Research Facility 102 [open to Chinese]

[kelan]

Ke-Lan walked into the cluttered laboratory. She took a deep breath of the sanitized recycled air... she had grown so used to this smell, it was almost painful to breathe fresh air.
It had been two months since she had official permission to move into biological research. Ke-Lan had personally hand-picked this team, and had their activities monitored. So far only a handful of them knew the main goal of the project. Instead of briefing everyone on the whole picture she had divided the group into teams, and each one did one fraction of the project without any knowledge of the other fractions. They were also informed that if they spoke of their work to anyone outside the facility or of another team is grounds for an execution without trial. Ke-Lan was not messing around...

Right now she was in section 1-B. Here the goal was to engineer a safe carrier chemical.
"Progress report." she asked flatly to the head scientist in this section.
"We've isolated three possible options, based on the data given to us." the man replied.
"Good. How long until you have two options?"
"Anywhere between a week and two months. If we had a sample of the substance this chemical will carry, we could-"
"I don't want to hear excuses, Doctor." Ke-Lan interrupted abruptly. The doctor immediately bowed his head, giving a small bow.
"My apologies, Dr. Ling Shio." he said solemnly.
Ke-Lan nodded, "Apology accepted. Return to work."
"Shes ma'am." he said with another bow, moving back to his station.

Ke-Lan moved out of the room and headed back to the center of the facility where her office was.

[jeager]

Mysteries were often somethings that intrigued the stoic, Jeager. He had a sort of interest towards them, and one of them happened to be a certain research facility he heard of many times. Those who go to work there, be it researchers or military personnel. They never return. The mystery of it could be solved by three answers in the stoic's head, one was that they were perhaps 'researched' there given the reputation of the sadistic minded Doctor Ling-Shio. The second is that due to the secretive nature of the location, they are required to stay there for the rest of their posts. The third is perhaps its an execution ground, or so they say. Chemically gassing any dissidents or slaughtering them in many other ways using the lab as the staging ground.

Now was his day to see the answer for himself, for as of the moment, he was an attaché sent there by his superiors, an observer to see up to the progress of the Chief of science's work and ensure that it'd benefit the Chinese Federation.

Pacing around the laboratories within this facility, the air around this place seemed a bit too off for Jeager. It fills his nostril with a sort of... freshness. This closed environment, by his guess, is perhaps sterilized. Invigorating to the body, but nonetheless noticeable due to it not used to this pure oxygenated environment.

Whilst pacing out of the one section of this facility, taking steps that leads him to the area marked as the center of the facility. He encounters the chief herself. Stopping in his tracks, clicking his heels, the Major brings up his open hand to his crown. Saluting the Doctor Ke-Lan in the style a soldier would do. A simple nod was followed as to acknowledge her presence.

[kelan]

Ke-Lan returned the salute, "At ease." she said calmly, already memorizing Jaeger's face, quickly looking over his uniform, taking rank and possibly last name from it.
"Welcome to Facility 102, Major." she said with no real emotion, "And to what do I owe this gracious visit, Major?" she asked with the faintest semblance of a polite smile. Mere manners at this moment. It almost made her look like a doll of flesh... like every faint emotion she showed was nothing but an illusion of said emotion.
Ke-Lan quickly looked about with just her eyes, before looking Jaeger in the eye again, "Excuse me, but perhaps we should continue this conversation in my office. Would you mind following me?" she gestured the same way a host of a home would, beginning to lead the way just down the hallway.
If Jaeger follows her to her office, he'll most likely notice how bland it is. Everything is neatly organized, almost to an obsessive compulsive level. The only thing on the walls are two Chinese Kingdom flags, one on each side, and the farthest wall from the door is lined with bookshelves containing all sorts of books on scientific subjects. Ke-Lan sat at her chair on the other side of the desk, folding her hands neatly on the desk itself, "Please, take a seat."

[jeager]

"At ease."

Resting his salute as he pulled his hand down, draping it back to its normal stance as he took note of the Chief's mannerism. Rather strange so to say, unlike everyone here, she seems unattached to the surroundings, almost uncannily similar to his unattachment.

"Welcome to Facility 102, Major." he heard the Chief say, "And to what do I owe this gracious visit, Major?"

Mouth opens up as he was rolling his tongue to produce the vowels so to produce sounds in his Chinese to make a sentence, but he was just interrupted. Preferable, he doesn't pertain to talking often as possible, finding it more preferable to be the stoic than to speak.

"Excuse me, but perhaps we should continue this conversation in my office. Would you mind following me?"

Follow? Well, he doesn't see a problem speaking in the office, it has a better environment to converse in rather than outside where eavesdroppers may learn of what the nature of their conversation may be. Taking his liberty in following the detached Chief, he passes through the threshold of the office's door as he noted the surroundings around him. It was Spartan, quite similar to the barracks back in the military base he resides in, albeit without the desk and more with the beds.

"Please, take a seat."

Deciding to comply, he paces up to the seat adjacent to her desk, setting his backside against the comfy red cushion of the chair. Adjusting his posture, straightening his spine out as he casted a dull gaze to the Chief.

"My superiors would like to know of the progress of your research." The man said in his monotone, a lack of emotion in his voice, or his entire facial features for that matter. Straight to the point as always. Punctual.

[kelan]

Ke-Lan nodded softly, "Everything is going as scheduled. The augment base is in it's final stages. Augment 01 and 03 are near completion. We should be able to begin testing on live subjects in two days. Meanwhile I've been personally working on the E-22 plague. At it's current status lethality is increased two fold. The construction of the testing chamber is near completion. I should be able to have finished E-22 by then so we may begin human testing."
Ke-Lan spoke the report in monotony, almost as though she had practiced it before, though in reality this was simply how she spoke.

[jeager]

"Everything is going as scheduled. The augment base is in it's final stages. Augment 01 and 03 are near completion. We should be able to begin testing on live subjects in two days. Meanwhile I've been personally working on the E-22 plague. At it's current status lethality is increased two fold. The construction of the testing chamber is near completion. I should be able to have finished E-22 by then so we may begin human testing." So far, he wasn't exactly sure about the experimentations due to a lack of briefing on what he was sent to expect.

A simple explanation was that he was sent here by his superiors, intentionally kept ignorant, in the dark of the situation. Suffice to say, they have failed to recognize that he has quite the analytical abilities and a tenacity to learn of such things, if he was sent here with no knowledge about what he is supposed to be inspecting and what exactly to report back besides seeing the "progress" as vaguely as it sounds, he'll be coming back with full knowledge from the lack of it.

The fact she was a scientist and her specialty would lie in biological experimentation piqued the interest of the Major, as he looked forward to a bold endeavor that he may not be able to look back from.

"I am willing to volunteer myself for these augmentations." He said in his repetitive tone that mirrors that of his opposite, the suggestion itself was due to his interest in self-improvement, be it mental or physical. In this case, the physical aspect.

[kelan]

Ke-Lan paused for a second, staring blankly at Jaeger. Once she found her way out of her contemplative state she spoke again, "I do appreciate your enthusiasm, Major, but I must warn you that this is the preliminary stage of the augment serums. I'd be more comfortable testing these substances on prisoners of war before actually testing them on our own soldiers. There are quite a few risks, including but not limited to: possibility of addiction, serum not working, muscle loss, blindness, loss of brain matter or synapse, and with some of the serums... there's even the possibility of death. However, if you so desire, I can put your name down for the preliminary tests on our troops." Her tone never changed from the usual monotony and detachment. Even if she was saying she didn't want to test the augments on Jaeger because of safety concerns, it was clear that it wasn't because she really cared if Jaeger got hurt... she was simply following protocol.

[jeager]

"I do appreciate your enthusiasm, Major, but I must warn you that this is the preliminary stage of the augment serums. I'd be more comfortable testing these substances on prisoners of war before actually testing them on our own soldiers. There are quite a few risks, including but not limited to: possibility of addiction, serum not working, muscle loss, blindness, loss of brain matter or synapse, and with some of the serums... there's even the possibility of death. However, if you so desire, I can put your name down for the preliminary tests on our troops."

Pity, Jeager will have to be patient for now. Wait a single hour or a hundred year without impudence on his part. Either ways, he stood up from his position, adjusting his cap as his eyes shot towards the prestigious doctor.

"I'd appreciate that." He said, "So to make this visit worth every moment, I propose a tour of this facility to personally oversee your projects, verifying what you said to be true."

[lloyd]

"...My, my, how are our future Dr. Frankensteins doing today?" Li Tziling, known in Britannia and among the Iroquois as Kayeri Brant, inquired cheerfully as he entered with the typically absent preamble that had a tendency to annoy people. In the Koreas and Liaodong, research mostly involved biochemistry, something that Ling was far more at ease with in comparison to the Knightmare research and construction in the Indian Provinces. The sikh bodyguard behind him calmly looked on. While most of India chafed under the rule of the Chinese Federation, the Sikhs and Muslims of India, whom had never quite liked the Hindu majority, were relatively happy under the Chinese Federation. Liaodong's cold and crisp weather, was a refreshing alternative to the Stuffy, Congested Traffic in Saigon. Built largely by the Chinese, Liaodong and Korea had the modern urban planning that the old city of Saigon certainly didn't have. "Souvenirs," Ling said cheerfully as he placed a small statue of a japanese Buddha onto a nearby table. Himself, Ling had been raised a Christian by his Iroquois Father, but he always found the tubby dieties of buddhism far cuter than the slightly frail Jesus Christ (depicted generally in various stages of suffering.) Catching sight of the Austrian mercenary, Ling was a little intrigued. The concept of a foreign special guard, like the Swiss Guard of the Papal States or the hessians of the Britannian Army was a practice that had been driven out by the Purists in Britannia and existed mainly in China (Ling's own Sikh bodyguard being no exception.) While some Chinese believed this was paramount to acknowledging that these other races were superior, Ling thought otherwise. After all, it was culture that makes a nation great, though a good military allows it to survive. "How have things been going over here?" he asked in lieu of greeting as he opened (with a loud hiss and pop that stood out in the laboratory) a can of Cherry Coca-cola. A Britannian invention, Ling had found the drink in Massena back in the Iroquois Confederacy, and he had quickly fallen in love with the drink. "Coke. Want some?"

[kelan]

u stared for a few seconds at Jaeger after his request for a tour. She then finally spoke, "Do you have orders for such a tour, Major?" She was very protective of her projects... reason why she didn't go into detail of what each augment did, or what did the plague did.

Ke-Lan stood up as Kayeri walked in, narrowing her eyes at him, "With all due respect, have you ever heard of the courtesy of knocking before you enter a room?" her fingers curled instinctively next to her sides. She was clearly annoyed by the unnanounced entrance. She knew who Kayeri was, of course, but she still expected him to have a semblance of manners. After all, manners were a big thing to Ke-Lan. Had it been any of her subordinates entering the room so abruptly, Ke-Lan would have surely wounded them.
She shook her head softly at the offer of coke, "No thanks." She was quiet for a few seconds again, looking at Kayeri's bodyguard, then at Kayeri again, and finally at Jaeger. Her office was getting a little too crowded.
She turned to Kayeri again, "What can I do for you, Mr. Tziling?"

[lloyd]

Ling winced in his mind from the rather chilling reception he received from the science chief of the Chinese Military. It was like driving an ice-cream truck into a wall. At least in that case the wall would become colorful...glancing at the young and yet somehow old woman who now looked at him with some disapproval, Ling had a fleeting image of her covered in Ice Cream and ice cream cones, pulling the emergency shower used to douse those with large chemical burns. "Or we could use an anteater," Ling mused. At once, he noticed his bodyguard looking at him with an odd expression. Did I just say that out loud? Great, now he seemed insane as well as impolite. Charming. Looking for a change in topic, Ling looked at the hydraulic doors. Built to nullify sound and lower the chances of bacterial contamination, the door had been built for the sake of privacy (an irony in respect to Ling's intrusion that he studiously ignored.) "No Doorknobs, remember?" Even in his mind, that joke did not sound especially funny, maybe because it happened to be true. To business then, since it appeared that humor wasn't going to defrost the frigidity of the office and its obviously unhappy occupant. "Doctor, at the moment I'd like to ask if you have at the moment any information or research on variants of addictive drugs...you know, Refrain, Heroin, Barbituates, and the like." Illegal drugs, refrain primarily among them, were mainly grown in the ill-patrolled mountains of Central Asia, something that the Chinese Federation had been increasingly incapable of stopping. Whereas in Britannia, there were rumors that the Britannian government itself was involved in production, producing billions of pounds in profits. It was one agenda that Kayeri was especially enthusiastic about--both in the Guangdong Provinces and also in Ling's hometowns in the Confederacy, addictions threatened to sap the wealth and health of sizeable minorities in the population.

[jeager]

"Do you have orders for such a tour, Major?" Thinking about it, the stoic reasoned to himself that he technically does through the guise of inspection that he can look through the place.

"How have things been going over here?"

Suffice to say, he was just about to say something, only to be interrupted a second time... quite preferable over talking, as he rather listen than speak. For personal reasons regressing more on 'personality' than likes or dislikes, or at least the lack of personality he has. Hence his stoic attitude concerning most matters.

"With all due respect, have you ever heard of the courtesy of knocking before you enter a room?"

The interruption came in the form of what appears to be a Chinese royal member, whom he recognized in the form of Li Tziling. Apparently from what was entailed, she seemed to fail to realize that he is a member of royalty. Nonetheless, a position of power doesn't matter as much to the Major, for the person honors the position, not the other way around. The person who seemed to be accompanying Li Tziling seems to be a man of Indian origins, of course, ethnicity mattered not to the Major, for he has a way of noticing things, simply put.

"Coke. Want some?"

He kindly declines upon the offering with a simple shaking of the head. Eyes shooting around as he simply observes the two conversing, perhaps pick up somethings from the two and a bit of information that'd work much to his benefits.

"Doctor, at the moment I'd like to ask if you have at the moment any information or research on variants of addictive drugs...you know, Refrain, Heroin, Barbituates, and the like."

So he was interested in the production of refrain... interesting. From what he has heard, it has earned quite a profit, especially refrain as it brings back pleasant memories that everyone so wishes to re-experience them again in order to relieve themselves of their misery. Namely those below the standard of middle class, the poor.

"Your Highness." A whisper of what appears to be a voice beckoned out for Li Tziling with the Major inclining his head towards the boy as a form of respect before reeling it back in retrospect. Remaining quiet as he watched the two converse more about what's going on.

[kelan]

"I happen to have some research on addictive drugs. We needed to trace the addictive attributes in drugs in order to engineer serums that were not addictive." Ke-Lan touched the slim keyboard on her desk, bringing up a holo screen. She typed in a few things, then a pen drive popped out of a compartment on the desk. She took the drive and offered it to Kayeri, "This is all the information we gathered. I am not sure what you wish to accomplish with this, but if you need further research I can spare a few of my scientists. Oh, I also should mention we only tested refrain, opium, and cocaine."
Ke-Lan was quick to dismiss her initial anger at the unannounced intrusion. It wasn't like it could be helped. Again, if Kayeri had been one of her subordinates, it would have been very different, but given who he was, she would not pester him with lectures. She had much to do anyway.

[lloyd]

Ling shivered slightly at the Austrian soldier's greeting. While all he had done was speak and nod, he had done it with that reserved fashion in which people who knew what they were doing frequently displayed. However, there was no equivalent response that Ling (whom, despite some combat training, had never been on the front lines) could use without looking pretentious, and so he could only respond with the hand-around-fist greeting used by most Chinese¹.

In regards to Ke-lan's response, Ling nodded and accepting the drive. "Thank you," he said cheerfully. The most basic cure for the money that was rushing into the coffers of Britannia was to simply render these drugs ineffective. However, this solution had one major problem. Even if an nonaddictive version of Refrain were to be created, the reality was that the effect of the drug would probably affected, as both the effect and the addiction worked in the same neurons. Secondly, those who are already addicted would continue to take refrain. Lastly, the price of producing organic foods far outstrips those of home-grown varieties, and the same would likely apply to drugs. In all these cases, the addicts would simply import even more from Britannia, creating a backfiring effect. And, as both the Iroquois Council of Public Health and parts of the Chinese military had suggested, there had to be a second part to the equation. And that was to make the drug even stronger and then export it to Britannia. One who is smoking Marijuana will not be satisfied by alcohol and tobacco. Similarly, one who has had "the real shit," as one addict had aptly stated, will never buy the low-quality stuff again. And so the strategy was to be twofold--weaker drugs would be distributed in the Chinese Federation territories, and a hyperconcentrated version would be smuggled to Britannia. If the Chinese could supply an ample amount of hyperconcentrated Refrain to Britannia, the addicts in Britannia would turn to the Chinese variety--and it would be the Chinese Federation that would be gaining the benefits. It was an evil thing to do--but that was how war worked. "Doctor, I'd also like to ask ahead of time...has there been any research as to making the drug stronger or MORE addictive?"

------------------------------------------
¹Footnote: The traditional greeting used in pre-communist china involved clasping one's hand around one's own fist and then either directly bowing or nodding. The hand position is akin to that of the Buddhist Namaste greeting, albeit with a slightly different hand clasp, as shown in the image below:

[jeager]

"I happen to have some research on addictive drugs. We needed to trace the addictive attributes in drugs in order to engineer serums that were not addictive."

Noting all of this down in his head, the Major stood there silently as he listened on. It seems the drug situation was that much of a problem that it warranted the research of serums in order to clean the body system of any traces of the bad medicine. Jeager silently bites his bottom lip as a habit of his, an indication that he was thinking. Looking blankly at the floor.

"This is all the information we gathered. I am not sure what you wish to accomplish with this, but if you need further research I can spare a few of my scientists. Oh, I also should mention we only tested refrain, opium, and cocaine."

So, it seems the research hasn't been done in order to proceed and accelerate the making of the serum that will lessen the addiction count of people floundering around the Chinese borders. Perhaps it wasn't that much of a problem as he thought, or the fact that it wasn't much of her concern would be a most likely plausible situation. From a glance, he deterred that her entire focus relates to her own interests, which wouldn't have to do with the addiction around the empire's borders, rather... the biological enhancement and production of supersoldiers.

His attention was caught as his greeting was returned by the young boy in the form of a traditional Chinese greeting. Quite nostalgic as he hasn't seen something like this in quite sometime now, only interest about it is the cultural connection and the fact the Chinese royalty aren't often seen returning a greeting. This boy made the exception.

"Doctor, I'd also like to ask ahead of time...has there been any research as to making the drug stronger or MORE addictive?"

So, he really wasn't much of a selfless prince as he puts up. Really, he was just a Prince with a strong political thinking not motivated by the earning of wealth, but rather, to advance his own career, or so the Major thought. Keeping silent as a soldier should do, he held his chest up high with pride. Staring at Kayeri... or more specifically, right through him. Listening more and more as he picks off information that he knows it isn't open to the public.