Psychronicles

1. Not So Spontaneous Combustion

It doesn't make any sense.

Doctor Joseph Nol continued to contemplate at the crisp of a corpse lying on the table in front of him. But it was only one of the corpses and tables in the lab he's in. All of them were victims of the crisis of Gonle city, a mysterious phenomenon that causes random people to spontaneously (or seemingly) combust. There doesn't seem to be any connection aside from the fact that they live in this city and they're above the age of fifteen.

"Doctor Nol?" A soft voice called from the door to his left. It was his assistant Doctor Helena Morris, a woman in her mid twenties with knotted red hair. "It's getting late and I did all we can with our research for now. I'm going to need to rest up at home and see what we can do tomorrow."

Doctor Nol only nodded to allow her to leave. Speaking of which, he might also need a little shut eye himself. Maybe he could research more thoroughly with the energy, but where to start? Is there even a scientific cause? Spontaneous human combustion was said to be a supernatural phenomenon after all. But there must be a trigger. Is there a serial killer who can induce it? Is there a disease going around? Should he quarantine each and every person in the city to analyse?

Doctor Nol grabbed the drink bottle on a bench next to him and tried seeing how his thoughts can improve after quenching his thirst. However, he was surprised to find the bottle empty, remembering how he even had to refill before contemplating on the corpse. He must really have been here for too long. It's time to leave for now.

Walking along the corridor he decided on how to continue the research the next day. It appears analysing each and every person of late teens and adult age. He can find a way to make it work. The public would like a solution to the crisis after all. But that can no longer happen. In fact, Doctor Nol will no longer even be able to make it out of the exit let alone drive his car home as he felt a burning sensation spread from the centre of his body and soon enough engulfed him as another victim of the Gonle crisis.

VWVVW

The very next stormy morning, a group of researchers had gathered around the burnt remains of Doctor Nol, including a devastated Doctor Morris. The group is led by a man at about age forty with bobbed hair cut. The man made the introduction speech, "Now you should all know you're here. We wish to solve the Gonle crisis once and for all."

"I'm sorry it wasn't soon enough to save Doctor Nol," The man bowed sincerely to Morris, who tried to keep up a strong appearance even after the tragedy. The man then turned to the rest of the research team once again. "The crisis has stolen enough from us which is why we will now do everything it takes and I mean everything. My name is Stan Lott and I'll be the manager of the research team."

"On my right we have biology professors Spencer and Martin," Stan gestured to the two, and then turned to the group next to them. "Military weapons manufacturers led by David Fry, top class detective Solis, exorcists in case the combustions were induced by supernatural entities, alien conspiracists if it's aliens instead, skeptics in case they're wrong, tailors if it's the clothes that went evil and gained magical powers, photographers, fiction writers because we might come across a twist, casino card dealers in case you get bored, the weatherman because why the hell not, tennis players, crypto zoologists-"

"Tennis players?" The weapons manufacturer David Fry queried bewilderingly.

"I told you we're doing everything we can," Stan answered quickly. "If you feel like arguing, I also bought a lawyer."

"So... is everyone set to begin?" Morris asked nervously, finding difficulty seeing the man she worked with for so long and even learned from in such a state.