Chapter 9
"So where is the new Sanctuary?" Shalimar questioned once everyone was settled on the plane.
"And why did you feel it necessary to get a 747?" Jesse smirked.
"We're going to take off, why don't you get out of the cockpit?" Sheridan essentially ordered, ushering everyone out except Jesse.
"Hey! Why does he get to stay?" Lexa protested.
"A girl needs a co-pilot," Sheridan said with one final shove.
The three mutants sat themselves down in the first class seats. A few minutes later, Sheridan's voice cracked over the loudspeaker.
"Welcome aboard! My co-pilot, Jesse Kilmartin, and I, Sheridan…. would like to wish you a happy flight. I could make Jesse show you all the safety procedures if you would like."
"No!" Jesse's voice interrupted loudly.
"Okay, well, buckle up."
"Sheridan," Brennan called warningly.
"Fine, fine," Sheridan sighed. "How long has it been since you've eaten a real meal? Because this plane is fully stocked with plane food, but none the less, food." The three immediately moved to get up. "Hey! Not 'til after take off!"
"You've been uncharacteristically quiet," Jesse spoke after about half the flight had passed.
Sheridan smirked, reaching over to shut off the loudspeaker, closing off their conversation to the others.
"Whoops," Jesse grinned.
"Yeah," Sheridan rolled her eyes. "I'm just thinking about the past."
"What do you remember?" Jesse asked curiously.
Fire. Screaming. Burning flesh. Hate. Destruction.
"Death," Sheridan replied in a whisper.
Jesse stared curiously at her, and she pointedly ignored his gaze.
"Jesse," she spoke finally, claiming his eyes with her own so he would grasp the weight of her words. "I'm a hundred time worse than Lexa ever was."
"Are you sure about this?" Brennan asked incredulously.
"One hundred percent," Sheridan nodded confidently while the rest of the team stared ahead in disbelief.
"This is the new Sanctuary," Sheridan began to walk towards the miniscule beach shack that sat on the coordinates that the computer had given them at the Safehouse. The roof was caving in and the beach in front of the house was littered with trash. Four broken surfboards leaned against the rotting wall on the porch.
"Well, at least its got a nice view," Lexa shrugged, gesturing behind them at the rolling crystal blue waves and pristine white sand.
"The windows are boarded up," Brennan started up to the house with a roll of his eyes.
"Come on guys, Adam always had something up his sleeve," Jesse said optimistically.
Brennan went to pull open the door and the doorknob clanked to the ground. With a shake of his head and a sardonic grin, Brennan kicked the door down with a bang. Dust swirled into the air, leaving everyone in a coughing fit except Sheridan, who had covered her nose and mouth. She stepped through the cobwebs and trash and into the house.
"I really don't want to go in there," Brennan whined, making like was about to bolt.
"Let's go Bren," Shalimar tugged his arm. "It's just…dirty."
"That's quite an understatement Shal," Jesse laughed as they all finally followed Sheridan in, who was nowhere to be seen.
"Where'd she go?" Brennan walked further into the wreckage. "Sheridan!"
"I'm right her," her voice came from the middle of the shack.
The four followed the sound and followed Sheridan standing in front of a vase of dead flowers.
"Lovely flowers," Lexa commented dryly.
Sheridan picked a wilted rose from the center of the vase. The floor began to rumble and a section of it slid open to reveal a dark stairwell. Everyone except Sheridan looked wide-eyed in disbelief.
"Come on guys," Sheridan skipped down the steps without missing a beat, the darkness enveloping her.
Lexa, Jesse, and Shalimar followed Sheridan down the steps.
"Brennan," Shalimar yelled warningly back up the stairs.
"Fine," Brennan whined, trudging down the stairs. "Guys, it's dark."
Suddenly, the air conditioning system came on with a whir and the lights flicked on.
"How'd that happen?" Brennan grabbed Lexa's arm in fright.
"Hey, wimp, it was Sheridan," Lexa smacked him on the back of the head once she had freed her arm.
"This is so cute," Shalimar squealed, glancing around at the endless underground Sanctuary.
Beachfront murals covered the wall and hammocks hung in the corners. Three computer consoles sat in various places around the room, and hallways led to other rooms.
"Five bedrooms, two offices, training room with a dojo, kitchen, bathrooms, family room," Sheridan recited.
"How did you know that?" Jesse asked after quickly peering down the halls. "That's a hundred percent accurate."
Sheridan brushed off the question and sat down in front of a computer screen. She tapped a button on the screen and a hologram of Adam took form before their eyes.
"If you are watching this now than I have been captured or am dead and Sanctuary has been destroyed. I'm sorry, I do not know who you are but I'm sure you have been outstanding teammates. The most important thing is that you find me because I will be able to save you, all mutants, if I am alive. If not, I have sent someone to help—a psyonic. She will know what to do."
The hologram clicked off and the team was left staring at Sheridan.
"Well?" Shalimar raised her eyebrows expectantly.
"Here's the plan."