And now for something completely different! I don't know how many people reading Recovery None also read my previous big story for RvB, Divided, but those who did might remember that I broke up the POV every couple of chapters with an Intermission of different character perspectives than the ones we had been following. I plan on doing the same for Recovery, but I also acknowledge that it's a bit complicated compared to Divided since my perspective has been purposefully more limited in this story. So I'm curious to see what you guys think about these inserts!

Special thanks to secretlystephaniebrown, meirelle, godoflaundrybaskets, and Yin for the feedback on AO3 and on tumblr!

Recovery None
Intermission: Foreseen Circumstances

He hadn't given FILSS' urging that much consideration. After all, she was a dummy AI and with the UNSC Oversight Subcommittee continuing to breathe down his neck, Aiden Price had more stalwart concerns.

At least he had until the nagging concern about protocols and patients continued to raise ugly. Then he found himself speedily walking to the Command hub.

His brow furrowed at the steadily raising level of noise and frustrated roaring that was coming from within the sector.

By the time he reached the door, it was only a quick reflex that allowed him to duck under the radio equipment that their operative, the aptly named Four Seven Niner, had decided to chuck from her desk.

"FUCKERS!" she screamed, slamming a balled fist hard enough against the monitor in front of her that its frame dented.

The Counselor watched her carefully, eyes flickering away only briefly as FILSS' eye appeared on the monitor to his left. He then looked back to the heavily heaving former pilot, seeing her shoulders trembling.

He was an expert at reading people, at analyzing them and, to the project's advantage, pushing them toward directions and positions that would otherwise be beneficial to the project's needs.

It was his job and he was very good at it.

And it was because of that he k new when not to approach a situation unguarded.

Niner, as it were, was ready to snap.

Price had been concerned for this day coming for a while. But they had precious little access to people who were high enough in Project Freelancer to move covertly to the Recovery Unit, had little prospect for continued military work without them, and could be held as an emotional and mental advantage to their remaining agents.

Truly, no one had fit the bill for the operative of Command quite like Four Seven Niner.

And no one could have been more ready to turn on them outside of the Recovery Agents themselves.

Taking a step inside, the Counselor only hesitated in reaching to put a hand on Niner's shoulder. Which was fortuitous considering she whizzed her chair around, face already a snarl.

"Command," he said smoothly, "you seem to be upset and, as a result, not operating under the most keen of instincts-"

"Counselor, kindly get the fuck out or I'll be testing how good your instincts for living are," Niner snapped angrily.

"There is no need for threats of violence," he chided.

"You think so?" she sneered before pointing angrily toward her monitors. "We have three agents out in the field. Three. Do you know how many are dark on me right now? Do you?" Her fist slammed down. "All three, Counselor! And at least one of them is injured - bad enough that his suit sent out a distress signal before he ripped it out-"

Price tilted his head back, eyes widened. "Agent Washington has gone off radar?"

"At least he bothered to give me a proper head's up!" she seethed. "He got shot in the back by some of your goddamned Sim Troopers and decided he can't trust us in the field. Can't say he's wrong." She waved to Carolina and South's screens. "As for these two? Fuck if I know. Carolina's pissed but at least I think she's on the Meta's trail. South hasn't reported in once since she left with a gungoose - one that mysteriously hasn't been tracking at any of the checkpoints which either means she's said fuck the roads or she's ditched entirely."

He stared at Niner then back to the screens, at the exhausted looking faces profiled on the otherwise blank screens.

"None of this news is acceptable, Four Seven Niner," he said clearly.

"Well, as someone with the status to do something about that," she sneered in return, "I suggest you get on it, Counselor. Because I sure as fuck can't do anything."

"There's not much to be done," he replied before turning only to have his hand grabbed forcefully. He looked back on Niner's reddened face.

"Those were my friends," she reminded him, almost hissing. "They did a lot of bullshit for you specifically because of that. Because my voice was trustworthy. That's part of why you picked me, isn't it?"

He looked at her but responded with nothing.

"They feel manipulated and pissed because of it. And they feel that way because they are just pawns here-"

"They're soldiers," he reminded her darkly. "All of our agents were marines, airmen, soldiers first and foremost. This project was dedicated to serving humankind on a new and developing level. They were chosen because they were thought to be the most capable operatives for such assignments."

"If that's true, why did you have them fighting each other?" she demanded. "Face it, you wanted one super soldier capable of being your dog to the military. Well you got him, not because he was the best or the most loyal, but because something else was able to make a good soldier become something inhuman. And you're still pitting everyone who's left against each other in some kind of stupid, demeaning social test by withholding information." Her eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do when that leads to everyone being dead and then there's no one to stop this thing they've been after?"

Working his wrist free, Price shook his head. "Your dedication to minimizing the reality of this situation is unfortunate, Niner. We want what's best for the survival of humanity first. And once, so did all of you."

As he walked out, he didn't miss her call, "You don't even know what human is anymore."

Contact was meant to be a one way street with them. It was a safety precaution that Price had recommended to the doctor himself as they first began forming the Recovery Unit and dealing with the deeply divided opinions of the Oversight Subcommittee after the ascension of their most ruthless competitor.

But, given the circumstances, he wasn't sure what else he could do without first convening with the Director himself.

"This is most unusual, Counselor," the man's voice drawled from the communicator.

Price stared quietly into the monitors, at the blank vid screens that were not in lockdown with FILSS' large and unyielding gaze. It had been months since he had last seen the Director's face, and it didn't seem to be a day where he'd see a change to that either.

Instead, he looked back to his own camera, knowing full well that his every expression was being examined and noted.

"Then you already know what a necessity it must have been for me to contact you," he urged. "I do not break protocol lightly, Director. But I believe that we are reaching a point of no return with our program. I believe... Well, I believe we are losing control and may have to soon engage in another course of action-"

"Let's not be too hasty," the Director replied almost flippantly. "First, explain to me what exactly it is you seem to think has been lost."

Scowling slightly, Price pulled up his tablet and quickly began pulling up the various files he took such diligence in updating. The profiles of Carolina, Washington,South, Four Seven Niner, Wyoming, York, North, Florida, Tex, and the Meta in conjunction with Agent Maine all appeared between Price and the screen.

"If possible, the movements of the Meta have become even more erratic. Even the dummy switched AI that we have placed in the fields are not drawing its attention. It seems to be following only the movements of known lucid fragments," the Counselor moved North, York, and Wyoming's profiles to the front, "Or, even more focused on as of late, test sites and storage sights of critical armor enhancements."

"And what do you believe that means?"

"Truthfully? It would seem to me as if the Meta has a plan, or at least a basic understanding of what items it would require to improve its odds in further altercations with our operatives," the Counselor explained eloquently. "It is possible that any additional AI to the Meta could improve its capacity, it's foresight, in which case we would most certainly be rendered incapable of putting an end to it with any singular agent."

"I have a hard time feeling sorry for the poor bastards who stole our equipment and AI to make themselves larger targets, Counselor," the Director sneered. "But the idea that we could be coming into some hard times for the Recovery Unit is unfortunate."

Drawing the profiles back only to push Carolina, South, Washington, and Niner forward, Price felt himself frown even further. "Which is why it is so critical that I tell you this instant that we have lost contact or complete control of our special agents as of this moment," he announced.

There was a beat as the Director seemed to stew over that news before he gruffly snapped out, "This is not news I wanted to hear. In what way did you 'lose contact' and with whom?"

"All three field agents are not contactable," he explained. "Agent South was sent after her brother yesterday and has yet to make contact with anyone in the program nor has her vehicle crossed any checkpoints according to our radars."

"South has a hard time following orders," the Director growled. "Do you suppose she has joined her brother?"

"I believe that of our agents, while South lacks the most respect for the program, she is the one most predictable in her actions for now," the Counselor announced. "She has no loyalty to us. She will turn her back on the program. But for now she is doing exactly as she said she would. She is seeking out her brother, and she is taking him down."

There was a noise of approval over the line. "I suppose you would be correct in that accord, Counselor. I must admit, I am surprised the most with Washington's disappearance."

"That is... an unusual set of circumstances," the Counselor admitted, waving to the blinking alert beneath Washington's picture. "Our last contact with him today was when he was injured severely on the field, chasing after former Agent Wyoming." He made a pained expression and shook his head. "I have spent months forging an unsteady set of boundaries with Washington. His paranoia and lack of contacts outside of myself has left him with an inability to trust others and thus being fairly unapproachable should any of our adversaries wish to reach out to him. His betrayal from a Sim Trooper while hunting Wyoming seems to have aggravated those unsteady boundaries."

"You couldn't have foreseen that paranoia being directed at us?" the Director asked critically.

"It was only a matter of time, but it was something I would have employed for us later," the Counselor shook his head. "I have had several hours of logged time with the Epsilon unit attempting to get as much of an understanding of what it is Washington saw for that reason... but now..."

He trailed off, letting out a heavy sigh. He couldn't more adequately express his disappointment than that.

"And. Of Agent Carolina..."

The Counselor slid his eyes closed and released a long sigh. Carolina's news was what he had wanted to deliver the least.

"Carolina went dark earlier today, before Washington. Her's was also by choice, though not nearly as dramatic. She had been chasing the trail of the Meta when she last logged in and hadn't seen any sign. She was then answering another disturbance that made it onto our radars."

"Your assessment of this, Counselor?"

"She might come back online after she has taken care of whatever it is she has been doing on her own in her last several missions," he said. "She gave no indication otherwise."

"Then that is what will happen."

"Sir, I believe is our mole," the Counselor announced almost in annoyance. "She fits every characteristic I can think of, she has the training and the resources, and, Sir, I must remind you that she is the most likely one to know-"

"I believe, Counselor, that I am far more aware of Carolina's motives and intentions than you shall ever be," the Director responded haughtily. "So believe me when I say, I will trust Carolina to do for me exactly what I need her to do."

Narrowing his eyes, The Counselor stared back. "And will I be informed of what exactly this is, Director?"

"In time," the Director responded. "What of our former pilot? Why is she drafted into this?"

"I believe I have completely lost what little maintenance I had on Four Seven Niner before," the Counselor responded. "I do not believe she can continue to work in the capacity of our Command outreach-"

"This has a simple solution, Counselor. Remind her that she is facing criminal charges should she not continue to serve this program, and remind her that these are not her friends or teammates. Not even Carolina." He paused. "And just why, pray tell, are Florida and Texas on this list?"

"It has been months since Florida's last transmission or update," the Counselor explained. "We sent him reinforcements in the form of weapons, a new private, and a tank, but since then no activity. There seems to be a continuous loop with the radio there - the VIC system is working but we can't get past it to contact either bases. I am sending a medical officer from the Recovery Unit in order to get at least a brief survey of all the statuses."

"Fine," the Director huffed. "But Texas-"

"A problem that continues to warrant address, Sir. You won't allow any of the Recovery Agent to prioritize her, nor will you disclose the current locations of your experimentation so that you could be protected from her-"

"Neither of those things are necessary or wanted," the Director snapped. "Agent Texas is my concern and my concern alone."

"I disagree," Price stifled a snap of his own. "As long as it is part of this program-"

"This program by your own words is currently in shambles, Counselor," the Director retorted. "I am working on my end on a solution to our woes with the UNSC. That is all I have the time or energies to do with that bastard Hargrove breathing down our necks. So I suggest that before you bother me again, you take care of these problems."

Feeling the faintest of twitches in his frown, the Counselor took a heralding breath and closed his eyes. "Of course, Director. I'll... do my best."

"You'd better," the Director responded before his feed went completely out.

FILSS watched carefully as the Counselor began to close out of his windows and slowly formulate a new plan.