Chris I:
Chris sat in his office, an itch to smoke a cigarette surfaced again. He relented, instead he focused on the paperwork before him.
Jaene’s arrest was far different this time around. The CIA immediately attempted to transfer her to their custody, thankfully they have authority for bioterrorism investigations so she was able to stay. Regardless tensions were present between the two sides, despite them fighting against a common enemy.
He’d tried to get a real meeting to decide what they’d do with Jaene, to earn her freedom. But with the outbreak in Spring City, things were extremely busy. The casualties of civilians and damage control took up most of the attention, his desks contents being proof of that. The underlying question still remained within the base.
What would be done about Jaene?
Her story for the most part checks out. The lab plans she took from the A.L.F base detailed her experimentation process, none of it highlighted anything about bio weapons. At most they alluded to performance enhancers, which explained one of her latest creations. However she was still responsible for the many outbreaks that have occurred the past fourteen years.
Chris leaned back in his chair and sighed. This was much more complicated than anything else he’s done before. Things were so much clearer before he met her. It was simply his side against that side.
‘Why do I care?’ Chris wondered. He remembered the promise he made to her. To get her out. Her offer to do good by joining them.
It was an almost impossible task, no one would trust her. Assuming she’s even allowed to be freed. Her compliance helped her case in a way, but the damage was done.
Chris promised to help regardless. His chest tightened at the memory. That was impulsive of him. A mistake he hadn’t made in years.
He didn’t know what was causing him to be drawn to her. He just was. The thought of her imprisoned for being used didn’t sit right with him. He couldn’t pinpoint why.
A knock sounds from the door.
“Come in.” He called out quickly.
Ada entered shortly after. She sat across from him, her eyebrows rose when she saw the pile of paper on his desk got taller from the last time she visited.
“Are you even doing the work?” She asked.
“Whenever I can. I’ve been busy.” Chris replied, he rubbed his eyes. How long has it been since he slept?
“Busy trying to get her out.” Ada stated matter of factly. The way she said her gave him pause.
“You don’t approve.” Chris looked down at the file below him. His pen froze when the sight of the casualties came to his attention. Six hundred and counting.
“She’s one of them.” Ada hissed out.
“It’s not that simple.” Came his calm rebuttal.
“How can we be sure!?” Ada’s voice rose several octaves, her discretion lost.
“You were at those meetings same as I was. The evidence was reviewed. Like I said, it’s not that simple.” Chris didn’t need to raise his voice, his words were an even match to her volume. She calmed slightly, lowering her voice.
“Then why keep her locked up? If she’s clear then..”
“Because we don’t know what to do with her. We can let her go and risk her getting captured.” Chris cut her off, the paper below him long abandoned.
“You think her fathers gonna risk going out on the radar to get her back?”
“Maybe, but he’s not the only one.”
Ada narrowed her eyes, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“You think someone else is going after her?”
“CIA wants their hands on her work. They’ll do anything to get it. We can’t risk letting her fall into their custody. It’d be a hard case to get her back. They can’t take her from us directly, but if she’s caught outside our custody..”
Ada seemed to understand now.
“So what do you plan on doing?”
Chris was careful with his response. Her response wouldn’t be pretty if he wasn’t.
“The safe option is to keep her in custody. Luckily she wants to stay..to help.”
Confusion filled Ada’s eyes.
“Help? Help with what?”
Chris rose his hands to calm her down.
“She wants to do right by the people she’s hurt. What better place to do that than here?”
Ada didn’t say anything for several moments. She looked down into her lap, before meeting his gaze.
“If that’s what you think is best I’ll follow it. But know that nobody is going to trust her. It’ll hurt your reputation as well Captain.”
“So be it then.” Chris replied, his gaze indifferent.
Ada tried to read him, as she always did. As usual, she failed if the frown was anything to judge by.
Ada rose from the chair, her departure halted when she suddenly remembered something.
“News from the base in Mexico came in today. They said the local cartel might be involved in in the creation of bio weapons..”
Chris nodded.
“I’ll have Em look into it.”
With that, Ada left the room. Chris returned his attention to the pile of work below him. A resigned sigh left him.
He thought about what Ada had said. The bases distrust of Jaene would extend to him if he did that.
Chris clenched his jaw at that. He’d welcome anyone to meet him with those concerns.
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John I:
John’s found his days to be much more busier than before. The promotion to commander meant he had tons of different duties littered throughout the base. The only one he found himself remotely enjoying, was getting the consensus votes from his fellow soldiers regarding Jaene.
The opinions barely moved, in fact the answers got so predictable he skipped over quite a few people. There was only a handful notable left. The lunch room wasn’t busy at this hour, he saw only Sofia and Brian eating lunch.
John took a seat at their table.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“I assume you know why I’m here?”
He hoped he wouldn’t have to explain the whole task again, enough of that was done earlier.
“Is this about the new prisoner?” Brian said through a mouthful of potato.
Hiding his disgust, John nodded affirmatively. A quick glance to Sofia and he could see her hesitance.
“She’s a terrorist. What else is there to say?” Brian shrugged, he returned his attention to his food.
That was the answer John was used to hearing. He turned to Sofia expectantly. What would her answer be?
“I don’t buy the sob story. Nor do I sympathize. It’s as Brian says, she’s a terrorist.” She said curtly.
John felt there was more to it than that. Her eyes didn’t meet his, as if she feared a truth being spilled out. John didn’t press the matter, allowing them to return to their meal.
His next stop was the lab, he wasn’t surprised to see Emma in front of computer. The samples of Jaene’s work were sprawled out on the counter.
“You’ll go blind if you sit too close like that.” He called out. Her attention to to the screen snapped to him, a smile formed on her face.
“Hey John! Oops I mean Afternoon Commander.” She saluted quickly, still giggling as she did.
John tried not to roll his eyes, the team had teased him these past few days regarding his promotion. Especially Emma and Ben. John took a seat in the chair beside her, he took a quick glance at the screen. Words he didn’t quite understand, and chemical compounds filled the screen. It was nothing like the viruses she normally looked at.
“What is that?” He gestured to the screen.
“A closer look at Jaene’s serum. It’s truly nothing like the viruses. Her range is amazing.“
Even with his eyes squinted in focus, he couldn’t quite make out anything substantial from the screen.
“It’s odd, to make this is one thing. But those viruses..” John trailed off. He didn’t deal with Bio weapons often, not many did recently. The A.L.F had radio silence the past few years when it came to unleashing them. The rare occurrence, always frightened him.
“I’d like to know why.” Emma stated suddenly.
John met her gaze, confused on what she meant.
“I wanna know everything I could possibly know about this woman’s research. This serum is genius work, even incomplete. I can see the passion and work in it. But the viruses..those have traces of sadness in them. They’re mostly incomplete, as if her heart wasn’t in it.”
Emma held each vial respectively. The serum she’d been fawning over, previously known as “Virus Y” glowed lilac. “Virus X” was red, and it was incredibly creepy for John to look at. The swirling and odd small tendrils attaching to one another inside the vial reminded him of the attack two weeks ago.
“So you believe her story?” John asked.
“I don’t know. But something’s off. I can tell that much.” Emma returned the samples to the cooler.
John found himself not very surprised with Emma’s answer. She was probably one of the more open minded people to ask about this.
As he left the lab, he contemplated his own opinion regarding it. A part of him wanted to believe she was just another victim in all of this. It made sense. He couldn’t judge someone for doing what it takes to survive and do what they think is right. But his training screamed at him for being so naive. He couldn’t tell which side was right.
He supposed they’d have to see.
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Jaene I:
Jaene found herself routinely waking up in her fake apartment, living a rather limited life as if she wasn’t a prisoner. She didn’t see Chris for a while, not since their last talk. Since his promise to get her out of here. The mere words made her chest tighten.
The days had been long, and extremely hard on her painful. Jaene recalled the questioning she received when she first arrived.
“Your name.”
“Jaene.”
“Surname?”
That question had given her pause. She never used her original one, not since that day. The simple question caused her to see her home, the beautiful place where she was last truly happy. The mailbox that stood tall with her family’s name on it.
“Porter.”
After that the questioning was rather much of the same only without her holding back anything. She told them everything she could. How she’d been used to create enhancements, each of her many failures being used as an outlet for bioterrorism. She even included the..parental relationship Erik had built with her. To better control her.
No one seemed to believe her, if her current predicament said anything. It had been radio silence since then. No one came to question her, and no one certainly came to visit.
Jaene didn’t know what she expected. Open arms and cheers? True story or not they’ve been against monsters of her creation, that part was true. It’ll always be true regardless of the context. She was a direct root to the suffering of everyone in this building. The world even.
Times in isolation made Jaene wonder.
‘Am I the worst person alive?’
The answer was uncertain. She was certainly a contender for the top spot. The self depreciation reminded her of one of the way things Erik said to her.
“You’re just as much of a murderer I am. Your only place is by my side in the new world.”
Perhaps he was right. What was she doing here? No one could actually accept her. She didn’t deserve it.
Her palms meet her temples, pushing the thoughts away. She couldn’t think like that. She promised she’d do good. Even if she’s making slow progress, her path is clear of the bloodshed that she once took part in.
Her internal dilemma is interrupted by the sound of a doors creak. She stood, expecting to see Chris.
It wasn’t.
Director Serge politely waved, his good eye already analyzing her the moment he caught sight.
“Hello Jaene.” He took a seat at the dining table.
“Hi director.” Jaene mirrored him, already used to this.
He didn’t say anything for a few moments, seemingly enjoying the silence.
“Listen I’ve told the same story over and over, I don’t know what else you people want me to say.” She understood their suspicions but they seriously couldn’t think she’d repeat it this many times without fail if she was lying?
“Yes you have, many are conflicted on you story. It changes quite a bit.”
“What about you director? Do you believe it?” Jaene pressed. The air had gotten thicker.
Serge pretended to think for a moment.
“I believe I do. I’ve thought about transferring you out of this...cell. It’s meant to pry answers from criminals by giving them a glimpse of a life they could have. It’s not necessary for you.”
Surprise colored Jaene’s face hearing that.
“You believe me?”
He nodded.
“I always suspected something was amiss the first time you were here. Had you not escaped I was planning on letting you free after the Spring City incident.”
“Wouldn’t you get in trouble for that?” Jaene furrowed her brow.
“I’d be delighted to see anyone here try and bypass the Colonels command.” Serge found that question amusing.
Jaene blinked rapidly.
“Wait you’re the colonel?”
“I am. Sadly I’m getting a bit old for field work so I work often as a director. But I am the Colonel of this base.”
Jaene scanned the man quickly. He was probably late 50’s, and with the scars he certainly proved his experience in the fight.
“So what’s stopping you from letting me go now?”
Serge went back to his thoughts again, though he returned quickly.
“Chris tells me you want to help.”
Jaene nods.
“I don’t think that can happen just yet. But perhaps I can keep you in custody. Have you continue your research, finish your serum. I assume you have nowhere to go?”
Jaene shook her head, however the thought of more lab time made her stomach churn.
“I..I don’t know if I want to finish it. I’ve killed so many..I don’t deserve to be in a lab again. It wouldn’t be right.”
Serge nods in understanding, however he pressed on.
“But what else would you do? What other field would you work in? Your specialties are in the lab Ms. Porter.”
Jaene saw where he was coming from. She couldn’t be picky about this. It was a way out.
“Maybe you’re right. But how would you let me out? What’s the plan? I don’t think I can just walk out of here.”
Serge chuckled hearing that.
“No I suppose not. I’ll have to make some phone calls. Speak with the UN. If you’re officially pardoned and under P.A.L custody, then you should be fine.”
The reassurance gave Jaene the first real hope she’s had in a while. Her smile formed uncontrollably.
Serge returned the smile, the sound of his watch ticked, interrupting the moment.
“Pardon me I have to end our conversation prematurely. I will visit again soon, with news . Preferably the good kind.” With a small smile, he left the room.
Jaene hugged her legs to her chest.
Slowly she was closer to getting out of here.