The black sky shimmered away its twinkling lights one by one to fade into a blue. Birds chirped as they woke up from their silent slumber. Rumbling through the desert terrain, a camo painted un-Humvee, an Beijing Jeep Bj2S "The Warrior" with a variety of artillery in cases, shells in boxes, computer satellite equipment hooked up and a couple survival packs stuffed into the corners. The driver looked at his wrist-seismo, alarms go off when graboids are coming, to view the time. He then clicks on his recorder.
"Burt Gummer, here, o'three hundred hours and still have not found the government hidden laboratory. I have located the quadrants, but to no avail, I have not found the entrance." He paused looking to the screen. "My location has shown me the covered up road, but still no entrance. This is day 62 from first information given onto this lab. I will not stop until I have found it, searched everything of its inhabitants and any other secrets the government has been hiding from us. Burt, out," Burt clicked his recorder off. He drove around the quadrants but still could not find the lab. He looked at his seismo again and decided to take a break from his little adventure and head back to Perfection, to fulfill his daily routine.
While he was turning around, he spotted something with his rearview mirror. He then kept turning the vehicle back into the same direction. Burt started to speed. What he saw was a figure walking as almost as if they were about to pass out. He skidded the jeep to a halt and ran out just as the figure fell to the ground. It was a young woman around her twenties. She had light brown hair and light skin. Her eyes were closed and her lips were cracked. Burt immediately recognized that she was dehydrated. He pulled out his flask, opening in seconds and giving her the life substance. Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal ocean blue eyes.
Burt looked down at her after she took the flask for herself. She was dressed in white cargo pants with white combat boots. Her shirt was a white tank top. Her hair had been in a braid but had flyaways. The young woman drank all she could and finally drifted off to sleep. Burt picked her up and laid her down in the back seat of his jeep. He noticed a wrist seismo and a couple of claw marks on her arm. His hand reached for his radio when he noticed that there was blood.
Burt clicked onto his radio "Nancy, Jodi, Rosalita, Tyler Come in, Burt here." They all responded to him. "While searching for the government laboratory, I came across a situation," he paused for he didn't know how to explain what he was going to say next. "A young woman by the looks of her twenties. She is dehydrated, out of energy, and has passed out, Nancy, Jodi. I'm coming to you. Over and out."
Burt sped as fast as he safely could to get to town. Jodi and Nancy were already outside waiting for him to arrive. Burt slowed to a stop. The ladies rushed to Burt, looking for the young woman. She was still passed out in the back of the jeep. Burt grabbed her to set her inside away from the sun. The ladies followed inside of Changs Market. There he set her down onto counter top.
Nancy started checking her pulse while Jodi went to get water, a cold rag, and a first aid kit. Burt started to pace back and forth. The two ladies started to revive the young woman. She started to wake fully. They kept her laying down with a rag upon her forehead.
The young woman started to look around. Nancy and Jodi made sure she would stay laying down.
"It's alright, you're safe," Nancy cooed.
Burt stopped and looked at the young woman. "Who are you? What were you doing over there? What is your background? Do you work for the government?" The woman blinked at him once.
"Burt!" Jodi demanded. "She isn't going to speak unless you calm down." Burt looked at Jodi then back to the young woman. It was true. Jodi turned to look at Nancy for support then to young woman. "How are you feeling? Is it alright if we take a look at your wounds and take care of you?"
The young woman looked around at herself then up to Burt then Jodi and Nancy. "I feel fine, thank you." Jodi inclined her eyebrows at Burt who just rolled his eyes and turned to the side while crossing his arms. The young woman continued on as she sat up. "Where am I?"
"Perfection," Nancy answered. "Can I see your wounds?"
The young woman became wide eyed for a moment before gaining her composure. "Hm?"She looked at her arm and remembered what had happened. She reached around to her back to feel the wetness and crust of her wound. "Yes please."
Burt looked at her with hints of delight. "And where were you originally coming from?" He had saw the fright in her eyes. Jodi started to clean her arm while Nancy took a look at her back.
The young woman inclined an eyebrow. "My camp."
"What is your name?" Jodi asked seeing the tension between the two.
"Rose," the young woman heard Nancy gasp after she had cleaned it off.
"You are going to need a few stitches," Nancy tried to sympathize. She took out the items from the first aid kit.
"No morphine," Rose imposed. The three looked at her in surprise. Nancy started to stitch into her without even a flinch. Once she was done, Nancy put a bandage over it and put her shirt back down. "Thank you." She moved her legs over to the edge and jumped down. "I would like to be taken back to my camp please."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay here for a while?" Jodi asked.
"There are some things I have left unattended," Rose started to walk to the door. "Can you please take me back?"
Burt looked to the two of them then to her and nodded. Rose was hauled back to a roundabout location where she tricked Burt to taking her. Once he left, she headed in the opposite direction, checking her wrist seismo.
Once he got back to Chang's Market he met Rosilita and Tyler at the market to get supplies. Burt gave the retelling of how he met Rose and to keep an eye on her. Jodi and Nancy scrutinized him for saying that she is just a young woman. He just looked at them incredulously and told about how this young woman did not look like a regular camper.
As they were just about to end their discussion, Twitchell came in. Their discussion tapered off real quick and they all knew to keep this under wraps.
Twitchell gave Jodi papers to pass around to the rest. "Glad all of you are here so I don't have to round you up. I am only going to say this once, and I am not going to repeat myself," he looked straight to Burt. "The government has blocked off certain access to some of areas around Perfection. Any one of you caught peeping your nose into their business, they will escort you out of town."
Burt looked through the places where they were not allowed to go. "What exactly are they doing in these areas?"
"We are not allowed to disclose that information, government officials only," Twitchell puffed out his chest.
"They didn't tell you did they," Tyler called it out.
Twitchell sighed and let his posture go. "No. My clearance wasn't high enough, but stay out of those areas. Especially you Burt."
The group dispersed. Burt went back to where Rose was dropped off and to tell her the news that there will be government officials in the area but there was no campsite around. He scouted it in a five mile radius. Nothing.
A jet black King Ford Ranch with crew cab, 4x4, with a 6.7L Power stroke(R) V8 engine, and limited slip axle came cruising into town. The windows were tinted almost as black as the truck itself. It had a ten inch lift kit with giant all terrain tires. It parked itself in front of Chang's.
Tyler and Rosalita were talking as they were coming out of the market but both stopped in dead in their tracks to see the Ford. "Wooheee! Well look at that. Someone with money came rolling into town." Rosalita nodded her head in agreement. "You think it's another buyer coming into Perfection trying to buy off our land?"
Rosalita shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows? They could be lost."
Nancy and Jodi came out to see the truck. As they did the driver door opens up and out steps a tall, light tanned, dark brown haired, green eyed young man. He was in his twenties. They knew instantly that he was chiseled underneath his black t-shirt. He had on khaki cargo pants with black combat boots. Black aviators blocked the sun from his eyes. His hair was medium length. He had silver dog tags around his neck.
He shut his door and looked over to the group. "Could you tell me where I might find a mister Burt Gummer?" He asked in a deep husky sultry voice.
The four looked at him with silent questions. Finally Tyler decided to answer him.
"Well, he's a bit busy right now, he'll be in shortly. Who might you be?" Tyler inclined.
"Wesson Gummer, his son," he stood there letting the words sink in.
Rosalita cursed in Spanish. Tyler shook his head. "Well looks like to me Burt is going to have one Hell of a surprise."
Nancy walked away to go get her walkie talkie and speak to Burt in private.
"Burt, Nancy here, over," she talked in the market
"Burt here, over," he replied. "You remember that girl I dropped off, I can't seem to find her anywhere."
"Burt, there is a bigger issue to attend to. There is someone here for you," she took a breath on the next part. "He says he's your son. Over"
"My what!" He then started to mumble something about Heather Gummer, that one time where they had tried to bring the spark back, life in general and all things swearing. "I'll be there in a few, over." He finally stated with defeat.
In thirty minutes, Burt pulled up next to his son's truck. He started too quickly judge who his son might be. Thinking of him, Wesson steps outside with the town right behind him. He walked straight out to Burt. He was as tall as him. Wesson put out his hand to Burt. He took it and shook his hand.
"Wesson Hiram Gummer," his hand shake was firm.
"Bertram, Burt, Gummer," he shook back. "You have your mother's eyes." He was a bit taken aback.
Wesson cocked a half smile. "She told me you would be most likely to say that, dad." It was weird saying it to him finally.
"How is she doing?" Burt tried not to let it phase him.
"She's still with grandma," his smile was still there, revealing part of his pearly white teeth.
"She still checking out the weaponry?" Burt asked. It was a meaning that Heather and he knew of.
"There are those that seek her fancy, but there is still that one she relies on," Wesson knew what he was meaning.
"I believe you are my son," Burt finally exclaimed.
Wesson was about to speak, but all of the wrist seismos went off. Burt held up his finger signaling to be quiet. Wesson stood there with no fear. The town folk had already updated him on the need to know information about this place, even though he already knew about this place. They concluded that he was just like Burt in some ways if not all. Nancy even saw parts of Heather into him.
El Blanco passed through the town as usual, as soon as he was out of range, Burt put his finger down.
"I believe you're going to have to tell me more about this place," Wesson looked around. "It's very interesting."
"Of course," Burt walked into his jeep. "Hop in. It will be easier for you to tell me while I make my rounds."
The two drove off. Tyler chuckled a bit. "Off into the sunset they go."
Wesson told everything about himself. How he grew up, his college degree, how he was a young prodigy thanks to Heather and knowing that Burt was his father. He also eluded about his military skills. He was supposed to go onto his next mission, but he delayed it for a while. He even told about his experiences with firearms. Burt argued that Wesson had gotten himself entangled with the government and it was not a wise decision. After he was finished, but gave all the information he could give about Perfection and graboids. He still kept things hidden in case there was another motive behind this. His son was in the military which meant he was controlled by the government.
After the drive, it was night time and Burt drove back to Perfection. As they stopped Wesson asked if he could stay with Burt. He did agree but his accommodations weren't as great as Nancy's. Wesson didn't care, he was going to stay with his dad and that was enough.
Wesson woke up early in the morning. He checked his computer for any updates on his latest mission. There wasn't any. This hurt him a bit. He didn't like the mission he was on. It was one thing to be sent on a mission he wasn't too fond of, it was another to send him on one where his dad is involved and innocent lives.
He reread over his mission again. Wesson was sent to Perfection to retrieve any information he could about the town's people knowledge of the Proudfoot labs. To make sure a certain scientist, who was sent into the labs, to not come into town. If she did, she would captured and hauled back to HQ for further processing. This was a top secret classified mission. If she didn't cooperate, he was allowed to terminate her. Wesson shook his head on that part. The only information that they gave about the scientist was that it was a she. He pictured her to be an older woman. They didn't tell him when the scientist arrived into the labs, he just knew that he was to be in Perfection before the week was out.
So here he was, stuck in the middle of nowhere, only wanting to get to know his dad more and see what this valley is all about. He even chuckled to himself, thinking that the scientist might have gotten eaten by El Blanco while searching the lab. If that happened he wouldn't mind staying here in Perfection for a few more months. He looked onto his GPS system for the scientist. Her last quadrants showed that she was still parked thirty minutes out of the entrance. He wasn't allowed to go check up on her in person, but he was half tempted to.
Rose had gotten back to her camp in time to see that it was still the same way she left it. She had captured one of the creatures and locked it in a cage. While performing a basic physical it came out of sedation and started to attack her. She had done this at night, a mistake on her part. This made her launch for the door and started to run as it attacked her more. El Blanco was in the area and she kept going. Running and jumping from rock to rock, trying to get to safety.
She went into her white hummer, pulling out two white glocks, and headed for the semitrailer that housed her facility. She searched the facility and her creature was gone. She got in and locked the door.
The first thing she did was look through the government files that had been uploaded to her computer already. She didn't like seeing the boundaries that they had put her on. She knew that there was going to be a guard in Perfection to make sure she stayed within in her guidelines. She shook her head.
What makes them so sure that I will always stay within them? She thought to herself. I wonder if they knew I just met some of the townspeople.
She quickly uploaded her information to the government. It showed her linking into the same exact spot she was before in. She also checked her seismo's and the graboid radar. El Blanco was nowhere in sight.
Wesson saw the tag blinking that she was online and in the same spot. He had it uploaded to his phone to keep track of her. So, she hasn't moved. Good. This will make my job easier. Let's hope it stays that way. He thought to himself.
Burt brought him down to the store to get his mail. Jody made them breakfast.
"Wesson, Burt" Jodi placed the meals in front of them. "Breakfast is served. You better eat now, before it gets cold."
"Thank you" He put his phone down after checking the scientist's status. "Let's hope something interesting happens today."
"In this town, you may get your wish," Jodi warned him. Wesson chuckled as he looked to Burt who was multitasking.
"Well, hearing stories about it from my mom, I feel as if I need to see it to believe it," he helped put away the dishes and washed them with her. He wore a dark green tshirt over khaki cargos with tan combat boots. The two talked on more, until it was time Burt was finally done.
Twitchell arrived just in time as they turned around and started to walk out. Twitchell walked over to Wes. He sized him and approved for a bit. "So you're the one that they sent. Aren't you a little young for this job?"
The others looked quizzical at him. Wes looked over to Burt and sighed. The inevitable came too soon.
"You know how I said I had a mission that I put off?" Burt nodded and so did everyone else. "Well, this is the mission."
Wes kept staring straight into his dad's brown eyes. "I wanted to meet you since the time I knew you were my father. My mission sent me here to Perfection. I am to retrieve information about what you know about the Proudfoot labs and to keep the scientist in line." He wanted to say the next part of his mission, but knew he couldn't. "My apologies father and residents."
Burt was the first to answer. "Its alright. The government always break into personal lives without warning and makes you do things you don't want to do. I knew there was something else that brought you here besides me." Rosilta and Tyler came walking in with Larry hot on their tails chatting off their ears. They stopped to see the situation.
There was an awkward silence among the rest of the residents. They didn't know really what to think. It was a lot to take in: the mission and this personal information about his son. Burt always knew that there was something else up with his son; he also had a feeling that there was something more than just retrieving information from the residents. He had a feeling that is about the young woman in connection with the Proudfoot labs.
"Well, some do know how you feel," Twitchell responded. The residents looked at him with confusement. "Let's get this over with so that you can spend more time with your dad." He looked at Burt and laughed a bit. "Sorry." He looked serious again. He led Wes inside to talk more to him. Jodi and Nancy followed inside. Tyler went to Burt.
"So, I know he's your son and all and you just met him, but" Tyler whispered. "I feel as if he's not telling us something."
"My thoughts exactly," Burt put on his sunglasses.
While this was happening, Rose had made her way back into the labs. It was easy for her this time around. The place was like she first saw it: covered in dust, markings in the dust showing tracks of different creatures, and weird moss looking plants growing in certain places. She went over to the main information desk to retrieve back up information of who all were employees and their times of work. She even found data on personal information that was stored in secret files. It interested her, but she knew that if she wanted to get done early and out safely, all of this curiosity had to wait.
The time trailed on while she was at the desk. She looked at the time and thankfully the data was all downloaded before the time ran out. After taking away the USB, she heard some scuttle behind a few doors. She quickly put it in her pocket, jumped over the desk and quickly made it out of there in less than fifteen minutes.
She arrived at the semitrailer and uploaded the information on her computer. While it uploaded, she had information on all of the radio channels the town communicated on. She thought about communicating with Burt. She had read the file on him and everyone in town. He had connections to one of the scientists who worked there. However, the guard to keep her check was in town and from the information she was given, he was related to Burt in a way. Odds did not look good.
"Burt, come in Burt, over" Rose tried it anyway.
She had caught him at a perfect time.
"Burt here, over," he was curious to who it was.
"Switch to another channel over," Rose waited.
Burt switched to a random channel. "Burt here, over." He went to a secluded room away from everyone.
Rose had all channels open to figure out which one has speaking from. "Rose here. I thank you for your cooperation, over."
"Your campsite is nowhere in sight, there are government officials here, over," Burt wanted to give her a heads up.
"I know," Rose smiled. "Is there a possibility you can direct me to a Cletus Poffernberger, over?"
"Perhaps, it depends on what you have to offer in return, over." Burt was now curious.
"What is it that you are wanting, over," Rose knew this game too well, but she wanted to know everything about the Proudfoot labs and if it pertained to it, she might just leak some information out. She didn't really know the man all too well, but Burt did save her from dehydration. The man was generous, although he didn't know it, but he also has trust issues with the government.
"Who you are really and why exactly are you here, over," Burt was straight forward.
"I am camping for a cause you could say," Rose replied. "It's just myself and some equipment. Over."
"That wasn't the answer I wanted, over," Burt wasn't too happy with her sassy remark.
Rose acknowledged that Burt was a worthy adversary if not, a would be friend. "No, but it's still an answer that you have received. Now, my source to where Cletus may be at. Over."
Burt shook his head. She was right, it was answer, a cryptic one, but it did give him what he wanted. He gave her the information of where Cletus was currently living it. She thanked him and disconnected lines on that channel.
Burt did give Cletus a heads up. He explained to Cletus that there was someone wanting to meet him. He kept on explaining that this person may have a connection to the labs. This made Cletus anxious, he wanted to meet this person as well.
Rose secured herself a line to Cletus. He answered the hotel phone once it rang. "Cletus Poffenberger," he spoke.
"This line is secure," she spoke. "I am calling about the information about your experience and work in the lab."
"Rose," Cletus cleared his throat. "Burt warned me you would call."'
"Not surprising," Rose continued on. "I would like to know everything from the first day you heard about the Proudfoot labs until the very end." She had a recorder with her to make sure she didn't miss anything.
Cletus went into a story about how he first heard about the Proudfoot Corporation through colleages at his previous job. It was more on gossip and less on factual information. One day, he got a call from Proudfoot himself to come work for him. Proudfoot only said certain specifics about how they could change the very face of the world with some of the projects they were wanting to work on. Most of these were animals made for combat. Cletus was at first resilient to the job offer, but then Proudfoot also hinted that the job was clearly experimental with adequate pay. Cletus confessed that he wanted more money, but also at the chance of making his own creations without the fear of laws stepping in. He had a curiosity of playing GOD at times.
He signed on and headed out to Bixby with the rest of scientists that had been recently accepted the job. Most of the scientists he had heard of, there were a few that he didn't know, there were some that he knew personally. It was all too fast, he explained. He felt like a kid heading to Disneyland for the first time. He didn't know what to expect but the excitement of getting to go on new adventures intrigued him.
Coming into Perfection, it was a small deserted little town with few inhabitants. Him and the other scientists were told not to visit the town under any circumstances. They were told that also that there was accommodations to the lab they were going to, so they wouldn't need a reason to leave at all. If they did, it was to get fresh air or to leave every few days to clear the mind. Proudfoot wanted the scientists to be in tip top shape when working on the projects. The lab was split into four sections: microbiology, mammalian, botany, and a secret section that only certified members were allowed to enter. Cletus worked in the mammalian section in conjunction with the microbiology department.
He told about the creations he saw being developed and what they were going to be used for. He even discussed about his project, 4-12, and how his pal had escaped into Perfection and the death of him. Rose wanted to give comfort to the scientist but knew it would do no good. She had lost creations before and it was something that can't be replaced by a simple hug or pat on the back. Cletus kept explaining about the other departments except for the secret one. He didn't know much about it, except that the scientists that he didn't know worked in the lab. Cletus even heard some of the other scientists saying that they didn't know them either. Cletus was to the point where he was about to be promoted to the secret department, until the government finally stepped in and that was when all projects had to be cooked, meaning had to be terminated. Cletus told about how he watched some scientists tried to keep their creation alive, but soldiers that were appointed there came in to escort scientists in who didn't mind cooking other's experiments. He saw many of his new colleagues cry and get into fights over it.
The Proudfoot Corporation said that they had made a mistake for making this and that it will not surface again. Cletus went on about how he got his project out of there and how he had heard that some scientists had not fully cooked their experiments, hence Mixmaster still being alive and some other creatures that were killed in Perfection. Rose had already been updated on those creatures. She even was reminded by some of the names. She wanted to tell him that there was more than just one, but decided not to. That was to be with her and the government.
Cletus went on, about how the doors were air locked to each section so that nothing could escape even if it could, but due to time and the growth rate of some of the experiments it wouldn't be a surprise that they broke out. He wasn't even surprised that they had sent someone back to the lab to check up on it. He in fact was waiting for it to happen. He wanted back in, to make a new and improved 4-12, one that didn't have so much hostility and had an easier way of calming him down. He told this to Rose, but she didn't say a word back yet. She was waiting for his questions.
"Is that all of the information you wanted?" Cletus paused.
"Yes, I thank you for your cooperation," Rose hung up and spliced her information together from her different sources.
Wes had received all the information that he could out of his dad. He was the hardest to obtain information. He found out that his dad didn't like giving information too easily to the government and he didn't blame him one bit. He had just finished his interview with his dad when a guy had asked Burt to meet with him. Perfection started to seem like a very secretive place. He knew he was informed of this, but now it had become even stranger.
Wes uploaded all the information and sent it off. He then decided to take drive off to his dad's place. Wes had to wait for El Blanco to pass the area of where he wanted to drive. After he was long gone, Wes drove up and waited in his truck for another hour until his father finally came alone to the place. Burt opened the gate and both entered. They walked towards the opening of his place when they heard a far off scream of some sort. Burt froze and looked back to where it came from along with Wes. Burt was a bit afraid, thinking it was Rose, since he had no idea where she was camped at.
He grabbed his walkie talkie, but didn't do anything, remembering that his son was there. Burt then hurried down the stairs, punched the pass code in and entered the room like a bolt of lightning. His son was hot on his heels. Burt looked at the radar of where El Blanco was. He was nowhere in that region where the scream came from. Burt then looked to where Rose was dropped off at, scanning all possible locations. There was nothing there. He then immediately jumped back.