Chapter 37: The 200% Extraction
April 30th arrived with unseasonable warmth—Hawkins pretending winter never happened, trees budding early, false promise of easy times.
The basement was crowded. The Party, Robin, Eddie, El—everyone gathered for the extraction. Three months of waiting, theories flying, expectations building.
The Dimensional Backpack thrummed at 200% capacity. Double charge. Double potential.
"You sure about this?" Robin asked.
"No. But I've never been sure about anything with this power." I centered myself, reached into the dimensional pocket. "Here goes nothing."
Instead of an item materializing, something else happened.
Light.
A translucent panel appeared in the air between my hand and the pocket—glowing soft blue, covered in symbols that shifted and resolved into English. Two empty spaces waited, separated by a dash.
"Holy shit," Dustin breathed. "It's an interface."
The panel pulsed gently, expectant. Waiting for input.
"What do I do?" I asked.
"Write something. Touch it. Try to communicate." Dustin edged closer, eyes wide behind his glasses. "This is incredible. The dimensional pocket is responding to higher energy thresholds with advanced functionality."
I raised my hand to the panel. Finger made contact with solid-light surface, warm and responsive. Like touching water that held its shape.
Traced letters carefully: H-A-W-K-I-N-S
Space. Dash appeared automatically.
M-A-P
The moment I finished the second word, the panel flared brilliant white. Battery charge drained—I felt it pouring out, 200% collapsing to 0% in three seconds. The sensation like water rushing from broken dam.
The panel dissolved.
Something solid fell into my hands.
Parchment. Old-looking, edges rough, surface covered in intricate detail. A map of Hawkins—my Hawkins—rendered in browns and blacks and hints of red.
"Is that..." Mike leaned in.
"A map. Of Hawkins." I spread it on the workbench. "But look. Look closely."
The ink moved.
Not dramatically. Not like Harry Potter magical newspapers. But subtle shifts—a car appearing on Main Street as someone drove by. A tree branch swaying in Lover's Lake. The map was breathing.
"It's updating in real-time," Lucas said.
"Not quite." I studied the movement patterns. "There's delay. See that car? It's at the intersection now, but the map shows it three blocks back. I'd guess... twenty-four hour lag."
"Still useful," Eddie observed. "Shows what happened yesterday at any location."
I carried the map to where Will sat quietly watching. Held the parchment near him.
A tiny red mark appeared. Faint but distinct. Right where Will's position would be.
"What's that?" Will asked, voice small.
"Residual corruption. The map doesn't just show physical changes—it shows dimensional contamination." I moved the map away; the red mark faded. Brought it back; the mark returned. "It's tracking Upside Down influence."
"So next year," Dustin said slowly, "when the tunnels spread, when the Mind Flayer returns—"
"This map will show us exactly where the corruption is. Where the gates form. Where the danger spreads." I rolled the parchment carefully. "Strategic advantage. Real-time intelligence."
El reached out, touched the map. Where her finger made contact, a golden shimmer appeared—her power leaving trace on the dimensional fabric.
"I show too," she said.
"Your connection to the Upside Down is different. You opened the first gate. The map recognizes that." I met her eyes. "Not bad. Just different."
"Different is okay?"
"Different is how we win."
The group spent the next hour theorizing about the request system.
"Two words maximum at two hundred percent," Dustin scribbled notes frantically. "What if you save for higher charges?"
"500% would take 400 more days. Over a year."
"But might unlock three-word requests. More specific parameters. Higher-tier items."
"Or might just give me better version of two-word requests." I shrugged. "No way to know until I try."
"What would you even request at 500%?" Mike asked.
Dimensional Marker Tool. Portal-Stabilizing Device. Mind Flayer Detector. Anti-Possession Charm. Bob Newby Protection Amulet.
"Something that saves lives. Something I can't get at 200%."
Robin leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "This is terrifying, you realize. You're essentially negotiating with a dimensional force for magical items using stored interdimensional energy."
"When you put it that way, yeah. Terrifying."
"But also amazing," Eddie added. "You've got a cosmic vending machine that accepts dimensional currency. That's the most metal thing I've ever heard."
"Vending machine implies I know what I'm getting. This is more like... wish granting with strict rules and unpredictable results."
"Still metal."
We discussed strategy. Save for 500%? Or use 200% requests multiple times? Arguments on both sides.
"Multiple 200% requests give us more items faster," Lucas pointed out. "One every three months."
"But 500% might give us game-changers," Mike countered. "Items that turn the tide."
"Or might give us slightly better versions of what we'd get at 200%." I rubbed my temples. "No way to know. It's gambling with resources."
Will spoke quietly from his corner. "The Mind Flayer is patient. It's been waiting a year already. Another year won't change its plans."
Everyone looked at him.
"How do you know that?" Mike asked.
"I just... know. It's there. In the back of my head. Watching. Waiting. It's not in a rush."
The corruption speaking. Will's connection to the thing. My weekly treatments slow it, but it's still there. Still whispering.
"Then we have time to plan carefully," I decided. "I'll aim for 500%. See what that unlocks. If things get desperate before then, I can always extract early."
The Party accepted this. El nodded approval. Robin still looked worried.
After everyone left, I hung the map in my bunker. Pinned it to the wall where I could see it from anywhere in the room.
Hawkins breathed on parchment. Cars moving (yesterday's traffic). Buildings standing solid. The forest dark and still.
No red marks. No corruption.
Not yet.
But in 208 days, that would change.
The map would light up with dimensional contamination. Tunnels spreading like veins under the town. Gates forming. The Mind Flayer's infrastructure.
And I'd see it all. Real-time intelligence on enemy positions.
One legendary item acquired. Request function unlocked. Battery reset to 0%.
Five regular items. One legendary item. Three years of preparation.
208 days until Halloween.
I touched the map, felt it warm and alive under my fingers.
"Show me where they'll attack," I whispered.
The map didn't answer. Not yet.
But when the time came, it would.
That night, the Mind Flayer spoke in dreams.
Clever, traveler. Very clever. A map to see my movements. My spread. My influence.
But maps are passive. They show. They don't prevent.
And knowing where I am doesn't tell you how to stop me.
208 days. Tick tock. The boy is ready. The vessel is prepared.
Are you?
I woke gasping, Chrissy shaking my shoulder.
"Nightmare?"
"Yeah. Same as always."
She held me until dawn. Didn't ask questions. Just stayed.
208 days.
Better be enough.
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