"To be honest…I want to prove to my mum that she was wrong about me. She wanted to abort me, but my dad really wanted her to keep me. So after I was born…she ditched. She didn't want me, and she didn't think I would amount to anything. So I want to prove her wrong. Truthfully, I think I've already done that. But I want her to see me now."
Abigail closed her eyes and leaned against the wall of the elevator. “I’m sure she’ll be surprised on how far you’ve come.” She heard a ding and the elevator doors opened. She quickly opened her eyes and walked outside the elevator. She waited outside of the elevator for Oliana.
As soon as the elevator doors open, it easy to see the lab. Due to the work done in this particular lab, you couldn't walk right in. Even if you had a pass - which every scientist in Axel Labs had to have - it wouldn't let you in unless this was your lab. There were two reasons that Oliana was able to get in. One: her father was head scientist. Two: this lab in the building specialised in The Glitch, and she had had it since she was a kid and wasn't affected.
She swiped her pass, gesturing for Abigail to go first. "You can't get in on your pass, it's easiest if you just go in first."
Abigail nodded and walked in first. She stopped when she saw how big the lab was. She was completely blown away and bit her lip from gasping in surprise. She had a lot of questions, but she decided to hold them in until later. “Wow. . this is. . Wow.”
Oliana walked in and began to search for Kauri. He spotted her first, calling her name. She turned to see him walking towards her, and as they reached each other the pair shared a hug. "Hi Papa," Oliana began in Maori. "This is Abigail. She's my partner for the next few weeks. We're investigating The Glitch. Clementine sent us to you."
(clementine is agent indigo, btw)
(Ah, Okay.)
Abigail saw a man walk towards them and immediately guessed that was the man that they had to meet. She smiled as the two hugged each other. It was clear to her that the two had a relationship. Probably a uncle and niece or even a father and daughter relationship. When Oliana started talking in Maori she just stood still and stayed quiet. Abigail didn’t actually know what she was saying, but she really didn’t care. She could have used her translator thingy she carried around to find out what Oliana was saying, but decided not to use it.
"Nice to meet you, Abigail," Kauri smiled politely, shaking the girl's hand. "Have you worked with my daughter before?"
"No, Papa. This is a new partnership. Clementine thinks I might be able to help her. I don't know why. I've seen her file. She's completely capable of anything, I don know what I can do to help. Sorry, I'm rambling."
“It’s nice to meet you too Mr. Waialiki.” Abigail also smiled politely, while shaking his hand. Abigail waited until Oliana had finished talking. “No, I haven’t worked with your daughter before, this is a new partnership, as your daughter might have told you.”
"Well…what can I help you guys with?" Kauri asked. "And please, call me Kauri. Mr Waialiki sounds too formal."
"The Glitch, Papa. We're here to get some insight on The Glitch."
Abigail nodded in agreement. “Since you know a lot about the glitch, w-well, they sent us here to get some information about the glitch.” She sighed and once again started thinking why the people started glitching all of the sudden.
Kauri sighed, but he turned and began walking somewhere. "Follow me," He said, voice kind of quiet. It wasn't that he didn't want anyone else to hear, it was that the whole Glitch thing was a touchy subject. Even in the labs, people thought that Oliana might have something to do with it. It broke his heart to hear people talk about his daughter that way, like she was the cause of everything.
Abigail started to follow Kauri without hesitation. She sighed and shook her head as she heard some people mumbling about something. All she could hear was Glitch, Daughter and Why. She didn’t have to be a genius to figure out what they were talking about.
Kauri led the two spies into his office. He waited until they had gotten inside and then closed the door. He pressed a button, and immediately all of the glass tinted. No one could look inside at all. "So, ask me whatever you need to know. I will answer all questions."
“Well, I hope this question doesn’t make you uncomfortable or anything.” She paused before continuing. “How exactly does the glitch work? I understand if you can’t completely answer the question, but whatever you can answer will be deeply appreciated.”
"It's quite hard to explain. What we've discovered is that The Glitch is a virus. It attacks healthy cells and partially disintegrates them to half the size. This will keep happening until all of the cells are affected. After a while, the cells will begin to disintegrate to nothing. Once that happens, the affected person will die. The reason people glitch on the outside and why it only hurts when they glitch is something we're still trying to figure out."
Abigail quickly jotted the information down on a notepad and then puts the pencil on her hair. She quickly turned the page and the turned to Oliana and smiled slightly. “Agent Glitch, do you have any questions you want to ask? Or do you want me to continue asking them?”
"No, I don't," Oliana replied. "But can you show it in action, Papa? Like with a sample?"
"Yes, I suppose I could. Follow me to my lab."
Abigail shrugged and out her notepad away. She took out a small container that held some water and took a sip of it before putting it away. She then proceeded to follow Kauri to his lab while humming a Christmasy tune.
Kauri pulled out a sample from the lab. He took a sterilised stick and used it to take some of the sample out and onto a slide. He then placed the slide underneath a microscope and focused it in. Immediately, what he was describing could be seen.
Abigail looked at the sample through the microscope, and gasped. What Kauri was describing, was what Abigail saw. She was impressed, but at the same time she was disgusted. Disgusted that this virus was the cause of why so many people were currently dying.
Oliana took deep breaths. It was hard for her to be here, in this lab. Sure, she'd been here since she was a kid, but everyone now thought she was the cause. It was harder for her to deal with the other scientists than the other agents, since she had known most of these people since she was a baby. "I'm sorry," She whispered, then glitched away. She glitched down to the garage where hers and Abigail's bikes were, just needing time to herself.
Abigail sighed as Oliana glitched away. She pulled herself away from the Microscope and looked around the lab. The lab was big, but not to big. She shuffled her feet and hesitated before saying anything. “Um. . I think she just needs some time alone, she’ll be back.” “Hopefully.” She added the last part under her breath.
Oliana leaned against the garage wall, taking deep breaths. Her hands were shaking and her breath was raspy. This affected her more than she ever showed, because so many people were blaming her for something she wasn't at fault for. And she had no idea how to stop it, how to fix it. She pulled her helmet on and sat on her bike. She sent a text to Abigail letting her know that she was leaving and to meet her in the lab.
(aka oliana's lab)
Abigail heard her phone ding, and took it out. She unlocked it and looked at the the text Oliana had sent her. She sighed, put it away and then looked at Kauri. “Thank you for your hospitality, but I’m afraid I have to go.” With that, she left his lab and proceeded to leave Axel Labs.
Oliana zoomed through the city, filtering in between cars. She headed towards the agency, parking her bike in its spot and then glitching to her lab. Slowly, she started to feel better. This was her zone. Her safe place.