The room was small, lit by the light of a single window and several flickering oil lamps. The smell of herbs and medicine filled the air, tinged with the metallic odor of blood. Several table stood arranged side by side. On the first stood a collection of beakers and vials, several bubbling as flames burned beneath them. Upon the second was a still figure, covered in a cloth. On the third, rested the sleeping Jin'li, his pale flesh and white hair giving him a ghostly appearance in the dim light. A fourth table was covered in mechanical contraptions and small bags of a powder of a deep black. A small vial of a sinister cyan color stood beside the power. The "doctor" stood before this last table, gloved hands carefully pulling long, hair thin needles from a small box and dipping them inside the blue liquid before attaching them with great care to the outside of a small, hand sized object made of pottery, with a short fuse sticking from the end.
The "doctor" wore a green robe and a hood covered the "doctor's" face, a pair of golden eye peering from beneath the cowl as the figure gently inserted another of the needles into a slot on the exterior of the small explosive. The needles were made of a thin, granite alloy. Easy to shatter. But that was the point. The needles were coated in the vile, cyan serum and would fly through the air, poking holes in flesh and injecting the deadly venom as they shattered and became almost impossible to find. The explosive was a low grade one, and would sound like nothing more than a firework going off. Indeed, fireworks were to be the "doctor's" cover for this test, for the "doctor" had even infused blue colors into the powder.
The linkpearl inside the "doctor's" ear buzzed and the "doctor" carefully removed the gloves before bringing a hand to the ear beneath the cowl.
"Lady Rema?" the "doctor" whispered softly as the sounds of laughter came in from the window.
"Doctor." Rema's voice was polite and the "doctor" marveled at how different she was from Adin. "How goes the construction?'
"You will need to specify, my Lady." the "doctor" answered as the figure rose to it's feet, a brown, fuzzy tail swishing as the "doctor" moved to the window and shut it, the golden eyes looking down at the street. "Mine, Jin'li's, or the poison?"
"All three." Rema replied eagerly. The "doctor" marveled at how she actually appreciated hard work, unlike Adin.
"I am still completing mine, but it is mostly done. It has been painful without the milk of the poppy but I will endure. As for Jin'li," the doctor looked over at the sleeping miqo'te with pity in the golden optics, the only visible feature beneath the cowl. "His wiring is complete, but the blood transfusions are taking time. At this time, I am optimistic, however. Given enough time, I foresee him recovering up to eighty percent of his mobility, and I do not mean just prior to his near death, I refer to when he was in his prime. His cardiovascular system, however, was heavily damaged by the stab wound to his left lung and he will be unable to fight or engage in heavy running for more than a few minutes. There is no way to restore that part of him. I remain unable to cure his other ailments as well."
"Splendid, doctor." Rema replied. "And our venom?"
"It has been perfected as a poison. I am testing it's capability at mass harm today. If the test is conclusive, I shall make several vials before experimenting with the base ingredients to make it water soluble and possibly converting it to a gas. Lady Rema, how is it you are contacting me on this linkpearl, are you not in the Empire?"
"I was." Rema answered. "Thank you for all your hard work, doctor. You will be rewarded accordingly."
"Thank you, Lady Rema." the "doctor" replied gratefully as the linkpearl went dead. The golden eyes continued to watch the street below before walking over to a pair of leather gloves and putting them on. The "doctor" then picked up the device and placed it inside a satchel and then walked out the door, putting the satchel over a robed shoulder and locking the door.
The "doctor" wore a green robe and a hood covered the "doctor's" face, a pair of golden eye peering from beneath the cowl as the figure gently inserted another of the needles into a slot on the exterior of the small explosive. The needles were made of a thin, granite alloy. Easy to shatter. But that was the point. The needles were coated in the vile, cyan serum and would fly through the air, poking holes in flesh and injecting the deadly venom as they shattered and became almost impossible to find. The explosive was a low grade one, and would sound like nothing more than a firework going off. Indeed, fireworks were to be the "doctor's" cover for this test, for the "doctor" had even infused blue colors into the powder.
The linkpearl inside the "doctor's" ear buzzed and the "doctor" carefully removed the gloves before bringing a hand to the ear beneath the cowl.
"Lady Rema?" the "doctor" whispered softly as the sounds of laughter came in from the window.
"Doctor." Rema's voice was polite and the "doctor" marveled at how different she was from Adin. "How goes the construction?'
"You will need to specify, my Lady." the "doctor" answered as the figure rose to it's feet, a brown, fuzzy tail swishing as the "doctor" moved to the window and shut it, the golden eyes looking down at the street. "Mine, Jin'li's, or the poison?"
"All three." Rema replied eagerly. The "doctor" marveled at how she actually appreciated hard work, unlike Adin.
"I am still completing mine, but it is mostly done. It has been painful without the milk of the poppy but I will endure. As for Jin'li," the doctor looked over at the sleeping miqo'te with pity in the golden optics, the only visible feature beneath the cowl. "His wiring is complete, but the blood transfusions are taking time. At this time, I am optimistic, however. Given enough time, I foresee him recovering up to eighty percent of his mobility, and I do not mean just prior to his near death, I refer to when he was in his prime. His cardiovascular system, however, was heavily damaged by the stab wound to his left lung and he will be unable to fight or engage in heavy running for more than a few minutes. There is no way to restore that part of him. I remain unable to cure his other ailments as well."
"Splendid, doctor." Rema replied. "And our venom?"
"It has been perfected as a poison. I am testing it's capability at mass harm today. If the test is conclusive, I shall make several vials before experimenting with the base ingredients to make it water soluble and possibly converting it to a gas. Lady Rema, how is it you are contacting me on this linkpearl, are you not in the Empire?"
"I was." Rema answered. "Thank you for all your hard work, doctor. You will be rewarded accordingly."
"Thank you, Lady Rema." the "doctor" replied gratefully as the linkpearl went dead. The golden eyes continued to watch the street below before walking over to a pair of leather gloves and putting them on. The "doctor" then picked up the device and placed it inside a satchel and then walked out the door, putting the satchel over a robed shoulder and locking the door.
