Chapter Type: Character Development
Chase Talbot has a flashlight, and is examining the southeast quadrant of his kill radius. He has chosen to start here because the corner of Redstone Arsenal, the Army base, is in this area.
He has two theories about how the military might be tied in. Unlikely, but this could be a green beret or an Army ranger, trying to keep their skills sharp. And less likely would be an Army experiment that had gotten loose.
Because, as far as he knows, all of THAT kind of experimentation is going on at Eagle Nest, an old nuclear era bunker in the Colorado mountains.
But these aren't things he can't tell the police, so they aren't out here with him; tonight he has them in the north, at Lady Ann Lake. They'll be rotating clockwise, he's told them, until they find a pattern.
He doesn't like that the killer avoids the police; it tells him they know where the police are. Either there's a leak in the Huntsville/Madison police department, or the killer is tight enough to know where they are.
It COULD just be someone with a police radio; it's happened before. But that doesn't feel right to Chase, and he doesn't know why.
A lot of things about this case in particular are making the hairs on the back of his neck feel weird.
Weird like how someone else, someone inside the fence, is flashing a light at him.
He flashes back, and approaches the fence. So does the other man.
"Sir," says the other man, "might I ask who you are, and why you're looking at our fence?"
"Chase Talbot, FBI." He says, holding up his badge, with the flashlight on it. "I'm checking your barbed wire, to see if maybe it shows signs of someone moving it."
"Not within a mile either way of the corner." Says the other man.
"I don't need to know your name, but may I ask what you're doing out here?"
"Us? We're on field training."
"At the far distant corner of your base?"
"Is there a further place from the bunks and mess halls?"
"And I suppose you just happen to be watching the fence?"
"Nope. We're securing the area inside the fence against a theoretical enemy trying to infiltrate."
"Across a two mile stretch of fence?"
"Modern technology is a wonderful thing."
"How long will you be on field training?"
The other man shrugs. "Might not be too much longer. A week, tops."
"Well, not much point in anyone trying to secure the outside of the fence if the inside is secured, is there?"
"Not much, but hey, you have a good night securing the outside."
"And god bless your night; hope it's uneventful."
The other man puts on a wicked smile. "If it's not, whomever disturbs it is going to have a worse night than we are."
In spite of himself, Chase smiles. He knew it wasn't the military.
So – Who was killing people?
#
In the dark, it hunts.
It avoids the smelly behemoths, the things larger and faster than it is. It avoids the solid areas they traverse.
Prey is scarce, tonight.
Some nights, the hunter does not eat; not recently, but some nights.
Then, it hears prey. The prey is singing, perhaps trying to call others to mate with it.
But it is the hunter who hears, and the hunter to responds.
The prey is alone; the repulsive smell of alcohol surrounds it like a cloud. On another night, the hunter would ignore this prey, find better.
Tonight, the hunter is hungry.
#
Tonight, Brian sleeps well. There are nights when Samantha has nightmares, or one of the children. There are nights when things he's seen cause him nightmares. Tonight, there is nothing to do buy sleep.
[System query: So, now is the best time to go over the alien that attacked Darius?]
'Whatever he's drawing, it's not really an alien. And that story is done.'
[False. Whatever attacked him is still out there. That story continues.]
'It can wait until tomorrow. After coffee, tomorrow.'
He rolls over toward his wife, and adjusts his position slightly.
After all that's happened, why wouldn't he be entitled to a good night's sleep?
[Because, by your own ideal of what a reporter is, you cannot rest easily when there is a story like this is endangering innocent people.]
'Why? Why does it have to be me?'
[You don't need to fight this, Brian. Not alone. That's not the purpose you set System to.]
'What, you're saying that I'm to blame for not getting sleep tonight?'
[System has no motivations as you understand them. But System does have compulsions, which were put in place by you.]
'No. I'm comfortable. My wife is RIGHT HERE, and it's time to sleep. Father and Husband first, reporter second. That's who I am.'
[System is compelled.]
'Not tonight, you aren't. Wake me no earlier than seven in the morning. I'll get coffee, and we'll discuss this then. Until then, SHUT UP.'
[By your command.]
But what Brian had never thought to tell System to do was to be inactive, so it wasn't.
#
Muscleborn found himself unable to sleep. His police contacts had confirmed the best; there was a serial killer. A serial killer that the federal government had been called upon to help catch.
All he needed to do was catch them first.
Pummeling them into submission would just be a bonus.
Call it a reward for all his hard work.
Or rather, the work he had other people doing for him.
Why should he have to shoulder the entire burden?
# Morning
The System must have woken him at exactly seven AM and one second.
[Correct.]
'You're supposed to be quiet until after coffee.'
[False. System cannot prompt you about the story until after coffee. System can, however, remind you that you want to make coffee.]
'Nah. Five more minutes won't kill anyone.'
[True. As only one innocent person is killed each night, last night's casualty has already occurred.]
'I didn't kill anyone.'
[True, you are not the one killing people.]
'I can't stop this.'
He remembered something the armored lady had said to him.
[Femme Falcon, or Stephanie Cullough.]
"Welcome to level twelve."
It's nonsensical. Level twelves were people like Red Dragon, people who could punch their way through mountains. Doctor Tesla, who had made the most technological advancements in the last… year, now?
[Close enough. Eleven months, two weeks, and three days. System recommends a yearly anniversary article, perhaps a note on how he has changed the economy of the United States?]
'Luther might actually go for that. It would be an easy article.'
[False, it will be a difficult article, with multiple facets. However, it is now within your ability to write.]
'Because now I have you to help me write it?'
[False. Because now you have the ability to notice parts of the story you would earlier have missed.]
'I sense this flattery is to motivate me to get out of bed?'
[System states facts; System is not capable of flattery without access to your brain.]
'Well stop accessing my brain. Damn, I need coffee.'
[False. You desire coffee, you want coffee, but it is not something you need.]
'Well screw you, System. I'm getting coffee, and you can't stop me.'
[True. System cannot stop you from making coffee. System recommends you make a cup for your wife as well.]
'My wife? But she's…'
In the darkness, his wife stris.
"Hey." Brian says.
"HmmMmm." She replies.
"Get a few more minutes of sleep, I'll make coffee today."
"Liar." She says, cuddling his pillow to her chest and snoring.
Liar, is he? He'll show her….
When she comes downstairs seven minutes later, naked except for a bathrobe, he has coffee for her.
"Will the lady have one egg, or two?"
[Always one, you know this.]
"Oh, one will do, but I think I'll have three strips of bacon."
"So, what you mean to say is, you're feeling salty today?"
"Who are you, and what have you done with my husband?"
[Now is an opportune time to tell her about your reporter powers.]
"I have had a recent stay in the hospital, and am enjoying just being alive."
She squints at him, sipping on liquid just short of boiling. It looks like a super power to Brian, even after all these years. "We'll see how long that lasts. I need to shower, are you sure you have breakfast?"
"Yeah, I've got breakfast."
"You'll need more eggs and bacon out, then. We have daughters who will want their shares of both."
"I thought our daughters lived on Honeycomb?"
"That," she says, "is because you sleep in."
[System notes that you will be too busy to discuss this matter until after you drop off your children at the bus stop and have travelled to work.]
'System, do you want to help me cook breakfast?'
[False. System does not have desires as you understand them.]
'Could I ORDER you to help me with breakfast?'
[System notes you are capable of many things, which does not obligate System to assist you. However, if you want refreshers on how your mother made pancakes with chocolate inside them…]