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She thought that if that young, pretty woman could always be seen with two of her—for lack of a better term—lackeys, and still could so proclaim herself to be one capable gal, then Charlotte Bony believed that she, too, could use some help and still be considered capable. Her captain liked capable guys. Well… She wasn’t a ‘guy’ per se, but she could try to make herself at least half likable to him, right? Actually, scratch that, she wished she were a guy for a reason other than being Captain Stanley’s type.
Many people had called her a looker before. She was also aware of how blessed she was for inheriting her parents’ good assets. Not that it mattered to a person in the military. But hey, being called beautiful was always nice to hear. While she didn’t always flaunt her alluring appearance, she enjoyed being complimented, being called cute every now and then.
Unfortunately, being pretty didn’t just come with those sincere compliments. Sometimes, or oftentimes, rather, it came with curses that made her gag and roll her eyes every time she experienced them. Sexual harassment, unwanted advances, sexism—you name it all.
Truth be told, she already considered herself on the luckier side because, even though most of his colleagues were men, at least they had the decency to act like normal human beings. Plus, she was a trained soldier. She could handle pests and stand for herself well. But what about other women? Charlotte could only scream inwardly for all the lovely women of the world.
Speaking of screaming, she was only an atom away from hurling her throat out. It was that day of the month, and she wished she could just for a week—be a guy. The woes of womanhood didn’t end with the unjust system that society stupidly adopted; for some reason, it included the literal pain of bleeding every month.
Charlotte clutched her stomach as she crouched and leaned against the walls of the castle corridor. May heavens above hear her plea and double her pain and give it to Stanley. For some reason, it seemed to her that that man could handle pain well, so she might as well take full advantage of that. She closed her eyes, began focusing, and tried mentally transferring her cramps to him.
It was during these kinds of days that she truly felt homesick for their old life. That former NASA scientist they considered their leader, was doing his best to restore human civilization as fast as anyone could have probably done. Yet, she couldn’t help but miss the simple convenience.
How embarrassing, she thought. It must be the hormones messing with her brain because she suddenly found herself feeling sentimental. For a moment there, she was on the verge of crying.
In the past, she could take some meds and be done with it. However, in this stone world, such a thing was a privilege. Their genius leader could probably concoct something for her, but asking him for a favor felt too daunting. The trouble she carried paled in comparison to his huge dictatorship responsibilities.
Before she could even begin to contemplate whether she should, after all, seek him out, the door across from her (for she was indeed, all this time, on the floor facing a door that led to their leader’s room) slowly opened a few centimeters, revealing a tall, familiar figure. For a moment, she and the figure both stared at each other, stupefied.
“Ms. Bony, what are you doing?” the figure inquired.
Steadily, but with visible panic, Charlotte stood up and saluted. “Dr. Xeno!” she called.
Xeno peeked from behind the door and eyed her up. Charlotte could only hope the scientist didn’t find him creepy for lingering in front of his bedchamber. He wasn’t wearing his goth lab coat, and his purple necktie just hung lightly around his half-unbuttoned shirt. She noticed him quickly swipe his fingers through his neck and hold his shirt collar together as she looked at him. Some of the silver strands of his hair came loose and down, covering a huge part of the black ‘X’ mark on his forehead.
“I’m sorry for waking you up this late!”
Upon hearing her words, Xeno relaxed. Charlotte caught a whiff of tobacco the moment he opened the door halfway, but didn’t comment on it. He must be in the middle of making cigarettes.
“Please don’t be, Ms. Bony. I wasn’t sleeping—I was working on our colony’s crop rotation plan for the next three years or so. Now that we have secured corn, we can plant soybeans or wheat next harvest season to replenish nitrogen levels in the soil. Then, we can--” Xeno yawned, interrupting himself. “Oh, forgive me,” he expressed. “Is there anything I could help you with?”
Although it was beyond her if Xeno apologized for oversharing or yawning, it was amazing how he seemed to have a whole mechanism inside his brain that didn’t stop working overtime. He had the habit of info-dumping, but she admitted it was quite amusing. “I was just wondering…”
Xeno raised a brow. “Yes?”
Charlotte continued, “…if you have any painkillers?”
“Why?” His expression didn’t say much, but Charlotte swore his tone changed. “Did someone get hurt?”
“No, no!” She waved her hands. “…It’s for me.”
Xeno folded his arms over his chest. He revealed an expression that was either studying or judging her. Now, Charlotte didn’t know which one was better of those two. She winced at the thought.
Nerves finally catching up to her, her stomach churned and danced in beat with her cramps. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around her waist and wondered why internal organs were not detachable. With hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, wasn’t that kind of possibility? She was tempted to ask the all-knowing scientist, but thankfully, her dizzy head wasn’t stupid enough to attempt it.
Xeno turned and slammed the door shut.
“What the hell?!” Charlotte thought. “You could just say no. Is there a need to slam the door in my face?!”
Seconds later, she heard hurried footsteps from the room. As the door opened, her mouth closed. He saw Xeno’s black coat. It wasn’t exactly worn by the man. It was just draped over his shoulders. His shirt was neatly buttoned up now, and his shirt collar was rightfully tightened by his necktie. He held a clean, huge fabric that looked like a thick blanket. It looked warm and fluffy. Was it made of fleece?
The said thing was thrown at her face.
“There,” Xeno said.
Charlotte grabbed and wrapped the blanket around herself. “Thank you,” she said.
Xeno nodded. “Now, Ms. Bony, let’s get going.”
“Where to?”
“To the lab, where else?”
“Oh…”
___
The scent of various chemicals mixing stimulated and made Charlotte's head hurt, along with the sound of several words said in succession that she knew she wouldn’t be able to pronounce. She sat on a barstool that was just across a long steel table, overlooking all the stuff that lay on it. She heard the doctor say they needed to mix something-something benzene with acetic something to create p-isobu-something-something phenome.
“So, this p-isobu-something-something will give us painkillers?”
“P-isobutylacetophenone,” Xeno corrected. “And please don’t be ridiculous, Ms. Bony. Making Isobutylbenzene react with acetic anhydride is just the first step.” Xeno held the flask in his now-gloved hand and swirled the liquid in it delicately. “We’ll activate this process with aluminum chloride to make the two bond smoothly.”
“How many steps are there?” Charlotte asked as the fine white powder was added to the flask. Her eyes followed the practiced movements of Xeno’s fingers as they worked with the liquid. He stirred it with a smile that grew deeper as more of the powder dissolved with a slight fizzle.
The scientist set the flask aside and swapped it with a new one. He turned his head to Charlotte briefly and replied, “There are five steps—the Friedel-Crafts acylation, carbonyl reduction, chloride substitution, and Grignard reaction.”
“Whoa,” Charlotte could only express. “Sounds cool.”
“Exactly. Isn’t the whole thing quite riveting? Each procedure comes with a fixed outcome. As long as you remain methodical and follow the steps carefully, you’d undoubtedly reach the goal again and again, proving to us once more that Science is truly elegant!”
Charlotte initially maintained a straight posture while sitting, but gradually began slouching her body and crossing her legs. This doctor’s knowledge and eccentricities went beyond her imagination. She gave him an awkward smile and nodded.
“Right, doctor. But without enough knowledge or experience, I don’t think anyone could do it. I, for example, barely passed my chemistry classes,” Charlotte said as she laughed to punctuate her words. “So, in my opinion, you, who knows so much about science, are the one who is cool.”
Xeno stopped what he was doing.
He drew back the hand that was about to reach the beaker and looked at her with those blackholes of eyes. “Ms. Bony, while I wholeheartedly agree with your description of me, I don’t agree with the first half of what you just said. You shouldn’t sell yourself short, either. Pharmaceutical chemistry is not my area of specialization. I simply remembered the synthesis of isobutylphenyl propionic acid because I judged it to be practical and useful.”
Charlotte frowned. “No? I don’t think there’s anyone who can do what you’re doing.”
The scientist’s expression softened a bit, but only for a while. He busied his hands again and began filtering the solvent to prepare it for the next step. “I don’t know about that,” he said, narrowing his eyes. He snorted and then continued, “Who knows? A random teenager out there could be making an antibiotic right now. That drug is more complicated to recreate than a painkiller.”
“Huh?”
“My point is that no matter how many years it would take, science can undoubtedly prove itself as real. Xeno explained, tipping the beaker earlier to pour its contents into the flask. “Hypothetically, let’s say that I didn’t awaken from petrification, but some random individual did. Even if that person didn’t possess vast scientific knowledge, they would eventually learn how to start a fire from scratch for the sake of survival. Then, slowly but surely, they would discover how to boil water to make it safe, how to shape tools from stone, how to smelt metal from ore. One breakthrough would lead to another, and before they knew it, they’d be rediscovering chemistry—distilling alcohol, purifying compounds, synthesizing medicines.”
Charlotte watched Xeno’s deft hands swirl the flask gracefully. Weirdly enough, she seemed more mesmerized by them compared to his words.
“And all of that,” he went on, “is because science is inevitable. It’s the universe’s manual, just waiting for someone clever—or stubborn—enough to read it. Whether it takes decades or centuries, humanity will always crawl its way back to knowledge. Even you can do it.”
Ignoring the last sentence, Charlotte grew pensive, eyes following those slender fingers. “And using that same knowledge, you chose dictatorship…” Charlotte thought and actually said. She gasped and sealed her luscious lips with her hands.
Xeno brought the flask down and propped his hands on the table, leaning his body forward. Charlotte felt cold sweat form on the back of her head. It fell to her nape as she straightened her posture.
“How can I not? This and that are different. With someone like me to lead the process, we wouldn’t have to wait decades or centuries to rebuild—or rather create our perfect society,” Xeno replied.
Charlotte heaved a big sigh of relief. “Dr. Xeno,” she said with a little bit of doubt. “What exactly is a perfect society for you?”
“Wonderful question.” Xeno smiled. “A perfect society is where science wouldn’t be hindered by anything at all. I’d replace the notion of who’s allowed with who’s capable.” Xeno’s pupils dilated, highlighting the bags under his eyes. “In our old world, many were allowed to venture into the pursuit of knowledge. However, barely any of them were worth mentioning. It’s either that they’re too conceited to admit their limitations or that they’re too dense to realize that they’re dumb. On the contrary, many capable individuals were led astray due to the lack of opportunities… That’s why I wish to dominate… to lead the twisted ways of before and set it straight to the most rational one—with science, of course!”
“…”
Xeno laughed at the awkward silence. “Forgive me, Ms. Bony. It’s so rare that someone would indulge me to talk this much, I got too excited,” Xeno said. “Most of the time, Stan would call me out, telling me to shut the f--” Xeno forced himself to bite his words in. “…my mouth,” he continued.
Charlotte broke from her trance at the sound of her captain’s name. She chuckled slightly in self-deprecation.
She didn’t have much to say about the scientist when she first saw him. Honestly speaking, she believed the two of them weren’t bound to cross paths at all. They lived in different worlds. Xeno looked like someone who, from the moment he strutted into the room, knew exactly what he was looking for. He wouldn’t spare a glance at anyone or anything and would always head straight for the goal.
He was good at what he did and possessed charisma that sucked people into his vision.
Clever, committed, capable. No wonder her captain stuck to him like a stubborn mule. Compared to him, who was she, really?
“…Would I have a place in that perfect society?”
“What do you think?” Xeno asked as if challenging her.
Biting her lips wasn’t a habit Charlotte remembered having. Yet, she could make herself get used to it with the way the pain kept her mind sober. She clutched the blanket around her shoulders tightly. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “There are other guys out there who are stronger and more useful than me…”
Xeno didn’t reply. He continued to monitor the glassware in his hands to ensure that it had the right temperature. Still, he looked at her now and then to show he was paying attention.
“My aim sucks that it's even laughable to compare it to Captain’s. When it comes to close combat, Maya or literally any other soldier could topple me over. Unlike Dr. Brody, I can’t build machines that could help our colony progress.” She began rubbing the soft edges of the blanket along her fingers. Her eyelids quivered as she continued, “On the contrary, I feel like a burden, even having you do this for me. It’s shameful.”
“Why?”
Charlotte looked at Xeno’s confused expression and grimaced. She gulped and explained, “I mean, it’s embarrassing! Being a woman in this stone world brings nothing but disadvantages for her allies, don’t you agree, doctor?”
Xeno stopped what he was doing and stared at her with the most baffled face she had seen him make.
“Not at all. What are you talking about?”
“But you just mentioned you like capable individuals,” Charlotte said as she blinked quite animatedly.
“Yes, I did. Now, help me understand how that correlates to you being a woman?”
“Well, generally, women are physically weaker than men.” Charlotte cringed at her own words. Yet, the words stuck to her throat were quite easier to spit out once she began talking more. “No matter how much I train, my muscles won’t grow much. And periods suck! Period cramps? Makes me useless. Then, it’s frustrating how emotional I get, sometimes.”
“Uh-huh?” Xeno replied.
Charlotte lowered her head and realized what she was doing.
She was ranting.
Who would have thought she would open up about woman troubles with a man? It wasn’t Maya, not even Luna, that got her to talk about her insecurity. It was simply this eccentric scientist who agreed to make her painkillers from scratch at 1 am.
“I feel chained by my biological functions…” she finally said.
Charlotte watched Xeno’s couple of strides come to her. Standing before her, he placed his hand on his waist and struck a pose that reminded Charlotte of her most beautiful mother. “Biologically speaking, yes, men are stronger than women. Factors such as the difference in overall muscle mass and hormones like testosterone play a role in it. Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, on the other hand, contribute to changes in mood…” Xeno began. “I can’t speak for women, for I am not one, but I don’t think these differences should hinder you from considering yourself capable.”
“Then, do you think I’m capable?” Charlotte asked.
“Ms. Bony, I wouldn’t build that plane for you if I didn’t trust you. Stan vouched for your skills, and that’s all I needed to know.”
And that was all she needed to hear.
Indeed, being called beautiful was nice, but how long had it been, she wondered, to be praised for the skills she painstakingly honed until she almost passed out in exhaustion. Since that one time when she managed to shut the mouths of those pride-hurt guys who insinuated she seduced her way into the military after she got promoted. Seeing them writhe in pain for their own incapacity to understand that she was superior in skill filled her with pride.
It had been a while. It had truly been a while since she felt proud of what she could really call hers, not something passed down, but something she just struggled her way into being good at.
A heavy but pleasant feeling swelled in her throat.
Xeno abruptly turned around, swirling his long coat behind him.
Charlotte forced her tears in as her hands touched her face, thankful for the brief privacy the scientist had given her.
“In fact, I blame the old world for not having invested more in women's biology. Why was science advanced in some areas and behind in others at the same time?” the scientist said in a voice filled with cynicism. “I’ll tell you, Ms. Bony, your worries are understandable, but these concerns should’ve been eliminated way before with science, only if rational people were the ones with power…” Xeno slowly faced her, his clawed hands on his back.
“But…” he said. His eyes darted from her face to the floor. “I guess I would be a hypocrite to say I was different? I’m ashamed to have failed to account for menstrual cramps when planning for our colony’s health and safety management system. These types of concerns slip past my mind, and I almost feel sorry for not noticing them until now.”
Charlotte stood up from her seat. “No,” Charlotte said as she shook her head. “It’s just that Maya is built different. Then, Luna is too scared of y— too much of a capable gal to get any help. My cramps were tolerable as well, until today, that is. So, please don’t mind it too much…”
“Still,” Xeno interjected. “As the leader, it’s a responsibility of mine to know the people working under me. But instead of apologizing, I’d like to offer you my thanks, Ms. Bony.”
“Why?” Charlotte said, accompanied by an exaggerated raise of a brow.
Xeno replied, “You helped me realize how important painkillers are in this stone world. If you haven’t come to me, I wouldn’t be able to consider making them for others.”
“I didn’t do anything…”
Xeno ignored her.
No longer interested in talking, he went back to his work station and produced what seemed to be a crystallized white stone from the flask. He held it above his head and inspected it under the hard lights of the lab. After eyeing the mortar and pestle, his hands moved quickly to grind the crystal into a fine powder of white. Charlotte watched him work attentively. When Xeno saw her observing, he beckoned for her to try grinding the powder, which she did. Surprisingly, she found it fun. Xeno would sometimes pause and explain what he was doing, urging her to feign interest. She didn’t understand a thing, but nodded along his long-winded explanations.
After a while, the scientist added more ingredients before filtering the powder once more. After letting a satisfied sound, he set some of the powder on a scale, collected it, and wrapped it delicately in a small piece of parchment paper. He did the action several more times until all the powder was encased into cutely folded small packets.
Xeno handed her the freshly produced painkillers. “A single packet contains a dosage of 400 milligrams. Take one every four to six hours, as you deem necessary.”
Charlotte received the packets with her palms and secured them into her belt. She offered a sincere “Thank you,” and looked at him with a complicated expression.
She could simply walk away. Yes, she could get into the comfort of her bed that way. But for some reason, she found it essential to say one more praise before going:
“You’re really amazing, doctor.”
She meant nothing odd for it, not even to butter up to him or anything; she just genuinely felt grateful. Truly grateful for the meds, as well as for the words that helped her feel an emotion she hadn’t been able to feel for a while.
So, she tried vocalizing her thoughts despite not being good with words.
“I’m really thankful.”
To which, Xeno made a swatting gesture with his hands. “Don’t thank me, thank science instead. And please don’t misunderstand, Ms. Bony. I did this because I value efficiency. I can’t have one of my people remain indisposed when the solution is right in front of our faces. In return, I would expect more great things coming from you in the future.”
Charlotte smiled. She used to think of the scientist as unreachable or aloof, and perhaps she still did, but there bloomed a new perspective of him that made her see him with newfound admiration—one that made her understand Stanley, one that made her, even just a little bit, see his dictatorship aspirations as the correct path, no questions asked.
“Of course,” she said firmly, saluting her employer like the soldier she was.
Xeno nodded. He yawned as he removed his gloves. “Then, all is well, all is well…” he muttered. “Let’s now go and retire to our beds.”
“Ah,” Charlotte began. Her cheeks flushed red.
“Is there anything else?” Xeno said in a bit of a drawl.
“You mentioned earlier how Captain Stanley vouched for my skills…”
“Did I? Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”
“Uhm, can you tell me more about it?!” Charlotte’s eyes glowed with some light, the total contrast of how sullen they looked just minutes ago.
Xeno looked to the side and tilted his head a bit, seeming to think but not really. With a hazy look, he blinked slowly, then answered, “He did tell me about your incredible skill in piloting a military plane. Truly elegant, if I may say so. You should be proud of it. Yeah, you should.”
“Really?!”
Xeno nodded heavily.
Charlotte’s heart raced quickly against her ribs. The sudden familiarity with the man unconsciously brought her close to him, clasping his hands before asking, “What else did he say about me?!”
Xeno squinted and kept his silence for a bit as if he was thinking hard to decode her words. He stared at Charlotte. “He also said—"
However, the words Charlotte wanted to hear didn’t reach her ears, for the scientist’s body grew languid and fell into her arms. They almost stumbled on the floor, but thankfully, Charlotte managed to react in time, supporting their bodies together with a bit of effort. “Dr. Xeno?”
“Hmff.”
The said doctor was already sleeping, resting his forehead on her shoulder.
“Oh, no,” Charlotte said. She sighed and almost laughed at the situation until she noticed how her body felt fine despite the effort she exerted.
Did the attempt to mentally transfer her cramps to Stanley actually work?
Like some entity had heard her thoughts speak of the man, the devil himself entered her vision, and she gasped both in surprise and fright. Her legs shook in response, and she almost fell on her back.
“Captain Stanley!” she exclaimed.
Apparently, the blond entered without making his presence known to either of them, which was both impressive and terrifying. Stanley glared at her, making Charlotte believe the cramp-transfer worked for how peevish he looked. She decided to ask Xeno about the science behind it once he woke up.
“What’re you guys doin,’ Charlotte?” Stanley asked.
He was wearing his usual body suit. The only difference was that he wasn’t wearing his gloves, and that he wasn’t holding a cigarette in his mouth. Their leader had a strict policy not to smoke in the lab, but Charlotte always remembered how her Captain didn’t care for it. She wondered why it was now that he saw it fit to follow.
“Captain Stanley,” Charlotte repeated in a calmer tone. “I had Dr. Xeno make something for me… and uh, he fell asleep.”
Stanley shot her a dubious look and fixed his gaze on the snoozing doctor on her shoulders. “Something?”
Charlotte nodded, then adjusted her body to get used to Xeno’s weight. She moved her hands from his back to his waist to lift him more stably. Stanley's eyes widened at the action, and his hand grabbed her wrist, while the other moved to lay hold of Xeno’s body. He rested his friend’s head on his chest as he heaved a deep sigh.
Everything happened within seconds. She barely felt Stanley’s touch on her wrist, and almost thought it was too bad that it didn’t linger.
“Hey, Xeno,” Stanley said to the man leaning against him. He then shook him back and forth.
Xeno slowly parted his lids. “Ugh,” he sounded, muffled. He lifted his head and, in a tone laced with wonder and something else, he said, “Stan, you’re here.”
Charlotte’s mouth was agape. She couldn’t believe her eyes—that Stanley was smiling, and quite fondly as well. Piquing her interest, she watched the scene before her unfold naturally, remaining still and quiet like a deep river.
“Yeah, cuz I woke up and you weren’t in bed, duh.”
Charlotte bit her lips at his captain’s words. Her heart thumped in confusion.
Xeno replied, “Sorry about that. Ms. Bony and I had to do something in the lab. I showed her how to make isobutylphenyl propionic acid, also known as ibupro—”
Stanley placed a palm on Xeno’s mouth. “Ok. Got it. Now, stop talking.” He chuckled, but then an expression of concern splashed over his face. “Seriously, you let others see you like this?”
“Hm?”
Without actually replying, Stanley’s fingers answered by brushing the strands that fell on Xeno’s face and tucking them behind his ear. Xeno stared at Stanley’s face with a slightly open mouth. As if just realizing his current appearance, he pursed his lips into a thin line and gradually curved them into a deep smile, tilting his head just a little bit to have one side of his face rest on Stanley’s palm. “Oh, forgive me, Stan.”
Stanley snorted loudly, gaze burning quietly into the scientist. “Yeah, sure,” he replied. “Go to sleep, really.”
Xeno raised his arms and hooked them around his best friend’s neck. The action felt natural, as if it had been done many times before. The blond lowered his hand and squatted slightly to reach the scientist’s legs. With one quick motion, he held the man with seemingly no effort, in a, well, bridal carry style.
“Let’s get the princess to bed,” Stanley said as she looked over Charlotte. “Right?”
Charlotte found the whole thing amusing. She forced her laugh from slipping out of her mouth.
She slid the blanket off her shoulders and faced her captain and the scientist on his arms. “Thank you for lending me this.”
Xeno barely moved his head as he answered, “You may keep it, Ms. Bony. Consider it a gift.”
“But—”
Stanley interrupted her. “Just keep it, Xeno said it’s fine.”
“Alright. Thank you again!” Charlotte said with a slight bow. Finding no more words to express, she panicked somewhat in front of her superiors. While finding the right words on how to say goodbye, she witnessed something she didn’t know that would make her stomach churn once more.
Xeno was already snoozing. His breathing was now slow and stable in Stanley’s embrace. His head rested carelessly against his friend’s chest.
Stanley lowered his head to observe Xeno’s peaceful sleeping face with a smitten look softer than the fleece she was holding. As if thinking for a while and deciding on it at the moment, Stanley nuzzled his nose into Xeno’s hair, his lips almost touching his forehead. Just a few millimeters more, and his colored lips would definitely leave a deep mark on that pale skin.
“Uh…”
Stanley looked at the disoriented soldier.
“Excuse me, I think my stomach’s acting up again! Good night, Captain!” she exclaimed.
Charlotte dashed toward the exit, barely hearing Stanley say his good night to her. She didn’t care for that for now.
That deep in the night, Charlotte’s flushed face and aching stomach, which was caused by something other than her cramps, made her realize that something must’ve awakened inside her to make her heart beat faster than when Xeno told her that her captain praised her skills. She didn’t know anything about it yet, but she just knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep that night. She knew the scene would replay in her head a few more times while she lay in bed, repeating to herself, “What the hell was thaaaat?!” with a flushed face.
Charlotte also understood well that the ibuprofen the doctor concocted for her wouldn’t be used until later, and deeply regretted the fact that she didn’t ask him to make her sleeping pills instead.
Meanwhile, Stanley, who was left in the lab with the sleeping Xeno in his arms, wondered what all of that was about. All he knew was that he had to bring his tired scientist to bed so he wouldn’t be so cranky in the morning.