Ethel Magnus Barlow's Story

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NEW DIRECTIONS : CHAIRMAN'S PENTHOUSE

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A man dressed in what looked like a cross between the robes of a magic user, and the aesthetics of modern high society formal fashion, walked forward, adjusting his glasses. The room was a lavish luxury setup kept under very tight monitoring, though it was not terribly obvious. The room's features included a large bed, expensive decorations, such as lamps and a fancy ceiling fan, luxurious and priceless upholstery and trimming, all the while keeping it modern and tech forward with a magical flair, indicative of Origin as a whole.

"Now, Mr. Barlow, you are certain you wish to run the tests?"

"Yes. See to it that we determine who she is. The initial observations seem to point to her being Aschen, but I would like confirmation. Also, I want a full report on Aschen culture and anything else you can find on my desk by the end of the day. No later."

"Yes sir."

"That is every detail about them. I want no stone unturned, especially about this girl."

With a nod, the man left, leaving Ethel with Montrose. The man was wearing his suit and purple tie, purple eyes glowing behind his glasses for the briefest of moments. The woman before him. She'd be interesting to study, and he couldn't wait to see what she would do; who she would be. He made sure a simple bath towel was left in the room beside the handle leading to the bathroom (which itself was a spacious and luxurious affair equipped with the latest in magic and tech for its shower and other amenities). The dressers and cabinets in the room were all empty, and only a box of expensive chocolates was left in a drawer by the bedside.

Ethel then took himself out of the room, the door locking behind him with a series of complex locks both magical and technological in nature. When Montrose awoke, she'd find herself completely disrobed, and without any items on her person. The bed was incredibly soft and luxurious, and the room decorative. A single bath towel hung on a handle beside the bathroom door.

Consciousness came swiftly for Amelia, whatever they had drugged her with was potent, usually it took a potent dose to knock someone like her out, especially with her enhancements in play.

Her blue eyes slid open quickly, but she didn't bother to move quite yet. Instead she chose to lay there and take in her surroundings. After a moment she sat up and visibly scowled, completely stripped of her clothing and possessions, anger welled up inside her, but her instincts and training took over as well.

She looked for Windows, if present she moved to look out them for a moment, and ascertain where she was at. She didn't bother to cover her naked frame, rather she focused on the room, eyes moving about the interior for anything she couple possibly use as a weapon. She inspected the cabinets and the drawers to find them empty.

This wasn't good.

The woman didn't seem to pay much mind to the luxurious surroundings, they seemed to mean little to her as she started checking under the bed, moving linens, and anything else. To the trained eye it seemed she was searching for something, by the way her purposeful movements took her around the room.

Her eyes began to wander once more, this time she was searching for surveillance devices, cameras and the like. The look of resolve playing across her face.

Her eyes moved back to some of the decorations, the tactical mind planning, considering her options.

She moved to quietly sit on the bed, she needed to find some clothes.

(As written by ClockworkTowers and Barney_fife)

New Directions penthouse

Making her way up the stairs to Ethel's bedroom, Amelia was considering how she was going to approach him, how to approach their conversation as a whole.

She pulled her frizzy red hair back out of her face, while grimacing at the door in front of her, slender hands reached out and offered two knocks onto the door, before she attempted to open the door and find it unlocked.

Amelia's eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and then she opened the door, taking one step inside and surveying the interior of the room. It looked like a simple office, with a desk, some chairs, and the AI woman that Amelia had seen earlier. Briefly Amelia looked down at her outfit, truly she hated it, it was immodest, and somewhat uncomfortable. She had been wearing the wool uniforms provided by the Empire for so long, she was unaccustomed to wearing much else.

She took a step inside, eyes scanning the room until they found Ethel.

"You must be Ethel." Amelia said, her accent lilting her words ever so slightly.

"And you must be right." Ethel replied with the smoothest voice one could use. He was relatively attractive, and kept a modest posture even when sitting at his desk. He gestured to a chair before it, as well as the loveseat. "Please, take a seat. I'm sure you have plenty of questions, Admiral."

She glanced briefly to the chair, so he knew her rank, at least the man paid attention. While handsome, the circumstances didn't help considering any attraction, and despite the expensive, and somewhat seductive outfit that was provided, the woman kept a stiff, professional posture.

She moved to a chair, grasped it, and pulled it back, she moved to sit in the chair, not unlike a seasoned general lowering himself into a recliner to ponder the next strategy.

"I do." She replied, folding her hands in her lap, keeping her back straight, chin and eyes forward, almost staring hard at Ethel.

"Do you know what I am?"

Her first question was direct, to the point, and the tone of her voice pointed, and direct.

Ethel smirked as a shine hid his eyes behind his glasses. "Certainly. You are one of many Aschen. A particularly proud race of augmented humans. Whether you could still be called humans is debatable given the level of modifications. Most of you would never be caught dead associating on friendly terms with anyone outside your national circle. Typical of closed governments rooted in nationalism to extremes."

The man ran a finger down the divider of the pages in his notebook before him. Extensive notes lined almost every available space, most in a language that would be unfamiliar to Ameila, though her name was written clearly enough for her to see, and there were some numbers listed down that matched her age, measurements, and some other personal info to an exact match.

"Though perhaps I'm wrong on that front. It's the popular view, which is not an always truthful view."

It was hard to hide being offended when Ethel insinuated the Aschen weren't human. Their entire supremacy was rooted in humanity, in their roots to worlds long lost to the pages of time, through trials, and tribulations that would snuff many other species out. Or so that's what they were taught.

Her face betrayed for the briefest moment her anger, at the situation, at Ethel's remark. But it was fleeting, she craned her neck, and leaned slightly forward to get a glimpse of the notes, but it was no use, she didn't understand the language.

Finally she took a breath to speak.

"So you've done your homework." Amelia said aloud, shifting slightly to try and catch another glimpse. "If you know that about us, then you know that my people will stop at nothing to find me." The woman said flatly. "By taking me, you've set events into motion that will inevitably lead to the subjugation of this world." She explained, indignation welling within.


"My people have exterminated entire civilizations for far less." She added, wringing her hands slightly. "And you either got balls, are a fool, or are exceptionally arrogant to challenge them." Amelia said as her gaze hardened.

"Because the Aschen will come, and they will dispense great misery on these people because of you, and when they find me, and then when they find you..." Amelia chuckled.

"So... what drove you to find someone like me? What sets me apart from all the other girls here, for you to risk everything?"

"Simply my own good conscious. The alternatives open to you were being enslaved and raped, or otherwise killed in the midst of the chaos your captors would have inflicted upon the unsuspecting business you stumbled into."

With another smirk, the man leaned back in his chair. "Also, this world is a special one. Your own people will not be able to achieve anything you've mentioned, not without inviting the entire rest of the galaxy to have their way with them. Don't speak on matters you lack the information on. Too much for a pretty lady to be spending her efforts on worrying about."

Amelia cast Ethel a sidelong glance, she didn't seem to buy it, but then again, she was naturally suspicious. "Who removed my health implant?" She said, holding up her arm to reveal a faint scar, which had faded considerably in the last few hours.

"Hrm. So that was the purpose of the odd device. The more you know." Adjusting his glasses, Ethel brandished the device between his fingers momentarily before pocketing it again. "It seems it is a benign item. I had it removed once I brought you in, as a precaution, since you had fallen unconscious under mysterious circumstances. I even had my best surgeons handle the procedure. I'm glad the scarring isn't so bad. Anyone else in the city may have done a far worse job."

Amelia grimaced at the sight of the implant, it required the bio-electric, thermal, and chemical energy of the human body to function, they couldn't track her with it outside the body, and with that fact she seemed defeated for a moment. "Every Aschen has one, it monitors the health of the individual, if for example I suffered a heart attack, it would alert medical authorities and an ambulance would be dispatched. The incision healed quickly because of the nanites in my blood." She said. "You could have left it in me, the device was completely harmless; in fact I'd prefer if it was reinserted." Amelia said.

"Your choice of clothes suck too, I'm cold, these shorts are wedged in places they shouldn't be, I can't move, and my uniform was quite comfortable." She remarked, considering her next words.

"I hope you have a good plug, because we don't last long in captivity. If my people don't find me, I will eventually die."

At that moment, the thought crossed her mind. "Felt like I was drugged... whoever did it knew what they were doing... as we require larger doses of such things." She said, giving Ethel an accusatory look, waiting his response.

Amelia's Disruptor shots were effective, each bullet dispatching the men in a single shot. As each man hit the floor, however, they melted into a mist of purple and gold that quickly dispersed. The shots aimed at the door dissolved into the door harmlessly. When all was done, the hallway was empty once more, and an eerie silence settled upon the area.

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Ethel stood in his personal room as he looked out the window overlooking the city, his back toward the door. Adjusting his glasses, he began speaking.

I never thought a mercenary would be snooping around in the business that I run, in employee-only areas. I'll admit that it impresses me that you could handle my elite guards but fall prey to such simple traps.

Turning around, Ethel walked forward towards a woman with her arms bound behind her by what seemed to be a magically enchanted rope. She looked to be in pain and was on her knees with two guards standing beside her, flanking her position.

The woman looked up at him with an aggressive and rebellious look befitting her race. She was dressed primarily in a black sports tank, black briefs, and black socks. She also wore a pair of black gloves and black boots, both made of what seemed to be a durable and flexible material. The boots sported dark gold armored toe guards, and apparently, were the only protective items that weren't confiscated from her.

Okora, was it? Your name was easy to find. You have quite the reputation as a mercenary of renown. Do tell me, if you will, why you were running around in areas off-limits to the public. It would help us smooth our negotiation here.

Okora looked aside for a moment in defiance.

Guard:

Answer the boss, punk!

As she looked aside, one of the guards hit her face with the butt of his peculiar rifle-shaped firearm, causing her to recoil and look back up at Ethel again. Ethel took the moment to observe her features carefully. She looked very similar to a Human with a darker skin tone on the outside, though a monkey-like tail wrapped around her waist was a giveaway that she wasn't one. Her lithe and athletic form, black hair in a medium-straight cut, and dark irises also drew his gaze. A relatively youthful look was also a plus in his eyes.

Like I'd tell you anything. I only deal with scum like you when you make it worth my while. Not a Copper earlier.

The negotiation seemed to only be beginning, though Okora's firm and angry staredown of Ethel was contrasted by his absolute confidence and smugness.

Amelia furrowed her brows for a moment, and looked out from behind the planter from where she had fired widly into the hallway. The men were gone it seemed, but the door didn't give way. She looked down at her weapon, and inspected it for a moment. The small red indicator had begun to fade, this indicated the weapon's temperature was beginning to reduce.

She switched another small button, the fusion cell only had about a dozen more discharges left before it became depleted, but Amelia had about three more fusion cells secured inside a leather pouch on her sam browne.

She looked towards the door, and began to run, throwing her body against it. It didn't seem to budge. Turning back down the hallway, Amelia would have to find another way out, so she tightened the grip on her disruptor pistol, keeping it at the ready, she started back the way she came towards the elevators.

New Directions? : Elevators

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Amelia would find herself back before the elevators. Everything seemed off, however. The decorations that were there beforehand were now replaced by similarly sized decorations of a more ancient and musty feel. Coffins replaced sofas and various jars replaced the plants. Lights were replaced by lanterns of similar lighting. It was almost like a tomb. The elevator doors had various symbols upon them but otherwise worked as normal, with the buttons still calling for it.

A note on the floor provided no answers to what was happening, merely stating a single phrase that was unfinished:

My Umbrella May Make You...

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New Directions : Ethel's Penthouse

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A man quickly ran into the Penthouse, swinging the door open as he found Ethel seated on a wide sofa. Ethel was dressed in his business best, a formal and comfortable suit that seemed impeccably expensive and of high-quality. He was in a state of relaxing, taking his time as he studied numerous graphs that were being displayed upon a large screen. The man began speaking.

Sir. An important matter has arose, and requires your input.

At Ethel's right side was a young woman who looked very similar to a human, albeit with a darker skin tone on the outside. It was soon discernable however that a monkey-like tail wrapped around her waist, showing she wasn't one proper. Her lithe and athletic form, black hair in a medium-straight cut, and dark irises also created a stunning figure. She was sitting beside him incredibly close, dressed in a rather revealing two-piece micro string bikini made of what looked to be gold. It was decorated and adorned with various dark green gemstones of an incredible rarity; even down to the open-toe heeled sandals. It managed to look extremely expensive, and it left little to the imagination.

Ethel's right arm wrapped around her waist possessively as she looked at the man who entered with a stern and aggressive look, hostile and ready to fight. Ethel replied.

Of course it does. Remind me what I pay you for again?

Ethel fixed his glasses and smirked before directing his view to another woman that was on the screen; a lithe and well-developed lady of darker skin with black hair and eyeliner dressed, unsurprisingly, in only a two-piece micro bikini that was jeweled with vibrant blue gemstones of an incredible rarity in addition to looking quite expensive. Even her open-toe heeled sandals had no expense spared. It was clear this woman was not a real individual though, as her entire appearance was more stylized as if she was an animated character; an image created to represent something.

She was quite animated for being an image on the screen. She then spoke.

Um, like, Gillium. Are you really sure it's, like, so important that Ethel's own director of Public Relations and Human Resources cannot handle it? Wow, uh. I never thought you'd be so incompetent. You even interrupted the boss' relaxation time! That's of super importance, you know? Like, you can't perform your best without plenty of rest!

The man, Gillium, quickly apologized profusely.

#Ahtikhet, my apologies. Ethel, sir, my apologies as well for intruding on your time, but this is a matter beyond one of my decision making power. I forwarded the documents to the system, #Ahtikhet. They can be displayed on the screen.

#Ahtikhet made a few different faces before causing the papers to be displayed on the screen in text form.

All done! Well, boss, like, this is news!

Ethel smirked again.

I see. I suppose this does require my attention. Very good, Gillium. Now, tell me. How goes our new work policy among the new hires? It's a small price to pay, I'm sure, for the benefits they get, hmm?

The woman with the tail spoke up.

Let me guess... You blackmail them into demeaning themselves like this for you. Am I correct?

Ethel laughed.

I wouldn't use such harsh terms, but sure, if that's how you want to call it.

She just scowled and returned to leaning against him, fuming to herself.

Gillium nodded.

The policy seems to be most favorably received. I can confirm most of the new hires take home a little bit more pay than before.

Excellent. That is all I need to hear. Now, begone! I desire to relax and enjoy my time... In private.

Gillium nodded and turned around, leaving the room as the door locked behind him.

There! Like, that should stop any further disturbances! They can't open that door without defeating me first, after all. I'm, like, unbeatable! I am #Ahtikhet, almighty Vizier who works with the Pharaoh!

Ethel grinned quite ominously as #Ahtikhet finished her spiel and disappeared from the screen. Then, after removing his glasses, he pulled the woman with the tail even closer to him, bringing her lips to his forcefully as his eyes glowed vividly. As her surprised gaze met his shining eyes, her resistance to the act slowly begun fading. Breaking the embrace momentarily, Ethel continued to smirk.

Let us continue, Okora... PSI Charm! Beta!

There was a momentary purple flash throughout the room, and then a brief lull as he placed his glasses back on. Suddenly, the woman with the tail willingly placed her lips back against Ethel's, only with intensity and willingness that was not present but a second prior as his arms wrapped around her.

His power worked just as expected. He'd have plenty of time to deal with the documents later.

Amelia picked up the letter and observed it closely, after holstering her disruptor pistol. She then looked at her surroundings, and frowned.

"What does this mean..." She said to herself.

Kathryn brought her gaze over to Demor, taking in the various hallways in front of them, before pointing to the one that showed the stairs leading up, and down.

"We need to find our room, so we can get established, and plan from there." Kathryn said quietly, before she approached the console, and turned back to Demor. "Maybe we should scan your compass, so we can find out what room we're in?"