The morning heat showed up early on Isla Nublar today, sticking to my neck like a wet scarf as I stepped outside.
Mist hung over the trees, but the jungle was already alive with sounds, birds, bugs, everything
Carlos was already there, crouched beside a tablet on a folding table outside the control center, a line of digital blueprints projected in front of him.
"Did you sleep?" I asked, eyeing the two empty energy drink cans near his boots.
"I tried, even laid down. Didn't like it though. on the other side, my Brain kept firing all night and I ended up with some building ideas," he said, not looking up.
"Come here."
I joined him, and two of his junior engineers drifted in behind us, Marisol, his terrain analyst, and Denny, a tall guy with a nervous laugh who seemed more comfortable talking to tablets than humans.
Carlos jabbed a finger at the hologram. "We connect the monorail station to the control center first. That's the artery. Visitors, personnel, cargo. We can't even get clean coffee without that running."
He traced a green line on the map, cutting across a natural slope, threading through a grove of tall trees that dipped into a shallow valley.
"There's a pond here," Carlos said, zooming in. "Rain-fed, its Clear and not too deep. Looks natural and Real scenic.
You sure you don't want to build a luxury spa on it instead?"
"Tempting," I said. "But we're not ready for tourists. That pond's our centerpiece for the staff"
He raised an eyebrow.
"We build a walking path around it," I continued. "All the way around. Keep it natural-looking, smooth curves, benches maybe.
Then put the Expedition Center right here, southwest side, closest to the logistics zone."
Carlos tilted his head, considering. "Expedition Center. That's for fossil ops?"
"Right. We'll be coordinating global dig teams from it. Satellite uplinks, artifact storage, specimen prep. It's the brain of our genetics pipeline."
"Okay. Reinforced foundation, server insulation, long-range uplink. We'll need fiber and cooling." He turned to Marisol. "How's the soil?"
Marisol was already scrolling. "Slight slope, but solid. We clear about twenty meters of trees, reinforce the bank a little. No marsh risk."
"Perfect," Carlos said, then turned to me again. "What about power?"
"We'll need a backup fuel generator," I said. "Right next to the Expedition Center, but not too close. Enough distance for safety. I want everything backed up off-grid. No excuses."
Carlos nodded. "hmm for that I got just the spot, we have a natural rock face on the south end. Easy to ventilate, and the terrain'll help shield noise of the gen."
"Good," I said. "Now put two Science Centers on the opposite side of the pond. North and east. Give them a clean view of the water.
Build them far enough apart so my researchers don't kill each other, unless you want the first exhibit to be 'Passive-Aggressive Primates in Lab Coats.'"
Carlos cracked a grin. "So, We rotating teams?"
"Eventually. For now, they'll focus on genetics, ecosystems, and animal behavior. Different specialties. Different egos."
He turned to Denny. "Get started on soil flags for the science pods. Use low-impact footprint bases. Bring in the prefab designers by tomorrow."
Denny gave a quick thumbs-up and wandered off already talking into his headset.
We walked a few steps closer to the pond. It was beautiful, Still and Surrounded by reeds, a few yellow flowers poking out from the brush, dragonflies hovering like tiny drones.
"I like it here," I said quietly.
Carlos nodded, and for a moment, we just stood there, listening to the jungle breathe.
Then he muttered, "Bet the bugs love it too."
From behind us, Maya called out. "Tell them to submit a union request."
I sighed. "We're never living that down, are we?"
"Nope," Carlos said, smirking.
Carlos clapped his hands once. "Alright, crew's on it. By the end of the week, you'll have a working ops ring around that pond. Expedition Center, Science Hubs, backup gen, and the main artery path."
"Good," I said. "Because the science team's arriving in forty-eight hours."
Carlos blinked. "You do realize nothing is actually built yet?"
"I do," I said, patting his shoulder. "Which is why I believe in you."
He stared at me, deadpan. "That's manipulative."
"I know," I grinned. "Now get to work."
The week passed in a blur of foundation noise and generator hum.
By the time I returned to the pond, everything had shape.
Poured concrete paths curved like riverbanks around the water's edge, wrapped in fresh gravel and trimmed brush.
The Expedition Center stood proud, clean lines, glass walls, and antenna arrays blinking quietly atop the roof.
The science centers flanked the north and east sides like observant siblings, still new enough to smell like industrial sealant.
I stood with a coffee in hand, admiring the layout, when I heard the click of shoes behind me.
"Still think we should've built a greenhouse first," came a voice with the soft cadence of Beirut French.
I turned and smiled. Dr. Kamal Ghaddar stood beside me, sleeves rolled to his elbows, tablet under one arm.
"Kamal," I said. "How's the lab?"
"Under-budget, somehow," he said, a little pleased. "And I only had to threaten Carlos twice."
He glanced toward the Science Center's north wing. "You gave us a proper facility. That's rare. I appreciate it."
"You'll be getting a lot more," I said. "We're building this whole thing around your department."
Behind him came Jia Xu, holding two datapads and a look of focused excitement.
"Mr. Masrani!" she said, breathless. "We just got a ping from the Mongolian uplink."
Kamal raised an eyebrow. "Already?"
Jia nodded, flipping her screen toward us. A digital map pulsed with a red dot in the Gobi Desert. She tapped again.
A 3D scan emerged, a partial skeleton embedded in dry rock, its long slender limbs unmistakable.
"Gallimimus," she said, trying and failing to suppress a grin. "Almost complete femur and pelvic structure. It's clean."
Kamal gave a soft whistle. "If it's that intact, we can run a full genome pass. At least 60% coverage."
"Seventy-two," Jia said, with a grin. "Preliminary sample scan just came in. Field sensors say the fossils are dry, untouched. No fungal contamination."
I looked from one to the other. "So... when do we leave?"
Kamal blinked. "You want to go to Mongolia?"
I shrugged. "I've never seen a dinosaur get dug out of the ground. Thought I'd tag along."
Jia's jaw dropped a little. "Wait, you're serious?"
"Why not?" I said. "It's my park. I want to see where the bones come from before we turn them into assets, and you would be joining us as well right Kamal"
Kamal frowned slightly. "I won't be going, of course. Field recovery's not my domain."
I raised an eyebrow. "You're not curious to see it firsthand?"
"Oh, I'm curious," he said dryly. "But I'm more useful here, prepping the lab for genome sequencing and asset modeling. You don't want me anywhere near pickaxes."
Jia stepped forward, already energized. "I'll lead the trip. I've got the dig permits, and the team's on standby in Ulaanbaatar. We can be at the site by dawn if we leave tonight."
"Then let's pack," I said. "Bring extra water."
[Three Days Later – Expedition Center, Isla Nublar]
The crate was sealed in nitrogen and handled like it was filled with gold.
Jia walked alongside it as the hover-loader rolled it down the docking bay platform into the prep room.
"Condition's stable," she said to Kamal, watching the monitors. "No microfractures. We kept temp and humidity locked the whole trip."
Carlos stood nearby, watching skeptically. "This what a million-dollar bone looks like?"
"Closer to two-point-five," Kamal said, dryly. "If we're being honest."
The crate opened with a hiss of cold vapor, revealing the long sweep of Gallimimus femur and pelvis, curled like a fossilized comma.
I stepped into the room behind them, glancing at the fossil.
It wasn't a skeleton.
It was a key.
"Let's begin sequencing," I said.
New Characters Introduced:
Marisol Viteri – Terrain and Environmental Analyst
Ecuadorian, mid-30s, precise and no-nonsense. Handles terrain stability, vegetation analysis, and sustainable building layouts.
Denny Hsu – Construction Systems Coordinator
Young, awkward, great with tech and drone surveying. He's Carlos's right hand for digital planning and prefabrication logistics.