Aberrant: The Long March - Chapter 10: All roads lead to Rome

[Andrew Murphy]

Andrew heads back to the ship with the others but after a quick check on the progress in the lab he reabsorbs his clones and returns to his room. "Lorean, I need to talk to Michael, I'm warning you because I intend to ask him to restore me under the condition that I stay confined to the ship until we leave this timeline. Once that's done please have Cody ensure that there is no further tampering remaining by Michael." He sighs, "Insane or not I cannot abide by his actions, even if they have seemingly been beneficial."

He seats himself and after a moment activates the link to Michael, which he can only assume will still work after all these years. *Michael. We don't see eye to eye, I accept that but I need you to accept that as well. And I need you to undo everything you've done to me. I've told Lorean to leave me confined to the ship for as long as you wish me to be but I will not allow unsolicited changes be made to my mind. Had you asked my permission I likely would still have refused but that is because my taint is a part of me. Hiding it behind mental barriers and quantum trickery is only serving to build a lie, a false facade that belays the truth of my being.

*As much as I hate them I need to feel my aberrations and taint. I need to know that this is what I have done to myself in part because of my genetics and in part because of my constant pushing of my limits. My taint drives me, it gives me purpose and reason to seek a cure. A real cure, one that will eliminate the taint, not just hide it.

*You finally saw the value in owning up to the monster that you were. I've never hidden the monster I've become, but I have sought to find redemption, as you have done. If you understand anything now you will know that much like bearing the beating that Joani gave you I must bear the burden of my taint until a cure can be found.

Please, let me be who I am, for who you have made me is not the truth, just a lie.*

[Mr Fox]

Perhaps surprisingly Michael responded through the link rather than directly. *I understand Andrew and I apologize for not explaining things to you better from the beginning. Even with all my vaunted wisdom and knowledge I am not without the ability to make simple mistakes. I had become so accustomed to everyone knowing and understanding why things are done the way they are that I didn't stop and explain them to you like I should have. Of course after explaining I still would have done what I did because it is the law that it be that way, a law I did not introduce I might add, and even voted against. However, since you were so upset with the change I have sought Consensus from the Augs and they will allow you to return to your former state, but you will have to remain aboard Lorean for the duration of your stay. If you violate that stricture your Taint will be put in abeyance again and you will be held responsible for any actions you might commit.* After a momentary pause he finished, *In one thing you are wrong Andrew, your Taint may be a part of you and who you are, but removing it does not make your life a lie, it simply returns you fully to who you are at your core. I wish you well my friend and pray for your success before you fall to the taint that is poisoning you. Whether you liked it or not, I hope that my actions helped you succeed.*

[SalmonMax]

Meredith hesitates only a moment before nodding.

"Do the scan. I may not like the results, but it's better than always wondering."

[Mr Fox]

Lorean nodded and lead the way to the Med bay. Once there she had Meri stand on a high tech looking platform. Metal arms rose up out of the platform up to the level just above Meri's head and then began to scan downward emitting a soft glowing light that bathed the skin in a warm feeling that was not quite uncomfortable but still caused what could almost be described as an itch beneath the skin where the scanner passed. Well, perhaps it was a bit uncomfortable at that, but not so much so that Meri removed herself from the scan.

A few minutes passed after it was done while Lorean reviewed the data and called in Morgan to confirm her results. Looking at the anxious Meri Lorean finally spoke, "It is pretty definitive. Your memories are real, they have not been externally implanted. In other words, your life was not some kind of fake. You lived and experienced everything you remember from birth on. Of course, that only answers one question, it doesn't tell us what you are. No way to tell if you are simply some kind of Avatar for the Watchers who are using you, or if you are a Watcher masquerading as a nova. Your physiology is perfectly normal and I can't detect anything unusual about you, right down to the DNA. On the other hand, Michael and Kara did detect something about you that made them curious. Perhaps they can tell you more."

[Andrew Murphy]

Andrew sighed, "It's not the taint but the method by which I free myself from it Micheal," he said quietly, unsure if Michael was still observing or not. I can admit to my flaws, and I can own up to my own behavior, but I need to do this for myself. A real cure, not just a patch.

Andrew waited and stared at the wall, within minutes he looked around an wondered why he was sitting around staring at the wall. Then he smiled, as horrible as it was his taint had returned, warping and twisting his mind, but deep within his memory he had the final piece of the puzzle, the last needed bit of knowledge.

Andrew rose and went to the lab. Passing by the med bay he saw Lorean, Meri, and Morgan discussing something near one of the sequencing machines. He stuck his head in, "Everything OK in here? Need any help? I was just going ... umm, somewhere, but I don't mind lending a hand."

[Mr Fox]

Lorean looked at Andrew and a certain sadness crept into her smile. "We were just examining Meri to see if we could learn anything about whether the Watchers are using her or if perhaps she is a Watcher. Her memories are real, but that was all we could determine. But what about you, I see Michael put things back the way they were. Is there anything we can do to assist you?"

[SalmonMax]

Meredith gives Andrew a wan smile and a wave.

"Hey. Still just trying to figure out what happened in there. Since my memories are real, I figure this Watcher must be some kind of mind to mind thing."

She looks at Lorean.

"Could it be sort of be..living in my head, like a possession? Only it's usually asleep, so I'm still in control most of the time?"

[Mr Fox]

Lorean shrugged, "It's possible. At this point it's probably the most likely explanation, but there's no way to determine the truth of it with the equipment and knowledge we have here. If you want to find out the only two options you have are to talk with Michael and Kara or travel to Atlantis."

[Andrew Murphy]

"Umm, didn't I just ... hmm, you know, parasitic possession by quantum users has been established already. And given their propensity toward Quantum technology its probably safe to assume that the Watchers themselves are quantum users. Perhaps even being evolved to a state of pure quantum consciousness. If that were the case it could explain the lack of a second ... umm ... a second node ... maybe?" Andrew shrugged, "Just an idea. Now what was I doing?"

Andrew concentrates for a moment before nodding to himself. "May I try something? I need to borrow that scanner for a moment." He steps into the device after setting a few controls and just before the scan starts his body ripples slightly as he makes some kind of adjustment to his form. The machine performed its scan and beeped when done. Andrew stepped out and transferred the data to his lab. "Well all play and no work make Andrew a crazy boy ... unless you'll be needing me?" Andrew twirls on one foot and heads out of the med bay toward his lab.

[SalmonMax]

Meri watches Andrew go, a little uncomfortably, then looks at Lorean.

"I guess I should see Michael then. I may not get another chance to figure this out before we go to this...Atlantis..."

She shakes her head at that and folds her arms nervously over her belly. It occurred to her that Lorean, by her own admission was of Watcher design. Relying on her opinions and her tests might not really getting the most objective information available.

Michael was scary to her. But she believed he was at least independent.

"Would you ask Michael if I can see him? And if he says I can, send me to him?"

[Mr Fox]

Lorean nodded. "Meri, would you like a link? Things have happened so fast and you didn't want want at first."

[Omar]

Still on the bridge, Omar went over the lists of his family members. It was extensive. Ther were hundreds of them. Chuckling to himself he reasoned that that sor of thing happens when you have six children. The family tree spreads its branches quickly.

Looking in the general direction of Steve and Amber's quarters, he wondered if they felt the same; especially Amber. Omar hoped that one day, they would have children as well. Omar didn't want to leave his only line of descendants in this universe.

Lounging back in a chair Lorien made to fit his large frame, he picked up another file that detailed what Lorien knew of the Watchers. Hopefully she would find more information on them. He supposed that they would have to go to Atlantis to get any meaningful information. Omar was done with this timeline, and all he could do was wait until Joani and the others finished what they had to do.

[Mr Fox]

After Andrew wandered off to his lab Lorean transported Meri back down to the planet, this time into a large old fashioned library, it took a moment to realize this must be Michael's personal study despite it's size and number of books. Michael looked up from something he was looking at on his desk and smiled, "Hello my dear. I guess you are here with questions?"

[SalmonMax]

Meredith nodded and looked around, suddenly nervous to talk to this man. His physical presence was imposing, as was the knowledge of his power. And what he might have to do with it to get the answers she wanted.

"I want to know who I am," she said at last, still avoiding looking at him. "What I am. Once and for all. I want to know if my memories of growing up are real...or if I'm just some kind of...mental shield personality or what. Or if there's some kind of ghost mind hiding in my brain, just waiting to pop out and take over when I least expect it. Lorean can't tell me those things, and since she was made by Watchers I don't think I'd trust what she said even if she could."

"Can you?"

[Mr Fox]

Michael looked curiously at Meri as she spoke until she finally said, "Can you?"

He pursed his lips in thought and tapped his steepled fingers against them. "I can't give you all the answers you are looking for. I'm afraid that the Watchers seem to be more powerful than I am. When Kara and I were probing you we pushed as hard as we could without harming you, but then we were forcibly pushed away in more than just the physical sense."

He dropped his hands to the desk and motioned for Meri to take a seat. "I can give you some of what you want to know. Your memories are real, and you are not some kind of puppet. I can sense the truth of every memory in your mind, and you lived every one of them. I have no doubt on that point at all. The other thing I am not quite as sure about. It is more of a gut feeling base on what I sense about you. I don't believe you have some other being hanging around in the back of your head waiting to assume control, I think you are that being. I think there is more to your mind, much more, and that you are simply not aware of it, and judging by what was said I think that you intentionally made it so." Michael's lips twitched in an almost smile, "Yes, I said 'you'. I believe you are more than you appear to be. What Kara and I sensed when we were speaking with you was as if there was a ghost in the room. We could feel the presence, but not glimpse it except out of the corner of the eye when we weren't looking. I know that is pretty nebulous, but that was what it was like. That was why we asked to scan you directly. That was when things got interesting. No one before has ever provided even the slightest resistance to a scan, it shouldn't even be possible to resist since it is a passive thing, but somehow you were. It became like a contest of wills, only it was quantum strength that was involved as opposed to resolve."

The slightest hint of a frown appeared on his face, "I have to admit that it bothers me not to be the strongest quantum user around. With the exception of Kara and Gabriel no one else on this timeline even comes close. Until now. I hope you are not offended, but I hope you won't be staying long. Until I know more of you Watchers and your intentions, I won't be very comfortable with you here."

"Don't get me wrong, I do want to know more about the Watchers and I think that a meeting might be in order, but it will be a meeting somewhere other than here in my home. Perhaps I will visit Atlantis if I am not barred from doing so. Say in the year 2050?" You get the impression that the last sentence was said not so much to you but to someone else as if Michael is addressing the Watchers rather than Meri.

"And now my dear, it is late and Kara is expecting me. I hope that what I have told you helps somewhat, and I would always be glad to learn more should you discover more about your true nature. Please feel free to drop by again in the future." As the interview began it also ended with your teleportation.

******

Several hours later the crew gathered again on the bridge to discuss plans. As was usual with these meetings over the years, a large spread of food was laid out for everyone to graze on. Lorean's hologram looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. The meeting had barely begun before she burst in with her news. "I was sent a present by Gabriel last night." She pointed to a large scintillating crystal sphere sitting on a decorative stand on the table. "That is a data crystal. It contains information on weapons technology and design which was our purpose in coming here in the first place, but it also has a great deal more. There has been 300 years of development into quantum technology, and that includes quantum storage. Using their information I should be able to replace my current quantum batteries that we looted from Proteus with much smaller more powerful cells that will mean that I can make multiple timeline jumps per day and have virtually unlimited uses of the teleporter." Lorean's hologram grins from ear to ear, "Any alien fleets we come across had better think twice now. I could level entire cities with my new guns before I start to feel the loss of power. In other words we won't be forced to chose between fighting and running any more. I will have the strength to fight and still have power to jump away if necessary."

[Andrew Murphy]

Andrew sprawls in a chair fiddling with some gizmo. He looks up as Lorean finishes, "So we are ready to visit Atlantis then? I must confess I am greatly interested. On my world we had legends of Atlantis going back for centuries to the ancient Greeks. I'm not sure if that is the case with your time lines, but it has made me far more interested in finding these Watchers and hopefully getting to the bottom of things."

[Courier]

Steve looks at the crystal then at Lorean and says,

"Excellent news Lorean this means, well, a lot."

"...a question about Atlantis, is it just another timeline? Do we know how far away from us that timeline is?"

[Mr Fox]

Lorean looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'd say that it's not terribly far away, without the coordinates it would have taken a week or more of travel, but since I know exactly where we are going, we can do it in a single jump."

[Courier]

Steve responds,

"So that means their timeline split from ours less than a 1000 years ago? Is that the way it works?"

[Ulric Reikspar]

"Since you know the coordinates, what can you tell us about the corresponding technological and biological development. I have to say, our first ... or my first contact with a Watcher was less than encouraging."

"We may be hellbent on going there, but what is going to be our expectations once we get there. Meri may have been only the first unexpected surprise they may have in store for us."

[SalmonMax]

Meredith looks uncomfortable.

"I wish I could promise you that I'm safe to be around," she admits. "But I don't know. If you want to lock me up, I'll allow it. But...if it controls my power when it takes over, I don't know if there's really anything that would keep me confined."

[Mr Fox]

"I don't know anything about it except by conjecture. Given it's coordinates, it must be fairly similar to your own home timelines, and depending on how it changed it may have diverged only a few years ago or as much as a couple hundred years. I'm still learning to judge these things, based on the jumps we've made in the past but I think it will be pretty similar to modern Earth, and by that I mean around the year 2000 not 2300."

[Andrew Murphy]

Andrew tosses the gadget onto the table and a piece falls off. He spares it a brief look of irritation before, with some effort, he focuses on the others. "How long before you've completed your upgrades Lorean? I think I remember you saying it would take a few days to reconfigure once you had the information. At this point I'd rather we implement all the changes we can before we jump. We can speculate and hope but we cannot be certain of the response we'll ultimately receive."

He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a vial of milky-white fluid. As he places it on the table before him the fluid within rolls inside the vial and displays an almost pearlescent quality. For a moment he says nothing, waiting, almost challenging everybody to guess what the vial is. "... and if we're going to take the time to make sure that Lorean is in top shape we should do the same for the crew."

[Courier]

Originally Posted By: SalmonMax

Meredith looks uncomfortable.

"I wish I could promise you that I'm safe to be around," she admits. "But I don't know. If you want to lock me up, I'll allow it. But...if it controls my power when it takes over, I don't know if there's really anything that would keep me confined."

Steve answers, "I think we have to treat you like a friend and ally, which of course you are."

Steve gives a smile then continues, "Besides, if Mike couldn't deal with you then I don't think we have anything that could, even in theory."

Amber's eyes widen in surprise and she looks at Andrew.

Originally Posted By: Mr Fox

"I don't know anything about it except by conjecture. Given it's coordinates, it must be fairly similar to your own home timelines, and depending on how it changed it may have diverged only a few years ago or as much as a couple hundred years. I'm still learning to judge these things, based on the jumps we've made in the past but I think it will be pretty similar to modern Earth, and by that I mean around the year 2000 not 2300."

Steve says,

"Interesting. Is Atlantis the same as the watcher's home timeline?"

Originally Posted By: Andrew Murphy

He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a vial of milky-white fluid. As he places it on the table before him the fluid within rolls inside the vial and displays an almost pearlescent quality. For a moment he says nothing, waiting, almost challenging everybody to guess what the vial is. "... and if we're going to take the time to make sure that Lorean is in top shape we should do the same for the crew."

Steve says,

"I'll bite. What does that do?"

[Andrew Murphy]

Andrew waited looking at the others for a moment before he spun the vial on the table and then picked it up. Rolling it between his fingers he smile, "Well I'd like to claim that its the single greatest achievement in nova science ever but its not quite there yet. It is however a cure for taint." He pauses, considering the vial in his hand, "Well, I think it is. I've not tested it yet.

"It's tailored for me. Right now I can't create a broad spectrum cure. An anti-virus if you will. But I can create a tailored cure on a case by case basis. This is mine, I hope."

[Mr Fox]

Morgan looked up, surprise evident on his face, "Are you certain Andrew? Last time you tested a cure on yourself it made matters worse. You are so close to the edge, we wouldn't want to lose you." He stared hard at his longtime friend then shook his head slowly, "No, I can see that you are sure. When do you intend to administer it?"

[Omar]

A cure for taint? Omar was highly curious of Andrews invention. Would it really work?

"I would like to be present when you administer the cure." Omar said to Andrew, a sightly worried look on his face. "Just to make sure that you will be alright." Or to make sure none of us are not harmed if it goes wrong. He thought to himself.

Omar sat back in the office-like chair and put his muscular feet on the table. He smiled at Andrew as he took a large bite from one of the apples in his hand.

[Courier]

Steve pauses and says,

"Well now. That's... like finding the holy grail. Tell us more. How does this work?"

[Ulric Reikspar]

"And if it isn't your cure then what will it do to you? I mean to say, you come across as a pretty lousy scientist, Alex. Always exerimenting on yourself, no matter what the cost. I would have hoped after your last disaster you would have given up on this selfish obsession and looked at the bigger picture. You are bright, maybe the brightest here, but what good will that do the worlds if you destroy yourself?"

He holds up his hand in surrender.

"Let's see it. If the worst case happens, we still have your notes right?"

[Courier]

Steve decides,

*Time for me to step in, i.e. BEFORE the explosion...*

Steve speaks up saying,

"I think the word I'd use is 'Desperate'. He picked up serious taint problems before all this experimentation."

"As for notes, we aren't totally without recourse. It's much harder blazing a trail than following it. I think if I were to spend every waking moment trying to recreate Andrew's work, I might be able to do so in twenty or so years." Steve is apparently serious that this is 'good' news.

(Active Sooth)

[Joani]

Ever since she got teleported back to Lorean Joani hasn’t left her room. She avoided any contact even to her husband unable to cope with what had happened. It was obvious that she needed time to recuperate.

She had spent days without sleeping unable to close her eyes without recalling the events again and again. It was as if she got stuck in a loop repeating the events over and over again until it drove her insane. So she decided to remain awake and distract herself as good as she could. The first thing she did was to burn her uniform since she felt she wasn’t worthy of it any longer. Even if her anger was righteous she had failed to remain aloft and in control of the situation. She wanted to kill Michael and she still had trouble distancing herself from those thoughts. She asked herself when and how her life had gotten out of control and if it was the right decision to leave Earth in the first place. Maybe it would’ve been better if she had never met the cabal – as Caroline’s puppet she wasn’t even aware of what was going on. Ignorance is bliss she guessed and deep inside she knew it was nonsense she was making up. But yet the idea gave her some kind of strange solace, though she knew it was wrong.

Lorean told her that there was a meeting on the bridge and that she felt she should attend even if she didn’t want to talk to anyone. Joani knew she had to come out of her isolation and reluctantly made her way to the bridge. She barely entered the room, just standing at the entrance leaning casually against a wall dressed in jeans and a white shirt. Her eyes were rather blank and devoid of any energy and even though she hadn’t eaten in days she wasn’t hungry.

[Andrew Murphy]

At Ulric's words Andrew simmers his hands grip the table edge turning white. Were it not for a well timed intervention by Steve he knew he'd have lost control again. Instead he took the help in stride and took a long deep breath. "Listen to me. I cannot make a broad cure yet. It's beyond my knowledge at the moment. I made this because I don't know how much longer I'll last like this." Andrew sighed, "Look, I didn't have to wait, I could just as easily have just tried it out immediately, but I figured that I'd let you all know. Steve's right, I'm desperate, desperate to avoid falling over the edge. You have no idea how hard it's been, you can't possibly understand. The point is it's here and it'll either save me or ... or not. If not I fear it may well be better to kill me."

Andrew stopped and closed his eyes concentrating for a moment, "You can't even comprehend how difficult being this lucid is right now. Even with no active clones ever little detail, every stray thought grips my mind in a vice that threatens to steer me onto some irrelevant topic.

"Still, if you all insist I will launch immediately into work on a vaccine for one of you instead with the aim to test it on somebody else first."

[Joani]

"I volunteer to be your guinea-pig, Andrew. I don't care if it kills me.", said Joani with disturbing indifference in her voice taking a few steps closer to the assembled cabal.

[Andrew Murphy]

Andrew scrunches his mouth up and appears to be considering her offer. "Well I don't expect it would kill you. Even that last once didn't kill me. Though I did almost kill myself ... err, sorry. What I mean is that if this doesn't work it is likely to generate rather significant mutation. Basically instead of curing the problem it would make it much, much worse. Though I can't even predict how quickly the process will affect its changes, for better or worse."

For a moment he continues on babbling about mitochondrial replication, and quantum field fluctuation before he stops. "Sorry. Umm ... right, yes. That said I'd prefer a candidate more easily subdued. While I'm sure Omar could take care of it I hate to think what a full on brawl between you two could do to Lorean if this serum drove you taint mad. For that reason Omar is also not an ideal candidate."

He looks around the table. "Look while I have no doubt that with time Morgan could replicate my research I don't think it would be anytime soon. We need to act on this quickly if the first test is not to be on me. Either that or Steve'll need to spend all his time keeping my temper in check. This taint is eroding my sanity. Honestly I'm not certain how I've lasted this long."

[Joani]

"Just toss me a radioactive rock, Andrew and I'm powerless. I guess I won't be much of a threat in that case. And if it is not affecting me you've cured me and I shouldn't go mad... not anymore than I already am that is.", there was a strange cold detachement to her that made her indifferent speech somewhat creepy.

[Courier]

Steve glances at Amber and asks,

"Andrew, how long do you think it needs to take effect?"

[SalmonMax]

"If Andrew made it for himself, then he should be the one to take it," Meredith says. She gives Joani a sympathetic look.

"Joani...I don't think you should, regardless. Not like this."

[Andrew Murphy]

"Well no, she shouldn't test this. It wouldn't do anything ... well, actually I hadn't thought of that. Yeah, definately should not test this serum. But I could with time, make a new one tailored for Joani's specific biochemistry and DNA." Andrew shrugs a half smile, "Steve, I'm confident it will work, but I have no idea how well or how quickly. I suspect that will depend on the person as much as anything. A single dose may be enough to rid a mildly tainted individual instantly. For me it could take ... well, I'd rather not speculate."

[Joani]

"That seems not logical to me. Losing me, if things went bad wouldn't change much - unlike losing you, Andrew. The same goes to Steve or Morgan. They seem to be the only ones beside you that could pick up your research and finish it eventually, even if it took several decades more. I'm expendable - I always was. And I come with a failsafe - my taint renders me powerless if you expose me to radioactive material.", objected Joani with a hint of her former dedication when she was fighting for a cause.

[SalmonMax]

"Stop that," Meri demands hotly.

"No one's 'expendable.' Not you, not me, not anyone. Hell, if ANYONE here is expendable, it's probably me. But God only knows how that would affect me, or even IF it would, so..."

She shrugs.

"He tailored it for himself. Maybe he shouldn't have, but he did. I don't see what else to do at this point."