The Cult of the Incandescent

Grad students were always a mess, but the ones working in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering (NRE) were a special brand of crazy. Alex wasn’t one of them, but they did some heavy lifting on the department’s behalf. In return, they got a place to sleep and some extra cash. <br><br>The job they’d gotten recently was one of the weirdest Alex had encountered. There was a charismatic preacher who’d started a small cult. The followers were mostly engineers, mostly men, and all of them had either worked at Southern or Emory. <br><br>They were convinced that one day in the next few months, there would be a massive shift. <br><br>The preacher’s followers would be incinerated, and resurrected. They’d all be anonymous, human husks with no will of their own. The preacher would be left behind, gifted with the knowledge of millions of years of science. <br><br>Alex trudged along the sidewalk leading up to their main meeting place, a large converted home in midtown. Alex knew the place well. It was right next to the dog park.<br><br>#m #t #i<br><br>Alex walked in, and dropped their backpack on the ground. They’d only gotten in with the cult by coming dressed for the dog park, toting a frisbee. <br><br>“Hey, big guy,” Alex called out to one of the disciples. He was a big man, and always wore a bright red hat. Alex had singled him out as a possible point of entry. “You gonna throw the ball for me? I love watching you run around.”<br><br>“I… I mean… I don’t throw the ball for dogs,” he said, voice cracking. <br><br>“Good thing I’m not a dog,” Alex said, pulling off the sundress they’d been wearing. <br><br>It was a joy to watch his face change. Alex only singled out men because they’d never in a million years think they were the target audience for a gay man. <br><br>“Come on, throw the ball! I’m getting bored,” Alex said, picking up the frisbee and pulling down their shorts. <br><br>Big Guy just stood there staring as Alex walked into the state of the art gym. <br><br>Grad students were really a mess. They singled out a weight bench, and lay down on it. After a few minutes, Big Guy came over and handed Alex the frisbee. <br><br>“Are you here for the meeting?” he asked.<br><br>“I… I sure am,” Alex said, sitting up and standing. <br><br>Alex and Big Guy walked into the state of the art home gym, where the preacher was setting up a large screen. Alex slipped into a row of seats and got comfortable. Alex wasn’t sure whether to be worried or not. The cult had been growing for months. <br><br>“Thank you all for your help and participation,” the preacher said. “I know you don’t fully understand, but you’ve all done an amazing job. We’re just a few months away now. And in the meantime, we get to reap the rewards.”<br><br>As the preacher went on, Alex hatched a plan. Alex was going to get close to the preacher. They were going to figure out the plan. <br><br>Alex wasn’t going to let a cult turn Atlanta into some sort of science fiction hellscape. <br><br>But, as Alex watched the preacher talk, Alex realized that this was bigger. This preacher was charismatic, and the cult could easily spread to other cities. <br><br>If they couldn’t figure out how to stop this cult, society might collapse. <br><br>So, Alex decided they needed more help. This was bigger than one person.<br><br>After the meeting, Alex danced their way through the crowd, flirting and trying to get closer to the preacher. <br><br>Alex knew that they needed to create a diversion. They needed someone outside of the cult to get the attention of the preacher. <br><br>Alex was still working out the details when they trudged back to their apartment. They opened the door and flopped on to the couch, only to notice that they’d left the tv on by mistake. <br><br>On the screen, Alex saw the perfect target. <br><br>A handsome black man with bright blue eyes and a wide smile. Alex didn’t know his name, but Alex knew he was a state senator.<br><br>It only took a few minutes for Alex to find out who the man was. He was a “rising star” in Atlanta politics, and Alex knew he was about to become their pawn. <br><br>#m #t #i<br><br>Alex got to work, trying to make the senator’s life a misery. At first, it was simple stuff. Like moving his stuff around, or knocking things over. <br><br>Then, Alex had an idea. Alex was a grad student by trade, IT by profession. Alex knew enough about cybersecurity to know that they’d only been given a small window of time to work within. <br><br>Just enough time to throw a wrench in the cult’s plans. <br><br>Alex knew someone who could help them, though. <br><br>“Hey, girl,” Alex called out as they walked into the dorm. “I thought you were graduating this semester.”<br><br>“She… she offered me a place to stay,” their friend said, looking at them with big brown eyes. “She said she’d let me finish school.”<br><br>“Is that a good idea?” Alex asked, knowing they needed their friend. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? We can figure it out together.”<br><br>“It’s… it’s a good idea,” their friend said. “I mean, she’s nicer than you are, anyway. At least she doesn’t try to fuck me.”<br><br>Alex sighed, and sat down. They trudged through the same arguments they had a thousand times before. <br><br>Finally, they’d convinced their friend and were making their way to the senator’s office. <br><br>“I’m glad you’re coming with me,” Alex said. “I’m gonna need a friend.”<br><br>“I… I’m only here for the senator,” their friend said.<br><br>“Oh, you’re just here for the state,” Alex said, rolling their eyes. “It’s only fair. He’s a rising star.”<br><br>#m #t #i<br><br>Alex walked in to the office building, and took the elevator up to the senator’s floor. Alex was greeted by state troopers. <br><br>“Hello, there,” one of them said. “I think you’re in the wrong place.”<br><br>“I’m not,” Alex said. “I have a meeting with the senator. He said he wanted to meet me.”<br><br>“I wasn’t aware of that,” the trooper said, pulling out the walkie. “What’s your name?”<br><br>“Petunia Spectacle,” Alex said. “And that… that’s my friend, Lana.”<br><br>“I… I think you need to leave,” the trooper said. “Come on, I’ll walk you down.”<br><br>“Hey, I think we might be getting off on the wrong foot,” Alex said, turning around. “I’m a grad student at Georgia Tech. I saw the senator on tv and was taken with him. He seemed kind and genuine.”<br><br>“… you’re a fan?”<br><br>“Yes, I am. I think he’d be the perfect person to help us,” Alex said, pulling Lana forward. Lana was dressed in a bright red sundress, perfect for the dog park. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the cult that’s popping up.”<br><br>“I… I think you mean the Incandescent,” the trooper said. “Yeah, we’re looking into it. But I think we’ve got it in hand.”<br><br>“Maybe,” Alex said. “But what if you don’t? What if this cult is some sort of threat? We’re only a few months away from whatever it is they’re planning. We have to know what’s going on.”<br><br>“You know something about them?” the trooper asked.<br><br>“No, I don’t,” Alex said. “But I think I know how to get inside. I think I just need help.”<br><br>The state trooper looked at Alex, then back at Lana. He nodded.<br><br>“Wait here. I’ll go check with the senator. He might be interested in what you have to say.”<br><br>“Thank you,” Alex said. “But Lana, we can’t wait here. Can we go to the subway?”<br><br>“I… I don’t know,” Lana said. “Maybe. How long will it take?”<br><br>“Not long,” Alex said. “We’re leaving now.”<br><br>Lana was shocked as Alex pulled her away, and down the stairs. <br><br>When they got in to the subway tunnel, Lana spoke up.<br><br>“I… I thought you were going to ask the senator if he wanted to get some subway with you,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t expect you to drag me down here.”<br><br>“You… you said you were just here for the senator,” Alex said, closing the subway door. “I didn’t want to embarrass you. I didn’t want to mess up your chances.”<br><br>“I… I really don’t care,” their friend said. <br><br>Alex smiled as their friend walked up to the machine. Alex knew exactly what was happening. Alex always did. <br><br>They singled out the right men, and they always got what they wanted. <br><br>And Lana… well, Lana was about to become a part of their plan. <br><br>Alex only had a few months to stop the cult, and they were going to need some help. <br><br>But state senators were a good place to start.