Let's Play... Catch-Up

[Onrai]

She stopped at the doorway, turning to look back at the Force-born woman as she said her piece. "I'd love to start slow. We'll get the basics out of the way and move on to more complicated gene testing later. At the moment, I merely want to see how much DNA you share with each parent, and how many midichlorians you have per cell. As for bodily functions... It's the volume of blood we'll need for testing that's the issue. Considering your... fragile physiology, let's say, taking the amount of blood we'd need for testing would impact you negatively, temporarily of course. Later during some of the other tests, we may need tissue samples, but that's quite a ways away."

Circe was telling the truth. What she said she intended to do were the limits of the tests she planned to perform.

 

[Allyson Locke]

“We’ll start with the blood test and then decide if we pursue onward. I’m unsure about the tests you want to run and what information you’ll be extracting from my tissue and other samples. If we go farther I’d want Ashin here.”

Spencer knew that she wasn’t the brightest when it came to science and technology. She grew up on Dathomir and then in the Jedi temple where she was quickly thrown into the remedial and healing classes. The young woman was bright in her own sense, but truly didn’t blossom until recently. She was uncomfortable about what she would discover about herself, mostly she feared knowing that she wasn’t real in the same sense as others.

“Is that okay? That we decided as we go along and if it gets to be too much I can bring Ashin to help me understand?”

Pondering her question quickly she corrected herself.

“At least could I consult her opinion on the matter?”

 

[Onrai]

"...I suppose if you absolutely have to get her opinion on something you feel you can't decide yourself, you can bring Ashin in on these tests. Do bear in mind you'll be responsible if she attempts to harm me, though..."

She paused, giving a sigh before bringing a needle and syringe to her hand. "Alright. Hold still. One vial should be enough for the first test - we'll be running them simultaneously, hence the need for more blood."

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer pondered the responsibility she would have if Ashin harmed Circe. Tilting her head to the side she thought about it a bit more and knew that she would just let the woman know about what was going. Spencer wanted to know what was so special about her and why she was different beyond the fact that she was force born.

“I want her to know at least. She is my wife Circe. I don’t like keeping things from her.”

Spencer removed her cloak and then the tunic which prevented her from rolling her sleeve up. The thin tight white top she wore under the tunic would be easier for her to roll up her sleeve and allow Circe access to her for whatever she needed. Spencer worked up the thin fabric up her arm and gave the green woman access to the arteries and veins.

“What test are you doing first?”

 

[Onrai]

"First, a basic test. You know, get the basics out of the way. Lay down your DNA, blood type... The basic things about you. The next few vials of blood will be for comparative purposes. You know, to see what makes Force-born persons so much better than normal people."

A slight tone of jealousy was still visible in her voice as the woman pulled out her syringe, sticking it into Spencer's arm and perforating the vein with an exceptionally thin needle. The blood flowed, filling the vial up before another one was snapped in. Circe let go, allowing the blood to naturally flow into the syringe's container as she inputed samples into the nearby medical machine. The machine began to give basic details - eg. Her sex, her parental heritage... And a midichlorian count.

"Intriguing. The normal average for a Force user is ten thousand Midichlorians per cell. Yours is at eighteen thousand midichlorians per cell, well beyond the "force-born range, but below Anakin Skywalker's maximum of twenty thousand."

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer rubbed her arm where Circe had pricked and she frowned. Her hand glowed warm with the force as she healed the small prick and she listened to the woman. She tilted her head, a part of her was hoping she would have a bit more because of the things she had accomplished, but in a weird way she was relieved to know she was average – somewhat.

“Would it have anything to do with my brother being my twin? If let’s say we were one entity would the count be higher?”

She was curious about the entire thing, here she was potentially going to get some answers about her form of birth.\

@[member="Circe Savan"]

 

[Onrai]

"Perhaps. I'd need his blood samples as well. As for DNA... You're approximately forty-five percent Echani, over fifty percent Dathomirian, and... Well, that's strange."

Circe raised an eyebrow as she thoroughly looked over the DNA of @[member="Spencer Jacobs"], looking over hers in comparison to basic Echani and human DNA samples. "I don't believe this... There's a tiny amount of your DNA, less than five percent, that doesn't seem to fit either parentage. It's not enough to change your appearance, not enough to significantly affect you, but it's certainly not DNA from your biological mother and father. It's... too randomized, yet ordered.

If she didn't know better, perhaps it was a sign of the Force itself changing her in minor ways.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer raised an eyebrow, she wondered if Aston would be able to give a sample though a part of her figured he wished to not be found where he had hidden himself in this galaxy. The attention she brought to herself seemed to have pushed him into hiding which with what had happened the last time he was out and about she couldn't' blame him. Taking a deep breath, the young woman tapped into that connection and she felt him. It caused a smile to spread across her face, it was that connection along with Ashin's that comforted her when she was alone and unsure.

Returning to the moment, she looked towards Circe and tilted her head.

"I don't understand. How could my DNA not belong to neither of my parents - what is it then? How did it get there? I mean I understand my parents didn't biologically create me...but still..."

@[member="Circe Savan"]

 

[Onrai]

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

"Well, at least to me, it's rather obvious. It's a sign the Force was involved in your conception. If the DNA was from a third, unknown source, there would be signs, evidence of genetic modification, since three people obviously can't produce a kid. There's absolutely none in these orderly random genes. They're perfectly integrated in your own genetic code." She raised an eyebrow, curious as to how such a thing was fitted in. Truthfully, considering her body was made through Sith alchemy, she wondered how much of her own DNA wasn't Oasis Mother or Zelosian. "It's a good starting point, but we'll need to do more tests to determine what exactly varies you from your non-Force-born counterparts."

Very science. So intriguing. Much big words. Wow.

 

[Allyson Locke]

“You make me sound so foreign.”

Spencer sighed softly, she was having second thoughts on the experiments as she listened to Circe describe her. There was a slight feeling of dehumanization as the woman continued stating that she needed more tests to determine what made Spencer different. She leaned against the wall of the bridge for a moment while she thought. Did she really want to venture forth with the experiments? Did she really want to uncover what she was?

Closing her eyes she pondered everything and remembered the feelings she had when she was a child. It only took her a moment to revisit the plagued childhood.

“Can you try to not talk about me like I’m some specimen? I am a human being you know…I don’t like being reminded that I’m something completely different from everyone else. I didn’t have friends growing up, literally Aston was my only friend and only because he had to be my friend…Ashin was the first person to believe in me and actually treat me normal for once.”

Sighing once more, she glanced towards Circe.

“What else do you need to do?”

 

[Onrai]

"All of us are specimens in this great experiment known as the universe. And I was a human being too... Well, when Velok gave me a human body for around ten minutes to make my chosen alterations to the body. You don't like being reminded that you're completely different from everyone else?" She snorted in agitation. "Try having green skin and being a plant. At least Sirella naturally looked normal. I have to focus in order to look normal. But I never was, was I?" She sighed. "I had no friends either. I had no friends, no siblings, no nothing. The only people who I ever considered "friends" during my childhood were fellow slaves, and they left me to fething die after leaving me behind so they could escape. I'm sorry I too didn't happen to have a Sith Empress come along and become my friend during childhood, ultimately cultivating into a loving relationship, marriage, and all that sort of poodoo. At least you've got the touch, and you've got the power. I have nothing but my charm, and it's not like that works on you."

With her agitation now gone, she maneuvered over to several more... more lethal-looking devices. These would test the blood's resistance to radiation, Force nullification resin, and heat. "I'm going to need three more samples."

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer frowned. It didn’t take an empath to figure Circe had a bit of bitterness in her heart about the differences in their lives. Crossing her arms over her chest she sighed once more. She didn’t know how to solve Circe’s bitterness, Spencer was just lucky to run across Ashin, she was lucky that Velok sent Ashin that way on that very night. Her arms fell as she bit her lower lip.

“You sit here and blame me for having Ashin come magically across my path. I didn’t look for her, she was looking for a weapon. I was lucky she didn’t cut my head off when I couldn’t figure out how to connect mentally with the Gand. You’re not the only one that had some difficulties in life.”

Pausing for a moment, she lowered her tone.

“You have to stop finding blame with others for your problems and just make do with what cards you’ve been given. I don’t understand why the sample you have currently isn’t enough for whatever you wish to run it through but here.”

Once more Spencer offered her arm and closed her eyes.

@[member="Circe Savan"]

 

[Onrai]

"See, that's where you don't get it." She continued as she drew the three samples of blood. "I'm not blaming you for causing such circumstances to happen. I'm blaming you for the fact that it happened to you." Sample 1... "And I'm not the only one who's had difficulties in life... You were never raped. You were never beaten to within an inch of your life, only to be abandoned by the people you thought would help save you. And above all, you've never died. Twice, technically, if you include the death of my temporary body, but the death itself is the point." Sample 2... "So don't you ever, ever try to bring up me not being the only that's had 'some difficulties in life' again. When you've been raped, beaten to within an inch of your life and abandoned for dead, and killed, then feel free to compare our lives and raise moral superiority over me. You'll have earned it then." And sample 3.

"Your first sample was entirely exhausted in disintegrating it at a DNA level, in order to get all the information. These three samples will test your biology's resistance to radiation, Force nullification resin, and even-increasing heat. If any of the samples survive without damage, we'll test cold on them."

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

“I’ve been an inch of my life, I’ve been under someone’s thumb before. But I don’t let it define my life. I was literally someone’s food source for some time while I was a padawan, but that’s not important – it’s in the past. Just don’t judge a book by its cover Circe.”

She pulled her arm away quickly after Circe was finished drawing her blood. The girl hoped that the woman didn’t need any more of her blood for a bit of time. One could only give so much before starting to feel a bit fatigued. Instead of standing now, she moved towards the throne like command chair and slumped in it waiting for Circe to do her work.

“What will all that tell you? I feel like you’re just testing on how you can eventually kill me”

@[member="Circe Savan"]

 

[Onrai]

"An inch of your life isn't death. Being under someone's thumb isn't the same as being raped and beaten. And you were someone's food source? I was someone's food source once too... You recall that, don't you?" Sighing, her voice made it sound like she was about to cry. "Sometimes, Spencer, I just want to take you in by arms, hug you, kiss you, love on you... Other times, I want to shove my hand in your back and rip out that spine of yours because of how angry you make me."

All this while, she was testing the samples, recording the inputs. "Wow... That's... surprising." She paused, not saying anything, as if to tantalize Spencer until the woman herself chose to respond.

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer rolled her eyes; she was growing tired of Circe’s constant self-pity. She wondered if this was how she could have turned out if she hadn’t have met Ashin. Would she have constantly tried to make people feel sorry for her? Shaking her head, she figured she would have eventually moved past it, either way she raised an eyebrow at the comment Circe made. She had found something interesting in the next blood sample, but Spencer wondered if she was even interested in what the woman had found.

“I’m sorry my life stands nowhere near yours Circe, I apologize for trying to compare them…”

Sighing softly Spencer rested her head on her chin and wiggled her nose to fight a sneeze.

“So what did you find?”

@[member="Circe Savan"]

 

[Onrai]

"Your sample in the radiation is... surprisingly resilient. It's dying and breaking down, yes, but I'm having to utilize high amounts of gamma radiation in order to overcome its regenerative effects. I can state that your biology seems to be designed specifically to destroy and reabsorb mutant cells. Your chances of ever getting cancer are extraordinarily low, even if you lived near a radioactive waste dump for several decades." Deactivating the radiation machine attacking the first sample, she strained the still-living blood cells off and placed it in a cryochamber, moving on to sample 2.

"Sample 2 is equally surprising. All the blood appears to be dead. Evidently, being cut off from the Force, even for a short period of time, forces your body to suffer significant cellular necrosis, eventually ending up in death." Reaching in and grabbing the rectangular prism of a nullification resin block, entombed inside of which was a sensor and a vial containing her blood, she handed it to Spencer. "Here's a souvenir from the test. All yours." And thus, she moved on to the third sample.

"Your blood is boiling at just a slightly higher temperature than a normal human being. I'd say its your natural skill at energy absorption which can explain that." She turned off the heat. "You're physically more resistant in some ways than a normal human being, and much less resilient in other ways. Let's check the first sample again..." Examining it, she found, as she expected, that more of her cells were frozen and dead than would be found for a normal human being.

"Alright, so basic layout. You're exceptionally resistant to radiation, but vulnerable to nullification resin and ysalamiri. As well, you are slightly resilient against fire and heat, and slightly vulnerable to ice and cold. What do you say to that?"

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer tilted her head, the results were somewhere along the lines of what she had expected. The radiation resistance most likely came with the mutation of her body and Ashin’s fun with Sith Alchemy on her. The heat resistance came from her mastery of Tutaminis; the cold was easily overcome with Tapas a skill she had also mastered under Ashin’s teachings. What kept her quiet though was the revelation of her inability to deal with being cut off from the force. A moment of silence remained between the two of them as Spencer remembered her encounter with the reptile that Tahira Solo arrived with when she landed on the Vagrant Fleet.

The girl remembered how her stomach twisted and she instantly felt weak. Her body started to shut down and her mind was plagued with hallucinations then unconsciousness. Spencer closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to remember any other time that she had faced this encounter and nothing came. Opening her eyes she looked at the sample being offered to her and she took it. The sample soon found itself in her chest pocket.

“Some of those resistances are easy to explain, no doubt the Sith Alchemy Ashin used on me probably helped with the radiation resilience – also I’ve come to find out that I have a bit of a resistance to almost all Sith Poisons, the heat resistance was mostly from my mastery of Tutaminis, just a side effect I’m guessing and finally the cold weakness – easily fixed with Tapas – a skill Ashin drilled into me and something I use effortlessly.”

Looking away from Circe, the tests didn’t tell her anything new about herself – minus the instant weakness when she was cut from the Force, a weakness she didn’t want anyone finding out.

“Your findings I want them to remain a secret and to remain between us. The information you know…the fact that my body would instantly break down if I was cut from the Force…its valuable to some – especially those that wish to kill me”

Her hazel eyes flashed towards Circe, they narrowed at the woman remembering the previous comment about wanting to kill her.

“So now that you have this information – am I able to trust you with it?”

Spencer leaned her face against her hand as she looked at Circe, knowing the business woman; she figured there would be some sort of deal involved. The thought made Spencer cringe slightly as she remembered other business affairs they had encountered; one almost killed the plant woman…maybe?

@[member="Circe Savan"]

 

[Onrai]

"Honey, I kept secret that you and Ashin were alive. I've kept secret that you're Yun-Harla. And I've openly admitted that I've had feelings for you for some time. Do you really think I'm going to let it slip that coating you in type-III nullification resin will kill you within a minute of entombment? Of course not." She crossed her arms, pouting a bit. "I may be crazily jealous slash in love with you, and a Darksider, but I've kept your greatest secrets before in ever-increasing order. Your weakness is safe with me."

And indeed it was. the other samples were placed inside a small carbonite freezer, encasing them in small bricks that didn't display any signs of what their interior contents were. For all anyone would know, they were desk ornaments.

@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. She didn’t know if some of the comments were the bitter truth or if they were just Circe being funny – or something along those lines. Spencer smiled and nodded, the woman was right she had proven herself time and again at being trustworthy. In her seat she watched as the woman put things away and it seemed their science experiment was over. A hand found its way to Spencer’s shoulder as she rubbed it for a moment, and then allowed her hands to fall into her lap.

“As exciting as that was – I see that our experiments are over. Circe some of the things you say I will never fully understand, but maybe one day I’ll make sense of it all.”

Nodding, she shrugged and twisted the ends of her hair with her fingers.

“What else do you have planned? You did travel out here to find me in my solitude.”

@[member="Circe Savan"]