Orphans Beloved: "Beth Rhymes With Death…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved and Sheldon Swifties bits in my Buffyverse and Sheldonverse, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

Disclaimer: No copy write infringement intended…

Part XXVIII…

Dyad Institute, Lab H-5…

"Do you believe there's a chance someone tried a download, into a living woman?" Arthur eyed Delphine as they stood…The virtual Leekie frowning.

"That's unlikely unless someone was playing at mad Science…" it noted. "I could see Nealon or someone trying to record a last record from Rachel but what would be the point of trying to put a record of Beth into a dying Rachel?"

"He has a point…" Delphine agreed as Art eyed the image.

"Could a record have 'gone wrong'?" Art asked her.

"I'm the best person to question on this, Detective…Even if I'm 'imaginary'." Virtual Aldous grinned, waving hands. "And only if someone completely screwed it, putting the data records for Beth into the system and downloading rather than uploading…It would have to be intentional."

"So this is a blind alley?" Art frowned.

"I only meant to suggest a means by which it could have happened…" Delphine paused. "Aldous? Did you…I mean the real you…Ever consider such a download?"

"You mean, did I love Beth better and hope to improve Rachel's character with a little personality support?" smile. "No, even I'm not that crazy, Delphine…At least so far as I'm aware, he never considered it. The system was meant only to preserve records and memories, not impose them. But that said…" he seemed to ponder. "I was looking at telepathic links among the LEDAs, at least among the local girls…And I do believe I paired Alison with Rachel for a number of tests, believing their personalities a bit more compatible than other locals."

Delphine regarding the figure…

"Then a link of some sort could have been established…" she stared.

"A link?" Art, anxious now. "You're saying Leekie's ESP experiments could have linked Alison and Rachel in some way."

"It's entirely possible…" Virtual Leekie nodded. "If we accept that ESP scores could mark the LEDA clones as stronger candidates for some sort of telepathic communication and if that was reinforced during the experiments…" smile. "Of course that implies accepting that there is anything to ESP or telepathy."

"So when Rachel died…She went to Alison…" Art blinked. "Because they'd been linked…?"

"Lets say the groove had been worn a little…" Virtual Leekie nodded. "However if as you two say, Beth then entered what was effectively a mental vacuum in Rachel…"

"Was Beth tested with Alison and Rachel?" Delphine asked.

"Can't we check the records on computer?" Art suggested.

"I am the computer, so to speak…" Virtual Aldous smiled. "And yeah, Aldous' records indicate they were tested together several times though my counterpart had focused on Alison and Rachel…And now you think Rachel might have moved on into Alison? And that somehow Beth has taken root in Rachel, after Nealon resuscitated her?" Virtual Leekie nodded. "In fact, you seem very convinced of that, Detective." He addressed Bell.

"Should we be sharing so much with him?" Art eyed Delphine.

"I already know everything on the system. And I can help, at least to the extent of data gathering and analysis. I might even have an insight or two…Aldous had some pioneering AI work done on me." Smile.

"We can block any communication with Topside or Neolution, if that's your concern." Delphine noted. "Aldous kept this project strictly off the grid, it was his own work, with some advanced programming help."

"But he seems able to tap into the Dyad data systems…" Art noted. "That could be a two way street that even Leekie wasn't aware of."

"Hmmn…Good point." Virtual Leekie nodded. "But Dr. Cormier should be able to verify my firewall's secure. Delphine?"

"I've checked…It is secure as far as I can tell. And it's unlikely Topside would be interested in some fringe science side project of Aldous. They were concerned with projects that clearly yielded benefits." Cormier told Art who frowned, then shrugged.

"But if we accept…It would mean…Either Beth was in Rachel after she died and just waited her chance there…Or…?" Delphine shook head.

"A lot of religious types would like the answer to that one…" Virtual Aldous nodded, pondering. "It would mean something of Beth…A soul, if you like…Survived and waited. In or out of Rachel…"

"I can't believe some sort of recording of Beth could have done this." Art frowned. "It is Beth in there. I can feel her. What kind of recording created you?" he addressed the hologram. "It must have been a lot more extensive than Leekie's ESP tests on the girls?"

"It was. Very detailed EEGs, PETT scans, neural net analysis…I can print out the details…"

"No, thanks. But that's my point…" Art noted.

"We'd have to assume the recording was nothing but a marker…Or an anchor if you will…Something that gave whatever was left of Beth a way in. Same for Alison and Rachel, just that Alison isn't ready to leave." Virtual Aldous nodding head. "The track would have been deeper for Alison and Rachel, they'd been tested longer. But if Beth had been waiting for a doorway…Sorry if I'm getting a bit mystical…" smile to Art and Delphine's perturbed faces.

"But Beth…If she is Beth…" Delphine, sighing… "Said she'd no memory after dying at the train station, isn't that right?" she asked Art who nodded.

"She came to in Rachel, but that was the last she remembered. Or so she told me."

"Fascinating…" the hologram nodded. Sighing… "Tell me, Delphine? She didn't suffer?"

Delphine stared at the flickering image…

"You know I raised her. She was as close to a daughter as I could have had, even if she knew I'd come to regret her Neolutionist upbringing. It's important to me…To Aldous…And Nealon didn't enter the records of her last moments into the medical database. Please…" anxious look.

"She didn't suffer, Aldous. It must have been very quick, according to what I was told." Delphine, quietly. "In fact, she really didn't die for more than an instant."

"Seems hard to believe Rachel would give up and fly off to Alison…" Art, rubbing face with a hand. "That's not like what I've heard of her…"

"Is it, Detective?" Virtual Aldous sighed. "I can't really feel the emotions but I know Rachel was distraught after Ethan Duncan's suicide. However much she may have seemed to you people to be in control of herself, she's been on the edge of despair a very long time…It could be she was ready to let go and fly to the safest haven she knew of."

"Alison Hendrix? A safe haven…" Art, incredulously.

"Alison is what Rachel would have been, with a few minor tweaks, Detective. But not only Alison as far as that 'safe haven' goes…" the image regarded them.

"Donnie…Hendrix?" Delphine blinked. "Rachel was in love with Donnie Hendrix?"

Art staring…

"With everything he and Alison's life represented, Delphine." The image noted, shrugging. "And you know I chose Donnie because he was someone anyone of our girls, including Cosima, at the right moment, could have fallen for."

…..

"I believe Dr. Cormier has approved my access for this evening…" Beth, in Rachel tone, to the frowning Dyad gate guard who'd noted her pass no longer allowed unrestricted access. "Call her…Now…And see that she approves access for my companions…Sarah Manning and Felix Dawkins…She'll agree."

"I'm better, right?" Sarah hissed to Fee. "Come on, I got the accent down much better…"

"Well, accent, sure…" Fee nodded. "But Beth's Rachel seems to breath that authoritarian air…"

"Now I'm insulted…" Beth grinned. "God…" she sighed, brushing at hair. "I miss my hair…" She paused as Fee tapped her shoulder to indicate the guard returning.

"Ok, you're approved for the evening. Sorry, regulations, Ms. Duncan."

"Fine. You've done your job competently. Now open the gate, please." Coldly off-hand reply.

"You're in Lot 5, space 11." He nodded. The gate opening…Sarah at the wheel curtly nodding and driving on.

"I'd bet anything that's not Rachel's old spot." Beth noted.

"How low have the mighty fallen…" Fee agreed.

"Careful, Felix…" Beth smiled wanly. "Sarah's upset that you're buying my whole line too quick."

"Rachel's fooled us in the past." Sarah noted, off-hand wave. "I don't say it can't be true but…Where is this damned lot anyway?"

"Damned if I know…" Beth shrugged. "I've only seen this place from the outside, leaving. 'Oi. She's good'." She mock-quoted, looking to a frowning Sarah, grinning to Fee.

"There's Lot 10…I'd keep going." Fee pointed.

"Well, at least I still rate Lot 5…Maybe it's at least got roofing…" Beth nodded.

"Hmmn…You know…Beth never seemed so easy-going…" Sarah noted, scanning the lot signs.

"I was freakin' paranoid and half-stoned daily when you invaded my life, sis."

….

"I'd prefer no record made of my entry…" Ferdinand noted to the same gate guard, who nodded, eyeing the security clearance level on his ID. "And which lot was Ms. Duncan assigned for tonight?"

"Lot 5, Space 11, Mr. Chevalier."

"Five? Mon Dieu…Poor girl." He shook head. "Delphine has a nasty streak I see. Well, I'll find myself a spot, have a good evening." The gate opening…

The guard, turned to return to his stand, collapsing with groan as he was shot in the back with silencer.

"Sorry…I did say I'd prefer no record…" Ferdinand nodded to the corpse as his car passed on…