Lazarus Corporation Headquarters

Tethys was smiling at Shark's confusion. For someone who a while ago was so intimidating, she now seemed docile, approachable, someone who'd be easy to jump up behind and yell "Boo!" but of course she wouldn't. She merely waited for Shark to make herself comfortable at the sink. She did watch quietly, seeing Shark glance awhile at her hands. the sink's smooth surface was, for a few moments, stained a light red as the Agent flushed herself of the blood. But when Shark turned back, she looked much better, more healthy, less like she's been struck by something heavy.


Now she was clean, Tethys could appreciate the strength her face promised. The stubborn jawline, the shadow of her eyebrows over her eyes, the angle of light making her nose look slender. She stood still as a mannequin, waiting. The two men were quiet too. Tethys reckoned it was a good thing each room had four sleeping areas, because, now that Shark had joined, the maximum group size had been outgrown by a third. Not that that was a problem. It just meant the officer would likely be more angry than usual in the morning.


Tethys hoped Shark wouldn't be letting down her own work and duties to keep an eye on the recruits... or on her. It wouldn't do to be the cause of Shark getting laid off or, most likely, worse than laid off. She'd mentioned a name Tethys didn't feel like it was her business to ask about several times - Steele. Male. Shark's... higher up? She seemed to be running her life by what this Steele person told her to do, and what not to do. Any word to him and Shark could probably get off the hook for just about anything - murder, theft, industrial espionage (though maybe she'd get praised for that last one). Of course, Tethys had taken in what she'd heard about Steele. Something inside her told her not to ask.


Don't look too interested - she might think you're clingy and then where would you be? Yeah, that's right, friendless again.


Shaking herself out of her own thoughts yet again, Tethys looked at them all. The men hadn't said a word, probably intimidated by the presence of the Agent. Shark was going to offer no solution to diffuse the tension, clearly. Tethys wondered if she knew how. How to put a mind at rest. That probably wasn't in any training prospectus faced by any employee here. And it was useful to know, too.


So, Tethys attempted it. She shifted her weight to her back foot and spread her arms, gesturing to the empty beds on either side of the room, "Well, shall we just try and get some sleep?" she said with a warm smile. "After today, it's probably well needed. Do you twos wanna take that side of the room, we'll take this one, awright?" she gave a little laugh, the whole splitting-the-room scenario reminding her of family slice-of-life movies. Still, best not think about that right now. She continued, "And, if you're gonna fight over top bunks, try not to spill blood 'kay? Pretty sure we all had enough of that," she turned her eyes on Shark with a grin, "Ain't that right?"


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


"I'm sure they wouldn't fight about it." Shark shook her head. A joke. She realized a bit too late. She was just joking. Maybe she watched too many sitcoms. Shark thought. Maybe that's why she wasn't really allowed to watch TV or read books. It could have an effect on her which the researchers didn't plan. A sense of humor wouldn't be good in combat. Making jokes could distract one from focusing on a firefight. Though, it would help with the morale of other soldiers. Maybe if the rest of the soldiers were like Shark, thinking about morale wouldn't be necessary. She was meant to be the future of warriors. The obedience of a machine paired with the creative thinking of a human mind.


She looked at the bunks. Looked like her bed in the research building. She preferred it to stay in the darkness. It was soothing. "Which bunk do you want?" Shark looked at Tethys. She was a guest and, no matter how limited her knowledge of 'proper' behavior was, Shark knew Tethys should be the one to pick where she wants to sleep. Though, Shark had only one choice. Sleeping on the top bunk was out of the question. It might collapse under her weight. The cybernetics weren't exactly light and Shark had a lot of muscle packed on her. Still, even if Tethys picked the bottom bunk, Shark wouldn't mind sleeping on the floor. She spent a night sleeping sitting up, just to see if she could do it. Then she spent one standing but she found herself on the floor as soon as she fell asleep.


The blankets were grey, like everything else in the room. Grey and thin. It wasn't cold so they weren't really neccessary but still. The company didn't intend to waste money on recruits. Even the pillows, dark grey, naturally, were thin. Barely more than the blanked if it was rolled up. The night would like like every other, Shark figured. She spent most of her time, while waiting for sleep to come, listening to her breathing while staring fixed at the darkness above. Like a perfect machine. Breathing at the pace required at that time, the heart beating a steady rythm. There were occasional voices behind her door but she wasn't interested about those. Her body was what fascinated her. Just breathing in and out. Now she could listen to three more organisms. Were they like her?


Shark glanced down at herself. Her clothes had blood on them and that wasn't getting out so easy. First day and her outfit was already bloody. She even left her armour and weapons at the research building. Didn't think she would need them. She wouldn't need the blanket so Tethys could take it. She can take the pillow too. A gift?


Shark frowned at her clothes for a short moment. She would have to take them off to sleep but she would sleep with several other people in the room. In spite of what the researchers claimed with twisted smirks, Steele explained that most people were uncomfortable with unclothed or skantily clothed people. The researchers stopped with those jokes once Steele made an example of one. Back then, Shark wasn't sure why she was told to rip him apart. Did it anyways, as confused as she was.


Showering was probably out of the question as well. There was one big room with the showers and stripping in front of others would definitely make them uncomfortable. Why would they be so uncomfortable with things like that? People are fine with her killing someone but not with seeing her without her uniform. Social rules were annoying and confusing.
 
"Oho, well," Tethys turned her attention to the bunks, deciding the two guys wouldn't be entering into her head much tonight. They weren't so interesting and, although she was usually gregarious and wanted to talk to everyone she could, find out what their favourite sauce was, discover their favourite word and so on, anybody but Shark would be a stark disappointment to talk to. Good thing Shark was on her side of the room.


She thought about the bunks - the inner child screamed out for the top bunk! Top bunk! but Tethys wasn't sure. She used to have a habit of falling out of bed. Not so much now, but when she'd actually found herself in a bed instead of on some kind of sleeping area on the floor as she was in the backalleys she lived in, the buildings she squatted in, her body wasn't used to the soft semi-plushness of the mattress. She'd wake up on the floor, in some kind of abhorrent position, but not hurt from the fall and not stiff from the floorboards. However... it'd been a good few months since she'd fallen out of bed. So maybe she could risk the top bunk? And, even if she did fall out of bed, she'd be fine. Sturdy, sort of muscular, she was sure her body could handle it.


Screw it.


She pulled herself up into the top bunk with her strong arms, noting how close the ceiling was; she could sit up if she stooped her back. If she had a particularly exciting dream, though, she could wake up with brain damage.


She smiled down to Shark, "I wanna be up here, since you asked me. That awright with you? I'll try not to fall down in the night but... small chance I will. Jus' dun't worry 'bout me too much though, 'kay, I'll be awright," to make a point, she knocked her knuckles on her head. "They always called me thick-'eaded. I dun't think it was a good thing but... 's saved me a coupla times. I walk into things. Bein' so tall, y'know? Anyhows, you can have the lower one."


She gave Shark a final grin before throwing herself on her back and taking off her jacket. She thought nothing of it as she stripped down to her bra, folding the clothes less-than-neatly and putting them in one corner of the bed. She slipped off her boots and rested them on her jacket. It didn't matter if the jacket got a little dirty. She debated taking off her trousers too, but decided against that. Sleeping rough was in her blood. And, unlike what some people might think, she always knew to take off her clothes before sleeping. Skin had to breathe and staying in clothes day-in-day-out was especially bad for the body. But still, one night in her combats wouldn't do any harm. She could find ways around it tomorrow.


She lay down. But the bra. She had two men in the room and Shark. Shrugging, she pulled the blankets up to her shoulders - it was just like a man taking off his shirt to sleep. Besides, it wasn't like she'd taken off  her bra. They were comrades now. And if none of the other three could handle a little skin, they weren't professional enough. That being said though... Tethys did hope at least one of the men would have a good chest... she needed something to fantasise about, after all. @Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


"It's fine." Shark nodded, watching Tethys on the top bunk. "It's actually better. I'm probably too heavy to be up there." She smiled. There was probably some joy in being on the top bunk. Nothing Shark would miss. "You often walk into things?" Shark asked with a concerned half-smile. That probably wasn't good. Too much head trauma could have long-term effects. Probably a joke.


She turned to watch the men pick their beds through some short game and start getting ready. Probably rude to stare. Shark thought but felt a certain curiosity.


As she turned away from them, she was facing Tethys who was taking her clothes as well. Check-mate. Shark blinked a few times and watched her. The woman was definitely fit. Good for a soldier. She might even get through the 'training' they had planned for them alive. Even more likely with Shark's help. She was staring again. Shark caught herself watching Tethys quickly cover herself up. Clearning her throat, Shark looked away. Her turn. Probably nothing embarrasing. Just a quick strip and that's that. They wouldn't mind now that they're like that as well. She took her jacket first and placed it at the foot of her bed with a thump. It wouldn't stop a bullet but a knife might a have difficulty getting through it. She stripped further, following Tethys' example closely.


Her cybernetics and slow movements made it seem like art. A coreographed dance. No motion was wasted. Every single move seemed to be preplanned to maximum efficiency and executed with care to the tiniest detail.


Once she was finally out of most of her clothes, Shark's body was in full view. It wasn't heavily muscled like a body builder. She wasn't meant to be like that. Too much muscle would get in the way of her movements. It would cut down her agility. No, she was meant to be a mix of fast and strong, like everything else in Lazarus. She had the body of a dancer. One with a bit more muscle than was needed and a lot more metal than was normal. She glanced around to see if any of her 'roommates' were looking at her before picking up her blanket. "Does anyone want this? I sleep without." She explained. She enjoyed the cold. Made her feel alive. "I also don't need a pillow." As flat as they were, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Still, they told her to sleep on flat. That it's healthy. Like she was meant to live long enough for it to matter.
 
Tethys gladly accepted Shark's offer of pillow and blanket. But in doing so made her, once again, wonder about Shark's life. Was she just used to sleeping on the ground, or on a table? Or did she get put on standby? Did she have a standby? It'd probably be inappropriate to ask - Shark's body was her own and Tethys wasn't about to go probing around where she wasn't wanted. She could be a bit too close to people at times, but never that close.


With the pillow and extra sheets, Tethys snuggled down, hugging one pillow under her head. The room was a nice comfortable temperature, but Tethys always liked to feel the heat at night. She'd fall asleep imagining she was in a small log cabin in the Alps, with Grough resting under a tarp outside. It was a good feeling that led to good dreams. She heard the others getting into their own comfortable sleeping positions, and called out a goodnight to them all - "G'night, yous lot!"


It was only polite, even if she didn't know them. If she was to be working with them over training, they'd do well to form some sort of connection. The spy thing still worried her though; what if someone in this room was the spy Shark had assumed was present? Tethys knew she wasn't, and knew Shark couldn't be. But the two men, they could be anybodies. Tethys hadn't even gotten their names. She decided to name them herself, based on what she thought they looked like.


The bald guy, he could be a Keith. Yeah. Keith, a sort of ex-construction-site worker. Rugged face, large hands. Keith was a good name for him.


And the other could be... Tristram, with love-me long, trendyish hair, and pouty lips. She doubted those were their names, but it was too late to ask now. None of them had any idea what was planned for tomorrow... although Shark might. She might know. It wasn't her department but...


Tethys shrugged it off. She'd ask tomorrow.


She swung her head over the edge of the bed and looked down at Shark. Her ponytail, which she had decided to keep done up for fear of her loose hair getting bedraggled overnight, dangled down.


"Sleep tight," she said happily. "If ya need a blankie or whatever, just come up and steal the one you gave me back, I don't mind."


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


Handing over the blanket and pillow, Shark got on her bed, making it let out a quiet squeak. She never slept this close to someone. So close to be able to hear them breathe, their machines of flesh going to slumber. She couldn't help but wonder if they would go to sleep easy. Not just because they had someone like her in the same room but because of what they got themselves into. They won't get any training, no official gear, no support. Just thrown to the wolves to see if anyone makes it out alive and if they do, just throw them out again and again. She saw the plans. Was meant to observe them to see... Something.


Shark wasn't exactly sure what her job was there. Just told to observe the recruits. But what for? She found one spy and scared off anyone else. If there was a spy, they'd probably be frightened by her bluff about knowing of another spy. Was she meant to become friendly with the recruits? Were they watching her to see how she was going to behave with other people? Maybe to see if she would get too attached to someone? To see what will happen when that someone dies? Maybe she wasn't meant to be the subject of whatever her task was. Maybe she had to see if there's anyone worthy of becoming a Specialist? 'Observe the recruits'. Just that. She was technically doing that.


Laying straight, staring at the bunk above her, like a plank, Shark felt ever so slightly startled by the sudden upside-down head dangling from the side. It was an interesting scene, the ponytail almost making Shark chuckle. Almost. She suppressed it into a smile. "Thanks, I probably won't need it." Shark returned a determined nod. "Rest up. Tomorrow is a big day." She said, trying to be reassuring but her smile melted away halfway through. Tomorrow was meant to be the last day for most of them. In the morning, Shark wouldn't think twice about using Tethys as a human shield but now... She'd probably take a bullet for this strange woman. After all, Shark was just a clone and didn't have that inherent value Tethys had. The corporation would give away a thousand Tethys for one Shark but probably not most other people.


Shark looked back up at the bunk. She would have difficulty falling asleep. She usually was so intrigued by her body that it took her about an hour to get over the breathing and heartbeats and now she had four times as many organs to listen to. That wasn't the only thing. The recruits weren't exactly checked for weapons. They weren't seen as threats and would be thrown into a fire soon but Shark was in a room with three recruits. Any of them could be a spy, no matter how nice they seemed. They could just walk up and put a gun to her head while she was sleeping. Million credits of damage for Lazarus with a single bullet. Even if she could fall asleep, every time someone took in a loud breath or shifted in their sleep, Shark's eyes would click open. No sleep for her. Still shouldn't jeopardize the assignment tomorrow.
 
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Surprisingly enough, the memory of the spy's temple exploding didn't haunt Tethys' dreams. It wasn't that she was particularly shocked by the death, but rather that a previous addiction she'd managed to overcome was being reawoken again - thrill. No remorse, no guilt, no fear, but a tremendous rush as she'd heard the kid's life extinguished in a second. Before she drifted off she thought about it quietly. With the room dark and everyone breathing, Tethys could feel a tension hovering over the room. The perfect time to consider thrills.


She turned over, pulling the pillow with her. The firmness of the surface made her miss her own bed. It only served as a reminder of the unknown and probably harsh training she'd be facing in less than eight hours from now. Her arms were strong, and could probably handle a fair bit before aching, but her legs weren't as muscular. Working on cars, vans and bikes didn't involve the legs, except to, perhaps, hold something down for a long time. Her legs were only as strong as the number of stairs she'd ever climbed, so she felt slightly less optimistic as she drifted off.


It wasn't much to be thinking about. Probably wasn't worth thinking about. Wondering what and where were foolish things to do, and they'd deprive her of energy for tomorrow. Best to shut her eyes now and get some rest than to risk panicking herself from what she'd do. It was like a job interview. Overthinking was an interview's mortal enemy - there was such a thing as being overprepared. Thinking too much about what questions you might be asked, wondering if they'll judge you on what you wear. Anything like that. It was the same here. Tethys didn't want to work out a strategy to preserve her energy only to have it squandered by some obstacle she didn't expect.


She remembered she'd been asked if she knew how to handle firearms. Being a ghetto-babe, of course she did. She wasn't fond of it - she'd much sooner use a tyre iron to stove in a skull than a pistol or automatic - but she knew how. Basic things. How to hold, how to steady your hand. How to stop breathing just before you take the shot. How to get any evidence of gunpowder out of your clothes. Tethys knew the important things. Maybe tomorrow they'd be doing that.


She stopped herself from thinking about it. Don't think, just do. It was her motto, almost her life motto. Don't think. Just do. It'd seen her through a lot. She was sure it'd see her through this too.


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


Shark closed her eyes. She opened them. What felt like a second was actually several hours. 4 AM. She knew how much it was. She always woke up at 4 AM like she had some internal clock ticking away. Wake up, take a shower, train. Everyone was still sleeping. There would probably be at least an hour until they get woken. Specialists would be going from door to door, delivering uniforms for the mission. But not yet. Not for at least an hour. Maybe even more. 


Shark turned and dropped out of her bed, landing on her toes and one hand. She observed and practiced the movements of Ronin infiltrators. Methodical movements, slow and careful. This was a good opportunity to practice sneaking around.


She pushed herself up to her feet, the muscles on her arm releasing the faintest whir. After not moving for a whole night, the cybernetics had to be stretched out like real muscles just to get them working optimally. Shark started walking towards the sink. She kept walking on the toes of her metal feet, making no sound as she made contact with the ground. The feet had rubber on the tip for occasions like this. So there wouldn't be a sound when metal touched against metal.


She looked back at the sleeping recruits. None of them would probably notice if she turned the water on for just a second. Shouldn't be that loud. Shouldn't wake them up.


Shark turned the water on briefly, just to wet her hand. She rubbed the cold, moist hand over her eyes before turning to face the door. The rest of the recruits should be asleep as well. Perfect time for a shower. A long one. No one will wake up before 5. No reason to. They weren't trained for it.


With a smirk, Shark opened the door and stepped out, carefully closing the door behind her with a click. The researchers always shortened her showers but now there was no one to bother her.


At the end of the hallway was the bathroom. Unisex, Lazarus wasn't really concerned about the comfort of the recruits while the Specialists were strict professionals. Nothing which would bother Shark.


Taking off her clothes as she passed through the bathroom, towards the large shower area, Shark got calmer and calmer with every step. The spots where her cybernetic limbs connected to the flesh looked like flesh grew onto a robot but not yet covered her arms. Military cybernetics didn't have aesthetically appealing connections. While Lazarus was mostly a consumer manufacturer, Shark's limbs were still military grade and caring about how it looked like was a waste of money.


The shower room wasn't particularly large but it had a lot of shower heads along the steel-colored walls. Shark quietly chuckled, closing the door behind her. She could relax. She turned on every shower head to the hottest and sat in the corner, on the metal floor grates which made up the floor in the shower.


She let the hot water wash over her and steam fog up the room. With one leg bent at the knee and other straightened, her head bent back and arms resting on the knee, Shark was finally relaxed. No one to tell her not to, no one to judge her. She kept her eyes closed and maintained a blissful smile as a steady stream of hot rained down on her.


(I assumed you didn't plan on writing dreams so I skipped to morningish. Hope I didn't mess up any plans you had)
 
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It was all going well. It was all going so, so well, but maybe it was going too well, or maybe Tethys was enjoying her dream too much, because what she didn't want to happen happened. With a turn, a simple shift in weight, she found herself weightless for a half-second before the impact with the floor woke her up, removing all comfort and interest in her dream. She'd landed almost on her front, her shoulder and breasts absorbing most of the impact. That was fortunate. Who knew breasts would come in handy so soon?


She groaned herself awake, pushing herself into a sitting position. Both blankets and a pillow had come with her.


"Aww maaan..." she sighed as she tossed them back up. "That di'nt work."


She looked behind her, but the men seemed to be soundly working through their REM cycle. Tethys' ruckus hadn't awoken them. That was good. The bald guy had a pretty good back too; slightly tanned, his shoulder muscles and spine created mouth-watering indents. Tethys let a little gasp escape her before snapping out of it. She turned back, looking under her own bunk. Check she'd not woken Shark up. But the bed was empty.


Tethys straightened, raising one eyebrow. She'd clearly not missed the cue to get up or the men would've been gone. And there was nothing to hear but silence either. So whatever time it was, it must be sometime before the 5am trigger to start the day. If only this place had windows she might be able to guess the time from the light of the sun, or lack thereof, or the tweeting of the birds. But no, they were 5 storeys underground. Nothing around but stone and dirt.


She hoped Shark would come back. Maybe she went to the loo. Do cyborgy cloney people need to go to the loo? Maybe? 


She decided to stop thinking about it. Though in the meantime what would she do? No point in attempting sleep again. It'd just make her more groggy when she was finally called to wake up. And besides what if she fell out of bed again? It was a narrow bed, much narrower than her home one. Maybe that was why she fell out. Thought she could turn but she couldn't turn. She sighed, reaching up to grab her shirt and jacket. She had to go to the toilet now. All that wondering if Shark had tot had rebounded.


It was going to be a long day, she could tell.


@Mr_DC ((You made the right call. Writing about dreams I find is a waste of time - even in a novel. Besides, this way we can continue. Was someone else joining here at 5am too? Walking towards Lazarus Corp.))
 
@0stinato


Shark cracked her neck and knuckles while stretching under the stream. She could actually behave like this. Just relax without anyone looking over her shoulder and counting the seconds she's spending in the shower. No doctor in a lab coat with a clipboard under hand, breathing heavy with glasses fogging up.


By the end of the day, her cybernetic hands will be dripping with blood but will be steady as they are now. She was meant to have no qualms about whatever she was ordered to do but doubt started sprouting about that. What if she was ordered to ensure no recruit returned? That wouldn't be difficult - just send Tethys home.


Out of sight, out of mind. With Tethys gone, she would be able to think clearly again. Shark pushed herself up and started pacing around the shower room, letting her thoughts be drowned out by the sound of heavy, hot water. The steam made it difficult to see the room from one corner to the other. Her skin was getting hot but she could handle it.


Could I do it? Shark frowned, standing in the middle of the room. Put a gun to her head and just pull the trigger like she'd done with countless others. Not exactly countless. Eight simply executed. Fourty-six given the chance to fight back. Four killed indirectly for morality testing. There were none like the other and she could have killed a hundred Tethys's without knowing it.


This isn't what she expected would come out of such a simple assignment. It was just a tall woman catching her eye. A woman tripping. Asking a couple questions. Being friendly. "Why is she so special?" Shark sighed, lying down near her corner. She curled up in a fetal position but had her eyes trained on the door. "Is she special?" Shark mumbled. There might be someone even more friendly while being as skilled as Shark. Maybe Tethys was skilled. She had the posture and behaviour of a soldier most of the time but it wasn't enough. Maybe she will get to handle a gun today before the big mission. Shark closed her eyes, focusing on heat of her own skin. The slow, deep breaths to get as much oxigen out of the steam as she could.


She would normally be going through all potential plans about the mission. There was nothing normal about this. Her efficiency dropped. The researchers were bound to notice once the mission was done.


(Yeah, he was but he doesn't seem to be posting lately. I'll throw him a question in the OOC)
 
She carefully opened the door, trying to be careful not to make too much noise. Pulling her jacket over her shoulders and shrugging it on, she suddenly felt warmer. However, her first step took her tripping over a pile of soft things. Well-practiced in the art of keeping upright, Tethys jumped the objects. A quick examination with her hands in the darkness revealed that it was fabric. Probably clothes. No hope in reassembling the pile or re-folding whatever she'd tangled though. Oh well. People would be wearing them in a while anyway. She did up her jacket, remembering the way to the bathrooms.


The corridor was long, seemed to be longer with every step as Tethys walked through the darkness. The only thing she could aim for was the slit of light from under the bathroom door. Maybe Shark really was in there? Her heart quickened - a bathroom talk with her friend? Brilliant! Lots of people didn't like stall-to-stall talking, but Tethys was part of that camp. Why not have a quick talk about the weather, or about the car you've been thinking of getting... Tethys saw no problems with that. She looked forward to it. If Shark was okay with it.


Once at the door, she gave it a little knock. However, she could hear the hiss of the showers, on full-blast by the sounds of it. Whoever was having a shower probably couldn't hear her knock. She pushed open the door confidently, taking in her bright surroundings. It was hot - she'd been in a sauna before and found this highly comparable - and Tethys wasn't ready for it. Within only a few seconds she felt a sweat drop down the side of her face. As she wiped it away she tried to identify who was in the hot mist but... there was only a dark shape in the corner. However, the clothes on the floor... could very well be Shark in there.


Unable to keep a smile from her face, Tethys quickly used the bathroom. When she got out the cubicle she was glad to see the clothes hadn't moved. Would it be weird to join her in the shower? Surely not. They were colleagues, fellow soldiers. Well. Almost. Once Tethys was through training, she'd be a security person. Working alongside Lazarus, and therefore in contact with Shark.


She called into the fug, "Oh Shaaarkyy!" she sang, the heat waking her up. "Mind if I join ya? Getting in an early shower huh. Not a bad plan. I'd not be up so early but I fell outta bed, so... yeah," she began to pull her jacket off again, opening up her brown skin to the hot air. Comfortable. Muscle-soothing. Maybe it'd even help the bruise she was developing on the shoulder she'd fallen on.


@Mr_DC ((Sure thing. Looking forward to having some more characters.))
 
@0stinato


Shark launched herself up to her feet and stared at the figure in the fog. Tethys by the sound of it. "Um..." Shark frowned. Up this early. "You fell out of your bed?" Shark repeated with a chuckle. More than a little clumsy. Still, sleeping like a corpse was Shark's method of resting while most tossed and turned. Not much of a surprise she fell. "I don't mind." Shark said. I was leaving anyways. She thought but didn't voice it. The water was perfect. Tiny drops forming on her forehead from steam and sliding down her face, so warm she didn't even feel them.


Tethys sounded cheerful in spite of it being morning. Couldn't have been more than 4:30. Did she really need just that little sleep? Not even some coffee like most people these days? Shark didn't really care. The heat calmed her. Cleared her mind. She didn't think so much about the details of what and how. She was just there, in the shower, early in the morning.


"Did you get enough sleep?" Shark asked, involuntarily closing her eyes to focus on the water. She spoke slowly, almost slurring her words. It was the heat.


Are you scared? She thought, opening her eyes and watching the Tethys' figure. Do you think you will die? So many don't realize what they got themselves into. "Are you scared?" Shark asked, not caring enough to silence her thoughts. Her voice cut through the fog. She was open now. No reigns. "Do you think you will die?" She continued. A small part of her wanted to stay quiet. Just give a polite nod on the way back. As soon as the words came past her lips, that part gave up, settled in the back seat. "You know this is dangerous, don't you?" Shark's eyes narrowed. Was she just a child, playing soldier? Was she so desperate for money? Why was she here?


(Yeah, I hope to have more than just Shark and Tethys on Lazarus' side. Things might be a bit unbalanced when it comes to pace)
 
Tethys, now naked, stepped into the fog. Privacy was a concept she understood, but thought it was made too big a deal out of. A low v-neck exposing 100% of cleavage was fine in her eyes. Well, to some extent. She was too chubby to wear one in her opinion, so she stuck to keeping a thin strip of her midriff out for all the world to see. Show you're comfortable in this world and everyone will be comfortable with you.


She let out a sigh as she neared the water, feeling the presence of Shark behind her. Now she'd spoken, Tethys was in no doubt that it was indeed her friend. She let the few seconds of silence between them pass as she stood under the water, letting it dampen her hair as she pulled it out of the ponytail. It sprung back to its original mad position, but under the weight of the water dipped down until it was clinging to her neck and face. A good, hot shower. Wake up the brain. Make the anxieties drowsy. There was no better way to do that.


However, she was pulled back into reality by Shark's voice. Quiet, barely audible above the hiss. But, as Tethys worked out the words she'd said, her eyes widened. She turned, looking at Shark's shape. The shoulders, the hips, the thighs. Shark.


"Are you scared? Do you think you will die?"


For a second, Tethys' ears blocked out the harsh spitting water. For a second, she could see Shark clearly, her placid expression contrasting with her queries. For a second, Tethys wept.


Why she felt two tears roll from her eyes, she wasn't sure. Had she any idea what 'training' would entail? No. Did she have any clue it might result in her death? Not at all. So why was she... crying? Her wide eyes stared at Shark and suddenly the water wasn't a comfort anymore - it was a price. Last shower, maybe. Last time she'd feel water running down her legs.


"Wh... Am... I likely to die?" she asked. Sounding like a child. A child asking if it will die soon. A life with no self-esteem. Shark thought she might die. If she didn't, she wouldn't have asked. Shark was predicting she'd die. Shark was expecting her to die. In training. Before she'd done anything. Before she'd been able to put her name towards anything. Before she'd been able to do her own small part to change the world.


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


Another sound by the voice deep within her, telling Shark to comfort Tethys but it was simply a whisper in the distance. Shark knew what she was doing and what had to be done. "You will die." Shark said, stepping closer. The cheerful tone in Tethys' voice was gone. She understood. She was taking Shark's words seriously. "You will die." Shark repeated, taking a couple steps closer until there was about a foot of distance between them. There was a brief feeling of sadness in Shark. She regreted that things had to be this way. But it was out of her hands. Unless she acted against her orders.


"In a few hours, you will be go with me on a mission. All of you are a distraction. No one is meant to survive except me. You will go, die, and cause confusion." Shark paused. She needed her to listen. "That is what they have planned. You will be given MosTech uniforms with no protection, low quality guns manufactured by MosTech, loaded into MosTech vans and taken to Ronin." The information she told her meant little to someone so frightened but would be invaluable to a spy. Tethys wasn't a spy. She was someone who could be trusted.


Shark told her facts, not something to comfort her. Just words probably meaningless to a panicked mind.


"I have a different plan." Shark said, looking deathly serious as before. "I borrow better weapons and equipment from the Specialists." Borrow was putting it nicely. Stealing would be the best option but she might just beat down a Specialist and hide him after stripping him of everything useful. "I have you stick with me. And I get you out of there." She knew how it sounded. It was impossible. A wasted effort. It decimated Shark's chances of getting out and put the entire operation at risk if Tethys died with Lazarus eqipment. But it drastically raised Tethys' shots at getting out alive.


Still no emotions. Still just facts. She wasn't helping, no matter how certain she sounded about the plan. "You are likely to die but... I won't let you." Shark placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping in mind not to let the entire weight of the cybernetic limb fall on Tethys. "I will tell you what to do and I will watch over you. I don't want you to die so you won't. It's that simple." Shark said and smiled. It was an unnatural smile. A cold smile, there just as an attempt to comfort Tethys. Her words, though, weren't just comforting ideas. It was a plan to go through with. Shark's smile faded. Smiling doesn't help.
 
Everything Shark was saying seemed to be contradicting itself. And that was confusing and angering Tethys. To straight up tell her she was going to die was horrendous. Though... part of her appreciated the honesty. She'd not got wind of that from anyone else. Not the officer, not any of the recruits, not even when she applied for a position. And from what Shark was saying, Tethys knew that this mission she barely knew anything about was no test. It was literally putting people up to die. Recruiting cannon fodder under a different guise.


Standing beneath the shower, Tethys body was hot, and, in her nudity, she felt small. A kitten beneath the hands of a psychopath. But perhaps a kitten with a way out. That's what Shark was offering her. A way out, a different path. Some way to go through this mission and come out the other side, probably having betrayed her other fellow recruits by not telling them. Perhaps that's what Lazarus wanted. To awaken the psychopathy within its workers. Save yourself, and tell no one you're going to save yourself.


Shark was, clearly, a very important person within this mission. The officer's thoughts on her might be acting. Or he mightn't know her role. Tethys certainly didn't, but now she'd spoken, voice low beneath the constant and surrounding sputtering of every shower, Tethys knew.


She didn't say anything for a while, just felt Shark's hand on her shoulder. Heavy. Large. Strong. A grip that could crush bones. Or more. She didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to say.


"I... You'll keep me alive?" she eventually said, feeling like a toddler asking its mother for a biscuit, "But how? Why? Why? I... I thought i'twas going to be some kinda obstacle course like in the army. Like you see in the army films. I thought i'twas gonna be like that. Is it not? Are you gonna... see us all die? But save me? How? I don't get it. Am I the lucky one? Only me?"


She realised she was stumbling over her words, waffling on, unable to construct any sentence with a set topic. She was confused and it was showing. To look into Shark's eyes now... Tethys felt different. Before, she'd felt like there was something human. Now she felt like there was something desperate. Desperate for what, she wasn't sure. Her body was built to kill, something Tethys had perhaps tried to ignore a lot. Her arms weren't flesh, her legs weren't flesh. Everything a predator would use was replaced with sleek material. Now her hand was near Tethys, she could hear the quiet, almost inaudible over the sound of the shower, whirr of components much too small for her mind to think about. All packed neatly into a tool designed like a human hand, designed to kill.


To offer me help, Tethys thought, Why? Issit just 'cause I talked to her? 'Cause I wanted to see what she was all about? 'Cause I was nice to her?


She wasn't about to question that though. If she was Shark or... no, if she was a creator of Shark, or someone who maintained her or looked after her, thought of her as a weapon and a killing machine, she'd not let Shark have any of these empathetic emotions. Imagine if she got empathetic with the spy she'd said was around in the group of recruits. That'd end in disaster for everyone involved. But, even so, Tethys wasn't about to question it. She wasn't a spy, she was just some woman in her prime, too optimistic and too naïve, too trusting. She liked motorbikes and hated soap operas. Just a woman, just a woman. And she needed Shark's empathy.


She needed Shark's help.


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


Panic. Tethys was panicking. Not something easy to keep alive in a combat situation. Someone broken. She wasn't taught how to keep someone alive. If a friendly soldier is injured, leave them. If a friendly soldier can't handle it, leave them. Friendly soldiers don't exist. The only thing that exists in combat is enemies.


But... Being told to study tactics and examine every battle she has access to yielded significantly different conclusions. Friendly soldiers keep you alive when you can't. As much as they didn't want to teach her that, Shark learned how to keep someone alive. Never put that skill to the test, though. Probably the same as extracting mission objectives. Probably.


Tethys blurted out a lot of words at Shark. A lot of questions. One by one. Shark nodded at all of them, retracting her hand from Tethys. "I will do my best to keep you alive - I am made to give my best and have a 98% mission success rate." Too technical. "I will keep you alive." She flashed a smile. Just for a moment. Just to confirm her certainty. Just to seem human. Maybe being human wasn't exactly the most comforting thing in this situation. Humans make mistake. Shark has a 98% success rate. Tethys didn't need an emotional human. She needed a shield.


"I will explain how later. When you clear your mind and take an objective look at the entire situation." She answered the second question. "Why..." Shark repeated the question, pausing. Why was she doing it? Make friends. Yeah, that's why. "That's not something you should ask when someone wants to help you. Help is help." She avoided the question. Well, not so much avoided as much as she pointed out something else.


"You won't get training." Shark hopped onto the next question. "Lazarus doesn't train recruits. They hire experienced mercenaries and find ways of keeping them in. Training is too costly for the corporation." She was repeating the words she heard in the lab. It was an argument against her existence. She was too costly. A bunch of mercenaries would do the same job more effectively. Steele, however, seemed to have some master plan and she was a key figure in it.


"You are meant to die and I'm meant to ignore it. You are meant to be there to soak the initial fire so the mission isn't a complete suicide for me. That's all. No training." Shark explained. Again. She knew Tethys didn't have some sort of short memory. She was in a panic and the least Shark could do was repeat herself for the sake of calming down the frightened woman.


"You're not lucky." Shark looked down for those words before looking back up with the same icy stare she had before. The stare of cold reality. The world wasn't friendly. Something Shark forgot.


"You're not lucky." She repeated. "Quite the opposite. If you try to leave, Lazarus will hunt you so you wouldn't reveal any secrets. Those spies yesterday. The ones who walked away. They didn't get to the front door. If you try to leave, they will send someone - maybe me - after you. And if you don't know how to disappear, I won't be able to let you go that time." There was only so much she was willing to do to save this woman. She was just some woman and she knew what the corporation would do to her. Wipe Shark's brain. Retrain. Send her after Tethys again. And that's if they don't just kill them both right away. "You have to do what I tell you." Shark reached out to take Tethys' hand. A touch to calm her. A human touch. Human enough. "Do you think you can do that, Tethys?"
 
"Then what... so we are just pawns? We're fuckin' pawns? Just gonna become obsolete as soon as we step out on the battlefield, just gonna die and be nothing but blood and dust. Not being trained. And all for you. They must care a lot for you. Or maybe they just sunk a lotta money into you," Tethys was slowly recovering her senses, not panicking as much. If Shark was willing to help her then it would be the worst decision not to trust her. And, given all the information she'd told Tethys... Lazarus would kill. Happily.


Don't blame the security who killed the spies at the door. Blame the corporation who told them to do that.


But yes, everything Shark was saying was true, and maybe Tethys was ignorant. Always wanted to see the sunny side, always thought there was a point to the shade. She hadn't quite believed this was a dystopia until now. A bright, neon dystopia. Scary, surprising and sudden, Tethys was discovering the tyranny beneath her boots. Finally. There was a reason she knew much less brand names now than she had done; all the big corporations had absorbed brands to get their fingers into more pies. From fast food to stationary, everything was owned by a larger corporation, perhaps one that made military equipment, perhaps one that gathered and sold sensitive information.


"So..." Tethys said, taking a breath, still beneath the shower. "I..." she paused again. "You'd come and kill me. You'd get me out of here and treat me as if I was dead. I'd have to disappear. Change my name. Change my identity. Cut myself off. I just..." she looked up at Shark again, feeling her cold, strange hand on her own soft one, "I like who I am... but if it's the only option I guess... I gotta. There in't no other way? Like... I pass this... I get put into the security force...?"
 


This was, of course, impossible. If what Shark said was true, and Tethys had no reason to believe otherwise, she'd not fit the bill to be a security guard. She was no mercenary, she was no professional killer. She was unintelligent in that area, unqualified. Dirt.


So no, she had no other choice. Disappear it was.


"Yes. I can do that. I'll be careful. I read crime books so... well I know it in't the same but... I might be able to. Be able to disappear. I'll change my name. Change my hair. I dunno. Develop an American accent. Learn Russian. Try to get into MosTech. 'S where I'd have talents. Fixing stuff. Sorry," she gave a weak smile, "I'm rambling. I need to stop," she took a breath. "First answer, yes. Yes I can."


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


"A pawn." Shark looked past Tethys. "Chess." She looked back. "Do you think I'm more than a pawn? Hm, maybe." She felt like a pawn herself but she couldn't be one. Not with what the recruits were. Maybe she was a bishop or a rook. Heading all across the board to reach whatever was on the other side in one swift move. Or a knight, getting into hard to reach places. A queen perhaps? The name didn't suit her. A knight. She concluded. A soldier.


Satisfied with the decision of what figure she was, Shark focused back on Tethys.


"Not for me, though. I'm there just so they would see how I'd be on the field. You will be wearing a MosTech uniform and attacking Ronin for a reason." Get them to go against each other. A plan which could easily take a wrong turn but Shark didn't plan it and, thus, had no voice in the matter.


"No. You can't disappear." Shark said with a shake of her head, her hair flopped to one side. "You don't know how and you have no time to learn. I don't know how to teach you either." Disappearing wasn't one of the things Shark learned and why would it be? The corporation wanted to keep an eye on her, after all. It's the same reason one wouldn't teach her about anti-corp ideologies. "You will do something else." Shark blinked. She wasn't sure how long it has been since the last time she blinked. She found herself doing that occasionally. Staring. Forgetting to blink.


"If you live, you will prove you survive where I can and others can't." Shark explained. "Do you see my point?" She twitched one eyebrow up. "After..." If. "We get out of there alive, you come with me back here. They won't kill a successful soldier. Not if you don't leave any evidence behind you. You won't." Shark spoke like it already happened. Like she already finished the mission and saved Tethys. A part of her went through all possibilities and made several plans. No surprises. "You will do what I do. You will go. Fight. Live. Return." She was instructing Tethys like she was some robot to give commands to and send her on her way. 


No. She was explaining what will happen. She was explaining what Shark will make sure will happen, regardless of how good Tethys was. "We have a few hours perhaps and..." She hesitated. "I'll try to teach you." Without turning you into me.
 
Oh.


That's where she was going.


Tethys realised. She'd be doing exactly as Shark said, doing exactly as Shark did, surviving as Shark would be. Showing she was made of different stuff, perhaps the same stuff as Shark. And, in that, maybe in her future she'd be made of exactly the same stuff as Shark. The kind of stuff that when click and whirr. Buzz, hiss and fizz. Take the skin and flesh off her arms and build around it, making her arms stronger and heavier. Maybe. Surely. Maybe.


Tethys wasn't stupid. She knew how to take a hint. How to read something no one wanted to say out loud. It was after years of practicing. Tethys was always that one friend who'd outstay her welcome. Or, rather, she used to be. Meet and join in with a gang at a club, earn their approval, retire to a house or flat and continue the evening on couches. But she'd always outstay her welcome. She'd always crash in their house, which a lot of club-goers expected from their guests, but she'd stay on until noon, talking, chatting, proving herself to be a good friend. Eventually people would give her The Signals. The uh-huhs, the sideways glances, the secretive eye-rolls. She'd learned to read that stuff. She'd learned when to get out of their house.


And she knew what Shark meant, even if her mouth didn't form the words. No need for Tethys to change her name or even her hair. Just reason to kiss her tattooed arm goodbye.


"How about we get on with it," she said, taking her hand back. "More time I got the more time I wanna spend living. I wanna live. I got motorbikes to ride in this life, I'm not missing it," she left the showers, bragging an off-white towel from the stacked pile and quickly dried herself down, giving her hair a skuzz with it. Shaking out her hair, she began to dress again, aware of Shark behind her, looking at her, blue eyes, human eyes, human worry.


She could cry. But she mustn't. It was down to the wire now. It was learn or die. And Tethys wasn't about to die.


She turned, adjusting her jacket on her shoulders, "Let's do it. Quickly. Before they know something's up. I'm ready."


@Mr_DC ((I'll write Lull's bit next. I'll be improvising but I'll be sticking to the idea of biological technologies... I've got a few plans to explore his personality.))
 
Everything in the world can be complained about. Everything. From getting your favourite present for Christmas to crashing your bike, there's always something you can find to complain about. Just, sometimes, you have to do a little searching. Lull didn't think it was possible to complain that much, but the old guy on the ward Lull had talked to was moaning incessantly about every little thing. At first, he'd commented on Lull's clothes, demanding to know why someone attending to him wasn't wearing the approved medical scrubs every doctor and professional was. Lull had replied with a lazy "I don't work here" which had only agitated the man more. Soon came the barrage of questions - who are you then, why are you staring over me like a gargoyle, who sent you - to an almost paranoid extent. Lull had been told to not disclose what the few tests were for to the medical staff or patient. It was Lazarus' business and Lazarus' business only.


Lull had left the hospital irritated, a thin folder accompanying him. Within it was everything he needed. Blood records, measurements of natural killer cells in different areas of the old man's body, how much chemotherapy he'd had and more. As Lull had gathered this information, some from the old man himself, other parts from databases he'd been allowed to access, the old man had shut up. Or... no that wasn't the reason he'd shut up.


The old man had made an irritated and worried comment: "I hope you aren't planning on killing me when I get out of here," to which Lull had replied, "You have stage 4 throat cancer, why would I bother killing you when your body's doing so well on its own?" After that, he'd stopped talking.


Lull's bedside manner wasn't great. Never had been. As if he cared anyway. He didn't give a damn about the old man, and even assumed he'd end up in the old man's position when he got a bit older. To mark his point, as he was waiting to cross the road back to Lazarus' main building, he lit a cigarette. The nerves he'd frayed while becoming annoyed at the old man began repairing themselves as the wave of smoke hit his lungs. Life was shit, but at least it was a little bit less shit.


He tapped the ash off the end of the cigarette as he crossed the road, heading straight towards the building. Because of his appearance, he got asked for ID classification a lot less than some of his colleagues. The mask and scowl were a direct giveaway. As was the glowing cigarette held between calloused and rough fingers.


Lull took a seat on a concrete bench, laying the folder beside him. All he looked forward to in his life were smoke-breaks. He'd wake up, dress in his uniform, go to work and do about two hours before heading outside for a smoke-break. A simple little thing, but it kept him going. A thin strip of dead leaf wrapped in porous paper. Sad to think that this was what he lived for. And it'd probably be what killed him too.


As he finished, he tossed the butt carelessly to the ground, treading it out with his heel. Sure, he could have stubbed it somewhere more suitable but it was a habitual thing - his previous employer had a contract with him in servitude. He'd smoke outside during his breaks and drop the cigarette butts to the floor, well aware he'd be coming out in the evening to sweep up anyway. What was one more piece of litter really. It would make no difference.


Also, Lull wasn't the one cleaning this place up. So he didn't care.


@Mr_DC ((Is this okay - I'm not really sure what Revival would do. I'm thinking he'd be working on finding ways to stop the body from developing diseases to make more internally strong soldiers?))
 
@0stinato


"Good." Shark nodded. "Now come with me. If I'm going to get your gear, you should come and see how I'll do it." Shark said, walking out of the shower. The relaxation was over. It was time to be a killer again. "I..." Shark started, picking up her bra and panties but stopped. She wouldn't need the rest of her clothes. A good distraction, if a bit degrading. Maybe for someone else. Shark wasn't meant to feel embarrassed or degraded. "Nothing. Follow me." She said after quickly putting on the what little clothes she had by the shower and continued. "I can't show you how to shoot. It will be too loud." Shark explained, walking through the barracks hallway towards the elevator. "I will show you what I can, though."


Shark wasn't sure about this. How to teach someone how to shoot without having them shoot? Improvisation. She stopped in front of the heavy door, waiting for it to open by itself. Automatic security. Facial recognition. Luckily, no one was manning those systems so her almost nude appearance wasn't a thing to be passed around the office. That might embarrass even her.
"Uh..." A Specialist in front of the door froze. A woman - the agent - in front of her, almost naked. "M-ma'am?" She looked up, behaving exactly how Shark planned.


Shark's hand grabbed the barrel and pulled it aside before the Specialist realized what was going on. With the Specialist's finger safely away from the trigger, Shark gave the rifle a tug, pulling it free from the woman's hands.


As the woman scrambled to reach the device on her hip - intending to call in reinforcements - Shark swung the gun back at the woman, slamming the butt of the rifle right in the jaw from below.


The Specialist fell back with a thump. "Here." Shark handed Tethys the rifle while staring at the body. Still alive. Probably. Not permanent damage. Probably. "We need the low caliber vest under the heavy vest." Shark thought. The heavy vest would be too obvious. It even had the Specialist logo. It might even be too heavy for the untrained civilian. A civilian. She looked at Tethys. That's what she was. A civilian. Someone caught in the crossfire. "The vest won't protect you against much. Better than nothing." She nodded.


"Take her sidearm as well." Shark motioned at a small, white handgun. A laser pistol. "Should do well against the new shield technology Ronin invented." Shields. All researchers in Shark's lab collectively sighed when they heard Ronin's reveal. Another thing to train Shark about and just days before she was ready for the field. The training was cut short. Ballistics vs shields - bad. Lasers vs shields - good. Lasers vs armor - bad.


"Be careful with that gun. It doesn't hold many charges and can overheat." It was barely good enough not to be considered a prototype. Lazarus rushed to give those guns to their Specialists so they could stand against the Ronin Samurai. The result was an occasional gun turning into a grenade.


"I think that should be it for the gear." Shark concluded. Now what to do with the body?


(Well, I had to do something so I didn't really have time to explain you what I meant for Revival. At least, the part your character would know about. I'll message you about the details but this is fine. I'll also try to reply to Lull shortly.)
 
@0stinato


Lull's phone chirped. Not a traditional sound but something unusual. Like a bird signaling for danger. It was a message sent from an impossible number. Far too long to be an actual number. Perhaps hacked.


Call me. The message read. Simple enough but it was signed with Lazarus.


(Yeah, sorry about the short post. I couldn't really make it much larger without forcing anything or breaking mystery. The next one will be longer.)
 
So Shark's tactic was... abuse. Physical and sudden abuse, like some sort of deadly ballet. And a ballet Tethys was unprepared for. She watched, open-mouthed, as the smooth-skinned woman's posture changed. Instead of standing upright she was suddenly pushing herself forwards, each limb moving in harmony to each other, every movement as choreographed and practiced as a couple's first dance. All too soon, the far less graceful body of the security woman smashed into the ground, a trickle of blood leaking from her mouth. No doubt a result of the rifle's butt contact with her jaw.


The offending rifle was thrust into her hands. She looked up at Shark, who'd already looked back at the body, instructing Tethys on what to do. Tethys was frozen in shock for a few moments but her brain began screaming at her:


This is what you don't need to do, airhead! Listen to what she says, dun't stand there like a dummy. Vest! Sidearm! Quick! Dun't be shocked, this is what your life is now!


Yes, and her brain was completely right. She forced her legs to move her towards the unconscious woman, muttering an affirmative to Shark. She knelt down quickly, placing the rifle beside her. Having never held a rifle before, she was a little shocked by its weight. But she'd get used to it. She got used to things quite quickly. Undoing the top vest and sliding it off to reach the thinner vest beneath, Tethys shrugged off her own jacket. She had to manhandle the woman quite a bit, but it was necessary now. She'd have to get used to that too.


The vest fit her quite nicely. Feeling a little bit like a cross between a binder and a buoyancy aid, it squashed her breasts a bit and restricted her breathing. Maybe it was a little too small, but who knew? She'd never worn one before, maybe this was the way it should be.


Shark instructed her to take the pistol too, warning her about the dangers of using it too frequently. A pistol. Something inside Tethys smiled - now here was something more fitting to what she was used to. Small, single-handed, as soon as Tethys snatched it off the woman's hip she felt a little part of her awaken. The adolescent Tethys. The one who'd learned to fire pistols. Of course, the pistols she'd handled were more like magnums, sometimes flimsily repaired but reliable, but this was still a pistol. Sleek, white, alien. But nevertheless, a pistol.


Tethys stood up, tucking the pistol away into her trouser pockets with the safety on, and carrying the rifle against her shoulder.


"What's next?" she said, steadying her voice, silencing the shake that it held. "What are we..."


Shark was looking down at the woman. And Tethys hoped she wouldn't do what she thought she would.


@Mr_DC ((Sorry about Lull's post, I realised it didn't give you much to work with.))
 
Upon hearing the beep, Lull let out a sharp sigh. Unless it was Lois texting him asking how to cook pasta, whoever it was could piss off as far as he was concerned. He ripped the phone from his pocket and selected the message he'd seen... Call me. -Lazarus. That was it. Even when he selected it there was nothing else. No other words, no extra information telling him what was going on. Just a demand, a few silent letters of control.


He sat down heavily on the bench again, shaking his head at the screen. He began muttering under his breath, "Call me? Why do you text me asking me to call you? Why not just call me straight off?! What a waste of life. Waste of my fucking life."


Still. Nothing to be done. Call... Lazarus... back. Yeah. Lazarus. Not his boss' name, not any of his co-workers' names either. Just the company. The company itself. Obviously the building hadn't picked up a phone and texted him, so it must be someone representing Lazarus as a whole. And that someone would probably be more stoic and unyielding than a fjord. Whoever it was, Lull already didn't like them. Making him waste his life like this, who exactly did they think they were? Lull wasn't afraid of Lazarus.


He'd also never laid eyes on this number before. He'd experienced 12-digit numbers before, because the population had used all possible 11-digit numbers, but this was even longer than 12 digits. He didn't want to waste more time counting them. And it was probably best not to think about it. After all, Lull had known other odd numbers too. His previous employer had used an all-access number that was simply Ɛ03. Somehow, she'd managed to dial a backwards three. So there were things just as odd out there.


Deciding he'd rather remain sitting for this particular conversation, not wanting to waste energy standing when the length of the conversation was unknown, he sat back. He allowed himself one last long eyeroll before selecting the number and redialing it.


He placed the phone at his ear and waited to see who picked up. Usually, in these calls he'd simply get someone who spat down directions through the phone. It was time-efficient and meant no one had to engage in the awkward practice of over-the-phone small-talk. Whether it was a "come up to my office, I need to talk to you" from a higher-up or a list of, essentially, chores from a colleague, Lull could remain quiet during the call, merely muttering a "fine" before hanging up.


"Just don't waste my life more," he growled, listening to the dial tone as it rang on through his skull.


@Mr_DC
 
@0stinato


Shark watched Tethys awkwardly handle the gear and couldn't help but wonder about herself. Was she ever this fresh? Or was she always a soldier? She couldn't remember a time when she didn't know how to handle a gun or, for that matter, what a gun was. She felt like her life just started a few months ago, like she was born with all that knowledge. But there was more. There had to be more.


"You will need to hide your new gear." Shark instructed. If someone found out she wore Lazarus gear before they left for Ronin, she'd be good as dead. "Keep the rifle wrapped in something and wear your jacket. Don't show anyone the pistol." Someone might get too impressed by the advanced equipment and start asking too many questions, getting attention where it shouldn't be.


When do guards change shifts? Shark frowned. There probably was an empty room but a missing guard in the barracks would definitely raise an alarm. So she had to raise it. "I need my clothes." Shark muttered and pointed at the floor. "Wait here." She ordered and ran for the room on her toes, not wanting to make noise. She realized she treated Tethys like a dog but it had to be done. Do this, do that. It would save her life. At least, if things went according to plan. Plans.


Shark ran back, dressed. "This is what we'll do." Shark took a deep breath. Lies weren't her area of expertise but she was probably better at intimidation than anyone else at Lazarus and that had to be enough. "I'll call over the Specialists on upper floors. I'll say she tried to abuse you and I stepped in. She was drunk and without her regular gear and weapons when she came in. We don't want anything bad to happen to her so we won't report it to anyone important as long as they take her somewhere private to cool off."


She scratched the back of her head. Probably not a plan which will work well. A dangerous plan. Few outcomes wouldn't result in blood. "Hide your gear, I'll make sure they don't get a good look at you." She said and closed her eyes. It will be too suspicious. What an awful idea, risking her life like this. For a friend. She sighed and looked at Tethys. Shark knew how she looked. She looked tired and annoyed and angry and unsure. She had to think on the fly and make up her own orders. It was always so much simpler when she was just doing as told. "You'll be fine." Shark said calmly but wasn't sure who she said it to. Tethys or herself.
 
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