Participants:
Scene Title | Fear of Failure |
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Synopsis | Kaylee meets with Cardinal who has a rather disturbing dream for her collection and some advice for his little sister. |
Date | April 04, 2011 |
Ambient lighting blankets the establishment in a soft luminescence, glowing in tones of appealing orange from the front face of the bar and low hanging light fixtures overhead. Old style brick walls given the pub an appealing depth, reflecting the tone of lights in a more amber hue down upon the lengths of the polished, wooden floors. The bar counter of lacquered dark wood stretches along the northern wall, the forefront for shelves of numerous liquors and the substantially sized LCD televisions spaced liberally behind it. The screens flicker with the latest games and news as the labeled spirit bottles wink from lighted shelves with a beckon of their own. Barstools and high tables welcome tipsy patrons to their support, scattered with throughout the barroom with a few wedge into the darker, quieter, and more secretive recesses. Over the bar are a few banners of sports teams, most notably one of English football club Manchester United.
The thick wooden door to the west is fitted with a single neon sign sponsored by one of the brews on tap, glowing in the door's center window to shed its light onto the sidewalk outside and summoning in new customers when the bar is open for business.
It's like stepping back into time.
Kaylee Thatcher hasn't been in this very bar for over a year in real time, five for the woman herself. Last time she was here she decided to run away. So it also makes her a little nervous. Blue eyes dart to the bouncers and bartenders checking to see if they are familiar, but time has dulled the memory.
A notebook is clutched to her chest, fingers curled around the edges. She spot a booth table, how many times had Adam had meetings there. It makes her stomach still twist painfully.
Somethings still haven't changed.
She slides into the booth, setting the notebook on top of it. When the waitress approaches, she's given a small smile, "Tea as in regular tea. No lemon." She settles back in the seat, listening to the hum of voices around her wary and waiting.
The waitress nods to the order with a smile, and she slips away from the booth to head back towards the bar.
It's then that the shadows across from her stir to life, bulging into three dimensions to solidify into the form of one Richard Cardinal. He brings a hand up to pull off his shades, rubbing at his eyes briefly and murmuring, "Brings back memories, doesn't it, little sister?"
"Enough to make me feel nauseous, big brother." Is the bland reply from the telepath, as she turns to look at the man across from her. Kaylee gives him a small smile. "It's good to finally see you again." Fingers lace together and rest on the table as she leans forward.
"I was glad to see you got my message and I do apologize for the delay." Thee is a small scrunching of her nose. "There were a lot of sudden dreams where I was… I have two myself." Kaylee almost looks a touch overwhelmed. She sighs and pats the notebook in front of her, "Thirteen documented dreams so far. I've seen a good majority of them."
"I don't have much in the way of good news for you," Cardinal says with a slow shake of his head, leaning forward to rest his weight on folded arms, a frown pursing his lips as he watches her face for a moment, "What have the dreams been about, for the most part? I've only heard about the one with the funeral, and Liz's about being on the run… and mine."
"Death, war… New york in ruins. Us against them." Worry creases her brows as she looks down at the notebook. Finger unfold and flip at the pages. "Robots. It's disturbing. The range of years…. it's huge. The furthest one that I can tell so far." She opens to a page and flips it around for him to look at and pushes across the table. "I'm fifty years old, negotiating with John Logan for medical supplies." Brows lift a little "One of the soonest," She flips the pages again to another page. "Liz being captured as the enemy by the Ferry… from what I can tell. She was pregnant in the dream."
Kaylee's head shakes a little waving at the book. "That's just what I have so far. I set up a board to lay out events…" She trails off and grimaces, "Starting to think I need to go to the next level." And the telepath doesn't seem all that happy about it. "There is something connecting all this… I just don't know what yet."
Cardinal's nostrils flare in a rough snort of breath. "Logan…" His gaze hoods a bit, expression disgusted, "Naturally, that cockroach would still be thriving even after everything… I should've killed him years ago."
"So you don't know the worst of it," he says quietly, his eyes closing, "I was hoping — maybe you did. It'd help to know who the enemy was."
"Our own government from what I can tell." Kaylee nods her head towards the book. "There is a dream of Robyn Quinn, Monica," she remembers the young woman, "Sable and a couple others. It's in there. Labled Nicole's rescue." Her fingers drum the table lightly, "They rescued Nicole Nichols, in a fishing village over where Jamaica Bay is currently… from rape by soldiers… or from what I can tell they were."
It still makes her stomach turn a little, thinking how Quinn blew out the man's brains. "There is another where the ghetto's are still there and me Raith and others are trying to get the people to leave. There was a teenage girl there that was pregnant by a soldier. It's scary.
"Really, really scary." Kaylee sighs out, going quiet long enough for her tea to be left at the table.
"No…" Cardinal exhales a sigh of breath, his head raising to regard her steadily, "…not just them, Kaylee. The world went to hell. Messiah made a resurgence at the very least. I suspect China, myself— zero-en-one, probably— but I can't be sure. I…"
He's silent for a moment, gaze cutting across the room and away from her. "They nuked us, I think," he says quietly, "We were in command and control in the Institute… we logged ICBM hits. Five or— six? I think."
"Messiah showing up in one of them." Kaylee nods slowly. "Aric was a part of it. In fact, I wanted to ask him about if he had that dream…" She trails off, brows tilting up. "What do you mean nuked… what…
"So you had one as well then… sounds like a doozy," her voice quiet and a touch disturbed by what he's saying… just that much alone. Kaylee studies him for a long time. "Tell me… or show me?" The tea hasn't even been touch at this point.
"It'd probably be easier," admits Cardinal, closing his eyes, "Go in. I won't resist you."
Kaylee smiles a touch, slightly amused. "I'm glad to know I'm trusted." She scoots to the edge of the seat and reached over to touch finger tips of one hand to his temple. Eyes close for a moment long enough to look the dream over, pulling to the forefront.
"Well…" is huffed out when he pulls her hand away. "That… is… Wow. This whole thing gets worse and worse the more I see." Kaylee's fingers rub at her forehead, looking a touch pale. "Here I was just wanting to make sure Hannah had her father longer then fourteen years."
"I think that any hope of doing this the… peaceful way finally got blown," says Cardinal, leaning back slowly with a sigh of breath, fingers rubbing over the side of his face, "Liz's cover got blown. They'll be coming for Redbird next. And god knows the Ferry's just digging the fucking grave for all of us. No offense."
"None taken," Kaylee says with a touch of an understanding smile, but it fades quickly. "I can't help but think there is a reason we're learning this dreams at this point in time." Her hand pats gently on the table for emphasis. "So I think it's time to go the route family seems to use and start up a map.
"Of course, maybe Ray knew about this." He did give Cardinal a box with the string and bullet in it. "Bastard," she murmurs, glad Valerie or Joseph were not around to here it uttered from her lips. "Course… I feel crazy for obsessing about these, but then I guess it's a family thing."
"A map might not be a bad idea," Cardinal admits, fingers brushing through the air in a vague motion her way, "It's easier to keep things straight with one, if you know how to make it, anyway. There's a bit of a — science to it, and it's half guesswork if you aren't Edward or Nakamura."
"Any tips for your dear sister?" Kaylee asks, tone a touch lighter for the moment. "Though, it's going to be a lot of guess work. Only way I even know when some of these events are is by marks. Children mostly." Which has her giving an odd look before she shakes her head. "A lot of these have children in it. Not all, but a lot of them."
"There weren't any in mind." There was a reference to at least one, though. Cardinal rubs a hand against his forehead, his eyes closing as he says quietly, "We need to stop this future from happening, Kaylee. What the Ferry started by all moving to that island… it's going to be a disaster. That divided us into two sides. Us and them. When it was just isolated safehouses throughout the city, that was one thing, but complete withdrawal means they can label us as the enemy."
"The island isn't as populated anymore." Kaylee states, brow arching even that he mentioned it, but… of course he knows. It's Richard after all. "We have safe houses going up in the city." The locations only know to her people and all. "It was never the only one, but…"
"I don't even know where to start to stop this… I mean… I know the clues are in these dreams. It has to be. Why else would they be there." Kaylee can't think of any other reason. "But beyond that… the Ferry isn't made for this. It wasn't built for this, even if Eileen and council started up special activities."
The worry return, eyes closing as she rests her head against her hands. "And what if I screw this all up. I am not you and I am certainly not Ray."
"It isn't, and it wasn't, and why the hell you're listening to the Vanguard completely fucking escapes me," Cardinal observes flatly, "If you ask me, you need to scatter. Completely decentralize command, and if you're going to do 'special activities' then just fucking revive Phoenix. At least they had some public support…"
A faint smile, then, "Not that anyone asked me. They never do. Don't worry about… screwing up, Kaylee. Don't worry that you're not— me, or Edward." He slides a hand over the table, fingers brushing hers as he says quietly, "Just be you."
There is a soft huff of laughter, her fingers move to grip his lightly. Maybe a thank you for hte vote of confidence. "If that isn't asking for trouble," Kaylee jokes lightly, "I don't know what is." She gives his fingers an affectionate squeeze before letting go. "A hell of a lot has changed since I met a certain computer illiterate man out on Staten, but I still can't seem to keep out of trouble. Even so many years wiser."
The notebook is pulled back towards her, the nervous cast to her features returning. "Mind if I call you if I need a sounding board with what I find?" Brows tilt upward, maybe a part of her worrying he might. "I imagine you'd like to keep in the loop anyhow, hmm?"
Cardinal squeezes her hand firmly in return, then draws back with a quiet chuckle of breath. "Not that much has changed," he allows wryly, "I'm still trying to carry out insane schemes that never seem to actually work, aren't I? And yeah, sure. You know how to get in touch with me if you need me, Kay."
"Of course." Kaylee nods an affirmative, glancing at her glass of tea, frowning a bit. Maybe regretting getting it. Her stomach doesn't like where they are. "I don't think I'll ever be able to come here and enjoy anything. Just thinking about Adam, still sets off that thing in my head." Her wiggles fingers at her own head.
"Oh!" She looks back at Richard curiously, "Do you know anyone else I should talk to beyond Elisabeth? Any within your group experiencing the dreams?" A hand waving at the book in front of her.
"I don't think so," Cardinal admits with a slight shake of his head, "Warren had the same dream as me, so that won't be all that much help for you…" He pauses, then, brow furrowing, "Wait, that's still in there? Christ. Susan was a bitch."
"Yeah… still there. More then likely for the rest of my life. And she's not so much a bitch." Kaylee's had a lot of time to think about it. "She saved my life." It's pointed out with a smile. "I could be dead in a ditch, in jail… or any number of things, if she hadn't done that to me."
Fingers pluck at the pages of the book. "So it's more of a small price to pay for salvation, I guess." Not that her life living in rundown safe house with Joseph, would be considered great my many. Kaylee looks happy at least.
"I'll let you know what else I find." Kaylee promises, moving to pick up the notebook. "But… I shouldn't keep you."
"There were better ways that she could've done it," Cardinal admits— and then he teases lightly, "Or you could've listened to me. That would've been easier…"
He shakes his head, then, leaning back in the booth, "Alright. It was good seeing you again… give Val my best, okay?"
Kaylee slides out of the booth, but she grins back at him, "You were not my brother back then… and dad hadn't told me I had to listen to you, yet," she teases right back.
"I'll let her know," she adds more softly, studying him from where she stands. There is a moment where it looks like she's going to go, but she hesitates. "I'm sorry about the test," clearly it still bothers her. "I shouldn't have put that much faith in Ray, but I did… of course, how could we have known it was much more complicated then that." Kaylee sighs softly and adds, "Blood isn't there, but you will always be family." This gives him a mischievous smile. "Not getting out of it this time. If the future is right and Joseph and I do ever get married. Guess who gets to walk me down the isle." There is a good natured wink and she twists on the balls of her feet.
"Take care, big brother."
"Probably a good choice," Cardinal replies with a smirk, "Half the wedding party would try and kill your father if he showed up for it."
A hand lifts, tired, "Take care, little sister."