Disclaimer - I don't own Final Fantasy 9 or any of the characters. All I own is the idea for this story and any characters original to it.
Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! I try to reply to everyone individually so I don't leave big lists at the top of the chapter, but to all those I couldn't contact, many thanks and I am glad you are enjoying the story. Things get a bit weird now but hey, that's what makes it fun right?
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Helix - Kuja's Story
Chapter 6 - Reality Check
For several seconds both figures stared at each other, too shocked to move. For Kuja it seemed that time had momentarily paused: he could see around things and into things, each detail perfectly formed. Then reality rushed back on him with jarring force and he realised he was holding his breath. Wheezing, he looked at the tall figure, now with a hand over his mouth in horror. Later he kicked himself for it, but the first thing he said was an all time cliché:
"…Who...are…y-you?"
The figure jumped back, having uttered the very same words: in the same voice. Kuja's mind reeled as he stood looking at...himself. His own face stared back at him, the skin as pale as always, the hair a startling white that could be akin to silver, but featherless. The legs were strangely long and graceful, the difference in height astonishing, and the newcomer had no tail but otherwise they were identical in every detail.
His counterpart appeared to have noticed too. His eyes ["my eyes…?"] were wide with shock, and Kuja realised that this man couldn't possibly have known about him. That was the reason they had hidden him in the secluded laboratory for so long, to perhaps avoid awkward questions.
["And what could be more awkward than this?] He thought wryly.
Yushan had said another time and place, but he never thought that he could perhaps exist there already. Garland had made it clear from his childhood that he was a manufactured being, built for a purpose and that his DNA had been cloned and altered in a laboratory: but meeting one of his clones had never even crossed his mind, all previous holders of his DNA were dead. It came on him in a rush all the terrible crimes he had performed, all the bad things he had done. He was a disgrace to his genes, mindlessly killing and acting purely out of selfishness. Again he felt frightened, maybe this individual could take over - replace him. Then he noticed the man's face. This was no tough, righteous replacement. He was crying.
Kuja was astonished. In the many days he had been held prisoner, he had never seen a display of such raw emotion. The only moods he had seen were the terrible rages and gleeful trances of his Tormentor. Now one of the very people he had come to think of as cruel torturers was openly weeping. His shoulders shook and tears fell down his cheeks. After his cold distant childhood in Bran Bal, Kuja had always subconsciously tried to suppress his emotions. When he spoke his voice was surprisingly steady.
"Why are you crying?"
The strange tenderness in the words surprised the stranger. He started, and with a shaking had pointed toward Kuja, who was for a second puzzled. Then, looking down at himself, he realised what must be affecting the man so badly.
His nakedness laid bare his wounds for all to see. His body was a mass of old and fresh wounds. His hands and feet burned terribly from when the box scorched him - he had learned to minimise the amount of skin exposed to the heat. The weal's and cuts across his chest bled freely, and his hair and tail fur was striped with red. Now very self-conscious, he made a slightly pathetic attempt to cover himself, and to his surprise, blushed.
"It's not as bad as it looks…really."
He realised that it was a bit lame, but until this man calmed down ["Not that I am really calm, myself…"] then they would get nowhere. And they might not have much time, the Supervisor could be back any minute, and when she found them together what she would do would probably be less than pleasant. His own worried look seemed to do the trick. His ["clone?"] visibly straightened, and Kuja realised that his "double" had just done what he himself had done a few seconds earlier, put on a brave face. ["How far do these similarities go?]
Now his double had gathered himself, he seemed to have decided to take the plunge:
"I-I'm sorry, but who are you? My DNA…it isn't possible. You are me, yet you are not -cannot be human. They hid you from me and now I know why, but I do not know how this could be possible. Your wounds…what did they Do to you?"
His face once again contorted in horror and shame. Kuja decided that he would have to distract him with conversation.
"We don't have much time, that Supervisor could be back any minute. My name is Kuja, and you are right, I'm not human. I can't tell you much more, only that I don't mean anyone any harm, and I only want to help, but it's not working…"
That did it, a coherent conversation seemed to be the best medicine. His double responded fluently, their present awkwardness forgotten.
"What's not working?"
"…I can't say. Look I know this is strange, I'm as shocked as you are but this is wrong! I am not an animal, I am sentient, like you - I share most of my DNA with you! Why I am here, I don't know, but you have to get me out of here."
At the words "Share and "DNA" his double had gone white. Now he blurted:
"They will study me too! Once they have all the information from you they will turn to me. Oh no!"
Kuja realised they couldn't let that happen. The strange kinship with his double was his only chance to escape. If both of them were caged then all hope of him saving the world - and earning forgiveness was lost.
"Look, what's your name?"
The double was startled.
"My name is Chi'azmo9164."
The mouthful took Kuja by surprise, but he tried not to show it: ["I should be used to surprises by now!"] Instead he held up his hand, palm out, and pressed it against the wall of his prison.
"Chi, pleased to meet you."
He couldn't have been more glad when "Chi" mirrored the gesture, long tapering fingers shadowing his own.
"Kuja, let us get you out of here."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for the very weird chapter, but I have always wanted to write something like that. Call it a result of watching too much sci-fi, or what you will. I hope you enjoyed it.
Chi'azmo is named after some odd DNA process I learned about in biology that is (ironically) supposed to produce varied genes. His name is pronounced "Kye-azmoh," "Kye" for short. It'll probably be explained later in more detail anyway, but all the residents of the city don't have proper names, just the name of their rank/job and then an identification number. A Chi'azmo is a sort of trainee research chemist, or the nearest this world gets to it.
Please review! I really appreciate any constructive criticism and feedback!
Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! I try to reply to everyone individually so I don't leave big lists at the top of the chapter, but to all those I couldn't contact, many thanks and I am glad you are enjoying the story. Things get a bit weird now but hey, that's what makes it fun right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Helix - Kuja's Story
Chapter 6 - Reality Check
For several seconds both figures stared at each other, too shocked to move. For Kuja it seemed that time had momentarily paused: he could see around things and into things, each detail perfectly formed. Then reality rushed back on him with jarring force and he realised he was holding his breath. Wheezing, he looked at the tall figure, now with a hand over his mouth in horror. Later he kicked himself for it, but the first thing he said was an all time cliché:
"…Who...are…y-you?"
The figure jumped back, having uttered the very same words: in the same voice. Kuja's mind reeled as he stood looking at...himself. His own face stared back at him, the skin as pale as always, the hair a startling white that could be akin to silver, but featherless. The legs were strangely long and graceful, the difference in height astonishing, and the newcomer had no tail but otherwise they were identical in every detail.
His counterpart appeared to have noticed too. His eyes ["my eyes…?"] were wide with shock, and Kuja realised that this man couldn't possibly have known about him. That was the reason they had hidden him in the secluded laboratory for so long, to perhaps avoid awkward questions.
["And what could be more awkward than this?] He thought wryly.
Yushan had said another time and place, but he never thought that he could perhaps exist there already. Garland had made it clear from his childhood that he was a manufactured being, built for a purpose and that his DNA had been cloned and altered in a laboratory: but meeting one of his clones had never even crossed his mind, all previous holders of his DNA were dead. It came on him in a rush all the terrible crimes he had performed, all the bad things he had done. He was a disgrace to his genes, mindlessly killing and acting purely out of selfishness. Again he felt frightened, maybe this individual could take over - replace him. Then he noticed the man's face. This was no tough, righteous replacement. He was crying.
Kuja was astonished. In the many days he had been held prisoner, he had never seen a display of such raw emotion. The only moods he had seen were the terrible rages and gleeful trances of his Tormentor. Now one of the very people he had come to think of as cruel torturers was openly weeping. His shoulders shook and tears fell down his cheeks. After his cold distant childhood in Bran Bal, Kuja had always subconsciously tried to suppress his emotions. When he spoke his voice was surprisingly steady.
"Why are you crying?"
The strange tenderness in the words surprised the stranger. He started, and with a shaking had pointed toward Kuja, who was for a second puzzled. Then, looking down at himself, he realised what must be affecting the man so badly.
His nakedness laid bare his wounds for all to see. His body was a mass of old and fresh wounds. His hands and feet burned terribly from when the box scorched him - he had learned to minimise the amount of skin exposed to the heat. The weal's and cuts across his chest bled freely, and his hair and tail fur was striped with red. Now very self-conscious, he made a slightly pathetic attempt to cover himself, and to his surprise, blushed.
"It's not as bad as it looks…really."
He realised that it was a bit lame, but until this man calmed down ["Not that I am really calm, myself…"] then they would get nowhere. And they might not have much time, the Supervisor could be back any minute, and when she found them together what she would do would probably be less than pleasant. His own worried look seemed to do the trick. His ["clone?"] visibly straightened, and Kuja realised that his "double" had just done what he himself had done a few seconds earlier, put on a brave face. ["How far do these similarities go?]
Now his double had gathered himself, he seemed to have decided to take the plunge:
"I-I'm sorry, but who are you? My DNA…it isn't possible. You are me, yet you are not -cannot be human. They hid you from me and now I know why, but I do not know how this could be possible. Your wounds…what did they Do to you?"
His face once again contorted in horror and shame. Kuja decided that he would have to distract him with conversation.
"We don't have much time, that Supervisor could be back any minute. My name is Kuja, and you are right, I'm not human. I can't tell you much more, only that I don't mean anyone any harm, and I only want to help, but it's not working…"
That did it, a coherent conversation seemed to be the best medicine. His double responded fluently, their present awkwardness forgotten.
"What's not working?"
"…I can't say. Look I know this is strange, I'm as shocked as you are but this is wrong! I am not an animal, I am sentient, like you - I share most of my DNA with you! Why I am here, I don't know, but you have to get me out of here."
At the words "Share and "DNA" his double had gone white. Now he blurted:
"They will study me too! Once they have all the information from you they will turn to me. Oh no!"
Kuja realised they couldn't let that happen. The strange kinship with his double was his only chance to escape. If both of them were caged then all hope of him saving the world - and earning forgiveness was lost.
"Look, what's your name?"
The double was startled.
"My name is Chi'azmo9164."
The mouthful took Kuja by surprise, but he tried not to show it: ["I should be used to surprises by now!"] Instead he held up his hand, palm out, and pressed it against the wall of his prison.
"Chi, pleased to meet you."
He couldn't have been more glad when "Chi" mirrored the gesture, long tapering fingers shadowing his own.
"Kuja, let us get you out of here."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for the very weird chapter, but I have always wanted to write something like that. Call it a result of watching too much sci-fi, or what you will. I hope you enjoyed it.
Chi'azmo is named after some odd DNA process I learned about in biology that is (ironically) supposed to produce varied genes. His name is pronounced "Kye-azmoh," "Kye" for short. It'll probably be explained later in more detail anyway, but all the residents of the city don't have proper names, just the name of their rank/job and then an identification number. A Chi'azmo is a sort of trainee research chemist, or the nearest this world gets to it.
Please review! I really appreciate any constructive criticism and feedback!