Frightened, Chimera? [Remake] (O / A)

[Wire_Colossus]

"That is what I wish to learn. I wish learn of the world. I do not want to leave, not yet. I'm not fully grown by the way...I can still feel new bones forming," Crusha replied.

Pup looked at the floor and started crying. "Master and people in white never answer me. I miss Mommy..." Pup had always been under the delusion of having a mother.  

[AninOnin]

Smoke looked over at Pup, fully now, exhaling again. He wasn't quite sure how to break it to the chimera. "You don't have one" seemed too cruel an answer, but it was more cruel to let the chimera believe his mother was out there somewhere and an endless amount of searching for her would make things right again. He flicked his cigarette against the rail, then ground it under the heel of his boot and put it aside. Smoke knelt down on one knee, reaching Pup's height. He met the kid's hopeful, pained eyes with his own.

"You weren't born from any mother or father parent. You were an experiment, and grew up in a test tube, along with your brothers and sisters who didn't survive." Smoke stopped, swallowed, and glanced down, remembering. "It's not something to be sad about. You're unique. You survived. More importantly, you're here, away from sadness and death. There will always be more trials ahead of you, and things will always happen, sooner or later, that will make you sad. But right now, you have your freedom, you have your friends..." He paused, then decided to commit himself. He'd come this far, had he not? "And you have me. As long as you have that... Everything will be okay." He finished somewhat awkwardly, straightened up, and wouldn't meet Pup's gaze.

Headlights appeared, and there was a double honk. Their ride, undoubtedly. Smoke returned the necessary signal himself and retrieved his cigarette before sliding the glass balcony door and entering the motel again.

His face was still a bit red, though the chimera inside wouldn't know why. "Time to go. We're going to a safe house, arranged by an employer of mine. We'll be safest there."

--

Yani raised his eyebrows and followed the unmistakable green pallor that had replaced Smith's cool features out of the slaughterhouse. Looking back to see the problem, his eyes alighted on the blood stains, probably from Devon, that streaked the walls. When Hiccadu had lost control, that was the result, a wounded scientist and some smashed walls.

He waved Crusha away, grateful for the interruption. "I must attend to my guest," he stated, signaling to one of TAIS's med-bots that was standing by to follow. "Please contain subject M22022."  

[LovetoCauseMayhem]

((Mmm, my bad. I just addressed Anin in the first part of the post, so to me it was obvious she was also being addressed in the last part. Oops. xD))

Yani's order was obeyed to the 't', so to speak.

-----

When Smoke walked into the room and spoke, the internal light in Hiccadu's head flickered on, and her eyes - both eyes - opened. The one on the left was murky, milky. White with red where healthy meant white. The eye was far from being fully functional. But it would succeed in freaking people the ******** out.

Slowly, she raised her head, looking at Smoke.

"Safe house?" she echoed tiredly, no real inflections in her voice. Then, even more slowly, she pushed herself up onto all fours. A limp would still be visible, and the wing didn't have as great of a range of motion as was possible, but they were much better than when she had first arrived. "Who on earth do you know that would be willing to provide us with a safe house?" If she had an eyebrow in that form it would've risen. "Does he... or she... know what we are?"  

[SpokenSoftly]

Smith finished heaving up last night's pickled beets and horseradish and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. He heard Yani walk up behind him and rose, slightly unsteadily, to his feet, buttoning his shirt back into place and wiping an errant strand of vomit off his chin. His voice, rather than being the calm monotone it had been, was very shaky. "I do apologize, Mister Vent. I am... more than slightly hemophobic. The sight of blood and... other fluids does not sit well on my psyche. I am told it has something to do with my childhood. I am perfectly well now and my little... episode will not occur again"

Still a little shaky, but rapidly regaining his former demeanor, Smith glanced at the medical robot just before putting his sunglasses back on."Much better. The medical android will not be necessary, I think, though I would not refuse a stiff scotch. I would also appreciate it if you could point me to a waste bin. My handkerchief has been quite ruined."

by the end of his last sentence Smith's voice was steady again and he had replaced and readjusted the last of his errant and out-of-place clothing. It was obvious that he was back under control of himself, though his face was slightly paler than it had been before and it was apparent, as he'd just said, that his handkerchief would not be salvageable.  

[AninOnin]

When Smith stood up, Yani led him back inside (being careful to avoid the more gory rooms) and indicated a trash bin he could use to dispose of his handkerchief, as well as a bathroom in case he needed it.

"I am most interested in your childhood," Yani commented, leading Smith into his section of the slaughterhouse. In the first room, two modern couches faced each other over a low, rectangular table. Perpendicular to the couches, against the wall, was the large screen with three names on it, their pictures, a short physical description, and other information. Maps were drawn near them, giving a visual of their locations.

Yani sat down and poured himself and his guest a small, iced glass of scotch before settling down into his seat and gesturing for Smith to do the same.  

[SpokenSoftly]

Smith shrugged as he tossed back the scotch tumbler, having taken in his surroundings and ensuring he knew the way out. When he heard Yani's question he almost rolled his eyes. It was obviously an attempt to learn more on a potential enemy, but Smith telling Yani where he came from cost him nothing and couldn't be used in any way against Smith. He had his failsafes and the Vent family as a whole would become a laughingstock if it became known that they thought Carlyle Smith, famous investor and owner of the largest telecommunications company and satellite array in the northern hemisphere, was only half-human. "Thank you for that. I suppose you could say that I am the prototype for the sad beings out there."

As he said this his entire body faded from view, other than his sunglasses, top hat, and teeth. Then, over the course of perhaps half a second, he faded back in. "I will explain more later, time permitting. All necessary information at the moment is that I am not one of yours, and that I knew your uncle. Oh, and that I have a dinner date tomorrow night with the president of one of my puppet corporations and detaining me here as one of your 'projects' would be a very bad idea."

((If Yani's uncle is still alive, I'll edit that last bit, but seeing as he was old enough to make Smith, and Smith's 84 years old, I think it's logical to assume he's dead now, yeah? As for the bit about the phone company, think of Smith's real profession and it'll come to you pretty quickly.))  

[AninOnin]

Yani's eyes flashed dangerously. "Is that a threat?"

If he wanted, he could kill Smith right now and no one would ever know. TAIS could reconstruct the video feed to make it look like an accident, and Yani need never have been in the room. And if there was to be an investigation here, then they would find the chimerae, which would be a set-back, but the world needed to know of their existence sooner or later anyway. It would get the law off his back, at any rate. (Unless they were prepared for the investigation in which case, they could drop the entire lab into the Isolation Room and remake a slaughterhouse-esque first floor.)

Not to mention it would also strengthen his claim that Smith died in an accident. After all, chimerae got loose all the time. Just go ask the hotel clerk in Juniper... She would tell you.

Luckily for Smith, however, the inconvenience of going public with the chimerae outweighed the satisfaction Yani might garner from curtailing an arrogant, but interesting enough specimen.

He leaned forward almost tiredly and refilled his scotch. "Luckily enough, I'm a business man, Mr. Smith, not an overzealous scientist. You had mentioned a proposal, if I'm not mistaken?"  

[SpokenSoftly]

Smith blinked several times behind his sunglasses as he made the effort to stop his skin gearing up for a full epilepsy-inducing display. He'd honestly expected Yani to at least try and capture or detain him. It was certainly what the man's uncle would have done. "Strike one for myself then. You truly are nothing like your older relative. As for my proposal, it is thus: You fulfill three relatively light conditions for myself and I will, safely and legally, provide you all the funding you require. The conditions are only for the sake of both of our public images, and are thus: First, you will allow your company to, on paper only, become a subsidiary of my own company, Pseudoscience Research International. This will, as I said, be only on paper and allows the transfer of funds to go through corporate channels and be invisible to even the tax men. Second, as a necessary condition, you will need to release three or four Chimerae per year into the general populace. You can say they are any age, since the Chimerae I know and have known, myself included, haven't aged a day since twenty-five. Think of it as a public relations project. Third, and I realize this may be the sticking point, you will need to severely curtail your activities, including your active pursuit of current Chimerae and what many people would consider your inhumane experimentation on the ones you maintain a hold of. Again, only for the public and only on 'official' sites, you can do whatever you like outside this warehouse, I don't care."

Having said his piece, Smith gave the final bit of information that would, hopefully, seal the deal. "All of this will be a sham, of course. I don't particularly care what you do with the subjects you produce, nor whether they survive or not, though I admit I am interested in purchasing that marine specimen I saw earlier, just as a curiosity. My people have spent the past five years taking information my sources have fed me and reconstructing your laboratory in a separate location, with improved security measures and a much-improved cage layout that can allow you to house up to 60% more specimens at a time, while minimizing the chances of escape. The entire system has, as of ten minutes ago by my watch, been opened to your systems and you may initiate a full scan at any time. Since your only 'official' site under PRI contract will be this warehouse, you can maintain all your experiments and old activities at the new location. A 'skeleton crew' will need to remain here to present a good public face, but I will pay that out of my own pocket and not the funds I wire you. I consider it a small price to pay. Those three conditions having been fulfilled here, you may continue doing whatever you like to whatever you like."

Smith had leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands as he spoke. He now leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, looking at Yani over the 'point' and waiting for his answer.

((TL;DR - Yani moves location to a higher-security location and Smith wires him cash and keeps his nose out of Yani's business. In return, the warehouse stays as a PR stunt for one of Smith's companies, a few Chimera are produced and released per year, and everyone's happy.))  

[AninOnin]

Smoke glanced at Hiccadu, noting again with grimness her fast recovery. "He's one of us... Rather, a chimera. So I guess, one of you. No doubt he's only doing this because it's in his best interests, but it helps us out. Living in fear isn't why you are here."

--

Yani was about to demand a separate, more advanced lab, since being cooped up in a slaughterhouse tended to give the chimerae a grimmer mindset. He was glad he no longer had to. Because of this, Smith earned points in Yani's book. He wasn't entirely a businessman, he thought like a scientist as well, and for this Yani considered, for the first time, he might not be a political enemy at all.

Yani settled back onto his couch and cupped his chin in his hand, as though mulling over a difficult decision. On the one hand, they could get out of the stinking cesspool the slaughterhouse had become. Perhaps it would make the chimerae happier, and, since Yani and his scientists had already researched pretty much everything that caused the chimerae pain and their reactions to it, it was time to switch tracks. Perhaps they'd even want to stay in their little cages.

On the other hand... Releasing chimerae into the general populace wasn't something Yani was prepared to accept. He didn't see the reason for it, and it placed certain risks in his life with government and PETA. Of course, if he was going to treat his creations better, PETA might not have much to complain about, long as they didn't see the cages. So far as stopping their chase after the chimerae, that was easy enough. They could kill two birds with one stone, considering the escaped chimerae "released".

Yani's mind was made up.

"If we're going to use this as the PR site, we'll need to renovate and patch some things up. Carrying out experiments in a slaughterhouse just seems to carry a negative connotation with it. You drive a nice deal though, Mr. Smith." It was the first time Yani spoke to him with something close to genuine friendliness, and he offered his hand to be shook.

"TAIS, could you summon Luke, Ezra, Devon, Jared, You, Whit, and Crusha to my personal quarters." It was time to tell the kiddos they were moving. The first three were scientists, then Jared his son, then three of the healthier chimerae who hadn't made it out in the break. Yani was in a good mood--he believed they should be too. After all, they were going someplace that would be better for everyone.

Except Crusha, unless Smith decided not to purchase the marine chimerae.

While the wheels began turning, Yani pulled the mini-TAIS from his pocket and began issuing commands.
1. Initialize scan on new facility. Edit and remove software to speed up processing and deter security breaches. He wouldn't need to tell her where it was located.
2. Begin moving files to new facility.
3. Station base-TAIS in new facility. Since TAIS was theoretically anywhere there was technology, it seemed redundant, but if you completely destroyed the mainframe, and the slaughterhouse itself, you could destroy TAIS. He could rebuild her, but it'd take fifteen more years and a lot of frustration.

As for Hiccadu... Though Smith was now viewed in the light of being a partner, Yani still didn't fully trust him. It would be better to have Hiccadu waiting in the wings in case he needed her.  

[SpokenSoftly]

Smith silently let his breath out as Yani answered in the affirmative. He reached out to shake Yani's hand, saying as he did, "Most excellent. You may send anyone you like to sign the finalizing paperwork, and I will send a team tomorrow to refurbish this location and another larger team to aid in the move. Since you will be named the branch manager in the paperwork (unless you wish otherwise), the titles and deeds need not be transferred. Oh, and..."

Disengaging from Yani's hand, Smith took a piece of paper and a pencil from his pocket and wrote down an address. "While as a Chimera it is unseemly for me to betray my Friends, I have recently encountered one of your former scientists with a few Friends. I have provided him 'safety' at this address. Since we are now business associates I have no reason to continue protecting him. Do with him and any other residents of this address as you wish, you may consider them collateral."

He handed the paper to Yani and then removed his glasses, putting them in one of the multitude of pockets in his jacket. He had spent the time between his first glimpse of 'Crusha' and now considering whether to offer cash or some similar substitute as collateral for the services of his fellow Chimera. Perhaps a rent-based system. "And, if I may, on the subject of that marine Chimera who caused such a commotion earlier: I would like to rent him from you. I will pay you in either cash or materials, whichever you require, once per four months, in an amount equalling six thousand dollars. In return, this 'Crusha' will be rented to myself and any representative parties, to be returned at the end of the four month period physically unharmed. I will leave him sane, but given his apparently violent disposition I will likely need some of my people to imprint psychological blocks so that he cannot harm myself or my colleagues. Agreed?"  

[LovetoCauseMayhem]

Hiccadu would've scowled if her face was capable. Walking forward towards Smoke, she began to speak.

"I do not-"

"-live in fear."

Bright, beautiful orange hair fell down deceptively cute shoulders, and Hiccadu in human form walked past Smoke to the door before turning around to look at him.

"So. We doing this or what?"

TAIS informed her of what had just happened with Smith, and Hiccadu scowled - almost grimly.

Well, would you ******** look at that? We're being led right into a trap.

She had to smile a little.

Heh. How cute. This should be fun.

-----

TAIS followed the orders, beginning the process of scanning the new facility for any architectural flaws or defects, while processing a plan of action for the new building. Like where the scientists' rooms would go, where the Chimerae would be kept, research locations, and her personal favorite: the isolation room, which would always and forever be underground. She noticed there was no such room in the new structure, and sent a message to Yani saying so. She also began to plan the security functions: where her bots would go, where scanners would be set up, land mines, cameras, etc.

Once it was determined that the open space in the new facility was free of bugs and viruses or booby traps, TAIS began downloading the information from her mainframe into the new system, setting up shop and making herself at home in this new place. Technically, now, there would be two mainframes, if Yani gave no order for her to shut the first one down.

Then Yani was sent another message, this time a question.

"Will we be transporting the Spider-bots as well? If so, how would we plan to do it? If by truck, disassembling them will be required. This is not suggested."

For those who weren't present for the original Chimerae thread, there were massive mechanical spiders stored in the warehouses on the slaughterhouse's property, which were activated whenever the slaughterhouse's structure was in need of repair. The most recent activation was during Hiccadu's rampage, when they were needed to repair the damages Smoke's explosives had caused. The bots were enormous, and very, very heavy.

The scientists and the Chimerae were also escorted to Yani's room, the Chimerae guarded well by TAIS' men.  

[AninOnin]

Smoke eyed Hiccadu with slight suspicion as she walked towards him, closer, and then past him. He really needed to put a check on himself, this was getting ridiculous.

You may not, Hiccadu, he thought. But if you have any vision at all in those eyes of yours, you'd see the other chimerae are having a hell of a time.

He inhaled, both to calm himself and to force motion forward. "Okay. Let's go." He picked up John, careful not to open his stitches, and led the rest of the chimerae out of the motel and into the van.

--

Yani mulled this betrayal over for some time. What kind of business partner was he, exactly, to betray the trust of those who'd given him information beforehand? Yani wasn't stupid. The "source" Smith kept referring to was no doubt Smoke, or at least partly Smoke. Mr. Galaway wasn't a man to make idle gossip, not without a fair exchange. Well well. Mr. Smith was a bit of a rat. Best keep that in mind.

He agreed to Smith's proposal concerning Crusha, asking for the Isolation chamber to be dug according to TAIS's measurements underneath his new lab as the rental fee. "Of course, digging a hole isn't that expensive, but I'd prefer the lab above didn't cave in. For the first four months, only six thousand dollars' worth of construction need be provided. That should be enough to cover the excavation we need, and I can begin building out of my own pocket." After all, the Isolation room wasn't just a hole in the ground. Yani would oversee this personally.

As for the chimerae, Yani would allow his son to see to that. Jared needed to get out of the house anyway, poor boy was becoming restless.  

[SpokenSoftly]

Smith nodded as he made a note of the exchange and slipped the paper into his pocket. "Very good. I will likely send over some men along with the movers and remodellers to retrieve Crusha tomorrow. Two more small matters, and my side of our business will be concluded: First, as I said, anything you do at your new facility is none of my business and you may have complete oversight. Merely present your bill each fiscal quarter to my accountants and they will take care of the rest. Second, if you could ask whomever you send after my former client to give him this message: 'You have received protection commensurate with the value of the information I received from you. Our business may be considered temporarily concluded. Should you survive, feel free to contact me again. Do not resent me. There was a higher bidder. Smith.' Now, unless you have anything you particularly want to address, I will be going."  

[SilentShadowDreamer]

"Smoke." It was the first time Apsalar had spoken since she had intervened between John and Hiccadu. "Wait. Please."

She didn't understand what was going on anymore. Weren't they supposed to be going away? Wasn't that what Smoke had promised them? What was a safehause, and what would it do to them?

It wasn't that she didn't trust - oh hell, yes it was. She wanted it to be that she trusted him, and she really was trying, and mostly she succeeded. But the plans had suddenly changed. Right after Smoke had gone out for a little while.

Could she be blamed for wondering, suspecting? And for fearing?

She had stopped there, in the parking lot. Her hand reached out as though she wanted to put it on his arm, to physically halt him in order to ask her question. But it just hesitated there, in the air - touching someone who wasn't really of her pack, who was both hers and Other, felt wrong.

"Is what?" she asked. The question was hard to understand, might be difficult to figure out even for John or the other Chimerae since it held so many layers.

Where are we going? What is this new place? Why did the plans change?

And buried under all the others, Can I trust you?

Her eyes flicked to John. Her pack leader was weak now, and allowing someone else to take the controls, which grated on her. To leave him now would stick in her heart, since she was at least somewhat human under it all. But to follow him when her instincts were twisting in her gut? To follow him no matter where he went, even if it led her back to the nightmare?

She didn't know if she would do that. Didn't know if she could.

So she looked at Smoke, and waited for his answer. If his was wrong, she would...

Well. She would see. She would see.  

[Wire_Colossus]

Hound looked at smoke and said, "I don't trust the one who hid himself. I don't think we should do this."

Pup looked at smoke and his eyes went wide. His left eye began to twitch, and then he saw Hiccaduu. He looked at her and said, "Mr you a liar. Mommy right here," and he Tried to hug Hiccadu.

Hound saw this but didn't intervene, he realized that although unlikely, Little Pup could possibly make Hiccadu turn on her master and mistress. Hound doubted it would work, but the kid had a better shot than the rest of them. But then he also realized that Pup might just get killed. He couldn't let that happen, so he looked at Hiccadu and said, "A while back I called you a sister. I was wrong. You're no relative of mine. Not yet anyway. I know little of human ways, only what instinct tells me. My eyes, nose, and ears tell me that you are beautiful. Some of my instincts tell me to kill you where you stand, but the rest tell me not to harm you, but to protect you...." Hound was acting, but nonetheless, his scent still contained male pheromones. He was not completely lieing. She was growing on him, and He was starting to like her. He didn't know this, but his words sounded more sincere than intended, and his eyes showed honesty instead of deception. Hound Didn't know it yet, but he was falling for Hiccadu.

R.J. and Fade stayed on the rooftops and spoke as the followed the others, "How long you been Out R.J.?" R.J. responded, "My whole life. How about you?" Fade answered, "I'd say a at least 4 months. I forced the scientists to move me to a bigger cage and then I destroyed the thing to get out." "Nice. Did you do any damage to the Scientists?" Fade smiled, "I throw them around like they were nothing and I carved up a few."

Crusha looked up at a camera and said, "Circumstances surrounding the birth are not what matter. It's what we do with our lives that matters."