5. Hawthorn's Children

Dr. Sebastian

Let's try this again, shall we? [ He holds the point of his pen over his clipboard. ] What were you two doing at Tollforest Park this morning?

Ellie

[ Across the table from Dr. Sebastian, Hawthorn's daughter folds her hands primly. ] I don't have to tell you. It's not illegal to be in a park. We can go anywhere we like in Locket Downs; we live there. What were you doing at Tollforest Park this morning?

Dr. Sebastian

[ With infinite patience. ] We are not your enemies, Miss Tsui, and you are not in trouble. We are merely concerned for you and your brother's safety. Our agents were responding to abnormal and highly dangerous overground activity. Would you like to see the readings again?

Felix

[ The research lab is set up for their whole battery of psychic tests. Against two of the walls are shelves of equipment and boxy computer terminals whose lights blink in an impenetrable pattern. And outside the room, sitting on the intercom table, Agent Kepler watches the proceedings through one-way glass. ]

Felix

[ Viewing audience, if you're tuning in now, here's what happened before the commercial break. At 10:30 EST, an overground rift the size of a starter bungalow tore open the skies above Locket Downs, Ontario, terrifying citizens and uprooting trees before disappearing as quickly as it appeared. ]

Felix

[ When the DSC arrived on the scene, they found a few dozen confused parkgoers, and the two tweenage children of the most powerful psychic in North America. Ellie Tsui, age fourteen, a heavyweight seer, just like her papà. And Soren Tsui, age twelve, powers unknown, who pulled a knife when they brought him in. ]

Felix

[ There's no doubt in anyone's mind that the kids are involved. The only questions are: who did what, and whether young Soren's nascent powers are a bungalow-sized problem. And so they've come here, to the DSC's top-secret facility in rural Iceland, to get to the bottom of things. Hawthorn's son, hypothetical destroyer of worlds, doesn't even seem interested in the conversation. He is watching the wall ninety degrees from the doctor, shaking out his hand like he's making a noncommittal dice roll. ]

Ellie

[ Scornfully. ] No, thanks. Your sensors can't be very good if they pick up things that don't exist. What are you doing?

Yasmine

[ The researcher on duty has gotten up from her station to remove the electrodes from Hawthorn's son. As she does so, she explains, for the sister’s comfort: ] The readings are finished. Now we’re going to run a magical stress test. Don't worry, he should not even feel it.

Yasmine

Can you hold this for me, dear? [ She hands the brother a device that resembles a bulky video game controller, except for the digital display in the centre, and the grips made of stainless steel. ] With both of your hands, please. No, sit right there. Good job. Thank you. [ With that, she returns to her computer to initiate the test. ]

Dr. Sebastian

[ He turns his bespectacled gaze upon the silent sibling. The boy’s diverted attention in the midst of stressful circumstances might give the unobservant viewer the impression of guileless ignorance. ]

Dr. Sebastian

Your brother has been very quiet. [ Mildly. ] Is he usually so reticent?

Ellie

[ A fleeting glance to her brother. ] He's laconic. I don't know why that would change for you.

Dr. Sebastian

Soren? I know you can hear me.

Soren

[ His fingers tighten against the scanner. ]

Soren

...

Dr. Sebastian

We have not yet had the opportunity to review your story. Is your sister telling the truth?

Soren

[ The scales of deliberation tip in favour of answering. He sits up, facing the doctor, and nods without making eye contact. ]

Dr. Sebastian

[ An imperceptible quirk of his lip. ] Is that so?

Dr. Sebastian

[ Enunciating each word. ] Because if she is lying, she could get in a great deal of trouble. You don't want your sister to get in trouble, do you?

Felix

[ Muttering into the back of his hand. ] Hey, come on, doc, that's a little much…

Alistair

[ Standing just behind Felix, with a hand on his back. ] He's just trying to get to the bottom of things.

Soren

[ This time, he does lift his eyes to the doctor, trembling and baleful. ]

Soren

[ He flings the measuring device full-force against the floor and scrambles to his feet, chair clattering against the concrete. ]

Yasmine

[ A little gasp of alarm as the plastic carapace cracks, and her computer display goes haywire. ]

Felix

[ Jolting away from the window. ] Ah, shit—

Soren

[ He bolts straight for the door to the observation room. ]

Alistair

[ Before the kid can get too far, he throws open the door himself, barring the exit with his towering frame. ]

Soren

[ He freezes. ]

Alistair

Alright, alright, how about we take a little break here?

Yasmine

Not to worry. [ The remains of the resistance tester dangle in her hands. ] I think those readings were as good as we may get.

Ellie

[ She escorts her brother back to the table, head bowed towards his, muttering soothing words. ]

Dr. Sebastian

[ He did not react to the boy's sudden display of violence. The last to leave, he slots his pen into his clipboard and lets himself out, with a final lingering look to the conspiring siblings. ]

Dr. Sebastian

[ He shuts the reinforced door with a heavy clunk. ] If nothing else, we've proven his short temper. Are you alright, Yasmine?

Yasmine

I’m fine, Doctor. [ Hastily reassuring. ] He was only acting out. It’s just a shame about our equipment.

Alistair

[ He raises his bushy eyebrows at Felix, meaningfully. ]

Felix

...Too bad, yeah.

Felix

[ His other self twitches her tail against his ribcage. What a pretty conversational dodge that was. Not a lie, perhaps, but is that truly how you feel about this situation? Coward. ]

Felix

[ Sure, thanks. She's welcome to stick any alternative plans in the suggestion box. If their guy opened another rift, he'd have the best chance of survival, as a fey. Maybe the Harlows. But he doubts the good citizenry of Iceland would be very understanding if Wonderboy banished their island to the cornfield. So what the hell else is he supposed to do? ]

Ellie

[ Inside the lab, things have calmed down. She and Soren are sitting at the table once again. ]

Ellie

[ As Agent Kepler's gaze passes over her, she locks eyes with him—through the one-way mirror—and wiggles her fingers in a wave. ]

Felix

[ Turning away, with a shudder. ] Yeesh.

Felix

Call me crazy, but I think all higher powers should be at least old enough to drink.

Yasmine

[ With the hint of a smile. ] Do they frighten you?

Felix

Pssh. They don't... c'mon. What?

Yasmine

The DSC has handled such cases before. When we work together, do you worry I’ll trap you in a nightmare?

Felix

[ Sheepish. ]

Alistair

[ Nudging Felix, in an effort to lighten the fidgety mood. ] Yeah, careful. Wouldn't want my partner getting cold feet on me.

Felix

Hey, look, I'm not afraid of a couple of—

Dr. Sebastian

—A couple of irreverent children who can alter the course of reality as we know it with but a snap of their fingers? [ He demonstrates. ]

Dr. Sebastian

I would take a leaf out of Agent Kepler's book, were I you. It would behoove us all to remember our fear.

Alistair

[ And there goes the mood. He folds his arms with a rumble of agreement. ]

Felix

[ He straightens up and sobers up. ] Yessir.

Dr. Sebastian

And Yasmine, I would caution you that sympathy is not similarity.

Yasmine

[ The oldest lesson from her old teacher: controlling your emotions is the basis of self-control. She ducks her head, adjusting her glasses. ] …Understood, Doctor.

Dr. Sebastian

Now look alive. The director is coming.

Director Lennox

[ She raps her knuckles on the metal once before letting herself in. The expectant faces of her agents greet her. ]

Director Lennox

[ In her forties, the director of the DSC conjures an image of down-to-earth vigor—unbuttoned collar, nimble and long-legged stride, windswept hair. But the crisis shows in her pale face and deepened crow's feet. ]

Director Lennox

[ She presses the door shut, grim. ] There's been no word from Hawthorn.

Felix

Still? It's been hours! [ Call it hometown bias, but he can't help thinking of Hawthorn as a sort of implacable immortal. Did the guy have a really important hair appointment, or...? ]

Director Lennox

We made contact with his agents, but they refused all offers to open negotiations and told us to wait. For how much longer? [ Her mouth quirks without humour. ] They couldn't say.

Alistair

[ Exchanging a look with his partner. ] Think the rift could've knocked him offline?

Felix

That, or big sis's big retcon... I don't know. I can't think of a time Hawthorn hasn't been on top of what's going on in his town, like, ever. This is kind of unprecedented.

Director Lennox

Is it? [ She settles her hands on her hips and approaches the console. ] We should know by now what higher powers are capable of.

Director Lennox

[ On the other side of the glass, the girl murmurs to the boy, who shields himself with hunched, defensive shoulders. ] And we know that they care little for rivals.

Felix

[ Incredulous. ] You think he's abandoning them?

Director Lennox

It's a possibility. [ And not an unprecedented one. ]

Director Lennox

[ She angles a chair and sits. ] Whatever occupies the so-called higher power of peace doesn't change our position. We're on our own, as we knew.

Director Lennox

Have you had better luck?

Yasmine

[ In answer, she merely shows Director Lennox the remains of the test implement. ]

Director Lennox

Not a rift, I take it.

Yasmine

Just his hands. [ She lays the damaged instrument to rest on the intercom table. ]

Director Lennox

An accident? [ Casting her eyes to their emotional specialist. ] Or intentional aggression?

Dr. Sebastian

A fit of pique. [ Dryly. ] The line of questioning did not agree with him. Clearly we cannot expect the young man to behave reasonably.

Director Lennox

He's twelve, Nick. [ With a finger, she tilts the damaged instrument. ] I was a hellion at his age.

Director Lennox

Go on, Yasmine. Did you manage to find anything at all?

Yasmine

Well... [ Perusing her notes unhappily. ] As far as the readings are concerned, losing the device hardly made any difference. At the time he destroyed our measuring device, his readings had just passed 2800.

Alistair

Christ...

Felix

That's... a big number.

Yasmine

But as high as that reading was, in terms of psychic output, there was nothing distinguishable from normal interference. Essentially, what you might call his psychic potential is very strong, but he isn't using any of it.

Yasmine

I would characterise the overall results as those of a psychic whose powers have not yet manifested. [ With a slight undercurrent of frustration. ] In other words, we are no closer to proving our theory about his powers than we were before.

Director Lennox

[ A short, frustrated laugh. She scrubs her face. ] And we're sitting on a belligerent time bomb.

Dr. Sebastian

Does that matter?

Yasmine

...Pardon, Doctor?

Dr. Sebastian

So you lack physical evidence. But there are truths hidden from your senses.

Dr. Sebastian

[ He finally swivels from the window. ] The girl is protecting him. Every other word out of the seer's mouth is a desperate lie, intended to divert our attention from the deadly anomaly that is her brother. She is keeping up admirably, but an adolescent girl, higher power or not, does not possess the willpower to school the emotions that betray her.

Dr. Sebastian

She and her brother both know what happened, and they know that we are right. That is all the proof that I, personally, require.

Felix

[ He scoffs. ] No offence, doc, but we're not all empaths. I personally require a little more proof than that.

Dr. Sebastian

And I do sympathise with that perspective. [ He holds his palm out to their gifted researcher. ] Let me remind you, then, of Yasmine's elucidating numbers. In the extraordinarily likely event that the higher power's son does develop psychic powers—again, or for the first time—they will not emerge passively.

Dr. Sebastian

We can almost certainly expect a disaster equivalent to the one that very nearly destroyed your hometown, Agent Kepler. If we do not act on this knowledge, we will become knowing accessories to another catastrophe.

Dr. Sebastian

[ He peers at his scrupulous coworkers over his glasses. ] And the next one may not rewrite itself out of existence.

Felix

[ The pall cast over the room is like a blanket dangling in a grimy puddle. It takes a while to sink in, but when it does, it's suffocating. Nobody moves. ]

Felix

[ A croak: ] Hang on, uh. When you say “act on”. Like.

Felix

We’re talking about a child psychic developing his powers. So. Uh. If we acted to prevent him from… developing. That would mean.

Felix

What would that mean? What exactly are you suggesting we do to him?

Dr. Sebastian

[ The skittish require a soft tongue. His volume lowers. ] I am suggesting, Agent Kepler, that we take the threat of annihilation seriously. It is the DSC’s job to neutralize psychic threats—even if that threat should take the form of a twelve-year-old boy.

Director Lennox

[ She stoops over her knees, templed fingers pressed to her mouth. ]

Yasmine

[ She touches the frame of her glasses protectively. ] I agree that we have a responsibility to protect the psychic community, Doctor. But there are... less extreme measures available to us.

Yasmine

Even if Hawthorn's son is truly capable of opening overground rifts—we have instructed dangerous psychics in controlling their powers before. [ Rather, not "we", as such. ]

Dr. Sebastian

So you would be willing to teach him, then, Yasmine?

Yasmine

I... [ Heat rising in her cheeks. ] His powers are so different to mine.

Dr. Sebastian

They are. You have done well with our precocious astral projector, but I doubt any of us are prepared to handle the boy who can level cities.

Yasmine

Perhaps not, but all the same...

Alistair

I dunno, the doc has a point. We're already sure he's a psychic heavyweight. He's got anger issues. Like it or not, one day, that's gonna come to a head.

Felix

Are you fucking kidding me?

Felix

[ Whipping his head between these people, who are allegedly his coworkers and husband. ] Am I having a—a stress-induced hallucination where people can say only stupid things? What the fuck are you even talking about?

Alistair

[ Sternly. ] You got an actual counterargument, or are you just gonna insult everyone here?

Felix

[ He snaps out a hand, baring his teeth. ] You want an actual counterargument? Sure! Our job is not to neutralize potential threats. There are a lot of psychics who could potentially be a threat—

Director Lennox

Felix—

Felix

—No, our job is to neutralize actual threats, which, by the way, does not include KILLING—

Director Lennox

Felix.

Felix

[ He hesitates. ]

Director Lennox

[ She raises her head, a statue coming to life. ] We're not going to kill him.

Felix

[ He squints at the shelf on the wall skeptically. ]

Director Lennox

I understand Nick's concerns. But a life taken in fear cannot be given back.

Director Lennox

We are the guardians of the psychic community. [ One by one, she stares down her subordinates, stone-faced. ] We are not higher powers. We do not ignore due process, and we do not play games with the lives of innocent children.

Director Lennox

That is our last resort. We have tools—use them. Understand?

Dr. Sebastian

[ Conceding with a dip of his head. So her softer side prevails. ] As you wish, Director.

Yasmine

[ Relieved. ] Yes, Director. I'm glad you agree.

Alistair

[ He’s not a fan, but he’ll follow the director’s orders. ]

Felix

Understood, sir. [ Here he was squaring up for a fight, but the director's on his side. Of course she would be. She's a good person. He trusts her judgment. Everything will work itself out. ]

Ellie

[ Whispering. ] Everything will be alright. Don’t listen to them, I’ve made it so that they can’t prove a thing. There's someone coming to help us. All we have to do is wait.

Soren

[ Abandoned in a stranger's oubliette, he sits in close conference with Ellie, head in his hand, fingers twisting the streak of white at his temple. It feels no different than the rest of his hair. Tangible evidence of that which cannot be undone. ]

Soren

[ A bitter mumble. ] Dad's not coming.

Ellie

[ She huffs. They are not having this argument again, and anyway: ] I don't mean dad. There's a girl, a high school girl.

Soren

[ His grimace says how likely he finds that possibility. ]

Ellie

Maybe she's one of their daughters, and they think we're more likely to talk to someone our own age—I don't know why! It doesn't matter.

Ellie

The point is, I've seen it, and that means it's going to happen.

Ellie

Trust me? Just for a little longer?

Soren

[ He toys with a strand of hair. It's a lot to hold out hope for. But his sister has never been wrong about something she's told him. ]

Soren

[ Covertly, he grasps her hand. ]

Ellie

[ She takes a shaky breath. ] Okay. When she shows up, here's what you have to do...