It was a whirlwind of information for both sides. Val explained how he lived a better life than he hoped. He rubbed shoulders with big names when he was in New York with Rhonda. He spoke about how it made the two of them grow closer. A few years in he proposed, she said yes. They got married a year later. They had a busy schedule of talks and interviews. Val followed Rhonda as she gave lectures at different colleges. They travelled everywhere. He spoke with several scientists from all fields about the first graboid incident.
It wasn't until the second graboid incident that their schedule finally slowed down for them to have a child together. When Rhonda was back on her feet and the baby was stable enough to not have her around, she left to continue giving her knowledge since the Mexican government were trying all they could. Val became a stay-at-home dad.
He kept at it when Rhonda was offered a position at one of the universities. She accepted. Val spoke about how it was all going smooth. Some rocky situations but that's to be expected. No relationship is without fault. When his daughter, Valerie, started going to school, Val felt he had to do something more. He put stress on himself for wanting to be better. He felt that Rhonda was also wanting him to do something as well. Val tried all sorts of jobs, never sticking through than more than a year. Both promised to never fight in front of Valerie.
Val sought comfort from the bottle. He wouldn't let Valerie know either. He tried to be a great dad. Upstate New York wasn't his forte but he did feel more at home working at the dairy farms in the country side of New York. He would teach Valeria all about cows, ranch work, and handyman type of skills.
He was proud of himself that he made her graboid cowboy boots. Toughest leather he had ever worked with but made the most durable boot out there.
Val didn't know when the fire between him and Rhonda started to die out but he did know that it was around middle school when Rhonda suggested for the two to do couples counseling or therapy. He couldn't remember which one was which.
They tried to work through all those suggestions and recommendations. Some made their relationship better, others did not. They did find out that it was the trauma from the first graboid incident connecting them. The two would never be connected in that way if it wasn't for that incident. The two were in different paths. There was a possibility of them crossing paths since they were both in Perfection, however, deeming each other in a romantic view was low.
Both of them did agree that didn't see each other as a romantic interest. Val let it be known he was thinking she would be more of a model type. He was wishful thinking. Rhonda thought of him as just another guy. The courageous acts and survival instincts kicked in during the first graboid incident. This could be why they saw each other in a romantic light. It got too scientific for Val. Hearing about it becoming more of an instinct that this person would be good to mate with due to the high survival rate. Almost like smelling a person's scent when they were sweaty. If the other thought it smelled good, that meant that person had an immune system that would be compatible to produce offspring with.
Rhonda seemed to understand the conversation at hand while Val was confused the whole way. He got angry that the whole reason the two were together because of some biological instincts and now they are drifting apart because of it. He couldn't believe what he was hearing but he couldn't come up with any other reasons when asked what he liked about Rhonda that didn't pertain to first graboid incident.
In the end, the two drifted apart. They both agreed that there was no longer love between them. The divorce went through Valerie's senior year. Rhonda and Val agreed to not part until Valerie was off to college. Rhonda would continue living in New York and Val drifted wherever he could.
He worked on a few dairies before he started to head back towards Perfection. He didn't think he would be back but with each bottle he drank, he kept wanting to go back.
He was also diagnosed with PTSD from the first graboid incident. When Rhonda was pregnant, he caught himself on multiple occasions sleep walking, holding her in his arms, trying to get them away from the graboids. He never let Valerie play the game where the floor is lava as it triggered him. Hearing her scream as she landed on the floor thinking she was dying, brought back flashes of him fighting for his life. It was one of the reasons why Rhonda wanted to do counseling and therapy.
Yet, here he was, back to the place that started it all. Nancy informed him about mostly everything that went on here in Perfection. The rest of the town added when but kept it short as Perfection's story keeps growing. Nancy caught him up on Earl, Grady, and Dr. Riley. She let him know what happened to Burt and what he's been up to. How things are going with the town.
Val took it all in. Almost seemed like a foreign place to him now. In a sense it was. Perfection was no longer the place he knew but he did enjoy hearing family businesses still going. Jodi, Walter's niece, was in charge of Chang's and had a restaurant now. Rosalita was running Miguel's ranch and was now the town's psychiatrist. They suggested to him to take a tour of the museum.
They didn't inform about the Proudfoot lab yet. They also didn't mention about Burt actually having two sons yet. It was a lot to take in on one day. Val stayed with Nancy in her guest room. He showered and shaved. They lent him some clothes for the time being.
It was interesting to see the town buzzing with tourists. He put on a ball cap and sunglasses to be incognito as he took one of Tyler's tours. He had a faint smile on his face as he listened to Tyler rattle of facts between historical destinations. The story was still the same. Nothing gimmicky. All facts. Thankfully the two graboids were just on their routines and not doing their usual pranks. Tyler was worried the two might beach themselves, giving Val a heart attack or triggering him enough to put himself and the rest of the tourists in danger.
Val went to lunch next. He tried one of the graboid themed lunches. It made him laugh a bit as he read through all of the menu. The town agreed to do everything for him on the house. One, he was a legend, and two, he's been through his own troubles. It was the least they could do.
Val headed over to the museum. He kept his ball cap on but took off the sunglasses. The outside of the museum was normal. There wasn't much of a foyer. To the right was a window to pay for tickets. To the left was a world map that had push pins spread out on it. There was even a guest book to sign in. Straight in front was a wall with an arrow pointing to the left saying 'enter.' He headed over that way. When he turned, he saw a decorated wall of the original townspeople from Perfection. They each had their own short synopsis. He read through each one. The other side opened up to dioramas depicting scenes from the first graboid incidents.
He looked through there then headed onto the next exhibit which read 'Was the 1989 incident the first actual graboid human contact?' This was new to him. There were pages from an old diary behind glass with a lengthy history board. This was from the ancestor of Walter Chang. He was stunned. The incident Val thought was the first was actually the second. He immersed himself into this exhibit, reading and looking at all the information found from the 1889 incident.
Next were the other incidents, which were shorter, much smaller compared to the other two exhibits. Which is understandable as this was ground zero. He could tell they wanted to keep the focus on Perfection.
Val stopped at the next exhibit. All graboid, shrieker and assblaster facts and information. There were fossils, illustrations, and on one wall life size comparisons painted so that people can see where they stand up against one.
There were also hands on learning. He put on head phones to listen to the sounds the creatures make. He even tried his hand at making graboid chirps. There was a simulation game if you could survive against one of the creatures. It also had it reversed, play as one of the creatures and try to stay alive by eating prey.
Val enjoyed the kids, corner where everything was touchable. It had faux graboid skin, tentacles, heat flaps, and jaw movements. There was a sandbox with little plastic graboids, shriekers, and assblasters that can be moved around with houses, vehicles, and rocks. There were even townspeople. He grabbed one of the graboids and was moving it through the sand.
He was coming on the last few exhibits. It centered on the present Perfection. He read about El Blanco and Das Weiss, known as D.W. There was a 'where are they now' for the living Perfectionites. A section on Burt himself. Not surprising as he was the legendary monster hunter. The last exhibit was painted photo opportunities. A mural of the 1889 Perfectionites then of the 1989 Perfectionites and now the two albino graboids.
Near the exit was the gift shop. He ventured inside to see a book case full of books and videos. There was a section dedicated to a famous designer who had randomly stopped in. A part of her collection was there with a sign that said more online. There were posters, digging kits, makeup, jewelry, party supplies, and a section dedicated to Nancy who made a lot of hand made goods. Lego sets of all the incidents. Game boards. Figurines. Plushies. Anything he could almost think of, it was there.
Val headed over to the small theater inside the museum. The marquee had a list of videos being shown. On the other side of the marquee was a memorial posting of all of those who had lost their lives to the graboid life cycles.
Val headed inside to watch what he could. He knew that he can spend his days watching all of them. He enjoyed listening to the others accounts of what happened that day. He enjoyed seeing Mindy all grown up. It was weird seeing Melvin. He recognized some of the newer townspeople. There were some who spoke he didn't know of. Some snippets he really liked.
"Val and Earl were father figures and also idols to me," Melvin spoke on screen. "I wanted to have their suave and independent demeanor. I didn't have much of idols as my parents were gamblers who left their son to rot in the desert alone. They saw me as a burden. I, a teenager, who was rebelling and had no consequences wanted to be like these two. They told me they would kick my ass every time I laughed in their faces or did something stupid but they never did. They knew my situation and hoped that I would square up from their bark."
Val was taken aback to see how much Earl changed. He wondered if Earl would think the same if he saw him like that.
"You know, I always thought they were extraterrestrials," Earl shook his head. "Couldn't be something evolution come up with or something God created, but when I went to Mexico with that incident. Whoo! These things can be very stupid and can be very smart. I don't think they would be smart enough to know how to fly a ship. If they did, they would go to the first heat source, the sun. Kill themselves off instantly. Just fly straight to it, thinking it was food."
Val watched all he could before his stomach started to grumble again. He headed over to the restaurant. Another graboid themed meal with a mixed drink to go with it. He stayed there until the town came over to see how he was taking it all in. All of the tourists were gone.
"The museum was great," Val was impressed. "I liked what was in it. Never knew about the history of Perfection. That was interesting. Lots of toys and merchandise. I see its all trademark though." Val was worried about the vultures of companies trying to get their hand in Perfection again.
"That's all thanks to Jodi, Larry, and Grady," Nancy explained. "Those three helped take back what was ours originally."
"We don't have a lot here, most is online and with Grady," Larry added. "We can use his side to store and send off our online products. He has the warehouse but we both make profit. Our biggest seller right now is our D&D line we just did. People are buying it up like hungry hippos."
"D&D?" Val was confused.
"Dungeons and Dragons," Wes came in with kids in tow. "A role-playing board game. They also play it on certain nights if you want to join."
"Oh, do you play?" Val looked over to him.
Wes looked over to Rose who came in with Victoria in her arms. "He doesn't. I do. They have poker nights as well."
"Those are good," Tyler raised his bottle to her. He looked over to Val. "Always could use another player. We don't want Rosalita to win the pot every time."
"Not my fault you guys' suck," Rosalita shrugged her shoulders with a smug look on her face.
"Since you have learned all about Perfection," Nancy began. "I think its time to catch up on the other stuff that happened here." Val tilted his head in confusion. She explained to him about the Proudfoot lab and everything that happened there.
He thought this town couldn't get weirder but it did. Nancy explained with the help from the town, again, about how everything went down. They caught him all the way up about the last incident with the Proudfoots from the Utah distraction to blowing up the lab.
"There is no more lab for these creatures to come out of?!" Val sat up from leaning back on his chair. He felt his flight or fight kicking in.
"No, no more," Rose answered. He looked over to that family with a new light. He was curious about Burt and his two sons. "It was bleached and limed thoroughly before it was denotated in a way where it fell in upon itself. All ventilations, pipelines, sewers, anything that could leave back to the lab, destroyed. Graboids can't go through the lab area since it is concrete and reinforced steel mixed in the dirt."
"And you're not afraid of the graboids because of that Mastermix thing?" Val moved his hands around.
"Mastermix? Sounds like if Larry had a DJ name," Tyler teased.
"That could actually be my DJ name," Larry beamed. "I like it! Stealing!"
"Mixmaster," Wes corrected. "But yes, we aren't afraid. Little Bertie here was actually being a scientist and trying to see if playing catch, or fetch, with graboids would be like an enrichment to them." The little boy was eating ice cream with the rest of the kids. "So far it was working out okay."
"You know I wonder why you didn't go after him," Tyler looked over to him. "You sent Rose to get him. Thought you were the type to not let anyone mess with family."
Rose placed a hand on his shoulder. Wes let out a sigh. "I am not the type to let anyone mess with my family. Hence why Rose went instead of me. Anytime we did experiments or simulations at HQ, I went berserk. Can't control the instinctual rage just yet. That's why we didn't want to be around any one when we started to have kids. Full on animal mode."
"It's a sight to behold," Rose patted his shoulder. "Did our own experiments with the club members, same reaction. If you do go off wandering, Mr. McKee, its best to stay away from certain areas though."
"Club members, certain areas?" Val was taken aback. He thought things were safe so far.
"There are still some secrets those two aren't telling us but with what happened to them, its best to let them deal it, instead of us," Nancy comforted him. "Since Burt is gone, they stand in as our town's protection. Not that we can't deal with things on our own."
The next few weeks, Val had been cutting back on alcohol. He was meeting with Rosalita and Nancy to help him with his current state. He helped out where he could. Larry and Elora got him to speak about his experiences from the first incident, his thoughts, and opinions.
He was hanging out by Chang's as he switched with Jodi from running the cashier's spot. He saw a semi pull in. Larry and Nancy came out to greet the driver. He watched as the semi pulled forward enough to be on the new side of town. Out came a forklift. It lifted three pallets out.
Val was going to help but he got caught up in seeing how the town came together to help one another. A few hours later, the forklift was back in the trailer. Val walked around the trailer to see what had been placed.
In three spots were bronzed statues of life size graboid cycles. The left was a graboid looking like it had just come out of the ground, beak is open enough with tentacles starting to protrude just past the beak. There was a shrieker next to it. Standing in a natural position, closed mouth, and no flaps up. On the other side of the shrieker was the assblasster with flaps also down and closed mouth. They were positioned in triangle type of way. That way people could stand in the center of them.
"Wow," he was impressed.
"We finally got them," Nancy was placing her hands over them.
"It was thanks to our deadly den that we got them," Larry informed with a big smile. He knew Val was going to ask the follow up question. "With their new abilities, Rose can gamble on slot machines and win. She knows which ones are about to pay out. Thanks to her, our town is growing. Also, thanks to her, Jodi and Eric are getting a house across from their plot of land. They are expanding their family. Tyler is getting another vehicle for his tours. Nancy got to make these bronzed statues. Just so much more thanks to her. We get donations and such but its not enough at times."
"Doesn't she want anything back?" Val reached out to the graboid statue.
"Just don't ask about the club members or the places where she tells you not to venture," Larry looked over to him. "Also, if you see her with something like Sparky-"
"-Oh yeah, that giant whipless scorpion thing," Val nodded. "That just grabs things and keeps the pest control down."
"Yes," Larry chuckled. "Don't ask where it came from. We all know where it came from, the lab. We don't speak about it with them since we all know something had to escape. In this case, several things escaped. We haven't had any incidents like we use to so we overlook it. They won't tell us what happened. We thought both of them had died. Instead, they came back with red eyes that glow in the night and new abilities. They are our friends. Plus, if anything ever bumped in the night here, they will be the ones to bump back or to make sure nothing could ever bump."
"So, then the kids are like them too?" Val watched Nancy clap her hands as her sculptures were now life size. She was going over every fine detail.
Larry nodded. "Yep. That's why we don't worry when the kids are playing together outside. Hence why Jodi and Eric want a house near them besides expanding. Graboids don't like the taste of them. Don't ask me how that came about. They also do experiments with a team of scientists on the teenagers every now and then. We don't. We stay safe."
"Why do you keep calling the two albino graboids, teenagers?" Val never knew that one.
"That's a nickname from Tyler," Larry explained. "They kept pranking us but now just roam around. They still prank but it's a good name for them. Always getting into things, rebelling, and causing pranks. Just a couple of teenagers doing whatever they want."
Val felt more himself with how the town was working. He was starting to feel better. It was nice. He hadn't felt this way in years.