Fire Opal: Scene 8

Ab Major Insensibilmente

The cafe was cozy, warmly lit with rich browns and creams, and made you feel like it was freezing outside instead of melting. A fog of delectable coffee aromas filled the space above the tables. I spotted Zyrenak's companions, or rather, they spotted me, and waved us over. Uhhh. I was one of the very few Flowers in the entire cafe.
"Zyrenak! So good of you to join us! And this is-?"
"Flower Water Lotus, may I introduce you to Druin, and Asian."
"Hello." I bowed.
Ok, Asian was the male with the bright vermilion hair and pale reddish-orange skin with bright red eyes. Druin was the male with the coffee-creamy skin, and darkish red-brown hair. I think he had either grey or green eyes, but I couldn't tell.
"Is that DCS-78j she's wearing?"
"Yes, it is."
They were staring at me.
"It looks stunning."
"Oh, I'm sorry, we're just seeing our work for the first time, would you like a seat?" Druin motioned for me to sit next to him.
"Would you like some coffee?"

GAH! YES! I would kill for some coffee!
"I thought they served tea here?" NO! I want coffee! I knew I couldn't ask for coffee, but krietsit, I wanted coffee!
"Let me go get you something special." Zyrenak smiled at me.
Let it be coffee.
"How do you like the material?" Asian asked me while sipping a steamy cup of coffee. I would have killed for that cup of his.
"I think it is very watery feeling and comfortable. I notice it has a lovely shimmer and a very nice drape." Itxata had mentioned that formal clothing has a nice drape. "What project do you work on now?"
They looked at each other hesitantly. Ah. They worked on the 'secret' projects in the lab.
"We work on some new projects, and of course it's a trade secret."
"Oh of course. You must put in a lot of time." Come on, tell me what I want to know.
"Well, yeah, I usually get in before anyone else, sometimes as early as Last Starlight or First Dawn. I'm almost always the first one to arrive and the last one to leave." Yes. I may not be able to fake Zyrenak's scans, but I might be able to fake Asian's. Plus, now I knew his work schedule. Was Dune connected?
"Here, try this, Flower." Zyrenak sat some kind of ice in front of me. I smiled sweetly and picked up my spoon while viewing my interface to the mesh-x. Hellfire. He wasn't connected. I tasted the ice.
"It's their specialty, a fruit-tea ice blend."
"Very refreshing!"
"I thought you would like it after all the issues with heat."
"Yes, I'm used to the Ultralight days, not your Optilight days."
"Where are you from Flower?" Druin sipped his coffee.
"Asa."
"Oh that would be quite a change." He smiled at me.
"I just have to ask, so pardon me if I seem rude, but are you an Energy Flower?" Asian was staring at my banding and then looked up to meet my eyes.
"Yes."
"But you have Fire hair!"
I laughed. Zyrenak raised an eyebrow.
"I have copper hair. Typically Energy have something in the white, sand, or cream family for a hair color in the cool and snow seasons, but then it changes to a deep berry-ish color during the warm and hot seasons. I just happen to be born with my berry and my sand on at the same time."
All that research Dune sent me paid off.
"I didn't know that Energy individuals had pleochroic tendencies." Asian dumped all of the little sugar packets from the table into his coffee. He was ruining it! I wanted to save the poor defenseless coffee!
"We do, similar to the Botanical individuals." I took another bite of the fruit-tea ice.
Zyrenak gave me a very peculiar look. Uhh. Remember to play dumb. Right.
"So you're an Energy Flower wearing our new fabric. It looks great on you, by the way. Oh, is that really a gold band or is that jewelry?"
Zyrenak choked on his coffee.
"You'll have to pardon Asian, he doesn't get out of the lab much."
I smiled. "It's all right, he's simply curious. I'm sure it's not every Twilight that an Energy Flower comes to join him for coffee." Come on Dune. Connect! I'm running out of time here and I'm having to be coquettish. "Yes, I've been certified as p-era genes, which is why I wear the gold band." HELLFIRE! I'm not supposed to know the short form of the name of the gene test! Ok, have to cover that one. Think. "Which I'm sure stands for something very important, but no one explained it to me. They just poked and jabbed me, said I had p-era genes, and snapped the gold band around my wrist." Was that fluffy enough? Krietsit Dune! I need out of here now!
"It stands for pure perfect genes, in reference to the Last Known Good Flowers, called the perfect era." Zyrenak gave me a smile I did not like.
"Would you please excuse me for only a moment?" Druin stood.
"Of course, but hurry back, your coffee will get cold!" I'm going to puke. This is so not me it's not even funny. I checked for Dune's persona tag. There it was! I about jumped out of my seat. I pulled up the full interface with my eyes and instantly I was pelted with messages from Dune.
"We've received two more offers for you today."
HOLY HELLFIRE! There goes my perfect world of never being owned.
"Forget that. I could give a crap about that. I need your help, I want to break into a research facility here."
"Woah woah woah. You want to what?"
"I want to break into a research facility here. I need your help. I can't fake the brain scan and eye-print all by myself."
"Krietsit Lyte! What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?"
"No, I found a test sample of possibly living metal from Kast. Did you know he was an executive with Arcaiasys Corp? Did you know that they are a joint venture between Biolazin and Zergtek-L?"
"Hold on. You found a test sample of living metal from Kast? How did you do that?"
"I went on a tour of a Biolazin research lab, and I saw a vial that said, 'Control-Maki' on it, and it was in the secret living metal research area."
"How did you see it then?"
"I was trying to snag a rip-packet."
"You broke your needle?"
"Yeah, after I opened another shimmering file, I dropped the syring and broke the needle."
"You opened another shimmering file? Slow down slow down!"
"I don't have time. I've only enough time to get your help to fake an access into the Biolazin research facility. I'm having to flirt! Do you understand what that's doing to my sense of intelligence?"
"So Flower what do you think we should name that material?"
Holy crap. Two conversations at once. I have to keep it all together here.
"Well, the smooth watery texture would lead me to a water-based name, possibly. And the bioluminescence is so beautiful, it actually looks and feels like I'm wearing water, like I never left the bathing basin."
"Your brain scan is highly irregular, have you been having to shoot up more often?"
"Yeah, quite a bit more often, actually. I start shaking."
"There's something intriguing going on between the Flower-hybrid DNA, the living metal I gave you and the living metal hybridizer that penetrated your skin."
"Like what? I'm not your specimen!"
"That is exactly the effect we were trying to achieve, but we had no idea the fabric would wear so well. You look poured into that dress." Druin was *not* staring at my eye level.
Like a body suit. LIKE A BODY SUIT? Itxata?
"Your brainscan is looking kind of like one I once saw from a deceased Energy Flower. Not exactly like it, and I don't think it will, knowing how that brainscan looked..."
"Meaning what?"
"Meaning I think you may be developing some anomalies."
"Could you be more specific?"
"No, not yet. I'll have to study this more."
Great. I'm a mutant. I'm also a specimen.
"Are you going to help me break in to Biolazin? I have yet another reason to do it now."
"Yeah, I'll help you. When you're ready, I'll be connected. Is it standard brain/eye?"
"Yeah."
"What's your time frame?"
"I have to be out before Last Starlight."
"Krietsit Lyte! You're not giving me much warning!"
"I think the tour guide noticed that I caught that label and I don't want to risk it being gone."
"Hellfire. All right. Leave me alone and I'll work up some kind of trick. You have a name?"
"Asian."
"I hope no one else has that name."
"He's a Fire, he works for Biolazin."
"Ok. Grab me later. I'll have something for you."
"Thanks Dune."
"Promise me I get to study your brain."
"Gah. Yeah, ok."
How did Itxata give me a body suit made of this not-yet-available material? The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up again.
"This has been a very enchanting evening, but I must go and get my beauty sleep." Gag. Gag. Puke. Puke.
"We wouldn't want you to miss out on that!" Asian smiled. I wanted to pull out his tongue and stretch it over his head.
"I'm afraid I'm this Flower's transport back to her hotel, so I must also leave you." Zyrenak gave me that smile I didn't like again. I swear I'm going to puke up.
"I hope to see you again very soon Scientist Druin and Scientist Asian." I'm going to rip my own tongue out. I bowed and was gently guided by a hand on my back toward the transport. I wanted to take his hand and break it. I didn't need to be 'guided.'
The transport hum was deafening because of the uncomfortable silence inside. I felt like a trophy that had been shined up and shown off. Grr. He went with me up the walk ways toward my room.
"Thank you for coming out with me tonight Flower Water Lotus."
"I appreciate eating with you, taking a tour of your facility, and meeting your friends. I had a lovely time." No really, it was L O V E L Y.
"I hope we get a chance to again."
Don't count on it.
"Anytime that Arcson Tryst Suiryoku wishes me to again, I will." Get the hint? I bowed to him. "Rest well Representative Zyrenak of Biolazin."
"Rest well Flower Water Lotus."
I shut the doors.
Breathe.
You can do this.
You won't get caught.
Just Breathe.
Breathe.
GO!