The Law of Averages A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Millersville University of Pennsylvania In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in English Copyright © 2019 Alexander R. Coffroth ALL RIGHTS RESERVED This Thesis for the Master of Arts in English Degree by Alexander R. Coffroth has been approved on behalf of the Graduate School by Thesis Committee: Research Advisor: Dr. William Archibald Committee Member: Dr. Dominic Ording Committee Member: Dr. Timothy Miller Date: 04/25/2019 *A copy of this approval page with original signatures has been submitted to Graduate Studies and Adult Learning ii ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS THE LAW OF AVERAGES By ALEXANDER R. COFFROTH Millersville University, 2019 Millersville, Pennsylvania Directed by Dr. WILLIAM ARCHIBALD Abstract: The Law of Averages is a detective novel, set in the fictional city of Circadia in the year 2026, which follows the exploits of Detective John Coffer. Coffer is a man who is haunted by his past as he tries to move into the future. Will he ever truly be a good man or are his actions forever influenced by the sins of his father? John must seek answers to these questions throughout the novel, all the while hunting down a vicious serial killer. This novel applies elements of science fiction to the traditional tropes of the detective novel. Thematically, the reader will delve into the questions identity and memory as they try to determine John’s fate. As the story unfolds, the dark history of the city and the detective are lain bear for the reader to see. Coffer must contend with his own inner demons as well as external threats to keep his city safe. One false step, and John could succumb to the darkness inside him. The Law of Averages (Thesis) contains excerpts from eight chapters as well as a summarized account of the remaining chapters. Following this writing, there is a metacognitive component that breaks down and reflects on the author’s journey to creating this work. Signature of Investigator: Alexander R. Coffroth Date: 04/25/2019 *A copy of this approval page with original signatures has been submitted to Graduate Studies and Adult Learning. iii Preface: The following chapters are an excerpt from a larger work entitled, The Law of Averages. The document is a dream-made manifest, courtesy of many. It has always been a dream of mine to write a novella or a novel – yet, I always found a reason to delay. Finally, Millersville University has provided me with the opportunity to embark on this journey. The following thesis is the culmination of a five year journey at this university and the impact that numerous professors and academic peers have had on me. What began as a pursuit of more knowledge for a profession, became a journey of personal growth. Creative writing is a difficult undertaking and I owe a great deal of thanks to many people. Foremost, thanks should be extended to Dr. Ording and Dr. Miller for agreeing to be readers on my committee. These two professors served as my initial contacts at the university and have been a tremendous help to me over the years. Secondly, I must acknowledge the help provided by Dr. William Archibald. Dr. Archibald provided discussion sessions to tease out ideas and corrected my litany of mistakes. Additionally, I owe a great deal of thanks to Dr. Kristen Seligman, whose discerning eye scouted the pitfalls of plot holes and helped me to bridge the gap. Finally, I am thankful for the support of my parents and siblings. They provided caffeinated support and the occasional meals to keep me alive throughout the writing. Without their support and the grace of God, I would never have reached the end of this journey. iv Table of Contents Approval Page …………………………………………………………………………………....ii Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………..iii Preface ………………………………………………………………………………………....... iv Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………………v The Law of Averages……………………………………………………………………………...1 Prologue: The Coders……………………………………………………………………..2 Chapter 1: The Scene ...………………………………………………………………….18 Chapter 2: The Chase…………………………………………………………………….35 Chapter 3: The Lead……………………………………………………………………...49 Chapter 4: The Doctor…………………………………………………………………...64 Chapter 5: The Name…………………………………………………………………….81 Chapter 6: The Theater ………………………………………………………………….95 Chapter 7: The Request …………………………………………………………….…..111 Chapters 8-13: The Summaries……………….……………………………………………….. 125 Chapter 8: The Bullpen ………………………………………….……………………..126 Chapter 9: The Turn ………………………………………..…………………………..128 Chapter 10: The Sky-Rise………………………………………………………………129 Chapter 11: The Gala …………………………………………………………………..131 Chapter 12: The Fallout……………………………………………………………….. 133 Chapter 13: The Cicada……………………………………………………………….. 134 Metacognitive Journals ………………………………………….……………………………..136 Introduction and Rational for a Creative Thesis ………………………………………..137 Genre Selection and Development ……………………………………………………...142 Character Development, World Building, and Thematic Research…………………….148 Drafting, Editing, and Finding a Conclusion……………………………………………156 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………… 160 v The Law of Averages By Alexander R. Coffroth (Full Chapters: Prologue – 7) 1 Prologue: The Coders 2 “Nine-one-one operator. What is your emergency?" “Help. She needs help! Oh God.” “Alright, sir can you tell me where you are?” “I don’t think she is going to make it.” “Sir. I need a location.” “Talan. T-Talan Industrial Complex.” “Help is on the way. Can you tell me what happened?” “H-he killed them.” “Who?” “My father.” --Transcript of Emergency Call March 21st, 2013 Circadia City Police February was an odd month in the city of Circadia, especially in terms of weather. It seemed noncommittal to the cold of winter, yet rejected the warmth of spring. Instead, the city’s inhabitants existed in a perpetual state of discomfort as the weather vacillated between rain and snow. At the moment, the sun echoed brilliantly off the pristine parts of piles of snow that had accumulated the prior night in the storm. The refracted radiance did nothing to raise the freezing temperatures this early in the morning. Instead, it only served as an annoyance that nearly 3 blinded three lonely figures who were walking directly into the sunrise as they plodded through the narrow crevice between two massive snow drifts in the Southern Shore and the Old Talan Residential Neighborhood. The breach of sunlight over the eastern horizon was not strong enough to melt the powder at 7:12 am and judging from the reports by local meteorologists the sun was going to disappear shortly. The forecast for the day promised above freezing temperatures and precipitation in the coming hours that would certainly make a mess of the entire city. The three men were coders who had slogged their way through the cold, icy, and barely accessible roadways at the behest of their employer. Collections of old warehouses and tenement buildings of the Southern Shore, casualties of the recession, were being reclaimed in a city-wide renaissance led by the Florentian Company. Old patterns and beats of the city were being resurrected and revamped. It was a rebirth that could not be beholden to erratic temperatures and comfortable schedules. Change – truly meaningful change – requires sacrifice and pain. These men were forced into the cold by the necessity of their profession, trading the warmth of their beds for the job. The city, divided by the storm the night before into two factions, was groggily rumbling to life. Those that could afford a slow start to the day remained oblivious to the plights of others, while those of the less-advantageous persuasion, such as the three men, plodded their way through work, resenting the other. “I’ve never been to this part of the city before,” remarked the young blonde, wiry man with a chipper tone as crisp as the morning air. He walked with an anxious gait and kept trying to move at a faster pace than the other two would allow on such a narrow path. The snow and the disposition of the others forced him to stay at the end of the weary procession, which 4 necessitated that he converse in an overly loud voice. “Are we gonna to be in this district for much longer, Carl?” “Heh?” the leader was spending most of his energy marching through the ankle high snow towards the series of apartment buildings that displayed on his toolpad. The little green line was slowly diminishing on the screen, indicating that they would soon reach the worksite. “What didja say Marcus?” “Are we gonna to be in the Southern Shore very long?” Marcus replied nearly yelling as a diesel snow plow blew past the trio, kicking up sludge, and belching a cloud of black smoke into the air. The Talan Residential Quarter was a project district in the city on the Southern Shore of the river that had sequestered itself from outsiders. It was a district that hardly ever saw the likes of repairs or new infrastructure, especially since the Talan Company had liquidated its holdings. The people here preferred to hide their problems or pretend they didn’t exist rather than seek outside help. However, that all was about to change in the coming months. The tenants, or more likely the people who would be moving into their homes after these people were kicked out, would be receiving a tremendous upgrade to their infrastructure and cyberstructure. All of the upgrades were thanks to Mayor Shapiro’s rebirth campaign and the Florentian Company’s ambitious plans for the city. “We’re gonna be here as long as Mr. Florentian says we need to be.” Interrupted the dour-looking man with the long face that was walking in the middle of the two. His voice 5 grinded out of a mouth that was mottled with a patchwork of bruises and sounded like a vehicle kicking up grit on a gravel road. “And no more yelling, my head can’t take your yammering.” “Bout time you said something, Garrett. They dropped us off at 5:00 am and the most you’ve done is grunt.” Marcus attempted to walk beside Garrett, but was forced to scuttle backward behind the taller man lest he walk into a poster plastered pole.