Important Author Notes:

I started writing this fiction in January 2009, a month before the show premiered, and it is based on my understanding of the show's premise and characters from the promos, trailers and spoilers and leaked script pages that filled the internet at that time. The story of this fan fiction is from my imagination, including some of the technologies and some characters. But I couldn't post it until now because it could be spoiler-y for people who haven't seen the 4th episode "Gray Hour". Originally, I was aiming to write a script, but since I don't have enough experience in that area, I tried to at least make it mostly dialogue. The character that is talking is in bold. I also imagined the actives to be childlike in the sense that they would be acting like 4 or 5 year olds. It is still not completed yet, and I will certainly be adding more chapters every now and then. The chapter titles are taken from 'Enigma' song titles. English is not my first language; therefore, it would be great to point out any grammar or spelling mistakes. Hopefully I'm a quick study.

DISCLAIMER:

The copyrights of this show and the characters are owned by Joss Whedon and Twentieth Century FOX. I only write fiction about this show because I love it and I eagerly encourage people to watch it. Names of the chapters are taken from Enigma song titles, no copyright infringement intended. Enigma is my favorite New Age band.

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Chapter 1 (Silence Must Be Heard):

Dark red SUV driving down a neat suburban street. Inside, a man and a woman are having an argument:

Man: Oh that's just bull. You always come up with the most outrageous ideas and then claim that you're doing us all a favor.

Woman: At least I try to do something. All you ever do is whine.

Man: I only whine because you are driving us to bankruptcy.

Woman: Oh please! For once in your life put your daughter's interest before your bank account.

Man: I love Tola. I just don't understand how paying a ridiculous amount of money on some living doll is going to help her.

Woman: You know how stubborn Tola can be. She insists that the only person she would open up to is a young deaf female psychologist. She refuses to cooperate with anyone else. She wants someone just like her. You have any idea how hard it is to find a young female deaf psychologist? This seemed like the best plan. Come on now hurry, we have to be there, it's almost time.

Man: I just don't see the point.

Woman: So what else is new?!

Back at their house, 10 year old Tola is sitting and playing with her little Plastic dollhouse. Beside her, Echo is wearing a light pink sweater and a pair of charcoal pants. Echo is programmed to be a deaf psychologist named Olympia. Both ladies are communicating in ASL (American Sign Language).

Echo/Olympia puts her finger on her mouth and whispers to Tola: "Shhhhh," then using ASL she says: "Barbie's asleep now, you don't want to wake her up."

Tola: "Don't worry, she won't hear us. She is sleeping in a glass coffin."

Echo/Olympia (surprised): "Why is she sleeping in a glass coffin?"

Tola: "Sleeping Beauty does, and so do you, why wouldn't Barbie?!"

Echo/Olympia (shocked): "What makes you think I sleep in a glass coffin?"

Tola: "I told you, I can see things in my head."

Echo/Olympia: "You mean Like a dream?"

Tola: "More like a flash."

Echo/Olympia: "Is that how you feel? Trapped in a glass coffin?"

Tola: "Sometimes."

Echo/Olympia: "How can I help you break out of it?"

Tola: "You can't. You don't have legs."

Echo/Olympia: "What? And what do you call these?" Waving her legs about in the air.

Tola: "Those are the magical legs that the witch gave to you in exchange for your tongue, just like the Little Mermaid. Soon the magic will wear off and you will be back in the sea, and forget all about me."

Echo/Olympia: "I will never forget you Tola, I'm your friend," she smiles at Tola and lovingly caresses her hair, "but you didn't tell me, why am I like the Little Mermaid? What is it that I want besides magical legs?"

Tola: "Freedom. You want to have a soul and be human and live happily ever after with the prince."

Echo/Olympia: "Is he a cute prince?"

Tola: "He's not my type, but I guess he's ok." They laugh.

Tola opens her bedside drawer and hands Echo a bubble gum.

"This is for being my friend." Tola signs.

"Thank you" Echo/Olympia signs back.

Suddenly a big red light flashes in Tola's room.

Tola: "Mommy and daddy are home." She signs to Olympia.

Tola and Echo/Olympia rush downstairs to meet the parents.

Her mom greets her with a big hug and signs: "Did you have a good time with Olympia?"

Tola: "She's a real Care Bear!"

Dad – smoking - asks Tola to go to the other room. Then he asks Olympia in Sign Language: "So, what's wrong with my daughter?"

Echo/Olympia: "Nothing!" she signs and takes the cigarette away from dad, "Tola is perfectly healthy, and quite a brilliant young lady. Let's keep her that way." And she throws away the cigarette outside of the threshold.

Dad surprised at Olympia's reply and sass, rolls eyes then signs: "But she lives in a fantasy world!"

Echo/Olympia: "Don't we all?!"

Dad gets angry: "Listen you…"

Echo/Olympia: "No. You listen," with a much more serious look on her face, "your daughter is deaf, not sick. You have to stop treating her like a prisoner and start listening to what she has to say. Stop looking at her like someone with special needs and start realizing that she's someone special."

Mom tries to calm them down and signs: "But can you explain how Tola knows about things before they happen?"

Echo/Olympia: "I think she's clairvoyant."

Dad: "What?"

Echo/Olympia: "A psychic ability that allows her to see or sense the thoughts and feelings of others, as well as the past and the future. It's a blessing; a gift. One that should be honored and celebrated instead of ridiculed and shut down. But her only way of expressing herself is through fairy tales because that's the only world she knows. It's her escape. It's time you introduce her to the real world. Life is an experience, let her choose her destiny."

Dad turns to mom and says: "Look who's giving us a lecture about life!"

Mom: "She's right." She signs. "Thank you for your help Olympia. I think we are the problem we need to solve."

"No problem," signs Olympia, "I actually enjoyed my time with Tola today. We played all day and she taught me more about myself than I was able to…"

Mom and Dad notice something weird happening with Echo/Olympia. Echo's eyes are suddenly plain, her face reveals great pain before it goes blank, she looks around and then focuses her sight on the parents. With such deep confusion she utters in a clear voice: "Did I fall asleep?"

Suddenly across the street, a man jumps off of a black van and comes rushing to the front door where Mom, Dad and Echo are standing, as he approaches we realize it's Boyd – Echo's handler.

Boyd: "We have to go, NOW!"

Tola comes rushing to the front door, gives Echo a big hug.

Confused even more, Echo looks at the little girl and says: "Do I know you?"

Boyd looks very nervous, holds Echo's arm and leads her to the van.

Mom explains to Tola that Olympia has to leave now.

Boyd starts dialing a number on his cell phone as the van drives away, fast.