"Martha?"
Martha Kent put a hand to her heart. "Oh, thank goodness. I hoped I was right."
"What are you doing here?"
"I followed Linda out. I saw she took the helicopter, but I wasn't sure where she went. Luckily, I still knew your..."
"Martha!" Linda moved forward and pulled her in. "Okay. I love you. I do. But if Ollie thinks sending you after me is going to soften me up, then..."
"Oh, no, Honey. Ollie thinks I've taken one of the rooms at the hotel. I... Well, I sort of led him to believe that. Took a cab here instead."
Bart snickered. "Mrs. K, you rebel. Have you come to join the resistance? We're significantly powered down, but we're very free." He held a bag under her nose. "Cheeto?"
"No. But thank you." She turned to Lois and Linda, pulling off her coat. "I just couldn't take it anymore. It was some kind of Luthor-mania and I... I believe you, Lois. Lex Luthor couldn't have done this. I've seen him."
"You too?" Linda groaned. "Is everyone hobnobbing with Luthor these days?"
Martha stared at Linda. "Too?"
"That's not important," Lois said in a rush. "When did you see him?"
"It was last Friday. I didn't want to say before, especially not to Clark. It was an accident, really, and I didn't think it had anything to do with this, but... I was just out shopping and there he was. Just wandering, almost aimless. I nearly walked right into him. He just... apologized and moved out of the way, sort of staring off before he moved past me. And he was so... blank. As if I could be anyone at all." She shook her head. "The more I heard them speculating on him and what he'd been doing, the more it seemed... impossible. That man, whoever he is, is not the same one they're after."
"He's not," Lois said, though she couldn't fathom how Martha Kent knew Lex Luthor. "Furthermore, I think he's being set up."
Linda narrowed her eyes. "How do you..."
"I may have seen Luthor a few more times than I said." She tried a preemptive smile as Linda glared at her. "And I'm glad I did. Whatever you think about him, he's... just such a sad case. He's been scrambling to find out about his past, there are millions of dollars missing and unaccounted for and... Well, I think someone has taken advantage of the situation. Maybe a once trusted family doctor or ex-wife, perhaps, have not only bled him of some money in his state, but implicated him in their crimes as a sort of fail-safe."
"Please, that just..." Linda stopped and nodded. "Okay. That makes sense. I'll give you that. Though I don't actually care. I personally would love to see Luthor behind bars, whatever the reason, but..."
"Luthor's not the point. The point is to get to the camp, find Clark, get those people out, and expose who did this. In that order." She looked at Martha. "Are you in?"
"Me?" She gaped for a moment. "Well... I've never exactly been directly involved in... I've been on the fringes, I suppose, but no one's ever..." She smiled suddenly. "I'm actually rather flattered. This is... Yes. I'm in. Of course I am. But... You're sure you know where Clark is?"
"Well..." Linda shrugged. "I'm only a half-percent unsure, as I told Lois, so that means I'm 99.5 perc..."
"I have a feeling," Lois cut in. "And I'm pretty sure I have a plan."
*******************************
Lizzie unlocked the door and Helen pushed Clark in ahead of her. A thin woman with close-cropped hair stood from the chair she'd been sitting in. "What's going on? I've been locked in here for..."
"Now, Joanne," Lizzie cooed, coming forward. "Do we have to sedate you?"
She shook her head frantically. "No. I was only wondering... who this man was." She stared at Clark, her eyes wary, yet pleading.
Clark held her gaze. "I'm here to help," he said softly.
"That's it," Lizzie said tightly. "Helen, I refuse to let you tiptoe around this any longer. Why exactly did you bring..."
"Why don't you leave us? All of you." Helen barked.
"No," Joanne breathed. "I'm not leaving her."
Lizzie moved toward her. "I'm sure you're very tired and would prefer a night in your own bed."
"It's not my bed. And I don't..."
"Peters." The large man stepped forward and took her arm. "Take her to the rec room."
Peters nodded and started out.
Joanne struggled as he pulled her along. "No. What are you going to do to her? I can't... Please... Morgan!" It pained Clark, but he stayed still, listening to her protests as they faded down the hall. He'd get her out. He'd get them all out... somehow.
"Roger." The large man stepped in front of Lizzie. "Go with him. If you have to hold her down in there, put on a mask. I can't have you two useless for two days. Not again."
Helen pursed her lips as he left. "You're going to gas her? For fuck's sake, Lizzie. Why can't you give that stuff a rest?"
"I'm only turning the heat up a little. She's been in the med center too long and she's way behind." She stared at Helen. "Stop judging me and answer for yourself. I'm not the one putting this entire operation at risk."
Helen only stared back.
"Well?"
"I said for all of you to leave us," Helen said. "That includes you."
Lizzie's eyes widened, then narrowed. "You know what? Fine. I've got an appointment with the PA system anyway, but I'll be back in five minutes and I will have some answers." She clipped out and Helen shut the door after her.
"Bitch," she muttered. She turned to Clark. "Okay. Here we are. You're telling me what you did and you're telling me now."
"I keep wondering why," Clark said quietly. "You had that vial the whole time. You could have used it on me at any moment and you didn't. Why?"
"I was just waiting for the right..."
"I know why," he interrupted. "Because you knew it was over. Because you knew that the two of you had done more damage than you could ever clean up. It may be too late to save this... work of yours. But maybe not to save your soul."
"What are you? A priest now?"
"I'm saying that you can take steps to make it right. I won't lie. You'll probably still rot in jail, but it's not too late to do the right thing."
"Stop it," she hissed. "I'm not a bad guy, here. What I'm doing will be looked back on as the... the greatest medical achievement in history. You think you're so special? I've nearly had ten of you. I am going to create..."
"But it didn't work. It won't work. It's not meant to. I was born this way, Helen. You can't just create it in a lab."
"Yes. I can," she ground out. "I am this close and I am not giving up on the only thing I have. I just...." She let out a shaky breath and ran a hand over her face. "I just need answers. I just need that missing piece. The clone women. I mean, they were all the same model. Skinny things. Mindless. Completely unaware. We inseminated them, but... When we enhanced the fetus, when we improved it, the pregnancy accelerated. It depleted them of their nutrients, their stored fat so fast. And we tried... We tried just fattening them up, but there was something missing. Another happy accident." She smiled. "One of them, she developed PCOS. We thought it would derail the entire thing, but it was a Godsend. It provided some protection to the womb. The clones... they were a good starting point. But we needed real women, natural women." She looked at Clark, then away. "We didn't hurt them. No one would have noticed, anyway. Just streetwalkers, runaways, druggies. They were hardly worse for wear after. Once we had a backer, we had Grady to help them off, take it away, things were smooth. I think he even saved their lives. It was a good thing for all."
"How can you say that?"
"Well, they lost some time. Maybe an egg or so, but... They were set up nicely and they never knew. They didn't remember. It was perfect." She slapped a hand on a table and an empty cup clattered to the floor. "Except it didn't work. Always so close, but never right. And I want you to tell me why." She glared at Clark. "Go on. I told you what we did, now you tell me what I'm missing. What makes you what you are?"
"I told you," he began slowly, holding her stare. "I was born this way. You know that I'm not human. What makes you think I have any answers? I didn't ask for this power. I'm not a thing to be created. I'm not something to be studied. All of this..." He gestured around him. "It was doomed from the start." He shook his head. "I only wish you'd found that out before you ruined countless lives."
"No," she breathed. "There's something you're not telling me. What about this? Who carries something like this around?" She pulled the crystal from her pocket. She stepped forward, nearing the bed and Clark saw it then, glowing brighter, drawn to the sickness inside the woman that lay there. Helen stared at it, eyes wide and frightened. "What... What's happening?"
Clark saw his moment and rushed forward, first taking the vial, then the crystal. "Leave now, Helen," he said lowly, moving away from her. "There are some things you aren't meant to see."
"That thing... Is that the key? Is that what will make this..."
Morgan began shaking and Clark moved closer. He still wasn't sure how this worked, but he didn't want the crystal depleted before it could heal her. ...could drain you of more than your strength. His father's words echoed in his mind. It might borrow energy from him, might borrow more than that. He set his jaw and stood by the bed. It still didn't matter. He had to make this right. He stepped closer to Morgan, moving the crystal towards her chest as it glowed brighter. Her heart monitor seemed to speed up, beeping faster the closer he got...
******************************
"They said they couldn't do it," Bart said in a deepened voice as Lois helped him gear up. "They were a ragtag bunch on a mission. Three mere mortals with only one god-like creature to lead them to a victory that would be sung through the... Ow!"
"Oh, so sorry, God," Linda said, pulling her case around Bart's ankle. "Clumsy me." She turned to Martha. "Aren't you glad you're on my team?" She smiled at Bart and Lois. "We're off to the roof, then. I'm sure you'll beat us with Speedy Gonzalez, here. But try to hold back till we're there."
"We will."
"I'm serious, Lo." Linda touched her cheek. "I won't be able to keep up with you until I'm in range. And if I have to sit this out..."
"You do. You know you do."
"Then I need to know how you're doing. I just... I want you to wait till you hear us."
Lois grasped her hand. "I promise to wait for you."
"And if we need to call Ollie?"
Bart groaned. "Do we have to?"
"We may have to." She stared at her cousin. "But keep in mind that we aren't standing still if they decide to come. We have no idea how much danger Clark's in and I will not..." She stopped, her face suddenly muffled in Martha Kent's shoulder.
"Oh, Sweetie." She pulled back and kissed Lois' forehead. "I just... I love that you're always there for him, but... Just promise you'll be careful."
Lois felt like she might cry. There was something about Martha Kent that spoke to her. Something like home. "I will," she croaked.
She watched them leave, nearly sad to see the gang split up.
"And so there were two," Bart intoned. "The hero and his stalwart sidek..."
"Do not finish that sentence," Lois warned.
"Lady friend," Bart said hurriedly. "Extremely brainy, yet luscious lady fr..."
The shrill ring of the phone interrupted them.
"Dude, don't answer. If that's Ollie, I'm not talking to hin until I have full-on bragging rights and..."
Lois moved to the phone. "Hello?"
"That's it, Lane. It's been almost a week and I can't get you on your cell. I can't get Kent. My contact on the board says you two aren't even in the house anymore. Apparently, it's a huge mess and..."
"Perry, calm down." She took a deep breath. "By tomorrow morning, you will have a headline."
"Oh, well... Good. Because I gotta tell you, it's been nearly two weeks and things are a little miserable around here. Jimmy seems to be in Doris' pocket and he won't get me anything I..."
"Gotta go, Perry." She hung up and turned to Bart. "You ready?"
"Who was that?"
"My boss."
The phone rang again.
"Don't you think you should..."
"No. He'll settle down when he has his headline." Whether it would say Conspiracy Unveiled or Reporter Found In Ditch, she didn't know. But, come tomorrow, there'd be a story.
And a partner.
Safe.
She hoped.
**********************************************
Clark stepped closer to Morgan, moving the crystal towards her chest as it glowed brighter. Her heart monitor seemed to speed up, beeping faster the closer he got...
"What are you doing?"
He felt Helen's hand on the crystal above his. "Let go," he growled.
"You're killing her!"
"I'm saving her," Clark yelled as the beeping sped up. Morgan's body shook harder. It didn't faze him. It was working. The same had happened to Chloe in the fortress... that summer. "It's working," he breathed. He pressed the crystal hard against her chest. Lights flickered around them. One bulb exploded above his head. He felt his own hand falter as he held it there, as her body nearly rose off the bed. He felt so weak...
Morgan's eyes suddenly shot open and she fell back to the bed, gasping, covered in sweat.
"You're okay," he breathed, his eyes on hers. They stared into his for just a moment before fluttering closed. The room was suddenly bathed in darkness. The crystal seemed to fade as it clattered to the floor. He didn't have the energy to catch it. He fell forward on the bed, his head landing on her chest. His eyes stared at the heart monitor, trying to see it in the dark. He could hardly do it. He tried to focus, squinting slightly and he saw it dimly. Its screen had cracked and it smoked slightly, but that didn't matter. He could hear her heartbeat, feel her breaths. She was weak, but she'd be fine. "Thank God," he breathed. He pushed himself up, though it took everything in him. He was so weak...
He tried to step away from the bed, but he fell to the floor instead, staring ahead of him at the dark.
Suddenly, the room lit up and there were images, nearly too stark in the fluorescent lighting. The blue floor, the white sheets crumpled at the foot of the bed, a black shoe... a leg...
"Helen?" He tried to get up, but he could do no more than pull himself slowly around the bed to her, sprawled on the other side of the bed. "Helen..." She seemed to be breathing, but her hair... It was white. Pure white and her skin seemed drained of all color. "I'll get you help," he croaked. "I'll..."
The door opened and he turned to it.
It was Lizzie. She stared from him to Morgan. "What the hell happened in here?" She glanced at the ruined monitor, then moved to Morgan, pulling a stethoscope from the table. "Her heartrate. It's... normal." She shook her head then moved around the bed, her eyes falling on Helen. "Helen?"
Clark watched, his head dropping to the floor as she bent to her.
"Helen?" Her eyes narrowed as they moved to Clark. "What happened here?"
"I..."
She turned away and pressed the stethoscope to Helen's chest. "Her heartbeat is weak. Her hair..." Lizzie stroked the tangled, white strands briefly as a shadow bathed the floor.
"Doc, the whole place went screwy. Lights flickering and... What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know." Lizzie turned sharply to Clark, grasping him by the shirt. "Why exactly did she bring you here? What are you? Are you one of them? Like Grady? A freak?" Clark didn't answer. He was too weak. Yet he wouldn't if he could. Helen may have been in a place to feel remorse, but he didn't think Lizzie was anywhere near that place. "What have you done to her?"
"Doc, they're going nuts out there," one of the men yelled. Clark couldn't tell which. He could hardly open his eyes. "We have to calm them down. Halpern fucking punched Roger and..."
"Finish herding them all into the rec room," she barked. "We need cooperation." She stood shakily. "The whole problem from the beginning. Too much outside time. No one is with the program. Don't they see what I'm giving them? No one understands. No one..." She glared down at Clark. "I'll deal with you later."
Clark tried to sit up. "What are you going to do?"
She didn't answer, only stared coldly as the door closed and there was the slight click of a lock.
******************************
The wind was knocked out of her as she fell to the cold dirt. She could only stare up at Bart, mouth working soundlessly.
"I'm sorry, okay? I can't just indefinitely speed with cargo. I don't have super strength like your boyfriend."
Lois took his hand up as they both gasped for air. "He's not... my boyfriend. We only... work together." Maybe sleep together... just a little. But it wasn't like everyone had to know their business. She wasn't even sure what their business was.
"Oh, right." Bart snorted. "You guys have been completely platonic for, like, nine years."
"I didn't say we've been completely... Nine years?"
"Boy, oh boy!" Bart suddenly clapped his hands together. "It's cold. Isn't it cold?"
"You said you didn't feel the cold."
"But you do," he said quickly. "So I'm... concerned. How you doing, there?"
"Fine," she said, narrowing her eyes. She was too nervous to be cold. But she wasn't too nervous to feel that strange prickling again. It was this feeling. As if she was being locked out. By Linda, by Bart, by Clark, by all of them. Even Martha had said a few things that...
"Hello?" Bart tapped his mouthpiece. "I got nothing."
"She's probably not here yet."
"Damn. We could have had a longer break in Russell." Bart rubbed his back.
Lois pursed her lips. "Okay. Seriously, I am not that heavy."
"It's not you. I'm just not used to traveling with a load."
Lois wanted to take exception to being called cargo, then a load, but she suspected it was useless. Sensitivity obviously wasn't one of Bart Allen's major qualities.
Bart pulled the GPS from his pocket. "Oh, crappity crap!"
"What?" Lois looked over his shoulder at the small screen.
"We're north and we're supposed to be south. No wonder Linda can't..."
Lois groaned and grabbed the GPS. "It's upside-down, Bart." She turned it upright. "We can probably move a little further north, get a look at the place before the ladies land."
"Ladies." Bart shook his head. "Weird."
Lois turned to him. "Meaning?"
"Nothing. I'm just not used to being the only guy. But it's cool. It's like I'm Charlie and you guys are the Angels."
"Could you stop turning this into a movie for one second?"
"It was a TV show. The movie never captured the essence of..."
She whirled on him. "Bart, Clark is in danger and you're screwing around! Could you take this seriously?"
"What are you? Victor?" He looked strangely hurt. "It's what I do, okay? Just because I let off a little steam doesn't mean I'm not taking this seriously!" She stared at Bart and she... she saw him again. But somewhere else...
Nobody is more serious about this than me. But don't tell me to stop joking. It's all I have.
"It's all you have," she intoned dully.
"Well... yeah. I'd think you'd appreciate the..."
A scream caught her ear. "Shhh!" It was close. She couldn't see through the trees, but it came from her left. She stared at the GPS. North. They were probably very close now. "Do you hear that?"
Bart crowded closer. "Either that's a woman or a coyote. I hope for woman. I hate coyotes."
Lois shook him off and moved toward the direction of the sound. "I think we're close." The trees gave way to open areas, still a forest, but there was light... flickering light just beyond. And more noise. Some kind of commotion. "We're here. We're right. I know it." It was all coming to a head... and tonight. She moved toward the lights, but she felt Bart's hand on her arm.
"Stop," he hissed. "There's an electric fence. Remember?"
She nodded and stayed still. No matter how much was on the line, she couldn't just rush in. Linda had given them a rough idea of where the gap was, but they didn't know for sure. Still, they were on the south end. It was a start. "Yes. Sorry. I just..." I want to find them. I want to find him. I want to know. I need the missing pieces. Answers. Truth. They were as necessary as breathing.
"Just hang back for a sec. No sense just barrelling in before we know... Whoa! Can you believe I just said that? Victor would be so..."
"...or those spicy Cheez It crackers. Remember those?" It was another voice in her ear, Not Bart's. "They were kind of cool, then they just got rid of them. I could really go for some of those right about..."
"Sweetie, you're dipping." [i]Martha?[/i]
"Oh, sorry."
Lois put a hand to her ear. It was coming from her headset.
"Do you know they have these Reeses cups with banana flavoring in them now? I think it's just some kind of Elvis tribute, because of that peanut-butter and banana sandwich thing, but I hope they stay around for at least a little longer. The combo is interesting and..."
"Linda," Lois broke in. "Can you hear me?"
"Lois? Oh, god!" She heard heavy breaths. "I'm so relieved. Bart is just awful with direction and..."
"Hey! I'm right here."
"Well, you are, Bart. Am I supposed to lie or something?"
"Linda, please," Martha gasped. "Pay attention to..."
"Okay, okay. Landing." There was a moment of silence. "We're about ten miles south, give or take. Where are you?"
"We're pretty near," Lois breathed, looking ahead. The lights stopped flickering. They seemed nearly steady now. "Linda, I... I think we really have found it."
"No shit! Hmph! Take that, Hubby! Oh... Wait. Should we call him?"
"I'm not sure yet."
Bart frowned. "I wish we could see it somehow. Pick it out with infrared, like the sensors at..." He glanced at Lois, then away. "That other place."
Lois closed her eyes as Linda's voice came over the headset. "This place is old," Linda pointed out. "We can't expect that kind of high technology."
"Yeah," Bart snorted. "Besides, we're hardly equipped."
"Well, I'm not Victor, okay? I don't have all the gadgetry and..."
Lois swayed slightly against a tree as images flashed behind her eyelids.
A monitor showing a sort of hut. A voice in her ear. It sounded like Bart.
"It's a shack. Glass and metal, dim light inside, pretty primitive otherwise. Big douchebag with a gun reading a paper. Nothing else. Don't see any... wait."
"What?" It seemed to be her own voice.
She heard a click and the image turned red. She could see faint lines crossing from one side of the shack to a metal pole where the snow faded into rocks. It was the same on the other side. "You're getting this?"
"Lois?"
"I'm getting it."
"Huh?" She opened her eyes. Bart was slightly above her. She was slumped against the tree. She tried to get up, falling forward slightly. "Whoa, there." Bart caught her at the shoulders. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly. Just one of my silly hallucinations... Except it didn't feel like a hallucination. She liked to tell herself that's what they were. Because what sane person has detailed, though fragmented, visions of things that never happened? Then again, what sane person has hallucinations? "I'm just tired. That's all." Yes. That's all. She kept saying that, even to herself. She hoped it was true. Just one full night's sleep and she'd be okay again. Maybe she would have that full night. But not until this was over.
"What's going on?" Linda's voice screeched. "Why are you so quiet? Lois? Bart? What's going on? Are you okay? Is it the fence?"
"Now, Linda, calm down," Martha was saying.
"I can't calm down! We don't have monitors! We don't have anything! What the hell was I thinking? We can't pull this off!" There was a loud sob. "And she's my only family, Martha. Ever since..."
"Linda!" Lois straightened. "I'm fine. I was just taking a breather."
"Oh, thank God! Be careful. Elliot said this fence was pretty intense." Linda sighed. "To think, a guy risked some nasty brain damage just for me. I used to think Ollie was that kind of guy, but I just don't know anymore. There are times when..."
Bart put his hand over his mouthpiece. "Is it just me or is Linda acting a little screwy... I mean, even for Linda?"
Lois covered her own headset. But she really couldn't think of an excuse at the moment, not with Linda's slightly wistful monologue whispering in her ear. "Bart..." Lois patted his arm. "Let's just stick to the mission."
He nodded. "Yeah. That's probably best."
"...And then he said that his arrows could pierce steel, but the only thing he wanted to pierce was my heart. Isn't that poetic?"
Martha's voice was slightly hesitant. "It's just... lovely, Dear."
Bart put his hand over his mouth and snorted.
"But perhaps we'd better concentrate on..."
"And here we are now," Linda whimpered. "Separated for, like, hours now. And he hardly even cares that..."
Bart put his hand over his mouthpiece again. "Okay, seriously. Can we get her some prozac or..."
"Linda," Lois cut in. "I think we're near the fence."
"What?" Her voice was suddenly very curt and businesslike. "We just need to find that gap and you're in."
"Okay... So where is it?" Bart asked.
"It's been about a decade, Bart. Like I can remember. Besides, I never went through it. Elliot did. I just know it's there."
"Fat lot of help..."
"Bart!" Lois took a hesitant step forward, stuck. She wanted to see the buildings, but they were still hidden from her. And she couldn't step forward, not when they didn't know where this fence started. She reached her arm out. "If we can feel the fence..."
"Don't be an idiot." Bart grabbed her arm. "At human speed, you'd just get caught up in it. Me, on the other hand, I can sail right through and hardly feel..."
"Now who's being an idiot?" Linda shouted. "Bart you really..."
"Bart, please don't put yourself at risk, Dear," Martha added. "There could be another way."
"Yes." Lois turned to him. "Besides, you could just as easily..."
"Ladies, please!" Bart put his hands to his ears. "Stop Victoring me. I got this." He grabbed Lois' arm. "I move faster than you, like, on an elemental level. If anyone can get near that fence without frying, it's me." He pushed her back. "Just stay behind me."
"But..." He moved forward before she could get another word out. He was suddenly ten feet away.
"Nothing," he said, staring back at her. "Come on." She crept to where he was. "I'm gonna go a little further."
"I still don't know if..."
"Hey," he put a hand up. "I let you have the tranc gun. You let me have the nasty electrocution." He smiled. "I'm kidding. I promise not to be fried, okay?"
"Bart," Martha's voice pleaded. "Be careful.
"Just for you, Mrs. K." He looked ahead, then back at Lois. "Another jump." He was further again. He smiled back at her. "Still nothing. Think this thing's broken down?"
"Not something I'd care to risk," Lois said, creeping closer again. She could see something now. The lights no longer flickered. The outside lights were spare, but she could see stark, square buildings, surrounded by unkempt grass and bushes. "We see the buildings," she whispered. They were still far away and the chance of anyone that might be within hearing them was slim, but she whispered anyway. She didn't want to say it too loud or the place, the possibility, might go away: that after everything, there would finally be answers. Had it only been two weeks since this started? So much had happened that it seemed longer. She felt nearly like another person now.
"Oh, boy." Linda was whispering now. "That means you're probably near the fence. Now... Okay. This fence works with a buried wire and um... seeing as how you can't see it. I... don't know exactly how that helps you, but... Look around you. Do you see anything that seems like it leads underground or... Oh, God. I wish I could drink. This is just..."
"Linda, chill. Okay?" Bart looked ahead. "Just a little jump this time. If we can get to the line, then we can figure this out." He put his hand over his mouthpiece and leaned into Lois. "I say we get Linda plastered when this is over."
"Yeah. Somehow I don't think that's gonna happen."
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah. She'll be all busy making up with Ollie for like five days... After he totally kisses our asses and takes us to a swanky bar, that is. Yeah. I've pretty much decided that's how he makes it up to us." He bumped her arm. "Consider one of the many drinks Ollie buys us from me to you, Babe. I did promise you a shot...or five."
"Thanks for the thought, but..."
"What thought? What are you guys talking about? Why are you whispering?"
Lois laughed slightly and turned to Bart, but he was gone.
"Bart?" She looked to either side, then ahead. "Bart!," she hissed.
"Oh, Jesus! What's... Oh..." There was a frantic shuffling. "Oh, God... Oh, No..."
"Linda? What's the matter?"
Martha's voice suddenly came through. "Linda's just... poking her head out for a second."
There was the distinctive sound of retching. What a time for morning sickness to kick in.
"I think she's a little overwhelmed. Is Bart alright?"
"I don't know," she said shakily. "I don't know exactly where he is."
*******************************
"Get your filthy hands off of... George! Do something!"
"Like what?" he grumbled, rubbing his chin with his free hand. The other arm was clamped in the hulk's. He'd tried to do something. Just grabbing the guy's shoulder the first time he'd grabbed Janice had only made the guy punch him. He was probably done with heroics.
"Wait till I tell the Doc about this. I will have your job, you big, dumb..."
"Keep moving."
The guy was shuffling them along to the rec room. He didn't see why, unless there was some kind of meeting. The rec room was the only one big enough for that. "Is there a meeting? Because you didn't have to get all grabby. You could have just told us..."
"Just move it along."
Once the hulk pushed him in after Janice... It seemed to be a party. Everyone else was in, even the damn Kerns. They'd hardly been around lately. George almost wanted to say "hi," except for how Allen was sitting slumped on the couch, drooling on himself. Apparently, the guy had some kind of stroke. It was a far cry from the Allen he knew from poker night. He just put his hands up and moved away from the hulk. "Easy, there big guy. What the hell's going..."
"Just sit tight," the man grunted. "The Doc'll be along in a moment." He slammed out. George heard the lock go.
"Another fucking meeting. And now we have to get pulled out of bed for it? Bad enough with the long, fucking PA speeches. Had enough of that in high school. Can't she just send a newsletter or..." He jumped as Janice elbowed him. "Hey!"
"You just let him manhandle me like that?"
"Hey, I tried. The guy's more than twice my..."
"You know what? I don't even care. I am so ready to be done with you."
George gritted his teeth. "Good." He nodded to Joanne. She was sitting on one of the ottomans, staring ahead of her. "You can get her and her little friend to recruit you into their lesbian lifestyle."
Janice turned away. "Oh, don't tempt me, you... Mitzi?"
George looked to his left. His wife was moving toward Mitzi and Bob Coleman, sort of huddled in a corner. So they're the noobs. They looked like scared rabbits, but Janice was actually giggling, as if this was a freakin' barbecue.
"Oh, my God! I had no idea you were coming, too. I mean, I thought they were going for, well..." She laughed awkwardly. "Younger couples. But it really is exciting, isn't it? We're part of the new frontier in genetic..."
"You really are something, Janice." It was Sue Terry, hugging her extremely skinny arms to her.
"Excuse me?"
"You just keep fooling yourself. We've just been herded into a room like cattle, and now you're squealing about how exciting the new frontier is." She laughed bitterly. "When are you going to accept it?" She turned to the room. "All of you."
"Don't listen to her, Mitzi." Janice squared off with her. "Look at her. Practically anorexic. Starves herself and lounges about in bed instead of coming to meetings. No wonder we haven't produced, Sue. The effort spent trying to get someone like you on board could have been spread to the rest of us. The ones who actually believe in what the doctor is..."
"On board with what?" She glared around her. "With losing months of my life? My house? My friends? And for what?"
"For a child!" Janice growled. "A special child. One who will never..."
"Exist," Sue finished hotly. "Never live. I could have adopted. I could have been a foster parent. I was on my way to just that when I woke up here with this chance of a lifetime!" She looked around the room. "Did you ever wonder? Where are they? How many failed experiments are sitting in jars somewhere?"
Janice sneered. "You're disgusting."
"And you're blind. All of you. We could all get out of here tonight. They can't stop us if we stick together. If we could just..."
"Sue, Please." David Terry pulled her back. "This isn't the way. We have to be careful."
"Like you, David?" She pointed at Joanne. "You and her, always plotting to uncover some reason to leave! Here's reason enough! There are two guards and two women and ten of us!"
"Nine," Joanne intoned, still staring ahead of her. "Morgan's sick. But she'll be fine. Just fine. There's no reason to worry."
"Joanne?" David moved to her. "Are you okay?"
***********************
She couldn't exactly yell, not if she wanted that entire place alerted to their presence. "Bart!" she hissed as loud as she could. She stepped forward. "Bart where are you..."
"Don't..." It was weak and coming from somewhere ahead of her. Her flashlight was nearly useless. She was too afraid to use it, but the sky was getting lighter.
She squinted ahead of her. "Bart, where are you?"
"Over here..." A dark shape was coming toward her, lurching, then falling.
"Bart!" She started to him, but his voice stopped her.
"Don't move!"
She stayed where she was, but risked turning on her flashlight, shining it low to the ground. "What's wrong?"
"Fence..." He rose from the ground, doubled over slightly. "It's right between us. I only stepped back and... I just panicked, sped away... Sorry."
She shook her head. "Don't be sorry. Are you okay?"
He nodded, breathing heavily. "Little scrambled."
"You're shaking."
"I'm okay." It was Linda. "Just fine. I only needed some air. So okay. We have to find Bart."
"He's right here."
"I thought he was..."
"No. He's here. And I think we found the fence. Are you okay?"
"Oh, just ducky," Linda answered. "Nothing to worry about. I can handle this. I said I could and I will. I just needed a second to...
"Bart, what happened?" Martha, now. "Lois couldn't find you. Are you allright?"
Lois stared at Bart. He wasn't answering, only staring at the ground between them. "Bart? Aren't you going to answer?"
He looked up. "Answer who?"
"Martha and Lois." She shook her head. "You must be more scrambled than..."
"I know who they are. I just... I can't hear them." Bart frowned and tapped his headset. "Damn fence must be screwing with the headset. Some kind of interference."
"What's going on?" Linda screeched. "Scrambled? What does that mean? Is Bart..."
"His headset's not working," Lois said quickly, hoping to stop the frantic questioning. It was hard having two voices in her ear without one screeching at her.
"Jeez, I can hear her squawking from yours, though."
"But he says hello," Lois said, offering him a smile. "How you doing? Really?"
"Just kind of shaky. Not too bad, but you stay still. We don't know what this will do to you."
She nodded, swallowing hard.
He was looking down again where her flashlight shone.
"What are you staring at?"
Bart crouched down, grabbing a stick. "See that?" He cleared some leaves and dirt away. "Bugs. Some birds, too. Mice..."
She shined her beam along the packed dirt. "Yes. Lots of dead wildlife. It is winter now, so they're probably not faring too..."
"But see how many there are? They're all packed in this area." He pointed. "Almost a line."
"What do you mean? Dead wildlife?" Linda sounded breathless. "Is that some new code because we didn't discuss codes and I really can't handle anything else on top of Bart's headset right..."
"Linda, please be quiet for two seconds!"
"Oh... I'm... I'm sorry."
Lois winced at the hurt in her voice. She'd make it up to her later. "This could be the line."
"Yeah." Bart crouched down, but kept his distance. "It's like they were going along their merry woodland way and hit the fence and dropped dead on the spot."
"If we can see where they stop..."
"We're kind of southeast now. If we move right."
"Your right, my left," Lois said quickly. "Then we could find the gap."
Bart grinned. "Are we sympatico or what?"
Lois smiled back. "Linda," she began, trying to sound as calm and sweet as she could, hoping not to rock the hormonal boat. "We have definitely found the fence line. Bart is on the other side of it. We are going to move along it and, hopefully, find this gap."
There was some loud breathing on the other end. "Okay. Um... Just be careful."
"Mrs. Kent? You holding up?"
"I'm just fine, Dear. And please call me Martha. And the both of you, be careful."
She glanced at Bart over the line. "We'll be careful."
Bart rolled his eyes slightly, but nodded. "I'm good. One toasty run through that fence was enough."
"Bart agrees."
Bart glanced down and started moving. "You keeping your arm's tight, there? Away from the nasty fence?"
Lois picked her way alongside him, though apart. "I am."
"Just follow, follow, follow the dead things." Bart shuddered. "Is this some sick taxidermist version of the yellow brick road, or what?"
***********************************
Clark rose, though unsteadily. He glanced back at Morgan on the bed, then at Helen, still on the floor. He'd get out, get help, then come back for them. He was in no state to get them out now. Of course, he soon realized he was in no state to get past the door. Usually, he could rip the knob off, but he could hardly grasp it in his weakened state.
"Damn it." He moved to the shaded window of the room, grasping for anything heavy. His hands slid over a metal tray. He picked it up to the clanking of falling instruments. He stumbled to the wall and leaned against it, banging the tray against the window, hoping to smash it. After several tries where he only managed to make dull smacks against the glass, he slumped to the floor.
The only sound were his heavy breaths, Morgan's steady ones and the slightly reedy wheezing of Helen Bryce.
"No good."
That and her voice.
He pulled himself across the floor to her. "Helen?"
She was staring at him, her eyes half-open in the half-light. "Can't break out of here... military... strong... Why we chose it."
"Don't try to talk." Clark moved to her.
"Have to," she rasped. Her body began to rise and he moved to her as it slumped forward, her head falling in his lap.
He let it stay there, leaning back against the bed. "Don't move. Just give me a minute. I'm gonna get you help."
"No help for me," she whispered. She closed her eyes. "I think I knew it when I took you. It's all gone."
He stared down at her strained face. "Maybe this work is. But there's hope for you. I... I like to think there's hope for anyone."
She gave a weak laugh. "That's exactly it. It's why I could never do it. Knew the source, but I never took it. I knew..." She opened her eyes. "I knew I'd have to hurt you to get it. First you were gone and then... you were Superman. How the hell could I do it? You're too good." She smiled slightly. "I know I mocked you before, but... You're kind of like a priest." She swallowed hard. "You think if I tell you... It would all just go away? I'd be clean? Like last rites or..."
"No. Helen. Just stay quiet. I can help you." The crystal must have sapped some of her energy. If he could get his strength back, get the crystal back where it belonged, maybe the fortress could...
"No help. Can't fix me." Her head shook limply against him. "Can't fix this. It was all fucked long before this. I knew." She let out a shaky breath. "Lizzie didn't, but I did. Once the real money came in, the game changed. Suddenly, it had to be couples. No random women. No anonymous sperm donors. We had to be this... new colony. new world." Her face was pained. "All too risky. And I... I was supposed to look at them, talk to them. I couldn't. I'd seen too much failure already. I stopped believing until... Until I found you again. Or..." She squinted slightly. "Until you found us. It was fate. I thought it meant that we were supposed to succeed, that we would. That it was a blessing." A tear slipped from her eye. "But it was just the end. It was just... everything I feared come to pass." Her eyes met his sadly. "So it was fate. I was meant to find you and we were meant to fail. We were never going to make this work."
"No," Clark said softly.
She closed her eyes and more tears slipped out. "All for nothing. All the Adams, all the Eves..." Her eyes snapped open and her hands suddenly reached up, grasping his shirt.. "You need to destroy it. All of it."
"Helen, I can't do that. This is evidence and..."
"But it's not just that. I don't... I don't want someone else to get it. I was stupid," she said harshly. "Someone else might be stupid, might think they can..." She slumped down again, releasing him.
"Helen?" He shook her slightly. "Helen!"
"My jacket," she said weakly. "Keys. You can get out. Get them out, then... Please... destroy it."
His hand shook, but he moved it down digging in her pocket. Something clinked under his hand. He pulled the keys out along with her cell phone. He opened it quickly, but it's flashing screen only said service unavailable. "I need to get outside," he muttered. He took off his own jacket, placing it under her head before he moved out from under her. "I'll come back for you." He glanced at the bed. "Both of you."
He felt slightly stronger, just knowing he could get out. He started to rise before he saw the crystal, completely dim under the bed. He grasped that as well, placing it in his pocket with the phone as he used the bed to pull himself up.
"Clark..."
He turned back and looked down at Helen.
"I'm sorry I infected you. I just... didn't know how else to get your blood. I didn't think it would hurt you. Not for long."
"It's okay." Or it wasn't. But he felt she needed to hear it. She probably had no way of knowing he wouldn't just heal. She also had no way of knowing that it could have been easier for her. She didn't need the spores. She could have just got hold of some of the meteor rocks. He suspected she didn't know that either. She didn't need to. The less people knew his weakness, the better.
"It wasn't in the plan," she went on, her voice fading. "Not really. It was like this unspoken thing. We both knew, but we never talked about it."
"We? You mean Lizzie knows? But I thought she didn't..."
"Got squeamish, then. Didn't think I knew what I was doing," she rasped. "I thought I did. I always thought I..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes closed.
"Helen?" Clark tried to lean down, but fell to his knees in front of her. He couldn't hear her breath anymore. He tried to concentrate his hearing, but he was so weak...
He pulled himself up again, grasping the key ring. "I'll get help," he whispered. "I will." He stumbled his way to the door, leaning heavily on it as he fished through the keys. He could hardly see in the dim light, but he fumbled with key after key, through lab, rec, Q5, M 102, M 103, M 104...
"One-eighteen," he whispered. He vaguely remembered those numbers as he was shoved in the room. He squinted at the key and placed it in.
And heard a click.
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