HAL's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

HAL slammed his fist on the desk and glared at the empty office around him. Gray hair fell across his forehead as he leaned back in his chair. He'd spent twenty years dreaming of this—his own investigation bureau dedicated to studying neepnops. The creatures fascinated him, puzzled him, drove him half-mad with questions. Now he finally had the space and the license to make it real. But an empty office wouldn't catch neepnops or answer questions about them. He needed help. He needed people who could track the creatures, study them, report on them. HAL grabbed his coat and marched toward the town square. He carried a small wooden bulletin board under his arm and a hammer in his free hand. The board was already covered with colorful notices—each one offering a different task. Track neepnops in the western fields. Sketch neepnops behavior patterns. Record neepnops feeding times. He found a solid post near the fountain and drove in three nails. The board hung straight and steady. People walking past slowed down to read the notices. A few pointed at the word "neepnops" and whispered to each other. HAL stepped back and crossed his arms. This was how it started. This was how his bureau would grow. But volunteers alone wouldn't be enough. HAL needed actual samples—live neepnops he could observe and study. He couldn't chase the creatures through fields with a butterfly net. They were too quick, too clever. He needed somewhere they would come to him. That night, he bought an old building on the edge of town. Within three weeks, he'd transformed it into Neepnops Galore—a nightclub with pulsing lights and music that echoed through the streets. But hidden behind the walls were cages, cameras, and collection tubes. The neepnops loved bright lights and noise. They would flock here. HAL stood at the door on opening night and watched the first creatures slip through the vents. His traps were ready. His bureau was becoming real. By morning, he had twelve neepnops secured in observation cages. HAL walked back to his nondescript building and unlocked the plain door. Inside, the Neepnop Investigation Center was organized and ready. Shelves lined the walls, waiting for specimens and notes. Tables held microscopes and measuring tools. This was his headquarters—the place where questions would finally get answers. HAL set the first cage on a table and stared at the creature inside. It blinked back at him with round eyes. Twenty years of waiting had led to this moment. His investigation bureau was no longer just a dream.