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pretender_gurl
Tower Conference Hall
The Centre
April 10, 1994 ~ 10:03
Mr. Parker, Mr. Raines, and Sydney were all seated and waiting when Mr. Lyle walked in the room. He caught a glare from Mr. Raines before taking his seat.
"Well, now that we're all here," Mr. Parker began pointedly. "Let's discuss the project at hand."
"Our client has asked for a complete report on the delivery, toxicity, and treatment of anthrax poisoning," Mr. Raines informed.
"Jarod could perform that simulation alone," Sydney offered. "Why are we bringing in another Pretender?"
"There are three reasons Project Gemini is being consulted. First, Jira is also an Empath with skills that rival Angelo's, and the fact that she can link more than two words together makes her far more valuable."
"Jira is also a Perceiver. It has the gift of the inner sense that has been evolved and enhanced so that the perceptions now manifest themselves as both sounds and images," Mr. Raines explained.
Sydney's head shot up when Raines mentioned the inner sense. Catherine Parker had said something about an inner sense just days before her suicide.
Sydney looked at Raines and said, "The inner sense, the gift that touches the planes of extrasensory perception. You've isolated this phenomenon? In a human subject?"
Raines glared at Sydney.
"Sydney, if you have a problem with Project Gemini, I suggest you say so now, before we begin this project. These clients are some of the Triumvirate's best. If this project is foiled, heads will roll," Mr. Parker lectured.
"My only concern lies with the girl's conception. If Jarod were to find out…" Sydney began.
"Jarod is to have absolutely no knowledge of Gemini's past," Parker said sternly.
"This brings us to the second reason we'll be using Jira. Jarod has been less than cooperative on the past few simulations. Having Gemini in our control could be a great motivator for him, considering his soft spot for children," Mr. Lyle said with an evil smirk.
Sydney closed his eyes as a wave of nausea passed over him. What had that poor little girl endured at the hands of this monster?
Lyle continued, oblivious to Sydney's reaction. "Finally, as much as I hate to admit it, Syd's boy is the best we've got. Jira needs focus and training to maximize her potential and the Triumvirate believes Jarod is the lab rat for the job."
"Here is the information for you to give Jarod concerning the simulation and Project Gemini." Mr. Parker handed Sydney two folders, one yellow and one orange. Sydney assumed Gemini was the yellow file, which combined with the red Prodigy files would create orange. "Of course, the information he'll receive has been censored."
Sydney took the folders reluctantly. "I don't believe this will work. Jarod's pain surrounding his parents' death and anger concerning his childhood at the Centre has resurfaced of late. Jarod will relate to this child, dredging up buried emotions that may influence his work."
Mr. Parker considered Sydney's words for a moment. "I don't want the whole mess with his parents brought up again. It took us years to get him to forget about that. We can't afford to waste time on idle business like family."
"I also anticipated Jarod's reaction to Jira's presence and I don't believe there will be a problem," wheezed Mr. Raines.
Lyle folded his hands and set them on the table. "A side effect of Gemini's inner sense seems to be a heightened anxiety around strangers. The thoughts she empaths from a person create an aura that triggers her inner sense. The onslaught of emotions and perceptions are physically painful for her. Therefore, she avoids any close contact with strangers. She will be able to work with Jarod as long as she has a job to focus on, but beyond that, she herself will not allow any sort of personal relationship."
"We have no problems then?" polled Mr. Parker. He took everyone's silence as confirmation. "Then we will begin in two days. Sydney, Mr. Raines, update the Pretenders. Let's launch."
Mr. Parker left the room first, followed closely by Mr. Raines and Mr. Lyle. Sydney took a deep breath and gathered his papers together. Tucking them under his arm, Sydney meandered out of the conference hall. Not watching where he was going, Sydney bumped into someone on his way out.
"Pardon, me…" he began. Then Sydney recognized the slim figure and piercing eyes that stared back at him. "Miss Parker! It's good to see you again!"
"It's good to see you too, Sydney."
"Would you like to join me for lunch?" Sydney asked, hoping to have a chance to talk with the young woman.
"I'm actually on my way out. Maybe some other time," Miss Parker lied. She turned toward the stairwell out of the Tower, then paused and faced the kindly psychiatrist. "Sydney?"
"Yes, Miss Parker?"
"Thank you… for attending the graduation ceremony," Miss Parker said quietly.
Sydney smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you for inviting me. I know how much it meant to you, and to your mother. Catherine would be proud."
Miss Parker's grey eyes sparkled at Sydney's words. She tried to express her gratitude, but her throat swelled up with unshed tears. Instead, Miss Parker turned and walked quickly to the stairs. Sydney sighed as he watched her leave. After all was said and done, Miss Parker had been left a broken woman.
SL-5: Tech Room
The Centre
April 10, 1994 ~ 11:12
Miss Parker's heels clicked on the hard floor in time with the clicking of computer keys in the Tech Room. She crossed the room and entered the surveillance studio where a dozen techs were monitoring hundreds of screens that covered every wall and table in the room. Miss Parker didn't hesitate as she approached a familiar screen on the east wall. Ever since she left for boarding school in 1985, she had visited this screen whenever her father allowed her to come home over breaks. The screen and the one beside it displayed surveillance from the cameras in room 2303.
On the screen, Jarod was reclining on his cot. Miss Parker caught her breath as she studied the young man. The man's lanky form was sprawled on the narrow bed, revealing traces of the gawky teenager she once knew. His dark hair was cropped short and when he lifted his eyes from the sketchpad on his lap, she found herself staring into the warm chocolate eyes she had so often found comfort in. For eight years she had watched her father's lab rat, unable to bring herself to visit him after their last meeting.
Miss Parker turned and looked for a tech that wasn't busy. Her gaze came to rest on a small balding man in a tee shirt that said "Centre Recycling" with an Oxford shirt in an awful shade of green who was munching on Funyons. With a sigh of resignation, Miss Parker approached the man.
"Excuse me…" Miss Parker interrupted.
"Oh! Ah, Broots. My name is Broots," the man said, jumping at Miss Parker's voice and spilling Funyons all over the floor.
"Whatever," she said, dismissing it with a wave of her hand. "I would like all DSA surveillance from the Pretender Program on August 3, 1985."
"Um, okay. It will just be a second, Miss Parker."
Miss Parker crossed her arms across her chest, secretly pleased that this bum knew who she was. Her reputation was spreading already and she'd only been back for a few hours.
Miss Parker began to tap her foot impatiently. Broots cleared is throat nervously, peeking over his shoulder. Having found the file on the computer, Broots proceeded to save it to a disk. When the completed disk popped out of the Halliburton, Broots went to take it out, but Miss Parker grabbed it first and walked out of the room, crushing Funyons as she left.
"You're welcome," Broots muttered under his breath.
SL-23: Room 2303
The Centre
April 10, 1994 ~ 11:14
Sydney punched in the code on the keypad outside Jarod's door. He waited impatiently as the door slid back.
"Hello, Jarod. I have something for you," Sydney said to the young man on the bed, motioning for Jarod to join him at the desk.
Jarod put the sketchbook face down on the cot and took a stood next to his mentor.
"There's a new simulation that the Tower would like your help with."
"What is it?" Jarod asked.
"We'd like you to run a complete investigation of the anthrax virus," Sydney said quickly. "You'll be working with another subject on this project."
Jarod looked up from the orange folder. He hadn't worked with another subject since he and Kyle had simulated together.
"Who?" Jarod asked, his forehead creasing with uncertainty.
"Her name is Jira; she's a subject of Mr. Raines's. You'll work with her three days a week, beginning in a few days."
"Her? I'll be working with a female?" Jarod was confused. Since Miss Parker had left the Centre, he had rarely interacted with anyone of the opposite sex.
"Yes. Here is her file," Sydney said, handing Jarod the yellow folder.
Jarod opened the folder and stared at the contents. On the top of the papers was a picture of a little girl. She wore a vacant expression and her blue eyes seemed gray, dull, and haunted. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a plain black ribbon. Her clothing was Centre issue like his, but she wore gray to his black. The small square cut in the collar of the shirt revealed a fragile neckline, and Jarod could just make out a silver chain that was hidden beneath her clothes.
Jarod swallowed deeply. "Oh my god, Sydney. She's a child."
"Jarod…" Sydney began with a sigh.
"No, Sydney!" Jarod cried, throwing the folder on the desk. He began to pace the small room. "She's just a child!"
Sydney stepped in Jarod's path of pacing. When the young man tried to go around him, Sydney put a hand on his arm. Jarod stopped moving and stared at the ground.
"Jarod, you must do what the Triumvirate has demanded - for both your sakes."
Sydney felt the muscles in Jarod's arm tense. Sydney never threatened Jarod and his words struck fear in Jarod.
"Sydney, what are you not telling me about this girl?" Jarod asked, staring at his mentor.
Sydney looked away. "Nothing. Everything I know is in her file." Sydney motioned to the yellow file on the desk. "Now, I suggest you prepare for the profiling simulation scheduled in an hour."
Jarod withered under Sydney's gaze and sank down into his desk chair. Sydney sighed and left the room, locking the door behind him. He told Parker this was not a good idea. Jarod was not going to let him off the hook until the Pretender had found what he was looking for.
