Chapter Three
Welcome To Elm Street
Warlock brought the shuttle in for a slightly turbulent landing. He would usually have a more clear landing plan but the chaotic nature of this particular trip denied him that luxury. Still he was one of the best and made what should have been a much more tumultuous landing into only a slightly turbulent one. The crew aboard the shuttle was a mixed bag of reactions. Some like Candi and Christina had their eyes closed tight. Candi had never been aboard a shuttle landing on a dead planet whereas Christina had been on several with her mother but had never gotten used to it and probably never would. Some had huge smiles on their face as they lived for the thrill such as Butch and Nero. The rest, Varissa, Donella and Nyquilio had done this so many times in their lives that they sat in neutrality simply awaiting the all clear to unbuckle. Warlock shut off thrusters, brought down the power without completely shutting it down. He learned a long time ago to never fully turn off a shuttle's power on a dust storm planet's surface or you may never lift off again due to the dirt and debris clogging any air intake and or thrusters.
"Here we are, first floor Men's Wear!" Warlock shouted from the shuttle's cockpit.
'Ha! Think they'll have anything in a Blue and Tall?" Nyquilio asked with a smirk as he and the crew in the shuttle all unbuckled.
"I still feel like this may just be a fluke, another error in our systems," Butch said.
"We don't pay you to think or feel Butch, just to look good and cover our asses so stick to that," Donella added.
"Yes sir!" Butch saluted with a grin.
Varissa turned to face the others, "Okay if this item is indeed real then we need to be very careful with it. This is as big as it gets when it comes to value and quality. Earth-1 has only ever had around two dozen level five plus items retrieved and because of the conditions on this rock there should not even be anything above a level three on the surface."
Nero stood to attention taking a plasma rifle off of the wall of the shuttle and put the strap over his shoulder letting it hang on his back. Butch followed suit.
"Look alive crew," Nero barked. "We are right under a click east of the site of the artifact. A small town like this should not have many if any structures still standing so I expect we will have to rummage a bit. If anything and I mean anything looks like it could be a hazard, do not touch, do not investigate! I repeat do not touch or try to investigate. You bring it to my attention and stay the fuck back, got it?"
"YES SIR!" the crew of the shuttle said in unison, most rolling their eyes and smiling.
"Aw Nero, such a good soldier always looking out for his platoon," Donella replied with a hint of sarcasm. "This is indeed a very important moment in Hawkins Salvage and Recovery's history. We may have came here for some political artifacts and a decent payday but now may end up leaving with one of the greatest finds in many decades. Set your scanners to level two or higher, people. We are here for the big money. We can leave the level one's for the wannabe lower class of salvage crews! Listen to me and Nero at all times. Now, Varissa, you haven't been here since your school days and Candi you haven't been here at all. It is rough out there. Stay with the group at all times. If you have any problems whatsoever hit the panic button on your scanner. It will buzz the rest of us and let us know you are distressed. And one more thing folks, don't fuck this up and we will all be very rich very soon!"
"HOOAH!" Nero and Butch Shouted in unison.
The crew smiled.
"I have our coordinates ready sir," Nyquilio said. "Warlock, we are good to go!"
"Okay, boys and girls, this bird will be guarding the nest patiently awaiting you worms to return!" Warlock yelled with a laugh as he flipped a couple switches above him in the cockpit of the shuttle. There was a loud hiss as the back of the shuttle began to open and lower to the ground of Earth-1 giving the crew a ramp to walk down. The wind howled and dust blew as the crew of the Beowulf put on small clear masks to protect their eyes, nose and mouth from the thick dust that blew around them. With a sense of purpose, the group of seven made their way east to claim their Level five plus artifact.
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The town of Springwood was for the most part covered in a thick layer of dirt and debris. Most of what remained of the once vibrant if not cursed town was long buried by time and the absence of humanity. Which is why Nero was shocked as he followed the scanner in his palm and came upon something that should not exist, a small faded but still legible rectangular green sign with faded white lettering protruding a few feet out of the ground. The sign swayed slightly in the harsh wind and spiraling dust. Nero put a fist into the air, hailing the group that followed him to come to a stop. He pointed to the anomaly.
"Don, sir, are you seeing this?" Nero asked in amazement.
Don, Varissa, and Nyquilio approached as Butch stayed back with Candi and Christina, talking and joking with the young women to try to calm their obvious nerves.
"What is it?" Donella asked, staring at the small sign.
"Beats me, sir " Nyquilio answered.
"Oh wow! I have only ever seen pictures of these!" Varissa chimed in, stepping forward to get a better look through the swirling dust. "This is a twentieth century street sign! These were used for people to find locations or to receive deliveries way back before internal GPS and computer piloted transportation. I am shocked this is still standing. Many of these have been retrieved but that was way before our time. They aren't worth much, barely a level one, but still this is spectacular! Especially that it is still standing! I could go-"
"Ya lost me at barely a level one, sweetie, but thanks for the history lesson," Donella interrupted. "Let's move it folks, not far now!"
"You heard the boss, everybody together now. Quit flirting Butch and let's go!" Nero ordered.
Butch shot his superior a perturbed look then motioned for Candi and Christina to follow him and they rejoined the others. Donella was beginning to get a sinking feeling in her stomach. It was damn near impossible to see much through the constant dust storm and so far all she had seen was mostly buried rubble or just more dirt. Just as she was beginning to accept the fact that her systems had indeed tricked them, the group came upon a structure that seemed to come out of nowhere as the dust storm subsided ever so slightly. Donella looked up and gulped. Nero scanned what stood in front of them with a look of awe on his face as well. Nyquilio put a hand on Don's shoulder and smiled. Varissa had to remind herself to breath. She could not believe what she was seeing. This was truly impossible. Butch stopped in his tracks as Christina sprinted to her mom's side taking her hand and Candi walked to stand beside Varissa.
"I'll be damned," Donella exclaimed.
"Is everyone seeing this?" Nero asked, sure he was seeing a mirage of some kind.
"WHOA!" Butch said.
"Mom, I don't like this. It's just...wrong," Christina whined putting her head on her mother's shoulder so she didn't have to look.
"Ms. V, is this what I think it is? How is this possible?" Candi asked Varissa.
"This is...This is..." Varissa stammered.
"MONEY!" Donella interjected. "We are going to make so much money!"
"How is this possible exactly?" Nyquilio turned to Varissa and asked with genuine curiosity. The rest of the group turned their attention to the Earth-1 history teacher and awaited her reply.
Varissa scanned what had stopped them all in their tracks, a dilapidated yet still standing two story mid-late twentieth century home that appeared to still be structurally sound. It was covered in a thin layer of dust and it's windows were boarded over. Peeling paint remained on most of the house's exterior and faded red door as if the building had been mostly untouched by the ravaged of time and the harsh environment. It seemed like the dilapidation of the residence came more from lack of upkeep than the passing of almost five hundred years and dust storms that should have turned it into dust itself long ago. Her scanner told her what she had mostly just ascertained, the structure was sound if not a bit dilapidated. She had no explanation for how it was still there. She walked slowly towards the red door stepping up two concrete steps that was all that remained of an old front stoop. She stopped at the door and ran her hand over four dark metallic numbers affixed to the right of the front door frame.
"1428," Varissa said. "I...I...I really don't know how this is possible. I mean, of course there are instances of scientists, archeologists and even other salvage crews coming across structural anomalies here on Earth-1 and it's been theorized that some places are possibly protected by gravitational anomalies and just great engineering and luck… But this is just a run of the mill home unit from almost five hundred years ago. It's...simply amazing. This is a great find. I never thought in a million years I'd get to see something from old earth in this sort of condition."
"Do you think the inside may be as untouched?" Donella asked.
Nyquilio had been running a scan on the home and as Donella finished asking her question he smiled and turned to his boss and said "Yes sir, I am picking up several Level three and up artifacts in this building and I am still picking up the level five plus."
"Nero, are we clear to go in?" Donella asked, still staring at the house in awe.
"Yes sir, my scan is showing it is structurally safe. I'm giving us the all clear to enter and-" Nero began.
"Mom! NO! No! it's wrong! The house is just wrong! There is something evil here, something unnatural! We can't go in!" Christina began to say in a panic, clutching her mom's hand in one of her own while her other hand clutched a golden cross she wore on a chain around her neck. "Please don't make me go in."
"Calm down child, what's gotten into you!" Donella chided. "This is an amazing find. Quit letting all that god mumbo jumbo work you up. I wish that god stuff had stayed behind on Earth-1 as well! It's nothing but trouble!"
Christina began to cry and seem to hyperventilate, "Mom, please...please I just want to go back to the shuttle, please!"
Donella tried to let go of her daughter's hand but Christina had a death grip. "Okay...Okay..shhh. Breath Chrissy, it's okay. Butch would you be so kind as to escort my daughter safely back to the shuttle?"
Butch seemed a bit disappointed at the prospect of not getting to go inside the home but he felt bad for the teenage girl who was in literal tears over her fear. "Aye sir, no problem," he said as he put an arm around Christina and slowly pulled her away from her mom finally getting to her to let go of her death grip of her mother's hand.
"Listen Chrissy, I love you and I'll be there with you soon okay? You listen to Butch and be safe."
"Okay Mom, I will, and mom?" Christina said.
"Yes?"
"Be safe, I really do have a bad feeling about this place," Christina said solemnly.
"I will sweetie," Donella said before turning on Butch, a stern expression on her face. "And Butch, two things. She's my daughter and she's sixteen, got it?!"
Butch shot his hands up in the air in a ya got me pose. "Of course boss, no worries"
Butch looked to Nero and nodded, Nero nodded back and Butch and Christina turned and began their trek back to the shuttle where Warlock awaited the crew's return.
"Okay, should I knock first?" Nero asked winking at Varissa.
Varissa smiled, "I don't think anybody's home. Why don't you try the door."
Nero reached for the doorknob and began to turn it. It didn't budge. He tried a little more forcefully and the knob broke off in his hands and fell to the ground breaking into several pieces.
"CAREFUL WITH THE MERCHANDISE NERO!" Donella barked.
"Sorry, sorry," he responded. Nero began running his hands over the faded red door and tried shouldering the door to no avail.
"Hey, wait a minute. Try this," Varissa jumped in. She reached into a small pouch around her waist and produced the silver sphere Lubdan had given her. She concentrated for a moment and the ball morphed into a crow bar. She handed it to Nero.
"Okay, stand back everyone," Nero ordered and as they did what he asked he began his attempt to pry the door open. It took a couple tries but finally the door gave way with a loud creak as it slowly swung to the inside. Nero reached into a pocket and pulled out a handful of small BB sized spheres. He tossed them through the doorway and they floated in place for a moment and then they lit up into vibrant light and each glowing sphere flew into each room on the bottom floor and other spheres shot upstairs also finding their way into each room upstairs. The home was awash in light for the first time in centuries. Nero, Don, Nyquilio, Candi and Varissa took a deep breath and they all made their way inside 1428 Elm Street.
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