Wandering Minds

[Jacob Crawford]

Maena ​

The Asylum ​

The furthest reaches of the Wastelands had always been a odd place to find a sense of solace and serenity, amongst the swirling darkness that inhabited the planet. It was located miles away from the New City and the Slums; from the Unit and the Tower. It was quiet, with only the sounds of the sea crashing against crags and black sand. Though there was the occasional murmur from deeper in the Wastelands, from either one of Matsu’s creations or the bubbling of lava.

Now the Asylum sat there atop the nearby mountainside, a construct of metal and stone standing in solitude over the dead sea. And despite its presence, the peace and quiet wasn’t disturbed. The mad ramblings of patients and the chaotic racket of experimentation were all kept buried underground. To the right the beach was still left as it had been before, broken and destroyed. A sizable crater still remained there, now filled with water.

The only other thing you could hear; and feel, was the Force.

It was an ever constant presence on Maena, no matter where you go. The Darkside was rooted into the planet and lingered everywhere. The Wastelands were a prime source of it, being the home of numerous experiments and monstrosities located there. It stretched beyond its boundaries, flowing out into the sea unimpeded.

Now however, it was shifting wildly like an animal. Moving towards the Asylum as if it were a vacuum pulling it in. It ascended, wrapping up around the tower until it could reach the spire. There it wrapped around it with a serpent's grip.

And were someone to look closer, they would see that rather than it being pulled, it was instead reacting. It pulsed in and out like a light, contracting as something occured within its grasp. And whatever that thing was, it was feeding the darkness.

That was what Irajah would arrive to, set behind an afternoon sun as it slowly began its descent to the horizon. Her vehicle would land at the tower's landing pads, leaving a metal walkway before her and a set of doors at the far end.

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Kuzo]

He'd invited her here to show her his work. As she looked up at the tower, felt the ebb and flow of the Force and the implications of what that signified, well-

She couldn't say she was specifically impressed? But he'd certainly caught her attention.

Their own paths in the force had diverged. Their friendship had been that- not a partnership. They were not allies. They did not speak of their experiences training, with the Dark Side.

Not until now, at least.

Dark hair in cascading curls down to the small of her back, she walked purposefully from her shuttle up to the double doors. Dressed simply in flowing, sleeveless tunic in midnight blues, leggings and short boots, she did not look much different from when they had first met. But there was a certain energy now. Like the Force rippled around her instead of being focused so deeply within that it could barely be sensed. She could feel the way the draw up the length of that tower caused bends in her own senses, and she filed that away under interesting.

The doors opened for her as she approached- she was invited, after all, and someone had been watching for her.

She moved inside without hesitation.

[member="Jacob Crawford"] was one of the few people in the galaxy that had earned her trust.

Of course, it helped that she had pulled him off of Dxun a year and a half ago. But that alone wasn't the only reason.

 

[Jacob Crawford]

The doors had opened, and the tower seemed to hum as Irajah had passed through the threshold.

Before her was a semicircle shaped desk, a terminal sitting squarely in the middle of it. Stationed behind it was a standard protocol droid, who seemed momentarily oblivious to her presence.

That was until his head snapped up, optics blinking for a moment as he stared at her.

"Ah, good afternoon Miss Ven!" How exactly the droid knew her straight away was left unanswered. "Welcome to the Asylum! Please, go on through. I shall inform Master Crawford of your arrival."

After that he said nothing more, his attention returning solely to the terminal. Irajah was left with a simple decision of left or right, either not really mattering as they both led into the entrance hall.

It was a sizable area, but sparsely decorated as a whole. Specifically doing away with needless furniture and pointless clutter. It served a certain purpose; that of a lobby. With a number of chairs and benches dotted around the place. The main attraction seemed to be the window that stretched across the far wall, providing an excellent view of the dead sea. And a decent look down to the rocky crags if one got really up close.

Above it, carved into the wall were the words: Ri Winasi Roksota, titji driyi ri Tsûduma Kita


Meanwhile up in the Meditation Chamber high above...

It was cloaked entirely in darkness, the skylight closed off to ensure not a bit of light got in. The sounds of someone shuffling around, metal scratching into stone. Mad ramblings echoed around, bouncing off the walls. It wasn't just one voice, but several all lost within an eerie cacophony.

None of which were coming from Jacob.

Master Crawford, Miss Irajah Ven has just arrived. The sudden crackle of the intercom managed to break through.

"What..." Miss Ir- "I heard you the first time...I'll be down soon."

Jacob inhaled deeply, hearing the whispers nipping at his mind. Stay. But he pushed them aside as he shifted back onto his knees, knife clattering to the ground. He racked his memory of whether he was expecting Irajah this evening, but it was far too muddled to get a clear answer. Jacob sighed, standing up slowly and began to walk towards the door. The darkness was no hindrance for someone who had become familiar with the room.

It had taken roughly seven minutes before he finally made his descent. The darkness that had been circling the spire had gradually died down, falling back towards the ground and dispersing.

A soft ding came from one side of the entrance hall; where a single elevator sat. The door slid open and Jacob strode out of it, eyes lingering around until he found her.

"Irajah, I'm glad see you came to visit." He spoke with a smile, walking towards her. Jacob wasn't dressed in anything particularly special, mostly a contrast to how he looked the last time she had seen him. A short-sleeved black shirt, trousers and boots. Even his hair was in its usual shaggy mess, although that was more a result of what he had just left from.

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Kuzo]

She was waiting for him near the window. She'd been gazing out, her eyes distant and thoughtful on the landscape far beneath. While their friendship had started on Dxun, she understood that this was truly where his journey had begun. On the black shore of that barren sea. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had brought him here. Their paths had diverged from that moment in time, occasionally meeting again here and there, but running on certain interesting parallels. Not in details, but in broad strokes. Theirs was an odd sort of friendship, but one she had gladly rekindled after her trip through the Netherworld.

Hazel eyes refocused, turning to glance over her shoulder at the sound of the lift. She smiled, inclining her head slightly as she turned toward him.

They met in the middle, hands clasping welcome. She was genuinely glad to see him.

"Thank you for extending the invitation," she replied.

Glancing around to indicate more than just the room itself, she smiled crookedly at him.

"Much better than a lab on Dxun or a tiny apartment on Dosuun," she said with a chuckle. "You are doing well for yourself Jacob."

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob chuckled lightly, nodding at Irajah's words.

"Much better, yes. Certainly gone up in the world, so the say." He spoke in a joking tone, although the truth was all around them.

Once he was just someone riding on the back of a swoop, in the rain, while being chased by a Zakkeg.

Now he had found his place in the galaxy, literally and otherwise.

He was proud, his expression clearly evident of that as he looked around. Even now it still elicited that kind of reaction from him, some measure of disbelief that he had indeed built the Asylum.

"Credit goes to Matsu of course, she was the one who allowed me this."

After all he had gone to her asking to build something on a planet she effectively owned. Even with her statement of having her apprentices go out and make something of themselves. She had held a deal of scrutiny of his plans. Until he had taken her to the very spot, and let her listen to what he had discovered.

"Let's head upstairs, get somewhere more warm to talk." He led the way over to the elevator he had arrived on. Stepping into it with Irajah once the door had slid open. With a brief push of the second to last button, they began to ascend.

"So, how have things been?"

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Kuzo]

She offered him a crooked half smile- not a smirk but not a sign of true mirth or joy either. While she had those, this was more accurate of the sensation his words invoked.

"Oddly pleasant," she admitted as they stepped to the back of the elevator.

"I was expecting holding onto the farce of... well.... being dead..... to be..... constricting?"

The lights flashed rhythmically as they ascended. She tilted her head slightly, thoughtfully.

"But the lack of Gideon, of knowing I am free of it, the Zambranos, the First Order..... it more than makes up for it. I have work, people who matter, good things, filling my time."

There were things missing of course. How could there not be? She had literally left a piece of her behind when she had crawled out of the Netherworld. There was a stain on her presence in the Force, a darkness even behind the smile that had never been there before. It did not erase the smiles, the pleasure at seeing him, the interest as they went up, story after story. It was still Irajah.

Just, shifted, five degrees from center. Just enough.

"So, as magnificent as this building *is* Jacob..... just what is it for?"

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob nodded slightly, folding his arms against his chest and leaning against the elevator wall.

"Well the galaxy is a pretty big place, and death tends to have a way of making people forget about you." That, and not everyone got the chance to come back from it. He imagined whomever it was that had killed Irajah, didn't believe she had the ability and connections to return from death.

And that in itself was a benefit. She wasn't some big public figure, or some powerful Force user like the Dark Lord of the Sith. The type of people that tended to have eyes fixed on them even after death. Especially the latter, and their habit of not staying dead.

His eyes shifted over to Irajah after she spoke, a small smile on his face.

"Publicly? It houses Maena's clinically insane, be it from New City or the Slums. Or the leftovers from the Unit and Tower. Privately, it's a residence and a place where I can experiment in both mentalism and alchemy." A rather broad explanation, but Irajah was likely to see an example of what he did in the Asylum soon enough.

The elevator stopped with a ding, a moment passed before the doors slid open revealing the Library. It took up the entirety of the floor, evident by how expansive the room was. A mix of dark browns and reds, with some yellow/gold trimmings here and there. The elevator brought them to the very centre, Jacob stepped out first walking in a bit before turning on the balls of his feet and arms stretched out to the sides a bit.

"Welcome to the library." Jacob guided Irajah towards the right side, where the bookshelves gradually stopped and shifted into a seating area. There was a long couch, a few single matching chairs situated around a coffee table, all of which were in front of a crackling fire. Resting one side of the table was a tray full of various drinks, ranging from soft, caf and alcoholic. As at some point between greeting each other and arriving up here, one of the droid staff had followed their automatic orders for whenever a guest was visiting.

"Please, help yourself to a drink before you sit-" He cut himself off as the pair approached, taking in the sight of a good dozen and a half books scattered and piled across the couch and chairs. Jacob's thoughts immediately went to [member="Imogen Daniels"] and he sighed. "Force damnit Imogen, what have I said about..." He was muttering at this point, a hint of annoyance in his voice but it was soon replaced with an amused chuckle.

"Apologizes Irajah, let me deal with this real quick and we can talk further." With that, Jacob began picking up the books, some by hand others he used the Force to levitate around.

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Kuzo]

"Mhm. Quite a boon," she had murmured right before they stepped into his library. And then? Her mind was on other things.

She swept hazel eyes appreciatively over the room. Her hand lifted, almost absently, as if she couldn't help it, fingertips traveling over the spines of book after book. It was one of the things she missed the most from Blackwater. Her library. The sola- she stopped herself there, refocusing on the scene before her.

"Well, I certainly can't fault you for your tastes," she murmured, tone clearly complimenting.

She kept walking, eyes scanning titles and bindings, noting this or that in particular as she took it all in, even as he stopped to clean up the books. Around the back of the couch, there she paused, one hand on the spine of a book, finger hooking it out slightly as the other rested lightly on the curved wood that arched just over the cushions.

"Imogen?" She asked, eyebrow arching slightly.

"Pet, child, play thing... or something else?"

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

"Mhm, I have you to thank for that." He just about caught Irajah's murmur as he began to walk away. "Blackwater's library was certainly an inspiration, that and well I underestimated just how many books I'd need."

Jacob had been saddened to hear the Blackwater Manor's destruction. The building itself, along with the landscape surrounding it had been beautiful. But whatever events had transpired in there, had seen to its burning.

Whether that was by Irajah's hand or someone else's...Jacob suspected the latter was true.

He paused in his stride, about to head to the other side of the library. But in that moment he realized the likelihood that Imogen had picked a book from different shelves, across the entire room. And Jacob wasn't about to spend time having to sort all that out when he had a guest.

Jacob looked back at Irajah, returning her arched eyebrow with one of his own and a curious look in response to her choice of words.

"Student, actually. I came across her on a backwater planet, found she was quite gifted in the Force." He turned back around, the little grin on his face hidden from Irajah's view. He headed towards a small cut-off area, not too far away from the lounge area; up a few steps and to a desk that sat comfortable in the middle. Jacob placed one pile of books on it, then levitated a couple smaller stacks to rest down on the floor beside it.

"Did you know there are still planets out there that aren't named? So detached from the the rest of the galaxy that they lack technology or even the basic knowledge of the Force." Jacob returned to the lounge, stopping at the coffee table to decide on a drink. His hand hovered over the wine for a moment, before it moved over and grasped the pot of caf. Alcohol wasn't what he needed right now, not after meditating. He poured a cup for himself, before settling down at one end of the couch.

"So tell me Irajah, what have you been up to since overcoming death?"

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Kuzo]

"Losing Blackwater was a shame..... but I couldn't have returned there even if it hadn't burned," she said quietly. Whistful perhaps, but not particularly bothered it would seem.

"In a way, the First Order's surety of my death is only to my advantage. So in the end it was a fairly reasonable trade off, as far as these things go I suppose."

The other eyebrow rose when he said 'student'. While Irajah had [member="Samson"] and to a lesser extent [member="Xena Amonali"] beneath her wing, she did not consider them students, not really. To call someone a student required a certain level of dedication of time and energy. Interesting.

"Building," she answered, spreading her hands as she moved to settle in on the now cleared couch. "Carach.... you met him at the party, though he's going by Jairus now.... and I are...." she paused, smiling, warm, a touch self consciously. A flash of the old Irajah there. Not gone. But so much of what was excess and useless burned away in the fire, as surely as Blackwater itself.

"Living together on Corscant. I've set up new labs there. I love Maena, but Coruscant has so much to offer. So many people with so many needs. It lets me be more discerning in the subjects I choose. And you? What are you working on here?"

As she spoke, she reached out casually with the Force. Settling comfortably on the couch, she poured herself a cup of caf, adding sugar as was her preference (some things didn't change), the cup floating to be plucked out of the air a moment later. She blew on it slightly, breathing in deeply before taking a tentative sip.

"Mmmm.... dathomiri? I approve Jacob."

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob nodded, taking a sip of his caf as he listened to Irajah speak. He had gone snooping around not long after he had felt her passing. Looking towards Dosuun when he realized it was where she had been.

The report that had come out of that reeked of a cover up by the First Order, and at the time it he hadn't felt it worth digging into. Nor had Irajah it would seem, her tone indicating she had moved on without a single glance back.

He raised an eyebrow at her, curious at what the doctor had been building. Although it took a moment for the name Carach to click in Jacob's mind, until he recalled the part. But then he did recall the man wandering up stairs with Aria at one point.

Interesting.

But then again, that whole night had been an interesting affair in general.

"Me? Well I've been dabbling into alchemy quite a bit. I found it to be a fascinating subject to study while I was learning under Matsu. So far, I've just been tinkering with concepts - testing tried and true methods and experiment with the new. Primarily revolved around pulling spirits into physical objects." There was a pause as Jacob sipped at his caf some more. Thinking over what to say, and when.

"My main project here is still within its preliminary stages, plenty of testing and examinations. Slowly piecing something together..." He glanced her way, clearly debating something internally. "I'll have to show you some of it, I could certainly do with a doctor's opinion on certain areas." After all, Jacob was the furthest thing from that.

He watched quietly, a small smile on his face as Irajah used the Force to pour herself a cup. After being restricted by Gideon for so long...he could only imagine what it must've felt to be able to use it without fear.

Jacob blinked, pulled from his thoughts by Irajah's voice. He chuckled quietly, giving her an appreciative nod.

"Thank you, these past several months have led me to discover the benefits of caf." Another sip. "And I've since tried different flavours, this one has become a particular favourite out of my latest batch."

His attention slipped away again, settling on the crackling fire and seemed to slowly get lost in it.

Feet burning...soles set a flame by scorching sands...

[member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah didn't appreciate alchemy the same way Matsu, Cerbera, or now even Jacob apparently did. It was deeply annoying to her how.... unscientitic it was. Why did this work that way? Just because it did! The experimentation always seemed to be such flailing in the dark. There were certain skills and methods, certain powers that were so intrinsic to the Sith she knew that she simply did not understand the appeal. Sith Sorcery? Gorgeous effects... but how? Why? It bothered her that the answer was simply 'a manipulation of the Force.' With certain arts she could experiment- and had been. How mentalism manipulated the neurons and transmitters. It was an art, yes.... but it was also a science. Alchemy was messy and imprecise, it seemed to her. The clean up often required after the fact was..... significant.

She didn't sneer at him, at that work, however- while it wasn't her cup of caf, she still could appreciate the artistry. But there would always be a part of her that saw it as something..... different.... than the science she had delved so deeply into herself.

Besides, he was her friend.

That had become easier again, she mused as she watched him. Despite the changes in them both, there were, if anything, more connections now than before. Unlike before now... now she could feel one of them.

There was a thread that led back to the Nether that both of them shared, and could, if they wanted, looking down into the abyss.

She had no desire, however, to talk about it. And she suspected he felt much the same.

"Mmm I'd be happy to," she said, putting the cup down lightly, tilting her head to the side. "I am here now..... shall we?"

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

He wanted to ask. The question was on the tip of his tongue.

Curiosity was eating away at Jacob, as it always did when he was confronted with an opportunity to learn. He could feel it, much like Irajah did. Two individual threads that started at separate points only to join along the way towards a single point.

The Netherworld.

Oh, he wanted to know what she experienced. To hear what it was like for her but...it wouldn't be fair. Because Jacob knew he wouldn't share his own, he just couldn't right now. The scars remained, and they always would until the day came where he could shed them from his body. If that was even a possibility.

And something told him it was nigh impossible.

Jacob swallowed his curiosity, and took a large sip of his caf. He let out a sigh, feeling the hot liquid flow down and warm his body. It was needed, despite being in such close proximity to the fireplace.

"We shall, and I can show you what goes on in the lower levels." There was bit of a trek to reach the actual depths of the Asylum, so why not do some 'sightseeing' along the way.

Finishing his drink, Jacob stood up from the couch and led the way back to the elevator. A quick ride down and a walk across the Entrance Hall, they were travelling further down in another elevator. Idle chatter was made, mostly from Jacob as he commented about certain aspects of the Asylum. There was a level of enthusiasm in his voice, which probably didn't come as much of a surprise when one spent several months planning every fine detail.

Eventually they stopped, and the doors opened to the actual Asylum Level itself. It was all fairly run-of-the-mill like any other asylum in the galaxy, though this one shared the same aesthetic usually seen in Maena's facilities. Guards were stationed around at key points, with patients mingling with one another and staff moving about to do their jobs for the day.

"For the most part, the patients are allowed to be out of their rooms as certain times of the day. Although there are still those that retain their ability in the Force, and such require a little something more to keep them in line." Jacob nudged his head in a particular direction, towards a pair sitting at a table and playing a game of Dejarik. One of which had a collar around his neck. "It was queried at one point if we should permanently neutralize the connection, but it's been proven to be more beneficial to keep it and study their cases further."

They continued on until Jacob stopped outside of a room, a one-way window giving them a glimpse of what resided within. It was a padded cell, though rather than the walls being white they were black.

As though someone had charred them.

"We have a number of patients that are too dangerous to allow out, at all." The man was pacing around, muttering something unintelligible."He's one of Matsu's old experiments, a Kro Varian who despite what was done to him - kept his ability to shape fire." His most defining feature however, was the thin line that wrapped around his head, where hair refused to regrow and revealed the staples that circled around his skull.

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah followed along, head tilting this way or that, a small smile on her lips. His enthusiasm was not lost on her, and while the psychological was not her particular point of study, she liked seeing her friend so animate about something. It was a hard won thing, that enthusiasm she knew. Their paths had converged and diverged half a dozen times, but all along that journey they had struggled and suffered, by and large separately. She had seen his, even within her own, and finding him here, now, in this seat of familiar enjoyment was a thing she could appreciate for its own sake.

She did cock her head slightly to the side, frowning slightly as hazel eyes took in that last bit of detail, gaze casting over the blackened testament to the man's abilities.

"So you are studying his.... mental state, how it allows him the control despite being so...." she made a hand motion that encompassed everything and nothing all at once.

It wasn't her preferred method. She probably would have sedated him and then started measuring, recording.... cutting.

But she worked in a different realm than he did and they both recognized that.

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

"Precisely, I don't know the specifics of what Matsu was looking for when she originally experimented on him." Both were pretty familiar with how the Atrisian worked, whether it be something specific or for the simple sake of examination. "But I'd say even now, he's equally as fascinating."

The man seemed to react, as if he could hear what they were saying. He turned and looked directly at Irajah and Jacob, although the latter was unfazed. The Kro Varian walked forwards, heading twitching as it tilted side to side. Closer and closer he got, to a point where it was possible to see how bloodshot his eyes were. Although his gaze wandered, revealing the one-way nature of the window.

Jacob mused quietly, noting the fine craftsmanship Matsu had performed when sealing his skullcap back into place.

All of a sudden the subject jumped back and began to blast the window of a stream of fire. It was an instant ignition, no build up before the flames slammed into the transparisteel. It heated up the glass for almost a minute before it was abruptly stopped. Once the window had returned to its normal state, they could see the man had returned to the center - now clutching at his head muttering something.

"Albeit, it is in rather short bursts. Which ultimately result in constant migraines afterwards." Jacob stepped over to a small control panel, he pressed a button and the window shifted to match the same opaqueness of the walls. "There's a few more that have caught my interest, but I think I'll show you the laboratories."

They proceeded further into the Asylum Level, occasionally pausing to look at a few more of the patients. A couple notable ones being a Twi'lek with his lekku missing, and Devaronian with an odd skin tone; at least amongst his people. Of which, Jacob commented on the subject's apparent mutated this blood filtration system.

Eventually they reached the end of a hallway, standing in the middle of a T-junction. Jacob placed his hand flush against the wall and suddenly the 'wall' shifted/phased, revealing an elevator door. The duo stepped into and descended to the furthest point in the building. A soft ding echoed out upon their arrival.

"Welcome to The Lab, Irajah." Jacob took the lead as they walked out. "This is where the true work happens, where both alchemy and science is performed."

It shared the same look as the level above, but this felt; and sounded, a lot more busy. There were staff moving about, all the rooms they walked passed were occupied with some experiment. Jacob's focus however was not on any of them, instead he pulled out a commlink.

"Doctor Zuun, could you please have Subject Eleven brought to a vacant testing chamber?" A pause, before the sharp tone of a Selkath responded through the device. "Excellent, please remain as well - I have a guest I will be showing the serum too."

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Kuzo]

The labs were where she exhibited the greatest interest. Here was familiar territory. Though her own projects and research were done largely alone, she could appreciate the scale here. She rarely considered hiring a staff (the clinic didn't count, that was a necessary smoke screen), because in truth she loved her own research, the process of it with her own hands, too much to assign it to others. She could surely come up with results faster if she did, but half of the appeal was the process, the journey. Yes, she wanted the answers, but finding them herself was just as important as finding them at all.

"Serum?" She asked curiously, moving to rest her hip on the edge of a counter.

"Something in particular you are working on I take it?"

This version of Jacob was, in truth, far more interesting than the man she had pulled from Dxun. There was a small ripple of nostalgia for the late night conversations over that tiny kitchen table in Avalonia. But it was low and subdued. So much time had passed it seemed. Not much in truth, but they had both changed so much. It was like looking back at different people. The break in continuity of experience was clear for her. Her death, impossible to pretend anything else. She had come out of that different. Still her, but distilled into an essence of clarity.

This was better, she did not even need to debate with herself.

They were both better than the small lives they had left behind.

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

"It is my main project, the one thing that I've spent most of my time on developing." As Irajah stopped so did Jacob, turning to face her. "With the lack of an official name yet, I am essentially creating a 'fear serum'."

The conception of the idea had stemmed from Jacob's previous experiences, mainly centralized around the Netherworld. And while the scars from that time would never fade, his fear of the place had greatly diminished. Ultimately though, it had led to a particularly line of thought.

"It's an emotion every sentient being is able to feel, whether its a fear of death, losing a loved one or something else. It universally binds us, and it's something that can be manipulated. A mentalist is capable of doing this themselves, provided they can get past their target's mental defences. Dig beneath those walls, find the fear and pull on it - further deteriorating their fortitude."

Jacob was interrupted by a soft beep from his commlink, the testing chamber was ready. With a motion of his hand, Jacob led the way further through The Lab towards a more quieter section of it.

"My thought on this matter was whether this could be expanded, allow those without the ability to have an equivalent tool." The pair arrived outside of the testing chamber, similar to the patient rooms up in the Asylum; only this one was larger. Doctor Zuun was already present, glancing over at Jacob and Irajah as they approached. The room contained nothing more than a basic metal table and chair situated in the middle. Sitting there was a man, rather nondescript in looks. He lacked the dirt and grime, but it was obvious he had been picked up from Maena's Slums.

The poor posture and thin frame were common traits from that area.

<My Lord, the subject has been prepared with the latest version of the serum.>

"Excellent, a first test if I am correct? What are the projected improvements for this one?"

<It's estimated to roughly be a five percent improvement.>

​

[member="Irajah Ven"]​