Divergence, Part 1
Walter’s lab - July 12, 2011, 8:00 AM
Olga arrived in the lab and found Anna, Anders, Angela, and Walter crowded around Gene.
“What's going on?” she said.
“Shh,” Anders said, “It's Grazing Day.”
“Grazing day?” Olga said.
“Walter thinks she's depressed,” Anders said.
“Well, technically, it's Seasonal Affective Disorder,” Walter said, “Bovines aren't meant to spend extended periods inside. They need lots of Vitamin D. Sunshine.”
“Taking a day trip out to her favorite pasture,” Anna said.
“You learn something new every day,” Olga said.
“That’s because you always took your vacations every time we did this,” Angela said.
“Angie, the sedative,” Walter said, “Gene's getting anxious.”
Angela handed Walter a large syringe. On the other side of the lab, Diana walked in, carrying a large box of files. Olga ran over and took the box from her.
“I’ll handle it,” she said.
“You should’ve asked first,” Diana said.
“What’s it for?” Olga said.
“The other side is requesting a detailed debrief of our run-ins with David Jansen,” Diana said, “And given Angie’s medical issues, Kurtz thinks it’s best if somebody else goes. Lucky me. "
“You sound less than enthused,” Olga said.
“Anders and I were supposed to take Alex on the Rhine ferry today,” Diana said, “I promised him yesterday.”
“Breaking promises,” Olga said, “One of the many perks of the job.”
“Up there with forgetting to investigate Sentinel,” Diana said.
“What if I went for you?” Olga said.
“Your counterpart doesn’t have a high opinion of you,” Diana said, “Unlike mine.”
“Your counterpart doesn’t have a son,” Olga said, “You do. And don’t worry. I can handle me.”
“You’ll have to bring it up with Kurtz, then,” Diana said.
Strasburg field office - 8:30 AM
“Not to diminish Agent Frank’s assignment, but Liaison Duty is more of a formality,” Kurtz said, “Part of our Mutual Cooperation Agreement.”
“I disagree,” Olga said, “Coordinating with the other side could yield new leads on Jansen. Right now, we have nothing to go on.”
“You're more valuable to me on this side,” Kurtz said.
“I appreciate the sentiment, but there is nothing going on here today,” Olga said, “Unless you count ‘Grazing Day’.”
“'Grazing Day’?” Kurtz said.
“Look, the others are busy,” Olga said, “Di and Anders already have family obligations. I don't have anywhere else to be. Frankly, I think I could use the time away.”
Restoration/Unification Island Bridge - 2:00 PM
“Initiating scan,” the intercom intoned, “Scan complete.”
Olga left the decontamination chamber, Diana’s box of files in her hands. Waiting outside was Pavel Novak. Olga had to strongly resist the urge to shoot him in the head.
“Agent Kirova, please come this way,” he said, leading her into a conference room, “You can go ahead and get set up in here. I'll let Hansen, Humboldt, and Kirova know you've arrived.”
“Sure,” Olga said.
Pavel left the room, and Olga set down the box on the table. As soon as she did that, the door opened again, and Angelalt and Annie walked in.
“Agent Kirova,” Angelalt said.
“Angela, Annie,” Olga said, “Nice to see you again."
“Yeah,” Annie said, “Would've been nicer if you brought us some coffee instead of that huge box of paperwork, but…"
“Uh, maybe next time,” Olga said, “I’ll throw in a bottle of vodka too.”
“Change of plans,” Angelalt said, “You’ll brief on the way.”
“On the way where?” Olga said.
Downtown Konstanstadt - 2:30 PM
As Angelalt’s car drove through downtown, Annie and Olga reviewed the files in the box.
“Okay, so, Jansen is responsible for dosing the other Angie with Cortexiphan,” Annie said, “For what purpose?”
“Anders believes he was trying to activate a latent ability,” Olga said, “An ability he had previously activated.”
“What, are we talking heat vision, or communicating with fish?” Angelalt said.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Olga said.
“Well, did it work?” Annie said.
“Not really, but sort of,” Olga said.
The car drove past an alley which had been covered in amber and fenced off.
“What's that?” Olga said.
“The Ministry of Defense is reopening this part of the city,” Annie said.
Angelalt pushed a button on the console, and a map of Konstanstadt, with containment zones marked in yellow, appeared on the car’s computer screen.
“Zone 13A, more commonly referred to as Pempton, was closed on November 12th, 2004, due to severe toxic air conditions,” the computer said, “There is one live media alert on this subject. Would you like to play it?”
Annie looked at Olga. "Go on. Don't be shy.”
“Uh, yes,” Olga said.
A video of Walternate standing at a podium appeared.
“This is a turning point in the fight against terrorism,” Walternate said, “In the last week alone, radiation and amber in eleven previously uninhabitable zones have been cleaned up, and the zones have been reopened. The terrorists have been driven back into their caves. Our cities are healing and being restored to their former glory. The Empire is becoming whole again. But the process will take time. We estimate the last of the containment zones should be open by 2018. So, as we celebrate this recovery, let us never forget those we've lost. Thank you, everyone.”
The video clip ended.
“I take it things are starting to get better because of the machine?” Olga said.
“Yeah, it's stabilized spatial rifts and stopped containment breaches,” Angelalt said, “Don’t know how it works. Don't care. I'm just happy.”
“Hey, want to settle a bet?” Annie said.
“If I can,” Olga said.
“What's your middle name?” Annie said.
“Uh, Lyudmila,” Olga said.
“Seriously?” Annie said.
“Yeah, it was my maternal grandmother’s name,” Olga said, “Why?”
They arrived at their new meeting place, a parking lot where Agent Kirova and several X-Division agents had gathered. Angelalt and Annie got out first and walked over to Agent Kirova.
“What's up, Lyudmila?” Annie said.
“How the yebat did you…” Agent Kirova said.
She noticed Olga getting out of the car.
“Oh, of course,” she said.
“Hey,” Olga said.
“Why would you tell her that?” Agent Kirova said.
“You don't like Lyudmila?” Olga said. “I think it's a strong middle name.”
“She's been our partner for a long time, yet she won't tell us her middle name,” Annie said.
“My bad,” Olga said.
“Okay, so, what do we have?” Angelalt said.
“We've got the body of an unidentified assailant,” Agent Kirova said, “A woman named Penelope Rudolf placed an emergency call last night, after she was assaulted walking to her car. She reports that during the attack, someone saved her."
“Well, you think this may have something to do with the vigilante cases Metropolitan Police has been working?” Annie said.
“My thoughts exactly,” Agent Kirova said, “Local police received a dozen similar reports in the last few months. Criminals going missing, junkies mysteriously vanishing, victims calling in, claiming that their assailants were attacked mid-crime.”
“Maybe Catman's moved to Constantinople,” Olga said.
“What's a Catman?” Angelalt said.
“The Clawed Crusader, the Dark Crusader,” Olga said, “Billionaire playboy puts on a cape to clean up the streets of Gothensburg.”
“Oh, you mean Templar,” Agent Kirova said.
“Seriously?” Olga said. “Your superhero is literally a crusader? I thought the symbolism was too obvoius already.”
“Oh, what, 'cause nothing says badass like a flying cat?” Annie said.
“I don't think Templar or Catman could've done this,” Agent Kirova said.
She unzipped a body bag, revealing a dead man whose skull had been caved in.
“Were all the other bodies like this?” Olga said.
“There've been no other bodies,” Agent Kirova said, “This is the first one we've found.”
“So, assuming this is our guy, makes you wonder why he left this body behind,” Angelalt said, “What's changed?”
Zone 13A (Pempton)
A man loaded his van with personal gear and prepared to leave the neighborhood. He stopped to look at a picture of a young boy he kept in his wallet. Then he clenched his fists and hid when he heard two men approaching. They were Ministry of Defense specialists wearing hazmat suits and holding molecular cohesion scanners.
“Seven parts per million,” the first specialist said, “Nominal readings. So far so good.”
“How 'bout a souvenir?” the second specialist said, pointing to a boxing poster. “You remember this match? That was the most brutal fourteen rounds I've ever seen.”
“Thanks,” the first specialist said, “I'd rather forget it. I lost two Ferdinands on that fight. Four parts per million. I think we're all clear here.”
They removed their headgear.
“I'll call it in to Dispatch,” the second specialist said.
“Hey, just a second,” the first specialist said, “I'm reading high amounts of organic tissue.”
“Must be a false positive,” the second specialist said.
“I don't think so,” the first specialist said, “Paul Walther got the same reading yesterday. According to this, it's coming from inside the church.”
They walked into the church, while the man jumped into the back of his van to avoid them. The two Minister of Defense specialists followed the sensor readings into the dark basement and swept the area with their flashlights.
“Someone's been in here,” the second specialist said.
“This zone's been uninhabitable for seven or eight years,” the first specialist said.
“Hello?” the second specialist said. “Anyone here?”
Another sweep with the flashlights revealed the source of the 'organic' particulates detected: at least a dozen corpses in various stages of decay and post-mortem liquefaction.