Urban Fallout (hold)

(4.2): Fusion

(4.2): Fusion

Jamie stood in front of apartment 2134, locked in a staring contest with the wood. His friends stood behind him, silent, expectant.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Jamie finally admitted. "I don't know what I'm looking for, and I don't know what to say."

That was all Lance had been waiting for. His talent for bullshit was one that was recognized by all who knew him. Jamie's powers were a new variable, and he hadn't wished to interfere, but it appeared that his redheaded friend was just as clueless as the rest of them.

"I'm going to knock, find out who they are," said Lance.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Yamir asked.

Jamie looked conflicted, but he did not speak.

"Do it!" Snow quivered with excitement, raising her fist like she was going to knock for him, then quickly returning it to her side.

"Do you two want to wait down the hall?" Lance asked, out of habit. He was adept at reading the mood of his party. "We don't want to overwhelm them with four teenagers."

He knew Snow would stand beside him with fake confidence. She would speak when necessary and no more. It was the pare of them that bought drugs, got them into parties. How hard could solving a mystery be?

"I agree." Jamie spoke up. "Two is the right number, but I think maybe I should stay with you."

Snow looked momentarily disheartened, but nodded. "Come on Yamir, let's see if we can get onto the roof or something."

As much as Jamie trusted in the charisma of his friend he couldn't stop the anxiety building up inside him. He should have just hidden, let his more outgoing friends do the talking. Putting on his trademark smirk Lance knocked three times. Too late. There was a little movement inside, and Lance knocked again.

"Who the fuck...?" The voice was muffled, but seconds later the door swung open.

A very hung over Indian man was revealed. He sported about as much stubble as Lance, and appeared only to be a few years older. However Jamie, who had not filled out to the extend Lance had, sat very solidly on the high school side of the adulthood divide.

"Who the fuck are you?" he asked, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Who is it?" yelled another male voice, from inside.

"I don't fucking know! Some kids."

"Sorry to bug you so early, man," Lance said, "and what I'm going to say is going to sound a bit weird, but you're going to have to bear with us."

"I'm an atheist," the man said. "So if you want me to convert to something you're shit our of luck."

Lance laughed, intentionally forced. "No, no nothing like that. First, a question though. What's your view on mutants? I think what I'm asking is, which side are you on?"

Jamie froze. The man froze. What the hell was Lance playing at?

After a long silence the man answered. "I think what the corporations are doing is fucked. Those kids didn't ask to be born like that."

"Great!" Lance grinned. "Because I'm here on behalf of one."

What the hell was he playing at?

"A psychic. He's a friend of ours. Prefers to remain anonymous. Real cryptic guy, but real reliable. He gave us your address, nothing more, said that you were going to help save the world."

The man appeared to be processing. Hell, Jamie was still processing. He had to admit though, what Lance had done had been clever. He'd told the half truth, better than trying to construct a lie on the spot.

"I don't know if you're fucking with me, or..." The man was shaking his head. "Come in. Repeat that shit to my roommates." He held the door open, and Jamie and Lance were allowed in to the shoe box of an apartment.

They were introduced to its occupants. The three roommates were students at St. Xavier University or as everyone called it, Edge U. Ali, the man at the door was in engineering. His two roommates, Stephanie and Renner were bachelors of science.

"He just gave you our address, nothing more?" Stephanie asked, as Lance finished the story.

Lance nodded, casting Jamie a look, as if asking him to contribute. Jamie had remained mostly silent thus far, and struggled for something to say. He liked what Lance had done to his psychic power, turning it into a being separate from himself.

"And it's not like we were going to push for more," Jamie said. "He's not the kind of person you can question, you know?"

"Do you have any idea what he could have meant, that you were going to help save the world?" Lance asked.

Renner and Stephanie met eachother's eyes. Jamie knew that they had a thought, he knew that they had a theory. Whether they would share it or not, that was another question.

It was Ali that spoke. "That depends... How much capital does your mutant friend have? Because we've been trying to save the world for some time now, but it's a little bit hard when we can't get funding."

This was right. Jamie knew it as strongly as he had ever known anything. It was with a renewed confidence that he pressed on for more information.

Clean energy.

More specifically, nuclear fusion. It was a passion that all three roommates shared. They had the full, plausible, implementable plan for a fusion plant in the city. Location, containment. They'd all worked with fusion before. Neither Lance nor Jamie understood a word of it. Lance wasn't even really listening. The problem was, however, and the research they desperately needed funded, was how to get a sustained reaction going. After that, more fuel could just be fed in.

"Like a mini sun," said Stephanie, obviously realizing she'd lost them. "We can contain it, but we just can't get it started."