Peer-to-Peer (Gear)

[MKR]

February 15th, OE 102
10:13 AM
Hiryu Kai, Guest's quarters

Calm footsteps, the underlying sense of urgency concealed behind methodical steps. A memory such a precious thing, fragile thing, just now she had received a hall of unknown faces and unknown visages but amidst that sea of the unknown and perhaps distorted there was one face. One face in the hall of memory which had both a name as well as being... here. There was only so much time, no longer was she hurt and bedridden, and it was clear her intent was to leave.

And now, now she stood outside of the door of that woman, that woman whose face was within that memory. A memory that gave her a sense of.. catharsis thinking of it. Holding her neck in a vice grip somehow so appealing yet... Why? That woman, 'Iris' within her memory 'Eris' within the moment. Perhaps she held the answers to questions she was only able to ask herself before today, yet all part of the underlying question of 'Who was she?' all of her waited with baited breath for the answer to this query, but she still had her tasks to perform so 'she' was busy elsewhere as well as 'her' and 'herself' performing their own duties as part of the Hiryu Kai's crew.

But that still left her, the her standing in front of that door. Knocking on that door, once, twice, thrice. Each knock signaling she was coming, until she finally opened the door and stepped in. The heels of her uniform clacking on the metal floor as she did so, one eye half concealed behind hair as both looked at the blue haired woman. That face, it was the same face. Of herself she knew she was tracing the footsteps of a ghost that was her. But what of this woman, 'strife'. After her step inside the red glove gently closed the door behind her, always keeping an eye on the guest, gauging her reaction to seeing her and with the door closed, she finally spoke up.

"Good morning, I was hoping we could have ourselves a conversation before you departed." The tone used made it waver between question and demand, as if she really wanted to demand but 'politeness' kept it from swerving into that. "I have a few questions which you might be able to help with, and of course you may ask myself questions if you have any. I hope such is an agreeable prospect."

 

[GEAR]

As Remedy hurriedly forced her way into the dwelling, the first thing that would have struck he was how remarkably messy it was. It was almost as if a racoon had come through the place, and everything that was possibly of value had been pried loose and tucked away somewhere. Some effort had been made to contain the chaos, with things being packed into several bags, but there remained clothes strewn about the room haphazardly. It hardly fit the image of the woman that she knew from her memories, at least.

There was a soft shhfff noise, as a sliding door to Remedy's left opened, and the woman in question's head peered out sleepily. Looking Remedy up and down, Eris scowled, and slipped through, her body clad in pink robe that looked like it had been taken from somewhere else. As she did, there was a momentary glimpse of another figure behind her, curled up under the covers.

A cigarette dangled from her lips as she took a couple of steps towards the new arrival. There was something... different. Her eyes were not the same as those she had seen that day, and her tone entirely different, now lower, more mature sounding - not the wheedling, childish that had grated on her ears in the past.

"I don't talk to cops." She said curtly, exhaling in such a way that the smoke was blown directly into Remedy's face.

"Beat it."

 

[MKR]

The woman's eyes moved over the room, the state it was in was... Disgraceful. Had her mind played tricks on her? Filled in one face for another she had seen somewhere? No, there was no way with how the other figures looked inhuman or sometimes even scrambled that was impossible. They had to be the same person- time changes people this was a universal truth as people were the culmination of their experiences so- so Iris must have acquired experiences that made her to what she was... Or lost them.

Her eyes tracked the woman who entered, as if measuring her. In truth she was gauging her own reaction to her, dislike that ran deeper then her skin. She had to be the same- had to be. Remedy propped her arm to her side, her right arm hanging limp besides her as the woman walked up, it seemed she was not the only guest here. As Eris advanced the eyes focused on her. The behavior, so different.

In her own memories she was still capable of comparing herself to herself, if that herself was indeed her or one of the many hers that walked in these halls. This- this didn't match her memories. As she blew smoke at her face she closed her eyes in defense, yet the scent permeated her nostrils all the same. Remedy raised her free hand, waving it away as her eyes opened again and looked at Eris now fully focused on her, even behind the smoke it was clear they were shrinking, enlarging, adjusting. It was like looking at camera lenses prepare to take a picture, uncanny to look at if one were expecting human behavior.

With the smoke properly out of her face and no longer assaulting her senses. A scornful glance now directed itself at Eris, the 'cop' none too pleased with the reaction. "And here I expected you to be eager to rub the past in." The voice was the same, sounded different but the same. This was more than mere coincidence. It was her, this was certain. Or was 'Iris' now faded. A grin weaseled its way onto her features, as she looked up to keep her eyes on the woman. "But that's okay- I don't mind going off-duty. If you prefer." Her eyes sharpened, "These are all personal questions anyway, you can... Observe them if you wish."

"I'm frankly just surprised you didn't laugh in my face." It was said like a whisper but not out of fear, she had seen the last?, prior, time they had interacted and how it went. "Cat got your tongue?"

 

[GEAR]

Eris cocked an eyebrow at the woman's insistence. The cigarette in her mouth burned down as she walked, catlike, to a bag tossed onto a couch. Unzipping it, she started rustling around within its confines, muttering back to Remedy:

"You all look the same to me."

At length, there was a pop and hiss of a metal can being opened, and a slightly fruity aroma filled the room. Eris turned back to her guest, now with a drink in hand, as she listened to her talk about "personal questions". Sighing she shook her head, taking a drink from the aluminum can, emblazoned upon which was an icon of a cartoon cat, its features hidden by a pink clearance sticker. The text, slightly faded and obscured by droplets of water that trickled down her fingertips, seemed to say "Stellar Soda". Colonial brand?

"You think I haven't heard that one before?" She said, dryly.

"Whatever you and your ass-pals think they can pin on me, you're welcome to try."

 

[MKR]

She calmly kept her eye on the woman as she moved back and forth, the sheer difference between then and now perhaps this had been a grand waste of her time. But it would save her an even greater waste of time by trying to track her down later, even so she would not give up on the possibility that there was something here a piece of information for her to work with. Hopeful, definitely, realistic? Less so. But she didn't care much currently. For all she knew that first line could be Iris toying with her, playing her for a fool referring to her and her while playing coy after all.

"Pin on you? Oh I am not here to accuse. As I said this is a question about you Iris." She let that last one roll off her tongue, if Iris was in this room then that would be enough to clue her in. If not, it could elicit a reaction out of Eris perhaps. "Not about what you've done, yet. Not that I can recall that currently even if I get the distinct feeling you did something 'back then'. What I want to know is 'when was back then'." She was certain this was the woman whom she assaulted that day, when her eyes were doubted by the many superiors.

Even if she could not recall what she saw before let alone what her 'job' was this woman was there. She could feel it in her gut and she trusted that gut.
"And though your voice does not grate my ears as it did in my memory, I would really like for you to tell your part of that memory." She gave a smile, looking over to the woman as she drank her drink. Standing still, as her hand moved back to her side, the cloud of smoke moving through the room.

"Would you be so kind?"

 

[GEAR]

At the sound of that name, Eris noticeably stiffened. It seemed the officer had managed to touch a nerve after all. Her fingers moved to the gun concealed beneath her nightgun, brushing its handle momentarily as a hundred thousand thoughts tried to rush through her mind. Eventually, however... she simply exhaled, and closed her eyes.

"I see." She said, quietly.

"Now I understand."

She sat on the corner of the couch, drink in hand, as the door closed behind Remedy, affording them some privacy. She took another long, long drought, with a long, heavy sigh.

"You don't know who you are, do you?" She said, finally.

"...If you're looking for more information on that business on Deimos, forget it. My memory of that incident, of my time there is... hazy. Maybe that's not what you would have liked to hear."

She swilled the contents of her drink wistfully, as though deep in thought. Yes, of course she knew this woman's face. She'd seen it in her dreams, her nightmares countless times... and yet here she was now, in the flesh, demanding answers. It would have been comical if it weren't right there in front of her.

"You'd have to ask... her."

 

[MKR]

A reaction, but with it the disappointing nature of truth. Eris/Iris held not the answers. Or perhaps Eris did not hold the answers but Iris did, Remedy's complexion relaxed a look of sympathy upon her features now instead of the hidden ire that existed prior. Still now she knew, Deimos.. The second moon of Mars such was the home of that memory- perhaps her home? A line of inquiry to pursue, a memory to chase.

Finally she moved from her static position, taking a seat nearby yet still a distance from Eris.
"I know who I am. But who I 'was' is a mystery to me, the most I've gotten is a series of faint glimpses to sights I feel I should think unimaginable but somehow feel as close to home as I can fathom." She took off her hat, putting it besides her as her brown hair swayed gently back and forth. "And so when today, when I saw the past clearly for the first time and your face was there I took this chance while I had it."

She tapped on the table with her gloves, a fast tap, a tap and a fast tap, a fast tap followed by four slow taps, in turn followed by four fast taps and another slow tap. All as she spoke the taps continued, three fast, two slow and finally three slow and two fast before they would repeat in the pattern. Remedy herself seemingly not noticing this pattern.
"I was somehow hoping you'd gloat, bearing all the lost memories over my head like the sword of Damocles, in turn allowing me to piece together who I was. I was prepared for that. But I have to ask, who is this 'her' you are talking about?" Had Iris, no Eris, clutched onto a link to their past? Someone who knew their history?

 

[GEAR]

"It's not easy to describe."

The woman folded her legs, looking down at her drink once more pensively, as though she were avoiding meeting Remedy's eyes.

"In the last battle, there was someone else pulling my strings. I blacked out. I don't remember anything that happened... but I was walking, talking. Fighting. Killing. Same as Deimos."

Crink.

She crumpled the can in her grasp, letting it fall absent-mindedly into a basket.

"...and I can sense that she's still there somewhere. Deep down. Waiting for her chance. I wouldn't risk it, though. She's... dangerous."

Eris surveyed Remedy. What emotion was in her eyes was, perhaps due to habit... inscrutable. Nobody with honest eyes got by in the Colonies, less so in a business where backstabbing and swindling was the order of the day. She let her thoughts wander a little further, kicking her bare feet gently into the air, before continuing.

"You shouldn't go to Deimos. Nothing good is waiting for you there." She cautioned.

"Find Farron Longinus. He can tell you all about that place, maybe point you in the right direction."

Now that name was one anyone would know. The Longinus family, and its longstanding connection to Mars was common knowledge among any who dealt with the red planet - the inheritor of the modern Silk Road, it was sometimes called. Tracking him down likely wouldn't be too difficult, but... was that all the woman was really willing to volunteer? Or was the risk of digging deeper calling to her?

 

[MKR]

Remedy paused, listening to what Eris said. She had no real cause to believe her, but still there was no reason to not believe her either. As much as she wanted to point fingers, find someone to blame for anything and everything from her lost memories to what had happened a week ago. But that person wasn't here right now, instead hidden within Eris. She kept tapping her fingers, thinking over the situation.

"Will you be fine then? With 'her' there with you?" With how Eris talked about the one she remembered, the one who was in the driver's seat at that time there was a genuine cause for concern. Which she admittedly could consider favorable for herself as it was this other persona which could unveil her past. But no, she was not subjecting what for all means was an innocent bystander to such a torturous existence from which there may be no return.

"Though how do you mean there's nothing good waiting for me there?" She asked, another of her memories coming to the fore.

SYSTEM MESSAGE:
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.
This service is being discontinued. Please report for decommissioning.​

A chill came down her spine, was that waiting for her on Deimos? Death by 'decommissioning'? You know, she would very much like to avoid that fate but was that what Eris was alluding to? Only one way to know for certain, that being to wait for the answer. Farron Longinus however, it was not a name she 'knew' but rather one she 'learned' during her time in transit, a name that should be known by all who live in the reaches of space while within the earth sphere.

She scraped through the granted memories, the 'new silk road' around Mars, knowledge now inherent to her. Yes she figured as much, if someone knew the dealings on mars and what was all going on there then he would be the one to do so. A logical line of advice though how much the man was willing to help was to be seen. Though that was not quite something she should be asking Eris, but rather the man himself.

 

[GEAR]

"I can handle myself."

That response was immediate, knee-jerk even. Eris folded her arms, as if being subject to the woman's compassion was... unnerving, almost. At the further mention of Deimos, she sighed. It seemed no matter what she said, the girl was going to go there.

"It's not the most... receptive place. There's a reason they stopped mining it all those years ago. I'd say a little more, but..."

Her head tilted slightly, and she tapped her index finger against her ear, looking Remedy in the eye all the while. The meaning was clear: there was an eavesdropper. The mercenary flicked her gaze curiously out to the hallway. Perhaps, out there?

"...I'm not in the business of pleasing voyeurs."

 

[MKR]

Remedy's eyes sharpened at the notion of the eavesdropper, be it Eris' guest or as her sight indicated, someone out in the halls. With things like so it was obvious this conversation had concluded. So calmly she picked up her hat once again, putting it in its rightful place before making sure her hair wasn't all messed up from being draped over a chair.

"Thank you for your warning, I'll take it into consideration." She calmly put the chair back in its place, "If you ever need to reach me, I doubt you'll have issues doing so. So for now, I'll wish you safe travels." With a nod the woman began to head back out of the room, her interruption done. She had gotten less out of it then she hoped, but more than expected.

They were not in the same boat, but in similar ones. She however didn't have someone fighting her over who got to be captain all of 'her' were mostly unified in their goals and so that ship sailed smoothly even if no one could remember why they were there in the first place. In that sense Eris had it many many times worse then she did and so she pitied her. Though that said, if 'Iris' returned she would gladly choke the life out of her once more. Though now she'd be aiming to knock that first I out of place for an E. Yes that would do fine.

And so unless the mercenary halted her the soldier would return to her duties.

 

[GEAR]

"Take care."

It was about as wooden a response as one could get, and she watched the other woman leave like a hawk, the sense of her eyes on her back lingering perhaps a little longer than Remedy might have expected. Eventually, once the woman was well out of earshot... Eris' eyes narrowed, and she slunk into her seat, coiling up in a fashion not unlike a viper that had failed to ensnare its prey, resigning itself to a long, cold night of hunger.

"...A Praestulor. I can't believe it." She said under her breath; "After all this time, one of those things survived after all. And where there's one..."

A hand came up to her mouth, removing the cigarette, which at this point had burned down to ashes. She tipped it gently into the waiting tray. The thought of a horde of them was enough to send a shiver up even her spine.

How? That was her first thought. Could she be...? ... No. That entire system was dismantled. It's just not possible.

As if to clear the air of any uncomfortable thoughts, she spoke aloud, overriding the racing of her mind. There was no sense in getting this upset, this quickly. Should she awaken Yuri? Her fingers toyed with the package, contemplating lighting a second... and she eventually decided against it. There was no need to bother her counterpart with what amounted to speculation.

Observers dealt with facts. Anything less was beneath their function.

"If she keeps them out of our hair for a while, I'm not about to complain. When the Arm of Deimos gets wind of this... well. I think I'll pass on that fireworks display."

It was time to verify the goods, before anything else unexpected happened.

She pulled from the interior of one of the many, many disorganized backs a small, metal case, about the size of her palm with a raised, circular pattern across its front and back, dull and grey, flecked with rust. The funds she'd acquired from Xander's dirty work had been put to good use, and they'd soon be able to inspect the prize gained from Cicero. Doubtlessly the man wondered what she could possibly want with such a useless item. Defunct EOT was far from uncommon in her line of work...

But sometimes?

You just needed the right touch.

As soon as her fingers met the riveted center of the device, warmth and light flowed from its center. A bright blue hue that sent crackles of light up her arm, illuminating vein-like circuits that ran up its entirety. Images weaved themselves before her eyes slowly, and she gave the smile of a very satisfied customer. While the venture with AI1 had been a failure, she couldn't say she'd come away empty handed.

"Keep your eyes on the prize... Iris."​