That was it. Eeri was strapped to the operating table, so that any false move would not jeopardize the success of the operation. Mazé'yum felt as feverish as he had for his first dissections, even if he didn't let on. All his years of study of hominin physiology and the seed of life were now at the service of an unprecedented experiment. If it succeeded, they would have exceeded Karavan's capabilities. As failure was of no interest, his thoughts did not dwell on it for a moment.
Varnili was checking the sharpness of his instruments. The matisse was excited too, even if her reasons differed slightly. Of course, the scientific aspect also interested her, almost as much as seeing the pain resistance of her new test subject. However, Mazé'yum hadn't told her that he had planned to use various anaesthetics to preserve (as far as possible) the mind of his pupil and guinea pig. Varnili would be outraged when she found out, but once she'd started, she wouldn't stop. Nor had the Zorai told Eeri how Varnili had acquired her surgical skills. Besides, he was one of the few people to see this quality in the Matisse; to her fellows, she was just the most sadistic and inventive of torturers. No matter what adjectives they gave her, she was as expert as he was in homine anatomy, if not more so, and her hands were far more sure-footed. All the more so since Nikuya and Naveruss had broken the Zoraï's fingers; it was precisely thanks to Varnili's talent that he'd been able to regain the use of his hands, but there were still a few after-effects, a little too many for a sensitive job like the one they were embarking on.
The first part was easy: test the state of Eeri's nerves and muscles in this unresponsive arm. All he had to do was press the right spot and note the reaction to stimuli. This allowed us to pinpoint the damaged areas. The arm was a dead weight, absolutely inert and insensitive, but certain manipulations awakened a reflex or a rapid arc of pain.
Then the reconstruction work began. It was just as well that Varnili had trained shortly before on Mazé'yum's fingers, she was all the faster this time. They were also helped by something the scientist wouldn't have bet on: since Eeri had been so weakened by his ordeal, his natural regeneration was naturally slower, giving him time to guide and force the fibers back in the right direction. The potions prepared to counteract this natural regeneration were hardly affected, which was just as well, given their side effects.
This phase was one of the dirtiest butchery jobs around. Sometimes you had to start over in the same area, over and over again, until the flesh recomposed itself according to what you wanted from it. It was painful, but Eeri had seen it all before. She gritted her teeth, murdering the matisse with her eyes, but not even asking for a break. Varnili's smile widened like a torbak's when faced with a particularly juicy yubo. She loved it when it wasn't easy. Maze'yum was content to note the physiological reactions, ensuring that certain drugs acted in sufficient quantity and leaving the two homines in their mental battle. What the Zoraï gave Eeri over time kept her muscles limp; the wrong tension at the wrong time would have been embarrassing. He carefully monitored the vital signs of the fyrette, who for the moment still showed as much fighting spirit in her eyes, trapped in this body that was escaping her, tortured by the matisse's manipulations. Painkillers would be in order if she started to weaken, but as much as she had rage for the moment, it could only help her not to let go.
Finally, they reached a point where the arm was reasonably functional. The motor part had been adjusted; it had just been a few almost "easy" mechanical problems. Mazé'yum offered Eeri the comfort of a powerful painkiller which plunged the hominin into a near-death sleep; she needed to regain her strength for what lay ahead. And so did her two doctors.
Varnili scoffed:
- You're still a natural. She'll sleep with or without your product.
Mazé'yum was still a little vexed that Varnili considered him weak, but he wouldn't change her mind, and besides, he knew that it wasn't a weakness of character that motivated his actions, only the need to fully succeed in the experiment, which meant keeping the guinea pig as physically and mentally healthy as possible.
The matisse went back to her tribe to get some sleep and a bite to eat. Mazé'yum cleaned up the laboratory and instruments, preparing for what was to come, before settling down in a corner to breathe a little while keeping an eye on Eeri. It would have been handy to have Mac'Duncan for this stooge job, but Varnili cordially hated the tryker, and the latter was so terrified of the matisse that he committed blunder after blunder when she was around. In the end, it was less work not to have them in the same place together.
He dozed for a while, until Eeri's groan roused him from his slumber. He then got her to eat and drink, watching how she recovered. She grumbled at the fact that he was giving her water and asked for shooki, which was a good sign for the future. But despite her best efforts, she couldn't move her fingers or bend her elbow.
- Don't tell me all this was just to amuse that weirdo, Yum.
- No. It would have been nice if that had been enough. But tomorrow we get down to business. As we feared, there must be something on the side of the seed of life.
He let the fyros go back to sleep, noting her weary, even slightly desperate look. He was exhausted himself, but took the time to review some of the potions he planned to use the next day, before allowing himself a few hours' sleep.
Varnili was checking the sharpness of his instruments. The matisse was excited too, even if her reasons differed slightly. Of course, the scientific aspect also interested her, almost as much as seeing the pain resistance of her new test subject. However, Mazé'yum hadn't told her that he had planned to use various anaesthetics to preserve (as far as possible) the mind of his pupil and guinea pig. Varnili would be outraged when she found out, but once she'd started, she wouldn't stop. Nor had the Zorai told Eeri how Varnili had acquired her surgical skills. Besides, he was one of the few people to see this quality in the Matisse; to her fellows, she was just the most sadistic and inventive of torturers. No matter what adjectives they gave her, she was as expert as he was in homine anatomy, if not more so, and her hands were far more sure-footed. All the more so since Nikuya and Naveruss had broken the Zoraï's fingers; it was precisely thanks to Varnili's talent that he'd been able to regain the use of his hands, but there were still a few after-effects, a little too many for a sensitive job like the one they were embarking on.
The first part was easy: test the state of Eeri's nerves and muscles in this unresponsive arm. All he had to do was press the right spot and note the reaction to stimuli. This allowed us to pinpoint the damaged areas. The arm was a dead weight, absolutely inert and insensitive, but certain manipulations awakened a reflex or a rapid arc of pain.
Then the reconstruction work began. It was just as well that Varnili had trained shortly before on Mazé'yum's fingers, she was all the faster this time. They were also helped by something the scientist wouldn't have bet on: since Eeri had been so weakened by his ordeal, his natural regeneration was naturally slower, giving him time to guide and force the fibers back in the right direction. The potions prepared to counteract this natural regeneration were hardly affected, which was just as well, given their side effects.
This phase was one of the dirtiest butchery jobs around. Sometimes you had to start over in the same area, over and over again, until the flesh recomposed itself according to what you wanted from it. It was painful, but Eeri had seen it all before. She gritted her teeth, murdering the matisse with her eyes, but not even asking for a break. Varnili's smile widened like a torbak's when faced with a particularly juicy yubo. She loved it when it wasn't easy. Maze'yum was content to note the physiological reactions, ensuring that certain drugs acted in sufficient quantity and leaving the two homines in their mental battle. What the Zoraï gave Eeri over time kept her muscles limp; the wrong tension at the wrong time would have been embarrassing. He carefully monitored the vital signs of the fyrette, who for the moment still showed as much fighting spirit in her eyes, trapped in this body that was escaping her, tortured by the matisse's manipulations. Painkillers would be in order if she started to weaken, but as much as she had rage for the moment, it could only help her not to let go.
Finally, they reached a point where the arm was reasonably functional. The motor part had been adjusted; it had just been a few almost "easy" mechanical problems. Mazé'yum offered Eeri the comfort of a powerful painkiller which plunged the hominin into a near-death sleep; she needed to regain her strength for what lay ahead. And so did her two doctors.
Varnili scoffed:
- You're still a natural. She'll sleep with or without your product.
Mazé'yum was still a little vexed that Varnili considered him weak, but he wouldn't change her mind, and besides, he knew that it wasn't a weakness of character that motivated his actions, only the need to fully succeed in the experiment, which meant keeping the guinea pig as physically and mentally healthy as possible.
The matisse went back to her tribe to get some sleep and a bite to eat. Mazé'yum cleaned up the laboratory and instruments, preparing for what was to come, before settling down in a corner to breathe a little while keeping an eye on Eeri. It would have been handy to have Mac'Duncan for this stooge job, but Varnili cordially hated the tryker, and the latter was so terrified of the matisse that he committed blunder after blunder when she was around. In the end, it was less work not to have them in the same place together.
He dozed for a while, until Eeri's groan roused him from his slumber. He then got her to eat and drink, watching how she recovered. She grumbled at the fact that he was giving her water and asked for shooki, which was a good sign for the future. But despite her best efforts, she couldn't move her fingers or bend her elbow.
- Don't tell me all this was just to amuse that weirdo, Yum.
- No. It would have been nice if that had been enough. But tomorrow we get down to business. As we feared, there must be something on the side of the seed of life.
He let the fyros go back to sleep, noting her weary, even slightly desperate look. He was exhausted himself, but took the time to review some of the potions he planned to use the next day, before allowing himself a few hours' sleep.