Around the TSP Base
A Collab Amongst Everyone
Pat's insistence did not do much for Wilson's confidence, but he had shown the ability to make his own choices, and that was something Wilson would have to live with. As much as he wanted to help everyone, there were still rules to follow and refusal of treatment still played a factor in his rights as a medical man. These thoughts followed him down the hall to Sam's room, which had her squirreled away between the two corridors containing the other bedrooms. It had been a reflexive decision to put her there, initially, but as he approached her door it seemed to suit her.
Through the small crack he produced by nudging the heavy door open, Wilson observed the still-sleeping Sam. She did not appear to be suffering any negative effects from the sedative; none that could be detected from this distance at any rate. He quietly let himself in and regarded the EEG once more. A worrisome amount of paper piled up on the floor beneath it, etched with the same seemingly-random fluctuations.
"I'm sorry, Samantha," Wilson said softly. "But you can't be trusted here alone. I wish I had more time to give you."
She did not react as the needle pierced her flesh. The stimulant worked its magic in minutes, and the EEG slowly normalized as Sam was dragged back to consciousness. Wilson frowned as she stirred, inwardly guilty at the treatment she and the other Charlies had had to endure. In that moment, he allowed himself to wonder which one had suffered the most from their contact with the serum.
He snapped back from his reverie when Sam let slip a grumpy moan. The EEG was now working properly again, and the equipment which insisted in the contradictions between positive and negative confirmation of psionic activity now showed flatlines.
"Time." she mumbled sleepily. Wilson could not restrain a wry chuckle. Of all the things to worry about, she wanted to know the time.
"Samantha," Wilson said softly. "We're going to go out for a while. It's part of the tour. I'd like it very much if you would join us."
~.~
"I hope you slept well. I heard something about a tour. Doesn't it sound exciting?" Callie asked cheerfully as she led Christian into the cafeteria. "Oh look! Everyone is finally here! Well mostly those from yesterday."
The bubbly young woman waved energetically to the people who looked at the two of them. Confidently, she continued walking through the room till they finally reached a table with two empty seats. Cal noticed that most of the food had been cleared save the toast. Time to get something a little more edible.
"Garret! Are there any bacon and eggs left?"
Cal could barely hear the head cook over the din. "I'll be right back with some bacon and sunny side up eggs just for you!"
Christian was silent as he let Callie lead him into... what he assumed was the cafeteria based on the sound of cooking implements clashing together. He let his arm on her shoulder drag him forward. This was not something Christian did often and as he walked he continually felt as if everyone was watching him, though of course he could have no idea if it was true.
Callie herself Christian found just a little bit obnoxious. She was cheerful and energetic but in the way that grates on the nerves. He hoped he'd get used to her because it seemed that she'd appointed herself his guide dog.
As the excitement of the attempted breakfast started to dwindle down Daniel gave a slight sigh as he looked towards Josiah. “I guess it’s just the two of us showing them around since it looks like Cameron bailed on us.” Seeing that Josiah was about to protest Daniel continued to speak, this time with a slight edge to his voice. “You are staying, right?”
“Oh yes, I wouldn’t miss the grand tour for anything.” Josiah said with a tinge of sarcasm in his voice before he stood up and dropped his dirty dishes off. “Hopefully it’s obvious to you all that this is the dining area, if not we’re going to have some issues with you.”
Wilson showed up at just the right moment to interrupt a squabble before it started. With Sam in tow, still rubbing her eyes, he smiled and looked at each of the two Supers with a smile. "Sorry I'm late," he said sheepishly. "I had to go retrieve one of our new arrivals. Shall we get started?"
“Could you at least try to be civil for once?” Daniel mumbled at Josiah under his breath. “Anyways, since you’ve seen quite a bit of what is up here on the upper level, let’s start downstairs.” Daniel said before climbing up the four foot high stairs to the area to the Rec Room. “This area here was once the platform for the train station they were building in the past. Luckily their plans didn’t go through so we were able to acquire all this without any records of this place existing which made building this area much easier than it could have been if we had to dig all of this out of the ground. Speaking of the train station, a fun fact for you all is that the hallways here was where the railroads were once laid out. Thankfully we’ve removed the tracks early on because it was a pain having it smack-dab in the middle of the hallway.”
“It was even more painful having to move the pieces.” Josiah grumbled to himself before motioning towards the rooms past the Rec Room. “Cameron’s room is over there. It’s locked at all times with his keycard being the only one able to open it. Mine is across the hall, it’s off limit too so don’t temp yourself into trying to enter even if it doesn’t require a keycard. Let’s just say Garret learned a hard lesson the day that he tried.”
"Kinda makes you wonder what he hides in it, doesn't it?" Callie joked in a hushed tone to Christian and the rest of the newbies around her. Josiah could certainly use with a little more coffee or something. He was sounding like a sour puss. She tightened her grip on Christian's arm. Walking down the stairs was going to be tricky.
Christian didn't respond to Callie's comment though it had him wondering. If he trained his "second sight" could he see inside objects? Could he figure out these security protocols and disarm them? Christian's fatal flaw was curiosity. Now that he'd been told not to enter this room it would bother him till he finally found out what was inside.
Walking down the stairs, Josiah stopped as he reached a door and swiped a keycard he carried in his pocket. Holding the door for everyone to enter, he closed the door behind him before walking towards the other door. “If you’re going to stay here, you best get used to these double doors. Although quite a pain, it’s good for security since there’s one on the upper and lower level at both the upper and lower level exits as well as this one that connects the two floors. The first door is required to be closed before you can open the second door and if that isn’t a pain in the butt, you’re powerless inside this room due to the anti-Super technology added. Luckily don’t linger once you leave this room. He said as Daniel used his keycard to open the second door.
“We’re not as in love with the idea of anti-Super technology as the TSP are but it’s necessary for security purposes. The only other places we have it is in the holding cell and interrogation room but other than that, you are a free bird here.” Daniel said as he held the door open so that everyone could file out.
Wilson gave a nod and a smile to Daniel for his assistance with the door. Once the group were inside the "safe room", he addressed them.
"Naturally, we all want to feel as though we are in control of our lives," he began, once the murmur of side conversation died down. "But we want to feel safe, too. That's important. Whatever you may feel about being kept here, please understand that we want you to be safe and happy. I truly wish we did not need this level of security, but it's something we simply cannot avoid if we want to remain free."
"I hope you will forgive us for these inconveniences in time." Wilson tried to make eye contact with Sam during this moment, but she looked away. "It may seem as though you're 'on the leash', but I promise you its no more than is necessary for your safety."
A question bubbled up inside Christian and though he doubted it would make him look trustworthy he still wanted to know.
"If we were outside the field of this 'anti-super' tech could we use our powers to effect something inside?"
"Technically, yes." Daniel said as he closed the second door behind him and followed the group down the hall. "However we have many years of experience with Supers under our belt. Wilson, the other Alphas and the original team of scientists and personals that started up the TSP has even more expertise. There are other precautionary measures set in place for those brave enough to try and find other methods past these doors. For those that were with the TSP, you might have remembered your stay in the Cell. They were careful in making sure that my powers wouldn't be able to penetrate the cell as well as implementing a few other security measures to make sure one of us wouldn't be able to break in. If you were wise enough to find a way around these security measures you could use your powers but more often than not, it is ill advised. These doors will seal itself if they are tampered along with anyone that was unlucky enough to be trapped inside and I tell you what, it's not an easy thing to open."
As the group reached the end of the small hallway, Josiah motioned towards the locked door. “Unless you are some sort of mole or crazed person that would try and kills us, you won’t have to worry about this area. It’s sealed off with a keycard but for safety reasons Cameron probably won’t give you the clearance for this area until we know that you lot are trustworthy. Don’t worry, you’re not missing out on anything. Be glad that you are not in charge of taking care of those captured if and when they come. There’s a mini kitchen in there and you have to be in charge of babysitting, cooking and cleaning everything. It’s quite a pain I tell you.”
"They're meant for short-term questioning, or to hold a person until more permanent arrangements may be made." Wilson interjected with disappointment in his voice as he described the conditions of these holding cells. A sadness in his eyes reflected that emotion. It made him look older; made him look tired. "That area is purposed for containing individuals we believe may be a threat to our safety or freedom. I hope not to see you on the other side of these doors in the future." A grim frown took hold as he wordlessly motioned for the group to follow as they continued the tour.
As they walked Christian had no recourse but to rely on the description being given by these men. He assumed it was all accurate but one could never be sure. The arm that wasn't on Callie's shoulder ran over the walls, feeling the texture, some were concrete others wooden and some as the case with certain doors had glass-like plastic inlaid.
Sam's eyes wandered continuously during the briefing. An untrained eye would suspect some kind of attention disorder, but it was too specific for that. She appeared to be distracted by the various devices in each room; the coffeemaker in the kitchen, the wall outlets and surge protectors, even the lights. It seemed that, no matter where she rested her eyes, it had some kind of technology to pull focus.
Moving away from the door, Jenna looked and saw that the group was entering a large area. Off in the far corner she could see a basketball court and along the wall there were a few different doors. In the center of the room, she could see a large track encircling an area which appeared to be floored with some kind of rubbery padding, presumably the training area.
Motioning towards the first two doors, Josiah continued the tour. “If you’re going to be working for Garret in the kitchen or in charge of one of the other jobs around here, you might want to get used to coming down here. The supply room is right here in which you can find everything from food, towels, toilet paper and even a few gun cleaning kits for our use. Next to that room is the walk in freezer with Garret's stash of bacon. A bacon paradise as he calls it but feel free to dump it all if any of you are brave enough to do so” Josiah said before walking towards the center of the training area.
Christian continued to run his hands over the walls. This supply room must be the first door on his left since he had felt no others beforehand but it was best to be sure. "Callie," he whispered. "Is the supply room the first door on this side of the hall?" If so that would make the second door on the left the freezer.
"You are spot on!" Cal replied encouragingly. "The freezer door is actually cold to the touch so it's hard to mix the two up."
He'd most likely end up in the kitchen given that Garret's cooking was most politely described as inedible. He'd tried to eat a piece of toast at breakfast and found the substance so hard and burned he feared his teeth would give way before the bread did.
“This is the training area. Feel free to explore the different areas if you like. We have a workout room with weights and a pool over there.” Daniel said pointing towards the respective doors where each was located. “The two places are connected by a changing room and showers but the water doesn’t work right now since we’ve recently rebuilt that area to make room for the ladies.”
Christian hated to raise the subject of his ocular impairment but if he was to get to know this base without weeks of walking into things then he'd have to ask questions. "I don't suppose you'd consider being a little more specific then pointing?" Christian asked assuming correctly that when... Daniel he thought his name was said 'over there' he had indeed pointed to it.
"Ah yes, I'll do my best." Daniel said in an apologetic tone in response to Christian. "If at any time I slip up and forget to be more specific, please tell me."
"As long as I'm here at least I don't have to worry about finding a gym or anything." Jenna said as she took a quick look at the pool and weight room, wishing that the pool room also had a hot tub so she would be able to relax the sore muscles she knew would come in the future.
“We'll start training here tomorrow morning and don’t think we’ll go easy on you because of what happened yesterday. Unless Wilson says otherwise, you’ll be here every day for as long as you are with us to hone in on your powers.” Josiah said looking steadily towards everyone to make sure they knew he was serious about not skipping training.
Wilson stepped forward in that moment, hand raised. "I do feel it's important to mention that a full medical examination will be necessary before any strenuous physical activity can take place. We don't want to be responsible for aggravating an existing medical condition." He gave a sidelong glance in Josiah's direction, and ignoring Josiah as he rolled his eyes, added with a questioning gaze: "Do we?"
"Medical examination?" Christian let out in a gasping breath. Thoughts flashed to him of faceless doctors with plastic gloves and he took a step back. Of course the doctors had not actually been faceless but this was shortly after he'd gone blind and he often associated memories with imagined images that he had not actually witnessed.
"If you'll follow me this way, there are a few other points of interest that we have to show you," Wilson continued, leading the group back around toward the northwest corner.
"We have a weight training room here, and the Meeting Room, where we will discuss the day's schedule. Beyond that, of course, is the Security Room, which will be off-limits to unauthorized personnel." He shot a meaningful glance over his shoulder at Sam, perhaps half as much to see if his words made an impact as to deliver a message about boundaries. However, if such an impact had been made, Wilson could not see it on her face. She stared at the ground instead, pretending not to hear.
"This area we call the Command Center," Wilson said, with just a hint of distaste in his tone. "It's...well, it serves as a place where we can make...um..." He sighed and finished with: "...plans," before immediately motioning for the group to continue. "To the east are the garage and shop."
The group proceeded east, a few pausing as they passed the basketball court. A curious expression crossed Jenna's face as she looked at the court. There were a few popped basketballs on the side of the court and although she didn't often play the game, she knew that a normal basketball game wouldn't cause that many destroyed balls. "I was wondering, when you guys play basketball do you use your powers or is that against the rules?"
As Christian and Callie walked past the basketball court (he could tell because of the squeak his shoes made on the polished surface that was so different from the rest of the rooms) Christian summoned up the image of his elementary school's gym. It was likely not strictly accurate but it made him feel a bit more at home.
Wilson paused in-stride and turned to answer Jenna. His expression temporarily lightened at the mention of their gifts in-play and he could not resist a small laugh. He clasped his hands together and let his index fingers touch his chin; a mannerism which, for him, often indicated careful selection of words.
"Well, that's a very good question, Jenna. The entire purpose of this training area is to help you adjust to your new talents, and as such, we should encourage you to practice them often. However," he paused to indicate the flattened basketballs. "As you can see, clearly some restraint is indicated. The, uh, rest of our team can help you to understand the rules more clearly once training begins." He let his tone and eyes communicate the message he felt was inappropriate to convey in front of the new arrivals. Chewing out his own team in front of the new 'recruits' would carry its own problems; most notably with authority. That was a can of worms Wilson was not quite ready to open yet. Instead, he led them into the adjoining room.
"Any vehicles the group acquires are stored here, to your right. To your left is a sort of workshop or garage, where necessary maintenance is performed. If any of you have any sort of creative talents you'd like to express, this would be the place to do it. Because of the varied nature of our work, we have access to many tools. I'm sure we could find an outlet for those impulses."
Again, Sam's eyes were immediately diverted by the available technology. This time her reactions appeared to be greater than simple curiosity, however. There was a genuine interest. She became fidgety; unable to concentrate on Wilson's words. To her, it was as if the rest of the compound simply faded into oblivion.
"Are you alright?" Jenna asked as she noticed the girl beside her start to fidget. It was the same girl she was with in the notebook.
"It's nothing," Sam lied automatically, even as her eyes drifted inexorably back to the row of tools sitting on the bench. This one didn't take a shrink to detect; she was obviously interested. Getting her to admit that interest was another matter.
Giving nothing more than a small nod, Jenna took a mental note of Sam's fascination with the shop. Dealing with enough kids and the lies they spin while she was a student teacher gave her the experience to know that Sam was spinning her own little web.
"I suppose I should mention the large metal cabinets in the corner," Wilson said, sighing and scratching his head absently. "The, uh...weapon closets...they're naturally off-limits to unauthorized personnel. At the moment, that constitutes either myself, Cameron or Josiah."
Anticipating the next question, he added: "Yes, there are weapons here. I didn't want them anywhere near us, but the reality is that we need to be able to defend ourselves from anyone who might seek to do us harm. While our talents are potentially very useful in defending ourselves against attack, there is a legitimate point behind having these tools to fall back on. If you prove yourself to be responsible enough, your training can include the use of these weapons."
"We don't need any more people incompetent with guns so let's hope you lot will learn how to use them without any issues." Josiah said scoffing before motioning towards the large metal door. "You might have been too tired or out of sorts to remember, but these were the doors we entered last night with the trucks. Just like the doors we went through with the keycards, this follows the same pattern but made large enough for the vehicles."
"If any of you use this exit, you'll have to be careful not to reveal its location." Daniel said as he motioned for the group to head back through the door they entered as they slowly made their way upstairs. "We've added multiple points of exits and have been careful to make sure that the locations are suitable to use but human error can still be very problematic. We've kept this base hidden for years and would hate for the TSP to find us because one of you slipped up."
"Thank you, Daniel," Wilson interjected. "You are quite right about that. These exits are our only means by which we can enter or leave the base besides using the warehouse. If they are revealed..." He trailed off for effect. "Well, instead of trying to scare you, I'll just ask a question instead. Who here wants to go back to the TSP holding cells?"
Christian was sorely tempted to raise his hand and give some sort of sarcastic remark but decided grudgingly that this was not the time.
After a moment of silence, Wilson nodded gravely. He made his face as hard as he could. "Ah, I see. No hands raised. I'm glad to see you all understand the seriousness of our situation."
"I should add that the warehouse entrance and exit should only really be used by warehouse personnel, lest our additional traffic draw attention. It may be a front for our base, but that will not protect our anonymity completely."
Filing out of the stairway and into the rec room Wilson stopped to indicate the facilities. "The Rec Room is, of course, available for any of you who are not otherwise involved, whether that be training or other responsibilities. It is important that you all realize that everyone has equal rights here, so I don't want to hear that anyone has been denied access to the equipment. If there is a dispute, I expect you to handle it like reasonable people. Failure to live by this simple rule will have to result in a shutdown of this area. Aside from that, if there are any things you would like to see added here, please feel free to let us know. The area is for your comfort, so it's important that we know what would best facilitate that purpose."
As the group moved from the Rec Room and turned towards the east wing, muffled yowl could be heard from the end of the hallway. "That girl must have done a number on him." Daniel tisked as he rushed down the hallway and found Garret sitting on one of the beds trying to tend to his hand, leaving a messy trail with the items he used. "Wilson is going to be pissed at you." Daniel said looking at the state of the room before turning back towards the hall where the others were slowly making their way towards him. "You'll need to check his hands Wilson. They're still black from earlier."
"Damn," Wilson frowned. He seemed uncertain of what to do with his hands for a moment. "Uh...I suppose this concludes the tour. Josiah and Daniel can answer any questions you may have about the facilities here. If you'll excuse me, I have to tend to Garret." The doctor made a quiet exit into the Infirmary, punctuated by the quiet click of its door behind him.
Although she only got a glimpse of the man's hand, Jenna could feel herself start to pale and the squeamish feeling she had the night before returned. For the most part she was able to handle the idea of her and the others having powers but seeing a person stretch to unnatural lengths or in this case Vida causing the onset of necrosis on Garret's hand was far too much for her to handle. "Oh god..." Jenna muttered taking a hesitant step backwards.
A subtle warmth slipped into Jenna's hand. Sam was standing next to her. She didn't look at Jenna, or at the closed door. She simply mumbled: "He'll be fine." She cleared her throat and took her hand back. "Wilson's a doctor. He'll be fine."
"Yes, that is true." Jenna said knowing that the girl was correct. Although she still felt queasy and was worried about Garret, she knew what Sam said was true. It had to be true. He would get back to his cheerful self and be cooking his horrible breakfasts in no time. Even if that included burnt toast.
"Yes, we can move on to questions now. Let's go into the Rec Room and we can answer some of those lingering questions I know you all would have. Seeing that we don't have a cook, we could cut it short and go with our plans earlier and get some food and let you all grab anything that you'll need." Daniel said leading the group. After motioning towards the couch for the others to pile onto, the man took a seat on the edge of the coffee table. "Go ahead and moves those couches from across the room over here if we need more room." He said and waited for everyone to get comfortable. "Now," Daniel said looking at each face in the room before continuing. "Who would like to go first?"
Finally someone was making sense. No one else seemed to want to step up to the plate. Cal immediately raised her hand. "The way you talk about things sounds like we are going to be here for a very, very long time. Like entering boot camp or something. Why? I doubt we did anything wrong. I don't even know any of them before yesterday. What's the connection?"
She paused and looked around the room to see if anyone else agreed. Callie hoped she wasn't the only one who was completely bamboozled by the whole thing. No one had explained anything to her. Not even Garret.
Seeing that no one was going to object, she decided to continue. "I've been waiting for the punchline all day, but I doubt that'll ever happen. This clearly isn't a new season of Big Brother or any of those reality tv shows. I sincerely hope you guys aren't aliens or one of those organ merchants."
Cal smiled. "I don't want to be probed, cut up or stuffed into a jar."
Josiah grinned and pointed to the kitchen. "Not yet, but we have the right tools." He let out a quiet 'oof' as Daniel put his elbow in his ribs. "Stop that," he snapped, before turning to address the Charlies again. "We're not really sure how long you'll be here. In a way, that's up to you. But, what you have to realize is that we just rescued you from a government holding facility that, for all we know, could be conducting all kinds of tests on people like us. If you leave, we can't protect you from them. If you stay, we can. That's just how it is."
Josiah nodded, for once seeming serious. "The nature of what you are is something that will make you a target. We have a vested interest in making sure the TSP goons don't get their hands on you ever again. It's a jungle out there. If it's not them, it's going to be another government agency, a paramilitary group, or a bunch of religious zealots. Pick your poison, eh?"
"Nature of what we are? You've got to be kidding! We are regular old human beings. Unless you government types have decided to experiment on human beings."
Christian gave a soft laugh from where he sat on the couch next to Callie. "Cal, not one of us here is normal." They were all hear because they were like him right? There was something special they could do. He wondered if they got codenames. "Come on Callie, you've had to have noticed something strange about yourself since this whole thing started.
"I'm honestly not sure what happened," Daniel replied gently. Apparently he was going to field this one. Josiah gave him a sibling stare while he wasn't looking. "Other than that a chemical agent was released during the bus crash which has significantly altered the people who were exposed to it. That's us."
"Some of you could be faster, or see much better, or it could be something greater. We're here to find out what your new abilities are and, if possible, help you to learn to use them for positive purposes."
The sound of people moving around just outside of the restroom door made Vida flinch. They were just outside. It didn't take much straining on her ears to hear them speaking. Slowly she slid off of the toilet and moved to the door placing her ear on it so that she could hear the people on the other side better. They didn't really seem interested in her at the moment. That made her grateful. She actually wondered if they would be interested in being around her at all after what happened during breakfast.
Shifting her legs so that they were positioned under her she noticed the tiny pricks of the hair that was growing back. She looked down at her legs annoyed with the fact that not only was she kidnapped, but now she was going to look like a yeti. As she looked down to remembered that when she was kidnapped she was in bed, which meant she still didn't have any pants on.
Reaching up to the door knob she unlocked the door then opened it slightly so that only half her face could be seen. "Wha-what about pants?" It was embarrassing enough to talk in front of everyone, but to have to announce she did not have pants on was the worse. "Can I have some pants?"
Daniel and Josiah looked at each other, both clearly thinking the same thing. They searched briefly for the source of the voice, ultimately finding the door to the bathroom cracked, with half a face staring back. Josiah, attempting to stifle a laugh, motioned an offer to shoot 'rock, paper, scissors' with Daniel for that particular honor. Daniel just shook his head and went for the supply closet, where he knew the group had stored some extra clothing that had yet to be distributed.
"Our tardy guest brings up a good point," Josiah continued on, still teary from the effort to resist a cheap joke. "You only have what you were wearing when you were, uh...'liberated' from your respective hidey-holes by the TSP. I don't imagine they were kind enough to offer you any replacement outfits, either. The Supply Closet does have a few things we managed to score on closeouts and things, but its limited supply. You can use the showers and things if you want to get washed up before you change."
He brought his hands together under his chin in mock-prayer. "Just one thing, though: Please, don't fight over the clothes. Wilson will have us all writing sentences for a week if we can't handle that without making a scene. Take one top, one bottom, you know, until everyone has a set, then go through again. I promise you, we'll go shopping later." To punctuate that point, Josiah shot off a quick 'scout's honor' gesture.
Pat had been mostly stumbling through the tour up to this point. He was not used to so much activity so soon after the onset of a migraine, but there seemed to be no other option. It was only after everyone had sat down in the Rec Room that Pat's head had cleared enough to think straight. It seemed now was the time for questions to be fully answered, not just half answered as they were in the van. Seeing as now was the perfect, and potentially only, opportunity to learn what was going on, Pat asked a question that had been on his mind since he learned about the serum. "You guys have said several time that us being exposed to this serum was a mistake. Well then, who was the serum intended for in the first place? And why would such super secret technology be stored on a bus?"
"So it seems like we've moved onto the more interesting things now." Cameron said with a slight chuckle as he walked into the Rec Room. “Abled bodies ranging from the military, FBI and even scientists or medical personals chosen precisely for the opportunity to provide a better future for all were the intended crowd. That is, until Pearson and his dream for the TSP ruined everything. The ones chosen for greatness became second class citizens, or worse in some cases. They even went far enough to lock the serum up, thinking that they could wipe away the past as if it never happened. They were wrong. These people that you see standing here are those such people. Knowing that we needed to add more to our numbers we devised a plan to obtain the serum. While that was being figured out, we were also in search of those people that would fill the slot of Gen Charlie. Or in layman’s terms, the third generation of Supers. We have found that team and during the past few months those people have been training for this day. The new Charlies were supposed to be transported here from the other location today but seeing that you all are here it is obvious that it didn’t work out. The precautions to avoid Tia’s gaze took time and careful work to make sure she wouldn’t be able to track us on any surveillance cameras and like. Everything was set in place and on schedule. That is until the accident happened. One of the vials cracked and the gas flooded the bus and the area nearby thus creating the incident that you are now in. You are not the Charlies we were looking for but we all will have to make due, both for your sake as well as ours."
So she was different. Sam mulled over the revelation that the crash had been responsible for all those yelling people; all that confusion on the day of her escape. For the first time in over a week, she thought about the hospital again. When they found out -and they would find out, she was certain- would they still be so willing to accept her into this group of 'Charlies'? Or would they keep her locked away like her parents did? And how did all of this relate to the strange scribbling in her notebook?
She could not stop the scowl before it took over her face. She clenched her fists and tried to force away the memory of that lost journal. She told herself it didn't matter; that nobody would understand it anyway. Even she did not understand. But it still bothered her. In reality it was not just this on her mind, but a host of interconnected events which pecked away at her patience with every passing moment. Even if this new place promised freedom, it was still her fate being decided by others. At this moment, that fate extended into a direct alteration of her genetic code. Even her DNA was not her own.
In that moment, in the space between argument and counter-argument where silence liked to live, Sam's voice wedged its way into Cameron's explanations. It was a small voice this time; uncertain and hesitant. But beneath that uncertainty hid an insistence which surprised her. Everything in her strategy to date had relied upon staying silent; staying under the radar and working to undermine her captors. It seemed now as though she simply could not stop herself.
"Are we just pawns to you?"
“Are we not all pawns of some sort of game in life?” Cameron said with a snort. “Pick your poison but there’s always someone out there that is trying to screw you, abuse you and kick you out the front door when you are of no use. The question is what side of the chessboard are you on.”
"You're not even going to try to deny that this is a power struggle." Sam replied evenly. Her voice was getting away from her; getting bolder, getting stronger. Her brain screamed at her mouth to shut itself, but no such thing happened.
"Please keep calm, Samantha." Dr. Wilson's gentle voice drifted over to the group. He was on his way back from the Infirmary, presumably having taken care of Garret's injuries. "I understand that you may have objections to being caught in the middle between our group and our rivals, but please try to see the whole picture." He gestured to the Charlies for effect. "You are not soldiers. You are not warriors. You're innocent victims of a terrible accident. I truly wish I could have prevented it. I couldn't. You're here, now, and all that matters is keeping you safe."
"You mean cleaning up your mess." Sam shot back. "Anybody notice they still haven't explained how they know all our names?"
Wilson gave her the 'I'm Trying' look while Daniel took the reins. "Look, we're all tired, and you guys have to be pretty shaken up by last night's events. Just...have a look around, all right? Try us out. If you don't like it here, you can always try your luck with the goons that black-bagged you." Sam just folded her arms and scowled.
The term power struggle didn't sit well for Cal. It always meant someone will lose, eventually. There was no telling if she was on the right side. Or if there is a right side at all. She was surprised no one mentioned the more practical aspect of their current predicament. After all the "Charlies" had lives before this militant crap fell into their laps.
"Hold it! I don't care about all your self-created mess or about how you found us, but I care about my job and my family. We all had lives before you roped us in. How are you going to address that? I need the cash to support my siblings. And if you tell me you are targeting or spying on them in anyway...I'll... make you regret it."
Cal faltered for a second there. What can she do? Nothing really. She was a simple girl without any powers as far as she can tell. Still she won't admit she was at a lost. No way. She'll figure things out and get a few like-minded people while she's at it. There has to be at least one other person who felt the same way.
“Emma.” Jenna mumbled wide-eyed as Cal mentioned friends and family. Sure, her parents might notice that she was gone after a while but the physical distance between New York and where they lived would keep them from questioning. However Emma would notice immediately. She wouldn’t be someone that would keep quiet either. Would she be in danger if she started to look too deeply into what happened to her? The TSP were part of the government from what she heard of so would they leave her be since she wasn’t involved like she was.
"No one is suggesting that, Callie," Wilson replied softly. "That tactic is used by TSP forces, not by our group. Surely you see the difference in our methods."
"I don't... I only have your word for it at this point."
Vida had took the pants that Daniel had gotten for her and put them on before walking out of the bathroom. She pushed her hair back from her face looking at all of them. This was the first time she was actually getting a good look at the others that had been taken with her. Though she was out of the bathroom she kept her distance from the others. She did not want a repeat of breakfast. She listened to Cal before she spoke up again. "I agree with her. I have work.. well maybe not anymore.. and I have family.. though not really human."
She rubbed her arm out of habit when she was nervous. She had not forgot about her cats and the fact that they were still locked in her apartment probably starving. She carefully scanned the room until she was looking at Dr. Wilson. She knew that he would be the one to look after the man that she had hurt. Quickly she looked away still feeling guilty for what she had done.
Wilson held his chin for a moment, considering what had been said. There were risks associated with any of the newcomers reconnecting with their old lives, but he could not deny the value of making arrangements for them. The problem became how to explain that those lives were over.
"You could go back," he began carefully. "But you would be endangering yourselves, us, and your loved ones. Like it or not, you are Generation Charlie. You have no idea how I sympathize with you on this point, but...the fact is that none of you can ever go back to the way things were without ending up in the hands of those agencies. It took them a week before they were able to capture you the first time. Now that they know your names, your faces, and -for all we know- your abilities, you can expect it to be half that time before they capture you again."
"If you allow us to try, we can fulfill some of the unfinished business you had before you were changed. We can interfere with the files they have on you, blank you from the system. In time, you will be able to go out without being recognized immediately. But if you leave now, you will not have any of those protections. We will have to look after ourselves and you will have to do the same."
"I'm sorry."
"It's time to face reality." This time it was Josiah who spoke up. For once, there was no humor behind his words. "Without knowing exactly how you've been altered, and without careful guidance to learn to control the gifts you've been given, you will never be more than a target of the government, and you will never be less than a danger to yourselves and those you love."
"I don't buy it," Sam blurted. "This is all some kind of snow job. How do we even know we have changed?"
"Samantha, you have changed. You have. Don't you remember what happened when you woke up this afternoon?" Wilson stepped forward tentatively. He couldn't figure out what to do with his hands. "Do you remember the lamp, Samantha? Do you remember how it got broken? Or how it caused a borderline-schizophrenic episode in which you were totally unresponsive?"
She just stood there, glaring. In truth, she hadn't remembered any of that, because she'd been...'somewhere else'. The memories of the incident were fragmented, disjointed. It had all felt like a nightmare to her, but she did remember the lamp. In fact, she remembered a lot about the lamp; quite a lot, as it happened.
"Too much," she realized.
"How long do you think it will be before you have another episode?" Wilson was almost within arm's reach now. It was almost like he was pleading with her to hear him. For Sam, no emotion was 'genuine' in humans, but this seemed the closest she'd ever witnessed. "Is it caused by emotion? Electricity? Technology itself? If I hadn't brought you out of it, would you ever have come out on your own? Do you know?"
"Do any of you know?" He turned to face the group, then shrugged for emphasis.
"Well, I do know one thing," Wilson continued. He tried to force some confidence and optimism into his voice, but it was an uphill battle against the skepticism of his audience. "The reaction only occurred one time, and only one example of physical evidence exists to prove that it did happen. The phenomenon may be entirely centered around technology. Doesn't that make you the least bit curious? Doesn't it?"
Sam nodded begrudgingly. In truth she hadn't been able to look away from technology since she arrived, and that week leading up to her original capture hadn't been much different. Her thoughts drifted back to the strange drawings in her lost notebook.
"Well, it drives me up the wall," Wilson said, turning back to Sam. "I want to know. I think you do too."
Jenna gave a slight nod of understanding. Although she didn't like the news she was receiving, she knew that it was true. Even though the changes in her life only occurred a week ago, there had been quite a few times that her powers brought her trouble and if she continued that path, what would happen if something more serious happened or her abilities were exposed. Staying here would be hard but it was a better choice than facing the unknown blind and without help. "You said to give you a week right? I'll stay for now and let's see what you can do about all of this. I'm tired of all these incidences that keep on coming up because of the TSP as well as my own powers. If you can give us somewhat of a normal life, I'll be fine staying here."
"I'm afraid you're looking at the wrong place if you're searching for normal. Look around you, we're all hiding underground in an abandoned train station from the government who is supposed to be the ones helping us. From the time you were in that crash last week until the day you're six feet under, you’ll never have another normal day in your life but we'll do our damn best to keep you out of the cell or in the ground." Camron said bluntly to the woman.
"And you, Samantha?" Wilson inquired. There was an uncomfortable silence during which Sam grappled with the question of whether he'd let it go unanswered. Social pressure finally won out.
"Fine," she grated. "But I call dibs on the workshop. I miss taking things apart." Josiah made a point of sidestepping at least two feet away from Sam, though whether in jest or out of actual caution was unclear.
They were all angry, but resigned to this life. Christian might as well chip in. "I can help in kitchen. Garret's food isn't exactly gourmet." He imagined that all eyes had turned to him but he didn't say anything more.
Vida was still unclear on this 'one week' agreement that they were going on about, but she did understand that it would probably be better to stay where she was. She could only imagine the next time she reacted. Being in a packed subway with no way to get out. Her eyes seemed to darken at the thought of accidently killing someone, but what messed her up the most was the fear of the pain. She clenched her fist remembering how much it had hurt. "I'll stay...” She said not really speaking to anyone, just announcing quietly.
With a nod of approval as he listened to Charlie's responses, Cameron made his way towards the coffee machine. After pouring his coffee he turned towards the stairway and as he went down the first few stairs, called out to the group. "I'm heading out for a bit. Don't expect me to be around for dinner."
"When are you ever around for dinner?" Josiah muttered before turning his attention towards everyone. "We probably should get going to. We have some supplies here but I know that you all probably want some of your own things. We've allotted you all eight hundred dollars each to get you all settled in. Use it wisely though, it's going to last you the next month or so."
Sam's left eyebrow shot straight up. Eight hundred dollars? Just for being here? Either they were all certified basket cases or there really was something to this whole 'serum' bit. She let herself consider what she would do with that kind of money. It had been three years since she'd had an allowance, after all.
"That might just make up for it." she mused. But when she tried to think of what she would actually buy, her mind drew a total blank. Three years of isolation left her devoid of material goods, and particularly lacking in the knowledge of what they meant to the average person. After so many nights in the same drab hospital gown, staring at the same blank walls, she really had no idea what to buy.
Vida's jaw nearly dropped as she was snapped out of her own train of thought. "Eight.. Eight hundred?" She couldn't believe they would just give that much. It was money that she didn't have to work for or throw away on rent. She hadn't had more than three hundred dollars to call her own since she moved to the city.
She placed her thump on her lips biting down on the nail. There was so much she could buy with that money. But it had to last a month. "So much. So much." She kept mumbling to herself as she started to pace. "Shoes." She thought some more. "Soap, Shampoo.. Underwear." She was making a mental list of everything that was needed. She wouldn't spend all the money of course. Who knew when they would give her more? She stopped pacing for a moment and looked at her hand. "Gloves. Yes. Alright I know what I need." She stated still talking to herself.
When her list was done Vida looked over to Wilson sheepishly before making her way to him. Her eyes were averted to so that they wouldn't be able to make contact with his. "Is.. he ok? The guy I, you know." She ran her hand through her hair nervously before continuing. "The one I hurt?"
"He's going to be fine," Wilson said with practiced calm. "The Infirmary here was set up months ago, so we have plenty of supplies. I would like to spend some more time with you, though, so that I can determine exactly what it was that happened. It may help to speed his recovery."
Her fingers laced through her hair catching it in a knotted mess. "I-If that will help then ok.. I am sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to, I mean.. I didn't know that would happen." She released her hair letting her hand fall back to her side. "It hurt him a lot. It must still hurt. It hurt so bad.." Her voice started to shake for a moment before she took a breath.
"This is precisely why we need you to stay with us for this short time. Even you don't know what you're capable of. I know you didn't do it intentionally. We're going to help you to control it and, if possible, to use it constructively, to help others."
"To help others?" She hadn't even thought about that. The thought of her powers actually being used in a constructive manner hadn't even crossed her mind. She didn't even realize until today that she could affect others.
Help others? Jenna seemed doubtful of that of that happening. Emma would jump wholeheartedly for the chance to do something such as this but she couldn't see herself doing something like that. She was no Steve Rogers turned into Captain America much less having the courage of being an actress in a movie such as that. She was no hero and knew quite well she wouldn't be cut out for something like that. All she was interested in doing was learning to control her power so she could shove it into the deep recesses of her mind and lock it up for good and disappear from both the TSP and Reformers. She wasn't sure how long it would take to get to that point but once she did reach it, she would take the first opportunity she could to get out of the situation she was in.
Callie let the others talk for a while before she turned to Daniel. "800 is a very generous offer, but I would be happier if you can send my sum to my sister. Please?"
"We can do that," Daniel said, a mild confusion taking over his face. "If you're sure. We'll have to work it in our own way, to avoid raising suspicion, but we can do that."
"Oh my gosh! Thank you!" Cal exclaimed happily as she pulled Daniel into a tight hug.
"No really, it's fine." Daniel said with a slight chuckle as he gave a slight glance towards Josiah. As he expected, the man was looking towards his with a questioning gaze, knowing that he was probably the one that was being signed up to help Cal. Giving nothing more than a slight shrug and mouthing the word sorry towards Josiah, he pulled himself away from the embrace. "However, make sure that you have all that you need before we send it out. It might be awhile before you will receive more money for anything you might need."
"I don't suppose you know a place I could get a new White Cane? The TSP weren't kind enough to bring mine with them." He would also pick up a pair of sunglasses. He didn't actually need them since he was completely blind but they were serve to remind anyone in the base that he couldn't see them.
While everyone else talked, Pats mind was slowly sorting through the giant wave of new information that was coming in. It seemed pretty much everyone was agreeing to stay with the Reformers. Pat knew he would be, better the enemy you knew than the enemy you didn't. The fact he wasn’t leaving anything behind at home made the decision a lot easier. The eight hundred dollars was a nice gesture from the Reformers but would do nothing for him. He would buy a few clothes, but otherwise all the money was good for was fireplace fuel.
His medication couldn't be bought in stores, and even if it could, he would need almost double the amount given to pay for it. However there could be a much easier way to get his meds. "Doctor Wilson, would it possible for me to have a look around in your infirmary some time? There are some pills that I need that can't be bought at the local corner store."
"The medical needs of all our guests will be foremost on my mind." Wilson's tone came from a place of respect and sincerity, as if to say that he had already considered the matter to be of prime importance. "Believe me, it will do no one any good to overlook the health or safety of any member of this group."
"If you all don't have any last minute questions, we best head out. I'll meet you all in ten minutes by the van downstairs and we can head into town." Josiah said before vanishing.
~.~
Sunday, May 11th 3:48pm
Center of Town
"It might not seem like much compared to the big apple but here's the center of the town." Daniel said as he climbed out of his four door Ford F-150 and met the group as they piled out of the van. Opting to bring the pickup truck in case more room was needed, Daniel left a few minutes prior to the van and took a different route in the tunnels as safety precautions. "If I'm not mistaken, you've all been given a card to use for your shopping. Let's plan on meeting at the Chinese restaurant at six thirty. As much as I'd like for us to stay together to make sure nobody decides to do something absurd, it would not only be a big waste of time but also a hassle to stop at each cutesy boutique we pass. The biggest thing I'd like to remind you is to stay in a group or at the minimum, a pair. If something happens powerwise or the TSP decides to stir up trouble I don't want any of you to be alone. If anything comes up, find Josiah or look for me in the library after I finish grocery shopping."
"Just promise us that you won't go out searching for trouble. I rather not deal with any hassle today. My power is still not at 100% yet after yesterday's overexertion" Josiah said as he locked the van and the odd duo walked off, leaving the Charlies together to figure out their next steps.
