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Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid.

(She means don't let Val dash off and go driving in a blind rage.)

The soft white noise started up again and, with an eerie grin, "Hi hi!" blurted through the line.

Valeriy's body jerked up. Her hand flying to her hip and grabbing at something that wasn't there. Her taser. But her other hand was already wound around a pen.

My muscles couldn't help but tense. Bracing for a stab.

"Wha? Huh? Amber...? What uh... wh-what up...?"

"There's good news and bad news," the other woman stated.

Now the eight petalled flower turned and stared at her. Staying lower and swaying by her head. A vine with three leaves joined the sway. Dropped down into the footage from the upper right corner.

"...Uhhh you're not mad at... me?"

"Mad at – What stupid thing did you do this time? What do I have to fix?"

Now the woman on the screen sounded irritated.

"Nothing since last time...?" Valeriy tried. Her voice barely even projecting.

The Asian woman heaved a sigh. "Good news first or the bad?"

"...The bad...? Might as well get started on the mess I have to clean up."

Now both of them were irritated.

'I don't want to be in the room anymore....'

Another two vines joined the swaying mass of plant parts. All dropping down from the top of the screen. One even bumped the Asian woman's cheek and was promptly waved away.

"Project Oasis – "

"I buried that," Valeriy cut in, devoid of emotion. Except she wasn't.

"Not anymore, it's not. It's too late to hide it again. Ayers made an announcement at the symposium."

Everything about the young woman was blank, but it didn't feel that way. Something contained just below the surface. Made every instinct I had screaming for me to run. Get myself out of sight. Far away where I couldn't hear any orders.

"The Ayers are bringing fresh water to the world. Pretty sure it's over losing Africa, or so I was told. Been a little hectic on my end since the announcement. Which is where the good new –"

"Losing – LOSING AFRICA!?!?!"

I bolted to my feet, grabbed the dogs, and leaped over the fireplace. Sinking low to the ground to hide.

Even if there were a lit fire, I would have gone through it to get away. Had to hide. But the three of us were too big. Tails and legs poking out from the sizable column where the fireplace sat on.

"I just bloody got Africa back!!!!!"

Something made of glass shattered against the floor tiles as the young woman in the room continued to scream words.

All I could do was pull Ixie and Zephyr closer. Anything to make us smaller while we were stuck here.

No safe out.

The room was too big, too empty to slip to another area. We'd be spotted. The kitchen would have been our best chance at slipping away. The long counter would have provided cover if she wasn't right in between.

'I should have leaped backwards....'

Even if it took two extra seconds.

Now the closest option was the stairs, and that involved four seconds in the open. In her full view.

"Cheboi's our fucking in!!! I just had him moved into place!!! He's letting us mine the br –!!!"

"Mrrrrrowww!!"

My head whipped around, gun drawn.

I was told to wait here. Alone.

At the sharp clatter, my gut dropped and my nerves readied themselves for the worst.

On the floor, broken into pieces was a vase that once sat on a column. On the column sat a feline.

"HOW IN THE HELL DID THEY EVEN FIND PROJECT OASIS!?!?!"

"HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THAT PIECE COST ME?!?! JADE!! CARVED FROM ONE SOLID PIECE!!!"

I saw the arm coming. Felt the slap across my face.

I didn't know what was to come, but all I felt were the ghost pains. It consumed my body. Every inch of skin. The flesh under it. The bones beneath that.

"I buried it under 'is eating shit a healthy diet!?!' They had to sift through hundreds of shit studies I had made!!! The pictures alone should have sent them running!!!"

"Take the carving knife," the handler ordered.

My body listened. My hand refused to stop moving. My fingers wrapped around the hilt of the correct knife even when my nerves screamed for me to stop.

"Carve lines across your legs, working your way up until I say otherwise. No. Are you stupid?! The shower. Don't stain my hardwood."

The handler didn't follow, but that didn't matter.

An order was an order.

And I must obey –

"Hey.... Dead guy," the woman on the screen called out. Eyes staring down in my direction. With three swaying vines grabbing bunches of her hair and pulling up.

'Please don't draw attention to me. Please don't draw attention to me. Please don't – '

"You. The guy who's supposed to be dead a bajillion years ago. Yes you, hey. You need to calm her down."

I shook my head. She couldn't order me. She's not my handler.

"It should have never been found!!! It's fucking eating shit!!!"

"Or dart her. Preferably before she goes bolting out the door."

The dart revolver found itself between the metal fingers. Arms still trying to keep the dogs in our hiding place. My eyes following the pacing shadow in the reflection of the window. My ears tracked the sounds of her steps.

'I can do this.'

One dart and this was over.

'I can do this.'

"Who the bloody hell would look into eating shit!?! What dumb fuck would think eating shit is healthy and look into it!?!?!"

'I can do this.'

One dart and she'd stop screaming for blood.

'I can do this.'

The target was close. Unarmored. Precision unnecessary. Twitches in the fingers inconsequential.

'I can do this.'

Just one.

'I can do this.'

Target incapacitated.

'I can do this.'

"It should have never seen the light of day until I took o –...until I... I...."

At her pause in rage, I ducked back behind the fireplace. Scrambling to tuck all the dog limbs out of sight. Had to keep them safe.

But when I glanced up at the television above me, the Asian woman was glaring downwards in my general direction. Lasting only for two seconds before a sigh swallowed the expression. "A lot has changed since we came up with that silly little dream, hasn't it?"

"...Yeah...."

"Calmed down enough for a bit of good news?"

"What possible good news could there be!?! They're fucking twisting our stupid dream!!! The last thing I ever wanted for it!!!"

"Are you finished with the ranting?"

"...Yeah, yeah. 'Kay. So what's the good – What the fuck is happening to your hair?"

Now five vines had a hold of the Asian's hair while they swayed and bounced. And the flower was staring downwards. Likely where I was on their screen.

"Was bored," the woman on the screen stated, trying to fight for her locks of black hair. "Read Harry Potter for the bajillionth time. Tried to make a Devil's Snare.... Ended up a little more than different from what I had in mind.... Started growing before I planted the seed...."

"If you're keeping it, bring it down to Mag Mell. We can't risk it reproducing on the surface with that growth rate."

"I know. I know. 'Protocols.' Now can we get to the good news?"

"Yeah. 'Kay. What's the good news?" the young woman behind me punctuated with a huff, hands on her hips.

"Took a few days, but I managed to get placed as project head. Make sure we do this properly. As close to what we wanted for Project Oasis. Did you think I wouldn't fight for our silly little dream?"

"...How did you...?"

"They couldn't figure out the self-destruction gene in our water purifying bacteria, but they were cracking it."

"They were impatient, so they let you take charge when you asked...."

"I can use the help. Managing a project isn't what I do. It might not be how we wanted this to go, but we can make sure things are done well enough."

"Sorry for the scream –...Bucky? Where'd you go?"

I couldn't help but flinch. Pulling Ixie and Zephyr closer. To be smaller. To fill less space.

"The dead guy?" The Asian woman pointed downwards. Having given up the fight against the now thirteen vines.

"Damn it, Amber. His name is Bucky."

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Author's Note:

If you enjoyed this part, please consider leaving a vote. They're very much appreciated. ^^

And a big thank you to TinselA/Bunny Carrot (https://www.fanfiction.net/u/7591081/) and the Anonymous Fifth Beta for Beta-ing this chapter.