A/N: Chap 12 review responses in my forums as normal. Things are stabilizing for Taylor, which means slower chapters.
Chapter Thirteen: Doing Business
She lay on a divan as the warm wind caressed her body. She smiled lazily at the way the breeze plucked at the long, snowy white strands of her hair. Red sunlight fell in dappled diamonds of color through the dark blue leaves of the tree over her head. She watched as the leaves turned their thickly veined, furry surfaces to the light. Always seeking, always eager for the light.
Another girl was there, laying on the divan beside her. Inhumanly large, violet eyes stared intently down at her. Long, pure white hair fell from the top knot along the shaven sides of her bone-pale scalp. She ran a hand slowly across her cheek.
"Do you know what sacrifice even means, my sister? Who would you die for?"
The words rang in Taylor's mind, bouncing about like a ricocheting bullet, until all thought shattered before a gut-churning howl that ripped through the air. It wasn't animal, though. It was a machine. A warning. A siren.
No, wait. That's a scream.
Taylor's eyes snapped open and she winced as small feet kicked against her shins within the confines of their sleeping bag. Yuki cried in her sleep as she fought against the terrors in her dreams.
"Uncle!"
The cry resounded in the Force with a saturation of betrayal, misery and pain. Taylor's efforts to grab and hold the smaller girl was as much to protect herself as to comfort Yuki. She hooked Yuki's kicking legs with her own, securing them between her larger, stronger thighs, and she pulled Yuki up next to her, smothering her weak, terrified swings in a crushing hug.
Finally, she flooded the smaller girl with Force energy, letting it flow into her mind with thoughts of peace and safety. "Shh," Taylor whispered as she held the smaller girl's face to her chest. "It's okay. You're safe. It's okay. You're safe. I've got you."
The storm passed. In the space of ten heartbeats, Yuki went from fight-or-flight nightmare to quiet, subdued wakefulness. With it came a shiver from the body within Taylor's arms, moving down from her head to her toes. Taylor was very cold herself, and couldn't tell if Yuki was shivering because of the cold or the nightmare.
Her arms snaked around Taylor's chest. Her legs slid free of Taylor's, only to wrap around them again, and this time it was Yuki clinging desperately to her. As she did so, Taylor became uncomfortably aware of how thin her sleeping shirt and underwear were, and how utterly naked Yuki was.
She said nothing, though. Instead, she and Yuki clung together, shivering in the freezing cold of a January morning in Seattle. Soon it ceased to be about exhaustion and became a way to shelter themselves from the bitter cold. Taylor didn't trust her telekinesis quite enough to try refilling a propane heater, but at the same time she desperately wanted not to climb out into the biting cold air.
Eventually, though, Taylor's bladder and her stomach drove her to get up and moving. She ignored Yuki's whimper and her own body's intense shivering as she stepped over the cold wood of the loft subfloor to the space heater. It took only a few shivering moments to refill the heater and get heat radiating out. A quick trip to the camping toilet was enough to find some relief before she climbed back into her cot.
Almost instantly Yuki somehow positioned herself directly into Taylor, grabbing her hands around her waist and up between her small breasts. "Taylor, um, what does it mean that I can feel you inside me?"
Taylor choke on spit before folding into a coughing fit.
~~Quintessence~~
~~Quintessence~~
Breakfast was served on a filthy old card table Taylor found in the church annex, which she covered with a picnic blanket she found in her supplies. It took a long time to get tea warmed up on a propane oven, and she was fairly certain she burned the bacon.
The eggs turned out fine, though. And Yuki put enough strawberry jam on her two slightly crisped pieces of toast that the charring became largely irrelevant.
"So, ahhh, what you said earlier. That wasn't just a way to try and, you know, seduce me, wasn't it?"
"Oh, no. I mean, I was thinking about trying to start seducing you tonight. Maria says I have to go slow, because some girls aren't into other girls. So, instead of, you know, trying to jump your bones or anything I should start with hugs and little kisses to get you used to being touched by another girl."
Taylor found it difficult to close her mouth. "So, ahh, subtlety isn't required for this plan of yours?"
"Oh, no, it's all subtle-like. If not, I'd go down on you in a second." Yuki's grin looked almost…wistful. "You have no idea how hot you looked on that ship, all bloody and shot and hurting and all. I mean, I think I came a little just looking at you. But Maria knows about these things, so I'm gonna go real slow and get you used to it. Like touching my boobs this morning? That was a good start. But…what I said? It's really weird, but if feels like I can actually feel you in my head. Not just a 'God I wanna fuck her so hard I can feel it' type feeling, but like a 'Wow, she's really angry and I can feel it.' That kinda feeling."
Taylor just had no idea what to say. She liked Yuki, but she felt no attraction to the girl at all. On the other hand, no one had ever expressed such unbridled desire toward her, except for Greg Veder. And he most definitely didn't count.
"I'm not gay, Yuki," she felt compelled to ask.
"Oh, that's okay," the other girl said as she at her toast. "I'm not either."
What really confused Taylor was the fact that, according to the Force, Yuki wasn't lying.
"Okay, let's put that aside. After breakfast, I want to try something."
"Oh…"
"That doesn't involve you kissing me."
"Oh, okay."
The finished eating and Yuki volunteered to put the dishes in a plastic bin with some water and detergent to soak. When they were done and dressed, Taylor walked her back to her cot and the precious circle of warmth from their heater.
"Okay. Face me. I'll see if I can figure this out."
She took the smaller but older girl's hands in her own. "This is going to seem silly, but I want to you just not think about anything. Or, if you do have to think of something, think of the ocean."
"The ocean?"
"Yeah. You're on a beach by the ocean. No houses, no ships. Just the water and the sky. The waves are crawling up the beach and then receding. Can you imagine it?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, I'm standing beside you."
Yuki stiffened as Taylor projected herself into the other girl's mind. She found herself on a desolate stony beach with cold, gray clouds pushing down against a stormy, cold ocean. Yuki stared at her, mouth agape.
"I can see you," she said within the vision.
"I know. Take my hand."
Yuki complied without question.
"Okay, Yuki. Do you trust me?"
"Yes." No hesitation. The word sounded almost like an affirmation of faith.
"Then believe me now. That ocean? That's life itself—that's my power. I call it the Force. Everything around us carries that energy in it. Like…spirits, almost. That energy is what gives me my power. I'm telepathic because all minds are linked through the Force. I can move objects because all objects are borne by the Force. And I can help my body heal faster because my blood is infused with the Force itself. And I'm going to walk you into that ocean. Do you understand?"
Yuki hesitated a moment. "But…it's…cold. And deep."
Taylor squeezed her hand. "It's deep, but not cold. In this ocean, you could live in it. Close your eyes and trust me."
"I…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "I trust you. I'd…I'll do anything you say. Anything for you."
Taylor fought to calm herself with such adoring declarations.
"Okay. I'm going to walk you to the ocean, and I'll tell you when we're in the water, okay?"
Although it was only a visualization, Taylor couldn't help but stifle a gasp when she stepped into the ocean and felt the Force surge through her as the waves lapped at her ankles. More importantly, Yuki gasped and stumbled backward until she fell out of the Force, and right out of the vision.
Both girls opened their eyes in the loft of the abandoned, flooded church. Yuki's chest heaved as she gasped for air.
"Yuki, are you okay?"
"I…I…I felt that!" Yuki said. "Not the water. I felt…it was…warm and soft and like a wind and….wow. I …wow…"
Taylor for her part felt equally shocked, because she had no doubt at all that her friend felt the Force, something she thought only she could do because of her power.
"That's…a very good start," she said. "A really good start."
~~Quintessence~~
~~Quintessence~~
Jorge Lopez arrived on the cracked street an hour after dawn with three large trucks. Two were just regular pick-up trucks that looked like they were older than Taylor, but the third looked like a battered old utility truck. Taylor watched, astounded, as ten men climbed out of the three trucks. Jorge led the way.
Though he must have known who Yuki was, he didn't even nod. "Quintessencia," he said. "Show us where to work and what you want."
She led him to the side annex of the old church. Positioned as it was on the south-side of the church, the huge stone structure of the sanctuary provided some shelter for those classrooms in the annex nearest the church. But the further reaches of the structure collapsed in the flooding that came with Leviathan.
She showed him the three rooms she wanted to use, explaining how she envisioned things.
"What about the rest of the building?" He pointed at the collapsed classes.
"I don't need it for my clinic. Maybe someday after we get money coming in, but not yet."
He walked with her through the section of the annex she wanted to use. "I need three days and twenty thousand," he said finally.
She knew from a recent count of her stolen Russian money that she could cover it, but she still couldn't help but wince at the thought of spending so much. "What will that get me?"
"Walls, roof, flowing water. Septic system, and rain water capture system. Wiring. I can get it cheap because of salvage. Carpets in the lobby, linoleum in the other rooms. No electricity unless you have a big generator, but everything will be wired."
She sensed nothing but honesty. Even more so, she sensed the men were working for him at half their normal wages.
"Twenty thousand," she agreed. She turned to her new friend. "Yurei, the satchel by our stove?"
"Oh, yeah!" Yuki ran off.
Only as she was gone did Jorge acknowledge her. "Maria's friend?"
Taylor nodded. "She's a cape now. Because of what happened. She's going to stay with me."
Mr. Lopez considered that a moment before nodding. "Good. Would it be okay if Maria came to visit her?"
"I think she'd like that," Taylor said.
She handed over twenty thousand in stolen cash and Jorge immediately put his team to work. He himself left the site, but other men set to work tearing things down. Taylor retreated with Yuki back into the church loft.
Using her nice phone, she called her patron.
"Quintessence, guess what I saw on the news last night?"
"Something about Bayview West?" Taylor guessed from context.
"Something about Bayview West. Great going, Darling! That story is the best advertising you could do! Speaking of, are you ready to drop your first ad?"
"Actually, I have a crew working on my clinic. He said he needed the rest of the week. Could we drop the ad this weekend and open on Monday?"
"You already have a crew?"
"The girl I healed—her father is a contractor."
"Wow, you work fast. Absolutely, that will work. In fact, I might even bring a VIP by to help you open. So, my people tell me you should charge a sliding rate with a minimum of $200 per hour rate going up as high as you want. How does that sound?"
"That sounds like a lot."
"Darling, a good surgeon can charge over seven or eight hundred an hour. A good lawyer or CPA chargers $400 or more. The only reason we think you can't charge more is that you aren't working out of a hospital. So, you start low but go up depending on what they need and what they can pay. Besides, you can always charge less if you have reason. Now, I have a few references for office aides…"
"Um, actually, I have an aide already."
"My goodness, you really are fast! Perfect. Okay, we'll drop the add Saturday. I can't wait to see your clinic, Taylor. Call if you need anything!"
"Who was that?" Yuki asked.
Taylor considered how to answer before deciding the truth. "You know who I am, don't you?"
"Taylor Hebert, right?" She motioned toward Taylor's eyes. "Those kind of give you away, a little."
"I'm number eleven on the Top Twenty most wanted parahumans in America," Taylor said. "If the Protectorate found out I was Quintessence, they'd try to arrest me and throw me in he Birdcage. I needed help, and the only people who would help me were the Elite."
Yuki considered this a moment before shrugging. "Cool. That means we're supervillains now, right?"
"I am. You're a Rogue. And you're okay with that?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
For some reason, the chipper answer worried Taylor. "What I mean is, I'm a wanted felon. You're a new cape. You could walk into the PRT headquarters and say you wanted to join the Wards, and they'd take you in. If you told them about your Uncle and Mom, they'd take care of you. You could have a real life, and go to school. I can't offer any of that to you, Yuki. Hell, it's fucking selfish to even…what…Yuki?"
Once again she found herself interrupted by a hug from the smaller girl.
"The Protectorate didn't save me," Yuki told her. "The Protectorate didn't save my best friend. The Protectorate didn't hold me last night. You did. I don't care about making new friends. I don't care about school. All I need is you. And…well, maybe some new clothes."
Taylor couldn't help but laugh at the girl. It seemed safer than crying.
~~Quintessence~~
~~Quintessence~~
Yuki came to Taylor with nothing. They had the option of going to her uncle's house for basic supplies or going shopping. So, with sunglasses and a baseball cap for herself, and nothing for Yuki, the girls left Jorge and his crew to work while they went shopping.
"You okay with Goodwill? And Buy'n Large?" Taylor asked.
Yuki shrugged. "You can find great stuff there."
After making sure Yuki was all set supply wise, Taylor turned the car to go back when she saw a going-out-of business banner on an Home Electronics Surplus store.
"Wouldn't hurt to look."
"For what?"
"Not sure. I guess I'll know it when I see it."
Two hours later, Taylor watched with her stolen red sunglasses hiding her eyes as a pair of disgruntled workers finished tying the huge pallet of unboxed and returned microwaves to the top of her car, while the used desktop towers and tablets went in the trunk, along with the precision tools and soldering set.
"So, you're a tinker, too?" Yuki asked when the men finished.
"Of course not," Taylor assured her.
By the time they got back to the church, Taylor felt a jolt of shock to see a little bulldozer pushing away the unrepairable portion of the annex. That portion they were going to repair was already stripped down to it's studs.
"They work fast," Yuki noted.
"Good," Taylor said. "My patron is going to place an add in three days for my clinic, and we need to be up and running. You'll help, right?"
"You bet!"
They got everything in and up to the loft. That night, with the generator running loudly, Yuki played on the laptop while Taylor examined her bounty. She wasn't sure exactly what prompted her to pull into the electronics store, but once she saw the unboxed or returned microwaves and the bins of used tablets, cell phones and desk top computers, her mind simply clicked.
The Force flowed around her as she examined and began to disassemble each item. From her memories, she knew that molecular furnaces didn't bother with physically insulating materials. Rather, the furnaces depended on compounded ray and particle shielding and magnetic fields to contain the multi-stage fission/fusion reactions that would not only generate all the power she could possibly need, but would also create any set of matter she could possibly want.
Diagrams ran through her mind as if she were watching a television show on the design and creation of Molecular Furnaces, narrated by Tony Borden for the Discovery Channel. The turbine goes here, Tony would say in his sexy voice, and the anodes go at these points here. The magnetrons must be perfectly aligned with the ray and particle shield emitters or we could have a catastrophic failure on our hands. That would certainly finish off what Leviathan started, wouldn't it? Almost as important as the hardware is the software and the control systems. Those various circuit boards need to be daisy-chained, just like so. Imagine the ingredients of a classic New England chowder. Any one ingredient could overwhelm the others, everything must be in balance.
Tony's voice rippled up and down her spine as she manipulated the soldering iron even as her fingers flew over the keyboard to the linked circuit boards. She'd already stripped the original operating system and was creating a new one of her own in a language she knew no one on earth could read.
And there, the final product. The culmination of alien knowledge and Terran gumption, the molecular furnace can…can…
Taylor frowned as she lost the thread of Tony's voice. Come back, Sexy Tony!
She knew the man was old enough to be her father, but suddenly could have imagined herself kissing him. But the voice went away, as did the Force. She suddenly became aware of the fact that she was sitting cross-legged on a cold floor, with numb legs and a sore back, and a shocking exhaustion that hit her like a brick.
Across from her, snacking on a container of peanuts, Yuki waived.
"I don't know what you were doing, but it was pretty cool."
In between them sat a large metal box that looked like a microwave designed by the Weird Science kids but built by Mad Max. It was almost three feet-square and shone with potential. All it needed was power to initiate it's capacitors.
"So, ah…what is it?"
"A generator, sort of," Taylor said.
"And you're not a tinker? 'Cause it sure looked like you were a tinker. You had bits and pieces flying all over the place. It was really cool."
"Not a tinker," Taylor promised. "I am tired, though. It's been a long day."
She used some of their precious water to brush her teeth and get dressed in her sleeping shirt. Laundry, she saw, was going to be an issue soon. For now, though, all she needed was…sleep?
Yuki lay in the cot, stark naked. Of course Yuki was in the cot. Where else would she sleep?
"Think you could hold off on the seduction for another night?"
Yuki smiled. "Yeah. Mainly, you just make the nightmares better. And it's cold sleeping alone."
"Could you at least put something on?" Taylor said. Even to her ears, she sounded like she was whining.
This time, the grin turned mischievous. "Good point. Shirt's make even small tits mysterious."
So, she slipped on one of Taylor's shirts, which while skinny enough for her, hung down to her thighs. "Hmm," she said, holding the collar to her nose. "It even smells like you."
"Come on, lover girl. It's cold."
Taylor scooted over enough to make room for her bedmate.
Yuki made an odd purring noise of happiness when she climbed in. Almost immediately the smaller girl latched onto Taylor. At first it felt awkward and uncomfortable. But once she stopped thinking about another girl's breasts against her, she was able to acknowledge that she was warm for the first time all day.