Mother of Irk! Where has the time gone? Some of you may be wondering where I have been and I gotta tell you-I've been wondering the same thing! I come back after these long weeks of technical difficulty to find that AF has updated Divisions, wonderful work there, AND created another story...I am so sad because I can't get on to read them...*sniff* Well, enough of my sorrows! The next chappie of Paradise Lost is up and running! I must warn you - it may be short.
"We've lost another one..." The odd, blazing silver-white of the Student's eyes, most likely genetic defect, rare as they may be, shone with her sadness. The child had barely made it out of the nursery when an illness, akin to the one that had struck down several Soldiers in the past few days, had ravaged the slender body turning him into no more then skin and bones. It had been heartbreaking to watch, as the entire medical personal had been helpless to stop it. So far this new disease had a one hundred percent mortality rate and no one, Student or Soldier, could figure out the mystery.
It worked slowly enough, beginning as simply as chills and progressing into a full fledged wasting sickness over a matter of weeks. Most everyone who knew about it had a strong feeling it came from a planet set for conquering, a new one on the outer rings of an asteroid belt surrounding some galaxy or another. The Irken put there on the takeover had been rescued when he had contracted the disease. There had been a leak in containment and now Shiroi feared the planet could be on the verge of an epidemic, a serious one at that.
"I'm very sorry that we could not come to a peaceful settlement today." Ivy sighed, irate at not being able to negotiate properly. The leader of the Dan-ga-Jin was not able to be there in person so Ivy had to resort through video, taped at least a week prior, and insubordinate underlings. "But I'm afraid I can not halt the invasion, the bio sweep will begin in two days, I suggest you evacuate your people to a safer area. I give you my condolences." At a silent command Tegin swept the oddly shaped creatures, somewhere between a blue rat and a red fish, through the doors that led back to their misshapen ship.
"That was unconventional..." Tegin breathed, his orange eyes unusually dim. "I thought that would never end, and that vid! Ugh...I've seen Red do better visuals then that..." Ivy giggled, the Soldier had never mastered the visual arts.
"What's next on the agenda?" The green-eye asked, sipping a soda and leaning against the council table.
"The medical personal have some issues regarding the new virus...they think it may have something to do with the Dan-ga-Jin race..." his tone took on a somber quality. "They lost another today, a child; this disease has a one hundred percent mortality rate." Ivy was silent.
"One hundred percent..." she repeated quietly. As far as she knew there hadn't been any disease like that on Irk for at least twenty centuries. "And they have no idea what it is?"
"Not a one." Tegin took a step closer.
"We should go speak to them then."
"This way, my Tallest." The young orange-eye preformed a sweeping bow and gestured toward the exit doors.
"Oh stop that!" Ivy laughed, shoving him carefully aside. Tegin was now two feet shorter then she and a great deal more frail. On more than one occasion Ivy had feared he would break under pressure but he had always held strong.
When they entered the medical bay the doctors whisked them into the sterilized halls to dress them in sterile uniforms. Tegin looked worried and a bit pale but Ivy failed to notice, she was busy conversing with the head medic, the strange white-eye known to most as Shiroi. She had just appeared in a nursery one day and there were rumors that she had been conceived outside the birthing protocol, as there were no records of her anywhere. Nobody knew if her name was in fact her own but no one dared question her. She was a serious female, almost stoic, and one to never let anyone close enough to her to hurt her. Tegin admired Shiroi's inner strength; she hid her pain well, not well enough though to pass under the orange-eye's scrutinizing gaze.
"Tegin, is it?" He jumped, the silky smooth voice of Shiroi jerking him back to full consciousness.
"Er, what? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening. Where'd Tallest Ivy go?"
"To speak with the other medics. I haven't seen you around here too often-though I do recall stories of your bravery during The War." Tegin blushed, uncomfortable under the sorrowful, analyzing eyes that were only two inches away from his own. They were like silvery pools he seemed to drown in and right now he was floundering to the top for air.
"Not bravery, really..." he gulped, "more like adoring affection..."
"Don't be so nervous! I'm trying to made you crack; though I must say you held up rather well. All of the medical Irkens here collapsed under it, they say it was my eyes that dragged them down. Is that true? I'm conducting a study."
"Ah, I see. Yes, I would say it's true, I've never met someone with those abilities before." Indeed it was as rare as the eye color itself. He found he could breath easier and the annoying flush coloring his face dark green began to disappear as she wrote down his name next to another jumble of information in a notebook.
"I'm trying to develop it further..." she mumbled absentmindedly scribbling down more of the difficult Irken lettering. The notebook snapped shut with a soft click. "Are you her assistant? Or is it something else?" Shiroi added with a sly grin, nudging him with her shoulder. "Eh?"
"Oh, no, nothing like that! She's a Tallest...and I'm...just short..." Tegin muttered, crestfallen.
"You're not that short, you're taller then me."
"That's a start." He retorted with a wry smile.
"Don't get smart with me!" Tegin began to feel better in leaps. Gone was the shyness he felt before replaced with a happiness, one that seemed to fill in the empty places he knew were there.
"Coming Tegin?" Ivy asked from out of no where, an annoying habit she picked up from the late Tallest Purple.
"Yes, Tallest." A formality used around others, one Tegin never forgot. How could he when she towered above everyone else. It could be argued that she was even a few inches taller then Red, though he would never admit it.
"What were you and Shiroi talking about?" Ivy asked surreptitiously, peering down at her friend with half-closed eyes.
"Stuff." Tegin replied, staring straight ahead knowing very well what she wanted.
"What kind of stuff? Do you have a thing for that white-eye? Hm, Tegin?" Always to the point...
"All of a sudden everyone is talking to me like I'm some sort of female chaser...can't talk to one without assorted queries following."
"You do, don't you?"
"You just ignored everything I just said, didn't you?"
"Aw, that is so cute!"
"Stop it." He knew she was trying to get him angry, no small feat in itself, but it could be done.
"You know of course I'll have to interview her, can't be too careful about who comes near me widdle Tegin!" Said Irken cocked one antennae to the side and raised a non-existent eyebrow, keeping his trek through the halls as straight as possible. But no, the torture wouldn't stop there, would it? "You two will make such an adorable couple!" She used one gauntleted hand to pat his head twice.
"Must you?"
"Yes."
"But there isn't anything between us! I just met her today."
"Wow, you move fast!"
"Anyway," Tegin interjected, trying to change the subject, "you have one hour before you need to meet with Tallest Red to discuss new weapon orders, not to mention possible vaccine discussions with the Irken Health Service for this new disease, and food shipment, snacks and such other valuables..." Tegin said dryly, "the conquering, the bio-sweep etc. etc..."
"Well, I'll split off then, give you some free time. Feel free to use it to go meet with your lady friend." The green-eye said suggestively.
"Maybe I will." Tegin said with a grin, throwing the Tallest for a well-deserved loop. "I'll tell you how it turns out, here's the schedule, now don't be late." He patted her hand and walked back the way they had come leaving Ivy standing speechless in the corridor.
Ah, there, I hope that satisfies you for a while. Sorry for the little interlude chappie thing but I needed a space filler for time issues. It will pick up from her out. Don't forget to review! I thank you all in advance!