xp_logs | Jane, Monet, Amanda

Answers are forthcoming, but sometimes are you better off not knowing?

Like everything else in the building, the conference room was white and sterile, the only warmth coming from the bright sunshine flooding in the over-sized windows. The center of the room was dominated by a large steel and glass table, and the group gravitated towards it.

Elisha lingered on the fringes of the group, not taking a seat. "It will be just a minute or so," she said, almost unwillingly, and her eyes had that unfocused look that in a telepath suggested that one's attention was at least partially elsewhere.

What? Jane had no idea what she was talking about, but it was easier to simply agree with the woman. Jane nodded and leaned heavily against the table. She just needed a minute to think.

Amanda was less inclined to go with the flow, stepping up to place herself protectively between Elisha and her two somewhat out of it friends. "Look, I don't want to come across as rude, but your bloke there put the telepathic whammy on my friends. It's not the sort of thing that makes me patient," she said firmly. "So get off the psychic phone line with whoever you're talking to and give us some answers. Starting with who you people are and what's your connection with Jane here."

Elisha just raised an eyebrow. "You and your friends essentially broke into a secured facility," she said, and oddly enough, there was no edge to her voice. "I'll point out that we did not have you escorted off the premises. So I would suggest you sit down, stop making demands, and wait for the person who can give you the answer to your questions."

Monet had quietly pulled herself back toward an outward semblance of togetherness, testing her hands over and over, to make sure they still worked. "Helpful, aren't you? I suppose we should be thankful you just fucked with our minds instead of kicking us out of your really unsecure 'secure' facility." She made little airquotes as she spoke and carefully noted the exits she and Amanda could use, and the ones only Jane's cloud-form could manage. Just in case. "How long do we have to wait for? I'm already kind of over this."

"Well now, I don't suppose it'll be too much longer." The door closed behind an older man carrying a handful of files. He flashed them all a broad smile, his teeth gleaming a little too sharp and white against his tanned face. "I am sorry to have kept you ladies waiting, but there was a small matter I needed to take care of. I'm Harlan Maccabbe." The hand he offered to the women was broad and rough in contrast to the tailored suit that he wore. "Please, if everyone could take a seat, there's no reason to stand on formality here."

Jane settled into a seat between Amanda and Monet uncertainly. Should she just start blurting out questions? She glanced at her companions nervously, seeking some sort of encouragement. What was she doing here?

Maccabbe leaned forward in his chair and beamed at her in a fatherly manner. "Welcome back, Miri. It's good to have you home."

"Um, thanks, I think?" Jane smiled weakly back at him. Home? This sure didn't feel like home. "Can I ask why everyone keeps calling me Miri?"

The question appeared to amuse him, and he tapped the files on the table, gently. "Because that's your name - Miribelle Hemmings. I could call you Miss Doe, if you prefer?"

"Jane is fine," she said quickly, rolling the -her!- new name around in her head. It felt weird and wrong, somehow. Like a piece of clothing that didn't quite fit. Miribelle? Really?

He nodded. "Jane, then. I suppose you're looking for some information about your background? After all, that seemed to be the question you kept asking young James downstairs."

A holographic cube lit in the center of the table and a flickering Jane chased the security guard through an imaged hallway for several second before the picture winked out.

Jane's cheeks burned. "Yes," she replied shortly. She hadn't really thought about what she'd been doing. She just had let go. "I'm sorry if I caused trouble."

"It's a small matter." Maccabbe leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "Jane, how much do you know about our work here?"

Jane shook her head, she didn't really have a lot of information, just what Amanda had found. "Not much. You guys are into environmental things? And you also do some do some philanthropic stuff."

"That's exactly right, my girl." Maccabbe nodded his head approvingly. "We work to make the world a better place for everyone who lives on it. We are all dedicated to a common goal of preserving or planet through technology, science, and a little elemental magic." His eye dipped down for a wink as he said the last. "You and your family have been some of our staunchest supporters in our work, and we were greatly distressed by your disappearance."

"I...see." Family? The thought that she might have one made her heart pound. She had parents? Siblings? She wanted so badly to ask him about them, but first- "What happened to me?"

The benevolent expression dropped off Maccabbe's face as he leaned forward. "About that. And I want you to know, Jane, that we've taken every precaution to prevent such a thing from happening again, but near as we can tell, there was an accident with one of our telepaths and you got caught up in it. The kid panicked and well, you know what happened after that." He held up a placating hand at Jane as she opened her mouth began to protest. "I'm not saying what happened was right by any stretch, that we did everything in our power to find you, tapping into all available resources. We have some of the finest investigative agencies at or disposal, both the traditional and non-traditional, but you disappeared, if you'll forgive the expression, as if you were a cloud of smoke."

"An accident?" That seemed hard to believe. What kind of accident would leave her wandering the side of the road without any memory?

"There apparently was some altercation at one of our facilities -- you had always been a bit of a rebel, Miss Miri -- and in the ensuing calamity one of the guards accidently erased your memory." Maccabbe shook his head and frowned regretfully. "A bad business all around. He was young and, as I mentioned, panicked. Afterward, he convinced some of our other staff members to help him cover up the entire incident. I believe there was some confusion as to what exactly had happened, and no one wanted to shoulder the blame. The deception only managed to hold up for a few days, but it was long enough for you to vanish."

Jane looked down at the table. "Was the guy downstairs involved?" she asked in a low voice. It made sense, they way he'd run when he saw her.

Maccabbe smiled at her in what was probably meant to be a reassuring manner, but instead had the opposite effect. "Everyone who was involved in the incident has been dealt with, I assure you."

"Does that mean fired?"

"In some cases. Unfortunately by the time we had pieced together what had happened you were long gone. Likely," he smiled at her again, but the warmth was gone, "you were even at this Xavier's by that time." His eyes fell speculatively on her companions. "May I ask, how did you find us?"

"I was in New York and ran into someone who seemed to know me. " Jane shrugged trying to look nonchalant. "It was easy enough to patch together. What's the Well Earth Project?"

"I see." Maccabbe's eyebrows beetled together. "I don't suppose I could encourage your two guests to leave us briefly? These are, after all matters of some sensitivity to our company."

Jane looked at him incredulously. He couldn't be serious.

Monet shook her head. "You just told us that one of your people accidentally erased Jane's mind once. We're not leaving her."

"I think you have your answer, sir." Jane replied a little pertly, slipping her hand into Monet's, and giving it a quick squeeze.

"Indeed." Maccabbe glanced over at Elisha, who nodded curtly and exited the room. "You are aware that all information your are told about the Program is confidential. It is a successful program due largely in part to the fact that is relatively unknown. We would prefer to keep it that way. You are to speak of this to no-one outside of this room except in the broadest of terms."

Jane nodded slowly, not quite sure what she was agreeing to, glancing nervously at the other two women. Seemingly satisfied with her response, Maccabe flicked open the top folder on the stack before him.

"The Well Earth is a philanthropic program run by Nascor in the hopes of developing a brighter future. You, Miri, were apart of that, as are your parents. It is a joint sponsorship between ourselves and H.J. Weston, who we've been very fortunate in partnering with." He gestured to a portrait of an elderly man on a nearby table, dressed in rough clothing. "He holds many of the same ideals and values as we do, and he has provided generous backing for our projects. At its most basic, the Well Earth places genetically gifted individuals in areas of need where their gifts would be of the greatest use. In areas of drought, we place people who bring water. In areas of disease, we send those who promote healing. In areas of famine- " at this he gave Jane a knowing nod "-we place those who can help grow food. To support the continued well-being of the areas we go into, we set up schools, and educate those who live there on how to continue to develop using self-sustaining, green economies."

The description of the program supposed Jane. She had half expected to hear that they ritually sacrificed puppies to make their quarterly earnings, given all of the secrecy and...special security. Still, something didn't fit. "My family works for Nascor?"

"After a fashion," Maccabbe agreed. "Those who participate in the project are well screened for variety of things. Philosophy, commitment, and of course, beneficial mutations. Many of our participants agree rather strongly with our mission and have settled down and founded a community amongst themselves. Your parents are among the early adopters, Miri. You were born right here in East Eden, and grew up here surrounded by those like you. They were all quite upset when you disappeared."

Across the room, a door clicked shut and Elisha slipped into a chair near the wall.

His continued use of the name Miri was weird, and it was starting to make Jane uneasy. She hated to correct him, he must be so used to calling her that. And Miribelle was almost pretty. Maybe. Jane rolled her shoulders nervously. "You keep talking about my parents. Where are they? Are they coming?"

"Unfortunately, they're both out of the country at the moment, although we expect them back at any time. As you might have deduced from your friend Lula, we have a conference coming up that our field agents are expected to attend." Maccabbe splayed out his hands on the table. "I could arrange for you to meet them, if you like. We would love to have you here back with us, Miri, despite your mutation."

Jane frowned. "What does that mean, 'despite my mutation'?"

"Ah." He suddenly looked rueful. "It's simply that your powers are of no benefit to us out in the field. It was something of a disappointment, I'm afraid. Given your parents' abilities, we had high hopes that you would be able to manipulate the weather, or perhaps create rain."

"I see." The unexpected dismissal of her abilities sent a shock of hurt through her. She'd never thought that they were particularly useful ones, but maybe because they were her own, she'd never seen them as a disappointment.

"Miri," Some of her upset must have shown through in her expression because Maccabbe's voice had taken on a faintly reproving tone, as if she were a pouting child."Not everyone in the program is a field agent. We need clerks, and lawyers, and researchers, just as much, if not more. As I recall, you hadn't quite settled on a course of study, but that's an easy fix." He shrugged eloquently. "I'm sure with the life experiences you've had, you may have a different perspective on what career you would be interested in. If you came back to the program, naturally we'd pay for the cost of your education."

Miri shook her head to try to clear it. It seemed to much to try to take in all at once. Was that how everyone saw her powers? As some sort of failure? It did make a certain kind of sense. She was much better at filing papers in the Elpis office than she was at fighting bad guys.

"Can't I just see my parents?" she asked. "I don't. I don't think I want to be part of the program." Right? As soon as the words tripped off her tongue, she began to regret them. Maybe she did belong here. "Can you just give me an address for them?" she asked."Or maybe I could stay until they get back? But just until then?"

"It's a little unorthodox," Maccabe mused aloud, "but I'm sure it could be arranged."

"Actually," Amanda broke in, laying her hand on Jane's arm. "I think it might be better if Jane..." and she stressed the name slightly here, "...came back with us. When her parents get back, I'm sure we can all come to some arrangement to meet them somewhere where everyone is comfortable. It's a pretty big thing, finding her parents again after all these years." This talk of 'suitable' mutations was giving Amanda bad vibes, especially given some of the things X-Force had seen over the past two years, the emphasis on mutation as some kind of resource. And she didn't like the way Jane was agreeing with them so easily. "Jane's got responsibilities back home and after what happened earlier, we'd prefer it if we could get her back so she can be checked up by our own telepaths, to make sure there's no damage given what you say happened to her before." She met Maccabe's eyes, daring him to find fault with anything she'd said in her oh-so-reasonable and polite 'work' tone.

Maccabbe arched an eyebrow. "Of course, Ms. Sefton. We all only want what's best for Jane. Does that sound about right to you, young lady?"

"I guess?" Jane replied, reluctantly. She really didn't want to go, but Amanda was right. She should get looked at. Her head was starting to hurt.

"Well, then. That settles that." Maccabbe stood and nodded at the women. "If you'll excuse me, I have another meeting to get to. Ms. Sefton. Ms. St. Croix. It was a pleasure to meet you. Jane." Reaching into his pocket he produced a business card, and slid it across the table. "Please call me when you're ready to come back. Elisha will see you out."

---

Jane huddled next to the car door, watching the road as Amanda drove. The further they got from the building, the more her brain felt like it was draining off some sort of sludge. "I think they got me again. Man, I suck around telepaths."

Amanda glanced over at her, expression worried. "Considering that story they told us about you losing your memory, I'm thinking they've got some sort of hook in you. Something that makes you easy to get at. We'll get the X geezer or Doc Jean to look at you when we get back - there could be all sorts of shite in the way of triggers left behind." Her gaze returned to the road, jaw clenching a little. "And I think some more digging's needed on this whole Nascor business. I'll get the Trenchcoats on it. This whole 'beneficial mutations' thing sounds way too suspicious."

"Okay." Jane closed her eyes. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. "Do you think he was telling the truth, though? About my name? My parents?"

"It's easy enough to find out," Amanda replied, letting go of the wheel briefly to pat Jane's hand. "Birth records, marriage certificates, that sort of thing. If you wanted, we could look for them ourselves and you can meet them - or not - on your own terms." She remembered how it was when Wanda had found her own birth family, the conflict she'd felt.

"Funny how all you need sometimes is just one piece of information, you know?" Jane opened her eyes, and peered over her shoulder to Monet. "On a scale of one to creepy, how bad was that?"

Monet had been unusually silent since they got back into the car. "Huh? I'd say it was pretty bad." Because they tried to eat my brain again. She forced a smile. "I'd give it a fifteen out of ten."

Jane nodded and twisted back around in her seat. "Damn."