Xaviers!

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:13 pm**

About a week after she returns from Madripoor, Tereza receives an e-mail containing only a dark-web link and a public encryption key. If she tries to reply to the e-mail, it will report as not a valid address.

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:17 pm**

It takes Tereza a bit of research on what she's supposed to do with these things, which probably looks crazy fishy to any of Ashlie's traffic monitors, but eventually she does manage to make use of the link and the key.

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:28 pm**

The site turns out to be a video chat application, which requests permission to access the webcam.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually the other participant connects. A grainy image, looking like it probably comes from an inexpensive cell phone.

"I guess I should have figured you wouldn't let it be," she says.

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:32 pm**

There's that paused moment of 'this is actually happening' before she says, "Sometimes you just have to have answers, you know."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:45 pm**

"The answers I have aren't the kind that give anybody any peace."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 7:54 pm**

"Believe it or not, I'm kind of used to that. Precedent for that gets set when the woman that you think is your mother dumps you off at a 'school' at the first sign of your abilities."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 8:02 pm**

"They're bastards. It sounds like you figured that out quicker than I did."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:56 pm**

"I may have been a kid, but you get slapped around my your 'teachers' enough, you figure it out. Some people busted me out. They recently tried to sell me back to Svetlana, who I assume you're also aware of, so they're not really on my Christmas list anymore."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 9:57 pm**

"...I know your names," she sighs.

"I know them because they think you're just numbers."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:02 pm**

"I get that. Been called 227B plenty of times. So why are we more than numbers to you?"

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:11 pm**

"Because you're people, damn it. They can't take that away."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:28 pm**

She frowns at the screen, "That's a lot of conviction for someone that seemed to want to hold us at arm's length."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:42 pm**

"...I suppose I've earned that skepticism. I'd be disappointed if you weren't."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:48 pm**

"I'm not made of glass, but apparently I have a tendency to treat the people I care about like they are. Seems like I come by it honestly."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:11 pm**

"You don't have to be like me. It'd probably be better if you weren't. God knows I've made enough of a mess of my life."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:17 pm**

"Why don't you let me determine what's better for me?" She crosses her arms. "I don't even know enough about you to make that call yet."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:22 pm**

"Most of it's not pretty. I used to be one of them. I used to believe in the programs. It's easy to do when you're one of the success stories."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:29 pm**

"And I believed every last bit of the shit that the Brotherhood preaches. It's easy to do when they're the ones who rescued you from the programs." She raises an eyebrow, "We both made mistakes, believed in shit stuff, I'd hate for us to get hung up on that. Especially since you seem, on some level, to actually give a shit about *me* and not what I can do for you."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:33 pm**

"I wish it could have been different. I really do. I wish I could have raised you and your sister. Hell, I wish I could have even just had you."

Posted: **Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:55 pm**

"Well, neither of those is a possibility, but just because I'm grown doesn't mean I don't want a parent who gives a shit in my life."

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:16 am**

"Just like that? I know that school sees its fair share of trouble, but I've a feeling the headmistress wouldn't want me to add to that."

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:20 am**

"An individual with experience and knowledge of the Russian programs? I'm guessing she'd jump at the chance for that information. Not to mention you're experienced and capable." She smirks, "I mean, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We might not be able to stand each other's company. I do sort of have a bad track record with mothers."

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:30 am**

"Plural now, is it?" She quirks a pale brow.

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:44 am**

"Bitten by a woman that the headmistress swears can't be a werewolf. She's... not really the maternal sort but likes to fancy that she is? Things get a bit hairy around the full moon now."

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:53 am**

"...that explains some things. I'd wondered if they'd decided to splice some Tatyana into you, but the less of her there are around, the better."

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 12:59 am**

"So you'd heard then?"

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 1:25 am**

"I saw some of the signs when you were in Sevastopol."

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 1:28 am**

"It was still kind of raw, but it's getting better. Still incredibly dangerous, but some part of me wouldn't have it any other way."

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 2:37 am**

"Not the strangest thing I've run into, and god knows my life isn't boring. I'd probably get twitchy the second it was."

Posted: **Sat Aug 19, 2017 1:13 pm**

"It's never boring around here. Or at least it isn't for long. At least think about it. If nothing else, I'm going to be spending Christmas with my girlfriend and her family in Ireland. If you just happened to be in the area, maybe we could spend some non-cloak & dagger time together." She quickly adds, "Not that I want to wait that long."

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:44 pm**

"So weeks would be too long, eh? I doubt your girlfriend's parents would want to meet the spy you invited in from the cold as it is."

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:57 pm**

"Put yourself in my position. Would you want to wait? If you'd rather visit here, I'll see what I can arrange with the Headmistress."

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:28 pm**

"It might be best if I talk to your headmistress anyway."

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:33 pm**

"I can arrange that. Can even get a hold of her right now if you'd like."

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:49 pm**

"Alright, but if she starts tracing this I'm ending the call."

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:08 pm**

"I'll see what I can do. I doubt she has a reason to trace you though."

She picks up her phone and e-mails Ashlie.

"Having an important discussion and would like your input. Key's attached to this e-mail and you've probably already noted the connection. Tracing it would be... impolite."

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:40 pm**

>> I was giving you the benefit of doubt to wait until the connection dropped to ask you what that is about.
>> Dark Net connections have a bad reputation.

A moment after the message is send Ashlie connects to the call, her video feed showing the real her apparently, something that's only really noticeable by the fact that her fake 3D render has a plain background instead of showing the wall of her office behind her.

"Yes?"

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:43 pm**

"...well, I suppose it doesn't surprise me much that the headmistress' reputation is deserved."

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:44 pm**

"Headmistress, I'd like to introduce you to Natalya Romanov."

Posted: **Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:57 pm**

"Miss Romanov." Ashlie nods. "I'm a technopath. I would be remiss if I hadn't noticed the deep web connection going through my network. I take it your recent excursion was successful then."

Xaviers!

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