Astrid & Blakesley
Astrid prodded Taylor down the corridors, eyes bored as she discharged her duty. Blakesley looked up from where he had been tinkering with the collar on Christian's neck, the alien restrained against a wall.
"You're late."
"Wind turbulence," Astrid said smoothly.
"Here's your subject."
"Fine...there's a bolt over there on the wall you can restrain him to."
Astrid nodded and grabbed Taylor's shoulder, shoving him towards where Blakesley had indicated.
"Where's Kitten?"
Blakesley shrugged fluidly.
"I think one of the other scientists wanted to test her eyes again."
Taylor
Taylor tried to keep his breathing to some kind of regularity as his hands were secured above his head.
He looked over at Christian, wondering what had happened for him to be unconscious for so long.
Blakesley & Astrid
"Maybe I should just put the behavioural chips in," Blakesley said, stepping back and putting the small screwdriver down.
"Don't ask me, my forte is magic," Astrid said as she snapped the D-clip closed around the chain of the handcuffs and screwed the covering tight.
Blakesley stepped over to an intercom and ordered a part, voice rough with frustration. Soon, the door opened and a girl walked in, tray balanced on her outspread hands. White short hair and mismatched eyes, the points of her ears split into two points and fangs cutting into her lips.
"Here it is, sir."
"Thank you, N682."
Blakesley took the part off the tray and inserted it into Christian's collar, muttering under his breath.
Taylor
Taylor flinched slightly as one of the cuffs pinched his wrist.
The girl who entered the room couldn't help but catch his attention.
Apart from very minute differences, she was practically... Nina?
Astrid & Blakesley
The girl stepped back, standing at ease, hands behind her back and head up. Astrid watched her with a small grin.
"Sir, do you require more assisstance?"
"Report on what has happened with the O wave experiments."
Blakesley concentrated on the workings of the collar.
"The ova are splitting according to what has been projected, and more incubators are being obtained," the girl said in a crisp voice.
"So far the success rate is 7.889%."
"Damn."
Astrid snorted.
"Damn genejobs."
The girl's head swivelled.
"With all due respect, ma'am, I am not a genejob. I am a superior soldier and espionage agent."
"Made from a sample of stolen DNA. You know, when the cat finds out you used her to make these little monsters, she's going to be pissed."
Taylor
"Priss..." Taylor understood straight away.
He closed his eyes trying to remember when it could have happened - sweat from his claustrophobia beginning to bead on his forehead.
Blakesley & Astrid
"It is unlikely she will find out, except for very shortly before her demise," Blakesley said softly as he closed the casing of the collar again.
The girl's cold eyes surveyed Taylor before she turned her head back to Blakesley.
"That's what you think, scientist," Astrid said.
She turned on her heel and left, boots clacking along the lino loudly. The girl cleared her throat slightly.
"Permission to view the subject, sir?"
"Permission granted."
She clicked her heels together as she came to attention, saluting, before walking over to Taylor. She ran her fingers along the colllar, studying it, before she examined his face solemnly.
Taylor
Taylor opened his eyes again when he felt her watching him.
"What?" he asked finally.
Blakesley
"May I ask what species the subject is, sir?" N682 said.
"Dathrian," Blakesley answered.
"The aliens. One of the species."
N682 tilted Taylor's head up, eyes fixed on his face.
"Quite, sir. May I ask is this one to be used for the Sentinel project?"
"Eventually."
Taylor
Taylor turned his head away so she wasn't touching him.
"What is that?" he asked again.
Blakesley
"Come here and hold this."
N682 walked over and took the tray from Blakesley. He picked up a scalpel from it and she put her hand out, face expressionless as he tested the sharpness of the blade on her skin.
"Perfect edge."
He turned to Taylor and raised the shining sliver of metal.
Taylor
Taylor could have sunk into the wall had his atom manipulation been available, but he was smart enough not to attempt it.
He kept his eye on the blade, wondering what he was going to do.
Blakesley
"Remove the subject's shirt," Blakesley said to N682.
She stepped forward and unleashed her claws before using them to slice off Taylor's shirt without touching the skin, then stepped back.
Blakesley nodded slightly and she went slightly crosseyed for a moment as she basked in the rewarding pleasure for a job well done. He placed the tip of the scalpel against Taylor's chest and then slid it upwards, cutting neatly the first layer of skin.
Taylor
Taylor flinched and barely cried out as he squeezed his eyes shut.
"Please... don't..." he begged softly one more time.
Blakesley
Blakesley ignored him and cut another parallel line, before making two horizontal ones connecting the two vertical lines.
"Ready the speciman container."
N682 held out a small sterilized contained as Blakesley started to peel the skin away, small frown furrowing his forehead as he concentrated on the delicate task.
Taylor
Taylor bit his bottom lip, but ended up biting right through it.
Not able to hold it back any longer, he had to yell out.
Blakesley
Blakesley held the strip of skin delicately between tweezers as he put it in the container. N682 closed it, sealing the speciman in.
"Should I take this to the analysis labs, sir?"
"Yes, go now," Blakesley said softly as he studied Taylor.
N682 put the tray down, clicked her heels and threw a salute before she left.
"Almost perfect, the N series."
Taylor
Taylor cringed as the pain from his chest shot right through his body, making him shake.
Trying to catch his breath, he didn't bother to shake the hair out of his face.
"You already... had... that," he managed to choke out.
Blakesley
"Alas, samples like that become less viable over time," Blakesley said softly.
He picked up a knive and heated it slowly before pressing it to the weeping wound.
Taylor
Taylor struggled to keep himself together as the tears slid down his cheeks.
"You don't know what you're doing," he breathed.
Blakesley
Blakesley sniffed slightly.
"I spent over ten years at college to learn what I know, one would hope I knew what I was doing."
Taylor
"You don't," Taylor shook his head, not able to keep the tears at bay.
"You don't, because I'm an anomaly. My mind won't handle it."
Blakesley
"It's not your mind I'm interested in."
Blakesley regarded Taylor with cold eyes like a snake's.
"You can go insane, if you wish."
Taylor
"It's my mind that holds me together," Taylor said solemnly, his body shaking.
"It decides if or when I break. It controls my body. If it goes... you will not see me break. I'll be a child in a man's body. You don't care about that? After everything you said about my psychology?"
Blakesley
"No, I've moved on from that," Blakesley said with a shrug.
"You did meet Kass. Or Experimental Subject Delta 21."
Taylor
"Then that's it. You may never see me break," Taylor raised his eyebrows.
He turned his head away and closed his eyes.
Blakesley
Blakesley dragged the tip of the knife down the incision he'd made earlier.
"Open your eyes, Taylor."
Taylor
Taylor gulped and opened his eyes again, but didn't look up at Blakesley.
The sweat was starting to roll from his forehead, and his hair was clinging to it.
Blakesley
Blakesley smiled slightly as the knife moved to drag down Taylor's ribs, not quite cutting skin.
"You know, I think Natalia would like to see you now."
Taylor
"She'd just kill me," Taylor breathed, shivering at his touch.
His tongue massaged where he'd bitten his lip as he swallowed more blood.
Blakesley
"Possibly," Blakesley said.
"Or perhaps she;d like to watch me kill you slowly. She knows how long I can make it last. However, she seems to have gone to earth for the moment. Pity, I'd like to study a werewolf pregnancy."
Taylor
"Hopefully my mind would have shattered to pieces by then," Taylor almost cursed.
He closed his eyes again before remembering he'd been told to keep them open.
Blakesley
"Good boy."
Blakesley turned and walked over to Christian, studying the collar again.
"I truly hope Ashtoreth figures out this pendant soon."
Taylor
Taylor rolled his head back so he was facing the roof and slid down the wall a little.
He was giving in and not even meaning to.
And he had no idea what was going on with the pendant, but hoped Christian would be awake soon enough to take the attention away from him.
Blakesley & Ashtoreth
Blakesley rolled up one of Christian's eyelids to study his pupil, humming a snatch of classical music beneath his breath.
"Wagner, Dr Blakesley? I would have picked you as more of a Mozart man, myself," Ashtoreth purred, settling onto the table with a relaxed pose, crossing one leg over the other.
The silken material of the skirt slid back as the bells on her ankle chimed softly.
"Wagner has his place..."
Blakesley turned around to look at her.
"I think I have deciphered this little pendant," Ashtoreth said, studying her nails.
"Christian, awake."
Christian & Taylor
Taylor watched on curiously as Christian's eyes slid open. Even subconsciously, Christian now knew how to awaken without moving or making a sound.
When he 'remembered' where he was, he lifted his head.
"Man that is some good sh*t," he chuckled.
Blakesley & Ashtoreth
Blakesley raised his eyes slightly, before picking up one of the shining metallic instruments on the tray near Ashtoreth.
She chuckled, a low rich sound.
"Ah, I see why my hawk is so intrigued by you."
She got off the table, skirt falling back into place with a whisper of silk before walking across to Christian and tapping the pendant with one red painted nail.
"A pretty piece of work, this."
Christian
"Well I like it myself," Christian replied, looking her up and down.
"Handy to have."
His eyes ventured upward for a moment, catching sight of Taylor. He squinted at him for a second, before looking back at Ashtoreth.
Ashtoreth & Blakesley
Ashtoreth smiled slightly, red lips curving upwards.
"Quite a quick wit you have, Christian. How...cute."
She turned, looking at Blakesley.
"Do not kill him yet. I wish to consider this pendant further."
"As you say, madam," Blakesley said dryly before she disappeared.
His upper lip curled slightly in disgust, before he used the knife in his hand to slit the seams of Christian's shirt apart.
Christian & Taylor
Taylor turned his head away and closed his eyes again.
"You know... I'd like to know what you did with my trenchcoat," Christian raised his eyebrows.
"I mean this shirt is easily replacable, but that coat was nice."
Blakesley
"I believe it was disposed of. Ah!"
Blakesley jerked his hand back as an electric shock jolted through the knife. His eyes flared for a moment, then went calculating.
"Send one of the N series to me, please. One of the...less mentally affected failures."
Christian & Taylor
Christian grunted a little as the electricity hit him.
Damn, he'd forgotten about that already...
Taylor took a deep breath and sank down even further.
Blakesley
Blakesley turned as the door opened, dropping the knife onto the tray and rubbing his hand along his pants leg. A girl crept in, shoulders hunched and her walk somehow wrong. A tail flicked along the ground behind her. Both of her eyes were green with cat's pupils, fangs curving behind thin lips.
"N168, sir. How may I-i-i h-help?"
Blakesley beckoned her over, and told her in very simple terms what he wanted her to do. She nodded and made the first incision down Christian's chest. The electric shock rocked her back, but she soon started to make the second.
Christian
Christian's body convulsed with the electric currents, but soon settled down as the volts were directed only todard the girl.
"Bloody hell. Some kind of protection this is..."
Blakesley
"Indeed," Blakesley murmured.
He picked up one of his knives, then went to stand in front of Taylor, eyeing him and deciding where to begin. N168 yelped in pain, tears flowing down her face as she made the last incision, putting the knife down. Her fingers hesitated for a moment before she picked up a pair of tweezers and started to carefully peel the skin away.
Taylor & Christian
Taylor's eyes opened when he heard Blakesley coming for him.
Sliding back up the wall so he was actually standing, he leant his head back against it as his eyes followed the knife.
Christian grinned as he watched the girl straining herself.
Blakesley
Blakesley slid the knife down beside the wound he'd already made, flesh parting easily and blood flowing down.
N168 put the strip of skin carefully in a sterilized container, and closed it. She put it down on the tray and then collapsed.
Christian & Taylor
Christian breathed evenly as he watched what was going on with a steady eye.
Taylor held his breath for a moment squeezing his eyes shut, before he had to yell out.
Blakesley
"Task completed, sir," N168 said feebly as she got back up onto her feet.
The planes of her face shifted slightly, white fur growing for a moment in her stress before human skin reappeared. Blakesley's eyes flicked to, before he took out a small remote box and pointed it at her. A rumbling purr sounded for a moment.
"You may leave."
"Affirmative, sir-r."
She left, limping slightly.
Christian & Taylor
Christian watched her leave, almost snorting in disgust.
Taylor's breathing became irregular again as he pulled on his wrists. His sweat was starting to sting in his cuts.
Blakesley
Blakesley turned to look at Christian.
"You do not like my creation?"
Christian
"That was pathetic," Christian frowned, watching where she'd disappeared.
"But then again, she was created by you, so I guess all can be forgiven."
Blakesley
"I would prefer well trained to pathetic," Blakesley said.
"The behavioural chips work quite well."
Christian & Taylor
Christian froze.
"The what?" he demanded.
Taylor groaned and turned his head away again.
Blakesley
"Surely you do not think my cousin's work died with her?" Blakesley said.
"Two chips. One for positive re-enforcement. One for negative. After a while, this..." he gestured to the implements, "becomes so coarse."
Christian & Taylor
Taylor gulped, closing his eyes again.
Christian thought about that for a second, before groaning.
"F*ck," he cursed, rolling his head back.
Blakesley
"It's amazing what sentinent beings take as normal when they've known different," Blakesley said.
"Perhaps, sometime, I will show you the training centers."
Christian
"F*ck you asshole," Christian cursed, pulling slightly on his wrists.
"What, you're never going to break me naturally so you've turned to artificially?"
Blakesley
"At this present time, you do not have a behavioural chip in your cerebral cortex," Blakesley informed him.
"But I do not think it would be very difficult to do so. You may have slight brain damage afterwards, but..."
Christian
"So you're just giving up like the loser that you truly are," Christian concluded.
"Thought you liked a challenge Kaleb... guess I was just too much for you."
Blakesley
Blakesley just smiled.
"I would still consider myself the victor, Christian. Now."
He turned back to Taylor, picking up a case of needles.
Christian & Taylor
Christian almost snorted again.
Taylor's eyes shot open when he sensed the movement, and they soon fell on the needles.
"Oh God no," he breathed, closing his eyes tightly again.
Blakesley
"Hands, I think..." Blakesley murmured.
He put one of Taylor's hands flat against the wall, then carefully slid a needle through the webbing between the thumb and the rest of the hand, driving it through to the wall.
Taylor & Christian
"NO!" Taylor cried, trying to pull away.
He yelled out as the needle went through.
"Please... not my hands," he begged, eyes welling up again.
Christian just watched on with silent interest.
Blakesley
Blakesley turned his head slightly to look at Christian.
"What, no comment? When you threatened once to break every bone in my hands if I ever touched him?"
Christian
Christian just smiled at him.
"And if I had, wouldn't you have expressed a great lack of maturity for threatening you when I obviously have no chance of getting near you in the present time?" he raised his eyebrows.
Blakesley
"It has never stopped you before," Blakesley said.
He turned back and slid a needle into a fold of skin under Taylor's arm.
Taylor & Christian
"Oh God," Taylor practically whimpered, trying to hold his breath.
Christian didn't reply - just tilted his head to the side a little as he watched Taylor.
Blakesley
Blakesley slid another into Taylor's arm.
"Funny, how so often one calls on a diety..."
Christian & Taylor
"For him it's a natural reaction," Christian felt to inform him.
"He's always been religious."
Taylor opened his eyes for a split second to see Christian watching him, then closed them again.
Blakesley
"Religion is the opiate of the masses," Blakesley murmured.
He picked out another needle and then started to slide it under the skin of Taylor's stomach.
Christian & Taylor
Taylor coughed as he tried to stop himself feeling sick. His body was shaking almost twice as much as a moment ago.
Christian just smirked to himself, and turned his attention to the door.
Blakesley
Blakesley slid another needle in carefully, then turned as the intercom beeped.
"What is it?" he snapped into it.
"The O series are reacting strangely..."
"I'll be right down."
He put the handset down and left quickly. A few moments after the scientist left, a large black dog slunk in, ribs plainly showing through its coat.
So, he caught you, ja? How depressing that is.
Kass blinked at Taylor, before looking at Christian.
And who ist this one?
Taylor & Christian
Taylor barely registered what he was saying.
Hi Kass, he breathed finally, this is... Christian. My clone.
He began to feel suddenly dizzy.
Christian eyed off the dog as Taylor spoke to it.
Kass
Ja, I see. Another one? The mad one has an *army* of those little monsters.
Kass got up from his relaxed crouch and went over to sniff Christian's feet cautiously.
Except they all smell like cats.
Christian & Taylor
Taylor blinked sharply.
"That's... because they are," he said finally, before suddenly fainting.
Christian kept his eye on the dog, before realizing what had happened.
"Oh great," he murmured.
Kass
Kass backed off and scratched at one ear with his hind leg slowly.
My other half is tied down at the moment. Blakesley believes I am harmless like this. Of course, with the metal in my heads, I cannot tell much, nor escape.
The dog's hackles went up, teeth bared before he whined in pain and scrabbled at his head with a paw.
Ow. Ow. Don't think about it, don't...
Christian
Christian raised his eyebrows as the dog seemed to have a fit in front of him.
"Riiiight..." he said slowly, before looking up at the door.
"Does someone wanna get this mutt out of here?!" he called.
Kass
Dummkopf! (Idiot)
Kass snapped his teeth in Christian's direction, before he slunk out the door.
I'll keep Blakesley busy and away as long as I can, ja?
Christian
Christian hit his head back against the wall for a moment, before eyeing off Taylor.
Looking at where his wrists were being held against the wall, he started feeling around for something. Anything. A loose screw, a rop end... Nothing.
"Dammit," he cursed softly, looking over at Taylor again.
He'd try yelling at him, but that wasn't going to work.
Blakesley
Blakesley rubbed his eyes tiredly as he headed back to the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of black. Turning, he saw a tail disappearing behind a corner.
"Kass," he growled.
Damn. Who had let the dog out? Now he would have to recapture it. Enough of those shocks, and he could end up disengaging the mind's entirely.
Christian
Christian heard footsteps in the corridor, and looked back over at Taylor. He was pretty sure he wouldn't want any of the doctor's methods of waking him up...
"HEY!" he yelled finally, trying to wake him up.
Blakesley
Blakesley found the dog sitting quietly in the middle of a corridor, head tilted to one side as if to ask what had taken him so long.
"Come," the scientist snapped.
"Or it will be the worse for both of your bodies."
Kass got up, shaking his fur out before docilely trotting behind Blakesley's heels. As they passed the room Christian and Taylor were in, they heard Christian yell. Kass rolled his eyes in both heads as Blakesley changed direction and went inside. The dog followed him, mouth open in a grin.
Dummkopf.
Blakesley picked up a riding crop and lashed out at Christian's face viciously, raising a welt that ran down from one cheekbone diagonally to his chin.
Christian
"Oh for F**K's sake!" Christian yelled as the blood splattered.
"I was trying to wake him up! A lot more than you were f**king doing about it."
Blakesley
Dummmmkopppppffff...
Kass barked a laugh, eyes shining with bitter amusement.
Talking back only makes him madder...
Blakesley kicked out at the dog, who dodged it agilely.
"Besides...I think we have the slight problem of this."
He flicked the pendant lightly with the tip of the crop, before walking back over to Taylor. He flicked his eyes over Taylor's body, and then slashed at where he had placed the two needles in his stomach, tip of the crop landing precisely on one of them.
Christian & Taylor
Taylor's eyes shot open and a loud yell escaped his mouth.
He clenched his fists, his feet struggling to hold him up as he caught his breath.
"Sh*t," he cursed softly, cringing from the pain.
Christian raised an eyebrow.
Blakesley
Kass wisely retreated to a position near the door and lay down, putting his head on his paws. In another room, Kass listened in softly on a conversation between two of the N series clones.
Blakesley moved across the room, opening a cupboard door.
"Glad to see you back with us, Taylor. Now."
He picked out something from the cupboard, body hiding what he was doing.
"Many would call yourself, and by association, Christian, quite handsome. I have often noticed that what are so popularly termed the 'beautiful people', have a perception of themselves often based in their physical appearance."
He turned back around, a small handheld circular saw in his hand, and a queer smile on his face. He plugged it in and depressed the power button, making the saw blade spin and whine for a moment.
"Christian, you said that you could take the pendant off yourself..."
He used the saw to detach one of Christian's hand from its restraints.
"I would suggest removing it, or I think I may create my own face on Taylor's existing one, using this saw."
Christian & Taylor
Taylor froze.
"W-what?" he stuttered.
"You're f**king crazy," Christian almost sneered, his hand falling to hold the pendant.
It was his last link to Craig. He wasn't giving it up without a fight.
Blakesley
"The American Government has declared me sane, who are you to decide otherwise?" Blakesley said.
He moved across the room and rested the still saw against Taylor's cheek.
"Remove the pendant, Christian."
Christian & Taylor
Christian glared as he felt the pendant heat beneath his fingers.
Taylor cringed and quickly turned his head away.
"Don't... please..."
Blakesley
Blakesley laced his fingers through Taylor's hair and jerked the other man's head back towards him. He moved the saw away so it wasn't on Taylor's skin, and turned it on.
The sawblade whined as it picked up speed.
"Well, Christian?"
Christian & Taylor
"Chris?!" Taylor exclaimed, quite obviously shaking in fear.
Christian grunted a little, before looking down at the pendant as he held it in his palm.
Closing his eyes, he lifted it to his lips and kissed the red jewel in the spider's back.
"You have no idea what kind of power you're dealing with here," he proclaimed, lifting the chain slowly over his head.
Blakesley
"Possibly not," Blakesley said.
"But I can garuntee that there will be someone who does. Drop the pendant on the floor."
Christian & Taylor
Christian looked down at the pendant, before glancing at Taylor and turning his eyes back to it.
The gem faded to almost black rather than the bright red.
"I'll find you," he whispered.
He held the chain to his forehead for a moment, before slowly lowering it to the floor, then sending it skidding in Blakesley's direction.
He stood up straight again, almost as if nothing had happened.
Taylor gulped, eyes darting.
Blakesley
Blakesley smiled, and turned off the saw.
"Thank you, Christian."
In slow steps he walked across the room to place the saw back, then walked back to pick up the pendant.
Taylor & Christian
Christian scratched his cheek and looked away.
Taylor sank down the wall again, trying to hold the tears back. This is was definately worse than he remembered.
Finally, Christian turned back and leant back against the wall - his free hand behind him as he kept his eye on Blakesley.
Blakesley
Kass softly sang a snatch of a German Nazi 'Heil Hitler' youth song, eyes fixed on the scene before him.
Ah, Aryan pride. The wonders of racism and bigotry in action.
Blakesley ignored what he heard as soft whining and placed the pendant in a bag, writing a note across the label and then putting it in a chute. It disappeared with a soft slither.
Christian & Taylor
"So now what?" Christian raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips.
Taylor cringed and hid his face in his arm, hoping the attention would be taken away from him.
Blakesley
Kass moved across the floor silently and slipped out the door.
"Now that the impeding electricity has been removed..."
Blakesley picked up a pair of handcuffs.
"First things, to return you to full restraints."
Christian
"Why, you scared?" Christian's eyes narrowed.
He chuckled a little.
"Try me."
Blakesley
"I don't have to."
Blakesley picked up a knife and moved back over to Taylor. One hand went in Taylor's hair, jerking his head up and the knife rested just beneath one eye.
"Behave, Christian."
Christian & Taylor
Christian rolled his eyes, before hitting his head back against the wall.
Taylor gulped, trying to keep his breathing normal again.
"Fine," Christian muttered finally.
"Why the hell you trust the two of us in a room together anyway, I don't know."
Blakesley
"Taylor is far too terrified to think clearly," Blakesley said.
He let go of Taylor and walked back over to Christian, putting the knife back and readying the handcuffs.
"Hand above your head, Christian."
Christian & Taylor
Taylor cringed and slid down until his arms were holding him up.
Christian hesitated, staring at Blakesley as if he was thinking of disobeying him, before finally lifting his arm.
Blakesley
Blakesley clipped one cuff around his wrist, and then the other into the clip attached to the wall.
"I would suggest not hesitating to do as I ask, Christian. It makes me irritated."
Christian
"Everything I do makes you irriated, because I'm an irritating person," Christian tilted his head, his eyes on Blakesley's.
"Isn't that right, Kaleb?"
Blakesley
"I would suggest curbing that side of your personality," Blakesley said.
"It would make life more pleasant for all involved."
Christian
"Oh, I don't think I can do that," Christian shook his head, almost sadly.
"You don't exactly have a say in my current mental state, I'm sorry to inform you."
Blakesley
"You may change your mind on that later," Blakesley said softly.
He looked at his watch.
"I have some more important work to attend to, so I will bid you adieu until I return."
Christian
"Miss you already, sweetheart," Christian sniped, before tilting his head to the side and smiling slightly.
He glanced toward Taylor, but was too disgusted to look for long.
Blakesley
Blakesley shook his head as he left, flipping off the lights and locking the cupboard up. ALl the equipment was out of sight and contained.