It hadn't been 12 hours. By that time, the others would have returned and they'd have a mess on their hands. But a hotel room was not as cut off as Gabe's cell. Wood and plaster did little to stop the fact that in a hotel, one was never more than ten or twelve feet from another human being. But that cell was as isolated as if Gabe had been dropped in the middle of the desert. The tech in the walls prevented his powers from reaching behind the glass, beyond the small confines of that space.
And all the while, Harrison watched with rapt attention. He'd routed all of the readings to Gideon instead of letting them be stored on the main systems. It was fascinating seeing what was happening. He even consulted his AI more than a few times to get input on the aspects he didn't quite understand.
For all intents and purposes, Gabe was going through withdrawal. It was fascinating to watch, both on the video feed and on the bio scans. More importantly, watching the hormonal levels as Gabe declined. They were depleting, rapidly. In a normal human, they would even out, find a sort of equilibrium. But for Gabe they were bottoming out entirely. No wonder he couldn't help himself.
It was only when Gabe finally spoke, rather than sang, that Harrison did anything. One moment Gabe was alone and the next, Harrison stood at his door again. Hands clasped behind his back. "It would seem," he said as if they hadn't and a several hour lapse in their conversation. "That you were wrong. You're not actually dying. What you are feeling is similar to withdrawal from any narcotic. You have been relying on the hormones of others for so long, your body is unable to produce any of it's own. In a few hours, we might find out what happens when your stolen hormones have cleared your system."
no subject
And all the while, Harrison watched with rapt attention. He'd routed all of the readings to Gideon instead of letting them be stored on the main systems. It was fascinating seeing what was happening. He even consulted his AI more than a few times to get input on the aspects he didn't quite understand.
For all intents and purposes, Gabe was going through withdrawal. It was fascinating to watch, both on the video feed and on the bio scans. More importantly, watching the hormonal levels as Gabe declined. They were depleting, rapidly. In a normal human, they would even out, find a sort of equilibrium. But for Gabe they were bottoming out entirely. No wonder he couldn't help himself.
It was only when Gabe finally spoke, rather than sang, that Harrison did anything. One moment Gabe was alone and the next, Harrison stood at his door again. Hands clasped behind his back. "It would seem," he said as if they hadn't and a several hour lapse in their conversation. "That you were wrong. You're not actually dying. What you are feeling is similar to withdrawal from any narcotic. You have been relying on the hormones of others for so long, your body is unable to produce any of it's own. In a few hours, we might find out what happens when your stolen hormones have cleared your system."