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damned_institute2011-04-29 11:07 am
tightsofmight) wrote in damned_institute2011-04-29 11:07 am
Day 56: Bus 1
Previously, on Peter Parker's Sucky Life:
Pain, pain, fourth wall bulldozing, fire and pain, and teeny useless swords.
Yeah, so Peter wasn't feeling so hot today. It was a marked improvement on waking up after getting shanked by Grell, but this was in no way a good morning. They had all made it through the basement trials and got their dinky rewards, but man did they pay a hefty price for it. All of them. (Scott and the others had to fight robot raptors? What the hell...) Peter rose from his bed oh so delicately and with much wincing, thanking whoever it was that carried them back to bed every night for putting him belly down on his mattress.
His back, oh god. Peter seethed and hissed and grunted in pain. It felt like it was scabbing over, and the bandages yanked at the tender skin with every minute muscle spasm, every move he made. Cripes. Better his back than his arms or legs, but still. It was going to make things so difficult if they got stuck in Doyleton all over again.
Brainy was so thoroughly wrapped in his blankets on the other side of the room that Peter couldn't make heads or tails of his current state. But he'd stayed in the whole night, right? He should be fine.
Sometimes he just needed extra convincing of that. Considering the guy's track record and all.
From the sounds of it, this Aguilar guy wasn't changing too much of the routine. Being field trip day, Peter had wondered how the new man in charge would handle it (or how General Lieutenant Burger would, apparently). If he planned on letting them out at all. The announcement squashed that theory, and so did the orderly tromping in with a second-hand change of clothes. The burly man passed him the goods without so much as a word, stomping right back outside to wait behind the door. Guess they weren't going in military gear.
...Orderly? Peter pushed the door open again after performing the hastiest change of clothes he could manage in his state, peering at the man. That guy was in an army uniform yesterday. He remembered him. His buzz cut was uneven and he had a pointy old mole on the back of his neck.
"Uh. Are you going incognito?"
He was suddenly on the end of such a pointed look Peter could swear he was talking to Nick Fury. If Nick Fury was white and still had both eyes. "...Right. Okay. Lead the way, hombre."
So undercover it was. The people of Doyleton didn't know this was a military operation. Briefly, he wondered what the advantages of revealing that to the townsfolk could be, but then he remembered how they'd all up and morphed into the living dead at sundown. Put to rest any usefulness they might have had. They were just puppets, the same as the rest of the creepy crawlies in this hellhole.
Though that did beg the question as to why you would have to hide your secrets from puppets in the first place.
He was bequeathed with the usual paper bag lunch and packet of coupons, though he was still surprised to find himself a $15 gift card in the mix. Intercom Dude wasn't kidding about that?
He had money?
...What would he even do with money in Doyleton? What was fifteen dollars and worth buying that wasn't a gourmet burger? Peter boggled at the card as he clambered onto the bus. He'd never gone through the town with any inclination to window shop, so he couldn't even say what was available. He might actually have to look around. Even something simple might be a big help.
The orderly-formerly-known-as-Private-Dwight followed him on tucked a pillow into his seat for him. "Sit down. And don't do anything stupid. You'll heal a lot faster if you don't agitate it."
Peter fidgeted, but quietly settled into the pillow. This was kind of awkward. "Um. Thank you. I deeply appreciate your concern." The man nodded, and was gone.
Peter was the only one on the bus so far. The emptiness was kind of creeping him out.
[Reserved for Harvey Dent. WHY AM I TOP POSTING EVERYTHING YOU JERKS.]
Pain, pain, fourth wall bulldozing, fire and pain, and teeny useless swords.
Yeah, so Peter wasn't feeling so hot today. It was a marked improvement on waking up after getting shanked by Grell, but this was in no way a good morning. They had all made it through the basement trials and got their dinky rewards, but man did they pay a hefty price for it. All of them. (Scott and the others had to fight robot raptors? What the hell...) Peter rose from his bed oh so delicately and with much wincing, thanking whoever it was that carried them back to bed every night for putting him belly down on his mattress.
His back, oh god. Peter seethed and hissed and grunted in pain. It felt like it was scabbing over, and the bandages yanked at the tender skin with every minute muscle spasm, every move he made. Cripes. Better his back than his arms or legs, but still. It was going to make things so difficult if they got stuck in Doyleton all over again.
Brainy was so thoroughly wrapped in his blankets on the other side of the room that Peter couldn't make heads or tails of his current state. But he'd stayed in the whole night, right? He should be fine.
Sometimes he just needed extra convincing of that. Considering the guy's track record and all.
From the sounds of it, this Aguilar guy wasn't changing too much of the routine. Being field trip day, Peter had wondered how the new man in charge would handle it (or how General Lieutenant Burger would, apparently). If he planned on letting them out at all. The announcement squashed that theory, and so did the orderly tromping in with a second-hand change of clothes. The burly man passed him the goods without so much as a word, stomping right back outside to wait behind the door. Guess they weren't going in military gear.
...Orderly? Peter pushed the door open again after performing the hastiest change of clothes he could manage in his state, peering at the man. That guy was in an army uniform yesterday. He remembered him. His buzz cut was uneven and he had a pointy old mole on the back of his neck.
"Uh. Are you going incognito?"
He was suddenly on the end of such a pointed look Peter could swear he was talking to Nick Fury. If Nick Fury was white and still had both eyes. "...Right. Okay. Lead the way, hombre."
So undercover it was. The people of Doyleton didn't know this was a military operation. Briefly, he wondered what the advantages of revealing that to the townsfolk could be, but then he remembered how they'd all up and morphed into the living dead at sundown. Put to rest any usefulness they might have had. They were just puppets, the same as the rest of the creepy crawlies in this hellhole.
Though that did beg the question as to why you would have to hide your secrets from puppets in the first place.
He was bequeathed with the usual paper bag lunch and packet of coupons, though he was still surprised to find himself a $15 gift card in the mix. Intercom Dude wasn't kidding about that?
He had money?
...What would he even do with money in Doyleton? What was fifteen dollars and worth buying that wasn't a gourmet burger? Peter boggled at the card as he clambered onto the bus. He'd never gone through the town with any inclination to window shop, so he couldn't even say what was available. He might actually have to look around. Even something simple might be a big help.
The orderly-formerly-known-as-Private-Dwight followed him on tucked a pillow into his seat for him. "Sit down. And don't do anything stupid. You'll heal a lot faster if you don't agitate it."
Peter fidgeted, but quietly settled into the pillow. This was kind of awkward. "Um. Thank you. I deeply appreciate your concern." The man nodded, and was gone.
Peter was the only one on the bus so far. The emptiness was kind of creeping him out.
[Reserved for Harvey Dent. WHY AM I TOP POSTING EVERYTHING YOU JERKS.]
no subject
But she looked cheerful; far more than he thought anyone here could be, especially after the near silent treatment he had gotten from the doctors (soldiers?) this morning, and the gloom of the blank walls and floors and even the clothes that had been given to him. He couldn't bring himself to be more appreciative of the clothing, though, it being old and musty and just... something he wouldn't have touched once upon a time. His mood had only darkened further at the sight of his brand, now well hidden under not only a long sleeved shirt but a much too big sweatshirt that had sleeves which stretched well beyond his fingertips. Another world, supposedly, and his brand was still there as stark and black as ever, reminding him of truths he didn't want to feel on his skin.
But for all the terrible things that were going on in his head and the gloom of being here... he couldn't seem to hang on to those thoughts in the face of someone else. Like Vanille.
Not knowing what to say, he just shook his head, scooting over slightly closer to the window to make room (not that there wasn't a lot of room already on the seat, especially since the both of them weren't exactly the biggest people out there).
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"Thanks!" Anise chirped in her usual high-pitched voice, plopping down on the seat next to the stranger. Her paper bag was set in her lap, with her coupons and card safely inside. It was kind of a funny coincidence that the staff would give them money so soon after Anise and her friends went and collected a bunch, but the new policy was definitely a welcome one. Finally, she could go shopping! It was nice to have something to look forward to for once.
"My name's Anise." It was only polite to introduce herself if they were going to spend the ride together. The guy next to her looked pretty uncomfortable, though. Either he had a really rough night, or... "Is this your first time going on the field trip?" she asked, tilting her head a little as she did.
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Was it any stranger than the idea he had in his head about being in some sort of military test, though? Maybe. He wasn't sure.
"Hi," he finally offered, although still a bit quiet. He winced at the sound of his own voice, still rough from sleep and having stayed silent all morning. But he shifted, bringing his head higher and away from his knees, rubbing at his nose with a sleeve. For all that he could nitpick about the clothes, at least the sleeves were long. He could clench the ends of them in his hands to ensure that they didn't ride up accidentally.
"I'm..." he hesitated just a bit. It didn't matter, though. At least, his name shouldn't matter at all. By now, the Sanctum would probably already have all of their names and know everything about them. And if this really was another world... well, it still wouldn't matter. "I'm Hope."
There, he ducked his head slightly, trying to figure out if all introductions were the same in different worlds and different universes. It had to be, right? Either way, if it wasn't...
"I, uh. Just... got here last night."
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"Whoa! Just last night?" Her eyes widened for a moment. "No wonder. You're probably really confused right now, huh?" The military takeover made things confusing enough for veterans like Anise. It was hard to even imagine what it was like for a new arrival. And arriving in the middle of night? That was just cruel.
From the paper bag in her lap, Anise retrieved a muffin, picked a piece off the top, and ate it. "Hmm... There's a whole lot of stuff you probably want to hear about. Do you want me to start with the basics?" Fortunately, they had the whole ride to talk, so maybe Hope would leave the bus somewhat prepared for what was to come.
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...He would never be able to get his life back to normal.
He didn't even know how much time he had. How much time were l'Cie given to fulfill their Focus before they failed and turned into monsters? How much time did he have? Another world or not, he still had the brand, and he doubted that distance would do anything to stall its acceleration. Here, he had no chance of fulfilling his Focus-- Hope had to scoff at the idea, though. Them saving Cocoon. That was a preposterous thought. Cocoon needed to be saved from them, or at least they needed to be saved themselves. There was no way he could do anything that... big. Or the others.
Especially Snow. If he couldn't save one person, just one, the one who mattered to Hope the most, how did he want to save Cocoon?
He pushed back the thoughts, though, and nodded hesitantly. "There's... more than basics?"
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"Yep! Lots more. This place is really complicated, and the creeps running it try to keep us in the dark as much as they can." She took another bite of her muffin, a thoughtful look on her face. "For starters, how much have you figured out? Any old guesses are good, too. I'll try to expand on that first."
That seemed like an okay place to start. Anise didn't want to say anything too redundant if Hope already caught on to some basics, and hearing what Hope thought of the place so far would give her an idea of how much he'd be willing to believe. Some people would consider her crazy if she mentioned other worlds and aliens, for one thing, and the last thing she wanted was for him to write her off as some nutcase when she had genuinely important information to share with him.
no subject
"I was told this place is a hospital." Although he wasn't certain of that. It didn't look like a hospital. The man who had told him that (teenager?) had been concise in his wording as well, and seemed as unaffected as Anise did. How long had they been here? "And... it's supposed to be another world."
He was surprisingly accepting of the other world theory, perhaps because that was what he had woken up thinking-- that maybe this place was Pulse; was Hell. Knowing that he wasn't on Pulse, but on some other world... Hope wasn't sure whether to be relieved or more frightened.
"I don't understand, though-- how did we get here? Why would people be keeping us in the dark?" Was there a way back? Who were those people? And were they the ones who brought him? But too many questions at a time was never a good idea, and he could wait. Everything was a mystery to him here.
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"The hospital thing's a front," Anise began by explaining. "They'd tell us that we were sick, and we didn't know who we really were, and they'd show us these fake names and fake lives to try and convince us that we're someone we're not." Part of Anise wished that was still the worst of her problems, but things had gotten really complicated since. Still, it was a good starting place for an explanation.
As she went on, Anise lowered her voice to a whisper. Since the staff seemed to have dropped their front, it might not have been necessary, but she still didn't want to be too obvious. "But like I said, that's not true. We're not crazy, and they're not trying to help us. At night, they sic monsters on people, do experiments on them, brainwash them - all kinds of creepy stuff."
She knew Hope had way more questions than what she just answered, but that was probably lots to take in already, so Anise stopped for a moment, took another bite of her breakfast, and then asked, "Are you with me so far?"
no subject
That seemed... more than a lot to take in. He hadn't run into anything last night other than one person... and the darkness. It wasn't like he could go very far when he couldn't see anything at all, but his imagination had supplied plenty of monsters for him.
"But why would anyone want to do that?" It didn't matter that a part of him, a very bitter part, snarked about it being exactly what he had feared. That he had been kidnapped by the Sanctum and was going to be experimented on before they killed him. That he had been expecting it, for all intents and purposes, and did he really think he was going to escape unscathed even for whatever time he might have left over? With his luck and his life lately, nothing good was going to happen to him; no solace even in being pulled to some kind of demented hospital. Hospitals were meant to heal, and this wasn't... anything like that at all.
It just didn't make sense to him, everything that had happened. He knew the words, knew what was being told to him, but understanding failed where comprehension of the sentences succeeded. What would be the motive? Why had things happened? Why did people... even do things like this? He understood that he had been sheltered... his mom never liked seeing anything bad happen, and Hope had been quick to appease her at all times. But it just never made sense to him; bad people. Why anyone would do terrible things.
no subject
Anise shook her head. "Nobody knows for sure. Some people have some guesses, like that it's secretly a research facility for experimenting on people, or that it's a training facility for making people into some kind super-soldiers..." She stopped for a moment, and despite the horrific reality they were facing, she smiled sheepishly. "Um... that probably sounds completely crazy, huh?"
But it was still possible. Anise had already lived through enough crazy things that those theories didn't even seem that weird anymore.
"Anyway, a couple days ago, these soldiers showed up and took over. The Head Doctor and the nurses were driven out, and everything changed. Now they don't even pretend they're helping us. They've been treating us like recruits," she added. That made the whole 'super-soldier' theory seem a little more likely, but who knew what the truth was? "Today might be different, though, since we have the field trip." It was surprising that they were even going on the field trip in the first place. Did the military gain something from this? And who were they trying to fool with those costumes of theirs?
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It just didn't make any sense to him. The idea of doctors running a training facility, and the military giving them a field trip... maybe he really should have asked the person who escorted him out some questions, but... he didn't seem like he would answer them. In fact, the person who threw him the clothes and escorted him out didn't seem to really want anything to do with him at all. At the time, it had seemed like a welcome change to actively being pursued and held at gunpoint.
He eyed the muffin contemplatively, though. Did that mean there was food in the bag that had been given to him? Now that he thought about it, he hadn't eaten since... he didn't know. Since the whole mess started. There hadn't been the time nor the motivation, since running and staying alive had felt more important. How long had it been? Two days?
He pulled his legs up tighter to try and prevent his stomach from protesting at the thought. He'd think about food later. Later. Right now, he wanted answers more than anything else. And honestly, he was ready to believe just about anything.
"It does sound crazy," He added, although there was nothing reproachful in his tone.
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Anise tilted her head to the side as she thought. "I'm not really sure. I thought they were doing it to back up their lies, but the military isn't pretending to run a hospital, so..." If they weren't trying to trick the patients, who were they trying to fool? Or maybe they were never trying to fool anyone. "Maybe it's part of their experiments. You know, like... putting a rat in a maze and seeing what it'll do."
It was a pretty dark way of looking at things, but the truth was that the people heading the institute had control over everything around them. It actually wouldn't be that weird if they were doing something like that.
After letting that thought sink in for a few seconds, Anise looked over Hope once more, noticing the untouched snack bag. "You should eat," she suggested with a small smile. "You might not get much for good food after today." Hope was lucky not to have been inflicted with that horrible-looking gruel yet, but chances were that he was going to be faced with it tomorrow. The least Anise could do was warn him so he didn't pass up his chance to eat real food while he could.
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At the mention of food, though, he glanced at the bag. Hope wasn't sure if he wanted to eat, especially if it would just tease his hunger. He was still running on the nearing empty reserves of adrenaline and shock, and to eat would just make him hungrier, he knew. And it would mean he stopped for... something. And that might open a floodgate he wasn't prepared to face yet. Of what, he didn't know. But right now, it felt like he was still running. Learning about the new place he was in; defending himself.
And as long as he didn't stop and didn't look back, he would be okay for that moment.
"In... a little while." He agreed. He shook his head again to clear his thoughts, though. He needed to stop thinking about that. Thinking about anything, really. "And everyone just got here one day? Has anyone been able to get home?"
He shifted uncomfortably. "What if someone here is dangerous and needs to get back?"
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Letting that subject drop as abruptly as it was brought up, she focused instead on his questions. Unfortunately, there really wasn't an easy way to answer them.
"No one remembers getting here, and... no one's been able to get home, from what I've heard," she answered, her gaze lowering to her own knees as she shared the gloomy facts. "The only people who leave are the people they let out; the people they managed to brainwash into thinking they're someone else." There were also the people who died, but... this conversation was dark enough without mentioning that.
Hope's last question was one that gave Anise pause, however, and she looked back to him with a confused look. Someone dangerous? Did he meet someone like that last night? Or... was he talking about himself? Looking at him now, though, Anise had a hard time imagining anything about Hope being dangerous. After a long pause, she finally asked, "What do you mean, dangerous?"
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Not that he was sure he wanted to go back. Going back would just be going to a swift execution. But the chance of being able to do something and make the last of his days seem worthwhile was there. He still had to take revenge for his mother's death. Even if that was the only thing he would be able to do before he was caught by Psicom.
He wasn't sure what she meant by brainwashing, either, but at least it seemed like some way out. Enough to perk his interest, anyway. A way out of the hospital might not mean a way home, but it could be a start. Better than staying in the dark, anyway. He... didn't like that darkness.
"Couldn't anyone just... pretend to believe them?" He asked, tilting his head. "And then just... find a way home once they're out of the hospital?"
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She bit her lip a little, knowing that that probably wasn't something Hope wanted to hear. It was probably part of their experiments; watching weird, foreign illnesses as they got worse. It was disgusting, but that was the kind of people their captors were.
"As for pretending to believe them, I've been trying that for weeks and they still don't buy it, boooo," Anise groaned, pouting a little. She was sure that she was a convincing actress, so maybe they had some way of knowing for sure who still had their identities.
But Anise didn't want to give only bad news, so she quickly followed up with something a little more upbeat. "Anyway, all you can really do is rely on the friends you make here. Like me!" She grinned in a way that she hoped was reassuring. "You can come to me for anything, okay?"
no subject
"Thanks." There was a duck of his head as he said that, some sheepishness that still managed to be retained through this experience and journey. He hadn't been appreciative enough of Vanille's optimism and warmth, relying instead on Lightning to help him and-- now he regretted that. She may not have seemed as strong, but at least she was willing to pull him along and make sure he didn't get left alone.
And now, with that cheeriness seemed reflected in Anise, and his own fumbling in this place, he was more than glad for what seemed almost like... a second chance. Choose to listen to the person who made it sound like it would be okay.
no subject
As Anise looked in Hope's direction, though, she realized she could see buildings through the window beside him. Leaning closer to get a better look, she announced, "Oh, look! We're here!" Doyleton looked different from how she remembered it, with glistening snow covering the rooftops and icicles hanging from every ledge. It was kind of pretty, actually.
Unfortunately, reaching the town meant there wasn't much time left to talk, so Anise figured this was a good time to let Hope know how to contact her. "There's a bulletin board back at the institute that people use for keeping in touch with each other. If you need a favor or if you just want to talk, all you have to do is leave a note with my name on it."
But they were in Doyleton now, so that method wasn't going to work today. They still had options, though, didn't they? "Oh, and there's another bulletin by the grocer in town here. I'll keep an eye on that one too." Maybe he wouldn't even want to rely on a stranger like her, but it was still good for him to have someone he could come to if he wanted to. Nobody should be alone in a place like this, Anise thought.
notifs hfdjksfhskd
Snow. He tried not to associate the name and just pressing a hand against the window in wonderment at the flakes falling from the sky. It took a moment before he was broken from his reverie, looking back as she talked about the bulletin boards. That was good to know-- without phones and such, it would have been hard to find anything. At the very least, there was that.
"Okay. I'll... look for that." And he would, or at least try to find it. Something like that might be able to tell him more about the place he had ended up in. A hesitation, even as he watched people get herded off the bus. "Thank you."
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"I'll always be around, so don't be a stranger!" she reminded him one last time before a "nurse" shouted for patients to keep moving, and she had no choice but to move ahead to the exit. All she could do now was hope that he'd be okay.