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 Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 8:45 pm
Dr. Siber Roelan Terrian is visited in his Hunters' Coven-funded lab by an old friend - Magus General Joe Simpson, decorated hero and celebrated commander of the Coven's armed forces. Shenanigans ensue.
Over the hum and chatter of four full-sized refrigerators, a large centrifuge, a robotic thermocycler, a microarray fluorimeter, and a pinball machine, a scratchy, pealing cry echoed across the room.
"Bulbas-" "Shut that thing the hell up I TOLD you no one can know until the other two are- oh shitonastick." Dr. Terrian shook his head in mild frustration as a mental wire triggered that meant Joe was very nearly within earshot. "Just put it away, would you, Sapphra?"
"But it's cute!"
"Sapphra, how long have you been dead?"
"Longer than you've been alive, Sibes; I can think it's cute if I want." The cobalt-furred, walking wolf dæmoness stuck her tongue out at the jet-haired geneticist from across the laboratory, but obediently set a sound barrier around the room she was stepping out of. Her silver eyes grinned playfully at him and he was reminded why he liked the Sahasrara-founded dæmons so much.
Today, dressed in blue jeans, a designer tee shirt, and a knee-length lab coat, Siber was attempting to complete a project he had been working on for the past year and a half: the promised aerosolization of a virus designed specifically to target Tyrgani Psions. The work was long and arduous due to the very few Psions who didn't initiate their own neural hemorrhaging the moment they were captured and the exorbitant prices of surrogate psionic pulse emitters, but most recently he had managed to engineer a microscopic, psychic mirror into a protein capsule with a help of another of his mainstays, the silver heron dæmoness Madame Deflambeaux. If only the damned things didn't disintegrate at the slightest psychic pulse.
Also today, Magus General Joe Simpson was scheduled to give Siber his bimonthly check-up. To make sure he was still there, alive, and doing something other than playing pinball. It was not a meeting Siber would relish. The two had not parted on the best of terms twenty-odd years ago.
"Everyone but Sapphra, please ignore what is to follow save for formalities given to the Magus General." The three post-doctoral workers nodded and continued on their work while Siber slipped into his office to shuffle papers he hadn't read and wait for his visitor to arrive.
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Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:42 pm
As he stepped through the glass doors at the front of the ultramodern laboratory that the Hunters' Coven had furnished Siber with, Magus-General Joe Simpson felt yet another psychic tripwire ping softly along the magical levels of the world. That's the fourth one since I crossed the street, Simpson thought, rolling his eyes. Good to know that Siber is still as paranoid as I remember.
Joe's mind briefly flew back, back over twenty years -years - to a time when he had been just another mage, as had Siber, and they had just awoken to find their powers fully active and their minds subtly occupied by another. The Magus-General's countenance darkened slightly as he remembered being under the thumb of Legion and his Cabal, but he quickly shook the feeling off. In the scale of things, that brief amount of time was relatively unimportant to him.
He remembered opening the door to the mansion-that-wasn't-there that had been Legion's base of operations at the time; remembered the foyer, and the stairs that he had never gone up because Legion was up there. And he remembered that the first person he had met upon arrival had been a young, pasty, weak-looking little teenager who had probably never been laid, and who was working on being able to summon demons to bind to his will.
Roland chided softly in Joe's mind.
A statement that brought to Joe's mind a more unpleasant memory. Seconds after they met, Siber had tried to probe Joe's mind forcibly, without training, and nearly killed him. A combination of Siber's paranoia and his God-complex, no doubt. Paul, Joe's Director of Operations, had warned him about that.
Joe raised a hand towards the young woman who was at the main desk, running the lab single-handedly, as most secretaries do. It took her half a second of blank staring to recognize the Magus-General before she bowed and went back to work. Joe made a mental note to give her a raise for being so good.
She hadn't immediately recognized the war hero because he was out of his mana armor for once. This was actually his day off, the first he had had in about...oh, twelve years. He wore a pair of dark jeans, into which were tucked a black collared shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up and the collar of which was bent over a gleaming white tie. Topping that off with a vest and a pocket watch whose chain spanned his trim stomach, and clipping along the pristine floors of the laboratory hallway in shiny black shoes, Joe looked less like a world-shaking mage and more like a classy-casual college student. Despite the fact that he was almost 60 and had seen more battle than almost any other living human.
The door he was looking for was at the end of the hall, sealed tightly and secured with the Coven's highest-level security systems. Now Joe paused; not because he couldn't get in (Magus-General Simpson had clearance everywhere, even places that technically didn't exist), but because he suddenly realized he had no idea what to say.
When last he had seen Siber, the man had told them that he was leaving their group, to whatever perils they had left to face. This was after they had just been reunited after Siber's death, an event that had hurt Joe greatly, then filled him with relief when Siber came back. Needless to say, when he had announced that he was abandoning them, Joe had been more than a little bit hurt, angry, and confused. He hadn't seen the man since then.
Still, Joe was not the type to hold grudges. He had forgiven Siber years ago - or so he said. He had never truly made the effort, as Paul had, to initiate contact with the reclusive demoniac-turned-geneticist. This was to be their first contact since either of them had made any real advances in their lives after their Awakening, and Joe had no idea what to say.
Oh well. Magus-General Simpson wasn't the type to waste time, especially on his day off. He wanted to see his friend and that was all there was to it. He opened the lab door and strode inside, shouting warmly, "Siber <********> Terrian! Where are you, you pasty little virgin?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 10:41 pm
It was in Siber's best interest to disable his extra level of security before Joe brute-forced it out of the way, as the smaller, younger man was sure his compatriot would have done, so with small sigh he mentally clicked off the wards and permitted the General to enter.
His greeting grated on Siber's ears. The lab, including Sapphra, bowed obeisance. "Joe, I haven't been a virgin since I <********> your mother. Hey, remember that time you did a routine check-up on me because I apparently am as trustworthy as an errant child despite having made the coolest biological advancements the Coven has ever seen, without (much) fail, and then you left quickly and quietly? You will. In about six minutes. I'm busy. Sapphra," he called to the wolf, his tone changing to sincere politeness, "would you please show the General our progress reports?"
She nodded at him and removed a manilla folder from her summoner's desk, then turned to Joe with an inviting gesture into the main part of the laboratory while Siber went back to perusing a document with a three-line title.
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Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 10:52 pm
"Ha-ha," Joe said, nodding slightly at the other lab techs and Sapphra. He followed the demon into the lab proper, holding the folder but not actually opening it as he loudly continued their conversation.
"Seriously, Sibes, when was the last time you had sex? Is it ever? Because I swear, I don't think there's a girl in the world that either could or would handle you for that long." He conveniently ignored Siber's tirade about his leaving him to work. The Magus-General was a little bit at a loss for what to say. They hadn't seen each other in years, and Joe wanted to leave here knowing that their relationship had improved. But Siber was trying to rush him out, and Joe had no idea what to say.
Ah well. Maybe as the conversation progressed, they would get somewhere. Joe continued to follow Sapphra, superficially looking into test tubes and tapping his finger against computer screens as he waited for Siber's response.
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:34 pm
did have a sex life with a really, really hot Caribbean woman...>
knows that.>
Sapphra raised a bemused eyebrow in her summoner's direction when he failed to respond as she went about her task, swiftly finishing up her rounds and returning to Siber's office and bringing Joe with her. "That sums everything up, Magus General. Siber, I thought it best if you told the General why there are still six names on the payroll and only five working in the lab." She gave him a simpering smile and exited the room, closing the door behind her.
Siber stuck his tongue out at her as she left, then turned his attention to Joe. "Because," he said heavily, "I told Paul before this started that I would steal from him and I'm a man of my word. Are you done, yet?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:42 pm
Joe chuckled. "I couldn't care less. I get paid so much damn money, I don't even know what to do with it anymore. I wind up just giving it away. I think I've given enough to the homeless to make sure that at least two of them are driving Porsches."
After he failed to get a laugh from Siber, Joe sank into contemplative silence as Siber continued to studiously ignore him. After the silence stretched into the realm of the awkward, Joe cleared his throat softly and said, "So...how have you been? Paul told me you have your own place and that your demons are still around. I assume you've been safe? Healthy?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:38 pm
"I'm here, aren't I?" With an exasperated sigh, Siber set down the paper he wasn't reading and met Joe's eyes. "Look, Joe, I had to explain this to one 'friend' already. We're coworkers, now; not even that. That's what we were before. What 'friendship' we had was a side-effect that you perceived of our closeness in combat. I know that's hard to understand, but I need you to see that I don't want friendly connections, especially as driven connections as you and Paul, to political figures. I don't know how to make that more clear." He maintained his gaze expectantly. "You pose a threat to me far greater than Legion."
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 11:09 am
Joe paused briefly to ponder Siber's words. Didn't want friends? The idea almost didn't compute. Half of Joe's influence came from the wide network of people that had come to respect and trust him; friends were what made them strong. Besides that fact, Joe had thought that Siber might feel some kind of regret over their parting - though he realized in retrospect that such was a ridiculous idea.
"A bigger threat than Legion, huh? And how's that?" Joe asked with honest curiosity. He hoped he could get some time to wrap his mind around Siber and his insane statement.
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 3:18 pm
Speaking quickly, trying to rush the explanation and get back to his research, Terrian filled out his statement.
"Because. I have to stay isolated. Legion wants you, and you've been in the limelight ever since the whole... things, thing, that happened way back when. If I'm friends with you, or Paul, or anyone else who was involved, that potentially brings me back out of hiding. I made sure I was hidden when I started working here - those people out in the lab didn't hear you say my name; they're used to hearing a faint buzzing in place of it. Granted you've clearly kept my name out of the press until now, but if we talk, if we're 'friends,' I know from experience that things could change.
"To rephrase my earlier statement, Legion is only as dangerous as his access to me; you and Paul might increase that access. It's part of why I split away from you for so long."
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 6:32 pm
Joe nodded slowly. The reclusive scientist had an excellent point; Joe sort of brought the spotlight wherever he went. He had no doubt that by the time he left here, there would be several reporters milling around outside. Such was his life.
"I understand your point, Siber. But you know that I can't just leave it alone. For one thing, let's face the facts: I can think of at least two ways that Legion to track you down in the space of a day, and I'm not as evil as he is. You're probably not as safe as you like to think, Siber, and you know it. You're keeping us away from you for another reason, no matter what you say. You know he hasn't forgotten you or Keldan."
"Roland says hello, by the way. To both of you."
The Magus-General began pacing the office in frustration. "How many times have I saved your life, man? And I mean directly, not the times when I've saved pretty much everybody through my actions. You don't feel any kind of connection from that? None?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 10:17 pm
The doctor leaned back in his chair with a finger on his chin and appeared to sincerely and profoundly ponder Joe's words.
"Nope. Got nothin' for ya, Joe. A number of times, you saved my life while I was perfectly capable of saving myself. That aside, it's true I owe you my life, but hey, life and friendship are two totally different things." He paused. "Perhaps not to you.
"Anyway. I'm well aware of how 'protected' I am from Legion. Paul let me know. Reminds me, in fact. I detonated the home I lived in for twenty years just a month or so ago because a Cabal agent stopped for too long in front of it and he was too strong for a quick kill." His hands made small, fidgeting movements around his head, scratching, playing with his hair, spinning a pen, as he grinned. "I'm a paranoid man, Joe, so I'm a safe one. You're an outgoing man, so you create your own danger, but also have people backing you up. We play the game different ways; that's all there is to it."
Losing the home had hurt. Hundreds of man-hours, hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention the time cost of the explosives; memories made, trophy experiments that now existed as photos in a briefcase and nothing more, an excellent set of kitchenware, and the odd heirloom or three: gone. Because a man. Had paused. To scratch his head. And caught a glimmer of magical activity. And then, in a "freak" accident, lost his head when a house exploded.
It had hurt. But it was done, and that was all there was to it.
"I need to take a memo. A moment." The man flipped over a page of a research paper, muttered to himself about mirror shields and viruses, scribbled down a note, and looked back up cheerily. "What?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:06 pm
"You're an odd man, Siber my friend." Joe was stalwartly ignoring Siber's refusal of friendship. "You know, you could just give up this stupid paranoia and join us. Like, truly join up with us. Link up with Paul and I, work alongside us without all the secrecy. Siber, I guarantee that there would be absolutely no difference in your security level by being with us - those that want you dead already know where you are. At least this way, you've always got someone at your back."
Joe rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, I can't force you into this. And I'm not even asking you to change anything about your lifestyle. I'm just pointing out that you could have more security, even if it feels like less, if you just let us in."
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Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 8:06 pm
Siber slammed both fists down on the desk in front of him hard enough that the lab techs all startled in their places even from beyond the sonic safety of the glass door. "THEY WHAT?!" he roared the instant Joe mentioned that anyone knew where he was. He then proceeded to steamroll the rest of the Magus General's words. "The point of my being here is that ******** knows where I am! You either have your s**t wrong or you've just lost the best God damn researcher you will ever find in this cesspool of a country! I swear, Magus General Simpson," the enraged researcher grated, pulling a small, silver totem out of his pocket, "if I snap my fingers, every piece of paper in this lab, every nanometer of circuitry, and every one of those bags of carbon working for me will be fried. That's," he growled, "how this game is played. Convince me not to make a stupid move."
For a brief moment, the face twisted in rage softened as his eyes glazed over, he twitched a few times, paled, and then gathered himself and went back to intensely meeting Joe's eyes, still holding his totem threateningly. The Dreamshell had touched him.
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Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 10:50 pm
The glamour over Joe's left eye dissipated in his excitement towards Siber's display of real emotion - the first Joe had seen from him in decades; what appeared to be a normal eyeball in its socket was, quite suddenly, a ball of pure white fire, which radiated so much magical energy that Siber knew looking into it directly would likely blind him for some time. The Magus-General took a step forward so that he was directly in front of Siber's desk, moving deliberately, and stopped.
"And if I snap my fingers," Joe said slowly, calmly, "then you, your research, your demons, and everything - everything - within five miles of this spot but myself and maybe some trees will be reduced to ash. And you know it. This isn't a pissing match." He glanced down at the totem in Siber's hand, almost dismissively, before resuming unflinching eye contact with the man he had once known.
"That's a new one," he said, nodding at it lightly. "Is it keyed to what you just described in particular, or what?" He placed a hand on the desk; not threatening, but it was a very heavy gesture. "Just...calm down, Doctor. I'm making a point that there are ways you can be found. It would take far more work than your enemies are willing to put in, without a doubt...but just know that they can. I'm trying to help you." Was that a hint of desperation at the end of his speech?
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Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 4:54 am
For a split second, the doctor's eyes wavered because he did know, deep down, that muscle for muscle, he simply did not match up to someone who had been actively militant while he had stayed at home with his networks and his plans and his scheming. If Joe wanted to kill him, it'd take considerably more effort than the general seemed to think, but it would happen; that was quite nearly a certainty. Siber wondered briefly if the Dreamshell would care, or just take the situation as it was and sink to someone less qualified. And then he threw his head back and burst into hyena laughter.
It took a few moments for him to calm down enough to actually speak again, given that every time he looked at Joe's eye he was struck with another round of giggling, but when he finally did, he patted the older man's shoulder with a hand and sighed. "Oh, Joe, I've missed you and your shenanigans. The joke, if you don't get it, is that you wouldn't kill me. The better joke is that while you would succeed in killing me if you ever grew the balls," and here his tone darkened and lowered, erasing all trace of his previous giddiness, "the repercussions would echo through this world until Roland's great grandfather heard them. There are real reasons I need to be kept out of the public eye; more than just my base level paranoia. I'm sure that you and your sense of 'justice' have the best intentions, but frankly I already have a few roads paved to Hell and I don't need the building material." Siber leaned back in his chair, steepled his fingers with the totem having suddenly disappeared, and closed his eyes, then took a moment to breathe deeply.
He opened them again, looked straight at the Magus General, and spoke quietly. "Now stop lording your strength over me like the raging bull you are and get out of my china shop."
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