Chapter 10- A moment alone.
A/N: Here I am tormenting poor Emma and thinking about the next couple chapters.Adam's dilemma, then maybe the final chapter- Inferno, Ruffyan style where Emma gets to get rid of Ashlocke? Ehhh. Maybe not. How bout keeping her stuck with him forever? Maybe I've dug myself in there and can't get out.gosh. What would Mason do?
Emma sat alone in her room on her bed. She was devastated by the knowledge.
"Oh god," she sobbed quietly clutching the pillow in the semi darkness, "what have I done!" Emma grasped for some semblance of stability to stabilize her mind. She felt the back of her neck. The subdermal governor was securely implanted. Another wave of despair swept over her. Michael turned out to be a fantasy. The wonderful Psionic she had met and bonded with-Emma stifled a terrified sob, he was a front for Ashlock. Michael never existed, but Ashlocke was still there in her mind. With the governor restricting both of them, Emma could control him now, but there was nothing she could do to get rid of him. Everything had been some elaborate mind-control imposed on her by Ashlocke. The thought sickened her.
And where was Adam? He was the one person who believed in her without hesitation. He could help her, but Jesse had told her with a baffled look that Adam told them he was on the verge of a breakthrough and couldn't come just now. Emma closed her eyes. She remembered planting that thought in his mind with Michael. It seemed funny at the time.
Eventually, her sobs subsided. She finally heaved a deep sigh. The heaviness still weighed upon her soul, but she was dead tired. She would sleep-and hope that Ashlocke would not take over her body again as she slept. Emma dried her tears with her covers and sighed again. As she looked up she gave a muffled shriek as she saw a face watching her closely not more than two feet away. Mason Eckhart sat in the chair near her bed and was watching her silently, with unabashed curiousity.
"I'm sorry for having startled you, Ms. DeLauro," he said.
"Where in hell did you come from? How did you get into Sanctuary? How did you get into my room! It's been shielded." Emma gasped.
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I never explain anything," Eckhart replied sternly. "Wallowing in self-pity will not change things." The thin, white-haired, pale man sat back in the chair next to Emma's bed and sighed deeply. He apparently had made a decision. Eckhart leaned forward again, his intense dark eyes piercing Emma's gray ones.
"Things are rarely what they seem to be from the outside. Ms. DeLauro, I need your full attention and cooperation." Eckhart began. Emma stared at him suspiciously--another psycho-maniac trying to take advantage of her.
"I believe I have figured out the puzzle. Adam is host to Ashlocke's DNA which is replicating like a cancer in his body while you house Ashlocke's mind and soul. As soon as Ashlocke's new body-Adam-- is stable, his mind should vacate yours, leaving yours intact if you are lucky."
Emma frowned at Eckhart. "What about Adam?"
Eckhart's eyes flashed wickedly. "He has been mutating slowly for the past few months. The process will cascade as soon as his body stops resisting Ashlocke's DNA seed, which should be very soon. We'd have to kill him, of course."
Emma shrank away from the white-haired man. "Get out of here you bastard. Get your perverted ass out of my room. I refuse to hurt Adam." Emma called into her Comm-link, "Jesse, Shalimar, Brennan, there's an intruder in my room!" She glared at Eckhart. "If you don't leave right now, I'll have to subdue you myself."
Eckhart allowed himself half a smile and remained placidly in his chair. "Nicely done, Ms. DeLauro." He said. "Now I am convinced that you are not under Ashlocke's control." He raised an eyebrow gave a shadow of a smile. "By the way, your Com-link will not work. It's under my control." Emma's eyes widened in apprehension.
He continued. "Ms. DeLauro, it is imperative that you listen to what I have to say." He continued to brief her on Ashlock's plan to resurrect himself."
"How do you know all this? And why should I believe you?" Emma demanded.
Eckhart stared at her. "YOU were there. Search your memories, the ones that were formed while you let Mr. Ashlocke drive the car." He stood up and made as if to leave then hesitated. "May I borrow your computer, Ms. DeLauro?"
Emma bit her tongue. "Of course," she replied civilly. Eckhart nodded his thanks. She followed him, curious to see what access code he would use. The white-haired man stared, his eyes reflecting the silver screen.
"Do you remember everything, Ms. DeLauro?" Eckhart asked, without turning to her.
"I think so."
"Where did it begin?" He asked. "You were linked with Ashlocke through all of his exploitations."
Emma shook her head. "I only remember waking up one night after pursuing Ashlocke into the past. I heard him laughing yet he wasn't there. I chalked it up to a bad dream." Emma frowned. "I seemed to have developed negative attitudes since then, but Adam thought it was a natural process of developing my own individuality. Sort of like teen-age rebellion and the terrible twos." She looked at Eckhart. He remained glued to the screen, his back still toward her.
"Adam wanted me to communicate with you, to bring you out of your coma. Michelle linked with me before I entered your mind. She didn't trust me. I suddenly went blank and lost contact with Michelle and with you. I heard Adam calling me, then I found my way-but you and Ashlocke were locked in a Psionic/ Psychokinetic battle."
Eckhart stiffened as he stood at the screen. "Adam." He muttered. "I suppose you are linked with him as well?"
Emma stared at Eckhart's back without seeing him. She remembered the crush she had on Adam just a few months ago. Could that have saved her back then? Did she still feel that way?
"I was able to subdue Ashlocke with a Psionic blast and get out of your mind, following Adam's voice. After that I met a wonderful man named Michael. We spent some time together, but that's none of your business." Emma replied, feeling incredibly tired.
"But did you really leave my mind?" Eckhart turned from the monitor, his dark eyes seemed haunted as he stared at her again. Emma suddenly found herself back in Eckhart's mindscape at Genomex. The white-haired man sat in his executive chair staring at the stasis pods, his back to her. Abruptly, he turned to face her.
Emma shuddered at the sense of déjà vu. "What do you want, Eckhart?"
"I want for you to leave." He answered.
Emma looked around but couldn't find the door. "You've trapped me in here!"
Eckhart glowered. "Quite on the contrary, Ms. DeLauro, you and your consort have made yourselves at home here. I want you to leave, NOW."
"But there is no way out!" Emma protested.
"I will tolerate no excuses. You will have to find a way out."
"Or what?" Ashlocke suddenly appeared beside her, looking slightly disheveled, his hands bound in cuffs.
Eckhart's eyes glinted dangerously as he stared silently at them. Emma backed away from Ashlocke and moved carefully toward the part of the room that used to have a door. Ashlocke faded out of sight again.
"I'm trying to leave, believe me," Emma desperately tried the panels around the room, searching for the exit while Eckhart seemed to loom bigger than life over her. Distance and size became distorted. While he seemed to hover almost over her shoulder, his voice was distant as if coming from the other end of the room. A man-sized white lioness suddenly appeared and padded quietly toward her, its golden eyes gleaming with anticipation. Emma shrank back in fear.
"Stay." Eckhart said gently to the beast. The lioness promptly sat beside him. His hand caressed the back of the animal's head as it stared at Emma with intelligent eyes. Emma found herself mesmerized by the stare.
Eckhart leaned over to the animal and touched his forehead to its head then hugged it. The Lioness turned its amber gaze to him. Emma blinked in amazement. He was like a boy with a favorite pet. Suddenly the office setting was gone and she was back in her room.
Eckhart's eyes seemed to gleam like silver. "It's only a dream, Ms. deLauro, go back to sleep." He watched her gravely. Emma suddenly awoke alone in her darkened room, sweating and gasping for breath.
IN THE MATRIX
Marlina and Aarariah looked at Natalia questioningly. The third member of the Unity morphed from a white lioness back to human form.
"She and Ashlocke are linked." Natalia reported. "It would appear that bringing them into the Matrix as before may be the only way to separate them."
"Too risky." Marlina answered. "we should eliminate Emma, then we eliminate Ashlocke, resulting in the removal of their presence from Mason Eckhart. This in turn would restore our Unity to a secure condition.
"But can we be assured that Ashlocke will die and move on?
The trio shook their heads, concerned.
Natalia stared gravely ahead. "I can assure that," she said quietly. "I have an idea," she continued. Their eyes glowed silver as their discussion was processed, agreed upon, then relayed to Eckhart.
A/N: Here I am tormenting poor Emma and thinking about the next couple chapters.Adam's dilemma, then maybe the final chapter- Inferno, Ruffyan style where Emma gets to get rid of Ashlocke? Ehhh. Maybe not. How bout keeping her stuck with him forever? Maybe I've dug myself in there and can't get out.gosh. What would Mason do?
Emma sat alone in her room on her bed. She was devastated by the knowledge.
"Oh god," she sobbed quietly clutching the pillow in the semi darkness, "what have I done!" Emma grasped for some semblance of stability to stabilize her mind. She felt the back of her neck. The subdermal governor was securely implanted. Another wave of despair swept over her. Michael turned out to be a fantasy. The wonderful Psionic she had met and bonded with-Emma stifled a terrified sob, he was a front for Ashlock. Michael never existed, but Ashlocke was still there in her mind. With the governor restricting both of them, Emma could control him now, but there was nothing she could do to get rid of him. Everything had been some elaborate mind-control imposed on her by Ashlocke. The thought sickened her.
And where was Adam? He was the one person who believed in her without hesitation. He could help her, but Jesse had told her with a baffled look that Adam told them he was on the verge of a breakthrough and couldn't come just now. Emma closed her eyes. She remembered planting that thought in his mind with Michael. It seemed funny at the time.
Eventually, her sobs subsided. She finally heaved a deep sigh. The heaviness still weighed upon her soul, but she was dead tired. She would sleep-and hope that Ashlocke would not take over her body again as she slept. Emma dried her tears with her covers and sighed again. As she looked up she gave a muffled shriek as she saw a face watching her closely not more than two feet away. Mason Eckhart sat in the chair near her bed and was watching her silently, with unabashed curiousity.
"I'm sorry for having startled you, Ms. DeLauro," he said.
"Where in hell did you come from? How did you get into Sanctuary? How did you get into my room! It's been shielded." Emma gasped.
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I never explain anything," Eckhart replied sternly. "Wallowing in self-pity will not change things." The thin, white-haired, pale man sat back in the chair next to Emma's bed and sighed deeply. He apparently had made a decision. Eckhart leaned forward again, his intense dark eyes piercing Emma's gray ones.
"Things are rarely what they seem to be from the outside. Ms. DeLauro, I need your full attention and cooperation." Eckhart began. Emma stared at him suspiciously--another psycho-maniac trying to take advantage of her.
"I believe I have figured out the puzzle. Adam is host to Ashlocke's DNA which is replicating like a cancer in his body while you house Ashlocke's mind and soul. As soon as Ashlocke's new body-Adam-- is stable, his mind should vacate yours, leaving yours intact if you are lucky."
Emma frowned at Eckhart. "What about Adam?"
Eckhart's eyes flashed wickedly. "He has been mutating slowly for the past few months. The process will cascade as soon as his body stops resisting Ashlocke's DNA seed, which should be very soon. We'd have to kill him, of course."
Emma shrank away from the white-haired man. "Get out of here you bastard. Get your perverted ass out of my room. I refuse to hurt Adam." Emma called into her Comm-link, "Jesse, Shalimar, Brennan, there's an intruder in my room!" She glared at Eckhart. "If you don't leave right now, I'll have to subdue you myself."
Eckhart allowed himself half a smile and remained placidly in his chair. "Nicely done, Ms. DeLauro." He said. "Now I am convinced that you are not under Ashlocke's control." He raised an eyebrow gave a shadow of a smile. "By the way, your Com-link will not work. It's under my control." Emma's eyes widened in apprehension.
He continued. "Ms. DeLauro, it is imperative that you listen to what I have to say." He continued to brief her on Ashlock's plan to resurrect himself."
"How do you know all this? And why should I believe you?" Emma demanded.
Eckhart stared at her. "YOU were there. Search your memories, the ones that were formed while you let Mr. Ashlocke drive the car." He stood up and made as if to leave then hesitated. "May I borrow your computer, Ms. DeLauro?"
Emma bit her tongue. "Of course," she replied civilly. Eckhart nodded his thanks. She followed him, curious to see what access code he would use. The white-haired man stared, his eyes reflecting the silver screen.
"Do you remember everything, Ms. DeLauro?" Eckhart asked, without turning to her.
"I think so."
"Where did it begin?" He asked. "You were linked with Ashlocke through all of his exploitations."
Emma shook her head. "I only remember waking up one night after pursuing Ashlocke into the past. I heard him laughing yet he wasn't there. I chalked it up to a bad dream." Emma frowned. "I seemed to have developed negative attitudes since then, but Adam thought it was a natural process of developing my own individuality. Sort of like teen-age rebellion and the terrible twos." She looked at Eckhart. He remained glued to the screen, his back still toward her.
"Adam wanted me to communicate with you, to bring you out of your coma. Michelle linked with me before I entered your mind. She didn't trust me. I suddenly went blank and lost contact with Michelle and with you. I heard Adam calling me, then I found my way-but you and Ashlocke were locked in a Psionic/ Psychokinetic battle."
Eckhart stiffened as he stood at the screen. "Adam." He muttered. "I suppose you are linked with him as well?"
Emma stared at Eckhart's back without seeing him. She remembered the crush she had on Adam just a few months ago. Could that have saved her back then? Did she still feel that way?
"I was able to subdue Ashlocke with a Psionic blast and get out of your mind, following Adam's voice. After that I met a wonderful man named Michael. We spent some time together, but that's none of your business." Emma replied, feeling incredibly tired.
"But did you really leave my mind?" Eckhart turned from the monitor, his dark eyes seemed haunted as he stared at her again. Emma suddenly found herself back in Eckhart's mindscape at Genomex. The white-haired man sat in his executive chair staring at the stasis pods, his back to her. Abruptly, he turned to face her.
Emma shuddered at the sense of déjà vu. "What do you want, Eckhart?"
"I want for you to leave." He answered.
Emma looked around but couldn't find the door. "You've trapped me in here!"
Eckhart glowered. "Quite on the contrary, Ms. DeLauro, you and your consort have made yourselves at home here. I want you to leave, NOW."
"But there is no way out!" Emma protested.
"I will tolerate no excuses. You will have to find a way out."
"Or what?" Ashlocke suddenly appeared beside her, looking slightly disheveled, his hands bound in cuffs.
Eckhart's eyes glinted dangerously as he stared silently at them. Emma backed away from Ashlocke and moved carefully toward the part of the room that used to have a door. Ashlocke faded out of sight again.
"I'm trying to leave, believe me," Emma desperately tried the panels around the room, searching for the exit while Eckhart seemed to loom bigger than life over her. Distance and size became distorted. While he seemed to hover almost over her shoulder, his voice was distant as if coming from the other end of the room. A man-sized white lioness suddenly appeared and padded quietly toward her, its golden eyes gleaming with anticipation. Emma shrank back in fear.
"Stay." Eckhart said gently to the beast. The lioness promptly sat beside him. His hand caressed the back of the animal's head as it stared at Emma with intelligent eyes. Emma found herself mesmerized by the stare.
Eckhart leaned over to the animal and touched his forehead to its head then hugged it. The Lioness turned its amber gaze to him. Emma blinked in amazement. He was like a boy with a favorite pet. Suddenly the office setting was gone and she was back in her room.
Eckhart's eyes seemed to gleam like silver. "It's only a dream, Ms. deLauro, go back to sleep." He watched her gravely. Emma suddenly awoke alone in her darkened room, sweating and gasping for breath.
IN THE MATRIX
Marlina and Aarariah looked at Natalia questioningly. The third member of the Unity morphed from a white lioness back to human form.
"She and Ashlocke are linked." Natalia reported. "It would appear that bringing them into the Matrix as before may be the only way to separate them."
"Too risky." Marlina answered. "we should eliminate Emma, then we eliminate Ashlocke, resulting in the removal of their presence from Mason Eckhart. This in turn would restore our Unity to a secure condition.
"But can we be assured that Ashlocke will die and move on?
The trio shook their heads, concerned.
Natalia stared gravely ahead. "I can assure that," she said quietly. "I have an idea," she continued. Their eyes glowed silver as their discussion was processed, agreed upon, then relayed to Eckhart.
