Manic already regretted coming out to the Fourth of July party at the Port, as he rounded the corner of the block and got a good view of the crowd down the hill. He took a deep breath and walked forward anyway. It was a larger crowd than usual, or at least it felt that way as he zigzagged his way through the forest of lively bodies, stopping jaggedly every few steps to let some pedestrian pass blindly in front of him. Walking in a crowd is not a comfortable rhythm. He pulled his gloves up so that he could feel the tips stretching against his fingers. He didn't look at anyone's faces; he might accidentally recognize someone from when he used to live here. It wasn't any old friend he dreaded, but rather the small-talk over-friendliness of some small town acquaintance who'd recognize him from buying groceries; some old teacher or neighbor. He'd rather everyone remained a cloud of grey, faceless strangers.
As he drew closer to the Port, he finally spotted his old friends off to one side on the grass; Melvin was manning a grill. Posie, Stu and some other guy he didn't recognize were chatting at a condiment table while they prepared plates. He made his way over to them, and they waved at him on his way over.
"Manic!" Stu called. "I didn't know you were coming, it's good to see you!"
"Good evening," Manic greeted everyone.
"This is our friend Joe," Posie introduced Joe politely.
Manic extended his hand, and Joe stopped short of shaking it, "Oh, you're wearing gloves. Hang on." He reached into his cargo pocket, pulled out a pair of orange woolen mittens with cat faces on them, and put them on, before finally shaking Manic's hand. "Pleasure to meet ya!"
"I see," said Manic, blankly.
He turned to Posie and said, "I didn't know you were back in town."
Melvin turned to Posie, "You saw Manic while you were in Bellville? You didn't tell me."
"Oh," Posie paused, a little flustered. "I'm sorry, I forgot to mention. He was there when we were investigating the lizardman."
Melvin grunted "the lizardman" and turned back to the grill.
"That's actually why I'm here," Manic said.
"What, the lizardman?" Posie looked up at him, surprised.
"Yes," he continued. "I have reason to believe it may be linked to E.J.'s research facility here in Port Teague."
"Right," Posie nodded. "Yeah, we thought that too."
"We?" Manic raised his eyebrow.
"Well, Antoinette thought that," Posie corrected herself.
"Who's Antoinette?" He immediately regretted asking.
"She's the reporter I was with. Did you not meet her?"
"No, but that's okay,"
"She's supposed to come here to-night," she said reassuringly.
"That's fine, I don't need to meet her."
"No, I think you'd like her," Posie insisted. "Everybody likes her."
"I'm not everybody," Manic insisted back.
"Well, she's..." Posie thought for a minute. "I don't know. I just have a feeling you'll get along."
"Is she a robot too?" Asked Melvin. "No offense."
"None possible," Manic replied.
"Oh there she is!" Posie exclaimed, as she jumped around waving frantically. "Antoinette! Over here!"
Manic turned around to look into the crowd. He spotted a woman who was looking around, lost. She turned to lock her eyes on Posie, smiled and started making her way over to the group. What could he tell about her right off the bat? Her angular features, large eyes, and neck-length haircut made her look taller than she was. She was dressed in business casual, with her sleeves rolled up past her elbows, and her button-up tucked into her slacks. Full makeup, blush, eye shadow, flashy red lipstick. On a higher level of abstraction, Manic became self-aware that he was studying her longer than his normal introductory person study. He redirected his attention towards isolating whatever significant trait it was about her that might cause him to do that.
Antoinette hugged Posie and exchanged pleasantries. Manic stepped back behind Joe, who found a popsicle somewhere and was absorbed in it like a lover.
"So, you've met my husband Melvin already," Posie began to acquaint Antoinette with everyone.
"Right, yes," Antoinette nodded and started to extend her hand, but Melvin didn't look up from the grill.
"Hey, what's up," he shouted as he flipped a piece of meat into the air stylishly with his tongs. She sheepishly returned her hand to her side.
"And this is Stu," Posie said. "We grew up with him here, but he lives in Bellville now with his boyfriend."
"Pleasure to meet you," Stu said immediately, smiling broadly. "Any friend of Posie's is a friend of ours. You'll have to not take Melvin too personally."
"I'm just busy," Melvin grunted as he mixed a small paper bowl of various spices and started tossing fingerfulls onto the patties.
Antoinette nodded politely and extended her hand toward Stu, who took it from beneath, bowed low and kissed it.
"Oh," she giggled. "What a gentleman."
Posie continued, "This guy with the popsicle is Joe. He is a... paranormal detective? Right?"
"Something like that," Joe stuck the naked popsicle stick in his mouth and began to put his cat gloves back on for another handshake.
Posie didn't wait for him to finish, "And the tall, dark, and handsome fella back there, lurking in the shadows, behind Joe, is Colin Doppler. We've been affectionately calling him Manic." Manic didn't reach for a handshake.
"Oh, so YOU'RE the famous Colin Doppler!" Antoinette smiled, pleased, also without reaching for a handshake. "I've heard so much about you."
She walked around Joe, and stood next to Manic, shoulder to shoulder. Joe felt weird about them both being directly behind him like that, so he moved over to the grill to watch Melvin slap the hotdogs with a spatula. Posie and Stu both huddled around him as well.
"Why are you doing that?" Joe asked.
"Joe speaks for all of us in asking that," nodded Stu.
Melvin looked up at his friends, "what, you guys have never beat the flavor into your hotdogs before? Let an artist do his work! Pass me another dog."
A box next to his feet opened, and a blue hand emerged holding a hotdog.
"Posie mentioned me?" Manic asked her, quietly, staring off into the crowd.
"A little," Antoinette admitted, standing next to him, but looking sideways at him, trying to catch his eye. "But I was already kind of a fan of your work."
"I don't have fans," Manic responded, stoicly.
Antoinette pursed her lips together thoughtfully, and folded her hands together, "I... know you're the brilliant inventor that pulled off digital mathematical randomness. I know that technology gets used in practically everything now, and that you're making a hefty sum of money off the patents."
"You're a fan of my wealth?" Manic asked, suspiciously.
Antoinette smirked, "I'm impressed with your wealth, but what I'm a fan of is your work."
"You're a journalist, right?" Manic asked.
"Indeed I am," she agreed. "A little more humble an occupation than brilliant scientist, but I like what I do."
"I'm not a scientist," Manic said, still looking forward into the crowd. The sun was setting rapidly, but the fireworks still hadn't started. They were running behind.
"Don't be so modest," Antoinette, bumped his shoulder gently with hers. "I could never do what you do. I don't have the skills, maybe not even the brains. But I bet with a mind like yours would make a killing as a reporter. Why, I bet you would've already gotten to the bottom of the Lizardman of Bellville by now."
Manic finally looked at her in the face. She smiled at him innocently. He took a good long look, drinking in her curious facial expression, and posture.
"Clever," he said, looking back up into the crowd, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
"Hmm?" She tilted her head.
"As soon as you learned who I was, you stood next to me. Sideways," Manic said, blankly. "Shoulder to shoulder. You did that to get closer into my personal space without making me uncomfortable. Face to face would've kept you farther away. You're trying to establish a friendly rapport, and possibly light, un-invasive physical contact."
"Am I?" She asked innocently, as she gently bumped his shoulder a second time.
"You're attempting to flatter me with my accomplishments, intellect, and wealth," he continued. "You've already ascertained that I'm here for the same reason as you."
"What reason is that?"
"We both believe the Lizardman of Bellville is connected with Port Teague."
"Oh really?"
"You've likely deduced that I am more likely than you are to get access to the research and development facility in town. I am an established expert in the sciences, and you're a nosey reporter. Nobody trusts nosey reporters. No offense."
"Offense taken," she said, smirking. "You can make it up to me later."
"Additionally," he continued. "You've likely looked me up and learned I grew up here and was companions with Elijah James Hemmingway, the owner of the facility. You believe that if you flirt with me, I will be your inside scoop and leak you information about the Lizardman. Don't think I didn't catch that 'you can make it up to me later' bit."
"It's not a bit. I hold grudges."
"No you don't. You're vying for leverage. I don't owe you a favor."
Antoinette laughed, "I guess you caught me. You really are a genius. Hey-" she turned on her heal to face him, still close into his personal space. "I want to go to the water. Will you come?" She didn't wait for his reply; she took his gloved hand and started leading him toward the water. She called out, "hey Posie! Me and Manic are just gonna be down by the water!"
"Okay, you kids have fun! We'll be here!" Posie called back.
"If Manic starts to freeze up, just turn him off and back on again!" Melvin called out.
They bobbed and weaved through the crowd. Antoinette pulled him behind her by the hand at first, but as soon as the crowd got thicker closer to the Port, she pulled him up next to her and locked arms, so she was guiding him forward by the elbows. He stole a glance down at her. She was wearing short heels, and her gait was smooth; her head didn't move up and down as she walked. Did she practice walking? She looked taller than she really was, even up close. While he wasn't looking where they were going, she tried to squeeze them between two people who were too close together, and bumped somebody's half-eaten hotdog into Manic's jacket. Manic caught it, undamaged, but for some mustard that smeared off on his sleeve, and handed it back to the man.
"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry!" Antoinette said to Manic. "I'm so sorry." She said to the man.
"That's okay," said the man.
"I'm sorry," Antoinette apologized again to Manic.
"It's fine," Manic said, blankly.
She nodded, locked arms with him and they continued through the party.
They passed the Port, and most of the crowd, and made their way to a smaller dock, closer to the water. Some young couples, and a couple of families had laid picnic blankets on the dock, and in the nearby grass. The area was still comparatively quieter. When they got up onto the dock, Antoinette let go of Manic, slipped her shoes off, rolled the bottoms of her slacks up past her knees and stuck her feet in the water. She turned and motioned for Manic to do likewise.
"I'd rather not," he said.
"How come?" She asked.
"Well, you know," he held up his gloved hands, hoping they would be sufficient explanation.
"No, I don't know," she twisted around to look up at him, smiling. "You're not wearing those for germ reasons. You still haven't wiped the mustard off your jacket."
"You did that on purpose?"
"I wanted to know if you were wearing them for germ reasons. Now I know you're not."
"You could've asked."
She turned back around and shrugged, "some people are sensitive talking about that sort of thing."
"Do I strike you as the sensitive type?" Manic asked.
Antoinette patted the ground next to her, motioning for him to sit, "at least sit so I don't have to twist and shout at you like a... Beatles cover song. You don't have to put your feet in the water."
Manic sat cross legged next to her, "good."
"So what's up with the gloves?" She asked, directly.
"It's a sensory thing," he said.
"Interesting," she replied. "So you ARE the sensitive type."
"Antoinette-" he was cut off by the loud bang of fireworks launching off the end of the Port. She looked up at them, but Manic kept looking at her. The colored light from the fireworks lit her face up enough to see... he wasn't actually sure what he was analyzing anymore. No facial expressions, other than being delighted at the fireworks. Her legs were splashing in the water a little. He couldn't tell anything from that. What did he even want to know? He looked up at the fireworks too. It was beginning to dawn on him that he might actually be attracted to her.
She leaned on his shoulder.
Nope.
He stood to is feet, shrugging her head away, and started walking back off the dock.
"Hey!" She shouted, before standing up after him. "Where you going?"
"Back to my friends," he answered back without stopping.
"Oh," she said with an inflection that sounded something like disappointment and confusion.
"Is this the same dock where you dumped Posie?" She shouted back at him.
He stopped, paused for a second, then turned around to face her.
"Aha!" She smiled and marched forward, closing the distance between them, pointing at him with her index finger. "I touched a nerve, didn't I?
"Posie told you we used to date?" He asked, as blankly as he could.
"She said you dated all through high school. Said you broke up with her, right here, right after graduation like it all meant nothing to you. Said you left town."
"That's all true," he nodded.
"I heard Melvin calling you a robot," she continued. "But you're not a robot, are you?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I touched a nerve," she said, smugly.
"Why else?"
"What?" She blinked.
"Why originally? Why did you gamble that I wasn't a robot?"
She thought for a second, "Because you showed up. Because you're still friends with Posie, after all that. And with her husband. And with Stu, and that other guy with the popsicle."
"You know his name."
"Joe Michaels," she rolled her eyes. "Of course I know his name. He's a paranormal detective for the CIA. Of course I looked him up."
"Gold star," said Manic. "You figured out I'm not a sociopath. You're 0 for 2, figuring out I don't have a germ thing."
"Look," Antoinette stamped her foot indignantly. "There's a lizardman. I was there. He attacked a guy in Bellville. I wrote the story. Three whole paragraphs. No photos. One measly eye-witness quote, from Posie. Her quote is the only reason I even got the piece published instead of laughed out of the office. And I wasn't even the first one to break the story, because some nobody posted a cell phone video to social media and it... trended. I want this story, Manic."
Manic raised his eyebrow. She took a step closer to him, and continued, "I obviously want this story. I wanna be the first to get to the bottom of it and expose the whole narrative. I don't know if any other reporters are looking into it, I don't know if that Joe guy is gonna beat me to it and cover the whole thing up... hell, E.J. might already be ditching all the evidence."
"I'm not sure there is any E.J.," Manic said.
"Please help me," Antoinette pleaded.
Manic thought for a minute. He watched the light from the fireworks bounce off her.
"How long were you going to string me along for a scoop?" He asked.
"I wasn't," she answered.
"You weren't?" He asked skeptically.
"I told you! I'm a fan," she threw her hands up, exasperated. "I read up on you. I..." she bit her lip and looked down at her feet. "I had a crush on you before I got here. Before I had an extra agenda."
Manic didn't say anything.
She looked back up at him, and continued, "I'm sorry. You're different than I expected. You're completely walled off. I dunno, maybe that's my fault, you thought I was stringing you along. Just.. at least help me? Please? With the scoop? I really need this."
"Okay," said Manic.
"Okay?" Antoinette repeated.
"You're absolutely right," Manic said. "I think it would be best for everyone."
"Huh?"
"I will help you with your story."
"You will?"
"And we will date."
"I'm sorry, what??"
"I will work for E.J.'s research and development team, and then we'll go on fake dates, and I will tell you what I find out."
"Fake dates?"
"Yes, it's a small town. You don't have a reason to be here very long unless you come up with a cover story. Dating me is sufficient. And we'll be able to talk privately without arousing suspicion."
"Um, but-"
"Of course, it might turn out that E.J.'s R&D department isn't complicit. In which case, we'll have to look for the source of the Lizardman elsewhere. Probably back in Bellville. But if we do find a smoking gun, we'll need to agree right now that Posie Pillow will have the final say on how to best handle the situation. Including how to break the story."
"Posie?"
"Yes, we'll need a moral arbiter."
"Why?"
"Because I'm an insensitive subjectivist. And you're actively trying to manipulate me by pretending to have a crush."
"... Okay, fair enough."
"I trust Posie will tell us if our actions are going to hurt innocent people."
"Okay," Antoinette considered all this. "Well, if your weak spot is bedside manner, maybe I can run you through some practice interviews for the job."
"No need," said Manic. "I emailed my resume a few days ago. Someone named General Szupo called me back within the hour asking when I could start."
"Oh," Antoinette smiled.
"The answer is to-morrow."
-------
As he drew closer to the Port, he finally spotted his old friends off to one side on the grass; Melvin was manning a grill. Posie, Stu and some other guy he didn't recognize were chatting at a condiment table while they prepared plates. He made his way over to them, and they waved at him on his way over.
"Manic!" Stu called. "I didn't know you were coming, it's good to see you!"
"Good evening," Manic greeted everyone.
"This is our friend Joe," Posie introduced Joe politely.
Manic extended his hand, and Joe stopped short of shaking it, "Oh, you're wearing gloves. Hang on." He reached into his cargo pocket, pulled out a pair of orange woolen mittens with cat faces on them, and put them on, before finally shaking Manic's hand. "Pleasure to meet ya!"
"I see," said Manic, blankly.
He turned to Posie and said, "I didn't know you were back in town."
Melvin turned to Posie, "You saw Manic while you were in Bellville? You didn't tell me."
"Oh," Posie paused, a little flustered. "I'm sorry, I forgot to mention. He was there when we were investigating the lizardman."
Melvin grunted "the lizardman" and turned back to the grill.
"That's actually why I'm here," Manic said.
"What, the lizardman?" Posie looked up at him, surprised.
"Yes," he continued. "I have reason to believe it may be linked to E.J.'s research facility here in Port Teague."
"Right," Posie nodded. "Yeah, we thought that too."
"We?" Manic raised his eyebrow.
"Well, Antoinette thought that," Posie corrected herself.
"Who's Antoinette?" He immediately regretted asking.
"She's the reporter I was with. Did you not meet her?"
"No, but that's okay,"
"She's supposed to come here to-night," she said reassuringly.
"That's fine, I don't need to meet her."
"No, I think you'd like her," Posie insisted. "Everybody likes her."
"I'm not everybody," Manic insisted back.
"Well, she's..." Posie thought for a minute. "I don't know. I just have a feeling you'll get along."
"Is she a robot too?" Asked Melvin. "No offense."
"None possible," Manic replied.
"Oh there she is!" Posie exclaimed, as she jumped around waving frantically. "Antoinette! Over here!"
Manic turned around to look into the crowd. He spotted a woman who was looking around, lost. She turned to lock her eyes on Posie, smiled and started making her way over to the group. What could he tell about her right off the bat? Her angular features, large eyes, and neck-length haircut made her look taller than she was. She was dressed in business casual, with her sleeves rolled up past her elbows, and her button-up tucked into her slacks. Full makeup, blush, eye shadow, flashy red lipstick. On a higher level of abstraction, Manic became self-aware that he was studying her longer than his normal introductory person study. He redirected his attention towards isolating whatever significant trait it was about her that might cause him to do that.
Antoinette hugged Posie and exchanged pleasantries. Manic stepped back behind Joe, who found a popsicle somewhere and was absorbed in it like a lover.
"So, you've met my husband Melvin already," Posie began to acquaint Antoinette with everyone.
"Right, yes," Antoinette nodded and started to extend her hand, but Melvin didn't look up from the grill.
"Hey, what's up," he shouted as he flipped a piece of meat into the air stylishly with his tongs. She sheepishly returned her hand to her side.
"And this is Stu," Posie said. "We grew up with him here, but he lives in Bellville now with his boyfriend."
"Pleasure to meet you," Stu said immediately, smiling broadly. "Any friend of Posie's is a friend of ours. You'll have to not take Melvin too personally."
"I'm just busy," Melvin grunted as he mixed a small paper bowl of various spices and started tossing fingerfulls onto the patties.
Antoinette nodded politely and extended her hand toward Stu, who took it from beneath, bowed low and kissed it.
"Oh," she giggled. "What a gentleman."
Posie continued, "This guy with the popsicle is Joe. He is a... paranormal detective? Right?"
"Something like that," Joe stuck the naked popsicle stick in his mouth and began to put his cat gloves back on for another handshake.
Posie didn't wait for him to finish, "And the tall, dark, and handsome fella back there, lurking in the shadows, behind Joe, is Colin Doppler. We've been affectionately calling him Manic." Manic didn't reach for a handshake.
"Oh, so YOU'RE the famous Colin Doppler!" Antoinette smiled, pleased, also without reaching for a handshake. "I've heard so much about you."
She walked around Joe, and stood next to Manic, shoulder to shoulder. Joe felt weird about them both being directly behind him like that, so he moved over to the grill to watch Melvin slap the hotdogs with a spatula. Posie and Stu both huddled around him as well.
"Why are you doing that?" Joe asked.
"Joe speaks for all of us in asking that," nodded Stu.
Melvin looked up at his friends, "what, you guys have never beat the flavor into your hotdogs before? Let an artist do his work! Pass me another dog."
A box next to his feet opened, and a blue hand emerged holding a hotdog.
"Posie mentioned me?" Manic asked her, quietly, staring off into the crowd.
"A little," Antoinette admitted, standing next to him, but looking sideways at him, trying to catch his eye. "But I was already kind of a fan of your work."
"I don't have fans," Manic responded, stoicly.
Antoinette pursed her lips together thoughtfully, and folded her hands together, "I... know you're the brilliant inventor that pulled off digital mathematical randomness. I know that technology gets used in practically everything now, and that you're making a hefty sum of money off the patents."
"You're a fan of my wealth?" Manic asked, suspiciously.
Antoinette smirked, "I'm impressed with your wealth, but what I'm a fan of is your work."
"You're a journalist, right?" Manic asked.
"Indeed I am," she agreed. "A little more humble an occupation than brilliant scientist, but I like what I do."
"I'm not a scientist," Manic said, still looking forward into the crowd. The sun was setting rapidly, but the fireworks still hadn't started. They were running behind.
"Don't be so modest," Antoinette, bumped his shoulder gently with hers. "I could never do what you do. I don't have the skills, maybe not even the brains. But I bet with a mind like yours would make a killing as a reporter. Why, I bet you would've already gotten to the bottom of the Lizardman of Bellville by now."
Manic finally looked at her in the face. She smiled at him innocently. He took a good long look, drinking in her curious facial expression, and posture.
"Clever," he said, looking back up into the crowd, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
"Hmm?" She tilted her head.
"As soon as you learned who I was, you stood next to me. Sideways," Manic said, blankly. "Shoulder to shoulder. You did that to get closer into my personal space without making me uncomfortable. Face to face would've kept you farther away. You're trying to establish a friendly rapport, and possibly light, un-invasive physical contact."
"Am I?" She asked innocently, as she gently bumped his shoulder a second time.
"You're attempting to flatter me with my accomplishments, intellect, and wealth," he continued. "You've already ascertained that I'm here for the same reason as you."
"What reason is that?"
"We both believe the Lizardman of Bellville is connected with Port Teague."
"Oh really?"
"You've likely deduced that I am more likely than you are to get access to the research and development facility in town. I am an established expert in the sciences, and you're a nosey reporter. Nobody trusts nosey reporters. No offense."
"Offense taken," she said, smirking. "You can make it up to me later."
"Additionally," he continued. "You've likely looked me up and learned I grew up here and was companions with Elijah James Hemmingway, the owner of the facility. You believe that if you flirt with me, I will be your inside scoop and leak you information about the Lizardman. Don't think I didn't catch that 'you can make it up to me later' bit."
"It's not a bit. I hold grudges."
"No you don't. You're vying for leverage. I don't owe you a favor."
Antoinette laughed, "I guess you caught me. You really are a genius. Hey-" she turned on her heal to face him, still close into his personal space. "I want to go to the water. Will you come?" She didn't wait for his reply; she took his gloved hand and started leading him toward the water. She called out, "hey Posie! Me and Manic are just gonna be down by the water!"
"Okay, you kids have fun! We'll be here!" Posie called back.
"If Manic starts to freeze up, just turn him off and back on again!" Melvin called out.
They bobbed and weaved through the crowd. Antoinette pulled him behind her by the hand at first, but as soon as the crowd got thicker closer to the Port, she pulled him up next to her and locked arms, so she was guiding him forward by the elbows. He stole a glance down at her. She was wearing short heels, and her gait was smooth; her head didn't move up and down as she walked. Did she practice walking? She looked taller than she really was, even up close. While he wasn't looking where they were going, she tried to squeeze them between two people who were too close together, and bumped somebody's half-eaten hotdog into Manic's jacket. Manic caught it, undamaged, but for some mustard that smeared off on his sleeve, and handed it back to the man.
"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry!" Antoinette said to Manic. "I'm so sorry." She said to the man.
"That's okay," said the man.
"I'm sorry," Antoinette apologized again to Manic.
"It's fine," Manic said, blankly.
She nodded, locked arms with him and they continued through the party.
They passed the Port, and most of the crowd, and made their way to a smaller dock, closer to the water. Some young couples, and a couple of families had laid picnic blankets on the dock, and in the nearby grass. The area was still comparatively quieter. When they got up onto the dock, Antoinette let go of Manic, slipped her shoes off, rolled the bottoms of her slacks up past her knees and stuck her feet in the water. She turned and motioned for Manic to do likewise.
"I'd rather not," he said.
"How come?" She asked.
"Well, you know," he held up his gloved hands, hoping they would be sufficient explanation.
"No, I don't know," she twisted around to look up at him, smiling. "You're not wearing those for germ reasons. You still haven't wiped the mustard off your jacket."
"You did that on purpose?"
"I wanted to know if you were wearing them for germ reasons. Now I know you're not."
"You could've asked."
She turned back around and shrugged, "some people are sensitive talking about that sort of thing."
"Do I strike you as the sensitive type?" Manic asked.
Antoinette patted the ground next to her, motioning for him to sit, "at least sit so I don't have to twist and shout at you like a... Beatles cover song. You don't have to put your feet in the water."
Manic sat cross legged next to her, "good."
"So what's up with the gloves?" She asked, directly.
"It's a sensory thing," he said.
"Interesting," she replied. "So you ARE the sensitive type."
"Antoinette-" he was cut off by the loud bang of fireworks launching off the end of the Port. She looked up at them, but Manic kept looking at her. The colored light from the fireworks lit her face up enough to see... he wasn't actually sure what he was analyzing anymore. No facial expressions, other than being delighted at the fireworks. Her legs were splashing in the water a little. He couldn't tell anything from that. What did he even want to know? He looked up at the fireworks too. It was beginning to dawn on him that he might actually be attracted to her.
She leaned on his shoulder.
Nope.
He stood to is feet, shrugging her head away, and started walking back off the dock.
"Hey!" She shouted, before standing up after him. "Where you going?"
"Back to my friends," he answered back without stopping.
"Oh," she said with an inflection that sounded something like disappointment and confusion.
"Is this the same dock where you dumped Posie?" She shouted back at him.
He stopped, paused for a second, then turned around to face her.
"Aha!" She smiled and marched forward, closing the distance between them, pointing at him with her index finger. "I touched a nerve, didn't I?
"Posie told you we used to date?" He asked, as blankly as he could.
"She said you dated all through high school. Said you broke up with her, right here, right after graduation like it all meant nothing to you. Said you left town."
"That's all true," he nodded.
"I heard Melvin calling you a robot," she continued. "But you're not a robot, are you?"
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I touched a nerve," she said, smugly.
"Why else?"
"What?" She blinked.
"Why originally? Why did you gamble that I wasn't a robot?"
She thought for a second, "Because you showed up. Because you're still friends with Posie, after all that. And with her husband. And with Stu, and that other guy with the popsicle."
"You know his name."
"Joe Michaels," she rolled her eyes. "Of course I know his name. He's a paranormal detective for the CIA. Of course I looked him up."
"Gold star," said Manic. "You figured out I'm not a sociopath. You're 0 for 2, figuring out I don't have a germ thing."
"Look," Antoinette stamped her foot indignantly. "There's a lizardman. I was there. He attacked a guy in Bellville. I wrote the story. Three whole paragraphs. No photos. One measly eye-witness quote, from Posie. Her quote is the only reason I even got the piece published instead of laughed out of the office. And I wasn't even the first one to break the story, because some nobody posted a cell phone video to social media and it... trended. I want this story, Manic."
Manic raised his eyebrow. She took a step closer to him, and continued, "I obviously want this story. I wanna be the first to get to the bottom of it and expose the whole narrative. I don't know if any other reporters are looking into it, I don't know if that Joe guy is gonna beat me to it and cover the whole thing up... hell, E.J. might already be ditching all the evidence."
"I'm not sure there is any E.J.," Manic said.
"Please help me," Antoinette pleaded.
Manic thought for a minute. He watched the light from the fireworks bounce off her.
"How long were you going to string me along for a scoop?" He asked.
"I wasn't," she answered.
"You weren't?" He asked skeptically.
"I told you! I'm a fan," she threw her hands up, exasperated. "I read up on you. I..." she bit her lip and looked down at her feet. "I had a crush on you before I got here. Before I had an extra agenda."
Manic didn't say anything.
She looked back up at him, and continued, "I'm sorry. You're different than I expected. You're completely walled off. I dunno, maybe that's my fault, you thought I was stringing you along. Just.. at least help me? Please? With the scoop? I really need this."
"Okay," said Manic.
"Okay?" Antoinette repeated.
"You're absolutely right," Manic said. "I think it would be best for everyone."
"Huh?"
"I will help you with your story."
"You will?"
"And we will date."
"I'm sorry, what??"
"I will work for E.J.'s research and development team, and then we'll go on fake dates, and I will tell you what I find out."
"Fake dates?"
"Yes, it's a small town. You don't have a reason to be here very long unless you come up with a cover story. Dating me is sufficient. And we'll be able to talk privately without arousing suspicion."
"Um, but-"
"Of course, it might turn out that E.J.'s R&D department isn't complicit. In which case, we'll have to look for the source of the Lizardman elsewhere. Probably back in Bellville. But if we do find a smoking gun, we'll need to agree right now that Posie Pillow will have the final say on how to best handle the situation. Including how to break the story."
"Posie?"
"Yes, we'll need a moral arbiter."
"Why?"
"Because I'm an insensitive subjectivist. And you're actively trying to manipulate me by pretending to have a crush."
"... Okay, fair enough."
"I trust Posie will tell us if our actions are going to hurt innocent people."
"Okay," Antoinette considered all this. "Well, if your weak spot is bedside manner, maybe I can run you through some practice interviews for the job."
"No need," said Manic. "I emailed my resume a few days ago. Someone named General Szupo called me back within the hour asking when I could start."
"Oh," Antoinette smiled.
"The answer is to-morrow."
-------
"What's up, snot waffles?!"
Posie, Melvin, Joe, and Stu all looked up to see a woman walking, almost slithering, toward them. She was more slender than they remembered her, with long, curly black hair, black lipstick, and a fancy black dress. Her complexion was pale, offset by freckles as numerous and ordered as the stars in the night sky. Except for the red bow in her hair, she gave off the general impression of a grainy black and white photo with high contrast.
"Mallory Gates," Joe said her name like he was spitting dirt from his mouth.
"What are you doing here?" Asked Melvin.
"I live here," said Mallory. "My grandma was from here and everything. I'm a Teague. Rightful member of the Port Teague community."
"Really?" Melvin laughed. "You never leave your facility. We haven't seen you in years. In what way are you a member of the community, outside of your address?"
"We provided the fireworks," Mallory put her hand on her hip. "And anyways, the five of us, we saved the world together. You guy are my only friends. Melvin and Posie are my brother and sister in law. Does that mean nothing?"
"You can't marry someone post-partum," muttered Melvin.
"He means post-mortem," corrected Posie, politely.
"What are you insinuating?" Mallory snapped at Posie, getting up in her face.
Posie shrank back for a second, then leaned closer to her face, "I was in the rocket with E.J., Mal. I watched him die."
Mallory's eyes widened, and she took a step back, "he died?"
Everyone else looked at each other and back at Mallory, cautiously.
Mallory looked at them all, then addressed Posie again, "Posie, I may have underestimated you. I always took you for a nice, sweet, small town gal. Turns out you're just as conniving as I am. Bravo." She golf clapped, sarcastically.
"No, he died," Posie shook her head. "He fell into the river."
"Did you find the body?" Mallory shot back. "Did you even check? Did any of you?"
Nobody answered.
"That's what I thought," Mallory continued, sauntering over to Melvin. "How do you like that, Mel? Your own wife lying to you about your own brother all these years? Apparently I'm the only one who loved him, I'm the one who pulled him out, dusted him off and gave him the wonderful wedding gift of a government research facility."
"Get out of here!" Stu cut between her and Melvin, fuming from the ears. "If you really pulled E.J. from that river, you didn't tell us. You hid him. If he's dead, you hid the body. If he's alive, you both hid him. But for my money, you didn't find him at all. That's what everyone thinks."
"Really, eye candy?" Mallory pouted at Stu. "That's what you think of me?" She leaned in and whispered, "but you were my favorite."
Melvin pushed Stu out of the way, "Did you see him, Mal? Did E.J. look... different when you pulled him out? Was he still... possessed?"
Mallory pressed her lips together and stared at him hard. She almost seemed a little afraid. Almost. She finally answered, "is this about that LSD trip we all had in the barn? You're not going to tell me you all still think we saw an angel that day? Please. Grow up."
"Where is he then?" Asked Joe. "Is E.J. here to-night?"
"Can we see him?" Melvin asked, hopefully.
"No," responded Mallory, a little to harshly. "He's... he's got his reasons. I'd better be going. It was.... it was good to see you all. Especially you, Eye Candy." She pointed at Stu, and then began to slither off. She stopped suddenly, then turned back around. "Guys. That little blue alien girl. She made it off the planet, right? She went home?"
"We wouldn't tell you if she didn't," said Melvin.
"Good," said Mallory. "Good instincts." She disappeared into the crowd toward the Port.
Melvin looked down at the box. Sok was peeking out.
"You heard all that?" He asked.
"Yes," answered Sok. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Melvin answered. "I'm more than fine. Joe." Melvin turned to Joe.
"I'm way ahead of you," nodded Joe.
"I'm not?" Stu said, confused.
Melvin and Joe locked eyes and said together, "We're breaking into the facility to find E.J."
"We're breaking into the fa...cility... to find E.J.," Stu tried to join, a little too late and trailed off, bummed about it.
"Melvin, help!" Posie panicked, desperately trying to flip hamburgers which were on fire.
----
Posie, Melvin, Joe, and Stu all looked up to see a woman walking, almost slithering, toward them. She was more slender than they remembered her, with long, curly black hair, black lipstick, and a fancy black dress. Her complexion was pale, offset by freckles as numerous and ordered as the stars in the night sky. Except for the red bow in her hair, she gave off the general impression of a grainy black and white photo with high contrast.
"Mallory Gates," Joe said her name like he was spitting dirt from his mouth.
"What are you doing here?" Asked Melvin.
"I live here," said Mallory. "My grandma was from here and everything. I'm a Teague. Rightful member of the Port Teague community."
"Really?" Melvin laughed. "You never leave your facility. We haven't seen you in years. In what way are you a member of the community, outside of your address?"
"We provided the fireworks," Mallory put her hand on her hip. "And anyways, the five of us, we saved the world together. You guy are my only friends. Melvin and Posie are my brother and sister in law. Does that mean nothing?"
"You can't marry someone post-partum," muttered Melvin.
"He means post-mortem," corrected Posie, politely.
"What are you insinuating?" Mallory snapped at Posie, getting up in her face.
Posie shrank back for a second, then leaned closer to her face, "I was in the rocket with E.J., Mal. I watched him die."
Mallory's eyes widened, and she took a step back, "he died?"
Everyone else looked at each other and back at Mallory, cautiously.
Mallory looked at them all, then addressed Posie again, "Posie, I may have underestimated you. I always took you for a nice, sweet, small town gal. Turns out you're just as conniving as I am. Bravo." She golf clapped, sarcastically.
"No, he died," Posie shook her head. "He fell into the river."
"Did you find the body?" Mallory shot back. "Did you even check? Did any of you?"
Nobody answered.
"That's what I thought," Mallory continued, sauntering over to Melvin. "How do you like that, Mel? Your own wife lying to you about your own brother all these years? Apparently I'm the only one who loved him, I'm the one who pulled him out, dusted him off and gave him the wonderful wedding gift of a government research facility."
"Get out of here!" Stu cut between her and Melvin, fuming from the ears. "If you really pulled E.J. from that river, you didn't tell us. You hid him. If he's dead, you hid the body. If he's alive, you both hid him. But for my money, you didn't find him at all. That's what everyone thinks."
"Really, eye candy?" Mallory pouted at Stu. "That's what you think of me?" She leaned in and whispered, "but you were my favorite."
Melvin pushed Stu out of the way, "Did you see him, Mal? Did E.J. look... different when you pulled him out? Was he still... possessed?"
Mallory pressed her lips together and stared at him hard. She almost seemed a little afraid. Almost. She finally answered, "is this about that LSD trip we all had in the barn? You're not going to tell me you all still think we saw an angel that day? Please. Grow up."
"Where is he then?" Asked Joe. "Is E.J. here to-night?"
"Can we see him?" Melvin asked, hopefully.
"No," responded Mallory, a little to harshly. "He's... he's got his reasons. I'd better be going. It was.... it was good to see you all. Especially you, Eye Candy." She pointed at Stu, and then began to slither off. She stopped suddenly, then turned back around. "Guys. That little blue alien girl. She made it off the planet, right? She went home?"
"We wouldn't tell you if she didn't," said Melvin.
"Good," said Mallory. "Good instincts." She disappeared into the crowd toward the Port.
Melvin looked down at the box. Sok was peeking out.
"You heard all that?" He asked.
"Yes," answered Sok. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Melvin answered. "I'm more than fine. Joe." Melvin turned to Joe.
"I'm way ahead of you," nodded Joe.
"I'm not?" Stu said, confused.
Melvin and Joe locked eyes and said together, "We're breaking into the facility to find E.J."
"We're breaking into the fa...cility... to find E.J.," Stu tried to join, a little too late and trailed off, bummed about it.
"Melvin, help!" Posie panicked, desperately trying to flip hamburgers which were on fire.
----
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