Disclaimer: Despite what my own dream world tells me, I do not and will not
own Mutant X and it characters. Oriana is the only character that I
created.
One
It began with a memory. A strange one to remember too, but it was one of his clearest memories of her. Adam wasn't sure what had triggered the memory, but it came in a blinding flash. He was back in Genomex, back in the days when he still believed the world was secure for now. They were in his office, Ori and he, and they were having lunch. They would have lunch there every day discussing everything that came to mind.
It was during these conversations that they learned the most about each other. He' of course, was always on guard telling her just enough to not only satisfy her, but him as well. Oriana Ashlin was his chief assistant and his eyes, ears, and his right hand in his department. The day he remembered was of Ori laughing about something he had said. No matter what had happened or was happening, times seemed so light during those talks. That is until . . .
He was broken from his reverie suddenly by Shalimar. She was staring up at him, concern evident in her eyes. Adam was then aware that he had stopped dead in his tracks and was staring into space. He blinked rapidly and the slight and the slight fog of the memory faded from the edges of his vision.
"Adam, are you all right?" Shalimar asked placing a hand on his shoulder. He blinked once more and shook his head to clear his mind. He then looked at her.
"I'm find, just . . ." how could he describe it? It felt a little strange to have just been a memory. "It was just a very vivid memory, that's all."
"You sure? You looked really out of it," she frowned and it deepened when he paused, confusion clouding his eyes. Had it just been a memory? Or could it be something else?
"Adam? You want to sit down or something?" At his continued silence, her voice started to rise in panic. The source of the memory began to dawn on him. He put a hand on Shalimar's shoulder to calm her.
"It's all right Shalimar, I'm okay. I just can't believe what's happening," he smiled and his confusion turned into excitement tinged with something else. Shalimar couldn't put her finger on it, concern maybe? Adam walked quickly from the lab to the computer station near the dojo. He punched the keys quickly almost frantically.
"Sanctuary, give me an outside line," the central computer complied and Adam dialed a phone number and it rang audibly through the speakerphone. Shalimar stood at a distance. Her frown softened and amusement chased it across her face. Jesse came up behind her, his eyebrows raised.
"What's going on? Who's Adam calling?"
"I don't have a clue. Let's just stick around and find out," she gave him a mischievous grin that he returned. The number that Adam called ran almost endlessly. A frown spread across Adam's face. Suddenly the line picked up.
"We're sorry, but the number you have dialed has been disconnected," came the mechanical, flat recording. Adam let out a sigh as if he had been holding his breath. The frown settled onto his features as he dialed another number. At this point Emma and Brennan joined them.
"What's going on?" Brennan echoed Jesse's question. This time Adam put a finger to his lips to silence everyone as someone answered the phone.
"Albertson Research Lab, how can I help you?" The voice was female and it sounded like it belonged to someone in her late thirties.
"Yes, can you connect me to Dr. Alexander's office please?" His voice assumed a respectful authoritative quality. There was a pause on the other end.
"I'm sorry, but I can't patch you through without authorization," the woman sounded hesitant as if she was still trying to decide what to do.
"This is Dr. Sutherton. I need to speak to Dr. Alexander right away."
"I'm so sorry Dr. Sutherton, I didn't recognize your voice. It's been a while since you called," relief flowed from the speaker. Adam smiled gently.
"Sarah, is that you?"
"Yes sir it is."
"Well I'll forgive you if you forgive me. I didn't recognize you either."
"That's okay doctor, it has been a long time and I . . ." her voice trailed off in a tone that suggested she wasn't sure of what to say next. Adam's smile turned into a soft frown.
"Sarah, is something wrong? Sarah?" At first she didn't answer, then everything came out in a rush.
"I'm sorry Dr. Sutherton, but no ones heard from Dr. Alexander in days. Her home phone has been disconnected, and when we checked her office, it was cleared out. We even sent someone to her apartment and it seems she moved out in a rush. Nobody knows what to do, should we call the police?"
"Calm down Sarah. Listen, do me a favor and tell Rutherford to hold off on calling the police. I'll search on my end and call you back if I find anything out. She wouldn't leave without even leaving me a message," Adam went from a frown to a look of neutral calm, which Shalimar found a little strange. This was obviously someone he knew, and she would have thought that alarm would be his reaction to this sudden disappearance.
"Thank you Dr. Sutherton, I'll let the director know right away. He was on the verge of calling you. Your call was very timely."
"You have no idea Sarah. I'll speak to you soon."
Adam disconnected the line, and without a word of explanation headed up to the upper level. He sat down at the computer terminal and began working. Everyone exchanged confused looks and Shalimar looked up to where Adam was sitting. After a few seconds, she walked up the stairs and stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.
"What's going on?"
"Just trying to contact an old friend," he said, his eyes glued to the monitor.
"You're going to fill us in aren't you?" He ignored her question and continued to stare at the monitor. Suddenly, he shouted down to the lower level.
"Jesse, I need you to dial a number for me and then tie in the signal to this computer."
"Ready," Jesse reacted quickly.
"The number is 741-967-8923. Just let it ring and keep an eye on the signal."
Jesse wasn't sure what was going on, but he did what Adam asked. The phone ran until the same message came on announcing that the number was disconnected. This time, however, the phone wasn't hung up and something happened that surprised her. A series of beeps and clicks followed the disconnection message. Adam didn't appear to be surprised and he ran the seemingly random noises through a program Shalimar didn't recognize.
After a few minutes, a written message began to appear on the screen. Adam almost sighed in relief. It still worked. The old code he and Oriana developed years ago still worked and he still remembered. The message was short and simple and caused him to frown. The message read:
Need Help. Meet me. 982 Calisto Drive. Back Home!
Something drastic must have happened to cause her to relocate so quickly. It was possible that the GSA might have found her, but he would have been forewarned through the scans they did on Genomex. Besides, Adam found it a little incredible that Eckhart would have found her. She had been hiding in the same place for almost six years now. There wasn't anytime to waste anyway no matter what the case.
"I'm going to this address," he pointed out the message to Shalimar. She was still staring at the message when he got up and walked down the stairs.
"Adam, wait a minute," she followed him quickly. When he got to the bottom of the stairs he stopped in front of the group.
"What's going on, it's almost like you're in a frenzy," Emma's concern showed visibly on her face.
"Everything's fine, for the moment anyway. I'll be able to better explain this as soon as I do some checking up on something."
"Well at least take one of us with you," Brennan volunteered.
"No, I'm going by myself, it'll keep things less complicated. I'll call you on the comlink if I need help," Adam rushed out without another word.
One
It began with a memory. A strange one to remember too, but it was one of his clearest memories of her. Adam wasn't sure what had triggered the memory, but it came in a blinding flash. He was back in Genomex, back in the days when he still believed the world was secure for now. They were in his office, Ori and he, and they were having lunch. They would have lunch there every day discussing everything that came to mind.
It was during these conversations that they learned the most about each other. He' of course, was always on guard telling her just enough to not only satisfy her, but him as well. Oriana Ashlin was his chief assistant and his eyes, ears, and his right hand in his department. The day he remembered was of Ori laughing about something he had said. No matter what had happened or was happening, times seemed so light during those talks. That is until . . .
He was broken from his reverie suddenly by Shalimar. She was staring up at him, concern evident in her eyes. Adam was then aware that he had stopped dead in his tracks and was staring into space. He blinked rapidly and the slight and the slight fog of the memory faded from the edges of his vision.
"Adam, are you all right?" Shalimar asked placing a hand on his shoulder. He blinked once more and shook his head to clear his mind. He then looked at her.
"I'm find, just . . ." how could he describe it? It felt a little strange to have just been a memory. "It was just a very vivid memory, that's all."
"You sure? You looked really out of it," she frowned and it deepened when he paused, confusion clouding his eyes. Had it just been a memory? Or could it be something else?
"Adam? You want to sit down or something?" At his continued silence, her voice started to rise in panic. The source of the memory began to dawn on him. He put a hand on Shalimar's shoulder to calm her.
"It's all right Shalimar, I'm okay. I just can't believe what's happening," he smiled and his confusion turned into excitement tinged with something else. Shalimar couldn't put her finger on it, concern maybe? Adam walked quickly from the lab to the computer station near the dojo. He punched the keys quickly almost frantically.
"Sanctuary, give me an outside line," the central computer complied and Adam dialed a phone number and it rang audibly through the speakerphone. Shalimar stood at a distance. Her frown softened and amusement chased it across her face. Jesse came up behind her, his eyebrows raised.
"What's going on? Who's Adam calling?"
"I don't have a clue. Let's just stick around and find out," she gave him a mischievous grin that he returned. The number that Adam called ran almost endlessly. A frown spread across Adam's face. Suddenly the line picked up.
"We're sorry, but the number you have dialed has been disconnected," came the mechanical, flat recording. Adam let out a sigh as if he had been holding his breath. The frown settled onto his features as he dialed another number. At this point Emma and Brennan joined them.
"What's going on?" Brennan echoed Jesse's question. This time Adam put a finger to his lips to silence everyone as someone answered the phone.
"Albertson Research Lab, how can I help you?" The voice was female and it sounded like it belonged to someone in her late thirties.
"Yes, can you connect me to Dr. Alexander's office please?" His voice assumed a respectful authoritative quality. There was a pause on the other end.
"I'm sorry, but I can't patch you through without authorization," the woman sounded hesitant as if she was still trying to decide what to do.
"This is Dr. Sutherton. I need to speak to Dr. Alexander right away."
"I'm so sorry Dr. Sutherton, I didn't recognize your voice. It's been a while since you called," relief flowed from the speaker. Adam smiled gently.
"Sarah, is that you?"
"Yes sir it is."
"Well I'll forgive you if you forgive me. I didn't recognize you either."
"That's okay doctor, it has been a long time and I . . ." her voice trailed off in a tone that suggested she wasn't sure of what to say next. Adam's smile turned into a soft frown.
"Sarah, is something wrong? Sarah?" At first she didn't answer, then everything came out in a rush.
"I'm sorry Dr. Sutherton, but no ones heard from Dr. Alexander in days. Her home phone has been disconnected, and when we checked her office, it was cleared out. We even sent someone to her apartment and it seems she moved out in a rush. Nobody knows what to do, should we call the police?"
"Calm down Sarah. Listen, do me a favor and tell Rutherford to hold off on calling the police. I'll search on my end and call you back if I find anything out. She wouldn't leave without even leaving me a message," Adam went from a frown to a look of neutral calm, which Shalimar found a little strange. This was obviously someone he knew, and she would have thought that alarm would be his reaction to this sudden disappearance.
"Thank you Dr. Sutherton, I'll let the director know right away. He was on the verge of calling you. Your call was very timely."
"You have no idea Sarah. I'll speak to you soon."
Adam disconnected the line, and without a word of explanation headed up to the upper level. He sat down at the computer terminal and began working. Everyone exchanged confused looks and Shalimar looked up to where Adam was sitting. After a few seconds, she walked up the stairs and stood behind him, looking over his shoulder.
"What's going on?"
"Just trying to contact an old friend," he said, his eyes glued to the monitor.
"You're going to fill us in aren't you?" He ignored her question and continued to stare at the monitor. Suddenly, he shouted down to the lower level.
"Jesse, I need you to dial a number for me and then tie in the signal to this computer."
"Ready," Jesse reacted quickly.
"The number is 741-967-8923. Just let it ring and keep an eye on the signal."
Jesse wasn't sure what was going on, but he did what Adam asked. The phone ran until the same message came on announcing that the number was disconnected. This time, however, the phone wasn't hung up and something happened that surprised her. A series of beeps and clicks followed the disconnection message. Adam didn't appear to be surprised and he ran the seemingly random noises through a program Shalimar didn't recognize.
After a few minutes, a written message began to appear on the screen. Adam almost sighed in relief. It still worked. The old code he and Oriana developed years ago still worked and he still remembered. The message was short and simple and caused him to frown. The message read:
Need Help. Meet me. 982 Calisto Drive. Back Home!
Something drastic must have happened to cause her to relocate so quickly. It was possible that the GSA might have found her, but he would have been forewarned through the scans they did on Genomex. Besides, Adam found it a little incredible that Eckhart would have found her. She had been hiding in the same place for almost six years now. There wasn't anytime to waste anyway no matter what the case.
"I'm going to this address," he pointed out the message to Shalimar. She was still staring at the message when he got up and walked down the stairs.
"Adam, wait a minute," she followed him quickly. When he got to the bottom of the stairs he stopped in front of the group.
"What's going on, it's almost like you're in a frenzy," Emma's concern showed visibly on her face.
"Everything's fine, for the moment anyway. I'll be able to better explain this as soon as I do some checking up on something."
"Well at least take one of us with you," Brennan volunteered.
"No, I'm going by myself, it'll keep things less complicated. I'll call you on the comlink if I need help," Adam rushed out without another word.
