June 19, 1987, 8am
La Citadelle
Quebec City, Quebec
To the public La Citadelle is an active military installation and the secondary official residence of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. The fortress is located within the Historic District of Old Québec, which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1985. The site receives some 200,000 visitors annually. The fort is an uneven star shaped comprises four bastions and three straight curtain walls constructed with sandstone.
After the second World War the construction of a large subterranean bunker under the fortress began in secret. The bunker has many sub-levels that are kept completely secret from the world at large. Since 1947 the bunker has been used to many different fields of both scientific and military research. Currently Dr. Lydia Trainer is Director of all the research teams at La Citadelle.
Dr. Trainer was born with a strange variation of the genetic condition known as Progeria. Lydia body grew and matured normally but it caused her to have wrinkled skin like that of someone much older. Growing up Lydia’s appearance caused her to keep to herself. She spent all of her free time in study. Through her adolescents Lydia’s self-esteem was very low because of her appearance. She was never even proud of her incredible intelligence. By 13 Lydia had graduated High School. Lydia’s capacity for learning seemed endless and by twenty-five she had a doctorate in Medicine and Masters Degrees in many other fields of study.
At twenty-six Lydia become head of the medical facility that was assigned to the governmentally sponsored La Citadelle. Her parents had worked for La Citadelle before she was born making her legacy to the organization. She quickly rose to being the Director of the whole facility.
This morning she holds the bi-monthly meeting of scientific department heads in the main conference room on sub-level three. “Good morning everyone,” Dr. Trainer says sitting down in her chair at the head of the table to open her briefcase. Everyone at the table has long since become accustomed to her disturbing appearance, even the relatively new Dr. Chaffee. “Let’s begin with you Professor Carson, have there been any significant changes in Project Converse with the addition of Dr. Chaffee to your team?” she inquired.
Professor Jeffrey Carson is head of Project Conversion, the oldest department head and longest running study. Next to him is Dr. Chaffee his recently hired new assistant. Professor Carson is nearly eighty and he longs to retire hoping that Dr. Chaffee is the right person to take over for him at La Citadelle. She is only the latest in a long line of possible replacements. None ever seem to measure up to Carson’s requirements.
The Professor fumbles with pages of accordion folded continuous forms. “The subject has shown the first signs of life in decades with Chaffee’s new treatment,” Carson replies in a tone that shows no sign of pleasure. “But by no means a remarkable improvement, none the less it is an improvement.”
“Very Good!” Dr. Trainer nods looking over the report that she received from the team late last night. “Will you have some time this afternoon to show me these results?”
“Of course Doctor,” Professor Carson says checking through his papers. “How does 2pm sound?”
“Perfect,” Trainer confirms turning to the couples seated next to Dr. Chaffee. Doctors Samantha Tinstone and Karl Gander have both worked at La Citadelle for sometime on their own projects but only recently collaborated on this Environmental Control research. Their unified goal is to find a solution to global warming. Tinstone and Gander have an unusual working relationship having previously been in a whirlwind romance that resulted in the birth of a son. It was during that relationship that Karl convinced her that their two projects at La Citadelle could be combined for one goal. “Tinstone, Gander do the two of you have anything to share about your current collaboration?” Trainer asks looking over the report she received from them early yesterday morning again.
“We have managed to create and electrical network matrix between the two gemstones that has stabilized enough to proceed,” Dr. Gander reports.
Speaking up, Dr. Tinstone is clearly not in agreement with her former lover, “I do not fully agree with my partner’s assumption that the network is stable.” “The device we have constructed to utilize the stored power in the stones has not been fully assessed.” “We have no way of knowing if the containment core we have built will hold.”
“I see,” Dr. Trainer says looking at the paperwork from each of the project managers. In her mind she again questions if it is a good idea to allow these two to work together at all with their personal history. “I reviewed your reports yesterday morning after I got them.” “You have both come to different conclusions about the same results.” “I was thinking I could spend the morning in your lab and you could show me what you have done, perhaps I can offer a tie breaking opinion?” The partners look at each with disappointment at the thought that Trainer has not chosen one of them on their report alone. “Perhaps I should make myself clearer, I will be returning with the two of you to your lab after this meeting.”
“Moving on,” Dr. Trainer moving on, across the table from Tinstone and Gander to Professor Edward Trent who heads up the Department of Quantum Studies. His current project is what has been classified as an alien device called the Quantum Box. The box was recovered some time ago by Dr. Trainer’s parents. Trent was hand picked by the Director for the task of opening the box and learn its secrets. “Professor Trent, how has your first month at La Citadelle gone?”
“Very informative, Lydia,” Trent responds the only one at the table to call the Director by her first name. “Your parents spent the majority of their time studying the Quantum Box itself.” “They had a little luck in deciphering the inscription on it or dating its age.” “I took a different approach by running it through a spectral scan.” “I have discovered that it is sending and receiving a benign transmission.” “Similar to an infrared transmission between, say a television set and its remote control.” “I have been working on identifying what type of energy is being used in the transmission, with no success as of yet.” “When I have identified the type of transmission I should be able to trace it back to its source.”
“Congratulations Edward, that is an incredible discovery,” Dr. Trainer compliments making the rest of the academics in the room feel relegated to failure. “Is there anything else that needs to be brought to the floor for discussion?” Dr. Trainer announces to group at the conference table. Only Professor Trent looks pleased with the results of the meeting, the rest of them have what has become their standard expression after these monthly reports, disappointment. “Very well then, Gander, Tinstone lead on.” Trainer says gathering up her papers and returning them to her briefcase.
The Pentagon
Unit-55
Washington, DC
The General has decided it is time to assign a new Asset to New York City. He has been spending too much time playing cat and mouse with Diana Carter, neglecting his other Assets. He sits alone in his office going over many files of the William Carter’s pawns that remain in play. Most of them are far more powerful than the ones Diana Carter has already taken down. William kept these pawn deeper hidden, separate from the ones on the files his daughter has been using. The General believes it possible that the young woman doesn’t even know about these high level pawns, which is why one of them would make a perfect replacement for Carter.
A few of these high level pawns have talents that are only kept in check by information that was held by both Carter and the General. To move one of them up into the role of Asset would loosen the grip of that information, making the importance of that choice all the more critical. The pawn that most draws his attention is Antonia Simpatico who Carter codenamed “the Owl”. The power she possess would make her the best Asset to take Carter’s place. The problem is in approaching her. The General may not be able to keep her power in check as well as Carter did. By all accounts Carter was immune to the Owl’s powers. Something the General has spent much research to discover why over the years. He believes he has found the answer to that mystery.
Picking up his phone he dials to the Unit-55 lab several rooms down the hall. “Bring me the trophy,” he instructs to the person on the other end of the line. He will go see the Owl in person, there is no need for her to know the location of Unit-55, only that it exists to continue her compliance.
Holiday Inn Express
100 N Christopher Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA
Ted Mathew wakes up in his Motel room bed. He is still dressed in his Hellion suit with no idea how he got there. Laying in the berd he stares at the popcorn ceiling trying to replay the events of the previous day in his head. At first he has nothing but a fog, as if he was on a tequila bender.
Then he pulls himself out of bed to peel off the black suit. A hot shower should loosen his memory. Looking to the television set and the VCR wired to it Ted feels a strange spark in his mind. Almost tripping with the tight suit still around his ankles over his feet he stumbles to press play on the VCR. The tape plays the scene of the hallway outside Steve Roberts’ apartment and Ted’s memories flood back to him.
The last thing he remembers is Steve Roberts in a hospital room, then hiding in the bathroom when a doctor arrived to treat the man. Roberts was dying of a poison of some kind. There is something else, he can’t quite wrap his mind around it but something else happened to him. As the tape ends he finishes pulling the suit off of his feet to get in the shower. It would seem a trip back to Jefferson hospital is in order for today. DeScalo will not be happy until Roberts is dead.
Dressing back in the catsuit, that remains unusually fresh even after sleeping in it, he pulled on regular street close over top, he remembers where he hid his clothes from the previous day. Retrieving them is top prior, he liked that jacket. Shoving the hood of the suit down the collar of his shirt Ted remembers something else. His power to give people bad luck is magic not just some trick his mind has been playing on him for years. How does he know that? He isn’t sure but he feels someone yesterday told him that fact.
Stopping for a cup of coffee and a newspaper outside the motel, Ted read the headline, “Master Warrior Fact or Urban Legend?” The thought of that guy flying around the city in that suit gives him a chuckle as he sips his coffee. Grabbing a cab back to Jefferson Hospital he spots Steve Roberts and his roommate leaving through the front doors. Roberts looks completely recovered as he walks out of the Hospital. How is that possible? Only yesterday he was at death’s door.
Taking a seat at a nearby bus stop Ted pretends to read his paper as he eavesdrops on the men. “I’m just grateful that Fiona remembers nothing of her time as Smilodon,” Steve tells Paddy. “I can relax now.”
“You just better be on your toes, there is no telling if any other Shadows got by Master Warrior to come for you,” Paddy replies. Ted sharp eyes scan over the two men, taking notice of the files the cop holds in his hand. He pays little mind to the blue folder, his main focus is on the health of Roberts. “This one got really close to killing you!” Paddy insists.
“Now that I know the Arsenal can kill them that won’t be a problem,” Steve replies. “I’ve got to go, I told David I’d be in tomorrow and I want to spend the rest of the day with my family.”
There is something very wrong here, Ted thinks as he gets up to follow Steve Roberts down the street. His clothes hidden at the Hospital will have to wait. What was that talk about Master Warrior? Do these cops have some connection to him? Casually Ted follows Steve to an alleyway where the guy turns in. Yet another thing about this guy that doesn’t make sense. This isn’t even the right direction for Roberts to be walking home. From the end of the alley Ted watches as Roberts climbs up onto a fire escape headed to the roof of the building.
Ted waits until his target has made his way to the roof before following. The jump to the retracted ladder is easy for him and the climb is nothing to the skilled burglar. But on the rooftop he finds no sign of his target, just like in the video. For the first time Ted agrees with Nicolas DeScalo, there is something very odd about this former cop. Following him is no longer enough.
Mist’s Palace
Magic Island
The Bermuda Triangle
It is mid-afternoon as Mist sits in his throne room contemplating his many strategies. “Mist,” the android Robin Carter interrupts the man’s deep thoughts as she enters the throne room. “I have spent the morning looking for Shanna all over the island and can not find her anywhere.”
“Shanna has left the island to find a cure for your problem,” Mist replies returning from his contemplation. “She will return in time.”
“A cure for my problem” Robin repeats. “The only cure is to be destroyed like Diana demanded months ago and I agree.” “I continue to not understand why you and Shanna have kept me active all this time.”
“The fact that you feel guilt over what happened should tell you that you are more than just a machine,” Mist says standing up from his throne. “There is more to you than just wires and circuitry.” “Didn’t you feel it when the connection to Diana was severed?” “Your free will?”
“You mean to trick and assault those boys at Stanford?” Robin retorts.
“That was not you, that was some kind of programming in the android shell that surfaced,” Mist explains. “My daughter believed that she could seal away that programming with magic, but now it is clear that she needs science to make you complete.”
“Complete?” Robin questions. “Without programming I truly am just wires and circuitry.”
“In the beginning, perhaps,” Mist says putting his arm around the young woman as he leads her from his chamber. “But you have learned so much in the time you spent in the outside world.” “It is your soul that powers your body now, that makes your decisions for you, not programming.”
“Soul!” Robin announces. “What are you talking about?” “I am a machine, I have no soul!”
“Silly girl, you were born to be Diana’s twin sister, but your soul was more like your father’s soul.” “It could not give life to a human body, but Shanna and I found a body to which it could bring life.” “The programming that took over control from you should not have been accessible to your soul powered body.”
Standing at the door to the throne room Robin is silent for a moment, her android mind computing the information Mist has just given her. “Let me understand this, you are telling me I have the soul of a dead baby, Diana’s twin sister inside of me?”
“That is exactly what I am saying,” Mist answers. “And when Shanna returns with the means to prevent the android programming from taking over again you will have that life to live.” “Now go enjoy the time you have left here on the island, soon a new life will begin for you.”
The New York Bulletin
4501 Rockefeller Center
New York City, NY
Martin Harper sits in his office chair staring at the folders on his desk. He rethinks his motives again. He worked so well with Diana Carter in plotting to uncover the Professor who was assaulting student. That was until the end, when it was clear that Dudley was their man, Diana suddenly clammed up. She refused to answer any of his questions about what happened, how she overpowered the machine’s mind control, how he was defeated. Dudley is no use to Harper, he is still in a coma. Martin never gives up on a story even if it means changing his focus to find the answers he needs to questions. He has already begun his investigation of Diana Carter, he only needs to decide if he should continue. After all he did first meet her outside the police precinct after that incident in Hempstead.
Sitting forward Martin opening the top file containing information he pieced together from informant tips he got at the Police Department. Those tips that farther make him suspect Diana. When Detective Prussia refused to help, Martin turned to his partner, Detective Black. It took some persuasion but in time Black was willing to betray his partner, a little too eager for Harper’s taste. He doesn’t know if he can trust the information from Black any more than Prussia should trust him.
Placing the file aside he glances through the next file that holds a list of friends and associates from Diana Carter’s past. He has found the current location of most of the people on the list. Martin will begin with the ones that have reconnected with Diana since her return to New York.
June 19, 1987, 10am
The laboratory of Gander and Tinstone – Sub-level Six
La Citadelle,
Quebec City, Quebec
Dr. Trainer has spent the last hour being completely filled in on the progress of Tinstone and Gander’s project. It is clear to her that what they have built is an amazing construction of teamwork, but the device’s construction has caused a disagreement between them in its use.
The Electromagnetic generator fill nearly the whole room. It needs constant supervision to maintain its stability. There are five lab-assistant on constant diligence at the gauges and controls making adjustments. Inside the core of the generator are two gemstones that have been scrutinized for years by hundreds of scientists. The gems came into the custody of Karl Gander when he joined La Citadelle.
Although both stones are in the form of crystals these stones are not usually found as so in nature. That is what first drew researchers to the gemstones. The yellowish gray crystal clearly has the mineral make up of Iolite in crystal form. It is very cold to the touch, no unprotected human hand can hold it for more than a few minutes before frostbite damage occurs to quickly spread over their entire body.
The opposite can be said of the violet crystal that is hot to the touch. Touching the Fluorapatite bare handed is nearly impossible. While studying the crystals Karl learned that when brought together the two stone interacted, both changing to a moderate temperature. Although when brought too close together for an extended period of time there was an explosive reaction.
After many nights spent together the two scientists theorized that Samantha’s Electro-magnetic generator would be the perfect storage unit for the crystals to fully realize the power they contained. By the time Karl and Samantha began working together at the lab she was already pregnant. The close working relationship made them realize quickly that they were not a good pairing, ending their romantic relationship in favor of the work.
Now it would seem it is up to Dr. Trainer to be the mediator in their work partnership. Making a few adjustments to the machinery to examine different readings on the inside of the Electromagnetic generator Trainer pronounces, “You are both wrong!” “You are arguing over completely merging the crystals or not!” “You are missing the energy that is being created between them.” “The combined energies given off by the crystals is creating something completely new that I personally have never seen before.” “That is the true product of your research. The other two scientists hurry to look at the readings on the gauges and the computer readouts.
“She is right!” Dr. Gander announces. “That reaction is beyond what we were trying to achieve!”
“How could we have missed this?” Dr. Tinstone agrees.
“Because the two of you have been too busy attacking each other to see what you have created!” Dr. Trainer says coldly impressing on them the double meaning of her words. “Now start realizing that and find out what it is and how to use it!” Dr. Trainer picks up her briefcase to leave the lab confident in their skills in science, not so much in teamwork.
Area 51
The desert
Roswell, New Mexico
Dr. Bybo’s lab has seen better days. There is little left of Area 51 after the fire. Everything, all of Bybo’s research, his life’s work is gone. He will have to start over somewhere else. Every scrap of the alien technology is gone along with the alien bodies!
The one thing that does remain are the remnants of the androids that attacked outside the base. No one knows where the androids came from but they were clearly attacking the woman in red who invaded the base. Bybo will make good use of these strange robot parts. Their design is much different than anything he has seen before but he is sure they will prove useful nonetheless.
With his government funding gone, Dr. Bybo takes what he can from the remains of his lab by theft. Some of the soldiers who still remain dedicated to his work, more than to their service to the US Army help with this task. These men will be the start of something much greater. Bybo has already reported them all dead, killed in the attack on the base to his superiors in the Army.
In the years Bybo spent at Area 51 he took the opportunity to use what he learned about this crash site to scan the Earth using government satellites to find other possible crash sites. He found several but the one that most intrigued him was in the mountains of Missouri. Twenty years ago there was an abnormality in the weather in the area that coincide with something that was believed at the time to a meteor entering the atmosphere. Bybo believes the meteor story was a cover up. That is why he has chosen Missouri for the location of his new laboratory.
Over the past two years he has used money that he as syphoned from other projects at Area 51 to construct a hidden complex with everything he will need in the Taum Sauk Mountains of Missouri. Far from the prying eyes of the US Government that has strapped down his research for far too many years here as Area 51.
Jefferson Hospital
Philadelphia, Pa
After retrieving the duffle bag with his clothes in it from its hiding place, Hellion sneaks into Hospital. He is headed for the key entry room. Most businesses now spend the day entering the hand written reports from the previous day into the computer systems. Hellion found out the hard way that the suit works best is when he stays close to walls. He slides his back along the corridor because the camouflage power doesn’t always work as well around movement. He also now knows why the suit shuts down. He can’t use his own bad luck powers while it is active. Somehow he also knows the magical nature of his power triggers the shut down of the camouflage. As hard as he tries he can’t remember everything that happened last night.
Hellion silently follows the orderly pushing a cart filled with the previous day’s blue folders files to the elevator. He slips into the cabin as the door closes to stand against the back wall. The orderly wears headphones connected to a walkman making it impossible to hear the other man in the elevator. When the doors open again it is the basement that Hellion follows the orderly into and down the hall to the key entry room.
Inside the room there are three women sitting at keyboards rapidly typing. Hellion stays close to the wall looking over each woman’s shoulder for the correct files. They have just begun their shift and it appears the orderly has brought the final load of papers. It is a long morning as Hellion watches and reads over files finding no sign of the name Steve Roberts.
It isn’t until around noon when the three women take their lunch break that he finally gets the freedom to search the files for himself. Hellion goes through box after box of files until her finds the Intensive Care Unit Files. He flips through page after page searching for Steve Roberts’ name to find nothing. It is as if the man was never admitted to the hospital. Berger, Rogers roommate, it strikes him the cops are the only ones who could cover this up, but why?
A small cottage
Magic Island
The Bermuda Triangle
After her talk with Mist, Robin returned to the cottage Diana Carter lived in during her years on Magic Island. She sits on the wooden chair looking out the window at the forest outside. In the past two hours she has run self-diagnostic scans that have been more complete than any she had done. There is no sign of anything like a soul that Mist spoke of inside her, only circuitry, memory storage, and electricity.
Looking up to the sky and then out to the sunlite garden at the edge of the trees she thinks, it is a beautiful day on the island, but then again everyday has been beautiful for as long as she can remember. That is a random thought! Why would an android have such a random thought? The idea of her having a soul is completely illogical.
Then it strikes her, this renegade program that ran when she was at Stanford, where did it come from? If Shanna or Mist did not give it to her who did?” Why can she not find it when she runs a diagnostic? Perhaps she should just take matters into her own hands.
Getting up from the wooden chair at the window Robin crosses the room to the kitchenette as Diana called it. She removes her blouse to expose her perfectly human looking torso. Then taking a small knife from a drawer Robin begins to slice open her belly. She slices four, five inches long straight lines in the shape of a square in her artificial flesh around her belly button. At first there is a spill of red fluid that mimics blood. Then as she cuts deeper there is a blue liquid that truly feeds her systems. The artificial veins in her body quickly reroute the flow of her blue blood as she removes the flesh square to expose the access panel to her battery pack. Laying the 5 by 5 square of flesh on the table she moves to the bed to lay down.
Humans would call what she does next suicide. Robin’s fingers move to open the panel in her belly. Inside is the battery that powers her body. By removing it she will simply cease to be, her artificial life will end and every human on Earth will be better for it. She takes a deep breath as if she truly needed to breathe and then reaches inside her belly. Her hand fumbles around for a few seconds before her mind realizes the battery compartment is empty. She has no battery inside her! Then what is powering her body?
“I do have a SOUL!” she shouted with joy sitting up on the bed.
Hudson Veterans Clinic
28 Hudson St
New York, NY
Martin Harper first stop is Hudson street to question Francis Woodlawn about Diana Carter. The two were friends in high school and Martin hopes the man can shed some light on Diana’s past. The reporter enters the clinic, it is like any other of its kind. Nothing appears out of place as he steps up to the window where a nurse sits. “Hello, My name is Martin Harper, I’m a reporter with the New York Bulletin, I’m doing a story on College students that return home to New York after time away at schools out of state,” he tells the nurse showing her his press credentials. “I was wondering if I could talk with Francis Woodlawn?”
“Oh you mean Fox, I believe you got here just in time, he was just about to leave,” the nurse replies getting up from her chair. “Wait here just a minute, I will see if he is still here.”
Harper paces around the waiting room, there is only one patient waiting to be seen. “How ya doing?” he asks casually.
“Good,” the man replies.
Martin is just about to take a seat when the tall, thin, brown haired young man enters the waiting room from the exam room entrance. “Mr. Harper, I’m Fox Woodlawn,” he says reaching out his hand to shake. “I’m not sure how I can help you with your story, I went to school right here in the city.”
“I am not doing a story on you, I’m writing it about a friend of yours, Diana Carter,” Martin explains. He was sure the vagueness of what he told the nurse would peak the young man’s curiosity. “She returned home at the beginning of the year after two years in California, didn’t she?” “But she waited until just recently to return to school here.”
“Yes, but that isn’t much of a story is it?” Fox questions.
“I’m just interested in if it changed her at all?” Martian quizzes.
“No, not really she is still the girl who beat up her prom date to me,” Fox replies without thinking. The surprise on Harper’s face is all it takes for Fox to regret the statement. Tracey is always telling him what a big mouth he has, but every time he opens it he seems to prove her right. “It really wasn’t that big of a deal, it mostly just embarrassed Scott.”
“Scott?” Martin repeats taking out his notepad. “Scott who?”
“Archer, but that really isn’t that big of a story either,” Fox says trying to cover his tracks.
“Of course you are right,” Martin replies. “What I am really looking for is, do you feel that Diana was changed by her time away in ways that perhaps you did not by staying here?” Fox is clearly taken aback by the question to which Martin says, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
Fox thinks for a moment trying to find an answer for the question. “I don’t think Diana is your average college graduate,” Fox admits. “When she came back she didn’t talk about her time at Stanford much.” “Diana has always been a secretive person.” “She enjoys spending her time helping others more than talking about herself.” “For example she fixed my wife and I up in High School because she saw things neither of us did.”
“So you would say that she is insightful,” Martin asks.
“Yes, very much so, maybe even overly so, it gets her in trouble sometimes,” Fox says as he relaxes not thinking again about what he is revealing.
“How so?” Martin asks.
“Diana had some rough years before she came to Ensign, that might be why she doesn’t like to talk about herself,” Fox tells the reporter. “She had a friend die in her arms.”
“That must have been hard for her,” Martin suggests.
“Oh she got the best of the murder in the end,” Fox boasts.
“How so?” Martin quizzes.
Fox realizes he has stepped in it again and isn’t sure how to get out of it. There is still so much about the end of that trip to the shore he doesn’t understand. “The guy who killed her friend Gina got arrested for dealing drugs right after we graduated.”
Feeling like he is pushing his luck now Martin says, “Thank you for your time,” having found out more than he could have hoped.
“Is that all you need?” Fox asks not sure what to make of the reporter as he begins to leave.
“Yes, you have been a big help to my story,” Martin says, “Thank you again.”
June 19, 1987, 6pm
Project Conversion Lab – Sub-level Three
La Citadelle
Quebec City, Quebec
Director of La Citadelle, Dr. Lydia Trainer has spent the past several hours with Professor Carson and his new assistant Dr. Chaffee. On a table at the center of the Lab the subject of the study lays. Project Converse is centered around a vegetative man who was given an experimental treatment to regenerator his damaged brain by Professor Carson. Initially the project appeared to be a failure. Later the subject’s body was turned to the appearance of marble and just as hard. Carson has spent the years since studying the body that was still clearly alive.
Only in the past few weeks with the help of Dr. Chaffee has his team been able to penetrate the surface of the subject’s skin. “The internal fluid you were able to extract, have the result on it changed in the past week?” Dr. Trainer asks.
“Yes ma’am,” Dr. Chaffee answers. “Originally the fluid was unidentifiable in nature, on the past few days it has shown signs of human DNA.”
“Those results are not conclusive,” Professor Carson interjects.
KKAAAABBBBOOOOOOMMMMM !!!!
Without warning an explosion rocks the whole complex. “What the hell was that?” Dr. Trainer announces heading for the phone on the wall. Dialing “0” she demands, “Security what was that explosion?”
“It was on Sub-level Six,” the guard responds.
“Gander and Tinstone’s lab?” Trainer shouts.
“The whole level has gone onto compression lock down to contain the fire,” the security personnel on the other end of the phone explains. “EMS crews are on their way down now!”
The Archer home
70 Washington St
Brooklyn NY
“Thank you again for seeing me, Mrs. Archer,” Martin Harper says as he is invited into the woman’s home to interview her.
“I was so pleased to hear from you,” Mrs. Archer says leading the reporter to her living room. “To think after all this time someone has an interest in my Scott.” “Please have a seat, can I get you something to drink?”
“No, I’m fine,” Martin replies. “Why don’t we get started, I won’t take up too much of your time.”
“Oh that is fine, I have all the time you need,” Mrs. Archer tells the reporter pushing a plate of fresh baked cookies on the coffee table closer to him. “What would you like to know?”
“Let’s start with Scott’s time at Ensign Academy,” Martin says taking out his notepad.
“Yes, Ensign Academy, my late husband’s estate paid for Scott to go there,” she explains. “My husband passed when Scott was only fifteen and he became the man of the house after that.” “He was such a nice young man.”
“Did he have any problems at school?” Martin asks trying to keep her on track.
“Problems, Lord no, Scott had so many friends,” the proud mother tells the reporter. “He was the Captain of the football team.” “But he always found time for his Mother.” “He was always bringing me home gifts.” “Nothing too expensive, mostly small things, like that cherub, there on the shelf.” Mrs. Archer points to a small porcelain figurine on a shelf by a mirror.
“What about girl friends?” Martin asks trying again to steer the conversion. “Anyone in particular?”
“Oh all the girls loved my boy,” the proud mother smiles. “He often told me how he had to turn them away, him being the team Captain and all.” “There were so many different names, I can’t pick out just one.”
“What about Diana Carter,” Harper questions finally getting to the point of this meeting.
“Diana, such a sweet girl, she is the one he took to the Prom you know,” Mrs. Archer says with not so happy of a look on her face for the first time talking about her pride and joy.
“So they were a couple?” he quizzes.
“No, it was only that one night, he never spoke of her again after what happened,” she said sadly.
“Happened?” Harper prods.
“My boy was attacked by hooligans from another school,” the now angry mother reveals. “To think my boy could be attacked at a school function like that!” “I took him straight to the principal’s office and when that man would did nothing, I went to the police!”
“Was Scott badly injured?” Martin asks eager to hear the answer.
“Those roughens broke his arm!” Mrs. Archer says looking as if she could cry.
“What happened with the police?” Martin inquiries.
“Nothing, they never even found one of those four boys that hurt my son,” she tells the reporter looking stronger as she reaches for a tissue.
“Would it be possible for me to talk with Scott in person or on the phone?” Martin suggest as it is now clear to him that Mrs. Archer does not know the whole story behind the Prom attack.
Dabbing a tissue on her eye she looks at Martin Harper with surprise. “I thought you knew, I thought that was why you were coming to talk to me,” she says. “There was an accident at the end of his freshman year, a bus crash.” Mrs. Archer says with a cold stare. “Everyone on the bus was killed, except my Scott.” “You see his body was never found, so I believe that he will come home someday.” “He will walk through that door to give me a hug and tell me everything is going to be fine now that he has come home.” It is clear to Martin now that Mrs. Archer isn’t quite right in the head.
“Is that what the police told you?” Martin questions hoping to find some reasonable explanation for this woman’s delusion.
“Of course not, those policemen were as worthless as the ones trying to find those boys,” Mrs. Archer answers with disgust. “The bus went off the road into a river, they told me his body was lost to the water.” “But I know how good of a swimmer my boy was, he’ll be home on day.”
The woman’s attitude is both impressive and sad. Martin will have to do some more research about both of Scott Archer’s run-ins with the police. “I think that is all I need,” Martin says standing up. “Thank you again for your time.”
“Do you think you can find my boy?” the disturbed mother asks following the reporter to the door. “I’m sure he has just forgotten who he is, amnesia.” “If you find him and bring him home I’m sure everything will be fine again.”
If only it was that easy, Martin thinks. “I’ll do what I can,” he tells her as he headed back out into the evening air.
Philadelphia Elite Squad
1st Precinct
Philadelphia, Pa
It is after hours at the station, Hellion assumes that the Elite Squad is gone for the day. This is one place he never wanted to see again, but he has no choice if he wants to find out why Berger stole his former partner’s files from the hospital. Hellion has no idea what this Elite Squad does but he intends to find out. The station is much how he remembered it having only been there a few hours previously.
When he was arrested by Steve Roberts it made him question his ability. Then after that speech Roberts gave him he knew there was no way he was going to court. Using his power to trigger multiple events Ted Mathews as able to escape the police station around this time of day, that is why he knew this was the best time to come back. There are fewer people on duty now making it less of a strain on his power to work his tricks.
This trip his goal is to stay cloaked from sight. Knowing he can not use his own power and that is a benefit to the intrusion. The Elite Squad has its own floor in the precinct building with higher security than the others. This is not the first time he has climbed up an elevator shaft to get access to something.
Prying open the doors Hellion slips from the elevator shaft onto the top floor. There is no one around not even a desk sergeant on this floor. Staying close to the walls as usual Hellion makes his way to the squad room. There are six desks and an attached office for management. Finding Paddy Berger’s desk shouldn’t be too hard. If he was doing this of his own accord the files wouldn’t be right out in the open anyway. He is fairly certain he is looking for a blue folder not the manila ones that are in abundance in the office.
Suddenly, Hellion’s concentration is broken, “Who are you?” Detective Grimes announces. Hellion looks up to see the man standing at the door to the squad room. “I can’t see you but I can certainly feel you!”
Hellion remains motionless at the cop’s words. Who is this nut? Hellion hasn’t seen him before around the other members of this squad. Sometimes quick movements can weaken the cloak so he dare not move until this guy is gone.
“Fine don’t answer, that doesn’t mean I won’t catch you,” Grimes says raising his arm to point it in Hellion’s direction. Suddenly there is a rumbling of the furniture in the room and then it all begins to slide toward the cloaked Hellion. In seconds the burglar would have been pinned to the wall if not for his agility to leap up into the desk that slides at him.
Riding the desk like a surfer Hellion can play that game too. He is visible for only a second to activate his power to cause all of the bulbs in the overhead lighting to blow at once. The bursting and sparking of the fluorescent tubes breaks Grimes concentrations causing the movement of the desks and chairs to stop. Leaping across the desktops Hellion lands a right cross to the jaw of the cop, knocking him against the wall and unconscious to the floor. It is too risky to stay, all of the noise has surely called attention to the squad room. Cloaking again Hellion flees the scene back to the elevator.