Phantom

For a self-proclaimed genius, he really could be quite foolish. Probably the best example of this was his play-room. Pinball machine, dart board, trampoline, video game system… Adding all that with the couch and refrigerator and one had a nearly thirty-year-old child who refused to move out of his parents' house. The fact that his clothes were a pathetic mix of scruff and the type his mother would pick out for him only helped the image.

Admittedly Topher Brink was a genius, in some ways. Before he came to the Dollhouse the record for a successful imprint was two hours. Topher beat that record to a pulp. He was very finicky about the imprints. His system probably wouldn't make sense to anyone else but he always knew where everything was. Topher's way of dealing with the Dolls was actually much more humane than what went on in other Houses.

But he was still the one who went through cases of juice boxes and ate inappropriate amounts of starches. How could anyone make sense of that?

She started by observing his entire work space and the adjoining room. Topher kept his computers and the chair in prime working order. No dust or risk of overheating. The computers themselves were protected with enough firewalls to discourage the most determined hacker. Did Topher have this much security before Alpha?

Claire was pleased that Topher took at least part of his job seriously. Even if it was too late for some.

A lot of things changed after Alpha. Heightened security was only one of those things. Their hiring methods was another. Since Echo somehow escaped Alpha's massacre, she was given a former cop as her new handler. They did background checks on the clients and Dominic was extra-aware of any glitches in the Actives.

They all worried about the House, and Claire Saunders was alone in worrying about the Actives.

That was why she took such an interest in Topher. Aside from herself and the handlers, he was the one who worked most with the Actives. And the more Claire watched him, the more she became convinced that he was the only one in the House not taking his job seriously. The handlers understood their job as protectors; Saunders understood hers as medic. But Topher? He was just a programmer playing with computers. Or as Langton put it once, a magician stuffing rabbits into empty hats.

Topher never seemed to go home. There were times when he came downstairs to interact with the other employees but most of the time he stayed holed up in his little play room. He even had bed sheets and a pillow to sleep with. It made sense to her. Though they were interviewing for an assistant, Topher was still the one who knew the technology best. With engagements running around the clock someone had to be here to work the imprints.

Claire Saunders and Topher Brink: two people who never left the Dollhouse.

There were three main types of engagements: romantic, altruistic, and risk. Altruistic engagements weren't always an option but Claire insisted on them, stating that it was vital for any human's mental state even if said human was only a Doll. After every engagement, no matter what the type, Claire examined the Actives and wrote up reports on anything she deemed important enough for Adelle and Topher to know.

"Dr. Saunders." Topher stood in her office, looking awkward as ever. Why did he only behave that way around her?

"Topher," she returned, her mood venturing toward amusement.

"Hi," he waved.

"Hello." There was a definite upward quirk of her lips now.

"So, I was looking- glancing, and I noticed… Victor."

"You noticed Victor," Claire repeated patiently. Talking to Topher was like talking to a child.

"He was in the shower and he… was naked."

"Victor was naked in the shower." She couldn't understand why it was such a struggle for him to come out with it. Even when he did he insisted on being childish by calling it a man-reaction. Honestly, a "man-reaction"? How old was he?

As absurd as that conversation felt at the time, it was one of those rare moments when Claire almost enjoyed Topher's company.

During the investigation to a spy in the Dollhouse, Echo asked her an interesting question: Do you even have any friends outside the Dollhouse? Claire didn't have an answer at the time and when she was in her office later she mulled it over and still didn't have an answer. The truth was she didn't even know anyone outside the Dollhouse. Adelle, Topher, Boyd, Dominic, Echo, Victor, Sierra, November, Mike, Tango, Foxtrot… She could go on but the list would never reach beyond these walls.

She didn't have any friends. But then, neither did Topher.

This year for his annual anterior insular cortex diagnostic, Boyd allowed him the use of Sierra. The rest of the House was idle in the aftermath of Dominic's betrayal. Claire watched as Topher and the imprinted Sierra played together. Laser tag, football, chess, video games… Topher was always so flighty with everyone but not with imprinted Sierra. He was at ease. He was happy.

Claire never liked Topher. In fact, she found the need to argue with him as often as the opportunity presented itself. But watching him with Sierra gave way to a new emotion that didn't make any sense: jealousy.

Perhaps it was just seeing that Topher could make friends for himself while Claire could not that made her jealous. Yes, that must have been it…