"A time or two," Donna shrugged her shoulders.
"I'll transfer the equipment over to you," Wes went over to his truck and started to bring out the packages. He thought about the voice of the scientist. It sounded as if she was young. Quite younger than he expected. The curiosity of knowing who she was, kept getting stronger each time he thought about it. Wes decided to write a note for the scientist just to see if he could get a reaction out of her. "Here is the last of it." He placed it into the back of her truck.
"Thank you," Donna was about to get into her vehicle. "Don't worry, you might see more of me around." She got in and drove off.
"I hope not," Wes muttered to himself.
Larry came over to see what the commotion was about. "What was that all about?" He watched Donna drive off.
"An order that was given that is going to go straight to headquarters," Wes smirked.
"Oh, I thought it was Donna driving off with some equipment for the scientist," Larry didn't understand. "Hey, you may think I'm weird and different, well everyone else thinks that too, but can you give me a second opinion on this. I've tried everyone else but they don't think it's real and that I am just making something up to get more attention. Like I would do that. There's too much stuff here to make up. You know what I mean?"
Wes glanced to him before looking back to the truck. "What exactly is the opinion on?"
"Oh good, you will do it!" Larry smiled. "Come this way, I recorded it and have been trying to bait it out of the barn, if it's still in the barn." He walked over to his camper. He jumped in quickly to find his camera. Larry came back out and started to play the tape. "See, there is something there."
"I don't see anything," Wes was scrutinizing the camera.
"Well, of course you don't, its invisible," Larry explained. Wes gave him a look that kept Larry going. "It's a bat though, I named it the invisibat. So far I got it eating off of a fishing pole."
"An invisibat?" Wes thought about it. Must be from the lab. "Larry try to capture it, if you can. We might be able to speak with the scientist and see what she thinks of it."
"So you believe me?" Larry held his breath. He watched Wes nod his head. "Good, I will start right away sir!" Larry got back into his camper and started to mutter to himself about fishing poles, and what foods a bat might like.
Wes decided to head into the market place to relax.
Donna met Rose at the specific location. She was at the campsite. Rose came out of the trailer with a backpack.
"Nice to see you again," Rose greeted as Donna started to get out of her truck. "Thank you for coming on short notice."
"Same here," Donna hugged Rose. "It's always nice to see an old grad student even after she got her PhD. What do you have here that needs my opinion?"
Rose pulled out a tablet and clicked on play to show Donna. After hearing it once, Donna looked to her for more information. "The albino Graboid has been communicating with it. I don't know for how long, the equipment was put in place as soon as I could get out there. Seismsos have been showing that the Graboid does frequent this spot from time to time. Educated guess, it may what calls him. However, I do not know if its machine or living. This is why I wanted you. I also need opinions on animal noises. Some I have jotted down, but these creatures are mostly likely mixed and crossed so the calls they make are similar."
"You have gotten Graboid clicks?" Donna raised her eyebrows in surprise and a bit with glee.
"Yes," Rose was a bit hesitant. "Although I know that's fascinating, unfortunately I am not here for the Graboid. I am here for the unknown."
"Okay Scully," Donna replayed the record. "Are we available to get closer to this place?"
"Yes," Rose checked her watch and seismo. "We have enough time to get there and back safely and the Graboid is not in the area. We will use my vehicle." Rose handed her the tablet and started to transfer all of the equipment over. The two got in and headed out. Donna plugged in head phones and kept listening to the record while writing down notes. Rose stopped just outside the entrance that had been covered by the earth. She had always gone down through the roof.
The two put together equipment and backpacks. They headed out to the location. Donna stopped where Rose had made metal grate to enter and exit the building.
"Don't you want to enter?" Donna watched Rose keep walking.
"I am still in the lobby of this place, haven't even touched the other rooms," Rose paused. "I still don't know what's down there and what is living."
"This is going to take you quite a long time," Donna walked to reach her.
"Yes," Rose sighed. "I may even get another three doctorates for this." She smirked.
"Yes, and if you allow Mulder to help out, you might get done earlier," Donna winked at her.
Rose rolled her eyes and kept walking on. She stopped once they reached the destination. "Okay we are above the place where the sound is coming from. I am going to start placing my equipment in, if you want to start your procedure, you can."
The two began their work. At times they took breaks to keep hydrated and suppress their appetite. Rose was placing her sound equipment in the ground. In another spot she put another seismic gadget. Donna was listening with sonar like equipment to try to hear what was going on underground. She was thinking it would have been better if they had gotten into the building and listen that way.
After an hour of listening, Donna gave up and Rose was still setting up equipment. "How much are you going to do?" Donna watched her.
"This is one of my hot spots," Rose placed another seismic gadget. "If I can get enough around, I can have it pinpointed to exact location, along with outside interference."
"Do you think we will be able to bounce sounds off to try to get a reaction?" Donna looked at her watch.
"Yes, and we will be able to do it safely in the trailer without having to attract the Graboid," Rose put in place the last gadget. "And getting ourselves in a situation. The nearest rock is about, oh a quarter mile away and that one is not enough to fit two people."
"Are you saying you were out here when something like that happened?" Donna watched her get up and brush herself off.
"Yes, thanks to a Mixmaster creature," Rose started to pack her backpack and found a note. She zipped up the bag and thought about reading it back in the trailer. "Ready?"
The two headed out and reached the trailer before it turned completely dark. They got into the trailer. Rose started working on setting up the relay between the machines in order for them to communicate with them. Donna saw the glass lab and wanted to get a sneak peek inside to see the creature that was caught.
"That would be ill advised, if you did that," Rose didn't look away from the screen.
"What did you find?" Donna was in awe.
"I have narrowed it down to a porcupine, some sort of poisonous creature like a tropical frog but it gives more of knockout and hallucinations, and peacock yet the sound can carry quite the distance. There is more than one that I caught. Lucky enough to get both sexes." Rose finally finished up on the last touches. "Okay, I am finished. What animal sound would you like to try first?"
"Try orcas," Donna pulled up a stool and sat down next to her. "Or some sort of whale. They had quite the sonar. I had done cicadas but I am afraid of what it will attract."
"Hmph, yes, I heard about that," Rose glanced over at her while typing away. "Not something we want." The two then put on headphones and listened in to the sounds. They didn't get any response. They tried different versions and animals trying to coax out whatever it was. They tried for a few more hours. Rose let Donna try while she made them dinner. Still nothing. The two quit late in the evening. Rose let Donna take her bed, while Rose slept on the floor.
It was not the day for anyone to get anything. Larry could not lure his invisibat with hot dogs like he usually could. He didn't want to fail so he was going to try again. Wes was watching his phone for any update from the scientist.
"Anything new with your esteemed colleague?" Burt asked as he drank from a water bottle. Wes had provided him with lots of groceries. He knew his dad was scratching for money but he didn't know it was that bad.
"Not at all, although headquarters wasn't too pleased about her recent order," Wes clicked the screen off. "You have encountered some of these creatures. What were they like?"
"Horrible," Burt thought about it. "4-12 was out of control, that plant thing was a mess, and the micro-bacteria whatever thing was a nuisance. Trying to get adequate information on them each time was like taking two steps back. You had to cross certain red tape or wait long enough just to find out. And when you do it's too late. If this scientist can provide enough information about what is going in there, I hope she asks me to blow the damned thing up."
"It keeps the town interesting," Wes smirked.
Burt gave him a knowing look. "Yes, it also keeps unwanted buyers out like that damned Melvin."
"Maybe we can have the scientist talk to him," Wes teased. "She seems great with getting people to do what she wants."
Burt shook his head. "I don't want Melvin anywhere near her or the site. If he gets there, he will just ruin everything. Him and his damned track housing or that stupid golf course of his or whatever scheme he is trying to do now."
As the night prevailed on, something did get called out of the lab, unfortunately it wasn't what they wanted. It didn't even come out of the lab area; it came out of one the mines. The vented shaft where the micro-bacteria came out of this. This was an octopus like creature crossed with a spider. This thing crawled up into the trees and started to snatch prey, grabbing it up with its tentacles and cocoons them. Soon this creature had several pods. It nested in a clump of trees outside the mine for now.
The morning called out tourists and Donna. Rose and Donna had breakfast and exchanged information. Rose was going to send anything she found to her. Wes was watching the tourists speak with Tyler and head into the market. Donna parked next to Wes's truck. She came out to see the commotion.
"Find anything?" Wes asked her. He didn't even glance over.
"Nothing yet," Donna sighed. "That's just how nature goes. Where's Burt?"
"On his morning routine," Wes watched a few backpackers come out from getting supplies. The three waited until the whole group came out. Wes watched them get accounted for, get a group picture, and headed into their vans.
"On patrol, I see," Donna watched with him.
"Just surveying," Wes looked over to her finally.
"Well, Romeo, keep an eye on Juliet will you," Donna gave him a small smile. "She's in way over her head on this project and needs all the help she can get. I am going to head on out. Nice meeting you." He nodded to her while she headed on out.
The hikers headed out near the mines. It was a nice area to hike. No Graboid could reach this area due to rocks. The octopus creature was sleeping above them in the tree branches. It woke up due to the chattering of the hikers. It snapped its beak a couple of times before slithering from branch to branch.
Rose checked on her creatures. They nibbled and squawked at one another after getting food. She checked the seismographs and sound systems, still nothing. She was fishing with bait but her fish weren't biting. Rose decided to further investigate the lobby. She created another backpack filled with items to help her. Rose braided her hair back. She put on tinted goggles then placed an off-white desert tactile headscarf. She put on a white jacket over her tank top and pants with combat boots. Rose donned her harness that was a light grey in color. She headed out while checking her seismo. Rose grabbed a couple of collapsible cages and headed out.
The creature watched the hikers with anticipation. It was a bigger prey then it was used to getting.
"This place is so nice!" One hiker spun around looking then back to another hiker. "Who knew something like this would exist?"
"Yeah, but no reception," another hiker was looking down at their phone.
"We are supposed to be on vacation not trying to work," the first hiker scolded and kept walking on.
The second hiker looked up and back down to the phone. "I'll, I'll catch up with you later. I am just going to try to send a quick email."
This is when the creature decided to take its cue. One tentacle dropped down, wrapped around the hiker, and lifted it up. The hiker's phone dropped as the victim tried to squirm out of the hold. There were some other belongings that dropped. The creature cocooned the victim and slithered away to get another. Hikers were being picked off one by one. Soon the group was down to half. They grouped up again counting one another.
"Where is the rest of the group?" One of the lead hikers looked around for them. "This isn't good. Let's get back to the vans and regroup from there. A few of us will then go back and try to find them. Remember the buddy system. Do not lose them." The hikers hurried back. They spotted the debris from the other hikers. Some screamed and started to run. "Stay together! Don't panic! Stay together!"
More hikers were snatched up. The group was now down to a quarter. They got into the vans and headed back into Perfection. Wes and Burt were talking to Tyler about the safari tour when they saw the vans come slamming into a halt over to them.
"What is going on?" Tyler looked at them.
One of the hikers came barreling out of the van and over to Burt. "You have to help! Our hikers they have gone missing. Something took them. It must have been a Graboid! What's left is just some of their stuff. That's how we know they were taken under. You have to help us!"
"Where exactly where you hiking at?" Burt tried to get information.
"Over there," the hiker pointed. "There was twenty-five of us now there's only-"
"Six," Wes looked over to them.
"I just need a few to come with me to make sure we are in the right area, the rest of you can stay put here," Burt barked orders.
Jodi had come out to hear the commotion. "What's going on?"
"I need you and Nancy to get everyone up on the roof, tell Rosalita and the rest," Burt was serious. "Tell me if anything comes this way." Burt looked down at his seismo. He nodded to the rest and headed into his vehicle. Tyler and Wes jumped into the truck and followed one of the vans. Jodi gathered up the rest that were there hugging one another and got them to go upstairs.
She grabbed her bag and two-way radio. "Nancy, Jodi here, over." Jodi followed the rest up the stairs.
"Nancy here, what's going on? Over," Nancy had stopped her pottery wheel.
"Something has taken several of the hikers this morning," Jodi started to explain. "They think it's a Graboid. Burt wants us on the roof. Over."
Nancy got up, started to run out the door, grabbed her bag and checked her seismo. Nothing was around so she headed over to the market and climbed up the stairs.
Jodi got in touch with the rest. Larry was in the old barn. Rosalita and Harlow were up on the roof. They watched their cattle with binoculars.
Burt parked beside the van as it stopped. The two hikers were out and waiting for them. They followed the hikers where they last went. Tyler and Wes looked around. They picked up some of the debris left by the missing hikers and examined the area around it. The creature that lurked in the trees was occupied with its bountiful cocoons. Burt was checking his wrist seismo for any signs. He didn't believe a Graboid could get through here. It was mostly rock around circling them in, but something else had got them. Something else that was underground. Unless El Blanco learned how to jump over rock and into this area. No, it was something else. It wasn't the first time this mine had some sort of creature inhabiting it.
"Get in contact with that scientist," Burt headed back to his vehicle and pulled out his laptop. He wanted to make sure it wasn't a Graboid. "Maybe something came from the lab, she might know something." Wes nodded.
Rose was putting files into her backpack. She had taken pictures of the lobby and set up gadgets such as seismos, wild game cameras, heat sensors, and her cages. As she was rummaging through the lobby, she got a call. "I have service, hmm, that's odd." Rose looked to see who was calling her. She sighed when it was the military guard. Rose answered and put it on speaker to finish her work. "I call you, not the other way around. What is it? I am busy at the moment."
Wes was not surprised about the greeting he got. "Well, hello to you too."
"I have other things then to be chatting about nonsense," Rose scanned the room for any sign of movement. "Now what is it that you need?"
"We have a situation over here," Wes began to explain. "Something has taken some hikers; we are thinking its underground. Has anything been let out of lab?"
"Well, the front doors are caved in with rock and sand, there are so far no other entry," Rose was thinking about it. "Except the one I made. And if there are other ways, I do not know of them since there wasn't any on the blueprints."
"Did you see anything get out from the entry you made?" Wes looked at the phone that was on the ground.
"No," Rose zipped up the bag. "Nothing has gotten past me so far."
"Wait, are you in the lab right now?" Wes whispered.
"I'm in the lobby," Rose put on the bag and grabbed the phone. "I haven't made it down to there. Why am I telling you this? Is there anything else you need?"
"Can you check to see if anything did escape, nineteen hikers are missing?" Wes was getting some pent-up angst.
"That's not my problem," Rose started to hook herself up to the rope cords. She had placed her phone in a slot on strap of her backpack.
"It is too," Wes argued. "You are sent here to deal with lab and the creatures."
"Yes, I deal with the lab and the creatures, but I deal with the creatures in the lab, those that escape outside my zone are not my problem," Rose scanned around the room one more time to make sure everything was where she wanted it to be. "Creatures that get out are dealt by Doctor Casey Mathews and her lab. She deals with Mixmaster and the ecosystem of Perfection. I am ground zero if you remember the information that was sent to you. Now, if that is all, I would like to get back to work." She ended the call and started to pull herself up by the pulley system.
Wes sighed as he put his phone away. He placed a marker of where this hiker might have been taken at and grabbed the belongings. Wes placed them into bag which had a number to the missing hiker. He headed back to Burt and the rest.
"It's not a Graboid," Burt sighed with relief. "So, it's not El Blanco, but something else must have gotten to them." Burt looked to Wes. Wes shook his head. "Didn't think she would be any help either."
"If we need someone on this, she said a doctor Casey Mathews would be more of help," Wes crossed his arms.
"She's helped us before," Tyler added in. "We can get these items to her to analyze and figure out what has been taking these poor hikers."
"It was silent," one of the hikers spoke up. "We didn't hear any screams or sounds."
"It was quick too," the other hiker nodded. "Some of us would turn around, and poof they were gone. Can we leave now? I don't like being here."
"Alright, we can head back and tell the rest what we have found out," Burt sighed.