melo_annechen | Three of Five, Chapter 49 (Reply)

Chapter Forty-nine

Lupin's tenor rumble penetrated her sleep, “Charlotte, time to wake up.”

No, not now, this is one of the good dreams. Charlotte murmured, “don' wanna.” Really good dream, this time, I can smell his cologne. “Tired'a bein’ 'lone.”

Lupin sighed, thinking, I can agree wholeheartedly with that statement, but this is not getting us out of the hotel. Charlotte shifted, her hand sliding across his chest as she repositioned her leg across his thighs. Mrm - Why do I want to leave? Oh, yes, the ryoushi unit. “As of 11:00 we have to give up the room.” And I have to give up a lot more than that. “We need to get back to the lab.”

Charlotte slowly focused on Lupin's face. She smiled in a vague way – “Hmm…” She closed her eyes and snuggled into Lupin's shoulder. “Wish it were real,” she murmured.

“What?” Lupin blushed a brilliant scarlet. She didn't say what I thought, did she?

Charlotte's eyes popped open – “Oh, crud.” She tried to sit up, and put weight on her left arm. She hissed in pain just as Sela entered.

“I’ll take it from here, sir. Arsène has your gear ready.” She picked up Charlotte's emergency kit and set about checking the dressing.

Lupin detangled himself from the bedding. “Oh - of course, we should hurry.”

After Lupin exited the room, Charlotte whispered – “I didn't sing, did I?” She looked down at herself, and commented “Wait, I’m still in my pajamas…”

Sela chuckled, “No, you weren't drunk, but you were too fevered to make much sense after taking your meds last night. He may ask later what you said before finally dropping off.”

Charlotte took a deep breath – “What did I say?”

Sela repeated her exact words from the moment Madblood entered the room to the point where Charlotte had gone back to sleep, complete with the exact tone and inflection Charlotte had used last night.

Crud, crud, crud. “I said that out loud?” Charlotte covered her face with her hands. I must be such a disappointment to him, such utter lack of control. “I'm sorry, I, it's a word I should not have used.”

“The tone did not indicate the use of a 'colorful metaphor'. I have not told him what languages you speak.” Sela was replacing the dressing. “I believe you are referring to the endearment, perhaps?” Her tone was even, and her demeanor casual. “I should not worry too much about it. He reacted well to your revelations on the dance floor.”

“My what? I, wait, did I say anything about Tinasky III?”

“Noooo… what is Tinasky III?” Sela asked.

“A defunct study, I’m afraid,” Charlotte responded. “Oh, I have made a right mess of this entire interaction, just to hide my name,” she groaned.

“I thought that might be the case before we even planned this trip, and Arsène figured it out as soon as he saw your ‘acting’. We’ll try to keep your secret as long as needed, but you realize direct questions cannot be evaded?”

“I know,” Charlotte said. “I can't believe I lost control. The last thing he needs now is for me to fall apart in a crisis like this.”

“... You thought he was embarrassed by your behavior.” Sela got the look that said she was on the tight-band to Arsène. “I do not think that is...”

“Please, Sela - don't tell him the translation, don't...” Charlotte stood shakily, and headed for the shower. “Don't tell him your suspicions. He doesn't need the extra baggage.”

>>>>

Sela ended up driving back. Arsène rode shotgun for security purposes. This left Charlotte and Lupin in the back seat. Stop thinking of him as Lupin - He hasn't given you permission to call him that. You are the håndlanger, and not the ektefelle. This is the sort of thinking that got you in trouble this morning. Charlotte kept berating herself in a running diatribe, and was not paying any attention to the scenery, Sela's driving, or the other passengers. Therefore, she was startled when Professor Madblood cleared his throat, but luckily, she was too weak to do any damage.

Lupin produced the dart from his jacket pocket. “It's no wonder it went through the gown. It's Teflon-coated and needle sharp. Normally it would have gone deeper, fractured, and we would have been unable to retrieve it.”

Charlotte examined the dart through the plasticine envelope. “Normally? Are you familiar with this ammo, Professor? Markovs are not a common ordinance.”

“That's because... I made it.” The professor sighed. “The modified Markov dart was one of the weapons I included in the ryoushi upgrade of the Madbloodbots. I had modified a little under twenty of the Mark I series before they rebelled, and each of the upgraded androids has five darts. Arsène found three in the back of my vest. They didn't penetrate due to the reinforced armor there.” He then caught Charlotte's gaze – “You took the hit that quite possibly was intended as a head shot for me.”

“It's the least I could do, Professor.” Charlotte swallowed convulsively. Keep control, he doesn't need to get tangled up in my issues.

“After all you've done for me, erm, the lab; it seems silly for you to be so formal.” The Professor's demeanor was calm as he settled back in his seat.

Charlotte ducked her head. “Of course... Lupin.”

Why did I ever think that I'd prefer to be called ‘Wolf’? She makes it sound so – “Ah, well, considering your injuries, I think it would be a good thing for you to take a couple of days off next week, much as I'd like to get back to work. I do not want you to incur permanent damage. The cocktail in the dart may have been weakened by the intervening decades, but you should take it easy for at least a fortnight.”

“What was in the darts?”

“They were loaded with a combination of twenty parts warfarin to one part ricin. The poisons were sealed in the darts with the Teflon coating.” Lupin said. “If your fever had not broken last night, I am not sure we would be having this conversation - ever.” Lupin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing to defend himself against her anger.

Charlotte did not explode. Well, if there was ever a better opening, I don't think I'll see it. Here goes everything. “I should be fine by Monday, sir. The picos should be able to repair the damage now that the poison and the anticoagulants are neutralized.” She studied the dart with a feigned clinical calm. “What was the payload, .5 ml?”

Lupin stared at his intern – “About that much. What are the picos?”

Charlotte handed the dart back to Lupin and then stared at her hands folded in her lap. “I... have more than a little medical training.”

“I thought as much from the emergency kit Sela hauled out for you last night - what level? Pre-med, physician's assistant...”

“I received my MD at age 14, but my license to practice has lapsed. I have been focusing on research when I haven't been taking sabbaticals from myself, branching out.”

“That’s an interesting way of describing the aliases. Your research melded medical with nanotech, I assume?”

Oh Prime, he's brilliant. I am so much toast. “You assume correctly. I have also broken a cardinal rule in any realm of science - I experimented on myself. I managed to get the nanobots to a subcellular level, one that is generally undetectable by current medical procedures. The picobots are programmed to maintain and repair the human body. I worked out the theory and developed the prototypes more than ten years ago. Their main function is to repair day-to-day wear and tear a normal human would encounter. Trauma, toxins and other injuries are also in their realm. I've had some version of the picos in my system for the last decade. They are the reason I could survive the exit strategies in Paris and Arizona. I haven't cloned myself, but my extremities are not the originals.” She paused, took a deep breath, and continued. “Then you had the heart attack. I... couldn't let you die without making my best attempt. The first dose was an emergency transfusion, to stabilize your condition. Subsequent doses were tailored to your medical readings.”

Lupin sat stone-faced, in an attempt to keep the horror that gripped him from showing in his features. “You have robots under your control in my bloodstream.”

“Well, the control is limited, mostly to either on or off, but that is the general idea. I will give you the programming information when we get back. I had intended to do so before the end of my internship, anyway.” Charlotte had not looked up from her hands, which were still folded in her lap, but now the knuckles were white under the stress of her grip. “The rough outline is the picos are given the instructions to make one duplicate of themselves unless the organism has a full colony in residence, and then repair the nearest damaged cell. By the time they have worn themselves out, there are roughly 240 copies of their line in operation. A slow process, but by the time you have a full colony, you basically just need to keep hydrated and don't skip meals. The picos can rebuild minor limb loss, and give you more time to reach additional medical assistance.”

He cleared his throat, for all the good it did to settle his voice – “And if you don't encounter major trauma?”

“Well, that part's theoretical, but...” Charlotte's voice was almost not audible to Lupin, “there is a chance of regeneration. My paternal grandmother is 98 years old, but her boyfriend doesn't realize she is over 60.”

“You experimented on your grandmother?”

“Most of the family, really; after my grandfather died, I decided it was time to act. The only one I haven't gotten to is my maternal grandmother. She is a bit of a recluse, though. I haven't branched out of the family for subjects - un-until you.”

Lupin fell silent, thinking the logic tree through. She had used the process on her family, and while that would be considered normal for the average mad scientist, she was supposedly under control. If she had wanted to control him with the picos, she would have had many other opportunities long before now. She was also taking a huge risk, implanting an example of her masterwork in his bloodstream, while he possibly had the ability to observe, and possibly redesign the picos. Along with that realization came the thought: For that matter; there is the question of why she would take such drastic measures for me when she did?

>>>>

“Ah. We gave her a window of opportunity, and she jumped out of it.”

“What's that, sweetie?”

“Nothing - when was the last time you talked to Tasha?”

“Mmm... week before last, I think. Yes, just before the reactor went off-line the second time.”

“Did she mention anything about work?”

“You know how she is - only the vaguest of hints, and more misdirection than a political press secretary. She sounded okay then. Has something come up?”

“Not exactly - Titus just emailed us. It appears he ran into a couple of someones that resembled her at the symposium last week, but that one or both were escorted by a wolf.”

“I see. Should we shoot her now, or wait until she comes home?”

>>>>

They were halfway home when Sela said, “She’s asleep now, sir. You signaled for a conference?”

Lupin spoke quietly, “Take us home to the lab, and we will take care of her this weekend. I do not like the idea of her being on her own and possibly relapsing without help. Galen is set up in the lab, not in her loft.” His gaze was fixed on her hand. When Charlotte had relaxed enough to sleep, her arm had relaxed enough to allow her hand to rest palm-up on the seat between them. “We also need to work out what happened this week.”

Arsène asked quietly, “What has happened, Father?”

Lupin murmured, “I‘m not quite sure; more research is indicated,” as he gently touched his companion’s fingertips.

>>>>

Charlotte woke with a start to find herself in the medical pod. “Good evening, Charlotte. The time is 2011 hours. Your scan is complete, and rest is indicated for the next 48 hours. I have notified Sela that you are awake.”

The hood of the pod lifted, and Charlotte eased out of the unit. “Thank you, Galen,” she said, noting her shoulder was just sore, and unbandaged. The bruising looked horrible, but at least there did not seem to be any permanent damage.

The disturbing thought was that she had fallen asleep in the car, in the company of others. She had let her guard down with no reservations, enough that she did not remember waking up when they stripped her down for the medical unit. She was getting too comfortable here. She sighed, and thought, It is past time for me to confess and be rejected, again.

Sela had left clothing in the shower cubicle again, and Charlotte took advantage of the amenities. When she got out of the shower, Lovelace asked her, “Are you hungry? Sela started cooking as soon as Galen released you.”

“Yes, thank you, Lovelace; I’ll be there as soon as I’m dressed.” She did not recognize any of the clothing left for her, but the dark red fleece was comforting and comfortable. That it fit was not surprising, but Charlotte hoped Sela had not broken the professor’s budget.

When she entered the professor’s living quarters, Sela called out from the kitchen, “Steaks will be done in a minute, I’m just finishing the spinach; do you want tea or milk with dinner?”

Charlotte glanced around the room as she sat at the table, “Tea, please - is the professor all right?”

Lovelace answered, “He’s still in the shower. He monitored Galen until your scan was finished. Arsène is just about finished with the laundry. Galen said you were to rest, so no access to the labs for you until Monday. Father has indicated he wished you to be our guest this weekend; just to be sure you don’t have any problems from your injury. I’ll wait to scold you about that until Monday.”

Charlotte’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at Lovelace’s identification of the professor. Sela placed the tea in front of Charlotte, “She can’t help it, Lovelace.” To Charlotte, she said, “Your things are in the guest room, and Galen said your picos may make you sleep more than usual. Father said he was worried about you relapsing someplace without sufficient medical care.” Sela turned back to the kitchen.

Charlotte stared into her tea, shaking. The blanket being placed over her shoulders surprised her. She jumped, and winced at the tightening of her shoulder. The professor patted her uninjured shoulder, saying, “I should know better than to sneak up on you. Has Sela brought you up to date?”

“Yes, sir - I appreciate your concern, but it is unfounded. The possibility of relapse at this point is unlikely.”

“But it could happen, and you may need emergency specialist care,” Lupin said. He indicated the plate Sela brought to the table, “Eat - Galen said you would need the protein and calcium. If nothing else, you can assuage a foolish old man’s worries.”

>>>>

Charlotte lay awake late into the evening, despite Galen’s prediction that she would sleep more this weekend. She found her watch on the bedside table with her glasses, and put on her shoes. Lovelace asked, “Is there something wrong, Charlotte?”

“I - I don’t know, I just need to think a bit, and walking sometimes helps. I promise I’ll stay on the main floor…” Charlotte entered the main lounge.

“Just as well, he indicated he did not want me to let you drive off until you two get a chance to talk.” Lovelace said.

“I have been avoiding talking to him too long… it may be too late already.”

Lovelace answered, “Then you might need to be there when he wakes up. I’ll give you privacy unless I note violence, so keep it vanilla, okay?” She opened the door to Madblood’s room. When Charlotte did not respond or move, Lovelace whispered, “What are you waiting for, another myocardial infarction?”

Charlotte entered the professor’s room, navigating to the bed by the faint light from the living room until Lovelace shut the door. Lupin was curled up on his side, facing away from the clock, the only source of illumination left in the room.

She lay beside him, on top of the duvet. Unwilling as she was to leave without saying goodbye, she was also afraid to let him know she was leaving. He rolled over in his sleep, his hand connecting with her shoulder. He blinked sleepily, smiled and snuggled into her neck and shoulder. “I shouldn’t be here,” Charlotte murmured.

“I know, can’t seem to let go,” Lupin mumbled.

“You deserve better.”

Lupin chuckled, “No such thing. Got what I want...” He rolled onto his back and started to snore softly.

She kissed him and said, “Goodbye, kjæreste,” before activating the bungee signal in her watch for the teleporter.

Lupin woke suddenly and sat up. The dim light from the clock display revealed he was alone, and he thought, The dreams are getting more realistic. He curled up in bed, and muttered, “Soon.”

>>>>

Charlotte next heard the clear alto of Two stating, “Please state the level of emergency.”

“Stand down, Elena. Emergency averted by extraction.” She stepped from incoming transit platform and headed to the office door marked ‘3’.

“Should I target your last position?”

“NO! I mean, that will not be necessary.” Charlotte palmed the lock and opened the door to her office. “If I had the authority, I would place my pick-up point under protective level one.”

Two switched to the speaker in Three’s office, “You used the bungee to call for teleporter extraction, but you do not want to scorch the earth you left behind. I think I had better call Mom and Dad.”

“Please don’t - I’ll talk to them later,” Charlotte said as she placed an empty document storage box on her desk. “I have some loose ends to tie up, and I’ll call when I get the main tasks done.” She placed her thumb on the scanner for her filing cabinet, unlocking the bottom drawer.

“Have you completed your study?”

Charlotte hung her head as she paused in gathering the document packets. “The study is… in hiatus.”

“Are you all right?”

Charlotte dumped the packets in the box, added some discs from her shelf unit, and responded, “As much as I have any right to be. I’m heading back to the loft. Please don’t take any action against the lab if you can help it.”

“I will do my best. Take care, Tasha.” Two said as Charlotte exited into the city’s underground network.

“Goodbye, Elena” Charlotte whispered as she locked the hatch behind her.