Participants:
| Scene Title | Get Out |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Melissa brings Quinn in to talk about Tartarus operations, and both discover that they've been up to more than they realised. |
| Date | November 5, 2010 |
It's early in the day, too early for Tartarus to be open, but that doesn't stop certain employees from being there, taking care of things or getting ready for the opening. Melissa is one of those, and she's asked Quinn to join her in the office, where Mel is busy working on her computer. It's not all Tartarus work, but no one has to know that.
Luckily for Quinn, she had been hoping to talk to Melissa anyway, about a few things. Sliding into her boss’ office, a smile is worn on her face as she pauses to straighten her skirt. “What’s up, Melissa? I hope you don’t need me t’ help carry something, I’m pretty much useless at that.”
Melissa glances up, glances over, and she smiles. "Nah. If I needed manual labor type help I'd call one of the big strong guys. It's work related though. Mostly. I'm closing Tartarus down for the eighth, and probably the ninth too. However long it's necessary. I wanted to give you the head's up, personally. Leaving the city, if you can, would be smart. Just for a few days. Maybe a week. I hope."
There’s a bit of relief on Quinn’s face, the Irishwoman giving a shallow nod. “Yeah. My girlfriend an’ I have plans t’ leave as early as we can.” If they’re able to move after being in the 1800s, but they’ll see how that goes. “I… probably won’t be around the rest of the week anyway, Melissa. I had been kinda hopin’ t’ tell you about that anyway, so I’, glad you called me up.”
"You won't? Why not?" Melissa asks curiously, closing the laptop and leaning back, grabbing her water and gulping down a few swallows. "But it's good that you're leaving. I don't want any of my friends hurt on the eighth."
“Uh, helpin’ out a friend. Mostly. Some getting ready for, you know… leaving.” Never the whole truth, but she’s pretty sure Melissa wouldn’t believe her anyway. “Are you gettin’ out too?” Quinn inquires with a quirked eyebrow, taking a seat afterwards.
Melissa sighs and shakes her head, running a hand through her hair. "No, I'm not. I can't. With my ability, I'll be needed here, one way or another. I gotta find out where Kendall's staying though, so I can get his ass out of town."
“An’ with my ability, I could probably help a bunch a’ of people,” Quinn remarks quietly. “I like t’ help more than most people, Melissa, but this… we’re outmatched on this. You should get out with Kendall. I think he’s at Gun Hill now, staying at Kaylee’s place? I meant t’ give him mine, but things got kinda busy.” She shrugs a bit, sighing. “I was surprised t’ see him around there. Granted, I’m still surprised t’ see him at all.” She looks back upa t Melissa with a quirked eyebrow, as if silently asking what’s the story there, anyway?
Eyes narrow a bit. "Who else is staying at Kaylee's place? Girl. Kendall's age," Melissa asks, with a decidedly mom-like look on her face. "And Kendall…Mmm. It's complicated. Had a guy show up at the house. Old guy. Offered to send me back in time to save Kendall if I did him a favor. I go back to do the favor, and run into someone I knew, and another time traveler. They convinced me to ditch the favor and just…go straight to preventing Kendall's death. But keep that quiet, okay? I trust you, but…So many out there I don't and can't trust."
Quinn just sort of stares dumbfounded at Melissa for several moments, before she suddenly leans forward, hands practically slamming down on the counter. ”Really?!” She sounds both surprised and intrigued in tone, blinking a few times before she continues. “I- was one of them Hiro Nakamura? An’ the other some Samuel guy?” Granted, the latter name she only knows because of the other night. “Holy shit, Melissa.”
There's a bit of blinking at Quinn's reaction, then Melissa nods. "Yeah…Samuel sent the old guy. Hiro's the one who actually helped me save Kendall. And how do you know? What the hell is going on? You didn't go back in time and save me from some bitch with a pickup too did you?"
“N-No. I- Hiro sent Magnes an’ I back t’ help someone out. There was a pickup involved, though.” Quinn can’t help but grin at that, finally leaning back a bit. “Don’t ask about how it went, it was a nightmare. I could’ve gone my whole life without knowing what it’s like t’ get pistol whipped. All because someone didn’t let me do my job.” She wrinkles her nose and shakes her head, before regarding Melissa with curiosity. “Where were you last night, then?”
Quinn frowns, eyeing Melissa carefully. “Lots of people have been back. Ygraine, Elaine, Colette… Jaiden an’ Delia were there last night too. Richard Cardinal…” She trails off, sighing. “There… was a meeting. Hiro got a bunch of us together. Apparently there’s been some bullshit time war goin’ on or somethin’ between Hiro and this Samuel guy, an’ now Kaylee’s stuck in the 1800s an’ Hiro wants t’ put an end to it or something. I dunno, I got there late.”
Melissa holds up a hand. "Wait, wait. Forget most of that right now, and go back to a time war? What sort of time war? Because if you tell me this is some sort of Doctor Who bullshit, I may kick you out of here." Beat. "Unless you've got a sonic screwdriver for me anyway."
“You watch Doctor Who?” Quinn replies with a wide smile. “Oh my god, did you watch this past series? Isn’t Karen Gillan just the cutest woman ev-“ And she stops, clearing her throat as she remembers that they are, in fact, not talking about of her favourite shows from back home. “I- like I said, Iw as alte last night. But it seems like this Samuel guy keeps tryin t’ fuck things up, an’ Hiro’s havin’ us fix them. He was talking about… people Samuel has working with. Honest t’ God villains apparently.”
Quinn's initial comments just have Melissa arching a brow and waiting for Quinn to get to the point. "What do you mean fuck things up? Wait. B—-someone said that he went back to save me from a woman right after I got out of Moab. I don't remember the woman or the truck or the wreck, but he swears it happened. That sort of thing?"
“Yeah. Sounds about right.” Quinn nods slowly, crossing her arms as she looks at Melissa. “As far as I can tell, he was sending people back to help people like that. An’… Kaylee was making sure people didn’t remember so it didn’t mess things up more. Apparently somethin’ happened t’ her while she was cleaning up the mess Magnes caused in Egypt an’… I dunnno. We gotta find her an’ help her.”
"Oh yes, yes we do. If only so I can yell at her for leaving a couple of teenagers alone," Melissa says, voice chilly. "Kendall does not need to be living alone with this tramp, whoever she is. And Kaylee did not need to be fucking with people's minds. That's what we're…That's what Rupert did. To me. To others."
Quinn can’t help roll her eyes at Melissa. “Oh, come now. Tt can’t be that bad. Kendall was awkward on a date with a lesbian, you think he’d do anythin’ with a real, straight teenage girl?” Laughing, Quinn sits up a bit more. “Rupert? Carmichael, the guy from the news? You knew him?” Quinn sounds surprised, leaning forward a bit, before she tilts her head. “Well, I mean… you watch Doctor Who, an’ I know you’ve seen other sci-fi stuff, right? You know how bad it would be t’ just… leave people with memories of things. How much it could fuck with. I don’t hold that against Kaylee. I just hope no one ahd t’ save my ass is all.”
"He seemed pretty gone over her. I'd rather not take chances, and I can't move back to my place for another four months," Melissa says, shrugging. "And yes, I know Rupert. He fucked with my mind. Nearly killed me. And maybe it is for the best, but I don't want anyone messing with my head. No one has that right. Rupert did it. Matt Parkman did it. And now it sounds like Kaylee did it." She shakes her head. "I don't like it."
“You’ll have t’ take it up with them, then, but from teh way Hiro talks I bet he’ll jsut give you the whole ‘it had t’ be done’ spiel.” Quinn shrugs a bit – to her, this form of “mindfucking” seems largely justified. But then, she watches far too much sci-fi. “Jesus Christ, Melissa. I- wait, an’ you know Matt Parkman?” Quinn looks a little confused, slinking down a bit in her seat. “Someone’s popular with all the wrong people.”
"I was in DHS custody beginning of October thanks to my uncle, who is also DHS. Matt played in my mind. So yeah, I know him," Melissa says, tone flat. "You're right though, I do know all the wrong people. It can come in handy sometimes, but not all the time."
“I… do I want t’ know?” Quinn asks with an uneasy look. And then Quinn raises her hands up in front of her, as if to say wait, no, don’t tell me. “At any rate, if you want to yell at Kaylee, you’ll have t’ wait t’ talk t’ her. Or talk t’ Hiro, both times I’ve seen him it was at the same place.”
"Probably safer if you don't know," Melissa says with a faint, apologetic smile. "Half the time I don't wanna know. But yeah, I'll talk to him, if I find him. Anyway. Mostly just wanted to tell you that we'll be closed, for employee safety."
“He’ll probably find you. He does that. He likes t’ leave cranes in people’s houses while they’re sleeping.” A pause. “P-paper cranes. Not like… real cranes. That’d be scary as hell.” Quinn shrugs a bit, before nodding. “Right. I’m… glad. I had kinda worried. I kinda wish we had more resources. This place is big enough t’ be a makeshift shelter…”
That has Melissa considering and she nods slowly. "Put out the word. Anyone who needs shelter. Anyone who can give medical attention, this place will be a shelter. Makeshift hospital, we've got food and drink. Get as many blankets and pillows and shit as you can, bring 'em by before you leave town. I'll do the same."
Quinn blinks, not expecting her off the cuff comment to be taken seriously, her head tilting as she looks at Melissa.”Oh! Um, I’ll do what I can. Like… I said, this business with Hiro, I ahve t’ get ready for it. But I’ll try an’ bring by what I can if there’s time afterwards, okay?” A pause, and Quinn looks thoughtful. “Do you want me t’ tell anyone in, um…” She leans foward across the desk, whispering “Ferry” before she leans back. “Another shelter t’ bring people might interest them. Or would rather they be left out of it?”
"You can speak freely in here, Quinn. And yes, let them all know. I know they have plenty of safehouses, but not sure if there are any with the kind of space. Let anyone you care about know. The Ferry, unaffiliated friends. The whole lot of 'em," Melissa says, nodding.
“I’ll get right on that then. Hopefully word can get out fast enough…” Quinn nods, smiling at Melissa. “I’m glad you took t’ that so well, for somethin’ that just came t’ me. Should give the place a good rep too.” Fingers drum on Melissa’s desk, Quinn still grinning. “Anythin’ else you need?”
Melissa laughs. "Took it so well? Honey, I came to New York to operate a safehouse. My house house turned into something akin to one. Turning this place into a shelter is hardly that farfetched for me. But nah, that's all. Let me know if there's anything you or your friends need though. I meant it, about hanging around, to see what I could do to help."
“Huh, okay…” Quinn says with a slow nod and that everlasting grin. “I’ll pass on the word through the Ferry, then, an’ anyone else I think should know. Which is probably everyone I know. Just… I can’t promise I’ll be here. With any luck I’ll be up in Boston introducing my married girlfriend t’ mum,” Quinn replies with a bit of nervous laughter. “I’m not sure which is worse.” There’s a teasing tone to her voice, like… is she serious? Hard to tell.
"Hey, if you can't make it, no worries. I did tell you to get out of town. Now shoo, go pack. Make plans to get away safely," Melissa says, smiling and making shooing motions.
