Originally Posted by
InTheMachine
November 1st
John
As John holds up the papers, the one labeled with an L is noticeably darker than the other two, which match exactly.
John straightened his arms and placed his hands on his workshop bench, bowing his head.
Two greater demons being tapped for their blood.
That meant a potential new source for Nova, given that Keith’s probable half sister was the one speaking about a break in the Nova supply chain and had provided Dr. Issac with his sample.
He shook his head. Why would the Empire need that? Yes, a steady stream of a hot new stream drug would generate income and, if handled correctly, potentially new foot soldiers based on whatever number of them took to a demonic or meta form—assuming they were physically or psychologically hooked by the drug.
“Mimi:” John asked, “I have two questions. First, do we or AEGIS have any biological samples from the Nova user that metaed? A blood sample being stored in an evidence room or in a hospital or research lab would be ideal.
“Second, are any other occult specialist currently here, including but not limited to Seraph, Harbinger, Stella, and Sophia?
“I know Zylas is present,” he said thoughtfully as he lifted result L and held it up to the light again.
Darker, he suspected, meant stronger. A greater greater demon than Zylas.
Who was a prince of the most powerful level of Hell.
Spoiler: A simple success. John is either distracted by the memory of Emi or off his game.
Show
“If Seraph is not present, please send him the following message:” he requested before switching to Angelical. “Forgive me for interrupting your meeting, but I have completed my initial experiment and would like to share the results with Dr. Riviera and with Zylas. The results indicate a match between Zylas and our Nova sample. The ichor that transformed Laura is from a different source.”
He considered asking for forgiveness rather than permission regarding Zylas but being in the doghouse with one angel seemed like more than enough on that tally sheet.
He looked over his alchemical apparatus. He could conceivably use it to reverse engineer Nova. The problem, of course, was that his alchemical knowledge was significant but his pharmacology skills were not—despite the overlap between the two.
“Another question for you, Mimi:” John asked, setting the blotting paper down and beginning to pace. “Do any of the provisional team members’ profiles indicate a knowledge of pharmacology? I’m not familiar with the other teams or our new teammates fields of expertise. While we could call in an AEGIS expert, I suspect someone who already knows me will be more likely to accept they are working with an alchemist.”
John glanced back and looked at the sheet, recalling his warning Mr. Shaw the evening before that this was a possibility.
It took a great deal of his self control to not immediately broadcast the news to him. Yes, it was something of a coup to have found these results but Mr. Shaw liked to follow protocol—which meant alerting his Director who would, in turn, contact his counterpart.
In the back of his mind, he noted that pharmacology could be used against a dragon, if the proper substance could be identified then summoned in sufficient quantity.
Focus, John, he chided himself as he approached his workbench and regarded the three samples again.
One crisis at a time.
Speaking with Zylas about this seemed an unavoidable eventuality. It was his brother who disappeared in Iron Station following his summoning by the Cult of the Red Dawn.
“Mimi: Did we ever receive the list of the dead from the Cult of the Red Dawn summoning at the abandoned warehouse Keith, Drake, Yuki, and I investigated?”
A dark possibility began to present itself to him. What if Keith’s half sister was older and not younger? What if she had been a part of that summoning and had been gathering power and planning her moves. And viewed Keith as the usurper—the spare, and not the other way around?”
John reached up and, with his thumb and index finger, rubbed his eyes and pinched his nose. He had too little data to leap to that kind of a conclusion.
The more pressing question was she working with Matteo’s demon or were they competing against one another?
“Yet another question, Mimi:” John asked. “Please compare the dates of Vibrato’s recent thefts of Stones of Vashuuna with the attempted summoning that threatened Miss Balinski.”
Those dates might at least clear that variable.
Re: Iron Station Savage Masks IC IV
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