So I just came up with this introductory chapter during my afternoon nap today with no clue where it's going or how it's going to end. Needless to say I may be writing myself in a corner with this one so ALL IDEAS ARE WELCOME. PM me if you got any. I felt the need to write this for the sake of doing something different.
Disclaimer: I dont own Fringe or any of the characters.
Alter-New York, 1985
Secretary Bishop had recently discovered the existence of a second universe. It explained all the strange phenomena. More importantly, it explained the disappearance of his son, Peter. It almost destroyed his marriage not believing Elizabeth at first when she claimed that their son was last seen with him, but he and his team managed to put all the pieces together. He had risen to the position of Secretary of Defense and would now lead the fight to get back his son and stop all the strange phenomenal activity that began occurring in this world…due to the other.
This was when he got the call. A 'black hole' event had occurred in Jacksonville, Florida. Someone had appeared from out of nowhere inside a warehouse and started a fire killing 11 people almost instantly. The person in question was being placed in a secure box and was being flown to New York for interrogation.
The Secretary had a secret underground division in the works that was yet to be approved by the United States government but was in its development stages. It was nicknamed the 'Fringe Division'.
The box had been shipped straight to the underground lab and the Secretary was there. There was no doubt in his mind that a person who appeared out of nowhere and cause such instant bloodshed had to be from the other side.
The door to the steel box opened…and an instant hush fell upon the lab.
The killer from the other world, huddled in the far corner of the steel box, was just a child…a little girl, no older than 5 and long blonde hair that went to the waist.
One of the soldiers who brought the child in informed the Secretary. "Sir, we cant approach her even with restraint. She burned three of my men on the way over here."
"I will take it from here," he said.
The Secretary ordered one of his men to grab a tranquilizer gun and approach the child in the steel box cautiously. Sure enough the girl became terrified knowing that she could not back away from the approaching man with his strange weapon any further. The flames immediately erupted just short of the man as he quickly backed away. He quickly fired the tranquilizer gun and hurried out knowing that he had succeeded.
…
The child had been rendered unconscious for hours while the scientists drew blood tests, DNA tests, just about anything they could get their hands on from this mysterious wonder.
One of the assistants hand a yellow folder to the Secretary. "We found a DNA match, sir. Her DNA is 100% identical to Olivia Dunham…age 5…lives with her mother, father, and younger sister in Boston, Massachusetts."
The Secretary surveyed the pictures. He made it law for every American citizen to have a photo of themselves taken annually for identification purposes. He observed the current picture of Olivia Dunham, a curly red-headed child. Yet beyond that, her eyes were the same as those as the little girl in their custody now.
"We also found this." The assistant placed on Secretary Bishop's desk a yellow bracelet that was on the child when she was found. It had the encryption 'Olive, Jacksonville Military Base #31422'.
No such military base even existed in Jacksonville here. Now he knew for certain that this child had come from another world.
…
"I will speak to her alone," he said, upon learning that the child was awake and cooperating.
Olive was locked in a secure cell still strapped to the hospital bed she was in. The Secretary knew the risks he was taking so he was cautious as he stepped in. He smiled not caring that the child was crying out of fear.
"Hello, Olive."
He saw her blink in response to her name.
"Wulter?"
The Secretary eyes widened. She knew him. In the other world, she knew his other…the man who had stolen his son. "Why yes, child," he said calmly. "It's me."
But the little girl did not believe him. It was almost as she knew this was a different man in familiar skin. "Who are you?"
"I am who you say I am. Walter…Walter Bishop."
"No!" she screamed. "I wanna go home! I want my mommy and daddy!"
The girl's hysterics alerted the attention of staff who rushed into the room to secure the child.
Small flames began to appear around the room as the Secretary stood back.
"We need to give her more Xerotichin before this whole lab goes up in flames!" cried one the doctors.
Without little Olive knowing, one of the doctors managed to inject a needle in her back shoulder and she became unconscious again.
"What are we going to do with this child?" the doctor asked Secretary Bishop. "She's unpredictable."
"We continue with the tests," he said coldly. "Find out how this child came to be here."
…
Weeks went by and the Xerotichin in her blood canceled out the unusual chemical compounds in her system stopping her fire-starting abilities. Yet she still had fits and fought the doctors endlessly, screaming to go home. For days Olive was screaming for two people named "Wulter" and "Willum". The doctors administered more drugs to calm her but it only made her very sick. On the plus side, she was eventually admitting defeat and accepting that she wouldn't be hurt if she just submitted to these doctors' will.
By then, Olive had become deathly ill. Her skin had become white and she was half starved from rejecting the food provided to her. The scientists believe that she would not live.
She was asleep when the Secretary had her removed from the cell and placed her in the back seat of his Chrysler.
An hour later, he pulled up to his house in Reiden Lake.
His wife Elizabeth opened the door to greet him, only to drop her mouth in shock at the little girl he was carrying in his arms.
"Prepare a bed," he ordered her.
She led them quickly to the only empty bed she knew…in Peter's room.
"Oh the poor thing! Where did you find her?"
"She crossed over."
"What?"
"She is from the other side…the same side that abducted our Peter."
Elizabeth was in disbelief. "But…that's not possible."
"It is," the Secretary explained. "If they have some sort of technology to cross over to our side, I believe they were testing her ability to travel between universes when she was found."
"But how do you know?"
"I can't be sure. We've tried questioning her to no avail."
"But then she could travel back, right?"
The Secretary smiled. "Not as long as we continuing administering Xerotichin in her system."
"You're keeping her here?"
"Exactly, Elizabeth. They stole our child…so we steal one of theirs. If we continue to study her it will only be a matter of time till we can finally harness her ability for our benefit. Don't you see? This is genius!"
Elizabeth could not believe what her husband was suggesting. "You mean to keep her and raise her as our own? I don't know if I can do this, Walter. She's not ours."
"She's young enough. We can erase her memory. It wont be long before she starts calling you her mother. Think of Peter, Elizabeth! Think of how hard we struggled to conceive him only to have him taken away! This child could be our saving grace…our revenge!"
Elizabeth had been in denial of losing Peter. She was still convinced that one of these days her husband would walk into the house with their son in hand as if they had returned from their short trip to treat his bird flu. Now she wondered if the man who stole her child even had a cure or was just abducting Peter for their own benefit. If so, then it was likely by this point that Peter was dead, and she couldn't bear the thought of that. But here lying in Peter's bed now, was a little girl on the verge of death herself. So Elizabeth got up and went to the kitchen. She returned with a bowl of chicken noodle soup. The smell stirred little Olive from sleep.
"Mommy?"
"Shh, it's alright dear." As soon as Elizabeth offered Olive a spoonful of soup, she quickly accepted. Walter had been watching them. Olive was being a lot more cooperative now that she was in a safe, home-like environment and was quick to devour the soup that was slowly diminishing her illness.
Elizabeth turned to her husband and gave him a look…a look that said 'I hope you're right.' Her silent acceptance to play her part for the sake of their world…and to avenge Peter.
…
"Everyday I continue to mourn my son's loss with a heavy heart," said the Secretary looking out over the number of press in attendance. "I thank those who have given my family privacy during these difficult times. But today is day of change. I thank the United States Congress for approving the funding of the Fringe Division. The Fringe Division is our world's last hope in fighting this crisis that has ravaged our world and has caused many tragedies. But we have in these times triumph with many successes. And I believe it is only fair that my daughter, Olivia, be allowed to cut the ribbon to commemorate the opening of the United States Fringe Division."
As soon as Olivia made her way up the stage, she was bombarded by camera flashes, brighter than the cute yellow sailor dress she wore. It was a very uncomfortable situation but she was glad that Elizabeth was with her every step of the way, and even helped her hold the giant scissors to cut the ribbon. As soon as she cut the ribbon, the curtain came down and a large door with the Fringe Division logo appeared. Elizabeth guided her off the stage to escape the loud applause and the persistent paparazzi who have turned Olivia Bishop into a child celebrity due to her father's high status.
She tucked at Elizabeth's skirt. "How did I do, mommy?"
"You did wonderful, Olivia. Now let's go take your medicine and then we'll get you some ice cream okay?"
The paparazzi continued to follow them until they finally got to their car.
…
"Mommy! Mommy! Look at that girl on TV! She looks just like me only she has blonde hair and her name's Olivia just like me! I want blonde hair, Mommy!"
Marilyn walked into the room to see her daughter watching some sort of news conference on the TV. "Now Olive, you know you're beautiful as you are with red hair. Why don't you come help me give Rachel a bath?"
The little girl got up from the television unaware that that would be the last time she would actually see her alternate self.
