08-31-2013, 01:20 PM
The sudden tension out of no where rackled Torri's already drawn nerves. As a result, her already severe expression darkened with concern. She turned to watching the three bodyguards for clues to what was going on, but she remained ignorant of the details.
She was hardly a stranger to safety SOP, but the developing situation, whatever it was, was leagues beyond anything she'd ever had to deal with before. Training she always assumed was purely academic kicked in.
Torri seemed to take it on herself to see to the welfare of the only civilian present, though a second look at Krasivolkya and she thought the woman was likely capable of taking care of herself. Still, it was the thing to do, so Torri did it.
She moved swiftly from the Ascendancy's path and shared a concerned, but interested look with the government liaison after the director beckoned them to follow. He was the boss. Therefore, Victoria followed.
And she found herself in a room she could hardly absorb in one studious sweep. All the years of learning how to hide her true emotions slammed the breaks on her revealing her shock, but it was difficult, even for a physician, whose nerves could endure anything when they had to.
She swept from glass panel to panel, absorbing everything the data flickered. Data about three live patients....subjects she reminded herself.... living and breathing on the other side of one-way glass, which she could tell simply from the difference in the rooms' illumination patterns: bright on their side, dim on hers.
She entered the room enough to be ready for action at command, but smartly remained out of the way of her superiors. Her hands went folded before her. Her expression was tight, but neutral. Whatever tension shadowed the Ascendancy, Torri was willing to thwart it at a moment's notice.
Subject twenty-two, Rushi Ajeet answered the Ascendancy's question. Victoria recognized him, of course. The man....doctor.... was a monument of a scientist. His published works were sourced constantly by her contemporaries. He'd not recognize her of course. She was far too new to the ever-evolving picture of up and coming minds. At least, she doubted it.
More pointedly, the Ascendancy was not pleased with the answer, and Victoria was silently glad he didn't turn the furnace of his gaze toward those waiting behind him. She truly did not want to have to endure forcing herself from shrinking back any further. This was trying enough.
Suddenly, monitors, digital rays, infrared scans, and electrical studies winked away. All the panels which formerly displayed the data frosted to empty glass, though she noted the activity coming from the two rooms the Ascendancy did not enter remained active and normal. The other subjects weren't aware anything out of the ordinary was going on in here.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize the source of the tension wafted from the sole man singled out by the Ascendancy. At the man's answer, Victoria did drop a momentary jaw in shock. GSG 9!
They weren't covert ops. Their missions, the majority, are top secret but their roles aren't. Like some militant CIA intelligence, anyone was aware of their existence, but Torri had a particular insight into what she was witnessing. A week ago she was in Berlin. A week ago GSG 9 operatives stopped her on the way to her car and days later she was on a plane with vague orders in hand to report to the Kremlin. Fuck! And one of them was strapped to a table in front of her.
His question hardened her heart. She had to ignore what was running through the back of her mind. She knew nothing about this man's past. She could infer nothing. It was none of her business who he was, Sergeant Rainer ... Subject twenty-two.
She was hardly a stranger to safety SOP, but the developing situation, whatever it was, was leagues beyond anything she'd ever had to deal with before. Training she always assumed was purely academic kicked in.
Torri seemed to take it on herself to see to the welfare of the only civilian present, though a second look at Krasivolkya and she thought the woman was likely capable of taking care of herself. Still, it was the thing to do, so Torri did it.
She moved swiftly from the Ascendancy's path and shared a concerned, but interested look with the government liaison after the director beckoned them to follow. He was the boss. Therefore, Victoria followed.
And she found herself in a room she could hardly absorb in one studious sweep. All the years of learning how to hide her true emotions slammed the breaks on her revealing her shock, but it was difficult, even for a physician, whose nerves could endure anything when they had to.
She swept from glass panel to panel, absorbing everything the data flickered. Data about three live patients....subjects she reminded herself.... living and breathing on the other side of one-way glass, which she could tell simply from the difference in the rooms' illumination patterns: bright on their side, dim on hers.
She entered the room enough to be ready for action at command, but smartly remained out of the way of her superiors. Her hands went folded before her. Her expression was tight, but neutral. Whatever tension shadowed the Ascendancy, Torri was willing to thwart it at a moment's notice.
Subject twenty-two, Rushi Ajeet answered the Ascendancy's question. Victoria recognized him, of course. The man....doctor.... was a monument of a scientist. His published works were sourced constantly by her contemporaries. He'd not recognize her of course. She was far too new to the ever-evolving picture of up and coming minds. At least, she doubted it.
More pointedly, the Ascendancy was not pleased with the answer, and Victoria was silently glad he didn't turn the furnace of his gaze toward those waiting behind him. She truly did not want to have to endure forcing herself from shrinking back any further. This was trying enough.
Suddenly, monitors, digital rays, infrared scans, and electrical studies winked away. All the panels which formerly displayed the data frosted to empty glass, though she noted the activity coming from the two rooms the Ascendancy did not enter remained active and normal. The other subjects weren't aware anything out of the ordinary was going on in here.
It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize the source of the tension wafted from the sole man singled out by the Ascendancy. At the man's answer, Victoria did drop a momentary jaw in shock. GSG 9!
They weren't covert ops. Their missions, the majority, are top secret but their roles aren't. Like some militant CIA intelligence, anyone was aware of their existence, but Torri had a particular insight into what she was witnessing. A week ago she was in Berlin. A week ago GSG 9 operatives stopped her on the way to her car and days later she was on a plane with vague orders in hand to report to the Kremlin. Fuck! And one of them was strapped to a table in front of her.
His question hardened her heart. She had to ignore what was running through the back of her mind. She knew nothing about this man's past. She could infer nothing. It was none of her business who he was, Sergeant Rainer ... Subject twenty-two.