[writing] Project Epsilon - Chapter Seven

[djtenku]

Title: to impress the empress
Word Count: 2013
Summary: Tour. Underground. Shock.

The sun’s light filtered through the heavy canopy curtains, bringing in warmth and promise. A single ray shone on her hand, waking Shin from a sound sleep; she instinctly reached for the other side of the bed. When she grabbed only air, she lifted her head, staring at the empty space, her thin brows creasing together.

She wondered about the recurring sunflower field dream, this time a girl in tow with the boy, similar in age and appearance, but to her as well. All she remembered was that the girl had a bright, infectious smile, and that her name started with an L. But, could it be that –

“Good morning, Miss Shina!” The curtains flew open and Shin buried her head in her pillow, cursing silently. It took her a moment for her eyes to adjust to the sudden light. Vivika was standing over her smiling, clothing in hand. “I hope you slept well; Mr. Orion is downstairs awaiting your presence. Breakfast will be served in a few minutes…”

Shin still wasn’t keen on someone waiting hand and foot, but for the time being, she appreciated it.  “Is it okay if I go barefooted?” she asked as she stepped out from behind the dressing screen, clad in a green and white sundress with a black band separating the two colors. “It’s a force of habit.” It took a moment for the maid to respond. Her face flushed into a light red.

“Of course,” Vivika answered, turning away briefly. “But I must caution, there may be strange things on the floor. Shin raised an eyebrow but did not dwell on it long as they traveled through the pathway. “Today’s breakfast,” she continued, “ will be a stack of buttermilk pancakes topped with light maple syrup, with a side of hickory smoked bacon and sausage, and freshly squeezed orange juice. No pulp.”

Sure enough, the food was already there, waiting for consumption. The pancakes even had a thin slice of butter on top; it had a surreal, inviting look, just like it was taking straight out of a cooking magazine. As she seated herself, Vivika turned and stood just outside of the dining room’s door frame. “Aren’t you hungry?” Shin called.

“I’ve already done so,” Vivika said as she adjusted the scarf on her neck.. “And there’s no need for me to be at the table.”

Shin saw her head poke into the frame. “Is there?”

“Well, it’s not fair for you to just stand there, Vivika,” she replied, beckoning her to the table.

The dark haired woman glanced around before entering the room, smiling again. Her face was still a light red. “Miss Shina, this is highly unorthodox,” she said. “I might get scolded by Mr. Orion. He’s very particular…”

“Is he now?” Shin asked after sipping on the sweet orange juice. “Don’t worry about it; I’ll deal with him if I have to.” Vivika’s eyes widened. This woman is certainly bold! “Speaking of, where is he?”

“I am not quite sure of myself… he said something about preparations, but even that is vague, even for him.”

Maybe now is the time to prod, Shin thought. “What’s he like, generally?”

Vivika sat back in her chair. “Mr. Orion? Ah, he’s a busy, busy man. Sometimes I don’t see him for days at a time. He’s very orderly, strict…but on the other hand, he can be generous and kind.” She paused at the last word, clearing her throat. It sounded like a cross between a low drawl and a high twang. “It’s how I ended up here. We all did.”

The fork slipped through Shin’s fingers, clattering on the plate. “What kind of a job does Orion has?”

Before Vivika could answer, another interrupted. “Research and Rehabilitation,” Orion said, walking into the dining room. Vivika’s chair scrapped the wooden floor in surprise.

“Mr. Orion, I wasn’t- ”

Shin cut her off. “I told her to join me for company before you came here,”she said in a tone that didn’t leave much room for argument.

“Ah, there’s nothing wrong with companionship,” Orion said, cleaning his glasses. His hands were still gloved. “I welcome it.” The maid stood and pushed her chair in. “I didn’t mean to interrupt the conversation, but the tour  awaits.” Then to Vivika, he said in a low voice, “You are to remain here and attend to anything that should occur, understand?”

The maid nodded curtly, avoiding eye contact with either person. Shin decided that the time to press would be later. Suddenly, the food didn’t taste as well as it did ten minutes ago.

* * *

Orion started off with the mansion’s background, dating it back before the days of the second world war; the island was founded and eventually owned by his great-uncle and miraculously escaped any detection for decades. He mentioned that the island had a sizeable population, a quaint four hundred, but the tropical cyclones that occasionally swept over the tiny place destroyed what habitation there was and the majority of the people who resided.

The great-uncle had solved the problem by rebuilding the mansion from scratch in the only place that was safe from any potential disasters – the valley of the island. The lush vegetation and arable soil, as well as imported farm animals from nearby Austrailia and New Zealand provided them with enough to have a small, self-efficient ecosystem that didn’t intefere with the other.

When Shin asked why it was so empty, he only replied with, “I do not have enough aquaintances to invite. Besides, how can I give directions to a place that hardly exists on maps?”

How convienient for you, she didn’t say. She noted that there was a severe lack of technology, and Orion indulged her, stating that it does have a subtle and nonintrusive presence; some portions of the mansion’s roof were covered with solar panels, as well as the greenhouses. He added that because of the island’s placement on the Equator, give or take a few degrees, the panels were able to store at least fifty years worth of power should anything happen. As a precaution, survaillence in the immediate vicinity and sporadic in the wild brushes beyond the valley. “In case of intruders,” he said mildly.

Shin smiled light with mirth, recalling the times she snuck out of her uncle’s home, both in daylight and under the cover of night.

They scrolled in the library, and Orion gestured with the sweep of his arm at the shelves. “These are… filled to say the least, with my uncle’s research. I’ve not gone through all of them just yet, probably an eigth. Medical theories and studies; the material I’ve read so far anyway, and rare diseases that still have no known cure.”

“You’re working on them?” Shin asked, suspicion arising in her voice. Before she knew it she added, “Like Lunar Dementia?”

The question brought a small smirk on Orion’s lips. “Why, yes,” he answered, feigning surprise. “In fact, I am studying such a person with it.” He paused, and Shin could see that he was carefully choosing his words. “I wasn’t…planning on a tour of the lab. Clearly, you have curiosity that needs to be slaked?”

This may be a trap, but he is right, Shin thought. It all but confirmed that Rowan could be that person, but at the same time, she hoped it wasn’t him. Already, she conjured up images that were rather unpleasant, and shivered.

They traveled back into the main foyer, stopping at the old grandfather clock. The small man opened the case and adjusted the hands of the clock to read 9:45, activating a small, hidden lock, and slid it aside to reveal the silver door. He glanced over at Shin with a look that she didn’t want to see again. “Now, I must tell you, Ms. Shina. You may find the following visit to be… disturbing. Are you sure you want this?”

“Yes,” she said without hesistation, staring at the man. Truth be told, she didn’t. From what what little she seen of the ‘residents’, she couldn’t help but to think that he had a role in each. Her instincts didn’t stop her from entering the elevator with him, the chrome interior cold and sterile. Shin watched the numbers count backward and wondered what condition Rowan, if he was down there, would be in.

When it slowed and stopped, the elevator’s doors revealed a colorless hallway free of any odor or sound, even as she watched the people with clipboards and short coats. If it weren’t for the odd curve here and there, she could have sworn that she had just walked into a single room.

“This is my laboratory,” Orion said plainly, walking up beside Shin. “My pride and joy. It has everything that I need for my current and future research and experiments.” He saw the strange look on her face as he said the last word, and motioned her to advance with him. “State of the art equipment, technology that is far more developed than most of what’s available, medicine that can cure generations…”

Shin glanced off to the side, looking into the vast, singular window of each room. There was a lone figure in each, restrained beyond reason or simply huddled close to the far wall, gender indiscriminate. After a while, she could not distinguish their faces, except that they had a gaunt look to them, eyes dull and sunken in, and bodies slightly atrophied.

“Unfortunately,” she heard him add, “the physical and psychological price is very high…”

Shin stopped at a window, pushing aside the aides that were huddled close to it, and Orion stopped as well when he realized that she wasn’t following him. Her brows were knit together, and her eyes suddenly went hard. “Let me in,” she said, voice small. Orion raised his eyebrow, and flinched when she shouted, “I said let me in, dammit!”

The aides shuffled away and Orion hurried over, not in fear that she might strike him down, but to see; he entered the code and opened the door for her, ignoring the glare from the woman. Shin stepped into the room, heading straight for the figure sitting on the barely visible slab, his head hung low. She couldn’t tell from the ragged breahing if he was sleep or something sinister had just happened. She stooped and held up his head with her hands.

“What did they do to you, Rowan?” Shin didn’t expect any reply; Rowan’s odd eyes were dull and just gazed back at her, distant. She could’ve sworn that he muttered an answer. She called him again, voice in a terse whisper. He blinked again, this time his gaze lingered in recognition. “I’m coming back, okay?” she mouthed, and he gave the tiniest nod in confirmation.

Orion stood at the observation window. So, she does have a relationship him with him, he noted, and wondered how deep it was. He was surprised how quickly and surely she recognized him; but he knew very well that he was certainly not her beloved. Audra would indulge to him later.

“What did you do to him?” Shin asked, not bothering to look at Orion. Again, he paused, choosing his words carefully. Her hands were tightening up into a fist

“Well, he is certainly one of the more… dangerous patients,” Orion said, taking off his glasses for the third time. “We have to subdue the emotive, for our safety and theirs. It’s minor protocol, really.”

Shin finally turned to him and loomed over him, her eyes stone. “Mr. Orion,” she said, “I would appreciate it if we could leave, right now.”

“Are you not well?” he asked, not realizing that her hands were shaking, waiting for the right moment to strike. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking about your current state. But of course,” he replied, motioning towards the elevator. He was glad that he only went over the basics.

Had he divulged further, he would have been forced to apprehend her later on. And that would’ve been a loss in itself.