Delphine enters her house and flips on the lights. Shedding her coat she approaches the window, just in time to see the vampire steal one last glance up the building and walk away. She sighs and closes the drapes as an internal fight starts to take shape.
The last two weeks have been draining as she struggled to catch up with her co-workers who've been involved in the improvement of the vaccination for much longer than she - some since the very beginning, when the government secured the services of the Institute. They've not taken kindly to the new addition to their team. Despite Dr. Bowles' words, her work environment is more reminiscent of a high school filled with mean spirited kids than a family. Not that Delphine bought into the other woman's pep talk. Every idea she comes up with is immediately shut down by a senior scientist and they disregard her input as that of someone who's out of their depth.
She misses Krystal and her much more casual approach. She misses the coffee and smoke breaks she was free to take in the slow mornings, which she used to center herself and find the strength to carry on. She even misses the contact she had with the eclectic vampire community. Cosima has crossed her mind on several occasions as well. It's not so much that she misses her and their tense interactions, but the engaging vampire has found her way into the doctor's thoughts on a regular basis, especially with the information she had access to via Marion Bowles. It's a constant worry in the back of her mind, and occasionally surfaces to her main thoughts.
Cosima, like all the others patients, is involved in a program she really knows nothing about, doesn't realize its ultimate goal and how dangerous it is for her own kind. She's unknowingly a part of a plot that in essence means to eliminate her species. However, and unlike the other patients, there's an underlying concern about the repercussions of the treatment, somehow it feels personal. Delphine's connection with Cosima has gone beyond the patient/doctor relationship, even if she didn't want it to, and the consequences feel more realistic. Delphine could analyze what DYAD is doing to its patients from an analytic point of view, and she could work on it without worry about the real consequences of her actions if it weren't for Cosima. In more ways than one, Cosima has made her life more difficult, making it next to impossible for her to keep a distant, impersonal perspective on what she's doing.
Her motivation is not to save the other species, not to save vampires from extinction, which clearly seems to be the final objective from the treatment, regardless of what DYAD claims. Sure, their initial objective might be to keep the vampire's population under control, but the ultimate goal is fairly obvious. Delphine is practical. She doesn't see that as a terrible outcome if it happens at some point in the future, but she would rather not have an active part in making vampires - or lycans, for that matter - things of the past, lost to history. In truth, this is quite irrelevant to her, even if she'd rather not to intervene, in favor of one or another outcome.
Cosima complicates things, though. This particular vampire is not irrelevant to Delphine. While she's yet to identify the reason for her concern, she's not completely indifferent to Cosima's fate. The experienced vampire is, at the moment, her best possible ally. Like her, Cosima has no defined alliance, and perhaps that's why she worries about the vampire if she, for whatever reason, decides to suspend her treatment and meet the same destiny of others in that situation.
The consequences of not taking the shot are devastating. It starts with only a slight discomfort, but quickly escalates to unbearable physical pain. And while Delphine had yet to see the results for herself, the reports she's seen paint a gruesome scenario. The possibility of Cosima ending up captured and used as a guinea pig in the sterilization program is even worst.
The program is infamous in the Institute among the scientists for its devastating results, but that's not enough reason to stop the experiments. In fact it's the investigation that has the largest chunk of funds. The government is determined to see it succeed, regardless of how much money they throw at it. But all the money in the world can't make the science bend to their will. After having access to the entirety of the research project, Delphine's convinced that it can't possibly work. It's seems like the gene that causes the transfer of the mutation is essential and can't be simply removed without serious consequences to a vampire's mental and, to a smaller extent, physical integrity.
The young doctor has voiced her concerns directly to Dr. Bowles and explained her beliefs, but was met with skepticism. If you can't remove it, the older scientist has said, you can mutate it. Everything has a solution. Delphine was encouraged to ignore her first assumptions and continue to work with the rest of her team in finding a solution to a problem she really doesn't think exists.
All this upsets her beyond measure and she's aware that it's taking away the focus of her real intentions. Delphine's losing her objectivity and that is never good.
Evidently, this is aggravated by her undefined relationship with Cosima. And now, she's only digging herself a deeper hole. Meeting the vampire is not the best move if she wants to remain objective. It will only cause her to be more emotionally entangled, but Delphine can't afford to have Cosima showing up at her doorstep, especially when she doesn't know if the vampire's steps are being closely monitored. The doctor doesn't even know if she's already in trouble or not, although the fact that she's still allowed to work on the most sensitive project for the institute is an indication that, at least for now, she's safe.
Cosima's body remains tense as she walks away from Delphine's building. Her fangs ache as she nibbles the inside of her cheek, the beast growling in her chest, the hunger trying to claw its way out. Still, she clenches her jaw, willing the animal back to sleep. For years she has had it under control, and she won't let it out now.
Even as she steps into The Nightcrawler, the tension is yet to fully dissipate. She still feels it, lurking in the shadows of her psyche, waiting for the perfect opportunity, for her to lower her guard, so it can come lurching out. And if she wasn't sure if it, if the feeling were not so obvious to her, the reaction from others around her would provide all the clues she needed.
The bar is packed. Creatures of the night make good on confirming the establishment's name. Several heads turn in her direction as she passes by, the few that make eye contact are quick to avert their gaze, lest the danger in the ancient vampire's eyes turns against them.
"You look like shit!" Sarah, clearly not one to tread lightly, observes from the other side of the counter.
"Thanks!" Cosima answers sarcastically. "I need a favor," she says without delay.
The young werewolf smirks and nods without question. She turns around and reaches for a bottle.
"Not that!" Cosima says with impatience when she realizes her request has been misinterpreted.
Sarah stops her motion of unscrewing the bottle and raises a brow. "You sure?" She presses. "Cause it sure looks like you need it. I assure you we only carry the good stuff, all volunteers."
"I don't need blood, I need your backroom," the vampire explains and her eyes go to the door that leads to her request.
Sarah puts the bottle back on the shelf and looks straight at Cosima. "You know… usually I wouldn't bother, but you really don't look like you're in good shape, so I need to know what for."
Cosima glares at her, a sight that would be enough to frighten almost everyone, but Sarah is hard to intimidate and doesn't even flinch, just continues to raise an obnoxious brow. The vampire breathes in deeply to keep her temper in check, knowing that it won't help, and leans forward across the bar. Her stare passes over the nearby patrons to see if anyone is paying attention, but people know better than to pry into her business.
"I need a discreet place to meet someone," she says in a low voice when Sarah leans close to her.
"And is this someone of the female human variety?" The werewolf asks with a gleam in her brown eyes.
"Does it matter?" Cosima challenges, short on patience.
"It does because this is my fucking house and I have the right to know if I have to deal with a dead body in the next few hours!" Sarah doesn't disarm.
"I haven't killed anyone in ages… literally," Cosima says, trying to sound more agreeable.
"Yeah? Well, I've never seen you like this, so I'm sorry if I don't feel like taking your word on this," the werewolf obstinately crosses her arms over her chest.
"I'll owe you one," Cosima goads in a softer voice, her back relaxes, her posture less threatening.
Still, the other woman eyes her carefully, judging the vampire's semblance. "I'll collect!" She eventually gives in. "And I'd feel better if you take that drink."
Cosima shakes her head. "Thanks, but no thanks," she says. "I doubt it would help. In fact it would probably make it worse."
"Oh… I feel so reassured now." Sarah rolls her eyes and places a hand over her chest in a mocking gesture. Next she motions for Cosima to follow her and leaves the back of the counter.
"She's coming through the back door, so you don't need to worry about that," Cosima says in a pacifying manner, as they cross the hall that leads to the secluded room.
"Yeah, that helps my anxiety about all this."
Cosima ignores the comment and tries to make small talk. "Where's S?"
"Putting Kira to sleep," the other woman answers. "And if this shit blows up in my face, you're the one who gets to deal with Siobhan!"
"Sure thing!" Cosima nods and enters the room when Sarah opens the door.
"Just… like... don't kill her, yeah?" The werewolf says just before she closes the door on Cosima's face.
"Yes, that would definitely suck…" The vampire murmurs to herself.
Delphine is nervous. She can feel her guts twist with anxiety and her brain is working too fast for her to collect her own thoughts. Nonetheless, she's poised, appearing calm on the outside, her steps unfaltering as she walks through the night. She keeps to busy streets where she feels safe until she enters the dark alley that leads to the back of the ill-reputed bar.
Her hesitation only shows when she raises her fist to knock on the heavy, rusted door, and that's when the doubts catch up to her. Cosima has never given her reason to feel threatened, however, it is also true that they've never really met in private. At the Institute, the security was always one shout away, and even when they met on the outside, just steps away from her own building, she had some room to maneuver, a way to escape the vampire. Not now. This time, they're meeting on Cosima's turf, even if it was the human who suggested this encounter, it's still on the creature's terms. If Delphine shouts for help, no one will come to her aid.
Oh, what a terrible idea this is, she thinks while at the same time shaking her head and knocking twice on the door. Not even five seconds later the door is opening, Cosima obviously waiting for her. The doctor hesitates a second time once her eyes fall on the small woman. The well lit backroom allows her to see something that she missed earlier in the evening, when the streetlight offered only shadowed views of Cosima. There's a tension in the vampire's gestures, the fangs, while not entirely exposed, are still prominent, but it's the gaze that gives her pause. The warm, inviting brown is almost completely gone, and sprinkles of glacier blue are already visible through the lenses of her glasses. They move uneasily, unfocused, not really meeting the blonde's stare but seemly unable to steer too far from it.
"Come in," Cosima's voice sounds no different though, even if her gestures aren't quite as fluid as usual when she motions for Delphine to enter. "I probably won't bite."
At this the doctor opens her eyes widely and takes a step back, the hands safely inside the pockets of her coat, the right one clenching around a phone even if she doesn't know who to call in case of need. Her body ready to make a quick escape.
"Sorry," Cosima shakes her head and brings a hand to her forehead. "Bad vampire humor… Shouldn't have said it."
Still, Delphine doesn't move, her eyes narrow in the vampire's direction, accessing the danger. The small body appears pliant, almost delicate, a compact form that glides effortlessly to the side to allow all the space Delphine needs to cross the threshold. But she's not nearly stupid enough to believe she can overpower Cosima; the vampire is strong despite her petite body, stronger than most men Delphine has encountered throughout her life, stronger than most vampires as well. Cosima's long lifespan is a tribute to that, and while the vampire is trying hard to make herself feel as unthreatening as possible, Delphine's fully aware that it's nothing but a ploy to make her feel safe.
"Delphine, I won't hurt you," Cosima assures in a quiet voice, there's even a hint of sadness in her tone, in the eyes that gleam dangerously, but show affection at the same time.
It's an incredibly conflicting sight, and Delphine doesn't know if she should take it at face value. But this was her idea, and if Cosima wanted to hurt her she could easily do so, whether Delphine decides to enter the room or not. She had willfully walked into the lion's den on her own, and pulling back now would be admitting her weakness.
The vampire breathes in deeply when the doctor finally steps inside without uttering a word. Delphine's heart starts to slam against her ribs when she hears the door shutting behind her back and it keeps pounding harshly when she turns and sees Cosima approaching her, with vivid eyes on her. But she moves past Delphine, not touching as she leans casually against a table carefully placed at the center of the room. Only then does Delphine really take notice of the space. It appears to be used as a sort of storage facility. Tables and chairs stacked upon each other take up most of the space, with two old looking cabinets against one of the walls. Only the table neatly placed at the very center of the room and two chairs prompt against it, one on each side, are the exception. Cosima's doing, no doubt.
"Is it okay if I smoke?" Are Delphine's first words and she's already searching her bag for the pack of cigarettes.
Cosima shrugs. "It's not like it will kill me."
Delphine hums and watches as Cosima finds an ashtray and slides it across the table, and sits in the chair furthest from the door, leaving the path to the outside clear. The vampire leans back comfortably and crosses her ankles beneath the table. They remain in a awkward silence. Delphine smokes and arches a brow while she observes the other woman with open curiosity. She's not entirely surprised when Cosima passively lets her stare, a ghost of smile in her lips, a small clench of the jawbone, with a raised brow of her own.
"So… Delphine…" Cosima starts, her voice expressing some of the amusement she's no doubt feeling. "What are we doing here?"
The blonde finishes her cigarette and crushes it in the ashtray, but continues standing, ignoring the chair Cosima has set up for her.
"I can't have you lurking around my place," she says not as sternly as she should. "You know that."
"Okay… I'll stop," Cosima nods and both her arms rise in understanding. "Of course that doesn't explain why you didn't just say that and instead suggested we meet elsewhere."
Delphine bites her lower lip thoughtfully and immediately notices the vampire's eyes drop to her mouth, and a shift in the other woman's position, knuckles turning white as she grips the arms of the chair. Even the rhythm of her breathing changes, becoming more rapid. All this she notices in the few seconds it takes her brain to consider her options. How much is she ready to divulge to Cosima? And why does she feel obligated to tell her anything at all? And if she says something, where does she start?
"I got a promotion," she eventually blurts out.
Cosima frowns and looks slightly confused. "So I've heard," she says nonetheless. "I suppose congratulations are in order. Does that mean you no longer want to associate with the likes of me?"
The doctor nods firmly. "Yes! Well… no, not exactly," she backtracks and Cosima's amused smile reappears. "It means they are watching me more closely," Delphine decides for something as close to the truth as she can offer. "You'd get in trouble if they know you're following me."
"So would you, doctor!" The vampire replies quickly, but in the most casual of ways. "What would your bosses say if they knew we were meeting like this? In the backroom of a place like this?"
Delphine's brain falters, her answers not nearly as ready as the vampire's. She needs to navigate murky waters, contour half truths in order to get her point across. Cosima has the benefit of blunt honesty.
"So, I ask again," Cosima presses, the smile gone and her gaze intense on Delphine's, shining brighter each time the human gathers the strength to look in her eyes. "What are we doing here, Delphine?"
"You need to continue with the treatment," the doctor says adamantly and she knows it's a misstep the moment she hears her own words tumbling from her mouth, as if hypnotized by the stare.
It doesn't escape the vampire, whose eyes shine with intense curiosity, her body leans forward on the table, her strong hands placed on its top, the fingers of each hand interlacing each other.
"Not that I was thinking of doing so," Cosima remarks in a strong, clear voice. "But now you have me thinking why exactly I shouldn't."
The blonde looks away, hiding her gaze from the unsettling, scrutinizing eyes. She nibbles her lower lip and searches for a reasonable explanation to her lapse. It wasn't even conscious the decision to warn Cosima, but if she was going to do that, she should be cautious about the way she says it, keeping the vampire in the right path, without hinting at how dangerous it could be to veer away from it. That was the only way she could avoid uncomfortable questions, like the one that was asked just now, questions she can't or won't answer.
"Delphine, what are you not telling me?" Cosima persists, her tone soft but firm.
The human finally looks up, her eyes scanning the vampire, and although Cosima remains seated, her stance is far from being relaxed. Her body is taut, leaning forward as if ready to stand quickly and attack. Her hands, still laced around each other, flexing tensely, the knuckles and fingertips white. It appears as if Cosima is doing her best not to scare Delphine, containing her response, keeping herself disciplined.
"Is this about your new position?" The vampire continues to push, getting closer to the answer all on her own, just by reading Delphine's reaction. "What have you found out? What will happen if I stop the treatment?"
"They've laced the treatment with something," Delphine reveals, but chooses her words carefully, and focuses on the vampire reactions. "So, if you stop it, your system will go into withdrawal."
"You've poisoned me?!" This time Cosima stands.
The chair she was sitting on slides back and scratches the floor loudly before it tumbles back. But the surge of anger is swallowed as quickly as it appeared, Cosima's hands gripping the edge of the table and she dips her head, shaking it sadly.
Inside, Delphine trembles, but she sets her jaw and swallows the shivers of fear. "I didn't know," she says steadily. "I've only found out when I started working at the lab."
"She was right…" Cosima mumbles to herself, her head continuing moving from side to side, as if she hadn't heard Delphine's justification - and maybe she hasn't. "She was right all along. I shouldn't have trusted you, I should've known better than to believe humans' good intentions…" she chuckles bitterly, humorlessly. "Centuries of dealing with your kind and being disappointed time and time again wasn't enough for me to learn my lesson apparently."
Slowly, Delphine takes a few, careful steps in the vampire's direction. She extends an arm, meaning to place a hand on the small woman's back, wanting to provide some sort of comfort, but stops short and lets her arm drop.
"Not all of us are like that, Cosima," she says softly. "Some of us still care."
It happens so fast. The next thing she knows, she's pinned against the door, her wrists captured by strong hands. Cosima's face is so close that she can feel the raging breath of the creature against her skin. Icy blue eyes are blazing with anger, and fangs are exposed, bright white and menacing. Delphine uselessly tries to fight a grip that doesn't budge, no matter how hard she pushes back. There's a moment of shock, perhaps more because she didn't expect Cosima to jump her so fast, not after it didn't happen when Delphine made her revelation. And it was that time between the then and now, when she allowed her defenses to lower, to trust that Cosima wouldn't react this way that caused dread building in her stomach. One instant with slackened defenses and she's completely helpless.
"And which one of them are you, Delphine?" Cosima's voice is dangerously low as she seethes, jaws clenched. "You work for them, do their bidding, drugged me!"
"I didn't know!" If Delphine can't push back with physical strength she will with her words. What she can't do is allow Cosima to see her as vulnerable, as a victim. "I didn't need to tell you either! But I am."
"Why should I trust you?" Cosima falters in her certainty, her grip loosens considerably. "Why should I believe you?"
"My word is all I have to give you, if you don't believe it, there's nothing I can do about it," Delphine counters, her own voice loses the strength it had and she appeals to Cosima's reason, knowing that it is in there…somewhere. "Now, if you could let me go?"
Cosima drops her hands immediately and steps back. A confused frown painting her expression. The anger is dissipating, but not entirely gone. Her eyes brighter than ever, her fangs still yet to retreat.
"I'm sorry," she whispers, "I didn't mean to…"
Delphine flattens her coat and passes her hands through her hair, trying to regain her composure. There's still fear, a slight tremble in her hands. Her eyes go to the vampire, who has taken a few more steps away from her, and in her expression there's something that Delphine interprets as shame. Cosima has allowed her emotions to come out and she feels the guilt of it.
"What happens if I stop?" The vampire asks in a low, defeated voice. "If I'm somehow able to resist it?"
Delphine shakes her head and walks away from the wall, moves back to the center of the room and this time takes the seat. "We don't know…" She confesses. "No one has ever… They always come back, sooner or later." One way or the other, she thinks but doesn't say it. "It was designed to keep you coming for more."
"Like a drug addiction?" Cosima comments. "To keep us controlled, contained, domesticated."
A silence falls in the room. Cosima's anger seems to have deflated, but Delphine doesn't know what to say. She can't deny Cosima's words because she's right. Besides, there's nothing she can say to make this go away. Cosima's reaction was tempestuous, but not unreasonable. Anyone in her position would feel betrayed, the difference is what she is and the level of danger that comes with it.
"Why are you telling me this?" Cosima asks, her voice breaks slightly and she stares at Delphine, who avoids the brunette's gaze, lowering her eyes. "I mean… like you said, you didn't need to tell me this," the vampire continues to press, even if not as emphatically, she still won't take silence for an answer. "Or are you making it your mission to inform all of your patients of this little minuscule feature of those damn shots?"
"Would you prefer if I had told you nothing?" Delphine finds her voice, but it has no edge.
"I'd prefer you to answer my fucking question!" Cosima insists, and even though her words are blunt, there's little fire in her tone.
The human sighs, but continues to avoid the stare. "I guess I was afraid you would stop going after I left."
"You think pretty high of yourself, don't you?" Bitterness returns to Cosima as she chuckles.
The doctor accuses the sting and gets up from her chair in one rapid movement. "I can see this was a mistake," she says louder, more confidently. "And yes, I shouldn't have said anything."
"Ahhh, yes, that's right!" Cosima continues with dark irony. "Let them continue to inject that poison into my bloodstream without mine or anyone else's knowledge. God knows what else they're doing to us!" And then she stops suddenly, as if she just realized something. "What else are they doing to us?" She asks with a hard look.
But Delphine won't answer that. After the way Cosima reacted to the information she did divulge, there's no way to know what would happen if the doctor revealed everything she knows.
"It's gotta be pretty bad, right?" Cosima carries on with her monologue, as new realizations come to her mind. "If you thought this was something you could tell me, I can only imagine what you think you can't."
"Even if there was more, what makes you think I would tell you after the way you reacted?" Delphine faces the vampire head-on; if she can't deny it, she can certainly be brutally honest. "I'm just the fucking messenger. I had no part in that."
"Did I scare you?" Cosima asks and there's a glint of satisfaction in her eyes, still dangerously bright blue. They've not returned to their natural brown color since Delphine laid eyes on her after arriving at this godforsaken bar. "Good! You should be scared! I'll be the least of your problems if what you've told me gets out."
"Is that a threat?" The doctor asks in a firm voice and steps a little closer to the vampire and those actions alone are a clear indication that she doesn't feel the least bit threatened by the creature standing before her and that could very well be her biggest mistake. The memory of Cosima's fury is still present, her hands are still trembling slightly, and yet here she is, tempting another outburst.
"It's a statement of a fact!" Cosima corrects her, meeting the other woman's gaze. "You'd better hope this doesn't find its way to the rest of your patients or, even worse, to those who refused treatment. They've been waiting for just one small opportunity to shut it down - and I don't mean peacefully - and you just gave them an colossal one."
"Me?! I had nothing to do with it," Delphine defends, she doesn't like the way she's been lumped in with the others. "I'm just a cog in the machine."
"You were!" The vampire answers fast. "You were always one of them, but now… with your new position…" Cosima shakes her head. "Don't think they don't know what's going on in there, who works where."
"You're suggesting the vampires have a mole inside the Institute?" The blonde frowns and steps back to give herself some room to think.
"I'm saying they have ways of knowing things," Cosima says. "Clearly not everything."
No, not everything. Not even half of it. Whoever the informant is, it's got to be someone low level, a security guard on the floors above ground, or perhaps someone who works at the cafeteria. With the lab coats having different colors to identify who works in which area, it's not hard to know who's who. It's no secret that DYAD has a research wing, that they still work to improve their formula. What's not known is what improvement means. While humans consider it a progress, if the vampire community discovers what they're aiming at, the retaliation would be formidable, and most likely, violent. If the sterilization program becomes public, there's no saying what could happen.
"I thought you were different, Delphine, I really did."
The doctor hears the vampire say in a soft voice and raises her eyes to look at her. Head dipped, shaking slowly.
"When we first met… I was thinking to myself that you didn't belong there," Cosima confesses not meeting the taller woman's stare. "You were so casual about the whole thing, like you… I don't know…" she stops and laughs bitterly again. "I mean… I wasn't entirely wrong, right? You are different, just not for the better."
"You are oversimplifying things," Delphine says and there's an uncomfortable squeeze in her chest. "This is more complex than good guys versus bad guys. "
"Am I now?" The vampire mocks and finally raises her head to meet the blonde's eyes. "Well, let me tell you, from my experience - and I'm going out on a limb here, and say it's more extensive than yours - things are always pretty damn simple. But humans add these conditions, these variables, to make them feel better, and clear their conscience to sleep well at night. So I'm sorry if I'm saying a big 'fuck you' to your 'it's not us versus them bullshit'. Because it absolutely is! There's only one side trying to control the other."
"Right! Because your kind is so fucking pacific!" Delphine is fuming, the vampire's words hit a vulnerable nerve deep inside her. "You never attacked anyone indiscriminately. You never killed without thinking of the consequences. You've never left entire families broken by your irrational bloodlust!"
Cosima seems startled by the abrupt explosion, the anger in her words, the passion in her expression, the blazing fire in her bright hazel eyes. And Delphine doesn't back down seeing the vampire take a step back, retreating in her argument.
"Don't preach to me about sleeping well at night," she continues even more firmly. "Don't assume I don't know what I'm talking about! Not when you have no idea what it's like to wake up in the middle of the night screaming in terror, afraid they've come back to finish what they started. Or feel your heart jump every time there's the smallest noise coming from the other room."
"Delphine, I… I didn't…" Cosima tries to stretch her hand, but it's immediately swatted away.
"No, you didn't know and you shouldn't need to," Delphine interrupts her angrily, annoyed by feeling tears cloud her sight. "And still I know the difference between you and them, I still know that not all of you are the same. I know that earlier when instinct took over you didn't enjoy it, it wasn't something you wanted or provoked." Delphine continues, emotion pressing her voice that she struggles to keep steady. "But perhaps I was wrong since you clearly won't extend me the same courtesy." She walks quickly to the door, not wanting to give the vampire time to react, taking the opportunity that Cosima remains shellshocked. "Maybe I should thank you for showing me that!"
Delphine leaves and slams the door shut.
Marion Bowles has her legs stretched on her long, white leather couch. She sips a very nice Pinot Noir that her latest conquest, currently in the shower, had the good judge to bring. She's reviewing some reports of the latest test results, unfortunately showing little improvement, when her laptop, placed on top of her glass dining table, beeps, informing her of an income call.
She sighs, annoyed by the interruption, but knowing that if anyone had the audacity to importunate her at home, it must be urgent. So she gets up, goes to the bedroom and slips on the red silk robe and sits in front of the computer.
"Yes!" She demands, accepting the call from the head of security.
The rough looking man stammers for an instant upon seeing the barely covered woman. "We found something that might interest you," he eventually blurts out. "It's about one of your scientists…"
"And..?" Marion says, her irritation rises when the man doesn't go straight to the point.
"I'm sending you some files," he then says, scratching his dark, well-kept beard. "If you could open them it will be easier to understand."
Marion momentarily disregards the suggestion that this man would assume she needs pictures to understand anything, feeling a pinch of curiosity. She opens her inbox and clicks on the .jpeg files the man has sent her. Screenshots of what she recognizes as their tracking software, but she has little patience to analyze each of the several maps that fill her computer screen one after another as she clicks on the forward button.
"What am I look at?" Marion finally sounds slightly more amicable.
"Earlier today I noticed one our subjects… err… 324B21," he pauses to read the ID tag, "she was near the registered residence of a scientist of yours… a Dr. Delphine Cormier," he reads the name again, this time with an horrendous accent.
"So?" Marion hates when people just won't get to the point and this man is about to find out how much if he doesn't explain himself fast. As far as she knows 324B21 is one of their best assets: the oldest of her kind in the program and extremely cooperative, aside from a setback here and there. She's the model test subject.
"Well… she was not just passing by…" he finally gets to it, his hesitation of being the barer of bad news gone after seeing the impatience in his superior's gaze. "She stood there for quite some time, nearly 30 minutes. And I took the liberty to check the backlog to see if this was recurrent behavior."
Now he has Marion's full attention. "Okay…" She encourages.
"Several passes by the building in the last few months, when before it wasn't part of her regular or even semi-regular route. On one occasion the subject moved to the area fast and remained there a significant amount of time," he tells her, with his eyes on his notes. "Not as regularly recently, not until tonight."
The woman goes quiet for a while, drinking her wine in small sips, she thinks about what was said. She hates to jump to conclusions, likes hard evidences before she has to make a decision. It's only fair, after all when one finds himself in Marion's black list it never ends well to the trespasser. While this certainly looks suspicious, it's hardly enough to draw any definitive conclusions.
"Do you want us to capture the subject?" The man suggests after a long silence. "Bring her in for questioning?"
Marion knows very well what sort of questioning he's suggesting and while it might be proven efficient, she has a peculiar distaste for those barbaric methods. Perhaps this time it won't be necessary.
"No!" She instructs after finishing her wine. "I think this situation requires a little more finesse."