“Worn-out garments are shed by the body; Worn-out bodies are shed by the dweller within the body. New bodies are donned by the dweller, like garments.” These are the words of the Bhagavad Gita about reincarnation. Reincarnation is hardly unique to Hinduism. Perhaps the beliefs echo our lives. Every day gives us a new opportunity to become a new person, for better or for worse. We can strip off the garments of hatred and revenge, tattered with overuse, and put on instead clothes of mercy and selflessness. Will we then become gods, as karmic rewards for our devotion to goodness? But why then take us away from the struggles of the world when we are at that point best suited to correct them?
Matt Parkman
Parkmans’ Apartment
2011
Matt thought he must have been seeing things when he looked through the peephole. Just to double-check, he tried to read the mind of the person on the other side of the door. White noise flooded his mind.
“Well, that’s a confirmation if I ever felt one.” He opened the door to see Nathan Petrelli flanked by several agents, including a familiar bald-headed Haitian.
“I felt you, Parkman,” Matt heard the Haitian think, in his thick Caribbean accent, “good instincts, though.”
Matt turned to Nathan, “Mr. President.”
Nathan smiled and turned to another guard, who took a breath and appeared to start yelling, though no sound came out.
“Ultrasonic white noise; we can talk privately,” Nathan explained. “And, please, Matt, no need to be so formal. ‘Mr. President’. You rode me once.” After an awkward pause, he added, “We’ll pretend I didn’t say that. It’s kind of why I keep this guy around.”
“What can I do for you, Nathan?” Matt asked, holding the door close.
“There’s no good way of asking this. Is Daphne all right?”
Matt’s mood soured, “Why do you care?”
“She was a valued employee. She kept her humanity somehow while working at Pinehearst.” Nathan held up an opened envelope. She turned in this letter of resignation. I’m betting ‘to spend more time with my family’ wasn’t just a cliché.”
Almost answering him, Daniella began crying.
Nathan continued, “You’ve got a family, including a new kid. I get that. I know Daphne was with Claire when they went to capture Peter in Costa Verde. It is my hope that she was able to escape in time.”
“Barely.”
“That’s good.”
“I said ‘barely.’ She had lethal radiation burns.”
With some urgency, Nathan offered, “We brought blood. It’s Claire’s. Best there is. I’m living proof.” He tapped his head to show off a bandage on his forehead.
“I already gave Daphne some. She’s… in a coma, I think.”
“My condolences.”
“Thank you,” Matt spat harshly and began to close the door.
Nathan blocked the move. He floated a few inches off the floor to get some height on Matt. “Matt, I hope you remember than I didn’t get into this office because of hollow campaign promises. I was thrust into office because people like us… bad people with powers like ours slaughtered my predecessor and most of his Cabinet. Governor Malden told the world that since I was one of them, I could protect us, find a solution.” He pointed at Matt. “You came to my office and told me what you’d seen in
“Nathan, my wife is on the brink of death…”
“I have access to the best medical facilities in the world.”
“My daughters…”
“I’m a father, too, Matt. Pinehearst has an elite academic program with protection for powered children. I can have Molly enrolled tomorrow, tuition waived. And they have an exception daycare center for the little one.”
Matt, visibly calmed, added, “I have a turtle.”
Nathan grinned. “I will have a first-class terrarium in your office tomorrow.”
Matt smiled. “So, what do you need from me?”
“I want you to take up your wife’s post. Pinehearst needs a few good men. You’ve worked for two of the best police departments in the country. Your experience is unparalleled with these types of situations.”
“You mean Claire’s team?”
“She asked for you specifically. I volunteered to recruit you myself.”
Matt pondered that. “I do have a family to support. Count me in.” Matt extended his hand. Nathan took it and they shook hands purposefully.
: : :
Arthur and Paula
Philadelphia,
1977
“I hope this works,” Arthur commented to the black woman beside him, as he looked up and down the halls of the rundown apartment complex.
“Mr. Petrelli, as I’ve told you before, things that happen to me, they happen for a reason. When I jumped off the
“I already had a friend run them for me. Said it would take several days just to write down all the zeroes. It’s just a hard ability to wrap your head around.”
“I make my own luck now.”
The door opened and a podgy, dark-haired man opened the door. He looked at the odd couple before him: a white man and a black woman. While down the street, two people like these might still refuse to be in the same restaurant together. “Can I help you?”
Arthur extended his hand, “Hello, my name is Arthur Petrelli, and this is my associate Paula Gramble.” Maury shook Arthur’s hand and did the same with Paula a bit more warily.
“What can I do for you?” Maury asked Arthur.
“We’re looking for a few talented people to start a rather prestigious organization.”
“You must have the wrong apartment. I’m just a cable repairman. Divorced and raising a kid.”
“Listen, Mr. … I don’t believe I caught your name.”
“Parkman.” He paused at his mistake, “But I didn’t give you my name.”
“No, you didn’t. Mr. Parkman, is there any chance that you have… an ability?”
Maury eyed Arthur with suspicion, answering, “Well, I’m a pretty damn good cable repairman.”
“I think we both know you mean something else.”
“How did you find me?” He lowered his eyebrows. Arthur held his head and grabbed a hold of Maury hand. Suddenly both jumped back.
“What did you do to me?!” Maury screamed.
“I leeched off a bit of your power. You’re a telepath, it seems. It would appear that it’s it’s problematic having two telepaths try to read one another at the same time. We’ll have to study that.”
“How did you find me?”
Arthur gestured toward Paula. “She’s the reason we found you. She threw a couple of dice and a handful of Scrabble tiles and it gave us your address.”
Maury looked on in disbelief. “What do you want from me?”
“Mr. Parkman, we’re forming an organization of people like us. We’d like for you to be part of it. Your talents could be of use.”
A small, dark-haired, 9-year-old boy walked up. “Dad? What’s going on?”
“Hey, these are some friends of your Dad. Go to your room and get some homework done. Wha’cha you got tonight, Buddy?”
“Stupid book report,” the boy replied, frowning.
“Great! I’ll come by to help you with that.”
The boy walked back to his room.
“Please, guys, I’m just a normal guy who can read minds. I can’t help with any big organization. I can barely afford to get my kid a reading tutor.”
“Mr. Parkman. I’m a rather well-respected lawyer in
Maury stepped back to let that sink in. “When I first got these powers,” he said finally, “I kept thinking people were talking to me. Saying rude stuff… out loud… behind my back. But then when I noticed no one’s lips were moving, I freaked. But I got used to it. Sometimes it’s cool. You hear really interesting stuff. Once I got a woman to look at me just by wishing it. It didn’t last though.”
“Mr. Parkman, we’re a growing group. We all have developed abilities. Paula here’s the reason for that. She subconsciously brought us all together. We’re learning to harness our abilities. When I first started, it was pure accident. I got into a scuffle with one of my war buddies and suddenly my rifle skills improved. You want to know why I’m such a good lawyer? I get to shake hands with the opposing counsel before every trial. I shake hard enough, their abilities go to hell. I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to expand your abilities. There’s no telling. Imagine putting thoughts into people’s heads. Or… creating hallucinations. Hypnotizing people. Help us find out.”
“Count me in.” Maury extended his hand, but pulled it away before Arthur had a chance to shake it.
“I wasn’t going to. But you were smart. It doesn’t help you to be too trusting.”
: : :
Meredith, Vic, and Noah
Costa Verde, California
2011
“Noah?” Meredith yelled to her partner, “Don’t shoot. It’s Noah Gray. It’s Angela’s grandson!”
Abano lowered his weapon. “Her grandson?” He quickly holstered his weapon. “Thank goodness we don’t have to fill out shots fired reports,” he commented.
Meredith knelt down and tried to seem unthreatening.
Abano suddenly remarked, “Wait a second? Noah? In that cast, I’m getting in the car. That thing nearly broke two men in half and survived a nuclear explosion and now I find out he’s the child of Sylar and Elle Bishop? What about this sounds safe to you?”
“Hi, Noah,” Meredith spoke softly. “It’s Miss Meredith. We’re going to go visit Grandma at work. How does that sound?”
“Where’s my Mommy?” Noah asked.
“Oh, we’ll call her on the phone and she’ll be so happy to see you! But we can’t stay here.” Meredith was trying to remain upbeat as the radioactive mist took its toll on her lungs. “How ‘bout you hop in the big car with Miss Meredith?” She led the young boy over to the SUV. He cracked the running board and tore a chunk out of the seat as he climbed in. He looked back at her so she threw on a happy grin.
Meredith was on her phone the moment she gunned the engine. “Angela? It’s Meredith. We’ve captured the target. You’re not going to believe who it was.” Her brow furrowed as she listened to the other end of the line. “Did you know? Never mind. We’ll meet you back at the office.” She added firmly, “Track down your daughter-in-law.”
: : :
Noah Gray
Primatech Medical Facility
The doctor examined Noah with a very ginger touch. After showering him off, the doctor noted that his skin was sandpaper-rough, possibly as a result of the nuclear exposure.
To the side, Meredith sat in a cold, uncomfortable chair with an IV of regenerator’s blood in her arm, recovering from a “debris shower.” The debris shower had rinsed her in scalding hot water, taking off the upper layer of anesthetized dermis and all her hair. Once the IV had been put in, she coughed up bile and most of her damaged respiratory system. Once she was more presentable, she went in to check on Noah.
“When will I see my Mommy and Daddy?” Noah asked for maybe the hundredth time.
Meredith sighed. “Sweetie, your grandma called your Mom. I promise you that your parents are running here just as fast as they can.” She groaned as the nerves in her legs regenerated. “Claire, baby, I don’t know how you do this.”
Just then the door opened and Angela Petrelli walked in.
“Hi, Grandma!” Noah proclaimed.
“Hello, Dear, how is Grandma’s favorite boy?”
“Where’s my Mommy and Daddy?”
“Oh, they’ll be here soon. They were very scared for you.”
“Claire came with some scary people,” Noah related, “There was this man who threw a table at me and…” The toddler stopped mid-sentence. “…Then I don’t ‘member what happened.”
“Well, you bumped your head and then your brave Daddy sent all the scary people away.”
Meredith approached her boss, “Mrs. Petrelli, may I speak with you?”
With an unsettling amount of politeness, Angela agreed, “Oh course you may, Meredith. What can I do for you?”
“How did you know we’d find Noah there?”
“My grandson is very special.”
“Like Claire special? He not only survived my fire and Vic’s gunfire, but he obviously survived Gabriel going nuclear.”
Almost dismissively, Angela added, “Oh, Meredith, you couldn’t even begin to understand the extent of Noah’s abilities. Noah did not just survive that explosion. He survived it after dying. Just as I expected.”
Seething, Meredith replied, “‘Expected’? You planned him? Did you plan Claire, too?”
“No, she was just a fortunate accident out of an unfortunate situation.”
“Let me just say that I am just as pleased to not have you as my mother-in-law as you are to not have me as your daughter-in-law. So, Noah, is he one of your experiments?”
Angela, with eerie calm, replied. “No, I just knew he was coming. Waited almost twenty years for him to come along. And I made sure that nothing got in the way.”Chapter 5
Director's Commentary: So, apparently, I've attracted the interest of some of the cast, because I've been asked to write in several more characters into the mix. I pointed out that it'd hard to handle so many characters in 10-minute chapters. They offered me 12 chapters. And a sizable lump of cash. So, looks like those of you who are enjoying this will have a lot more to enjoy.
Written and directed by Christopher VanDrey
Christine Rose ... Angela Petrelli
Greg Grunberg ... Matt Parkman
Jessalyn Gilsig ... Meredith Gordon
Adrian Pasdar ... Nathan Petrelli
Kirk Acevedo ... Vic Abano
Thomas Robinson ... Noah Gray
Gina Ravera ... Paula Gramble
Brian Littrell ... Agent Silence
Ken Marino ... Young Arthur Petrelli
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