10/17

Episode 6, Chapter 26

"You're certain? This is confirmed information?" Agent Denike asked as she scanned over the tablet in her hand. Despite her calm demeanor, the two white coated scientists before her desk shuffled from foot to foot, wringing their hands like nervous children called to the principal's office. Of course, this operation had given her the reputation of being something of a hard ass. She accepted nothing but the highest standards and results and gave no quarter or tolerance to those who did not perform to her measure. The take-no-prisoners persona was all the better, as far as she was concerned. Her world was on the line. That meant nothing but the best could be permitted. She ignored their dithering and focused on the information they delivered.

"Yes ma'am," the senior of the two stated. "Or as certain as we can be in the limited time frame we've had so far." The man gestured at the digital file open on her tablet. "Umm, may I?" Denike handed him the device. After a brief shuffle, he placed the tablet on it's cradle and flicked two digital projections to hang in the air before them. One was a map, speckled in tiny red dots, the other held graphed information.

"As you can see, based on the clusters and initial categorization efforts by our field doctors, the evidence is overwhelming. Despite larger civilian populations in the coastal regions, it seems the the southern Midwest contains the highest number of potentially Z level Altered. We, uh," he swallowed hard, uncomfortable speaking allowed like this. "We're still trying to coordinate with the Mexican authorities on information sharing but, so far, our operatives' data has confirmed those results. We estimate that Northeast Mexico shares the same distribution rate as Southwest Missouri, and Southeast Kansas," he said, while gesturing at the maps. Agent Denike studied the images, sorting through this new thread. Finally, her fingers flashed across the large smooth surface of her desk. In moments a third map from an older file hung in the air beside the two newer images.

"This is the map of where the incident occurred seventeen years ago," she stated, more for herself than for the finicky white coats. This map sported a large white dot. In a slow, deliberate move, Agent Denike pushed the two digital files over one another. When she was done, the resulting image came as no surprise. Her fingers pattered over her digital keyboard, and anther map merged onto the existing projections. New yellow and blue points of data appeared along side the existing red pin pricks and the white dot. Using her finger to create a thick white line, Rachel drew a large curved rectangle around the densest cluster of color.

Agent Denike sat back in her chair, memorizing the compressed image hanging large above her desk as her mind rolled over all she now knew. Movement below the other side of the maps drew her eyes. The white coats were fidgeting again. This annoyed her. She wasn't going to bite them for bring her this information. She made it a point never to shoot the messenger. That was just unproductive. She fully respected the intellect and drive of her lab team, even if she did expect near miracles out of them. She always thought dealing with Dr. Vaughn's professional narcissism was the pinnacle of irritating, but now she knew that was wrong. This mousiness was so much worse.

Unfortunately, the good doctor was out today, overseeing the last of the updates to his own facilities, he was certain would wow her. Considering it had been barely three weeks since they had struck their bargain, she highly doubted it, but that was not the issue at hand. Right now it was time to put on the kid gloves. Jumpy scientist made mistakes. She could not have them fainting away every time she looked at them crossly. Briefly closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Plastering a smile on her face, she stood, and reached to shake their hands.

"Well, thank you, Philip. I appreciate you bringing this to me so quickly. I know your team has worked hard to gather accurate intel, under brisk and daunting conditions. Excellent job." Both the man and woman smiled, relaxing at her praise. "Will you go ahead and get the mission room map updated with all of this new data, everything but the oldest file?" Though she phrased it as a request to sooth their egos, her team took the dismissal at face value, making all the correct noises of thanks, then scurrying out of her office like the lab rats they were.

Okay, that wasn't fair, she scolded herself. Her team consisted of the best and brightest the world had to offer, they were allowed to be a little odd. She often had to remind her cynical brain of this when the white coats were around. She just wished she didn't have to deal with them so much. Wishing and hoping is not productive, get it together and move on, Denike.

Pushing the annoying science team out of her mind, she grabbed her phone and shot off a text, then focused on the issue at hand. In a few deft movements, she isolated and enlarged the area she had previously indicated. It spanned large parts of six states and Mexico. As another thought dawned on her, she added a fourth map filter. Considering how many powerful Altered lived in the area, she was surprised at the small smattering of green dots that appeared.

Once again, Agent Denike sat back in her seat to study the different indicators as she considered her next course of action. So far, their initiative had not produced nearly the number of willing subject participants as Dr. Vaughn believed would be needed to create any kind of remedy, if that were even going to be possible. The sudden breeze that wafted behind her back was the only warning her next visitor had arrived.

"What's up, Agent," came the bold teen's usual greeting, delivered with his customary mocking smile. "You beckoned?" Agent Denike fought the urge to roll her eyes and sigh at the boy. He was incorrigible, but he had worked hard for their cause. As a fourth generation service brat, she figured it was in his DNA, right along side the special new birthday alterations.

"Take a look at this map, Johnny," she instructed.

"Yeah, red are the suspected Altered and yellow and blue are all the Clinic and camp locations. Your trainers made us memorize those already, but what are these new ones?" he said, pointing to the green points and the larger white spot.

"Don't worry about the white one for now. The green dots are incident reports. Here's what I really wanted you to see," she answered, changing the parameters on the maps. In a blink, several of the red dots within her rough rectangle turned black or gray. At the same time, the area around the marked off section came back into focus, also sporting the new black or gray specks. In both sections, red was still the primary dot color. Inside her rectangle, large numbers of gray were scattered across the map, with a dabbling of black, while outside her line, the gray was slowly replaced more and more with black dots.

"The gray dots are confirmed or suspected Z level Altered. The black dots are the confirmed Altered, Y level or lower." she explained. "However, you know the participation numbers have not been anywhere near what we'd hoped for. Meaning, many, if not all of these remaining red dots" she said, indicating a swath through the highlighted section of the map, "Could be Zs, for all we know." She watched the wheels turn behind the blue eyes of the tall boy. She knew he saw what the rest of them did. He turned to her, all business.

"Alright, what do you want us to do?"

"I think it's time some of our team try their hand at recruiting."