A Glimpse Of The Web, Part I

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linderman_icon.gif past_stefan_icon.gif

Scene Title A Glimpse Of The Web, Part I
Synopsis One of Adam's "disciples" sets a plan into motion…
Date May 1st, 2003

The streets of Manhattan are crowded with people. A sea of people, surging like swollen rivers during a rainy season. There are yellow cabs, box trucks, personal vehicles, and all the pedestrians moving forward with their daily lives. On the street, it simply looks like life. A microcosm; people living their lives and their individual stories. From higher up — from a different perspective — the shape of things starts to change.

From a farther perspective, the individual stories start to blur. It becomes harder to see the personal struggles, but the bigger picture becomes evident. New York City is home to nearly 8 million people, more than the ancient city of Rome at its height, more than it can realistically sustain itself. For something like New York to survive, it requires the sustenance and support of thousands of other cities, of distant farms, of a complex network of agriculture and finance. A support structure so delicate that should it collapse, the city itself could not support itself, nor the millions within.

This is the rainy season of mankind. But one day, some day, drought will surely come.


The Linderman Building

Financial District

May 1st

2003


Standing by the tall windows of his penthouse office, Daniel Linderman cuts a dark silhouette against the rainy sky turning the horizon to a matte field of pale gray. The dark lines of skyscrapers rise up like cemetery monuments, stark and cold things. Rain streaks down the windows, splitting into forking paths that inexorably travel from view; ever changing in their journey.

"I'm glad you could come and see me, Doctor Morrison." Linderman says to the reflection of a man visible in the window. Daniel's own muted reflection in that same vision reminds him of his own forking journey down the rainy glass of life; the wrinkles and scars that serve to show where he'd been on the way.

Not far into the office, across the room fron Linderman, Doctor Morrison approaches with noticable hesitation. He's taller and thinner than Daniel, several years his junior. Stefan's sleek midnight blue suit gives him a narrow silhouette, accented by his height and his long face. Dark hair is swept to one side atop his head, hands folded behind his back but posture ever so slightly stooped as if in a constant state of near apologetic prostration.

"It isn't every day one of the most powerful men in New York asks for me by name," Doctor Morrison says with a raise of one brow. "That said, your people weren't very clear over the phone as to why my uh, presence was requested?" One corner of Stefan's mouth twitches up into a nervous tic. "I don't presume this is about your blood pressure."

Linderman laughs, softly, unexpectedly. He regards Stefan with a newfound fondness, shaking his head and trying to minimize his amused smile. "No, Doctor Morrison, I assure you I am in perfect health." Turning his back to the windows, Mr. Linderman walks with a casual gait over to his desk and makes a motion for Stefan to join him. The taller man does, stooping to sit as his attention anxiously flits around the room. He'd heard enough rumors of the Linderman Group's dealings to be rightfully nervous in this situation.

"Then…" Stefan shifts nervously, and Daniel raises a hand to stall whatever further line of questioning he'd had.

"Tomorrow, the Baltimore Police and the FBI are going to raid your home." Daniel's delivery of that is matter-of-fact. It is something unavoidable, a milestone in the road unmovable by either man. Stafen's expression shifts to confusion, but before he can stammer out a query Linerman continues. "The private work you do with your company Tetradyne is about to become public knowledge. The FBI has been quietly building a case against you for some weeks now, and they're ready to bring you in on charges."

Stefan covers his mouth with one hand and slouches back into his seat, trembling. Disbelief is evident now, a flash of anger, too. Daniel continues to press down on him with information, though. "You may wonder how I came to know this, or why I am inviting you here to my place of business in spite of that. You don't need to, and will not ever, know the answers to those questions." Mr. Linderman folds his hands on his desk and leans forward. "I need you to focus on the future."

"What do you want?" Stefan barks out, as if this were all somehow an extortion tactic. Linderman laughs again in return, wagging a finger at Doctor Morrison.

"Now, now, Stefan. I'm here to help, not bully you." Linderman's brows raise as he regards the wiry doctor. "Your work in genetics is outstanding, and under any other circumstances on any other day I might have recruited you to a different organization. But, now is not the time, and now is not the place." From his desk, Linderman retrieves a business card and slides it across the table to Stefan. It sits htere, awkward and disregarded for too long, so Linderman raises his brows imploringly and motions to Stefan. "Do be a dear and look at that, please."

Stefan's eyes flick down to the card, then back up. His gaze doesn't leave Linderman as he slowly leans in and takes the card, sliding it up off the desktop.

Biomere Corporation
Doctor Stefan Ford
Medical Consultant

"Who is this?" Stefan asks, looking up to Daniel.

"You," Mr. Linderman says with a satisfied smile, leaning back into his chair. "We're going to help you disappear, we're going to keep you out of prison and ensure your silence in a way mutually beneficial to us." One of Linderman's brows rises, and he watches Stefan just stare at the card vacantly.

Stefan swallows, anxiously, then looks up to Linderman again. "You— you can do— " He shakes his head. "Why?"

"All in due time," Linderman says quietly. "You're going to become a consultant from Biomere Corporaion, advising us on certain medical research practices. Your genius is… well, it would be wasted elsewhere." Linderman folds his hands in his lap, watching the array of emotions flash across Stefan's face. "I'm going to assign you a handler, Paul Oaks, who will be able to answer more of your questions. Of course, you won't be leaving the building today, and… do you like it warm or cold?"

"E-Excuse me?" Stefan stammers.

"We're going to get you out of the country for a little while," Daniel says as he picks up the receiver of his desk phone, holding it between his shoulder and chin as he dials an internal number. Stefan's blank stare implies that isn't a question he's capable of answering right now. "Well, let's just say temperate then, shall we? Germany is wonderful this time of year."

Then, to the voice on the other end of the line, Daniel makes a simple request. "Celine, would you please send Mr. Zarek up?"

"I have someone he needs to meet."


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