Chapter 1: A Silver Star...


Her first happy memory was when a worn, tired, and haggard old man in a white lab coat held out a burnished silver necklace to her. A shining star, made of the same precious material as the slender chain that looped around as a strap, and a glimmering blue sapphire set within the center of it's silver arms. It had been the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"Take it, it's yours now." The man's quiet and raspy voice echoed through the barren room, decorated sparsely with childish furniture.

The young girl's head barely came to the man's knees, her head tilted upwards as she stared up at him with wide angel blue eyes that glimmered with awe. The child held out her hands in barely contained wonder, and he gently placed the necklace in her small hands. "It's a starfish. My daughter's favorite animal," the man explained at her curious gaze, a heavy look upon his face, wrinkled by age and stress.

"Daughter?" the girl asked as she looked up at the man with a childish curiosity.

"Yes... You're... a lot like her, though she's gone now... I miss her, you know?" He paused,and seemed to take a second to choose his next words. "I'm sorry... I don't... that's not fair to you. I'm sorry... Maureen. Happy Birthday." The tired man's voice was heavy with melancholy and regret. The conversation seemed to end there, his final words brooking no extra comments, and he turned to leave. The door slid open with a quiet hiss, before sliding back shut, the only other sound being that of his footsteps that quickly faded behind the door.

The small girl was confused and a little saddened at the man's sudden departure, however she happily turned her attention back to the silver and blue starfish in her hand. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

And it was her's now! She had never been given anything like this before! The white coat people got mad when she even touched anything in the evaluation rooms! But...

"What's a starfish?" Maureen mused to herself in thought for a moment, tilting her head curiously at her new possession. Suddenly, a rush of experiences, a surge of emotions, it all filled the girl's mind like a barely contained flood.

The sea water was cold as she picked up the starfish from the beach. It was blue and purple, larger than her hand. "Wow..." came a voice not her own. She whirled around, holding her prize in the air. "Daddy! Daddy! Look what I found!"

Maureen blinked rapidly as she came back from the memory. Sometimes this happened, where she'd remember something she'd never done or seen before. Usually it was from learning about letters or numbers though, and this memory had been stronger than her usual ones. She could still feel the rough, slimy exterior of the sea star in her hands, and the warm sand against her bare feet. Maureen wiggled her toes against the coverings of her white shoes experimentally, as she glanced down at them.

The friendlier white coat people said the memories weren't her own but her donor's. She hadn't known what a donor was, and when she asked, the white coat people had started getting into even more things she didn't understand, like 'templates' and 'DNA'... this 'donor' seemed like an important person though, and sounded like she'd helped her come into the world. She seemed like a nice person, through the memories, Maureen thought to herself. She hoped that her donor was alright.

Putting on the necklace, she giggled to herself and skipped to her pink vanity dresser, decorated cutely with stickers and a few hand painted designs. Looking into the large mirror above the dresser she saw the soft blue jewel at the center of the necklace matched her angel blue eyes. The silver arms of the starfish that stretched out from the center of the blue jewel was a pleasant contrast to her mocha skin tone. With her favorite white sundress on and her long raven black hair recently brushed Maureen thought she was the prettiest she had ever looked.

Maureen danced and skipped around her large, but bare, windowless room in exuberant happiness. The plain, white walls with a spattering of different colored flowers painted on didn't seem so boring anymore. The thought of synchronization tests, physical examinations and LCL experiments couldn't keep her down! Her happy steps echoed off the walls as they slapped down against the white resin tiles, looking almost like the sterile floors of a hospital.

The seemingly five year old girl danced around the room until she was out of breath and collapsed on her large, comfortable bed. As she laid there and caught her breath, Maureen realized that she hadn't expressed how much the starfish necklace meant to her.

She had to thank the man that gave her her first gift ever. Doctor Creidhne was his name, if Maureen remembered correctly... He usually didn't talk to her despite almost always being there for her experiments. He always seemed sad when he looked at her, and she knew he was one of the scientists that had a major part in making her.

The young girl sprang up from her bed and walked with a cheerful purpose to her door. Reaching out to press the button that controlled it, the door opened with a soft hiss as it slid into the wall. A guard in a red and white NERV uniform, armed with a pistol around his waist turned to look down at the small girl.

He gave her a professional looking smile, the kind of smile a cashier would grow used to giving customers. "Hello, First Saint, what's that you got there?" This was the best day ever! She even had one of the nice guards! None of the guards were terribly mean to her but many of them seemed to just ignore her, or pretend that she didn't even exist sometimes.

"It's a gift! Isn't it pretty?" Maureen nearly shouted up at the man. The guard, a man in his late thirties with a small scar next to his right eye was taken aback. He had never witnessed the girl even smile before. Did the cheap looking necklace really make her so happy? He didn't have any kids although him and Emily were trying now. Guess even Saints could still act like a little girl sometimes.

"Haha..." the guard laughed awkwardly, taken aback by her exuberance. "Yes, it's very pretty, Saint. Did Doctor Creidhne give it to you?"

"Yes, he did! I want to go thank him!" Maureen almost seemed to demand with a cheery voice.

He would have to report that. Doctor Creidhne was known for being a sad and grumpy fuck, not the type give presents to his experiments. It was a little strange and out of character. However he knew Doctor Creidhne had a major role in the First Saints' production, something to do with being the head for her rDNA work or something. Maybe he was a little more emotionally attached to this one?

Could have been him just trying to make sure his work wasn't suicidal, he supposed. The girl was usually just... sad.

The NERV guard made a mental note to try the same trick with his daughter, if he ever ended up having one. If all little girls were so easy that they could be bought off with cheap jewelry, being a dad would be a cinch.

"I'll take you to his private lab, First Saint, he's probably working late, like usual."

"Ok, thanks!" the artificial girl said with an excited smile. He didn't want to admit it, but it warmed his heart to see her so happy. Maybe he could bring her something every once and awhile... like a doll. Little girls liked those right?

The NERV guard unclipped a radio from his security vest and brought it to his mouth, radioing in, "First Saint requesting roaming, Shugo 4 will provide escort."

The armed guard and little girl began their walk through the metal hallways, painted white with red lines circling the walls, floor and cycling every so often. The few doors along the passageways were all labeled with bold red lettering marking their purpose.

WATER CLOSET FEMALE

LAB 67

AE LAB

CHOW HALL 23

The halls were quiet and cold, there was never much activity in this part of the facility unless an important test was being conducted. Maureen didn't enjoy walking through this section when they were empty like this. She felt small and alone even with her escort.

The pair came to a door marked: PRIVATE LAB CREIDHNE

"Here we are, First Saint."

Before the security escort had a chance to say anything else the little girl pressed the door button and hurried inside.

The room was well lit with a cot pressed up against the far right corner, and a desk against the center wall with organized piles of papers and folders labeled TOP SECRET FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. Far left of the room was a Doctor Creidhne sitting in a chair looking at a picture frame on what looked to be a personal desk with additional photos, books, and journals scattered across its surface, along with a half eaten meal.

Maureen skipped over cheerfully to the Doctor and started to say something, but when no excited words of thanks came from her, the NERV guard peered over curiously, before he walked towards the pair.

Maureen stared at Doctor Creidhne with wide eyes, who looked downwards with half-closed and listless expression at one of the picture frames sitting on his desk. An open bottle of pills was held loosely in his left hand.

The NERV soldier quickly grabbed the Saint and dragged her from the room. As he marched down the hallway with the stumbling girl behind him, he grabbed his radio. "This is Shugo 4, code Manet. Escorting First Saint to Galilee. Victim is Doctor Creidhne."

The pair quickly reached Maureen's room, and more men in NERV uniforms appeared from around the corridor, behind them followed medics and other emergency personnel. Her escort pushed Maureen into her room and closed the door.

Behind her door she could hear her ex-escort talking to the other guards that the First Saint was fine. Doctor Creidhne however, was likely suffering from a drug overdose. She heard they're hurried footsteps down the hallways as they went to the Doctor's Lab.

Maureen didn't know what "drug overdose" meant, before a memory flashed through her mind again.

A woman lying on a bed, eyes glazed from her high as I walked passed her room. Mom took more pills again. She should probably help her... but she didn't enter her mom's room. It was easier to just ignore things.

Maureen didn't know what to do. She stared at the silver star hanging from her neck and thought about the picture Doctor Creidhne had used his last moments of life to stare at. The doctor with an arm around a young woman with blue eyes, tanned skin, and black hair. A silver star hanging from her neck. The father and daughter on a sunny beach, smiling in happiness and contentment.

Maureen stifled a sob as tears began to trickle down from her eyes, feeling warm against her skin. The girl in the picture looked just like her, she must have been her mysterious donor and Doctor Creidhne's daughter. But… why did Doctor Creidhne attempt to kill himself? And why was her donor dead? Was it because of her? Was it her fault?

Confused and hurt, Maureen walked towards her bed as she tried to wipe away the tears clouding her vision. She crawled into the warm, sympathetic covers and hid from the confusing world. As she cried herself to sleep the little girl, tightly held her first and only gift in her small hands until it hurt, and wished everything was different.


Hello and thanks for reading! This is my first fanfic I've ever written so I apologize for the terrible quality. I welcome any and all criticism, as my main goal is to improve as a writer. That being said this story was heavily influenced and jointly written (and edited) with the help of a friend. You're the Ruby to my Sapphire! Ha! Lol... anywhy this was also made to express my love for the EVA universe, thanks again and I hope to write again!