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Title: Black Edelweiss
Series: Zeitgeist
Follows: One Giant Leap
Wordcount: 1,969
Summary: Two weeks after Claire Bennet's televised leap from the Ferris wheel, the 12th handles it's first case delving into the strange world of specials. Evidence points the investigation toward a former Company Agent, a man Noah Bennet would swear up and down doesn't exist.
Details: Minimal details due to inflation. Full details in main post.
PREV: Chapter Seven // MAIN // NEXT: Chapter Nine
Chapter Eight: The Ryan Report
"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"
—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four
"I kept my search as discreet as I could," Lanie told them. "My first analysis does appear to confirm a match between Reichardt's DNA profile and the one we have on record for Detective Ryan. Not a familial relation, but an exact match."
Crammed into Montgomery's office, the captain, Kate, Castle, and the liaison team all listened intently as the ME delivered her findings. There hadn't been time to read Lanie in on much of the information recently discovered in the investigation, and Kate could see the questions burning in her friend's eyes that the answers she was providing had put there. And there still wasn't time to lay them to rest, unfortunately, as the answers simply begged more questions.
"The fingerprints I was given were also a match," Lanie added.
"I'm afraid this puts a hole in your theory, Mr. Castle," Bennet told the writer in a low aside. "Genetic clones rarely share fingerprints. While projected clones often do, they normally aren't stable enough to persist on their own for an extended period of time."
Somewhat dazed, Castle gave a long blink before he responded.
"I'm still surprised you took it seriously..." Castle said, bewildered.
"Anything else?" Montgomery asked, ignoring the exchange.
The captain had been doing an admirable job of following the convoluted thread of the case without undo argument so far, but now he almost seemed afraid of the answer. From the way Lanie hesitated, his fears weren't entirely unfounded.
"In the interests of being thorough, in case there was some kind of...mistake," Lanie continued, reluctantly, "I ran Reichardt's prints through the database. Ryan wasn't the only hit. I also found this."
Reaching into the folder in her hands, Lanie drew out a file, placing it on the captain's desk. As Montgomery flipped it open, Kate was surprised to realize it was a printed copy of an NYPD personnel record.
"Richard Conway?" Kate asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll give you the Cliff's notes version," Lanie offered, eyes roaming over the other curious faces crowed around her. "Officer Conway served with the NYPD out of the 43rd for nine years, beginning in 1959 and ending in 1968 when he was shot and killed during an attempted bank robbery."
"Jesus Christ..." Montgomery swore softly.
Following his eyes down to the papers in front of him, Kate saw what had prompted the reaction. The photo attached to the file was one of Konrad Reichardt, looking just as young as he had in 1944. Somehow, she found this photograph even more disturbing. In uniform, and without the scar, it was even more difficult to find any difference between his face and that of her colleague.
"1968... That lines up neatly with Reichardt's start at the Company," Bennet observed, thoughtfully. "If your man is Reichardt, it would appear it's not the first time he's posed as a cop."
So far, Kate had taken the validity of the evidence gleaned from the Company's files with a grain of salt, mindful of how little they knew about Bennet and his motives. For all they knew, Hiro's files had been manufactured with this end in mind from the very beginning—though to what purpose, she couldn't imagine. That degree and flavor of paranoia left her feeling a little like Castle, but which possibility was really more insane? Either they were being royally manipulated or everything they thought they knew about Kevin Ryan was wrong.
Before the Park Incident, even with their peculiar evidence, she would never have given the theory a serious thought. Even after, Kate thought the possibility would likely have been discarded quickly. It was only the fact that Javier had been the one to make that leap that had forced her to give it serious consideration. Javier knew Ryan better than any of them, so if he believed it was possible...
And now, seeing more evidence pile up—from their own files—the whole bizarre idea was beginning to feel all too real.
"How could Ryan—Reichardt, have been in my precinct this whole time without tipping his hand?" Montgomery asked, disbelieving. "If nothing else, Esposito should have noticed...something. He and his partner are practically joined at the hip."
"I think it's unlikely that Ryan—if he truly is Reichardt—was actively deceiving anybody," Bennet ventured. "He's had plenty of time during this case to make a break for it if he were."
"Which brings us back to the part where it's confusing," Montgomery said.
"They can't be the same person," Kate argued, applying logic where it still could be applied. "The photos we have of Reichardt were taken at least twenty years apart. He looks about the same age in both of them. If he had an ability similar to your daughter's, then how could Ryan look any older? And what about that cut on his face?"
She meant, of course, the gash on Kevin's forehead from his encounter with Barbara. Bennet nodded as he listened to her arguments, answering them quickly.
"There have been a few past cases of specials who, as a coping mechanism, managed to dissociate their ability to the point of negating it entirely," Bennet told them. "Sometimes it takes the form of an emotional crutch, upon which they believe their ability is dependent. In extreme cases, it can develop into an alternate personality, giving one persona control over the ability while the other remains entirely unaware of it.
"Normally, this occurs around the time of the ability's manifestation," Bennet continued, "and in every case I've heard of, the alter was the one granted control of the ability, allowing the original personality to remain ignorant. While he obviously functioned successfully for decades, Reichardt's files from the Company do make mention of increasing dissociation. It's possible that some event might have triggered something similar to happen, causing him to repress not only his memories and his identity, but his abilities as well."
He paused for a moment, and while Bennet was a hard man to read, his hesitation reminded Kate of his earlier reluctance sharing information about his daughter's ability. Whatever details he was considering, they weren't ones he was happy to discuss.
"It's also possible," Bennet said after a few moments, "that Ryan is some kind of mnestic construct—"
"A what now?" Castle asked.
"A fabricated identity," Bennet answered, "created from false memories. Like a split personality, but...created and imposed upon the individual. The original is pushed back, buried or erased entirely and a new persona implanted to replace it."
From the grim sound of his voice, Kate would have laid odds that he'd had some experience with the subject. Unpleasant experience.
"Is that even possible?" Castle asked, alarmed, though the faintest bit of his earlier intrigue at the case could be felt peeking out from behind his confusion, like sun from behind a cloud.
"With several abilities, yes," Bennet said. "Telepathy, which isn't all that uncommon, and multiple other abilities that can work on memories specifically."
He paused again, taking in the faces aimed at him carefully.
"The distinction between the two is important," Bennet continued, his voice touched with sympathy. "If Ryan is a construct, then Reichardt is most likely entirely dormant within his mind, if he hasn't ceased to exist entirely. However, if he remains as a splinter personality, then the possibility exists that Reichardt could have resurfaced long enough to commit murder, and Ryan wouldn't even know it."
That possibility was sobering in the extreme, and Kate felt a little sick even contemplating it. Regardless of his insane...connection to their suspect, she hadn't honestly believed Kevin capable of murder. The thought that, in the end, that belief, however true, might not even matter left her shaken.
"Then what, exactly, is our next step?" Montgomery asked of Bennet, slowly, clearly still processing the reality of where things stood.
"We'll need a telepath to know exactly what we're dealing with," Bennet told them, his tone careful. "I can make some inquiries."
"Alright," Montgomery said, nodding. A silent moment passed before he looked at Kate. "In the mean time, Beckett, I don't have to tell you that both your boys are off the case."
She took a slow breath to calm her reaction to the implications of that, and nodded.
"I understand, sir."
Montgomery snorted, shaking his head, eyes distant with confusion.
"Wish I did."
(—
=)
Things had broken up quickly, leaving them scattering like mice. The ME returned to her duties while Beckett and the writer went to deliver her news to the waiting detectives. Outside of the captain's office, Tracy caught Noah's attention with a brief glance. With a nod, he followed her to a quiet hallway.
"I've been in communication with Micah," Tracy told him, once they were alone. "He sent me the information you had him look for."
She handed him a folder she had concealed in her coat.
"I take it nobody saw you print these," Noah commented needlessly as he skimmed the contents briefly.
"Micah accessed an empty office down in Traffic while we were still waiting on the ME's results." She paused, catching his attention. "I haven't read through it all, but there were a few things he pointed out to me."
Noah raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to continue.
"Esposito seems pretty clean," Tracy said. "School, military, police records, search history all seem normal, except that, over the past two weeks he's been looking into your background. According to Micah, his search hasn't been very deep so far, but it's been very discreet."
Noah processed that with a frown.
"It's possibly simple curiosity on the detective's part," he speculated, "but I wouldn't bet on it."
Tracy nodded, then continued.
"The probe into Ryan's past was a lot more...interesting. He is apparently an active blogger, and everything recent that Micah checked out seems legit... Except, looking farther back he found a handful of inconsistencies in line with what we've come to suspect. Prior to his transfer from Buffalo in 1999, things get a little sparse. Birth, school and academy records, but no photographs."
Tracy paused, wetting her lips before she continued.
"And, despite frequent references to them in his blog, Micah couldn't turn up any proof that Ryan's family even exists."
Noah took in that information with nothing more than a brief nod, his mind placing the pieces together with what he already understood and suspected.
"It's looking more and more like Ryan is some kind of construct," he told her, "and an incredibly complex one. We need to find a telepath to help us understand it all."
Noah frowned, shaking his head.
"The only one that comes to mind, though, is Matt Parkman, but he's all the way in Los Angeles." He sighed, contemplating that hopeless prospect. "This case feels too much like what happened with Sylar. Even if Matt would take my calls, I doubt we could get him in on this."
"There's Peter Petrelli," Tracy reasoned. "I think Hiro is still hanging around. He might be willing to take Peter to L.A. Peter could copy Parkman's ability and bring it back with him."
Noah considered that option. There was a lot about it that he didn't like, the least of which was his discomfort with the increasing number of people becoming involved. Specifically, involving Peter ran the risk of calling the attention of certain other parties, and in light of Angela's warning, that was something Noah wanted to avoid at all costs. Still, they were limited in their options, and Peter's talents were necessary.
It was a calculated risk, but Reichardt was simply too dangerous—and too important—to let go.
"Alright," Noah said finally. "Go ask Hiro if he's up for the trip."
Once Tracy had left, Noah allowed himself to browse the folder in his hands. Setting the information on Ryan and Esposito aside, he opened the one on Beckett. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for.
"Interesting..."
PREV: Chapter Seven // MAIN // NEXT: Chapter Nine
Author's Note: I use the blog, but I don't consider the blog part of this story's canon (since I haven't read all of it). Simply, the Ryan Report exists in this story, but it's content may or may not be the same as it is in the "real" world.
Also, I made up the term "mnestic construct", but it makes sense that the Company would have a vocabulary for a lot of strange things.
Series: Zeitgeist
Follows: One Giant Leap
Wordcount: 1,969
Summary: Two weeks after Claire Bennet's televised leap from the Ferris wheel, the 12th handles it's first case delving into the strange world of specials. Evidence points the investigation toward a former Company Agent, a man Noah Bennet would swear up and down doesn't exist.
Details: Minimal details due to inflation. Full details in main post.
PREV: Chapter Seven // MAIN // NEXT: Chapter Nine
Chapter Eight: The Ryan Report
"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?"
—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four
"I kept my search as discreet as I could," Lanie told them. "My first analysis does appear to confirm a match between Reichardt's DNA profile and the one we have on record for Detective Ryan. Not a familial relation, but an exact match."
Crammed into Montgomery's office, the captain, Kate, Castle, and the liaison team all listened intently as the ME delivered her findings. There hadn't been time to read Lanie in on much of the information recently discovered in the investigation, and Kate could see the questions burning in her friend's eyes that the answers she was providing had put there. And there still wasn't time to lay them to rest, unfortunately, as the answers simply begged more questions.
"The fingerprints I was given were also a match," Lanie added.
"I'm afraid this puts a hole in your theory, Mr. Castle," Bennet told the writer in a low aside. "Genetic clones rarely share fingerprints. While projected clones often do, they normally aren't stable enough to persist on their own for an extended period of time."
Somewhat dazed, Castle gave a long blink before he responded.
"I'm still surprised you took it seriously..." Castle said, bewildered.
"Anything else?" Montgomery asked, ignoring the exchange.
The captain had been doing an admirable job of following the convoluted thread of the case without undo argument so far, but now he almost seemed afraid of the answer. From the way Lanie hesitated, his fears weren't entirely unfounded.
"In the interests of being thorough, in case there was some kind of...mistake," Lanie continued, reluctantly, "I ran Reichardt's prints through the database. Ryan wasn't the only hit. I also found this."
Reaching into the folder in her hands, Lanie drew out a file, placing it on the captain's desk. As Montgomery flipped it open, Kate was surprised to realize it was a printed copy of an NYPD personnel record.
"Richard Conway?" Kate asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll give you the Cliff's notes version," Lanie offered, eyes roaming over the other curious faces crowed around her. "Officer Conway served with the NYPD out of the 43rd for nine years, beginning in 1959 and ending in 1968 when he was shot and killed during an attempted bank robbery."
"Jesus Christ..." Montgomery swore softly.
Following his eyes down to the papers in front of him, Kate saw what had prompted the reaction. The photo attached to the file was one of Konrad Reichardt, looking just as young as he had in 1944. Somehow, she found this photograph even more disturbing. In uniform, and without the scar, it was even more difficult to find any difference between his face and that of her colleague.
"1968... That lines up neatly with Reichardt's start at the Company," Bennet observed, thoughtfully. "If your man is Reichardt, it would appear it's not the first time he's posed as a cop."
So far, Kate had taken the validity of the evidence gleaned from the Company's files with a grain of salt, mindful of how little they knew about Bennet and his motives. For all they knew, Hiro's files had been manufactured with this end in mind from the very beginning—though to what purpose, she couldn't imagine. That degree and flavor of paranoia left her feeling a little like Castle, but which possibility was really more insane? Either they were being royally manipulated or everything they thought they knew about Kevin Ryan was wrong.
Before the Park Incident, even with their peculiar evidence, she would never have given the theory a serious thought. Even after, Kate thought the possibility would likely have been discarded quickly. It was only the fact that Javier had been the one to make that leap that had forced her to give it serious consideration. Javier knew Ryan better than any of them, so if he believed it was possible...
And now, seeing more evidence pile up—from their own files—the whole bizarre idea was beginning to feel all too real.
"How could Ryan—Reichardt, have been in my precinct this whole time without tipping his hand?" Montgomery asked, disbelieving. "If nothing else, Esposito should have noticed...something. He and his partner are practically joined at the hip."
"I think it's unlikely that Ryan—if he truly is Reichardt—was actively deceiving anybody," Bennet ventured. "He's had plenty of time during this case to make a break for it if he were."
"Which brings us back to the part where it's confusing," Montgomery said.
"They can't be the same person," Kate argued, applying logic where it still could be applied. "The photos we have of Reichardt were taken at least twenty years apart. He looks about the same age in both of them. If he had an ability similar to your daughter's, then how could Ryan look any older? And what about that cut on his face?"
She meant, of course, the gash on Kevin's forehead from his encounter with Barbara. Bennet nodded as he listened to her arguments, answering them quickly.
"There have been a few past cases of specials who, as a coping mechanism, managed to dissociate their ability to the point of negating it entirely," Bennet told them. "Sometimes it takes the form of an emotional crutch, upon which they believe their ability is dependent. In extreme cases, it can develop into an alternate personality, giving one persona control over the ability while the other remains entirely unaware of it.
"Normally, this occurs around the time of the ability's manifestation," Bennet continued, "and in every case I've heard of, the alter was the one granted control of the ability, allowing the original personality to remain ignorant. While he obviously functioned successfully for decades, Reichardt's files from the Company do make mention of increasing dissociation. It's possible that some event might have triggered something similar to happen, causing him to repress not only his memories and his identity, but his abilities as well."
He paused for a moment, and while Bennet was a hard man to read, his hesitation reminded Kate of his earlier reluctance sharing information about his daughter's ability. Whatever details he was considering, they weren't ones he was happy to discuss.
"It's also possible," Bennet said after a few moments, "that Ryan is some kind of mnestic construct—"
"A what now?" Castle asked.
"A fabricated identity," Bennet answered, "created from false memories. Like a split personality, but...created and imposed upon the individual. The original is pushed back, buried or erased entirely and a new persona implanted to replace it."
From the grim sound of his voice, Kate would have laid odds that he'd had some experience with the subject. Unpleasant experience.
"Is that even possible?" Castle asked, alarmed, though the faintest bit of his earlier intrigue at the case could be felt peeking out from behind his confusion, like sun from behind a cloud.
"With several abilities, yes," Bennet said. "Telepathy, which isn't all that uncommon, and multiple other abilities that can work on memories specifically."
He paused again, taking in the faces aimed at him carefully.
"The distinction between the two is important," Bennet continued, his voice touched with sympathy. "If Ryan is a construct, then Reichardt is most likely entirely dormant within his mind, if he hasn't ceased to exist entirely. However, if he remains as a splinter personality, then the possibility exists that Reichardt could have resurfaced long enough to commit murder, and Ryan wouldn't even know it."
That possibility was sobering in the extreme, and Kate felt a little sick even contemplating it. Regardless of his insane...connection to their suspect, she hadn't honestly believed Kevin capable of murder. The thought that, in the end, that belief, however true, might not even matter left her shaken.
"Then what, exactly, is our next step?" Montgomery asked of Bennet, slowly, clearly still processing the reality of where things stood.
"We'll need a telepath to know exactly what we're dealing with," Bennet told them, his tone careful. "I can make some inquiries."
"Alright," Montgomery said, nodding. A silent moment passed before he looked at Kate. "In the mean time, Beckett, I don't have to tell you that both your boys are off the case."
She took a slow breath to calm her reaction to the implications of that, and nodded.
"I understand, sir."
Montgomery snorted, shaking his head, eyes distant with confusion.
"Wish I did."
(—
=)
Things had broken up quickly, leaving them scattering like mice. The ME returned to her duties while Beckett and the writer went to deliver her news to the waiting detectives. Outside of the captain's office, Tracy caught Noah's attention with a brief glance. With a nod, he followed her to a quiet hallway.
"I've been in communication with Micah," Tracy told him, once they were alone. "He sent me the information you had him look for."
She handed him a folder she had concealed in her coat.
"I take it nobody saw you print these," Noah commented needlessly as he skimmed the contents briefly.
"Micah accessed an empty office down in Traffic while we were still waiting on the ME's results." She paused, catching his attention. "I haven't read through it all, but there were a few things he pointed out to me."
Noah raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to continue.
"Esposito seems pretty clean," Tracy said. "School, military, police records, search history all seem normal, except that, over the past two weeks he's been looking into your background. According to Micah, his search hasn't been very deep so far, but it's been very discreet."
Noah processed that with a frown.
"It's possibly simple curiosity on the detective's part," he speculated, "but I wouldn't bet on it."
Tracy nodded, then continued.
"The probe into Ryan's past was a lot more...interesting. He is apparently an active blogger, and everything recent that Micah checked out seems legit... Except, looking farther back he found a handful of inconsistencies in line with what we've come to suspect. Prior to his transfer from Buffalo in 1999, things get a little sparse. Birth, school and academy records, but no photographs."
Tracy paused, wetting her lips before she continued.
"And, despite frequent references to them in his blog, Micah couldn't turn up any proof that Ryan's family even exists."
Noah took in that information with nothing more than a brief nod, his mind placing the pieces together with what he already understood and suspected.
"It's looking more and more like Ryan is some kind of construct," he told her, "and an incredibly complex one. We need to find a telepath to help us understand it all."
Noah frowned, shaking his head.
"The only one that comes to mind, though, is Matt Parkman, but he's all the way in Los Angeles." He sighed, contemplating that hopeless prospect. "This case feels too much like what happened with Sylar. Even if Matt would take my calls, I doubt we could get him in on this."
"There's Peter Petrelli," Tracy reasoned. "I think Hiro is still hanging around. He might be willing to take Peter to L.A. Peter could copy Parkman's ability and bring it back with him."
Noah considered that option. There was a lot about it that he didn't like, the least of which was his discomfort with the increasing number of people becoming involved. Specifically, involving Peter ran the risk of calling the attention of certain other parties, and in light of Angela's warning, that was something Noah wanted to avoid at all costs. Still, they were limited in their options, and Peter's talents were necessary.
It was a calculated risk, but Reichardt was simply too dangerous—and too important—to let go.
"Alright," Noah said finally. "Go ask Hiro if he's up for the trip."
Once Tracy had left, Noah allowed himself to browse the folder in his hands. Setting the information on Ryan and Esposito aside, he opened the one on Beckett. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for.
"Interesting..."
PREV: Chapter Seven // MAIN // NEXT: Chapter Nine
Author's Note: I use the blog, but I don't consider the blog part of this story's canon (since I haven't read all of it). Simply, the Ryan Report exists in this story, but it's content may or may not be the same as it is in the "real" world.
Also, I made up the term "mnestic construct", but it makes sense that the Company would have a vocabulary for a lot of strange things.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: Tuesday, 11 October 2011 03:42 am (UTC)From:I wonder now if Jenny's noticed anything odd about that.
It's almost as chilling as the idea that sweet puppydog Kevin might be murdering people in his spare time and not even know it, though I doubt he actually is.
Between tonight's episode and this fic I really want to give Ryan a hug.
no subject
Date: Thursday, 13 October 2011 04:37 am (UTC)From:I shouldn't go into how long and how severely I've been obsessed with amnesia/false memories as a trope. Angel Heart, Dark City...and of course, season four of Heroes which will be seeing a bit of mention a few chapters from now.
no subject
Date: Thursday, 13 October 2011 02:59 pm (UTC)From:I've never actually seen any of those, but funnily enough Dark City came up when my brother and I were taking the other day and is now en route from the library. Or at least it would be, really it should be here by now...
no subject
Date: Thursday, 13 October 2011 03:45 pm (UTC)From:If you haven't watched it by the time you see this, try and watch with the opening voiceover muted until the zoom-in on the window at the beginning (unless you've got the director's cut, then you shouldn't have to). It kind of kills a lot of the mystery.
no subject
Date: Friday, 14 October 2011 12:24 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Tuesday, 11 October 2011 04:26 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Thursday, 13 October 2011 04:41 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Friday, 14 October 2011 02:36 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Monday, 30 January 2012 01:54 am (UTC)From:"I'm still surprised you took it seriously..." He said, bewildered.
*giggles* True. That would be interesting. Bennet and Castle would definitely make for a never boring work relationship. ^^
Just as it would make sense for Reichardt to petition against the way they experimented on Elle, it would make sense that he would go towards law inforcement.
Oooh. Kevin could be like Kiki, then. Or a Nathan/Sylar.
Great. Poor man.
Now, about Beckett. :P
Is Castle going to end up being the Jimmy Olsen of this story, I'm going to mock him. Really bad.
Now that we're on specials... *points to icon*
no subject
Date: Monday, 30 January 2012 02:01 am (UTC)From:It is somewhat a twist on the traditional Mulder and Scully roles, isn't it? XD
Oooh. Kevin could be like Kiki, then. Or a Nathan/Sylar.
There's definitely a lot of Sylar in the Kevin/Konrad dynamic. ;)
no subject
Date: Monday, 30 January 2012 02:11 am (UTC)From:Mulder: Kevin+Castle, Scully: Javier+Kate.
I rewatched thet one with the psychic today. I loved how Kevin took his cue from Javier. It's something he does often.
"Do you really beleive she-..."
"No."
"... me neither."
:P
I just reached a chapter where Sylar is mentionned. I'm not going to read it(so I won't try to decript this just yet). I'm going to try sleeping again.
Sitting up, on a chair, because my life is awesome.
So yeah.
I may or may not be back soon.
no subject
Date: Monday, 30 January 2012 02:16 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: Saturday, 14 July 2012 04:35 pm (UTC)From: