Jurassic Kratts

Close Call

In the emergency bunker, Aviva spent her time tending to Dr. Malcolm's wounds as the mathematician laid on the table, with Mr. Hammond  to assist her whenever his help was needed. Put no matter how hard she tried to push them out, the inventor had a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong. Mr. Arnold and Koki should've been back by now. Presently she heard the door open and down the steps came Ellie and Muldoon, returning from a search. The inventor left her station to ask them about any news, it was then that the paleobotanist addressed the elephant in the room. "Something's happened. Something is wrong."
"I'll say,"replied Aviva. "Koki hasn't answered her Creaturepod."
  Hammond spoke, still feeling the obligation of the host." This is just a delay, that's all this is. All major theme parks have delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked."
  "But, John. If the Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates don't eat the tourists."countered the injured mathematician.
"I can't wait anymore. Something went wrong. I'm going to go get the power back on."stated Ellie firmly.
  "You can't just stroll down the road, you know,"said Muldoon, making his way towards a steel cabinet.
"Bob, let's not be too hasty."said Hammond, glancing at the clock. "They've only been gone–"
"–especially not alone."added the game warden.
"She's not going alone."piped up Aviva, laying her medical equipment on the table before joining Ellie's side. "I'm going with her."
"Count me in."added Muldoon, now armed with a semiautomatic shotgun. The paleobotanist nodded.
  After a while, the entrepreneur returned to the table with a set of blue prints from a nearby file cabinet, spreading it out on top of Malcolm, almost crushing his leg.
"Sorry."apologized the old man before addressing the trio gathered around the table, "This isn't like switching on a kitchen light, but I think I can follow this and talk you through it."
  "No problem."replied Aviva with a wink as Ellie plucked a couple of walkie-talkies from a shelf before shoving one in her belt.
"But you know, I should really be the one to go."said the old man.
"Why?"asked the inventor and the paleobotanist simultaneously.
"Well, because you're– I'm a–" Hammond stuttered, earning blank looks from the pair.
  "Look," deadpanned Ellie, handing him other electronic. "We can discuss sexism in a survival situation when we get back."said Aviva, rolling her eyes, before the paleobotanist continued, "You just take us through this step by step. I'm channel two." With that the two women followed Muldoon up the stairs and out of the bunker.
Stepping into the light, Aviva noticed the change in atmosphere, a familiar feeling as though the compound belonged to the jungle rather than civilization. She slowly trailed behind Ellie and Muldoon, the latter carrying his firearm at the ready, walking down a pathway leading to the maintenance shed. Soon they emerged from the foliage into a familiar clearing: the Velociraptor paddock. The pen stood quietly, the abandoned guard tower looming over it like a haunted house. Muldoon slowed down, Ellie and Aviva right beside him. Their eyes widened in horror at what they saw: the fences that once contained the formidable flesh-eaters had been torn to shreds, leaving behind a hole wide enough for them to escape.
"Oh my God."whispered Ellie.
"Ay, Dios mio."murmured Aviva.
"The shutdown must've turned off all the fences."muttered the game warden, voice barely audible. His greatest fear had been realized. "Goddamn it! Even Nedry knew better than to mess with the raptor fence."
Squatting down, he spied three sets of trackways. They head off in different directions, but all of them led to the surrounding undergrowth.
  "C'mon, this way."said Muldoon, motioning for the women to follow him through a particular trail.
  "I can see the shed from here!"whispered the paleobotanist after a while. "We can make it if we run!"
"No. We can't."replied the game warden.
"Why not?"questioned Aviva.
"Because we're being hunted."said Muldoon quietly, gesturing ahead of them. "From the bushes straight ahead."
   Aviva turned very slowly to face the bushes. At first, she doesn't see anything, but then there was something faint, and the inventor's blood ran cold as she spied a shadow that seemed to move in the foliage, rustling the leaves.
  "It's all right."
"Like hell it is!"remarked Ellie dryly as Muldoon fumbled through his pockets, searching for something.
"Miss Corcovado,"said the game warden, withdrawing a sack from his pocket, handing it to Aviva. "Take this. I do believe it'll come in handy."he added with a wink before slowly raising his weapon over his shoulder. "Now run, both of you, towards the shed. I've got her." With that, Muldoon slowly advanced towards the bush, shotgun at the ready.
"Go, now!"
     The pair didn't need to be told twice. They ran as fast as they could, flying across the trail at top speed. Though Ellie stumbled and tripped a couple of times over fallen tree limbs, Aviva went over every obstacle with little difficulty, courtesy of her outdoors training with the Kratt Bros. After helping her fallen friend, the inventor neared the maintenance shed, with the paleobotanist not far behind, neither of them looking back. They reached the door, blasting it open before slamming it shut again with haste. The pair then paused for a minute or two to catch much needed breaths.
"Mr. Arnold?"called Ellie, once her breathing was normal. No answer.
"Koki?" called Aviva, but they were greeted by their own echoes.
  The paleobotanist chose that moment to flip the switch to her walkie-talkie on. "We're in."
  Soon enough, Hammond's gruff voice was heard on the other end. "Good. Okay– now ahead of you should be a metal stairway. Go down it."
  Flashlight in hand, the two made their way down the steps, slowly being shrouded in darkness. Before long, they approached a labyrinth of pipes, ducts, and electrical work on every side.
"After twenty or thirty feet, you'll come to a T-junction. Take a left."
At this point, Aviva, being more familiar with electrical structures, led the way. Ellie followed. As they made their way through the tunnel, the building's silence was broken by a loud ring. This startled the women, until the inventor realized it was just her Creaturepod ringing. Aviva answered, and a holographic screen appeared, revealing Martin and Chris, wearing their characteristic smiles.
"Hi, Aviva!"chorused the creature adventurers in unison.
"Guys! You scared us. And where are you?"
"Oh, we're right by the perimeter fence, trying to figure out a way to get to the other side, without busting it open with T.rex Powers."Here Chris cast an accusatory glance at his brother, who smiled sheepishly, raising his hands in defense.
"How're Alan and the kids?"inquired Ellie.
"Oh, they're fine,"replied Martin, turning the Creaturepod to reveal the paleontologist grabbing hold of the fence cables, shaking violently, screaming in pain as the electricity coursed through his body. In the background, the screams of Jimmy Z and the children could be heard.
"Oh my God!"screamed the paleobotanist in horror. To her surprise though, Aviva only rolled her eyes, wearing a smirk that said, Nice try. Ellie looked back to the screen to see Alan, completely unharmed, turn around with a wicked smile. Soon enough, the hysterical laughs of the brothers could be heard, and the paleontologist calmly made his way towards the creature adventurers.
"What can I say? These two grow on you." This earned an unamused look from Ellie. "That was not funny."
"Nice try, bros. But the power's not on."said Aviva, still smirking. Then her face turned serious as a notion hit her. "But we're not gonna turn it back on while you guys are still stuck there."
"Don't worry, Aviva. We'll call you as soon as we're on the other side."reassured Chris. "And no, Martin. We're not gonna bust it open."
  "Aww man!"complained Martin in the background, earning chuckles from the inventor and the Kratt in green.
  "Please be careful."said Aviva. To Chris she added, "I love you."
"I know."came the reply, before he cautioned, "But don't turn on the fences until after we call you." With a chuckle, he added," The last thing I want is to be lit up like a Christmas tree." Martin and Alan could be heard laughing in the background.
  The inventor rolled her eyes. "I won't." With that, the holographic screen disappeared. The two women continued on their way through the mechanical maze.
"He seems like a nice guy,"remarked the paleobotanist after a moment of silence.
"Understatement of the century."replied Aviva with a small smile before the pair heard low, staticky voices coming from the two-way radio. Ellie picked it up. "Ellie, Aviva. Are you two all right?"asked Hammond, concern clear in his voice.
"Everything's fine."replied the paleobotanist. "Alan and the Kratt Brothers just called to let us know they've reached the perimeter fence."
"Marvelous!"exclaimed the old man before his sense of concern returned. "Have you reached the control panel yet?"
"Not yet, Mr. Hammond. And we're not turning the power back on until they call us again, once they're over the fence."
"Here we are!"announced Aviva, some distance away. Ellie soon joined her friend, stopping in an area enclosed by metal screening, surrounded by black pipes, illuminated by a light from the ceiling. Inside was a large, gray control panel, labeled with a high voltage sign. Making their way through the mesh gate, they head toward the gray box.
  "Okay– we're here. What do we do now?"
  "Now, ladies, you can't just throw the main switch by hand. You'll have to get the charge first. There is a flat, gray lever you have to pump four times in order to do that." 
  After all was said and done, the Tortuga inventor announced, "Charged."
   Before the CEO of InGen could give more instructions, Aviva's Creaturepod rang once more. She answered immediately, and soon enough the holographic screen appeared to reveal Chris. Gone was the humor from a short while ago, only this time, he wore a look of fear and worry.
  "Aviva! You have to turn the power back on!"he said, great urgency in his voice.
"What's wrong? Are you all across the perimeter fence?"
"No time to explain–Katana!" Here, the Kratt in green was interrupted by a guttural roar and a terrified scream from Martin. "Chris, help! She's got my leg!"
"I'm coming, bro!"yelled Chris over his shoulder before turning his attention back to his girlfriend. "Turn everything back on! Now!" Nothing more was said as the holographic screen faded once more.
Sheer panic overtook Aviva as she practically yelled, "What's the next step, John?! My friends are in danger!"
"Well, under the words 'contact position', there's a round, green button that says 'push to close.' Push it."
  Finding said button, the inventor pushed it without another moment's delay. Once that operation was finished, a column of twelve white, indicator lights came to life on the panel. They were clearly labeled, each one for a different area in the park.
  "The red buttons turn on the individual park systems. Switch them on."
  The pair wasted little time switching each and every switch on the panel, finally coming to the button labeled 'Perimeter Fence.'
  "I don't know who you are Katana, but you're not having my friends for lunch."murmured Aviva, flipping the last switch. Eventually, the gloom of the maintenance shed was illuminated by banks of fluorescent lights from above.
"Mr. Hammond, Aviva, I think we're back in business!"said Ellie cheerfully.
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling shriek caught the pair's attention, and to their horror, a huge reptilian head standing six feet above the ground, armed with razor-sharp teeth, came from behind the control panel! Bloody Mary the Velociraptor!
  The raptor slashed, taking a lunging sweep at Ellie, but got stuck, her feet tangled in the mass of pipes.
  "Run!"cried Aviva, and the two women quickly made their way out of the aisle. The Velociraptor managed to untangle herself and give chase, just as Aviva slammed the mesh gate closed. Mary banged against the metal barrier with much force, sending the inventor falling to the ground.
"Aviva!"screamed Ellie, rushing back to help her friend, pushing the door back as the raptor tried to force her way out. Aviva quickly recovered from the fall, and joining the paleobotanist, they manage to close the door with their combined strength. Enraged at missing her intended quarry, the Velociraptor charged once more against the mesh gate, sending the two against the wall. Ellie felt a jolt as she felt a hand on her shoulder before heaving a sigh of relief upon recognizing the hand's owner.
"Oh, Mr. Arnold."
   But the paleobotanist's relief was shot lived as she heard a terrified scream escape the inventor's lips. She turned around, and with a gasp of horror, she dropped the severed arm on the concrete floor. However, in backing away, Ellie inadvertently strayed too close to the mesh gate where she was greeted by Bloody Mary breathing down her neck before being pulled back by Aviva. The pair were paralyzed by fear as the voracious predator slowly tore away at the metal barrier with little effort. Suddenly, a bright fluorescent light was shining in the duo's faces, temporarily blinding them and their assailant, followed by a familiar voice that yelled, "What are you two waiting for? Run!"
  Without further delay, Aviva and Ellie ran in the direction of the light, and surely enough, they were greeted by the familiar form of Koki, flashlight in hand. "C'mon, this way!" No time was wasted as Ellie and Aviva rejoined their missing friend, who then threw the flashlight at the raptor's face, momentarily stunning the creature, giving them a head start.
Urged on by sheer terror, the trio sprinted through the tunnel, not even daring to look over their shoulders as they attempted to escape their pursuer. As they reached the stairs, Aviva could've sworn that Bloody Mary was in pursuit, for she could hear the clinking and clanging her footsteps made as the predator was racing through the very path they had taken. The door opened ahead, and the light from the outside was almost blinding, but a welcome relief.
"Shut the door!"hollered the computer whizz the moment they all made it out of the dragon's lair. Ellie and Aviva quickly obliged, and slammed the metal door with all their might, just as the Velociraptor's head snarled from its place near the top of the stairway. Then came a loud thud against the door, and nothing more. Bloody Mary was knocked out cold by the impact.
With the dinosaur secured, the three women collapsed to the ground, panting, shaken and exhausted, but alive.
"That was a close call."remarked the paleobotanist once she regained her breath.
"I'll say."panted Aviva, heart still racing from the chase, shivering at the thought of what could've been. Then, a thought occurred to the inventor.
"Wait a minute. Koki. That raptor was down there the whole time." Her longtime friend nodded, confirming the inventor's suspicions. "How were you able to escape?"
The technician heaved a sigh before she answered,"Mr. Arnold and I barely entered the shed when Mary snuck up on us and attacked." If they hadn't just been attacked by the deadly carnivore, Aviva and Ellie would've found the name funny. "She got Arnold, and I would've been next if I hadn't made it to the storage room. I hid there for half an hour until something else got her attention. And that's when you guys came in. And I'm sorry I couldn't call; my Creaturepod got destroyed in the attack."
"That's okay. The only thing that matters is that you're alright."murmured Aviva, her voice thick with emotion, before wrapping her friend in a tight embrace. Ellie soon joined– at least until Koki complained, "Okay! I feel the love, now let go of me so I can breathe!"
"Sorry."replied the pair sheepishly, releasing their grip.
"At least we're safe now–" But Ellie's statement was interrupted by the crack of a shotgun, followed by an agonized scream coming from the foliage somewhere ahead of them, causing chills to creep up their spines. The Velociraptors had gotten the better of the game warden.
"All in favor for running to the bunker?"asked Aviva after a moment or two of desperate silence. Without awaiting an answer, the inventor took the lead with the others following in tow. The trio ran back for the safety of the underground fortress as fast as their legs could carry them, not daring to look over their shoulders. The power may be back, but they were certainly not out of the woods yet.