Orphans Beloved: "Attack of the Fifty-foot Clones…"
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved and Sheldon Swifties bits in my Buffyverse and Sheldonverse, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.
Disclaimer: No copy write infringement intended…
Note-There are always these minor consequences to any great advances in Science.
(PS-Some divergence from S-3 in that Aldous did not…Yet…while in mine Cal left without Kyra and engaged to Sarah, to resolve the pesky problem of a murdered police officer, and Ally is not going in for breaking somewhat bad. (And of course the ladies are not yet18-50 feet tall…Yet). And Seth is not…Yet…Dead. But we need Seth. The Castors deserved their own road trip, right?)
Part XIX…
Churchill Town Hall…
Colonel Dierden, Corporal Meisner, Sergeant Parker, and other team members clustered round the radarscope and monitors…
On two screens, shots of forest and snow, lit in the darkness by helicopter floodlights…
"I don't see her…" Parker shook head.
"Thermal says she's there, sporadically…" the corporal noted, looking intently. "And the Castors are showing as well…Radar can't track them though in the forest…" she pressed headphones tight. "Sir?" she turned to Dierden. "The lead pilot wants to know if they should fire…Or flame?"
"Hold on both a little longer…And patch me through to the chopper loudspeakers, as many as possible. I'll try sweet reason one last time. Helena doesn't want anyone killed or she'd've killed us all back there."
"Hold all fire! Repeat, hold all fire!" Meisner told her microphone. "Putting the Colonel through, put it on your exterior speakers…" she listened intently, Dierden eyeing her. "Go…" she nodded, handing him a microphone.
"She'll never…" Parker shook head.
"Helena, this is Paul Dierden. We know you and Rudy and Seth are there. Helena, we don't want to harm you or your child or children or the boys. I know you don't want it either. Come out and we'll talk. There's no place for you to go, Helena…You're fifty feet tall. Look, we may be able to help you and you could help our Castor boys. Rudy and Seth can explain it to you. They're all sick, Helena. They need your help." He paused, waiting. "I know we handled this badly. I wasn't in charge, but I am now. I won't have anyone come near you until you allow it. We'll just talk. Helena? Your child may be endangered by this cold if you're resistant. And the boys can't stay out here too long. Helena, please. I don't want this to go badly. But it could end up involving Sarah and the others if we drag it out…Helena?"
"What about gas again?" Parker suggested as Dierden awaited a reply.
"It's standing by…" Meisner noted, eyeing Paul.
"Lets try my way first…" Paul put up a hand. "But have it ready."
…
"You can't listen to a word that bastard says…" Rudy glared, as he, Seth, and Helena remained hidden in a bit of valley under snow-covered, battered down trees.
"The Colonel's an honorable man…" Seth frowned. "But…" he eyed Helena's huge face, about five feet from his standing figure, she on the ground, flat as possible. "He will do what's necessary to accomplish a mission."
"Like sleep with moi sestras, yes?" amused tone. "Well, the little Paul I do not trust…But, if you and my baby or babies is in the danger…" she hesitated.
"He'll lock us all up, they'll experiment on you…And the kids…" Rudy, calmly. "Don't be a fool."
"Well, what do we do, then, master brain?" Seth frowned. "What's your solution?"
"Whatyada do with flies?" Rudy eyed him, then Helena…
"I don't wants to hurt these peoples, Rudy." Helena, sternly. "And if I do, they will feel free to hurt you and maybe my baby or babies…And my sestras."
"Fine, don't swat 'em. Gas 'em." He shrugged.
"What?" Seth stared.
"Is me gas so bad? Sorry…" Helena, apologetic look…
Tools ya gotta work with sometimes to make the world what you want it to be…Rudy frowned.
"Jesus, will you two listen…?" he began.
….
Dyad High Level Containment…
"There's my girl…" Aldous noted fondly to the newly arrived and obviously agitated Delphine as they stood in the doorway of Rachel's room, watching her sleep. "Isn't she an angel?"
"Not if she wakes up with brain and memory restored. Aldous. We need to talk." Delphine, grimly.
"Ah. So, someone told you." He eyed her. "I assume Cosima found out…Via Scott or her own digging."
"You're keeping vital information from us." Stern look. "As Director…"
"Temporary, till we confirmed it. But yes, it's true…" he shrugged. "Rachel's brain is showing significant neuronal tissue regeneration. She should recover most if not all of her function. Though the eye is still a loss."
"And you were going to tell us this…When? After Rachel came crashing through the ceiling to try to kill Sarah?"
"There's no reason to believe Rachel will become violent. I'll explain the situation to her. She'll want our help as much as the others do. After all, what would you and Sarah have me do? Dissect her?"
"Sarah wouldn't…Unless a specific threat is made against her daughter…But as for me…" grim look.
"Delphine…That's not you." He shook head.
"I won't leave the girls in danger from that maniac!"
"She's got nothing to back her…And if we try to harm her and fail…" he eyed her.
"Right now, she's sure to fear what we might be able to do to her. But if she finds herself invulnerable…And the regeneration data, coupled to what our intelligence from Topside says about Helena's antics, suggests that may be the case." Aldous noted.
Delphine blinking…
"You see my point. Until we know for sure, it's best not to play all our cards." He nodded. "Besides, the formulation still works and other anesthetics seem to work with the girls. I'm still convinced Rachel will listen to reason. If it's in her own interest to do so…" calm stare.
…..
"Hey, Crystal…" Chad had entered her room. She looking over with smile…
"Thirty feet, so they tell me…" she gave wry grin. "How about the others?"
"Ms. Goderich…" he gave stern glance, wagging finger. "I see you tolerated the coffee ok…"
"It was great, thanks, doc. I needed it. But it didn't turn me any freakier if that's what you mean. Look, how about it?" she sighed. "Can't I meet the others or at least hear about them? Are they sicker than me? Come on, I have a right to know. Is this some kinda military experiment gone wrong?"
"I wish I could tell you more, kid…" he shook head. "But I can say you seem to be healthy otherwise, no dangers there."
"Was I exposed to radiation or something?" she asked, shrewdly.
"I love you dearly but I wouldn't risk my life…" he smiled.
"I don't mean I glow in the dark…" frowning. "I may not be very smart but I know a little about biology and DNA and all that. Radiation causes mutations, right?"
"It can…Under the right conditions. But mostly the sort of radiation ;you're thinking of destroys DNA."
"I didn't think I'd been through a bomb test…" sour look. "So what was it? Chemicals, maybe? Hey, I thought we were gettin' to be friends, doc. Why can't you tell me something? Chad…I'm scared." Anxious look.
"Don't be…I told you, there's no other real health problem we've detected." He patted the bedsheet…
"This is one helluva big health prob, all on its lonesome.." she waved an arm. "How can I live like this?"
"We're doing all we can to resolve it, Crystal." Smile.
"I won't put up with this much longer, Chad. I'll get out of here and go on TV. I'd bet the news folks'd be really interested in me, wandering round town."
"So would the police and a lot of panicky, ignorant morons, some with guns." He replied. "We're only keeping you here for your safety. Look, shall I get Johnny? He's sleeping in the room across the way…"
"Johnny…" Bitter look…
Ah, bloom off that rose, I see…Chad noted.
"I can't believe that or any of you if you won't tell me anything…" she eyed him. "Chad? I don't wanna hurt you or anybody, but I want answers. Quick. Now, I'm willin' ta be reasonable a bit longer, but you get your boss back in here and tell him to give me some answers and let me here from the other girls…Or…" she gave hard stare.
Yeah, she's ready…He thought.
I think I may have my own monster…If Chaderwick Norris is up to the challenge.
"Crys…" sigh. "You gotta understand, it's not safe to tell you anything…Here." Fixed stare.
…..