So they say, “I’m takin’ your bacon.” And Kiln just blinks at them, and Alex reaches over, and I’m half-expecting this dagger to come down and pin their hand to the table, but Kiln just lets it happen. And then Alex says, You’re looking to go back to the stone ruins at the museum. You remember, doc, the ones I told you about?
Yes.
So Kiln’s all yeah, and Alex is all yeah, and I’m all yeah –
Why did you want to go along?
Well, I told you, doc – there was something really weird about how the ruins looked, the light show that Kiln made 'em do – something reminded me of little bits of memory, maybe, from Africa. Sort of like deja vu, y’know, but, uh, different?
So you wanted to go along …?
So I could take another look. And maybe ask Kiln something about 'em. Which I was gonna do anyway, but hadn’t had the right … I dunno, the right moment. I mean – this is stuff inside my head, right? Maybe important stuff? Kiln’s cool, and he’s part of our group, but it’s not like we play true confession or nothing. I – just don’t talk about all this stuff to everyone.
Is there anyone you feel you can trust talking about yourself?
Besides you? I mean, I’ve told some of it to … well, bits and pieces to the whole team. They know, kinda, the basics. I told the deja vu thing to, um, Mette. But didn’t have a chance to say anything to Kiln, yet. And I thought, at the museum, at the temple, that’d be the place, especially if, y’know, I got more of those memory flashes.
Mm-hmmmm.
So then Roddy is down with doing it, but is all, “Yay, skipping class.”
Ah. Is that what you were worried about telling me?
Um … yeah?
There’s more?
Well, let me finish the story.
Of course. Continue.
So skipping class, and I’m kinda pissed because that means skipping math, and I actually got my assignment and had that homework all done to turn in, and if we were skipping class, that wasn’t gonna help my grade any. So I’m thinking about maybe I can slip it into the class mailbox, but then Kiln starts talking about the temple, and this dream he had, and all about, um, ancient evil and rising waters, and some demon named Flu-shot that was trying to take over the world. You okay, doc?
Yes. Go on.
Um … do threats to the world come under that Duty to Warn thing?
If believed to be imminent … arguably.
No, not imminent. I mean, I don’t think so.
Have you advised any of the faculty, or any proper authority?
Well, we really didn’t have – look, let me tell the story, and maybe we can talk after that.
All right. Though if the world ends during the session –
– I’ll owe you an apology.
Quite. Continue.
So Kiln is talking abouty the ancient evil thing, which, like, dates back to whenever they’re originally from. So they wanted to get to the museum, and back to the temple thing, to check it out. We could get off campus, cause it was first thing in the morning, but we were kinda worried about actually getting into the museum. So Alex says they know a guy, and put in a call, and they say to meet at the museum.
You had no problems traveling there?
Naw, it was – well, I mean, we took the ferry, then the train, and Claremont Station is only a few blocks from the museum. And some people kinda stared, but some of that mighta been because of the stuff from the museum the day before, in the news. But mostly it didn’t seem like as many people staring before. Rush hour, man – lotta different types here in Halcyon. A few weirder-looking than me.
How did you feel about that?
I – dunno. I was more worried about the whole museum thing. I mean, I’m kinda obvious, and I don’t think they were gonna just let us go in and poke around after what happened, even if it wasn’t our fault. Also …
Also?
Tickets to that place are expensive. Yeesh.
You arrived without incident?
Yeah, and there’s the van, and this guy – I won’t use his name, but he’s like there to give us disguises, and I’m all, really, me? What, funny nose and glasses, or a big hat that that will distract people, or maybe I should comb my hair the other way?
It does sound like a challenge.
Yeah! I mean – well, anyway, he hands me a hat, like a Indiana Jones hat. And a big trench coat.
Hmmm.
And I’m like, you’re joking, right? And he’s all, no, try it on, oh, and it’s fireproof, and I’m all, so, yay? But I put it on, and, yeah, it’s like my size which is awesome, maybe even a little big, which is okay cause I grow, but this isn’t gonna do nothing, and he gives me these instructions about how to do something funny with the hat and how to do something with the trench coat and …
Yes?
I – uh – looked normal.
Really?
Well, I mean, not completely normal, but it did some sort of force field or video something or another – it sorta tingled, and Alex took a phone picture and showed me, and I looked like this old homeless guy, kinda, with a big beard, and I’m still my height but I look, kinda, like just a great big … guy.
How did you feel about that?
I was like – I don’t know how I felt. I mean – wow. This was a chance to walk around and have people not stare at me. I mean, I know what I said a minute ago about the crowd on the ferry and the train, but this was – this was different. And he’s telling me all about how to move and everything so that the projection on my hands and face could react in time, and I’m all poking my face with my finger, and it’s still my face, but to someone looking at me, I’m just this big beard guy poking his face. For the first time since … it was … actually, it was wonderful.
How so?
I looked normal. I wasn’t normal, but I looked it. Someone could look at me and … not think of me as a giant gorilla. Even if they weren’t screaming, or staring, or going “cool,” or whatever. They would think I was a human being, not an ape. Anyone would. Something like this I could even, I mean – even have, like, y’know, maybe a normal, I dunno, a normal, like, relationship. With someone. Y’know?
But your appearance was an illusion.
I know. I know. But I wasn’t thinking that right away. Just someone … not seeing me as a monster, even if it wasn’t even skin deep, y’know? It was, for a few minutes … awesome.
