Author Topic: Matters of Grave Importance - Chapter Three (Read 103273 times)

Maxx · « **Reply #150 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:40 am - Michael

It didn't take long for the Nosteratu to remove the organ from inside the carbuncle. He set it carefully into the stainless steel tray. "Does anyone object to my opening it now? It will likely take me until dawn to full carve this thing up. If you feel like bailing, I'll make sure you get a copy of the video."

Maxx · « **Reply #151 on:** »

Role call

Goosekat · « **Reply #152 on:** »

Still around... RL is sucking right now

Darkflame · « **Reply #153 on:** »

Again, apologies. I am back. Sorry, sorry!

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:41 am - Alice

"Personally, I have no objections. I find myself intrigued- by a great many things currently- and have little need to rest as of the moment." She peered at Michael with her pale blue eyes, certainly unashamed by the curiousity she was showing. "Would it bother you if I told you I am intrigued by you as well as the beast? Not that it matters now, since I said it anyways. But.. I am curious."

Maxx · « **Reply #154 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:42 am - Heinrich

"I will leave you to it then," Heinrich said. "I'm sure I won't need to look over your shoulder and I'm a phone call away if needed. Alice, I will leave you in the capable hands of Michael. Samuel, you are free to remain or depart as you see fit."

Michael nodded to the department director. "As you wish. You'll need to wait until dark for my report but the video should show everything you'll need to know." He looked at the carbuncle's stomach for a moment before turning to look at Alice with his dark, sunken eyes.

"Is there anything in particular that intrigues you? I've gotten used to answering odd questions if you are curious. It's an occupational hazard when working with Cricket."

Darkflame · « **Reply #155 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:44 am - Alice

Alice waved as Heinrich left, in very good spirits considering the circumstances. "Odd questions? Well, yes I suppose that any conversation we might have would seem rather odd to what is generally considered normal company. Luckily for me, the only oddity I find is the mere chance to have such a conversation. I've been alone for some time now." She looked thoughtful for a moment, gazing at the cavity of the beast. "But that's neither here nor there. As for the answer to your question, I find specifics very hard to specify in this case, as I am intrigued by a great many things about you, both about your current state and your memories concerning the before." She had a strange look on her face as she said the last, something almost whistful. But as quickly as the expression appeared, it faded, accompanied by the swatting of her hand at something near her ear. "So I suppose anything you are willing to tell me would be most welcome."

Maxx · « **Reply #156 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:45 am - Michael

"That's a broad topic," Michael said, picking up a scalpel. "I could start by telling you that my current state is a result of my own personal greed. I consider it a lesson well learned. I am hoping to take the lemons that life has given me and made a passable lemonade while looking for a way to reverse things."

With a single stroke, he opened the carbuncle's stomach. "Could you pass me that jar please? It would seem that this creature follows the rules of thoroughly chewing its food."

Darkflame · « **Reply #157 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:47 am -Alice

She reached over and plucked up the requested jar, passing it to him as she considered the organ in question, unperturbed.

"Ah, greed. An interesting concept. It is often used to describe one such as myself who pursues something with such an intense fervor as I pursue knowledge. " She grew silent for a moment, her gaze far away, as if thinking. Then her eyebrows furrowed and she swatted quite hard at the air next to her ear, a cross look coming to her face.

Maxx · « **Reply #158 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:48 am - Michael

"It was nothing as altruistic as the pursuit of knowledge, of that you can be certain," Michael said, dumping the contents of the creature's stomach into the jar. "This was purely an attempt to make myself wealthy at the expense of another. The other in question just happened to have some very unusual friends."

He canted his head slightly to the side when Alice swatted at the air. "Is something there?" he asked. "I'm afraid I see nothing."

Darkflame · « **Reply #159 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:49 am - Alice

"Hmm?" She blinked her pale blue eyes at Michael, then sighed. "Yes, actually. Some time ago I had the misfortune of having a... spirit.. I believe that is a proper term.. attach himself to me. Something about making sure I know what a horrible abomination I am. Constantly whispering in my ear and being a general nuisance."

Maxx · « **Reply #160 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:49 am - Michael

"We do have a medium on staff," Michael said. She's a friend of Samuel's actually." He chuckled. "I think that particular fact may have put Nicky's nose out of joint. Have you met him yet? He's a homeless werewolf. Australian accent? You'd remember if you met him."

Darkflame · « **Reply #161 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:50 am - Alice

"I do not remember him, although I have met a few very intriguing people tonight. As for the medium, it is certainly not necessary. If he annoys me much more, I will simply have to prove his point- by putting him down." She said pointedly, then smiled. "so we can go back to what we were doing and discussing."

Maxx · « **Reply #162 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:50 am - Michael

"Back to the doing," Michael replied with a nod. "And the discussing." He prodded the carbuncle's remaining internal organs with a stainless steel rod. "Favourite book?"

The fact that Alice could, or at least claimed she could, 'kill' ghosts was interesting. She seemed quite sincere about the statement. He'd have to ask the medium under what circumstances it was possible.

Darkflame · « **Reply #163 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:51 am - Alice

"Favourite? I do not think I have a favourite. My..... mother.... did, obviously. So you might say I have a least favourite. Indeed, very least." she sounded annoyed for a moment. "You?"

Maxx · « **Reply #164 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:52 am - Michael

"Easily the White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle," Michael answered immediately. "I read it as a boy and fell in love with it. I'd say it's better than any of his Holmes stories. As far as least favourite, there are too many to list. I abhor the modern supernatural fiction. It's so poorly written. What it does to the mythology of werewolves and vampires is just short of criminal. Half of it is poorly disguised soft core pornography trying to disguise itself as erotica." He looked at Alice, then picked up the scalpel again.

"So, what is your least favourite? I have a prediction, so I'm curious as to whether I'm right."

Darkflame · « **Reply #165 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:52 am - Alice

She sighed. "Alice's adventures under ground. The anologies have plagued me for my entire existance. Even I cannot help but mock myself in such a way."

Maxx · « **Reply #166 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:52 am - Michael

Michael chuckled, a ghoulish sound. "I can't believe I didn't predict that one. It was obvious. I had a friend named Alice who despised the song White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane, just because it mentioned her name. Given your nature and your apparent penchant for adventure, I can see why Lewis Carroll wouldn't be a favourite. Does your dislike extend to Through the Looking Glass as well?"

Darkflame · « **Reply #167 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:53 am - Alice

"Thankfully it is not so popular as to cause the same issue, so no. Out of curiousity, what did you think was my least favourite?" She inquired, peering closely at the creatures internals as Michael moved them within the cavity.

Maxx · « **Reply #168 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:54 am - Michael

"Access denied," the Nosferatu said with another ghoulish chuckle. "You'll have to do better than that if you want the answer. I will tell you this; it is a very well known book. Opinions vary as to its value."

He continued probing the carbuncle for a few more minutes. "Classic movies or live theatre?" he asked after a moment. "Does this look like a normal liver to you? I'm not a fan of the colour. I think this creature might have been ill."

Darkflame · « **Reply #169 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:55 am - Alice

A genuine smile of amusement came to her face, and stayed as she inspected the offending organ. "I'm afraid I have never had the opportunity to see live theatre, although I have always wanted to." She told him. "Well, I don't think that a graveyard is the usual domicile of this creature, so I would assume that it was either ill beforehand, or became ill due to the exposure to toxic things, or indeed simply the toxic things in the earth there."

Maxx · « **Reply #170 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:56 am - Michael

"I doubt it was in the cemetery long enough to pick up any toxins," Michael said. "One is made to wonder if the creature was partially being controlled through drugs." He picked up a hypodermic needle and extracted some fluid from the liver. "It might have been used to train the beast or to keep it under control. If we can pick anything up in the liver, we might learn a little more. Of course we could always ask the living prisoner."

Darkflame · « **Reply #171 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:57 am - Alice

"The last I spoke to him, or more rightly at him, he was babbling most incoherently. I must express doubt that has changed much in the time since then. At the same time, I would be most interested in having a bit more time to study him. Insanity is fascinating. There are so many ways it can express."

Maxx · « **Reply #172 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 01:58 am - Michael

"I have faith in the pharmacy," Michael replied. "Drugs can be very useful in easing the troubled mind. Chemical psychiatry is most certainly a field that is in its infancy. Sadly so many of the drugs available are over prescribed. I need to be very careful with my feeding habits. I'd really rather avoid that particular brand of self medication."

He poked a the carbuncle again. "You have yet to meet Cricket. She is a MPD or rather DID. Cricket is a child but some of her other personalities are rather problematic. Molly Malone, for example, has a hair trigger temper and has a love-hate opinion of our combat instructor. You've met him. Major Talbot."

Darkflame · « **Reply #173 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 02:00 am - Alice

"Sounds utterly delightful. Yes, I did meet him. Interesting, although others might not thinks so. I do have a rather odd view of what is interesting and what is not. I must say that I am excited to have such an amazing chance to study such a variety of beings." She told him. "At least until someone tries to destroy me. Then I will most definitely not be so excited."

Maxx · « **Reply #174 on:** »

Department 7 HQ, Medical Room - 02:01 am - Michael

"Oh, she is," Michael replied. "On our initial meeting, she asked me if I was the Bogeyman. No matter how damaged her psyche is, she has an amazingly keen mind. You just need to learn to handle each personality. As far as trying to destroy you, I seriously doubt that it will happen. Director Faust is a keen judge of character. He would not have extended an invitation to join the department if he hadn't seen you as an asset, rather than a liability. Of course he's been able to find a use for a lame, hideous creature that cannot abide the touch of sunlight, he can find a use for anyone."