No yolking matter

The Dispatch room for the station was small, and only had one person manning it at this time of night. Shannon always insisted that it was "wommaning", with a smile.

And everyone would laugh along.

Her chair was knocked over. Papers were scattered.

Which was of somewhat less concern than the large, pulsating-green egg in the middle of the room.

"How-" Kaida said. "Why-?"

"Decapitation strike," Deon said. He tapped his pistol against his leg. Finger off the trigger, of course. "We can't call in, or out."

He walked forward.

"Deon? Wh- what are you doing?"

He pressed the muzzle of his Glock to the egg. "Decapitating right back."

"What?"

"They don't need eggs, usually. Means this is something special."

"But what if Shannon's still in there? Somewhere?"

"...Then she'll thank us."

The world tilted again. Deon was going to-

He couldn't-

But-

"Wait!"

Deon paused. And, finally, turned his head. "Wait for what?"

"...What if it's a trap?"

"A trap?"

"Yes!" Kaida stepped a little closer to him. "They're-they're sneaky. Have you noticed? They're sneaky. They get in our heads. So shooting it-"

"-Might be exactly what they want. Might be a tripwire."

"Yeah!"

It was thin, it was real thin, but-

Deon sighed.

And stepped back.

And holstered his gun, hard.

He took one last look at the egg, then walked past it to the console. Started pressing buttons.

"Makes sense," he muttered. "Makes a lot of sense. They cut the wires on the armory keypad, and put it back on so we'd waste time."

"And then they sprayed the green stuff, so we'd waste even more."

"That's right. You know how to use this thing?"

Kaida walked closer. Stood about a yard away from the egg. Hopefully, that green glow wasn't radioactive or something.

"That's a bit above my pay grade."

Deon didn't turn around. "Don't touch it."

"I'm not-" Kaida looked down at her hand. Then pulled it back. "A-any luck?"

"No." Deon straightened up. "Shame there's no blinking red button."

Kaida looked at the screens behind him. "At least Wyatt and Hoshi got outside safe."

On one of the screens, the other two cops had made the parking lot. The well-lit, open parking lot.

"Hard for any of the freaks to sneak up on them," Deon said. "Course, means they're exposed too. These guys don't use guns, right?"

"Not so far."

"Goo-"

A hissing noise.

Both cops whirled, and brought their guns up.

The egg was opening.

COMMENTARY: If you don't get Deon Carr's name by now, try imagining how it would be displayed on a driver's license or any other form of official ID. Then say it out loud.