Chapter 1: The Portal

Prehistoric times? Yeah, they were around then. It's amazing what science can do, isn't it? A little dino DNA here, a little science there, and BOOM! Dinosaurs live again. As for the other stuff, magic? Nope. Aliens? Uh-uh." McKinley seems confused by this line of questioning,

so.... what kind of mischief can we get up to here, i wonder? I'm thinking this portal could be dangerous. who built it? who controls it? you don't want random ppl from NY wondering into here and you definitely do not want dinosaurs roaming into Central Park. We must destroy the portal, find whoever built it and..... well, we got questions that need answering!

i ponder this deeply.
Either way 'tis dangerous. What's to stop dinosaurs from wondering free into the heart of NY? then again - not sure how to investigate this further and/or what to do about it......

I think we tried to walk back though but we were told (again, i could be mistaken) that you see no sign of it on this side. so might need a gentle nudge from the GM possibly to find some hints.
One of the lesser uses of bennies is to spend them to "gently guide" the story in a particular direction. Happy to do so if needs be......

I think we should start ruffling feathers. In the ensuing chaos some answers might emerge........
This is a terrific opportunity for adventure..........

"I don't know why," McKinely says, looking at Summer, "But you look vaguely familiar. Like you remind me of someone, but I can't quite place who."

"Internet? Sure, help yourself."

A version of you does seem to exist here. You can pull up several headlines that seem to be correct in context. Whether your double is still here or not is open for debate.

The dinosaurs were brought back about 35 years ago, through technology researched by Dr. Philip Richards, a microbiologist, and researcher at Berkley. It was Dr. Richards who took a sample of dinosaur DNA from a well-preserved fossil and mapped the genome that enabled him to resurrect the species. Once the first was achieved, the DNA was altered to grow new ones, using monitor lizards and crocodiles as the hosts. Botanists were able to use similar techniques to resurrect long-extinct plants.

Nothing unusual comes up about New York or Central Park. No disappearances of note or mass events.

Interestingly, however, Dr. Richard's work is currently being improved upon to alter children at the genetic level while still in the womb. The science is still rudimentary, but a successful chimera (a girl with cat ears and a tail) has already been born in China. The fear is that this could lead to a race of "superbeings" genetically engineered to be stronger, faster, and more resilient than ordinary humans. Most countries in the UN have outlawed genetic manipulation, but some are actively researching it. In the words of Dr. Richards himself, "The genie is out of the bottle, and I wish to God that I could imprison it again."

"Our medicine? Well, I'd have to say that it's as good as it gets. The docs at Cedars-Sinai are among the best in the country, Say, you folks really aren't from around here, are you?" he asks, realization finally dawning.

There is no mention of the Jurassic Park series of movies or books. Michael Crichton apparently made his living writing historical fiction. There is no mention of cybertech or nanotech, but gene therapy has been performed successfully, though it is cripplingly expensive.