Upholding the Devil's Bargain

[Kinsey Calhoun]

“The apocalypse is here Carly we have to do what we can to survive it and protect as many people as we can.” Kinsey told her as she leaned back in her chair. “This plan that’s in place is it why Price met Dominus’s demands?”

[Cece Ryder]

"Mostly... part of it was to buy us some time to formulate a response, an hour was not enough time." Cece replied. "I think he knows that asking for our military leaders is not going to cripple us, maybe throw a few things out whack, which is worrisome, but we're in a far better place to replace high ranking officials after the whole Capitol Incident. That was one of the things Bella had us work on, make sure that if it happened again, we're not scrambling and as Malcolm paraphrased 'so a fockin' secretary and media director don't end up runnin' the show'." Course that 'fockin' secretary' ended the Imperium War." she looked at her mother and at James. "So one thing I've wondered... this other Kinsey or rather K'n'zy that defeated Dominus in her reality... I wonder if we can somehow connect with her."

"I thought all these realities were random?" James replied.

"To an extent, keep in mind there are an infinite number of them. There's probably a reality where I adopted you and not the Crosses." Cece said with a slight smile.

"You would have adopted me?" James raised an eyebrow.

"In another reality perhaps, if the Crosses weren't able to... maybe. Point is... every thing creates a new reality." Cece said as she plucked the fabric by the toe of her stockings and pulled it out. "In one reality I pulled these and they ran, causing me to go and change them. In this one, I pulled them and nothing happened. Maybe in one I didn't put them on in the first place and I was bare legged all day. I walk past a plant, I get a scratch, it causes me to go and get an anti histamine... which causes... another chain of events. Perhaps I skip lunch and just work until the night. RJ gets mad and we fight and I end up staying here. Dominus attacks and I'm dead. Now... if I wore my stockings, I wouldn't get scratched and would go on my day, have lunch, be in a good mood and go out. Dominus attacks and I'm still alive."

"All that because of what pantyhose you were wearing?" James chuckles.

"All that because in one reality it DID happen and does happen and in one it didn't. Granted this is all way theoretical and probably something dad and I would spend hours talking about and you'd be downing anti-inflammatories and home brew to kill the headaches..." Cece teased her mother. "So... you still have some of our K'n'zy's thought processes in your head. You walk like her when you wear those platform heeled boots you know. That black pair that make you like three inches taller and even more imposing and badass..." she cocked her head slightly. "If you were a K'n'zy that took over the world... what would you do?"

[Kinsey Calhoun]

The office was silent as Kinsey ran her finger along the smooth surface of her desk. She expected it to be dusty after been gone to long but instead it was clean. It was odd considering everything that had happened in her absence that someone had still found this simple task to be of importance.

"We can't rely on K'n'zy she's afraid of him." Kinsey said still looking at the tip of her finger. "Dominus found a way to safely navigate between the realities but he isn't the only one."

Kinsey looked up from her finger and met Cece's eyes.

"Barytn has been traveling from reality to reality and he never referred to her as K'n'zy."

[Cece Ryder]

"So what does he refer to her as?" Cece asked. "Still, there has to be something that they used or did that made him abandon that reality. Of course, that doesn't stop his reign of terror."

[Kinsey Calhoun]

"Kinsey." Kinsey said as she tapped her temple indicating it was something she'd sensed. "The way your father says K'n'zy. Anyway what we need is Bartyn."

[Cece Ryder]

"You really think he'll tell us anything?" Cece replied. "This is the same asshole that broke out of the Mount with a whiskey bottle and then blew the hell out of Bella and Jon. If I was still a Fleet Captain, I would have... volunteered him to do a space walk. Without a suit."

[Kinsey Calhoun]

"He'll do more then tell us." Kinsey said matter of fact. "I want him to take us to his Kinsey. I want to know how she defeat Dominus and they both hate him enough that they just might help us."

[Cece Ryder]

"You think they'll actually help us and not try to help themselves to our reality?" Cece crossed her arms. "If she's anything like my birth parent... of course you're stronger than you ever were."

[Kinsey Calhoun]

"Bartyn was here to keep tabs on Dominus and to make sure he didn't attempt to go back to his reality. Whatever they did to defeat him there was enough to frighten him into leaving." Kinsey said thoughtfully. "We need a plan and we need intel we can't get here. I already have Bartyn's word he'd help."

[Cece Ryder]

"You got his word... huh... the Kinsey charm." Cece said as she stood up and walked over to the small table with the tea pot. "Well, you know I'll support you. You're my mom, you ask, I make it happen."