damned_institute | Day 43: Intercom, Evening

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Day 43: Intercom, Evening

Hello! I.R.I.S. here once more to announce to you, our honored guests, that you have officially made it through a day of our typical Landel's treatment. Of course, it isn't quite over: we will now have you retire to our designated patient quarters with one of your agency partners to inspect their sleeping area and the tools that we provide them with for the true bulk of our behavioral testing. On an added note, we would like you to notice once again that the meals we provide to our subjects are of the highest quality.

For those of you feeling apprehensive about taking part in our more intensive methods, please be aware that we would never imagine putting all of you in any danger whatsoever. This last shift will be your last at our Institute; afterward, we will escort you to our Head Doctor's personal observation station to survey some of our test Next-Wave participants in the rigorous trials we put them through – all for their betterment, of course.

Once again, we hope that you are satisfied with what you find, and as always, direct any questions you may have to your console.

The nurses began to escort the patients to their rooms. They didn't even seem to be brought to awareness by words such as "testing" and "subjects."

[ All room threads go in response to this post; please post your character's room number as the subject line of the initial post. (Find all of the newly changed room assignments and shift introductions here.) If you are introducing your character during this shift, you may either choose for them character to wake up before their roommate gets back, or after. ]

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He let it pass without comment. He could press the issue -- Why do you push at your nose as if you wore glasses, then? -- but for the moment, it might be better for this roommate to think that he is less observant than he is than for him to have an immediate and obvious grasp of L's particular qualities.

Noting the way Gale held the keyring, he said, "If you haven't already checked under your pillow, take a look. I found a flashlight under mine. It is sturdy.

"What is the Embryon Tribe?"

Edited 2009-09-02 06:18 (UTC)

Gale wasn't sure if he should be surprised or not that the other hadn't heard of the Embryon. It seemed much time had passed since he'd last been on Earth. They sun blackened so it looked like a hole in a burnt sky. Plants were extremely rare since the soil had turned dry and barren. How much time had passed since then? Or are then in another Karma Society compound?

"The Embryon are the only surviving tribe of The Junkyard." He began, "Demons that do not belong to the Karma Society."

L chewed on his current fry, looking thoughtful. This could be one of the different... origins... that has been mentioned to me, or it is possible that he is one of the people who is here for a good reason. Does he believe that he is a demon, like HK-47 believes that he is a machine? Perhaps he is a member of some kind of cult.

"I am sorry, but I have never heard of the Karma Society. I am familiar with junkyards in a general sense, but not any specific location. Can you explain more?"

Unfortunately, Gale had not been around long enough to pick up as much information, or at least nothing more then whispers without fact. Either so much time had passed that the world had forgotten it's tragic past, or he and his comrades were somewhere else entirely.

It sounded impossible, but Gale was starting to disbelieve in impossibilities, preferring to focus merely on varying levels of improbability.

"The Junkyard was a simulation designed to create the perfect soldier. Tribes warred against each other, killing and devouring each other. The people fought for their very survival, and the winning tribe were promised entry into Nirvana." None of this information was anything that could be used against him in anyway, nor was he ashamed of what he'd done. It was all they knew.

... Cannibalism? That seemed to be Gale's reference. L fought a slight twist in his stomach, then, deliberate, ate a bite of the apple pie, holding the end of the fork's handle with his fingertips. Outwardly, he was unruffled.

"Do you know where The Junkyard was located?" His glance flicked to Gale. "In one of the former Soviet republics, perhaps? Also, how close did your tribe come to winning?"

Edited 2009-09-04 05:44 (UTC)

"It no longer exists. The program has since been deleted." He had watched it happen, everything he'd ever known up until that point crumbling into nothing but a vast open whiteness. Gale remembered wondering if why would float there until starvation took them.

Clearly that was not the case. "The Embryon did not merely come close to winning. As I said before, we are the only survivors. The final tribe standing."

L suspected, now, that Gale was less sane than some of the other people he had spoken to seemed to be. Demons, cannibalism, tribes, and a program designed to create the perfect soldier -- he seems to mean "program" as in something on a computer. This all put him closer to HK-47 than to Lunge. Unless everyone here is precisely what they say they are. The idea gave him pause.

"Yes, but" -- L swallowed the bite of pie that was in his mouth -- "that does not necessarily mean that your tribe won. Any number of other situations might have conspired to make you the last group standing.

"You say that the program was deleted? It is a peculiar choice of words."

As an afterthought, he added, "The word Nirvana has its origins in Sanskrit -- 'extinction.' Perhaps the deletion was the fulfillment of the promise? Unless, of course, you have evidence that 'Nirvana' existed in some other form."

"The other tribe leaders fell by our hand, that is all it took to defeat a tribe." The truth wasn't peculiar, but Gale was not in the mood to argue. This would not move them forward. What happened in the Junkyard had no bearing on what was going on now.

"To us, Nirvana meant freedom." Gale had begun busying himself eying the room for anything that looked out of place, finally coming across the flashlight under a pillow. He looked at it for a moment, turning it over in his hands like he'd never seen such a thing before. After a moment something seemed to click and he set it aside.

"It would be freedom, in a way," he said, in a soft voice, and it called to mind what Matt had told him that morning. His expression shifted from bland to sober, and he felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to be alone.

Since he could do nothing about it, he took another bite of pie. I have not failed yet. Maybe I will not. Maybe -- it won't matter. I cannot tell, today. Maybe Gale here will eat me while I sleep. There was humor in that, but it didn't show on his face.

"You are used to fighting" -- it was a statement, rather than a question, although somewhat muffled by the bits of apple and pastry -- "and I have heard that skills of that nature are useful here. Is there a particular style that you favor?" After a beat, he added, "It was suggested to me to take the radio as well as the flashlight."

"We only know the ways of the Junkyard." The way those of the Junkyard fought was not something easily described in words, not that he had any plans on a demonstration unless called for. He'd yet to discover the extend of his limitations, and he wasn't about to give anyone an advantage.

Flashlight. The word slipped into place with the device and it's use. Gale raised a brow at the mention of the radio. "Take where?"

L gave Gale a serious look, somewhat marred by the bite of pie pushed into his cheek.

"Yes. If you apply them properly, they may serve you well.

"Several people recommended that I take the radio with me if I decide to explore the Institute at night." He frowned. "Ordinarily, the possibility that it would betray my position would make it a liability, but I have the impression that too many people are out and about for it to make much of a difference."

After another moment of reflection, he added, "I suppose we will find out for ourselves soon enough. What are your plans? Will you stay here in the room?"

Edited 2009-09-06 06:57 (UTC)

"I have yet to discern a complete plan of action." It wasn't a complete lie. Gale did have plans, but he did not feel it was wise to speak of them currently.

Even if Ryuzaki was trustworthy, it is still likely they are being monitored.

L met Gale's statement with an unbroken stare.

"Not complete, but you have one." He nodded, as if to confirm this to himself.

"It has been suggested that we make note of the names they call us here, and that we attempt to find the files that they are keeping. -- There is some distance between here and the files. Reaching them might be more difficult than acquiring them once we are there."

"My first concern is the location of my comrades." Once they were all together again they could worry more about what was going on, not that he was going to ignore whatever else he came across along the way.

"You know where the files are kept."

"Do you mean ones that you have seen, or ones that you haven't? Are a number of people from the Junkyard here?"

He took another bite of pie, seeming reflective; he was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"The map posted to the bulletin board in the sun room appears to be accurate so far." L had his own doubts about whether or not the person who posted it was trustworthy, but no other patients seem to have contested the map, which gave it some credence; it appeared to be common knowledge. "If that is the case, and if anyone knows where the files are, the room is upstairs, on the opposite side of the building from where we are now."

He used his fork to point at his journal. "I copied it."

"Both. I met with one of the other Embryon, she says there is at least one more. If I have just arrived, others may have as well." Their strength was in their unity, and he firmly believed that together they would conquer this place and whatever it tried to throw at them.

Gale turned his gaze to the notebook, a brow raised. "May I see?"

L considered the request for a moment, then decided to see it as an exchange of favors. He picked up the journal, holding it out to Gale.

"Yes. But I will need it back; it is important that I memorize the maps before leaving the room tonight. You will find them on the first three page-spreads."

Edited 2009-09-10 07:17 (UTC)

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Day 43: Intercom, Evening

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