I was still fuming as I walked back to Tyler. That could have gone much better.

"You alright there boss?" Ty asked. He was stuck between trying to look busy and wanting to ask more questions. Which manifested as him turning one of the useless knobs on the control panel over and over again.

"No, I'm not. I just got some terrible legal news." And that may be an understatement. I cannot produce patents for something that doesn't exist

"I've never had much of a filter so I'll just say it. You clearly hate that guy. Why did you go into business with him? He seems like he's not 'our' type of person." Ty said looking towards the gate

Of course you've never had much of a filter, if you did you wouldn't keep going on about the lizard people running congress.

"I felt like I needed to get up and running fast. Melvin was the only person I knew of with land, licenses and a willingness to sell. Everyone else was happy with their spot."

"Happy and not willing to move are not the same thing dude. You can print money and gold. I can think of 10 people off the top of my head who would have eventually taken a buy out."

"Yeah, eventually. That's the problem. I wanted to get started fast. I don't know why! Normally I am too cautious. Look twice before acting kind of guy. But the magic and Nola and buddy must have caused a little temporary insanity and I just went for it. I don't know." I took a deep breath. It really wasn't like me at all. Why had I been so gung ho about getting a spot? I could have kept feeding and growing Nola without this place.

I...think I may have an answer to that

"You do? Please do tell." I said to Nola. Tyler strained up after hearing my side of the conversation.

Don't be mad

Never a good sign.

"What happened?"

I want you to know that I didn't know I was doing it. And that I haven't done it since. And that I am sorry.

"You did something to my mind." The pieces made sense now.

Only once. And it was more of a nudge than anything. I just pushed you towards doing what I wanted. You already wanted to as well, you were just going to overthink it. You were already overthinking when I started.

Don't freak out. You knew this thing had mind powers from the merge. Just take some steps to keep it from happening again.

"Nola, I'd like you to.. hell...I order you to not influence my mind again." I felt a surge of energy come out of my body and into my dungeon. Every cell of the dungeon responded. It didn't feel like it was pleasant for Nola.

"Shit. Nola are you alright?" I asked immediately

She didn't respond.

"Nola answer me."

Is that an order? Master.

She did not have the usual mental inflections in her 'voice'. She was flatter. More machine like. I am not a fan of that.

"It isn't an order. And don't be like that. I didn't know... that would happen" Huh. I guess that's one for each of us then. "Sorry"

I guess we both don't know our own strength.

There was slightly more life in her response. Not the same, but she was bouncing back quickly

"I can take it back. Nola..." I was stopped by a loud interruption in my mind

STOP

I paused. There was no compulsion to, that was good. But Nola didn't want me to go on, so I should probably listen.

I wasn't planning to go into your mind again and I don't want to feel that again. Lets just leave well enough alone.

There was a short pause before she continued

And apology accepted.

"Same here. Still friends?"

Still friends. Lets just try not to make a habit of this. Either of us

"Agreed"

"I am so confused" Tyler said from the sidelines.

"A little bit of misunderstanding between some mind linked people. Nothing to worry about." Tyler did not need to know the details.

He nodded at that, choosing not to push further. For now. "I'll get the gate open boss. Its bout time to get going. You should take a seat for a minute. You look a little keyed up"

"I appreciate that. Nola, you good to start?"

Always ready to do some recycling

I gave Tyler a thumb's up and headed back behind the chemical shed where Buddy was hiding. Still in a coma. I should ask Tyler if he knows any cryptozoologists. They'd lay an egg for the chance to work on a real alien. It can't be healthy to be asleep this long.

I collapsed against the shed as I heard the gates open. Another day of fun begins now.

----------------------------------------

My break was interrupted almost immediately after the tourists filed in. I might have been hidden from view from the front gate, but from the observation deck they could see me clearly. And just like yesterday they were full of questions. Breaks over. Time to look busy.

I could feel there was a line of cars halfway up the block. I really need to thank Chopper for his help. I don't think I could have done this without him. Word of mouth would have gotten me here eventually, free is a great price for guys like us, but it would have been a week or more before I saw crowds like this. Definitely not day two.

Tyler was working well. The early birds were all people who had been here yesterday and knew the drill. Things were moving smoothly.

"Excuse me sir!" One of the tourists had left the observation deck

"Look, I am allowing you guys to watch as a courtesy. This is still an industrial area, please go back to the deck." I said half looking back with a pointed hand. I did not want any part of this conversation right now.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"I just need to get you and your employees signature for this video release form" He waved a clipboard at me.

"Oh" Crap. Paparazzi. "I am not interested in being on film. And the facility is also not to be filmed"

"I don't see any signs up, besides, the news crews will be here soon and they don't need your permission to show your face. Give me an exclusive and I'll publish whatever you want me too." He was probably right about the news crews coming soon. Also, wait a second.

"Wait, you said you needed a form? That means you aren't with the news then?" I asked

"Not mainstream news. But I run a news channel on YouTube. Almost 20 thousand subs and climbing. Being first on a breaking hometown story will be great for me and even better for you. I have no integrity whatsoever. You tell the story, I'll put it out there for you, exactly as you want it." Is no integrity supposed to be a selling point? I really need that press person.

"Tell you what, I'll think about it. You got a card or something so I can call you?" I asked, signaling the end of the conversation.

"Sure. Names Cole, Nexus News network. The one with the microphone, not the one with the panel. That's some Turkish channel with the same name. My url is at the bottom of the card. You should check it out!"

"Will do Cole. Now get back in the observation area or off the property"

----------------------------------------

Cole didn't seem like that bad a guy. Little desperate, but I can relate. But I cannot trust someone who is willing to come out and say they have no integrity. That feels like a recipe for disaster. But what would I know, I don't talk to the press as part of my old life.

But he is for sure right about one thing. If he's here now, someone else will be here soon. Some local station probably for a public interest piece on a slow news day, and from there the dam will burst. Everyone, except Tyler, has immediately concluded this thing was beyond possible. Tick tock tick tock.

----------------------------------------

Things went about as expected until lunch time. We had our first tree trimmer arrive. A truck load of diseased oak that he had taken down. Typically difficult to dispose of because of the risk of contaminating other trees in the area. He was so excited when he heard that disposal was $0.00 and he didn't even have to grind the logs first. Nola was excited for the unique diseases and molds present in the tree. They still technically counted as alive even though the tree was dead, so she sent the bugs to 'defeat' it. Lots of extra energy for that load because the mold colony was so large, and it counted as our first dungeon defeat of a major delver.

"So what is a major delver?" I asked as I tinkered with the newly working solar panels. Nola did a great job putting them up on the old fake ones, but now the wiring didn't make any sense. Tyler's panel had a port every 2 square feet, my fake one had one wire port on the whole unit. Even if Nola was absorbing the energy directly I had to something to make it look like it worked normally.

I'm not really sure. I can tell you what it isn't. A minor delver is something like a bug, or a tiny bird. I've killed a few of those, but I stopped because it is a better use of energy to have those creatures defeat my bugs. Huge success bonus relative to their size.

A medium delver could be something like a rabbit. There haven't been many, and I have been leaving them alone. They come and eat some flowers and leave

"And that doesn't bother you?"

Yes it bothers me, but I get more energy from their successful delve, so I fix it once they are gone.

"So I guess the delver grade has more to do with weight and size than anything? I would have thought people were special, with the thinking and all that."

It would seem like it. I haven't actively hunted a human yet. Melvin, maybe, if he comes back.

"We are still probably suspect number one if he goes missing."

Maybe you are. I'm just a big dumb garbage lot.

"Shut up" I'm glad her humor recovered.

"I just want to not be involved with the police for as long as I can help it"

"Hey boss!" Tyler called out to me from the front of the property. Normal people wouldn't have heard him over the din from the back corner. But I could. Just like I could see two uniformed officers standing next to.

I think we may be cursed.

"I wouldn't put it past us." I said under my breath as I started jogging to the front

----------------------------------------

"Hello Officers. What can I do you for. Do for you. I meant do for you" Coming out the gate strong with that one, idiot.

"Hello Roy. We have some questions we would like to ask you regarding your whereabouts this past Sunday" They did not look happy to be here. Not surprising. Most normal people hate junk yards.

Shit. The equipment we stole. They can't prove anything, calm down. Just focus on your poker face. Your terrible terrible poker face.

"What would you like to know sir?" I said with my best 'not guilty face'

"Hold on here just a minute, is he being detained? He doesn't have to answer any questions from you. This is a free country." Tyler if that works I am printing you a pound of gold.

"He is being questioned. If the questions are not answered he will be detained. Can I get your name sir?" The taller cop asked in response.

"I plead the 5th. Fascist" Yeah, Tyler is not gonna be helpful with this one.

"Ok bud, can you go help our clients while I talk with the cops. I'll be right over" Go away. Go away. Go away.

Tyler made an exaggerated two fingered 'Watching you' gesture back at the cops. Not helping man.

"Sorry about him. He's great at his job, just a little intense." I said trying to defuse the situation.

"Don't tell em shit Roy!" He shouted back over at us. I resisted the urge to cringe out of my skin.

"So.... Sunday night." I said, hoping to press on and get this over with. "What are you looking to know more about"

"Are you the owner of a silver 2015 Honda accord, license plate FTYE370?"

Not anymore I'm not. "Yes"

"Where is that vehicle now? We have not seen it on property."

"My friend is borrowing it."

"Can I get this friends name?" The same cop pulled out a note pad and pen in an expectation of writing.

"Nola" Technically not a lie.

"Last name"

Crap.

"I don't know it"

Both cops looked at me like I was the biggest liar in the world. Or the biggest idiot. The second one is correct.

"You let a woman borrow your car and you don't know her last name?"

"I trust her to bring it back." Also the truth "Besides. Letting people borrow your car isn't a crime. I'm a free American." Oh god no. Tyler is rubbing off on me.

And with that assertion of my rights rather than appeal to their authority, I had officially spent the last of the two officers good will.

"Were you present at the Duval Heavy Equipment Yard between midnight and 3 AM?"

There is no good way to answer that question.

The half second of hesitation was all they needed to end the pleasantries.

"Roy Malloy, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent...."

I tuned him out. I was going to be pulled off property pretty soon and I needed to make sure Nola didn't do anything stupid. Mental communication, can't say anything out loud. Don't want to go for the insanity plea just yet.

Nola, I am going away. Don't freak out

I can stop this.

But you don't have to. They have nothing. There is no evidence I was on the property we stole from, and you don't exist remember. Just a big dumb garbage lot. They are going to question me but they will have to release me. If you fight a cop this will only get worse. The graboid is not big enough to take them on.

I can grow him. I can make others.

And they can call others. I will work this out. Focus on growing. Focus on being the best recycling plant ever with Tyler and Buddy. And I will be back in no time. And see if you can send a message to Tyler. Tell him to find me a lawyer, and print him all the cash he needs to get him paid. That will get me back faster.

I was lead into the back seat of the car parked down the block from the gate.

It will be ok. You are strong enough to do this. I believe in you

I'm scared. We shouldn't be separated like this. What if something happens. What if we are pulled together like at your house

It didn't happen when I left last time. You were fine, and you made a cool friend. Why don't you use...I should give her a budget this time to avoid overspending like the graboid... 10% of the energy you have right now and make a new friend to keep yourself entertained. Make it complicated. Focus on your project.

I'll try. I will tell Tyler as soon as he is not in view of the others. I'll find a way.

Good. I'll be back soon. You'll do great...

As we drove down the street I felt our connection sever suddenly. We were a lot further away from the dump than I would have expected. Almost 4 blocks.

We will have to talk about her rapid growth when I get back.