Albinia; Ice Cream Echo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
scienceoficecream) wrote2012-12-27 07:39 pm
scienceoficecream) wrote2012-12-27 07:39 pm
(no subject)
It was an R&D laboratory. The building had been built to last. It managed to stand and it hadn't been too difficult to make into a real laboratory. She looked around. There was writing on the wall. Formulas for medicines, calculations for the shifting ground, to try and make something that lasted through the Earthquakes. Designs for solar generators. The genetic code of the butterflies, how to make it so people could be found when things collapsed or in the dark, or just to magnify.
She heard a cough, wincing at the wet sound to it. She walked towards it, seeing the figure sitting on the floor, leaning against one of the tables. There was a collection of chemicals above, trying to make something to counter the illness that had spread.
"Oh, Albinia," the man said. His body was thin, too thin to ever be healthy, and his skin was sickly pale. He should have only been forty, but he looked so much older. "Sorry, I just...needed a break," he wheezed out. "Just leave whatever you have...for me. I'll look....at it after a...short nap."
She didn't say anything, moving to sit by him, taking his hand in her own.
He chuckled weakly. "What's this...? Didn't you say you didn't want...contact. That the cold...would make it worse?"
"You know what this means," she said.
He looked at her and grinned weakly. "You really don't know how to joke around, do you?"
"You know I don't," she said, squeezing his hand gently. She could feel the bones so easily through his skin. He barely had any warmth anymore.
"Ha," he said. "I suppose it's what I get. Pushed myself too much saving those kids...children are immune, too big an edit..."
"They won't get reinfected. It was out of their system long enough to stay out, their bodies made an immunity."
"Good," he breathed, his thumb idly stroking her hand. It almost seemed like he thought he could keep going if he kept moving.
"You did a lot of good," she said softly.
He nodded. "I did."
"The people you met...they would have probably died by now." He probably would have too.
"I'm glad," he said, fighting to keep his eyes open. "Maybe...maybe they can last through this storm. Then you can find another...little upstart who waits in freezers."
She laughed, a short, brief, and sad one. "Idiotic boy. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who would think that's a good idea," she said.
He smiled. "You laughed. I don't think I ever heard you laugh," he said. "I never thought...I'd get more than those little smiles."
"There's always something more to find. That's how discoveries are made."
"True. Though...I guess I'm going to the biggest discovery now," he said.
"Yes...you are," she said. "To the place even I don't know about."
"Heh, knowing something the great....Albinia doesn't know. I feel smart now."
"You'll always be your idiot self, no matter how much you know," she said.
He looked at her. "Always such a grump when you like people, aren't you?"
She didn't say anything. He gave her that smug smile she remembered from their first meeting. She still never figured out if she liked it or not.
"...don't give up on us, Albinia," he said. "There's still hope. Even...even if we go...you could still last, until life begins again."
"That's a long time," she said. The chances weren't likely.
"I know, but nothing is....impossible, right? We could still make it...you could still make it. Starving...isn't really a pleasant way to go," he said, his thumb stilling.
She touched his cheek. "I will be fine," she said, her voice as gentle as possible. There was always a bit of ice in her tone, but she knew he knew. He was one of those, who always seemed to know when she meant well despite how cold her demeanor could be.
"...all right," he said, finally unable to keep his eyes open anymore. "Good. Then...maybe...maybe I'll be reborn again. I'd like to meet you, in that life..."
She was silent for a moment and then leaned forward, kissing his forehead. "I'd like that too," she whispered. "My dear idiotic boy."
He smiled at that. Then his chest grew still and she knew he was gone. Distantly, she could hear the sound of ice cracking. She held his hand close, closing her eyes. She stayed like that until she felt an unnaturally high heat behind her.
Only then did she let go and turned to leave with her sister.
She heard a cough, wincing at the wet sound to it. She walked towards it, seeing the figure sitting on the floor, leaning against one of the tables. There was a collection of chemicals above, trying to make something to counter the illness that had spread.
"Oh, Albinia," the man said. His body was thin, too thin to ever be healthy, and his skin was sickly pale. He should have only been forty, but he looked so much older. "Sorry, I just...needed a break," he wheezed out. "Just leave whatever you have...for me. I'll look....at it after a...short nap."
She didn't say anything, moving to sit by him, taking his hand in her own.
He chuckled weakly. "What's this...? Didn't you say you didn't want...contact. That the cold...would make it worse?"
"You know what this means," she said.
He looked at her and grinned weakly. "You really don't know how to joke around, do you?"
"You know I don't," she said, squeezing his hand gently. She could feel the bones so easily through his skin. He barely had any warmth anymore.
"Ha," he said. "I suppose it's what I get. Pushed myself too much saving those kids...children are immune, too big an edit..."
"They won't get reinfected. It was out of their system long enough to stay out, their bodies made an immunity."
"Good," he breathed, his thumb idly stroking her hand. It almost seemed like he thought he could keep going if he kept moving.
"You did a lot of good," she said softly.
He nodded. "I did."
"The people you met...they would have probably died by now." He probably would have too.
"I'm glad," he said, fighting to keep his eyes open. "Maybe...maybe they can last through this storm. Then you can find another...little upstart who waits in freezers."
She laughed, a short, brief, and sad one. "Idiotic boy. I'm pretty sure you're the only one who would think that's a good idea," she said.
He smiled. "You laughed. I don't think I ever heard you laugh," he said. "I never thought...I'd get more than those little smiles."
"There's always something more to find. That's how discoveries are made."
"True. Though...I guess I'm going to the biggest discovery now," he said.
"Yes...you are," she said. "To the place even I don't know about."
"Heh, knowing something the great....Albinia doesn't know. I feel smart now."
"You'll always be your idiot self, no matter how much you know," she said.
He looked at her. "Always such a grump when you like people, aren't you?"
She didn't say anything. He gave her that smug smile she remembered from their first meeting. She still never figured out if she liked it or not.
"...don't give up on us, Albinia," he said. "There's still hope. Even...even if we go...you could still last, until life begins again."
"That's a long time," she said. The chances weren't likely.
"I know, but nothing is....impossible, right? We could still make it...you could still make it. Starving...isn't really a pleasant way to go," he said, his thumb stilling.
She touched his cheek. "I will be fine," she said, her voice as gentle as possible. There was always a bit of ice in her tone, but she knew he knew. He was one of those, who always seemed to know when she meant well despite how cold her demeanor could be.
"...all right," he said, finally unable to keep his eyes open anymore. "Good. Then...maybe...maybe I'll be reborn again. I'd like to meet you, in that life..."
She was silent for a moment and then leaned forward, kissing his forehead. "I'd like that too," she whispered. "My dear idiotic boy."
He smiled at that. Then his chest grew still and she knew he was gone. Distantly, she could hear the sound of ice cracking. She held his hand close, closing her eyes. She stayed like that until she felt an unnaturally high heat behind her.
Only then did she let go and turned to leave with her sister.