Post by balegrim on Jan 9, 2014 4:27:57 GMT
"How is he?" asked Seth tersely. Brode's eyes had a hard look of focus about them, examining Mirabel's cloning tank with the rigid scrutiny of an overbearing officer. When N.T. managed to prize Mirabel's old genetic code from the Commonwealth, the code prior to his G.E.M. augmentations, the executive brass decided he should be cloned and re-integrated as station personnel. Though what inwardly chilled Seth about the prospect was that the original Mirabel was still alive. Still out there somewhere. . .
Marika Koroibete was presently standing in as the acting C.M.O. His uncanny proclivity for medical procedure made him an excellent candidate for the job. The usual C.M.O, regrettably, had fallen ill. But Koroibete saw this as his big opportunity to show the brass he was capable of handling the work, so when the captain addressed him, he answered back in clipped, efficient tones, "'Is vitals are stable and well within the ideal parameters of the warming process, captain. 'Art rate, blood pressure, neural activity, blood oxygenation, everything's right on point. Mirabel 'ill be comin' out of this as 'elthy as a horse, sur!"
The good news coupled with Koroibete's scottish accent took a little of the edge off the mood for Seth. He glanced to his left at Vanessa. Miss Woollard frequently filled the command role during the interim of Seth's absence, or when he was forced to work in another department per the advisement of NT. The woman was dressed sharply, shamelessly flaunting her pressed blue and gold uniform. It accentuated the fit curvature of her body, and the pristine state of the uniform highlighted her striking profile. Vanessa's arms were folded over her tight bust, and despite the hardness of her expression, she somehow came off as cool and confident rather than nerveracking. "Glad to hear it, Mister Koroibete. N.T. didn't exactly want us fucking this up. I want Mirabel to have a good, long look at all his superiors when he pops out of that tank. We don't need any mishaps."
Seth nodded softly in agreement with Vanessa. All heads of staff with any bearing on security were required to be present for his acclimation, and in their regulation or otherwise standard uniforms. Dilgan flanked miss Woolard, standing slightly off to her right in the bright red and gold of an HoS's uniform. Nikolai was standing slightly off to Seth's left, hands clasped neatly behind his back in a dark armored trench coat and dark corporate shirt. He went with a more menacing uniform, whereas Dilgan preferred the one that screamed authoritarian.
Dilgan cleared his throat. "I see him stirring, sirs."
Vanessa and Seth turned their heads in perfect unison, while officer Tanya Pone crept forward from the back of the room. A deviant smirk seized her lips, one hand behind her back gently tossing and catching an emptied can of robust cola.
"Oxygenating regenerative fluid! Rising temperature stedally. Administering increased doses of clonexadone. Neural activity is peaking. 'E'll be awake in minutes." Koroibete spoke calmly and succinctly as his fingers glided over the keys that controlled the cloning tanks. All and all, he was managing Mirabel's revival very well. Sometimes when individuals were cloned, they had to be further treated for gene trauma or genetic defects. But all indicators forecasted the complete opposite in Mirabel's case.
Vanessa glanced over to Seth. "Talented, isn't he?"
Seth nodded wordlessly. Perhaps a new position as C.M.O. might open up for the man after all.
Dilgan peered back at Vanessa, the red tint of his hud-sunglasses glinting in the salt lighting of the medical bay. "Don't," he warned her sharply, and with a weight in his voice that wiped that mischievous little smile right off of Tanya's face.
"I won't, sir." She quickly braced, raising her chin dutifully. She also quietly tossed the can up and down again. . .
Peter watched her from the entrance to medbay, smiling quietly. If Tanya had the balls to throw trash at a super human, he doubted Dilgan was going to make any real progress scaring her. But they all knew Tanner wouldn't be super human anymore. Though still . . . it hardly changed the fact he was a damn fearsome soldier, even without those attributes. The ex-pirate watched on curiously.
"I'm about to open the cryo tank. You may want to put a few officers over there to catch mister Mirabel."
Nikolai nodded. "Officer Watson!"
She tensed from her post next to Peter. "Sir!"
"Make sure Mirabel doesn't crack his non-regenerating skull on the bulkhead. Koroibete's about to open the tank."
Rose hurried into position, standing in front of the tank, slightly at a loss as to what she should expect. Through the green tint of the cryo tank, she watched as Mirabel's face started to animate. The corners of his mouth and dark eyebrows began to twitch, then he exhaled his first breath. He was warming. When his body reached an adequate temperature, Koroibete gave the room adequate warning he was about to unseal the tank.
"Breakin' the seal! There's no stoppin' now!"
The cryotank hissed as the glass began to open, and whitish blue fluid spilled out onto the floor, sloshing into a drainage cavity. Mirabel collapsed out of the tank, but Rose quickly caught his naked body, supporting his weight. "Damn. . . Was he always this heavy?"
Mirabel groaned, slowly coming to wakefulness. "I-I'm. . ." He opened his eyes, and his pupils shrank in the light. He closed them, then opened them again to let his vision readjust. Slowly but surely, the faces, bodies, and uniforms in the cloning bay were coming together for him. And once he began approaching his full cognizance, his weaknesses hit him like a truck. Tanner knew then and there he was a clone. But he wasn't cloned from the version of himself he expected anyone would have ever wanted to clone him from. He took a deep breath, glancing over to Rose. The slope of her neck, the aquiline sharpness of her features and jaw, it was a welcoming sight. There were also people he didn't recognize. Namely a security guard standing by the entrance of medbay. His eye patch distinguished him from the rest of the crowd, and somewhat reminded him of Lightstar. But Tanner knew he'd never met that man in his life. In a few minutes, he attempted to stand on his own power. He succeeded. "Is someone going to hand me some clothes, or are we waiting on the detective and his famous camera."
Nikolai cracked a smile. "Joan, get him his clothes."
Starcross milled away from the gathering for a moment, returning from a locker near surgery. His black military turtle neck, combat boots, and combat gloves were folded and neatly grouped together in her arms. She rested them on a table and walked off without saying much of anything.
Mirabel felt somewhat pierced by her silence. But he supposed he had it coming. He walked over to the table and began putting on his clothes, dressing his long, lean body in black and grayish brown. Fully dressed, the hard outline of Tanner's taut muscle pressed against his clothing. It was obvious: this man had never been anything but soldier. The wintry blue of his eyes fixed the captains, and then both of the HoS's. "Is Nano Trasen trying to confuse me or something?"
Seth was about to answer, but Woollard shook her head and took it upon herself instead. "Negative, Mirabel. All persons who serve as heads of staff with authority over security were required to be present for your cloning. You are to fully recollect and understand who your superiors are."
Tanner paused when she told him what he was. He already knew, and he sensed he was supposed to know. He was property. . . The commonwealth had the real him. He couldn't count on them to take him back, or his father to accept him, or his mother to love him. In fact, he half suspected if they understood what happened, it would boggle their minds and break their hearts. He would never visit the commonwealth again. And in that moment he was immediately envious of the original.
"Mirabel."
Tanner turned his head abruptly, addressing Seth with his eyes.
"I am Seth Brode. Our encounters have been very infrequent, but I'm sure you remember who I am. To my left is captain Woollard, you will show her the utmost respect. Like me, she is and can serve as a commanding officer on this station. To my right is Nikolai Petrovski. Both he and Dilgan serve as heads of security to this station. I'm sure you already picked out Dilgan yourself. You two have a very strong history."
Tanner nodded. "I remember him clear as day."
Seth nodded curtly. "Good, then you're also aware you will answer directly to them, and us."
Mirabel nodded without hesitation. All the while he attempted to partition the sting that came with the obvious knowledge his friends and family would never truly accept him back into their lives knowing he was a cheap copy. But overcoming and letting go of pain was all he did as a soldier. He could take this. He had to. It wasn't in him to quit. Lightstar and the men Lightstar trained drilled that out of him a long time ago. And if he was going to live as a copy, he would be the very best copy he could be.
Nikolai suddenly chimed in. "Officer Mirabel, Nano Trasen brass has arranged to allow you a little keepsake on board the station. I've tucked it away in the armory, but you're free to pick it up after you undergo your psychological examinations and are stamped fit for duty."
Mirabel's mouth softly gaped, then he couldn't help but smirk. "You didn't. . . I'm liking this man already."
Nikolai nodded. "We acquired you a TX-39, identical in every regard to the original. We hope you like it."
Koroibete chose that exact moment to chime in. "Giving you back your usual clothes and equipment was deemed medically sound in regards to your psychological health. Nano Trasen is well aware you won't be returning to the New Magnitkan military with the original out there. But having those familiar possessions will be conducive to your persistent and soldiering thought processes." Koroibete smiled. "And aye, there's also the little matter of your outstanding career record. N.T. is right confident you'll keep their precious station nice and safe with it."
Mirabel smiled. He already felt like he had a family again. Even though he still wasn't fully over how N.T. involved themselves in the war. . .
"Hey Mirabel!"
It was Pone. She suddenly reeled back and hurled something at him. An airy can of emptied soda hit him right in the cheek. He turned his head in surprise.
"Pick up that can. . ."
Mirabel smirked. Yeah, some of them hadn't changed a bit.
Marika Koroibete was presently standing in as the acting C.M.O. His uncanny proclivity for medical procedure made him an excellent candidate for the job. The usual C.M.O, regrettably, had fallen ill. But Koroibete saw this as his big opportunity to show the brass he was capable of handling the work, so when the captain addressed him, he answered back in clipped, efficient tones, "'Is vitals are stable and well within the ideal parameters of the warming process, captain. 'Art rate, blood pressure, neural activity, blood oxygenation, everything's right on point. Mirabel 'ill be comin' out of this as 'elthy as a horse, sur!"
The good news coupled with Koroibete's scottish accent took a little of the edge off the mood for Seth. He glanced to his left at Vanessa. Miss Woollard frequently filled the command role during the interim of Seth's absence, or when he was forced to work in another department per the advisement of NT. The woman was dressed sharply, shamelessly flaunting her pressed blue and gold uniform. It accentuated the fit curvature of her body, and the pristine state of the uniform highlighted her striking profile. Vanessa's arms were folded over her tight bust, and despite the hardness of her expression, she somehow came off as cool and confident rather than nerveracking. "Glad to hear it, Mister Koroibete. N.T. didn't exactly want us fucking this up. I want Mirabel to have a good, long look at all his superiors when he pops out of that tank. We don't need any mishaps."
Seth nodded softly in agreement with Vanessa. All heads of staff with any bearing on security were required to be present for his acclimation, and in their regulation or otherwise standard uniforms. Dilgan flanked miss Woolard, standing slightly off to her right in the bright red and gold of an HoS's uniform. Nikolai was standing slightly off to Seth's left, hands clasped neatly behind his back in a dark armored trench coat and dark corporate shirt. He went with a more menacing uniform, whereas Dilgan preferred the one that screamed authoritarian.
Dilgan cleared his throat. "I see him stirring, sirs."
Vanessa and Seth turned their heads in perfect unison, while officer Tanya Pone crept forward from the back of the room. A deviant smirk seized her lips, one hand behind her back gently tossing and catching an emptied can of robust cola.
"Oxygenating regenerative fluid! Rising temperature stedally. Administering increased doses of clonexadone. Neural activity is peaking. 'E'll be awake in minutes." Koroibete spoke calmly and succinctly as his fingers glided over the keys that controlled the cloning tanks. All and all, he was managing Mirabel's revival very well. Sometimes when individuals were cloned, they had to be further treated for gene trauma or genetic defects. But all indicators forecasted the complete opposite in Mirabel's case.
Vanessa glanced over to Seth. "Talented, isn't he?"
Seth nodded wordlessly. Perhaps a new position as C.M.O. might open up for the man after all.
Dilgan peered back at Vanessa, the red tint of his hud-sunglasses glinting in the salt lighting of the medical bay. "Don't," he warned her sharply, and with a weight in his voice that wiped that mischievous little smile right off of Tanya's face.
"I won't, sir." She quickly braced, raising her chin dutifully. She also quietly tossed the can up and down again. . .
Peter watched her from the entrance to medbay, smiling quietly. If Tanya had the balls to throw trash at a super human, he doubted Dilgan was going to make any real progress scaring her. But they all knew Tanner wouldn't be super human anymore. Though still . . . it hardly changed the fact he was a damn fearsome soldier, even without those attributes. The ex-pirate watched on curiously.
"I'm about to open the cryo tank. You may want to put a few officers over there to catch mister Mirabel."
Nikolai nodded. "Officer Watson!"
She tensed from her post next to Peter. "Sir!"
"Make sure Mirabel doesn't crack his non-regenerating skull on the bulkhead. Koroibete's about to open the tank."
Rose hurried into position, standing in front of the tank, slightly at a loss as to what she should expect. Through the green tint of the cryo tank, she watched as Mirabel's face started to animate. The corners of his mouth and dark eyebrows began to twitch, then he exhaled his first breath. He was warming. When his body reached an adequate temperature, Koroibete gave the room adequate warning he was about to unseal the tank.
"Breakin' the seal! There's no stoppin' now!"
The cryotank hissed as the glass began to open, and whitish blue fluid spilled out onto the floor, sloshing into a drainage cavity. Mirabel collapsed out of the tank, but Rose quickly caught his naked body, supporting his weight. "Damn. . . Was he always this heavy?"
Mirabel groaned, slowly coming to wakefulness. "I-I'm. . ." He opened his eyes, and his pupils shrank in the light. He closed them, then opened them again to let his vision readjust. Slowly but surely, the faces, bodies, and uniforms in the cloning bay were coming together for him. And once he began approaching his full cognizance, his weaknesses hit him like a truck. Tanner knew then and there he was a clone. But he wasn't cloned from the version of himself he expected anyone would have ever wanted to clone him from. He took a deep breath, glancing over to Rose. The slope of her neck, the aquiline sharpness of her features and jaw, it was a welcoming sight. There were also people he didn't recognize. Namely a security guard standing by the entrance of medbay. His eye patch distinguished him from the rest of the crowd, and somewhat reminded him of Lightstar. But Tanner knew he'd never met that man in his life. In a few minutes, he attempted to stand on his own power. He succeeded. "Is someone going to hand me some clothes, or are we waiting on the detective and his famous camera."
Nikolai cracked a smile. "Joan, get him his clothes."
Starcross milled away from the gathering for a moment, returning from a locker near surgery. His black military turtle neck, combat boots, and combat gloves were folded and neatly grouped together in her arms. She rested them on a table and walked off without saying much of anything.
Mirabel felt somewhat pierced by her silence. But he supposed he had it coming. He walked over to the table and began putting on his clothes, dressing his long, lean body in black and grayish brown. Fully dressed, the hard outline of Tanner's taut muscle pressed against his clothing. It was obvious: this man had never been anything but soldier. The wintry blue of his eyes fixed the captains, and then both of the HoS's. "Is Nano Trasen trying to confuse me or something?"
Seth was about to answer, but Woollard shook her head and took it upon herself instead. "Negative, Mirabel. All persons who serve as heads of staff with authority over security were required to be present for your cloning. You are to fully recollect and understand who your superiors are."
Tanner paused when she told him what he was. He already knew, and he sensed he was supposed to know. He was property. . . The commonwealth had the real him. He couldn't count on them to take him back, or his father to accept him, or his mother to love him. In fact, he half suspected if they understood what happened, it would boggle their minds and break their hearts. He would never visit the commonwealth again. And in that moment he was immediately envious of the original.
"Mirabel."
Tanner turned his head abruptly, addressing Seth with his eyes.
"I am Seth Brode. Our encounters have been very infrequent, but I'm sure you remember who I am. To my left is captain Woollard, you will show her the utmost respect. Like me, she is and can serve as a commanding officer on this station. To my right is Nikolai Petrovski. Both he and Dilgan serve as heads of security to this station. I'm sure you already picked out Dilgan yourself. You two have a very strong history."
Tanner nodded. "I remember him clear as day."
Seth nodded curtly. "Good, then you're also aware you will answer directly to them, and us."
Mirabel nodded without hesitation. All the while he attempted to partition the sting that came with the obvious knowledge his friends and family would never truly accept him back into their lives knowing he was a cheap copy. But overcoming and letting go of pain was all he did as a soldier. He could take this. He had to. It wasn't in him to quit. Lightstar and the men Lightstar trained drilled that out of him a long time ago. And if he was going to live as a copy, he would be the very best copy he could be.
Nikolai suddenly chimed in. "Officer Mirabel, Nano Trasen brass has arranged to allow you a little keepsake on board the station. I've tucked it away in the armory, but you're free to pick it up after you undergo your psychological examinations and are stamped fit for duty."
Mirabel's mouth softly gaped, then he couldn't help but smirk. "You didn't. . . I'm liking this man already."
Nikolai nodded. "We acquired you a TX-39, identical in every regard to the original. We hope you like it."
Koroibete chose that exact moment to chime in. "Giving you back your usual clothes and equipment was deemed medically sound in regards to your psychological health. Nano Trasen is well aware you won't be returning to the New Magnitkan military with the original out there. But having those familiar possessions will be conducive to your persistent and soldiering thought processes." Koroibete smiled. "And aye, there's also the little matter of your outstanding career record. N.T. is right confident you'll keep their precious station nice and safe with it."
Mirabel smiled. He already felt like he had a family again. Even though he still wasn't fully over how N.T. involved themselves in the war. . .
"Hey Mirabel!"
It was Pone. She suddenly reeled back and hurled something at him. An airy can of emptied soda hit him right in the cheek. He turned his head in surprise.
"Pick up that can. . ."
Mirabel smirked. Yeah, some of them hadn't changed a bit.
