The X-Project

Getting in position does require a bit of bluffing... 

"You know, I am not quite sure if khaki polo and cargo pants are quite your look." Hope quickly glanced over her partners, her eyes lingering on the various tools tucked away. "However, they do make a stunning look for an audio-visual technician." Pushing her glasses up her nose, she eyed the back entrance of the complex. "Time to go."

Sue's fingers pulled at the khaki top, face turned down in a frown, "We are never speaking about this again. I can't believe I'm wearing Khaki...the things I do for you. You know, I feel a proletariat instinct forming...we should unionize, demand better pay...wait, do we even get danger pay...we need danger pay."

"Talk anymore and they might just refuse us for that!" Hope gave her a small playful push, a tiny smile kept trying to escape. "Hannah Cooper." She quickly identified herself, offering her ID and work order. "I am here as the replacement for assistant supervisor for section D."

"Please, it's not anything they haven't heard before, it's the eternal right of the worker to complain about their bosses, I'm sure the security supervisor sucks too right guys?" Sue flashed a bright grin at the guards as her hand went to her neck, lifting the lanyard for them to scan, "Alice Hart, I'm here to sort out the audiovisual booth for the presentation."

"I haven't seen you around before." The guard remarked as he glanced over their papers. "Usually it's the same crew around here."

"Yes, I was called in at the last moment. A family emergency I believe." Hope let a frown flash over her face. "I need to find Mr. Aspen. Do you have an idea where I might locate him?"

The blonde shrugged and lifted her tool case, "I just go where they tell me man, 'go here, fix that and come right back'" She quoted her 'supervisor' rolling her eyes conspiratorially before glancing over to Hope. "I think I saw Mr. Aspen come into the building a while back, or was that Mr. White."

"Well, we need to find him before gets upset since it is..." Hope quickly glanced at her watch. "... five minutes to the time I was meant to be there." Leveling her gaze at the guard, he waved her through and she quickly entered, followed by Sue. "Time to go find Mr. Aspen for real. Good luck."

The blonde fell in behind Hope, lifting two fingers in a half-salute to the guard as they padded past the checkpoint, her hands sliding into her pockets as she started to hum to herself for a moment before a shrill beep interrupted her oratorical relaxation. Her brow furrowed as she turned, watched a harried looking guard pushing his large rimmed spectacles up his nose and hurrying towards them, waving a flashing box in their direction.

"Halt." The guard immediately commanded. "Let me scan you."

Hope glanced over at Sue with a raised eyebrow before turning back to the guard. "A scan, sir? What kind of scan? I am supposed to report to Mr. Aspen any moment now."

"Verification you don't have an X-gene." He explained shortly as he poked the beeping device at them. "Which you..."

The blonde met Hope's eyes for a moment before looking over at the device, eyes scrunching up for a second before widening in recognition, "This is one of the Mutant Hunter 3000, isn't it?! I've heard about those, late night infomercial sale thing, supposed to be accurate out to 500ms right? Didn't they get recalled due to faulty sensors or something?" It sounded like she was genuinely curious as she reached out a finger to poke at the device.

Hope let an annoyed look flow over her face while her voice tightened as she replied: "You seriously want to stop us with some faulty device because you think we are one of those filthy mutants!" Taking a small step closer to the guard, she increased her volume just a bit as she gestured to herself and Sue. "Do we look like one of those creatures? And you are making me late!" Once more she moved a step closer till she was almost in his face, eyes flaming indignantly.

The blonde drifted to the side, a hand coming up as she jabbed it in the man's chest, ice blue eyes flashing with anger as her hand drifted over the device, a small forcefield passing through it as she pulled it out of his hand pointing at him, watching the screen go crazy. "I mean, it says you're a mutant, not us. Jesus get your head screwed on right mate."

"Wait, what?" Hope's head whipped back to the device. "So now it is claiming you are a mutant? That thing is faulty." Taking a small step back, she tilted her head. "How about this... you let us go, I will mention nothing about you possibly having an X-gene to Mr. Aspen or anyone else. What do you think, Alice?"

"I dunno," Sue grumbled, "I feel kinda offended by this whole idea. God, imagine the nerve...you know what...you're not worth my time and the boss wants to move. So toss that piece of junk and get outta my sight and we'll forget about this, I just don't wanna see you again today."

Having already paled at the thought of being reported as possibly having an X-gene, the man just gave a quick nod and hurried away.

"It looks like going above and beyond does not always pay off..." Hope simply remarked.

"You know, if someone actually bothered to invest money into that, other than the cheap fakes they sell on late night TV we might actually have been in trouble."

... but the plan does come together. 



"Sue, you need to put a tighter leash on that boy Kade of yours." Hope muttered soundlessly as she hurried on the waiters with glasses of champagne with quick gestures of her clipboard to supply all the guests before the inevitable toast.

Behind her round tables, each holding ten guests on purple velvet chairs, filled the hall with a huge stage and a video screen at one end of it. William Metzger of Divine Will: Church of Humanity, Esther Miller-Williams, Chair of the Sapiens Foundation, Ellen Nadeer, Leader of Humanity First and Kade Kilgore, Manuel Enrique and Maximilian von Katzenelnbogen of Homines Verendi were taking seats on more purple velvets chairs on the stage, while Graydon Creed moved towards the microphone set to spread out his papers.

There's a brief pause for clapping and cheering as Creed finally adjusts the microphone and delivers a grin every part baby kissing politician as it is a smugly satisfied autocrat. The screens surrounding the stage light up behind him, and the crowd hushes just enough for him to start.

"Friends," he said, holding up hands, "Friends. Come on now. We gather tonight to celebrate the men and women serving America. All of you willing to protect and preserve our human way of life by any means necessary. Before me sit our best defenders of that freedom to live safe with their unique contributions to human rights. They are true fellows to the cause of humanity, and I am happy to call them friends."

"Hurry along... hurry along..." Hope urged the final waiters on, keeping a half eye on the beeper at her waist. "Sue, I better hope you are in position, because the show is about to start..."

"Please, who do you think you're talking to?" The blonde span around in her chair for a moment before grinning, "DJ Storm, ready to get this party going!" It wasn't the most complex control booth she'd ever seen, but more than enough to set off the fireworks they'd planned. "You know, they could have at least password protected their computer. I'm seriously considering writing a strongly worded letter to their IT department."

Affectionately rolling her eyes, Hope returned her attention to the stage as the waiters started filling backstage behind her. The instructions had been clear: tables cleared, everyone a glass of champagne to toast with and then the waitstaff was to leave, only leaving a minimal number of people on the floor.

The drone of Creed's glad-handing has continued, unabated, but there was a pause in his speech as he transitioned into the reason why they all were here. "Tonight, we gather to honor these talented and dedicated individuals who have gone beyond the call to protect humanity's integrity in these uncertain times. These Honorary Fellows and their organizations represent the future of the Friends of Humanity."

Hope tensed. She knew the schedule of the evening, this was the moment the video was going to play. Joking aside, Sue better be ready, otherwise it all would have been for nothing...

"3...2...1...Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to interrupt your show but we have this urgent message from your hijackers," the blond murmured to herself as she flicked a finger at the button, leaning back to let new video start to play across the screens in front of everyone.

A different version of Creed appeared on the screen. Still the self-styled gentleman, but the tilt of his head and the narrowing of his eyes scrubbed what little political humility the man at the podium was trying to possess. What was left was something raw.

"Between you and me," the man on the screen started, "we don't need any of these shits. They all wish to capitulate with the mutant menace. The Right is a useless of snowflakes -- they know it, we all do -- and the only godly thing about Divine Will is their pocketbooks. Hominis Verendi will arm our supporters. Humanity First will give us key targets. Then that idiotic Sapiens League softens our image with talk of family and education. All tools to make the Friends of Humanity unassailable. Once we have their supporters and potential votes, we cut all the chaff of that imbecilic leadership."

Everyone seemed to freeze for the few minutes it took to sink in. The eyes of Esther Miller-Williams, Chair of the Sapiens Foundation, were the first two swing to Creed, quickly followed by Rev. Metzger of Divine Will jumping to his feet and waving his fist. Ellen Nadir, the face of the website Humanity First, stared at the screen where the video continued playing, Creed's voice outlining his plan.

Hope couldn't restrain a smile as the remaining guests started buzzing, some lifting their phones to capture the situation on stage. "Take this, Friends of Humanity." She muttered satisfied.

"It's so sad when your heroes end up having feet of clay isn't it?" Sue let a small smirk play across her lips, arms crossing over her chest as she let her blue eyes rest on the screen, "And here I was planning to vote for him for president."

Graydon Creed, meanwhile, sat frozen on stage – almost in direct juxtaposition to the much more animated version of himself onscreen. Only his face twitched. Once. Again. As if he were going to say something before immediately thinking better of it.

It took far too long for him to say, "Friends. Friends. These are mutant illusions, mutant tricks, to discredit not just me, but you! All of us! Libel and slander. You can, and can continue to, trust me. There will be punishment, mark my –"

This did not quell the crowd's growing rumble of discontent. If anything, it grew louder. The politician, cheeks reddening, stormed off-stage.

"I think the Friends of Humanity might have a few less friends right now." Hope murmured softly to Sue, a smile playing over her face. "Please tell me you have this is recording and streaming to a secure server somewhere. This will make great material to use in the future." On the stage Rev. Metzger looked like he was arguing with security to follow Creed, while others were escorting shocked looking people off the stage. A suited woman climbed the stage, gesturing to the other guests to calm down, but the volume only increased.

"Who do you think I am, recordings of him and all the attendees. We can have a movie night when we get home, but anyone else caught reacting might not want to be associated with them after we're done...enlightening the world as to their...situation." A self-satisfied smirk touched the blonde's lips for a moment as she glanced at the scene on stage before offering Hope her arm. "Shall we leave them to their misery?"

"Yes, we are done here for now. Just let me..." Hope gestured over several of the waiters, ordering them to serve everyone a drink 'in the hope of calming them down". "Okay, let us go home."