Asche was in the cafeteria, seated at a table with her feet up and her chair tipped back. Her eyes were firmly shut as a continual stream of "mood" music drifted through the speakers. No one knew who the ungodly programmer was that gave Elliot the penchant for syrup in the form of music.Unnoticed by Ashe, Bliss Lovejoy strolled into the cafe and headed directly for the coffee pot. She grabbed a mug and began to pour herself a cup of the dark, thick liquid. Asche opened an eye at the sound of sludge plopping in a cup. "Hey, Bliss."
Bliss took a sip, then made a face as she muttered, "Close, only misses by about a mile. Oh, hello Asche. How goes it?"
"Like where you gonna find a decent cup of coffee on this planet?" Asche scoffed. "I can't imagine anyone who'd waste fertile land to grow coffee beans."
Bliss toddled toward Asche's table with a smirk. "Got my sources." She shrugged and added, "Only those trying to cater to the elite, what's left of the elite anyway."
Asche let her feet thump to the floor, and gave Bliss a dubious look. "Those are the last people I'd cater to."
Bliss sank down into a chair. "Have you seen that bald fellow, the one I gave the pictures to, lately?"
"There's only about a thousand bald guys running amuck in the city." Asche grinned, her spirits obviously revived by the nap.
"The one I gave the pictures to a week ago." Bliss leaned an elbow on the table. "The one who likes *perty* females."
"Haven't seen him since." Asche leaned forward on her arms. "Bliss, where did you get that ring again?"
"From my mother." Bliss tilted her head to one side. "She said it was her *Angel's*, my father supposedly."
Asche seemed to be weighing something that obviously troubled her as she spoke, almost to herself. "That's some ring."
"Baldy mentioned something didn't he?" Bliss commented and took a sip of her coffee. "Come on Asche, spill," She grinned.
"Yeah, he did." Asche sighed quietly. "He's looking into it."
"Great, he finds the owner and I can unload it along with the promise I made my grandparents."
She shot a quick look at Bliss. "Yeah, well, don't think it's gonna be that easy - maybe." She pursed her lips into an irritated line.
"Why not?" Bliss frowned. "If the owner doesn't want it back I'll just sell it."
Asche twisted her own ring; a plain band of silver on her left ring finger. She turned her head aside and coughed into her hand. "Yeah, well, Bliss. Jarre--er Commander Boyle said he'd only seen big wig church guys wear rings like that." Her voice lowered conspiratorily. "Big" church folk."
"I still don't see the problem." Bliss insisted. "The bigwig gets his property back, no big thing."
"He seemed to think it might be a problem that you have it in the first place."
"It was given to my mother by her Angel. I'm simply returning it."
Asche shrugged and sat back. She scanned the people in the room once more for injury or distress. "I dunno, Bliss. He didn't tell me much more."
"One problem at a time Asche." Bliss grinned. "If the owner trys to give me a hard time, I'll simply disappear for a while. Not like that is difficult to do. I can't worry about what might happen. I'm way to busy with the stuff happening now."
Asche nodded. "Hell, I did it. No one found me and I'm an amateur."
Bliss glanced toward the door and one brow lifted as she noted the slow entrance of Adeline Frost. The woman's face was drawn as she pushed into the cafeteria, but then, her face was always drawn. She moved quietly toward the food line, eyes down cast with her glasses resting at the end of her nose.
The barely discernable form of a young girl edged along the cracks outside wall of the hospital. The black leather straps that encased her thin body helped her to blend into the darkness of the night. Her deep blue orbs peered to the main door of the lobby and the smell of food drew her as she darted in.
Using hands and feet, Penance loped into the cafeteria, then skidded to a halt as she saw the others. Her nails were overgrown to long, tapered points that were distinctly clawlike. She had deep red skin that looked like someone had painted her in blood red paint from head to toe. Leather strips were wrapped around her body leaving her hands and feet bare. Her featureless, blue orbs blinked in fear and confusion as she edged back against the wall.
A young man, known as Asher made his way into the cafeteria. His body was wrapped with off-white muslin, and leather had been assembled to make an armored tunic. An immense length of fabric covered him like a robe that was bunched around his neck. His head was covered with gauzy material, and welding goggles shielded his eyes from the elements.
Asher slowly removed his goggles and let out a sigh. His dark eyes darted around at everyone, now able to see without the dark flare-guarded goggles. He loosened the gauze from his head and let it drop around his neck; shaggy black hair freed itself and hung in his eyes as he did.
Asche's brow shot up at Penance' odd gait and even higher as she noted Adeline entering for the first time in days.
Bliss watched the girl who crouched against the wall and noted the fear in her eyes. As Bliss rose and moved to the array of food, the girl's blue orbs followed her warily. Bliss spooned some of the phlupp stew into a bowl and slid it slowly toward the girl, then moved back to her seat. Penance eyed the stew before she swiped a claw like hand out at the bowl and pulled it closer to her, sniffing it curiously.
Her hunger overrode her fear as Penance lifted the bowl to her mouth and slurped the contents down hungrily, much like a starved animal. The stew dribbled all over the floor and her leather wrapped chest. Her arm made a swipe across her mouth and she tossed the bowl back in Bliss' direction. The girl's hands came to rest once more between her feet on the floor, as she remained crouched and watched.
With a half smile, Asche teased Bliss, "Yeah? What's happening now?"
Bliss saw the bowl skitter across the floor toward her. "Well, for one I'm feeding Red over there." She rose to her feet again and repeated her actions with a fresh bowl of stew. She wandered back to her seat after sliding the full bowl at Penance.
Ash pushed away from the table and up on her feet. "Yer gettin' as bad as me, Bliss." There was a note of approval in her voice despite her words.
"Then there is the two upstairs that I'm taking care of." Bliss sat down again, smiling. "They look more and more like kids as the days go by. Got that from my grandparents, can't seem to shake it. She grinned.
"Nothin' to shake, Bliss." Asche actually smiled. "Nothin' to shake." She brushed down her hospital blue uniform; a one piece jumpsuit with UoM emblems on the shoulder patches. "Excuse me a minute, Bliss."
"Sure thing." Bliss took a sip of her coffee.
Adeline sat at a table with a cup of coffee. She brought the cup to her lips, staring straight ahead without really looking at anything. She shifted again, listlessly as her eyes traced along the floor slowly.
Asche ranged toward Adeline, her hands shoved deep in her hip pockets. She took a chair, turned it around, and stradled it so she faced the woman. Asche folded her arms on the chair back and gave the woman a level look. "Where you been?"
Adeline cleared her throat, her voice steel cold. "I've a great deal of paper work to do. Have been playing catchup."
Asche's gaze lingered on Adeline, thoughtful and studious. "Yeah? Wanna do mine too?"
Adeline sighed. "If you've that much to do." Her glance passed around, looking a bit trapped.
Asche gave a low whistle. "Don't tell me yer burned out already?"
"I'm fine." Adeline deadpanned.
"Suit yourself, sister." Asche shrugged. "But you got patients who need you."
"I know." Adeline nodded. "I've simply pushed off some appointments for a day or two. Better for all of us, I assure you."
==
Lex Berikk puttered around in the hydroponics lab, checking on the 'transplants'. Using the E7 interface panel, he inquired about the seedlings he'd brought in. Elliot assured him that most were adapting to the the lab conditions and that he could access the data on each bank. The gardener thanked him with a relieved tone in his voice. "That is encouraging." Lex added. "I feared that the day's trek would cause problems."
A terminal screen flickered to life. It displayed a menu with selections for each type of plant, the nutrient content, p.h., and other environmental parameters. Lex sat and scanned through the seedlings he had brought up previously. He rubbed his chin thoughfully as he compared the lab tank conditions to those at the labs at Malenn'drraa.
Satisfied that things were adequately controlled, he exited the monitoring program and moved on to the growing banks. Lex carefully examined each species. He peered at one plant after another through a small magnifying glass pulled from a pocket.
Lex bent to examine a healthy stand of a tomato-like vegetable. He plucked one from its stalk and cut it in half. Holding the 'tomato' beneath a light, Lex peered at it intently. He brought it to his nose for a trial sniff and finally took a bite from it. "Hmmm..." He chewed slowly, savoring the taste. "Excellent," he murmured. Pulling another plump specimen from the vine, he tucked it in a pocket. He consumed the remains of the first 'tomato' as he wandered from the lab.
He descended the stairwell from the 5th floor and exited into the main hallway on the first floor. Lex headed for the cafeteria and pushed into the dining room. He glanced about at the gathering and nodded to Asche in response to her nod and half smile. "Evening, Dr. Drachenn."
Lex looked the serving table over, checking out the menu for the night. Phlupp stew gurgled and bubbled in the large stainless steel pot. Indeterminate vegetables sat in steam trays next to it. The food was self serve as was the large plastic container of perfectly flat distilled water. With a grin on his tanned face, he spooned up a bowl of the stew-du-jour.
Asher looked around the room at everyone and his eyes lit on the girl across the cafeteria. He got up, placed his goggles in a satchel hanging against his side, and approached Penance. "Um..." He cleared his throat.
The girl's dark red lips curled into a snarl of warning at Asher. Her long, sharp fingernails reflexively scraped the floor as she stared at him. As she pulled the bowl close to her again with one clawed hand, Penance never took her featureless blue orbs from Asher.
"Hello." Asher's voice came out very soft, but he seemed more confident. He stopped about three meters away from her.
Penance dipped her hand into the bowl and scooped out a handful of the stew. She sucked it off her hand and gulped it down as she watched the man.
He smirked a little. "I'm, a -- New here. And I noticed, that you were, um -- Also alone, and so, since I was -- Ah, alone as well... Perhaps I should just introduce myself?"
Though Penance had no pupils to track in her eyes, she seemed to be watching the man's lips as she stared fearfully at him. By now a huge mess of stew littered the floor as she tried to eat and watch.
Leather pouches covered Asher's tunic and were covered overall by a weathered black robe. He sat near Penance without looking directly into her eyes. "I am Asher, if you want to know."
Penance edged forward and made a swiping motion at Asher. It wasn't close enough to actually hit him; more a warning.
Asher's eyes widened and he scooted back a meter or so. "Sorry." He remained sitting on the floor. "So... Where do we go now? Would you like it if I returned to my table? I don't know the etiquette here, so, um -- I don't know how to act." He played with the edge of his long robe nervously as he rambled. Asher saw she was again watching his lips as they moved. She edged back into her messy stew area with a small warning hiss, but no words. She shoved the tipped over bowl across the floor sharply and pressed herself back into the corner, stew smeared over her leather strapped torso.
"So, how long have you been here?" Asher stood up again as he spoke.
Penance watched his lips move again and hissed loudly. She crouched lower and finally leapt toward Asher with another loud hiss. Her long claw-like fingernails lashed out as Asher screamed and jumped back. He shielded his face and body with his arms, striking out at her blindly. Her claws raked down his arms intent on removing what she saw as a threat.
At the sound of the scream and scuffle, Asche twisted and stood fast. "Aw geez," she exclaimed, and moved toward the fight, leaving the chair to teeter precariously on two legs. Simultaneouly, Elliot called for a security team to answer a disturbance call in the cafeteria.
Lex looked around, blinking at the fracas a moment. "Venexx preserve us! Squabbling has moved to the dining room," he grumbled. More or less out of range, he grabbed a slice of dark bread and drew himself a cup of water.