Stasis (Book 1.2): Beta
Page 12
Randall and Stack were collecting names and phone numbers as people left when a middle-aged man with a green John Deere hat approached. His handshake was firm, his gaze sincere.
“I’ve got plenty of space out at my farm if you want to set up there. I’d be happy to have you.”
“That’s a generous offer, thank you, sir,” Randall replied graciously. “I’d have to find a tent big enough, but that’d be a good solution couple times a week.”
“Or full time.”
“How do you mean?” Randall squinted, unable to read the farmer.
He surveyed the scene around them. “Way I see it, I’ve spent most my life trying to get right with God. I don’t know that I believe in signs, but between all the craziness happening out there and now right here,” he exhaled and shook his head. “Well, you’re welcome to set up camp if that’s what you’d need. My doors are open.”
At this point Stack had stepped into the conversation, hearing the last part. He looked like a pig with a full trough, showing what Randall dared not.
He shook the farmer’s hand again. “I’m humbled. Thank you. We’ll be in touch after things have calmed down.”
When the pair were finally alone, Stack let out a loud whoop. He looked at Randall with a renewed sense of awe. Even the dog behaved better in his presence, as if sensing a significant change. “What now, boss?”
“Right now? This wolf is hungry,” he grinned.
Undisclosed location, NY
June 7th
Christopher could still smell Kristine’s perfume. Each time he shifted a fresh waft of vanilla brought him back to their morning together. She’d been so happy, so excited for him. For the first time in months it felt good and right. Maybe a little backwards considering he was leaving for a few days, but he figured a little distance couldn’t hurt too much.
Things had felt so on track, he almost popped the question right then and there. Instead, he stuck with the plan. He had a few ideas on how best to propose to a woman like Kristine.
When his brother called to get an address for the company car, Christopher gave him one a few blocks down. The cover of working in a manual labor position would be quickly blown if a private car arrived to take him to work. Kristine saw him off, covering him with kisses while they stood on the sidewalk. He’d given her a little wave, turned the corner, and for all she knew, started a grueling commute Upstate.
Two hours later, the car pulled onto a private road.
“Steele Way,” he muttered aloud.
After passing through a series of checkpoints, an overwhelmingly large complex of buildings appeared through the trees. The company owned hundreds of acres of empty land that surrounded the plant. He hadn’t been at headquarters in nearly twenty years, but even his childhood memory of the place was dwarfed. It had easily quadrupled in size under his brother’s command.
The car rolled past the main entrance to the building and came to a stop in front of a non-decrepit door. Christopher slid to the front of the seat and hesitated. This is it?
“You have arrived at your destination,” the car’s navigational system urged.
He climbed out with bag in hand, and watched the car whir away. He turned in place. The still silence of the place was deafening compared to the din of the city. Not a soul was around, no movement other than a stray bird swooping across the gray sky. It felt utterly abandoned.
“Gopher!”
“Please don’t call me that.” Christopher groaned and faced his brother who was fast approaching with open arms. He was taken aback by how much like their father Jamie looked.
“Okay, okay. You gotta let me have just one,” Jamie laughed. They quickly embraced, his brother slapping his back twice before pulling away. “Good trip?”
“Can’t complain.” Christopher shifted the bag to his other hand and realized he didn’t know how to talk to his brother. If Jamie noticed the awkwardness, he didn’t show it. With a hand to his shoulder, he led him to the single door.
“Great! Well, let’s get you set up. I made sure I was available to get you situated. I can’t tell you how happy I am you called,” he said as he held open the door.
Christopher walked in and stopped just inside, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light. “Yeah, it’s good timing I guess.”
“You guess?” he scoffed. “I gotta admit, I was a little surprised. You’ve made it abundantly clear you do things on your terms.”
“I suppose so…”
As Jamie led him down a blank, sterile hallway, Christopher couldn’t help but notice how deserted the place was. They weren’t close, but he always assumed Jamie as a bit of a flashy kind of guy. He expected to be given the grand tour of the place, to be shown the shiny monstrosity that was the family business. This wasn’t at all the greeting he expected, but it wasn’t half bad.
“And I respect that, I totally do. I followed in Dad’s footsteps almost without thinking.”
They turned a corner and crossed a small, open-air bridge. The space below was devoid of people as well.
“You’ve done alright for yourself,” Christopher replied, feeling as though his brother was fishing for reassurance.
Jamie stopped suddenly, a quizzical expression making him look even more like their father. “Yeah, but I never stopped to ask myself if it’s what I actually wanted.” Christopher opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words. It was like he was a completely different person from the brother he remembered. Jamie shrugged and continued walking as if he hadn’t just had a profound realization. “Anyway. It’s good you called. As it turns out, there’s something I do need you for.”
“Anything. You name it.”
“I’m glad I can keep it in the family. It’s what Dad would’ve wanted, you know?”
“Right, yeah.” Christopher nodded, pretending to understand. From the moment he set foot inside Steele Industries, he didn’t know what the hell was going on.
“I’ve been doing it myself, but now I can trust you to handle it.”
They approached a single elevator, open and waiting. Jamie waved his cuff in front of the sensor and they began to descend. He turned and fully faced Christopher, his eyes intense and probing.
“Have you been watching the news lately? Seen anything odd?”
Christopher shrugged, deciding it was probably best not to reveal who he was currently dating. “I guess, I mean…”
“What do you know about this catatonic curse?” Jamie asked as he used both hands for air quotes.
Author’s Notes
At this point you’re probably in one of two camps. Either you’re fully on board with STASIS and ready for the next installment, or you thinking, what the hell is going on? This is gonna be like Lost isn’t it?
I sincerely promise you right now, the ending isn’t some cop-out like “it was aaaaaall a dreeeaaam.”
I’ve been writing for over ten years now, self-publishing for nearly three. When I first started writing, plotting was like a poison pill to creativity. Once I knew what was going to happen, I didn’t give a shit about writing it. The story had already played out in my head! But I soon learned how important it is to at least have an idea of the beginning, middle, and end. Even when I plan books out to the smallest detail, something trips me up and I have to re-plot the whole ending. Now, I float somewhere in between.
This is where I need you! If you’re reading along or thinking about this story and wonder, “Gah! What would happen if…” or “Maybe it’d be cool if this character did…” Tell me about it! We can bounce ideas off each other. I’m not possessive of my projects or concepts. Some of my best twists have come from shootin the shit with a reader!
I’m working hard to get the second book out, but I don’t have a solid date yet! If you follow me, I’ll be sure to keep you updated.
I need your help!
Please let me know if this story grabbed your attention enough to want to read on! My contact information is below. Send me an email, send me a me
ssage with one of the following numbers:
1 - Hell yes, gimme more!
2 - Eh, I wouldn’t mind reading further…
3 - Not for me, thanks anyway!
That’s it. If you get in touch with your feedback, I’ll send you the next installments for free when they’re ready, just because you’re such an awesome person. Obviously if you hated it, you get nothing. But if you hated it, getting nothing is a gift in itself, so you’re welcome.
Finally, THANK YOU so much for reading! There’s an unbelievable amount of choice out there and I’m humbled and happy you continue to choose my work. Thank you.
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