On that same day, Wes and Rose were collecting the charmers that Rose had stationed. She drove since she knew the coordinates to each of them.
"You placed them this spread out," Wes looked at the seismograph that showed their location. El Blanco was not in their area. He opened the door, grabbed the charmer by leaning out, closed the door, and placed it on the seats behind them.
"If something happened to the guests, I couldn't have them all stationed in one area," Rose explained as she drove to the next site. "There would be no point in that."
"Ten miles out from each other but twenty miles out of from the town," Wes looked at her notes.
"A graboid's top speed is between fifteen to twenty miles per hour in great soil conditions," Rose continued. "Evacuation of an event that size needs at least an hour depending on where they were located at, if they were taking the tours."
"What would you do in that situation?" Wes contemplated.
"If I was a member of this town, when graboids first attacked not knowing it was them," Rose took it step by step. "Me, as a scientist, or me as anyone else in the world, because that is who I am."
"You in general," Wes answered.
"I think it would be a bit of an enjoyment to be honest," Rose started to smile. "Discovering a new species is fascinating like finding the first fossilized skeleton of a dinosaur in the eighteen hundreds, a shocking discovery, but also what would I do with that information of a sizeable monstrosity."
"You put the mad in mad scientist," Wes shook his head slowly.
"If I was in Perfection at that time at this age, I would still be working on the lab," Rose explained as she slowed the Hummer down to get the next charmer. "I would be here unannounced with seismic graphs all over the area as well. I would be in the same facility and place we are now. Technology isn't going to be that great but I would still have the upper hand compared to everyone else. I think I would be like Burt, if there was a chance to give all the information maybe not as many lives could have been lost and maybe things could have ended differently. Or I could have been one of those deaths since I was too curious about them and would go to the graboid. And you?"
Wes grabbed the next one. Rose started to drive again before he shut the door. "You would be the one to chase the graboid instead in that situation. If I was there with or without you, I think I would have to agree. I would be like my dad. I would go to the one with the most resources even if it was still on a serial killer. Why not go to the paranoid survivalist who has all the gadgets and gizmos to kill or trap anything and anyone."
"I would enjoy knowing why Val and Earl thought the way they did," Rose glanced at the screen. El Blanco was still not in the area. "They fed off of one another but they were also thought on their feet. I had the chance to listen to Rhonda's lecture but that was during a terrible time so I was unable to attend. Her view with be the best. Another scientist's view carefully deducing and educating guesses at what the cause could be as well as being heavily relied upon during this discovery. I've read her research papers and interviews."
"Would it be the same for the rest of the cycle?" Wes asked a different question.
"If I was in an oilfield in Mexico it would be similar, back in Perfection, yeah the same," Rose speculated. "Maybe I would be safer in the lab instead of being outside."
"Mexico, I would be wondering why I as there, probably wouldn't allowed to be there," Wes glanced at the screen as Rose slowed down again. "The same with Perfection, and I would rather be in the lab then outside with them. Oh, they had scientists there too, would you be able to speak with them."
Rose watched him open the door, grab the charmer. That was the last one. "I would have their contact and their coordinates but I don't know if they would be allowed to speak with me. I know I would warn them or join them where the beach graboid was at. Though, it would probably be in an enclosed cage back to headquarters." She drove the Hummer back to Perfection. "Maybe, in leu of going back, they might escape but we also try keep creatures sedated and calm. I wonder what the scientists' thoughts were when they saw the graboid metamorphize into three shriekers. That must have been unbearable to watch. A dangerous creature, that is subterranean, beached crying out in pain as its insides are being ripped and eaten alive."
"Stop-stop," Wes covered his mouth. "That's disgusting."
"That's nature," Rose shook her head this time. "It's not a beautiful process to others but that's how it works."
"Oh, I forgot to ask, what did you need that had to come in a semi?" Wes turned to her.
"A gantry crane," Rose shrugged her shoulders. "And bigger cages."
"The tonnage?" Wes inclined.
"Three tons, why do you think that wasn't enough, I was contemplating six or eight," Rose glanced over to him. Did she make a mistake?
Wes chuckled while shaking his head. "No, no you did not."
She parked in front of Chang's. The two of them headed inside. Rose needed some items while Wes checked in with the rest of the town who was still huddled on the restaurant side.
"We should make a graboid statue large enough you can sit on it and take a picture," Rosalita had joined them as she had some things to mail off.
"What are we Texans?" Burt threw up his hands. "Then people will want to ride the real thing! The death toll will just keep rising and we'll be restricted by the government making this place way too dangerous. Everything will get shut down!"
"Or-or," Rosalita snapped her fingers. "We could have all three near each other but life size. That way people would know how big they really are AND they can sit on them a take a picture!"
"Enough with the sitting!" Burt stood up. "This isn't some rodeo. These are dangerous creatures."
"Bulls are dangerous but everyone still loves them!" Rosalita argued. "People love danger, Burt."
"But the bulls don't eat them!" Burt remarked. The two kept arguing.
Wes moved over to Tyler. "Has it been like this all day?" He kept his voice low.
Tyler nodded. "Should have heard the earlier conversations. Someone suggested we should have like a one of those tv shows where you stay the night by yourself in a dangerous place. They wanted people to camp out on the residual boulders with El Blanco around them. If they couldn't do it, they would be saved by Burt, and if they did win, they would be known that they survived El Blanco." Wes raised his eyebrows while blinking slow. Tyler scoffed. "That's how I feel."
Rose came into view holding a basket. Jodi got up to check her out. "Do you have any ideas or suggestions we could do better for the next event?" Jodi asked while ringing her up.
"Hm," Rose looked off to the side. "You probably got the usual suggestions, but from my side, I like those anatomy models. Maybe you can get with a company to do those plastic anatomy models but also hold a lecture on that. If not just further explain the cycle and the anatomy. I believe that would be interesting." Jodi wrote that idea down. There were some raised voices coming from the restaurant side. The two looked to the group. "Heated discussion."
"It's been like that all day," Jodi groaned. "It hasn't let up either. Burt is being his usual self but it didn't help when Melvin came in. Oh, he invited all of us, even you, to Bixby's golf course's annual event." She rolled her eyes. "Had no idea he was a part of this town, but it was still sad he to endure the first graboid attacks but that doesn't mean he can run us out or make us buy his ranchettes."
"I take it, no one is going to his event," Rose took a look at the tickets. Jodi still had the on the counter.
"Yeah, none of us like him," Jodi nodded. "He kept hounding us while Burt was in Argentina taking care of those shriekers. Now, he wants to put his hand in as well for these events."
"He doesn't seem like someone you could get rid of easily," Rose took her items in hand.
"I am just waiting for his next big idea," Jodi took the basket off the counter. "There will be one. I know it. Just make sure to watch for him. He kept calling you cute."
"That's terrible," Rose commented. "His vernacular only contains cute for his descriptions." This made Jodi laugh. "An insult."
"No campouts, no marathons, NO risks that could up the death toll!" Burt raised his voice.
"Better see what's going on," Jodi headed over to the group. Rose followed her.
"This isn't some National Park," Burt was pacing back and forth pointing his fingers at the group. "We need to keep the causalities to a minimum. These events are only increasing our chances of either being shut down or being increased in population and we will have that littler turd trying to put his hand this honey pot you're all building. If we want to do anymore of these things, its going to be through proposals with the pros and cons and an estimation of probable death toll. We need to remind ourselves that this place isn't like the rest of the United States."
"Proposals?" Jodi complained.
"Yes, proposals," Burt stopped. "Need I remind you that we are also waiting for whatever creature escapes from the lab. We have that to deal with too."
"Burt, I think you are taking it too far again," Nancy interjected.
"Do you not remember all what has happened?" Burt was perplexed. "El Blanco's appetite was increased into a frenzy thanks to Melvin, that Assblaster sold to those Vegas yahoos escaped back here and we had to catch it-not kill it, that stupid battle with those goons from Vegas over a damned key, Project 4-12, that chemical creature from the lab, that Dr. Flynn with her so-called trained shriekers, that killer plant, the graboid activists, those locust hybrids, the giant shrimp, and now all the events from Rose's influence. Our homeorhesis centers on creature incidents, it's almost making it to be a homeostasis." He drew blank looks from everyone except from Rose who was nodding to that sentence.
"Homeostasis is usually the term that gets used instead of the correct term homeorhesis," Rose took this time to explain before Burt explodes. "Homeostasis always returns to a constant state while homeorhesis is always returning to a trajectory. In Layman's terms, homeostasis is the ability to maintain an internal temperature at a constant level, no matter the external temperature. Homeorhesis is about the time-dependent of the generalization of homeostasis, as it concerns the dynamic rather than the static equilibrium of the system, which is a continuous change of the steady state that occurs." She received blank stares except from Burt.
"That went over all of our heads," Wes moved his hand over his head to show her.
"Yes, I can see that the education system has failed you as it continues to fail others each day," Rose let out a sigh.
"That was a sick burn but also a low blow," Tyler muttered.
Burt couldn't take it anymore. "Enough! Proposals for anymore events, we then vote as a town after you present it with the mandated criteria. That's final!" He pointed to Rose and Wes. "You two, cannot vote, but they can be used as references or guinea pigs.
The others agreed with him, but this meant it was easier to persuade him to allow the events to happen. Burt might have made it a setback, but it played into their favor.
"Guinea pigs," Rose raised an eyebrow at Burt. "I thought you were going to say lab rats. Would have been more fitting."
"Speaking of the lab," Burt crossed his arms as he rested as he rocked back on his heels. "You wouldn't be willing to let us know about the vehicles that came to your area."
"The Land Rover, second helicopter, and the semi-truck with trailer?" Rose was leading him on.
"Yes, those vehicles," Burt wanted to know if she had a discovery and that's why there were those vehicles. Something important went down. Something confidential.
Rose mulled it over, enjoying the anticipation. "The Land Rover and helicopter had to come and pick up a dog that escaped it's home. The semi-truck and trailer had new equipment and cages." Burt was disappointed. "What? That was the truth. No new discoveries that I have seen. The two were just annoyances. The third, well, it was a pick me up. Maybe, we will have more incidents where you can keep honing your monster hunter skills. Thank you for allowing us to attend the event, until next time." She said goodbye to them and headed out.
"Is she going to wait in the truck?" Tyler turned to Wes.
"No, she drove," Wes said goodbye to the others as he followed behind her.
Burt waited until they were gone when he spoke again. "Dog escaped it's home. I wonder what she meant by that." The rest of the group went back to discussing.
"Well, if that helicopter came the next day after that Land Rover, it must have been an important dog or an expansive dog," Tyler agreed as he stood by Burt. The two knew they needed to read between the lines. "Why would it escape this far?"
"If the dog was a person, since the Land Rover was had two different drivers," Burt thought out loud. "That would make more sense. That person could have been from her research side, came to her place. The helicopter came in the morning, she had enough of whoever that was. They took them away and someone else drove the Land Rover back, but who would be the one to annoy her so much that she needed a military search and rescue helicopter with mounted guns."
"Wes said he even knew about the first two," Tyler pointed out. "I'm guessing he knew this when he was recovering. You think that person is going to come back and annoy her some more?"
"I hope not, but I don't know," Burt was going in circles. "If Melvin can still annoy us, that person probably will too."
It was a few more days until Rose was ready to go back down into the lab. She kept herself calm as she geared up. Wes was eyeing her to see how she was doing. He was a bit fearful too. Going back down into the place where they both almost died, it was not a great feeling.
The two headed out towards the lab entrance. It was morning, but not early enough they were waiting for more light. This time they wanted it to be later. This excursion for being back in the lab, was just to see things were and to restart that section.
Wes stopped as soon as he saw the gantry crane. Rose continued on. He caught up to her. "This is interesting."
"Bigger creatures mean bigger tools," Rose called back to him.
"Where are your cages?" Wes looked around.
"Already in the lab," Rose was the first one to the crane. She started to work the transmitter for the entrance. She only had one metal door open. Next, she moved the crane over to that side. "I had them outside, but I came back in placed them down inside. It would be illogical if I tried to catch a creature but the cage is up here. I also would need to learn how to work them and get used to these sets of controls in case something happened."
"You didn't go down in the lab though?" Wes was concerned.
"No, I did not. I only had a few large and several medium so it's all stacked upon one another," Rose explained as she started to hook herself up the ropes. "Besides, I'll organize with I get down there." She got herself ready to propel off the side. "You coming?"
"Yeah, yeah, ladies first," he waved her to go before he set himself up.
The plastic cages gleamed from the light beaming in. Rose turned on her light that was on her helmet. She scanned the area. She didn't hear any scuttling or saw any shadows. It was so far going okay. Her feet touched the floor. She unclipped herself. Rose headed over to the cages and took down the medium cages and organized them. These cages could be setup to catch the prey without having outside assistance.
Wes touched down, unclipped, and came over to her. She told him the plan. They were going to setup the cages in the area to catch creatures on its own without assistance. After that, they were going to go back to the area where the incident occurred. It took a few hours to spread cages out and have them ready. Rose kept track of the time. If there was any noise they might have heard, both would freeze, listen if there was anymore, before working on the cages again.
The two headed through the first doors. "Do you need to work on the hallway?"
"No, "Rose shook her head. "I finished that side. I started working in the microbiology lab when I was attacked. This time, using lights, we may able to keep the creatures away, hopefully." She opened the door. Wes's hand flinched as it hovered by his gun. Rose headed to where she was working. She had left all of her tools and equipment there. Her light shined on her night vision goggles which were broken. Her gear back was chewed upon and dumped out. The spots where rubber was supposed to be at was all chewed off. Rose put on gloves and put everything in a bag to be taken back up to be tested next. She kept sighing.
"Everything alright?" Wes glanced at her while keeping his head on the entrance.
"It's just," Rose tried not to sigh again. "Several emotions, feeling loss mostly. All my tools and such, but none of that mattered when my life was on the line. I left it all and fought my way back."
Rose gathered the items. The two brought it under the entrance before heading back to the microbiology lab. Rose focused on that walls. She collected specimens from each wall side five feet in between.
"All the walls are done," Rose spoke aloud. "Next, are the floors and ceiling."
"And after that?" Wes glanced at her again.
"The cupboards, the counters, the islands, the sinks," Rose started to list off. "I am happy that it is an outdated lab. Could you imagine trying to swab for all the microbiology on one of head quarter's labs? Talk about exhausting."
"This is not exhausting to you?" Wes wondered what she thought was boring as well.
"No," Rose swabbed onto a petri dish. "There should be more than one working on this lab, but no one wants to step foot into it. Maybe, I can persuade someone or they can see my results and help out. Who knows?"
"More helpers would be great," Wes agreed. "The faster this work gets done, the faster we can be done with this."
Rose continued collecting samples. It wasn't until an alarm sounded off, indicating that it was getting closer to the afternoon. Rose finished with the last petri dish, which was one side of the counters nearest to the back wall. She grabbed gear bag and headed out behind Wes. The two headed back to the entrance. Wes waited for her to go up first. He followed behind once she was near the top.
This went on for a few days before they caught something in one of the cages. When Rose went down first, she stopped when her light showed upon a large cage with a ferocious creature. It balked at the light. Rose automatically stopped her descent. She switched on a green lens and shined it back on it.
"Open up the other side, over," Rose spoke in the radio.
Wes was gearing up to descend. He stopped when he heard her voice. He turned around to peer down into the entrance. "Oh-kay, over." He opened the other side, letting more light to encompass Rose who was dangling in the air. "What is the situation, over?"
"We caught something," Rose smiled. She scanned the other cages. They caught more than one. "I'm coming back up, over." Rose pulled herself up. Wes stuck out his hand. She grabbed onto as she was getting closer. He pulled her into him. She hugged him. "I think we caught a creature that could be of the same species that attacked me, and a creature of the same species that injured you. We need to get that semitruck driver over here."
Wes pulled her over to the ground. "That's a reaction." She let go of him.
"It is, and all we had to do was set a cage and didn't even fight with it," Rose unclipped herself. She pulled the ropes away so the metal doors can close correctly. Wes pressed the transmitter button to do so. Rose grabbed her cellphone. She hit speed dial. "This is Doctor Frankenstein requesting your trailer for transport." The voice on the other side accepted and will be there when it was dark. "We need to head back to so I can prepare for their transport." Rose had a bit of skip in her gait as she undid her harness.
"You are so weird," Wes let out sigh but he had a smile while doing it. "These creatures almost killed us and you're happy about capturing them." He undid his harness as well. They placed them both back in their gear bags.
"Yes," Rose replaced her helmet with a hat. "It would be terrible not to see what did the attacking."
The two of them headed back to the facility. When they go back, Rose started to make kits for all the creatures she would need to take samples from and documentation. It would be a bit of a process but she could manage with two extra helpers.
"Dad, Wes here, over," Wes was on the radio while she was making these kits.
"Burt here, over," Burt answered. He was in his bunker staring over the screen.
"Don't be alarmed, but the semi-truck and trailer will be coming through tonight, over," Wes warned.
Burt raised his eyebrows. "Did you find something? Over."
"We caught a few things," Wes only hinted. "I'll keep you in the loop if something else happens, over."
"I appreciate that, over." Burt placed the radio back down. He made sure to gear up just in case something had happened.
Rose started jotting down notes about the creatures. The one that attacked her was around the size of a great Dane and up. The muzzle looked like it had an outer shell or hardened like a beak. She didn't get a chance to see more of it, but it had black hair. The other creature was more of an armadillo type but larger. The skin probably wasn't smooth since it scraped his leg causing an intense reaction. It probably had small teethlike skin like sharks, sandpaper almost. The reaction is probably a venom like in insect, arachnid, some plants, and jellyfish. It could be something a combination.
Wes peered over her. "These are what's in those cages?" Rose started on sketching them.
"Yes," Rose nodded. "It's a rough sketch but you get the fundamentals. We have four of these captured and two of these. I think we should just keep doing this. It will be safer on all ends until they start catching on. Then we could start putting bait in until again they adapt and hopefully that will take a good part of the population. I doubt that, but it's a likely hypothesis."
"Probable," Wes agreed.
The semi drove through town right on schedule. Burt followed it with his binoculars as he was stationed at the location where Rose had instructed him to drop her off at the first time.
The semi backed up towards the lab. It was a hundred feet away just so it wouldn't compromise the foundation of the lab. A metal lift had the forklift descending down to the floor. The driver met Rose and Wes at the entrance. They didn't open the metal doors until he was there. They worked in a system. Rose and Wes had put the cages in the center by pushing them and then using the crane to lift it up enough to secure it. They had to be careful not to side pull with the crane as that leads to improper use and increased wear on the wire rope.
All of the cages were placed in the center, waiting for transport. Rose had collected her data that she needed. Wes would hook the cages up to be transported. Rose was on watch for El Blanco and for anything that seems off.
The whole process didn't have any problems. It took only thirty minutes. Rose handed him the papers for transport. He headed off after everything was secured once again.
"That was easy," Wes was still fazed that nothing had gone wrong. The two headed back to the facility.
"All in a day's work," Rose was still feeling the small achievement. They had placed empty cages to replace the ones that were taken. "Let's go celebrate. I am thinking of a nice meal and a glass of wine."
"That sounds like a celebration you do every other night," Wes mocked.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Careful, or I will stop sharing."
The two headed back in the facility, allowing themselves to relax. Rose started to pour herself a glass of wine. Wes told her he would make dinner this time. She sat down at the table taking a sip of her wine when the clip of a famous song, remixed talking about Versace and being in a gated community. Rose gulped that down. She scrambled out of the seat to head towards the bed. Wes was curious about that.
"Hello," Rose sat down on the bed. "Yes, I am still planning on that, would never miss it. Yes, my work is stationed in close proximity. No, you are not allowed to check it out. My work will forward the packages to here, do not worry. Yes, I can't wait to see you soon. Until then." Rose placed her phone back in its compartment before heading back out.
"You sounded happy there," Wes did eavesdrop a bit. "I know curiosity killed the cat."
"But satisfaction brought it back," Rose finished the quote.
"Didn't know there was another half to that," Wes set out plates.
"Most don't but that's just one of the common halves to the saying," Rose explained. "You will hear about it anyways. The week of the fourth I will be in Las Vegas."
"Oh, patriotic," Wes had no idea about this.
"No, meeting up with my two best friends," Rose continued. "We used to meet in March and November but now we take a full week in July. You will have to hold down the fort while I am gone."
"This was never in the report," Wes never read vacation days.
"You met Dr. Moreau," Rose sat back down. "He has always allowed this event. If you think you didn't read any of this in the mission, well you just haven't reached that level of clearance."
"That's in two weeks," Wes glanced at the calendar. "At least you will be close by if anything happens."
"It won't be much," Rose took a sip. "You will only have to watch if there were more specimens in the cages and help with transport. Watch for any disturbances, your dad does that so there is half the battle. Lite duty."
Wes set the food on the plates before serving it to her. He sat down opposite of her. "A scientist like you in Las Vegas, do you even know how to have fun?"
"Thank you for dinner," Rose grabbed her fork. "Yes, I do."
"Going to Bodies, does not count," he teased as he took a bite.
"Ha-ha," Rose enjoyed their conversations. "It's not like we are drinking until we have hangovers that even a honey banana smoothie can't fix, it's a celebration. Sometimes we retouch our tattoos. Most of the time we catch up and enjoy each other's company."
"Yep, pretty boring," Wes took another bite.
"I'll bring back a souvenir," Rose mocked.
More creatures were caught every few days. They didn't have to do bait for now. Rose finished one full side of the lab counters with cabinets.