2023-01-03: Kindness and a Lie

• Cutscene: A Kindness and a Lie
• 'Cast: Eight York, Licia Chovan (Images of Yuliana Kafim, Rita Bernal)
• Where: The Ra Mari, Licia Chovan's quarters
• Date: Jan 03 0097
• Summary: Eight falls asleep while in the middle of a movie marathon with her friend and shipmate Licia. She has a vision, one that she's had before…

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Eight floats in space with no particular location, hovering over nothing at all as she looks upon a vision. Her blonde hair waves in the unseen wind of a starry void, and ahead, a cloud inscribed with an event.

...A young woman with green hair, before a young woman with blonde hair. Both have the unmistakable weariness of a test subject. Familiar. The green-haired woman looks away from the blonde. There's distates in her movement, but not hatred. Not fervor. "... it's not forever. We can live a normal life again."

Eight knows, somehow, that was the single touch of kindness the blonde-haired woman had known, would know -- as time spirals before her. One single act of kindness. It wasn't true, it wouldn't be true -- but it was kind.

"Eight", comes a voice from outside the vision, familiar but not fitting to the moment. Eight frowns, trying to get a better view, to see more of what she sees, to understand. "Hey, c'mon–" Blinking, Eight wakes up, lifting her head from Licia Chovan's pajama'd shoulder. They're on a couch in Licia's quarters, she finds, and Eight remembers–they were watching some dramas together. She must've leaned on Licia and fallen asleep here.

"Don't worry," Licia says, "I paused for you." Then she stops a second, and looks more seriously at Eight. "...You were dreaming something," she says. "I caught a glimpse."

As a Newtype, Licia is used to occasionally getting flashes of insight–but as she's gotten to know EIght, she's started to understand the Captain's feelings more often than just flashes. And now… Licia gives Eight a concerned look.

"Sorry," Eight says first. "I must've been more tired than I thought…"

Ordinarily, Licia might elbow Eight and make a joke about what has her so tired. But right now she doesn't do that. Instead, "That's fine. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yeah." Eight thinks she does. She hesitates. "I'm not sure how much you saw, but…" She trails off, but isn't interrupted; Licia waits for her to talk. So once she's organized her thoughts, Eight continues: "It's not the first time I've seen this. But I saw these two girls. Women? I'm not exactly sure how old they were. But they were… like me, I got the sense–experiments."

Licia keeps listening, though her expression suggests support.

"...I think it was the woman in the Phenex," Eight says. "She was blonde, and it just–she felt that way. And then the other was… Yuliana. That woman I mentioned, the REA Captain."

"Whoa. Both of them? …That means she was…?"

"I think she was. But I figured that already."

"Yeah, since…" Licia remembers how Eight came back injured, and she doesn't have to say it.

"Yes. But the point is, they were both there, and… Yuliana said something to her. She said 'It's not forever. We can live normal lives again.' …I knew, somehow, that it wasn't true. It was a lie. But it was a kind lie. I could sense the intent of the vision. It was some of the only kindness the other woman ever got, it seems like."

"...That's rough."

"Mm. I mean, I figured Captain Kafim," she knows about the wedding, "Wasn't always such a… You know. But seeing it for myself is different."

"Does it change anything for you?"

"On its own? No. She still has something over Rena. She's still awful. She still has to be stopped. …But between that, and the Phenex protecting her at Denver Colony…" Eight shakes her head. "I don't know. Maybe there's another way than killing her. I'm not sure."

"...Not a lot of nonlethal options in our line of work," Licia says quietly.

"That's true," Eight says. "If we catch her in a firefight. …I don't know. I'll think about it. I still hate her, but… If someone cares that much about her…"

"I know you'll do the right thing for everybody you can. …I don't know if you can do right by her, though. I don't know if anyone can, from what you said."

"Thanks. And maybe not. But I guess I'll keep my mind open. I had her, Licia. I had her dead to rights. And then the Phenex protected her. I just… can't believe that that happened for no reason. Even if I don't know what the reason was."

"...A religious thing?" Licia wonders. Eight /was/ originally raised by nuns, apparently.

"I don't know about that. It's just a feeling I have. A feeling that there's something important I'm missing."

"Maybe there is. Just be careful, OK? Not just for Rena–for you, too. I didn't like seeing you like…"

"I will. I have no intention of playing her game again. But if I find a way to spare her life while still stopping her, then that's what I'll do."

"Sounds like you're decided," Licia answers, and regards Eight for a long moment. "...Well, that's why you're the Captain!" she says cheerfully, and picks back up the remote. "You're good at deciding things. I just wanna fly the ship."

"Licia," Eight starts, looking at her, but Licia just grins back at her.

"C'mon. We were just getting to the fun part. I think you need to get your mind off that woman."

Before Eight can answer, Licia turns the drama back on, and Eight looks away to the television again. …Maybe Licia's right.

Eight can't help but replay the vision in her mind, though. Licia will forgive her missing a few details.