>>5288446"I have my sources." Their holder chuckles, and whether she's ignoring or flatly ignorant of her companion's concern, you can't tell. "Check 'em."
Mara's eyes narrow, her pupils expanding to fill her eyes completely with blue-gray light for but a moment before she shakes her head.
"Generator, flame-based. Astronomical power output, I must say. The Fibro-Neuro-Gluttonous hybrid is…impressively versatile, too. The last one, though?" Mara scowls as she rubs the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger. "I’ve seen hybrids like this before, but not fine-tuned in such a way…”
She trails off, staring into the woods for a moment longer before turning the other woman. “...These are artificial, aren’t they? Engine-crafted.”
“And if they are? Does that invalidate what the Neuro-Conduit-Skintalker hybrid could be capable of?” Alpha demands, leaning on the railing alongside Mara. “You see it too, don’t you? With duplicates of Alicja’s Core and the use of the hybrid, we could tame amalgams! Domesticate them! Even if Daughters aren’t compatible with the duplicates, then between that and farms, we could nullify the Hunger completely! We’re on the verge of taking the Crucible and breaking it over humanity’s knee! All we have to do is let Alicja go without feeding for a while, and have her test the limits of her new powers.”
Mara appears to consider it for a moment before she speaks again.
“...Where did you get the hybrids?”
Alpha just stares at Mara for a moment before she feebly offers; “Look, I talked to West about it, and she said-”
Her explanation runs out of steam when Mara leans back from the railing, her posture holding back anger and disappointment, and you’re not sure which there’s more of, in this half-remembered moment.
“It’s…it’s fine, Mara.” Alpha stammers, trying to assuage both of their doubts, from the timbre of her voice. “She’s been helpful in talking through some of the basics. Giving advice when asked for. She’s not nearly as bad as you’ve made her out to be.”
“...I very explicitly told you that it would be in everyone’s best interests if we avoided her as much as possible. Does she know the girl exists?”
“No. No, we just discussed hypotheticals.” Alpha dismisses, albeit defensively.
“Hypotheticals.” Mara echoes with a dispassionate lilt, her eyes still boring into the side of the other woman’s helm.
A second more of tension, and then-
The scene shifts once more, and though Mara’s position remains unchanged, Alpha fades, and it’s the younger girl who emerges from the cabin this time. Alicja seems hesitant at first, but she finally musters up the courage to clear her throat, earning her a beckoning wave from the older woman to join her by the railing.
(Continued)
