Gravity Rises (S3)

TTF: Part Three

SPRING 1980

Papers went flying as Ford shoved them off his desk. "Where?" he shouted to nothing in particular. "Where did you come from? How did you get here? Why are you nowhere else?"

Fidds adjusted his glasses, which had been knocked askew as he jumped in surprise. Silently, he stood up from his desk and moved to go pick up the papers.

It took a full minute before Ford finally joined him. "I'm sorry," he said. Frustration leaked through his voice. "I was out of line."

"I get it," Fidds said. "I'm frustrated too."

This wasn't a lie, though Fidds wasn't frustrated about the same things as Ford.

At the beginning of the year, Ford had declared a new project: discovering the origins of the supernatural creatures that lived in the forest. "It's been four years," he'd said, "and we have to produce something if we want more grant money. I want to find the history of these creatures."

"Couldn't we publish a paper on one creature?" suggested Fidds. "We can analyze their anatomy or their habitat or—"

"No, no." Ford had waved away the suggestion. "That's not enough. If we publish something as simple as that, then other scientists will flock here and take away the big discoveries. We need a comprehensive theory. A. . . a Unified Theory of Weirdness." He frowned. "I'll work on a better name."

Fidds thought discovering the supernatural at all was pretty big. Back in their college days, Ford had come across an obscure reference to strange activity in the Northeast of Oregon. He'd gotten so excited by the possibilities that he'd invited Fidds to come with him to Gravity Rises, where his hopes had been realized — and then some. Strange activity abounded here. For the past four years, they'd researched the area and documented their findings, hoping to pull them together into some publication that would earn them money and prestige.

But then, two years ago, Fidds had joined the Order of the Crescent Eye. And he'd learned that turning the eyes of the world onto Gravity Rises, Oregon was a very bad thing.

So while Ford stressed about his "Unified Theory of Weirdness," Fidds stressed about what he could possibly to do dissuade his research partner. Right now, the creatures of the forest were safe. Safe from human eyes, safe from being captured or exterminated. The Order made sure of that. If Ford's research brought the masses to Gravity Rises. . . what then?

Ideally, the Order would've just wiped Ford and Fidds and sent them on their way, but the two scientists were somehow immune to Gaston Northwest's amulet. Fidds thanked his lucky stars that this was the case, though at the same time he wished it wasn't. If they'd been wiped, Ford and Fidds could've gone into more practical research that didn't threaten entire species. Fidds could've built computers instead of building stun guns. He could've made his own money instead of depending on Ford's. He wouldn't have had to worry about everyone's safety — his own, that of Ford, and that of the creatures alike.

Though he also never would've met Bill Cipher. He never would've fulfilled his destiny.

Now, as he picked up papers off the floor of Ford's lab, he glanced at the content of the pages. "You're rereading your interview with the nymphs?" he asked.

"Yes," Ford said. He gathered the last of the papers and stood up. "I don't understand it! It's almost like they don't want me to know!"

Maybe because they don't want more people here, Fidds thought. But he didn't say it aloud.

A loud knock sounded from across the house. "Ah, that'll be the Valentinos," Ford said. He left the room.

The Valentinos ran a construction company; they had built this lab four years ago. Now, Ford had hired them to add a basement. Fidds had suggested it: Couldn't they use the space? The bunker was cramped and noisy with all its captive creatures; the lab was crowded with half-finished projects. Down in the basement, Fidds could build a complex computer system that would help them analyze their findings.