Abnormals

Saved the guard, running from security. Mandie was screwed. Well not exactly. She’d overheard Eisel holding them back, which meant he probably recognized her, which meant she was just going to be more screwed later, delayed screwage.

Or he’d hurt Catherine.

She kept trudging on. She needed to get home. She needed to find Catherine. Catherine wasn’t home.

She had a rough idea of where Pete’s apartment was after she and Catherine dropped him off. She just needed to get to the building to call on Catherine and find where it actually was. What was she even going to tell her?

Eisel commissioned the creatures to be made. They were human. He’s working for someone apparently. There was some other resource he was worried about that she didn’t actually catch because—surprise—the things could actually communicate. Oh, and she didn’t have any proof because Eisel killed all of them, and all of them liked the prospect too much to leave.

She was going to scream when she was finally home.

Come to the balcony.

What was Mandie doing? Why was she close enough to Pete’s building to talk to Catherine? At least it was after Catherine got her stuff done.

“I think I need some fresh air. You two feel free to continue your argument. It sounded productive.”

She looked up from the balcony, only to hear it shake from the other side of where she was on.

“What are you doing?” Catherine asked.

“Do I smell pasta?”

“Lasagna. Why are you here?”

Mandie adjusted her perch on the railing.

“I needed to talk to you about what I found at Eisel’s lab.”

“You were where?”

No. Not after what she read in her father’s journal. This was too much to be coincidence. Mandie did have a particular grudge against Uncle Henry though, so it could be a completely unrelated issue.

Mandie brought their heads close together, and Catherine understood.

“Homeless people?”

Mandie nodded.

“So the hypermutation was intentional. They were supposed to be weapons, were being the operative word, because they have all disappeared now.”

“I know the evidence isn’t great…”

Catherine put her hand up to stop Mandie.

“I trust you, even if the evidence will not stand up in any court. Now I have to tell you something.”

“What?”

“The secret project dad was working on before the accident was related to desensitate. He knew—Eisel knew—that it could cause hypermutation. Dad had evidence, witnesses, and a friend of mom’s, probably a reporter, to help him blow the whistle.”

“Did Eisel know about this?” Mandie asked.

“He knew something about it. Dad confronted him, refused a job offer to stop desensitate from being used.”

Mandie looked at Catherine’s arm. She pulled it behind her.

“Henry Eisel would not kill his best friend.”

“He’d just benefit from his death and use the material his friend wanted to take off the market on said friend’s daughter.”

There was no defense for it, was there?

“I would have died!”

“Would you, or is that just what the records say? It’s not like he doesn’t know how to change those types of things, and it’s only getting easier.”

Catherine felt defensive for a moment. More records were being kept digitally, but it was not like every technopath was going to doctor records to suit them, not that Mandie was accusing every technopath, just one.

“Hey, are you—why are you here, Mandie?” Pete stood in the doorway, awkwardly. Catherine pulled him onto the balcony and closed the door. The curtain closed behind him.

“Goddamn it, Jaime.”

“Who’s that?” Mandie asked.

“My roommate. What are you doing here?” he turned to Catherine, “What is she doing here?”

“I found some information Catherine needed to hear. Don’t worry. I’ll be out of your hair soon enough.”

Pete seemed nervous.

“She has no intention of hurting you.” Catherine reassured, trying to place a comforting hand on his arm, before finally realizing how close they were. Pete pulled away to the edge of the balcony.

“Apparently you two found some stuff out, too.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The stuff with my father and desensitate.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t great to hear about.” Pete scratched the back of his head. “Not that it wasn’t what we were looking for. I just didn’t expect it to be that bad.”

“That bad?” Mandie asked. Catherine actively ignored her glare to focus on Pete.

“I already told you…” Catherine explained.

“What were you expecting from this? That all you would get was information? You were trying to find out if it was ruining lives! All you found out was my dad was doing something about it. I had to feel a dozen lives dying and being happy about it!”

That glare wasn’t directed at Catherine. It was directed at Pete.

“I’m sorry.” Pete said, lowering his gaze.

“Oh great. Is it your fault?”

“Mandie.”

“There isn’t anything that can be done because all the evidence we have has been solidly destroyed.”

Catherine grabbed her sister, pulling her into a hug.

“I think we should go home. Are you comfortable in my car?”

She felt Mandie nod.

“I’ll go get it.”

Catherine waited patiently to strike. Uncle Henry wasn’t going to be caught off-guard by just anything. He probably knew she was waiting.

His appointment, Mr. Knox, walked away, waving Catherine over to Uncle Henry’s table.

“He asked you to do that, I assume.”

“Your appearance isn’t suited to stealth Ms. Piec, but he admires the effort.” Knox offered a comforting grimace.

“Sure he does.”

She took a moment before stealing Knox’s seat in front of her godfather.

“Be sure to order something,” Eisel didn’t bother looking up, “I had a light lunch so we could talk.”

“So you can have a second one?”

“Exactly. They make good stuff here, and you’re the only child who I can eat with. Magdalena’s always on a different diet, and Rodney’s… well you know how Rodney is.”

“I have an idea.”

Uncle Henry was always harder on Rodney than anyone else. Maybe because he reminded him too much of his first wife, but the difficulties were mutual with each other.

“How has your job been,” he asked, “Are they treating you well? They aren’t always friendly to people who graduate early.”

“How would you know?”

She stared at her menu to avoid his expression. He never appreciated a dig at his intelligence.

Pete watched Catherine get her car ready as Mandie sat on railing.

“She’s going to talk to Eisel,” Mandie said.

“Good.”

“I’m sure you think so.”

“Why wouldn’t confronting Eisel about this be a good thing? We can’t hurt him in the courts or the press with this little evidence, but his goddaughter chewing him out might do something.” Between the three of them, Catherine was the only one who could have any effect.

“Yeah, he’ll know you’re on his trail.”

Mandie was treating this like war.

“What trail is left to follow? And don’t you hate Eisel? What’s so bad about Catherine getting mad at him, too?”

“Because if they have that conversation, Eisel will have her tighter around his finger than ever.”

“You’re mad about something. Was it your sister, or maybe the Xenologist you’ve attached yourself to at the hip?”

Catherine steeled herself. If she took the bait, this would turn into an attempt to defend the company she kept.

“What happened to my father?”

“A lot of things, but if you mean how he died, he succumbed to burn wounds from the same nasty accident that hurt you.”

“And what was your last conversation before the accident?”

He pulled the menu away from her.

“Look me in the eyes when you interrogate me, Catherine.”

She balled her fists to keep from looking away.

“The question stands.”

“I’m guessing he put something about it in his journals, so why don’t you tell me.”

“Desensitate causes hypermutation.”

“It’s a small chance, and it helps more than it hurts.”

“My father was going to reveal this to the world—”

“And he had friends to help him with it. I remember now. He chose to keep studying powers instead of helping me find a solution. You may not remember how stubborn he could be. Think carefully about it.”

Right, the journal was just one side of the conversation. It didn’t specify the job uncle Henry had offered.

“He did stay on task even off working-hours.” But he never pushed them away. Catherine would tell him about her day and he’d listen and ask questions while testing something out, and inevitably she’d ask about it—

“Why are you crying again? Nobody likes to see someone who can only cry from one eye.”

“What?”

She hadn’t even noticed, but when she touched her face, she could feel the wet.

“Is this a bad time to talk about it? It’s not normal for you to get emotional like this.”

Yeah, something was probably wrong. What was she thinking about? Right.

“You killed people.”

Uncle Henry paled. That was all the confirmation she needed.

“Why?” she asked.

“Excellent question, Catherine. Why would I kill people? People are good for business.”

He was right, it didn’t make sense, but Mandie wouldn’t lie. She did say the things wanted to die, anyways, so why was it a problem?

“If this accusation is somehow connected to your issues with desensitate, you could come help solve it. With your ingenuity, and Eiselcorp’s resources, you could solve what your father was too much of a coward to attempt. Think carefully before you make your decision.”

She was clever. Eisel wasn’t wrong. She already had a good record at the institute, but could she really do the most good there? Eiselcorp had the resources to do amazing things, and all Catherine had to do was help guide them… under the thumb of Henry Eisel. Desensitate wasn’t a problem that could actually be solved, it was just the wrong solution, a solution that Eisel wouldn’t let be thrown away. If her father was stubborn as a mule, Eisel was stone, but at least a mule could move forward.

“My father wasn’t a coward,” Catherine answered.

“Excuse me?”

“Next time you pitch me a job at your company, don’t insult my family in the process.”

She almost stood up, but Eisel just needed to get the last word in.

“Does this have anything to do with Dr. Gionelli? I’d be willing to extend an offer to him as well. Probably a different department given that his specialty isn’t really in this sort of thing, but you could still carpool with him.”

How did he know she was driving Pete to work?

“You’re blushing. Just how close are you two?”

She didn’t need this discussion again. She didn’t want this discussion ever.

“He wouldn’t accept your offer anyways, and you know that enough not to actually extend it.”

“My feelings about his father aren’t a factor here. I think he’s a good match for you.”

This was stupid. She had to leave. Forget having the last word. Forget whatever power play she was attempting.

“Why?”

Damn her burning curiosity.

“He’s intelligent, and he’s smiling at you every time I’ve seen you two together. Your mother wasn’t even a great actress, and your father did great things beside her. Imagine what you could do with the support of someone closer to your level. There’s some concern with your condition and his powers, but I’m sure you could figure it out.”

“What powers?” She’d definitely seen Pete’s abilities in person, but what concerns was Eisel talking about?

“I have a file in my office. I’ll send it to your home.”

She couldn’t accept something like that, looking into her friend’s private records. If he felt like being forthcoming, he’d be forthcoming.

“I would appreciate it.”

Catherine hadn’t talked about the conversation with Eisel. She’d barely talked to Pete at all. Overnight, their relationship had changed entirely. Whenever he saw her without an assignment, she was obsessively reading some file.

Eventually, finally, she spoke to him.

“I think it would be better for both of us if we maintained a professional distance, Dr. Gionelli.”

Despite his stunned silence, he managed to grab her arm before she got out of reach.

“What the hell does that even mean?” The institute didn’t have workplace relationship standards very far beyond not harassing your coworkers.

She pulled out of his reach.

“And here I thought you were smart enough to keep up with me.”

She hadn’t used that tone since they’d become friends.

“What did that conversation do to you?”

He’d assumed Mandie was exaggerating, but Catherine had regressed somehow.

“That is none of your business.”

“So it was the conversation with Eisel.”

He followed her. If he let her get away, something told him he wouldn’t get her back.

She stayed quiet on her way to the car.

“I still need a ride,” Pete said.

“Ask Lawrence.”

“It’s unprofessional to refuse your coworker in need, isn’t it? This is unprofessional distance.”

She avoided eye-contact as she entered the vehicle. Pete put his hands on the hood, letting the charge his anger had built up destroy the battery.

“What the hell!”

A piece of him was thrilled Catherine actually looked at him. A smarter piece was pulling him away from the fury.

She slammed the door as she walked up to him.

“Talk to me,” Pete said.

“Or something else will break?” she accused.

“Okay, maybe the car was intentional, but you can’t just tell me to stop treating you like a friend and leave. People require explanations, especially in our line of work.”

She maintained the glare.

“I’m not losing my friend without a fight.” he took a hesitant step back toward her.

She seemed to mutter something before returning to his eyes.

“Your parents covered up the incidents well, but people talk.”

What was she talking about?

“What incidents?”

“You were a 12 year old kid with a magnetic personality.”

Pete took a step back, she took a step toward him.

“People made fun of you in high school for being afraid of water, but you stayed out of the pool for very different reasons.”

He didn’t go out of his way to keep his powers a secret, but he didn’t advertise them either.

“You snooped into my life, and didn’t even ask me before making a judgment call. Am I not allowed a chance to defend myself?”

Catherine shook her head. “You don’t need to defend yourself.”

“Then why did you accuse me?”

“I didn’t accuse you. I stated facts.”

Now he wanted to leave, but he just knew he’d regret letting go like that.

“Are trying to put distance between us because of what you learned about me?”

“Yes.”

He wanted denial. He wanted to tell her not to push him away. Why was she willing to admit it?

“I don’t know what changed your opinion of me, but—”

“My opinion of you is unchanged. You just…”

“Just what?”

“I am not safe in continuing proximity to you. I have no intention of leaving my job, but our relationship as it is cannot continue.”

He watched her left eye. He could see tears. He grabbed hold of both her arms.

“Am I hurting you right now?”

“Please let go.”

“Answer the question.”

“No.”

“And I won’t hurt you, Cate.”

She pulled away with a pained smile.

“I want to trust that.”

“You can.”

She grabbed his collar, pulling him into a kiss. He tried to pull her close, but the moment he closed his eyes, she was gone.

“That definitely wasn’t professional distance!” he yelled to no one.

The Voice of Reason was still hung up on everything from today. Everything was different now. Well, most things.

“How was your day?” Electron asked.

This at least, was normal. If she had to leave Pete because of her cybernetics, she could at least still talk to Electron.

“Momentous,” she finally answered, “You?”

“Lousy. Anything for me to do?”

“Plenty, and a little side mission for both of us.”

“What is it?”

“Find whatever Henry Eisel is hiding.”

“Why?”

“He’s been a little too involved lately, and we can’t have that.”

Things were very different now.