-----------------
Clasping his hands behind his back, Hojo leaned forward and squinted at the body as it floated in the liquid Mako solution. The large monitor beeped loudly tracking temperature and solution concentration while another monitored any movement or change on the body itself. Jenova had shown nothing but improvement since Gast had her placed in the reactor almost a month ago.
Hojo smirked. It was not readily thought that Mako could have regenerative properties. Normally it was death with overexposure, mutation and inerrable brain damage. Though it was the first time Mako had been introduced to a dead body in such a way. 'And I will make sure my name is on every report. Gast may have found and made the initial studies on the body, but I will do more then throw words around. I will make history.'
The scientist shuffled over to another monitor that beeped rhythmically as Jenova's. Instead of Jenova's body, there was male body floating in the Mako. The initial injection had prevented the normal problems that occurred with Mako, but the male specimen had fallen into coma like state not long after the Jenova injections and Mako exposure.
Removing a small notebook from his lab coat, he scribbled down the current vital signs and numbers that computer displayed in bright red numbers. 'This certainly does seem promising. Very promising.' Hojo walked back over to Jenova and played with several of the large panel buttons when the second monitor screamed. Running over, Hojo found the heart rate had flat lined as well as all other organ functions. The body thrashed for a moment before returning to its original limp position. The specimen was dead. In response to the high-pitched bleat, Hojo's other specimens began to bark and wail wilding. Hojo clenched his jaw and turned his head in the direction of the canines. Seeing him, the dogs quieted.
"Better." Rubbing at his temple, he knelt down infront of the access panel and removed the cover. Reaching inside, he pulled at several wires until on finally cut off the monitor wail. Hojo closed his eyes in relief. Standing up and looked at the dead body that remained suspending in the mako and then back the silent monitor.
Frustrated, Hojo kicked at the equipment in anger. He could not afford to begin from scratch. Trying the first man was too risky as it were. 'Maybe I am going about this wrong.' Hojo thought in a moment of silence. He looked at the body and rubbed at his hands as the cool air chilled his skin. 'Jenova seems to have returned to life, so perhaps I should try to perform this with a specimen in a similar state.' His dark eyes slid up to the floating dead body. 'And you thought I would let you rest, didn't you? I am not quite done with my research, my friend.'
Ifalna sat down at the small folding table that served as her desk. Turning on the long arm lamp, she moved it over near to where she had been working on studying rock lichens. Pulling out a worn, dirt smudged notebooks, she wrote down several observations and stopped. Her eyes drifted over at the lichens. 'Did they just talk to me?'
It has not been the first time she had heard something similar. Once it was a rock, then a tree and for a brief time a small creek that snaked toward the ocean. They also talked the same way if one would call it "talk". It was more like a radio signal or feeling. Following along with the impulse, she drew the lamplight over the lichens. She could almost feel a sigh of relief.
'Strange, it seems almost more clearly then normal. I always thought it was some sort of medicine-induced delirium my great grandmother went through. Maybe there is truth about "talking earth". Though it seems more like talking moss for me.'
One the far corner was a picture of her mother, grandmother and great mother. She had lost her father when she was young. The men seemed to have carried a debilitating genetic disease that left them twisted and crippled by their 30's and eventually die not too long after it. Sadder yet, one does not know if they have it until the major symptoms become apparent. By then, it was usually too late to do anything.
That same disease believed to have only carried by the men took her mother's life. Ifalna could not wonder if she carried that gene as well. 'I suppose it is worthless worrying about it.'
A cold wet nose came and rubbed itself against her elbow. Ifalna looked down and found Alexander sitting next to her wagging his tail. The dog then placed his head on her lap. Ifalna smiled and rubbed his tawny head.
"Hello darlin'."
The dog's eyes looked up at her and he wagged his tail harder.
"Alexander, where did you go...?" Gast ducked under the tent flap and stopped. The dog looked over and barked at him. Ifalna smiled and stood up.
"Don't worry about losing the dog, Al tends to have his own schedule of where he goes and who he visits."
Gast crossed his arms. "I can see that." He looked around before talking again. "The crew is about to break for lunch and I was wondering if you would…like something eat. You don't have to eat me or anything, I just thought I would let you know." Gast fumbled. Seeking a distraction, he looked at the boxes of soil and lithic samples lined along the tent wall.
Ifalna walked up and placed her hand on his arm. "I would be honored to have lunch with you. Not that I am a big fan of chilly, but I could certainly use some company." She winked.
Gast kept his eyes adverted as he looked over the boxes. "Are these the samples from the dig?"
Ifalna picked up one of the sample bags. "No, these are from the crater. Several of the men made a trip up there to do some survey work. Unfortunately, one only made it back." Ifalna walked over to another box and dropped into a squatted next to it. "Now these are the samples from the most recent excavations. It would best to look over these after we had some food. Would you not agree, Alexander?"
The dog barked in response and thumped his tail against the ground.
Vincent sat quietly at the normal table that was used at the pub, but this time was waiting for Lucrecia. She had given him to go away to save their table while she finished up one minor thing in the lab. He sat quietly with his drink as he watched as the main door opened a medium height woman and a small child walked in. For a moment, the two almost reminded him of Frank's "family". Looking closer, it was more the little boy then anything.
Looking at his watch, Vincent looked up at the large lit sign with a large red dragon encircling the words "The red dragon". Walking past the dark tinted doors, the Turk was greeted by a waiter left briefly to set up a table. Vincent stood back and observed the dark and semi-quiet restaurant. Not necessarily one of his most favorite places to eat, but it offered a change from the frozen meals that sat waiting for him at has his apartment.
"Oh hey Bean sprout!"
Vincent winced at the nickname that Frank used far too often. Trying to fight the desire to slip back outside, he looked up and found the man waving from one of the booths. Knowing there was no way of retreating, Vincent grudgingly moved around the tables and diners until he reached the booth in the far corner. Vincent stopped and the table. He had thought it was just Frank, but found a woman sitting across from him a little boy next her.
"Oh, you have company, perhaps we can talk another time. I don't want to intrude." Vincent offered hoping he could it as an excuse. Frank shook his head.
"Nah, it would be fine if you joined us. It ain't intimate or anything."
The woman sitting across from him looked up at Vincent and smiled. "Are you one of Frank's co-workers by chance?"
Vincent nodded. "I am."
The boy sitting next to her held up a small stuff monkey. "I got a monkey today!"
Vincent looked at the little boy and nodded. The child smiled, his dark curls hung low over his eyes and around his ears. Vincent could only guess that it was Frank's son.
"Well, just don't stand there, have a seat bean sprout."
Vincent nodded and pulled up a spare chair to the table.
"Hi, my name is Anna." The woman held out her hand and Vincent met it. Anna smiled and relaxed against the bench back. Her brown hair was cut in a casual bob style while long, string like earrings dangled down to her shoulders. "And this is my son, Eric."
The little boy at the mention of his name perked up. "Hi! What's your name? You like monkeys? I got to see monkeys at the zoo today. And elephants and birds. And you know what? I got see tiger babies..."
Anna placed a finger over his mouth. "You are being rude Eric. Let the man answer your question." She looked up at Vincent. "You will have to excuse my son, he is still wound up from today."
Vincent nodded. "No worries. My name is Mr. Valentine."
Eric smiled. "Hello Mr. Valtine. You look contipated."
The Turk blinked. "Contipated?"
The boy nodded. "Yeah, that means you can't go poo."
Frank and Anna looked at Eric. Frank leaned over the table. "Eric, it's constipated"
"Frank." Anna scolded. The man rolled his eyes and sat back down. "Don't encourage him."
"I wasn't. I was simply correcting the kid."
Anna frowned in response. Vincent remained silent as the two talked briefly while the little boy began to color on a piece of white paper with some color crayons. A waiter approached the group and began taking orders for drinks and meals. Vincent watched the young boy squirm and squiggled in his seat, sometimes talking to himself as he colored.
"Bean sprout, did you mean the newbie today?"
Vincent looked at his glass of water in thought. "Perhaps. Which one did you have in mind?"
"Vey."
Vincent blinked. 'The bubble headed ding-dong?' His eyes drifted to the kid who was watching them reminding himself he was in polite company. "The exuberant woman?"
Frank pushed up at his shirtsleeves. "Yeah, we will be testing some equipment tomorrow."
Picking up his glass, Vincent took a drink. 'This will be interesting.'
"Hey mister bean sprout?"
Vincent felt the impulse to hit his head on the table now hearing Frank's son repeating the nickname.
"Do you stay up late to play? My parents do it all the time and make me go to bed early. And then they make this giggling sound and I have hard time trying to sleep, that's when..." Frank shoved a bread roll into Eric's mouth. The boy was shocked and finding he liked it, began to eat. After a moment, Eric set the roll down.
"Mommy, I need to go to the bathroom." The kid squirmed around. Anna took his head and walked him to the back of the restaurant and toward a small hallway. "Can I go back to the zoo tomorrow? I want to see the big dead eating birds! They were so cool. And when they get real close, the get sick on the ground and fly away..." His voice could still be heard even when they reached the restroom door.
Vincent sighed. "I never want children. I doubt I would have the patience to put up with that. Does he never shut up?"
Frank played with his water glass. "He's not too bad. I swear he doesn't even stop talking in his sleep." The two fell silent.
Vincent smirked. "So you and Anna...married?"
Frank gave him a blank looked and then laughed rubbing at his neck. "Oh no, no! It's just that well Eric came along and I kinda like him and Anna's pretty cool. So I hang around and help out."
"I see." Vincent took a drink. 'I suppose Frank isn't too bad. Though I doubt I would not make the same decision if I were in his position. This profession is not family friendly.'