Fire Opal: Scene 10

Db Minor Pesantemente

Waking up in a bathing basin full of semi-tepid water is not as nice as it sounds. Sure waking up in water is wonderful and floaty and calm, but I had turned into a giant wrinkle! When I went to move out of the water, I ached. I ached like my bones never wanted to move again. Of course I also had the start of a nasty cold. I sneezed, sniffled, coughed and blew my nose from one end of my suite to the other. To top it off, I was banged up, bruised, cut up, sore, and generally miserable.
I felt like crap. I'd sneeze and then my arms would ache. I'd cough and my stomach muscles would protest. My nose was raw, my throat was raw, and I just wanted to curl up and sleep. I kicked everything that I had left out into the closet. I'll deal with it later. I just wanted to collapse.
I tried cleaning up to go to the morning conferences I was scheduled for. I painted my face and combed my hair and that was as far as I got. I curled up on the bed in the blankets. I never wanted to move again.
Chirp.

Why do the doors always chirp when I don't want to see anyone?
"Yes?" I didn't move from the bed.
"Flower Water Lotus, are you all right? You're very late for the morning meal."
"Come in, I can't yell." The doors opened and Representative Ikaen from Xeno-Chase Xerandra Holdings Group stood there, dressed neatly in his company suit.
I didn't move.
"Are you ok Flower Water Lotus?" He came over to me. He seemed genuinely concerned.
"I don't feel so well, but I'll be down soon, I just need a bit more rest."
"No, I don't think you need to go anywhere! You are ill! I'll get the medics."
"No, I'm fine! I'll be down in just a bit, see?" I stood up from the bed, wrapped in the blankets... and then I felt the soft rug on the floor next to my face. How did I get here? Ikaen lifted me up from the floor. I didn't know he had gold eyes. Or, at least, I didn't remember he had gold eyes.
"I'm going to go get the medics."
"No, I'm just not used to all this heat and work and I'm exhausted, that's all."
"Why don't you want me to go get the medics? You're sick..."
"I'm not sick, I just need rest."
He helped me back to the bed.
"I can attend the conference by video communications. I will be fine." At least I had a towel on when the door chirped this time.
"You just rest. I'm going to cancel the conference today, with you out and Zyrenak out, there won't be much of a meeting."
"Why is Representative Zyrenak out, is he ill?"
"You haven't heard? Biolazin was broken into last night, and one of their core division research labs was ransacked. They're trying to determine if anything was stolen, but it's difficult because of the destruction. It's being broadcasted all over the newsmedia. Zyrenak is there, talking with the newsmedia."
"Oh. Do they know who did it?"
"The newsmedia said that they found the escape access that the individuals used, but not the individuals yet."
"What a commotion."
"So as I was saying, I think I will cancel the conferences today."
"Just don't do it on my account, I'd hate to think I wasn't being an efficient attache."
"I'll return shortly. You rest. I'll bring you some healthful tea."
Tea actually sounded very good. Ikaen disappeared out the doors to my suite and I just didn't want to move.
I must have fallen asleep, but I don't remember doing so. I opened my eyes and Ikaen was camped out at my desk, working on something.
"Representative Ikaen?"
"Oh you're awake! I brought you some healthful tea!" He jumped up and brought me a tray with a teapot and two tea cups. "I hope you didn't mind, but I didn't want to wake you, and I didn't want you not to have your tea, so I kind of took over your desk."
"That's fine." Uhhhhh.
"It must be hard attending these conferences because you're so young."
Was he flirting with me or just trying to piss me off?
"This is what Arcson Tryst Suiryoku wants me to do, so this is what I do."
Chirp.
They need to just rename my suite 'central station' for all the traffic I receive.
I went to get up and answer the doors but Ikaen motioned for me to stay in bed. I pulled the sheets over my head. Go AWAY! Go AWAY ALL OF YOU!
"Oh Ikaen, I didn't realize you were here. I brought up some food and the medics for Flower Water Lotus."
Intris? Medics? Oh holy hellfire.
I jumped out of bed. "I'm fine, honestly. I think we should continue the conference today, and I will be down shortly."
They were staring at me. What? Did I forget clothing or something? I looked down. No, I had on clothing, a plain sleep shirt, but that's not what they were staring at. I was beaten up. I had cuts and bruises and marks. Ah krietsit. Ok, how am I going to explain this?
"I'm afraid I'm not very well adapted to the heat in Iaonin. I must have passed out when I went to bathe, because I found myself face down in the tub, and a broken teapot all around me." That sounded so flimsy I had to consciously remind myself not to shudder.
They were still staring at me. Did they buy it?
"You are such a delicate Flower! Medic, please see to her wounds." Intris stared directly at Ikaen.
"Protecting your investment Representative?"
Investment? Uhhhh. Intris had purposefully rubbed him the wrong way? Yeah, I was sure of it. Intris wanted him out of my suite. Why?
"I need to prepare for our conferences today, if you will please excuse me Flower Water Lotus?"
"Thank you so much for the tea and company Representative Ikaen." I tried to smile sincerely.
He smiled back and gathered his portfolio and left. Intris was staring at me in a very confusing manner. Why didn't I understand these males? Gah. They speak in code, that's what it was.
"Please sit down Flower so that I may attend to you." The medic brought his equipment over to me. A cellular reproduction accelerator wouldn't show anything abnormal, it would just speed the healing, right?
I sat down on the bed. He's not going to find anything abnormal. He's not going to find anything abnormal.
"Flower, you do know that Representative Ikaen has made an offer for you to your family, correct?"
Ah hell. Those two offers Dune tried to tell me about. Krietsit.
"No, it is none of my business what offers my father receives."
"Oh? Most Flowers here in Iaonin even know their going rate."
Going rate? So now females are on sale?
"That seems... inappropriate."
"You favor not knowing your value?" He tilted his head to the side.
"My value has nothing to do with the offers my father receives. My value is in the services I perform, and the individual that I am." Uhhhh, that sounded a little too opinionated. Krietsit.
"What if I were to tell you what Ikaen offered your family...?"
Bait. Bait. He's just throwing out bait at you. It was bait, but it still felt forced - like he was just going through the motions.
"You may do so if you wish, but I am not requesting such knowledge. I know my own worth."
Ok enough with the opinionated Flower talk! Remember your place! Intris is smart and he could figure out that YOU were the one at Biolazin!
"Well, I will tell you anyway. Ikaen has offered your father a seat on the directorship of Xeno-Chase Xerandra Holdings Group, and your brothers the most select research positions within the company."
I thought Ikaen was only a rep? How could he offer my family such wealth?
"Ikaen, after all, is Arcson of one of the founders, Chase Yao Lin."
"The mass transit architect?"
Intris' eyes popped open. Oops. Keep your freaking mouth shut!
"Yes. I'm surprised you knew about Chase Yao Lin." His posture had briefly changed from the tense alpha male he had tightly controlled to one of odd inquisitiveness.
You'd be surprised how much I know.
"I would not be of any use to Arcson Tryst Suiryoku if I did not know something of the companies with which I am in discussion with." Ok, that's becoming the most tired excuse you've ever used. Yeah, but it works. But for how long? Hey! You're not shaking?! No, I'm not. I'm not shaking at all. Interesting. Am I dumb again? No, I remember logic and my studies. Interesting.
"Why are you so fascinated with my offers?"
"Because I'm tempted to make one myself."
"Oh?" What do I say to that? He seemed... disappointed or embarrassed by my reply? I couldn't exactly tell - but it hadn't made him happy.
The medic ran the accelerator over the deep cut in my hand.
"You have to realize that the status of your owner will increase significantly upon purchase of you. The very last Energy Flower, that has perfect genes, and that is also the Water Lotus? Come on! You know you're the hottest property acquisition we've ever seen! Drop the humility act!"
Grrrr. I'm not an ACQUISITION! Flower culture is the stupidest creation of any species EVER! I am not up for sale to the highest bidder! Ok, cool it. You can't lose your temper here.
What do I say other than 'go to hell' ...?
"I prefer not to think of myself as simply a bunch of parts that purchasers bid on. I prefer the idea that purchasers are offering because they like *me* as a whole."
He smirked.
THAT ASSHOLE JUST SMIRKED AT ME! The next time I see him when I'm out, I'm going to beat the crap out of him.
"I guarantee you, your family is not receiving offers based on your personality."
GRRRRRRR. As soon as that medic leaves, I'm going to kill him. I'll kill him and make it look like an accident. He's not going to know what hit him. BASE THIS ON MY PERSONALITY! I'm going to take that teapot and smash it and then stab him.
"Is there any particular reason you have brought up this subject and insulted me?" You are so going to die. I'm going to shred to you a plethora of pieces.
"I don't mean to insult you. I'm simply offering you the absolute truth so that you have no illusions as to why the conference representatives are so nice to you, myself included."
DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE. He was so freaking dead.
"So you have made an offer for me as well - even though I do not have a personality, as you have implied?"
"Oh you have a personality. I don't deny that you're awfully sharp, for a Flower, but I know from personal experience that your personality has nothing to do with why we are making offers for you." His words didn't match his eyes... was he loaded? Maybe he's a complete asshole when he's loaded... that would explain him now.
Only one more wound and then the medic would leave and I would kill him. I'll show him how sharp I was. I was going to stab him so many times that his internal organs were going to look like meat used in food processing. I would rip that smirk off of his face.
"If you wish to insult me, devalue my honor, criticize my integrity and essentially reduce my whole being to only three superficial attributes, please go elsewhere. I may be just a simple Flower, but I do not have to simply sit here and accept your verbal assault. I have business to attend to for Arcson Tryst Suiryoku, and I do not think he would appreciate your presence during our meetings."
I gestured towards the doors. You are so dead. The smirk had disappeared, and he left with an enigmatic look on his face. I'm not sure if what I said was appropriate or not, but it was the only way I could stop myself from killing him in front of the medic.
"Your wounds have been attended to Flower."
"Thank you medic. May I get you some water or something?"
"Oh no Flower. You have done more than enough for me."
Uhhh? I must have given him a quizzical look.
"Arcson Intris delights in ripping apart Flowers, to their faces, including owned Flowers. More than once he has petitioned the Flower Assignment and Status Committee to reduce the status of a Flower simply because of what he thought of their attributes."
"I assume he has won his petitions?"
"Of course. What Flower is going to attempt to discredit the statements of Arcson Intris? Even the high-ranking males from these strong corporations are afraid of him."
GRRRRRRRRRRR. Flowers need backbones! This is ludicrous! Why are we cowering to the likes of Intris? I knew I was stronger than that spoiled brat. I bet Itxata could beat the crap out of him too. Itxata. For all she pretended to be a petite little Flower... she was really a power house of strength. Why had she suggested that I steal the hybridizer? How did she get me a body suit made of that unreleased fabric?
"I wasn't trying to upset Arcson Intris, but I wasn't going to stand for his dismissal of the qualities that make me an individual, either."
"You are a very unique Flower. You have humility, grace, and a quiet strength. No wonder you are tagged with perfect genes."
"I do not have that much grace, as can be evidenced by my little accident which you are repairing nicely."
The medic laughed. "My daughter would love to meet you."
"Is she in the city?"
"Yes, we live in the connected building across the skyways."
"I have a few moments before I need to be in conference. I will finish getting ready, if you would like to send for her. I can afford some time with her."
The medic smiled. "You are very generous."
No, I'm trying to recruit your daughter to my side. I need allies.
"I will return with her very shortly."
"I look forward to meeting her. What is her name?"
"Oh, she hasn't been hybridized yet."
"Does she have a given name?"
"Yes, oh, Daiohn."
"What a very beautiful name. I can't wait to meet her."
The medic smiled, packed up his equipment and left my suite.
Ok, I have to get ready. My Kyr-? Oh the shoes! I dug around in the closet where I had simply thrown everything. I pulled out the shoes and opened the soles. Syringe and Vial, check. Kyr and... the little vials? HOLY HELLFIRE! I STILL HAD THE STOLEN VIALS! Krietsit. I have to get these out right away. I wrapped them in one of the poofy pink scarves hung around my vanity. I slipped the pink foof into one of the suites's scented flowery post envelopes and sealed it. I keyed the envelope to return to my personal home, care of Dune and dumped the package into my purse. I shoved the body suit and it's accessories into one of the lotus pod bags and closed everything up nice and neat. Uhhhh. I'd better put these in the safe. I gave the safe an eye-print and stuffed the pod bag into the tiny box. I closed the closet.
I popped the Kyr into the DPU. It beeped. AH HELLFIRE! I looked in all of the cabinets for replacement cartridges. Finally! Near the extra rolls of toilet paper were some unopened cartridge packets. I pulled open the cartridge unit on the DPU and rotated the unit to view the blinking lights. Ok, carbon cartridge. I ripped open the silvery packaging on the fresh cartridge. I clicked the release on the old cartridge and dumped it into the basin. I pushed the new cartridge in until it clicked and locked into place. After a few moments the blinking yellow light turned to a solid white. I replaced the hydrogen, nitrogen, and potassium cartridges as well. I shoved the cartridge unit back into the DPU. Ok good.
"DPU create an intimidatingly formal business-suit clothing ensemble. I want something that will impress, humble, and generally make it known that I have power." It chirped happily. There. That should put some males in their places. Of course it might be a hair too much, but hell, I'm over worrying too much about that. Oh I won't be forceful about it and step out of line, but I'll be a quiet threat. Heh. That made me smile.
I cleaned my face and re-painted it with a hint more red around my eyes. Why paint my eyelashes brown when I have red hair? I painted them red instead. A quiet threat.
Chirp! Chirp!
Good, my clothes were done printing. I went and pulled them out of the finishing tray. Heh. DPU you read my mind. Instead of the traditionally fluffy masses of gossamer flower petals and foof that floated in every direction, my new clothing had used those petals to form a slim skirt and lightly tailored jacket. The jacket was essentially a leaf-shape based vest with petals attached to the shoulders instead of sleeves, but the fabric was stiffer and held a shape, so that the petals from the shoulders just barely curved downward. The undershirt had a more prominent sepal-v design. And the pants were skin-tight. The DPU had provided me with a more structured shoe as well. And hair clips? Uhhh, ok. I looked in the mirror and worked to get my straight hair into a more or less random spray of points at the back of my head, with smooth sides. I looked in the mirror. Quiet power indeed. I gathered my flap-bag and my optrix cartridges.
Chirp.
I opened the doors and the medic was standing with the sweetest little female I had ever seen.
"Hello, you must be Daiohn." I squatted down. "Nice to meet you."
"You're pretty and you don't look stupid."
The medic blushed, "Daiohn-"
"It's ok. She's very smart."
The shy little female with the neon yellow hair and big yellow-brown eyes smiled. She had a creamy-yellowish-tan skin, that had a sprinkle of brown freckles. I looked her straight in the eyes. She was a defiant, passionate, wisp of a thing.
"Father said I have to be hybridized. Is that true?"
I looked up at the poor medic. I'm sure he was hoping that I would instill good solid Flower values into his precocious child.
"Come here, I want to show you what I do." I looked up at her father. He nodded and smiled. I took her hand and led her to my desk so that she could see my lumentext.
I signaled to her, "Do you understand flower-speak?"
"Yes, but I'm not very good."
"You see, this is my lumentext. I am Arcson Tryst Suiryoku's attache, which means I attend all of the conferences and discussions that he cannot because he is so busy. I must represent his position correctly to the various groups that attend these discussions, and I must also take copious, detailed notes so that I may report back to him the significance of the discussions."
"Ok, the first thing you need to know is NOT to display such defiance in front of your father - I know you want nothing to do with this culture, and neither do I, but you have to play within the rules for right now, until we can break free."
Her eyes opened really, really wide.
"So do you help the Arcson make informed decisions by supplying him with information vital to each of the discussions?" She was getting the hang of what to do, quickly.
"Yes, that is exactly what I do. I am his eyes and ears, and although I don't understand everything, I report as much as possible because he does."
"You have to learn to put on a dumb face and act like you don't know squat, but in reality, you know much, much more than the males do."
"How did you get this powerful? Most of the females I've met are really dumb."
"I've had a lot to think about. If you want to, it's possible that I could slip in some real teaching covered by 'Flower lessons'..."
"Would you?"
"Yes."
I looked up at the medic. "If you wish sir, I would be willing to train your daughter in Floristry duties. She is very beautiful and will make a very valuable Flower if she had appropriate training."
He looked like I had just offered to give him a research grant.
"Daiohn, would you like some private tutoring on Floristry?" He asked the little defiant firecracker cautiously.
"Yes father. She is a very smart Flower." She looked completely innocent. Oh my she was better than I was!
He clapped his hands together.
"I am available early every day, before session." I patted my little pupil's head. "But I'm afraid I must leave for my conferences today."
"Of course Flower. Daiohn must also go to her Garden. We shall see you in the early time then?"
"Yes, that would be acceptable." I gathered my flap-bag, lumentext and purse, popping my Kyr into the hand bag as we exited my suite.
Another me in training! Heh. My littlest ally. I stepped onto the walk way and it hummed to life. Holy hellfire! Zyrenak and Itxata! Zyrenak and ITXATA! Zyrenak was her owner! That would be the only possible way she would have given me that body suit! But why?! Why would she suggest stealing the hybridizer? Why would he take me on a tour of the Biolazin research facility? WHAT THE HELLFIRE WAS GOING ON?!
Before I could even ponder an answer to my own question, I nearly dropped everything. I had walked into the conference room. Kast Maki. Kast Maki was in the conference room! He had his portfolio and was sitting across from my position at the table.
Normally, I don't believe in any kind of mystical payment for bad deeds... But maybe I shouldn't have broken into Biolazin.