Timothy Nugent Author
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Interlude - The Interview
🕑 Added 2024-12-27 00:36:55 +0000 UTCJennifer Taylor stood in the crowded field, and stared at the new world wonder in awe. A semi-transparent iridescent dome covered the walled city like a hat. It began at the top of the twenty-foot stone walls and rose hundreds of feet into the air.
The internet had named it ‘The Dome.’ A rather bland name, now that she stood before it.
It’s so beautiful.
The shimmering dome had been active for almost twenty-four hours, and had taken the world by storm. Everyone wanted to know what it was and what it could do. Streamers broadcast well into the night, boasting their conspiracies of its origin. The theories ran the gamut from aliens to something from inner space. So far, the FBI had blocked access to the phenomenon, but that would only last so long.
She regained her composure and glanced at her cameraman, who openly gawked at the sight.
Jennifer chastised herself for inadvertently missing on being at ground zero when it appeared. The FBI had notified her before the dome appeared that the criminal inside wanted to be interviewed by her. He had named her specifically in his list of demands. The agent assured her, however, that an interview would not happen. They just wanted her to be aware so she could hire security if necessary.
So NICE of them to offer their assistance.
At the time, Jennifer had no interest in interviewing some crazy criminal. The teenager and his family had kidnapped a group of police, and held them as hostages.
There was no story there, just more random violence in the world. It did not fit her brand. Nothing she could post to increase her growing fame. She had dismissed the information from her mind, as she had the death threats she received once she gained popularity. It was just the cost of doing business.
But this, this is different.
The local media had caught the moment the dome coalesced on film. The footage was surprisingly clear, even though it was recorded from a great distance. Immediately, people began to speculate about the origin of the new technology. She had immediately attempted to contact the FBI, and received silence in response.
Within hours of the dome rising, the already packed street became a circus. Twice now, the FBI and police had to move the cordoned off area further away. A horde of influencers, reporters, and interested parties had descended on the small town, and every hotel was booked. She was forced to promise favors to obtain a room for the night.
The airspace was a no-fly zone, and they now shot drones on sight.
Jennifer was no different from the others, and that was a problem. She was stuck behind the police tape like everyone else, with no special access despite the original contact.
Hopefully I can change that.
“We go live in thirty,” Bobby, her cameraman, reminded her.
At the warning, she retrieved her compact mirror out of her purse and inspected her face. With a quick motion, she checked her straight, shoulder-length, light brown hair for flyaways. The natural light forced her to try a new foundation, she preferred the LED lighting of her studio. She inspected her brow line, careful not to wrinkle the flawless skin.
Jennifer added a translucent powder to stop any shine from her high cheekbones and short nose, which curved upward at the end. She was told it made her look ‘cute’ rather than ‘hot’, but she had no desire to change it. Most women took special care with their appearance. Jennifer had never really cared overmuch, and had only done the bare minimum to be accepted by other women.
However, that changed when she began her career as a social media influencer. She was forced to ensure every hair was in place, her makeup was perfectly blended, and her mascara had not run. The internet was forever, and if she were not careful, a lapse in appearance could become the news.
And lighting was everything.
Bobby began to count down, first verbally and then with his left hand, and she quickly put the mirror away. They had already tested the microphones and other equipment necessary for live-streaming remotely, and were ready to begin.
Okay, get your game face on.
Jennifer plastered a fake smile on her face, tilted her head to the left, her best side, and threw back her shoulders.
Jaw relaxed, don’t squint, not too much teeth, tongue to roof of the mouth.
When the countdown reached zero, she was live on Selftube, Tweeter, and the other major social media websites. She held the smile for a breath and then flowed directly into her intro.
“This is Jennifer Taylor from the Taylor Report. I’m here, live, at ‘The Dome’ in the small town of Pinetop, Arizona. As you can see,” the camera shifted focus to take in the crowd of reporters, protestors, cult members, and tailgaters. “I am joined by thousands of others. It may be hard to see behind me, as we aren’t allowed any closer, but the dome rises hundreds of feet and is NOT an illusion. It was proven real when an enthusiast’s personal drone flew into it at full speed. The drone was destroyed, its remains collected, and the operator arrested.”
Jennifer took an even breath. “The people inside remain a mystery. The only thing we learned from a background search was that the suspect’s parents owned a nearby restaurant and moved here from Phoenix a few years ago. Rumors suggest that there are others inside not related to the suspect or his family, but they have not yet been substantiated.”
Okay, now tease the crazy stuff people eat up.
“There are also rumors that Blake Summers has shown ‘special abilities’, which science can not explain.” Jennifer emphasized the phrase with a sardonic voice to show just what she thought of that rumor.
“We do not yet know what he wants, or why he and his family are holding police hostages. However, I do have something unique to add to the conversation. Blake Summers wants an in-person interview with your favorite journalist, me. It was in his list of demands, and the FBI notified me of that fact BEFORE the dome went up. I am telling you now, I would love to do that interview. Unfortunately, the FBI will not allow me to approach the dome, and have not given me any special access.”
Suddenly, the surrounding crowd hushed and turned toward the dome.
Is something going on? I need to get it on camera!
Taking the queue, she changed focus and asked her cameraman. “Can you zoom in on the dome? I think something may be happening.”
Only when the camera panned from her face did she herself turn to look. Atop the stone wall, hidden behind the semi-transparent dome, was a young man wearing armor. He stood atop the merlon and scanned the gathered horde until he found what he was looking for.
Suddenly, he stepped off the fortification.
Jennifer, along with the crowd, gasped as he fell over twenty-five feet to the ground below. She expected him to break his legs and cry out, but instead, he easily absorbed the impact with his knees, and took off at a sprint towards the crowd.
How did he do that? That’s a neat trick! Oh, he’s coming this way.
“Did you get that, Bobby?” she whispered to her cameraman.
“Yep,” he replied with a huge grin.
She motioned for him to bring her into the view.
She turned to the camera and addressed her viewers. “We just witnessed something unbelievable. A person, whom I can only assume is Blake Summers, just stepped off the top of the wall and dropped over twenty feet with no visible consequences. Now, he seems to be headed this way. Will he address the crowd? Will he take more hostages?”
“No, I’m good, I have plenty,” a young male’s voice next to her interrupted her livestream and she visibly startled. “I was actually going to release them soon.”
What the hell?!
She whipped around with wide eyes, and for the first time laid eyes on the suspected murderer. Her first impression was not kind.
He could be cute if he actually groomed himself. What is with that hair? Is he going for homeless chic? Shampoo and conditioner exist, you know. And, don’t try to grow a beard if all you can manage is peach fuzz!
The teenager looked thin and younger than his reported years. He sported a mop of long, brown hair, light skin, and an unflattering cocky grin. He had a bruise on his cheek, which confused her.
I thought your whole shtick was being bullet-proof. You may want to use some concealer on that.
For some reason, something about that grin made her want to punch him in the face.
This is the guy? He looks like an annoying teenager!
Regardless, she was a professional. She recovered from her surprise almost immediately and replied evenly, “Blake Summers, I presume?”
“That’s me,” he agreed, almost chipper.
He doesn’t seem worried about the FBI or police at all! Hell! Where are they?
She noticed his eyes flick to the side momentarily, and she glanced over her shoulder. Men wearing FBI blazers were rushing their way.
So he does at least care about them.
“Would you like to interview me? Find out what’s really going on? This your camera guy?” he asked, attention divided by the approaching law enforcement officers.
“Yes and I would love to,” she began. “What I would like to…”
Suddenly, he bent low and threw her over his shoulder. He then repeated the same action with Bobby. “Sorry,” she heard. “But, they won’t let it happen out here. You’ll have to come inside the shield so we can talk in peace.”
What is he doing?!
Suddenly, the world blurred, and bile rose in her throat. She had been on rollercoasters many times in her life, but this was far worse. She desperately clung onto his armor for dear life.
This was a mistake!
She saw the ground rush past and then suddenly blur as he jumped into the air. Then, as if by magic, her ride stood upon solid stone. He jumped down a few feet, and then gently laid his passengers down onto the cold, hard surface.
Don’t throw up! Don’t throw up! If you throw up on camera, they’ll never unsee it.
“Sorry about that,” he blushed in embarrassment, but the gate takes too long to open, and I don’t want others inside. Not yet.”
What just happened?
Bobby bent over and gagged but held the small camera steady.
When Jennifer’s nausea passed, she stood to look around. When she peered through the crenelation, she gasped in surprise.
I’m inside the dome! I didn’t feel it at all!
“How?” she stammered. “How did you do that?”
What kind of tech does this kid have? How did he get a hold of it?
She suddenly realized Bobby had never stopped the stream. To her horror, she had forgotten the fact and showed her true reaction.
I hope I didn’t look too bad.
Jennifer whirled on her cameraman and asked as she composed her face, “Are we still live?”
He gave her a thumbs up.
“Oh, good,” Blake said cheerfully. “I was afraid radio waves wouldn’t work within the shield.”
Okay, get back to the interview. The kid may be weird, but people want to know what he has to say. Bring it around, back to me.
“The first thing I’d like to ask is why me? Out of all the people out there, why did you choose me to interview you?”
The teenager seemed to blush. “You seem pretty popular right now, and my brother has a crush on you.”
“Awww,” she cooed and winked at the camera. “That’s so sweet.”
“I’m actually surprised you agreed. I’d think most people would be afraid to go through the shield.”
“You didn’t exactly give me much warning. Is that what you call ‘The Dome’, ‘the shield’?” she asked.
Blake shrugged and affected an air of ease. “As good a name as any.” He then gestured with his hand, and said, “Come walk with me, I’ll give you a tour.”
Jennifer and Bobby obediently followed behind him as he descended the stone stairs of the battlement. She ensured she was in the camera’s frame at all times, angled slightly to her good side. After two flights, they reached the ground and walked along a gravel path.
Can’t have dead air. Say something Jennifer.
“What are all these buildings?” she asked, eager to fill the sudden silence.
“The tall ones are bunk houses where people will live,” he answered. “Some of the others are stuff like a blacksmith, cookhouse, tailor, and anything else we’ll need to survive the apocalypse.”
Oh, damn. He’s one of those.
“Apocalypse? Are you a member of a doomsday prepper group?” she asked with a laugh and tossed a knowing look at the camera.
Blake snorted and then smiled at Jennifer. “I never thought of it like that, but I suppose I am.”
He’s really pushing the easy-going, good guy routine hard. Just what is he hiding?
“Is that what you’re doing here? Preparing for the end times?” she asked as they walked past a small wooden structure.
The teenager nodded sadly. “You could say that.”
Okay, lead the conversation back to The Dome. Everyone wants to know about that. Get the scoop.
“No offense, but a lot of these buildings look primitive, or at least normal. They’re kind of at odds with something like The Dome,” she pointed out.
“It’s all alien technology,” he explained.
Hah! Good one. They’ll love that! A magician never shares his secrets.
“Most of these buildings are still low level.” He then pointed in the distance at one of the eight-story monstrosities. “If you see those bunkhouses, they’re level three. They look much nicer, have an elevator, air conditioning, refrigerators, and plumbing.” Blake turned with a large grin on his face, inordinately pleased. “The works.”
They’re freaking buildings! Who cares about that? You can find them anywhere.
“Right…” she trailed off. “That doesn’t sound like ‘alien technology’.”
“It is,” he assured her. “Just like the shield is. It’s all built by nanomachines. They’re what make it all possible. What makes me bulletproof, allows me to teleport, and do any other number of things.”
Uh huh. We’ll figure out how you really did it later, when we slow the tape down. Bulletproof. He actually said it. How can I use that?
“Eleven point eight and climbing,” Bobby suddenly whispered.
Almost twelve million viewers?! This is my biggest stream yet!
Jennifer did her best to hide her giddy excitement and asked another question, one of the crazier ones she had seen asked online. “You say this is all possible through alien technology, and it makes you bulletproof? Where did you get this tech? Are you in contact with extraterrestrials?”
She did not even remotely believe he was, but she had to ask. Her viewers would want to know, and the more sensational it sounded, the more the video would spread. If she had twelve million live viewers now, by tomorrow, the video on demand would easily have ten times that.
“It’s probably not what you think,” Blake replied as he walked. “There aren’t spaceships or little green men. Well, besides the goblins,” he laughed, as if that statement were somehow funny. “It’s all nanomachines. Sent to Earth by some alien artificial intelligence known as the ‘Architect’.”
What do I know about AI, besides that one movie with the robots?
As he explained, they passed a construction site. A man in jeans, flannel, and a cowboy hat leaned over the frame of a primitive building and hammered a cross brace together. Jennifer thought nothing of it until an eight-foot-long board suddenly appeared in his hands out of nowhere.
“Holy shit!” she blurted and then froze.
How did he do that? Was I meant to see this? Is that why he walked us past this man? Where’s there mirror?
Blake stopped with a frown. “Is everything okay?”
Jennifer blinked her eyes as she stared at the mundane act before her before she shook her head. “Sorry, who is this? Did he help build all of this?” she gestured toward the growing city around her.
“This is Jordan, and yes, he and a few others built this town,” Blake replied.
After the man finished hammering, he tipped his hat and said, “Ma'am,” in a deep southern accent.
What’s with all this politeness?
Suddenly, another board appeared in his hands.
She stumbled back and pointed, glad that Bobby had taken her out of frame to focus on the worker. “How did you do that?!” she demanded as she tried to discern the trick.
“He’s a constructor,” Blake answered. “He works with nanomachines to build and upgrade the town.”
More of this crap? Really? What do you think I am, five?
“But…” she stammered, pretending to be confused. “He’s using a hammer and nails. How are those nanomachines?”
There we go, that’s the tact to take. No one likes it when you’re combative.
“Well technically, a constructor isn’t necessary, unless you want to customize a building. What he does, is save us a ton of nanomachines. Without him, it would cost us a fortune to build something, and it would happen slower. And, our budget’s already tight because we had to rush the shield.”
“You keep mentioning nanomachines,” she frowned. “But I don’t see any.”
“Well, you can’t see atoms or molecules either, but they exist,” Blake replied.
Jennifer tried not to roll her eyes. “Do I need to have faith that the nanomachines exist?”
Watch out, not too snarky.
Blake cocked his head to the side, obviously confused, oblivious to her sarcasm. “Why would you need that? The interface keeps track of that for us. You’ll see once you're inducted.”
Jennifer froze.
Oh, shit. Maybe coming here was a mistake.
“Uh… I signed up for an interview, not to join your…” She almost said cult, but finished it off with, “group.”
Blake shook his head. “I’m not going to induct you. At this point, it would be a waste of resources. In two weeks, the whole world will join ‘the Collective’, and it won’t be necessary anyway.”
What does he have planned?
Jennifer frowned and asked slowly for effect, “What happens in two weeks?”
Blake turned and began to walk down the gravel pathway again. “That’s Invasion day, June 29th.” Jennifer chased after him. “The day the alien AI disables all electricity on Earth, and everyone joins the Collective. Then, three days later, monsters will begin to appear everywhere.”
That’s way too much information to unpack. I need to focus this down.
“Wait a minute!” she yelled. “Back up.”
Blake stopped and turned.
“How is it possible to disable all electricity? Wouldn’t that violate the laws of physics?”
“I assure you, on June 29th, no electricity will function, anywhere on Earth. Planes will fall from the sky, cars will crash, people will starve, and you’ll never see another thunderstorm in your life.”
How can he possibly say that with a straight face?
“So, Mister Bulletproof, you believe this doomsday will happen in two weeks?”
“I don’t believe it, I know it,” he corrected.
“How can you possibly know that?” Jennifer pressed.
What do you have planned?
“Because, I’m from the future.”
Oh, Dear Lord. He’s actually crazy. Next, he’ll tell everyone he’s ‘the chosen one’.
“Care to elaborate on that?” she laughed in an attempt to shed her sudden tension.
“From my point of view, I lived through Invasion day when I was eighteen, ten and a half years ago. I survived the Apocalypse and thrived. I and others grew stronger and more powerful, but the Architect didn’t leave us alone. It threw tougher and tougher opponents against us until humanity was all but wiped out. Then, through some accident, I, or at least my memories, were sent back in time to my eighteen-year-old body.”
Sure you were.
Jennifer smirked. “Got any stock tips for me?”
He seemed momentarily confused. “Sure, sell your stocks and buy lots of non-perishable food and probably some toilet paper. Find a defensible place, and join with friends and neighbors. Don’t leave home on the 29th.”
“Are you trying to start a panic?” Jennifer asked. “Claiming the end of the world is here?”
What do you get out of this?
Blake shook his head and turned to walk once again. “Better a panic than mass death.”
“Okay, say all this somehow happens,” she played along and moved fully into the camera frame. “Why wait all this time to tell everyone? According to Sheriff Slater, you’ve been on the run for six months now, and two months ago, you killed five cops.”
“I did not kill five cops,” Blake stated adamantly. “And, I didn’t tell people because I didn’t want the government coming after me to stop me.”
Don’t think I didn’t notice that phrasing. How many cops did you kill?
To deescalate, she focused on the second half of his answer. “Don’t you think that sounds a little paranoid?”
Blake snorted and gestured to the wall. “Really? Who do you think is on the other side of that wall?”
What do you expect when you kill and kidnap police?
“They say they are there because you killed their men,” she pointed out
“No, Sheriff Slater says that,” Blake said bitterly. “The others are here to kill me and study my body. To find out how the nanomachines work.”
Right, because you’re so special.
“You believe the government already knows about this alien threat?” Jennifer asked, careful to sound dubious rather than incredulous.
“Well, if they didn’t in the last timeline, they do now.” The armored teenager pointed into the distance. “About five miles that way is a fire tower. Inside it is a portal to another world, the Ursa planet. Think of them as big, monstrous bears. Anyway, at this very moment, it is surrounded by government vehicles, temporary structures, and a whole host of Feds. It has been for over two months.”
Sure it is. He really seems to believe this, what is he taking?
“I encourage you to drive by it and see for yourself,” he earnestly suggested.
Oh, you bet your ass I will. No way I’m passing up that much free content. Okay, now how do I get myself out of this without sounding afraid?
“So,” she laughed. “You don’t plan to hold me hostage like the others?”
Blake shook his head. “No, you can leave whenever you want. Although, I’d stay in town if I were you,” he advised. “On Invasion day, your car won’t run. At least, not without heavy modification. You need electricity to ignite the engine.”
“I have an electric vehicle,” she corrected him.
Blake shook his head and ran a hand through his long, unkempt hair.
“So, what proof do you have of your claims?” she asked. “Surely, you don’t expect people to just believe you, right?”
This is your chance. Show me some more magic tricks. Let’s get it all on film.
The teenager whirled, gave her a look of disbelief, and his voice dropped. “Seriously? After everything you’ve seen? What, you think I cooked up a force field in my garage or something? This isn’t Steelman, and I’m not some brilliant inventor. I’m a fighter, a warrior.”
Suddenly, he threw his hands up in the air, and Jennifer backed slowly away.
Woah. Someone’s got a temper. That’s not gonna play well online.
“Whatever, no one is going to believe me until it happens, no matter what I do. So, here’s what I want you to do. Go online and download the guide I created. It explains everything, in great detail. Print it out before the twenty-ninth, as you won’t be able to access it after that. Even if you don’t believe me now, print it anyway, it can’t hurt anything, right?”
Good, let’s shift focus. He’s obviously a bit unhinged.
“Where can people go to access this manifesto?” Jennifer asked, her voice steady.
“It’s not a freakin’ manifesto, for Christ’s sake!” Blake shouted, forcing Jennifer back.
Bobby stood still as stone and zoomed in on Blake’s distraught expression.
Okay, no more poking the bear. Careful or you’ll find yourself in a cell next to those poor cops.
“It’s a guide. And here,” he hurriedly rifled through his armor’s pockets until he found a small slip of paper. “Post this with the video online. It’s an address to the document, and another welcome video I posted.”
“We just passed thirty mil,” Bobby whispered.
Suddenly, her concern over his temper no longer mattered. It evaporated like the morning dew.
I’m going to be so famous!
Comments
Timothy Nugent
I read a lot, lol.
John Doe
On a completely unrelated note... As I eagerly await the the release of more chapters in this nice story, I travel over to GoodReads to satisfy my current LitRPG addiction. I figure that I have read about 15 to 20 books since Thanksgiving 2024. What boggles my mind is, 98% of the stories that I find there have notes/reviews by author Timothy Nugent! How the frack can anyone other than a retired old guy like me find time to read/review so many dang books?!? I swear, it feels like someone is stalking me through a Library when I find his name/review on dang near every book that I find on GoodReads! :-) Go Figure!?!? *snark*
Josh
I love how this played out, this is how everyone would react, people are people after all
Bakerbob
How much you bet that if the bulletproof, teleporting superman summons an alien as proof, FBI will shoot twice as much. And at the new alien trying to tell them they're all F***ed
The_Hedger01
Blake did as expected, but don’t like the reporter much. She is as expected though, well written and entertaining
Laura Pilkington
blake did terribly, as he should 😅 good job.
Michael Mitchell
Think this phrase "Taking the queue, she changed focus" - it should be cue in this context
Undead Writer
Thanks for the chapter! I NEED SO MUCH MORE!!
Uhhh
I feel like Blake could have better explained everything. He did it in such a disorganized and unsympathetic way
Jamison Schneider
Also an actual alien he can summon at no cost besides slightly annoying him, seems like he forgot about that 🤣 it would be nice if his summon could recommend a replacement of the same race to serve as a familiar or something, got to be someone who's willing to take some risks for nano
Jamison Schneider
I feel like "it's not a manifesto!" will become his catch phrase for the next two weeks
David Ford
Solid chapter, I’m glad we seem to be building towards the climax now.
Raymond Mouton
Thanks for the chapter.
L Pedersen
I honestly think you made the influencer too cynical. Other than that, loved it! Feels like we're fast approaching D-day
Bakerbob
Of course Blake is unhinged, he's trying to save people and the only proof he has is a force field, magic powers and tales of apocalypse. The nutters, preppers, conspiracy theorists will eat it all up. The rest will do as people do and sit back and watch the next episode of the real housewife, forget it tomorrow and be dead on the 29th
Lance Wheeler
Famous for 2 weeks
