Chapter 25: Alphonse's Plan
Jonas checked his personal again just to be sure he read the message correctly. Why would the Overseer want to see him? He'd gotten a message that simply stated:
'The Overseer requires an audience with you. Come at once.'
Like a king summing his subject.
The guard outside the Overseer's chambers permitted him entry, after a pat down, of all things. Did the Overseer have death threats?
"Jonas!" The Overseer announced coming around his desk to shake his hand. "Glad you could make it. Won't you have a seat?" He gestured to the one in front as he sat down behind his desk. "Would you like something to drink?"
Jonas shook his head, "No thank you, sir." He sat up in the chair anxious to find out the reason for his visit.
"How is everything going down at the clinic?"
Jonas cleared his throat nervously, wondering what the Overseer wanted to know. Daily reports were sent to his office, but he was sure not all of them were read by him personally.
"Um…" he began apprehensively, "the day to day activities are running well. We have a few cases of what I would consider mild depression. I have seen a rise in liver related problems." He perked up at this thought, "I was wondering if you had a chance to look over my thoughts of implementing a required exercise routine. I think we would see some moods lifted and less restless behavior. See with a large part of our population…"
"How is Mrs. Cole?"
"Mrs. Cole? A…well she is due any day. She has taken my suggestion of walking a little each day."
"And the baby?"
"All of the tests come back good."
"How many women of child bearing age would you say we have in the vault?"
"Child bearing age, sir?" Jonas was completely lost with this line of questioning.
"Yes Jonas. In your medical opinion what would you say is a healthy age range to have a child?"
"I guess that would be between the ages of 18 to about 30 depending of course on the health of the mother."
"How many females would you say we have that fit that demographic?"
"I…um would only be guessing. If I had access my computer…"
The Overseer jumped up and offered his chair, motioning for Jonas to take his seat. "By all means, you can log in here. Take your time."
"A…okay." Jonas slowly moved to sit in the Overseer's chair as Alphonse looked on.
"Comfy isn't it?"
Jonas, dumfounded, simply shook his head in agreement. He started accessing his information and running queries, limiting the numbers.
Al moved to his cooler, "Are you sure you don't want anything?"
Jonas, too caught up in his work didn't reply. After a few quiet moments with Jonas tapping away on the Overseer's keyboard and Al sipping his beer he announced, "It's about 500 ladies." He answered enthusiastically happy to be able to assist the Overseer.
"How many of these ladies are married or in a serious relationship?"
"A…sir, we are bordering on doctor patient privilege…I…"
"Oh don't be a fuss bucket. Don't worry I won't tell anyone." He looked at him over his beer bottle and motioned with his eyes to the monitor as if to say 'get on with it already'.
Jonas turned back to the monitor slowly and began setting up a query while he tried to figure out where the Overseer was going with this information. He answered this time less enthusiastically, "Roughly 357."
"Roughly?"
"Well, I'm sure the status could have changed from their last well visit."
"Of course." Alphonse finished off his beer and set it in a collection crate near the door. Walking back to his desk he asked, "You put in a lot of hours at the clinic don't you Jonas?"
"Yes I do, but I don't mind. I enjoy the work I do." Where was he going with this questioning?
"You and Jolene usually spend long days together alone what with James busy on his little project." The Overseer stopped behind his chair looming over him.
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Previously…..
The Overseer had gotten the information he needed from the Tunnel Snakes. They were thorough in fact Al regretted not placing any restrictions on them. He had planned on simply making the request through a message like he usually did when he needed information, but no he had to let Butch unsettle him. So much so that during their last face to face, he felt he needed to put Butch in his place. Al felt like he needed to let Butch know who was really in charge by ordering him to do the research and threatening him if it wasn't done to his satisfaction.
So now he was sure Butch was puzzling over the odd abruptness of James and Jolene's files. Every other person's files could be traced back through their ancestors up to one generation before the vault was sealed. James and Jolene's however ends, or rather begins 18 years ago. It would have been too arduous to create a cover. There really had been no point at the time. The files had simply been sealed as 'classified' and closed.
All of that meant little now. What he was looking at clearly showed how thorough the Tunnel Snakes could be.
Even though Al didn't like Butch having any extra knowledge, the absence of their records didn't prove anything. Unfortunately, explaining it away didn't make him feel less apprehensive. There was nothing he could do about it now. So he would simply ignore his feelings and deal with the information at hand.
The first thing he did was delete the cigarette analysis. He wouldn't need it because he had believed Butch when he told him it wasn't profitable but Al certainly wasn't going to let him have that satisfaction.
Al placed his feet on his desk, leaning back in his chair he settled in to do some reading. There was a lot of useless information again because he hadn't been specific. Sorting through it all was going to take some time.
~~oOo~~
Several hours later, he rubbed his eyes and looked over the notes he had taken.
James has been spending years researching something called Project Purity. It seems he has recently been searching for something called a G.E.C.K. within the vault. Other than providing his daughter with a weapon and entering restricted areas of the vault there was nothing he could readily use to manipulate James, although, Al was planning on researching this G.E.C.K thing for himself. Maybe if he gathered the info before James…?
Jolene was an intelligent, self motivated individual. Her grades were outstanding and she spent time self educating herself while not in class. It seemed her only law breaking had been the hydroponics incident. Since that occurrence, she has spent most of her time in the clinic.
Jonas however was a prize. It was people like Jonas that made Al's job almost too easy. He'd bribed a teacher, unnecessarily, but that still didn't diminish the crime and he had quite an interesting collection of inappropriate vid stills. The object of his inspiration it seemed was none other than Jolene, his best friend's daughter.
How had he come to possess this material?
It was obvious that he coveted this girl. If Jonas couldn't be threatened with the Core for his lawbreaking maybe she could be used somehow to manipulate him? Hopefully, there wasn't a relationship between them already. He glanced back, in all her records there was no one she seemed to be attached to, no boyfriend or lover. Did she prefer women? But there were no women besides his daughter. No, this was the wrong direction. He messaged his security chief to his office. They needed to find out who gave Jonas the vid stills and why?
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Back to Al and Jonas in the Overseer's Sanctuary….
Alphonse waited for a reaction. Jonas sat unresponsive. Al wondered how long he'd been hiding his feelings for Jolene. He pressed a silent buzzer under his desk.
Jonas heard the door open and watched a security officer enter and stand near the exit.
"Am I in some kind of trouble?" What was going on? He rubbed his hands on his lap.
The Overseer smiled and reached over him to tap a few keys on the board. Jonas watched as an image of Jolene appeared on the screen.
"Do you recognize your coworker in this picture?"
It was Jolene in her T-shirt and panties standing at her locker in the Core. Jonas' mind immediately started racing; So Al had the pics, this didn't mean he was in any kind of trouble. He simply could've been called in to what? Finger the guard? Help them track down the porn trafficker?
"What about this one?"
The Overseer flicked to the next showing Jolene with the T-shirt over her head, arms up, round breasts perked up. His mouth was dry. He licked his lips and nervously wiped his hands down his legs.
"or this one?"
She was completely naked now, clothes deposited on the floor near her locker. She was frozen mid stride as she walked toward the showers.
"Well?" The Overseer waited for a response, watching Jonas curiously as he furtively glanced at the monitor and looked away. Seeming to not know what his response should be. Then finally scooting forward for what, a better look?
"Oh my God, that's Jolene! Where…where did you get these stills?
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Previously….
Officer Cowen was in deep shit. The Security Chief had his ass in the grinder and was chewing it up ready to spit it back out at him. They'd found his stash of Core Porn and now it was looking like he'd be joining the Core indefinitely.
That was until they told him if he cooperated he'd get off with a suspension, a house arrest, on a made up charge even. All he needed to do was turn over all his merchandise, his contacts and what they were compensating him with.
He hated to give up any names. He prided himself on his confidentiality. Well someone hadn't done a good job of doing the same for him had they?
He was put under house arrest for 'sleeping on duty' and was told to get in touch with the Security Chief if anyone came to see him with a request.
When they searched his quarters they collected two lockers full of merchandise. He didn't keep anything on the personal. Everything was a hard copy. He kept meticulous records though; who order what and when, what they were given in exchange; when the exchange happened and if it was paid in full. Again all this was kept written down, one folder per customer.
Al wasn't worried about all that at the moment. Security Chief Hannon could go through it all. All Al wanted right now was anything and everything with Jolene's name on it.
It took some time but they found all the stills plus a vid with a surprising twist to this little drama. Al would've suspected Butch of keeping this information from him if it hadn't been so well hidden. It seemed little Jolene had a least two man clamoring to get between her legs. Three if the pervert Cowen counted. Al wasn't so sure he did. Al almost reveled in the knowledge of Butch and Jolene. Was this a one time thing? Was he still seeing her? Why did watching the vid twist him up a little inside? Something stung when he saw him with that harlot. No, Al did not like it one tiny bit.
The payment Jonas had made and was still making to Cowen was a combination of drugs. It was noted the payment was to insure no other copies of the vid circulated. Al admired Cowen's business sense.
Now what would he do with this new tidbit of information?
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Presently Al putting the screws to Jonas….
"The same place we located this vid." Al spoke and pressed a button. The monitor changed with Jonas' expression.
Jolene was moaning with pleasure as Butch pinned her to the lockers.
Jonas' face drained of all color. He knew then that it was him they were after, him or that asshole Cowen. Either way he wouldn't be here if they didn't think he had nothing to do with this?
"I can explain…" he tried to swallow and wished he had taken the Overseer up on that drink.
The Overseer placed a hand up to stop him and clicked off the vid stopping Jolene mid moan.
"There is no need for explanation Jonas. Any virile man would understand the interest."He stopped hovering over Jonas and began to pace habitually tapping his steepled fingers. "You see there is not only the incident of the inappropriate material but also your 'payment' for the material. By our laws I should be sending you to the Core for a considerably long time."
He waited for a plea of mercy, a defensive denial, nothing of that spewed from Jonas. Instead Jonas buried his face in his hands, clearly struggling with his situation. Al almost thought he saw his shoulder twitch as if stifling a sob.
"You are by now thinking you've lost everything. How could you go back to practicing at the clinic with drug charges and how could you show yourself to your precious Jolene with the porn charges?"
"YOUCANT!" He jumped up so fast the chair nearly toppled. His cheeks wet with silent tears, "Put me away, smear my name with drug charges, but keep the stills out of it please!"
Al stood back as the security officer moved between them removing his baton in case he had to keep Jonas from assaulting the Overseer.
"She can't know, she can't find out. I know it was wrong but…but she's so beautiful and …and so close every day. All I wanted was to be closer to her. Don't do this to me please." He collapsed back into the chair quietly pleading, "I'll never have a chance with her if that happened. If this was just drug charges, when I get out I'd…I might still have something."
The officer backed off but kept his baton handy, this wasn't over yet.
"Do you really believe that? Do you believe that after a year of no Jonas and all Butch that she'd even consider you when you get out?"
"That fucking prick. He doesn't deserve her! She is too good for him."
"And you Jonas are so much better for her, is that right?"
"I LOVE her!"
"Yes, I can certainly see there are some feelings for her that much is quite evident. With that being said I am certain you don't want your 'feelings' and evidence of them to become known by her. So in order to keep your habitual feelings hidden I require something from you."
Jonas looked at him questionably.
Standing in front of his desk the Overseer crossed his arms. "I want a son. I want a son and I do not want a wife. Now, Jonas I need you to pay very close attention to what I'm about to tell you." The Overseer leaned over to be face to face with Jonas. "I want you Jonas," he pointed to Jonas, "to take my seed and impregnate any and all women that I tell you to, so I can have as many sons as I please." He stood back up and watched as his information sank in.
Jonas slunk back into the chair and stared at nothing as he processed this 'request'. "More than one son?"
The Overseer shook his head and watched Jonas, a finger to his lips.
"Have you a number in mind?" this was absurd. A vault filled with little Overseer's running around.
Again the Overseer shook his head but in the opposite direction.
The questions the Overseer asked earlier now made sense; 'How many women of child bearing age', 'How many women in relationships'. He wasn't going to ask these women to carry his children. Jonas was to do this without their knowledge. He was to place the Overseers sperm into an unsuspecting woman and hope one takes. How many moral and ethical codes did this break? How was he going to go about doing this? Could he live with himself? Could he live without Jolene?
'fuckit,fuckit,fuckit,' he whispered under his breath while rubbing his hand over his face. He covered his eyes leaning back in the Overseer's most comfortable chair and thought how he would go about impregnating these women with sperm, but wait, not just any sperm, no, it had to be a boy. His scientific mind started to kick in, that would require him to attempt to separate the fast swimmers from the slow or collect an egg from the female and fertilize it, stopping the growth of the females. No not that. He couldn't do that and harvesting the egg would be too hard.
"I…I can't guarantee a boy, not entirely." What the hell was he saying? How could he go along with this insane idea? Did he really have a choice?
The Overseer smiled. Jonas was going to play ball, fantastic. "What would be the percentage?"
Jonas tried to remain emotionally removed from this idea and think scientifically. "I could work with your sperm, separating the faster ones from the slower ones. It has been theorized the faster ones are boys."
"Superb, I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to put this plan into motion. Just tell me how much sperm and how early before one of the selected women come in for a check-up."
Was he really going through with this?
It was this or lose everything. He would not lose Jolene. Not when he was so close, besides what are a few little Overseers running around? It flooded the gene pool variety is what it did. They needed variety to remain healthy and strong. He pushed those thoughts aside.
"I would probably need a sample three days before so I could get them ready."
"Good, good." Al was nearly jumping up and down with excitement. "You will provide me with a list of your patients on a weekly basis and I will tell you who to impregnate. Someone will deliver my little fishes. How?"
"I'll give you several containers." He waved off the awkwardness.
The Overseer stuck out his hand excitedly, "I am pleased to be working with you Jonas. My offspring are in your hands." He was smiling ear to ear.
Jonas stood and took his hand tentatively to shake it. The bastard was blackmailing him and he was acting like they were business partners.
The Overseer, still gripping Jonas' hand, led him around his desk. "I am so excited to be working with you Dr. Jonas. I am sure it wont be long before you are working on your own quest for immortality."
Jonas stopped, turning from the security chief who was escorting him out. "Wait, I…did you confiscate all of the stills? Can I at least hold on to copies while I am working for you?
Al burst out laughing, hard unable to stand laughter. He needed to sit down before he fell over with laughter. "Oh Jonas you and I are going to work well together."
WN 08-13 for those you read this before the changes. I never liked Al threatening Butch in the first draft. I always felt his feelings for Butch were too strong to consider harming Butch permanently.