All the characters from the Pretender series and movies are copyright by NBC, TNT, and the original one who wrote up and thought up the script. I can't say much about the other writers though, they may have been told to write a script about Jarod taking down a drug lord, etc. The other characters are mine.
Now the old Centre has fallen and the new one is run by Miss Parker and her oldest son, Antonio Lambourni. Jarod now belongs to Miss Parker, but memories of the old Centre are still there and he now longs to find his origins.
THE ORIGIN DANCE
CHAPTER ONE
Jarod always dreaded coming back to Blue Cove. He saw in the elegant homes, the old New English styles, the split-levels, the brick facades, and the stone covered walls not a homey atmosphere, but sheer terror. But it was Miss Parker's home and his in a way.
There were more of them now, f a family — if you could call it that, for Jarod had come to realize that since he was born, he was never free. A chip placed in his skull at infancy, impressed with a Centre id, made him their property, and now Miss Parker's.
Oh he appeared free, the clothes he wore were not grey covered with black marks, nor striped horizontally, looked like pajamas, or any of the designation of modern slavery. He still had a full set of hair, not having it shaved in a fake attempt to get rid of lice but really to dehumanize him. Nor did someone come with an electronic instrument to remove those two parts of his anatomy that made him a man. He had on a pair of gray trousers, a black shirt, socks, and shoes. He did not have on his undershirt and that embarrassed him more than not having underpants. The latter he never wore since his first capture by the Centre, although the DSAs made it appear so.
The children were acting up in the back seat; Jeremiah being especially mischievous; Jeremiah, the supposed son of Mr. Parker and Brigitte, but in reality his and Miss Parker's: bred to be the next Pretender.
Miss Parker sat in the passenger seat while Jarod drove, not doing those delicious things she would love to do to him, because she was talking on the speakerphone to Sam who was in the car behind them.
"I plan to renovate the Centre," she said.
"With dynamite?" asked Jarod.
She glared at him. "This does not concern you. Turn right."
"Right, Miss Parker." He knew where they were going, not down the street where Miss Parker lived, but the street behind, a street with large two and three storey houses, mainly built on the profits of the simulations, the profits he never had until he stole the Centre money.
She continued her conversation with Sam, which concerned his former conduct and his changing loyalty to Lyle rather than her. "I am disappointed in you, Sam. If I hadn't seen the DSAs for myself, and the treatment of our Pretender, I would have considered it an oversight on your part."
"Yes Miss Parker."
"Also on the plane. You were verbally abusive to Mr. Lambourni, my son."
"That spawn?"
"Sam, you will not refer to Lambourni as a spawn. Antonio is my son and Jarod's and I have put his name in partnership, so he will be your boss."
"What?" Jarod almost turned around, almost avoiding crashing the car into a tree. He quickly reversed and drove off the boulevard.
Miss Parker did not notice. "Drive up to Lambourni's house and take the kids inside, then come right back. I will have a discussion with Sam in the meantime."
"What's this about?" Jarod stopped the car, opened the window, and glared maliciously at the Sweeper.
"Jarod."
"Come on children."
"Yes father," said Jeremiah and the others followed.
Lambourni was not there and Jarod had no idea where he was. However since the lawyer was the Advocate for all the Pretenders, correction, Homo Dominants, Jarod knew wherever he was must have been important.
Ethan was also not in Blue Cove. He had gone with Lambourni who immediately dropped him off at the New York Police Academy Jarod was sure that Ethan was settled in the training and that his new surname, Di Angela would prove no problem.
One of Lambourni's other daughters was there. She said her name was Svetlana, after one of her mother's ancestors. All she knew was that she was a heroine of the Soviet Uprising against the Tsar and probably a friend of Lenin.
"I have to get back, I have a sense that Miss Parker has taken on more responsibility than she could handle," said Jarod after Svetlana took the children into the kitchen.
"It is right for you to help her. She is a Sapien and does not understand us."
"It is a great responsibility." He sat down, feeling uncomfortable. His back was bare. He did not mind the electric shocks that Lyle gave him, but it was the marks left by the cat of nine tails, the marks that he gave the Pretender, that left a lasting scar.
He took an Almond Rocha, and left. It was not exactly Pez, nothing could beat that, but it was sweet, and he jumped back over the stone fence to see Miss Parker completing her conversation and he hoped, scolding of Sam.
"Yes, the younger Pretenders, the ones my father and Raines neglected to tell me about. need someone to guide them, someone that has been on the outside," said Miss Parker.
"But why Jarod?" asked Sam, "what about Sydney or one of the other psychiatrists? They can handle them better than that thing."
"Handlers, keepers, I love that term. Sydney extolled Jarod his values. Raines instilled his lack of values on Kyle and look at the result."
"Right Miss Parker, but we need to control them"
"Well I decided to change the rules. Raines decided to put the Pretender nursery on Sublevel 25. I have no idea what happened to those carriers or whether they were Pretenders themselves. It doesn't matter. But apparently Raines been doing that longer than the time we found Gemini. By the way, Gemini'll be known as Gem. I know some idiot will call him Jim, and that's all right with me. Why who knows a few hundred years from now, every Pretender family will have a kid called Gem."
"So we do plan to use the Pretenders for simulations."
"Of course, Sam. I don't want to abandon profit, only now we're going to have their input. We're going to check the buyers. We're going to bring the Pretenders from the sublevels, and have the older ones see the actual result."
"What?"
"Yes Sam. And if the simulation is used to blow up a building ala 911 or kill thousands of innocent people or send one of our military jets crashing into the middle of a city, killing hundreds, I will expect double no triple payment from the buyer. And will immediately notify the CIA of their un-American behavior."
"So you're still using me for simulations," said Jarod, getting back in the car and fastening his safety belt.
Shaking her head, Miss Parker said, "No, you're going to supervise some young Pretenders.. Teach them how to survive in the real world." She took something out of her purse and handed it to him. "Now drive to the back entrance SL 1. Oh it's the door to the left behind that section there" She gave him the directions, realizing the Jarod had no idea where SL 1 was. He had escaped via air vents, not by walking out the door.
Jarod drove around the main Centre building and along a road that continued sloping downwards until he came to SL 1, an entrance lower than the regular main, and even lower than the basement or subbasement. This must be the entrance where they brought me, he thought, and then heard Miss Parker's voice.
"Strip."
He did so. There was no desire for disobedience. Those who entered SL 1, except for Sweepers, Staff, and Corporate were non-persons, slaves. Visitors never saw this part. They came through the main entrance. Jarod did glimpse some white doors, which was unusual and appeared to be new by the look of the fresh dirt around them.
"Sam" said Miss Parker, "I want you to take Jarod down to Sublevel 20. He's to be in charge of the young ones. Two are ready to go up to Sublevel 19 and Ted will be their keeper, or slave foreman."
"But Miss Parker, I do not like the idea of Pretenders handling Pretenders."
"And who is better qualified," she told Sam and then turned to her property. "Now Jarod, did you look at the instructions?"
"Yes," replied The Pretender, "so the simulations are to be divided, one hour rest between them, one hour for meals, three each, outside exercise for an hour. All of them?" He was good, but taking on a whole slew of young Pretenders was more than one man could handle. Pretenders or Homo Dominants were much smarter and knew more ways to get in trouble than miniature Einsteins.
"And remember right now they are not to know the others exist."
"Just like the old Centre, Miss Parker." Jarod was disappointed. He thought she had changed.
"No, those who are joined can see each other, and you can make recommendations for those approaching that age. The back of the book shows their origins. Clothes? I decided to dispense with the old Centre uniforms. Walmart had a sale. I'm sure you'll find something you like. Oh Sam." She sounded so nice and pleasant.
"Yes Miss Parker?"
"Your job is to take Jarod down to the level until I want him back up. There's quite a bit of renovation to do, removing the old blood stains, plastering the holes, and in a month, we'll have guests. This'll take a week. Oh by the way, no more threatening to castrate Jarod, pour Lysol down his throat, bring out the car battery, use the whip. In other words, Jarod's not to be harmed."
Sam snarled. "Just a touch. You don't love him."
"What I feel for Jarod, whether it's love or lust or he's a convenience, is no concern of yours. He helped find what happened to my mother, and for that, I have let him live without relative pain. He says he loves me, but he's of the New Species. They don't have the emotions we have except for anger and I don't want to deal with picking your pieces off the concrete floor because an hour before you happened to bring out a can of Drano. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Miss Parker."
"Oh remember, Sam, I'm pregnant and pregnant women are very touchy."
It was a long ride down to Sublevel 20, but it did not take long. They had to hold onto the sides to keep from falling down and were relieved when they touched bottom.
And when Jarod entered the Sublevel, he noticed that things had changed. He had no idea whether he would remain here until he died or be united with Miss Parker and his children.