Liam led Jakob to the lab, then walked through to the medical bay. The well-prepared room was a must for their research, a sterile and well-equipped room filled with various medical instruments and devices. "Okay, Jakob, this is where we'll be installing the starter cells." Liam paused as he worked. He prepared the syringe.
"They will first build the node, which will create Stem Cells. They have been engineered to replicate themselves and repair any damage first themselves, then they will build up further with extra features and abilities such as education and visual upgrades." Liam explained, gesturing to a nearby medical table. "Please, lie down and get comfortable."
Jakob nodded, his eyes fixed on the table as he lay down. Liam began to prep the area near Jakob's eye socket, numbing it with a local anesthetic. "This might sting a bit, but it's necessary to ensure the procedure is painless," Liam explained, his voice calm and soothing.
With the area numbed, Liam carefully injected the starter cells into Jakob's corpus callosum through the eye socket. Jakob didn't flinch; his eyes closed as he focused on his breathing.
Liam stepped back, a look of concentration on his face. "That's it, Jakob. The cells will start to grow and install themselves over the next six months. I'll give you some pills to take during that time to help the process along."
Just as Liam finished speaking, a commotion erupted outside the building. Aya's shriek pierced the air, followed by Ava's faint cry for help.
Liam's head snapped towards the door, his expression alarmed. "What's going on?" he exclaimed, rushing towards the door.
Jakob sat up, his eyes wide with concern. "What's happening?" he repeated, his voice laced with worry.
Liam flung open the door, revealing Aya standing outside, her face pale and frightened. "Ava! Ava's having a seizure! Something is wrong," she cried, pointing to her sister's prone form on the ground.
Liam rushed to Ava's side, his medical training kicking in as he quickly assessed the situation. "Aya, go get your mother now!" he shouted, his voice firm and urgent. "We need to get Ava to the medical bay, now!"
Ava's world began to spin, colors blurring together as she stumbled and fell to the ground. She felt a strange, tingling sensation coursing through her body, like a thousand tiny fingers dancing across her skin.
As she lay there, she saw her sister Aya's worried face hovering above her, Aya's eyes wide with fear. "Ava! Ava, no!" Aya screamed, her voice echoing in Ava's mind.
Ava tried to speak, to reassure Aya that she was okay, but her words were trapped in her throat. She felt herself being lifted, carried by strong arms, and she saw Liam's worried face above her.
The world around her began to fade, colors bleeding into a pulsating gold. Ava felt a strange, floating sensation, as if she was drifting away from her body.
She heard Liam's voice, distant and muffled, shouting for Selena from the medical bay in their lab. Ava's mind was foggy, but she knew something was wrong. She was having a seizure, her body betraying her.
As the darkness closed in, Ava's thoughts grew disjointed, fragmented. She saw flashes of her parents, of Jakob and Jennifer, of the lab and the machines that hummed and whirred.
Liam gently laid Ava down on the medical bay's examination table, his eyes scanning her pale face with concern. He frowned, his mind racing with questions. Why was Ava having a seizure? She should be cured, free from the debilitating effects of epilepsy.
He quickly checked her vital signs, his trained eyes scanning the medical monitors for any signs of distress. Her heart rate was rapid, her blood pressure elevated, but otherwise, her readings were stable.
Liam's frown deepened as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He had treated Ava's epilepsy with the latest advancements in biotechnology, and she had shown no signs of seizures for months. What could have triggered this episode?
He turned to Selena, who had rushed into the lab at his call. "Selena, I don't understand this. Ava's epilepsy should be under control. What's going on?"
Liam's eyes widened in alarm as he watched Selena slit her own hand with a scalpel. "Selena, what are you doing?" he exclaimed, his voice laced with worry.
But Selena didn't respond. Instead, she grasped Ava's wrist, and the blood flowing from her own hand began to be absorbed by Ava's body. Liam's eyes darted back and forth between his wife and daughter, his mind racing with confusion and concern.
Jakob, who had been watching the scene unfold, looked on in shock, his eyes wide with amazement. "What's going on?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Selena's eyes seemed to gleam with a knowing light as she whispered, "Faiceamaid a' Bhan-dia." The words sent a shiver down Liam's spine, and he felt a sense of trepidation wash over him. He remembered the day he came back. Amelia was waiting for him, right when he needed her. She cut herself, and the blood flowed from her and absorbed into him, and then he saw her.
As the blood continued to flow from Selena's hand into Ava's body, the shaking that had wracked Ava's frame began to subside. Her eyes, which had been rolled back in her head, began to focus, and she looked up with a confused expression.
Ava's body began to tremble, her eyes rolling back in her head as she fell into a deep trance. She was no longer aware of her surroundings, her mind consumed by the vision of the goddess.
But her body betrayed her fear, her limbs thrashing wildly as she screamed and cried out in terror. Her voice was hoarse and raw, her words incoherent as she begged for the vision to stop.
Selena, still calm and serene, reached out to hold Ava's other hand, trying to calm her down. But Ava's grip was like a vice, her fingers digging deep into Selena's skin as she struggled to break free from the vision. Blood started to drip.
Ava's mind was flooded with a vision of the goddess Dônn, a being of pure, shimmering gold that seemed to shift and change, "It's beautiful."
Celtic imagery danced across the goddess's surface, intricate patterns and symbols that seemed to hold secrets and mysteries beyond Ava's comprehension. The goddess's presence was both calming and terrifying, like a gentle breeze that carried the whispers of the ancients. Ava felt herself being drawn into the goddess's realm, a place where the threads of fate were woven into a complex tapestry.
Dônn's voice was like a soft, golden light that filled Ava's mind. "Ava, child of the seers, I have come to warn you of a great danger. An asteroid hurtles towards your world, a threat that could bring destruction and chaos to your people."
Ava's mind reeled as she processed the goddess's words. She felt a wave of fear wash over her, a sense of dread that seemed to freeze her very soul.
Dônn's fear was palpable, a sense of desperation that seemed to emanate from the goddess like a palpable force. "Ava, you must listen to me. You must warn your people, prepare them for the coming disaster. Time is short, and the fate of your world hangs in the balance. It did not work. It still comes. See."
As Ava listened to the goddess's words, she felt a sense of determination rising within her. She knew that she had to act, to warn her people and prepare them for the coming asteroid. She did not understand anything in front of her.
Selena was panting, her face pale and clammy. "It's taking too long, Oh?" Selena whispered, her voice barely audible. Selena gasped as she was brought into the vision.
Liam stood rooted. Ava's screams shook him to the core, his face pale with worry. "What's happening?" he panicked, his voice shaking with fear.
Selena's eyes were closed, her face tense with concentration. "She's receiving the gift; this is supposed to be happening right now," she whispered, her voice barely audible over Ava's cries. "The goddess is speaking to her."
Liam's eyes widened in alarm as he watched Ava's body tremble with fear, her screams growing louder and more desperate. He felt a wave of fear wash over him, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
But Selena's grip on Ava's hands remained firm, her eyes still closed as she focused on guiding Ava through the vision. "It's almost over," she whispered, her voice a gentle reassurance. "Just a little longer, Ava."
Ava's screams began to fade, her body relaxing as the vision began to recede. She lay there, panting and exhausted, her eyes still closed as she struggled to regain consciousness.
Jakob, still reeling from his own procedure, grabbed Aya's hand, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before him. He could see a faint gold aura surrounding Selena and Ava, and to his surprise, Liam had one too. Aya trembled in his grasp, her eyes wide with fear.
Liam's face was etched with worry, his eyes darting between Selena and Ava as she whispered reassurances. "It's okay, Ava, Mom's here. She's guiding you through this." But her voice cracked with emotion, betraying her own fear.
Selena stiffened and gasped. "I see. I know. Please. It's too much to bear for a child; she will never be able to live a normal life ." Selena begged.
Dônn addressed her, it loudly thundered in her mind, "So, Selena, will you fulfill the role? It can't lie vacant, if not you or her, then it will be Rose, Aya, or Molly."
Selena nodded. It wasn't fair. Tears ran from her eyes. She bitterly accepted. "Yes."
As Ava's screams began to fade, Liam's eyes locked onto Selena's, his gaze burning with intensity. "Selena, what is going on?" he whispered, his voice nervous. "Selena?"
But Selena's eyes fluttered closed, her body relaxing as she whispered, "It's done...the gifting is complete." Liam's face contorted in anguish as Selena's eyes rolled back in her head, and she fainted, collapsing to the ground beside Ava's bed. She shook.
Liam's world shattered around him. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of despair, unable to breathe. He cradled Selena's head in his lap, his eyes streaming with tears as he begged her to come back to him.
Liam's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with questions. What did it mean? What was happening to his family? He looked down at Selena, his heart heavy with fear. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Not ever.
As he held Selena's limp form, Liam felt a wave of desperation wash over him. He needed answers, and he needed them now. He looked up at Jakob, his eyes burning with intensity. "Help me get her on a gurney."
Jakob nodded, his face set in a determined expression. "Got it."
Together, the two men carefully lifted Selena and Ava, carrying them to the medical bay as Aya trailed behind, her eyes wide with fear. Liam's heart was heavy with worry, but he refused to give up hope. He would do whatever it took to save his family, to keep them safe.
As they reached the medical bay, Liam's eyes locked onto the machines beeping and whirring around them. He felt a sense of trepidation wash over him, but he pushed it aside. He had to be strong for Selena and Ava.
"Jakob, I need you to get Jonah in here. Now, I will call him. This is Seer stuff." Liam said, his voice firm and commanding.
Jakob nodded, his face set in a determined expression. "I'll get him. You take care of Selena and Ava."
Liam nodded, his eyes never leaving Selena's face. He would do whatever it took to save her, to keep her safe. He would not lose her. Not now. Not ever.
Liam's voice was laced with urgency as he called Jonah. "Jonah, can you get to the Lab now, I need you. Now." He didn't wait for a response, already moving to tend to Selena.
Aya looked on in alarm, her eyes wide with worry. "Dad, what's happening?" she asked, her voice trembling.