'Ground Density' (fiction)

Some of this material may not be suitable for younger readers.

© 2022, 2025 Theron Jackson. All rights reserved. 

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. The characters and incidents portrayed and names used herein are fictitious and any similarity to the name, character or history of any person, location, building, event or product is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

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Dr. Black pondered, "We need something that will act as a catalyst. Something dense and hard enough not to shatter — some kind of crystal, but electrically neutral." Thinking a bit Dr. Brown replied, "Granite?" Professor Green looking encouraged, replied, "We're in a city made of the stuff." 

Dr. Black interjected, "No, that's far too much; we can't generate that kind of energy. —Besides I don't fancy explaining why, if we knocked out the power to half the city." Professor Green chuckling remarked, "We can't produce that kind of power." Dr. Black replied how it was hard to second guess what might happen on that large of a scale, "no we need something safer, smaller." Dr. White whom was setting quietly pondering as the others talk, hesitantly spoke up, "Uh, what about a cemetery?" 

Dr. Black glanced sideways. Dr. Brown pondered. Professor Green remarked, "Perfect! plenty of granite; not too much, a mix of other stone and metals; all in a nice quiet, out of the way location." Dr. Black glancing sideways at Professor Green, queried, "Are you serious?" Dr. Brown laughingly interjected, "Sure! Why not?" Dr. Black replied, as to the possible attention they could create. Professor Green reminded, that it wouldn't be as bad as knocking out the city's power grid.

After loading their equipment into one of the university's vans, the group set out. Dr. Black at the wheel, queried, "Where to?" Dr. White suggested a location just out of town, "It's not as big as the one here in the city, and we won't have to worry as much about attracting the attention of a policeman passing by and stopping." 

Arriving at the location, Dr. Brown questioned, "But don't we need the stone to be connected? That would take all night, and we haven't the wire." Dr. Black surmised that shouldn't be a problem, with the stones being closely positioned, and the ground a bit damp, suggesting that they just crank up the generator a bit more. 

Once the electrodes had been positioned in a seemingly suitable fashion, Dr. Brown connected the wires to the terminals of the experimental generator. With the four pausing, glancing at each other, Professor Green suggested that Dr. Black do the honors, "after all, this is your project." Smiling as Dr. Black flipped the switch, Professor Green remarked, "And away we go." 

At first nothing seemed to be happening, other than the generator spooling up and beginning to whine. Dr. Brown suggested they increase the power. Professor Green turned the knob on the control panel, the generator groaned as the output increased. 

With the others watching as a slight, sparkling, electrical glow began to drift outward from their position. Dr. White glancing skyward uttered, "Uh, — hey." 

Suddenly a large bolt of lightning descended from the low, thick clouds that had ever so quickly formed over the cemetery. Striking dead center in the cemetery, quickly followed by another. The howling generator burst into flames as the yard lit up, as if someone had gotten the idea to combine the Fourth of July with Christmas. 

Several tombstones, uprooted by the energy, flew skyward, crashing down, in a splashing sparkling display. 

The group quickly took cover behind the van, only to be startled as an errant tombstone crashed though the vehicle, sailing a few yards beyond their location. The group ran. And none too soon, as yet another large lightning bolt, hit the vehicle, quickly reducing it to shattered fragments of sparkling, glowing metal and burning, melted plastic. 

At a seemingly safe distance the group of researchers stopped, turning back, observing the continuing light show they had initiated. Dr. Black remarked, "What the hell?!!" 

Professor Green rubbing his chin, began chuckling slightly and replied, "Well, I think it worked." Dr. Black retorted, "What?! What the hell?! We just blew up a damn cemetery!" Dr. Brown interjected, directing the others attention towards the city, "That, the least of our problem." 

Dr. Black groaned, "Oh hell!" As the scientist watched a parade of emergency vehicles charging towards their location, from the valley far below. 

Professor Green stated, "Okay, look. We just walk away; the equipment is toast, and the van; well, their not going to get anything to link back to us, or the university, out of that mess." Dr. Brown replied, as he began briskly walking down the road toward town, "Wasn't here, don't know anything about it." Continuing briskly, quickly out of sight. 

Dr. White who had already started walking down a crossroad, shouted back to the others, "See you tomorrow." Then retrieved his cell phone from his pocket as he continued to walk away. 

Dr. Black now slightly composed, glanced at Professor Green and queried, "What the hell just happened?" Professor Green poorly attempting to stifle a chuckle, replied, "Hell if I know — but it was cool." Then quickly removing his lab coat, tossing it into the weeds beside the road, turning back towards the subsiding melee, as if being a local homeowner coming out to view the show, as the emergency vehicles grew closer, and passed. Once they had all passed he quickly retrieved the coat, bundling it under his arm and started walking towards the city. 

Dr. Black not currently nor usually, wearing one himself, remarked, "You and that damn lab coat; what's up with that?" Professor Green replied, "We are scientist." Glancing at the mess they had just made, Dr. Black replied, "Yep, that we are." 

Professor Green remarked, "Dr. Brown was right. The granite did the trick." Dr. Black, still glancing back, replied, "It certainly did." 

Dr. Black stood as Professor Green continued walking, looking back asking if he was coming. Dr. Black distractedly replied, "Yeah, you go on ahead." 

Standing there a bit longer. Perhaps the scientist, perhaps the citizen, he walked back to the scene. Nearing he could see the rushing firefighters working to contain and control any hotspots that were still burning. Mostly from huge chunks of the destroyed van. 

Suddenly a voice came from off to the side, "Hey, professor. ——— I thought that was you." Turning Dr. Black quickly recognized one of his students, dressed in full turnout gear. Smiling the student queried if he was just in the neighborhood, or if he happened to live around there. Dr. Black replied, "Neither," Then restated, that he was passing through and seen the commotion. 

Smiling, the young fireman replied, "Uh-huh." Then leaning a bit closer, quietly queried, "Uh you wouldn't have anything to do with this; would you?" 

Clearing his throat, Dr. Black nodded to the negative. The firefighter smiled and nodded. Then looking around, asked, "You driving, or just out for a brisk jog?" The sheepish professor chuckled nervously. The fireman replied, "Stick around, I'll give you a ride back into town when we're done." 

Heading back to the city, Dr. Black sat quiet. The fireman broke the silence and inquired as to what he had been working on. Dr. Black sat nervously quiet. The fireman chuckled, "Come on. I'm not going to rat you out. No one was hurt and except for a few misplaced tombstones nothing was damaged. — Well, except for the van — that was one of the university's vans; wasn't it?" The professor reluctantly nodded to the affirmative. Chuckling, the firefighter replied, "Oh man. You're onto something, right? — What is it some new kind of weapon or something?" Clearing his throat Dr. Black sheepishly replied, "Not exactly." Now laughing the young man replied, "Oh man! From the looks of that mess back there, it should be. — We got a whole bunch of 911 calls, with people reporting everything from a plane crash to an alien invasion." 

Not inquiring where the professor wanted dropped off, he drove to the university, stating, "I suppose your car is here, right?" Dr. Black pointed to the far side of the faculty parking lot, where a lone vehicle was parked. The fireman pulled up beside it, Dr. Black got out and thanked him. 

As Dr. Black walked up to the door of his vehicle, the fireman slowly backed out of the spot beside it, turning to block the professor's vehicle. Rolling down his window, he inquired, "Aren't you at least going to tell me what you were working on?" 

Dr. Black walked back to his location and simply stated, "ground density." Then turned walking back to his car door. The fireman setting briefly, chuckled, then, blurted, "Ground density?! Seriously?!" Dr. Black looked around from unlocking his door and replied, "I told you it wasn't a weapon." 

The next morning the fireman showed up at Dr. Black's office at the university. Upon suggesting he close the door, Dr. Black motioned to the young man to be seated. 

The fireman started the conversation, "Okay, this stuff about ground density, you were just being evasive. Right?" Dr. Black grinned slightly, then replied, "Not really. — You see there's this group of rich environmentalists that wanted us to do a test on the impact of climate change on — ground density." The young man began boisterously laughing then, with difficulty breathing replied, "Now I know you're shitting me." Dr. Black shrugged, then stated, "I said they were rich, I didn't say they were smart." The young man replied, "Man that mess you made didn't look like no ground density testing. —— What happened?" Again Dr. Black shrugged and replied, "I have no idea. — It wasn't suppose to do that." Chuckling, the young fireman remarked, "I doubt your rich environmentalist would be too thrilled that their investment blew up a chuck of real estate." Glancing concerned, Dr. Black replied, "We wasn't going to tell them." To which the fireman replied, "Don't look at me, I'm not going to tell anyone. — I think those kind of people are nutty." 

Later that morning, Dr. Black discussed the situation with his cohorts (err, colleagues), telling them how their student had recognized him at the scene and how he had discussed some of the details with him afterwards. 

The idea of an "outsider" knowing their secret, didn't set well with Dr. Brown. 

Dr. White joking replied, "You know; in the movies, they always have to kill those guys." To which Dr. Black retorted, "We're not villains." Dr. White replied, "Come on, I'm joking." Dr. Black concededly nodded and shrugged, Dr. White smiled. 

Dr. Brown continued, lowering his voice, "I don't think the university would be so happy that we destroyed their van, or a judge for that matter." Dr. White retorted, "No one is going to do anything about anything." 

Dr. Black replied, "He's a good kid. One of my better students." Professor Green spoke up, "He's always sleeping in my class." Dr. White interjected, "Everybody sleeps in your classes. — He did some TA work for me his first year, — I think he's okay." 

Dr. Brown grumblingly replied, "Well, if you're wrong, we'll all have plenty of time to regret it." 

Dr. White reminded Dr. Brown that the granite was his idea; to which Dr. Brown reminded how the graveyard was Dr. White's idea. 

Professor Green broke the bickering and stated, "If the kid was going to rat us out, the police would already be here." 

Later that afternoon the firefighter returned to the scene. Overnight there had been numerous calls of the fires rekindling, this was just one more. 

At the scene after assisting a fellow fireman quickly quell the small rekindles. Being familiar with this cemetery, he noticed something odd. The topography of the ground seemed different, somehow off. He shrugged and walked back to his vehicle, stopping, turning, looking once again. He jumped in his vehicle and rushed back to the university. 

Finding Dr. Black, glancing around that no one was nearby, he anxiously stated, "I don't know exactly what you did last night, but something is wrong!" Dr. Black suggested he calm down and explain his concern. The young man, again making sure no on was close, nervously replied, "There's something wrong up there. — I mean really wrong." 

Again trying to calm the young man, Dr. Black queried, "Take a deep breath and tell me exactly what you think is wrong." The man, turning white as death replied, "The ground — it's moving." 

Dr. Black stood silent, thinking. The man continued, nervously shaking, in a quiet voice as to not be overheard, "You brought them back to life." Dr. Black chuckled slightly, "Now you're just messing with me." The man stood silent, still white, still shivering. 

Bursting one by one, into the classes of his colleagues, Dr. Black quietly informed them they had to talk, immediately. 

Dr. Black explaining the situation to the others. 

Professor Green retorted "Have you lost your mind?!" Dr. Black insisted the fireman was serious, Professor Green replied, "I don't care if he stood of a stack of Bibles. — That's not" To which Dr. Brown calmly interrupted, "Yeah — it is." A slack jawed Professor Green looked at Dr. Brown and uttered, "What?" 

Dr. White suggested, "Okay, maybe we should see for ourselves, huh?" Then the group headed back to the scene. On the way, Dr. Brown explained how researchers in Spain had successfully brought the dead back to life, unfortunately not in any viable form, nor in any repeatable manner. 

Pulling into the graveyard, it was obvious beyond any doubt, the moist, scorched ground was in fact moving, as if a billion ripe maggots were just beneath the fertile soil. 

Professor Green stepping out of the vehicle, agape, uttered, "Okay, it's just some weird side effect from all the electricity." 

Remaining in the vehicle Dr. Brown, starring fixed out of the window, uttered, "Oh my God." 

Setting beside Dr. Brown, Dr. White nearly as nervous and distraught as the young fireman had been, inquired, "What are we going to do?" 

Outside, Dr. Black quickly retrieved his cell phone from within his pocket and started to dial 911. Professor Green quickly reaching out, closed the phone, asking, "What the hell are you doing?" 

Meanwhile Dr. Brown had already done it with his phone. 

Dr. Black snarled, tugging free from Professor Green's grasp on his phone, opening it again and retorted, "What the hell do you think I'm doing?! I'm calling the police!" 

Suddenly, a hand emerged from directly behind Professor Green's leg, grabbing him with a death grip. 

Seeing more emerging, as Dr. White dove into the floor of the backseat, Dr. Brown climbed between the front seats, into the driver seat, cranking the engine over, yelling at his colleague whom still struggling to save his friend, was quickly being surrounded. 

Dr. Brown screamed, "Damn it man! Get in the fucking car! — GET IN THE FUCKING CAR!!!!" 

EPILOG: 

A resident beside the cemetery, seeing the unthinkable events playing out, quickly dialed 911, grabbed his rifle and several boxes of ammo. 

The police arriving on the scene were able to neutralize the remaining undead, that the resident had not already. 

Three scientists survived, Dr. Black owing his life to the rifle wielding resident whom first targeted the undead that were encroaching on him. 

Professor Green was not so lucky, being blocked from view of the resident, by the vehicle, and regardless of the attempt by Dr. Black to save him, he fell victim to the undead. 

Under threat of criminal prosecution, the researchers were forced to give up all their notes related to the incident, which numerous scientists quickly began pouring over. 

Needless to say, the environmental group was not pleased. 

THE END