its the end of the world as we know it (and i feel fine) // ian malcolm

vii. the ladder starts to clatter with a fear of heights

The helicopter made a bumpy descent through the hills and trees of the island. Hammond blabbered on about airstrips and safety as everyone buckled their seatbelts.

The quality control here could cleary use some work, as Alan had been given two female ends. He stared at them for a minute and then just tied a knot around his waist. Then he smiled at Ellie with that cute little half-smile guys do when they're confident in their own stupidity.

The helicopter lurched and Ian bumped against her shoulder and hurriedly pointed at her own seatbelt. Ronnie buckled it.

When the chopper landed, an attendant opened the door and everyone stepped out onto the spongy grass. Ronnie took a deep breath of the heady, humid air and observed the land around her. Palm trees and tropical plants. She didn't recognise all of them. She looked back at the helicopter, which she could now see read 'Jurassic Park.' That was certainly strange, must be some sort of creative company logo.

Ronnie watched as the attendant checked the helicopter, then gave an exasperated sigh and went inside. The attendant came back with Dennis Nedry who nearly fell out of the door, rubbing his hand over his face and blinking bleary eyes.

"It's good to be back!" Hammond said, inhaling the cloggy tropical air like heroin addict taking a hit.

Nedry grumbled something and lumbered up a path leading into the forest.

Hammond looked after him with disdain. He clapped his hands with false enthusiasm and turned back to the rest of them. "Well, we'll need to follow Nedry, the jeeps are this way. Just a short walk through the forest!"

"In this heat?" Ronnie groaned, watching as Hammond and Alan started up the hill.

"What, it doesn't get hot in Australia?" Ian teased.

"Not like this."

Ronnie grabbed her bag and trudged after them, taking up the rear. Ellie had also hung back from her boyfriend. It was absolutely sweltering out here. Ronnie had always been more sensitive to temperature, but she had never been this close to the equator. She wasn't sure how everyone else was doing it. She was the one that lived near a desert!

Ellie had her bag slung over one shoulder and a neutral expression. Ronnie was the hottest she had ever been, but she decided it was a good a time as any to make new friends. They'd have to get to know each other at some point, right? She seemed like Ronnie's type, tenacious and willing to get her hands dirty, even if she was more reserved. Who even knows. Ronnie didn't get our much. She took a breath and asked her, "Do you enjoy being a paleobotanist?"

Ellie's soft features lit up, and she brushed some of the wispy hairs out of her face as they climbed up the hill. "I couldn't ask for a better job! Or a better life, really." She paused. "Well, maybe a kid or two, but other than that."

The others quickly pulled ahead of the two women. "So I guess I don't really know a ton about the dino-person uh... life. Do you move around a lot, or are you stationed in one place?"

"It's more of a free field, really? If we have the funding, we can dig wherever. Or, well, I work with Alan, so it's kind of a team sport." She was very breathy when she talked. "I guess you don't really move around a lot."

"No, I'm locked down. Not many new faces. Not that I would trade it for anything."

"We don't see many new people, either. It's a smaller field of study than elementary school tried to make it seem. I'm not great with people, anyway."

"No, I get it. I was lucky enough to graduate with a friend who ended up working the same place as me."

"When did you graduate?"

"'88. After getting my PhD."

"I was class of 1984. Also with the PhD," she said with a whispery laugh.

"So only four years!"

"Yeah, I guess so!" She swung her bag onto her other arm. "I went to the same school as Ian, actually."

"Really? I assumed he was older."

"He's probably-" she thought for a second. "36? 37? He was going to graduate school when I started."

The men were out of earshot at this point. "He's kinda cute, isn't he?" Ronnie said. She wasn't one to deny attraction, even if she wasn't sure how she felt about the hot older man stereotype.

"No." Ellie's eyes found Ronnie's as they sludged up the pike. "Trust me. You want no part in that. He has more ex-wives than a t-rex has teeth."

"Really," she said, looking after the men. She wasn't too surprised. He was extremely flirtatious and player-ish. And she had taken the bait and flirted back. Maybe he was one it would be smarter to leave in the friend category. Ronnie didn't usually do romance anyway. She wasn't even sure how the idea had crept into her brain. She should have always assumed they would be friends. Ronnie had no desire to fall for a casanova.

"Yeah. He dated my best friend in college for about a year, and then left her for someone else. She was so sad, all we did that week was eat ice cream. I think it barely affected him." The two of them finally crested the hill, making the men once again in sight, all three of them waiting for the women at two beige jeeps. "It's a shame the sexy ones are always heartbreakers."

Dr. Malcolm smiled cockily at her, and the hot-blooded female inside of her started to melt.

He was adorable, no doubt about that. Smart, too. 100% her type, and the definition of tall, dark and handsome. It was a good thing Ronnie knew how to wrap her heart in steel.

Because she had no doubt he would burn her up if she let him.

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i am way to excited for this franchise. i bought a jurassic park sticker puzzle book from walmart the other day and i have 0 regrets for my decisions. thank you for reading!

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