War Between Sisters
The young woman let out an uneasy sigh as she leaned her left forearm against the glass barrier. The wall was all that separated her from her sister, who was in the next room. The woman watched as her sister was slowly brought into the human-sized body CAT scan. The scientist behind her hit several buttons and watched a screen, keeping close tabs on the woman in the contraption. Without turning, the first woman--clothed in a scarlet strapless dress slit high upon her right thigh--let her thoughts wander.
To be perfectly honest, she despised the old man behind her. Dr. Boskonovich was the one who had performed the CryoSleep experiment on herself and her sister those fifteen years ago, thus preserving their youth and looks. When they had both been reawakened, however, there had been a problem in her sister's brain. She had somehow contracted amnesia, it seemed, and thus remembered nothing. Had this been fifteen years earlier, she wouldn't have cared so much, as she and her sister were never on good terms. But now, now that her sister seemed....weak, in a way, she felt compelled to put the past behind her, and to turn her sister onto the right path.
The right path, she thought. For years, her sister had worked as an assassin. She was cold and emotionless on the job, and would do almost anything, if paid the right amount or given enough incentive. In fact, the reason why they had been put in the CryoSleep experiment was because her sister had been hired to kill a powerful member of the Mishima Conglomerate. When she had failed, he ordered her to be put to the test. The only reason she had to follow her sister into the experiment was that she didn't see why it would be fair for her sister to remain the same in youth and age, while she would grow old and lose her beauty over fifteen years. Truth be told, it was all vanity.
A squeak, a few taps on keys, then a hoarse cough. The young woman turned to look at the elderly Russian scientist. The look on his face was grim. "I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "There is nothing I can do."
The young woman sighed. "Why is it I have my memories, and Nina has nothing?" she asked, trying to keep her temper in check. Dr. Boskonovich shook his head again, then glanced at a few things on the computer screen he had been inspecting. Beckoning the woman closer, he pointed out a few things onscreen.
"Right here is where Nina would keep all her life's memories," he said, coughing into a loosely clenched left fist. "As you can see, there is very little brain activity there. I do not know what happened. Now, with you," he stopped, then typed something onto the computer screen, which brought up another brain-scan, this one more brightly colored. "With you, Anna, you woke up with no side effects whatsoever."
Anna looked back at the CAT scanner, and her sister coming out. For the first time in a long time, Anna felt bad for her sister. Nina looked so pale, so young, and so alone. The blonde woman laid on the stretcher for the scanner, clad in gray undergarments, eyes closed, and Anna hid her face in her right hand, clenching her left fist. Don't lash out, don't lash out, she chastised herself, trying not to get frustrated with the Russian scientist. She couldn't help getting angry though...if only he had made sure the CryoSleep was 100% foolproof before submitting Nina and herself to the tests!
Suddenly, a withered old hand laid itself on her bare shoulder, and she jumped at the dry coldness of it, then shrugged it off and turned to Dr. Boskonovich.
"I am dreadfully sorry, Anna," he said. He reached out and took her right hand, patting it in a grandfatherly manner. "If I could, you know I would bring Nina's memories back."
Furious, Anna yanked her hand away from the scientist and slapped him across the face. "Don't you ever touch me again, old man," she snarled, rubbing her hand. "You'd just be glad your hand was off my shoulder." She narrowed her eyes at Boskonovich, who held his cheek in his hand, eyes wide with shock, allowing all his 88 years to show, in the expression on his face. Anna refused to feel sorry for him, though, and instead stalked over to a glass door, which would allow her into the experimental room, where Nina lay on the CAT scan stretcher. She laid a red-gloved hand on the door, was about to step out, when she heard the old Russian clear his throat. She peered over her shoulder at him, pushing a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "What do you want now, Doctor?" she asked shortly.
The old scientist straightened, dropping his hand from his cheek. "I was merely going to suggest, Anna, that if you want to help Nina as much as you have me believing, bring her to a familiar place. It may jump-start her mind," he said in a quiet voice. Anna stood silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Thank you Boskonovich," she muttered. She took the door handle in her hand and walked out into the experimental chamber, her stiletto heels clicking on the sterile steel floor. Anna stalked over to the CAT scanner and shook Nina's shoulder gently. The blonde woman's icy eyes fluttered and opened, and she looked up at Anna drowsily.
"A-Anna?" she murmured, stifling a yawn. Anna nodded, a gentle smile on her face as she took Nina's arm and helped her sit up.
"It's me. C'mon, we're gonna go on a little trip," she replied. Her heels clicking on the cold steel floor, she walked over to a small rack, where clothes were hung. She grabbed a deep violet blouse and a black knee-length skirt, then a long, black coat, and brought them over to Nina. The blonde was shaking her head slowly, gradually rising to her feet, as Anna handed the bundle to her. "Here, put this on."
Nina glanced at the clothes, then at Anna in slight confusion. "Why formal clothes?" she asked in a small voice.
Anna sighed. "Because we're going to visit someone," she replied. Nina nodded, then pulled the shirt over her head, shaking her blonde locks out. Anna handed her sister the skirt, then turned as Nina pulled it on. A moment later, she handed her sister a pair of calf-length black boots, which Nina zipped on obligingly, and helped her put the coat on. Once she was dressed, Nina rubbed her forehead, then looked up at Anna.
"Thank you." Anna shrugged it off, then pulled her own scarlet mink coat on, looking behind Nina, through the glass wall, and straight at Boskonovich. The elderly Russian scientist watched the sisters, expressionless.
Thirty minutes later, Nina and Anna climbed out of a yellow taxi-cab. Anna held a bouquet of roses in her arms, and Nina wore a look of confusion on her face.
"Stay here. We'll be back in five minutes," Anna told the cabbie. The ebony-haired driver nodded, then leaned back in his seat, pulling out the newspaper and immersing himself in the day's top stories. Nodding with approval, Anna then turned to Nina and smiled. "Come, now. Let's go, we've got five minutes," she instructed, coming up alongside Nina. The blonde nodded slowly, and the two sisters walked up the concrete walkway, into the small graveyard, Anna clutching the roses to herself as if she needed them to survive. This had better jump-start her memory, Anna thought to herself, leading Nina to a gravestone. Once Anna found what she was looking for, she halted for a moment, reading over the marble headstone once again.
Nina glanced at the tombstone blindly. Why am I here? she thought. Tilting her head to the left in slight confusion, she looked around the cemetery. No one else was around but her and Anna. Not to mention the cabbie waiting for them. Suddenly, she noticed Anna walking toward the grave marker, and watched as she set the flowers down in front of the grave. Still puzzled, she glanced at the marble headstone and read the information engraved on it: R. Williams: Beloved father and husband. From out of nowhere, an immense pain entered Nina's forehead, and she groaned, bringing her hands to the sides of her head.
It was coming back slightly. She saw the grave again, the funeral procession, and the smirk on Anna's face as she sauntered away from the grave. Their father had died suddenly and violently. His death was unexplained, as no one could figure out who would want to kill Richard Williams. Nina convulsed as she remembered the fury she felt toward Anna, who she somehow knew had something to do with their father's massacre.
Nina moaned, the memory threatening to rip her in two.
Anna looked over at her sister and gasped, "Oh no." She dashed over to comfort her sister, putting an arm around her shoulders and lowering her head to see into Nina's eyes. "Nina, Nina, calm down! What's the matter?" she asked soothingly.
Nina growled, standing up abruptly and slapping Anna with such force that the scarlet-clothed woman fell to the snow in front of the grave. Shocked, Anna held her cheek in her hand, feeling the heat from Nina's hand, then glanced up. Angrily, Nina stalked up to her sister, looked down on her, and jabbed her finger at her as she spoke. "You bitch. How dare you act as if you knew nothing about that night!" she sneered. Anna gazed up at her blankly, unknowing, and Nina's blood boiled. Gritting her teeth, she kicked Anna in the calf with the pointed toe of her boot, then stalked away toward the cab in a huff.
Still dazed, Anna sat up further and fanned her hand on her cheek. It was still warm from Nina's smack, and she sighed as she watched her retreating figure. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she smiled as she rose to her feet and walked calmly after her sister. It worked, she thought, smirking. The lil' visit worked after all.
The young woman let out an uneasy sigh as she leaned her left forearm against the glass barrier. The wall was all that separated her from her sister, who was in the next room. The woman watched as her sister was slowly brought into the human-sized body CAT scan. The scientist behind her hit several buttons and watched a screen, keeping close tabs on the woman in the contraption. Without turning, the first woman--clothed in a scarlet strapless dress slit high upon her right thigh--let her thoughts wander.
To be perfectly honest, she despised the old man behind her. Dr. Boskonovich was the one who had performed the CryoSleep experiment on herself and her sister those fifteen years ago, thus preserving their youth and looks. When they had both been reawakened, however, there had been a problem in her sister's brain. She had somehow contracted amnesia, it seemed, and thus remembered nothing. Had this been fifteen years earlier, she wouldn't have cared so much, as she and her sister were never on good terms. But now, now that her sister seemed....weak, in a way, she felt compelled to put the past behind her, and to turn her sister onto the right path.
The right path, she thought. For years, her sister had worked as an assassin. She was cold and emotionless on the job, and would do almost anything, if paid the right amount or given enough incentive. In fact, the reason why they had been put in the CryoSleep experiment was because her sister had been hired to kill a powerful member of the Mishima Conglomerate. When she had failed, he ordered her to be put to the test. The only reason she had to follow her sister into the experiment was that she didn't see why it would be fair for her sister to remain the same in youth and age, while she would grow old and lose her beauty over fifteen years. Truth be told, it was all vanity.
A squeak, a few taps on keys, then a hoarse cough. The young woman turned to look at the elderly Russian scientist. The look on his face was grim. "I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "There is nothing I can do."
The young woman sighed. "Why is it I have my memories, and Nina has nothing?" she asked, trying to keep her temper in check. Dr. Boskonovich shook his head again, then glanced at a few things on the computer screen he had been inspecting. Beckoning the woman closer, he pointed out a few things onscreen.
"Right here is where Nina would keep all her life's memories," he said, coughing into a loosely clenched left fist. "As you can see, there is very little brain activity there. I do not know what happened. Now, with you," he stopped, then typed something onto the computer screen, which brought up another brain-scan, this one more brightly colored. "With you, Anna, you woke up with no side effects whatsoever."
Anna looked back at the CAT scanner, and her sister coming out. For the first time in a long time, Anna felt bad for her sister. Nina looked so pale, so young, and so alone. The blonde woman laid on the stretcher for the scanner, clad in gray undergarments, eyes closed, and Anna hid her face in her right hand, clenching her left fist. Don't lash out, don't lash out, she chastised herself, trying not to get frustrated with the Russian scientist. She couldn't help getting angry though...if only he had made sure the CryoSleep was 100% foolproof before submitting Nina and herself to the tests!
Suddenly, a withered old hand laid itself on her bare shoulder, and she jumped at the dry coldness of it, then shrugged it off and turned to Dr. Boskonovich.
"I am dreadfully sorry, Anna," he said. He reached out and took her right hand, patting it in a grandfatherly manner. "If I could, you know I would bring Nina's memories back."
Furious, Anna yanked her hand away from the scientist and slapped him across the face. "Don't you ever touch me again, old man," she snarled, rubbing her hand. "You'd just be glad your hand was off my shoulder." She narrowed her eyes at Boskonovich, who held his cheek in his hand, eyes wide with shock, allowing all his 88 years to show, in the expression on his face. Anna refused to feel sorry for him, though, and instead stalked over to a glass door, which would allow her into the experimental room, where Nina lay on the CAT scan stretcher. She laid a red-gloved hand on the door, was about to step out, when she heard the old Russian clear his throat. She peered over her shoulder at him, pushing a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "What do you want now, Doctor?" she asked shortly.
The old scientist straightened, dropping his hand from his cheek. "I was merely going to suggest, Anna, that if you want to help Nina as much as you have me believing, bring her to a familiar place. It may jump-start her mind," he said in a quiet voice. Anna stood silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Thank you Boskonovich," she muttered. She took the door handle in her hand and walked out into the experimental chamber, her stiletto heels clicking on the sterile steel floor. Anna stalked over to the CAT scanner and shook Nina's shoulder gently. The blonde woman's icy eyes fluttered and opened, and she looked up at Anna drowsily.
"A-Anna?" she murmured, stifling a yawn. Anna nodded, a gentle smile on her face as she took Nina's arm and helped her sit up.
"It's me. C'mon, we're gonna go on a little trip," she replied. Her heels clicking on the cold steel floor, she walked over to a small rack, where clothes were hung. She grabbed a deep violet blouse and a black knee-length skirt, then a long, black coat, and brought them over to Nina. The blonde was shaking her head slowly, gradually rising to her feet, as Anna handed the bundle to her. "Here, put this on."
Nina glanced at the clothes, then at Anna in slight confusion. "Why formal clothes?" she asked in a small voice.
Anna sighed. "Because we're going to visit someone," she replied. Nina nodded, then pulled the shirt over her head, shaking her blonde locks out. Anna handed her sister the skirt, then turned as Nina pulled it on. A moment later, she handed her sister a pair of calf-length black boots, which Nina zipped on obligingly, and helped her put the coat on. Once she was dressed, Nina rubbed her forehead, then looked up at Anna.
"Thank you." Anna shrugged it off, then pulled her own scarlet mink coat on, looking behind Nina, through the glass wall, and straight at Boskonovich. The elderly Russian scientist watched the sisters, expressionless.
Thirty minutes later, Nina and Anna climbed out of a yellow taxi-cab. Anna held a bouquet of roses in her arms, and Nina wore a look of confusion on her face.
"Stay here. We'll be back in five minutes," Anna told the cabbie. The ebony-haired driver nodded, then leaned back in his seat, pulling out the newspaper and immersing himself in the day's top stories. Nodding with approval, Anna then turned to Nina and smiled. "Come, now. Let's go, we've got five minutes," she instructed, coming up alongside Nina. The blonde nodded slowly, and the two sisters walked up the concrete walkway, into the small graveyard, Anna clutching the roses to herself as if she needed them to survive. This had better jump-start her memory, Anna thought to herself, leading Nina to a gravestone. Once Anna found what she was looking for, she halted for a moment, reading over the marble headstone once again.
Nina glanced at the tombstone blindly. Why am I here? she thought. Tilting her head to the left in slight confusion, she looked around the cemetery. No one else was around but her and Anna. Not to mention the cabbie waiting for them. Suddenly, she noticed Anna walking toward the grave marker, and watched as she set the flowers down in front of the grave. Still puzzled, she glanced at the marble headstone and read the information engraved on it: R. Williams: Beloved father and husband. From out of nowhere, an immense pain entered Nina's forehead, and she groaned, bringing her hands to the sides of her head.
It was coming back slightly. She saw the grave again, the funeral procession, and the smirk on Anna's face as she sauntered away from the grave. Their father had died suddenly and violently. His death was unexplained, as no one could figure out who would want to kill Richard Williams. Nina convulsed as she remembered the fury she felt toward Anna, who she somehow knew had something to do with their father's massacre.
Nina moaned, the memory threatening to rip her in two.
Anna looked over at her sister and gasped, "Oh no." She dashed over to comfort her sister, putting an arm around her shoulders and lowering her head to see into Nina's eyes. "Nina, Nina, calm down! What's the matter?" she asked soothingly.
Nina growled, standing up abruptly and slapping Anna with such force that the scarlet-clothed woman fell to the snow in front of the grave. Shocked, Anna held her cheek in her hand, feeling the heat from Nina's hand, then glanced up. Angrily, Nina stalked up to her sister, looked down on her, and jabbed her finger at her as she spoke. "You bitch. How dare you act as if you knew nothing about that night!" she sneered. Anna gazed up at her blankly, unknowing, and Nina's blood boiled. Gritting her teeth, she kicked Anna in the calf with the pointed toe of her boot, then stalked away toward the cab in a huff.
Still dazed, Anna sat up further and fanned her hand on her cheek. It was still warm from Nina's smack, and she sighed as she watched her retreating figure. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she smiled as she rose to her feet and walked calmly after her sister. It worked, she thought, smirking. The lil' visit worked after all.