Michael Crichton - Jurassic Park

"Hello, this is Grant. Hello."

Lex was leaning forward, peering around the edge of the desk. Grant grabbed her sleeve. "Hey. Stop that."

"Is he dead? What's that stuff on the floor? Blood?"

"Yes."

"How come it isn't real red?"

"You're morbid," Tim said.

"What's 'morbid'? I am not."

The radio crackled. "My God," came a voice. "Grant? Is that you?"

And then: "Alan? Alan?" It was Ellie.

"I'm here," Grant said.

"Thank God," Ellie said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm all right, yes."

"What about the kids? Have you seen them?"

"I have the kids with me," Grant said. "They're okay."

"Thank God."

Lex was crawling around the side of the desk. Grant slapped her ankle. "Get back here."

The radio crackled. "-n where are you?"

"In the lobby. In the lobby of the main building."

Over the radio, he heard Wu say, "My God. They're here."

"Alan, listen," Ellie said. "The raptors have gotten loose. They can open doors. They may be in the same building as you."

"Great. Where are you?" Grant said. "We're in the lodge."

Grant said, "And the others? Muldoon, everybody else?"

"We've lost a few people. But we got everybody else over to the lodge."

"And are the telephones working?"

"No. The whole system is shut off. Nothing works."

'How do we get the system back on?"

"We've been trying."

"We have to get it back on," Grant said, "right away. If we don't, within half an hour the raptors will reach the mainland."

He started to explain about the boat when Muldoon cut him off. "I don't think you understand, Dr. Grant. We haven't got half an hour left, over here."

"How's that?"

"Some of the raptors followed us. We've got two on the roof now."

"So what? The building's impregnable."

Muldoon coughed, "Apparently not. It was never expected that animals would get up on the roof." The radio crackled. "-must have planted a tree too close to the fence. The raptors got over the fence, and onto the roof. Anyway, the steel bars on the skylight are supposed to be electrified, but of course the power's off. They're biting through the bars of the skylight."

Grant said, "Biting through the bars?" He frowned, trying to imagine it, "How fast?"

"Yes," Muldoon said, "they have a bite pressure of fifteen thousand pounds a square inch. They're like hyenas, they can bite through steel and-" The transmission was lost for a moment.

"How fast?" Grant said again.

Muldoon said, "I'd guess we've got another ten, fifteen minutes before they break through completely and come through the skylight into the building. And once they're in… Ah, just a minute, Dr. Grant."

The radio clicked off.

In the skylight above Malcolm's bed, the raptors had chewed through the first of the steel bars. One raptor gripped the end of the bar and tugged, pulling it back. It put its powerful hind limb on the skylight and the glass shattered, glittering down on Malcolm's bed below. Ellie reached over and removed the largest fragments from the sheets.

"God, they're ugly," Malcolm said, looking up.

Now that the glass was broken, they could hear the snorts and snarls of the raptors, the squeal of their teeth on the metal as they chewed the bars. There were silver thinned sections where they had chewed. Foamy saliva spattered onto the sheets, and the bedside table.

"At least they can't get in yet," Ellie said. "Not until they chew through another bar."

Wu said, "If Grant could somehow get to the maintenance shed…"

"Bloody hell," Muldoon said. He limped around the room on his sprained ankle. "He can't get there fast enough. He can't get the power on fast enough. Not to stop this."

Malcolm coughed. "Yes." His voice was soft, almost a wheeze.

"What'd he say?" Muldoon said.

"Yes," Malcolm repeated. "Can…"

"Can what?"

"Distraction…" He winced.

"What kind of a distraction?"

"Go to the fence…"

"Yes? And do what?"

Malcolm grinned weakly. "Stick… your hands through."

"Oh Christ," Muldoon said, turning away.

"Wait a minute," Wu said. "He's right. There are only two raptors here. Which means there are at least four more out there. We could go out and provide a distraction."

"And then what?"

"And then Grant would be free to go to the maintenance building and turn on the generator."

"And then go back to the control room and start up the system?"

"Exactly."

"No time," Muldoon said. "No time."

"But if we can lure the raptors down here," Wu said, "maybe even get them away from that skylight. It might work. Worth a try."

"Bait," Muldoon said.

"Exactly."

"Who's going to be the bait? I'm no good. My ankle's shot."

"I'll do it," Wu said.

"No," Muldoon said. "You're the only one who knows what to do about the computer. You need to talk Grant through the start-up."

"Then I'll do it," Harding said.

"No," Ellie said. "Malcolm needs you. I'll do it."

"Hell, I don't think so," Muldoon said. "You'd have raptors all around you, raptors on the roof… "

But she was already bending over, lacing her running shoes. "Just don't tell Grant," she said. "It'll make him nervous."

The lobby was quiet, chilly fog drifting past them. The radio had been silent for several minutes. Tim said, "Why aren't they talking to us?"

"I'm hungry," Lex said.

"They're trying to plan," Grant said.

The radio crackled. "Grant, are you-nry Wu speaking. Are you there?"

"I'm here," Grant said.

"Listen," Wu said. "Can you see to the rear of the visitor building from where you are?"

Grant looked through the rear glass doors, to the palm trees and the fog.

"Yes," Grant said.

Wu said, "There's a path straight through the palm trees to the maintenance building. That's where the power equipment and generators are. I believe you saw the maintenance building yesterday?"

"Yes," Grant said. Though he was momentarily puzzled. Was it yesterday that he had looked into the building? It seemed like years ago.

"Now, listen," Wu said. "We think we can get all the raptors down here by the lodge, but we aren't sure. So be careful. Give us five minutes."

"Okay," Grant said.

"You can leave the kids in the cafeteria, and they should be all right. Take the radio with you when you go."

"Okay."

"Turn it off before you leave, so it doesn't make any noise outside. And call me when you get to the maintenance building."

"Okay."

Grant turned the radio off. Lex crawled back. "Are we going to the cafeteria?" she said.

"Yes," Grant said. They got up, and started walking through the blowing mist in the lobby.

"I want a hamburger," Lex said.

"I don't think there's any electricity to cook with."

"Then ice cream."

"Tim, you'll have to stay with her and help her."

"I will."

"I've got to leave for a while," Grant said.

"I know."

They moved to the cafeteria entrance. On opening the door, Grant saw square dining-room tables and chairs, swinging stainless-steel doors beyond. Nearby, a cash register and a rack with gum and candy.

"Okay, kids. I want you to stay here no matter what. Got it?"

"Leave us the radio," Lex said.

"I can't. I need it. Just stay here. I'll only be gone about five minutes. Okay?"

"Okay."

Grant closed the door. The cafeteria became completely dark. Lex clutched his hand, "Turn on the lights," she said.

"I can't," Tim said. "There's no electricity." But he pulled down his night-vistion goggles.

"That's fine for you. What about me?"

"Just hold my hand. We'll get some food." He led her forward. In phosphorescent green he saw the tables and chairs. To the right, the glowing green cash register, and the rack with gum and candy. He grabbed a handful of candy bars.