Helix - Kuja's Story
Chapter 7 - Time Dilation
The next few days passed agonisingly slowly for Kuja. Never in his life had he wished so desperately for time to pass him by. The long and boring days in the laboratory made matters worse. Fortunately for him, the Supervisor was not as cruel to him physically. At last, his wounds had some time to heal. However, the Supervisor took delight in humiliating him and devising new mental tortures at every opportunity. Most of the time she acted as if he were just another animal, but some of her mind games prompted him to wonder how much about him she really knew.
One such game of hers was to bring some of the other scientists from the facility into the lab where she would give a "lecture" on the new specimen, describing his "low level intelligence" and other flaws, perhaps daring him to react. Although he knew the punishment for speaking out, he very nearly lost his temper. Because of his furious glare and trembling hands some fresh wounds were added to old scars that evening. After that he kept stony- faced throughout, instead trying to work out how far along the Supervisor was with the experiments.
It seemed that only people very high up in the chain of command were allowed to see him, so he knew that the work on him was important to them. They had done numerous tests on him, but the unfamiliar technology made it impossible for him to work out just what the tests were for. He thought he recognised a few of the procedures, but they were basic and did not tell him much. At least it helped pass the time. At night however, his emotions would rise to the surface.
He would sit in a corner of his cage (He could not bring himself to call it a cell) and sometimes he would become lost in his own despair. He had no idea what to do, how to help this world and his entrapment only made the cause seem ever more hopeless. His own life and perhaps millions of others were at stake, and yet he was helpless. It made him sick inside. There was no one to turn to, no one who would understand. How could he confide in anyone, even Chi'azmo? If his double knew what he had done, would he really help him? Kuja was sure he would not. Sometimes he sent silent cries for help to the stars, but there was no answer. Kuja was utterly alone.
The only things that kept him from going mad were the thoughts of escape. He had not heard from Chi'azmo since that first fateful meeting, and assumed that his double (Kuja hated the word "clone" because of it's allusions to his own birth and purpose) was keeping a low profile. Kuja did not think he needed to worry too much, they didn't seem as if they had finished studying him yet, and the experts coming to study him hadn't let up the moment he was transferred. Though he realised the need for avoiding suspicion, he secretly hoped that Chi would risk detection and hurry in getting him out of the laboratory. He even began to feel jealous of him, to his own annoyance. Chi was roaming free among those of his own kind, while he was stuck in a lab, a "Freak of nature" being tortured for others amusement. However it wasn't just the imprisonment that rankled, he longed for the "oneness" that came with belonging among your own species. Having no others like him on Gaia had got to him, and so the dolls had been his twisted revenge. They offered no comfort to him then, and his thoughts did not help now. He just wanted it all to end.
Perhaps if he could have seen Chi at that moment he would have been slightly happier with his own situation, but he couldn't. His thoughts were mostly very short-sighted - he could not think of anything but escape. Beyond that he had no idea, and he certainly didn't give any consideration for others, except perhaps Chi. He wanted to know what exactly was going on.
*********************
"I want to know what is going on, now!"
The High Cet'ak moved menacingly towards Chi, his face contorting in anger.
"I'm sorry Sir, I was merely looking for a cleaning ingredient. The phosphorus solution GD-79. My Supervisor on level six requires some of the solution for tests."
Chi mentally crossed his fingers and prayed that the Cet'ak was in an amiable mood. Most were of low intelligence, but then you could never be sure what they would do, especially if they were deviated from a routine.
"GD-79 is not kept here. Do not the Tek'azan know where their own stores are now? Has the City become so polluted?"
Chi sighed, and tried to make it look like he was just out of breath.
"I was told it was here. I should at least make sure. The Tek'azan know what they are doing."
The High Cet'ak mumbled something, and stepped aside to let him pass. Once through the storeroom doors, Chi let out a deep sigh of relief. He had grown used to playing the class system. It always worked unless of course you were a lower rank than those you wished to manipulate. Luckily for him, a Cet'ak, even a High Cet'ak was a lower rank then he was. Just.
Scanning the shelves, he quickly found what he was looking for. There were several emergency kits stored here in the event of a systems failure. They contained food, water, small power sources and even communicators for distress calls. Chi picked up two of the kits, and concealed them quickly under the hover-trolley parked outside. He would smuggle them to a better hiding place on his way back to his quarters, one of the less-used file storage units would suffice. He planned to get out as son as possible.
Already there had been questions asked around level six. His supervisor had been interviewed on several occasions, and even some high-ranking Pel'dagen, fully armoured, had made a search of his and the other Chi'azmo's quarters. They did not give a reason, but Chi knew they were looking for DNA evidence and damning documents. Kuja and himself were now in terrible danger. Chi was afraid for Kuja as well as himself. He knew better than anyone the lengths his people would go to get what they wanted. The torture Kuja had suffered terrified him, and he felt a disturbing closeness to what was almost definitely a stranger, and an alien one at that! Chi didn't know anything at all about Kuja really, but he did know he was hiding something. He was determined to get to know this strange (person?) but the implications of this still made him more than a little uneasy. It was difficult to ignore a lifetime of conditioning and belief in just a few days.
On the way back to his quarters, Chi knew there was no more time to prepare. It had taken him this long to find out where those kits were stored. They must make their escape, and quickly. That night for sure. Chi had an idea who could help them, but if they did not leave soon, then they may as well be dead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry it took so long, but now I have worked out some of the plot problems the next chapter should be along soonish. Hope you like it, please review and tell me what you think!
Some explanations:
Chi'azmo is named after a biological process called Chiasmata (Kye-as-mah- tah) where the DNA is mixed in a cell before it divides. I have never seen "Chobits" but I asked a friend what it was and it sounds cool. ^_^ I might watch it someday.
Cet'ak - Kind of a cleaner or technician
Tek'azan - High ranking scientists and technicians. An elite group that manages the research facility.
Pel'dagen - Security. They have several divisions and form most of the "police force."
Chapter 7 - Time Dilation
The next few days passed agonisingly slowly for Kuja. Never in his life had he wished so desperately for time to pass him by. The long and boring days in the laboratory made matters worse. Fortunately for him, the Supervisor was not as cruel to him physically. At last, his wounds had some time to heal. However, the Supervisor took delight in humiliating him and devising new mental tortures at every opportunity. Most of the time she acted as if he were just another animal, but some of her mind games prompted him to wonder how much about him she really knew.
One such game of hers was to bring some of the other scientists from the facility into the lab where she would give a "lecture" on the new specimen, describing his "low level intelligence" and other flaws, perhaps daring him to react. Although he knew the punishment for speaking out, he very nearly lost his temper. Because of his furious glare and trembling hands some fresh wounds were added to old scars that evening. After that he kept stony- faced throughout, instead trying to work out how far along the Supervisor was with the experiments.
It seemed that only people very high up in the chain of command were allowed to see him, so he knew that the work on him was important to them. They had done numerous tests on him, but the unfamiliar technology made it impossible for him to work out just what the tests were for. He thought he recognised a few of the procedures, but they were basic and did not tell him much. At least it helped pass the time. At night however, his emotions would rise to the surface.
He would sit in a corner of his cage (He could not bring himself to call it a cell) and sometimes he would become lost in his own despair. He had no idea what to do, how to help this world and his entrapment only made the cause seem ever more hopeless. His own life and perhaps millions of others were at stake, and yet he was helpless. It made him sick inside. There was no one to turn to, no one who would understand. How could he confide in anyone, even Chi'azmo? If his double knew what he had done, would he really help him? Kuja was sure he would not. Sometimes he sent silent cries for help to the stars, but there was no answer. Kuja was utterly alone.
The only things that kept him from going mad were the thoughts of escape. He had not heard from Chi'azmo since that first fateful meeting, and assumed that his double (Kuja hated the word "clone" because of it's allusions to his own birth and purpose) was keeping a low profile. Kuja did not think he needed to worry too much, they didn't seem as if they had finished studying him yet, and the experts coming to study him hadn't let up the moment he was transferred. Though he realised the need for avoiding suspicion, he secretly hoped that Chi would risk detection and hurry in getting him out of the laboratory. He even began to feel jealous of him, to his own annoyance. Chi was roaming free among those of his own kind, while he was stuck in a lab, a "Freak of nature" being tortured for others amusement. However it wasn't just the imprisonment that rankled, he longed for the "oneness" that came with belonging among your own species. Having no others like him on Gaia had got to him, and so the dolls had been his twisted revenge. They offered no comfort to him then, and his thoughts did not help now. He just wanted it all to end.
Perhaps if he could have seen Chi at that moment he would have been slightly happier with his own situation, but he couldn't. His thoughts were mostly very short-sighted - he could not think of anything but escape. Beyond that he had no idea, and he certainly didn't give any consideration for others, except perhaps Chi. He wanted to know what exactly was going on.
*********************
"I want to know what is going on, now!"
The High Cet'ak moved menacingly towards Chi, his face contorting in anger.
"I'm sorry Sir, I was merely looking for a cleaning ingredient. The phosphorus solution GD-79. My Supervisor on level six requires some of the solution for tests."
Chi mentally crossed his fingers and prayed that the Cet'ak was in an amiable mood. Most were of low intelligence, but then you could never be sure what they would do, especially if they were deviated from a routine.
"GD-79 is not kept here. Do not the Tek'azan know where their own stores are now? Has the City become so polluted?"
Chi sighed, and tried to make it look like he was just out of breath.
"I was told it was here. I should at least make sure. The Tek'azan know what they are doing."
The High Cet'ak mumbled something, and stepped aside to let him pass. Once through the storeroom doors, Chi let out a deep sigh of relief. He had grown used to playing the class system. It always worked unless of course you were a lower rank than those you wished to manipulate. Luckily for him, a Cet'ak, even a High Cet'ak was a lower rank then he was. Just.
Scanning the shelves, he quickly found what he was looking for. There were several emergency kits stored here in the event of a systems failure. They contained food, water, small power sources and even communicators for distress calls. Chi picked up two of the kits, and concealed them quickly under the hover-trolley parked outside. He would smuggle them to a better hiding place on his way back to his quarters, one of the less-used file storage units would suffice. He planned to get out as son as possible.
Already there had been questions asked around level six. His supervisor had been interviewed on several occasions, and even some high-ranking Pel'dagen, fully armoured, had made a search of his and the other Chi'azmo's quarters. They did not give a reason, but Chi knew they were looking for DNA evidence and damning documents. Kuja and himself were now in terrible danger. Chi was afraid for Kuja as well as himself. He knew better than anyone the lengths his people would go to get what they wanted. The torture Kuja had suffered terrified him, and he felt a disturbing closeness to what was almost definitely a stranger, and an alien one at that! Chi didn't know anything at all about Kuja really, but he did know he was hiding something. He was determined to get to know this strange (person?) but the implications of this still made him more than a little uneasy. It was difficult to ignore a lifetime of conditioning and belief in just a few days.
On the way back to his quarters, Chi knew there was no more time to prepare. It had taken him this long to find out where those kits were stored. They must make their escape, and quickly. That night for sure. Chi had an idea who could help them, but if they did not leave soon, then they may as well be dead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry it took so long, but now I have worked out some of the plot problems the next chapter should be along soonish. Hope you like it, please review and tell me what you think!
Some explanations:
Chi'azmo is named after a biological process called Chiasmata (Kye-as-mah- tah) where the DNA is mixed in a cell before it divides. I have never seen "Chobits" but I asked a friend what it was and it sounds cool. ^_^ I might watch it someday.
Cet'ak - Kind of a cleaner or technician
Tek'azan - High ranking scientists and technicians. An elite group that manages the research facility.
Pel'dagen - Security. They have several divisions and form most of the "police force."