CHAPTER 4 – What a Wonderful World

by inkadmin

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

Ralph Emerson

When the news broke of what she had signed and done, St Marten’s erupted.

Nurse Bessey held Lana in her mighty bosom and cried, while each of the physicians who had put her body through every conceivable form of test came to thank her.

And it was only then that Lana Zacanissian truly understood that her “Whatever Will Be” had indeed “gone viral” in the factorial sense.

In the midst of the celebratory air that filled an otherwise cold and clinically underfunded space, Dr Harper took a private moment to meet with her, naturally observed by their Nursing Manager, Mrs Bessey.

“Despite everything, I would like to apologise for leaking that video of you singing,” the Director’s head was slightly bowed. “I hope you will forgive me, Miss Fontaine.”

Lana retorted that she could only feel gladness, that the studio was a public space, and that the song had nothing to do with her medical privacy. This made the Director’s eyes grow so soft that he had to look away, after which the man thanked her kindly, then left to tend to other children that needed his care far more than she did.

After another rigorous session with Dr Hughes, she was once more left alone in a room that would soon need to be vacated for the needy.

She felt strangely happy. The fact of the matter was that “her” song had brought great happiness to a great deal of people and given a “little life” to the world, as opposed to the “little death” she sowed in her prior life; were not lost on her.

“[System]. Show me the money.”

Euphemia Fontaine [Lana Zacanissian]						Causality
Strength	12	Athletics				528
Agility	19	Acrobatics				Health
Vitality	16	Endurance	Pain Suppression			22 / 33
Wisdom	27	Insight	Emotional Intelligence	Perception	Legalism	Stamina
Intelligence	35	Arithmetics	Accounting and Finance	Business Acumen		25 / 28
Charisma	14	Persuasion	Intimidation	Larceny	[Songstress]	Dasein
Comeliness	21	Seduction				53
TRAITS :: [Prophet of Profits] Inactive :: [Weak Willed] [Demure] [Fearful]

“System, raise [Agility] and [Vitality] to 20.”

[Causality: 347]

“System, raise [Comeliness] to 25.”

The desire to have a good exterior was a little vain, but good looks were a currency the [System] did not fully understand, which Lana intended to exploit.

Insufficient [Causality]

“Oh?” Lana asked for clarification, but none was forthcoming. Did the System read her mind? Or was anything above the threshold of well above average something that required exponential [Causality]? After all, she had retained those nice high numbers in [Wisdom] and [Intelligence], reasons for which the [System] had decided to drag her into this alter-earth purgatory. No matter, she would try something else.

“System, raise the potential of [Songstress].”

[Songstress]

Causality Tier (A-)

You are a born singer with enormous potential. Your talent can be truly exceptional when mastered and exercised. Conditionally, your singing voice will enchant and fascinate others.

This trait can be improved through training, performance, and Karmic Causality

[Causality: 117]

Lana winced. She needed to raise her proficiency because her contract with Sony stipulated that she would supply their Recording Department with a Master of the original. Knowing how anal-retentive her [System] was, she doubted there was much [Causality] to be gained by outsourcing her song.

That said, she had almost no skills related to songwriting.

“System, use [Roulette], spend the rest.”

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

[YES] Selected.
Spending 117 Karmic Causality Points

Processing…
Processing…

“First thought is best in Art, second in other matters.”

Williiam Blake

Karmic Muse Acquired

Trait [Composer]

A dozen more epigrams came before and followed after, instructing Lana that indeed, Karma wasn’t very generous. She especially felt this because of the insensible [Trait] the [System] had gifted her by chance.

[Composer]

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