A/N: Sparks is from Enter the Matrix. He's one of my 'favorite' rebels.
It's a great game, you should play it, even if you can't play an
agent...*sigh*
Disclaimer: Matrix is owned by Warner and the Wachowskis. Agents: The Series is co-owned by me and Stormhawk. Tib belongs to me, so does Zelda, although she takes her screen name from Legend of Zelda, which is owned by NOA/NOJ. Obviously I don't own Yahoo.com, the X-Files or related characters, or anything of that nature. Please do not call Tib, or attempt to locate his house, as both phone number and address are fictional. Besides, stalking isn't nice.
All characters and events in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
J_Tiberius_K
Chapter 3
He clicked it.
Immediately the screen, the entire screen, dissolved into blackness, broken only by one line of green, old style computer text at the top of the screen and a blinking cursor.
[You will be contacted]
Tib frowned. So he'd be contacted, huh? When? And by whom, and through what medium? Was it reasonable that they would email him, or would he receive messages through the mail with cut out newspaper letters, or would someone show up at his door? The dusty-haired young man was wound tightly, his bony shoulders tense, and he half expected to hear a knock on his bedroom door. Edgily he clicked around the screen, trying to find some kind of link or way off the page, but to no avail. He tried ctrl+alt+delete but that didn't work any better. He was about to pull the plug on his computer when the screen suddenly blinked back to the Yahoo home page.
Tib grimaced; it offended him deeply that somebody else was playing tricks with the only thing of any value that he owned, with his computer. Imagine the nerve. He chewed nervously on his thumbnail.
"Nothing to do now but wait for this 'contact'," he muttered to himself, pushing up his glasses. Then he remember, "Oh wait, gotta IM Zelda."
He pulled up his instant messenger.
[Hey, Zel, I think I'm done for the moment.]
He clicked up to check his yahoo mail again while he waited for her to respond. He had seven new messages.
[ZeldaDragomire: So, what's going on Tib? What about a cult?]
Tib quickly filled her in on his findings.
[ZeldaDragomire: You're kidding! You're starting to sound like XX and all his Gibson talk.]
[It's no joke] he warned her, [this is real, and I think it may be very dangerous. I can prove it to you, but you have to promise me you won't go looking for this Morpheus guy. If I disappear, I don't want you to as well.]
***
In the quiet of her room the natural red-head lay on her bed goggling at the screen of her laptop while trying to decide whether or not she should believe what was going on. Although, she wasn't sure which was more of a stretch; believing that Tib was on the trail of some cyber cult, or believing that Blackbird_King of all people would join one? She smoothed out the blanket anxiously, and after some hesitation, replied.
[Okay, I promise. Now where's that proof?]
A moment later Tib sent her an address from CNN.com, which she clicked. She scanned the article fretfully. This was pretty heavy stuff; whacko cult leaders, and teen disappearances? This was the stuff you read in magazines, not stuff that happened to your friends, at least, that was what she had always thought. She typed back.
[Okay, I believe you. But, do you really think they'll come after you?]
[J_Tiberius_K: Zel-chan, I practically signed a recruiting pamphlet, and I'm willing to bet just about anything that's exactly what Blackbird did.]
She smirked grimly. Blackbird_King, now there was a character if ever was one. Brilliant, but crazy, constantly acting like he was hyped-up on more caffeine than even a fanboy ought to consume. She had to admit, she missed him around the boards. [Okay, say that's what happened. How long do you think you've got before they come for you?]
[J_Tiberius_K: The post I got the article from is dated about a week before his last post, which is only an hour before his final email that I received.]
She tried to point out the bright spot of the situation. [Hey, Tib just because the King disappeared doesn't mean he got kidnapped, I mean, if he went looking for them, he probably signed up voluntarily, right?]
Even typed, she could hear the flat tone in Tib's reply.
[J_Tiberius_K: Yes, the infamous Blackbird_King had a revelation, joined a cult and completely renounce the internet.]
[J_Tiberius_K: Because that's so something he would do.] he continued.
She frowned and shooed her cat, Spooky, away from her keyboard. [Okay, you've got be there, but still...]
[J_Tiberius_K: Don't you ever watch the news, Zel? Cults like this don't take 'no' for an answer. They're like the Red Cross, once they've got you to donate blood once, they want to keep you for the rest of your life.]
She snorted at the weird analogy, but was still rather annoyed that he presumed her ignorant.
[Well sor-RY! excuse me for not being Mr. Doom and Gloom!]
But then she felt bad and relented. [Sorry, Tib. I know you're worried; I probably would be too in your place. Just think Hero of Time, kay? ;)]
[J_Tiberius_K: Apology accepted. It's hard for me to believe anyway.]
[Hey, at least you didn't discover that he was abducted by aliens.]
[J_Tiberius_K: Where's agent Mulder when you need him?]
She chuckled, then responded. [You know, you could try calling the FBI. I bet they could track somebody down using nothing but their net alias.]
[J_Tiberius_K: Sure, but why would they? I can't even prove he's missing. And I don't have any money to hire a private detective. No. I'm on my own on this one.]
She pursed her lips. [Ehem? What am I? Chopped liver?]
[J_Tiberius_K: Hardly. But I told you, I don't want you to get involved in this.]
[In the cult you said, that doesn't preclude me from helping. For instance....] She thought hard, and came up with an idea. [Give me your real name, address and phone number, so if YOU disappear, I'll know, and can go to the FBI.]
[J_Tiberius_K: Zelda that's a wonderful idea!! Okay, my name's David Esau Madison, I live in Cleveland, Ohio, at 574 Stone Road, and my phone number is (555) 555-7352. ]
She fairly marveled at how quickly and unworriedly he'd given away his real identity and location, he certainly was trusting, wasn't he. She knew she would have been a lot more hesitant if he had asked her the same. But now she felt rather guilty for that fact, and thought she ought to trust him as well, especially since it turned out he didn't live as far away as she had imagined.
[Huh,] she typed back. [Imagine that, I only live an hour or two away, in Pennsylvania. My name's Beverly Fields, by the way. ]
[J_Tiberius_K: Beverly, huh?]
She pouted. [Oh stop it, Trek boy, I can hear you laughing from here! Besides, how'd you end up with 'Esau'?]
[J_Tiberius_K: It was my dad's name]
Was? She thought with a pause. [It's from the bible, right?]
[J_Tiberius_K: Yeah Jacob and Esau. My grandmother was really religious.]
She hesitated a moment but decided to ask. [What about your dad?]
She started at the screen waiting for a reply. It took so long she was almost convinced it wouldn't come. He probably didn't want to talk about it.
[J_Tiberius_K: He was a Homicide detective. He was killed in the line of duty by this serial murderer when I was six. My mom and I had to be put in the Witness protection program for a while, new names, new place, everything. I don't remember much of it, I guess I blocked it out. Anyway they caught the guy two years later in Miami. Apparently he'd gotten into using drugs and they busted him for cocaine, then they found out who he was. We stayed in New York a while though, until just a couple years ago.]
Beverly stared. [Wow. I'm sorry.]
[J_Tiberius_K: It's not your fault.]
[So why'd you leave New York?]
[J_Tiberius_K: ...That I'd rather not talk about.]
She blinked. What could be worse than telling her about his dad? But she wouldn't press the matter. [That's fine. So hey, have you seen the latest peeks from the new FF?]
[J_Tiberius_K: Not yet, would you send them to me?]
[Sure, just a sec] She was happy to be back on lighter matters now, and emailed him the pics she'd found.
[J_Tiberius_K: Thanks!!]
[No prob.]
Someone knocked on her bedroom door. [Hold on a sec] She looked up. "Come in!"
The door opened, it was her father. "Beverly?"
"Yes daddy?" she sighed mentally. He probably wanted her to get off the computer and do something in the real world.
"I guess you didn't hear the phone. Your friend Tina called, she wanted you to call her, something about seeing a movie," he smiled at her.
Beverly's brown eyes lit up. They'd been talking about going to see Pirates of the Caribbean, but Tina kept having to put it off because of her work schedule. "Can I go dad? Do you mind?"
"Not at all sweetie. You mom and I are going out to dinner tonight, so make sure you take your key."
She grinned. "I will dad, thanks."
Her dad walked out and closed the door.
Beverly looked back down at her computer.
[I gotta go Tib. You okay?]
[J_Tiberius_K: I'm fine. Don't worry about it. But remember, you know what to do if I disappear!!]
[Got it!! *salutes* Aye aye cap'n!!]
[J_Tiberius_K: See ya later Zel]
[See ya.]
She logged off, and closing her laptop got up to get the phone.
***
Tib watched Zelda's icon go from online to offline and immediately lapsed back into worry without her reassuring presence. How had he gotten himself so far in over his head? He rubbed his temples and stood up to go get some aspirin.
Opening his door the light, bright in contrast to his room with the shades perpetually down, hit him like a brick and he winced. Squinting until his eyes adjusted he walked into the kitchen and into took the aspirin off the shelf by the refrigerator. He pulled a coke out of the fridge and sat down at the table, shaking his head at the yellow curtains. He pulled the tab of his soda, the cap off the medicine bottle and washed down three tablets. Then he eyed the fridge with a level gaze.
There had been a time in his life when the refrigerator held a large amount of his day to day life. To put it bluntly he'd been a stereotypical fat geek-boy. The pocket money he hadn't spent on games and DVDs was spent on snacks, but then he'd started high school. His losing weight had nothing to do with thinking he'd be more popular if he did, he'd just gotten depressed and stopped eating. He was then amazed to learn how much more 'nerd junk' he could buy, so he'd kept at it. It impressed his mother at first, how little he was eating, but then it started to worry her, when he started to look underfed.
But Tib had noticed something; he practically didn't get hungry any more, especially when he spent more of his time on line. It was almost like he didn't need to eat. Sometimes he thought it was weird but most of the time he barely noticed it. He had more important things to do than eat. All he had to do was to make sure he had a few bites in front of his mother once in a while.
He stood up and took a few deep breaths; he knew it wasn't good to stay this high strung and tense, he needed to relax. He grabbed his mostly full soda and headed back to his room. He closed the door behind him and began shoving the clutter away to clear a space in the middle of his floor.
Once he'd gotten the clothes, notebooks and print-outs out of the way he stood in the open circle and took a few more deep breaths. Then he began the slow, rhythmic Aikido exercises he'd taught himself in years past. He gradually picked up speed and force with deft punches and high kicks, and he did it all silently. If his mother caught him she'd be upset.
She disapproved of course, because of his father, and because of 'the incident'. His mother hated violence and fighting, and to tell the truth so did Tib. For him the martial arts he learned were a sort of deep meditation and nothing more, an exercise for body, mind and spirit as they had been intended. The incident with Colin had been an accident and nothing more. God damn it they had no right to be attacking him! He shouldn't have had to defend himself!! People like that...people like that were messed up, but they didn't deserve to die!!
He caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror, it was a study of anger and frustration, and he was immediately upset with himself. This wasn't what he needed, he needed to relax. For god's sake, the jock wouldn't stop tormenting him even in death!!
Ridiculous! he told himself, slowing his motions down from the wild swings they had become. Colin was dead and rationally Tib should no longer let him be an influence in his life. Let the dead lie buried. It was pointless to fixate on it, what was done was done. Besides, there were other forces at work in his life and he needed to be ready for them.
With that thought in mind Tib was finally able to concentrate and allow the anxiety to drain from his body, from his mind and his heart. He was calm and he was in control. He had to remember that he was in control of his own life, and no one else.
***
In another world a man named Sparks, on the ship called the Logos was watching Tib. It was standard procedure to monitor all potentials for at least a week before making contact.
"What have we got?"
The dark had man jumped and clutched a hand to his heart. "Whoa, captain! Don't do that to me!"
Niobe shook her head. "Who is he, Sparks?"
"Name's David Madison, calls himself Tib, short for J_Tiberius_K," he scanned the green code for loose data. "A major fan boy, lives with his mom, practically lives on line, going to college for computer programming. Doesn't eat much." He paused. "Whoa."
"What is it?"
Sparks raised an eyebrow. "Says here he killed somebody."
The woman looked at it.
"It was self-defense," he assured her, "some bully pulled a knife on him, and found out the kid knew karate. Excuse me, Aikido."
Niobe nodded. "Keep an eye on him."
"Yes ma'am," Sparks grinned. "wish I had some popcorn."
To be continued...
Disclaimer: Matrix is owned by Warner and the Wachowskis. Agents: The Series is co-owned by me and Stormhawk. Tib belongs to me, so does Zelda, although she takes her screen name from Legend of Zelda, which is owned by NOA/NOJ. Obviously I don't own Yahoo.com, the X-Files or related characters, or anything of that nature. Please do not call Tib, or attempt to locate his house, as both phone number and address are fictional. Besides, stalking isn't nice.
All characters and events in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
J_Tiberius_K
Chapter 3
He clicked it.
Immediately the screen, the entire screen, dissolved into blackness, broken only by one line of green, old style computer text at the top of the screen and a blinking cursor.
[You will be contacted]
Tib frowned. So he'd be contacted, huh? When? And by whom, and through what medium? Was it reasonable that they would email him, or would he receive messages through the mail with cut out newspaper letters, or would someone show up at his door? The dusty-haired young man was wound tightly, his bony shoulders tense, and he half expected to hear a knock on his bedroom door. Edgily he clicked around the screen, trying to find some kind of link or way off the page, but to no avail. He tried ctrl+alt+delete but that didn't work any better. He was about to pull the plug on his computer when the screen suddenly blinked back to the Yahoo home page.
Tib grimaced; it offended him deeply that somebody else was playing tricks with the only thing of any value that he owned, with his computer. Imagine the nerve. He chewed nervously on his thumbnail.
"Nothing to do now but wait for this 'contact'," he muttered to himself, pushing up his glasses. Then he remember, "Oh wait, gotta IM Zelda."
He pulled up his instant messenger.
[Hey, Zel, I think I'm done for the moment.]
He clicked up to check his yahoo mail again while he waited for her to respond. He had seven new messages.
[ZeldaDragomire: So, what's going on Tib? What about a cult?]
Tib quickly filled her in on his findings.
[ZeldaDragomire: You're kidding! You're starting to sound like XX and all his Gibson talk.]
[It's no joke] he warned her, [this is real, and I think it may be very dangerous. I can prove it to you, but you have to promise me you won't go looking for this Morpheus guy. If I disappear, I don't want you to as well.]
***
In the quiet of her room the natural red-head lay on her bed goggling at the screen of her laptop while trying to decide whether or not she should believe what was going on. Although, she wasn't sure which was more of a stretch; believing that Tib was on the trail of some cyber cult, or believing that Blackbird_King of all people would join one? She smoothed out the blanket anxiously, and after some hesitation, replied.
[Okay, I promise. Now where's that proof?]
A moment later Tib sent her an address from CNN.com, which she clicked. She scanned the article fretfully. This was pretty heavy stuff; whacko cult leaders, and teen disappearances? This was the stuff you read in magazines, not stuff that happened to your friends, at least, that was what she had always thought. She typed back.
[Okay, I believe you. But, do you really think they'll come after you?]
[J_Tiberius_K: Zel-chan, I practically signed a recruiting pamphlet, and I'm willing to bet just about anything that's exactly what Blackbird did.]
She smirked grimly. Blackbird_King, now there was a character if ever was one. Brilliant, but crazy, constantly acting like he was hyped-up on more caffeine than even a fanboy ought to consume. She had to admit, she missed him around the boards. [Okay, say that's what happened. How long do you think you've got before they come for you?]
[J_Tiberius_K: The post I got the article from is dated about a week before his last post, which is only an hour before his final email that I received.]
She tried to point out the bright spot of the situation. [Hey, Tib just because the King disappeared doesn't mean he got kidnapped, I mean, if he went looking for them, he probably signed up voluntarily, right?]
Even typed, she could hear the flat tone in Tib's reply.
[J_Tiberius_K: Yes, the infamous Blackbird_King had a revelation, joined a cult and completely renounce the internet.]
[J_Tiberius_K: Because that's so something he would do.] he continued.
She frowned and shooed her cat, Spooky, away from her keyboard. [Okay, you've got be there, but still...]
[J_Tiberius_K: Don't you ever watch the news, Zel? Cults like this don't take 'no' for an answer. They're like the Red Cross, once they've got you to donate blood once, they want to keep you for the rest of your life.]
She snorted at the weird analogy, but was still rather annoyed that he presumed her ignorant.
[Well sor-RY! excuse me for not being Mr. Doom and Gloom!]
But then she felt bad and relented. [Sorry, Tib. I know you're worried; I probably would be too in your place. Just think Hero of Time, kay? ;)]
[J_Tiberius_K: Apology accepted. It's hard for me to believe anyway.]
[Hey, at least you didn't discover that he was abducted by aliens.]
[J_Tiberius_K: Where's agent Mulder when you need him?]
She chuckled, then responded. [You know, you could try calling the FBI. I bet they could track somebody down using nothing but their net alias.]
[J_Tiberius_K: Sure, but why would they? I can't even prove he's missing. And I don't have any money to hire a private detective. No. I'm on my own on this one.]
She pursed her lips. [Ehem? What am I? Chopped liver?]
[J_Tiberius_K: Hardly. But I told you, I don't want you to get involved in this.]
[In the cult you said, that doesn't preclude me from helping. For instance....] She thought hard, and came up with an idea. [Give me your real name, address and phone number, so if YOU disappear, I'll know, and can go to the FBI.]
[J_Tiberius_K: Zelda that's a wonderful idea!! Okay, my name's David Esau Madison, I live in Cleveland, Ohio, at 574 Stone Road, and my phone number is (555) 555-7352. ]
She fairly marveled at how quickly and unworriedly he'd given away his real identity and location, he certainly was trusting, wasn't he. She knew she would have been a lot more hesitant if he had asked her the same. But now she felt rather guilty for that fact, and thought she ought to trust him as well, especially since it turned out he didn't live as far away as she had imagined.
[Huh,] she typed back. [Imagine that, I only live an hour or two away, in Pennsylvania. My name's Beverly Fields, by the way. ]
[J_Tiberius_K: Beverly, huh?]
She pouted. [Oh stop it, Trek boy, I can hear you laughing from here! Besides, how'd you end up with 'Esau'?]
[J_Tiberius_K: It was my dad's name]
Was? She thought with a pause. [It's from the bible, right?]
[J_Tiberius_K: Yeah Jacob and Esau. My grandmother was really religious.]
She hesitated a moment but decided to ask. [What about your dad?]
She started at the screen waiting for a reply. It took so long she was almost convinced it wouldn't come. He probably didn't want to talk about it.
[J_Tiberius_K: He was a Homicide detective. He was killed in the line of duty by this serial murderer when I was six. My mom and I had to be put in the Witness protection program for a while, new names, new place, everything. I don't remember much of it, I guess I blocked it out. Anyway they caught the guy two years later in Miami. Apparently he'd gotten into using drugs and they busted him for cocaine, then they found out who he was. We stayed in New York a while though, until just a couple years ago.]
Beverly stared. [Wow. I'm sorry.]
[J_Tiberius_K: It's not your fault.]
[So why'd you leave New York?]
[J_Tiberius_K: ...That I'd rather not talk about.]
She blinked. What could be worse than telling her about his dad? But she wouldn't press the matter. [That's fine. So hey, have you seen the latest peeks from the new FF?]
[J_Tiberius_K: Not yet, would you send them to me?]
[Sure, just a sec] She was happy to be back on lighter matters now, and emailed him the pics she'd found.
[J_Tiberius_K: Thanks!!]
[No prob.]
Someone knocked on her bedroom door. [Hold on a sec] She looked up. "Come in!"
The door opened, it was her father. "Beverly?"
"Yes daddy?" she sighed mentally. He probably wanted her to get off the computer and do something in the real world.
"I guess you didn't hear the phone. Your friend Tina called, she wanted you to call her, something about seeing a movie," he smiled at her.
Beverly's brown eyes lit up. They'd been talking about going to see Pirates of the Caribbean, but Tina kept having to put it off because of her work schedule. "Can I go dad? Do you mind?"
"Not at all sweetie. You mom and I are going out to dinner tonight, so make sure you take your key."
She grinned. "I will dad, thanks."
Her dad walked out and closed the door.
Beverly looked back down at her computer.
[I gotta go Tib. You okay?]
[J_Tiberius_K: I'm fine. Don't worry about it. But remember, you know what to do if I disappear!!]
[Got it!! *salutes* Aye aye cap'n!!]
[J_Tiberius_K: See ya later Zel]
[See ya.]
She logged off, and closing her laptop got up to get the phone.
***
Tib watched Zelda's icon go from online to offline and immediately lapsed back into worry without her reassuring presence. How had he gotten himself so far in over his head? He rubbed his temples and stood up to go get some aspirin.
Opening his door the light, bright in contrast to his room with the shades perpetually down, hit him like a brick and he winced. Squinting until his eyes adjusted he walked into the kitchen and into took the aspirin off the shelf by the refrigerator. He pulled a coke out of the fridge and sat down at the table, shaking his head at the yellow curtains. He pulled the tab of his soda, the cap off the medicine bottle and washed down three tablets. Then he eyed the fridge with a level gaze.
There had been a time in his life when the refrigerator held a large amount of his day to day life. To put it bluntly he'd been a stereotypical fat geek-boy. The pocket money he hadn't spent on games and DVDs was spent on snacks, but then he'd started high school. His losing weight had nothing to do with thinking he'd be more popular if he did, he'd just gotten depressed and stopped eating. He was then amazed to learn how much more 'nerd junk' he could buy, so he'd kept at it. It impressed his mother at first, how little he was eating, but then it started to worry her, when he started to look underfed.
But Tib had noticed something; he practically didn't get hungry any more, especially when he spent more of his time on line. It was almost like he didn't need to eat. Sometimes he thought it was weird but most of the time he barely noticed it. He had more important things to do than eat. All he had to do was to make sure he had a few bites in front of his mother once in a while.
He stood up and took a few deep breaths; he knew it wasn't good to stay this high strung and tense, he needed to relax. He grabbed his mostly full soda and headed back to his room. He closed the door behind him and began shoving the clutter away to clear a space in the middle of his floor.
Once he'd gotten the clothes, notebooks and print-outs out of the way he stood in the open circle and took a few more deep breaths. Then he began the slow, rhythmic Aikido exercises he'd taught himself in years past. He gradually picked up speed and force with deft punches and high kicks, and he did it all silently. If his mother caught him she'd be upset.
She disapproved of course, because of his father, and because of 'the incident'. His mother hated violence and fighting, and to tell the truth so did Tib. For him the martial arts he learned were a sort of deep meditation and nothing more, an exercise for body, mind and spirit as they had been intended. The incident with Colin had been an accident and nothing more. God damn it they had no right to be attacking him! He shouldn't have had to defend himself!! People like that...people like that were messed up, but they didn't deserve to die!!
He caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror, it was a study of anger and frustration, and he was immediately upset with himself. This wasn't what he needed, he needed to relax. For god's sake, the jock wouldn't stop tormenting him even in death!!
Ridiculous! he told himself, slowing his motions down from the wild swings they had become. Colin was dead and rationally Tib should no longer let him be an influence in his life. Let the dead lie buried. It was pointless to fixate on it, what was done was done. Besides, there were other forces at work in his life and he needed to be ready for them.
With that thought in mind Tib was finally able to concentrate and allow the anxiety to drain from his body, from his mind and his heart. He was calm and he was in control. He had to remember that he was in control of his own life, and no one else.
***
In another world a man named Sparks, on the ship called the Logos was watching Tib. It was standard procedure to monitor all potentials for at least a week before making contact.
"What have we got?"
The dark had man jumped and clutched a hand to his heart. "Whoa, captain! Don't do that to me!"
Niobe shook her head. "Who is he, Sparks?"
"Name's David Madison, calls himself Tib, short for J_Tiberius_K," he scanned the green code for loose data. "A major fan boy, lives with his mom, practically lives on line, going to college for computer programming. Doesn't eat much." He paused. "Whoa."
"What is it?"
Sparks raised an eyebrow. "Says here he killed somebody."
The woman looked at it.
"It was self-defense," he assured her, "some bully pulled a knife on him, and found out the kid knew karate. Excuse me, Aikido."
Niobe nodded. "Keep an eye on him."
"Yes ma'am," Sparks grinned. "wish I had some popcorn."
To be continued...
