Starring:
Date It Happened: March 09, 2007
Summary: There's a bag and tag at the loft/labs, one that surprises both the baggee and Mohinder.
Log Title Gas Makes You High
Downtown, NYC - Lower Manhattan and Isaac's Loft
Mohinder exits his lab, locking it up before he heads down to the street. He's not exactly finished with work for the day, but he's got to head out for a little bit. He leaves his cab where it's parked nearby in favor of walking the short distance to a nearby eatery. The intent is to pick up something to take back for dinner later, so that he does not forget to eat. Which seems to be a habit of late. Pocketing his keys, he walks along the sidewalk, taking long strides.
Walking in the opposite direction as Mohinder but on the same side of the street is Eliana. The pink-haired writer has forgone the hooded sweatshirt to take advantage of the early March warmth. She's also decided to walk today rather than ride her bike, but a slight breeze still flaps at the hem of her light jacket. Counting on the New Yorker's tendency to move like cattle down the sidewalk, Eliana's eyes are downcast. The writer seems to be absorbed in what she's written in a moleskin notebook, glancing just past the top of the bound pages every now and again to make sure her sneakered feet are still on the concrete walkway rather than the asphalt street. Preoccupied is an understatement.
Unlike Eliana, Mohinder keeps his head up as he needs to pay attention to his surroundings. As he nears the woman, he almost misses her entirely. Her appearance is familiar and it has him slowing almost to a halt as he looks in her direction. "Excuse me.. miss?" he asks in approach, uncertainty in his voice until he gets a real good look at the woman."
Being spoken to on the street is not a common thing, and so it's not until after Eliana has taken a few steps past Mohinder that she stops and turns, lifting her head. At the same time, she closes the notebook and slips it into an inside jacket pocket. Recognition settles in quickly enough, and Eliana is soon frowning. "Can I help you?" she asks with a slight edge to her voice.
Mohinder gives a hesitant smile as recognition sets in. "I thought that was you.. We weren't formally introduced the other night." He avoids certain details as they are on the street, and very much in public. "I believe you walked out a little early."
"I believe I left," Eli retorts, raising one eyebrow. "Die-hard fools are hard to convince, and I'd rather not get my blood boiling in vain." Still, if Mohinder wants introductions… "You obviously know Hiro," she provides as a segue. Eliana had accused Hiro of betrayal, but after reading the translation of those ancient scrolls. Well, she's willing to take Adam's pronouncement with a grain of salt.
Mohinder inclines his head in a nod to Eliana. "We probably shouldn't talk about this on the street. I have a lab and an office, just a few doors back that way. Would you like to speak a bit more there?" He slips his hands into his pockets as he regards Eliana. "I do know Hiro, yes, and no one's faulting you for your decision to leave the meeting."
The only information Eliana has for Mohinder's 'character' in that little notebook came from that meeting, and the idea of getting more is like a carrot on the end of a string. Still, the writer hesitates. She eventually nods, looking in the direction Mohinder indicates. "I can't give you my whole evening, but I can let you state your case, if you have one." That carrot isn't taken quickly, as evident in her continued terseness, even if Eliana /does/ really want it.
"That's quite understandable, as I have demands upon my time as well." Mohinder says politely as he gestures for Eliana to walk with him. "My name is Mohinder Suresh, I'm a geneticist. As you probably gathered at the meeting, I know of people with abilities. My father dedicated his life and research to those with special gifts, as do I." He keeps his voice conversationally low as he leads back towards the loft.
Eliana has to will herself to keep walking when Mohinder introduces himself. "Suresh," she repeats, eyes narrowed in shock. "As in Chandra Suresh?" Eliana, of course, won't mention the fact she found flaws in the scientist's writing style. "I read his book."
"He was my father," Mohinder says, and it's good that he doesn't get tired of the connection, or question. It's to be expected. He pulls out his keys and leads the way up into the building towards the loft. "I'm glad that so many people are reading it and recognizing his work. Even if he's no longer around to know."
Eliana shrugs. "Well, I don't know how many people are reading it. The only shelf I've seen it on was in a shop that sold books on UFOs, witch spells, alien abductions, and Mars colonies. Still, his theories were interesting." Even if they did seem a little far-fetched. If Eliana didn't have first hand experience with Evolved humans, or wasn't one herself, she probably wouldn't believe it.
That.. fact does rankle, but it's something Mohinder has to face. He knows he and his father are ridiculed in their circles and not taken seriously. It's part and parcel of being in theoretical genetics. Upon reaching the door to the loft, Mohinder unlocks it and opens up, letting Eliana walk in first. In the loft, she'll see the Mendez mural on the floor of New York exploding, and a few easels. To the left, the laboratory. "Interesting theories, and all quite true. What do you know of Hiro Nakamura?"
Eliana's so marveled by the mural on the floor when she first enters the loft that it takes her a few moments to answer the doctor. "I…I only know him because of Jack." She can only assume that Mohinder knows who she's talking about, since Jack stayed on the roof to offer his…services. Still, Mohinder's wording is odd, and Eliana catches it. "I know his name is Hiro Nakamura, and that he's not your average Japanese man who walks around with a sword." She walks across the floor, trying not to obscure the mural with her steps.
Mohinder chuckles some as he turns to face Eliana. "I see. No, he's not your average Japanese man. He's a very remarkable individual." Outing the man's powers might be in bad form, so Suresh says nothing of that. "Tell me, do you feel that there is any truth to the theories my father wrote about? Based on anything you have seen, heard or even experienced yourself?"
Shortly after the pair ascend the stairs to the lab, a black van (apparently for an office supplies company, or so the white lettering would have you believe) pulls up and parks not far from the office. Inside, The driver chats on the radio "Dispatch, this is Skaargard, Subject has contacted possible evolved target, please advise." Theres some brief to-and-fro over the radio waves before, "Confirmed, Dispatch. Target will be brought in for questioning. Over and out." The man climbs out of the van after gathering some appropriate equipment from the back (stowed under his jacket, small stuff), and heads in after them, strolling and whistling like he hasn't a care in the world. Got to love civvie clothing, leather jacket, tshirt, jeans, you'd never guess he was a Company spook.
Eliana finally lifts her eyes to Mohinder, and they're wider than they were before. "I haven't seen a reason to /disbelieve/ them." She hasn't noticed the office supply…delivery man? yet, but it's fair to say her attention is rather torn as it is between Mohinder and the mural. "I'm sure if my parents knew, I'd have quite the lecture in store."
Mohinder isn't surprised that the mural has Eliana's attention. It.. kind of has that effect. "There isn't a reason to disbelieve them. There are people out there with special abilities. Flight, teleportation, pyrokinetics." The comment about her parents has his brows raising, "Why is that?" He's unaware of the incoming field team as of yet. There's always noise coming in off the street.
It takes the apparent delivery man a little time to get himself ready and head upstairs to the lab, especially because the one man "field team" is sauntering and taking his time, whistling loudly and even drumming on the wall, Radar Love? Why yes. By the time he makes it to the top of the stairs hes started singing it quietly to himself, but he stops when knocks on the door or.. would do, since its open and all, so he just steps through, "Dr. Suresh?" he asks through the doorway, "Is everything okay?"
"They're members of the biomedical community in Flor-," but Eliana's cut off by the man in the doorway, and she turns to look at him. "Florida," she finally finishes a softer voice. If there's a chance the geneticist might know them, due to overlapping circles, she offers their last name in the same volume, but it's obvious the man in the doorway has her full attention. "Pasternacks."
Mohinder listens to Eliana. "I see, biomedical.. I think that I have heard the name before." The geneticist's expression falls in the midst of his conversation with Eliana as Anders appears in the doorway. Surprise causes his brows to raise faintly. "Everything is /quite/ alright, I assure you."
"Christ, you're /welcome/, Mohinder," Anders says as he steps through the doorway, "I come to visit and return your book and I.." Its then that he turns his attention to Eliana, as if noticing her the first time, "Why hello, I am sorry if I interrupted, I didn't think Mohinder still had ladyfriends, are you going to introduce us, Suresh?" he asks, one hand in his coat pocket and the other held out to shake Eliana's hand.
Eliana's eyebrow arches further, and with a small cringe she extends a hand to shake Anders'. Her heart rate is climbing out of nervousness, but the gas that she expels lingers a few inches from her skin and the thin fabric she wears. "I'm not his ladyfriend," she answers coarsely. In fact, the doctor doesn't even know her first name. Looking between Mohinder and Anders, Eliana swallows and nods. "Eliana."
Mohinder rolls his eyes at Anders. The man in general gets under the doctor's skin. "You don't know the first thing about me and my personal life is not any of your concern. What on earth are you doing here?" Suresh really should know better than to ask such a question, but he had no clue he was under Company SWAT surveillance or whatever they call themselves. He takes a few steps closer to Eliana, suddenly getting a bad feeling about all of this. Not that moving any closer to the woman will help.. anyone.
"What a lovely name, it pales in comparison to it's owner though," Anders says, gallant even as he grips her hand hard and his other hand comes out of his jacket pocket, clutching a pressurised hypodermic needle which is promptly thrust at Eliana's side. Quickly does it, can't let her get too agitated, agitated evolved (even suspected evolved) are not fun, "Count backwards from 10, please."
When her hand is gripped a bit too tightly, and that handshake lasts a bit too long, Eliana only grows more nervous. With increased nervousness comes an increased heart rate, and with an increased heart rate comes an increased production of thicker gas. But the airborne Ecstasy, in it's rush, only pushes four feet from her before the anesthetic is plunged in takes it hold. Eliana twists her face in an attempted sneer, but it's lazy given the drugs that course through her own system. "Fuck…you…" she growls before her eyes droop closed and her muscles relax. The gas slowly dissipates into the air once it's production is cut off.
Mohinder's eyes widen and he takes a step forward, anger forming, "What is the meaning of this!? I'll not have you just taking people like this!" Oh Suresh, you remain so naive. "You've been /spying/ on me. Just waiting! I should have known!" No, the geneticist is not pleased, and he's blaming himself too as he watches Eliana be drugged. "I could have handled this fine without your interference!"
"Maybe when you wake back up-uuhh.. Oh, hiii Mohinder," Its pretty obvious at which point his pupils widen, but he still fights it, shaking his head, "Man, we were so spying on you." Is that a giggle? "We were! you and your pretty little, hee, think she'll forgive me, a little prick like that isn't how I.. hee.. how I like to be remembered.. hahahahahaha." He kneels down to pick the girl up and sling her over his shoulder, "Next time, I will bring a camera and take a photograph of your face!"
Eliana is a ragdoll in Ander's arms and therefore is easily lifted up and over his shoulder, her short pink hair hanging as if she were an upside down Troll doll who'd met some child's scissors.
Mohinder blinks and looks taken aback at Anders. "What the.. Are you /high/?" The man surely can't be on the job while on drugs. Wait.. he looks from Anders down to Eliana. Throwing a look of disgust at Anders, Mohinder rushes into his lab for a syringe and a sterile swab. Seeing as Anders is in no fit state to interfere. The doctor intends to swipe a blood sample and to run the swab against the inside of Eliana's hand.
Troll doll and Troll stand there, the man blinking at Mohinder as he goes to get the syringe, "Maan, I have to take this one to the hospital, shes..," some uncontrollable giggling from Anders, "Shes meant to be there now, you.. okay, just.. I mean.." He stands still long enough for Mohinder to take the samples, before starting to lumber towards the door, "Hes a nice man, really, hes just fallen in with a bad crowd." Anders advises Eliana, for no apparent reason.
But Eliana doesn't hear a word of it. Nor does she protest to the needle or the swab. How could she?
Mohinder gets the samples off of Eliana.. Just in case he's not able to get to her at the hospital. Cursing himself, and the Company, the doctor stands back, letting Anders do his job.. and he's got his own to do. With a look of unbridled disgust on his face, he puts the swab in a sterile tube for labeling.