Jurassic Park Read online

  Alan jumped the last few feet. Then he saw something that made him stop in his tracks. “Oh my,” he said in surprise. He crouched down and picked it up. Tim landed next to him, and Lex came over, too.

  “What is it?” asked Tim. Alan was holding a thin piece of white shell.

  “It’s a dinosaur egg,” Alan said. Part of him couldn’t believe it. But another part wasn’t surprised at all. “The dinosaurs are breeding.” Right in front of him was a whole group of eggs that were already hatched.

  “But my grandpa said all the dinosaurs are girls!” exclaimed Tim.

  “He also said scientists changed the dinosaurs’ genetic code. They blended it with frog DNA,” Alan explained. “And some West African frogs can change sex when there are only male or females around. That way they’re able to breed.” Alan shook his head. Ian was right. Life found a way.

  The sun was just coming up, and Ian, Ellie, and Muldoon were safely back at the control room. Ray Arnold was hunched over his computer, where he’d been all night. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t fix the security systems. Dennis Nedry’s commands were too complicated.

  “I can’t get Jurassic Park back online,” he finally admitted to Mr. Hammond.

  “We’ll have to shut down the entire system,” Mr. Hammond said. “That will wipe out everything Nedry did. Then we can turn everything back on. The systems will be back to normal. The fences, the phones—everything will be working. And then we can locate Alan and my grandkids.”

  Ellie, Muldoon, and Ian listened closely. Shutting down the system would turn everything off. No lights. No computers. And what if the system didn’t come back on? Then they’d really be sunk. There’d be no chance of survival at all.

  Ray Arnold hated to do it. But he also knew he had no choice. He walked over to a red metal box on a wall. He took a key from his belt and unlocked the panel.

  Inside was a row of switches. One by one, Ray Arnold flipped them off. “You asked for it,” he said. And he pulled the final switch.

  Every computer and every light shut off. They were in near darkness. Seconds ticked by. Then Arnold flipped the switches back on. Nothing happened.

  For a moment Arnold was too panicked to move. Then he raced over to the main computer. “It’s okay!” he shouted. The screen was glowing. A minute later two words appeared: SYSTEM READY.

  “But the lights are still out,” said Ian, confused.

  “The shutdown turned off the circuit breakers,” Arnold explained. “We just have to turn them back on. Then all the systems will come back. The circuit box is in the maintenance shed. That’s on the other side of the main compound. I’ll go. In three minutes, the entire park will be under control.”

  Arnold hurried out of the control room. Ellie and the others followed, carrying Ian on a stretcher. They were going to an underground shelter across from the Visitor’s Center.

  “Muldoon,” Mr. Hammond ordered. “Round up any staff members who are still on the island and bring them over, too.”

  Mr. Hammond thought everyone would be safer in the shelter. But even he knew it wasn’t dinosaur-proof.

  All morning long, Alan, Tim, and Lex tramped through the jungle. At last Alan let them rest.

  “The Visitor’s Center should be just a mile from here. If we—” Alan stopped talking. A strange animal cry echoed through the jungle. Then the ground began to shake. Alan, squinting into the distance, could only make out shapes. But the shapes were coming closer. And seconds later, Alan realized what was happening. Dozens of dinosaurs were running. It was a stampede!

  “They’re just like a flock of birds,” said Alan, “running away from an enemy!”

  Then they heard another cry. ROAR! It was the Tyrannosaurus. But where was it? The sound seemed to come from everywhere at once.

  Suddenly the dinosaur herd changed direction. Now it was heading straight for Alan, Tim, and Lex!

  Quickly they ran for the cover of the jungle. But the dinosaurs began to run faster and faster. Alan knew they’d never make it. He pulled the kids under a mass of giant tree roots. They hid just in time. A second later, the herd thundered above their heads. They could see clawed feet through the roots. The dinosaurs were running for the jungle.

  ROAR! The T. rex burst out from behind the trees. It had been in the jungle all along! And now it stood in front of the herd.

  The dinosaurs scattered. But the Tyrannosaurus was already on top of them. With a mighty roar it sank its teeth into the closest dinosaur.

  Tim and Alan watched, fascinated. But Lex knew this was the time to leave—while the T. rex was busy. “Come on, you guys!” she said.

  They ran toward the Visitor’s Center.

  The underground shelter was hot and crowded. And, like the rest of the park, it was unfinished. Ellie paced back and forth as best she could among crates and ladders. She was waiting with Mr. Hammond, Ian, Muldoon, and the other Jurassic Park employees for Ray Arnold to return.

  “Something went wrong,” she said after a while. “I’m going to get the power back on.”

  “I’ll ride shotgun,” offered Muldoon.

  Everyone sprang into action. Muldoon hurried over to a steel cabinet. Inside were various guns, rockets, and other weapons. Muldoon took the biggest gun he could find and quickly loaded it with bullets. In another corner of the shelter, Mr. Hammond unearthed a set of blueprints. He pulled out a map of the maintenance shed. Then, with Ian at his side, he pored over it inch by inch, trying to find the circuit box. Meanwhile, Ellie grabbed a flashlight from an open crate. Right next to it was a walkie-talkie set. She tossed one to Mr. Hammond.

  “Think you can read that map and talk us through the shed?” she asked.

  “Absolutely,” he said.

  Seconds later, they were ready.

  Alan, Lex, and Tim trudged down the last hill before the Visitor’s Center. They were exhausted. And there, right in front of them, was an incredibly high fence. It was the fence that protected the main compound. They were so close, but so tired. Tim and Lex collapsed on the ground.

  “Power’s still out,” Alan said, poking the fence with a stick. “It’s a big climb, though. Think you can make it?”

  “Nope,” said Tim.

  “Way too high,” said Lex.

  The Tyrannosaurus roared in the distance. Tim and Lex leaped to their feet, ready to climb.

  To get to the maintenance shed, Ellie and Muldoon had to cross the compound. That meant skirting the jungle—and walking past the Raptor pen. They stepped onto the path.

  “Keep moving,” Muldoon whispered as they approached the pen.

  Ellie kept walking. But as she drew close to the Raptor pen, her heart beat faster. She looked at the fence that surrounded it.

  “Oh God,” she said.

  There was a hole in the fence. A hole large enough for an animal to slip through. And Ellie knew what that meant. The Raptors were out!

  Then Ellie saw the shed. “We can make it if we run,” she said.

  “No, we can’t. We’re being hunted.” Muldoon nodded toward the jungle.

  Ellie saw the shadow of an animal creeping through the palm trees. It was a Raptor.

  “Run to the shed,” Muldoon ordered, raising his rifle. “I’ll take care of it.”

  Ellie hopped over branches. She sprinted across open spaces. She didn’t look back. At last she was there. She threw open the door and slammed it behind her.

  “I’m in,” Ellie said, speaking into the walkie-talkie.

  “Okay,” Mr. Hammond answered. He and Ian began to direct her: down a metal staircase and through a passageway, until she reached a big metal box. Ellie found it. Then, listening to Mr. Hammond, she opened the door. Inside was a handle. Ellie pumped it. Next she pressed a series of buttons.

  “The buttons turn on the park systems,” Mr. Hammond was saying. “Activate the
m all!”

  The last one was marked COMPOUND FENCE.

  Alan climbed the fence faster than the kids. He was already on the ground when he saw the warning light flash on a fence post. The power was about to go on. And Lex and Tim were at the top!

  “Get off the fence,” Alan shouted. “Now!”

  Quickly Lex scrambled down. But Tim froze with fear. He was too terrified to climb down. The light flashed quicker and quicker.

  “Let go, Tim!” Alan cried.

  Suddenly there was a loud buzz. The fence hummed as a current ran through it. It was electrified!

  Tim shook violently. Then he was thrown to the ground.

  Alan and Lex raced over. Tim’s face was white. His hands were burned a bright red. But worst of all, he wasn’t breathing.

  “Oh no! He’s dead! He’s dead!” Lex cried out.

  Alan ripped Tim’s shirt open. He pressed down on his chest, performing CPR. “Come on, Timmy,” he said. Then he breathed into Tim’s mouth.

  “Ahhh!” Tim gasped as he came to.

  “Timmy!” Lex shouted happily. He was still in a daze. But he was going to be all right. Alan carefully wrapped Tim’s hands with pieces of his shirt. Then he and Lex helped Tim over to the Visitor’s Center.

  Lights flickered on in the maintenance shed, and Ellie blinked in the sudden brightness. Then she saw the Raptor.

  It was behind the circuit box. For a second, it just looked at her. Then it slashed out. Ellie stepped back just in time. But now something was brushing her shoulder. It was an arm—Ray Arnold’s arm. He was dead, stuck behind a tangle of pipes. Ellie didn’t stay for a closer look. The Raptor was about to spring.

  She took off, running down the passageway. But the Raptor was close behind. She could hear its sharp claws clicking against the floor. It drew closer…and closer. When Ellie reached the door, she was just one step ahead of the Raptor. Flinging the door open, she spun around and slammed it shut. Ellie took a deep breath. She was outside. Better yet, the Raptor was inside. Trapped.

  Muldoon stole quietly through the jungle. He could barely see the gray Raptor through the leaves. But the Raptor was moving deeper into the jungle. And so was Muldoon.

  Suddenly the Raptor stopped. It rose to its full height.

  “Gotcha!” said Muldoon, about to pull the trigger.

  Then he paused. The Raptor was the perfect target. Too perfect. Was this a setup? Those were Muldoon’s last thoughts.

  Another Raptor pounced from behind.

  The Visitor’s Center was deserted. Chairs were turned over. Signs were on the floor. Branches poked through the windows. It looked like the jungle had taken over.

  Alan led Lex and Tim into the restaurant.

  “I need to find the others,” he said. “And Tim needs a doctor. Will you take care of him for me, Lex?”

  Lex nodded, her eyes wide. She was terrified.

  Tim’s hair was wild from the shock of electricity. Alan looked at him a moment. Then he smoothed it down.

  “Big Tim, the human piece of toast,” he said softly.

  Tim gave a weak laugh. Quickly, before he could change his mind, Alan kissed Tim and Lex on the foreheads. Then he made his way across the restaurant.

  “Be right back,” he said, walking out the door.

  For a moment, Lex was at a loss. What should they do next?

  “Are you hungry, Timmy?” She went to the food counter and started loading things onto a tray. Suddenly she froze.

  “Something’s here,” she whispered. Through the restaurant window they could see into the lobby. There was a life-size picture of a Raptor. And right next to it was a real one!

  “Can you run, Tim?” she asked.

  “I don’t think so,” he answered faintly.

  Lex pulled Tim to his feet. Throwing his arm over her shoulder, she helped him to the kitchen. As quietly as she could, she shut the shiny metal door. There was no lock. Then she led Tim down an aisle to the back of the room. They tried to hide behind a counter.

  All at once they saw the Raptor’s head. It was peering at them through the round window of the kitchen door. Bang! The Raptor thumped against the metal. The door didn’t budge.

  The Raptor looked at the door handle. It was figuring out how it worked! Slowly, it reached out its clawed hand. Inside the kitchen, Lex and Tim stared. The handle was turning.

  The door opened.

  The Raptor stood framed in the doorway. Drawing itself up to its full height, it snarled. Then it moved into the room. But it wasn’t alone. Right behind it was another Raptor. They both paused, sniffing the air.

  The first Raptor went down one aisle. The other Raptor chose a different one. Tim and Lex crawled down the third aisle—the center one—in the opposite direction. They were heading for the door. But first, they had to get past the Raptors. And ordinary kitchen counters were the only things between Lex and Tim, and the dinosaurs.

  Tim and Lex moved toward the door. Just as they passed the Raptors, one of the dinosaurs turned and knocked pots and pans off the counter—right on the kids’ heads. Somehow, Tim and Lex managed to keep quiet. Lex kept crawling, but Tim was falling behind—and Lex didn’t realize it.

  Exhausted, Tim brushed up against some pots and they clattered to the ground. Hearing the noise, the Raptors stopped. Then they turned and headed for Tim.

  Click, click. Suddenly there was another noise. It was coming from the other end of the aisle. The Raptors turned again. It was Lex, tapping a spoon on the floor. They began to move toward her. Quickly Lex slid into a steel cabinet. She tried to pull down the shiny sliding door, but it was stuck. And the Raptors were coming closer.

  Tim, meanwhile, spotted a walk-in freezer. If he could just get inside! Using all his strength, he pulled himself up. Then he limped toward the freezer. But one Raptor saw Tim moving and headed his way.

  Now one Raptor was closing in on Lex, the other on Timmy.

  The Raptors pounced at the same time. But instead of striking Lex, the Raptor went for her reflection on a shiny cabinet door. Thud! It hit the cabinet hard and fell to the ground.

  Tim made it to the freezer. He ripped the door open and stumbled inside. The floor was icy. So icy, Tim went sliding across the floor. The Raptor was just behind him and skidded, too—right past Tim.

  There was a moment of confusion in the freezer and Tim saw his chance to escape. He hurried out the door, the Raptor at his heels. Slam! Lex flung the door closed just in time. The Raptor was trapped inside.

  Lex looked at the other Raptor. It was getting to its feet. She threw her arm around Tim, and together they raced into the hallway. Suddenly dark shapes loomed in front of them. But they couldn’t stop running. Crash! They careened into the figures and fell to the ground. A second later they were yanked to their feet.

  It was Alan and Ellie.

  “Let’s go!” said Alan.

  Alan, Ellie, Lex, and Tim raced to the control room. Alan made sure Tim was okay. Then he ran back to lock the door.

  “Hey. The door doesn’t lock,” Alan said. “The computer has to give the signal.”

  Ellie was studying the flashing computer screen. “We have to turn on the programs,” she explained.

  Bang! A snarling Raptor hit the door. Alan pushed back, trying to keep it out. Bang! The Raptor tried again. The door gave way—a little. Alan couldn’t hold it by himself. Ellie ran over to help. But even two people couldn’t keep it shut for long.

  Lex slid into the command chair at the computer. Her fingers flew over the keyboard. Where was that door lock command? At last she found it. There was a beep, a buzz, and the lock clicked shut. The Raptor was locked outside.

  Ellie joined Lex at the main computer. They put their heads together. Minutes later, they had all the park systems running. At last! Jurassic Park was under control. Meanwhile, Alan phoned the u
nderground shelter.

  “The kids are fine,” he told Mr. Hammond. “And we’ve got everything back on. You can call the mainland for help.”

  Suddenly there was a scream and Alan dropped the phone. The Raptor was at the window.

  “Quick!” said Alan. “The ceiling.” He ushered everyone up a ladder and Ellie moved aside a ceiling panel.

  Then she, Lex, and Tim pulled themselves up into the crawl space. Alan was about to follow when the Raptor hurled itself into the room, shattering the glass into little pieces. Without a moment to lose, Alan swung through the open panel. He caught up to the others and they ran across the ceiling—panel by panel—with Alan helping Tim along.

  But the Raptor saw the ceiling move beneath them. It leapt up high, smashing through the panel in front of Ellie. For a second the Raptor hung suspended in air, snapping and snarling. Then it fell to the floor. Alan motioned everyone to keep moving.

  Seconds later, the Raptor broke through the ceiling again. This time, it struck the panel Lex was on.

  “Ahh!” she screamed.

  Lex was lifted up, right on the Raptor’s head! Alan kicked at its neck. It snapped back and dropped to the ground. Lex was falling, too. Just in time, Alan caught her by the shirt. She dangled for a second. Then Alan pulled her into the ceiling.

  “Into the air duct!” Alan shouted.

  Metal boomed all around as they raced through the duct. They were safe for the moment. But they had to get down to escape. Finally they came to a metal grating above the Visitor’s Center lobby. Looking down, they could see the dinosaur skeletons and the scaffolding.

  “Let’s go through here!” said Alan, lifting out the grating. Everyone dropped onto the scaffolding. It was too high to jump to the ground. There was only one thing to do.

  Alan stepped onto the Brachiosaurus skeleton. Would it hold his weight? Yes, and it seemed strong enough to hold more. The anchor bolts in the ceiling were keeping the skeleton firmly in place.