Chapter XIV
Light
It was strange. Nine weeks ago, Phonos had been in a similar situation, and she would have said there were three people in her life, her mother, Dr Tsume, her father, Dr Lester and her sister, Annie.
Then, her life has suddenly, and violently turned, and brittle human bones had met hard, unyielding rock. The smash of bones that day, that had rang out so loud in Phonos' mind ever since, had captured all the witnesses, and was unwilling to let go. One, perhaps, in a more literal way.
Phonos stared at the pokeball in her fingers, the metal sphere hot against her fingers. It wasn't that pleasant, mellow warmth that most inhabited pokeballs had, it was burning hot. It was shaking with a familiar anger, a familiar outrage and…a familiar terror. Mewtwo, the Pokemon that had changed everything she had ever considered to be her own.
Nine weeks later, Phonos still said there were three people in her life; her father, the fading, broken Dr Lester, her friend, Craig and a strange, quiet spider that had entered her life from her sister's hand, Toxin.
Phonos was as surprised at her own disinclination towards her mother, but Dr Tsume's tall, slender figure had become a rarity that had quickly become merely a faded childhood memory.
"Miss Pho," a quiet voice said from her side. Toxin looked up at her with unreadable insect eyes, pincers clicking and his thin eight legs balancing on the white tiles of the laboratory, "Sirs Len and Dunne told you to simply put the security up for Mewtwo's pokeball…you have simply been standing there…"
A smile twitched at Phonos' mouth. There was something about Toxin's strangely polite mannerisms, which mismatched his intimidating spider-appearance so thoroughly, that just made her grin. He didn't seem quite as detached from reality as he had earned his goal, though there was still a solemnity in his attitude that disturbed her. She needed to move the project ahead.
"Yes…Dr Len and Dr Dunne did tell me to do that," she said, almost absently, "But we won't do that."
Phonos was almost appalled by what she said, even though it was something of a routine for her. She still struggled to resist direct orders, even under Craig's influence.
"We have more important things to work on right now," Phonos said, "We need to keep this as low-key as possible. Nobody seems to care what I do by myself, as long as I follow orders and stay ou the way, but I'd still like to remain discrete about this."
"Annie?" Toxin asked eagerly, and Phonos couldn't help but wince at the hope in his voice. She nodded, and hoped dearly that this wouldn't be for nothing, spreading out detailed plans, formulae on the table, placing Mewtwo's pokeball in the computer hub for further analysis, blueprints, theorems, books, modules and photographs onto the desk.
Annie's face stared back at her from every photograph, all of Annie's documents from birth til death glared accusingly at her, and all those formulae, all those plans, all those complex and strange equations all pointed one way. Annie, Annie, Annie.
It had been a long nine weeks.
Craig, Phonos and Toxin were getting more accustomed to working as one unit, with one goal. Phonos felt like she was walking on air as the embryo was transferred from plans, sketches, designs and doodles into a real creature. A tiny grey creature, kept alive on tubes and wires, eyes expanding.
It was one step, but as Phonos saw the fruits of her labours budding, blossoming, forming and ripening before, it was as if every bit of knowledge in the world wasn't far from her fingertips. Her brain felt ever-expanding, she felt wings on her back that weren't even there and she understood why her parents did what they did, she understood for once, for the first time ever.
She touched the side of her creation's glass home, watching it, wondering. Wondering if it would survive.
Three days later, the embryo – experiment AL-1, died. Craig recorded it dutifully as Phonos only pursued her cause further, ignoring the tears in her eyes, ignoring the heartbreak in Toxin's wail, ignoring the exhaustion wracking her thin, malnourished body.
Experiment AL-2. Developing and mutating at an excessive, violent speed as she tried to manipulate its embryonic development. Craig destroyed it, before it got out of hand.
Experiment AL-3, reacted violently to genetic manipulation. Experiment AL-4, born without sentient thought. Experiment AL-5, failure. Experiments AL-6, AL-7, AL-8, AL-9, AL-10, AL-11, AL-12, AL-13...all failures.
It was the talk of the laboratory, now. Project AL, as it was erroneously known, was a mysterious thing. It consumed, days, weeks, and months of their lives. Phonos woke bent over the desk to find silk-spun blankets lying upon her, found herself being hauled away to sleep and eat by a concerned Craig and heard gossip, whispers flying around the laboratory. People had protested, demanded to know what they were attempting to do and even offered assistance but something out there was stopping it all. Some force wanted the project to succeed; Phonos felt it more and more every day. Something stopped all the protests, silenced any cries of outrage, and pushed aside any offers for help.
It was a fascination for the scientists…imagine it! One of their creations, suddenly against all odds working on their own creation, something that should have been programmed to obey, to transform, to be in all aspects a robot gaining a mind, a soul, a purpose! Perhaps Dr Tsume's theories weren't as outlandish, they thought. Craig found himself assuaged by Institute workers, asking question upon question about V-Twenty…he had more often than not entered the lab outraged and simmering away.
"They're insane, every one of them, talking about us like we're guinea pigs running around in a cage," he sighed to himself. Phonos looked across at him, his dark hair was hanging across his face and he looked even paler than usual, and dark bags had developed under his eyes.
"It's good," Toxin piped up, and Phonos was warmed by the hope and cheer in his voice. He was sounding better and better as the days went by, as he saw every effort inch closer to their goal, "At least we're being allowed to do this."
Phonos translated for Craig, who merely tossed back his head and laughed, running a hand through his wild hair and pushing his sunglasses up to his face.
"Well Pho…if you're comfortable with it I've got no choice other than to be," he said grinning at her. She stared back blankly.
"But…we can stop any time Pho. Any time. We can find something better than this I'm sure," he said and Phonos heard that hesitation in his voice and guilt gnawed at her gut. She knew he wasn't happy with it…she knew that what they were doing was sick in his eyes, that what they were doing was awful and foul. It probably was awful and foul…but it was all Phonos could think to do anymore. She didn't know what else she could possibly ever do anymore, other than work backwards, to go back in time to when it was simpler, when Annie was alive, her father was happy, her mother was interested and everything was as simple as to follow her orders and hope that her family would love her, and hope that she'd feel human.
But…there was something in the work itself that made her feel more human than she'd ever been. She just wondered if the constant moral doubts, monotony and the darkness residing in her heart were all part of being human as well.
Craig was asleep, as was Toxin. Phonos couldn't help but regard them with an odd warmth and fondness. Perhaps it was their normal genes, but they couldn't seem to handle the exhaustion quite as easily as Phonos could, so after covering them with a few labcoats left from the scientists, she simply continued with her work.
AL-nineteen was developing well - a recognizable human baby was floating in the artificial womb. Her eyes closed, her little fingers gripped tight and her body mutating exponentially fast, her pink skin even seeming to ripple and change as she watched. Craig had even reached into the baby's mind…there was sentient thought in there, nothing complex, but it was there, a resonating presence but…and Phonos remembered her stomach sinking and her familiar self-doubt wriggling it's parasitic way inside her at this….there was nothing familiar about it. It was a new creature, not Annie, She tightened her fists, biting her lip and staring at the creature.
If only she could…if she could find a way to put Annie's memories inside her. If she could imprint upon the creature's mind….'My name is Annie Lester'. Hypnosis? Craig could do it.
She swallowed and glanced away, sickened by her own thoughts. But she could do it. It could work. It was for the better….it was to save dad, it was to bring back her sister…it was her fault that Annie had died in the first place, shouldn't see make up for it?
The clack of high-hells against tiles. Phonos' head swung around as the door opened and a tall, familiar figure stood at the entrance, her long dark hair sweeping about her slender waist and a small smile on her face.
"Mo - Dr Tsume?" she said in surprise, catching the words before they left her mouth. Dr Tsume entered, looking around with a hungry, craving fascination in her eyes. Phonos recognised that raking, penetrating stare. Mother always had that look in her eyes when she saw something that fascinated her. A strange thrill chilled her body…it was a long time since she last lavished that much attention on her, and Phonos felt her own moral doubts slip out of her mind.
"You've been making quite the name for yourself, Phonos," the woman said, her voice flat but Phonos leaned forward at the sound of her name, eager to please, like a puppy on a leash.
Dr Tsume looked at her and Phonos sat up straight and at attention. The tall woman leisurely strolled forward and ran a hand down Phonos' straight white hair curiously, then cupped her face and rotated it from side to side, inspecting her thoroughly.
"Changed face structure, signs of exhaustion and malnutrition, eyes….no longer reflect parental ties, hair unnatural," mumbled Dr Tsume, more to herself than anything. Her free hand twitched for a pen to make notes with, and her manicured nails dug into Phonos' pale skin. She winced, and Dr Tsume blinked and released her.
"You've changed your appearance, Phonos," she said, sitting herself down on Craig's empty chair, with only a spare glance at the sleeping boy and the Ariados.
"Y-yes, ma'am," Phonos spluttered, suddenly feeling like a child again, sat in that chair and being told to transform for the cameras…
Dr Tsume 'hmm'ed to herself, and Phonos nearly broke her posture by breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn't asked more. How could she explain why she did all that? She was barely even sure when she'd done it, she simply awoke with a bloody hand and edited face one morning.
Dr Tsume stood up and walked over to the tank, a rare smile sweeping across her pretty face at the experiment in the tube. Glancing at the unborn creature herself, Phonos felt a tiny glow-worm of maternal pride wriggle in her chest. Had her mother ever looked at her like that, ever felt that little tug at heart-strings?
No, no, Phonos admonished herself, Dr Tsume was far too sensible to be bothered by trivial little things like that.
"This is…quite impressive, considering your origins. I was aware you had increased mental abilities, but we apparently underestimated your learning abilities and technical skills," she said. Phonos felt the heat rush to her cheeks, and she merely nodded and murmured a polite 'Thank you ma'am' in response.
Dr Tsume turned back around and sat back down, staring intently at Phonos. She straightened up, trying to regain her composure when all she wanted to do was sob and throw her arms around her beautiful mother. She seemed happy….Phonos had done something right. This thought, that finally she was doing well, she was being smiled at, sent shivers down her spine and like she was about to melt away with bliss..
"I'm proud of you."
Speechless.
"Now….Phonos…could you perhaps explain about the project?"
That one line, that one fond look, full of admiration and love, sent the words spilling out of Phonos' mouth.
Dr Tsume sat proudly, her head held high and her slender hands gracefully rested on the arms of her chair. It was as if she was sitting on a throne, and she was a woman who looked like she had every right to sit in one.
Her long hair, soft and dark, was draped over her shoulders; her legs were crossed languidly, one foot dangling serenely above the cold metal floor. He frowned; she was a fine woman, a woman with a strong determination, a feministic streak, a composed and sophisticated beauty and a brilliant mind. She was a vicious adversary to have.
"It is my opinion, sir, that V-Twenty is one of the finest specimens we have every produced, and we have had a long extensive life-time and a great array of specimens have been created from our branch of the Bane empire," she said all of a sudden, her voice unfaltering. She stared right up at him, a challenging, piercing, almost teasing gaze.
He nearly winced and glanced backwards and forwards between her and his superior, an odd fear for this unknown woman sinking into his gut. Did she consider this all some form of game? A joke?
"Miss Tsume, V-Twenty is a joke. A failed experiment, a complete abnormality and glitch in our system," the dark-haired man said from beside him, "You are here to be put on a well-deserved trial, and to present your case, not to pitch a marketing campaign. At the flick of a switch, Miss Tsume, I can kill you. Bear that in mind when you speak."
With a rare look of fear on her face, the woman glanced at the shackles on her wrists and feet, and the wires tangled around her head like some twisted crown. The fear was quickly replaced by cold, calculating indifference, and for that he couldn't help but admire the woman. She was sitting with her neck mere millimetres away from the edge of the axe, and still retained some dignity – it was arrogant, yes, but admirable.
"I apologize, sir, and thank you for this chance to present my case."
"I'm glad; I will commence the trial post-haste. Mr Layton?"
"Y-y-yes! Sir!" he said, looking up from his computer.
"Please turn on all recording in this room, and announce the trial."
He nodded and pressed a few keys, then pressing his lips to the microphone nervously, he intoned 'June 7th, 2013. Questioning of Dr Yomiko Tsume. Subject, V-Twenty experiment. Witness, Matthew Layton. Questioner, Bane."
Later, Matthew Layton recorded again, this time to end the trial. Shakily, he intoned into the microphone 'June 7th 2013, questioning of Dr Yomiko Tsume. Subject, V-Twenty experiment. Witness, Mathew Layton. Questioner, Bane. Interview ended after fifty-three minutes. Dr Yomiko Tsume executed on site'.