by Tess Sharpe
“I come from a military family,” she says. “I’m really excited about starting in the fall. Though”—her smile widens at Tanya—“it does suck I can’t do cool stuff to my hair like yours.”
“I bet green and purple hair is way against regulations,” Tanya says.
“Doesn’t keep a girl from wanting it,” Ronnie admits.
“A true sacrifice,” Wyatt drawls, the words dripping with sarcasm.
“Dude, don’t be an ass about military service,” Eric says, glaring at him.
Wyatt shrugs, like he isn’t bothered by being called out. “Sorry, I just think some girls just try too hard. Dye your hair whatever crazy color you want, but don’t expect guys to like it. We like more natural women. And if you’re blessed with naturally bright hair…” He smiles at me.
I blink, momentarily shocked by how rude he is. And then heat lights my face—not out of embarrassment, but out of anger. The redhead thing, guys can be all sorts of gross about it. And I’m not going to let him get away with being so mean to Tanya.
“Did you just insult Tanya and try to pit me against her by basically implying I’m better because I don’t dye my hair?” I demand. I look to the other girls, whose eyes are dancing. I feel strong with Ronnie and Tanya by my side. “Did this guy just ‘you’re not like other girls’ me?”
“I think he did,” Tanya says, practically shaking with suppressed laughter.
Wyatt shifts in his seat. “I just gave my opinion. Some helpful advice.”
“News flash, Wyatt,” Ronnie says. “Your opinion sucks. And no one needs your advice.”
“You do realize we don’t do our hair for you or any guy?” Tanya asks, an edge to her voice. “We don’t wear clothes or makeup for you. I do my hair because it makes me feel awesome and like a magical freaking mermaid. One who lures sailors into the sea and eats them.” She smiles, wicked, challenging, and so, so cool, still. “I couldn’t care less what you think.”
“Yeah, right,” Wyatt mutters, but he’s turning red now, because neither Justin nor Eric is jumping to his defense.
“You’re being really sexist,” Justin tells him, and there’s a warning in his voice, one that makes Wyatt straighten up. It’s basic primate behavior, really. The weaker creature will recognize the authority of the stronger one.
And in Wyatt’s view, strong evidently means another guy, never another girl. He won’t listen to us, will be barely shamed by us, but he’ll worry about Justin’s opinion of him. Typical gross double standard. I can feel the resignation in the girls next to me—we’ve all seen it before. Like when a guy hits on you and he won’t stop until you tell him you have a boyfriend. Only then, when you’ve established that you’re some other guy’s property, will he actually respect your space. When you belong to yourself, he won’t.
The thing guys like Wyatt don’t understand is that we always belong to ourselves, in a relationship and out of it. And the right person knows that. That’s why I put an end to seeing Jackson, the guy who said I was cold like my lizard. Because why would I waste my time? I could be doing so much more important things.
Being alone isn’t scary. Or it shouldn’t be. But for some people, I think it is. And it can lead to bad decisions. Hurtful ones.
We finish dinner, Justin’s comment effectively cutting Wyatt off at the knees.
“Interns!” a voice calls. It’s Jessica, waving us over to the front of the room. After we clear our plates, we follow her obediently through the thicket of scientists and other park personnel. A tall woman with broad shoulders and hard eyes is standing next to her. Her thick blond hair is in a tight braid wrapped around her head like a crown.
“Interns, welcome,” she calls out, her voice rumbling through the great room. “I’m Beverly, the director of Bright Minds. I’m incredibly happy to have you all here, our inaugural intern group! You will be the very first interns at the park, and you’re gonna be in the thick of it. I hope you’re ready.”
There’s an excited murmur around me. I can feel the tension in the air, the desire to get boots on the ground, to see everything the park has to offer.
“Will we be meeting Mr. Masrani?” a voice pipes up. I look over my shoulder, trying to see who asked, because I’ve definitely been wondering the same thing.
“Mr. Masrani is a very busy man,” Beverly says. “But he’s also very excited to meet all of his interns. He takes a special interest in this program—it’s his own creation. You’ll be getting to interact with him throughout your stay. Now.” She claps her hands together. “We should be arriving in about twenty minutes. If you go outside on the deck, you’ll be able to see the lights from the park soon. It’s a bit of a tradition for our new recruits!”
Tanya makes an “eek” face at me and I grin as we hang back so that Ronnie can join us before we go outside. We lean against the sea-sprayed railing next to Eric and Justin. At first, all I can hear is the rush of the ferry’s engines, the splash of waves against its hull. All I can see is dark gray shimmers and foam chopped up by our journey through the water. And then, in the distance, there it is—a dark shadow.
“Is that it?” Eric asks, raising his camera to his eye. He fiddles with the lens. “Oh, wow.”
Emerging from the mist, the mountains and valleys grow clearer the closer we draw to the island. I grab the ship’s railing, staring out into the night. It’s so big. I knew it would be—it would have to be—but the reality of it, seeing it…
I don’t have words for it.
When the ferry pulls into the dock and the scrape of the gangplank against wood fills the air, I grab my gear and fall in line behind the others. And when I take that first step, off the boat and onto her soil, Isla Nublar, this place of possibility, of greatness…I discover I do have words for it.
It’s like finding home. At last.
At the docks, four jeeps are lined up waiting for us, headlights shining on the road ahead. I hop into one with Tanya and Justin and Eric. We are goggle-eyed, and our heads whip back and forth, trying to take in the shadowy terrain as we zip through the jungle toward the park’s enormous gates.
The gates, at least, we can see; they’re illuminated by the flickering light from torches fixed to the towering posts flanking the doors. The gate’s so tall that I feel like I’ll get a crick in my neck trying to see the top.
“Holy crap,” Tanya says, hushed, next to me as the gates suddenly swing open, smooth as butter, not even a creak. “When I saw fuzzy drone footage that leaked last year, I thought I saw the gates, but look! They modeled the entrance after Hammond’s original gates. I bet they used the first park’s specs and everything!”
“The visuals are amazing,” Eric mutters, almost to himself, as he stays fixed to the viewfinder, his camera sweeping the scene.
“We could get online and compare the specs to see,” Justin says. “Though I’m never sure if those ‘leaked’ plans from the original park that hit online a while back are actually legitimate.”
“The concept art and Dr. Hammond’s models of the park were released, though, remember?” I say.
“I…may have a replica of one of those models,” Justin admits.
“No way! How did you get one?” I ask.
“I made it,” he says. “It took forever.”
Well, that’s adorable. I don’t say that, though. I just smile as Tanya says, “That’s impressive. I’d love to see pictures.”
Our convoy of jeeps makes its way into the park, and the gates swing closed behind us. It’s like we’re all eight years old again, going to the natural science museum for the first time, our noses glued to the windows. As we peer out from the glass into the dark, even though Justin’s so close his shoulder brushes mine, I barely have time to feel fluttery, because there might be dinosaurs out there.
But all we can see is the beam of the headlights on the paved road and
out the windows. It’s all a blur of dark jungle. Trees and plants; some I could probably identify in the light, others I probably couldn’t—because they died out long ago and have been resurrected, much like the creatures who will live in their shelter.
After a few minutes, the jeeps take a right at a sign that says LODGING.
“Do you think they keep it unlit because of the animals?” Tanya asks.
“Maybe they just haven’t installed all the lights yet,” I suggest. “They’re still in the process of building some stuff. I don’t think all the habitats are done yet. I read about the aviary for the Pteranodons being built—apparently Masrani had to invent a new polymer strong enough to withstand strikes from their beaks.”
“That is so hard-core,” Tanya says in admiration.
“And expensive,” Justin adds. “Masrani can turn around and sell that polymer, though, for other purposes. The research it took to make it will be paid for long before he puts it to use.”
“Plus, it’s built-in advertising,” Tanya snickers. “Dino-proof—a new safety standard!”
We laugh as we pull in at the back of a tall building—the service entrance.
“Kids! Come on!” Jessica peeks her head into the jeep, beckoning.
Once she has the dozen of us assembled, she starts handing out packets. “You’ll all be staying on the fourth floor of the hotel, which has been designated for the Bright Minds interns. Room assignments are right there on your packets.”
I break my packet open and see Roommate: Tanya Skye.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me,” Tanya says when I point it out to her. “You don’t snore, do you?”
“Nope,” I say.
“Oh good.” She smiles. “I promise not to hog the outlets too much.”
Eric, who’s come to stand next to her, snorts. “I’ll believe that when I see it,” he says.
“You haven’t shared a room with me for years,” Tanya scoffs. “The only boy, so he gets his own room. Meanwhile, I have to share with our little sister.”
“Oh, admit it, you love your blanket-fort tea parties with Victory,” Eric teases as Jessica leads us into the hotel.
“Her name’s Victory Skye?” I ask. “That’s like a superhero name.”
Tanya nods. “She has some health problems. They began before she was born, so my parents wanted to give her a head start with a strong name.”
“That’s really sweet,” I say. “I’m sorry she’s been sick.”
“Thanks.” Tanya smiles, and it’s not like her big, careless smiles. It’s tight, strained. I feel a flash of worry for her, because it changes her face. Is her sister really sick? I can’t imagine what I would do if that were Karen. When she got her appendix out, leaving her in the hospital overnight…Mom, Dad, and I going home without her felt so wrong, even though everything turned out fine.
We take the elevator up to the fourth floor with the group of interns, and we walk down the hall—a long corridor with the spots for paintings freshly marked in blue painter’s tape on the bare walls.
Tanya and I find our room, and we both hesitate outside it, unsure what to do.
“Everyone, we’ll meet in the lobby tomorrow morning at eight a.m.,” Jessica calls across the hall. “Everything’s in your packet, along with a map. We’ll have our orientation breakfast, and then you’ll be going on a tour of the park! So get some sleep now—you’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
“Night,” I call, waving at Justin across the hall.
“Night, Claire. Night, Tanya.”
“Night, Justin. Thanks for the defense earlier at dinner with Wyatt.”
He shrugs. “No problem. That guy’s a jerk,” he says.
“Still…,” Tanya goes on. “I appreciate it. So does Claire.”
My cheeks burn, but I nod, because it’s true.
Tanya and I go into our room, and it’s fancy…like, hotel-room fancy, which makes sense since we’re in the park’s hotel. The bedroom is all polished, sleek wood paneling and has two full-sized beds side by side. There’s a tablet resting on each one, and when I pick up the tech, I can’t keep from letting out an excited squeal.
“They gave us the NuTech tablet?!” Tanya gasps, picking hers up. “These aren’t even on the market yet! I’ve only seen rumors of the leaked specs online!”
“I cannot believe this….” I press the on button and the screen flashes Hello, Claire at me.
“Bio-IDed already! My brother is probably jumping on the bed for joy right now,” Tanya says, going over to her luggage. “He loves his gadgets.”
My own suitcases are next to my bed, and for the next half hour we lose ourselves in unpacking. When we’re done I’m exhausted, but I manage to take a shower and send a quick email to reassure my parents and Karen. I see that Karen’s already sent me a photo—of Earhart sitting on my bed with a bone and Sally right next to her, eating a cricket. The subject line is: Talk about predator and prey!
I smile, shaking my head. It’s nice to see them.
I drift off, thinking about Earhart and Sally. The last thing I remember is the sound of Tanya’s rain machine, and when I wake, it’s the first thing I hear.
I get up, bouncing a little as I quietly walk over to the windows at the far side of the room. Tanya’s still asleep. I step out onto the balcony.
The sun’s starting to rise, and the fuzzy gray light turns pink before my eyes. The lagoon the hotel overlooks sparkles as the beams hit them. My gaze traces the water, but I don’t think this lagoon is doubling as a holding tank. Apparently, Masrani has plans to introduce amphibious creatures into the park, but he probably doesn’t have a tank this close to the hotel.
The thought sends a shiver through me. The sea still holds some of our world’s greatest undiscovered secrets. And the preparation that would have to go into housing and caring for even the smaller water creatures would be enormous.
I lean against the balcony railing, looking out at the park as it starts to wake up.
There’s a giant crane positioned to the right, dangling pieces of what looks like a monorail track half assembled high above the water. Will it run through the entire park? You’d be able to see everything and never have to leave your seat.
Across the water lies a series of buildings. I squint in the rapidly spreading sunlight, trying to make out any signs, but it’s too far. Those must be the shops and restaurants….At the center is a pyramid-shaped building that looks almost like a miniature volcano.
My eye is drawn to a nondescript gray building set beyond the others, away from the main thoroughfare, lodged deep in the slope of the mountain behind it.
That’s where the magic happens. Where the science is. The command center. The beating heart of Jurassic World.
“Morning,” Tanya mumbles behind me, coming to stand by my side. “This is…Wow. Will the monorail travel through the entire park?”
“I think so,” I say.
“Too bad construction isn’t done yet,” she says. “It’d be neat to be one of the first people to ride it.” Her alarm clock goes off, and she looks over her shoulder and groans. “Guess we should get ready. You want to shower first?”
“Go ahead,” I tell her. “I want to check my email, make sure my parents know I got here okay.”
She disappears into the bathroom, and as I hear the water turn on and her start to sing, I open my laptop. Mom’s written me back, signing it from both her and Dad—that’s a good sign about them, right?
Karen, probably tapped out from wrestling Zach into his bath, sent just a short note: So glad you got there safe. Sally is doing great. Zach is taking his job of remembering when feeding time is (and don’t worry, I’m doing the actual feeding) very seriously. Dad took Earhart to the dog park for over two hours yesterday and he’s talking about taking her fishing. Don’t worry about your pets. Fo
cus on your internship! NOW GO HAVE FUN!!
I pick up my tablet from the bedside table and tap through it, getting a feel for how it works. Our itinerary for today springs up on the calendar page, and I check the time—we’re due down for breakfast in forty minutes.
Tanya finishes up and I jump in the shower, making sure to slather myself with sunscreen after I get out and dry off. I shove a tube of it in my bag for later.
“I’m starving,” Tanya says as we grab our stuff and head out of the room.
“I need about a gallon of coffee.” We walk down the hallway to the elevators and press the down button.
“Hopefully they have good tea here,” Tanya says. “But if they don’t, I’m prepared.” She pats her fringed black bag. “In this coffee drinker’s world, I’ll go to any extremes to get my tea.”
“How did you survive freshman year without coffee?” I ask, baffled, as we take the elevator down and step out into the lobby. The hotel isn’t full, but there are signs of life all over, from the people manning the desks up front to the workers hanging the antique lithographs featuring different dinosaurs.
Tanya waves when she spots Ronnie standing near the stairs. “Some tea has more caffeine than coffee!”
I shake my head solemnly. “Not the same,” I insist.
“Morning,” Ronnie calls, walking up to us. “Is your room as nice as ours?”
“Did you check out the balcony?” Tanya asks. “And the tablets!”
“They’re spoiling us,” Ronnie says with a grin.
We follow the Bright Minds signs to one of the conference rooms, where a breakfast buffet is set out. There’s a big WELCOME, BRIGHT MINDS INTERNS! banner strung across the front of the room, and the smell of sausage and pancakes makes my stomach rumble.
The three of us load up our plates and take a table up front as more people trickle in. Eric and Justin join us, along with a handsome black boy who introduces himself as Art, Justin’s roommate.
“I got stuck with Wyatt as my roommate,” Eric says as he sits down next to his sister.
“Uh-oh,” Tanya says.
