Hmm, no month or day, just 2016 at Whateley Academy. Oh crud, this is about Jamie Howe! And she is irritated that Tia is living 'the good life', thinking what she did to Tia shouldn't ruin her whole life. No remorse, just regret how it affects her. 6 am sessions with a psychologist each morning, I say that is being generous to her.
She made a deal with someone to get out, and it sounds like the man who approached her wants the tech she used to transform Tia. *bangs head in frustration* That is far past slippery slope. At least Jamie doesn't like taunting of kids with GSD, though I have to wonder how much she will witness of it before she snaps and acts despite the consequences.
Ugh, idiots yelling at her because she is a criminal and think they are heroes, thus she should be locked up, no middle ground. I don't even want to know what her self defense option is, do I? Sees Tia jogging and once more she thinks she is in her own personal Hell, good grief.
Flashback to the incident from her perspective, seeing Luke kiss that bitch and not realize she forced herself on him, ouch. Uh oh, not able to accept an apology from Luke right then. Yikes, Mom was half convinced she wasn't even her daughter anymore, not good for Jamie's already fragile mental health.
Jeff trying to defuse the situation and Jane has to go and say she saw tongue, that Luke kissed Amy, not the other way around, idiot. Jamie runs off crying, left with her thoughts as they spiral. Jamie plans to make out in front of Luke with other people, and calls her Mom for a ride, situation spiraling further out of control.
She'd do it - if she knew what was good for her. I'm sure she didn't want a repeat of last time.
Oh crap, Jamie's mental issues are worse than I previously thought.
A revenge-focused devisor is terrifying to watch. She knows this guy but doesn't remember his name right now, plus he is willing to help her get the parts she wants.
Mom dug her credit card out at the not to subtle hint; I had her trained well. I bagged everything up.
Jamie should have gotten psychological help a lot sooner. And the next paragraph makes this point terrifying, to think her family has had to live with this since she manifested.
Locking herself in a room to work once they got home, her mother should have contacted the authorities then and there. She was using a Kickstarter to get funding!! And her Mom goofed, instead of calling the authorities she called Luke over to reason with her, in this state she isn't up to being reasoned with.
Luke is very agile, dodging her first and second shots while maneuvering out of the house. 3rd shot misses as well, Jamie is acting more frustrated. How did the fourth bolt discolor the paint on the car a little? He is trying to reason with her and she doesn't even hear him, just taking aim and firing. *sigh* Green and blue flames rising off Luke unexpected by Jamie, that devise is a lot more dangerous if its inventor can't predict even half of what it can do.
At least Mr. Howe is smart, using a blanket to put out the flames. EMTs show up, take Luke off in a rush, while another EMT wishes to check Jamie's hands. Two police cars show up, Jamie isn't thinking clearly at all, doesn't remember the name of one of the police officers, nor hear what he says, just knows he said something. Now responding to police questions, but more concerned her devise wasn't supposed to do what it did, oh oh.
And she wants them to ask her devise why it set Luke on fire, I want to know what her mental issues are already, hard to figure out with all the different symptoms and reactions she is having. Bag the devise, Jamie under arrest and in cuffs, but she wishes to make sure Luke is okay, yikes, the shift in attitude towards Luke.
My nails were in palms again; I’d have to use the skin knitter. The skin knitter I’d made first thing, after being booked and thrown in a cell awaiting bond. The device made to make sure Luke healed quickly with no scars. The police wouldn’t let me use it on him, of course; they said it was because there was nothing physically wrong with his skin by the time it was ready.
Her next line, it sounds like paranoia or one of the mental health problems which twist perception. *eyes bug out* So Luke now Tia gets Jamie's patents and Jamie is so far gone she thinks Tia killed Luke. And she thinks karma means Tia will 'get hers' someday, good lord, insight into her mental process is scary.
She shrugged and held her perfectly manicured hands up. “Who is to say what normal is? Certainly not me.”
This idiot. This total airheaded blonde. “Isn’t that your job?”
Her smile changed to something more genuine. “Not even remotely. You’ve seen where I work – does normal even come close to describing it?”
Well I had to concede that point at least. “No.”
Whateley Academy, where normal is a daydream for most. So they take apart her devises to clear them as safe for her to use, even a lightbulb, good. Plus I can think of several ways a gadgeteer could weaponize a lightbulb, let alone a devisor. And Jamie thinks referring to her file is a method for messing with her head, persecution complex or paranoia.
Jamie made a 15th devise which destroys several security camera signals before it self-destructed, very bad. Jamie's attitude towards the psychological, serious issue.
“Sure. Just be yourself, and be patient.”
Of course. My day was barely started, and already it was complete. What a load of unicorns and rainbows.
Well, at least that part comes across as normal snarky teenager when given such advice. Great, she knows how to play her psychologist. And messing with the poor woman like that, calling it is a small victory, she is coming across more and more like a sociopath, except her caring about Luke once she hurt him doesn't fit.
She wasn't one of those 'profess undying loyalty' types that didn't actually mean it; instead her friendship was based more on what I could do for her, which weirdly meant she was more trustworthy. There was probably a word for that sort of thing somewhere, but I couldn't be bothered with to learn it.
She considers this Sharon more trustworthy because of that... A drone which jammed the security camera signals and Sharon knows what Jamie did, that she is a criminal who is basically on probation as long as she behaves, but doesn't report her. This won't end well for Sharon once administration finds out.
*blinks* Jamie perving out on a boy, thinking she isn't even as attractive as Sharon, seesh. So some do know who Jamie is at Whateley, threatening note stating she is a traitor to mutantkind, original with security and Jamie has a digital copy. Sharon wants to track down whoever sent it, not a good idea, Jamie could have done it herself and forgotten with how her mind works.
Ugh, Jamie thinks Tia is just trying to turn people against her, make is her diagnosis, it is driving me up the wall trying to figure it out. She can tell which cameras are working and when, bet the school doesn't know she is a technopath of some sort. Shows the note to Pete and he states she won't be left alone today. This girl is highly manipulatively.
A shy guy who owes Pete a few favors to watch over Tia, I wonder who it could be. So, she thinks those with more severe GSD are all in Evo Rocks! and one of them sent her the note, just what no one needs.
"Build a handheld DNA scanner and sequencer." It said. The signature was a letter: a stylized M.
Trying to narrow down who Jamie's mysterious boss could be, but drawing a blank. Bad news, either way.
Flashback to her time in prison. Good thing they didn't give her a pen, just the thought she might have escaped is bad. Taken to conference room 2, but not for what she expects.
Instead there was a guy, mid twenties, handsome, with slick backed hair and stylish sunglasses peeking out from the front pocket of his sky blue shirt. The same sky blue shirt that was surrounded by a pinstriped suit that looked very expensive and well tailored to the man, and was capped off with a darker blue striped tie.
Says to call him James. Trying to say she is being railroaded due to certain coverage by some in the press, sounds like he is feeding on her paranoia to manipulate her. And Jamie still blaming Tia for the transformation she caused, believing her devise should have worked the way she expected and anything else isn't her fault but someone else's.
Instead, there was someone new in Luke's place, holding him hostage, stealing his life, and trying to play the victim to ruin mine. I had to get out of here so at least that much of her plan failed. Without some help, there was no way I could reverse whatever it was that bunny thing had done.
And full-on delusional about what she did to Nick it is.
In exchange, should everything go well, you work a number of years for my employer, working on solutions to faulty genetics and unusual DNA, as you have before.
Crud, this guy works for someone who wants a 'cure' for mutants and is manipulating Jamie towards that goal.
"My employer is interested in innovative solutions to certain kinds of disease, and believes that your approach holds promise in combating it," James replied.
Heh, and there are those who see mutation as a 'certain kind of disease' to cure. At least Jamie knows the fix is in, clear-minded enough to see that. Figures, take the deal or get jailhouse beatings, the guard has seen it before and is trying to warn Jamie away from the deal.
James driving her home and trying to avoid the media. Weird mask to hide her face, but still in prison orange and the head guard wishing Jamie luck, oh boy. Those reporters trying to cut them off, want to bet that James informed them and used them to scare Jamie even more so she will take the deal. Dropped off with a police car at her home plus both parents there, Jamies giving her a business card before taking off, Jamie is in a mess now.
So the M was red herring for us, rats. Wait, one of her two new friends has a similar deal, is it Sharon? Her devising isn't relaxing, she can't get it to what she wants, hmm. Thinking everyone seems happy, I'm going with an unreliable narrator for Jamie whenever I read her thoughts.
Trouble drawing up professional blueprints, she could get help for that. Home ec. and survival, at least in home ec. you can eat some of your assignments.
I now knew how to make two different kinds of smokescreens with household chemicals, as well as how to make homemade pepper spray.
Okay, why can't normal schools have home ec. stuff like that for the lesson, I would have taken the class if they did.
So like her devise, but passive so it doesn't break her parole, rats.
There was also no way anyone, even James's shadowy boss, could use a DNA scanner for ill.
How can she be so manipulative and sneaky, yet so naive at the same time?
The other alternative was worse - that the ER crowd on campus was less split than they appeared. It had not escaped my mention that my lawyer, PR agent, and other help thrown my way since James posted my bail were card-carrying, pin wearing members of Evolution Rocks. They had done right by me so far, but here on campus, things were less clear.
So members of ER have been helping out Jamie, curious.
That my specialty was a direct threat to what made mutants special, and that I would be able to give anyone powers. Or even, that I could take powers away somehow. Which was stupid really, both ways. I could diagnose genetic conditions, but that was all. It would be some time before I was ready to do anything more; years, really.
The fact you might be able to do it in years would make you a threat in many people's perceptions. Spinach casserole, I have to agree with Jamie on this one. Dang, all that food going to waste, just seems so wrong.
Joking about the food they made in home ec., heh. Admiring the crystal dome, hope it doesn't inspire her to build something in similar shape or design. Calling the table of her friends a losers table, Jamie, you seriously have an ego problem. She thinks Tia's ears wilting at you waving at her just to get a rise is Tia mocking you, arrggggh!
"Well, the latest one found is multiple sclerosis, across several different places in the chromosome, not just HLA-DRB1. Nothing definitive yet of course, more study required (that seemed to be Nature's catch phrase) but the early report from the first analysis was suggestive."
I knew Whateley Universe had advanced farther than us, but dang.
It was easy to understand the concern in her voice; the concern for many was that once mutation would be understood, it would be reversed by the public at large; that unborn kids would be aborted for bearing the markers. Some feared that the reverse would happen as well, but either one was bad from a genetic point of view.
And this is what I fear her mysterious boss is having her work towards. Irma is a sophomore, looks like that and can take on two or three empowered kids herself, dang. Ack! She is trying to be more like Jamie.
Well, I like Irma, no excuse not to learn just because you don't have the gifts others do. Okay, how does Irma eat that fast, yet with such finesse?
Irma muttered some suspicious words before speaking up. "You have no idea. But you'll learn. This school is not safe. Not at any time. Not even your room is one hundred percent safe, and some of the people in this school are easily crazy enough to attack you right in the middle of campus and in broad daylight."
Well, she isn't wrong.
Paintball, survival class style and she thinks Imp is creepy, ugh. World history and Jamie thinks it is worthless to learn, figures. Who is this stone guy, don't tell he is one of those ER types who see her as a threat to their 'uniqueness' or something. And he calls Jamie guilty, I wonder if he heard from Tia the whole tale of what happened or not. Molten, a freshman in ER, thought so.
Sharon taking a calm pace, but Jamie wishing to get to the safety of her lab and work on the project her boss wants to be finished. Irma sticking around to keep an eye on Jamie, at least she loyal friends, maybe they can steer her away from bad ideas, I hope.
Yes, I had just made a way to further genetic mapping. But because I was a devisor, Nature would never accept my findings without independent confirmation years in the making. Devisors were not well regarded in the scientific community - to the point of being laughingstocks.
I suggest her boss though would have no problem exploiting such an invention.
Yikes, dinner time and Sharon let Jamie work even though she is hungry. Airys Reynolds, Jamie is going to try and turn her against Tia, nooo! And it backfires on her, Airys gets pissed at how she is insulting Tia and trying to manipulate her. Jamie's delusions about Tia are going to cause her to blow this chance at Whateley she was given at this rate.
I just hope Pete, Sharon, and Irma aren't hurt by Jamie when one of her plans backfires or one of her delusions makes her think they did something they didn't. Jealous of gadgeteers and bashing them because of it, par for the course with her. Sharon is definitely working for the same boss as Jamie, how much of being nice to her is true friendship and how much is keeping an asset viable?
Irma has to tutor her on world history, poor girl. Pete is a big goofball, so cheesy. Studying at Whitman, this will be interesting. Tables outside of Whitman instead, good thing Sharon is there.
I wondered if I could arrange a little 'Whitman welcome' on quick notice for the interlopers; the laughs would be hilarious.
Jamie, you need to learn not to pull pranks.
I was beyond sure that the correlation between DNA and BIT information existed - I'd proven it! All that really needed to be done was mapping and cross-referencing genes to BIT information, and a simple comparison of exemplars should go a long way toward filling that in... if I could get samples of their DNA. The theory was sound at least.
Warning, warning, danger! Kieran, Kenny, and Edward, if that is Irma frazzled I wonder what she is like in a panic. Kenny must have rich parents or some patents to be able to afford that phone.
Can she really feel the unease grow behind her, or is it all in Jamie's head? Hard to tell with her. Melissa glowing like that, handy but lack of control would make her a literal target, easy to spot. Wonder how bad the bullies have messed with her about it.
Jamie back in jail, 6 years in jail, she even said it wasn't meant to be permanent, a mistake. Starting to sound like James was right, she is being railroaded for a mistake she couldn't predict, her mental state probably didn't help. James there and says it isn't over until sentencing, why do I feel he and his employer fixed the case to force her to work for them?
Oh crud, Jamie is one of those with severe mental health issues who refuse to accept they need help, at least by her reaction to stating she needs mental health care. Tells her don't cause any trouble, don't make any waves, and she doesn't think she's in charge of that happening or not.
Stupid bunny bitch.
It was all her fault. All of this was.
She had stolen Luke from me, and done all this, and ruined my life.
....it had to be her fault.
Because if it wasn't....
if it wasn't her fault... then it was mine.
Wonder how long it will take her to accept it was her fault.
1 minute before 10 PM and Sharon is in a section of the tunnels, making sure she isn't being monitored and activates a device with a projection.
The projection was a hologram, all blue, and this time it showed a man in a concealing robe, with only his chin giving the game away. "You're late."
Someone is a Star Wars fan.
The device on the table was still giving the all clear, but Sharon knew this little safe room could be burned at any time. The only thing it had going for it was it supposedly belonged to another club, who had no idea as to its true purpose.
I wonder which offer club uses that room and could someone from it stumble onto one of these meetings accidentally. Sharon reporting to James now.
"Operation mud fall was a complete success. The target is now bound tightly to us, even as others are pushed away. Some level of trust has been obtained, and the next phase of the operation can commence at any time."
Does that us include Pete and Irma, I would hate to think they are all false friends just using her for their boss. "Devisor soda machine", well, there is an ice cream machine.
Interesting story and look into Jamie Howe's mindset. She is even more messed up than I thought, but at least those last thoughts from her give hope she might realize what she's done. I liked seeing her have friends, stabilizing influences who can help her. I should have expected someone from a branch of ER was behind the threat to Jamie, curious how that will play out. And the most heartbreaking past is Sharon's report to James, it sounds like all of her new close friends are just others working for this boss and being put into a position to manipulate her for his goals.
It does show that Jamie isn't a monster, just a deeply disturbed young woman in need of a lot of help whose own mind is messing with her where she can't see truth from the fictions she has come up with to explain things. I hope the staff at Whateley are able to get her sorted out, I know she will probably never be friends with Tia, but it would be nice if she stopped taunting her and realizes the harm she's done to Luke/Tia's life with her actions.
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