Colin's posts

Sharp grimaced when Syraene said what she did.

"Damn it." he cursed.

"I don't." he said.

"Illias is one of our top scientists, aside from Kiah." he told her.

"And I don't know if Kiah's head would be in the game right now, given what she's recovering from." he then said further, shaking his head.

"I can try and get some outside help in, but there's no guarantee that it would work." he went on.

"I'd have to try and find people that are qualified for this level of work, see if I can take them away from whatever they're working on, it could be a mess to try and get them here." he continued.

"But... I can try that, at the very least."

"I can talk." Sharp responded.

"I have a lot of paperwork, but it's steady paperwork. I'm not overly swamped or drowning in it or anything." he told her.

"So if you want to talk over the phone, go ahead." he said.

"Otherwise, I'll be expecting you in my office. Feel free to just walk in without knocking." he finished.

Meanwhile, Illias was staring at the whiteboard, which had scribbles all over it.

"Why aren't they bonding!?" he asked himself.

"They should combine. What is it that's missing!?"

Illias just sighed again.

"Over there." he said, gesturing to a phone that was by the door.

"Battery's at about 65% last I checked, so it should still have power." he told her.

He then sighed once more, and ruffled his hands through his hair.

"Damn it, damn it, why isn't it working!?" he growled to himself.

"The formulae make sense, but something is missing..."

Illias didn't respond to her, but she could see something was wrong.

He was leaning on one of the tables, his hands in his hair, his face looking downwards.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it." he growled.

"This should be working! Why isn't this working!?" he asked himself.

He was then silent, and looked over towards Syraene.

"...I don't know, can you?" he asked.

"My calculations and formulae say that what I made in phase 3 should combine with the compounds in phase 4, but it's NOT happening." he told her.

"So if you explain why they're not behaving as the science says they should, they would be grand."

Aly followed him downstairs, where they saw that Ryker had grabbed the medication and water.

"Eh?" he muttered when he heard that.

"What? Do something?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked him.

"Also, you still got the headache, yeah? Or did it miraculously just dissipate?"

"Very well." Sharp responded.

"Let me know how he's doing, if you can." he told her.

"Unfortunately, I still have mounds of work to do, and it doesn't all stop because of a crisis." he muttered further, shaking his head a little.

"Regardless, thank you for your opinions on our guest." he then said.

"In due time, he'll atone for his crimes, I assure you." he added.

".....hm." Sharp mumbled.

"I see." he said further.

"This is... an interesting development." he commented.

"Really doesn't add much to the situation, though." he then said further.

"Illias is working his fingers to the bone in the lab, too." he added with a small sigh.

"......" Sharp was silent as he heard that.

"Gemini mentioned something about that to me earlier." he said.

"...been wondering about it ever since." he admitted.

"Now... let me ask you something." he then said.

"Have you been to see him?" she asked.

Syraene nodded.

"And your opinions on him now?" Sharp then asked her.

After a moment of silence, she heard Sharp's voice.

"Come in." he said.

When she did, he sighed a little, seemingly swamped with some paperwork.

"Ah, yes?" he asked her when he saw her.

"How can I help you, Syraene?" he asked further, gesturing for her to take a seat.

'You are only nothing because you let yourself BE nothing.'

Those words echoed in Chris's mind after Syraene had left.

"......." he was silent as he thought about it, before looking away.

"I am her lapdog no more..." he said quietly, depression in his tone.

"....wait." he then said.

"....I am her lapdog no more." he said again, but with slightly less dejection.

"........" again, Chris was silent.

"J... just..." he stammered.

"Sh... shu..." he stuttered further, but seemed to be unable to finish what he was trying to say.

".....it doesn't matter." he finally got out.

"She threw me away. I am nothing now." he said.

"...I've always been nothing." he then 'corrected' himself.

"Was destined to be nothing."

Chris opened his mouth to say something... but paused.

He was silent. It seemed like he was in the middle of realizing something.

"........" he couldn't find the words, and just closed his mouth.

"I..." he finally stammered.

"I... well..." he murmured further, before shutting up and just looking off to the side, clearly not wanting to admit that Syraene was right.

Not to her, and not to him.

"....huh?" Chris asked.

"Of course I did!" he exclaimed.

He then paused for a moment, thinking about it.

"I mean... well... I said... that I wouldn't complain about it..." he went on.

"When she brought it up, I was clear that I was open to the idea." he finished, seeming to stick to that story.

"...." Chris was silent once more.

"....pathetic..." he said.

"I guess I AM pathetic..." he admitted.

"All I ever wanted was to be useful and loved." he mumbled further.

"I thought if I chose to stop being human, I would stop being pathetic in her eyes. And my own." he then admitted to Syraene, biting his lip.

"Damn it all." he said in a defeated tone.