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Post by Cassandra Nida on Sept 26, 2009 23:50:18 GMT -6
Under other circumstances, Cass would have been stunned by the beauty of the forest. She had seen trees before, but only in conservatories or private gardens, and they had been only twenty feet at tallest. Here, they towered above her, just as they did in the storybooks she'd read as a child.
Under other circumstances, she might have picked flowers or lay on the grass, or gazed up at a sky full of tree branches and unfamiliar stars. Maybe she would have imagined her knight in shining armour standing beside her, holding her hand and telling her about all the brave things he'd done.
But instead, she sat on the ground, the smell of burnt oil and plastic rising around her. She'd already torn her hoodie into strips to wrap her wounds. Her back was messed up, but she couldn't tell how bad it was, only that it hurt like hell anytime she twisted the wrong way. She could feel blood or oil slowly dripping down her back. Cass had stuffed cloth into what she could reach and hoped she could find someone to look at her before she lost too much fluid.
Her right arm came off with a click and she dropped the limp in her lap. There was a bullet still lodged in it, and every so often, the fingers twitched. It had damaged a few of the servos, or maybe broken some of the connections. She wasn't sure, and she was going to have to open it up to check. Cass had her basic toolkit with her, but the light was dying, and it was getting dark, and even if she could have seen, she was outdoors without a bench to work on, and the skin would be torn up even if she did fix it and she didn't have the tools to cook up a fresh batch.
So she did the only thing she could think of doing: she cried, burying her face in her one free hand and weeping openly and loudly. Cass wanted to be home and she wanted her daddy to hold her and tell her that it was all okay. But he was locked up and she wasn't ever going home, and that just made her cry harder.
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Post by Magdalen Verena on Sept 27, 2009 0:11:46 GMT -6
Due to the lengthily period Magdalen had spent on Antheia as well as the opportunity she’d had to travel through the forests during that time, it was fairly easy for her to navigate the thick foliage despite what little light remained. It also helped in keeping her a safe distance from the group of men whom had been chasing Cassandra without fully losing sight of the girl in question.
There was so much left unexplained and though Magdalen was anxious to get some answers, she was more concerned about the fate of the woman she knew so little about. Why was so much commotion caused over a case of prosthetics? Even if she’d stolen them, it certainly couldn’t have been enough to warrant a full blockade at the docks. Questioning and an arrest perhaps, but to open fire on an unarmed individual? None of it made sense.
After what seemed like a long while, the chorus of voices died down and the bush became too dense for her to make out Cass’ silhouette. However it was only a handful of minutes after Magdalen slowed to a halt that she heard a bit of clinking and rustling a few feet away. Deciding not to confront the girl immediately, she simply stood and listened … surprised by the hoarse sobs that sliced through the silence unexpectedly.
One eyebrow arched and Magdalen finally emerged from where she’d been hiding; suddenly picking up on a faint burning smell as she strode forward.
“Cassandra? Don’t be alarmed and keep your voice low, it’s only me. Magdalen.”
She held her hands out for emphasis and parted her lips to say something else, but the blonde was instead distracted by the dismembered limb sitting inconspicuously in Cass’ lap. A prosthetic arm. Too stunned for words, Magdalen stood quietly with her eyes glued to the unfortunate mess of blood and oil.
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Post by Cassandra Nida on Sept 27, 2009 0:29:01 GMT -6
Cass looked up, startled by the appearance of Magdalen. She didn't know the woman too well, having kept to herself and mostly avoided talking to the crew. And now Magdalen was looking at Cass, and the empty shoulder-socket and the limp arm in her lap. There wasn't any point in hiding it. There wasn't any point in hiding anything.
She wiped at her face, trying to think of what to do. Running away wasn't an option. Her legs might break if she pushed them any harder, and without them, she was a sitting duck. Anyway, she didn't even know where to run to. The forest was a maze and the soldiers were going to keep coming.
Cassandra let out a watery sob, and told Magdalen something she had been holding in since the day she climbed down the building she used to live in, "they're g-going to take me away and lock me up and i'm never going to be able to w-walk or touch anything ever again and it's going to be worse than dying."
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Post by Magdalen Verena on Sept 27, 2009 0:45:52 GMT -6
There was an instinct within Magdalen she always tried with difficulty to suppress. It seemed more prevalent whenever she was around small children … and once upon a time she’d referred to it as a maternal urge to protect something she’d lost.
Staring down at the other girl and noting that frightened, lonely expression forced her to remember times long ago when she and her younger brother had been close. The moment he’d fallen and scraped his knee, the instance when another toddler had picked on him and he’d gone running to her for comfort. It was that same sense of protectiveness that welled up inside her and before she knew what she was doing, she’d fallen to her knees and taken the sobbing stranger into her arms; ignoring the smell of oil as it smeared across the sleeve of her top and the fact that a prosthetic arm was lying limply between them.
“Cassandra,” she began firmly while stroking her hair. “No one is going to take you away. We’re together now, aren’t we? As soon as you stepped on to the Adeala and accepted Solomon’s conditions you were no longer alone. Just as you’re not alone now. I’m here, and I’ll look after you. If we go … we go together. Okay?”
Any fear and apprehension she’d felt before had been replaced with a fierce longing to help this poor soul. The soldiers would probably find them, but that didn’t mean they weren’t obligated to answer some questions themselves. And then something occurred to her. Pulling away a bit, she turned to scan the encompassing area.
“Listen. I know of a place where you’ll be safe. It’s out of the way and I’ll have to carry you, but even the soldiers won’t be able to locate you if we’re quick enough. I’ll return here and distract them by claiming to know where you are but refuse to divulge such information until they answer some of my questions. Hopefully they’ll conduct that investigation at port so that I’ll have a chance to discuss things with Solomon. He’ll know what do from there.” A pause followed as she turned back to study Cassandra’s teary face.
“But you have to promise me you’ll stay there until we come to get you.”
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Post by Cassandra Nida on Sept 27, 2009 0:54:38 GMT -6
Magdalen's hug was unexpected, and only made Cass cry harder. She lent against the woman. Cassandra had never had a mother, and she'd never had anyone but her father assure her like this, but it was nice. She was still lonely and terrified, but it wasn't so horribly overwhelming.
Not being alone... Cass wasn't sure if she could believe it, but she wanted to. Magdalen sounded so convincing. Cass couldn't imagine her lying right now. And though she knew her father had told her not to trust strangers, she found herself putting her trust into yet another strangers. And hopefully, it would work out the way it had with Klove.
"o-okay. I will." Cass reluctantly added, "but I don't think you'll be able to carry me... I'm heavier than I look. a lot heavier..."
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Post by Magdalen Verena on Sept 27, 2009 1:04:14 GMT -6
Both grateful and relieved that Cassandra was willing to trust her, Magdalen relaxed her arms and stared at the other girl with a puzzled expression. Too heavy to carry?
“Then I’m assuming a good majority of your body has been replaced with prosthetic limbs, am I right?” It was easy enough to deduce. After all, what other explanation was there? However the situation was much too dire to ask questions and she pointed to the bag Cass had lugged along with her.
“What do you have in there? If it isn’t precious, we can leave it behind. Because the only way I’ll be able to do this is if you remove as many of the false parts on you as possible. I know it’ll be inconvenient, but we’ll hide any you don’t necessarily need right now and come to collect them later. Trust me, where you’re going you’ll only be resting anyway. Otherwise I really don’t have any idea as to how we’ll get you there. … You can’t walk on your own, can you?”
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Post by Cassandra Nida on Sept 27, 2009 1:21:15 GMT -6
Cass had never told anyone how much of her body was prosthetics, but this wasn't a time to hide anything. She nodded, and then carefully snapped her arm back into place. One less thing to carry.
Leave the bag behind? She shook her head, "I can't leave the bag. It's got blueprints, and my tools, and my money- " Cass forced herself to stop. She had to work with Magdalen, not against her. She opened it up, sorting through the possession. Out went her spare clothes, the blueprints that were too ruined by blood or oil to work, until all that was left were the essentials: her tools, the synthskin, and the papers that still worked. And the picture of Cass and her father. She hid her credits inside the tool case.
"I can walk. But I can't run. If I run, I'll break them." She carefully got to her feet, leaning on a tree to keep from putting too much pressure on the limbs. They withstood the punishment, but there would be hell to pay once she opened them up and started cleaning. Then she picked up the bag.
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Post by Magdalen Verena on Sept 27, 2009 1:31:21 GMT -6
“Good.”
Magdalen watched as the girl removed whatever was unnecessary from the bag, gathered them up and hid them within a particularly prickly bush just in case. Returning to Cassandra’s side just as she stood up and leant against a nearby tree, the blonde extended one hand. “I can carry the bag and give it back to you once we’ve reached our destination. Feel free to sling your arm around my shoulder. I may not be able to carry you, but I’m sure I could help support some of the weight.”
Moving closer to allow this, she sent Cass another gentle smile for reassurance and pointed ahead.
“It’s just past farming land, an old couple’s house. I stayed there for a few years myself. They took good care of me and I’m certain they wouldn’t reject you either. But we have to make use of our time before the guys that are searching for you figure out where we’ve gone.”
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Post by Cassandra Nida on Sept 27, 2009 1:39:54 GMT -6
Cass handed over her bag, looking at the hidden possessions. She really hoped they would still be there whenever she could return for them, but she had a feeling they wouldn't be. But there wasn't anything in them that would be useful. Clothes and ruined plans didn't add up to much.
She carefully put her arm on Magdalen's shoulder, leaning only a little weight over onto her. But the little weight was enough to make the grinding noise in her right leg grow quiet. Hopefully these old people would be understanding. Magdalen may have been vouching for them, but not everyone was comfortable around people with prosthetics. Once they realized how much of her wasn't flesh and bone, they began to treat her differently. And when they realized she'd voluntarily chosen this? But she wouldn't tell that part to the old couple. They didn't need to know.
"okay." Cass said softly, giving her face another wipe to clear off the fresh tears, "okay, let's go."
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Post by Magdalen Verena on Sept 27, 2009 1:52:15 GMT -6
She could tell Cassandra was suffering an edge of doubt in regards to the old couple she’d mentioned taking her in willingly. However, there was nothing but confidence lacing Magdalen’s tone when she began walking, attempting to take the other girl’s mind off of the possibility they might be caught.
“Try not to worry. I was quite a bloody mess myself by the time I ended up on their doorstep. They didn’t pressure me for answers, and once I give them as much detail as they need to know about your situation … they’ll leave you be.”
Darkness eventually fell over the forest and her eyes adjusted slowly to whatever dim light remained filtering through the leafy canopy overhead.
“I won’t abandon you. Once we sort this out, regardless of how much time it takes, someone will come get you. Whether it be me or Solomon. He’s a good man. Even so … you do realize that you’ll have to explain yourself eventually. If and when this all smooths over, any other significant details should be brought to light, to avoid a second run-in with the authorities.”
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Post by Cassandra Nida on Sept 27, 2009 2:01:34 GMT -6
Magdalen's trust was almost enough to convince Cass. She still felt afraid, and she wasn't sure that would go away anytime soon, but if Magdalen had been a mess when she met them and they hadn't judged her badly, maybe they would do the same for Cass? All the same, she knew she wouldn't be taking her limbs off, not unless she was sure they wouldn't see her.
Coming completely clean? The thought was terrifying. But... it was also relieving. Wouldn't it be good to just tell someone instead of hiding everything about herself? The only person she'd had to talk to for years was her father and some of the servants, and they didn't know the full extent of what had been done. To tell someone else... Cassandra nodded. "I will. just. just please don't let them get me and I'll tell you everything."
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Post by Magdalen Verena on Sept 27, 2009 2:09:56 GMT -6
The hesitant, fearful waver in Cassandra’s voice would have been enough to bring Magdalen to tears had she allowed it. However she knew she had to be strong for the other girl. Otherwise they’d both fall apart and be caught for sure. Inhaling deeply and trying to ignore the added weight she had to carry, Magdalen decided to continue talking … this time to keep herself motivated.
“I’ll do the very best I can, I promise you that. And I don’t want you thinking that I’m pressuring you to tell us everything as soon as we get back to the Adeala. Only when you’re comfortable. But I’ll be there with you when you speak to Solomon about it. Like I said, he’s very respectable and as the captain should be aware of any details that may endanger his crew. That’s fair, isn’t it?”
She smiled again and continued trekking forward, relishing in the cool evening air and fresh scent of pine. “By the way ... that old couple I mentioned? They’re Eloise and John Denver.” A short chuckle escaped from Mags then and she shook her head. “I can only imagine the look on their faces when they realize who I am.”
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Post by Cassandra Nida on Sept 27, 2009 2:21:33 GMT -6
Cass nodded. It was fair. But how could Magdalen know what kind of man Solomon was? He'd known her only for a few days. Unless, maybe she had known him for much longer? That wasn't important to ask right now. It could be saved for later, when she told them about herself. "I can tell. I just... I've never had anyone else to tell it to, except for my dad and..." She went quiet. There was a lump forming in her throat and she'd already cried enough.
"How long ago did you meet them?" She asked. Her legs whirred louder than they should have, but they weren't smoking as badly as before. Cass wished she was getting the see the forest when she wasn't bleeding and hurt. It seemed so peaceful out here, so silent compared to the spaceport.
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Post by Magdalen Verena on Sept 27, 2009 2:35:51 GMT -6
The whirring noise that was being emitted from Cassandra’s lower half eventually grew quieter and though it didn’t bother Magdalen, it kept her mind on the illegal prosthetics and not on the issue of comforting the girl herself.
Switching her focus to the conversation at hand, the blonde paused to think for a moment.
“Two years and a bit I guess. That’s how long I stayed with them before returning to Terra. In fact its only been a few months since I was here. I think they’ll just be shocked by the fact that I actually came back. You see … I sort of left without any warning or real goodbye. Just thought it would be easier for them that way I suppose.”
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Post by Cassandra Nida on Sept 27, 2009 2:47:59 GMT -6
Cass couldn't imagine voluntarily choosing to leave without saying goodbye. It had almost killed her to leave her father and they'd at least hugged before he went off to buy her time. But Magdalen spoke about the couple like they were good people. Cassandra really couldn't understand why she would do that, but who was Cass to judge anyone?
"Why'd you leave?" Cass asked, then realized maybe she was asking something inappropriate. "You don't have to tell me why. That's not important." And it wasn't. As long as they took Cass in for however long it took to get off the planet again and away from the soldiers, then Magdalen's affairs were her own business.
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