2024-04-27: Phantom Pain

• Log: 2024-04-27: Phantom Pain
• Cast: Stella Loussier, Neo Roanoke
• Where: Asticassia - Non-descript Warehouse
• Date: U.C. 0099 04 27
• Summary: Disturbed by a prior event, Stella tries to find safety with the one she trusts. Is that trust misplaced?

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"Neo!"

Stella's panicked voice echoes throughout the small warehouse as she runs through it. She passes by several stacks of crates filled with uninteresting cargo, navigating through them almost like it's a maze. Until she passes into a somewhat open area containing a collection of complex looking equipment, along with three pods of some kind. A few individuals are spread out around the equipment. Most are in labcoats. But one is in a Gaia Sabers uniform and wears an almost full helmet, only the lower half of his face and long, blonde hair flowing past his neck are visible.

"Neo!" Stella calls again as she spots the man in the helmet.

He turns around to face her, frowning a little as he asks, "Stella? What are you doing here? Your next treatment isn't scheduled for a few days."

Stella rushes up and hugs the man. She's shaking as she turns her head to look up at him, her eyes filled with fear, "Stella doesn't want to die!"

Neo frowns even more as he realizes what happened. He raises a gloved hand up towards Stella's head... And hesitates for a moment. No matter how many times he does this... No matter how necessary it is. It always leaves a sour taste in his mouth. Still, there's nothing he can do about it...

Neo pats Stella's head, softly stroking her hair, "It's alright. I'm here. You're safe. You're going to be fine."

As Neo comforts Stella, she slowly stops shaking. She asks, "Stella is safe?"

Neo nods while he continues to pat her head, "That's right. Nothing will hurt you here." After a few more moments he says, "Why don't you rest for a bit? I'm sure you'll wake up feeling much better."

Stella nods along to the suggestion. She lets go of Neo, slowly walking over to one of the pods. She climbs into it, lying down on the soft cushioned interior, still shaking a little. But as the pod's transparent canopy lowers down to seal her in, and soft lights begin to pulse along it, Stella's shaking stops completely as she dozes off.

Once Stella appears to be asleep, one of the lab technicians at a console remarks, "She really does see you like a brother, huh? Whose idea was that?"

Neo shrugs as he walks over to the console, "One of the psychiatrists from the facility. They believed it would make her easier to handle." He leans over to peer at the readings on the screen then hmmms, "As I suspected... It would appear someone used her trigger word."

The technician nods, "Most likely... Though that's to be expected at a school for training mobile weapon pilots and engineers." He snorts derisively, "Who thought bringing those three to this place was a good idea? Her especially!?"

Neo doesn't seem to mind the technician speaking his mind, explaining, "The leadership are concerned about the power and wealth that the Benerit Group has acquired. It's only natural they have us keep an eye on them... And their future. And I don't know about you, but I doubt I would pass for a student."

The technician nods, "Yeah, but even if they're improvements over the previous generation... They're unstable."

Neo recalls the reports of the 'previous generation' and the issues they had. Stella and the other two certainly are more reliable... But still have issues. But what choice do any of them have here? All they can do is just to do what they've been told to. Even he is nothing but a tool that could be disposed of at any moment, just like those three.

Neo reassures the technician, "They'll manage. We just have to be careful and keep watch over them. Speaking of, find the event in question and remove it. Best she doesn't remember it." The technician nods, starting to get to work.

Neo turns and walks away, leaving the makeshift lab behind. As he walks through the darkened warehouse, he ponders the current situation. The theft from Armory One is still receiving attention in the news, so they need to continue laying low for now. But once everything has settled, it'll be time to get to work. No doubt those above him in the organization will be asking him to accomplish the impossible again while giving him little to work with. But it's not like he can say no. He'll just have to make do. And he expects that'll require sending Stella and the other two out to fight again...

Neo murmurs to himself, "The previous state of this world may be gone now... But remnants of it still remain. Like a phantom pain..."