It's been 3 months since the explosion and he's pulled together a ragtag group of people, that are now making their way toward Tuscon. Laurence Dominic has a map in his pocket, a vague idea of where he's going and directions with two words scrawled across the top, Safe Haven. The trip takes longer than expected. They have to stop to scavenge for food and supplies. His group has several small children, who slow them down considerably. He isn't entirely sure why he's heading this way. It seems familiar and safe, but the vague sense of unease increases as they make their way out of Los Angeles.
They've all been trying to piece together the recent events; each person having a different point in their memories where everything went blank. He knows that time has passed. He knows that at some point the technology went horribly wrong. But that's all he knows. Others remember more recent events, but Dominic's memory gap is the largest by far. He hasn't had the nerve to ask how large though. It scares the hell out of him.
It's late in the evening when they make it to the spot on his map. Somehow he'd expected something different; a fortress, a compound, anything but a series of small buildings and some farmland. Despite the idyllic setting, guards are upon their group in moments, guns trained on them.
"Name and birthmark" barks one of them.
"Laurence Dominic. What the hell?" He shoves the guard who's pulling up on the back of his shirt.
"It's standard procedure. Where's your birthmark?"
"I don't have any birthmarks." He's starting to get pissed off as the guards start checking the others.
The first guard spots something on Dominic's shoulder blade and stops suddenly. "Okay. This one's good."
Dominic twists around to look at his back. There in untidy letters is his name. It's not like he's had a reason to look at his back lately, or been around too many mirrors. His stomach drops though. The tattoo is completely unfamiliar. It's as though his own body has betrayed him. The guards have finished examining everyone and let the group inside the gates. Dominic scans the people coming out of the first house. No one looks familiar. He'd been hoping for some recognition, someone he knew, or any kind of memory really. Then he sees her. Adelle DeWitt. She looks years older and much more casually dressed than she'd looked in his memory, but it's still a familiar face. She's walking toward them when she catches sight of him and freezes, her face going chalk white.
"Laurence..." His name comes out a whisper.
"Ms. DeWitt." He returns.
"We thought you were dead. Where have you been?" Some of the color has returned to her face, but she isn't moving any closer to him.
"L.A. Now what the hell is going on?"
"We set off a pulse bomb. It's starting to work. People are themselves again. It'll take time, but we're working on destroying the remaining technology and we..."
"Pulse bomb? What remaining technology? I have no idea what you're talking about ma'am. What is going on here?" Dominic breaks in suddenly. He's had enough. Months of uncertainty and frustration are raising his voice until he's right in her face shouting.
"Mr. Dominic, you..." She trails off, a realization beginning to creep across her face and she takes a step back from his tirade. He can barely hear her next words. "What's the last thing you remember?"
"You. I was grabbing a gun. The gun went off. There was a blue light." He's haltingly grasping for his memories now. They seem so far away. He's been avoiding thinking about this, just trying to keep moving and get his people though. "You having me strapped down. You sending me to the Attic" he finishes at last flatly.
Adelle's hand goes to her mouth. She almost looks like she's going to be sick. She's shaking her head silently, looking up at him.
"How long?" The lines on her face, the new gray in her hair, his own aging face those few times he's gotten a glimpse in the mirror; it's all coming together with frightening speed now. She doesn't answer. Adelle just stares at him, face a mask. "How LONG has it been dammit?"
"Almost 10 years."
It's a blow that staggers him. "How is that even...possible? Ten years? Why has no one else lost that much time, Adelle?" He can see her wavering as she starts to answer him. Her face is controlled, but her eyes look pained.
"The pulse bomb. It reset people to their original personalities, but it had side effects for anyone with active architecture. It reset them to before they were first imprinted."
"But when was I imprinted?" Dominic looks confused. Then it hits him. "You did it. When you sent me to the Attic." He sees red then, fury gripping him and he grabs her arm. His ears are ringing, his vision shrinking to just Adelle's face. She flinches, but he holds firm, gripping tightly enough to bruise. "Ten years? I lost ten years because of you?"
"I thought you were dead. If I'd any idea I never would have let you stay out there." She trails off as the others from the house begin to walk over, concerned for her safety.
"What's going on over here? Hey, Dom?" interrupts a male voice. The next person to come around the corner is the last person Dominic ever expected to see smiling at him. Alpha. "Jesus Christ!" He jumps backward, hand reaching for the gun that no longer hangs at his side.
"Mr. Dominic!" Adelle steps between them. "He's on our side. Things have changed."
Alpha isn't his biggest sign that things have changed. It's written all over Adelle's guilt ridden face. It's too much for Dominic. Ten years of his life gone and Alpha being friendly. His hand is clenching and if he doesn't get out of there he's going to do something he'll regret. Or at least he thinks he'll regret it."I need some space. Just leave me the hell alone." He stalks off toward the nearby trees. Adelle moves to go after him, but stops and sits heavily on the porch step resting her head in her hands. The group around them disperses awkwardly. No one else is meeting her eye.
"What's going on with Dom?" Alpha cocks his head toward the departing man, sitting beside her.
"He doesn't remember anything."
"Nothing at all?"
"He remembers me sending him to the Attic." Adelle lets out a long shuddering sigh and rests her head on Alpha's shoulder. Alpha uncomfortably pats her shoulder. He pretends not to notice the tears tracking down her face.
"He'll never forgive me for this."