//------------------------------// // Subject Log 1 - SUS (Sudden Unicorn Sighting) // Story: Lab Horse // by TheMajorTechie //------------------------------// Nine years ago... "Professor," A man spoke as he slid open the door, "we've received notice of a strange being spotted in a local neighborhood." Professor Delmar, a middle-aged man of relatively tall stature, didn't respond. His body was draped over his desk, a cold cup of coffee sitting near the glowing monitors. On said monitors were various graphs and charts, updating every three seconds. It was monitoring their current project; the levitation of small objects using minimal force. Levitation has been done before. In fact, quite a few times, even by amatuers. In principle, the most basic form of levitation is simply the repelling forces of two magnets within a restricted area, allowing the upper magnet to "float" without falling out of range. Though in this case, the magnets were instead being used to create waves of ultrasound, which had been proven prior to have the strength to carry small objects. "Delmar. Wake up." The professor groaned as he lifted his head from the desk, a small imprint of his sleeve criss-crossing his face. "What?" Delmar grumbled, taking a sip of his coffee. It had been a long night for him, and he wasn't amused by the rude awakening. "Like I said," the man continued, "we've been notified of a strange being within the city." Delmar rolled his eyes, exhaling loudly before standing up. He silently brushed past the man in the doorway, heading for the communications room. "So it's true?" "Yes." The professor didn't make eye contact with the Communications Manager. He was too busy searching the papers for signs of a mistake. "No, it can't be..." "Well, it is, so suck it up, old man." The papers in the professor's hands all pointed to the same thing: an animal that's visibly similar to equines, but appeared to have unmatched powers in the quantum field. Namely, there had been signs of it levitating objects, teleporting, and even on rare occasions, creating shimmering barriers of solidified light. Basically, Delmar thought, it's living proof of the quantum theory. "Take me there." Delmar finally said, startling the Comm. Manager. "I can't," the other man replied, "I'm just the guy who passes along information. You'll have to find it yourself." The professor turned without a word, and left the room. "Professor?" Professor Delmar drowsily gazed out the window of the bus. He hadn't eaten breakfast yet, and on top of that, he left his coffee back in his office. The most he could do at the current moment was to stay alert, taking into account that the creature that the papers talked of seemed to have the capability to run long distances, as well. "Arriving at Bus Stop 23-A. All passengers leaving at the moment, please remain in line as the doors open." That was his stop. Delmar stood up, waiting with the few other people for the bus to park before opening its doors. After stepping out, Delmar took a quick glance about his surroundings, hoping that he had found the correct place. A dim flash of light caught his eye. Turning, he saw nothing but an empty stretch of sidewalk. A rock flew past his face, startling him as he ducked out of the way. "Who's there?!" he shouted, pulling out a handgun. He may have been a scientist, but it didn't mean that he wasn't allowed to have a concealed weapons permit. The snap of a twig caused him to twirl around, sending bullets shredding into the unkempt grass that blanketed the derelict buildings. The few people that had also come out of the bus stared, but never said a word as they quickly shuffled away from the seemingly deranged man. Delmar, after seeing that he hit nothing but the grass, turned back, only to face what appeared to be a small, teal unicorn. The unicorn stuck its tongue out, blowing a raspberry before disappearing in a blinding flash of light. "WAIT!" Delmar shouted, spinning around once more to try and spot the unicorn, "WAIT!" It was gone. The professor sighed, pulling his phone out. As he keyed in the password, he felt a warm breath blow down his spine. He froze at the sensation, knowing that the unicorn was likely perched on the fence post behind him. reaching down with his free hand, Delmar quickly pulled out a small taser, and stunned the unicorn. "GOTCHA!" "And that's why you're here now. You've been a bad little filly, and we caught you after you harassed one of their top scientists." The filly did nothing but stare. Stare, with its large, puppy-like eyes... likely into the soul of the animal catcher. "Aw, what am I doing? I'm talking to a freakin' unicorn, here. I'm probably losing it..." The man said to himself as he shut the trunk of the van. The filly, though quite young, and unable to talk due to age, was able to pick up magical abilities at an amazing pace, copying her parents throughout her early years. She charged her horn, ready to simply teleport out the van. She couldn't. In confusion, the filly looked about. She was still in the steel-wire kennel that she was put in, and combined with the Faraday Cage-like effect of the van's body, she was unable to pinpoint a location to teleport to. She was trapped, and would likely be so for the rest of her life. "Hey Rob," she heard coming from the front of the van, "what do you think they'll do with the unicorn?" "Probably dissect it or something. Professor Delmar said that he saw the thing teleport with his own eyes." ...Yeah, let's just say that the only reason why I'm here now is that I was being a clumsy, cheeky little filly after traversing realities.