Greetings from SeekerMeeker.
Finally, the "introduction arc" has officially ended with the seventh chapter!
Now, a new arc begins!
Thank you for your patience, as I am trying to juggle writing this story, doing work, and trying to keep writer's block away.
Be safe out there.
Warning: this chapter will finally wrap up most of the main points of chapters 1 to 7. Only a few will continue on, because they are more important.
Chapter 8: Luck or Lot
April 3, 201X
12:00 PM
A secret Archon Corporation research complex in northern Nevada...
...except deeper down, in a heavily fortified room
"And we've been doing nothing," Dipper groaned. "But being stuck here."
"And captured," Mabel mumbled, pouting.
"Mabel," Dipper groaned. "Just stop and thi-"
"I cannot believe it!" Pacifica roared, interrupting the conversation. "Let US out of this! What's going on here?! I am suing all of you!"
The college students found themselves in a strange, fortified room, apparently designed for top-secret purposes. The walls were not only clean and whitish, but also heavily designed with honeycomb-like structures and other odd features. All three recognized what they were; they had seen enough science fiction movies and shows to know.
"Restraint systems," Dipper groaned, eyeing the strange contraptions. "Hmm, definitely high-tech."
He tugged at them, and raised an eyebrow.
"Definitely not an average restraint type," he remarked. "But what's with all of these neon light glows?"
"But they are strong!" Mabel blurted out, struggling with her own restraints. The "restraint systems" looked like a mixture of a hospital bed, a restraint table, and a giant tube-like system to contain a single human being, although none of them had actual glass. However, all three felt like they were being restrained for dissection.
Of course, none of them liked that.
"And what's even going on now?" Mabel asked, still struggling with her restraints. "The last thing I know, we're having fun, and then this."
"You mean they drugged us somehow," Pacifica spoke with a sigh. "But how?"
"Pacifica," Dipper said. "Do you know about this?"
"Yeah," Mabel chimed in. "You said that your family has ties with the FBI or something. Know anything about WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"
Mabel continued to struggle, but the restraints remained as solid as ever. Pacifica shrugged, but even she agreed with Mabel's outburst.
"I have seen these only once," she replied.
"The FBI?" the twins asked.
"No," she replied. "When the Archon invited us, they hurried through some parts of the complex. Not this one, but another. Fortunately, I glanced at a room with these same systems."
"And what were...they doing?" Mabel asked, now suddenly quieting down.
"Obvious torture," she admitted, causing both twins to shiver. "But these look a little different."
She inspected them.
"Hmm," she added. "These things...they don't seem designed to hold us."
"What?" the twins asked.
"But they're keeping us stuck!" Mabel gasped. "What do you mean by that?"
"I can't really explain it," Pacifica said with a face. "Augh, my head! What did they do to us? Dipper, you said they drugged us?"
"I believe so," he replied. "All I know is that they gave us pizza, but the butlers backed away, as if it was poisonous. Then, as we ate it, we started to lose control."
"And then some weird gas came out," Mabel groaned. "And knocked us. Augh, that hurt!"
"No," Pacifica said. "The gas came after we got knocked out, which means..."
"Whatever they added into the pizza," Dipper noted. "It did something to us. It made us..."
"Hungry," the two girls replied.
Suddenly, a double door opened, and the lights above brightened. Although it was already bright enough to see the entire room, more lights came on, so that it was very bright inside.
A robust man in a fancy, black suit appeared, coming in with two soldiers. He was clearly the largest of the three, despite not wearing any armor. In fact, he was as large as the soldiers in full, futuristic gear.
"So," he spoke. "Welcome to our humble abode."
The trio stayed silent, but glared at him.
"We are sorry to restrain you like this," he began. "I hope you understand-"
"Understand?!" Pacifica objected, raising her voice. "What are YOU maniacs up to?"
The man blinked, and slowly smiled. He moved his glasses, his semi-bald head shining a little from the lights.
"We've been waiting for this for one too many years," he admitted. "Three people, each 18 years of age, being Mutants. A wonderful scientific discovery."
"What?" Mabel asked innocently, dropping her glare.
"A scientific discovery?" Dipper asked. "What are you up to? Human experiments?"
The man, blinked, then laughed. His strange, low-pitch laughter sent a chill down the spines of all three adults.
"Well said," the man declared. "E-Force, leave me with these three Mutants."
"Mutants?" Mabel asked. "Wait, us?!"
The three looked at each other. Despite the weird way the systems were set up, they managed to look at each other. They looked like normal college students...or so they thought.
"Ahem," the man said, speaking not to the trio, but to his soldiers. "Please leave."
The two soldiers looked at each other. Although the helmets hid their faces, the gestures betrayed their confusion.
"But GM," one of them began to speak, but the man silenced him with a hand raised.
"Just leave," the man growled.
The two saluted, and left through the door. It slammed shut.
"So," the man said, turning to face the trio. "Where to begin?"
After a few minutes of weird silence...
The man paced around, leisurely smoking his cigar. He had been waiting for the trio to ask, but they were not sure. They did not even know what to talk about.
"OK," Pacifica broke the silence. "In the name of the Northwest family, the richest family of the state of Oregon, what is going on here?"
The man blinked, then laughed.
"Well," the man replied. "I guess you all are so curious? The trip? The food? Everything since the announcement at the college?"
The trio connected the dots, and gasped.
"Since you are finally caught," he continued. "And under our complete control, there is no need for me to hide anything, because we'll indoctrinate you."
Uh oh, Dipper thought. Indoctrinate? Are they going to wipe our memories? Just like back in Gravity Falls? Or almost?
Bad words, Mabel thought. Mean big trouble!
What plans do he and his company have? Pacifica thought.
"What are you going to do with us?" Dipper asked.
"Mind controlling us?" Mabel blurted out.
The man smiled.
"Worse than that," he replied, causing all three to pale.
"OK," Pacifica chimed in. "This sounds like something straight from a Hollywood science fiction movie."
"Except it's real," the man replied. "Have you heard of the Oracle Stones, my lady?"
He said that to Pacifica, who blinked. Soon, she gasped.
"You!" she yelled.
"It's been a long time," the man said. "I know that your family knows a little too much about our secrets. My men have been...untrustworthy."
"Mr. Herbert Barrow!" Pacifica declared, struggling with her restraints. "What are you doing here?! I thought you're a business partner, not some maniac!"
"You know him?" the twins asked, surprised.
The man laughed again.
"I am a regular at the Northwest Fest," Herbert said with a smile. "I loved going to the Northwest Manor every year, except on the last year it ended. Sad to see it close."
"Why didn't you come and save our fortune?" Pacifica asked, her tone more bittersweet. "If you're our partner?"
"Remember," Herbert said. "I have my fortunes and savings to deal with. Preston and I both have standards, and that is refusing to help each other, even if our money is at stake."
The twins raised an eyebrow at that one.
"It's a secret among us," Herbert curtly replied.
"I will explain to you," Pacifica said. "It's some weird 'rich people's mentality' that you two may not. But that's not important. What's more important is what ALL three of us are curious about, Mr. Barrow!"
"I know," Herbert said, pacing back and forth, as he dropped the ashes from his cigar. "I have managed to extract strange reports from some agents, who talked about some paranormal activities back in that strange town called Gravity Falls."
The trio gasped.
"I already suspected," Herbert continued. "That you three knew more than expected. I mean, I saw reports after reports about strange sightings there, Dipper being on some headlines, and a birthday party involving you twins as the saviors, and Pacifica being able to keep a promise to some strange ghost."
The three stared.
"So," Herbert said. "When one of my trusted agents discovered you three, I was shocked. You see, let me tell you some things. Get ready, as I will explain..."
[*This section is important. It ties the rest of chapters 1 to 7.*]
"This world is not just inhabited by Humans," Herbert explained. "You see, let me keep this straight: there are Mutants in the world."
The trio listened, both tense and curious at the same time.
"Mutants are obvious," he continued. "They are obviously an improved version of us. Initially, we thought that they had some special outward traits. But no, which made it hard for us to find out. But let me explain to you:
"Years ago, there was that mysterious event, which shook the entire world. However, most people never felt it, because it was a nova of blue light, which spread out and engulfed the entire world."
The trio stared, now knowing that their suspicions were true.
"That was the Blue Nova Incident," he continued. "Which was caused by this: long story short, a secret lab there in China held an Oracle Stone..."
Herbert Barrow went to explain for one whole hour. He talked about the Blue Nova Incident, and how only Mutants could sense it, because it created them in the first place. In essence, anyone who becomes Mutant could recall the incident. The event was caused by a classified conflict between Chinese and American forces. It was fought over an Oracle Stone, a magical artifact that was known to cause mutations and magical changes in the environment.
Oracle Stones like the one in the Blue Nova Incident were rare yet valuable, as they could change the course of human history. They were believed to be the real reasons for the rise and fall of various civilizations, from ancient Egypt to even modern-day China. That was why China and the US clashed; they clashed over a Chinese secret lab, built on an artificial island in the South China Sea. That single lab contained a particularly strong Oracle Stone.
Both sides fought with both Mutant and non-Mutant technologies, and it took at least three hours. The US ended the fight, by unleashing a railgun blast from a secret aircraft carrier, believed to be a particularly advanced form of the Ford-class aircraft carrier. That blast, however, shattered the Oracle Stone by accident, causing it to explode and radiate out the blue nova.
When the nova occurred, it transformed various people around the world into Mutants. It also caused unusual changes in the natural world, such as causing endangered ecosystems to recover insanely fast. An example was the Amazon Basin, where an area the size of Israel magically reforested in only three days.
However, there was more to the Stones. They did not just cause Mutant changes, both in humans and in the environment. They also boosted food production, causing farms to become more productive than usual, which was the real reason for China's rise in agricultural supremacy over other nations.
It also caused the Mutants to become hungry, very hungry.
"That is one reason for how we figured out," Herbert said. "Aren't you three hungry? Don't starve, please."
The trio were left stunned. Now, it made sense why they were eating. On the bus, they recalled that they were eating more than usual, but even before then, they did eat more than usual.
"And there is more," he continued his long monologue...
The Archon Corporation was officially an conglomerate, but it did not just focus on medicine, genetic engineering, and high-tech electronics. It was really a semi-military organization, with a focus on transhumanism. It was founded not in the US, but really in China, as an extension of Chinese espionage system. It was established not to spy on the US, but to spy on Mutant presence from around the world, especially in the US.
"And that leads to the reason why you three are here," Herbert said. "For some reason unknown, only teens 13 to 17 could become Mutants. We've analyzed them as to why that is possible, but we have been unable to figure out. All we know is that it seems to correlate with most movies and shows we watch, where teenagers seem to be the main heroes, despite their lack of control over their emotions. It feels like as if the Mutants are a 'dream come true' for teenage desires for freedom and heroism."
The trio stared, as Herbert finished his 30 minutes of lecture.
"Then," he admitted. "You three came along. You all are at least 18 years of age, and are found to be Mutants."
The trio gasped.
"That's why we're so smart!" Dipper gasped.
"And that's why you trapped us!" Mabel and Pacifica both yelled at the same time.
"Correct," Herbert replied. "That's why you three are a lot smarter than the average person. I mean look? Getting a perfect score on the organic chemistry? Only a true Mutant is smart enough to get a perfect score on the first try with ease. Finding three of you that age? That is something that we cannot overlook."
"In other words," Mabel blurted out. "You guys are going to use us to try and unlock the secrets of these Oracle Stones, using us as guinea pigs."
Herbert laughed out, his voice echoing throughout the room.
"Spot on!" he replied. "Since you three are the only people of 18 years being Mutants, we're going to use you. We believe that you are the key to unlocking the secrets of the Oracle Stones. As I explained, the Oracle Stones are just like those magical stones in movies and video games: they grant powers."
"And remember," he continued. "Oracle Stones allow entire nations to rise and take over the world. I mean, think about an army of Mutants. The Mongols may have used an Oracle Stone, which explains how they managed to conquer much of Eurasia. The Spanish conquistadores even talked about a 'black stone' or some stone from the Incas. We believe that they were talking about Oracle Stones. We have rumors that even the Nazis used one.
"But we don't know what happened to them in their own documents. In the modern era, we know what happens: they disintegrate for some reason. I believe that after some use, they deteriorate. An unfortunate issue. But we do know one thing: Mutants at the age of 17 have the highest levels of magic and energies. We believe that if anyone at 18 or older is a Mutant, then they may hold the key to the Oracle Stones' fullest potential."
"You monster!" all three declared.
"Ah," Herbert noted. "You three already figured out. I think I can just drop the manners. Yes, we're going to experiment on you, and try and use you three for the use of Oracle Stones. Our superiors from China are demanding us to find a way to keep the Stones active, and we know that they've been losing power lately. China wants to use the last of the Stones to try and overthrow the US, and become the number 1 superpower on Earth."
The three continued to glare at him.
"And in order to do that, we have to do some...things. Before we captured you, we mobilized the best of our forces: the Epsilon Force. Known as the E-Force, it is composed of the very best that we could find, and that money could buy. We then pulled the strings, and invited you three and 37 other random college students, all so that we could successfully trap you three. And there is more: remember that there are Mutants still around, but like the Stones, they're starting to...deteriorate."
"Wait!" Mabel gasped. "Are you saying that we Mutants will eventually...rot?"
Herbert nodded slowly, causing all three to gasp.
"Oh no," Dipper noted. "Is that the reason for our growing hunger?"
"Yes indeed," Herbert answered. "Hunger gradually grows the longer you stay Mutant."
"No wonder!" Pacifica gasped. "That's why I was able to eat an entire box of pizza without being full!"
"Wow," Dipper noted. "Never thought you can do that."
"Says the boy who has a big appetite," Pacifica said with a glare.
"Oh boy," Dipper said, rolling his eyes.
Herbert laughed again, causing all three to focus on him with their glares.
"But worry not," he said. "There are ways to stop that deterioration from happening. One is becoming a normal human. That can be done in two ways: one is either growing up to the age 18, which is impossible for you three, and and the other is using a special Oracle Stone to turn them back into a human. That stone is called the 'dog stone,' because it has a strange silhouette of a dog's face on it. We don't know why the dog's face is on it."
Mabel gasped. She remembered that Aesop's fable, and made a silent answer through her eyes at Dipper. Dipper blinked, then realized what she was trying to say.
"But that's not what we want," Herbert said.
"What do you mean?" the three asked in unison.
"We don't want you to become normal humans," Herbert said. "Not when we have the possible keys to unlocking the full nature of the Oracle Stones."
"You monster," Dipper growled.
"I don't like where this is going," Mabel declared.
"What are you going to do with us?" Pacifica asked. "If we're Mutants, I need a lawyer!"
Herbert merely rolled his eyes.
"We have another option," he replied. "It is what we're going to on you three: turning you all into cyborgs, under our control."
"What?" the three asked.
"Simply put," Herbert said. "We're going to turn you all into cyborgs, equipping you all with special implants to ensure that you all will be under our complete control."
At that, all three screamed.
"YOU MONSTER!" Dipper roared.
"YOU EVILDOER!" Mabel screamed, trying to break off her restraints.
"YOU SLAVEOWNER!" Pacifica yelled, joining Mabel in trying to break hers.
"I know, I know," Herbert said calmly, trying to calm them as if he was an unpopular teacher trying to calm down his students. "Not the best option right now, but we have to do what we have to do."
"YOU MANIAC!" the trio blasted him with anything that they could say. Interestingly, while they did not say any profanity, their emotions were clear.
They hated it.
They hated it, a LOT.
"Well," Herbert said. "That's all for now. You all have heard more than enough."
"Get out!" Pacifica roared.
"Will do," Herbert said with a mocking bow. "We'll go and prepare some meals for you three."
All three realized that they were hungry, very hungry.
"In the meantime," Herbert said, a sinister grin forming over his face. "Have fun being our Super Soldiers."
He then turned around, ignoring the angry outbursts from the three young adults. As the double door opened, he went through, and it shut with a bang.
3 minutes later...
Soon, the trio calmed down.
"OK," Dipper gasped. "Man, what's up with that guy?!"
"This is the worst nightmare ever!" Mabel yelled. "Man, I want to be human!"
"I am suing this entire company!" Pacifica roared. "Augh! I am telling my family!"
As the girls continued to wail, Dipper took a deep breath.
OK, he thought. There is no point in just shouting angrily. I need to find something, anything!
He looked around.
"Wait a minute," he said, noticing something. "Pacifica!"
"Yeah?" she responded with a slightly resigned tone.
"Do you have that card?" he asked.
"No," she replied. "Why?"
"Are you kidding me?!" he gasped. "What happened?"
"I gave it to her," she replied.
"Who?" the twins asked.
48 minutes earlier...
"Ouch," Anna gasped, waking up. "What happened?"
"They knocked us out," another voice echoed.
"Twig?" she asked.
"Shush," he replied.
"What?"
"Shush," Twig replied. "Look, we woke up earlier than usual. They're going to check us."
"What?" she asked again. "What's going on?"
"Dunno," he replied. "Wait, sleep!"
Instinctively, both leaned back, pretending to stay unconscious. Peeking through her right eye, Anna noticed that she was inside of a bus, the same bus that they took. A soldier came in, clad in futuristic gear and clearly NOT one of the Chestnut Guard.
He clicked something, and a beam of light scanned the interior. Anna closed her eye just in time, as the light blinded her for a while.
"All clear," the soldier spoke through a strange radio, as he turned his light off. "All regular teenagers are asleep. Mutants are all gathered."
Regular teens? Anna thought. Mutants?
The soldier left through the door, which closed behind. Soon, both Anna and Twig got up, scanning their surroundings.
"Where are we?" Anna asked, as she and Twig got up. "Ouch, augh!"
"We must be inside of a garage," Twig replied, turning on a flashlight cam from his smartphone. It lit upon a darkened bus interior, with a total of ten people inside. All of their friends were inside, still knocked out cold.
"No wonder," she groaned, as she stood up to stretch. "Augh! What did they do to us?"
"I think they used some sort of sleeping gas," Twig speculated, as he scanned the surroundings with his phone. "Hmm."
Anna also looked around, turning her own phone. Her light flashed over Molly, Haddie, and Broadie. All three were sleeping on a sofa, along with five other teenagers.
"Ouch," she groaned. "What an unlucky day for us."
As Anna pondered what to do, Twig went to the door, and checked it.
"It's stuck!" he cried out. "Wow, this door is actually armored too! What LUCK!"
"Uh oh," Anna noted, then tried to open the windows. "The windows are locked too!"
"Hmm," Twig mused. "How to get out of this?"
He banged the glass with his fists.
"Yup," he said. "Bulletproof glass. Too strong to punch out."
"What can we do?" Anna asked. "We're stuck inside, and obviously something fishy is going on."
"And those three college students," Twig said. "Are nowhere in sight."
Anna blinked, trying to remember something important.
"Wait," Twig said, looking at a card reader system, its light green to show that it was still functional. "Hey, this card reader has the same logo as those strange guards, who checked us."
Anna thought over what he said, and gasped.
"Can we use this?" she asked, taking something out.
"What?" Twig asked, coming over to check. "What's that card?"
"The girl named Pacifica," she replied. "She gave it to me. I can tell that it's important."
She then walked over to the card reader, and used it.
Click.
The door opened.
"Oh wow," Twig gasped. "She somehow got that card?"
"No time to lose," Anna said. "We're waking up our friends, and going out."
"What?" Twig gasped. "We don't know where to go!"
"No," she replied. "We're going to find them three."
"But we don't know where they are!" Twig objected. "We're in for a LOT of trouble if we try something!"
"Well," she said. "If this card opens up this bus, then I believe that it can open more."
"You don't say," Twig gasped.
Anna smiled, as she pocketed the card.
"Let's go save them," she replied.
Well, it's another info dump, but one that will finally start the story.
The title is something I made up, but I think that it is accurate.
References:
Herbert told the trio that they "don't starve," referencing the game "Don't Starve."
Oracle Stones deteriorating after some use is a reference to the Philosopher's Stone of "Fullmetal Alchemist" fame. However, unlike them, the Oracle Stones definitely do NOT use human souls.
Finally, a chapter I managed to finish, revise, and edit in one day. I hope it's worth your day to read it.
Sincere Seeker.