A/N: Hey guys- I hope you like this chapter! see prev. chapter for disclaimer, blah, blah, blah and we're off!
Chapter 9- Strings of Lunacy
Mohinder woke up early in the morning. It was dreary outside- rain pounding against the windows of the high-rise apartment building. He stretched in his very large, albeit very empty bed, and got up. A book lay on his bedside table- Gabriel's Journal. The first entry he'd read disturbed him greatly. As a matter of fact, the whole affair did.
Since he'd begun to help 'heroes' everywhere, he'd needed a new place to call home. Somewhere bigger. As a gift from Newly elected senator Nathan Petrelli, he'd received a brand new apartment. It was cleaner, bigger, and had a large room dedicated to a small amount of lab tests. It was a bit small for a proper lab, but very useful. His real lab- the one the state had given him and his team, was located in the newly built "Center of Genetic and Scientific Advancement", or, for short- "CGSA". It was a business that now ran very well. Countless Experts had lined up to work under Dr. Mohinder Suresh, now one of the most respected scientists alive. Genetic Advancement craze swept through the country- not in media form- but by word of mouth.
Since the near explosion and the exposition of the "Heroes", the public had been informed by the government of the existence of 'people with certain advanced qualities'. Then word of The List got out and it began becoming a part of everyday life, but strictly not mentioned on TV or the News, to hear mentions of the List daily. For example, there are people who tended to have an amazing talent at something- but not genetically. It was considered a compliment to their skills to say, "Are you sure you're not on the List?"
Mohinder chuckled as he wondered what would have happened if he'd stayed in India after his father's murder. He forced himself into the kitchen and was starting to make some chai for himself when the phone began to ring. He sighed an answered.
"Hello?" He yawned.
"Mohinder? Yeah, uh- so glad I got in touch with you! This is Con Knight. You said you had a question about subatomic particles? String Theory?" The voice said in an excited English voice. Mohinder recognized it as that of his friend Con.
"Oh, yes, Con, I know you've been waiting to pursue String Theory for a long time. I have a sticky situation. One of my subjects- Gabriel- you know, has had a bit of a mishap. I wanted to know if there was any way you could explain to me exactly what he can do? Your field is much different than mine. I find it hard to explain it to everyone," Mohinder replied.
"Right. Gabriel has- what I call- 'fate-bending', literally. See, he can actually manipulate the subatomic particles that make up the inter-dimensional 'strings' of matter. Not his body, but his consciousness. It's amazing. I still can't technically prove it to you, I'm afraid, but it's still exciting. Why? Did he have a mishap?"
"Not really- well, sort of… Listen, Conrad, I can't really explain it right now. Maybe when I figure a few things out. You understand, right?"
"Of course-," Conrad broke off, Mohinder could hear yelling in the distance. He was probably off work- at home, "Oh, and my kid sister told me to tell you 'Hello'." Conrad's little sister was very involved in the advancement community, as she was going to school for genetics. Conrad had introduced her to Mohinder and she'd been hanging around the Center and her brother's house whenever she could in hopes that Mohinder would give her a tip or two. Mohinder had actually let her meet the group of 'heroes' and she'd been astounded. Yet another person in awe of the gifted ones.
"Well, tell her I said hello as well. Make sure she doesn't drop out- I'll need an assistant soon!" Mohinder joked. Conrad laughed and relayed the message to his sister, who apparently liked the idea of helping the most famous scientist around.
He hung up and, to his horror, his doorbell rung. He groaned and ran to grab a shirt. He answered to find Rowan standing in the hallway. She looked a little distant, but otherwise coherent.
"Well, hello Rowan. How can I help you?" Mohinder greeted her. She looked up with a smile.
"Oh, well- I had a few questions." Rowan smiled sweetly. Mohinder motioned for her to come in and she followed.
"Wow- your place is much bigger than mine. I like it," she remarked. Mohinder laughed.
"So, what did you want to ask me?" Mohinder inquired. She shrugged with one shoulder.
"I guess I'm a little confused. It's just a silly thing. Where are the DNA cells that make us special? Because one of the others told me that Peter died a few times- he had something in his head. Is that where the genes are?" Rowan asked.
"Yes, they are. That's where I found the certain genes that just bend you from ordinary to extraordinary," Mohinder told the teenager. She smiled, but then, her smile slipped away.
"Is my power important? I mean, I can't fly or do anything special. I just know how things work."
Mohinder took a deep breath, "Of course your power is special. You're very important to the scientific community- well, even the normal community."
"I just- sometimes I don't feel special. I feel no 'magic rush' when I look at something that needs to be fixed like I felt when I used my power in the other place. I didn't help save the world… But my consciousness seems a little crazy…" Rowan collapsed unto the nearest couch with a sigh.
Mohinder didn't know what to say to the girl. She was obviously a little jealous of the others. So, he did what any good tea-lover would do: offer her some hot Chai (well, maybe not all tea-lovers would have offered her Chai, but you get the gist).
She accepted a cup with gratitude. She thought for a moment. Obviously her little jealousy fit was working. Maybe- just maybe she could get what she wanted.
"Do you think- do you think I could leave town for a while?" she asked.
The geneticist bit his lip, "Well, I'm sure we could arrange a small retreat. But in the circumstances, we'd have to send a Chaperone with you."
Perhaps he'll send Peter. I hope not. He annoys me, Rowan thought. She took a sip of Chai, "Of course. Whatever would be- necessary."
Mohinder looked at the girl once again. She was a sweet girl, from what he could tell, and she was just a victim of circumstance. Caught in a string of lunacy- between two minds. From reading Gabriel's diary, he'd gotten used to the idea.
After making some arrangements for Rowan to leave for a small town in Pennsylvania, he sent her off. As he closed the door he thought to himself, Alternate universes, people who control them, madness and sanity- oh, and a little teenage angst. What have I gotten myself into?
Unfortunately for him, he didn't know exactly what he'd gotten into- yet. Rowan was to be sure of that. And she was going to take full advantage of it.
A/N: Yup, please leave reviews for they are the light of my day, and I hope all of you continue to read! Thanks!