The Composer paused. That was interesting. “How is that possible?”
“There's no reason for them to deviate. They should be exactly where they're expected. Did Vearon backtrack their path?”
The Composer cracked a few more of the ghoul's ribs. Very odd. The para were... well, honestly, they weren't really very important, but finding out they weren't where they're supposed to be was like finding water running uphill. Odd.
It was a little interesting, but not really worth worrying about. “I don't care about Vearon's stupid cyborgs, sage. Give me something else.”
The Composer took the ghoul's leg in both hands and broke it off at the knee. “Why would he be? I thought Butler always handled that kind of thing. Propaganda, information control.” At least, that was what was assumed. The Composer wasn't interested in the intelligence side of things. Killing things was more fun.
There was a laugh. “Unlikely.”
The Composer gave a derisive snort. “He's a moron. Even I know that they'll never accept help from an outsider.”
“That just means it tastes better.”
Lakerine sighed.
“Easy enough.”
The Composer reached into the ghoul's chest and finally pulled out his heart, dripping in rich blood, a little thicker than in a baseline human.
“Well, that's no fun. I don't get to kill nearly enough people.”
Then the Composer ate the heart.
Chapter 29: AVES
LING
Ling met Turgay and Pigeon outside of the dorm, in the small alley that separated it from the next 'scraper. The crow was looking better. Apparently his King had gotten him some help. Maybe he had even been thrown into the toy box itself for healing, who knew.
“Thanks for meeting us,” Turgay said. “I know we've caused trouble for you the past few days.”
“Can we talk about this somewhere else?” Ling glanced at the maintenance man installing some speakers at the corner. “I don't want to be overheard.”
He nodded. “Of course. This way.” They headed deeper down the alley, probably the direction they had come from. Aves were still rare, and Soaring Eagle's actions had made them mistrusted. It was best to keep them out of sight.
Once they decided they were far enough away, Ling sat on a dumpster. “How's the toy box?”
He winced a little at her tone, but kept strong. “Fine. Thanks for asking. Sele is keeping it under wraps, as you might expect, so I don't really know what they're doing with it.”
Ling frowned. “Sele?”
He smiled a little. “Short for Selenium.” At her blank look, he continued. “It's atomic symbol is 'Se.' Cuz, uh... Soaring Eagle is a bit of a mouthful.”
Ling shook her head. Never let geeks out of the lab, seriously. They came up with stuff like that. “Whatever. And you're sure she's using the box to advance wing research, not create super viruses or anything?”
Pig bobbed his head excitedly. “Definitely, definitely. I'm in the first wing trials, once they get a basic design made.”
“They'll probably be non-functional,” Turgay said. “There just isn't any real research into wings, since everyone has known for so long that its going to be very, very hard. I really doubt they'll even get the first batch to flap.”
“I just hope it was worth stealing the stupid thing,” Ling spat with more anger than she intended. “You brought a lot of people into this scheme of yours. We all go down if Butler isn't feeling merciful.”
Turgay's feathered shoulders sagged. “I know Ling, I know. But Soaring Eagle... she's offering a lot. Giving our culture a chance to actually thrive.”
“Illegally.”
He looked away. “Well, yes. But it's the only way that has a chance at working.”
Ling shook her head. She knew she should be at NHQ, flirting with Derek, not dealing with this. Then again...
She wasn't really sure what to make of their fight the other day. She had always known, intellectually, that Derek spent most of his time wrestling monsters. She knew that he could kill her, and she wouldn't be able to do anything to stop him. But knowing a truth and having it throw you against a wall are two very different things.
She had been out of line, of course. It was common courtesy to let someone know you couldn't make a meeting, and required when it was a life or death situation. Her little rant about not being a soldier, while true, didn't really apply to the situation.
But Ling didn't approve of solving problems with violence. That was one of the reasons she was still leery about their little alliance with Necessarius. Butler had a very... ballistic solution to most difficulty. If she was completely honest, she had always agreed with the succubi and the daevas. If a problem couldn't be solved with sex, it wasn't worth paying attention to. But saying that within a thousand feet of Lily, or even Derek and Akane, would likely get her killed.
Oh sure, they were fighting the screamers, but that was more like weeding the garden. They weren't people any more. Laura and Doctor Clarke were trying their best, but Ling knew in her heart they wouldn't have any luck finding a cure. In all likelihood, anything they came up with would just make things worse.
She should probably talk to Derek about it. She was sure he felt worse about it than she did. She had half expected him to call and apologize, but no such luck.
“Ling?” Turgay asked. “You still with us?”
She blinked, clearing her head. “What? Yes, yes, sorry, my mind wandered. What was the question?”
“I just wanted to know if you had a better idea to advance the cultures.”
She sighed. “If the screamers were gone, and the fey played nice with everyone...” She shrugged. “There are a lot of options that are off the table because of things like that. But that doesn't mean they're all out of reach. Did you talk to—” She thought for a moment. “The sibriex, or the Glasyans? Either of them would have been helpful.”
Turgay clicked his beak disdainfully. “Yes, we did. As well as the autumn fey. And the Avernans, the Belians, and even the Nosferatu. Anyone who might be able to help vitalize the subculture has turned us down. This was the last option.”
Ling held up her hand to stop him. He was getting a bit angry. “Look, I'm sorry. I'm not involved in this, I don't know all the details. I shouldn't judge. It's just...” She shrugged uncomfortably. “It's Necessarius, Guy. You know better than to screw with them. Remember how they ended the Battle of Shendilavri? The Battle of Hathsin?” He broke eye contact, and she stepped forward, forcing him to look at her. “In five years, do you want people telling stories about how they massacred the aves at the Battle of G'Hanir?”
“It won't—” he started, but she cut him off.
“Yes, that is exactly what will happen. You guys have one 'scraper. Butler can topple that easily enough.”
He met her gaze again, anger giving him strengt
h. “It's too late now. Soaring Eagle knew what she was getting us into. We'll survive or not, that's just the way it is.” He sighed, deflating. “Let it go, Ling. The die is cast.”
She bit her lip. “Guy—”
“I've been meaning to ask you about Lizzy,” he interrupted, in a blatant attempt to change the subject.
She didn't object. “What about?”
“What's she do for a living, anyway?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Didn't her driver or bodyguard or whatever tell you?”
He shook his head, feathers rustling. “No. They didn't talk much.”
Ling shrugged. “She's a voice actress. I think she's doing My Little Pony right now. Not sure though.”
“She's... what? Nevermind, the point is that she has a pretty big support system for just a voice actress.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You complaining?”
“No! No, nothing of the sort. I was just impressed, that's all.” He shifted awkwardly on his feet. “She's a nice girl, and her type don't usually last long in that kind of business.”
Pigeon spoke up. “Seems like everyone likes her. Maybe that's how she's surviving.”
“Shut up—” Turgay began, then paused. “Actually, that's a good point.” He shrugged. “She seems to rouse protective instincts.”
“I think you guys are making acting sound more dangerous than it is,” Ling said with a smile. “This isn't some shadowy cabal. The worst these people get is paparazzi and weird letters, and voice actresses aren't popular enough have to deal with even that.”
The crow cawwed—a laugh. “I don't think you know what you're talking about.”
She laughed right back. She might not have been an expert, but she had been trying to break into the animation business since she was seven. She knew what she was talking about. “No, I do. It's hardly a cutthroat business.”
“I was talking more about the stress,” Turgay said, before the argument could escalate. “It weighs on you. And Lizzy seems to have... weak shoulders, so to speak.”
“You don't have to worry about her,” Ling said. “She has lots of friends who are more than willing to shelter her, make sure she doesn't get overworked. If anything, she's naive and pampered.”
“Naive is better than spoiled, at least,” Turgay. He paused to think, and his phone started beeping. He shut off the alarm quickly. “Sorry about that. There's this thing we have to get to, but we can talk for—”
Ling held up her hand to stall his protests. “No, no, don't worry about it. I just wanted to know you were fine, that your King hadn't chopped you up for spare parts. Go. I have homework to do anyway.”
Chapter 30: ALAE
TURGAY
Turgay didn't like lying, and he hated lying to Ling. She had done a lot for him, not even taking into account the recent adventures with the toy box. But orders were orders. She couldn't know the details.
In truth, he did know exactly what was going on with the toy box. He knew who was involved with the project, where it was located, what security was like. He even knew what everyone was getting paid.
Soaring Eagle had made him project manager as reward for his efforts. It tied everything up in a neat little bow, reducing the number of people who knew details about the project. He probably wasn't the best choice, since nearly everyone one involved was older and more experienced than me, but he felt he was handling himself pretty well.
“Strigi,” he called, as he put his coat on the rack. They had to wear concealing clothing while outside, due to all the hostility towards aves. It worked out pretty well, since it was getting colder, but inside it was far too hot. “Did Anseri finish up that wing design?”
“Not quite, Director,” Strigi said. She wasn't a full anthro. She just had a few minor buffs like improved eyes. She also had a few tawny feathers poking out of her hair, which might or might not be a cosmo. “He's worried about bone density.”
Turgay nodded. “Tell him to do the best he can, but to remember that the first few are unlikely to work anyway. Doing a few real real tests will help more than fine-tuning the theory.”
She nodded and went off to tell him in person. They weren't using any form of electronic communication in the lab, not even radios. Sure, they were digitally cut off from the outside world, but just because it was impossible for MC to hack in didn't mean she wouldn't find a way. Best for there to be nothing for her to hack into.
They did have laptops, of course, but they had no internet whatsoever, not even to each other. If they needed to transfer data, it was done using one-shot burn drives. All the precautions were slowing things down, but no one was complaining after the debacle last Friday, when Delia's warhawks got captured. Of course, it had only been a day since the project started, so the complaining would probably come later.
“Corvi!” someone called. Turgay turned to see Gavii, a small-faced man with talons, striding forward with an angry look on his face.
Turgay hated dealing with the cruel little man, and it seemed the feeling was mutual, but he masked his discomfort.
“What do you need, doctor?” he said as calmly as he could. For crying out loud, he wasn't ten feet from the door. Couldn't this wait? “Weren't you working with Anseri on the wings?”
“Yes, that's what I wanted to talk to you about.” He looked very perturbed, which was rare. Oh, he was annoyed all the time, but he looked seriously off balance. “I've been reassigned.”
Turgay blinked. “What? To what? By who?”
He handed Turgay a pad. “To researching if functional-limb generation is possible. By Sele herself.”
He tapped through the pad quickly and cursed under his breath. He was right. It was a direct order from Soaring Eagle, requesting he be reassigned to work on appeasing some of their benefactors—specifically, by trying to get the multi-arm buffs the arachs had always been hoping for.
What Turgay couldn't understand was why she would pass him over like this. She trusted him, had put him in charge, he knew—
Then he reached the bottom.
Ah.
He glared at Gavii. “This is addressed to me. Where'd you get this?”
Gavii at least had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I... got it from the courier. I told him I'd give it to you, and I did. I just didn't mention I'd read it first.”
“Of course,” Turgay deadpanned. “I'm sure that's exactly what she intended when she labeled it for my eyes only.”
He waved his talons dismissively. “That's not the point, Corvi. I joined this project to advance our interests, not Greyanna's.”
Turgay walked deeper into the facility. It was a small place, built from about a dozen shipping containers stacked together with the walls knocked down. Plywood, covered in cloth for aesthetic purposes, acted as walls they could rearrange easily.
From the outside, it just looked like a normal stack of cargo waiting to be loaded somewhere. It got a bit claustrophobic at times, but the interior had been painted a calm gray, and the lights were gently illuminating, so it wasn't too bad.
“The ability to grow entirely new limbs is hardly something that only the arachs will find beneficial,” Turgay pointed out. “We'll finally be able to regenerate limbs, rather than just repair crippled ones. Think about what that would mean.”
“It means that we're behind the curve,” Gavii said. “Macro-scale muscle and bone generation is number one on Clarke's to-do list. Even if we only count the time he's had the toy box, he's still months ahead of us. I hear he's almost got the heart working.”
“Consider that incentive to work faster,” Turgay said, settling into his chair with a sigh of contentment. His desk was in the farthest corner of the small complex, probably to force him to greet as many people as possible as he walked by.
“That's ridiculous,” Gavii said. “I'm not going to be able to outstrip the greatest scientific mind in the city simply by working faster. I demand—”
“Frank,” Turgay interrupted, tone warning. “Soari
ng Eagle has made up her mind, and I'm not going to challenge her. Just tell me what you're starting with.”
Luckily, he could take a hint. He shut his mouth, nodded, and pulled out his personal pad.
“Macro-scale MBG has been done before, but it's ridiculously difficult. Seven years ago, Doctor Mary Christina Asimov tried to grow a new set of limbs on a subject wholesale. The arms barely grew at all, quickly died, and had to be amputated. Similar trials had identical results.
“Four years ago, after the hags invented hydra, the experiment was attempted again. It had much more success, but the resulting limbs were still all but crippled, and the subjects required constant injections of hydra to even maintain that level of use. Hydra is a little addictive as well, and with the amount these people were using, many of them became dependent. The project was scrapped.
“Two years ago, Doctor Alison Blake came at it from another angle. Following the successful creation of tails—”
“Wait,” Turgay interrupted, curious. “I thought tails were only about three months old.”
Gavii huffed, impatient. “No, they've only been sold for about three months. They're too weak, so nobody could think of any use for them. After a couple trials two years ago proved it was possible, the idea was put on the back burner, until Lily got one. She convinced Clarke it would sell among demons, and it did.”
“Huh.” That was news to Turgay.
“Anyway,” Gavii continued, annoyed, “Blake decided to try and create the limb first, and then attach it to the subject. That came out even worse. There's a reason making complicated structures is still nearly impossible; the toy maker is much better at shaping flesh that already exists.”
Turgay pinched the bridge of his nose. “Hold up. I understand that necrosis sets in quickly if the structure isn't attached to a human host. But explain to me why it can't just be attached to life support—artificially flooded with nutrients, an electric charge simulating a nervous system—and so on.”
Gavii sniffed. “Because, then you can't use the toy maker to improve it. Blake tried to get around that by making a very simple structure with the toy maker—basically just a crude lump of flesh and bone—and then editing it indirectly, using seeds, while it was still on life support. That proved impossible without creating an entire artificial body. For the seeds to work, it needs pretty much everything a human being has. Digestive system, nervous system, and so on. Building such a machine was beyond her expertise, and the project was scrapped.”
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