12.23.2132 - Speculation

[Johan]

"Let's start with facts." Temmit addressed Smokey as they lay on the floor of Renee's chamber.

"Agreed, as usual." Smokey accommodated him.

"Marcus is certainly an unusual 15-year old."

"Yep"

"Parents are divorced or at least separated."

"Rich mother in the city, Dad in Southaven."

"Area, at least." Temmit corrected. "When not in school, seems to normally live with this father. Was there last FallEnd, disappeared for nearly two weeks (reports vary a bit). Shows up rather suddenly unharmed and says that he simply got lost in the forest and 'survived off the land', as it were."

"Correct." Smokey returned. "On to Hearsay?"

"Verily." Temmit agreed, having re-trod all that seemed to be factual in this case.

"Not only did he show up unharmed, but by all accounts he was none the worse for wear."

"I believe the phrase that was used was 'Not a hair out of place'.

"Yes, I think that phrase was used." Temmit agreed. "And that suggests that he certainly wasn't sleeping on the floor of an autumn forest."

"Sure. He would have had a nice, clean place to stay."

"Then there's Emma's reiteration of Marcus's mother's written statement in the medical priests' records including the following symptoms: increased physical strength; increased energy; a far greater degree of extroversion; an unruly nature; flamboyancy."

"Seems that his adventure in the forest changed his whole persona."

"Aye."

"What of our own observations?" Smokey prompted.

"He isn't aware of the social etiquette here in Our Commons...likely in Safe Haven at all."

"Concluded based upon...?"

"He didn't know enough to give his age and house when greeting me...or Fresenius, for that matter."

"Good spot." Smokey congratulated him. "Seems that you've actually learned a thing or two about paying attention to detail."

"He is certainly unruly."

"He sure did try to incite you to trash Shanteel's office."

"Any additional oddities?"

"Well, he did give me a cover story about a girl named Sarah, but then recanted and delivered a far more innocuous story."

"Ok...I can see that. If the truth of his story was that he was lost in the woods, and only that, he wouldn't have had a cover story at all." Smokey summed up Temmit's point.

"Exactly."

"What else?"

"It was obvious that Fresenius had never before today met Marcus. Why would he clear the schedule of the Quintescant for a child that he doesn't know? Also, why does he not seem to mind when Marcus fails to observe social conventions?"

"Why indeed?"

"All right...I think that's about everything."

"Now to sew it all together."

"The kid clearly wasn't lost in the forest at all. He was staying with someone...perhaps this person named Sarah."

"Let's take an assumption that his mother's observations are valid; he is stronger, more energetic, more flamboyant, more unruly, and suddenly extroverted. We've certainly seen evidence of a child who is unruly, extroverted, and energetic.

"If these are all changes that occurred within the span of a week, then what might cause that?"

"For one thing, as speculated by some: emergence of a gift."

"Nnnneeeeyyyaaaa..." Smokey made his 'I'm not so sure of that' sound.

"I didn't think so either." Temmit agreed. "Seems to me that you can explain some of those changes, but not a whole-sale change in character."

"So let's do away with the Gift emergence idea."

"Agreed. What other theory do you have?"

"Alchemy." Smokey supplied.

"But if it were alchemy, he'd have to be taking the draught on a regular basis. Every day at least. Likely more often than that."

"Presumably." Smokey agreed.

"Alchemy might also account for his lack of social etiquette." Temmit said. "You know, he's pretty quick though. I'll bet you he only added 'My Grace' because River did, and he was imitating River."

"Good thing you didn't go first. Aren't you glad that I held you back?"

Temmit smirked. "But that gives us a fellow who isn't aware of things that are ingrained in every one of us from a very early age."

"And given that his mother is so pious, she would likely have taught him proprieties."

"So how does it come to pass that he doesn't know?"

"Only one way that I can think of." Temmit returned. "This isn't Marcus, and as ludicrous as it sounds, this Marcus isn't from Safe Haven."

The two were silent for a long moment, allowing this staggering thought to gain hold in their minds.

"So if we take this to be our working theory," Temmit explored cautiously. "The reason that Fresenius isn't concerned that Marcus doesn't know the social platitudes is that Fresenius doesn't expect Marcus to know them."

"And that would mean..."

"That Fresenius knows that Marcus is from outside of Safe Haven."

There was another long moment of mutual solitude. "So let's say that our theory from last night holds true, and Karh'Thul are hunting gifted." Temmit ventured at last. "I'm going to assume that it's also true that Fresenius is working with the Karh'Thul in order to wipe out what he considers to be a more onerous threat: the gifted. I'm willing to bet you that Marcus is indeed gifted. But his power, whatever it may be, is only just now manifesting."

"I'll bet that his mother is close to Fresenius, and speaks to him of the troubles of having a teen-yeared son. She is, as I've heard, clueless. But Fresenius is not. He can identify by her stories that Marcus is gifted."

"Listening."

"He passes this information on to his Karh'Thul contact, who in turn arranges to have Marcus abducted and replaced with a simulacrum."

"They release the bastard into Our Commons to see what he can find out; to learn about more gifted kids. To get close to the resistance cells that he so cleverly asked me about. Over the course of the next month, our Outlands visitor has trouble fitting in, being a chaotic individual as he is. His mother notices the changes, and becomes frightened. She requests that the Quintescant try to 'cure' her beloved son. They arrange an audience for such a wealthy benefactor."

"Fresenius learns of this audience, and decides to take his opportunity to conduct their one-month debriefing."

"Why keep Marcus on the Quintescant's schedule for the day?" Smokey asked.

"To use him to kill them?" Temmit suggested. "If he can replace one person, he can replace many."

Temmit sat up then. He had no idea how long he had held council with Smokey. "Renee," he said. "I have sort of an...Outlandish theory."

[Dray]

Not only had Renee finished her muffin, the crumbs in evidence about her chest and pillow, but she had also dosed off.

"Whah...oh! Oh, sorry Temmit."

"What is it?"

[Johan]

Temmit outlines his line of reasoning that he just went through.

Highlights:

This is not Marcus.
This Marcus isn't from Safehaven.
Fresenius knows that.
Corroborates previous night's theory.
Need some investigation.

Next steps:

Talk to Leslie to see what she can dig up on the current Marcus, and his mother (is she in fact "close" to Fresenius, for instance)

Talk to River: what was Marcus like before (if he knows)? Marcus claimed to fall off of a small cliff...are there any in the area where he spoke of? Anyone named. Sarah in that area? What does who know about Marcus (Before)?

Perhaps other venues.

[Dray]

Resulting conversation between Temmit and Renee reveals nothing that furthers the storyline. They part company, as Renee has other business to attend to before having to return to classes tomorrow.

To be continued in in  12.23.2132 - Investigation thread.