|
PART
ONE
Lothos’
complex - Twenty-four Years Later
For
the past two years, Lothos had allowed Tala to work in Central Control.
Her duties as a Logistics/Information Technician included working
on the algorithms for the Leaps, as well as recording any and all
information that was gathered from a leap as well as in the complex
itself. She understood exactly her place in the room -- to keep quiet and
to record everything that happened whenever Lothos summoned someone to
Central Control, or a leaper returned from a mission, or pertinent
information obtained within the complex itself regarding any of Lothos’
people. In the interim of present moment information recordation, the
other part of Tala’s duties included inputting newly recorded data into
the complex’s Comparative Historical Data File.
Finishing
the task before her, Tala labeled it then clicked the mouse button once,
closing the file. Two more clicks of the mouse button then entry of a password
and another click opened the Comparative Historical Data file.
Scrolling down to where she would input new data obtained in the
last twelve hours, Tala couldn’t help pausing to read a snippet here and
there of the history of the complex.
“…since
Lothos was created when Nathaniel Lothoman integrated himself into the
super-computer he had built. In
that time Lothos’ knowledge of time travel has grown, allowing him
to alter history, bending and re-shaping it to serve him.
However, several years ago his smoothly unfolding plans began
to incur interference by none other than Dr. Samuel Beckett, the man
whose theories had been the springboard from which his success in time
travel had been launched.” …
Tapping
her finger intermittently on the mouse button, Tala’s blue eyes roved
over the screen, skimming the information before her, noting names of
places and people. She paused
scrolling long enough to read one of the many meticulous and concise leap
data entries.
Historical
Leap Date:
April 27, 1960
Present
Time Leap Date:
December 3, 1999
Leap
Target Subject:
Roget Dubreuil*
Leap
Location:
New York City, New York, United States of America
Objective:
Prevent Senator Max Brown (Ohio) from attending the Finance
Committee (to which he was appointed), specifically, hearings
concerning additional funding for the top-secret government-funded
project – Project Quantum Leap - headed by Dr. Samuel Beckett.
Senator Brown is a known supporter of Beckett’s project since
it was initially approved for funding.
Method
to achieve objective:
Murder of his daughter, Diane Brown McBride, by her ex-husband,
Roget Dubreuil, while on honeymoon with new husband, Thomas McBride.
Leaper
Assigned to Mission:
Perry Royden
Observer
Assigned:
Dr. Zoe Malvison
Result
of mission:
Success. Diane
Brown McBride and her husband murdered on train in transit to Niagara
Falls, NY. Due to his
grief over the death of his daughter, Senator Brown was temporarily
replaced on the committee. Vote
for additional funding to Project Quantum Leap was denied.
The Project was shut down and disbanded several months later.
“Yes,”
Tala murmured approvingly. But
her quiet exulting faded when, with a tap on the mouse button, she read
additional information concerning that leap.
The success of this leap was negated by the unexpected presence and
interference by a random leaper.
The random leaper was later verified by covertly obtained
information to be none other than Dr. Samuel Beckett, himself.
The result of his interference resulted in Senator Brown’s
attendance and positive input at that funding hearing. It had even
more far reaching implications. Diane
Brown McBride went on to become the Chairman of that committee.
Beckett’s project funding for that year was granted.
Beckett’s
meddling also cost the leaper assigned to the mission, Perry Royden,
his life. The leaper was retrieved but died. The leapee, Roget
Dubreuil, was returned with a similar knife wound.
He died a half hour after being returned to his own time.”…
A
familiar notification signal sounded just at that moment, and Tala looked
up from the monitor, her gaze going immediately to another monitor affixed
slightly above and to the right of her workstation.
That monitor displayed a generous view of the arrival entry of a
large passenger boat at one of the two docks on the eastern side of the
island. Instantly, she
shifted screens on the monitor before her, locating and entering the
necessary data about the boat’s arrival, bringing back workers returning
from earned time away from the island complex.
That accomplished, Tala shifted screens again and resumed scrolling
through the C.H.D. file, pausing after a moment to read another bit of the
history of the complex.
...”The interference in the Royden leap, was considered a one in a
million fluke. But leaps
previously completed successfully toward the achievement of Lothos’
ultimate goal increasingly began to be interfered with, all fault and
blame for the changes blamed on that still unknown, random leaper.
Not
only did it affect Lothos’ goal but it also impacted the lives of
his people. It was an
unexpected twist of fate when the meddling random leaper was at last
discovered to be none other than, Dr. Samuel Beckett, the man from
whom Lothos had acquired the key information to aid him in achieving
time travel in his own right. At
that moment, denied yet again the small yet long reaching historical
change he had sought, in a rage Lothos hideously punished Alia and Dr.
Zoe Malvison, the leaper and observer assigned to that leap, for
failing to kill his nemesis. Then
and there Lothos vowed to rid the world and time itself, of Samuel
Beckett. But in a crucial
second chance encounter, Alia, a seasoned leaper, was swayed by Dr.
Beckett’s logic, enabling her to be stolen from Lothos’ control.
Zoe sought and received permission to leap when Lothos located
her protégé, her only goal -
to kill Alia, but Lothos was thwarted once more, she narrowly escaping
death at Beckett’s hands.
Though
enraged at losing his second most experienced leaper, nonetheless, it
had pleased Lothos to see and listen to Zoë’s furious denouncement
of, not Alia, but Samuel Beckett.
He gave Dr. Malvison almost carte blanche to learn all she
could about Samuel Beckett’s project.
She, in turn made
it her primary goal to learn about then do whatever it took to destroy
the one person most
indispensable to Samuel Beckett and Project Quantum Leap, namely Rear
Admiral Albert Calavicci” …
Nothing
escaped Lothos’ scrutiny in his complex, including Tala’s engrossment
in reading information contained in the Comparative Historical Data file
instead of inputting the most recent data into that file.
“Is
there a problem with the C.H.D. file, Tala?” Lothos asked, his tone
meant to gain her attention. It
did.
Hearing
Lothos address her directly, Tala hastily responded, “Uh…no.
No problem, Lothos,” mentally kicking herself for being caught
dawdling during working hours, a singularly unwise thing to be caught
doing on Lothos’ time. Quickly,
she began inputting the newest data, only pausing once or twice to note
the progress of the returning workers toward the exterior complex
structure.
PART
TWO
Christa
Calavicci struggled with the ropes that dug into her wrists and ankles,
trying to scream through the gag that encompassed her mouth. The one thing she desperately wanted at that moment was to
cry but she couldn’t find the tears necessary to do that. She also wanted to get out of the car and run.
Anything to get away from the woman in the driver’s seat who
looked at her with eyes that frightened her more than her father’s when
he was angry -- and she had considered that very, very frightening.
Zoë
Malvison smiled at her, her eyes having that gleam, which indicated she
was anticipating her plans for the child.
“You
must calm yourself, Christa,” she instructed the girl with round, soft
tones that did nothing to sooth. “There’s
nowhere to run out here and your pathetic excuse for an uncle is far
behind us. He will never
catch up in time.” She
noticed the surprised look on the young girl’s face.
“Oh, I see. You’ve
noticed that he doesn’t quite look exactly like your Uncle Sam.
He wasn’t Sam Beckett when we kidnapped you but he is now. Didn’t your father ever tell you what he does when he goes
to work? Didn’t he ever
tell you why Uncle Sam doesn’t visit anymore?
No, of course, he didn’t. It’s
top-secret government stuff. Can’t
take it home to the family. That
sort of a stupid thing to do when it isn’t as secret as they would like
it to be.” She smiled yet
again at the girl. “Your
dear uncle is traveling in time, little girl, and he’s come to your
rescue. Unfortunately, for
you, he’s failed and now..." she carefully brushed Christa’s
cheek with the knuckle of her right index finger.
“Now, my dear child, your father and mother will grieve for a
very, very long time.”
Christa
moved as far away from her as she could and pressed herself against the
door.
Zoë
chuckled at her reaction. “Please,
Christa, you really don’t believe that that will work, do you?
You’re an intelligent child.
Surely you know it’s impossible to escape from me now.”
She
turned off of the main road and continued for a few miles in silence as
they approached their designation. Zoë
had chosen this place specifically for the task, knowing that Admiral
Calavicci would eventually find his way there.
She could almost see him holding the small girl in his arms,
weeping continuously for the loss of his sweet daughter. It was a beautiful sight in her mind.
After
a long while, she finally stopped the car and got out, carefully walking
around to open the passenger’s side door.
“Get
out,” she ordered the girl.
Christa
slowly moved her legs out of the car, still seated in it.
She couldn’t do much more than that, she found, with her ankles
tied as they were.
“Get
out,” Zoë ordered again.
Christa
looked at her with fear and uncertainty.
Surely this woman didn’t think that she could move with her legs
so.
Zoë
growled in anger, grabbing the girl by her shirt and pulling her out of
the car, causing her to drop to the ground a few feet away from the car.
Zoë slammed the door closed before turning towards the girl.
“I
want you to understand this very clearly, Christa. If you disobey me in anyway, I will make sure that you suffer
greatly. Your death will be
exceedingly painful and you will wish that you had obeyed me from the
start. If you do as you are
told, I will make sure that it is very quick and painless.
Is that understood?”
Until
that very moment, Christa had denied the possibility that she could die.
However, the look on Zoë’s face convinced her that not only
could she die, but that she would die -- today.
She couldn’t help herself. She
began to cry, as she had wanted to before, streams of salt water adorning
her cheeks, stopped only by the gag in her mouth.
Zoë
grinned at her tears. “Excellent.
I’m glad we have an understanding.”
She approached her slowly. “I
am going to untie your ankles. If
you do anything, remember what I’ve just told you.”
Christa
was motionless as Zoë untied her ankles allowing her the chance to move
her legs.
“Better,”
Zoë commented, helping the girl onto her feet.
“Let’s go,” she ordered.
“I think you know where.”
She forced the girl forward, urging her to lead the way.
Christa
continued her slow march through the rocks and granite, quivering with
fright. God, I don’t want
to die! Please, help me! She sobbed, stopping briefly when her tears kept her from
seeing where she was going.
Zoë
shoved her back, forcing her forward and causing her to fall face-forward
into the gravel. “I
didn’t say you could stop, little girl,” she growled.
With a quick movement, she grabbed Christa’s hair and raised her
forcefully to her feet. “That’s
going to cost you, darling.” She
quickly removed the gag from her lips and untied her hands before taking
several steps away. “No
matter. I think right there
will do nicely,” she told the girl as she slowly took out a small pistol
from her waistband. “Now,
let me think. Where to shoot
you first?”
“Please!”
Christa cried, shaking uncontrollably.
“Please, don’t kill me!”
Zoë
chuckled a bit. “And spoil
my little present for your father? I
don’t think so.” Zoë’s
head slowly tilted to the side. “Perhaps
the knee?” she asked as if she were asking someone other than Christa.
The
holographic image standing beside her slowly smiled. He picked up at the handlink and punched a few of the
buttons; the handlink emitting hollow eerie sounds.
He looked back up at the leaper standing beside him.
“It would be very painful for her.”
“What
do you think, my dear? Where should I shoot you first?”
Zoë asked, turning her attention completely back to Christa.
The
girl didn’t say a word, crying loudly, afraid to move and also afraid
not to move.
Zoë
fired a round at Christa’s feet, causing the girl to scream in fright
and jump backwards. “I asked you a question, Christa!” she demanded.
Christa
finally spoke her voice small and shaking.
“I don’t want to die.”
Zoë
huffed. “Too bad, child.”
She took aim at Christa’s heart.
There
was a loud bang and Christa screamed again in terror; her eyes shut.
Zoë
stood absolutely still for a moment, looking at her Observer with wide
eyes of surprise before slumping forward to the hard ground, her face
scratching against the gravel. Thames
immediately turned around and looked at the source while pushing buttons
frantically on his handlink.
A
weary and aggravated Admiral Albert Calavicci stood a few feet away, his
gun still raised, waiting to make sure that the person he had shot was not
going to get up at any time soon. At
the same time as he lowered the gun, Sam hurried onto the scene, looking
around frantically before he realize that it was Al who had fired the
shot. Al looked at him
quickly, freezing for a moment at the sight before he snapped out of his
wonderment and hurried to his daughter’s side.
“Christa!”
he said with deep love as he took her into his arms. “Christa, sweetie, are you all right? I was so worried.”
“Daddy!”
the girl cried into his shoulder, hugging him tightly.
The
two remained in each other’s arms for a long time, causing Sam to smile
with great relief. Sam looked
toward Zoë to see his hologram standing now beside Zoë’s form.
The
hologram gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks,
Sam.” The hidden tears of
joy in his eyes said so much more as he glanced back at his not too much
younger self-holding his daughter. He
wiped at the moisture and pocketed the handlink.
Sam
slowly walked toward him, giving him a gentle smile. “Are you okay, Al?”
Al
nodded slowly. “I’m
okay.”
They
both turned their attention to Zoë.
Very slowly, Sam lowered himself and turned Zoë over.
She
was still alive but not for long, it seemed.
Her eyes roamed the area to see the three figures that surrounded
her. Just to her right was
Thames, who was still fighting with his handlink to get Lothos to retrieve
her before it was too late. Admiral
Calavicci stood at a slight distance at her feet, how she could see him,
she wasn’t sure, but he was looking at her with disdain and obviously
waiting for her end to finally come.
She couldn’t blame his sentiment.
In fact, she understood it all too well.
Why shouldn't he hate her? She
had almost succeeded in killing his youngest daughter.
The
face that did surprise her was Sam Beckett’s.
He looked sorry for her. She
couldn’t understand why. She
had never done anything good for him - just the opposite. At every chance she had, she thought of ways to ruin his life
forever, had even tried to kill him three times already.
She swallowed weakly. “This
is it, then,” she whispered.
“I’m
sorry,” Sam told her, much to the surprise of the others around him.
“Sorry?!”
Al exclaimed. “Sam! This
woman...”
Sam
continued, despite Al’s exclamation.
“I’m sorry that your life brought you to this point.
I’m sorry that the only thing you can do is hate others.”
He took a breath. “I
forgive you.”
Zoë
chuckled, wincing at the pain the action brought. “You forgive me. You
shouldn’t.” She looked at
him as firmly as she could. “Mark
my words, Dr. Beckett. You
are hunted men. Wherever you
are, we will find you again. And
when we do, we will finally defeat you.
It doesn’t matter if I live or die.
Someone will find you and kill you.”
She slowly closed her eyes just before a flash of red crossed over
her body.
PART
THREE
When
the past coalesced back into the Holding Chamber, Thames stood there in
the silence for a brief moment in shock.
It was short lived though when his eyes fell on his fallen comrade;
a pool of blood gathering underneath her.
He knew that he shouldn’t move her, but at the same time, he
couldn’t leave her in the Holding Chamber to die.
Lothos would kill him.
Scooping
her up into his arms, Thames walked toward the door, which led to Central
Control. The door flew upward
as he approached allowing him to enter.
Thames looked up at the red circular orb, which constituted as
Lothos’ eye. “She was
shot by Calavicci,” he said his words tinted with both anger and
sadness.
“Don’t
tell me the obvious! Put her
down! The medical team is on
its way.” Lothos zoomed in
on Zoë’s face, using the many cameras he had in the complex, and his
anger grew. *As much as I
despise your failure, my love, I would rather have you alive than dead,*
he addressed her through her implants with the hope that she could still
hear him. *Thames had been
correct when he told you that I always wanted you as my leaper.
However, darling, I also knew your skills would be better here in
my complex. At least that was
the case until Alia slipped out of our hands because of Beckett.*
Thames
did as he was told and laid her back down on the floor.
His hand lingered near her face a moment.
Zoë had been a part of his life for the past twenty-five years,
and even the thought of her not being around to keep him in check
disturbed him terribly. He
had barely accomplished that when the doors of Central Control slid open
and the medical team, headed by Dr.
Peter Hugen, Danielle Teasdale, one of the newest surgical residents,
Olivia, and several other medical technicians, swarmed around Zoë to
assess her status.
To
Peter Hugen, the Assistant Surgical Chief of the complex’s
hospital/surgical level, the moment he beheld the fallen woman, he knew
instantly that time wasn’t on Zoë Malvison’s side; right now it was
her worst enemy. Barking short, sharp directions, two technicians quickly
placed her on a gurney and headed back out the door.
But they had barely started for the door when time decided to cut
the feisty Dr. Malvison’s odds further, as the thready pulse under Dr.
Hugen’s finger against the carotid artery ceased.
“She’s
crashing!” he barked. He
watched Danielle Teasdale climb up on the gurney, straddle Zoë’s body
and begin administering CPR, pausing just long enough for one of the
med-techs to intubate Zoë and begin bagging, manually pumping air into
her lungs. Waiting just long
enough for the young resident to set a rhythm, Peter Hugen barked,
“Let’s move, people!” then stepped back long enough for the gurney
to be maneuvered out of Central Control then flew after them.
As
the doors closed behind them, Thames turned back to face Lothos, his face
shiny with a sheen of sweat that had sprung up as he’d watched with wide
eyes and his heart pounding in his chest, as the medical team had taken
possession of Zoë and swarmed out of the room with her even faster than
they had entered. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Thames scanned the
room, pausing, a frown creasing his forehead when he saw another occupant
in the room other than himself. He
recognized the young auburn-haired beauty with blue eyes, her name
springing to mind a moment later. She
was Tala, and he’d heard she was Lothos’ best junior programmer, and
personal assistant. But any
further thoughts concerning her were dismissed as he recalled the minutes
just past, returning his total attention to Lothos.
Through
the dramatic medical situation playing out in Central Control, Lothos had
maintained close attention on Thames, focusing on his face and noting the
small beads of sweat on his brow. What
he said next caused those sweat
beads on Thames’ face to begin to trickle down when he finally spoke.
“Both
you and Zoë have failed to kill Alia and Beckett. No one has ever attempted to leave this complex and Beckett
snatches her away,” the volume of Lothos’ voice increasing
exponentially as his anger mounted, especially with the knowledge that
Zoë, his beloved, could quite possibly die because of Sam Beckett or his
cohort, Albert Calavicci.
Facing
Lothos’ obviously rising wrath, Thames licked his lips then found his
voice and asked, “What do you want me to do, Lothos?”
The
dark red orb hanging from the ceiling darkened, making the room look as if
blood was splashed over it. “FIND
BECKETT AND KILL HIM!” he ordered, his voice thundering throughout the
room. “NOW!”
Thames
jumped at Lothos’ tone. However, a devilish smile appeared on his face and he felt
tense muscles begin to relax a bit at his new orders. “My pleasure, Lothos,” Thames responded, nodding
respectfully to Lothos then started toward the door.
“Thames,"
Lothos’ voice stopped him.
“Yes,
Lothos?” It was as much the
silky tone of Lothos’ voice as much as it was what he said next that
wiped the pleased grin from Thames’ face.
“Since
you and Zoë failed to find and kill Beckett and Alia, added to the fact
that Zoë will never leap again, I am putting the entire responsibility
for correcting that failure on you.”
Lothos noted the way Thames swallowed, hard and slowly as he
continued to speak. “I
am charging you to select and test two candidates to take Zoë’s and
your places as senior leaper and observer.”
Lothos paused, and in that moment Thames’ found enough of his
voice to ask a question.
“How
long…”
He
jumped when Lothos’ voice boomed, “You have twenty-eight hours from
this moment.”
Lothos
focused intently on Thames’ eyes for any reaction to his statement as he
added, “If you fail, you will be the one in the infirmary instead of
Zoë, and it won’t be Beckett who causes your injuries.”
Thames
swallowed hard at his words and blinked twice before saying, "Yes,
Lothos. Quite understood,
sir." With that said, he
turned and left the room.
Tala,
sitting at her workstation, her attention on the monitor in front of her
couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Lothos and Thames.
Determined not to give the remotest suggestion by her actions that
she’d listened, she pushed a button and observed that the few people
that were coming in from their day off had just passed through the gates
and were moving up the broad walkway to the guarded doors that led into
the exterior complex building.
She
particularly observed two young gentlemen who were talking quietly to each
other. One, a tall dark
handsome man, about her age as well as his compadre - except for his
blonde hair, both were quite a package to observe.
But
Tala wasn't the only one watching the technicians coming into the complex.
Lothos carefully watched each person for any sign of impertinence.
They knew the moment that they agreed to work for him that they had
to obey all rules. The
implants that had been given to them upon their arrival at the project,
allowed Lothos to not only keep track of what they said and heard, but
also where they were in the complex.
That same implant would allow him to inflict instant death if it
were his will alone.
"They've
arrived, Lothos, as ordered," Tala said softly not wanting to
irritate him further. She
knew that he was already watching them, but she was required to tell him
of everything that she observed at her post, even if it's redundant.
"All present and accounted for, and on time."
"Excellent.
Make sure that they report to their stations immediately,"
Lothos told her, watching her carefully.
There were only three people in the complex that he watched with
this type of care: Zoë, Tala and Siren.
"Yes,
sir," Tala said softly with a nod.
She looked into her screen and watched every person walking toward
his or her post, but she continued to watch the two young men
interestedly. She watched as
they headed toward the Logistics sector of the complex and watched as they
sat down to work. She quickly
flipped through the other people that came on the island and continued to
check on them. However, she
went back to the same two watching them for a brief moment before going
back to her normal duties. She
sighed dreamily before looking back at the algorithms that were awaiting
her perusal.
Lothos
though continually running thousands of scenarios for finding Beckett,
still caught the dreamy sigh. "Something
catches your attention, Tala?" he stated more than questioned.
"Perhaps it is those men that you have been watching with
vigilance for the past ten minutes."
Blushing
at the comment he made, she bowed her head lightly. "Beg your pardon, sir," she said softly.
"It's just been awhile since I've caught anyone's attention,
sir. I apologize for any ill
manners." She closed her
eyes and silently reprimanded herself for being so childish -- especially
while at her workstation. ‘You must act more adult-like, Tala,’ she thought to
herself.
"It's
not ill-manners to notice the opposite sex, Tala," Lothos informed
her. "However, you must
school yourself to restrict your interests for when you are not on duty. Is that understood?"
"Yes
Lothos."
PART
FOUR
Elsewhere
in the Project
Climbing
out of the tub, Siren grabbed a towel from the stack in the small cupboard
behind the bathroom door and wrapped it around her torso. Letting the water continue to trickle down her body, she
began the short walk from the bathroom to her bedroom.
Hearing
the bathroom door open, Xavier looked up from the book he’d been reading
and tsked at his daughter as she walked through the room with a towel
draped around her body, water still rolling down her body.
She
glanced over to the older man sitting in the recliner and their eyes met
for a brief moment. “Water
from my body won't hurt the carpet, father." She flashed him a saucy
smile as she headed over to her dresser.
Pulling out a dark green bodysuit, she laid it on the bed and got
the rest of her garments before taking off the towel and dried herself
completely at the foot of her bed. "So,
what's on your agenda for today?" she asked him as she pulled on her
underwear and began to fasten her bra.
She glanced over at the only man who had raised her and saw his
eyes focused on her body. Knowing
that he was only admiring, she shook her head when he didn’t answer
quickly and continued to get dressed.
Watching
her, Xavier's thoughts drifted to how she had come into his life.
Raising a child was something that he had never planned to be a
part of his life as a young man. And
for most of his first thirty-seven years that was true.
But a short while after Nathaniel Lothoman brought him into his
confidence about the true nature of his project and dream; Nathaniel
changed that one aspect of Xavier's life.
Though
the complex was housed completely underground, all fifteen levels of it,
not including the basement area, also known as the 'cellar', it was,
literally, a dark and stormy night near the end of July when that change
came.
Wakened
out of a deep sleep by Lothos' voice speaking aloud into his very
comfortable bachelor quarters, Xavier was summoned to the Operating Room
in the 'cellar'. Having two
different medical degrees and enough years of practice that would make
another man feel old, he didn't question the order.
He just threw some clothes on and got down to the 'cellar' as
quickly as possible.
Xavier's
surprise at hearing the sound of an infant screaming when the elevator
doors opened in the 'cellar' took him aback. Still, logic made him follow the sound of the cries, straight
to the special operating room in this area.
When he opened the door, he watched the tall, dark blonde man, a
young Peter Hugen, one of the newest medical resident/supervisors in the
complex turn to face him. In
his arms was a tiny form wrapped in a sterile towel.
It
was at that moment that Lothos spoke into the room that held only Peter,
Xavier, and the infant. "Give
the child to Xavier," he said.
Xavier
almost went numb from the shock. He was not certain he wasn't still dreaming.
That notion vanished when, a moment later, Peter Hugen laid the
infant in his arms.
Before
Xavier could speak, he received his orders and instructions from Lothos.
"This is my second child, a daughter, born approximately ten
minutes ago," Lothos' voice was lofty and stern.
"No one, save for her mother, Dr. Hugen and yourself are aware
of her existence. I am giving
her to you to raise."
"But…"
Xavier unwittingly sputtered.
"No
one," Lothos emphasized with a very real threat in his voice.
"…is to know that she is my daughter.
And until I choose to reveal it, she isn't to know anything of her
background or family." There
was a pause, and then Lothos added, "Raise her as your own, but never
forget for a moment that Siren, that is the name I have given her, is my
child."
Siren
was Nathaniel and Zoë’s child utterly.
Her attitude and intelligence she got from Nathaniel.
Not often was it seen, but her father's arrogance was as much a
part of her own nature as her hair color came from her mother.
She had also inherited Nathaniel's brilliance, evidence of that
becoming apparent to Xavier as he had watched her mature.
Her had seen, but not commented on the fact that except for the
fact of her being female and having her mother's coloring, Siren could be
a dead ringer for her father.
Now,
twenty-four years later, watching this tall, leggy, and at the moment,
naked, dark-auburn-haired beauty getting dressed, Xavier couldn't imagine
his life without her in it. He had raised her to have total confidence in
herself, to feel no shame or embarrassment of the naked human body. From
the first day he carried her into his quarters on the third level, far
removed from the lowest levels of the complex where she drew her first
breath, Siren became, for all intents and purposes, his daughter.
Watching
her, Xavier couldn't help but feel pride in the part he played in rearing,
nurturing and guiding Siren into the woman she had become. To her
question, Xavier replied vaguely, "I have a couple of things to take
care of." When she
paused to look at him, the dark green body suit now halfway up her body,
and one slender eyebrow quirked questioningly at his reply, he finished
his thought as he had countless times to the same unspoken question.
"Directives from Lothos," he said simply and nothing
more.
Xavier
had always encouraged Siren's curiosity, but taught her at a very young
age that whenever he answered any question as he just had, that she wasn't
to ask further about it. Though
the light in her eyes told him that she wanted to press the matter, she
respected what she had learned long ago and finished pulling up the body
suit.
Moving
into her room, Xavier went to her and pulled up the long zipper on the
body of her body suit. "What's on your agenda for today?" He
turned her question back on her as she turned to face him. "An
all-day date?" he teased her lightly. "Or another day on the
job?"
Siren
raised an eyebrow at what he had asked.
"Well, now, you know that I don't have anyone special in my
life, other than you… so I guess it's another day on the job."
She teased back at him before she began to brush her hair.
She had always found her long beautiful hair to be a nuisance, and
since she knew her father would have a conniption if she cut it, she just
braided it, put it up, and forgot about it.
Xavier
watched her go to her dresser and look down at the delicate, very
life-like mask that had become a part of her attire.
Picking it up, Siren gently fingered the cheek of the mask, a frown
etching her features. Even as
she looked up at him, he knew what she was going to ask. "Father, I know that we have discussed this before,
about being out in public, but I have to question again why I must always
wear this outside of our quarters. Is
it that necessary?"
Xavier
drew in a breath and gave her the same answer she'd heard every time it
had been answered before. "Yes,
my dear, it is most necessary," he told her evenly without avoiding
her eyes. "As I have
told you before, there are those who would have you killed because you are
my daughter if they knew who you are.
And I can't bear the thought of you being harmed.
Thus, the reason for the mask."
He watched her face, her eyes, as she considered what he'd just
said. And once more, Siren
accepted the lie that he'd learned to tell with such consummate and
effortless ease.
Siren
nodded her head at his answer, knowing the words before he'd said them.
She raised her eyebrow as she placed her pinkie into the mouth of
the mask and raised it toward him. "It's
just so hard to eat through such a little hole."
She smiled warmly at him as she walked up to him and placed a kiss
on his cheek.
Xavier
poked her with his index finger and she let out a giggle before she moved
away from him. Placing the
mask on, she waved a goodbye to him and headed toward the cafeteria to get
something for both of them to eat. Upon
entering the cafeteria to get breakfast, she walked up to the line and
waited patiently for the line to proceed.
Glancing around the room, she noticed several people staring at her
only to glance away when their eyes met.
Every time she had to get out of her quarters, it would happen,
driving her to the point of insanity.
Desperately wanting to take the mask and throw it across the room
to hear it shatter against the wall, she clenched her teeth and tried to
calm herself down. Having achieved a small handle on her anger, she proceeded in
the line.
Seeing
that they had pancakes and French toast on the breakfast buffet, she
prepared a plate of French toast for Xavier, his favorite, and a plate of
pancakes for herself. Each
plate had sausage, bacon and a small helping of hash browns.
After lathering both plates with syrup, Siren poured two glasses of
orange juice and placed them on the tray.
Nodding to the cashier, to take care of the bill by debiting her
account, she started toward the door.
It was at that point that a young man hurrying out of the cafeteria
bumped into her arm causing the tray to tip backwards onto her uniform and
the floor.
"You
clumsy oaf!" she barked loudly at the man. She looked up into his light blue eyes and saw the sparkling
laughter in them that only made her madder.
The
tall, dark-haired man smiled back at her.
Turning on the charm, he glanced at the syrupy mess that ran down
her bodysuit and said, "I'll be glad to clean up my mess."
It
was an impulse reaction on her part, and Siren didn't try to stop herself.
The first slap was just to get rid of that smile that marked his
face. However, the second
slap was for the comment he had so rudely alluded to.
"It'll be a cold day in hell when that happens," she
replied haughtily.
"Guess
I better go get my jacket on, huh?" he questioned before another slap
crossed his cheek. ‘Trevor
shut up!’ he thought to himself.
Meekly, he offered, "I'm sorry.
What can I do to make amends?"
"My
cleaning bill may be a starting point," she responded heatedly.
Grabbing a napkin from a nearby table, Siren began to try to wipe at the
mess. "Or," she began, "is that too much for your feeble
mind to even consider at the moment?"
Trevor
whistled silently as he tried not to watch her wipe at her stomach with
the napkin. ‘Damn,’
he thought to himself, ‘for temper, she's a dead match for Zoë
Malvison!’ But the wise
crack was too much of a jab for his ego to take.
"About as feeble as yours," he sniped back at her.
Belittling wasn’t something that he had ever taken lightly.
Since he had started dating, he had learned that there were several
things that you had to take a stand on, and sarcasm -mean, belittling
sarcasm - was one of those things that he didn't take from anyone, and
that included this woman standing before him as well.
"Send the bill to Trevor Conroy," he snapped at her and
turned away to start out the door.
Siren
wasn't about to let this man walk away from her in the state that she was
in. Taking a few steps, she
grabbed his arm, and turned him around.
"Mr. Conroy, is it?" she asked with a leer, remembering
his name from the list that was given to her last night; he was to work
under her in the Logistics Sector. "Feeblemindedness
and disrespectfulness must run in your family, sir.
However, it's hard to ascertain which is which."
Siren, seeing the heated look in his eyes, couldn't help adding,
"It's hard to realize when you are talking to your new supervisor,
isn't it, Mr. Conroy? It's
not the best way to start out is it?"
Trevor
listened to her out of respect for the fact that she was a woman, and even
gave her the courtesy of letting her vent, deciding that it was a full
load of attitude and venom that was spewing rather nicely. ‘New supervisor or not, I won't take that type of
self-satisfying-at-the-other-person's-expense attitude from anybody,
except Lothos, and the supervisors that tell this smarmy bitch what to do,’
he thought irritatedly.
"Probably
in the same measure that snottiness runs in your family, ma'am,” Trevor
told her, not in the least impressed with her attitude.
"And by the way, Madam Supervisor," he spat at her.
"When I'm on my breakfast hour, it's my time, not yours.
If I'm late, then you can chew my ass out!
But don't horn in on my time."
He watched as her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and she
was gasping like a fish out of water.
"Close your mouth!" he snapped at her again.
"You'll draw flies."
Turning, he stomped out of the cafeteria.
Siren
clamped her mouth shut and marched after him stopping outside the door.
"Mr. Trevor Conroy. Stop
right there!" she hollered at him in her most authoritative tone.
Trevor,
having already made it to the elevator and stepped inside it, pushed the
button to close the doors before he looked up and met her gaze.
"Sorry," he called to her.
"I've got to get to work!
Bye!" giving her a cocky smirk and wave just as the doors of
the elevator sealed before him.
Standing
in the hallway, seething, and feeling the remaining syrup that she hadn't
gotten to yet skimming down her bodysuit, she turned and stomped back down
the hallway the way she came. Going
back to the sixth floor, she bounded into her quarters and removed the
mask. Without thinking, she
threw the mask across the room, feeling satisfied when she heard it
shatter against the wall.
Xavier
looked up and watched her as she slammed the door. Seeing and hearing the
mask shatter, he could tell that she was four degrees from total volcanic
eruption. "Where's breakfast?" he asked mildly. But he could tell that breakfast was the last thing on her
mind.
"Where's
breakfast!?" she asked him back.
"Well, let me see. I
believe that it's all over my bodysuit, as well as the orange juice that
I, at one point, had. However,
thanks to Mr. Trevor Conroy, it's now on the cafeteria floor," she
said in a low menacing tone. Placing
her hand on her hips, she realized how sticky it was and began to strip
where she stood. "He's a
very insolent-mannered man, and when I see him again, he won't be able to
stand!" For effect, she
heaved the messy bodysuit across the room.
Standing in the middle of the room in her underwear, she raised her
arms in frustration. "I
can't believe how he treated me when it was his fault that our breakfast
landed on the floor."
"And
how did you react?" Xavier asked in the same mild tone. He knew that Siren had a short fuse and when it was lit, she
burned hot and fast just before the 'kaboom' hit.
In that one respect, she was much like her mother, but he knew
there was more of her father's temper there than was showing at the
moment.
Hearing
his question, so calm and subdued, she gasped at him as she once more put
her hands on her hips. "How
do you think that I acted? He
asked if he could clean up his mess as he undressed me with his eyes and I
slapped him twice before telling him that he should pay for the
cleaning…"
"Did
he offer to pay for the cleaning?" he asked folding his paper and
putting it aside so he could solely focus on her.
"Yes,
but, that was after I told him that disrespectfulness ran in his
family." Upon saying
that, she pursed her lips and smiled.
"Okay, okay, I guess I deserved what I got, but he was rushing
to get back to work from the cafeteria no less, and I am his immediate
supervisor effective today, which I did tell him…." she let her
sentence die off and shook her head as she walked over to Xavier and sat
down on his lap. Sighing, she lightly kissed his cheek. "Why didn't you teach me to keep my mouth shut?"
"You,
my own dear one, seem to learn best when you charge full bore into a
situation, smoke rolling out of your ears.
Even when you discover that you vastly over-reacted." He smiled at the lovely young woman perched on his lap.
"And from the look in your eyes, and what you've just said,
that tells me that you've learned a little bit more just now."
When she sighed in response, he gave her a light poke in the ribs.
"Now, go get breakfast, again.
I'm starving." He
watched her get up and head for the door.
"Siren."
When she looked back at him, he began, "Lothos will scorch
your hide, a supervisor, appearing in public in your… uh… state of
dress?" He arched one of
his eyebrows at her.
Siren
looked down at herself then smiled at him.
"Well, at least it would be something out of the norm, now
wouldn't it?" she asked then headed for her bedroom to get another
bodysuit from her dresser. Pulling
it on quickly, she returned to the living room and started back toward the
door but stopped, frowning as she realized she had shattered the mask.
"The mask," she stated biting her bottom lip.
"I… I don't have another."
She stomped her foot aggravated.
"I've really got to learn how to keep my anger under
control."
Xavier
considered her words. Keeping
his eyes vague, he stood. "I'll
go get breakfast." Moving
quickly but lightly across the room, he stepped up to her and placed a
kiss on her forehead. "And
while I'm gone," he said as he looked at her questioning eyes.
"No bloodletting in the front room." Seeing her sheepish smile, he shook a paternal finger at the
end of her nose. "If
there's so much as a spot of blood anywhere in here, you'll scrub the
walls. You know the
rules." Then he opened
the door and left.
Siren
shook her head as he left the room. Taking
the initiative, she moved over to the wall to where the mask had shattered
and carefully began to pick up the pieces to see if there was even a
possibility of it being fixable.
Too many pieces and there wasn't enough glue in the world to fix
the mess that she stared down at. Throwing
them away, she sat down on the bed and thought of the handsome but rude
young man that she had met this morning.
|
