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Chained to the State
Chapter One, Embracing the State.
"Water: 35 litres. Carbon: 20 kg. Ammonia: 4 litres. Lime: 1.5 kg. Phosphorus: 800 g. Salt: 250 g. Saltpetre: 100 g. Sulphur: 80 g. Fluorine: 7.5 g. Iron: 5 g. Silicon: 4, no 3 grams. And 15 other elements in small quantities, I can do this. Come on, pull yourself together; you have four years of training just for today." Lena Coles was saying to herself while wandering the corridors of the military's Central Command Center. As much as she hated to admit it; she was lost. And well on her way to being late for her State Alchemist exam.
Now running down the hallways at top speed with arms full of test tubes and papers, Lena saw only a blur of the doors and faces of military personnel as she dashed past. "Dammit! I hate this pl-" she was cut off by the impact of running into someone. Lena looked down to see her research notes and test tubes sprawled across the floor. Bending down to pick them up, she felt tears coming to her eyes.
"I'll be late for sure now …"
"Late for what?" a man asked. He was on his knees helping her pick up the mess. "I'm Lt. Colonel Hughes, pleasure to meet you." Hughes said sticking out his hand.
"Oh, hello, I'm Lena Coles. I'm sorry for running into you, and I'm sorry again, but I really need to find the Practical Test Arena for the State Alchemist exam …"
"State Alchemist eh? Becoming one of those circus freaks," he said with a smile, but it still hurt Lena though that he thought of alchemists as freaks. "Don't worry, I'll get you there in no time!" he finished helping Lena up.
"And on the way there, I can tell you about my beautiful wife and daughter! Oh you should meet her! Little Elicia just turned three! Can you believe it? Three?!"
--
"Alright, there we go. The exams take place just beyond these doors." Hughes said as he stopped walking.
"Thanks so much, I thought I'd be late for sure." Lena tried to move all her papers to stretch out her right hand.
Hughes' face changed from his usual happy demeanour to a more sombre look as he shook her hand. "Why are you becoming a State Alchemist anyway? I've seen only sorrow come to those who walked out that door."
"Umm…" Lena couldn't answer right away. The sudden change in behaviour threw her off guard. "I … I … umm…I want to change the world of science. But I can't do that without changing the thinking of those at the top."
Hughes continued to shake her hand, and his attitude became that of his usual self. "Well, good luck kid. And don't forget to hold onto those dreams," He started to walk away, "Sometimes they can push you far."
Lena stood there for a few seconds collecting her thoughts. She turned and looked at the big double doors. "This is it …"
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"State Alchemists; 'The People's Alchemist', 'Dogs of the Military', scientists, and philosophers. Before you can become any of those, you must first pass your practical skill test." The Fuhrer stated calmly before sitting down on his throne-like chair. "You have exactly five minutes to impress me: starting… now."
Talk about pressure… Lena took a deep breath in. After so many years of planning and experiments this was it. Five minutes to completely describe a controversial technique of alchemy that's never been used before. Alright,
"Hello I'm Lena Coles …" she was quickly setting up test tubes and clearing space on the table in front of her while talking. "And today I have a quick demonstration to show you," she grabbed the short knife on the table. "This is a display of a whole new field of science," Lena didn't take her eyes off the knife as she sliced down her left arm. The blood was quickly collected into a disk; while Lena's right hand hit several vital points on her left arm, before drawing a circle around the wound. Touching the outside of the circle the gash was closed. Lena took a deep breath in, and then clapped her hands so the intricate tattoos on either hand connected.
"Now, watch carefully as these blood cells are transformed." She said as her hands hit the small puddle of blood. With a flash of blue light the red blood inside the disk was converted into a white glob. This was swiftly scooped and placed in a syringe. Time for the second act,
"This is when things get interesting," she allowed herself a glance up at the Fuhrer before drawing out yet another large transmutation circle on the table. This time she placed her whole left arm into the circle, along with a small pile of ingredients. Picking up the knife again she closed her eyes for a moment as the edge sliced down on her pinkie finger on her left hand. Without crying out in pain, she ignored the gushing of blood and grabbed the syringe from before. Lena stuck the point into the end of the stub where her finger used to be. She then hit her right hand on the outside of the circle. The blue light seemed to be connected to her finger tips as she strikes the place where her smallest finger used to be. Holding it there, sweat drops started to roll past her eyes. Suddenly the blue light was gone, however her finger was back. Breathing heavily she looked up at the panel and the Fuhrer.
"Just as salamanders can grow back limbs and tails once they have been pulled off; I have found away to use these stem cells to grow back human parts. With a little more research I feel that this technique will give us endless possibilities: from re-growing livers, to healing diseases. As you saw today it is a promising form of alchemy and it can give the military real results. Thank you."
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"Water: 35 litres. Carbon: 20 kg. Ammonia: 4 litres. Lime: 1.5 kg. Phosphorus: 800 g. Salt: 250 g. Saltpetre: 100 g. Sulphur: 80 g. Fluorine: 7.5 g. Iron: 5 g. Silicon: 3 grams. And 15 other elements in small quantities. What is this guy a complete nutter?" Brigadier General Chavarria said tossing a paper marked 'Shou Tucker – The Sewing-Life Alchemist'. "You know sometimes I don't know what the hell these 'research alchemists' are thinking! They're just sucking up government funds."
Her student Eva gave her a cold look, "And your not? You're supposed to be marking these papers not throwing them…"
Chavarria but on a hurt face, "What do you know anyway. You've been a State Alchemist for what? A week?"
"I may have been here for only a week, but a least I know enough not to throw papers Ms. Brigadier General." Eva said with a smug look.
"I told you already; cut it with the formalities. You can call me Sophia," Sophia said. She was never one for long titles and now she was known as 'Brigadier General Sophitia Chavarria the Electrocution Alchemist'. It got even worst when her underling added 'Miss' on top of all that. 'Sophia' was just fine to her.
"I have a new report here," said Master Sgt. Fuery while knocking on the door of General's office.
"Hey there Fuery," Sophia said skipping toward the shy soldier, "Have any messages from the Colonel?" Sophia prided the fact that she was an independent woman, but she had always held a soft spot for Colonel Mustang.
"Ms. Chavarria, Brigadier Generals don't skip. And besides, women in the twenties don't skip either." Eva said as she took the envelope from Fuery.
Sophia stopped mid-skip, "Aw come on Eva! You're no fun!" she pouted for a moment, then remember her original question, "So Fuery did he say anything?"
"Umm…" poor Fuery wasn't in the mood to bring bad news, especially to a higher ranking officer, "Not today Brigadier General, but First Lt. Hawkeye's been hard on him these last few days, umm, maybe tomorrow?" he started to sidestep his way out the door.
"Don't worry General; I'm sure he'll notice your creepy attempts to show your love to him." said Eva while opening the envelope.
"They are not creepy! And I don't love him. I just think he is a good looking man, and,"
"Sure, I believe you Ms. General,"
"IT'S SOPHIA!" sometimes having a student working under you was more work than it was worth.
"General Sophia, look at these research notes. We have a new State Alchemist running around Central now," Eva handed Sophia the papers.
"As long as they're not working for me, I'm good," she answered taking a gander at the report. Usually Sophia would pull a fast read with the State Alchemist reports, but this one caught her eye. The words 'Human Transmutation' were used quite a few times. On a good day you could mention it to another alchemist, but around the military Human Transmutation is one of the ultimate taboos. And yet here it was on a new State Alchemist's report.
"What was the Fuhrer thinking?" Sophia asked in surprise. Something didn't seem right about this alchemist. "Here, I don't even want to mark this …"
Eva took the paper from her superior's hands again. She started to read through the file more intently, "They are called the 'Renewal Alchemist', and it says their speciality is blood; lovely," she stopped for a moment, and a rare smile spread across her face, "Their name should have been the 'Hemoglobin Alchemist',"
Sophia sat thinking about it for a moment, "Oh! I get it! Good one Eva! Hemoglobin, ha!"
Though she really had only been working under Sophitia Chavarria for a week, Ishlevalia Lee, or 'Eva', had grown used to her strange sense of humour. At least she stopped making racial 'Ishvalan' jokes. Though Sophia never meant them, the proud Eva felt a sting every time her people were brought up in a negative sense. Technically, only half Ishvalan, it still made her the underdog in all aspects of live. It took Eva nearly five years of retaking the State Alchemist exam before she was accepted. Now however she was sitting in a cramped office that just fit three desks and a large filing cabinet. Eva looked over to see that Sophia was still laughing at the previous joke. She shook her head. How someone as smart and powerful as a Brigadier General, giggle and skip around her office was a mystery to Eva.
"Heehee, haemoglobin is a funny word …" Sophia sighed collecting herself, "As long as we don't have to deal with them, right Eves?"
Eva nodded her head, "And how do you get 'Eves' out of Ishlevalia Ms. Sophia?"
"Just Sophia! Cut the formalities, it's not that hard. Oh, and get me a coffee Eves,"
"No." Eva said smugly, and added, "Sophia."
"Why, YOU!"
They both started to laugh.
"Seriously though, I need a coffee."
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And that's le end of the beginning, tune in soon for the Culyers!