Another Crashed Car

[Nick Ryder]

"Ah yeah... the new Selene." Nick nodded his head and chuckled. "I have to say, Natalia had nothing but nice things to say and she was always a tiny bit scared of her. I'm happy for them, Clint was like not quite all there after Selene was killed and it seems like a near universal constant that Selenes seem to be mistreated quite badly." he looked at Alice. "And there do seem to be precious few of you. Yet another reason why I would willingly chuck it all to be with you." he glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Gale happily watching the buildings and cars as they zoomed down the highway. "I did promise you we'd spend a lot more time together as a family. Maybe we'll like this too much and never go back. Just quietly disappear from the public eye for a while. I'd even be fine with being 'Mr. Huntington' for a while. You backed me up for years and we even held off our wedding because of this... I should have married you before I took office and I should have let Jon take the ticket instead of running. I owe you more than you realize dear."

[Alice Ryder]

"Oh don't worry you're about to pay up." Alice informed with a smirk and then sat up suddenly. "Shit! Gale did you bring the backpack you always take to Bella's."

He nodded, eyes wide as Alice looked back at him.

"May I see your backpack please?" Alice asked softly.

Slowly, he handed it over to her his eyes still wide.

"Sorry, Mommy didn't mean to yell." Alice reassured him as she flipped his backpack over and tore open a small hole. She pulled out a chip and handed him back his backpack. "I'll fix it when we get on the road."

[Nick Ryder]

"Almost forgot about that." Nick replied and took the chip and looked at it. "For Rommie right?" he inquired. "Once we're out of the city, you can fill me in with a bit more of this plan of your's. Becki is going to be a wee bit pissed off that I didn't tell her anything, although then again, she's used to this. Julie never liked having her around, always thought she was a sex robot program or something. Maybe for my brother, but not me. " he chuckled

[Alice Ryder]

"All my data on Mac and Tali." Alice told him. "I couldn't make sense of Mac's readings I need another pair of eyes and no you don't get a say. And Becki well...she'll understand."

[Nick Ryder]

"Hey I had a hard enough time trying to translate Jack's readings so yeah, Rommie... she's always been able to figure out things better than even BECKi, I always sort of wanted to study her and yet... she's almost human in her resistance." Nick said and hummed. "So you're just as stumped on the Calhoun women as I am?"

[Alice Ryder]

"I am...Tali's readings seem very evolutionary based and there is a connection to something. I'd say very similar to a telepathic bond perhaps she's still bonded with Korba. I wouldn't expect her to be able to blow up planets but she's strong. Mac on the other hand...her readings are vastly different now and they're changing. I'm worried about her Nicholas and I'm worried about Kinsey."

[Nick Ryder]

"Jack never really let anyone, even me, really get a full study on Kinsey and the kids. I think he knew they could be more dangerous than they even realize. Considering they're packing both whatever is in Kinsey and Tali's genetic soup and Jack's weird blend of mine and Noella's." he sighed. "I think Kinsey is more like Jack than she originally thought, this Korba and what little I was able to glean from what JT sort of told me that Mac told him, he was not a Xenexian, just like Noella isn't just an Aussie of Scottish lineage." he glanced at Gale. "Two augments creating a kid, that's not as hard to figure, but an augment, combined with a higher being, that's a mix that's a lot harder to figure. Although I always theorized that the Pit on Xenex tapped into some very old, very... unusual power. Kinsey being able to blow up a planet with just her mind, that's beyond anything we've seen. Even the Jase'dasis never had any record of anyone that powerful. Short of a mythical god or goddess."

[Alice Ryder]

"That's one of the reasons I'm going to ask Rommie to get those readings to Jack." Alice said matter of fact. "He needs to know what we've learned about Kinsey, what's happening to Mac, and maybe he can help them. He spent a lot of time studying her Nicholas. If anyone can figure it out its him. This is beyond me."

[Nick Ryder]

"Indeed... and let's be honest, Kinsey given her current power level... she could end this whole thing with Dominus and Bellatrix and the Ajem with a snap of her fingers." Nick said and looked at Alice. "Of course, I'm more worried about their kids."

[Alice Ryder]

"So am I which is why he needs to know." Alice said.