Phoebe looks at her machine inquisitively. Searching through the ports, the human-oriented dimensions, the wires and pipes flowing throughout it.

"You know how some people just... never awaken? Despite having the genetic markers, the potential?" Phoebe's voice carries personal frustration. "It's a letdown letting talent go to waste because of biological lottery tickets."

Phoebe caressed the machine, tracing the paths of her wiring, eventually having her hand trail behind a padded area, where a head would lie. Aris watched in wonder, trying to figure out its workings himself. "The war brought about the emergence of Omega and its applications to humans, but its success has always been a thing of chance. Some say that using it in such a way is against God's will, modifying his perfect image with failures and successes being declared as divine decrees by some religious figureheads." Catching herself drifting into a tangent, she fixes her posture before resuming. "Attempts were made to make them more predictable, but they were too crude and rushed. I'm... refining their approach."

As Phoebe speaks, Elise's headache sharpens. Elise tries to keep her expression placid, but can't help but step back unconsciously, her hand drifting to her temple, her guts churn, and blood runs cold with anger simmering in her chest. The machine seems to pulse in rhythm with her supernatural experiences.

"Forced awakening?" Elise's voice comes out tighter than intended. "What happens if someone doesn't want to be awakened?"

Phoebe scoffs, "Who wouldn't? Prolonged life, enhanced bodily strength, enhanced regeneration, enhanced everything, there isn't a single downside! I'm giving people access to their birthright; they are entitled to its privileges, everyone should have the opportunity to participate in this frontier."

As Phoebe explains the machine, Aris steps closer, his exhaustion from class forgotten. "So you could give someone abilities they weren't born with?" His voice drops to a whisper. 

His fingers hover inches from the machine's surface, not quite touching but clearly wanting to. The same boy who felt powerless in White's lecture hall is now imagining himself... capable. "What would that feel like? The awakening process? Has anyone... volunteered to test it?"

"I wish I could tell you," Phoebe says, reminiscing with mixed emotions. "But I was much too young to understand it, and since then it has been ever present, my normal. I don't know what it's like to be without it."

Phobe's voice rises, awakened from her reminiscing, "And your phrasing is interesting, 'giving abilities'. The primary goal was to awaken what's already there, but being able to transfer abilities, choose their abilities." She pauses as possibilities dawn on her. "The implications... This democratises Omega down to the individual level!" Phoebe's voice rose in grandeur.

"That sounds incredible," Aris breathes, his voice filled with longing.

"But when it comes to volunteers? I haven't gotten that far yet." Her voice was almost a gasp from realising how far she was from actualising her vision, but it contorted into laughter as she realised, I'm so far yet I alone am on this pursuit. No one can deny me the legacy that it comes with, Dad!

Phoebe's laugh sent another chill through Elise, and with each step Aris takes toward the machine, Elise's blood runs colder. Her headache sharpens into ice picks behind her eyes. The machine seems to pulse in rhythm with her metaphysical warning system.

At the exact moment, Elise steps back, her voice tight: "I ask again, in this democratised world, what happens to people who don't want to be 'awakened'?"

Aris glances at her in confusion — Why would anyone refuse such an opportunity? 

Elise catches his look and realises how far apart they are in this moment, the same desperate hunger she's seen in interrogation footage of cult members, people so broken they'd accept any promise of transformation. And the casual way she discussed human experimentation, I've seen that evangelical gleam before, in the eyes of fanatics who believe their cause justifies any means. The way she talks about 'democratising' abilities, like she's offering salvation... This is how people disappear.

Elise opened her mouth to challenge the ethics, then caught herself. Phoebe's fervour had that brittle quality of someone past reasoning. Push too hard, and she might shut down entirely or worse, become suspicious of why Elise cared so much.

Instead, Elise forced her expression into something resembling acceptance, though her hands remained clenched at her sides. "Now that I think about it," she pauses, feigning thought, "I think I answered my own question." She managed a bashful laugh, glancing at Aris to see if he caught the undertone of warning in her voice.

But Aris was still staring at the machine with that fascinated expression, completely missing her attempt at subtle communication.

Phoebe continued, oblivious to—or ignoring—Elise's discomfort. "Imagine a world where everyone is special instead of the lucky few."

Elise bit back her immediate response; instead, she took a small step closer to Aris, seemingly to get a better look at the machine, but really to position herself between him and Phoebe's growing enthusiasm.

"This is incredible, Phoebe. I think I need time to process everything you've shown us, it's quite the future you've presented us, right, Aris?" Elise stepped back from the machine. "As much as we'd like to stay, we've had a long day, and I think having some time to take it all in would allow us to provide some insight that might drive some inspiration."

Aris blinked, seeming to surface from his fascination with the machine. "Oh, right... yeah, I probably should too..." Remembering the workload awaiting him at his desk.

"Of course!" Phoebe's smile remained bright, but Elise caught a flicker of disappointment. "I do tend to get carried away when discussing my work. Thank you both for letting me share it with you."

"Thank you for showing us," Elise replied, already moving toward the door. "It's given me a lot to think about." A sliver of spite seeps through.

Once they were several corridors away from Phoebe's lab, Elise's careful composure finally cracked. She stumbled slightly, one hand flying to the wall for support as her breath came in short, sharp gasps.

"Elise?" Aris's voice seemed to come from very far away. "Are you okay?"

The memories tried to surface, but every time she grasped for the connection, it slipped away like water through her fingers, leaving behind only a throbbing pain behind her eyes.

"There's something wrong with it", she managed, her voice shaky. "That machine..." She tried to explain about her supernatural experiences, about the research that had nearly killed her, but the words felt heavy on her tongue, refusing to form properly.

"I can't—" Pain lanced through her skull as she pushed harder against whatever was blocking her thoughts. "I can't remember why, but—" she paused, weighing the consequences of his involvement. "Never mind... I just need to lie down."

"This isn't just about being tired, is it? You looked terrified in there."

Elise paused in surprise. She closed her eyes, the pain still pulsing behind them. Every instinct told her to warn him, but the words wouldn't come—and even if they did, what then? He'd ask more questions, want to help, and end up in my danger, my problems.

"I'm just being paranoid," she lied, forcing herself to straighten up. "Too much caffeine, not enough sleep. You know how it is."

"That's not—"

"Aris." Her voice carried a finality that made him stop. "You said it yourself, you don't know where to begin with everything you're dealing with. Trust me, you don't need my problems added to that list."

She managed a weak smile. "I'll be fine. Just... be careful around this research, okay? Some things are better left... at a distance."

Elise tries to get back upright but stumbles, and Aris catches her.

"I can help—" Aris is interrupted by Elise.

"I'm still sober, I can make it back on my own, thank you very much, sir." With his support, Elise was able to stand upright.

Aris hesitates for a moment before conceding and leaving. They say their goodbyes, but Aris glances back, seeing Elise walking somewhat normally. And as he makes it out of view, Elise sprints to the bathroom in the next corridor, adrenaline momentarily subsiding her discomfort.

Hugging the toilet seat like a caretaker as her gut churns with anxiety, and the pain in her head, scrambling with a nauseous sensation. She gagged into the bowl, but nothing seemed to come out. Giving up, she leaned against the stall, waiting for the experience to subside.

A vibration emanates from her jean pocket, a phone call. She accepts it without reading who it may be, setting it on speaker.

"Hello?" she calls out in a groggy voice.

"And here I thought the ladies would come a-calling," a familiar voice echoes in the empty bathroom walls, the recognition triggering her to vomit.