No giantess action in this one, but it is pretty important to the plot. The growth will be back with a vengeance next week, though, when we revisit a previous victim of the water... XD
For now, enjoy, and as always, thanks for being fans.
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Parking out front, she checked her phone. While it still had no signal, it was picking up the WiFi from Lobo's, although as usual it was secured. "Perfect," she said aloud. Stepping out of the car, she walked briskly through the front doors and up to the counter.
"Can I help you?" asked a bored-looking young man behind the counter.
"I need today's WiFi password," she replied. "My phone doesn't have a signal and I really need to check something."
"Sorry, ma'am, the password is for customers only."
A flash of annoyance crossed her face. "What? You guys always give me the password when I come in here."
"Well, do you always buy something when you come here?" he answered flatly.
Sighing, she realized she could probably use a cup of coffee. After ordering a cappucino, the clerk gave her today's password ("0pens3same," proving that some people would always be tacky) and she connected to their network. After a few frustrating minutes, she returned to the counter.
"What gives? It says I'm connected to your network, but I can't get on the internet."
"Oh, right." The clerk's bored expression didn't change. "Our internet is down. Has been since we opened up this morning. Phones are out too."
"You could've mentioned that before I ordered," she muttered, glaring at him.
"You didn't ask. Sorry."
Thinking very dark thoughts about the cashier, Carla snatched the cup containing the rest of her coffee and left the shop in a huff. After her ire passed, she realized that the internet and phones being down at the cafe added to her worries. She spent the next little while driving around aimlessly downtown, watching her phone for a signal or any WiFi, but the result was always the same--she had no bars anywhere she went, and the few open networks she encountered wouldn't connect to the internet. On a whim, she rode by her office, thinking she might try it there, but she found a note taped to the door that informed her and any patients that Dr. Matthews had an emergency come up and wouldn't be in today. She felt a brief flash of annoyance that he hadn't called her, but immediately realized that he couldn't have. On her drive, she did spot a few of the National Guard trucks here and there, along with a vehicle that looked like an APC bearing the Talbot-Lucian logo, and the cold dread building in the pit of her stomach intensified.
Ultimately deciding her search was fruitless, she drove back to her house, fear gnawing at her. She entered to find Will in the kitchen, a pot of coffee brewing on the counter and bacon sizzling in a skillet. He turned to face her, a puzzled look on his face.
"Didn't expect you to be back so soon," he said. His features quickly shifted into a concerned frown. "Are you okay, hon? You look upset."
While he cooked breakfast, she gave him a brief rundown of the morning's events, including spotting the Talbot-Lucian man directing the soldiers and her growing suspicion about the phone and internet outage. When she was finished, he frowned skeptically at her.
“So let me get this straight. You think that the chemical company is deliberately putting the whole town under some kind of quarantine without telling anyone, and they've engineered some kind of—what, a communications blackout?--to keep anyone here from telling the rest of the world what's happening. Do you know how tinfoil-hat crazy this sounds?”
“Well how do YOU explain it?” she snarled.
“Well, if we are under quarantine, I'm sure it's because they know more about the chemical that went into the lake than you do,” he replied. “They might not be giving people all the information because they don't want to cause a panic.”
“And the complete and total outage of phone and internet service all across town?”
“Look, you know as well as I do that LoopCom provides pretty much all of that stuff. If they're having some kind of computer problem or something, it could kill the entire network. I know, I know,” he said, holding up his hands defensively, “it may not be the most likely thing ever, but don't you think it's more plausible than Talbot-Lucian going all Big Brother on an entire town?”
Carla's resolve wavered.
Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm being paranoid. A moment later, inspiration struck. “I know! I'll go over to LoopCom's main office! I can see what the problem is. And maybe they'll have some kind of backup system I can use to contact my chemist friend!”
Will stared at her, his expression unreadable. “You're really determined to get to the bottom of this, aren't you?”
“It's important. I have a right to know what's really going on here, and so does everyone else.” She whirled around and walked toward the front door. “Love you,” she called over her shoulder. As she neared the exit, she heard a strange sound from behind her, a sort of soft pop, and felt a sharp sting in the back of her neck. Gingerly, she reached her hand back and felt a small, sharp, hard object embedded in her skin. She pulled, and it came free; she brought her hand back around and stared at a small dart, its tip stained red, as her vision began to waver. Confused, she turned around sluggishly, feeling a wave of dizziness passing over her. Will stood in the kitchen doorway, pointing something that looked like a gun at her. His eyes were watery and sadness was etched into his features.
“I'm so sorry,” he said, lowering the weapon and stepping toward her. “I didn't want to do that, but you just wouldn't leave it alone.”
“Will...what th' fuck....?” she groaned, feeling her legs weakening. Blackness was beginning to creep in at the edges of her vision. She turned away from him, trying to leave, but her steps were stumbling and confused, her consciousness rapidly leaving her. She felt a familiar pair of arms catch her and ease her down as she slumped bonelessly; she would have hit the floor, but he supported her and carried her for a few seconds, then laid her down on something soft.
She heard him say “I really am sorry, honey. I didn't want it to come to this.” He walked a few steps away from her, his form becoming an indistinct silhouette in the growing darkness. He began speaking as if he were on a cellphone. “It's me. I'm going to have to bring her in.” A pause. “No, I don't need a containment unit. She's not...” Whatever else he said faded as she passed out.