July 29th, 1981
Stanford was waiting at the bus-stop. Approximately twenty minutes has elapsed - what a precious time - but he did not allow himself momentary to distract his mind with the its inefficiency. Otherwise he was exactly aware of he could have spent the wasted time with something else, with something more gainful. But currently, he - as far as he didn't have another choice then wait - could at least check his calculations.
The bus-stop wasn't as comfortable and cosy as his rooms but it was something and as his Ma had said several times he now and then needed some fresh air, to tone up himself organically, and refresh his limbs. He calculated then it as a going-out occasion, and as a recruiting pause. A so-called break, but he did not dare to referred to it as a break. Break meant something what people could afford to themselves and he could not enjoy such pleasure to take a rest, forasmuch he was at the edge of a great breakthrough.
So he meanwhile checked the integral equations, figures for mass and necessary capacities as he was waiting. Twice at least to be sure. Then when finally the overland vehicle turned on the corner, he already finished with the five-pages long part and then sunk the papers to his pocket. He didn't want to show the other the calculations yet. That was way above advanced physics or mathematics, firstly he wanted to know the trust of his partner and his knowledge as well as his utility during the world-altering project.
Although Stanford has known the other since college but years had spent and things had changed. He couldn't be sure how many affection did the past time on his old fella's brain. Family life and no challenges could have decayed the previously well-used brain cells, and unlike his buddy, Stanford hasn't spend those times with resting in a suburban house.
At least the other was willing to came as Stanford had called him. He took it as a good point and a glad beginning. But at second, he had to be sure what his partner could be capable of currently. He did not want to be rude, but if his old friend's help couldn't mean anything else than physical bailout and an other hand, well, then he regrettably would send him back as soon as possible.
Stanford couldn't let playing with time, not now, when he was so close. But in truth, he couldn't make it alone. He hoped in his college-friend, maybe too much hope he took in him, or rather, he trusted on the other's bright days that those currently has still lasting out.
As the bus stopped near to him, he unsettled. Maybe that wasn't a good idea. He hadn't even told to his Muse that at all. What would he think about him now? - the question popped in his mind. What if he would think he - Stanford - wasn't as smart as he was told and incapable to be trusted with such a great mission?
He bit his lips and swallowed bitterness as he realised the state, that there was no way out. He couldn't take it back yet. He has failed before with that phone call as he had made it and asked the other. Maybe he trusted someone with this who shouldn't have been involved. Neither at all. What his Muse would feel about him with that? He didn't dare to think about it. Not, now, as the doors closed and the bus leaved the spot.
He considered for a moment to turn back and leave this whole assistant thought behind, but suddenly something jumped to his sight. The stranger almost overthrew him from his legs and squeezed him that he could barely breathe. It took a second to realise that the unexpected someone hugged him and a whole minute to give a signal about the cramped state to the other.
"Fidd-Fiddleford.." hard he managed to say out. The other released him and confoundedly and with a bit red face stepped away and scratched his back of head.
"So-sorry. Bit of a bad habit. Took from Emm." he laughed perplexedly and coughed as an awkward distraction. "Anyway, 'haven't seen ya in ages. What up with the exploring ya talked about?"
Stanford viewed him for a minute and clenched his six-fingered hand in anger but then eased it in the same second, recognising his old friend couldn't have greeted him other way at all. The other has been always a bit informal. And on the other hand, it would have been unfair just describe him by the first minute. Stanford took a deep breath and answered.
"I'm working on a portal to explore other dimensions as I said. Need a hand so I called." he said a bit rough.
"Uh, yeah…" Fiddleford waited a minute then lifted his hand with an object which appeared to be a heavier briefcase. "Aah brought mah current research if ya don't mind. Maybe 'could help with the calculations and tests."
Stanford tailed the unknown object then realised that was undoubtedly what his old chamber fella had talked about during their college days. Had Fiddleford finally managed to build it? "Is it the portable personal computer you worked on?" he wondered, apparently he was a bit amazed.
"Kinda." the other said with a shrug then slapped his forehead like he would have forget something important and shouted as he made it out. "Dang it! 'Cause, Aah haven't told ya at all!" he realised and lifted the bag-ish stuff proudly. "That's the third, main prototype.. Aah developed it with some softwares and programmes. Ya should take a look at it. Amazing. The future is in them, Stanford. Ya can believe me. Endless possibilities. Aah need only a few developments to create something what even the NASA could use. If ya don't mind Aah'd run the jottings in that too. Aah have to test the accuracy of the input formulas samha anyway." he expanded then realised himself and shook his head like that fact wouldn't have been weighty at the moment. "Anyway, that's not we are here right now, am Aah right?"
Stanford blinked as he grasped the other's eager loquacity. Did he want to get in his calculations into an unknown object? Fiddleford couldn't mean it seriously, could he? That something couldn't be trusted at all. He didn't want to disoblige him in the first place but after all his old friend surely lost his mind to even consider that thought. Stanford didn't say anything about it - not yet. He rather gave himself and for Fiddleford a day to decide this whole.
"My car was carried away by Steve so we have to walk to the house, fifteen minutes at the most. How many packages you have?" Stanford asked standing off from the first useless moments.
Fiddleford lifted a bigger gripsack. "Aah didn't know what is needed so Aah packed everything." For the first sight the weight of it seemed too heavy to the man's physicality. Stanford doubted his slightly weak bodied friend could lift it or bring it for a minute not even for fifteen minutes.
"Do ya mind?" Fiddleford asked, then crouched beside the pack and adjusted something at on its bottom. Suddenly the gripsack had wheels - perfect shaped and structured for going through the forest - and a bail long enough to be comfortable for pulling it with one hand.
"Aah'd like to buy Emm some but Aah rather built one on mah own. Now it's personalised. The main point is in the balance and in the framework, like…" he started again the pointless prating then shut his mouth and looked to Stanford. "Sorry, long time no see, ya know. Aah'm a bit eager here." he laughed uncomfortably. "Just give me some minutes." embarrassed he rubbed his neck and seemingly hoped in understanding.
Stanford calculated with a maximum one-day long uneasy behaviour, but in mind he couldn't be prepared for it. He bite his lips and stepped over on this current ridiculousness and told Fiddleford to follow him. He didn't want to be out of the schedule and on evening he was on to start the next calculations, thus they had to move on.
"So, what's this place anyway?" Fiddleford asked after a few minutes long silence. "Seemed like a ham through the way here. Did ya know that the bus run only two times a day outwards and back? Even in the suburb it's kinda low. Aah'd be curious of the population. Is it self-supporting or a factory runs there what could be account for the locality and the on-the-spot workers?" he wondered, then all of a sudden freezed. "Did ya hear that?"
Stanford stopped his steps and harked to the just now heard noise. Something was moving near to them. He immediately recognised the tiny sounds. He waved to his friend to hurry and keep the pace and in between he explained. "That town is magnetising the odd phenomena, each of them is extraordinary and even paranormal but some of them is just annoying." Stanford said but on the same moment corrected himself. "I mean as they are all interesting but these creatures have habits and right now I don't think you'd like to start your days at the gnomes' territory. They are still eager to find a 'queen' after I managed to shuffle them off." he expounded hastening their steps. Fiddleford barely could keep the forced pace.
"Y-ya said gnomes?"Fiddleford run after him, grabbing his packages' handles as hard as he could. "Is there gnomes?"
"One from Gravity Falls' unexplained mysteries." Stanford noted quickly. "Come, hurry! Almost there. We have to be quicker." he said and clearly the moving between the woods were multiplied step by step just as the condensed shadows around them. Fiddleford recognising that pulled the wheeled package with a sudden flourish and as he kept both of his stuff in his hands squeezing to his chest, he run by Stanford as he got a sight of the end of the footpath and the house in the ken.
Stanford when he was able to came up with his old friend, Fiddleford was laying on the grass with a red face and tried to breath normally, his friend's limbs were still trembling by the fear. "Y-ya were just kidding with the gnomes, right?" he asked trustingly. The adrenalin was still in his veins.
Stanford couldn't take back a smile. "No, I wasn't." he offered a hand to help the other out. "Are you fine? That gripsack must be heavy. Thirsty pounds at least." Fiddleford hardly succeeded to sit up, but seemingly he still couldn't seize the fact.
"Thirsty-three pounds fifteen ounces… to be specific." he breathed. "Aah measured it!" then he cracked up. "Tell me ya don't have any unicorns in your laboratory. Aah could run away from gnomes but Aah'm not sure Aah'm gonna win a race against horses." he laughed at the whole incapability. "Gnomes, Stanford! And Aah thought Aah'm weird!"
Stanford patted his friend's back and helped him up. Fiddleford yet couldn't believe but he was sure he soon would understand it. Also he was sure it had been a good idea not to mention during the phone call the anomalies here. It had been a wise decision to grab the other's attention by the scientific part, the background could have waited - until now. "Come on, buddy. I'll cook something and tell about this place."