Project Lucy

Nico Minoru woke up to total darkness. She was sitting on a chair, her hands tied behind her back, and she was wearing some kind of hood or bag over her head.

‘She’s awake.’ Someone said. A few seconds later, the bag was removed. She squinted at the sudden burst of cold, fluorescent light coming from the tubes that illuminated the small hospital-like room she was in.

‘So. Let me get this straight.’ She said, looking at her captor. ‘You had four of your thugs break into my apartment, wrecking my door in the process, kidnap me, and take me to god knows where, all because what, I didn’t return your calls? I think this is what they call overkill, mother.’

Tina Minoru rolled her eyes and looked at the third person in the room, a small man in a suit.

‘See what I have to put up with?’ She said before turning to Nico. ‘You weren’t answering my calls.’ She said calmly. ‘And you were needed here.’

‘You could have texted. And I could have texted back with an excuse. You know, like normal families.’

‘This isn’t about us, Nico. It’s a matter of international security.’

‘Don’t you mean national security?’

‘No.’ Tina replied flatly as she walked behind Nico and untied her hands ‘I do not.’

‘Miss Minoru.’ The man said. ‘Welcome to the Projects for the Research and Identification of Diverse Entities. You must wear this at all time’ He added as he hung a lanyard with a small badge around her neck. Nico looked down and read the badge. It had her name and picture, a serial number, and the words ‘Project Lucy consultant - Clearance Level 0’.

‘Clearance level 0?’ She asked. ‘What does that mean?’

‘It means you don’t even get to ask what that means.’ The man said. ‘Now, if you’ll please follow me…’

Nico sighed and turned to her mother.

‘Can you please tell your minion to stop ordering me around?'

‘He’s not my minion, Nico. This isn’t Wizard. I’m here as a consultant.’

‘For the Project for the…’ She trailed off, gesturing vaguely with her hands.

‘Just call us PRIDE.’ The man said. ‘And yes. We brought your mother in as a specialist, and she suggested you might be able to help us with a...situation.’

‘Why do I think you’re not after my makeup skills?’ Nico muttered. ‘It’s the staff, isn’t it?’ She added when the others didn’t answer. ‘You want to do something with it and couldn’t, and for whatever reason you think I might be able to. Even though I don’t even know how the thing works.’

‘The staff has always reacted differently to you. And we’re out of options.’ Tina said matter-of-factly. ‘Trust me, getting you involved wasn’t a priority of mine.’

‘Lot of good that did.’ Nico said.

‘There really is no need to be so dramatic.’

‘Says the woman who had me kidnapped .’

‘I’m sorry, but I’m afraid the, ah, family matters will have to wait.’ The man said, checking his watch. ‘We’re on a tight schedule. Miss Minoru?’

One long hallway, an elevator, and another hallway later, Nico found herself in front of a large metal door with the words PROJECT LUCY engraved on it. After a second, the man coughed and looked up. Nico followed his gaze and saw a security camera looking at them. After a moment, there was a sound of air being released as the door slid open.

‘What you’re about to see is-’

‘Classified?’ She guessed.

‘No. Classified things exist. This doesn’t.’

Nico walked into a room with nothing on it but a door on the opposite wall and small desk with a computer and a microphone. The computer just had the word PRIDE on it.

‘Mrs. Minoru, if you’ll please hand the staff to your daughter.’ The man said. Tina reached into her coat and took out a staff with a large ring on one end. It could not have fit in there, but Nico had seen the trick before.

She reached for the staff, but her mother pulled away at the last second.

‘Don’t. Try. Anything.’ Tina warned. ‘For your own safety.’

‘Do you want me to do this or not?’ Nico asked impatiently, snatching the staff from her mother. Immediately, she felt the familiar prick of the needle looking for her DNA. ‘What is ‘this’ anyway?’

‘There is someone on the other side of that door.’ The man said. ‘You are to find a way to communicate with her.’

‘Couldn’t you just get a translator?’

‘Yes, but we thought this would be more fun.’ Tina said. ‘No, Nico. Just go in there, you’ll see.’

‘Or you could explain.’

‘You wouldn’t believe us.’ The man said. ‘Just walk in there. Don’t worry, we’ll be watching from here.’

‘I feel safer already.’ Nico said as she looked at the door curiously.

‘Today, Nico.’ Tina said.

‘And then you wonder where I got my manners.’ Nico said rolling her eyes as she walked through the door.

She was beautiful. That was the first thing Nico thought when she entered the room. Beautiful, bright, and impossible. There, in the middle of a dark room, on her knees and chained to the walls from her wrists was a girl who shone with every colour of the rainbow.

‘What did you do to her?’ She asked. She heard static and looked up to find a camera and small speaker hanging from the ceiling.

‘We didn’t do that to her, Nico. That’s-’ Tina’s voice came from the speaker.

‘Above her clearance level.’ The man interrupted.

Nico sighed and approached the girl.

‘Hello?’ She said. The girl glared at her and muttered something Nico couldn’t understand.

‘We’ve tried that, Nico.’ Tina said. ‘Just use the staff.’

Nico took a deep breath.

‘Just you and me, girl.’ She said, gripping the staff tightly. ‘One last ride.’

She really had no idea how the staff worked. She knew it was an interface her mother had created for something , something powerful that could just...make things happen. It had been fun for a while, when her mother was teaching her and Amy how to use it. Amy had been a natural at it. But that was before. This was now. Now the only two people in the world who could use the staff were her mother and her, and her mother had failed. And was desperate enough that she had no problem letting Nico know she had failed. Whoever this glowing girl was, it was big.

Nico focused on the staff and felt its power flowing through her in waves. For a moment, reality was at her mercy. She could punch the laws of physics in the face with a single thought. She looked at the girl kneeling before her and crouched to meet her eyes.

‘Do not touch the subject.’ The man said.

‘It’s gonna be okay.’ Nico whispered to the girl, tucking a lose strand of glowing hair behind her ear. The girl gave her a confused look.

‘Do not. Touch. The subject.’ The man repeated.

Nico’s mind was made. She would play ball, for now. She would give them what they wanted. For now. But if she was going to do this, it would be on her terms. Clearance Level 0 would not do at all. The thought formed in her head. The staff began to glow and then released a brief but powerful flash of light.

‘Did it work?’ Tina, Nico, and the man all asked at the same time.

‘How…’ the girl began with wide eyes. ‘How are you speaking my language?’

‘I’m not- wait…’ Nico turned around and looked at the camera. ‘I’m speaking English, right?’

‘Yes.’ The man said.

‘And is she?’

There was a second of silence.

‘No.’

Perfect. Nico turned around so they couldn’t see her smile.

‘I used this staff.’ She said to the girl. ‘I can’t explain how it works. Now we can understand each other. I hear my language, you hear yours. But they still can’t understand you.’

‘Impossible.’ The man said.

‘Why- why are you doing this to me?’ the girl said with pleading eyes, shaking her chains. ‘I haven’t done anything!’

‘I’m not...I don’t know why you’re here. They just brought me in now to try and talk to you. I’m not with them.’

‘Then why are you helping them?’ The girl said, her expression turning angry.

Nico looked back at the camera before leaning closer to the girl.

‘Because it’s the only way to help you.’ She whispered, hoping they couldn’t hear.

‘What is she saying?’ the man asked.

‘She’s scared. She wants to know why she is being held. She says she didn’t do anything.’ Nico said. She waited, but nothing happened. ‘Are you going to answer?’ She asked.

‘You don’t have the clearance level.’ The man said.

‘They say they can’t tell me why they’re doing this.’ Nico said to the girl. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Ask her what her intentions here are.’ The man said.

‘Are you sure? I might not have the clearance level to hear the answer.’ Nico said sarcastically.

‘You don’t. Ask her anyway.’

‘Whatever they want to know can wait until my hands are free.’ The girl said. Nico couldn’t help but smile.

‘What did she say?’

‘She said to fuck off.’ Nico said, giving the camera the finger. The girl snorted. Then frowned.

‘How do I know what that finger means?’ She asked.

‘You didn’t before?’ Nico asked.

‘No.’

Okay, this was getting ridiculous.

‘What are you, an alien?’ She asked. The girl looked at her. She didn’t need to answer.

Oh.

‘That’s-’

‘I swear to god, if you say above my clearance level one more time…’ Nico said. ‘And tough, because I already know, so unless you have one of those Men in Black thingies you’ll have to deal with it.’ She really hoped they didn’t have one of those Men in Black thingies.

‘We don’t have one of those Men in Black thingies.’ The man said. Nico allowed herself a small sigh of relief.

‘She wants to be released.’ She said. ‘Then she’ll talk.’

‘Out of the question. We still don’t know if she’s dangerous.’

‘They’re afraid you might be dangerous.’

‘Then why are they so intent on pissing me off?’

Nico chuckled.

‘That’s a good question.’

‘I didn’t come to this planet intentionally.’ The girl said. ‘I came in an automated escape pod programmed to find the closest planet with a suitable atmosphere. I was in cryostasis the whole time, I don’t even know how long it’s been. One minute I was boarding the pod, the next I was waking up in this room with a bunch of non-glowing freaks poking me with needles.’

‘Heh.’ Nico said.

‘What’s so funny?’ Tina asked.

‘She doesn’t think of herself as glowing. She thinks of us as non-glowing.’ She explained. The girl raised an eyebrow at her.

‘Well it’s true. Do you all just...look like that? All the time?’

‘What’s wrong with that?’ Nico asked, offended.

The girl thought about it for a moment.

‘Nothing, I suppose.’ She said. ‘It doesn’t look bad on you, actually.’

‘Thank you.’ Nico said solemnly. ‘Your lights don’t look bad on you either.’

‘Nico.’ Tina said. ‘Please stop flirting with the subject.’

The man muted the microphone.

‘What are we supposed to do now?’ He asked Tina. She shrugged.

‘You could give her a higher clearance level.’

‘How is she able to understand the subject’s language? How does the subject understand her, but not us? It’s the same language!’

‘Maybe they are not understanding each other’s words.’ Tina suggested. ‘Maybe that’s how their minds process it.’

‘Process what?’

‘Telepathy.’

The man thought about it for a second.

‘If that’s the case...we might be able to replicate it. Or hijack it somehow.’

‘We could...if we had any idea of how telepathy works. As far as I know, this is the first known case.’

The man smiled.

‘As far as you know.’ He repeated. ‘There is actually another case. I need to go make a call. You make sure your daughter doesn’t-’

‘Touch the subject, got it.’ Tina said. As the man walked out of the room she looked at her daughter on the screen. She couldn’t tell for sure if Nico had made it so only she could communicate with the girl on purpose, but she knew it was a possibility, even though it hadn’t even occurred to the PRIDE agent. Intentionally or not, there was no way they were letting her daughter go now. She sighed and opened the door to the cell. With a single gesture, she summoned the staff to her hand. Nico yelped in surprise in surprise as it left her hands and turned to look at her mother.

‘Really?’ She asked. Tina simply closed the door and walked to the computer.

‘It’s already done its part.’ She said, speaking into the microphone. ‘I’m just making sure you don’t catch more attention that you have to. You’re in enough trouble already.’

Chase Stein woke up startled. He was in his squad’s room.

‘Chief?’ he asked, covering his eyes from the light that had flooded the room as he looked at his superior officer. ‘What’s going on? Is it my shift already?’

‘Stein, get up. We’ve been reassigned.’

‘What? But we were just re-assigned.’ Everyone had been reassigned. Whatever was going on, it was big. Half of PRIDE, Chase included, was now part of Project Lucy, yet no one seemed to know what it was even about.

‘Yes. And now we’ve been reassigned again.’

‘To what?’

‘Project Arsenic. Get ready, we leave for Yucatan in an hour.’

‘Wait...what? Arsenic? It’s been re-opened?’

‘It’s top priority. Multiple teams and everything. Just hurry.’

And with that, Chase was alone in his room again, his mouth hanging wide open. Project Arsenic. He jumped out of bed. So he was going on the hunt for Gertrude Yorkes. Finally.