-----Hours After Appleberry Meeting-----Alone in the laboratory, Dr. Athene Perth was sitting face-to-face with a computer monitor, waiting patiently for the test results. The whole processes may have ended sooner if she had done this during the day when her assistants were around, but the Appleberry’s requested confidentiality even though the soldiers’ immediate family was allowed to receive medical check ups at the Academy.
“Athene, we need you to do something.” Clair began uneasily, “we need you to do a medical check up on Samuela.”
“Is something wrong with her?”
“No, she’s healthy as any soon to be 8 month old baby should be.”
“Then why does she need a check up?”
“We… need you to alter… some things.”
Dr. Perth and Dr. Ramirez’s back straightened up at Clair’s words. After exchanging leery looks at each other, they faced the Appleberry’s. “You want us… to alter Samuela’s medical records?”
“With the increased prevalence of Guardians across Atlas, the central government has made it mandatory for children to be checked for their spiritual capabilities---…”
“Dr. Edrik---… I mean Dr. Appleberry,” Dr. Ramirez interrupted, “even if we falsify Samuela’s records, if she does have potential to become a Gaurdian, people will eventually notice.” Dr. Perth covered Dr. Ramirez’s mouth from talking any further. When Dr. Ramirez gave Dr. Perth a quizzical look, the doctor responded, “that’s not what they want us to do.”
Clair smiled weakly, “as much as we would rather not have Samuela become a Guardian… that is not our choice to make. Even if the central government allowed Guardians to roam freely, which is very unlikely, it is Samuela who has to decide whether or not she wants to fight. Not I, or Michaela, or even Kimberly have the right to prevent her from doing what she wants to do.” The old woman glanced down at her great-grandchild with warm affection. Wrinkled fingers rubbed themselves against the sleeping baby’s cheeks. Clair pulled away from Samuela and turned back to the doctors, “I do not want you to falsify Samuela’s records concerning the spirits. I want you to alter something else… We’ve used Helston and even the war with Nautilus as an excuse to delay turning in a number of official records… but that can only last so long.” Clair paused. “I want you to do a medical exam on Samuela: an official medical check up as this Academy’s soldier’s family member. When you do… you will find something that is… ‘inconvenient’ to someone.” Clair took her time to give each confused doctor a firm look in the eyes. “That. Is what I want you to alter.”Although the doctors were not quite sure what they were getting themselves involved in, Dr. Perth and Dr. Ramirez accepted the Appleberry’s request and performed a standard medical exam on Samuela. To avoid the risk of other eyes coming across the “inconvenient something”, Dr. Perth ran the body fluid analysis when no one was in the lab.
Dr. Perth was taking a sip of her tea when the flashing letters on the monitor indicated that the machinery was done analyzing the contents. The doctor quickly checked the results and smiled to herself. The numbers were all within a healthy range. Samuela Jolee Faye was undoubtedly a healthy baby girl. This, however, did not answer Dr. Perth’s question: what was it that she needed to alter? There was nothing “wrong” that needed manipulating.
Dr. Perth scrolled and clicked around the results for a while, then came to a complete stop at a specific section. The doctor stared at the screen, unsure if this was a sign to order a new pair of glasses. She rubbed her eyelids and then looked at the screen again. Nothing changed. The same results remained on the screen. Dr. Perth leaned back into her chair with a sigh.
Inconvenient, indeed.
-----After the TV Interview at Oakridge Military Academy-----The unpleasant encounter with the “woman” his brother had become and the René barbarian put William Edrik in grouchy mood. As a photogenic celebrity, William was able to keep a professional smile plastered on his face in front of the cameras, but once the black limousine he and his son rode in was far down the road from Oakridge Military Academy and reporters, William’s smile turned completely upside down. He reached for a cigarette to calm his nerves, “what were they doing there?”
Nathaniel avoided looking at his father by focusing on the scenery outside the car. “They have a grandson enrolled in Oakridge.”
“He graduated.”
“Yes he did. He should have been assigned a mission by now.”
“Then why were they at Oakridge?”
“I assume it has to do with their grandson.”
William growled in frustration when his lighter did not emit any flames. Nathaniel took the lighter out of his father’s hands and lit his cigarette for him before returning it to him. The older man inhaled thousands of different chemicals into his body and exhaled contently. A few breaths later, William calmed down enough to look at his son. He observed his face and body movement closely when he asked, “what where you doing with them?”
It took everything in Nathaniel’s being to keep his body from tensing up in response to the question. He could feel his father scrutinizing him, trying to find answers from him.
“I sent you to get the files and when I found you, you were still on the way to the office… What were you doing with them for so long?” A pair of icy blues stared deep into the red head’s soul, William’s gaze was like cold claws searching; prodding; invading his body and mind. But as he had always done his entire life, Nathaniel endured it.
“They dropped their things. I only held on to their belonging while they picked up the rest of their stuff on the floor.”
“You only held on to their ‘things’?”
Nathaniel turned to William and repeated, “I only held on to their belonging.” He was not lying. Nathaniel was holding Samuela, who was the Appleberry’s “belonging”. A few beats of silence later, Nathaniel felt the cold claws melt away and he almost sighed in relief.
William smiled at his son. The boy was hiding something, he could tell, but he had no evidence to base his suspicions on, so simply let the subject slide… for now. In a softer voice, he asked, “how are you feeling?” When Nathaniel looked at him in confusion, he elaborated the query, “it’s been three months since that woman died. I was hoping you’d be feeling better by now. I know how much you were attached to her.”
That woman; Nancy. His father was talking about Nancy and he only brought her up for only one reason. Nathaniel braced himself.
“Nathaniel, you are too kind hearted for your own good. As an Edrik, you need to learn not to get so emotional about certain matters, like women. Lovers come and go, but one’s reputation never vanishes. You are an adult. You need to understand and accept the duties of an Edrik.”
Long story short, William wanted Nathaniel to hurry up and marry Lillian Ynyr, his betrothed. It was a marriage of convenience set up for the benefit of the Edrik’s and Ynyr’s; one of the many methods to increase the family’s power. His father had made it apparent that Nathaniel had no choice in the matter. If there was, it was only if Nathaniel found a single woman who was wealthier and/or more influential than the Ynyr family.
“Good,” was all the old man said, before sucking in another puff of smoke into his mouth. “Just in case you still have some ludicrous idea stuck in your head, let me make this clear: it is ridiculous to marry purely on the basis of love. You gain absolutely nothing from it. Maybe a few enjoyable years of their company and an heir, but that’s it. You will eventually get bored and even annoyed by them. They will become useless parasites, contributing nothing to the family. If you do marry someone, they must bring something of value to the table. Even that mechanic you were so obsessed about, Mary---…”
“Nancy.”
“Whatever. The girl understood this more than you did. In that sense, she was much smarter than you. When she discovered she couldn’t sneak her way into a wealthy family, she got married to,” William cringed to even think of the Applerberry’s, “that other family. And she managed to avoid getting deported. I wouldn’t be surprised if she married some other rich fool had she had the time. But desperate times calls for desperate measures and she did get what she wanted.” Nathaniel remained deathly silent as William continued, “you can have as many lovers as you want AFTER you marry Lillian. Once that business is over and done with, the worst is over. You are free to do whatever you like.”
Nathaniel smirked. No he wasn’t. He was never going to be “free”, not in this lifetime or the next. Not as long as he had the surname Edrik.
----- Boss Fight I -----After watching Aaron and Magdalena run up or jump onto the creature, Kimberly released the xenomorph’s tail. His eyes and ears searched the creature’s body for a weak spot. Although he found none in particular, Kimberly did come to the conclusion that the loss of it two front limbs would severely limit the Boss’s movement on land and shallow waters.
“Damn,” Ghost’s laughter ringed in Kimberly’s ear, “you are one mean bastard with xenomorphs. Why couldn’t you be this vicious with humans?”
Not now, please. Kimberly was read to run towards one of the amphibious limbs, when he heard Magdalena scream, “its spirit! It’s going to attack!” His halted, then quickly backed away from the Boss. To prepare for what was surely to be a painful attack the Guardian called for the earth spirit’s assistance to increase the defense of his friends. He readied himself by going into a guard stance.
- Kimberly let’s go of tail and tries to search for any weak spots on the Boss
- Kimberly was ready to charge towards boss, but stops at Magdalena’s warning
- Kimberly prepares for the Boss’s spirit attack by increasing everyone’s defense
- Kimberly guards
High Moon
Snowdrops
Charley
SilverPaw
Tpartywithzombi
CitrusArms
PapaOso
Tlaloc
Vixere
Festive
