Starring:
Summary: Evie appears to point Gene in the direction of sin city. Reason? Heroics.
Date It Happened: February 6th, 2008
Smile Crocodile
Pinehearst Research
Fort Lee, NJ
It's been weeks since Gene started his new job. Still pining for his old position where he could make whatever and do whatever, Gene is no longer shielded by protective connections or eccentric businessmen. Now he is forced to work over time to make it seem like he's taking the proper amount of time to make something he knows he could make in a third to half the time.
Seated at his desk, Gene rests his head on his elbow as he watches the computer scheme without a hint of passion in his eyes. Letting schematics go through the auto-sequencer like he doesn't know which statistics are going to be the proper output, Gene looks at his monitor and waits, his dress suit wrinkled from being washed but not ironed. "I can't believe this is how people make a living," he bemoans himself, unheard by the two or three people in the mostly vacated after hours office.
"Oh Geeee-eeeene…" The singsong voice of Evie rings through the cubicle behind Gene's computer, preceding the child's head popping up, smiling and sunny. She's wearing a white wool hat befitting of an artiste, a fluffy tassel on the top, sitting off-kilter. Her hair is in two braids. "You look bored. Ever been to Las Vegas?"
The super genius doesn't even look up past the screen. "I'm stuck in a crappy job, in a mysterious organzation as a low tier geek. If this is suppose to help you and bring me the answers that I seek, I'm really not seeing it right now, Evie. All I've learned is that this job likes attracting Evolved for WHO KNOWS what reason." Finally, he decides to look up with a tired look. "I like meeting nice people and all, but this isn't where I should be."
"You hafta show 'em what you got!" Evie says optimistically. "Don't be scared. I know you think… well, I dunno what you think. You're weird." Pause. "I'm not psychic or anything, but I think it's like… in your best interest to go to that convention in Vegas," she declares with the tone of a child trying to sound grown-up because, for all appearances, that's what she is. She perches her chin on the back of her hands, peering at Gene. Trivia: she isn't actually tall enough to look over the cubicle, and there wasn't a chair behind it.
"'Cause see — that group of bad people, the people who don't like people like us, I've been trying to watch them. I think they're planning something. I got this number." She holds up a piece of paper, brandishing at Gene. Her hands grip either side tightly. "I think it's from a plane. It's going to Nevada. They're gonna snatch a man and a lady. But that's all I could hear."
Gene takes the paper, trying to commit it to memory if he can. "So, you're sending me to… Nevada to try and protect a man and a lady… Even though I don't know WHO they are." The fact that he's trying to memorize the number shows that he's likely going to do it though.
Sighing, Gene pushes off his arm to rub his sore head. "And if I show these people I have a gift, they'll treat me as an Evolved. Sure they'll figure it out sooner or later and I'll just tell them the truth then."
"Pinehearst wants to help people like you and me," Evie says brightly. "Don't be scared, Gene. If you show them what you can do, you can get out of this silly box and they can help you do amazing things! For the world!" Excited, the girl beams from ear to ear. "They know about the other people— the anti-us," she explains. "But not the other way around. Except that they do. 'Cause of the stuff you found. It's confusing, huh?! But if you can help save someone—" She shrugs one little shoulder.
The young inventor ponders this for awhile, folding his arms looking down and pouting like a child for roughly ten seconds. "Fine, I'll go, try and make some sort of plastic spring loaded weapon that won't trigger airplane security and…" Gene pauses to make air quotes with his fingers, only to go back to the arms folded and pouting position soon after. "…'save the day'. So help me, if I end up getting screwed by this, I'm so getting a new imaginary-mental-illusion-whatever. Like Splinter. He'd never steer me wrong."
"Maybe you'll even learn something at the convention!" The girl suggestions, brows shooting up and almost disappearing under her hat. "I bet they'll have food. …I miss food…" She heaves a melodramatic sigh before smiling brightly at Gene, in contrast. "Be careful, okay? See you in Vegas! Smile crocodile!" She pops back down behind the wall.
He doesn't even look behind the wall, Gene knows she's gone. The paper is tucked away, something to researched on his own free time. As if singing a funeral dirge, the Geek God pulls out a pen and paper, drawing out some schmatics as he sings in a pitiful tune which reminds him of the simpler days.
"o/~ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… Heroes on a half shell, Turtle power! o/~"