The Untitled Project
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Inception and Person of Interest belong to their respective owners.
Summary: The Machine generates the next number for Ariadne which introduces Reese and Finch into a whole different level of crime. A crossover between Inception & Person of Interest.
Chapter 1: Assemble the Players
"Ok Finch, what can you tell me about Ariadne Chase?"
Setting down two coffee cups on the table, Reese took the proffered manila folder from his employer's hand. He did a cursory glance at the photograph that was attached, cataloging the physical features of the brunette architect before raising a questioning brow at his still silent partner.
To an observer, there would be very few clues that would implicate an association between the two men. Behind the bespectacled eyes, Harold Finch appeared calm. His gait though hindered by a visible limp, was sharp and unyielding. The unrelenting rigidity in his posture lend an air of authority and strength. He spoke with a certain crispness that was fit for courtrooms but by his own choosing, he sided with anonymity and privacy that was afforded to him by his wealth. But, Finch would never volunteer the reasons why and Reese whose job description included categorizing what was said and seen with those that weren't, suspected that guilt was part of the reason.
For the sake of their working relationship, Reese was willing to table any questions until he did some of his own research
"So any specifics?"
"Tell me, Mr. Reese, what is your initial assessment of Ms. Chase?"
"I thought knowledge was your forte, Finch."
"Please Mr. Reese, humor me."
They did this sometimes, the verbal repartee. It was a curious hobby considering they were both men who were not forthcoming. "Well since you ask so nicely."
Finch leaned back in his chair in a gesture to indicate that Reese currently held the floor. Picking the unopened cup of coffee that Reese set down earlier, he studied the man in front of him.
On paper, Reese was an ex government official and military official, trained to kill, infiltrate, gather intel all in the name of national security by any means necessary. That bit of employment history meant that he was quite adept at blending in and out of crowds, and leaving no traces of his whereabouts. As such, Reese was able to effectively and efficiently make himself disappeared off the grid. The day that happened was the same day that the authorities closed the report on Jessica Campeau. The official word said that she was killed in a car-jacking gone wrong. But from Finches' research, he knew that Reese tried to investigate the murder only to find that all traces of her were wiped clean by the very government that he was serving.
Part of the appeal of John Reese and also part of the reason that Finch chose him specifically for the job, was the air of wounded romanticism and granite authenticity which surrounded the former agent. It also helped that Reese had just enough persuasiveness and creativity to get out of most unfortunate situations. Needless to say, Reese was anything but black and white and Finch would admit that they have certainly evolved from their first meeting between a homeless man and a millionaire.
"She is young, but she must have a rather impressive portfolio in order to make it in her field. For that, she must be driven to pull in the late nights, and hardworking to not let herself get pushed around by the 'big boys.' She has a certain confidence about herself to come from the city of lights to the city that never sleeps but it is also an opportunity to lose oneself. So, Finch, am I cold or am I warm?"
"Mr. Reese, I can see that you are up to speed with your psychological profiling." With series of keystrokes, he pulled the current case file on Ariadne Chase.
"Ms. Chase is the newest architect recruited by Mailloux & Kendal. She is twenty-six, a recent graduate of École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris_Belleville, a prestige architectural school in France. As you have already eluded, she came highly recommended but her work speaks for themselves."
"Any details on friends? Coworkers? Boyfriend?"
"Foster child to a Denise and Marc Chase, from Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. No siblings. No boyfriend either as far I can tell. As for the current place of employment, it appeared that it was founded by two brothers, Lucas and Kendal Mailloux as a multi-platform consulting firm. There are six other engineers, three architects and various office staff. So far, none of them have committed any serious crimes besides a few parking tickets and poor credit ratings."
"Well if there is one thing I've learned, nothing is what it seems. I guess I have to start subscribing to the Architectural Digest."
"And I'll see what else I can dig up about Ms. Chase."
"Oh Finch, if you are going to work all night, be sure to fit in some time to exercise."
.poi
The time nearing her graduation, Ariadne felt a sense of loss that most students felt as they approached the end of their academic career. The question at the forefront was "Now what?"
Years of slaving through graduate studies, making deadlines and handing in projects amounted to one thing: getting a degree. Now the goal was within reached came the task of finding a job and paying off debts. The latter wasn't really a problem although Ariadne certainly did not want to advertise the true nature of her "internship placement."
The fallout from the inception plot was still to be determined. Although the team had successfully invaded the mind of Robert Fischer and planted the idea that he should dissolve his late father's multi-dollar empire, that very act had not been committed yet. There had been speculation after the funeral of Maurice Fischer and the subsequent replacement of Peter Browning, Robert's godfather and long time mentor. But the final thread has yet to be sewn on Robert's fate and Ariadne felt this restlessness digging beneath her skin.
At a crossroads, she found herself at a loss without anyone to turn to. Suddenly, it seemed that her peers were getting married or engaged, settling down in various parts of the world. None of her former classmates could fully comprehend the gravity of her situation. Professor Miles tried to steer her down a path of neutrality but without a concrete guidebook on how to get there.
France had lost her luster after spending years of schooling there, so Ariadne decided to backpack through obscure parts of Europe over a two month period. She stayed away from tourist attractions and instead took her sketchbook and drew renditions of cobbled pathways and unspoiled countryside. She chose to stay in rundown hostels over hotels and tried her hand at Eastern European languages liked Romanian and Serbian. Then she made way back to Canada, to the quaint but loving home of her foster parents. They attributed her disenchantment with the real world to the lack of appealing job prospects, so they encouraged her freedom to explore. So, Ariadne did a second trip and this time, decided to drive across the country on the Trans-Canada Highway.
And, it was in Alberta amongst the Canadian Rockies, she got the call from New York that Mailloux and Kendal were offering her a position. And if she believed in a fate, an ironic notion from an architect who shared a name with a Greek myth, she would say that it was meant to be. Because as she was staring at the stark barren beauty that was the Fortress, she was quite literally at the edge of precipice while making a career- and life-changing decision to accept the offer.
It was how she found herself in New York three weeks later.
End of Chapter 1
AN: 1) I don't really intend for there to be slashy undertones - more of a mutual respect between Reese and Finch. 2) École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris Belleville is an actual school in France. 3) Ellen Page, the actress who plays Ariadne in the film is actually from Nova Scotia, Canada. 4) The Trans-Canada Highway does in fact exists. 5) Parts of Inception was filmed on location in the Canadian Rockies.