Legacy

Man reborn

Astor

Arriving in the capital was nauseating. Everywhere I went, there would be people and with them followed a cascade of noise. I had done my preparation bringing a blindfold, earplugs, and gloves to protect my senses. I was currently wearing earplugs and gloves. It was a blessing having all the sounds muted just a bit. My face I had covered with a cloth to keep the worst smells at bay. Even with all these steps, my senses still felt heavily assaulted. In my panicked state, I hid at a nearby park. I was lying in a foster position underneath a bush, trying to collect myself from it all. I dreamt of the laboratory again, and it was so painful. They were during a test on the samples, then they decided to burn some of them, and it was agony. I woke up screaming in unspeakable pain. I hugged myself as I lay there, still feeling the burning echoes of the pain. I had to get my research back. I had to do it soon.

I stumbled my way around town, looking for them for me. There that was the building. It was huge and made out of some white brick stones. Proud banners of the ministry were displayed outside in their blue and gold. It was an impressive building, a place of once noble history now in the hands of greedy thieves. As my animalistic fear dozed down, I realized that standing outside my enemy's fort was not going to do me much good. I needed a way in, and the tools of a thief were not my forte. No, I would need another angle to get in. Embarrassed by myself, I dusted off the dirt on my coat. I would need to scot out members of the team looking into my research, and that was not going to happen while looking like a homeless person. It was time to invest in a proper image so that I could sell myself off to these thieves. I needed some beautiful clothes, an excellent location to call my quarters, and a charming persona to put it all together. It was a bit of a long shot, but I slowly put together an idea in my head. Leaving the building behind, I took refuge in a local park. Here I worked the entire night, taking careful notes in my journal as I pieced the new "me" together. I would be a somewhat well-off but a bit eccentric gentleman. He would be from the other side of the canal visiting the city to look for a cure for his mysterious disease. It would take some work to set up this new persona most of all; I would need a name for this fellow. He would be known as Romain Bonnaire. With a renewed resolve and a solid plan sketched out, I felt ready to conquer these thieves. They would soon learn the mistake to trifle with a man's pride and dignity.

French was taught to me while growing up, it was my mother's tongue, and so was it expected to become mine. Language has never been a critical interest of mine, but I honored my mother's wish. A choice that benefitted me now. All the phrases and words I had learned came to me quickly, despite the fact it had been years since I had last spoken a single sentence of it. I rented out a place in a cozy higher class hotel making sure to make pleasantries with the staff. One prefers not to make enemies close to where you sleep. I had three outfits tailored to compliment my new sleeping arrangements. With these more simple steps completed, I took on the more daunting tasks of tracking down a member of the research staff. I browsed the local news to see if anything had been published.

The thieves were hiding their ill-gotten findings for now. Though it was not a total waste, the Ministry of Scientific Concerns was going to hold an event soon celebrating the discoveries they had made recently. Better yet, the opening was only a week from now, and the public was welcome to join it. There was no way none of the thieves from my dreams would not be attending. Satisfied, I leaned back in the soft bed in my room. Only a matter of time, then I would get them. My dreams were more peaceful now; it was like our fears had been quelled. So calm did I feel that not even the sight of the strange fungus-like chunks I threw off that morning could deter me. On the eve of the event, I dressed to the nine's itching to finally do something. I made my way to the ministry's building early, hoping to avoid the worse of the hordes. I arrived at a small crowd gathered outside the main gate. Quitely, I did my best to blend in, already finding the overwhelming amount of sensations sickening. I had to be firm. Whatever was going to happen when the event started was going to be league's worse than what this small gathering could produce.

The blindfold and earplugs were safely tugged away in my breast pocket. Just in case they were needed. I was already wearing my gloves. Considering everything I was as ready as I could be. It was time for Romain Bonnaire to introduce himself to the workers of the Ministry of Scientific Concerns. More people arrived, and the crowd grew ever more significant. It was no surprise an open public event from the ministry was not common, so of course, it was going to draw the fascination of many ordinary people. If the circumstances had been different, the sight of the vast crowd of eager minds would have brought me nothing but joy. Science and its discoveries should be free for all to undercover, not just the elite or scholars. Sadly this event was mostly for the image, and all real significant developments made would be held cloaked from the public.