~o~O~o~

 

 

Insert standard disclaimer here: The one that reminds everyone that this is a work of fiction. No one is real and any resemblance to someone who is real is just the reader's imagination. This is also a Fan Fiction set in the Whately Story Universe. No Canon characters were permanently harmed in the making of this story. I hope. :)

 

Notes: Decided to revise and post two chapters in an attempt to keep appease my remaining readers. I changed up Fey's visibility and fame a bit after some feedback from a very reliable source. Thanks to djkauf for correcting my many grammar mistakes! Enjoy, Please.

 

 

** Chapter 16 **

 

Washington D.C. - DARPA HQ - Friday - 0730hrs

 

After navigating the Pentagon maze, Deputy Director Nicholas Reilly of DARPA’s Director’s Office (DIRO) sat down at his desk and plugged his laptop into its docking station with a sigh of relief.  His office was sparsely decorated.  He had only been working out of DARPA HQ for a month now and we wasn’t used to having a regular office.  He was more used to working in the field as a troubleshooter for DARPA, but when the Deputy Director position opened up, Director Alberts insisted that Nicholas take the position.

 

A photo of his son, Troy and his daughter Nichole were the only personal touches on his desk.  His “I love me” wall was still in a box laying on the floor.  A very small box. It contained a few awards from his time in the military. A few photos and his college diploma.  He like to keep the wall salad to the bare minimum because he didn’t like the distraction caused by large displays of false ego.

 

Now if Congress would approve the new headquarters building planned for Arlington, VA.  The commute would be so much easier. At the current legislative snail’s pace, that might be a few more years though. His secretary brought him a fresh cup of coffee with a smile, “Thanks, Susan and how many times do I have to tell you that I can get my own cup of coffee?”

 

“I lost count sir, but if you like, I could try and do the math based on how many days you come into the office with a frown on your face”.

 

“I don’t frown that often, do I?”

 

“No sir, but this is Friday and for you to frown on a Friday, something must be bad. So, I thought that you might need a cup.”

 

Nick took a cautious sip of his coffee and smiled. “Yes, you might be right Susan, but don’t let it happen again or I’ll have to give you a day paid day off or something!”

 

“Yes sir!” Susan said with a crisp salute that betrayed her prior service background. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

 

“No, I think that you have done enough damage to my Friday morning blues.  Thank you.”

 

“No problem sir.” She was about to leave when she stopped. “Oh, Director Alberts stopped by on his way in this morning.  He wanted me to ask if you had a chance to read the updated accident report from the lab in Los Alamos”.

 

Nick paused to take another sip of his coffee. “No, I haven’t, but I will pull it up now, thanks for the warning”.

 

Susan frowned with concentration. “Oh yeah, He also mentioned something about the video attachment and the picture of the subject that you might find interesting.”

 

“Okay, that could be bad.” Nick said as he sat back in his chair with a thoughtful expression after he hit the key on his laptop.  It looked like the file was pretty big and was going to take a few minutes to download over the network.

 

“Yes sir,  When Director Alberts says something is ‘interesting’, then it’s time to panic. Will there be anything else sir?”

 

“No, but thanks again for disobeying my no coffee order”

 

“My pleasure sir. I’m just following the UCMJ ( Uniform Code of Military Justice ) rules regarding illegal orders, sir”

 

“Interesting interpretation Susan. What are you basing that nebulous legal justification on?” Nick asked as he smiled with anticipation before taking another sip of his coffee. This should be good.  Even though she didn’t look it,  Susan was an ex-marine and one sharp cookie.

 

“Oh, just the part about denying prisoners food and water.” Susan said with an impish grin as she watched her boss almost choke on his coffee with surprise.

 

Nick struggled to contain his coughing. “Okay, you got me, Susan. Now shoo so I can finish my POW coffee in peace.”

 

Susan’s pleased laugh followed her out of his office as she closed his door.

 

The video was still downloading, but the updated report and picture of the subject named “Brian Peters” was available.  Nick read the report and the further he got, the more curious he became.  He could understand the complication that the subject being a possible mutant could cause, but he wasn’t sure what a video game might have to do with the problem.  The summary just stated that, “GEO player character, Seramis, claimed that she was able to cast a spell on subject Brian Peters via video game interface ( See attached video ).”

 

Okay, that part was cause for some concern, but any crackpot with a loose grip on reality could make a wild claim like that.  The confirmation that a healing class spell was actually found to be active on Brian Peters was definitely an interesting wrinkle.  He started to take another sip of his cooling coffee when he clicked on the two attached pictures labeled “Brian_Peters_1” and “Brian_Peters_2”.  The first one showed what looked to be recent school photo of the boy, while the second one showed a strikingly attractive teen-aged girl laying unconscious in a hospital bed.  He paused mid sip when he noticed that she appeared to be an elf.

 

With his curiosity peaked, Nick decided to watch the video. There was something very familiar about this Queen Seramis person. Her speech patterns and body language reminded him of his daughter’s avatar spirit, Aunghadhail. He made it halfway through the video before he absently noticed that his coffee cup was empty.  Almost on cue, Susan poked her head into his office and with a smirk asked him if she should bring him a second cup. Without comment, he nodded yes and she promptly returned to refresh his cup from the carafe.

 

Once the video finished, Nick sat back in his chair and started to put his observations into order.  Reaching a conclusion, Nick looked at the time and noting that it was already 0830, he picked up his phone and dialed a number from memory, “Whateley Academy Headmaster Carson’s office. How may I help you?”

 

“Hello, this is Nicholas Reilly and if Mrs. Carson is available, I would like to speak to her about my daughter, Nichole Reilly, please.”

 

“Do you mind holding while I check sir?”

 

“Sure and thanks”

 

Nick is only on hold for 20 or 30 seconds before he heard, “Mr. Reilly? Mrs. Carson is available. I will transfer you to her office right now.”

 

“Thank you”

 

“Mr. Reilly. I understand that some congratulations are in order for your recent promotion. How can I help you today?”

 

“Thank you Mrs. Carson, I have only been here for a month now and while I have been kept rather busy, I am positive that you are a very busy person yourself. I would like to think that my daughter is a perfect little angel who never gets into any trouble. However, I think that I would only be lying to myself if I really thought that”

 

“True and except for a minor incident yesterday, I haven’t heard of any recent troubles that your daughter might be accidentally attracting to herself” Mrs. Carson said with a laugh.

 

“An incident?  What kind of incident?”

 

“It appears that another student was very mad at her and accused her and someone else of cheating at some video game the other day.”  Mrs. Carson said, dismissively.

 

“GEO?”

 

Mrs. Carson’s tone of voice changed instantly. She sounded very alert. “Yes...how did you know?”

 

“That is kind of a long story, but I have reason to believe that Nikki somehow managed to cast a real healing spell on someone else via the game.”

 

“That’s impossible!”  Mrs. Carson said with disbelief.

 

Nick chuckled. “I’d like to think that too, but I have the proof of that laying in a hospital bed at a DARPA nanotechnologies research lab in Los Alamos.”

 

“Why would that person be at a DARPA lab?”

 

“A local high school boy and possible mutant was on a class field trip at the lab two days ago. During the tour of one of the research labs, he and his classmates handled a sample vial that contained a large quantity of deactivated test nanites. It is theorized that he somehow activated and became infected by those nanites.”

 

“Didn’t the boy know that he was a mutant?”

 

“Apparently not, his parents first noticed the first signs of mutant manifestation when he got home that evening.”

 

“How does the game come into all of this?”

 

“The boy was playing the game when he collapsed.  The investigation team at the lab didn’t think that the game had much of an impact until they sent one of their employees into the game to talk to the person that saw him in-game just before he collapsed for real.”

 

“I know that Nikki can do some impossible things, but I still don’t see how she might be involved.”

 

“The boy was playing a female elf assassin who was originally sent to kill a Queen Seramis. I think she might be Nikki’s character. The boy decided not to kill her, and instead, defended Seramis from a second assassin that was there to kill her. During the fight, his character became wounded and was about to die, so Seramis healed him.”

 

“Okay, she cast a virtual healing spell on a virtual person in the game, so what?”

 

“Not exactly and this is where it gets more confusing. This Seramis person was able to tell that the boy was actually in the game and that he was feeling everything that his character was feeling. His real body was actually dying from the virtual wounds and virtual poison he received from the other assassin during the fight.”

 

“Oh...and Nikki...” Mrs. Carson paused as if mulling over all the impossible ideas in her head.

 

“Okay, I can see her somehow managing to do that. How can I help?”

 

“I would like to confirm my suspicions about who was playing this Queen Seramis person. Would it be possible for me to speak with Nikki and ask her a few questions?”

 

“Certainly, I can have her pulled from class right now if you need.”

 

“That would be helpful, but I also think that Sir Wallace might be needed in this conversation.” Nick said with an afterthought.

 

“Hmmm, Not a problem. It could take ten to fifteen minutes. Do you want me to call you back as soon as I can round both of them up?”

 

“Yes, please. That will work perfectly. I need to give the Director an update. Thanks Mrs. Carson.” Nick said before hanging up his phone. He paused for a minute to gather his thoughts, and then he walked down the hall to knock on his boss's door.

 

DARPA Director Alberts raised his eyebrow. “I take it that you have reviewed the latest opportunity” he said, using the euphemism for problem.

 

“Yes, sir and I think that I will need to visit the site myself. I understand that Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) Director Grier and Col Thompson are already on-site and if this were a normal containment or contamination problem their presence would be more than enough firepower to resolve the problem. Unfortunately, I am worried that there could be some National Security issues with this case that might cause the SecDef and President to end up getting involved.”

 

Director Alberts sighed and leaned back in his chair to briefly look up at the ceiling in thought. After only a second, he looked back to Nick. “That is what I was afraid you were going to say Nick. Due to the potential for political fallout, I don’t like it, but I have to agree with your assessment. If it wasn’t for my oldest son being a GEO addict and giving me a basic understanding of the game in an attempt to get me to play, I might have missed the potential issues that the interview with that Seramis woman raised.”

 

“Yes sir. The Seramis issue is what I am most concerned about right now. Just the chance that someone could cast a spell on someone else over the internet scares the crap out of me and I am sure that when the boys upstairs find out about that, they will shit their pants.”

 

“I think that you are right about that. I will make a call to Captain Heinricks to ask him to get the jet ready to fly you to Los Alamos. I will also let Director Grier know that you are on the way.”

 

“I noticed in the interview with the Seramis woman, that she recommended a mystical healer take a look at the subject.”

 

“Yes, but an on-site mage was able to do that”

 

“True, but the subject is still unconscious and that concerns me.  I would like to bring a mystical healing consultant with me, just in case the girl who was a boy, still hasn’t regained consciousness by the time I am able to get there.  There are still a lot of questions regarding his transformation and the magic that may have been involved.”

 

“True, healers are kind of rare though.  Do you happen to know of any that might be available?” Director Alberts asked with a knowing smile.

 

Nick sighed. “Yes sir, Sir Wallace Westmont and my daughter, Nichole”.

 

Director Alberts just nodded his approval. “I take it that you reached the same conclusions that I did regarding this Seramis person?”

 

Nick couldn’t hide his frown.  Nikki’s exploits were pretty well known and his boss was very cognizant of the fact that she was Nick’s daughter. “Yes sir and that is why I want Sir Wallace to be there.  His neutral mentor status and proven expertise on magical phenomenon should help to protect my daughter and reduce my conflict of interest in this case.  If she really is Seramis.”

 

“Risky. If she is Seramis; the government is definitely going to want answers, but I can see where you are going with this. Your idea might just stop the witch hunt before it starts once this report reaches the higher ups.”

 

“Yes sir, that is what I hope for too. Before someone upstairs starts the panic, if I am able to prove that this spell casting thing is just a fluke and that the person responsible is on our side, that should keep my daughter safe. Sir Wallace’s testimony will also help with that.”

 

“I would not want to be in your shoes right now, Nick. Interesting times, indeed. Based on what you just told me about Sir Wallace, we probably won’t need any additional clearances for him, but we will need some form of a government ID for Nichole, right?”

 

“She is officially Sir Wallace’s apprentice, so that should provide her with some cover. She is also a deputized auxiliary with the Boston PD SWAT due to her help in fighting off The Necromancer’s assault last fall.”

 

“Hmmm, that might work. I will make some calls, twist some arms and call in a few favors. Bringing her along as Sir Wallace’s apprentice as her cover should work. People expect apprentices to be young, so her age shouldn’t raise any eyebrows. There will be a packet with the necessary clearances and ID’s waiting for you by the time you reach New Mexico. In the mean time, I will also lock down this report to slow down the damage and give you a few extra days to get things under control.”

 

“Thank you sir. I have a few damage control calls to make myself. I should be ready to head out in thirty minutes, but first, I need to get back to my office. I am expecting a return call from Whateley that will answer the question regarding my daughter’s involvement in this issue. Who knows, maybe I will get lucky and I won’t need to bring her and Sir Wallace.” Nick said without much hope.

 

“Okay, but just in case, I’ll let Cpt. Heinricks know that you might need to make a stop to pick up your ‘consultants’” Director Alberts said as Nick left his office.

 

As Nick walked back to his office, he worried over how he was going to keep his daughter safe. Once the report made its way up the chain and more people got wind of it, he was sure that his daughter’s involvement would come out eventually. While he didn’t see anything in the video that would point to his daughter directly, it wouldn’t take much for an agency like the FBI or NSA to obtain the GEO account records under a National Security Letter. He didn’t even want to think about how much of a stink that the MCO would raise if they every found out. The ‘Deadly Force Pre-Authorized’ on her MID still pissed him off and he made it a point to keep the MCO out of any DARPA project. Bringing Nikki in on this from the start was a definite risk, but it also stood the best chance of keeping all of the three letter agencies from investigating it in the first place.

 

He grabbed his emergency travel kit from the file cabinet in his office and reviewed it to make sure that there wasn’t anything missing when heard Susan's phone begin to ring. “Hi Susan. Is that Mrs. Carson from Whateley?”

 

Susan looked surprised to see him looking so anxious over a phone call. “Yes sir. Shall I transfer her in?”

 

“Yes please and block my schedule off for the next few days. I will be heading to New Mexico as soon as I am done with this call.”

 

“Yes sir.  Here is Mrs. Carson.” Susan said before the line clicked over to Mrs. Carson.

 

“Hello Mrs. Carson, thank you.  Your timing is perfect.  Were you able to find Sir Wallace and Nichole?”

 

“Of course Mr. Reilly.” Mrs. Carson said with a pleasant chuckle. “They are both here, should I put you on speaker?”

 

Nick laughed at the idea that the Headmistress of Whateley would be unable to find a student. “Yes please and thanks again for taking the time out of what I am sure is a busy schedule Mrs. Carson.”

 

“My pleasure Mr. Reilly and if only all parents were as understanding as you are.” Mrs. Carson said before she switched the phone over to speaker mode with a beep.

 

“Hi Daddy.  Is everything okay with Mom and Troy?” Nikki sounded a little hesitant and worried on the other end of the line.

 

Nick rushed to reassure her since in retrospect, a parent calling and having their child pulled out of class was usually due to bad news. “Everything is fine with them Nikki, but I do have a question to ask you.”

 

“Oh, that is a relief!  When Mrs. Carson got me and said that you had called I was so worried!  What’s the question?”

 

Nick decided to just come right to the point. “Are you Seramis?”

 

Nick started to worry when Nikki didn’t immediately deny the allegation. “Ummm, I’m not...” Nikki started to reply causing Nick’s hopes to rise. “but Aunghadhail is. Why and how did you know?”

 

Nick frowned. It was just as he feared. “This morning, I watched a video with Seramis speaking with the character of one of our personnel at a DARPA Nanotechnologies research lab in Los Alamos.”

 

“Oh...” Nikki said, trailing off as the implications sank in for her.

 

“Yes...Oh. Right now, that video and the accompanying report has only reached as far as my desk and Director Alberts’ desk. I fear that holy hell will break loose once it goes higher up the food chain and people start freaking out over the idea that someone could cast a spell through the internet.”

 

“I...I mean Aung was only able to do that once and we explained that it was only because Whisper was somehow connected to the game!”

 

“Yes, I saw that and I believe you, but when the report finally reaches the DoD...they are going to s...I mean heads will roll.”

 

“Did my spell work and is Brian okay?”  Nikki asked, sounding more concerned about Brian than the side effects.

 

Nick sighed. “Yes, your spell worked, but as of this morning Brian is still unconscious and ‘she’ now looks like an Elf.”

 

“Mr. Reilly.  If I may speak.” Nikki asked. Her voice changed to sound like she was an adult instead of his teenage daughter and she wasn’t really asking for permission.

 

“Of course Aunghadhail...” Nick started to say before she cut him off.

 

“I find myself concerned on multiple levels.  First of all, MCO aside, your government must be made to understand that I am not a threat to itself.  Secondly, there are some aspects of the game that I have found to be of some concern and I believe that your government would be wise to further investigate.  Finally, I am deeply concerned with the health of my Subject.  She should have awoken immediately or very shortly after my spell completed.  Those ‘classified’ nanites of yours must be interfering. What do you intend to do to diagnose and eliminate this threat to her health?”

 

Nick frowned as the considered her points. “I agree with you on the first two points, but what do you mean by her being your Subject?”

 

“Simple, she is Sidhe, is she not?”

 

Nick wasn’t sure if genetic tests had been done yet that could confirm that observation. “She appears to be, yes.”

 

“No, she is and as such, her well being is one of my responsibilities. I did not risk so much to save her life only to have your government risk her health with its experimental technologies.”  Aunghadhail said, full of determination.

 

Nick started to get worried.  His daughter wasn’t listed as a class 7 for nothing.  If Aunghadhail got pissed; she could cause a lot of damage and endanger his daughter. “Out of curiosity, just what do you intend to do?”

 

“Simple.  I will open a gateway to her side and render her aid.”  Aunghadhail said as if doing such a feat was a minor accomplishment.

 

“Whoa!  Wait a second there Aunghadhail.  While I can only guess that you can simply snap your fingers and port to her side, not only would I have a problem with you doing that, but I am sure that the US government would view your unauthorized entry into a secure government facility as a hostile action. Mrs. Carson probably wouldn’t appreciate that either.”

 

“Hmmm, you raise an interesting point Mr. Reilly. Sir Wallace, Nikki and Mrs. Carson all indicate their agreement on your observations. However, I must go to her aid.  What do you recommend to solve this impasse?” Aunghadhail asked, sounding contrite.

 

“Sir Wallace?” Nick asked.

 

Sir Wallace sounded a little surprised to be brought into this part of the discussion. “Yes?”

 

“I have already made arrangements to bring you and Nichole with me, but I didn’t have a chance to ask you if that was okay with you.  I am in desperate need of your assistance with this matter.  Would it be possible for you to lend me the weight of your expertise for the weekend?”

 

“In light of the danger to my pupil and the fascinating implications that this problem raises, I don’t see how I cannot offer my assistance to you with this bit of a sticky wicket that young Nichole seems to have found herself in.”

 

Nick smiled, but what Aunghadhail said next really shocked him. “I apologize for my hasty words Mr. Reilly.  It was wrong for me to assume that you might not have a solution already made.”

 

Mrs. Carson interjected herself. “Mr. Reilly, excuse me for a minute, but is bringing your Nikki in like this the best way to protect her?”

 

Nick sighed and reclined in his chair.  “Honestly Mrs. Carson, I don’t know.  However, waiting until the DoD panics and then hunts her down is definitely not something I want to worry about.  I’d much rather stop this before a panic reaction happens.  Will it be a problem for Sir Wallace and Nichole to join me?”

 

“Given the situation, I think that I agree with your assessment and I don’t think that I could say no.  What time do you expect to arrive here?”

 

“I will need to check with the pilot, but I would guess that it will be about a two hour flight from D.C. to the closest airstrip to Whateley.  How about I call you as soon as I have an ETA?  Additionally, would it be possible for Sir Wallace and Nichole to meet me at the airport?”

 

“Certainly Mr. Reilly, I will bring the two of them there myself.”

Nick started to feel some hope that he could resolve this issue with a minimum of danger to Nikki. His career might be in danger, but that was secondary. “Thank you Mrs. Carson. Your assistance and understanding is most welcome.”

 

“Not a problem Mr. Reilly. I am glad that I could be of assistance to you, your family and our government in this situation. I shudder to think what might happen if the government decided that Nikki was a threat.”

 

“I thank you for your concern for my daughter Mrs. Carson.” Nick said, grateful for Mrs. Carson’s understanding and support.

 

“Your daughter?” Mrs. Carson said with a laugh. “No, Mr. Reilly. I’d be more worried about the government if I were you.”

---

** Chapter 17 **

Friday, Feb 16th 2007

 

The flight from D.C. to New Hampshire to pick up his daughter was uneventful and it gave Nick more time to consider what else he needed to do to further stack the deck in his daughter’s favor.  The thought of making a personal call mixed with business to his friend and now President of the United States gave him an upset stomach, but he was pretty sure that John would be willing to help smooth the way with the DoD.  As long as Nick was able to provide enough proof that Nikki wasn’t a threat to National Security.  Reaching a decision, Nick dialed the President’s personal number and was surprised when John answered his phone instead of letting it go to his voice mail.

 

“Hey Nick!  Good to hear from you.  What’s the newest National Emergency that my advisers haven’t told me about?” The President asked with a laugh.

 

Nick pretended to be offended. “Sir!  I am hurt that you would think that the only time I call you is when there is a National Emergency.”

 

“Okay, so when was the last time you called and there wasn’t one?” The President asked, sounding dubious.

 

“Well, I called to wish you a Happy Birthday last November.”

 

“Umm, yes, but you also mixed in Sam Everheart and that Hive thing during that call too.”

 

“Okay, then Happy Anniversary?”

 

“My Anniversary isn’t for another two months. What’s wrong?”

 

“Sorry John, but my daughter Nichole has gotten herself involved in something that could land her in trouble with the DHS and a lot of other National Security agencies.”

 

The President took a couple of seconds to respond. “Hmmm, you know that I make it a point to read any report that concerns Whateley and especially your daughter.”

 

Nick started to get worried.  He could understand that the President would keep tabs on Whateley, but his daughter too?  “Umm, sir…”

 

The President interrupted him. “Oh, don’t worry too much about that Nick. I only pay attention because she is your daughter and you’re my friend.  Well, and she is pretty damn powerful.  So, why would you think there might be a National Security issue that could cause us both some problems?”

 

“She remotely cast a healing spell on someone through the Internet.”

 

“What?  Did I just hear you say what I thought you said?” The President asked, sounding incredulous.

 

“I wish that I could say otherwise, but yes sir, based upon the evidence, I would have to say that she somehow managed to remotely cast a spell on someone.”

 

The President didn’t reply for what felt like the longest time. “How?” He asked.

 

“The short answer is that she was playing the video game called Good and Evil Online when another player became injured.  She cast a healing spell from her room in New Hampshire and it hit that person all the way in New Mexico.”

 

“Hmmm, I can see why you would be worried.  Did she have an explanation as to how she did it and can she or anyone else repeat it?”

 

“Yes, she has an explanation and, while I am not a magical expert, it makes sense and no, she has not been able to repeat it and I do not know if anyone else could repeat it.  I am on my way to pick up Nikki along with her mentor and magical expert, Sir Wallace Westmont, before heading to the lab in Los Alamos where the boy she healed is being examined.”

 

“Sir Wallace? I think I have heard of him.  He helped the Queen of England awhile back, right?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

“I assume that there is a report with the raw data regarding this incident somewhere?”

 

“Yes sir, it is DARPA-20070221X-Z01”

 

“Okay, I’m going to need to take a look at the report myself, make a few calls, ask a select few of my advisers some questions and see what I can do to help protect your daughter from the fallout.  Based on what you have told me so far, I think that we can limit your daughter’s exposure, but she will probably still need to answer a few very pointed questions before we can safely bury her part in this incident in a black hole somewhere.”

 

“Yes sir, thank you sir and I will try to make my next call 100% about your Anniversary.”

 

“Good luck with that Nick.”  The President said with a friendly chuckle before he hung up.

 

Nick leaned back in his chair and let out a large sigh of relief now that call was out of the way.  Now all he had to worry about was what Sir Wallace, Nikki, the military, the scientists at the lab and the new girl’s parents would discover after they landed in New Mexico.  On the positive side, Nikki’s presence and experience with the gender and elf issue could be helpful.

 

**

 

The sight of Nikki anxiously waiting with Sir Wallace and Mrs. Carson when the cabin door opened took his breath away.  He knew that she was beautiful, but every time he saw her it still took him by surprise.  The hug that she gave him only hardened his resolve to do everything in his power, and then some, to keep her safe.

 

As he approached the trio, Nick looked at Mrs. Carson and smiled. “Thank you for your assistance Mrs. Carson.”

 

Mrs. Carson nodded her head and smiled. “Oh, it’s not a problem Mr. Reilly.  This sounds like an interesting problem and I hope that you are able to get to the bottom of this.”  Her expression turned more serious. “Not only for your daughter’s safety, but also for the safety of the transformed boy at the center of this.”

 

Nick nodded his agreement as he glanced briefly at Nikki before returning his full attention back to Mrs. Carson. “I can’t agree more with you on those points, Mrs. Carson.”

 

Nick turned back to his daughter and gave her hug. She looked up at him and frowned. “Daddy?”

 

“Yes, Nikki?”

 

“Is everything going to be alright?”

 

“Shhhh, don’t worry about that right now. We can discuss our plans on the plane.”  His heart melted as she smiled at him.

 

He then looked to Sir Wallace and shook his hand. “Thank you for your willingness to not only mentor my daughter, but to lend you assistance with this problem.”

 

Sir Wallace tipped of his hat and a grinned. “Not a problem Mr. Reilly. In all honesty, I couldn’t resist the wondrous opportunity that my pupil has given me.”

 

Nick chuckled at Sir Wallace’s implication and Nikki’s discomfort. “Regardless, I am still very grateful for you time, expertise and assistance in this matter.  Are you two ready to board?”  He asked, looking to Nikki and Sir Wallace.

 

The time went by pretty fast during the flight from New Hampshire to New Mexico.  Nikki filled her father in on all of her many adventures.  He initially had to look to Sir Wallace for confirmation of many of the incredible sounding details of Nikki’s stories.  Sir Wallace’s simple nod at each point only confirmed to him that his daughter wasn’t just a simple teen magic user, she was a force of nature.  He ended up feeling even more worried for her safety, but at the same time, very proud of her many accomplishments.

 

Shortly after their pilot announced that they would be landing in less than thirty minutes, Nick’s phone rang.  He read the caller ID with surprise and when he looked up, he noticed Nikki and Sir Wallace’s curious stares. He mouthed, “The President” as he answered his phone.

 

“Mr. President, I didn’t expect to hear back from you so soon.”

 

“I just wanted to let you know that I looked over the report with my Advisor for Magical Affairs and my Adviser for National Security.  They are here with me right now and would like to ask Nichole a few questions, if that is okay?”

 

“Certainly sir.  Should I put her on speaker so that Sir Wallace and I can join in the conversation too?”

 

“Sure, we planned on doing the same here anyway.  Don’t worry, this is just an informal gathering right now.”

 

“Yes sir.” Nick said as he plugged his phone into the cabin’s conference system.

 

“Hi, Nichole, this is Heather Richards, the President’s magical adviser. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” She asked with a disarmingly pleasant sounding tone of voice.

 

“Hi Ms. Richards and no, I don’t mind” Nikki said as she looked at her father nervously.

 

“We have all read the report and watched the video, but when you mentioned that there are other aspects of the game that alarm you.  What did you mean by that?”

 

“Well, I and others have noticed that the game’s interface seems to almost read the player’s mind.  Aunghadhail has also found that the magical formulas and spells in the game are very similar to real magical formulas and spells.  It would only take a slight twist or alteration to make a game spell, real.”

 

“Hmmm.” Ms. Richards paused. “So,  you believe that there is some real magic in the game?”

 

“Oh yes, ma'am.  There has to be some real magic in the game.  It was released without any beta testing and it hasn’t crashed once.  Has there ever been a computer game or program like that?” Nikki asked with a chuckle.

 

Ms. Richards laughed. “I’m not big on computers, but Bob, the National Security Adviser, thought that was rather interesting.”  She became more serious as she got back to the issue at hand. “Based upon your MID, I see that in addition to being a very powerful Wizard, you are also a fairly powerful Empath and that alone could explain how you could have cast the healing spell on Brian. However, If it were that alone; I am sure that this would not be the first case of Internet spell casting we have heard about.”

 

Nikki nodded her agreement. “No ma’am.”

 

“Given what you have told us about the game itself, Mr. Hoffman’s examination and discovery of a scrying spell on Ms. Koshnik’s PC and Brian’s unusual connection to the game, it sounds like we have a very unique set of circumstances in this case”

 

Nikki looked confused. “Mr. Hoffman? Ms. Koshnik?”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Mr. Hoffman is the on-site security wizard who noticed that the PC owned by Ms. Koshnik, who you know as ummm, Lady Kalisa, had a faint residue of a scrying spell on her computer’s mouse and keyboard” Heather said.

 

Nikki looked surprised. “Really? I haven’t noticed that on my laptop, but I haven’t thought to look that closely at it either. That would explain a lot about the game’s UI.” Nikki looked at the bag that contained her laptop with suspicion.

 

The President returned to the conversation. “Okay, Bob, Heather, do you two have any additional questions to ask Nichole?” He paused for a few seconds before he continued. “No? Okay. I think that we will need to open up an investigation into this game. The simple fact that the game is able to generate a magical effect on a user’s PC is very troubling and I think that it is that, more than your accidental casting of a spell that has my National Security Adviser looking decidedly nervous.”

 

Nick nodded. “Yes sir, that would certainly put a completely new spin on computer viruses.” He watched as Nikki and Sir Wallace looked at each other with surprise as they considered the implications.

 

“Exactly!” The President agreed. “I will need to talk it over some more with my advisers, but, Nichole, I would like to thank you for your assistance in this matter. Just the fact that we were able to speak with you so quickly makes all of us here breathe a little easier. There is no telling what might have happened if this report had made its way up the normal channels.”

 

Nikki sighed with relief. “Thank you Mr. President.”

 

“Nikki? This is Heather again, before we go, would it be okay if I contacted you if I have any further questions?”

 

Nikki nodded and smiled. “Certainly Ms. Richards. I’d be glad to help.”

 

The President returned to the conversation. “Excellent! It looks like we have everything we need for now.  Nick, keep me updated with what you find at the lab or if you run into any roadblocks or problems with other agencies trying to stick their noses in. If you can’t reach me, call Bob or Heather.  I’ll have them send you their contact information right after this call.”

 

“Yes sir, thank you sir.” Nick said with relief.

 

After the call ended, Nick smiled with relief at Sir Wallace and Nikki.  “Well, it sounds like they believe you Nikki and their acceptance of that should help keep you out of trouble with the DHS and by default, the damn MCO.”  Nick’s tone of voice left no doubt about his thoughts about the MCO. “Now we just need to make it through the weekend without any major surprises and we should be in the clear.”  He grinned as he thought about how likely Murphy’s Law was to affect that idea.

 

A government issue black SUV waited for them when they arrived at the Los Alamos Airport and from there it was a short ten minute ride to the lab.  During the drive, Sir Wallace noticed that the young male driver was having problems keeping his eyes off the rear view mirror. He smiled. “Umm Fey?”

 

“Yes?” Nikki asked looking confused as to why Sir Wallace was now using her code name.

 

“Our driver appears to be having a spot of a problem with his mirror. Would you mind reducing your glamour a spot?  I’d hate for us to get into an accident.” Sir Wallace said with a smile as the driver cringed and Nikki blushed. The rest of the ride to the labs went without any further accidental lane changes.

 

Nick smiled at Nikki’s reaction when they arrived at the labs.  She looked so excited to be entering a secured area with real U.S. Army soldiers on patrol.  She shuddered once when they drove past the security check point.

 

Nick turned to her with concern. “What’s wrong,” He paused for just a fraction of a second. “Fey?”

 

Nikki acknowledged the use of her code name with a nod. “Oh, sorry.  It was nothing.  We just entered the magical barrier that helps protect the labs from scrying and other forms of magical divination.”

 

“Really?  I didn’t feel anything.” Nick said with surprise.

 

Sir Wallace added. “Mr. Reilly. It would be a surprise if you had detected it.  You must commend your security wizard on his ward construction.  It is very well designed and I can only offer a few suggestions on how he may improve it.”

 

Once they arrived at the lab, Nick introduced Sir Wallace as a DARPA magical adviser and for Nikki, he simply introduced her as Sir Wallace’s apprentice, Fey.  A lot of people gasped with surprise at her introduction.  She was apparently more famous than even he realized. While her codename was well known, he hoped that her real name wasn’t.  He wasn’t sure if anyone here would know that Fey was really his daughter, but he wanted to minimize conflict of interest issues as much as possible.

 

 Nick could feel the tension caused by his arrival ratchet up even further after Fey’s introduction.  Everyone seemed to realize that this problem was about to get a lot of attention.  He didn’t think that they realized just how much more attention it had already received.  If they knew that the President was already involved; he felt sure that they would all be looking a lot more worried.

 

“Thank you Dr. Edmundson, Major Thole and your excellent staff.  My presence here isn’t to bang heads or make anyone feel like they didn’t do their job.  On the contrary, Director Alberts and I feel that you all have performed above and beyond the call of duty.  Your thorough and unorthodox investigation has answered many questions.  Even questions we would have never thought to ask.” He smiled at that thought and noticed everyone in the room relax a little before he continued. “The idea of investigating the problem using a video game is just the type of out-of-box thinking that makes you all such an asset to you country.”

 

He noticed an attractive red head sitting in the back of the room blush and smile as Mrs. Peters said something to her.  She must be Ms. Koshnik, he thought to himself.  He noticed that she had looked startled at the sight of Nikki. No one else seemed to react as strongly at the sight of Nikki and from the thoughtful and confused glances that he noticed her trying to sneak, he worried that she recognized her as Seramis.

 

He shifted his attention to Mrs. Peters. “Mrs. Peters, I want to assure you that every resource that the United States Government can offer to help your son recover will be made available.  I can completely understand your pain and confusion caused by your son’s transformation.” Nick said while trying not to look at his daughter.

 

Mrs. Peters smiled gratefully at Nick. She looked so close to the verge of tears. “Thank you Mr. Reilly.”

 

Nick glanced to his daughter and noticed her determined expression. “Okay, I have got to make sure her new daughter is taken care of after this is done. Not only because it is the right thing to do, but because if I don’t, Nikki will never forgive me.”

 

Nick smiled before he continued. “Now, I must warn you all that no good deed goes unpunished.” He watched a few frowns appear with that statement. “By that, I mean that while Sir Wallace, Fey and I were en route, we received a call from the President along with his National Security Adviser and Adviser of Magical Affairs.” Nick watched as he gained everyone’s maximum attention. “They wanted to express their concern regarding the issue with how this Seramis person was able to cast a spell over the Internet.” Nick noticed his daughter fidget in her chair as he mentioned ‘Seramis’.

 

“In a way, that is actually good news for us. It means that we can focus our attention on how to best help Brian and learn from this incident while the President and his Advisers investigate the issues raised by GEO. Any additional data we are able to gather while helping Brian will go straight to the President. No pressure there, right?” Nick said with a chuckle as everyone in the room relaxed a little.

 

Now that Nick had the room’s full attention, he decided that now would be the time to completely introduce Fey. “To that end, I’d like to introduce you all to the person whom you know as Queen Seramis.” It took all of Nick’s self control not to smile as he watched Mr. Hoffman jump at the sudden dropping of Fey’s veil as she allowed Aunghadhail to come to the surface. Nick noticed as Ms. Koshnik smiled with satisfaction and he overheard her as she said, “I knew it!”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Reilly. I understand that my healing spell did work, but due to the fact that Brian has not yet awakened, I am anxious to learn more about his current condition.” Aunghadhail said with a hint of impatience as she looked to Dr. Edmundson for answers. Nick felt a little sorry for Dr. Edmundson when the Doctor turned to him with confusion. The poor man didn’t see that coming and he had to admit that she could be very intimidating when fully engaged.

 

Nick smiled to try and put Dr. Edmundson at ease. “Go ahead Doctor. She’s really very nice once you get to know her.” He felt her project her annoyance with him, but he knew that she realized that she couldn’t just take control here. No matter how much she wanted too.

 

Encouraged by Mr. Reilly, Dr. Edmundson recovered his composure and began to answer Aunghadhail’s question. “Yes, well, since we deactivated the METS suit and witnessed your spell complete, we have taken blood samples for DNA testing in an attempt to discover why he was transformed in such a dramatic fashion. We have also continuously monitored Brian’s vitals and brain waves in an attempt to discover why she has not yet regained full consciousness.”

 

“What has your team discovered?” Aunghadhail asked.

 

Dr. Edmundson looked a little flustered by Aunghadhail’s undivided attention. “The DNA testing is still in its preliminary stages and it will take a week to get more detailed results.”

 

She paused as she considered the relevance of the DNA testing. “Okay, and what about the question of Brian’s continuing unconscious state?”

 

“My team and I agree with Mrs. Peters’ assessment that Brian is awake, but is unable to respond for some reason. We feel that it is the result of the...” Dr. Edmundson paused and looked to Mr. Reilly for assurance.

 

“Sir, is it okay if we openly discuss the classified systems?”

 

Nick nodded. “Yes, they have all been cleared and it is information that we all need to know if we are to find a solution to this problem.”

 

Dr. Edmundson blinked his eyes with surprise. “Yes, were was I? Oh yeah, it is the result of the at least partial operation of the tactical augmented reality system we attempted to develop to aid soldiers make more efficient use of the many types of combat related information that they are increasingly being given.  Essentially it was to work like a fighter pilot’s heads up display system by helping the soldier analyze and prioritize critical combat data from multiple sources in the field of battle.”

 

“It ‘was’ to work?” Aunghadhail asked, skeptically.

 

“Umm, yes and I don’t mean to alarm Mrs. Peters, but we successfully tested the system with animal trials, but when it came time to move to human trials, the DoD decided that due to the complex nature of the nanites and the projected two million dollars per soldier wouldn’t be cost effective for us to try and implement.  So, the project was scrapped.”

 

Aunghadhail looked at Dr. Edmundson with surprise. “Can’t you just turn them off?”

 

“We have tried, but the system is ignoring all of our commands.”  He said, looking embarrassed.

 

Nick could see that Aunghadhail wanted to examine Brian for herself. He decided to help the good doctor out. “Excuse me, but perhaps it would be helpful if we could allow Fey to examine Brian using her magical abilities?  Maybe she will be able to discover something that we have not.”

 

Dr. Edmundson sighed with relief. “Yes, I think that would be an excellent idea.  Thank you Mr. Reilly. Umm, Fey, if you and Sir Wallace would be so kind as to follow me, I will be happy to direct you to Brian’s room.”

 

“Thank you Dr. Edmundson and Mr. Reilly.  I apologize if I have come across too strong. Since the evening that I was able to form a connection and cast a healing spell on Brian,  I have become very concerned about her condition.”

 

Dr. Edmundson relaxed a little with Aunghadhail’s apology. “Think nothing of it. We are all concerned about Brian.  Mrs. Peters, would you like to join us?”

 

Mrs. Peters looked gratefully to Dr. Edmundson. “Yes and thank you Dr. Edmundson.”  She turned nervously to Fey. “and thank you for coming, Fey.”

 

Aunghadhail’s stern outer shell cracked just a little as she smiled at Mrs. Peters.

 

When they entered Brian’s room, Fey’s first glimpse of Brian caused her to pause at the doorway, “Wow, she really does look like Whisper.” She continued into the room and as she reached the side of Brian’s bed, Fey reached out to touch Brian.  As she did so, everyone in the room felt the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end as they felt surrounded by an invisible energy field.

 

A minute later, the energy in the room calmed and Fey spoke. “She is definitely Sidhe, but not of the royal line. I can sense the machines in her system augmenting her ability to keep her body healthy, but it is the machines in her head that appear be directly responsible for her current state of consciousness.” Fey then looked to Brian’s anxious mother. “Mrs. Peters, with your permission, I would like to try and look into Brian’s dreams.”

 

Mrs. Peters looked startled by the question. “Umm, sure?”

 

Nodding her head, Fey once again turned her inner sight to Brian. She could feel the young girl’s mind, but she was unsure how to safely proceed. Fey reached into her own heart and quickly found the connection to her blood sister Sara. “Sara, I need your help.  Can you help me discover what is keeping my newest relative from awakening?”

 

Fey felt Sara’s love and willingness to help through their bond turn to curiosity as Sara’s presence joined her inside Brian’s mind.

 

“We have a new relative?  Oooh, and it’s a girl!” Sara gushed with excitement.