Fire Opal: Scene 5

D Major Con Fiducia

I was walking along the soft green moss-covered stones in the garden, accompanying Zyrenak from Biolazin, carefully trying to eat some frozen fruit concoction in the most genteel way possible, but failing miserably.
"-but then of course we come back to proposition 12-22a, which in itself wouldn't be so bad, but of course when combined with- what are you doing?"
"I stopped in order to take notes on what you were saying. I'd hate to miss an important nugget of information simply because I was eating a fruit ice."
"You're not like any Flower I've met."
"Thank you."
"Exactly my point. You take your duties seriously, you seem to have an understanding of what's going on, or at least an interest. Your replies have been well-thought out but non-committal. I'd swear you had technical experience or something - because you don't giggle whenever we talk about many of the new technologies and processes."
HELLFIRE! I'd blown it. Krietsit, what do I say to that? Uhhhh.
"How could Arcson Tryst Suiryoku be expected to make informed decisions if I did not do my duties to the best of my limited abilities?" Was that self-effacing enough?
"No other Flower attache seems to care."
Ok ok. I've got him focusing back on things I can explain. I can handle this.
"Perhaps they have not survived a genocide of their race."
That ought to shift him off course.
"Yes, that's true, but up until you arrived, I did not know any female from the Energy race had survived. I would have thought the news would have been all over the newsmedia, especially since the rumors of the Energy race's secretly working with Flowers and living metal."
He was staring directly into my eyes.
OH HOLY FREAKING KRIETSIT!

Stay calm, stay calm. Breathe. Don't act like you know something idiot. Ok. Ok. I can handle this. What are you going to say? I don't know yet, give me a moment! You're looking guilty! I AM NOT! Uhhhh. Time to stop arguing with myself in my head.
He came over and knelt next to me.
"Of course you're probably too young to remember any of that."
BREATHE!
"I had just been born."
"Of course, you're way too young, pardon me." He smiled.
Pardon my ass.
"I noticed that you do not have any ownership jewelry."
Out of the pan into the fire.
"No, I am under evaluation now."
"Yes. Do you know if you have other offers?"
Gah. Don't roll your eyes.
"I only attended one other tea."
"Oh? Tea with whom?"
Don't shudder either.
"Arcson Kast Maki of Air Arkhitecture."
"Kast Maki of Arcaiasys Corporation? Well, there can only be one Kast Maki from Air that's pompous enough to be both Arcson and one of the executives of Arcaiasys, so I answered my own question. Interesting."
Arcaiasys Corporation? What did they do?
"Which family do you come from?"
"Khial of Air Arkhitecture."
"Ahhhhh. That's a very respected family."
"Thank you."
"I'm assuming you attended Ikebana?"
"Yes." He was prodding in a most uncomfortable way. He seemed to just have a tad too much knowledge about my family and my home. "Why do you choose to work for Biolazin?" Can we get off the subject of me please?
"I believe in the products we create and the research that we do."
"If you two would please join us in the conference room, we will continue our discussions."
"Of course Intris, we were just taking notes." Zyrenak smiled. He seemed to love to rub Intris the wrong way with perfectly polite comments. Intris seemed distressed by Zyrenak's sudden interest in me.
In the conferece room, I feverishly captured notes, comments, facts, references, and everything else I could, as I had before. I also searched for Arcaiasys Corporation. When I saw the report, I about fell out of my seat. Arcaiasys Corporation was the joint project of Zergtek-L and Biolazin. Wetware and textiles? The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up again. Something didn't work with that combination. There was just something that I couldn't put my finger on that was simply wrong about the idea of Kast working for a corporation that was the joint project between a Wetware company and a textiles company. I saw a shimmering file. I didn't dare open it this time, instead I force-copied it into my optrix cartridge.
"-but that's an unsubstantiated claim made by the textiles industry!" Ikaen was standing at the table, pounding his fist. "Our transports do not in any way damage the occupants through the use of non-DPU synthesized fabrics!"
"But it's been proven time and again that non-DPU synthesized textiles do not have the same strength or rip-proofing that DPU synthesized textiles do, and if you are putting these flimsy fabrics in your transports, then yes you are damaging your occupants in any emergency situation."
"It's been proven only by researchers paid for by the textile industry!"
"Representatives, please, we are here only to discuss the issues."
"You mean we're only here to present false data that was paid for."
"The same could be said of the transport industry, Ikaen"
"Zyrenak, we are fully prepared to show our independent research. Are you? In fact, we *have* independent research proving that your claims are false!"
"The textile industry is trying to force every other industry to only use DPUs! The nature of Wetware procludes us from using DPUs for anything but a dumb fabric replicator!"
"I'm merely trying to preserve the safety of individuals. The DPU does quite a bit more than just replicate fabric. The DPUs in service today create ninety percent of all Flower goods, and well over eighty percent of the goods for Academies. With adequate research and expansion, DPUs could replace many of the lower end functions and free up companies to research higher end products."
"You mean replace many of the smaller companies." Oh krietsit. I need to learn to keep my freaking mouth shut.
Silence.
"What do you mean, Flower Water Lotus?" Intris had a note of caution in his voice. Right. Don't anger the big corporations... further.
"What I mean is that it is possible, if the DPU market were to expand significantly, that many of those smaller companies would not move into high end research, but instead simply disappear. It is likely, given the statistics of current smaller companies, that they do not possess the skills nor education necessary to shift their focus." I breathed. "That is the opinion of Arcson Tryst Suiryoku." Ok, covered that blunder.
I couldn't read Zyrenak's expression. Ikaen and Tao, however, looked justified. The other reps looked relieved.
"Arcson Tryst has made a very good point." Intris sounded relieved as well.
I breathed out the breath I had held in. I could feel my hand start shaking.
"If you would excuse me for a moment, please...?" I bowed.
"Of course Flower Water Lotus."
"You wouldn't want to miss our discussion on Wetware's secret living metal research, so hurry back." Zyrenak gave me a very weird smile. I swear he loves just trying to push buttons.
"We do not have secret living metal research! If you know of anyone that does have ANY living metal or even the structure and formulations, we would love to hear from them! We have been trying for ages to recreate the living metal supply!" Tao sounded exasperated as I left the conference room.
I went into the stall and pulled my feet up. I felt the familiar cold crawl through my body and into my head as I pushed the plunger on the syringe. I was squeezing my head in my hands to combat the intense pressure inside my brain. I thought my eyes were going to pop out. I kept them tightly shut to keep my eyeballs in. And then finally, the wash of light that released the pressure. In the warm afterglow of the light wash, I remembered the shimmering file... I looked in my interface again. It was still sitting there, waiting. I pried open the file.
Instantly I slammed into the stall wall and fell down beside the toilet. My hands were translucent... I could see through them. No, I could see inside them. I was traveling inside my own body, watching the living metal crawl and attach to my bones and muscles... I watched and felt as the living metal stretched down into my legs and into the bones. GRRRRNNNNNNH. I couldn't move my legs. It felt like my legs were breaking from the inside. I bit my tongue and blood gushed into my mouth. My legs twitched. It felt like being stabbed with millions of needles. I tried desperately not to cry. I had to go back out into the conference room. I needed to retain composure. UNNNNNNNNNH. My legs kicked uncontrollably as I had stabbing pains in my muscles. Krietsit I was dumb. Finally I could feel my legs again. I laid on the wash room floor in sheer exhaustion. Hellfire, I had broken my needle. How am I going to get a replacement? I'm never going to do that again.
Cautiously I tried to stand. My legs felt weak and heavy. I grabbed onto the stall walls for support and pulled myself up. I waited until I felt strength return to my legs before moving. I had to clean this up before anyone else came in here. I packed my broken syringe and the vial away and went to the mirrors and wash basins. I looked like a mess.
The door opened and one of the females from the conference room came in.
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't know you- are you ok?"
"Oh yes, I'm fine now. I'm afraid the heat and maybe a little illness seems to have got the best of me."
"You're such a delicate thing, here, let me help you clean up!"
She was a very nice elder Flower. I still didn't feel that strong, but I assured here that I was better. We returned to the conference room in time to witness a complete breakdown in civilities among the companies. Ok, it was an all out shouting match.
"You should be kinder to the Flowers in this room, especially this young delicate one! I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't ill from your hostilities!"
"Flower Water Lotus are you ill?"
"She was, but she assures me she's better now, but I won't have you representatives upsetting her. Please remember your manners!" She smiled at me, and helped me back onto my cushion. The reps gave her the 'mind your own business you Flower' look, but shut their mouths anyway. She really was very sweet, and they could all see she was sincere.
"If you're ill Flower Water Lotus, perhaps we should table our discussions for the day?"
"No, I'm fine, please continue."
"I say we break for the day and collect our civilities again, as Flower Dahlia has suggested." Why didn't it surprise me that Zyrenak had suggested that we end the day?
Flower Dahlia nodded her head toward Zyrenak. The other reps gave up trying to continue and packed up their paraphernalia. I packed up my lumentext and optrix cartridges. I bid everyone a 'good discussion' and went up to my suite.
I ripped off my clothes and flopped into the bathing basin, filling it with steamy hot water. I just floated, soaking in the warmth and soothing steam. When I lifted my head out of the water I heard the freaking doors chirping at me.
"You've got to be kidding." I got out of the basin and wrapped up in the sheet from earlier.
"Yes?"
"You forgot your purse."
WHAT?! HELLFIRE! I opened the doors. Zyrenak stood in front of my doors holding my purse. Had he looked inside? Had he seen the vial and the syringe? I waited for him to give it to me. Uhhh. He was staring at me. Ah krietsit. That's twice that I've answered the doors in my sheet. I took my purse from his hands.
"Thank you for bringing this to me." I started to shut the doors.
"Wait- would you like to have a meal later with me?"
And he was back in the land of the living.
"I'm not sure it would be appropriate. I'm Arcson Tryst Suiryoku's attache..."
"If I get it approved with him, will you share a meal with me later?"
"If you get it approved with him, and he tells me to go to a meal with you, I will go."
That was not the answer he was looking for.
"Will you need clothing...?" He was staring at my sheet.
"No, you simply caught me in an inopportune time." I wanted to smack him.
"Maybe you should forget your purse more often."
MUST. KEEP. HAND. DOWN.
"Anyway, I will get the approval and the direction for you to eat with me later. I will be back to take you to the meal at First Twilight."
"If you wish."
"I do wish. See you soon Flower Water Lotus." He left. Finally.
I ran back into the wash room and dove down into the bathing basin. I swear, if that door chirps again, I'm going to come unglued.
Chirp.