"Shadows"
By: Otaku Tess
CHAPTER FIVE
akumu
The first thing I clearly remember about the day was being in my lab with other hapless employees running tests on Supercomputers for the eventual live testing of Metal Gear. I had a splitting headache and the break room was out of coffee. This was going to be a long day...
I typed out the instructions by rote. I'd done everything so many times before. I knew everything by heart. I could nearly predict the out comes of each test. I knew REX like the back of my hand. The true challenge would come when we got to the real test.
That would be happening soon.
Baker told us this morning that this would be the last set of virtual tests before we got to the real thing. --Well, Baker didn't tell us personally. But a member of Fox-Hound had come in to relay the message. I hadn't even looked up. But I'd half-listened to him speak ... and only recalled he had a voice that could charitably be called raspy... And he had change in his pocket, or something, because he made a kind of a racket when he walked in and out. Like he was wearing spurs, maybe...
I chuckled at this thought and briefly wished I'd taken a look at him. --What was with this "Fox Hound"...?
First Sniper Wolf, now a guy wearing spurs? They seemed a little strange to me.
Like something from an anime, written by some weird Japanese guy.
I chuckled again, but paused as my mind wandered back to Sniper Wolf. -- I tapped mechanically across the keyboard. Everything as it should be. -- I had heard from Wolf early this morning, I only vaguely remembered the conversation. I'd been very tired. I hadn't slept well... Plus I'd developed a migraine shortly after I'd gotten out of bed... Not fun.
Wolf had informed me that I should go head down to the lab myself, unless I wanted her boss' wake up call. I didn't know what that would be, but it sounded bad, so I got up and headed out.
So I ate breakfast and headed to the lab and got to work. I'd been there for about a half an hour when some of my coworkers started arriving (all in all probably only 20 to 30 scientists were still hanging around the island. Baker had allowed most people to go home. Apparently Fox-Hound would be able to do a great deal of the work for the launch.)
Within an hour all the scientists who were still on the island were shuffling about various areas of the lab, and I was constantly being asked questions, most of which I answered without having to give much thought.
Elise had sat down at the computer next to me and appeared to be one of the guys to suffer a "wake up call..."
"Rudest jerk I've ever met in my life..." He would mumble to himself from time to time, as he too went through the same obligatory tasks I did via supercomputers.
And the drudgery of the day went on like that... Occasionally one of those uniformed guards would come in with a message from Baker or a Fox-Hound Member... Telling us to test something again, or to send someone down to the Underground maintenance Base, where Metal Gear was stored, to work on something for the physical test.
At one point a Fox-Hound Member, a very bland looking guy, came in asking about the stealth-cammoflauge suits that our department had been working on as a side project. I hadn't really worked on them, as I was needed mostly for Metal Gear... But they really were amazing things.
From what I knew of the suits, they were supposed to project objects behind you onto the front of the suit and vise versa. I'd seen them used a few times, and they really did make people nigh-invisible.
The Everyman Fox-Hound member had asked if Fox-Hound could possibly use the suits. But after having a brief CODEC conversation with his ever elusive Boss, said that Fox-Hound wouldn't be needing the Cammo after all.
Shortly after the Cammo-Incident, Bland Fox-Hound member returned and asked me to report to the Underground maintenance Base, and I'd been quite honest when I'd told him that I had a headache the size of Tokyo ... so I sent Dr. Elise instead. Much to his annoyance.
Maybe it was a little mean of me. I mean, I knew he didn't want to go, but I could justify it in that he was the most used to working with the real deal. I'd told him he "would be more use in the maintenance Base than in the lab anyway." This didn't seem to help much because he glared icicles at me as he left and I couldn't help feeling a little guilty.
The day seemed to drag on like that. We worked rigorously for hours. Baker had apparently insisted that we be ready to launch as soon as possible. However, by 5:00 most of the scientists had been dismissed. But... Some of us had been asked to stay, and I was the last to be allowed to leave.
I must have worked 2 and a half hours longer than I normally do. And with a headache that refuses to go away, 2 and a half hours feels like 2 and a half days... So I was naturally extremely happy when I'd received a message, via soldier, from Baker that I was done for the day...
By that time I was positively exhausted. My eyes ached from starring at a computer screen all day, and almost refused to stay opened as I made my way outside. I found myself constantly removing my glasses to polish them on my sleeve... Until I realized that it wasn't my glasses, but my eyes, that were blurred.
My muscles ached and my joints cracked with each movement I made ... and it's been a long time since I'd felt a shock like the one I felt when I stepped out into the cold that night. Every step closer to my dorm was a battle...
"Hey, Emmerich." I heard a voice call me once I was about half way to the dorms. I slowly turned. Snow was falling around me obscuring my vision further. But I recognized the voice.
Dr. Harry Elise. "Wait a second.." He called again, as he approached me picking up his pace briefly to catch up with me. "Woah. You don't look too good." He pointed out.
I blinked at him. "I'll be fine. If I can make it home." I mumbled.
"Yeah. Been a long day." He sighed, as we both headed towards the dorms.
"Uh-huh...." I nearly groaned. What, did he want to insult me again...?
"So, I guess ya got back at me, huh?" He commented, conversationally.
"Wha...?" I asked vaguely as I trudged beside him through the snow.
"Sending me to the maintenance Base. I know you did that to get back at me for that low blow the other day."
"No...!" I sighed, "Well, maybe ... a little. -- I'm really sorry. I should have gone. I felt really bad about that." I apologized.
"Hey, I deserved it." He said defensively. "I ... stopped you just now because I wanted to apologize. I've never been exactly nice to you. Maybe we don't have a lot in common. But I don't have to be ... so ... mean to you." He struggled. He didn't want to apologize to me. But he meant it. I could tell he meant it, even though it was very hard for him.
I smiled, turning to him slightly, as we neared the dorms, "Thank you."
"Yeah, Myra talked to me about it before she left. She felt pretty bad about it. Worse than I felt. She wanted to apologize, too... And ... she says 'Happy Birthday'." He gave me a half smile.
I smiled brighter this time as I entered the dorm and we both headed down the hall, pausing at his dorm, "Thank you. That ... means a lot to me."
"Don't get the wrong idea. I don't wanna take you to lunch or anything. Neither does she." He assured me, "But... Even I know when I've made a mistake. So." He finished, shutting the door, "See ya."
"... See ya..." I uttered, dragging myself down the hall, smiling pretty brightly, considering how tired I was.
Once I was inside I kicked off my shoes, stumbled down the hall and fell into bed.
And I finally fell asleep that day, just like everyone else.
... Just like everyone else, aren't you? Hmm... So many people. All of them the same. All of them! You're no different...
A whisper.
What are you talking about?
You know what I'm talking about.
Eyes locked with mine.
I turned away.
No... No I don't!
Very well. Shall I take you back then?
Take me ... back?
Fingers ran across my skin.
And I turned again, face to face.
I shuddered.
Do you remember now? -- No? Do you need more?
Heat.
The warmth of a body close to mine.
Pressed against my abdomen.
I am powerless....
No...
A hand down my back.
Smooth.
Soft palms caressing my flesh.
There was no way to stop it.
Goosebumps.
Ah... I knew you would remember.
Her.
I tried to forget her.
But she wouldn't go away.
Not then.
Not now.
She was persistent!
Excuses. Don't give me excuses.
... I'm not! Please ... believe me...
I fell onto the bed.
Sheets of linen.
Caressed by cloth.
Caressed by hands.
Arousal comes easily...
Her touch is enough.
....I wish....
I wish it weren't....
Sweat.
Perspiration drenches the sheets.
Drenches my body.
Drenches hers.
Pleasure.
...Anxiety...
Filthy... Filthy Desire....
No! It's not like that... I wasn't thinking of that. I - I was thinking of....
Emma.
I'm sorry...
It's my fault.
I wasn't there for you...
When you needed me...
...Then ... why?
Kisses.
Lips caress me.
And all I can think about is...
My sister...?
E.E...
Excuses.
Breathing slows.
Panting...
We tire...
I - I had to. She..... She threatened me, seduced me. I - I didn't want to.
Excuses.
...No...!
No? Tell that to her...
Eyes lock with mine.
I turn away.
...
No excuses now, I see....
A whisper.
"Hal...? Are you okay?"
I nod. "I'm fine, E.E... I just... I wish...."
"You wish what, Hal?"
"...N-nothing...
...E.E.?"
"...Hal...?"
" -- I love you."
So much for your excuses.
Deal with it.... This is your nightmare...
NOTES: Haha! What the hell was that? I don't know! I'm gonna leave you hanging! MUAHAHAHA! I'm eeeviiiil..... ^_~
I apologize to anyone who might have been a little disturbed by that, but it was in my mind to do for a while now.... Yeaah, this is a prime example of me wanting to use visuals rather than words. XD That would have been better on film!
meh....
Hi again, fellow readers/writers. I'm uploading this here now.... in order to leave ya'll with a little announcement. I will be putting a moratorium on fic writing until around the middle of June. School is becoming too much... But I promise you all, I WILL FINISH THIS, WHETHER YOU PEOPLE ARE READING THIS OR NOT. I will have a lot of time this summer for finishing my stuffers. ^_^ But right now, I just need to devote my time to other things. So I leave you with THIS until June.
Otaku Out...
PS As for other ongoing things (DLoSaO mainly).... We might update from time to time before June, but I can't promise anything. So consider me inactive until the good ol' summer starts.