Active Status

By Michael Weyer

Dollhouse owned by Mutant Enemy

Doctor Who owned by the BBC

A short tale that was bouncing around in my head and decided to put out. Spoilers for "A Love Supreme."

Adelle Dewitt had learned a long time ago that the best thing to do with a hard negotiation was to put on a cool face and not let the other party see your inner worries. That had served her well when dealing with everyone from two-timing politicians to her own bosses to a variety of less-than-savory persons who came hiring the Dollhouse's services. Combined with her ever-cool British behavior, it was a move that had served her well.

Sadly, that plan of action didn't have the same effect when dealing with a murderous sociopath.

Alpha paced the office, glancing about, looking almost dashing in his suit. Adelle could tell he was putting on a show, loving the feeling of power as he walked in her offices. "I gotta say, Adelle, I thought I was the twisted one around here. But you?" He chuckled. "Lady, you've set a bar I can only dream of achieving."

"I don't know what you mean," Adelle said, resisting the impulse to lick her dry lips.

"Oh, come on," Alpha laughed. "You think I haven't been keeping an eye on this place? On anyone having to do with Echo? I know that little stunt you pulled with the disruptor on poor little Topher."

Adelle kept her face neutral. "It was inevitable it would be discovered. I simply decided to hurry it along."

"And get your House back," Alpha smirked. "You do love your control, don't you, Adelle?"

The way his ugly gaze raked over her, Adelle felt her hand reaching for the pendant around her neck, letting the fingers trail over the smooth and familiar surface.

"…He's going to kill you, you little fool….Kill us…Open it…"

She blinked at the odd sensation of someone speaking to her. Alpha didn't notice as he continued to move toward her. "I'm talking about how you don't let anyone see you crack but we know you have needs like everyone. But we know you do, don't we…" He leered. "Miss Lonely-hearts?"

"…I knew your weakness would hurt…Open me, open me…"

Adelle instinctively backed away as Alpha came forward. "I…I don't…"

"Don't even try to deny it, Adelle." Alpha grinned. "Like I said, I've been watching." He offered a hand. "Now, how about we make this easy and just come with me?"

"I'd rather not," Adelle responded, backing up

Alpha's smile hardened. "Come on, Adele. You don't want to make me upset."

Adelle's hand reached behind her, brushing on a glass vase. Before she realized it, she was sending it smashing into Alpha's head, causing the man to leap back with a cry. Adelle turned to run but Alpha was too fast for her. She gasped as she felt him grab her by the hair and throw her onto a table. It wasn't hard enough to shatter the glass but did knock the wind out of her.

Alpha brushed back his hair, ignoring the piece of glass sticking out of his cheek. "The British. You always have to make everything difficult, don't you?" He kicked at her back and Adelle cried out as she was knocked to the floor. She blinked her eyes, trying to block out the pain and saw the pendant lying before her, broken off its chain.

She stared at it, feeling like she was seeing it for the first time. The smooth carvings in odd symbols, the way it glinted in the light…and for the first time, realized she couldn't remember where she'd gotten it from.

"If you want us to live, open it…Open it, woman….It's time to open it, set me free…"

Alpha reached into his coat to take out a strange device. "I suppose I should push things along." He looked at the monitors as he hit the button on the device, sending out a signal. As he watched, all the Actives in the area below froze for a moment. Then, as one, they began to attack their handlers and whoever else was in the way, launching a bevy of deadly martial arts moves. Alpha giggled as he watched the chaos unfold. "Damn, figured I'd have to get closer for this to work."

Adelle wasn't paying attention as she held the pendant in her hands. Her fingers trailed over to the side and the tiny clasp upon it.

"Yes…Yes…Push it, open it, open me, let me free…"

Mesmerized by the pendant and the odd voice in her head, Adelle pressed upon it. The clasp sprung open and the pendant's surface fell away. Alpha was too busy watching the chaos in the House to see the glow of light that erupted from the pendant to fill Adelle's eyes, which widened as if swallowing it.

Alpha smiled as he wiped his face. "Well, that's a lot fun. Come on, Adelle, we should see it first-hand."

He turned around to see Adelle back on her feet, her back to him. She slowly turned around, her eyes narrowing a bit. Her posture had straightened, her shoulders thrown back a bit more. Her face remained cool but now had a slight tug to her lips, as if she was enjoying a private joke. But her eyes…

Alpha was a complete psychopath, a man used to reading terror in people and taking joy in bringing that out. But for the first time in his life, he felt fear himself when he saw the eyes. They seemed older, older than before and colder as well. They were eyes that sized Alpha up like a piece of meat and then dismissed them as beneath her notice. The pendant was on the floor as she took a step forward. "I believe this little phase of yours is just about done," she said her voice now carrying a more arrogant edge than before.

Alpha smirked as he stepped forward. "Now, Adelle, we both know…"

He didn't even realize what happened. One moment, he was moving toward her, the next he was on his knees, gasping for breath through a truncated throat. Adelle was standing over him, that cool smile on her face. "You are not some great step forward, Mr. Craft," she said. "You are not a superior being at all. You are merely an experiment that got a tad bit out of hand." She reached forward and slipped the weapon out of his coat. Alpha reached for it but a swift kick knocked him back, gasping.

Adelle nonchalantly paced back to her desk, opening a drawer. She removed a gun and quickly cocked it. "I normally despise such baser means but one must make do with one has." She aimed it at Alpha and fired a pair of shots. The man screamed as he felt each of his kneecaps explode in a spray of blood and bone. He withered on the ground, hissing as he grabbed at them.

"Oh, do be quiet," Adelle snapped as he put the gun down. "Be grateful I still have a use for you." She began to walk away but paused. She turned and the last thing Alpha saw was the heel of her shoe coming at his face.

Topher Brink, not for the first time in his life, was beginning to wonder if the excellent medical care Rossum paid was worth the risks he was taking. So far, the Actives were too busy beating the shit out of the people below to come to the lab but he couldn't count on that lasting too long. He was peeking over the table at the chaos below when he heard the door behind him burst open. He let out a squeak as he whirled around to see Adelle marching into the lab. "Adelle! You should be in your office!"

She brushed past him, slamming Alpha's device onto a nearby table. Topher looked at it and his eyes widened. "That's my rewriting device!"

"Alpha's actually," Adelle matter-of-factly replied as she opened a drawer and rummaged through it. She took out a pair of tools and several wires. She swiftly opened the device up and began mixing the wires together. "Sonic torch."

"Um, what?" Topher blinked. "I don't have…"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. I'd forgotten how this planet is even more backward in this era." She moved to grab a flashlight-like device and some components. Topher stared as her fingers flew about, rewiring and adding the components into the device. "How…what are you…" He leaned in, his eyes going even wider. "That's my plan! That's my design for the disruptor!" He paused and narrowed his eyes. "But it looks…" He glanced at Adelle. "How do you know how to do this?"

Adelle finished tying a wire and then closed the disruptor's sides, swiftly screwing it back together. She paused to look at Topher. "You do have headphones?" He nodded. "I'd advise putting them on with something rather loud right now."

The way she spoke, even cooler than usual, silenced any questions Topher had. He raced to his desk, grabbing his iPod from its hiding place. He slipped the earpieces on as he put on the first rock tune he could think of and pushed the volume all the way up.

He watched as Adelle stepped out onto the balcony facing the main room where the fights were still ongoing. Topher could see Boyd and Ballard nearby, each fighting off some Actives. A flash of dark hair caught his eye and he looked down to see Echo in the mix as well, knocking Actives back with swift moves. His eyes returned to Adelle as she lifted the device and pressed the button.

Even through the riotous music, Topher could hear the whine of a sonic call going out. He winced, instinctively covering his ears. Everyone in the main room seemed jarred at the sound, reaching for their heads. Then, as one, each one stopped whatever they were doing and stood stock-still. Not just Actives but handlers, security, masseuses, Ballard, Boyd, Echo. Everyone but him and Adelle.

Adelle lowered her hand as she turned to reenter the lab. Topher pulled his earplugs off as he stared in disbelief at the sight of the entire House utterly silent. "Did…" he stammered. "Did you just…"

"Not a full wipe," Adelle said in a calm voice as she placed the weapon on his table. "Merely a suppression of higher brain functions, allowing them to be in a hibernetic state. It also has the benefit of making them open to whatever commands or thought structures I choose to instill in them."

Topher stared at her, then the window, then back at her. "Huh?"

Adelle let out an exasperated sigh. "It's not the state of these Dolls, merely a catatonic one. Their memories are still there, just able to be altered. I'll be able to clean this mess up soon enough while also ensuring a new sense of…loyalty in some of them." Her eyes fell on Echo, who swayed a bit as she stared into space.

Adelle looked back to Topher. "First things first. Start wiping the security feeds of the last half hour, I'll be able to replace them later. Then, I want a full run-through of every Active's original personality along with every engagement they've had." She smiled. "Let's see who else can replicate Echo."

"Echo?" Topher blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, do open your eyes, Topher," Adelle snapped at him. "It's perfectly obvious the girl knows the truth about herself and can access the memories of her imprints." She saw Topher's mouth open and held up a hand. "Say that's impossible and I may have to kill you right now." His mouth shut. "Find a way to copy that in other Actives and it'll go a long way toward my plans."

"Um, one minute, one minute," Topher said, holding up a hand. "I have several, you know, hundred questions but the first one is, not that I'm ungrateful, why am I not joining the Roger Kirkman convention out there?"

Adelle frowned, her brow furrowing, uncertain for the first time. "To be truthful, I'm not certain. I'd hate to think this incarnation of mine has a sentimental side. That always gets in the way of science." She shrugged. "I suppose it's respect for your potential. You do have a gift for warping the human mind, Mr. Brink. It would be a shame to waste that."

"Thanks…I think…" Topher said. "Ah, not that I want to protest your feelings on my genius but am going to need a lab crew who aren't zombies."

"Don't worry your little human head on that, Mr. Brink. Your assistants will be back to their pathetic selves soon enough. I have to start installing new memories and feelings regarding my leadership in them all. Then, a conference call to Harding and the rest of the Rossum board."

Topher's eyes fell on the device and then back to Adelle, his jaw unhinging yet again. "You…you're gonna…."

Those lips turned into a smile. "I must admit that this entire 'Dollhouse' system is most amazing. That this world can achieve such duplicity and a lack of morals regarding the warping of minds and bodies is rather…charming." Her smile faded. "But anyone can see the dangers if this technology gets loose. A collapsed civilization is not one I wish to see. As much as I detest saying so, this planet still has a great future before it and I simply cannot allow it to fall apart just so some rich men can indulge in their pleasures."

Topher's head was swirling and for once, it had nothing to do with drugs. He leaned on the table for support as he tried to get himself to speak. "So…you're gonna wipe 'em…Run everything yourself?"

The smile returned to those delicate features. "It takes a true genius of will to run such a grand experiment upon the world, Topher. To realize the amazing possibilities in humans who can take on any persona they wish at any time. Luckily, at long last, I am that woman once more."

Topher nodded weakly. "Um…okay….I'll start on the tapes then, Add….Um, Ms. DeWitt."

"Let's make this clear, Mr. Brink," Adelle said as she walked back toward the balcony. "Adelle DeWitt was a mask whose purpose is no longer required. From here on out, you can call me…"

She paused at the balcony and turned to give him a smile that made the flesh of a man who had little morals crawl all over.

"The Rani."

All comments welcomed.