“Hardly seems scientific,” said Katie.
“Start with a phenomenon, try to explain it through other experiences,” Mike ticked off his fingers, “if that doesn’t work you form a conjecture, create a prediction, and then test.”
“I understand how science works. But how do you know it’s not just random, or happening for another reason?” she asked.
“We’ll run the same experiment somewhere else, where nobody has reported any phenomena, and see if it happens there,” said Mike.
“Can we just get on with it, Dr. Science?” asked Gary.
“Yes, let’s,” said Mike. “Why don’t you bring the amp online at fifty-five and a half, with zero power.”
“Got it,” said Gary.
“Okay,” said Mike. “Let’s ramp up really slowly. Katie? Can you monitor this display?”
“Sure,” she said.
“Look for any response that’s not commensurate with Gary’s increase here. Your display should drop one gridline for every tick Gary moves,” explained Mike.
“I’ll call it out,” said Gary. “I’m passing point one right now.”
Mike studied the video feeds from the house. He focused mostly on the unfinished basement, but also scanned the other rooms. His monitors automatically switched between views every three seconds, but he held a keyboard which directed the feed on the monitor in front of him.
A green view showed Mike the infrared information, and a multi-colored picture indicated the thermal characteristics. Finally, a dim, grainy, picture let him see the room from the moonlight coming through the windows of the old house. As he watched, the most exciting development was a swirl of dust lit up by the infrared emitters.
“Point two,” said Gary.
“Equal change,” said Katie.
“You can move just a tiny bit faster,” said Mike. “We didn’t see the river thing or the Loogaroo until we passed six point five.”
“Point three,” said Gary.
“Katie, you’ll have to decrease your scale there,” said Mike, pointing to a knob. “Counter clockwise.”
“Point four,” said Gary.
“Now you’ll be at one gridline for every five ticks from Gary,” Mike instructed.
“Yeah,” said Katie. “I get it.”
Mike returned to his video displays. He concentrated on the floor at the center of the cellar. They had pointed the cameras at the area indicated by the homeowners, but Mike always figured that the action would take place just outside the range of the cameras. A wave of dust passed in front of the lens of the infrared and Mike picked up his headphones. As he suspected, the furnace had ignited, upsetting the dust.
As he watched, the thermal cameras also registered a change from the furnace. New details in the stone foundation emerged with the added heat. Mike imagined himself sitting on the dirt floor, smelling the musty cellar. A bright spot of color moved across the thermal image, but within a few seconds Mike recognized it as a scurrying mouse, darting in and out of the rock wall.
He removed his headphones just as Gary called out another number: “One point one.”
The three researchers sat frozen, the silence only broken as Gary called out each number. When he had reached ten point zero, he pulled away from his instrument.
“Should I keep going?” asked Gary. “I don’t think all the components are rated past ten.”
“We have a margin of safety, but if we haven’t seen anything yet, I doubt we will,” said Mike. “This is like all those failed attempts at the river. There must be some variable we’re missing. No discrepancy with the power levels?” he asked Katie.
“Nope,” she said. “This display matched Gary’s numbers exactly.”
“Huh,” said Mike.
“What’s with thermal two?” asked Gary.
“What do you mean?” asked Mike. “Oh that? The furnace has washed it out. We should remember that next time. The glare from the furnace when it’s on pretty much knocks out all the signal.”
“Should I go repoint it?” asked Gary.
“No, that’s okay,” said Mike. “I’ll do it.” He untangled himself from the wires and pushed back from his console. Before climbing out of the van he grabbed a radio from the rack and turned back to Gary—“Do me a favor: turn that thing down before I go in there.” He pointed to the amplifier. “Just in case I decide to have kids someday.”
Gary laughed but turned down the dial anyway.
As he strode across the yard, Mike checked in with his radio: “Hey, Gary?”
“Yeah,” Gary’s voice crackled over the walkie-talkie.
“When I get down there tell me where to point that camera.”
“Sure thing,” said Gary. “But you might want to turn off the thermostat on your way by.”
“Got it,” Mike opened the door to the kitchen of the dark house. He admired the homey simplicity of the country farmhouse and reflected on the thought of one day having kids. When he considered marrying and raising a family, this was the kind of house he saw in his mind’s eye.
“Do you know where it is?” he asked the radio, looking around the room with his flashlight.
“Try the living room, near the wood stove,” said Gary.
“Got it,” Mike said again. He pressed the button several times until he heard a click. Mike crossed back into the kitchen and found the door to the basement with his light. When he opened the door a low grumble from the bottom of the stairs made him jump.
The radio clicked. “I think it’s back on,” said Gary. “It might take a minute to turn off.”
“Thanks,” said Mike. “I can hear it.” He descended the narrow steps carefully, each tread sagging under his weight. Based on the age of the house and the condition of the stairs, he figured that the bowing treads predated him by more than a century.
Their equipment, set up amongst the cobwebs, made Mike feel comfortable despite the deep shadows and black corners.
Mike pressed the send button on his radio—“I’ll move the tripod a couple feet to the right?”
“Sounds good,” said Gary. “Yes, right there. Can you point it a little back to the left?”
Mike tucked his radio under his arm and guided the lens until Gary called out again—“Stop. Right there.”
“Hey Mike?” beckoned Katie over the radio.
“Yeah?”
“Can you move back towards the stairs for a second?” she asked.
“Sure thing,” said Mike. He backed up exactly three steps and paused, his light dancing around the old cellar, pausing on ancient shelves, pipes, cables, and the dirt floor as he waited to find out what Katie was interested in.
“Move back towards the camera?” she asked.
He complied and gave Katie the signal. “I’m here.”
Mike heard a click from his radio and then a muffled conversation before she communicated further—“Maybe you should come back out here.”
Mike backed away towards the stairs again and thought about the basement. Before experimenting with sending amplified energy towards the paranormal, he and Gary had spent countless hours in identical cellars and attics. Eventually, Mike had become completely inured to the experience; the fears of his childhood were driven away by equipment, measurements, and familiarity. Now, having had a couple of extraordinary encounters, he found his skittish nature had returned stronger than ever. He wanted to flee up the stairs to the safety of the van and his compatriots, but also wanted to re-conquer this shadowy terrain.
“Are you seeing activity?” he asked into his radio.
“Just a little,” said Katie, clicking off her radio between sentences. “Seems to increase when you get near the center of the room.”