towerofanimus | The Doctor is [Chatting] LOCKED

[Hojo has an avid interest in anyone with scientific background or knowledge here (or with potential value as a subject), and why shouldn't he? Here the people of many universes are gathered. There must be so much to learn, so much research to be done.

He ventures out at night without fear. He is well armed, and also, he's dead. He's dead yet here he cannot die. What does he have to fear?

His hands are in the pockets of his lab coat as he enters the laboratory, and he regards the man he finds waiting there with open curiosity. He assumes this is who he's looking for. There's no one else here.]

So, here we are. I'm eager to learn more about your work.

[The corners of Richtofen's lips quirk upward into a smile. Despite this, his gaze is suspicious as he looks over the newcomer. It's nice to have someone to talk to about his work, but you can never be too careful with these things.

He takes a step forward, but makes no move to shake this man's hand. He nods his head in greeting instead.]

I'm sure you'll find it very intriguing. [Oh, and before he forgets...] What is your name?

[If he notes the suspicion, Hojo gives no sign of it. He's not beyond feeling suspicion himself, but he also doesn't seem to be suspicious currently. He is skeptical of everything he's told here, but that doesn't stop him from asking. He's too busy gathering information to overlook anything, suspect or no.

He nods his own head in return, all too glad to forgo handshakes, making no move to close the space between them.]

I don't doubt it. All scientific disciplines hold their interest for me. I do have my favorites, but they are so interrelated, and all have some bearing on my own research, at one time or another.

I am Professor Hojo.

It's nice to meet someone else with a passion for scientific research. I've been surrounded by absolute idiots for so long...

[He scowls as he says that, but gets a grip on himself soon enough. He shrugs.]

But, I digress. I am Doctor Richtofen.

[Hojo laughs.] I know that feeling too well. Men of vision often find themselves surrounded by those who lack it--because we are so few.

[Names don't interest Hojo a great deal; he hasn't asked any people for their names here. He might give his own if asked, as he does now, but others give theirs more easily. He nods his acknowledgment, however.]

And while we're making introductions, what is the name of this element of yours, Doctor?

[That garners a fond smile. "Men of vision" - he likes that.]

Ja, it's almost disappointing.

[At the professor's question, he unclasps his hands and turns on his heel.]

Oh. It's element one-fifteen. Ununpentium if you'd like to be technical, but my- well, my former colleagues and I have always referred to it simply as one-fifteen. Come, right this way. I'll show you.

[He starts to walk with practiced ease through the crowded laboratory, expecting Hojo to keep up. The lab is a relatively new addition, but in the time it's been here, Richtofen has spent much time in it, attempting to memorize its layout. He lost a bit of time when he was in the labyrinth, of course, but he fully intends to make up for it now that he's in better spirits.]

Almost, yes. I've grown used to it. Most are naturally limited--or they allow themselves to be limited by other concerns.

[He nods, listening.] One-fifteen, a straightforward name and good enough. [He doesn't spend a lot of time on names himself. Project S. Subject Z. Though he'd put a little more thought into Sephiroth, initially. It was a good name.] I'd very much like to see.

[He follows. He might not be as familiar with the laboratory as the other is yet, but he's been getting to know it in the short time since he arrived.]

Mutagenic properties, you said? [Few words please him more than mutagenic. The origin of change. That's what he wants. To change the world. This one, or any other.]

[Richtofen waves a hand dismissively.] By things like "morality" or "justice," bah. I've never had a taste for either one.

[They finally reach an area of the laboratory that looks more "lived-in" than the rest, with papers scattered here and there and equipment lying about. Sitting inside a clear glass box are several meteorites that look almost like they have red veins running through them.]

Oh, yes. One-fifteen is very good at mutating people. [He opens up the box, lifting out one of the meteorites.] Animals, as well.

[He chuckles, as if fondly remembering something. The sound has a bit of a dark edge to it, making him sound almost sinister.]

That's one of its many astounding abilities.

[He laughs in agreement.] Mere social constructs without inherent meaning or worth.

[Hojo keeps a faint smile on his face, and keeps studying his surroundings carefully. His own favorite mutagen runs through his veins, but he's all too happy to learn about someone else's. He appraises the meteorite] I'd be very interested in hearing more about your results.

Is that so? And what are the others?

Morality is a crutch that prevents true progress. [He smiles, turning the meteorite over in his hand.] And true suffering.

[He looks to Hojo, seeming friendlier than he has for a long time in the tower.]

Well, for a start, it can bring the dead back to life. My colleagues had been attempting to figure out a way to control our test subjects, but our methods were very... different.

[He runs his leather-gloved thumb over the surface of the meteorite. The touch is gentle, as if he's handling a newborn baby instead of a piece of glowing rock.]

To shorten a rather long story, I got rid of my hard-headed superior on the same night that I figured out one-fifteen works on animals as well. [He chuckles.] You see, we had also been working on teleporters powered by one-fifteen, but if something went wrong when you were inside of one...

[He trails off there, dissolving into another bout of giggling. He can't help it; he's a very vocal person, and remembering the demise of his superior always makes him happy. He just has to laugh about it!]

I couldn't agree more. It is utterly useless. So-called "scientific ethics" are nothing but needless limitations on great minds. Irrational. Sentimental.

The dead back to life? By what process? Are they brought back in a similar state, or--changed? [Sephiroth had returned from the dead, after all, but he hadn't been quite the same as before. In fact, he'd been much improved.]

Their methodology hampered you, did it? I understand. My own colleagues presented me with similar difficulties in the past.

[He smiles, not minding the other's laughter in the least, giving a chuckle himself as he's reminded of the moment he killed his greatest rival in the field. Not through anything relating to work, but simply by shooting him. Yes, his gun often served him well when dealing with those who stood in the way of his progress.]

And then what happened? [As vain as he is of his own work, he won't pass up a chance to listen to the discussion of a completely unfamiliar and potentially useful substance.]

[He's still grinning, his words light and airy as if he's relating a funny anecdote to a long-time friend.]

Ethics, hah. My own set of ethics are all I need.

[He looks down at the meteorite and lifts it up so that Hojo can get a better look. It almost seems to be humming softly, though the sound is so faint it might not be there at all.]

Prolonged exposure to a meteorite's radiation will bring a corpse back to life. They're rotting, horrid abominations, and they develop a hunger for human flesh. [He says that in the same way a parent would talk about their gifted offspring.] They infect whoever the bite, for the most part, but some people can grow to be immune.

[The way his arm is lifted has made his sleeve fall down a bit, exposing his wrist. If Hojo looks carefully, he'll see overlapping scars on Richtofen's flesh, in the form of bite marks. Richtofen is one of the immune ones, though he seems to have no intention of telling Hojo how he came to be that way.

He snickers.] Colleagues. Stupid Maxis, and that schwein Sophia- Ah. Where was I?

[He blinks, looking up toward the ceiling, and another fit of giggles overtakes him. Wow, he is really happy right now.]

Ohhh, the poor puppy. Maxis- [He spits out the name like it's poisonous. Talk about mood whiplash.] -insisted we experiment on his daughter's pregnant dog. When the beast disappeared and there was no sign of it, he blamed me. [He frowns, looking very wronged.

It doesn't last long. He grins (because apparently, this man is incapable of deciding what mood he wants to be in today - or any day, really).]

Ah, but it appeared again, haha! A big, ghastly thing, all rotting and on fire! [The pitch of his voice elevates until he's all but squeaking out that last word, but then it goes back to its normal tone abruptly.] And Maxis's daughter chose then to show up, just in time to see what had become of her pet!

[He looks over at Hojo to gauge his reaction to all of this. Surely, if the man is anything like Richtofen, he'll be enthralled.]

[Hojo is, indeed, quite interested. The talk of abominations and the dog and daughter's plights don't trouble him at all. It's only the results that concern and fascinate him.

He studies the element in question again as Richtofen speaks.]

On fire, yes, I see... So it makes monsters, powerful, and capable of transmitting their condition, yet can also be used as a power source. Quite an impressive, versatile element. Who discovered it? Did it originate on your planet, or elsewhere?

How is this immunity developed? [Whether or not Richtofen will tell him, he might as well ask.] What is the effect on the living of prolonged exposure?

[Like his own "element", his own personal favorite substance: the living cells of the entity Jenova.]

I have a number of questions, as it's all quite fascinating. Have you tried to replicate the results here? There is no shortage of subjects, after all.

[Results are what matter most, after all.]

Oh yes, very versatile. It was originally discovered when a meteorite crashed to earth - Tunguska, was it? [He tosses the chunk of the meteorite and then catches it, giving a nod.] Ja, Tunguska. I'm not certain who discovered it, but I believe the Japanese were the first to experiment with it.

The immunity? [He gives a short laugh.] I have no idea! [He might be lying, but then, given how mysterious the element is even now, it could very well be the truth.]

And on the living, well, let's see... [He begins to count on his fingers.] I have observed memory loss, inhuman strength, alcoholism - I'm not sure if that one is related, actually - the inability to speak in anything but Japanese proverbs, and death.

[He pauses.]

...Though I think the death might have been because I misplaced my test subject's spleen.

[He frowns, silent for a moment. Then he shrugs, and his smile returns.]

Oh well! Hahaha!

Anyway. I wanted to try it out on a corpse first, but for some reason, the morgue has been very short on bodies lately. I've been tempted to fill it up myself. Murder and then experiments! [His voice is getting high-pitched again.] Sounds like such fun, doesn't it?

The Doctor is [Chatting] LOCKED

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so sorry for the slow!

No problem! ^^

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