Jeffrey 'Eidolon' Shekelstein awoke in the intensive medical care unit of Site-65 after being transferred by emergency helicopter from Site-[REDACTED]. The site had suffered a cataclysmic containment breach, resulting in the death's of nearly a hundred personnel, or so he was told. On awaking he was confronted by a room filled to capacity with people in argument. The most heated argument occuring between a huddle of men, some in jet black two piece suits, others in cream coloured three pieces.
"How could you let something like this happen!" shouted a man in a three-piece. "We nearly lost the whole site! This all occured right under your nose and you were idle."
A man in a black suit offered only a wry smirk of amusement. "Oh yes, Ethics Member, if only we had some kind of Committee in place to stop these things from happening."
The man in the three piece nearly throthed at the mouth. "You dare suggest this is OUR failing?"
"SILENCE! ALL OF YOU!"
Another man in a cream three-piece arrived with multiple MTF operatives surrounding him. He grips a thick cigar between his teeth and carries a brief case with him, chained to his wrist.
"I have lost more staff to this than any man present here, I shall be the judge of this man's fate.. by all medical accounts he is dead, not dead, but.. dead. No memory of.. past events.. exists within him. Therefore. It is my verdict that we allow this man to be born again. Let the Foundation make use of him, but if he shows any signs of recourse - we wash our hands of him."
Shekelstein drifts back to sleep.
"How could you let something like this happen!" shouted a man in a three-piece. "We nearly lost the whole site! This all occured right under your nose and you were idle."
A man in a black suit offered only a wry smirk of amusement. "Oh yes, Ethics Member, if only we had some kind of Committee in place to stop these things from happening."
The man in the three piece nearly throthed at the mouth. "You dare suggest this is OUR failing?"
"SILENCE! ALL OF YOU!"
Another man in a cream three-piece arrived with multiple MTF operatives surrounding him. He grips a thick cigar between his teeth and carries a brief case with him, chained to his wrist.
"I have lost more staff to this than any man present here, I shall be the judge of this man's fate.. by all medical accounts he is dead, not dead, but.. dead. No memory of.. past events.. exists within him. Therefore. It is my verdict that we allow this man to be born again. Let the Foundation make use of him, but if he shows any signs of recourse - we wash our hands of him."
Shekelstein drifts back to sleep.
The man in the cream three-piece had been monitoring Shekelstein's progress throughout his new career in the Foundation for a significant number of years now. He sat in a warmly lit boardroom, seated at the head of a long rectangular mahogany table , observing Shekelstein on a wide screen monitor. He had been watching him silently through security cameras, anonymously downloading his written works and monitoring his emails. There wasn't a trace of evidence to suggest he knew anything of his past. He watched when he was promoted to Security Captain, watched when he enlisted in The Hammers and even spied on his interview with the Council when he applied for the position of Chief of Security.
The man in the cream three-piece had seen right into his eyes then, or one of them at least, and saw nothing of the man who used to live behind them. Shekelstein's right eye was completely blown out, along with the right side of his skull. The medical department saw fit to give him a cybernetic implant to replace his lost eye. It stared out into the world, dark red and unblinking. How fitting to give a man an implant so unsettling when you try to convince the world he is not evil. Could they have at least made it a different colour?
The Ethics Committee grew worried then, that Shekelstein had some real authority again. Their response was unexpected - they bagged him and recruited him into the Laws Left Hand. So much easier to keep an eye on him if he is within their own flock. A smart move on our part, he thought - 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'. And then the most amusing development of all. He became one of the most qualified individuals available to fill an empty seat on the Committee.
The man slid a small wooden box out from underneath the table, placed it on top of the desk and opened it. A conventional, wired, white telephone sat inside, it had only one button on its dialface. A. He lifted the receiver to his ear and held the button down. A short moment passed before A picked up.
C: "Good Evening sir, requesting permission to brief the Committee on The Featherman."
A: "On what grounds?"
C: "His successor has become a suitable candidate, I wish to gather the Committee and hold a vote. They deserve to be fully briefed."
A: "He is in danger of being the only Member to have been recruited to CL5 twice."
C: "Indeed."
A pauses in contemplation.
A: "Granted. You will also inform the Council, if they find out about this promotion themselves we risk a misunderstanding that may result in further bloodshed over the matter."
C: "As you wish sir."
A hangs up the line
The man in the cream three-piece had seen right into his eyes then, or one of them at least, and saw nothing of the man who used to live behind them. Shekelstein's right eye was completely blown out, along with the right side of his skull. The medical department saw fit to give him a cybernetic implant to replace his lost eye. It stared out into the world, dark red and unblinking. How fitting to give a man an implant so unsettling when you try to convince the world he is not evil. Could they have at least made it a different colour?
The Ethics Committee grew worried then, that Shekelstein had some real authority again. Their response was unexpected - they bagged him and recruited him into the Laws Left Hand. So much easier to keep an eye on him if he is within their own flock. A smart move on our part, he thought - 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'. And then the most amusing development of all. He became one of the most qualified individuals available to fill an empty seat on the Committee.
The man slid a small wooden box out from underneath the table, placed it on top of the desk and opened it. A conventional, wired, white telephone sat inside, it had only one button on its dialface. A. He lifted the receiver to his ear and held the button down. A short moment passed before A picked up.
C: "Good Evening sir, requesting permission to brief the Committee on The Featherman."
A: "On what grounds?"
C: "His successor has become a suitable candidate, I wish to gather the Committee and hold a vote. They deserve to be fully briefed."
A: "He is in danger of being the only Member to have been recruited to CL5 twice."
C: "Indeed."
A pauses in contemplation.
A: "Granted. You will also inform the Council, if they find out about this promotion themselves we risk a misunderstanding that may result in further bloodshed over the matter."
C: "As you wish sir."
A hangs up the line
Donator
Community Sup.
Group Moderator