Chapter 8: What the Future Holds
"The future belongs to those who believe
in the beauty of their dreams."
Eleanor Roosevelt
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Orion sat up and looked across at Adam.
"How am I doing doc?" Adam turned and smiled at the de-haired Orion.
"Well, your DNA has been altered quite radically but for the most part you should be fine."
"Do I have to avoid full moons?"
"No. As far as I can tell, the transformation you suffered was a result of the interaction between your DNA and the injected RNA."
"Any other startling revelations?" Adam pointed at the monitor as Orion stood and walked over.
"See here and here. In your previous scan you had small touches of various different strands and now many have disappeared and been replaced by other strands."
"So what am I now?" Adam turned to face him and began to talk with his hands.
"As far as I can tell you still possess feral and psionic DNA but in much greater strength."
"And is that good or bad?"
"That's hard to say. While your powers will now undoubtedly grow, as your DNA is again unstable, you may have a tougher time controlling all aspects of these gifts."
"Like my wolf man impressions." Adam chuckled.
"For one yes. Your mental abilities will increase quite dramatically. Your ability to sense others will grow in both acuity and range and the ability to control what others think may also increase."
"There are some things worrying me."
"Such as?"
"My understanding was that no other new mutant with cross-range gifts survived past puberty..."
"And so you're worried about what may happen to you." He nodded.
"And those I care about."
"I don't really see a major problem. Your body has reached full maturity, though I do have questions about your mental state." Orion tried not to laugh.
"You and me both."
"You'll still be at risk of breakdown, but it would take an incredible amount of energy for that to happen."
"So no nukes." He snapped his fingers. "Damm. I guess I'll have to remove that from the magic act." Adam didn't laugh.
"Actually, there is one thing I'd like to talk to you about."
"OK." He switched on a small recorder.
"Don't worry I do this with everyone." He pulled up a chair while Orion sat on the bed.
"So what's eating you?"
"Actually, I think that's my line." Orion was confused.
"What?"
"I'd like to discuss what has happened to you. Not how you react to everyone around you, but what you really think and feel about your powers." Orion sighed.
"What do you want to know?"
"Let's start with how you first became aware of your gifts."
"I can't tell you when I first realised I had these abilities but, my mum told me how she found out about them. I was barely two at the time. She'd just finished feeding me and had put the bottle out of reach while she picked me up. Normally I'd cry when she took the bottle away but this time I didn't. When she looked at me she saw that I had the bottle. She took it off me and put it back down only for it to start to float and come back to me. Needless to say she freaked and called dad. At the time he'd just received his first star. He saw this as a gift and after some convincing they decided to keep it quiet. As I grew up I began to show more powers my dad taught me how to master these gifts."
"Why was that?" He shrugged.
"I suppose he saw a tactical use for me."
"Does that bother you."
"It did as I went through high school but not now."
"Why is that?" Orion pondered for a moment before answering.
"I guess I began to understand why he did it. I'm certain that even without my gifts I'd have joined the army. It's in my blood. My gifts just made me better at what I could do and opened new doors for me."
"You mean black ops?"
"I suppose that's one way of looking at it."
"And how do you see yourself in the grand scheme?"
"One thing I remember vividly about my dad was his love of feudal Japan. He had this samurai sword mounted above the fireplace."
"Is that how you see yourself as a noble warrior?" He shook his head.
"No. I'm they guy that you don't hear about. I'm the ninja. I became the person sent in when things couldn't be done by the book. I know it's not a great way to live but there are still needs for these kinds of people."
"These kind? You don't see yourself as a true ninja?"
"No. Most of the poeple I've met in my profession are in it for the thrill and enjoyment of the kill."
"How do you see killing?"
"A waste. No man is brought into this world evil. His circumstances make him that way and until we can change that I guess I'll keep doing my job."
"OK. How do you feel about the effect of your powers on others?" Orion stared off into space. "Orion! Are you OK?"
"Their effect on others? Should have seen that coming. Let me guess you gained access to my private records." Adam nodded. "Their effect? Look around you. Thanks to my line of work, which I would not be in if not for my gifts, I've lost my parents my fiance and now my sister."
"So you hold your gifts responsible?" Slowly Orion became more and more flustered.
"The strength of the wolf...." He tailed off. "Excuse me." He stood and stormed out of the lab.
"Orion! Orion wait!" Adam cased him out of the lab only to run into Shalimar.
"Adam? Is everything OK?"
"I'm not sure. I was talking to Orion about his gifts and I must have struck a nerve."
"You didn't give him one of your little talks did you?" Adam looked at her sheepishly. "Adam we only buried his sister yesterday."
"I need to find him, talk to him." Shalimar put a hand on his chest.
"I'll talk to him. I think you might have done enough don't you?" She turned and walked off after Orion.
As she wandered the upper levels she noticed a ceiling window was slightly ajar.
"Bingo." She jumped up through the window and spotted him near the peak of the mountain and walked towards him.
"Hello Shalimar." He hadn't even turned to face her. "I take it Adam sent you."
"Actually, I told Adam to think about what he'd said. How did you know it was me?" He held up his hand and began to count.
"One, the window was nearly ten feet off the ground so only someone who could fly or jump really high could make it up. Two, the sound given off by your footwear wasn't strong enough for one of the guys and three." He turned to face her, a little smile on his lips. "I could smell your perfume. You're downwind." She smiled and sat down next to him.
"Nice to see the animal in you." She looked out on the view. "I thought you might come up here." He caught the meaning to her words.
"Sorry if I ruined your secret place."
"It's OK. I come here to clear my head." He looked down at the nearby road and watched the passing cars.
"I wish I could do more than that. I wish I could go back to before any off this ever happened. Before I lost everyone I cared about. The strength of the pack is the wolf." She reached out and took his hand.
"And the strength of the wolf is the pack." He looked at her. "I know how you feel about this about losing control of the animal inside."
"I could have hurt her."
"But you didn't, you were able to control the beast." He gave her a sad smile.
"When did you become so wise?"
"I went through a similar thing. I lost control and lashed out at those I care about." He picked up on a stray thought.
"Brennan?" She turned so he couldn't see her blush.
"Among others." He turned her back to face him.
"You need to tell him."
"But .." He put a finger to her lips.
"No buts. You care for him deeply don't you." She nodded. "Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, he cares for you too."
"But why doesn't he do anything." He smiled at her.
"You're both afraid to take that first step, to walk into the unknown."
"It won't work out." He shook his head at her.
"You don't get do you? Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more."
"And what if it doesn't work out?" He smiled and looked up to the heavens.
"As my mother was so keen on saying, sometimes we wait so long for something good to come along, that when it finally does, we're too scared to let it happen, and sometimes what makes the most sense is right in front of us, but we're blind to it because we're scared that it's almost too perfect." Slowly tears began to form and she cried. He stood and walked away. Before he reached the window he turned back to her.
"L'amour est un vrai recommenceur. Love is truly a new beginning." He jumped back down into the base and knocked over Brennan. As he helped him up Brennan stared at him.
"Where the hell have you been? Adam's been worried about you." He smiled at the elemental. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing but if I was you I'd get up there. Someone would like to talk to you."
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