As the years go by, and the older generations of the now dwindled party of power began to either gave in or go through that place as they graduated from the Academy, the bloody revolution of the past became a distant memory, and all of Alrith's generation have all started working their way through the last task of their degree.
That is the graduation assessment, or is what is commonly referred to as that place.
Due to the differing nature of Aquarian style of biotechnology research, it is very easy to get stuck and trapped within a cycle of a biological process that simply won't ever yield the desired results, either because that there are simply way too many factors that needed controlling, or it is practically impossible to achieve such a task within a sensible amount of time.
That place is when you are stuck on a single project for years and years without seeming improvements at all, and eventually you are either driven insane by the frustration and forced to quit, or keep banging your head against the wall and hoping something will magically work out the next time you try. The place drove many to leave the institute, and even some others to commit suicide. There are minimal support structures in the Institute, because all of the management and teaching stuff care about is information and results.
For most in the society, it would make sense for some to obsess over such a seemingly trivial thing, and yet for those that have chosen the path of research in Aquarian science, that place is somewhere everyone will have to go. You can certainly choose to spend more time on other things along the way like party politics and management, but you will have to get there eventually. Everyone here does.
Those that made it through that dark place of despair are the true products of the Institute, everyone that left without passing that place is nothing more than a counterfeit, no matter what you other achievements are.
For Alrith, the first day of obtaining the last task that she needs to do was one for the ages.
As she headed into the distribution building to collect a task of her choosing, she saw Anozee there.
The last time they saw each other was on the first day of the Party of Power's collapse, and it has been a few years since then.
'You?' Alrith said with eyebrows raised, 'you are still here.''We all have to go through that place sooner or later.' Anozee said plainly and she doesn't seem to take the sarcasm to heart too much.'Alrith gave it a little chuckle and blamed herself for hoping for some sort of an outburst as a response from Anozee. Instead, she headed in and started scanning through the lists of tasks and challenges on display as Anozee did the same.
All of the tasks given are sorted according to the different categories of biotechnology, and inherently there are some that will be more suitable and even easier to do than others, though even the easiest of them will still take at least two years of hard work to complete fully.
Alrith has picked one titled 'physical quality integration: a bi-species approach' which outlined the morphing of different qualities from different species, making a bit of a Frankenstein species that can function normally without repercussions, which has proven to not be impossible, but extremely difficult in the past. Anozee picked one that's similar, but it has a bit more of an animal and combat twist to it.
When the two departed, they didn't exchange a single other word.
As expected, the experiments that Alrith is running has began to show issues in the approach quick fast and in a hurry. Morphing genes of two different species is not supposed to happen naturally, so she is literally working against the will of nature. There are so many process that needed to be inhibited, shut down or flat out removed from the equation before the desired qualities can be achieved.
Only sick Aquarians would be interested in this kind of stupid research. Throwing aside a pen, Alrith leaned back and thought of what she can do.
So far, she has been trying to integrate a marine species which is much more resilient than Aquarians and trying to transfer the skin toughness qualities over, but it goes against the nature of the softer tissues for Aquarians, who also already wear exoskeletons for that exact purpose.
She tried all of the bioengineering approaches that she could find. Aquarian physiological enhancement procedures, plants and retroviruses won't elicit a strong enough response, and human physiological enhancement procedures and nanotechnology drones often overshoot the process.
One night as she has experienced yet another failure and experienced the full on psychological torture of that place, she decided to go for a walk out in the swamp.
She has come such a long way as a designer and a researcher that the atmosphere that used to irritate her lungs and skin are now nothing more than fresh air, and yet she still felt like there is such a long way to go.
'You?' A familiar voice came from behind, and Anozee stood two meters away from her.'What are you doing here?' Alrith asked, now not caring any more about their past animosities not only because it was so long ago, but also because there are more important things to think about, and Anozee just doesn't seem to care regardless. 'I am stuck.' Anozee said, shaking her head.
'Yeah, tell me about it.'
'The morphing process just cannot stablize regardless of how the initial conditions are changed.' Anozee said, 'that stubborn piece of shit just won't budge!''That's quite an emotional outburst for an Aquarian.''We do feel when it concerns ourselves.' Anozee said, stomping the ground angrily. They shared a glance before falling into silence again.
'Alrith. I want to come.....' Anozee said, but when Alrith's eyes locked onto her, the words struggled to come out for some strange reason. She is an Aquarian, and they will speak what they think, and yet everything is so hard when it comes to the human in front of her. Her piercing eyes can see into her soul, and inside of it, there is this strange feeling named guilt.
'Don't bother.' Alrith said, putting a hand up and interrupting, 'I don't care anymore. Right now, I just want the bloody experiment to work.''Me too...me too.' Anozee said, looking down, 'but I don't know where I can go next apart from changing the direction of the project.'
'Changing the direction....?' Alrith pondered before looking up into the brown sky, 'what gives you that idea?''I mean, if the path I am walking down now isn't going to work out, then I wanted to change my direction of research to still fit the general theme, but differ in methods and content. There is no point banging your head against the wall. Right? Right?' Anozee said, and the way everything came out made Alrith realized that she has been thinking about this for a long time.
For how long though? Since yesterday? Last week? Or the first failed attempt of her first sets of experiments? How is one to know when they will need to pivot and when to keep charging forward when they are on this journey in the mist all by themselves?
'I don't know.' Alrith said, 'I wish I have someone to guide me, someone experienced in the field. I know humans do that with supervisors, why the hell do they not do it here? And how do Aquarians even get this good without having proper teachers...''It's a numbers game.' Anozee explained, 'they don't care, because they don't need to care. Some geniuses will make it through, and that's all that matters.'
'Shit....' Alrith scratched her head, and the thought of quitting entering her mind for the first time, 'nah fuck this. I will crack through regardless.''Do you want a companion in this?' Anozee asked suddenly, 'we can help each other?'
Alrith stopped in the midst of her stride and didn't look back.
'I think I will be fine.' She said, and she disappeared into the mist as she picked up her speed.
Soon after, Alrith was able to pivot the focus of her project. Human processes are designed for human use, and Aquarian processes are designed for Aquarian use, however, if she can find a way to make the two processes coexist separately with soft integration methods so neither interacts with the other too much but accounts for each other's effects, then the problems can be solved!
And with that, Alrith created an Aquarian life form with endoskeleton.
Many more animal models died as part of her experiments, but she made it through that place, and graduated. Meanwhile, Anozee was nowhere to be found.
'I was stuck for so long that I had to leave the planet.' Anozee explained with a smile, 'I am sure you realized something after you left, right?'Alrith nodded her head heavily and looked out of the window towards the beautiful ocean planet below the orbit.
There was something wrong about everything. The methods...the experiments...the actions on the planet in hindsight is not only cruel, but barbaric for everyone that was there. Alrith in her right mind wouldn't never in her life take and play with as much life as she did back at the Institute, and neither would Anozee create as many monsters as she did.
There was something in the atmosphere that act as inhibitors for that part of their brains that controls emotions, ethics and control for Aquarians, and the Institute made sure that Alrith has gotten her dose through other means, perhaps a little too much.
All of that is simply to make sure that research is done without a single hint of slowing down.
That's how Aquarian sciences are able to progress. It's built on a mountain of bodies and a throne of lies.
This is systematic horror of the highest level, and there is nothing anyone can do.
Those that were on the planet are willing to put everything on the line for their work, and if Alrith isn't willing to go nearly that far, she will have no chance against the Institute. Instead, she just walked away.
She worked as someone who performs enhancement and augmentation treatments, and left the past behind. However, for Anozee, the past still haunted her.
In her trip around the galaxy, she came across a lush protected planet full of life even with potential to some day develop intelligent species. She went and visited against regulations, and that's where she found the Life Springer.
The artifact that springs life.
All of a sudden, all of her experimental subjects were stabilized, and she started seeing more positive results. To achieve what she wanted, all she had to do is to hover above the subject, and visualize the procedure being performed. The optimization is done through the artifact, and Anozee just needed to be fit enough for that.
She also went through that place, but she cheated. Mentally, she never moved an inch from that place.
'Sometimes I sit atop the throne of lies just like all the others.' Anozee said with a painful chuckle, 'all the things we did, and I still have to cheat through the last task. This power is here, and yet I also felt I cheated to get it.'
Alrith didn't say anything. She manifested the Lightning Knife in her hand and placed it on the table.
'When I first heard about these kind of things, I thought they were mere mysterious of a cult that I am working for, but the more I get to know him, and the artifacts, the more I begin to realize that there is a purpose to all this.' Alrith said, 'they are preparing for something, and that's why they needed my help. Now, I have become one of them.'
Anozee looked at her and listened patiently.
'I don't know what's going to happen to all of us...but I know this power is with us for a reason.' Alrith said firmly, 'you had a trial, didn't you? To be where we are today, we passed the damn trial.'
'Use your artifact for something other than this stupid game.' Alrith said, 'talk to Rydel, and hear him out.'
'....What...where...' When Elmyra finally opened her eyes after what felt like an eternity, the light of the operating room are still way too bright for her liking as she squirmed and tilted her head to the side. Rydel took a step back out of shock despite the expectation that Elmyra should be recovered.'Elmyra?' Rydel said with a light voice as not to startle the girl, 'are you feeling okay?'
'Tired and stiff as hell, ouch.' Elmyra took a deep breath in and slowly sat up with the help of Rydel, 'but otherwise, great. What has happened? The celebration...' Elmyra's eyes went dark as the memories of Absolute Being's procedure came flooding back as it was the last thing she saw.'So much has happened...' Rydel said, sitting back onto the chair, 'I want to wait until you feel better to tell you, but you won't like it that way right?'
Elmyra nodded and her eyes dangling over towards Rydel's empty right sleeve.
'What the hell is going on?!'
After catching up with Elmyra regarding what has happened in the last ten or so chapters, Elmyra also told what she thought Zero has forced her to do by diving two layers into her head space. Something has changed in the galaxy directly as a result of her artifacts, but she can't quite tell what it is.
'We all know something is likely going to happen.' Rydel assured, 'which is why we had to get you back.'
'Not like this...' Elmyra shook her head before reaching her arms out to Rydel for a tight hug, 'losing an arm and an artifact? I can't let that happen...''Don't worry. Alrith is a nice person.' Rydel said, leaning back, 'I depended my life on her back in the games. Plus, we might have someone else joining us.'
That's when the automatic doors opened and Alrith and Anozee returned to the room. Alrith awkwardly waved her hand towards Elmyra who waved back with a bland expression.
'Rydel, can we talk somewhere?' Anozee was the one to speak, and Rydel nodded before leaving Elmyra's bedside.
'Can you trust her?' Elmyra asked, her eyes glaring towards Anozee.'Well, she hasn't done anything here, so...' Rydel shrugged before following Anozee who fled the room.
'She looks scary when she's awake.' Anozee commented before turning, 'Alrith suggested we talk, so let's do it while we have a look at the options for...a new arm.'
'For real?' Rydel said excitedly, 'what's the catch?'
'I want you to tell me more about these...artifacts.' Anozee said as she continued forward, 'I will open my array of experimental arms for your choosing, and I can assure you that they are greatly superior to whatever prosthetic arms you humans can ever create.'
'Um...thanks?'
Anozee took Rydel back onto the walkway before making a turn down a stairs that lead to another room. It was a combination of a storage room and an operating room with a soft seat in the middle. All around the room in various frozen glass jars are various 'life forms' with different color, texture and size.
'So here are the options.' Anozee explained, 'I have seen what you can do, and I know you are already enhanced both in physiology and through nanotechnology enhancements. You train to fight, and I can offer you some options for your arms that can fight.''Can I just get my normal arm back...? I don't want to look like a monster.'
'A skin fitting should be solve the problem of looks.' Anozee puts up a hand to stop Rydel from complaining before suggesting with a provocative smile, 'think about it, what if you can have a normal looking arm, but it can...split fire?'
'What?!'
'Or spit out acid or venom on command. I can have one that will allow you to stretch out while giving you full control of the fingers like a grappling hook. You can have super strength extra grip, extra fingers that will divide from normal looking thumbs...'
'Shut up...' Rydel's jaw found its way to the floor, 'what other crazy shit can you make it do?.'
'Hm...how about this one?' Anozee spun around and pointed towards the a black bob contained with a jar in the middle of the shelves, 'this is a gene factor from a native fish species that allow you to morph into any shapes...this one can make it change color, and that one can make you emit different kinds of light...'
'Ok.' Rydel rubbed his chin and thought carefully about his choices. He had been training using the two artifacts, which allowed him to emphasis certain aspects of combat that was his weak link before like combat using weapons. It would be a shame if he couldn't do something similar again, and yet Rydel knew that he would want to maintain the general theme of his creativity and reactivity in combat, pulling out brand new tricks and surprising his opponents.
He needed someting that will enhance his combat strength.
'Do you have anything that will enable me to perform surprise attacks? Something people wouldn't expect.' Rydel said, scanning around the room before focusing his sights back towards Anozee.
Anozee looked up and thought about Rydel's demands before turning around and reaching out towards the jar stored up and out of sight in the upper right corner of the shelf they were facing. It was a dark sphere suspended in the middle of the jar.
'This is a rare find, one of the most ferocious life forms hidden away in the depths of Poseidon 3.' Anozee explained, 'this gene factor allow you create shock waves with the stretch and release of the elastic tissues of your arms.'
'Can you stack different functions?' Rydel asked, 'adding regeneration on top of whatever other abilities there might be?'
'It may be possible, but the energy demand of regeneration will mean that you can't use it in the same battle regardless.' Anozee said, tapping her finger on the side of the glass jar, 'don't get too greedy now, what do you want?'
'Give me that one.' Rydel said, pointing his finger towards the glass containing the black bobs. He needed something that can somewhat replace the functionality of the lightning blade in a convenient melee weapon, and the arms that can be morphed into various shapes just seemed convenient and unexpected enough for him.
The flexibility of creating various shape is also a nice bonus.
Maybe Valerie will enjoy some of the changes.
'Now my part is done, tell me about the artifacts.' As Rydel lied on the table and waited for Anozee to begin the synthesis of his new arm, she dimmed down the lights and listened as he started from when he first encounter Cellica and talked about all that has happened.