HSW – Partial Scene (Alec sets out to identify his marks)

The strike of the Pulse catapulted the nation into a state of decay. It affected American society as a whole, its cities and citizens, lower, middle and upper class, commoners and politicians alike.

But with politics being what they were and combined with the power vacuum they created, there were those in possession of the power who made sure that at least one section of the country remained as pristine and perfect as possible given the economic collapse. Or, rather, the collapse for everyone but those in power.

Washington had become the power core and everyone who was anyone, those priveleged individuals and groups, families of prestige and sway and the ones who helped them achieve it, now resided in the city. D.C. was the hub of all things, the battery to the various government agencies and departments of State as well as the seat of most national and some internationally connected companies and projects.

It was here that Alec knew he would find his answers.

——————————————  (Later)  ————————————-

The Seattle facility and, earlier, the Wyoming base, had been small fry, and those involved in the project were at the bottom of the food chain. If he wanted to extinguish the very life of the Manticore machine, he had to strike at the heart of its operations.

Alec was familiar with various members of the Committee behind the majority of Manticore’s operational decisions. He was actually surprised that no one had come after him directly as a result of it. Then again, Manticore had a bad habit of overlooking their soldiers’ intelligence outside of their combative skills. How many times had doctors, drill sergeants, trainers and visiting officials spoken freely within hearing range of a Transgenic? And even their attempts to speak in secluded areas didn’t go unobserved; Transgenics did possess superhuman senses, after all.

Alec was positive he could identify those responsible, he just had to find a way into that conference. Shoving his hands deeper into his pockets, he continued down the street, absentmindedly passing the shopfronts and windows trying to unload their wares on an unsuspecting public. “Change your image! A brand new look for a brand new you!” He huffed, what utter BS.

Alec stopped short to allow a gaggle of giggling schoolgirls to pass and enter the store. Glancing through the open doors, the proverbial lightbulb flared to life and the face of an old Manticore instructor shimmered in his mind’s eye.

“…the best disguise is in the little things. A pair of glasses, contact lenses, a different style, cut or color of your hair, accessories. People have a tendency to pay attention to the small details and completely overlook the broader ones….”

The answer was staring him in the face. And all for a total of $39.95.