[text] - forward-dated to November 27th

[bashfulshifter]

Is everyone okay? I went down to the carnival this morning and it wasn't looking very good. Did something happen? Is anyone hurt?

Filtered to midgarhorizon

Can I talk to you about something, in private? I'm sorry for being so abrupt, but it's important.

--Patrick Dawn

Comments

[ladyliberty]

[Well, she had a hospital gown. But she's less concerned about partial nudity than about the whole vivisection thing.]

...I think so.

[bashfulshifter]

O-Okay.

[...No, he's not completely convinced. Have another hug.]

...That d-d-doesn't s-sound like a--a-ah--a v-vision. N-Not like the o-others...

[ladyliberty]

The others?

[bashfulshifter]

[He nods.]

...I-I had o-one...s-s-so did V-Veronica. Though--sh--she d-did say she w-was p-p-picked up...

[ladyliberty]

What kind of visions were they?

[bashfulshifter]

...K-Kind...? [Rick blinks in slight confusion, gaping and gesturing for a few moments as he gathers the right words.] Ah...w-well I...s-s-saw s-some p-people t-t-talking...V-Veronica h-heard someone...w-was p-picked up and d-d-dropped...

[ladyliberty]

Were they really just visions?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick opens his mouth, pauses and frowns.]

...I...I-I think so? [A beat.] --I-I-I m-mean--they a-aren't like the, uh--r-r-radiation v-visions, but--R-Ruana m-makes you s-see things, t-too. This...f-f-feels m-more like s-something she w-would do.

[ladyliberty]

Did you hear what the people were talking about?

[bashfulshifter]

...W-What...the, uh...the d-d-doctors?

[ladyliberty]

The people I saw were talking about... subjects.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick nods pensively.]

...M-Mine m-mentioned t-t-two. They w-were...b-bonded, s-s-somehow, and...th--they w-wanted to s-split them, but it w-was d-d-dangerous. I, uh...I think they d-did a-anyways.

[ladyliberty]

They said I was a subject. But they'd never seen one with extra appendages before.

[bashfulshifter]

--Y-You?

[That is...much more interactive than he thought. So far the visions have only been images of past memories, or so they seemed, not...hallucinations. Unless...Ruana really is involved, here.]

...This s-s-sounds l-like...the a-a-admin l-levels...

[He goes very pale.]

[ladyliberty]

What? What does that mean?

[bashfulshifter]

[He gulps, audibly.]

...I, um...I w-w-went d-down there, a f-few m-months ago. A l-lot of us d-did...I-I'm n-not sure you w-were a-a-around f-for that.

[Deep breaths.]

...The g-group I w-was w-w-with...R-R-Ruana f-found us. The...w-what we s-s-saw, it w-was...ah...a-a-a l-lot l-like this.

[ladyliberty]

Are they doing experiments on us?

[bashfulshifter]

I...m-maybe? I-I've, ah...h-heard that J-Jason d-d-does, but... [Rick bites his lip, looking quite uncomfortable.] ...h-he l-l-likes to k-keep p-people...a-awake for that.