Kendall didn't know what the bigger miracle was. That the signal was coming from somewhere just three hours' drive from HQ, or that Carson hadn't stopped complaining the entire journey.
"…so many better things to do on a Friday evening, you know? I could be spending time with my family. I could be catching up on the latest scientific journals. I could be repainting the bathroom wall."
She didn't take her eyes off the road. "Which bathroom wall? The one that's needed repainting since last October?"
"Duh. How many walls do you think my bathroom has?"
For the sake of his home's structural integrity, she hoped the answer would be "four". She gave a shrug he couldn't see in the darkness. "Just checking if it's the wall you could've repainted any time since then which is suddenly on top of your priority list."
"Exactly. See, you understand me perfectly. That's why we work so well together."
She had brought him along to replace the GPS, not the radio. "While you're ruminating on your priorities in life, could you also check that we're going the right way?"
He gave a cursory glance at the scanner in his hand. "Relax. We're on track to the middle of nowhere."
"And you're sure we brought everything? Ropes, helmets, torches - "
"Emergency parachute, shark repellent, extradimensional extractor. Chill, Morgan, we've done this a million times."
They had never done this before. Which was why their total number of stones found still stood at zero. "Wait, you brought our only prototype extractor?"
"Why not? The stones could be anywhere in the spatio-temporal matrix."
The phrase sounded above Carson's usual vocabulary level. "When you say 'anywhere in the spatio-temporal matrix', you mean…?"
He rolled his eyes. "Your thesis? 'We have definitively established the existence of a universal bioelectric grid. Our research also supports the hypothesis that there are naturally-occurring artefacts that can channel the incredible power of this grid. Such artefacts, if they exist, may be located anywhere in the spatio-temporal matrix. We are thus developing a prototype to detect artefacts hidden in sub-dimensions, and enable their interdimensional transfer into ours.'"
Her thesis. She must be having a bad day if Carson could quote her own thesis back at her. It seemed she had written it a lifetime ago: back when she was successful, admired, perfect. What had happened?
"This grid, it's universal right? There's like, twenty other teams who've used it. Why can't we get them to help us? Like those dudes from that underwater town?"
She had had this conversation with him before. "Mariner Bay's given us all the research they have. But their technology is fourteen years out of date."
He made a face. "Yeah, well, what about the rest?"
"What 'rest'? We've already approached all those who made their identities public. Andrew Hartford said he's retired, and Eric Myers…"
Eric Myers had used language she would not associate with a superhero. His wife had called back later to apologise, but she said she'd gotten off lucky. Kendall should've seen her first time meeting Eric, when he'd given her a speeding ticket.
"Let's not talk about Eric Myers."
Suddenly the scanner bleeped. "You have reached your destination."
Carson whistled. "That's it? This is the location of the first Energy Gem?"
She looked out the window. Before them was a single building, a solitary bright beacon in the sea of night. It hadn't been what she'd expected either, but…
"Carson, do you have a problem with McDonald's?"
He looked at her from the passenger seat. "Not at all. I am eternally grateful for Mr McDonald's contributions to American culture, and waistlines. Just that the first Energy Gems should be found somewhere cooler. Like an active volcano, or a glacial cave. Or would it be too much to ask for a dinosaur museum?"
They could be found in a gas station restroom for all she cared. If the gems were here, this would be the McDonald's that would make everything right again.
She was already collecting their equipment. "It doesn't matter. If it's a public area, we'll just have to be more discreet. Don't do anything to attract attention."
When she walked through the door she was certain there had been a mistake. It looked exactly like an ordinary fast food joint. At this time of the night there were no customers, just a single bored teenager manning the counter. Yet the scanner insisted there was something here.
Three somethings, in fact. She checked it again.
"You're reading it wrong." Carson grabbed the instrument from her. "Women and directions. Look, the signal's coming from over there."
He pointed at the kitchen door. The door that had a big sign saying "Authorised entry for staff only."
"And how are we supposed to get in there?" There might only be one person on duty, but he could hardly fail to notice both of them sneaking behind the counter.
"Easy. We create a distraction."
"A - what?"
"Look, there's only one guy here. One of us distracts him, the other one sneaks into the back. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy." He winked.
This night was going from bad to worse. "Carson - "
Too late. He had already walked to the counter.
"Hi there. Can I get a Happy Meal with extra happy?"
She groaned and ducked beneath the counter, then hurried through the door. For once she was glad of her height, or lack of it.
Whatever his methods, Carson was right about one thing. The signal was getting stronger.
She felt her pulse increasing as she quickly checked all the rooms. Deep freeze, ovens, carton storage areas - no otherworldly stones.
Just the manager's office left. She pushed open the door.
Nothing.
She felt herself sag. Something was wrong with her scanner or extractor or both. They had tested and retested this technology, conducted months and months of research, all for no result. She stood still for a moment, unwilling to think about the magnitude of her realisation. How could she go back and face her superiors? How could she even go out and face Carson?
As she turned to leave there was a thump. Something far larger than any stone fell to the ground before her feet.
She took a step back, heart beating fast. She knew she was looking at her first real alien.
