Jurassic Park: Caustic Amber

I was laying on the couch with Buster curled up into a tight ball between my knees. The TV was on, but I wasn't really watching. I couldn't help looking outside at the stars through my window. I wanted to go outside, I really did, but Buster looked so peaceful just sleeping there. I scratched behind one of his ears.

I looked up at the TV. A stupid commercial for weight loss and a bunch of paid actors posing as real people endorsing it. Those kind of people made sick. All of them. All the phonies. I laughed a bit to myself. I sounded a bit like Holden in The Catcher in the Rye. It was a strange book. I didn't fully understand it.

Just then, there was a hard knock at my door. Buster jumped right up and began barking and snarling like a rabid pack animal at the door.

"Stop it!" I hissed, but I picked up my knife anyway. It was past midnight. Exercising caution was a must. I went to the door and cracked it open. It was Jeremy.

I pulled the door open farther. At Buster's first glimpse he stopped barking and immediately began begging for attention. Buster had really loved Jeremy. He reached down and rubbed Buster's back.

"Hey there, boy!" He said excitedly. I, however, looked on in awe and anger.

"What the Hell are you doing here, Jeremy?" I asked, annoyance obvious in my voice. He stopped petting Buster and stood up.

"I was just wondering, do you still have my Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas book?" I could tell he was just making up some bullsh*t to see me. Who the Hell came to get a book at half-past midnight? But I knew I had it.

"Sure." I shut the door in his face. Buster pawed at the door.

I went and got the book and gave it to Jeremy. "There," I said thrusting it into his hands. "Now go." I started to shut the door again, but he caught it.

"Cassandra, please talk to me." He sounded desperate.

"No." I said pushing harder. The door didn't budge. "Jeremy, you better let me shut this door." My voice was threatening.

"Cassandra just please let me explain. If you would just talk to me-" I slammed the door shut and through it shouted: "No!"

I threw myself onto the couch. Within minutes, I was asleep, with Buster curled up at my feet.

 

August 14th, 1981 *(Two years in the past)*

The jungle was one of my favorite places to be. It was so peaceful, and yet, the most dangerous of places. My superior was with me that afternoon. I wasn't much of an archaeologist yet. Recent years, I had been giving up on trying, because my skills were that of a child's. I had nothing to give to the search team, and I was always in the way. That changed in June, when I saw Indiana Jones, and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. The past two months, I had re-sculpted myself to resemble Dr. Jones himself. Of course, I didn't have any facial hair. It grew in funny, and wouldn't be rugged like his. Furthermore, I didn't know how to use a whip, and didn't have a cool background story like his.

I was just a boy from Helena. I grew up with my older brother, Rocky Jr., and my twin sister, Nicole. When I was seven, Georgy was born, and when I was eleven, Marianna was born. I wasn't as close as I wished to Georgy and Marianna, but I get to see them quiet a bit. Junior was a lot like dad, at which point, we weren't close. Dad was always more aggressive, and sports related, something Rocky and Georgy were, and I was not. Rocky had a tendency to forget his age, and act like fighting, and sports were the only thing that mattered. It often led to me getting punched, even though I am only three years younger than him, and we are both fully grown adults.

Nicole was, and still is, my only close sibling. She recently had just gotten married to a dentist. He was a nice guy, and she was very happy. That was all anyone could ever ask for. Nicole was an accountant. Funny thing is, she was never very good with numbers.

As the jeep bounced over the terrain, I looked out at the plains, noticing movements in the grass. Hunters.

I looked down at my side bag, noticing the whip and other little trite things I was carrying. All looks. While it made me feel somewhat more important, I knew everyone didn't believe me. I wasn't as cool as Dr. Jones.

I was the medic on this exploration. After taking a long sigh, I looked back out at the plains. There was dirt being kicked up about thirty meters away from us. Too close for comfort. From the dirt, I could see hard gray color. Very large.

"Sir!"

My superior looked over, quickly kicking the front seat. Our driver was from Zanzibar, and knew very little English. My superior yelled at him in his language to stop, turn, or do something. I didn't know, but I knew it was rushed. Before he could respond, the horn from a rhinoceros , the jeep being lifted from the ground and thrown in a different direction. I reached for the side of the jeep, but the motion of the vehicle was moving much quicker than I was.

A second rhino struck the middle of the jeep, flipping us. My blood was boiling, my body was freaking, and my mind was scared. Nothing could have prepared me for this. My final moments.

As the jeep turned upside down, right side up, and then over once again, I began to slip from my seat belt. I had noticed that no one else was wearing one, merely by the fact that they were free-falling around the jeep as it turned.

A third rhino, or maybe the second one once more, struck the underside of the jeep, forcing us off course once again in awkward turns and rolls. My seatbelt finally gave way, my body falling to the bars of the jeep. I balled myself, making sure to leave no limbs on the outside of the jeep while it was rolling. It was effective, but also much more painful.

The jeep finally rolled to a stop on its side, the car whining and the engine roaring as the wheels continued to spin. The driver was still in his seat, dead, with the weight of his boat pushing down on the pedal.

I opened my eyes, blood surrounding me. I coughed, barely able to open my eyes. By my side, I could hear my superior coughing and moaning in pain. I forced myself to crawl from the jeep. My bag was surprisingly still intact and with me. I was expecting it to be thrown from the vehicle.

"Ryan."

I looked over, seeing my superior moaning again, and pointing. I looked out, noticing the things that had disturbed the rhinos.

Hyenas.

There were only three of them, but they were chuckling their sinister laugh. I cringed. I looked past them, noticing dust flying in the distance. The second jeep. I just had to stall them. As the alpha lead the way towards my superior and me. I reached slowly for my bag, knowing I had a pistol and my bull whip inside.

One began to growl. They weren't like other hunters. They were savage, wasting no time. The three rushed, pouncing at us at once. I wasn't as quick as I wished I was. I flipped through the bag and grabbed the whip, the closest thing I could grab.

As I went to pull back, I was bit in the shoulder by the dog. The teeth tore through my jacket with ease, my skin and muscle now in it's mouth. My screams were nothing to it. I punched the dog in the eye, his mouth tightening before releasing me. I whipped my hand backwards, the end of the whip striking a smaller dog before flipping back and striking me across the cheek. Crap.

I pulled myself from under the vehicle enough to maneuver a little bit easier. I whipped once again, hitting the medium dog, but the alpha knew his intentions. It leap on me, bitting at my shoulder once more. I yelled again, hitting it behind the head several times before it released me once more. The smaller dog was rushing my superior, chewing on his shoulder now as well.

The medium dog finally recouped from my strike and was in pursuit once again. I screamed as it bit into my thigh. It scared this one, his movements fast as he jumped away before rushing once again. I met his muzzle with my fist, the dog yelping before running back, reassessing the situation.

The alpha however, knew his target. I whipped the whip once again, striking it in the face. It yelped, running back.

I looked out, noticing the jeep was closer. It was wailing on the horn. I smiled, the dogs looking back before rushing off into the grass.

I turned and looked at my superior. He was still moaning. He would live. The other three that had been in the jeep were dead, but we would survive. I waved at the jeep before falling into the grass, laying my head down.

It was so soft.

 

Name: Marikou Hasegawa
Notable Aliases: Miko (in english, Maiden)
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Makati, Philippines
Hometown: Shibuya, Japan
Race: Asian
Language: English, Tagalog, Japanese
Family:

Parents: Lina Martinez (35), Hakuhouin Hasegawa (52)
Siblings: Yumehiko Hasegawa
Spouse: none
Descendants: none
Appearance Introduction

Eyes: black
Hair: black, with highlights of blue, sleek cut, shoulder length
Height: 5' 7" 1/2
Weight: 115lbs.
Prominent Hand: Right
Attire: Turtle neck white half top, low-cut jeans, metal glove on the right hard, and scarf
Description: Half-japanese, half-filipino Miko, is an expert when it comes to computer peripherals, from hardware to software, to bits to terrabytes, he's always been laid-back, friendly and have this tearful look in his eyes, he loves to play online games, and he is also knows how to hold a gun since, one of his favorite pastimes is target shooting. He loves to study, but not to the level of a geek.

Occupational Introduction

Schooling: He has been called a child prodigiy, graduated in college at age 18, cause he has been taking advanced classes

Schooling Location: Teihoku Univeristy
Career: Computer Club Vice-President
Career Length: about 4 months
Specialty: Cooking
Hobbies: Playing online games, target shooting, cooking, going out.

 

The wail from my alarm clock jolted me out of my dreams and I glared at the red numbers on the clock. Four o’clock in the morning seemed like a sinfully early time to get out of bed. I snuggled down deep into my comforter and pushed the snooze button, knowing that eight more minutes of sleep wouldn’t make me feel any more rested than I felt now.

My eyes fluttered open. Light was streaming in through the window. There was something wrong with that. It wasn’t light outside at four o’clock in the morning. I shot up out of bed, knowing instantly that I was late. I glanced at the clock. Eight o’clock. I cursed loudly under my breath and ran to the bathroom. I was supposed to be on a plane to South Africa right now. I was supposed to be covering a story that was sure to get me promoted. Instead, I was scrambling frantically to find a matching shoe.

“What’s all the commotion in here?” my older sister, Cynthia, asked, walking into my room with two cups of coffee.

“I’m supposed to be in the air right now!” I wailed, forcing my hair up into a messy ponytail.

“I heard your alarm go off.” she said.

I glared at her. “It did.”

She smirked and held the coffee out as a peace offering, obviously not wanting to make me grouchier than I already was. I took her offer gratefully. I was glad she wasn’t going to lecture me about pressing the snooze button on my alarm.

“So, what are you going to do?” she asked.

I sighed and headed out of my bedroom to the front door. “There’s no use even trying to get to the airport. The plane left at 7:55. I guess I’ll just go in to talk to Candace about getting on a later flight or something. Hopefully, she won’t kill me.”

"Well, tonight, after you're done begging with your boss to keep your job, you wanna go out? Some new band is playing at the club and I could always use a few drinks..." she raised an eyebrow and grinned at me. She knew I couldn't pass up an opportunity to go out with her, even if it was irresponsible on a Tuesday night.

I pretended to consider my options and then grinned back at her. "Of course!" I grabbed my purse off of the dresser and reluctantly opened the door. "See you tonight, Cynthia."

 

I looked around at the grassland carefully, scanning for any movement at all. The world was a scary place if you weren't careful. Behind every shrub, behind every tree, something lurked. If it was something small, or something large, something always lurked. I narrowed my eyes, scanning once again to a sound of breaking twigs off to my left. Nothing.

"You should really lighten up, Rye-Zoe," a few natives yelled at me from their trucks. I whipped around, my eyes narrowed. They called me that to annoy me. It always seemed to work.

"You really should," a familiar voice said from my right. I didn't have to turn as quickly for him. I knew he only said what he said for his caring heart, not for jest like the others.

"Hello," I said, standing and taking a slight bow. I always tried to be as formal as I could be.

"Goodness, Ryan, sometimes," he laughed. I looked up, taking in his appearance for the millionth time.

He was a rugged man in his early sixties. His face was always warm and welcoming, but as time passed, and injuries collected, he was starting to look more than his age than wished. He leaned on a wooden cane, due to a faulty leg injury two years prior, something I suffered from as well at random points.

"Sorry, sir." I said, taking a seat once again. I was all alone, before he had shown.

"You need to lighten up," he said quietly. "The team thinks you might be some evil scientist or something. I don't want that."

I didn't either, but I didn't reply.

"And I'll talk with crew about that name."

I nodded. Rye-Zoe was a very weak-hearted named to be given. They knew it bothered me, so they only used it as often as they could get away with it. Me being who I was, I refused to say anything to them.

My superior sighed, before taking in a deep breathe and patting me on the shoulder.

"My friend," he started, "you have been with me through it all, and saved my life more than once."

I smiled.

"You need a break."

It quickly faded. "What, why?"

He was quick to settle my worries. "I have an adventure for you. Something I received. An old friend of mine from college sent me a letter. I, however, am too old to be taken up on one of his adventures again. Especially since the last one had been far too harsh on me as it is." He laughed.

"What kind of adventure?"

He looked at me, his eyes bright. "Something you'll only believe once you are there, my friend."

Something you'll only believe once you are there...

 

bioRuin
Rabat, Morocco
1-800-Jur-Park
​

Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms.
City, State
Zip Code
​

​

Dear Sirs and Madams,



Have you ever wanted to visit an exotic island filled with flora from every era of our time? How about a gorgeous area with animals that have been extinct longer than you can count to the number in your lifetime? Have you ever thought, "Oh man, I seriously want to meet a dinosaur. That would totally make my day."?


Well, my dear sir or madam, there is a solution.


Welcome...


to -

​

Here, you can come visit some of the greenest landscapes filled with an assortment of flora, forestry, and plant life that haven't been seen for millions of years, along with some of our old favorites, like pine and oak. We have taken care of every single molecule of plant life on the island for more than ten years. Our plants have been modified to carry a breathable chemical that help sustain the life of our dinosaurs. Without it, they would not survive.

​

While our exotic landscapes may be green and plentiful, we at the park know that you are here for more than a simple camping trip with your family. We understand the need for adventure, and the desire to have something much more interesting in your life. We understand the need for discovery. Our scientists have worked diligently to bring you something that no one else could possibly bring.


We bring you...


the dinosaur -

​

Our dinosaur exhibit is completely uncaged on our private island. This allows us to study the true habitat of these great beings. With our latest technology, we have insured the safety precautions of an island full of dinosaurs, all of which would mate when given the opportunity.


Fortunately, the island is specifically designed to hold female components. Our select few male test subjects are all herbivore species, and all situations are handled in the safest of measures. The flora that surrounds the island and is in multitude around the island give off a specific chemical in the air that is required for our dinosaurs to live, due to the carbon in the air. The dinosaurs would parish within a mile off the island.


Our collection is extensive and very carefully selected. We have twenty-five different species of dinosaurs from every era of the Cretaceous and Jurassic Periods. We have three hundred and thirty-five herbivore dinosaurs.


While we can expect the majority of every single visitor to be in awe and simple amazement of these gigantic, magnificent beasts, we know that not everyone can fall in love with the simplicity of a herbivore sauropod.

We have taken this into account, and have, very safely and cautiously, brought you everyone's favorite carnivores!

​

While the tour and study groups are completely opened and safely guarded, the carnivores will still only be in view from a distance, for the safety of our tourists. We have twenty-two species of carnivore dinosaurs, all of which are female and can not mate.


All precautions have been taken to keep the island a safe and secure area for all ages.


Boats will be leaving Friday, so Répondez s'il vous plaît (RSVP) before Friday. By calling the number attached below, you can secure your spot on the boat. We will be providing and arranging all transportation, but only after your RSVP.


We hope to hear from you soon!


Sincerely,



Syn
Founder and Creator of bioRuin

 

The Call

The phone was ringing obnoxiously in my ear. Without opening my eyes I picked up the reciever and grumbled, "Hello?".

"Hello? Hello? Cassandra, it's me. You've got to come to my office. Quick! There's no time to spare!" My boss hung up.

I cocked an eyebrow and replaced the receiver. I chanced a glance at my clock that hung over the fridge. 7:30. How could someone get up so early?

I dressed slowly and lazily, thus causing my boss to call me again at 8:00 complaining about where I was. I shouted at him and muttered something obscene (but not enough to get me fired).

I was still groggy when I entered my boss' office. I sat down and curled up on his chair, feigning like I was going to sleep right there.

"Very funny," He said. I could feel the excitement eminating off of him.

"What do you need?" I asked sitting straight now.

"Look! Look at what I got in the mail!!" He shoved a letter into my hand. I read it, well, skimmed it, and handed it back.

"Sounds fascinating." I said rolling my eyes.

"What do you mean? How can you not be excited about an opportunity like this?" He was nearly bouncing in his seat.

"Well for one, I'm not the one who's going. The letter was for you. For another, it sounds like a big scam. Everyone knows dinosaurs have long since been extinct." I couldn't believe my boss was falling for something like this. It made me almost question his authority. He thought this over for a moment.

"Well, in response to your second question, that may be true, but nevertheless I want a story on whatever it is they're planning. In response to your first..." He leaned forward. "I want you to go in place of me."

"Why?" I asked in complete confusion.

"I've never been the type for adventure," He said leaning back in his chair. "Besides, you're one of the best photographers we've got and I'll be damned if I don't send you. Mind you, you'll have to write small piece pertaining to it, but I have faith."

I looked on in awe. "You can't be serious."

"Serious as a heart attack." He shoved the letter at me. "Take it. You might need it."

"Thank you, I suppose." I said, still bewildered.

"Don't mention it. Have fun! Now go home and pack. I don't remember when it said you had to be there."

I saluted for some comic relief. He laughed and I exited.

********************​

With my luck, I got stuck sitting next to some Christian bastard who wouldn't stop preaching to everyone he made eye contact with and some geeky looking twelve year old from Atlanta on the plane. They were getting off in some other city, but I was staying on heading to Rabat, Morocco, wherever the hell that was.​

"...and listen to His word! He knows all...!" And so on and so forth until I could've sworn my ears were bleeding.​

"...You know how to play, right? It's a really cool game. Me and my friend play it all the time. Mom and Dad say that I'm not right in the head because I play with George and they can't see George, but what do they know?..." You get the idea. I was relieved when I got the plane to myself. And I literally was by myself.​

"The plane will be landing in ten minutes time." The stewardess said smiling. Great... I thought, Time to meet some crazy dinosaur fanatics. They'll probably be just as bad as that Atlanta kid...​

I shoved my book in my bag and waited. ​

 

I knocked softly on the door to Candace's office. I could see her outline through the frosted glass and could tell she was busy. Candace Anderson, my boss, was not someone you wanted to mess with. She was infamous for making people pay for upsetting her. I was not looking forward to the conversation I was about to have with her. Sucking in a breath, I opened the door and walked into her bright office. She looked up at me over the fire-red glasses on the end of her nose and raised an eyebrow.

"There better be a good reason that you're standing in my office right now," she spat at me.

"Um," I hesitated, nervous to begin. "I missed my plane."

Candace rolled her eyes, and flipped her short, black hair with her hand. "Only you, Hailey Mitchell, could be capable of missing an eight o'clock flight."

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, feeling like a teenager getting lectured by her parents. "I can catch a later one today...if you still want me on the story."

"No, there will be no later flights, Hailey. You messed this one up big time. I'm not really even sure that I want to send you to cover a high school football game right now."

"Candace, please be reasonable!" I said, nervously twisting the ends of my ponytail. "I know I screwed this up, but I really needed that story! I can cover that stuff better than anyone here...we both know that."

Candace was quiet for a moment. Probably trying to figure out the most cruel way to punish me, I figured. Hopefully I wouldn't be writing the sports column for the next year. A small smirk formed on her lips and she rolled her chair backwards to grab a letter off of the desk behind her. She tossed it casually in my direction.

"Actually, this is probably a much better assignment for you anyway, Hailey. I was going to have Fletcher cover this, but it seems right up your ally," her voice oozed with sarcasm. I tried not to react; that would only provoke her more. She placed a plane ticket on the edge of the desk, which I took quickly. "The flight leaves in a few hours. Try not to miss that one, okay?"

I nodded and she bent back down over her work, a cue for me to exit. I read the letter as I walked out of the office to my small cubicle.

I had just taken another sip of my coffee and nearly choked on it as I read. Dinosaurs? I blinked, and re-read the beginning of the letter, sure that there had been some mistake. Unfortunately, there was not. I laughed aloud, now fully understanding my punishment. Candace knew this was probably a hoax and wanted me to write an embarrassing story covering it. I was not going to let her upset me. Even though this trip promised to be boring, I was going to have fun with it.

***​

"Thanks for dropping me off, Cynthia," I said, hugging her quickly and hurrying towards my gate. Even with the later flight, I was still running late. "I'll see you in a couple weeks!"

She kissed my cheek and waved. "Stay out of the way of those dinosaur teeth!" she said with a grin. I laughed aloud and boarded my plane. When I'd told Cynthia about the trip, we'd spent a good hour laughing hysterically. I'd pretty much determined that this trip was going to be a joke. Every sane person I knew was aware that dinosaurs had been extinct for centuries; I could only imagine the company I would have to endure. I hoped that the 'dinosaurs' would at least look real and that being able to visit Morocco would be the one redeeming quality of the trip.

 

"We could really use a new alarm clock. It's hard time waking up anyone in this house."

Mayahila Demeneas sniffed the chrysanthemums which were adorning the mantelpiece this lovely morning. The golden rays from the sun laid on the silk curtains which danced as the morning breeze blew. The silver chandelier was also rocking to and a fro, but only a little, scaring Mayahila who had just lit the candles. The air was dry but pleasant, carrying with it the fragrance of a new day's optimism.

"Kariv! How long will you have me yell to you!"

"Too tired...can't wake up."

Better than before, a grunt was heard. Mayahila sighed and shouted again:

"Mr. Palson has called twice since morning. If you don't get to work, I doubt your job will suffice against his anger."

Kariv took a minute to absorb that, and then screamed on the top of her lungs. She then skidded across the lamented flooring and jumped into the shower, her gorgeous red hair enveloped by dew and her natural vivacity. Mayahila grinned and walked to the kitchen to carry the breakfast in.

"So what's up this morning, mom?"

Kariv asked jollily, slurping in a thick mass of chocolate milk.

"Nothing, really. I just invited your cousin to breakfast."

Kariv bit her lower jaw as her mother said this, and then burped.

"Laerisk, you mean?"

"Yes dear. Now, please mind your manners and say excuse me for that disgusting gesture of yours."

"EXCUSE ME really!"

She daunted, still thinking over Laerisk's arrival.

"Why'd you invite him? Don't we have enough vermins in the house to take care of?"

"Vermin itself is a complete noun."

"In that case, why order a vermin to be shipped here?"

"Because you're getting married first thing December."

Kariv crossed her arms and then sniffed the bloating cheese omelette. It was misleading.

"I don't like Laerisk and you know it. Why are you willing to marry us?"

"A lawyer with a beautiful designer is what the world will adore."

"I don't see him as only a lawyer. As a person, he is a very obstinate person who needs a brain surgery."

"Who, Madame Moiselle?"

Laerisk's thick and romantic voice echoed in Kariv's ears who turned away and scooped some omelette for Laerisk.

"Morning, aunt."

He spoke giddily as he took the plate from Kariv.

"Morning child."

Mayahila spoke softly, striking an angry gaze at Kariv who kept herself apart.

"Seems like a very lucky morning. Madame is still home?"

He asked as he finished swallowing the first batch of omelette. Kariv didn't reply, but Mayahila immediately giggled and said:

'She learnt of your arrival and she couldn't wait to see you."

Laerisk chuckled, but his voice was shallow and disturbing. Kariv stood up, spoke morosely:

"Have to go."

And without any proper goodbyes, ran out of the house with her shawl on her neck. Laerisk eyed her silently as she left, until Mayahila spoke out:

"She's pretty shy, as we know it."

******​

Kariv walked into the her house when she was inflicted with something of a bad news.

"Kariv dear! Look what mailman brought!"

Kariv shrunk as she noticed Laerisk there too, reading a letter.

"HEY! You're not supposed to read my letters!"

Kariv retorted, at which Laerisk grinned and replied:

"Actually, this is my letter. Yours is this one."

He handed her a brimming yellow envelope, and Kariv ripped it opened. She murmured the letter in her mouth and gasped as the entire scenario of an exotic vacation was brought to her mind.

"This is fascinating!"

She screeched, especially because she would spent a whole month without her cousin.

"I know. It'll be awesome for us!"

Kariv eyed him fumingly, and asked:

"What will be awesome?"

"Jurassic Park, of course. You got the same invitation, didn't you?"

My heart sunk in remorse. He got the same invitation as me?

"This is splendid! We'll have a dinner tonight, before you two leave for the park. It's almost like a early honeymoon!"

Mayahila giggled, and Kariv turned away, crossing her arms. She had finally gotten a chance to see dinosaurs, and that too - with the man she hated the most.

 

I looked around in the unfamiliar airport lobby, seeing many faces of many different races and genders. Some where coming from different planes that had just landed, while the others were waiting to leave. I hated airlines. I scanned the area once again, hoping to see a sign or anything.

Nothing.

I was in Morocco, but I had no idea where I was suppose to go. I sighed, and took a seat, putting my luggage at my feet. Hopefully someone would make themselves known, though I knew that wasn’t likely. I knew no one from the area, and I doubted I’d see anyone I knew, since the letter hadn’t been for me.

I looked up at the time, and than at my wrist watch. Mine was off by a few minutes, but I still had an hour or so before my plane was suppose to leave. I sat back and waited.

 

The knock on the door woke me. I glanced over at my clock which read ten fifteen. I didn’t have any plans scheduled till two tonight. Why the knock. “I’m up come in.” I shouted sourly and sat up and against the exquisite headboard of my overly expensive French bed.

Jeves entered the room and began to walk smoothly towards me. “I am sorry for the disturbance master Smith but you seem to have a letter.” He said and extended it to me with a slight bow. I quickly snatched the letter up and read through it. I couldn’t help but smirk, dinosaurs how utterly absurd. Rabat Morocco though. That could be interesting. Moroccan cuisine has long been considered as one of the most diversified cuisines in the world. This is a result of the centuries-long interaction of Morocco with the outside world. The cuisine of Morocco is a mix of Berber, Spanish, Corsican, Portuguese, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and African cuisines. Defiantly worth the trip, and I have nothing better to do anyways might as well go see some mutated lizards or what ever they got.

“Call the number on this envelop and get the details down for two people, afterwards you can have the rest of the day off to pack your things, we’re going to Rabat.” I said quickly and he took the letter back.

“Rabat?” He asked before he left.

“Yes, Rabat, capital of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is also the capital of the Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer region! Now go and prepare everything.” He turned without saying a word and left. Didn’t anyone know anything anymore. I threw off my blankets and walked to my closet. I’d pack my own clothes, no telling what that fool would throw together.

I was quickly packed and ready to go, but even though I knew it was near impossible I couldn’t help but allow myself a moment to hope that I would see some dinosaurs up close. It took me much longer than it should have to wrestle my self from the childish delusion, pictures can be tampered with, and even if these had been flawless to the eye they had to have been faked. I walked to my cassette player and listened to “Another Brick in the Wall” by Pink Floyd.




The plane trip was a bore. Thankfully I just listened to my cassette player the entire trip and didn’t have to deal with the usually annoying BS of public travel. God bless the man who invented the Cassette player.

I arrived at the destination and went looking for our greeting party, Jeves following along with our bags.

 

"v.82 was a failure again, sir."

"Where was the issue?"

"Somewhere in the DNA. Didn't match. Caused mutations."

"Destroy the copy. I want nothing of it then. Where's v.83 at?"

"So far, it's succeeding, though it may just as well be theory as v.82."

"Keep it running. We can see where it goes."

"It's dangerous to be making so many carnivores. I think we might want to cut back."

"The ratio doesn't suggest failure. We have many herbivores, almost too many."

"But something that was acclaimed so dangerous? Is it really wise to be making so many?"

"We have far more dangerous dinosaurs, my friend. I doubt this will cause any issues."

"You're so sure? What about last Friday with v.39ac and the v.03cy's? We lost many."

"They were easily replaced."

"But we shouldn't have such aggression out there. What if they find away past the electric fencing?"

"They fear us. They won't come near."

"This isn't controlled. There is no control in the real world. Chaos is what we're promoting."

"When did you get so soft? We have been doing this for a few years now. If we have not failed yet, what makes you think we will now?"

"Nature."

Nature.

 

Current Mission:

Make it to Rabat, Morocco. You were given transportation, via airline, there. Once there, we will patiently wait for the escort to take us to port. This will happen by Saturday, due to the American holiday tomorrow.

 

The headaches were getting worse. The doctors warned him this would happen. David looked at the pill bottle. What’s the use? He thought. They weren’t taking the pain away anymore. His eyes were slowly pulled over to the cabinet over his sink. The other pills were in there. They’d take away the pain but he would sleep. When you your life is measured in months, that’s one thing you can’t afford to do.

David grabbed his steaming coffee cup tightly and waited for the pulsing pain between his eyes to pass. “No pills,” he said through gritted teeth. After what felt like an hour, the time space between the pulses began to get longer and longer until finally the light no longer hurt. The coffee was ice cold. He looked at the clock – two more hours stolen.

He quickly leafed through the bills and cards stacked on the table. He tossed the bills in the garbage unopened. “Let ‘em try and collect from a dead man.” One by one, David ripped open the cards wishing him a speedy recovery or expressing sorrow. “I guess Hallmark doesn’t have a ‘Sorry you’ve got as tumor the size of a baseball in your skull’ series.” A brown envelope caught his attention – it was from his old editor Marty. Last time he sent a stripper gram and a ticket to Vegas. “What’ve you got for your old buddy this time?”

Marty had been great every since the doctors gave out their death sentence. Every month he came through with something new. Each one was more exciting than the last. “So Marty, what’ve ya got for me this time?” David pulled out the letter quickly as he felt the stirrings of another headache.

Dear Sirs and Madams,



Have you ever wanted to visit an exotic island filled with flora from every era of our time? How about a gorgeous area with animals that have been extinct longer than you can count to the number in your lifetime? Have you ever thought, "Oh man, I seriously want to meet a dinosaur. That would totally make my day."?A first class plane ticket dropped out.

“Dinosaurs? Oh what the hell!”

Six hours later David was on a plane. He stared at a grease, beer, and coffee stained piece of typing paper. It was filled with his barely legible handwriting listing those things he wanted to do before he died. He quickly added a line to the list. “If they could make dinosaurs,” he said, “ I wonder what else they could do?”

 

Robert sat down at the dinner table. Angela gently brushed his face with her hand as she gently kissed him on the cheek.

“How was work?” she asked as she took her seat next to him. She served the food to both of her men with a broad smile on her face. Her eyes glistened adding to her beauty. His hand touched her back as he leaned in to gently kiss her cheek.

“It wasn’t bad.” He lied. He certainly enjoyed his job most of the time, he wouldn’t deny that. He wasn’t the nicest of men, he wouldn’t deny that either. He also wouldn’t deny the fact that he wouldn’t be where he was now if it wasn’t for his attitude. He was in high power and he was going to keep enjoying it.

She began to cut up the chicken on his plate as his wife talked about her day.

“Chase came home a bit late, he’s having trouble with his boss…” she started. Danner looked over at his son, as he tried to move his gaze.

“Really?” he asked, as she snapped his fingers, catching his son’s attention, “What’s the problem? Do I need to make some phone calls?” His voice was urgent.

“It’s nothing, just a normal first job dad.” He said, trying to push the subject off, “How’s the new advertisements going? They sucked last month.”

His father gave him a playful smile, and nodded in agreement. They had ‘sucked’. They had more then ‘sucked’. Sales hadn’t budged an inch, and he hoped with the new ideas from this intern, the sales would rise. His job counted on it, and the interns job counted on it.

“The new guys ideas are much better, we might have a chance.” He said. He slowly ate the chicken as he looked over at the mail at the end of the table.

“Anything interesting?” he asked as he nodded towards the mail. She quickly picked it up, pulling a letter from the pile.

“Actually, yes. A letter for you, I’ve read it all ready. It looks rather exciting…”

He raised his eyebrow as he took the envelope from her.

“Dear Sirs and Madams” he started. His eyes went wide as he read the remainder of the letter. He looked up at his wife with a smile, and back at his son.

“Chase, how’d you like to see a real dinosaur?”

His son looked at him with confusion as his father walked off to call the number and his company.

-------------​

Danner walked from the airport with his son following close behind him. He eyed his son with annoyance as he heard the blast from his walkman. He didn’t like it one bit, the loud music, the way he wore his clothes. He wouldn’t get too harsh with him though, he wanted to stay in a good relationship with his son. Unlike his relationship with his own father, he wouldn’t let it happen.

He put his large hand on his son’s shoulder. It felt nice to be out of a suit for once. He knew this was still technically a business trip. He knew his company would want shares of this company, his own boss had been excited about the idea. He could all ready see their signs in the park itself. Their product name would be everywhere. He couldn’t wait to make the deal.

He stretched out his arms and headed back inside, with the luggage held tightly in his hands. He wasn’t sure what he was waiting for, but he’d wait for it inside.

 

George returned home from a long and exhausting hike. Plopping down on the couch he flipped the tv on. Nothing interesting, just local news. He looked over at the mail he had thrown on the table and picked it up. Bill, he shifted that one to the back. Another bill, again shifted to the back. Swimsuit magazine, he had no idea why he had it but he placed it on the couch for reading. Letter from a friend in Paraguay, he set that on top of the magazine. Lastly came a small letter that particularly caught his eye. Opening it up, he gave it a quick glance.
"...Dinosaurs? In Morroco?" George flipped it over again and again. It had to be a fake. Checking the envelope he found a genuine airplane ticket, scheduled to leave the next day.
"Well, even if it is a hoax, I wouldn't mind taking a quick trip to Morroco."
George got up and began to pack his things.

 

The drive was practically a silent and morose one. Not one word to one another, it seemed as though they had their lips sealed. The only piece of conversation they might've had was about asking the driver to pick up the pace - not right for Kariv to protest while her fiance was by her side. However, Laerisk didn't seem bothered. He was too busy licking stamps and pasting them on his letters to the judicial court and to the Royal Queen, a few minute tasks left undone. He didn't want to 'run out of fame' as he returned, thus the letters. Kariv, on the other hand, was drawing new designs on her notebook, though a little jerk from the cab would really ruin most of it, yet she had managed to draw a couple of designs.

"We're here, sir and madam. Happy honeymoon."

Kariv groaned and pushed the car door opened, fanning herself with the notebook in the face of the belligerent heat. Laerisk followed and opened his umbrella.

"Hot in this part of the city!"

He commented, sheltering her.

"Have you paid him, sir?"

She asked, paying no attention to the umbrella hovering above her.

"Yes, madame moiselle. You should trust me enough."

He grinned but Kariv did not even attempt to smile. She tightened the shawl around her neck and started for the airport, while Laerisk hurriedly followed her.

"Your tickets, please."

The related officer took the tickets from Kariv and then watched and Laerisk stupidly shoved the umbrella over her head inside the airport.

"You're getting married soon?"

The man winked, at which Kariv blushed and then spoke harshly:

"Ana Ak'taluck." (I'll kill you)

The man blinked, confused, as Kariv went past him. Laersik grinned, embarrassed and put the umbrella back in its holder.

"She won't kill you, don't worry."

The officer was paled to white as Laerisk followed Kariv in.

Kariv eventually reached the boarding lounge and sat at a corner, hoping to avoid him. Laerisk, however, was a smart man and caught up with her. He patted her head as she eyed him worriedly and then pulled out a pack of nuts.

"You seem daunted, as though you didn't expect me to be on the same flight as you!"

Kariv looked away, and then sighed.

"Just didn't expect you to find me so easily."

Laerisk nodded, and offered her the nuts which she refused. Like a little boy, he took a few in his hand and started nibbling on them.

"Nuts make your brain stronger, I heard. Funny to put it that way, though."

Kariv nodded, and then stiffened and Laerisk put his arm around her.

"It'll be a fine and dandy place to go. Dinosaurs, I must say, sounded like a myth to me until now. I mean - I still can't believe it! Dinos! I ate dino munchies all my life, but never saw dinosaurs!"

He then giggled, finding it a very sweet joke. Kariv felt uncomfortable like this, and got up.

"I'll be right back from the washroom."

Laerisk nodded, and watched her go. He then frowned and dropped the nuts back in his bag.

"Obstinate woman. Why do I have to marry her, Dad, just why?"

He asked himself, and then imagined his father standing in front of him.

"She is my sister's daughter, Laerisk. A fine couple you two would make. A lawyer and a fashion designer! Think of the possibilities!"

Fashion my foot, Laerisk thought. She doesn't even know how to smile. I can't believe I have to act all so very chummy with her! Had I not promised you, ma, I would've ditched her ASAP.

"Come on, sir."

Laerisk felt a bolt of electricity as Kariv shook him. The gate was open and they were boarding the plane. Laerisk nodded and followed his fiancee to the airplane.

******

Once in Morocco, Laerisk and Kariv both felt congested by the silence. They had simply plugged their ears and tried sleeping in the airplane, and when they were more active, Kariv would design new color schemes and motifs while Laerisk would find amusing ways to handle a case. Not a single word out of their mouths. And now, at the Moroccan airport, they had lost patience. They both couldn't stay hushed for so long.

"So what is your favorite dinosaur?"

Kariv asked, and Laerisk scratched his chin.

"I say, the flying thingies are fantastic."

Kariv shrugged, and replied:

"I like tyrannosaurus. I don't think they'll have those, though."

"Yeah, I guess so."

They both then looked down at their feet aimlessly. Laerisk suddenly erupted:

"Oh, and by the way, Dad sent you something."

Kariv eyed him pull out a box of chocolates from his cabin bag.

"Hershey's. Your favorite."

Kariv grinned and happily accepted the gift, remembering her mother had sent something too.

"And Mom sent you this."

She pulled out a crate of pistachio nuts from her cabin bag, which was now relatively sunk down. Laerisk grinned and then quickly caught it from her tired arms. They both looked at each other like strangers and then returned to silent mode.

 

I was jarred awake by the plane touching down on the ground. I quickly gathered my belongings around me and bounced my knees up and down, waiting for the plane to taxi to the terminal. I peeked out the shade on the window and it was dark. I assumed it was nighttime, but I really had no idea. I didn't even know what the time difference between Morocco and Los Angeles was.

Finally the plane stopped moving. I grabbed my carry-on from the overhead compartment and all but ran off the plan, thankful to be on solid ground again. Once in the terminal, I realized that I had no clue where I was supposed to go or what I was supposed to do. I checked the letter again, but no instructions were given in it. Sighing, I sat down in a nearby leather chair and leaned my head back. Hopefully I wouldn't miss whatever transportation I was supposed to be on to get to this island and really get fired this time.

 

David got off the plane and stretched his stiff legs. He looked at his watch ten am. "Oh well, it's got to be noon somewhere," he said with a shrug and headed for the bar.

 

I looked around the room periodically. One after another, people began to walk off the planes into the lobby room, luggage and all. Many were men that didn't look from around here. I saw a few kids as well. The invitational list was a lot larger than I had thought it would be. I looked around, noticing that not many were even remotely close to the dinosaur type. Some were in business attire, while the rest were in vacationing clothes. I shook my head. So much for discovery. This was now just a big field trip event. Nothing more, it seemed.

Beside me, a child sat down, a butler behind him. I smiled at him and lifted my hand in his direction.

"Ryan." I said as clearly as I could. I wasn't good at this kind of thing, but I needed someone to talk to.

Nothing.

I slowly lowered my hand and looked back at my lap, whispering, "Okay." to myself.

"Don't fret," the butler said from behind his seat. "He doesn't respond that often. He is wearing his cassette player."

"Oh," I responded. That would explain it.

"Jeves, sir," the butler said with a hand out towards me. I took it and shook, replying with my name.

"Ryan. So, do you think this could be the real thing, or just a scam?"

"I don't know, sir." he said kindly. "We'll see soon enough, however."

That was true. I looked up, seeing a large man in safarre garb walk in. He had a large black gun on his shoulder, a fedora, and a thick cigar in his mouth.

It took him a moment to speak, but finally, he coughed to clear his throat and spoke to the lobby in a deep voice. "Those that are goin' to the isle?" Many heads turned in his direction. He coughed once again and walked in further towards the large group. He shook his head. "Ieh, this is gonna take two boats. 'uck."

Many of the younger ones made quiet jokes. A few women were appalled. Many of the men couldn't have cared less.

"Okay, 'kay. Let's get this straight. First. No weapons! I'm 'ucking serious. No weapons. The isle is perfectly safe. For ya special cases, and ya know who ya are, you can take what was alloted to ya, but nothing more. I'm not gonna repeat myself. I see 'em, I'm throwin' 'em overboard, and ya with 'em."

His accent was very strong.

"Second, we're gonna have two boats goin' now, so one boat will do the main tour the first day, and the second boat will do the facility tour the first day. Easier to keep organization."

Someone in the group spoke up. "Boats? Why not fly there?"

"Cuz, mister, we need to ship in some supplies with us and planes can't carry what we are carrying."

He looked around, seeing that the group was quiet again.

"The Director is the host, I ain't, so my hospitality isn't gonna be extremely nice. These aren't cruises you're going on. This is a supply liner. We are taking the first two of the five. We will be there in twelve hours."

He turned around and pointed out the door to a line of large vans.

"Those are going to be taking ya to the docks. There looks to be about 30 or so of ya. You should all fit fine within the three cars. Throw your luggage in the truck there in the back. We can sort it out later."

He turned around and started to leave, noticing no one else made a move. "Well, come on! Get a move on. We're leaving."

 

"Sorry I'm late!" Grace came running with her two bags towing behind her. Her hair flowing in a loose ponytail.

"So sorry! Am I too late to go with you? Here's my letter." It was actually address to her husband. But unfortunately he was deceased, so she might as well take his place and the chance.

 

The man turned about, grabbing his cigar and looking her up and down. "Ma'am, throw 'ur bags in the truck and get in the van. You're fine."

She stumbled backwards, shaking off his rudeness and moving around to the truck. I looked at her and smiled. She seemed sweet, just kind of taken aback. I looked back at the safari man, seeing that he had taken a second glance back at her backside. I then walked in-between his sight and her. I walked up behind her and laughed before greeting myself.

"Hey," I said with a laugh, looking into her eyes. "You're not too late. Just threw some rules at us and all."

She blushed and then put the bags down.

"Names Ryan." I smiled.

"Grace," she said before moving around me and towards the van. Was she timid and shy, or was I pushing people away? I didn't know. She looked back at me, and then turned to her van.

I sighed and walked towards one of the vans as well, noticing the first two were completely full. I walked into the third one and sat. I was the first one in. I sat back and sighed, taking the seat in the back and buckling. It wouldn't be long before the cars filled up and were on their way.

 

Members: I have given everyone the opportunity to join in wherever they see fit too. I am writing vaguely as we get on the boats, which gives everyone the opportunity to join in later in the game. There are around 30 to 40 people, so if new members would like to jump in, feel free. Do it quickly though.

 

"Sir."

"What is it?"

"The Communications Tower is down."

"What do you mean, down?"

"It's gone, sir. Everything. What do we do?"

"What do you mean it's down?"

"They got to it! What do we do?!"

"Contact the Director."

"HOW?!"

"The boats! When will they be docking?"

"They're almost here, sir! Can we make it to port?"

"We can't evacuate the island! What about the dinosaurs?!"

"They'll kill us!"

"Sir."

"What?! I'm sort of busy talking with-"

"Boats have arrived."

 

I scrunched my nose in disgust, thankful the tour guide was finished speaking. His heavy accent coupled with his love for curse words could put even the most crude person out. I still couldn't believe I was stuck in Morocco covering some bogus dinosaur story instead of politics in Africa. With a sigh, I heaved my heavy purse over one shoulder and my duffel bag over the other. I shouldn't have packed so much, I thought, noting the backpacks and light sacks others had packed. Obviously they didn't care too much about appearances.

By the time I made my way to the vans, the first two were completely full. I threw my luggage in the back of the third one, nothing that there wasn't much room left in the trunk after my bags were loaded. I tried not to feel embarrassed about the fact that I'd over-packed. I walked back around to the sliding door and peeked in. A man near the back smiled at me. I smiled back quickly, then ducked into the row in front of him, scooting all the way to the window.

I pulled a pair of sunglasses and a very worn copy of Wuthering Heights out of my purse. I tried to appear busy. Getting wrapped up into conversation with all these loony dinosaur lovers was not the way I wanted to spend this trip.