Chapter 4: Adaptation (Part 1)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Lisa and Ryan are sitting in the dining room of their new neighbours’ house. They feel a little awkward about the situation; they have just unexpectedly moved to a new house in a new town, they have different names, and are eating dinner with a family they just met. Lisa tries to look past this uncomfortable situation and tries to act normal.

Lisa

So, uh, Tom; what is it that you do?

Mary

Oh, he’s a pretty big lawyer in this town.

Tom

Well, honey, I wouldn’t say I’m that big of a lawyer.

Mary

His signs are all over town. I’m sure you’ve seen them.

Lisa

Oh, sure.

Lisa has not seen any advertisements. She just got into town and wasn’t exactly taking in the sights. Ryan knows the question asked is about to return from the other end so he asks a question to avoid having Lisa think of a clever answer.

Ryan

What school do you go to?

Charlotte

Notre Dame Elementary.

Ryan

Is it nice?

Mason

It’s alright. There’s a pretty big gym.

Charlotte

Yeah, but they keep buying sports junk for the gym instead of new instruments.

Mary

Charlotte plays the clarinet, and Mason is on the basketball team.

Lisa

Oh, well Ryan actually knows how to play the guitar.

Ryan

I know a little bit.

Mary

Well maybe you should try out for the school band with our Charlotte here if you decide to go to Notre Dame.

Ryan

Maybe.

It seems as though they’re having a regular dinner conversation but in their minds Lisa and Ryan are very uncomfortable and would give anything to get out of there. They can’t imagine it feeling any more awkward then it already does.

Tom

So, Melissa, what is it that you do for a living?

---

Gabriel peers over his shoulder as he continues his run from the agents and thanking God for his many talents; martial arts, urban evasion, and even parkour. Right now that last one is coming in handy as he climbs and leaps up from the ground and onto a low windowsill. From there he runs directly upwards towards the next level and once more jumps, this time leaving himself dangling on the edge of the building.

Saunders

Where is he climbing to? And how is he doing that?!

Bennett

He’s trying to get to the roof!

Saunders

What, are we not good enough to chase him in the streets?

Bennett

I’m on it!

Agent Bennett jumps onto the top of a small brick wall surrounding a small garden in a nearby building. He jumps and grabs on to a window ledge located above the wall where he’s standing. As he jumps off the wall a large chunk of it is ripped off, and hits the ground just as he grabs onto a fire escape. Bennett runs up the stairs to meet Gabriel on the roof.

Saunders
How the hell did you just do that?

Saunders runs to his car and starts driving, following the directions that Agent Bennett is telling him through his car speakers.

Bennett

Can you hear me?

Saunders

Yes.

Bennett

He’s headed left down Tennessee!

Gabriel sees Bennett behind him and tries to get away by jumping to near-by buildings, but it is no use. The agent is never far behind him and getting closer by the second.

Gabriel

Oh come on!

Gabriel keeps trying to get away by jumping to a nearby building, but it’s no use. He tries to think of possible ways to escape. If his theory is correct, he wouldn’t have much of an advantage in a fight with Cole Bennett so he has to think fast. He quickly spots an alley with a clothes line he can jump off. He takes off his coat and zips down the clothes line... but as it turns out, life isn’t quite like the movies. The line snaps and Gabriel falls.  He’s able to roll on impact, lessening his fall but he still hurts himself going down.

Gabriel

That didn’t happen at all like the movies!

Agent Bennett doesn’t see a way down as Gabriel runs around the corner into a busy sidewalk.

Bennett

He just fell down and headed out into the streets near that Chinese restaurant.

Saunders

Alright I’m here. I don’t see him anywhere.

Bennett

He just turned the corner now!

Saunders

Well he’s not here. Where are you?

Bennett

Hang on! Aim for the bushes, right?

Agent Bennett jumps off the roof directly to the ground. He lands on his feet, seemingly unhurt, but he needs a second to get over the pain. He then starts running out into the streets.

Saunders

What the... where are you going?

Bennett

He couldn’t have gone far, keep up!

Saunders

I’m the one in the car!

Bennett

Yeah but I’m just naturally faster than you.

Saunders

You call that ‘natural’?

Bennett

Fair enough. Either way, hurry!

---

Lisa and Ryan are back at their new house unpacking some things.

Lisa

Well, that was an awkward dinner.

Ryan

Why did you tell them you used to be a receptionist? Also, what is this?

Lisa

I think it’s an iPod, it’s been a while since I’ve seen one. And I was supposed to tell them that.

Ryan

Huh?

Lisa pulls out a folded sheet of paper from her pocket; it is bright yellow and has what looks like a coffee stain on it.

Lisa

This says everything about us. Who we’re supposed to be and who we are.

Ryan

When did you have time to read that?

Lisa

Back at the motel, when I sent you out for a while.

Ryan

I thought you were watching TV.

Lisa

I was reading until they started talking about your dad in the news.

Ryan

So that thing has our new lives written on it?

Lisa

Speaking of which, I want to talk about that question you asked at dinner. The one about school.

Ryan

I know. I’m supposed to be home schooled or something, right? So people don’t recognize me.

Lisa

That’s ridiculous. Why would you think you’d need to be home schooled? That’s a terrible idea.

Ryan

Really?

Lisa

Let’s go check out that school today. I also have a few things I’d like to take care of.

Ryan

Okay, I just got to unpack some stuff in my new room.

Lisa

Alright, I’ll call you when we need to go.

Ryan runs upstairs while Lisa picks up a phone book she finds left in the house. She begins turning through the pages until she finds the number she wants and calls immediately.

Lisa

Hello, I’d like to make an appointment with Dr. Flemming.

---

Agent Thompson leans back in his chair and yawns as the 247th surveillance video runs out of footage.

Saunders

How’s it going, Thompson?

Thompson

Why do I have to look over so many videos? I feel like you’re punishing me for some reason.

Saunders

I am. You forgot my birthday last month.

Thompson

Fine, I’ll buy you a cake. Can I stop watching now?

Saunders

Might as well get comfortable. We’re acquiring more surveillance footage as we speak.

Thompson

Of what?

Saunders

We were chasing that guy from the hospital and he got away.

Thompson

Look, the only good videos that will tell us anything useful are the ones from the hospital and the cameras were shut down when it happened. I’ve been looking at these for over 24 hours and there’s been nothing.

Saunders

Well keep looking. Oh and here’s a tip; you could always lie and tell another person that I ordered them to help you. It’s really sad when you have to be told how to be lazy.

Agent Bennett knocks on the door and lets himself in the room.

Bennett

Sir, we have some camera footage from buildings nearby but not very much.

Saunders

Alright. Hey, here’s a question: who uses a clothes line anymore?

Bennett

It’s better for the environment.

Saunders

Ah, it’s not like we’re any closer to stopping global warming than we were 20 years ago.

---

Lisa and Ryan are driving to Notre Dame Elementary. Lisa turns on the radio to hear any news about Adam.

Radio

...and the president will be visiting the United Kingdom today to...

Ryan

We’d already know right now if we could use the Internet.

Lisa

I told you, we can’t use the Internet.

Ryan

It’s not like I’m going to blog about our daily adventures. We can go to a library or something and use one of their computers.

Lisa
We’ll see. Right now, let’s go check out this school. Oh, and I talked to Mary Wilson and she said you can go over their house for the day to play with the kids while I have to go do some errands tomorrow.

Ryan

Wait, what? Why?

Lisa

Well I can’t leave you home alone.

Ryan

Why would I be left home alone? Where are you going to be?

Lisa

I told you I have some errands to do.

Ryan

Like what? Why can’t I come?

Lisa

Because I have to take care of these things on my own. Don’t worry about it and just listen to me, okay?

Ryan

I don’t want to spend the day at the Wilson’s.

Lisa

I know, but it’s just one day and the kids seem to like you so maybe you’ll grow to like them.

Ryan

Fine.

---

Joe

I thought you guys weren’t going to make it.

Saunders

We got extra help on the work we needed so that we didn’t have to miss poker night.

Joe

So what is it you guys are working on now, exactly?

Saunders

That’s classified.

Joe

Since when am I a news reporter? You can’t tell me?

Saunders

There was a Pod missing in a shipment to an out of state hospital that we had to look into. Now can we just play poker?

Joe

Really? You think someone stole it?

Saunders

Hey, when you get a badge with clearance, then you can start asking us questions.

Bobby

Yeah, some of us at this table don’t have the same connections as you and we probably shouldn’t be hearing this, right?

Bobby jokingly says this and starts laughing.

Joe

You know, Jason, I know what your poker face looks like, too.

Saunders

The way I see it, the only reason we’re still not asking you the same question we asked last visit is because you’re not bugging us about our operations. But now you’re crossing that line.

Joe

I see your point.

Jack

Hey, Joe, I saw on the news what happened to your son-in-law. I’m sorry about your loss.

Saunders

Yeah, Joe, I saw that, too. I’m so sorry to hear that.

Saunders gives Joe a menacing smirk as he lays down a full house, kings full of eights, and reaches to collect the pot before Joe smacks his hand.

Joe

Don’t be so confident, Jason; it will get you nowhere. And yes, it’s tragic. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to him. All those people from LifeSource kept visiting him and all that press was around the building. I just hope my daughter and my grandson are alright.

Joe gives Saunders a look right back as he plays a royal flush, besting the agent.

Bobby

Yeah, why are they missing?

Joe

I couldn’t tell you.

Saunders

She activated the Pod without the doctor’s say so, so she’s hiding to avoid arrest.

Ben

Wouldn’t the nurse be the one who would be punished? Didn’t she activate it?

Saunders

She was arrested last night, Ben.

Bobby

Hey, Cole, are you in or what?

Bennett

Joe, why are there mushrooms on this pizza?

To be continued...

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