Aberrant: Dead Rising - Chapter 5b: The Trial

[Dawn OOC]

Well after most of the newcomers had been dispersed to their warm beds, one was detained. Jon had been asked by security to remain behind for a moment, as people wanted to speak with him. Jon sighed to himself. It seemed that he was being singled out, for some reason he couldn't ascertain. It made him nervous.

He was shown into a room in the concrete bunker. Waiting for him was the leader, Fox, the dark-haired man, Priest, and the quiet man, Hawkins, who had a scowl for everyone. It wasn't a comforting way to start what looked to be an interrogation.

[Mr Fox]

Morgan looked at the man and attempted to assess what he saw. The man was a little difficult to read. He did smile fairly warmly however to put Jon at his ease. "I am Captain Morgan Fox, formerly of the United States Air Force, back when we had a United States that is. Now days I'm the leader of this here refuge. You spoke briefly earlier about a possible alliance between your compound and mine. I'd like to speak to you and get to know you a little better if you don't mind." He gestures to his two fellow inquisitors, "I believe you may have also met Dan and Priest at the meeting, they are fellow gifted like I am. One of Priest's gifts in fact is to be able to see something like auras around those of us with special abilities."

Fox didn't go into any more detail than that to see what Jon would say for himself. "As a result we thought we'd get to know you better. Tell us a little about yourself."

[Priest]

Priest looks up at Jon his face a mask of determination.

"When you spoke up yesterday, I looked you over. I guessed that you were someone special and it turns out I was right. I can see peoples auras ... what makes them special, good and bad."

He clears his throat and keeps his hand on his pistol.

"You have some pretty dark shit going on. There is a good deal to it and I think you should discuss it with us before the Captian figures out if you can stay. It wouldn't be wise for us to leave you behind when we leave tomorrow."

"Now, would you please tell us what's going on inside your body. I'll know if you are lying about it, because I know what I've seen."

Click to reveal..

(17:50:54) ChatBot: (Adrian)Subterfuge rolls 6d10 and gets 2,9,7,8,4,6 = 3 success as he is stretching the truth a bit.

Spending a q for QA: (17:52:57) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 7d10 and gets 4,2,2,1,2,6,7 = 1 success. Not seeing more than his basic aura.

[SkyLion]

Jon's mind hand been racing with the revelations.

This is incredible. I need samples...have to make allies. Destroyed labs? I have to get back to Maddie. Lifted the table! What does it mean???

After all that had happened, the retched things they had made him do, in this most personal of purgatories, Jon's mind clung to a battered rock of rationality. He could have ended it so long ago, yet somehow he lacked the strength to kill himself. He told himself that it was Madison for whom he lived for, that she gave him reason to live. It wasn't true. It was Reason itself that kept him here. Not curiosity but the idea that somehow if he only tried hard enough he could understand what had happened and be free of it.

Maddie. What will happen now? Now that that we have found others. Will she stay with me?

They had clung together for solace because there was noone else. The intimacies they had shared were undercut by his own revulsion with himself.

His thoughts were interrupted when the soldiers came and asked him to stay. The way they stood and the firm politeness of the request immediately put Jon on edge. He entered the room looking at the three assembled sternly behind the desk. Nervously he sat down, clearly uncomfortable and seeming in spite of his stature to be quite meek. There was something haunted in his eyes...all too common these days.

He relaxed slightly, seeming to brighten in the glow of Fox's charisma. Then Priest spoke and Jon blanched, his bronzed complexion immediately draining to ashen.

Jon looked confused at the three men, and for a long moment they did not think he was actually going to be able to answer. His reaction seemed to be somewhere between shock and shame, of a man racked with secret guilt that had finally been exposed to the light of day.

Finally he spoke with incredulity, "You...are not infected? ...How?"

[Priest]

In a calm voice with some grit to it,

"We aren't here to answer your question, Jon. You are here to answer ours, or leave and promise to never come back."

He looked to Fox for confirmation of the edict.

"Now, please explain what you do, and while you are at it, tell us how it is tied in with the Zombie Plague. You have to understand, we aren't going to take risks with the normal inhabitants of this Enclave."

[Mr Fox]

Fox nodded at Priest's words. "Priest is right. When it comes to the safety of the enclave we simply do not take even the slightest risk if it can be avoided. I will tell you this, if you prove trustworthy and your lab is as good as you claim we may very well do business together, but first we need to know what is is that Priest is seeing that seems so dark to him." His words were not terribly comforting to the strange man, but there seemed to be a tone to his voice that implied he would like to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nodded once. "You're implying that you are Infected then Jon?"

He didn't move, but there was a sense of muscles tightening, his entire frame seemed ready to explode into action.

Dan's voice was uncommonly quiet and flat, betraying no emotion. "What we want Jon is answers. I'd like to hear yours, to all our questions, Now."

[SkyLion]

"Yes..." he says quietly. "But it isn't what you think. I don't carry the Z-virus, although I think it was the catalyst for what happened to me...what is happening to everyone. As I mentioned in the meeting it isn't one virus, but many. Retro-virus may be a better term. My field of expertise is in genetics and I have already determined that I myself have undergone physical changes. I would be willing to bet each of you shows similar changes. Before I came here, I thought I was an isolated case, yet clearly that which afflicts me is not the same as what has happened to you..."

He looked into the glares of the others, his nervous rambling clearly irritating them.

How can I tell them? Just do it! You have to...you have no choice. You have to trust someone if you are ever going to beat this.

He swallowed dryly searching for the words. "I am...have become...host, to a pair of parasitic organisms. I don't know how yet, but somehow the virus bonded our DNA together. It's a symbiotic link...as host they provide me with great power and protection, for their survival depends on my own. The cost however is grim. Their hunger is now mine as well..."

He lets that sink in, wondering if they will attack him now. A part of him would even welcome the release...the act which he had lacked the courage to commit.

[Priest]

"Okay ... I can't say I've heard worse. You are pretty screwed."

He looks around the room, looking for something, but his eyes settle on Jon.

"What do you need to feed on now ... because of them? I mean, I am really hoping you aren't going to say 'human flesh', because that is dangerously close to the zombie problem. If it is beef, I think we can manage something - pack you with a few steaks when you leave the compound. Stuff like that."

His eyes meet Jon's,

"So tell me, what do they eat? And, do you have to eat it too?"

[Mr Fox]

It took an effort of will for Morgan to keep a straight face as Jon spoke his secret. Before he could decide what to do about the revelation Priest had asked what was probably the most important question. And if Jon did answer 'human flesh' or 'brains' well, he wouldn't be anyone's problem much longer. Before Jon could answer the Captain held up his hand to indicate that he should wait.

He pulled the walkie off his belt and spoke into it, "Ger, this is Fox, find me that Mwfwany that came in with the new arrivals and escort her to the HQ real quick, I forgot to ask her something about the place she comes from. I meant to find out if she's seen Charlie in her travels." Mentioning 'charlie' was a code that it was pretty important and only Ger, Markham and the other security folks knew it so it was a way for Fox to tell his people it was important without having someone else in the refuge hear it over their walkie and start a ton of rumors.

"Sorry Jon, go ahead and answer, but I want to have that Doctor check you out. Not that I don't believe you are possessed, but a medical diagnosis would help put my mind at ease."

[SkyLion]

"With all good respect, Captian, I am as much of a doctor as she is, and my resources are considerably more advanced. It is unlikely she will be able to tell you more than I have, but if it will help set your mind at ease, I can submit to a physical."

He sighs. They were taking it better than he had hoped.

"As for 'eating'...it isn't a question of them feeding or me feeding. They are my digestive system now...wholly...and what we now require is fresh blood...not necessarily mammalian blood mind you but the cloned supply I have been using to fend off the urges has been losing it's potency."

"I also would not go so far as to call myself possesed. They do not influence my action in any way aside from hunger. Unfortunately as you know, that can be one of the most powerful motivating urges a being can feel. There have been times when they...we...haven't been as well fed and the instinct to hunt and kill has been very powerful. The changes they have made to my body have rendered us a superior predator, although thus far I have been able to restrain their more murderous urges through strength of will, and isolating myself when away from a food supply. Earlier I had to feed on one of your livestock in the fields, although I prevented the leeches from killing the animal. It will soon recover to full health."

He looks at the gathered soldiers with a desperate air.

"Please Captain...I have to beat this. I need to. There must be a way to reverse the changes...but..our understanding of genetics is still so primitive. My research shows that whatever the Z-cocktail is, it operates on a level high above anything we have ever encountered. The two hypotheses I have so far, as outlandish as they might sound are that it is either a bio-weapon that got out of control, or perhaps...is not of terrestrial origin. Personally I am hoping for the former, as that would mean at least someone, somewhere has more advanced information about how it works and how we might stop it..."

[SalmonMax]

"He'll be fine," Myfwany assured the kid's mother with her best doctor's smile. "He just scraped his knee. The spray I used and the bandage will keep it from getting..."

But you couldn't really say 'infected' these days. Not without sparking a panic.

"...well, keep it clean and make sure it heals quickly. Give it a few days and he'll be good as new."

The woman, a thin young thing with big round eyes and threadbare hair covered in a scarf that revealed her high forehead, asked worriedly, "This doesn't mean he'll...that he's..."

Myf shook her head quickly and ruffled the boy's hair. He was three or four, and while he probably only understood part of what they were saying he could pick up on his mom's fear. "No, not at all. Not even the slightest bit. It's absolutely impossible for that to happen unless you get bitten. And that can't happen in here." Another smile. "Okay?"

The young mother nodded with relief so palpable she looked about to cry. "It's good that you're here," she confided. "They have some people who know first aid and I think a paramedic, but it's so good to have a real doctor."

Then she focused on something past Myfwany's shoulder. Before Myf could turn she heard a man behind her clearing his throat.

"Ma'am," the man said respectfully. He was in dark BDU's, like Fox's. "I've been asked to escort you to see Captain Fox."

Myfwany smiled. "Am I in trouble?" she asked.

The soldier allowed himself a quirk of his lips as well. "No, ma'am. We just have someone we need you to take a look at."

"Let me finish with this patient, and I'll be right..."

"Oh no," the mother said quickly, nervously. "If the Captain needs you...and I think we're okay now..."

Myf reached into her pocket and handed the boy a little lollypop. There'd been a box of them stashed among the medical supplied. She had no idea why a military base would have something like that...joke maybe...but she was taking advantage. "Clean bill of health. Just keep that bandage on. Don't pick at it or scratch it, even if it itches."

The boy grinned a bucktoothed grin, and the mom gave her a grateful look as they both hurried off.

Myf looked at her escort and nodded. "Okay, lets go."

----------

In Fox's office, the Captain's radio squawked. Ger reported, "I have the doctor, sir, we're on our way."

A few minutes later the door opened, admitting a tousle-haired Myfwany, who'd added a white lab coat to her earlier ensemble. Standing behind her, Ger saluted, then shut the door.

"Alright then," Myf said briskly. "Who has the sniffles..."

Then she saw Jon there, and understanding dawned on her.

"Ahh."

[SkyLion]

"Hey Myf." Jon smiled sheepishly. It was a weak smile, and obviously whatever had been eating at him was the topic of discussion. He still looked a little pale.

"I just let the cat out of the bag...or rather opened a can of worms..."

[SalmonMax]

"All right," Myfwany said evenly. "What cat, exactly. Which worms? Someone catch me up."

[Priest]

"Jon here claims to have a parasitic infection - something warped by the Plague into something horrific - and symbiotic. We need to know what you can do to verify this. Give him a physical here, or something. Here. Now. In front of us."

Priest clears his throat and makes eye contact with the doctor, Myf.

"He says he has these murderous urges brought on by the parasites' hunger. By his own accounts he's already fed off a cow here, though he didn't kill it."

"Basically we need you to verify there are these parasites and if anything else is wrong with him. We'll back you up."

Looking to Jon now,

"You can leave at any time, but there seems to be a need to warn other communities out there if you do. If you aren't our problem, you are the world's problem. Do you understand me?"

[SkyLion]

"I...I don't want to be anyone's problem. I can feed on livestock and wild animals...please. I don't want to hurt anyone!"

He looks at Myf pleadingly, before turning back to the military men.

"If...if you really want to see them...I could.. I could show you..." Jon says with great hesitation.

[Mr Fox]

Fox nodded. "Yeah, I appreciate you coming clean with us Jon, but understand that I don't necessarily believe it till it's proved. Me, I can fly, Priest here can see Auras, there is some weird stuff happening in the world these days, but you could just as easily be one of the supers like us, but have a mental condition that is making you hear voices if you know what I mean."

Looking over at the Doc, "Thanks for agreeing to take a look Doc. It's not that I don't trust Jon here, but self-diagnosis wasn't generally considered the best plan even before the Z plague, and with all these new complications thrown in a second opinion would be a valuable thing."

While Mwfwany was doing her exam, Fox looked back to Jon, "I will tell you one bit of good news. I do know of the location of a lab that knows something about the plague. It was a secret government facility according to the survivor we found and they apparently want to keep their secret. After we deal with the immediate threats you are welcome to join us when we investigate them."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan's muscles tighntened and it was a close thing, the decision on whether or not Jon should continue drawing breath. "If I catch you feeding on a human Jon, I will Kill you. That's my only warning. If you can subsist on animals, then fine. Your expertise can be of alot of use to everyone. But answer me this. What happens when animal blood loses its potency, what then?"

He spoke the promise the others left unsaid, allowing them to at least look to remain neutral to benevolent. The three of them were Judge, Jury, and Executioner, and there was no question which of the three was The Executioner.

[SkyLion]

"I would very much like that," Jon said to Fox's invitation.

After Dan spoke he replied,

"I don't know if it will come to that. I think "fresh" is the operative word. I have tried to placate them on the walking dead but it doesn't seem to satisfy the creatures."

"There is one other thing you should know. When we feed there is a rush associated with it. Nothing out of control but it does heighten our abilities. Moreover, I can feel the rush even when they are seperated from me...which makes even less sense. It's as if even when seperated I can still feel them and they are still a part of me..."

"And yes, we have fed on one human thus far, in self-defense. So far as I know, feeding alone isn't fatal, but it can severely weaken the prey. Moreover, the parasites have shown that they will attack anyone who threatens their Host, whether I want them to or not. Please don't take that as a threat, but for the genuine warning that it is...I really don't want to hurt anyone."

[SalmonMax]

Myfwany hesitated at that last revelation and asked warily, "Does examining you physically count as 'threatening?'"

She looked over at Fox and added, "Also, understand that this is going to be pretty limited. I won't be able to prove or disprove what he's claiming with what I have right here. To really find parasites, I'd need some kind of full body scan, or an ultrasound...something that can penetrate the body tissues."

Once again she focused on Jon.

"But if they're big enough, I might be able to feel their mass inside you, depending on where they are."

[Mr Fox]

Fox frowned, "Jon what do you mean show us?"

[SkyLion]

Quote:

Myfwany hesitated at that last revelation and asked warily, "Does examining you physically count as 'threatening?'"

"No...I think their sense of "threat" has to do with my perceptions of a situation. I'm calm now and fed them recently..."

Quote:

She looked over at Fox and added, "Also, understand that this is going to be pretty limited. I won't be able to prove or disprove what he's claiming with what I have right here. To really find parasites, I'd need some kind of full body scan, or an ultrasound...something that can penetrate the body tissues."

"Yeah, and you are going to have a hard time getting a needle in...that's why I don't have any hair. At first I thought I had developed cancer when my hair fell out but it was the gestating things rewriting my DNA, including a thickening and sealing of the epidermis. No follicles, no pores, nothing, although I have noticed some odd glands in my armpits and hips."

Quote:

Once again she focused on Jon.

"But if they're big enough, I might be able to feel their mass inside you, depending on where they are."

Jon stands up to his full height and removes first his tac-vest and then his tight fitting shirt. Physically the man was most definitely a specimen, all smooth chisled lines. The good doctor moves in cautiously, lightly palpating his washboard abdominal wall. With a gasp she jerks back and the room recoils in horror as Jon's insides bulge and his stomach distends with coiling movment. Whatever is inside of him, it's big, perhaps the size of a boa constrictor or larger.

[Priest]

"Okay, that is going in the top ten grossest things I've ever seen."

He stares at the thing, his eyes sharp and probing.

Click to reveal..

First dice is the Mega: (17:52:38) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 6d10 and gets 4,9,9,2,8,9 = 4 successes! What is that things aura like?

"That is ... interesting, but I think the problem is still a matter of control. What happens if you spend a few days not around easy prey and only humans? What are the limits of your control? I have people here who depend on me for making decisions concerning their survival. I don't think I would want to go on a road trip in the same cab as you frankly."

"I'm sorry you seem to have been screwed by all this. Would you consider the Doc here putting you under and removing those?"

[SalmonMax]

"I...don't think that would be possible," Myfwany says softly, her eyes bugged wide and her hand still half-extended towards Jon in a warding-off gesture.

"If these things are big enough to do that, then they'd have..." she swallows thickly and clears her throat. "They'd have had to have replaced most of his digestive tract, and possibly his kidneys and bladder as well. Depending on exactly where they...ah...sit."

She looks at Jon with something like horrified pity.

"How did this happen? This isn't like anything else I've ever seen. What -are- those things?"

[Priest]

Priest thinks while Myf talks then his eyes get wide,

"Jon, Doc, is there anyway to determine if those things pass on the plague, like carriers?"

"If so, we have to kill and burn that cow and ... well, find a way to keep those things inside ... of you."

Priest prays he's wrong.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan frowns. Part of him said to end this man's life and probable suffering here and now, that the risks were too damn high. "Removing them would kill him in all likelyhood."

He looks at Jon, hard, as if trying to guage his value to everyone. "Your Call Fox. I say he can be useful, even with his unorthodox feeding habits. If things he feeds on get infected that will be a big concern, but if not I'd say it's worth having him around. We need scientists of virtually any stripe. That's one of many areas your refuge is woefully understaffed in. I say we give him a chance, If only because he has agreed to submit to the tests and not hidden this from us. We do need to ascertain if he's transmitting it when he feeds."

His face darkens as he turns to Jon. "I already told you what would happen. Keep it to animals, and we're good, beyond that and you'll find out just how much I'm a man of my word."

[Mr Fox]

Fox agreed, "Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. If the doc here can watch something you feed and and insure it doesn't get infected or anything then that's alright. Speaking of road trips though, I want you with us tomorrow on the trip to deal with that cult. Your abilities will make you pretty damned handy I think and until we know more about the safety of your condition I honestly don't want to leave you behind in the refuge."

Morgan looked at Mwfwany, "Doc, do you think you could determine if his feedings would have a negative effect on an animal?"

[SalmonMax]

Myfwany gives Fox a wry look. "I think I can safely say that having the blood sucked out of them by giant...parasites or whatever they are would have a negative effect. As for the infection danger though..." she shakes her head. "It would take at least a day or two for the symptoms to develop. Without the means to do blood tests or anything, that's the only way we could tell."

"I will say this much. I've been driving with him and Gabrielle and her friends for some time now. He hasn't shown any behavior I'd call threatening. I don't think he'll be any trouble for some time now, if indeed at all, ever."

[Mr Fox]

"That sounds good to me then." He looked at Jon, "As long as you don't pose a threat you'll be welcomed at the refuge and we'll see about helping you get back to your compound and see what the situation there is, but not until after we take care of that cultist tomorrow. Be ready to leave in the morning at first light, I want to get an early start."

[SkyLion]

Click to reveal..

As Priest's vision improves he is able to make out more details. There are indeed two long coiled leech like creatures in his body cavity. Each measures about 6 feet long and is quite thick. Their "aura" matches Jon's, indeed there seems to be no seperation on a physical or quantum level between them and they share the same signature. In terms of aura Priest can sense the ravenous appetite and predatroy urges emante from within his belly, but otherwise his energies seem normal. If anything, there is alot of energy surrounding Jon's head, indicating that he tends to thihnk and analyze quite a bit.

Jon listens to the back and forth go on about him, leaving him little room to interject.

Eventually he gets the chance to chime in,

"Okay one thing at a time. First they can't be permanently seperated from me or even killed...believe me I have tried. And it wasn't fatal to me either. All it did was hurt a great deal and they just regenerated and moved right back on in. That's the other reason I haven't just offed myself...I don't think it would do any good. My own wounds heal as quickly as they form."

He looks to the doctor.

"And you are correct Myfwany...they have indeed replaced most of my internal viscera. As I said...they are a part of me now. As to how it happened? My best guess is that the Z-virus mutated an existing parasite and somehow spliced its DNA into my own, like something out of a bad made for TV sci-fi movie."

"Secondly...I am not a monster." The way he says this lands with an air of defiance and even pride.

"If it comes down to the thirst I will remove myself and hunt elsewhere, away from humans. I can cover a lot of ground when I have to..."

"Third...I can assure you that I am no plague-bearer. Whatever has changed me has rendered me immune to the virus and it cannot live within my body. I have done countless tests and documentations on my condition for the last 6 months, all of which have been verifed by my partner. I am willing to wager that the same antibodies I have found in my blood are present in yours as well."

He turns to the Captain. "Fox, I can make my own way home. However, if I help you tomorrow, will you and your fellow uh..." he searches for the right word, "altered citezens submit blood and tissue samples for my research? And will you provide military protection of that research from hostile parties?"

[Priest]

Priest thinks about it, he speaks up.

"How is your base powered? That would be the biggest concern. If the power supply is very finite, we may want to move the machinery over here. It couldn't take more than a few trips, and we'll need to be raiding Dallas anyway."

Holding up a hand,

"I know you might think the base is zombie proof, but there is this military style unit out there attacking scientific enclaves, and there is now proof of super-zombies. You can travel up to Lawton's guard base and check out the ammo bunker if you don't believe us - but be careful to jump back quick."

"I don't think this is the only super-zombie we've come across either. Think about that."

[SalmonMax]

"Men, supermen," Myf muses to herself, turning away towards a window.

"Zombies, super-zombies."

[Priest]

Well, they had most of what they needed to know, so ...

"I think we are done here, Captain."

Priest gets ready to leave. He extends a hand to Jon.

"I'm still learning what I can do. I hope you can understand why I was a bit freaked out."

[Mr Fox]

Fox looked at Jon and raised an eyebrow. "We'll cooperate in terms of research because it's the right thing to do, and you'll either help out tomorrow on the mission to resolve a mutual threat, or you won't depending on your conscious. Neither of those things have to do with making deals with you. Whether we help out with protecting your lab or not won't be determined until I've seen the place with my own eyes and decided if it can or should be done, and that too will be done because it should or it won't, but it won't be because of some deal, it will be based on whether it is the right thing to do or not."

[SkyLion]

Jon nodded, the situation having sorted itself out.

After the others disbanded, Jon took a walk out into the pastureland. When he was far enough from the prying light of the compound habitats, he found a place where he could clear the fence and poured on the speed.

Within a few short minutes he was back at his lab, ivy creeping over the top of the imposing brick facade that hid reinforced concrete. A button at the gate cued Maddie of his presence. A minute later the screen lit up showing her face on the close-circuit monitor. Sighing in relief she activated the heavy gate allowing him entrance. A few more minutes and he was underground and through quarantine.

He could tell she had been concerned about him and she could tell that he was still infatuated with her beauty. It was unclear who needed who more. All of this was communicated through the eyes for a long moment before she looked away. When she did, Jon moved in close, pulled her chin up toward him and kissed her with all of his loneliness.

[Dawn OOC]

Maddie kissed him back, her expression troubled. "Why were you gone so long?" she asked plainatively, her blue eyes searching his. "I was getting worried. Oh! Did you get any samples? We should get started on them immediately."

She started to tug him deeper into their complex. "C'mon, spill... what'd you find?"

[SkyLion]

"People Maddie. Lots of people in various degrees of reclaiming society, or a nightmarish parody of it."

He proceeded to tell her of the madness at Beaver Lake, the infection of Gabrielle, her miraculous recovery and Fox's Refuge. He told her of the others with strange abilities. Jon had taken to calling them mutations and that they were willing to contribute samples for further research. While he talked he brought out the before and after samples of Gabrielle's blood and began to process it in the gyroscopic seperator.

"They say there are other groups, the rogue remains of the military, and that some of them have been going after labs. I think we are safe here for now, but how long is that going to last? Fox and the others know of my...condition...and they may be willing to offer us protection for our research here. As a show of good faith, tomorrow I will go with them to this Elijah, to try and stop him."

He felt Maddie tense subtly into his side, sensing that she didn't want him to leave. Jon squeezed her hand, looking into her eyes.

"I can stay with you now, but at first light I must be back...we need these people, and they may need us."

[Dawn OOC]

Maddie nodded, biting her lip. "Okay," she sighed. "It makes sense for you to go." That was Maddie for you; logical and reasonable, even she when clearly wanted to be selfish. She watched him work for a long moment, then said, "I want to meet them sometime."

Her announcement was like a bomb in the room. It would change everything between them, possibly. Their union was one of solitude. Would it stand up to knowing other people?

[SkyLion]

Jon hesitated for only the briefest of moments, considering.

"Of course."

He too was analytical, perhaps the only reason he had remained sane and not given in to despair. "After we get back from tomorrow's mission I am going to bring a few of them with me to witness our work. Hopefully then they will agree to an...a symbiotic relationship with us. They will come in vehicles fortified for city travel and plan to go on to Dallas to look for someone's family member. If that goes well, you could go back with them on the return trip and see Fox's place for yourself. Its a conveted ICBM site...pretty ingenious even if it is quite literally a powder keg. I don't want to think of what would happen if a group like Elijah's were to take over and get ahold of a warhead or ten."

He had finished seperating the blood and feeding samples into a computer for testing. Visual examination could wait. Right now, he was too busy visually examining her. He had a hungry look in his eyes when he approached her, picked her up and carried her back to their quarters.

[Dawn OOC]

Maddie sighed, her eyes sad already as she considered that it would be a day or two before she could talk to more people. And Jon was going out again, for who knows how long. She forced a smile and said, "Will you have dinner with me, before you go back?" I haven't talked to a real person since you left. She bit back the urge to beg him to stay anyway, knowing that he had to do this, for the alliance.