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Washington D.C.
The Senate Office Building.
The Office of Erasmus Rudd.

A man in his mid 50's wearing a classic looking business suit, his burnt orange hair was still full up to but signs of balding could be seen if you looked hard enough. He with his world weary face was looking out his window out onto the street below, he sighed & shook his head in disbelief. In his left hand was a glass of whiskey (a present from representative state), he took a drink of it & then asked. "So, Garrick sent you?"

"No, Senator. As you may know Garrick has gone off the grid at the moment so I was sent here by..." before he could finish the senator interrupted.

"Holcomb."

"Yes."

"I always knew he'd take over one day."

"He hasn't actually taking over, he is just the acting head."

"Which is just a few steps from taking over." Rudd said as he turned around to look at the man.

He stood about six feet tall, maybe a little taller. He was a man of about middle age or approaching it. He wore a pair of horn rimmed glasses, behind them are a pair of blue almost slant grey eyes. His brown hair is slicked back & was cut in a very conservative manner. He face showed some signs of aging. He wore a warm grey suit, a tailored white button down shirt, a dark red tie & black paten leather shoes. In his right hand was a dark brown leather briefcase. Hung over the brief case & carried with that hand, was a tan trench coat.

"You can sit down, Harold." The Senator said as he went to sit at his desk.

"Thank you, sir & if you may could you call me Mr. Gillespie."

As they both sat down, Rudd said. "Sure, whatever, kid." Then, he asked after they were all situated. "Let's cut all through all the crap: What does Holcomb & his organization want from me?"

Gillespie was a bit taken back. "What-.. What make you think he wants anything?"

"I know Garrick & Holcomb have never truly liked me. I've been the pimple on their ass cheek ever since I was elected. They have one way of thinking about how the burgeoning Meta-Humans population should be dealt with & I have way another less sinister way of thinking."

"What make you think Holcomb & The Federal Meta-Human Resource Center are sinister?"

"Trust me, Kid. I've known Garrick for too long, he go way back. We went to rival colleges back in the day, as you kids say. So I know that nothing Bad News Herb has ever done has been truly altruistic. There has always been that second, third, fourth or fifth motive."

Gillespie was finding being called "kid" a bit annoying (Rudd was only about 10 years his senior).

"But, Sir. As you can see by anything that the Organization has done has been nothing but Altruistic."

"Yeah. But you don't work for them do you?"

"No. I don't, Sir. I was asked by Agent Holcomb to come here on his behalf."

"So, all you know about the FMRC is what Holcomb has spoon feed you, right?"

"No. I've done some of my own research."

"Which probably was put out there by Holcomb himself. So, how do you know what goes on there? Your not part of it. You just look in & see what they want you to see." Rudd said pointedly. He took another sip from his glass.

"Holcomb has given me access to many of their files."

"But not all?" Rudd said with a sly smile.

"No. Agent Holcomb said that some files weren't applicable."

"But were they still related to the organization?"

"Yes. But weren't applicable."

There was a few moment of silence. Then Rudd asked. "What does that mean?"

"I was given access to all files relating to what I have come to talk you about."

"Which is?"

"Well- .." Gillespie started to say as he started to go through his briefcase.

"Was it about my initial nay vote regarding the creation of the Federal Meta-Human Resource Center? Was it my eight month fight to keep one of their quote, unquote offices' out of my state? Was it my written & vocal disapproval of reallocation of tax dollars from other worth while programs to Garrick's pet project? Was it my call for the impeachment of Garrick as the Presidential Advisor of Super Heroes because among other things he was said he hates them & still is listed as the leader of the Anti-Mutant campaign? Was that any bill proposed by Mr. Garrick has been shot down by me & my like minded Senators who are not in his pocket? Was it because about every financial quarter I've called for an audit of the FMRCs' activities to see that what they are spend billions of our country's tax dollars are in fact good for the country & not just what Garrick wants it spent on? Did he really need to buy that Technopolis salvage?"

Rudd wasn't getting any answer since the person he was asking was busy looking through their briefcase. He could see that he had clearly flustered him. So, he went in for the kill.

"So, Mr. Gillespie: why exactly did Agent Holcomb sent you to me? Because I'm a very busy man & it must of not been very important or Holcomb would have come himself."

Gillespie continued to search but then he noticed that Rudd had stopped talking. He looked up & saw Rudd sitting there looking at him like he was waiting for an answer.

"Well?" Rudd asked.

"What was the question, sir?"

He sighed then said. "Why are you here?"

"Agent Holcomb sent me."

"We've established that but why?"

"To talk to you about your dislike of the organization."

"Why did you call it the Organization, your not part of it. Call it what it is, either full name or abbreviated. I prefer the short version but I'm part of the government & we like our acronyms." Rudd said with a laugh.

"I'm here to talk about your dislike of The FMRC." Gillespie repeated. There was a hint of anger in his voice.

"Good. My dislike of them, The FMRC, is well documented. Many times over even in various places. All for the public to see, I've got nothing to hide. My dislike of them is in my top five national talking points. It's only in the ten of my local talking points. You see any interview I've done since I became Senator & there you'll read that I dislike how Garrick has been going about setting up his personal army."

"The FMRC is not a personal army."

"It's not? A government funded organization that regularly drafts in new recruits of a certain age range. After drafted they are then divided them up into smaller groups which are then trained how to fight. Then, when needed are sent off to fight battles on behalf of the the Government. Gee, sure sounds like a Army to me."

There was a few moment of silence, Rudd just smiled. Then said. "What? You hadn't thought of the FMRC in that way?"

Rudd then started to laugh. Once he done, he said. "Take the name, The Federal Meta-Human Resource Center. They are a Centralized Federal Resource of Meta-Humans to be used at they see fit. Now I'm not against some of the surface programs that the FMRC offers, it's done some good for a few people but I just think that there is more then meets the eye."

Gillespie didn't reply.

"What? You didn't know about this? I thought you had done some quote, unquote research. Most if not all I've told you just now is there. Sure, they try to say it different words & try to make sound less threatening but it is that threatening."

Still no reply.

"Well, you go back to Agent Holcomb & tell him what I've told you. See what he says. I've heard it all: That I've bought into some conspiracy theory that isn't there. I'm reading messages in between the lines that just aren't there. That I hate and/or am jealous of Garrick so I must destroy all that he's ever done. That I'm jealous that I don't have super powers myself, etc." Rudd said then took around drink of his whiskey. Then said. "Oh, yeah. That I'm a drunk. Sure, but who isn't in my line of business?"

"All right." Mr. Gillespie said as he closed up his brief case. Then stood up, Rudd shortly followed him.

The two men stood on either side of the desk.

"Thank you for seeing me, Senator." he said.

"Sure. Any time." Rudd as he came around the desk to shake Gillespies' hand.

As they shook, He said. "You do know I'm not from your state?"

"So?" Rudd said with a smile.

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Shortly after Gillespie had left the Senator's offices', he pulled out his cell phone & placed a call.

"Holcomb." came the voice on the other end when the call was answered.

"This is Gillespie, sir."

"Yes. How is the Senator?"

"Good, sir."

"Did you deliver my message?"

"I'm not sure, sir. I wasn't sure why you had sent me to see the Senator, sir."

"Did you talk?"

"yes, sir."

"Did the Organization come up?"

"Yes, sir. That's what we mostly talked about, sir."

"Good."

"Rudd doesn't like the organization, sir."

"I know. The Drunk has bought into some conspiracy theory that we're evil. He thinks there are subliminal messages but their aren't. I think it all steams from his jealousy over all that Mr. Garrick has done for this country. Did you know they went to rival colleges?"

"Yes, sir. Senator Rudd told me."

"Yes. Mr. Garrick graduated & did something with his life. Rudd hasn't done much, nothing that will get him remembered in the history books. He'll probably be a footnote, maybe in Garricks' out entry." Holcomb said & laughed. Then he said. "Plus, I think he wishes that he was a Meta-Human himself. If he was, I doubt he'd make in the FMRC, he'd probably drop out the first week or even on the first day." Holcomb said & began to laugh once again, this time much harder then the last.

Gillespie gave some polite laugh but he doubted Holcomb hear it over his own laughter. Once the laughter had subsided, Gillespie asked. "Is there anything else you want me to do while I'm here in D.C., sir?"

"You seen any of the tourist traps?"

"Like what, sir?"

"The Monuments, Museums, The White House, that kind of clap trap."

"Yes, sir."

"Then go home. If I need you again, I'll contact you."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

They both hung up & Gillespie head back to his hotel to gather up his luggage. He hadn't been home in weeks & was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed for once.

Holcomb went back to watching the monitor he had been watching before Gillespie called. It was a live feed of Rudd's office. The Senator had raised his glass in the direction of the camera & was smiling.

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THE END.

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FOOTNOTES:

This story continues events from an earlier story where Mr. Gillespie had visited Ruben Holcomb's office (as seen in the story "Thursday Morning Meeting") & takes place before the events of " Saving The Future". This story also picks up some story threads from the Semi-Transparent Lad series.

This story marks the first appearance of Senator Erasmus Rudd. He was mentioned a few times in the Semi-Transparent Lad series before I stopped writing them. This story holds to my planned depiction of the Senator. I haven't decided which state he's from so it was left general in the story. The comments regarding the Federal Meta-Human Resource Center (FMRC) made by Senator Rudd have been in the back of my mind of where I might take the depiction of the organization. Now who's telling Mr. Gillespie the truth (Rudd or Holcomb) is a story for another time.