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Paths of the Mind: Chapter Two- The First Sign: Cynthia
Posted By: Covie_Lover<shansen@sonic.net>
Date: 26 January 2005, 4:30 AM
Read/Post Comments
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Paths of the Mind: Chapter Two- The First Sign: Cynthia
Fourteen months later...
Dorsey walked down the long hallway entrance towards the children's quarters of the ONI complex. It was time for his weekly inspection of their progress. He was forced to do this on his own, as had not been able to acquire any helpers, because everybody thought he was a crackpot . Even he was beginning to think his dream was futile. He sighed sadly.
The three children, Cynthia, Brian, and Sarah, were advancing wonderfully. At a year old, they were already able to think and walk at the level of a nine-year old. They still enjoyed the same things that children of their physical age usually did, however. But a set of mentally advanced children was not what he had specifically wanted. It was a definite advantage, but still not enough to make the experiment successful. Perhaps if they were...
Dorsey sighed again. The first stop of his inspections took place in Cynthia's room. He did enjoy visiting the children, and loved them all dearly, despite the fact that he was supposed to treat them as test subjects, nothing more. The sad thing was that he was almost afraid to discover something unusual about them, because he feared what ONI would do to them in...conditioning. His thoughts turned abruptly to the subjects of the Spartan experiment, and what was done to them. He suppressed a shudder at the thought of that happening to these three innocent children that he loved. But he knew his duty.
He had reached the door to Cynthia room. Like the rest of the doors in this facility, it had a high-security lock. He pressed this palm against the handprint analyzer. After the door opened a few moments later, he went inside.
Meanwhile, almost one-hundred and fifty-seven light-years away, a female Sangheili clothed in deep amber robes stirred fitfully in her bed and began to perspire, her dreams disturbing her. Yet she was unable to awake, so strong a pull did the dreams have on her.
Dorsey ran, excited, out of the child's room. What he had seen might very well prove his project to be a success. He reached, intent on getting to the commlink inside. He pressed his hand against the handprint analyzer in front of the door, barely able to keep still, and it opened moments later. He rushed inside, and contacted Tina Lehin's office. He was greeted by the AI that, among other things, acted as Tina's secretary. "Wadda ya need?" it asked, or rather snapped.
"I need to speak with Tina. And hurry please, it's important!" he replied.
"Sorry, she's at an important meeting, and asked not to be disturbed. Call again later" said the AI, and began to disconnect.
"Wait! It's really important. Really, really important!" he whined desperately, knowing this AI was very irritable, and hated whining.
"Alright, alright, I'll patch her through, just stop whining!" the AI snapped irritably, and transferred him. Shortly afterward, he heard Tina's irritated voice say "What is it? I'm busy."
"I need to see you in Cynthia's room immediately. There's something I have to show you."
There was a short pause. "Alright, I'll there as quickly as possible. This had better be important.", she said, and disconnected.
Waiting outside of Cynthia's room, Dorsey thought over what he had seen. If he was correct in what he had seen, this would be a scientific and, possibly, a military breakthrough. This would mean he would not be seen an idiot (and waste of money) by ONI anymore. He would be heralded as the greatest scientist ONI had ever known and would be showered with praise and-
"HELLO?! Are you there, Dorsey!?" shouted an irritated Tina, standing only two feet away, and Dorsey's thoughts of grandeur were shattered. "I'd like to get back to my meeting as soon as possible! Now what is it you want to show me?"
The dreams of the sleeper became more vivid. She moaned in terror, and began to thrash about, causing a small, ornate pot on a table beside her bed to fall to the floor with a resounding shatter.
Two Unggoy servants rushed in, confused. Seeing the thrashing Sangheili, they frantically tried to wake her. During the struggle, one of the Unggoys' methane breathers was knocked off by the priestess's thrashing, and flew across the room. The Unggoy, barely noticing, quickly suffocated.
And still the priestess did not wake.
The inside of Cynthia's room was filled with neatly stacked toys. Of the three children, Cynthia was the neatest. To right side of the room was a bookshelf, packed with children's books. Hanging above her bed was a mobile featuring kittens. Cynthia was laying on her bed, reading one of the books.
She looked up. "Hi, Dorsey. Who is she?" she inquired, looking at Tina.
"This is Tina. She wants to see that trick you just showed me."
"Oh, that. I don't know why you're is so excited about it. It's not really a trick. Anyone can do it. Can't they?" she asked, confused.
"A trick? That's what you interrupted my meeting for?! Sometimes I wonder about you Dorsey. In fact, I think-" she began angrily
"Wait! She doesn't know what she is doing. She might think it just a trick, but you certainly won't. Trust me. Please." He pleaded.
"Alright, what is it?" she asked, exasperated
The priestess began to scream, and the thrashings became more violent. The remaining Unggoy servant, all reason departed, began to run in circles, also wailing in terror, arms flailing in the air.
"Show Tina that trick, Cynthia" Dorsey requested
"Okay." she replied, and looked up at the kitten mobile. The mobile, which had been slowly rotating in alternating directions, twitched and came to a stop. Then it began to spin in clockwise, first slowly, then with increasing speed.
"W-what?! Oh my god" Tina breathed in awe.
The mobile span faster and faster. Soon it became a blur. Suddenly, the string connecting it to the ceiling snapped. It fell onto the bed.
"Awwww! I broke it! Can you fix it, Dorsey?" Cynthia wailed
With a final bloodcurdling scream, Fera' Tsalmee, the sixth level priestess, jerked awake.
Authors Note: I received comments about the length of my stories. I am slowly trying to work my way out of that writing style because, upon thinking over it, I don't like it either. This chapter is longer than the last one. The next one will be longer. Hope you enjoyed it!
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