Participants:
| Scene Title | The Good, The Bad, and The Weird |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Joe comes to Fort Jay to talk about monsters. |
| Date | August 23, 2018 |
Joe reached out to Bowie about some information he'd like to pass on. He'd also let the Seesaw agent know that he's got a video for him to watch too on a DVD. Normally Joe does not do the dressed up thing. At all. But well he's coming out to Governor's Isle to visit Fort Jay and Bowie at his office so… he's at least somewhat dressed up. Black slacks and a black button up, with a white tie and slightly scuffed black dress shoes. No jacket to go with it though. He’s even got a sticker on that he found somewhere, one of those visitor stickers that says Hello My Name Is. Underneath is written Joe. The sticker is most definitely something he brought with him from home.
He's following someone around as they show him to Bowie's office, rattling on as is his way. Talking about everything from the cost of food to the ferry ride over and the weather the day before. Poor person leading him to Bowie's office. When led to Bowie's office he'll wave happily at whoever brought him and then wait outside the agent's office, unsure if he's supposed to knock, or if there are windows that Bowie can see him through, so for the moment Joe just kind of stands in the hall and fidgets while waiting, feet wiggling to see what kind of sounds the floor makes under his feet. The only thing he's carrying in his hands is a clear plastic case with a DVD inside.
Joe doesn't have to wait long. Bowie opens the door shortly after his visitor is left alone. Probably his guide alerted him, or else he has supernatural timing.
"Joe," he greets with a smile as he gestures him into a large room with several desks and agents scattered around. "Come on in." He's dressed professionally himself, with a vest and tie and the whole nine. There's probably a jacket somewhere, but who needs it in the heat. Bowie's desk stands out from the others, mostly because the wall behind it is covered in pictures and notes from the case of the disappearing/reappearing rats. Joe can find reference to himself in the scribbles on the wall, as well as Lance. The rest of the Scooby gang seems to have been left off for the moment.
There's also an extra chair pulled up alongside the desk, which Bowie points to once they reach it. It's very similar to every other chair here. It has wheels. It spins. Bowie sits in his own and manages not to indulge in either.
"You said you had something for me?"
The door to the office opens again as Agent Bluthner shoulders his way inside, a cell phone tucked under his chin and a coffee in each hand. “I'm aware, which is why I told you it has to wait. I'll call the German consulate and find out, but for the time being you have to be patient.” Rhys slips into the office with an apologetic smile, circling behind Bowie and placing a coffee adjacent to him, then continuing to circle the table to an empty seat.
“No, I'm in a conference room with Agent Lin and Mister Winters.” Rhys over-emphasizes, then flashes a smile. “Yes the non-plurality. So, I'll call you back?” Rhys sets his coffee down and plucks the phone from where t was clutched at his shoulder. “Of course, buh-bye.”
As he ends the call, Rhys flashes another smile to Joe and Bowie. “Moms, am I right?” He then proceeds to laugh awkwardly and hide his expression behind the ceramic coffee mug that reads World’s Best Mom which he stole from Agent Cooper’s desk.
“I'm sorry,” Rhys adds, “what was what now?”
Joe flashes a quick smile at Bowie as he opens the door to let him into the office. "Nice place. Your secretary person wasn't too friendly though. Didn't talk to me at all. That's okay I mean I talk enough for like four people but still. Unless that wasn't a secretary. Could have been a seesaw agent. Then well sorry for chattering his ear off. I mean not really but it's polite to be so… yeah." Joe being Joe does take a peek at the wall, eyes scanning over what is there. He's not being super intrusive, but he's definitely being inquisitive. He huhs softly, turning as Bowie asks his question, and then Rhys enters. And that is all sorts of distracting.
“Where's my coffee? I mean not that I drink coffee but Winters?" Joe peers at Rhys for a moment or three. "Do you know Brian? Or oh, you just know of Brian. But the person on the other end knows who Brian is too. Curiouser and curiouser." Joe looks back to Bowie and tips his head a little bit, putting the clear plastic case on the desk. Then he pulls some folded notebook papers out of his pocket as well and puts them with it.
"That's a digital recording of a video tape we found from another dimension? Alternate timeline? Not sure. The pages are a transcript of the stuff that went on that doesn't show this time. The first time we watched the tape we had some crazy events happening. There's a voice that speaks from the void in that video. It talks to the people, and then it talked to us in the room. To Lance and Brynn and me. It talked to us by name. Right after talking to the people in the video. Thing is? That video is from like right before the war. So some kind of temporal event. But the electricity went nuts where we were. And the video continued playing after we ripped the power plugs out of the wall.”
“None of that shows on the digital versions, nor on the tape after rewatching it. But I transcribed everything onto those pages of notebook paper for you. But basically this big demon that's between dimensions wants into our world, or this other world. Either one will do. It has yellow eyes. Like big yellow eyes. Everyone else wants to keep this from people but secrets are what led to the last war and I don't want another one so… there yah go." Joe’s shoulders lift up into a slow shrug and then drop back down, a simple smile on his lips, though it’s a bit hesitant as he looks between them both. “You should watch the video. And read the transcript.”
Bowie lifts an eyebrow as Rhys enters. On the phone. But it seems to be out of amusement, as there's a soft chuckle when the coffee appears. His thanks comes with a lift of the cup in Rhys' direction, rather than speaking and forcing him to have two conversations at once. So Joe gets a look that's only half-apology. The other half has a what can you do quality to it.
The mention of it being his mother gets a sympathetic noise from Bowie. "Tell me about it. Mine has been talking about grandchildren." Moms.
But, of course, Joe gets Bowie's attention once Rhys is here and ready to hear what their visitor has to say.
Perhaps shockingly, Bowie listens to Joe's story without so much as an incredulous blink. Instead, he takes it all in just like he would any other information. If there's an opposite of a skeptic, that's what Agent Lin is. He picks up the folder, checking out the contents.
"How do you know it's from another dimension?" he asks eventually. He slides the case over, to take out the disc and pop it into his computer. Apparently he's going to watch it right now.
The look from Rhys to Bowie is inscrutable. One moment he's joking about his mother, the next he's firing the agent a silent stare. A beat later Rhys cracks a smile and awkwardly laughs. “Did it have a goatee?” He asks with a lopsided smile, then waves one hand in the air. “That's a Star Trek— ” he looks down at his lap and folds his hands. “You know what nevermind.”
Swallowing awkwardly, Rhys leans back in his chair and cradles his hands around his coffee, mouthing a wordless sorry to Joe. He then turns a raised brow to the screen with one last, brief, look leveled at Bowie.
"Because there's people in it that were already dead by the time this was filmed. Or well believed to be dead. All accounts say that Magnes and Elizabeth were sucked into a black hole of his making. So either they're dead or what I think is that the Magnes and Elizabeth in this video are ours. Cuz Magnes mentions… well… some of the Lighthouse kids, that didn't make it. Says he's…" Joe chokes up a little bit, swallowing hard. "Well you'll see. Or hear anyway." Joe offers Bowie a faint smile, then turns his attention to Rhys at the mouthed sorry. "What for?" he asks, his features scrunching up in slight confusion. Then his head shakes and he looks back over at Bowie with a small smile.
"The camera itself got destroyed in an overzealous attempt to make the crazy stop. But… yeah. I'll let you watch the video now." He sits there as the video plays, wincing when Magnes mentions not letting Mala and Denisa die again. Every time he hears that or replays the memory of the video in his head it causes his face to scrunch up as he fights back a wave of emotion. He breathes a bit deeply for a few moments, then relaxes, listening to the video, ready to answer any questions Bowie or Rhys might have. While he waits he fidgets, hands tapping out a rythm on his legs while he waits for the two agents to watch the video.
That comment does get a look from Bowie. Not because he doesn't get it, but because maybe this isn't the time. His attention turns back to Joe, nodding to his answer. He jots down a few notes, in a language that is definitely not English. One of his quirks as an investigator. There's a glance to Rhys and Bowie taps his fingers against the desk a few times. Whatever is on his mind, he doesn't speak it outloud. Instead, he watches the copy, his head tilted. He casts a few glances over Joe's way, here and there, but for the most part, his attention stays put. He takes notes. He taps his pen against his paper.
And when it's over, he picks up the folder to give the transcripts a look over.
"So, when you watched the original, there was something triggered that isn't there anymore." He lowers the papers and looks over at Rhys again. "Have you ever heard of anything like that? Something that could be… set up for later?" The notion of alternate dimensions and demons lingering between worlds is set to the side for the time being. Not forever, but one issue at a time.
“Psychometric impressions,” Rhys rattles off a vaguely authentic-sounding term. “It's a lot like a VHS cassette, actually. Specialized telepaths can imprint information into objects, or even people, that can be retrieved by ‘reading' the psychometric imprint. To some extent we’re doing that to this room right now, and folks like our own Agent Baumann can feel those faint impressions and see the past through them, in as much as living minds experienced anyway.”
But to the rest of Joe’s topic of discussion, Rhys seems more incredulous. Though he turns to the screen the tape was on with a furrowed brow. “I recognize some of the people, obviously, and while the date stamp on the tape is nice, the recording device might have been set up faulty. Though,” he wrinkles his nose, “that's a lot of work for a fraud.”
Reclining in his chair, hands folded in his lap, Rhys looks at his coffee and then over to Bowie. “We could probably get some more information from the original cassette tape, regardless of its condition.” He looks to Joe. “Do you still have it? The pieces? Agent Baumann is riding a desk right now but… she could probably pick up information about everything.”
"Well, whatever it was spoke to them. When they opened the portal. It spoke to them. It demanded that Mister Ruiz let it out. Now the Mister Ruiz that I know? Can barely open a portal from one side of the room to the other to throw a piece of pizza through. So I know that isn't our Mister Ruiz. Plus he was in Mexico when this video was made. But when they opened the void it spoke to them. Wanted them to let it out.”
Joe’s head bobs to either side a moment before he continues. “Then it started speaking to us. It called Lance by name. And as you saw, there was no version of Lance there. The room went nuts. Lights flickering, electricity shorting. The voice was in all of our heads. Booming. Loud like it was shouting. The video played even after being unplugged. So some kind of temporal event. The transcript is all there, and if…" Joe breathes in for a moment, holding it, then breathes out. "If you want or need and have a telepath on staff I can let them see my memory of that. Of what isn't on that video and is in the transcript."
Rhys’s question has him hesitating a few moments. “I’m… not sure if I can’t get the original tape. I’m not sure who’s hands it’s in now or if it’s even in one piece. I might be able to salvage some pieces of the camera though? If they haven’t been thrown out or scrapped. But as for the tape yeah… I’m not sure? But… I mean it that I’m willing to let a telepath view that memory. If you guys have one on staff. Or can get one you trust. And also as to the fraud bit? I dunno. This was found deep in the sewers. Like deep deep in the sewers. Seems a stupid place to plant a fraudulent tape if you ask me. No guarantee it’d ever be found.”
Joe pauses for a quick beat then continues on. “Oh, speaking of sewers I… may know where a potential fugitive is. I wanted him to be left alone, but then I found out he might be a very very bad man. And a very very dangerous man. He helped my family though when they got flushed out of the sewers while looking for the rats. So I didn’t want him to get in trouble. But Mister Shades said if he’s the guy he thinks he is he’s a super super bad guy. But I’ve known people that were supposedly really bad guys. Like Gabriel. He wasn’t bad. He was sad. He sat in our living room and played sad songs on the guitar.” Joe never stops talking, except there at the end, clearly indecisionary about telling them something despite having started the conversation to do so.
“That makes sense, someone that can push an experience onto an object, even if it isn’t one that actually happened.” Bowie tilts his head, pensive look crossing his face. “Parts of the camera would work, assuming the camera is the same camera that did the filming. And that it was around for your super fun light and horror show. Might even be safer for Cassandra, if the impression was left specifically on the tape and the camera just happened to witness these events,” he says, putting a hand on the papers Joe has brought them.
He turns back to Joe, though, concern crossing his features. He reaches a hand over to give the young man a reassuring pat on the arm. “We’re not going to put a telepath in your head, Joe. You’re not on trial here. You’ve told us what you saw, we won’t make you go through it again. Baumann looking at the object isn’t to prove your story, it’s so we can start to investigate this demon of yours, okay? She might be able to see the hand behind the experience.” If it has a hand. Metaphorical hand, perhaps. When he leans back in his chair, Bowie looks over at Rhys, gesturing to the screen, “At least it’s not a sewer, right?”
Silver lining.
But talk of a fugitive gets his attention back on Joe and he lifts his eyebrows in a small show of surprise. “It wouldn’t be you getting him in trouble, Joe. If he’s done something to warrant being a fugitive, then you’re keeping him and anyone he might hurt safe by helping us find him.”
Rhys has gone conspicuously silent. He sets his coffee aside and draws in a slow breath, then nods and motions to Bowie. “Agent… Agent Lin can take your tip about the fugitive. Ah,” a distracted look crosses Rhys’ face and he slowly levers himself up from his chair, glancing to the unfinished coffee, then Joe, then the clock on the wall.
“See… uh, if you can get that camcorder? Just have it dropped by here and we can flag it for evidence and I'll make sure Agent Baumann gets a look at it.” Rhys looks to Bowie, then the door. “I've got a meeting with Director Kenner in five minutes so— I've got to skip out of here.” At the same time, Rhys is fishing for his phone in his jacket pocket.
“I appreciate you coming to us, Joe. I'm not sure what to make of all of this but,” Rhys is mid-text message as he heads to the door. “But I'm sure someone above our paygrade does.”
Inside his pocket, Agent Lin’s phone lights up with a text:
Bluthner: I can see Joe’s recent interpersonal connections. It's Gray. Samson Gray. I recognize the way it feels. We need that address.
“Oh. I’ve met Cassandra. She’s pretty cool. I mean a bit high strung. But she’s young and probably trying to prove herself so I get it. But she’s cool. Yeah I’ll see if I can’t get a hold of some camera pieces of the original tape itself.” Joe breathes in, then lets it out in a low sigh. “No I know I’m not on trial. I just don’t trust the government. You guys are okay. But I don’t trust the government. So the idea of a government telepath rooting around in my head is uncomfortable. But I’d be willing to do it to verify my story so you have more than just me saying it happened to go off of.”
“And sure the light show and the thing speaking to us from somewhere in between worlds was freaky but I don’t have a problem going through it again. Just nervous at the idea of a telepath I don’t know rooting around in there. But I let a telepath friend see the event. One that I trust. So I could bring it like to the front pretty easily for another telepath to find. I guess? I’m not entirely sure how it works. I was told to picture the memory and bam there we were. Was kinda cool watching it from the outside looking in. Powers are Primal.”
“Ummm I don’t know how likely she is to tell you anything. But Aunt Eve has seen the demon. In her visions. I mean she’s nuts. Like crazy off her rocker nuts. But she’s seen the demon. And other people have heard of the yellow eyes too. I can tell when people I’ve known most of my life are holding back information.”
Joe’s cheeks puff out at Bowie’s statement, followed by a slow sigh as he lets the breath out. “I’m not a kid Agent Lin. I know we look like kids. But we did a lot of growing up. Fast. You tend to do that when you deal with life and death on a daily basis for years. Wondering why one of the adults that used to come around doesn’t anymore. Hopping out of a truck to go confront the soldiers with guns that want to capture and kill your friends. When you’re… oh I think I was 11 at the time? Of course that’s when Hailey asked a moose for help and it charged the soldiers which was totally Primal. I know I’m only 18… but I’m not a kid. I don’t trust the government. And for damned good reason. Which I’m pretty sure you know. I’m only alive because of people that the government labeled terrorists. So I have a pretty different view of what a fugitive is.”
Joe looks up as Rhys rises to his feet and Joe lifts a hand to wave farewell at him. “Bye Agent uhhh Rhys. I don’t think I’ve gotten your last name. Not that I need it. Take care of yourself and I’ll try to get something down here for you guys to have Cassandra work her voodoo on.” There is a pause from Joe as he sits in thought for a few seconds, then sighs heavily. “However… if what Richard Ray said is correct then… this could be Samson Grey. Gabriel’s dad. And from what I understand a really nasty piece of work. He gave his name as Samson to my friends when he rescued them. And he did rescue them. And didn’t pringle can any of their brains. Even though they’re all evolved too. They were in the sewers looking for the electric rats when they found the remains of hobos that had been eaten. Then the sewers flushed and they got washed out into the river. He saved them. Which doesn’t sound like a bad guy thing to do.”
While Joe talks, Bowie listens, he doesn't even seem to mind that he's longwinded. Maybe he's used to it by now. The only time he looks away is to glance at his phone— but even that is only briefly.
"Well. The people you grew up with, your Ferrymen, they torn down the government responsible for those things. A lot of them were part of building up this one. Some of them are in the government now. A lot of SESA is made up of vets from the rebellion. No one here wants to just lock someone away and throw out the key. Or worse. You can have justice without malice; that's what we're trying to do here." Bowie flips through pages in his notebook to find a clean page. That's where he starts to write down notes about Samson Grey. "No one is all bad, all the time. People are complicated. SESA knows that. I know that."
And SESA knows that Samson Grey was trying to get help fairly recently.
"Do you know where your friends were when they saw Mister Grey?"
Joe watches Rhys leave the office, a little wave at the departing agent before a slight frown touches Joe’s lips. “Is he okay?” He asks of Bowie. “Cuz he moved off in an awfully big hurry. Almost like something I said made him very suspicious of something. I realize you guys are government agents and can’t actually keep me in the loop but… can you try? A little? I’d like to know what happens with Samson. And with the golden eyed dimension cthulhu thing. And if I can help at all let me know. I know a lot of people. Like a lot of people. Wolfhound people and Raytech people and SESA people and lots lots more.”
There’s a hesitant smile from the young man as he sits there, but he tips his head and recounts to the best of his ability the information he’s gotten from Lance, Brynn and Squeaks on how they washed out of the sewers, how they were saved, where they went and everything. “I realize that’s not going to give you an exact location. But it should give you a rough estimate. And I know if that Samson is Gabriel’s father then he’s dangerous but… people called Gabriel a monster too. And he wasn’t. He sat in an lighthouse full of evolved children. Lots and lots of abilities he could have taken. Some of us with some very useful ones. And he never did. I never saw him look sideways at us. He just sat there and played sad songs. Not all the monsters are really monsters. And some of them want to change.” He’s very worried about what’s going to happen to Samson.
"Trust me, if you were late for the meetings around here, you'd panic a little, too," Bowie says with a crooked smile. "He's fidgety, not suspicious. I keep telling him to switch his coffee for tea, but does anyone listen?" By his expression, the answer is no, they do not. He writes down notes as Joe talks, nodding to show he's listening, glancing over when he needs confirmation. But in the end, what Joe says is written down— maybe not word for word, but as close as Bowie can manage. Maybe one day he'll just record these statements instead, but he likes this method more.
"If there's news, I'll let you and Lance and your friends know what I can. Especially if we find Samson. It might be good for him to have people willing to speak on his behalf." In court, he means. Or at least to lawyers. "We're not just going to disappear him, Joe. He has the right to defend himself and he'll get his chance to do that. If you and your friends want to help him? Check and see if you've got a good lawyer in your rolodex." He seems to think that would be a genuinely helpful move— the government may have changed, but public defenders are still people who are paid too little and worked too much.
"Come on," he says once he's put everything in his desk, "I'll get you something to drink. You like donuts? We might have some left over from this morning." With Cooper out on assignment, they sometimes last a few hours, even. As he guides Joe out of the bullpen, he pulls out his phone to send a text.
Lin: Ayers, next time you have a chance to talk to Mas, do me a favor and ask her about a yellow-eyed demon?
Lin: I'll explain later.