A New Dust

Players:
Nathan Bates (Logging)
Juliet Parrish


LOG BEGINS

Nathan Bates steps into Julie's Lab, reading a file, "Julie?" he asks, not looking up.

Juliet Parrish is seated at her desk, the computer on and papers spread in front of her, but she doesn't seem to be paying attention to any of it. With her back to the door, all anyone coming in would see is her right arm bent, most likely with a hand against her chest but it's difficult to tell, the other elbow settled on the desk with her head in her hand. Awww. At Nathan's single word, she starts, her elbow on the desk moving swiftly, and knocking several files to the floor.

Nathan Bates looks up from his file, at the noise, "Glad to see Diana let you go…" He frowns slightly, than continues, "She mentioned something about it being your idea to go to the Mothership? Whatever possessed you to want to do that?"

Juliet Parrish shakes her head at Nathan, but if it's in response to the 'Diana said' comment, or just in general, or at herself…well, take your pick. She pushes her chair back, moving to kneel, keeping her back to Nathan, and most definitely keeping her left side away from him as she collects the fallen files. "It was stupid."

Nathan Bates frowns slightly, "Well, should I go into everything she told me, or are you going to fill me in? There is some rather… startling observations that can be gleamed from the message Diana sent me in response to the last query…"

"Why don't you tell me what Diana said," Juliet answers quietly, as she settles on her heals, and looks to be trying to sort the files out (but really is just trying to look busy to avoid looking at Nathan), "And then I'll give you the real version.

Nathan Bates chuckles softly, and leans against the door, "Well, where to begin… Ahh Yes, that you had infiltrated the Resistance…" He decides to help Julie out, and moves over, setting his file down on the desk, and than, leaning down to assist Julie get the stuff from the floor. "That you located their base… and helped Diana raid it. Than, when she captured one of the Resistance Members, you wanted to go to the Mothership…." He pauses, than continues, setting some files down, accidentally, on top of his own file, promptly forgetting it, "That the next day, you wanted to use This… O'Leary, I believe it was, for some kind of testing? And finally, that you attempted, yourself, to prevent O'Leary from Escaping the Mothership. Sounds like you are working more for Diana, than for me."

Juliet Parrish closes her eyes, sighing softly before she lifts her head to look at Nathan, the bruised side of her face becoming apparent. "As much as I believe your way is the right way, and that the Resistance needs to be brought around to see that…I'm sorry, Nathan, but -no one- deserves to go into that Conversion chamber." She shivers before continuing. "You have no idea what it's like. The pictures, the nightmares, Diana places in your head…that she can continue to place in your mind even after you out…"

Nathan Bates arches an eyebrow, "So you wanted to prevent Diana from Converting O'Leary?"

"There are other ways to bring people around, Nathan." Juliet murmurs. "Other than putting images of watching their children be murdered, or them being raped, or families being killed, or….or any of that in their mind. Are you telling me you condone what Diana is doing?"

Nathan Bates shakes his head, "Hell no." He smiles and stands up. His eyes did note the bruise, but he is waiting, "In fact, I am proud of you for attempting to stop it. Diana claims O'Leary is converted, so this time you failed." He pauses and shrugs, "I am not hoping the Visitors win, Julie… What you did, in your own way, helped me. Diana now has no thoughts that you might be in the Resistance. I think it is about time too…." He smiles and arches an eyebrow, "I assume you got that bruise when O'Leary escaped, and you tried to stop her? Tell me though, if you knew if you stopped her, she was going to be converted, why did you bother trying in the first place. Diana mentioned she had turned a Sidearm on you, you could easily have claimed you would have been shot, if you tried…"

"The sidearm was on stun," Juliet answers quietly, moving to stand and pull the files against her chest, and wincing as she does. "It was the easiest way to be sure Diana had no thoughts that I tried to help O'Leary…"

Nathan Bates nod slightly, "Did you? Try to help her, I mean?" He pauses, "And what is wrong? The bruise wouldn't be that painful, what caused the wince?" Nathan's voice is filled with concern, "Should I call one of our Medical Staff?"

Juliet Parrish shakes her head quickly, trying to smile and keep the pain out of her eyes. "No…no, I'm fine, I. I was just hit in the chest, that's all." She shrugs then, the movement barely discernable…she's being careful! "No, I didn't help her…I didn't have to. Other than by the fact that I was on the Mothership too, Diana's attention was split. She wants me back in that Conversion chamber, Nathan…that's why I did what I did to the Resistance."

"She did say that she would love to have you consult with her on a certain matter… She didn't say what, but something that only you could help her with." Nathan shrugs a little, "I told her she would have to ask you." He smiles, "But, for now, I think you should work down here… Show me the latest test results on the new Toxin, Batch 5.1-4?"

Juliet Parrish nods slightly at the instructions, moving to set the files down on the desk. "Now?" she wonders, really just wanting to go home, lay down and cry. It -hurts-, even with the self-administered pain killers

Nathan Bates nods, "The sooner we get something to beat them, the sooner this country can get back into one piece." Unspoken is the thought, 'And the sooner I can become the leader of the country, not just LA… and the sooner I can have you for my wife…'

Juliet Parrish nods slightly, turning to move towards one of the small 'lab' rooms off the back. "We were actually about to test the latest batch." she explains to Nathan> "I was going to bring the results to you tomorrow…"

Nathan Bates nods, "What kind of promise does this batch show?" Sure the last batch would kill Lizards, but would also kill off all the Insects on Earth….

"We're hoping…we cut down on the compound that seemed to do so much damage to our own insects," Juliet explains as she moves into the testing room, motioning to the vast array of insects that have been brought in.

Nathan Bates nods slightly, "We can't kill our ecology to get rid of them…" He looks thoughtful, "I still wish we could have gotten a sample of Elizabeth Maxwell's blood before she was blown up in that Explosion…"

Juliet Parrish sighs softly, nodding. "I think we all do…it would make life so much easier." She smiles faintly up at Nathan, before nodding to the lab tech that had been about to start the experiment.

Nathan Bates watches patiently, but does comment, "Oh well…. Now we have to start from the current Dust and see what we can do…"

The test commences…and immediately the results are clearly not what was wanted. Some of the less hardy species (some worms, ants, bees and the like), react within seconds, beginning to writhe as if in agony. But not all species, this time, many of the beetles not reacting for several minutes, or not at all.

Nathan Bates frowns slightly, even if it is what he expected. He looks thoughtful, "We did learn something else that is harmful to Visitors, and I'm surprised I hadn't thought of it before… Maybe instead of the Dust, we need to try working from a Morphine Base. While that makes Humans, and many other animal's drugged up, does it actually harm any creature native to Earth? It is death to the Visitors…"

Juliet Parrish frowns softly at that, tilting her head to the side. Why the hell hadn't she thought of that! "Harmful? Not to my knowledge…extended use can cause addiction, but…to my knowledge, it is not deadly to anything native to Earth…"

Nathan Bates nods slightly, "Well, we can use it as a weapon… but will it be able to do what the dust did?"

Juliet Parrish arches an eyebrow up at Nathan, curious to see precisely what he means.

Nathan Bates smiles, "Well, we cut off the Cold Climates from the Visitors… Could we use a Morphine defense for the rest of the Earth? Something that will get the Morphine into their systems, and kill them, if they stay?"

Juliet Parrish ahs softly, having herself been wondering if he meant make it into a powder form. She wouldn't' have put the question past him! "We'll come up with something," she promises.

Nathan Bates nods slightly, "Can you make it self continuing? The Dust is, but would Morphine be?" He looks thoughtful, trying to get his brain wrapped around the problem, he used to be pretty good at Scientific Theory, even if now, all his work is approving and denying funding for certain projects.

"Morphine?" Juliet answers. "Self sustaining? It doesn't work that way." she answers quietly. "But…if the knew we had it, that might be enough to get them off the planet until we have time to come up with something else."

Nathan Bates nods slightly, "It was a thought…." He shrugs, "I trust you to handle it… Mind you, keep working with the Red Dust as well.. between the two, maybe we will come up with something."

Juliet Parrish nods, shifting her attention then to Nathan fully. Her breathing does seem a little more labored than the last time they saw each other. "You know, Nathan…maybe I will take up the offer to see your doctor's. I think I may have been hit harder than I thought…"

Nathan Bates moves over to Julie's phone, "Have Medical send a Doctor to Dr. Parrish's Lab…" He looks at Julie, after hanging up the phone, "About time you learn to be a good patient."

Juliet Parrish smirks at Nathan. "If it didn't practically scream at me with every inhale," she returns softly, "I wouldn't be." Stubborn woman.

Nathan Bates nods slightly, and the Doc arrives. Nathan says, "I'll be outside if you need anything Julie." He steps out to let the Doc's have privacy.

LOG ENDS


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