Part 20: Chasing the scientist

"He's in Paragon City?" she asked "Mandy, I don't think you should meet with him. I called around to some people in the Rogue Islands and he has a pretty shaky reputation."

"I know, Tess. Noire told me his methods have been questioned for years, but she said he is the single best resource for meta powers in the states maybe the world."

"I don't know Mandy, think about it. I'm worried you are in over your head here. I just think your powers are changing and you were exhausted....."

"And my apartment just happened to be completely robbed of everything at the same time...yada yada yada. I know something happened and so far the city has no information and could quite honestly care less, the police know nothing and I'm DATING the detective in charge of my case! This may be my last hope and I'm going to find out no matter what the danger...."

"Mandy...."

"Tess, I'm here gotta go. I'll call you." I hung up the cellphone and parked the car.

The facility was hidden among the many buildings in Brickstown inconspicuously placed between a gyro shop and a music Store. The outline of the Zig, Paragon's maximum security prison, sat in the background like a great pyramid. The sign on the door stated it was an import/export broker and inside the door looked like a normal reception area. The office was decorated so noone noticed the almost vault like security door to the rest of the business. It was a covert laboratory for Longbow and their genius scientist was making a housecall.

"May I help you?" the completely pleasant receptionist asked me. She looked to be in her mid forties very well dressed and coifed. I handed her my Hero Identification (Mental Maden2 arghhh). I was not in uniform due to the secret nature of the facility. She looked it over then scanned it on what looked like a credit card machine and stared at her computer screen reviewing the details.

"Hmmm this is a 40+ securtity level facility but I see here you have a special dispensation for your meeting. Ok, an operative will be with you in a moment. You may have a seat. Would you like a magazine?"
"No thank you." I smiled. I had barely sat down when the hiss of the opening security door caught my attention.

"You may enter now." a disembodied male voice summoned.

After I entered and the door shut a man in Longbow gear appeared to my right. He was a Spec-Op, Longbow's stealthy secret operations division, and he grinned. "Sorry we never know if someone is in the lobby and today we are on high alert so we are in uniform. There's talk of a potential Freakshow Breakout in the Zig so we have to be on the ready."
He continued to talk as we walked down the hall, "Now I'm going to take you to Dr. dier Schepper's lab. I don't know what you know about him but he....we.....request your utmost discretion in meeting with him. Not only is he hated by pretty much every bureaucrat involved with the City, Longbow and the Freedom Corps but he has some very dangerous enemies as well. His methods have come under question for 50 some odd years but he's brilliant and he's done more for meta research than anyone. Now, he's known to be working on several things at once and he....well, he's easily distracted. He's a very sweet old man but he is known to be a little aloof. Don't take it personally."

I hadn't noticed before but now I had a female spec-op trailing behind me. We took an elevator to a lower floor. (The kind that requires a key not a button to access.) We rode for a few seconds when the door opened to a room that was taken out of any 1950's B Sci-fi movie. It was cluttered with books and devices that looked more like museum pieces than new technology. But if you looked closer you would see mixed in with the relics very high end servers and computer equipment. The doctor sat with his back to us at a desk with no less than three LCD screens and three keyboards. He went from one to the other at a fractic pace and it appeared that he had been at it for a while.

"Dr. dier Schepper, your appointment is here."

"The power loss case?"

"Yes, sir"

"I read the files you sent to me." he was talking to me but it took a few seconds for me to realize this.

"Oh great you got them good, I wasn't sure if you...." I said startled.

His back remained turned. "I'm not sure if you know this young lady but powers change all the time. I've counted 651 cases alone where powers were completely lost. Gone without a trace. But I couldn't tell you how often powers alter as a meta matures. And the nature of your gaining the powers in the first place lends itself to later alteration in my experience. Did you draw this up? You obviously have a knowledge for science."

"Yes sir, I have a phD from Brown. Microbiology."

"Research or teach?" he asked in his heavy Dutch accent.

"A little of both. I've set up a lab at Paragon University and I teach a few classes a semester...little stuff."

"What do you research?"

"Childhood cancers, glioblastomas mainly"

"Cambridge, right. You are published, I've read your work. You use good methodology, your writing is good....concise. some of your conclusions are shit though."

"Don't pay attention to him, he's just like that sometimes." the female spec-op whispered.

"Anyway your case. I don't think its that significant. I'm not sure I have any answers for you. Your powers changed thats all."

"I had a gamma-knifed tumor scar move from one side of my brain to the other, Doctor. What would your conclusion be to that? I asked in a voice louder than I wished I'd used. He quickly spun around in his chair.

"I might remind you that I'm doing you a favor. And I don't........"

We made eye contact and quickly he looked down at some papers.The blood drained from his face and his expression was that of pure shock and nervous recognition.

"It can't be. You? No it's not you." He began scooping up papers and putting them in a cardboard box including my file. He started shutting off computers and monitors. "I am afraid I cannot help you young lady. I am sorry but I think we must end this here."

"But wait! You know me?"

"No, no the light...I was mistaken. As for your case, I have no answers. I am so sorry. I was mistaken." he said nervously. He turned to the operatives. "Get me a car and call ahead. Have a transport ready for me. I'm going back to the Nerva base."

"But sir, you aren't scheduled to go back to the Islands for a few more days."

The female spec-op was leading me into the elevator.

"Just get me a transport. Now." I heard him shout as the elevator doors shut.

The receptionist thanked me as I left still in a daze from what had just happened. Whatever it was that just happened. I took my cellphone from my purse and dialed.

"Festus, its me. I need you to get my passport and meet me at the airport. Call ahead and have the G-4 fueled and ready to go........I know I never take the private jet but this is an emergency....no I won't need any clothes; I'm not staying that long.........Where? The Rogue Islands. I need to go to the Rogue Islands. And Festus, do not tell Smitty I'm going."