A New Life

[Subject 37]

"37."

The voice rang out in a rough echo, breaking the silence of medical technicians shuffling around the white room. In the center of that room sat a young man, his beard long, his hair unkempt. Muscles folded over his body, his chest revealed and covered in diodes and other electrical analysis equipment. His head was firmly placed back against the headrest of his chair, his eyes were peeled open, slowly watching those within the room. He seemed to ignore the woman that had spoke, instead his eyes folded over towards one of the young women in the corner of the room, half bent over to inspect several scalpels.

"37!"

The voice was louder this time.

Slowly the young man panned his view towards it, catching on the image of a tall but lanky Twi'lek. Her skin was bright purple, her eyes a deep yellow. Her lekku hung down to her waist, gently brushing against her lab coat. "Yes, Doctor Nira?"

His voice was smooth, easy and relaxed. It sounded as though no worries came to him, that even in this strange situation he was perfectly pliant and accepting. The Twi'lek woman seemed to move closer to him, the woman in the corner nudged the table of medical equipment closer. Thirty Seven did not take his eyes off of Nira, but an awareness took him, his hand gently clasping the armchair.

"We will be conducting further tests today. A biopsy is first and then we will begin with memory connection."

The young man shifted in his seat slightly, his eyes flicking towards the young woman.

"These tests are becoming a nuisance, Doctor Nira." The Twi'lek stepped closer to the young man, writing something down onto her clipboard as she roughly grasped his face and peeled open his eye. He let out a grunt of frustration. "Very much so."

There was a bite to his tone.

"Yes, well, I imagine you'll just have to live with it."

Her other hand came up, the clipboard placed onto the table beside her. Her fingers went scrunching against the young man's flesh, pressing, poking, prodding. A twitch seemed to rung through Thirty Seven, a small clutching of his hand into a fist. A low growl entered his throat, and then suddenly he felt a bit into his arm. It caught him off guard, but the slicing of flesh pushed into his skin, a scalpel peeling away. His eyes suddenly jerked open, his other hand reached over, grasping at the scalpels on the table. The arm that had been cut reached up like a Viper and grabbed Doctor Nira by the throat.

"Not really." The bite of metal sliced through bright purple flesh, a scream ringing out as red splashed to the floor.

 

[Noire]

​

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The soft pings of the cryogenic stasis chamber's online systems were the only noise that joined the hum of the air recycler. Health sensors, biometric charts, and a cacophony of green console lights would bathe the long stasis chamber corridor. Two rows, ten stasis cylinders. Five chambers to the left. Five to the right.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Frost would kiss the transparent glassteel; a murky home for the beings that slumbered behind the glass. Ice crystals clung to dark lashes, while skin would tint in a faint cerulean hue. The chain reaction, the domino effect conducted by Subject 37's present actions would be lost towards the feminine figure trapped in her icy purgatory.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Time here all but meant nothing, just shadows that would drift across the walls. An endless dream. mind. Fragments of times forgotten flash past so fast that they are only blurs of color. Images slow, become static. Another place, another time.


He lives.

I breathe.

I want. Him. Always.

Fire to my ice. Ice to my fever.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Subject 39"]

"Heh." Barely a word was released from his lips, more of a wry chuckle then anything else.

Three bodies lay on the floor now, all wearing the same bright white. Red stained the walls, the tiles, even the ceiling. Blood dripped from the young man's hand, a scalpel still half clutched in his fingers. Doctor Nira lay dead, her hand clutched tightly to her throat. The young nurse lay writhing on the floor, desperately trying to reach the door in her death throes. The last body was one the young man stood upon, his naked heel driving into the back of his neck.

"I wonder how I did that." He said as he looked at his hand. "It all felt...very natural."

The scalpel dropped the the floor with a loud ringing, bouncing once or twice before the young man stepped onto and over the corpse. A final grunt could be heard as the scientist passed away, blood pooling beneath him. Subject Thirty Seven strode forward, scooping up a small keycard from the floor near Doctor Nira. He stepped up towards the security door, swiping the key and pressing open the air tight seal. A loud hiss rung out, 37 stepping into an equally white hallway.

No alarms rang out, no blaring red lights flashed, there was no indication of anything having gone wrong.

A smile pulled at his lips, and slowly 37 began to move through the halls. He did not stalk or sneak, he did not crouch or hide. No, he strode, his back stiff and his shoulders wide. Blood still dripped from his hand, his upper body splashed with dots of red. He passed door after door, venturing through the laboratory surprisingly unnoticed until he passed a room labeled with a simple 'Stasis 30-40'. He stopped, his eyebrow arching as a strange compulsion fell over him.

The Keycard was swiped again, and the door slid open.

 

[Noire]

[member="Subject 37"]


Beep. Beep. Beep.

A shaft of light cut the darkness. A blood splattered foot took a step forward. Bright halogen lights flared to life overhead, motion sensors clicking ten distinct spheres of illumination across the silent stasis chamber. The temperature was near freezing, enough to send a wake of goosebumps against the bare flesh of the silhouetted that strode into the room.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Wide, brick Aurabesh sigils were stark against the frosted glass, increasing in value with every foot.

|| 31 ||

One meter. To the observer, these were empty.

|| 33 ||

Beep. Beep. Beep.

|| 35 ||

Two meters.

|| 37 ||

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Until finally, the last stasis chamber to the right, framed the shadowy figure of the one who slept there.

|| 39 ||

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Subject 39"]

Briefly he wondered what had happened to the others, briefly he thought about the consequences of what had happened here, though it was only for the most fleeting of moments. He didn't care. They didn't matter, they couldn't have mattered, after all they weren't him, they weren't her.

He stopped in front of the chamber, his head turning first. His eyes locked on hers, shut tight as they were. A small smile pulled at his lips, and slowly he began to shift himself to face her fully. His eyes rested for a moment, simply breathing in the sight of her. A small set of goosebumps began to raise along his spine, his hand moving without thought or real idea of what it was doing. The Keycard was swiped again, and quickly the stasis chamber in front of him began to unlock. The hissing of seals, the pumping of gas, it resounded throughout the chamber, and then suddenly the beeping began to stop.

"Wake up, my dear." 37 grinned. "It's time to conduct some tests of our own."

His voice dripped with poison honey, enticing and delicious, but venom hidden beneath it.

Not towards her, never towards her, but towards those within the facility, those beyond. Blood covered him, and more would come by the end of things.

 

[Noire]

[member="Subject 37"]

Warmth would rush across frozen skin. Frost would melt, and like water rippling over the woman behind the glassteel, color returned. Condensation would hiss in white clouds, the stasis chamber going through its normal reanimation protocols.

Fingers twitched. Curled. Then suddenly, a sharp gasp ripped from Subject 39's throat. Bright green eyes shot open, and her body began to seize in shock. Muscles spasms and all sensation would hike into overdrive. Bright light would blind her, tearing up the membrane and prompting the sensation of ice shards digging into her skin.

Everything hurt. Everything was overwhelming.

With a sudden lurch, Subject 39's naked body went tumbling forward, hands reaching out blindly as her legs could not hold her weight as she shot forward into consciousness.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Subject 39"]

A step forward, and the young man swept her up into his arms.

He remembered the feeling well, waking up form stasis. The prickling sensation across your skin, the burning in your eyes, the intense headache. He, no they, had been awoken more then a few times, each time the sensations had grown more and more unpleasant. It felt as though ice was still running through his veins, a frozen remnant of when they had placed into into a glorified refrigerator. A scowl carried on his lips, his hands slipping, a trail of blood left across her skin.

"Come on, love." A gentle tap of his fingers against the side of her face.

They had to move quickly. Eventually they would notice, they would see what he had done.

A memory, a distant thought, an overwhelming urge told him that timing was everything, that they had to get it right. He didn't know why, he didn't know how, but 37 knew what they had to do and that they had only a limited time to do it in. He shifted, putting 39 on her feet and slowly sliding his arms away from her as she began to wake.

"We have so many things to do." He whispered "We can't be sleeping now."

 

[Noire]

[member="Subject 37"]

His voice stirred her. Inflamed. Coaxed.

She knew that voice.

Blood smeared a crimson petal across her skin, where the smudge of his fingers painted her shivering skin in a sanguine brand. Long tendrils of red hair half veiled her face, and she struggled to breathe. In. Out. Her heart thundered, all five senses coming to her then. Her upper lip gave an upward curl, baring teeth. She would have stumbled like a newborn Bantha calf were it not for the strength of his arms, the latch of his grip.

Chest heaving, she took a step forward, her eyes adjusting to the brightness of the light and the ambient glow of the stasis chambers. Awareness came in degrees, but he stood as the pinnacle of her focus.

Move. Run. Can't stay still.

Fight or flight came in, chemical reactions charging down her neurons towards her limbs. Determination set in. Anger welled. Rage glittered under the fringe of auburn locks. Not at him. Never at him.

A hand went slamming against the nearby stasis chamber, palm flat, bracing her weight. Nails scratched and knuckles turned bone white. Shoulders rose and fell, and the gritting of her teeth could be heard. She muttered something unintelligible. "Cold." A low harsh growl that twisted her lips into a dark snarling mask.

"Hate. The. Cold."

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Subject 39"]

His hands would slowly fall away from her, allowing to stand upon her own two feet.

"Worry not, dearest." 37 let his palm slide down her hip and finally off of her skin, his nail gingerly scratching at her flesh as he took a step back. "We'll find you a coat."

His voice was trimmed with decadent delight, amusement of the highest caliber. The blood on his palm had coagulated, the splashes on his chest and face had dried, and the dollops of red within his hair and become solid, trying black locks together. There was no indication that he even noticed, no indication that he cared about the horror he currently was. He was simply happy, happy to be alive, happy to be here with her. What more could he need, after all?

"I believe Doctor Nira wore a fine coat, perhaps she left it in her office. A gift for you to find after her passing." He smirked.

He was feeding 39 information of course, telling her what had happened since he had been awake.

 

[Noire]

[member="Subject 37"]

Nira

The name brought up the image of the pink skinned Twi’lek. The biopsies. The way the tailhead schutta dared to touch her.

It made a hot coil of anger bubble at the pit of her stomach, her eyes narrowing into glittering malachite slits. A hiss of her breath flew out of Thirty-Nine’s mouth in a cloud of condensation, and from her peripheral, she registered the smugness in Thirty-Seven’’s voice. The hubris. The pleasure at his state of being.

She knew then.

Her back would straighten, and her right hand went threading through the crown of her head, pushing back the long tendrils of auburn hair. Her head would swivel slowly towards Thirty-Seven. The copper tang of blood radiated off the male, and there was a sapphire fire in his eyes that framed that splatter deliciously so.

She moved so fast. Jeco-like reflexes akin to those of the Force, striking like a snake as her hand shot out to capture the nape of his neck. She drew him down to her quick, and the resulting kiss was as much of a punishment as a reward. She had so wanted to be the one to slice the e’chu’ta’s neck…

He tasted of copper, that metallic tang from a smear of Nira’s blood. A roll of her tongue and the nip of his lower lip came next. The entirety of the scene was quick, but the point made. A tap of his cheek, the harsh breathing of her breath. The glittering of emerald in her eyes as she lifted her chin.

“Let’s go, love...I do enjoy presents…”

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Subject 39"]

He smirked, as though the reaction had been expected. In truth, it probably had been. It was natural really, the process that she would go through. He had taken a small amount of joy from her, but also had given her some back. It was the way of them. It would always be the way. "I know you do."

The words were breathed out, the smirk still pulling at his lips.

His hand wrapped around her, his arm pulling her free of the pod. She stumbled for half a second, then stretched out and stood tall, swaggering for half a second before turning her walk into a full stride out the door of the stasis hall. 37 watched for a moment, then peered at the other pods. They were empty of course, he and 39 had been the last to be created. A frown pulled at his lips, his eyes folding on his own pod directly to the left an opposite the one that 39 had been in. His teeth showed for half a second, and as he began to walk he struck the panel besides the pod.

Sparks flew out, blood caught from his knuckles, and satisfaction reigned within him.

He followed after her, quickly falling in step beside her, lounging down the hall and taking turn after turn.

The facility seemed abandoned, left to its own devices. They would have a few minutes more yet, a few moments of rest. 37 could feel the air getting thinner, could feel the momentum turning within their favor. He knew they were on the correct path, he knew what they would have to do next. He had a plan, after all.

 

[Noire]

[member="Subject 37"]
There was a thrum in the air. A charged energy. Both fed from it. Thirty-Nine’s stride would fall into place, long, shapely legs gaining more confidence with every second out of the stasis chamber. The cold sent goosebumps down her flesh, but she paid it no mind. No, she had a determined focus.

The office of the Chief Scientist and Researcher would be their first pit stop. Keen eyes would search for clues, her mind recalling several dozens of conversations where bits and pieces were woven together to make an abstract picture. That was her strength. While Thirty-Seven could act in an instant, Thirty-Nine spent her time processing the use of her eclectic for long term archival, for a time where it would come in handy, like a puzzle placed bit by bit until the whole picture would make itself known.

Glittering green eyes shot a glance to the left, her bare feet coming to a slow stop. Slowly, she swiveled her torso to the right. An image came to mind. A memory.

“This way.” she told Thirty-Seven, once again moving with her purposeful stride. With precious minutes to use, they had to find their way out of the compound. Quietly, she began to hum, fingers lightly brushing the side paneling of the wall. Nameplates and a variety of doors would pass, and each she would give a trace of her fingerpad.

Finally, the Aurabesh Sigils would put them in front of Dr. Nira’s office. The corner of Thirty-Nine’s lips would twist in contempt.

 

[Subject 37]

"Excuse me, love." 37 stepped past 39 as the woman stalled in front of the door.

He didn't bother attempting the handle, he knew that the piece of wood would be locked. Doctor Nira had always struck him as a careful woman, and although her door was a simple construct, he knew that she would likely keep the entire thing locked up tight. There was no point in trying to open it the conventional way. Instead 37 simply stepped forward, moving with momentum and raising his leg to land a solid kick right by the doorknob. The wood seemed to crack, splinter, then 37 placed more pressure on it. Half a second latter and a loud snap could be heard as the door lock gave way and broke into itself.

A smirk played across his lips, then he stepped inside.

As he had suspected the office was neat and tidy, kept together by the hand of a woman who knew exactly what she wanted and where she wanted it.

On one side of the room was a coat hangar, upon it lay a large white coat that seemed to stretch almost to the floor. 37 eyed it, then slowly wandered over towards the hangar. The coat was pulled free, and the man opened it, taking careful measure not to rub any of the blood on his hands upon it. 37 held the coat for this counterpart, a smile dawning on his lips.

 

[Noire]

[member="Subject 37"]
“Thank you, sweetling.” came the throaty coo. Full curves and the whisper of fabric would ease into the extended lab coat, Subject Thirty-Nine slipping her arms through the sleeves as Thirty-Seven ever so carefully settled it so about her shoulders.

“Such a dear.” she’d add, her fingers threading through the thick, damp mass of her auburn hair. Much better, she thought to herself, rolling her shoulders.

“Smells like the S’chutta,” she stated, the sneer in her voice dripping with venom. “But it will do.” A hand would lightly reach to pat and give the thick bearded male a caress of his jawline, her attention appraising the office.

The tailhead kept an organized office. And if anything it would make it easier to rifle through to get anything of worth.

There was a desk with a data terminal. Beside it a wall lined with bookshelves, a few portraits on the walls. Utilitarian to a degree, save the knickknack of a wretched researcher. Her upper lip curved in distaste.

“I bet there a map of this facility in there,” she stated, moving away from him over to the desk.

“And considering how secretive the e’chuta was…” She gave a pause, drifting her glittering emerald gaze in scathing at the bookshelves and the walls. “I'm sure she has some safe somewhere.”

At the very least to secure the more vital items. Maybe even some weapons.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Subject 39"]

He did so love a woman in charge, or did he love to bring them down? It was hard to tell really, he was still drowsy from being frozen for so long.

Either way 37 slowly wandered over to the terminal on the desk, slipping past 39 and inspecting the small machine. It was odd. He had an innate knowledge of so many things, he knew how to kill, he knew how to fight, he knew how to plan and plot and scheme...yet this machine confounded him. He frowned slightly, his fingers running over the mechanical keyboard that Doctor Nira had preferred when she was alive. The subject shifted slightly, dropping into a squat and quickly beginning to search through the desks drawers.

The metal slammed out as he combed through the files.

It was quick work, busy work though.

Rage boiled inside of him, anger at his inability. He didn't like not knowing something, and something like this...it would become important. He cursed Doctor Nira, he cursed the researchers and the scientists for not giving him more ability, not giving him more knowledge. He would need more.

"Sweety." 37 said as he pulled a file from one of the drawers. "Be a dear and find that map for us."

 

[Noire]

[member="Subject 37"]

A throaty chuckle would be his answer, the stroke of her hand caressing the breadth of his shoulders. Oh he was angry. Livid. She could feel the rage bunch sinew and muscles, feel the tremble of his frustration and fury nearly radiate in palatable rage.

“Mmm… of course, dear.” she sang sweetly, stroking the length of his upper arm just as she came to a seat beside him. Oh she loved him like this. The way his muscles flexed and how bright the cobalt of his eyes sat within the sunken hollows of his eyes.

They both had their skillsets, and her beloved knew this. She can blame that Schutta for not using him to his full capability.

Sliding her chair, the subject set her fingers upon the mechanical keys. They hovered in the air, pausing for a moment. A slight arch of her eyebrow and then she tapped the Aurek key. The flare of a cerulean screen bloomed upon the data terminal, a small blinking blank entry where the password would be typed in.

Her eyes narrowed into glittering malachite slits. What would the passcode for the fething Tail-head be? For a moment, she took a deep breath, attempting to relax. Think. THINK!

In her mind, she thought back on all the bits and pieces of conversation she had managed to pluck from the Doctor. Tell tale cues and clues. Likes. Dislikes. Passing commentary.

Right.

With that, she began to type in potential entries.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Subject 39"]

37 simply searched through the files.

There were many of them, and most were simply useless. Of course Doctor Nira had been a part of many experiments here, and many of them had to do with...past versions of himself. Perhaps that would have sickened a lesser man, perhaps someone with morals would have found it disgusting, to 37 it was simply useless information.

He began to toss the files onto the ground, slipping them away or simply throwing them behind himself.

"Dearest." 37 said musing slightly as he pulled another file free from the cabinet. "I don't think our Doctor Nira left anything interesting here."

The last file in the drawer went flying, and 37 looked down at the empty cabinet as though he were rather disappointed. Then he spotted something. There was a small latch, a tiny little nook within the bottom of the cabinet. His eyes lit up, a kid finding the candy store. A smirk carried on his lips, and slowly his fingers ran over the bottom of the cabinet, tapping gently to hear the echo of hollowness. Oh yes. There it was. "Or maybe, she had a few secrets."

 

[Noire]

[member="Subject 37"]

"Hmm?" Piqued interest would turn the subject's attention to her beloved. That was better. His devilish smirk. The glint in his eyes! She mirrored his wolffish grin.

"Then let's see what good ol' doctor Nira had hidden away, mmm?" She proposed, flashing Subject Thirty-Seven a wink. So far, the codes she typedin were not working. Every error was tossing kerosene into the fire, frustrating her even more. The blasted Schutta!

Thirty Seven began to pull away the trap door. In the meantime the female attempted a new entry. She had only a few more tries before--

The welcome screen shone blue a moment later.

A smug cluck of her tongue would tsk the idiocy of the Twi'lek at using a ryl word and two numbers based on superstition.

"Now about that map..."

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Subject 39"]

37 pressed against the bottom of the cabinet, trying to find anyway to open up the secret compartment. A few knocks, and then suddenly the panel slipped down. His fingers reached beneath it and slowly he began to pull out the false floor within the filing cabinet. The piece was discarded, useless to him and of course he didn't intend on putting it back. Nira wouldn't care, nor would she be able to complain anymore. A small smirk spread across his lips as he thought about that.

Part of him wished he could have made her death longer.

She deserved it.

The secret space within the cabinet was filled with small trinkets. A piece or two of jewelry, a leather bound journal, and the last thing was some sort of emblem that 37 didn't recognize. He frowned for a moment, then pulled the journal and emblem free. His lips parted slightly, as though he were about to speak. The emblem looked odd, almost like a small black cube. He raised an eyebrow then turned back towards his female counterpart. "Love, do you recognize this?"

He doubted she would, but it was worth the ask.

 

[Noire]

[member="Subject 37"]

His query drew the Subject’s attention.

Swiveling her head, emerald orbs would peer then narrow down upon the small, black, square emblem. To be frank, it didn’t ring any bells. Confusion marred her brow, and she shook her head.

“No,” she told him, “What do the papers say?” could bring something to light about it there. “Anything useful?”

With her own task, she would have to get what they needed and not linger long. Which meant that taking information from the dataterminal was not going to be a lengthy affair. Peeking her head over his shoulder, she glanced down. A journal, more papers… trinkets.. Wait!

There was a small datastick.

Reaching in, she took it in hand. “Perfect.” she said, flashing a grin to Subject Thirty-Seven, well pleased at his find.

“I’ll get as much as I can out of this.” she told him, slipping in the datastick into the terminal. She wasn’t interested in what was in it, as much as how much she could transfer over while she searched for a map. Since the transfer program into the datastick was already installed, it was an easy select and click to sync it.

[ Start Data Sync.
//-- Yes. Confirm? Okay
Data Sync commencing.

The screensaver again had that curious black cube emblem, and a few selections would bring up the files for what she was searching for.

A click, and finally, they had the map of the facility…

Her attention went straight to the small hanger.

“Here, love." she pointed out. "This is where we are headed."

... But now came the issue of piloting a small craft for the two subjects.