Carrying equipment wasn't the most luxurious of jobs, but Naomi wasn't opposed as it was a great test to make sure her limbs were firmly attached and well-seated to her torso. She challenged herself to carry as much as she was able as she followed Tre back and forth between the Beacon of Solace and the medical wing of this planet's research outpost.
"Please, don't drop that," Tre said.
"It seems pretty sturdy..." Naomi responded.
"I'm not really worried about it breaking. I'm more concerned about it landing on me in this gravity."
"Well, it's only... uhh..." Naomi pulled up her prosthetics' telemetry. "Oh, it says over 240 pounds..."
"Like I said, don't drop that, or, at least, don't drop it on me."
"I'll try my best," Naomi said, carrying the large case with little effort. "What is it anyway?"
"It contains a bunch of components that can be used for a lot of different machines," Tre said. "I guess we aren't technically supposed to know what they're doing with it, but they're probably for some MRI machines."
"How can you tell?"
"I've put together my fair share. Just something a lot of places seem to need."
"Makes sense," Naomi said. "This place doesn't seem like a warzone, do you ever wonder what places like this need assistance from the BOS for?"
"Well, this place seems like a research station. We've done a few of these, and, of course, nothing's ever been confirmed, but mostly I think it's because the station has discovered something that they want more credit for, and are staying under the radar to prevent notifying their superiors."
"That doesn't really seem like much of an emergency..."
"I agree," Tre said, "and while I would prefer to be doing work for people that need it more, part of me is just glad that it isn't a warzone."
After a few trips back and forth, they dropped off the last load of requested equipment to the barebones medical clinic. Tre then received instructions for assembly.
"Called it," she said, snapping her fingers.
From context, Naomi determined she was referring to the point that it was, in fact, an MRI machine, even though she didn't receive the assembly instructions herself. Naomi had neither the technical skill, nor the instructions to be able to assist, so she simply stood near Tre and practiced some close-combat drills. Tre worked in relative silence for a few hours before a muffled sound came from the room beside them.
"Did you hear that?" Naomi asked.
"Hear what?" Tre said from underneath the machine. Naomi approached the wall and turned an ear toward it.
"Something's going on in the next room."
"Do you have enhanced hearing too?"
"Maybe, actually," Naomi said.
"Well, what does it sound like?"
"Hmm..." Naomi leaned closer against the wall and closed her eyes. "It sounds like someone screaming, and some clattering, and a few people yelling."
"That's not too unheard-of in a medical setting."
Another clatter and a thud emanated from the wall loud enough to cause Naomi to flinch.
"Whoa," Tre said, rolling out from under the machine. "I heard it that time."
"What do you think it is?"
"Likely just someone getting a procedure done that's not going very well." Tre shrugged her shoulders then rolled back under the machine. "Going to investigate is against the BOS's policy, so I certainly can't recommend it, but I also can't stop you from doing so."
Naomi got the message. She listened to the sound a bit longer, then slinked out of the room. In the hallway, she moved to the next door, but it remained firmly closed with a briefly flashing red LED indicating that she didn't have access. The room did have an observation window, but the glass was set to max opacity.
From what Naomi could tell, the research station wasn't too concerned with its digital security. As she poked the systems, she saw significant gaps that she could easily take advantage of, but hesitated as she didn't want to risk anything on her first job with the BOS. In her hesitation, she noticed Dr. Ibrahim and Takahashi rushing around a corner toward her. They were both donning face masks and glasses, and were rolling on gloves as they quickly approached. They passed Naomi, barely looking at her, before heading into the room. Naomi took the opportunity to piggyback Takahashi through the door.
The air inside was a cacophony of medical staff hurriedly talking over each other as they stood around a patient they were desperately trying to restrain to an exam table. The man was yelling and screaming. He seemed to be trying to form words, but they were completely incoherent. When Dr. Ibrahim and Takahashi moved into the gaps between the staff, the patient kicked Takahashi in the chest, sending her flying across the room and onto a prep table, scattering instruments to the floor.
The medical staff flinched at the loud clatter, and the patient took the opportunity to fling himself off the exam table in the direction of Naomi. For a brief moment, she caught a glimpse of the man's face. The man was mutilated, his face covered in countless deep scratches, and his eyes were destroyed so completely as to be unrecognizable as eyes any longer. Before Naomi could even process what she saw, the man dropped to his hands and knees, his face only inches away from Naomi's prosthetic feet.
The man stopped moving altogether when he was in position with his arms splayed. Naomi held her ground, ready to defend herself until the medical staff hurried to grab the patient and pull him back to the table.
