Post by Sinister on Sept 20, 2006 17:10:03 GMT -5
The man that called himself Neil Essex arrived in the lobby outside Bolivar Trask's office without any sort of fanfare or announcement. To the casual observer he wouldn't even have been seen to arrive. One minute the lobby would have been empty, the next it was occupied by an English gentleman in a well tailored suit.
"Good afternoon," he said to the woman behind the desk who jumped ever so slightly, "my name is Doctor Essex, I have an appointment with Mr. Trask?"
He gave her a smile that chilled the blood in her veins.
Despite her discomfort however, Karen maintained her facade of professionalism.
"Good afternoon Doctor Essex, I'll buzz you through."
"Thank you," he said cheerfully and stepped up to the door. A moment later there was a click as the magnetic lock disengaged and the portal swung open. Essex stepped inside and the door closed after him.
Inside the office Bolivar Trask had stepped around from behind his prodigious desk to welcome the man he had heard a lot about but never actually met.
"Doctor Essex, it is a pleasure to finally meet the man behind the NovaTeX break through's," he shook the offered hand and was surprised to find it almost uncomfortably cool.
"Likewise Mr. Trask, your voice is heard afar but it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance in the flesh," Trask found that he didn't like the way the man pronounced the word flesh, there was something that set the nerves on edge.
"Please, take a seat," he offered the doctor the leather covered armchair before returning to his own leather-bound throne.
For some some reason it felt good to have something physical between himself and his guest.
"To what do I owe the honour of a visit," Trask began.
Straight to business, straight to the point. Doctor Essex liked the man already.
"It has come to my attention that you have apprehended the young man responsible for the demise of one of your soldiers and that you have used the collar on him."
Trask nodded his agreement, "indeed we have, you are very well informed. The incident happened a few hours ago and we now have him in custody. The collar seems to be working exactly as your report said it would."
Doctor Essex smiled, "excellent, I am glad to hear it. We conducted many tests on volunteers over the course of the development, but it is always good to see ones work put to good use. I trust there have been no side effects?"
Trask shook his head, "not as far as I have been told."
Essex nodded to himself thoughtfully.
"I would very much like to give the young man a medical examination if I may, just to be sure that there are no adverse effects from prolonged exposure to the collar. It wouldn't be anything intrusive I assure you and it would also protect you from any unfortunate legal proceedings that might result from its application."
Trask looked doubtful.
"He is being held in a secure location by federal agents for his own protection Doctor Essex. This young man is not only a mutant wanted for murder, he is also under suspicion for conspiring with a known terrorist organisation. Quite frankly, the fewer people know where he is the better."
The doctor rubbed his chin and cocked an eyebrow, "but surely he will be allowed his phone call and visits by his legal representation, not to mention the questioning? You could get into a lot of trouble Mr. Trask if I am not mistaken."
Trask sat back in his expansive chair and steepled his fingers. He wasn't quite sure what it was the doctor was probing for, but he was probing for something.
"He is being allowed his phone call, not that he can give away where he is, the boy dosn't know himself, and he will certainly be allowed visits from his lawyer," Trask hated lawyers, if he possibly could he would have founded an arm of the military dedicated to the extermination of the pencil-pushing, devil-tongued liars.
Fair defense my ass. Sometimes they just deserved to burn.
"And he will go through the regular questioning procedure. The arrest has been logged with the NYPD and there were officers in attendance. He is being held in rather more comfortable accommodation than he probably expects and to be honest they can make as much fuss as they like."
He pulled the file from the drawer beneath his desk and flipped it open revealing the damning pictures from the warehouse.
"Conspiring with terrorist organisations, particularly the Brotherhood makes him dangerous. I'm not about to put him in with general population and advertise his location. It would be like cracking open a honey pot on a hot summers day. We'd be up to our eyeballs in mutant lovers, haters and Bobby Drake fangirls before you could spit."
Trask paused and took a deep breath.
"Not to mention that if he is a terrorist it would most likely bring down a reprisal attack by the Brotherhood, another Baltimore, only this time in the heart of a busy city, not at a facility on its outer limits. I don't care what hot-shot lawyer the kid gets if he wants to play this hard he will get it played very hard indeed."
"I see," doctor Essex replied calmly, "and you don't think that a simple medical exam would further benefit yourself in case his legal adviser decides to cry mutant abuse from the application of the collar?"
Trask still looked doubtful.
"I would be prepared to sign an official secrets document if it would give you peace of mind Mr. Trask, I am simply trying to offer aid where I can and ensure that my product is functioning as we hoped."
Trask thumbed the intercom, "Karen, could you bring in an OSA431 please." He looked directly at the disturbing doctor.
"Nothing intrusive doctor, if I hear you have so much as chipped one of the boys nails there will be hell to pay and I mean that sincerely."
Doctor Essex smiled, an awful spine shivering thing.
"Of course Mr. Trask; I will be as gentle as a summer breeze."
"Good afternoon," he said to the woman behind the desk who jumped ever so slightly, "my name is Doctor Essex, I have an appointment with Mr. Trask?"
He gave her a smile that chilled the blood in her veins.
Despite her discomfort however, Karen maintained her facade of professionalism.
"Good afternoon Doctor Essex, I'll buzz you through."
"Thank you," he said cheerfully and stepped up to the door. A moment later there was a click as the magnetic lock disengaged and the portal swung open. Essex stepped inside and the door closed after him.
Inside the office Bolivar Trask had stepped around from behind his prodigious desk to welcome the man he had heard a lot about but never actually met.
"Doctor Essex, it is a pleasure to finally meet the man behind the NovaTeX break through's," he shook the offered hand and was surprised to find it almost uncomfortably cool.
"Likewise Mr. Trask, your voice is heard afar but it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance in the flesh," Trask found that he didn't like the way the man pronounced the word flesh, there was something that set the nerves on edge.
"Please, take a seat," he offered the doctor the leather covered armchair before returning to his own leather-bound throne.
For some some reason it felt good to have something physical between himself and his guest.
"To what do I owe the honour of a visit," Trask began.
Straight to business, straight to the point. Doctor Essex liked the man already.
"It has come to my attention that you have apprehended the young man responsible for the demise of one of your soldiers and that you have used the collar on him."
Trask nodded his agreement, "indeed we have, you are very well informed. The incident happened a few hours ago and we now have him in custody. The collar seems to be working exactly as your report said it would."
Doctor Essex smiled, "excellent, I am glad to hear it. We conducted many tests on volunteers over the course of the development, but it is always good to see ones work put to good use. I trust there have been no side effects?"
Trask shook his head, "not as far as I have been told."
Essex nodded to himself thoughtfully.
"I would very much like to give the young man a medical examination if I may, just to be sure that there are no adverse effects from prolonged exposure to the collar. It wouldn't be anything intrusive I assure you and it would also protect you from any unfortunate legal proceedings that might result from its application."
Trask looked doubtful.
"He is being held in a secure location by federal agents for his own protection Doctor Essex. This young man is not only a mutant wanted for murder, he is also under suspicion for conspiring with a known terrorist organisation. Quite frankly, the fewer people know where he is the better."
The doctor rubbed his chin and cocked an eyebrow, "but surely he will be allowed his phone call and visits by his legal representation, not to mention the questioning? You could get into a lot of trouble Mr. Trask if I am not mistaken."
Trask sat back in his expansive chair and steepled his fingers. He wasn't quite sure what it was the doctor was probing for, but he was probing for something.
"He is being allowed his phone call, not that he can give away where he is, the boy dosn't know himself, and he will certainly be allowed visits from his lawyer," Trask hated lawyers, if he possibly could he would have founded an arm of the military dedicated to the extermination of the pencil-pushing, devil-tongued liars.
Fair defense my ass. Sometimes they just deserved to burn.
"And he will go through the regular questioning procedure. The arrest has been logged with the NYPD and there were officers in attendance. He is being held in rather more comfortable accommodation than he probably expects and to be honest they can make as much fuss as they like."
He pulled the file from the drawer beneath his desk and flipped it open revealing the damning pictures from the warehouse.
"Conspiring with terrorist organisations, particularly the Brotherhood makes him dangerous. I'm not about to put him in with general population and advertise his location. It would be like cracking open a honey pot on a hot summers day. We'd be up to our eyeballs in mutant lovers, haters and Bobby Drake fangirls before you could spit."
Trask paused and took a deep breath.
"Not to mention that if he is a terrorist it would most likely bring down a reprisal attack by the Brotherhood, another Baltimore, only this time in the heart of a busy city, not at a facility on its outer limits. I don't care what hot-shot lawyer the kid gets if he wants to play this hard he will get it played very hard indeed."
"I see," doctor Essex replied calmly, "and you don't think that a simple medical exam would further benefit yourself in case his legal adviser decides to cry mutant abuse from the application of the collar?"
Trask still looked doubtful.
"I would be prepared to sign an official secrets document if it would give you peace of mind Mr. Trask, I am simply trying to offer aid where I can and ensure that my product is functioning as we hoped."
Trask thumbed the intercom, "Karen, could you bring in an OSA431 please." He looked directly at the disturbing doctor.
"Nothing intrusive doctor, if I hear you have so much as chipped one of the boys nails there will be hell to pay and I mean that sincerely."
Doctor Essex smiled, an awful spine shivering thing.
"Of course Mr. Trask; I will be as gentle as a summer breeze."