~ X ~ Elite Headquarters
Jedikiah briskly strode into the shielded conference room. The understated, comfortable chairs and deceptively bare table top, like all of Elite headquarters, reflected his minimalist tastes. Jedikiah's stamp was everywhere; furniture, software, and staff.
Irene, Dr. Mortenson, and two other researchers, all armed with personal laptops hooked into popup outlets, were already seated at the round table. Overhead screens glowed blue, waiting to be activated.
Jedikiah spoke as soon as he heard the soft sound indicating that the door sealed shut behind him. "Alice, this is a no record session."
"Acknowledged, Dr. Price." Alice used her formal public voice, sounding satisfyingly artificial.
Irene, having heard her private, more human voice, had to lower her head to hide a grin. The difference in the AI's speech patterns and attitude when talking to those classified as her intimate associates never ceased to amuse her.
Dr. Jonah Mortenson grunted and shifted in his seat. As usual, the oversized, chipped coffee mug with the logo 'World's Greatest Lover' was with him. Brown liquid dripped down the side, making a wet ring on the polished table. He took a huge noisy gulp, raising the eyebrows of two of the attendees. Irene had to suppress the giggle that wanted to erupt every time she saw the mug.
Jedikiah wasted no time, flipping open his laptop almost before he sat. "So, progress report. Jonah, you go first."
The elderly man Jedikiah addressed rubbed his red eyes with the backs of his hands. He was slumped in his chair and looked exhausted. He fortified himself with another huge noisy slurp of coffee before speaking. "The beta tests on the E chips —" He stopped himself to explain to the others. "These are an enhancement on the D chips Roger Price and I developed. The next generations o to speak." He took off his glasses and rubbed them with a handkerchief pulled from his pocket before putting them back on. "Therefore—" he flapped his hands while his mouth twisted in self-mockery "—not very original but the E chips. . ." He frowned, fumbling to remember what he was going to say before he sidetracked himself. "Oh, yes, the beta tests on the E chips are complete. They have all the properties of the D chips, but they've been strengthened. Finding valid test subjects for the final test is the problem."
Jedikiah, mouth pursed, considered the elderly scientist for a moment before smoothly assuring him. "I think I can arrange that. This is vital. I'll want to replace the D chips we're all wearing with E chips as soon as possible."
He turned his head to regard the young girl sitting on his right. "Especially for you since you've been approached by your former lair friends."
A flustered Irene sputtered as she tried to get the words out. "I— I —but—how did you know about that?"
When Jedikiah just looked at her without responding, she quickly thought and a mulish expression crossed her face. "John." She tried to look fierce which only made her look younger. "That skunk. Why didn't he say something to me? He's spying on me. I'm gonna get him."
"He's not deliberately spying on you. He—"
Irene cut him off. "When he reports back to you and doesn't say anything to me then he's spying."
Jedikiah gave a long suffering sigh and somewhat theatrically closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and speaking emphatically. "Irene. You are important and therefore vulnerable. You have a great deal of freedom." His raised a warning finger when the girl opened her mouth to argue. "Look at the way Jonas has to live."
All eyes scrutinized the elderly man as Jedikiah spoke about him. "He lives in a guarded house. Escorted from it to the lab. His groceries and shopping are done for him. He doesn't go outside. Compare your situation to his."
Jonas lifted his head to meet their gaze. "I'm an old man, and I don't mind that much. I'm tired at the end of the day, and I just want my dinner, a book to read, and then go to bed." He shook a finger at Jedikiah, emotion making him sit up straight. "But, it's no life for this child."
Irene frowned, appreciating his concern while at the same time rejecting his defense, saying in a lofty tone, "I'm not a child."
Jedikiah and Jonas shared a brief grin at the petulance of youth.
"I was waiting for you to tell me. What did Cara want?" Jedikiah asked.
"She doesn't understand why I'm working for you. She couldn't read me." Irene held up her slim wrist adorned with the diamond and gold watch. "My D chip worked." She leaned forwarded, resting her weight on the forearms she had crossed on the table, her eyes drilling into Jedikiah's, willing him to believe her. "I gave her nothing about our research."
Jedikiah, his eyes as hard as marble, unflinchingly stared back into hers. After a moment he said, "I believe you." He returned his focus to his laptop screen.
Irene, a shiver running down her spine, once again marveled how cold those intense blue eyes could be.
"What about me, Jedikiah? If the final trial works can I retire?" Dr. Mortenson looked hopeful.
Jedikiah regarded him thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on the table. When he finally spoke his voice was cautious. "You can stop working, but—"
Alarmed by the caveat she could sense coming, Irene blurted out. "You won't kill him, will you?"
The other two researchers, both humans who had worked during the Founder years, looked horrified. One discretely pushed his chair away from her as if proximity to the girl might contaminate him. The other one leaned back from the table as to distance herself from such heresy. They carefully kept their eyes glued to their laptops, not daring to even sneak a peek at their boss.
Jedikiah, folding his hands on the table top, smiled thinly. "No, I will not kill him. Or have anyone else kill him." He added the last sentence when he saw the thought cross Irene's face. "What I was going to say was that he would be put in a protection program." He turned to Jonas and in a somewhat condescending tone explained, "So we don't have to rescue you again."
Irene breathed a quiet sigh of relief while Dr. Mortenson looked content. Jedikiah ignored them for a moment as he made a note on his computer. When he was done he looked up. "How are you doing with the research I gave you?"
Irene brightened, her sulks forgotten. "What you did was amazing. I put it together with what we discovered from the tracer, and I believe I have a formula that will make it impossible to strip the TP powers. No matter how many shots are given."
"John will be safe." Jedikiah murmured under his breath.
"What? I didn't hear you." Irene tilted her head towards her boss, sure she had missed something.
Jedikiah ignored her question, instead asking one of his own. "Have you tried the formula yet in human trials?"
"No." Irene drew back, looking at him like he was crazy. "I'm still working in test tubes and computer algorithms. This is not ready for human trials."
Jedikiah paid no attention to her. He looked up at the overhead screens. "Alice, display." He rapidly flipped through the screens of data. He mouthed words under his breath as he read.
Irene looked to Jonah, who just shrugged. "He's a fanatical researcher. Roger was brilliant, but Jed? Probably the most underappreciated scientist of his time."
"But, these are people we are talking about. Real live people," Irene whispered to the man, darting a quick look at her preoccupied boss.
Jedikiah finished his reading and gave Irene his complete attention. "This is ready for human testing. Good work. We'll look for volunteers."
Irene's eyes opened wide. "But —but, I've never conducted human trials."
"Not your job. I have several experienced medical teams who conducted these types of studies at the old Ultra. One of them will take over the trials. You'll be kept informed of the results. We'll both be, but there are other things for you to investigate."
The girl looked uncertain and sat back, her expression showing how troubled she was. She opened her mouth to speak, but held her tongue when she realized she had been dismissed from Jedikiah's thoughts.
He had turned to the male scientist and requested an update. Irene was not good at judging ages, but she assumed the man had to be in his late twenties or early thirties. She was not familiar with him, but his project captured her attention. This was the first time she became aware that there was a plan to remove the tracer injected in the Tomorrow People at the Founder's order. She was a little surprised that Jedikiah would be so altruistic. Perhaps she had misread the man. However, interest over the data presented pushed any thought about motives out of her mind. Jedikiah asked a few pertinent questions and reviewed the results of the human beta tests. He nodded thoughtfully before reaching a decision. "Alice, submit orders for mass production with our pharmaceutical supplier."
"Yes, Dr. Price."
He turned next to the woman scientist. "Update please."
The woman's research on new methodologies for distributing the serum that turned a Tomorrow Person into a human brought a frown to Irene's face. Jedikiah drilled the project leader, clearly not pleased with the progress being made. She made a valiant attempt to defend herself and her team, but he wasn't buying it. He proposed several lines of research for her to follow. Watching and listening to him gave Irene a new appreciation for the fear he inspired in some of the Tomorrow People.
Jedikiah finally dismissed them.
Jonah and the other two left, but Irene sat, hands folded on the table in front of her, her face reflecting her unhappiness.
Jedikiah, amused, watched her out of the corner of his eye, as he closed up his laptop. "What's bothering you?"
She looked up at him with troubled eyes. "Do you having me living with you so you can keep an eye on me?"
His eyebrows shot up, surprised by her answer. He had thought she was going to object to one of the research projects. "I'm not going to lie and say that you wouldn't be guarded—" He changed his wording when she looked angry. "—watched. Protected. However you want to word it. I don't need to have you in the same living quarters to do that."
He got up and walked around the table to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I like you, kid. I admire you. You're a kid—" He gently shook her shoulder as she opened her mouth to object. "—yes, you are a kid that got a raw deal. I know you don't have a family left. You need a home and I owe you. Besides, I like having you around."
He put a hand under her chin and gently lifted her head up to look in his eyes. "I would never force you to stay with us, but I do want you to."
She stared into his eyes, wondering once again how those same blue eyes could be both so scary cold and at other times be so comforting. The man confused her. She finally gave a little nod. "Thanks!"
He patted her on the shoulder. "Besides, it's kind of fun watching John try to teach you how to cook."
"I thought I wasn't allowed to cook anymore."
Jedikiah smiled broadly. "Yeah, well I tricked John into a bet. He was bragging about his teaching skills." Jedikiah chuckled. "I called him on it in front of his team members. I haven't figured out what I'm gonna demand as payment when he loses, but it should be good."
"That's just plain mean." Irene huffed out of the room with something perilously close to a flounce.
Jedikiah waited until she left and then shut the door. He addressed Alice. "Did you record the session?"
"Yes, luv. You didn't add the confirmation code word so I was sneaky, just the way you like me. All the research and the conversation is encrypted. We're so naughty."
"Yes, we are love. I want the logistics ready so as soon as the drug to strip powers is mass produced in an appropriate distribution media we can move."
"Whatever you say, Jed. Now, why do I think you plan on being naughty?"
~ X ~ Elite Headquarters
Irene stormed into the men's locker room, stopping short once she had her quarry in her sights. Hands on her hips, she made her words an accusation. "There you are."
Vishnu, fresh from the shower, clutched his towel protectively around him. "Hey! You don't belong in here."
"Mind your own business." Irene, not bothering to spare him a glance, snapped the words out.
Jack, securely in his pants, was able to take a more casual view. He calmly continued dressing while keeping an eye on Irene and her target, ready to be amused and hoping to have a good story to spread.
Irene stomped up to a very surprised John, invading his personal space. He had his pants on, but hadn't yet zipped them up.
An amused Jack, looking at the differences in their heights, thought the scene resembled an aggressive terrier attacking a Great Dane.
"How dare you!" Irene poked John in his bare chest with a sharpened fingernail. "Don't you ever spy on me again."
John managed to zip up his fly but gave up trying to fasten the button. He put his hands on his hips as he attempted to defend himself. "I didn't spy on you. I happened to see what was going on and kept watch."
Irene continued to stab him with a finger. "When you report back to Jedikiah and don't say anything to me, that's spying."
"Yeah, John." Jack, sporting a wide grin, chimed in, hoping to add fuel to the fire.
"Shut up." Irene and John turned together to blast Jack. The only affect was to widen his grin even further.
Vishnu quickly gathered his clothes and rushed out to find a more private place to dress.
"Coward!" Jack called out after the fleeing agent.
John turned his attention back to Irene. "I didn't say anything to you because it looked like you were handling yourself fine. Cara would never teleport you out in public, and you didn't let her touch you. If I thought you were in danger I would have intervened."
"Then, if there was no problem why did you tell Jedikiah on me?"
"Because that's my job. I warned him our people were being targeted by Stephen's group."
"I don't believe you!"
Alan walked in to see Irene repeatedly jabbing John in the chest. "What's going on?" he asked Jack.
"Squabble cause John squealed on Little Mighty Brains to the boss." Jack had finished dressing and was now sitting on a bench, avidly watching.
Alan snorted and sat next to Jack. "Should get interesting."
John put a hand on Irene's forehead and held her at arm's length needing to give his chest a reprieve. He gave the onlookers a sour look and jerked his head at the door. "Get out!"
The two laughed and got up to leave.
"I got twenty bucks she tries to punch you." Jack loved a good bet.
"I want in." Alan added.
John did not deign to reply. He tried to reason with Irene. "I am not going to let you keep stabbing your finger into my chest. So calm down and listen to reason."
Irene teleported trying to land behind John. She had the rudimentary fight training given to all the lair people, but she wasn't one of the regular combatants, and she hadn't practiced in a while. She ended up way too far behind John and facing away from him.
He sighed and turned to face her as she spun around looking for him. "You need to brush up on your fighting skills."
His calm, sensible remark just enraged the teen even further. She went in swinging, a fierce scowl on her face. John casually raised a hand and telekinetically held her out of punching reach. "If I let you hit me will you calm down and listen to reason?"
Irene, realizing she was outmatched, stopped and tried to regain her dignity. She took a couple of deep breaths, pushed back the hair that had flown in her face, and settled her glasses on her nose. She raised her chin and calmly stated her demand. "I want a good solid punch." She held up a warning finger. "And you can't stop me."
John's little ironic smile should have warned her. "Of course." He stood up straight, stiffening his body.
Irene made a fist and punched him in the stomach as hard as she could. "Ow!" She back off wringing her hand. "Oooh, that hurt."
John had let out a little oomph when she hit him, but otherwise he had barely flinched.
"My hand." She pressed her injured hand against her stomach, cradling it with her other arm, as she walked a little circle.
John stopped her, gently pushing her arm down, and taking her injured hand in his. He pried open her fingers and spread her hand while she hissed in pain. He ran his fingers over her it, checking carefully. "You didn't break anything, but your knuckles are bruised."
"What happened? I see you guys hitting people all the time. How come you don't get hurt?"
John chuckled. "First of all, we don't let people prepare. We try to catch them off guard. I tightened my stomach muscles before you hit."
She made a rueful face, eying his bare stomach with a new appreciation. "You are all muscle. It was like hitting a wall. Well, I guess now I know better. Next time I'll get you when you aren't looking."
"Irene," he said softly. "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. Honest, I was just concerned for you. I didn't even think twice. If anything like that happens again I'll say something to you before I talk to Jed."
She tilted her head back to search his face. "Okay, but John . . ." She bit her lip. "The old John wouldn't have done that. He didn't live or die by what Jedikiah said. He had a healthy skepticism for what he was told. He made up his own mind."
"I'm not the old John." He turned and buttoned his pants before reaching for a Henley. He pulled it over his head and then gave her a long look as he adjusted it. "I am what I am, Irene. I can't be someone I don't remember, and I have no reason to doubt Jed."
"Hmm!"
The pensive look on her face gave him a moment's misgiving. "Irene! What are you up to?"
"Nothing." Her face and tone were far too innocent for John's liking. He looked indecisive for a moment.
Correctly interpreting what he was contemplating, she warned him. "Don't you dare read my mind!"
"Then promise me you won't do anything stupid," John begged, as he reached for his shoes and socks.
She wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue. "I still owe you."
He sighed heavily and hung his head for a moment before raising it and saying sternly, "Report for training next week after you give your hand time to heal. You need to brush up."
Irene frowned at him. "Don't you go all bossy on me, John." She put on a superior air. "I'm a very important researcher, and you're just muscle. I'll tell Jedikiah on you." She sniffed and walked out, leaving him shaking his head.