Vincent's Story

"This shouldn't hurt a bit..."

"I've heard that before."

"It'll be a pinch, I promise. It's a larger gauged needle, but your veins are like sewer mains..."

"So I've been told. Make this quick."

"I must advise you, as it is my job, Vincent. This procedure -- it could have negative effects."

"Can it doc. If I die, I'm blessed. If I live, I'll be history, right?"

"You will indeed be the first to take this many doses. Something about your genetics is much stronger than a normal human's..."

"Well then, let's get started. I have things to do today."

"If this is successful, your plans will be changing."

"Excuse me?"

"Let's get started..."

---

The room was cold, hard metal. The droning sound that seemed to vibrate the room was calming to an active mind like Vincent's that thought of the encrypted message that the physician had delivered to him before the sedation. It dulled the mind and calmed the spirit so that the fusion went much smoother than usual. The chair he was resting in was well padded, but the buckles and fasteners had been enhanced much more than the typical chairs. Vincent wasn't the typical infusion soldier, but something different -- all together. Historically speaking, only one or two other individuals were at the dose of mana that he was, and this current project would put him at the top of the list, regardless of life or death.

Comfortably strapped into the chair, the room dimmed as the energy draw from the core of the reactor was pulled into a conduit which transferred the purest of mana into an infusion tube. The lines glowed from the reactor, illuminating the room in a vibrant hue of aquamarine. It filtered into the machine where a centrifuge was located to ensure the quality of the mana injected and to sift out any imperfections or foreign objects. Vincent took a deep breath as the scrubbed in man approached with what looked like a small hand gun, armed with a needle point. Locked into the chair by other assistants and physicians, Vincent's eyes lolled slowly from the anesthetics.

Pressing the needle to a vein in the man's arm, the doctor pushed and it punched through the skin with ease, penetrating a vein and linking up. Taped into place, the man moved and repeated the procedure on the other arm and then checked to see if all the security devices had been set into place. Double restraints for all four limbs and a head strap included. Three chest bands, including one that seemed to be made from a particular metal and they were set! Flipping a switch, the teal liquid plunged into the man's veins and for a few moments he laid their motionless. The suspense and breath was caught in the air as they all watched. Waiting. Tension. A heavy silence in the atmosphere.

A muscle spasm started the transformation as it pulsed through his arms and then his entire body convulsed hard against every strap that was pinning his body to the chair. The metal groaned angrily. The pressure increased and the reactor whined and flickered vibrantly. A mouth-guard was inserted into Vincent's mouth to keep from clenching so tightly that it could possibly crack his teeth and have them splinter inside of his mouth. He snarled and his eyes flashed open. The glow of the amber had literally begun to illuminate like a light bulb, pulsing energy and potential that had never been documented or recorded before. And just as soon as it started, it was over.

The heaving rage within the man had been contained and with a heavy exhalation, Vincent's back pushed into the chair. He sighed. The doctor removed the needles from his arms and turned around to set the instruments into place. The sounds of unlatching caused the doctor to turn around, his mouth agape to yell at an assistant for stepping out of line, only to see them undoing themselves. Buckles had been undone. The metal about his chest was warped from the infusion, and now torn in half, bent outwards like feeble, thin aluminum. Vincent rubbed his wrists and stood slowly, moving to the coat rack to lift his jacket without a word spoken.

"... Vincent?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"How do you feel?" His voice shook with a nervous curiosity.

"Would you like to do more tests, or see me in action? Frankly, I'm tired of being a guinea pig."

"We have a perfect environment for you to be tested in and watched, without running any further tests on you, Vincent."

"I need to get back to work then ..."

"On the contrary, Vincent. You have been reassigned."

"Nonsense, my work under the plates are crucial, to keep the rebellions quelled from doing anything stupid."

"Grifter has been assigned to that. You have a new assignment."

Vincent turned and frowned, lacing up his upper jacket. "Excuse me? Under whose authority?"

"The Ruler of Ayen." The doctor said anxiously.

"Rastler?"

The doctor nodded, "You are the first to reach the Elite KNIGHT infusion. He wishes you to his side immediately to watch over you and examine you for himself. You are to be his bodyguard. Protect him from anything or anyone who wishes him harm."

Vincent sighed heavily and frowned, his milky eyes searching the grated floor. Lifting a hand, the hilt of his blade came to his hand from it's resting place on the counter, which was then snapped to his hip and he nodded softly. This new assignment was a blessing indeed, but Vincent was the sort of man who desired to see something through to the end and not working to eradicate those working against the empire that he strove to protect disagreed with everything that he was. However -- he was Sworn to Taer Ayen and the throne. Mr. Grenadia was the rightful ruler, in his eyes and would be protected as such. Vincent nodded softly.

"It would be my honor then, good Doctor."

"How do you feel? No one has ever received this dosage and really handled it as well as you? Your vision ... has it ...?"

"No. I'm not worried about that, but you know that. And I feel ... powerful. Strong. I'm surging internally."

"Excellent..." He shuttered with excitement. "There is a shuttle waiting to take you to Rastler. I'm sure he will find you a project so that you may curiously prove yourself..." Vincent nodded respectfully and bowed. With a turn, he'd exited the inner room and began his way around the exterior walkway of the reactor. The station was in it's peak, giving them the purest and most refined mana that the planet could deliver, through all of the individual filtration systems that were expertly placed by years and years of mana engineering. On the edge of the desolate, dark building was a small vessel awaiting Vincent personally.