Mackenzie sighed deeply standing up from her seat. She had not heard any news of Agent Edwards surgery in a while and she finally gave up waiting here. She would wait back in Robotics. That's when her Datapad beeped and flashed an incoming message from Clara Albright. She opened it quickly, vaguely recognising the name of the sender.
Could you please meet me in the MedBay Room 12B ASAP. I have an issue that could use your expertise.
-Clara Albright At that point her interest was peaked. It was highly unusual for a member of the Med team to contact her directly. Most of the time, when there were issues with a droid, a work order would be created and then it would be put in the system. She began to move in the direction she thought the private rooms would be in. Only looking up from her datapad as she bumped into someone. He cursed as he bent down to pick up everything he had been carrying and was now spread across the floor thanks to Mackenzie. She apologised profusely and even attempted to help. However, he grumbled and just shooed her away. It seemed that all the medics were still tense from all the chaos.
When Mackenzie reached the room stated in her message she was surprised to find it heavily guarded by two security Droids. For a moment she hesitated. She reopened the message to make sure she had the correct room. She did. Slowly she walked up the guards and cleared her throat.
“ Ahh, It seems I have been called in by Clara Albright. Is it alright If I go in?” she asked as she gestured toward the door. They continued to stare down at her, emotionless. Then the droids suddenly moved away from the door to allow her access. Timidly she said thanks and knocked on the door gently to announce her entrance.
The door quickly swung open from the other side and Clara practically burst out, only stopping to do a doubletake when she spotted the security droids. She had been so distracted by Chizuru that she almost forgot the hulking droids were there. “She’s with me.” she said from the threshold, reaching out to grab Kenzie by the arm and dragging her inside with nothing but a “Hi.”
“Clara!” came a familiar voice from down the hallway and Clara peaked around the corner of the doorway again to see Amara coming their way. She smiled at her friend, happy to see her and more than a little relieved. Clara waved to her, signalling for her to come into the room. Amara hurried to the room but she slowed as she approached the security droids. As she passed them by she asked Clara “What’s so urgent? And what’s with the--Oh!”
She had all the answers she needed upon seeing Chizuru as she stepped into the room. She had already been made aware of the stowaway’s presence aboard the Vitae. One of the benefits of being the boss’s daughter. She hadn’t expected to see her here through.
“And I thought my day couldn’t get any weirder.” she half muttered with a weary sigh as she turned around to close the door behind her.
Mackenzie yelped as she had been suddenly pulled into the room. She barely even had time to wrap her mind around what was happening before Amara was with them as well.
The cyborg took the newcomers in with her artificial eyes. “Well,” she blinked, “I did not expect to see the Chief of Robotics here so fast. Well done, Clara.” She gave the Ph.D a wide smile. “I had planned on dropping by at a later date, but really, my medical and technical check-ups can’t be separated anyway.”
She walked to the back of the room, where a bed was set with various medical machinery hanging over it. “On another thought, I will drop by your lab anyway. This equipment is inadequate. Your presence here would mainly be as backup to read the medical monitoring data. But let’s get down to business.”
The black exoskeleton still standing in the middle of the room like some kind of tasteless modern art piece, loomed behind the Cyborg in a stance of subtle threat as she spoke. “We are gathered here today to protect what we cherish most -
us, or in a broader sense, the Vitae. In order to greatly upgrade Mr. TreVayne’s security forces, a bureaucratic and technical procedure is required, set by our very own Mr. Locke. This procedure includes a medical and technical examination, as well as a psychological evaluation, which I assume has already been completed, some short parole, topped off by what I assume to be a job interview. It is within all of our interests to make each step as thorough and professional as possible, but also as quick as possible, especially in light of the recent failed planetfall.”
“In short, please check if I am fit for duty. If so, forward your approval to Mr. TreVayne. If not, please set me on the right path to compensate.”
Clara, still with a smile on her face, looked from Chizuru to the others, noting their confusion, and then back at the cyborg before she cheerily stated “OK then.” With a clap of her hands she said “Let’s get started.”
For a long moment Mackenzie just stared at the woman who resembled Frankenstein’s monster. The bluish tint of her skin reminded Mackenzie of those whom had frozen to death during one of Mars’ cold storms. Whatever this woman was, it clearly wasn't human anymore. She had seen and heard of people going to extreme measures to prolong and improve their existence through technology, but this was morbidly perverse. Then the woman grinned back at her and Mackenzie's stomach lerched.
“ Wait what exactly is going on here?” Mackenzie asked completely confused. She looked to Amara and then Back to the woman on the table. “ No offense, but who the Hell are you?”