Chapter Text
“I heard many things about your journey to Pandora. Is it true your mother and Dr. Grace Augustine were friends? “One of the RDA researchers had walked Avery through the Hell's Gate. The place had looked run down, almost taken over by the wilderness of Pandora, but it had its human touch to it that could not have been washed away. It had been probably more than a decade and a half since Jake Sully won the war in the Hallelujah mountains and had commanded the sky people, humans, to return to earth. everyone knew that would not have been the case when the RDA had reassembled their work and landed again in Pandora around 2170. When the RDA combines, and the machinery finally started its work on Unobtanium they had finally reached their old mining site. The old Hometree, now only a memory made of snapped tree bark and some dust that accumulated in between the new growth. Nature was healing itself but not as fast as the RDA had been mining. Avery hated the sight of the place. Her mother had told her about much of the operation and how she had refused to leave for Pandora when she had heard about her pregnancy. Avery had been just born when the Humans had returned on earth with newly mined material and new goals set in their minds.
"Yes, my mother and Dr. Augustine used to do research together before she become pregnant with me. My mother was supposed to work back then. Here. " Avery had looked around the still clean hallways, the many offices inside the soldiers' bunkers and the big presentation halls. she had never seen this place, but she guessed it hadn't changed. The place was almost unrecognizable from about two weeks ago when the whole research team had first arrived at this point around the old Omatikaya clan grounds. Covered in plants and small animals and their small nests, the windows broken up, and many types of machinery burned or damaged beyond repair. She had even peaked some of the arrows on the big combiners' wheels, the purple and green feathers. She was there where she had to be. She was close to her goal.
"And now you came here instead of her right? But at such a young age?" The other researcher that had been accompanying Avery, Dr. Ian Garvin, one of the researchers who had arrived here about two years ago and was going to be placed around the thousand island shores, doing research on the local aquatic life. What would his research be aiding was a mystery to Avery. For now.
"I took part in many of her research and discoveries back on earth. I had been around her most of the time when she worked on Unobtanium back in New York. She made me graduate early because of it, so I was able to secure many "internships" with her as she called them. But really, I just hung around her and learned her ways. " Avery smiled at the older man as he opened the door to one of the other hallway paths that led to the big cafeteria.
"I am assuming you will be stationed around here to work on the same thing. Dr. Selfridge is also back, so it is probably why you are here as well. " When the two scientists finally reached the cafeteria door, Avery stopped by the door and smiled at Dr. Garvin.
"So, I can be another Dr. Grace Augustine? I even have the honor to be an avatar operator." For a second Ian froze in his spot before Avery laughed and pointed out it was just a silly joke. Dr. Garvin scratched his head before the two had entered the cafeteria. It used to be full of people, at least that is what Avery assumed would have been back in the days. What did it look like when Spellman and Augustine shared dinner with the others, with Jake Sully. The man that had later "betrayed" his own race and became one of the most respected in his new one? She was here for research and research is what she was going to do. Garvin entered the cafeteria, a half full room of soldiers, staff, and white cloaked people, presumably scientists that laughed about something. One a table the furthest to the window sat some other doctors and another guy dressed in a simple white shirt and a Hawaiian dress shirt. Just how cringe could one have been.
"Everyone, this is Avery Cowell, she is a new addition to the Unobtanium research team. Avery this is a good friend of mine, Mick Scoresby, he is not the one with the guns or the brains here-"
"I'm the one with the harpoon." Mick was not a young man nor an old one, he looked like a man in his 40s, with blonde beard and matching hair, just plain white man. The mention of harpoon stabbed Avery in the chest for some reason, but she ignored that information for now. She knew the RDA had broadened their "mining" operations to further deplete Pandora of its resources, but what was RDA investing in the water? Catching Pandoran whales?
"Nice to meet you, I am Avery. I will be stationed here for the next six months before they close down this facility." Avery tried to be friendly, the typical overly optimistic and too artificially optimistic and approachable, even though she used to be barely those things. She wanted to research, one thing about research, you must always stay curious and dig until you have nothing more to dig, if she had to "dig" maybe she would become the warmest, the most honest and approachable person there could have been on that planet. She had to research those people. Just like she remembered her mother say it to her. "Remember, Grace cared for those people and the planet, they did not. They won't care for those who care for the natives either. "
"Well Garvin, I heard you are coming with me this season again buddy. You won't be getting rid of me yet. Selfridge wants us out in two months. So, you better get packing boy. " Mick had slapped the table once, getting out a similar reaction out of other researchers and guys who seemed to not have been soldiers. Just like Mick they seemed to have been the ones with the harpoon. Only some tables down were the soldiers eating together, talking about their commander. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but the name of Commander Ardmore had registered itself in her brain out of habit. Commander Ardmore the new commander in the battalion, she was taking place of the last one, named Quaritch, who got killed by the Sully family during the Hallelujah mountain war. As much as Quaritch was dead, his consciousness and memories had been stored by RDA and had been retrieved by last summer to be out for use. A new way of generating Avatars is what it had been, a permanent transfer of one's "soul" into the body of an almost native Na'vi. She had been offered it, but Avery had declined, she had not yet wished to kill herself. Besides the program was primarily done for the soldiers who were already dead.
"I heard so, too. The new commander lady doesn't want us holding her up this time. "
"Wait, holding her up for what?" Avery asked curiously.
"Well, apparently Selfridge is out for necks, he has been searching for the Sully family like crazy ever since he had come back, back in 2167, but for now he is trying to cut down other Hometrees for mining, so I don't think he will get busy with finding the family as of yet. " Garvin who had brought two food trays to the table had sat one down right in front of Avery, though they were on a different planet, they still could enjoy human food.
"What's with his obsession and the Sully's anyways, the dude is probably out like a savage riding his Pandoran dragon eating raw meat." One of the soldiers on the table had remarked, making the other along with Mick laugh out loudly.
"Well, the legendary Jake Sully used to be a marine apparently, now that he is the part of this planet, I don't think he will back down. At the end of the day, we are threatening "his" world. Hah... I can't believe someone would become a blue alien monkey instead. I could never imagine myself running around butt naked in the rain forest. I prefer my mattress. " Garvin had laughed and signed for Avery to start eating. Avery nodded, thinking about the young 23-year-old Jake Sully, whose recordings she had received from his old friend Norm Spellman, he was also another doctor who worked together with Augustine, but he had also decided to join the Na'vi.
"You are also getting one of these aren't you? That 9-foot-tall blue body. I mean the avatar. Why do you need one anyway?" Mick had finally broken the silence after some time when everyone got busy with eating. Avery looked up nervously, only to compose herself again and look Mick confidently in the eyes.
"Well, since I will be researching, the avatar body will allow me much more precision. It's like using a microscope to observe molecules and small organisms. But very broadly said. It does much more. Gives me flexibility to observe the world like a native." Avery smiled and took another bite of her stake. Mick nodded and pointed his fork in her direction, as if to silently acknowledge her point.
"Well, have fun with that." And as much as his previous gesture was somehow well perceived, the way he had mockingly laughed about Avery's reality and how he made the others on the table laugh with him felt like yet another stab in her chest. Most of the researchers who used to work with Avatar bodies and had been actively going in the forests and interacting with the natives, she wouldn't have that luxury. She would have to be with soldiers and some other researchers, who probably only cared about the pay.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Selfridge had looked much older than his photo from about two decades ago when he became the leading manager of the whole research base in the rainforest. He had become more ragged mentally, something Avery had seen through him, or maybe he was just that easy to read. He looked like he didn't want to be there. His strict demeanor and hardened heart gave him an unbearable character.
"Since when did you find out about this?" He had asked in silence and hadn't looked up from his desk, looking at the little Unobtanium floating on the small magnetic holder.
"About a month before I came here. I did not want to ruin the whole trip or the operation, so I did not report about it. I am sorry. " Avery looked down at her hand, she played with the small dainty ring that was on her thumb finger that was too big for her.
"Is it really this that caused it?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"How about the natives? How come they are not affected by it?" Selfridge stood up from his reclining chair and approached Avery, leaning in front her on his desk.
"Well, it is a very normal, usual material that is found on this planet, for them it is like iron for us. Besides, Unobtanium makes up most of their lands, especially their Soul Trees. " Avery let go of her ring and clasped her hands behind her back, looking straight at Selfridge.
"Have you informed anyone of this yet? Any other researchers, friends or soldiers around you."
"I might be young, but I know how to recognize information that shouldn't be shared with others because of common good. I do want to ask you for a favor, though. I know it's in my brain. And for now, whatever medication I am being administered is keeping it at bay, please find a way to transfer my consciousness to my avatar body. " Selfridge nodded, at least he had that much power, he could have granted her that one wish.
"Thank you. I will be off now. "
"Your first operation is today, right? I mean the first connection with your Na'vi body, right?"
Avery nodded.
"Well have fun then. and don't get obsessed with it, it's temporary. " Selfridge put his head down as if thinking about something, scratching that one itch that still bled occasionally in his consciousness, he didn't say much after that, he took his seat silently, expecting Avery to finally leave him alone in his office.
"What happens to the avatar bodies once you are done operations?" Avery froze on the way out, holding the door open with half of her body outside of the office already.
“They get disposed a day before your return to earth. " And with that he had dismissed her.