Night 53: Main File Storage

[scarefaux]

[From here.]

Well, this room was certainly a change from the last two. Instead of a cluttered heap of boxes, row after row after row of cabinets filled the entire room, the aisles casting long shadows as the Scarecrow's light swept over them. He took a few steps inside, checking down the lanes and into the corners for anything out of the ordinary (relatively speaking to the rest of the Institute, of course).

The Scarecrow looked at his map again, finding the room they were in. "It just says this is the 'Main File Storage,'" he said, turning to Mele before looking over the nearest cabinet. The drawers held no outward clues, aside from the letters each one bore on a plaque on the front- it seemed they'd need to see what was inside for their answers. "Files for what? Like papers?"

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[mugenreppa.livejournal.com]

"Yes, probably, unless we find nail files in here," Mele answered. Though if that was the case, those were...a lot of nail files, she thought as she swept the flashlight around. Several cabinets worth. She pulled a drawer out to see, and was almost disappointed at the contents. "No, just paper files," she called to Scarecrow.

With how useful a file room was, it may as well be a mail room. Unless it was meant to hide something, she thought as she flipped idly through the papers. On the other hand, locked rooms were perfect for that, too. What was so important in this hall that it had some shadow thing illusion and locked doors to protect it?

Though, was the illusion malfunctioning tonight, or was it not protecting this hall, after all? Maybe if they'd dragged Scarecrow's friends along, they'd know for sure, but who wanted to come across those shadow things again? "Find anything interesting?"

[scarefaux]

Wrapping his fingers carefully around one of the drawer's handles, the Scarecrow gave it a tentative tug. The drawer slid open easily, revealing several folders inside, each with papers: ones handwritten, others in a perfectly neat script, and a few with pictures clipped to them. He didn't recognize any of the faces or names written on the documents, but it was fairly obvious from the writing that they were patients.

The Scarecrow pulled the foremost sheet from the drawer, looking it over. Entire sections were covered with black blocks while others were left blank. Name, weight, age- "Reasons for discharge?" he read aloud. The area labeled as such had nothing written in it, but it did provide a clue.

After returning the paper to where he found it, the Scarecrow crossed a few isles, trying to find the ones bearing an H. What had the nurse said his name was, again? Hunk something- Howard! That was it! He tugged at another drawer, thumbing through the papers inside quickly- no mention of his name or face. He tried an S for Scarecrow, but there was no luck there. Every drawer had the same thing: folders, papers, pictures, words hidden under heavy black ink- and on one, a stamp declaring the patient to be released.

"These belong to the patients who're no longer here!" he declared. Oh, this was it! If he could find one belonging to Kaiji or Abe, maybe it would give him a clue as to where they went or what the Wizard Landel had done to them. He couldn't remember Kaiji's last name, but Abe's was still fresh on his mind. Still at the S drawers, he tried Sapien first. No papers under that name- A for Abe was next. He sighed in frustration as that, too, led him nowhere. The search for a K-labeled folder for Kaiji had the same results.

Wandering back toward Mele, the Scarecrow shook his head. "These have got to belong to people who aren't here anymore," he said again, "but I don't see anything for Kaiji or Abe. I'll bet they file these under the names the Institute gives them, but I can't remember for the life of me what those names were, if I ever heard 'em at all. Looks like this room can't help right now."

[mugenreppa.livejournal.com]

Reasons for discharge? Mele looked over. What was that? He was looking inside a file, so she grabbed one and opened it, flipping through its contents. Nothing interesting; it was just paper on someone she didn't know.

Mele had wandered along the cabinets until Scarecrow's outburst, when he realized what they were, and Mele pulled out the drawer for 'R' and had rifled through its names before remembering—in English, his name might start with 'L,' and had gone over there to look when she realized what she'd been doing. It was impossible, she though vehemently, drawing her hands back from the drawer—it was impossible for Rio to have been here and then discharged.

She'd crossed her arms when Scarecrow came over. "... Yeah," she muttered, distracted, as she mulled over what he'd said about the fake names. Unfortunately, thanks to Airi, she knew the fake name. "Hang on a minute," she said, striding over to the drawer labeled 'K.'

Not here, as expected. "Guess it is useless," she said cheerfully, then headed for the door. "Where to next?"