"Fringey…"
Summary: Sarah and her sisters see there's an even darker side to Dyad's little cloning-fest…
(Not sure about this one but while I await more details for "Nessun Dorma" I'll play round with this darker one and see how it goes. Afraid you'll have to consider this the Allison-Donnie-friendly corner of the OB multiverse. After all, she can't be veering toward insanity and he can't be a rat in every universe…)
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Part XXXI…
"What about Helena, Aldous?" Rachel, focusing cautiously on her own body but trying to listen via Olive's as Donnie moved about in the living room…"Are you trying to tell me…?"
"Yes…She is alive. And she seems to have killed Tomas." Leekie hissed. Rachel suddenly opening her eyes to see him sitting beside her body in the car.
"Are you sure Hendrix is away?"
"Don't worry about Donnie…She killed Tomas? She knows…?" her rather still blank face belying the tense whisper.
"Educated guess? Yes, she knows how we've used her and she's gunning for us. She was at the house, Rachel…"
"Judas Priest…"
Aldous staring a moment…
"But Aldous…We both saw Tomas' report…How could she possibly have…?"
"The same way Kira Manning did. I suspect Tomas has been concealing information from us."
"I warned you about him, I told you not to trust…I hear something…Wait…" she closed eyes.
"Ally?" Donnie's voice…
"Yeah…Donnie. What?"
"Did we bring the big… (ergo, hefty)…flashlight?"
"I don't remember. Probably. Sorry, do you want me to help look for it?" Rachel as Olive/Ally called…
For Heaven's sake, why do we need that at this time of day? Well, he's always the boy scout, be prepared type…
"No, I'll find it…Thanks."
"Aldous?" Leekie eyed Rachel's body in the control suit, her lips whispering the only active part, head propped on seat with headset under suit hood firmly clamped on. She opened eyes again. "It's fine for now."
If extremely disconcerting…I'm getting vertigo…She thought…
"Do you have any information on where Helena is now?"
"No…Lester Phillips was taken in, wounded, along with Tomas' body. Tomas' chief assistant at Dyad, they were surely working together. He'd left Dyad with Helena…"
"Helena? She was at Dyad?"
"Playing you…And surprisingly well, at that…"
"What?"
That crazy…Wait…
"How did she manage to get through security…?"
Don't tell me…
"I'm afraid she must have broken into your home as well, dear. Tomas did send her to Dyad before, to maintain the fiction when she was starting to have questions. She did know of you, you know. I guess she just got creative." Grin…
"Be proud of your insane little girl on your time, Aldous. That freak might have killed me. Would have, I mean."
"She was in my home, too, Rachel. She obviously got past Moira and Susan, who are either dead or held by the authorities, who came in with, or right after her. It's just lucky I got Claire back to Harkness in Toronto when we learned the government would be coming to Dyad."
"And the federal authorities…The Canadians and Americans?...Have no clue about her true identity?"
God…What is that freak telling them about me?
"Debatable. Our people can't probe too deeply, but she seems to have convinced them as you and seems to have cut a deal of some kind…"
"What? As me?"
Way to paint a bull's eye on me, sis…Thanks.
"I'm sending Simon back to link up in Toronto as he holds a more advanced position with the Canadian SIS than any of our others and might be able to get more information. Rachel, you realize this means we will have to move up our timetable."
"Or abort, Aldous…It's all very well to do our bit for the project but surely it's time to concern ourselves with saving what we can."
"Our backers are teetering on the brink of abandoning us, Rachel. Unless we show them dramatic proof of the usefulness of continuing this project they will take steps to close us down…Permanently. The whole extreme prejudice bit…They do not want to be implicated in this."
And dear sis has just done everything possible to endear me to them…Lovely…
And yet…
If I can't go home…?
"Did you hear something…?" she looked at him.
"Is Hendrix back? You'd better break contact. I'll be in touch later. Remember, we must push things along, Rachel."
She opened eyes…Seeing the kitchen…
Hmmn, bit dizzy…
"Donnie?" she called, faintly.
Hmmn…He must have gone out to the car to find his damned flashlight.
What was that odd…Sound? She looked about…Absently picking up bagel and nibbling…
Mmmn, not bad…
Awful as it is in terms of carbs and calories…
Still, Allison does keep herself fairly well…
Push things along…She sighed…Glancing…
Well, I will need a ride and I can surely get him to take me without too many questions…No need to kill him just yet. She took another bite and a swig of coffee. Pulling Allison's laptop over…
And now that Rachel Duncan's life probably isn't worth the proverbial plugged nickel, she pondered…
In any case I do need to check exactly where that power plant is from here…And if I'm to be a "concerned mom/nuclear terrorist" I'll need the poster and crazy letter stating my cause thing. Hmmn…She looked about.
Not much in the way of arts and crafts right here…Though…This being practically an old folks' home, there must be someplace where the fogeys and would-be fogeys hang to play with fingerpaints and the like.
Could send Donnie over to the kitschy krafts center here to get me some things…Or may since we're going out anyway…
Yes, no need to rush things…She caught sight of a photo onscreen in the center…Oscar, Gemma, Donnie beaming…
He's a good father, really…He really did do all he did for the kids and me…Her…
No need to rush, yes…Quite a bit to mull over, in fact…
Not that I wouldn't give my all for dear old Dad, Mom, and Dyad…
Still one does have to consider one's own best interests…I was raised on that philosophy.
Allison was the one of that little clone club most inclined to her own goals…Keep to her own life…It wouldn't be that hard to keep Manning and the other, Cosima? Yes…At a distance…
And it would just be a matter of a quiet meeting…She's at her mother's, her note said…
Though, given the orphans have learned about our barcode DNA, I couldn't leave the body to be discovered as Rachel…Still, there are plenty of places to dump such…Canada's big and empty.
I could even turn this thing with Olive here to advantage… "Oh, Donnie they held me prisoner while that thing…" Give Aldous his little test…
Though the geek sister…Cosima?...Yeah…Would probably demand a DNA test in such a case…
And of course, changes would have to be made in the Hendrix household…But Donnie's always said he'd be fine with me…Er, she…Working outside the house if I …She…Needed to.
When the kids are a bit older, perhaps…After all, the one thing I didn't lie to Manning about, motherhood really is wonderful…
Definitely a lot to mull over…She munched at her bagel…
…
"Get back to your office, find out what you can…Get me a lead on Helena and what the authorities know regarding her." Leekie sternly to Simon, seated next to him in the front of the car as Rachel lay in back, silent and still. "She is our top priority, nothing else matters, including this operation, including Ms. Duncan and myself. If you can secure her, do it…Blow your cover if you must…And if you can get her, bring her to Claire at Harkness or to one of our safe houses. I'll find a way to join you there later. If I'm arrested, it won't be for long…If no leads turn up on her, stay with your team until you learn something. I'll be in touch."
"I'll have to explain why I've cancelled my medical leave…" Simon noted.
"You're feeling better, you're a dedicated trooper…And you wanted to be in on the kill…" Leekie shrugged. "Don't you federal boys all that 'grit' thing?"
"I'll work something out, sir. Sir?"
"Yes?"
"Are you sure the operation here should be continued? Ms. Duncan seems to be experiencing some of the disorientation and displacement you were talking about before. Maybe this isn't the time to take such risks…"
"There's always time to learn something new about our ladies and their abilities, Simon." Leekie smiled. "No, I want this to continue. It's of importance in understanding how effectively we can manipulate our girls…On several levels. And if nothing else it'll be a distraction while we go after bigger blonder game. Rachel'll be fine…Helena and Sarah aren't the only ones who can play clone sister. I'll try to coordinate with what's left of our people on the outside and then either head for Toronto or wherever we learn our fair Ukrainian lady is holing up."
"All right, Doctor." Nod.
…..
"Did you hear or see anything?" Amy asked Sarah anxiously, removing the headset from her head. Sarah shaking as the group eyed her…
"I thought, for just a sec…I almost…But it was gone, like that…" she waved hands.
"What did you think you saw…Or heard?" Cosima insisted. "Anything could be important…"
"Just a snatch…Like whispers…I couldn't focus…That was it."
"There was a transmission in progress…" Leonard noted, eyeing the computer screen which he and Sheldon were monitoring as Howard and Raj adjusted the receptor components. "I'd say we did tap in…"
"Thanks, doc. But we need more than this if it's gonna be any use." Sarah, grimly. She turned to Broyles. "What about your people? Can they pull Donnie out?"
"We're trying to see what support the clone has. Leekie and his people must be about. We don't want to go in shooting, lose any chance of getting a line on Leekie, and perhaps turn this into a hostage situation, Beth." Broyles noted.
"If they're running that other clone, the brain-damaged one…The operator must be in some sort of protected area or safe location…" Cosima noted. "He or she couldn't operate the clone and act independently."
"How close would the operator have to be?" Broyles eyed Hofstadter and Cooper.
"Roughly, to have optimal control…I'd guess with about five miles, maybe a little more…" Leonard noted. "It could theoretically be much farther, almost infinitely so, but there'd be potential problems with obstacles, buildings, electromagnetic interference. I doubt they'd take that risk interacting with other people, particularly Mr. Hendrix. The operator would have to be able to concentrate, fully."
"Assumin' your people are right and he is still alive…" Sarah noted.
"She seems admirably concerned about this Mr. Hendrix…Given he's not really her relation." Amy whispered to Sheldon, who blinked.
"Mr. Who? I wasn't listening after we stopped talking about quantum neural transmissions."
…
Toronto police headquarters…
"Beth?" Art had stopped by Beth's cubicle, eyeing Allison at computer, intent on applying what little she'd picked up from listening, Art's somewhat uncertain…Not exactly an expert myself…Assistance…And Raj's fairly expert if confusing help…To the hunt for Helena.
Whom, it seemed had suddenly appeared in a park and ride lot to visit vengeance on her former mentor.
"Yeah? I haven't got much Art…Helena seems to have just popped up, killed Tomas, and…Hmmn…" she peered at the screen.
"Beth, I came over to say, it's quittin' time. You need to get home, get some dinner, see your boyfriend…"
She eyed him…What?
Are you being funny?
Oh…Right…She nodded to his frown.
Though you are being funny, enjoying my discomfort, aren't you? Slight frown to his wry glance…
"I'm fine, I'll be heading out in just a few…"
"You'll be heading out right now, partner. Tomorrow is another day…And if you ever tell my Mom I said that, I'll deny it." Tight smile. "C'mon Beth, you've had a long day."
"And you've been shot, dip shit…I'll be right along. Though, I might be a little faster if I had some incentive…" arch look.
"Incentive?"
"Dinner, maybe?" she eyed him…
Dinner? He blinked…
Are we taking this role-playing a bit too…
Oh…He eyed her look…
I get it…
Someone is a little nervous to go home and play girlfriend all evening with Captain Canadian…Big brother Arthur the safer choice.
"Sounds good to me…If you don't have plans with Paul."
"He can spare me one night…" shrug. "I'd like to go over things on our crazy Ukrainian…"
"Fine by me…" nod. "Give you say, ten?"
"Good enough…" Allison nodded.
"Beth…?" Art frowned at the open computer screen. "Did you just put in a request for information on Toronto care facilities?"
"What?" she turned to view the screen… "Did I? I didn't mean to…"
"Well, this email seems to be saying you did, just a few minutes ago…" he eyed her.
"Art, I wouldn't even know…"
"You called in a request for information and for a search from New Jersey…" he looked at her.
"Judas Priest!" she blinked. Looking at the open email…
"Claire Leekie?" she eyed Art…"Do you think maybe Sarah…?"
"Not from New Jersey…" he frowned… "I'd say our crazy Ukrainian has been searching for Mom."