TIME:
1 WEEK LATER
LOCATION:
GARNET STATION
POLICE HEADQUARTERS
POV:
Junior Investigator, Steven Wross
I glare at my screen in frustration, eventually I just let out a tired groan. It just doesn't make sense at all, we finally found a camera that just barely got a glimpse of the murderer. Just for it to show nothing but a void in the shape of a person.
"God fucking dammit..." I mutter hopelessly.
"Hmph, quit your belly aching Wross, we still have something to go off of at least. Can you find out the height of our suspect based on any references?"
I nod and start looking for anything usable. I decided to go with the simplest solution of just using the distance between the camera and where we found the body.
"... The suspect stands at around 1.7 meters tall. Well I guess this is something at least. Say how old is this footage Mindy?"
"Old enough that we were lucky to have found it when we did. The last incident took place almost 3 weeks ago. If we found this footage today it would've been gone. This camera is old, it's a miracle it still functions."
Mindy, one of my colleagues, had thankfully agreed to help me after more people started dying. Despite that she seemed reluctant to actually help out. Despite that she was extremely helpful and helped me put the first name on our suspect list.
"Do you think it's her Mindy? I mean I get the timing matches up but you picked her out nearly instantly."
I look over my shoulder to see the woman squeezing her fists, a difficult to describe look painting her face. She almost looked hopeful yet I saw a lingering sense of grief etched behind it.
'I know how it feels Mindy, at least now I do. We're close to catching them...'
"It has to be her, she stands at 1.7 meters tall, correct? It has to be Lilith Runethari..." I nod my head as she mutters something under her breath. "Did she honestly believe nobody remembers... I wish that was the truth, but it isn't..."
I squint my eyes trying to think about what she could possibly have meant by that. Eventually shaking my head Mindy was always an odd one.
"So do we have a description of this person?"
Mindy replies, "Female, Approximately 19 years old, race is Caucasian, height is estimated to be 170 centimeters, Weight is unknown, slender build, pale skin, red eyes, white hair, and slightly pointed ears. Overall she is pretty unique appearance, should be easy to locate her."
I nodded my head before sending out an alert to all security posts to apprehend Lilith if she enters the station.
"So what do you plan to do now Mindy while we wait for our prime suspect?"
"... I do not know, truthfully I wish to find her myself."
I raise my eyebrow at her atypical response. "Why would you risk doing that? We know she is capable of killing people easily. We also know she has something in the security system actively protecting her. Why risk it?"
Mindy balls her fist and I start to feel worried, usually she's rather laid back if sarcastic, this wasn't like her.
"I just need to, I'm sorry Steven but can you Mr. Balker that I am leaving my post. I have already long trained by replacement. I plan to leave the system two weeks from now so I'm sorry Wross but you'll have to finish this yourself, but word of advice don't underestimate her."
I stare slack jawed as Mindy without another words turns her back and walks out of my office in a hurry.
'What the hell was that about...? This is bad. That girl is going to do something stupid I need to stop her.'
I hurriedly get up from my chair and grab my coat before rushing out of the office in chase of my former colleague.
TIME:
AT THE SAME TIME
LOCATION:
AMBER STATION
SECURITY HEADQUARTERS
RESIDENTIAL FLOOR 3
POV:
Lilith Runethari
I slowly walk through the hallways accompanied by a pair of security guards. I kept my facial features stoic as the guards guided me through the halls of this place. My destination was the room where my new assistant Liza is currently staying.
"She-she is in this room Miss Runethari."
I nod my head and slowly step into the small spartan room. I immediately took notice of two people I wasn't expecting to meet sitting besides Liza.
"Wasn't expecting to see you here Doctor Mazalenne, and who might you be I don't believe we have met?" I glance at a man dressed in human officers clothes. I hear his heart rate spike but he quickly brings it back under control.
"I am petty officer second class Ianson, I am here today because I have heard reports that you may be what is known as an 'ascension project.' Now I hope you understand why we wouldn't want something like that in a position of power in our proud nation?" Ianson spoke with a calm grin on his face like he was just passed by a dear friend, it felt smug.
I let out a sigh while looking him in the eyes, eventually shrugging. "Close the doors would you please. I doubt this person would step into this room with whatever he thinks is an 'Ascension project' without having a way to counter one."
I look back at the two guards who seem to nervously glance at the petty officer before nodding and stepping outside the room, the door hissing closed behind them. I look back towards the fool; he seemed just as smug as he was before.
I slowly walked towards an empty chair and pulled it out, glancing at Liza. I smirked as her heart rate rapidly started to even out and lower. This was good news after all that meant the enthralling had taken effect. Dr. Mazalenne seemed to glance at Liza in confusion but eventually looked back at me.
"Now, how do I prove myself innocent of this little farce? I dislike it when people think they hold power over me. I must ask though, does this trial require that I spit in a tube or otherwise give up my genetic material?"
I stare a hole into the man, my mind already coming up with ways to get out of here if required. All the while I felt my heart rate slowly increase and the room growing increasingly tense. My fear aura seems to be making an effect as I hear three hearts start racing.
I hear something beep on the man's person. He looks down and looks back towards me with something of a disapproving look. I suppress the urge to growl at his patronizing attitude.
"I would like to ask you to stop doing whatever you're doing to the air, you're not helping your case with this."
"Hmph, can't help it just how I was born, sorry if that's a problem."
He looks to the side towards Mazalenne where she nods and he looks back with a confused expression.
'I take it our proud doctor here is a cold reader... Mara, would you mind helping me here?'
'Yes my lady.'
I felt my emotions calm and still as Mara induced an artificial calm that even I would struggle to break. The frothing tension that was suffocating this room immediately stopped growth.
"Now where did you come from, are you really from Lumen Ascendancy?"
I raise my eyebrow and answer the question, "Yes I am, and if I may, I would be thankful to know what an Ascension project is?"
He once again looks to the side and a squinting Mazalenne shrugs her shoulders. This further draws out a confused expression. I look at Liza who seems to be fidgeting but remains quiet. It seems her protective instinct wasn't triggered, that's fortunate.
"Okay next question, was your class V void ship "Astro Dawn" given to you?"
"No it was not, and I refuse to answer where or how I acquired it as that would be beyond this investigation."
I feel thankful as he nods his head and doesn't probe further. He seems to relax a little.
"Yes or no, have you undergone intense genetic modifications to the best of your knowledge before or after your birth."
"None so far as I know," I answer easily and look towards Mazalenne as she nods her head with her eyes closed.
He takes a deep breath and stares me right in the eye with a pathetic attempt at a glare, "Final question, did your parents or their parents receive extensive modifications to their genomes?"
I pause as I recall the faces of those six people I could call my parents. I feel thankful that Mara has put me in this calm. I'm not sure if I should feel angry or depressed that they are brought up in this setting.
"None so far as I know, I only heard stories about them, I never actually met them."
He looks to his side and Mazalenne stares at me for a second before briefly nodding her head once. I look back towards Ianson awaiting my verdict.
"Well it seems you're cleared, while we know you have undergone modifications it seems you are not connected to the Biogen Technocracy. I would recommend you work hard to help us in the future, I cannot say that others will hold the same opinion as me. Now I will leave once we hear if Miss Liza Velsent wishes to join you."
He looks towards the girl who seems to be in a daze at the moment before she notices we are all looking at her. She flinches slightly before nodding her head.
"Yes I would like to join Miss Runethari..."
Doctor Mazalenne suddenly speaks up, "Liza are you being threatened in anyways or coerced?"
I roll my eyes and ask Mara to stop blocking my emotions. This calming effect is tough to give up, but it's best to not use it too much. The risk of developing a permanent emotional dysfunction, becoming a lot like a nonsapient AI, a being of pure logic is just too much for me to abuse this ability. If that happened would I even still be myself or just someone named Lilith…
My moment of personal introspection abruptly ends as Liza replies, "No I am not, it is of my own will that I wish to work alongside Miss Runethari.”
Mazalenne sighs before nodding, "Alright well its your choice I will let you do as you wish. Now sign her and Miss Runethari will need to do a few procedures before your allowed to leave."
I agree and after a few minutes and a few thousand credits Liza officially joins my crew. I walk out the room followed closely by Liza leaving the two worms behind. I knew they would be discussing me for a long time, but I didn't care as long as it wasn't going to drag me into more annoying situations.
TIME:
3 HOURS LATER
LOCATION:
AMBER STATION
COUNCIL ATTACHE'S OFFICE
POV:
Military Attaché Allen Fawl
"Sir she has left the system and has entered hyperspace."
I wave the assistant out of the room and look across from me where system governor Mathew Orenth sits. I could sense his anxiety over why I called him here. The boy is probably fearing that I am about to tell him to leave his position.
'Well I guess that isn't entirely wrong... depending on how he answers.'
"Mathew Orenth, I called you here today to ask a few questions, please answer them honestly, okay?" He nodded his head in a jerky motion. "Mathew what happened onboard the R.E.V Astro Dawn?"
I saw something new flash across his face; it wasn't the previous anxiety or fear. No, this question was something Mathew felt was worse, it was dread and embers of a dawning despair.
"I would rather not say..."
I squint my eyes and he seems to sigh in a way a man accepting his fate would. The room is silent for a single second even the life support systems seem to go quiet out of fear.
"I won't say anything, take my position, I don't care. At the end of the day there are monsters out in between the stars, and I would prefer to let the giant slumber for a while longer." Mathew coldly responds.
I took a deep breath and sigh, I knew we wouldn't get anything out of him as he was. His words make me think back to Ianson's report.
'Whatever you do don't anger her, that thing is dangerous. One moment I was speaking to an arrogant young woman the next an unmoving, unexpressive blank canvas in the shape of a woman. That thing is not to be underestimated; she may appear arrogant but my gut tells me she deserves it. My personal opinions aside, we are unsure if she is an Ascension project. If she is one, we need to pray to whatever merciful deity is out in these stars that there aren't more like her.'
"Sigh what can you tell me? At this point I agree with you, letting this slumbering giant lie may well be the best option." I responded tiredly.
Sound returned to the room as Mathew finally started to explain the wondrous things aboard that ship, what little he saw that is. My thoughts however spiraled back to petty officer second class Ianson... he is a good man but something tells me I just lost a valuable asset. I hope his rekindled faith might return him to my side eventually. The Ashites aren't a terrible group. I respect them more than my own country most days. They, despite being a neutral faction, have always proved a valuable support for our more... broken soldiers.