Chapter Text
Thought Process
Chapter Three:
Intern(al) Schemes
Addison had easily and viciously organized her daily schedule within the first few days of being the Operations and Finance Manager of Jurassic World. Between five and seven AM she worked on what emails and requests had come in during the night, mostly organizational issues and budget constraints, with the occasional meeting request that she would then work into her schedule. Seven-to-seven-thirty was breakfast and last-minute scheduling. Between seven-thirty and noon she would visit a Division to discuss various issues with various Heads, check on Interns, double-check issues that she'd been emailed about, and, if there was time before noon, she would take a brief tour of the Main Street area to see how construction was going. Noon to noon-thirty was lunch, usually with Lowery or Masrani if the men had time, and once with Doctor Wu. After lunch until anywhere between eight and ten, was a tour of the entirety of the park, all the enclosures and a personal check on what dinosaurs there were. Dinner was after that, and, for about an hour or so, she would go over some more paperwork, make notes for the next day, organize her schedule, take a shower, and go to bed.
Because of this, Addison quickly became known for being a viciously strict badass. Lowery had gleefully informed her that the entirety of the Sci-Tech members were starting to call her the Jurassic World Cryptic because they were constantly finding her on the security cameras either tearing someone a new one, interacting with dinosaurs that even the handlers had difficulties with, and apparently 'never sleeping'. She had quite the fanbase as well with the Interns for being more than willing to tear into their Heads and Handlers if she felt that they weren't training their Interns properly, and for offering ideas for papers and listening to their requests, even if she only granted them if they were well-thought-out and explained properly.
Her arguments with Hoskins were becoming steadily more vicious, as well, which was a fan-favorite to see on the security cameras, apparently. And her apparent "Frenemy" status with Doctor Wu was cause for more than one earnest rumor about them having some sort of sordid love affair. Addison ended all that, however, with a firm reminder that not only was she still underaged, but that her contract was incredibly strict on inter-work relationships for her. She could, for example, date a Handler or Intern, but none of the Heads or Head Assistants, because that would allow her too great a hold on whoever she dated.
Still, rumored-relationships and inner-work-dramas aside, Addison had settled into her position with all the satisfaction and possessiveness as a tiger claiming territory. Masrani had even commented on multiple occasions that he was surprised and impressed with how much work she was able to get done in such short amount of time. The praise was, of course, interspersed with comments about her encounters with Hoskins, but she easily handled that with one conversation.
"You put me in charge of all operations and financial organization for this park, Mr. Masrani. InGen is owned by Masrani Global, and its employees on this island are, by contract, my subordinates. If Mr. Hoskins doesn't like the way I run this island, the way you want me to run this island, then he is directly against the way InGen is now being run. If that's an issue, he can find another job elsewhere, NDRs and Contract-Severance restrictions included." Mr. Masrani had laughed a little, shaken his head, and informed her that she was 'far fiercer than any Velociraptor' and that he liked that, before telling her to keep up the good work and leaving for a meeting.
Still, it was now the middle of her second month on the island, and the newest batch of Interns was arriving just in time to witness the hatching of the Parasaurolophus. The boat would land within an hour, and Doctor Dua had informed her that the eggs would hatch within the next three, so she should have time to not only greet the Interns and get their paperwork in the system, but also get the lot of them to the labs in time to witness the hatching. Addison was really looking forward to it herself, to seeing if the babies would all come out similarly colored and then change as they grew thanks to the differences in their DNA, or if they would come out different immediately.
As her email ping'ed with yet another onslaught of requests, Addison smiled sharply and took a long sip of her coffee.
It was going to be a good day.
()()()()()()()()
"Welcome, all of you, to what will be known as Jurassic World," Addison greeted the new Interns easily, smiling mildly at them all. "My name is Addison Brooks, and I am the Operations and Finance Manager of the park. If you have requests or questions and your Handlers or Division Heads tell you to email the 'Boss Lady', you'll be dealing with me. If you're Interning with the Tech-Sci group, you'll also hear me called the Jurassic World Cryptid, or Lady Bossfoot, as one of them has so cleverly named me," she added wryly, getting grins and snorts from the college students. "I am in charge of all personnel within the park, the budgets, and the only one higher than me on this totem pole is Mr. Masrani himself. That being said, you will see me several times throughout the day as I prefer to make personal visits to every Division and throughout the entire park multiple times a week. Follow me and we'll go start your paperwork and processing."
There were nineteen Interns that were joining the park, the last group for the month. Four were going to Tech-Sci, eight to the Science Division, three to the Security and Entertainment Divisions each, and one would be going to Doctor Harding himself. Each one had filled out specific information packets and signed NDR's and Short-Length Contracts before they'd even been accepted into the JW-Program but now they were required to fill out information like health issues, preferred work environments, and other personal information while also being finger-printed and DNA-swabbed. This prevented anyone who had lied on their backgrounds or had stolen an Intern's ID from making it onto the island. It also made it easier to track where the Interns were as most Division buildings required thumbprints to enter. They'd needed cards, at first, but Addison had quickly gotten that changed after pointing out that it was easy to swap out or misplace someone's card and was, therefore, a severe security risk.
It was one of the very few things she and Hoskins had actually agreed on.
They'd immediately been enemies again when she'd very firmly declared that she and Masrani were the only ones with access to all security passcodes and that the Heads of each Division only got their Divisions codes and only second-level override codes. Hoskins, of course, threw a fit and declared that he should have copies of all the codes and high-level overrides because, as the Head of Security, it was his job to make sure that the other Divisions were, in fact, secure. Masrani had almost agreed with him, if reluctantly, until Addison had mildly reminded both men that the Head of each Division was only in charge of their Divisions and that only she and Masrani had any say in all Divisions. And, should a Security issue come up within the Security Division, it was Addison's job to keep the issue contained and controlled.
Masrani had agreed, and Hoskins had been forced to, once again, back down. And, if the Security Divisions passcodes all had the words Bossy Bitch in there in some way, shape, or form, well. Addison had been a pre-teen when she'd started college. Her skin was far thicker than Hoskins believed.
"Once we're done here," Addison informed the Interns as she was brought back to the present by a cheerful wave from one of the medical team who'd be in charge of health questions and setting times for general check-ups, "we'll be heading straight to the labs. You're all in luck," she added, offering a small smile over her shoulder to the nineteen college-students. "Today you get to witness the hatching of Jurassic Worlds Parasaurolophus." Immediately, excited murmuring lit up behind her, and Addison smiled. She was a firm believer in the carrot-stick plan when it came to Interns. Give them treats and make sure they're getting the absolute best training so that they become loyal and well-trained employees in the future, and when you slap them down when they break rules or toe that fine line, they're much more likely to not take it personal.
Carrot, noticed, she thought, amused. Time for the stick.
"Before seeing the babies, however, we have paperwork to do," Addison reminded, smiling faintly at the immediate groans that followed.
Addison really loved her job.
()()()()()()()()()
"Masrani Global has owned InGen and all its subsidiaries since nineteen-ninety-seven, when Mr. Masrani offered the CEO of InGen a buyout in order to get them out of the hole they dug themselves in during the San Diego fiasco caused by the former CEO," Addison informed her excited Interns as she lead them through the Science Division confidently. "Since then, we have done our utmost to completely circumvent and get rid of the short-sighted and economically damaging mindset that InGen had previously been immersed in, with, of course, mixed results. But in spite countless hours and issues and backlogged paperwork, we continue to proudly hold the lead in the world genetics. And our leading competitor, BioSyn? Well, they're so far behind that the likelihood of them catching up, especially legally is unlikely to happen in this lifetime."
"Why's that?" One of the Tech-Sci Interns asked curiously; Addison hummed.
"Besides the fact that we make a point of patenting every genetic breakthrough we have and locking it down tight so that corporate espionage is exponentially lowered?" She asked easily as they neared the Hatching Labs. "We also have something that BioSyn has no hope of ever getting their hands on."
"Resources," one of the Security Interns stated.
"Close, but no," Addison said.
"Funding?" A Science Division Intern asked.
"Nope."
"What then?" The Vet Intern asked; Addison smiled as the Hatchery doors opened.
"We have Doctor Henry Wu," she stated easily, causing the man to look up from where he was murmuring to Doctor Dua as she and another scientist were scribbling on a clipboard. Immediately, the Head Geneticist straightened and headed their way with a mild smile, glancing over the Interns in his usually assessing way, before focusing on Addison, his smile straining slightly as he eyed her, wary about her frequent smack-downs when he toed the line between unintentional Contract infringement and out-right passive-aggressive disregard for the rules and processes Addison was forcing all Divisions to hold to.
"Miss Brooks," he greeted easily. "I heard my name, I believe?"
"You did," she agreed easily. "I was just answering the new Interns inquiry about why, exactly, BioSyn could never catch up with us in the genetics field, since they have the key to all of our success."
"Indeed?" He asked, arching a brow; Addison smiled at him, a tad warmer than her usual Manager Smile, which had him relaxing as he realized she wasn't about to scold him about something.
"Yes," she agreed. "After all, as I said, they don't have you." Turning from his immediately pleased smile, Addison gestured at him for the Interns. "May I introduce the Head of the Science Division and lead Geneticist, the Re-Creator of Dinosaurs himself, Doctor Henry Wu."
"Welcome," he told the Interns easily, any previously ruffled feathers soothed immediately by Addison's honest flattery. "I believe you are all here to witness the hatching, then?"
"We are," Addison agreed.
"You will need to remain quiet during the hatching, as the infants will be sensitive to sudden and loud noises," Doctor Wu informed the Interns simply but firmly. "You may feel free to ask questions, but do not do so loudly. If you wish to touch any of the hatchlings, you will need to put on sanitized gear and not touch them with your bare skin. At this stage of their lives, all of the infants are highly susceptible to diseases and infection, and absorb toxins through their skin. You will also have to wait until after they have been weighed, measured, and cleaned, and you will only be allowed to touch them gently, not hold them. As Miss Brooks has no doubt emphasized to you, the safety and comfort of our animals is just as important as that of our human guests," he finished, offering Addison a wry smile, and the reincarnated young woman only smiled back.
"I may have said so a time or twelve," she replied easily, gaining soft laughter from both the Interns and those scientists who heard.
"Indeed," Doctor Wu replied mildly, before shaking his head lightly and gesturing back towards the large incubators behind him. "Shall we?"
"Yes," Addison agreed, gesturing at the Interns to follow her, although she led them to a small platform that left a decent amount of space between them and the eggs so that they wouldn't disrupt the scientists while they worked. As soon as they were settled and one of the less-busy scientists had obligingly handed out clipboards with notebook paper and pens for notes, Addison happily accepted her sanitized protective gear so that she could help handle and move the infants, and so that she was more than able to provide any insights the Interns may ask about.
"Now, there are nineteen eggs schedules to hatch today of the Parasaurolophus," Addison informed the Interns clearly but quietly. "With four separate groups that have specific genetic differences in each. The reason for this is two-fold. The first is that the original genetic coding used in the first Park's Paras left them with an impacted immune system, a shorter lifespan, and, we discovered, a tendency towards Hip Dysplasia and other skeletal issues. We were able to determine that it was because of the use of bird DNA, specifically that of the Eurasian or Green-Winged Teal. While this duck DNA fit rather nicely in the coding aspect, in reality the dinosaurs bodies just couldn't handle it. That's where these four different groups come in, with the second part of the changes."
"By experimenting now with new genetic coding that works to a similar degree as the previous coding did," Doctor Wu jumped in to add, "we're able to see whether it was the use of bird DNA itself, or if that specific type of bird was the reasoning for the health issues. This will provide key information for future Hadrosaurs as Hip Dysplasia has been a repeated issue."
"Groups A and B have had their Teal DNA exchanged for different birds, while C and D have had the bird DNA exchanged with amphibian," Doctor Dua informed the Interns warmly.
"Which birds and amphibians?" one of the Science Interns asked.
"That's classified," Addison and Doctor Wu said at the same time, exchanging an amused look before the Doctor continued. "Should you carry out your Internship to the exceptional degree that Jurassic World holds its employees to, you may later find yourself working within this lab, and then you may just get your answers."
"Or not," Addison added, smiling mildly as she glanced over the Interns. "After all, knowledge of which genetic samples have been manipulated where, is only accessible to geneticists with a Level Two Lab Clearance, which isn't something you start out with, no matter your degree. We accept only the best at Jurassic World, and our guidelines and rules are strict and unforgiving, to a point," she told them warningly; several of the Interns looked almost offended, while a few simply nodded while those who remained seemed to wince. Addison made quick mental notes on the reactions of each of them, and added them to the profiles she'd started making in her mind since she greeted them all at the docks.
Jurassic World was not for the faint of heart.
"Are they all female?" One of the Sci-Tech Interns asked meekly.
"For now, yes," Doctor Dua answered simply as Doctor Wu was distracted by something on the incubator's computer. "This is just the first, experimental, batch. Depending on the results of this grouping, we will be willing to add males to later groupings so that they can begin breed naturally within the Park."
"Why?" One of the Sec Interns asked. "Doesn't that provide a risk for overpopulation or something?"
"It would," the female Doctor agreed. "However, it's relatively easy to manipulate the fertility levels of our dinosaurs that are created here in the labs, and as none of these dinosaurs have any genome that would promote gender change, we felt comfortable enough to leave their reproductive drives at average levels. Since we're able to create new genetic contributors here in the lab, the risk of incest is naturally lower as well, so, when we do, eventually, provide males for the herd, we'll be able to control their testosterone and semen levels so that the egg-counts will remain within easily-controlled levels."
"But what if something happens and they do start overpopulating?" the Vet Intern asked.
"Well, neutering is the natural next step," Dua informed them simply. "Once the numbers have naturally lowered again, we will once again introduce new bloodlines to let the numbers climb once again."
"This is actually a lot cheaper than simply re-creating dinosaurs over and over again," Addison agreed quietly, before nodding to Doctor Wu when he pointed out a rocking egg. "Now, hold your questions," she murmured. "The hatching's starting…" Immediately, the Inters quieted, all but holding their breaths as they leaned forward, crowding against the bars separating them from the incubator.
"Kajal," Doctor Wu called softly; the female Doctor was immediately at his side with her clipboard. "Note the time and date. Fourth egg of Group B, ID number PARA-004-BGM." Immediately, the female doctor was scribbling on the paper even as Doctor Wu hit the recording device connected to the incubator and another scientist moved a camera over. Addison was insistent on as many forms of record for each genetic experiment as possible for the simple fact that if the Board ever tried to say there was some sort of mistake in the lab, they would have ample evidence to the contrary.
After a few moments, the egg cracked open and, with weak flails and muted calls, the infant finally pulled free. It was a beautiful little thing, the cone-like crest on its head no more than a lumpy numb, to grow when it did. Doctor Wu gently lifted it from the incubator bed and carefully handed it off to Addison. And Addison…
If seeing Rexy made her feel small and insignificant, cradling this tiny, helpless baby made her feel important, made her feel responsible.
This baby was here because of them, relied on them in order to survive to adulthood. And now, in her hands, no bigger than a chihuahua… It made Addison's heart melt.
"Hey there, baby girl," she murmured as she accepted a sanitized cloth to wipe the egg-slime off the weakly squirming infant. "Welcome to the big world." Already, she was able to see bright splashes of pale gold and blue patterning the baby's hide, and smiled faintly as she looked at his slightly-gummy brown eyes. Carefully, she handed the baby off to be measured and weighed before it would be fed and bundled off to sleep.
She'd barely turned back after dropping the dirty cloth into the bio-hazard bag before another egg was beginning to hatch. She looked forward to holding each and every one of these babies.
()()()()()()()()
"You're sure?" Addison asked as she cleaned her hands, pinning her phone between her ear and shoulder.
"Double-checked just like you like, Boss Lady," Lowery responded with ease. "Even had someone else check it, too, just in case. It's all true." Addison hummed quietly, unsurprised but still disappointed.
"Thank you for letting me know," she sighed. "I'll inform Mr. Masrani and pull them aside for a conversation. If we're lucky we'll be able to salvage this, but if not, have a Security Team on standby to escort them from the Island."
"You got it, Boss Lady," the Tech-Sci specialist agreed, before the two of them hung up. Really, Addison wouldn't be surprised if Lowery made his way to the position of Head Assistant or even just Head of the Tech-Sci Division within the next year or so. Beyond his exceptional knowledge of his chosen field, the man was cheerfully helpful and empathetic while still just enough of a realist to be able to point out flaws and dangers in the Park that others either deemed unimportant or highly unlikely. Even in the movie he had been sharp-minded if silly, and Addison appreciated that he was so quick to help her. Sure, a pessimistic part of her pointed out that having the gratitude of his employer had probably been a point in his decisions to help her, but a larger part of her acknowledged that she was younger and had willingly come to him for assistance in his chosen field when she'd needed advice, which was something that everyone appreciated.
No one liked to be overlooked in any field of expertise, after all.
At least we got to see the eggs all hatch before the bad news came, she thought as she dried her hands off. And indeed she had. All the eggs had hatched within a two-hour window, with Group B and C finishing first, D next, and finally A, and all but Group D had come with beautiful coloration differences. All of Group B had gotten the pale gold and turquoise coloring of the Gold-and-Blue Macaw genes, Group C had all gotten the striking golden coloration of the Golden Poison Dart Frog, with speckles and stripes of black especially along their legs, tails and bellies. Group A had all come in the very pale shades of colors, with yellowish back legs and deep black forelegs and tail tips, from their Andean Flamingo genes. And Group D had comein the more 'ordinary' shades of grays and browns, with the spotting patterns of their Common Leopard Gecko genes, with the spots on their heads looking more like bars then spots.
Each and every one was healthy and of a good weight so far, and each Group had been assigned a Handler to name and care for them, and a trio of scientists to watch for any health concerns. It would be about six months before they could be safely released into the Valley, but they would hopefully be able to grow without issue and adapt to the, now larger, Gallimimus Flock.
"Miss Brooks?" Doctor Dua asked as she wandered back. "Is everything alright?" Addison offered the older woman a gentle smile.
"Just some corporate issues, Doctor, no worries," she replied; the Indian woman offered her a weak smile.
"Ah, yes, politics and bureaucrats. Such creatures even Doctor Wu hesitates in creating more," she said teasingly; Addison let out a surprised laugh and offered the other woman a grin.
"Exactly," she replied easily. "Doctor Wu is, after all, an intelligent man." Chuckling to herself still, Addison rejoined the Interns who were using this time to gently touch the baby Paras and ask Doctor Wu questions about them and what the Doctor did in general. As she stepped forward to assist the Doctor in answering any questions, Addison made sure to keep her gaze from locking on one particular Tech-Sci Intern.
Roger Scott Porter. Born June 18th, 1978. Third-born and only son of Jacob and Susan Porter. Getting his Master's in Software Engineering, with a secondary degree in Mathematics. Mother is suffering from a particularly nasty Breast Cancer and family is in debt from both the hospital bills and the oldest daughters heroin addiction. The middle daughter was a CNA at a nursing home and was barely making ends-meat for herself and her three-year-old twin sons.
And he was currently being employed by BioSyn to gather information on their firewalls in exchange for helping with some of the medical debt.
Resisting the urge to sigh, Addison continued to smile mildly as she answered a question about time-management.
Carrot and stick, she reminded herself as she planned on how to deal with the Intern. Carrot and Stick.