Gene knew something was the matter the minute that he walked into the room. Everybody was there, just sitting there and staring at him, as he walked in laden with sweets junk food. And they did not look happy.
"Gene, sit down." That was from Sazuka, just sitting there, looking almost bored. But she wasn't bored -- that was obvious from the fact that she had a gun sitting in her lap, in easy reach. They were all waiting for him -- and they thought they needed a gun?
"I think i'll stand, thanks. What's going on?" Gene asked softly, staring from one to the other. When his eyes finially came to rest on Jim, Gene knew -- he didn't haveto wonder anymore what was wrong.
Jim was just sitting there, computer in his lap, tears streaming soundlessly down his cheeks. His hands were shaking slightly, and he looked for all the world like he'd seen a ghost.
Jim Knew.
"Jim, are you gonna tell us now?" That was from Aisha. Always blunt, and to the point.
"He hasn't spoken -- only said that whatever it is that's upsetting him -- it has to do with you. And he keeps saying that he hates you, that you're an evil man. That you make the Kay Pirates seem like sweet little innocent boys." Sazuka again, explaining things that didn't need explaining. Maybe she didn't realise that he already knew what was wrong. Or maybe she just wanted him to explode, and tell all.
Well, he just might end up doing that, if things kept going the way they were.
"Tell me i'm wrong, Gene. Tell me it's not true. Tell me you didn't do those things. Please!" Jim's voice choked on the last word, and he angrily wiped his tears away with the back of his hand, sniffling a little in a way that brought out the fact that he was only 11 years old clear as a bell. Why had he never noticed it before?
Jim was child. He had no idea what the real world was like, shouldn't have been put into this position in the first place.
"Jim ........ do you want me to lie to you? I won't do that. Everything you found out was true, i'm sure of it. They couldn't come up with a lie that was worse than the truth, believe me." Gene returned softly, biting down hard on his bottom lip.
"But ........ why did you do that? Why did you create -- what it was that you created? You killed thousands of people with that stupid thing Gene! Don't you even care?" By the end of his little speech, Jim was shouting, sobbing openly. Neither men noticed the shocked looks that had crossed the faces of their companions, or the knowing one that had come across Sazuka's.
"Godammit Jim, of course I care! I didn't even realise what I was doing! I was young, and I was stupid! I wanted to create something, alright? I was smart, like you, and I wanted people to remember me for creating something. There was a war ........ they wanted my team to create a biological weapon. None of the others were too keen about it, but i convinced them to do it. I did most of the work, I create the goddamm Omega Substance almost all by myself, because they were too damned scared. And now ........ now I wish i had been scared too, but I wasn't. I killed thousands of people, you're right Jim. But they weren't all soldiers! They were childeren, and grandmothers, and mothers and fathers! For the love of god, Jim, I killed my own goddamn wife!" Gene was shouting now, as well, but he caught himself at the last word, catching his breath.
He hadn't meant to tell Jim that, hadn't meant to talk about Alandra. He never talked about her -- tried not to even think about her. It just hurt too much. Knowing that he was the reason she was dead ........
"Wife? You had a wife?" Jim was staring openly at hm, as were the rest of the room's occupants.
"Ah, yes, Allandra. I am not sure if this is the best time to bring this up, Gene, but you're wife still lives."
"Gillian, would you just shut up and ........ what did you just say? What do you mean, Allandra's alive? I watched her die!" Gene felt as if his entire life had just been flipped upside down, turned inside out, twisted around, and then slapped back togeather in any odd way.
"I am aware of the accident that resulted in you're wife's death. However, according to the information I have been supplied with, she made a full recovery. Indeed, the child she had been carrying survived, as well."
"Wait, halt. Hold on. Child? What child? Allandra never mentioned anything about a -- abouta child. She never even let on that she might be pregnant." Gene was babbling, and he knew it.
And that was when the attack came.
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hannya -- i know what you mean, i love fics like tha too. thank-you for the review! the other review was for like, chapter 2 or something. it didn't count as the review i was asking for. guess i should have mentioned that earlier ........
alz -- thank-you so much! love you're review! feedback is good for the soul! again, thanks! and i'm writing more, don't worry! i've been slow lately -- i've had the entire chapter planned out in my head ever since i submitted the last chapter, i've just been to lazy to post it. plus, the whole waiting-for-1-review-before-i-post thing had me stalling there for a little bit.
"Gene, sit down." That was from Sazuka, just sitting there, looking almost bored. But she wasn't bored -- that was obvious from the fact that she had a gun sitting in her lap, in easy reach. They were all waiting for him -- and they thought they needed a gun?
"I think i'll stand, thanks. What's going on?" Gene asked softly, staring from one to the other. When his eyes finially came to rest on Jim, Gene knew -- he didn't haveto wonder anymore what was wrong.
Jim was just sitting there, computer in his lap, tears streaming soundlessly down his cheeks. His hands were shaking slightly, and he looked for all the world like he'd seen a ghost.
Jim Knew.
"Jim, are you gonna tell us now?" That was from Aisha. Always blunt, and to the point.
"He hasn't spoken -- only said that whatever it is that's upsetting him -- it has to do with you. And he keeps saying that he hates you, that you're an evil man. That you make the Kay Pirates seem like sweet little innocent boys." Sazuka again, explaining things that didn't need explaining. Maybe she didn't realise that he already knew what was wrong. Or maybe she just wanted him to explode, and tell all.
Well, he just might end up doing that, if things kept going the way they were.
"Tell me i'm wrong, Gene. Tell me it's not true. Tell me you didn't do those things. Please!" Jim's voice choked on the last word, and he angrily wiped his tears away with the back of his hand, sniffling a little in a way that brought out the fact that he was only 11 years old clear as a bell. Why had he never noticed it before?
Jim was child. He had no idea what the real world was like, shouldn't have been put into this position in the first place.
"Jim ........ do you want me to lie to you? I won't do that. Everything you found out was true, i'm sure of it. They couldn't come up with a lie that was worse than the truth, believe me." Gene returned softly, biting down hard on his bottom lip.
"But ........ why did you do that? Why did you create -- what it was that you created? You killed thousands of people with that stupid thing Gene! Don't you even care?" By the end of his little speech, Jim was shouting, sobbing openly. Neither men noticed the shocked looks that had crossed the faces of their companions, or the knowing one that had come across Sazuka's.
"Godammit Jim, of course I care! I didn't even realise what I was doing! I was young, and I was stupid! I wanted to create something, alright? I was smart, like you, and I wanted people to remember me for creating something. There was a war ........ they wanted my team to create a biological weapon. None of the others were too keen about it, but i convinced them to do it. I did most of the work, I create the goddamm Omega Substance almost all by myself, because they were too damned scared. And now ........ now I wish i had been scared too, but I wasn't. I killed thousands of people, you're right Jim. But they weren't all soldiers! They were childeren, and grandmothers, and mothers and fathers! For the love of god, Jim, I killed my own goddamn wife!" Gene was shouting now, as well, but he caught himself at the last word, catching his breath.
He hadn't meant to tell Jim that, hadn't meant to talk about Alandra. He never talked about her -- tried not to even think about her. It just hurt too much. Knowing that he was the reason she was dead ........
"Wife? You had a wife?" Jim was staring openly at hm, as were the rest of the room's occupants.
"Ah, yes, Allandra. I am not sure if this is the best time to bring this up, Gene, but you're wife still lives."
"Gillian, would you just shut up and ........ what did you just say? What do you mean, Allandra's alive? I watched her die!" Gene felt as if his entire life had just been flipped upside down, turned inside out, twisted around, and then slapped back togeather in any odd way.
"I am aware of the accident that resulted in you're wife's death. However, according to the information I have been supplied with, she made a full recovery. Indeed, the child she had been carrying survived, as well."
"Wait, halt. Hold on. Child? What child? Allandra never mentioned anything about a -- abouta child. She never even let on that she might be pregnant." Gene was babbling, and he knew it.
And that was when the attack came.
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hannya -- i know what you mean, i love fics like tha too. thank-you for the review! the other review was for like, chapter 2 or something. it didn't count as the review i was asking for. guess i should have mentioned that earlier ........
alz -- thank-you so much! love you're review! feedback is good for the soul! again, thanks! and i'm writing more, don't worry! i've been slow lately -- i've had the entire chapter planned out in my head ever since i submitted the last chapter, i've just been to lazy to post it. plus, the whole waiting-for-1-review-before-i-post thing had me stalling there for a little bit.