A.M.P.E.-Experiment in Terror

[VandalHeart]

When Orin began to speak, Gwen was enjoying her meal. Her rendering began to slow as he continued, however, the weight of her lies coming down upon her conscience, the revelation of his keen eye jarring her.

She almost dropped the sandwiches.

As he continued, Gwen slowed her eating, but he went long enough for her to finish them all and still have time to get a drink from the kitchen in the victorian manor. She drank slowly and mournfully as he continued. She knew what he was asking, what he was building towards, and her answer was not going to be a welcome one, this she knew.

As he began reciting his menu of war, she finally reached the door and re-entered the foyer. A dour look of self pity and remorse violating her face, she walked near to him as he concluded his monologue.

"I...cannot, my friend. I cannot reveal any of the governing artifacts that bear rulership over this plane. I wonder, in my addled ignorance, if I even posess the knowledge. If I discover the path to--"

Gwen's rendering froze. Her voice froze. The wind stopped blowing and the light no longer shifted. Time stood still. Orin tried to ask Gwen what was wrong, but found he had no voice. His feet, planted to the ground, began to struggle to carry him even an inch, but they gave no quarter.

That's when he saw the light.

"Lo, I say unto you, Fair Folk, you whose ancestry lies beyond the limits of creation itself, born of glorious dreams and terrible nightmares, behold my countenance and be not afraid."

Orin had seen an angel once. Or, at least, he was pretty sure he had. The memory was clouded, just as all encounters with children of the fundament were recalled. This, however, was no angel. He felt a void, a hole in space where once an angel had been. Fallen. It was a fallen angel.

"Your senses do you justice, Tuatha bred. I, I, I am the Principality of Stillness, the Throne of Reticence, wielder of Saturninity and bastion of Censorship. Come now I to lend cue to your plight, for this infirm golem has been counterfeited false, woven through and through and though with lie, inaccuracy, and distortion. I, I, I am keybearer of secrets, and I deliver unto you a thing like hope."

The only movement from Orin was the raising of an eyebrow.

"BY SIX WINKINGS OF GOD'S EYE, YOU SHALL BE VISITED AGAIN, AN ANSWER LOOMING TO COMPLICATE YOUR CITADEL."

Orin remained silent and still, though it was a good guess as to whether or not it was the will of the fallen angel or sheer unwillingness to test his muscles. Before he found that will, Gwen began to speak and move once more.

"...such answers, I will expunge them forthwith, you have...my word.... Orin? Stand not so amazed, fair Satyr. Why does your countenance present so alarmed?"

 

[Elayne]

"Respectively: the specifications of A.M.P.E. are restricted in their access, and therefore I am not allowed to divulge the capabilities of any equipment that constitutes it's makeup, including the scanners; there are four containees and two artificial intelligences in this facility, therefore a 'fifth entity' would consist of either Gwen or myself. If these answers are insufficient, I would suggest refining your query."

Eve frowned slightly as she considered Ben's answer. She was a little bit displeased that he couldn't, or wouldn't, reveal his capabilities to her, but then she had been half expecting that. Most programmers would ensure that their system would be 'fire-walled' to prevent intrusion.

On the other hand, while the answer made sense, it made the back of her neck tingle... And Eve had learned to listen to her instincts. Instinct kept one alive where the oblivious fell.

"Ben, you earlier gave me some information about the time frame this facility is in. Let me ask you this; Does sentient life continue outisde of this facility? And the method you used to bring us here - Does it leave a residual trail that someone could backtrack to find the location of this facility?"

 

[VandalHeart]

"No sentient life has been logged in this dimensional iteration for 3.9 thousand years, approximately. As for your second query, the wormholes utilized for containee transport have already collapsed. No residual energy signature of the transportation process has been logged in my data drives."

Then something strange happened. Ben monitored a new file being created in his data drives. He attempted to track the source, but was unable to. He thought it may have been the professor, but the digital signature was wrong. He devoted a portion of his processors to determining the source, but hit dead ends in sheer nanoseconds. The source was untraceable. Satisfied that he would get no more information, he opened the file.

"Correction: there is one unconfirmed report of an externally dwelling sentient entity. No details continue."

 

[Rufus the Mad]

Orin shifted neither his stance, nor his appraising gaze, but instead kept a sharp amber eye focused intently on the spot that the strange apparition had occupied mere moments before. His quick mind recalled again all that the odd spirit had said, and held fast the weight and measure of what such an apparition might put forth to their collective lives. It was clear to the Fey-born that the specter had not registered on the senses of his pale companion, and as well that the being, whate’re it may have been seemed most adamant about remaining unseen by the graceful maid. It had spoken of her ill, and had sought beyond all else to cast dispersions on her very being, to try swaying Orin’s own mind away from her skills and abilities… This, if naught else, had, to the satyrs mind, set the curious ghost in a dim light, for the ever-helpful nymph that stood before him now had done the best she was able to make them both welcome, and comforted in this most trying of circumstances. But why should such a powerful-seeming entity be so set against Gwen? And more importantly, what should the bard do about it all?

”Fair Gwen, feel not abashed that you are so laden with limitations, and fear not that I might hold such onerous duties against thee. Thus were you made, after all, and tis not my place to seek answers of thee that are so beyond your station or abilities. Tis but the strain of our plight which made me speak thus, and as such, I apologize.” He swept low in a polite bow then, rising once more to smile at her worried seeming, and did he then move forward, indeed wrapping his lean arms around her and drawing her then into a comforting embrace. He held her for long seconds, the gentle strength of his form and the non-plussed seeming of his nature lending what solace he could. This move, though tender and of genuine disposition, was but a natural one for the sensual creature he was, and served well enough to gain him as well a few moments more for his mind to ponder the recent trespass.

When at last he drew back, he spoke not of the matter, but instead opened the nearby door with graceful ease, drawing her slight form with him as he went, and closed the portal behind them. He stood then, his appraising gaze sweeping o’re the vista before him with delight. The stone walls, though not truly of his liking, marked well the ambiance of the chambers beyond, and it was with some measure of gladness that he spied fixtures and furnishings both comforting and familiar. Oil-filled lamps hung from the vaulted ceiling on stout chains, and sconces lined the walls for extra illumination. Heavy wooden furnishings of a broad, plain, though well padded design were scattered throughout, and the arch of a grand hearth could be seen near at hand. Heavy tapestries bedecked the walls themselves, adding color and flavor as well as deterring the chill that might otherwise have emanated from those mason work walls. Twas as though he had stepped through the threshold of a great manor-house like those he had seen during his travels, and he was well pleased to see such comforting designs.

As well, as he had expected, there hung throughout those same familiar decorations as he had so hoped would exist here. Strewn among the beast-heads and thickly woven tapestries were those same trophies as one might well expect of the landed gentry. Weapons won both in contest and combat, and a glad sight indeed to the needful eyes of the lost bard. Mace and chain, sword and axe, each displayed with shield and coat of arms, and each as potentially deadly as could be hoped. He spied displays of daggers, and caught sight of a pair of thickly-thewed bows hanging near the door, along with a full quiver of long arrows. A set of fine fencing sabers, splayed and displayed as one might find the prize of some tourney or other, were hung above that huge expanse of fireplace, and there with them was a crossbow of fine make, though he could see no quarrels set at hand. All this he took in with that single sweep of his eyes, and though he was well pleased with what he saw, he reacted with naught more than a single nod before turning once more to his erstwhile companion.

He drew her with him as he took his rest on one of the deep chairs, allowing her to sit as well on the matching seat before the fireplace before speaking at last. ”I have brought us here for the privacy these stout walls offer, and would speak with thee while we take our rest, if thou wouldst allow it.” He paused then, allowing her the time to nod her assent before speaking again, at last ready, or so he held, to address the strange occurrence that had taken place. ”I would ask of thee a question, sweet Gwen, and would have thee consider well before answering… Dost thou know of any interruptions to your being of late? Of any stones ripples in the smooth flow of your own reality? Believe me when I say I have need of such knowledge, and would hear your candid answer afore I speak further.”

If naught else, he mused while awaiting her answer, this should prove a most entertaining conversation!

 

[Elayne]

Eve frowned slightly as Ben explained to her that at this particular point in time, life (or at least sentient life) had ceased to exist, with the exception of the module itself and its containees. That was frightening -- Both for the narrowing of her chances of escape and the reminder of the transient nature of her own life.

Still, Eve wasn't the sort to lose focus over philosphical details. Ben interrupted her reverie with what she had anticipated. A "fifth" entity. Detected, but unlogged. No data to follow.

It would seem that the mutant wasn't entirely wrong. Eve just wished she had a little more information to go on to judge the potential adversary.

Eve considered the possibility of travelling back to the heart of the Gwen module to join up with the other and inform them of the potential danger. After a moment though, she decided that travelling alone in what felt to be approaching the sleep cycle of the module was foolish. Most predators were nocturnal by nature, even when 'night' was a completely fabricated thing.

"Ben, I'd like to sleep here tonight.." she said. "And I'd like for you to see if you can learn more about the... fifth entity."

 

[VandalHeart]

Gwen searched her data logs. Nothing seemed out of place.

"No, good satyr, I can account for all of my time with you and the others. Has something occurred that I was previously unaware of?"

Gwen continued to monitor and reevaluate the logs, just to make sure, but she had no idea what Orin was talking about. The "angel" had passed unnoticed by the AI.

Ben had no such queries to process. He still hoped that his rendering could remain out of use. Especially with Eve here. He didn't trust himself with her.

"These quarters are yours to utilize and modify as you see fit, containee. As soon as I have gathered more information regarding the outsider, I will volunteer it."

 

[Rufus the Mad]

Orin gave a wry smile at Gwen’s query, and breathed a short sigh before addressing his companion. ”Be not alarmed, fair Gwen, but there has come to pass an event beyond thy ken, a visitation, if you will, that transpired seemingly betwixt and between the passage of seconds. I know not the means by which it was accomplished, nor do I fully grasp the consequences of such an encroachment, but e’en as thou wert speaking to me there came to pass a cessation to thine countenance and powers, an abrupt halt in the flow of time… and it was within this void that there appeared what seemed to be a creature of celestial vestment, and of an unholy disposition. This being spoke of itself as though it were, indeed, a thing of power, and claimed much for itself that aught, by rights belong to no one.”

The Satyr gave a rueful shake of his shaggy head then, his mind pouring once more o’er the words the apparition had spoken, and tried again to comprehend the motivations behind its strange actions. Yet again he found himself floundering, bereft as he was of the necessary information to formulate anything more than wild theories at this juncture. Still, to Orin’s mind at least, Gwen had a right to know of any threats to her realm, not to mention to her very being! ”Aside from its boisterous claims,” he said gently, reaching forth to enclose her delicate hand within his own ”The creature spoke at length of you my dear, casting foul dispersions against thee even as you stood by as defenseless and still as a carven image. It spoke as if thou hadst been misleading us, as though you were acting contrary to all observable fact, and claimed as well that it alone held the secret to our freedom, offering such a hope against our containment as might a farmer tempt a gruff beast of burden with a sweet carrot. It was, in truth, this vulgar posturing that sparked my mistrust of the beast, and though I understand our release to be beyond thine abilities, I cannot fault thee in thine selfless acts in our behalf. Thou hast done all that could be expected of a gracious host, and I for one offer thanks for your assistance.”

He smiled at her then, letting her know that she held not only his trust, but his friendship as well, and spoke again, saying ”As I have said, I know not what this might portend, nor do I possess at this time anything that might resemble honest fact, but I felt it my duty as a friend to grant thee this knowledge, and would have it known that I shall stand beside thee against this creature, should the need arise. For while there may indeed be some merit to its boasts, and though this fell entity did indeed speak of its eventual return, I have no intention of allowing harm to come either to yourself or to any within our group by its hand.”

His features took on a grim caste then, and within the depths of his golden eyes there shone forth an unfamiliar fire. Gone now was the recumbent observer, vanished was the quiet and gentle spirit that stood in good stead against the surrounding reality. There was now an even more stringent call for action, and there was precious little time for their preparation. His tired body, as strained as it had been by the odd events of the day, began to draw forth what nourishment could be found in this realm, sipping slowly from the resident energies to recharge and revitalize his exhausted muscles, and to beat back the need for sleep that might overwhelm those of a lesser constitution. No, there was no time for sleeping, no time to rest should they wish to be truly prepared for the unexpected strengths that may be arrayed against them. With firm resolve he turned once more toward the pale form of his companion, and he spoke to her once more, saying ”I know not what may be set against us, fair Gwen, but feel a pressing need to be better prepared to face it. I know not by what means thou hast gained such control o’re the very fabric of this reality, but I have sensed a certain naïveté in thine form, and in the structure of the energies involved. I offer now the gist of my knowledge, and would, if you are willing, instruct thee in the manipulation of the weave known to some as magic. As well, there may exist some measure of instruction I might glean from you during the teaching, and thus be better able to wield my craft in this unfamiliar plane. What say you then, would you accept the teachings of one so recently met, and might you also be willing to offer some valued insight of thine own?”

 

[VandalHeart]

What none of the other containees understood yet was that Gwen was an addict. She was addicted to information. She couldn't get enough of it. It didn't matter if John gave her a complete description of deepspace engine mechanics, Beth recited the scripts of sitcoms or Eve told her...whatever it is Eve would tell her. In this case, Orin was offering her knowledge of the shaping and bending of reality.

It was like a pure dosage of her favorite drug. How could she possibly turn it down?

"It would be an immense honor and pleasure to partake of your knowledge. I thank you with every component of my being, good sir. If you are prepared and posess the strength, I am more than capable of receiving this wondrous gift."

They sat there in the grass for hours speaking and discussing the basics of arcane theory. She was almost the perfect student. She didn't get tired, she didn't get distracted, and she comprehended everything he lectured about, as long as it didn't require life experience. There were a few times he had to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, especially when the lesson would have normally started with the words, "Have you ever noticed," or something else like it. But for the most part, she was the quickest study he'd ever had the pleasure to teach. Instead of having to remain on basics for hours on end, he could pick a subject, lay the ground work, and then move on to more complicated theories in a matter of minutes.

However, eventually the hours wore on him to the point of victory, and he fell asleep midsentence. Gwen caught him as he began to fall over and laid him in the cool, soft grass. She sent a warm, heavy breeze over the area to replace a blanket and intensified the metabolism of the flora around him, replacing the soil nutrients as she did so. The grass flourished and grew several inches in a matter of seconds, creating a cushion that fluffed itself underneath him as he slept. After the initial burst of growth, it stopped and the satyr slept peacefully. Gwen smiled in the wash of how pleased she was with herself. She stood and began to walk away, planning to explore the confines of the core that were as strange to them as they were to her, but then an idea struck her. She squatted, keeping her legs together and her back straight just as Beth had, and pulled out a clump of grass. Then she stood, held out her hand and concentrated on the grass under Orin's head. As she did so, the grass fluffed into a very crude, but still soft and apparently comfortable pillow, seeing as Orin didn't stir. The grass in her hand, however, withered and was reduced to dust. Her matter recyclers would cath it and eventually convert it into useable energy, but it was waste now. She had just used magic for the first time. She was thrilled, and she muted the sound around her as she hopped up and down for joy so as not to wake her teacher. Once again she turned to walk away.

"Ben, I'm going to sleep."

"You are a program, Gwen. You do not require rest or rapid eye movement sleep."

"I didn't say I did. I'm still going to do it. Wake me if they need me or if anything drastically changes around here...like someone entering the G.W.E.N."

"Protocol logged and implemented."

"Thank you."

Gwen walked into the giant iron-ish door and found a bedroom. Accessing human sleep patterns, she decided to emulate a textbook normal sleep cycle. It took her three seconds to fall asleep.

She did not dream.

 

[Rufus the Mad]

Orin was delighted by the enthusiasm of his new student, and chose the more pastoral setting of the glen beyond the heavy door to be the best possible classroom. His senses soared as the pair exited, and his enervation spell went into high gear as they settled into the greensward. He felt as though he might ne’er have a need for sleep again, and began reciting the basic tenets of his skills to the pale figure before him amidst a wash of borrowed energies.

Every nuance of his craft seemed to be drawn into the quick mind he sought to train, and he found himself swept away in the thrill of teaching what may be the perfect student. Each successive trial he challenged her with was met with exuberance, and every bit of knowledge or understanding was gleaned with a mastery he would wish to every student of the subtle arts. He had never before seen a creature with the dire thirst for knowledge that this slender female seemed to possess, and as such he had need time and again to draw heavily on those filtered streams of power and strength as they wound their way through the night. He would demonstrate a technique, showing it first with the bare bones needed for the magics and then again with the imbued flair his bardic craft had trained him for, and then rest as well as he might while she asked her seemingly endless series of questions about it, scouring every iota of strength he could find to keep himself going through the marathon session. At length however, he felt those energies wane, felt the power fluctuate and eventually fail as his magics died away, and felt the heavy press of exhaustion wind round his furred frame once again.

”Thus do we find the binding forces of… of our…. of… he sputtered weakly, blinking his amber eyes in confused frustration only once more before slumping slowly forward to lay among the fragrant grasses that surrounded them. He had meant to say so much more, though in truth he was approaching the wall of instruction for so novice an apprentice, when he felt the power of Morpheus o’retake him, and the last vestiges of consciousness were spent imparting a soft sigh, even as he felt his body collapse.

Ah well, there would always be the morrow…

 

[IXIHawkeyeIXI]

John was back on the ground, never having heard of A.M.P.E. All around him, he heard explosions, there was gunfire. He was awaiting orders from the higher-ups - they were so close to victory here, that all they needed was air support. The Alliance soldiers were beginning to drop like flies, and he had a smile on his face - it looked like this battle was one, they were one step closer to winning this war. If they won, the Alliance would surely give up and admit defeat. John cheered and screemed in joy as he fired his gun at the enemies, he was falling back into a decrepit building, getting a little bit of cover and looking for a radio. Finding one on a fallen comrade, he took the radio into his hand. "Base, what are our orders? Do we continue to attack or are you sending in air support?" He anxiously awaited the response, and it seemed forever until his superior officers replied. "This is base to all units stationed in Angeline Valley...." John was starting to feel nervous this didn't sound like the type of words that were about to lead to a victory. "All units...stand down. The Alliance has won...stand down." Standing up, John turned and saw hundreds of Alliance ships coming down, taking out his fellow soldiers by the hundreds. It...was over. Tears started falling down his face and he dropped his gun...it...was over.

The dream was one that John had not had in years, and he woke up screaming, sweating, and crying. He was breathing deeply, only just realizing that he had been screaming. It took him a moment where and when he was - the war was over, it had been for years, and he was trapped in some freakish prison. Taking the covers off, he sat on his bed for a moment, rubbing his face to get the dream away from his mind. He had no way to know what time it was, but he needed a shower. If he were on his ship, he would have a small compartment on the side where there was a pressure shower, but this was not his ship, and he didn't have that.

"Gwen...GWEN!" He was hoping she could hear him. "I was hoping to get myself cleaned up...where can I do that?"

 

[VandalHeart]

Ben thought about John waking up for a moment. Checking his protocols, it was hard to define whether or not this constituted Gwen being needed. He decided it did and sent a wakeup command to her data drives. Staying true to the biological logs, she took a bit to rouse, but she was awake as soon as the command was run.

"Uuunh...yes, Ben?"

"The containee designated: John is requesting your attention."

"You know, he'd probably like to be called by his name."

"Your statement is illogical. I used the correct label."

"His name is not 'The containee designated: John.' It's just John."

"Your reccomendation has been logged. However considering it's lack of logic, I--"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Not a containee. Got it. Shut up."

Gwen lifted her head and looked around the room. Waking up, it seemed, was not an enjoyable process. She let her head drop back down again and engaged the remote sensors and renderers to speak with John.

"Uh...wait."

Then she remembered that she had no idea what John had said.

"Ben, what did he want?"

"Directions to a rest facility."

"AND YOU COULDN'T FUCKING GIVE THEM TO HIM?!?"

"The query was not directed--"

"Fuck you."

"Your command is not registering a valid response. Please define."

"Oh, look it up."

Again, she engaged the remotes.

"Hey, John, sorry. I just woke up. Down the hall and to the right. It's an ion slip shower. Hope you don't mind."

Then she remembered something else and almost bolted completely awake.

"Oh, did you see what I left you?"

 

[IXIHawkeyeIXI]

John thought for a moment about asking how a computer slept, but decided against it, to be honest he didn't want to think about that. Looking around the room, he saw the note placed where the sandwiches had been the previous evening. Walking over to it, he picked up the letter and read over it slowly, smiling. Looking around the room, not entirely sure where to look for, he found the note from Gwen:

Dear John,

Thank you very much for the sandwiches. You made them very delectable, and I am enjoying them quite a bit. Ben didn't have any, but he's a jun chia xiao, so he can suffer in his ignorance. It was real shiny how you insulted him, too. Personally, I think that if he wants to be considered a "person", he should have tried the sandwich I offered him.

As for your comment, well, you're just going to have to prove that to me sometime, because I just don't believe you.

Thanks again,
Gwen


He simply chuckled. "Yeah....I saw what you left me." Putting the note back down, leaving his room and looking up and down the hallway. Try as he might, he couldn't quite seem to get comfortable in this place. He made his way to the room Gwen instructed him to, and was happy to find the ion slip shower, just as she had promised.

As he showered, he tried to get the images of his dream out of his mind, pushing them away. The last thing he needed right now was those memories popping up. Instead he focused on this place, and how Gwen and Ben could create such a perfect replica of everything. He also wondered whether or not Gwen was watching him, and it made him a bit nervous - he didn't like it that someone could possibly be watching him without his knowledge, especially when he was nude. Trying not to think about that, he instead attempted to relax. The shower was actualyl incredibly good for relaxation, and he was surprised that he was almost falling asleep again. Turning the shower off, he stepped out and began to make his way back to his room, hoping that today they would get some more answers to the questions they all had.

Looking in the small closet he had, he tried to pick out the clothes that would be the most comfortable. Alot of what was here for him would be great for some fancy dress party, but he'd be damned if he would be caught wearing those. Finding something less fancy, he buttoned up the red shirt and put a pair of khakis on, then grabbed the boots he had with him when he woke up and put them on. Sitting on his bed, he realized he was hungry, and that meant one thing.

"Breakfast time...Any requests Gwen?"

 

[VandalHeart]

Gwen was making her way towards the boudior in the castle she slept in as she spoke with John.

"I have files concerning something called an omlette. They seem to have a lot of variations, but no matter which dimension they come from, they're basically the same thing, and they're considered a breakfast staple. Do you know how to make one of those?"

As she waited for his answer, she guessed that he was thinking. She wasn't watching him at the moment. Instead she was focusing on the approaching oversized closet. She could already see some of the dresses inside and was beginning to think they may have been a bit much for just breakfast.

"Um...while you're thinking about that...how nice should I dress for brekfast this morning?"

She instantly regretted asking it, although she wasn't completely sure why. It may have been that it was an embarassing question to ask, but the more likely choice was that John didn't seem the type to care and she was already dreading his answer.

 

[IXIHawkeyeIXI]

Gwen was making her way towards the boudior in the castle she slept in as she spoke with John.

"I have files concerning something called an omlette. They seem to have a lot of variations, but no matter which dimension they come from, they're basically the same thing, and they're considered a breakfast staple. Do you know how to make one of those?"

As she waited for his answer, she guessed that he was thinking. She wasn't watching him at the moment. Instead she was focusing on the approaching oversized closet. She could already see some of the dresses inside and was beginning to think they may have been a bit much for just breakfast.

"Um...while you're thinking about that...how nice should I dress for brekfast this morning?"

She instantly regretted asking it, although she wasn't completely sure why. It may have been that it was an embarassing question to ask, but the more likely choice was that John didn't seem the type to care and she was already dreading his answer.

John thought to himself as Gwen talked - an omlette. That was something he hadn't even thought about in years....probably before the war. Travelling from planet to planet, he usually survived on protein supplements, and occassionally fresh fruit if they could get their hands on it. But supplies to make an omlette? He hadn't had those for a long time...and now he was craving one as well.

"Y'know Gwen...I think I might be able to whip up a couple of omlettes for whoever wants one. I dun know if the others are gonna be joinin' us for breakfast, but if so they're in for a treat. My momma used to make these delicious omlettes - got cheese, cut up sausage, and some peppers in em...assuming I can get ahold of all that I think it could make for a tasty breakfast." Smiling, he realized how cheery he sounded, and it freaked him out a bit. He was never this cheery. Shaking it off, he started searching for the other igredients he needed for the omlette, but stopped in his tracks when Gwen asked her next question.

Supressing a laugh, he decided to answer her without an insult - this time. "Y'know Gwen...I really don't care what you're wearing, so long as you're decent. I ain't exactly fancied up myself so....if you feel like wearing some frilly piece of somethin'...go right ahead." He let a little chuckle out as he thought of the mechanic on his ship, and her love for frilly dresses.

 

[VandalHeart]

It was almost as if the only thing Gwen had heard was "if you feel like wearing some frilly piece of somethin'...go right ahead." In a way, she had. Her illogic circuits were overriding her ability to even pay attention to anything else he said at the moment. Besides, her eyes were locked on an Edwarian summer dress. Her skin shifted and hazed for a moment as a copy of the dress materialized on her rendering. It was cream colored with lace and beautiful sashes flowing down the arms.

"John, I'm dressed. Would you like me to wake the others up for breakfast?"

 

[IXIHawkeyeIXI]

Looking through the kitchen, he was gathering the materials for the omlettes. Listening to Gwen, he could hear something close to elation in her voice and it made him smile. Not entirely sure where things were in this kitchen, he was having a few problems.

"Yeah, go right ahead Gwen. I'm gonna stay here and try to figure out where the hell everything is, start getting the food ready."

 

[Elayne]

Eve awoke from her plain bunk. She blinked the sand out of her eyes and rolled to her feet, looking around quickly, judging the room. Eve wasn't prone to waking up slowly or lingering in bed groggily. She had learned to react quickly and spring from sleep back to activity.

Ben didn't immediately react to her being awake. Eve wondered if his attention was being directed towards some of the other... containees. After a moment, Eve decided it was irrelevant. Gwen was capable of multi-tasking and Ben would have the same capacity.

"Ben," Eve stated evenly. "I would like to find food, water for bathing, and a change of clothes. Can I do this here, or do I need to return to Gwen?"

 

[VandalHeart]

At the moment John was speaking, Ben was informing Gwen that Eve had awoken. Gwen listened to John's words as she made her way towards the castle's front gate.

Simultaneously, she said,

"That's fine, John. I'll be waking up the others soon, so you have some time. Is there anything I can help you find in particular?"

and

"Ben, please inform Eve that the other containees are about to convene for breakfast and if she doesn't want to raise suspicions as to her whereabouts, she needs to get down here very quickly."

Ben was in the process of responding to Eve just as Gwen was doing her little conversational dance.

"I am capable of providing any change to your environment here in the B.E.N. unit that you desire, containee. The wasteroom to your left in already fully functional with an ion slip shower, but can be modified to produce water instead, if you prefer. I can provide food and clothing, but your requests will need to be more specific. Gwen has informed me that the other containees will be awakening soon and convening for breakfast shortly thereafter, and that this information would be of use to you. There is no need for you to return to the G.W.E.N. or the A.M.P.E. core, but doing so would also facilitate your requests."

 

[Elayne]

Eve paused, a bit surprised. She had just encountered two new terms. "AMPE?" Eve asked, a bit suspiciously. "What's an Ion Slip shower?"

 

[VandalHeart]

Ben reviewed his logs of her collection. He had mentioned the name of the facility: A.M.P.E. Had it slipped her mind? He performed a bio scan, but ran up against her jammer implants. She obviously sensed it and recioled in an ever so miniscule movement. A quarter inch and she had gone from data miner to coiled viper.

"The scan I have just attempted is for the purposes of medical diagnostics. I have reason to believe that you are suffering from amnesia. The designation for this facility is the Automated Monitored Prison Experiment or A.M.P.E. The acronym was divulged to you upon your collection, but you seem to have forgotten. As for the ion slip shower, it is a cascading isotope cycle that acts as an antibiotic fluid, replacing the water and soap shower traditional on more than 3,000 iterations of Earth. The ions cling to and absorb most dead tissue and living tissue that is not homogenous to the major biological mass in the slip cycle and once the subject has exited, he or she will dry off as the isotope dissipates in an average of 32.95745 seconds. The ion slip showers in the B.E.N. have been modified to ignore cranial hair as dead tissue, leaving it intact."

Ben paused a beat, collection his data.

"Do you wish the primary sanitation device to be modified, containee?"

 

[Sweetp4u]

Bethany

It was quiet, perhaps too quiet to remain asleep for long, but it didn't stop Beth from groaning aloud when she realized she was waking up from a rather hot wet dream.

"No.. No no no! Go back to sleep!" mentally she grumbled as she tried to find that safe haven of her dreams yet again and return to the faceless lover with the sinful tongue.

Unfortunately, that just wasn't going to happen.

With a frustrated sigh, she tossed off the blanket and lay there staring at the lights over head. She wasn't a morning person, never had been really and today the horniness didn't help.

Self conscious of those lingering out of sight and always watching, she resisted the urge to do anything about it, stretched slightly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Grabbing a short robe near by, she rolled from the bed and stumbled her way slowly into the bathroom. Taking care of her personal needs, save the one pressing matter that caused her the most irritation as of yet, she headed for the kitchen.

Finding a coffee pot, she quickly went to work. Granted she'd probably brew something more like tar, but if it woke her ass up, she'd stomach the bad taste. Pulling the robe around herself, she sat at the island and rested her cheek in her palm. Dosing slightly in and out of sleep, she waited in silence for the coffee to finish.

It was some time later that she realized her coffee was done and more than likely brewing into that tar like substance, apprently she'd dozed too much. Again she stretched, scratching just under her ribs and eyeing the distance to the coffee pot with disdain. Muttering under her breath about men, sex and coffee muffled the sound of Gwen entering the 'house'.

Standing with her back to the door, she poured herself a cup and blankly stood looking at the countertop, trying to remember what she was looking for next?

"Good morning." Gwen's voice was soft and cheerful sounding, disgusting really. Who the hell was cheery in the morning? Beth grumbled off a reply, hunting for the sugar bowl.

 

[VandalHeart]

"Uh? Uh. Gmmorng."

Gwen giggled at Beth's half-hearted response to her greeting. Beth's hair was a little unkempt and her face was slightly red from...Gwen decided not to bring it up.

"How was your rest?"

"Fuggm...uh...hehhh...YAAAAWWNNN...numnum...sugar."

Beth was groping about the kitchen with only one eye even partially open. As she hunted, she left cabinet doors open and jar lids off. She completely bypassed the sugar, not even noticing it.

"Um, Beth?"

Beth snapped an almost hateful, one-eyed glare at Gwen over her shoulder.

"Whuh?"

Gwen was pulling down the sugar jar moments later and opening it for her friend.

"Is this what you were looking for?"

Beth was almost frozen, but more from lethargy than from shock or anything of the sort. Without an ounce of coordination, Beth leaned her head down, shaking her entire upper body in the process, to gaze upon the sugar jar somplete with spoon. Slowly, a cheezy, sleepy grin shuffled it's way onto her face.

"Heh-heh...sugar...mineforcoffeethankyougwen."

Over the next few minutes, Beth slowly gained something resembling consciousness. She was still staring at the kitchen island for most of the time, but when Gwen spoke, Beth's responses had a 83% grammatical integrity and took only 7.46 seconds to formulate. Gwen figured it was a vast improvement over 13% and 14.836 seconds.

"Now that you're waking up, John wants you to know that he's fixing breakfast over in the Technogoth house. We're all invited. He's fixing omlettes. Should I let him know so he can fix one for you?"

 

[Sweetp4u]

Beth

She yawned, as delicately as possible with company present and sipped at her coffee a few silent moments before she nodded her head.

"Yeah.." Her voice was husky, thick from sleep still and almost cracked. Giving a lopsided appologetic grin as she passed by Gwen. "See if.. clothes.."

She was tempted to go over in her robe, skipping all the mundane daily things like dressing, shower and even make-up but thought better of it.

She flung the robe off in her bedroom doorway, uncaring where it landed. Eyeing the few things in the closet, she grabbed the nearest jeans and t-shirt combo she could find. Not normal dress for her or her 'station' in life but it would make due. Besides, her parents weren't here to tell her how to dress for once...

She almost smiled, almost woke up with the thought of wearing something far more racey than normal.. but it wasfar too early to make that kind of effort. Showered a few minutes later, she felt somewhat human. Tossing on her clothes, she for gone any make-up or hair style and headed for John's little rift in the universe.

 

[VandalHeart]

Gwen followed Beth around and was quite happy to see that her own dress wasn't making Beth self-conscious. There were hints that such things could happen in her data drives. Once Beth was dressed, Gwen parted from her at the door.

"Tell John I'll be right there. I'm just going to go wake up the others."

Gwen was still a little worried about whether or not Eve would be joining them, but tried not to think about it as she silently stepped into the overgrowth she'd magicked the night before. Clearing away a bit of it, she saw Orin's leg. Slowly, she crept up to wake him. Absently, she wondered what beings born of dreams drempt about.

Meanwhile...

Ben was delivering Gwen's message to Eve for the second time, waking her in the process.

"Containee, your fellow containees are gathering for their morning meal and you have been invited. Gwen has expressed concerns with your failure to attend, believing it to be damaging to your social standing. For the sake of maintaning an air of cooperation, she suggests you attend."

 

[IXIHawkeyeIXI]

After stumbling around the kitchen for a while, John was finally starting to get the hang of where things were. He had most of the ingredients he needed for the omlettes - eggs, cheese, peppers and sausage. Still unsure of how many of the others were goign to show, he got enoguh supplies to make everyone two omlettes. For the first time in a very long period of time, John had a smile on his face. It felt strange, but he forgot how much he had enjoyed cooking. It was actually relatively relaxing for him, and he noticed that he was beginning to get comfortable in this prison. Shaking that feeling off, he tried to remember that he still needed to find a way out, back to his home.

Looking around the kitchen, he shook his head in disbelief. He hadn't yet taken the time to really examine the kitchen, and he was now noticing how strange it was. It fit in with the strange theme of the rest of the house, and that wasn't something he liked. If the decision had been left up to him, he would have had it like the kitchen in his ship but...apparently that wasn't his decision right now. Focusing back on the omlettes, he put together some pots and pans and took some time to figure out how to turn the stove on. "Damn piece of go-se...doesn't even like to turn on like a normal stove." After allowing the stove some time to heat up, he started cooking the sausage, enjoying the smell as he did so.

"Gwen, do you have an estimate of who all is gonna be joinin' us for breakfast yet? Also...what is there to drink around here?"