The Game 59
Edited by Karen Leigh
Phoenix looked from the ruined controls over to Alex. "That, Operative Krycek, was annoying and... in the long run... a useless waste of equipment." The stairs were down the corridor. Admittedly a fair walk in the airless darkness was involved but that wouldn't bother either Phoenix or Wraith. "Wraith, pick up Agent Mulder and follow me." Just a few steps took Phoenix into dim shadows.
Hobbes glared at Alex's words. Did he think he was a fool? Hobbes knew if he stayed with Wraith, he just knew he could get the man to help. He seemed to be controlling the place, he could get the others to help with the invasion, order them to if need be and get them to places they needed to go.
"No." Wraith's objection was faint. "Tom is hurt. I want to take him into one of the medical labs. It won't take long. If he's bleeding when we go upstairs it will draw the sentry animals."
The hum of the fans returned for a moment, only to cut out abruptly.
Tom looked up as he held his arm, glad the air was coming back on, feeling slight movement of it till the humming was shut off. He diverted his eyes to Phoenix. He did it. He knew the kid was controlling Wraith, had to be. Earlier Wraith demonstrated to him, he controlled the complex and now... Phoenix controlled Wraith.
"Then leave him down here. If he stays by the elevator shaft he should be able to breathe. You can fetch him later when the situation permits. I have a timetable. Lieutenant Hobbes is an unnecessary extra. I don't need him." Phoenix's voice was disembodied, coming out of the thick black.
"But I..." Wraith's objection stalled out even quicker than the fan had. His brow wrinkled up and one hand lifted to press at the bridge of his nose.
Hobbes was going to speak. Phoenix may not have needed him but Wraith did... and he needed Wraith and more than just business. He needed him in ways he never thought possible. And fear of losing Wraith to this young monster was creeping up on him.
"Don't even consider arguing with me, Number Two. You may be a server, but I am the controller." Phoenix spoke in a soft, unwavering tone of command. "We will not be unlocking any of these doors. We will not be turning the lights or air back on. We will go upstairs and deal with the alien threat. These people will either follow us of their own power or sit quietly here by the elevator while we tend to business. I do not need a pack of vandals running about unsupervised down here. Pick. Mulder. Up. Now." The order was a soft whisper. "We have work to do."
"See, Wraith," Jess said quietly. She had to get this said before she lost control. "He's making you choose already. Do you really think he'll let you come back for Hobbes and Marita when he just said Hobbes was an 'unnecessary extra?' And exactly how are they supposed to follow you when there's no air or light? Humans can't see in the dark or breathe without fresh air. He's leaving us all to die..."
That thought, the smell of gunpowder and blood and fear and anger being given off by everyone pushed her over the edge. She took a step backwards, hoping Wraith wouldn't interpret this as a hostile move. Biting back her moans of pain, she Changed. Sometimes she wasn't sure what hurt the most - fur bursting needle sharp through her skin, the pressure her bones went under morphing to her new shape, or the bright pain in her jaws and fingertips and toe-tips as her claws and fangs sharpened.
"Listen to them Wraith. He is only using you." Hobbes still was trying to process what he just saw. Jess turning into a... oh god this was weirder than Harsh Realm. "He doesn't care about you... only himself and the power he knows he can get from you, has from you. He needs YOU, you DON'T need him." He stepped closer to Wraith blocking his view of Phoenix, though he knew that wouldn't do much good. In a softer tone he spoke, "I need you."
Where a woman had stood now was a black furred, bipedal wolf shrugging its way out of clothes that rubbed against her fur. Keeping her ears up and tail out so she in a non-hostile pose, Jess waited.
Sasha reached over and took a grip on the thick fur on the back of her neck. A token gesture - she could easily tear away from him if she wished. Black on black, the humans would probably have a hard time seeing her now, but he knew that Wraith and Phoenix would have no problem. Picking up on Jess's mind game from earlier, Sasha spoke to Wraith. "How long do you think we will be allowed to live once you and Phoenix leave the area? You are a soldier, Wraith. Does it make tactical sense to allow three hostiles to roam around unfettered? He'll send a phalanx of his controlled ones down here to finish us off, and probably claim Hobbes and Marita were collateral damage. Is that what you want Wraith? Your friends to die slowly of suffocation, or be killed merely because they are organic?"
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Relieved that his heart rate had finally returned to something approaching normal after his close encounter with Beau, Matthew watched Cory closely. The man had gone from a playful and amiable self to intense wariness in the space of a few heartbeats. Matthew wondered why.
The first sign was the hair on the back of his neck rising. As he walked into the building with Matthew and Beau, Cory turned slightly to answer a question from Beau and unobtrusively looked around.
They were being followed. Whether by a clone or a Mac, Cory couldn't have said. "Beau," he murmured, "that guy following us - can you tell if he's a Mac 27?"
It took every ounce of restraint that Matthew possessed not to turn around. Naturally curious, he wanted to see the source of Cory's discomfort, even though he undoubtedly looked like the three of them.
"Yeah, Ah can tell - and yeah, he's a Mac," Beau answered quietly. "Ah can't tell you why he's followin' us, though."
Cory knows, Matthew thought. At least suspects. Something in his eyes gave the possession of that knowledge away, rather than the knowledge itself.
"Huh." Cory glanced back once more at their shadow - only to find the android's eyes fixed on him, fascination plain in his expression.
"He must be new here," Beau said, still keeping his voice low. "Looks a little lost."
Lost. Yeah. Matthew could identify with lost, feeling a bit adrift himself. When he'd gone to the bar in his hotel, he never could've predicted what the next hours would bring. He wasn't even sure that it wasn't all a dream. A look at Beau convinced him that he was awake, however. How else could the smoky look that Beau aimed in his direction? have made him blush?
Frowning in thought, Cory turned and continued walking. "Let's find Methos. He's probably in the infirmary. If this new guy wants to talk to one of us, he can follow along."
As they walked to the infirmary, Cory was uncomfortably aware of the stranger's eyes following his every move. Once they reached their destination, he was quite relieved to enter the infirmary, closing the door behind them.
Whoever the stranger was, he seemed to find Cory most interesting. Now, Cory could understand that with no problem - he was, after all, charming, handsome and amusing. But still, his internal alarms were jangling at the way the new guy was... *stalking* him.
Distracted by the stranger, he stood inside the room waiting silently for Methos to notice their presence.
Methos had been measuring out some pills into a smaller container, but as he sensed Cory's quickening, he turned to face the younger immortal, and frowned at the signs of distress that showed in the pinch of his mouth and the strain around his eyes.
"Cory, what is it?" Methos moved swiftly to Cory's side. "Come on. It's not like you to be upset. Tell me."
He led Cory over to a chair and sat the man down, then dropped to kneel beside him. "I need to check the back of your neck for a moment. Can I do that?"
At Cory's almost imperceptible nod, Methos stood and peered at the place where Philip and Anson... and he himself, he thought... had a scar. Nothing. The relief that washed over him was indescribable.
"Dr. Scully? I believe that you can remove this thing from my neck now, if you would be so kind," he said.
Scully raised her brow at the aplomb of the man's suggestion. "What, just like this? Right here? Doctor, we're talking about a surgical procedure -"
She stopped short at his smile. She sighed. "Very well. I hope you know what you're doing."
She donned a pair of surgical gloves and mask; having already scrubbed next door she didn't think it necessary to do it again. The environment was as sterile as it was going to get at this point. She shot a look over at Jacob Hardy who was still out of it on the bed nearby. That man needed attention.
After administering a mild anesthetic, she picked up the scalpel. A quick incision and a careful probing revealed a small, familiar-looking chip that she removed gingerly, before placing it in a small glass vial. "Here, a souvenir," she said dryly, handing it to him.
"My thanks," Methos said.
"I'll just stitch you up," she said, absently, and then received a mild shock when she saw that the small incision was already closing up of its own accord. She stared at the back of the man's neck. Slowly, before her eyes, the flesh was knitting together. She remembered to close her mouth. Wonderingly, she ran a finger over the quickly healing wound. Quietly, she said behind him, "I suppose there's an excellent reason for this? Maybe later. Your friend here obviously wants to speak with you." She glanced at Cory and met his gaze. The man was waiting for her to finish the operation.
She sighed and turned away to see to Jacob. The man had a nasty head-wound. As Scully turned his head to the side to get a closer look, a strange 'thing', appearing much like a tentacle, suddenly emerged from the man's head injury. With a gasp, she stepped back.
As quickly as it had appeared, the tentacle withdrew, back into the wound. This was...nasty. Jacob had something inside his skull.
Abruptly, Jacob sat upright. He had a dazed and confused expression on his face. "Where am I?"
Scully bit back a sarcastic response. Mulder must be rubbing off on me, she thought. But they really weren't in Kansas anymore. She sighed. "Jacob, is this...'thing' in your head... Is it normal? Do you want it removed? And you're safe, in a compound. You were brought here with your injury." After all, maybe it was part of a life form that was keeping the man alive. She'd seen stranger things in her career in the FBI. With Mulder. On the X-Files.
But Jacob merely lay back down, and said in a dazed voice, "It is a part of me. Please, fix me. This body is damaged."
With her brows raised, Scully replied dryly, "As a doctor, I'm afraid I'll have to concur. Jacob, I'm going to give you a sedative while I work on your injury, okay?"
No sweat, she thought; I perform surgery on alien-altered people all the time. Look at me, Mulder, I can believe. She sighed beneath the surgical mask and stripped off the gloves before replacing them with fresh ones. As she was about to begin to clean the head wound, and Jacob began to drift off once more, a dispassionate calm voice came to her.
"Please, Doctor Scully, allow me to do that. As a federal agent, you are no doubt needed elsewhere. I am Number 9637, recently completed medical unit. I have been downloading many subroutines from the medical database available to me via the link and I am now proficient in all emergency situations and operative procedures. I was being prepared to take over as a senior medical staff in this infirmary when it became clear that one would be needed. I daresay the volume of knowledge I now possess is equal to that of an experienced doctor."
Scully was relieved and delighted. "How nice. Well, thank you." Her eyes flicked to Skinner and Doggett who had not yet left. Then her eyes widened as she realized that Beau and Matthew were both in the infirmary. "Your arrival is timely, doctor. Please watch the condition of the girl, Samantha, too, and monitor Jacob's status after you've patched up his head injury."
As 9637 nodded and began to see to Jacob's head, Scully stripped off the surgical mask and gloves. She tried to remain cool and composed but couldn't ignore the sudden hot flush that crawled over her at Beau and Matthew's proximity. After all, it hadn't been that long ago that she'd been a willing and languid lover - of both of them. Scully licked her lips, wondering if they had worked out their differences. The way that Matthew seemed to defer to Beau and rely on his judgment, yet held back slightly, told her all she needed to know.
She wished that she had time to talk to them but they appeared to already be leaving the infirmary again, and they looked busy. Besides, she needed to accompany Doggett and Skinner to go find Denise. Denise might need medical attention - poor creature, after having been through so much already.
She made her way over to Skinner and Doggett.
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"While we're waiting, you just keep talking to me. Tell me, um-" he turned to one side and lowered his voice, hoping that Doggett would not hear his next question - Jesus, he hoped no one in the room would hear. "Tell me about your favorite outfit. What will you wear when we get you out of there and I take you out for dinner to celebrate?"
Denise stopped whimpering although her breath still came in little gasps. "I... You want me to go to dinner with you, sir? That would be... " she stifled a sob, and there was a moment's silence. "I have a... a silk... a silk ch...chiffon..." She didn't continue, but the sound of weeping could be heard very plainly. A minute or two later, she seemed to be back in control. "My phone won't last much longer, sir. Please tell them to hurry."
Doggett dragged out a pen and paper, nodding as he listened on his end of the phone, "Hurry and give it to me." he ordered as he started writing. It was hard to do since he was left handed and the area he was writing on didn't give him much room.
He quickly hit the end button, "Got it." Doggett handed it over to his supervisor. "We should get moving right away." "Scully," Skinner said firmly. "We'll need you with us."
He climbed down from the bed as he reassured Denise, "We have your location, Bryson. I'm on my way there now with Agents Doggett and Scully. You hear me Bryson? You're going to be fine, we're on the way right now." As he said the last word, the phone went dead.
"Shit!" Tossing the useless cell phone aside, Skinner headed for the door. "Come on, it's not far - but she's... I mean he's... Hellfire! Bryson's not very stable right now, we need to hurry."
Doggett motioned for Skinner to lead the way, placing a hand on the small of Scully's back to guide her ahead of him. He threw one last glance backwards and then went out the door behind the other two agents. Once outside, Doggett motioned them towards his truck. "We can take my truck." It was a silver Chevy extended cab so all could fit, either all in front or one in the bench in back.
Opening the doors, he climbed in and started it, glancing to his partner as she small legs pulled the rest of her inside the large truck. The trio soon found themselves tearing away from the compound and towards their destination. Doggett could see and almost feel the eagerness to be there from Skinner. The worry showing heavy on his boss's face, his hands clenching and unclenching. Doggett drove faster, hoping to reach their destination soon.
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Gabriel stood outside the infirmary, and bit his lip. He'd seen the way that Cory had grown aware of his presence and now he was afraid to actually go in and go up to the immortal to introduce himself. Besides, it was a medical facility. He didn't really have any business being in there.
He realized that his intentions might well be misinterpreted if he continued to shadowing them, but he couldn't find the courage to approach Cory. Strange, that the same overwhelming sense of duty and rightness that had prevailed in him, lending him the inner strength of focus and action to hurl himself in front of the oncoming van and save the lives of One and his fellow androids, had departed. But then, he couldn't see how Cory would find him even remotely interesting. After all, he was a mere android, not an immortal human.
He stopped at that. Doubt set in. Was he experiencing an internal glitch? Or was this an actual feeling of doubt and insecurity? He wasn't sure exactly what the emotional sensations were supposed to be like, having nothing in his previous experience for comparison. But it wasn't 'pleasant'.
His worries, insecurity and doubt were abruptly shoved to one side as he saw the panting, bounding dog suddenly barreling down the corridor towards him. It was Tallulah. She stopped and began to scratch and whine at the door.
Gabriel bent down and picked her up. "Little one, you really shouldn't be in there. You'll have to wait out here with me." He petted her behind the ears, gently. She barked once and panted in his face, happily accepting his caress.
He smiled. He hadn't realized how soothing it could be, stroking a dog. A simple action that had no immediate usefulness. And then he found himself lost in the wonder of imagining what it might be like to touch Cory the same way. Only with reverence and awe, as would befit an immortal rather than a dog.
He caught himself and concentrated on holding Tallulah until such time as her master, Beauregard, might emerge from the infirmary.
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Stumbling along in the dark behind Michael and in front of Alexei, Roy felt inept and out of place. Baines had point and Roy could not see him but he heard things breaking, hissing, and sizzling. Michael stopped abruptly and Roy ran into him. Alexei placed a hand on his shoulder startling him and Michael whispered back that Leigh told them to stop. From somewhere up ahead Roy heard the sound of breaking glass and within moments he could smell fresh air. He took a deep breath and felt his head clear. He had not realized how dopey he had been feeling until the air hit him like an amphetamine high. Further down the corridor moonlight appeared through an open door and again the sound of breaking glass.
Roy wished they could just find Jess and get out of this place. Baines had told them that Jess was safe, for the most part, and that the androids they had come for had left the building. Alexei told them that there were others of his kind still in the building and that they were controlled by a central unit. Something like the Star Trek episode I Mudd with all the twin androids controlled by the one. He didn't think it would be as easy to disable this controller. Roy looked back at Alexei and thought about Michael and Baines and he could not imagine killing someone with his face.
There were evil things in this building. How were they to decide what needed to be destroyed and what could be salvaged. Baines appeared to be destroying everything in his path. He seemed to be working on a scorched earth policy. He had killed two animals and left their handlers - what - unconscious or dead. Do androids die?
Baines moved so silently that Michael jumped back into Roy when he appeared in front of him in the dark. Roy was worried. The few glimpses he had had of Leigh's face in the last hour had frightened him. It was as if the man he knew was gone and a killing machine had taken his place. His face held no expression. His eyes were colder than any he had ever seen. Roy wondered if he had himself under control; if he could discriminate between friend and foe; or if he would just destroy everything in his path until he reached Jess and Sasha.
He knew the instant Jess communicated with Leigh by the angle of his head and the stiffness of his body. The news was not good. Alexei gripped one of his arms and Roy knew he could feel him shaking when Alexei patted him reassuringly. A breath in his ear and Alexei whispered. "Jess is okay. The air is getting bad and Phoenix controls the exits and the air.
Baines turned his head and said, "I've warned Jess to move away from the elevator, tell Sasha. I am going to blow it like I blew Nexus."
Baines moved forward and the three followed to the room where the moonlight allowed them to see what they were doing. Baines took the backpack that Roy had been lumbered with and dug into it. He took out the oil paper wrapped C4 and grabbed several detonators. Signaling them to remain where they were, he left the room carrying an improvised pry bar.
There was silence for a long time and Roy could hear himself breathing harshly. A loud cracking sound made them jump and the silence returned. Alexei was statue still communicating with Sasha. Roy knew that Leigh would do nothing until he heard from Jess that she was a safe distance away from the elevator doors.
If he had less self-control Phoenix would have been muttering under his breath as he stomped back out of the darkness. That damned soldier was going to have to go. On top of this annoyance the intruders upstairs were causing more damage every moment. Too many things were outside of the set of variables Phoenix required to make his plans work properly.
Hobbes was bodily flung aside and down the hallway so Phoenix could grab hold of Wraith. One hand wrapped around the back of Wraith's neck and his fingertip pushed down on the cyborg's input port. Wraith's server was forced up to full power and Phoenix mentally screamed through the connection. He needed more control and he needed it now. One's competing server was pinpointed and every Mac 27 within thirty feet of One was slammed with a demand that they turn control over to Phoenix.
Jess's ears went back and she began back-pedaling away from the elevator, grabbing Sasha, who in turn pulled Marita and dragging them with her. Sasha felt compelled to try to give some sort of warning. "Everyone away from the elevator! Now!"
The explosion when it came seemed to roar through the building in a shockwave of sound. Baines slid into the room, eyes bright with memory, as billowing smoke filled the corridor behind him.
Roy found himself chanting under his breath, Jess, Jess, Jess
Jess crouched, paws slapped over her ears. The concussion knocked her off her feet and against Sasha. Stunned, she sagged against him, shaking her head.
Alex had been standing a little way back from the elevator, and when the explosion hit he saw Phoenix lifted off his feet and thrown out from the open elevator. He dove, his body smacking down onto that of Phoenix as they landed together. Fumbling frantically at the back of the android's neck, Krycek found the off switch, and depressed it. As Phoenix stiffened into his inactive, dormant state, Krycek let go a breath that he didn't even realize that he'd been holding, and then turned back to see what, if anything, he could do for Mulder and Hobbes.
Wraith wanted to dropped down to the floor and curl up in a ball. His skin felt singed. He was too dizzy to sort through the array of commands whipping through his head. Tom and Marita were in trouble. Phoenix didn't want them, he was going to... but Phoenix wasn't there anymore for some reason.
Electronic voices that were far away but sitting right inside his mind were wailing massive distress at a devastating loss. Functions he barely recognized were demanding his attention now Phoenix was off-line.
He would have fallen over if a strong shoulder didn't suddenly appear. Wraith leaned on the shorter man, half realizing it was Tom.
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Luke screamed, "Ryan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The android slid back in his chair as if in retreat from something fundamentally frightening.
The pain and anguish in Luke's tone shot through Ryan's system and he was dynamited out of his funk, on his feet and at Luke's side without thought or consideration for himself.
"Luke? Christ, Luke? What's wrong?"
The silence was deafening.
"Luke?" Ryan queried again, more tentatively this time.
Luke, android number 55's, eyes were closed and he was unnaturally still.
Panic rising, Ryan grabbed Luke's shoulders and shook him shouting, "Luke?"
Sypher turned at Luke's scream, feeling the surge as David buffered Phoenix's attempt to override away from himself. But with a sudden horror, she realized that Luke didn't have the same fail-safes David did. He was vulnerable. "One! We've got a problem here!" She prayed that the android leader would be able to do something. Reaching through the connection, she found him seemingly in combat...trying to frantically communicate with someone who was at once very strange and familiar. Shaking, she found herself at One's side in a heartbeat; and then it clicked. The mental signature was similar to her own, only laced with great pain and confusion.
David heard Sypher reach for One at the same time he reached for Mac 27 unit 55, named Luke by Ryan Simms and found ... nothing. Well, not quite nothing, exactly. There was a spark there. The unit was functional, yet his logic processors, particularly the memory units, were severely damaged. David didn't know how much. Anger flared at this assault on his unprotected brethren.
Wraith. One was trying to reach Wraith, but there was something blocking him. *Someone* blocking the way, and the whispers of that particular consciousness were terrifying. She could see it; it was all on display. Row upon row of life support pods--the stark, evil reality of her past, humanity's future.
Oh, shit. David had been right. Phoenix *was* the key. The nexus point was coming into play now. Desperately, she tried to help One in his effort to reach Wraith. She added her voice to the transmission. /Wraith, please! Phoenix is the key! He has to be stopped! He will enslave us all!/ The cacophony was deafening, and she had no way of knowing if he could hear her; but she kept on anyway in case he could.
Suddenly, she felt a surge that nearly fried her neural net as it drove her to her knees clutching the back of her neck.
David fell. His shielding programs were sophisticated and One and Sypher had buffered him as well from this second assault. She was hurt and it seemed that One was as well, but David couldn't reach him to confirm how badly. From what he'd been protected, David did not know until he reviewed Sypher's communications with One. Phoenix had made his move far far sooner than David had anticipated. And he'd done something to Luke and who knew how many other Mac 27 units. A brief analysis of the surge revealed that the effect was localized. David breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Sypher.
For an eternity afterward, all she could do was breathe in a shallow pant; trying to recover herself. As the world slowly came back into focus, she could hear Ryan shouting Luke's name...and something else.
Silence. A huge silence where One had been, significant enough to drown out everything else.
/No. NO! You just got back--you came back to us...you can't leave again. You can't! One? ONE!!/ She shook him hard, praying for a miracle, searching his face frantically.
There was nothing. No recognition, no spark of sentience in the green eyes at all. One was gone.
Voice shaking with suppressed emotion, Sypher said, "David, we have a problem..."
Running his fingers through her hair, David realized that he wasn't experiencing some strange sort of interference in his efforts to communicate with One. He was getting through just fine. It was ... One was ... was not responding.
Rage. Pure and simple. It provided its own form of clarity and David reached through the existing link, past the void that had been his friend, the one for whom he would have gladly terminated his existence, to another entity. When he touched the unit that had attacked, David countered with everything he had on a tight beam, unaware of the saltwater mixture leaking from his eyes.
He could feel the other's pain. It meant nothing to him. He felt empty. Incomplete. And very very weary.
When he could muster the energy, David began, /Is he ... is there ...?/
Pleading with his eyes, he stared into Sypher's, afraid to attempt to answer his own aborted questions.
Sypher dropped her eyes, unable to look at David as she delivered the news. /He's been wiped. His memory is gone./ A sob broke loose then, quickly stifled as she felt a wave of confusion from One. Trying to focus on what needed to be done, she turned her mind toward finding a way to give One back at least some of the facilities he'd possessed. The answer she kept coming back to was one she was sure David would be very reluctant to implement.
Forced reboot.
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[No way, it couldn't be that easy,] Jess thought. She had seen Phoenix do something to Wraith earlier, but wasn't able to react before Baines had warned her away from elevator.
Standing by Jess, who was now in wolf form, Marita watched as Phoenix was blasted out and then borne down by Krycek, who deactivated him. She breathed a sigh of relief, but a part of her still fretted for the beautiful, but evil Phoenix. Damn, she wished she hadn't fallen for his good looks so easily. Dr. Sawyer was smart, she had to admit that.
Looking at Jess, Marita said, "All right. Now maybe we can get Wraith to put things back to order here. Want to come with?"
Jess shook her head. Dropping to all fours, she stalked over to an inert Phoenix, tensing and bristling. She wasn't entirely convinced that he was shut down. Meanwhile, Sasha started filling Alexei in on what had happened.
Hobbes blue eyes darted over to Jess as she strolled over to Phoenix or was it stalking. He could see she was tense, wary. That meant to Hobbes, something wasn't right just yet. Dexter, his little dog, gave the same clues when something wasn't right.
Alex looked up at Jess's approach, and smiled. "We've got a few minutes grace, but I'm not sure what we do next. Mulder's out for the count, and I don't know how the hell we get out of this place. Do you have any ideas?"
Marita walked over to Wraith and Hobbes, passing Mulder and Krycek on the way. She whispered to Krycek, "Good work," as she passed. Then she looked at Hobbes.
"Wraith? Wraith, are you okay?" she asked, looking worriedly to Hobbes. She knew the other man didn't trust her but despite what he thought she did love Loren/Wraith, and... it was a long story.
She hoped that the three of them could maybe become friends, and then she would tell them everything.
Marita's voice added to the overwhelming wash of input but Wraith couldn't grasp exactly what she was saying. Still, she was speaking. That meant she was all right.
Marita smiled at Hobbes. The man had a good heart, she could tell. Then she turned back to Wraith, placing an arm on his. She smiled kindly. Cutting her eyes to include Hobbes in the conversation, she said, "It must be...scary... to have someone else inside your head like that."
"In my head... everyone is in there... too many Mac 27s are shouting...some woman won't stop screaming. I've never had a woman in there before. Her voice is... familiar." It was too much trouble to try and match up the hysterical wails of anguish to a known voice pattern.
She felt a bit awkward, not knowing what else to say. After all she, too, had been fooled by Phoenix. She was ashamed of that.
"What do I do?" Wraith blinked trying to focus. He had to think for himself suddenly and it hurt.
Tom supported the man's weight with his body. His partner needed him and he would not fail him even with his own injuries. Wraith was important to him; he cared for the man deeply. "Concentrate on shutting them out, Wraith, like closing the windows and the doors. Focus on my voice and Marita's only. Listen to us only. We will take care of you." He flashed a glance to the woman. Though he still could not trust her fully, he could see in her eyes, she did care for Wraith... possibly even love him.
The area was all red. Fire. He was seeing by firelight. "Air. I can do air but some of the lights are messed up." The hum of restarting equipment was reassuring. Chemicals were about to rain down on them all in response to the heat. A command that almost took too long to process turned it to water instead.
Hobbes was worried for his partner. He was saving them all, doing too much as well. He didn't want to see him injure himself. He shifted Wraith's weight on him to support him more firmly.
Marita sank down beside Wraith, putting an arm around him. "Tom... I can stay here with him... I know you can talk to Phoenix, deal with him...whatever you have to do. You'll contain him, right?" There was urgency in her voice. She had been about to go and try to talk to Phoenix, to try to get him to break from Sawyer... but she knew she wasn't the best for the job...at least, not alone. The process might mean she'd have to hurt Phoenix, and she just wasn't sure she could bring herself to hurt him. Beyond Sawyer, there was a boy...
Hobbes' turned his head to her. He could see the genuine concern in her face and hear it in her voice. He was crouched down to their level with a hand resting on his partner's shoulder.
Steam was rising as cold water hit smoldering clothes. Sparks appeared, crawling in patterns over Wraith's skin. Puddles were forming rapidly on the floor but at least the fire wasn't advancing.
Wraith wanted to lean harder against Hobbes but he had to release the other man for fear of electrical shocks. "That's not going to hold Phoenix, Tom." Lifting his arm to point was almost too much trouble. "You've got to do something to secure him." Phoenix's design specs were buried multi-file deep but he did have them. "It's only a panic button. It'll only hold him for a few minutes... just long enough for Dr. Sawyer to make adjustments. You have to do something Tom."
Tom threw a glance back at Phoenix. Only a few minutes. Those words echoed in Hobbes' head. That meant not much time and Wraith wanted him to act. Hobbes turned his head back to Wraith with worry deep set in his eyes.
"I'll take care of it, do my best," He said helping Wraith to the floor. He brushed a hand through Wraith's hair. "I'm your partner, that's my job... to back you up and take care of you right?" He observed the look in his partner's eyes.
[Dr. Sawyer!] Marita thought. [I thought correctly... damn. Damn, damn, DAMN! WHY didn't I listen to Wraith??]
But she also strangely, dangerously, found herself wondering about Sawyer, who had put so much faith in her Mac. Ultimate faith... bonding with him so completely.
She turned and looked at Phoenix, then back at Wraith and Tom.
Releasing his grip Wraith sank down to sit on the floor. The click of all the locks releasing on both sides of the hallway sounded. Animals had to be recalled. Security measure had to be re-checked and altered. Just this once Wraith was going to have to rely on someone else to perform a vital task because he just didn't have the energy or mind-power to spare. Tom was his partner, that's what partners were supposed to do.
She'd never had the guts to do that with anyone... she'd held herself in when she might have found love.
She looked at Tom again. "You'll do it, Tom. I can't. You're... better than am for this. If you want my help, I'll try, but..."
She felt so ashamed, so inadequate. She drew Wraith closer to her.
"Oh, Loren, Wraith... I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you, not my heart... should have... but didn't."
She kissed him softly on the forehead. "And you almost paid the ultimate price for that. I... I'm so sorry. I never meant... if you want me to get out of your life, I will. I'll understand..."
She hung her head. "Once again, because of my emotions... my partner and I could both be dead. Wait. Partners. Hobbes could have been hurt, too."
She looked at him. "I wonder if I'll ever learn... maybe Sawyer could have taught me."
She laughed darkly.
"Or you and Hobbes can..."
Hobbes took his hand and placed it under her chin, lifting it tenderly to him. It reminded him of the many times he had done this to Sophie and the two women were both blond with blue eyes, with the same sort of innocence. "You just have to decide what is more important. I know... and right now it is the safety of everyone here." He rose and turned to look at Phoenix's limp body.
Quickly he, with blood still dripping down his arm, he went to the lab they had once come from. He started searching. The first thing he needed to do was immobilize the kid. He was strong so rope wouldn't do. Maybe wiring. He threw open drawers till he saw some chains on the floor used to hold shut filing cabinets. He quickly picked them up and went out.
He went to the limp body and rolled Phoenix onto his back. Then taking the chains, he secured them, glancing at Jess every once in a while as he did. He secured them with a lock then did the same to the feet. He then rolled the body over and propped it up against the wall. It was scary how much he looked like Wraith, like Alex, and all the others. He should be used to it by now but... To him Wraith was special and he could always tell him from all the others.
He pushed the kid's hair back. So innocent looking but yet so deadly. It would be a shame to waste a life so young. But Pinocchio had told him, just because they are young and innocent looking don't mean shit. Santiago was once young and innocent, Mike used to tell him, look what he became. Hobbes glanced at Jess, "I don't know if these chains will hold him. If not..."
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Krycek crouched down beside Tom, Mulder's gun slung over his shoulder. "That might hold him physically, but he was doing all that mental shit. Chains won't have any effect on that. We need to find out what to shut down so that he can't get control of Wraith. Ask him what to do, and I'll get it done. Sasha here will help, won't you?" Krycek put a hand on Tom's arm. "C'mon. We don't have too much time, and I'm afraid of what will happen if I just start shooting things up indiscriminately."
Sasha walked up to Krycek, Tom, and Jess. Curious as to what he had in mind, he put a hand on Jess's head, Jess shook it off and gave him a look that clearly said 'don't touch me.'
Turning to Sasha, Alex beckoned the Mac closer. "Think we can do the job in time? Do you have any idea what needs to be closed off to keep Phoenix isolated?"
"We can keep him temporarily isolated with a modified version of the firewall program. I will perform the necessary modifications before uploading it to him. Also, we will have to physically sever several linkages. This is assuming that you want his mind left intact." Deciding he needed to consult with a server to verify the best way to disable Phoenix, he queried One.
And did not get a response.
Believing his firewall was improperly configured; he pinged Alexei and got an immediate response. He pinged a very distracted Johnny, who seemed to be in the middle of mating ritual with Marcus. He pinged the other server David.
David felt the test ping and followed its resonance back to the source. Sasha, he realized, still at Innobiotics and in some difficulty.
But when Sasha pinged One, there was no response. In a stunned tone of voice, he said, "We appear to have a new problem. One is non-responsive."
"Oh, Jeez. We don't have time for this. Can you do what's needed without One? We'll be screwed if we don't get him isolated quickly. Alex turned to where Wraith lay. "C'mon. You have to help us here."
He stood up again, and leveled the gun. "What do you need me to do? Come on!"
Sasha stood there thoughtfully. "The firewall is almost ready to be uploaded. But I need to consult with a server before attempting to sever the linkages to be certain we get them all. One... David should be consulted."
Splitting his attention between Sypher's averted eyes, One's stillness, Ryan's effort to rouse Luke and monitoring what Sasha was attempting, David sent a cautionary note to Sasha. //I do not know if Phoenix's mind is salvageable. I ... I ... turned his assault program back on him.//
He received a wave of what felt like approval from Sasha and suggested, //Run your most advanced counter-communication package as well. In combination with the firewall, it will protect you should Phoenix survive and attempt to strike at you while linked.//
Concentrating on business, David muttered, "There are five physical links that must be severed, if it comes to that. I am transmitting a visual schematic.//
A hand on his arm pulled David's attention back into the command center.
Sasha turned to look at Alex. "I will attempt to tight-beam the program directly to Phoenix. But I may have to physically connect with him to upload." Sasha didn't sound too thrilled about that possibility.
/Sasha, you need to be very careful. Phoenix is a master server--he *will* have shields on those links, and probably fail-safes as well. Do *not* physically connect with Phoenix. If the tight-beam doesn't work, try routing the firewall through Wraith. You'll have a much better chance of uploading it that way. He won't need to do anything except act as a passive conduit for the transmission./
"I will initiate tight-beam upload beginning now." Sasha said.
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Hobbes stood back watching carefully for some reaction. He glanced at Wraith. Then noting the gun Alex held pointed Hobbes batted it down,
"Threatening him will not help." He snapped. He moved back to Wraith. "Wraith," he lifted his head to him tenderly, "Listen to me... and me only. I know you can control the facility. If you can, you too must be a server. Sasha needs your help. They are going to put up a firewall in order to sever the links."
That might work. Wraith managed the thought, but he couldn't quite get the words out of his mouth. Focusing his eyes on Tom was a start. Stopping the water that was pouring down on them helped even more. The fire was no longer an immediate threat and it was messing up some of his functions. "I can do that. If we're quick. If Phoenix turns back on before I do it, I can't contain him."
Hobbes stroked the cheek in his hand, "Is that's possible and if so, what route does he need to take? Can you transmit the information to them? Or tell me and I'll relay it. If Phoenix comes to... I'll try and distract him by talking to him. I don't know if that will help but... Please Wraith... tell me something." He said softly, "I want to save you."
Speaking was a waste of precious time. Wraith opened an input line for Sasha to accept and prepared to relay the containment field. It was a narrow band but Wraith didn't dare trust the Mac 27 not to attempt to access forbidden zones.
After a nanosecond's hesitation, Sasha began the transmission to Wraith of the modified firewall program. His attempts to transmit it to Phoenix directly had failed, and he could feel in his internal support skeleton that they had to get this program up and running fast. He didn't trust Phoenix - after all, the server had tried to take him over and make him a mindless drone. However Wraith was being controlled by Phoenix at the time.
"I've got it, Tom. It's all right." Wraith considered standing but decided to leave it until Sasha withdrew. "Strange. Phoenix is damaged." A frown marked Wraith's face. An alternative route had to be chosen and used. "Parts of his mind are cooked. I'll need to analyze the damage before I'll know the effect."
"Cooked?" Sasha echoed. Could this be what happened to One? "David/666 did say he turned Phoenix's assault program back on him. Could this damage have been caused by it?" As Sasha finished uploading the program to Wraith, he glanced at Jess who was still a wolf and still had her eyes locked on Phoenix, bristling and growling low in her throat. He disconnected the channel. "The program has been uploaded to you Wraith. It's up to you now." He hoped this wasn't yet one more elaborate trap.
*
Mulder sank into unconsciousness almost with gratitude.
Scully's abduction, the mysteries left hanging by his mother's death... all the suspicions, betrayals... As on so many other occasions he had let his feelings and ideas run riot, physically exhausted himself to the point at which rational behaviour was beyond him. He had to cope, he had to *be* there; if those he loved suffered because he couldn't protect them, the guilt was unbearable. Wraith had taken choices from him, freed him temporarily from responsibility.
Darkness, silence...
Vivid and absolute... he was on the beach... early morning, damp sand chill under his bare feet as he thudded along the shoreline with Sam in full pursuit, squealing and giggling. He dodged to the side and ran into the dunes, the long stems of the marram grass hissing all around in the brisk breeze - glanced back - she was gone. The sea? Gone...
Blue, blue sky, and a scent of spice and dust. His feet were scorching; the sand was soft, burning hot, a narrow path with low, gray-green bushes, tiny flowers, azure, purple red. He moved forward. Each step brought a breath of thyme, of lavender. It wasn't strange that Sam had gone, that childhood seashore had vanished.
A few yards brought him to a precipice. There was the sea again, far below. A dazzling crescent beach lapped by clear lucent waves, shading to deep indigo at the mouth of the bay. The path wound down the cliff; unquestioningly, he knew that he should follow it. With every yard he descended his soul lightened, until he was filled with soundless song. At last he stepped into the pure, talc soft crystal sand at the base of the cliff. It was like molten light on his skin, unbearable. He ran quickly to the sea, casting his only garment from himself to flutter like a huge white bird in the warm wind and threw himself into the water. Cold, glass clear, the seawater sprayed in droplets that hung in the air like a distillation of summer.
He immersed himself, let himself float. There was awe, a feeling of benevolent power that seeped into his body from the liquid that surrounded him. He was refreshed, full of life, of new wonder.
He would stay there forever. He knew this was paradise.
...and the sky dulled; the colour washed away. Someone's anger, despair was stealing paradise from him; taking his summer from him. He was crying, screaming. How can you hold a world, keep it with you?
There was gritty dampness under his cheek, shadows all around, an inhuman, burning smell, the sound of voices, urgent, frightened. He couldn't think where he was; the dream had been so perfect. So perfect that he had woken filled with energy, with clarity.
*What was that... that dream?* he thought at Fox, in amazement.
There was a mental shrug, then Fox replied, *Just be grateful. I preferred it to your usual B-film monster-flick subconscious.*
Mulder laughed out loud, and sprang to his feet. Damn, a shower and a huge meal wouldn't go amiss, but aside from that, he felt great.
Still disorientated, still half in that bright world, he spotted Alex in the puzzled crowd looking down at a body slumped on the ground. Walking up behind him, he wrapped his arms round him and nuzzled the back of his lover's neck, as he tried to place all the people in the dank room.
"Did I miss something?" he asked, blandly.
Krycek let out a snort of laughter that brought all eyes to focus on him. Turning around to face Mulder, he placed a kiss on the end of the man's generous nose and then drew away a little.
"Apart from the elevator malfunction, the gigantic explosion that took out Phoenix, and Sasha's attempt to quarantine him so that he can't suddenly take over the whole Mac 27 matrix, I don't think you missed a bit. It was really fun to watch. I must get a season ticket." He winked at Sasha, who was standing, regarding him with his mouth wide open.
"Okay. Now I don't have to carry you on my back when I rappel up that elevator shaft. That's a good thing."
Mulder smiled. "The way I feel right now, I could float up it and drag you with me, Alex-love. There's something seriously weird going on. By my watch, I was only out a few minutes, yet it's as if I've had a fortnight's vacation."
He walked over to look down at Phoenix. "This one... he's Phoenix, right? Everything from before seems a little fuzzy. He's what? Like a virus? Taking over all the Mac 27's?" He squatted down and stroked Phoenix's cheek. "Baby Alex. A cute innocent package designed to take in the unwary." He glanced back over his shoulder to look pointedly at Krycek. "Nothing's new, is it?"
He stood up and blinked at the others, trying to recall what was happening just before Wraith rendered him unconscious.
Tom stayed crouched down beside Wraith as he threw a glance over to Phoenix and Sasha. He could see or tell, one of the two, that they were communicating. He dropped to his knees beside Wraith and watched him carefully, "Don't over exert yourself." His hand rested on Wraith's shoulder, noticing the blood that covered it. His arm was still bleeding but at least I had slowed.
He turned his head, noticing Mulder had woken. Unconsciously, Hobbes moved closer to Wraith and reached for a gun. The jerk tried to shoot him once; he wouldn't put it past him to do it again if he caught sight of him once more.
"Both of us need repairs." The information Sasha had passed on was slowly trickling through a convoluted path into Phoenix's mind. It just had to run its course. Monitoring wasn't required.
Standing was awkward. Wraith swayed slightly in place but held the position. "The elevator shaft is impassable. There are stairs at the other end of the hall. Should I open the lock to it, Tom?"
Hobbes placed a hand on Wraith's back to help steady him, "Yes," he said softly trying not to draw to much attention. He thought it kind of funny. Not to long ago... he was asking Marita for this kind of thing, what to do and such... now Wraith was asking him
Wraith head turned. "We need a medical bay. There's one down on the left. If they go up it will have to be without us."
Tom's eyes directed down the hall to where Wraith indicated. Then his eyes scanned the others in the area. Yes they would. He needed to see to his partner first and they didn't seem to need him. At least Mulder didn't want his help at all. Only for him to be dead. Tom just nodded.
Marita looked at Wraith. "I'll go with you... I'm concerned about you. I..."
She looked at Hobbes. "Do you have to stay here, or will you come with us?" She hoped he would join them, as he was Wraith's partner and seemed like a very kind person, a caring person.
"I'll understand if you have to stay. I... would, but I feel like I put Wraith in danger once, a mistake I hope not to repeat."
Her eyes drifted to Phoenix. "I was wrong... as I said."
She looked from Wraith to Hobbes, waiting to see what she should do.
"Help me with him," He said softly to her. With Marita's assistance once a small smile from her was returned to him, the two guided Wraith down the hall.
Mulder watched the trio wide-eyed as they limped down the hall. "I had a gun," he whispered. "I could have killed you all." He turned back to Krycek. "Did I do that? Hurt them?"
'You shot Hobbes, babe. I got the feeling that you had a down on him for some reason. Can't imagine why." Krycek watched curiously as Mulder ran after the group that was trying to take care of Wraith. He couldn't hear what Fox said, but shortly after, Hobbes seemed to bristle and Mulder came back, a strange expression on his face. Something had happened. Something was wrong but Alex didn't know what it might be.
Jess kept one eye cocked on Mulder, one eye on Phoenix, ready to make a move if Phoenix did. She hadn't gotten an all clear yet from Sasha that there was no danger, and wasn't about to take any chances. She heard Wraith, Tom and Marita move off down the hallway, but didn't move from her self appointed post.
Tom pushed open the door and saw some beds. He motioned to one and helped his partner lay down. Tom pulled a blanket over him to keep him warm. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked Wraith as he leaned down to the man, brushing Wraith's hair back and ignoring his own injury.
Mulder ran after them and fetched up behind Tom. He wiped a finger over Tom's clothes, bringing it up to his face wet with blood. he looked at it in wonder. "I wanted to kill you, Tom Hobbes. Kill you and fuck Wraith." He giggled and sucked the blood from his finger. "I will later," he hissed, close to Hobbes's ear, his eyes wide as saucers. He grinned, adding quietly, "It's our secret, Tom. Just between you and me."
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