01-18-2018, 10:35 PM
Marcus had not been to the Facility since that first time. Ascendancy had been clear. He must be with him. But he had been just the Sigma then. More importantly, he had been personally sent by him to assess this new arrival.
As the elevator descended, he considered the situation. Vellas practically lived down here with those he trained. Why he wasn't here was a mystery. What else could he be doing aside from training? He'd need to consider sources of information. Vellas lived to play with his army men toys. Marcus stiffled the slight twinge of irritation. He understood the seperation of powers. Balance. Civilian verses military use. But Marcus did not intend that he, or any he decided needed more training, to be at the mercy of Vellas' men.
Sanjay was helpful, but it would take time to wean him away from his loyalty to Vellas. Already it was working. Vellas methods were....intense, but effective. Already he was considering how he might adapt them to civilian training. Not to mention Domovoi. He had an appointment with Captain Drayon, the man who'd put Domovoi together. A brilliant idea and one hard one. Definitely an ally to cultivate.
The elevators stopped and though he could hear and feel the thrum of machinery, you simply couldn't escape the fact that you were miles beneath the earth.
He followed the path he remembered. Dr. Weston was not in her office, which was fine. He was sure she'd show up soon. In the meantime, he found the nearest guard and soon was being escorted- not to the hospital ward. Rather, to rooms that far more easily suited psychiatric care.
On the one hand, it made sense, especially as long as the subject was sedated. But if not, Malik already didn't like it down here. Confined? Malik would destroy everything on site. God help anyone who thought to keep him confined. The shadow of a memory of a cage passed over him and Malik snarled. He let it pass and took control.
The guard hesitated at his command. He merely stared at him. Compliance was not optional. The door unlocked, latch slid, and the door swung open. He stepped in and instructed them to lock it again until he signaled.
He looked at the man. Tall, athletic. Head up. Military bearing. Normally Marcus found those all rather simplistic. Vellas and his men had no shortage. But there were a few who were far more than just blunt instruments.
He stood as there was no where to sit. He also decided on an angle. "Hello Mr. Carpenter. I am Marcus. I am here to learn about you and your....abilities,"
imbuing the word with the amount of awe he imagined people might feel. "Would you be willing to answer some questions?"
A man in a suit was admitted. A rich suit. He was close to Jay's age, and seemed somewhat unsure of himself. Not army. That was for sure.
He glanced at the hall beyond the door. More gray walls. The flutter of a white lab coat disappeared as the maglock door sealed them inside.
He frowned, looking back at the man who introduced himself as Marcus. He seemed familiar, but Jay couldn't place him. "Lieutenant, technically, and I am not particularly feeling talkative at the moment."
Abilities? What did he mean by that? Unless he meant-- Jay swallowed nervously. Nobody could know that. Jay barely knew himself.
"How about you answer some questions for me, starting with where the hell I am and why I am here. It's clearly not a police station."
Marcus smiled apologetically. The man had spirit. In scrubs confined to a cell, he demanded answers. Good mettle.
And he saw what Marcus wanted him to see. A functionary, perhaps afraid of him. On a whim, he decided to see how that played. He glanced at the cameras briefly and just wet his lip with his tongue before seeming to catch himself.
"Alright. I'll try to answer as best I can. There are somethings I am not authorized to tell. But...if you help me, maybe I can help you."
He paused, thinking back to his questions. "You are in a CCD training center. Well, more than that. Our....systems flagged you. You can channel. At least our systems said you can. We try to keep it quiet, but quite a few die attempting to learn. It is our goal to teach control. Prevention rather than cure......So. Are we right?"
Jay blinked. He hadn't actually expected this guy to answer. Let alone plainly offer truth. He had to know he was being watched. Something wasn't right. Then again, the whole situation wasn't exactly normal.
The second time they spoke to him as a channeler. So they knew. How, Jay still didn't understand, but suppose it didn't matter. This was the CCD. Not exactly shocking. They probably knew what he had for breakfast yesterday.
"Control. Fine. Yes, I can control it."
He lied, kind of. Close enough anyway. "So you can let me go now. Thanks for the -- uh, ride -- and uh, nap. But I'm good."
The way he held Marcus' gaze, he wasn't exactly kididng. There had to be more to it than this. Not in a thousand years did he believe the CCD did anything out of the goodness of the public's heart.
Marcus stifled an amused response. This was military he remembered. No finesse. There was a time for everything. If the man was thinking, he might wonder why a functionary had been sent to speak to someone so unpredictable and dangerous. But just as well.
Now Carpenter was bluster. Marcus looked apologetic again. "I can appreciate how you feel. I want to help. You do understand that neither I nor my superiors can simply take your word. Perhaps you could demonstrate this, ahh, control."
Another inner smile as a thought occurred to him.
"You met Dr. Weston. She and her team have come up with a way to detect the presence of channeling. Can even rate it on a scale. At the very least, I imagine that could be good to know for you. I do believe you use metrics in measuring your personal prowess, correct? Can you seize the power for us?"
You've got to be kidding me. And blinked again. He almost couldn't believe the absurdity of this. All this secrecy and protocol just to make sure he was safe. Because the CCD cared so much, eh? He scrubbed a hand through his hair. Something wasn't right. This was no training unit. It was top secret. Blacked out.
Nobody would compromise the integrity of this kind of facility by carrying a foreigner in the front door for a friendly chat. What were his options here? Answer questions like a dancing monkey on the off chance of going home soon, or sit still and see what happened, and maybe rot to death in an unmarked grave. Tough choice.
At least Marcus gave up a name. Weston. The british doctor. Now that he realized it, Marcus didn't have an accent. In fact, it wasn't too far off from Jay's own. It sounded like home. And it dawned on him why. Marcus was American. Not just any American, either.
His expression darkened. Let's see if this guy was the famous Consul after all. The power just outside the cage? He reached for it, wrestled it into submission. Finding himself slightly surprised that it actually worked. This time it was his turn to shrug apologetically. "I think you have another way to know if I can channel."
Just to test the theory, he pulled ropes of earth and fire together. Jay didn't know how to do much, but he could collapse a ceiling.
Marcus felt him seize the power. Well, part done, then. The search AIs algorithms had been correct. There was a muleishness to Carpenter's face that he recognized all to well. Roll the dice.
His words said as much and Marcus sighed. It had been a tack. Perhaps with time to study he might have been able to come up with something more suitable. Locking the man in a cell, hood over head transport, no answers. Messy...unnecessary especially in one you might want to recruit. You could only cage a man for so long before he decided to fuck it all and see what happened.
Which apparantly was what he was doing now, though as of yet Marcus did not know what the weave would do.
He dropped the facade he wore as demeanor and seized the power to full strength. The room was small, the sense of dread would be overpowering.
At the same time, he let his voice become soft. "Very good Mr. Carpenter. You saw through the deception. Do not be afraid. If I wished to harm you, there would be nothing you could do about it."
He smiled. "I am sorry we meet in these circumstances. It appears that the protocols haven't been updated for oir non-violent guests. You will not be in this room much longer."
He paused and walked from one end to the other. Small. Confining. "However, our reasons for having you as guest- however executed- are not far off from what I've told you. We want to make sure you are safe- especially to others."
He stopped and looked at Carpenter again. "Consider. I have given you the latest most sophisticated piece of weaponry on the planet. Would it be prudent to rely solely on your knowledge of other weapons or would you decide to receive the advanced training? Most people who may channel will never know what is possible. You do. You react militarily. Does it not make sense for us to see if you qualify for training to USE that power?"
He didn't know what to expect. But a menace crept across his senses like shadows crawled across his soul. Answer as good as spoken, he nodded and the ropes of power disappeared. The power surged and rebelled in the presence of its own. It was work to keep it contained. Jay let it go before it overwhelmed him. Clearly, Marcus didn't have the same problem. The sense of being under a microscope returned.
He studied Marcus warily. Jay had no illusions about which of the two of them were the bigger threat. Marcus DuBois was at the right hand of Ascendancy, and Jay had little interest in meeting that guy any time soon. "Qualify? Are you making an offer or an ultimatum?"
Marcus paused. In fact it was ultimatum. But only if he refused. Vellas' men, not to mention sedative gases- and he himself, for that matter- could make sure Carpenter was not a threat.
But the man was no fool. He wouldn't believe in the altruism of the CCD. Marcus knew there were reasons Ascendancy wanted a member of Legion Premier to be trained by the CCD. And it was not out of some sort of outreach initiative.
So, to tell the truth in a lie Carpenter might wrap his fragile ego in. "It does not have to be one, or the other. If you want to learn- and I assure you Commander Vellas has the finest channeler training program the world has ever seen- then you would be a fool not to say yes. A pledge of loyalty will not be asked. Any more than that, is not for me to say. I am not a lawyer. I imagine they'd want your word you won't use what you learn against CCD forces. But again, not for me to say."
He looked at him frankly. "The butt of an unloaded gun of the highest quality makes a poor but still usable hammer. It would be a true pity for you to use the gift you have been given merely to hammer in a few nails."
[With Jay]
Edited by Marcus DuBois, Jan 18 2018, 10:36 PM.
As the elevator descended, he considered the situation. Vellas practically lived down here with those he trained. Why he wasn't here was a mystery. What else could he be doing aside from training? He'd need to consider sources of information. Vellas lived to play with his army men toys. Marcus stiffled the slight twinge of irritation. He understood the seperation of powers. Balance. Civilian verses military use. But Marcus did not intend that he, or any he decided needed more training, to be at the mercy of Vellas' men.
Sanjay was helpful, but it would take time to wean him away from his loyalty to Vellas. Already it was working. Vellas methods were....intense, but effective. Already he was considering how he might adapt them to civilian training. Not to mention Domovoi. He had an appointment with Captain Drayon, the man who'd put Domovoi together. A brilliant idea and one hard one. Definitely an ally to cultivate.
The elevators stopped and though he could hear and feel the thrum of machinery, you simply couldn't escape the fact that you were miles beneath the earth.
He followed the path he remembered. Dr. Weston was not in her office, which was fine. He was sure she'd show up soon. In the meantime, he found the nearest guard and soon was being escorted- not to the hospital ward. Rather, to rooms that far more easily suited psychiatric care.
On the one hand, it made sense, especially as long as the subject was sedated. But if not, Malik already didn't like it down here. Confined? Malik would destroy everything on site. God help anyone who thought to keep him confined. The shadow of a memory of a cage passed over him and Malik snarled. He let it pass and took control.
The guard hesitated at his command. He merely stared at him. Compliance was not optional. The door unlocked, latch slid, and the door swung open. He stepped in and instructed them to lock it again until he signaled.
He looked at the man. Tall, athletic. Head up. Military bearing. Normally Marcus found those all rather simplistic. Vellas and his men had no shortage. But there were a few who were far more than just blunt instruments.
He stood as there was no where to sit. He also decided on an angle. "Hello Mr. Carpenter. I am Marcus. I am here to learn about you and your....abilities,"
imbuing the word with the amount of awe he imagined people might feel. "Would you be willing to answer some questions?"
A man in a suit was admitted. A rich suit. He was close to Jay's age, and seemed somewhat unsure of himself. Not army. That was for sure.
He glanced at the hall beyond the door. More gray walls. The flutter of a white lab coat disappeared as the maglock door sealed them inside.
He frowned, looking back at the man who introduced himself as Marcus. He seemed familiar, but Jay couldn't place him. "Lieutenant, technically, and I am not particularly feeling talkative at the moment."
Abilities? What did he mean by that? Unless he meant-- Jay swallowed nervously. Nobody could know that. Jay barely knew himself.
"How about you answer some questions for me, starting with where the hell I am and why I am here. It's clearly not a police station."
Marcus smiled apologetically. The man had spirit. In scrubs confined to a cell, he demanded answers. Good mettle.
And he saw what Marcus wanted him to see. A functionary, perhaps afraid of him. On a whim, he decided to see how that played. He glanced at the cameras briefly and just wet his lip with his tongue before seeming to catch himself.
"Alright. I'll try to answer as best I can. There are somethings I am not authorized to tell. But...if you help me, maybe I can help you."
He paused, thinking back to his questions. "You are in a CCD training center. Well, more than that. Our....systems flagged you. You can channel. At least our systems said you can. We try to keep it quiet, but quite a few die attempting to learn. It is our goal to teach control. Prevention rather than cure......So. Are we right?"
Jay blinked. He hadn't actually expected this guy to answer. Let alone plainly offer truth. He had to know he was being watched. Something wasn't right. Then again, the whole situation wasn't exactly normal.
The second time they spoke to him as a channeler. So they knew. How, Jay still didn't understand, but suppose it didn't matter. This was the CCD. Not exactly shocking. They probably knew what he had for breakfast yesterday.
"Control. Fine. Yes, I can control it."
He lied, kind of. Close enough anyway. "So you can let me go now. Thanks for the -- uh, ride -- and uh, nap. But I'm good."
The way he held Marcus' gaze, he wasn't exactly kididng. There had to be more to it than this. Not in a thousand years did he believe the CCD did anything out of the goodness of the public's heart.
Marcus stifled an amused response. This was military he remembered. No finesse. There was a time for everything. If the man was thinking, he might wonder why a functionary had been sent to speak to someone so unpredictable and dangerous. But just as well.
Now Carpenter was bluster. Marcus looked apologetic again. "I can appreciate how you feel. I want to help. You do understand that neither I nor my superiors can simply take your word. Perhaps you could demonstrate this, ahh, control."
Another inner smile as a thought occurred to him.
"You met Dr. Weston. She and her team have come up with a way to detect the presence of channeling. Can even rate it on a scale. At the very least, I imagine that could be good to know for you. I do believe you use metrics in measuring your personal prowess, correct? Can you seize the power for us?"
You've got to be kidding me. And blinked again. He almost couldn't believe the absurdity of this. All this secrecy and protocol just to make sure he was safe. Because the CCD cared so much, eh? He scrubbed a hand through his hair. Something wasn't right. This was no training unit. It was top secret. Blacked out.
Nobody would compromise the integrity of this kind of facility by carrying a foreigner in the front door for a friendly chat. What were his options here? Answer questions like a dancing monkey on the off chance of going home soon, or sit still and see what happened, and maybe rot to death in an unmarked grave. Tough choice.
At least Marcus gave up a name. Weston. The british doctor. Now that he realized it, Marcus didn't have an accent. In fact, it wasn't too far off from Jay's own. It sounded like home. And it dawned on him why. Marcus was American. Not just any American, either.
His expression darkened. Let's see if this guy was the famous Consul after all. The power just outside the cage? He reached for it, wrestled it into submission. Finding himself slightly surprised that it actually worked. This time it was his turn to shrug apologetically. "I think you have another way to know if I can channel."
Just to test the theory, he pulled ropes of earth and fire together. Jay didn't know how to do much, but he could collapse a ceiling.
Marcus felt him seize the power. Well, part done, then. The search AIs algorithms had been correct. There was a muleishness to Carpenter's face that he recognized all to well. Roll the dice.
His words said as much and Marcus sighed. It had been a tack. Perhaps with time to study he might have been able to come up with something more suitable. Locking the man in a cell, hood over head transport, no answers. Messy...unnecessary especially in one you might want to recruit. You could only cage a man for so long before he decided to fuck it all and see what happened.
Which apparantly was what he was doing now, though as of yet Marcus did not know what the weave would do.
He dropped the facade he wore as demeanor and seized the power to full strength. The room was small, the sense of dread would be overpowering.
At the same time, he let his voice become soft. "Very good Mr. Carpenter. You saw through the deception. Do not be afraid. If I wished to harm you, there would be nothing you could do about it."
He smiled. "I am sorry we meet in these circumstances. It appears that the protocols haven't been updated for oir non-violent guests. You will not be in this room much longer."
He paused and walked from one end to the other. Small. Confining. "However, our reasons for having you as guest- however executed- are not far off from what I've told you. We want to make sure you are safe- especially to others."
He stopped and looked at Carpenter again. "Consider. I have given you the latest most sophisticated piece of weaponry on the planet. Would it be prudent to rely solely on your knowledge of other weapons or would you decide to receive the advanced training? Most people who may channel will never know what is possible. You do. You react militarily. Does it not make sense for us to see if you qualify for training to USE that power?"
He didn't know what to expect. But a menace crept across his senses like shadows crawled across his soul. Answer as good as spoken, he nodded and the ropes of power disappeared. The power surged and rebelled in the presence of its own. It was work to keep it contained. Jay let it go before it overwhelmed him. Clearly, Marcus didn't have the same problem. The sense of being under a microscope returned.
He studied Marcus warily. Jay had no illusions about which of the two of them were the bigger threat. Marcus DuBois was at the right hand of Ascendancy, and Jay had little interest in meeting that guy any time soon. "Qualify? Are you making an offer or an ultimatum?"
Marcus paused. In fact it was ultimatum. But only if he refused. Vellas' men, not to mention sedative gases- and he himself, for that matter- could make sure Carpenter was not a threat.
But the man was no fool. He wouldn't believe in the altruism of the CCD. Marcus knew there were reasons Ascendancy wanted a member of Legion Premier to be trained by the CCD. And it was not out of some sort of outreach initiative.
So, to tell the truth in a lie Carpenter might wrap his fragile ego in. "It does not have to be one, or the other. If you want to learn- and I assure you Commander Vellas has the finest channeler training program the world has ever seen- then you would be a fool not to say yes. A pledge of loyalty will not be asked. Any more than that, is not for me to say. I am not a lawyer. I imagine they'd want your word you won't use what you learn against CCD forces. But again, not for me to say."
He looked at him frankly. "The butt of an unloaded gun of the highest quality makes a poor but still usable hammer. It would be a true pity for you to use the gift you have been given merely to hammer in a few nails."
[With Jay]
Edited by Marcus DuBois, Jan 18 2018, 10:36 PM.