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 Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:28 pm
For a time, it had seemed that everything was happening all at once. So many drastic events and life-changing realizations in such a short time span, it had seemed likely that the island itself would explode from the sheer force of it all.
Of course, obviously this hadn't been the case.
However, who could have predicted this either? It had seemed that something intense, a focal point, lie just beyond the horizon, growing nearer with each day...
...and instead, life had returned to the same old boring monotony. How in the world had that happened? So much for looming cataclysmic events...
Samantha sighed softly, heading for a more remote corner of the exercise yard. The weather had been growing cooler with the progression of the seasons, and yet somehow, it still remained unseasonably warm for this time of year. How odd. Of course, maybe that was normal here; she had no way of knowing for sure. Either way, she was irritated with the way that CRONUS seemed to keep the labs and dorms both bordering on freezing. She'd never been one to be cold before, but lately it seemed she couldn't keep warm in that place. Stupid A/C unit was probably on the fritz in her room or something like that. It would be just her luck. Either way, she found it felt warmer and more comfortable outside, so she'd been spending as much time as possible outdoors rather than in.
It was passing from early to late afternoon as the young woman made her way across the grass to a spot near the fence. The sunlight was still warm and even she couldn't fight a slight smile at the feeling. True, the guards were still lurking about, but they were only about half-paying attention to her. She preferred it that way. Perverts.
It would be easier to relax without worrying about those lowlifes watching her all the time anyway. She chose a spot that while secluded by trees, at least partially, still allowed plenty of sunlight to show through. After a moment, she cursed softly, only now realizing that she'd forgotten to grab a towel or blanket to lie on. Well, the grass should be soft enough here at least. She took a cautionary glance around to check for prying eyes, then swiftly slipped her t-shirt off to spread it on the ground. Still clad in a bikini-style halter top tied around her neck and lower back, as well as her shorts, she laid down and made herself comfortable for some late afternoon sunbathing.
The top allowed her still-sensitive back freedom from restraining cloth while still keeping the essentials covered. It had been a while since the Halloween party and the 'incident,' though Sam still felt uneasy regarding her recovery rate. Sure, it still hurt at times and she'd been treating the burns regularly with that cream the guard had given her...but should she really be healing this well this quickly? It reminded her of the surgery...
Shaking off an uneasy frown, she reminded herself that she was out here to relax and soak up some sun. She could probably use the vitamin D after all that time indoors afterall and the soothing warmth out here felt absolutely heavenly. She had to make the most of what she could get for now and worry about other things after her small moments of luxury.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:07 am
For all her wary stares, Samantha could not have seen the other figure not far away- on the other side of the fence, staring at her with hard-set eyes that didn't seem to reflect a single gleam of sunlight. Perfectly still, the individual crouched comfortably under a large palm frond, just outside the half-finished clear zone beyond the reinforced wire fence. Half-finished because internal security had suddenly taken priority, given correspondingly rapid development in the subjects, and the trees in this area somehow grew far faster than anyone was used to.
Of course that worked in his favor. The clear zone could hardly be called that here- it was no more than a few yards from the perimeter fence to the shady jungle where he now crouched. He had been fretting for some days now what his next course of action might be. He'd declined the opportunity to flee this awful place, for some farfetched reason, and remained close to the facility, dangerous and near-suicidal though that might have been. An uncertain chill gripped him- something he didn't often feel. There was a lot he hadn't expected to have to deal with here, chief amongst the problems being the new subjects.
And they could certainly end up being problems, if they didn't react to coming events well.
He kept low and out of sight. All indications seemed to show that change was upon them and much sooner than expected. The facade of this being a medical facility would disintegrate soon enough, no doubt. The issue was what would occur within each individual after that. The wrong reactions would send all his plans straight to hell.
Everyone would want to take advantage of the developing situation, from the dubious janitor to the corrupt Chief of Security to the snivelling Head of Research. And so he had to get a hand in, before everything slipped away.
He needed to approach someone.
And it wouldn't be easy. There were those prone to panic or emotion. An adverse reaction would be practically guaranteed. Revealing himself to them would only have the guards come out of their little protective facility to hunt him. There were the dark and brooding. From experience he figured out a lot of them liked to have a tough exterior- but inside, water. One crack was all that was needed, not the kind of person he could trust. Then there were some he wouldn't trust with a plastic butter knife. Well-intentioned, but they could probably be tricked out of the clothes on their backs with a few clever words. Most of the rest were probably evil, too.
Before him now was candidate number one. The perfect balance of passionate and apathetic, paranoid and ignorant. In other words, the one least likely to draw the guards' attention, and the one most likely to deal with the coming conflagration seriously, but reasonably.
But first he needed to get her attention without having her behave in an unconventional way that could draw anyone else's attention. The best way to do that, no doubt, was by doing something she would consider familiar.
Contemptably familiar.
He hadn't failed to notice her general lack of clothing. Her prone form accentuated her athleticism, something she was clearly proud of.
He raised his head a little, careful to keep the frond leaves between him and the guards. The breeze was stiff enough now. Only she would hear him. He opened his mouth to a hoarse whisper- it'd been a while since he'd talked to another person. "Why don't you take the rest of it off? I'm the only one watching here, anyway."
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:01 pm
Samantha's first instinct was to leap to her feet and prepare to soundly trash the pervert guard for his comment. Of course, it didn't help that her recent encounter with a certain guard named Dameon was still fresh in her mind. He wouldn't likely be forgetting their meeting any time soon either.
Luckily, her reflexes kicked in a second time, reacting still faster than her own brain could keep up. While she'd immediately assumed one of the guards had wandered over to get his jollies, her mind belatedly realized that the voice hadn't come from the expected direction of the trees or the rest of the yard.
It had come from the fence. Or to be more precise, from outside the fence.
As it was, her total response remained restricted to tensing her muscles in case it proved necessary to defend herself. Otherwise, she remained still; in fact, most would be lax to have noticed any change at all. Hopefully, the fence itself would provide protection if she needed it. Strange that the object of hatred could swiftly become so useful...
While the voice had come from some distance away, she kept her voice low, trusting that the other individual would hear her. "No thank you...I'm not sure you could afford it anyway." There was something in the other voice that led her to believe that she was talking to more than just another pervert. Not that she was ruling that possibility out completely either. Either way...meet snarky with snarky, as she always said.
She left her head resting on her folded arms, though her eyes darted swiftly towards the fence. She couldn't immediately see anyone out there, but she knew they were there...somewhere. They were watching her obviously enough.
"So," she continued softly, "you do this often? Spying on innocent sunbathers to get your jollies?" She smirked slightly, unaware of the mischievious sparkle in her eye. Sadly enough, this was the most amusing diversion she'd had chance for in a while now...
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 5:30 pm
"You? Innocent?" The disembodied voice carried and undertone of amusement. It seemed to come from several places at once, a whisper on the wind if not for the fact the voice was very obviously from somewhere nearby. "And here I was thinking you took your shirt off just for me. Nice bod, by the way." There was a slight pause. "I'm assuming you're in good health then. They have some highly skilled doctors here. The best in their field."
The voice stopped without warning. A single guard wandered past, stealing a glance at the young woman lying on the grass, then moving on to the other side of the yard where a couple other guards appeared to be having a heated discussion. The voice started again.
"I'm assuming things have started to get interesting in there. Proper fright'nin you might say." A previously undetected accent slipped out, suggesting a foreigner was behind the words spoken. "Some of your friends seem to be dealing with their situation better than others. That spiky-haired chick for example, what's-er-name."
He knew her name. He also happened to know that 'spiky haired chick' didn't actually have any friends.
"Oh I can smell the cafeteria. I haven't had a good steak in months. It's killing me, you know."
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:29 pm
"Just what are you implying by that remark?" Samantha shot back at the stranger, eyebrow raised. Then again...he had a point. "Anyway...I never said I was talking about myself. It was just a question." She pointedly ignored the following comments. She wasn't out here to be picked up by some lecher.
For seeming so observant, her conversationalist seemed to have missed the glaringly obvious, still-healing burn marks criss-crossing her back. How could he have possibly missed those? Frowning, she shook her head. "Yes and no, I suppose...though, I can't help but wonder how much you'd know about that..." she trailed off suspiciously, wondering not for the first or last time who in the world she was talking to. She really should have been more concerned and she knew it...maybe she really was losing her mind in here. It wouldn't be particularly surprising.
At the sudden silence, Samantha tensed again, only now realizing she'd ever relaxed again. She shot daggers over her shoulder at the wandering guard, sneering darkly. "Can't a girl have a little effing privacy in this place...?" Sure, it wasn't her veiled threat that made the guy leave, but she couldn't help but take some satisfaction in the fact that he'd left quickly.
Turning her attention back to her mysterious stranger, she privately took note of the odd accent. It sounded familiar even if she couldn't place its origin immediately. Ah well, maybe it would come to her later. Just one more clue in the secret identity of the stranger to ponder over.
"Interesting is one word for it, I suppose. Although, personally, I'm starting to think that 'interesting' is preferable to 'boring as all hell.' I'm starting to wish that something would happen again..." She trailed off hesitantly, thinking back to the Halloween party and the incident with the Typhlosion. "Err...something a little less fiery perhaps, but interesting or dramatic even would be nice at this point." She'd reached back absentmindedly, touching some of the burn marks on her lower back with her fingertips as if testing to see if they were still sensitive.
The mention of another caused Samantha to pause. Wait...who? He couldn't mean...not that b***h, right? Frowning deeply, she bit back a more vicious reply and settled instead for sneering slightly. "If you're talking about who I think you are, she's no friend of mine and I'd prefer not to talk about her right now." Her voice had taken on a sharp edge, warning that this was definitely not a good topic to raise with the young woman right now.
Wait a minute...what was with this guy? Who the hell was she talking to?!? And did he have an attention deficit disorder? He jumped topics like a four-year-old on sugar...
"The hell did that come from?" she muttered, puzzled. Her eyes were constantly scanning the area outside the fence, looking for any sign of her 'companion.' No luck thus far, but if she kept this up long enough, maybe he'd slip up somewhere and she'd catch another clue regarding who this mysterious 'someone' was. "So...I take it you don't work here then. Guess you're not a guard. I swear they eat better than the rest of us do anyway. Though...a steak sounds good about now," she mused, then paused in hesitation wondering why she'd said that out loud. Looking bemused, she crossed her arms and rested on them in a more upright position, back arched and head raised. Crazy random cravings...maybe it was just that time again, who knew...?
"Anyway, if you don't have access to the cafeteria, that makes me wonder more about who you are. Assuming you have nothing to do with CRONUS, that is...which is quite curious in itself. I thought they owned this whole island. So, if you don't have anything to do with them...what are you doing here?" She glanced accusingly at the foliage beyond the fence, lacking anyone or anything to focus on. "No connections in here, hmm? No way to procure one of those delicious steaks for yourself...?" Yeah, she was being a bit cruel now, but she was growing quickly tired of being toyed with.
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:19 pm
"Like hell CRONUS owns all of this island." The other voice replied gruffly. "OK, so they might in deed, but not in practice. Believe me." His rapidly changing tone seemed to give off a rather shallow personality, if you could attach a personality to a strange, disembodied voice.
"No connections, no steak, no internet, no girls..." He now sounded theatrically saddened. Or something. "You'll come to understand this steak craving soon enough yourself, believe you and me." Another sudden change of tone. It had taken on a vicious, sadistic edge. And yet he didn't sound serious, as there was a carefree lightness to his voice that had been very vaguely apparent throughout every statement he'd made.
"I guess I could have made connections, but that's risky, isn't it?" He raised an eyebrow even though she couldn't see. "Surely you've seen that the staff there are deceptive and manipulative, they can't be trusted. They're hiding something from you." He paused. "The wrong connection could get me found out, and that would be quite dangerous to me." He intentionally hinted he didn't have friends inside, and that a mention of him would be... inconvenient.
"I have a lot to tell you." He said, before pausing in thought. He wasn't nervous, he just hadn't spoken at such length for a very, long time. Certainly, nothing he'd said in the last couple of years had this much hinging on his words. "I think that you already know change is on the way. Everyone knows. Everyone's waiting for events to come to a head, and take advantage of it. Now..." He continued before she could say anything. "I know you want answers, and you've been looking for them. But any truth I told you now would lead to a reaction at an inappropriate time that'd draw suspicion." His voice was level and careful. This was the part he'd thought out. "Don't seek the truth yet, it'll hit you soon enough. Hard."
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Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:56 pm
The rapid changes in mood and tone were almost dizzying and Samantha was seriously wondering what sort of individual she was speaking to. He varied from lecherous, to dark and foreboding, to teasing again in a blink of an eye. He almost seemed like a petulant child who'd never grown up at times, in fact...
"I'm thinking I've already begun to understand that craving," she responded hesitantly, shooting a look towards the foliage again. "Though, I suppose you're not going to explain that either, are you? No, of course not..." she finished bitterly. This sort of circular talking was starting to grow irritating. She'd certainly noticed the increased cravings for meat that she'd been experiencing for a few weeks now. She'd written it off as a phase she was going through, maybe needing more protein with her increased workout regimen. Something in the back of her mind had tried to argue though...and here was her answer...taunting her from the other side of the fence.
She sighed softly, turning slightly onto her side to prop herself up on one elbow, not thinking anymore about what view she might be giving the lecher. Answers were more important right now. "Yes, quite risky, I'm guessing. However, I have to ask. If you're so worried about making the wrong connection and being discovered...then why talk to me? Does that make me the 'right' connection? If so...why?"
As much as she wanted to know the answer to that question, she'd already delved deeper into the stranger's comments for the true meaning. "Of course they are. I'm not stupid. And I know enough to know that there's something more going on here that I've already found out. The question is how far this mystery extends." Smirking a bit, she chuckled darkly. "Suppose that makes me Alice or something. I've decided I'd like to see how deep the rabbit hole goes...no matter where it may lead."
"So, I'm deducing that you want me to keep quiet about all this, hmm? Depends...what does this earn me?" She shot a sharp look at the fence, eyes narrowed. She hadn't gotten much out of this deal so far. Did the owner of the voice have anything to offer for her silence? After a moment, she mused quietly, thinking she was talking to herself, "...of course, the enemy of my enemy is my friend..."
However, the circular, evasive discussion continued and Samantha's patience was wearing short. "That's just great," she snapped irritatedly as the mysterious voice finished. "You show up here to broadcast cryptic messages of gloom and doom with no real solution of what to do about them. If you didn't come here to offer some real information, then why bother coming at all?" She was straining to keep her temper in check, but her control was starting to slip. She wanted some answers, she wanted them now, and here they were just beyond the fence, barely out of her grasp.
Nearly snarling now, she whirled on the fence completely, still keeping her voice soft, if with a new dangerous edge. "If you want to tell me something so badly...then tell me something useful, dammit."
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:01 am
"Here's something you can chew on then, girl." He replied, a hint of exasperation creeping into his own voice. "Everything will change. You will change, and there's nothing you can do about it. Accept that, and be ready for it. That might give certain people less satisfaction from the turmoil about to be inflicted on you. It would be helpful also if you kept a close eye on your compatriots, since any mental breakdown that occurs after your changes will help no-one." Least of all me.
"Second, you may get the idea that you can challenge the powers that be, the ones holding you practically against your will as your old world crumbles around you. Don't. Trust me, you won't be ready even if you think you are."
Finally, with a little hesitation, the other individual moved. A rustling sound was all that could be heard, but it was enough to give away his position, at least the general direction he was in. "Third, try to get out here more often. Partially because you look good without too many clothes on, but also because I think we can assist each other in more ways than this cryptic meeting as time and change progresses, yes?" For a moment, a shock of bright, sand-coloured hair poked out from behind the frond, and a tattered trouser leg.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:44 pm
'Change?'
'Turmoil?'
'Mental breakdown?'
This answer wasn't any more direct than the others...and yet a direct answer might have worried her less than this cryptic one and the words contained within. Already her overactive imagination was kicking in with the most disturbing possibilities...
Her temper seemed to have subsided...rather quickly, she was interested to note. Instead, she seemed pensive now, if not concerned and a little wary. "Alright, alright, I get it," she muttered quietly. "Be ready to adapt to anything and don't do anything stupid. Got it. I think I can handle that," she quipped dryly.
It took everything in Sam's power not to gasp in surprise at the sudden appearance of hair and clothing...more clues, if nothing else! She kept her composure, however, and made silent mental notes to study later. Calmly, she answered, "Alright. I'll see what I can do without arousing suspicions. Strip shows are not on that list, by the way."
She got the idea that her mysterious companion was getting itchy to get away and she was growing a bit uneasy herself. There was one more thing though. She'd gathered a lot of clues thus far, concluding that the stranger had some sort of history with CRONUS. That much was obvious by his contempt, as well as the fact that he must have ended up on their bad side.
He seemed awfully familiar with what was happening now too. Did that mean...this had happened before? That...he had been in her own position? A captive?
The thought was staggering. It meant...there was a way out of here. Somehow. If he had managed it, why couldn't it happen again? Well now...that was encouraging...
But what of his history with the lab? She'd better make her words count, as he seemed ready to bolt soon.
"Alright, I know you said no questions now," she started hesitantly, then looked up, trying to seem only curious...which she was. "But just one more thing before you go. I figure you know more about this place than any of us do, so I have to ask you about something that's been bothering me." She leaned slightly closer to the fence, but not enough to raise any suspicions. "Does the phrase '#000-D' mean anything to you?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 12:17 am
Well, she was a smart one, at least that's the way it seemed. The young woman was keeping her cool, thinking reasonably, and not attracting attention, just as he'd hoped.
He cocked his head to the side, appreciating what she said, grateful that she was being reasonable. He nodded silently, right up until she asked one question.
#000D. He thought that they would have swept THAT old incident under the rug. As he recalled, that little indiscretion didn't go so well for them. The thought chilled him, and he wondered whether it would be worth letting them figure that one out.
"000D, huh." He repeated. "I might know something about it, I might not." He turned as if to go, revealing more of his worn out trousers- they looked like a guard's- but glanced back, hesitating. "I can't talk to you about that, at least not now." He sighed, as though he was going to regret what he was about to do. "I'd best get going. I keep my secrets in my head. I don't lock them away physically, like some people. Like Vito." He sat quietly. "When you keep sentimental rubbish, there's always a chance people will find it."
Then without further discussion the frond rustled and it went quiet. Even the breeze seemed to die down.
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:54 am
Samantha was silent, lying still long after the mysterious figure had vanished. She was no fool. He'd been quiet too long following her question for him NOT to know something. He was just wasn't willing to talk now. Well, it had to be linked to him too then...right? Or maybe not, but he at least knew something about it, that was for sure.
She sighed softly, shifting position and continuing to soak up the sunlight while she thought things through. She still couldn't believe she'd been so calm under such strange circumstances. Life had been nothing but lies and deception for so long in here, it was a wonder she could trust anyone. Despite his mysterious behavior and lewd comments, for some reason she'd felt she could trust this face she could not see. Lugia only knew why.
Then again...instincts could always be wrong, right?
Head on her hands, face hidden against the ground, she closed her eyes to concentrate. Okay, look at the clues and see what you have and what you don't.
The accent. She still couldn't place it, but she had a feeling if she just waited patiently, it would just come to her one day.
Next, all the inside info. Well, it was obvious enough that the guy had been inside here at some point. He seemed familiar enough with her position that he must have been kept here as well. But, how had he managed to escape?
Then, there were the clothes. That threw her theory onto a rougher road. The clothes had seemed similar to the usual uniforms the guards wore, but she hadn't had a great look afterall. Why would he have one of those anyway? Other than thoughts about cheesy movies and fooling guards with stolen uniforms to sneak right by them...yeah, she had nothing.
Questions and answers leading only to more questions whirled around in her head. She was growing frustrated now, but calmed herself slowly with the reminder that things would all make sense in time. They usually did. For now, she'd continue to stay on the alert, collecting clues and piecing them together.
One question still nagged at her more than the rest, however...
...who the hell was Vito?
One could bet that she was determined to find out...one way or another. If he was hiding something important...a key to this mystery? She wanted it...
...now.
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