Lost in the Lab Part 4
Date Posted: October 20, 2025
This chapter was written in collaboration with Scylla.
Amon was momentarily distracted by the fantastic array of wardrobe, and the very stylish lab gear recommended. But the more Node spoke, the more concerned the Allagan grew. He quickly picked up his Tomepad and reviewed this new “high priority” item on his schedule, golden eyes flicking over it in question, especially due the lack of details.
Patient? What patient? He hadn’t requested biological donors, either.
“Now!” the Allagan heard himself say. “We’re going to the lab right now!”
It was rather troubling that the nodes had set up a workspace and tweaked his schedule without his knowledge – where had they gotten that kind of freedom of agency? But even more than that…
The idea that there was a “patient” at ready meant that someone else was now involved in the depths of the Central Lab of Syrcus Tower, and he probably had a lot of explaining to do. Or not do. It just depended on who was down there. The Allagan was already on his feet, throwing a sleeve of a lab coat over one arm in the act of donning it, and heading for the door.
“Node, do not tell me you’ve locked Tad in the aetherobiochemical study environment again,” Amon frowned. “I know he’s a curious specimen, but last time, ‘twas all I could do to persuade him not to use you for Nodeball practice afterwards!”
Something within Amon only hoped it was just Tad he’d have to pacify this time.
The Node gave a disagreeable low-hummed buzz.
“Negative. Subject Tad is located in the Musica Universalis Markets, consuming excessive calories.”
Node gave a puzzling quizzical beep, following Amon around. It tracked the growing stress patterns in Amon’s voice, knowing that the master was showing signs of emotional distress, something that was not infrequent in the past.
Node spoke in a reassuring gentle voice, trying to project a sense of calm, cool, collectedness.
“You need not worry about Tad. Your orders are followed with absolute precision. Node network knows exactly where all tracked subjects reside within the Syrcus Tower environs, at any time.”
The mechanical creature rolled down the path to the lab.
“In fact, recapture and submission of the prisoner was executed with the swiftness that you require to prevent any public incidents.”
“Recapture?” Amon echoed, part of him relieved he wouldn’t have to deal with his frustrated Warrior of Light cousin again. Another part of him, however, was ringing the alarm bells loud and clear between his long ears. “Define ‘recapture’. ‘Tis no one in the First that would have been a previous prisoner here.”
At least, no one that he could think of right off the bat. This only served to increase his speed – biting down internal lamentations that the old Lab Cart transports were no longer functional – as his long strides chewed up the hallway with his mounting trepidation.
“Node, you are not to allow any tech staff to begin experimentation before I reach the operating rooms. I want to know everything about our patient before the procedure begins, and that means I need them in a conscious and pain-free state of mind. Is that clear?”
“Master, I was going to start the early incisions…”
“Node, you will do no such thing!” Amon’s brows lowered.
Something about this wasn’t right. Node had been a steadfast and loyal servant, a mechanical wonder created by the Technologist’s own hands. When Amon could not trust anyone else, he could always trust his Node in all things.
The fact that Node was suddenly talking and acting out of turn surely meant something was in a state of malfunction. Of course, the machine had sat idle for so very long, not to mention, had been carried across time and dimension, so some anomaly probably should be expected. Amon still wasn’t sure how a version of Syrcus Tower had come to be in another reflection like this, and Tad had not been forthcoming if he had any information on the matter.
“Since when did you contradict my orders?”