D O U B T

Edward stared at the far wall, the lights in his room darkened. There was nothing to see other than the utter darkness that always followed nine o' clock exactly, plunging the entire world into a blackout that can only be achieved hundreds of feet beneath the ground. It suddenly felt very oppresive down here in the barracks, and even the steady, even sound of Kojak's breathing couldn't block out the feeling that the world was coming down on top of him. It was strange that Ed hadn't thought about the thousands upon thousands of tons of bedrock above his head, how he'd never contemplated just what would happen should the supports fail. Having had a taste of the air outside, the underground felt alien and disorienting all over again. It was like being entombed alive, and Edward realized just why Nirvana might hate this place.

His thoughts rewound to the events of the previous day before all the other madness had ensued. That night, they'd been lucky. In fact, they'd been incredibly lucky. Normally entire teams were wiped out by drones, flattened into the ground by those strange weapons that cut the desert floor like cookie cutters into the fine sand. Sweat accumulated in the small of his back. Even thinking about those dreadful machines that had somehow managed to find and attack them brought on an animal panic he couldn't seem to fight down. His thoughts always followed the trail from the point of the machines to the devastation they could create. Willow's sheared off leg came to mind, and Edward had the urge to throw up then and there. The image of that bloody limb, missing half of the calf and the entirety of the ankle and foot, brought back so many memories of his own folly, though the amputation of his own limbs came by a different means. Ed swallowed, scared of what sort of nightmares he may have now. The dreams of his mother now follow with the imagined deaths of Alphonse and Winry, as well as the atrocities that had happened as of late.

Finally, Edward couldn't take it. The dark room was too punishing. The horrible feeling of being buried alive was engulfing him. He needed air. He needed space. Though the barrack wasn't cramped, it was generally close in terms of size. There was enough room for the both of them to be comfortable under normal circumstances, but Ed's circumstances happened to be the exception at the moment. After stumbling around in the dark, Ed found the door knob (which was a strange, long shape, not at all the knoblike device he was used to) and he pushed out into the hall. Strip lights in the floor glowed an almost bioluminescent greenish yellow, just barely lighting the way down the corridors of the barracks that were located on the center of the Oasis compound, wrapping around the Hole at its highest level. The corridor had a low ceiling at nearly six and a half feet, and the width was also slightly pressed at a scant four feet, allowing perhaps two people shoulder to shoulder. Ed's sense of being trapped only mounted as he hurried down the lengths of so many corridors lit by eerie illumination. He finally reached the large doors that marked the exit. He opened the door to come out to a walkway that went as far as the lip of the Hole.

The Hole was big enough, and the rest of the compound ventilated well enough, that a breeze could pass through beneath the ground. Though it only gave the semblance of open air, the vast space of emptiness that was the giant hole was enough for Edward to be satisfied. His claustrophobia fading, he frowned. What was he going to do now? He knew that going to sleep was not an option. He walked towards one of the eleven giant elevators that the Hole featured. They were ingeniously built so that they could split into another eleven separate elevators by themselves, each with the ability to hold nearly twenty people. At night, the number of elevators running was almost the same as the day, and there were plenty other elevators through out the compound, though the Hole's elevators were probably the most efficient and well maintained. Ed followed a crowd of farmers who passed by the barracks to the elevator, which was made completely of glass right down to the five-inch thick glass that made up the floor. If anything could get rid of his claustrophobia, it was that elevator.

Ed steeled himself as he got into it. Memories of a blood-spattered Willow going into one of the clear glass boxes ran through his mind as she was rushed to the medical sector of the compound, and he swallowed as sweat broke out on his hands and his forehead. The farmers that were pressed in on almost all sides passed furtive, though secretive, glances at the strange looking alchemist. His long hair and tan skin stood out in this group of short, dark-haired men with stark pale complexions. There were very few in the compound who had as dark skin as Ed or Nirvana, and even Nirvana was stretching it. Kojak was an incredible anomaly underneath the ground, though Edward had caught a glimpse of several more dark-skinned fellows as well. Ed caught the looks of the farmers, and he stared at them unabashedly, almost daring them to say something or ask a question. They immediately averted their eyes to the floor or to the walls. Ed tried his hardest not to look at the floor as they went down. He didn't even bother to press a button. He would get off where he pleased, just to wander around. In fact, if he got lost, he wouldn't mind it. Not one bit.

For several minutes, Edward rode the elevator, just looking out the glass to the bright lights that lit the hole and the walkways that led down through the entire compound. His eyes scanned the multitude of levels without even noticing any of it, his brain hardly registering what his eyes were sending back to it. Ed needed to lose himself in something, anything at all. He had not allowed himself to become accustomed to all this information and knowledge, to all of this... this... this future he was trapped in. Ed realized that he was obsolete, and besides his alchemical knowledge, he was completely useless as a person in this age of technology. A wave of despair broke over him, and before he could stop it, a tear slid down his face. His reflection stared back at him- alien and familiar all at once, a person from a different time who'd stepped, somehow, into a horrific, post-apocalyptic future. He leaned his forehead against the wall of the elevator, his eyes strangely empty as he stared down at the large gaping hole beneath his feet.

"Edward Elric, you have been standing inside of this elevator for ten minutes. Is there something wrong? Do you need assistance?" Program asked in an uncharacteristically cool and softened tone. He sniffed and answered quietly, "No, Program. I don't need assistance." There was a pause before the computer program suddenly interjected, "My scans say otherwise. There is an intake of saline in the elevator vent, denoting tears as well as a lethargic brainwave movement. Your chemical balance is currently out of equilibrium, denoting some sort of depression or other-" Edward got out of the elevator before Program could continue. Out of all the people who could help him, Program was probably the last he'd have expected. It was just too strange. It was too unfamiliar.

When Ed finally stopped, he realized that he had stormed out of the elevator with no regards as to where he was at all. He'd simply gotten off at a random floor and walked into the hall. Now that he looked, he could see the marker that ran across the top of the wall, an electronic band of flashing code showing exactly what level he was on. It ran across the entire corridor, endlessly through out the level. All levels had this marker, just in case someone got lost, though that was a rare occurrence considering everyone who was here had resided inside of the compound since birth. This level was one of the Sub-Terras, the lowest that were beneath the public sector. He'd arrived on Level 3, Sector 5, Hallway 59. He had no idea what that meant, and he wandered for a bit. The walls changed from rough rock and concrete to smooth porcelain as he continued, and instinct led him deeper into the level. He didn't know why, but there was something familiar, a sort of dejavu, almost...

He passed by a hallway with a large floor-to-ceiling glass window. He hardly even noticed it as he passed by until he finally caught the glare of a light bouncing off towards him. He did a double take as he stared into a large room full of what looked like large vials. He slowly walked up to the glass and put his hands to them, staring in at the room. It was probably the width of a football field and the length of two. The room was not lit other than a soft, green light that glowed seemingly from the inside of the tubes. Row upon row of vials that were as thick as Ed was around the waist, most of them half his height stacked one on top of the other. Inside where jelly-like balls bouncing on the inside bathed in a steady stream of bubbles. However, it was what floated inside of these bubbles that caught his attention.

Babies. The entire room was filled with babies.

He walked over to a door almost unconsciously. The door, however, had no handle, and Ed was momentarily confused before Program's avatar appeared in the wall behind him.

"You are unauthorized to be in the Incubation Chamber, Edward. It is for geneticists and caretakers only," she said.

"It's okay, Gram. Let him in. I'll show him around." A new voice caused Ed to turn towards the sound. A woman with a boyish haircut walked down the hall in a white coat, blue jumpsuit, and close-fitting slippers with rubber soles. Her face was all sharp curves and softened angles. Her hair was a dark, dark brown that almost seemed ebony under the lighting. She had a confident aura about her as she walked, a quiet radiance of calm. He stared at the newcomer as Gram seemed to vacillate this response. Finally, the computer program asked, "What is your authorization code?" The woman seemed to merely stand there staring at the wall before blinking twice, then three times. The door behind Ed whooshed to the side, a soft hiss escaping. Ed turned to see that the door led into what appeared to be an airlock. He was cautious about entering, but the other woman entered without hesitation. Deciding that it was probably safe to do so, Ed walked in with her, wondering who exactly she was and what she was doing. She suddenly handed him a blue jumpsuit identical to hers. It was made of some sort of material that was like paper, only more flexible and not quite as rough. He put it on, asking, "What's this for?"

The woman answered, "It's for sterilization. There are microbiotic organisms that live on your skin, and they can be potentially harmful to the fetuses. These suits have a special chemical compound that traps them. Don't worry- you'll get them back." Ed looked at her with a strange look, but at the sight of her smiling he realized that this was a joke. He smiled weakly, seeing as he hadn't understood a lot of what she'd said, and he was still slightly shocked and confused by the sight of all those babies floating in tubes. The woman pressed a big red button on the wall, and a laser light ran over the entire room. Ed jumped slightly upon seeing it. He turned to the woman after a beat and asked, "More sterilization?" She smiled and nodded.

"Yes. This is to prevent bacteria from getting inside of the room itself from the outside. This entire room is now sterilized, and it'll stay that way until we walk back out," she explained. Finally, she submitted her eyeblinking code, and the door whooshed open again. She walked into the dark room full of green-lit tubes, calmly weaving in and out tubes as if this were a forest made of tubes. Ed warily came out, not truly understanding what exactly was happening. Babies in tubes... How could they recreate human life? Was this some giant test or experiment? What the hell was going on here?

Still, he couldn't say that being inside of the room full of tanks wasn't slightly calming. The green light emitted from the tubes seemed to give the place the idea that it was bigger than it looked, which was already big to start with. He couldn't see the ceiling as it was too dark, and the sight of all this life seemed slightly rejuvenating, if slightly creepy. He wandered along after the strange woman who had spoken before, sneaking glances at all the tubes. As he progressed farther back, he noticed that the stages of development backtracked towards embryo. He tried to look for the glass window that had led him here, but he couldn't find it in the dark. It must've been a one-way, to prevent light from coming in.

"What's all of this for?" Ed asked simply, nearly jumping as his words echoed. The woman was currently checking a pad with a glowing blue screen that she scanned over each of the tubes. She turned back to look at Ed, and he suddenly noticed that she had startlingly golden eyes. She smiled and said, "You're probably confused by all this. In vitro and test tube babies probably were after your time, am I correct?" Ed nodded. The woman checked something on the pad before nodding satisfactorily. She pushed to ends of the pad together, collapsing it into a stick of blue metal that fit easily into her pocket. Ed would never tire of the tech they had around here...

"You must understand that humankind has moved forwards. You've already witnessed many accounts of that, within our libraries, technology, and language. However, there are some things we could not stop. We are currently at war, Mr. Elric, and that is why you are seeing in front of you all of this. These embryos and fetuses- they are our future. Mankind rests in this place. Should this chamber be destroyed... all free humankind will be decimated," the woman said softly as she fondly touched one of the tubes. The unborn child inside almost seemed to respond, jerking in its containment bubble as it moved its new muscles. It settled back down. The woman looked down with a sad look, and Ed still felt out of the loop.

And suddenly, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn't even known this was possible. He'd never thought that someone could artificially start a human life. It was impossible. But, technically, he'd read, it is possible to remove the two gametes and join them outside of the body, but it was a highly controversial thought that had been regarded as almost heretical to the general populace. What other reason would people go to such extremes unless-

"All of you are unable to reproduce, aren't you?" Ed asked in awe, his gold eyes meeting the other two gold eyes staring back. The woman slowly nodded. She pulled out the stick of metal, and she pulled it apart. A screen appeared in between the two pulled apart pieces, and she tapped it a few times before typing something in. As she typed, she said, "In 1987, Patron City, formerly known as Central City, executed a biological attack on the compound. Oasis survived the onslaught of the disease, which we named Bloodspotting, but the infections that had occurred primarily were carried by the bloodstream. Almost all women in the compound became infertile and unable to bear children." She handed Ed the glowing, blue pad and he stared at it for a few moments. The picture was a full color digigraph of three women, all of them covered in small red spots that appared to be beneath the skin. Ed wanted to stare at the digigraph longer considering the very resolution was phenomenal, not to mention the look of the disease itself, but the woman took it back.

"But that was just one generation. What happened?" Ed asked. He scratched the back of his head as he looked around the entire room. All of this, a way for humankind to survive...

"We already had in vitro fertilization- that is, we could take the sperm and egg of two people and join them specifically before putting the egg back. After that, it was all up to the mother. However, our bodies had suddenly become an unfit environment to sustain a life inside of us. We took drastic measures. Those women who were still fertile and able to support life were immediately told to have children should our plan fail. We managed to create children by doing the same process as in vitro- save for one step. Instead of returning the egg to the mother, we put the egg inside of an artificial womb." Edward chewed it over. He knew the general how of pregnancy, and all that other crap he'd never paid attention to during a military health class he'd been forced to take because of Roy and his idiotic obsession with making him suffer (okay, so maybe this was a bit of an exaggeration). However, he was good at genetics... well, the basics of genetics, he guessed, considering they'd gone way past what he'd already read about it at the moment. Still, there was still that question on his mind.

"That doesn't make sense, though. You managed to do this. Why didn't you just pick back up where you left off with the next generation? Couldn't you have managed to do that?" Ed asked. He blushed as he had a passing thought of what that must've entailed at the time, and wondered for a moment why he was even having this conversation. However, the answer was simple: he was curious.

The woman gave a sheepish look. "The damage was done. By the time we had enough boys and girls to start another generation, this defect became an inherent gene. Soon, our infertility rating skyrocketed as more and more people went with the in vitro process. We... we lost our capacity to have children naturally. Everything that was meant to be performed by the human body-" She broke off to look at the baby floating right next to her. A longing look took over her expression. "- must now be done through technology. It's a horrible fact of life." Ed watched her carefully, noting just how strong that hope was inside of the woman. He'd never thought of it. He'd never had to think of it. He was too young to have children, to be utterly honest, and the thought had never crossed his mind- what if you could never have children? Remembering an incident that had occurred at Winry's, he knew the answer.

Winry had been twelve. Edward, the same. Alphonse was eleven. They'd just started their journey, but Edward got a port infection, and it had to be treated. While staying at her house for recuperation, a woman had come by for a tune up. As Winry's grandmother worked on the woman, Ed noticed that her eyes were puffy and red as if she'd been crying. He hadn't thought much of it, and hadn't bothered to ask anything of her. He knew her by face, if not by name, and they'd seen her plenty of times before. Finally, Grandma Pinako asked the woman, Sherry, what was wrong. The woman confessed that she'd just been to the doctor and learned that she was sterile. Something about her tubes being too narrow, or her hips, something along those lines. Edward had been confused.

"Why was she crying, then? Why not just adopt?" Ed asked. He had yet to fully appreciate the intricacies of life and the miracle that went into creating a human being. He himself had attempted by a roundabout way that had resulted in the destruction of his leg. The reason behind the woman's apparent sorrow didn't make much sense. Winry glared at Ed, and he gave her a perplexed look. Winry rolled her eyes and muttered, "You've got the emotional capacity of a teacup." He gave an indignant look, shooting her an expression that could only be taken as wounded pride. Winry suddenly got a soft look as she said,"The power women have isn't a whole lot when it comes to things like the mechanical world, or doctoring, or things like that. Sure, we've got a lot more power than we had, but we're still a step below men in a lot of areas. Yet... at the same time, we're the most powerful beings on the planet. We can carry life." Winry leaned her head into her hand, looking over at Ed. "The most important thing a woman can do is to bring life into the world. It's not the only thing she's supposed to do- that would be stupid. But it's in our power, and when that power is taken away, it's devastating." There was only one thing that Ed had managed to glean from that insight: it was a woman's thing and he wouldn't ever understand it.

Ed looked around a bit in wonder as he continued to stare at all of them. Walking up to one, he put a hand up to it, the green glow from the lights in the tube bouncing off his skin and giving it a pale, greenish cast. The woman looked on as he seemed to grow very lost in his thoughts.

The most disturbing thing that had happened yesterday came back in a rush, and Ed's eyes tightened as he stared at the developing baby in the tube. If everyone had been made like this... what about Nirvana? Was Nirvana the same? What did they do in Patron City? Why didn't they have refugees here? Of course, because they held them hostage, and that's why they were fighting. But then-

Too many thoughts. There were too many. Ed was slowly becoming entangled within his own mind, and he felt a hand descend on his shoulder. He looked out of the corner of his eye to see the woman with the golden eyes. His hand curled up against the glass into a loose fist, and the baby on the inside jerked for a moment before resting in its safe, secure womb. Ed looked back at the tube and leaned his head against the glass, breathing out slowly. He'd been... conflicted. Very conflicted. He'd wondered if he'd made the right decision, siding with Oasis. There were a lot of things that made him cringe down here, this birthing process being one of them. Some of these things, though, he could get used to. However, there were other... other, more pressing matters that worried him.

"You're thinking about Nirvana's arrest, aren't you?" Ed snapped his head around to stare at the brunette whose unnerving golden eyes bored into his own eyes. He frowned as he said, "A little bit."

Nirvana had been handled less than gently. The minute she'd gotten within the compound, she'd been bombarded by several large, bulky military men, though that didn't last for long. Nirvana was scary fast, reminding Edward of a ghost by the way she managed to move and get out while taking down guards with hardly more than a touch in the right spot. She'd been surrounded by a large group of unconscious men before Edward could even ask what was going on. Commander Mustang had been present, calmly watching as she sipped her mug of synthetic coffee. Last time, she'd had Nirvana tranquilized, but this time she was obviously in a bad mood because she fired off a real bullet into the air. Real bullets were not used unless there was no other choice- plastic slugs and darts were more often used considering the fact that there was an abundance of plastic from the use of oil, not to mention it was easier to synthesize. The fact that a real, metal-jacket bullet went into the air with a loud crack was a clear indicator that she meant business.

Nirvana had stopped dead in her tracks at the loud noise, and the rest of the group watched from their safe spot surrounded by more military personnel. The expressions on their faces denoted that they didn't know what was going on either. Within seconds of her immobility, she was restrained by five different men. She struggled, but Nirvana was meant more for speed than actual strength. She glared at Mustang before suddenly chuckling and asking, "Oh, what now? Are you just pissed because I ended up getting under your skin again? Seriously, you should figure out by now that if you wanted me, you should've sent a better team, not this sorry circuit right there." Kojak stepped forwards, saying in a rather nervous tone, "Nirvana, tone it down. Wait a mi-"

"Should've gotten a bargaining chip, Mustang. Would've been a whole lot easier just to cough up a 20th century faux-text and gotten it over with. You're losing your grip, Mustang," Nirvana said, ignoring Kojak, who was trying to reach her, but was being restrained by several men. Edward looked back and forth, wondering what exactly was happening. Mustang looked tranquil as ever, just sipping her mug of coffee. Finally, she said, "A bargaining chip would've been useless. You would've made off with it the minute I offered. And this is the team that you'll be leading anyways. Better get used to them as it is." Nirvana frowned. Edward realized that Nirvana didn't look too happy about this at all. She spat on the ground; obviously, that sign of contempt hadn't really gone out of style.

"Why don't you just send me, then? I'll get whatever you want, and then some. It'd be easier to just risk one potential traitor instead of an entire team of idiots who could be useful later," Nirvana reasoned, her voice icy cold and flat as the floor she stood on. Mustang shook her head with a deprecating smile, and Edward felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. Something wasn't right. This wasn't like how Roy had handled things at all. Though Roy had been big about showing off his power, he never actually used it on anybody, but this seemed... too much. It was dragging on for too long. What was Mustang's game? This was the difference between Hillary and Roy- though Roy may have the ability to play mind games, he never did so with his own subordinates, including Ed, even if he hadn't been happy about his performance in the field. Then again, Nirvana was an alleged traitor. She'd said so herself. Even if she was a traitor, though, she was hardly older than Edward himself was.

"Nirvana, shut up for once and maybe you'll learn something," Mustang said in a level voice. Her eyes were half-lidded, the depths of those coal black eyes seeming to penetrate farther than the imagination cared to go. She suddenly turned frosty as she said, "It really doesn't matter what I do, Nirvana, whenever it comes to detaining you or working with you. You've left me no choice. You can either agree to my terms, which we will discuss later, or I'll go the hard way."

"Mustang." Kojak's voice was full of warning and, of all things, fear. Edward turned his head towards the older man, wondering what it was that he was afraid of. Surely, it wasn't for himself. Nirvana was like his child to him, and the thought that anything could happen to her must have panicked him. Mustang wouldn't do anything to her, though... would she? Ignoring Kojak, Mustang said, "What's your answer, Nirvana? Do I have to make you and break you, or are you going to agree to all the terms I set for you?" Nirvana sighed theatrically, the room going dead silent as she thought. Edward could only hear the sounds of breathing from the people around him, being Georgia, Zhang, and Alice. Alice looked especially pained as she bit her lip. The girl had really grown attached to Nirvana and her wild ways, something that Ed wasn't entirely sure was a bad thing. The silence drug on before Nirvana smirked and said, "Go ahead, PMS Queen, hit me with your best shot. I'm not an idiot."

Mustang closed her eyes. She seemed to smile vaguely before saying, "Very well. Take her to the lock up. Shackles, straps, the whole thing." Nirvana's face fell and suddenly went into one of rage. She snarled as she shouted, "WHAT? THAT'S A LOW BLOW, AND YOU KNOW IT!" She started to struggle, obviously having underestimated Mustang and her tactics. Edward watched as they pushed her to the floor, cuffing her with actual handcuffs, something he hadn't seen once inside of the compound. Mostly, they used the liquid metal gloves that Kojak had used the first time on Nirvana. Ed felt guilt for the girl, who was being dragged away kicking and screaming. Ed couldn't place it, but there was something very, very wrong with this picture. Handcuffs were easy to pick, especially for an alchemist, so why didn't she just break them and run out...?

Kojak went to speak with Mustang in hushed tones. As Ed and the rest of the group dispersed, Edward passed by them, catching only a snatch of conversation.

"...not necessary. This is overkill, and you know it."

"It has to be overkill. Anything else, and Nirvana won't break."

"Why is it that you don't just hand her what she wants-"

"Because I have to break her first. If she doesn't, then she's of no use to me. And you know what happens to things that have no use in this place." Edward felt a chill go up his spine as he was escorted with the rest of his comrades. What was this all about? He'd gone to check on Nirvana, managing to get her location from Willow, who was laid up in the hospital wing from her missing limb. She looked none the worse for wear, actually, but that may have been because of the meds that she was on. This place was full of miracle drugs. Ed could only imagine what sort of stuff they had in just that one hospital room.

He didn't know what he'd been expecting when he'd gone to Nirvana's cell. It was one of the lowest levels of the compound, and it was clear they weren't taking any more chances with her. The room was partitioned by bullet- and shatterproof glass, the concrete floor bare and unmarred save for several large sockets in the floor which contained several different anchors for shackles, though strangely enough there were no actual chains connecting the shackles to the anchors. The room was gray and bare-lit with a single bulb, giving the walls a shining, glistening look that was oddly eery. The room itself wasn't at all scary, but what was inside of it caused Ed to rethink everything he knew about this compound and what he was fighting for.

Because Nirvana looked like something out of a war film.

Her wrists were bleeding, and the bone glistened from underneath the large, iron shackles around her wrists. Her ankles were the same, with bruising around the edges of the wounds. She had several other bruises on her body, and her face looked hollowed out and haunted. He frowned as he stepped up to the glass, putting his fingers against it as if he could reach out to the tortured looking person on the other side. What had they done to her? He didn't understand what she had done that she would recieve this type of punishment.

Nirvana looked up through a curtain of blonde-white hair, her green eyes piercing as he saw that little gold flecks dotted the irises like bits of gold leaf. She stared at him with the most loathing, horrid expression. She snarled at him, and she ran at him. Ed flinched back, but right before she reached the glass, her hands were pulled back by an invisible force. There was a shimmer of blue as Nirvana fought against her shackles, reaching for Edward and snapping her teeth like some sort of wild animal. Suddenly, she turned and went back, pacing back and forth like a caged wolf. She started to work at the shackles, and Ed finally noticed something that he hadn't, at first, realized.

Those wounds around her wrists had not been caused by an outside source. Nirvana had done it to herself by struggling against the shackles, trying to worry her wrists out of them. However, if she tried to get her hands anywhere near each other, they were forced apart again by another unseen force, and Edward felt a welling of pity and compassion for her. Restraints... shackles... He remembered how antsy she'd been wearing the liquid metal gloves. When he'd fought her, he remembered that when he'd tried to hold her back, she'd completely went berserk. And now, he was beginning to understand what Mustang had meant by breaking Nirvana. She was using fear tactics to cause Nirvana to become obedient. From what Ed remembered from being inside of the bunker on top of the compound, he figured that this had happened before. He'd never paid attention, but he could bet that there was layer upon layer of scar tissue over her wrists and ankles. What sort of place was this, that they had to resort to this... this... this sort of barbarity? Their wonderful miracles paled in the light of this sort of torture, because they were causing the person in question to torture themselves with their fears.

Edward swallowed as he watched Nirvana sit on the floor and stare at it with a listless expression, mumbling something to herself under her breath. If Ed could've heard her, he would've heard what would've been gibberish to any other person. However, this was something different to Nirvana- she was reciting formula upon formula of force, reaction, and inertia, trying to take her mind off the utter panic she felt. He'd watched her for more than an hour, people coming and going around him as he stared at the person inside of the room who refused to be broken.

Edward's thoughts recollected themselves as he got his mind off of the past. He turned his head away from the woman next to the womb tank, and he said, "She... she didn't do anything. All she wanted was... was out. That was it. Why did they do that to her?" The woman's face was one of hurt. She closed her eyes, bowing her head. She answered, "Hillary will do anything, anything at all, to keep Oasis alive and breathing. Even if it means... drastic measures. Nirvana can't be trusted at all. She's done too many things in Patron City without our knowledge. We're not sure what it is, but we do know that she had no love for Oasis at all." Edward scoffed and muttered, "I wonder why."

The woman shook her head, as if he didn't understand. "This place was her home, Edward. She didn't use to hate this place so much. Now, she's... she's chnaged. Before she'd gone to Patron City, she'd been a different person entirely. She disappeared for months on end. We can't take chances." Edward snapped his head around to glare at the woman. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "Oh, so does that mean it's right to scare a person until they're out of their mind, just because they're suspected of having been around the enemy? What if she's done nothing wrong?"

"What if she was the one who gave them our location?" Edward stopped short. His eyes widened slightly, and he tried to sort things out. Given them... He thought about the earlier attack on the compound with those hideous soldiers. He swallowed hard and said, "You're talking about-"

"Yes. What if she gave them our location? She may have come back, but what if she did that to get into the compound on our good graces? What if she's a mole? We can't take chances, Ed." The woman's face was suddenly stern and hardened. Edward suddenly came to a revelation. Everyone, every last soldier, every last farmer, all of them- they were all part of this war. It didn't matter what their job was, they were soldiers, too, and this life had scarred them to the point of callousness. Ed thought about the alchemists fighting in the stead of Oasis. Most of them were either fifteen or fifty, but it didn't matter their age because all of them would be called to fight in an emergency. Ed backed off, knowing it wasn't any use. These people were stuck in a war mindset, that feeling of doing whatever it took to win. He looked around and said, "Whatever. Just... I want out of here."

The woman promptly walked off, and Edward followed in a sullen silence. She submitted her code, and the both of them removed their suits without a word to one another. However, Edward did have to ask one thing. He looked curiously over at the woman and asked, "What's your name, anyways?" The woman gave Ed a slightly surprised look, but, deciding they must be reconciled, answered, "My name is Trisha."