Continuation.

[shimmermods]

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Vitali doesn't seem inclined to come much closer to any of you; there's a wall of glass between her and you, and she appears to want to keep it that way. Any attempts to breach it are likely a terrible idea; just because there aren't any soldiers with them doesn't mean that they're unarmed, after all.

"So you've decided to act up," she says, her hands folded behind her back, her posture formal and stiff in a way that doesn't suit her; her gaze remains as icy as her words, though she's refraining from making direct eye contact with any one of you in particular. She's still audible, despite the glass; it isn't as all-encompassing as the Shimmer seemed to be whenever it spoke to you within the boundary, but it's sharp, commanding. "If that's what you want to do, then fine. We can talk about that. You guys haven't wanted to settle since you got back; maybe this will make you actually sit down for a moment.

"If you're going to talk, get it out of your system before we throw you back in quarantine and figure out what to do with you. And try to keep from launching at the glass or doing anything stupid to yourselves in the meantime. We'd hate to have a reason to classify any of you as a threat."

code by vuvuzela

Comments

[klematis]

[ Well that even surprises him. What is Steven Universe. ]

I see. [ He does not see but now he wants to. ] In that case, are the changes to us similar at all to what happened to the others you have here?

[shimmermods]

The changes to your group are far more drastic. They had few, if any. The eyes were the main notable one.

[Whereas y'all were doing like. empathetic tattoo-switching and getting all blingee'd out. emma is turning into a rock. what the fuck is happening to yusei and rideaux. etc.]

[klematis]

[ ...yeah that's unfortunate. He will take his bling all things considered. ]

I wonder if that couldn't be aided in some way, but I'm a plain actor in this world unfortunately. [ Hmm he'll think on it though. ]

[shimmermods]

It's difficult to isolate exactly what's happening to you guys, because it's so varied and presenting in ways that we're not familiar with at all.

[She glances at N for a moment.]

There's the possibility of experimenting on that to try to get a better understanding, if he is what he says he is. But I'm hesitant to authorize that.

[klematis]

Why's that?

[ Sure we can call N an 'it'. ]

[shimmermods]

Ethics concerns. I haven't thrown those entirely by the wayside.

[pr159]

Implanted medical devices and artificial organs are kind of my specialty, you know, but I don't suppose whatever bureaucracy you answer to would be likely to greenlight a project where the researcher and test subject are one and the same.

[shimmermods]

[...Huh.]

What are you proposing, exactly?

[pr159]

I hardly have a proposal, but looking at the situation, I have more of the visible changes you listed than most, and presumably a lower chance of dying from them.

[ You've got his records, so he doesn't need to spell that out. ]

I also probably have a better idea of how to handle replacement parts if something we gained there does need to be permanently removed.

[ HE'S LITERALLY GOT A BAG FULL OF HIS DEAD SELF'S BACKUP ORGANS THAT YOU GUYS PROBABLY CONFISCATED, JUST... SAYING... ]

I have absolutely no intention of becoming someone else's lab rat, but it wouldn't be the first time I've been my own. So, give me the resources I need to investigate some of these things, and you don't have to worry about the subject's consent or some third-party researcher getting contaminated.

[pr159]

So despite our group having gone through more drastic changes, we actually seem to be in far better shape than the one before us, is what it comes down to.

[shimmermods]

Exactly. Which may be an effect of the Shimmer not being active in the way that it was anymore; their condition started improving when it went down.

So it's possible that whatever was in there was intended to stay in there.