Chapter 9.3
(Part 4)
***
"...aaand
time."
As Dr. Rose audibly taps his tablet to clear the timer, you grumble and drop the stylus onto the table - not into the tablet's stylus receptacle, because
they made you take the math test again. Since all the questions were different you couldn't even use the answers that you'd worked out last time!
Because this is a PRT Power Test and they have all the cool toys, the scientists already have the results - Taylor doesn't, so she's had to maneuver her holo-drone to look over the shoulders of the scientists at the other table. One of the scientists comes over and takes the tablet - and wayward stylus - from you while the rest mutter to each other and point at their screens for about a minute, during which time you lean back in the metal chair and close your eyes.
It's fuzzy, but… yes, it looks like Lord Grasp is still a motionless pagoda near the portal. He didn't tell you how long he needed so you're not quite sure when to expect him, but you might need to wake him up for some of the upcoming tests.
Apparently they already put him through power testing while you were in Containment, though only his small and large scorpion forms - something about needing to schedule a time to re-size the testing lab to accommodate his pagoda form? When you're done here the scientists have promised to let you watch the videos of it, but Prayer and Taylor explained the two most important take-aways: he talked the entire time, and nothing short of a very high-level Brute would survive an encounter with him.
Taylor mentioned that his cavalier, gruesome disassembly of the training dummies meant that the PRT doesn't feel comfortable letting him out into the world until he goes through a full Live Combat training course, as well as a psychological evaluation to prove that he understands the notions of 'excessive force' and 'the value of human life.' This hadn't caused much of an issue yet, as the rest of his time had been spent with Glenn Chambers and the PRT PR team with Prayer translating.
Prayer had given you a wordless, rueful look through her helmet in response, which had almost caused you to trip on the treadmill due to your giggles.
"...-atsu?"
You blink, then lean forward from where you had almost sent the chair tipping backwards. The scientsts are all looking at you expectantly, while Taylor is giving you a raised eyebrow with a smirk.
"Y-yes?"
Dr. Rose clears his throat and nods at you. "We're finished with your baseline mental evaluations, Ms. Tatsu. Overall, your average cognitive capabilities have seen a 21% increase - mostly in processing speed - though there looks to be noticeable improvement of your overall language skills as well. Comparing against the limited schooling reports we have since your last evaluation, we did also notice that you answered some geography and history questions that weren't covered in your classes…?"
"Oh," you frown, thinking about what questions on the test they might have been talking about. "I still couldn't answer most of them."
"Which is fine," he nods, holding up hand in acceptance, "you did the right thing to skip to only ones you could answer, but-... alright, how about the question about when the American Civil War ended? Do you remember where you learned that? None of your classes have covered that period."
"I… don't remember? The Internet?"
That gets some light chuckles from the scientist gallery, but Dr. Rose just frowns - not at you, though, as he quickly turns to Taylor's projection. "I'm just not seeing enough concrete evidence for these 'Skill Colleges' your notes mention, Ms. Weaver."
For her part, Taylor's lips are pursed as she sighs. "It's not-" she pauses, her eyes darting off to the side for a moment before she frowns again. "That's… Fine. If, later, she exhibits the same sort of learning advancement that I do?"
He nods. "If both she and Ms. Vajra do, then yes - that might be enough to support a preliminary theory. We'd need more than a sample size of
three, however-"
"I'm working on it," Taylor sighs again, waving a hand dismissively. "That's the last baseline test, yes?"
Adjusting his thick glasses, Dr. Rose nods quickly and turns back to the rest of the scientists as they appear to be working on something. A few moments later, they look up to meet his gaze.
"Everything's backed up offsite, sir," the lone female of the group replies, nervousness starting to creep into her fresh-out-of-college voice. "Digital and analogue measurements are recording."
Turning from them to Taylor, you give her a blank stare so that she'll explain what any of that meant.
"Ah… you remember how my anima - the big spider thing...?"
You nod.
"... when I was starting out, it scrambled anything electronic pointed at me, too. Prayer's anima is different: it changes recordings and memories to make her look like something else."
That gets you to turn to the giant blue crystal woman in shock.
"What?"
"After the moment has passed," she bows her head, solemnly, "all who bore witness saw the Great Maker in action."
You turn back to Taylor, who just shrugs.
"We did a lot of testing last week, but for the most part people and cameras just remember a big glowing figure that they think was Autochthon himself. Indirect observation - say, if you wrote down what Prayer was doing - doesn't change, and since I'm immune you might be too, but before she meditated it wasn't very consistent with what it would change or how much. Which was… awkward."
Back to Prayer, who shifts uncomfortably.
"I was broadcast."
"Oh," you balk, since… wow. TV? "What happens if you watch it after?"
"You don't get the full…
religious experience, but it's there," Taylor fidgets, clearing her throat while the scientists behind her are dutifully looking elsewhere. "Iris says that yours shouldn't be like that, but we're taking precautions just in case."
That's… well, you're not quite sure how bad that is compared to your own problem. From what you can remember, Taylor's anima stopped showing up all the time and screwing everything up after she meditated a bit… but 'scaring people' isn't anywhere as bad as 'changing memories' when it comes to how the PRT treats you.
A bolt of inspiration hits you, but you manage to shut your mouth before you voice it:
is that part of why there's so little information about what happened to the Slaughterhouse Nine?
You're pretty sure Taylor and Prayer are the only ones who know what really happened, and they probably can't say it in front of a bunch of PRT scientists.
Safe Space, to the rescue! You and Sakura were trying to figure out a way to pitch that you two should be in the Assembly because you'd have the Ultimate Base (
villains have
lairs) for super-secret Alchemical business in your Safe Space, but she must have thought of it on her own. And with Lord Grasp, it's even got a spa now!
So you push that uncomfortable question onto the ever-growing 'Ask Taylor Later' pile, and instead shake your head and move to stand. "O-okay, so… what should I do now?"
After a short set of glances between Dr. Rose and Taylor - the Doctor communicating with a shrug and a waved hand that it's her show now - you are directed to move to the center of the large room and stand in a relaxed position. Taylor's drone and projected hologram remain about ten feet in front of you, Prayer is a few feet farther and to your right, and the scientists have remained around their tables about fifty feet away. Apart from them, all the training and testing equipment has been folded back into the walls, leaving the room pristine, empty, and white.
"Now, I'm not sure how much you remember from my presentation, but I'll try to keep it simple. Just close your eyes and think about the energy you've probably been pushing and pulling to activate your charms."
Doing so, you take a relaxed breath and bring up the mental image that came to mind over the last few days as your mind wandered: a pair of tight, single-spirals comprised of glowing blue hexagons. Though the larger one is nearly double the size and glows with a vibrant, iridescent radiance, your attention (in the few times they've come to your mind) has always been drawn first to the smaller of the pair.
"Um…" you murmur, letting your wandering train of thought be heard, "I have… two? But one is smaller and… empty?"
Taylor's thoughtful hum sounds farther away than it did a moment ago, but you don't let it distract from your introspection. "That means your personal essence pool is taken up entirely by the charms you have installed. That's okay - the way you used your peripheral pool to fuel your disguise earlier shows you probably have Aura-Dampening Component like Pray-"
The words 'personal' and 'peripheral' feel…
right, though you're not sure if that's just because you suddenly remember Taylor's long presentation on how her powers worked. But as she goes on…
"Oh!" you exclaim, nearly opening your eyes and ruining your mind's eye, "yes! That one lit up! And… it's connected to the pools? Wait, wait- there's other lines running- ah, I see the rest of them! But… only Aura-Dampening Component is lit up? Should I use it?"
It's difficult to focus on, like trying to watch a movie through a dirty window, but the instant Taylor had said the name that charm had lit up and stuck in your memory - revealing that the dull lines you'd barely noticed before running from the spirals actually channeled down into the muted glows of the charms themselves.
From far away you hear Taylor give a pensive "Alright," but as you smile and try to…
push essence down from the peripheral spiral-
"It's… it's not doing anything?" you mumble, hopefully loud enough for everyone else to hear, before realization makes you jolt again. "Ah! No, I see! I can direct essence through it to… control it? The lines coming out of it to the other charms look… smaller."
"That's good, Tatsu," Taylor's voice drifts into your consciousness, the firm tone just barely overriding your desire to play around with your new discoveries. "Can you see if it connects to
all your other charms?"
You grumble, since you're still having a hard time even figuring out how many charms you
have.
"I… think so? The others are still dark, so I can't really tell… but there look like there are enough lines for a lot of them…"
"That's-" she cuts off, long enough that you wonder if something's wrong. Just as you're about to open your eyes, Taylor's voice exasperated voice cuts in again. "Alright, Tatsu. It sounds like it works like Prayer's; hopefully we can use it to test the other charms you have and save your anima for last. Let's start working our way through your other charms. Now, I'm going to name a few that I think you've already used so let me know if anything… lights up."
After a moment of silence, you realize they're waiting on you.
"O-okay!"
Taylor's voice is steady and confident, almost as if she's reading from a list.
"Integrated Artifact Transmogrifier."
"Ooo! Yes! It's- wait, I recognize that one! That's the human disguise one, isn't it?"
There's… a nagging feeling after you say that out loud, but it takes you a moment to place it: you're not really human anymore, are you? You'd been thinking about it as 'the old you', not 'look like a human again'.
It's not a
bad feeling… just a little sad. Like… like otou-san used to say about you and Sakura growing up.
You miss them so much.
Taylor's and Prayer's voices are muddled in your head as your mind falls apart, the lines and the lights and the spirals growing hazier as you try desperately- calm! You have to-!
Be Calm.
Like a pixelated picture snapping back into focus, there is Clarity to your mind's eye now - even better than before. It's… yes, you miss them, but you're in the middle of power testing - you have cried yourself to sleep plenty of times before, you can wait until tonight to do it again.
Actually, now that you can sense
all your charms a bit better, there's… a
big one lurking at the bottom of the lines. Not as big as your charm-ified relocation power (
teleportation never really felt right, even before), which is somehow attached
above the essence spirals...
No time to think on it, since Taylor's and Prayer's voices are getting closer. You start pushing essence down through Aura-Dampening Component and towards the oversized charm-
After the initial shove, power
surges down the line, more than what you needed to activate your two disguise charms
combined. Urgh, this thing is a power hog! It better be worth it!
Your eyes snap open, and you throw your hands out to stop Prayer and Taylor just as the two of them almost get within arm's reach.
"Wait!" you exclaim, before you use your left forearm to help wipe your eyes clear. "I'm alright. Just- I just had a bad memory. I'm fine."
There's a beat of silence as you take in a steadying breath, and as you drop your left arm you notice both are looking at your outstretched right arm.
Or, more specifically, the long, thin,
black blade sticking out from between your right middle and ring fingers.
"That's… it?"
The realization that you just thought that out loud is washed away by the deep, ominous feeling that no… you're missing something. That's not all there is to it.
"A stiletto?" Prayer's voice is thoughtful, her head tilted slightly as she studies it from afar. "Can you shape it?"
"I…" you blink, the thought having not occurred to you. Looking at your splayed-out hand, you stare at it like you got a bad nail job.
After a few directed thoughts, all you've managed to accomplish is a few weird faces while the blade retracted slightly to line up with your fingers - in a way that could hide it pretty well, now that you're moving your fingers a bit. Ninja-esque, sleek and deadly!
The lingering, ominous feeling means that attempt at humor doesn't even make you smile.
"No, but… I think it does something? It's… not poisoned, I think," as you bring it up to your face to inspect it more carefully. You gently touch the blade with your left index finger, "No, but it's pretty sharp-"
You finally notice that Taylor is staring at you with her face turned off - even her upper eyes have focused on you completely.
"Um," you begin eloquently, glancing between her, the blade, and Prayer, before bringing your right hand out in a relaxed, upwards-facing point with your fist closed. "Do you… know what this is, Ta-... Weaver?"
There's a long, awkward pause as her face turns back on but her eyes - all of them - dart off to the right at something you can't see and she makes a frantic 'stop it' motion with her right hand at whatever it was.
"It's identity has been…
suggested… yes," she eventually mutters out, as if the words are being pulled out of her throat, "but I don't know if… if it's even safe to
test."
"Ms. Weaver?" Dr. Rose's voice over the test chamber's speakers interrupts your already-stalled train of thought, frustration in his tone not hiding the concern underneath it. "Should we be aware of something?"
"I-" Taylor stalls, straightening up and turning just enough so that she can raise her hands warningly and have both the scientists and yourself within her field of view. "I just want to remind everyone that-... that Alchemical charms are designed by
humans, and that Autochthonian culture has a much different perspective on
life and
mental-"
"
Ms. Weaver," Dr. Rose interrupts, growing increasing chiding, "need I remind you that it is your promise of
complete transparency during these tests that allows your presence here?"
Taylor's face twitches, but before it can twist into a snarl the blank look slams down for long enough for her regain control - her eyes, however, continue to swirl and pivot furiously in the moment of silence. Finally, she closes her eyes, takes a long breath, and looks back to you with a hopeful expression.
It's obviously fake.
"Tatsu, can you tell if there are any submods - smaller parts - or other charms connected to that charm? Or is it just that… needle?"
After staring at Taylor's face for a moment, you close your eyes and try to search your mind again…
"It's… there are
lots of smaller parts," you mutter, completely devoid of excitement over seeing how the charm practically glows like a christmas tree with smaller lights that are buzzing and waiting to activate. "I don't… see… any other connected charms? Some of the parts are as big as charms, though…?"
You open your eyes and Taylor has her face in both palms. There's another awkward silence.
"
Maker…"
Spoken in Old Realm, it's one part plea, two parts expletive. Beside you, Prayer awkwardly shifts ever-so-slightly away from you.
Dr. Rose's voice is completely done with this.
"Ms. Weaver."
Taylor holds her left hand up in acknowledgement, then raises her face from her right hand and takes a long, steadying breath before gesturing for you to present your arm proudly.
"Doctors," she sighs, right eye twitching as her mouth is a rueful smile. "I present:
Personality Override Spike."
...what.
Even all the way over here, the strangled sound from multiple doctors can be heard even without the intercom.
"Alone, it's… capable of forcing a person into a dream-like mindscape where the user can speak to them," she continues, tone
somehow considering, "However, it was designed for use with other... parts: Identity Recalibration Signal, Mind-Ripping Probe, Memory Implantation Surge, and…
Maker please I hope you didn't get this one…. Subsidiary Personality Implant. The names don't translate perfectly, but they…"
Taylor keeps talking, but it all seems so far away as you stare at the pitch-black streak of metal jutting out from between your knuckles.
Far, far away…
… where your chances of ever walking free have fled.
***
