Colin's posts

Illias bit his lip a little when Kiah mentioned how uneasy she was about that.

"...sorry." he apologized.

"And yeah, we do." he agreed.

-Later that day-

"...and it is stabilizing normally." Illias finished as he read the screens.

"Yep. No abnormalities, no residual particles, nothing." he confirmed.

"Congratulations, Dr. Remmington." he told Kiah, using her official title and name to stress how sincere he was. "It looks like you've proven what others could not." he said.

"This'll get your name in the journals." he chuckled, before looking at the clock on the wall.

"...and it looks like took us to the end of the workday." he commented, though he knew this worked perfectly with their plans for that evening.

Illias nodded in response.

"Perfect." he said.

"I have no problems with doing it tonight." he told her.

He then looked around, before nodding again, though more slightly this time.

"But let's keep this hush-hush as to make it a surprise." he said further.

"All right?"

Illias nodded in response.

"That's a great idea." he said.

"But we'll need to... well... secretly test his office." he muttered.

"Which will be... difficult." he went on.

"If we can do that, odds are doing the actual analysis will be quick." he reasoned.

"Any ideas?" he asked her.

"Oh, more that I'm concerned about something he's concerned with." Illias clarified.

"See, apparently he's been asked to look after something important. I don't know what, but that in and of itself isn't the important thing." he went on.

"But he's concerned about how absolute and reliable his security is." he told her.

"You know, worrying about potential holes and such." he continued.

"I'm just thinking it might be nice to give him a report or a map or whatever, detailing his security, and highlighting any potential problem areas for him to shore up." he explained further.

"If that makes sense." he added.

Illias was silent for a moment, before swallowing hard.

'Right, time to do this.' he thought.

"Yeah." he replied.

"I feel just fine now." he told her.

"Guess there was more stress in me than first thought." he told her with a light laugh, as he scratched the back of his head.

"But I'm all right now." he assured her.

"I'm a bit worried about Sharp, though." he then said further.

Illias nodded.

"All right then." he replied.

"Sure thing." he told her.

Illias went to Sharp and told him everything, and Sharp let him take the night off... however, while he was in the office, he felt a strange stressful sensation come over him. Like something was in the office. Something he needed. Something he had to get.

That night, he had a nightmare... involving Sharp's office, and how what was in there, wherever it was and whatever it was, was needed to save him.

As such, he took a few more days off for 'stress-related issues' before he could no longer stand it. He was going to get into Sharp's office. But how? The security there was nearly air-tight... nearly. That's what gave him an idea.

He returned to work, and nodded to himself as he entered the lab area, making sure he looked pensive and like he was thinking hard about something.

Illias just smiled softly.

"Heh. Maybe." he said.

"But all right, I'll go see Sharp." he told her, getting up from his desk.

"...sorry about this." he then apologized.

"I don't mean to continue to inconvenience you like this." he said.

Again, Illias sighed.

"Right." he said.

He then finished the sentence he was working on, before saving his work.

"That should be an okay place to stop." he mumbled.

"I guess I should tell Sharp that I'm leaving early, and why." he told her.

"I don't need the stress that comes after not following protocol."

Illias just sighed, and shook his head.

"Wait." he said.

"Home?" he asked.

"Are you sure that's necessary?" he asked her further.

"I mean, yeah, it's a weird feeling, but... you really think that's cause for me to have to leave?" he inquired, before pausing for a moment.

"...maybe it is." he admitted.

"Something like this could ruin my concentration and cause me to make mistakes." he reasoned with a defeated sigh.

"I.... I'm not sure." Illias responded.

"I keep... thinking I'm hearing something?" he said.

"Or... seeing something, maybe?" he said further.

"Just... I don't know, something seems... off. Like I'm missing something, or something's not right around here." he told her, before shaking his head.

"I know, that doesn't make sense." he sighed.

Hal just watched her go, before sitting back down at his desk.

".....hm." he mumble, looking at the wall.

"That damn tome." he said.

"Never thought I'd see it again." he muttered. "Never WANTED to see it again." he said further.

He then sighed quietly, and looked at his tea.

"....where to keep it at home..." he whispered to himself, trying to make arrangements and plan things out.

After a couple of days, Illias was sitting at his desk, going through some notes, before he looked around, as though looking for something.

He then went back to writing... before he looked around again. And then again.

Either he was looking for something specific, or he was hearing something nobody else was. Regardless, he wasn't finding what he was searching for.

"....weird..." he mumbled, seeming to be thinking aloud.

Hal returned the hug, and held her close.

"It's all right." he replied.

"I understand why it needs to be me." he told her.

"I'll be fine, and the tome will be fine." he then assured the woman.

"NOONE will know of this." he stressed.

"I swear it." he said.

"I assume you must be going now?" he asked.

"There anything else I can do to lighten the burden that seems to have been placed upon you?"

Hal just nodded in response.

"I understand." he said.

"That damn tome and pen is a veritable curse on this world." he grumbled.

"I hope it and the pen never come into contact." he went on.

"If they do, the results could be disastrous." he said further.

"I'll do all I can to ensure the tome's safety." he then assured her.

"Anyone else know that I have it now?" he inquired.

Hal seemed to freeze for a moment.

"The Tome of Untold Futures?" he asked.

"Ohhhhhh my." he said.

"The one that, when paired with the pen, will give the holder power over anyone's immediate future." he said further, his voice quiet.

"Without the pen, it's harmless." he went on.

"But the legends say that the tome and pen are drawn to each other." he mumbled further.

"I swear I will guard it to be very best of my abilities and capabilities." he told her.