"Huh," he said incredulously with raised brows. He made a mental note of the rat and the plant in question and looked up at Carxanius. "A smell..." The matter was probably more of a biology question. He made a mental note to ask Ms. Angevin about it later. "Well, I guess you could draw from one of the weaker ones first, then work your way up? It may help calibrate my sensors," he said with a glance at the machine behind him.
"Oh!" He said, standing up straight as he patted down his labcoat before producing a piece of folded paper and a pen. "I need you to sign this. Basically, it says you understand the experiment and consent to the results being recorded and used for any research papers, though we won't reveal your name in any of the published results." He held the paper and pen out to the kid, anxious to have it signed. "You don't have any more questions, right?"
"Oh!" He said, standing up straight as he patted down his labcoat before producing a piece of folded paper and a pen. "I need you to sign this. Basically, it says you understand the experiment and consent to the results being recorded and used for any research papers, though we won't reveal your name in any of the published results." He held the paper and pen out to the kid, anxious to have it signed. "You don't have any more questions, right?"
Leigha entered the examination room, pleased to see that everything seemed to be underway and operating smoothly. "Hello," she said, adressing both of the room's occupants and announcing her arrival. "How is everything progressing?" She asked.
Carxanius looked over towards Doctor Amerson as she walked in. He looked back to Solari and grabbed the paper and pen, taking his time to sign the paper where he needed to, reading the page briefly. "We haven't started yet." He said, looking back to Doctor Amerson while holding the paper and pen back to Doctor Solari.
“We were about to start,” Doctor Solari said with a nod towards Doctor Amerson. “Did you have any equipment you wanted to set up, or are you ready?” He asked the doctor as he took the consent form from Carxanius and stuffed it back in his pocket.
Leigha shook her head. She had considered setting up a bit of her own equipment, but thought better of it. Each idea she'd had either presented a risk to Carxanius or would hinder the accuracy of the testing results. Even if it was just marginally off, Leigha preferred the most accurate data possible.
"No extra equipment seemed necessary," she said, noticing Carxanius signing the form. Everything seemed to be going well, thankfully.
"No extra equipment seemed necessary," she said, noticing Carxanius signing the form. Everything seemed to be going well, thankfully.
Carxanius stepped back over to the table, examining each creature brought in. A brief episode of chest pain told him that the parasite could not only know that these critters had magic but also that it hungered for said magic. He held back on trying to draw from them until the experiment should start. "I'm ready to start when you guys are."
"Fantastic!" Doctor Solari said with a clap of his hands. "Let's get started. Doctor Amerson, if you'd follow me," he said as he walked to the observation room and opened the door with a click of the electronic lock as he scanned his keycard.
The room was full of screens of all varieties. Most were already on and displaying empty graphs. A few papers sat scattered on a desk holding keyboards and even more computer screens, the pages absolutely covered in calculations. The only place not blinking with a computer's light was the one-way glass, which let them both see Carxanius in the room outside.
Doctor Solari pulled out a rolling chair at one of the desks and sat down, then pushed off the desk with his foot to grab a clipboard full of empty paper sitting on a different desk across the room. "Make yourself at home. We'll probably need to calibrate for a while," Doctor Solari said as he scribbled something on the clipboard.
The room was full of screens of all varieties. Most were already on and displaying empty graphs. A few papers sat scattered on a desk holding keyboards and even more computer screens, the pages absolutely covered in calculations. The only place not blinking with a computer's light was the one-way glass, which let them both see Carxanius in the room outside.
Doctor Solari pulled out a rolling chair at one of the desks and sat down, then pushed off the desk with his foot to grab a clipboard full of empty paper sitting on a different desk across the room. "Make yourself at home. We'll probably need to calibrate for a while," Doctor Solari said as he scribbled something on the clipboard.
Leigha followes Dr. Solari at a steady pace into the observation room. The place seemed simple yet very functional, a practical place for research without fancy embellishment. As research should be.
She sat down at one of the chairs in the room, with a good view of multiple observational screens. "Thank you," was all she said, as she organized her notes on her clipboard.
She sat down at one of the chairs in the room, with a good view of multiple observational screens. "Thank you," was all she said, as she organized her notes on her clipboard.
Carxanius stared at the one way glass for a few seconds before directing his attention back to the animals and plants. Thinking about it now, maybe it would have been better to describe it as a weight rather than a smell. At least then he could have used density as another analogue for the concentration of magic inside the creature. But that could wait. For now he was anxious, not wanting to start before the doctors were ready.
Doctor Solari leaned forward and pushed on the button sitting on his desk, which turned on the mic. "Whenever you're ready, put on that lead vest next to the plants and give me the signal for when I should start. Oh, and let me know what your stop signal looks like."
He leaned across the desk and hit the record button on a different keyboard, which made one of the monitors light up with three different camera angles on Carxanius, all recorded. He glanced at Doctor Amerson. "Anything you wanted to add, doc?"
He leaned across the desk and hit the record button on a different keyboard, which made one of the monitors light up with three different camera angles on Carxanius, all recorded. He glanced at Doctor Amerson. "Anything you wanted to add, doc?"
After scanning the room mentally, Leigha couldn't find anything to change or add. "You can go ahead, Dr. Solari. I have nothing else to add, you've thought of things rather thoroughly," she said, watching the scene with rapt attention.
Carxanius grabbed the lead vest and put it on. It felt heavy but not overbearingly so. Looking at the animals and plants again, he felt the pull to drain them and sate the appetite of the parasite. Instead he held his hand up towards the glass with his fingers splayed. "This is my stop signal." He put his hand down and looked at the assorted animals and plants yet again. While it wasn't exactly obvious, the arteries on Carxanius' neck seemed to be glowing blue just slightly.
"I'm ready to start doc." He said loudly, gripping the cart a bit tightly and waiting for the go ahead.
"I'm ready to start doc." He said loudly, gripping the cart a bit tightly and waiting for the go ahead.
"Fantastic. Good luck kid," Doctor Solari said as he took his finger off the mic, leaving Carxanius in silence. He quickly pushed off the desk with his foot, sending his rolling chair spinning across the room. He stopped himself as he grabbed a table on the opposite end of the room and quickly typed a few commands into his keyboard. He needed an assistant. This observation room wasn't meant to be run by just a single person. If only the institute could run background checks quicker, then he'd actually have some nervous undergrads or grad students manning some of the computers in here.
"Starting..." he typed a few more commands in quickly "...now."
He spun his chair around and stared out the window as the machine hummed to life, a subtle glow slowly seeping out of the coils as it began to observe the subatomic around Carxanius. Funny. Even though he helped invent the thing, he still expected more of a show. He rolled to the other side of the room, next to Doctor Amerson, and shoved his glasses up his nose as he leaned forward to watch Carxanius.
"Starting..." he typed a few more commands in quickly "...now."
He spun his chair around and stared out the window as the machine hummed to life, a subtle glow slowly seeping out of the coils as it began to observe the subatomic around Carxanius. Funny. Even though he helped invent the thing, he still expected more of a show. He rolled to the other side of the room, next to Doctor Amerson, and shoved his glasses up his nose as he leaned forward to watch Carxanius.
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