Participants:
| Scene Title | Stop Worrying? |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | She is kidding, right? |
| Date | Dec 28, 2009 |
Deck of the USS George Washington
"That was interesting," Cat murmurs after Sarisa has departed, eyes fixed on her wake. "She either gets it, is drinking Linderman's Kool-Ade, or gets it and doesn't care." A few moments of silently contemplating those possibilities follow before she turns toward the blonde detective. "Nothing like surprising revelations to get the blood pumping, da?" Her back leans against one of the hangar walls, an expression of some mild amusement forming for a second of three.
Standing quietly with the group, Elisabeth refused to say anything else while Sarisa, Cat, and Felix argued. In truth, she thinks she probably should have kept her mouth shut about contact with the Argentinian team, but she can still feel the adrenalized tension winding her muscles tight over the threat to bomb the place. When the agent is gone and Felix has taken his leave to shamble back toward his cabin, Liz remains at the rail looking out over the water, trying to leach the stress back out — with only limited results. She is still shaking. Finally she says quietly, "I'm sorry. I should have bitten my tongue, but I couldn't let her launch fighters, Cat." She shakes her head a bit. "I like her. I don't want to like her, but I do."
The words are spoken quietly, at a volume only she and Elisabeth can hear. "I would, ideally, have preferred to hail T.Monk and contact Peter, get him to contact her and share what he's up to, but we couldn't have known she wasn't in the loop. I'd thought she was briefed and simply keeping it quiet. It's interesting to learn of the communications hole there. And I didn't think it would come to aircraft actually being launched on that site," Cat proffers sincerely. "Because I knew at some point Grigori would need to be passed along, or contact made, and forestall that action. Delay it until after people are pulled out."
One hand is placed gently on a shoulder in aim of easing the shakes, as she muses further about the Agent. "It's difficult to tell her true standing and agenda. She heads Frontline One and has this connection, so it's possible Nathan thinks she's a true believer. I do believe what she says, though, about the administration folks not being so happy about us. We know their secrets, their crimes, and for that I can perfectly imagine how they'd like to bury us."
"I have no illusion they wouldn't, help with finding Munin or not, if they didn't know perfectly well we're not in any position to make things public. That's what makes my blood boil."
Elisabeth glances at Cat. "It's not a communications hole if Petrelli went through T.Monk and got with you personally. Like us, he probably doesn't trust the rest of the damn people out here as far as he can spit them. And frankly…. she'd do what she thinks needs to be done to contain the Vanguard. Even if it means killing some of her own." There's a darkness to her tone — because the stakes are so high here, we cannot afford to take chances. She looks gratefully at her friend and puts a hand over the one on her shoulder. "Christ, withdrawal sucks. No wonder junkies keep taking more shit to keep it a bay." She shakes her head and sighs, looking back out over the water. "The administration people are not happy with our very existance, Cat. In this case, they're not happy that they need us and that they have to offer to wipe the slate clean for some of us in return for our help." She considers and says quietly, "It really shouldn't bother me that they're lumping me in with Holden. I think what bugs me about it all is that…. for some reason I'm singled out to be the only one they're lumping in. I expected all of us eventually to go to jail, Cat. Whatever case they have against me, they've got to have against you. So what gives?"
"I think the issue is simply the same one it always is with these folks. They're Federal, and their knee-jerk reaction is to use the sledghammer when other tools would work," Cat opines. "They feel a need to demonstrate power. What they don't seem to consider, and what I'm not much telling them, is we didn't need coercion. I was already on it, as was Mr. Redbird, and some others. Even if we hadn't been, we aren't the type to just stand by and let the world get flooded. There's no need to offer clean slates. But," she says with a slight smile forming, "I'm not one to reject their bribes."
"As to why you and not me, well, my theory is Mother was involved somehow, which makes me sick, and quite frankly hurts like hell," she admits. "Mother contacted Bob Bishop and went back to work for the Company before she started the campaign for Mayor. It should be a good thing, really, having her go after that job and being open about her SLC, but it isn't. Can't support her candidacy, won't support it." Her face is twisting, though she's still clearly showing poise and restraint to the developing anger.
There's a grimace at that and Elisabeth says quietly, "I'm sorry. But frankly… that doesn't explain the situation. It's not just you — it's Teo, and even Richard. It's not as if he's an unknown; he's wanted for escaping police custody and he's in the system. Clearly they know exactly who has been involved in what lately because they picked up Gillian and Claire and Richard and Teo. So basically… of the group, we've got one major terrorist and one cop-turned-terrorist being held while the rest of the criminals — all of whom are in fact terrorists and they know it and can prove it — are getting off. It's just… weird. That's all." She shrugs and smiles, not releasing Cat's hand yet. "Now that we've accomplished the first half of this, I want to just…. go ahead and get a move on to pull us all together and go get the nuke. We're running so damn short on time, Cat."
"Ethan Holden is a terrorist. You and I are not," Cat rejoins, "we've never attempted and haven't the slightest interest in spreading terror. Not that the Feds care; what Nathan and Linderman would see most is the threat to their plots, that we know too much. Other Feds mostly believe what they're told without question. I was once challenged on our activities," she relates with a dry chuckle, "and my response was I'd gladly face a jury and lay it all out in the open, take my chances, if his bosses would do the same."
"The only reason I can point at with confidence for your arrest was they knew where to find you, and they felt like it, to try demonstrating power. To make it appear they have power."
Regarding the nuclear weapon, she doesn't show the slightest doubt. "We'll find the weapon, and it will be dealt with successfully." It's basic operational Cat: never letting on failure is possible, because it can so easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It's one of the things about Cat that Elisabeth appreciates, especially now: her ability to simply envision success and make it happen. She slips a field around them, though the carrier deck is loud enough to hide anything they say to one another. "I would be more than willing to put our actions in front of a jury… and I'd honestly expect to do jail time. No matter that we were in the right, we did break the law. The extenuating circumstances — like saving the world — would probably get us off, but I don't know that I'd count on that in this climate toward Evos." She shrugs a bit. There is silence for a time and she says quietly, "Keep telling me that we're going to win, Cat. Keep saying it a lot. Because right now… the anxiety levels are just about to make me crazy."
"One never knows," Cat replies, "hearing the truth, that an organization aimed at eradicating people with the SLC turned into a group following a leader who believes the world is completely broken and has to be rebooted under his leadership, might break the majority of their fear and cure most who have it of their blind hatred. They certainly won't brook the existence of a secret prison and people sent there forever without trial, because accepting it for us means accepting it in general. Eventually it'd bite them in the ass, and they know it."
"Common sense should tell the Feds the same thing. That they need to operate in the open and with transparency. Disappearing Evolved offenders does nothing for their PR, if they hold trials and lock people up by due process, they build a track record of doing so and increase public confidence. As it stands, all the public sees is things happening and never being mentioned again."
"Now, stop worrying. The bomb will be found and dismantled. No other outcome is possible."
Snorting softly, Elisabeth points out, "You say that — that common sense would prevail and they know that allowing a secret prison for Evos would allow it for all, that they understand it would bite them in the ass late — like you really believe it. You have far greater faith in the intellect of the population than I do." She looks at her friend. "You live in a bit of an ivory tower that way, Cat. Most people do not think that far ahead. They are simple people. They are scared. It's okay with them to lock terrorists away under the Patriot Act because it means that they're somehow safer. They don't see that it's slowly eroding the foundations of the Constitution because most of them only see how it impacts their own day-to-day existance." Elisabeth is a realist when it comes to this, and though she pretty much knows she'll never get through to her friend, she does try. "You are a brilliant mind in a lot of ways, and brilliant minds…. just never quite seem to get the common people's perspective. It's too far below your own ideals. And believe me, Cat, you're one of the idealists." She smiles. "You believe in the greater good, and you believe that if given the opportunity all people will make the same choices you do. Me? I'm … part optimist, maybe. I hope that you're right… but at the same time, I'd rather prepare for the worst and maybe we'll meet somewhere in the middle."
"That's what they see now," Cat responds, "because they've nothing to pierce the illusion. But if it were set out with proof just what's been going on, they'll wake up. We can tell them again and again without that proof, some will listen and most won't, this is true. But I know the Feds themselves will eventually prove our points. I have complete faith in this," she states with a grim smile forming. "Fascists always do betray their hand, and they always fall. The only question is how messy the process is."
"Our debate, of course, is still relevant because we're going to find and neutralize that weapon, you see. I won't have some madmen making the point moot."
Turning around now, her anxiety mostly under control, Elisabeth reaches out to give Cat a tight hug. "I'm with you, lady. Let's go kick some ass. And if Kershner gets in the way, let's kick hers too for good measure." She releases Cat and winks. "She's showing signs of being worth having faith in, though. And I decided a while back that we have to put our trust in some people in the system — it can't be the whole system that's corrupt. So… let's watch her, see how it plays out. When you make contact with the Argentine team, I'd like to be there as well, but if I can't, it's okay. Just let me know how they're faring all right?"
"Leaps of faith are needed at times, this is true," Cat accedes. "Even for insiders, because they like most only deal with what they see. Kershner's seen more than most have, it gives her potential. At the very least, she's pragmatic. There are people far worse than us out there to be dealt with. People with the insane idea the world can be fixed in one broad, grand stroke. Can be made perfect. It's a pipe dream."
She accepts and returns the embrace, afterward turning to depart. "Got that phone call to make. I'll ask you to stand where you can hear but not be seen, hopefully Sarisa will do the same. No telling what result him seeing anyone but me will cause."
It's a call that really needs to happen as soon as possible, she has no intent of delay.