Leave The Monster Alone

Rika did not think much of being left behind at the base. However, when Mark decided to take Alan with him instead of Kuro, it raised several questions inside her head. 

But she had accepted it as she had everything else. She was not sure if that was in her nature or something else that compelled her not to ask. Every time she made up her mind about it, something in her head compelled her not to ask more than she could chew.

'Don't get too close. It's not safe for you' and she had to listen to it over and over again till she gave in to it. Mark and Alan were not very helpful either in this regard. They straight up ignored her if she asked for too much.

"Let's go inside Kuro" the base was deadly quiet once she entered. She felt several heads moved to look and point at her which she had to ignore in favour of going forward. If she gave an inch then they would take a mile with her.

"Ah, Miss Rika. Welcome back inside along with your…...companion? Is that an animal? And you have not been killed yet?" Rika felt the interest of the others turn toward her now. 

Kuro had been ignored by everyone till now but this one incident had pushed her into the spotlight. Her small body was also cute and she could see several children waiting to come up to her and pet the kitten.

"Kuro is...special. What are you doing? Can I help you out?" Rika asked, clutching Kuro tighter to herself. She did not feel safe all of a sudden and a certain fear took over her mind.

"Ah, of course, it's not. As for the help, I don't think most people would appreciate your help in 'this' regard" Rika understood what they meant once she saw what the other was working on.

A small and normal body was lying ahead of her. It had been Suzy, the original one at least from what she could gather. The dead body had been left behind without any instruction to handle so the scientists had taken it upon themselves to study it.

"I'll get the body to the lab. You can join us there and maybe bring the cat as well?" there was a hope threat to that voice which creeped Rika out. However, she knew she could not leave Kuro unattended at all.

She needed to find a place to keep Kuro before it because of a cluster of damage on her side. Already, the people were eying her with distrust and caution. They threw downright murderous looks at Kuro too.

"Miss Rika, why don't you join me for the time being? I'm sure the scientific staff can spare you and the beast for a few seconds" the female base commander called out to her which made Rika breathe out a sigh of relief.

Finally, there was someone she could trust. While she knew nothing about this female, Mark seemed to trust her enough to not warn Rika against her.

"Of course. I'll follow behind you?" Rika asked the other who just smiled her secretive smile. Then they left the halls and entered the central office area. It was all abandoned anyway which made sense.

Most people were involved in the damage reduction and restoration to pay attention to this area.

"Mark is not here currently?" Rika shook her head at the question and the other female sighed before her expression changed to a more strict one, "I will warn you now. Leave as soon as he comes back. The people here are not your friends right now"

Rika knew that and she understood the reasoning as well. The other female continued without stopping.

"What I mean, additionally to the common people, the scientific staff had become vocal about Kuro and her existence. I believe Kuro is a great tool but they believe it is more beneficial to study her instead. So, leave her with me for now and behave like normal. Leave as soon as Mark comes back"

Rika hesitated to follow the other. The proposal was great for her. She would get to study Suzy's body and also would be able to keep Kuro safe.

However, how safe would Kuro his commander? She said she was cool with Mark and Kuro but how much of it could Rika take at face value?

"Don't look at me like that. Kuro could chew me out if she so wished to and even you know it" Rika did and that was another concern she had. Would Kuro be ok with it all? After a? l, she understood everything that was going on around her and was highly intelligent in her way.

"Alright. I'll make it swift then. I won't be held responsible for Kuro though, it will be you" Rika warned the other and got an agreeing node as a response.

Then she was off to the labs. The body had already been moved and was currently being observed under a machine. Rika had no idea how one went through to perform it but their base doctor did look fascinated with it. Would Mark have liked this type of job as well? He was a doctor after all but not a surgeon from his attitude.

The scientists and others were near each other and whispering among themselves. Rika went to join them. She needed information on what she had missed.

"Did the doctor find anything?" Rika asked as she joined some of the people she had worked with before. If someone would talk to her about it, then it had to be the gossip of the team. Rika could not make head or tail of it anyway.

"Ah, Rika, welcome back. The doctor said that the spinal structure and the pelvic structure is not what humans possess and something was keeping her erect. Her organ arrangement is identical to a human but there are minor differences. Not enough to say anything yet but it could be a sign of evolution" 

There was a pained gasp from the gossiper whose foot was stepped on in an attempt to quieten her. The female looked offended but soon forgot it in favour of focusing on Rika since she asked another question.

"She's not human?" Rika whispered to ask the other to elaborate.

"They're taking her blood to be sure but do you think that Suzy was human? I mean, she turned humans into herself and made them follow her will. She was like a parasite or an alien" Maybe to these people, Suzy was like that.

However, the world had changed far too much to be certain of anything at this point. The very rules of reality seemed to be in constant change.

"Everyone, get back to business and don't disturb us. We'll put our findings on the form for all to read there" the crowd murmured in dissatisfaction but did disperse when asked. No one wanted to make this any more difficult than it had to be.

Mostly because everyone knew the doctor studying the body had lost his significant other under that very curse as well. No one wanted to antagonise such a man any longer.

"The forms?" Rika asked, not because she was confused but because she knew the nature of the other female. She was clumsy and a people-pleaser. That's why it was easy for her to gossip so many details away.

"Selen, keep it a little down" the other one hissed but the gossip ignored him in favour of paying attention to Rika. Rika had caught her in her weak spot here and she would exploit it as much as she could.

"Right, you're not from here. I'll add you to the system then. Should I add your companions too? Send them a notification?" The other babbled away and Rika let her. The more she spoke, the less Rika had to.

And the more she would gain out of it all which was exactly what she wanted.

"Yes, please. But don't send them a notification yet because I want this to be a surprise for them" the other gave him a mischievous smile and Rika did not ask what conclusions she drew in her mind.

"Yeah, sure" but she did add Rika into the great system. That was what Rika had wanted honestly.

And that was how she came across the conspiracy to kidnap Kuro from the commander's office the very next day. Rika turned cold and just packed everything up by hand.

And then she bolted into the commander's office and snatched Kuro from there. She hid the rest of the time inside her given room, still checking her system from any message she might receive and the situation was turning volatile.

Rika bolted as soon as Mark messaged her. She had no time to think, she let her body decide for her. 

And then she was out of the door and into the vehicle, urging Mark to drive away at the fastest speed he could.