man destroys god || i. malcolm

15

Sarah filled them in on her observations and the answers on why the animals survived without supplied lysine.

They came across the herd again, and Sarah dashed ahead again. "You should get a leash for that one," Nick joked.

"You may be into that kind of stuff, but I don't think Malcolm is." Aria whispered.

"I am not! And how would you know what he's into?"

"How wouldn't I?" Aria winked at her best friend.

The group— save for Sarah — crouched behind a fallen tree. They watched as Sarah reached out to pet a baby stegosaurus.

"Shit." Aria muttered. The baby let out a loud howl, causing Sarah to laugh. Aria knew better.

"Is this even possible?" Eddie shook his head in disbelief.

"What did you think you were gonna document?" Ian asked.

"Animals. Maybe, uh, big iguanas." Nick said, not wanting to take his attention away from his video camera.

Suddenly, the baby stegosaurus howled again, and three adult dinosaur appeared from out of the trees, angry this time. Sarah ran, this time even farther away from the group. Ian started to run towards her, but Aria and Nick held him back. "Shoot them!" Ian yelled at Eddie, but he refused.

The dinosaurs swung their tails at Sarah, but she was a pro. She dodged every attack.

Once the stegosauruses started to leave, the other four hurried over to Sarah.

"These images are incredible. Legendary." Nick was flipping through them on the camera, grinning. "Guys shoot their whole life, they never get stuff half this good."

"Headed right for the Pulitzer Prize." Aria bumped her shoulder against her friend's. "Competition is over."

"We'd like to thank everyone who lost." Nick wrapped an arm around Aria's shoulder and raised his camera up in the air. He took out a cigarette, but Sarah quickly scolded him.

"Don't light that! Dinosaurs pick up scents from miles away. We're here to observe and document, not interact."

Nick rolled his eyes, and Aria took his cigarette and put it away for him.

"Which, by the way, is a scientific impossibility. Heisenberg Uncertainly Principle. Whatever you study, you also change."

Sarah brushed Ian off, and the two walked ahead. Two ex-girlfriends and carnivorous monsters was probably not Ian's ideal vacation.

Aria sniffed the air. Smoke. She ran towards their base camp to find a burning campfire. Nick quickly grabbed water and put it out. "No! Water makes the smoke billow. Use dirt."

Eddie and Aria began kicking dirt over the campfire. The door to the trailer opened. Kelly.

Two ex-girlfriends, carnivorous dinosaurs, and his twelve-year-old daughter.

"I just wanted to make dinner." Aria sighed heavily. This was such an Ian Malcolm thing to do. "I wanted it ready when you guys got back."

"Do you see any family resemblance there?" Nick muttered, and Aria gave him an unimpressed look.

Ian took Kelly around to the other side of the trailer to call for the boat to send her home.

Aria sat down with Sarah on the hood of one of the cars, but Ian quickly came over and dominated the conversation.

"I'm taking my daughter out of here. Anyone who wants to come with me, this is your last chance to get out."

Sarah began talking over him. "So listen, when you're out in the field..."

Ian turned to Nick. "If you're staying, I'd be happy to deliver a letter to your wife or loved one, give you a chance to say goodbye." Nick pursed his lips in annoyance, ignoring the man. Wife. That's funny.

"Eddie, if you have any personal effects of any kind, it's the least I can do."

Ian crossed to Aria and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Aria. Come with me, please. I came here to keep you safe, don't make me leave without you."

"You know I can't do that. Nick is my family, and I'm here for him. Look at everyone, they need someone who understands the consequences and the danger here. That's gotta be one of us, and I'm not leaving."

Ian let go of her shoulders, groaning in frustration. "Can you stop playing the hero for once in your life? You need to leave, come home to safety. Come home with me."

Aria shook her head, and Ian gave up. He grabbed Kelly's hand and stormed to the trailer. "I'll be in there, guys."

Aria tuned back in to Sarah's words. "...and pick up all our plastic bags. Our presence needs to be 100% antiseptic. If we so much as bend a blade of grass..." She followed Ian into the trailer.

Aria tossed her bag onto the ground, finally giving her back a chance to rest. "God, why did you convince me to pack so much?" She glared at Nick, who held his hands up in mock surrender.

The unmistakable sound of helicopter rotors cut through their light conversation. Ian, Kelly, and Sarah burst from the trailer. They jumped up and down to get the attention of the helicopters.

Aria squinted at the lettering on the vehicles. "Stop! It's InGen! Get out of sight!" She grabbed Nick's arm and pulled him against the side of the car. "It's exactly what Hammond said. But they're early."

"Alright," She stood up to address the group once the helicopters were gone. "Hammond warned us of this. InGen wants to relocate the animals to San Diego, and they're here earlier than we expected. They're going to hunt them down and trap them. Nick and I knew about this, and we'll make a plan."

"A plan?" Ian asked incredulously. "This isn't an adventure, Aria. The plan is we get the hell out of here."

"Do you want these animals free on the mainland? We need to stop the others."

Nick hurried off and set up a spot to watch the InGen men on their hunt. The others followed. "Believe me now?" Aria muttered.

They watched the men pull dinosaurs to the ground and shock them unconscious.

Once the sun set, the group went to seek out the other base camp. It was much more impressive than the two cars and one trailer they had back st the edge of the forest.

"My God, they are well organized." Eddie commented. "Those are some major league toys."

"Maybe I should ask to use their phone," Ian said drily. "Their dish is bigger than yours."

"Hammond thought we'd be finished before these guys started, but in case they weren't he did send a backup plan."

Aria stifled a grin at Nick's setup. He loved a good dramatic moment.

"What backup plan?"

"Me."

•

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