A new dawn had begun to rise over New York city, and for most folks, the day would start as it usually would. Men and women got out of their beds and started getting ready for work, and some folks were coming home from the night shift. Students had been getting ready for a seven hour session for school on a Monday morning, with some dreading a quiz or test. Some people were even beginning to set decorations around their homes and work places to get ready for Halloween, with some trying to compete against their neighbors, some just for the hell of it. Others were even stocking up on Halloween candy for Trick or Treat night.
For a Select group of people though, over the past week and the foreseeable future, their lives would be changed forever, and mostly not for the better. Shall we see what this news reporter has to say about it?
"Good morning New York. Today is October 20, 1998. This is your news. We have a special breaking report, the police department has released information that more local teenagers have gone missing, as well as a college student related to one of these teenagers. They were last scene earlier this week, with the college student being seen just two days ago. The only connection between these Teenagers is that they are all students at Townsend Harris High school. These disappearances could be linked to the disturbing trend of other possible abductions and missing teenagers from our otherwise Beautiful city. If anyone has seen the Teenagers, or has any other information, please contact the police department. Mayor Giuliani has placed the curfew already in affect at an even earlier time for anyone under eighteen starting tonight. Now to other news... in the business world, Ominent Practical Technologies signs a new deal with..."
We don't need to listen to this business mumbo jumbo now do we? No? Thats what I thought. Out the window, you could see something floating out thw window. Not exactly floating, but slowly falling thanksnto a parachute. A small box that looked slightly like a suitcase, but about the size of a vhs tape, slowly falling into the yard of the Tully Residence.
Could you really call it a residence though? Trudy has left with her kids and Wendell went missing months ago. Could you say it was linked to all these disappearances? Well yes and no really, but we'll find that out on our own time.
The box had fallen to the ground, and landed in a small ravine, and the parachute had been blown away. Soon though, the case opened, and the beings inside would be in for one hell of a surprise.
Peter
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"Ugh... my head. Wh... what happened? Where am I?"
I felt small specks of what felt like dust on my face. I was staring up, but instead of the sky or the roof of my home, was the roof of what looked like a cave, with tree roots all over it.
I got up and dusted myself off.
"Whoa... Pete. Looks like you really stepped in it this time. Just where in the world are you?"
I looked at what I had gotten out of, and there was 3 other people in it! Familiar folks too, including my buddy Max. But Willow and Ally? Where even are we, and why us specifically?
"Hey, guys? Guys! Wake up!" I shook Max's shoulder to get him up.
"What year is it!?" He suddenly yelled as he woke.
"Calm down Max. Its the same year as it's been. I think it's October."
Willow and Ally started to wake up too.
"Do you guys have any idea of what we're doing here?"
"No idea, Pete. And where is here anyway?"
"Can you all not be so loud? I've got a bad headache."
"Hoops is right guys. Where the hell are we?"
"Looks like something from out of ny nightmares." Willow replied.
"I was once a Boy scout. Training for it always said to get our bearings whenever in an environment like this."
Light could be seen from the edge of the cave.
"My gut tells me that we should head that way."
"I guess we'll follow you then." Ally said.
I was the one that led us out of that cave, and what was outside wasn't what we had expected. It looked like we were on another planet entirely! No grass, Judy large green stalks that seemed to be trees in this area. Giant mushrooms the size of a tree dotted around the area were here too, with small mushrooms growing underneath of them.
"Holy shit..."
"I know right? This place looks like its out of one of my books!"
"Wait, I can hear something coming!"
"What is it Willow?"
We could hear the sound of skittering growing closer and closer, until what was making that noise came out of the treeline. It was an... ant? It was just skittering around, seemingly minding its own business, chirping away. It turned to face us for a moment, but then went back to whatever it was doing.
"Oh my God... its a gi-ant!"
"Quite the clever line there Max."
"But seriously, if that's an ant, does that mean we're..." Willow was looking around as she was saying that, and when she faced a certain direction, she went silent.
"What's wrong Wi-. Woah..." Max seemed as dumbstruck as she was. The rest of us turned the direction they were facing, and we were as shocked as them. It was a house! Though it didn't seem ordinary, not at all! It was huge! Like it looked like it could pierce the clouds and continue into the sky, yet it didn't?
"Guys... I don't think we're on a new world. I think we're tiny!"
"I think my buddy's right. I mean, what else could explain this! Some kind of prank of the century or something like that?"
"I don't think that's the case. I mean, who would set this up? It would take so long to set up, it probably wouldn't be worth it!"
"Hey guys, I don't mean to interrupt you, but I think you should see this!" Ally had wandered a bit, and was motioning for us to come to her.
We had all been astonished as to what she had found, it was a baseball! Though it didn't seem normal, as it looked as if it was the size of a small building.
"A giant Chunky Chubbs baseball?" Willow asked. "Now I've seen everything. Whats next, a giant spider?"
"Don't Jinx it Willow!" I said.
Suddenly I could feel a vibration on my wrist. I held my wrist up and I noticed what looked like a watch, with two green and yellow circles on it. A SCA.B?
"Why do I have a SCA.B?"
"Hold on, I've got one too!"
"Same here!"
"How on Earth do we all have
SCA.Bs all of a sudden? I asked my mom for my birthday if I could get one but she said no! Is this related to that?"
"No, seems to just be a coincidence that happened." The SCA.B then said something in its cold robotic voice.
"SIGNAL DETECTED..."
"That thing can detect radio signals?" Max asked.
"I guess so, where do you think its coming from?"
"Maybe that white thing over there?" I pointed to a grayish white dome like thing over in the "treeline."
"Maybe it's coming from that?"
"Could be worth checking out. Should we go and look fellas?"
"Sure Willow. Might be interesting?"
Ally picked up a rock as we were walking.
"What'd you pick that up for?" I asked.
"If there's an ant, there's bound to be more. Besides, who knows what could be down here?"
"Good idea Hoops."
The weird dome thing didn't look like anything we've seen in this place so far. Seemed to be of human origin, as it was lit up with a lightbulb, and had a computer monitor in it, as well as some granola bars!
"Friggin sweat! Free food!"
I went and pointed out that there was some kind of file on the table, and I went and read it out while Ally was checking the computer and Max was grabbed the Granola.
"Spac.r safety test. Date: 08.08.09. Time: 1:54 pm. Cell volume: 0.000648524 mL. Spac.r input: 914.32 mW. Subject: a box of SCA.B devices. Location: Tully back yard. Supervising Scientist: Dr. Wendell Tully. Results: Power fluctuations are within and acceptable range. The machine itself continues to operate as expected. Weatherproofing of the platform components is holding up quite well.
The pylons, however, are a finicky trio. Maintaining the beam angles requires regular obstruction removal. The yard is simply too alive for precession instruments. Oh, Euclidean space, you fickle mistress.
Reminder: Check the Embiggening Cell diagnostic before end of day protocols."
"Embiggening cell? Spac.r? What is all this science mumbo jumbo? All this is really damn weird."
"Honestly, I'm not sure. But logic dictates that there could be more of these things around. Maybe this "Spac.r" could be nearby as well? By the way, did we gather everything?"
"Yeah, I got the food. It's good, believe me. Whoever left this stuff has good tastes." Max was munching on one of the granola bars.
"Well save the other for the rest of us. Alright?"
"Cool, cool."
We continued on the path we were on, and we encountered another object that was obviously man made, with ants trying to get into it.
"Are those Ice Cap Mints?" Max asked.
"Yeah, my older brother loves these things. Liam likes Hot Chachas candy, as do I. Seems we both have a love for spicy foods."
"I don't know about you guys, but after a ball game, I prefer Sour wormholes."
"Dudes, can not talk about the candies we like? Besides... look whats up ahead."
"What.. is that?"
We had come across some kind of platform, that seemed to be the size of a scale.
"It almost looks like a bathroom scale?"
"Certainly does look like it. It even has electronics inside it!"
"Hey Pete. I dare you to climb onto it."
"I accept the dare."
"Good luck Sunny!"
Wait, Sunny? That sounds oddly familiar.
"Where'd you get that name for me from Willow?"
"I'm not sure really. I know I heard it somewhere, just can't remember where."
I climbed onto the weird tech pad, and noticed that there was a bunch of buttons and dials. One of these buttons had been flashing, and said: Target below it.
"Guys there's a flashing button up here!"
"Probably not a good idea to press it!" Willow yelled.
"To hell with that! Press it!" Max yelled back.
Alright, why not press it. I crouched down to try and press it, but it hadn't moved.
"It won't budge!"
"Jump on it buddy!"
You know what? Fuck it, why not?
"Alright... Curiosity killed the tiny Pete..." I said as I jumped onto the button.
After jumping on the button, the three tesla coil look alike were hit with small blue beams. Not all of them though only one of them was proper. One of them was flashing, and one was blocked seemingly by a blade of grass.
"Huh, looks like this thing hooks up to those lasers. I don't think what I did worked properly though, seems this machine needs all of the lasers hitting the tesla coil to function. Mahbe we could find a way to fix them?"
When I went to jump down, i noticed something at the venter of the platform. When I approached it, I noticed that it looked like a vhs tape, but much smaller than it usually would. About the size of the a Gameboy cartridge?
"Guys, I found a tape!"
I held the tape up to show them.
"I think the SCA.Bs can play tapes like that! Try and find a place to put it in!"
I noticed a small compartment practically on the back of my SCA.B, so I opened it and put the tape in.
"I was a fool to have ever Doubted myself! A fool like Klein, like Kaminski, like Picon, like all of Ominent! I am here in the backyard. Down in the backyard. I mean I am speaking to you from the backyard! I am Tiny! I should gather my thoughts, this is a momentous occasion. Wendell Tully official log. 97.08.05. Recording as I take my first steps into the miniature world. The sights are unbelievable! The textures, the way the light falls upon every surface, the subtle patterns in all the objects that surround me. The grass! Even common lawn grass looks like a structure from an alien world! Wait... what's that sound? The very earth is trembling! Over there! what could it be... an ant! My god... today... the world has changed forever!"
The tape then when silent, and I pulled it out and placed it in my bag.
"Tully? Didn't we have a guy named that as a substitute last year?"
"I'm not sure, I don't remember stuff like that."
"Well Pete? What do we do now?"
"My guess is that we should try to fix the obstructions of those lasers. Maybe if we can fix that, we can get back to normal size?"
"Sounds like a plan! I think we need to make some tools to cut down those grass stalks. Probably some weapons to deal with any hungry insects." Willow said.
"Luckily for us, I think I know a few things for making tools from raw materials. By tools I just mean crude weapons that Neolithic tribes would have used."
"Let's get to work then!"
Chapters end.
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