Participants:
with appearances by…
| Scene Title | New Terrorist in Town |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | PARIAH's ranks increase by one. |
| Date | November 16, 2008 |
Central Park has been, and remains, a key attraction in New York City, both for tourists and local residents. Though slightly smaller, approximately 100 acres at its southern end scarred by and still recovering from the explosion, the vast northern regions of the park remain intact.
An array of paths and tracks wind their way through stands of trees and swathes of grass, frequented by joggers, bikers, dog-walkers, and horsemen alike. Flowerbeds, tended gardens, and sheltered conservatories provide a wide array of colorful plants; the sheer size of the park, along with a designated wildlife sanctuary add a wide variety of fauna to the park's visitor list. Several ponds and lakes, as well as the massive Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, break up the expanses of green and growing things. There are roads, for those who prefer to drive through; numerous playgrounds for children dot the landscape.
Many are the people who come to the Park - painters, birdwatchers, musicians, and rock climbers. Others come for the shows; the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theater, the annual outdoor concert of the New York Philharmonic on the Great Lawn, the summer performances of the Metropolitan Opera, and many other smaller performing groups besides. They come to ice-skate on the rink, to ride on the Central Park Carousel, to view the many, many statues scattered about the park.
Some of the southern end of the park remains buried beneath rubble. Some of it still looks worn and torn, struggling to come back from the edge of destruction despite everything the crews of landscapers can do. The Wollman Rink has not been rebuilt; the Central Park Wildlife Center remains very much a work in progress, but is not wholly a loss. Someday, this portion of Central Park just might be restored fully to its prior state.
Political tensions have been running quite high recently. Between Rickham's not-uncontested moves on the large scale, attempting to ameliorate the injustices inherent in the Linderman Act and the suspicion of the populace at large, and the recent, immediate rash of murders and terroristic acts in New York proper, it sometimes seems like everyone's getting involved.
Central Park has become a hotbed of demonstrations, most of them peaceful — but when a pro-Evolved Rights camp and an anti-Evolved faction park themselves kitty-corner to one another, the 'peace' has a habit of becoming rather strained. This morning, however, the only demonstration in sight is pro-Evolved, a grassy knoll now bristling with college students and large signs. Most passers-by watch from a safe distance, where they can't be accosted by the activists questing for persuadable marks. But every now and again, one sneaks up from behind, and the onlooker finds themselves embroiled in political conversation.
Three people, seated on a bench a short distance away from the knoll in question, under the shade of a spruce tree, seem at first glance to be no more than onlookers themselves. Properly, Karl and Melinda are seated on the bench, dressed in far more casual clothes than trenchcoats — though Melinda's garb remains true to her preferred palette: pure black. Karl's face, however, is readily identifiable upon close inspection, now that it's been broadcast and re-broadcast on virtually every news network in existence. Once you get past the utterly different clothes, anyway. Erim leans against the trunk of the tree behind them, cheap and disposable cellphone held idly in one hand. Perhaps he's waiting for a message.
Among those at the Pro-Evolved demonstration is Isabelle, who is dressed in a dark red tank top and a pair of black jeans. Her feet are clad in black boots as she watches from the back of the crowd. Her hair is down and falls past her shoulders and she has a hand on her hip as she runs a hand through her hair and looks away from the protest to survey the area. And what do you know, the three from the cathedral are here. Lucky Izzy, the woman begins to walk slowly in their direction. She tilts her head and a slow smile crosses her lips as she nears the trio.
It occasionally behooves them to make appearances at rallies. For one thing, that's where the recruits most often are. Melinda reacts first to Isabelle's approach, hopping up from the bench and taking a half-step forward. A glance from Karl as she moves, however, keeps whatever challenge Mel was about to state safely behind her lips, and the blonde gives him a disgruntled look in return.
Rising smoothly, Karl bestows upon Isabelle a polite and amiable smile. "Good morning," he greets, holding out his hand. "I'm Karl."
"Isabelle," she replies back to the man and takes the hand to shake it firmly, a smile crosses her lips and she looks Karl up and down. Quiet the looker indeed, but that is not what Isabelle is introducing herself for. "I remember you three, from the cathedral. I like your ideas." Izzy proceeds to look at Melinda and Erim before returning her gaze back to Karl.
One eyebrow arches at Isabelle's scrutiny, but it's her statement that causes Karl's smile to broaden just a hair. "We like people who're willing to remind the world that we can't be just brushed aside like so much garbage." He gestures to the bench behind him, inviting the woman to take a seat. "Why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?"
Melinda, now permanently displaced from the bench, moves over a little and flops down to sit on the grass, keeping one watchful eye on Isabelle and the other on anyone else who gets too close for her prickly comfort.
Isabelle smiles as she takes a seat on the bench and she looks at the crowd of Pro-Evolved supporters as she speaks, "Talking does nothing for us, the government doesn't care about our rights and unless we make them. Then people like us, children like us, will live in fear of who they are." Izzy turns her head to look at Karl.
"I work at the nightclub Rapture, and if you heard some of the things that the people say there about the Evolved, it just makes me want to—" The anger that has filled Isabelle expresses itself through her hand igniting in fire. Isabelle looks down to her hand and then quickly shuts the fire off before anyone could see that. "Hurt them. We are humans as well; the only thing that makes us different is the fact that we can move things with our minds or manipulate fire…" Isabelle says as she looks at Karl.
Isabelle, works at Rapture, pyrokinetic. Probably in her mid-20's. The details are carefully filed away, and Karl just as carefully doesn't look over his shoulder. There's no need for it; Erim knows what to do. "Very, very true, and equally unfortunate," PARIAH's leader agrees. "That's exactly what we want to remedy. Are you willing to commit yourself entirely to the cause?" Karl continues, expression as serious as his tone. "Once you're party to our secrets, Isabelle, you can't just walk away from us." Of course, which secrets she gets access to will be carefully controlled until the background-checking is complete…
"I'm more than ready; I can't sit back and watch this happen anymore." Izzy's eyes are alight as she returns Karl's gaze. Her facial expression as serious as Karl, "Just tell me what I need to do and it's done," her tone firm as she rubs her hands on her knees.
Karl nods to Isabelle, then shifts his gaze beyond her, to the knot of protestors. To the ones who linger on the outskirts, snaring the unwary into actual discussions. To one young woman in particular, who, upon catching Karl's glance, trots over towards the palaver at the bench.
"Go with Jocelyn; she will take you in and tell you what you need to know." Erim steps up behind the bench to hand Karl a piece of paper and a pencil; PARIAH's leader writes a hasty note and passes it to the newly arrived Jocelyn. "Jo, this is Isabelle. She needs to meet West, I think; and get her briefed ASAP. His op should have the perfect niche for her." Looking back to the new recruit, Karl smiles again, the expression pleased. "Welcome to PARIAH, Isabelle."
Isabelle blinks, that fast? Wow, awesome. The young woman stands and nods at Jocelyn her face has a grin on it as she turns back to look at Karl, "Thank you Karl, I'll see you around," she says with a wink and then proceeds to follow Jocelyn wherever the woman is going. Mission Accomplished! "Look out New York, there's a new terrorist in town!" Izzy says softly to herself.
 November 16th: The Watchmaker's Argument |
Previously in this storyline… Next in this storyline… |
 November 16th: On the Clock |