The 4th Subject

Chapter 33: The Anomaly

Sam and Ryan greeted my warmly as I returned. We ate at Rattler's just like when I first came here. We even went to Wafflecomb again. But it wasn't the same. It would never be the same.

"Sarah, you good?" Ryan asked as we pulled into the driveway.

"Hm?" I said, not noticing the two of them addressing me. "Yeah, I'm good."

"I get it," Sam said, "you've had time at home and now you're back here."

"Well, it wasn't all butterflies and rainbows over there, if I'm honest."

"What happened?" The two asked.

"Well, one of my best friends didn't take any of this seriously and pulled a really cruel "prank", which ended our decade long friendship. And you remember Carl, that guy who lied about a medical condition for sympathy in hopes of getting a job here? He's working at this record store and also pulled a really awful "prank" as revenge. And that's just the highlights."

"What?" Sam said incredulously. "Both of those situations were really uncalled for. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," I said as we entered their house. "I wasn't expecting complete peace anyways."

I unpacked my bags slowly, grasping the concept of what was happening to me. This would be my home for the next four years. Florida would be a rare occasion, a distant memory of a simpler time. I sat staring at my empty suitcase. 10 months ago, I lived out of it, expecting to be home after four weeks. And now, what's the point? It would make no sense to live the next four years out of bags.

"You settling in ok?" Sam softly questioned, materializing at the door.

"Yeah," I mumbled, zipping up my last suitcase and shoving it under the bed.

"Look," she started, "I know this is not how you wanted your life to pan out. But we're gonna make the most of it, I promise."

"I believe you," I said with a soft smirk, "I really do. It's just...nothing we do will hide the real reason I'm here."

"I know."

"But you're right. I gotta enjoy what I can."

~*~

Two days later, I followed Sam into Blue Base. We greeted Bailey and made our way upstairs to Sam's office.

"Do you hear that?" I said, stopping at the top.

"Hear what?" She began to ask. She then stopped and turned to the vault. We both heard it. A strange, warped beeping noise.

"Come on," I whined as we approached, "I just got back."

The vault door creaked slightly as we opened it, the beeping growing louder. The RSD screen was flashing with a pop up.

Just then, I heard Matt enter downstairs.

"I'm getting Matt."

He looked happy to see me as I approached.

He had no idea.

"Hey Sarah, how was Florida?"

"Not the best, we'll talk later." I replied quickly. "The RSD is beeping."

"What?" He said, setting his stuff down and following me upstairs.

"It was beeping when Sam and I came in, and we obviously don't know what it is."

Matt squeezed past Sam to read the pop up.

"Does that say radioactive spike?" I asked, looking over his shoulder.