Joe

by Jacqueline Druga

  “I’m lost.

  “It figures.” Hal paused. “Ok, remember when you were an alcoholic.”

  “I still am. You never stop being an alcoholic.”

  “Ok, remember . . .”

  “In fact, I’m probably still an active alcoholic cause I drink again.”

  “Forget it.” Hal started to stand and Robbie came in.

  “Hey, Hal.”

  “Robert.”

  “Hey,” Frank said. “Robbie, sit down. Hal has a problem.”

  “Cool.” Robbie sat down. “What is it.”

  “Never mind.” Hal said.

  Frank explained. “He’s an alcoholic.”

  “No I am not.”

  “We all are,” Robbie said.

  Hal grunted. “I was just saying, when you give something up and don’t have the urge for it for years, how do subdue it again.”

  “That’s the word,” Frank said. “He threw me off with that word.”

  “Simple,” Robbie nodded. “You don’t.”

  Frank looked confused.

  “Excuse me?” Hal asked.

  “Don’t subdue it,” Robbie said. “Find another way around.”

  Hal drummed up a thinking look.

  “If you want to drink, and don’t want the alcohol, but the feeling.” Robbie shrugged. “Smoke weed. You want sex . . . jerk off. Want to gamble . . . go to the Killer Baby region.”

  At that instant the odd beeps and blips occurred.

  “Speaking of Killer Babies.” Frank said. “Or toddlers, or fetuses.”

  The brothers turned to the screen.

  Hal asked. “What’s going on up there?”

  “I don’t know.” Frank said. “But suddenly, it’s getting weird there.”

  Hal took a long blink. “It’s a Killer Baby region Frank, you don’t think that alone is weird.”

  Frank shrugged “I guess. But this is odd. Even for them.”

  “Wanna go check it out?” Robbie asked.

  Frank thought about it. “Nah, I’m gonna head home. But . . .” He stood. “Watch it tonight, if it continues. In the morning. I’ll go up. I have a strange feeling about this. A gut instinct. Something’s happening.” Frank gave Robbie a pat on his back and walked to the door. “I know that region. They’re my kin.” He walked out.

  The door closed.

  Hal turned to Robbie. “Did he just say the Killer Babies were his kin?”

  “I believe he did, Hal.”

  “Hmm.” Hal said, then after a shrug, he and Robbie both faced the tracking screen.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Dean had cleared out of the hideaway house leaving the furnishings behind. His enthusiasm Joe guessed to get back to Beginnings. But after delivering a set of twins with complications, Joe wondered how happy Dean was to get back.

  He and Jason entered the house. Chilled from no heat. Jason was the keeper of the HG Wells and that was only fitting. He and Joe contemplated using the house as a time machine base, but opted against it.

  The sole purpose of using the HG Wells on this day was to double check that the séance prank didn’t backfire or cause any ripples.

  It was going to be simple.

  “Ok,” Jason reviewed with Joe in the lab. “Here’s what we got. The time machine will do an auto shut down, leaving the traveler stranded if a trip is made three times to the same time frame in a one month time.”

  “But what constitutes a time frame?” Joe asked.

  “Ah,” Jason lifted a finger. “A four day period in the same year and month.”

  “So if Robbie traveled twice to January 20th, then we’d have to wait 32 days to go again to that date.”

  “Exactly. We can’t touch four days before or after to be on the safe side.”

  “When are we going then?”

  “January 25th to be on the safe side. When your sons went . . .”

  “Does that count?”

  “I don’t know. See, we used my machine. But I don’t want to take a chance.”

  “Me either.”

  Jason continued. “When they went, it was bleak, white, cold. Snowy.”

  “Obviously brought on by a nuclear cloud.”

  “My estimates, we did a surface nuke to protect Beginnings. But when Robbie went, it was cold, yes, but sunny and the lab was still intact.”

  “So we want to see sun.”

  “Sun will tell us that there was no destruction. We also want to see my lab.”

  “Ok,” Joe excitedly rubbed his hands together. “Let’s do this.”

  “We’re going to go to January 25th. Same coordinates I sent Robbie. Ready.”

  “Ready.”

  Jason prepped the machine while Joe stood excitedly by.

  The HG Wells went through its typical mode and with a ZAP. Then went from inside the lab to outdoors.

  The sun was shining bright.

  Joe grinned. “Looks good. There’s your lab.”

  Jason peered over his shoulder.

  “Still standing,” Joe said, then noticed Jason kept looking about. “What’s wrong?”

  “Something.”

  “Excuse me.”

  “Something is wrong. I would have left a note for us.”

  “Maybe you forgot.”

  “No, no. I would have...” Jason’s head cocked. “Do you hear that?”

  “Hear …” Joe’s words slowed. A rustling, fast and furious carried their way. Slowly he turned his head to the left. In the distance, like a wave, there was movement in the high grass.

  “That looks like . . .”

  “Shit!” Joe’s eyes widened. “Zap us back. Zap us back now.”

  Jason reached for the button and Joe reached for his revolver. Just as he pulled it from his holster, out from the pack shot something. It was a blur and moved like a bullet. Closer. Closer.

  Zap.

  They were back in the lab.

  Thump!

  It sailed by them and into the far wall of the cryo lab. With speed, Joe pivoted, gun out. It moved and stood.

  “That won’t work,” Jason said rushed, reached for his desk and handed Joe a hand held device that looked like a tazer. “Get it. It’s on high.”

  Joe held it out as it flailed itself top speed at him, just as the jaws snapped an inch from his face, Joe zapped it. It squealed, flew back and landed hard to the ground. It’s body jolted, releasing blue sparks.

  “Hit it again, and we’ll bag it.”

  “Good thing you have this.” Joe said, catching his breath.

  “It’s for when Frank comes up. Just in case.”

  Joe looked at Jason and snickered.

  “Get it before it wakes up.”

  After a nod, Joe bent down, zapping it one more time and bringing it to a calm still.

  “Is it dead?” Joe asked.

  Jason reached down. “No. Out. My guess an hour. I have some thorozine.”

  “Better to double up.” He handed Jason the Tazer, and finally replaced his revolver. “Is this what I think it is?”

  “Apparently so. Frank’s Killer Toddlers.”

  “Toddler my ass, Looks like an adolescent.”

  Jason brought a syringe over. “I have these big needles for Frank as well.”

  “Jesus Christ Jason, if all those things were in Beginnings.” Joe ran his hand down his face. “Oh my god. Frank’s Killer Babies got in.”

  “No. No, Frank’s Killer Babies are content where they are.”

  “So how? How did the séance let them in?”

  “The séance didn’t.” Jason injected the LEP that was the size of a ten year old. “We were fortunate with Elvis. Beam one. I think one of the Beams bought in the next generation of LEP.”

  “Smarter?” Joe asked.

  “I don’t think smarter,” Jason said. “Just not Frank trained.” Jason stood up straight. “Ok, so we have a problem in the future we have to fix.”

  “A big one. Let’s get this thing restrained.” Joe exhaled. “And you
call Frank.”

  ****

  There were a couple reasons Frank found himself up at the Killer Baby region. First of which was business, second was to clear his mind.

  He played the Journey music loudly, and a soft hum from the babies carried in the wind.

  That gave Frank a sense of comfort.

  Before embarking past the gate, he enjoyed his coffee, and thought about his brother Jimmy.

  Jimmy had just returned to Beginnings and now was en route back to the Society to work on the Great War prevention.

  Thankfully, Jimmy had the skills they needed.

  The second chorus of Faithfully, had just finished and Frank looked forward to the ‘Ooh, oooh, oooh’s’ of the song’s bridge, after all, that was the portion where the Killer Babies seemingly found their harmonies.

  There, almost there. Frank finished his coffee, leaning against the hood of the jeep.

  He smiled when he heard the voices, set down his cup and took a step.

  Pausing, Frank drummed up an odd look.

  Was it his imagination? Did he hear something weird? Was one of the Killer Babies sick?

  He shook his head and reached for the gate.

  His phone rang.

  He peered down, grabbed it and answered it. “Yeah.”

  “Frank this is Jason. Where are you?”

  “At the Killer Baby region. Why?”

  “You’re not in the Killer Baby region, are you?”

  “Not in. Almost in.”

  “Good. Don’t go in there. I have a problem at my lab that only you can handle.”

  “Do you need me there now?” Frank asked.

  “Yes, right now, before it wakes up.”

  “Ok. On my way.” Frank hung up the phone and forewent his baby region trip. He had to get to Jason’s lab before ‘it’ woke up. Of course, Frank had no idea what ‘it’ entailed.

  ****

  Hal wasn’t all that surprised that he slept in as late as he did. He was at tracking with Robbie until the sun rose and then he headed back to Bowman. What he was surprised was to see a thick envelope on his desk, with Owens telling him that President Slagel sent it to Hal.

  Why in the world Hal would even think it was official was beyond him. After all, it was Frank they were talking about it.

  He settled into his desk and slid the contents out. There had to be at least seventy pages.

  ‘Frank’s Day out?’

  Hal sat back, how in the word did Frank manage to turn a ten page children’s book into a seventy page movie adaptation?

  He lifted the note of thanks from Frank. Telling Hal his appreciation for reading the script. But baffling him more was the fact that the note ended with the question, “They are thinking of Having Ben from Fabrics play Frank. What do you think?”

  Ben from Fabrics playing Frank in a movie?

  To Hal that was completely absurd.

  A knock at the door and Hal lifted his head.

  Elliott stepped in.

  “Elliot,” Hal set down the script. “They’re making a movie called Frank’s Day Out and thinking of making Ben from Fabrics the lead.”

  “You’re joking.”

  “No.”

  “Danny talked to me about that.”

  “This is absurd.” Hal pushed the script aside. “Although I can’t wait to read it. What’s up?”

  “Before I went over, I wanted to see if you would join me.”

  “In?”

  “The moment of truth,” Elliott smiled. “The stranger is awake.”

  ****

  At that point it was awake, and when it snapped its jaws with a growl, Frank responded with a typical ‘Fuck’.

  Not really fazed, Frank stood in Jason’s lab, hands on hips head tilted. “Good job chaining him.”

  “Well, I had those up here in case of you getting out of control.”

  “What is it?” Frank asked.

  “What do you think, Frank? It’s an adolescent version of the Killer Babies.”

  Frank gave a clueless look.

  “A twelve year old version,” Jason corrected.

  “Man, they grew fast. Just yesterday they were toddlers.”

  “I don’t think this is one of yours. Look at the way he’s reacting to you.”

  “Nah, he’s fine.”

  “No, Frank, he’d bite your head off.”

  “Nah, he’s fuckin fine. They love me.”

  Jason chuckled with a usual smirk, crossing his arms, and rubbing his chin. “If you don’t believe me, try. Go to him.”

  Frank shrugged. Walked to the killer adolescent who was about four feet tall. As he neared him, the beastly child snapped and went nuts, trying with all his might to attack Frank.

  “See?” Jason asked.

  Frank stared, then Frank blasted at the killer boy. ‘Hey! Fuckin knock it off!”

  With what seemed like a ‘huh?’, the child cocked back with a whimper.

  “Good. Here.” Frank reached into his back pocket and pulled out the music player with headphones.

  “Frank,” Jason said. “Watch your . . .”

  Flick. “Hey!” Frank flicked the killer child. Again, it whimpered and he placed the headphones on him. “No biting.”

  Immediately, the adolescent tilted his head.

  “Good huh?” Frank asked.

  Head swaying, eyes wide, the thing began to mock some sort of singing.

  “Fuckin love that shit.” Frank turned around.

  “Journey?” Jason asked.

  “Best of.” Frank replied. “Ok, so, how did he get here?”

  “Chased me. Knocked himself out when he slammed into the wall, then I hit him with the tazer, thorozine and knocked him out.”

  “Chased you from where?” Frank questioned.

  “The future.”

  “That’s a long fuckin way.”

  “No, no, Frank.” Jason waved his hand. “He came from the future. I went to the future and he was there.”

  “Makes sense. He grew.”

  “Eight months in the future.”

  “He grew fast.”

  “Frank!”

  “What? And where is Bob?”

  “Bob?”

  “The dummy that my dad possesses.”

  “Why are you asking where the dummy is?” Jason asked.

  “Because I sense my dad.”

  “That’s because his ghost hangs out here,” Jason said nonchalantly.

  “Oh.”

  “Frank do you get what I’m saying?”

  “Yeah. My Dad’s ghost hangs out here.”

  “No,” Jason said. “I went to the future to make sure there were no repercussions of the séance last night. To make sure there was no change in the Great War and the nuclear explosion in Beginnings.”

  “Was there.”

  “No. Clear day. Sunny. No Nuke.”

  “Ok, so how did the séance . . . fuck?”

  “What?”

  “Fuck.”

  “What?”

  “We not only brought my dad’s ghost through we brought through Killer Pubes.”

  “Killer . . . Killer Pubes?”

  “Pre-pubescent.”

  Jason closed his eyes.

  Frank’s head cocked. “There it is again.”

  “What?”

  “My dad’s spirit.”

  “Ignore it.”

  “Ok.”

  “Frank. The séance didn’t bring the Killer … Pubes. The beam did.”

  “What beam?”

  ‘The one that went wayward. Three beams shot out of the time machine when Dean and Roy fought. Two went to the future. One to the past. The one beam brought back the Pubes.”

  “We snatched the Pubes from the future and put them in the future.”

  “No.” Jason took a calming breath. “Allow me to explain. The beam brought back at least this little fellow, and possibly more, to this time frame. In fact we saw tons of them, and barely escaped, this one flew through the time machi
ne with us.”

  “Who is we?”

  “What?”

  “You said we.”

  “Oh. Your dad’s ghost came along.”

  “Fuck he has to be in everyone’s business.” Frank’s head went to the right.

  “Joe’s ghost again.”

  “Bitching at me.”

  “You’ll have that. So you see. The beam snatched up a ton of Killer Pubes, they are somewhere around beginnings, and in the near future. They get in.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Exactly, they may not eat you, but they’ll dine on all of us. Imagine what a hundred of those things can do.”

  Frank turned around and looked at the Killer Pube enjoying the music. “Maybe we can get them all headphones.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “This explains the weird signals we’re getting from the Killer Baby region.’

  “When did they start?”

  “Last night. I have to get on this shit. Get a plan. Thanks, Jason.” Frank walked to the door.

  “Um. Frank?”

  Frank stopped at the door. “Yeah.”

  “You forgot something.” Jason pointed to the adolescent.

  “Shit. You’re right. Thanks.” Frank walked up to the child, snatched the headphones with a ‘Sorry’, and walked out.

  The adolescent started growling again.

  After a moment, Joe emerged from the closet. He paused only to zap the creature and shake his head. “Killer Pubes? Pubes?”

  “What can I say?” Jason shrugged. “He’s your son.”

  ****

  Bandanas off at the entrance, Elliott held the door for Hal as they entered.

  “How are we going to determine this?” asked Elliott. “Do you think simply asking his name?”

  “Absolutely. Why would he lie?”

  “Well,” Elliott cleared his throat. “We had a gentleman in Containment who insisted he was Julius Caesar.”

  “Oh, this is completely different. We have reason to believe . . .” Hal slowed down walking and talking when he saw Ellen speaking to Blue in the hallway. “Is this her day here?”

  “No. No it’s not.”

  “Then why is she here?”

  “Working.” Elliott shrugged,

  “Working. Thank you for that.” Hal just shook his head. Then placed on a smile when Ellen saw him. “Ellen, what a surprise.”

  “Blue called me.”

  “Really, for what?”

  “For a pick up.”

  “Pick up?” Hal asked. “Pick up what?”

  “A patient for Containment,” Ellen explained. “Dan is here to escort us back.”