Christmas Eve: Right outside Eureka...
Everything seemed to be going right. After recovering from Taggart's ride, Jack had bee set up with a train ride and then a new rental car that finally go him to the outskirts of Eureka. Which wouldn't have been a problem except that there was a road block with what appeared to be an extremely happy deputy behind it.
"Hi Jack!" Deputy Andy said with his pasted on grin. "Merry Christmas!"
"Uh, Merry Christmas," Jack said as he got out of his car. "What's with the road block."
"Oh, nothing to worry about," Andy said with a dismissive wave. "We just got a wee tiny problem in town."
"Exactly how wee and tiny are we talking about," Jack asked warily. "Vincent's fruitcake tiny or the world's going to blow up in an hour tiny."
Andy let out a hearty chuckle. "No, nothing like that. You know those pictures in Barry Plodder movies that move around and look alive?"
"No."
"Right," Andy continued. "Well one of the scientists was trying to recreate the same thing and it had a weird side effect."
"You don't say," Jack said rolling his eyes. "What happened this time?"
"Well the town is kind of turning... two dimensional," Andy admitted.
"Two dimensional. As in flat?" Jack asked in amazement.
"Cafe Diem went flat as a pancake and the fell right over," Andy agreed cheerfully. "They're still trying to figure it out. So until we do? No one goes in or out."
"OH COME ON!" Jack shouted. "Are you kidding me?!"
"I can't let you in, Jack," Andy replied with apologetic cheerfulness. "You know the protocol."
"But... Zoe!" Jack protested. "I've got presents!"
"I'm sure everything will be back to normal soon," Andy said reassuringly. "Now if you want, Beverly's old B&B is still outside of the quarantine area. You can wait there until this is all sorted out."
"Right," Jack said heading back to his car. "Great. Just perfect."
"Hi Jack!" Deputy Andy said with his pasted on grin. "Merry Christmas!"
"Uh, Merry Christmas," Jack said as he got out of his car. "What's with the road block."
"Oh, nothing to worry about," Andy said with a dismissive wave. "We just got a wee tiny problem in town."
"Exactly how wee and tiny are we talking about," Jack asked warily. "Vincent's fruitcake tiny or the world's going to blow up in an hour tiny."
Andy let out a hearty chuckle. "No, nothing like that. You know those pictures in Barry Plodder movies that move around and look alive?"
"No."
"Right," Andy continued. "Well one of the scientists was trying to recreate the same thing and it had a weird side effect."
"You don't say," Jack said rolling his eyes. "What happened this time?"
"Well the town is kind of turning... two dimensional," Andy admitted.
"Two dimensional. As in flat?" Jack asked in amazement.
"Cafe Diem went flat as a pancake and the fell right over," Andy agreed cheerfully. "They're still trying to figure it out. So until we do? No one goes in or out."
"OH COME ON!" Jack shouted. "Are you kidding me?!"
"I can't let you in, Jack," Andy replied with apologetic cheerfulness. "You know the protocol."
"But... Zoe!" Jack protested. "I've got presents!"
"I'm sure everything will be back to normal soon," Andy said reassuringly. "Now if you want, Beverly's old B&B is still outside of the quarantine area. You can wait there until this is all sorted out."
"Right," Jack said heading back to his car. "Great. Just perfect."