"Copier…"
Summary: Paracelsus is leaving a little gift for Arthur and the gang…
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Part XVII…
Original Warehouseverse…
Section 1…Where Artie, maintaining vigil over the two Caretakers, past and current, awaited word of the arrival of Vanessa's equipment for Mrs. Fredericks' care.
Chet? Horowitz? Dr. Chet Horowitz? He frowned…
Aspen skiing five-ten neurosurgeon Chet Horowitz? Hmmn…Sounds like a soap-opera character.
Though I suppose…The 'Horowitz'…Does suggest some grounding in reality…
But why wouldn't Vanessa have told me?
Well, she just did…
"More important things to fret about than the inevitable crashing and burning of your love-life, Nielsen." He told himself.
Claudia…Caretaker Claudia…Wry smile on his face. Well, she does seem to be managing it…Though…Frown…Girl needs to get a little more serious about her new status…And the power at her command…
Still, she handled Paracelsus well, with Mrs. F's help…He can't have much left to throw now.
Mrs. Fredericks…He sighed.
Well, she knew the transfer would be dangerous…And almost always is done in times of the imminent death of the old…Er, Former…Caretaker…That she survives, even in a coma, is unusual. But Claudia could sure use her guidance.
"Well, that's what you're here for, for now, Nielsen." He sighed.
And yet…Still…It seemed almost too easy, given the threat of Paracelsus…I mean, powerful, sure…But he's blundered around like most outsiders who'd learned of the Warehouse from legends or on the Net and had some sketchy knowledge of its power…
Not like a former Caretaker…
Suggesting we may have been right and he is not the Paracelsus who ran Warehouse 9 so many years…
Though he knew to attack the potential Caretaker…That was one bit of correct strategy.
She's shown no signs of trouble yet though…If he was up to something, he either failed or …
…was a lot more subtle than any of us realized.
Which would be in Caretaker tradition, he mused.
"Artie?" Myka's voice on his Farnsworth… "Artie?! Jinks has found something!"
"Myka?" he eyed the anxious face on screen…
"Jinks?" he stared at Jinks' face coming into view next to hers.
"Artie…I think you better come down here…We seem to have found Paracelsus, though not his holograph transmitter. But if it is him, he seemed to have solved our problem for us…"
"Pete!" Myka's eager cry…She hastily handing over her Farnsworth and disappearing from the screen…
Artie eyeing Jinks' image…
"Cancer and other death-related things do make you appreciate the folks you love…" Jinks shrugged, wan smile. "Hey, Pete…" To a Pete entering the area, staring first at the form on the floor…Then the happy Myka now holding his arm.
….
"So…?" Pete blinked at Jinks…Myka happily on his arm…He eyeing her a minute as she beamed at him…
"Paracelsus is dead? Just like that? Dead?"
"Stabbed…Dead…" Jinks nodded, indicating the uncovered, quite visible body. "Artie says he'll come as soon as Vanessa and her people are in to take charge of Mrs. Fredericks…
"Isn't it great?!" Myka eagerly…Uh…
"I mean, terrible but great…No one else has to die! And another evildoer is brought to justice." High-minded nod.
"Yeah…But…" Pete stared at the body… "By whom? And I thought this guy was knife- as well as bullet-proofed?"
"Not anymore, it would seem." Jinks shrugged.
"Are we sure this is Paracelsus?" Pete eyed Jinks. "He's good at deception and we thought he might have a helper or helpees." Jinks shrugging…Your guess as good as mine…
"We still haven't located the transmissions' source…" he noted.
"Pete, you and I should go check out the rest of the Warehouse…" Myka urged. Very eagerly.
"Probably in a bit, Mykes, I agree…"
Oh, yea! She beamed happily.
Don't murder a trusting friend to cover your ass…Get a reward…
I like being back on the Good Guys…
….
Section 1…
Artie frowning at the buzzing alarm on his Farnsworth…
The front door at the B&B? Really? Now, of all times? And it's definitely not Vanessa and Company…
Or should I say, Vanessa, Chet, and Company…
In which case, Company…Would be…Uh, Company…
"Ladies…Forgive me…I will be right back." He told the two reclined forms…Claudia's lusty snoring bringing a smile…Mrs. Fredericks' shallow but steady breathing reassuring him.
"Nielsen…Hello." Professor Sutton eyed him. Charlotte and Nicholas beside him at the door. Charlotte looking rather perturbed.
"Sutton? What are you doing here?" Artie frowned.
"Gracious as always…" Charlotte glared. "Some might inquire how the woman who'd helped save their installation, friends, and the world, back from the brink of death, was…But Agent Nielsen has his own unique brand of hospitality."
"My apologies…How are you, Countess? We're all very glad your phased loss of immortality allowed you to regenerate one last time. Now, if you'll excuse me, the crisis you referred to, that you helped cause?...Is still most definitely underway…" he began closing door.
Sutton… "Wait, there!...OW!" his usual trick of foot in the door by instinct not taking into account his recent loss of invulnerability.
"Sorry. Get your foot out of my door, Sutton." Artie, calmly.
"My broken foot? In a moment…After you let me deliver the reason for our little sojourn to the picturesque hell that is this backwater. I found my brother's journals as requested."
"Oh…Great. Leave them right there. I'll get to them later. Goodbye."
"Hold on…" Sutton, annoyed. "These documents are priceless artifacts and my family property…The journals of one of history's great early scientists…"
"Diaries of a madman and a wizard worthy of stake-burning some would say…"
"His regrettable final years…Some would say his deterioration caused by his labors in the service of Mankind at the earlier version of this very place." Sutton frowned. "Now at least let me get these inside…And lets discuss proper compensation for their use and their proper storage and maintenance during their temporary loan to your organization. Meaning, I want them back asap and intact."
"Sutton…Your 'compensation' is that we didn't charge or bronze your wife and son for releasing that maniac brother of yours." Artie glared. "I have two friends right now suffering as a result of what that man did and is doing."
"And we came all this way with the intent of assisting you…" Charlotte frowned. "Risking lives that are quite precious to us now."
He sighed at her counterglare… "Fine…" he opened the door. "Bring them in and go…I have too much on my plate and no Myka or Pete on hand to handle the pleasantries…"
"Charming…Who could resist such an invitation…" Charlotte, grimly… "Come on then, Bennett…Lets get these in…" she pushed past Artie, entering the B&B…Sutton and Nicholas following, lugging boxes.
"A rather excessive amount of paper if you ask me…But Brother was always a meticulous records-keeper…" Sutton noted to Artie. "Just set those down there, Nick." He pointed to a spot in the hallway.
"Now…These documents are only to be opened and reviewed by authorized personnel under specified conditions as outlined in this letter." He offered Artie a four-page letter which Nielsen stared at. "Which you will sign as an authorized representative of this installation…For insurance purposes."
Artie…Mental cut to shot of Pete with jelly sandwich in hand, rummaging through the boxes, finding a drawing or two of interest… "Hey, Mykes?! Look at this…! Ooops, damn, dropped my sandwich!"
"Was it really necessary…?" he ignored Sutton's ongoing lecture on the pricelessness of the journals and their proper care, turning to the grim Charlotte lugging the last box…
Knew Bennett would find a way to avoid carrying more than one of these…
"…For all of you to come…? Just to deliver these?"
For any of you, actually…
"We're a family again…" Sutton beamed expansively. "We love doing things together as a family…It's been much too long and we've not got all the time in the world as we once did, to bond and reconcile the little problems and annoyances that cropped up over the centuries…"
"And Charlotte would never trust you out of her sight…" Artie eyed him.
"I don't trust him in my sight…" she frowned. "But that's a personal matter...And none of your business…"
"Charlotte…Maria is just my graduate student. She was merely assisting with organizing these papers and making copies of everything…"
"Whereas you seemed more intent on 'copying' her ass…" Charlotte glared.
"Dear…" he glanced at Nicholas, then Artie…
"Yes…Later…" Charlotte, waving it off. Turning to Artie… "But you're right, Nielsen…We had more reason for coming out here than merely delivering papers…Though I did want the filthy things out of my living room where they've been for the past month. Nick has been having visions."
"Indeed." Sutton nodded. "And since they seemed of likely interest to you…And we were concerned…"
"It's not that serious, Father…" Nicholas sighed. "I just thought it might be important to Mr. Nielsen…And Claudia…"
"Yes, where is the dear girl?" Sutton, beaming again…Even Charlotte seeming to brighten a bit… "Nick's been very anxious to see her again."
"Father…" Nicholas, reddening slightly.
"Nick…There's no time to waste now…And this is a girl both your parents heartily…" he eyed Charlotte who gave a somewhat reluctant…Would've preferred at least minor nobility but…Nod… "Approve of…"
"What?" Artie stared…
"Just offering the boy a little support in his romantic endeavors, Nielsen. I'm sure you're aware he rather fancies Miss Donovan and as you know his sterling character…" Sutton, expansively…
"He's a liar, junior con artist, and thief…A chip off the old block…" Artie frowned.
"Mr. Nielsen!" Charlotte, glaring… "I might remind you my boy saved potentially millions of lives at great personal risk."
"He dodged jail time by giving us a little assistance tracking your brother-in-law…" Artie, coolly.
"Now, Arthur…I resent that…" Sutton sputtered… "Nicholas is the purest-hearted boy I know…He was forced to a few extreme actions by a terrible fate not of his making…And has certainly redeemed himself. Plus with his knowledge and experience of the past centuries, once he completes formal college training in a few years, he's sure to become a great man…Historian, adventurer, inventor…Financier, perhaps…Statesman…Why he should be a fine Secretary General of the UN or President of the United States."
"Absolutely…" Charlotte, beaming now…
"Mother…Father…I simply wanted to help…Please, can we not do any matchmaking just right now?" Nicholas, deeply embarrassed. "Mr. Nielsen, I just thought the visions…Concerning my uncle…And Claudia…Claudias…Might be important…"
"Claudias? And your uncle?" Artie, eyeing the boy now, carefully… "What do you mean? Describe them."
"I've seen my uncle, in visions…Very recently, the last few days. But not the man who caused all this disturbance…My old uncle, a good and kind man…A saint…I'm sure it was him…I saw the kindness and love in his eyes again…"
"And Claudia(s)?..."
"She was with him…They were, I mean…Many Claudias…And they seemed to be trying to say something, warn me…And Uncle seemed to be helping her, trying to reach me. I think they wanted to warn me…Have me warn you…And Claudia, perhaps."
Artie stared…
"Has my brother made a return visit since our last encounter?" Sutton asked. "You said the crisis was ongoing and Nick's had a vision even on his way up here with us."
"Actually he's been here the last few days…Attacking Mrs. Fredericks and Claudia on several occasions…And now, since she took over the duty of Caretaker, Claudia's faced a major attack…And beaten it off. For now…"
"I'm truly sorry…" Sutton, sympathetically. "The ladies are all right, though? I see the Warehouse is still relatively intact…And my brother hasn't appeared on world media declaiming to be Emperor-God."
"Mrs. Fredericks bore the brunt and is in a coma…Claudia's resting but doing well. But something has come up…" Artie eyed Sutton. "I don't know yet if it's true or no but…"
"Has Brother been captured? Or, more likely, vamoosed? If so, thank God, nice work…" Sutton smiled.
"Perhaps you and I should talk a moment, Sutton…" Artie sighed.
"He's dead?" Charlotte stared, immediately catching on… "My God…You've killed him?...He really is…Dead?"
"Nielsen?" Sutton, stunned a bit… "Not that I'd be terribly put out by such news…"
"Nothing's confirmed…Yet…" Artie, carefully…
"I wouldn't trust him for a second, Nielsen." Charlotte frowned. "How can he be dead? The Stone made him invulnerable…"
"And that is why I say, nothing is confirmed…I don't know yet…But my people have found what appears to be his body…And it's quite and irreversibly…Dead."
"Oh…" Sutton blinked.
"Bennett…I'm sorry…Well, for you…Dearest…" Charlotte patted his arm.
"You'll have to pardon me if I don't join in the sentiment…" Artie, calmly.
"I…I don't know what to say…" Sutton sighed… "I know what he became…But as a boy…I loved him dearly and he was truly a great and good man. I wish I knew what exactly happened to change him and twist his nature so…May I see the body? Family and all that…"
"I want to check things first…Be sure this isn't a trap…" Artie noted.
"Of course…" Charlotte nodded. "It would be just like him…Bennett, I know you only want to remember your lovable, noble brother…But this maniac would happily fake his death if only to deceive and torment us all."
"When did Uncle…Paracelsus…Die?" Nick asked, suddenly.
"Today, we think…Perhaps after his last attack…If it is him…It could be his power was compromised by the attack, I don't know…I haven't seen him yet."
"I should go with you." Sutton noted. "If he faking and it's not him, I'm the best person to id the body."
"You might be right at that…" Artie pondered.
"No…Wait…" Charlotte shook head. "My husband is suffering the aftereffects of invulnerability and is delusional…You can't go facing him, Bennett. He'll kill you…Permanently…And you promised…" she blanched a bit.
"You swore on your mother's soul you'd grow old with me…Now that we finally can…I'm holding you to that, husband…"
"I'm just going to have a look-see with Nielsen…No danger whatsoever…And his people are on hand to protect me…" he eyed Artie… "They are all still alive, aren't they?"
"For the moment…" Artie nodded. "And it would be helpful if the Countess and Nick could keep an eye on Mrs. Fredericks and Claudia…I haven't wanted to leave them alone."
"Certainly…" Charlotte nodded. "But Bennett stays with us…"
"I should go…" Nick noted, suddenly. "I'm the one having the visions…I might sense something to prove if Uncle's truly at peace or still seeking to destroy."
"Bennett will go…" Charlotte, hastily correcting…
"Mother…" Nick sighed. "This has to end and I'm the best one to help these people do that. Claudia may be in danger…"
"Is…No question…" Artie, firmly.
"…And I want to help…"
"Romance rears its lovely head." Sutton grinned. "My boy is truly after my own heart's inclination…In its more noble and truest form…" he hastily noted to Charlotte's grim stare.
…
