Description: The new wave of technology devised by Shadaloo and S.I.N. should help cement it's foothold and expand it's reach and watchful gaze all over the globe. Another experiment in partiuclar reunites old aquaintances and shows some real promise of producing some desirable results or terminating very abruptly.
The diligently and precisely replicated chamber would be a slap in the face to secretive and slippery S.I.N. since its construction over the last week had gone without consultation until they were informed of the chance of location for the operation less than a day ago. S.I.N. still had to deliver the one and only prototype engine and assist in installing the device; far and above the levels of oversight they were used to operating under! Anything that made them squirm-
Made them much more interesting subjects to analyse.
The thin and stooped figure of Dr Senoh watches over the laboratory floor from above as a mixed team of S.I.N and his own lab staff in clean suits fuss over the banks of monitors of equipment while diligently checking and recording the readings. The implantation process was so well practiced that it had been automated after so many failures it was a simple matter to refine the process but the collection of valuable data and life signs of the patient resulting from this stage of development and calibration were the payoff here.
Dour and glaring, an expression mirrored in the window he has beady overlarge eyes with a focus like a hawk picking out the inefficiencies in the work taking place below, the fact it was treading on his feet and some of his own research was being applied to a project outside of his control and oversight was a slightly bitter pill. The blending of man and machine had been something of a personal pet project and he did suppose it might produce fighters of superior quality. He still had trouble determining why some fighters achieved such heights of power as to be interesting to one such as Lord Vega while others fell short, the data was always incredibly inconsistent.
Senoh was interested in the results and the premise even, a engine that was capable of feeding power into a human body. They'd best see some results of this incredibly expensive project today, for their sake.
If all the work that had gone into the project had been for naught, then there would be hell to pay. After all the effort that had gone into getting one of Vega's failed pet projects to return under her own free will... There was far more on the line at this moment than merely a waste of time and money; this time there was the chance that potential may be lost forever.
Any fool can make money if they have a modicum of will, but talent is a rare gift bestowed on this universe so that it may make itself valuable to Lord Vega.
As technicians scurried about frantically to keep the project on schedule, soldiers suddenly began to move with the precion of stun pilots, pulling into position along the path leading in from the entrance of the lab, moving as one into ready position. Much of Shadaloo was formed of nothing more than common thugs who were graced with a measure of strength and enough desire to make themselves useful, but these guards were something unique, the sort of tools that were useful because they had been honed to a standard of perfection worthy of the greatest man to ever live.
A red light above the door flashes from red to green, announcing that the protective air lock had declared its contents clean. With a whisper, the doors slide open, revealing the Heavenly Emperor or Shadaloo himself, his flowing purple cape securely wrapped around him. The very instant his boot strikes the floor of the lab proper, the honor guard's arms raise up in simultaneous salute.
Walking beneath the imaginary arch born of outstretched arms, Lord Vega proceeds forward, clearing the open space between himself and Dr. Senoh with his face twisted into its natural frown. For the sake of Dr. Senoh, it is an expression that had better not last long.
The atmosphere in the control room changes dramatically as the honour guard streams in and takes up position. My word but this was a surprise, the advanced warning is such that he has time to take his spot on stage to best receive his Lord. The obsequious little man that is Senoh marches over toward the door and remains there paused for effect. As the door swishes open and the resounding clump of more than a dozen heels clicking together in salute the hunched little man bows in place such as his frame and position allow. The lab staff continue their work and attempt to act as though nothing has changed, the punishment for missing any data or fouling an experiment takes priority over such niceties as being able to respectfully greet their betters. They were no better than furtiture though more useful.
"My Lord! Had I known you were coming I would have made suitable arrangements."
Like having one of those thrones lugged down here so there was somewhere suitable to be seated and review the results in real time. His labs were a model of efficiency and weren't geared toward presentation. Space was at a premium and much of the equipment in the labs was still needed for the care and maintenance of many other ongoing experiments, that abominable chamber would even probably have to be disassembled at some point. Switching gears he immediately moves into a status report and faint gesture toward one of the consoles he then starts to waork toward.
"They've just moved into third stage and have begun integrating the device into the subjects nervous system. The subjects body seems strong Sire. We don't detect any organ rejection and I suspect the Immune-suppression injections will not be required. Quite remarkable!"
A wave of his hand and one of his staff stands and twists one of the monitors around and upward; more suitable for their lords height than Senoh's. The image of a young Korean girl sleeping and unresponsive as a metal probe holds her eye open and small attatchments that twist this way and that; repeatedly firing out brief licks of strobing laser into and through the lens of the eye. A far cry from his own work but they were working wonders with miniaturization and devices were getting smaller and smaller these days.
"I can find no fault in what I have seen of the design of the device, whether it can be integrated properly into a human body though... remains to be seen."
As Dr. Senoh busies himself with kowtowing before his patron and master, Lord Vega simply allows it to flow in the background as he looks over the experiment in process. Certainly there is a value in his servants knowing their place, it would require far too much of the warlord's time to actually dedicate his attention to it. As long as the pieces fall into their correct position, that's all that ultimately matters.
"S.I.N. has proven a measure of worth in their endeavors on my behalf. Regardless, I they grow too comfortable in their isolation."
It is a moment of confidence between the dictator and his most loyal scientist. Words that those wise enough to have earned a position here would forget having ever existed. Seth is one of many tools that exists for Lord Vega's pleasure, but the amount of freedom that clone body has been offered combined with the funds he has been offerred has always been unusual when compared to the primary laboratory.
"Take pleasure in the opportunity I have given you to usurp the victory that they hoped to claim for themselves, Doctor. For your loyalty, I have given you a great many gifts so that you may better please me; I pray that you have not squandered the opportunity to reassert your position as my most valuable mind."
Every word comes across as a compliment tinged with menace. As always for those that serve Lord Vega, the stick is not far behind the carrot, but it is a large carrot to go with the equally large stick. Under the employ of Shadaloo, scientists find themselves unshackled from restrictive funds or morality in a manner unparallelled. Even NESTS and the Illuminati are unwilling to throw rewards about as freely as Lord Vega when an individual has proven their ideas valuable.
All that they must fear is that Vega will be disappointed by the end results.
"How long until you will be able to activate the prototype? I pray you will not leave me idling in anticipation long."
Frowning as he contemplates the timer on current operations the small man returns with his full attention to and on his Lord. He exchanges a few low and barely audible phrases with one of the men in clean suits who hurry's out through one of the other doors. Massaging his hands together the fitful gesture doesn't stop until the sound of a lift activated nearby adds a faint hum to the room.
"I regret there are as many as six minutes before the prototype can be activated ...more or less safely. There have been some other advances that may warrant your attention or interest though Sire. And here is one of them-"
As if on cue the doors open once again and a very machinelike naked humanoid walks into the room, plates of what appears to still be skin with metal laced joint's, breast plate and half of the face gone and replaced, crown of the head and left eye most entirely metal.
"A masterpiece of Computer technology. It's splendid. We've created the latest high performance monitor cyborg. It's state of the art!"
The figure stomps into the room, spry and it moves well and naturally despite there being a lot of weight with all of those cybernetics and implants. The closed metal eye opens and the 'eye' dilates; focus wavering up and down and find an optimal level for recording the scene playing out in front of it. A dead man that misses nothing and reports everything it sees instantly.
"Any images captured by this cyborg are immediately beamed via our communication network to the supercomputers here on site. Or anywhere else you may have use of them. They've been so successful we've already replaced our older obsolete surveillance robots with these superior models."
They could integrate into crowds, observe from afar and keep a constant look out for fighters of any calibre, or special interest to Shadaloo.
"Their use should make locating difficult to find fighters like this 'Ryu' easier and improving our response time. Sire?"
It should be good news, the world would get just that little bit smaller and there would be fewer places to hide from Shadaloo. The Cyborg closes its camera eye and remains at attention long enough to be studied, a slight resemblance to Sagat due to its features. It stomps its way out and back to the lift when no longer needed. They weren't really combat capable but the entire premise was for them to monitor and ideally avoid suspicion, that engine down there even incorporated some of his designs like this.
Six minutes might not be much of a wait for most, Lord Vega was no simple man. When you are practically a god that walks the earth, every moment of your time has more value than that of every pathetic insect that swarms about their utterly standard lives. It's wise for Senoh to have something more to offer that might hold the dictator's attention for a few moments longer.
As the new tool is offered to the master of Shadaloo, his expression remains unreadable in its default position. It takes a great deal to actually make the dictator smile, and when he does it's usually the only one in the room. As much as one might struggle to actually please Lord Vega, there is something altogether unsettling about the man in a moment of joy. His laugh is almost always accompanied by great suffering, and those that are not the focus of his "mirth" are blessed.
All of this makes it outstandingly difficult to gauge whether or not Lord Vega is pleased with what is being presented to him. Perhaps some of that is an intentional effort to make his subordinates work that much harder to ensure they do not anger him, perhaps it has some connection to the darkness that he alone has mastered with his Psycho Power.
A silence lingers as the cyborg is sent away, despite all the noise accompanying the hurried tasks of the technicians mere meters away. It is finally broken as Lord Vega turns to his chief scientist. "Very good, Doctor. An utterly loyal eye will be most valuable in sorting the wheat from the chaff. I assume they are capable of processing new orders remotely?"
The little man smiles and nods in the affirmative, the timer quickly ticking down to zero in the background. It was one of the major advantages to it being a cyborg over a simple robot.
"The subject used to create the monitor cyborg makes use of the better elements of both the man and the addition of the machine. The same feed can be used to transmit orders, or by more traditional medium, even our normal communications network. Their beauty comes from their complexity, the fact that they can retain and use elements of their former understanding and instincts to perform duties. Perhaps hail a cab to get to a required destination."
The broad smile a twisted parody of a grandfatherly smile, Senoh was clearly happy with the results.
"Best of all, they're /completely/ loyal."
There was finality to that usage of 'completely' they were no longer capable of refusing a properly authorized order and were loyal to nothing else excepting Shadaloo; from whose programming they could not deviate. They even came through a little under budget since they were in part organic which made for a better disguise and less money spent on parts.
"There are some other advances my Lord -- but I think... yes, the show may be starting! Below there or on the monitor."
The chamber itself was starting up but most of what was happening seemed to be the metal limb releasing its hold on her face so the eyelid falls closed as it draws back away into the upper reaches of the chamber she is sequestered in. people were bracing themselves and taking cover behind banks or designated areas far from the entrance.
If the test subject melted, exploded, died shrieking and flailing all efforts would be made to spare the valuable equipment down there. It was far too dangerous and reckless for them to even have firearms on the laboratory floor. Whatever happens they were on their own.
Perfect.
There were two things that Lord Vega valued and they were strength and loyalty... although of the two, the Shadaloo master honestly valued strength the most. Loyalty from a worthless peon was useless, but if you could convince someone with true strength to follow you (no matter what that strength may be), you would be able to accomplish great things even if they were only doing so to gain something in return.
But these tools had a new merit. The minions that ran about spying on potential interests were simply tools to be bought and used. Few offered any real insight or power, and so a tool of complete loyalty would hold much greater worth.
"Excellent work, Doctor. You have my authorization to begin mass production immediately. You'll have as many bodies as you need." A most valuable experiment, finding a way to turn otherwise useless worms into a new power to aid the growth of Shadaloo's surveillance.
But the real show was about to begin. As Dr. Senoh draws his attention back toward the test area, Lord Vega strides directly over to the railing overseeing experiment. If this is a moment of glory, then he shall behold it with his own eyes. The Feng Shui Engine was the seed from which the Emperor of Shadaloo may well may grow that which can finally contain his true power.
"Let us see whether S.I.N. has earned its keep."
Process: Launch Operation
.
..
...
Juri responds to the stimulus with a flicker of her eyes, faint movement as shows signs of waking and the engine continues to boot up into a nominal and steady state, base level activation and her heart skips a beat, noticeable on the equipment as she can feel something is different. Starting to see a modicum of difference as her still closed eyes are jolted; part of the darkness recedes with a faint red tint, letters crawling across her field of vision while HUD elements beginning to display and come together.
Still drowsy Juri cranes her neck over, it felt a little stiff and she luxuriates in a small stretch and rolling her head to help loosen things up while the process is ongoing. Diagnostic equipment across the board registers her enjoyment, like waking from a lovers kiss the little device wired into her eye socket was delivering even better then that scenario since energy was starting to flow out of it into her and it was... so... Invigorating! Helping to clear away the cobwebs.
The teardrop and fang design of front of the chamber separates and starts spilling out a floor covering layer of fog as the sealed environment within the chamber mixes with the laboratory air, bright light from the interior masks all but signs of movement inside until Juri pushes herself forward and takes a solitary step down the ramp outside of the chamber.
Taking a deep breath she doesn't have much or any love for the laboratory air, too clean and rank with cleaning products and the scent of nothing, bare metal and tile. Her sense are alive, keen and enhanced the engine itself in her left eye socket sweeps over the room and occupants without ever looking up at the booth. One of the suited figures calls out to her and the directed microphones pick up her reply as clear as day.
"It's phenomenal, It feels like my body is coursing with limitless power!"
An intoxicating bouquet of power, the influx of extra information form the device as well as recovering a part of her senses she hadn't felt or made use of in years. The iris of her eye brightens dramatically to a low level of violet light and she can feel the fain hum of it spinning up in her eye socket, a curious sensation but not in the least unpleasant as it just fills her system with even more power.
She wraps her arms around herself and just enjoys the near spiritual and pleasurable experience, it was the best feeling.
"So, let me loose. I want to play with this!"
It was like flexing new muscles she never knew she had before, powerful and dreadful new muscles that she felt she was getting a good sense for the controls that were in place.
This was a first, other subjects were usually overwhelmed or felt attacked, like they were being burnt or cored out form within. Juri want's more.
This is it. Even when she was nothing more than a damaged girl, seething with rage, Vega had known that there was real potential deep within this violent young woman. If Vega was foolish enough to take on a protege, he may have even considered keeping Juri and honing that seething rage into real power. But this was far better, the proof of a new power to add to the arsenal that Shadaloo wields.
A power that may help fuel a body capable of withstanding the full extent of Lord Vega's true Psycho Power.
In Juri's moment of elation, one sounds breaks the stunned silence of those not already intently busy trying to process these results: the laugh of madness. Lifting up from where he stands on the upper platform, Lord Vega begins to float across the lab as his nightmarish laugh fills the entire space. Bodies begin to hurry about, suddenly intent of filling their minds with anything but thoughts of what attrocities this unjoyful mirth has accompanied in the past.
"So this is the strength that has awakened from such glorious hatred," Vega says as his boots make contact with the floor in front of Juri. "Feel the power that courses through your body by my will."
This now is the same gruesome smile that accompanied the end of Juri's previous life, right here in front of her. "Now you can see what a fool your father was, making his foolish stand against my inevitable rise to world domination. Had he not been burdened by such a pointlessly self-righteous conscience, your family could have gained so much." Those blank white eyes seem to stare straight through the young Korean woman, as if gazing directly through her soul. "But at least his pitiful nature didn't taint his spawn."
That laughter!
Dampening her high it brings her right back down to earth; as she swivels her head toward the source she's setting the one hand on her bare hip turning toward and into an antagonistic and aggressive posture aimed right at the source in response to being bombarded and chided about her previous relationship to Shadaloo. So--? Vega's orders had killed her parents; she wasn't certain she never really experienced love toward either of them. It was more obligation and awe of the power her father possessed and the deeds he could accomplish, the worship of a child.
"Ah! So what if it is? By your will... My power and my potential belong to me."
Only an option after Vega had freed her from the burden of her parents, slinking closer she doesn't respond to his presence at all like any sane person should. Where people should quake in fear she teased. She was doing a quick tally in her head - for and against.
"You killed my parents, which freed me from having to deal with them (One down, one up.) Cost me an eye but have given me another one to use (same again, since it hadn't damaged her looks.)"
That was cause for a lot of the tension and hatred in their combined past, there were other elements to it; like how she felt after being kept as a test subject for the experiments she had endured, but for now she was playing it cool. If Vega were provoked he might try and crush her here and now, with his stake in this he probably had as much to lose as she did and those techniques for playing with people's minds already proven not to work with her.
The way Juri sashays closer and raises a hand, she doesn't stop until she almost makes contact with Vega a fleeting wave of her fingers as if she was unsure he'd be solid to the touch and she lowers that hand to her side leaning in toward him instead.
"I already made my deal with those Es. Ai. En. Guys that they'd lend me a fun new toy to test the limits of. Promsing they'd find me some fun things to do with it or encourage me to find them myself."
She circles around and behind this time actually letting her fingers brush across the fabric of the cape if not the man himself. Even monsters have some basis in reality. Only to emerge at the other side seemingly almost amused and still feeling pretty good thanks to that strong solid glow emanating from her left eye even as she throws herself up and onto one of the lab stools at one of the stations, making herself at home.
"Their deal was pretty good, are you offering better terms or mistakenly thinking I react well to taking orders and doing things other people want me to do?"
Which in no way described her, not who she turned into AFTER Vega influenced her life for the better? Worse? ...whatever.
All of this work that they've put into this project, and now the subject's mouth may cause it to all be thrown away as she foolishly challenges the will of Lord Vega! The tension in the air is thick enough to slice as the scientists and technicians all seem to collectively hold their breath as Juri treads of dangerous ground. Given all of the power coursing through those two bodies, it would be a wonder if any of the peons were left living should either snap.
And yet, despite her insolence, Juri is greeted by the full smile spread across Vega's face as she glides back around the dictator. Were Juri a lesser human, she would be reduced to nothing after being reminded of her place, but Juri has proven she has strength and therefore usefulness. No, from a unique opportunity like Juri Han, all of this merely prompts amusement from the dictator.
"Did that fool Seth try to convince you that he is the ruler of S.I.N.? It is but one of the many domains that exists through the power of my organization. What S.I.N. holds is but through the grace of my... generosity." Compared to the Juri's flowing movement, Vega simply continues to stand as if an immovable object, only turning his head slightly when he cares to maintain eye contact. "That worm, Seth, is allowed some measure of freedom because he occasionally provides me with something of value... but all that he produces is MINE."
The word is allowed to fill the air, technicians all across the lab tense up in preparation for an explosion of violence that never comes. It all goes unnoticed by Lord Vega, or at least left in the background.
"However, if all you seek is an opportunity to experience the true extent of your new powers, then I will be so generous as to provide you with a target." With a simply motion of his hand, just barely extened from beneath his cape, the readouts all across the large display monitors above the lab suddenly vanish, replaced instead with a satellite view of what appears to be a traditional Japanese fortress and the image of a time-worn man.
"Kitamura Shoji, the head of some unimportant Yakuza clan. Kill him and whatever pathetic defenses he can muster. If it's anything less than a trivial task for you, then it will be clear that I overestimated your usefulness." There is as Lord Vega's hand motions inside of his cape, and moments later it is thrust out facing upward, wrapped tightly around something. "You will leave this behind as proof."
The warlord's fingers suddenly open flat, revealing the damaged remains of a yo-yo, appearing as if it were singed. A gifted mind would be able to sense the lingering sensation of Psycho Power.
Juri cranes her head over to examine the contents of Vega's palm, the residual impression of power in it she can feel but it also spikes a readout on the Feng Shui Engine, it can read it, see a faint wafting smudge of colour around the object that remains, hardly notable unless she looks at it this close as there was some distortion effect this close to Vega. An inquisitive and fearless child to expose her neck so as to inspect the toy.
When she reaches out to take it her lips quirk into a snarky smile as she raises the burnt object and angles it toward the ceiling lights she rolls it around in her fingers, the significance of the toy is lost on her but the job is not without its charm.
Kill a yakuza boss sequestered away in his fortress while leaving some kind of calling card. Ha! someone would regret this and it was perfectly suited to her tastes even if she couldn't appreciate the full significance of the fallout and drama unfolding afterwards.
"Upping the ante with another toy, and something I'd enjoy doing just for the hell of it. It sounds like fun!"
Her glance at the monitor is brief but she does something she usually doesn't do, take note of the face so she doesn't miss that particular target. It'd spoil the game if she missed the entire reason she was going there and lost or failed the objective. Worse still was the thought she'd be underestimated or thought of as less than useful, that goaded her and produces a much crueller and toothier smile.
"He's already dead then, I'm itching to cut loose with this thing and see what it can do."
After that though she had a date she was VERY late for. She's sure he won't mind if she shows up just a week or two later but much the stronger for it.
In order to make use of a tool, one must first learn how to wield it. That process was a great more enjoyable when that tool had a will of its own. Some handles were completely obvious, particularly on those desperate for revenge or money, but other tools could be more complex. Time would only tell what handle Lord Vega would find purchase on with Juri, but there was no doubt that he would grip her like many before her.
For the time being he would simply bask in the fact that these new orders would upset Seth, throwing off whatever plans the replacement body had come up with for the project he had put so much effort into. The idea that this test might also throw a more complications into whatever it was the acrobat had come up with was also pleasing; she'd failed to understand her place. In a single motion she would see what power she had passed over and the futility of any attempts to escape his reach.
"I wait with great anticipation to see what strength my gift has bestowed upon you. It would be a great disappointment to discover that it was a waste of my time." It doesn't take an much effort to imagine what Lord Vega does with projects that prove to be a disappointment.
In a precise turn, the dictator faces back toward the overhanging platform and begins to rise up once more, floating effortlessly toward his previous position with his cape fluttering about him. As his feet once more touch the elevated ground he turns to offer Dr. Senoh a twisted grin. "Excellent work, Doctor. It would seem you've managed to please me twice in one day. I would hope you do your best to keep track of our new test subject while the experiment is still a prototype."
With a masterful touch, Lord Vega leaves both praise and threat to linger as he turns to stride back out into the laboratory's airlock.
Juri, lightly bouncing the yoyo in her hand was at least a little absorbed in the presence of the toy, she couldn't recall owning anything similar to it before so it's operation was something of a curiousity, as whatever the attraction was to playing with it might be. But, this was her kind of toy given leaving it behind as a token in this certain spot was stirring up a hornet's nest, which made it a thousand times more desirable.
The display of interest and receptiveness was a calculated measure, her overwhelming amusement and intrigue concealing most of the jagged and serrated blades buried below those surface emotions. She half turns from contemplation of her toy to watch the dictators flashy exit as he levitates into the air, perhaps when her own power reached a high enough level she'd be able to do bizarre things like that as Vega did.
Up above the Doctor once again bows his head as the Lord of Shadaloo ascends, the bodyguards never having left their rigid stance prepare the door for his exit with half of them silently filing out ahead of their leader with a hand signal from the lead of the unit. Senoh revels in the praise from on high, though working for a master such as Vega his works would shape the future of the world.
"My great pleasure master. I'm certain some ..steps can be taken."
Below on the floor the Korean teen was for some reason smiling up at and focused entirely upon the bent old man rather than the intimidating figure beside him, her eyes narrowing in time with that last comment she shouldn't have been able to hear at this distance, not over the hum of the lab machinery. Which he found odd and just a little unnerving; not enough so as he falters in his manners and seeing his Lord and patron out with all due respect. When he turns his full attention down upon her he catches her staring at the Vega finally as he exits, not with the reverence or fear he was accustomed to; she was licking her lips and smiling while juggling in her hand whatever had been given to her.
The girl was going to be trouble.
Log created on 18:05:38 11/20/2015 by Juri, and last modified on 17:48:45 11/25/2015.