The Real Growlerville 20: Timefish & The Temporal Vortex
(A first hand account by investigative journalist, Mr. E)
Part 2: Fake Bugs, Timefish & The Temporal Vortex
This is the continuation of my previous post: Way Out. Growler Louise has slipped away once again and Bebe and I are left standing staring at the meadow at the bottom of the this hill. Fortunately Growler Louise left her binoculars.
The meadow below is being used for some kind of experiment. And it's clear from her quick departure, that Growler Louise has something to do with all this.
Bebe's being told by dispatch that complaints are now flooding into the Growlerville Police Station of huge numbers of bugs loose in the town meadow.
"Tell them they're only fake crickets, rubber ones, not live bugs... Yeah, it's true, I can see them right now.
Prof. Growler is doing something with artificial insects. I don't think that's illegal..."
This is incredible!
I run down toward the field to get a closer look at the rubber crickets. They look even more realistic in the sunlight. I can hear them, and am looking for the speakers, when a couple of technicians walk onto the bugs.
All the fake insects are moving in a very lifelike manner, except for one panel. The techs wave their arms, looking up the other side of the hill, and all the motion stops. And then, when the sound stops, I can hear Bebe far behind me, up on the road, calling.
She's leaving.
I yell back that I want to stay to see what's going on here, and that I will catch up with her later. I head closer to the meadow.
*****************************
The techs are still working on the grid holding the crickets, and are not aware of me, even as I approach. I stand behind a large tree just off the meadow and listen. They are talking on a communication system to someone unseen.
"Applying cricket extract... Preparing for trap test..."
They are spraying a mist from some metal canisters onto the rubber bugs, then move away from them.
"Testing the trap... ready? On 3. Ready? 1, 2, 3..."
In a flash, four sides and the top of a huge cube-shaped net rise and lock into place directly over the rubber bugs.
The techs applaud, reset the trap, and walk back up the hill, periodically checking a huge bundle of cables laid between the lower meadow and some control point on the hill.
*****************************
I lag behind, but follow them up to a clearing, where I see a fleet of white pickup trucks, the ones with the "Fred Forever" bumper stickers. The tailgates are down, and equipment is everywhere.
Prof. Growler is there telling everyone in a very urgent voice that he expects them to be back in one hour sharp. The technicians and the professor pile into a couple of trucks, and head to town, probably for lunch.
I cautiously approach the equipment, amazed at the technical feat involved in this enterprise. On the ground, I notice several empty boxes of something called Nothing.
The warning on the empty boxes is quite entertaining, "Never use this Nothing without an 
ample supply of Nothing Remover close at hand."
What is this stuff?
My mind is frying on the ideas of Nothing and Nothing Remover, but I am startled back from my compulsive daydream by a friendly voice, "Are you...?" I realize he thinks I'm someone else, and my silent smile convinces him even more.
"Great. We've got a little less than an hour to do this..."