(Episode II)(.5) (Act1)

There was nothing like being laid bare before the world to see, and in both senses of the word.

Well, Jackie and the rest of the girls were exaggerating, but one often falls into that mindset when they stood before someone naked.

To set the scene accurately, each of them were separated, using the same “technology” as before which separated their sickbeds before, but more intimate, more vague. Where there was armor-plating in the first example, this one had just a white space, seemingly on all sides. There, each girl was standing there, their gowns to the side of their feet, before this field being put up, was asked by Leslie to sit in a formation with them circled around with their backs facing each other’s.

To his credit as both a medical professional and questionable, mixed quality as a person, he asked the girls thoroughly if they wanted to do something like this, stating that there could be another way to obtain the information and detailing the precautions with any possible leeway to make the already private sessions more comfortable. And after five, understandable, minutes of silence latent with sighs and groans, all five ultimately agreed on the basis for time, as their families were waiting for them.

That and the fact that Leslie will briefly see their attributes for seconds until he cranks them away added some sense of security. In some weird sense, a sense to get used to.

Jackie’s body, enhanced by toned muscles that showed years of hard work and personal self-improvement, was open, taken apart, highlighted by Leslie. He triggered the puzzle-like infostructure she has to keep in mind now, and at various parts of the body he checked how it responded. To see if it reconnected if one of her arms moved, if it separated further when a leg stretched, and if it was tracking every time her chest showcased her breathing.

Now, Jackie was the least resistant to being naked, almost to an uncaring yet understanding response that tripped up the others. But this? She was exposed in a different sense, embarrassed in a different sense. What was a whole day based on clarity; this was a heavy way to close it out. But it was typical lesson, nowadays it seemed; reality checks portrayed and communicated by surreal horror. She couldn’t help to be a bit bitter, ashamed, and again, lost.

She paid attention to Leslie’s fingers versus her body; and it brought home how something she’s sure everyone had heard but didn’t put stock into it and how much of the information regarding Shift and siVis awareness was just as flawed as the attempts of accepting it and integrating it are.

…Now she realized how bad the finger watching was, okay, retreat into the thought--

“When in the presence of a siVis one, you’ll understand that they have weak-points; locate them and flee the scene if possible”. Jackie dwelled on the fact that the so-called “advice” was way too vague to mean anything, and berated it within her head not taking into account of how much unimaginable fear said victim would be in to even think to do something like that, when most siVis ones can turn the ground into a pool of living quicksand talking heads. And considering how simple it seems now watching Leslie literally poking her and causing this reaction, regardless if it doesn’t last as long, made her fuming that there was no diagram to go along with the information.

“Are you uncomfortable?” Leslie stopped, and Jackie realized that she was shaking her head, and felt her face into a pout.

“Sorry,” Jackie replied, “Lost in thought.”

“Fair enough,” he resumed, inspecting away, “I need to move back and double check the next patient. You only have a minute more of this, and you all can go home.”

“That’s good… That’s good…”

Jackie couldn’t help but to think about how she shattered her home, broken the physical things and fractured the sense of it, the principal, the atmosphere her parents carefully made for her.

She didn’t know how to handle any of this. And yet, she has the tools in her hands that can? Unbearable negative emotions that now run deep? Fear of the unknown that isn’t just in front of her, but the very world she lives in? All capped off with feeble, human efforts that just get swallowed into the haze of confusion, meaningless. All of it, what she is… Meaningless, in the end…

She hated the fact that the world she believed in helping, one full of many meanings from many different people, is being warped away, and they—she—can’t do not one thing about it. There would’ve been honor in doing something only to fail and be consumed by it—at least that’s a better scenario than whatever this is, she stewed in the thoughts.

“Hm,” was all that Leslie said, what Jackie could hear, before raising up and then walking into the white void. Jackie looked down at herself, everything settled back into place, with her new perception and possibly unlocked aspects of herself made her features… “pop”, as if they’re in the best shape of her life. Which added to the mixed bag that is currently Jackie Jackson.

She worked hard, creating and maintaining this. She was lanky and tall for her age back then, and of course began the ridicule and the mocking in her early teens that defined her more than she defined herself, then that served the realization. Why let them do that when she had the final say on the matter? With the help of her father, she began working out, starting with little and crawled herself towards the advanced stuff, and before any of them knew it, she became what she is today. She came back to school with a smug mantra, if they’re going to make fun of her, surely the joke’s going to be on them since she’s now better than them? But…The opposite happened. She became “cool”, much to her confusion and honest surprise. She even became somewhat of an unofficial gym aid during said class, reformed one of the bullies that became her best friend, and went into basketball when she was sure she was going to suck. Everything worked out and it was the best time of her life so far, and to twist the knife further, was so sure she could keep it up. She remembered the sequence clearly: first fallout, then move, finally shift. All in that damn order from out of nowhere.

What would this be? A result? Aftermath? …Mistake?

Thankfully, in one sense, that they all returned to the hospital room, as the thick platforms slid back into the floor and the rest are putting their gowns back on… And turned to see Jackie still in the nude.

Maddie instantly turned on her bare hell and still covered the side of her face, “Oookay, uh…”

“Hm…?” Jackie craned her head back, not really getting why the others are shielding their eyes in their respective ways: Tracy covering her face completely, Aiko closing her eyes as they twitch due to inactivity, and River looking down.

“…Oh, right, sorry…” Jackie kicked up her discarded gown and instantly putting it on. “Sorry, girls, sorry girls…” She tried to laugh. “I was lost in my mind and I didn’t know where I was. I’m not used to the former and the latter it’s just how I am…”

“Of course, the sporty one doesn’t mind it…” Leslie chuckled out under his breath.

Jackie squinted at him, “I can hear that, now.”

“Oh, I know, I didn’t make it an effort to hide it. I just found it funny, no sexual over and/or undertones here,” he replied with a light smirk on his face. “Plus, I’m sure I’m voicing the same thing the rest are thinking.”

She pouted as she took the time to put on her gown again. Newly issued and pretty weird; they conceal everything while being able to be easily thrown off—just depended on your intent and motion. Cyan, not quite form-fitting but snug, with the crease for the open sealed and on her side.

“I mean,” Maddie shrugged with a somewhat surprised look on her face, “Got us there, doc. Nurse. ‘Nur—'?”

“Come on—It’s not like I have anything to hide, following the law about indecency and shame off the table!” Jackie found herself defending herself, crossing her arms, “I’m usually 40% clothed during the warmer days, weeks, or months anyways! Perfectly normal!”

He begun plugging away his findings on the AR keyboard, “Again, it’s more the fact that someone like you would totally do what you all did, and I found amusement in all that, nothing overly sexual. And if you don’t think that’s it and feel completely uncomfortable, I will cease and desist.”

Jackie undid her armcrossing to bring her hands up to her face, fingers twitching, and then forming into a fist.

“You’re just—A seesaw! A human seesaw!”

Leslie laughed uproarishly at that, “My, that’s honestly a new one, congrats!” He turned his head towards Maddie, “Better than combinations of things I’ve heard before.”

“See, I take it all back,” Maddie looked toward Jackie, “He’s the responsible one that has to act like a damn kid about it.”

“Can we please,” Tracy cut in, making everyone turn to her, only for her to lock up.

“…Can we please…” she sighed, trying again, “Get the final report? So, we can all go home…?”

“But of course, Ms. Goodwin,” Leslie answered, swiping the keyboard away.

River seemed to glance quickly at Tracy, trying to twist her lip about, as if she’s instantly recognized something, “Goodwin…?”

“Of course, all of you are comfortable with hearing this all at once?” Leslie looked toward and across the assorted young women.

“Well,” Aiko scratched at the side of her nose with her pinky, “The same thing happened to all of us, so what’s the point of a one on one…?”

“…I’m actually surprised that you’re the first to somewhat catch on…” Leslie honestly replied, leaning on the wall. And before any of the rest chimed in, he issued his diagnosis.

“So, all of you have your siVis partially locked.” Blunt.

“…What…?” Was all Jackie could muster at that point.