Times Change

by redandready45

The Fifth State of Matter

"Dennis," said Stirling, as she pushed on the barn door which was being blocked Dennis' body ," we need to-,"

"Talk, sure," said Dennis. He impulsively pushed the door closed, and locked it. He felt relieved until he remembered who he slammed the door on.

"Dennis," screamed Stirling, which was only punctuated by her ," how dare you slam the door! What the hell is going on in there?!"

"Nothing," said Dennis, as he searched around the barn for something to cover up the bony objecting now protruding from Crystal's mane. He looked around for a rag, a sheet or anything to cover up this unusual fact. His searching grew more frantic with each pounding of the door. He guessed she was about fifteen seconds from breaking the barn door in. He looked up, to his relief, found an old top hat from a Costume party, behind the stable. It was old and ratty, but it looked tall enough to cover up the horn on her head. He placed it on her head, only for Crystal to whinny and shake the hat off. "Crystal," Dennis whispered tensely, picking the hat off the ground, "keep it on, you can't let her see you like this."

"Okay," said Stirling, "I'm about to bust down this door in ten.." Dennis ran toward the boxes looking for something useful. He pulled out the boxes around the barn, trying to find something to keep the hat on. "Nine," he looked an examined a rock, 'no too light,' he thought to himself, 'Eight', he looked toward the walls ,' seven,' he continued to run around, looking for something that would would force Crystal's hat on. 'Seven' he flipped the the last of the wooden crates open, finally finding rope he could use. 'Six,' he came toward Crystal with straps from an old rein and that accursed hat, the one that had made him the laughing stock of many a costume party. 'Five,' he ran toward to the barn door.

"Hey," said Dennis, wildly opening a door, and exaggerating his voice ,"what's happening? You looking good."

"Dennis," Stirling asserted, moving into the entrance while Dennis wisely backed away from her ,"You DON'T. EVER. SLAM THE DOOR. What is going on in..." she stopped walking into him when she noticed the pony wearing the top hat, and looked like she was trying to shake it off, with a nicker to punctuate the sound. She paused.

"Ta-da," muttered Dennis with a voice of deception rather than bravado ," I just wanted to surprised you. I think she looked adorable in that hat," Dennis' eyes darted back and forth. "I figured she would look adorable."

"I thought you hated the idea of dressing animals up," remarked Stirling. "That's why you hate those pet shows, because they degrade animals, you made a whole speech about it, a speech that made me..." Stirling's cheeks blushed, " respect you."

"Well, I thought it would look a little cute."

"What is this, Abraham Lincolt," joked Stirling.

"No," said Dennis," that's her male counterpart, this is," he paused ,"Mare-y Todd Lincolt," the word sounding like it had a question mark at the end.

A pause held for a minute, with the only noise being Crystal's nickering Dennis hoping his excuse would hold up. What happened next was something he couldn't really bargain for. It started with a grin, but than a chuckle, and finally it delved into uncontrollable laughter. Dennis realized he did what few actually managed. He told a joke that while under normal circumstances would be a bad pun, in a tension filled moment, can help cool a fire. This scenario made peace, helped stop conflict, and Dennis inadvertently just saved himself from barricading a female cop.

"O-okay," said Stirling, still giggling ,"I'll accept that." She stopped and broke into a wide smile. "It was pretty funny, and Crystal does look kind of cute," she looked toward the pony still shaking her head, trying to get rid of the annoying cute hat. "We still need to talk," finished Stirling, going from cheerful to professional with that sentence.

"Okay," said Dennis."I'll talk. I got nothing to hide."

"Okay," said Stirling. "I need more info on Lyra and Bonnie."

"I told you-,"

"I know what you told me. My guess the crook has been to some kind of hotel. I also going to visit other parts of Saratoga County, starting with John's place. But I need anything you can get me. Addresses, Vehicle Registrations, License Plate numbers, anything that will get me those two girls," said Stirling with a strong conviction.

"Okay," he said with resignation, "I'll show you the board I keep, which keeps track of all the people who have checked in, I promise you these two have been my only guests in that last few days. And I have had ads up for this place since April, just come with me into the house," the began marching to the backdoor of the barn when Stirling again began taking another glance at Crystal's mane.

"Still couldn't get the dye out of her mane I see," Dennis looked toward her mane, and saw some on the bottom that he didn't see before. He stopped for a minute," at least you got most of it."

"Yeah," he said, still frozen, until Stirling stared at him.

-

"Okay," said McCarty. He and several agents, included Dr. Hoshansen, sat around at rectangular, white table in the middle of a blue rented ballroom in downtown Saratoga Springs. The ballroom was known for hosting conventions and Bar Mitzvahs in the past, but rarely an FBI investigation. Thankfully the hotel could provide adequate security, so that nothing could come in, and more importantly, no information could ever leak out. Six agents sat at the long ends of the table, three on each sides, looking similar in their dark suits. On one end was Agent McCarty, who was currently standing and leaning whose jacket he finally removed from the heat, revealing tanned hairy forearms, and whose left knee was leaning on the table since he stood up. On the other side of the table was Dr Hoshansen, who was still fiddling with the build together scanner.

"As you all know," he addressed the crowd around him, taking his knee off the table, and sitting in the chair. "None of this information is too leave. As far as the Sheriff's Office knows, we are still looking for the thief."

"But we are, aren't we," asked Hoshasen, who lifted his head out of the proto-Scanner, which was still on the table. The other agents stayed silent, or even glanced in his direction, something which unnerved him.

"Yes," said McCarty rising from the chair and walking over to Hoshansen,"but old man Kefauver says there is a link between what the news called "fireworks," and that missing Scanner, and you claimed.

"Well yes," said Hoshansen, "As I've said, I found that the" he paused ,"radiation all over the warehouse and on the guards. Truth is I can't even call it radiation anymore."

"Well what is it," asked one of the FBI agents.

"I don't know. This back up scanner," he held up the device, "picked it up and detected it like it was radiation this stuff floats off in waves like it was radiation, I even found it doesn't pass through lead." He paused. "But this stuff doesn't have a specific purpose or state. The green stuff I found in Tonawanda wasn't anything like radiation at a subatomic level, and when I examined it, it seemed to have more of the property of brainwaves than actual radiation."

"But how did you pick up on what this stuff was in the sky over Lake George." asked another agent.

"Well," continued Hoshansen, "It was found on the same wavelength as the green stuff, and the scientists at Dasher Pinow are still trying to determine what it was. Anyways, we the Scanner, it bugs in and out, large traces of this stuff all around Saratoga Springs, which isn't too far from Lake George."

"I still don't understand," asked the same agent ,"why aren't we in the Buffalo Area, investigating there."

"What's your name, sir ," asked McCarty, interrupting the dialogue between .

"Michaels," said the agent, "Howard Michaels."

"Well Michael," McCarty said, taking on a more childish form, "did you read the forms before you came in."

"Uh," said Michael, "I assumed we'd be discussing this in the meeting so-," he paused as McCarty came up to him.

"Don't. Assume," the advice coming out like a rushing river. "Assuming things is always a very a bad idea. Like assuming that there are few bad guys surrounding a crack house when there are MANY. Or assuming that there drugs in that house when in reality there is a fat old lady in a bathtub you just barged into," the other agents chuckled. "The point is, don't assume. Always get the facts." He looked toward the door. "All the agents here read the files, mostly because we want as much confidentiality- and thus as little talking as possible. So go outside and get the facts, and don't assume you read them, when in reality you scratched yourself." The agent grabbed his file and walked out of the rented ballroom, embarrassed and trying to ignore the looks and laughs he was getting from his agents.

He walked outside the ballroom, and sat at a chair near the big doors, and began pulling out the file. The file had a sash written "CLASSIFIED" in bold, red, print. He pulled it out and began to read.

"Report By Agent James Kefauver Dated July 6th, 1999"

At 11:00 p.m. on July 4th, 1999, Ryan Guinness, 22 years old, was beginning his shift at Ploz High Security Warehouse, on Erie Avenue in North Tonawanda, NY, when he found his all his colleagues unconscious due to injury. At 11:02 p.m. he dialed 911, where the workers were rushed in the next day. Due to damage done to the video cameras, not one person suspect has been found on the case. According to an inventory, the only object stolen was a Dasher Pinow Spectral Scanner, which was designed for the purpose of allowing astronauts to observe radiation while performing a spacewalk.

The reason for the theft is as of this writing unknown. However, at the time of the theft, an unusual light had appeared over the skies of Lake George. What was originally thought to have been fireworks- ones that had been detonated in a defiance of an ordinance that had banned fireworks that day in Lake George, was then thought to have been an aurora. However signs showed that it was not an aurora, but instead an unusual radiation like pattern. It's purpose still unknown due to the fact that normal devices by NASA could not study it. It was found however, through the use of a backup scanner that had less power, that a similar substance was found throughout the warehouse. Through study, and through the testimony of all the guards who were present, it appears this substance, which did not fit any of the credentials for an element on the periodic table or even a state of matter, it shall be classified as the Fifth State.of Matter, had somehow influenced their minds since it carried certain wave length patterns. All guards had been present with injuries, as the evidence listed testified...but not one of them has been proven to actually have solely responsible in the theft, but remain under FBI observation.

Through a special GPS security device on the Spectral Scanner, we traced it through to the Montezuma NWR, before it was cut off on July 5th, at 5:25 p.m. At 6 p.m. United States Fish and Wildlife Service Agent Sheryl Bates discovered a vehicle partially submerged in Cayuga Lake. At 6:43. the vehicle had been extracted by a salvage team. The vehicle was a 1995 Chrysler Neon, it's license plate was found to be X4545, which matched a vehicle that had been reported stolen in North Tonawanda on July 4th, at 3:30 p.m. This Fifth State had also been found in this car, which matched the substance found in the warehouse, but the Scanner was still not found. Also a 1993 Black Chevrolet K5 Blazer had been reported stolen from the NWR around 5:30 p.m., license plate GHL-9934

Due to the detected presence of Fifth State all around Saratoga County, the same substance that had created an aurora like effect, it is believe that thief shall appear in Saratoga County over the next few days.

As of this writing, the identity of thief is unknown.

Motive: Unknown, but theorized to have something to do with Fifth State

Location of the original scanner: Unknown

Purpose of the Fifth State in Saratoga County:Unknown

Michaels finished reading the article, but still ideas continued to run through his head. He gently tapped his forehead with the file, and said "Jesus."
-

"Anyways," McCarty said, once again standing up until he heard the door open again into the ballroom where a sweaty Agent Michaels came in, with the file in hand.

"So Mr. Agent Michaels decided reading was a good idea after all," gestured McCarty, how wonderful. "If he read the article it means he is done assuming right?" The other agents started to chuckle.

"Anyways," said McCarty ,"Dr. Hoshasen has just picked up another signal of the green stuff-was is it Michael's?" he interjected and looked toward Michaels.

"Fifth State."

"Is that your assumption or do you know-."

"Yes," replied a frustrated Andrews, "Yes, I read it."

"Okay," said McCarty, grinning as he noticed Agent Michael's look of exasperation, "Dr. Hoshasen with his old scanner has detected a small signal of green Fifth State near-," he looked at Hoshasen, silently asking him for the answer.

"Oh," said Hoshasen, finally catching on ,"we again found a new signal of the Green Fifth State near...he paused, in Montgomery County."

"So Old Man Kefauver had the right idea," muttered McCarty under his breath, in a somewhat annoyed tone," I want you," looking toward the agent to his immediate right," to contact the Sheriff's Office, tell him to get any available officers to set up a roadblock, through all the roads in and out of Montgomery County. Don't tell him much, just tell him the vehicle name and license plate number. Have any agents ready to abduct his person. He's our guy, and not the county's." He stopped when he again heard the door open, revealing a fat guy and a thin guy both in matching black uniforms.

"Well, well, well," said McCarty, "if it isn't Dasher and Pinow, aka Chubbs and Skinny." He chuckled in a forced way. Carl and Larry also chuckled, because they weren't above jokes like that in college, but something about McCarty made them seem weary and thsi forced them to chuckle. "What's the news?"

"Well," said Carl, "we came by to see if you needed anything."

"Also," said Larry, "we want to know where Hoshasen has detected Fifth State, as Kefauver has called it."

"Well," said Hoshasen he began looking at the scanner ,"I've really," he paused, "what the hell?" Everyone paused, confused as to his reaction.

"Herman," asked Carl.

"What's going on."

"I'm detecting some blue energy in Saratoga Springs," said Dr. Hoshansen, taking his eyes out of the scanner, "and if this scanner is correct, it appears to be another form of Fifth State."

"What," asked McCarty. "Plug that thing into the monitor, I want to see for myself." Hoshansen plugged the proto-Scanner into television set in the ballroom. On the screen was a map of Saratoga County. By combining the scanner with the television, they were able to detect waves the fuchsia and mint green Fifth State all around Saratoga County. But northeast of Saratoga Springs, over a largely green area, their appeared to be a blue hue mixing in with large amounts of mint green and fuchsia.

"Where is that coming from," asked McCarty.

"Well," said Hoshansen, "I'll get some coordinates, but it looks like," he pulled out a file, "it's over one of the areas where we detected the Lake George Fifth State," he read the paper, "some place called the Upstate Inn." Carl and Larry's eyes widened at this statement.

"Dennis," muttered Carl, which was not unnoticed by McCarty.

"Whose Dennis," asked McCarty, glaring at the duo.

"Well," said Hoshansen reading the file, "the proprietor of the place is a man name Dennis Sadnik, age 51."

"You know this guy," asked McCarty, his voice going from playful to ruthless rapidly.

"Yeah, we know him," said Carl nervous.

"But not as professionals," interrupted Larry, "we're friends, but we never share any of our inventions, I mean he's an accountant whose trying to start his own business."

"I find it strange that the device that can detect this Fifth State is stolen," said McCarty in a piercingly inquisitive voice ," and this Fifth State, the first kind, and a third kind appear over the house of a man who apparently has a bond with the two gentlemen whose company designed this device."

"He couldn't have stolen it," said Carl.

"He was there with us on Fourth of July the night it was stolen," continued Larry.

"Be that as it may," said McCarty, "apparently he may have something to do with it, whether he knows it or not." He got up from his chair, and grabbed his coat. "I'm going to have my own talk with Mr. Sadnik." Carl and Larry flinched at this. "And if I don't like what I hear, I'm going to charge him with the theft, and you two for leaking government contracted equipment." Carl and Larry began to sweat. "And don't run to Kefauver, he maybe running the investigation, but outside Western New York, that old fart has no influence." Carl and Larry flinched at the disrespect this guy had for senior agents.

"Michaels," said McCarty, "your coming with me." Michaels was dismayed. "It will give you same training which you badly need," said McCarty, as he walked out the door. Michaels sat in anger, as did Carl and Larry before following McCarty out the door.

Comments

[MidnightFMare]

3849940 no, i mean that when bonbon is at work and i'm working, i take care of lyra during this time... she came back through a digital portal... i beleive i put it in a story of mine... so she mostly just sneaks into bathrooms and tell me how i should be less critical of humanity
and she apparantly sneaks into my bed at night and sleeps on my back... which causes back aches for me... and a stomach bug...
i can't remember why i put up with her
(LYRA: because i'm fuzzy and warm and one of your favorite ponies)
Well, i would take ditzy instead
(LYRA: i will tickle you)
You don't have fingers
(LYRA:... A MARE CAN DREAM CAN'T SHE?!?!?!)

[redandready45]

3854736
You're weird. But at least you like the story. It's good to have a fan.

[MidnightFMare]

3856262
thank you! most call me crazy but that is only because most are crazy and my sanity appears to them as insanity, and most shy away from stories that have a sad undertone to write, but it is nice to know the pony on earth but not like the mane 6 but a background pony or gen 1 pony hasn't been ruined by being overdone

[redandready45]

3880598
you like my portrayal of the two.

[MidnightFMare]

3880843 yes, that is the shortened version

[Polaris501]

This is very interesting, and good. I enjoy the plot of the story and would like to find out who "crystal" really is.

[redandready45]

4016665
oh you'll see.