Complications

Father and Daughter

The Professor looked with disbelief at Clessa. He started crying, and gave her a hug.
"Dad," said Clessa through sobs.
"Daughter."
They sat there, hugging, forgetting the world around them.
"How," asked Clessa.
"I don't know," said the Professor.
Xander and Giselle, feeling awkward, decided to hug each other too.
"How did this happen? Did my old parents know about you?"
The Professor sniffed, and wiped a tear away.
"Well, what Reagan did was she found a family that was totally willing to take in a child, get their memory wiped, and raise them as their own."
Clessa grabbed a tissue.
"I would have been proud to have you as my dad."
The Professor hugged Clessa again.
"What was mom like," asked Clessa.
"She was amazing. Funny, stubborn, strong, exactly like you."
Clessa laughed, and dried the last tears on her face.
"Can we go back to my house...grab some things?"
"The Machine is still in lockdown. Later."
Xander let go of Giselle.
"What if we turned on the Machine, hid Clessa, and destroyed Kent and Camilla?"
The Professor pondered on that idea.
"That might work."
The Professor grabbed a gun looking thing off of a shelf.
"Is this a gun," asked Giselle as she turned the thing in her hand.
"Neutralizer. It will knock them out for as long as it will take us to call the Feq."
Xander looked at the gun like it held Nerf bullets.
"Why not just kill them?"
The Professor looked at Xander. His expression turned grave. The Professor walked over to Xander.
"I don't kill. Not now, not ever. Look in this Machine and you won't find one weapon that could kill someone. Anyways, I'm going to turn on the Machine."
The Professor rubbed his hands together, and moved a giant lever.
"Where should I go," asked Clessa.
"Come on love, we'll go down here," said Giselle, gesturing towards the hall.
Clessa nodded, trusting Giselle.
"Professor?"
"Yeah?"
"I'll take her to the Asilo."
"Good."
Giselle smiled at Clessa, and led her down the hall. As they walked down, Clessa became curious.
"What's the Asilo?"
"It's a room the Professor designed for emergencies. You cannot sense if someone is in there, basically the room is not even in existence. There are beds, food, it's basically a house mixed with Fort Knox."
Once the two reached the end of the hall, Giselle pulled a necklace out of her shirt.
"The Professor gave me a key a while back to this room. Never thought I'd use it."
Giselle quickly unlocked the door, and lead Clessa inside.
"It's pretty," said Clessa.
"Yeah, looks like it's straight out of Florence."
Giselle dropped her key on the little wooden table. Clessa examined the room a little more. A couple of couches that could pull out into beds were scattered. There was two pantries full of food, and a couple of refrigerators. A bucket of colorful, woven blankets sat welcomely at the door. A large, black screen TV was located by one of the beds; there were three beds in the room.
"The bathroom is behind that little door. Has a shower and everything," said Giselle as she dead bolted, locked, barred, and barred again the door.
"I'll turn off the signal that lets out the heat signature," said Giselle.
Giselle walked over to a futuristic panel, and pressed a little green button.
"This place even had a kitchenette," said Clessa to herself.
"Oh, and if you need more clothes, there are some in that wardrobe."
"What about you?"
"Oh deary. My job is just to protect you," said Giselle, showing her kind eyes.
"You speak like a seventy year old."
"With all the stuff I've seen, I feel seventy years old," said Giselle with a laugh.
Clessa felt something pulling at the back of her mind. She tried to fight it, but nothing would work. It pulled her in.
What do you need now?
Look kid, I'm here to help you.
But you are me.
I'm you, just way more advanced.
Okay...what do you need?
Well, I'm here to show you the events that are soon to occur.
Okay.
So, the Professor and Xander are going to meet Kent and Camilla. Words will be exchanged, something's will be fired, but you and Giselle have a 50.001 of staying safe.
More than half, that's good.
Yes.
But if you are me.. that means I can see the future?
Yes. It is an ability you will soon unlock. The plan is going as planned.
Plan? What plan?
You'll find out soon.
Giselle squeezed Clessa's hand.
"Clessa? Are you alright?"
Clessa slowly nodded.
"What happened?"
Giselle looked at Clessa with her kind green eyes and searched for a response.
"You know that...there is a voice inside my head...right?"
Giselle nodded.
"Well, it told me that I am soon going to unlock the ability to predict the future. Then, it said that the plan is going as planned."
Giselle gripped Clessa's shoulders.
"Peculiar. I'll go check the computer in here for more info on future predicting...stuff."
"But, won't they be able to sense us in here if you use the computer?"
Giselle stopped and thought.
"True. I guess we just need to sit and wait. To pass the time, why don't we get to know each other?"
Clessa nodded and watched as Giselle walked over to a small leather couch. She gestured for Clessa to sit in the one adjacent to it.
"I'll get started," said Giselle," first, I am 22. My favorite color is lavender. Umm....my favorite food is pasta. I really like to ride my bike...and I love to read. Your turn."
"Okay. I am 16. My favorite color is green. My favorite food is broccoli, and I love to play tennis."
They sat there, awkwardly.
"So.....um....what is your favorite book," asked Giselle.
"I would say....hmmm.....the Fifth book in the Harry Potter series. What's yours?"
"That's a tough one! I would have to say...Fahrenheit 451."
"No spoilers. I'm gonna read that book."
Giselle laughed and nodded.
"How long do you think we'll be stuck in here?"
"I don't know. Could be minutes, hours, or even-."
Giselle's voice started to fade out when Clessa felt a sharp ringing in her ears. She clutched them, and brought her knees to her chest.
Clessa shut her eyes tight, and then an image came to her head.
"You'll never get to her," said the Professor holding a gun towards a grinning Camilla.
"Yeah," said Xander, who was holding a gun towards Kent.
"Leave and never come back."
"Or what," said Camilla with a grin that' taunted the Professor.
"We'll shoot you both and then get you turned in. The Feq will be happy to she vermin like you put away," said Xander with a snarl.
"Those are just shock guns," said Kent with a half smile.
"Yes...well."
Camilla put her gun to her side and laughed. The laugh was shrill, and almost forced. She bent over, letting black hair spill over her shoulders. Camilla regained herself with a deep breath, and looked back up to the Professor with her sharp green eyes.
"Are you done yet," asked the Professor.
"No, we are just getting started," said Camilla.
The two cocked their guns, and shot.
Clessa snapped back into reality. The ringing had disappeared.
"What's wrong Clessa?"
"I.... I just had a v-vision."
Giselle became serious.
"What was in your vision?"
It took Clessa a while to gain the courage to talk to Giselle, but she took a deep breath, and got ready for the heartbreak. She took a deep breath, and wiped her tears away. Giselle leaned near Clessa.
"Clessa?"
"Camilla and Kent...killed Xander and the Professor."