“You’re saying it’s geothermal?” Malcolm said.
“That’s right,” Eddie said. “They’ve tapped a heat source here, probably gas or steam, which is piped up through the floor over there. Then the heat is used to boil water in a closed cycle – that’s the network of pipes up there – and turn the turbine – there – which makes electric power. Whatever the heat source, geothermal’s almost always corrosive as hell. Most places, maintenance is brutal. But this plant still works. Amazing,”
Along one wall was a main panel, which distributed power to the en-tire laboratory complex. The panel was flecked with mold, and dented in several spots.
Doesn’t look like anybody’s been in here in years,” he said. “And a lot of the power grid is dead. But the plant itself is still going – incredible.”
Thorne coughed in the sulfurous air, and walked back into the sunlight. He looked up at the Year of the laboratory. One of the loading bays seemed in good shape, but the other had collapsed. The glass at the rear of the building was shattered.
Malcolm came to stand beside him. “I wonder if an animal hit the building.”
“You think an animal could do that much damage?”
Malcolm nodded. “Some of these dinosaurs weigh forty, fifty tons. A single animal has the mass of a whole herd of elephants. That could easily be damage from an animal, yes. You notice that path, running there? That’s a game trail going past the loading bays, and down the hill. It could have been animals, yes.”
Thorne said , Didn’t they think of that when they released the animals in the first place?”
Oh, I’m sure they just planned to release them for a few weeks or months, then round them up when they were still juvenile. I doubt they ever thought they – ”
They were interrupted by a crackling electrical hiss, like static. It was coming from inside the Explorer. Behind them, Eddie hurried toward the car, with a worried look.
“I knew it,” Eddie said. “Our communications module is frying. I knew we should have put in the other one.” He opened the door to the Explorer and climbed in the passenger side, picked up the handset, pressed the automatic tuner. Through the windshield, he saw Thorne and Malcolm coming back toward the car.
And then the transmission locked. ” – into the car!” said a scratchy voice.
“Who is this?”
“Dr. Thorne! Dr. Malcolm! Get in the car!”
As Thorne arrived, Eddie said, “Doc. It’s that damn kid.”
“What?” Thorne said.
“It’s Arby.”
Over the radio, Arby was saying, Get in the car! I can see it coming!”
What’s he talking about?” Thorne said, frowning. “He’s not here, is he? Is he on this island?”
The radio crackled. “Yes, I’m here! Dr. Thorne!”
“But how the hell did he – ”
“Dr. Thorne! Get in the car!”
Thorne turned purple with anger. He bunched his fists. “How did that little son of a bitch manage to do this?” He grabbed the handset from Eddie. “Arby, God damn it – ”
“It’s coming!”
Eddie said, “What’s he talking about? He sounds completely hysterical.”
I can see it on the television! Dr. Thorne!”
Malcolm looked around at the jungle. “Maybe we should get in the car, he said quietly.
“What does he mean, television?” Thorne said. He was furious.
Eddie said, “I don’t know, Doc, but if he’s got a feed in the trailer, we can see it too.” He flicked on the dashboard monitor. He watched as the screen glowed to life.
“That damn kid,” Thorne said. “I’m going to wring his neck.”
“I thought you liked that kid,” Malcolm said. “I do, but-”
“Chaos at work,” Malcolm said, shaking his head. Eddie was looking at the monitor.
“Oh shit,” he said.
On the tiny dashboard monitor, they had a view looking straight down at the powerful body of a Tyrannosaurus rex, as it moved up the game trail toward them. Its skin was a mottled reddish brown, the color of dried blood. In dappled sunlight, they could clearly see the powerful muscles of its haunches. The animal moved quickly, without any sign of fear or hesitation.