Hillsburg was a pretty ordinary town. Or boring, depending on how you saw it. And that was how David Watson saw it. Sure, he had grown up in Hillsburg, made plenty of friends there. But now, after college, it just wasn't the same.
It certainly was no college town. The bars and restaurants closed earlier, cultural attractions were few and far between, and, perhaps most obvious to David, there were very few college girls. But with the economy the way it was, David was stuck here. Not even having a degree helped. So he worked a few odd jobs around town, and helped tutor his younger brother Andy, a senior in high school. His parents didn't mind him living with them, in fact they liked having him around for once after four years away.
The poor economic climate didn't just affect David, either. The whole town seemed down on its luck. Factories were closing, businesses cutting back, lots of people lost their jobs. But there was one bright spot. A new development in the hills at the edge of town; a research facility for a company called Applied MetaDynamics.
Nobody was quite sure what kind of research Applied MetaDynamics was into, but not many really cared. The construction and operation of the plant would bring hundreds of jobs back. Even Andy had put in an application for an internship, though the job description seemed unusually vague. It would be a boon for Hillsburg, and for the advancement of scientific knowledge.
So, after many months, construction was finally completed. A huge, gleaming, modern structure stood on a large hill, overlooking the quaint town below. The centerpiece of the facility, though, was unseen. Some sort of particle accelerator had been built underneath the hills and, in fact, circled the entire town. It would accelerate sub-atomic particles to near light speed and collide them into one another. A few conspiracy theorists had voiced concerns over creating black holes or some such, but they were mostly ignored or ridiculed. They just didn't see what kind of opportunity this really was.
And now the day arrived for the plant to begin its operation. The sun had just begun to set, and people all around town were gathered in front of their televisions to watch the live press conference, including David and his family.
"I can't believe everybody's making such a big deal about this," David said.
"Oh shush," his mom chided.
"This is a pretty big deal for a town this size, son," their father said. "When I was your age, the biggest story was when the post office installed new windows."
"What's wrong bro?" Andy chimed in. "Are you worried about being sucked into a black hole?" The family chuckled, and David rolled his eyes.
"Come on. I'm not paranoid. But doesn't it seem a bit odd how quickly this thing went up? I mean, projects like this usually take years before they can even break ground. They're opening up after just a few months."
His father shrugged. "Maybe even the bureaucrats saw how important this is."
"Look, they're starting!" his mother said.
The strobe of flash bulbs flickered on the screen, and the mayor stepped forward with a pair of oversized scissors. He sliced through the red ribbon hanging in front of the makeshift stage, then a man in a lab coat handed him a laptop. The mayor looked at the crowd and smiled.
"On behalf of the town of Hillsburg, I am proud to announce this facility officially open!" Applause rang up from the crowd. He raised the computer slightly. "With a single keystroke, the MetaDynamic accelerator will be brought online. It is my honor to usher in a new dawn for Hillsburg, and a new dawn for scientific discovery!" With that, the mayor hit a key on the keyboard as the applause and cheering rose.
WHUMP
The screen went black, and the lights flickered and went out. It was suddenly very quiet.
"What's going on?" Andy asked.
"That plant must be drawing a lot of power," their dad said. " Just give it a minute, I'm sure the power will come back."
WHUMP
WHUMP
There was that sound again... a faint, pulsing hum off in the distance. It sounded almost like the overblown bass of a car stereo, but much lower. The hum grew louder, as if it was drawing closer to the Watson household.
"What is that?" David's mom asked.
"I have no clue..." David said. Suddenly, the hum became an intense vibration. The entire house shook in time with the pulse, like a vibrating guitar string. David tried to get up, to look out the window to see what was happening, but the pulse rattled his entire body. He felt paralyzed, as though he'd been shocked by electricity. Then he started feeling disoriented... woozy. He could feel the vibrations through his head, radiating to the center of his brain, shaking the very core of his existence.
Then everything instantly went pitch black and silent.
