FF: "Firstborn." Chapter 9

["Elaine Dalier'" <ellie_dee@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

TITLE: "Firstborn." (Chapter 9/?)
AUTHOR: Ellie Dee
EMAIL: Ellie_Dee@xxxxxxxxxxx
CATEGORY: X-Files/Buffy the Vampire Slayer X-over.
RATING: PG13-R
SUMMARY: A pair of murders and a kidnapping in Sunnydale strikes close
to home with Agent Scully and the Scooby Gang. Can they work together to
solve the case before a young girl dies?
SPOILERS: Consider anything up to and including Season 3 on BtVS or
Season 6 on the X-Files fair game.
DISCLAIMER: Any characters you've heard mentioned on TV were created and
owned by Joss Whedon, Chris Carter, Fox, and WB. They just decided to
come visit and play with the beings inhabiting my rather warped mind.
ARCHIVE: Anywhere, just please let me know where it goes and try to keep
my name and Email on it.
FEEDBACK: PLEASE!!!!! This is my drug of choice and I really need a fix.


"Firstborn." (cont.)
By: Ellie Dee


Chapter 9.


Dr. Grant took off her glasses and threw them down on her desk as she
leaned back in her chair and stretched.

Oh, that feels good, she thought. Then rubbing her eyes with the heels
of her hands she sat up. But how am I going to write this report?

If I write down what I think I've discovered, I'll end up in a cubicle
with a tube down my throat. Reaching for her glasses she spied the
cigarettes the Director had put out on her desk. I almost wish I hadn't
given up smoking after college. Because right now I'd kill for one.

This Rosenberg girl is a wonder. She's a gold mine of information. We
just have to figure out the right questions to ask and there's no limit
to what we could learn. Thinking back to when the girl had been brought
in, Dr Grant had to marvel at the progress that had been made.

Maggie, if you only knew how you've helped. Back when we had were
medical students at Harvard I couldn't understand why you wanted to go
into Psychiatry instead of Genetics.

"Margaret Walsh, you're going to end up listening to rich neurotic
house wives and drugged out rock stars at $100 an hour." I don't know
how many times I told you that, but you never listened. Well, I'm glad
you didn't. If you had I wouldn't have a copy of your paper to work
from.

"The Achieving of Conditioned Responces Through the Application of
Electronic and Chemical Subliminal Indoctrination", beautiful! Truely
a work of art. If Eichman had had a copy we'd all be blond haired, blue
eyed and be speaking German.

And then there's Darvacon. That nice little narcotic you helped to
develop for the intelegence community. Wonderful for those indepth
interogations we're not suppose to do on prisoners. It's so nice how
it places the subject in a light trance and makes them highly susep-
table post hypnotic suggestions.

The only problem with Darvacon is that the person it's used on builds
up a resistance to it fairly quickly. So greater and greater doses must
be used. And by my calculations at a certain point the progressively
larger doses will supress the girls ability.

Using the two of them we have been able to essentialy control the
girl's dreams and then have her act them out in real life. But how
do I tell the Director what I've discovered?

With what I've been able to put together I've come to the following
conclusion. These abilities the girl has been demonstrating are in fact
Witchcraft....

Yeah, if I write that, I'll be lucky if I end up with a tube down my
throat.

Leaning back in her chair, Dr. Grant let her mind wander.

Who would have thought that something productive would have come out
of all those late night discussions we'd had over wine and pot?

Well it's taken me 25 years, but I proved us right. There is a tie
between genetics and psychology.

The powers that Willow has exhibited are definitely genetic based. My
scans show that her very DNA is patterned to absorbe and focus Ground
Force Radiation. Then she is able to manipulate it with her mind.

Back when we were in school people use to laugh at your "Maternal
Bonding Theory." After all it was so very unfeminist.

To actually believe that a mother and child could bond so intensly as
to cause neural pathways to form in the child, was a little radical.

According to reports the girl has been studying Witchcraft for nearly
a year. But that she has had only limited success.

Considering the level at which she can absorb GFR she should have made
much better progress. It was at that point that I discovered she had
been adopted.

Being seperated from her mother at such an early age interupted the
bonding process. This resulted in the girl not properly developing the
pathways needed to manipulate the energy her body had absorbed.

At that moment a loud rumbling rocked the complex. Dr. Grant found
herself plunged into darkness for several seconds, then the emergency
lighting circuit cut in and the security alarm sounded.

"ALERT, ALERT, ALERT! Test subject has breached quarentine. Institute
Biohazard Lockdown. Security teams Alpha and Bravo report to test
chamber 3Delta. Subdue test subject by any means necessary."

Before the message had finished echoing through the complex Dr. Grant
was up and running. Test chamber 3Delta was over 200 meters from her
office yet she covered the distance in less than a minute.

When she arrived the security personel were just getting ready to enter
the chamber. For several seconds she stood in awe of the damage before
her.

The door to the lab and the main observation window had both been blown
out. The metal door showed severe burn marks on the inner side, while the
glass from the window had shattered and melted.

Approaching the officer in charge, she began, "Lieutenant..."

"Move back, this is a security matter."

"Lieutenant, I'm Dr. Grant. This is my project."

"And I said move back. We've got a hostile loose in there and we're
going to neutralize it."

"Your orders were to subdue her, not..."

"Neutralize, subdue, it's all the same thing. She's a hostile and we're
going to put her down. Now move!"

Straightening up, Dr. Grant stepped forward till she was almost chest
to chest with the soldier.

"Now you look here you pimply faced little Nazi," she began in a low
angry voice. "I don't give a damn what you do anywhere else, but that
girl will not be harmed. She is an essential part of our research and
the Director has taken a personel interest in her. So unless you and
your little group of stormtroopers want to end up test subjects in my
lab, I suggest you find an extremely non-lethal way of subduing
Miss. Rosenberg!"

The young officer backed up a step before he replied, "Doctor, that...
girl is dangerous. How are we suppose to take her alive?"

"Lieutenant your men have been issued tasers. I suggest you use them,"
she replied.

Quickly the security team unloaded their weapons and made their way
into the test chamber. Suddenly the sound of multiple taser gun blasts
could be heard. Then after several seconds someone called out.

"Ok, she's down! Get some medics in here now!"

Making her way through the shattered doorway Dr. Grant was finally able
to get a good look at the interior.

Ceiling, floor and walls were all burned and pitted. The wall at the
far end of the lab had a hole in it two meters across. Through it she
could see smoke and flame pouring out.

Slowly Dr. Grant's attention was drawn to the security personel
clustered in the center of the room. Walking forward she could see that
they surrounded where the Rosenberg girl lay.

Kneeling beside Willow, the doctor couldn't believe what she was
seeing.

There, on the blackened test chamber floor, itself still hot to the
touch, lay Willow.

Her pale skin appeared to be untouched despite the destruction around
her.

As Dr. Grant began to check Willow's heart and breathing, she vaguely
knew the security people were moving around the room investigating.

"Lieutenant, would you mind telling me what the Hell happened in here?"

Turning, Dr. Grant could see the Director standing in the broken door-
way to the room.

As the CSM entered the room all the security people did their best to
fade into the shadows.

"I asked you a question Lieutenant."

"S-sir we were attempting to subdue the test subject. She had broken
out of quarentine and..."

As the lieutenant attempted to explain what had occured, medical
personel began to pour into the room.

Under the direction of Dr. Grant most began to look after Willow. The
others checked the rest of the room.

When she was satisfied the young redhead was being cared for, the
doctor turned her attention to the Director.

"Sir," she said interupting the Director's blistering interview of the
young officer.

"What is it Dr. Grant?"

Mentaly taking a gamble the doctor began, "Sir, I have to take personel
responsibility for what happened here."

His attention now fully on the doctor, Cancerman asked, "Would you care
to explain that Doctor?"

"Director when I arrived the Lieutenant and his men were trying to
decide how to subdue the girl. They were afraid most of their weapons
would seriously harm her, so I advised them to use their tasers. At the
time it seemed the quickest and most humane way to stop her."

The Director was silent for several seconds, finally he addressed the
young officer.

"Lieutenant, you and your men are dismissed."

Ushering his men out of the room, the Lieutenant caught Dr. Grant's
attention and silently nodded his thanks for her intervention.

Without visibly acknowledging the young officer, Dr. Grant made a note
of a favor she was now owed.

"Alright Dr. Grant," began Spender Sr. "Would you mind explaining to
me what exactly happened here?"

"Sir, three of my technicians were performing a test on the Rosenberg
girl. They were trying to determine the limits of her ability to
focus and discharge energy."

At that moment one of the medical teams began to remove Willow on a
stretcher.

"Take her down to her holding cell and administer a mild sedative. I
want to be able to continue testing her in 4 hours."

The lead technician acknowledged Dr. Grant's orders and then exited
the room with his team.

"After what's happened here doctor, I think it would be best if we
terminate testing all together. The Rosenberg girl is obviously
dangerous and uncontrolable. For the good of the Project I feel it
would be best to simply dispose of her. Our main focus has always
been Miss. Summers, we will simply have to come up with a new plan
to bring her in."

Before she could reply, one of the rescue team members called out
from the far side of the lab, "Dr. Grant! We've found a survivor!"

Rushing over the doctor found several people surrounding a shape
on the floor. At one time the shape had been an attractive black
woman, but now it was barely recognizable as human.

The woman showed signs of severe burns and lacerations. Her very
skin was peppered with bits of melted glass and metal and she
appeared to be bleeding from more than a dozen places.

Considering her condition Dr. Grant couldn't understand why she
was still breathing.

Quickly moving to the womans side, the medical team began their
evaluation.

"Who is she doctor?" Cancerman asked as he stood surveying the
scene.

"One of my assistants sir," Dr. Grant replied. "Her name is
Dr. Adella Norris, her specialty is High Energy Physics. She was
in charge of this set of experiments."

Turning, Spender Sr. faced one of the rescue personel, "What is
it?"

"Sir the other two are dead at the scene. Looks like burns,
massive internal injuries and radiation poisoning."

"You mean the room's hot?" Asked Spender Sr.

"Negative sir. Only the people were affected. Radiation in the
room is at background levels."

"Was Willow affected?" Dr. Grant asked the technician.

"You mean the test subject, doctor? Negative, her count
is exactly normal. She doesn't even show a sunburn from this."

His report delievered, the technician was dismissed by the
Director.

"Sir I think it would be very rash to get rid of the Rosenberg
girl. There is so much we have yet to learn."

"Doctor, I think that your sentimentality is interfering with
your judgement."

"Sir with respect. I think you're not seeing the full potential
of this project. Up until now our purpose has been to harness the
genetic potential of the Slayer and to use it to create an army
of super soldiers."

"Think of what that army could do if we not only harnessed the
potential of the Slayer but also those of the Rosenberg girl."

"Strength, speed, agility, quick healing in addition to psycho-
kinetic abilities. With our cloning techniques we could very
quickly create an army that was unstoppable."

Taking a deep puff Cancerman added, "That's what worries me
doctor. No one could stop them......not even us."

"Sir with the proper conditioning they'll do exactly what we say.
That is one reason I need the inhibitor chip that Dr. Walsh has
developed. Once we have it we can stop using Darvacon."

"Dr. Grant, we've seen the results of using the drug. The girl
was still able to destroy the lab and kill two of the three
technicians."

"Director," Dr. Grant hastily added. "I'm afraid the reason she
got out of hand in here is because Dr. Norris failed to take
proper precautions. I've noticed in the past that even though she
is quite brilliant, Dr. Norris was also prone to ignoring proper
procedures."

As Cancerman pondered her words, Dr. Grant said a silent prayer
to a collegue. Adella, I'm sorry. But I have to keep the girl
alive. And if that means pinning the blame on you......then so
be it.

Taking a deep contemplative puff of his cigarette, Cancerman
considered the possibilities of harnessing the power of the two
young women.

Finally he addressed the doctor, "You're sure that the control
chip will make that much difference in training the Summers girl
and her friend?"

"Yes sir, that and getting Dr. Scully in here to help with her
daughter. I'm quite certain that the reason Willow has had
trouble developing her abiliies is because of her early
seperation from her mother. It resulted in her not developing the
proper neural pathways necessary to control this power."

"Sir I realize that the risks are great. But you have to see that
the rewards are even greater!"

Spender Sr. was quiet for some time until he was disturbed by his
cell phone.

"Yes?"

For several seconds he listened, then he continued, "I see, very
well. Place it in storage, we'll arrange for an autopsy later."
Putting his phone away, the Director turned back to Dr. Grant.

"Well doctor, that was the infirmary. Dr. Norris died shortly
after arriving. I suppose you'll want another doctor to perform
the autopsie, since you'll be taking personel charge of the
Rosenberg girls tests. That way we won't have to worry about
anymore incompetence." He said letting the implied threat hang
in the air.

Turning to survey the room, the Director didn't notice Dr. Grant
take a deep shuddering breath. "It's strange doctor, but in a
previous century the Rosenberg girl would have been hung or
burned at the stake for exhibiting powers like these, not to
mention her red hair. Both would have marked her as a witch." He
said chuckling to himself.

"And they wouldn't have been that far off," added the doctor.

"Excuse me?"

"Sir," the doctor added hesitantly, "just look at what she can
do; levitate, heal damage, shield herself from assualt. The girl
exhibits the ability to absorb and manipulate Ground Force
Radiation, what else would someone call it but Witchcraft?"

Dr. Grant was relieved, her superior appeared both surprised and
pleased. Slowly a smile crept across his lips.

"Very well doctor, continue your testing. I'll see what I can do
to speed up bringing in Miss. Summers and Dr. Scully. As of this
moment your team now has priority on all project resources."

Dr. Grant didn't need to be told that the Director expected
great things, soon. Also he must have noticed a questioning look
on her face.

"Yes doctor?"

"Could I trouble you for a cigarette?"

His eyebrows raised slightly even as he reached for his ever
present pack of Morleys. "I wasn't aware that you smoked doctor."

Taking a cigarette from the pack, the doctor accepted a light
from the Director's old, battered Zippo and inhaled greedily.

Slowly letting out the smoke she replied, "I haven't for a long
time. But....they're an old friend you always miss."

Quietly, almost to himself the Director said, "Yes....yes they
are."

"Well doctor, I wont be holding you up any longer," he said as
he turned to leave. "Keep me updated on your progress."

Watching her supervisor leave, Dr. Grant leaned back against
the blackened wall. Taking a deep draw from her cigarette, she
paused and let the smoke out in a stream while thinking, Ok,
Ruth, where the Hell do we go from here?


End of Chapter 9.




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