Dimensions

Demi:

I shook my head quickly but didn't move away from the wall. His rapid attitude change threw me off and made me all the more wary of him. It wasn't until he had left the room that I sat down at the table again. I crossed my arms on the table and hid my face in them. I felt like crying, but my mother had always told me never to cry in front of people who could hurt me. I wondered what she would do in this situation, but she would probably never be this careless.

Now that I was here, all alone on this world that viewed me as a dangerous criminal, I missed my mom. It was stupid to run off like I had. Everything that lead up to this point was stupid. For this very reason my parents had warned me against abusing my powers. If I had only understood why they said it...


Veronica:

I intercepted him when he came out of the room. “I read the incident report by the officer who initially handled her after tranquilization,” I spoke immediately. “He said she was incredibly light for her size. He said she couldn’t be more than ninety pounds.” I told him. I didn’t know how the information could be relevant, but it struck me as odd. She was a tall girl, and from the looks of it, she wasn’t starving.

"Only ninety?". I frowned and looked back at the reinforced door I had just come from. "That is not all sh-" I cut myself off then beckoned her into the observation room again. Reaching into the top of my shirt I drew out a set of dog tags as well as a silver disk. The disk was my state alchemist liscense.Holding it up in the air I called to the handful of people inside, "Unless you either out rank me, are my boss, or can pull one of these out. Out of the room. Now people."

Not one of them could and they filed out to it was only Veronica and me. Slipping the necklace over my head again I turned to her. "Did you see her face? She was surprised, confused. Whatever she does, however she does it. She has never left a crater. She has never done that much damage. And look at her, well dressed. Well fed. She has a home she returns too. She doesn't leave anything like that."

Veronica:

“It is very possible that this is the first time she has ever done it. I find it hard to believe that someone so young would have much experience with this kind of alchemy. Just because she hasn’t left a crater before, doesn’t mean she won’t create one in the future.” I was the director of security for the city of Crader, I had to think in terms of safety.

“If what you believe is true, that she is not from this dimension, then more people need to be involved. There are protocols for DH incidents. As far as I’m aware, there are no protocols for one not of this world. She is basically an alien as far as we are concerned. This is going to involve national, and likely global security,” I told him. I brushed a strand of hair back slowly. National officials had already been notified, but that was before his theory about her origins.

“I will do my best to keep this project in your hands, but I can’t make any promises. This is far out of my control if you are right, and I believe that you are.” I sighed. He was the best there was in Crader, but it was likely that the government would want to bring in more scientists for a project like this.

Turning from her I stared into the room and the girl in the chair. "What if it isn't alchemy...What we and created through scientific study could be something else entirely." Running a hand along the stubble on my chin I shook my head. I felt that could be the answer but I couldn't even begin to come up with the logic behind it.

"If we have no protocols then we make them. We have too. She isn't from here, not that I can tell. I'd be willing to stake everything on it in fact. If you feel we have to share that's on you. I am not savvy when it comes to diplomacy. Sharing...ha....haha." I laughed. I couldn't help it. I could make life hell for other scientists. But ultimately I wondered just what people were willing to do to this girl to know her secrets.

Veronica:

“It’s not a decision I can make to tell or not to tell. I would lose my job if I didn’t report this and it was found out to be true.” I sighed again. There was another issue of ethics, but if higher government was brought in, that was out of my control. Was it right to keep a girl imprisoned for something she had no knowledge of being wrong? Was it right to submit her to tests without her consent?

She looked young, and I didn’t like the idea of people treating her like a lab rat. Toby was one thing, but there could be a team of scientists here running tests on her.

I was quiet for a long time before I rubbed my hands together. "Have her transferred to my place. My building is just as secure as here, is covered in anti-DH runes, and as a bonus I can't be forced to play house guest with all the people they are going to try dumping on me." As if the decision was made I started to go for the door out. I paused though and turned to look at her. "I suppose I will have to let you go through my lab and install all sorts of monitoring things....don't touch my equipment. And if higher ups have issues then tell them to take it up with me. I'm the scientist not them."

Again satisfied I went to the door only to pause again with a sigh. Muttering some rather uncouth things for a moment I turned to look at her through narrowed eyes. "Please....director Veronica...." I had to force the words out but the second I did I was gone out the door.

Veronica:

It was a tall order, something that would take a lot of work to achieve, but I would try for him. I left the observation room and allowed the monitoring staff to return. I had much work to do and most of it didn’t involve his request.

This morning, I had a mountain of work on my desk. Now, that would be pushed aside until the whole DH issue was sorted. I would be playing catch up for weeks. As I left I pulled one of the protein bars he had requested earlier from my case and unwrapped it.

I made my trip to the armory. A quick flash of my ID and nothing happened, however flashing them the silver disk from around my deck had them all scrambling. It was nice being in charge sometimes, maybe that was why Veronica did it. Nah.

With my aquirred goods in hand I made my way back to the room being let back into the room with the girl once again. Opening the door I set the cloth covered bundle down and then looked at her. "So. Here is basically what is going to happen. You are coming with me. A dream I know, just look at me. But we are going to keep you here for a while. We don't know how your gift works nor do we know anything about you. Frankly I can throw you much further than I could trust you."

I spread my hands in a helpless gesture, "That said, you get to wear these very neat things and you will be allowed to come out of this room." Pulling back the cloth I exposed twin bracelets and a collar made of a dark metal and covered in runes as well as the occasional pulse of light. "This will keep you from doing what brought you here so long as you wear it. I'm afraid we can't exactly trust you without them and coming with me will be a whole lot more comfortable than here or where they first wanted to put you."

Demi:

I watched him with narrowed eyes. “I am not wearing a collar,” I said flatly. This was getting more and more like the horror stories my parents had shared with me. They were going to keep me here. They were going to study me. They were probably going to experiment on me. They were going to treat me like an animal.

"Figured you'd say that. But I'm afraid you don't have much choice if you want to get out of here. I'm a rather lazy person. I can wait." And without another word I grabbed the chair pulled it closer to the wall and sat down leaning the seat back into the wall. Once settled I crossed my arms behind my head and gazed up at the ceiling. "The smart thing to do would be coming with me. I have a home, would give you a room, and my lab is right there. But you are kind of a global disaster waiting to happen. I can't exactly keep you all to myself. I'm sure the government would rather keep you here, lock you away from prying eyes and the light of day. But again, I only know what the smart thing to do would be."

Demi:

I sat there staring a him, unmoving for a long time. But as with last time, his stubbornness won out. “How long will I have to wear it if I put it on?” I asked. If I stayed in this building, there was no hope of me getting back home. But if I left with him, I might have a chance at escape.

"A day, a week, a few weeks. Depends on what security is forced down my throat. I have my entire building shielded from that sort of thing but shouldn't be too long." I waved a hand absently as I gazed at her. "You are welcome to try to escape of course. I wouldn't recommend you try it would be a foolish decision. But...." I raised a brow at her, "Don't give me that look. It's even more idiotic to not consider the possibility you could escape by leaving with me."

Demi:

I tried not to react to his words. I would still try it. I had the added benefit of surprise and the ability to get airborne. Though it would be difficult to do it from a jump. I was bad at a jumping straight into the air and flying. Even a running start was hard sometimes. I would do it though. Once I was out of their grasp then I could figure out what to do. I was nervous about using my power, but if I could get away from the city, then trying it wouldn’t bring any harm…

I considered it all while I sat there in silence. A few minutes lapsed before I reached for the collar. My nose wrinkled as I put it around my neck. Next I slid the bracelets on. Once I was finished, I looked at him with disdain in my eyes. He was the reason I was in this situation.

I watched with an impassive look on my face though inside I was excited. I had a new project to interest me, and though time was limited that only added to the joy. "Interesting." I did make note however of how long she'd taken to come up with her decision as well as the disdain in her eyes as she gazed at me.

"Now with that out of the way, shall we?" Pushing off the wall to bring all four legs of the chair back onto the ground I stood and motioned for her to get up. "To my lab and home." Going over to the door I opened it and stepped outside, waving to the guards. "She's coming with me. Escort us out of the building would you?"

Demi:

That there were more guards was worrisome, but I still had hope that I could handle it. I may weigh ninety pounds, but I was incredibly strong for my size, and I had been taught how to fight. I kept my eyes down and tried to look non-threatening as I was lead out with the white coat and the two guards.

We made it through the whole building with few stops. When we were stopped, the scientist flashed what looked like a silver coin and we were allowed to pass. When we stepped out of the building, I closed my eyes and filled my lungs with fresh air. The outdoors were important in my family, most of my childhood was spent playing outside and only coming in to sleep.

The guard nudged me when I paused, so I began again. I waited until we were out from underneath the overhang of the building before I made my move. I shrugged off my jacked in one quick move and simultaneously kicked the knee out from under the guard next to me. He hadn’t expected it, so he went down rather easily. He fell on hands and knees, I took it to my advantage and used his back for a jumping off point. My wings snapped out at their full fifteen-foot length and was in the air beating hard. My heart was racing along with the rest of me.

I'd guessed the first chance at escape would be the second we got outside. But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw as I turned around. The girl had wings! It explained her light weight, probably hollow boned otherwise those wings would not have been big enough to take her off the ground. Sliding my hands into my labcoats pockets I settled my hands over the runes drawn within and sighed.

The formulas ran through my head in an instant and the result that came about from it happened only a second later. Like a giant swatting at an insect a wall of air slapped her out of the sky and onto the earth below. Walking off the path while keeping my hands on the runes to keep the alchemy going I stopped right before her and the depression of the wind holding her down. "That was perhaps the stupidest thing I have ever seen anyone do." I was going to continue but as I gazed at her face I noticed one fuzzy ear at the top of her head. A quick inspection and I noticed the other one clipped down to be hidden. "Interesting." I murmured again before searching her eyes. "Perhaps you misunderstood me Danny. I said that you could think about escaping all you wanted. You are somewhat of a prisoner after all. You'd be a fool not too. But I also told you it would be a pointless waste of time to try it. So my little attempted escapee, welcome to the world of Alchemy."

Demi:

It was a rather rude shock to be slammed back onto the ground, pavement no less. I struggled to bring my wings back in under the pressure holding me down. I looked up at him, my ear that was now exposed, laid back. I was very much a trapped animal.

I took in a deep breath to return the air that had been knocked out of me. My chin, along with a few other spots, burned with scraps from the cement. And then there were my eyes which stung with all the emotions of being helpless and at the will of others. No tears fell, but my vision was blurred and it was surely noticeable.

Releasing the spell I stepped back and crouched down. "Come on get up. Don't try that again if you'd be so kind." I could see in her body language she wasn't happy. She felt trapped, that she was about to cry. Sure it had been cruel of me to do, but I didn't feel guilty. I'd warned her, she hadn't listened. A learning experience had occurred and if she didn't learn from it then all the effort I was going through was a waste of my time.

Demi:

When the pressure lifted, I rolled over. What kind of ability did he have and what did he mean by alchemy? With that kind of power, I was never going to get away. I blinked away by tears but before I could get up, alarms sounded, and several people were rushing out the doors of the building we had just left.


Veronica:

I was in the process of trying to get Toby’s place approved for the DH when someone informed me what was happening. I immediately set the alarm and pulled up the security feed of the building on my screen.
The girl and Toby were both retrieved by security guards. The girl would be talked to a cell in the building designed to hold someone like her and Toby would be brought to me.

It was a short time later that Toby was brought to my office. I sat at my desk with my hands folded in my lap. “What the hell were you thinking?” I demanded, in a tone he had always hated. It was a calm one, a superior one.

"Doing my bloody job." Oh I was ticked off, more than ticked off in fact. One moment I was doing what was my job and the next I was bustled off by security. Leaning on her desk with my hands going white at the force I was using. "I am the most qualified to take her. The smartest scientist you have around and to top it off a state Alchemist. It was only a formality that I even needed to wait for permission to bring her to my lab. The longer that things are held up by pointless brownnosing and beaurocratic bullshit the less work I can get done before everything becomes contaminated by however other little toads they stick me with."

An alchemic formula was necessary to perform alchemy. But the silver disk against my skin had a formula on it, one that responded through the contact of my skin. Though we were indoors the slightest breeze passed through the room. "If you thought I couldn't handle this you would never have contacted me in the first place Veronica. So what the hell were you thinking?"

Veronica:

My eyes got wider with astonishment with every word he spoke. “My god, Toby. You can’t be serious. Getting permission is just a formality? You are aware that she is the property of the government, and taking property of the government is a criminal offence? I could have you arrested for this!” my cheeks flushed with anger. I was trying to be calm, I truly was, but the arrogance in his actions was too much.

“I brought you in because you are the most knowledgeable person on these matters within a hundred miles. I didn’t bring you in so you can do whatever you dam well please. She is not your subject. If, and only if, I get you permission are you allowed to study her. And as far as taking her to your lab goes, it will be all the more difficult now that you have pulled this stunt,” I rubbed my forehead in exasperation.

“Now lay low while I clean up yet another mess you’ve caused. You better pray that I can get you permission to even go near her now, and even more so if you want full reign of the project.”

Normally my eyes were a soft green, almost blue in color. But right now they were like as cold and hard as emeralds. Shoving back from the desk I stormed out, both figuratively and literally. I had to physically yank the disk off my skin as I could feel the sudden swirl of pressure about the room. Had I stayed much longer it was all the more likely that I'd have started tornadoes unintentionally.

I didn't stay in the building, choosing instead to march home. Throwing open the door I was met with a smiling secretary. "Welcome back Doctor Marin."

"Simon. If you value your welbeing you will go home. Right now." I growled out.

"You got my name right si-"

"NOW SIMON." I roared and within a minute he had gathered all his things and fled out the door.

Shaking my head I locked the front door, heading into the basement to enter into my lab. I gazed at all of the equipment, all of the books. I went room by room until eventually I ended up in the main part of the lab and settled down in a chair. Lay low and wait huh? Fine.

I only had once choice to do right now, and that was sulk.

Demi:

They took me to a cell with a cot, a toilet in the corner that had a pull out curtain around it, and a sink. It was bare and cold except for a thin blanket on the cot. I had lost my jacket in the escape attempt, but the rough, dust smelling blanket was unappealing.

Left alone for a few hours, I paced the room. There was nothing else I could do. Much later They took me out of the cell and into a room that looked like a doctor's office. I tried to fight them but they were ready with a sedative. After that, they did whatever they wanted to me and I could barely react. I was still conscious, but my brain was sluggish and my limbs felt heavy.

They stripped my to my underwear then went about inspecting me. They took blood samples. They pulled my wings out and moved them around. Near the end, they put me in a machine that scanned my body and brain.

When they put my back in the cell, dressed in a loose gray jumpsuit, I laid on my cot and fell right to sleep. It was dark when i woke up. My head pounded. I turned my face into the dusty bundled blanket and cried for the first time I had been here. I didn’t make a sound, but my whole body shook.


Veronica:

It was three days before I was able to get clearance for Toby’s lab. It was technically government owned and maintained but it would require additional security measures before the DH could be transferred. I sent him a notification of such matters and informed him that if he complied that the girl could be sent there as soon as the next day.

In the past three days I had made sure that nothing had been done or said to the girl that would compromise his future research. Other than a physical examination she had been left alone.

The national government would be sending a few more scientists to study her, they would each be in charge of a separate field. I managed to secure the field of dimensional travel for Toby for the time being. But things could change depending on his attitudes, and I would have no control over that.

Pouting and sulking soon turned to other repasts and after an evening spent drunk on the floor of my lab I had a moment of inspiration as only alcohol can give you. It wasn't a logical jump, not something someone of any real intelligence would have been able to make. And so while I was able to make this connection I went with it. Gathering up a plethora of equipment and whiteboards I set to work, filling every possible space I could on the boards with equations and symbols while I set the machines to working. I was set to work for weeks but only managed three days before trouble started.

Trouble came in the form of people calling, and like the dutiful government worker I was I had to play host. Unwilling for sure, but I kept telling myself that the end result was going to be worth it. It didn't stop me from berating the various people who came in and set up security in and around my building. And it was quite fun proving that I wasn't some crackpot scientist to all the military lackeys they had swarming through my building. When a supervisor became belligerent and started yelling in my face I spent a wonderful ten minutes keeping him pinned to the ceiling on a solid column of air until I told him exactly what I expected from him and insulted him all the way to the core.

Most of all of it though I hated watching my space and things handled by people. I'd worked hard to be where I was and even the simplest of tools or beaker was worth more money than I'd ever have held while still slaving away in the dirt back at my parents farm. I didn't like people, I preferred to put my stock in things. But even things could fail me. Knowledge had yet to fail me. Even an experiment gone wrong was a learning experience. Data could be collected from all kinds of mishaps. People though held nothing of value to me.

I did whatever I could to make sure that even though I was likely going to have a flock of people all over my labs and living spaces, none of them would be staying. I made sure to have things set up just so that wouldn't be possible. After all it was my home, the government paid me and in turn I paid the bills for it all. But again I begrudgingly gave in to Veronica's advice and made allowances of time and effort given to other scientists. So long as I had all the time and access I needed, nothing else would be as important.

Veronica:

I read the reports of what had been done in Toby’s house once the project was finished. Every door in the house now had to be unlocked with a key card and the exterior doors were fitted with thumbprint scanners. Recording devises were placed all around the entire lab. The rooms that the DH would be living in were furnished and stocked. It was a small room with a bathroom, but it would be impossible for her to escape it without someone else letting her out.

She would be transferred there in the morning, I chose to stay out of it, knowing my being there would only complicate matters. As far as I was concerned, my involvement with this was now over for the most part. Unless it posed a security threat, I could go on with daily life.


Demi:

I didn’t know how many days I had been there. Every morning they came in and injected a sedative that made me foggy and docile. They would examine me, poke me with needles, then leave me alone. I drew within myself and tried to sleep everything else away.

Then they took me out of the cell and transported me in a car to a large white stone building. I hadn’t been drugged today so I was more alert. I watched out the window of the car with a mix of apprehension and fascination. I had the collar and wrist cuffs on, they had strapped my wings down. I was basically helpless unless I tried to use my power, which I was scared to do around people, even if they were my captors.

The car parked in front of the building and my handlers pulled me out and walked me to the front. We entered through a high-tech looking door. It was well lit inside the entrance way, and it smelled like fresh cleaner. My nose scrunched at the smell.