December 15th, 1993

"Remind me again why we are spending our winter break from that harpy of a tutor in San Diego, and not the beaches of San Diego?"

Robert Hammond pinched the ridge of his nose. A few months of schooling privately in London should have been a simple thing. One flight across the Atlantic, a few months getting an education from a few old professors of his mother's and then back to the eternal grind that was running a dinosaur park. Simple, right?

"Isaac for the last time, we need to be here for the meeting." Robert stressed the importance as best he could, truly he did, but Isaac seemed to fail in seeing the bigger picture sometimes. Ironic given he was a business major. "Look, this should be quick and easy, then you can go to the cold beaches and ogle the seals. Should have the same effect as regular women if you just imagine you are a hungry shark on land or something."

"Not even on your best day would that ever be funny or make sense."

"Will you just hurry up and move? Meeting is in five, and I would like to not be the last one there."

"Well, it would be a lot faster if this were a movie theater or, I don't know, not a business meeting? Do we even know who is supposed to be there?"

Robert sighed "You, me, my grandfather, and a few experts both new and old." The pair came to a set of mahogany doors. John Hammond may have been getting on in years and Ingen may have cut him loose, but he still had his own residence and quite the extensive catalog of resources at his disposal. "We are here."

Isaac Clement assumed that any 'business meeting' would involve old dudes in suits talking about profits, expenses and generally saying and doing nothing to help whatever the problem was. When he walked through those doors, he naturally found John Hammond easily enough but that was the only thing that was as expected. What he and Robert found was something much different than either of their initial thoughts. The large wooden table in the center of the room had plenty of seating, and more than enough people as it was to entertain. He recognized a forty something year old man dressed in black and looking more like a rockstar than anyone of a 'respectable' profession as his old man would put it. That was Dr Ian Malcom, chaotician, likely crazy, and a lot more interesting than a boardroom meeting.

"Well, well, you're hiring kids now John?" The good doctor speaks up from his chair, his ever present frown twitching upwards briefly "That's uh…I want to say 'dangerous' but we've all seen what dangerous really is."

Robert Hammond scanned the room. He recognized the technician Ray Arnold, a lit cigarette in hand, his grandfather's favorite game warden Robert Muldoon with his hat on his lap by the old man's side, as well as the three doctors in the room. Ian Malcolm, as unpredictable and strange as in his lectures, Ellie Sattler, the leading figure of a paleobotany field that was only just now gaining some traction; and of course, Alan Grant, the paleontologist that he and Tim never shut up about as kids to John. Granted, Tim was still a child but the love for the man's work had been well ingrained in his head.

"I don't suppose we should point out the obvious elephant in the room…right?"

Robert rolled his eyes "I don't think now is the time for that comment Isaac."

"But later, definitely later, right?"

"If young Isaac is finished trying to provoke our resident rockstar," there was a glint of mischief in the old man's eyes as he spoke "I believe we are almost ready to begin this meeting."

"Begin?" Dr Grant looked puzzled as he gestured at three empty seats at the table "We are short a few people John."

"Correct, but rest assured they will be here shortly. Just a few minutes more is all that I ask."

"A few minutes he says; you know John I'm starting to think that you did learn something about being prepared."

Isaac looked ready to jump up and continue Ian's verbal jabs at the old man. Was it childish? Naturally. Did Isaac care? Not in the slightest. It was only due to Robert having a hand on his shoulder that he didn't actually get out of his seat. The doors opening again may have also helped things a little bit. Isaac could clearly see three new faces joining their numbers, one white, one black, one of Indian descent…he blinked, rubbing his side discreetly, eyes cutting to Robert who just shook his head.

"Ah, good, now we are all here." John smiled as he stood, ushering the newcomers to take a seat "Any complications young Cabot?"

"No sir," Cabot, a relatively young man though Robert and Isaac were sure that he was older than them by a few years. "I did exactly as you asked and with quite the satisfying results if I may say so myself."

"Good, very good," Robert watched his grandfather sit back down, his signature cane by his side "Now then…to business. As I am sure you are all aware, InGen has seen fit to…replace me. Effective immediately in fact. As for why I have asked you all to come here, though some required more convincing than others, was for a…well, a 'business venture' is one way of looking at it but I believe the real mind behind this would use something a little more…relatable? Is that the word, young Isaac?"

Isaac brought his hands up "Don't be looking at me, I'm just the friend of the guy in charge, not the actual brains of the operation."

"Hmm yes, you have a uh…remarkable way with words there Isaac." Isaac gave the older chaotician a pointed look "But uh, what I want to know, and everyone wants to know is how can you guarantee that the problems of the last island won't happen again?"

Ian shrugged when he received several mixed reactions to his question ranging from confusion to incredulity.

"What? John knows that none of us are going to sign off on his scheme this time around without convincing, and from the looks of it the new kids don't know every detail either."

Robert and John shared a look. The younger Hammond sighs as he stands up, getting all eyes on him now "Dr Malcom, I understand your concerns; believe me when I say that what happened was a horrible accident."

"Accident?" the biting tone of Dr Grant cut him off "An 'accident'? Is that all it was? I would assume that the loss of a few dozen lives, potentially even more had things been different, would be more than just an 'accident' especially here, when you are trying to start over and get us on board."

"Accident is what it is, Dr Grant. I've read the reports, I have listened as my younger siblings cried themselves to sleep because of the nightmares. Because of what they went through, what they saw, what they heard…that is why I want to do this properly. No cut corners. No greed. No excuses." Robert looked the older man in the eyes, daring him to challenge him "Whether or not you all agree matters little in the end. If you all decide to not hear us out here and now, if you all choose to leave this buried in the past then we shall abandon it but understand that someone else will try where we failed. And they won't be asking the experts, they'll ask anyone willing to cut down their price and that can get the job done enough to be profitable."

"Kid's got a backbone at the least, I'll give him that." the dark skinned man beside Cabot spoke up with a gruff chuckle.

"I say we hear him out." Robert felt himself calming down now. Muldoon was a trusted employee for his grandfather, and a man who had his respect as well "The boy is right, what happened on Nublar was an accident. We all signed the waivers, we knew the risks, but we didn't expect that one of our own would turn traitor and nearly get us all killed now did we? I say that we hear him out, let him say his piece and then we can decide for ourselves on what to do."

"Thank you," Muldoon gave the kid a simple curt nod of his head "As I was saying…the events of Isla Nublar were an accident, wholly avoidable had corners not been cut and the proper precautions been taken. Just so there is no confusion as to what we intend to do here…we hope to revive Jurassic Park, properly this time, and bring these creatures back into the spotlight as it were for the world to see. Not to be abused by greedy corporations or to prance about for the military or whoever else might take an interest. And yes, Dr Malcom, I have read your book cover to cover and thought about every possible outcome as far as interested parties go."

Ian looked impressed, or as impressed as a sarcastic professor could look "John…I'll admit I was skeptical of the park at first, and rightfully so! However, you have someone here who seems interested in not making a mistake. Where'd you find him?"

"If we can try to stay on track here, Doctor, that would be appreciated." The chaotician brought his hands up in surrender "Each of you has a skill set that would be beneficial in this endeavor. Mr. Arnold and Mr. Muldoon of course are experts in their own field and already have experience with what the Park would require. Dr Sattler, should she agree, would be our botanist and of course have final say in any and all plant life introduced to the islands and altered for the animals environmental needs. Dr Grant, as paleontologists go you are both a favorite of my younger brother and myself however it is your knowledge and care for the fossils you dig up that makes you our first choice; your job would be to dig up the fossils and amber so that we can extract the DNA and thus bring these animals back to life." Robert gestured at the three new faces with a touch of uncertainty on his face "I don't quite know what you three can bring to the table, but every bit of help would be appreciated."

"Modest, intelligent, and not above asking for help? Are we sure that the kid is actually a Hammond?"

Isaac chuckled as he noticed a twitch in his best friend's brow as the chaotician kept making his comments.

"Well, I think that is where I come in," Cabot chuckled as he stood up "First up, my name is Cabot Finch, I am a businessman primarily which is why Mr. Hammond brought me on to handle the finances of the park once its up and running of course. Until then, I handle the recruitment and scouting of potential employees such as these two beside me."

Robert observes the two. The dark-skinned man seems professional enough, carries himself like Muldoon does, potentially he might have some training. The young woman however looks a little nervous, but nonetheless she carries herself with some pride.

"The man beside me is George Lambert; he comes highly recommended from his superiors in the military, two tours, and a trained sniper. Perfect for our Security Division."

"Division you say?" Muldoon frowned at Cabot "You expect me to believe, military or not, that he knows anything about what these animals can do?"

"I…I never said that," Cabot chuckles nervously "Mr. Muldoon, sir, I was made aware of your record as a Game Warden in Kenya ad your experience and recommendations regarding the dinosaurs, no one is trying to replace you but Mr Lambert is…"

"Able to speak for himself, thank you Cabot." Lambert turns his gaze to Muldoon "I'll overlook the incredulity of your comments for now. My job here is to be part of the Security Team. I'm trained as a sniper, my record speaks for itself, but ultimately my job is the protection of the people and the dinosaurs themselves. If you have a problem with me, sir, after seeing how I operate on the job then that's fine. I'll resign and return my last paycheck right then and there."

Muldoon gives a short nod, his arms crossed as he eyes Lambert up "Tell me something, will you be making judgment calls based on that paycheck, or will you make the calls based on the situation at hand?"

"Always the situation sir, money can be earned any time but once a life is lost it won't come back again."

Robert quirked a brow as Muldoon looked to him and gave a single nod of respect. It looks like George Lambert was in.

"Right…uh…well, the young lady here is Kajal Dua. She actually is somewhat of a genius prodigy, graduated early from MIT in fact, and is quite gifted when it comes to genetic research and know-how. Seeing as Doctor Wu is no longer available for whatever reason, I think she could be good as part of our Science Division."

"MIT?" Dr. Grant looks curious now, sharing a glance with Ellie "So you managed to get through Highschool…and then college, all within…roughly a year of eachother, while doing courses for both at the same time?"

"For the most part…sorry Dr. Grant, but when I went to school, I had read up on bot you and Dr. Sattler at length," she admits shyly "I had not expected when Cabot approached me that I would be working alongside either of you or Dr. Malcom as well."

Ian waved her off with a friendly smile. He liked the energy, that authentic awe and shyness, but when it came to this idea and those animals, he had his doubts. "Don't worry about that. But uh…maybe you could tell us just why you are here? Georgie here makes sense given his, um, background. But you? You are a little young for this don't you think?"

"Admittedly I am young, no younger than Isaac or the young Mr. Hammond are, but I know my stuff, and of course I will take whatever you say into consideration if not outright."

Ian smirked "Well…I'm not completely convinced this will work out John. But…but I think this might have some merit to it. No cut corners, no lazy programmers, and no corporations trying to take over?"

Robert nods his head "Right on all counts. The Hammond Foundation will oversee the funding as well as payment for all of you. Sooner we are up and running in some capacity the better, however I will not allow us to hasten our work. These animals, the safety of our guests and staff, it is all equally important to me."

"What Rob is trying to say is…are you in or out Doc?"

"Yes well, I can already tell that Cabot here and his two friends are in…I assume that Muldoon and Arnold are in as well…Dr. Grant? Dr. Sattler? Anything to add in?"

Alan shrugged "I have nothing to add. My digs will be paid for, I get to continue doing what I love and…if it is indeed true what you say about security, I'll have a nice cozy spot to watch these creatures just exist. I could easily say no to this…but something wants me to say yes instead."

Ellie rolls her eyes affectionately "You mean your inner child, Alan, the only child like quality you have is when discussing dinosaurs with anyone."

Alan shrugs while a few chuckles go around the room "What can I say? You can take the paleontologist away from the dinosaurs, but you cant take the dinosaurs away from the paleontologist."

John Hammond smiles, clapping his hands together "Well, now that that has been settled…let's get down to business then, shall we? Mr. Arnold, I trust that you and your team can get the systems for the park up and running in a timely fashion?"

"Without nerdy around to sabotage us at every turn? I think I can get the computers running within a few weeks, least for the visitor center. Programming everything else as it is added in depends on how long the construction takes and then a week or two for our end of things." Ray Arnold gave his boss a smirk "But if you allow us a few extra hands more than we had last time, provided they have been properly vetted too, it could be done much sooner."

"Excellent, excellent, and Robert?"

Muldoon and Robert look up in unison.

"Sorry, Muldoon, not you grandson. Robert, how long would it take you to call up our old security personnel?"

"A week." He says "I'll need more time however to fill in any positions left vacant should they side with Ingen instead of you sir, and there is also someone I want to recruit personally."

"Go on, who is it?"

"He's a big game hunter based in Africa, talented, very skilled marksman and tracker. Best hunter I've ever encountered. Thing is, I've heard recently that he has grown bored with hunting regular animals, man seems almost depressed by it. I wager that if I offer him the chance to be a part of the capture teams we'll have he might jump at the chance to tranquilize a Tyrannosaur."

"Long as he understands that lethal force will be allowed if and when they break out," Ian jests much to Hammonds disapproval "Just saying John, the dinosaurs have a habit of doing just that."

"Your reminder aside…Doctor Sattler, I won't ask how long you'll need for a team as your part of the job will be delayed until we are ready to make even one viable batch of eggs. However, do know that anything you will require shall be provided to you whether it be people or funding for botanical research."

Ellie seemed pleased to hear this while Alan beside her was smirking at the old man.

"And I take it that I will be on call then John? Should you ever require a team of diggers to go out and dig up the next specimen of course."

"Precisely," John smiles "In fact…Cabot? Could you bring me my files? They should be on my desk in my bedroom, please."

Robert watches as Cabot promptly leaves the room. He and Isaac exchange a glance. Just what was the old man up to now?

John smiles warmly as Cabot returns, a folder in hand "Thank you Cabot. Now…the largest issue we face of course is making the dinosaurs themselves. Right now, the only genetic samples we have are all incomplete, and of course top secret. Luckily for us, Ingen has no idea we have them and even if they did it would be a losing battle as at the time of their acquisition they were listed as an asset and thus property of the Hammond Foundation."

"So, what are we looking at exactly?" Isaac questions "What's the damage?"

"I'm getting to that part. The 'damage' as young Isaac so eloquently put it, is that we do not have enough samples nor complete genomes to effectively run the park the way we would want to. Right now, we have only four species in any sort of status to be used."

"Percentages grandpa, what's the percentages?"

"We have roughly twenty-five percent of a T-Rex genome, thirty percent of a brachiosaur, ten percent of a Triceratops and forty percent of the Dryosaurus. As of right now, Dr. Grant, those would be your top priority to dig up."

Alan hums in thought, leaning back in his chair "Not much to work with…and new fossils would just add to the collection of unfinished genomes…well, Hell Creek has plenty of specimens buried deep within it…but that's a lot more than we would be expecting. I could send my team to Morrison…but again there is no promises of an exact find John."

"We understand sir," Robert interjects before his grandfather can respond "We'll ensure your team arrives safely and compensate them for any trouble they encounter. Long as it gets done, we can't really complain."

John nods, watching his grandson step up a little into his new role "Now…next problem on our list. Construction. As of now I have a construction company run by an Eddie Carr on the payroll. He and his men are talented and hardworking, they'll cut no corners and ensure the park is built to our specifications. As for a veterinary team…that has been a little more difficult. Gerry Harding has agreed to return; however, he is a bit concerned about security. So, he will be staying away until the park is ready to receive not only additional staff but the dinosaurs themselves. Surprisingly enough he has only two requests for specific staff members, both of which are his daughters."

"I…I'm sorry, did you say 'daughters' John? As in more than just one?"

"Is that a problem for you Dr Malcom?" Arnold snarks "I thought you could handle a few kids after the last time."

"Hey now, kids I can handle, love kids, but um…by any chance is one of them a Sarah Harding?"

John looked confused. He expected young Cabot or even Ray to figure out who was who in his agenda and information but for Malcom to know…that did not bode well. "She is…she's actually an animal behaviorist, her father recommended her, and his younger daughter Jessica Harding be his assistants at the park once it opens."

"Well…that will be…interesting." Ian says, tugging at his shirt collar "Miss Harding is actually one of my students, granted I should say 'was' since Ingen has tried to keep us all quiet about the incident, and my reputation has been less than stellar at work."

"And here I thought she might be the next 'ex' Mrs. Malcom." Grant jokes lightly.

"Yes, well…no one can predict the future, but for now that is false."

Robert pinched the bridge of his nose. This meeting was starting to drag on. "If that's everything…"

"Quite right," John says "Ladies, gentlemen…I shouldn't have to warn you about how dangerous this line of work will be in the future, nor how groundbreaking it currently is. I expect great things out of all of you and…yes, Dr. Malcom?"

"Uh yeah…what's my role in all of this?" Ian looks around at the others "I mean…you hired experts and professionals in their fields, you already have a yes-man, and a new young boss to run things along with his sidekick…so why am I here?"

"Dr. Malcom, you told me once that life finds a way. You warned us at every opportunity, you predicted trouble would follow us and you were right."

"I…I'm sorry, can you say that again John, I don't think I quite heard you properly?"

"You were right." John admits again with a huff "Honestly…I would offer you a job at the park not to be a direct overseer but to be a voice of reason shall we say, in our young leader's ear. Tell him when you see or sense trouble, tell him when you think something is not possibly a good idea. Keep him grounded in the reality of the moment, not in the awe of it all."

"Right…so I just have to make sure that junior here doesn't do what you did? Sounds simple enough."

"Now…if there is nothing else?" John looks around the room, eyes scanning every face carefully, and narrowing as Isaac opens his mouth to speak before promptly shutting it "I believe we all have work to do, lives to get back to. I'll see you all in a few months for an update. Welcome, to the team."

AN: Ok… probably should explain myself huh? Well…let's see…between funerals, my mother's health almost failing her, and then having five wisdom teeth pulled (seriously y'all, the burger withdrawal over here is real) this kind of took the back burner. That and the Canadian telling me to wait till I had about 10 chapters done before posting even just one. -_- But…depending on how the first one…or two…or however many it turns into goes, she might be right. That is a 'might', not a chance in hell am I saying you were right 100%. Besides, still haven't introduced the bane of my existence yet…so yeah, this is a thing, and I guess I am back? Even got a new story besides this one uploaded as of 10/12/22...which for anyone curious this chapter was finished around then.