Day 47: Intercom, Noon

[damned-intercom.livejournal.com]

It was already obvious that the Head Doctor was frazzled this particularly day, and so it would probably come as little surprise that the third announcement of the day was given by Lydia instead of Landel himself.

Not even bothering to explain herself anymore, the head nurse instead went into the typical details of the upcoming shift. "All patients should be pulled from their therapy sessions and activity areas and taken back into the cafeteria for lunch," she said as an alert to the other nurses who would soon start gathering up the patients as always.

"Lunch today consists of fish and chips - that is, cod and fried potatoes. There is an assortment of condiments to choose from, and for sides there is egg salad and fresh fruit. Please enjoy your meal."

The intercom switched off promptly. Perhaps the nurse had a hungover superior to tend to?

[ All introduction posts for this shift's group of new characters should be made in response to this post.

Have your character wake up in a random room as we don't have roommates sorted out yet. Putting M??/F?? in the subject line is fine. ]

Comments

M???

[systemtrap.livejournal.com]

The unmistakable weight of gravity had startled him awake.

As it happened, both of those sensations came as a shock, because Tieria never anticipated waking up. Releasing the GN Drive from Gundam Nadleeh's twisted metal had been a meager effort, but it was enough for him, knowing that there was a chance Celestial Being would continue realizing the formula to world peace which laid its foundations over a century before the present crew existed. A crew he began looking at with the eyes of a teammate who could value them, not the uncompromising and now-broken tool for VEDA's ideals that he was meant to be.

Perhaps it could have gone on that way, but Tieria's purpose, both old and new, had been terminated. There was no perfectly seamless position for him to fill anymore, and the only consolation was that he may be able to join Lockon in death. Surely what remained of Celestial Being at that time had more important issues to handle than recovering him. Why was he alive?

Furthermore, for how long had he been in regeneration? The simple act of breathing should have at least caused Tieria extreme pain, and yet he felt almost sickeningly unharmed. It had not been in the Ptolemaios' regeneration chambers, of that he was certain--there would have been no reason to land in its current situation. If that knowledge wasn't enough to snap him out of an unusual half-awake fog, the sudden announcement crackling through an intercom somewhere nearby definitely was.

Even the fabric against his body didn't sit correctly. This was clearly not a medical gown, his flight suit, or even his cardigan. Instead, he'd slowly looked down to see a gray cotton t-shirt with a crude 'smiling face' icon at its center which, if it weren't for downloading basic symbol packs from VEDA years ago, would be completely unrecognizable to him. The expression was far from mutual.

Careful to keep his eyes narrowed into half-slits until he could determine if he was being watched, Tieria shifted on his side to survey the room. It was as the unknown announcer said: a hospital, albeit a somewhat old-fashioned one. Tieria had fully expected to already be in a high-security prison. What other logical explanation could there be, besides his capture?

In all likelihood, this was probably a facility used to treat sick or injured so-called criminals so that they were deemed fit for trial. There was no fear or rage at this news, only Tieria being content with the fact that his questions were neatly answered. Even now, a trace of his old self reprimanded him for making things less convenient by staying alive long enough to be caught, but it droned off into silence. He simply didn't care. He didn't, yet a part of him wanted to get up and examine his surroundings more thoroughly before--

Re: M???

[systemtrap.livejournal.com]

As if on cue, the door let out a heavy groan to reveal someone in a commonplace nurse's uniform. Tieria had no time to do anything but dart straight up in his bed, fixing an expectant stare at the woman that would most likely have been a glare if not for the emptiness inside him. She simply smiled; not the way Lockon had, but with a strange hint of condescension underneath. Tieria didn't like it.

"Well, now, it's about time! Don't you worry about a thing, honey. I know this is all new to you, but we'll be right here every step of the way."

Honey?

"There is no reason to worry. I know why I'm here." Managing to find his voice, for some reason, was initially difficult.

The nurse seemed a bit too encouraged by that remark.

"See that, Mr. Eigen? You're making progress already! If you keep this up, you'll be back with your family in no time."

It was the first thing that caused him real confusion.

"I have no family, and my name is Tieria Erde. Is this hospital normally so lax with their patient records?" He couldn't suppress a light huff, adjusting his glasses to compensate for the way they'd slipped earlier.

"That's just not possible," she replied calmly, "None of our files list anybody named Tieria Erde here with us."

Automatically Tieria moved closer to see the primitive instrument himself, but anyone could have noticed the nurse taking a step backward and preparing to reach for something inside her pocket in response. Just as anyone could have easily guessed what that something could be. In as helpless a state as he was, Tieria knew there would be no point.

"I'm not interested in whatever game you are playing. They can kill me if they must." She must have been briefed on why her patient was sent to this place, and secrecy hardly mattered anymore.

The nurse's enthusiasm faded into disappointment, then. "Alexander, nobody's going to kill you. You do have a family--a family who cares so much about you that they brought you here to Landel's Institute. This is where people get better."

Silence. Tieria's mind began racing through probabilities, trying to isolate one answer that could explain everything flawlessly. The enemy could never have found him guilty of crimes against humankind by reason of insanity. Could it be that Celestial Being truly did rescue him, sending him here under an alias and assumed background due to their lack of resources? In that case, why would they select a mental institution?

Once again, his thoughts were interrupted. "Come on, let's head to lunch. You'll feel more relaxed once we get something in your stomach."

Still not equipped to deal with gentleness and firmness at the same time, Tieria could scarcely protest as he was ushered out. He suspected that interrogating this woman would be futile, anyway. The first thing he had to do was get someone else's thoughts on the matter.

F??

[etherealizing]

MOMO yawned and stretched, letting out a sleepy sort of sigh as she curled onto her side and burrowed further beneath her covers. She wasn't entirely certain what time it was, but she guessed it was still early since Juli hadn't yet come in to make sure she was up. Either that, or her mother had decided to let her sleep for a little longer than usual. Last night had been rather long, and one could only stare at data and try inputting various codes so many times before lack of sleep became a problem. That was true even for a realian, so she certainly didn't mind some extra rest.

As she lay there, however, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was... different. At first she was prepared to attribute that to the grogginess that came with first waking up, but it wasn't long before she was able to pinpoint what was bothering her. And that was: the sheets and blanket. They were... stiff, much too sterile for the Dämmerung's sleeping quarters. They seemed like the type of bedding one would find in a medical bay or clinic, but... that didn't make sense. MOMO distinctly remembered returning to her room before falling asleep last night; why would she be in a medical bay?

Sitting up, the realian was just beginning to stand up when the door opened. For a very brief moment, she expected her mother, or perhaps Miyuki or Ziggy. Unfortunately, the woman who appeared was unfamiliar, and that worried MOMO all the more.

"Oh, you're awake now! Wonderful." The woman (a nurse, if her attire was any indication) smiled, but it did little for the unease MOMO felt. "Let's go to lunch now, shall we? You must be hungry by now."

"Um..." The Prototype fidgeted uneasily, and finally settled on rubbing her arm a little nervously. "Can I... Where's Mommy?"

The nurse's smile became a little more sympathetic - something that didn't go unnoticed by the pink-haired realian. "Don't worry, Elena, I'm sure she'll come to visit you once our visiting day arrives. For now, though, you need to come with me so we can focus on helping you get better. Wouldn't you love to show your mother how much you've improved by the next time you see her?"

MOMO frowned slightly, her eyebrows furrowing in a show of confusion. Visiting day? Helping her get better? 'Elena'? What... what was she talking about...? "I... I'm sorry, but I don't understand. I'm not--"

"Elena," the woman interrupted, laying a gentle hand on the realian's shoulder. "Everyone's a little confused when they first arrive, but that's why you're here. Landel's Institute is the finest facility in the area, and I'm sure you'll be back with your family in no time." A pause, and then she turned and moved towards the door. "Now, let's go get you some lunch. A proper diet is an important part of recovery. Wouldn't you agree?"

In all actuality, MOMO wasn't sure. The woman already thought she was someone named 'Elena', and she didn't seem interested in hearing otherwise. The whole thing was highly confusing; she doubted any good would come from resisting the nurse's request. So, she opted to remain silent, and to simply allow the woman to lead her out of the room.

[oneman-onekill.livejournal.com]

So he'd died. Niikura had to kind of envy his fellow clones since they'd all had the pleasure of going through this experience at least four times. He'd only died once, and that'd been a couple years back, so the sensation was still a little hazy and unfamiliar.

Still, the further he got into it, the more he realized that this was like greeting an old friend. Death wasn't too bad at all. One second he felt the mask on his face, the next the tingle as each of the needles plunged into what was left of his skin. And then...nothing. It was like he was zipping along through the air in a void, every bit of him zooming down toward a new body along with the other five who'd died. Any second now and he'd be waking up in that chamber. The hatch would fly open, he'd flop out, and Azuma would be there with that stupid grin all "Happy Birthday!" in his face.

Yeah, what a fucking fabulous birthday.

Niikura opened his eyes with a gasp and then nearly fell out of the bed he was in when he realized that hey, this was all wrong. He was horizontal, not vertical, and there wasn't lab slime all over him.

"What the--?" His fingers grabbed at gray fabric that most definitely wasn't supposed to be there. What - what- a smiley face? What kind of fool joke was Azuma pulling? He was supposed to be in the nude, the last time he'd checked how the clone process went. Niikura's fingers felt through his hair, along his face. No electrodes, no wires, no anything. But he was alive. He'd entered a clone, right? This was version three of Niikura Shou, right? He fingered through his memories, trying to find any clues from the five who were supposed to be in there with him. There they were: We've been had. Fucking Kitagami. He'd get his due someday.

And then someone came into the room, and Niikura, without even turning to face him, said, "What the hell is this all about, Azuma?" And then he looked, and his jaw nearly dropped five inches because oops, he'd just called some random nurse chick Azuma--wait. Random chick? In his cloning plant? He didn't think so. "Wait--what - who are ya?"

The nurse smiled at him and then completely ignored his question. "Oh, you're awake, Tsuneo! Are you hungry? It's time for lunch right now."

"It's Shou," Niikura said impatiently. "And I want to know what's going on." He leaped out of bed with murder in his eyes. "Where am I?"

"Now, now, Tsuneo, I know this is a little disorienting for you" - the nurse forced a tight smile and patted him on the arm - "but you're going to get better. Everyone here at the institute is cheering for you."

Institute? Disorienting? Niikura combined this with the horrible outfit he was currently in and came up with two words: mental institute - which begged the question of who'd stuck him in here in the first place. No one had access to the clone plant except for the clones, and he seriously doubted that any of them would choose to stick their fearless leader in an asylum when they were days away from the deadline. "Wait, I'm not crazy! I'm just a normal high school kid, honest!"

"Of course, Tsuneo," the nurse said. "Now, shall we get some lunch?"

"I don't--" Niikura caught sight of some male orderlies milling around outside; it looked like they were expecting violence. Time to switch tactics. He rearranged the dark look on his face into an award-winning grin. "...sure! I'm always up for some good eats."

He'd go along with this for now, but first chance he got, Niikura was busting the hell out of here. Akumetsu wasn't finished yet, not even by a long shot, and if he had to blow up a mental asylum to get back, he'd do it.