NationStates Jolt Archive

Diablo Base, buried deep in the Larkinian Eastern Ridge Mountains

Dr. Frederick Worthington walked with a uniformed man through the corridors of the Delta Science Wing, looking at the latest data on a tablet PC.

"Interesting," he said, reading the data on the screen. "So then these two subjects have made contact recently."

"Yes," Lance General Marcus Johnson said, "Reports have them meeting at the reception in the Presidential Palace after the court marshall."

"Ahhhhh, a pity that, eh General?" Worthington asked, rubbing salt in the still fresh wound of the man. "Regardless, this will go nicely in the file. Tell me, were any of them showing signs of... fatigue? Break down?"

"No doctor," Johnson replied. "Well, the others were starting to show signs of stress. Of course that's to be expected."

Worthington scribbled some notes on the screen, "Mmmmm-hmmmm... no mental fatigue? Did they look to be in good health?"

"Aside from having Williams having his leg blown off, yeah."

*scribble scribble* "Were the medical officers able to get the blood samples from the two?"

"Part of the physical exam prior to the trial."

"And additional tissues?"

Johnson handed the doctor a plastic box containing preserved slides and frozen hair samples, "Our 'clumsy' barber...'accidentally' pulled some hair out by the roots on the men, there are follicals still attached to the strands. Live DNA. Although why you want more samples is beyond.."

Worthington nodded, pushed his glasses back up and took more notes as he cut the man off. "General, Project Aeneas has been going on for thirty-five years. I don't intend our research to go by the wayside now that Grant has... left the building, so to speak.

"Dr. Williams' idea was brilliant at the time, but we have precious few original specimens left to work with. The others have either been killed, committed suicide, or were... aborted as 'unacceptable specimens'."

Johnson shivered involuntary at the thought of what was behind door number 3....

"But doctor, if you're looking at the possibility of DNA recombination of that magnitude, why not see what some other species DNA might do. Maybe from Sakkra or Elvish...."

"Oh yes, that's a wonderful idea," Worthington snapped at him, "Why don't I go to Siri and ask her, 'Almighty goddess Siri, I am working on a way to remove imperfections and weakenesses to certain biological problems from the human genome, may I please have a sample of your DNA to learn from?? And can you spare a couple other DNA samples?' She'd: a) laugh me out of the room, b) have me shot, c) get a fleet of gravships larger than the total land mass of Larkinia together in order to d) raze this nation into a red mist.

"I may not be up to date on all of the current events general, but the last time I checked, humans were busy killing elves all over this world. Execution, hunting them down, torture. I don't think they would believe that our intentions, however honorable I intend them, would be truthful. In other words, they have a list of reasons as long as my arm to hate us. No, besides that would tip our hand, and we are so close to a breakthrough."

(background)

Ft. Deckert Research Center, outskirts of Golden Agate, 32 years ago…

A vivacious, raven-haired woman stood at the podium, diagrams of the human genome flashed on the screen in regular intervals, as the presentation concluded.

“And this is how, with an artificially increase of red blood cell platelets to a wound, and the increase of white blood cells to enhance healing, you can heal a patient with a slash injury in less time.

She went on to conclude her lecture.

“As you see ladies and gentlemen, now that we can engineer a type of ‘virus’ to enter certain cells of the human body and change the basic DNA structure, we can alter the course of human evolution,” she said quickly taking a sip of water. “We can render certain diseases a part of our past, we can ensure that our children won’t be born with genetic deficiencies that could give them a lifetime of pain, or no life at all.

“I’m ready for questions from the audience.”

Many people shot up at once, some intrigued, other incensed.

“Doctor,” a young military man stood up, “I’m Lieutenant Michael Grant, Larkinian Infantry command. With the processes you’ve described to us, it sounds like what you are doing is not just making it possible for future generations to not just be saved from disease, but if you can decipher parts of a person before they are born, then you can identify those who are more... aggressive than others?”

She chuckled to herself a moment, “Leave it to the military. Ten seconds after hearing news like this, they are already trying to figure out how to make the perfect ‘super-soldier’.”

“Now wait a damn minute!” the lieutenant started.

“Not to worry lieutenant, no offense was meant by the statement. Just a point of fact. To answer your question, yes, I believe you can. If you can tune down the effects of pain on a soldier, and by building additional muscle tissues, easily done through steroid therapy, and decrease the amount of time it takes for messages to travel down his nervous system, which we can do with the recent breakthrough in synthetic nervous cell sheaths, and a quick ‘jacking up’ so to speak, of the man’s adrenal gland output. You can quite possibly have the basis for a ‘super soldier’

Another man jumped up.

“Doctor don’t you think you’re playing god a bit here? Redesigning a pre-born’s DNA, it’s nothing less that creating designer children!!

“Not really,” she said with a neutral shrug, “We are looking at giving them a stronger future, building their body’s resistance to disease before they have a chance to strike.”

The moderator stood up, “Ladies and gentlemen, that’s all there is. The doctor will be out in the lobby during the break to answer your questions.”

She smiled as she unhooked the microphone from her lapel and picked up her data stick before walking though the back of the room, taking the corridor to lead her to the reception hall.


She was in the middle of sipping her gin and tonic when the young lieutenant and the moderator walked up to her.

“Doctor Williams? This is Lieutenant Michael Grant. Lieutenant, this is Doctor Jennifer Williams, Ft. Deckert research staff.”

The two exchanged smiles and handshakes, “What’s your specialty here ma’am?” Grant asked.

“Biological and Genetic Engineering,” she smiled.

“I thought so, given the topics of your speech today. How are the facilities here? Adequate for your needs?”

She shrugged, “I guess they are. They’ll have to be, I mean I can’t really complain to anyone about them not working up to my standards.’

“Well, ma’am, I have to go back to the military headquarters now, but I’d like to take the chance to talk to you more about your research.”

“Of course you can, Lieutenant. I’m usually in the lab during the day, so you can leave a message for me….”

“Well, I was thinking about getting together this evening, over dinner maybe, to talk about it? I’ll meet you at 8?” he said offering his card to her.

Jennifer thought a moment, she’d really didn’t know if this was such a great idea, but then again, it was only dinner, and her husband was away on some sort of political barnstorming, and she didn’t want to go to an empty apartment again…

“Sure,” she said taking the card and smiling at him. She briefly checked him out as he walked away.

Well I could have worse company this evening…

(bump and tag)

Present day, Diablo Base

Worthington continued the walk with General Johnson toward his office.

"General, what you don't understand is that we've already made breakthroughs with the newer generation subjects. The problem comes in when we have to wait 15 or 20 years to see the results of our research.

"We still haven't determined a way to accelerate aging and slow it down again upon reaching maturity. As you can guess, the experiments this far have died within a handful of years."

The pair reached the doctor's office door.

"We'll grab a bite in the cafeteria in... say... 30 minutes?" Worthington asked.

"All right," Johnson said before walking away.

Worthington entered his office, walked past the test tubes, petri dishes and latest dissection reports and sat down at the computer and unlocking and opening the filing cabinet next to his desk. He plugged the data stick from the tablet PC into the main computer and printed out the reports that Johnson gave him. He flipped through the files...

"Hmmmm.. deceased.. deceased... terminated... missing. Gotta start looking for that one.. deceased... here we go," he said pulling out the first group of live files to add the reports to them

[code:1:a455c37425]Markson, Christopher I....

... Williams, Jeffrey M....

... Narina, Dariana....

... Jordan, David C...[/code:1:a455c37425]

Worthington finished adding the latest reports into the files and copying them into the computer. He rolled over to the small coffee maker in the room and poured himself some coffee before sliding one of the blood samples into the scanner and looking at the computer screen.

So far so good, not much signs of disease in the subjects... Looks like there's some kind of foreign bodies in the bloodstream here. Must be part of the 'cybernetic' enhancements this subject had. That reminds me, I need to talk with Nigitara about how his research is going. Maybe worth looking into merging research. Cybernetics and genetic engineering..

Penthouse Office at Inoki Manufacturing

*beep beep*

James Nigatara turned and picked up the ringing cell phone. The caller ID didn't register a number.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"James," Worthington's voice said from the other side of the line, "It's Frederick. How have you been?"

Nigatara sat back and sipped his tea, "Quite well, doctor. How are you doing?"

"All right. Look, I wanted to run some test ideas by you, for a possible project I'm looking into."

"Would that happen to be the 'Project Aeneas' you've been associated with for the last fifteen years?"

"Why.. what's that?" Worthington asked surprised.

"Frederick," Nigatara said with a grin, "Don't play coy with me. I know all about your little 'eugenics'," that word left a distinct distaste in his mouth, "program."

"Damnit James! How did you find out about that!? Not even the president knows about it."

"Why do you think I'm the most successful businessman in the region?" Nigatara said. "Knowledge is power, and I know about your project. Now what are you proposing?"

"How is your cybernetics research coming?"

"Quite well," Nigatara replied. Ever since he'd joined forces with Niven Co., their research had jumped tenfold, they were researching at a level nearly comparable with Niven Co. "Why?"

"I want to talk to you about the possibility of working with us on the project. Combining our genetics research and your cybernetics program we might finally be able to reach those goals."

"I don't know," Nigatara said after a moment, "I don't see much profit in sharing resources with you. What's in it for me?"

It was Worthington's turn to grin, "Government contracts, more money than you're getting now."

"But I can get those contracts on my own. Our cyborg program alone is netting a nice profit."

"Well the James," Worthington added, "I'd have to storm into your offices with Larkinian Security Marshalls. After all, this is 'Top Top Secret' classified. And I'd hate to have to come in and take all of your research back with me."

"I.... see your point. I'm starting to see the profit in this research," Nigatara said.

"I knew you would. What say we get together over lunch to discuss it?"

###TAG###

Tagged, and check your tgrams

Last post was supposed to be by me, keep forgetting that when using Kajis laptop, it logs me in as him, lol.

Tagged, and check your tgrams

*reads telegram* :lol: read and replied to Imitora ;)

(another der bumperz ... and an apology. I haven't been able to access the internet for the last about day and a half; now that me, my baseball bat, and my computer have had a few words, I should be able to catch up ;))

Great story guys. Really great. I've read all the threads leading up to this, and I must say, I haven't been disappointed at all. Keep it up.

(Thanks guys, there is a method to my madness, swear ta god. ;) Especially when *cough*Jeff finds out he has a twin from the experiments..*cough*)

Dr. Worthington's office

Worthington had just finished updating the files on the test subjects with the new blood sample analysis as he hung up the phone with Nigatara.

With the cybernetics addition to the project, we should be able to replace those... unfortunates, that were injured early on in the testing phases.

He stood up and walked through the opposite door of his office, into the viewing lounge for the main genetics lab. He passed scientists working with the next generations embryos in small cubical labs.

With a snip snip here, and a snip snip there, here a snip, there a snip, everywhere a snip snip... Ol' Doc Worth'n'tn made a new man... E I E I O....

He was suddenly rocked back to reality, some of the first generation subjects were having children all ready. Would the genetic changes have passed on without mutating?? One in particular intrigued Worthington... what was his name... Worthington couldn't remember, all he knew was that this one had married from another subspecies.. a Daezemani and had children with her. He'd love to get his hands on those subjects.

Johnson met Worthington at the end of the viewing lounge. The usually iron-stomached general was feeling sick watching the doctors performing an autopsy on one of the younger subjects that didn't pass the third development phase.

Worthington looked into the chamber as the doctors opened the youth's stomach. As his intestines bulged out, Worthington pounced on the opportunity to get under the general's skin some more.

"That reminds me, Marcus. For lunch, I believe I'd like some manicotti."

Star Seeker Restaurant, top of the Sandias Mountain Range, outside Golden Agate, 32 years ago...

Grant checked his watch again, 8:10 p.m. He'd hoped the good doctor was being fashionably late, and not skipping out on him.

He looked out the window onto the snow-dusted landscape outside the restaurant. It took pulling a few strings, and he hoped 2nd LT Douglas didn't mind the 'reassignment' for the evening, but he was able to land a reservation at the last minute. Besides, Douglas was married, he had plenty of time to make it up to his wife.

"Good evening lieutenant," a voice said from behind.

He turned and stood in time to see Doctor Williams, out of the lab coat and wearing a shimmering green evening gown.

"Ma'am," he said sitting down.

"Well, I'm impressed. This is a hard restaurant to get into. Unless you'd planned to ask me out say... six weeks ago."

"Not at all. I've got a couple of connections that hooked me up," he said pouring her a glass of wine as the waiter brought over two menus.

Jennifer sipped her wine as she looked at the menu. "So what did you want to ask about my research?"

"Well, I was listening to your lecture today, and I found it interesting. Yes I was mainly there to see what the military applications were," he started.

She chuckled and smiled at him, her black eyes twinkling in the candle lights. "You can engineer the next generation of soldier quite easily. As I said, you can increase his pain tolerance and hand-eye coordination through genetic engineering and training, decrease his reaction time, increase his strength and lean muscle mass through steroid and IGF therapy.."

"IGF??" he asked

"Insulin Growth Factor. I can't guarantee how 'well-mannered' the men would be, but then that wouldn't be the point..."

Jennifer turned to order dinner as Grant poured her another glass of wine.

"Interesting," he said, almost clueless to what she was saying. Then again, he didn't really expect or care to understand it. "Doctor, what would you say to an increase in the budget of your facilities? From the military instead of the government?"

What would I say? Who would I have to .. hmmmm...

"I might be interested..."

-----

Three hours and two bottles of wine later....

The two were laughing like old friends as the staff started to close the restaurant down.

"And then," Grant said, "The Rabbi says to his wife, 'that's not mine, that was the Elephant's!'"

Jennifer howled in laughter and almost slipped from her chair before Grant grabbed and steadied her. "OK, Doctor, it'ssssh time for us to go, they're holding the door open for us...."

Williams stood up and bumped into Grant, staying against him a little longer than she needed to.

"I agree," she slurred, "We shhhhould get home. To our homes, not to one home..."

The staff waived the two through the door and began to close up as the two walked back and forth, finally entering the tram to take them back to Golden Agate.

The two watched the twinkling city lights as they approched slowly, "That's one thing I've always loved about this place," Jennifer smiled, "It's very beautiful...."

"Although not as much as the company tonight," Grant said quietly.

The tram slowly touched down at the terminal, and the two walked out towards the parking lot.

"You know," Grant said, "You're much to intoxicated to drive across the capital to get back to your apartment.

"I live just around the corner, why not come over to my place...

OOC: Like I said, marrige never stopped anyone before...JK (prays Vic isnt looking at this...)

OOC: Yeah, the question then becomes, how much of a slut was Jeff's mom really... ;)

OOC: I can see it now...
(Insert paper cut out of James, Jeff, and Robert)
James: Dude, your moms a slut
Jeff: Shut Up!
Robert: No really dude, shes on the cover of crackhore magazine (holds out magazine with Jeffs mom on the cover)
Jeff: Thats it! Screw you guys, I'm going home!

:lol:

(I had to delay the website, cause I'm working on a page for this projects as well...)

Diablo Base, Present day

As Worthington sat down with his manicotti, Johnson grumbled over some stuffed pork chops (Larkinian tax dollars at work, getting the black ops programs catered ;) ).

"What the next stage of the program for the first generation?" Johnson asked.

"Now that they have started reproducing, I'd love to see if their children have established the traits we programmed into their parents. You see General, this was originally established to help mankind become stronger, more resiliant to illness and disease. What it has become is nothing less than the creation of the next step in the evolution of man."

"In what? But a species has to evolve over time..."

"Not anymore, General," Worthington said. "With cybernetics, some nanotechnology and genetic engineering, you can create a new person. We're close to limiting the aging process, and if you replace organs as they die, there is a slight possibility for immortality, although that's down the line.

"Now we can design the future, one generation at a time."

(Larkinian tax dollars at work, getting the black ops programs catered ;) ).

(:lol: Well, what else would you use them for? Public healthcare? Education? Nah...;)

By the way, happy-almost-7000-posts, Imitora! Loved the skit!)

(Larkinian tax dollars at work, getting the black ops programs catered ;) ).

(:lol: Well, what else would you use them for? Public healthcare? Education? Nah...;)

By the way, happy-almost-7000-posts, Imitora! Loved the skit!)

(LOL, 721st in the world for fastest-growing economy... ;) I think I can burn it. *flexes arms*)

(Curses! 879th! Drat your fast growing economy! :shakes fist:

By the way, not to try and force the issue or anything, is this one a story to build for Part V, or will there be a chance to roleplay later? Either way, I'm loving it and the saga in general!)

(There will be, I was going to start 4B in a little bit, which was that vacation James was suggesting to Jeff. Just some time away to RP some relaxation, although since Nigatara is getting involved, if Jason Whittimere wants to be the go-between... ;) This will lead into part 5, which I think you'll like, although I'm trying to keep it from getting too cliche'd, check your TG for a hint.

And thanks for the props man!)

(Oh...I'd forgotten all about Jason! Somehow, though, I don't think that an Iansislean would be the best in terms of advanced cybernetics and eugenics ;)

Cool! I can't wait for 4B/5!)

(but remember, Jason had all those memory and intel. implants ;) Working on 4B now.)

(Oh, I had forgotten about that! Which means I'll have to beg out of this on the fact that I know nothing about the subject area :P

While you're doing that, I'll take a look about all the millions of threads I've had to let slide recently...hopefully, I should get to reply to two or three before I burn out.)

(Oh, I had forgotten about that! Which means I'll have to beg out of this on the fact that I know nothing about the subject area :P

While you're doing that, I'll take a look about all the millions of threads I've had to let slide recently...hopefully, I should get to reply to two or three before I burn out.)

(Oh now you play that card :P, one benefit of going to an engineering school is you can come up with this warped stuff ;) )

An apartment near the tram, Golden Agate, 32 years ago...

The key slipped clumsily into the door knob. Grant and Jennifer accidentially, and clumsily, fell through the doorway onto each other in the small apartment.

"Why lieutenant, if I didn't think you were such an honorable young man, I'd think you were trying something," Jennifer laughed, standing up.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, what made you think I was so honorable," Grant winked at her.

Somewhere in the back of Jennifer's mind, a voice was screaming for her to get out of there. She was in an apartment of a man she'd only met that afternoon, she didn't know this guy, or what would happen. She knew she was lonely, her husband having been gone on another trip, she was tired of spending her time in the lab and then at home. Besides.... besides what? The alcohol was clouding anything past that.

She'd pulled him over as the door slammed shut, wrapping her lips around his for a few moments, shutting out that voice as it got quieter.

Besides, her husband would never know.

"So is it true what they say about you military types, that you train for... stamina?" she asked.

"Well... yes ma'am it is," Grant said. "Months and months of training go into that."

"Mmmm," she purred as they kissed again, "I'll bet it does..."

Tag

(Great story, Lark.... and quite funny too. good work! :D
I'll be following it until it ends)

Present Day, Dr. Worthington's Office

If all had gone as planned originally, the first generation subjects would begin mating with other first-gens. That way the experiment could have been more controlled. But life, and the death of several of the first-gens made that impossible.

Worthington sat back and contemplated the cross-generational mating of the subjects, the second gens were in their early 20's, first gens pushing 30. It was possible, it was distasteful to him, damnit he was a doctor, not a damn dating coordinator.

He looked at the file in front of him

[code:1:eeaddda3fd]Williams, Jeffrey M.[/code:1:eeaddda3fd]

He flipped through the file. This was the one that had married the Daezemani, the court marshal, the three children.

I wonder how hard it would be to get a DNA sample from any of them.

After that, he read the Markson file. This one was one of the pride and joys of the program. Genetically he was head and shoulders above the rest, it was a pity that he didn't use his talent more.

Back at Space Command... so much for a closer examination.

He put that file aside and looked up to his computer screen, the latest report of specimens that expired was coming up. He read through the report, it was the usual. Some genes didn't take, some attacked the body of the subjects. Same story as the last 15 years. But maybe the cybernetics....

He jumped up suddenly. Lunch tomorrow with Nigatara! He'd almost forgotten. He grabbed his briefcase and walked out towards reception.

-----

Stephany Michelle hadn't moved from the reception desk in years. She was excited to get the temp job, then puzzled why they needed to check her background and take DNA samples, then unnerved at the talk she heard from the scientists. Some kind of genetics experiments going on at this facility.

Dr. Worthington was approaching the desk. Jesus, what does this old goat want? No I won't go out with him. He's old enough to be my father... like... ewww!

She chewed her gum and smiled at the doctor, "What can I get you doc?"

"A bottle of wine, a loaf of bread and thou?" he winked.

She smiled and chuckled at the line... the same damn line he used over and over. "No, seriously."

"I need a pilot signed and a jet chartered for a trip to Golden Agate. I have a lunch planned."

"And charge this to the base?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah, this is a business lunch."

Grant's Apartment, the next morning

Jennifer rolled over in the bed and looked at the clock, after a few blinks her vision cleared and she caught the time. 10:23 a.m.!. She panicked momentarily before remembering it was Saturday, she really didn't have to go in.

She looked across the bed, Grant wasn't there. A few moments later she heard some rattling in the kitchen of the apartment, and another few moments later, the first scents of bacon, coffee and eggs wafted intermingled into the room.

She sat up slowly, with a smile that would have made the Cheshire Cat jealous on her face. She looked over at the dresser. What was that? Something she hadn't noticed the night before, a picture of Grant... with his arms around another woman.

Well, she felt a little better inside at least, she wasn't the only one who'd cheated last night, and earlier this morning.

She stood up, balancing on her wobbly legs she collected her clothing from the floor and quickly slipped the dress back on.

"Mmmmm, that smells nice," she said as she walked out into the dining area.

"Nice to see you're up doctor. I was afraid I was going to have to wake you up and shuffle you out soon," Grant, now wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, said handing her a plate.

"Wow, last night's like a fuzzy memory," she said, "I'm about ready to ask what I did..."

"The question's not 'what you did', but 'what didn't you do'," Grant grinned.

Oh damn... she thought.

"Look, Lietuenant..."

"Oh it's Lieutenant now," he joked. "that's not what you were saying..."

"Regardless. What now?"

"Now? Well now you head back to that nice apartment of yours, and I'll stay here and clean up before Tasha comes home, and that's that."

"That's that?"

"Yeah. Why? Were you expecting a secret relationship? With roses and candy and soft violins playing? I don't think your husband would take too kindly on that."

Husband... he knew?

"Yes, I know you're married," Grant answered the question in her eyes. "Look, doctor, we were having a wonderful time at dinner, we had a little too much to drink and came back here. No one needs to know anything, it'll all be fine.

"Now hurry and eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

Main Freeway of Golden Agate

Jennifer was driving back to her and her husband, David's, apartment. She was trying to take the time to figure out what to do next. She knew she loved her husband, and this was a one night stand. Everyone needed to have one every now and then.

Try as she might, and she did try, she was conflicted in her usual rationalization of what happened.

The small sportscar pulled into the apartment complex's underground garage. She slipped out of the car and quickly walked to the elevator. If too many people saw her in her evening dress, they'd make the right assumption...

-----

She'd just finished taking a long hot shower and was soaking in a bubble bath when the phone rang. She threw her robe on and walked out to the bedroom to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey babe," the voice on the other end said. "How are ya?"

She smiled a little, "Fine sweetheart. How's your trip?"

"It's OK, I'm cutting it short and heading home this afternoon. I tried to call you last night to tell ya. Girls night out?"

"Yeah," she said, the smile fading. "Just a couple from the lab. I got kinda smashed so I stayed at a hotel instead of driving home."

"Good for ya babe," her husband said. "I don't want to see you as another statistic on the DWI reports. Anyway, I should be home about 5 this afternoon and I'll pick up the car and see you there. Bye sweets."

"Yeah, see you soon baby."

David Williams walked in the apartment just to find Jennifer waiting for him. She threw her arms around him and shared a long, slow kiss.

"Mmmmmm, I missed you too baby." he smiled at her.

"Yeah," she replied. "So you have the rest of the evening off then?"

"Yep, no work for a few days."

"We can deal with that tomorrow," Jennifer said closing the door. "Tonight I'm looking forward to spending with you."

A few months later

Jennifer was sitting in the doctor's office at the base. She couldn't place why she felt so ill lately, she'd been watching her diet, she'd been exercising and taking her vitamins.

The doctor walked back in. "Doctor, I've got some news for you."

"Great," she said. "I've got to get back to the lab."

"You're pregnant ma'am, for a little while as well. And it looks like twins."

Jennifer's jaw dropped. "Pregnant... but.. "

The project's getting started, I've got to get back on my research..

"This shouldn't impact your work in any way ma'am. Just take it easy when you can."

Jennifer thanked the man and walked back down the hall to her lab. The gears were moving in her head.

Hmmm... a project with gene therapy... we've been looking for pregnant mothers to volunteer...

"You're pregnant ma'am, for a little while as well. And it looks like twins."

(*arches eyebrow* And the plot thickens!)

Jennifer walked back into the main lab and sat down at her desk. Sean Taylor, one of the other primaries on the project walked over and sat down on her desk, "So Jenny? What did the doctor say?"

She looked up at Sean, "Come with me a moment, doctor."

The two walked out of the lab and into one of the side offices across the hallway.

"The doctor says I'm pregnant. Have been for some while, and it's with twins."

"Hey, that's great babe!" Sean says hugging his friend. "Man is David gonna be surprised."

"That's just it, there's a chance it's not his..."

"Whoa... is there something you're forgetting to tell me?"

Jennifer quickly explained the situation with Grant.

"Well, we can assume that he's probably not the father, I mean, how many times have you and Dave hit it since then."

"Quite a bit."

"Ya see, the odds are in your favor. Don't sweat it. So what are you going to do now?"

"You remember, we've been looking for pregnant mothers for the first gene therapy tests. I'm supposedly at the right window of opportunity."

Sean stepped back, "No way Jenny! Absolutely not! We don't know what'll happen! God knows, they could be born with an extra arm sticking out of their backs, or two heads, or no head!"

"They could also be the next Einstein, Newton, Churchill or (in a tribute to the father of nanotechnology.. :P) Niven. I'm willing to see what happens. Get me the first batch lined up, and I want you to adminster it."

"I'm not sure about this."

"Just do it, Sean. And I want different gene therapy treatments for each fetus."

A few weeks later, during the gene therapy sessions

Jennifer gritted her teeth as the different syringes were stuck into different parts of her womb, so each fetus got a different dosage of each therapy.

"Sean," she told Dr. Taylor in between injections. "I want you to check out how soon we can remove one fetus, and leave it in a incubator to take direct testing."

"What???"

"Yeah, I think we may need to remove one of the children early. They are taking a toll on me. Plus we can give it the direct gene therapy without worrying."

"It...it... it.. Christ Jenny, call them what they are. He! We know what sex they are already."

"Sean, please just help me here."

"All right, I'll see when we can take care of it." Taylor said grumpily as he walked over to the next woman.

"And how are you two feeling today Mrs. Markson?"

(Great story, Lark.... and quite funny too. good work! :D
I'll be following it until it ends)

Thanks for the good words HB!

Jennifer and Sean were sitting down to a cup of coffee, tea for her, after one of the therapy sessions.

"Jenny, are you sure you want to... remove one of the fetuses? We can finish the work in the incubator and we can do it in a few more weeks, but... still he's one of your babies."

She nodded slowly.

"But we've got more than enough people for the first group. And so far development seems to be on track for the first generation."

"Sean," she started, "I'd like to be able to have two children that can grow up and not have to worry about getting sick. Not have to worry about dying before their time."

Sean looked at her a moment, "I know you do."

"Plus, this is the only way to know how the therapy will work. I'm the only one in the group with twins. This way we have two copies, we can see which way works best for the next gener..."

"Dear god!" Sean said. "You're talking about using them as guinea pigs!"

"That's what all of this is about," Jennifer said quietly, sadly. "Despite the antiseptic way we want to describe it."

El Camino Real Restaurant, Penthouse Floor of the Journal Co. Skyscraper, Golden Agate, Present Day

James Nigatara sat at his private booth, sipping his sake and was watching the aerodyne traffic zipping around the buildings when Worthington walked up and sat down.

"Frederick," James said with a smile, bowing and shaking his friend's hand. "It's so good to see you again..." You extortionist little bastard...

"And it's good to see you as well James," Dr. Worthington said as he ordered a martini. "Now, how much do you know about our little adventure?"

"Enough to know how distasteful I find it," Nigatara replied. "Genetically altering people...."

"Is no different than what you do James," Worthington finished. "I just use a different method than you to try and improve the 'human condition'. Metal, cybernetics or gene therapy. We're after the same thing. Strength, freedom from disease, longevity."

Nigatara sipped his sake, "And what is it that you are proposing?"

"A joint effort. Between your cybernetic enhancements, your company's ability and research into vat-grown organs mixed with our gene therapy, we can clone what we need to research with, and you can test your new cybernetics on our... subjects."

"You understand we are partnered with another company, Niven Co., yes?"

"Yes, but you can clear them bit by bit, as we give them clearence."

Nigatara didn't want to let this opportunity slip by him, but then he didn't want to leave his partner out in the cold. Niven Co. had proven very worthy of his company's loyalty and he did not want to destroy the goodwill he'd built with them.

"Give me some time to think this over."

Worthington nodded, "Don't make me go to the security marshals James."

"You... assume to much, my old friend," Nigatara grinned at him.

Ft. Deckert Infirmary

Jennifer was lying in the bed, still exhausted from labor and giving birth to two beautiful baby boys.

"Dr. Williams, I've got someone to see you," the nurse smiled as she walked in with one of the babies, wrapped in a blue blanket, in her arms.

"Awwww, hey beautiful," Jennifer said as the nurse handed the child to her. "You look so wonderful..."

What about me?

Jennifer looked around the room. Who in the hell was that?

What about me, mommy?

She saw another nurse through the window holding the other baby in her arms. Jennifer saw a little hand reaching out of the blanket towards her.

Me, me mommy! Why don't you love me?? Why don't you want me??

Jennifer watched as the baby cried while the nurse carried him away. She felt the tears fall from her face as he tried to reach out again. Then another voice.

How could you do that? How could you let them take my brother? How could you give him up like that!?!?!?

She turned, the baby was suddenly out of her arms. A grown man was standing at the foot of the bed.

You let him go! You never loved either of us! You'd have never done that to us!

"No... I..." she tried to say through the tears. "I did it for your own good."

How is this for my own good?? A third voice. She turned and saw the same man... the other baby? She didn't know.. You abandoned me! What about my life? Wasn't I worth one??

Jennifer looked between the two, panicked. "You were, baby. Don't put me in this position, I can't...I CAN'T!!!!!"

-----

Jennifer finished her scream as she shot up in the bed. She looked down, she was still pregnant, she didn't give birth already, she wasn't in the hospital.

David woke up with a start and rolled over to her. She fell into his arms as she started crying.

"What is it baby?" he asked. "The little guys kicking so hard it woke you up?"

"No" she whispered. "I can't give one up."

"What are you talking about babe?" he asked, "Give one what up?"

"The babies. David, we need to talk. There's something I need to talk to you about."

Military Command Center, Golden Agate, 32 years ago

Lieutenant Grant couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You're kidding, sir," he said to Colonel Jake Roberson. "I'm not a scientist, why should I take command of Project Aeneas?"

"First off, lieutenant, you're not taking command of the project. I am. Second, you don't have to be a scientist, in fact you don't even have to visit the lab. The sargeant is your go between with the research staff. You were the one who petitioned so hard to increase the funding for this with military funds, I thought you'd be estatic."

"But sir, I'm a soldier, not a scientist, or a research leader."

"And you will remain a soldier. Just do what I order, just like any other mission."

Roberson pulled out a folder. "Now, this doctor Williams, she's part of the experiment. According to her file, she's having twins."

Grant's eyes didn't betray his thoughts. Twins? She's pregnant? Oh shit... how long ago was that night? How pregnant is she??

His thoughts were cut off, "Now, Grant, I think we need to see how each of these twins will react in different environments to grow up..."

David sat at the table in the kitchen, looking into his cup of tea. He'd just felt like he'd been kicked in the nuts, not just kicked in the nuts, but like some brazilian soccer star was on the other end of it.

"You..." he couldn't believe it, "You were thinking about giving up one of our sons for this experiment" he asked as calmly as he could.

"Yes," Jennifer whispered. "I..."

"You what?" he asked. "You wanted to see how much his life would advance without the love of his family?"

Jennifer kept silent, sobbing to herself.

David sipped his tea to calm down, "I had a hard enough time accepting that you want to try this... gene therapy shit on our sons. But then you wanted to abandon one of them? And what? Adopt him out?"

"I... don't know."

David took a deep breath. "I think we need to talk this over tomorrow. Maybe get a shrink and find out what the f--- you're thinking."

He stood up and walked to the small closet, taking out a blanket and a pillow.

"I'll... sleep out here tonight.

Jennifer stood up, "No, you... at least come back to bed."

"I don't think so," he said quietly.

"I at least want to know that you..." She took in a sharp breath, "That you still love me." she finished quietly.

David turned and looked out the window so she couldn't see the pain in his eyes.

"I do still love you. But, don't ask me if I like you now."

"You... assume to much, my old friend"

Worthington looked at Nigatara, "I do? I know what will happen to you if I call the security forces in. Possession of this knowledge without a clearance is considered treason, punishable by death."

"Ahhh, and now you presume to extort from me, don't you, my old friend," Nigatara said with a malicious smile. "What if I were to tell you I have that clearance."

Worthington blanched slightly.

"I see, it never dawned on you to check. You see my old friend, money gets one many things in this world. And my service to the government grants me many things. So now that you don't have the threat hanging over me, what are you willing to bring to the table?"

Worthington started to stammer.

"If I accept, if, then I will expect 85% of all profits of any discoveries made and patented, plus full control of the program, plus a cash deposit of say.... 500 million NuYen in my business account by the end of business two days from now. Failure to accept these terms will result in this knowledge being... leaked to the press. I think they would like to hear about your dirty little secrets, very much."

Worthington recovered enough to reply, "If you do that, you'll go down too."

"I think not. Money is power in this city, my old friend," Nigatara said. "And I think you will know what shall happen should you try anything. Of course, this is if I accept your offer."

Nigatara finished the sake in one gulp and slammed the cup down, shaking the table before he stood and walked away.

"...Possession of this knowledge without a clearance is considered treason, punishable by death."

:shock: Ouch!

Oh, and this certainly couldn't be a friendly bump; no, of course not! ;)

"...Possession of this knowledge without a clearance is considered treason, punishable by death."

:shock: Ouch!

Oh, and this certainly couldn't be a friendly bump; no, of course not! ;)

(LOL, of course that wasn't a friendly bump, that I'm much obliged for :P

And it's part bluff, and part that Takeo hasn't been able to override all of Grant's former laws yet.)

(LOL, of course that wasn't a friendly bump, that I'm much obliged for :P

And it's part bluff, and part that Takeo hasn't been able to override all of Grant's former laws yet.)

(Well, then, I'll be certain to not...er...never...um...*gets confused* ;)

Ah, I see. Since Iansisle is a country with no internal or external intelligence services, and the latest military secret invariably ends up in the morning papers, it would be slightly shocking to most Commonwealthers. (darn your people and their wanting to keep secret stuff secret! ;)))

(Well, Takeo's working on it as fast as he can, in between writing pardon's for Jeff ;) Oh, and speaking of secret stuff, check your TG's )

Ft. Deckert Infirmary, surgery room 12

Tanisha Markson was the first of this batch of 'volunteers' to go into labor.

Before, she'd never really considered, or even knew, what the extra appointments and special examinations were for. They were painful though, all these injections and pills to take, the exams and tests. She didn't want anything to happen to her baby though, and these exams were covered by her husband's military insurance, so she decided to go for it.

Now, all she could think about was the pain... breathe... push... breath... push.. She wanted her baby out more than anything at that moment.

Breathe

Push

Several hours later

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh" a little voice was heard in the surgery room.

Tanisha looked up, exhausted. "Is he...Is my baby all right?"

The doctor looked at her, his smile hidden by the mask, but the twinkle in his eyes was evident.

"Mrs. Markson, congratulations, you have a beautiful baby boy."

-----

Surgery 12 Examination Balcony

Grant and Roberson watched the delivery as it unfolded.

"The subjects are starting to arrive, that's good. Now we can begin for phase two treatments," Roberson said.

"Sir, are you sure? Don't we have to wait until more time has passed for each of the children before we start pumping them full of this shit?" Grant asked. "Dr. Williams said..."

"And how is the good doctor? Her reports say she's got a couple more months before delivery," Roberson cut him off. "You know our plan. No one, but us and the staff waiting to take delivery, need to know."

"Yes sir," Grant said hesitantly. He hadn't seen Jennifer since getting this assignment, he'd made sure to avoid having to come to the Fort, and since all reports went to Roberson, he was fairly sure she wasn't aware of his involvement. On one hand, he wanted to know for sure if the children she was carrying were his, and on the other hand, given what would happen as a result of the therapy and upbringing, he hoped to hell that they weren't his...

Present Day, Inoki Manufacturing Building

Nigatara walked back into his office after his...meeting with Worthington. After a couple of calls, he made sure to buy his way onto the security level that Worthington had talked about. Worthington's problem, discovered after many late night college poker games, he never called a bluff.

"Sir, Davids is waiting for you in your office," his secretary said as he walked in.

"Thank you dear," he said as he opened the door and seemed to hover in. "What do you have?"

"Preliminaries on the program. Some kind of eugenics.. making a better baby. Early generation had some side effects, some are dying off now for no reason. Some are doing well," Sean Davids, one of Nigatara's computer hackers said handing the man a data stick. "This is what I've gotten in the first run."

Nigatara plugged the stick into the computer port and opened the files.

"Building a better baby indeed," he said disapprovingly. "Who is the Dr. Williams?"

"Ahhhhhh, Dr. Jennifer Williams, PhD, University of Golden Agate in Biological and Genetic Engineering. According to the files, she used her own two sons as part of the experiment."

"She what?" Nigatara asked stunned.

"Yes sir," Davids replied. "According to this, she believed she lost one at childbirth. But by digging a little more, turns out there was someone calling the shots above her."

Nigatara nodded slowly as Davids spoke. "Before we go on. I've been made an offer, I need to consult with our business partner on this."

On a flight back to Diablo Base

Worthington had just finished checking Nigatara's clearances and shut the computer down in disgust. While he hadn't had the clearance before, now was a different story, and Worthington knew he had no evidence that Nigatara had advance knowledge of the project.

He debated what to do next, he knew he would probably give in to James' demands. What the hell, 500 mil NY wasn't too much in the grand scheme of things, and he thought he could bargain down the percentage on the discoveries. He was torn between turning his back on Inoki, and as an extention, Arasaka Security Corp, and the people who pissed them off and did that were usually not seen for a while, and then were seen piece by piece throughtout the region.

Still, the offer was on the table, James could have turned it down and turned him in to the President. While Grant's old directives were still in play, he knew if Katana found out about the project, that little jackass would try and shut them down within a week. And they had come so far for this to happen. They were so close to finding the Fountain of Youth, if they could slow the aging process...

He was interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to place a take out order. A number 018 with a side of plain rice."

*click*

God damn it all!

He put the cell phone down. Another subject, another first generation, had died...Side of plain rice... Apparently of natural causes. These people were in their early 30's or late 20's. They shouldn't be dying this quickly.

The call made up Worthington's mind for him. He dialed up Nigatara's number.

"James? This is Worthington. I accept your offer."

He ended the call and turned the computer back on. A few moments later the money was deposited in the account.

-----

Nigatara smiled as he put the phone down. "He's accepted the offer. Upon agreement with our partner, we shall proceed."

"Ahhhhhh, Dr. Jennifer Williams, PhD, University of Golden Agate in Biological and Genetic Engineering. According to the files, she used her own two sons as part of the experiment."

"She what?" Nigatara asked stunned.

"Yes sir," Davids replied. "According to this, she believed she lost one at childbirth. But by digging a little more, turns out there was someone calling the shots above her."

Ft. Defiance Infirmary

Jennifer and David had been seeing her new doctor for the last few months of her pregnancy. She hadn't known why her regular Ob/Gyn had been transferred, to South Morin of all places. She and her Doctor Otaga had hit it off well, and she was glad of that.

On the marriage front, she and David had been seeing a therapist since that night at the kitchen table. It had been rough, her having to accept that she was using her two unborn children to fuel her desire to move ahead in her world, the look in David's eyes when she finally broke down about the one-night stand with Grant.

That had been the hardest, the look of pain, the sadness and the mistrust that was there almost killed her. After a stretch of time, he finally forgave her for what happened, and the therapist was helping him to accept that mistakes happen. The love between them had returned, but the trust wasn't there yet.

One night Jennifer shot up in bed, this time for another reason. "It's time!" she told David. They had been through the routine, but it was still nerve-racking. The rush through the house, the frantic drive to the hospital. It was the middle of the night, but they still seemed to be moving in slow motion. David was convinced that they weren't going to make it in time. Jennifer was on the phone with Dr. Otaga, who was the doctor on call that night.

-----

Grant's Apartment, that same morning

Grant rolled over slowly in bed, trying to find just where that damn cell phone was!! He finally located it and answered the call.

"Yeah, this'd better be good."

"Oh I think it is, Lieutenant," Colonel Roberson said on the other end of the line.

"Oh, what? Yes, sir, sorry sir." Grant said sitting up in the bed.

"Lieutenant, Dr. Williams has gone into labor. I just got the call. Meet me at the infirmary, in one of the observation lounges on the second floor."

The line went dead. Grant quickly dressed as the scenario ran through his mind. He really didn't like it, but he was a soldier, trained to follow orders. It was for the good of Larkinia, a new generation of soldiers, better soldiers, super-soldiers, was counting on his decision now.

At least, if he kept telling himself that someday he might believe it...

-----

Observation Lounge above an empty surgery room, 30 minutes later

Roberson was sipping his glass of iced tea as Grant rushed into the room.

"Ahhhh, lieutenant. Dr. Williams is in labor in one of the other rooms. We'll wait here until it's done, just to make sure things get taken care of right."

"Sir, Permission to speak openly?"

"Denied."

-----

Jennifer pushed with every ounce of energy she had. "Come on, hon," David said as she squeezed his hand, "Hang in there."

"Next time," she gasped in air, "Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu" *gasp* "get to carry the kid."

Jennifer grunted and pushed until the Dr. Otaga told her to stop.

"OK, Jennifer," he said, "This is the last time for this one, he should be out now. Push!"

Jennifer clenched, ground her teeth together and pushed until there was nothing left. This time she was rewarded with the cries of a new baby in the room.

"Way to go babe!" David kissed her forehead.

"All right Jennifer, one down, one to go." Otaga said. "Get ready to push again..."

-----

Jennifer gave her last push, her head dropping back in exhaustion as the baby finally came out a couple of minutes later.

David smiled at her, "That's it, he's out," he said looking up, seeing... he didn't like what he saw in the doctor's eyes. Fear? Concern?

The doctor handed the baby to a nurse, "exam 3, quickly."

"What is it? What's wrong with my baby??" Jennifer fearfully asked.

"Nothing Jennifer, nothing. You rest there, here comes baby.. have you picked a name yet?"

David looked at the nurse carrying the baby out of the room and towards another room, "Well, Jennifer wanted to name him Jeffrey, after her grandfather, and I wanted to name him Matthew. So we decided this one would be Jeffrey Matthew, and the other one will be Antony, Antony Xavier."

"That's sweet," Otaga said. "You two stay here, and I'll be back in a moment, I need to go to the exam room."

As Otaga walked out of the room, David followed him.

"Doctor, what is it? What's wrong??"

"David, the baby.. the baby's not developed right. I'm going to go check on him now and see what can be done. I'm afraid, I'm afraid he might not.." Otaga looked down a moment, "make it."

David reached out to the wall, using it to steady himself.

"You must stay here, with your wife and your new son, and I will see what I can do," Otaga said leading him back to the room and squeezing his shoulder in sympathy before walking to the other exam room.

-----

Sargeant Mike Jackson was standing in the room in surgical gear when Otaga walked in.

"How is he, sargeant?"

"Looks great to me, doc. A beautiful, bouncing baby boy."

"And the... other."

"The corpse ya mean? It's ready if ya need it," the man said calmly to him.

A shudder ran up Otaga's spine a moment, what kind of sudder? Fear? No. Anger? Not really. Anticipation... yeah. He knew what he had to do for this experiment. And he knew who would benefit from the different tests they would run on the two children. The next generation of Larkinians.

"OK, there's the incubator, you take this one..." Otaga started.

"What's his name?"

"His name?" Otaga thought a moment, "Antony Xavier Williams. We should give him his name at least."

-----

Otaga walked back into the room where Jennifer and David were holdiing little Jeffrey and rocking him as he cried.

"Doctor?" Jennifer asked. "Where's Antony."

"I'm sorry," Otaga whispered. "There was nothing we could do... He, he didn't make it."

Jennifer's eyes dropped, she shut them to block back the tears that were coming out. She felt David wrap his arms around her, resting his face on her head, trying to keep from crying.

She didn't want to believe it. It was all her fault. If she hadn't used them... if she hadn't put them through what she did, the therapy, the stress. This was her punishment. She was going to give up one of them, then changed her mind. This was God's punishment, he took one from her, the one she would have given up.

The two of them held each other as the room grew silent except for the sounds of Jeff's cries.

Grant was splashing water on his face in the restroom when the sargeant walked into speak with Roberson. Grant knew this was nuts, if they took this one, then the higher-ups would think they had to power to take whoever they wanted. That wasn't right. He'd imagined how he would react had they taken his... he had to admit, given what happened, this could be his.

He had to say something, anything, even if it did get him in trouble. He finished drying his face with a handful of paper towels, the grainy texture leaving his skin blotchy red in places as he walked out and saw the man, now in uniform, walking away from Roberson.

"Colonel," Grant said, "We can't do this. There's got to be another way. We can't put a family through this kind of mental anguish, not to mention how this child will grow up, with no family..."

"It's done, lieutenant," Roberson said flatly. "There's nothing you can do about it, even if you had the opportunity or pull to act out.

"As for this child," Roberson continued, "We, the military and its researchers, are his family now..."

Dr. Otaga's office

David fumed at Otaga, "What do you mean there is no... body??"

"I'm sorry sir, a hospital mix-up. Little Antony's body was taken to the creamatorium," Otaga said with a pained look. "I don't know how that could have happened."

"Yes, I'd like to know myself!!" David roared. "How could you do this??"

"Mr. Williams, it's not like I intentionally planned this!" Otaga replied. "It was a mistake by the hospital."

"It damn sure was! You bastards can expect to be hearing from our attorney."

The judge's gavel rang thoughout the courtroom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this has been one... interesting case to say the least," she started. "When this case started, I couldn't believe a hospital, a place where meticulous record-keeping would be expected, could allow a child's body to be mis-labeled, and sent to an incinerator without even checking where it was supposed to go.

"I don't buy the hospital's argument that they had just completed rules dictating that all corpses were to be automatically burned for health reasons. This sounds too much like last minute ass-covering."

The judge sipped her water as the hospital administrators looked at each other uneasily.

"It is my ruling that the hospital is guilty of negligence. It is also my ruling that the Williams family is to be compensated in the amount of 7 million NuYen."

Befor the judge's gavel struck the table again, the administrators were already talking about how to appeal the decision.

_____

"Mr. and Dr. Williams, how do you feel about today's verdict?"

David looked at the reporter with sadness, "Nothing. It doesn't mean a damn thing. They still can't give us our son back, or let us bury him in peace."

_____

Grant and Roberson watched the results of the trial on LNN.

"Well, that buys us the excuse we needed," Roberson said before taking a long draw on the cigar in his hand. "With the press reporting that the infirmary destroyed the evidence, we don't have to worry about someone snooping around."

"But sir, we didn't have any problem with that before. The child..." Grant started.

"The 'specimen', lieutenant," Roberson interrupted. "That is not a child. It's the first phase in an experiment, remember that. This was a genetic manipulation. If it's successful, then he will be the father to a new generation of soldier."

Grant nodded, he'd tried to see into the child's file, to see who the father was. He'd known who was listed as the father, Jennifer had made sure to have Otaga tell David that it was his. She'd not even wanted to know who the real father was, prefering to rely on 'faith' that it was her husband.

'I guess, lieutenant, given your involvement in the program, and bringing it to our attention, that you're the 'father' of what is to come."

...a hospital, a place where meticulous record-keeping would be expected...

(meticulous record-keeping in a hospital? Iansislean health centers are astounded by such a novel idea!

I suppose it would remove certain amount of vagueness in the national health survey, such as "How many people died of small pox last year?" "I dunno; a lot." ;))

...a hospital, a place where meticulous record-keeping would be expected...

(meticulous record-keeping in a hospital? Iansislean health centers are astounded by such a novel idea!

I suppose it would remove certain amount of vagueness in the national health survey, such as "How many people died of small pox last year?" "I dunno; a lot." ;))
( :lol: Why do you think Jeff has special housing for Niven. ;) Oh yeah, and I was wondering if I could use Ianapalis as one of the settings for an upcoming part. Iansisle hasn't had a good Jack the Ripper mystery yet..)

( :lol: Why do you think Jeff has special housing for Niven. ;) Oh yeah, and I was wondering if I could use Ianapalis as one of the settings for an upcoming part. Iansisle hasn't had a good Jack the Ripper mystery yet..)

(Hey, feel free...I've often wondered what the 'real' Ianapalis, away from the pomp and circumstance of Empire Street, was like. Just remember, MacDunn road is the north-south street that divides the 'real' Ianapalis from the 'government sector' of Ianapalis. Other than that, take all the liberties you need to! ;))

(Hey thanks! I appreciate it! I was working on an outline and thought that... given how bad this guy is, where better to start a spree like that than someplace where he has a look-alike fall-guy. ;) )

(Or if all else fails, just find a suspicious-looking enough non Shield native, and the Ianapalis police will be all too glad to pin it on him. ;)

Man, is it a bad thing when you realize that you'd hate to live in a country you made up?)

(are you kidding?? Iansisle sounds exciting! Like a mix between the Jack The Ripper era, with some 20's noir detective movie and a strong dash of the Indiana Jones chronicles!)

(Heh, thanks. That's the sort of atmosphere I was trying for. Of course, I also think that's just why I wouldn't want to live there. :P That's the sort of place I like to write/watch/think about other people living in ;).)

(( You do , ofcourse, realize that if Niven finds some of his circuts and cybernetics being sold without him getting a cut.... just a few words . dirty nuke in the lobby. :) )

(That's why he consulting with Niven before any deal progresses. He knows which side of his bread is buttered. ;) If Niven says no, then Nigatara might go with his research only.)

(I am sure that a deal can be worked out.)

(And the money would flow like water from the rivers ;) )

(Once we get the contracts for the first cybernetic football league....)

(heh heh *looks for old "Blood Bowl" game...* Oh yeah, if you have any advice or criticisms about these RP's, I'd love to hear them!)

(No critism, I love them. My only advice is to PUBLISH THEM !! You have the talent, now go to it ! An I love Blood bowl )

OOC: I'd think that when Niven finds out about Project Aeneas, and especially some of its experiments so far, he'd nuke it anyway.

(Well he's already planned to bitch slap Jeff's mom around in the afterlife ;) does that count?)

OOC: Well, revenge is sweet and all that, but it's also important to stop these people before they do anything worse - such as a succeeding in their goal.

(Oh man, you don't know how close they're getting. Between what they've got stored at Diablo Base, and the military plans regarding Tharkold, it's gonna hit the fan very soon. For a hint about Tharkold, there's a reason Johnson, Barilla, et al are very interested in a nation known for it's lack of moral concern about it's people, it's oil reserves and uranium deposits.. ;) )

(Must not send in black ops, cyber-ninjas....)

(Well, the military has an idea about getting fuel and depleted uranium munitions from a third, 'neutral' country. ;) And you guys just thought I'd forgotten about the Tharkold thread :P)

Present Day, Diablo Base

Worthington walked back into the base after the plane touched down. He put his briefcase down when he got back into his office. The entire day had been one disaster, he knew that Nigatara had gotten the better of him this time around.

He hoped the cybernetic addition to the program would push it over the edge, that finally they would make the breakthrough he really wanted. Longer life, less vunerable to disease. Tweak the adrenal glands a bit, and the new super-soldiers would be more than a 50-50 proposition.

He walked past one lab and glanced inside. He saw some of the subjects being treated with the newest gene therapy-steroid-IGF combination. The light glistened off of the needles as they stuck out from the people's, men, women and late teenagers, tensed muscles. All in all, he was still quite happy with the way the program was going.

Niven Estates, Celeborne

Pridemore was going over his bosses messages as was his custom and noticed there was a long over due message to contact Nigatara about a business transaction involving shareing cybernetic technology with another company. The head men at Militech had sent thier recomindation on the situation, as they always did, even if not asked.
Pridemore picked up the phone and called his employer.

Niven estates, Celeborne

After completeing his conversation with Niven, Pridemore picked up the phone and dialed Nigatara's private number.

"This is James Pridemore, personal assistant to Dr. Niven. Let me begin with several appologes. First for Dr. Niven not returning your call directly and second for the tim eit has taken for you to get this return call. The Doctor is currently detained with surgery on a family member or he would return this call personnaly. Niven would like to know more about this company before he consints to the sale of information. He would also like for you to fax over a financle breakdown of expected monitary returns." Niven had not asked for that yet, but Pridemore knew what he would want.

Nigatara nodded as he listened to what Pridemore had to say. "Of course, I understand and will send that immediately," he replied as he punched up the files in question on his computer and hit the email/fax command.

"The 'company' in question is 'Starline Consulting', it's a front company for the government and military operations." Nigatara said. "They have offered us a 500 million NuYen deposit in my company account in two days, half of which will be transferred to Niven Co. to start, then we will have private access to all contracts and 85% of the rights to any patents and discoveries made as a result of the research.

"I don't like this though," Nigatara said. "Their research is... disturbing, to me. Genetic experimentation and the like. I am sending the rest of the files that I have so far for Dr. Niven to review. The money is nice, very nice, but I don't think it justifies some of what has been done."

(a brief glimpse into Antony)

Lyone Ports, warehouse district, late evening

Davis Michaels had always been a good union boss. He thought he'd made the best deal possible for his guys, they worked dangerous hours on the docks, building and refitting ships for the military. He was always willing to go to war for his guys, which led them to talk about striking after the latest pay debate crashed.

He hadn't realized who his bosses hired to 'negotiate'.

One night, two.. three.. six, he couldn't remember through the haze of pain, nights ago he was sleeping in his home with his girlfriend when 'he' paid a visit to them.

Now, he was lying on a steel table, handcuffed to the corners on his back, some kind of gag in his mouth, he could talk, it was basically a donut ring.

He'd heard the screams of his girlfriend through the nights, and the days. God, he didn't know what they had done to her, but he could only imagine... she'd stopped screaming earlier that night. He only hoped she'd finally passed on.

What was that? Footsteps on the concrete floor approaching the table...

-----

Antony stalked into the room, in his black military gear, holding a pistol as he approached the table.

"Davis," he hissed. "You... you disappoint me. For someone who talks so tough in the press, you folded very easily."

"I haven't yet," Davis glared at him, "You can't.. I'm not going to stop."

"Oh.. yes you are," Antony said as he put the pistol down on a small tray next to the table and picked up what looked like a small oil gun.

"Looks harmless, doesn't it," he said before firing a spray of icy hot liquid on the man's hand. Davis screamed as it hit him, then lost feeling in his hand.

"Liquid hydrogen," Antony grinned malevolently as he looked at Davis. "So... simple, so... elegant."

He pointed the nozzle at Davis' left eye. "No! NO PLEASE!!!!" he shouted before the fluid shot out into his vision. Davis screamed with the pain. The vision in that eye glazed and vanished, he could feel the fluid run down his face, burning and freezing the skin, the optic nerve deep inside his head froze, and splintered.

Davis wimpered, barely noticing Antony pick up a small hammer and rap his frozen eye with one hard stroke, shattering it, and the nerves that ran into his brain. Davis screamed again as the shards splintered in his brain.

"You were talking to the press. We can't have that. We won't let that happen again."

He stuck the nozzle down Davis' throat, through the donut gag and angled it. He pulled the trigger again, spraying the man's throat, vocal cords, lungs and chest with the freezing liquid.

Davis tried to scream, but the frozen throat strained under the pressure. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't swallow, all he felt was the searing, freezing, burning pain of frozen flesh.

Antony pulled out the nozzle and dropped the sprayer to the side.

"There, we almost don't have to worry about you talking again. But we need one more thing to complete it."

Antony picked up a crowbar and crashed it into the man's frozen throat...

Catch-up-on-reading-hopefully-soon tag :wink:

(Cool! Glad to see your back! :) This is a look into Larkinia's more... covert and illegal side, one that the government now still knows little about.)

Worthington was still sitting at his desk when he heard the rapping at his office door.

"Come in."

A young man walked into the office with a file. He strode towards the desk. "Here's the latest on the deaths doctor," he said handing the the file to Worthington. "From this dissection so far, we've found what Dr. Williams expected. Accelerated decrepitude. The cells are dying at an accelerated rate.

"She'd adjusted the treatments for the second generation subjects. Which explains why none of them have died yet. Many of the first generation subjects that have died of natural causes have died precisely because their bodies couldn't handle the changes. The rate of cellular death was severe. This latest body looked like it was 80 instead of 30 when we opened it up."

Worthington read over the file and set it down on his desk. "Thank you Stevens. I have an idea to slow down the cellular death. If I could just get my hands on Nigatara's research. Some kind of nanotechnology would work well to retard the cellular breakdown."

(damn, I can't find the picture I want for the bodies they have frozen in Diablo base... heh heh, I didnt think finding a picture of Uber Jason from Jason X would be that much of a problem ;) )

Later in the experiment

Worthington walked out of the office and into an elevator. They'd just finished version one of their new SuperSoldier and he was anxious to see just what they'd been able to put together.

The doors wooshed closed behind him and he hummed a little tune as the elevator dropped deeper into the bowels of Diablo Base. It had been a long hard haul for the team to get to this level. If it worked out, they could start rebuilding the military with specially engineered soldiers, not capable of disobeying orders, he wasn't sure if they could engineer free thought out of the soldiers.

He walked into a room and looked through the glass to the testing grounds below. He could see one of the new super soldiers walk into the training grounds. His armor was torn in places, showing the metallic shell the man was cocooned in.

Edit: The photo's not loading up, so you can see it at
http://www.geocities.com/larkinia/Supersoldierv1.htm

And the links to Javin's page are working, plus you can find a cursory map of Larkinia at
http://www.geocities.com/larkinia/map.htm

Bump for the edits on the last post

At a small cafe in Ziobia, present day

Admiral Tanaka was sitting at the small table, sipping a cup of strong coffee, when the two men approached him.

"Admiral Tanaka?"

"Yes," he replied, looking at the men as they sat down.

"We are here to escort you to our employer."

Tanaka nodded and finished his coffee in silence before standing up with the men to walk out to a waiting car in the street.

One man tied a blindfold around Tanaka's eyes as they entered the car. "Our apologies Admiral, but this is necessary for our protection..."

*****

The car drove for what Tanaka guessed was over an hour before stopping. Tanaka was led out of the car and up some steps before the blindfold was taken off. He was in the study of a modest country house. He blinked a few times as his eyes focused on the man sitting at the table in front of him.

Prince, now King of Tharkold, Razvan Natazhia was seated at the table. "Admiral, how are you today?"

"Just fine," Tanaka said sitting down at the other end of the table as a servent set a glass of sweetened spearmint tea in front of him. "I'd like to bypass the formalities and get to brass tacks. What are you willing to offer?"

"What would you like? I'm sure you've been keeping an eye on our depleted uranium weapons tests."

"Of course we are, we financed them."

Natazhia chuckled, "Ah yes, of course you did. And our ample oil reserves are indeed for sale. For the... betterment of my people of course."

"Of course, and the money?"

"Deposited in my personal, private account in Kindred Masquerade, per our last agreement."

"So we're agreed then?" Natazhia asked. "New DU rounds for your weapons, we shall begin development of our atomic program, and we shall fuel your war machines. You can deposit half now, and half upon receipt of the DU."

Tanaka nods, "Yes, that will be acceptable. I'll need them delivered to a home located near South Morin. The men there will be waiting for delivery in two weeks."

Natazhia waved his hand and a man walked into the room, Tanaka thought the man looked familiar, really familiar. Through the shaved head, the missing beard.. he wasn't too sure, but he thought.. nah.. maybe? The eyes were too cold, the man had a malevolence about him...

"This is... the man who will be the liason to deliver the weapons for you."

Antony held out his hand to the Admiral, "Admiral, Steve Jacobson. Nice to meet you."

Jacobson and Tanaka began to walk out to the car to go back to the cafe.

"Excuse me sir, you look, familiar." Tanaka said.

Jacobson shrugged, "I look like a lot of people."

A woman walked up with a folder and handed it to Jacobson.

"Thanks baby," he said with a leer as she walked away. He opened the file, and inside was the most recent information from her hacking run into the Aeneas servers. He was looking at a surveillance picture of Jeff, Katherine and the children in Larkinia, during the trial.

He looks too damn much like me, he thought with a sneer while speed reading the file, ignoring anything Tanaka would have said.

((Ah! See, I was like "Steve Jacobson? Who the he..." But now..*taps index finger to temple* ;)))

(yeah, I do tend to overplay the 'sneaky bastard' card a bit.)

Another 10 days later, on a road from South Morin's Sand Dunes heading towards Golden Agate

The convoy of trucks thundered down the backroad, carrying their valuable cargo in one of the front Humvees to avoid detection.

Sgt. Sean Masterson turned to the man in the passenger in his hummer.

"Sir, why are we moving these away from the Treasury's base in South Morin," he asked Lt. Jack Mitchell.

"No reason was really given," Mitchell replied as the trucks crested one of the hills, "We got the order yesterday to pack 'em up and move 'em to Golde..."

Mitchell was cut off as the hummer was hit by a rocket as it started down the dunes. Instantaneously the convoy started taking heavy weapons fire. Mitchell's hummer flipped as another rocket took out the front tires, quickly the team was under attack by a group with heavy weapons. (Any Celebornian satellites in the region might pick up the few DU rounds being fired).

The remaining hummers tried to form a barrier between his Humvee and the unknown assailants while the radio lit up requesting help. A group of soldiers jumped out of one vehicle and, pulling out their assault rifles started to fire towards a group of men emerging from one of the dunes and closing on the convoy.

Mitchell and Masterson crawled out of the vehicle, bloody and soot covered. The two men were helped away from the vehicle in between bursts of small arms fire. A soldier next to Mitchell went down as a pulse of bullets slammed through his face mask.

"We gotta grab the cases and make a run for it," Mitchell told Masterson quickly as his grabbed a couple of soldiers from the quickly disintegrating barricade and pulled them towards the smouldering shell of the vehicle.

The men reached inside the vehicle and tugged at the crates as shouts and screams were mingled with the intensifying fire of the raiders. Masterson pulled out his small MP5/10 and started firing at any legs he saw approaching the Humvee. Mitchell sped up his shoving and the crates, and small group of men, crashed out from under the vehicle just after the screams died down.

Mitchell pulled out a pistol just to have it kicked away. He looked up, looking deeply into a pair of malevolent eyes, he saw the sadistic grin.

"Awwwww, thank you Mr.... Mitchell," the voice said. "Now we don't have to dig through here and find the crates and just beat out your helicopters."

Mitchell felt two quick bursts of pain in his groin, the bark of the pistol reaching his ears a microsecond afterwards. Mitchell screamed and tried to curl up the best he could before he was picked up by two men.

"What..."

"Do I want? I think you know."

The crates were flipped open, and the malevolence was mingled with youthful glee. The light glinted off of the silver, gold and platinum printing plates in the boxes. 20's, 50's hundreds and thousands in NuYen bills could be reproduced with these plates.

"Just what the doctor ordered."

"Mr. J," another man said, "Nine minutes before the choppers reach us."

Antony nodded, "Bring this one with us," he pointed to Mitchell, "Kill the re.."

*blam* The last of the men was being dispatched at the time with a bullet to the base of the skull.

"Excellent," Antony grinned at Mitchell as the men piled into a group of waiting vehicles, "I've been so wanting to try my new knife set out."

*****

10 minutes later

The assault choppers from South Morin swept over the area, but by that time the group had fled into the dunes, and covered their tracks.

"Nothing here sir, a massacre. Looks like the cases are probably missing."

"Better call this in now."

(*tuts*

one of the many advantages of a completely coin-based currency. ;))

(LOL, yeah, like carrying a piggybank around too :P)

Presidential Palace, Presidential Chambers, 3 hours later

Takeo fumed in the office before the assembled officers, "How could this get out? We had total security planned."

Security Commander John Sanders replied, "We did sir, nothing was leaked from our end. It looks like the men were completely outgunned, I've said it before, we need military assistance to help maintain security."

"No!" Takeo cut him off, "No offense gentlemen," he said to the assembled military officers, "But I think internal security should be handled seperately."

"Sir," Lance General Marcus Johnson said, "I agree with Commander Sanders. the military should take part in the internal security of Larkinia. As we've seen, there is still a strong separation between the military and the command structure. But as this attack shows, our men were totally outgunned by a group of petty thieves. I have to recommend a military detachment be sent to each secured location for additional.. 'muscle'."

"Yes," Sanders replied, "I agree totally. With the added firepower, we can secure the platinum deposits and vaults that the economy is based on. We can keep the value of our currency up by switching to the credit chip program you've been preparing anyway," he said with a finish to Minister of State Michael Davis.

Takeo sighed, "I can't authorize that."

"sir, if they get the platinum," Johnson started, "You'll be the leader of a nation who's money's not worth enough to wipe your ass with."

Davis shook his head, "don't do it sir. We can beef up security on our own."

"We don't have the time sir," Sanders replied.

Takeo sat down. Sanders handed him the executive order, "It's only temporary sir."

Takeo looked out the 'window' at the computer generated mountains. "All right, 4 weeks. No longer."

He scribbled his signature on the paper with a new fountain pen. ;)

"You won't regret this sir," Johnson said. "We'll find out who leaked the info and bring the guilty party to justice." (aka find an innocent Corporal and 'induce' a confession from them)

*****

Johnson rode the elevator back up to the ground floor by himself and walked out of the palace with a small spring in his step. He slipped into his car and silently rode back to the Military Command building.

He walked into Fleet Admiral Barilla's office and nodded to him, "Played them all like a piano. Knight to Queen 3. Check."

Barilla smiled and punched up the next list of commands for Williams' new little band.

Inside Sandias Mountain Range, Platinum Vaults

The power armor of the squadron of men approaching the vault door clacked against the stone floors and resonated in the hallways.

Lance Colonel Chris Jackson led the group to the waiting group of Security Commanders standing in front of the doors. He was grateful that his old poker buddy, Lance General Johnson, lined him up for a cake command like this.

Jackson saluted, "Lance Colonel Chris Jackson and Ranger Squadron Angel, reporting to relieve you of security duty."

One of the men saluted back, the scowl on his face still evident. "Colonel, I don't know why you're here, we're more than prepared to secure these depos..."

"I don't care what you think, want to think, or demand to know," Jackson said dismissively. "We've been assigned security here. Your men can go now, and have a drink, or smoke a cigar or kiss my ass for all I care."

*****

Takeo turned to Davis as the two men shared a drink in the evening. "Mike, I'd like to see a story about the increased security in Golden Agate and Larkinia ...'leaked' to the press this evening. And if you can, make a mention of it on the ANH Wires."

Takeo turned to Davis as the two men shared a drink in the evening. "Mike, I'd like to see a story about the increased security in Golden Agate and Larkinia ...'leaked' to the press this evening. And if you can, make a mention of it on the ANH Wires."

“This just in,” said Edwards sarcastically as he plopped a newspaper down on Minister of Foreign Affairs Sir Archibald S. Hughes’ desk. Hughes looked up with an arched eyebrow.

“What the hell is this, Edwards? I mean, I can see it’s a paper, but...”

“Page A-7. You’ll see it.” Dubiously, Hughes flipped through the paper until he reached the designated page. Edwards was right; he did see it.

“Oh, hell,” muttered Hughes. “Do we get all our intelligence from the damn newsies now?”

“I would guess so; I don’t know where on Earth our Larkinian office was for this one.” He shook his head. “It sound bad; the next closest thing to martial law.” The disgust was obvious in his voice for that last sentence; after all, in a country with Iansisle’s traditions of freedoms and liberties, martial law was the equivalent of Big Brother.

“Damn. Well, we’ve got to make up some lost ground on this one, Edwards. Get on the line to the Lark’s foreign office; tell ‘em we’ve been, ahm, ‘monitoring’ - yeah, that’s good, monitoring - the situation, and wonder if there’s anything we can do to help.”

“Of course, minister,” sighed Edwards, shaking his head. The time may be approaching when Iansisle would need an actual intelligence bureau.

At a ranch house far outside of South Morin

Antony had Mitchell drug into a small room in the basement level of the house and dismissed the men after Mitchell was strapped to the wall.

"What... what are you going to do?" Mitchell asked terrified.

"It's not a matter of what I'm going to do, but what I'm not going to do, and I should tell you there's very little I don't do," Antony said as he picked up a deboning blade.

"What do you want me to tell you about??"

"Nothing. You're going to deliver a message to your bosses for me. I want them to know there's a new sheriff in the country."

He walked over to the man, tracing the tip of the blade along the man's face, his jaw, just outside his eye.

"I'd like to tell you this won't hurt, but that'd be a lie."

*****

A couple of hours later.

Antony walked out of the room, blood splatters on his jacket, his face and hands. He pulled out a cigar and lit it, looking at one of the men standing in the hallway.

"You know Sean," he started. "There's something... invigorating in the human spirit when you listen to a man using his last parting breaths to beg for his life, then for you to end his pain."

"Sir, why did we have to steal those plates?"

"You see Sean, while an army travels on its stomach, a nation, or more properly, its people travel on their paychecks. Imagine what would happen to those people if their economy is suddenly ruined."

"I don't get it sir."

"If the people's money is worthless, chaos begins. And who better to put an end to the chaos?"

"The military?"

"Exactly."

"What about those who oppose us?"

"Well, take a look in that room to answer your question."

Sean nodded slowly, not sure what to make of Antony until he walked into the room to check on the Lieutenant. Sean's last conscious thought was vomiting at the site before he passed out.

“This just in,” said Edwards sarcastically as he plopped a newspaper down on Minister of Foreign Affairs Sir Archibald S. Hughes’ desk. Hughes looked up with an arched eyebrow.

“What the hell is this, Edwards? I mean, I can see it’s a paper, but...”

“Page A-7. You’ll see it.” Dubiously, Hughes flipped through the paper until he reached the designated page. Edwards was right; he did see it.

“Oh, hell,” muttered Hughes. “Do we get all our intelligence from the damn newsies now?”

“I would guess so; I don’t know where on Earth our Larkinian office was for this one.” He shook his head. “It sound bad; the next closest thing to martial law.” The disgust was obvious in his voice for that last sentence; after all, in a country with Iansisle’s traditions of freedoms and liberties, martial law was the equivalent of Big Brother.

“Damn. Well, we’ve got to make up some lost ground on this one, Edwards. Get on the line to the Lark’s foreign office; tell ‘em we’ve been, ahm, ‘monitoring’ - yeah, that’s good, monitoring - the situation, and wonder if there’s anything we can do to help.”

“Of course, minister,” sighed Edwards, shaking his head. The time may be approaching when Iansisle would need an actual intelligence bureau.

(*gasp!* :P )

The letter was quickly scanned and emailed to Minister Davis' office. Mike opened the email and read the letter. He smiled at the sentiment, it was just what the President needed to read.

*****

Takeo read the letter and sipped his whiskey.

"Michael, tell them we would be more than grateful to receive their assistance. If they have anyone who could actually tell our security how to do their jobs.."

"Security? Sir, this is Iansisle we're talking about."

"Oh hell, yeah..." Takeo said. "Then if the military pulls what I think they might pull, we'll need a contingency plan for getting people out of the country. See if they have anyone they can send to assist us on preparations, and if they have someone to work with our economists to come up with a new plan for the currency backlash."

"Yes sir," Davis said.

"Mike. Please send a case of scotch to the MFA if you would."

*****

Jackson picked up his cell phone and dialed a number after the security forces finally left the vaults.

"Hello?" Johnson's voice said on the other end.

"Plan Angel ready for flight sir. We've secured the platinum vaults."

Security? Sir, this is Iansisle we're talking about."

((Hey! I resemble that implication! :P))

“‘Preparations for evacuation’?!” asked Hughes, perhaps a bit too loudly. “Is it really that bad?”

Edwards cleared his throat. “Um, yes sir, it would appear so. All I know is what’s in that telegram.”

Hughes shook his head and paced the room while biting his lip. “Well, I’ll get together with Sir Richard and Lord Linhower, see what we can work out. In the meantime, I want you to get in contact with the Chancellor of the Exchequer - no, that won’t do. Tell you what, Edwards: in my desk, I have the number of Dr. Benton Blayer; he lives in Delton now. Give him a call, and we’ll send him out to Larkinia to work with President Katana’s people at once. And remind the president that the closer he is to the ocean, the better we can help him...” Hughes paused for a moment. “Jesus Lord, I just thought of something - Edwards, is the Larkinian Navy in on this?”

“Pardon me?” asked Edwards.

“That Lark’s navy, Edwards - does the President suspect they’re in on the plot? If they are..” he shook his head, “then we could be helping our way right into another Salvador.”

A small package was dropped off at the Presidential Palace by messenger. The staff tipped the man and took the package to be scanned for dangerous materials.

General David Rios was called into the room during the scan.

"What in the hell is that??" he asked.

"Looks like some sort of organic tissue. I'd say that's a liver, and there are a couple of kidneys. Looks like skin tissue also, I'd say from the face and chest." the technician said pointing a pencil at the body parts in the case. He picked up a set of tags with the pencil and read them. "Mitchell, Lieutenant Jack..."

"I want that messenger located and questioned," Rios said. "What are those??" he pointed at the liver. "They aren't what I think..."

"Tearing, rending. Possibly from human teeth I'd say." the man replied.

"Jim, I want this guy found. I want him found now."

Takeo read the reply, "Make sure we have a car waiting at the airport for Dr. Blayer. Send a letter to Minister Hughes, we're not even sure if there is a military plan right now. All I have to go on is a gut-level instinct, they wouldn't push for added security details without a reason..."

He sat down and poured another drink, "Christ, Mike. I think I might just be overreacting with the military because of what happened with Grant. I thought we'd put the elements still loyal to Grant in prison, but they're like cockroaches, they can just scatter and hide."

"You want that in the letter, sir?" Aiana asked.

"No, I don't. Tell them we'll be in Lyone for the next week. Line us up a visit with the university research hospital there."

A knock came from the door.

"Come in."

General Rios walked into the room, "Sir. Minister. Ma'am," he said to the three in the room. "I don't think we're dealing with any one regular person. I think we've got a psychopath here," he added handing the report of the package to Davis and Katana.

"Dear god!" Davis said quietly.

"Exactly," Rios replied. "Why send us a package of the man we had in charge of the convoy,, unless he's looking to psyche us out?"

"Well he's doing a good job."

"I'd be more worried about where the rest of the Lieutenant is. How many newspapers did he send... him to?" Rios asked. "I'd get ready for a PR Nightmare."

“Good, thank you, Admiral...yes, I’ll let Lord Linhower know at once...thank you.” Hughes set down the phone with a sigh. “I hate that man.”

“I wouldn’t be too hard on ol’ Sir Richard,” said Edwards. “He’s been having a rough time of it since the war.”

“Yeah, yeah,” grumbled Hughes. “Anyway, he told me that he’s diverting Behemoth, a couple destroyers, and some RMM freighters up Lyone’s way. The President said he’ll be there for a couple days; we should be all right in that respect.”

“Are you sure this is important enough to be diverting a capital ship for?” asked Edwards. “I mean, the President said he’s not sure what’s going on at all...”

“I’m really not sure of anything,” said Hughes with a sigh. “Not anymore.”

“Who’s commanding the fleet? Rear Admiral Hansfield?”

“No, Commodore Halders.”

“Sir Robert? As in Queen Jessica and Graf Spee?”

“The same. About time he got his star; lord only knows he’s been a post captain long enough. But enough about that; how’s Dr. Blayer doing?”

“Complaining,” said Edwards, managing to crack a smile over his weary face. “Turn out that he tried to go back to fishing with his family after they booted him out of the Treasury. Still a sharp cookie, though. He left for Golden Agate this morning; I imagine he’ll be arriving soon.”

And indeed he was.

10 a.m. Press Briefing, Blue Room, Presidential Palace

Davis had been fielding questions from LNN and the Golden Agate Sun on the body parts they'd received. They didn't have an identification yet and he'd planned on keeping it that way.

"Minister, are there plans for the security crimes investigators to look into recent deliveries made to several news organizations?"

"Yes, they are currently working on a criminal profile," Davis responded.

"Sir, what about the reports that military units have been diverted to reinforce security throughout Larkinia?"

"Now Dan," Davis said with a mischevious twinkle in his eye, "I don't know where you come up with your information, but I have to say it's right on. Yes, given recent events throughout Larkinia, our security level has intensified and the military has been asked to come in and help reinforce some of our more secured locations. The military will be acting under the command of the Security Teams in the area..."

*****

Inoki Manufactuing Building, Penthouse Level

Nigatara was sitting at his desk as he watched the morning press conference. In between sips of his coffee, he'd read the latest files to have been hacked from the Diablo Base Computers.

He picked up the phone and punched up his secretary's line.

"Please get my private aerodyne ready for launch, and call the Presidential Palace and request an emergency meeting with the President. I have some information he might be interested in."

As he put the phone down, he knew that revealing his knowledge of Aeneas might put him in jeopardy, especially if the military returned to power. But if that happened, then he was already dead, so why not go down with a fight.

He picked up the memory stick and slipped it into his pocket before he walked out into the main foyer.

*****

Golden Agate International Airport, private landing strip

General Rios stood with a group of soldiers inside the presidential lounge.

"Doctor Blayer should be here soon," He said to an aide, "make sure the limo is ready to take him to the palace. I want this to go smooth and by the numbers, no interference, no sneak attacks or anything like that."

Golden Agate International Airport, private landing strip

General Rios stood with a group of soldiers inside the presidential lounge.

"Doctor Blayer should be here soon," He said to an aide, "make sure the limo is ready to take him to the palace. I want this to go smooth and by the numbers, no interference, no sneak attacks or anything like that."

((ooc: I just wanted to say that, if it would be in the story's favor to have someone jump/kill the poor doctor, they're more than welcome to. He's just as mortal as the next guy ;).))

It had been an Iansislean government-sponsored flight, which meant it took twice as long to get from Delton to Golden Agate. Dr. Blayer sighed with relief as the Bankfield touched down and glanced out the window. It had been a while since his position as Minister of Finance and Third Lord of the Treasury had brought him to Larkinia; it had certainly changed since then.

But so had he. The pale, book-wormish, bespectacled doctor of economics had put on some muscle mass since Dhawan's government had fallen, and his skin had a definate bronze tone under his sun-washed light brown hair.

He grabbed his only piece of carry-on, a simple black duffle, and made for the aeroflyer's exit, wondering what kind of reception he ought to expect. He hadn't been sent on an official government mission in quite some time.

(Oh man, don't tempt me like that :P I was thinking if Antony could find out about the trip he'd try and have the plane shot down)

Rios watched as the plane touched down and the security detachment sprang out onto the tarmac.

"Come on," he said to an aide as they walked out of the building and approached Blayer.

"Doctor Blayer?" Rios asked over the dying roar of the engines. "I'm General David Rios. I'd like to welcome you to Larkinia," he said extending his hand.

"General Rios?" asked Blayer. There was a brief second of hesitation, and then he grasped the proffered hand. "Thank you; it's a pleasure to be here."

He glanced about the runway before resting his eyes on the nearby mountains. "Just how I remembered it. Beautiful."

"I'm glad it hasn't gotten too torn up since you were here last," Rios said as he directed the doctor and security team into a waiting Limo SUV.

"Doctor, I'm glad you're here. I know the president was hoping to get your advice on an economic problem we have," Rios said as the car pulled forward and lept onto the freeway, which was dotted with security points and armored soldiers.

"I don't know how much you've been told, but there's been a theft of our printing plates, and whoever has them can print as much money as they'd like. We're securing our platinum vaults, which is what our money is based on, but the president is worried that someone could flood the economy."

Dr. Blayer noted the soldiers as the car pulled away. One could see him grimace briefly.

"I got a basic breifing before I left," he said simply, adjusting his glasses. "Your government is worried about runaway inflation, correct?"

He sat back in his chair. "The counterfitting will be hard to beat. Iansisle's had a lot of problems with paper currency in the past; that's why we switched to all-coin generals." Blayer smiled wryly. "Somehow, I feel that's out of the question in this case, isn't it?"

"Yes it is at this point," Rios said. "They are thinking about switching over to a card system, where all transactions will be run through credit or debit cards. As you can guess, if the power goes out, then they are pretty useless."

Dr. Blayer nodded. "I've heard of these credit card things. My first instinct, all jokes aside, would have been for you to convert to a new NuYen bill, thus circumventing the problem. But this seems to work rather more well. In the long term, perhaps you could also issue a new bill, to help get around the power outage problem."

He stroked his chin as they settled into the chin. "I'd imagine you'd probably want to prevent short-term inflation by raising interest rates; that would take money out of the economy by convincing people to save rather than spend. After the immediate danger's over, you can lower them again to stimulate the economy."

Blayer blushed suddenly, though it wasn't as noticable as before. "Oh, pardon me if I'm rambling General. I didn't mean to make you sit here and be a sounding board."

"Not at all doctor," Rios said concealing the fact that Blayer had gone over his head. "We are working on reminting the dollars, but then everyone has to go through exchanging them, and we let on the fact that someone got a hold of the plates. And there would be so many bills to exchange."

*****

Antony read the report of Katana's visit to Lyone later next week. "I still have a couple of hideouts in Lyone," he mused to himself as he drank his vodka. "It might be worth it to take a trip."

He knew he was nuts to even think about it. Katana would be protected all over by guards. His raid of the plates had jacked up security quite a bit, and regardless of what his inside informants had, and how high up their ranks were, it would be one hell of a challange.

He stroked his chin as they settled into the chin.

(( :lol: One more reason why I should proof read my posts! ;) (I think that second chin was supposed to be 'car;' sorry!))

"Ah, good, good," said Blayer. "Yes, I can understand the difficulties therein."

He shook his head. "Of course, the most effective method would be simply to locate the counterfitters and confiscate their presses. I don't suppose y'all have any leads on where they went after hitting the convoy?"

(Well I didn't want to say anything, I figured you were tired or something ;) )

"We're still working on that," Rios said. "It was like they vanished into the hills. By the time our helicopters reached the place they were attacked. They knew where to hit the convoy, how to hit it, how long it would take the cavalry to arrive. For some reason, they were equipped with depleted uranium weapons. The entire area is undergoing radiation treatment, it's making it hard to get a decent look at the terrain."

It was Rios' turn to throw Blayer for a loop; specifically, he had only the foggiest idea what 'depleted uranium' or 'raditation' was, most of which came from a sketchy IanCorp documentary on the Antananarivo Project.

"Ah, I see." Dr. Blayer tried to say something relevant, but failed to come up with anything more insightful than 'Marie Curie.'

"Did I hear President Katana would be out of town?" he asked instead.

"Yes sir, he's leaving for Lyone later this week to visit one of the medical research centers," Rios said as the car made the turn to head towards the Palace. "And in case anything happens, we can get him out to sea quicker from Lyone than from Golden Agate."

Blayer smiled. "My government's suggestion, perhaps? They can be so predictable - if anything goes wrong, run for the ocean as quickly as possible.

"I hope I'm not treading on any classified information here," he continued, "but what do you suppose is the chance of, ahm, 'something happening'?"

"Actually, I think that was the advice of your government, if I remember correctly.

"The chances of something happening? I don't know. It would depend on how quickly we fix this mess. If we deal with it quickly, then whoever is responsible might take it upon themselves to escalate things."

Dr. Blayer frowned. "These are crazy times that we live in. One can never be sure who is loyal, and who not." He shrugged, and then lapsed into silence.

Rios nodded, "I'm sorry Doctor. I wish there was more I could tell you, but right now we're at a loss."

The limo pulled into the private garage at the Palace and Blayer and Rios were swept into the building quickly and led into an elevator. Rios punched a code into the elevator and is quickly decended towards the underground offices.

"That's quite all right, General," said Blayer. "I wasn't sent over here to help with the military aspects, anyway."

He followed Rios from the car through the building and into the elevator, which was surveyed with the eye of a critical appraiser. "I've always been facinated by these contraptions," he said as it started downward (and his stomach seemed to start upwards). "I'm no engineer, so why we don't simply fall to the bottom seems some sort of arcane magic."

"Well I think it has something to do with levers, and counterweights, and pulleys, and a virgin sacrifice on the third week with a full moon," Rios started as the elevator dropped.

The doors opened and the two men walked past the security checkpoint and into a entry foyer. A young asian woman at the desk stood up and bowed to the two men, "Right this way," she said opening the door and leading the two men into the presidential offices.

The room was bright with quasi-natural light, with 'windows' showing the view from outside the palace. Takeo stood and smiled as the two men walked into the room. "Dr. Blayer, I'm so glad you could make it," he said extending his hand.

Blayer laughed at the joke, but didn't say much more during the ride down. Without the liberal application of liquor, he was a fairly quiet man. He was still a man, though, and couldn't help but smile at the president's attractive secretary.

Inside the office, however, it was all business. He crossed the room and firmly shook hands with Takeo.

"Hello again, President Katana," he smiled. "I'm glad you saw fit to be here. Though I must admit this isn't quite what I had in mind when I heard the words 'underground office!'"

Takeo chuckled, "Top of the line technology," he said walking over to the window with Dr. Blayer. "Behind these windows are screens that show what the view is outside of the palace. It's almost enough to remind me that I'm not two stories underground."

He picked up a glass of scotch and handed it to the doctor. "Thank you for coming on such short notice," he said. "I trust General Rios has gotten you up to speed on the situation?"

*grumble, mumble, grumble...*

"Fascinating," muttered Blayer, resisting an urge to reach out and poke the 'window'. He turned around and accepted the drink, though he didn't immediately take a sip.

"Thank you, Mr. President. Yes, General Rios did catch me up with what's been going on. I have to admit, I'm no military expert, but it doesn't sound like y'all have a lot to go on."

"We don't so far. I think it was an inside job, because those plates didn't need to be transported for another few weeks, and they knew just when to hit the convoy, and how fast it would take to get out there.

"It gets worse, one of the people in the convoy was taken with the raiders, and he's been sent back to Golden Agate, piece by piece I'm afraid. I've never heard of anyone like this."

Dr. Blayer nodded. "Sounds plausable to me, Mr. President. But then, I'm not much of one on this sort of thing."

"Piece by...piece?" he whispered, blanching as Katana told him about the poor lieutenant. "That's - that's just plain damn sadistic!" The sentence may not have made sense, but Blayer didn't seem to care.

He suddenly remembered there was a lady present, and the color returned to his cheeks as a blush. "Er, beg your pardon, ma'am."

"That's all right sir," Aiana smiled, "I've heard worse today. If you will all excuse me, I have to get back to work."

She bowed and walked out of the room, closing the doors behind her.

"Well, as you can tell," Takeo said looking out towards the 'mountains', "we have a slight problem with our money supply. The current supplies of platinum are being secured now, but if that money is released into the general public, we'll have a panic, and if we report it, we'll have a panic again."

Dr. Blayer watched Aiana leave out of the corner of his eye, and it was only the greatest of concentration that he returned his attention to President Katana.

"That was my general impression of the situation," said Dr. Blayer, nodding. "I understand from what General Rios said on the way over that you're contemplating a move away from currency all together? I think that would be a good short term solution; in the long term, you'll probably need to introduce a," he smiled, "new NuYen, but in the mean time, getting as much of the old currency as possible out of circulation is your best policy."

He rubbed his chin. "I hope you'll forgive my ignorance, but I don't know much about the Bank of Larkinia. How fast can you expect a complete turnabout from the NuYen bills to the bank cards?"

(Woo hoo!!! 90% on my first Advertising exam!! God I have been gone from a real uni. for a long time.. ;) )

Takeo smiled and chuckled at the 'new NuYen' comment, "there's one way to look at it."

He sipped his scotch before setting it down, "I've been drinking too much of that lately. It will take a few weeks at our best guess, maybe longer for those who do not want to give up their money, who'll see it as some form of 'governmental control'," he said with distaste.

"I'm worried about telling the populace what happened, but they have a right to know why the drastic change," he continued. "I'm worried about there being a massive panic and hoarding of goods. I could make it an executive order, matter of national security."

*****

Meanwhile at the ranch house

Antony was taking a break, working on a painting in his study while the sounds of Gregorian Chants wafted through the room. He was still contemplating visiting Lyone when Katana was supposed to be there, but all those people made him nervous. Then there was what to do with Katana. He knew what he wanted to do, that would break the government's will right there.

How to get close, that's the question.

His eyes fell from the painting to the file of photos from the last hack into the Aeneas system.

Of course... if I wait. We look so much alike, it could work.

The idea of concealing things from the public obviously made Dr. Blayer nervous, but he tried not to show it. He realized the idea's merit, but it still made him worry about excessive governmental control. Of course, counterfitting wasn't really supposed to be included in the invisible hand of the market.

"On the other hand," he said, "convincing people to save might be good...taking money temporarily out of circulation would make things tougher on the counterfitters trying to pass off large amounts of raw currency. Maybe instead of causing a panic, though, you could simply raise interest rates slightly."

Takeo nodded, "That's a good idea. It's a way to.. manipulate, the economy to keep the money... yes, I like it," he said as he picked up the phone, "Mike, can you come in here please?"

A youngish man with burnt blonde hair and a light tan walked into the room a few moments later.

"Mike, this is Dr. Benton Blayer. Dr. Blayer, I'd like to introduce you to Minister of State Michael Davis, essentially the vice president," Takeo said.

David extended his hand and smiled, "Nice to meet ya.

"What's the plan skip?" Davis turned to ask Takeo.

"Talk to the Economics Ministry," Takeo said, "See about us raising interest rates to keep money out of the economy. Dr. Blayer can explain this better."

"Minister Davis," smiled Blayer, shaking the extended hand. "It's a pleasure."

He seemed a little uncomfortable at the praise. It might be related to the fact that, as Minister of Finance in Iansisle, his primary duties had included putting a rubber stamp on the United Banking Concerns' currency policy and the Chancellor of the Exchequer's budgets, with no real oppertunity for independent action. This hesitation manifested itself in a slight shrug after President Katana's words.

((I was thinking about it in the last post, man, but somehow forgot to write it. Great job on that test! You know what they say about college: it's like falling off a bike; you never forget how.

(Do I get a cookie for making you study? ;))))

(Hell dude, you get a box of homemade cookies for that! I haven't crunched that many numbers since Calculus! Thanks man!)

Mike smiled at Dr. Blayer, "All right doc, what do you recommend? we can go before the Parliamentary Economics Commission this afternoon and recommend you're idea. Or I can go in your place if you'd rather."

((*cheers* Hooray for sitting around telling other people to do work! ;)))

"Oh, er," stumbled Dr. Blayer. "Well, sir, I think your idea of the card-based system is workable, at least in the short-term, but you'll want to encourage people to save, that's for sure.

"The best, most subtle way of doing that is to raise interest rates. Then, when you're confident in the value of the NuYen again, you can lower them to bring that money back into the economy."

Dr. Blayer fiddled with his glasses nervously. "I can present it if you want, but if you want to..." he stumbled lamely.

((I'm off to bed, man. I'll catch ya tomorrow!))

"That's not a bad idea," Davis said. "We're trying to work on a re-design of the bills, but that will take time to come up with the design, then to put them on the plates, plus it's the plates to not just 20's and 50's, but 100 and thousand NuYen bills. So it's a tall order."

Katana turned around to the men, "Mike, get ready for an executive order for the credit cards to be enforced. Plus I want a freeze on prices, there will be no hoarding or price gouging."

"A freeze on prices?" asked Blayer, his eyebrows shooting up. "You can just do that?" His tone was somewhere between surprise and terror.

"Well," Katana said, "I can, but not easily. And it's not something I want to do. If I pass an executive order ordering prices to freeze until further notice, enforcement of course is the problem. And it would take a strong showing from Parliament to do so."

Davis shook his head a little, "No, it'd be impossible short of arresting people for raising the price of a bar of soap."

"Anyway," Takeo said, "it's one option I want to look into to keep people from hoarding in the short term."

Dr. Blayer was clearly still nervous with the entire concept, as his continual finger-tapping-together might express, but obviously didn't want to say anything further.

"Um," he started, "Mr. President, I hate to be a bother, but it's been a long flight from Iansisle. I wonder if, unless you need something futher at once, I might retire for the afternoon?"

"Of course Dr. Blayer, I apologize for that," Takeo said, walking over to the door with the man. Opening it he flagged over a guard.

"Please take the doctor to the Pyramid, top floor."

That made Benton arch his eyes. "Oh, please, Mr. President, I'm not even an official representitive of His Majesty's government any more..." he started, though he made it clear he wouldn't resist if Takeo insisted.

"I really don't mean to be any bother.."

"It's no problem at all doctor. You may not be an official representative, but you are here at my request, and are my guest until you leave," Katana said with a tired smile as the group walked back to the elevator.

"See that the doctor is taken care of," Katana said to the guard as the doors closed and the two men were wooshed back up towards the ground level.

"Thank you, Mr. President," smiled Blayer. "It means a lot to me." Then the doors hissed shut and the doctor's stomach dropped through the elevator's floor. Or at least it seemed to.

The elevator stopped at the ground floor and the guard waited for Blayer to exit before he led the man back to the entrance of the Palace.

"I'm Chris," he said, "I'll be your tour guide for the duration," he grinned. "We'll get you a driver lined up in a moment."

The two men walked towards a waiting man in front of a regular sized black SUV.

"This will be your ride while you're here sir. Shall we go?"

Blayer tagged along.

"Chris?" he asked, sticking out a hand to shake. "A pleasure to meet you. I must say that I'm very honored by all the steps your government is going to just to accomidate a man as lowly as myself." The doctor grinned.

"This is quite the machine," Benton whispered as he looked the SUV up and down. "Quite the machine indeed! I wonder what the neighbors would say if they knew I was parading around in such a behemont?" he chuckled.

Chris shook Blayer's hand.

"Sir it wouldn't matter what they say," he smiled, "This baby's set up to take care of any pesky neighbors. All tricked out, James Bond style. Behind and just inside the headlights are two smallish caliber machine guns, a flammable oil slick in the back, just to keep tailgaters a respectable distance, and here," he smacked the side of the vehicle a couple of times with his hand, "bulletproof, up to a certain point of course, but pretty damn sturdy. Same type of ride the president has."

Chris opened the rear door for the doctor, "If you will sir, I'll get you set up at the hotel. Can I get your bag for you?"

"Ah," smiled Dr. Blayer. "That's very innovative! I'll have to mention it when I give my report back to the council." He winked at Chris. "Unless, of course, it's a government secret."

He remembered for the first time that he had left his bags in General Rios' car. "Oh, yes, I'll go get them," Dr. Blayer said, starting off for the garage. He got about three steps before realizing he had no idea where the garage was. "Um, on second thought, maybe we could just ask a vallet."

((I'm off to bed, man - I'll catch you tomorrow!))

(Me too man... damn these having to be up for classes! it's throwing my NS Schedule all to hell! :P )

"Of course sir," Chris waved over a man and told him to grab the doctor's bags.

"Thanks," smiled Blayer. "This place is so large; I can't imagine how president Katana finds his way about every day."

He leaned up against the SUV while they waited for the bags. "So, Chris," he started. Nothing of particular interest came to mind. Damn it, he hadn't earned a PhD in economics just to find that couldn't make casual conversation. Of course, he already knew that he couldn't, ddin't he.

"You like to go fishing?" he asked lamely after a couple seconds.

"Not really," Chris replied, "I don't get much time to fish, having to be around for Katana's every security beck and call. What do you do in Iansisle?"

The man walked back with a duffel bag and placed it in the back of the car as the two men entered.

"OK Chuck," Chris said to the driver, "Let's go."

The SUV headed down the entrance and shifted onto the road heading back into Golden Agate.

(Where they are abducted, because Chris is Antony's right-hand psychopath :P )

Dr. Blayer blushed. "I, uh, fish. Well now I do, anyway; I used to..." he trailed off, afraid of rambling on or sounding like he was bragging, and instead climbed in the car.

"Every beck and call, eh?" he asked. "Well, um, I hope that I'm not quite as imposing on you..>" Then Blayer realized that could be taken as an insult, as if he was too good to need an assistant.

"Well, what I mean is that, um, if you've something important to do, then you should, ah, just go ahead and do it."

Then a terrible thought struck him: what if this man wasn't his perminant guide, just his escort to the hotel! What if he had misinterpeted, and now Chris thought he needed a perminant escort?

Oh, hell - this diplomacy stuff wasn't like falling off a bike after all.

((Damn...I thought he might be ;)))

(Damn, I'm too predictable...it's the driver.. yeah...he's the one.. :P)

"Right now sir, making sure you're all right for the duration is the top of my priority list," Chris said. "What kind of fishing do you like to do?"

The SUV slipped onto the road and roared down the freeway.

(Damn, I'm too predictable...it's the driver.. yeah...he's the one.. :P)

(oh...um, see, I was THINKING it was the driver, and then you said it was Chris, so that threw me off (I almost hit submit with 'chris' saying 'christ' ... doggone Jesus, trying to kill my characters :P))

"Um, it's sort of the family business," said Blayer. "That's what all my ancestors did; fished the waters outside the Jaizar delta. Not the most fertile waters, but damn convinient for shipping back to Lakeriverwood. I was actually the first of my family to be educated above a third grade level when I enrolled at UGLRW."

Damn it, now he sounded like he was bragging again!

(Damn, I'm too predictable...it's the driver.. yeah...he's the one.. :P)

(oh...um, see, I was THINKING it was the driver, and then you said it was Chris, so that threw me off (I almost hit submit with 'chris' saying 'christ' ... doggone Jesus, trying to kill my characters :P))

( :lol: )

"Really? Is education still something for the.. I guess the phrase would be 'upper classes' in Iansisle?" Chris asked. "What kind of opportunities are there?"

"Well," said Blayer after a moment's consideration, "in some ways yes, in some ways no. Iansisle does have a very low rate of tuition at the state-run institutions compared to most other countries, and there are a good amount of scholarships.

"On the other hand, the average wages are so low that you can't raise a family without them working while they're growing up, so the kids can't attend primary school and earn those scholarships." He shrugged.

"I worked my way through; worked until I had the money to pay for my first year, then found employment until I graduated." He smiled. "One thing I found, every day extra of college education I had increased by salary by a factor of ten."

*bad forums! Bad forums! Go take a time out!*

"That's the way to do it," Chris said. "Working your way through is much more rewarding then having someone hand it to you on a silver platter."

-----

Back at the Palace

Michael Davis had just left Katana's office and was heading to the Finance Department to discuss Blayer's idea of raising rates, when an aerodyne was seen in the distance approaching.

The Aerodyne landed in Katana's helicopter pad, and Davis glimpsed Nigatara stroll out of the craft and walk into the Palace.