Night 67: X-Ray Operation Room

[asteroidbelt]

[from here]

Small room this time. Why did it seem like he'd stepped onto the set of a sci-fi? Is this room about to blast off into space? Ryusei couldn't resist thinking, even though he knew more or less what a space station actually looked like. Glancing through the window didn't make the room's purpose any clearer; it was too dark to make anything out even when he flashed his light directly at it. At least the fact the room even had a window like this was a hint. But what kind of machinery needed that many buttons? Logic would dictate that it was something medical, he thought as he shone the light over the labels. Was it...a surgery room? Was the room beyond the window a surgery room?

"Any idea what this room is?"

More importantly, that had been the only door in the last room, meaning they couldn't backtrack to that outdoors area. What with this Gate Switch nonsense, that meant he might never find the front door tonight. He'd have to wait a day until he could try again. Unless— "This doesn't happen often, I'm guessing," he added.

Comments

[ofthemotions]

There was no reason to stay in the other room--it offered no answers at any rate--and Mikado followed the other idly through the door again. True to form, the same sensations washed over him, and--

...Now this was different. It looked a little sinister in the darkness, and Mikado moved his flashlight around, trying to determine what this was. The dials and knobs could be anything, not the least of which some kind of controlling device, and after what Mikado went through a few nights ago, he wasn't in a hurry to define them. When Sakuta spoke up, Mikado expected more questions, but instead there was only a pleased murmur--

"This room could be useful...."

--That was so out of place that Mikado froze, eyes creeping backward toward the other even as his flashlight held still in front of him. Useful? What kind of use could be had in this place? Unless Sakuta knew what these things were, and if so--

But he had started speaking again, more clearly this time, and Mikado cleared his throat, and tried to ignore any misgivings. "...It hasn't at least for the whole time I've been here," he explained, after a moment's hesitation. "You might want to ask someone that's been here for longer than two weeks if it's happened before this."

[asteroidbelt]

It didn't happen every night, then; that was somewhat of a relief. Ryusei had simply picked the worst night to go exploring. Fine; he could still salvage this.

"About what I wanted to ask you," he said as he wandered over to the cabinet and pulled out all the drawers. Nothing here but a small notepad and rubber bands. Why even have a cabinet and not put anything in it? He stuffed all the rubber bands into his pocket out of spite.

"What's this experimentation you mentioned?"

[ofthemotions]

There was no response to what Mikado said--instead, the subject was changed, and experimentation was brought up. That... --Okay, that was really unsettling, especially after the last thing that had been said. Mikado swallowed, glancing to the other, where Sakuta was shifting through a few items. Was it deliberate or was Mikado reading into things? Either way he wanted out of this room.

"It's, um, uh." Mikado's eyes moved around the room before settling on the door. "I'll tell you, but we should probably continue, right?" A failed attempt at brevity accompanied the boy moving to open the door.

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