Official Opening!

[extinctmods]

Who: All the lovely test visitors of Jurassic Park and your very own host John Hammond!
When: July 21st in the morning hours after the first helicopters with guests arrive
Where: All over the safe area - check the subheaders for specific location options or make your own subheader if something you'd like is not yet included!
What: Getting settled! Hammond holds a welcome speech and you can get a tour through the Visitor Center. Once that is done, why don't you choose a room or check out the exhibits and café? A new world of wonders awaits and you're just getting started!

It's a beautiful but slightly nebulous day on Isla Nublar. You have arrived this morning and didn't get much of a chance to check out the place yet. Still, one thing is clear... Dinosaurs are a new one. That herd of brachiosaurs you spotted walking in the distance is pretty impressive.

This is a mingle-log that you can use to tag around with as many people as you want. Unless otherwise stated, it is assumed all comments here are fair game to reply to with all characters - they are all in close proximity to each other after all. If you have any specific preferences for your threads, state them in your subject line (e.g. if your thread is closed to a specific character or is set at a very specific time or if you don't want thread-jacking once a thread has started).

The log also gives a chance for characters to talk to John Hammond for a while - he might not be overly helpful, but go ahead and meet your host!

Comments

[93312639]

[As Mikami continues to wander the exhibits, he'll find that the space isn't completely unoccupied. Light's there as well, not because he needs a refresher on dinosaurs, but because he's trying to acquaint himself with the layout of the place. After having spoken to Hammond directly, it's become quite apparent to him that the man is exactly the sort of person who'd invite Ian Malcolm and Alan Grant back to the park to prove a point on its operational safety. Their absence from the proceedings earlier doesn't prove anything of course, but it doesn't do much to improve his outlook either.

When he hears someone approaching, Light glances over. Oddly enough, he can't quite shake a sense of familiarity despite the fact that it would statistically be most reasonable to assume the man is Chinese in origin. But then again, his observations so far haven't given him much reason to believe that the distribution of tickets has been anything but rigged.]

Fascinating, isn't it. [Asked in Japanese. It's worth testing out a theory, after all.]

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami had noticed earlier how many Asian faces seemed to be around the island - it was suspicious, especially considering the origin of most of Hammond's investors. Supposedly they were all chosen on accident and accidents certainly ended up with odd numbers at times... but it was still something to think about.

He chose to speak English all of the stay so far, simply because it was the most wide-spread language and at hearing someone speak Japanese to him, Mikami looks out in surprise. He matches his reply by speaking Japanese as well. ]

It is... I can't say genetics and paleontology are subjects I am very familiar with, but it's easy to see this is an astounding achievement.

[ He's just not sure if he likes it. ]

[93312639]

[Light doesn't so much as raise an eyebrow when the man responds in Japanese and continues to speak as though no experiment had ever been conducted.]

Astounding barely scratches the surface. The progress they've made on recombinant DNA technology is nothing short of miraculous. The patent on that alone will generate millions of dollars, never mind the dinosaurs.

[A faint smile follows a short pause.] Although I'm forced to admit that dinosaurs make a much stronger visual impact. Unfortunately I'm not qualified as paleontologist either, though it would have been helpful to have one around. That there isn't one who was invited amongst us is odd in and of itself, wouldn't you say?

[inordertobelieve]

If this is indeed the work of a randomizer, it's explicable.

[ The phrasing pretty clearly shows that he isn't fully convinced it is. ]

For an explanation I can only assume that we are indeed to represent the unaware public - in that event they likely have a qualified group of paleontologists among their ranks at InGen already and don't deem any more opinions necessary.

However, getting neutral but professional feedback on a project is in any case valuable...

[ He'd like to see someone professional and unassociated to InGen here for sure, because talking things over with someone like that from their perspective might give good insight on this park. ]

InGen aside, I personally would still like to hear the opinion of someone knowledgeable on this.

[93312639]

Mm.

If I may speak frankly? I'm uncertain how much further insight a paleontologist can provide. The fossil record is helpful, but it's an incomplete view of what dinosaurs are truly like as living, breathing animals. Nonetheless... [He trails off, as if in thought.]

But you don't think the distribution of tickets was purely the work of a randomizer, is that right? [It isn't an accusation exactly; Light's tone is unassuming enough that it sounds more like an off-hand comment about the weather than a probing question.]

Then are you suggesting each of us were chosen to be here?

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami stays silent for a short moment at this very forward question. He appreciates it at the same time that this person isn't dancing around relevant subjects very long. But as nice as it is to speak directly, he knows better than to be careless with it. ]

It's a possibility we can't out-rule. It's not in my intention to start any conspiracy theories, however. We have very limited information as is and even if we were all hand-picked, there is no use making guesses as to why while we know nothing about our fellow visitors.

[ There were kids here - if they had been chosen for any specific qualifications it would be odd to think children under the age of 15 were among them. These thoughts were nothing that could be used in court, so he doesn't want to get stuck on them early on. ]

[93312639]

[Light considers this for a moment. This man is exceedingly careful, not unlike Hammond and his pseudo-politician manner of answering heavily loaded questions. It seems there are a few people with that tendency gathered here which could either be interesting or the tenth circle of hell that Dante neglected to write about.]

All answers have to start with a question and it's an interesting thought. We may as well begin somewhere. Yagami Light, Info-Communications Bureau of the NPA.

[He bows.] A pleasure to meet you.

[inordertobelieve]

Mikami Teru, prosecuting attorney at Kyoto Court. The pleasure is all mine.

[ Mikami bows as well - it's interesting to see they're both involved with law in Japan, for sure. But it's not the only interesting thing. There is something familiar about the name Yagami Light... It's a rather exceptional first name, hard to forget.

It takes a moment for Mikami to place the memory right, but then he remembers. ]

Though I believe it might not be the first time we had this pleasure. If I am not mistaken, our work brought us together before shortly.

[93312639]

[Light pauses briefly after hearing Mikami's name, but the pieces fall into place when an occupation is given. Ah right, that guy , happens to be the personal extent of his recollection, but he remembers. Mikami Teru, district prosecuting attorney - professional, focused and definitely not someone one would expect to take a three week vacation.]

That's right. The Nishikawa case, wasn't it? [Light raises an eyebrow.] Thank you for your hard work then, Mikami-san. What a strange coincidence to see you here.

["Coincidence."]

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami nods at the case name. ]

Out of seven billion people, somehow some that know each other ended up on this island with a visitor count of less than 100.

It is remarkable to say the least.

[93312639]

[There's just a tiny suggestion of a smile here.]

But naturally it's nothing that you'd want to draw conclusions with. Coincidences happen, after all.

[The amusement fades.]

May I ask, Mikami-san, why you are here?

[inordertobelieve]

It's not for recreational purposes.

[ Is it really good to tell Light this? Well, if not Light, then none other. At least with him, he knows he's faced with someone reliable from a trustworthy organization. ]

This ticket was a good way to discover more about InGen's mysterious project that so many Japanese companies invested in. Usually, this is not the kind of case I would be assigned to, but due to being chosen by the ticket lottery it was me who ended up here.

[93312639]

[Keeping Mikami's personality and occupation in mind, it seems fairly obvious that he isn't here for recreation, but that's a thought Light keeps to himself.]

Ah, so they caught your attention as well. That's even stranger, then, that people representing at least two independent organizations wanting a closer look at InGen's activities were randomly selected to attend. [Technically speaking it's at least three organizations if he's counting Interpol, but it's not an affiliation Light chooses to advertise.]

If we assume that InGen ran background checks on all of the chosen guests, then the message they want to project is that they've done nothing worthy of suspicion. [In other words, they've issued a challenge. Light pauses.] Perhaps that's true, perhaps it isn't - either way, I intend on keeping a close eye on their activities while I'm here. I'm glad to hear another person will be doing the same.