* * Sanctuary ** *
Lexa typed on the laptop, researching top stories involving Genomex. "Well, I can tell you that GSA have been very sloppy in covering their story on rebuilding. I'm not Jesse but I could even break into their database."
"What have you found?" Brennan asked, fishing through Lucky Charms' box for the sugary marshmallows.
Carli stole the box from Brennan and grabbed a handful. Brennan snatched it back and gave Carli a stony glare. "Just because you share the same DNA, doesn't mean you are Carli."
"Tough crowd . . ."
"Well . . . Carli was right, they are gathering allies to help rebuild. Their computer files are a little shaky . . ."
Carli finished her Lucky Charms. "Mason programmed the data files to self destruct if someone entered the wrong password. I had to rebuild it manually before I left."
"I wish you hadn't. Because it'll be a little hard to get through the cryptic codes."
"It's not fool proof . . . my training wasn't complete when I left. Just getting into the computer class when got that little premonition."
"Right . . . damn. It's tricky; a firewall is protecting the last file. Must be important. Do you remember what information was in it?" Lexa asked. Carli checked the name and shrugged. "That one never collapsed. I didn't touch that one, at the time I thought it was a blessing that it didn't, but now I'm getting the feeling that Eckhart wanted us to find it." "Or someone else . . ." Brennan decided. "Like Dominique, for example." "Who?" Carli asked. "We found out about her almost two weeks ago. Supposedly, she knows more about genetics than Eckhart and Adam combined," Brennan explained. "That can't be good . . . but I'm sure that Eckhart knew that we'd go looking for it," Carli explained. "But how would be know that he would die, exactly?" Lexa asked. "Because I told him, I had a premonition about three hours before he died. I told him, he went to his office for about three hours then he disappeared." "He didn't want to fight it? Have someone protect him?" Lexa asked. "Seems a little farfetched." Carli stood straight. "Are you calling me a liar, Lexa?" she asked. "My premonitions can't be changed, because most of my premonitions are supposed to happen." "Right . . . I still can't believe that Eckhart would give up like that," Brennan said. "I was there . . . he didn't seem so willing to die when I went after him." "I didn't say he wasn't going to let it happen, I said, that most of premonitions happen. And he knew it, he probably prepared that file incase he did die." "It could be his Last Will and Testament, ever think of that?" Lexa asked. "I didn't think his heart could handle giving someone something of value," Shalimar responded as she walked in. "Me neither, unless it was his little creations, the Annexes." "The only thing I can imagine that he would give to us is that stupid white thermal coat he wore all the time," Carli said, making them laugh a little. "I hated that." Jesse motioned for Lexa to get out of the chair. "Let me handle this one, there's nothing I can't decode." "That's a little arrogant, and I'm just saying," Shalimar stated. "What? It's true!" Jesse exclaimed. Carli didn't know if that was supposed to funny, because she didn't really understand human emotion. Shalimar passed a glance at Carli, a little confused. Sometimes, she could sense fear and other strong emotions, but she didn't feel anything from Carli. Not even a little, like she did from others. She felt comfort that she didn't feel fear in her, or happiness, sadness, or anger. Then she felt sorry for Carli, Shalimar didn't know if Carli could ever laugh like her host, the real Carli, did. Shalimar remembered six months ago, that the real Carli would make Shalimar's heart jump into her throat with her emotions. Shalimar was almost an empathy, that's what Adam said because of her heightened senses. She could smell fear, like an animal, she knew if the person was happy or sad. I think I'm the only one who understands Carli Shalimar thought. Brennan, Jesse, or Lexa don't understand what it's like to have to be strong all the time. If Shalimar wasn't so strong or confidant, she'd probably be a basket case all of the time. But she had to be strong, for all of them. Carli shuttered when she heard Shalimar's last thoughts. She was tempted to reply telepathically but she knew that that would just unsettle Shalimar's understanding of Carli. "Why don't we just talk to the GSA? Carli, you can go undercover as your old self---`" "That won't be too hard for her," Lexa snapped. Jesse turned to Lexa, just out of sick pleasure. "Lexa, why don't you go with her?" Lexa and Carli both jumped up in surprise. "What?" they said in unison. "Hell no!"
GSA Headquarters
Carli walked inside, she held her security card in her hand. Lexa was
invisible, behind her. The security guard knew Carli by name. "Where the
hell have you been, little girl? I'm supposed to be your babysitter!" he
joked.
Carli smiled. "Patrick . . . it's only been three days."
"It has seemed like forever, little duck," Patrick said in a thick
Irish accent. "Aren't you supposed to be like thirty by now?"
"I stopped my aging process before I left, I'm going to check on my
baby then I'm gone for some lunch."
"If you want to join me for some McDonalds, you just say so," Patrick
stated.
Carli walked on. "Patrick, stop thinking that," she said, not turning.
Lexa passed Patrick with a stony glare and followed Carli.
After they passed the team of computer agents, Lexa became visible
again. "What baby?" she asked.
"My computer system I created, it has control of all databases. This
is where you can get to that file," Carli replied. "Hurry up though, I
want to check my email."
Lexa smiled a little and sat in the comfy Italian office chair and
leaned back. "Eckhart sure did like you."
"He only liked us because he could control us. Mutants in his employ
still had free will because they had their personality. We didn't."
"That must've been hell."
"Yeah, but we didn't know that the others were different until I
recovered Eckhart's file on the project. Shame too, because the boys
didn't believe me."
"Boys?"
"The other Annexes, they're boys. Sean and Andrew, they're seventeen
now. But just as strong as I am."
"They're only seventeen?"
"Yes, they're not as old as I am, remember?" Carli asked.
Lexa nodded and began to work. "All right . . . do you know any
passwords? From the other files?"
"They were all different, but they each had something in common with
each other and the genetic program."
"That could be anything!" Lexa exclaimed.
"No it couldn't, listen DNA, pioneer. Remember things that Adam said
about the project, or Eckhart."
Lexa dropped her head in her hands. "I don't know."
"There's sort of a time issue here," Carli responded.
Lexa glared at Carli. "Well, why don't you do something? Like try and
use your powers to read Mason's mind at the time."
"It doesn't work that way, I can't have premonitions at will. It's
only when I touch something of his. And this is my computer, and then I
might not see what I want to. I'm not psionic, I'm telepathic."
"Right, tell me the difference later," Lexa stated.
Jesse got fed up of their arguing, and checked the cameras that he was
monitoring in the Double Helix. : Hurry up! Security guard coming up the
hall:
Carli turned around towards Lexa. "Go invisible, I'll try and figure
it out."
Lexa went invisible just as Patrick walked inside.
"Are you going to McDonalds with me?"
"Sorry, Patrick, a little busy here. But maybe tomorrow." Patrick
walked out. "When hell freezes over, probably."
Lexa went visible and sat down in another chair. "Great, how long do
you think we'll be here?"
"Maybe an hour," Carli replied. "If we're lucky."
"Just where I want to spend my day . . . with you."
"Well it's no picnic for me, kiddo. I'd rather go to McDonalds with
Patrick!" Carli exclaimed.
"Me too."
Lexa typed on the laptop, researching top stories involving Genomex. "Well, I can tell you that GSA have been very sloppy in covering their story on rebuilding. I'm not Jesse but I could even break into their database."
"What have you found?" Brennan asked, fishing through Lucky Charms' box for the sugary marshmallows.
Carli stole the box from Brennan and grabbed a handful. Brennan snatched it back and gave Carli a stony glare. "Just because you share the same DNA, doesn't mean you are Carli."
"Tough crowd . . ."
"Well . . . Carli was right, they are gathering allies to help rebuild. Their computer files are a little shaky . . ."
Carli finished her Lucky Charms. "Mason programmed the data files to self destruct if someone entered the wrong password. I had to rebuild it manually before I left."
"I wish you hadn't. Because it'll be a little hard to get through the cryptic codes."
"It's not fool proof . . . my training wasn't complete when I left. Just getting into the computer class when got that little premonition."
"Right . . . damn. It's tricky; a firewall is protecting the last file. Must be important. Do you remember what information was in it?" Lexa asked. Carli checked the name and shrugged. "That one never collapsed. I didn't touch that one, at the time I thought it was a blessing that it didn't, but now I'm getting the feeling that Eckhart wanted us to find it." "Or someone else . . ." Brennan decided. "Like Dominique, for example." "Who?" Carli asked. "We found out about her almost two weeks ago. Supposedly, she knows more about genetics than Eckhart and Adam combined," Brennan explained. "That can't be good . . . but I'm sure that Eckhart knew that we'd go looking for it," Carli explained. "But how would be know that he would die, exactly?" Lexa asked. "Because I told him, I had a premonition about three hours before he died. I told him, he went to his office for about three hours then he disappeared." "He didn't want to fight it? Have someone protect him?" Lexa asked. "Seems a little farfetched." Carli stood straight. "Are you calling me a liar, Lexa?" she asked. "My premonitions can't be changed, because most of my premonitions are supposed to happen." "Right . . . I still can't believe that Eckhart would give up like that," Brennan said. "I was there . . . he didn't seem so willing to die when I went after him." "I didn't say he wasn't going to let it happen, I said, that most of premonitions happen. And he knew it, he probably prepared that file incase he did die." "It could be his Last Will and Testament, ever think of that?" Lexa asked. "I didn't think his heart could handle giving someone something of value," Shalimar responded as she walked in. "Me neither, unless it was his little creations, the Annexes." "The only thing I can imagine that he would give to us is that stupid white thermal coat he wore all the time," Carli said, making them laugh a little. "I hated that." Jesse motioned for Lexa to get out of the chair. "Let me handle this one, there's nothing I can't decode." "That's a little arrogant, and I'm just saying," Shalimar stated. "What? It's true!" Jesse exclaimed. Carli didn't know if that was supposed to funny, because she didn't really understand human emotion. Shalimar passed a glance at Carli, a little confused. Sometimes, she could sense fear and other strong emotions, but she didn't feel anything from Carli. Not even a little, like she did from others. She felt comfort that she didn't feel fear in her, or happiness, sadness, or anger. Then she felt sorry for Carli, Shalimar didn't know if Carli could ever laugh like her host, the real Carli, did. Shalimar remembered six months ago, that the real Carli would make Shalimar's heart jump into her throat with her emotions. Shalimar was almost an empathy, that's what Adam said because of her heightened senses. She could smell fear, like an animal, she knew if the person was happy or sad. I think I'm the only one who understands Carli Shalimar thought. Brennan, Jesse, or Lexa don't understand what it's like to have to be strong all the time. If Shalimar wasn't so strong or confidant, she'd probably be a basket case all of the time. But she had to be strong, for all of them. Carli shuttered when she heard Shalimar's last thoughts. She was tempted to reply telepathically but she knew that that would just unsettle Shalimar's understanding of Carli. "Why don't we just talk to the GSA? Carli, you can go undercover as your old self---`" "That won't be too hard for her," Lexa snapped. Jesse turned to Lexa, just out of sick pleasure. "Lexa, why don't you go with her?" Lexa and Carli both jumped up in surprise. "What?" they said in unison. "Hell no!"
GSA Headquarters
Carli walked inside, she held her security card in her hand. Lexa was
invisible, behind her. The security guard knew Carli by name. "Where the
hell have you been, little girl? I'm supposed to be your babysitter!" he
joked.
Carli smiled. "Patrick . . . it's only been three days."
"It has seemed like forever, little duck," Patrick said in a thick
Irish accent. "Aren't you supposed to be like thirty by now?"
"I stopped my aging process before I left, I'm going to check on my
baby then I'm gone for some lunch."
"If you want to join me for some McDonalds, you just say so," Patrick
stated.
Carli walked on. "Patrick, stop thinking that," she said, not turning.
Lexa passed Patrick with a stony glare and followed Carli.
After they passed the team of computer agents, Lexa became visible
again. "What baby?" she asked.
"My computer system I created, it has control of all databases. This
is where you can get to that file," Carli replied. "Hurry up though, I
want to check my email."
Lexa smiled a little and sat in the comfy Italian office chair and
leaned back. "Eckhart sure did like you."
"He only liked us because he could control us. Mutants in his employ
still had free will because they had their personality. We didn't."
"That must've been hell."
"Yeah, but we didn't know that the others were different until I
recovered Eckhart's file on the project. Shame too, because the boys
didn't believe me."
"Boys?"
"The other Annexes, they're boys. Sean and Andrew, they're seventeen
now. But just as strong as I am."
"They're only seventeen?"
"Yes, they're not as old as I am, remember?" Carli asked.
Lexa nodded and began to work. "All right . . . do you know any
passwords? From the other files?"
"They were all different, but they each had something in common with
each other and the genetic program."
"That could be anything!" Lexa exclaimed.
"No it couldn't, listen DNA, pioneer. Remember things that Adam said
about the project, or Eckhart."
Lexa dropped her head in her hands. "I don't know."
"There's sort of a time issue here," Carli responded.
Lexa glared at Carli. "Well, why don't you do something? Like try and
use your powers to read Mason's mind at the time."
"It doesn't work that way, I can't have premonitions at will. It's
only when I touch something of his. And this is my computer, and then I
might not see what I want to. I'm not psionic, I'm telepathic."
"Right, tell me the difference later," Lexa stated.
Jesse got fed up of their arguing, and checked the cameras that he was
monitoring in the Double Helix. : Hurry up! Security guard coming up the
hall:
Carli turned around towards Lexa. "Go invisible, I'll try and figure
it out."
Lexa went invisible just as Patrick walked inside.
"Are you going to McDonalds with me?"
"Sorry, Patrick, a little busy here. But maybe tomorrow." Patrick
walked out. "When hell freezes over, probably."
Lexa went visible and sat down in another chair. "Great, how long do
you think we'll be here?"
"Maybe an hour," Carli replied. "If we're lucky."
"Just where I want to spend my day . . . with you."
"Well it's no picnic for me, kiddo. I'd rather go to McDonalds with
Patrick!" Carli exclaimed.
"Me too."