Ferdie & The Seven,
Book three:
fractals
By Larry Buenafe
Copyright Larry Buenafe, 2018
License Notes
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Epilogue
Coming Soon: Singular, book one
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PROLOGUE
In the southeastern portion of the Canadian province of Ontario is a town called Timmins. Agriculture is one of the main industries in and around Timmins, including such row crops as soybeans and corn. Near a cornfield on the outskirts of town, a mix of local police and federal investigators has converged to investigate the site of a mass killing. Local detectives Ed Viveros and Jim Lockwood are among the officers surveying the horrific carnage. Ed, a tall, lanky man in his early fifties, possessed a jowly, hang-dog face and a slightly too small fedora jammed on to the back of his head, a wiry tuft of graying hair protruding out the front. Jim, as round and stout as a barrel, mopped his pate with an ever-present handkerchief, his head perspiring freely despite the chill.
“Ed, you ever see anything like this in your whole gosh darn life?”
“No, I can’t really wrap my mind around this one. How did these kids, all from the same town in Kansas, USA, get up here in the first place? No cars, no signs of any vehicles at all. And why laid out all orderly-like, in this wheel pattern, eh? It’s like Satan worshippers gone wild or something. And how about that thing over in Italy? I ask you, what is happening in this world?”
Jim turned his face up to the sky and observed the heavy cloud cover. “I don’t know about you, but I think it’s all signs and wonders.” He looked down for a moment, sighing deeply. “We’ve seen loads of bad stuff in our years, but this is a whole other level. Or a whole other galaxy, if you ask me. Who would do this?”
Ed squatted, picking at a weed at the edge of the corn field. “I don’t think it’s a who. Seems more like a what to me. I don’t think a human would do this. This is some kind of monster, that’s what I think. A real, live monster. There’s no reasonable, logical explanation, and when there isn’t, then the only remaining possibility is that it’s something unreasonable and illogical, hard as it may be to believe. And, how could a person have killed all those people over there in Italy and leave no trace? That’s not possible. It’s the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse come riding for vengeance, that’s what it is. What else could it be?”
“I don’t know, but we better get this cleaned up and come up with something for the press. You know the kind of uproar that happened over in Europe… this isn’t as big, but it’s done in exactly the same way. Has to be the same people, or maybe the same monster. Yeah, it’s a monster, couldn’t be human. How could they kill all those people and have nobody notice until it’s all over and done? I think the demons have come, and it’s time for a reckoning. People are flocking to churches, and mosques, and synagogues, or wherever, but that’s not going to save them, is it?”
Jim paused, listening to an incoming call, and checking his phone for the text of the message. “Hey, Ed, you’re not going to believe this… They found something not too far from here, just over by the Sarabian’s place… They found a dead… well, this doesn’t seem possible… it’s a dead guy, but he’s all stretched out to the size of an elephant… he’s covered in stab wounds and half of him is burnt to a crisp. What is this world coming to? How is it possible that a person would be all stretched out like that? And get this… they tried to do an autopsy, but they couldn’t hardly cut through his skin… they had to use a power saw, and then they broke three blades getting through. What the hell is going on? Can you tell me that?”
Ed rubbed his world-weary face, pulled in a long breath, and blew it out. “Signs and wonders, Jimmy boy. It’s the end of the world if you ask me. There’s something about all of this that’s nagging me, though… it’s the pattern of the killings. All symmetrical, a repeating theme, like a nautilus shell, or flower petals, geometric. There’s a word for it… a math word…”
“What do you mean, like fractals?”
“Yeah, that’s it, fractals. I tell you, it’s the end of the world. Signs and wonders…”
###
From fractalfoundation.org:
A fractal is a never-ending pattern. Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop. Driven by recursion, fractals are images of dynamic systems-the pictures of Chaos. Geometrically, they exist in between our familiar dimensions. Fractal patterns are extremely familiar, since nature is full of fractals. For instance: trees, rivers, coastlines, mountains, clouds, seashells, hurricanes, etc.
###
The New York Times
EUROPE
Officials Horrified, Baffled by Italian Massacre
Carloforte, Isola Di San Pietro, Italy
By RAQUEL DI STEFANO
The now well-publicized massacre of every resident of this small Italian village, and the bizarre, ritualistic display of the mutilated bodies, has investigators utterly at a loss.
Two weeks have passed since the discovery of the eight thousand, four hundred-twelve bodies, and no explanation has been found for the killings. The Italian military, aided by forces from the US, France, India, Germany, and England, have cordoned off the town to deter looters and family members so that officials can complete their investigations.
“We do not believe this to be the work of terrorists,” said General Vihaan Kapoor of India, leader of the multinational effort. “It seems to have more in common with some cult mass-suicide events that have occurred in the past, although the method of the deaths, the speed with which they occurred, and the fact that there was utterly no sign in advance that this was planned or even possible… well, it just doesn’t add up. The way the mutilated and burned bodies were laid out, in a pattern that might be described as artistic if it weren’t so horrifying. One might be tempted to say that something supernatural or other-worldly has occurred, if one were inclined to believe in such things.”
Detectives and investigators have been scouring the area, going door-to-door in the now empty village, searching the residences for any sign of planning, i.e., notes, video or audio recordings, or diagrams. Thus far no evidence has been found.
> “It just doesn’t make sense,” said Nunzio Biagi, one of dozens of officials carrying out the investigations. “We have literally found nothing to give us any clue to how or why this happened.”
Workers continue to clean up the site of this horror and to provide for the burial of the victims, and investigators carry on in the search for any clues that could help determine the method and reason for the slaughter.
###
Dateline: Timmins, Ontario, Canada
Investigators Indicate Canadian Massacre May Be “Copy-Cat Crime”
One week has passed since the gruesome discovery of sixteen American teenagers brutally murdered in the outskirts of this Canadian town, and investigators are no closer to uncovering the reason for the slaughter, nor how the youths were transported to this somewhat remote location.
“We’re sifting through the remains, looking for clues,” said Ed Viveros, one of a number of investigators, detectives, and officials still at the scene. “This is nowhere near the level of the Italian massacre, but the methods seem very similar. I can’t say much about the evidence, as we don’t want to contaminate the investigation, and certainly don’t want to tip off the perpetrators, but I can say that, due to the similarities, we believe it is likely that it is the work of some very sick copy-cat group. However, we don’t have a method, motive, or suspects yet, but we are confident that we will make some headway soon.”
Meanwhile, on a nearby farm just two kilometers away from the scene of the massacre, another mystery deepens: who is the supposed “elephant man”, where did he come from, how can his bizarre size and iron-tough skin be explained, and how did he receive the burns and stab wounds that appear to have led to his demise?
“There is no evidence that his presence and the so-called “carnage in the cornfield” are connected in any way,” said one official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “But it’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. There’s no trace leading to any of them; it’s as if they all just dropped out of the sky. That being said, I have every confidence in our investigators. We will get to the bottom of this, I assure you.”
###
Dateline: Chicago, Illinois, US
Rioting, Looting Rampant as Attempts to Blame Extremists for Italian, Canadian Massacres Rises
Rampaging hordes of looters and rioters flooded the streets of Chicago and surrounding communities for a third straight day in apparent panicked reaction to the Italian and Canadian tragedies. In addition, the debacle shows no signs of ending, and in fact appears to be increasing in intensity.
“It just makes no sense. They are looking for someone to blame, and they are targeting anyone with any ties to certain parts of the world known for terrorist activities. I guess in these uncertain times, people need a scapegoat, and almost anyone will do. It’s just crazy,” said Mayor Milagro “Milly” Esposito, just the second female mayor in the storied history of the Windy City.
Thousands took to the streets, overturning cars, looting storefronts, and lighting fires at mosques, synagogues, and private homes. “The whole city is in a shambles. We need the help of the federal government. The police are completely overrun. We need the National Guard, maybe even the military. Frankly, I am at a loss. God help us all, it seems like the end of the world,” said the Mayor.
Many among the crowds appeared to be using the chaos as an opportunity to acquire TVs and other appliances without fear of consequences. “I don’t know what good ripping off a great big TV is going to do when the world is ending. I think some people just don’t pay attention,” said Carla, one young lady among the throng who wished to be identified by first name only.
In related news, congress remains deadlocked on approving assistance for Chicago and other ravaged areas. Discussions have degenerated into partisan bickering and attempts to attach so-called “pork-belly” provisions to funding for assistance.
###
Dateline: London, UK
Citizens World-wide Flock to Houses of Worship, Stoking Fear of “End of Times”
The usually crowded streets of London are virtually empty at seven p.m. on a Wednesday night, aside from massive crowds around the Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and other churches, mosques, and synagogues.
“People are frightened by these crazy times, aren’t they?” said Ned McNicholl, one of thousands surrounding the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster. “We need hope and comfort, because it seems judgment day is near, or perhaps it’s already begun. We’re afraid of what is next. Sure, there have been many great tragedies throughout history, but they were all man-made. These recent events, they’re not man-made. It’s the work of the devil himself, and we all need to steel ourselves against him.”
Many in the great masses of people can be seen kneeling in prayer, most speaking quietly, but some with faces turned toward the heavens, shouting for their God’s protection. More than any time in history, it seems, there is talk that the last days of humans are imminent. Nevertheless, many in the clergy urge calm and patience as investigators continue to try to piece together the events and draw logical conclusions. “In these trying times, it is natural to seek answers and comfort, but we must be wary of those who would prey on the desperate and fearful,” said Rabbi Hyram Edelmann of the New West End Synagogue in London. “Unfortunately for all of us, there are charlatans and conmen out there who would be happy to take advantage of others.”
###
Dateline: Roswell, New Mexico, US
UFO Enthusiasts Flock to Historic New Mexico Site
Thousands of visitors have flooded the streets of this New Mexico city of approximately fifty thousand residents, famed for a supposed UFO crash landing in 1947. They have reportedly sought out the legendary location due to their belief that the recent incidents are evidence of space aliens making their presence known.
“Those aliens, they’re so advanced, they sort of think of us like we think of ants and whatnot,” said Hubert “Bubba” Wilson, who reports that he hitchhiked to Roswell from his home in Arkansas, and is one of hundreds waiting to enter the Roswell UFO Museum. “I bet they didn’t even know they was killing all them folks, they didn’t do it on purpose is what I mean. And the way they made that one fella the size of a elephant, why that had to be an experiment, that’s all it ever was. They just got to get to know us, then they’ll be cool.”
Many of the other tourists expressed similar beliefs; indeed, this seems to be the prevailing thought that propelled them to this iconic piece of the American southwest. “This is what we’ve been waiting for, man,” said Cheyenne Elliott, who traveled to Roswell from Los Osos, a small community on the central California coast. “They finally showed themselves. Beam me up, bro!”
In related news, sanitation crews are working ‘round the clock to manage the mountains of refuse deposited by the visitors to Roswell, many staying in tents along the freeway into, and out of, town. “I got my crews working non-stop, and I hired some temps, but we just can’t keep up,” reported James “Jimmy” Johnston, head of the Roswell Municipal Sanitation Department. “We appreciate the business and all, but this is getting out of hand.”
###
Dateline: Timmins, Ontario, Canada
Bizarre “Elephant Man” Cult Springs Up In Canada, Other Locations
It has been little more than a week since the uncovering of the so-called “carnage in the cornfield” in the outskirts of this Canadian town, and the corresponding nearby discovery of the inexplicable “Elephant Man”. With a body quite literally the size of an elephant and skin tough enough to stop a low-caliber bullet, his presence and the wounds that appear to have led to his death remain utterly unexplained.
On the site where he was found a group of people have gathered, and their ranks appear to be growing by the day, now numbering more than one hundred. “The Elephant Man is a messenger from heaven, and he fought a great battle for the souls of the world,” said a man who identified himself as Martin the Gray, the self-styled leader of
the group that is now being called a cult. “It is our true and fervent belief that he is an angel, the first of many to be sent by heaven to redeem the true believers.”
Members of the cult have adopted the practice of painting their skin gray, spending hours walking in circles, and making odd honking noises. Similar groups have recently sprung up near Seattle, Washington, Orlando, Florida, and several locations in Germany.
“Well, they seem pretty peaceful so far, but it’s awful weird,” said one onlooker who refused to give his name. “You mark my words, though; they’re eventually going to do something crazy. That always happens with groups like this.”
In Washington and Florida, the groups have recently applied for 501(c)(3) tax-free status. There is no word yet if the Canadian and German branches have applied for similar status in their countries.
Chapter One
It’s now day seven twenty seven and counting down, although to tell you the truth I don’t think we’re going to make it all the way to the end of those days, even though the Time Flies saw it in the future and wrote it down in the book of names. Counting down to the end of the world, that is. Two weeks have passed since… I can hardly even say it without tapping my head and crying, but the obliteration of Carloforte, and a week since the “Carnage in the Cornfield” up in Canada. And, as if in response to these horrors, the whole world is going crazy, and to tell you the truth I’m going crazy right along with it. Actually for me crazy is something I’m used to. What I’m not used to is this almost uncontrollable anger inside me. My psychiatrist, Dr. Saresh, used to say that anger is a secondary emotion, with the primary emotion usually being pain or fear of some kind. I wish I could go see him again, I bet it would help at least a little, but since I’m officially a runaway, it would put him in an awkward position.
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