Go Ask CERN

a short story in parts I'm working on.

I

Among the exterminators Grimes was the best, the top. But the sight of him staring down the rabbit hole left most onlookers in a bit of doubt. Grimes was tall yet hunched in his back such as to give the impression that he was shorter. His clothing all seemed on the short side. Not just high-waters but his shirts also appeared as if shrunk up in the dryer. On his head was a ball cap of such age that the logo on the front could not be distinguished at all. The skin on his face was dull white just like so-called rabbit he had been called in to find and, well, exterminate.

Now, looking down this rabbit hole Grimes scratched at the hair beneath his ball cap. Quite a bit down you see, the earthen sides changed. Just beyond his penlights ray, if his mind was not scattered, the walls shone of metal. Or some kind of metallic thing with wires, and the most foreign looking buttons. Is this some sort of trap? Grimes thought to himself. But to what purpose? I better have a closer look, but not too close yet mind you. Something was certainly queer about the whole situation and Grimes knew that he had better move with caution, especially after all the bizarre tales that had brought him to this place.


II

As Lacie watched from behind the hedgerow she could see Grimes was looking perplexed. At only 19 years old, and with looks that most would refer to as homely she thought it best to stay in the background. So many strange things had occurred here in this small country town, and some horrific at that. She along with everyone else was understandably nervous. Lacie pulled at her long pigtails wondering if Grimes knew that the real danger was not the rabbit that went down the hole, but the awful things that have been seen coming out of the hole at night. Ungodly creatures which must be to blame for all the mayhem taking place here. And the sounds, those awful noises coming from that pit. Well if Grimes was not careful he would soon find out about all that and more, she thought to herself.


Meanwhile, 20 miles from the South Pole in an underground bunker. Two men dressed in the finest of Nazi attire are talking.
"Sir, there appears to be a problem over in England."
"And what sort of problem might that be General, that has caused you to disturbed my sleep?"
"Sir, my Swiss contact is reporting that the White Rabbit is causing quite the storm in a small town there."
"This certainly is something of a problem now isn't it?"
"Sir, yes Sir it is, some who are in the know are saying that 'the storm has begun'."
"Well I think you should get going then, you have a long journey and a lot of work ahead of you General. And General, I expect to hear a good report from you within the next forty-eight hours."
"Yes Sir, I understand"


III

The next thing Grimes knew he was knocked over on his back. Lacie, still hiding, let out a cry. If not for the event before them Grimes surely would have heard it. Some sort of energy beam, Grimes thought to himself? But that thought did not last long, for as soon as he as got himself to the sitting position bright lights began shooting upward out of the rabbit hole. So bright that they had a buzzing sound around them. They shot straight up at first and then kind of gathered in the sky. Red and green and blue, they began to swirl and swirl at an intense speed until at once they combined and shot right out of sight into space. 
Lacie now composed herself took the opportunity to quickly head back home. Laying on her soft bed she thought hard about what she had just seen. The only thing she could compare it to was stories that she had been told by an uncle of something called the "Norway Spiral". Exhausted from the experience Lacie slowly drifted off to sleep.


At first the General was puzzled, "what was that sound?" he thought. So deep in the ocean things tend to worry one more than they would on the surface. Was that a "clink", he thought to himself. He gave the all quite command. Listening, straining to hear any abnormality. There it was, not a "clink" but more of a "buzzing". And now getting steadily louder. The whole submarine began to shake, and strange colors filled the air inside. No time for even a last breath as the vibration intensified into a grand explosion as every piece of the debris shot straight up out of the ocean and continued skyward until completely out of sight. Of course there was no one there to see all this, or was there?


IV

As the sleep began to fall from Lacie's eyes and the blurry room became more focused she became frozen in her bed. Looking down on her was what seemed to be a hundred pair of eyes. Just eyes floating in the air above her. They moved as if they were attached to faces and bodies, but none of that was there. Or at least if it was it was not visible.Her head became light and Lacie felt as if she would vomit at any moment. Then a strange sound, that buzzing sound and it was growing. She closed her eyes and tried to think about before all this craziness began. She was just fifteen when she first saw the White Rabbit. And at that time nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "But that soon changed didn't it", she thought to herself. "No, don't think like that", she pleaded with herself, "Think of times before that". Then the room began to spin...


V

Acts 2:19
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

One lone ray sunlight of could be seen lighting upon Lacie's face. Just a small crack in the curtain was enough to let it through. And now it's warmth brought comfort to Lacie, though she still dare not open her eyes just yet. Pushing the worst thoughts of last night from her mind she focused back on Grimes. Such a peculiar fellow he was. But something about him seemed to catch this young girls fancy. As if there was any way Grimes could be her knight in shining armor, her hero. "Maybe just a bit more sleep.", she thought to herself drifting slowly off again.


Back at the bunker under the ice:

"Sir, reports are that it was a complete loss, no survivors"
"Very Well then Captain, I shall give the Leader your report. But you are aware he will not be very happy about this"
"Yes, I know. May God have mercy on us all"
"God?, Did you say God? You know that you can be executed for speaking such words."
"Yes, I mean no sir, I did not say, I did not mean to say or.."
"Relax, just make sure it does not happen again. Now go and prepare your men for their inevitable task".


"You get what you need."
The Rolling Stones


VI


"Carrots are divine, get a dozen for a dime, it's magic"
                                                    Bugs Bunny



"Not much of a rabbit are you?"
"Well actually I prefer to be referred to as a Hare" The White Rabbit said. "And what may I ask are you supposed to be? Colonel Sanders from KFC?"
"You just mind yourself there Rabbit, the Leader himself placed me here to make sure there are no problems, and I surely would not mind telling him that you are a problem running around acting the fool like Bugs Bunny."
"Just get back up there and keep an eye on the girl, and no more funny stuff"
"Yeah, yeah , yeah" the White Rabbit said as he headed up the hole.
And as the Rabbit disappeared above a kaleidoscope of sharp colors feel down hitting the floor of the control room. Lights flashed and the others there scrambled to avoid being injured.
"The leader will hear about this" could be heard softly in the background


Grimes shook his head a few more times before trying to stand. "What on earth was that?" He thought to himself.  "Did that really happen?  Did I really just see that?" After another minute or so he
was able to compose himself and get to a standing position. He circled the hole in the ground over and over before walking slowly to his truck. Looking at the small old pickup truck and the fading paint with the dents and dings from years of service all he could do was think of that famous line from the movie "Jaws", "we're gonna need a bigger boat".  And quietly to himself said, "I'm gonna need a bigger truck", knowing that a bigger truck would be of no help in a situation of this sort. Perhaps a faster truck to get far, far away. 
He slid into the drivers seat started the engine with the usual grinding sound and put the old truck in drive for the ride back to his shop/home. A bit of rest and thought on the matter before coming back tomorrow would surely do the trick. No little White Rabbit was going to get the best of Grimes the best exterminator in the whole area. "Yes" he mumbled in the cab, "maybe a bit of tea also to calm these nerves, and I'll be back for him in the morning" 


VII


Lacie carefully set the bowl of soup on the table. Her grandfather smiled. Jack used to be so strong and active, but that was along time ago now. These days he mostly sits by the window watching the outside world go by. Lacie loves Jack and always loves to hear his stories about his secret life working for the resistance. She really is not sure if they are true stories or maybe exaggerated for a special granddaughter, non the less she could listen for days to his tales. "Papa, something strange is going on here lately" Lacie spoke. "Something more than strange actually, something evil"

"Now, Now Lacie, don't let your imagination get the best of you" Jack replied.

  "No really Papa, it has to do with the rabbit hole and that exterminator Grimes who came to take care of the problem."

"What is all this talk about a rabbit hole and rabbit exterminators" 
Jack sort of grunted between sips of his soup . "You don't call the exterminator for a rabbit, I've never heard such non.." Suddenly Jack's face froze. He put his spoon down and turned toward Lacie. "Lacie listen carefully to Papa, this would not possibly have to do with The White Rabbit would it?"

  "You have heard of The White Rabbit Papa?" Lacie said.



At that instant Jack's body twitched and his knees jerked knocking the soup bowl to the floor and spilling it everywhere. "Darn, what a klutz" Jack shouted. 

  "No papa that was my fault putting it so close to the edge of the table and then getting you all excited about silly myths of rabbits." Lacie said, as she quickly began the clean up process.

Jack settled down a bit and thought back to his final days working for the resistance. Those bitter cold days under all that ice. He reached down into his pocket and rubbed the pocket watch within, thinking, "The time has come I guess, indeed I knew it would".  


VIII


"He might be a smart scientist, but in operational terms, he's a Kramer"
https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/23/2372585_re-fw-ct-fw-
france-arrested-aqim-guy-worked-at-cern-.html


Three hours sleep was not too bad considering what Grimes had experienced the day before. But now things would be different. Grimes was loading up everything in his arsenal. Everything he could get in that old truck was being loaded. That rabbit didn't stand a chance against the best exterminator around and that exterminator was Grimes.
Lacie made her way closer to the rabbit hole. She wanted to get a quick look this morning before anyone else happened by. "Everything looks normal" she thought to herself. There was no sign of anyone around as she made the corner past the hedgerow. Just then she heard it. A low rumbling, or was it a buzzing sound growing louder. Lacie ducked back behind the bushes just as the old truck came to a halt by the rabbit hole. "Oh, thank God, it is just Grimes," Lacie said to herself.
And then she sat down to watch Grimes work from her hiding spot.
With Lacie gone Jack made his way out to the old barn. Half crumbling not to many ventured in it these days. As he made his way up the last rung of the ladder to the loft Jack could see the old chest was still right where he had left it. Ducking his head past a beam he moved closer and as he did he began to get lightheaded. Then the sound began, a buzzing he saw what looked like an animal run by to his left at lightning speed. A White streak in his vision. Jack went to spin toward the apparition and as he did the buzzing increased and seemed to be focused on his chest. He reached toward his heart, screamed as he fell out of the loft to the hard ground below. And that was all.
"Fingerprint File" by the Rolling Stones
Fingerprint file, you get me down
You keep me running
Know my way around. Yes, you do, child
Fingerprint file, you bring me down
Keep me running
You keep me on the ground
Know my moves
Way ahead of time
Listening to me
On your satellite
Feeling followed
Feeling tagged
Crossing water
Trying to wipe my tracks
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
You better watch out
On your telephone
Wrong number
They know you ain't home
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
Who's the man on the corner; that corner over there
I don't know. Well, you better lay low. Watch out
Keep on the look out
Electric eyes
Rats on the sell out
Who gonna testify
You know my habits
Way a head of time
Listening to me
On your satellite
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
It gets me down
Hello, baby, mm-hmm
Ah, yeah, you know we ain't, we ain't talkin' alone
Who's listening? But I don't really know
But you better tell the SIS to keep out of sight
'Cause I know they takin' pictures on the ultraviolet light
Yes, uh huh, yeah, but these days it's all secrecy; no privacy
Shoot first, that' s right... you know
Bye bye. Who's listening?
Right now somebody is listening to you
Keeping their eyes peeled on you
Mmm, mmm, what a price, what a price to pay
All right. Good night, sleep tight



IX

At the bunker the leader sits pondering his next move. On the wall above his desk is the sign that says "The Snow Den" Everyone thought it so fitting at the time.
"Sir we have been given an important weather alert".
"Weather alert?, what do you mean? You know as well as I that we control..oh ok let me see."
"What is this, we do not get tornadoes here and besides we are so deep in the bunker, get me...Jack?
Suddenly from above the buzzing and instantly a tornado crashed through the bunker. The sound was deafening and the winds horrific. From the outside if they could have seen it, a whirlwind kaleidoscope of massive proportions dropped straight down upon them. Drilling down to their bunker in seconds, everything and everyone was completely destroyed in a moment. And just as quickly as it came the "thing" shot straight back up into the sky until it disappeared from sight.


"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread"
Jokerman by Bob Dylan