Fan Fiction Tabula Rasa

[Lucy]

(note to self: TECS will allow me six pages.) Note: This is intended as a one off story with several parts. We are using Carmen from WOEICS and Chase from games.)

I dedicate this story to my late mother. You encouraged me to dream boldly, always ask questions, and treat others with kindness. Though you aren’t able to read Lucy’s journey, you are at the heart of it all.

Co-Written Julie/Lucy

ACME Camp
Ocala National Forest​

In the Summer heat the cadets lined up forming two straight lines. They stood at attention as their two instructors came into view. A few cadet's returned with gathered wood, who put it down and joined the others in line.

Kendra glanced over at their lean-to shelter she’d been working on. It was mostly finished but her partner hadn't returned, and she was worried. What happened to Lucy? Had she not heard her watch beeping?

Mrs. Wegman held a clipboard firmly in hand, calling roll in front of the cadets. They stood at attention in two straight lines.

“Anderson!”

“Here!”
“Bishop!”
“Here!”
“Chavez”
“Here!”
“Edwards!”
“Here!”

“Garcia!”
“Here!”
“Sanchez!”
Silence.​

Wegman glanced up from the clipboard, scanning the line. “Sanchez?” she called again, louder this time. No response. Frowning, Wegman tapped the screen of her ACME-issued watch. “Lucy? Are you there?” she asked, her voice calm but clipped with concern. Nothing but static and forest birds on the other end.

She quickly checked the device's location tracker. The signal was active, still close, just beyond the perimeter of camp. Odd. Why hadn’t Lucy responded when they pinged the watches earlier?

After completing the roll call, Wegman and the group headed into the woods, following the blip on the screen. Kendra fell into step beside her.

“This isn’t like Lucy,” Kendra said, chewing her lip.

“Don't worry. We’ll find her,” said the second instructor.

The group reached the signal. Wegman pressed a button on her watch, and a loud BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! echoed through the trees, repeating every ten seconds.

They followed the sound until Wegman spotted the watch lying half-buried under pine needles. She picked it up. A small crack split across the screen. Wegman met eyes with the second instructor.

The second instructor, Rodrigues, said, “I should call in. The rest of the group go with Wegman and start setting up the perimeter!” He then pushed a few buttons on his watch and a ringing sound came through. On the second ring it picked up and Rodrigues saw him.

The screen lit up with Chase's face. “Devineaux.” he answered.

“Chase, it’s Sanchez. She's missing. We’re holding off on calling the rangers and paying it like an exercise. But we need backup. ”

“I’m sending Julie to assist you,” Chase said, when he was brought up to speed. “Keep me updated” He hung up

There was a bright flash of light from the C-5 corridor before Julie appeared. She looked around at the group.

*****
When she came to, she was flat on her back, staring up at swaying branches. The wind whispered through the leaves, soft, eerie, and unfamiliar.

Wait… where am I? the girl thought.

Her head ached with a dull throb as she sat up. There was movement from the corner of her eye, someone was there. A guy, maybe sixteen or seventeen, stepped out from the trees and walked toward her like he’d been looking for her all morning.

“Rita Booke,” he said, voice soft with relief. “We’ve been searching everywhere.”

Her shoulders stiffened when the boy stepped from the trees. She blinked. “Is…that my name?” The name struck her oddly. Like hearing a song in a language she almost knew.

He paused, clearly surprised. “You don’t remember?” He hesitated a moment before offering a hand to help her stand. “It’s okay. I’m Jed. Jed Dye. I’m your friend.”

She hesitated. Something in her gut said she knew him--maybe. Rita took his hand. He helped her up.

“Let’s get you back to V.I.L.E.,” he said. “We’ll get you checked out.”

V.I.L.E. The name stirred something deep inside her. It felt… familiar. She felt like there was something important to remember about it, though she couldn’t. She gave a small nod and let Jed guide her. They walked through the trees.

“Reed will be glad you’re safe.”

“Reed?”

“Reed Alott. He’s in charge of new recruits.”

New recruits. That made sense, somehow. Maybe that’s what she was, a new recruit who’d gotten lost. Something about that fit. Jed talked as they walked, filling the silence with names and references that didn’t stick, but felt oddly comforting.

Eventually, they reached a clearing. Jed raised his left hand in a circular motion a few times. For just a moment, the image of the tree was interrupted. Jed grumbled a little. He raised his hand over the image again; and this time, a space opened up in the image of the tree that was big enough for them to walk through.

“Oh, a hologram, " she realized.

“Dang thing. It needs to be looked at.” Jed said, motioning for her to follow him.

pop-up Tents were scattered between trees, teens her age moving in and out of view, some laughing, others focused on tasks. A sense of routine and order filled the space, and Rita found herself exhaling just a little. This felt like somewhere she could rest. Somewhere safe.

Jed led her between tents, glancing at each one like he was looking for a specific place. Rita passed a few other recruits, none of whom looked familiar, but then she didn't exactly recognize herself either.

Then a voice rang out, teasing but sharp: “What is the only continent that has land in all four hemispheres? Well, Art Major?”

“Uhh… Australia?” a younger voice answered, uncertain.

“Wrong!” came the reply, playful but sharp. “Kerry Oki, same question!”

Jed guided Rita around a stand of trees, and suddenly they were in view of two teenage boys and something… odd. One of the voices belonged to a floating head. Well, not just a head. A guy’s face, black hair, smug, appeared on a hovering screen, like a monitor on a sleek drone. She stared, trying to make sense of it. She’d never seen tech like that before.

“Africa,” Kerry answered confidently.

“Ding ding ding,” the floating head said with a wide grin. “Correct.” He swiveled slightly to face the first boy. “Art, you're on potato peeling duty.”

Jed didn’t stop. He led her quickly into a nearby tent. Inside, the temperature dropped a few degrees, and the buzz of activity outside faded. Cots lined the walls, and a woman sat behind a small metal desk scribbling on a clipboard.

Rita barely registered her surroundings, her mind still lingered on that floating face. "What the heck was that thing? What a cool concept." she thought.

“Hello there,” the woman said, rising with a warm smile. “I’m nurse Joy. What can I do for you?”

Jed gave Rita a gentle nudge forward. “I think my friend here had a knock to the head. She doesn’t remember much.”

Joy’s expression shifted to concern. “Of course. What’s her name?”

“Rita Booke,” he answered quickly.

The nurse turned to a stack of slim folders, flipping through them with practiced ease. “Let’s see… yep, here we go.” She held the folder up, glancing between the photo inside and the girl standing in front of her. “That looks like her.”

Rita managed a small smile.

“Go ahead and have a seat.”

She sat. The cot creaked slightly under her weight.

Joy examined the girl, seeing she had cuts and scratches, she immediately washed them and cleaned them. Then pulled a penlight from her pocket. “Follow this with your eyes, okay?”

Rita followed directions, eyes tracking left to right, then up and down. Everything seemed to be working fine—at least, from the outside. Joy hummed thoughtfully, then moved on to some standard memory questions . When she was finished, she scribbled something in the folder and closed it with a soft snap.

“Well,” she said, “physically, you’re in good shape. The memory loss may take a little time but there’s nothing alarming. You’re cleared to return to training but let us know if you have any headaches or nausea..”

Relief loosened Rita’s shoulders. She hadn’t even realized how tense she was. “I will,” she said.

Reed walked in and stood just inside the door. “Hey, Joy I need you to--Rita?” He asked. Joy brought him up to speed.

“Glad to hear.” Reed answered. Reed adjusted his glasses and turned to Jed. “I expected you back at training by now.”

Jed Dye walked towards the door, taking one last look at his friend, Rita and then met Reed’s eyes. “I just wanted to make sure she was okay. One more thing, we need the tech team in here now. The holographic generator needs an adjustment. We don't want anyone finding the camp.”

“In that case we may have to move tonight.”

End Part One​

 

[Lucy]

(Special thanks to Flag for helping here.)

Co-written: Julie/Lucy

(Please Enjoy.)

Part Two​

Kendra smiled when she saw Julie, remembering her office near the dorms and how she always helped students in need. The teen enjoyed Julie’s presence—and so did many others. She noticed Julie was dressed in Bermuda-style shorts, a short-sleeved shirt, and a denim jacket, with her square-shaped messenger bag slung over one shoulder.

Kendra walked over. “Hello, Agent Justice.”

Rodrigues soon joined them. “Hello, Justice. We’re setting up the perimeter and about to begin the missing person search.”

Julie greeted them both. “Hello to you, too.” She turned to Rodrigues. “Good. Go ahead.”

Rodrigues nodded. “We were planning a nature walk today, and the evidence bags are still back at camp. ”

Julie patted her bag. “No need. I have them and gloves.”

Then she turned to Kendra. At exactly five feet tall, they stood eye to eye. “Hello there. Do you have something to tell me?”

Kendra gave a small nod. “I was Lucy’s partner, the last person to see her.”

Julie’s tone shifted slightly. “Then tell me. What happened?”

“We paired up and started gathering wood after deciding where to build the lean-to shelter,” Kendra said, pausing when she realized her mouth was moving faster than her thoughts. She took a steadying breath before continuing.

“We laughed and traded jokes while working. Later, Lucy brushed the dirt off her hands, smiled, and said she was going to collect more wood. That was the last time I saw her.”

Julie nodded thoughtfully. “I see. Is there anything else you remember?”

Kendra was quiet for a moment, thinking. “Yes, Lucy left her camouflage backpack next to the shelter. She never goes anywhere without it. If she left it behind, it wasn’t by accident. She meant to come back.”

“Hmm,” Julie murmured, taking in Kendra’s words. She had to admit, the teen made a good point. Lucy was known for being punctual.

“The perimeter seems to be set up now. Let’s take a look.” she said.

They carefully searched the area. Minutes passed, maybe more, until Kendra’s voice broke the quiet.

“Julie!”

Julie slipped on her second glove as she approached. Kendra was crouched near two bushes, while a bronze medical bracelet was on the ground glinting in the fading light. The bracelet's clasp was broken and engraved with Lucy’s full name, her blood type, and a brief medical note: History of anxiety & depression – requires daily medication. (Duloxetine and Clonidine ) The reverse side listed an emergency contact.

Julie snapped a photo. Then put it into an evidence bag.

Nearby, they discovered a concave impression in the sand that looked like someone may have fallen.

"Look at this Julie. It looks like someone fell," Kendra said, pointing.

Julie nodded. "Yes, it does." She agreed.

There were two sets of shoe prints leaving from it. The shoe size 4½, Lucy’s size. Next to it was a second footprint, deeper in the dirt and noticeably larger. Size 7. There were no signs of a struggle. It suggested Lucy had walked away willingly.

Time passed as they continued searching.

Julie takes her ACME Environmental Detecting Device off of her belt, a hand held device, hinged with a flip out panel and a large screen. It preforms environmental scans, recording data and analysis.

She gets a reading of 4.2. gigawatts and presses a button on her watch, it rings on the other end on speaker, loudly.

"Hello. ACME Tech department," someone answers.

"Hi, this is Julie Justice and I've detected 4.2 gigawatts in this clearing, here. That's residual holographic energy isn't It?" Julie asks.

"Let me look," there was a pause before they answered. "Yes. A lot of organizations are experimenting with holographic generators but the only one we know of capable of doing that right now is V.I.L.E."

"Thank you!" Julie says.

The person on the other end hangs up.

It was then, Justice found nestled in the grass a small, round object, about the size of a U.S. dollar coin, with a waffle-like pattern on one side, and soft velcro on the other.

Julie crouched beside it, snapped a few photos, and sealed it in another evidence bag.

Kendra stood beside her, quiet for a moment, processing everything.

Then she asked softly, “Could Lucy have fallen, hit her head, and lost her memory? I mean... maybe that’s why she walked off with someone instead of coming back. She’s not the kind of person who’d just leave. But if she was confused… if she didn’t even remember she was supposed to come back....” Kendra’s voice trailed off.

“It is a possibility.” Julie answered. “But it's getting dark. We will tell Chase what we found soon. ”

She turned, giving the area one last sweeping look. As they gathered the last of the evidence, the weight of that possibility hung in the air. By then, the light was fading fast. Shadows stretched long across the forest floor.

The group gathered near the clearing, silent and thoughtful. With a low hum and a flash of light, a portal opened in the air, the C-5 Corridor. Wind whipped at their jackets and hair, the humming now steady and rhythmic.

“Everyone through,” Julie ordered calmly. “Back to the Academy.”

One by one, the students stepped into the glowing tunnel. When everyone else was through, Julie stepped into the corridor and vanished. The C-5 snapped shut behind her with a hiss, leaving only silence in its wake.


*****

(New) Undisclosed Location​

In the early morning, Rita followed her group along the wooded path, a new drawstring backpack slung over her shoulders and a fishing pole in hand. She matched the rest of the group now, her bag one just like theirs. The cool air was thick with the sweet, earthy scent of wet soil and moss.

Rita took quiet comfort in it, noticing the glistening dew clinging to leaves and spiderwebs along the trail.

“Jed, are you sure this is the right way?” someone called out, cutting through the peaceful silence.

Jed came to a stop and turned around, a map clutched in his hand. His expression was mildly irritated as he pointed to a spot on the paper with his finger.

“This is where we are right now,” he said. “We’re standing right on top of the destination. Our scout wouldn’t lie to us.”

He pushed aside a thick patch of brush to reveal the river just ahead. Its waters are calm and glistening in the morning light. The group spread out and found some large rocks near the bank to sit on. Someone passed around a small plastic container filled with live worms.

“Hey, Booke,” Jed called out playfully. “Need help with the nasty, slimy worm?”

Rita gave him a dry look, then grabbed a worm without hesitation and pierced it onto the hook—twice. “No,” she said simply.

Jed raised an eyebrow. “I thought you hated worms.”

Rita shrugged, casting her line into the water. “I don’t mind them. It’s not like they’re going to bite me.”

Jed chuckled, and the two of them sat in companionable silence, watching their bobbers float gently on the surface. Across the water, a few gators poked their heads above the surface, their eyes scanning slowly, deliberately. Hunting, perhaps.

Then something stirred in the forest on the far side of the river—just a flicker of movement at first. Rita squinted. Did she imagine it? A moment later, she saw it again. A small black cat darted across a gap in the trees and disappeared into the foliage.

The world tilted slightly beneath her. Her breath hitched. A memory surged forward, unbidden.

Soft purring. A warm weight curled in her lap. Fingers combing through black and white fur. A girl's laughter, bright and familiar.

“Luna! Not the keyboard again!” A tuxedo cat rolled over onto its back, pawing at a playful hand reaching for its belly.

Rita gasped, her grip tightening on the fishing rod. The memory was so vivid, so real—and yet disorienting. The girl in the memory felt close… but it wasn’t her. Before she could stop herself, a name slipped from her lips.

“Luna…” she whispered, eyes still locked on the trees.

Jed glanced over at her. “Did you say something, Booke?”

Before she could respond, a shout came from Kerry, one of the others.

“Hey! I got one!”

Jed turned to watch as Kerry reeled in a wriggling fish. He clumsily removed the hook as it flopped in his hands, then dropped it into a bag with a grin.

“Well,” Jed said, “that’s at least a start to our breakfast fishing.”

Rita’s breath caught as the memory faded, leaving her feeling... off. A faint pressure settled behind her eyes, not quite a headache, but enough to make the world feel a little heavier, a little less sharp. She blinked and looked down at her hands gripping the fishing rod. She didn’t own a cat. At least… she didn’t think she did. A ripple of unease passed through her chest.

"Are you okay?" Jed’s voice pulled her out of the haze.

Rita glanced at him and gave a small nod. “Yeah. Just... spaced out for a second.”

He seemed satisfied and turned back to his fishing line.

Rita shook her head, trying to brush the strange memory away. She focused on the bobber drifting across the water. The morning air still held a slight chill, and the distant chatter of the group settled into the background.

Focus, she told herself. It was just a weird thought. That’s all.

Then, a tug. The line jerked slightly. Rita reacted fast, reeling it in with practiced care. A flash of silver broke the surface.

Rita reeled in the fish, a decent-sized bream, its scales gleaming in the morning light. She managed the hook quickly, a quiet smile tugging at her lips.

“Guess it’s my turn,” she said.

After that, the group hit a rhythm. One by one, fish were pulled from the river and added to a shared bag. The sun was beginning to rise higher. Rita didn’t say much, but she kept fishing.

When they had caught enough for breakfast, Jed called out, “Alright, let’s pack up. We’ve got enough to feed a small army,”

Everyone began gathering their things. Rods were reeled in, bait containers sealed, and bags slung back over shoulders.

As they started walking, Rita glanced back one last time at the river. The trees on the other side were still, the cat nowhere in sight. For a moment, she wondered if it had been there at all.

She shifted her backpack, falling into step behind the others. The strange memory still sat quietly in the back of her mind.

End of Part Two​