⇒ 67

[whatialways_do]

Who: Max Guevara and YOU
What: Max’s nightmare
When: Anytime within the plot.
Where: Manticore.
Rating: R.
Warnings: Child torture, violence, brainwashing.



The nightmare beings in a whitewashed hallway, the blue tinge of the fluorescent lighting flickering above you. It also could be a lot bigger than you’re used to, depending how tall you are. If you take the time to look, you’ll find that you still have all five fingers and five toes, but they’re now child-sized, to go with a body that’s tight and compact and meant to fit into small spaces. You’re dressed in blue smocks, plain and simple, meant to allow freedom of movement and not allow anyone to stand out. Also, if you had hair longer than a buzz cut, it’s gone. The only thing that’s truly distinguishable about you is your face, but in a sea of small X5s, some who actually have your face, it makes it hard to stand out.

Which is good, because Manticore’s goal isn’t exactly to have well rounded individuals.

A guard dressed in army grab approaches you, a rough, hard voice barking at you as he asks you why you aren’t with your unit. You’ll freeze, terrified in one place as he reaches for your arm and drags you away. You’re stronger than him and you know it, but striking an officer with a higher rank than you is grounds for a trip to psyops or worse, the med lab. You don’t fight, you don’t struggle, you just go, willing to lead you to wherever they want to take you.

Whatever punishment awaits, you’ll take it when you get there.



[SECTIONS: CLASSROOMS | MED LAB | 'NOMILIES]

Comments

'NOMILIES

[whatialways_do]

You go from the blue fluorescent lights of the upper level, to the dark, desolate corridors of the basement tunnels that were built beneath Manticore. There’s only one small bulb every few yards, but you don’t really need it. One of the benefits of having feline DNA is excellent night vision, so you can see exactly where you’re going.

The guard isn’t so lucky, so there’s no saying you won’t get smacked into a few doorways along the way.

There are iron doors lining the hallways, all with small barred windows at the top. From inside the doors you can see the disfigured fingers or glowing eyes shining through the bars, threatening to swallow you whole. They’re the ‘Nomilies, every X5’s boogeyman. You’ve been taken to the place where the bad soldiers go, and you’re scared. You can’t help the fact that you get the shakes. It’s brain chemistry, it’s not your fault, but you’re stuck down here until you can be fixed.

Though you know from experience that Manticore tends not to fix what they break.

The fear sinks deeper and deeper into your skin as your lead down the hallway until you reach the final door and are tossed inside. Once the door slams closed, the room itself seems a lot smaller. You’re an adult again, if you were an adult to begin with, and this time dressed in a solid gray t-shirt with black and grey army fatigues and black combat boots.

Max is perched on a box by the far window, using what looks like a file to saw away at the iron bars. There’s also something in the far corner, something dark and ugly, but you don’t want to look at it quite yet. There’s something there that you don’t want to see and don’t have to see.

Sooner or later you’ll have to, but for now, your only concern is getting out.

[fishy_go_byebye]

Del should be used to being locked up in small spaces. Should be in the way that she should be able to understand every one of Hers, and most of Hers ended up being locked up in small spaces.

No one likes that, though. No one likes it when you can't get small enough for your small space to feel big enough, even if it's not big. But she doesn't pace, or rock, or cry. These days (day night day again) where not days and not nights and not even time. Was this dreaming?

Del didn't like dreaming, anymore. Not when it wasn't her own awake dreaming. "We haven't been loud enough to be here."

That was what it required. Loud. Insanity was ignore-able when you were quiet.

[whatialways_do]

Max turns at the sound, frowning in Del's direction as she speaks. "What?" She doesn't have time for this. She needs to finish sawing through the bars.

Which, speaking of those, are reforming starting the second she looks away.

[fishy_go_byebye]

Del watches the bars close, tapping her foot against the ground. "We haven't been loud enough to be here."

Repetition is easy sometimes. It's the only sentence she can think has a meaning.

[whatialways_do]

"Oh, I've been plenty loud. Trust me."

She glances back to look at her handiwork, and frowns. "Damn." Then she starts all over again.

[fishy_go_byebye]

Del was used to being pressed in her corner, settled on her ground.

But she didn't want to stay when her company was leaving. Not at the moment, at least.

So she got up. Got up and wandered over. And tried to dream up her own file.

[whatialways_do]

The file will appear in her hands, as promised. When she gets one, Max will move over to give her some room to start hacking, but every time they turn away, the bars just heal themselves again.