“Oh my darling, it’s been simply exquisite.” Fluttershy could picture the enormous grin Rarity would be wearing. “Paris is beautiful! You must come and visit me, we can go to the spas – I really have missed our spa trips – and I can show you the sights... Oh yes!” There was a pause; Fluttershy heard Rarity sigh. “So, when are you free to come by?”
“Oh, I can’t yet,” Fluttershy replied. “I’m only in America for a week or two. Sarah and I are heading back to Africa then.”
“Of course, I guess I was getting a little caught up in the moment, as it were... Well, whenever you’ve enough time, please do make the journey. It’d be lovely to see you again – come to think of it; it has been a while since the six of us met up. Have you heard from any of the others lately?”
“Apart from Twilight and Rainbow, no. The last I’ve heard, Rainbow was doing well getting her pilot’s license and Twilight was following up on some academic theories. I’m seeing Twilight tonight actually! I’m in a bar waiting for her to arrive. If you like I can ask her to call you?”
“Please do,” Rarity chimed. “It’d be great to hear from her again. Anyway I must go; I’m off for a few drinks with a charming young fashion designer. All the best to Twilight from me!”
The line went dead and Fluttershy put her phone away in her saddlebag, but not after giving the small device a strange look. She’d visited Earth a number of times before this trip and she’d grown more accustomed to human technology each and every time – that didn’t make it any less odd, though. She had grown up in a land of mailmares and magical parchment letters, not one of electricity and satellite communication. Still, Earth never failed to amaze her. In many ways the two worlds differed completely; Earth’s reliance on technology and oil stood in stark contrast to the slower pace of life in Equestria. Despite this, humans and ponies were slowly getting accustomed to one another. Slowly, but surely.
Fluttershy smiled to herself. This visit to Earth was definitely looking to be the longest time away from home; she’d already been away for close to six months and hadn’t yet visited Equestria in the meantime. In any other situation she’d have visited every weekend, to ensure Angel and all her other charges hadn’t lost their way without her but she was so wrapped up in her work on Earth that she hardly had the time. But she didn’t mind too much, particularly as she’d arranged for her parents – themselves keen animal enthusiasts – to take up her duties whilst away.
Before meeting Sarah Harding, Fluttershy didn’t know quite what to expect. She was aware of Harding’s prestigious position in animal behaviour research and indeed Harding’s reputation preceded her – but after working together for a week or two, Fluttershy knew she was lucky to be paired up with her. Harding was a woman with many of the qualities of her best friends; she was daring and confident like Rainbow Dash, articulate and well-versed like Twilight, straight-talking like Applejack. To top it all off, she loved animals. Fluttershy felt like her research mission to Earth was going brilliantly – and that she’d found a new friend in Harding.
And now she found herself sitting in a small bar in Santa Fe with a cocktail, waiting to meet with Twilight. She’d had worse plans for an evening.
From her table in the corner, Fluttershy had a commanding view of the bar. It was a small, fairly dark place, its main feature being the snooker table in the centre. There were a few stools at the bar, each of them occupied by various different people. The numerous tables here and there were fairly empty, save for the one she occupied, two in the far corner surrounded by a big group of friends playing some drinking game or another, and a smaller table not too far from hers playing host to three men talking in reasonably hushed tones, each of them enjoying a beer.
She heard the bell above the door jingle and looked up; Twilight had stepped in. Fluttershy watched as she took a moment to quickly look around, a smile overtaking her features as the two made eye contact.
Twilight trotted over as Fluttershy stood to greet her. “Hello,” was all she could say as two embraced. It was then, and only then, that Twilight came to realise just how long it had been since she’d connected with her nearest and dearest.
“It’s so good to see you,” Fluttershy responded as the pair sat down. “How have you been? Are you keeping well?”
“Very much so,” Twilight beamed. “And the research is going fantastically. We’ve made some major discoveries in the past few hours, the likes of which I wouldn’t have even been able to comprehend if you’d told them to me a few months ago!” Twilight let out a loose chuckle. “I, uhh... I’m not sure it’s the sorta thing we can talk about so openly here.”
“Oh, that’s fine, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Fluttershy took a sip from her cocktail. “I’m just glad to hear it’s going well for you.”
“No, I’d quite like your opinion on it actually. I think you’d be able to offer some very good advice on the matter. But we can come back to it in a little while – tell me about Africa! – oh, let me get a drink first. What are you drinking?”
“Sarah introduced me to Mojitos when we were away. They’re really quite refreshing.”
“Then I’ll be back in just a moment,” Twilight said with a smile.
****
“Listen,” Malcolm seethed. “I have no desire whatsoever to join you on your ‘grand day out’ to Isla Sorna. None.”
“But what of your promise two weeks ago? You said you would be a part of the team, on the proviso that another aberrant form showed up. It did, and since then I’ve pinpointed Site B.” Levine spat back as he paced around Malcolm’s office. “You ought to keep your end of the bargain. Besides, this expedition could prove to be groundbreaking in almost all academic and non-academic fields—”
“No!” Malcolm had raised his voice; he was on the verge of cracking. “You don’t understand me. What you will find on that island is, in plain terms, monsters. They aren’t even dinosaurs in the truest form. They are recreations, clones, whatever. They are not real.”
There was a tense, brief silence as the two men stared one another down; Harding sat quietly in the corner. She remained silent, observing the dispute.
“Irrespective of the philosophy surrounding these creatures,” Levine started, “they could still prove invaluable in scientific and academic circles.”
“Richard, listen to me. I have seen these things first-hand and they are nothing like any depiction of them will ever make them out to be. Nothing. They are awe-inspiring, this much is true, but they are more dangerous than you could ever hope to imagine.” Malcolm steadied himself, fighting the light-headedness creeping up on him. “I was right about Hammond’s park. Chaos theory dictated it was doomed before it even began, and chaos theory was proven correct yet again. Your flight of fancy will be no different. I can’t do it. I can’t join your mission to Isla Sorna. And even if I could, I wouldn’t.”
“...Suit yourself,” Levine finished abruptly after an awkwardly long silence. “I cannot convert the blind. So be it. Well thank you for your time, Doctor Malcolm. I was almost certain—”
“Hey, Richard. I’ll come with you.”
Both men turned to look at Harding who had entered herself into the conversation.
“Are – are you mad?! Sarah, you can’t go!”
“For one, Ian, yes I can. And secondly, I can make my own decisions.” She smirked as she stood, making her way towards Malcolm. She grabbed his arm. “This sounds genuinely exciting. And you should know that I of all people know the dangers all too well – who was it who stayed with you when you were in the infirmary?”
Malcolm remained silent.
“I’ll be fine and I’ll be careful. I just spent a solid month in Africa studying one of the most dangerous carnivores in the world and I’m still here. So is Flutters, and she’d be the first to tell you we had some... close calls.”
“But none of that matters!” Malcolm exploded in a fit of newfound panic. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve been able to handle so far. There is nothing that can prepare you for what lives on that island. Nothing you or your pony friend will be able to do. I can’t allow you to go, Sarah... Not after knowing what they can, and will do. What they did do.”
Harding sighed softly, stroking his arm. “You know I love you very much. But you need to trust me on this one. Chaos theory or otherwise, believe in me.”
Malcolm released a sigh, slowly shaking his head and sinking into his chair. “There’s nothing I can do to convince you otherwise.” It wasn’t a question; he already knew she had made up her mind.
She planted a small kiss on his forehead. “Thank you for understanding – or, at least, trying to understand...” She smirked, turning to Levine. “So what’s the plan – when are we leaving?”
****
“...and then Sarah yelled ‘get to the jeep!’ and I’ve never run quite so quickly in my life and once we reached the jeep I couldn’t open the doors, so I stood there panicking until she reached it too and we jumped in and the driver was going at full pelt and—” Fluttershy paused, taking a deep breath – “...oh my. I think I’m beginning to understand what it’s like to be Pinkie Pie,” she giggled. Twilight smiled widely.
The cocktails had gone to the ponies’ heads somewhat. Normally ones to drink in moderation, the pair tonight rode their high spirits and enjoyed drink after drink in each other’s company. So far as they were concerned, they were having a great time.
“So why didn’t you just stare the rhinoceros into stopping? I know you could have done it... I mean, c’mon, Fluttershy. You – you’ve put a dragon in his place. And stared down a Cockatrice. And the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And nopony can just do that!” Twilight made wide gestures with her forehooves.
Fluttershy giggled. “No, I suppose not!” She paused to finish her cocktail. “It’s so great to catch up. I’ve missed spending time with you and the others. So much.”
An enormous smile adorned Twilight’s features. “And the very same to you, Fluttershy.” She allowed a moment. “Did you want another drink? I think I’m gonna get one.”
“Please,” Fluttershy called out as Twilight stood.
The bar had filled up somewhat since she’d arrived and now Twilight found herself having to work through throngs of people. Occasionally she’d pick up on various conversations, still slightly fascinated by it all: most of what she heard was just people chatting about their social lives, or moaning about their boss, or talking over the latest social trends. It surprised her every time she overheard human conversations – they were really very similar to that of her own kind. The similarities between the two species never ceased to amaze her.
As she approached the bar, she picked up on some men chatting, their conversation instantly grabbing her interest for all the wrong reasons.
Did they say...? No, can’t have been...
Keeping a low profile, she took a few steadying breaths and tuned in.
“...It’s fiiine. We’ll call Rod and see if he can get a boat for us. He knows people.”
“It’s not fiiine, Lewis. We should have had this sorted in advance.”
“Don’t fuck with me Howard! We didn’t know we’d be leaving tomorrow morning. We didn’t know when we’d be leaving. But now we do, and in order to beat the oh-so-esteemed Doctor Levine to Isla Sorna we need to leave tomorrow.”
“He’s not leaving for three days—”
“Like that matters! If we leave tomorrow we could be back home by the time he thinks about heading out!...”
Twilight felt her cheeks flush and her heart go into overdrive.
“...I want my dinosaurs, Howard. And I want them as easily as we can get them.”
Her eyes went wide and she nearly flew into a fit of panic, her chest tightening up. They knew. She had to leave here, she had to get in contact with Levine and let him know. She had to do something—
“What can I get for you ma’am?”
She blinked as she came out of her funk. She was at the bar, the barman looking at her. “Uhh – I – It’s okay actually,” she said quickly, her gaze darting around the bar.
“If you’re sure,” came the barman’s voice but Twilight wasn’t listening to him – she was desperately trying to find the men. Horseapples, she uttered under her breath, unable to tune in over the bar’s commotion. Immediately she turned back and pushed through the crowds and back to her table.
Fluttershy was wearing a smile as Twilight returned but it quickly turned into a frown. Something wasn’t right. She’d seen Twilight look like that before, and it was normally quite bad news.
“Is everything okay? You look—”
“There are people here who know,” Twilight interrupted. “They know about the island, and they shouldn’t know. Nopony should know.”
“The island? Twilight, I’m sorry but I’m not sure what you’re talking about—”
“Fluttershy, this is important!... O-okay. We need to get out of here so I can tell you what’s going on, and then we need to follow them, and find out what they know, and—”
Fluttershy had moved around the table, a forehoof stroking Twilight’s arm. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “We can go outside and find somewhere to sit down, and you can tell me everything. Calm down, dear.”
“...This is why I love all of you girls,” Twilight sighed. Even in the worst of situations, the six of them always did rally together and work as one. Quite deserving of the Elements of Harmony, Twilight thought to herself. “Okay, let’s head outside for a bit. I want to stay where we can see the entrance though, in case the three men leave.”
As inconspicuously as two tipsy ponies could leave a bar running at capacity, the pair slipped outside and sat themselves across the street. They hid slightly under the shadow of a tree, Twilight steadying herself.
“Are you sure you want to tell me? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“...Yes,” was Twilight’s answer. She took a deep breath. “Okay. I was at a lecture two weeks ago and the speaker was Doctor Ian Malcolm. He was interrupted by this other man – Richard Levine – who said it was possible that a Lost World could exist here on Earth—”
“Twilight!” Fluttershy yelped, her eyes widening. “The L-Lost World? Dinosaurs?”
“...How do you know about the Lost World?”
“I was with Sarah and Ian earlier and Ian said that there was a place where dinosaurs still existed... And that he’d seen them... Oh!” Fluttershy hid behind her mane, a panic rising. She had seen how a man as strong as Ian Malcolm was reduced to a nervous wreck, just by the very memory of dinosaurs. And that in itself frightened her.
“I agreed to go with Levine, to find the dinosaurs,” Twilight blurted out.
“Twilight!! You-I-You can’t be serious?!”
“I agreed a long time ago, back when I first met them both at the lecture. Richard and I chatted a lot about it, and we worked out where the Lost World is. He’s got a whole expedition heading there, with armoured trucks, scientists and vets... It’ll be okay. We’ve faced worse back in Equestria and come through!”
Silence.
“...I hope you’re right, but – will it be okay?”
There was a long pause as Fluttershy’s question rang out in Twilight’s head.
She’s right... Even Princess Celestia asked I take care. And now I’m trusting a relative stranger with my life...
“Look,” Fluttershy whispered, a hoof pointed at the bar.
Across the street, three men were leaving.
“That’s them.” Twilight was wide-eyed. “I’m sure of it.”
“What do we do?”
“We have to follow them. We can’t let them just get away – we need to find out exactly what they’re up to... And once we know, I’ll call Richard.”
“...leave the car, we’ll get a ticket,” came a voice from across the street. “C’mon guys, it’s not a long walk anyway.”
Twilight turned to Fluttershy. “I am so sorry for getting you involved in this.”
“No,” came a firm response. “I want to help you, Twilight. That’s what friends do.” Fluttershy offered a warm smile, itself returned in kind.
“Thank you. That means a lot... Now let’s follow them. Come on,” Twilight said as she stood up, a newfound resolve setting in. She and Fluttershy trotted off in the direction of the three men.
****
“Three days? You leave in three days? Are you both out of your sane minds?!”
“Ian, please, stop shouting—”
“I am not shouting! You would – you would both know if I was shouting.” Malcolm gestured widely before letting out a deep sigh, his shoulders drooping. “Look, Sarah, I... I know you can look after yourself. I really do. But this is unlike anything you will ever do. You saw me in that hospital in Costa Rica... Well I suppose none of that matters now, as I know you’re already set on going. But – three days? Is that really enough time to prepare for this crazy expedition?”
“Oh I wouldn’t worry about that,” Levine answered with a nonchalant wave of the hand. “Preparations have been underway for months. I have commissioned a mobile laboratory and an SUV to be built and modified at a workshop in San Jose; an old colleague of mine and his team are working on them. They’re as dino-proof as you could hope for. Thick carbon fibre plating, all exterior surfaces electrified as a last-resort, various tranquiliser weapons, winches, a portable ‘high-hide’... The list goes on. Oh, not to mention satellite communication in both mobile and non-mobile form! The vehicles themselves are very nearly ready and the satellite phones are good to go. So tell me, Doctor Malcolm, are you still worried about our safety?”
“Yes,” he answered in an instant. “You might recall my authority with regards to chaos theory. Life is almost completely unpredictable: life finds a way. These – these ‘dinosaurs’, mingling in the modern world with human beings? A recipe for disaster. Genetic monsters in the complex system that is the modern world? It spells doom. You could have made the most water-tight plans and they will still fail. Look at Jurassic Park itself. Does the Isla Nublar incident not teach you anything?”
“Ah, but I have one secret weapon with me on this expedition.” Levine grinned. “She goes by the name of Twilight Sparkle.”
Harding started. “What?! You’re taking Twilight to the island? How is that wise?”
“Now, Sarah, it’s fine. We’ve chatted at great length about it all and she herself is keen to join me. I believe her great intellect will serve us well once we’re out there.”
“You – you do know who she is, don’t you?” Malcolm’s tone had dropped; he spoke derisively, slowly. “She is the personal protégé of Equestria’s own monarch and sun-Goddess, as well as a member of their ‘Elements of Harmony’...”
“Yes, I was aware of her status and importance in Equestrian society—”
“—And that if anything happened to her whilst on your adventure, you would be personally responsible. You and you alone. Just think about that for a moment.”
“...Well none of that matters. She opted to join me. I am not forcibly taking her.” Levine remained stout.
“Of course it matters, you fool! It—”
A ringing blared out putting an abrupt end to the heated argument. Levine reached into his pocket, pulling out his mobile. He checked the caller ID. “It’s... Twilight,” he said aloud before answering. He put the phone on loudspeaker. “Yes, Twilight? Hello?”
“Richard, there’s a big problem,” came Twilight’s panicked whisper. “Fluttershy and I went out for a drink, and I overheard three men – they know about Isla Sorna—”
“What?! How? Who are they?”
“Shh,” Twilight hissed. “We’ve followed them back to their apartment – we’re just outside the door – They’re planning to mount their own mission tomorrow at dawn...”
The line went silent.
“Twilight?”
“Hang on, I’m listening in...Apparently the helicopter pilot who flew you around in Costa Rica worked for these men as a spy... oh, Celestia... They rigged your apartment with microphones—”
“Who are they? You must find out! I’ll have them arrested for trespassing! Where are you!?”
“Richard, for Christ’s sake! Keep it down or you’ll rumble them,” Harding called to him.
“We’re pretty central in Santa Fe, not too far from Cathedral Park... Sounds like they’re leaving for the island tomorrow morning – Oh, wait – oh, no. No—”
“Twilight?!”
From the phone came the sound of a door opening and some muffled yells.
“Fluttershy run!—”
“Twilight! Twilight!”
The atmosphere in Malcolm’s office dropped in an instant. The tension was palpable. The trio listened in as they heard the sounds of an obvious engagement; there were cries from both parties, scuffling and movement. A voice yelled “grab them!” and the two ponies screamed.
Then there was a dull thud quickly followed by a man crying out before erupting into a coughing fit. Another voice cursed loudly, howling “bring them with us!” and in between the scuffling, the screams and the yells, Twilight could be heard shouting “just get to the island!” before a final yell.
With that, the line cut out.
Almost before anyone had time to process what they’d just heard Harding had leapt to her feet. “Okay. We have to leave, now. Richard, call your man making your trucks and tell him they need to go to the island straight away. We need to get down to Costa Rica. Come on!”
Hastily, Levine fumbled with his mobile, the colour having completely drained from his face. All the while, Malcolm took in the scene: Harding was gathering her things, Levine was panicking and repeating “oh God” to himself quietly.
Malcolm grinned, his features displaying a smug arrogance.
“Didn’t I tell you, Richard?”
“Shut up, Ian. Now come on, we need to go pack.”
“Oh no. No no no. Sarah, I’ve already made it quite clear that I shan’t be coming—”
“Yes. You are. Two very important representatives of Equestria are in danger and you’re going to sit in your office and do nothing? Ian, you’re better than this. I know you are – hell, you know you are. I get that you’ve dealt with dinosaurs before, but this is above that now. We need to rescue Twilight and Fluttershy. Now get up!”
After a brief pause, Malcolm begrudgingly stood. He remained silent as he walked purposefully toward Levine, stopping inches from his face. “If anything goes wrong – anything – I will make you regret ever getting involved. If anything happens to Miss Harding... Just make your damn phone call.” With a snort Malcolm shook his head, moving away from the flustered academic and towards his beau. “Sarah...” he cupped her cheek. “Whatever you do, promise me you’ll stay safe.”
“Of course,” she said with a confident smile. “I’ll look after myself, and I’ll keep an eye on you as well.” They shared a kiss. “Richard, any news?”
“Er – yeah, Thorne reckons the vehicles can be on Isla Sorna by 10am tomorrow if they go overnight. That’s the soonest he can get them there. Though, he strongly recommended we don’t do that as the oceans are rough...”
“To hell with that,” Harding barked. Levine was quite astounded by how quickly she switched from lover to leader. “We need those trucks there as soon as we can.”
“I –I said something similar,” he replied quickly.
“Good. Now, you know people. Make another call and get us on a plane to Costa Rica within the hour.”
Levine did not need telling twice.
Taking a moment to let the adrenaline level out, Harding turned back to Ian. “I’ll need you with me for this,” she said. “If it was just the expedition I wouldn’t have expected you to come, but now it’s much more than that... We’re on a rescue mission and we’ll need all the help we can get. I’ll need the help.”
“I understand. And I’ll – I’ll need you with me as well... I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this.” He was flustered.
“Okay,” Levine called out. “We’re on a private jet in ninety minutes.”
Harding nodded. “Good. We’ll meet at the airport in an hour – get packing. See you there, Richard.” She watched Levine make his way briskly from the office with a diligent nod. He closed the door.
“What a moron,” Malcolm spat, a poisonous combination of fear and rage oozing from within. “This is what happens when you drag very important ponies into your crackpot plans.”
“No time for insults, Ian. We’d better get our own gear together.”
The pair left the office and made their way to Malcolm’s flat, a short drive from the Institute. They wasted no time in packing and within half an hour they were on the road to the airport.
Twenty minutes’ driving time later and the couple arrived at Santa Fe Municipal Airport. It was a fairly small affair and, coupled with the fact that it was late evening, the pair were able to quickly meet with Levine and make their way through the terminal building. Levine seemed just as restless as earlier, though for a different reason – inevitably, Malcolm thought, due to the prospect of his expedition turning from fantasy into reality.
The trio reached the private aviation ramp, a steward leading them to their aircraft.
“One final check before we go,” Harding called to the two men. “Sure we have everything?”
Levine lit up. “I have all my information with me. Documents, maps, phone... I’m set.”
“Right,” she concluded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
They made their way towards the private jet, Levine all the while trying to engage in conversation with Malcolm. He rebuffed Levine’s advances. For all Malcolm cared, Levine could go to hell right now – two Equestrians, themselves important figures in their society, had been kidnapped and were put in danger. In a roundabout way, Levine was to blame. It was all Malcolm could think as he boarded the plane. Not normally one to eschew logic in favour of hope, he found himself hoping they found the two ponies and quickly – otherwise, he’d have been dragged into Levine’s mess of a situation for nothing.
Not to mention the fact he’d be risking his life at the jaws of InGen’s abominations yet again.
****
The flight to San Jose had been completely uneventful. Chatter remained minimal. Wisely, Harding had managed to get some sleep whilst Malcolm sat in silence for the entire flight. He cursed himself for not having brought a book, or something, anything, to alleviate the boredom.
He could of course try and make conversation with Levine, but the man annoyed him far too much. Most attempts at casual chat ended up in argument of sorts, but Malcolm couldn’t avoid it. He found Levine to be far too stubborn to listen to any academic – come to think of it, rational – methods of thinking. Once Levine had an idea, he would fully commit to it, irrespective of whether he was correct or not.
Inviting Twilight Sparkle along to Isla Sorna, for instance.
Malcolm was taken aback by Levine’s brash stupidity. Everyone was aware of Twilight’s status. She was important to Equestria in every sense, and yet Levine still wanted her to join him on his barmy adventure. He couldn’t believe it. Why put such an important figure in such obvious danger?
Despite this, Malcolm had to tip his hat to Levine. He was an incredibly smart man, for all his shortcomings. There was a reason he was renowned as being a leading palaeobiologist – not to mention he’d been able to deduce the location of InGen’s Site B with hardly anything to go by.
Malcolm sighed. Such was his main issue with Levine: a man as intelligent as him could be incredibly short-sighted at the same time.
The remainder of the flight was quiet. Levine had caught up on some sleep and upon touchdown, the three of them quickly transferred to a remarkably small, empty train headed for Puntarenas. It was just after midnight as they boarded the train and all three of them were exhausted. Neither Malcolm nor Harding knew where Puntarenas was. Apparently, it wasn’t on any maps. There were no questions asked, however – Levine was following detailed instructions from his crew and he could trust their guidance. For better or worse, Malcolm and Harding had to trust the man and his team.
****
It was approaching two in the morning when the train finally pulled into a small, jungle-enclosed stop. Unlike his colleagues Levine had not slept on this journey, a concoction of humid air and boyish excitement keeping him awake. As the train whined to a halt, he stood. “We’re here,” he announced loudly. The others began to stir from their restless sleep as Levine continued. “My team will be at the dock,” he said as he stepped onto the platform.
Both Harding and Malcolm were quick to follow him and immediately they were struck by their surroundings. What had clearly once been a little town in development just sat there, in the middle of the jungle, completely abandoned. Nature had reclaimed the buildings and the infrastructure. The only sign of life were the floodlights leading from the station and down a hill, towards the sea. Truly, the entire settlement was bathed in an eerie atmosphere.
“This is certainly a quiet part of the world,” Malcolm observed. “Does – does anyone still live here at all?”
“No, nobody is here anymore. Used to be a well-populated fishing village, so far as I understand. But rumour goes that it came under the empire of InGen sometime in the 80s, with the intention of transforming it into the main ferry link to Jurassic Park. Apparently they relocated every citizen and began to completely redevelop – all of these buildings you see were InGen-built. When they went bust in ‘93, the place was left to rot... not a soul left today. Aside from us... And them, of course.” Levine gestured westwards, Harding and Malcolm turning to look. From their position atop the hill, the trail rolled down to the west, towards a surprisingly well-built harbour. It looked to be half-finished before nature had taken its hold.
Tethered in one of the three large ferry bays was Levine’s ferry.
“My crew will be waiting for us there,” Levine announced as he started towards the docks.
“So, tell me. Where exactly do you pick up on all these rumours? You sure seem to know a lot about InGen’s goings-on.”
“I know people, Ian.”
“Of course you do.”
“Come on now, this is no time for trite remarks. I’m a well-respected member of many academic circles—”
“You are no academic,” Malcolm snapped. The heat and exhaustion wore him down, and Levine had pushed him just too far. “Let me tell you what you are. You are an irritating, loathsome—”
“Stop. Enough,” Harding hissed, silencing the squabble. “I for one did not come all the way to Costa Rica and beyond to listen to you two take shots at each other. Okay?”
Nobody said anything, something which Harding found relieving. The constant bickering between the two men, if allowed to continue, would certainly drive her insane.
Soon enough the trio reached the docks. As they approached the main gate they attracted the attention of a well-built, stocky bearded man who made his way over. The closer he got, the more haggard he looked: he was clearly a working man in his early fifties, and it was evident he’d not slept in quite some time.
“Richard, good to see you,” the man said. “Even if it is two in the morning and I should be in bed.”
“Hey, Doc. All in working order?”
“Well, your constant shifting of deadlines didn’t help at all, but we’re good to go. We worked liked dogs but we did it!” He let out a yawn. “Mobile lab will keep you safe, high-hide should keep you even safer. Now, Eddie would rather we field-test it all but if we gotta go then we gotta go. I reckon it’ll perform like a dream anyhow.”
“Exactly. I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Levine said offering a smile. “Oh, let me introduce you to Doctor Ian Malcolm and his young lady, Doctor Sarah Harding. Ian, Sarah: this is ‘Doc’ Jack Thorne, my leading engineer.”
“Good to meet you both,” Doc Thorne said. They shook hands.
“And you,” Harding responded.
“So, Thorne. This mobile lab of yours – from where I’m stood I can see it, and it doesn’t look particularly well protected. How thick exactly is the armour plating on that thing?” Malcolm watched Thorne frown as he voiced his concern.
“Uh... probably not as thick as you’d like it, based on that reaction,” he replied curtly as they made their way towards the ferry. “But it doesn’t need to be. It’s predominantly carbon fibre with a multitude of other strong materials thrown in. We developed the composite ourselves. Lightweight and sturdy,” he prided. “It can withstand very impressive forces.”
“Great, all great, but... It doesn’t look dinosaur-proof. This is no trivial matter.”
“It’s as dino-proof as it could be without being grossly overweight. Our specs were that it needed to be super-tough, strong enough to withstand massive forces, but lightweight enough so the damn thing drives. After all, Doctor Malcolm, it’s an RV. It needs to be mobile.” Thorne spoke matter-of-factly. He was evidently a man who spoke his mind.
“But we’ve not tested any of it yet,” came another voice as they boarded the ferry – a new figure had entered the conversation. This man was the complete opposite of Thorne. He was younger, his voice carrying knowledge but insecurity. His eyes darted to and fro, surveying the vehicles.
“Eddie, please... Have faith in the facts—”
“There is nothing like empirical evidence, Jack. I’d feel better if we’d actually tried it.”
“Who- who’s this guy? And why is he making me very uncomfortable about all this?”
“Doctor Malcolm, this is Eddie Carr. Best damn technician I’ve ever worked with, even if he needs to have a little faith in his own creations,” Thorne said.
By now everyone was aboard and checking out the hardware on-deck. Alongside the mobile lab there was an SUV; both vehicles were powered one hundred percent electrically to “reduce noise in the field” as Carr put it whilst giving everyone a brief tour. There were numerous weapons much to the disdain of Harding and Levine, though many of them were tranquiliser rifles.
Behind his frustrated, ill-tempered front, Malcolm was actually impressed. He’d not believed that Levine would think to cover as many bases as he had with the hardware, but it seemed like it was all there. Thorne was a man who clearly knew what he was doing and Levine was wise to employ his services. More to the point – despite apprehension from Eddie Carr – he was beginning to feel like he was in good company.
He still didn’t feel safe. No amount of preparation could make him feel safe. Malcolm was a realist, a man of facts and science. And the facts told him simply this: none of the team before him had ever seen a living dinosaur. They just didn’t have any idea what to expect. They had nothing to gauge their preparations against, and their level of ‘safe’ differed quite a lot from his level of ‘safe’.
Chaos theory did not paint an optimistic picture for this expedition. But it was too late now – he was aboard the ferry and the mission was due to leave any moment now. Against his own will he had committed to this expedition and he would have to see it through. He would have to forego theory and science: there was a job to do, and he had to do it.
At least he had Harding with him this time. In her he found solace and courage –he’d certainly need courage once they arrived at their destination.
“Okay, we’re setting sail,” Levine announced after a brief chat with the skipper. “There’s a cabin up front where we can get some sleep and sit down, so... Make yourselves comfortable, I suppose.”
The ferry let out a blast on its horn and with that, it pulled out into the sea. There was no turning back now.