Cherry Bomb (Ian Malcolm x unnamed character)

Call me - 5

Ian leaned over to the front, unknowingly putting his chest in M's face, and started talking to the camera. "Eventually you do plan on having dinosaurs on your dinosaur tour, right? Hello? H-Hello?" He knocked and exhaled on the lens. "Yes?" He sat back in his seat with his arms outstretched. "The Tyrannosaur doesn't obey any set patterns or park schedules. The essence of chaos."

M raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm familiar with non-linear equations but what exactly is chaos, scientifically or mathematically?"

Ian grinned, happy to explain his entire life's obsession. "It simply deals with unpredictability in complex systems. The shorthand is the Butterfly Effect. A butterfly can flap its wings in Peking, and in Central Park, you get rain instead of sunshine."

M squinted slightly and cocked their head, indicating that they still didn't fully understand.

Ian just laughed and started to play with a strand of their hair. "Sorry, Dr Evans. I went too fast didn't I?"

M sheepishly nodded, slightly embarrassed they didn't understand. Instead, Ian grabbed his glass of water.

"Here, we'll perform an experiment." He gently grabbed their wrist and placed it into position, posing it almost like a triangle. "The car should be still, but that's okay. It's just an example. A drop of water falls on your hand. Which way will the drop roll off? Which finger?"

M looked at their hand for a second before saying, "Index or thumb, I'd say."

Ian gently placed a drop of water on their hand and watched it roll down the back of their hand. His hand was still gently gripped around their wrist.

"Ah ha. Okay, freeze your hand. Don't move. I'll do the same thing, start with the same place again. Which way now?"

"Back the same way?"

Ian dropped the water again and gasped. "It changed. Why? Because tiny variations... The orientation of the hairs on your hand..."

M stared at Ian with fascination as he gently held their hand and stroked it calmingly.

"...The amount of blood distending your vessels... Imperfections in the skin..."

"Imperfections?"

"Oh, just microscopic... Microscopic... That never repeat and vastly effect that outcome. That's... what?"

"Unpredictability."

M stared at Ian even more, a small smile growing on their face after seeing his genuine enthusiasm. They could tell he genuinely loved chaos theory. It made them want to learn more so they could love it too. However, their attention was taken off Ian when Dr Grant got out of the car.

"There! Look at this. See? I'm right again. Nobody could predict that Dr. Grant would jump out of a moving vehicle."

"What the fuck is he doing?" M looked forward to see Dr Sattler getting out as well. They started to move towards the door.

"Hey, Hey. Be careful!" Ian went to grab their arm but they got out before he could reach them.

---

The group were now walking down a steep path, lined with foliage. M had already taken off their jacket due to the heat, showing a black waistcoat, rolled up sleeves and a tattoo covering their right forearm.

Tim was talking Dr Grants ear off about dinosaurs again, making M want to laugh.

"Like I said, there's this other book by a guy named Bakker, and he says the dinosaurs died of diseases."

Dr Sattler spoke up from next to M. "Where are we going?"

"-He didn't say they turned into birds."

Gennaro stumbled behind the group with a worried expression. "Anyone else think we shouldn't be out here?"