"Shreds of Genius" 2/? Eureka/Life crossover
part 2 of Shreds of genius.
Fandom: Life, Eureka.
Author: Keenir.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Two.
In the Bullpen:
Davis was, of course, present.
Jo and Jack were sitting alongside Dani and Charlie’s desks. Dani had suggested the interrogation rooms - at least until somebody called back to confirm that the DoD badges were authentic - but the Captain’d nixed that idea.
“And that’s it, really,” Carter said. “We arrived, pursued the suspect to Detective Crews’ residence, and while Deputy Lupo restrained the man our suspect had talked to, I continued on foot.”
“And lost her.”
“Thank you, Jo.”
“Welcome.”
“So this Dr. Metsenger,” Davis said, “what did she steal?”
“It’s classified,” Jo said.
“Okay. How about you explain to me why you didn’t request local backup when you entered my jurisdiction.”
“Didn’t,” Carter said, “know who to call, for one. For two, it all happened kinda fast.”
“Spur of the moment?”
“Yeah, you could say that.” A hundred miles, more of less, in the beat of my heart.
“Did you call for backup in any other area you passed through?”
“Yes.” And the folks in nowhere were real helpful.
“Great. I’ll make some calls.”
Before the Captain could go anywhere, “Unfortunately, Captain Davis, it won’t do you any good.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because it’s also classified.”
“Is there anything connected with the two of you that isn’t classified?”
“Carter’s lunch yesterday,” Jo said.
“Actually,” Jack said, “Vincent told me that it’s not just the recipe he’s keeping secret.” Not his best soufflé.
“Oh.” Looking over to Davis again, “Then no.”
“Where’s this Eureka located?” Davis asked.
“Also classified,” Carter said before Jo could say it.
“And if I were to call your superiors?”
“You’re welcome to try.”
Davis frowned at her. “You know, we could lock the two of you up - I’ve already got you on breaking-and-entering as well as assault - while we look for Dr. Metsenger ourselves.”
“You could,” Carter said, “but you won’t.” You want to help us - even if the only reason’s to get rid of us.
“For one thing,” Jo said, “you don’t know what she looks like.” A house as big as this guy here has…and no computer to keep an eye on everything. The word ‘Old Fashioned’ certainly came to mind.
“Then tell us what she looks like,” Davis said.
“So you can lock us up and throw away the key?”
“We always keep the keys,” Crews said.
Dani sighed; so much for watching the verbal tennis match between the Captain and these two.
Torn between turning to Dani or to Crews, Jo did the latter. “What?” she asked.
“We keep the keys. We have to.” Quieter, “Just in case.”
“Fine,” Jo said when Jack gave her a look that asked her to just cooperate, please. “She’s hard to miss - Metsenger’s pretty distinctive.”
“This is L.A.,” Davis said. “Ev’rybody’s distinctive.”
“That could be a problem, then.”
That was when Dani’s phone rang. She looked from her phone to Crews, who returned her puzzled look with one of his own. “You’re calling me,” Dani told him.
Crews’ hands were empty.
“Metsenger,” Jo said.
“Must’ve nabbed,” Carter said, “a cell phone on her way through.”
Opening her phone, “Hello?” Dani asked.
“I would like you to relay a message for me,” Reese was informed. The voice, Dani analyzed, was female, stressed, cultured, and hungry; no anger or paranoia. “Inform Charlie Crews that I am willing to meet with him at,” and gave the location of a bus stop. “You will pass that along, won’t you?”
“I surely will,” matching her words with Metsenger’s attempt to pass herself - or at least her voice - off as Southern. Bit too stereotyped, Dani felt, even if you did avoid the clinkers. “Anything else?”
“One.” And, after enough time to established that that’d been an answer, and not the start of a list, “Have you as yet learned my name?”
“We have.”
None of the reactions Dani’d expected: “Then please use it, if you’d be so kind.”
“And what do you look like, so Dectective Crews’ll know who he’s looking for.”
“I am no Helen of Troy, nor Margaret Thatcher. I am distinctly less than both.”
So if he wants to puke, he should look at you, huh? “Not real helpful.”
“I’ll find him. Goodbye.”
“Hold on,” Reese said.
“Yes?” Not ‘what?’ or ‘give me one good reason why I should.’
“How do we know you’ll be at the bus stop?”
“Because I said I would.”
And honesty is next to godliness. Are you real? “J-” and held the receiver at arm’s length. “She hung up.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t personal,” Crews said.
Dani glared at him, and Jo gave him a ‘what the fuck?’ look. I know, Dani mused, you’re trying to keep me from getting too attached, Crews, but now of all times??
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soon…
‘She must’ve used speed-dial,’ Charlie had said on the drive over here.
“So, Crews,” Dani said at the bus stop as they waited for Metsenger to show, “what number did she hit.”
“Yours,” he said.
Not ‘u’ which might’ve caused some confusion. ‘Yours.’ “Mine?”
“Yep?”
“And I’m what number?” merely curious, fully expecting to hear Crews say 8 or 0.
“Two.”
“Two?”
“That’s right.”
“And I suppose Ted’s #1 ?” Him being your best friend, and him being trusted with all your finances.
“No. Ted’s #3.”
“Your lawyer?”
“Four.”
“Your ex?”
“Nine. She used to be 5, when I first got the phone. Constance wants me to take her off my speed-dial.”
And I’m number 2. Dani didn’t ask which ‘her’ he meant. “So who’s #1 ?”
No answer.
“Crews?”
“I just told you.”
“You didn’t say anything.”
“No, I said nothing.”
“And?” knowing better than to argue the nature of Nothing with a zen master like Crews.
“That’s what I put on my speed-dial for button number one.”
“Then why didn’t you just say so?”
“I did.”
Remembering the 900,000 volts, Dani smiled.
Crews smiled back, pleased she was satisfied.
Taking a breath, she dared to ask, “So why is #1 blank, Crews?”
“It’s hubris. Self-importance. Ego.
“Things like that.”
At that point, “Excuse me, Detective Crews?” asked a young woman who’d just then arrived at the bus stop.
“Yes,” Crews said. “Are you Phi Metsenger?”
“I am.” And, to look at her, you wouldn’t think that she was from the place whispered to be full of brilliant geniuses toiling away to make a perfect and safer future. You’d just think ‘damn she’s plain.’ Not ugly, not pretty, not even average; just plainer than anyone would think plain to be or could ever be.
“How do we know,” Dani asked her, “that you’re not Spartacus?” You could be a decoy, someone Metsenger hired to lead us in the wrong direction.
Dryly, “I would’ve preferred that name, actually.”
“And…?”
“My parents were overzealous in naming me. They took the moral lesson of the community to heart.” Intellectualism in all things. Make the children smarter.
“Eureka?”
“Aye. There,” that single word bearing no love for the classified town.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Let’s walk,” Phi suggested. “By the way, who are you?”
“Dani Reese.”
Phi tried to take off, to run away - but Reese and Crews each grabbed an elbow.
“Nice try. Now why’d you try to run off?”
“Especially,” Crews said, “after you asked for us.”
“No,” Phi said as the three of them walked, “I asked for you, Detective Crews.”
“I am as one with my partner. What I investigate, so does she.”
Thanks for letting me field that one, partner, Dani mused.
Paying no attention to the interruption, Phi continued: “I came here to talk to you. I was going to ask you to arrest me - protect me - until I see now who your partner is.”
“We gonna have a problem?” Reese challenged her.
“We won’t. But I hate irony.”
“Irony?” Crews asked.
“Yes,” Phi said. “Irony. Ironic that, in fleeing Eureka, I’ve now provided them with the opportunity to recover its lost lambs.”
“’Lost’??” she asked, which took Crews by surprise: he hadn’t expected Dani to reply to that at all, except for maybe a dry remark about the universe and irony.
“You weren’t born at the time,” Phi said gentler, “nor was I.”
“I know my parents left Eureka.” It’s why they don’t talk about it, and neither can Jo - so talking about on-duty and off-duty stuff’s tough on the occasions she’s visited. “You’re trying to tell me Eureka let you escape just to bring them back?” The idea was laughable.
“Shoot a sparrow, bring home a turducken.”
Lets return this conversation to where it belongs. “If they let you escape, what are they saying you’re wanted for?”
“You mean besides my leaving the community without signing a raft of documents swearing me to silence on things pertaining to and related to all things Eureka?”
“Yeah. Besides that,” Crews said before Dani could say it with snark.
“Well?” Reese asked when Phi didn’t give an answer.
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you both about it all. But first, can we go get something to eat? I’m starving.”
“You like fruit?” Crews asked.
“Absolutely not.”
Dani cracked a smile, careful not to let her partner see it, knowing as she did how much he liked fruit.
“Ev’rybody likes fruit,” Crews said.
“Then I’m nobody,” Phi said.
The smile dropped from Dani’s face at the prospect of this starting up again.
“You’re not nobody.”
“You’re right.” You’re right because a nonentity can’t commit an act of treason. “But I still can’t stand fruit.”
“If you don’t like fruit, then you have to give us a hint.”
Phi’s stomach rumbled as she quietly said, “Attempted eugenics.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Three:
tbc.
Fandom: Life, Eureka.
Author: Keenir.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Two.
In the Bullpen:
Davis was, of course, present.
Jo and Jack were sitting alongside Dani and Charlie’s desks. Dani had suggested the interrogation rooms - at least until somebody called back to confirm that the DoD badges were authentic - but the Captain’d nixed that idea.
“And that’s it, really,” Carter said. “We arrived, pursued the suspect to Detective Crews’ residence, and while Deputy Lupo restrained the man our suspect had talked to, I continued on foot.”
“And lost her.”
“Thank you, Jo.”
“Welcome.”
“So this Dr. Metsenger,” Davis said, “what did she steal?”
“It’s classified,” Jo said.
“Okay. How about you explain to me why you didn’t request local backup when you entered my jurisdiction.”
“Didn’t,” Carter said, “know who to call, for one. For two, it all happened kinda fast.”
“Spur of the moment?”
“Yeah, you could say that.” A hundred miles, more of less, in the beat of my heart.
“Did you call for backup in any other area you passed through?”
“Yes.” And the folks in nowhere were real helpful.
“Great. I’ll make some calls.”
Before the Captain could go anywhere, “Unfortunately, Captain Davis, it won’t do you any good.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because it’s also classified.”
“Is there anything connected with the two of you that isn’t classified?”
“Carter’s lunch yesterday,” Jo said.
“Actually,” Jack said, “Vincent told me that it’s not just the recipe he’s keeping secret.” Not his best soufflé.
“Oh.” Looking over to Davis again, “Then no.”
“Where’s this Eureka located?” Davis asked.
“Also classified,” Carter said before Jo could say it.
“And if I were to call your superiors?”
“You’re welcome to try.”
Davis frowned at her. “You know, we could lock the two of you up - I’ve already got you on breaking-and-entering as well as assault - while we look for Dr. Metsenger ourselves.”
“You could,” Carter said, “but you won’t.” You want to help us - even if the only reason’s to get rid of us.
“For one thing,” Jo said, “you don’t know what she looks like.” A house as big as this guy here has…and no computer to keep an eye on everything. The word ‘Old Fashioned’ certainly came to mind.
“Then tell us what she looks like,” Davis said.
“So you can lock us up and throw away the key?”
“We always keep the keys,” Crews said.
Dani sighed; so much for watching the verbal tennis match between the Captain and these two.
Torn between turning to Dani or to Crews, Jo did the latter. “What?” she asked.
“We keep the keys. We have to.” Quieter, “Just in case.”
“Fine,” Jo said when Jack gave her a look that asked her to just cooperate, please. “She’s hard to miss - Metsenger’s pretty distinctive.”
“This is L.A.,” Davis said. “Ev’rybody’s distinctive.”
“That could be a problem, then.”
That was when Dani’s phone rang. She looked from her phone to Crews, who returned her puzzled look with one of his own. “You’re calling me,” Dani told him.
Crews’ hands were empty.
“Metsenger,” Jo said.
“Must’ve nabbed,” Carter said, “a cell phone on her way through.”
Opening her phone, “Hello?” Dani asked.
“I would like you to relay a message for me,” Reese was informed. The voice, Dani analyzed, was female, stressed, cultured, and hungry; no anger or paranoia. “Inform Charlie Crews that I am willing to meet with him at,” and gave the location of a bus stop. “You will pass that along, won’t you?”
“I surely will,” matching her words with Metsenger’s attempt to pass herself - or at least her voice - off as Southern. Bit too stereotyped, Dani felt, even if you did avoid the clinkers. “Anything else?”
“One.” And, after enough time to established that that’d been an answer, and not the start of a list, “Have you as yet learned my name?”
“We have.”
None of the reactions Dani’d expected: “Then please use it, if you’d be so kind.”
“And what do you look like, so Dectective Crews’ll know who he’s looking for.”
“I am no Helen of Troy, nor Margaret Thatcher. I am distinctly less than both.”
So if he wants to puke, he should look at you, huh? “Not real helpful.”
“I’ll find him. Goodbye.”
“Hold on,” Reese said.
“Yes?” Not ‘what?’ or ‘give me one good reason why I should.’
“How do we know you’ll be at the bus stop?”
“Because I said I would.”
And honesty is next to godliness. Are you real? “J-” and held the receiver at arm’s length. “She hung up.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t personal,” Crews said.
Dani glared at him, and Jo gave him a ‘what the fuck?’ look. I know, Dani mused, you’re trying to keep me from getting too attached, Crews, but now of all times??
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soon…
‘She must’ve used speed-dial,’ Charlie had said on the drive over here.
“So, Crews,” Dani said at the bus stop as they waited for Metsenger to show, “what number did she hit.”
“Yours,” he said.
Not ‘u’ which might’ve caused some confusion. ‘Yours.’ “Mine?”
“Yep?”
“And I’m what number?” merely curious, fully expecting to hear Crews say 8 or 0.
“Two.”
“Two?”
“That’s right.”
“And I suppose Ted’s #1 ?” Him being your best friend, and him being trusted with all your finances.
“No. Ted’s #3.”
“Your lawyer?”
“Four.”
“Your ex?”
“Nine. She used to be 5, when I first got the phone. Constance wants me to take her off my speed-dial.”
And I’m number 2. Dani didn’t ask which ‘her’ he meant. “So who’s #1 ?”
No answer.
“Crews?”
“I just told you.”
“You didn’t say anything.”
“No, I said nothing.”
“And?” knowing better than to argue the nature of Nothing with a zen master like Crews.
“That’s what I put on my speed-dial for button number one.”
“Then why didn’t you just say so?”
“I did.”
Remembering the 900,000 volts, Dani smiled.
Crews smiled back, pleased she was satisfied.
Taking a breath, she dared to ask, “So why is #1 blank, Crews?”
“It’s hubris. Self-importance. Ego.
“Things like that.”
At that point, “Excuse me, Detective Crews?” asked a young woman who’d just then arrived at the bus stop.
“Yes,” Crews said. “Are you Phi Metsenger?”
“I am.” And, to look at her, you wouldn’t think that she was from the place whispered to be full of brilliant geniuses toiling away to make a perfect and safer future. You’d just think ‘damn she’s plain.’ Not ugly, not pretty, not even average; just plainer than anyone would think plain to be or could ever be.
“How do we know,” Dani asked her, “that you’re not Spartacus?” You could be a decoy, someone Metsenger hired to lead us in the wrong direction.
Dryly, “I would’ve preferred that name, actually.”
“And…?”
“My parents were overzealous in naming me. They took the moral lesson of the community to heart.” Intellectualism in all things. Make the children smarter.
“Eureka?”
“Aye. There,” that single word bearing no love for the classified town.
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Let’s walk,” Phi suggested. “By the way, who are you?”
“Dani Reese.”
Phi tried to take off, to run away - but Reese and Crews each grabbed an elbow.
“Nice try. Now why’d you try to run off?”
“Especially,” Crews said, “after you asked for us.”
“No,” Phi said as the three of them walked, “I asked for you, Detective Crews.”
“I am as one with my partner. What I investigate, so does she.”
Thanks for letting me field that one, partner, Dani mused.
Paying no attention to the interruption, Phi continued: “I came here to talk to you. I was going to ask you to arrest me - protect me - until I see now who your partner is.”
“We gonna have a problem?” Reese challenged her.
“We won’t. But I hate irony.”
“Irony?” Crews asked.
“Yes,” Phi said. “Irony. Ironic that, in fleeing Eureka, I’ve now provided them with the opportunity to recover its lost lambs.”
“’Lost’??” she asked, which took Crews by surprise: he hadn’t expected Dani to reply to that at all, except for maybe a dry remark about the universe and irony.
“You weren’t born at the time,” Phi said gentler, “nor was I.”
“I know my parents left Eureka.” It’s why they don’t talk about it, and neither can Jo - so talking about on-duty and off-duty stuff’s tough on the occasions she’s visited. “You’re trying to tell me Eureka let you escape just to bring them back?” The idea was laughable.
“Shoot a sparrow, bring home a turducken.”
Lets return this conversation to where it belongs. “If they let you escape, what are they saying you’re wanted for?”
“You mean besides my leaving the community without signing a raft of documents swearing me to silence on things pertaining to and related to all things Eureka?”
“Yeah. Besides that,” Crews said before Dani could say it with snark.
“Well?” Reese asked when Phi didn’t give an answer.
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you both about it all. But first, can we go get something to eat? I’m starving.”
“You like fruit?” Crews asked.
“Absolutely not.”
Dani cracked a smile, careful not to let her partner see it, knowing as she did how much he liked fruit.
“Ev’rybody likes fruit,” Crews said.
“Then I’m nobody,” Phi said.
The smile dropped from Dani’s face at the prospect of this starting up again.
“You’re not nobody.”
“You’re right.” You’re right because a nonentity can’t commit an act of treason. “But I still can’t stand fruit.”
“If you don’t like fruit, then you have to give us a hint.”
Phi’s stomach rumbled as she quietly said, “Attempted eugenics.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Three:
tbc.