Aishe had hardly believed it when MARI had said it, but Chris was in the Towers. Chris! She knew Clan business was his work. She knew it had to pull him away from time to time. She hadn't known it would be so soon after her turning, or that she would miss him as much as she had.
But just the idea that he was actually back here at Meridian, for however long or however short, had her barreling dangerously fast through the hallways until she reached the familiar office.
With little fanfare she opened the unlocked door and saw him there, facing the wall with MARI's face on it. Her heart leaped and she bounded into the room. It occurred to her to be respectful, reserved, and polite, and then just as quickly she forgot about that notion, crossing the room in only a few short strides and flinging herself at him, wrapping her arms around him joyfully, unconcerned about knocking either of them over.
"Chris!"
Interrogation
Christian sighed and looked at the woman's image that had appeared on his wall.
"Would you like to explain to me why some of the clocks in the Towers have been set forward?"
Resisting the urge to pace while he considered this problem, Christian instead planted himself squarely in front of the AI's image with his hands clasped behind his back; his stern expression might have intimidated others into giving him information but it would have no effect on MARI.
"The problem has been dealt with, Mr Bern." MARI's voice was calm and polite but he didn't fail to notice that she didn't answer his question directly.
"I am delighted to hear it." This was his "delighted" face. "That is -however- not what I asked."
Christian narrowed his eyes and pondered just how upset he should get over this situation. MARI's reply would have been more straight forward if this was a true matter of breached security. She was covering for someone. There were very few people that MARI would consider covering for. He chuckled inwardly, not even Alfarinn seemed to be on that short list. Bellezone was; Christian wondered what an AI saw in the off kilter personality of their chief research scientist.
While practical jokes were something of which Artemis was perfectly capable, his stunts would normally be more complicated... and probably involved chemicals, heavy machinery and/or expensive pieces of technical equipment. Christian reluctantly pushed the scientist further down the list of suspects.
The computer personality was not likely to sigh but MARI's pause in speech was certainly close.
"There was a situation that involved.."
((OOC: I figure she's covering for her favorite programmer. Someone feel free to save her the trouble of ratting Pak out. I also assume it was the Archive clocks that were set forward and not all of them through the Towers. ))
Aishe
14 years ago
Christian Bern
14 years ago
One would expect the chief of security to be prepared for anything. However, Christian had been focused on gleaning valuable information out of a non-living source. He somehow missed the flying vampiric missile that was headed straight for him. Chris looked up in time to realize there was no stopping the force of exuberant impact. Wrapping his arms around Aishe, he could only hope that he took the brunt of the fall. Not that it would hurt either of them, but what kind of creator would he be if he couldn't even protect his child from her own over abundance of energy?
Laughing from the floor, he held Aishe by the shoulders away from him. Trying his best for a stern look, he said.
"Really, a simple hello would have worked."
Ignoring his own words, that he doubted she would believe for a minute anyway, Christian pulled his child into a fierce hug. It was good to see her again. He had missed her enthusiasm and goodness.
After a moment he remembered what he had been doing before. Pointing one finger at the projection of MARI, Christian said.
"Don't think this gets you off the hook."
Laughing from the floor, he held Aishe by the shoulders away from him. Trying his best for a stern look, he said.
"Really, a simple hello would have worked."
Ignoring his own words, that he doubted she would believe for a minute anyway, Christian pulled his child into a fierce hug. It was good to see her again. He had missed her enthusiasm and goodness.
After a moment he remembered what he had been doing before. Pointing one finger at the projection of MARI, Christian said.
"Don't think this gets you off the hook."
MARI
14 years ago
MARI watched the display of affection between the Chief of security and his child with mild interest. She had calculated the result of impact before it had happened and had then turned to the reasoning behind the assault. After a few seconds of deep reflection MARI concluded that it was inexplicable human behavior. This was confirmed by Christian's laughter, a reaction, she had come to understand, that generally meant that a human was pleased.
At Christian's accusation that she might expect their conversation to be terminated, MARI tilted her head to the side and gave him a pleasant smile.
"I believe no such thing, Mr Bern." She replied peacefully. "That is why I am still here."
At Christian's accusation that she might expect their conversation to be terminated, MARI tilted her head to the side and gave him a pleasant smile.
"I believe no such thing, Mr Bern." She replied peacefully. "That is why I am still here."
Aishe
14 years ago
Aishe didn't pay much attention to the potential destruction their tumble caused. She also didn't pay much attention to Christian's attempted stern tone of voice. It was his hug and his laugh that struck straight through to her core. She gathered fistfuls of his shirt in her hands and rested her head against his chest. Years might be small things for one as old as he was, but for her they were still long and she had felt the hole his presence had previously filled.
When she had hugged and been hugged enough to last for a few moments at least, she raised herself away from Chris to allow him to regain a more dignified pose, if he chose, than stabbing a finger at MARI from a prone position on the floor of his office.
"Why does MARI need to be off the hook?" she asked. She was burning to know where Chris had been and how he was and how Alfarinn was and a million other questions, but she had that much restraint at least; answers would come in time, or they wouldn't. For now it was gratifying enough just to actually be able to see, hear, smell, and touch her creator after so long.
When she had hugged and been hugged enough to last for a few moments at least, she raised herself away from Chris to allow him to regain a more dignified pose, if he chose, than stabbing a finger at MARI from a prone position on the floor of his office.
"Why does MARI need to be off the hook?" she asked. She was burning to know where Chris had been and how he was and how Alfarinn was and a million other questions, but she had that much restraint at least; answers would come in time, or they wouldn't. For now it was gratifying enough just to actually be able to see, hear, smell, and touch her creator after so long.
Christian Bern
14 years ago
Pulling himself up into a sitting position, Christian pulled Aishe up along with him. He gathered her into a one armed embrace and smiled at her.
"Because she was just about to tell me why some of the clocks in the Towers were set ahead a few hours. MARI has told me that the matter has been taken care of but I find this answer a little less than satisfactory."
He cast a glare at the AI and the turned his attention back to Aishe.
"What do you think?"
"Because she was just about to tell me why some of the clocks in the Towers were set ahead a few hours. MARI has told me that the matter has been taken care of but I find this answer a little less than satisfactory."
He cast a glare at the AI and the turned his attention back to Aishe.
"What do you think?"
Aishe
14 years ago
Aishe snuggled beneath Christian's arm with a happy sigh and regarded the AI on the wall speculatively.
"You wouldn't happen to mean the clocks in the archives, maybe?" she said with an innocent air. She considered for a moment. "It really has been taken care of," she said with a little smile. The she wriggled around under Christian's arm and raised her eyebrows at him. "Do you ever take a break?"
Her voice was more gentle than accusatory. She didn't really know when Christian had arrived back in Nachton but she wouldn't put it past him to have come straight to his office and go on like it was any other day.
Not knowing where he'd been for so long, it was hard to say whether his absence had been good or bad for him. She scrutinized him unobtrusively although she didn't think he wouldn't notice. He looked like himself to her, no younger or older, no better or worse.
"You wouldn't happen to mean the clocks in the archives, maybe?" she said with an innocent air. She considered for a moment. "It really has been taken care of," she said with a little smile. The she wriggled around under Christian's arm and raised her eyebrows at him. "Do you ever take a break?"
Her voice was more gentle than accusatory. She didn't really know when Christian had arrived back in Nachton but she wouldn't put it past him to have come straight to his office and go on like it was any other day.
Not knowing where he'd been for so long, it was hard to say whether his absence had been good or bad for him. She scrutinized him unobtrusively although she didn't think he wouldn't notice. He looked like himself to her, no younger or older, no better or worse.
Christian Bern
14 years ago
"Yes those would be the ones." Christian narrowed his eyes at his progeny. Just what did she know about all this? Yet again he was told that it was taken care of. The Chief of Security was beginning to wonder if there was more to this than a mild prank.
"And what do -you- know about all this?" Casting a glance between MARI and Aishe, he wondered whether she could have been responsible. Last time he had checked, the young Evenhet did not have the necessary computer skills for such a maneuver. However, the Archives would be her love's area, assuming they were still together. Perhaps while he was gone Aishe had somehow managed to get on the -very- small list of people that were able to convince MARI to do something "wrong" in order to play a prank.
He considered her question for a moment before answering
"Of course, once a century I take a whole month off. It usually takes half of the next century to get things back in order again."
Pointing the finger of accusation at first one virtual woman and then the immortal one.
"No more evasion. I will have answers or torture will begin promptly at 11."
"And what do -you- know about all this?" Casting a glance between MARI and Aishe, he wondered whether she could have been responsible. Last time he had checked, the young Evenhet did not have the necessary computer skills for such a maneuver. However, the Archives would be her love's area, assuming they were still together. Perhaps while he was gone Aishe had somehow managed to get on the -very- small list of people that were able to convince MARI to do something "wrong" in order to play a prank.
He considered her question for a moment before answering
"Of course, once a century I take a whole month off. It usually takes half of the next century to get things back in order again."
Pointing the finger of accusation at first one virtual woman and then the immortal one.
"No more evasion. I will have answers or torture will begin promptly at 11."
MARI
14 years ago
MARI felt no need to answer at this point. The chief of security's question was directed at Aishe. Of course, she understood that she had not answered his previous question and that he was still waiting for an answer. She chose to ignore that fact, for the moment.
She did feel it only appropriate to remind him of other important details. It would seem humans and vampires alike were quite forgetful sometimes.
"I am afraid torture would be impossible. I have neither a physical form nor the emotions necessary to feel the pain that such an activity would require."
She did feel it only appropriate to remind him of other important details. It would seem humans and vampires alike were quite forgetful sometimes.
"I am afraid torture would be impossible. I have neither a physical form nor the emotions necessary to feel the pain that such an activity would require."
Aishe
14 years ago
Aishe searched Chris's face once more but didn't see anything there that led her to believe he was less than all right. So she rolled her eyes at him and impulsively hugged him again. "I'm just glad you're here," she said.
The reprieve was short-lived though. With a tenacity Aishe normally attributed to small hunting dogs, Chris was back on topic and now Aishe, too, was under the gun. Torn between loyalties she waffled a little.
"It was a practical joke," she said. "That's all."
Feeling slightly guilty and not wanting Chris to think Meridian's, and Evenhet's, security had gone to hell in a handbasket while he'd been gone she gave him her best approximation of puppydog eyes and said, "Can we just go right on to the torture?"
The reprieve was short-lived though. With a tenacity Aishe normally attributed to small hunting dogs, Chris was back on topic and now Aishe, too, was under the gun. Torn between loyalties she waffled a little.
"It was a practical joke," she said. "That's all."
Feeling slightly guilty and not wanting Chris to think Meridian's, and Evenhet's, security had gone to hell in a handbasket while he'd been gone she gave him her best approximation of puppydog eyes and said, "Can we just go right on to the torture?"
Christian Bern
14 years ago
Christian smiled at Aishe's affection and gave her a gentle squeeze. He was happy to be home as well; it was a comfort to see his child again. A huge part of him missed her more than he ever thought possible. Another part of him was very relieved she had not gotten herself into trouble while he was gone. After all this was the woman who travelled across the planet, went on the search for mythical creatures and then, when confronted with the reality of those creatures, demanded to be brought into the fold. Well, perhaps demanded was a bit much...still Christian knew she would not have given up on her goal. No doubt there were some stories to tell.
In the meantime, this one narrative seemed to be impossible to resolve. First one and now the other appeared to be intent on -not- answering him. Christian dropped Aishe off the list of suspects, though, she was obviously hiding something. She would have readily fessed up to the crime if the practical joke had been her doing. That gave him the answer he was looking for; Christian would confirm his suspicions later.
Considering his progeny for a long moment, Christian came to a decision. Standing, he reached a hand down to her.
"As you wish. I will meet you in the gym in half an hour."
((OOC: Christian Out))
In the meantime, this one narrative seemed to be impossible to resolve. First one and now the other appeared to be intent on -not- answering him. Christian dropped Aishe off the list of suspects, though, she was obviously hiding something. She would have readily fessed up to the crime if the practical joke had been her doing. That gave him the answer he was looking for; Christian would confirm his suspicions later.
Considering his progeny for a long moment, Christian came to a decision. Standing, he reached a hand down to her.
"As you wish. I will meet you in the gym in half an hour."
((OOC: Christian Out))
Aishe
14 years ago
Aishe met Christian's gaze with her own steady, albeit slightly sheepish, one. When he pulled her to her feet she went along with him, her eyes widening slightly when he acquiesced to her.
As he left, she scuffed a foot at the floor. "I hope you appreciate this," she said, poking her own finger at MARI.
She knew the AI wouldn't, but it had to be said.
((ooc: Aishe out))
As he left, she scuffed a foot at the floor. "I hope you appreciate this," she said, poking her own finger at MARI.
She knew the AI wouldn't, but it had to be said.
((ooc: Aishe out))