Motorized Investigators II: The Stanford Attraction

The story takes place in October 2045, depicting Cyberlife Van's and Cyberlife Bus 5's visit to the town of Chillicothe for the annual Halloween festival and the secrets they uncover. The story was written by Mihajlo G.
Burdened by the horrors of paperwork and mostly menial investigations, Cyberlife Van and Cyberlife Bus 5 decide to go on a vacation where they'll be subjected to horrors of a different kind. The Halloween festival in the quaint Ohioan town of Chillicothe has drawn in Midwesterners for decades, but it has received even more recognition in recent years thanks to the introduction of a new horror attraction. With everyone talking about it and psyching it up, the festival seemed as good a choice as any for the detective couple.
== Plot ==
=== Night Terrors ===
October 11th, 2045.
Distant sounds of vehicles echo throughout the barren streets of Downtown Detroit, with Cyberlife Bus 5 being the only vehicle driving along Washington Boulevard at this time of night. Tonight is especially foggy; Cyberlife Bus 5 has to drive carefully to avoid hitting any similarly unlucky pedestrians who also had to buy groceries at this late hour. Then again, how many other people are so busy solving criminal cases during the day that their trip to the local 24 happens past 1:30 AM? Not many, Cyberlife Bus 5 wagers.
As she approaches the Madison building. Cyberlife Bus 5 recounts all of the items in her grocery bags, making sure she didn't lose anything. Perhaps something fell out on accident, and she didn't notice? That's never happened to her before, but it can happen. After accounting for all the canned beans, cream puffs, microwave dinners and drinks in the bag for Cyberlife Van, she opens the door to the Madison building, the contents in her own bag not mattering as much. One day she'll convince Cyberlife Van to consume more fuel-efficient, 'healthier' food items, but today is not that day. The sounds of the elevator taking her to the building's third floor are barely audible compared to the low scrapes and rumbling of the passing Cyberlife Trains outside. Despite the whole building shaking whenever the trains pass by — which the detective couple would've agreed was too often a few months ago — the two barely pay any mind to it after spending the better half of the year living right next to the people mover tracks.
Cyberlife Bus 5 drives out of the elevator and takes out her keys, eager to see her fiancé after spending a grueling 20 minutes away from him. The door opens, and Cyberlife Bus 5 drives inside. The floorboards started creaking in August, and the noise is still apparent, at least to Cyberlife Bus 5. She should probably inform the landlord about it. Stories about vehicles falling through the floor may be few and far between, but it can happen. Cyberlife Van, who weighs many tons less than her, never seemed to pay mind to it. 'If I keep letting him eat meals like this, maybe he'll finally notice,' Cyberlife Bus 5 thinks to herself, looking down at the grocery bags. 
Drip.
Anyone who knows the detective couple can tell you that Cyberlife Van spends too much time worrying about whatever cases they're investigating, while Cyberlife Bus 5 worries too much about everything outside the cases. After what happened in February, however, worrying's in their nature. The bus sets her bags down on the kitchen counter, looking around the room for her fiancé, who's nowhere to be found. It seems he went to bed early. 
Drip, drip.
Cyberlife Bus 5 goes into the bedroom, but she doesn't see Cyberlife Van parked there. She goes back into the main room, looking for a note on the fridge, or any sign of Cyberlife Van at all. She peeks into the office: nothing but papers, some of the 'crumpled' and 'on the ground' variant. She picks up the papers, throwing them into the trash can right next to the desk. 
Drip, drip, drip.
'What is that dripping sound?' Cyberlife Bus 5 thinks to herself as she finally processes the dripping noises, seemingly coming from the bathroom. She drives over to check it out. All signs point to Cyberlife Van breaking the sink and trying to find someone to fix it before she comes back. She loves that van to death, but she can't stand it when he hides problems from her and tries to fix them himself. It only ends up worsening the issue. Cyberlife Bus 5 opens the door, and instead of a broken kitchen sink, she is met with the grisly sight of oil pooling on the bathroom floor. Dripping from the sink and bathtub curtains, the sight looks like something straight out of a horror movie. Cyberlife Bus 5's curiosity turns to dread as all the possibilities run through her mind. Before she can process all of them, she hears a door creek open in the main room. She quickly drives out, knowing she'll be met with either her fiancé, or the perpetrators who did this. She looks at the entrance door, and all she can see through them is pitch black. 'The hallway lights were on just a minute ago', she thinks. Frozen with fear, Cyberlife Bus 5 can't bring herself to drive towards the darkness, but she doesn't have to, the darkness seems to be coming towards her. Right as an engine sounds in the hallway, a wheel, smeared in oil, comes rolling out of the abyss. She recognizes that wheel; in fact, she sees it every day. Fear turning to rage, Cyberlife Bus 5 drives into the darkness, the last thing she sees being a motorcycle coming right at her, carrying a blade.
She wakes up.
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The tranquility of the rest area along Route 23 in Ohio is interrupted by the shrill screams of Cyberlife Bus 5. Cyberlife Van, alarmed, reaches for the revolver he didn't bring and starts driving right back to her. He's relieved when he sees that she's not in danger, the only other vehicles in the vicinity being parked trucks further behind her. He drives up to her.CV: Are you okay, love?Cyberlife Bus 5 has to catch her breath after what she just experienced. Her engine is revving.CB 5: Yeah, just...just had a bad dream.
CV: The same one you always have?
CB 5: The same one...Cyberlife Van approaches her and gives her a comforting kiss on the hood.CB 5: Where were you going?
CV: To the Speedway over there. Got a bit hungry in my sleep. Do you want anything?
CB 5: No, no. I'm good. I think I'll just go back to sleep. 
CV: Alright.Cyberlife Van starts driving back to the convenience store, before getting stopped by Cyberlife Bus 5 once again. He turns around as he hears her voice:CB 5: Hey, wait...
CV: Yes?
CB 5: ...Get me some of those cream puffs; the ones you always get.Amused, Cyberlife Van resumes his drive over to the Speedway, leaving Cyberlife Bus 5 alone with her thoughts. Right now, the low drone of the cars along Highway 23 and the rustling of fall leaves in the wind are her only company. She checks the time — 1:33 AM. The pair is 40 miles away from Columbus, and another 80 miles away from Chillicothe, as the crow flies. If they get a good night's rest and set off around 6, they should still arrive in the early morning, as scheduled. Cyberlife Bus 5 can't help but get the creeps as she waits for Cyberlife Van alone in the dark. How's she supposed to handle a full-on Halloween festival if a bad dream by a Speedway is already the bane of her existence? She'll feel a lot better when Cyberlife Van returns. When he does, the pair eats cream puffs and drinks cheap gas station pop until their headlights give out and they go back to sleep. They've got four long days ahead of them.
=== Welcome to Chillicothe ===
After an hour or two of early-morning driving, the detective couple arrive at the outskirts of Chillicothe. The pair is greeted by a big wooden sign over route 104 which reads 'Welcome to Chillicothe' in a big, rustic font. To their left is the Scioto River, adorned by the backdrop of low-lying, forested mountains which make up part of the Ross Lake reservoir. The sun beams down on the pair as they drive along the road, reflecting off the clouds in the morning sky, painting it colors of blue, bronze and gold. CB 5: Look at that view, honey! It's beautiful.
CV: Yeah, it is. I got the impression that Ohio was just cornfields, but this reminds me of the nature back in England. 
CB 5: Yeah, it's good to leave the city every once in a while. You think there's some good hiking trails on those mountains?
CV: That would be my guess, yes. Why, are you interested?
CB 5: Ha! A hiking trail big enough for vehicles just becomes a road at that point. But maybe one day... Cyberlife Van stays silent, knowing that even if there were trails big enough for both of them, they likely wouldn't be welcome; at least not here. Compared to Michigan, Ohio seems like it's still in the mid-2030s regarding vehicle rights. The dirty look from the Speedway cashier that night would be enough for any vehicle to come to that conclusion. However, both humans and vehicles alike have been coming to Chillicothe for its Halloween festival for years now; as long as they stay in the city, they'll feel right at home.CV: How much further until we reach that bar, love?
CB 5: My GPS tells me it's around 10 minutes. We got here a little earlier than expected, I hope they're awake at this time.
CV: Me too, I'm starving.
CB 5: [chuckling] Again?
CV: Hey, it's called a midnight snack for a reason! It's no dinner.
CB 5: Okay, okay! We'll see, but let's not be too overbearing, okay? Such cheap accommodation must be a privilege during these festivals, wouldn't want to overstay our welcome. 
CV: You're right... I suppose we could always find some restaurants that open early, instead. Go on a date of sorts, like the good old days.Cyberlife Bus 5 is delighted by the idea. Oftentimes she misses the early stages of the relationship: when Cyberlife Bus 5's biggest concern was thinking of what restaurant to dine at, and Cyberlife Van's biggest concern was getting her to say it out loud. With only four days out here, they don't have time for disagreements. They keep driving into the urban core of Chillicothe; the fall trees swaying in the breeze, painting the streets with their amber leaves. The cityscape in this part of Chillicothe is a mix of standard suburban houses and brick buildings. Neither Cyberlife Bus 5, nor Cyberlife Van say it, but it feels weird visiting such a quaint town after spending most of their lives in a concrete jungle.
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After arriving at the bar and triple-checking the address, Cyberlife Bus 5 knocks at the door, with Cyberlife Van staying behind her. A sign hanging precariously on the door reads:𝓦𝓔𝓛𝓒𝓞𝓜𝓔 𝓣𝓞 𝓛𝓐𝓓𝓨'𝓢!
𝕄𝕆ℕ-𝔽ℝ𝕀: 𝟡 𝔸𝕄 - 𝟙𝟚 𝔸𝕄, 𝕎𝔼𝔼𝕂𝔼ℕ𝔻𝕊: 𝟙𝟙 𝔸𝕄 - 𝟚 𝔸𝕄Below that, an additional sticker reads 'FREE DRINK OF CHOICE FOR VISITORS OF THE STANFORD ATTRACTION' with a crudely drawn shape below the text, supposedly a pumpkin.CV: It's not even 8 AM yet. Perhaps they're still asleep.
CB 5: No, I told the owner we'll be here in the morning.Cyberlife Bus 5 knocks again, and this time, the sound of footsteps going down stairs can be heard from inside the bar. The two vehicles wait patiently, and soon enough, the door opens. An older woman, either in her late 50s or early 60s, stands at the doorstep. "Can I help you?" she utters in her Southern accent, her face looking like it's saying "Can't you read?! We're not open yet!" instead.CB 5: Um, hi. This is...Cyberlife Bus 5, and my husband Cyberlife Van.The woman stays silent, like her old brain is still processing the words.CB 5: We reached out to you online regarding accommodation for the Halloween festival here?The woman's face suddenly lights up, as if a light bulb turned on inside her head.The woman: Oh my! Of course, of course, get on in, sweeties!The woman opens the door for the two, who carefully drive in. The bar looks very rustic; its wooden interior is decorated with a plethora of mismatching Halloween decorations. Skeletons in cages, plastic pumpkins, photos of haunted houses...even fake cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling. Or are those real cobwebs?The woman: I'm sorry, dearies. I'm still getting used to recognizing you vehicles. Welcome to our little town!
CV: Thank you.
The woman: My name is Debra, and this here is my bar. My grandfather passed it down to my father, who then passed it down to me, and, well, here we are! [laughing]
CB 5: This place has a lot of history to it, then! (sure looks like it)
Debra: That's right! Jury's still out on whether or not Elliot will take it over after me, however.
CV: 'Elliot'. Your son?
Debra: My one and only. He's actually the one running the Stanford Attraction here, folks all over town'll tell you who he is. 
CB 5: Oh, wow! We'd love to meet him.
Debra: He went out to town at first light to get some things sorted, but he'll be back later. He's makin' an announcement at the Yoctangee Park this afternoon at 2, y'all best not miss it! He'll tell you all of the activities we planned this year as part of our attraction in the next three days.
CB 5: We'll be there! Where can we settle in?
Debra: Your room is upstairs, first door by the stairwell. Once y'all are done with that, I can fix you two some drinks and a quick meal if you're hungry.
CV: We'd love that--
CB 5: No no, it's okay. We were thinking of exploring the town, seeing what restaurants we can find in the area.
Debra: Oh, believe me, honey, a breakfast at Lady's can't be beat. You two should eat here and rest up some more, you'll have plenty of time to hit the town later! It's my pleasure.
CB 5: Alright, thank you!The steps and floorboards creak as the couple make their way upstairs to settle in. It's quite clear this building was not made with vehicles in mind, and suddenly Cyberlife Bus 5 misses the familiar comfort of the Madison building. However, the low price of $100 for accommodation right across one of the busiest Halloween festivals in the region would make it hard for anyone to complain, creaky floors or not.