Phoenix Feathers, Part II Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Joss is Boss, and all of this stuff belongs to him. Although I wish it belonged to me. In fact, if I hadn’t forgotten to make a wish on my last birthday, then I probably would have wished that Firefly belonged to me. I don’t know if it would have worked, because my one wish would have gone up against all of Jayne’s magical wish-granting planks. It would have been worth a shot, though.

***

The room was nearly empty. It was Spartan in its furnishings, with only a single overhead lamp casting light down onto the room’s single table, around which three simple chairs were arranged. The cone of light did not extend very far beyond the table, but there was not much else beyond it to capture one’s interest. Immaculately cleaned and orderly, it bore no signs of human habitation, despite the fact that only a single door separated it from the rest of the complex. Beyond the door lay a world in chaos.

The Academy was still reeling from the double blow of River and 04’s simultaneous escapes. The doctors had taken control of the situation, attempting to limit the damage that had been done to the students’ fragile minds through their exposure to outside influences. They sent wave after wave out to the border planets, alerting the local Federals to the fugitives’ imminent arrival.

Even with the resources of the Interplanetary Alliance at their disposal, getting a positive ID on either of the escapees would be a very long shot. It was a big ‘Verse outside of the Central Planets, and after sending out the waves the entire Academy program was at the mercy of fickle fortune.

The doctors, fearful of Parliament’s reaction to the news, had striven to keep the number of people who knew about the breakout absolutely mute. Security guards, orderlies, and junior researchers who had witnessed the escapes were sworn or coerced to secrecy. Those who resisted found themselves quietly and suddenly reassigned to posts on distant terraforming stations or moons where their life expectancy would be almost laughable and where it was rumored that men could be driven insane by the Black and be made to prey upon their own kind.

The doctors had neglected to wave their superiors on Londinium, confident that a quick recapture of the escaped subjects would leave them none the wiser. It was a high risk gambit, played in secret against time and overwhelming odds by three men- the only men in the galaxy who knew the whole story, and who understood exactly how much they stood to lose.

Dr. Robert Barnes was the first to arrive. He hesitated, eyes narrowing, when he saw the empty table before him. He stood still for a moment, straining to see further into the shadowy corners of the room, but moved out of the doorway as the door clicked shut behind him.

As Barnes approached the table, he pulled his lab coat tighter around himself, grimacing against the cold perfection of the room. Barnes had felt comfortable at the Academy since he had been assigned to the facility years ago, but that had changed after the escapes. He had been attacked by his student and knocked unconscious, reviving only in time to witness his charge’s breakout. Such recent trauma, both physical and psychological, would unnerve anyone for a while. Barnes was carrying on as best he could, giving insights that helped the ongoing search and retrieval operation, but he was damaged goods for the time being, and both he and the other doctors knew it.

Barnes walked slowly to the table and sat with the grim expectancy of a convict awaiting execution, looking up only when the door opened for the second time as Dr. Mathias practically hurled himself into the room, whirling to close the door after himself.

When Mathias turned back to the room and saw the man waiting silently at the table, his heart leapt into his throat in the split second before he recognized Barnes. The incident of a few days ago had left more permanent marks on Mathias, for he was River Tam’s project supervisor, and her loss would be far more keenly felt by his superiors that that of the relatively undeveloped Subject 04.

Mathias knew that the disappearance of the only fully useable psychic that the Academy had produced would undoubtedly ruin his career once Parliament learned of the theft. It was he who had first suggested that the escapees should go unreported, and that the Academy use its own resources to search for the missing students, gambling everything on the chance that they might be recovered quickly.

The strain of the situation had taken its toll on Mathias. His face twitched with nervous ticks, and his eyes flicked about the room, constantly looking for threats, never resting too long on any one thing.

Mathias tapped his pen impatiently on the table as he sat next to Barnes, awaiting the last member of their desperate conspiracy. He glanced over at Barnes and started to say something, but checked himself. What was there to say? Mathias was tired of wasting his time on talk. Now was the time for action.

After another ten minutes of waiting, Mathias had calmed down somewhat. He stared lazily at the door as the electronic lock buzzed open, but jumped to his feet when two black-clad Wardens preceded Dr. Titus into the room.

“What the-”

The Chief Supervisor raised a commanding arm and indicated the two doctors. Mathias and Barnes were shoved up against a wall and patted down for weapons. Barnes looked back over his shoulder and addressed Titus calmly.

“So what’s new, André?” he asked, a quiet smile on his face.

Titus was also calm. “Things have changed. I’m taking this mess to Parliament.” Titus continued speaking above the others’ protestations. “They are far more capable to deal with this situation than we are, and if we want this thing to be resolved before the subjects can be damaged beyond repair, then we’ve really got no choice.”

Mathias was disbelieving, just barely suppressing his rage.

“What about us? Why the rough treatment?” Barnes continued over his spluttering.

“The Wardens have been busy analyzing the breakouts, and have picked up on some interesting leads that indicate the presence of one informant, possibly more, in the facility.” Mathias went quiet and stopped struggling. “Whoever planned this knew more than they should have been able to. They had access to detailed information about our facility- schematics, timetables, personnel rosters. The also hacked into our network and read top-secret files on the conditioning process, including the established behavioral modification triggers.”

“You don’t think they’re planning to use the subjects!” Mathias was horrified.

“If they do, we’ll know about it. But what I’m concerned about is how they got the information in the first place. That’s something we’ve looked over in our rush to chase down these criminals. The how. Our approach, independent of Parliament, has played right into their hands, and I believe the person responsible for suggesting that course is in this room. Whether that was just self-preservation or an important part of their plot I cannot say, but as far as I’m concerned, everyone in this building is a suspect.”

Barnes sighed tiredly. “So that’s the story, is it, André?”

Titus nodded grimly and the Wardens released the doctors and moved to either side of the door, taking up posts. The Chief Supervisor then turned his back on Barnes and Mathias, making for the doorway.

“What are you going to do with us?” Mathias wanted to know. “Keep us locked up until Parliament gets here?”

Titus paused, his hand on the doorjamb. “No, no. I’ve sent a priority alert to the I.A.V. Rochester, a cruiser in orbit. They’re to make best speed for Londinium. They’ve sent a gunship, which should be arriving any minute now. I’ll be in Parliament inside of a day.”

Then he was out the door and down the hallway.

Mathias’ mouth dropped open. “He’s nuts. They’re going to kill us!” He stared at Barnes, and Barnes stared back, wide eyed, his earlier composure gone. Then he looked to the door.

“We’ve got to stop him,” Barnes muttered. Mathias frowned, not seeing any way out. They were trapped in the room by the two Wardens.

Barnes sat down at the table and stared silently at his reflection on its surface, chewing his lip. Then he jerked upright.

“Hey! Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey! Titus! I see what you’re doing, Titus! You’re gonna sell us out!” He cast his chair into a wall, mouth slavering with rage, eyes wild, but Mathias could still see intelligence in them. Mathias stepped away from him, and the Wardens’ hands moved closer to their holsters. Barnes continued raving, uncaring, stalking around the room, beating his fists against the wall, his face dark red. He rushed the door, but was restrained by the Wardens.

“Tituuuuussssssssssss!” he yelled, and then collapsed. Mathias ran to him, kneeling down to check on the inert form. He recoiled when he saw Barnes looking up at him through half-closed eyelids. Mathias used his shock to make his acted desperation seem more real.

“Apoplexy. He’s critical. We’ve got to relieve the pressure in his brain and get the blood flowing or he’ll suffer a stroke.” The Wardens didn’t move. Mathias felt his last hopes fading fast.

“Help me or he’s gonna die!” He yelled at them.

They looked at each other, then moved to help. One opened the door, while Mathias and the other Warden picked up Barnes and carried him out. They struggled to move the dead weight of Barnes’ body through the hallway towards the labs. As they traveled, Mathias looked down at Barnes and nearly choked. Barnes’ face was quickly fading back to its original color, and his eyes were having trouble staying still under his eyelids. The group approached the nearest lab, which belonged to Mathias.

Mathias barked to the second Warden as he fumbled for his keycard. “Go get Dr. Stokes in Emergency Care. Tell him we’re setting up for an immediate cerebrovascular situation.”

The Warden took off, and Mathias and the remaining Warden entered the lab, laying Barnes on the operating chair in the center of the room which had last been occupied by River Tam.

“Strap him down,” Mathias ordered, and moved to a row of cabinets set high up around the wall. He procured an injection-gun and loaded it with a plastic capsule with well-practiced movements. Then he walked to the operating chair, pressed the point of the injection-gun to the Warden’s neck, and pulled the trigger. The man crumpled.

Barnes was out of the chair before the Warden’s body hit the floor. He walked over to it and cautiously prodded the body with his toe, then bent down to relieve the man of his sidearm. Mathias tossed him some of the spare handcuffs that were used on particularly unstable patients such as River. Barnes looked up at him. “'Dr. Stokes?'”

Mathias smiled wryly. “'Emergency Care?'”

Barnes grinned.

They moved the body out of sight of the door, then assessed their situation.

Mathias was adamant. “Listen, Barnes, we’ve got to get to Titus before he boards that shuttle.”

Barnes looked back at him, already at the door. He hit a button, and the door slid open. He stuck his head out into the hallway, then pulled it back in. “Clear. Where’s he getting picked up, though? We need a locator.”

“Situation Room?” Mathias suggested. Barnes nodded. “Situation Room. But that other guard will be back any second.”

Mathias motioned for Barnes to toss him the gun. “I’ll take care of him. You go.”

Barnes smiled grimly, then was out the door. The grip of the laser pistol slapped into Mathias’ hand as the door closed behind Barnes.

***

Barnes ran down the hallway toward the elevators, grateful for Titus’ orders to keep all nonessential personnel confined to their quarters except for meals. He didn’t have to explain himself to every subordinate who wanted to know what was going on just to get them out of his way.

He reached the elevator shaft and skidded to a stop, almost pitching over on the slippery tile floor as he stopped his mad dash through the Academy. Breathing hard, he tapped on the DOWN button, and the elevator door opened with a pneumatic hiss.

“Please insert keycard,” the soft voice of the installation’s security computer prompted him.

He barely noticed the rows of Chinese characters depicting the numerous levels of the Academy, instead rummaging in the pockets of his lab coat for his personal keycard. He pulled it out and inserted it into the appropriate reader. When he did, the rows of buttons lit up as the security system granted him access to all of the levels of the base.

“Full access,” it confirmed. “Please select-”

He stabbed his finger onto the yellow character at the bottom that represented the Academy’s Situation Room, and felt the elevator begin to descend.

*** Mathias waited to one side of the door for the second Warden to arrive at his lab. He gripped the tranquilizer hard in his left hand, trembling with energy. His right hand held the first Warden’s laser pistol.

The door hissed open, and the Warden ran in. He stopped when he saw the empty operating chair, but it was too late. He turned and saw Mathias, going instinctively for his gun.

Mathias raised his own. “Uh-uh. You’re gonna want to drop that right now.”

The Warden’s eyes narrowed. “Dr. Mathias. You set us up. There’s nobody here by the name of Stokes.”

“How very astute. You know, I was wondering just how a high-security facility like this one could lose two subjects in one day, but now I’m beginning to realize why.” Mathias gestured with the gun, indicating that the Warden should drop his own. He continued, his face twitching. “Incompetents. You let River get away, followed by that other subject, 04, and now you let two measly doctors get the drop on you. That’s state-of-the-art security.”

The Warden looked around. “Where’s the other one? Barnes.”

“He’s trying to stop Titus from ruining everything. I really hope he succeeds, or I’m going to grow rather desperate. That’s what being on the run does to a man. Can you see the signs?” His face twitched again.

“And my partner?”

“In the closet.” Mathias shrugged.

“So you’re going to kill me.” The Warden’s hand dropped back down near his gun, which he hadn’t thrown away yet.

“Careful.” Mathias brandished the pistol, also hefted the loaded injection-gun. “This doesn’t have a lethal dosage. This does. Your choice.” He tossed the tranquilizer to the Warden, who caught it with both hands.

“See?” he continued. “I could have shot you right then. So how’s about we just trust each other? You get a nap and an alibi in case we get taken down. I get you out of my hair and I don’t have to shoot you.”

The Warden considered, his hand once more edging down to his holster.

“Desperate, remember?” Mathias told the man. He waited.

The man hesitated, then very unhappily touched the end of the injection-gun to his neck and pulled the trigger. He hit the ground, hard.

“Now that’s more like it,” Mathias said to himself. He manacled the Warden’s hands, liberated him of his firearm, and dragged him into the same closet as the first man. Then he got an idea.

***

“Come on come on come on come on come on” Barnes urged the pristine surface of the elevator doors. After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened and Barnes rushed into the Situation Room.

He crossed the expansive room and sat down at the Security substation. It was deactivated. Sighing exasperatedly, Barnes pressed a character on the keyboard, and the computer began to boot up and access the relevant parts of the Academy network. Soon enough, a screen opened and he was able to select the internal location system. From there he input Titus’ name and ID, then waited for the system to pinpoint the Chief Supervisor’s coordinates.

Within a minute, the computer pinged, indicating that Titus had been found. Barnes stared at the screen in disbelief. Titus was already leaving! His signal was in the middle of the topside entrance to the facility, heading past the two guards stationed at the visitor’s elevator towards the glowing blue rectangles at the edge of the screen. Those shapes represented the boundary of the Academy. He accessed the external video feed and saw a sleek Alliance gunship settling down just outside the concealed entrance to the Academy, disgorging a squad of Alliance troopers.

Barnes hit the intercom and linked it to the entrance hall. “Guards! Do not allow Dr. Titus to leave! He must remain on these premises!”

As Barnes watched, Titus hurried out of the installation towards the vessel, the two guards now in pursuit. They saw that they could not catch him, and so they pulled their guns. The Alliance troopers also leveled their weapons, some at the doctor fleeing towards them, some at the guards.

Titus stopped. He appeared to yell something to the troopers, then one of them called back up the gunship’s ramp. After a minute, an officer came down. He talked to his squad, and those of them that were covering Titus shifted their aim to cover the guards. The guards, outnumbered and outgunned, lowered their weapons reluctantly and headed back into the Academy.

The Alliance troopers filed back into the gunship, which left Titus as the only figure in sight. He turned and stared directly at the screen, somehow knowing exactly where the external security camera was placed. He seemed to regard Barnes for a moment, then turned on his heel and disappeared into the ship.

Within seconds, it lifted off and rocketed into the sky, taking the Academy’s secrets with it.

***

Barnes hung his head for a minute, then slowly reached up and punched the code for Mathias’ lab into the intercom.

“Yes?” Mathias answered him apprehensively.

“He got away.”

Silence.

“I’m so sorry. He got away and he, and he…”

“It’s okay, Barnes. It was a long shot. We’ll just have to get a move on at finding the Subjects.”

“He doesn’t know what he’s doing.” Barnes whispered. “When he gets to Parliament, he’ll be walking right into his own execution. Unless…” He hissed.

“Unless what?” Mathias was impatient.

“Unless he tries to pin it on us.”

“Do you think he could?”

“Well, we’d be in absentia, so it would be pretty one-sided, wouldn’t it? Who cares about the facts.”

“Then we’ve got to track down River’s kidnappers as quickly as possible, make him look like a fool. We’ve got to deny it ever happened.”

Barnes frowned. He didn’t miss the fact that Mathias only mentioned his own subject, excluding 04. It was obvious that Mathias also had a streak of self-preservation in him that did not extend to his fellow doctors. Still, if they could work together for mutual gains, then Barnes would tolerate it. But he’d be cautious- he’d been stabbed in the back enough for one day. “I agree.”

“How much time do you think we have?”

“Well, a day to get there, a day to get back, and from then on it’s up to bureaucratic inefficiency. Call it a week, tops.”

Mathias sighed heavily. “Well, then, there isn’t a moment to lose.”

***

Mathias gazed dispassionately at the sleeping Warden who he was working on. The man was sitting restrained in the operating chair, his head resting peacefully on his chest. When the rod pierced the skin of his forehead and plunged through the bone of his skull, the reason for the restraints became apparent. The Warden thrashed about in the chair, his unconscious struggling to break free. To an experienced Academy doctor like Mathias, such reactions to these operations were quite normal. Even so, it was just as well that the Warden was sleeping. Mathias wasn’t sure that he could perform the surgery on his own with a resistant patient.

Mathias walked over to the bank of computers that provided readings on the subject’s brainwave patterns. It took a little while for him to locate the data that pertained to the Warden’s memories. Mathias reflected that it would have been nice to have Barnes there, but he doubted that the man would have had the guts to take the necessary steps.

Mathias tapped at various characters on the screens, then picked up the injection-gun and loaded it with a new cartridge. He moved back to the patient and injected it into the still-struggling Warden’s forehead through the rod.

“Oops,” Mathias said quietly. He went to the computer monitors and watched as a section of the Warden’s brain was coated in a thin layer of green light, representing the drug. It was not taking hold. Slowly but surely, the green began to erode, first at the edges, then all over the highlighted section of the brain.

He loaded another cartridge of the same type and injected it. “Oops, again.”

Another layer of the drug coated the highlighted area, turning it an even deeper shade of green. This layer did not erode as quickly as the other one. When Mathias did it again, the highlighted portion became an even darker green, and stayed that way.

Satisfied, Mathias then repeated the procedure for the second Warden, who began to revive after the third and final administration of the memory drug. Mathias fumbled for a tranquilizer cartridge, then injected them both with it. They once more fell asleep.

Mathias looked around his ransacked lab, thinking hard. He was trapped. He knew the chances of getting River back to the Academy within a week were staggering, and he knew he couldn’t run from Parliament’s wrath. Mathias knew that there was only one way out, and that it would depend on whether or not he could find the men responsible for the thefts, and track them down.

Mathias thought back to what Titus had said about how nobody had asked the important question of how the thefts had taken place. He noticed that it was very convenient, for them that mentally-exhausted Barnes would prove to be such a fast thinker back in the meeting room. The more Mathias thought about the events of the past few days, the more he began to convince himself that Barnes had played a larger role in the thefts. Barnes could have let, or even instructed, 04 to escape in order to disable the Academy’s sensors, which had allowed River to escape from him.

Yes, Mathias thought, it was a plausible idea. If there was a suspected informant, then it would be Barnes who would bear most of the scrutiny. If it wasn’t him, then he deserved to be punished anyway for his blunder, which allowed both subjects to escape. Mathias knew that if Barnes had not let 04 escape, then the Academy could have tracked down and retaken River Tam immediately, so the blame for the escapes was rightly Barnes’. Mathias himself could not have done anything to prohibit River’s recapture, besides neglecting to contact Parliament, but that was a perfectly understandable course given the possibility of being wrongly accused. Yes, the blame would have to go to Barnes, for whom it was richly deserved.

Besides, if there really was a spy, and if it was Barnes, then Mathias would have to be rewarded, wouldn’t he? And when he did get River back, he would be allowed to finish what he started.

For the moment, though, he had work to do.

***