JURASSIC NATION

Graduation

"I don't know if anyone will see this but..." The sturdy voice of Dr Ian Malcolm said through the camera, "there is something everyone should know. We all thought dinosaurs were our greatest enemy until now, but we are all proven wrong. You see dinosaurs are just doing their regular jobs; eating, feeding, preying, reproducing. And it has come to the point where they are taking dominion over our planet and humans for the first time in centuries are not the species in charge here. But we don't know that there are people who wish to push that relationship between dinosaurs and people, and not just push it but redesign it and..." There was a screech in the distance, Dr Malcolm's eyes darted up from the camera nervously. His breathing intensified. Behind him, were the wheeled legs of his office chair. Dr Malcolm had positioned himself on the floor, hiding or rather anxiously waiting, under a wooden desk. "Oh God, have mercy." He said as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "I better get to the point, I don't know how much time I have left," He began wheezing. Gulping the thin air, he said, "Biosyn was not just seeking to control the worlds crop. Biosyn wanted to generate a new species of locusts to dominate the world. InGen seems to have the same ideology. They have a new species in mind. A new one. Not one like ever before. I can sure tell you; this is not what John Hammond would ever have in mind. This is not a scary creature from an amusement park, this is a monster. Everyone should be prepared. If anyone sees this spread the word, now, now I tell you, do it -" The camera on Dr Malcolm's phone flipped and another terrifying screech prickled the mic along with a haunting scream. The camera rolled on the floor, away from Malcolm. A fleck of blood hit the lens and splattered. The camera landed somewhere blurry; it had a large crack in the bottom left corner. Luckily, Malcolm had just hit the upload button in time. He wasn't sure of what he said was right, but he knew that Masie needed to hide, people had to take cover and if nobody took cover, wherever they may go, it should not be Isla Sorna.

Nobody knew what really happened to Dr Malcolm. It was presumed that he was eaten by a dinosaur; one that could fit in his room, a predator, possibly a velociraptor. Everyone accepted that. Nobody thought he was able to escape considering his age and that he was trapped in a room with a ferocious cold blooded beast. Nobody thought this accept stupid teenagers who rebelled against society norms and posted edits of his video on Instagram or TikTok or any other social media site they could get their fingers tapping on. Conspiracy theorists were having a feild day with the video, headlines too, but like everything in current affairs, it got old. Nobody followed up on it. 

It had been almost 3 months since this video was released and Zach was still receiving irritating edits of it on his for you page. It was graduation and he sat in the third row from the front, scrolling on TikTok. He put his air pods in and wanted to escape. He was so tired of letting people down. This day was going to be the grand finale before he finds adventure in his life. Before he is finally free of people. This would be the day that he was released from his parents and being a baby sitter to his younger brother, Gray. His parents stood in the crowd behind shouting for Zach, this was a proud moment for them. Ever since their divorce, they had been at each others necks, always competing. Zach's mother yelled, "I love you Zach!" from her standing position. Zach's father responded, "So proud, son!" Zach just pursed his lips and gave a small wave, hoping they would keep quiet. He was embarrassed but then he would rather be embarrassed than face the disappointed looks that were coming. Zach did not pass university. He would not receive his collage graduation certificate. He would be blamed for wasting his parents money and not telling them sooner. But he wanted to stick it out until the very end, see it all through. But as soon as his row got up and he remained seated, a man with khaki shorts and a sweaty navy t-shirt ran past the hall screaming. Parents and students awkwardly paused and watched the man run past through the windows of the hall. Then came the thumping. Everyone heard it. It wasn't just a regular thump; it was the type of thump one would associate with an earthquake. But it wasn't. Then, one of Zach's classmates who was standing near the far window yelled, "DINOSAURS!" but he was cut off. A trunk for a leg broke through the ceiling and instantly flattened him. Then, it was no longer just one leg but millions that crushed their way through the hall. A herd of Breviperopuses were trampling the place. They moved abruptly and demolished everything in their way. Everyone scrammed and fleeted in all sorts of directions. They scattered for the shelter that was left, they darted for the open space. It was utter chaos. Zach instantly turned behind him and looked for his parents with a begging look on his face. He got up, startled. Then he began running. He dodged a vast leg that launched from the ceiling, sprinted through the petrified citizens that scrambled for shelter, bolted against the crumbling side of the building. He didn't notice his phone slipped out his back pocket as he did so. The phone shattered as it hit the floor, never to be used again. He inched closer and closer until he found his parents lying in the indented wooden floor, paralyzed. He could not believe his own eyes. He found it extremely hard to breathe. Gray merely stood with his eyes swollen and tears like opened floodgates. He had his blue jeans on, which had freckles of purple from the blood. Zach didn't know what to do or think. The stampede of the Breviperopuses had begun diminishing but it was not quite over. Zach saw three heading his way, he grabbed Gray by the collar of his white golf shirt and flew to the nearby building. They rested against the wall, silent. Zach finally understood why people had started moving underground. Dinosaurs do rule this world. Dr Malcolm would forever be wrong. Dinosaurs are always the enemy, by doing their regular jobs they destroy lives. It didn't matter if it was the Indominus Rex or a tiny Compsognathus, dinosaurs were all the same. They were all out to kill everything in sight and take over the world.

It was a sunny autumn afternoon. Claire was sitting in a comfy rocking chair on the porch overlooking the mountains and enjoying Alan Grants book and study of Jurassic Park with all its terrifying moments when she received a phone call. Her phone rang, disturbing the bliss. Her eyebrows crossed when she saw Unknown Number broadcasted on her screen. The feeling of a phone call was strange. Most of the signal towers had been knocked down by now. Only a few were left scattered across the world. People had no use for phones anymore, other than their addictive attraction to them. She answered.
"Hello? Who is this?" She asked.
"Hello Ma'am, I'm calling from the Rescue and Recover Centre in San Diego..." Came a womans squeaky, half crackled voice over the phone.
"Oh, hello, can I help you?" said Claire, slightly confused.
"Yes Ma'am, I'm calling you on behalf of your nephews: Zach and Gray Mitchell."
"Zach and Gray?" Claire was suspicious. She hadn't seen them since the boat departure at Isla Nebular or, formally called, Jurassic World. She knew she was invited to Zachs graduation but she could not risk leaving Masie at home or travelling through the dinosaurs. "Yes, they are my nephews, are they alright? Why are they at a Rescue and Recover Centre?" It took only two seconds to realize why they were there. Rescue and Recovery Centers were set up to protect and help people from dinosaur attacks, "Oh my God, what happened?"
"Ma'am, I assure you, they are safe and sound here. But they were involved in an accident with a Breviperopuses herd stampeding. There is not easy way to tell you this but, unfortunately your sister and her ex-husband were killed." The voice paused for a moment of respect and then continued, "I am so sorry for your loss ma'am. But she left you as their guardian and they need to be picked up from here urgently." Claire was at a loss for words. After everything that happened between her and her sister, everything Zach and Gray were traumatized from when the Indominus Rex was on the loose, why would she leave Claire as their guardian?
"I'm coming. I'll be right there. You tell Zach and Gray that Aunt Claire is on her way, you got that?" Claire said this a little too assertively.
"Sure Ma'am. I'll send you the location. If the Center needs to contact you again, should we use this number?"
"Yes, most definitely. You can call me anytime. Or my husband, Owen Grady, call him too. Its uhm, zero five five, zero triple one nine two. You got that?"
"Yes ma'am. We'll be expecting you soon." The voice said and after two seconds, hang up.
Claire edged forward in her seat. Her toes perked on their tips. Her elbows resting heavily on her knees. Her sweaty palms held her phone, she just stared at it. She needed a while to absorb everything that had just happened. But time was against her. She had to leave. Now.
"Mom," Masie said. Masie peered through the door frame and saw her mom in a despaired state, "Who was that?"
Claires response was slow. She inhaled a big breath, "It was the Rescue and Recover Center in San Diego. Zach and Gray need to be fetched. I have to leave." With that Claire raised up and strutted over to her room. Masie was left puzzled.
"Zach and Gray? My cousins that I've never met and you always speak of? That Zach and Gray?" Maisie impatiently followed Claire into the house. Claire was in her room, a carpet bag with messily packed things was on the bed. Claire was raiding her closet.
"Yes." Claire said agitatedly.
"What are they doing at a Rescue and Recover Center in San Diego? I thought they lived in Madison, Wisconsin?"
"Zach goes to college there. They were involved in a dinosaur stampede."
"What about their parents, shouldn't they pick them up?" Masie said sarcastically. Claire stopped her rushed packing. She could feel the tears well in her eyes. She looked up at Masie. Then she pursed her lips before saying, "They no longer with us." And as simple as that a tear rolled down her cheek. Claire took the sleeve corner of her white blouse and wiped the tear away. She sniffed her nose and resumed packing. "Oh," Masie said as her face dropped, "I'm so sorry, Mom."
"It's okay sweetie," Claire said, "But I need to leave now. Tell you dad that I –"
The sound of the door opening was followed by heavy boots that trodden down the small wooded passage way. "Tell me what?" Owen walked in the room. He came in with the smell of rain and autumn leaves. His giant, puffy, khaki jacket filled up the doorway. Whats going on?
"I have to get Zach and Gray from San Diego." Claire puffed.
"San Diego? Why?"
Maisie replied immediately, she could tell Claire did not want to answer questions now. "Zach and Gray were involved in a dinosaur stampede. They at a Rescue and Recovery Centre."
"But that's so far away, you can't go alone." Owens voice was stern.
"Well, I have to get them. I need to."
"Uh-uh, Claire, its too dangerous." Owen was determined not to let Claire go alone. "I should – "
"Why don't we just spare everyone the fight and say we all go?" Masie said. Claire stopped her huffing and looked at Owen, then both looked at Masie. "It'll be a good chance for me to see the world that's left, and we won't be in danger because we will have each other." Masie smiled. Owen couldn't say no, Claire could not find a reason not say no.
Owen looked at Claire and shrugged, "Okay, I'll get the keys." Claire was uncertain about this idea. She just did not want her family to fall apart. But whatever the cost, she would fight for the family she had left. Zach and Gray should consider themselves protected from any danger whatsoever. She was going to get them. She will not break her sisters promise twice.