[[SP- F10]] An Unexpectedly Dangerous Solution

[Mari 1]

DAY 1

The encounter had been an odd one; one that Mari still struggled to understand, at times the plague doctor seemed volatile - but in each of his actions, he had done no harm to her. The closest thing to harm would be his threat. A blade to her throat- but Mari didn’t take that to heart. They were both Pkers, it was a natural response. He never actually acted on it. After that, he had even helped her. Dousing her in some form of acrid mob repellent.

That repellent…If Mari were to get in his good graces she’d have to see about acquiring it for herself. It was simply too useful. Sure, the smell left much to be desired - but it didn’t bother her too much. Mari wasn’t around others enough for it to be a bother to anyone else either. Oscar…Maybe? Or Freyd.

The weight of the floor, and its constant threat to crush her with its sense of foreboding meant nothing compared to the new challenge Mari had before her. A vial - so small and innocuous. She stood in the center of the tent that was her former ‘Alchemic Contagion’ store. Its floor covered in rugs, the pillows all pushed to the side to make way for an extra table. Above that table hung a near fluorescent light. It had been too long since Mari was excited to work on something. Too long since she bothered with her crafts. Too long since the joy of experimentation was made possible.

Then this tiny thing just falls into her lap from some strange Russian doctor? She peered into the vial, the inside was viscous - and giving it a small shake - it almost looked like thread worms? “I can’t seem to identify this - so that means…it wasn’t made using the alchemy profession.” Mari mused. She had just three days to figure out what it was.

Mari gently shook the vial again, noticing that with enough force - the liquids would begin to separate.

Oh

…She’d need to make a fucking centrifuge.

 

 

 

Spoiler

Name: Mari
True Tier: 9
Level: 34
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 720/720
EN: 106/106

Stats:
Damage: 21
Mitigation: 30
Accuracy: 3
Evasion: 2
Battle Healing: 40
Stealth Rating: 3
KEEN: 1
HB: 16
FLN: 8

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket:
- Darkened Bore | T4 Perfect | ACC I | Keen I | Fallen I
Armor/Trinket:
- Infernal Shadow | T4 Perfect LA | EVA II | Holy Blessing
Shield/Armor/Trinket:
-

Combat Mastery:
- Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
- AOE Shift

Familiar Skill:
- Rending Familiar

Custom Skill:
-

Skills:
- Battle Healing R5
- Charge
- Energist
- Light Armor R5
- Polearm R5

Extra Skills:
- Survival
- Hiding R5
- First Aid R2

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
- Focus
- Precision
- Resolve
- Stamina

Mods:
- Meticulous
- Surpise Attack: Trickster
- Untraceable
- Vanish

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:
- Bedroom: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
- Living Room: Increases out of combatHP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.

Guild Hall Buffs:

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:
- Alchemist[exp] R10
Gathering Profession:

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Mari

[Mari 1]

It took the better half of the day to procure the equipment for it - it would have been much quicker if she didn’t have her orange crystal but…Mari didn’t think she’d have the time to go beat redemption then try to figure out just what was in the vial.

….Which she was still tempted to drink. No. No Mari. That was bad. Real bad. She couldn’t do that. Instead. Mari began to work on her makeshift centrifuge.  It wasn’t too hard really - She had a lazy susan which she had bolted to one of the corners of the table. On top of that, a large wooden plank - with small dowels to hold things in place. On one end, Mari had placed the vial - for good measure she had wrapped some string around it to hold it firmly in place - the last thing she wanted to do was to have it flung off and break.

“Okay…” She had tested it once with a bottle of water - but now was the real deal. Her eyes shifted to the strange vial then, she started to turn the lazy susan - utilizing a piece of string she wrapped around and around the base of it, all she had to do was pull hard and fast on the string till it spun. The wooden machination whirred loudly then slowly came to a stop.

The vial came to a stop, and the liquids began to settle, now two separate colours - a dark viscous purple, and sitting on top of it; a soft hue of pink - those same spindly strands that she caught earlier. “Just…” Mari thought to herself as her brow furrowed. “What are they?

If Mari were to recall her chemistry lessons - the spindly ropes did remind her of something…but - there was no way.

[Mari 1]

A feeling of pride welled up inside her- and Mari just had to message someone. How many people within Aincrad could say they built an actual centrifuge?? Not many, she chanced. There were few people she knew that would appreciate something like this. Mari didn’t have the name of the plague doctor - so she messaged the next best person.

 

Quote

To: Freyd.
From: Mari
Subject (none)
Guess who just made a fucking centrifuge!
Me. I did.

That was all the context she’d give the man. If he was curious - he’d ask.

Now…Mari peered curiously into the vial - the liquids would soon filter back into each other but for now. It was like a lava lamp. “How pretty…” She said to herself, almost mesmerized by how the spindly strands wiggled and churned within the liquid. “You surely can’t be what I’m thinkin’ of. That would make no sense.”

Mari yawned. It was late…she took a step away from the table, rubbing her eyes. They stung - partly from staring at the vial for hours on end, and partly from the acrid smell that still lingered. Sleep. She’d sleep tonight and figure out the rest tomorrow. She still had two days after all.

Vanity Tag: @Freyd

[Mari 1]

The night was restless, nightmares ebbed in her consciousness - the weight of the floors effects becoming harder to deal with. Mari groaned as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. Voices teetered at the recesses of her mind - but she had a job to do. Mari full well knew the effects of the oppressive malaise of the floor - and she knew her limits. 3  to 4 days. She would be fine for that length of time. She had to be. She had to be.

Tired eyes glanced over at the table, then lit up with new found resolve as they landed on that strange vial. So many secrets, so many temptations. Mari licked her lips - again wondering if it would be easier to just drink it - but something about those spindly threads warned her against it. Mari pushed herself to her feet and opened up her menu, she already knew what she was going to do. And how convenient for her - two pairs of Raidous glasses fell into an open palm as she pulled them from her inventory. “Sorry Rai.” Mari breathed as she popped the cracked lenses out of their frames. Mari had planned to return them, after getting them fixed but - necessity calls.

As Mari sat back down at the table she blinked. Having received a message from Freyd.

"Built... why!?"

Her eyes narrowed in disappointment. She wasn’t expecting accolades from him, but she was expecting…something. Didn’t he also like investigating stuff like this? Didn’t he care? Why was her deed met with confusion?

“He doesn’t understand…” Mari muttered quietly to herself.

[Mari 1]

It was the most…jankiest setup imaginable. Mari had layered the 4 lenses over each other - separated with a small rolled up bit of paper to give around half an inch between each piece of glass. She had taped the frames back together - and was wearing them. She must have looked quite the sight - like some sort of cartoon madman.

“No its fine…” Mari mumbled to herself as she began to wind the string around the lazy susan. “No one will see me like this so its fine.” Round and round the twine went. Then - with a quick series of pulls she had started up her makeshift centrifuge again.

“Freyd doesn’t know what he’s on about…this is kinda amazing.”

With a gentle hand Mari stopped the centrifuge as the liquids separated. She leaned forward. Examining the threads. Why did they look so familiar? Mari wracked her brain, trying to recall all the chemistry she learnt back in collage - it…almost …looked like…

“Is this Ebola?” Mari asked herself quietly. “No.” She quickly corrected. That made no sense. Even still…it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out. Rather, it took nothing more than high school knowledge to know what a marburg viral contagion looked like. The tell-tale strings were a dead giveaway. Mari could have guessed it at a glance - if it weren’t so completely and utterly unbelievable. 

Her heart skipped a beat and her stomach churned. Was…that plague doctor…not a good person? She opened up her messenger again - Freyd knew just how much the boundaries of this place could be pushed. Perhaps he’d have some kind of answer.

To: Freyd
From: Mari
Subject: None
Do you think it's possible to make contagions?

 

It couldn't be....right?

Vanity tag @Freyd

Edited 8 hours ago by Mari

[Mari 1]

Mari paced back and forth in her small tent. It was so obvious now. She didnt need the fucking centrifuge. She didn’t need the makeshift magnifying glass. She just needed to use her brain. Heck the man colour coded the fucking thing. A lilac colour? Almost pink in its hue? It was so damn obvious. Mari just never came to that conclusion because why would she??? Why would anyone make something like this??

Was it a joke?

“No that doesn’t make sense…it could be that, or it could be the Mahburg virus…either way its the Filoviridae family- those fucking… strings just…what would have happened if I drank it?” She muttered. Mari still wasn’t sure if she was supposed to believe it or not. If it was just a ruse. It had to be a ruse. The man was just trying to test her. “Im not staying here…” Mari hissed as she grabbed the vial and left her tent. If the woman would be able to slam her tent flap, she would have. 

Mari would assume it was benign - but - she also wasn’t going to take any chances. She knew exactly what to do with this thing.

[Mari 1]

“Just gotta get rid of it easy right?” Mari muttered to herself - she could feel herself struggling. The effects of the floor were more prominent than she remembered. A part of Mari felt it would be best if she had left for a day - and come back later - to save herself the mental anguish. Lest she lose herself on this floor. But she only had the one teleport crystal… and walking around from floor to floor was a pain. And there was something about that doctor…now Mari knew what was in the palm of her hand - she just had to know….why
 

She had to send one final message;

To: Freyd
From: Mari
Subject: None

EVD? Doubtful.
Did you know Radious glasses make for a good magnifying glass when stacked up?

Coordinates XX YY ZZ
Time  XX
If I don’t message you an hour after this. Check on me. Send Goops. Not yourself.
It may be nothing, but caution. Floor 10, been here a few days.

Echo flowers are equally amazing and abysmal. 

 

Despite her best intentions; her message seemed a little erratic.  But that was her contingency plan in place.  Mari still wasn’t sure if this doctor character could be trusted or not. She wasn’t sure if this was just some kind of ploy, or test? No…it was a test but why? And for what purpose did he give it to her?

Vanity tag @Freyd
 

[Mari 1]

Why? Why this? Why make it so obvious?

Mari mentally kicked herself for being so blind. The man had given her the answer on a silver platter. But she is just too stubborn - too close minded to see it. She held the tiny square vial tightly in her hand. As though it was the most important thing in the world to her - every so often Mari would pause in her trek to glance down at the vial. Raising it to her eye, she’d tilt it to and fro. Entranced. Just…why? Of all the things in the world - why choose something so dangerous?

Was it…because he truly wanted to use something like this? Or was it because it was…so well known? Did he simply want to test her knowledge? 

“You’d be pretty…” Mari whispered. “If you weren’t so deadly.” 

And so she continued toward the River. Even if it were inert, benign. She couldn’t…wouldn’t allow it to exist. Mari couldn’t risk heating it up - so she decided to do the next best thing. Have it completely disintegrate.

[Mari 1]

Mari’s trek to the Stygian river was short - she knew where she was going, she knew the places to tread to avoid confrontation. This entire floor - before she bought a house, was her home, her playground.

So now she stood at the riverside. Where just days before she had met the enigmatic man. Her hand outstretched, ready to just drop the vial in and be done with it. Her heart was beating hard and fast against her chest.

But isn’t that a waste?

Mari hesitated. It…would be a waste… think of the things she could do. What if you were able to apply it to mobs? Create a potent poison for the upcoming boss fights? Was this terrible inoculation a gift in disguise?

No. its too dangerous.

Mari threw her arm back, as if to throw the vial into the river.

If you throw this away. You throw away so many opportunities. Isn’t this what you wanted? To focus on yourself? You love studying things. Are you going to throw that away for the good of the people?

Maris brow furrowed and she screamed out in frustration as she turned on her heel and allowed the vial to fall from her hands. It landed on the ground - still in tact.

“Ahhh…..Fuck. Shut the fuck up!” She hissed. One hand clutching her head. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t fair. There was a difference between right and wrong - and this was oh so inherently wrong. Was she seriously contemplating keeping it? Was she mad?

Mari began to pace now, “Its easy Mari…” She muttered to herself. “Just throw it away. Throw away the damn thing. Sure it could help but…at the end of the day its just too dangerous - you’re not skilled enough to do the things you want to do…that’s okay…that’s okay… but you can’t ….let something like this get in the wrong hands.” 

The redhead continued to pace back and forth, muttering to herself ,for nigh on an hour before exhaustion began to creep in. And with exhaustion - came a final decision.

Mari knelt down and picked up the vial. She offered it one last shake, one last peer into its insides before throwing it into the river. 

That…

Was the right decision.

[Mari 1]

Dawn of the third day….

Mari hadn’t slept. She was exhausted- but she wanted to come here a day early. She didn’t need the extra time. What she did need was to come early. Scout the area. Ensure there were no traps. With her spear out, dragging across the ground behind her Mari surveyed the area. Every so often poking a rock- an extra loamy patch of dirt. But nothing. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Right… Okay… Now, the cavern itself. Mari stepped into the cavern, cautious eyes scanning the area. Still nothing. The water - deadly quiet. Mushrooms, moss..nothing out of the ordinary. It’d almost be a romantic spot - if it wasn’t for the ominous bioluminescent puddle in the middle. 

Mari backed out of the cave and turned on her heel. She was early. That suited her just fine. Mari yawned and allowed herself to crumple to a seated position. Mari covered her mouth and nose with her scarf - it’d do little to alleviate her of the smell that still permeated. “Just…gotta…wait…” Mari said sleepily.

The woman wanted answers. And she would get them.  All she had to do was survive one more day. Then she could leave this accursed floor.



Mari | [Word Count: 2567/5 = 513] * [True Tier: 9] = 4620 exp

Edited 4 hours ago by Mari