damned_institute | Day 32: Sun Room (2nd shift)

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Day 32: Sun Room (2nd shift)

After the couple glasses of water Leon managed to gulp down during breakfast, the mage felt immensely better. He was still a bit tired, but that was nothing a little lounging on one of the sofas wouldn't cure. Stretching his arms above his head, he couldn't help but wish he'd had the chance to grab one of his new doctor's coats before leaving his room that morning. Maybe they would have let him get away with wearing it. Maybe.

He grabbed an empty sofa, pulling out the journal he tried to keep on him at all times. It was nearly complete now. Just a couple more pages to go. It might not improve his spellcasting that much, but any improvement was better than none. It was getting to where it might be too dangerous for him to use spells at all, if it left him so worn out without even finishing a monster off.

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"Another hospital? Were you injured?" ZEX tried to think of how humans showed concern... no, it involved too many complicated facial movements for him to emulate properly. He hoped it'd show enough in his voice. "That would be a shame... I do hate to see humans injured..."

Not that his previous occupation had really helped with that.

"Ah, no, I wasn't human. I was a VUX, to be more precise, a species native to Beta Luyten. Although I doubt that would mean much, considering I've met very few here with any knowledge of my species... or even Hyperspace travel." And this was all perfectly natural, of course. "This change has been a bit difficult for me, I'm afraid..."

ZEX stared a bit blankly for a few seconds, trying to move head tentacles that weren't there, and waved with his free hand. "As for what's going on here... I'm afraid no one really knows for sure. Everyone seems to be here against their will, and there seems to be no clear overarching purpose to why we would be trapped here like this, or changed from one body to another, or thrown to dangerous, if beautiful, monsters every night..." ZEX sighed slightly. "It wears on the mind a bit."

Eileen just nodded. She knew for a fact she'd been attacked. She knew that wasn't a delusion or a hallucination or anything like that. She'd been attacked in her home, and that boy...

Well, it did sound crazy, now, when she thought about it.

"Oh. That must be very hard for you," she managed, nodding. she didn't understand any of what he'd just said, but there was no reason to tell him that. He obviously believed it, and it wasn't like it was hurting anyone. She didn't really think she'd be able to find out anything from the other patients. But the fact that the nice nurse who'd come to get her hadn't told her anything....

She looked away at the mention of monsters. So she wasn't the only one who had delusions of horrible creatures like that. She remembered it, those things.... Maybe there really was something wrong with her.

"The nurse couldn't even get my name right. Where is this place, anyway? I've never heard of a 'Landel's Institute' in Ashfield... are we even still in Massachusetts?"

"It's a bit more difficult than I anticipated..." His fantasies about this kind of thing had made it seem much easier. And sexier. "But I suppose I'm fortunate because I'm so fond of your species." A grin. "I don't think the rest of my people would have taken such a transformation nearly as well, or viewed it as an... opportunity the way that I do."

Pleasant thoughts, and it took a moment to get himself back on track.

"I've never heard of a...Massachusetts... but I'm not very familiar with Earth geography. If we're still on Earth, after all..." Still smiling. "But they gave me a false name as well. I suspect they do so for everyone. I'm Admiral ZEX, although they call me Max here. What's your name?"

"I'm Eileen. It's nice to meet you, Admiral." Should she shake hands? Eileen wasn't sure what the etiquette here was, when introducing herself to a man who thought he was an alien admiral. "Oh, uh, Massachusetts is a state in New England. On the east coast of America? Why... why do they give everyone false names?"

That was the one sticking point that Eileen just couldn't rationalize.

"What a lovely name." He grinned. "Human names are all so unique..."

ZEX continued to stare blankly at the mention of states and countries. "I'm afraid none of the places you mention are familiar to me either. As for the false names... I have no idea." ZEX moved one hand to touch a trunk that was no longer there. "I assume it's to try and separate us further from what's real. Wear us down into insanity."

His hand still over his eye, he tried his best to smile in a way that looked natural. "But thankfully I don't think they've had much success so far."

"But..." Eileen chewed at her lower lip. She squirmed in her seat, desperately trying to rationalize all of this. "Aren't they here to help us? That's what this place is, isn't it? A hospital for people with... with mental sicknesses?"

And maybe the 'Admiral' was just confused. It was probably just some sort of mistake. Those happened, right?

ZEX watched her odd behavior with an intense fascination. What could it all mean, moving around in such a strange way? Humans were such mysterious creatures...

As for her question... that was a topic he did not like quite as much. A bored, somewhat bitter tone entered his voice. "I don't put much stock in therapists of any caliber, VUX or human. Trying to fix things that aren't broken, convincing people that if they deviate from the norm, there's something wrong with them. There's nothing wrong with me, that's for sure. No amount of 'therapy' will ever change that. 'Unnatural desires' indeed, hmmph."

ZEX blinked again, and gestured at the area around them with jerky, unfamiliar motions. "While there may be some here who are genuinely insane, I suspect it's a front for a more sinister operation, although I haven't figured out their motive for doing this, or their methods. Changing me from VUX to human should have been impossible... it's very strange." He rubbed a bit at his leg in thought.

"Oh no, of course there's nothing wrong with you," Eileen was quick to agree. "Not just crazy people see therapists." The comment about 'unnatural desires' mention made Eileen frown for a moment, but she dismissed it. The 'admiral' was quite nice, even if he was paranoid and possibly delusional.

"A more...sinister front?" she had to ask. Conspiracy theories. Those were always interesting, at the very least.

"Ah, thank you, you're very kind." ZEX had always bristled at the idea of something being "wrong" with him, and was always glad to have someone agree that that was not the case. "Although... perhaps it is different for humans. Only 'problematic' people were sent to therapists on Luyten, then worn down until they fit in with the rest of society."

He didn't like this topic of conversation, and was glad to change it. "Yes, I suspect there's something afoot here, something quite large in scope that I haven't quite unraveled just yet. They allow us to roam free at night, with voices giving hints to go here or there and collect this or that trinket, while setting monsters and creatures after us, and in the day... as if none of it happened at all." ZEX looked thoughtful. "I don't know why they're doing this... perhaps to simply drive us mad."

ZEX looked to her and smiled. "I have no intention of losing my mind, though."

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Day 32: Sun Room (2nd shift)

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