Zone's Lab (Reconstruction)

Artemis
Artemis walked down the hall toward his lab. Everything appeared to be as it should.He wasn't sure why he felt so uneasy. Shaking his head slightly, he told himself that it was because he had let Alfarin walk off with some of his latest toys. Artemis was always concerned about his inventions until they had met his desired level of perfection. He was certain the transmittors on these could be better, and he didn't get the chance to fully test the new coating he had placed on the lenses.

With a sigh, Artemis rounded the corner to his lab. Beside the smokey glass was a sign that read, "Zone's Lab". A gift from Alfarin. With a grin he opened the door and walked in. He was pleased to see his assistant, another 'gift' from Alfarin, was already cleaning the various circuit boards and microchips with a tiny vacuum brush. Considering this was done twice daily, it was unlikely that any dust had had time to accumulate. Aretmis didn't care, everything needed to be just right. Besides, the task kept her busy and out of his way. Now if Alfarin could refrain from visiting, he might get some work done.

Artemis looked fondly around his lab as he prepared to get started. It was a fair sized L-shaped room. The entire room gave the impression of being very sterile. The average visitor was likely to be afraid to breathe much less touch anything. From around the corner, the faint whirring noises of two upright freezers and one small refrigerator. Another glance around the room showed walls lined with counters, cabinets, and shelves. Each of these was filled with various tools, inventions, and unfinished projects. The room did not have windows, however there were two plasma screens that Artemis had fitted with window frames. With a snort he noticed that one has also managed to acquire short black satin drapes. Artemis was afraid of what decoration the other one would develop. Looking to the center of the room, Artemis walked to the long table with a black marble top. The table was surrounded by four backed stools and served as his primary work station. the extra length was necessary because Artemis was known to work on a minimum of four projects at once, moving from one to another as a thought struck him.

Artemis emptied the contents of his pockets onto the table top and then walked across the room. Before him now was a counter where he would lay out the tools he needed. Pulling a clean white cloth from a drawer, he spread it across the counter. Above the counter were shelves holding all of Artemis's tools, each soaking in the appropriate cleaning solution. Artemis carefully laid the tools he would need on the white cloth before heading back to the table. On his way back he stopped by another drawer and pulled out a small tube that contained a pink liquid. Reaching his destination, Artemis set the tube on the table top. Artemis looked down in disgust at the ribbons he had pulled out of his pocket earlier. Proof that on Alfarin's last visit that he Artemis had been the first to fall asleep. A drawer quietly opened behind him. With a wave of his hand, the ribbons flew from the table and into the drawer. The drawer slid quietly shut. Pride told Artemis to trash the ribbons, but he was far too practical they might be useful for something.

Artemis looked down at the other object he had pulled from his pocket. it was Alfarin's pen. Of all the gadgets and toys Artemis had made for the older vampire over the years, it figures that this simple remote control pen would be one of his favorites. It had run out of ink again. Artemis carefully unscrewed the base, and with the precission of a surgeon removed the empty ink cartridge. Taking the tube he had picked up on the way, Artemis inserted it into the now vacant slot. the pen now put back together, Artmis studied it to make sure that everything was sealed tightly.

Alfarinn
Alfarinn squeezed Thaddeus's hand reassuringly as they headed through the large central lobby towards the elevator. He inhaled deeply upon entering the large steel and glass doors. Home. In a sense anyway, Meridian was as much a part of his home as the towers. The air smelled crisp and filtered, dust free, so much the better for the health of the humans working there and all the machinery in the place.

MARI intoned her greetings as soon as he came close to one of the wall screens and Alfarinn smiled. She was very polite and proper here, far different from the tone she occasionally took with him in private.

"Mari, this is Thaddeus."Â? They had reached the elevator doors and MARI's pleasant face filled the screen between them. Alfarinn pressed the up button and waited.

MARI
MARI logged the return of Alfarinn and turned her attention to his companion.

"Greetings Thaddeus. Welcome to Meridian." She turned her head back to Alfarinn and asked. "Will special access be required?"

At Alfarinn's affirmative nod, she looked away and then back again.

"Special Access Granted."

It would allow Alfarinn's guest into the public areas of Evenhet temporarily. There were many working here day in and day out that never acquired such access.

Thaddeus
To say that the Meridian building was 'a lot to take in' understated the facts so completely that Thaddeus was surprised the thought registered at all. Alfarinn seemed comfortable here, which he found interesting. While everything appeared so unfamiliar, all cold metal and glass and white marble, there was admittedly something very grand about the place.

He returned the squeeze to his hand and walked at Alfarinn's side, keeping up with his long strides as he looked around. They approached the elevator doors, and Thaddeus was somewhat surprised, though not as shocked as he probably should have been, to see a woman greeting Alfarinn via a flat electronic screen. There was something...off about her appearance, as though the monitor were flawed in some way, with blue interference running over her features. As they came closer to the elevators, Thaddeus could see it was not the screen at all.

He was not quite sure what to make of that, but as Alfarinn was now introducing him, he fell back on manners for the time being.

"Well met."Â?

Mari and Alfarinn had a brief conversation about access, and Thaddeus raised one eyebrow in surprise at how rapidly that was achieved. It made him wonder how all of this was achieved; the conversation, the access, all without yet coming into contact with another person in the flesh. A fair amount of the conversation had been non verbal, which indicated to Thaddeus they were being watched.

Before he could look more carefully around, though, there was a chime and the elevator doors slid open. He followed Alfarinn inside, looking habitually up at the ceiling before turning to face the doors as they slid closed.

Alfarinn
Alfarinn glanced at the lighted button slowly going up the panel and turned to his companion. Pulling Thaddeus to him, he placed on hand on either side of the Anantya's face, and kissed him gently but thoroughly.

Leaning back, he said.

"You seemed quiet. I thought it might help."

They reached the correct floor all too soon and Alfarinn moved away from his companion before the doors opened. Leading the way down the hall to the lab, Alfarinn eased open the door, making note of where Artemis was in the room and just how delicate the piece of machinery was in his hands. Deciding it would probably be better not to startle Zone too badly lest he crush it, Alfarinn opted for a quiet entrance.

Coming up behind the inventor, he said in a conversational tone.

"Housekeeping."

Thaddeus
Before Thaddeus was even aware of it one gloved hand had found its way to Alfarinn's shoulder, the other flat against the other man's chest, and he was gladly returning the kiss. He blinked, somewhat startled, when the Evenhet pulled away, and he realized they had just been kissing in an elevator.

How scandalous. He added 'doing that again' to a mental list before smiling and raising one eyebrow.

That typically has the effect of rendering me speechless, Alfarinn.

He moved away before the doors could open, and saw that Alfarinn had had the same intentions all along. As they walked down the hallway, though, he found he was no more talkative than before; indeed, he was still trying to register everything.

He hung back as Alfarinn approached the man, presumably Artemis Bellezone, looking around the orderly laboratory with something like approval. He had expected something more...creatively chaotic given Alfarinn's brief descriptions of Zone, but the meticulous organization of the lab gave him the impression of a careful and precise scientist. Most of the objects in the lab were a mystery to him, but the orderly room gave him some confidence that the ring would be well taken care of.

Then he noticed the "windows."Â? He tilted his head, then decided they were amusing. He wondered if he had merely been imagining Alfarinn's apparent concern over meeting the scientist.

Artemis
Artemis supressed a grin when the 'help' announced his arrival. Instinctively, he pulled his long braid around to drape over one shoulder. "You're late. There are two broken vacuums on that shelf over there, and take this damn pen with you." At the last, he tossed the object he had been working on over his shoulder to the other man. With a wave of his hand, he sent his tools back to their place acroos the room and then turned to look at the new arrival.

Artemis raised an eyebrow as he saw that the new arrival was in fact two new arrivals. He decided it was best not to ask who the 'stiff' was. "Where are my cameras? Are they still working? If you have broken another of my inventions..."

CRASH!

Just what Artemis would have done if his cameras were broken never got said. Artemis sighed, his assistant had just discovered who their visitor was. With a small grin he nodded in the girl's direction. "Thanks", he said quietly so that she couldn't hear. Then turning, he gestured to the far wall at the other end of the room and sent a broom and dust pan to her. "Save the pieces Keri, they might be good for something." Giving the girl a reassuring smile, he turned back to Alfarinn. "Now that I am three days behind, what can I do for you?"

Alfarinn
Alfarinn hid a smile as he noticed the long hair disappearing over the man's shoulder. He did grin at the list of work he was asked to do as "housekeeping". Catching the pen as it was tossed into the air, Alfarinn placed it in his pocket.

"Oh great you fixed it!"

Zone did make the best toys and the pen was just one example. Turning to Thaddeus, he gestured by way of introduction. "Thaddeus, I would like you to meet the most intelligent, exceptionally talented, stupendously gifted, extremely appreciated, and completely incorrigible Artemis Bellezone." With a grin, he continued. "and this is Thaddeus Grey of Anantya. I could go on a long list of his amazing qualities but we'd be here all night and he might not forgive me."

Alfarinn turned and smiled at Keri, giving her a quick nod in the way of greeting.

Under his breath, he said.

"You're welcome...and she needed a job." Remembering that he was also threatened, Alfarinn responded to the enquiries. "No, I did not bring the cameras back with me. No, they are not broken and you'll have no need to carry out that 'or else' threat I heard coming. You'd think I went around breaking things on purpose." Alfarinn gave Zone a long suffering sigh for having his reputation so abused. "There was only the one time...or perhaps a few times.. -but- they were all for a good cause.. with perfectly reasonable explanations...except for that once... and you were there that time, as I recall, so just as responsible. Who knew it wouldn't fly high enough..."

Alfarinn trailed all and looked meekly over at Thaddeus. "I am afraid we've been known to get into a spot of trouble now and then."

Thaddeus
Thaddeus reflected with a sense of unease that perhaps they had come at a bad time when the scientist began speaking, tossing what looked like a pen over his shoulder. Alfarinn, however, seemed to think this was an item of some importance, and he made a mental note to ask about it.

He raised his eyebrow at the rather open display of ability, though he reasoned that anyone permitted in the lab would likely have to be trustworthy. Even so, it was somewhat surprising to him.

When Artemis turned to face them, one eyebrow raised and firing off questions, he was only more certain their visit was ill timed. Alfarinn, on the other hand, seemed quite comfortable, so Thaddeus continued to simply watch warily rather than send or speak, though he was tempted to suggest they try again later.

A crash interrupted his line of thought, though Artemis seemed to take the incident in stride, even going so far as to assure the young woman who had caused the racket. Perhaps, then, the scientist was not as ornery about their intrusion as he had first appeared.

Alfarinn introduced him with his usual easy going confidence, and Thaddeus willed himself not to blush in spite of the fact that the Evenhet had been kind enough to exercise restraint. He inclined his chin.

Your reputation precedes you.

The two Evenhet had a somewhat more hushed exchange; Thaddeus continued to keep a polite distance. Alfarinn, however, soon picked up the tone, and he could not help but smile inwardly at its direction. He met his companion's glance and felt the corner of his mouth turn up.

Yes, I hear tell you are quite the trouble maker.

Artemis
Artemis nodded and smiled politely at the other man. the 'stiff' had a name now at least. But Anantya? Artemis had yet to bring Morrigan to his lab. The uneasy feeling he had earlier had come back. Artemis figured that Thadeus could be trusted. Alfarinn knew how sacred the lab was too him, he would not bring just anyone into it. Not even from the members of Evenhet. At the comment regarding his reputation he smiled in spite of himself and said, "Only the good stuff is true."

Artemis laughed as Alfarinn brought that up. "that was a scientific experiment. It did make for a wonderful light show, and a lovely garden has grown up out of the remains. We should do it again but with a bluing agent this time."

Artemis considered the glowing introduction he was given. Perhaps there was more to this Thadeus than there appeared to be at first glance. Or it could be Alfarinn was schmoozing again. Did he have to do that in the lab? With a small shrug and a nod to the other two men, "Excuse me a moment."

Artemis disappeared around the corner and returned with three glasses of wine. After handing a glass to Alfarinn and Thadeus, he nodded indicating the glass in his hand. "One of my favorite inventions. Everchill Crystall. It will stay chill up to six hours longer than ordinary crystall. even in the warm summer weather. The wine is a 200 year old merlot. not the best year, but drinkable." After taking a sip, he turned to Alfarinn, " My intelligence and exceptional talent, not to mention my stupendous gifts that you so extremely appreciate tell me that you want something.

Alfarinn
He smiled knowingly at Thaddeus taking a moment to recall the kiss in the elevator rather clearly before turning his attention back to Artemis.

He nodded sagely and raised his eyebrows. "Oh.. we're calling it an experiment now are we?"

Alfarinn shook his head and sent to Thaddeus.

[Trust me when I say you probably don't want to know.] He sighed inwardly [You see.. there was a discussion about the bad press dandelions receive by being classified as a "weed"...so.. There was this idea to fill a large area with the flowers, the "explosion" was to aid in the dispersal of the seeds.] Alfarinn pondered blue dandelions for a moment. [Just one of the many things we've come up with the spend our intellectual pursuits on, I'm afraid.]

Alfarinn smiled and accepted the wine.

" Zone does make an excellent wine, though I think I make the better meade."

He looked affronted by the implication and said "I would never... and so perhaps I -might- need to ask you a favor but that does not in any way make it less true." Alfarinn grinned and went to lean back against one of the tables which were convenient to his height thanks to them being made for Artemis, checking to make sure there were no objects behind him before propping one hand on it.

Artemis
Artemis checked for the location of his assistant. She was safely around the corner. "You know Keri is going to have to clean that now." Tinking a moment, "Though considering it is you she probably wont. I will have to make sure all major destruction tools are safely locked away before I leave or I will be replacing a counter top tomorrow."

He gave an elaborate sigh and turned to Thadeus. " All of my last five assistants have had one thing in common, an annoying crush on Alfarinn." With a shrug he continued, " I don't understand it myself. The poor things. It has cost me quite a bit in glassware and circuitry though." Artemis turned to his friend, "Remind me to send you a bill."

Gesturing to one of the stools, " you are welcome sit down Thadeus. I am fairly certain there is no need to tell you not to touch anything

Thaddeus
Thaddeus bit the inside of his lip and looked up at the ceiling for just a moment at the mental image of their recent kiss. He supposed turnabout was fair play, though it would be best not to give in to the temptation to escalate their exchange of private moments; while it would be amusing to see who would give themselves away first, they really ought to be serious right now. Fortunately, Alfarinn seemed to have the same opinion, as he launched into an explanation of the two Evenhet's exploits.

It did rather little to clear up the matter completely, but Thaddeus thought it was a nice gesture. He imagined it was one of those situations where you had to be there, which in and of itself indicated the pair were good friends indeed.

He accepted the offered wineglass and sipped politely, taking Alfarinn's word for the wine's excellence. He would be the first to admit that it was all the same to him, having never cultivated a refined taste for wines.

He wondered vaguely if etiquette would dictate that he finish the glass.

At Artemis's clarification of his assistant's behavior, Thaddeus could hardly help but smirk, though he spoke evenly and neutrally.

That comes as no surprise.

[My, but you do have a way with the ladies don't you.]

He took the offered stool, being especially careful not to touch anything as he did.

Your hospitality is appreciated.

He decided that Artemis was an interesting mix; so concerned for the care of his immaculate lab one moment, but nonplused by unexpected turns of events and willing to offer drinks in the perfectly clean space.

He thought it best for Alfarinn to at least bring up their purpose in coming before chiming in with the needed details. He hoped, busy as the scientist seemed to be, their task could be managed tonight; perhaps their luck had run out with the availability of the cameras. In any case, Alfarinn's approached seemed familiar to both Evenhet, and he let him continue.');

Alfarinn
He looked at Artemis and raised an eyebrow.

"Essentially I am one of the ones who foots the bill anyway as I recall, Meridian being the one that funds your projects. Not that the non jamming stapler and its companion projects haven't been appreciated because they have."Â?

Alfarinn smiled at Thaddeus's quiet compliment and hid a pleased blush by finding something interesting on the floor for a moment so that his hair hid his face.

[Yes, well...I'm not sure I understand what all the fuss is about. I would say it is the money and the publicity.] He shrugged inwardly. [She gets rather flustered easily but has a nice technical background.]

He moved to stand behind Thaddeus, laying a hand on the Anantya's shoulder as he spoke.

"Well we need a tracking device placed on a ring. Its a small thing, I doubt it'd take up a lot of your time."

He wasn't sure how much of the details Artemis would want if any so he left him with just the facts to start with. There was no telling when Zone was likely to be in the mood to hear the details or if he would simply rather them get straight to the point so he could get back to work.

"If you don't mind."Alfarinn smiled sweetly.

Thaddeus
Thaddeus might have interjected his own opinion on why women seemed to notice Alfarinn, but he had managed to shock -himself- with the first comment to pop in his head and thought better of sharing lest he unnerve his companion. Instead, he kept his neutral tone.

[If you say so. I have other theories.]

Though he had to admit, Alfarinn did wear his jeans well.

He smiled at the touch to his shoulder. Although they had discussed being open with their relationship, Thaddeus was uncertain of just how much Alfarinn would want to reveal to a friend at this point. It was good to know that his companion seemed to feel comfortable.

Taking Alfarinn's mentioning of the ring as his cue, he pulled the small bag from his suit pocket and held it up between gloved fingers for Artemis to see. He was somewhat reassured by the observation that Artemis seemed committed to taking good care of the things he worked with, though he had mixed feelings on altering the ring in any way. Still, this could prove critical to accomplishing their mission, and he would not compromise that even though he felt his concerns in this case were somewhat valid. They had no idea what a change to the ring might do to its innate powers, and while Thaddeus was not currently using the ring for that purpose, he still believed he might in the future if possible.

Alfarinn's comment about how 'he' funded the research did not sit well with Artemis. The flippant and disrespectfull manner in which Alfarinn flaunted his leadership role did Artemis and others a disservice. It was moments like this that he was tempted to leave Alfarinn to make and repair his own damn toys. "Hmm," was all he said as he turned his back on Alfarinn.

Artemis had teased about the breakage that alfarinn was both directly and indirectly responsible. Alfarinn may have in turn be equally joking. However it seemed an inappropriate jest. Artemis finished his wine before he finally spoke, "I believe there are many who would disagree with how much of the bill you 'foot' The wealth of Merridian comes from the hard work of all, and they shouldn't be taken for granted. Afterall, where would Arin Bjorn be without the people of Merridian."

Artemis turrned around. That Alfarinn had pulled rank was bad enough, however it was the other underlying implication of the comment that disturbed him the most. "It is friendship not money that ties me to Evenhet. I could do quite well in the private sector. And lets not forget that my 'familial' ties are with Anantya." At this moment, Artemis finally noticed the ring being held out for his inspection. Glancing at it but not taking it, he said, "It can be done."')

Thaddeus
Thaddeus crinkled his brow in concern and slipped the ring back into his pocket discreetly. What he had taken for banter between friends now seemed to be something else entirely; the situation had rather quickly become awkward, and he wondered if they should have attempted to go another route, one not mixed up in politics. He had thought this was a case of a friend asking a friend for a favor, but it seemed there were more complicated issues at stake. It was good to know that Artemis thought their goal could be accomplished, but the question of the Evenhet's willingness to do so appeared to be up in the air.

He would have suggested leaving and coming back at a better time, when perhaps some of the current tension had faded, but this was, unfortunately, too important to keep waiting. Thaddeus found himself wishing that at least one thing in all of this could be simple; it seemed their previous luck with Artemis had run rather dry. He wondered if perhaps the scientist felt less then appreciated for his contributions in their mission, though in reality he could not say for certain what had brought on the change in climate. He considered saying something placating, but as he was unsure of what that might be and had no wish to fan the flames, he kept quiet. He reflected that he should probably feel more frustrated than he did, considering a psychotic vampire was out to kill him while they engaged in delicate negotiations, but the irritation did not come. Instead, he just felt sympathetic for Alfarinn; he imagined some of Artemis's comments had hit below the belt.

[I had no wish to cause a breech between friends.]

Alfarinn
Alfarinn looked up and focused his attention on Artemis from where he had been looking down at Thaddeus. He paused to consider what was said and replied quietly.

"Artemis, I didn't mean it that way. I said one of the people.. and you're most certainly one of those people also. If I were left to my own devices I'd be drunk in a boat somewhere. I'm perfectly aware that you'd do just fine on your own."

He looked at Zone and frowned in distaste at the role his words brought to mind. "And Arin Björn wouldn't exist. That role isn't me. Sometimes I think he'd be better off not existing but I'm told its useful." He shrugged and toyed with his glass. "I didn't happen upon supreme intellect as a skill to keep me in good stead so I have to make do with being a "pretty face" though I'm personally doubtful on that issue also."

Alfarinn's job for Evenhet was to be the playboy and information gatherer for Megan. He played the young vampire as far as most people were concerned and as far as the humans of Meridian go, he played Megan's younger brother. Alfarinn wasn't fond of his job as Arin because he always felt like his true self was slipping away. Eventually he'd just -be- Arin and Alfarinn would be lost. Zone was one of the few people that helped keep him sane as Alfarinn, who knew him for who he was because they had been around each other for so long. Their time spent playing pranks probably seemed juvenile to most people but it helped them both cope with the seriousness of their lives.

His comment was perhaps ill placed but he never meant it the way it was taken. Alfarinn supposed he was distracted and therefore less thoughtful than usual. Which sometimes he felt wasn't thoughtful at all, as he told Thaddeus once before even empaths can screw up relationships. Alfarinn thought darkly that it was quite possible that they screwed them up more than normal people.

It was pointless to argue that he never thought it was anything other than friendship that brought Artemis to Evenhet or that the clan was made from Anantya to start with. He wouldn't know what it was like to have a creator that was still around or still important to him so perhaps it -was- easier for Alfarinn to leave.. for him to walk with the little bit of family he had. When he looked at the ideals of Evenhet he never regretted their necessary separation from Anantya though there were people from Anantya that he missed. It wasn't the same for Zone and Alfarinn would be the first to agree that he didn't have a clue how hard a choice it was to make.

He reached a hand and placed it on Zone's arm. "I apologize. It was thoughtless of me."

Leaning back, Alfarinn set down his glass and placed both his hands on Thaddeus's shoulders, squeezing them slightly in hopes of reassuring him as well. His words had made Artemis angry and that was bad enough but this was already an uncomfortable situation for Thaddeus and he had just made it worse. Alfarinn idly wondered whether anyone would notice if he crawled under the table for a few hours but decided that probably wouldn't be productive.

[No, you've done nothing wrong. It is my fault.]

Artemis
It was known that Merridian had two leaders, one of whom was Alfarinn. It was also known that Evenhet had two leaders, one of whom was Alfarinn. Artemis knew the conclusion he had drawn from the statement had been a logical one.

As Alfarinn moved away from him, Artemis crossed his arms in front of him. Whether Alfarinn had meant the statement the way he had said or if Artemis's own conclusion was more accurate, he didn't know. Either way, he believed the apology was sincere, and that was enough. He watched one of the 'windows'. The satellite feed on this one was permanantly set to the Amalfi coast, to home. Since the murder of his wife, he was always a little raw when it came to situations likes this.

Artemis watched the movements of the sea for another moment before turning his attention to the other two men. He watched the scene between them with interest. Perhaps there was more to this Thadeus. Artemis would give that matter some thought later. "When do you want it?"

Not waiting for an answer, he tapped the counter indicating that the ring should be placed there. Artemis then walked to where his tools were waiting and began his normal ritual that began every project. After carefully picking up each tool from the white cloth and placing it into a cleaning solution, he placed the used cloth in the waiting hamper hidden in the cabinet below. Artemis reached into the drawer and pulled out a fresh white cloth and laid it gentley on the counter. "What range are you looking for? Local or Global?

Thaddeus
Thaddeus reached up and placed his gloved hand over Alfarinn's. An acceptance to the apology did not appear to be forthcoming, though more than likely he simply did not yet understand the two friend's interactions. It bothered him on some level to hear the typically confident Evenhet judge himself so harshly, and he was tempted to argue the matter when Artemis turned his attention back to them.

At Artemis's gesture, he raised one eyebrow and removed the ring from his pocket, placing it on the counter as indicated. It seemed Artemis was willing to fulfill the request in spite of the tension between the two friends, which he was grateful for. He was not certain if matters between the two Evenhet were healed, and he believed the hope of a good first impression had flown out the faux window, but at the very least they could complete their task.

[You are a great deal more than a 'pretty face,' and I hope you know the truth of that, just as you know the truth of your intentions.]

He was not entirely sure of what he could say to make the situation better; interfering in a friendship was not something he was comfortable doing. Manners he had, but a diplomat he was not. He decided it was best to move forward, as he likely did not understand the full picture in any case and any attempts to heal the breach would likely backfire. Instead, he answered Artemis's question.

As soon as possible. I realize the notice is slim; I hope it is not too much of an imposition. Our need is, unfortunately, of an immediate nature.

He watched with interest as Artemis meticulously prepared his tools, and continued quietly.

Your efforts in this are greatly appreciated.

He frowned at the scientist's next question, but reasoned that if The Wolf wanted to travel out of town he would need to be followed by more than a tracking device. He did, however, look to Alfarinn to confirm the choice.

Local should suit our purposes.

He hesitated, not wanting to offend Artemis with regard to his work, but feeling the need to clarify.

Is it at all possible for the tracking device to be placed, and later removed, without permanently altering the ring?

Artemis
Artemis listened as Thadeus answered his questions. Nodding, Artemis began to set out the appropriate tools. He could of course use his abilities for this too, however it seemed more precise to do it by hand. There was something reassuring and comforting in that.

Out of habit, Atemis tossed his braid behind him as he looked of his shoulder at the last question. Again thinking beter of it, he pulled it to the front as he spoke, "Not alter the ring? But I sign all of my work." A small smile crossed his lips until it occured to him that perhaps only Alfarinn would understand his sense of humor. In a more serious tone, " If you can put it in without damaging the ring, you can take it out as well. You will be able to determine the answer to your question once we have begun."

With his tools laid out in just the right place for each, Artemis made a mental note of the other items he would need. Pausing briefly to say, "Excuse me a moment," he went around the corner to get the items on his list.

Alfarinn
Alfarinn smiled faintly down at Thaddeus, comforted by his thoughts, though he wasn't terribly sure they were accurate, at least his companion believed them.

[I'm glad you think so.]

Listening to Thaddeus answer the questions, he nodded that local coverage would be fine for their purposes. He snorted at Artemis's comments about signing his work and reached for his wine.

"Yes, I believe that has gotten us in trouble once or twice also." Squeezing his companion's shoulder, he added. "If anyone can do this without harming the ring, it would be Zone. We should probably just be glad its yours and not mine or it would likely also have a flashing pink LED attached to it."

Downing the remaining contents of his glass, he waited until Artemis was around the corner, setting his glass back down, he picked up a paper towel and carefully picked up several tools and put them back down in a different order.

Throwing away the towel, he picked up his glass and returned to stand behind Thaddeus.

[Don't worry. If I didn't play at least one prank on him while I was here, he would likely think something was wrong. Wouldn't want him to get the impression I was abducted by aliens and therefore not myself. ]

He schooled his expression to calm innocence before Artemis returned.

Thaddeus
Thaddeus wondered vaguely what an 'LED' was and decided it did not sound like anything good. In any case, he had both men's assurances that the ring would not be damaged, which was enough of a relief that he did not trouble over the pair's inside jokes overly long.

He watched Alfarinn drain his wine as Artemis left the room, sparing a glance to his mostly full drink and wondering if he could get away with trading glasses.

[I think you two are rubbing off on me.]

He raised his eyebrow at Alfarinn's rearrangements, somewhat concerned about pressing their luck. His companion, however, seemed to think this behavior was perfectly acceptable, and Thaddeus concluded that he would likely never understand those two Evenhet when put in the same room.

[If you are certain...] He smirked at the alien abduction comment. [Alien abduction? And here I thought I was a good influence.]

Following Alfarinn's lead, he did his best to keep a serious expression when Artemis returned. It was not difficult; in spite of his companion's assurances, he -was- somewhat concerned.

Artemis
Artemis returned from around the corner. in his hands were a small glass case, a couple of cords, and what appeared to be a thin flat box. Walking to the opposite side of the table from where he normally preferred to work, he began to set the items carefully on the blak marble so that the two men would be able to see what he was doing. This Thadeus fellow was likely to faint otherwise. Artemis got another white cloth from the drawer and placed it on the table in front of him. After adjusting it a few times to make sure it was in exactly the right spot, he reached across the table to get the ring and gentley place it in the center of the cloth. Next, he began to arrange the other items to optimize his workstation. the glass dish, which contained the tracking device, was placed at the top left corner of the cloth. The slender black box was plaed to the right and perpindicular to the cloth. The cords had their place above and perpindicular to the box. After surveying the area, Artemis decided he was ready to work.

First Artemis decided, he would need to remove the gem. Without looking, Artemis reached with his mind for the tool he wanted. Holding up a hand, he caught an entirely different tool. " Thadeus! Honestly, I thought this project was important to you. Letting Alfarinn mess with my tools like that." To hide his smile and the twinkle in his eyes, Artemis turned to arrange his tools. AGAIN. As he did so, the cabinet door located behind Alfarinn's head swung open. Not looking up or turning, Artemis proceeded to wipe down each tool before he placed them, just in case the were contaminated.

Taking the item he had initially wanted, Artemis returned to the table and began the carefull process of removing the stone.

Alfarinn
Alfarinn chuckled at Zone's statement to Thaddeus and watched the inventor set to work rearranging the tools.

"Always blaming me. How do you know he didn't do it? Thaddeus could be quite the prankster you know." He looked down at his companion with a smile. There was of course no chance that Artemis would believe him.

It was about that time that the cabinet door swung open and hit him in the back of the head. Ducking lest it do so again, Alfarinn turned and closed it back, before looking at Zone with narrowed eyes, trying his best to look affronted.

"Oww!" He rubbed his head, grinning. "You should fix those. Imagine that..a premiere inventor with Cabinet doors that don't stay closed." Alfarinn kept an eye out for the door in question to open again, though he knew Artemis could use anything in the room should he decide to.

Artemis
Artemis looked up and grinned. As Alfarinn was eyeing the offending cabinet, the one located at his knees began to open. " Perhaps this premier inventor has discovered the uses of putting AI into everyday objects. It worked so well in my new vacuum cleaner, and we know how much AI systems adore you." There was of course no AI in the cabinet, but Artemis was certain that Alfarinn wouldn't put it past him.

Artemis finished removing the stone, and placed it at the top center edge of the cloth. He couldn't believe he had forgotten something. Alfarinn through him completely off today. With a sigh, " Kerri can you bring me..." Artemis's voice trailed off as he thought about what he was asking and to him he was speaking, "Never mind Kerri I can get it." He looked over at Alfarinn and Thadeus, " I need to get one of my smaller glass containers...for the stone. We don't want to risk losing it." Artemis gave Thadeus a quick glance to see if he would pale at the comment, before heading to the back of the room to get what he needed. Halfway there he stopped and said, "Don't touch anything."Â?

Thaddeus
Thaddeus looked to Alfarinn with a pained expression at Artemis's statement, but picked up on the lightness at his companion's response. He returned the smile with a raised eyebrow.

I doubt Artemis is fooled. Though perhaps spending my time with a known troublemaker is an ideal cover for my own mischief.

[Particularly on a certain man who sleeps in my bed.]

He smirked a little at Alfarinn's comeuppance, though he tenderly touched the injured spot with his fingertips and did his best to look properly sympathetic. He imagined Alfarinn would even up the score soon enough.

After that point the conversation went a bit over his head, and in any case Artemis had begun his work. Thaddeus decided that it was likely a good thing he had not switched glasses with Alfarinn after all. While he believed it probably was not a good idea to partake too heavily, swirling the wine around in his glass gave him something interesting to look at rather than the removal of the gem from the ring. He listened to the two friend's banter, resolving to ask Alfarinn more about 'AI' later; he was reasonably certain, in any case, the cabinets were behaving exactly as Artemis wished them to.

He kept telling himself it was worth it, even if such tampering ended up affecting the ring. Even so, he did not particularly want to watch, interesting as Artemis's work was. It was some comfort to know that however much the two Evenhet joked, the scientist was quite serious when it came to his craft; there was no doubt in Thaddeus's mind that they had come to the best, and Artemis was only doing what he must.

He did, however, look up at Artemis's next words, uncertain. There was little he could say at that point that would not sound rudely questioning, so he chose to wait and see what the inventor was up to. He had, after all, been assured that he would come to understand soon enough. Even so, he bit his lower lip before realizing that Artemis was currently looking his way.

He did, however, manage a grin at Artemis's quite clear orders, and once the scientist was out of view, took Alfarinn's hand in his, squeezing lightly.

[I shall just hold on to this for the moment then.]

He smiled then and released his companion's hand, not wanting to make either Alfarinn or Artemis uncomfortable, though the contact relaxed him somewhat. He could come to terms with losing the ring all together if that is what it came down to, and seeing the ring in two pieces, while a depressing sight, also steeled his resolve to ensure this mission did not fail now.

Alfarinn
Alfarinn smiled at Thaddeus and agreed.

[No I don't think he's fooled in the slightest and you could get into a lot of trouble in bed...]

He was quite happy with the images that brought to mind and the added fingers light touch on the 'injured' area. Alfarinn was of course distracted by these pleasant things when the second cabinet door hit him in the knee.

"Ouch! You are asking for it. Yes, MARI has a lovely sense of humor but she's never hit me with the elevator doors and any other item in the building." Looking upwards in order to speak to MARI. "And don't get any bright ideas either!"

He went back to watching Artemis work and felt his companion's unease and resolve mix together. Looking down at the hand in his, he smiled.

[That might keep me out of trouble as well.]

When Thaddeus released his hold, Alfarinn came around to stand beside him and wrapped his arm around his companion's shoulders.

[Don't let go... I might be tempted again.]

[ It will be ok. I do recall mention that the enchantment is in the metal of the ring, not in the two pieces joined so this should not affect the magic of it. I know you'd do it at any rate but perhaps that would ease your mind. We'll get it back and it will be made good as new. ]

He hugged Thaddeus with the arm around his shoulders in hopes of offering him some measure of comfort. Alfarinn also reflected that this position did offer the advantage of allowing him to be closer to Thaddeus while at the same time put him further away from the cabinet doors.

Artemis
Artemis came back with a small glass jar in one hand. With the other hand, he caught the pair of pliers the floated towards him. Returning to the table, he set the pliers down. Artemis had looked up to show the two men the jar and what he needed it for, but Alfarinn's change in position caught his attention. with a smirk he said, "Thaddeus slayer of cabinets?"

Still amused, Artemis removed the lid to the jar and placed the stone inside. Placing the lid backon, he said to Thaddeus, " I may keep my lab uncluttered but I still do not want to risk losing something so small." Artemis shook his head slightly, he still could not believe he had forgotten to get it the first time.

Now that the stone was secure and the jar placed at the center of the top edge of the cloth, Artemis could focus his attention on the ring. He picked up the setting with the pair of pliers and examined it closely. He gathered from the other two that as little change as possible was to be done to the ring. Which meant that excessive cleaning was probably out of the question. Still, after inspecting the inset of the setting, a bit of gentle cleaning would be needed so that the mild adhesive would have something to adhere to.

Artemis again looked up at the other two. He resisted the urge to wave the ring around and watch Thaddeus turn many shades of pale. Instead he held it firmly in the pliers, "So what is so special about the ring? Alfarinn you should know I have a case full of 'modified' jewllery. You could have easily taken your pick.

Thaddeus
Thaddeus raised his eyebrow when Alfarinn looked to the ceiling as though invoking a diety, both amused at the banter and concerned when he realized that they were still most likely being watched, or at least listened to. The two Evenhet seemed quite comfortable with the idea of some sort of AI overseer witnessing their every action, and he wondered exactly how one got used to that idea. He supposed making jokes over a glass of wine was probably helpful with that; keeping the tone light even when handling serious matters was good for many things, and Thaddeus could not help but be impressed by the ease with which the two friends managed it.

Even so, caution seemed wise...

He covered Alfarinn's hand with his own anyway.

[Thank you...that does ease my mind, though that feels like the last thing I should be concerning myself with.]

He lifted his chin and put on a mock serious expression at Artemis's comment.

A -mighty- slayer of cabinets, thank you.

He nodded in acknowledgement of Artemis's precautions.

I appreciate your care.

He watched the scientist as he examined the ring carefully, then considered how to reply to his query. While he did not think candor was misplaced here, he thought it best to keep their story simple; too much information was both unnecessary and potentially unsafe for Artemis.

The ring belonged to my Maker. Others have taken a malicious interest in it, and we intend to exploit that.');

Alfarinn
He smiled at Thaddeus pleased to have the gloved hand back in his own. There was hope that this would all be over soon. The Wolf would contact Simon and then lead them to the second man involved. They could get on with their lives and their plans. The idea of moving into a larger place with the Anantya next to him was enough to make him smile despite the things going on at the present.

[ Nonsense, at this particular time it is a valid concern and I think it is noble of you to risk the ring in order to do this in more safety for all involved.]

Alfarinn laughed and agreed with the statement, hugging Thaddeus again.

"Yes, he's my hero. I'm quite certain he can protect me from your evil cabinets."

He watched Zone continue to work on the ring and snorted at his mention of the jewelry collection. "This is probably true, no doubt many of them quite useful...but what would you give you dear friend Alfarinn? It'd probably leak ink all over people's hands or stain mine blue or... I can think of a number of things....Hmmm, those might have some merit for someone -else- We should do that sometime.

Artemis
Artemis nodded to Thaddeus's response. That would certainly explain Thaddeus....to some degree. Artemis had to admit that Thaddeus was growing on him. He made an excellent straight man. Every comedy team needed one and neither he nor Alfarinn were the greatest at it. Thaddeus seemed to take the gests well. This was probably a good thing because from all appearances it looked as if he would become a more permanant part of the deccor, Alfarinn's at any rate.

Artemis reached for the bottle of cleaning solution that was now coming towards him. Next, with the same ease, he caught the small jar of q-tips. He smiled at the jar as he set it down, they were one of the best multi-tasking tools he had. Not just for cleaning.

Artemis looked up at Alfarinn and grinned at his comment. Alfarinn probably didn't know for sure that such trinkets existed in Artemis's collection. There was no point in denying it though, they did exist and Artemis was far too honest to lie about. Besides, one way or another Alfarinn would have learned about them anyway. " I have a special one set aside for you, want to try it? I was playing with my new biocoder technology. The ring only activates when you wear. I have been waiting for the right moment to 'test' it." Artemis put on his best 'innocent' but was certain that the empathy would know it wasn't sincere. " Really it is no trouble to get it if you are interested."

Chuckling softly, Artemis looked back to the ring. The inset would need cleaning, there was no way around it. He carefully set the ring down and picked up the jar of q-tips that had been placed on center portion of the left edge of cloth. Removing a q-tip, he replaced the jar and picked up the cleaning solution (it was located to the left of the q-tips). After putting some of the solution on the end of the q-tip, he replaced the bottle and looked to Thaddeus, " Don't worry, it and the adhesive are odorless, they will go unnoticed.

Thaddeus
[Necessity, I would say. Not nobility. I am...not certain of what Emma would make of the ring being used in this way, but I cannot help but feel it does her memory a disservice.

However, we do what we must, and I believe Emma would have understood.]

Thaddeus was not certain if he had explained his feelings on the matter clearly. He supposed it simply felt...rude...to use a ring belonging to his elegant Maker as bait, even to avenge her, but the concept was difficult to convey. At some point this had become more gritty and real than the confines of nobility allowed for, and while Thaddeus was more than willing to get dirty in the course of their mission, he could not quite forget the contrast.

He raised one eyebrow at Artemis's confirmation of Alfarinn's suspicions, though he had to admit he was curious.

[I am beginning to feel I need some sort of manual to keep up with you two. Bicoder technology? AI? I really -have- fallen behind the times.]

He was not certain of when that had happened, but he was beginning to feel he had allowed the world to pass him by. He felt rather out of his depth in this place, and the feeling was both fascinating and unnerving.

He nodded his head at Artemis's assurances and spoke apologetically.

Thank you. I imagine it wants for cleaning. The ring has...seen a great deal.

Thaddeus wondered what senses would be left when this was over. Assuming he ever got it back...would he be able to bring himself to wear it? What would he relive when he slipped it on his finger? There was one memory tied to that ring that he did not in all sincerity want to lose, but darkness and blood overshadowed it.

He decided to deal with that choice when the time came. At the moment, he could not assume he would recover the ring at all, and it was better to think in terms of their mission than to try to weigh options he very well may not have. He gave Alfarinn's hand a light squeeze and chose instead to think of better things.

Alfarinn
Alfarinn eyed Zone with suspicion. There was something fishy about the whole thing but then they were generally also useful....take the good with the bad, he supposed.

"Oh alright, I'll play lab rat. What have you got for me to try?"

"And what's it going to do to me...?"

Alfarinn looked down at Thaddeus and stopped himself from shaking his head in disbelief.

[You are quite stubborn, you know.] He didn't elaborate on that thought but continued with another. [ I am sure that Emma would rather see you safe than the ring and I have a hard time believing that she would begrudge its use in such an endeavor if it helped keep other people safe. This is helping Simon as well, and potentially the both of us. Who knows where we'd be if we were still trying to find this man by going to a nightclub and looking through windows. I have no doubt we would have found something of use eventually but each day we didn't find him was one more chance that he found us first.]

Hugging Thaddeus, he once more looked up to watch Artemis work.

[Well in all fairness, Evenhet, especially the one in front of you, tends to be ahead of the times. Mari, is the computer, she is an artifical intelligence wired into the buildings and most things in the tower are run by her. She has quite the sense of humor and plays a mean game of chess.]

[As far as the biocoder technology goes, Artemis would be able to explain it better. Simply put, I put on this ring and its likely to zap me, fry my hair or any of a number things Zone might have thought up but if someone else were wearing it, nothing would happen. He's gotten into personalized pranks now.] Alfarinn sighed inwardly though he normally found the pranks plenty amusing.

He returned the light squeeze on his hand, feeling there was not much he could say. That it would be alright was something he couldn't truly know, Alfarinn could only hope.

[ Whatever happens, I'm right beside you. It might not be much but its something at least.] Alfarinn grinned down at his companion. [That was intended to be a comfort...it could possibly be an annoyance. You tell me.]

Artemis
Artemis grinned, Alfarinn's visit might be useful afterall, despite the broken glassware. "Just a moment," he said without looking up from his task. As eager as he was to test his new technology, he did not like to leave a task unfinished. He had set out to clean the inset of the ring, so he would finish that first. Artemis touched the moistened tip to the metal. With smooth even strokes, he began to wipe away the grime that had built up. Artemis made a point of only wiping in one direction. There would be not point in making extra work for himself by pushing some of the dirt back where it had been. He placed the used q-tip at the top right corner of the cloth. Artemis moistened another q-tip and finished cleaning the area. As strong as his cleaning solution was, he had to make a second pass.

Artemis set the ring down to dry. He then walked around the table to the cabinets along the wall. Two down from the ones that had come to his aid earlier was where he found what he was looking for. Artemis opened both cabinet doors to this section. Inside was another door. on the front of this door was a key pad, what looked like a handprint, and half of a disected glass ball that appeared to have a red glowing center. Artemis rapidly keyed a few numbers on the keypad. Next he placed his hand on the adjacent pad, and waited for the scan to finish. Lastly, he leaned in and allowed his eye to be scanned. There was a distinct pop-click as the door unlocked. Artemis opened the door and pulled out a rosewood box. In the center, was an antiqued brass dome surrounded by an outer ring. The indention in the center of the dome itself was in the shape of a hand. Artemis turned slightly and showed the box to Thaddeus, obviously proud of his invention, " I got the idea for this box from watching human television." Artemis returned his attention to the box. Placing his hand in the center, he turned it slightly. The dome moved with his hand and the was a faint clicking sound as if something were locking into place. He turned the lock two more clicks clockwise and five clicks counter-clockwise. A pop sound could be heard as the box unlocked and opened. Anyone who knew Artemis would suspect that there was more going on with that locking mechanism than appeared on the surface. They would be right.

Artemis opened the box the rest of the way and pulled out a small velvet bag. after closing the box, he replaced it in the safe. Once the safe was again securely locked and he cabinet closed, He again directed his comments to Thaddeus, as he indicated the safe. " This is one of the places I keep the more important items. Not even Alfarinn has access to that safe." A wry grin crossed his face, " He especially should not be allowed access to projects that haven't been tested."

Artemis looked down at the bag in his hand. Written accross the top was Alfarinn's name in Greek. He pulled out the ring. It was a simple ring made of white gold. However, instead of being a simple band, the top of the ring twisted into a nordic rune of some significance to Alfarinn. Artemis really couldn't remember what it meant as he had been quite drunk by the time he had gotten the translation. " What does it do? Well, I was rather drunk that night so I can't be certain. Though it is obvious that you passed out first that time, otherwise I would not have been able to get your bio-readings." Artemis handed Alfarinn the ring. Still looking thoughtful, he walked back around to where he had been working. " I'm joking. I placed one of those vibration chips in it. You know the ones that only vibrate a small radius and thus feel really odd." Artemis began to laugh at a thought that occured to him. " I wonder what happened to that conference room chair that we had hidden the prototype in.

Thaddeus
[Yes. I am stubborn, but I did not mean to be...belligerent. I understand the reasoning as well as you do. You do not have to convince me of the importance of this; it isn't as though I don't have every intention of following through. I was merely observing...thinking about things that lead nowhere is one of my faults.]

Thaddeus leaned into Alfarinn's embrace, sighing softly. Really, the point was somewhat moot; what mattered now were choices, actions, not academics. It was, for him, somewhat easier to fall into a discussion of semantics than it was to face facts at times, which was likely why he had felt compelled to debate the point of nobility versus necessity in the first place.

Fortunately, he was kept from brooding further over the matter by Alfarinn's explanations. Even not having anything to compare it to, he could see that Mari was an impressive creation, and that Artemis was keeping quite on the cutting edge.

[Interesting, I shall have to remember that when we finally get around to our own chess match. And Mari sees...everything in the tower? As for Artemis's ring...I must say, you two seem to go to great lengths for each other; I hope you have something equally mischievous planned in return.]

He smirked up at Alfarinn, but his companion's next words gave him pause.

[You really have no idea how much I need you here with me? Of course your presence is a comfort.]

Artemis's movements brought him back to their current situation, and he watched in fascination as the Evenhet operated the safe. He spoke with an awed tone of voice.

A brilliant creation, to be sure.

[At some point I simply -must- see about getting one of those.]

Artemis's mention of their inebriation earned a raised eyebrow. It was...interesting to Thaddeus that in spite of knowing the sorts of mischief the two Evenhet could get up to, both trusted each other enough to get, apparently, quite thoroughly plastered in each other's company.

He reflected that he had, in fact, rather put himself in Alfarinn's hands for a time not too long ago. It was not something he intended to make a habit of, as evidenced by the still mostly full wineglass in his hand, but it was, once again, an interesting observation.

He leaned over to look at the ring in Alfarinn's hand, resting his chin on his companion's shoulder. That Artemis had bothered to make the clearly purposeful ring attractive as well as function only spoke more to the scientist's care with his work, though he wondered exactly what would happen should Alfarinn actually decide to chance trying it on. Feeling "really odd"Â? covered a wide range of effects in his mind.

Your attention to detail shows. What does the rune mean?

Alfarinn
Alfarinn pondered Thaddeus a moment and decided there was no point in arguing or explaining what he meant. That choosing this course because it would help others was the nobility, giving up something so important to him. It wasn't a necessity in Alfarinn's mind, they could have continued trying to find another way. He would have understood and abided by Thaddeus's wishes, wouldn't even had faulted him for not wanting to risk the ring. He did feel it was necessary to speak up on part of his companion's statements though.

[I never doubted that you wouldn't go through with it, Thaddeus.] He thought quietly [You have a great deal of courage as well as sense of responsibility.]

He smiled at the next thoughts. [Yes, I will have to think of something suitable in return.]

The smile became more tender and Alfarinn tilted his head to let the curtain of his hair hide the blush.
[ Well, I could certainly hope.] He wasn't entirely sure Thaddeus needed him, there was a great deal of strength in his companion but he was glad Thaddeus found him a comfort.

Alfarinn watched Artemis open the door and the box.

"Yes, no doubt its been Alfarinn proofed I wouldn't want to come any where near it for fear of what it might do when I did."

[I'm sure he could be convinced to make something for you.]

Alfarinn looked at the rune in his hand and then looked up at Artemis.

"I must have been really drunk." He laughed quietly and moved it closer for Thaddeus to see. "An old wise woman gave it to me right after... Ida died. She said it would help and pressed it on me, wouldn't leave me be until I took it." Alfarinn traced the lines of it. "When I had looked at it I saw the runes for ice and its cool distance and the runes for protection, I thought she was on to something there.. so I wore it for a long time."

One finger traced along the bottom of the rune and he chuckled again.

"I should have paid more attention. This rune here is for passion and an opening or opportunity and this is for courage and overcoming adversity. I never took a good look I suppose. "

Alfarinn put the ring on his finger and rubbed it vigorously. Giving Artemis a sour look at the funny feeling. "Is there a way to turn it off? Or do I wait until the finger goes numb?

Artemis
Artemis gave an exasperated sigh. " It didn't occur to you to take the ring off did it?" Grinning, he walked over to his friend and removed the ring. Artemis then went through the process of opening the safe, and then the box, all over again. Once the ring and box were safely put away, he secured the safe and then turned to Alfarinn and Thaddeus. " I am glad you like my creations Thaddeus. The ring and the safe are surprisingly enough related in a way." Artemis paused long enough to close the cabinet doors and return to his work area.

After checking to see if the disected ring was dry, he continued. " We were not really testing to see if the biocoder technoloy itself worked. Not in a broad sense anyway. The safe contains the same technology but on a larger scale. It also contains a couple of precursers to it as well. the real test here was the size. I needed to know if I could get the smaller versions to work. The ring seemed like the perfect test."

Artemis considered Thaddeus for a moment, and then decided that more of an explanation might be required. " The body has many factors that make it unique to the individual. The humans have already learned about fingerprints. The problem with fingerprints is that they are easily faked and masked. There are other factors that are not so easy to fake. For example, Alfarinn's body temperature is unique to him. This technology can read that along with the other factors and come up with an identification code for Alfarinn that is near impossible to mimic."

To continue his explanation, Artemis waved his hand in the direction on the safe. " The same technology was used in the safe, except using my biomatrix." Artemis grinned wickedly, " Thus making it quite Alfarinn proof."

Turning his attention to Alfarin, he continued, " The answer to your question about wha would happen to you if you tried to tamper with my safe is also related to the true purpose of the ring." He paused a moment to let them grasp all of the information he gave them. Artemis didn't know why exactly, but he suspected it might be useful in the future. " The dome on the safe actually has the capability to emit two different types of beams. The first