As originally posted in the fragment's thread, this is the first chapter of a currently completed Daria AU.
Okay, I know this isn't what people want to see from me. Hell, this isn't necessarily what I felt like writing either.
I started this file back in May and had 60% of it written by the end of that month. Then suddenly my time and motivation for writing hit zero, since then I've been lucky to write a sentence or two a day, and what little time I spent tended to go to writing down individual scenes in a multitude of stories I won't finish or even probably publish.
This work is completely un-betaed and probably rife with errors, but I'm posting it up just to post something damnit. The only good thing about it is that this is a complete chapter.
Daria's Other 'talking' to Daria
Daria 'talking' to her Other.
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Meta-humans had been an accepted part of the world for almost 50 years, having first been properly documented in the early 1950's. Most 'normal' meta-human powers were essentially parlor tricks that anyone could duplicate with the right gadget; such as someone who could light cigarettes by pushing them against his thumb. While the actual source of meta-human powers was still unknown, it was understood that they were powered through a tiny channel into another dimension.
Oversoul level meta-humans were first publicized five years ago. If normal meta-humans had parlor tricks, Oversouls had powers out of a comic books. The idea of a meta-human that powerful would have eventually blown over but for the one universal fact united all the Oversouls together; they all had a voice in their heads.
Most scientists believed that the sheer power an Oversoul level meta-human could draw on was more than the human mind could handle. Thus each meta-human created of an energy-based mind, called an Other, to act as a gatekeeper for their powers.
Unfortunately, the public did not take the idea of powerful meta-humans with a literal case of multiple-personality disorder well. Laws had been enacted placing any known Oversoul into Facilities for their 'care and treatment'. Daria was the tenth Oversoul to be identified and the first to enter this particular Facility at the age of 13.
The Facility had once been a psychiatric hospital on several acres of lightly forested land. When the Facility took over the grounds the pragmatic designers realized there was nothing they could do to actually KEEP any of the meta-humans on campus and little had changed. Instead official policy stated that any meta-human who left the grounds would be the recipient of a shoot-on-sight order.
Most analysts believed that when public hysteria calmed down the Oversouls would be allowed back into public. Daria agreed, but at the same time realized that release would not be in her future; her powers ensured that.
One of Daria's therapists had likened her powers to a "wikipeida to the universe." Through her Other Daria could access information that was up-to-date and accurate on anything she could establish a link to. The only know limits to Daria's abilities were the requirement for a starting point and the inability to learn anything that occurred before the detonation of the first atomic bomb.
The government had only approached Daria with request a few times, such as to track down the terrorist ultimately responsible for the New York Trade Center bombings. Otherwise she was being kept away from the public to avoid the questions people didn't want answered.
Daria Morgendorffer allowed her eyes to roam the open space that had been designated as their activity area, or at least as much as she could without glasses.
It was a pretty lousy thing to do, taking our glasses away, her Other said, The psych shouldn't have asked if his wife was having an affair if he didn't want to know.
That's true. Daria thought back to her Other, But at the same time I didn't have to give him the answer; or the details. I should have guessed he'd be petty enough take bad news out on the messenger.
Daria shifted in her Facility issued cotton pants when one of her fellow 'guests' burst into a screaming argument with her personal Oversoul. Of course since only the meta-human in question could hear her Other, the argument seemed very one-sided. The rules of the Facility separated the sexes at all times and separated the dangerous guests from the others. Unfortunately for Daria's piece of mind, the definition of dangerous in the Facility meant the presence of an Oversoul. While the information provided by Daria's Other could be dangerous in the right situations, it wouldn't mean much if the screaming pyrokineticist burst into flames.
Why are we out here again? Daria asked her 'self'. Normally we don't share yard time with Bursts-into-Flames.
Part of it is Mr. Wymbie's fault, Daria's Oversoul replied. Its part of his revenge for telling him his wife was knocking boots with his sister. The other reason is that Tam's Oversoul. Mr. I-can-See-the-Future himself told us that it would be in our best interest to be out here today. Considering how rarely he speaks to any of the rest of us, it's probably a good idea to follow his advice.
Daria nodded, and leaned back against the low stone wall her bench had been placed against. Most of her fellow guests avoided Daria in a futile attempt at preventing Daria from knowing everything about them; not that Daria really cared to look.
Daria was shaken from her thoughts by a voice she didn't recognize. "Hey stranger, this seat taken?"
Daria judged the voice to belong to a girl around her own age. Without her glasses, the girl was nothing but a blur, but Daria could tell she was wearing the simple white cotton scrubs issued to all the quests.
"Not at the moment," Daria replied, "But are you sure you want it? I could be pretty dangerous."
"Sure," The voice replied, "But I've been given the 411 on everyone out here and you're probably the safest person out here."
The blur sat down next to Daria and just barely resolved into a black haired girl just slightly taller than Daria herself.
"Careful," Daria warned, "Or I'll know more about you than you do."
"Nah," The blur replies. "We Lanes don't have secrets worth caring about." Then, to Daria's shock, for the first time in almost a year, someone deliberately took her hand.
As the basic information flowed from her Overmind Daria heard the blur say, "The name's Jane, Jane Lane. Nice to meet you."
"So," Jane began, "I hear it's a tradition to give your powers and all that when you meet someone the first time, so I'll go first. As I said, my name is Jane Lane and I have superhuman senses."
Daria raised an eyebrow, a trick she picked up to freak out the psychiatrists.
"They must be extreme if you have an Other." Daria commented.
"Well, I can see the whole electromagnetic spectrum and other weird things like taste the color purple and smell thunder. Oh, and if I want to I can do that anyplace in the world without being there. If you gave me a moment I could tell you what color of underwear some random schoolgirl in Japan is wearing right now."
"It's night in Japan right now, Jane."
"Okay, then the color of their pajamas, if they wear any; I'm sure you get the point."
"I do." Interesting example. You stay out of this. Not a chance. She's the most interesting thing to happen to us in ages. Then could you please keep your comment to yourself at least? No way; I'm going to have way too much fun with this. You have noticed that you're still holding hands, right?
Daria had noticed that Jane hadn't let go of her hand yet, but Daria's last physical contact with another person had been over four months ago. Daria wasn't sure she could let go of Jane's hand on her own.
"So," Jane asked, "people tell me you are the person in the know . . . . Want to share some info about this place?"
Jane must have felt Daria's muscles tense at the question, because she quickly rephrased.
"I mean the dos and don'ts. At the last facility one of the cafeteria guys was a boob man. If you flashed him a little cleavage you got an extra half scoop of whatever he was in charge of. At the place before that you never wanted to talk football with the guards, because they were always losing money betting on the games. Little tips like that."
Daria felt herself relax as Jane explained herself. That's a good question.
"For starters, don't ask Mr. Wymbie about his wife or sister. He's petty and has no problem punishing the messenger." Even when he asked for the information.
Daria turned her head and meet the still blurred eyes of her companion. "But the most important think involves your Other. I don't know how well you get along, but do NOT allow the guards to catch you in arguing out-loud."
Daria nodded towards the pyrokinetist who was deeply involved her one-sided screaming match.
"She's going to have double the number of pills in her cup tomorrow, and I'm betting most of them won't be vitamins. Whenever any of the psychiatrists think you're having disagreements with your Other their first impulse is to drug you for a few days to 'cool off' followed by extra therapy sessions."
"And the guards?" Jane asked.
"Most of the visible ones are nice enough. Watch out for the redhead though, he likes to have 'accidents' with cups of water. He'll target anyone with breasts so most of us keep six feet away from him whenever we can." It's nice to watch though, as long as we're not the targets.
Daria paused before making her next statement.
"What you have to look out for, are the guards with the black faceplates. They're part of the hunter squads that go after the escapes and the serious trouble makers. The last time they were here one of the other guests, totally harmless guy, got a rifle butt to the head for being in their way. As far as anyone here can determine, 'being in the way' meant 'they saw him'. He'd still be in the infirmary if they hadn't let Jack heal him." I still say they detoured just so they could hit someone else.
Jane winced.
"Okay, the storm trooper want-to-bes aren't going on my Christmas card list. But speaking of the infirmary. . . ." Jane drew her legs onto the bench, where she hugged them tightly.
Daria gave their joined hands a firm squeeze.
"Once they've got a good grasp of what you can do all the experimentation is strictly voluntary. The perks for volunteering are nice, but they don't deprive you of the basics if you refuse."
"That's weird," Jane said. "The last Facility I was at was all about experimentation; as complete and through as possible. There wasn't a day that I didn't get painful test or a 'request' to see something for them; often times both."
"This is a long-term holding facility, Jane. That's why it is so comfortable. There are two kinds of Oversouls here: the ones that couldn't be stopped and the ones that the government is scared to let go."
"I'll admit it is a lot swanker here than in any other Facility I've ever been in, but what do you mean by two kinds of people?"
Daria gestured over to the pyrokinetist, who had finally gotten quite, though an occasional rude gesture betrayed her continued agitation.
"Take Annet there. She could walk out of this place anytime she wanted to and there's nothing the hunter squads could do to stop her. It would take a carpet bombing to hurt her and I doubt that could kill her."
Daria sighed and gestured to herself.
"I'm in the prime example of the other category. The questions I could answer and the secrets I could reveal give some people screaming nightmares. Your ability to spy on anyone is the same. They can't allow us out into the general public were someone could ask the 'wrong' questions and get the right answers."
Jane sighed. "I've been watching them draft Bill 23076 for a couple of months now. I thought it looked like they were putting in a few too many exceptions for them to let go of all of us."
Daria nodded.
"We've been keeping track of it ourselves." Daria explained. "And it's been obvious from the start that there are some of us they'd much rather not let into public. About two months ago they started swapping people in and out. This place is expensive to maintain, but it's more likely to keep the long-timers inside than an actual prison would."
The blur that was Jane nodded, "Having a broken lock doesn't mater if the inmate won't go out the door."
Daria nodded.
Are you planning on letting go of her hand anytime soon? Will you drop that? Not until you admit it. Fine, if Jane wants her hand back she's going to have to get it herself. Are happy now? Yes.
"Hey," Jane gently broke into the mental conversation. "I noticed you seem to be squinting a lot, having eye trouble?"
Daria sighed. "Do you remember my warning about Mr. Wymbie? He's one of the 'expert' headshrinkers here. Yesterday he asked a question he probably shouldn't have and got an answer he didn't want to hear. He invented some psychobabble and got my glasses confiscated. I can't see without them, even you are an almost total blur."
Daria felt Jane's hand tighten in hers. "That asshole! Is there anything you can do to get them back?"
Daria nodded. "He's just a visiting headshrinker. Monday, when my regular psychiatrist comes back, she'll override his decision and give me back my glasses. I know the Facility well enough to get around; I'll just have to avoid bumping into anyone until Monday."
"Well, if you need a seeing-eye person in the meantime I'm your girl." Jane laughed.
Don't. Don't what? I know what you were about to do, stay out of her info. I was just going to look. We don't need to do that. Yes we do, but I'll wait until you ask. And you are going to ask.
"You won't have to twist my arm." Daria said out loud.
Jane sighed theatrically. "Well, there goes the easiest way to lead you around."
Daria laughed. Oh, I like her.
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