Sydney's Office
He sat there quietly, pondering over the events of the day. Miss Parker was pushing herself towards an aneurysm, he had found out the newest, of sinister plans, from Mr. Raines, and Jarod... well, Jarod had become more of a mystery than ever. He hadn't called or written anything new to him since the last note, which contained the cards. It just wasn't like him.
"Syd?" Broots was hovering in the doorway, looking at his mentor, worriedly. "I found something a little… weird, that you might like to take a look at." He walked in the room holding a diskette. He went over and inserted it into the player waiting patiently for the picture to come up. "Now, the is sound is pretty clear, but the picture is a little blurry. I can't quite make some of it out, but I'm sure it's Mr. Raines and some girl at the beginning."
~~ The picture started to clear a bit and a buzzing sound started up. A voice started to emerge out of the buzz and a dark figure moved across the screen to stand in front of a smaller, lighter figure.
A gruff voice came from the darker figure. "How is my little one doing today? Have you got the solution for me yet?"
The lighter figure stood up, still considerably smaller than the first, and walked toward the other side of what appeared to be a bedroom of sorts. "Well, Dr. Pain, which answer would you like first? One has nothing to do with the other." The girlish voice almost sounded like little, tinkling bells.
'Dr. Pain' turned to look at the smaller figure and grumbled. "It doesn't really matter, does it?"
"I suppose not, since you don't really care how I'm doing, anyway. All you really want to know is if I've solved your little 'Trivial Pursuit' question." Snide remarks with a flirty tinge. Definitely female, probably a teenager from the sound of it.
'Dr. Pain' dismissed the remark and prompted her for the answer. "Well, it wasn't that trivial to The Triumverant. Now, do you have an answer?"
The smaller figure slumped over and answered testily. "I'm fine and you? Ugh… Don't look at me like that! Okay, I have an answer for you. Nothing."
'Dr. Pain' sounded uncertain. "Nothing? How could you have taken three days to come up with that as your answer?"
"You asked, 'what can you do about the stopping up of flow in an average man's windpipe during sleep, if they have sleep aptnia?' Well, I still say, nothing. I assume that it's good riddance." The smaller figure shifted its weight and lifted what seemed to be her head. "You do remember that, I don't care what happens to this ill- begotten species called man, don't you?"
'Dr. Pain' laughed. Not a joyful type of laugh, but a cold, haunting sound that would have made any normal person cringe, deep down in their soul. The girl didn't move, didn't speak. She was probably taking in that horrible cackle that had reverberated from her 'Doctor', not moments before. "You may not believe me when I say this, but I am very pleased with you. Very pleased. I can only hope The Triumverant is as happy with you as I am."
"Thank you, Doctor. Oh, so very kind words from such a kind-hearted gentleman. I do believe you are my very favorite person to spend my past times with." Somehow the girl seemed a little less than sincere. ~~
After her last comment the screen faded into black as if somebody had purposely turned it off. Sydney and Broots sat in silence for a moment and thought about what they had just watched.
It was Sydney who broke the silence. "I never could imagine Mr. Raines as a father figure to any child, and now… well, now it's even harder to imagine."
Broots nodded his head absently, thanking God that his daughter didn't have to grow up in that situation, whatever it was. "Who was she, Syd?"
Sydney looked contemplative for a moment as if organizing his thoughts. "That was and is the most dangerous weapon The Centre has on its payroll." He laughed nervously. "You know, I don't believe she *gets* paid for what she does. I've had the chance to counsel her at times, but… she doesn't especially like me."
Broots looked at him incredulously. How could anybody, in their right mind, not like Sydney. "Why is that, Syd?"
Sydney stared at the blank screen lying in front of him. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I remind her of everything she doesn't want to be." He scoffed at the statement. It sounded ridiculous, even coming out of his own mouth. "I suppose I make her feel…"
Broots waited a moment for Sydney to finish his thought, but realized that it may not happen. "Ahem. You make her feel… what Syd?"
"That's it Broots. I don't know the particular emotion. It's just that I make her feel in general and she doesn't appreciate it. She believes the moment she starts to feel she will be a part of the human realm again and she wants to remain on an inhuman basis." Sydney crossed his arms and gazed down at his feet.
"What do you mean by inhuman? You mean like a monster, Syd?" Broots was shocked. He had seen people he had thought of as inhuman… monsters even. Mr. Raines, Mr. Lyle, Miss Parker, at times, but why would someone want to consider themselves in that light?
"Not like a monster, like a god, of sorts. She likes to be in control of other people's destinies. She figures if she can't control her own life or death, that she may as well, control somebody else's. Now, has come the challenge of a lifetime. Mr. Raines has given her a man to 'control', who measures up to her 'god-like' standards." Sydney looked up from the spot on his shoes that he was strongly observing and exclaimed. "Broots, we must hurry and solve Jarod's riddle. If we don't find Jarod soon, there may be no Jarod left to find."
He sat there quietly, pondering over the events of the day. Miss Parker was pushing herself towards an aneurysm, he had found out the newest, of sinister plans, from Mr. Raines, and Jarod... well, Jarod had become more of a mystery than ever. He hadn't called or written anything new to him since the last note, which contained the cards. It just wasn't like him.
"Syd?" Broots was hovering in the doorway, looking at his mentor, worriedly. "I found something a little… weird, that you might like to take a look at." He walked in the room holding a diskette. He went over and inserted it into the player waiting patiently for the picture to come up. "Now, the is sound is pretty clear, but the picture is a little blurry. I can't quite make some of it out, but I'm sure it's Mr. Raines and some girl at the beginning."
~~ The picture started to clear a bit and a buzzing sound started up. A voice started to emerge out of the buzz and a dark figure moved across the screen to stand in front of a smaller, lighter figure.
A gruff voice came from the darker figure. "How is my little one doing today? Have you got the solution for me yet?"
The lighter figure stood up, still considerably smaller than the first, and walked toward the other side of what appeared to be a bedroom of sorts. "Well, Dr. Pain, which answer would you like first? One has nothing to do with the other." The girlish voice almost sounded like little, tinkling bells.
'Dr. Pain' turned to look at the smaller figure and grumbled. "It doesn't really matter, does it?"
"I suppose not, since you don't really care how I'm doing, anyway. All you really want to know is if I've solved your little 'Trivial Pursuit' question." Snide remarks with a flirty tinge. Definitely female, probably a teenager from the sound of it.
'Dr. Pain' dismissed the remark and prompted her for the answer. "Well, it wasn't that trivial to The Triumverant. Now, do you have an answer?"
The smaller figure slumped over and answered testily. "I'm fine and you? Ugh… Don't look at me like that! Okay, I have an answer for you. Nothing."
'Dr. Pain' sounded uncertain. "Nothing? How could you have taken three days to come up with that as your answer?"
"You asked, 'what can you do about the stopping up of flow in an average man's windpipe during sleep, if they have sleep aptnia?' Well, I still say, nothing. I assume that it's good riddance." The smaller figure shifted its weight and lifted what seemed to be her head. "You do remember that, I don't care what happens to this ill- begotten species called man, don't you?"
'Dr. Pain' laughed. Not a joyful type of laugh, but a cold, haunting sound that would have made any normal person cringe, deep down in their soul. The girl didn't move, didn't speak. She was probably taking in that horrible cackle that had reverberated from her 'Doctor', not moments before. "You may not believe me when I say this, but I am very pleased with you. Very pleased. I can only hope The Triumverant is as happy with you as I am."
"Thank you, Doctor. Oh, so very kind words from such a kind-hearted gentleman. I do believe you are my very favorite person to spend my past times with." Somehow the girl seemed a little less than sincere. ~~
After her last comment the screen faded into black as if somebody had purposely turned it off. Sydney and Broots sat in silence for a moment and thought about what they had just watched.
It was Sydney who broke the silence. "I never could imagine Mr. Raines as a father figure to any child, and now… well, now it's even harder to imagine."
Broots nodded his head absently, thanking God that his daughter didn't have to grow up in that situation, whatever it was. "Who was she, Syd?"
Sydney looked contemplative for a moment as if organizing his thoughts. "That was and is the most dangerous weapon The Centre has on its payroll." He laughed nervously. "You know, I don't believe she *gets* paid for what she does. I've had the chance to counsel her at times, but… she doesn't especially like me."
Broots looked at him incredulously. How could anybody, in their right mind, not like Sydney. "Why is that, Syd?"
Sydney stared at the blank screen lying in front of him. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I remind her of everything she doesn't want to be." He scoffed at the statement. It sounded ridiculous, even coming out of his own mouth. "I suppose I make her feel…"
Broots waited a moment for Sydney to finish his thought, but realized that it may not happen. "Ahem. You make her feel… what Syd?"
"That's it Broots. I don't know the particular emotion. It's just that I make her feel in general and she doesn't appreciate it. She believes the moment she starts to feel she will be a part of the human realm again and she wants to remain on an inhuman basis." Sydney crossed his arms and gazed down at his feet.
"What do you mean by inhuman? You mean like a monster, Syd?" Broots was shocked. He had seen people he had thought of as inhuman… monsters even. Mr. Raines, Mr. Lyle, Miss Parker, at times, but why would someone want to consider themselves in that light?
"Not like a monster, like a god, of sorts. She likes to be in control of other people's destinies. She figures if she can't control her own life or death, that she may as well, control somebody else's. Now, has come the challenge of a lifetime. Mr. Raines has given her a man to 'control', who measures up to her 'god-like' standards." Sydney looked up from the spot on his shoes that he was strongly observing and exclaimed. "Broots, we must hurry and solve Jarod's riddle. If we don't find Jarod soon, there may be no Jarod left to find."