Apothic Grey: Reminisce

For the moment their goal is to help find repairs for Gedra. That's what matters. Okay, this is your chance to be more than a burden. Focus. She was lost in her own thoughts, preparing herself mentally for the events to come, the battles to fight, the war to end... the killing that may come. It's so overwhelming to think about. Juliet takes a few breaths, barely registering Beau talking to her, trying to calm her.
The explosion the Gedra created makes them both spring into action. Making their sneaky way inside the building, through unsanitary tunnels. Everything is quiet inside. Her diversion worked. All staffs are tending to the commotion of the explosion.
Beau dresses her to look like a lowly intern and the whole time she has panic threatening to creep up. She looks up to him and his hug is reassuring. Everyone's counting on me to do my part. I won't let them down.
The two split up and after taking a few steps into the empty halls she stops in her tracks. It's all blurry, but she is sure she's never been in this floor before. Maybe one that looked similar to this one. She keeps on venturing further in and realizes this floor is more like offices and a few laboratories.
She peeks into one of the labs and sees a few scientists still working on whatever, but seem a bit agitated.

"I wonder what caused the explosion." Said one of them.
"Just keep to your work. Security will figure it out." Said another.

Should she knock them out? Maybe she could just lock them in the lab, but then again they may be able to escape easily. They do must have a passcode or key.

"Who's there?" One of them asked loudly making her flinch.
Calm down, just do what Beau told you to do. She appears in front of the door with her head down and said she was sorry and that she was an intern. They approached her and appeared to believe her story. They just began to make conversation about the explosion. This she thought could be a good time to do something G, taught her.

"I'm really scared, I hope no one was hurt." She said giving a fake little shiver.

The two scientists fell for it and they leaned close to her, putting a hand on each of her shoulders. She sobbed falsely and the next thing they know, they're unconscious on the floor. That pressure point on the shoulder thing really works.

Suckers. She giggled. Now to lock them up. Juliet drag them back in the lab and sat them on their chairs, making them look like they r just sitting at the table. She searched their clothes and found their card keys and took them, locking them inside with no way out.

Juliet searched the whole floor, which it was surprisingly not that big. There were no other people and the guard was absent. She made her way to another floor and found this one was occupied by a few other scientists and a guard who was sitting in a corner, texting away, probably to his family, letting them know everything's fine. It was easy to sneak up behind him and use the same technique. She hauled him to a utility closet, took his keys and locked him inside.

The scientists were all in two different labs, so this time she may have a harder time. How can she take care of them this time? I could use my speed... but I can't use the pressure point... can I? It is ideal, but who knows how long that keeps them knocked out? Maybe they have some kind of chemical in their that knocks them out.
She slowly walks in and some of them look up, but pay her no mind. They see interns walk in and out all the time. They are all totally concentrated in their own work that none notice her opening one of the cabinets. She scans the contents in each trying to find the right chemical. She finds one chemical that's used to knock people out. Maybe this will work... now how do I-

"Hey, do you need something?"

The vial drops from her hands at the startle the scientist gave her. It shatters and immediately the smell spreads across the room. Damn it! She uses her speed to get the hell out just before the lock down mechanism seals the room. Everyone in it falls unconscious. Oh my God! Is this going to spread through the vents!?

Beau easily makes his way to the security room. He sits back, puts his feet up on the control board, and scans over the security footage. He can see Juliet has taken out the scientists on the ground floor. Gedra is marching through the halls nocking out everyone and placing them in a locked room. These are really some scary women. It's a good thing he's also inhuman or he would be dead next to them.

Feeling very confident he presses the P.A. system. "When my two lovely ladies are done please report to the principals office. Our guest will be arriving soon." He amuses himself greatly with his little production.

Gedra spots the nearest security camera and flicks it off. She's put more work into every aspect of their operation than anyone else and she doesn't even care about it. It's all just for saving humanity and she lacks much of what is required emotionally. She is surprised that Juliet has held her own. "Perimeter is secured. Finish your check and let's take this place over." Gedra tells him with animosity. "You idiot."

Beau flicks off the screen knowing she can't see him. "Right back at 'cha, girly."
It doesn't take long for the women to do all the work and meet up in the security office. "On to phase 2."

"There are phases now? I figured your mildly thought out plan was just a smash-and-grab sale." Gedra teases him in the dullest of voices.

"Ye of little faith," he stands up. "Phase 2 is getting you fixed up then convincing the good folks who work here to convert to our side and help or else we'll feed them to the zombies." At this plan Gedra just blinks at him with a cold stare. The utter silence is unfathomable. "So..." The front gate beeps and they can see Dr. Takeru's car waiting on the monitor. "Our guest of honor has arrived. Let us press on."

"You have completely lost your mind." Gedra shakes her head as he leaves the room.

Beau gives Juliet a little slap on the butt to follow. "More like I found it. This is the personality I had before the bastards here tried to wipe my memories clean. Problem for them is you can't change the human brain and mines a stronghold of subconscious shit." He jokes. Gedra can't help but give him a crooked grin. It's true Beau always was strange when he wasn't working because a mission was always professional to them. It was amusing which is another reason she was glad to have the idiot back.

It took an hour or so to get most of the workers to join the rebellion against the Pharmacy and Dr. Anderson's inhumane plans to sell the cure instead of fighting the already rampaging infected in the city. The Pharmacy soldiers have been merely lucky to be able to keep it contained for so long, but none have any sort of way to permanently kill it. The more blood is spilled in the streets, the faster the virus will spread across the rest of the city and eventually the country... and after that...

Those who originally were Apothecary employee didn't think twice; they joined the heroic campaign without question, but those who held their eternal loyalty to the Pharmacy were... taken care of. Not killed, but contained.

Now able to freely roam through the building and with the support of the staff, Gedra was being tended to by those who cooperated in her creation. Dr. Takeru, having found his old colleagues, worked endlessly on a device that he, since the beginning of the J-Virus project, had been working on. The device was brought from his home, where he kept it hidden, but couldn't work on for not having the necessary means to complete it. So it remained as a prototype.

While they worked in the lab Juliet kept out of their way, walking through familiar halls, Beau in toe, as always. She disposed of her costume and remained in cleaner, standard, test subject clothes (white shirt and pants). It was funny how she has always found herself back in such attire. Normal, everyday clothes that teenagers wear out in the world are so much more colorful and unique. It almost makes her cry that no matter what, she always finds her way back in these clothes and these labs. At least this time it seems to be the last, but no one ever knows.

"Takeru said that he and a colleague of his will be working on that cure-launching device thing as fast as they can." But to complete their task at hand, they needed a cure to launch and there was only one person who has it.

"Beau... That guy... that Dr. Anderson... he has the cure. I know it's not certain, but Dr. Takeru can't be working on the cure and the device. There just isn't time. Who knows how long will those walls, containing the infected will last?"

Beau could see where Juliet was getting at and she could feel his disapproval of her going back to that place was out of the question. It was enough that he went along with her assisting them infiltrate the Apothecary, he didn't want her back in the Pharmacy. Not just because they were going to experiment on her, but because that sick Dr. Anderson guy was there and he was most likely ready to go in for the kill, plus he had those armed-as-fuck Dolls guarding every last corner of the facility that would insta-kill Juliet... like they did with Jyu. They were more than a handful for Beu, an android, Jyu, a clone who was very much in control of her virus attributes. Juliet would certainly be unable to handle those things. It was a dead ass no.

He informed her that once Gedra was fixed up the two of them would go in and steal what they needed and leave as quickly as possible.

"Beau," She rested her weight against him, her head on his chest, "I know you don't want to lose me. I don't want to lose you either, but I can help."

He still denied her. For prolonged minutes they were locked in an embrace. They didn't speak about it again for a while.

"Beau... That guy... that Dr. Anderson... he has the cure. I know it's not certain, but Dr. Takeru can't be working on the cure and the device. There just isn't time. Who knows how long will those walls, containing the infected will last?" Juliet asks the obvious.

"Fuck if I know." Beau shrugs. "We're going to find out if we don't do something and by "we" I mean everyone but you." He brings down the hammer. "A tactical surveillance needs to be done before we strike. Gedra insists on a battle plan once she's in full working order. If it were me we'd go in guns blazing, but even I have to agree the John Wayne style won't be effective given my history." He jokes.
Beau isn't amused by the thought of leading Juliet right back into the hands of that sick freak, but as an army they are few and the enemy is many. It's like a battle out of the textbooks about the early American wars. Sadly, he wasn't sure he would be able to protect her after what happened last time he faced up the Pharmacy. They gained control over him and Gedra then isolated Juliet in a frozen prison.

"Beau," She rests her weight against him, her head on his chest, "I know you don't want to lose me. I don't want to lose you either, but I can help."

"You don't play fair..." Beau cranes his head back. "Gedra seems to believe in you being helpful," he pauses as if there was to be a "but" in there yet doesn't finish his sentence. They hug in silence for a long while before Beau takes hold of both of Juliet's shoulders and gently pushes her away in order to walk away.

There isn't much discussion between them. This place was bringing back some disturbing memories of how he brought here so angry and so ready to die fighting. Then there was the seduction of a girl who looked underage but acted like an experienced woman. How did she manage to get inside his head so easily? Was there someone before her that reminded him of her? His love for Juliet continually comes into question given their age difference and understandably so, but they weren't even what one would deem as biologically human. They are both now imitations. Their relationship harms no one. . .
That is where Beau stops. He's over thinking things yet the realization won't vanish. Their relationship is the entire reason the end of the world is impending upon humanity. It's his fault. He has to do something about this-anything-everything-no matter the sacrifice. He has to see Gedra.
As she lays on the metal table having the micro spots put back together by another robot arm Gedra processes their next move. She has to remain focused if she's take control of a situation she has consciously taken charge of for the first time in her life she's using her free-will. The ceiling is dark but the lights from all sides illuminate her pale skin, flame red hair, and mixed hazel like eyes.
Why had she chosen to protect Beau? Why has she become attached to another being? Her life had been dedicated to order, nothing but orders, and emotions are weakness. Where these emotions she continually feels from him? His fondness for that test subject are even rubbing off upon her. It's unbelievable and dangerous to her existence yet she isn't stopping it. She's assisting it. "My programming is as flawed as his." She whispers her grim conclusion.

The door opens and Beau walks in. He takes a seat next to Gedra and takes a moment before he speaks. "This is all my fault. I'm sorry," He admits to her as if she's a priest. "You think Juliet can help us and hold her own?"

Gedra turns her head to him and the most solemn of voices answers. "I don't know, but her abilities are far too much of an asset to dismiss. At this point we are all soldiers and she wishes to fight over doing nothing. To not take advantage of that would be illogical and disrespectful of her wishes." Beau now knows he's against a wall and Juliet is going to be in this fight. "Your personal issues are not what are important given the circumstances. I have been processing multiple lines of code and could use your help to distinguish higher lines in order to begin creating a virus. Once I am repaired our first course of action is determining the security and then capturing one of the "dolls" to find out it's system then reintroducing it back into the Pharmacy in order to infect the others."

"Right," Beau stands up, "then?"

"Then we infiltrate."