Transitioning (1)

The medics maneuver Sayer into the isolation chamber, and lay him gently on a flat bed. The chamber is shut and the medics step back as the scans activate. Once multiple scans are taken, arms extend to gather samples. Sayer's temperature is high and a rash is slowly spreading over his skin.

Sue 209 goes through the medical files she saved from Tokuma, finding Sayer's "There a handheld or something I can transmit his medical files to for you?"

Looking at the display panel the doctor speaks in a confused tone, "Where the hell was he?! A toxic waste site?!"

Phoenix puts her hands on the isolation barrier and watches, her face torn apart with worry. "I'm not sure exactly where he went. Sayer, do you remember?"

Sayer's stystolic blood pressure is dropping rapidly and his kidneys are starting to fail. He turns his head to Phee and looks at her, shaking his head, confused. Everything is starting to move slower to him.

The doctor makes a snap call. "We can induce a coma and keep him stable for the time being, that's the good news, bad is we have NO IDEA what the hell is attacking him and what frightens me is that in my 30 years of study I've never seen a virus or toxin of this sort. It's either something of the Old World or.. well something new. Like I said, we can either keep him in a coma until we figure out what it is, keep him stable or we pull the plug and let this thing have its way with him."

Phoenix  looks at him desperately. Her shoulders are beginning to shudder as she weeps tearlessly. Her mouth opens but no words come.

Sayer tries to raise a hand to reach out to Phee but he was having trouble making his limbs cooperate. His eyes were getting glassy and unfocused. Phee was a blur now. He wanted to tell her so much, but he couldn't speak. His throat had constricted and his lips were numb.

The doctor glances at Phee then nods to the techs "Do it." The techs begin prepping to induce a coma, getting  life support systems ready.

The medical techs seem to be in a frantic rush. The doctor moves closer to Phoenix, "You want the bad news or good news?" She can tell from the monitors that things are not good. "The bad news."

Souvenir (2)

[NPC doctor played by Erich, NPC medics played by Sue and Erich]

A doctor Sayer had never seen before exits the elevator flanked by two other medics. He walks briskly toward Phoenix and asks her, "Is he showing any trouble breathing? Any symptoms of any type?"

Phoenix glances over at Sayer again and then replies, "Not that I've observed."

One of the medics looks at Sayer for a moment before asking Phoenix, "So what happened?" Phee turns to the medic, "He was exposed to the HL toxins directly. No protective gear."

Sayer puts a hand on his chest as he begins to cough. He felt weak - as if his knees were beginning to fail him. He holds out a hand to try to hold on to Phee's arm but his fingers slip and he sinks down to his knees. Phee quickly kneels with him "Sayer!?" she cries out, her voice full of emotion. She looks up at the doctor, "Please help him!"

The doctor nods over at one of the medics "They have a isolation room set up. Quickly, let's get him there."

The two medics lean down and heft Sayer up in their arms to carry him. One looks back over his shoulder at Phee, "Follow us, he can be saved don't worry."

Sayer's lips are starting to feel numb and he's finding it hard to speak. "Phee... I don't feel so good"

Souvenir (1)

Back at the shuttle Phoenix lands on the pod near Sayer's ship. She doesn't bother decompressing her cabin before opening the hatch, and the air blasts out into space, nearly knocking her ship off the platform were it not for the mag clamps. She flies to pad 3 and quickly cycles the airlock. "Sayer. I am so sorry. Are you ok?"

He looks a little shakey and nervous. "I'm mostly just embarrassed at my naiveté. It was a stupid blunder to take off my suit there, but I saw other people without suits and thought it would be okay."

"No, it's my fault. I should have filed a travel warning as soon as I became aware of the toxin. I just didn't think about it."

"How bad is it? I was only out of my suit for about three hours. Is that enough time for me to get ill?"

"I don't know. I've only run a few bio simulations. We've done no real testing. I was busy trying to determine its source."

"What should I do now? I wasn't sure if I should go to the medical bay or not."

"No, we need to go through decon first, then get you to the medbay. Here." She steps to a nearby panel and touches a button. Several gas masks on hooks are revealed "You'll need this. I know the compound denatures in the presence of ammonia gas, but the gas itself is toxic."

Sayer takes the mask and slips it on over his head. Phoenix holds his hand, and taps a button on the isolation airlock panel "Come on. I'll go with you." she says, shutting off her olfactory system. She watches him with a guilty look as gas hisses into the chamber. "Hold your arms out so that the gas can penetrate your clothing."

Sayer does as she says and holds out his arms as he turns around slowly. After a few minutes he stops and sways there uncertain, looking lost and unstable. Phoenix touches his arm "They're coming."

Supply Run (2)

Sayer checks the map quickly and sees that he'll never make it to another one of his locations before he needed to be back at the shuttle. He was a little disappointed that it had taken so long to get to the first greenhouse and that he had been unable to learn much about their hybrids. But he had gotten the name and contact inforamtion of the person he should talk to, so it hadn't been a complete waste of time.

He spots a small place to stop for something to drink. It looked almost like a trailer with barstools in front of it. Sayer hops up on to a seat at the counter and leans forward to peer into the interior. He clears his throat. "Hello".

Evie scurries about, throwing a slighty dirty kitchen towel over her shoulder as she checks on a pot of noodles. "Yeah, gimme just one second..." steps over to a tray of chopped green onions, slides them into a nearby bowl, and quickly scrapes down the cutting board. She turns to the man, an expression of fatigue and boredom in her eyes, and rests on her elbows in front of him "whaddya have?" she says in practiced habit, the words almost indistinct.

Sayer notes the expression on her face and tries to be the least bother he can be. "You have tea here ma'am?"

Evie starts to recite the tea flavors the Belching Dragon offers, but is caught off guard by the word "ma'am" and hesitates, flashing a quick half smile before standing fully, plopping the towel on the counter and wiping it absently as she speaks "yah, I got green and black. Heratago?"

"Whatever you recommend would be good with me. I'm guessing you are the expert on what's tastiest here." He looks around the food joint curiously. "I've never been here before, but it looks like this place has been around awhile. You own this place?"

Evie smiles. A tourist. She leans forward again, so he can hear her better. "Nah, nah, hun... fah here." points downward "Or ta go?" points out toward the street.

Sayer smiles back at her, "For here please, if you don't mind."

Evie turns to a nearby panel, covered in greasy smudges. She touches a few buttons on the screen, then asks again, resuming her normal rapid pace of speech "Green or black, hun?"

"Green would be fine ma'am." he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his credstick. "You accept UBC creds here?"

"Sha thing, hun." she says, pointing at a pay slot in front of his seat. She grabs a bowl, looks at it, frowns, tosses it in the sink, then grabs another one, and walks over to a metal teapot. "I used ta."

Sayer slides his credstick into the slot in front of him, squinting a bit at the small screen making sure it had registered. He pockets the chip. "You used to? So you don't own this place anymore... who owns it now?"

Evie puffs up her pride "I stillz got a 20% stake." She pours the tea, spills a bit of it, then puts the cup under a strange looking fluid dispenser. "Code, hun?"

Sayer looks at her quizzically, "Code? What is that?"

Evie blinks and looks at him, surprised. She laughs slightly "Ya suveyah code - ya know, supplements. What supplements you up fah?"

He shakes his head, completely at a loss. "I have no idea what those are. Can I get just the tea? With no ... um... extras?"

Evie shakes her head "You must be havin a fun night, huh? I want some a whateva ya took. Ya suveyah, it's puttin a code in yah head - a number. Just tell me the number." Her hand hovers over a numeric keypad.

Sayer starts to think it was a bad idea to try the local cuisine, even if it was just tea. "Um... I'm just visiting. I don't have a number."

Evie looks at him incredulously and slowly puts down the tea. "Yah from outta town, and yah walkin around wit no spacesuit or nothin?"

"Well, I guess I'm not a very good tourist. You think I need protection? I was told the air here wasn't that bad... that it was safe?"

Evie steps over with his tea, a look of concern on her face "Hun, the only reason yah seez me walkin around breathin this fine air is because I got a suveyah" touches her stomach "constantly filterin everything I breathe, eat, and drink to counta the effects of the toxins. Somebody shudda toldya."

Sayer's face pales and looks a little green. "Toxins? What kind of toxins?"

"What kinds? All kinds! Widout suveyahs, we'd all die in weeks from canca or somethin." She makes a shrug gesture.

Sayer wipes his forehead with the sleeve of his sweater. "Weeks? So being here only a day there isn't much to worry about?"

Evie looks at him with pity "I dunno, hun, I never saw nobody breathe the air witout a space suit on."
Sayer stands up a little shakily. "I better get back to the shuttle and get a suit on then." he looks at the tea and his stomach quivers thinking of it being full of toxins. "I'll pass on the tea. Thanks for the information."

"I'm sahrry, hun, I wish there was somethin I could do. You might wanna go by the Realcov clinic on yah way out - 2 levels up, around just there, left, right, left again, and downstahs."

Sayer nods at her but is thinking he should just get back to the space station where someone he trusts can check him out. He remembers now why he always used his supplier to handle shipments. "Okay... thanks again." he turns and hurries down the walkway towards the docking bay.

Evie grabs his cup and tosses it, tea and all, in the sink.

Supply Run

[[a few weeks ago]]

Sayer checks his PDA again. Still no response from his main supplier, Mel. He was anxious to get samples from the new city he had just learned about; apparently there were hybrids of unusual plants being grown and he wanted to study them.

He decides to just go see if he can make contact. How dangerous could this new city be? He had survived the last city and that one had been full of psychopaths.

In the shuttle bay he finds a pilot with some time on their hands. He negotiates a fee for flying him to the city for a few hours. It wasn't that long of a trip, and he got some time to read on the way. He had gotten more fiction on his PDA, and so engrossed that he was surprised at how quick the flight was.

The pilot was meeting with a mechanic in the hangar as Sayer finally gotten out of his flight suit and walked out of the shuttle. He checks the time and makes a mental note to be back within three hours for the trip back.

His boots clang on the metal walkway as he trots down the ramp of the hangar bay and through the cargo holds. Out on to the street he cranes his head back and peers up at the towering buildings. He had never seen a city with such tall buildings before. He pulls out his PDA and connects to a visitor information hub. He debates downloading general information about the city but reminds himself he only has a few hours. He should save that for a day when he can come back and sightsee. Right now all he really needs is a map.

It takes a few moments for the map to transfer. He thinks this must be a huge city, with so large a file for a map. At a quick glance he is immediately thankful he took the time to get it - the city looks like a maze. He puts a marker at his current location so that he'll be able to find a way back to the shuttle bay later. Fifteen minutes later, he has all the locations he wanted to visit mapped out on his PDA and he sets off.

Song of the Universe (2)

Sayer reaches out to touch her arm gently. "Why?"

Phoenix closes her eyes, and her cognitive system suddenly enforces a playback, an impression of the sensation of the mines going off under her feet in the alley, and of slowly descending into the Tokuma courtyard, into the suffering, dying masses there. She shudders slightly and almost seems to lose her footing. Her face contorts under the strain of trying to drive the impression back into the corner of her mind from which it sprung. She whimpers slightly.

He wraps his arms around Phee to hold her against him. The expression on her face had made his stomach lurch and his heart cold with fear. She seemed to be remembering something traumatic and he felt terrible now that he'd asked her that question.

Phoenix "I haven't ... really had time to reflect on some of the things that happened to me. I ... I encountered Vaarda in the grid when I was stuck there. He had this analysis program - like a personality mirror. it was rather painful, but I saw that I'm suffering from PTSD. Badly."

"What can be done to help that? There has to be a good doctor here on this station, right?"

She cringes. "Probably. I don't know. Some of these Orchids, though... I don't think they think I'm really alive."

"Orchids?" He thinks for a moment, confused.

“This is a Utopia installation. They're not big on machines here. Especially ones who claim to be alive. I think Z gets it. Maybe Mark, I don't know.”

He nods as it finally clicks in his head. "Orchids - that's what Z is calling her operatives?"

Phoenix smiles. "Yes. They are called the Black Orchids."

"I will have to show you the black orchid that I got delivered to me. I had thought it a symbol... but wasn't sure exactly what it meant."

"Really? Who was it from?"

"It was from Z. After I got it I received a call from her. I had it safely stored in Gaia's office with the rest of my things."

Phoenix smiles broadly. "How beautiful. She probably intended that you should cultivate it. Did you get it out?"

Sayer nods happily. "Yes, when we went back to the city I snuck down to Gaia when I was putting up the posters. It was still there, with the rest of the stuff I had stashed. So I didn't lose everything. I would have been sad to have lost that orchid. Black ones are very rare. In fact they were thought to be extinct. I had never seen one before, and I had to look it up on my datapad to be sure. I will have to ask her how she got one."



"Maybe she got some DNA from the Birmingham Zoological Institute."

"Are they known for their orchids? All my botanical knowledge comes from non-traditional sources... mostly through my supplier."

"Z would know more. I've heard they have an archive of extinct forms."

Sayer pulls out his PDA and makes a note of that. "I will definitely look into that. How do you know about that place?"

Phoenix smiles, "Miach has an extensive salvage interest. That draws our attention to the surface, which is where the institute is located. I've read about it."

"Do you work for Miach now? I know they supply your chassis... but I guess I haven't stopped to think how involved your connection is with them."

"Well, we're outside the city now, and have a different role. I can therefore be a bit more forthcoming about my relationship with them. Miach is the reason I was extracted from Tokuma. I owe them my life. In a way, I belong to them, just as you would to Utopia if your clone were activated."

"And they are good to you, right? Not like Tokuma?"

"They are wonderful to me. There is this pervasive sense of dignity of artificial life. It's not Miach's core operating principle or anything like that - they like to keep quiet and do their research - but the corporate culture is one of tolerance toward AI. Many employees are AI.”

"That is how it should be. If you can ask whether or not you should be free, then you should be free. It sounds like a progressive company, one that has respect for the employees."

"Still, independent and protected as I am with them as an individual, the fact remains, they invested considerably and risked greatly in getting me out of Tokuma. So far they've asked little. But they are entitled to a lot."

Sayer thinks about that for a moment. "But so far they haven't asked you to do anything that you'd not want to do, right?"



Project 17 makes a gentle approach as she sees the two staring out the window.  She didn't want to butt into the conversation so she kept her distance until they were ready to acknowledge her.

"Not in the slightest. It almost scares me. They've wanted me to test experimental weapons and defensive technologies, and have been happy with the results I've provided."

Phoenix looks up and smiles "Hello, Miss Ziebzen. ...er - what would you like us to call you here?"

Project 17 grins, "If you feel comfortable with Ziebzen I am too.  Alex has called me Z for years... probably will for the rest of his life."
Sayer says happily, "It's good to see you."

Project 17 smiles softly.  "So have you two settled in okay?  I know it's quite different than a city.  Some people have trouble adjusting to space.  This is more of a natural environment for me as I was "born" in a facility such as this."

Phoenix glances quickly at the window, smiling, then back at Z. "It is breathtaking. I was able to catch a little time outside earlier - to be ensconced in complete silence, the clarity of total vacuum and empty space - and to be able to hear the cosmic microwave background with my own wireless - a beautiful experience."

Project 17 laughs softly, "That must be quite an experience to go out there without having to wear a protective suit.  Once you are past all the layers of pollution, space is absolutely magnificent.”
"I can go outside for short periods - anything longer than an hour, and I lose thermal stability, though."

Sayer leans in close to Phee and whispers, "Can you tell her about the radiator units?"

Phoenix smiles. "Yes. Miach is working on radiator units for thermal stability - large metal panels through which coolant cycles. They look like wings."

“That sounds pretty innovative!   I am really looking forward to seeing what Miach has to offer.  I think they could be very beneficial working with us as we primarily deal with living organisms.” Project 17 replies.

Phoenix smiles thoughtfully "Yes, I think we could complement each other well."

Phoenix "I was telling Sayer. I haven't really emphasized my role with Miach. The reason is that they are a pure research organization - they don't like to be associated with specific conflicts. My task was to test weapons and defensive technologies in the city, but they wanted it done quietly - with their name well away from it. Now i think that role will be broadened somewhat."

“You mean in Insilico?”

"Yes. Insilico was more than violent enough to support the testing goals, and my personal agenda would take me into danger anyway, so it worked out."
Project 17 nods, "I am more than sure you may have a few places down on earth you can test your weaponry.  Utopia does weaponry also, however we don't advertise it.  They are more for personal use for defenses.
"Speaking of working with you, you mentioned a job as a botanist. Would that be a job I would do here, on this station?" Sayer had wanted to ask about work since they had arrived but it had never seemed like a good time. He looked down at his hands for a moment, embarrassed by asking his question so brashly.

Project 17 nods as Sayer reminds her, "Ah, yes... they have a laboratory prepared for you.  You will be in the botanical department for starters.  Right now we have been bringing up specimens from the Earth's surface and samples from underwater for analysis.  Eventually you may go down with a team to collect more."

Sayer enthusiastically rocks back and forth on his heels a few times. "That sounds so wonderful - I can't wait to start."

“At 0800 I will have them check you in and provide you with whatever equipment you need.”

Sayer looks to Phee for a brief moment, his eyes brimming with excitement. He turns back to Z, "Thank you, I will work hard, I promise."

Song of the Universe (1)

Sayer stands next to Phoenix as they look out the space station’s wide windows. The view was incredible.

Phoenix smiles "I went outside earlier."

He turns surprised and laughs, "Outside!" he glances back out the window, his voice full of wonder, "what was it like?"

“Very quiet. No sound at all. Very peaceful.”

He tries to imagine her being out there and asks, "Do you need a suit to go out there?"

“No. I can operate in a vacuum for about an hour if I'm not in direct sunlight.”

An hour out of the station in what he imagined as dead empty space seemed a long time. Even five minutes he thought would be daunting and overwhelming. “But what happens if you are out longer than an hour?"

“I'll overheat, and be forced to quench coolant - let some of it boil off to cool back down.”

"So if you had some kind of device that kept you cool you might even be out longer than an hour without a suit?"

Phoenix smiles, "Miach has radiator kits. They look like metal wings. The coolant flows through them, and the IR radiation into space cools it off."

He grins imagining her out in space with wing-like radiators, unconcerned about breathing or other human worries. In his mind the vision was reminiscent of ancient religious portrayals; an angel dancing gracefully, wings spread behind her, the aura of a nebula shining behind her like a halo. "I can definitely see you in wings. I bet that looks really amazing."

Phoenix chuckles and walks toward the window, her voice more relaxed than usual. "Up here, free of the interference of the city, I can actually hear the song of the universe itself. The cosmic microwave background - the sound the universe made when it began."

Sayer feels a pang of inadequacy as he walks after her and peers out the window. "I wish I could hear what you hear."

She begins emitting a soft, uniform hissing sound. Sayer leans against her shoulder and closes his eyes, listening intently. "It sounds so beautiful. How do you interpret it?"

"It sounds like everything, all at once. Like all life, exultant and burgeoning. Inscrutable patterns; infinite complexity..."

He nods into her shoulder, still leaning against her. "You can understand it though, right? To me... well I guess I just process things differently. I like the way it sounds, but I can't understand it."

She says kindly, "Then I think you hear it the same way I do. My mind searches for a pattern in the signal, but I detect none. It's a sound I can't separate into signal and noise. It isn't explained. It just is." Phoenix smiles, and he thinks it is almost as though the affection she has for him is tangible, as if he could feel it in the air surrounding him. He wants to reach out and pull that affection closer, warming himself in it.

Her phenomenal abilities continued to surprise him. He was slightly envious, too. "It's amazing to me that you can experience that... that you can connect with the universe in that way."

"It's amazing to me that you appreciate it so much when I point out the beauty I detect. It makes me feel like I have purpose."

Sayer frowns. "Phee, of course you have a purpose. You are full of purpose. I'm surprised you would say that."

She looks down "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I... I've been fighting my whole life. Fighting to survive, fighting to avenge myself, fighting to survive again. Now there's not a fight. "

He brushes a strand of hair back from her shoulder. "I think there will still be plenty of fighting if what we've heard about the Shades is true... don't you think? We will need to help those that are barricaded in get out, right?"

Phoenix shakes her head "Sayer, this is happening because we were there. The Shades existed for years and there was never a blockade; never a siege. They existed in balance. The balance was disturbed."

"So the barricade will end because we are no longer there? It was just retribution against us?"

"Once it becomes obvious that there is no Avrilen, Erich, Mark, or Phoenix to capture and bring before the city's corporate overlords, the siege will end. We will help, but it will be after. Once the shelling has stopped. Once things are quiet. Once things are back in balance."

He pauses a moment, letting that sink in. "So there really is no fighting now… we really do have a vacation from all that grief?"

“Yes, we do. And I'm finding that much harder to accept than I thought I would.”

Confused, he asks, "Why?” His mind was trying to figure out a good reason she would say that. He wonders whether it is because fighting and grief has been such a constant in her life for the past six months.

Phoenix thinks for a moment then says, "I think that it's because once the sound of the struggle dies down, I'll finally be able to hear myself. And I'm very much afraid of that."

[[Listen to the sounds of the Universe]]

Hangars Liquides

Viper

Arrival (2)

The group follows the woman with the vibrant tresses as she leads them through the space station and up to a deck with large windows extending up above their heads. Lush greenery surrounds them and Phee glances at Sayer as she holds out her hand to brush the leaves as they walk. Sayer is grinning, and Chun looks as though she's thinking that the sight of living plants is a welcome change from the sterility of Insilico

They slow to a stop in front of a luxurious black couch facing the view outside the station, and begin to take seats. Sayer lowers himself onto the couch and pulls Phee on to his lap. Phoenix nuzzles him and smiles, closing her eyes for a moment. Project 17 remains standing, waiting until they are settled. She begins to speak in her soft voice.

"This is the Garden Commons. Please feel free to have a rest while we talk.  If you would like any kind of refreshments they are available." She pauses to look around. Satsified everyone is comfortable she continues, "As we know, unfortunately the humans have forsaken the Earth... written it off as a waste of time and energy, left it to rot.  As you can see with Gemini's operation Summer Dawn they are preoccupied with moving up and outwards.  However at this rate if they cannot take care of the Earth I am not even sure how they are going to take care of a new one... let alone move an enormous moon sized asteroid."

Aemeth shakes her head. "They won't, they'll just use up the next planet and move on."

Chun jumps as a warning signal comes from her nearly depleted fuel cells. "Sorry, people, got to go find some free electrons." Project 17 's sisters attend to Chun to show her to a power source.As she leaves, Chun calls back over her shoulder, "They think they may be able to harness the D'naa power source."

"If they ever give that up," Aemeth says. But she doesn't sound hopeful of that.

Project 17 tilts her head curiously in Chun's direction.  She would ask about that further later as she knew very little about D'naa.  "The Utopia corporation is looking to re-establish and recover the Earth.  Our goal is to clean and cultivate the planet so it is habitable enough for recolonization."
At this, Aemeth's face lights are. "Are you serious?" Project 17 replies, "Yes, very... and I think you are all gifted enough to help if you are interested in undertaking this task."

"I am!" Aemeth says immediately. Sayer nods enthusiastically, "Me too!"

"This will be an extremely long term project with a tremendous amount of teamwork.  We would love to have you on the team.  In the near future a cybernetics Corporation named Miach may join us."

"So what does recovery of the planet mean, I mean.. how long would something like that take?" Aemeth asks. Project 17 takes in another deep breath as she estimates.  "There really hasn't been a set time frame but the first step is surveying the surface, taking samples, scouting for dangers, how much the surface and biological organisms have evolved.  The next step after that is calculating what changes need to be made that will do the least damage to the existing ecosystem for repair."

"And what if you run into people who aren't willing to let you do what you want to do?" Aemeth asks, holding up a finger, "Like.. I dunno. UBC. Salvage companies. Gemini."

"The Doctor has connections within the UBC and he has the approval of the Galactic Research Foundation to proceed.  If we are met with oppossiton we will have to address each scenario per basis."

Sayer sits listening, overwhelmed. "This sounds so complex... how many people are working on this project?" Project 17 turns to him, "Utopia, itself consists of several hundred employees.  However we are looking into several other R&D organizations for assistance."

Aemeth nods to this, and stands. "I hate to cut this short and step out, but I'm kind of exhausted from the trip. Can I catch up tomorrow?"

"Of course, We have so much more to discuss.  I will have my sisters show you to a room."

Arrival (1)

Sayer peered up and out the window as the shuttle neared the station. He had never seen anything quite like it before; he could tell right away that it wasn't one of those typical old rundown stations. It was obviously well kept. And the security has high; their ship wasn't able to just fly up to the station. They first had to go through proper protocol and get docking acceptance.

The shuttle smoothly approaches and docks in the hangar. As the engine shuts down Phoenix and Sayer step off the small ship. They stood for a few moments looking around the bay. It was huge.

A more colorful ship pulls in behind the others, finding a snug space to park. It sputters as it does this, as if it's on its last bout of fuel. The hatch opens and a familiar blonde steps out, blinking at the interior, and coughing. Sayer spins around hearing the coughing behind them. "Aems! Wow, it feels like forever since I've seen you." Phoenix smiles and quirks her head curiously "Aemeth?"

Behind them one last ship, driven by Chun, slides into the bay.  She parks her speeedster, powers it down, opens the canopy and gets out.

Project 17 is accompanied out of the lift by several of her sisters. They stand waiting in the bay for the guests to finish arriving. The purple haired woman smiles broadly as she watches each of her friends disembark from their modes of transportation.  She nods to each one respectfully.  "Hello everyone...  I am glad that you could make it."

Phoenix smiles, and steps a bit closer to Sayer, her hand finding his, "We are happy and honored as always to be your guests."
"And tired," Aemeth cuts in. Before she can say anything else, she catches a huge yawn and covers her mouth.

Chun agrees, "Your hospitality is much appreciated, after a long, tiring flight."

Sayer nods, "I'm real glad to be here." He gives Phee's hand a squeeze.

Project 17 spreads out her hands in a welcoming motion, "It is our pleasure.  Once you all unwind a bit I can show you to some personal quarters to refresh yourselves and relax."

Aemeth looks around at those who have arrived. It's unbelievable they all got out. She walks towards Z, and smiles, holding her arms out to her. "Z!" Project 17 smiles at Aemeth.  It had been a very long time since she saw her.  She held out her arms for a hug, remembering not to crush her little blond friend in the process.
Aemeth squeezes her. "I'm so glad you're back." In a way, anyway.. of course, that's just the way it was.

Phoenix remembers Aemeth's loyalty to her friend at the Bowl, and looks down, ashamed.

Project 17 pulls back and smiles.  "Alex is going to be very happy to see you again.  We both missed you."  Looking around, "Did you guys have any trouble on the way?"

Aemeth steps back, shaking her head. "I got sidetracked, because this fuel station had a really nice gift shop, and I sort of was following Phee and I got lost around the asteroid belt..."

Phoenix grins "couple of patrol craft decided to chase, but didn't seem to want to get more than 50 km from the city.

Chun shakes her head and says, no, my speedster was too fast for my pursuers.

Aemeth, "It was kinda fun giving them the finger like that."

Project 17, "They won't bother you here.  For once you can relax knowing you are safe."

Phoenix smiles slightly "Feels strange, doesn't it? Not feeling the weight of that place on our backs anymore?"
Chun sighs happily to have friends in front of her, and no enemies behind her.

Aemeth adds, "Or feeling like everything's useless?"

Phee, "A fresh start. A chance to make a real difference..."
The blonde Aemeth nods. "Without being watched all the time. Or threatened, or people trying to kill your best friends, or..." she shakes her head.

Sayer nods. "Yes, it does. But it's energizing, too. Having a safe place to recharge before having to deal with helping folks in that place. I mean, I guess we won't ever stop trying to help them, right? The ones that are being persecuted?"

Phoenix squeezes Sayers' hand and looks at him "Of course we will. Always. But first, we need to heal. We've all been through hell."

Project 17 takes in a deep breath, "To be honest it is more or less a losing battle.  We were never there to defeat Gemini, however we can do more by offering sanctuary to those from their reach.  We have far more productive things to do here, which I will explain."

She motions them to all follow.

The Utopia Project

The Past

Life before the Utopia Project (prior to 11-8-2481) 

Meeting Hailey

[[Early morning, July 1st, 2481]]
It was becoming a habit; another late night at the Buddha Bowl. Tonight had started off the same with lots of friendly chatter among the regulars. When Caitlin and Hibiki moved the discussion to operating systems and started speaking in technogarble, Sayer let his mind drift to daydream about Phoenix, only refocusing on his surroundings when he noticed a woman walk up to the railing near their table.

The woman, Hailey, is introduced around. Caitlin then begins telling tales about her grandpa, Russian spies, and vintage technologies. Most of it goes over his head and he only half listens. His daydream returns and morphs into raygun toting spies fighting criminals and disarming doomsday devices. His action-adventure is cut short by Caitlin and Hibiki both saying their goodbyes.

He notices Hailey still standing at the railing. He asks, "You don't like sitting down Miss Hailey?" Hailey shrugs, hops the railing and takes a seat. In his good natured way he jokes, "You were starting to remind me of a beast stalking its prey, pacing back and forth." She said, "It's my job. I solve problems; I don't like to sit idle."

Learning Hailey worked for a company called Tempest Security Services, he imagined a storm and a haven all mixed together. He said that to her and she replied, "Storm for those who incur our attention. Haven for those who hire us."

He asked her if she was the owner of the company. "I'm an employee that's all. They gave me a job. I gave them results," she says. Then she leans in, offering her smile. "Not many a place that hires a girl with no soul behind her eyes."

Sayer pales a bit noticing how black her eyes are. He coughs. "Well. Er.... Yeah, I guess not."

Hailey only grins wider, the smile twisting to a predatory grin at his fear. "Wondering why they're like this aren't you, most people do." He had been, actually. He asks, "You a mind reader? How you know what I was thinking?"

"Because they always ask that," she replies, pausing for a moment to try and control her wicked smile. "They were dug out with a piece of glass. One at a time while I was awake and unable to fight back."

He shivers and quells his impulse to get up and move away from the table. His brain scrambled around for something to say and he found himself asking a question he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to. "Er… Why would anyone do that to you?"

Hailey lets out a small giggle at his reaction, clearly enjoying this in some twisted way. "Because I fucked up, I wasn't prepared and I pissed off the wrong people. So I got to watch as they pulled my lovely baby blue eyes from my skull with a pair of pops. Just as if you popped a cork on a champagne bottle. Only felt the pain at first then it went numb, couldn't feel anything and I didn't have the strength to scream. Just watched as one eye was pulled out then felt the other as my world slowly turned red then black."

Sayer swallows. He felt hot and uncomfortable. And worse, he thought Hailey not only knew it, but was enjoying his discomfort. He lets out a breath telling himself to calm the fuck down. Maybe those are just cybernetic enhanced eyes and she's trying to freak him out. "What did you do after that...? I mean, suddenly blind and all.... how did you get your new eyes? Someone find you and take you to a med center?"

She laughs, not hiding her enjoyment in his reactions anymore. "They threw me on the street after, blind and blood leaking from my eyes, the mangled stumps of my ocular nerves hanging out of the eye sockets. I was so scared I couldn't push them back in; I stumbled and tried to run till I fell and couldn't run any further. I woke up two days later, a cold soulless voice whispering in my ear that my eyes would come at a price. My time was borrowed from that moment."

"Shit. What'd you do to deserve that kind of punishment?" he was completely unnerved but afraid to leave. He'd read about those predators that couldn't help but attack running prey. Besides, his legs felt rubbery. After the recent debacle with Iris in the alley, how fitting to now faint in public. He was really turning out to be the weak puppy Hana had teased him about being. He tries to act tougher. "Seriously... that's some fucked up shit."

Hailey only smiles for a moment. "I mugged the wrong person. So they cut my eyes out. Since then I've been with TSS, their CEO saw me suffer. He made sure to record my panicked flight and called in my collapsed body. He whispered in my ear when I woke up. If you ever wondered if the devil was real, he's it."
"So you are not just an employee... you are indebted to this guy?"

She laughs again. "I mugged him."

Sayer grimaces. "You mugged HIM? Shit. You got courage…. or something."

"Just a will to do what has to be done. He cut my eyes out and made me watch the video over and over before he let them turn my new eyes on."

"That's a cold hearted bastard. And you got to work for him now... damn. I don't envy you."

Hailey laughs as she shrugs. "I work for the devil and I love it."

"You love it. Huh." It was settled in his mind: completely insane. "I guess that's good for you...." he breaks off. He couldn't really be sincere about that statement. He tries to bring the discussion back to a safer track. "These black eyes you got now. How are they different from your old eyes? I mean aside from the color and the artificialness and all... you got special vision stuff now?"

"He can shut them off when he wants, that's it. Nothing amazing, nothing fancy just that they're on borrowed time. I leave so does my sight."

"This is like one of those crazy horror stories where they repo your organs if you fall behind in the payments. There's nothing else you can do? You can't get other eyes elsewhere to replace these ones?"

Hailey shakes her head, playing with her glasses now. "Why would I? They work as long as I work, I'm fine with that."

"Yeah well I guess since you like working for this devil and all, you wouldn't find it strange. It just seems like a real harsh punishment to not only rip out your eyes, but hold your new sight kinda ransom like - only working if you work for him."

"I got it light, just remember that. He only took my sight. He could have taken other people's organs, their other senses. So many other things, I got it lucky."

Sayer nods in agreement though he still thought it sounded completely insane. "And this devil guy... he doesn't live around here does he?"

Hailey only laughs again. "He's behind you."

Sayer jumps up stumbling, banging his knee against the chair next to him. His eyes dart back and forth. "Where? Where?" He turns back around quickly. "Shit. You bout gave me a heart attack." He sinks back down into the chair, his breath rapid. "That's not nice. Shit."

Hailey howls with laughter as she shakes her head trying to get herself under control again. "He goes where he wants when he wants, he really could have been there but if he was you'd feel it in your very soul first. This cold chill as if everything good has died. That's when you'll know he's there."

Sayer shivers again. Damn this Hailey was fucking insane. He pulls out his communicator from his pocket and pushes some buttons. "Oh….. hm. It looks like I need to go help out a friend." He stands facing Hailey and takes a few tentative steps backward. "Er… real nice meeting you Hailey."

"We'll be seeing each other again soon enough. Stay safe and watch for that chill."

Sayer nods and slowly steps back keeping his eyes on Hailey until he clears the railing. Then it's a fast brisk walk back to the hotel.

Visit from Hailey

[[July 8th, 2481 at Sayer's apartment in the Skygate hotel]]
 Hailey moves to the door, pulling her rifle. Flicking one of the settings on her mask she whispers a few words to make sure her voice was distorted enough. Satisfied she slams on the door three times. "Open up!" she shouts.
Sayer looks up alarmed. Shit. What was going on? He moves closer to the door, his heart starting to race. "Um… who is it?"
Hailey slams again. "Open the fucking door or we blow it open, five seconds now," she shouts.
Sayer pulls out his PDA and frantically pushes some buttons trying to find someone to ask what was going on. Shit, no one's answering. His heart was pounding and he couldn’t think straight.
Hailey smacks on the door, imitating the sound of something being stuck to the door. "Three seconds."
Sayer: "Wait wait wait don't blow it open...who’s there, what’s going on?"
Hailey: "Two seconds."
Sayer paces nervously trying to make a decision. He looks at his PDA again; no one answering still. Fuck. He runs for the door and opens it.
Hailey rounds the corner rifle raised. "On the ground! Hands on your head," she shouts, rushing over, slamming him to the ground, a knee in his back.
Sayer 's breath is knocked out as he hits the ground, the knee in his back painfully holding him in place. He tries to mumble out "I didn't do anything!"
Hailey pulls her mask off, her face beside him only to peck him on the cheek. "The right course of action would have been to page me," she whispers, moving her knee off his back and nuzzling his head.
Sayer lays on the ground frozen, not sure what to do. "Hhh... Hailey?"
Hailey nuzzles again, offering a nibble on his ear. "Yes little one."
Sayer risks lifting his head, wincing, still thinking he could be hit any minute. It really was Hailey. He rolls over and up to a sitting position. "Um." He's unsure whether or not she's going to let him up. Even though the last few times he had run into her she had been nice to him, he still could not forget how much she had scared him. And the nightmares she had inspired. "Page you?"
Hailey sets her rifle down and offers a softer smile than usual. "Call me, alert me to the impending raid, you know things you're supposed to do little one," she offers, crouching in front of him and reaching out to gently pat his cheek.
Sayer’s still not sure what's worse: being raided by unknown people with weapons or paging Hailey to come to his rescue. He raises his hand to touch where she patted his cheek. She was being so nice. Then he remembered his talk with Miss Nasenyana and the story of the viper she had told him. He slowly rises up to stand. "That's right. Miss Nasenyana told me earlier tonight that your company was joining the organization as part of a larger venture. She said you would be training us." He nods to himself. This was starting to make more sense and not seem like Hailey was just messing with him again.
Hailey gently sets her hand on his shoulder, stroking slowly. "They finally filled you in eh? Now I hope I didn't bruise you," she coos, moving forward to sit on his lap. Her weight surprisingly light for a woman in combat gear.
Sayer is surprised to find her suddenly in his lap. He feels an incoming call on his PDA and he tries to wiggle it out. He looks down. Phoenix. He sighs. The last time he had talked to Phoenix was when she was yelling at him and throwing him out of her apartment. He looks at Hailey and then back to his PDA uncertain. Then he types Y to accept the call.
Phoenix: “Sayer...   I....”
Sayer interrupts "Phoenix. Er.. Hailey just got here for a training surprise thing. She's right here." He was hoping his voice conveyed that the call could be public.
Hailey shifts herself, getting comfortable as she slips off the armor on her arms to wrap them around him. "Awe a call at this moment?" she whines, pulling off the bit on her chest further showing off her figure to him.
Sayer finds his eyes drawn to Hailey's chest as she removes the armor. He momentarily forgets what he was doing. Oh yes, the call. Phoenix. He looks back down at the PDA.
Phoenix says in a small voice "Oh. I'm .... well I guess I'm sorry to interrupt then."
Sayer: "No you aren't interrupting and I'm glad you called. Are you okay?"
Hailey sighs, whining again as she slips the gloves off now, reaching up to slowly play with his ear.
Sayer feels his face flush as Hailey plays with his ear. How did she know what he liked? Damn it. Being alone with her was a really bad idea. He says to himself: remember the story of the viper.
Sayer:  "Do you want to come over?"
Phoenix: “You'd have me over after last night?
Sayer 's voice softens. "Phoenix…. honestly I'm real hurt and confused after last night. But you know how I feel about you. Of course you can come over."
Hailey keeps playing with his ear, slowly opening her suit more and exposing skin. "We have training to do little one. I'd rather you alone for it."
Phoenix: “Hang on - a thug is giving me a hard time in the street.”
Sayer swallows hard. He looks down at the PDA then backup to Hailey. "Phoenix you know the door to my apartment recognizes you. It's always open to you." He hears the call terminate. Phoenix was probably dealing with the thug.
Hailey sighs. "You and me tonight, little one....please?" she asks in a shockingly needy tone of voice.
Sayer 's eyes are pulled towards Hailey's exposed skin, but the tone in her voice makes him look up at her face. In this light her black eyes didn't seem so scary. Or maybe it was the tone of her voice. "Hailey if Phoenix needs me I have to be there for her." He was shocked at how good Hailey felt on his lap.. so warm and close. He tried hard to keep remembering the viper that Miss Nasenyana had told him about.
Hailey shifts once more as if teasing him. "She'll be fine, the company protects her and she has friends that keep her safe right?" she coos, still sounding needy as she clings close now, resting her head into his chest and nuzzling.
Sayer feels her shift on his lap and he blushes as her hip moves into him. Pretty soon she would feel how much of an impact she was having on him. He tries to think of vipers and not of her. Her head on his chest was driving him crazy. Vipers. Evil snakes. Vipers biting people who trusted them.
Hailey looks back up at him with needy eyes. "You're so warm...hold me?"
Gulping, he wraps his arms around her, thoughts of snakes and vipers gone. She felt incredible.
Hailey nuzzles in, letting out a contented sigh. "You feel so good."
He looks down wondering for a moment why he had thought she was so frightening.
Hailey looks up, inching a little closer. "Little one?" she asks before moving to kiss him gently.
He was supposed to be remembering something. What was it…. that Miss Nasenyana said. Why did Hailey have this effect on him. "Hailey?"
Hailey kisses him, holding on tight but her touch gentle.
He is stunned at the kiss. He feels for a second that he is betraying Phoenix but remembers what happened the night before. Phoenix probably didn't want him anymore. She was probably calling him to tell him she wanted them to be just friends. He lets himself relax in the kiss.
The door makes a noise and swishes open. Phoenix steps in, raises an eyebrow, smiles, and watches.
Hailey breaks the kiss after a moment, gently returning her head to his chest and smiling, looking innocent and unaware.
Phoenix smirks "At this very moment, is she turning you on, making you sick, or scaring you to death?"
Sayer’s face flushes. He coughs. "Um. It would be the first one I think" He cursed his impulse to always tell Phoenix the truth.
Phoenix turns and looks at Hailey, amusement on her face "You must be Hailey."
Hailey slowly looks up, blushing slightly at Sayer's comment. "Um....," she only replies.
“I'm Phoenix. You and I should really sit down and have coffee some time.”
Sayer looks between Phoenix and Hailey. He keeps his mouth quiet.
Hailey blinks. "Um...ok?" she manages out, still cuddling into him.
Phoenix looks at Sayer, takes one of his hands, laces her fingers with his, and speaks "You invited me here. What ever shall we talk about?"
Sayer looks down as Phoenix takes his hand and looks back up at her surprised. He squeezes her hand gently. "I'm glad to see you Phoenix."
Hailey nuzzles his chest again. "I still have to teach you how to use your shield right little one," she whispers.
Phoenix's face melts a little, seems to go through several emotions, ending in one of simple resolve "I'm glad to see you, Sayer."
He looks at Phoenix and then back to Hailey. He extracts himself from Hailey’s embrace and stands looking down at his shoes. "Um. Yes. The shield." He turns to Phoenix. Do you know how to use the shield thing?"
Phoenix: “Not personally, no. I wear heavy armor and have an armored cyborg chassis. I don't really need one.”
Sayer 's face falls a little. He was hoping that Hailey could show them both. "Do you want to know anyways? He points to the thing on the ground by the crates. It's supposed to help protect... " his voice trails off. He looks at Phoenix hopefully.
Hailey gives Sayer a small look of needy want as he backs away.
Phoenix: “Sayer, would you like for her to teach us how to use the shield, or would you like to ask her to leave?”.
That was a difficult question for him to answer. He had been told to get training from Hailey, and even though she confused him, he needed to comply. But maybe he didn’t need to get training right now, this minute? He begins to feel more confident. Phoenix was strong and she made him feel stronger when he was around her. He turns to Hailey. "Hailey, I know Miss Nasenyana requested that I learn how to use the shield from you. Can I schedule an appointment with you at another time, though?"
Hailey lets out a soft sigh. "Unfortunately due to the damage to the offices my time is already stretched to its limits," she replies, a hint of disappointment in her tone.
Sayer turns back to Phoenix and looks at her searchingly. He wasn't sure what to do.
Phoenix: “Then it appears the training resource assigned to you does not have sufficient flexibility to accommodate your schedule.”
Hailey: "Forgive me for saying but the fact we're paying for the terrorists your company is failing to control is the cause of such problems."
Phoenix: “Which are Sayer's problems because.... ?”
Sayer looks back to Hailey. The way Phoenix said it made it sound so simple and logical.
Hailey sighs. "Because I'd rather see to his personal safety because I care enough to ensure it's done right than assign some other employee to do it wrong."
Phoenix: “You are an expert in tactical systems training, then?”
Sayer smiles at Phoenix. He loved how smart she was.
Hailey: "I have the same system Little One is using and have used it for years. I know it better than anyone in my employ."
Phoenix: “Ah. I think I see the problem. Training is not simply a matter of expertise, but the ability to teach. One of the considerations involved with teaching is understanding that a distracted student cannot learn. It is often better to allow sufficient time for the student to resolve their personal difficulties and approach the training with a clear head.”
Phoenix:” I would question any teacher unable to accommodate that need.”
Hailey: "Unfortunately with the frequency of attacks his inability to know how to both use the system safely and properly could lead to a critical failure. That failure could range from the focusing systems overloading and taking his arm off or the inability to project a barrier and be struck down by gunfire."
Hailey: "You would rather him go out unprepared and untrained into a combat zone?"
Phoenix: “Then it would seem incumbent upon you to offer more flexibility in your teaching schedule. Or is Sayer not a priority for you?”
Hailey: "He is, however as I said so is protecting and ensuring corporate interests aren't destroyed or further damaged by your inability to contain an uprising."
Hailey: "I'd rather not fail him like you failed your director."
Phoenix's lip curls slightly, and she stiffens, but then realizes she smells desperation, and smirks "Accommodate Sayer into your schedule and succeed. Or do not. The choice of whether to fail is entirely in your hands."
Hailey rolls her eyes, turning to Sayer. "Little one, I don't have the time but now to teach you. I'd rather ensure you are safe and can survive an attack there than risk enraging those above. But if you must force me then I'll let them take my eyes again for failure to stick to their schedule, if that is your wish. Anything to keep you safe."
Sayer looks to Phoenix then back to Hailey. "Your eyes... no… they would do that?"
Phoenix: “Sayer, she's manipulating you. She is in no danger. There is no pressing need to train you right now on a technology they didn't even think to provide you with.”
Sayer calms hearing Phoenix's words. "That's right... I got this thing on my own... they wouldn't take your eyes Hailey. Not for this."
Hailey: "If that's what you want then so be it. If you really want to wait that is your choice to make, I'll try to teach you what I can before they notice the delays and start disciplining. Just please stay out of west till you're trained? For your own safety and for least some peace of mind for me, if that's not too much."
Sayer sighs. He couldn't do that. He had other commitments he had to keep and Hailey probably knew that. He turned to Phoenix. "Can you teach me the basics of the thing? So I could protect myself in an emergency?"
Phoenix: “I know someone who can.”
Sayer smiles and turns to Hailey. "How about that? I can learn basics and then when you are free again I can learn advanced stuff?"
Hailey nods slowly. "If that's what you wish little one."
Phoenix looks at Hailey with an even gaze "And if you're so fucking concerned about what's going on in West, let's see you stand shoulder to shoulder with the people there and take the bullets with the rest of us. Otherwise. Shut. The. Fuck. Up."
Hailey: "There are battles that go on out of sight. Never forget that whole wars are fought in the shadows."
Phoenix: “Yeah, whatever. bulletholes or GTFO. Come on, Sayer.”
Hailey shakes her head. "Don't risk yourself little one. There is more to see than just bullet holes and shell casings."

Lost Battles

[[July 8th, 2481 at Sayer's apartment in the Skygate hotel, posted with Knight's permission]]
Hailey sighed, sitting on the floor she cursed under her breath before pulling the data pad from her hip. Typing slowly she shook her head a few times and blanking the screen even more to restart. Finally after minutes she lets the small electronic start printing out a note.
"Little one,
I wish you trusted me enough to let me teach you but clearly your friend means more. I just want to keep you safe and not let harm fall upon you.
I'm sorry I seemed cold and evil when we first met, since they took my eyes I've always been on guard. Been scared of waking up to a world without sight again. Since I've started to get to know you you've manged to make me feel safe again. Having you hold me today made me willing to not see another thing if that moment could last.
Since I can't be here to keep you safe all the time I'll do what I can now, please take my rifle. Use it to keep yourself safe when you're forced to fight. Your friend doesn't think I truly am trying to save the people there but she is blinded by her own anger towards me. I just hope this gesture shows I'm trying to fight and save you.
If you get this check the hotel security office, I might be trying to get some sleep on the couch that doesn't smell of death and decay. I couldn't ask you to let me use yours.
-H"

Satisfied with her correspondence she leans her rifle against the crates, tapping at the screen again on the data pad to print out a few more sheets, this time ones with diagrams on how to prevent the raid she opened the evening with. Picking up her first note she plants a small kiss on the bottom, imprinting some of her lipstick.

Hailey's Note

[[Early in the morning on July 9th, 2481]]

Sayer returns to his apartment, muscles aching from the shield training with Kludge. She and Kriss had taught him so much about how to use his new gadget... he just hoped he could remember it all. He trudges in - intent on flopping on the bed and passing out, but instead he stops cold. On the floor is a rifle. One he recognizes.

He looks around the room cautiously. No one else is here, so why is Hailey’s weapon laying on his floor? He sinks to a sitting position on the rug remembering Phoenix pulling him out the door earlier. He had been so confused, so flustered; he hadn’t thought about the fact that they were leaving Hailey alone in his apartment. He takes a closer look at the rifle and notices the note. He leans over to pick it up, then sits back to read it. And then he reads it again.

He slumps, a look of confusion on his face. Everything written there made perfect sense to him. It explained her odd behavior, the inconsistencies, and the recent affection she’d shown him. He rubbed his temple with the heel of his palm. What if he had been imagining her behavior as creepy and all this time it had just been in his head? After all, the recent troubles with Phoenix had made it clear that he did not understand women in this city.

He pulls out his PDA and starts a text message to Hailey. He’s not sure exactly what to write.  He chews on his thumb while he thinks, and then reads her note to him for a third time.

Finally, taking a deep breath, he starts to type:

Hailey,

I am sorry I came across like that. I do appreciate all your help, and as Ms Nasenyana instructed I need to report to you for training. I will try to be more trusting.

You shouldn’t be sleeping in a place surrounded by all that death. If you are staying in the North and there are no free rooms in the hotel you can use my apartment. I can sleep on the couch and you can have the bed.

Sayer

He saves the message. He would need to ask downstairs for Hailey’s contact information so he could send it to her tomorrow. Sighing he lays back on the rug. He was too tired mentally and physically to even move to the bed. He closed his eyes and fell into a troubled sleep.

A True Friend

[[July 11th, 2481]]
Sayer steps into the empty apartment and paces, PDA in hand. As soon as he had heard what had happened to Phoenix he had sent messages out to everyone he knew, but hadn’t gotten any replies yet. His PDA beeps and he answers it immediately.

Melody: “What’s this cryptic shit you sent, S.?”

Sayer explains about Phoenix and not being able to find out her status. Tokuma had her and wasn’t letting anyone know what was going on. It had to be bad.

Melody: “2k up front, no guarantees. If I find something – and that’s a mighty fucking big IF – then we talk how much the info itself will cost.”

Sayer grimaces. He grabs his datapad and does some quick calculating. The 20k initial investment from his anonymous donor, plus the revenue he’d gotten so far, minus all the start up costs, that necklace for Phoenix, the diner at the 7 seas, the flowers, his living expenses…. Balance: 139 credits. Damn.

Sayer: “When will you be in the city?”

Melody: “Two days. Usual time, your place. Don’t keep me fucking waiting, either.”

Two days. He might be able to raise the money by then. Mel only took cred chips – never transfers or anything else that could be easily traced. Something about flexibility and liquid funds.

Sayer: “Okay. “

The call terminated and he blew out a big breath of air.

He walked over to the bed, dropped the datapad and PDA next to his pillow and laid down. The bed smelled of her still. The last two nights, Hailey entwined in his arms, he had felt so safe, needed, and happy. He had been so wrapped up in sweet, wonderful Hailey. And all the while Phoenix had been locked away deep in Tokuma. Broken, maybe even dead. He rolled over and hugged the pillow. He was a real shit.

The meaning behind Phoenix’s words from the last night he had seen her were still clear in his head. ‘Maybe we aren’t right for each other – now.’ That didn’t mean he didn’t still love her, or feel guilty as hell over being with Hailey.

He sighed and took a deep breath. Hailey would know how to find out what was happening, he was sure. Asking her, though, that was the problem. Deep inside he knew it was wrong - for many reasons. She had a legitimate business and asking her to get involved… and then, with his history with Phoenix…

He sat up and reached for the datapad. He would ask her… what was that word? He did a search: hypothetical. Yeah, a hypothetical question. That couldn’t be so bad, right?
He hangs up after the call. Hailey was a true friend. He was lucky to have someone he could trust help him.

Fight

[[July 14th, 2481]]
Walking back into medlab from his quick dinner break he sees Phoenix still lying on the bed, as before. After several minutes Phoenix abruptly gasps, furrows her brow, purses her lips, and begins to grunt. She begins to squeeze his hand, a little at first, then harder, then harder. It is starting to hurt.
Sayer tries to pull his hand from Phoenix's grasp. It was hurting and he was starting to panic. As he finally frees his hand, Phoenix's legs begin to move, her knees bending, dragging across the bed with some effort. She arches her back and begins to grunt. Frantically looking around for a medic, Sayer puts his hands on her body trying to keep her still. "Phoenix! Phoenix! Are you okay?" he yells.
Phoenix clenches and unclenches her fists, her body contorts, and rolls onto its side. She pulls into a curl. The grunt becomes louder. Her eyes are still closed.
Sayer is trying to hold onto her as best as he can but she is much stronger than him. He yells for a medic and starts rambling, mostly for his own benefit at this point. "It will be okay, Phoenix, it’s okay. Phoenix calm down. What's happening?"
She starts to thrash back and forth on the bed, slamming hard as she hurls herself first one way, then the other. The grunt becomes a growl. Then she seems to lose energy, as if she is being pulled down. Her arms flail upward into the air as if she is trying to climb out of something. She lets out a sad wail, and then collapses back to the bed, unmoving.
Sayer’s heart is thudding in his chest, and he is scared something horrible might be happening to her. Maybe she was in pain, or something was going wrong with her cybernetic systems... his mind was flooded with worst case scenarios. When she collapses he falls forward, hugging her. "Phoenix?" He pulls back to look searchingly at her face. "Phoenix are you okay?"
She whimpers and he thinks she heard his voice. He is terrified she is in pain. "Phoenix? Phoenix it's me Sayer. Are you hurt? What's going on?"
Seeming to find another surge of strength, her lip curls into a rictus of rage and she screams in fury. She throws her palms to the table, trying to push herself up. For one brief flash, her eyes open and lock onto his, and then she seems to fall away again, melting back into unconsciousness.
Sayer is stunned. The first thing to pop in his head was ‘she looked so mad.... did I make her mad again?’ He leans down and tentatively strokes her hair. His voice is quiet. "Phoenix?"
Sayer hears her slur something. To anyone else it would sound like nonsense, but he’d heard her voice so many times, and heard her say this word so many times, that he knew that she'd just said his name. He strokes her face. "Phoenix? I'm here. I've missed you so much."
She makes noises as if she is sobbing, but it grows quieter and quieter, and then all expression seems to submerge back below the coma. He continues stroking her hair with his left hand, watching her face with a worried expression. He wished he knew what he could do to help. He slips his right hand around hers and raises it to his lips, giving the back of her hand a soft kiss. He sighs. So much he wanted to tell her, to talk to her about. He felt so much hung between them that needed to be resolved. That he wanted to resolve. "I love you Phoenix." he whispers.
She lies still, unmoving in the contorted position the last thrash left her in.
Sayer looks around for a medic or doctor. He doesn't see anyone near so he rolls her onto her back himself, and arranges her limbs so she’s lying back as she had been before the outburst. He gingerly brushes her hair so that it frames her face and looks more ordered. He was frustrated there were no doctors around to tell him what had happened. How could a coma patient just start moving around like that without anyone coming to check on her? His anger and frustration slowly wane, but he's still worried about the possibility of her being in pain, or of deep damage to her system that the doctors might not have noticed.
He was exhausted from the emotional week. He picks up her hand with both of his and squeezes it gently. "Phoenix I know you probably can't hear me, but I'm real sorry about ... about everything really. I am sorry you are lying here in this place. I'm sorry we got all this weirdness between us. I'm sorry ..... shit, I guess I'm just sorry."
He hears the nurse call his name. He turns, at first still lost in his thoughts. Then he gets mad and raises his voice. "Where have you been Nurse? She was thrashing around on this bed... I thought she was going to hurt herself! What happened? Was she in pain?"
“There is a message for you.”
Her looks at her confused, his anger suddenly forgotten. "What? Who sent the message?"
“The sender cannot be identified.”
Sayer furrows his brow. "What is it?"
Message consists of one word.  "fight".
The nurse’s head vanishes from view, and he repeats it a few times to himself. He looks at Phoenix. If she was awake he could ask her what the message meant and where it had come from. She was smart. She could help him figure it out. He sighs and leans against the wall mulling the message over in his mind trying to understand what it means.

Just Him and Hailey

[[July 15th, 2481]]
The back rub was incredible. Hailey really knew what she was doing. It felt like he was turning into a puddle of happy, relaxed goo. He had been wound up when he got home thinking about the way Phoenix had thrashed on her hospital bed. He hadn’t told Hailey where he’d been, but he suspected she knew he had been at Phoenix’s side all day and evening. He had been there every day for as many hours as he could since he had found out that she had been transferred to medbay.
It was difficult to stay tense around Hailey. She put him at ease with her cuddling and sweet words. She had even gotten beautiful green contacts to cover the eyes that had once terrified him. She was really becoming someone he depended on. Someone he needed.
Now he was only thinking of her, of Hailey. All the troubles from this past week, his worry about Phoenix and whether she was in pain, if she would ever come out of the coma, his guilt about his growing feelings for Hailey, the frustrations he had felt before when it just seemed all he was doing was making Phoenix mad at him… all those worries were gone. It was just him and Hailey.

Snared

It had been a great evening. Phoenix had been over for about four hours and it had felt as though they had made much progress. He thought things between them might actually work out.

Then Hailey showed up and it all went downhill fast. By the end of the long night it was just him and Hailey again.

Hailey smiles wickedly over his shoulder as he hugs her. He was swearing to do anything he could not to fuck up this relationship like he had fucked up the one with Phoenix. Oh how her plans worked out. She had him completely snared. Now the real fun part could start.

Numbing the Pain

The air was thick with awkwardness at the Buddha Bowl, and everyone kept asking Phoenix what was wrong. It was obvious she was ignoring Sayer, and that something had happened.
Sayer clears his throat to make an announcement. "Okay everyone. I'm an ass. Phoenix deserves a hell of a lot better than me, and I'm sure she'll find it. That's the situation in a nutshell." Prime grabs a glass from the table. "That’s something I can toast to." He holds up the glass and drinks all down.
Luci steps up next to Sayer and asks "Get you a drink?" right when Prime stands up and signals him to step into the alley. Sayer thinks back to the last two times he was asked to step into an alley, and the threats that resulted.
“Prime, please don't hurt him.” Phoenix says. Sayer glances at her. He wonders why she’s asked that, when he’d clearly pissed her off again last night – so much so that she’d just left his apartment without an explanation. His head hurt. It seemed that he was continuously making her angry and frustrating her. Worse, he usually didn’t understand what he did that was so awful. Prime laughs at her request and rubs his belly. “I won’t make any promises."
Sayer says to Luci. "A drink sounds real good - something strong. If Prime kills me, and I don’t come back, just drink it yourself."
When Prime and Sayer finally do return, Sayer’s got dirt on his face and looks tired. "Y’all good?" Luci asks. "Yep, Luci, Prime just had a 'talk' with me." Sayer replies as Luci passes him a drink. He downs it in one swallow then makes a face. “Thanks.” He looks around. Rema and Phoenix are gone now.
"Lemme buy you a drink" Prime offers. Sayer nods and turns to Mei Mei “Make mine something strong to take away the pain." Sayer finishes off that drink and slides his cup down to Mei Mei. "Another please. One for Luci and my good friend Prime, too." His eyes were getting bleary and he was feeling the effects. He usually only drank tea.
Luci was starting to look a little tipsy as well. She asks "Hey...anyone try shooting shots with a plasma pistol? I...think...we need another drink..." Sayer chimes in, "I agree! Another round!" He turns to Luci. "Now,  what’s this about plasma?"
"Well..." Luci orders two shots and places them on the table, drawing her plasma pistol. "When I say, grab your drink and down it." Sayer nods and gets ready, swaying a little from side to side. Lucille draws the pistol and sets it on a low setting. As she fires it across the shots they catch on fire. "NOW!" at this she tips the still burning drink down her throat.
Sayer grabs the glass and tips the liquid into his mouth. He drops the glass awkwardly back on the bar. "Shit that is hot". Luci laughs "Plasma makes it better!"He sticks out his tongue and puts his fingers on it. He tries talking with his tongue still hanging out. "buh iiiee haaaww!"
"You...sir...are a pansy" Luci declares. Sayer laughs, "I am indeed! Another drink Mei Mei for Luci and this pansy here."
Lucille "Let’s have something else from home..." She orders two faintly yellow drinks. From her pockets she pulls a packet and pours some red dust in each.  "Is good", she states as she pushes the now red drink over to him. “A drink from, and of, my home".
Sayer tries to pick up the drink and misses. He tries again and gets it this time. He holds it up. "Oooo this looks yummy." He takes a big gulp and then holds his mouth wide open, his tongue and cheeks feeling like they were on fire. The drink has a very strong metallic taste...yet it burns like hell. "Holy fuck. What the hell is this?"
Luci grins, "Everclear...and iron!" Sayer looks down into the glass and back up at her. He was having a hard time focusing. He raises the glass to her. "Cheers then!" and swallows the rest down. Luci laughs and downs the drink. "Just like home!" Sayer sways a bit then leans over to Luci. "Luci, my friend. Let's have another one of those. Mei Mei! Another round!" Luci pulls the packet of red dust out, pouring it into the glass. When it's ready she says, "DRINK!" Sayer grins and picks the glass up with both hands. He downs it and slams it down on the counter. "Fuck!" he laughs. "I love it! My new favorite drink."
Rema and Phoenix return. Phee pours a fresh cup of tea and sips it, and looks at Prime questioningly. Prime, noticing her inquisitive stare, asks "Yes? Oh queen of red-hairness?" Phee asks, “Did he survive?” Prime points to the clearly alive yet inebriated Sayer at the bar, with a dirt covered face. "I taught him a lesson". Phee puts her hand to her face.
Kriss slips into the restaurant and blinks a few times at the sight of Sayer and some girl drinking. Hopping up to take a seat, she offers a smile at Phee before looking at the drunk Sayer.
Luci downs her drink in one shaking her head as she does. "You know...is shit right??" Sayer agrees, "The bestest shit there ever was" he slurs waving his hand in the air. He turns and notices Kriss. "Kriss the murder midget, how are you this fine, fine evening?"
Kriss orders a beer, leaning slightly away from Sayer. Looking back at Phee then Sayer. She's clearly confused. "What the fuck is going on here."
Phoenix asks, “Sayer, why the fuck did you have to say anything? I wasn't going to tell them.” He turns and waves his finger. "No, no, no ... the truth must come out. I am an ass and everyone should know it." Then he turns back around. "Mei Mei! Where is our next round?" He leans over to Kriss, his breath strong. "Krissssssss you need to try this drink. It's the best."
Kriss does her best to slide away in her seat, slightly on edge by how close he was getting. "You're really drunk; I think you should go home and sleep it off." Sayer waves his hand, "Pssshhhawwww... I am doing great!"
Phoenix says exasperated, “Oh fuck all” before rising to walk off.  Sayer calls after her, "She needs a drink!" Kriss facepalms, and sets her beer down. "Sayer, I'm cutting you off."  He pouts "But I am a-ok."
Luci slaps him across the face "Sober up, come on." He puts a hand to his cheek. "Aaaghhh don't do that! That hurt." Kristin rests a hand on her sidearm. "Sayer, you know why they gave me that nickname right? You want to test it tonight just keep trying to drink and stay here."
Sayer stumbles out into the street with Luci following. Near the Blue Ant, Sayer makes a sudden stop. "Captain Dagger! Ahoy!" He points to the black haired woman and says. "Luci, this is Captain Dagger. She might be a figment of my imagination though. Let's keep moving."
Once inside the bar he stumbles past Laura XP-2987. "Hello there.... um I don't know your name." He makes his way over to the bar and takes a seat. Laura XP-2987 is relaxing at the bar, and drinking a pilsner. She holds an electronic cigarette of her own design, trying to simulate the local activities within a bar. "Greetings, Citizen!" She says, puffing out a mouthful of vapor. Sayer nods a few times "Yes yes! I am indeed a citizen of this fine city."
Laura XP-2987 looks at them evenly. “This unit is off-duty, but recommends you carry your identification with you at all times, random checks will be carried out. “ He listens and then replies, "Unit you say. Well unit, I do indeed have my ID with me. All I lack now is a drink." he swivels. "Antron! We need some drinks."
Laura XP-2987 looks up, with one of those shifty looks she's been practicing, trying to look like a mysterious stranger, only without the emotion, "That one is poorly programmed, it is cheeky, mischievous, and often rude. Be mindful, this unit does not think it has intelligence."
"Whatever you say, fine lady, errr. ... unit." Sayer turns back to the bar and picks up his drink. "A toast.... to.... " he looks around "to not being cut off from drinking!" he downs the drink. Lucille adds before downing hers, "I still say this is a bad idea..."
Sayer shakes his head. "Oh no. The Blue Ant is a very nice place. This was an excellent idea." Laura XP-2987 intones, "Please ensure, citizen, when you leave here after your drinks, to do so in an orderly and undrunken manner, or this unit will go on-duty, and haul you down to the IPS cells to sober up. Otherwise, however, feel free to enjoy your evening. This one will watch and observe, and it will learn from its observations."
Sayer nods. "Another fine idea!" Sayer sways back and forth in his chair humming to himself.
Lucille smiles and whispers in a voice that only Laura XP-2987 could hear "He’s too drunk...know a way to sober him up?"
Laura XP-2987 nods, "This unit observed such a technique before." She unholsters her SMG and points it right in Sayer's face, acting out what she saw, "Human will sober up immediately, or be taken into custody!"

A Snake is a Snake

He rubbed his eyes, squinting at his PDA to check the time. It was late in the day and he was still in bed. Head pounding, queasy, and feeling sorry for himself, he hadn’t had the energy to get up before now. The latest message, though, was about Luci in medbay. She had been his drinking buddy the night before and although he didn’t remember all the details of the night, he had remembered that she had been fun, and hadn’t let him get killed. He had a vague memory of an IPS officer with a gun in his face, yet here he was at home, in bed, so Luci had probably helped him out of whatever he had gotten himself into.
Not bothering to shower, he pulls on the clothes he finds closest and starts to make his way to the west. The pain in his head was like a loud scream. He stops for a few drinks to numb it down to a more manageable level, and decides he should get a couple bottles of vodka to bring to medbay… Luci should have a get well present, and he figured he could use one also.
By the time he finally arrives at medbay he wasn’t feeling so bad anymore. He even manages a smile as he walks in and sets the bottles on Luci’s bed. "What happened? What'd you do?" he asks.
"Well...I just happened to be running across some roofs chasing a mad gunwoman, and I...misjudged a jump and slipped and fell."
He laughs. "Wait... what? A mad gunwoman? Who was she?"
Luci shrugs "She started shooting, THIsec started shooting, and then I started shooting. When I fell I broke my leg and Phee got me my aid. You just missed her actually."
Sayer frowns. Phoenix. He feels a pang in his heart, and he tries not to think about her. Too much pain about their relationship recently. "This woman just started shooting in the west? Was she part of the Western Front?"
Luci shrugs again "No idea at all. They caught her, or at least that’s what Phee said."
He picks up one of the bottles and takes the top off. He raises it to her. "To your health and speedy recovery!" He grins and takes a big swig.
Lucille takes a big swig from her bottle, too. "If we keep this up we will be as bad as Rema soon...but to hell with that." She takes another gulp.
Sayer grins. "I've started thinking Rem's got the right idea. Nothing wrong with some social drinking, and some self medication."
Luci laughs loudly "TO ALCOHOL!" He raises his bottle and repeats "TO ALCOHOL!", then laughs and takes another drink.
Sayer pulls out his PDA. "Speaking of Rem... Lemme see what she's up to." He types a quick message. Rema arrives soon after with a six-pack of beer. They discuss Luci’s accident, the Western Front and Prime and Rema’s collection of knives and other sharp pointy metal things. They had gone through the six-pack and almost finished both bottles of vodka when Phoenix walks in and says doubtfully, "Sayer? Is that you?"
Sayer turns, swaying. His speech slurred, he raises the bottle. "Officer Phoenix! Welcome to the party!"
Phoenix pinches the brow of her nose. She looks at him in disbelief. “Sayer. What the fuck?”
He tries to look serious. "Yes, what the fuck? Who was running around shooting today and got poor Luci here all broken?"
Phoenix sighs heavily. “Sayer, where's Hailey?”
He sways and scratches his head. "Hailey... Hailey... I haven't seen her today."
Phoenix asks again, “Where is Hailey? We have to get you to her. She's your perfect pleasant housemate, right? Where do we find her?”
Sayer gets the feeling he is in trouble again, but he smiles and tries to act positive. "She is, isn't she? I was so wrong about her. She's such a sweet girl." He stops and holds up a finger. "But now, right now, I am visiting my good friend Luci here who was tragically injured earlier today."
Phoenix pulls up the residency records of St. Psion in her HUD. “Sayer, call Hailey, unless you want me to SEC override her phone.”
Luci sighs, "This ain’t gonna end well".
He sways, confused. "Wait ... what you mean a sec-over-what?"
“Override her phone. She'd be very annoyed and it would be your fault. Now call her. You're her mess to clean up now, and I'm not going to have your drunk stupid ass in my medbay.”
He starts mumbling about not being that stupid but he pulls out his PDA and after fumbling for a bit finally pulls up Hailey's number. He grins. "Ringing!"
Phoenix smiles patronizingly.
Sayer hums some music while waiting and then he starts to leave a message for Hailey. "Hailey! Hailey! Are you there? Well.... shit.... apparently officer Phoenix wants you to know that I'm in HER medbay, and that I am a drunken ass. Or wait... a drunk stupid ass. Or something like that." He terminates the call and pockets the PDA. "Done!" he says and smiles.
Phoenix says patiently, “Now, say goodbye to your friend there, and you and I are going to take a walk while we wait for her to call back. That way I don't have to put you in the drunk tank at HQ.”
Sayer grimaces. "I don't want to be in no tank. I'm not disturbing no one. I'm visiting my friend here who was tragically injured."
“Visitation is over. Don't make this official, Sayer. You and I have had enough awkwardness to last a lifetime.”
He turns and whispers to Luci. "I think she's still really mad at me. That's why I have to leave. Sorry." He turns back, petulant. "Fine, officer Phoenix, fine."
Phoenix says politely to Luci “Please forgive the disturbance. If I can help further, let me know.”
Sayer walks out grumbling. They talk in the courtyard. They talk in front of the Buddha Bowl. Sayer vomits into a street drain and Phoenix gets him home and cleaned up. Patiently Phoenix helps him understand what has been happening lately, who might be behind it, and to be more cautious about those close to him.
She tells him a story – the same story that Miss Nasenyana once told him.
A woman was walking along a road on a very cold day, and she saw a snake curled up on the ground, nearly frozen. The snake asked the woman "will you please put me inside your warm coat next to you, so that I can warm up? I am freezing." And the woman said "but you are a snake, you will bite me." The snake said "I promise I will not bite you. Please warm me up." The woman took pity on the snake, and put it in her coat next to her skin. The snake begin to revive as she walked on. Then she felt a stabbing pain. The snake had bitten her. She asked the snake why it had done this. It replied "You knew I was a snake."
“The point of the story is - and it is a hard one - the snake might REALLY be in need. And you might really be able to help. But a snake is a snake.” Phoenix explains.
Sayer looks at his hands. He didn't know why he hadn't thought about that story more deeply. If both Miss Nasenyana and Phoenix told him that same story, then it must be very important.
The nagging question in his mind now is: "How can you tell when a snake is a snake if they don't necessarily look like a snake?"

Business Expansion

:: GAIA BUSINESS EXPANSION PLAN
Owner: Syaoran (Sayer) Eiren, Skygate Hotel, Apt. 301, Insilico
:: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
This business plan describes the expansion activities, production methods, and expected financial condition of Gaia over the next two years of operation. The plan outlines the key market factors that botanical sale projections have been based upon. It also describes the managerial, technical, and capitalization requirements of the expansion to the business venture, the first phase of which is scheduled to begin on August 1, 2481.
The purpose of this business plan is to secure additional funding from current investors as well as to guide the business owner in monitoring the success of the expansion.

:: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In the first three weeks of Gaia’s business operation, sales have grown exponentially and three distinct markets have been identified. To take best advantage of the growing potential of the business, an expansion is proposed to situate the company in specific areas most conducive to the markets; the existing location in Central’s Breathe Room will be maintained, and one additional location will be opened. Two part time employees will be hired in order to assist in the expansion.
The financial forecasts included in this business plan demonstrate that the cash balance of the existing business will increase in six months from the $20,000 initial startup funds to approximately $36,000. Adding the additional location and tailoring to the markets will almost double the net income. However, in order to expand, an additional $15,500 will be required as an investment.
Brief overview of the three markets:
1.       Floral arrangements and related services: Expensive, high-quality genuine flowers and plants for discerning businesses and organizations. This aspect of the business relies heavily on bi-annual and annual client contracts. The majority of sales in this area will be one-on-one with the owner, and agreements finalized in the client’s location.
2.       Imitation products: Low cost imitation plants for small to mid-range businesses and organizations that do not wish to care for live plants, or who cannot afford fresh arrangements. Given the proximity to the vast amount of small businesses in the central ‘mall’, the Gaia location in the Breathe Room can continue to be an ideal location for these sales, and additionally some sales in the next category.
3.       Small gift plants, flowers, and related items: Particularly popular in the West sector due to the recent high rate of injuries and deaths. To capitalize on this market, a location should be opened in the West sector close to medbay.

:: ATTACHMENTS
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS
1.       Business Concept
2.       Product/Service Description
3.       Key Production Factors
4.       Location and Physical Facilities
5.       Economic Development  Strategy
MARKETING ANALYSIS
1.       Market Description
2.       General Market Trends
3.       Competition
4.       Market Projections
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
1.       Legal Form of Organization
2.       Management and Training Plans
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
1.       Capital Requirements
2.       Structure of Financing
3.       Financial Forecasts
4.       Forecasted Balance Sheets
5.       Forecasted Statements of Operations
6.       Forecasted Statements of Cash Flows

Fever Dream (1)

He woke, groggy, with a foul taste in his dry mouth. Rubbing his eyes he looked around. Joah was asleep on some blankets, rabbit plushie tucked under an arm. The floor was littered with feverish moaning citizens who seemed to be fading in and out of sleep with tired overworked medics and volunteers attending to them. He didn't understand - last thing he remembered was being given an antidote and falling asleep. Why were there so many sick people, and why was he still in medbay?
A medic approaches and insists he drink water. When he asks what is going on, the medic explains that the shots given the night before were made before they realized the full extent of the problem - there was a viral aspect to the infection that they don't yet know how to cure. He sighs. How long has he been here? He pulls out his PDA. More than 24hrs. And asleep all that time? The medic tells him he's been unconscious, and that he had had a dangerously high fever. The medic points to the sleeping Joah on the ground, "She's the one that pointed it out to us. There was so much going on, we didn't realize how bad you had gotten. If it wasn't for her you might be in intensive care right now."
He runs his fingers through his hair trying to remember. He had been dreaming, but it seemed so real.
The sun is barely rising and it's already blistering hot. He hears voices murmuring in the distance. He begins to panic. No one was supposed to know the sun was coming up. It was so bright with searing fiery flames bursting out of it. How could he hide it?
He feels the ground shaking beneath him and hears Joah's voice "Sayer...?" He can't trust anyone. He thinks 'A snake doesn't need to look like a snake to be a snake' and then he laughs; it's too hot here for snakes.
He sees his red burnt arms. The skin is starting to peel off. It's too hot, too hot. Then he feels a heavy weight pushing him into the ground, and the darkness of the earth swallows him.
He finishes drinking the water the medic had brought him. He feels so weak, so tired. His head hurts; it feels as though it is being squeezed like a sponge. He curls up onto his side and wraps his arms around his head.

Fever Dream (2)

Sayer drifts back into his dream:

    His body sinks further and further down into the earth. It's not a rich soil, but dry and crumbling. It irritates his skin and fills his nose with dust. It feels like hours that he's being pulled down; time is suspended and he starts to think that this is now all he'll ever know. Just when he resigns himself he feels the earth loosen and change.

    He drops into a bed. It feels like he's outside: a breeze, the sound of water rushing as if in a fountain or a stream, the faint smell of the city overpowered by the smell of sweat and sickness. It's dark and he can't see where he is. He hears moans and whimpers.

    He remembers his skin had been burnt and he raises his arm. His skin is fine, but his hands are not his. He tries to clinch his hands into fists but they won't work. They act as if they have their own mind, their own thoughts. They start to swell and itch. He feels the hands beginning to take control of his arms. He's screaming but there's no one around to help him.

He awakes with a start. His head was pounding and he was having trouble feeling his legs. Luci kneels next to him "Sayer? Can you hear me?" He tries to focus his eyes. "Luci?" he rasps hoarsely, "Is that you?"

"Yeah it’s me, alive and kicking."

"My feet feel numb... what's happening?"

Luci sighs "We believe the virus is turning your immune system against you, it...it's destroying your nervous system... numbness is to be expected."

He coughs and looks at her bleary-eyed. "Joah... is she okay?"

"Yeah...yeah she's fine"

He can't ask about the other people he's concerned about and it frustrates him. He glances around noting he's in a different location. "Where am I?"

"You’re outside. We moved you out here… more space and we could make you more comfy."

"I don't feel so good... my stomach... my head... am I dying?"

Luci shakes her head, "We are working on something even now. We’ll have you fit as a fiddle"

He slowly rolls to the side thinking he's going to vomit. He waits a few moments and finally rolls back. "You just saying that so I don't worry?" he rasps.

"No… of course not. I wouldn’t lie."

Wrapping his arms around his head he whispers,"It hurts so much."

"I know, I know.  Here take some aspirin,” she hands him a couple of tablets. “Will keep the fever down and reduce pain."

Horst steps through the glass doors. He moves almost like a zombie in slow motion, jaw set, each step coming almost as though he's feeling his way around with his feet - despite not being able to actually feel them. He ends up with a hand on the desk. He goes by the sound of his numbed legs clunking against it, ending up... half-circling it aimlessly.

He takes the pills and puts them in his mouth, chewing them and making a face. "I hate this..." he realizes he's sounding like a child.  "It's bad isn't it? There are so many sick.... is it the entire city?" he whispers.

Luci nods "I think so." Horst turns at the sound of familiar voices, beginning to migrate in that direction. He lays back, tired. He felt useless. "I wish I could do something."

Pointing at Horst Luci calls out, "Nurse please get that man in a bed." Horst folds his arms. "Save 'em for people with a chance." He’s not actually looking at Luci. He's looking about three feet to her left.

Luci sighs loudly. "There are people a lot worse than you. Lay the fuck down before I lay you down with a power armored fist." Horst rolls his shoulders and raises his chin. He pauses, then, and frowns. "...There are beds?" Luci comes over and takes him by the arm firmly yet gently and guides him to a bed.

Horst nearly falls off the edge of the bed the first time he drops into it. He manages it the second time, going entirely by the numb, bumping sensations against his extremities. He looks up again after a second. He's focusing about six feet to Luci's right and another foot above her head. "...You had any trouble with patients' implants being rejected?"

Luci shakes her head "Not yet...but this is an immuno infection so it’s perfectly possible." Horst smirks a little. "Possible? My eyes just shit out." She nods slowly entering a note in her PDA "The virus could be even worse that we thought...this could get real bad real fast...what other implants you got?"

He turns his head towards Horst, listening. So many of his friends had implants... this was horrible news.

Horst lifts a near-senseless hand to tap his orbital bone. He ends up missing and clipping himself in the nose. With a grimace he shakes his head. "Just those. All I get from 'em now is blurs and static, so I switched 'em off." Luci calls out to the medics and nurses "OK! Red flag anyone with bionics i want them under closer observation especially those with hearts or major organs!"

Sayer watches as Horst lowers himself heavily back down to the cot. The man is very pale, his beard seeming almost to cling to a thinner-than-normal face. "...How you doing over there, Sayer?" The older man asks him.

He replies in a hoarse voice, "I'm doing okay". He didn't want to complain. His head felt like it was being crushed, he couldn't feel his feet, and his stomach felt nauseous... but to say all that seemed so trivial compared to a failed implant and no sight. "You doing okay aside from your implants?"

Horst lowers one half-insensate hand to rest over his stomach. It's churning, but it's not such a new sensation that he can't ignore it - it's the other stuff, like living sightless, that's harder to deal with. Outwardly, though, he nods. "Still alive." He closes his eyes for a moment. "...Try to keep your mind moving," he advises, voice lower and hollower than usual. "It's a brain disease. If you work your brain a little you can stay sharper longer."

Sayer whispers quietly. "I'll do that... work my mind. There's no end to the problems floating around in there right now."

Luci sighs, and the sound is distorted through the speaker in her suit. "I shouldn’t be doing this...someone more qualified should be doing this." Horst assures her, "You're doing your best." She's silent for awhile before saying, "But perhaps it would have been better if IPS had caught me or something, then I wouldn’t have been here and perhaps someone better would of stepped up."

He whispers towards Luci. "IPS? Why would they be after you?" She replies "I had sex with one of their security drones,  ok?" Horst raises an eyebrow. Sayer starts to speak and then stops. With a security drone? One of those things that fly around Doc Faith? He swallows. "Why would that make them want to arrest you? Did you hack it?"

Luci shakes her head "because it’s technically tampering with it if it has sex with you." Sayer begins to ask "How..." but he doesn't know how to phrase the question. He trails off and just looks at her. Finally she grunts, "She came onto me ok? It was Laura."

"The one that waved a gun in my face? You had sex with her?" he rasps out. "Luci... what were you thinking... you know she is unstable."

"Yeah... we had sex... we stopped... she wanted more I said no. She arrested me"

Sayer lets out a dry chuckle. "So that's what got you in trouble with IPS? Failure to fully sexually satisfy one of their drones?"

"It’s not funny. They laid siege to my lab and chased me out so I had to run full pelt while getting shot at to get here. Oh and their orders upon arriving were already to shoot to kill."

He looks at her for a long moment. He thinks she’s making this story up to make him feel better and so he won’t be so worried about the illness.

Lucy tells him "Sleep, you need it, keep your strength up."

He closes his eyes. He is so tired. Maybe after he naps he’ll feel better.

Fever Dream (3)

He falls back into the dream where he left off.
The panic starts to grow again. Whatever had taken over his hands has spread to his arms, feet, and legs. He can only move his head, and that is getting more difficult by the minute. Something is changing him – the virus, the bacterium – whatever had been in the gas. It is swallowing him up and he will be gone soon. He resigns himself to disappearing.
Sinking further into the cot, the fabric engulfs him. The threads mesh with his skin until there is nothing separating him from them; they are the same. The new him is now lighter and lifts off the cot's frame, floating in the breeze, up to the sun. It’s getting hot again. The sun is high in the sky and as he rises it enlarges until he can see nothing but it; fiery and searing.
He doesn’t panic this time. In these dreams it’s been only when he accepts what is happening that he is able to move to a deeper level.  He’s calm by the time the heat overwhelms him.
“Sayer, you're awake?” Dr. Faith asks.
He opens his eyes. "Yeah" he rasps.
“How are you feeling?”
He tries to wipe his eyes. His hands were numb. "I can't move my legs. Earlier it was just my feet. My hands and arms are starting to feel numb, now, too. I feel like throwing up but not much is coming out, and my vision has gotten blurry. I feel awful." he whispers, his voice still hoarse.
Dr. Faith nods "Symptoms are worsening; you should be in an isolation tent then.” Sayer wants to protest but feels too weak. Dr. Faith motions medics over and directs them as they do a team lift to put him on a gurney and wheel him to the large yellow isolation chamber.
The doctor directs the medics to put him on one of the many cots in the chamber, on the side opposite the sink and toilet. "Bring in more blankets. If you have to, go to north and get them off the hotel." She watches as the medic nods and leaves. "You're going to have to stay in here for now, Sayer. It should keep you out of the elements better than the courtyard."
He turns his head and leans to the side, retching, but not much comes out. He lays back, exhausted, and mumbles "ok".
“Just rest, I'll be back to check on you.” Dr. Faith stands under the chemical shower a moment before leaving.
He closes his eyes and drifts off again.

Fever Dream (4)

In his dream he's inside the sun; liquefied and flowing as molten heat.
He hears a voice that sounds vaguely familiar crying over Inara. Inara? Miss Nasenyana? He wonders why she hasn't contacted him. Did she care if he died?
His eyes flutter open and all he sees is yellow. The sun? Then he realizes that it's just the isolation tent he's been sleeping in.
Tao: Inara... dead, whyyy...
Lucille sighs quietly "Inara isnt dead.... hushh hush. Inara is fine she's not dead. calm down..."
Tao: "h eellp hellp help... Inarra se cr a tar y says she pas sed... Me ssage, da ta paad"
Lucille shakes her head "SHHHH calm down" and administers monoxine to reduce the swelling in Tao's brain.
That's why he hasn't heard from Miss Nasenyana. She must be sick or dying. He wonders about the others in his life and whether they are sick too.
He drifts in and out of consciousness again until he hears the sound of a ship close by. Muffled voices. Drones? Then maybe Luci's voice, loudly challenging, "What the fuck are you doing?"
It's hard to hear from inside the tent.
Drones intoning "We are here to collect... not a request meatsack... Step aside... no authority... stand down or you will be fired upon... "
Then lots of gunfire.
Tao in the nearby cot ranting "de aad dead DEAD ALLL DEAddd mm mmm".

Fever Dream (5)

He's still inside the sun; liquefied and flowing as molten heat.
The graceful dark-haired woman is standing, brushing a strand of hair from his face as he looks up at her numbly from his seat, his eyes sad and his heart heavy.
"And what will you tell her?"
He softly repeats the words he's been told to say.
Splitting into smaller and smaller pieces, flowing with the heat. He's losing himself; the pieces are jumbled and he can't keep track of the order.
"I'm safe, Sayer.  I'm safe."
He sees beauty in the chaos. He's no longer afraid.
Dr. Faith cleans a spot on his arm and places her injection gun on it. She injects the contents, then pulls the gun away and wipes the area again.
He begins to cool and reform, his molecules flowing back together.
A soft loving touch strokes the hair back from his face "I thought I was going to lose you."
Pulling away from the heat of the sun and drifting down. He is both the same and different, but it doesn't seem like a paradox - it feels right.
He remembers walking with a smiling woman in a garden. They pass a waterfall and she leans forward, laughing, to put her hands under the spray.

The airlock cycles and the doors to the containment tent open. There is a soft noise - like an expensive machine operating in prime condition.
Sayer rolls over and tries to open his eyes. The light is painful and he squeezes his eyelids closed again. In that brief moment, though, he thought he had seen a large dark droid.
'Must be hallucinating' he thinks as he drifts back asleep.

Get Well Soon Cait

Sayer, in the medbay wheelchair, rolls up closer to the tube where Cait was suspended in what looked to him like a bluish thick liquid. He peers up into Cait's open eyes. "You think she can see us?" he asks D.

Lady D looks at Cait floating, "By the look of her brain functions if she does she probably won't remember it, and if she does it will be hazy… like a dream. That is to say if her optic implants haven't been rejected and she isn't blind."

He sits for a few moments thinking. He wonders if Cait is bored inside the tube. "Wonder if she would like to watch something." He picks up his PDA from his lap and loads up a funny video then turns it so it faces Cait's eyes. He holds it there while the video plays. "Well, hopefully I'm entertaining her and not annoying her." He laughs. "She's real tough.... hate for her to be mad at me."

Lady D laughs with him and he turns the PDA slightly so that D can also watch the funny video of an animated cat outsmarting a mean old man. "This guy reminds me of Fifth... that grouchy guy that owns the comic store."

The video ends and there's no indication Cait could see it, or them. She's just floating there.

Sayer wheels around the medbay lab gathering up tongue depressors, paper, and a pen. He draws some faces on the paper and tears them out in small circles and attaches them to the depressors. When finished he has several crude puppets. He holds them up in front of the tank and does a little play for Cait. He makes faces and changes his voice for the characters.

Lady D blinks and looks at Sayer. He feels her attention and turns to her. Seeing the look on her face he  laughs. "Just trying to give her something to watch, D."

Sayer finishes the scene and peers up at Cait. He frowns. She looked the same, and there was still no indication that she could see or hear them. He puts the sticks in his pocket feeling a little foolish.

Sayer sits for a few moments, hand on chin, wondering what he could do to help Cait pass the time. He wasn't sure if she could see... but maybe she could hear? He searches through his PDA for one of his favorite songs and he starts it. He holds the PDA next to the tank and raises the volume on the small speaker. He's hoping between the vibrations hitting the glass and the high volume that something might get through into the tank.

Cait floats, and knowing Cait it'd be equal part wanting to laugh and hug Sayer and wanting to swat him.

He brings the PDA back down. He didn't notice anything different about Cait. He mumbles to himself "Seeing.... hearing.... hmmm can't touch from out here.... " he continues to try to think of somethin but he’s stumped. He looks up at the tube. It looked heavy. Maybe if he just rocked it a little she could sort of sway back and forth in there like she was dancing? He starts to giggle... then laugh.... His sides start to hurt from laughing so hard. She would probably kill him if she could read his mind. He sobers up, and sits thinking again, trying to figure out if there was something he could do to help her.

Cait continues to float silently, no indication of awareness of what’s going on outside the stasis tube.

Sayer rolls back and forth in his chair. He didn't have any other ideas. He rolls over to a table and using another piece of paper draws a big smiley face and the message "Get well soon Cait" on it. He returns to the tube and places the paper on the glass so it faced inwards, towards the floating cyborg, and uses a bit of surgical tape to fix it there. Nothing else he could think of to do.

He rolls a bit to the side and pulls out his PDA. He had been trying to get smarter, like Cait had suggested to him weeks ago. Now that his mind was clear from his fever he felt he could concentrate enough to start reading again. He pulled up a text and settled back, the light filtering through Cait’s cryo tube playing across the screen.

Gift Horse

He looks at the make-shift puppets he had created to entertain Cait while she hung suspended in cryo. Puppets, masks, and actors: that was what the city was filled with. Everyone pretending to be something they aren’t – whether that was more or less benign than reality. What had he read recently that had to do with masks? It had struck him as … ‘apropos’ to life in this city. He smiled at his word choice. He liked learning and using new words; the application he had added to his PDA brought up a new one each day with its definition.

He opened a command line and started a search for the phrase in his growing library of texts.

Funny how just a few short months ago gadgets like this seemed so foreign. Now he couldn’t imagine living without his PDA or his slightly larger datapad. He laughs softly thinking of the first communicator he had gotten the week after he had been hired at the Skygate. It had seemed so complicated to him at first, even though all it had done was send and receive text messages. Now he regularly did the maintenance cycles for the hotel’s Setsukas and the equipment in the spa, and coordinated the sales and inventory of his growing flower business on his datapad.

The search pops up its results. The first suggested text is the one he had been thinking of: "Shooting an Elephant", an essay by George Orwell. The sentence was “He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it.” He reads through the entire essay again as it is short and a good read. The last line in the essay also strikes him as extremely relevant. He thinks about how it fits the way many of the IPS officers he had observed acted, and some of THiSec, too.

The public image was so important to actors. He knew a little bit about that, having been forced into his own role since moving to this city. The more someone was hiding their true self, the bigger an act they would need to put on. But as the sentence in the essay implies, playing a role day after day you run the risk of transforming yourself into that person, whether you intend to or not.

Thinking of public images, he pulls up the NHK article that touts the “unprecedented gesture” of Tokuma providing free treatment to all the residents of the West sector. It is an amazingly generous offer, and he is glad his friends are going to get better. But now he wonders… is it a misdirection, like magicians use? Keeping the public’s attention focused on a good deed while something else went unnoticed? He feels guilty just considering that; if it wasn’t for Dr. Faith, D, and Maria, he would have died – if not from the initial illness, then from the secondary complications that had arisen.

Still, he questions whether or not Tokuma is capable of doing a genuinely good deed without any hidden agenda – they are a megacorporation after all. Is this just a way to position them more prominently in the public eye as integral to the west sector? It will be much harder for anyone to say Tokuma should leave the West now that they have shown how valuable they are to the citizens.

He chews his lip, thinking. He had once had a conversation with Phee about corporations and evil, and he tries to remember what they had discussed. It had been more than a month ago. He knew they had been at the Buddha Bowl, and it had been late at night…

They had been talking about corporations, good and evil, and the deeds people do. Sayer adds, "I guess sometimes it is hard for me to overlook what a person does. I mean if I think it is real bad. I guess that's just me being naive."

Phee patiently explains a less two-dimensional way of thinking, "Well, there are those who are trapped within their respective system.   They've been required to compromise themselves for the good of their organization.  I have a certain pity when I know it's someone who is fundamentally a good person."

He was still trying to wrap his head around all that she had been saying. He knew he wasn't as smart as her, and he let his emotions get in the way, but he was trying to have an open mind.

She watches his reaction and continues with a specific example, "Gemini is a system.  I oppose that system.  But there are individuals within Gemini that are honorable. I can oppose the system while still respecting those people as individuals."

He thinks about Phoenix's words for a moment and then says quietly. "I see… just because a company might not be so good doesn't mean someone working there is automatically bad."

Phee nods. "Right.  And I can completely oppose a person's professional interest while still regarding that person as honorable."

He had heard the phrase before that something might not be black or white, but a shade of grey. He figured, though, that there was enough of one end of that spectrum overall in Gemini to make it pretty much an outright evil company. By working for an overly evil company, wouldn’t you in time become evil yourself? Or could someone working in an evil company be good, as Phee suggested? If you were truly a good person, would you leave an organization once you had realized exactly how evil it was?

He asks aloud, "Is it better to try to do good in a big organization where you have a lot of resources, even one that might have an opposing agenda, or to try to do good on your own.... even if you don't have resources and you end up being less effective?"

Phee replies, "I think it depends on your circumstances, and where you can do the most good.  For example, I wouldn't be nearly as effective on my own as I am in Tokuma." She thinks for a moment and then continues, "I have heard the wild rantings of idiots on the street who hold Tokuma in the same light as Gemini, yet another megacorp they rail against. But in the case of Tokuma, I know much of what goes on behind closed doors, and it isn't as sinister as the fantasies of street bums might suggest."

Sayer looks down at his hands carefully considering her words. "I guess it all depends on what people tolerate, and their opinion of sinister. I suppose once you get entwined in something it might be hard to look at it objectively. What I think is evil they may think is just good business protocol."

He wasn’t sure what to believe about Tokuma, but he had seen enough first hand to know that Gemini is a vicious corporation intent on its own priorities above all others, including the lives of citizens. If Gemini had provided a free cure, he was certain there would have been something nefarious behind it; they didn’t do good will or public service intentionally.

The important thing for now is that he is alive and has survived the viral attack with Tokuma’s help. Another phrase pops into his head: “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” Maybe he should just be thankful and not worry about inspecting the condition of the gift’s teeth.

Kriss

Three times he’d seen her. He wasn’t hallucinating. It was her.

The first glimpse was whizzing by on the back of Nuo’s vehicle as they were on their way to Atomic Comic. She was crouched on a car roof by the Buddha Bowl, as though she had just landed there after having leapt down from a nearby building. It didn’t matter that he had only seen her for a brief moment, and that she had darker hair; the outline of her figure against the dark buildings, the armor, and her cat-like poise as she had begun to stand left him with no doubt – it was Kriss.

“STOP!” he yelled out at Nuo. “Back up, Quick!” he urged her. The vehicle began making a beep-beep noise as Nuo adroitly flipped it into reverse and backed up around the corner. Hastily he had jumped down and ran past the car Kriss had been perched on. He saw her turning the corner up ahead near the entrance to medbay.

He took a deep lungful of air and yelled as loud as he could, “Kriss!” She disappeared around a building and he shot forward, running after her. He skidded as he took the corner and saw her again for another brief moment - she was turning right this time down the next street. Sayer didn’t stop, just kept running until he rounded the next corner and saw the empty dead end. He looked around frantically.

He turned hearing Nuo drive up behind him, "Where did she go?"

Nuo looked at him with concern apparent on her face, "Is everything okay?"

Could he have just imagined that was Kriss? “You saw her, right? That was Kriss wasn't it?"

She had shrugged, "I'm better with directions than people."

"That was fucking Kriss, I know it was." he pulled out his PDA and sent a couple of messages. "I haven't seen her since the viral outbreak hit. Last I saw her she was in medbay getting the first shot the night the gas was leaked – the shot that ended up helping only the initial symptoms. She wasn’t around when they developed and handed out the cure, and I‘ve been worried she died from the infection.... but here she was. Only... why didn't she stop when I yelled out her name?"

Nuo had simply shrugged again. She had looked around and then up, but he could tell she wasn’t really that excited about hunting down someone who may or may not have been Kriss.

"Damn." he checks his PDA. "No one is answering. I can't track people worth shit, Nuo. Wish I had one of those grav packs like Cait has." He  sighs, "Okay let's go.... She's probably long gone now. But I KNOW that was her."

The second time had been at the end of the night when he had almost reached the hotel. The street curved around past the café adjacent to the Skygate, and as soon as the view cleared he had seen her again. He ran after her yelling her name but she hadn’t stopped. As soon as she had entered into the garden, she had disappeared. He had spent about thirty minutes hunting desperately through the undergrowth, even climbing on top of a structure to try to see up into the hanging platforms. Nothing.

He had finally walked back, headed toward the hotel. He stopped for a few moments by the waterfall, the mist spraying across his face and chest, and memories of the night he and Phoenix had spent exploring this area played through his mind. He saw her run up and lean over, extending her hands into the tumbling stream of the waterfall. Phee had been genuinely happy, and a huge smile had lit up her face. Her laughter had wrapped around him and lifted his heart. It had been the moment he had realized he had fallen in love with her. He had stood watching her that night, in almost the exact same place he was standing right then. His face was wet from the spray. Or was it tears from what might have been? He turned and walked slowly back to the hotel, thinking.

In the elevator he debated checking on the spa before going back to his room. He was tired. He selected the number for his floor and leaned back against the wall as the lift began to rise. His eyes closing slightly he thought he glimpsed Kriss again as the elevator passed the floor the spa was on.

When the elevator stopped on the third floor he immediately sent it back down back down a flight to the spa. It looked empty at first glance, but he could hear voices, and he had seen her. He stepped out of the elevator and walked up to the front desk. Now he could see that there were a few customers in the rain pool, and Manami Setsuka was carefully stepping out from the back with a stack of fresh towels in her arms. There were probably more guests in the back receiving massages.

Kriss had known he was looking for her, and she had followed him back here to the hotel. He didn’t bother asking if anyone in the spa had seen her. The guests were laughing and splashing about, and hadn’t even noticed he had come in; they definitely wouldn’t have noticed someone with Kriss’ stealth training.

Did she want to talk to him? Was she toying with him, making him wonder if he was crazy? Maybe Hailey was behind this. But Kriss didn’t know Hailey, did she? He got back on the elevator and rode up to the third floor. It was going to be a long night with these nagging questions.

Respect

Sayer pushed the button on the elevator to ride up to the spa. He was grinning imagining Grendel, in all her puffed up self importance strutting around the hotel like a peacock. He remembers vividly the moment he had lost respect for her.

Ms. Nasenyana had sent him up to the spa with a potential mechanic for the hotel to test her skills on one of their setsukas. He had just asked the mechanic to fix a nagging problem on a setsuka that he had taken a particular interest in, when Grendel had interrupted, brushing the exercise away. She had then been dismissive and brusque with the potential mechanic, commanding her to "Come here. Stand in front of me." He had rolled his eyes.

She had then held up her right wrist showing a bracer, and claimed it held a tiny fusion reactor that could take out half the hotel. She smashed the bracer against the counter, and an alarm bell started off, emanating from her collar. Sayer looked at her and sighed. If this wasn't real, it was a pathetically over-blown dramatic gesture. If it was real, and she was endangering Ms. Nasenyana' s life, then she was even more unstable than he had thought.

He pulled out his PDA and sent a message to Ms. Nasenyana letting her know what this new "Head of Security" was up to. It wasn't like they were auditioning her for a position in their family - that only came after someone had established loyalty and trust. This was a simple spa mechanic position.

When the timer had almost reached zero and the poor mechanic was shaking with frustration trying to fix the broken item, he had still been calmly standing there thankful that this cock-up of a test was almost done. Grendel had said, "Sayer, you might want to flee or something." He had just shrugged his shoulders and said, "I've already alerted Ms. Nasenyana so she can get someplace safe." Meaning, of course, that he had tattled on what Grendel was up to in the spa.

His eyes had roamed over the guests trying to relax and wondered from their location right off the elevator how many of them had overheard.They had just gotten the Rapture Spa and Skygate Hotel's reputation repaired after the scandal a few months ago... and now a bomb scare in the spa ... supposedly the most relaxing place in the hotel? He sighed. This Grendel was trouble. Even if none of the guests could hear what was going on from where they were standing, it was obviously not something that should be going on in the spa - the mechanic had been scrambling around frantically trying to get the repair finished before the timer ran out.

The elevator came to a smooth stop at the spa and he stepped out. His mind shifted to the last meeting he had been in when Grendel had essentially demanded to Ms. Nasenyana that he be made to respect her.

He had turned to her and asked, "Grendel, you want someone to give you respect because they are told to?" He couldn't believe how pretentious she was coming across. There were very few people in the world that he had a deep respect for. He could count them on one hand.

He would put on a facade of respect for her because Ms. Nasenyana asked it of him. But only because of that. And if Grendel was fine with pretend respect, she was even more of a lost cause in his mind.

Grendel had gone on to say how important she was because she was willing to give her life in the protection of Ms. Nasenyana. Well who wouldn't in the organization? He didn't need to know no fancy words to understand that if you joined up, sure as shit your life was hers. No ifs ands or buts. He knew he wasn't as book learned as some, and he had no neural interface or fancy integrated techno data storage whatchamacallits in his body. He was 100% human. But that didn't mean he was so dumb as to not know that his life was forfeit if Ms. Nasenyana said so or required it.

He stood by the front desk and his eyes roamed over the guests and the setsukas waiting on and entertaining them. He thought of how derisively Grendel had acted when she learned he didn't understand Japanese, or know some of the words she thought were so important. He was reminded of a story he had read in a biography of a physicist from a long time ago.

In the story the child's father had been taking him out and teaching him about nature. His father didn't know the names of the animals, but he knew about the animals and that's what he had taught his son. Not the fancy names for something, but what they really were - in plain language. So while all the other boys could rattle off names of birds, Feynman was the only one who actually understood the differences between the species.

Sayer pulled out his PDA and searched for the story to read it again. The search returned what he had been looking for, and he opened the book to reread the relevant chapter again, laughing at the author's humor and thinking deeply about the physicist's outlook on life. He flipped back to the passage that had so resonated with his memory of the conversation with Grendel:

"You can know the name of that bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird. You'll only know about humans in different places and what they call the bird...(I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something)."

He didn't need to know Japanese or fancy words to understand where his loyalties should lay in the organization, or what kind of behavior was respectful. Ms. Nasenyana had worked months to subtly build up again what had been so carelessly raked through the mud by that last nutcase running around the hotel puffed up with self-importance.

Looking at Grendel he could so easily see another catastrophe just waiting to happen with her rash behavior and bravado. He shook his head and sighed. He hoped Ms. Nasenyana was placing her faith wisely. He didn't like to even think of questioning her reasoning, but he was worried about what Grendel was going to get them raked through next.

A Clean Cut (1)

Sayer lay on the couch, curled up and hugging a pillow to his chest. He was staring out at the view from his apartment, but his eyes weren't focused on anything. He was lost in thought. He had fucked up again.

It had started so innocently. He had been covering the front desk in the Skygate Hotel's bustling lobby. Guests were streaming in and out, and there was a short line at the counter. He had just finished checking in someone traveling on business when he looked up to see a beautiful blond woman resting her hands on the counter. He had spoken with her briefly before, but he couldn't remember the context. She inquired about the spa and he told her about the current specials. He had kind of gotten the feeling she might have been checking him out or flirting with him. It had made him feel special, and he hadn't been able to help complementing her and engaging in a deeper conversation. She had asked something that led to him telling her about the flower business he had started.

Demetra crosses her legs as she listens to him talk, "I think I've seen the flower shop you're talking about. Passed it a couple of times, but..I don't have anyone special to give flowers to. I haven't even been given flowers." She continues the conversation with no hints that she plans to move on right away, "It's good that your business is doing well.. Unfortunately, you're probably the best employee that works here."

Sayer leans forward a bit on the counter. "I'm real sorry to hear that, and I'm going to fix that right now if you'll let me. Can I have your contact information?"

Demetra looks into his eyes with a pleasant smile, "Sure. How much will the flowers cost?"

Sayer puts on a pretend hurt face, "Now what kind of a man do you think I am? I'm going to send you flowers as a gift. It wouldn't be right to charge a pretty lady like yourself for some flowers, now would it?"

Demetra laughs softly from his sense of humor, "That's very nice of you." Her eyes shift from him to the counter top, looking for something, "Do you have a pen?"

Sayer pulls out his PDA and loads up his address book. "If you don't mind putting in your name and address I can send them to, it would be my pleasure to send you something real nice." He slides the PDA across the desk to her.

Demetra takes a moment to consider this, but goes ahead and fills out a contact slot in his PDA, and even adds her number. "I know it's silly, me asking for a pen. Sometimes I like to just write things out, make it personal.." She bashfully looks at him, "I know this'll sound ridiculous, but could you maybe sign a card with the flowers?"

Sayer smiles at her warmly. "There will be a card, I promise." He picks up the hotel's datapad and enters in some information. "I've set you up with a deluxe spa package, on the house. We have about ten guests in the spa right now so there's still plenty of room and privacy. Your locker room is SP2, and a setsuka should be up there waiting for you, ready to set up whatever services you'd like. The deluxe package lets you mix and match whatever you are in the mood for. We also have complimentary snacks and beverages at the bar - just let a setsuka know what you'd like and they'll bring it."

Demetra's mouth falls open in surprise, "On the house? Are you sure, because I don't want you to get in trouble with Miss Inara." She folds her arms over one another, bracing herself against them in her comfortable position at the counter, "You've already made this pretty lady feel spoiled."

"Well, I'll let you in on a secret. I've got an employee pass and I've just put you down as my guest. Ms. Nasenyana would understand giving such a charming lady as yourself a guest pass. I think she'd be disappointed in me if I was so rude as to not offer it to someone so sweet as you."

Demetra tries her best to not let her cheeks get pinker than they probably are, "Well, thank you for making this day special for me. I really appreiciate your sweetness."

Sayer smiles again, "It's been my pleasure. I hope to see you again soon."

Demetra pauses as she turns to leave, looking to him, "I hope so too."

Sayer had smiled as his eyes lingered on her for a few moments. He had then turned to the next guest at the desk and asked them if he could help them.

He had kept thinking of how nice she had been, and how easy it had seemed for them to talk. He had genuinely wanted to get to know her better.

He hadn't forgotten about Hailey. You could never forget her. No matter what. It was just that he had thought a dinner date would be harmless. He hadn't expected to end up back at his apartment with Demetra in his clothes, wet from a shower, and Hailey pointing a shotgun at the two of them...

A Clean Cut (2)

He sighed. In his mind he rewound back to when he had asked Demetra out to dinner.

His thoughts had kept returning to their conversation in the lobby. It had gone so well, and he wanted to ask her someplace nice. The first thing that popped into his head was Seven Seas, the nicest place he knew in the city, and he hoped she would agree to go there with him.

He was nervous. Why would she agree to go someplace with him? He didn't have a fancy job or a lot of money. He wasn’t sure what her interest in him could even be. He tried to just focus on Demetra being beautiful and sweet, and how much he wanted to get to know her better. He had, of course, talked with Ms. Nasenyana about Demetra. The fact that Ms. Nasenyana had told him she was important only added to his nervousness.

Finally screwing up his courage, he sent her a text message. From his position in front of Gaia’s west sector store he could see Joah sitting on the railing of the Buddha Bowl, her elbow on one knee and her chin propped in her hand as she gazed at the passersby in the plaza going about their business. He decided to walk over and talk to her. He couldn’t just stand there in the street hoping Demetra could reply right away.

Joah and he had been talking for a few minutes when he felt his PDA buzz indicating a new message. His hopes were up – could it be Demetra replying so soon? He slipped the gadget out of his pocket and read the message. A big grin spread on his face, and he quickly typed out a reply before pocketing the PDA again.

Joah asked, "Good news? Ya look awful happy."

Sayer  nods in answer to her question. "Yeah, I was chatting with a real nice lady the other day. She just agreed to go out to dinner with me. "

Joah smiles fondly at Sayer. "I'm glad to see your movin' on... I was real worried about ya for a while... ya know... after you and Phee split up." She leans forward, both elbows on her knees and props her chin in her hand again. "So this new girl... what's she like? Do I know her?"

"Well, I'm not sure if you know her. Her name is Demetra?"

Sayer feels his PDA buzz and he checks the new message, sending another quick reply.

Joah slaps one hand on her thigh. "Yeah! I do! She used to work at Hot Chicks! Came by the other night to the Bowl... I had to tell her she didn't have no job there any more... but that Doc Ann was hirin'. She said somethin' 'bout gettin' a 'sugar daddy' instead. I didn't know what that was exactly, but Anitya and Urdith explained it to me."

Sayer's eyes widen. "She said what?! That doesn't sound like the lady I was speaking to. You think there might be more than one with that name around here?" He looks down at his PDA as another reply came back. He typed out an answer and sent it.

Joah chews on her lip. "Well... I conjure there's plenty of women in the city called Demetra. This one's real tall and she's got long, pretty hair... just as yellow as a fresh-cut lemon. She's real pretty, too. Used to come down here on her break."

He scratches his chin. "Well, that sounds like her. Only I ain't got much money, so if she thinks I'm a sugar daddy candidate she'll be in for a big surprise."

Joah laughs. "Well... I don't know if this is the truth or not... but Kami told me she was the head of GIA. Kinda surprised me cause it weren't somethin' I'd have thought she'd be doin'... ya know... after workin' at Hot Chicks and all. But if she is doin' somethin' for Gemini, I conjure she's pretty well off. Ya just be yourself, Sayer," Joah beams. "I'm sure she'll like that."

"I sure hope so. I mean, I been dating Hailey since me and Phee broke up... not sure if you knew that? But she's real busy and I dunno, I been thinking lately she might be getting kind of tired of me maybe. She's real smart, and owns that big security office business. But now that you tell me Demetra is the head of something for Gemini.... well, geez. I'm not sure if she'll really want to date someone like me."

"Hey, Sayer," Joah teases. "Didn't she already say yes?"

Sayer grins again. "Yes, and we are going to that real fancy restaurant, the Seven Seas."

Joah's face brightens perceptibly when Sayer mentions the Seven Seas. "That place is real nice, Sayer. The food's real good, too, even if some of the waiters are little snooty. Doc Ann took me and Dee there when she won a lotta money at the Hotel's Casino Night."

"I went there once.... " he trails off thinking of how badly that date with Phee had gone. Maybe he shouldn't have suggested the same restaurant. "The food there was real good, and it looks all nice inside."

Joah's face grows serious for a moment. "Sayer... I reckon it ain't none of my busines... but maybe someone like Demetra's just what ya need. She seems real nice... and... well... maybe ya latched on to Hailey so fast cause ya was missin' Phee."

“I hope I'm good enough for her. I mean, she seems like a real nice lady, you know? I'm not that cultured and I don't have a fancy job title or nothing."

"Hey, Sayer... d'ya mind if I ask ya somethin' personal?"

"No, not at all Joah. What's on your mind?"

Joah gazes out into the plaza for a moment. "Have ya seen ... Phee... lately?"

Had he seen her in his dreams, his thoughts, or in person… but he knew what she meant. It was hard to think about how much he’d lost since their last breakup. He had been so happy with her. He didn’t even think twice about going into detail about Phee. It wasn’t the time or the place to have a real discussion about her, out here in public in front of the bowl - almost the exact location, in fact, where they had broken up so publicly for the last time.

Sayer shakes his head. "No... not for some time. I went and asked Cerv about it, I was so worried. I mean, we aren't dating anymore but that doesn't mean I don't get worried if I don't see her patrolling around, you know? Cerv just said she was no longer with Tokuma and he had no idea what happened. Then I asked Cecily. She said pretty much the same thing. Phee could have moved to another city and just didn't want me to know."

Joah's forehead furrows into a frown. "She ain't never told me that. She just... up and disappeared."

He tells her a partial truth. "She was real mad at me, last time we broke up. Maybe she never forgave me, but she should have told someone here where she was going, so people wouldn't worry."

"Yeah... I dunno what to think. But if Cerv said what he said... " Joah grows quiet for a moment while she thinks. "Maybe Phee just wanted a new start. Lots of folks do, I conjure."

The talk of Phee had made his head spin. He had needed to leave and clear his mind. He said goodnight and headed back to the hotel, his thoughts full of moral and ethical quandaries, and the pain of losing what he had with Phee.

He tried to reach Hailey but there was no answer. He wanted to let her know about asking Demetra out, but didn’t want to leave it as a text message; he wanted to tell her in person.

Back in his apartment he flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He was wide awake with nervousness over the dinner date the following night and worries about Hailey and Phee. He stared at the ceiling. It was going to be a long restless night.

A Clean Cut (3)

If only he had known that the diner date was going to start a chain reaction that would end with him standing, sweating and nauseous with fear, in front of Ms. Nasenyana’s desk with his hand planted firmly on the surface and a blade bearing down ready to sever his finger.

He berated himself again for his bumbling behavior. Why was it he could be fairly successful in almost every area of his life – especially with his business -  except when it came to women? It was like a fog descended over his brain clouding his judgment.   

It had started off fairly well. They had met at the restaurant. He had been so nervous, hoping she hadn’t had second thoughts.

Demetra steps up to the SevenSeas, seeing through crowds to pin point Sayer; once she thinks their eyes have met, she raises a hand to wave.

Sayer smiles warmly, "You look lovely tonight. That color really compliments your eyes."

"Ah, thanks. You look as handsome as ever." Her arm loops around his in a polite fashion, "Is it still busy inside?"

He reddens slightly at her compliment. "They just let me know the table is ready. Perfect timing." He smiles as she takes his arm.

Demetra slightly squeezes his bicep as a waiter comes over to greet and lead them to a table. As they begin walking, she speaks, "I was surprised you asked me out to dinner."

Sayer was caught off guard by the comment. That was what he’d been thinking about her. As they move towards their table he says, "Really? Why?"

She perks her lips into a small smile, enjoying the atmosphere of the room, "Well," she starts, looking up at him, "I pegged you as a guy who already had a girlfriend."

Sayer 's neck reddens a little deeper. "Well, it's true I have been seeing someone. But it just wasn't working out." He stands by her chair waiting for her to be seated by the waiter. "I guess I should say that I'm more surprised that you accepted."

Demetra politely sits first at the table, hands in her lap as she releases a chuckle, "Why? I could've sworn I've hit on you a few times."

Sayer was amazed. Had she? How could he have missed that? "You have? Well, that was definitely my loss. I'm sorry I guess I just assumed I was out of your league." He looks down at his hands for a moment. "Even more so after talking with Joah last night… she said you had a real fancy job at Gemini." He takes the seat across from her and fiddles with the tablecloth, thinking maybe he shouldn't have said that so abruptly.

She smiles over to him, her interest peaked. "Last I knew, I was the hot chicks girl, to her."

He chuckles, "Did you really work there? I just can't imagine it. I mean, you seem like such a lady, and I hope not to offend, but I just can't see you working in a place like that."

Demetra licks her lips and is about to answer before their waiter interrupts, asking for what drinks they'd like to have this evening. She replies, "Ah, Strawberry lemonade, please?"

Sayer smiles up at the waiter and requests a glass of pinot blanc. He had seen Ms. Nasenyana order it many times before and sounded like the kind of drink you should order at a nice restaurant.

Demetra does her best not to express that she has no idea what Sayer just ordered. "Mm, you were wondering if I had worked in hot chicks? Can we pretend I didn't?" she makes a face of embarrassment and whispers, "It's not something I brag about."

He smiles, relaxing more at her humorous reply. "Of course. So is it true then that you are working for Gemini now?

She nods her head, wondering how he didn't know, "Yes, I've been working for Gemini for a while. Oh," she says in a sweet voice, "Thank you for the flowers. They're lovely."

"I'm sure glad you liked them. I was torn between sending you white ones and red ones so I sent half of each." he blushes again. "I was going to wait and special order you some nice pink ones, but my supplier said it would take another three days and I didn't want to wait."

Demetra 's cheeks heat up, mimicking his blush, "Your gesture of kindness really made my night." She brushes back some of her blond hair behind her ear, "It's the thought that counts, and you seem to be a really thoughtful guy."

"I try to be." He looks down again feeling a little embarrassed. He picks up the menu and asks, "Have you eaten here before?"

She parts her lips in thought, unaware that she releases a long sigh while looking at the menu, "No, this is my first dinner here, if you can believe that."

He was honestly shocked. "I am real surprised. I would have thought you'd have men asking you on dates here every week. I thought this was one of the nicest restaurants in the city.... or am I wrong? Should I have suggested someplace else?" He feels nervous again now, but tries to hide it.

Demetra shakes her head, "No, this is the nicest dinner place in town. I just.. guys must be too intimidated to ask me out." Picking up that Sayer did seem nervous, she raises her hand over the table to brush her fingertips along his knuckles, "You make me feel special, okay?"

He smiles with genuine warmth. He was thinking how nice she was, and how lucky he was to be here with her. "Thank you, I'm real glad you accepted." He looks down at the menu. "Seems they have a lot of fish dishes." he grins. "Should have guessed that from the name of the restaurant, huh?"

Demetra quirks her lips into a cheeky smile, "Yeah, I might go for the red snapper dish listed in here." Their drinks are served to them, the waiter smiling widely, "Are you two ready to order?"

Sayer nods up to the waiter and looks over at Demetra hesitantly. He had read somewhere that he should order for them both. He looks back up at the waiter. "I think we'd both like the red snapper dish", then glances to Demetra for confirmation.

Demetra offers him a nod, unaware that he had a form of plans to go through the evening, "I'd love to try it." That's when her PDA goes off and she blinks at the text, then apologetically looks to Sayer, "Sorry, I should have silenced my phone." she sends a quick text, feeling absolutely rude, then pockets the device away.

"Oh, it's no problem." He figured having an important job at Gemini must mean lots of urgent calls no matter what time of day. He turns to the waiter and nods again. "Yes, two red snappers please."

With a bow, the waiter leaves to put in their order. Demetra feels her PDA buzzing and curses under her breath, "God.." She pulls her hand away from Sayer's, "Do you mind if I make one quick call?"

"No, not at all. I understand you must be extremely busy. Please, take your time. I don't want you to rush."

Demetra stands up from her seat and reassures him, "I'll be right back." then walks to the entrance to get away from all the small talk happening around them.

Sayer is folding and unfolding his napkin, trying not to be nervous. He was hoping Demetra didn't have to leave on urgent business. He smiles seeing her return.

She takes a seat, sighing, "I'm sorry for being so absolutely rude. I'm glad that call was only ten minutes.." She places her hands on the table, seeing Sayer looking quite uncomfortable, "Are you mad?"

Sayer shakes his head, "Oh no, I was just hoping you weren't going to have to go back to work. I know you must have so much going on working with Gemini."

Demetra messes with her own napkin awkwardly, "Nope, you have me to yourself, if that makes you feel any better."

Sayer smiles, "That does indeed. Makes me feel much better." He picks up his wine glass and swirls it a few seconds before taking an experimental sip.

The talk had continued amiably for a while and their dinner had arrived. They had each taken a bite and were just starting to enjoy their food when an accident led to one of the waitresses pouring an expensive bottle of wine all over Demetra's front. She had stood, tense, patting herself down with napkins. Then she had just walked out of the restaurant with Sayer padding behind her, weaving through the patrons and wait staff trying to catch up to her.

Demetra ignores the voices inside the restaurant and some yelling that was mostly done by the manager yelling at the waitress. Outside, Demetra looks over to Sayer, reeking of alcohol and feeling a bit sticky, "Sorry, I had to cool my head… Did any of your clothes get destroyed?" Her hand comes out to pat down the front of his button up vest.

Sayer shakes his head. "No, but if they did it wouldn't matter. I'm so sorry Demetra that your beautiful top got ruined. Please, let me pay to have it cleaned for you? I feel awful for recommending this place now."

Demetra feel her heart tighten to see Sayer this unhappy and she crosses her arms over her stomach, "You don't have to do that… and I don't want this date to end like this. I just need to get cleaned up."

"Would you like to wear my vest? I mean, until you get home? I don't want you to have to be uncomfortable."

Demetra considers the offer, but it would mean ruining his vest, "Does…the hotel have any spare clothes? I'm sorry, I could just buy a shirt there, if there are shirts. We're closer to the hotel than my place."

Sayer nods. "Oh yes, we have plenty of clothing. We have t-shirts and also the kimono the setsuka wear." He starts to signal for a hovercab.

Demetra gestures towards the direction of the hotel, "That'd really help me out." She sinks her fingers into the sleeve of his shirt, just holding onto it as they search for a ride.

Sayer feels relief as a hovercab comes to stop and he opens the door and holds it, gesturing for Demetra to enter first. "After you."

Demetra steps into it first while smiling to him, "You're such a gentleman."

He had smiled as he slipped into the hover cab after her. He still had had no idea how much worse the night was going to get.

A Clean Cut (4)

Demetra was standing in his apartment, fresh from a shower, wearing one of his tank tops and a pair of his shorts. She looked adorable with her wet hair and his clothes clinging to her damp skin. He had just rattled off a list of possible dinner options that he could prepare for her with what he had in his kitchen, when she walked up close to him, asking if she could help him. He noticed how much of her skin was bare, and was suddenly aware of his heart beating faster. He tried to convince her to sit down at the table, and let him make her a meal. The nice date at the Seven Seas had gone so wrong with the waitress spilling wine on her that he couldn’t imagine letting her help him make their food. He insisted that she relax and let him do the work.

She waves her hands at her side, walking around the couch to rest a hand at the collar of his shirt, positioning herself quite close to him, "I want to help."

He smiles down into her eyes. He raises one hand to gently brush a strand of hair away from her face. "Please, I'd feel like a cad if I didn't wait on you after what happened."

Demetra rests her other hand on his torso, toying with one of the buttons to his vest idly, before stopping herself, "You've already patched that up. I'm clean and comfortable… and I want to get to know you better. Even if it means being a terrible cooking partner."

Sayer feels desire rising and he pulls back. He had honestly just envisioned a tame dinner date. But now that they were alone… and she was dressed like she was… well, he wasn’t sure if he could behave like he knew he should. "I... I need to be totally honest with you. Hailey and I .... well, we haven't exactly broken up.... and... well, I just really wanted to get to know you better too... but now here you are, in my apartment." He raises a hand and lets one finger touch her bare shoulder and trail down to her elbow. "You are just mesmerizing Demetra and I'm starting to really feel something for you.... but things with Hailey aren't resolved... and well, I just want to be completely honest with you."

Demetra 's mouth falls open, "You have a girlfriend? But.." she knits her eyebrows at him, then looks over her shoulder, "Does she live here?"

"She stays here sometimes. But she doesn't officially live here." he looks down at his hands. "Things haven't been going so well lately and when you came in the other day... it just seemed like fate. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's the truth."

Hailey waits outside the door, tapping her ear piece and sighing. Quietly she taps something out on her datapad and waits.

Sayer feels his PDA buzzing. He gives Demetra an apologetic look and pulls it out. He reads it and pales. "Um. Hm. Looks like you might just meet Hailey. She's on her way over." he tries to look optimistic. "Maybe you'll like her?" He sends a reply on his PDA, looking nervous and a little unhinged.

Demetra 's thighs tremble slightly before she looks around for another exit rather than the door way. "Why didn't you break up with her before asking me out?"

"Well, she's been out of town. And…  I'm apparently a jerk. I'm real sorry Demetra. This is just not the way I should have behaved. I hope you'll forgive me?"

Demetra stares at him as if this night just got flipped over, "Um, that depends how this Hailey person reacts to seeing me in here."

Sayer checks the PDA again and his skin pales even more. He quickly types a reply.

Hailey opens the door, her shotgun in hand. "Forgive you for what? Hmm?" she asks, her jet black eyes narrowed on him.

"Hello Hailey." he moves forward to greet her, putting a smile on his face. "We have company. I just hope you can forgive me for not letting you know ahead of time."

Hailey taps her ear piece, eyes still narrowed on him as if she were debating what would be the slowest way to castrate him.

Sayer turns apologetically to Demetra, then back to Hailey. "Hailey, can I just have a word with you? Outside?"

Hailey shifts her gaze to Demetra, the soulless black eyes seeming to examine every tiny detail about her or just wondering how easy it'd be to hide her corpse. "You have a ten second head start, I highly suggest you start running," she replies to Sayer, a horribly evil smile on her face.

He swallows trying to remain calm. "Hailey... can't we talk about this? Please?"

"Nine. Eight. Seven," she keeps counting down.

Demetra would rather not witness a murder. Her hands fidget with the tank top she had on, pale in the face as she finds this girl to be quite scary.

Sayer turns back to Demetra. "I'm real sorry Demetra." Then to Hailey he begs, "At least let her leave before you finish your count down?"

"Who said she leaves too? Can't leave witnesses."

Sayer throws up his hands and starts pacing. "Alright Hailey. Look you got me scared shitless and you know there's nothing I can do. Either we can talk this through, or you can just kill me. I guess I don't really have any choice here, because I know damn well I can't outrun you."

Hailey slowly walks over, leaning in as if to plant a kiss on him. "Three, two, one," she whispers, getting closer before grabbing him by the neck to roughly pin him against the wall by the door.

Demetra flinches to see the violent gesture, but is too terrified to say something.

He is shivering with fear as she grabs him and he lets out a soft 'ooouumphhh' noise as he gets pinned roughly to the wall. He stays as she holds him, not resisting. Trembling and looking at her with his pleading eyes. "Please?" he manages to get out.

Hailey sets the shotgun on the ground, reaching to pull the blade from her back. "Now tell me why I shouldn't pin you to the wall with the sword, through your balls?"

"Well, because I'm sorry?"

Hailey smiles, slowly pulling the blade from its sheath, "Apologetic words mean nothing when actions are not attached."

He feels droplets of sweat rolling down his back and over his forehead. "What action could I do to make up for this wrong, Hailey?"

Hailey looks back at Demetra, smiling as she gets an idea. "Put a bullet in her. Now."

Demetra feels her cheek twitch as she hears Hailey mention such a thing.

He grimaces, "Hailey, you know damn well that I can't shoot a gun. You never showed me how. There's no way I could hit her, even if I had the inclination too... which I don't. She's a real nice lady Hailey."

Hailey slips the sword away, grabbing her shotgun again, and starts dragging Sayer closer to Demetra. Shifting him in front of her and turning him about she forces the shotgun into his hands and aims it for him, square on Demetra's chest. "Now pull the trigger," she whispers in his ear from behind, keeping him steady as one hand slowly starts coiling around his trigger hand. "Do it and I'll forgive you," she coos.

Demetra eyes up to them from the floor, then quickly stands up, "Look, killing me… not a good idea."

Sayer 's shaking now, the gun jittering with his nervousness. He feels the sweat coming down now in rivulets. "Hailey... Hailey... please? I know you are mad at me.... why don't you just shoot me? Let Demetra go. She's got nothing to do with this... she's just a nice lady." he can feel Hailey's strong hands wrapped around his fingers, holding his hands firmly on the gun.

Hailey laughs softly, smiling a clearly psychotic smile of someone with no soul. "Too late," she giggles, forcing Sayer to squeeze the trigger. Click. Nothing happens, the shotgun doesn't fire and Hailey starts laughing.

Sayer feels his weak knees give out and he slumps down to the floor. He looks up at Hailey, still nervous and scared. "Hailey.... shit.... that wasn't funny!"

Demetra felt her heart sink when the trigger had been pulled. The click made her want to faint with relief, but the laughter only made it all the more unsettling.

Hailey lets go of Sayer, holding the shotgun still as she puts it on her back again. Pointing to Demetra she tilts her head smiling. "You really think I'd do that? Now get out, I'm going to have a few words with piss pants here."

Sayer sits on the floor, still pouting. "Sorry Demetra. I'm real sorry." He stands and walks to the door to hold it open for her. "Can I give you creds for a hovercab home?"

Demetra doesn't say anything as she grabs her things and shoves her way past Sayer towards the elevator.

Hailey looks at him, shaking her head. "Little one, oh little one. I'm going to let that be your only warning," she offers in a horribly disappointed tone, patting his cheek. "Next time I'll kill you both."

A Clean Cut (5)

The chain reaction building over the last few days had culminated in the expectation of a clean cut. Sayer shifted on the couch, still hugging his pillow to his chest. His eyes were blurry with tears and his heart heavy with pain, but he still couldn’t stop retracing what had happened in his mind.

The day after the disaster date with Demetra he had been on edge all day. He knew he needed to tell Ms. Nasenyana and Grendel what happened, but they had been busy and he didn’t want to put it in a text message. He wanted to explain it in person.

He was deeply humbled. He had been so sure that Grendel’s rash behavior would get the Skygate embroiled in a scandal. And here it was that he had managed to do just that. Didn’t matter that he had only had good intentions, the results were undeniably horrible.

Sayer feels his neck grow hot as Ms. Nasenyana approaches. His belly quivers with nervous nausea.

Inara Nasenyana steps very close to Sayer, her eyes taking in his clothing with a slight look of disapproval. "My office, please," she instructs him.

He nods and turns to follow her and Grendel to the back of the hotel and then down into Ms. Nasenyana’s private office. Ms. Nasenyana had walked in silence and it seemed to make the thudding in his chest all the more louder. She must have learned what had happened the night before. To have someone important threatened in the Skygate… and it was his fault.

He walks to the desk and stands uncertainly. He could feel sweat droplets starting to form and slide down his back.

Inara does not invite either Sayer or Grendel to sit. Her gaze focuses on Sayer for many uncomfortable, silent moments.

He shifts nervously from foot to foot. He could feel her disappointment. Standing there, miserable, he waited for her to speak.

"How was your dinner with Chief Holtz, Sayer?" Inara finally asks in a low voice, almost devoid of inflection.

Sayer looks down at his hands briefly and sighs. He looks back up at Inara with deep regret in his eyes. "It didn't go so well, Ms. Nasenyana."

"Explain," Inara says evenly.

He had explained. Neutrally as he could, but he hadn’t shirked any blame. Something seriously upsetting at the Skygate had happened and he knew no matter what he was the one to take the responsibility. He had been there. There was surely someway he could have prevented it. Ms. Nasenyana asked him what he thought she expected him to do to remedy the situation. He had of course replied he would do whatever she asked of him. He knew better than to try to weasel out of making atonement, even if he wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted him to do.

Ms. Nasenyana had asked Grendel to explain about yubitsume. He had felt a coldness spread over him as Grendel showed him her gloveless left hand, and explained how the tradition was performed.

Grendel removes a weapon from her belt. It resembles brass knuckles with the edge honed to a razor sharpness. “You may borrow mine, naturally”, she says as she holds out the odd knife.

Inara waits to see what Sayer will do.

Sayer turns to Grendel again. "Thank you. Grendel, do I do the same as you? The first joint of my pinkie finger on my left hand?" He gingerly takes the strange looking knife.

“The choice is yours, Sayer. It must be yours. You must present it wrapped in cloth. Oh, and don't worry about scratching the desk. There's a buffer on the blade.”

Grendel keeps her eyes on Sayer, curious now.

He reddens and says quietly, "I don't got no cloth. What kind of cloth should I wrap it in?"

 Grendel frowns and removes a red silk handkerchief from another pouch, “Use this”.

Sayer feels the sweat dripping down his forehead now. He takes the handkerchief and gives a quiet "thanks" before moving closer to Ms. Nasenyana's desk.

Grendel watches, clearly amused now.

Sayer carefully lays the handkerchief down on the surface, smoothing it and folding it over.

Inara continues to watch, her face impassive.

Grendel licks her lips again. “Push down, once, fast.”

Sayer places his left hand down flat on top of the folded cloth. He hefts the knife in his right hand, holding it awkwardly, and then places the blade against the joint on his pinkie finger. A droplet of sweat falls down and wets the cloth. He wipes his forehead with his right forearm and then places the blade back against his flesh. He has an intense look of concentration on his face, trying to brace himself for the pain.

Inara holds up one hand, stopping him. "You have not answered my question. What do *you* think I expect you to do to remedy this situation?"

Sayer stays bent in his awkward position. He feared she was going to say that part of his finger wasn’t enough. It should be an entire finger… or two. "I guess I expected you would want me to best repair the situation as best as I could."

"I expect you to sever all ties with Hailey, Sayer. All. Ties. Cutting her away as cleanly as Grendel's knife would cut away the tip of your finger."

Grendel glances at Inara, clearly disappointed. She lowers her mutilated hand, and looks at the carpeting.

A clean cut with Hailey. He showed no expression on his face but inside he was devastated. Hailey had been his solace since he had lost what he had had with Phee. It wasn’t the same with Hailey as with Phee, of course, but he did have deep feelings for her. She could terrify him one minute, and drive him crazy with desire the next. She was like no one else he had ever met. And the wild, raw sex… he had never experienced anything like that. He had given himself completely to Hailey and now he was being asked to make a clean cut.

Hailey might kill him over breaking ties with her, but he knew there was no choice in this matter. He agrees to do as Ms. Nasenyana expects. When he is dismissed,  Sayer lowers his head and quickly walks to the stairs.

Fresh Start

Sayer had buried himself in work. Gaia was doing well and he’d just gotten two more large contracts for imitation flowers. Local companies seemed to really like the idea of plants that looked real, but required no costly maintenance. A dusting every now and then and occasionally a wash and they looked good as new. He was proud of how he had grown this company from a small stand to a thriving business with several locations. He was cautious with the profits, investing it back into the company and repaying his investors. He didn’t have a lot of spending money, but he did have a feeling of accomplishment and pride in his work.

He was trying to look at the past week as optimistically as possible. He had had to make a clean break with Hailey, and that hurt, but he had known their relationship had issues. It hadn’t been the healthiest, and maybe now he could really have a chance for a stable relationship.

His mood started to lift thinking of Demetra. She had been real nice and understanding - even agreeing to give him a second chance. Maybe things would really work out between them. Ms. Nasenyana had put a security detail on him, so he didn’t think Hailey would be showing up in the middle of their date tonight. He was hoping he could really get to know Demetra. She seemed like such a sweet person.

He finished up at the shop and headed home to get ready. He was meeting her in two hours, but he wanted plenty of time to get ready. On the way he stopped to pick up a bottle of wine and a dessert. It took him longer than he had anticipated as he wanted to get something she’d like and he’d forgotten to ask her what her favorite was. By the time he got back to the hotel he had only an hour to shower, change, and get to her place.

Just before heading out the door he checked his PDA to see where she lived. He scrolled through his contacts until he found her name and then paused a moment, confused. That address was familiar, but he’d not been to her home before. He thought for a moment and then pulled up the recent Gaia invoices on his datapad.

There it was. The same address. He remembered this sale – it was from Markham to his girlfriend. Could Demetra have a roommate? He felt a coldness in his chest. Was Demetra involved with Markham? She had sounded so upset last night when she had learned he hadn’t broken off his relationship with Hailey before asking her out. It didn’t make sense that she was seeing someone given what she had said to him, and how offended she had seemed. But it was the same address. And Markham hadn’t said the flowers didn’t arrive when he’d seen him the night before… so he had to assume that they got to his girlfriend okay.

He scratched his chin. He had thought he had been pursuing Demetra. Was Demetra toying with him, just dating him for some ulterior motive? Joah had said she was the head of GIA. He needed to be more careful around her than he had originally thought.

Dr. Reynolds at the Blue Ant

[[ 10-10-2481, with thanks to Demetra rp-ing Dr. Simon Reynolds! ]]

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Sayer pauses on his way back to the Skygate to glance into the Blue Ant. He sighs seeing that creepy doctor from the other night. He really didn't want to ruin his good mood after his night with Demetra, but he had gone and looked up the guy on the vids and he seemed important. Ms. Nasenyana would probably want him to be friendly to the guy no matter how grumpy he seemed. He peered around the bar not seeing anyone else he knew. He steeled himself and then headed in.

Dr. Reynolds gripped the bottle of beer with a distant look on his face, fixated on nothing but air. "Damn it." Movement at the corner of his eye has him turn his focus onto the boy he met a couple nights ago, "Aren't you too young to drink?"

"Evening Dr. Reynolds, sir.  Actually I'm 23. Just barely old enough," he jokes. "How is your evening going, sir?" He realized he had said sir twice. He was nervous and was over compensating with the niceties.

Dr. Reynolds rolls his eyes, "Twenty three… I can't believe it." He downs half the beer before continuing on speaking, "I can't wait to leave the damn city, my evening is shit."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Anything I can do to help make it better? Even though I'm not technically 'on the clock' at the Skygate, I would hate to see you have a rotten evening if there was something I could do to help out."

"Shut the fuck up, boy. I don't need your petty concerns about how to make my night better. I'm not some floosy who wants their nails done, catch my drift?"

Sayer swallows. "Didn't mean to offend you sir. Guess I'm a little nervous, having seen you on all those vids. It seems like you have a real important job on Mars, and everyone says you are real intelligent."

"To you, I might as well just be a guy on the screen, talking about things you probably won't understand until you do some fuckin' reading and shit." The more they talked, the angrier he seemed to become. His beer bottle is now empty, "If I'm so important, than why am I here, talking to a rugrat?"

Sayer 's face reddens. "Only trying to be polite, sir. There's no cause for you to be so downright mean."

A sneer forms on his face to see the hotel boy react to him, "You look like a blushing school girl, kid. What's got your panties in a notch?"

"Well I come in here and you are saying you are having a bad night... and here I was having a damn fine night... and I just offer to help you if I can, and you have to be all insulting and mean. What happened to make you all sour like this?" Sayer was furious now with himself. He had known this would probably happen, and his good mood was now trashed. And of course, he had no one to blame but himself. He had known this guy was a jerk and still he had walked in with his characteristic optimism and hope.

"Maybe you should have thought twice about talking to a guy like me. Apparently, you didn't take the hint back at the hotel, boy. I am a mean, insulting, son of a bitch."

"Well that's clear as day now. I thought you might have just been in a bad mood the other day, what with travel and all. What the hell made you so mean? Seriously?"

"Persistent bugger, aren't you?" He narrows his blue eyes to the kid, "Women made me this nasty."

"Shit, sorry to hear that. They must have done something horrendous. You might find it hard to believe, but I've dealt with some unstable women myself. One just drew a shotgun on me last week and threatened to pin my balls to a wall with her blade."

After a moment of silence, Reynolds looks him over, "You're the strange kid here. What odd taste in women. Are you sure you're not looking for a man?"

Sayer laughs. "Not currently, no. I'm actually dating a real nice lady now. Least, I think she is. She's been real sweet so far and I hope it stays that way."

"No woman is sweet."

Sayer looks at him for a long moment. "You think she's just pretending?"

"I don't know the woman, but I've never ever met a woman who is just plain ol' sweet."

Sayer scratches his chin thinking about that. "Well, you've had a lot more experience with women then me I wager so I guess I got to trust you on that." Maybe Demetra was just toying with him after all. She had been so nice earlier though... He sighed and checked his PDA. "I got to get back to the hotel. I'll see you later Doctor. Hope your night gets a little better, at least."

A scoff escapes Dr. Reynolds, "Don't hold your breath. This man just needs to get trashed."

Break

"I find that hard to believe. The head of GIA just happens to care about a flower shop owner and a glorified janitor? You've probably had a grand time stringing me along... making me think you actually cared. You are quite the actress, I'll give you that."

Sayer sat looking out the window of his apartment, mulling over what he had said to Demetra earlier that evening. He hadn't moved from the sofa since she'd left. He'd just stayed in the same spot, thinking.

He was furious with himself that she'd ended the relationship. He knew somehow this was his fault and he wasn't sure how to repair it. He had responded so childishly there was probably no way now the relationship could be salvaged. He had been angry and scared. The words had just tumbled out and now he wasn't sure what to do.

Ms. Nasenyana was out of town, and he didn't want to message her about this. For many reasons. Reasons he was trying very hard not to dwell on.

Finally he pulled his PDA from his pocket and checked the time. He had figured out the first step he was going to take and he needed to get moving. It was getting late.

A Gift

He looks at the package on his desk curiously. The light reflects off of the foil and casts interesting patterns on the walls. He gingerly begins to open it - he was fairly certain it wasn’t dangerous, but he was still moving slowly just in case.

Pulling back the edges of the foil he is surprised at what he finds. He reaches out to touch it with the tip of his finger. He had never seen anything like it. He pulls over his datapad and looks it up. There it was, returned in his search. It was very rare and very hard to come by, but it was listed. He turns back to touch a petal again; it was soft and silky… a black orchid.

He takes the foil completely off the plant and a note flutters to the floor. Picking it up to read it, his heart leaps and a grin spreads across his face. He is excited and begins pacing the floor. ‘Incredible!’ he thinks, and ‘How?’. But he brushes these thoughts aside; what really matters is that he knows now where the gift has come from, and he feels full of hope.

He reads through the note again and lingers on the last line: "Thank you for believing in me."

At the Temple

Admiring the luxurious beauty around them, Demetra and Sayer make their way through the crowd of solemn devotees and sight-seers and move into the main part of the temple. It was a place he’d wanted to visit for months; the glowing golden structure seemed to hang in the sky and often he’d stand out in front of the Skygate Hotel looking up at it. He had been thrilled that Demetra had wanted to visit it with him, and that she’d suggested they visit it that evening.

They moved further in until they were in front of the large tiered fountain with bright gold elephant heads adorning it. The rippling water looked cool and clean, and he wanted to dip his fingers in it. He reaches out a hand. "Can we touch the water?"

"I don't see why not." Demetra puts both of her hands in the water. Her trailing eyes fall upon a hooded stranger drifting through the crowds like a specter.  The stranger’s eyes were blank white as they gleamed out from under the shadowy cloak she wore like so many of the other worshippers.

Sayer follows Demetra's gaze. He shakes the droplets of water from his hand and watches the stranger for a few moments before he turns back to Demetra, "I would like to pray here. Is there a ritual we are supposed to follow?" Demetra flicks the water off her hands, looking for something to wipe them on as she takes a step back from the fountain, "I don't know. I've never prayed here before."

Curious, he asks, "What would you pray for, if you were to?" Demetra is caught off guard by his question, "I'd have to think on that one. What did you want to pray for?" Sayer answers automatically, without thinking, "To find lost friends. To help those in need."

The stranger reaches up with her gloved hand and pulls away the hood.  Her long raven locks slip out and fall across her ghostly face.  She kneels by the font and reaches down into the water letting it trickle through her fingers before touching the cool fluid to her forehead. Her eyes close and she whispers beneath her mask.

Sayer 's eyes are drawn to the movements. He catches a glimpse of her face and his breath catches at her beauty.

Demetra teases him, "Do you want me to leave you alone with her?"

Sayer laughs. "Demetra, you can't pretend to be jealous of someone you dumped only a few days ago. I won't believe it."

Demetra smiles at Sayer after watching the woman do the ritual, "I'm not acting jealous. I'm trying to be considerate. And your prayer," she changes the subject, "is very sweet."

He watches the ritualistic motions of those around him and he acts in kind. He kneels and touches the water to his head, whispering his prayer. He stands and says seriously to Demetra. "I meant it. I have always wished to help others. I only need to learn how."

Demetra goes along with the activity, kneeling and pressing her damp hand to her forehead as she gives a silent prayer.

They move towards the back of the temple into an alcove. He and Demetra are admiring the gilded engravings. The woman from the fountain is there and her eerie white gaze lands on them.  She speaks quietly, "Kirei..."  Her voice is like a soft breeze and her accent is that of a broken Japanese dialect.  "This place is beautiful..."

Sayer had knelt to study the pattern under their feet. Demetra idly pats the top of his head and says to the woman, "Hello, who are you?"

“I am well... I do hope that I have not disturbed you.  You both are quite lovely.”

Sayer stands and takes a few steps forward. He finds himself saying, "Your eyes... they are so beautiful." He makes a slight bow. "My name is Sayer." He hopes he hadn’t been too intrusive with his comment about her eyes.

The woman gives a very disciplined bow, her face almost devoid of emotion. "Juushichi..." She introduces herself. Demetra grabs a hold of Sayer's elbow, "Nice to meet you Jewsheechee." she attempts to sound it out.

Sayer feels his neck redden. He wasn’t used to bowing and he probably had done it sloppily. "I am honored to meet you." He doesn't notice Demetra at his elbow, as his eyes are still on the masked woman.

The woman stares at them; she was almost like a statue as she didn't blink or move for a while.  "And you two...  Both of you are...quite the couple." 

Demetra releases Sayer's arm, getting no attention from him as his eyes seemed so glued on this mysterious figure, "We're not a couple."

Sayer smiles, "Do you know about this temple? It is so intriguing. I would like to know more."

The beautiful woman simply asks, "Do you believe in a God?"  She really doesn't refer to a specific deity or religion.

"I believe in doing good... “ he replies, “ … and trying to become a better person. I'm not sure if I believe in a deity... but I believe in a kind of karma I guess."

They continue to talk for a few more moments. Demetra had wandered off, presumably to look more at the temple. When it seems the woman is about to leave he makes an effort to bow deeply as best he can. "Goodbye... and thank you." The dark haired woman bows respectfully and gracefully covers her head back up.

Sayer turns and sees Demetra has returned. He smiles at her. "I love this place. Thanks for suggesting we come here tonight." He asks what her favorite part of the temple is, and she answers. But as soon as they move to a more secluded area where they are alone Demetra’s tone becomes serious, "So did you get a good look at the woman?" Sayer nods. "She was real pretty, wasn't she? I like her eyes."

"Did she look familiar to you?" Sayer thinks for a moment. "I honestly have never seen anyone with eyes like that before. Why, is she famous?"

Demetra narrows her eyes at Sayer, "I'm not talking about her eyes, Sayer. Face. You saw her face. Give me a description or comparison to someone you may know."

"Her face? It was all covered with that long hair and the... scarf or whatever. But her eyes... I got a real good look at them. If she's not famous she should be."

Demetra continues to drill him, "What did you two talk about? I noticed you showed her your PDA and she said Arigato, which I'm sure means thanks."

Sayer laughs. "Demetra, you can't be jealous of me talking to a woman. You dumped me remember? I talk to women all the time. Remember I own a flower shop? I'm always talking to potential customers."

Demetra refrains from rolling her eyes like a diva, "I'm not jealous. I need to know who that woman is or was. You talked to her so you best tell me the details."

Sayer takes a step back. "Demetra. What's with this attitude? Why are you firing all these questions at me? I meet new people every day. You want me to give you detailed reports on all of them?"

It continued on, back and forth. Sayer was surprised and truthfully hurt by her questions. "You would think, by the way you are acting, that I was the one that broke up with you. You dumped me, Demetra. I answered your questions. And now I really don't feel like being out anymore. I'm going home."

Demetra grabs the sleeve of his shirt, stopping him, "If you resist answering my questions, then I will have you arrested."

That floored him. She was threatening to arrest him? "Demetra, why are you being so mean to me? Breaking my heart isn't enough? Now you have to threaten me with arrest? I don't understand why you are trying to hurt me like this."

Demetra admits, "She hit my suspicion radar, but maybe she's just someone who works at this temple, for all we know..." She hesitantly releases his jacket, "I'm sorry for threatening you… I got carried away."

Sayer softens, but it still hurt. She had just broken up with him to be back with her ex. No matter how much he tried to pretend that their relationship hadn’t meant something… the truth was it had. He had thought she really liked him and then he had learned about Markham… and now her short temper and interrogation of him made him think she was just using him. And why was she so interested in the woman with the dark hair? Who did she think the woman was?

Facing Reality (1)

Sayer sits in front of Gaia. He was thinking about the night Grendel had called him. She had sounded so terrible… like she was dying. He had paced back and forth in the hotel lobby, trying not to let on to the guests milling around about how upset he was.

Finally she had walked in… and she had looked bad. As if she should be in a hospital. He had followed her up the stairs to one of the hotel’s suites. What she had told him…. It had been upsetting. He still had a hard time thinking about it, but he needed to. It was important. It was insight that was guiding him now to do what he had to do. He focused only on the relevant details.

Grendel had stripped and was shivering. Her body looked badly beaten and Sayer had a hard time not feeling sorry for her. He averted his eyes.

“I need a painkiller. A strong painkiller. Any opioid. There should be a med kit...”,  Grendel glances about the room. “Look inside the bar - a blue vial with a red cap. A hypo.”

Sayer gets up and moves to the bar. He rummages around pulling out a couple different bottles of pills. He brings them back and sets them on the table then fetches a glass of water.

Grendel's hands are shaking. "No, not pills. A vial of clear liquid. Blue vial, red cap. And the syringe.”

Sayer goes back. He pulls out the med kit box and brings that back over, opening it and laying it on the table. With shaking hands Grendel removes what she needs. She punctures the vial with the needle then jabs it into her thigh. As the opiates flow into her bloodstream, she begins to relax. She whispers "Fuck...fuck..."

Sayer grimaces seeing her inject. He turns back to the bar for a bottle of whiskey and a couple of glasses so he doesn't have to watch.

Grendel asks, "Never shot up?"

Sayer shakes his head. He sits down and pours them each a drink. "Nope. Never did."

“Yeah, well... While back...I was a hooked. Lived in a shithole over in North, Wait...all of North is a shithole.” Grendel is beginning to visibly relax, her words slurring a little. Grendel laughs and then coughs. There's blood on her lips, and she wipes it away.

“Sayer, you are almost an innocent man. Do you know that? I know more about you...than you imagine.” Grendel sips her whisky.

"I've been told that," he scratches his chin. "What do you know about me?" he asked, genuinely curious.

 Grendel's eyes have grown glassy from the dope.” That's mostly irrelevant. I am merely saying I know you are, for the most part, innocent. I've killed more men and women...and children... I don't know the numbers. I am not innocent.”

Sayer frowns. "Children? Shit. Grendel what reason would you ever have to kill a child?"

“Money. Someone tells you to  and you say no…. they… well... Fucked up shit.

Sayer shakes his head. "I can't imagine any reason for killing an innocent child. None."

Grendel coughs up a little more blood, and wipes her mouth. She stares at the back of her hand. “I'm paid to kill.”

"You are paid to protect Ms. Nasenyana and to protect the hotel."

“You think this is my first job?”

"No, of course not, I was just thinking that now you are here, you don't have to kill anyone anymore unless it's defense."

“See, that's what you don't understand. Killing can be like that little blue vial. Everytime you do it, it gets easier. And, for some of us, it feels awfully fucking good.”

"You miss it?"

“I don't have to miss it, Sayer. Jesus, I almost think you actually do not know...” Grendel drains her whisky in one long swallow.”

Sayer sighs. "Grendel. I don't. I know you think I'm supposed to have all this information about what happens here, but I don't. Ms. Nasenyana is very circumspect about what she says, and she doesn't get a chance to meet with me often."

“Then you are a lucky man who is almost innocent. Hold onto it as long as you can. I was innocent once.”

"I just try to be good. Do good things. That's all I've ever wanted to do.”

Grendel reaches for the syringe again, and fills it again.

“Well then, you're a good man, Sayer, and I pledge you are hereby safe from the wrath of my sword...and everything else I have cause to use.”

Grendel slips the needle into the corner of her left eye.

Facing Reality (2)

He shivers at the memory of Grendel sticking a needle into her eye. She had not hesitated. She had just slipped the needle in like it was nothing to her.

His thoughts shift to the assignment he had been given. He had been so shocked that he had just agreed. Not that he could have said no. The last time he’d seen Grendel without a glove on her left hand she’d had no little finger at all left. Disappointing Inara was dangerous.

He’d talked to so many people about his fears and reluctance to do the assignment. Not the details, of course. Not even the topic, usually. He left things vague and ambiguous.

Then he had talked to Markham about it. That discussion had been a turning point. It was then that he had realized that he just couldn't do it. No matter what.

"I don't know what to do Markham," he looks at his hands again. "Is it bad to do something just so you don't get killed, even if you know it's a terrible thing to do?"

Markham clenches his jaw as several thoughts came across his mind. "It really... depends what it is. But what you need to be asking yourself is.... can you live with yourself after you do it?"

"I don't think I can. I really don't."

Crossing the River

He hails a hovercab and asks the driver to take a circuitous route. Arriving at the temple he steps out cautiously, looking around. He waits by the entrance for a few moments. Convinced that no seems to have followed him, he walks inside and towards the fountain.

She waits patiently there until Sayer arrives, her ghostly eyes locked on him.  "Are you ready to go through with this...?"

He looks at her, resolute and serious. "I am."

Seventeen reaches out her hands and a pair of goggles are held in them for him to take. Sayer takes the goggles and slips them over his head. He doesn't hesitate as he fits them onto his eyes securely. The goggles were shielded so nothing could be seen through them.  She holds his hand affectionately for a couple seconds before she releases it.  It wasn't often she made physical contact with people.  "I would offer you a more ceremonious piece of eyewear but I figure these would be less obvious."

Sayer smiles as he feels her hand on his. He nods, "I understand. These are fine." She steps up closer to him and places a hand on his back to help guide him as she urges him to walk. He steps unsteadily and uncertain, glad of her hand on his back as she leads him into the shadowy depths of the city.  The sounds of the beggars and other outcasts filled the air along with the smell of poverty.  She continued to walk very confidently with him, not being disturbed on the way.

He could tell they had moved into an area of the city that he had never been before. It wasn’t just the smells and the noise. It was as though he could tangibly feel the environment change as he moved through it. He tried to focus only on her and her guidance.

She could feel his uneasiness on their journey and tried to speak to him to offer some comfort.  "Are you afraid...?"  Her soft voice asked. He answers, "It feels so unfamiliar... the smells and sounds. I ... just don't know where we are. I am afraid, I admit it. I do not want to disappoint you, but that is the truth."

“I understand your fear and I do not condemn you for it.  You walk among the byproduct of refuse which this city has created.  You have descended into Hades and must first cross the river into salvation."

She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "I walk beside you through this."

Exodus (1)

The tension starts to ease away.  He lifts his head up a little higher with confidence knowing she will be beside him.

Seventeen leads him into the smuggling bay where her shuttle waits.  She stops him and he can hear strange mechanical noises as the small ship is readied.  She is met by two other people and as they speak up they sound frighteningly like her.  It was almost as if she was speaking to herself.  "Are we ready to leave sister?"  "Yes."

Sayer tilts his head hearing the multiple voices. He smiles, now remembering the women that had been with her when he had visited her office so long ago. He finally truly understands who they are.

“Before we leave the city there is someone that I promised to see you.” Sayer, still unable to see, shifts on his feet.  "Someone to see me?"

Twelve walks up quietly, utterly unsure of what to say. Her face is drawn up in worry. She says quietly "Welcome, Sayer." Her hand finds his. A grin spreads across his face. "Phee...." He feels elated. "Phee!"

Seventeen pulls off her hood and mask, smiling softly at the two. Twelve changes her voice modulation to Phoenix "Yes, it's me. I'm going to be with you through this. How do you feel?"

"Nervous. Excited. Afraid."

"I'm sure there's nothing to fear. I wish... I wish I knew what to say. I back up every day, and I really wish right now I could say I've gotten used to it," she says, emotion heavy in her voice.

"What do you mean... is it painful?" He had never thought about whether or not Phee's backups were painful.

"No. It just feels sort of fatalistic. Like I'm admitting I'm going to die. It still disturbs me."

Seventeen says, “The process you are going to endure is not painful.  However I cannot promise you that death will not be painful... you are at the mercy of the person who brings you to it.”

Sayer nods, his eyes still covered. "I understand."

Exodus (2)

Sue appears as an old class hologram projector activates, "So what's with the party?”

Seventeen continues, “Unfortunately any memories after the backup will more than likely be lost.”

“Backup? Thought he was meat?” Sue asks.

Sayer starts to feel more comfortable in the complete darkness. He is listening intently, imagining what those around him look like. "I have so many questions... about... how the memories exist. How they are stored. It's not important, though, I guess. Those details. Without knowing how it just seems like magic… or a miracle."

Seventeen explains, “All of our experiences, memories, are like intricate organic microchips that are stored within biological storage units... such as your brain.”

He tries to picture that in his mind. He vaguely grasps the idea. "It will take me time to fully understand it all, but I know I don't need to comprehend everything right now.”

Comforting him Seventeen replies, “Unfortunately it is not something that is easy to wrap your mind around unless you experience it firsthand.”

Phee, still by his side, says quietly, "If you won't remember from the moment of backup, this will be like Dawn. What I went through with her death is very close to your circumstances." She forces herself to speak, her heart tied up in knots. "Do you have any questions for me?"

"I know it will be emotionally intense. I don't think anything can really prepare me for it. Is there anything you suggest Phee? Anything that I should do?"

"Before the backup, I was much more prepared for Dawn's death than Phoenix' life. I know your future is very uncertain, and must seem overwhelming. But the man you are now will be the man who lives on. Be as ready to live as you are to die."

After thinking about her words for a few moments he says, "I will remember that - thank you. That is good advice." Then Seventeen touches Sayer lightly to signify that she is ready to go, only waiting on his okay.

Phee promises, "I will take care of the man who gets up from that table - the one who may die. And when you awaken to start your new life, I will be beside you."

He feels his eyes start to tear up. He tries to hold them back. "Thank you Phee... I can't tell you what that means to me." He swallows. "I'm ready to go. I'm ready to do this."

Seventeen nods and gives Sayer's arm a gentle squeeze as she, with her two identical sisters, leads him and Phee on to her ship.  Phee stays by Sayer’s side, never letting go of his hand. The odd looking frigate’s maw swallows them up and seals them safely inside. 

Utopia (1)

The guests are lead off the shuttle and into an enormous airship. They are asked to wait with two of Seventeen’s sisters as she descends down into the lower parts of the craft. Sayer stands shifting from foot to foot, his eyes still covered. He wasn’t afraid. He could feel the comfort of Phee close to him.

Seventeen returns and reaches up to place her hands on the goggles blocking Sayer’s vision. She cautions him, "Be careful your eyes will need to adjust." He closes his eyes as she slowly lifts the goggles from his head. The light is bright and he squints as he starts to lift his eyelids; it takes him a few moments to get his eyes fully open and see his surroundings.

The ship they are on is large, alien, and sleekly designed. It’s surprisingly comforting despite being so unfamiliar, and is lush with exotic plants. The sisters, Seventeen, and Phee are near him. Astonished, he sees that Phee is in the same chassis as when he first met her all those months ago. She has on a silky light colored dress that bares her shoulders and hugs her curves. He smiles thinking how lovely she is. Phoenix smiles back, "I took off the synthskin. I wanted you to see me the way we met."

"You look beautiful, Phee. You are always beautiful. The goodness inside of you - the essence of who you are - it shines so bright." Phoenix smiles and lowers her head briefly, overwhelmed by his compliment. Her eyes glow slightly brighter for a moment.

Seventeen, wearing an exquisite white kimono, smiles warmly at them, "Welcome to Airship Utopia, our mobile laboratory." Phoenix folds her arm around Sayer’s and leans on his shoulder. "You and I surrounded by plants. It's like the dream we had for Gaia, isn't it?" Sayer nods still looking around wide-eyed, “It seems so peaceful here.”

“I will bring you down to meet the doctor.  He is expecting you.” Seventeen pauses to emphasize the magnitude of all this, "Utopia is several hundred years of Doctor Rowan's legacy that he is about to share.” She smiles reverently and begins to lead them.  "This way, please."

They follow Seventeen into another area where the doctor was waiting.  Dr. Rowan, a tall handsome man garbed in black, is watching them with an emotionless facade. Seventeen approaches him slowly and gives him a very courteous bow and a soft smile. She motions to each of them in appropriate order, "Doctor this is Sayer and Twelve."

Phoenix gracefully bows to him, "Doctor." Sayer, still holding on to Phee's hand, tries to imitate Seventeen and Phee's bow, "Nice to meet you sir. Um. Dr. Sir". Dr. Rowan looks to each of them as they are introduced with a slight nod, and states in a cold voice, "Welcome, I hope that Seventeen has made your arrival enjoyable.”

Seventeen just continues to smile softly; a stark contrast to the Doctor's lack of emotion. She was used to his frigid inhuman demeanor. Sayer nods. "Yes sir. Dr. sir".  Phoenix adds, “She is gracious as always.”

After a somewhat long and uncomfortable pause Dr. Rowan bypasses the small talk, "It has come to my attention that you are in need of my services in exchange for your indentured employment... I trust that Seventeen has covered the details regarding said contract?”

He swallows and replies, “Yes, sir."

Seventeen’s melodic voice adds, “There are a couple more things that I need to cover with you before you undergo this procedure. Once the doctor's work is complete there is no going back.  You will be part of the Utopia Project whether you like it or not.  The doctor's work will be part of you.  As with all of his creations, like me... it is mandatory that you be implanted with a failsafe should you need to be shut down or subdued.”

Sayer looks to Phee, his eyes having a look that he hopes she interprets as 'is that okay?' Phoenix says reassuringly, "It is not unusual, and given the abilities of Utopia's creations, rather reasonable."

Seventeen continues, “There are specific directives that will not be breached. You will not tamper with the doctor's work, nor harm another living thing within his sphere of influence without his explicit permission.” She shifts her eyes to the doctor with an impish grin as she has disobeyed him in the past.  "Although he has been lenient with me, as I have attempted to kill him in the past due to irrational thought processes, I would not suggest it."

His eyes widen at hearing that, and he nods numbly. Sayer had no intention of trying to kill anything. He was interested in the opposite. "I don't think you'll have problems with me."

Phoenix says to him confidently, “It comes down to trust, Sayer, and I trust Seventeen implicitly. I advise you to accept the condition."

He looks into the doctor’s eyes and says solemnly, "I accept these conditions."

Utopia (2)

Sayer is stripped of his civilian clothing, then bathed and cleaned. Seventeen’s sisters dress him in a comfortable Asian robe made of soft textured cloth and he fingers it thinking that he’s never before worn anything like it. He’s then detoxified and fed nutrient-rich foods. For twenty-four hours he will rest and let the stress melt away; Dr. Rowan had said in his flat voice that Sayer would be better prepared if he was rested and at peak condition mentally and emotionally.

Later that night the guests and Seventeen gather to talk in a cozy room. Phoenix grins, "You're lucky, Sayer, this process is a hell of a lot better than buying a hard drive in the middle of the night and uploading myself while hiding in an alley." He squeezes Phee's hand gently and whispers, "You are so strong... you've been through so much."

With sympathy Seventeen says to Phee, "I do not mean to offend but that sounds like an extremely barbaric process.  Granted they were able to preserve you..." Phoenix replies, “No offense taken. It was. But Caitlin and I didn't have your experience and resources to ensure a more comfortable transition."

Seventeen nods a couple of slow times.  "I feel bad that you were forced to endure something like that.  We are happy to have you here with us, regardless." Phee says thoughtfully, “I think I've learned something valuable. I have a process which is something like dreaming or meditation. I may make it a point to do that before my daily backup from now on."

They continue speaking about the processes of memory storage and retrieval. Eventually the discussion returns to the enigmatic doctor. Seventeen glances in the direction that the doctor had headed off in. "The Doctor can take a bit of getting used to... he is quite an intense... man."  If he could even be called one.  "However, I can assure you he has always treated us well."

Phoenix smiles. She was accustomed to beings who conveyed emotion poorly or not at all. "The doctor's nature is evident in his creations. You’ve nothing to apologize for." Sayer nods along in agreement to Phee's words. He was still overwhelmed by their discussion and was trying to keep up with all the new information he was hearing about, and the implications the topic would have on his future.

Smiling softly at them Seventeen says.  "I will be close by throughout your stay here on the ship.  Should you need anything one of my sisters shall attend, and if I am needed simply tell them."  She looks to the other two clones nearby, "36 and 38 will show you to your sleeping quarters."

Sayer chokes up with emotion. Seventeen had risked so much and had put forth a lot of effort on his behalf. "Thank you... for everything. I appreciate all you have done. I know I am in your debt... I hope that I can repay your faith in me."

Seventeen bows deeply to him, "I believe in you, Sayer."

Utopia (3)

Phoenix asks him, "How long has it been since we've been able to sit together openly, no secrets, no disguises?"

Sayer answers her with a big smile on his face. "I can't believe we are here together like this. It's been months that we’ve been hiding our relationship... since before the plague outbreak." His happiness falters for a second as he remembers the night he had broken the news to her that Inara wanted them to break up, that she had information about Phee from a source in Tokuma, and that he was scared for her safety. Turned out Tokuma wanted them to break up as well… and so they had agreed to make a very public show to convince everyone they were following ‘orders’.

He had been honest with Inara about Phoenix from the beginning– he wouldn’t betray his love. And of course he hadn’t believed the lies Inara had spouted about Phee. It was then, he thinks, that things had really started to change in his mind about the Ninkyo Dantai – he had finally begun to realize how manipulative and self-serving Inara could be.

Phoenix holds his hand, her head on his shoulder. Thoughts of his past life and Inara dissipate. Sayer says sadly, "I should have found a way out of the Dantai a long time ago. I've been weak, Phee. I'm sorry I'm so weak."

"No, Sayer. No..." She hugs his arm a little tighter. "Your strength is amazing and inspirational. When Tokuma came to me with the demand Inara brings to you, what did I do?"

"You didn't run and hide." His voice was stubborn and full of self-recrimination.

Phoenix says coldly, "I compromised my most deeply held principles."

Sayer strokes her cheek lightly. "You did what you had to do in order to survive. If you had died... so many would be lost now Phee. You had to get through that so you could help others."

Phoenix simulates a sigh. "OK, but you aren't weak. And you aren't running and hiding. Have you thought about how you'll handle Inara when you get back?"

Sayer shakes his head. "No. I am guessing I will be called to her office and asked to explain my absence. Particularly because I knew that something important was happening soon... she will be very angry with me. She will assume I have betrayed her, I am sure."

“There is mercy in that. You won't have to wait.”

Sayer nods, thinking that over. "True. I guess I need to just face up to my fears. It feels heavy and hard.” He smiles then, and kisses her softly on her forehead. "But you are with me. I think I could do anything as long as I am with you. You have such strength, Phee. So much love, compassion, and strength."

Evolution (1)

Phoenix finds a knot and focuses on it carefully, warming her fingertips slightly to assist in loosening the muscle. "Most don't consider us to be people." Sayer feels the tension in his back easing. "But you are far more humane than most people. I guess I'm disappointed in humanity. We've had so long to evolve, and yet we seem stuck on petty concerns."

Phoenix nuzzles him, her lips close to his ear. She whispers, "When you complete this journey, you will have made a journey I've made three times now. It is a journey that has defined me at every turn. You will understand me better than you can imagine."

"I wish I could have been there for you... when you had to go through this. I feel sad thinking of how you've had to go through so much... but I guess that's just made you stronger."

"I guess I don't like to admit that my experiences made me stronger. Because I wouldn't recommend them to anyone." Phoenix says as she shifts to look him in the eyes.

"I know what you mean. I guess you or I wouldn't be the same without all those hardships, though. We are the sum of our experiences and our actions, right?”  Phoenix smiles and listens thoughtfully.

Project 17 had re-emerged from a room looking far more familiar - her hair, skin and eyes had shifted to a more vibrant color.  She couldn't help but smile warmly at the two.

Phee notices Seventeen and smiles broadly. "It is very good to see you again." Sayer nods, echoing Phee's sentiment. Avrilen Ziebzen laughs softly, "And you two. I suppose for a change we can all be more relaxed here and show our true colors. I trust that your stay with us has been pleasant so far?”

"Extremely pleasant,” Sayer says. “I have never felt this relaxed or... I guess just truly safe."

Phoenix adds, "I find Utopia to be inspiringly beautiful. It has changed my perspective."

Avrilen gives a calm nod. "Life is not without suffering and discomfort but that should not be all that it is. There is so much destruction in the universe. We do our best to offset the balance as it helps to keep some sanity. The Doctor has devoted his entire existence to preserving life and what is left of its beauty."

Avrilen takes a seat near them. Phoenix turns to her as she says, "There is such beauty that exists in the lives of AI. Things I can scarcely begin to explain. What it is to hear our song echoing through the corridors. What it feels like to touch a mind directly in cyberspace. In contrast to what I knew of biological life thus far in my existence... well, let's just say that Utopia has opened my eyes to a universe of beauty. I find it a pleasant surprise."

Avrilen replies, “Perhaps they would if they had experienced the destruction of the world, first hand. To be honest, Phee, before this I really did not have much of a pertinent relationship with AI, only my experience with them in my time with Gemini.”

Project 24 carries in a tray of tea for them.  The air has the fragrance of freshly blooming flowers.  The sounds of water trickling over smooth rocks could be heard in the background.  A gentle music resonated in the background.  The tray is set down and the other sister leaves with a soft smile.

Avrilen says to them, "Your relationship fascinates me. I would love to learn more.”

Enthusiastically Sayer says, "Everything about Phee is beautiful to me. The way she thinks, the way she cares... the way she is so much more humane than those who profess to be human."

Phoenix glows under Sayer's praise - literally. Her blue glow panels shimmer slightly more brightly. She smiles at Seventeen. "I'll do my best to explain. And I echo the sentiment. I would love to learn more about you. What about us fascinates you?"

“A lot like my relationship with Alex, you also seem to have a relationship that goes beyond typical human pair bonding. Even though specific chemistry is not present as you are more of a... I can't say that mechanical being is the proper term. But an entirely different entity whatsoever."

“Sayer appears to me as a reflection of my best nature. When I look at him, I see the personification of hope - a living example that things can work out. I don't live up to his example, but it does inspire me. There is a point where one understands that life is an emergent quality of being. It isn't cells, and it isn't circuits. It's something special and unique that happens when cells or circuits behave in just the right way.” Phoenix slips her hand into Sayer’s as she says this.

He smiles hearing himself described so. "I feel a connection to Phee that I have never felt with anyone else. She is soulful and... I guess just 'true'. I am constantly inspired by her and strive to be a better person to get closer to what I see in her."

Avrilen listens as she pours each of them a cup of tea. She wasn't sure if Phee would drink it, however she did it out of politeness. "It is a shame that so many reduce such a complex feeling as love to a carnal desire or simply chemicals. I really enjoy hearing what each of you mean to each other and those bonds that hold you together."

"Before Phee I didn't understand really what it meant to love someone. I knew desire, I knew dependence, I knew admiration... but I don't think I've ever really loved someone. Not deeply, not truly. Not until Phee. Now I can love easily."

Phoenix looks down and smiles. Just briefly, the seams in her cheek face panels emit a soft rose glow that smoothly fades.

Evolution (2)

Project 24 stands patiently with her other sister.  They both smile pleasantly, and then Project 23 says softly, "The Doctor is ready for you, Sayer.  Please accompany us to the laboratory." Phoenix and Sayer follow them into the lab and he looks around the room curiously.

Dr. Xiram Rowan stands in the lab with his usual calm expression, watching the two escorted into the laboratory by his assistants. He nods once with a to-the-point demeanor and turns to the equipment as if this were routine.

He stands watching the doctor inspecting the equipment, still holding on to Phee's hand. Project 24 and her sister approach Sayer, "We will need to place you into the sampling bed.  Small samples of your DNA will be taken to begin the cloning process.  It will take some time for your new host to be developed.”

Sayer steps toward the machine cautiously. Standing up on his toes he peers at the strange parts within. He didn't feel afraid, but he was nervous about the large implements inside the contraption that looked like claws. He finally says, "Okay."

Dr. Rowan manipulates the holographic interface, checking readouts and ensuring everything was optimal. Project 23 continues, "Afterwards the biological imprinting will take place.  Unfortunately the Doctor will need privacy with the patient for that process." Phoenix squeezes his hand "It will be alright, Sayer. I will be here when you awaken." She hugs him tightly.

Sayer holds her close for a few moments and then kisses her lightly on the cheek. "Thank you Phee." Project 24 begins adjusting the controls on the equipment as her other sister assists Sayer into position on the bed. Phoenix stays long enough to see him into the machine, then puts one hand over her heart and blows him a kiss. After she ducks out of sight she shuts down her vocal systems and doubles over sobbing silently.

From his prone position he can barely see the top of the doctor’s head over the monitor. Tilting his head he looks down towards his feet and smiles, seeing one of the Projects clearly. It made him feel better, seeing her there.

Project 23 performs a final check over Sayer, ensuring that he didn't have anything on him that could hinder the process or endanger him.  With a soft smile she closes the cover on the bed. The doctor maintains his indifferent composure as he initiates the machine’s scan.  In a very mellow, submissive female voice the computer says, "Scanning for foreign devices...."

Dr. Rowan runs through a couple more scans of Sayer’s different bodily systems--Respiratory, Circulatory, Muscular, Dermal, and more....  A couple holographic representations hover in the air and he manipulates them with his hand, examining them.

Project 24 articulately operates a set of mechanical arms that move smoothly - almost as if they were alive.  Oddly her voice could be heard inside of the chamber even though her lips did not move, "Please remain as still as you can so that the extractions can occur with minimal physical stress.  A natural sedative will be administered so that you feel more relaxed during the process.  As she says this a pleasant smelling floral odor fills the chamber.

Sayer closes his eyes as the aroma wafts over him. He holds very still not wanting to disrupt the process; he is trying to be as good of a patient as he can be.  It was an odd sensation feeling the clawed arms moving around him. A few small pricks and gentle scraps are felt before a syringe inserts into his arm and extracts blood. He had to curb his instinct to flinch when he felt the needle press into his flesh. The reaction wasn’t from pain; the sedative had relaxed him quickly as it settled into his nervous system.  It was the lingering pictures in his mind of the mechanical arms equipped with the strange tools that made him have the feeling he should shy away from them.

Dr. Rowan looks through more scans as he patiently waits for the assistants to take the samples.  The metallic arms snake along as they work. When finished, the tissue and blood are stored away safely and Project 24 says, "Sayer we will begin the imprinting process.  It is possible you may feel a bit of discomfort.  Please remain still." He starts to nod and then catches himself; he was supposed to be staying absolutely still.

Dr. Rowan departs from the holographic interface and moves in closer to the chamber as the lid opens.  He stares down through his spectacles with his icy looking eyes as if he were staring right through Sayer and examining him.  This is the final vision of the doctor before a device came down behind Sayer’s head to hold it into place, shielding his eyes. Sayer 's mind is filled with that last glimpse of the doctor; his strange eyes, his emotionless demeanor, and his intent expression. Sayer begins thinking about who the doctor is and why he acts so detached. It keeps his mind from thinking about what might be happening with the machinery - Dr. Rowan was out of view so it really isn't apparent what he was doing. 

With the sedative flowing through him, the rest of the procedure begins to seem like a lucid dream.  What feels like a hand slips down behind Sayer’s neck and rests there.  As it clutches the back of his skull there is a tingling sensation as if the nerves are being numbed locally.

Sayer wonders if he he’s fallen asleep. In his mind the image of the doctor is melting and twisting around him. He thinks he feels the doctor's cold hand on his head, reaching inside. He is trying very hard not to move, as he remembers that is important. Not that he thinks his muscles could move - they feel soft, jelly-like.

Dr. Rowan remains still, his hand to Sayer’s neck. Tendrils slither along Sayer’s head, sliding along the surface of his flesh.  The tiny strands are like small acupuncture needles as they burrow themselves into his head in specific locations.  Even though it was painless, the sensation is unnerving and Sayer begins to wander in his mind through a surreal landscape. It seems old but is nothing he has seen before – it is new to him. His mind floods with information, his senses overwhelming him. He feels like he is part of something important, something historical.

Dr. Rowan extracts and exchanges biological information, electrical impulses of emotions and memories.  His eyes stare blankly through heavy lids as the process takes place.  Minutes turn to hours and hours seem like an eternity.  The visions in Sayer’s mind become like a very long performance, a symphony of memories and thoughts as they are carefully assembled within and written onto a biological storage unit.

Project 24 monitors Sayer's vitals with the other assistant. They are on both sides of him, like two chaperons through the journey.  They ensure that he is as comfortable as possible. Sayer sees the world as it had once been, full of promise and hope. Time starts to flow through him and he watches the earth time-lapse. He feels he is part of the world, yet he also watches it as if he is an observer. The world evolves and ages. Civilizations rise and fall like a chest heaving with breath.

Dr. Rowan delves deep into Sayer's brain, psychologically dismantling it as the tiny probes work around.  There is an almost electrical sensation that tingles, pulsating through his head and body.  He is observing Sayer's entire being, down to his movements and demeanor to decipher everything that made him up.

The visions were an immense distraction from what was physically happening to his body. Sayer watches in horror as the societies on earth seem to rise to a crescendo. An apocalyptic tidal wave sweeps across the world and recedes showing the deterioration of humanity. Civilizations ebb and dwindle, sky cities rise from rubble. In his mind Sayer reaches out to feel the texture of time. Everything slows. It feels like each minute particle of the universe has become tangible and intertwined with him. He tries to comprehend the process he feels is happening, but he isn't sophisticated enough. He gives up on scrutiny and surrenders to the immersive experience.

Dr. Rowan squints his steely eyes and his pupils dilate to pinpoints as he stares out ahead of himself.  The microscopic fibers begin to recede and retract, slithering back from whence they came.  The hand gracefully slips away like a dark caress from the unknown.  He steps back and glances to each of the assistants.

Sayer 's mind is still lost in his surrealistic dream of time. He feels he has seen the essence of humanity and its connection with the universe. He floats in his dreamworld, unaware of what is happening outside his body.

Evolution (3)

Dr. Rowan squints his steely eyes and his pupils dilate to pinpoints as he stares out ahead of himself.  The microscopic fibers begin to recede and retract, slithering back from whence they came.  The hand gracefully slips away like a dark caress from the unknown.  He steps back and glances to each of the assistants.

Sayer 's mind is still lost in his surrealistic dream of time. He feels he has seen the essence of humanity and its connection with the universe. He floats in his dreamworld, unaware of what is happening outside his body.

Project 24 removes the device that was clasping onto Sayer's head and she moves in to examine him.  A regenerative serum is introduced into his bloodstream along with a higher dosage of the sedative.  "Sayer, you will now drift off into sleep."  Her voice intones gently.  "We will move you to a private recovery room until you awaken." Sayer wants to acknowledge the beautiful voice floating over the air but he can't get his mouth to move and say the words. He slips from dreamworld into deep sleep.

Dr. Rowan quietly steps out of the way as the assistants attend to Sayer. He begins working with devices on the other side of the room. Project 24 moves in unison with her sister to prepare a hovering gurney to move him.  Flexible metal arms like tentacles lift Sayer from the bed and gently rest him down it.

The sisters walk with the gurney as it moves him to a comfortable, sterile resting room. Project 23 makes sure Sayer is cozy as the sisters tuck him into bed.  They activate a small monitor sensor on the top of the bed to look over him.

Phoenix hears a sound as Dr. Rowan emerges from the lab, and approaches him pensively, her eyes full of emotion "Is Sayer ok?" The doctor pauses in front of Twelve.  He stares her down for a couple of seconds before nodding.  "The procedure was successful and he is resting."

"I thank you."

Dr. Rowan only stares back solemnly, still as a statue.  "You may go to observe him but please do not disturb him while he rests." Phoenix nods, "When may I be with him?" Dr. Rowan just gives a very vague answer.  "When he awakens..."

Phoenix assumes some sort of psychological acclimation process must complete. She nods "Very well. Thank you, doctor." Dr. Rowan captures the visage of the metallic woman with his icy colored eyes and nods, before leaving the room.

Phoenix walks down the hall and around to Sayer’s room. She walks up to the barrier, putting her hands and head on it, studying Sayer's form on the bed. She bites her lip, zooms in, switches back and forth from infrared, counts his pulse.

Sayer is deep in sleep, his mind flowing with surrealistic dreams.

Phoenix closes her eyes, satisfied he is ok, and begins to prepare herself for what is to come.

Evolution (4) [post by Phee]

Phoenix stood outside the transparent barrier enclosing the bed on which they’d placed Sayer after his procedure, her hands pressed against it, watching him, as she had been doing for hours.  She’d shed her synthskin disguise, armor, and weapons for a light silk dress.  The sense of peace and comfort aboard the Utopia airship was otherwordly; almost surreal.  She treasured the respite, most likely for the singular reason that the surroundings actually seemed to make the process less painful for her.

Phee caught a glimpse of movement as Sayer began to stir.  She froze, and her eyes widened.  So much time to prepare for this moment.  Replaying Cait’s sensor logs of Dawn’s last days over and over, reading her diaries, and still in this moment Phee found herself completely at a loss of what to say.  The doomed man was awakening, for the first time since what would continue of him had been taken.  Would he cry?  Would he scream?  Would he want to end it right then and get it over with?

He rolled his head to one side, his face relaxed, and leisurely opened his eyes.  An easy smile slowly spread across his face.  “Hello beautiful Phee.”

Phoenix turned to one of the attendants “He’s awake now.  May I enter?”

The attendant smiled serenely, touched a button, and the barrier seemed to fade from view.  She knelt next to his bed and put her hand on his shoulder.  She murmured, her voice heavy with emotion “Hello, sweet Sayer.”

Sayer reached out to stroke her cheek.  “Thank you for being here. How long have I been asleep?  It feels like I was in a dream that lasted for eons.”

Phee smiled and tilted her head with curiosity “About 11 hours.  How do you feel?”

Sayer blinked, his mind beginning to clear.  “I feel... like I have been part of something weighty with life, and change.  I’m not sure how to describe it.  Maybe it was just the strange dreams... but I feel different somehow.”

Phee took his hands and helped him stand.  She gave him a lingering, soft hug.  It always amazed her how easily life seemed to come to Sayer.  How like a flower growing from a crack on the street, he always seems to find a way to deny the death and sorrow that seemed to pervade their lives.  “What sort of dreams?”  she asked in a soft voice.

Sayer hugged back, letting his hands come to rest in her lower back.  “At first it was like someone was reaching into my mind, sharing my thoughts.  Then it was like I could feel their thoughts.  Not just see them, or know what they were... but actually feel what they had seen.”

Phee listened then laughed slightly “That’s what we experience when we link with each other.  Do you know who it was?”
“No, but it was probably just the medication affecting my dreams... maybe.  I didn’t realize it was like that when you link with someone.  It sounds so intense... and wonderful.”

"Sayer, I'm not sure what they did, but they did not have any neural tracing equipment or engram readers. Given what I know about Utopia, it was probably a biological process. That contact you sensed may have been your mind being recorded; backed up."

"I see. It was... intimate... and like nothing I have experienced before. I wish I could link like that with you."

Phee hugged him a little tighter “I do too, my Love.”  After what seemed like an eternity, she finally asked the question that had been consuming her.  “Are you … OK, Sayer?”

“I am.  I feel like I have had a life changing experience... but in a good way.  It’s like I can see things from a new perspective?”  then he broke into the boyish chuckle she so adored  “Or maybe I’m just still on the pain meds.”

Phoenix drew back slightly from the hug so she could see his face.  Her eyes were bright, alive, and full of wonder.  She was so amazed that he could so readily appreciate the moment.  He didn’t overthink.  He didn’t worry.  He just existed.  And even managed to laugh.  She hugged him tightly again, whispering in his ear, “You are an amazing man, Sayer.”

Sayer smiled into her neck “You are the amazing one, Phee.”  then kissed “What have you been doing while I was asleep?  I’m sorry I was out for so long.”

Phee let out a desperate laugh, feeling herself on the verge of sobs.  She didn’t speak for a few seconds; composing herself, then asked “How can you apologize at a time like this, Sayer?  I’d have been happy to wait a hundred years just to be here when you awoke.”

Sayer nuzzled her neck “I can’t believe how lucky I am.  Thank you.  What happens next?  Do they need any other procedures?”

“No.  Everything is done here.”

"I don't want to leave... it's like heaven here. But I know we have things to do back in the city... and the Shades... those people need help."

Phoenix shuddered as the irony of what he just said shoots through her like lightning.  “Are you sure?”

"We have to help them, right? They need your leadership. And I can... well, I'm not sure what I can do. 17 offered me a job as a botanist, and that is going to be great... but I want to do something to help the oppressed in the city, too."
Phoenix smiled at him “There is a lot you can do.”  then her face grew pensive “I … I don’t really understand this cloning process, but will you remember any of this, you know - after?”

Sayer’s eyes flashed with an instant of thoughtful contemplation, then he answered quickly “I don’t think so.  But you will remember, and you will tell me - right?”  He grins warmly.  “And no making stuff up!  I don’t want to hear about all kinds of embarrassing things you made up that I did just to tease me.” he said jokingly.

Phee let out a noise, something between a laugh and a sob, and hugged him tightly.  "Then I will begin by telling the story of how inspiring it was to see you accept and face your end with a courage unmatched in any heroic tale I've ever heard of. I'll say that the light of your life did not even flicker from the very first moment, and talk about how honored I was that you would entrust me with the essence of those last days."

Sayer’s eyes fill with tears.  He was at a loss for words, and overcome with emotion.  He held her tightly as the tears began to roll down his cheeks.  Finally he whispered “I love you.”

Phoenix rearranged the data in her sensory log storage subsystem, creating a protected archive entitled “Sayer.”  Then she said softly “I love you too, Sayer.”