Two Best Friends: Intake Day
Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on May 14, 2016 at 06:06 AM
“Dan?”
The enquiry finally registered through the haze. Solar Man looked away from the photograph clasped in his hands. “Sorry Patriot. I was lost in thought.”
“Come now Dan, you can call me Farady. We’re friends.” Farady Irons, the current Patriot, put a friendly hand on Solar Man’s shoulder.
“Of course. Sorry… Farady.” Solar Man apologised. “I guess I’m still not used to having a secret identity. Since I was born I’ve always been just Solar Man.”
“I think I can relate,” Farady easily pulled chair to beside the man Farady called Dan Byrne but who still thought of himself simply as Solar Man. “Sometimes it seems like I have been Patriot all my life. I haven’t but we need to remember we are more than our costumed identities. We’re people Dan. You’re a man. A good man too.”
Solar Man smiled. “I learning Patr… Farady. It’s been slow. Thank you for all your help. And your patience.” He carefully put the photo inside a pocket of his red costume.
Farady inclined his head towards the now hidden photograph. “I haven’t seen that before. Girlfriend?”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t know where to begin with stuff like that.” Solar Man seemed embarrassed. “I only received it recently. AEGIS had it in their archives. Director Thorne thought I might like it. When I knew her she told me her name was Katlyn. She’s my, how to describe it? My creator. I guess she’s the closest thing to my mother.”
Farady took it in stride. “That was very kind of the Director. Your mother must mean a lot to you. She must be very proud of her son.”
“I guess.” Solar Man lowered his head. “I’ll guess never know. I like to think so. In her own way.”
“I’m sorry.” Farady wore a sombre expression. “If I may ask, what happened to her?”
“I don’t know. She might be out there somewhere.” Solar Man straightened. “She works, or worked, for Labyrinth. So I guess we’ll never know.”
“Labyrinth?” Farady mulled the name over. He remembered now. “They were the ones who brainwashed you.”
“Yeah. Farady, I don’t even know if Katlyn was her real name. So much of my early life was just Labyrinth lies.”
Farady stood. Confidence flowed from every pore. “I promise you Dan, we’ll find Labyrinth and we’ll find your mother. It won’t be today but you and I, we’ll never give up. We won’t rest until we find her and hold Labyrinth responsible for what they did to you and to everyone else they wronged.”
Solar Man rose as well. “Thanks Patriot. I believe you.” His voice grew stronger, more confident, nobler. “ We can do it. We will do it. I will find Katlyn. We’ll find a way to help the others like me.”
“The DNAscent research has left enough lost people. We’ll be shoulder to shoulder. We both have some questions for those rascals. I can’t help but feel responsible. If they hadn’t been trying to replicate the Patriot Process…” Farady was troubled. “Sometimes… sometimes I wonder if the government hadn’t hinted at how Jack, Talia and I got our powers… I wonder if others wouldn’t have tried.”
Now it was Solar Man’s turn. “Patriot, if it wasn’t the three of you it would have been Centurion, Johnny Rocket or someone else that would have inspired them. DNAscent was inevitable. It’s not your fault.”
“Still… it’s my powers and origin they tried to copy. But that’s a discussion for another time.” Farady brightened again. “On to the reason for my visit. I stopped by because I was worried you had forgotten that it’s intake day.”
Solar Man’s excitement was visible. “Oh no, Patriot I hadn’t forgotten.” His eyes shone with an intense light that emanated from within. “I’ve trained for this most of my life.”
Farady Irons rose. “That’s the spirit Dan and Patriot is fine. We’d best use code names from here on in Solar Man. New recruits always love code names.”
“Right.” Solar Man was once more his normal confident self. He always felt himself when he was Solar Man. Being “Dan Byrne” was like wearing an ill-fitting suit… he felt like it made him less than he was. Dan was… well, he was still finding out who Dan was. Solar Man was someone he knew how to be.
The two stepped from the room out into the corridor of the Spire’s residential precinct. They regally advanced down the corridor. Agents, Operatives and support staff alike stepped aside as the two passed. As far as AEGIS was concerned both men were royalty. Admiring glances followed them as the pair walked deeper into the Spire’s facilities.
Patriot spoke, “After we’re done today let’s say we go back to being Dan and Farady for a while?”
“What did you have in mind Patriot?” Solar Man was once more at ease. He found the question less troubling now than he would have had it been asked 10 minutes earlier. Perhaps it would be an opportunity to get more used to civilian life.
“Henry and his family are having a barbeque. We’re all invited. Adrian and Cara are coming. They’re quite relaxed and comfortable to be around if you are nervous.”
“Oh…” Solar Man thought about it. It was likely to be a small controlled affair. He considered the likely attendees. Henry White and family were always very kind to Solar Man. Adrian Hooper and Cara Avonmora were friendly and easy to relate to. “Uh… will Jean be there?” He asked nervously.
“No idea my friend.” Patriot noted. “Jean keeps her own counsel. Why do you ask?”
“Oh no reason.” Solar Man brushed it aside. “I just don’t know what to make of her is all. She’s nice. She’s smart…”
“She’s attractive,” noted Patriot.
“Yes, well. She’s also amazing in a fight. I’ve seen her throw a robot into orbit and then 30 seconds later realise what she’s done and go off to retrieve it. That’s something that ought to give anyone pause. Besides…”
Patriot clapped Solar Man on the shoulder with a good natured smile, “You wouldn’t know where to begin with stuff like that.”
Originally Published by Jason Cochrane on May 14, 2016 at 06:06 AM
“Dan?”
The enquiry finally registered through the haze. Solar Man looked away from the photograph clasped in his hands. “Sorry Patriot. I was lost in thought.”
“Come now Dan, you can call me Farady. We’re friends.” Farady Irons, the current Patriot, put a friendly hand on Solar Man’s shoulder.
“Of course. Sorry… Farady.” Solar Man apologised. “I guess I’m still not used to having a secret identity. Since I was born I’ve always been just Solar Man.”
“I think I can relate,” Farady easily pulled chair to beside the man Farady called Dan Byrne but who still thought of himself simply as Solar Man. “Sometimes it seems like I have been Patriot all my life. I haven’t but we need to remember we are more than our costumed identities. We’re people Dan. You’re a man. A good man too.”
Solar Man smiled. “I learning Patr… Farady. It’s been slow. Thank you for all your help. And your patience.” He carefully put the photo inside a pocket of his red costume.
Farady inclined his head towards the now hidden photograph. “I haven’t seen that before. Girlfriend?”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t know where to begin with stuff like that.” Solar Man seemed embarrassed. “I only received it recently. AEGIS had it in their archives. Director Thorne thought I might like it. When I knew her she told me her name was Katlyn. She’s my, how to describe it? My creator. I guess she’s the closest thing to my mother.”
Farady took it in stride. “That was very kind of the Director. Your mother must mean a lot to you. She must be very proud of her son.”
“I guess.” Solar Man lowered his head. “I’ll guess never know. I like to think so. In her own way.”
“I’m sorry.” Farady wore a sombre expression. “If I may ask, what happened to her?”
“I don’t know. She might be out there somewhere.” Solar Man straightened. “She works, or worked, for Labyrinth. So I guess we’ll never know.”
“Labyrinth?” Farady mulled the name over. He remembered now. “They were the ones who brainwashed you.”
“Yeah. Farady, I don’t even know if Katlyn was her real name. So much of my early life was just Labyrinth lies.”
Farady stood. Confidence flowed from every pore. “I promise you Dan, we’ll find Labyrinth and we’ll find your mother. It won’t be today but you and I, we’ll never give up. We won’t rest until we find her and hold Labyrinth responsible for what they did to you and to everyone else they wronged.”
Solar Man rose as well. “Thanks Patriot. I believe you.” His voice grew stronger, more confident, nobler. “ We can do it. We will do it. I will find Katlyn. We’ll find a way to help the others like me.”
“The DNAscent research has left enough lost people. We’ll be shoulder to shoulder. We both have some questions for those rascals. I can’t help but feel responsible. If they hadn’t been trying to replicate the Patriot Process…” Farady was troubled. “Sometimes… sometimes I wonder if the government hadn’t hinted at how Jack, Talia and I got our powers… I wonder if others wouldn’t have tried.”
Now it was Solar Man’s turn. “Patriot, if it wasn’t the three of you it would have been Centurion, Johnny Rocket or someone else that would have inspired them. DNAscent was inevitable. It’s not your fault.”
“Still… it’s my powers and origin they tried to copy. But that’s a discussion for another time.” Farady brightened again. “On to the reason for my visit. I stopped by because I was worried you had forgotten that it’s intake day.”
Solar Man’s excitement was visible. “Oh no, Patriot I hadn’t forgotten.” His eyes shone with an intense light that emanated from within. “I’ve trained for this most of my life.”
Farady Irons rose. “That’s the spirit Dan and Patriot is fine. We’d best use code names from here on in Solar Man. New recruits always love code names.”
“Right.” Solar Man was once more his normal confident self. He always felt himself when he was Solar Man. Being “Dan Byrne” was like wearing an ill-fitting suit… he felt like it made him less than he was. Dan was… well, he was still finding out who Dan was. Solar Man was someone he knew how to be.
The two stepped from the room out into the corridor of the Spire’s residential precinct. They regally advanced down the corridor. Agents, Operatives and support staff alike stepped aside as the two passed. As far as AEGIS was concerned both men were royalty. Admiring glances followed them as the pair walked deeper into the Spire’s facilities.
Patriot spoke, “After we’re done today let’s say we go back to being Dan and Farady for a while?”
“What did you have in mind Patriot?” Solar Man was once more at ease. He found the question less troubling now than he would have had it been asked 10 minutes earlier. Perhaps it would be an opportunity to get more used to civilian life.
“Henry and his family are having a barbeque. We’re all invited. Adrian and Cara are coming. They’re quite relaxed and comfortable to be around if you are nervous.”
“Oh…” Solar Man thought about it. It was likely to be a small controlled affair. He considered the likely attendees. Henry White and family were always very kind to Solar Man. Adrian Hooper and Cara Avonmora were friendly and easy to relate to. “Uh… will Jean be there?” He asked nervously.
“No idea my friend.” Patriot noted. “Jean keeps her own counsel. Why do you ask?”
“Oh no reason.” Solar Man brushed it aside. “I just don’t know what to make of her is all. She’s nice. She’s smart…”
“She’s attractive,” noted Patriot.
“Yes, well. She’s also amazing in a fight. I’ve seen her throw a robot into orbit and then 30 seconds later realise what she’s done and go off to retrieve it. That’s something that ought to give anyone pause. Besides…”
Patriot clapped Solar Man on the shoulder with a good natured smile, “You wouldn’t know where to begin with stuff like that.”
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