damned_institute | Nightshift 35: Experimental Treatments Laboratory

[from here]

More empty beds. The more he thought about it, the odder it seemed to him; didn't they do experiments fairly openly on the patients at night? It was possible these rooms saw some use during the day, the autopsy room as well, but it seemed the low report of deaths and the fact that no one reported being carted off to be experimented on during the daytime, or for that matter, reported friends being carted off...

Then again, if someone came, retrieved you from wherever you were at the time, experimented on you, and then took your memories of the event before placing you in the next friendly daily activity, would anyone notice it? It wasn't a very pleasant thought, and worse, he could think of no reason why they would be unable to do so, given the control they'd demonstrated over patients so far. Perhaps he should be focusing more on making very good friends.

Not expecting much, he reached down to casually turn on the computer on the corner desk. "I don't suppose you break into computers as easily as you break through doors, hm?"

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Out of habit more than anything, Sai smiled for the first time since he'd run into Vlad. It wasn't a real smile, not by a long shot, but at least he was attempting to be pleasant. "I apologize. I'm not generally a very talkative person."

He looked at the computer as Vlad pointed to it, but shook his head. "No. I'm afraid I don't have much experience with them." To be truthful, he wasn't even sure he knew how to turn one on. Ninja didn't use them.

"Well, not everyone is meant to be a social butterfly." Vlad smiled back at Sai with about as much sincerity and significantly more smarm, before returning his attention to the computer. He really didn't hope to break into it; his interests in electronics were more on the hardware development side than on software protection and encryption. Still, he gamely tried a few likely passwords, such as 'landels,' 'institute,' 'insanity,' and a few less likely, such as 'maddiemasters' and 'killjack,' before turning it off again as a lost cause.

There was no telling what was on the computer, anyhow; even if he were able to break in, it could be more presents laid out for easy access like the scalpels, or it could be the good Doctor's personal cookie recipe collection. "Let's call this another dead end for now, then. We seem to have an unprecedented number of choices in the form of doors around us, anyhow." The two doors to the side of the room couldn't lead to very large rooms, considering how near they had to be to the hallway they'd first entered by. How many more rooms down before they exited out into it again, via the door they'd first passed? Or would they find themselves cut off before then and forced to backtrack? "You say this is your first time in this area of the Institute? The maps I've seen also had nothing on this area, so far as I recall..."

Sai had a map somewhere. He hadn't brought it. Then again, he hadn't been expecting to come upstairs tonight, really. He supposed next time he would have to be more prepared, no matter where he originally intended to go.

"It's not technically a dead end if we still have unopened doors," the ninja pointed out. He knew what the man had been trying to get at, be thought he might attempt to be positive. He tested each of the doors in turn. All but the one at the far end were locked.

He pushed the door at the far end open to give Vlad a glimpse of the other side, but didn't walk through. "Any preference?"

"Simply the computer, that's all," Vlad agreed, and swiveled in the chair to watch the ninja test the doors. Two locked, one open and leading in the same direction they'd been going.

"It seems rather un-thorough of us to just pass these doors by without trying, don't you think?" Vlad stood to walk over to the door closest to their prior point of entrance, instead. "Or, do you think that's enough for one evening? I have kept you busy all night, I really should be more considerate. But how lucky to have met you in the halls like that." Even without monster attack, Sai was a very useful door opener, and he looked forward to seeing what would happen when and if monsters did come out of hiding towards them.

It was a bit late, Sai believed, for Vlad to be apologizing for taking up his time. They were already upstairs, already in this room. They might as well check the locked doors while they were here, as the man had said.

Instead of picking just one of them, however, the ninja decided to break open both doors in turn and not enter either. Instead, he backed up so that Vlad could get a look in both and decide if either was worth exploring further.

Vlad watched patiently as Sai kicked open first one door, then the other, before standing back. Was this a way of protesting the fact that he'd been the first into every room so far, making himself the first potential target of monster attacks while Vlad came in after? Or was it simply polite deference to Vlad's choices?

Vlad looked to both doors, before choosing the closest to their entrance door. After all, it was best to be methodical about these things.

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[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/474780.html)]

Well, that had been useful enough, and his new friend had even gotten some things out of it. Vlad was pleased they hadn't passed the room by.

"Next room, then?" he suggested brightly as they exited, gesturing at the neighboring door.

Nodding, Sai led the way.

Sai glanced back over his shoulder as they left the room full of experiments. He looked about as baffled by Vlad's question as was possible for him. It wasn't an angry sort of confusion, either. Was the man serious?

"Don't be silly," he answered with a frown. "Why would I want to eat it?" The creature under his arm gnawed lightly on his jacket, not struggling at all.

"I can't imagine anything else you intend with it, either." Vlad pointed out, still watching the creature warily under Sai's arm. He frowned disapprovingly but was at least slightly calmed, now that they were out of the room. "There are some very strange individuals in this Institute, young man, and the decision to kidnap one of those poor creatures is certainly strange to me. Fine, I've explained to you why you shouldn't, do you plan on explaining why you are, anyway?" If it were intended as an act of mercy, going back in and killing them all would be more effective. Perhaps he wanted to study its design alone? They had the tools, theoretically, although Vlad still wouldn't touch it with bare skin.

"Why...?" Sai stared blankly at Vlad for several moments, as though asking himself the question at the same time. Why had he taken just this one out of its cage?

In his arms, and facing away from the other man, the eyes of the young creature glowed red again. For a brief moment, this was reflected in the ninja's eyes as well. Then he frowned again. "I like it. That's all."

Wanting something and therefore resolving to take it was something Vlad could sympathize with, really. But mostly that involved pieces of technology, ancient artifacts of power, or people. Not... monster cat-lizard-things. He stared at it a moment longer.

"... Did you intend to keep it in your closet as a pet?" There was no accounting for taste. Vlad sighed. "We can't go further safely if you're going to have to worry about carrying an animal as well." He could suggest they stop here, find gloves, examine the thing--for its own good, perhaps?

Nightshift 35: Experimental Treatments Laboratory

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