Starfall

Chapter 26 - Discovery

Mabel waited for Dipper to return. Whatever he and Pacifica were talking about it wasn't going to be pretty. She was glad the subterfuge was finally over though. Pacifica now knew and Dipper knew that she knew about it. The only entity in question was Kendra, but judging by the frowns on her face she had figured it out too. It looked like this band-aid was coming off all at once. Poor Dipper she mused. Today was not his day.

Wendy smirked, "What did he do now?" she said in good humor. Kendra narrowed her eyes further. Mabel held her tongue and just shrugged hoping Wendy wouldn't pry her for more details in front of Kendra.

She was just starting to get worried when she spotted Dipper returning from the hallway leading to the back of the house. His one hand was in his pocket, the other in his cast, hook costume, and he looked dejected and forlorn. Oh dear, Mabel thought. Pacifica had rejected him. Her heart went out to her twin brother. Wendy said, "Hey Dipper I got you and Mabel some punch from the...Hey, are you OK?" Wendy's voice changed to one of concern. 

Dipper sidestepped the question and addressed Kendra. "Kendra...I need to have a word with you in private." Her eyebrows raised skeptically. Wendy looked from Dipper to Kendra. Then from Kendra to Dipper finally putting two and two together as a look of surprise covered her face. Dipper's phone went off. Dipper groaned and rolled his eyes till he looked at the phone. It was Great Uncle Ford. Dipper picked it up immediately, "What is it Great Uncle Ford?" Mabel could hear his voice on the phone as it rested against Dipper's ear. "I had a breakthrough. I discovered neutrino emissions coming from all over Gravity Falls. I think they might be the product of something centralized that's causing them to crop up. So far nothing has remained cohesive enough to sustain a rift that the Q.W.A.R.K. tuner can detect yet. Something is triggering these events though but I have yet to have extrapolated a pattern. I need your help making sense of the data in the lab."

Dipper looked at Kendra and then Mabel before answering. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Dipper hung up the phone. "That was Ford. He had a breakthrough in the lab. He needs our help." Kendra hastily said, "I'll come with you guys if you need help." Dipper suspected she wanted to keep an eye on him but not wanting to make waves he nodded in affirmation.

Dipper turned and Mabel said their goodbyes to Wendy and waved goodbye. The car ride was short but the silence made it seem like it would never end. Kendra kept watching Dipper in the rearview mirror and Dipper kept nervously driving over the lines in the road every time she narrowed her eyes at him. Mabel finally put in her Electronic Dance Music to cut through the thick air. As the trebel and base pounded away she swayed and bobbed to the music all while confined behind a seatbelt the bells on her heels jingling as she bounced in her seat her hands waving in the small car space above her.

When they arrived at the Mystery Shack Ford was waiting. He held the door for the three of them. "I have the image up on my laboratory main screen."

Kendra followed them as Ford led the way down into the bowels of the lab. Kendra's eyes grew wide as Ford punched the code into the vending machine pressing the keys in order. A,B,1,C,3. The vending machine retracted its bolts from the wall and swung outward on its hinges as the door gave way to the stairway behind it. An old glass lantern hung on a metal hook protruding from the wall as it radiated a golden glow on the walls and down the staircase. The x-shaped protective metal rings around the lantern cast their shadows on the wall as the light struck the frame of the lantern.

Ford led the way and Mabel followed. Dipper put a hand forward in deference allowing Kendra to go ahead. She eyed the entrance warily but proceeded nonetheless. Ford punched in the three symbols and the down elevator button fetching the elevator lift to their floor. The trip down the elevator was silent. Kendra's eyes took in everything with an amalgamation of surprise and confusion. Dipper knew she was still finding it hard to believe everything he said. Maybe that would change today. Maybe she would finally accept him for who he was.