by Anne
Disclaimer: The characters of Adam Newman, Megabyte Damon, Kevin Wilson, Ami Jackson, Jade Weston, General William Damon, Colonel Masters, Millie Damon and Caroline Damon belong to Roger Damon Price, Thames Television and Nickelodeon. So do any other names or events linked to the Tomorrow People TV series.
Max Evans, Liz Parker, Maria DeLuca, Michael Guerin, Isabel Evans, Alex Whitman, Kyle Valenti, Sheriff Jim Valenti and Milton belong to Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and WB. All other concepts and events linked to Roswell also belong to them.
The characters of Joe Dawson and James Horton (who appear in name only) belong to Panzer/David, Rysher/Gaumont Television. So do the concepts of immortality, the Watchers and the Hunters.
The characters of Geoff Anderson, Gil Hawkins, Jim Beckett and Simon Trent belong to me and should not be used without permission.
Megabyte felt as though he was trying to climb out of a thick mental fog. As he forced his eyes open, he felt the sharp prick of a needle slide into his arm.
"Hey that hurts," he protested weakly, trying to move his arm away from the man leaning over him.
"Stop moving, or it will hurt even more." Doctor Brooke-Smythe spoke with a clipped British accent. "We need blood samples taken before we fit the device."
"It's A positive. Can you stop now?"
Megabyte tried to sit up and found that he seemed to be strapped securely onto some sort of trolley. His eyes began to focus more clearly as he looked around in a panic. The British man leaning over him seemed to be in his early fifties and was tall and thin, with grey hair and a moustache.
To the side of him the redhead could see Max, the teenager he and Jade had met at the UFO centre in Roswell. Jade, where was Jade? Megabyte looked around and couldn't see the young British girl anywhere. His gaze settled back on Max who was staring at the needle in undisguised horror.
Brooke-Smythe smiled. The guy was enjoying inflicting his own weird brand of torture judging by that sick grin. "Don't worry, young man, you're next." He nodded towards a blond man, whom Megabyte remembered seeing in the UFO centre, as he carefully finished placed the blood samples into a test tube rack.
Hawkins moved towards Max as the boy started to struggle against the restraints, and drew his weapon. "Didn't you hear what Doctor Brooke-Smythe said to your friend? Stop struggling! I don't want to have to shoot you again." Max winced as Brooke-Smythe slid the needle into his arm. This guy certainly needed some lessons on how to take blood. Someone also needed to tell him about the whole bedside manner thing.
As he watched Max's reaction to Brooke-Smythe's vampire imitation, Megabyte tried to fight the fear he could feel rising within him. Get a grip. Losing it isn't going to help anyone, least of all yourself. At least they only have you. The other Tomorrow People were still free. Maybe Jade made it to the ship. Help could be on the way even now.
The frosted glass doors to the laboratory swung open as a voice called out in an authoritative tone, "No, don't use the weapon. I want to make sure they are conscious when the device is fitted."
Megabyte looked towards the owner of the voice, his feelings of panic multiplying as he recognised the speaker all too well. Yeah, the man still looked the same as ever. He'd never been able to get that face out of his head, the guy still had the same look in his dark eyes, that look that betrayed his ruthlessness and total lack of decency. "Colonel Masters…" he started to say, and then stopped as he heard a familiar voice in his mind.
[Megabyte, are you okay? Can you teleport?] Adam's telepathic voice sounded very urgent, and extremely worried. Megabyte looked up and saw his friend being escorted through the door by one of Masters' goons.
"I thought I warned you about using telepathy," hissed Beckett, as he pushed the Australian sprawling towards his fellow Tomorrow Person.
[Adam, are you okay?] What was Adam doing here? What the hell was Masters up to?
Megabyte noticed Max look at Adam and then back again at Masters, a look of surprise briefly cross his features. Weird. It was almost as though Max had reacted because he'd overheard the telepathy. That wasn't possible. Megabyte tried to process all the information running around frantically in his brain, then decided to give up. Wait till whatever they gave you wears off. You're not functioning on warp drive yet. Get yourself past impulse first.
Masters gestured towards the two Tomorrow People. "You heard what the man said. Use speech please. At this point in time it might pay you not to rely on your so-called special powers too much. If this experiment is a success, you're not going to be able to use them for much longer anyway."
Not going to be able to use them much longer? What had Masters meant by that comment exactly? Megabyte didn't feel like sticking around to find out. This guy was seriously up to no good and he had the sneaking suspicion that he and Adam weren't going to enjoy whatever it was the creep had in mind.
Adam repeated his earlier question, [Megabyte, can you teleport?]
Megabyte shook his head, before he thought about what he was doing. [I don't think so,] he 'pathed back. [My head's too fuzzy from whatever they zapped me with. I don't think I could concentrate enough. I'm having enough trouble with telepathy at the moment.]
Adam gasped as he doubled over from the effect of the gun butt hitting him in the stomach.
"Adam!" Megabyte glared at Beckett, as he felt the waves of pain coming from his friend. "What did you do that for?"
"Now, come on Megabyte," answered Masters in a silky tone that made the young American really wish that there were exceptions to the Tomorrow People couldn't kill rule. "Don't act dumb. I know you and your Australian friend were talking telepathically after you were warned not to. While you are my guest, you need to learn to follow my rules. After all we wouldn't want to have to damage the merchandise, so to speak."
Adam pulled himself to his feet. "Is that what we are to you, merchandise?"
"I believe that is what I just said wasn’t it? You should feel privileged, having the opportunity to help your kind save mankind from the curse you have brought upon it. If this treatment works, we will be able to use it to help others as well."
Adam frowned, his brow creasing as he looked at Megabyte, and then at Max. Their options seemed to be running out really fast. From what Masters had said they had better get out of this place while they still had the powers to do so. His eyes met Megabyte's, and the redhead could sense the unspoken question running through his friend's mind almost as clearly as if Adam had used telepathy to ask it.
[Teleport, Adam. Grab Max and teleport. Worry about me later.] Megabyte decided it was time to take action, at least as much action as they could under the circumstances.
Masters snorted in disgust, and gestured to Beckett and Hawkins, who grabbed Adam, restraining him on the vacant bed between his two friends. He then marched over to Megabyte and slapped him over the face, hard.
Megabyte felt his face grow hot, and opened his mouth to retort. As Masters started speaking he closed it again quickly, his feelings of panic quickly being replaced by those of anger. Shut up before you say something you or Adam will regret later.
"I can see you have a problem with following orders, Marmaduke. Maybe we need to invite Millicent to join our little party. Maybe her presence would be enough to encourage you to do as you are told."
Masters kept a close eye on Adam as he continued. "Adam, don't even think of teleporting. You only have time to grab one of your friends and I will have no hesitation in killing or severely injuring the other one. I know neither one of them is capable of teleporting themselves at the moment. There is enough of the drug still in their bloodstream to prevent their escape."
Megabyte was finding it harder to control the growing anger within him. Get a grip. If you lose it now Masters has won. "You leave Millie out of this. This is nothing to do with her. I'll cooperate, just leave her alone." He sent a look of apology to Adam. It was bad enough that his father was mixed up in the Tomorrow People's affairs. There was no way he was going to let his sister put her life at risk as well.
Megabyte still remembered the day Millie had found out about his special powers. He'd been out late with Kevin and had teleported into his bedroom, hoping that he could avoid his father and the usual lectures that accompanied his coming home at all hours of the night. To the redhead's surprise, Millie had been passing by his open bedroom door and had seen him teleporting.
Trying to convince his sister that she had been seeing things had so not been the way to go.
Once she had got over her initial shock he'd told her about the Tomorrow People, and made her promise not to tell anyone about them. She'd agreed but still tended to use the information to talk him into doing favours for her. Of course Megabyte would have done those favours for her anyway, but there was no way he would ever tell her that. Millie had formed a close friendship with Jade, after the two girls had met, as well. They seemed to have a lot in common, teasing Millie's older brother being one of them.
"Whether I leave her alone totally depends on you doesn't it? Of course she's in safe hands at the moment, being in the hospital. Really close shave with that car you know. If it hadn't been for her boyfriend, things could have been a lot worse."
Megabyte swallowed hard as Masters continued. What did the man mean by hospital? What had happened to Millie and Geoff? The young man tried hard not to let his feelings show. There was no way he was going to give that madman the satisfaction of seeing his concern.
"Of course, I wouldn't have needed to use Millicent to send a message to your father, if I'd known you were going to appear in Roswell. I'd love to see the expression on General Damon's face when he realises you are missing…" As the man stopped and laughed, a cold chill crept through both the Tomorrow People.
Max listened to the conversation between Megabyte and Masters in growing horror. Whoever this man was, there was no love lost between himself, Megabyte and Adam. He felt his head clear, and realised that the drug given earlier was no longer affecting him. Maybe it was because of his different physiology. According to Masters' timetable, it shouldn't have worn off yet, for otherwise the man would have fitted these devices he had mentioned earlier.
Coming to a decision, Max concentrated on the straps keeping him on the trolley bed, feeling them loosen as he did so. Someone had to stop this Masters before he hurt anyone else, and once Brooke-Smythe analysed the blood taken earlier, the fact that he wasn't exactly human was going to be out in the open, anyway. Max had nothing to lose and everything to hide. Adam and Megabyte seemed to have some sort of powers, maybe with any luck, Masters might presume that whatever Max did were a different manifestation of those same powers.
As Max threw himself off the bed, Beckett spun around and fired his taser weapon towards the young alien. Acting on an instinct he didn't know he possessed Max raised his hand as he had seen Michael do, to protect himself. Immediately a form of force wall came into being in front of him. The wall seemed to be made up of pure energy, and Max stared at it in amazement. Didn't know I could do that. I wonder what other things we're capable of that we don't know yet?
"Cool!" exclaimed Megabyte. He watched Max for a moment and then spoke to his friend. Max could hear the urgency in his voice. "Teleport, Adam. Go now while you can."
As he spoke Megabyte closed his eyes in concentration for a moment. The air around the redhead crackled, he faded out and then solidified again. Megabyte looked around, noticing the teleport hadn't worked and glanced again at Max. The unspoken question was clear. Megabyte couldn't work out why his powers still weren't working properly. After all if Max could project a force wall, why couldn't he teleport?
Max glanced behind him wondering what to do next, and noticed the glass vials with the blood samples sitting on a table. Max edged back, keeping the force wall in front of him, and waved his other hand over the test tubes. That should keep them guessing for a bit longer. The young alien looked up to see what he could do to help his companions, and noticed that the force wall seemed to be losing its integrity. Obviously splitting his concentration to change the molecular structure of the contents of the test tubes had been enough to weaken it. Maybe when he had had a chance to experiment with this new power, he'd be able to solve that problem, but now wasn't exactly the time to think about it.
Max dived behind the big wooden table and yelled out to Adam. "Go, get your friend and get out of here. I can look after myself."
Adam shook himself out of the shock of seeing Max's powers in action and teleported out of his restraints. He appeared close to Megabyte, readying himself to teleport his friend out. He'd noticed Megabyte teleport minutes before, only to reappear again. His friend's powers were nearly back to full strength, but he was clearly too weakened by the effects of the drugs to initiate a teleport properly.
Masters, on seeing Megabyte's teleportation attempt, held the redhead down on the trolley and cocked the gun, pushing the barrel against the boy's head. "Do you really think you can teleport faster than a bullet?" he asked Adam.
Adam shook his head, moving away from his friend as his eyes glazing over momentarily. [Did you hear that Megabyte? I could have sworn I heard Kevin. Maybe he and the others are trying to contact us?] The Australian turned his head away from Masters as he 'spoke.' He's making sure the man can't see him using telepathy, Max surmised.
The Australian closed his eyes, ready to obviously send a reply to whomever he had heard, as Hawkins and Beckett grabbed him from behind. Adam struggled but he didn't dare teleport, not with Masters holding a gun on Megabyte.
Brooke-Smythe fitted some sort of metallic band around Adam's head. He swooned, then collapsed on the floor screaming, clutching his head in pain.
"You psycho! What have to done to him?" Megabyte looked at Adam and seemed to concentrate just as a similar device slide onto his own head. Must be trying to reach his friend, Max reasoned. As Max watched the redhead let out a gasp of pain. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell back on the trolley, unconscious.
Max automatically stepped forward to help, when he felt the barrel of a gun in the small of his back. He'd been so busy watching Adam and Megabyte that he'd forgotten about the failing force field and the danger he himself was in. It looked as though his options had suddenly become non-existent again. As he struggled against the two men bringing him over to Masters, Max really hoped his now unconscious companions had been able to tell whoever they had been talking to what was going on.
Masters surveyed the two unconscious young people before him and directed his next statement at Max. The man's eyes were cold and he spoke with an air of calmness. "As you can see the device can be quite hazardous to your health if you attempt to use any psychic abilities while you are wearing it."
Max felt a chill climbing up his spine. This man was dangerous, very dangerous. He prayed that Adam and Megabyte were okay. What had that headband done to them? He felt a pressure on his head as realised that Brooke-Smythe was fitting one to him also. Max gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to run. He felt himself struggle against the guards, but knew he was wasting his time. Whatever this Masters had in mind, it seemed he was now as much a part of it as Megabyte and Adam. He could see the man watching him, waiting for a reaction. Well he's not going to get one. Of that Max was determined. At least he doesn't know who I am, at least he doesn't know who I am. The phrase repeated itself over and over in his mind, almost like a mantra. He looked Masters in the eye, and then turned away. That man was so full of hate, most of it directed towards the two still forms in front of him. What on earth had happened between them?
Masters was silent for a moment and then added, almost as an afterthought. "Oh, and I wouldn't bother trying to remove the one on your own head either. You'll only cause yourself a considerable amount of pain."
Masters gestured to his men to take the three young people away, and turned to Brooke-Smythe. "Well, it looks as though you got that field test you wanted after all, Doctor. I think it's about time we contacted Mr Trent to let him know of our success with phase two." He straightened his tie, and slicked back his dark hair with his hand.
Max glanced back as he was led out of the room. Phase two? What was phase two? Who was Trent? He had this nasty feeling that what had just happened was only the beginning of whatever plans Masters had up his sleeve.
Close window to return to Author's Index
Return to Dryer Space