this didn't go as well as Eastwood's escape

[longlived]

A back alley in London. Body parts fall to the streets. Two hands. The forearms. Feet, legs, a hollowed torso in several pieces, internal organs. A human head. Each of the parts is light enough that a falcon could conceivably transport it from one place to another in its claws, and the blood is all clinging. Altogether, these parts would make a full human being--short one eye.

Huey has only done this once before, so it takes some time before his body reassembles. Like cells of an organism, like a well-coordinated swarm of ants, his flesh and bones and organs pull themselves back together, joints locking in and blood flowing once more. He is now as whole in body as he was that day he was made immortal, minus an eye and a ponytail. Huey Laforet looks around him, and in a calm, quiet voice, calls for his youngest daughter.

"Leeza? ...Hilton?"

But there is no answer, and the streets beyond don't sound like 1930s Chicago. Nor did this place seem to have any connection to Alcatraz. So. Something didn't go to plan. (Again.)

"Ah."

But at least he has the clothes he had asked the Poet to fetch. He may as well dress and go looking for answers. He places a hand over his empty eye socket and wishes Renee the best.

[blah blah spam or prose, I don't care which, apologies for his lack of social, you know the drill]

Comments

[longlived]

[Huey doesn't hold back his curiosity.] You are an excellent creation. A homunculus?

[forbioethics]

[Huey knows how to make a girl blush.] An alchemy term? Yes, I suppose that is accurate. If you're familiar with Frankenstein's monster, that also works. Dr. Madaraki has a sense of humour.

[See: the bolts on her head.]

[longlived]

[artificial bitches love Huey]

[He laughs quietly] Oh? They weren't of your choosing? Exempting those features we could not alter, my homunculi were all given free choice over their appearance. I had hoped it might... make them feel more at ease with their existence.

[He is being so much more pleasant with Fran than with anyone else.]

[forbioethics]

Oh! So you've also created people like me? My, that really is a great feat. [Fran imagines suddenly a lovely family dinner between all the creations. How nice that would be...] I didn't choose but if I wanted, I could alter my appearance. But he's so proud of me that I wouldn't want to change a thing.

[She laughs, a little embarrassed and waves her hand.]

Anyway, I use my bolts to store my surgical thread and needles. They're also helpful if I need to do other work on my head.

[longlived]

You are able to perform surgery on yourself?

[forbioethics]

Certainly. It's how I maintain my body while Dr. Madaraki is away. In fact...

[She unbuttons the traveling cloak she wears and holds it open for him. The insides are lining with countless surgical tools.]

I'm quite prepared at any moment.

[longlived]

Are you a surgeon?

[forbioethics]

Yes! In Dr. Madaraki's absence, I've taken on all his previous works and clients as well as continuing his research. Of course, I'm by no means as talented as he is but I do my best to advance his work.

[longlived]

So he as well was primarily a medical doctor. [The faint, doll-like smile. Well. Fran probably knows a lot about doll-like.] Ah. But perhaps we could find somewhere more comfortable to discuss this? Despite my curiosity, I would prefer not to conduct this conversation in an unknown alley.

[forbioethics]

Of course. Please follow me. [ADVENTURES IN GOING HOME!]

[longlived]

[TIME SKIP what a nice house pleasant smile talk friendly friendly sitting at a kitchen table.] Thank you for inviting me into your home.

[forbioethics]

[With tea because Fran is proper.] It's always nice to chat with a fellow scientist. I'm curious about your work and creations but I don't mind answering your questions, either!

[longlived]

Perhaps an exchange? We can take turns asking questions.

[forbioethics]

Excellent. Then if you don't mind, I'd love to hear the basics of your work. I haven't met anyone else capable of creating human-like beings.

[longlived]

Of course. As you may have guessed from my terminology, alchemy was my method. However, my homunculi are not true examples of the term. In alchemy, a perfect homunculus is a dwarf inside a flask; in exchange for its knowledge of all things in the universe, it is confined to the flask or it will die. Mine are not dwarves, nor trapped, nor all-knowing, though of course, they all begin in their bottle. Perhaps it is because their knowledge is incomplete that they're able to exist in the outside world.

[AND HERE IS AN ELABORATE EXPLANATION ABOUT THE ALCHEMY BEHIND HIS CREATIONS. There are deliberate gaps in the information, as he sticks to the basic details, ensuring that anyone hearing his explanation wouldn't be able to recreate the work. He isn't that protective of it, but he isn't going to just randomly share it around.]

Lately, they have ventured more and more out of their flasks. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say... my creations have expanded their flasks to include more of the world. It will be truly interesting to observe how they respond to what they encounter.

[forbioethics]

[Sipping her tea, Fran listens quietly but with bright, attentive eyes.] I see. How exciting for you! I hope it will lead to some interesting discoveries. At first, it must be difficult for them to adjust. I do understand that feeling. But I'm sure their efforts to integrate into human society will be fascinating.

[longlived]

Yes. It's truly a disappointment that I've been torn from my world just as Christopher and Rail were reaching such critical points in their development.

[forbioethics]

I hope you'll be able to catch up with them when you return. I'm sorry for breaking our turn order but are you close to them?

[longlived]

Hm... Yes. I would say I am.

[The same smile as before. Is he being dishonest? Not entirely. They're good guinea pigs. He is close to them, knowing them entirely. They are his.]

It's my turn, correct? I would like to know how you were made--a wholly new creation, or made of different parts from the formerly living?

[forbioethics]

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure of the exact process. I was made from various parts but anything that needed certain modifications was created for me. I can also replace almost any of myself without any complications. Operating on myself is a breeze. My sisters have different body structures but I can handle most of their maintenance. Dr. Madaraki's other creations also live with me and require less care overall. They aren't made to be like humans.

[longlived]

What kind of creations--ah, no. It's your turn now. [And his mechanical smile adds a brush of apology.] Ask away.

[forbioethics]

[She smiles and waves her hand.] Maybe it will be easier to just ask as we go. [Which means answers.] The other creations are animal hybrids, often crossed with humans. Some of the people in town call them monsters. They're useful for security and helping with lab work. Some of the recent creations I've seen are quite incredible, though! A whale and human hybrid was especially miraculous.

[Teasip!] What purpose do your creations serve?

[longlived]

What an interesting combination that would be. [Huey links his fingers.] My homunculi expand my understanding as I create them and for the period of time after creation where I personally see to the experiments conducted. Of course, I continue to learn from them long after the labwork is completed. But as they are generally quite powerful and intelligent, I also call on them to assist me with my other projects, once I deem them fit to venture into the outside world. [The doll smile is fond now. They really are valued guinea pigs.]

Are the hybrids genetic experiments, or is grafting involved?

[forbioethics]

[Smiling, she taps her tea cup.] We work primarily with genetic research. If medical technology is to advance, it must be done on the genetic level. Anything else is just superficial.

But what a nice situation you have. [She sounds completely sincere.] Do they give you activity reports? Have you learned anything of particular interest?

[longlived]

Yes, I've observed it tending that way. [His head tilts.] I should clarify. The year is 1934 where I was from.

[Huey's eyes wander, as they sometimes do, past Fran's head, and he speaks as he sometimes does like he is only thinking aloud.] The Twins have always been the link of communication between myself and the Lamia. It has been a few years now since I have seen any of the others in person... I had been hoping to make contact with at least Sickle and the Poet today. They have all been less cohesive since Christopher's disappearance.

Ah, it's quite remarkable. Each should be able to handle most humans without any difficulty; in respect to physical ability, they were designed to be superior to humanity. Yet in several separate incidents recently, a human has been able to match, if not exceed, their combat abilities. A young woman against Adele, a young man against Christopher--and on their last mission, the whole team fell to a very strange human with a wrench in Chicago. Well, perhaps the results would have been different if Christopher had been with them... Even so, humans have exceeded my expectations. It seems to have quite shaken Rail.