I'm sorry," Sara shook her head, "Are you suggesting my son go into the park alone?" She raised her eyebrows clear up to her hairline. She began to shake her head as the wheels turned in Claire's head. "No. No, absolutely not."
"Ms. Webb, I assure you; Jack is perfectly safe." Claire tried to say.
"No." She held a finger, Claire was shocked into silence, but Sara could see her cheeks growing red. "I was a child on this island once." Her voice was shockingly low, but Sara knew Claire could hear every word she was saying over the sound of the crowd, "And I will not allow him to make the same mistakes I did."
"Mom." Jack's voice was quiet.
"I understand your hesitations, Ms. Webb," Claire said, "But Mr. Masrani would like to speak with you privately."
"Then he can come to the hotel." Sara snapped without meaning to. The poor woman was just doing her job, but her job was causing Sara's heart rate to skyrocket. She took a step back, straightened out the skirt of her dress, and straightened her shoulders. "I'm sorry. But it's clear there's been some miscommunication. We will wait in the hotel room," She motioned between herself and her son, "Masrani will come see me. I will give him what he asked for. And we will leave on the very next available—,"
"Mom!" Jack tugged at her bad arm.
A shock of pain blinded her. "Jack!" Sara turned and shouted at him. Jack's eyes were wide, but he stood his ground. Sara could see people were starting to look at them. Heart thudding in her chest, Sara turned and gently grabbed Jack's shoulders. "I'm sorry." She apologized, her mouth going dry. "But this place is not safe. I'm not just going to let you run loose in the park." She explained gently. Just the idea of letting him go out there alone made her insides shake.
Jack stayed strong. "The park is fine, mom." He reminded her so much of Max.
"If," Claire spoke up quietly, stepping up to stand beside Sara, "it helps any, my nephews are coming to visit. They'll actually be here in," She looked down at her watch, "An hour. Same time as Mr. Masrani." Sara looked at Claire expectantly. "Jack is more than welcome to spend the day with my nephews." She then glanced at Jack, "They're about the same age."
Sara stood back up straight, "I…" She trailed off. Part of her wanted to just run home, another part of her wanted to suck it up and stay. She wanted to call Max—she wanted to call Ian! A million horrible scenarios ran through her head.
"And," Claire said, still being cautious, "I can personally assure you that Jurassic World is safe for kids. We've actually been approved to start a summer camp here. The inaugural class just started two days ago."
"Mom." Sara turned to Jack. "Please? You promised…" He pleaded. Sara frowned. Jack never really asked for anything. He was such a good kid. Too good. He hardly ever complained about his living situation, or about how bizarre it was that half of his family had disowned them. And he was smart, so smart. Despite how rough life had been for him, Jack had always been a bright, happy, smart kid. He wasn't spoiled, but he was grateful and content with the things he had.
What harm could there be in one weekend?
Sara visibly deflated, "Okay." She finally heaved out with a sigh. "Okay." She smiled faintly and nodded at Jack.
Jack hugged Sara tightly before he quickly let go and said, "Did you say 'T-Rex'?" He looked at Claire but didn't wait for an answer. "I gotta tell dad!" And he stepped away to pull out his phone.
Sara and Claire both chuckled as he turned away. Still smiling, Sara turned to Claire and whispered, "If anything happens to him, I'm blaming you." She didn't bother to hide her anger to the older woman.
Claire swallowed hard but nodded. Sara watched Jack as he excitedly told his dad about getting able to see the T-Rex in person.
"So." Claire gently clasped her hands in front of her, "There are VIP wristbands in your room. My assistant, Zara, will be here in about," Once again, Claire checked her watch, "an hour. I can just," she began to step away, "give you two some time to settle in."
"Thank you." Sara said, and she turned to finally check in to the hotel.
They were on the top floor in what was called—at least according to the room key—the Hammond Suite. Sara opened the door and stepped inside, she allowed Jack to run in and explore while she closed and locked the door behind them.
"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed, throwing open the French doors that led to a private balcony.
Sara went straight to the bathroom, turned on the lights, and immediately checked behind the shower curtain, in the linens closet, and the cabinets under the sink. Everything was neat and tidy, right where you expected it to be. She turned the light off and went back out to the room. With some difficulty, she was able to get down on the ground and look under the two king sized beds. Both were clear. There was an attached kitchenette, and Sara inspected every cabinet. They were clear. They were safe.
"And now that I can breathe a tiny bit easier…let's see what we have." Sara thought as she looked around the room.
The kitchenette sat back on the right side of the room. On the back wall of the room were two king sized beds. The bed frames were a dark brown, and the headboards were carved to look like the floor of a fossil dig. The covers were red and gold brocade pattern, and on one was a small black box. Sara opened the box cautiously, but relaxed when she saw it was just the wristbands.
The floor was carpeted with the thin, scratchy kind of carpet you'd expect at a hotel. It was green with a golden fleur-de-lis pattern.
The walls were split, with the lower half being wood paneling and the upper half being the same off-white cream color as the lobby. Each bed had a matching nightstand with a lamp and alarm clock. Large light fixtures that looked like chunks of amber hung on either side of the TV that was hung on the wall opposite the beds. The dresser under the TV was made from the same dark wood as everything else, and it had a welcome basket on it.
Sara looked curiously in the basket. Champagne, bath soaps, a Jurassic World Tupperware container full of fresh fruits, and a thank you card. She scoffed and walked away from it. In a small alcove next to the TV was the bathroom and a closet. On the wall between the second king sized bed and the floor-to-ceiling windows was a table and two armchairs.
"Jack?" Sara called as she stepped outside. She squinted in the sun for a moment before her eyes adjusted. There was an iron wrought table and two matching chairs to the right and a small, cushioned loveseat to the left. A folded up and secured blue umbrella was stuck in the middle of the table. Sara didn't care about the decor; her eyes were on Jack who seemed entranced by everything.
Below they could see a fake beach where people were lounging out on chairs. Some people were even swimming! A small net was the only thing that kept guests inside the small cove that was a part of the same water the mosasaurus was apparently in. From their balcony they could see a large half stadium that sat on the water. Evidently where they did mosasaurus showings.
"Humility before nature." Sara muttered sarcastically under her breath. She was grateful Jack didn't hear her.
To the left between the hotel and the mosasaurus stadium was Main Street. Sara could see rows of shops and restaurants all leading up to a pyramid shaped structure. Everywhere she looked she saw swarms of people.
Nothing looked familiar. Nothing was the same. "Maybe that's for the better." Sara thought. She glanced down at Jack who was still taking it all in. She nudged him, "So. Whaddya think?" She asked.
"This," Jack smiled, "is so cool!"
Sara nodded. "Cool." She repeated. She let him stand and take it in for another minute before she turned to go back inside, "Are you going to shower before you head out?" She asked.
Jack shook his head.
Sara grimaced, "you smell like an airplane." She said walking back in. If Jack wasn't going to shower, she was. She always felt so grimy and dirty after a long flight. "And come inside." She called over her shoulder.
Jack sighed, but obliged. He dropped his backpack at the foot of one of the beds and flopped down on it with his phone held up over his face.
Sara unpacked a fresh outfit from her backpack and decided to get in the shower before Claire's assistant showed up. "If I wash my hair, I'll need to braid it." She thought, remembering how humid the island could get, even at night. She didn't want her hair to frizz up, then she'd really look like her father. In the end, she did wash her hair, her fingers digging into her scalp as if she could rake away the memories pounding inside her head. The hot water blasting on her arm loosened the tension that she always carried with her.
"A-ah." Sara grasped the safety bar in the shower as her left knee suddenly shook and gave out under her. She clenched her teeth, doubled over as her leg locked up. Her arms and good leg shook, her head hung low, and water blasted the back of her neck.
She stayed like that for three minutes, unable to move, but unwilling to call for help. Gritting her teeth, she slowly dragged her left leg back under her. She tested her weight on it, gently swaying between her good and bad legs. When it didn't give out again, she stood back up and quickly finished her shower.
She got out of the steamy shower and stared at her foggy reflection. She hadn't bothered to remove her contacts, so it was just the steam that obscured her view. She turned away from the mirror and began to dry herself off. Before she got dressed, she combed her hair to one side and began to braid it, she clamped her towel around it, squeezing out the excess water. Her outfit was entirely black. She thought it fitting for the circumstances. Black blouse, black dress pants, and a pair of dressy black boots.
When she came out of the bathroom, Jack was sitting on the edge of his bed watching the TV. It was a live feed of a place called 'Gallimimus Valley'. It looked like the camera was hooked up to some kind of vehicle as the feed bounced and shook, but she could still see the familiar gallimimuses galloping alongside the vehicle.
"Can we go here later?" Jack asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.
"We'll see." Sara was already exhausted and she'd only been on the island for an hour.
Before she could even think to sit down, there was a knock at the door. Sara crossed the room to the door and opened it.
In the hallway outside was a young woman with long black hair and green eyes. She seemed irritated, but was professional when she asked, "Miss Webb?" Sara nodded. "Hi, I'm Zara Young. I'm Ms. Dearing's assistant." Sara could feel and hear Jack moving closer behind her. Next to Zara was a young boy around Jack's age. He had tawny blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He shyly looked up at Sara. Behind Zara, leaning against the wall was an older boy with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He didn't bother looking up from his phone.
Sara quickly looked back at Zara and smiled politely, "Yes." She nodded, "She told me you would be looking after Jack while I spoke with Masrani?"
Zara nodded and couldn't hide the tightness in her smile, "Yes ma'am." She answered.
Sara turned to Jack and took a deep breath, "Everything is fine. The park is safe." She told herself, but it still took a great amount of effort for her to actually step out of the way. "Jack?"
Jack stepped forward, the younger boy seemed delighted to see another kid his age and he quickly asked, "What's your favorite dinosaur?"
Jack smiled, "Ankylosaurus." He was a master at naming dinosaurs, and had an innate ability to make friends wherever he went. This would be a breeze.
"Did you know specimens of ankylosaurus have been found in the Hell Creek, Lance, Scollard, Frenchman, and the Ferris formations?" The boy asked.
Sara took a breath and resisted the urge to laugh at Zara's wide, horrified expression, "Have fun." She said instead. She tapped Jack on the shoulder, he turned back and looked at her. "Text me and keep me updated." She said, then she shook her head, "Not a request." She clarified. Jack nodded. She made sure he had his VIP wristband on and just as she was closing the door, Zara spoke up.
"Oh, Mr. Masrani will be heading straight out to our new asset's holding pen, he should be back in about forty-five minutes." She said, "I was asked to let you know that he wants to speak with you in the innovation center."
"Innovation center," Sara nodded, "Got it. Thank you."
"Come on, Jack. We're going to go by the rides first." The younger boy said.
It was between feedings, so lots of people in the T-Rex Kingdom viewing area were simply passing by, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Tyrant Lizard King. Sara stood above ground in the log-like viewing structure, facing the enclosed jungle, with her arms patiently crossed.
People passed by behind her, and some even stopped to see if she was able to see the animal, but they quickly moved one once they realized the T-Rex was nowhere to be seen.
She glanced at her watch. She had about ten minutes before she had to meet Masrani, but the T-Rex Kingdom was right by the Innovation center, so she didn't feel pressed for time.
"What am I doing here?" She wondered. She didn't want to be here, and yet, there she was. She wasn't sure what she expected to see or do, but she couldn't bring herself to move.
Then, with very little warning, Sara's eyes caught a fraction of movement in the faraway trees. She raised her chin, squinting as if that would help her see better. Sure enough, in the distance, the T-Rex stood in the shade of the trees. She had stretched herself upwards, her tiny forearms pawed at nothing as she sniffed the air. Her thick tail swayed behind her to keep her balanced until she settled back down to a more horizontal position. She shifted on her legs, turning until she was facing Sara head on.
Sara's heart jumped and her mouth went dry, but she stayed rooted to her spot.
She looked exactly how Sara remembered her to be. Her brown and grey pebbly skin somehow looked aged, and her golden-green eyes blinked slowly as it inched out of the shade and closer to the viewing area. The T-Rex didn't come too much closer before she stretched herself up and sniffed the air once more. As she turned her head one way and then the other Sara could see the battle scars she had earned from the velociraptors.
A few people stopped and stared and pointed, but they moved on after a few minutes when the T-Rex did not move.
Sara remained.
The T-Rex stepped forward cautiously and Sara tilted her head curiously. "Do you see me?" She wanted to ask. The T-Rex came closer and sniffed the tall post beside the viewing area. Her head was level with where Sara was standing. Now that she was close, more and more people stopped and chattered excitedly.
The T-Rex huffed irritably when she realized it wasn't feeding time. She stepped forward and the crowd cheered inside the viewing area. Sara couldn't hear them. The T-Rex was staring straight at her, and her lips suddenly pulled back in a snarl that vibrated her chest. A few people exclaimed that they had chills from the noise, but all Sara could hear was the ringing in her ears.
"You don't recognize me." She thought, hot tears burning the corners of her eyes. "It's impossible."
The T-Rex turned, her whole body swaying as she faced the viewing area. For a moment, guests held their breath. The T-Rex stood facing them, opening and closing her mouth ever so slightly, like a pug that was building up to a bark.
Sara shook her head imperceptibly. "It's impossible…you can't—,"
The T-Rex's entire body tightened, the muscles on her chest, back, and legs constricted as she let out an earth trembling roar!
A few guests shrieked and covered their ears, but they carried big grins on their faces as they quickly turned and moved on to the next thing.
Sara stayed behind. She waited until the viewing area was empty before she stepped closer to the handrail and the glass. She reached up, cursing the fact that her hand trembled like a leaf in a hurricane, and touched the glass.
The T-Rex huffed.
"Do you remember me?" She whispered under her breath. She felt foolish for talking to a dinosaur, let alone a T-Rex. The T-Rex backed up a few steps, then tilted her head one way and then the other. She was curious. "You attacked me…over thirty-two years ago." Sara whispered. A single tear finally slipped out of her eye. "You pushed me over a drop and into a tree." The T-Rex snarled quietly on the other side of the glass. "You saved my life." She knew the animal held no sense of morality. She had done what she needed to do to survive, and Sara knew that if there wasn't glass between them that she'd be dead by now.
The T-Rex seemed to pause. Then the animal sneezed, blinked slowly a few times, and walked away.
Sara let go of the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, and she pulled her hand away from the glass. She looked down at her watch, "Two minutes." She told herself. She turned but paused to look outside one last time.
The T-Rex was nowhere to be seen.
Sara collected herself, made sure she had the photo album, then left the T-Rex Kingdom.
The day was growing hotter as she stepped out of the air conditioning and onto the sun blasted pavement. She walked the short path back to Main Street, and then turned and walked up the stairs to the Innovation center. Stepping in, Sara inhaled sharply at the sight of an apatosaurus standing in the center of the room.
It took her a second to realize it was just a hologram, and she relaxed. "Christ." She rubbed her chest where her heart suddenly let out a painful jolt. A set of stairs to her right led up to a second story, but there was simply so much to see, Sara wasn't sure where to go.
She stepped cautiously closer to the center of the room and looked around for Masrani. "Meet in the innovation center. Sure why not? It's not like there's a hundred different things happening here." She thought. The hologram apatosaurus bellowed and began walking in place, its large eyes blinking slowly as it looked over nothing.
There were people everywhere. Sara couldn't go two steps without someone bumping into her, hitting her with their electric scooter, or dashing in front of her and stepping on her toes.
She finally made it to the bottom of the stairs, and she looked to her right. Her eyes widened as she realized she was staring at a large bronze statue of John Hammond. She squeezed by other guests, coming to a stop at the base of the statue. "Hello, John." She thought, smiling up at him. "Is this what you imagined?" She wondered as she turned back and looked at the room, "Hundreds of thousands of families…all walks of life…people coming together to look at your animals."
"Sara!" She turned at the sound of her name, and spotted Masrani walking towards her excitedly. He smiled and immediately reached out to shake her hand, "I'm so happy you decided to come."
"Well," Sara smiled tensely, "I'm here." She didn't need to tell him that he'd basically used her son's wishes against her, he probably already figured that was the only reason she was here, and it was better to remain civil…for now.
"Right, let's get right to it!" Masrani laughed, "Follow me. I want to show you what we've got." She followed Masrani up the spiral staircase and down a small hallway to a closed off section of the innovation center. There was a small sign in front of the tarp that showed a cartoon dilophosaurus spitting on someone, in bright red font it read,
'WARNING! THIS EXHIBIT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PLEASE COME BACK TO SEE US SOON'.
"Morbid." Sara grimaced.
"After you," Masrani unclipped the velvet rope that blocked off the tarp blocking the exhibit. Sara stepped beyond the rope and lifted the tarp. It was dark inside, barely lit, but Masrani seemed to know the layout well as he took the lead once more.
"Henry provided a lot of the history of the beginnings of Jurassic Park." Masrani said as they walked further and further into the exhibit. There were glass frames already mounted on the walls. Empty. Though Sara suspected they would be for her pictures.
There were cases that held things like the original computers used in Jurassic Park's control room, original pieces of amber, blueprints and schematics for the original park. Things that had either been collected from asset transfers or from cleaning up the island.
There was a memorial set up for the lives lost in the building of Jurassic Park, as well as from the horrible weekend when Sara and the others had been on the island. Some names she recognized, other's she didn't.
Javier Delacruz
Manuel Perez
Jophry Brown
Dennis Nedry
Robert Muldoon
John "Ray" Arnold
Donald Gennaro
Laura Sorkin
Oscar Morales
Billy Yoder
Daniel Cafaro
Sara reached out, gingerly touching Ray's name. Lost in her thoughts. She vaguely remembered that he smelled of cigarettes, and that he'd had a daughter. She wondered if they knew…
"Did you know him?" Masrani's voice shocked her out of her memories.
"Only briefly." Sara answered. "He…gave me the push I needed when I wanted to give up." She remembered when Ellie had told her that Ray had stayed behind to help bring the park back online. That he'd died trying to do the right thing. She'd cried for hours.
She looked at Donald's name. Even though there was nothing but animosity between them, it still wasn't right that he'd died. It had taken her a long time to get over her anger towards him at abandoning her and the kids in the jeep. He'd just wanted to survive, and he thought that by running he might've been able to go home and see his wife and daughter.
The only name on the list that didn't pull at her heart strings was Dennis Nedry. She'd found out later, during the month or so that they were stuck in Costa Rica, that Nedry had been the reason the park's power had gone out. His body had been recovered by the U.N. and Costa Rican government, and they discovered he'd turned the power off in order to steal dinosaur embryos. John had nearly had a fit. People had died all so Nedry could make off with some dinosaur embryos! And John was convinced his greatest competitor, Biosyn, had been behind it. They could never prove anything, but John was convinced until the day he died that Biosyn had been behind it all. She was glad he was dead, and furious that his greed had cost so many lives.
She pulled her hand back. "I wish I knew the others." She thought with a frown. Part of her wished they'd included Eddie or Ajay, even Cooper, Nash, or Udesky. But Masrani wasn't interested in the lives lost in illegal expeditions. He just wanted to show off the original park, and to prove that he'd done what Hammond could not. She turned away and gestured for Masrani to lead on.
Masrani talked about how the original Jurassic Park pieces that hadn't been included in the asset transfer were smuggled and sold off to collectors.
"Aside from your photos, the single most important part of our history is already here." He casually strolled through the darkened exhibit. "The theater is my favorite part." Masrani added, looking over his shoulder as they walked by the small, enclosed box. It was a tiny theater, probably only seating twenty or so people, and open at both ends by the projected screen.
Jurassic Theater dedicated by Steven Webb
Sara froze, looking at the embossed name of her father. "My…my dad donated to Jurassic World?" It was…humorous…and disgusting.
Masrani nodded, "it took some convincing, too." He answered, "you and your father," he shook his head with a laugh, "so protective of your work."
Sara began to shake her head, "What could my father have possibly donated?" She asked. "What the hell is he talking about, 'work'?" She thought with a scowl.
Masrani's smile fell slightly, "you don't know?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. Sara didn't answer. Masrani stepped closer to her, standing nearly shoulder to shoulder, "Your father worked on Isla Sorna."
The whole world seemed to shatter for a moment. The cracks in the carefully laid foundation that separated Steven Webb from Sara Webb in her mind widened suddenly and her vision began to swim. She felt hot and angry and desperate all at once.
"No." She said sharply, stepping back and shaking her head, "No, because my father hated John Hammond." She seethed between her teeth. "He hated Disney, he hated Hammond, he hated all of those big shots," she'd started raising her voice, "who thought the world would bend to them and everything would always have a happy ending! The world isn't made out of fairytales!" Her father used to say that to her all the time. "It's made out of tragedy and perseverance. Well, guess what?!" Masrani was silent, watching Sara with wide eyes. "My father." She was quiet now, "would've never worked for John Hammond."
Masrani frowned. An odd thing to see on his usually perky and optimistic face. "You really didn't know, did you?" He asked. "How could you not?"
He motioned for Sara to step into the theater. She did so cautiously, almost afraid that her father would actually be there. He wasn't, and Masrani turned on the old-school projector at the back of the small theater. Her heart was pumping so rapidly in her chest she was afraid it would shatter her into a million pieces.
"This is day one at," Her father's voice came over the speakers in the room. Sara slowly turned around to face the opposite wall as the projector illuminated it with the image of two old men sitting in lounge chairs. "What's this island called again?"
"Isla Sorna." John Hammond's voice was just as Sara had remembered it. It was almost comforting to hear after all these years. She felt like a kid again.
John was seated next to another old man, who looked nearly identical to John if John had been stretched thin and tall. Both had white hair and were balding, and they held identical bamboo canes with smooth oval pieces of amber on their tops.
"Day one on Isla Sorna." Her father repeated from behind the camera. "So, I'm thinking for this first day, we just talk about who you gentlemen are, introduce some key players, and we'll finish off with what you're trying to do here."
A new voice came on as the video muted while John spoke. It was feminine, light, and spoke as if she was presenting the news.
"Steven Webb, famed director of movies like Indiana Jones, Jaws, and E.T., was asked by Jurassic Park co-founders John Hammond and Benjamin Lockwood to document the progress of their dinosaur discoveries as well as the lives of the people who worked behind the scenes to make everything you see today possible."
The video's audio resumed and the second man, Benjamin Lockwood introduced himself. "And I am Benjamin Lockwood. I've known John for," and the two men shared a look, then laughed, "for far too long." Lockwood smiled. "But we have always shared the same idea. Really," he turned to John, "I think it was our daughters who wanted to see it be done more than ourselves." And they shared another laugh as John nodded in agreement.
The clip cut and Sara heard her father's voice again. "So, who are some key players we can expect to meet and check-in with?"
"Wu." Lockwood nodded, answering immediately.
"Absolutely," John agreed. "Really spectacular work from Wu. Top mind from Oklahoma State."
"Prodigy, really." Lockwood corrected.
"Oh, what about your daughter?" John asked. The two were naturals in front of the camera. They didn't overreact to anything; they weren't eyeing the camera at all times. Instead, they seemed to be looking at each other or at Steven behind the camera. Like her father had set the camera down without them knowing and began talking. "Charlotte?" John questioned, "She'd be a real treat."
"Indeed." Lockwood nodded, "Charlotte might be younger than most of the staff here, but she's just as brilliant as any of them."
"Oh, Steven, you really should've brought your wife and daughter." John smiled, "Cassidy and Sara would've loved it here." Sara scoffed and shook her head. Her mother hated reptiles, amphibians, birds—really, she hated any animal that wasn't typically considered cute. Her mother would've hated Jurassic Park.
"I," Steven didn't sound thrilled at the idea, "I don't know, John. Sara's pretty young."
"Oh, bollocks." Lockwood smiled, "Children love dinosaurs." And he adjusted himself in his seat, "what's her favorite dinosaur, do you know?" He asked excitedly. He'd crossed one leg over the other and was resting his hands on his upper knee.
Sara scoffed again. "No, he doesn't know." She thought bitterly. Judging by the date on the video, Sara would've been ten years old, turning eleven soon. Her mom had made her throw away any and all kids toys that she deemed "unfit" for a young lady. Dinosaurs included. She'd told herself she wasn't a dinosaur kid, that all the fantasies and dreams she'd had of dinosaurs were just that. Fantasies and dreams. She was barely a teenager when her parents began to instill a sense of practicality and no-nonsense work ethic in her. There was no way her father knew what her favorite dinosaur was.
"Parasaurolophus." Her father's voice was quiet, soft almost. Sara's heart seized in her chest. She forgot how to breathe. Both John and Lockwood were looking at Steven with bright eyes and wide smiles. "She," Steven's voice came out with a chuckle, "She's got this little plastic one. Yellow and green." Sara knew exactly which one he was talking about. "She used to take it everywhere with her."
John pointed and nodded excitedly, "And that is exactly why we're going to make them. So children like Sara can finally see their favorite animals."
"Hell," Lockwood laughed, "We ought to make sure Sara's the first to see them, otherwise she might not forgive you, Steven."
The video audio cut again, and the other voice came back. "The Sara they're referring to is, Sara Webb, one of the original guests of Jurassic Park." The video cut and showed a picture of Sara. It was one her mom had taken of her the day she turned eighteen. Sara remembered it well. It had been a Sunday. Her dad had just left the week before to start filming a new movie, so it was just her and her mom. She hadn't gotten much in the way of gifts. Lots of pointless meaningless things, but it had been the birthday she'd been given her prized camera bag.
"Sara was invited to Isla Nublar by John Hammond in the late summer of nineteen-ninety-three. Along with distinguished guests': paleontologist, Dr. Alan Grant, paleobotanist, Dr. Ellie Sattler, and chaotician, Dr. Ian Malcolm," A picture of each of them from the nineties slowly faded in and out as their names were listed, "the four were joined by John Hammond's grandchildren," a picture of John with a young Lex and Tim came up on the screen, "as well as the now deceased Donald Gennaro."
The video came back on, this time showing a young girl, probably only eighteen years old. She was kneeling beside a holding pen and stroking one the microceratus that was sitting inside.
"Before Jurassic Park," the narrator continued, "There was 'Site B', where the geneticists, scientists, and other workers lived and worked to bring their vision to life."
"Pause the video." Sara's heart got tight in her chest.
"You might want to keep watching." Masrani said, he sounded concerned.
"I know this scene." She said under her breath. She stood directly in front of the video, "Where do I know this scene?"
"Charlotte! What is it, today?" A small Sara asked.
Sara's eyes widened as a much younger version of herself came running into the lab.
"Sara! No running." Henry Wu called from off screen. "Charlotte, really?"
"She's okay." The young woman by the pen said. She brought the young Sara under her arm and held her close, "These are Microceratus." She explained. "Cretaceous."
"Sara Webb visited the island in late nineteen-eighty-six, just a few weeks before her father left the island. While there, Charlotte Lockwood—," Masrani paused the video.
"You don't remember any of it?" Masrani asked gently.
Sara's mind was reeling. Her mind felt like it had been flattened then twisted into knots.
This was impossible!
Purely, simply, plainly, point blank impossible!
Sara had never been to Site B, much less known about its existence prior to John telling her about it in ninety-seven! The year in the video was nineteen-eighty-six!
Sara squeezed her eyes shut and pressed the palms of her hands to her temples, as if she could pop the memories of what she just saw out of her head and forget that she'd ever seen them. But…it was real.
She felt so small and so young again, almost as young and naive as the version of herself in the video. She wanted to scream, to cry, to kick something, to hit something, to do anything that would let out the years of anger and agony that she had carried with her for over two decades!
"It's impossible." Sara wanted to cry; her voice broke. She was eleven in the video. She should've remembered something like that…right?
Then she realized where she'd remembered this scene. It was at the Embryonics Lab on Site B. She was with Alan, Billy, the Kirby's, and Udesky. She knew she knew the place from somewhere! This was it!
"Sara, stop watching that!"
Sara jumped out of her skin. She turned around wide eyed, caught in the act! Her father was standing at the door to his office. He was nearing fifty, and his wavy, shoulder length hair had gone grey before Sara had been born, but there were streaks of darker grey mixed in with the lighter silver. He was currently sporting a pretty full beard and mustache, and his eyes were almost hidden behind his dark yellow glasses.
"I—I didn't mean to—," Sara wasn't quite sure where this sentence was going. She'd clearly meant to be doing what she was doing. She was in her father's office (not allowed), watching his unedited tapes (not allowed), and sitting less than a foot away from the buzzing TV screen (not allowed).
But Steven didn't seem to care so much about that first and last point. He stormed into the room, his footsteps heavy and vibrating the floor. He reached around Sara, hit the power button on the TV while simultaneously pulling Sara away from the screen.
"How much did you see?" Steven asked, a strange desperation in his voice as he turned and roughly grabbed her shoulders.
"I—I—," She was still in shock from getting caught, and a lie or excuse just wasn't coming quick enough.
"Damn it, Sara, how much did you see?!" Steven shook her, his eyes wide and panicky.
"Not much!" Sara admitted loudly. "I just wanted to see Charlotte and the dinosaurs again—," She missed Charlotte, the girl felt like an older sister she'd always wanted. And the dinosaurs were the greatest scientific breakthrough of the century! Why did her father want to hide them?
"Sara," Steven knelt in front of his daughter and held a finger up to make a point, "Dinosaurs are not real." He seethed. He was shaking, but Sara couldn't tell if it was out of anger or fear. "Dinosaurs went extinct millions of years ago."
"But—," Sara wanted to protest. She'd seen them herself. Her father had video proof that they were real! She looked over his shoulder at the TV, her own scared reflection looked back at her. It had been real…hadn't it? It had seemed so real…they'd been there for a week…it had to have been real.
"No!" Her father roared and he gave Sara another rough shake. Her wide eyes immediately returned to look at him. "No." He repeated, softer. "No. Sara. Dinosaurs. Aren't. Real. Repeat after me." He looked at her expectantly over his glasses, his hazel eyes scanning her face for any kind of defiance. When she didn't protest, he said, "Dinosaurs."
"D—dinosaurs." Sara's voice was quiet. She'd never been more scared in her life.
"Aren't." Steven said, sounding slightly disturbed.
"A—aren't." Sara repeated, she swallowed the painful lump that had formed in her throat.
"Real." Steven said.
"Real." Sara finished quietly, "Dinosaurs aren't real." She said, knowing that he'd want her to say it all together.
He nodded slowly, content for now. "Whatever you just saw," Steven said, "Was not real." Sara began to nod slowly in agreement, even if she wasn't fully convinced. "Movie magic." He finally said as if the idea just occurred to him. "Movie magic." He repeated. He nodded and stood up straight. Sara watched as he walked away, but he stopped at the door and looked back at her, "And get out of my office, Dad has work to do." Sara nodded and scrambled for the door, ducking by her father as she squeezed past him. She didn't stop running until she reached the end of the hallway, and it wasn't until she was around the corner that she stopped to look back.
Steven Webb, the strongest, bravest, most wonderful man Sara knew, was weeping into his hands.
She never saw the tape again.
"Impossible." Sara kept repeating to herself, "impossible…" Her knees felt like jello, and she collapsed back onto one of the benches. "How? Why?" Sara wanted to ask, but she didn't. The one person who had all the answers hadn't spoken to her in over twenty-two years. She looked up at Masrani, "How did you know?" She asked.
"Javier Delacruz and Manuel Perez." Masrani explained, "two men who worked for Mr. Hammond and Mr. Lockwood." Sara glared at him. "Mr. Perez was killed by a Velociraptor in January, nineteen-eighty-six. InGen covered it up to keep your father on the island. Then, when you came," Masrani said, raising his eyebrows and pointing to her with his clasped hands, "Mr. Delacruz was killed by a Dilophosaurus." Sara couldn't breathe. "Your father witnessed it. He was scared something might happen to you, so he pulled out of the deal." Masrani took a breath, "It was all included in the InGen files." When Sara didn't immediately respond he asked, "You…really didn't know?"
Sara buried her head in her hands. There was a sharp pain that ran along her hairline, a migraine. "I have to go." She said quietly.
"I'm sorry?" Masrani hadn't heard her.
"I have to go." Sara shook her head and stood up, "I," She began to walk out of the exhibit, she could hear Masrani on her heels, "I can't...I can't..." She didn't know what exactly she meant, but she knew she had to get out of there. Her hands were shaking, and her insides felt like they'd been dipped in an ice bath. She increased her pace, clutching the photo album close to her chest like a lifeline.
"Sara?" Masrani called after her, "Sara!"
I've had this chapter ready for about a week, but things happened in my life that kind of put a pause on me wanting to write and upload and do really anything.
I also heavily debated on whether to add in the memory of Sara and her dad or not, I thought it kinda ruined Sara's history with the park, but it also explained why her dad was so mad with her for going to the park and how much he wanted to distance himself from the tragedies that happened. Also, kinda shows how much of a dick he is and why Sara's never bothered to reach back out to him after all this time.