Chapter Thirteen: A Little Talk
Costas Residence
Two Weeks Later
Pete Costas awoke with a gasp his skin awash with sweat and giving off the characteristic scent of fear and panic. The dream again, he thought breathing deeply in an effort to calm down. He'd been having the same dream every night for the last two weeks, the nightmare was so regular that he was often frightened to go to sleep - only going to bed when he was too tired to stay up anymore. He could only remember bits and peaces of the dream - trying to run down a dark corridor being chased by an angry mob of people intent on killing him, people whose faces he all knew, they were the people Dreadnought had killed, turning a corner and coming face to face with a mirror - but not seeing himself. Instead he always saw Dreadnought staring back at him, right before the living weapon raised its plasma cannon and fired at him. He always awoke at that point. Will it ever stop, he thought, will they ever leave me alone.
According to Doctor Alice Roberts - one of N'Tek's battery of psychologists - who was helping him come to terms with what had happened to him the dreams would eventually stop. But first he had to forgive himself for what he had done while he had been Dreadnought. And he just didn't know if he could do that. Every time he tried to put it behind him he always saw visions of what he'd done - visions of disintegrating security guards and exploding police cruisers. The visions were so horrible that he always ran away from them, unable to face it, unable to face the guilt or to accept that he was as much a victim of Joseph Karland as those Dreadnought had killed.
Abruptly the sound of footsteps caught his attention, the footsteps of someone treading lightly on the floorboards as they moved along the landing outside his bedroom door before going downstairs. Inclining his head in a listening posture Pete focused on the sound trying to identify which of his parents it was. Instantly the sound seemed to amply and then Pete knew who it was. The footfalls although being deliberately light so as not to wake anyone had a distinctive heaviness to them. Dad must either be getting ready for work or has insomnia again, he thought bringing his hearing back down to normal and then smiling slightly to himself. He was getting better at learning to control the nanotech powers he now had as a result of the max probes being inside him as they were with Josh. He wasn't completely there yet not by a long shot, just yesterday he'd accidentally yanked the kitchen door off its hinges but he was getting there. Josh was a big help when it came to learning control - after all he'd been through it himself. Josh had taught him a number of mental analogies to use for controlling his enhanced senses and strength. For example with his hearing Josh had taught him to imagine a volume control in his head - and it worked. Pete didn't have to worry about learning control over the more complex nanotech abilities like the shape shifting thing Josh did when he wanted or needed to be Max, or stealth and turbo modes. Berto had seen to that by giving him a modified biolink that would just monitor his T-juice levels and allow communication but not allow access to the more complex nanotech abilities - Berto had specifically disabled those controls and they could only be released by an access code that only he, Jefferson and Josh had. Pete could feel that he had those abilities inside him but he was grateful at the moment that he didn't have to worry about learning to control them as well. He had enough on his plate dealing with everything else.
After a moment Pete sighed, threw the bedclothes off himself and climbed out of bed. He had no chance of getting back to sleep anyway, not at this time in the morning so he might as well get up. Moving quietly he walked over to the door that led to the small en suite bathroom shared by both his parents room and his own. He'd have a quick wash before going back into his room, getting his dressing gown on and going downstairs.
*****
Jacob Costas looked up from his bowl of cereal as he heard someone coming down the stairs. Normally he was the only one up so early in the morning, though it wasn't unknown for Amanda to sometimes wake up just after him. Except on a Sunday like it was today - he was only up so early today because this afternoon he was due to jet off to a technology fair in London. He didn't really want to go what with Pete still suffering nightmares and emotional distress about everything he'd been through, he wanted to be here for his son but he had no choice but to go. He was the head of marketing for Pacific Dynamic Telecommunications he had no choice but to go to these technology and trade fairs.
Whoever was coming downstairs had reached the base of the steps and was coming towards the kitchen. Jacob wondered who it could be - had he woken Amanda despite his attempt to be quiet when he had gotten out of bed, or could it be Pete. It wouldn't be the first time in the last fortnight that Pete had awoken earlier than normal. Sometimes he awoke because of his nightmares other times external sounds picked up by his enhanced hearing woke him up. Like two nights ago when a racoon had knocked the rubbish bin over making an almighty crash in the middle of the night.
A moment later Pete came into the kitchen. Jacob smiled warmly at his son.
"Good morning Pete. Did I wake you?"
"Morning dad. No you didn't wake me. I was awake already," Pete replied moving over to the coffee machine which had just finished percolating a pot of coffee. Taking a mug Pete set about pouring himself some coffee while Jacob nodded in understanding.
"You had the dream again," Jacob questioned.
"Yes. I wish they'd go away," Pete said in a moaning tone. "Then I might get a night of uninterrupted rest. Barring anymore racoon raids on the dustbins," he said the last part with humour in his tone while putting sugar in his coffee. Jacob laughed before taking another spoonful of cornflakes.
"Have you told Dr Roberts about your dreams?"
"Yes. She says that I need to forgive myself first."
"Pete you have nothing to forgive yourself for. From what I understand you had no control over what Dreadnought did."
"I know that up here," Pete tapped the side of his head before pointing at his heart, "but in here I cannot make myself believe it. Every time I try I remember things - things Dreadnought did, things that are too horrible to speak about."
"I'm no psychologist. In fact most of that psychobabble of theirs goes way over my head but it sounds to me that no matter how hard you find it your might have to speak about what happened, what you saw. Maybe that's the only way to break the dreams cycle." Sitting down opposite his father Pete looked thoughtful.
"Perhaps," he said guardedly. Jacob was grateful that Pete didn't seem to dismiss the idea out of hand. Had he been slowly coming to the same conclusion.
"Your on a long hard road son," Jacob added softly. "I know that this is nothing like exercise but perhaps you should set yourself goals over the short, medium and long term just like your do with a training program?"
"That might be a good idea," Pete replied he hadn't really thought about it like that. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do in the long run - especially with all his new abilities and the responsibility that came with them. Maybe he would at some point decide that he wanted to be a secret agent just like Josh and Berto. He vividly remembered his last experience in that world when he'd hidden himself on the Hawk as it was taking Max to Alaska to rescue some scientists kidnapped by a blond laser-firing hothead named Vitriol. Though he'd been scared out of his wit's most of the time - especially when he was being pursued by what had to be the most persistent polar bear in the world - he'd also been exhilarated by the whole experience. Maybe he'd eventually decide that he wanted to spend more time in that world.
"What are you thinking about," Jacob asked noticing the look in his sons eyes.
"Nothing." The last thing he wanted to do was tell his parents about his prior two experiences in the world of international espionage/counter-terrorism. He'd been sworn to secrecy and he'd kept that vow despite everything. And he would continue to keep it. Until he felt the time was right to tell his parents about those experiences.
"Good. For a moment there I thought you were considering becoming an agent yourself." Pete did smile slightly at that, a strange smile that set alarm bells ringing in Jacobs head. "Don't tell me you were?"
"I have thought about it," Pete admitted. "But that would be in the future. Plus I'd want to know what you thought about it."
Jacob had to think about that before answering.
"I cannot speak for your mother Pete but if you really want to be an agent then I'll support your decision," he said after thinking it through. "What you choose to do with your life is your choice my son your choice and your choice alone." Then a grin abruptly appeared on his fathers face. "Besides any terrorists you met wouldn't necessarily know it was you, you could look like someone else."
"True," Pete replied knowing his father was referring to the max probes shape changing ability. "Still it would be a dangerous existence. I can understand why Josh loves it so much."
"That is true and I would still worry about you so would your mother. But nothing in this world is ever completely free from risk Pete. Even something as simple as walking down the street has its risks. But as I said at the end of the day the choice is yours Pete. We'll be proud of you whatever you decide." Pete smiled slightly at that and looked down at the mug of coffee he was occasionally sipping deep in thought.
After a couple of moments Jacob finished his breakfast and stood up before taking the empty bowl over to the sink and washing it. After he finished that he went back over to the chair he'd been sitting on and picked up his jacket. He was already in his work clothes and his case was packed and waiting in the hall along with his briefcase.
"I have to go now," he said to his still contemplative son. "We'll speak a little bit more about this when I come back from London if you want."
"I think I would like that," Pete replied. "Thanks dad."
"What are fathers for," Jacob replied and Pete heard the smile in his fathers voice. "I'll see you when I get back." Pete stood up from his seat and came up to his father.
"Bye dad," he said.
"Bye son. Look after your mother while I'm gone. And try not to yank any more doors off hinges." Pete laughed.
"I'll try. No promises." Jacob smiled at that and gave Pete a hug before turning and walking down the hall before picking up his case and brief case. A few moments later Pete heard the front door open and then close. Barely two minutes after that he heard his father's car start and pull away. Within seconds it was out of his hearing range unless he chose to increase his sensitivity and he didn't want to do that.
Sitting back down at the table Pete thought about some of what his father had said. He thought what his father had said about setting himself goals as he would in a training program was actually a good idea. A good short-term goal for example would be to master his new powers and a long-term goal could very well be to join N'Tek and become an agent. He would seriously have to think about it.
