Yet A(nother) Year In Seattle

Sunday August 22, 2066 - The Poisoned Well

Since I'm still in exile Fr. Martin came out to the island for dinner. We had a long talk before dinner about family and life. It was refreshing, and I had to laugh.

Fr. Martin had been introduced to Alan before we started walking and I could tell something was on his mind. It didn't take long to find out what.

"Jessica, I can't imagine you ever dating that man. Did he save your life?"

Now, Alan has saved my life once or twice, but since he was the one who endangered it in the first place I figured it all works out.

When I told Father Marthin this he laughed and shook his head. "So," he said. "This is your brother by blood."

I nodded.

I didn't really think about it more until after he had headed back to the mainland.

As we were sitting down for our evening tactical meeting I simply blurted out, "poison the well."

It took a little more explanation but while I was starting to elaborate, Nathan just started chuckling.

"It may just work," he said with a nod before turning to Tabs.

Tabs bless her merely shook her head and stood. "Looks like we'll be doing some research… or more the point Captain Boxtop will be doing research and I'll be trying to keep the ceiling from falling down around his ears."

I smiled. She's good for him, and she won't let him take himself too seriously.

After he left I had to explain, in detail what I was thinking.

It's easy really.

We know their best sacrifice points. W know who/what they want to sacrifice. If we make it so the sites are unusable or better yet, their chosen sacrifices would be pure poison to their cause… We win.

I know it won't be that easy but it's one of the points of attack we can work on and that alone feels good.


Monday August 23, 2066 - Interesting

Alan and I had an interesting talk today. Interesting as in I had to keep from wanting to throttle him when he started trying to warn me about Nathan: this from the same man who endorsed Aaron, my little serial killer.

Sometimes I wonder if he's been paying attention at all.

He really didn't appreciate it when I told him he didn't know what he was talking about and the way Nathan threw himself into his research only seemed to support Alan's opinion, at least in his own mind.

Yeah, Nathan's a wicked genius when it comes to magic, but his concern is saving lives, not power.

But since Nathan's 'interview' Alan's been looking for signs of trouble where there are none. I guess some things will never change.


Tuesday August 24, 2066 - One is a lonely number

Sometimes I really think my brother needs a quick slap to the back of the head. Most of the times I think he needs several. Alan spent most of the day trying to explain why my idea won't work and resorting to 'you're not a mage, you couldn't possibly understand.'

See… I may be a brick, but this brick has feelings and she's gotten used to people actually thinking about what I say instead of picking it apart and dismissing it because it came from me.

He even tried to argue with Mom Walker.

My brother used to be inventive, he used to be opened minded. It must be lonely thinking you're the smartest person in the room.


Author's note: I do not know or pretend to know anything about the Mayan Calendar or the practices of ancient religions. I am using a calendar for plotting purposes only... (this is a work of fiction and in the world of Shadowrun, ATZ is not a nice corporation.)

Wednesday August 25, 2066 - Little Fish

Did I say my brother needed a slap to the back of the head? I meant he needed a slap to the back of the head with a very large fish.

I listened to him for as I long as I could, which admittedly is getting shorter and shorter, but he's still not getting the big picture.

He's used to calling the shots, he's used to being the specialist when it comes to magic and he's used to being the one writing the rules.

Now he's working with one of the most eclectic bands of mages ever assembled and he doesn't know how to cope with it. Sometimes being a brick has its advantages. I've never looked at Jonathan when his totem makes itself know as a multi facetted totem instead of one and said 'you can't do that.' I've never seen the lodge use Nathan as their focus and said 'he's not part of the lodge.'

I see results and I don't have to worry about whether or not logic comes into play. I don't question their knowledge of magic and they don't question my work as a medic. We depend on each other to do our jobs.

Alan's problem is he's never depended on somebody who wasn't Matt or Andy. When I finally told him what I thought he looked like he was going to use some of his magical specialization to argue his point and I think that scared him.

He should be scared, but he should also realize that sometimes it's better to be a small fish in a big pond than the only fish in a barrel, especially when that small fish is in a very big school.


Thursday August 26, 2066 - Bored

It's sad when my excitement of the day is going to the grocery store. Don't get me wrong, I like the whole being safe and protected, but I don't even get to deal with cats in trees.

Paperwork, checking homework and checking to see if anyone on Council Island has any use for a bored medic; that was pretty much the summation of my day.

And no, no one has any use for me.

I am my own worse enemy right now. The one good thing about being your own worse enemy is the fact that you know where trouble is coming from. If this keeps up I'm going to welcome it.


Friday August 27, 2066 - odd man out.

I think today is my day to feel out of place and abandoned. Everyone is working the problem and trying to build a better picture of what we're up against and me… I'm looking for patterns that just don't make sense.

As before, the enemy is combining Aztec, Mayan and Incan traditions to come up with something I think would mortify even the most blood thirsty of each of them.

I can't help but feel like we're missing something.

Saturday August 28, 2066 - Another glimpse

I knew something was up when Case handed me a deck of 3x5 index cards. I started sorting through them when Nathan showed up with a deck of his own.

Their information along with the emergency calls and elemental appearances should have been enough to keep me busy all weekend but as I started matching things up I went back to something I said yesterday.

Aztec, Mayan and Incan.. the Inca… the statue… the item that bound us all together. The next thought was something I'd said to Nathan when he'd asked about Alan, and whether I thought he'd set Bri up.

Children are sacred.

It wasn't that the statue had chosen the Millers and Case was linked to us through Bri. It was Bri. It chose Bri… and through her my brothers, Case and I were chosen as her protectors as much as that of the statue.

I don't know if it's true or not... but it feels like it is, and I know if I'm thinking it, the enemy is. It's why it took Matt's child, why it tried for Bri.

I think I preferred feeling left out.


Copyright 2010 M.T. Decker



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