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Episode II: The Lady of Light
Gaian Central Research Lab, Sublevel 3
The two technicians stood outside his room, staring in on him through the one-way, lead-lined glassteel wall. The Stranger (at some point his “name” had acquired Capital Letters, as if to accentuate the force of his presence. You could almost hear the caps, everytime someone talked about him: The Stranger) paced back and forth across the length of the room, stopping occassionally to sniff the air or to stare directly at them. Somehow, he always seemed to know precisely where they were, relying on senses far more primative than sight, and judging by the look on The Stranger’s face, if not for the lead-lining in the wall, both of them would be writhing in Psi-Agony as their minds boiled away under the relentless attack.
“He’s truly a remarkable specimin, you know?”
“A perfect killing machine....and look at his rate of recovery. Out of surgery just over a month and already nearly back to full health. That limp he had only a week ago is nearly gone now, and look at the scar tissue. Already fading. Another month, you’ll be hard pressed to tell he was in any kind of accident at all.”
The other Tech. Nodded in agreement. “And he’s getting more vicious with every passing day. Did you hear what happened to Hobbs?”
“No.”
“Went in to sedate him so they could do a follow-up exam....Your friend there bit through the leaded pressure suit and ripped the helmet off.”
“Psi’d him?”
“He did....almost killed him. Would have if Gayle and Kevin hadn’t showed up.”
“So strange about that.....he’s never attacked them again, since that very first time.”
“I know....I’m at a loss to explain that....especially considering how savage he is toward everyone else....look at him now, looking at us.....don’t you know he’d like nothing more than the chance to....”
Gayle McGinnes startled them with a friendly tap on each of their shoulders. “Hey guys....how’s my favorite patient?”
“See for yourself.”
She looked, then smiled at them. “I see he’s got nothing but love for the two of you.” She handed them a clipboard. “Time for the tiger’s shots....unless one of you want to go give them to him?”
She waited for a moment, to see if either of them moved toward the door. “No?” An exaggerated sigh. “Looks like chivalry really is dead then....making me go in there with the mean old Psi-Man.”
Before either of them could say anything at all, she winked at them and headed toward the Prep-Room. “Gonna get the meds ready....watch him for me....I’ll be there in a minute.”
“We’re watching him, but he’s watching you.....or at least he would be if he could see through the walls, which sometimes I wonder about....Has been since you arrived....He knows.”
“He always knows.” She called from the Prep-Room. “Wierd, huh?”
The silence that followed told her just how much they agreed.
She emerged a moment later with a syringe. “Ready?” Despite the light cheeriness in her voice, they could both read the nervousness in her eyes. Just a trace, mind you, but it was there, and why not? Everyone in the compound knew what The Stranger was capable of. Even if they had never seen it, they knew.
Gayle drew in a deep breath and pushed the outer door open. Shut it securely behind her and checked to make sure it was locked, and then turned to open the inner door.
Through the small window, she could see him. Watching her, watching him. Eyes deep set and penetrating. Appraising. Searching. For what, exactly, she did not know. He was both highly magnetic and repulsive in the same moment, and she was utterly fascinated by that. The fact that he somehow managed to evoke such extreme and contradictory feelings in her (and, truth be told, in everyone who worked with him....she could see it in their faces) was nothing short of amazing, as far as she was concerned.
She opened the door, and though The Stranger did not flinch or move at all, something in his eyes changed. A flash of uncertainty, followed by a flash of recognition.
“Hi there, big fellow. It’s me again....It’s Gayle.”
He visibly relaxed a notch, and cocked his head to one side, staring suspiciously at the syringe she held in front of her.
“I know....I know you don’t like this part....but there’s medicine in here....medicine that will help you get better faster. You want to get better, don’t you?”
His eyes narrowed as he took the needle in, and she knew the routine by now.
He took a step forward, hand outstretched.
She gave him the syringe, fighting hard to chase the image from her mind of him suddenly turning on her, using the weapon she’d just handed over.
He studied it closely. Sniffed it. Drew out a drop of the fluid it contained and let it fall on his tongue.
In a moment, satisfied with whatever he had learned, he gave it back to her and held his arm out for the shot to be administered.
No protests. No sound at all.
And when she was finished, she patted his arm. He turned to face her. Not a particularly handsome face, but not unattractive, either. And there was a burning intelligence in his eyes. A fierceness. They were brilliant, mesmerizing blue, and something else, besides. It had taken her several days to reach the conclusion, but now, feeling those eyes on her, there was no mistaking it. He understood. He was not just a mindless killing machine. Maybe he had been at first, but he was changing. She could feel it.
“I....I can’t stay....have to go now, but I’ll come visit you again soon....okay?”
He watched her with those amazing eyes. Unmoving.
She smiled.
He did not smile back.
“I’ll be back.”
She started backing from the room, and he watched her go.
Eyes locked on hers until she had to turn part way around to open the first door. He moved then, reaching his cot in two long, graceful strides and sitting down.
The sudden motion made her heart skip a beat, and she had horrible visions of him breaking out of his “cell,” and extracting revenge for a month of captivity. True, they had treated him well, but it was still clearly captivity. It made her shudder to think what might happen if he somehow managed to escape. The colony was unarmed, save for a small police force armed with short range tasers, and she wasn’t entirely sure those would even work on The Stranger.
“How is he responding to the treatment?” The voice floated to her like music, and her head snapped up. The Lady Deidre had promised to come see their “prisoner” as soon as she returned from her diplomatic mission, but Gayle had no idea she was even back yet. She looked in surprise and saw the Leader of their colony staring serenely at her, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
“I....Uh.....very well, actually.” She said, recovering from the surprise. “His metabolism is 42% elevated from baseline, and as you might imagine, it makes his recuperative powers nothing short of remarkable.”
Deidre nodded. “Has he communicated in any way?”
“N....no. I don’t think he can.....I don’t think he understands speech.” That was a simple answer, she knew. She had seen the understanding in his eyes.
“I would like to see him for myself.”
Just then, the two technicians came into the Prep-Room. “Are you sure, M’Lady? He is Psi-Talented, and he has attacked two of our people....Aldridge and Hobbs, there’s nothing to indica....”
“I will see him just the same.” She said simply and started for the outer door.
The room fell silent as she opened the outer door and stepped inside. Finally, as the door was closing, Gayle found her voice again and ran forward, catching the door. “My Lady Deidre....you should know that so far the only two people The Stranger has not attacked since we brought him here have been Mr. Aldridge and myself.....I.....please be careful.”
Deidre nodded. “Have faith, child. I have spoken with Planet about this one. I understand him even if he does not understand himself.”
And with that, she opened the inner door.
The Stranger was on his feet in an instant. He snarled at this new presence and locked eyes with her. His eyes narrowed and the Psi-Indicators connected to his room shot off the chart as he powered up for his attack.
“Get her out of there!” One of the technicians screamed as Gayle ripped the outer door open.
Deidre crossed the room calmly, one hand outstretched.
The Stranger cocked his head and backed away, but did not strike.
“Psi-Levels are at 306....my God, I’ve never seen anything like it....the highest ever recorded from a Worm-Boil is 82....even if he doesn’t attack, it’s a wonder the exposure alone doesn’t kill her.” The Tech at the monitoring station said breathlessly.
Gayle stood at the inner door but did not open it. “Should I try?” She called back.
“No....not now....don’t open the door....it could kill us all.”
They watched, and waited.
Deidre took another step toward him.
He did not back away, but still he did not strike.
Her hand reached out to him, and as she drew closer, the proximity to all that Psi-Energy began having some effect, directed or not. A vessel in her right eye broke and a crimson fairy tear began rolling down her cheek.
She touched his cheek. “Be at peace....be at peace....”
Suddenly, the Psi-Pressure abated. All at once. Gone.
Gayle had to remind herself to breathe.
“Levels just dropped to nothing....like flipping a lightswitch. I can’t believe he was able to maintain it for that long and then just let it go....that’s unbelievable.”
The others only half heard him, they were watching their Lady with rapt attention.
Deidre closed her eyes and tried to open a communal channel. It was something she had been fairly successful at with Planet, and she had hoped to do the same with The Stranger, but right away she felt the block. It was cold, calculating. Mechanical.
“This man is cybernetically-enhanced.” She called out to them. “He is at war with himself. I can feel the tension in him, even if I cannot establish a communal channel.”
They held each other’s eyes for a long moment.
“Do we know if he is self-aware?” She asked.
“Do we what?” One of the Techs asked. No one had even considered it. He was essentially a Human Being....of course he was self-aware.
“Do we know if this man is self-aware?” She repeated.
“No I....uh....we just assumed....”
“Bring me a mirror.” She commanded, and in a few moments, Gayle opened the door slightly and slid in a good sized mirror, perhaps eighteen inches square.
Deidre went to it and picked it up.
The Stranger watched her every move.
She brought it toward him, reflective side down, hidden from his view.
Closer.
Closer still.
Then brought it up for him to see.
His reaction was immediate. The Psi-Indicators went berserk again and he snarled as he backed away.
“He just hit 511! 529! 545! My God, Deidre get out of there, he’ll kill you if it keeps spiking up like that!”
Deidre Skye, nearly in a trance, barely felt it as more vessels in her eyes burst, sending still more Fairy Tears down her cheeks. Vaguely, she was aware that her eardrums were close to bursting with the pressure. She knew without even thinking it that a Psi-Attack right now would kill her instantly.
Calmly, deliberately, she set the mirror aside, reflective side against the wall.
The Psi-Levels fell away and he stood up straight.....approached her cautiously, and touched her cheek as she had done to him earlier. Smeared her blood into her ivory skin, and then brought his reddened fingertips up to examine them.
“Yes....I bleed.” She said softly. “As do you....we are the same.”
He stared at her with those burning eyes.
“You understand me, don’t you....or at least you desperately want to....perhaps the machinery is blocking you. Keeping you from your humanity and filling you with hate.” She smiled faintly. “Well....we shall see about that.”
“Miss McGinnes....please have some music piped in here. Something airy and soothing.”
“Yes M’Lady.” She responded shakily, and in a moment, there was music.
The effect was as immediate as it had been with the mirror. His legs seemed to melt out from under him and he sat roughly on the floor, listening with rapt attention and rocking back and forth. Lost in the music.
Deidre watched him for a long moment, and then turned toward the door. “He is not self-aware, and his Will is being suppressed by artificial means. Once we overcome these two obstacles, we can save him.”
Gayle and the two technicians with her were stunned. They had worked with The Stranger for a month and had managed to do little more than study his abilities from afar and treat his injuries. In less than ten minutes time, Deidre had accomplished more than all their collective efforts.
She turned back to The Stranger and knelt down. “We will speak again soon....I promise you.” Ran her fingers through his hair, and then patted his head gently. “We will save you from yourself.”
Then she turned to leave.
The Stranger did not move as the inner door opened. He was focused on the sounds of the beautiful music that filtered into the room. That, and nothing more.
Once outside, Deidre went immediately to the others. “We must change the treatment plan for this man....begin self-awareness training as we might do for an infant, and keep music in here at all times. Once he is self aware, unlock the door and give him access to the entire level. Make what arrangements you can to protect the staff, and move as many off the floor as possible. We will not be this man’s jailors....my guess is, he has had enough of those to last him two lifetimes.”
Without waiting for or expecting any kind of response, she strode gracefully out of the room. “I will be back in three days time to check on his progress.”
Gayle McGinnes stood in silence with the two technicians for a long moment, and then rushed from the room to find Kevin. What started out as big news for the Gaian colony seemed to be getting bigger by the minute.
Episode II: The Lady of Light
Gaian Central Research Lab, Sublevel 3
The two technicians stood outside his room, staring in on him through the one-way, lead-lined glassteel wall. The Stranger (at some point his “name” had acquired Capital Letters, as if to accentuate the force of his presence. You could almost hear the caps, everytime someone talked about him: The Stranger) paced back and forth across the length of the room, stopping occassionally to sniff the air or to stare directly at them. Somehow, he always seemed to know precisely where they were, relying on senses far more primative than sight, and judging by the look on The Stranger’s face, if not for the lead-lining in the wall, both of them would be writhing in Psi-Agony as their minds boiled away under the relentless attack.
“He’s truly a remarkable specimin, you know?”
“A perfect killing machine....and look at his rate of recovery. Out of surgery just over a month and already nearly back to full health. That limp he had only a week ago is nearly gone now, and look at the scar tissue. Already fading. Another month, you’ll be hard pressed to tell he was in any kind of accident at all.”
The other Tech. Nodded in agreement. “And he’s getting more vicious with every passing day. Did you hear what happened to Hobbs?”
“No.”
“Went in to sedate him so they could do a follow-up exam....Your friend there bit through the leaded pressure suit and ripped the helmet off.”
“Psi’d him?”
“He did....almost killed him. Would have if Gayle and Kevin hadn’t showed up.”
“So strange about that.....he’s never attacked them again, since that very first time.”
“I know....I’m at a loss to explain that....especially considering how savage he is toward everyone else....look at him now, looking at us.....don’t you know he’d like nothing more than the chance to....”
Gayle McGinnes startled them with a friendly tap on each of their shoulders. “Hey guys....how’s my favorite patient?”
“See for yourself.”
She looked, then smiled at them. “I see he’s got nothing but love for the two of you.” She handed them a clipboard. “Time for the tiger’s shots....unless one of you want to go give them to him?”
She waited for a moment, to see if either of them moved toward the door. “No?” An exaggerated sigh. “Looks like chivalry really is dead then....making me go in there with the mean old Psi-Man.”
Before either of them could say anything at all, she winked at them and headed toward the Prep-Room. “Gonna get the meds ready....watch him for me....I’ll be there in a minute.”
“We’re watching him, but he’s watching you.....or at least he would be if he could see through the walls, which sometimes I wonder about....Has been since you arrived....He knows.”
“He always knows.” She called from the Prep-Room. “Wierd, huh?”
The silence that followed told her just how much they agreed.
She emerged a moment later with a syringe. “Ready?” Despite the light cheeriness in her voice, they could both read the nervousness in her eyes. Just a trace, mind you, but it was there, and why not? Everyone in the compound knew what The Stranger was capable of. Even if they had never seen it, they knew.
Gayle drew in a deep breath and pushed the outer door open. Shut it securely behind her and checked to make sure it was locked, and then turned to open the inner door.
Through the small window, she could see him. Watching her, watching him. Eyes deep set and penetrating. Appraising. Searching. For what, exactly, she did not know. He was both highly magnetic and repulsive in the same moment, and she was utterly fascinated by that. The fact that he somehow managed to evoke such extreme and contradictory feelings in her (and, truth be told, in everyone who worked with him....she could see it in their faces) was nothing short of amazing, as far as she was concerned.
She opened the door, and though The Stranger did not flinch or move at all, something in his eyes changed. A flash of uncertainty, followed by a flash of recognition.
“Hi there, big fellow. It’s me again....It’s Gayle.”
He visibly relaxed a notch, and cocked his head to one side, staring suspiciously at the syringe she held in front of her.
“I know....I know you don’t like this part....but there’s medicine in here....medicine that will help you get better faster. You want to get better, don’t you?”
His eyes narrowed as he took the needle in, and she knew the routine by now.
He took a step forward, hand outstretched.
She gave him the syringe, fighting hard to chase the image from her mind of him suddenly turning on her, using the weapon she’d just handed over.
He studied it closely. Sniffed it. Drew out a drop of the fluid it contained and let it fall on his tongue.
In a moment, satisfied with whatever he had learned, he gave it back to her and held his arm out for the shot to be administered.
No protests. No sound at all.
And when she was finished, she patted his arm. He turned to face her. Not a particularly handsome face, but not unattractive, either. And there was a burning intelligence in his eyes. A fierceness. They were brilliant, mesmerizing blue, and something else, besides. It had taken her several days to reach the conclusion, but now, feeling those eyes on her, there was no mistaking it. He understood. He was not just a mindless killing machine. Maybe he had been at first, but he was changing. She could feel it.
“I....I can’t stay....have to go now, but I’ll come visit you again soon....okay?”
He watched her with those amazing eyes. Unmoving.
She smiled.
He did not smile back.
“I’ll be back.”
She started backing from the room, and he watched her go.
Eyes locked on hers until she had to turn part way around to open the first door. He moved then, reaching his cot in two long, graceful strides and sitting down.
The sudden motion made her heart skip a beat, and she had horrible visions of him breaking out of his “cell,” and extracting revenge for a month of captivity. True, they had treated him well, but it was still clearly captivity. It made her shudder to think what might happen if he somehow managed to escape. The colony was unarmed, save for a small police force armed with short range tasers, and she wasn’t entirely sure those would even work on The Stranger.
“How is he responding to the treatment?” The voice floated to her like music, and her head snapped up. The Lady Deidre had promised to come see their “prisoner” as soon as she returned from her diplomatic mission, but Gayle had no idea she was even back yet. She looked in surprise and saw the Leader of their colony staring serenely at her, a ghost of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
“I....Uh.....very well, actually.” She said, recovering from the surprise. “His metabolism is 42% elevated from baseline, and as you might imagine, it makes his recuperative powers nothing short of remarkable.”
Deidre nodded. “Has he communicated in any way?”
“N....no. I don’t think he can.....I don’t think he understands speech.” That was a simple answer, she knew. She had seen the understanding in his eyes.
“I would like to see him for myself.”
Just then, the two technicians came into the Prep-Room. “Are you sure, M’Lady? He is Psi-Talented, and he has attacked two of our people....Aldridge and Hobbs, there’s nothing to indica....”
“I will see him just the same.” She said simply and started for the outer door.
The room fell silent as she opened the outer door and stepped inside. Finally, as the door was closing, Gayle found her voice again and ran forward, catching the door. “My Lady Deidre....you should know that so far the only two people The Stranger has not attacked since we brought him here have been Mr. Aldridge and myself.....I.....please be careful.”
Deidre nodded. “Have faith, child. I have spoken with Planet about this one. I understand him even if he does not understand himself.”
And with that, she opened the inner door.
The Stranger was on his feet in an instant. He snarled at this new presence and locked eyes with her. His eyes narrowed and the Psi-Indicators connected to his room shot off the chart as he powered up for his attack.
“Get her out of there!” One of the technicians screamed as Gayle ripped the outer door open.
Deidre crossed the room calmly, one hand outstretched.
The Stranger cocked his head and backed away, but did not strike.
“Psi-Levels are at 306....my God, I’ve never seen anything like it....the highest ever recorded from a Worm-Boil is 82....even if he doesn’t attack, it’s a wonder the exposure alone doesn’t kill her.” The Tech at the monitoring station said breathlessly.
Gayle stood at the inner door but did not open it. “Should I try?” She called back.
“No....not now....don’t open the door....it could kill us all.”
They watched, and waited.
Deidre took another step toward him.
He did not back away, but still he did not strike.
Her hand reached out to him, and as she drew closer, the proximity to all that Psi-Energy began having some effect, directed or not. A vessel in her right eye broke and a crimson fairy tear began rolling down her cheek.
She touched his cheek. “Be at peace....be at peace....”
Suddenly, the Psi-Pressure abated. All at once. Gone.
Gayle had to remind herself to breathe.
“Levels just dropped to nothing....like flipping a lightswitch. I can’t believe he was able to maintain it for that long and then just let it go....that’s unbelievable.”
The others only half heard him, they were watching their Lady with rapt attention.
Deidre closed her eyes and tried to open a communal channel. It was something she had been fairly successful at with Planet, and she had hoped to do the same with The Stranger, but right away she felt the block. It was cold, calculating. Mechanical.
“This man is cybernetically-enhanced.” She called out to them. “He is at war with himself. I can feel the tension in him, even if I cannot establish a communal channel.”
They held each other’s eyes for a long moment.
“Do we know if he is self-aware?” She asked.
“Do we what?” One of the Techs asked. No one had even considered it. He was essentially a Human Being....of course he was self-aware.
“Do we know if this man is self-aware?” She repeated.
“No I....uh....we just assumed....”
“Bring me a mirror.” She commanded, and in a few moments, Gayle opened the door slightly and slid in a good sized mirror, perhaps eighteen inches square.
Deidre went to it and picked it up.
The Stranger watched her every move.
She brought it toward him, reflective side down, hidden from his view.
Closer.
Closer still.
Then brought it up for him to see.
His reaction was immediate. The Psi-Indicators went berserk again and he snarled as he backed away.
“He just hit 511! 529! 545! My God, Deidre get out of there, he’ll kill you if it keeps spiking up like that!”
Deidre Skye, nearly in a trance, barely felt it as more vessels in her eyes burst, sending still more Fairy Tears down her cheeks. Vaguely, she was aware that her eardrums were close to bursting with the pressure. She knew without even thinking it that a Psi-Attack right now would kill her instantly.
Calmly, deliberately, she set the mirror aside, reflective side against the wall.
The Psi-Levels fell away and he stood up straight.....approached her cautiously, and touched her cheek as she had done to him earlier. Smeared her blood into her ivory skin, and then brought his reddened fingertips up to examine them.
“Yes....I bleed.” She said softly. “As do you....we are the same.”
He stared at her with those burning eyes.
“You understand me, don’t you....or at least you desperately want to....perhaps the machinery is blocking you. Keeping you from your humanity and filling you with hate.” She smiled faintly. “Well....we shall see about that.”
“Miss McGinnes....please have some music piped in here. Something airy and soothing.”
“Yes M’Lady.” She responded shakily, and in a moment, there was music.
The effect was as immediate as it had been with the mirror. His legs seemed to melt out from under him and he sat roughly on the floor, listening with rapt attention and rocking back and forth. Lost in the music.
Deidre watched him for a long moment, and then turned toward the door. “He is not self-aware, and his Will is being suppressed by artificial means. Once we overcome these two obstacles, we can save him.”
Gayle and the two technicians with her were stunned. They had worked with The Stranger for a month and had managed to do little more than study his abilities from afar and treat his injuries. In less than ten minutes time, Deidre had accomplished more than all their collective efforts.
She turned back to The Stranger and knelt down. “We will speak again soon....I promise you.” Ran her fingers through his hair, and then patted his head gently. “We will save you from yourself.”
Then she turned to leave.
The Stranger did not move as the inner door opened. He was focused on the sounds of the beautiful music that filtered into the room. That, and nothing more.
Once outside, Deidre went immediately to the others. “We must change the treatment plan for this man....begin self-awareness training as we might do for an infant, and keep music in here at all times. Once he is self aware, unlock the door and give him access to the entire level. Make what arrangements you can to protect the staff, and move as many off the floor as possible. We will not be this man’s jailors....my guess is, he has had enough of those to last him two lifetimes.”
Without waiting for or expecting any kind of response, she strode gracefully out of the room. “I will be back in three days time to check on his progress.”
Gayle McGinnes stood in silence with the two technicians for a long moment, and then rushed from the room to find Kevin. What started out as big news for the Gaian colony seemed to be getting bigger by the minute.