"Copier…"
Summary: Paracelsus is leaving a little gift for Arthur and the gang…
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Part XXVI…
Original Warehouseverse…
The bed and breakfast…Mrs. Fredericks' room where, surrounded by monitoring equipment, she lay in bed. Pete and Myka sitting with chairs drawn close to the bed…Myka rather eagerly nudging hers against Pete's.
"Somehow she doesn't look like Mrs. F. without the hat." He sighed. "I can't believe this…"
"Pete…I'm here…" Myka, anxiously…Reaching for hand. He letting her take his free hand, the other holding Mrs. Fredericks'.
"Thanks. I also can't believe those guys managed to undress her without her zapping them or something, even if she isn't Caretaker anymore." Wan grin…
"Neither can I…" Myka smiled.
Poor lady…She was always nice to me in our world, Myka thought. But…It wasn't my fault. And if I could figure out a way…
One that wouldn't involve giving me away, natch…
Cause as much as I would like to be the sort of Myka this sweet Pete could love…As I will be the sort he can love…
There are limits to what even the sweetest Pete could accept.
Besides, I'm protecting him…All of them, really…From someone who makes Paracelsus look like an amateur when she wants to.
And while I may be a little dumber than their Myka…Well, lets say…Less experienced? I'm not such a fool I don't know I rate very low on Queen Claudia's list of treasured people.
"What?" she looked at Pete, vaguely hearing him address her… "Mykes?"
"Sorry…I was thinking." Wan smile…
Contemplating…Because for the first time in my life, I've got to take charge, not run from the responsibility…And try to beat the biggest bad of them all…At the height of her power…Almost unlimited power…
Literally…
And my one advantage…I'm far too dumb in her book to ever be considered a threat.
"Mykes? Do you really think Claudia's up to this?" Pete eyed her. She looked at him a moment…
"I…Don't know…" she sighed. "But I guess we have to hope she is."
"I guess…Well, if anyone is, Claud is."
"Yep." She nodded. "Though of course, we should do all we can to help her, keep an eye on things…She needs us, more than ever." Gentle hand squeeze… "All that power is gonna be hard to deal with, ya know. It's turned more than one good person to the dark side."
She regarded his concerned, troubled face…
"Sorry…But I'm just sayin'. We have to be careful here, Pete. For her sake and ours…"
"Well, she's got us…And Artie, above all…We'll get her through this. And the Regents will be helping this time." He noted…Clearly trying to build up his own confidence.
"I'm sure…Yeah…Paracelsus won't know what hit him." Myka nodded.
Literally…He didn't…
Nothing in all his travels across the multiple universes…(Universi?)…Prepared him for the Claudia Donovan of our world.
Now…I've just gotta see that nothing has prepared Claudia for Myka Bering.
"Pete…" she looked anxiously over as he wept suddenly. "Oh, Pete…My sweet Pete…" she hugged him.
"I'm sorry…" he said, waving a hand. "It's just…I know I should be glad…You're better…Claudia's beaten off Paracelsus…But…"
"Myka's here…I'm going to make it all better…I swear." Tight hug, kiss. "Mrs. F. will be ok…And I'm going nowhere, Pete, I swear."
I swear…Pete…Mrs. F.
I will make it better.
I will be the Myka you love…Even if it kills Claudia…
Even if it kills me…
….
"Ok…" Artie was pacing in his office…
"Ok…" Claudia, solemn nod to Jinks…
"Ok, what?" Artie had paused and eyed her.
"Just following your lead, mon captaine…" she smiled.
He frowned, then sighed. "Ok…"
Claudia sidelong glance to Jinks…Wink.
"We know this man…" frowning at the sheet-covered corpse. "Our late friend here…Is not the Paracelsus Sutton knew and very likely not the Paracelsus we fought earlier. No Stone protection, poor understanding of the Warehouse for a curator, and…Well…" he paused.
"Lacking that certain something…" Claudia grinned. Jinks wincing…Sutton, seated near Jinks, looking pained…
"Meaning Paracelsus is still out there, plotting…" Jinks noted. "Unless Nick is right and the good uncle is the survivor, trying to help…"
"But not showing himself?" Claudia pointed out… "He ought to at least wanna show for the Victory party."
"I have to agree…Reluctantly…With Ms. Donovan…" Sutton noted from his chair. "Much as I'd love to believe my good brother is alive, I don't believe he wouldn't try to come to us if he were. This must be some sort of imposter and the real one still out and about, trying to determine the best way to destroy you all and take the Warehouse."
"But the existence of an evil Paracelsus bears out Nick's info on multiple universe seeking Paracelsus…Suggests he was in fact, successful…Unfortunately for him." Artie noted.
"That's possible. The brother I knew would be trusting and decent, easy prey for a evil man armed with his knowledge…" Sutton agreed. "I ought to know, I conned him out of enough money in our lives." Sheepish glance to Charlotte.
"I'm sorry, Bennett…" Charlotte, sadly. "If we could have helped him…"
"If he died a good man and not a monster, that's enough for me…He never believed in eternal life as necessarily a good thing, we discussed it many times. He'd be pleased to know he died fighting evil, just sorry his name was blackened." Sutton rose. "And I can clear him…Do my duty to him…"
"We will, if we can…Together…" Charlotte nodded.
"Of course…" Artie agreed. "But lets remember, we still have a very dangerous threat to deal with. Claudia? The search for 'multiverse doppel gangers'?"
"I'm up." She grinned to Jinks…
"Well…There have been rumors of doppelgangers…We've encountered something like that…" she noted. "Mainly connected though to time shifts, altered time lines, that sort of thing rather than some sort of sliding between universes…"
Honesty…Best policy…She eyed Jinks with smile.
Not a lie in the bunch…
"But it is possible…" Sutton eyed her.
"In our improbable universe(s), anything is…" she nodded.
"We need something more solid…" Artie frowned. "If Paracelsus combined artifacts to create a portal or transport system of some sort there must be records of artifacts with some of the abilities required."
"Well...There are several…" Claudia agreed. "But no way to know if they can be combined…"
"Nick seemed keen about one item…" Sutton noted suddenly. "He thought it resembled the painting tool he'd seen in my brother's study."
"Yeah…" Claudia nodded. "There was mention of an old one, from Roman days…An artist's brush in a special contraption that was said to make perfect copies that were so real…"
"They came to life…" Artie finished.
"But just a rumor, a legend…Not confirmed and no record of the artifact…" Claudia paused…
"Before Paracelsus' time…" Artie nodded. "He must have located it and used it in combination with other artifacts, trying to improve it. Probably did what he could to expunge any real record of it as the essential piece. Wait…" he paused.
"Pepys Pantagraph…" he looked at them… "It's a combined artifact that brought a woman back from the dead…Or did it?…Claudia?" he turned back to his computer, relinquished back to him by Claudia a short while before…
Claudia involuntarily starting…But repressing…
Don't lie…She urged herself…And don't use Warehouse power…Just…You're good Claudia trying to honestly solve a puzzle. And your good buddy/mentor/lover (to be) has had a brilliant light bulb of an idea.
"Neilsen, I do believe you're right…" she nodded. "We were looking at it before, Pete and me…It was used to bring Pepys' wife back from the dead…But …"
"But…" Artie nodded. "The feeling was that it had brought back a copy…The Caretaker of that day didn't feel a resurrection had been performed per se based on aural readings." He turned his computer screen around to face the group. "It's never been used since so there's no confirmation one way or the other."
"Was 17th century fringe cloning technology that good?" Claudia asked. "Or was she…The living dead?…An automaton?"
"No, to both…" Artie shook head, sighing. "The living dead? Really?...Glad to hear you've improved your vocabulary though…Automaton?"
"Hey…I was into geek science…I watched all of 'Fringe' and 'Eureka'…" Claudia mock-frowned. "And read the occasional book of geek science his/herstory…"
Artie pondered. "Claudia, are you sure you saw the Pantagraph? It was in its proper place?"
"We saw what seemed to be it…In proper place." She noted. "Though we were busy saving the world…"
"We need to see the pantagraph…" Artie insisted.
"But if Paracelsus…Either one…Came from his own world…" Jinks, considering…
"Brought his own, you mean?" Claudia, nodding… "Still, he might have wanted spare parts…"
"And more important…" Artie eyed them. "The multiverse artifacts are linked at a quantum level. If one is being used or was recently used, the other will show it…"
"Really?" Claudia, honestly surprised.
My bastard of a late partner never did mention that to me…And if it shows use, it no doubt also could…
"Arthur?" she grinned. "Do they by any chance show it more when in proximity?"
He smiled faintly…
Aw, you…She beamed.
Jinks nodding… "So we could use the pantagraph to find Paracelsus' transport artifact…"
"Sutton?" Artie addressed him… "You think Nick would know the original artifact?"
"I think he can make a fairly good guess…" Sutton noted.
"Ok then, we'll have him meet us at the pantagraph…" Artie nodded, rising. "Claudia…I think you'd better come and Jinks had better stay monitoring Mrs. Fredericks and the warehouse here."
"Sorry, Jinksy, we'll keep you informed. But isn't hims wonderful?" Claudia rose, giving the startled Artie a gentle kiss on the head.
Hey, any excuse…
Does pose a slight problem, but hey…We have to find Paray's little transporter sometime…
I just have to see that I get to make one final use of it. To acquire our Immortality and to remove a small obstacle to our happiness, my love…She beamed at Artie. "Just the Caretaker's symbol of appreciation for a job well done, Neilsen. Good man."
And each time a little bit easier and more accepted…She smiled at Jinks' wry grin. Noted Sutton's slight sigh…Alas, poor Nick…
Yes…I can hear those wedding bells chime and the cry of my first-born…
You know I think I could get to even like Jinks II enough to keep him alive…
…..
Alternate Warehouseverse…
"So Pete here was never married?" Myka asked Amanda as she led them …
Claudia frowning slightly…Bering? This is the big issue now?
Nick looking a bit puzzled. And a tad disappointed…
Thought she had no liking for our Mr. Lattimer…
"I mean besides being engaged to poor Cecily…"
Amanda silent, eyeing Claudia…
"Yeah, sure…Answer away…" she shrugged.
"Oh, no…He was married…To a very evil woman…This doctor who'd found out about the Warehouse from Agent MacPherson…" Amanda noted. "She nearly killed him…"
"Doctor?" Claudia blinked.
"By any chance was she Latina?" Myka asked.
Nod. "Yes, she was. She worked for a major drug cartel, they were hoping to steal artifacts and had a partnership with MacPherson." Amanda noted. "Agent Lattimer had to kill her. It was very sad."
"I'll bet…" Claudia stared.
"He killed his own wife?" Myka blinked.
"She would have helped MacPherson kill millions and all of us." Amanda noted. "He had no choice…I was so sorry for him. But then you came…" she frowned at Myka. "And you…" glance at Claudia…
"And he never even noticed me…" Amanda, slight wistfulness.
Really…Myka beamed a bit…Quenching at Claudia's frown…
Come on, Claud…I beat out Seven of Nine…Grin…
"Do you think we should let her take us to this place, Ms. Donovan?" Nick asked. "Even if you do control her, Agent Lattimer might know of it."
"He might…But I'll hope he really wants us to escape, if only to get his hands on the sliding portal device…" Claudia shrugged. "I think he'll let us be till we do that…"
"But it might be best for you, Nick…" Myka began… "…If you go back…"
"I don't think so, Ms. Bering…I did help overpower the new Caretaker. Either I'll be held or my parents and I will be expelled and unable to help you. Agent Lattimer might just believe their story that I ran on my own…"
"Or allow it to be believed to help his little scheme…Ok…" Claudia nodded. "And we may need his help in any case…No one knows this world better than someone who's lived in it for 500 years."
"Anything I can do…" Nick nodded. "Perhaps I should go with the lady here and check the place out, just in case?"
"No…" Myka shook head… "It's a good idea, but I'm the expendable one in this team. May I?" she extended hand for the al-Rashid cloak.
"Hardly, Myka…And yet…" Claudia sighed.
"It's ok…Besides, you're probably right and Pete's keeping away to leave us be." Myka's voice alone now, her form invisible.
"Amanda?" Claudia firmly. "You understand that Agent Bering is invisible? And that my order to obey her remains in effect?"
"Yes, ma'am…" slight reluctant tone.
"Ok then, take her on to the hiding place, and whatever you do, don't give her away if anyone is there or shows, ok? If Agent Lattimer has got people there, slip off and try to get back to us later…If they catch you, forget knowing about anything about us before they remove the collar. You understand?"
"Yes, ma'am…"
"Lets go…" Myka's voice. "Claud, you'd best not stay right here, just come back as you can."
"Right…Nick and I will take a tour and see if two heads are better than one in finding multidimensional portals. Good luck, amazing invisible lady…And Myka? Don't forget a side effect of the cloak over time and use is megalomania, like the Claude Rains' Invisible Man, ok?"
Tap on arm…Giggle.
"And don't do that…" Claudia frowned…
I swear she gets more "Pete" every day…
…..
