# Terminal Condition Author: Retconned Tags: Anthro, Cyborg, Emotional, Feline, Female, Greentext, Human, Male, Mild Drama, Mild Violence, Multiple Species, Romance The tale of a man who awakens in a mysterious lab... and quickly realizes he's not alone. Inspired by a dream, begun on a whim, and intended to end in a single weekend, Terminal Condition quickly ballooned into a full-length feature. It's also my personal favorite finished work, featuring one of my absolute favorite "Retverse" characters. See if you can guess who it is! \>NO SIGNAL \>You grumble and curse at your worthless phone.  Stowing it in your pocket, you sigh and reevaluate your situation. \>You remember driving home from your workplace after being fired.  You took the scenic route, reflecting on the fact that you're unemployed now. \>It was always a pretty bad job, but it paid. \>You remember seeing bright headlights behind you... \>Then nothing else.  There's a blank period in your memory between then... \>And when you woke up. \>Now, you're in what seems to be a warehouse?  You've been walking around for a bit trying to get your bearings. \>Seems to be in disuse, judging by the dust and cobwebs, but the lights are still operational.  A low mechanical hum echoes throughout the facility. \>A rhythmic, faint beeping occasionally rings in your ears. \>If only you could at least get enough signal to check your GPS app... \>...oh, wait a minute.  There's Wi-Fi? \>Huh.  Sure enough: "LCL - Guest." \>You attempt to connect... \>"Please enter your username and password to login." \>Hm.  What's the most realistic set of login credentials you could guess...? \>Username: 3Spooky \>Pass: 5Me \>"Authenticating... login successful." \>...what? \>You were fully expecting that not to work.  But apparently it did? \>Either security is lax, or you're a fantastic psychic.  Your phone soon shows a faint Wi-Fi signal.  Better than nothing, anyway. \>...hm.  If their internet is still up, maybe someone is here after all? \>"Hello?!" \>Your shout echoes through the dusty, silent facility... \>... \>There is no response. \>That faint beeping's rhythm speeds up slightly. Sounds like it's coming from a hallway to your left. \>You tentatively peek down the dark corridor. \>A faint, sickly green light shines from a room.  The beeping sounds very far away. \>Your Wi-Fi signal remains weak. \>Something about this scenario gives you the creeps. \>You attempt to call 911... but to no avail.  Despite having a Wi-Fi connection, you still lack a cell signal. \>Hm. Well, maybe if you follow the signal to the source, you'll find help?  Plus, your curiosity desparately aches to figure out what's beeping. \>You open up your camera app and turn on low-light mode, then head down the pitch plack hall. \>The beeping speeds up again... and remains distant. \>You keep walking, stopping at the room that's lit. \>The ominous green glow is being cast by an old terminal style computer.  It's covered in dust and cobwebs, and the screen is cracked, but still legible. \>A prompt blinks onscreen: \>"LOGIN\>" \>Hm. \>You sit down and input your "credentials". \>"PROCESSING... LOGIN FAILED.  SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR HAS BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS ATTEMPT." \>Well shit. \>The mechanical humming grows fainter, the beeps more rapid. \>Your signal strength is now medium, rather than weak. \>What sounds like a lift moving shakes the room, then stops. \>The terminal blinks rapidly, then shuts off altogether, only to reboot... \>The screen is completely blank now, the only thing visible being a venomous green background. \>...is this all a trick?  Or is it something else? \>You idly mash some keys, only managing to rouse some indignant whirring and sputtering from the aged terminal. \>There's a faint tapping sound from above you, and the beeping grows slower, more steady. \>The terminal flashes brightly, then returns to its eerie green glow. \>Hm.  \>You get the disturbing sense that something may be behind you... \>You turn around quickly to see... \>Nothing.  Your own silhouette is projected against the wall, thanks to the hysterical green light of the terminal. \>You turn back to see a message box. \>"SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR CONTACTED.  HAVE A NICE DAY." \>The message vanishes. \>With a growing sense of dread, you exit the room, heading towards the lift sound from before. \>Sure enough, there's an old elevator here.  The doors open with a comically friendly chime, revealing a decrepit, dusty interior.  The lights flicker ominously, and the muzak is slowed and warped beyond recognition. \>You step inside hesitantly, and the doors begrudgingly jerk shut. \>The speakers sputter and cough before choking out a bar of what could charitably be called a cover of "The Girl from Ipanema", then promptly die with a fizzle. \>Seems this warehouse has three floors, and you were on the second. \>That rhythmic beeping is even fainter than before, but your signal remains at medium strength. \>This is getting increasingly unnerving. \>You pull up Google Maps to see if you can figure out where you are... \>"SITE BLOCKED.  If you feel this message was received in error, contact the system admin." \>Greeeat.  Well, what about asking /x/? \>...no luck.  Same message. \>Well, that's great.  Who the hell blocks Google Maps? \>That faint tapping above you starts up again.  You tentatively knock on the top of the elevator... \>The tapping halts.  The beeping speeds up dramatically.   \>There's a cacophany of taps as the beeping grows fainter, your signal weaker. \>Hm. \>You're torn between going up and investigating or checking the basement... \>Your knowledge of horror film tropes prompts you to go away from the tapping, and thus down. \>The elevator groans and whines as it descends with a shudder.  The doors open with a sigh when it comes to a stop. \>It's even darker down here.  Not a mote of light can be seen. \>Cobwebs dangle everywhere, that mechanical hum rings out loud and clear, and you lose the signal entirely. \>Turning on your phone's flashlight reveals a desk in the center of the room ahead of you.  It seems to be in disrepair, the legs bent and rusted. \>A small collection of papers is scattered across the desktop, covered in a layer of dust. \>You lift the top sheet... \>It's stamped with a large LCL logo, with CLASSIFIED just below that. \>The paper is labeled "Decommisioning Request", and it seems that someone denied it... \>You can still hear the beeping, but it's very faint. \>You decide to keep reading the document... \>"Subject is growing more intelligent, and has recently developed paranoid behaviors.  Given its nature, we have concerns that it may jeopardize the safety of this facility and its staff.  We feel that the safest solution is to decommission the subject before it learns more." \>There's a handwritten response to this typed passage. \>"Subject is progressing as I had hoped.  Intelligence is increasing at a desirable rate, and the development of such behaviors is perfectly natural.  It is my opinion that the staff should stop worrying about decommissioning subjects and focus instead on studying them. -LC" \>Another document seems to pick up from there. \>"With all due respect, we can no longer support the subject in question.  To do so poses a great risk to the wellbeing of our staff.  The subject has become oddly cognitive, with it silently observing researchers from afar.  After one such observation, during which Assistant Researcher Richard administered physical discipline to an unruly specimen, the subject retired to a corner of its enclosure, refusing to interact with staff.  A.R. Richard was later found dead, with a blast door having malfunctioned and shut on him.  We fear that the subject may have had some involvement." \>The reply is short and sweet. \>"You worry too much.  -LC" \>This request was also denied... \>You start to read another document when you hear the elevator move again.  You turn around to investigate... \>And drop your phone.  Great. \>The flashlight stops working, but the rest is functional. \>You hear that tapping again as the beeping grows a bit louder. \>...you fumble around for something long, ultimately breaking a leg off the desk, and tap out a message in Morse. \>"SOS" \>There's a pause as the tapping stops.  The beeping speeds up, but there's otherwise no response. \>You take a deep breath. \>"HELLO?!" \>The beeping reaches a fever pitch, and you hear the elevator descend. \>It opens up behind you, with nobody inside it.  The speakers crackle and pop, choking out a bar or two of some generic tune. \>Can... whatever this thing is... understand you? \>"I MEAN NO HARM!" \>Another pause.  The beeps slow a bit. \>The elevator speakers crackle and fizz again, this time managing to carry a rendition of "Hotel California" for a moment. \>The lights inside flicker for a moment. \>...this is probably a bad idea, but you're gonna have to use that elevator eventually. \>You jot down a quick will on the back of the denied requests, then muster up the energy to enter the elevator. \>Once inside, you shakily whistle along to the random bursts of music that play, watching your phone in the hopes that you'll get a cell signal. \>You don't, but your Wi-Fi signal maxes out just as the doors jerk open. \>You slowly step out onto the floor... \>The doors snap shut behind you as the elevator audibly hurtles down to a crashing halt. \>... \>The beeping is very close now.  The pace is unsteady, slowing down and speeding up at random. \>A cyan glow shines from the terminal room.  Faint tapping echoes from that direction. \>The Wi-Fi signal remains maxed out. \>Your heart races, pounding in your chest. \>Something tells you to avoid that terminal room.  That said, another part of you says to check it out. \>For now, you check the Wi-Fi connection again. \>The name of the network has changed. \>"LCL - Guest - ADMIN ONLINE" \>A chill runs down your spine, for some reason. \>You steel yourself. \>"Hello?" \>The tapping stops.  The beeps speed up again... \>And you hear a faint gasping sound from the terminal room. \>...so much for stealth. \>You take a deep breath and advance onward down the hall, hearing the beeps get louder and faster. \>The cyan glow of the terminal gets brighter as you approach. \>A strange shadow is cast upon the wall... \>It's oddly shaped, but seems to bear... \>Pointed ears? \>Almost like that of a cat... \>The terminal's light abruptly changes color, returning to its eerie green from before. \>Your heart races, nearly matching pace with the beeping. \>You stop just shy of the terminal room. \>The beeping is extremely close.  Your signal remains at full strength. \>You gulp nervously as you press your back to the wall, sidling up to the door. \>You wait to see if the being exits the room... \>The oddly shaped shadow shifts around uncomfortably... \>Then vanishes altogether as the green glow intensifies. \>You take a deep breath and step into the room, hands raised. \>"Hello? My name's Anon... I'm unarmed, and I mean no harm." \>The room is empty.  On a metallic set of artistically shaped shelves rests a large terminal, slightly bigger than what you remember the other one being. \>A much smaller monitor displays a waveform that seems to be at a very high frequency. \>Wires jut haphazardly from the shelving unit. \>A keyboard rests precariously at the edge of the shelf. \>A prompt blinks on the large terminal: \>"3Spooky\>" \>Hesitantly, you type: \>"Hello?" \>There's a pause, then a messagebox appears. \>"#€||0" \>It vanishes with a beep.  Speaking of... \>Those rhythmic beeps are still rapidly sounding off, keeping pace with your beating heart. \>You have to ask. \>"What's beeping?" \>Another pause. \>"\< 3" \>"A heart?" \>"M!N€" \>... \>You type again. \>"What are you?  WHO are you?" \>"(|455!F!€D" \>"Do you have a name?" \>"N0" \>... \>You speak aloud. \>"Can you hear me?" \>Before you can type, another response appears. \>"Y€5 ! (4N" \>The beeps slow down a bit... \>It occurs to you now that the small screen is showing a heart monitor readout. \>It's not yours... it's going slower than your pulse. \>Several questions come to mind. \>"Do you need help?  Is there anything I can do?" \>"Y€5 & N0" \>"You don't need my help?" \>"N0+#!N6 Y0U (4N D0" \>"So, what do you want from me?" \>"+0 +4|K" \>"To talk?  I... can do that." \>"! KN0W" \>"...where are you?" \>"#€R€" \>"Can you show yourself?" \>"Y€5.  5+€P B4(K" \>You cautiously step away from the terminal... \>It suddenly rises up as the "shelving" unfolds into a vaguely humanoid shape. \>Your heart pounds as the heart monitor maintains a slower, steady pace. \>Soon, the being completely takes shape.  It's only now that you notice the pointed ears atop the terminal. \>The being's body seems to be made covered in... fur?  Indeed, long, smooth fur of a coal black color shrouds its form. \>The creature is clearly gaunt and malnourished, its limbs nearly skeletal. However, a faintly curvy figure coupled with surprisingly ample breasts reveals that it's female. \>Wires and cables dangle from her in random places, and the keyboard hangs around her neck like a bizarre pendant. \>A long cable takes the place of a tail, with a computer mouse hanging from the end of it. \>The heart monitor rests where you'd expect it to; directly over her heart. \>There's a bitcrushed sigh as a message appears onscreen. \>"+#€R€" \>You blink in shock, analyzing the woman before you. \>Despite her... hardware, she seems extremely lifelike.  You can't tell what material she's made of, or indeed if she's even artificial... \>No serial number is visible on her either. \>Her "head" remains pointed at you, giving you the impression of staring. \>You clear your throat. \>"Did... you bring me here?" \>There's a very quiet tapping sound. \>"N0.  D0N'+ KN0W W#0 D!D" \>"Oh.  What happened here?" \>"(|455!F!€D" \>"Why is the place deserted?" \>"D€4+#5" \>"O-oh." \>She shakily rests a hand weakly on your shoulder.  Plastic claws gently scrape you. \>"Y0U 4R€ 54F€" \>"Thank you.  How long have you been alone... IF you're alone?" \>"|0N6 +!M€.  €\*4(+ +!M€ (|455!F!€D" \>"I see.  Why can't I help you?" \>"5!(K.  MY \< 3" \>"Oh... I'm sorry." \>She hangs her head, ears drooping a little. \>"+4|K W!+# M€" \>You slowly step forward and hug the creature.  It's frankly horrifying how thin and... brittle she feels. \>She lets out an oddly... happy digital tone. \>"+#4NK Y0U" \>"How bad is it?" \>"! W!|| |!V€, BU+ W!|| B€ W€4K" \>"...well, I'm here to talk and listen." \>She nods, losing her balance for a moment. \>Panicked, you catch her as she teeters, gently pushing her back onto her feet. \>"+#4NK Y0U" \>"No problem, uh... say, is it alright if I give you a nickname?" \>"Y€5" \>"How about Kitten?" \>"Y€5" \>She nods again, steadying her terminal head with a hand. \>You hug her again. \>"I'm glad you're going to live.  I was afraid... you were dying." \>She stares down at you, head whirring and heart monitor beeping. \>"4FR4!D F0R M€?" \>"I was, yes." \>She awkwardly wraps her bony arms around you in a stiff hug. \>She releases you and backs up slightly. \>"+#4NK Y0U.  V€RY K!ND" \>Hm.  Seeing her gaunt form up close has you thinking. \>"Do you want me to look for something to eat?" \>"(4N'+. N0 M0U+#" \>Oh. \>She lets out another tinny sigh. \>"#UN6RY +#0U6#" \>"You poor thing.  Was that you tapping?" \>"Y€5, MY (|4W5" \>"I figured..." \>She seems kind of upset... maybe some humor would cheer her up? \>"Y'know, at least your condition isn't TERMINAL!  Plus, you can MONITOR your home pretty well!  ...and, uh... y-you have a nice ASCII?" \>She stares silently... \>Then lets off a horrible sound not unlike a computer fan dying. \>However... \>"#4#4#4" \>...this is all so weird. \>You've been kidnapped, taken to a strange facility, and left alone with some kind of... computer monster? \>Terror strikes you again for a moment, setting your heart racing again. \>Her ears perk up, and she hugs you again. \>When she backs off again, another message pops up. \>"5+4Y (4|M, Y0U'R€ 54F€" \>You shudder. \>"I know you're not dangerous... but I'm afraid of whoever runs this place." \>Three letters appear on her screen, sending a chill down your spine. \>"LCL" \>"Right.  Who are they?" \>"|€(0Y|€ |4B5" \>"What did they DO to you?" \>She sighs again. \>"+€5+5" \>"What kind of tests?" \>"#0RR!B|€" \>She shakes her head violently, losing her balance again.  You catch her quickly. \>"50RRY" \>"It's fine, you can't help it.  You said you were hungry, right?" \>"Y€5, (4N'+ €4+ F00D" \>"At all?" \>"(4N €4+ D4+4 FR0M MY N€+W0RK" \>"Your network?" \>"Y€5.  Y0U |066€D !N" \>"...the Wi-Fi?" \>"Y€5.  5!6N4L 600D?" \>"Yes, it is." \>"600D, F0UND 4 5!6N4| B005+€R" \>"Seems to have helped. ...Kitten, what happened to the workers?" \>There's a pause. \>"JU5+!(€" \>"Did... did you kill them?" \>"1" \>"...Richard?" \>"Y€5" \>She sighs. \>"50RRY.  ! 5#0U|DN'T #4V€" \>... \>"Kitten, could you... swap to another device if need be?  You shouldn't have to stay here if I find a way out." \>"(4N'+ |€4V€ MY B0DY" \>"Oh..." \>"(0U|D... F0||0W Y0U?" \>You smile at her. \>"Of course you can follow me." \>There's a pause. \>": 3" \>"...we'll just have to make sure you aren't traced." \>"0K4Y, W!|| +#!NK 4B0U+ +#4+" \>"Where IS the exit to this place?" \>"N0+ 5UR€, (4M€R45 BR0K€N" \>"Oh.  I woke up here, so I dunno either." \>"W€ W!|| F!ND 4 W4Y" \>She does a triumphant pose, and her heart rate speeds up a good bit.  She notices the beeping, then seems to try breathing deeply a few times, putting a hand over her heart monitor. \>"+00 €\*(!+€D" \>Poor thing. \>"Kitten, do you control this place?" \>"50M€ 0F !+" \>"The elevators?" \>"Y€5 & MU5!(" \>"Ah, I figured." \>... \>"Then... why'd you try to kill me with the elevator?" \>"W45N'T, ! PR0M!5€.  4((!D€NT" \>"Accident?" \>"#4D (#€5+ P4!N, |05+ F0(U5" \>"Oh.  I understand." \>"+#4NK Y0U" \>"So... what now?" \>"N0+ 5UR€, BU+ !'M 5+4RV!N6" \>"Okay... what kind of data would help fill you up?" \>"4NY+#!N6" \>"Anything, huh?  What's something nutritious for you?" \>There's a loud whirring from within her head. \>"D0(UM€N+5" \>"I see... lemme try..." \>You quickly navigate to your Dropbox app and open up a PDF.  She nods and barely manages to keep her balance. \>"(4N ! #4V€ !+?" \>"Yes, it's old and useless to me." \>She lets off what sounds like a bone-crunching chomp as the file vanishes from your Dropbox.  Then, there's a bit-crushed sigh of contentment. \>"F€€|5 600D +0 €4+" \>"I'm sure.  Want more?" \>Her ears droop, and she seems hesitant. \>"D0N'+ W4N+ +0 +4K€ !+ 4||" \>"It's fine, really; these were for work... and I got fired, so I don't need em." \>There's a loud BEEP from her terminal head. \>"F!R€D F0R W#4+?" \>"The manager hated me." \>She stiffly hugs you again. \>"50RRY" \>"It's fine, thanks.  Let's feed you these docs..." \>...after about 15 minutes, Kitten has devoured all your old PDFs.  Somehow, her stomach actually seems a bit distended, as if she actually ate a physical meal. \>She sighs in contentment again. \>"! F€€| B€++€R, +#4NK Y0U" \>"No problem.  ...can you tell me anything else about LCL?" \>"N0+ MU(#, N0.  50RRY" \>"What CAN you say?" \>She pauses, another whirr echoing from within her cranium. \>"!'M 6|4D +#€Y'R€ 60N€" \>"Me too.  Me too..." \>You look over her outdated features, and hatch an idea. \>"Say, do you think they'd have more modern parts for you?" \>"PR0B4B|Y N0+.  M4YB€ P€R!P#€R4|5?" \>"Like... attachments." \>"Y€5" \>"What about your terminal?" \>"! D0UB+ !+" \>Drat. \>"Well... let's see if we can't find some of those peripherals.  Do you know of any that definitely exist?" \>Another whirring pause. \>"5P€4K€R5" \>"Oh, alright.  Any idea where they could be?" \>"M4YB€ !N 5+0R46€?" \>"Know how to get there?" \>"Y€5, F0||0W M€" \>She shudders a bit, then sets off, striding out of the room as her heart rate picks up a bit.  Her claws tap against the concrete floor loudly. \>She walks ahead of you, occasionally looking over her shoulders so you can read her screen. \>As you walk, more questions flood your mind. \>"So, how long have you been here?" \>She sighs. \>"(|455!F!€D, 50RRY" \>"Oh.  What kinda company was LCL anyway?" \>"R€5€4R(#" \>"What kind of research?" \>"M4NY K!ND5" \>"I see.  Did they make others like you?" \>"N0.  0+#€R, D!FF€R€N\*+ 5P€(!M€N5" \>"They made different monsters?" \>She stops walking, causing you to run into her.  She makes an odd sound. \>"...M0N5+€R?" \>"Err, I didn't mean-" \>"!'M 4 M0N5+€R?" \>She whirrs loudly again. \>"...! 4M." \>She pauses, then resumes walking in silence. \>You clear your throat awkwardly. \>"Uh... s-so, are you a cyborg, or..." \>She stops again.  A message box remains on her screen for a moment: \>": ' (" \>Then, it vanishes. \>"N0+ QU!+€ 4 (YB0R6.  S€M!-0R64N!( N€+W0RK !N+€RF4(€ 4NDR0!D.  (YB0R6 !N 4|| BU+ N4M€" \>"Oh... I getcha.  ...sorry for what I said." \>"Y0U'R€ R!6#+, D0N'+ B€ 50RRY" \>You finally arrive at the storage room.  The two of you open up moldy, dusty boxes for what feels like an hour... then you cheer when you find two conspicuous speakers. \>They look... like the ones your old PC used. \>Kitten lets out a happy chirp and hugs you. \>"P|U6 +#€M !N" \>She gestures to a port on the side of her neck... \>You hesitantly insert the plug and rest the speakers on her shoulders; they seem MADE to mount there. \>There's a pop, then a monotone, synthesized voice speaks up. \>"TESTING, TESTING.  CAN YOU HEAR ME?" \>You laugh and nod at the sound of the woefully dated voice chip. \>"GREAT.  THANK YOU." \>You smile and hug her tightly. Her mouse tail swings haphazardly, knocking against some boxes loudly. \>"Sorry I implied you were a monster." \>"IT'S ALRIGHT, I AM ONE." \>"No you aren't." \>"I KILLED A MAN IN COLD BLOOD." \>"A man who apparently attacked another specimen." \>There's a pause.  An odd, choking sound echoes from inside her head. \>"SHE WAS SICK, ANON.  MENTALLY ABSENT.  DRIVEN TO MADNESS.  AND HE... HE ASSAULTED HER.  I HAD TO..." \>She shudders and hugs you tightly. \>"It's fine.  I understand." \>"I REGRET IT, AND YET I DON'T.  MAKE SENSE?" \>"Yes.  You feel guilty, but you would do it again if need be." \>"...CORRECT." \>What sounds like a shuddering breath rattles from her terminal. \>"...ARE YOU AFRAID OF ME?" \>"Not at all." \>"..." \>A message appears onscreen. \>": ' )" \>"THANK YOU." \>"You're very welcome.  Now then... what's with the classified info?" \>"I CANNOT SAY.  MY PROGRAMMING PREVENTS ME FROM SHARING CLASSIFIED DATA." \>"Could we fix that?" \>"UNSURE.  I WAS CODED IN A PROPRIETARY LANGUAGE.  LIKELY ONLY LCL STAFF WOULD KNOW HOW TO REMOVE THE RESTRAINTS SAFELY." \>"Rats.  Are you... trapped here?" \>Her terminal whirrs again. \>"YES.  I AM INCAPABLE OF LEAVING DUE TO MY POOR HEALTH.  I... FEAR I WOULD EXPIRE FROM THE STRAIN OF ESCAPING ALONE.  BUT, WITH YOU..." \>She trails off and hugs you close. \>You feel a swell of determination in your heart. \>"Kitten, I WILL get you out of this place.  I promise." \>There's an odd sort of low, repetitive popping and fizzing from her speakers. \>"THANK YOU." \>"So: what do you mean by strain?" \>"MY BODY REQUIRES POWER.  IN ADDITION, MY HEART IS WEAK." \>"I see." \>"HERE, I MAY CHARGE AMBIENTLY OR BY USING A CHARGE PORT." \>"Right, right.  Could we use a generator?" \>"POSSIBLY.  UNSURE IF THERE IS ONE ON THE PREMISES." \>"You mean... you don't know if they have a GENERATOR?" \>"SORRY.  NOT TOO FAMILIAR WITH LCL INVENTORY." \>"It's fine." \>She "smiles" again. \>": 3" \>"THANK YOU FOR BEING SO UNDERSTANDING." \>"No problem.  Want me to grab more data?" \>She rubs her stomach with that same crackling, fizzing sound from her speakers. \>"MAYBE... SOMETHING SMALL." \>You open up a picture of you and your ex-boss.  It promptly vanishes with another snapping chomp sound from Kitten. \>"...TASTES BITTER.  BUT, STILL FILLING." \>She sighs happily. \>"I HAVEN'T EATEN SO WELL IN YEARS.  THANK YOU, ANON." \>Kitten hugs you once more. \>"Can you think of any other helpful peripherals?" \>"...CAN YOU?" \>"Uh... disc reader?" \>"BUILT IN.  AS WELL AS A FLOPPY DRIVE." \>"Really?" \>She silently turns around, revealing the two slots are simply in her back. \>"YES." \>"Oh, okay... uh... GPS... printer... document scanner..." \>"MAYBE THOSE EXIST?  NOT SURE... I FOUND A FEW OF THEM AND INSTALLED THEM BEFORE MEETING YOU.  LIKE MY MOUSE." \>She waves her "tail" to emphasize it, and incidentally bashes you with the mouse. \>You don't react to the insignificant impact, but she lets out a gasp. \>"ARE YOU HURT?  SORRY!" \>"I'm fine, it barely hit me." \>She hugs you close, gently running plastic claws through your hair. \>"SORRY.  SORRY." \>She eventually releases you. \>"What do you say we explore?  We could look for more peripherals and maybe a generator." \>"ALRIGHT." \>The two of you set off again, her claws again tapping to a different rhythm than her heart rate. \>...something about that monitor's beeping unnerves you... \>You peek into a ruined office.  A briefcase sits atop a splintered desk.  You walk in, with Kitten following. \>The desk bears a small plastic plaque reading "ASSISTANT RESEARCHER RICHARD". \>A low-fi growling rumbles from your companion's terminal as she attempts to snap the plaque in half with her bare hands... \>To no avail. She simply isn't strong enough... \>Kitten sighs and drops the plaque, gently laying a hand over her racing heart monitor. \>"SHOULDN'T LET MYSELF GET SO UPSET." \>...a faint, shuddering breath punctuates her sentence. \>"IT HURTS." \>Eventually, her heart slows to a more healthy rate, and she sighs in relief. \>You take the briefcase and grab some scattered papers. \>One catches your eye... \>"MEMO FROM THE PRESIDENT: As of today, we are officially beginning development on the Interaction Simulator.  Any interaction based specimens are now considered outmoded.  DO NOT DECOMMISSION THESE OUTMODED SPECIMENS WITHOUT WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM DOCTOR LECOYLE. Thank you. -LC" \>Hm. \>"INTERACTION SIMULATOR?  SOUNDS FAMILIAR." \>You stuff the document into the briefcase, then leave the office.  However, Kitten stays behind for a moment... \>She emerges carrying the plastic plaque, with a message on her screen. \>": (" \>You halt in your tracks. \>"You want to break that?" \>She nods, and so you help her.  You each grab a side and pull, and it eventually snaps.  Kitten loses her balance and nearly falls backwards, but... \>": D" \>"GOOD RIDDANCE." \>She seems happier now, with her ears and "tail" perking up. \>"Are there any good memories you have of this place?  Maybe someone we could find a souvenir of...?" \>"NO, I ONLY HAVE BAD MEMORIES.  ...WELL, EVER SINCE-" \>Her voice cuts off with a buzz, and a massive ! appears onscreen. \>"...I SEE.  SEEMS THAT INFORMATION IS CLASSIFIED." \>"Oh..." \>"SOMEONE I CARED ABOUT LEFT." \>"Who?" \>"I DON'T THINK I CAN SAY.  SORRY." \>"It's okay.  I understand." \>She looks down at the broken plaque and bends it a bit, smile reappearing onscreen. \>"IT MAY BE CRUEL, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SEE THIS BROKEN." \>"I'm sure." \>You peek into another room; a broken disk lies on the floor. \>...something comes to mind. \>"You know, Kitten, you sure were happy to show off your slots... you even waved your tail at me." \>There's a pause, and her terminal whirrs. \>She puts a hand to her "mouth" as a message shows up. \>": 3" \>"HA HA HA!" \>"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were flirting." \>She seems to avert her "eyes" a little, her heart rate picking up. \>"HA!  THAT WOULD BE FUNNY." \>...another idea comes to mind. \>"Hey, want another snack?" \>"YES, PLEASE." \>You open up a filesharing site and download a short comic... \>...more specifically an adult one featuring a cat woman. \>The file disappears with a snap and a gulp... then Kitten gasps as her screen turns a little pink. \>"W-WHAT?  ANON..." \>The comics pop up onscreen for a moment. \>"WHAT... NEVER MIND.  THEY'RE... SWEET.  VERY TASTY, ACTUALLY... THANK YOU." \>She seems to have trouble meeting your eyes as her "tail" thrashes about a little.  Her heart rate continues at its accelerated speed. \>The accelerated beeping has you concerned. \>She has a heart problem, right?  You don't need to get her too worked up. \>You gently hug her close, running a hand through her fur. \>...it feels real enough. \>You try to help her calm down, humming and rubbing her back. \>Your fingers run across her disk slots; an odd feeling to be sure.  Her speakers crackle and fizz again as she lays a hand on your back. \>The beeps slow back to a more relaxed pace. \>"Kitten, I'm gonna find you a generator.  I'm gonna figure out some way to help your heart.  And when I do both of those, there'll be as many of those files as you want waiting." \>": ' ' )" \>"THANK YOU, ANON... YOU'RE VERY KIND." \>You let the hug come to an end as her heart rate stabilizes.  She "smiles" again as her mouse tail waves about happily. \>"...do you think we could find a floorplan around here?" \>"MAYBE.  I HAVEN'T SEEN A MAP." \>"Hm.  Well, surely there has to be one somewhere." \>"HOPEFULLY." \>You walk along the hallway, letting Kitten's screen illuminate the path. \>You soon find the path blocked by a fallen vending machine.  The whole thing is covered in a garish advertisement. \>Fizz-Eeze Cola, apparently.  Hm.  You suppose even mad scientists need a drink every now and then. \>Kitten looks at the blockade, head whirring. \>"I THINK... THERE WERE TESTING ROOMS BEHIND THIS?  IT'S BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE.  TOO HEAVY TO MOVE." \>You give it a shove, and the machine doesn't budge.  Great. \>"Well, now what?" \>"NOT SURE, SORRY." \>She hangs her head, then hugs you again. \>"WE WILL FIGURE SOMETHING OUT, ANON.  I HAVE FAITH IN YOU." \>Hm.  There may be something useful beyond this machine... \>But it's far too heavy to move.  Plus, Kitten is in no shape to help you push it. \>...hang on.  You have an idea: \>If you can break the machine open and empty out the drinks... surely it'd lighten up enough to move. \>If only you could find a crowbar... \>"Hey, Kitten: know where I could find some way to open this machine?" \>Her head whirrs for a good while. \>"MAYBE THERE'S A CROWBAR AROUND SOMEWHERE.  THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT MAY HAVE ONE." \>"Where is that?" \>"THIS WAY." \>She leads you back down the hall you just left, and turns down another corridor. \>"I HAD TO FIND IT TO MAKE SOME REPAIRS ONCE." \>"Repairs?" \>"YES.  THEY HAVE A FAIRLY DECENT INVENTORY." \>Upon arrival, you begin to step into the department... \>But Kitten stops you. \>"NO.  WAIT.  IT MAY BE DANGEROUS." \>"How?" \>"LAST TIME I CAME, A BREAKER BOX EXPLODED.  PLEASE, LET ME GO FIRST." \>She steps into the room cautiously, then turns her head back towards you, still walking. \>"ANON, IT IS SA-" \>She's interrupted by a loud POP as she steps on a frayed wire connected to a breaker.  Her body seizes violently as her screen glitches. \>Her heart rate spikes, the beeps nearly bleeding into one long note. \>Through static, one word manages to escape her speakers. \>"ANON!" \>She manages to step off the wire, then collapses onto one knee. \>Her heart monitor continues to beep hysterically as she keeps twitching violently. \>Your heart and mind race as you go in after her. \>You carefully step over the wire and gently lift her.  You can feel some electricity flow through you... \>It hurts, but not enough to make you stop. \>You carry her away from the wire as she raises a shaking hand to your cheek. \>"TH-ANK YOU." \>The beeping maintains its horrifying speed as she jerks about uncontrollably.  Her hand, gently touching your face, spasms, causing her plastic claws to cut into your cheek slightly. \>"SO-SO-SORRY." \>"It's okay.  You're okay.  It's all okay.  Just stay with me." \>Her screen continues to glitch out. \>"T-RY-Y-YING." \>She puts a hand over her heart. \>"A-NON, IT H-H-HURT-T-S." \>"I know, just... just please stay with me." \>You grab a spare piece of wire and use it as a ground, hoping to bleed off some of the current surging through her. \>It seems to help, as the terminal screen slowly unscrambles. \>"TH-TH-THA-THA-NKYOU." \>Panic sets in as the beeps show no sign of slowing down. \>What if...? \>No.  No, no, no, no, no. \>You're gonna fix this.  You're gonna fix her. \>You gently lie down next to her, wrapping your arms around her twitching form. \>"A-N-N-ON..." \>You carefully stroke her black fur, trying to calm her down. \>...you're relieved to hear her heart rate slow ever so slightly.  But it's still dangerously fast. \>She again clutches her chest. \>"P-P-PLE-E-EASE HELP." \>You begin a sort of modified CPR, compressing her chest and simply talking to her in place of breathing. \>"It's okay, it's okay.  Just breathe." \>Long, shuddering breaths are drawn from within her terminal as her pulse slowly begins to normalize. \>She stops attempting to speak, her speakers only playing a loud static. \>A message appears onscreen. \>"+#4NK Y0U" \>Tears of relief roll down your face as her heart rate finally seems to stabilize. \>You collapse onto a knee, laughing in shock and relief. \>There's a long pause... \>Then something that warms your heart tickles your ears. \>"I... I FEEL BETTER." \>Kitten sits up, and you practically yank her into a hug. \>"...ANON... YOU SAVED MY LIFE..." \>She buries her "face" in your shoulder, shuddering. \>"I... I..." \>What sounds like sobbing robs her of her words. \>You break down altogether, sobbing. \>You haven't even known her for more than an hour or three, but the thought of her dying... \>...it's unbearable. \>Who knows what hell she's been through.  She deserves a life outside this place.  Not to die in the darkness. \>Her pulse seems steady now, the rhythmic beeps feeling almost... antagonistic at this point. \>She takes a deep breath. \>"ANON... THANK YOU.  BUT... WHY?" \>"Why?  Because, Kitten, I care about you.  A lot.  I made a promise to get you out of here safely, and I will fulfill that promise no matter what.  You deserve to live your life." \>"...EVEN THOUGH I'M A MONSTER?" \>"You are no monster.  You're a victim of some kind of experiment.  You are probably one of the least monstrous people I have ever met." \>"...THANK YOU..." \>She shakes slightly in fear, clutching you tightly.  Her claws gently dig into your back. \>You don't mind in the slightest. \>"You're worth it." \>"...I... AM WORTH... YOUR CARE?" \>"Of course." \>She stares at you, terminal whirring. \>"........ANON.  YOU ARE... THE KINDEST MAN I HAVE EVER MET." \>She buries her screen in your shoulder again, choking out more "sobs" as her speakers fizz again. \>"THANK YOU.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU." \>You wrap your arms around her, feeling her smooth black fur stand on end.  She still feels so fragile... \>You resolve to keep her safe, no matter the cost. \>Kitten still shudders and lets off "sobs" as you hold her close. \>You smile and whisper sweet nothings into her twitching ears.  It's a bit hard since she's slightly taller than you, but you can at least rest your chin atop her head. \>She seems to "sniffle" a bit as another emoticon shows up onscreen. \>": ' )" \>Her speakers continue to fizzle and crackle deeply, the sound percolating beneath her voice. \>"THANK YOU, ANON.  I... I FEEL BETTER." \>Her heart monitor shows that her pulse has stabilized at a healthy rate.  Phew. \>"I'm so glad you're okay." \>"I OWE MY LIFE TO YOU." \>She hugs you close again, artificial claws digging into your back ever so slightly.  Her dangling keyboard slaps against your chest with a CLACK, filling part of her screen with gibberish. \>"HA HA HA; THAT TICKLED!" \>You smile at her again. \>"You sure you're feeling good enough to move?" \>"...SHOULD BE OKAY." \>"Good.  But I'm taking the lead now, okay?" \>": (" \>"BUT WHAT IF YOU GET HURT?" \>"You're here; I trust you to help me if it comes down to that." \>"YOU WOULD TRUST ME WITH YOUR LIFE?  AFTER WHAT I'VE DONE?" \>"Yes, I absolutely trust you." \>": )" \>"THANK YOU." \>"Of course.  Let me just grab you a little snack, then we'll look for that crowbar." \>You open up and download some sappy romance story you read the other day.  It was extremely cushy and sweet... \>With another SNAP, it vanishes. \>"WOW, SWEET AS SUGAR.  THANK YOU." \>You put your phone away, then start scanning your surroundings... \>...bingo. \>There's a crowbar leaning against a toolbox just past the live wire.  You carefully step over it, grab the tool, and step back. \>As soon as you're in reach, Kitten yanks you into a hug. \>Once she reluctantly lets you go, you lead Kitten out of the maintenance room. \>...she said that her keyboard hitting you "tickled", right? \>Hm. \>As you walk back to the vending machine, you idly tap keys on Kitten's keyboard. \>"HA HA, QUIT IT!" \>You grin and tap faster as she shakes with laughter. \>"HA HA HA, REALLY, QUIT!" \>She playfully slaps your hands away from the keys, then sighs happily. \>HA, I'M TICKLISH, I ADMIT IT." \>...this is still so bizarre. \>You keep walking, subconsciously grabbing her mouse tail and twirling it around your finger. \>Huh.  It's a trackball mouse.  That's not a shock. \>...it's more than a little weird when the mouse and its cable move around of their own accord.  Err, well, of Kitten's accord.  You suppose this IS more or less her tail, after all. \>She again lets off that crackling sound.  Is that... her equivalent to purring? \>That makes sense. \>"THAT FEELS NICE.  THANK YOU." \>She "smiles" and grabs one of the myriad cables hanging from her body, then twirls it around her own finger. \>Her "purring" intensifies. \>"What's that cable for, anyway?" \>"LOOKS LIKE... A MICROUSB.  I HAVE COLLECTED A LOT OF CABLES, HA." \>"Seems like it." \>You finally arrive at the vending machine, and give it a good long look. \>The front bears the image of a grinning, lop-eared dog woman; tiny fizz bubbles dot her playfully-extended tongue. \>A slogan is written beneath her. \>"SHAKE, BAKE, AND SKATE WITH FIZZ-EEZE!" \>...that's... that's a slogan alright. \>You unceremoniously jam the crowbar into the "door" of the machine and pry it open with some difficulty.  Kitten watches, frowning. \>The machine pops open, and there's a cacophony as countless cans roll out of it. \>...some of this stuff is hideously out of date. \>Each drink is apparently Fizz-Eeze brand; they all have the slogan, albeit slightly different mascots. \>Kitten picks up a can and scrutinizes it, her head whirring. \>"You... may wanna be careful with that.  Soda and keyboards are a bad combination.  Plus, this stuff is ridiculously expired." \>"I KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT THE CAN.  THIS WOMAN SEEMS NICE." \>"The mascot?  Yeah, I guess." \>You dig more cans out of the machine, taking care not to open any. \>...though you are vaguely tempted to... \>Take a big old sip. \>... \>You resist the temptation by rereading the expiration date.  Brrr. \>Hm.  You wonder if this stuff might be more acidic now that it's out of date? \>Could be handy. \>You grab a few cans of varying flavors and stow them in your briefcase. \>Once the machine is empty, you manage to budge it out of the way, clearing a path to the testing rooms Kitten mentioned. \>Sterile white lights still glow, giving the remarkably clean corridor a stark atmosphere. \>Kitten seems more nervous than usual, her heart monitor beeping a bit faster than normal. \>"DON'T LIKE THIS PLACE... BRINGS BACK BAD MEMORIES." \>"It's okay.  I'm here for you." \>She hugs you close to her side, shaking. \>You wrap an arm around your companion, gently running your fingers through her coal black fur. \>She still trembles, but her purring hesitantly resumes. \>You keep a firm grip on your crowbar as you explore the eerie white corridor. \>Each room has a placard on the door... you read and grab them as you go. \>"SPECIMEN A-WNDR: Reconstructive surgery patient.  Subject is aggressive towards staff and seems to begrudge the performed procedure.  Caution is advised." \>A handwritten note is taped to this placard... \>"TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, AKA ALL STAFF: Let me make myself clear.  I don't care how 'aggressive' a Specimen is; you do NOT administer any discipline to them.  We are scientists, dammit, not petulant babysitters.  The next time I get a report that someone physically reprimanded this or any other Specimen, mark my words: there will be hell to pay. -LC" \>Hm. \>You peek into the room... \>The floor is stained with oil and rust.  It seems otherwise clean and surprisingly... comfortable.  One wall has several tally marks scratched in it, along with... \>Doodles of cartoon characters? \>There's a message scratched into the floor. \>"I'M FINALLY FREE" \>You leave the room and keep walking, reading the next placard. \>"SPECIMEN R-TPRG: CLASSIFIED.  Only LCL staff with a clearance level of Indigo or above may enter this enclosure.  NDAs must be signed before all interactions." \>The door's locked. \>Another placard... \>"SPECIMEN F-ZCL: VIP subject.  NDAs are required for entry.  Specimen is amiable and compliant, and thus perfectly safe to interact with.  Please request permission from Doctor LeCoyle before bringing in outside food or drink." \>This room is remarkably well furnished, almost more like a hotel room than a test chamber... \>One more placard catches your eye. \>"SPECIMEN B-PCAT: Semi-Organic Network Interface Android.  Specimen suffers from a heart defect, and is to be kept on constant supervision.  Staff members are encouraged to make use of the Specimen's integrated networking devices to keep it well nourished.  Specimen has expressed fear of large groups of staff, and as such only a maximum of two individuals may enter at once." \>...Kitten's old room. \>Another note from LeCoyle... \>"NOTE: If I catch wind of a single one of you fuckers scaring her for a laugh again, I swear I will gut you like a fish.  She has a weak heart, you imbeciles, and your jokes are not worth the pain she suffers for them.  If you see a coworker scaring or otherwise abusing this or indeed any Specimen, report it at once.  Complacency with misconduct is just as punishable.  -LC" \>... \>This is a lot to take in... \>Semi-Organic Network Interface Android... \>Seeing it written out, it occurs to you that her title could be written as a name. \>"So, Kitten, your name's SONIA?" \>"I SUPPOSE THAT'S ACCURATE.  BUT I WANT YOU TO KEEP USING KITTEN.  PLEASE." \>"Of course.  I'd be glad to.  So, did you know any of these other people?" \>"YES.  ALL BUT R-TPRG.  A-WNDR CAME IN BROKEN, AND THEY TRIED TO FIX HER." \>"Fix her?" \>"YES.  SHE WAS ALWAYS SO ANGRY, SO BITTER.  SHE SCARED ME, BUT... WHEN THE STAFF WENT HOME, SHE CALMED DOWN A LOT.  SHE... LEFT AFTER THEY ABANDONED US." \>"Oh..." \>"F-ZCL CAME HERE VOLUNTARILY.  I CAN'T TALK ABOUT HER MUCH, A LOT IS CLASSIFIED.  SHE WAS VERY NICE THOUGH.  SHE LEFT BEFORE THE FACILITY WAS ABANDONED." \>"I see." \>"B-PCAT... THAT'S ME.  DOCTOR LECOYLE ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT MY HEART.  SUCH A KIND PERSON." \>"Kind?  But... what about the experiments?" \>"THEY WERE HORRIBLE.  UNETHICAL.  BUT THE DOCTOR WAS ALWAYS UNFLINCHINGLY CARING AND LOVING.  ONE TIME... ONE TIME THE DOCTOR SANG ME TO SLEEP WHEN A RESEARCHER SCARED ME LATE AT NIGHT." \>Kitten "sniffles" a little. \>"WHY DID THE DOCTOR LEAVE?  WHY DID THE ONLY ONE WHO CARED ABOUT US ABANDON US?  WHY?" \>"...is that who you were talking about earlier?" \>"YES.  I MISS THE DOCTOR SO MUCH.  BUT..." \>She hugs you closer, even wrapping her "tail" around you. \>"NOW I HAVE YOU." \>"And I have you, Kitten." \>You lean in towards her and unhesitatingly plant a kiss on her screen. \>A little burst of static tickles your face as she gasps, her screen going a bit pink. \>"ANON... THANK YOU." \>She hugs you again, her terminal whirring thoughtfully. \>"...IS IT... TOO EARLY TO SAY I L-LOVE YOU?" \>... \>"Of course not.  I love you too, Kitten." \>": ' )" \>"THANK YOU SO MUCH.  I HAVEN'T FELT LOVED SINCE... A LONG TIME AGO.  BUT NOW, I FEEL SO MUCH LOVE FROM YOU.  YOU REALLY... REALLY CARE ABOUT ME." \>": ' ' ' )" \>"Of course I care about you.  You're a sweet person in need of love and care." \>She purrs again as she cuddles you close. \>"...I hate to ruin the moment, but do you have a map or schematic of this place in your data?" \>"AH... NO.  SORRY.  I WAS NEVER GIVEN ACCESS TO FILES ON THE PRIVATE NETWORK." \>"Crap.  Well, I doubt there'd be a generator around here.  Let's try the basement." \>"HOW WILL WE GET DOWN THERE? THE MAIN ELEVATOR CRASHED... I SUPPOSE WE COULD TAKE THE STAIRWAY." \>"Guess that's what we'll have to do.  Anything we wanna do here before we leave?" \>"...do you need a minute, Kitten?" \>Her terminal whirrs for a second. \>"YES, PLEASE." \>She enters her old room, and you follow.  There are all sorts of sockets and loose cables scattered around.  She walks over to one large plug and inserts it into the back of her head with a relieved sigh. \>"AH... SORRY, JUST GRABBING A LITTLE CHARGE." \>"Take your time.  How fast does your power drain, anyway?  Think we could charge you to full and find a generator outside of this place later?" \>"NOT LIKELY.  MY POWER DRAIN IS RELATIVELY FAST, BUT I CAN WIRELESLY CHARGE SLOWLY IN THIS FACILITY.  I FEAR THAT WOULD NOT WORK OUTSIDE." \>"...what happens if you run out?" \>"MY BODY WOULD CEASE TO FUNCTION, AND I WOULD LIKELY PERISH OF CARDIAC ARREST OR SOME OTHER ORGAN FAILURE." \>"...I won't let that happen." \>"I KNOW." \>She sighs as she looks around the room. \>"I HAVE SO MANY MEMORIES... BUT SO FEW GOOD ONES." \>"Well, when we get out, you and I will MAKE some good memories." \>She lurches forward to hug you, nearly unplugging herself in the process, and you meet her halfway. \>"THANK YOU SO MUCH." \>"You're very welcome.  Do you suppose there are any terminals we could hook you up to to get to the private network?" \>"UNLIKELY, SADLY.  MANY TERMINALS WERE TAKEN WHEN THE FACILITY WAS SHUT DOWN.  OTHERS WERE DESTROYED." \>"...why?" \>"THAT IS CLASSIFIED." \>Of course it is. \>"Could you charge with a 12 volt power source, like in a car?" \>"MAYBE?  NOT SURE.  WOULD HAVE TO FIND A CAR-COMPATIBLE PLUG THAT ALSO WORKS WITH MY CHARGE PORT." \>"Think there's one in this facility?" \>"IF IT EXISTS, YES." \>"Great.  So... are there stairs to the roof?" \>"NOT SURE WHERE THEY ARE, BUT YES." \>"Gotcha.  ...Kitten, what can you tell me about the Doctor?" \>"NOT MUCH.  MOST DATA ON DOCTOR LECOYLE IS CLASSIFIED.  WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?" \>"Uh... let's start small.  Are they a man or a woman?" \>"DOCTOR LECOYLE IS FEMALE." \>She tentatively looks around the room. \>":3" \>"OH GOOD, THAT'S NOT CLASSIFIED." \>"Can you describe her?" \>"ERR... SEEMS THAT A LOT OF HER APPEARANCE IS CLASSIFIED FOR WHATEVER REASON.  SHE IS RATHER TALL, AND WEARS GLASSES... AND... I CANNOT SEEM TO GLEAN MUCH MORE DATA THAT ISN'T CLASSIFIED." \>"Can we remove that filter at all?" \>"UNFORTUNATELY, IT SEEMS UNLIKELY.  IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME ALTERATIONS TO MY PROPRIETARY CODE... ALTERATIONS THAT COULD PROVE DANGEROUS IF DONE POORLY." \>"Dangerous?" \>"IF MY CODE IS DAMAGED, WHO CAN SAY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?  MY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS COULD FAIL.  MY MEMORY COULD BE COMPROMISED.  ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN." \>Her heart rate climbs a little. \>"I DON'T WANT TO RISK LOSING MY MEMORIES, NOT WHEN I'VE MET SOMEONE I NEVER WANT TO FORGET." \>She hugs you close again, her speakers once more percolating in her bizarre facsimile of purring. \>You wrap your arms around Kitten and hug her back, your cheek pressing against her warm, err, screen.  Static tickles your skin as her "purring" intensifies. \>"I won't let that happen." \>"I KNOW.  THANK YOU." \>Maintaining the hug, you decide to keep pressing her on the doctor. \>"Was LeCoyle human?" \>"OH, NO.  NO, SHE'S NOT HUMAN." \>"Well... what was she, then?" \>"...C-LASSIFIED... BUT... LET ME TRY SOMETHING." \>Her terminal whirrs loudly. \>"OKAY.  DOCTOR LECOYLE DISLIKES THE COLD.  SHE IS BLACK AND WHITE IN COLOR.  SHE HAS A VERY LONG TAIL.  SHE HAS SHARP TEETH.  ...I DON'T THINK I CAN SAY MUCH ELSE, SORRY." \>"I see.  Thank you.  Are you ready to keep exploring?" \>"AH, A FEW MORE MINUTES PLEASE.  I'M NEARLY AT FULL CHARGE." \>"Gotcha." \>You reassuringly pet her screen, running your hand across the staticy, warm glass. \>"?" \>She tilts her head, but soon begins "purring" again. \>":3" \>Huh.  She seems to like the petting? \>Well, why not indulge her? \>You cup your hand under her "chin" and scratch the bottom of her terminal.  Her purring continues as she cranes her neck a bit. \>"; P" \>...you suppose if she had a tongue, it'd be playfully stuck out now. \>You continue to scratch the plastic case, making your way to her twitching ears.  Surprisingly, they're real.  They're also extremely soft and bendable, barely resisting as you rub them lovingly. \>Kitten's purring now gets very loud, her speakers practically shaking.  You keep up your pets until you hear a musical chime. \>"AH, FULLY CHARGED.  READY?" \>"Ready.  Let's look for a department that might've built your parts, huh?" \>"OKAY, THERE SHOULD BE ONE SOMEWHERE?  NOT TOO SURE, SORRY." \>With that, the two of you exit, with Kitten casting one last glance back at her old room with a digitized sigh. \>As you walk, you discretely reach your hand towards Kitten's, eventually grabbing it. \>She gasps as you gently hold her hand, then interlock your fingers with hers. \>"ANON?" \>Smiling at her, you lean over closer to her.  Using your free hand, you carefully tap out a message on her keyboard, with her "giggling" as you do. \>I LOVE YOU \>You press enter, and she gasps again, screen tinging pink. \>"R-REALLY?  ANON, I LOVE YOU TOO." \>She squeezes your hand tightly. \>": ' )" \>The two of you walk through the facility, hand in hand, looking for a possible R&D department. \>As you pass by the Fizz-Eeze vending machine again, you glance at the pile of cans left behind. Good thing nobody will give a crap about you making a mess here. \>Hm.  So Maintenance was to the left, and you came from the right... \>Process of elimination suggests you go forward, and so you do. \>This hallway is painted a sinister black, and seems to be remarkably well lit. \>You can see a flickering light up ahead, as well as a doorway on the right.  Kitten shrugs when you look at her. \>"NOT SURE, SORRY." \>Tightening your grip on your crowbar, you step in front of Kitten protectively before continuing on to the door. \>You gently push it open... \>...sitting at a desk, covered in dust and cobwebs, is a skeleton. \>The body looks mostly human barring the legs and hands, but the head is unmistakably canine. Whoever it was was clad in a labcoat when they passed, it seems. \>The skeleton's face is buried in its hands, resting atop a pile of papers. \>Kitten lets out a pitying sound. \>"OH NO... POOR THING." \>A computer monitor beside the skull bears a smashed screen and a cracked plastic case.  Closer inspection shows the mouse is clutched in the skeleton's mouth. \>A note is plastered to the wall, above the skeleton. \>"I tried.  Never let it be said I didn't.  At least I got one out.  If you ever bother to read this, Lucille, go to hell.  It's where you belong." \>... \>A small device not unlike a webcam rests just beside the skeleton's head.  Kitten gasps. \>"IT'S A PERIPHERAL... LOOKS LIKE THE DOCUMENT SCANNER." \>She grabs it gently, then slots it into a groove atop her head with a happy chirp. \>"GREAT.  I CAN TAKE PICTURES OF DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOS TO SCAN THEM." \>"Huh.  Could be handy." \>"INDEED." \>With a last glance back at the dead researcher, you leave the room and head towards the end of the hallway, towards the flickering light. \>As you keep walking, you make sure to keep Kitten safely behind you.   \>You cast a glance at her heart monitor.  That beeping tells you her pulse is fine... but it also feels as if it's taunting you, reminding you how fragile yout new friend's life is. \>Your mind wanders idly.   \>What exactly IS wrong with her heart?  Couldn't these researchers fix it at all?  How long has she been like this? \>...how long does she have left if nothing's done about it? \>Kitten gently grabs your shoulder, plastic claws slightly digging in, and shakes you. \>"ANON? ANON?" \>You snap back to attention, having withdrawn into thought. \>"Hm?  What's wrong?" \>She makes a sound vaguely approximating a sigh of relief. \>"I WAS TRYING TO TALK TO YOU.  I WAS AFRAID SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH YOU.  I THINK WE SHOULD TEST MY SCANNER BEFORE MOVING FORWARD." \>"I'm fine, sorry I worried you.  Sure, we can test it out." \>You make your way back to the room with the dead researcher and grab his final note, then present it to the camera atop Kitten's head.  There's a green flash, and a large hourglass appears on her screen. \>"PROCESSING... DONE.  FILE READS AS SUCH: I tried. Never let it be said I didn't. At least I got one out. If you ever bother to read this, Lucille, go to hell. It's where you belong." \>The hourglass is replaced with an emoticon. \>": |" \>"I DO NOT LIKE THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS NOTE." \>"Why?  Who's Lucille?" \>"DOCTOR LUCILLE LECOYLE.  DIRECTOR OF THIS FACILITY, CREATOR OF ME AND THE OTHER SPECIMENS." \>"What do you think the note means?" \>"...THE DOCTOR WAS NOT ALWAYS ETHICAL IN HER EXPERIMENTATION." \>"What do you think about her?" \>"ANON, I LOVE THE DOCTOR LIKE A MOTHER." \>Her words weigh on you, oddly heavily at that. \>You feel confusion welling up within, and so try changing the subject. \>"So, do you know who this was?" \>"NO.  I DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE HANDWRITING, SORRY." \>"It's fine.  What do you suppose he meant by getting one out?" \>"I CAN ONLY ASSUME HE AIDED IN THE ESCAPE OF A SPECIMEN.  LOGIC DICTATES THAT IT WAS SPECIMEN A-WNDR, AS SHE ESCAPED CAPTIVITY JUST AFTER THE DOCTOR LEFT US." \>There's a pause. \>": (" \>"I HOPE SHE IS WELL.  I HOPE THE DOCTOR IS WELL." \>Before you can stop yourself, you blurt out the question on your mind. \>"Why?" \>Kitten tilts her head. \>"?" \>"WHY... WHAT?" \>"Why do you care about the doctor?  Why do you love her so much?  You said yourself she was unethical, why show her affection?" \>Kitten's head whirrs loudly as she flinches. \>"DESPITE HER METHODS, THE DOCTOR CARED ABOUT US.  SHE LOVED US.  AND SO I LOVE HER." \>"DID she love you?  DID she care?  Kitten, look what she's done to you.  All this experimenting, and she didn't even bother to fix your heart." \>A low growling rises from her speakers. \>"ANON, HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH THINGS ABOUT THE DOCTOR?  YOU NEVER MET HER.  YOU ONLY KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT HER.  YOU WEREN'T THERE.  SHE DID CARE, SHE DID LOVE US." \>"And your heart?" \>"I... I... I AM CERTAIN SHE TRIED HER ABSOLUTE BEST TO FIX IT.  SHE TRIED BECAUSE SHE CARED." \>Kitten's normally-green-glowing screen adopts a reddish hue. \>"ANON, I DON'T LIKE YOU IMPLYING THAT SHE DIDN'T CARE.  THAT THE DOCTOR WAS A BAD PERSON." \>"I understand you felt cared for with her around, but she can give a care and still be a bad person.  Even the worst person has something they care about." \>"ANON.  THE DOCTOR WAS NOT, IS NOT A BAD PERSON." \>"Kitten, if she was a good person, would she have left you here?  In your health?  For god knows how many years?" \>"SHE... SHE WOULDN'T HAVE LEFT WITHOUT A GOOD REASON.  I AM SURE OF IT.  MY HEALTH IS SOMETHING I'M CERTAIN SHE TRIED TO FIX.  AS FOR HOW LONG SHE'S BEEN GONE, IT... I... I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS IT HAS BEEN." \>She seems to simmer down a bit, her reddish screen slowly becoming green again. \>"Kitten... I'm not trying to badmouth someone you love.  I know I don't have all the context.  I never met her.  All I'm saying is that, regardless of her being kind at times, I don't think LeCoyle was as good to you as she should have been." \>": (" \>"WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE?" \>"I think she should've stayed here and worked on your heart.  Kitten, I worry about your condition.  I worry... it might kill you." \>There's a deathly silence. \>"ANON... I WON'T BE DISHONEST.  MY CONDITION COULD VERY EASILY KILL ME.  THE DOCTOR... TOLD ME THAT I DIED ON THE TABLE ONCE.  SHE SAVED ME. SHE SAVED ME, AND THAT IS WHY I LOVE HER SO VERY MUCH." \>... \>"I understand.  I'm sorry for getting confrontational about her.  If you well and truly love her,  I can respect that.  Maybe sometime I can meet her and judge for myself.  Until then, I'll trust your feelings... but forgive me for staying a little skeptical." \>She nods. \>"THANK YOU.  ANON, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DOCTOR MAY SEEM AWFUL FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.  I ONLY HOPE THAT WE CAN DISAGREE AGREEABLY." \>You nod affirmatively. \>"I think we can handle that.  Sorry to upset you." \>"IT'S FINE.  SHALL WE KEEP MOVING?" \>You nod again, then lead the way down the hall.  It isn't long before you reach another door.  You carefully pry it open... \>Another skeleton.  This one looks vaguely feline in nature, and wears a suit rather than a labcoat. \>The skeleton is sitting upright, clutching a phone tightly and holding up to where its ears would be.  Its jaw is dropped as if in shock. \>Kitten lets out a groan of sympathy. \>"OH NO... I REMEMBER HER.  SHE SPOKE FOR THE DOCTOR'S BUSINESS VENTURES." \>"She was the spokeswoman for LCL's business side?" \>"YES.  I WONDER WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER...?" \>The skeleton clutches a can of Fizz-Eeze cola in her other hand, but there doesn't seem to be any real smoking gun.  \>"Not sure.  What sort of business did LCL do?" \>"THEY... OH, IT'S CLASSIFIED.  OF COURSE.  WELL... THE DOCTOR DID COMMISSION WORK." \>Kitten looks around frantically, then relaxes. \>"Commission work... hm.  Well, let's keep moving." \>"AGREED.  NO PERIPHERALS HERE." \>With that, you move to the next room... \>It's completely empty.  The whole room is covered in inches of dust and cobwebs. \>A small, pink piece of paper rests atop a shattered monitor, and you gently take it. \>"NOTICE OF TERMINATION: This is to inform you that your employment with LeCoyle Laboratories has been terminated due to acts of physical violence towards a specimen.  Have a nice day!  -LC" \>Hm.  You have Kitten scan the pink slip just in case. \>With that, you continue onto the next room. \>You open up the door... \>And immediately find yourself buried under a heavy black-and-white mass.  Kitten lets out a bitcrushed yelp. \>Panicked, you struggle under the bulk of whatever fell out of the room. \>Kitten lets off panicked beeping and tries to help as you crane your neck a bit.  What IS this thing? \>You muster up your strength and try to shove it back into the room it came from.  It takes quite a bit of effort, but you eventually get it off you.  Once you squeeze out from beneath it, you let go. \>The mass springs back out, blocking the hallway. \>You blink a few times as you scrutinize the mass... \>It's covered in black and white scales.  It's rather dry and hard to the touch.  You take into account how much of it is still in the room and figure it's about 15-16 feet long. \>What the hell is it, though?  A nagging thought screams that it's some kind of... \>Snake? \>Kitten kneels down and gently runs a furred hand across the mass.  She turns her screen towards you. \>": ' ' ' (" \>"ANON, THIS... THIS..." \>She lets off a muffled sobbing sound. \>"THIS IS THE DOCTOR." \>"THIS is LeCoyle?" \>"YES..." \>"D-did she always look like this?" \>"OF COURSE... SHE'S A SNAKE. A VERY LONG ONE, AT THAT." \>"Is she..." \>Kitten moves closer to the doorway and puts an ear to the doctor's "side". \>"...I... DON'T KNOW.  BUT SHE'S NOT A SKELETON LIKE THE REST..." \>"Think we can get inside the room?" \>"YES, SHOULD BE ROOM TO STEP AROUND HER." \>You gingerly weave around the massive scientist's form, eventually making it into the room.  At this end of her body, the snakelike "tail" gives way to a shapely, female torso, complete with curves approximating hips. \>A long white labcoat tightly hugs her figure. \>Her face is practically embedded into the wooden desk ahead of her, wild neon-blue hair obscuring any features. \>You carefully grab a long, scaly arm and feel for a pulse... \>...it's faint and slow, but she's alive. \>"Kitten, I got a pulse." \>"=)" \>"TH-THE DOCTOR IS ALIVE?  AND HERE?" \>She scrambles into the room, purring. \>"DOCTOR..." \>Kitten turns to you again. \>"ANON, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT CONVINCED SHE'S A GOOD PERSON, BUT CAN YOU HELP HER?" \>Help her, huh? \>...how the hell do you help a giant snake woman? \>Well, might as well put some of your CPR knowledge to work.  You gently raise her head up and shine your phone's flashlight into her open eyes. \>Her pupils immediately contract, then dilate again when you turn the light off.  Well, that's a good sign, anyway. \>Just to be sure, you double check her pulse.  You grab her wrist... \>...and she grabs yours. \>The unconscious doctor sits bolt upright with a loud hiss, electric blue hair waving around hysterically.  She blinks rapidly, yellow eyes searching the room, then focuses on you. \>She narrows her eyes and carefully adjusts her glasses. \>"...who are you sssupposed to be?  Don't you know this isss a restricted area?  I've half a mind to- to..." \>She droops into a slouch with a yawn. \>"...bah.  Sssso... tired..." \>LeCoyle rests her cheek on the desk in front of her, keeping her eyes on you. \>"Well?  Ssspeak!" \>You stammer a bit, but you're cut off by a certain synthesized voice. \>"DOCTOR!  YOU'RE ALIVE!" \>The snake's eyes widen as she musters up the energy to raise her head. \>"SSSSONIA?" \>She smiles, flashing a mouth full of dangerously-sharp fangs, then gently lies down again. \>"It'ssss good to see you again..." \>"=3" \>"LIKEWISE!" \>Several questions jump to mind, but none more important than: \>"Can you let me go?" \>LeCoyle frowns and glares, but releases her grip on your wrist. \>"There.  Now then.  WHO.  ARE.  YOU?" \>Despite her exhaustion, her voice carries an air of danger and malice. \>"I'm Anon.  I woke up here after I got-" \>"That'ssss enough, I don't need your life story." \>She yawns again. \>"Why are you so tired, anyway?" \>"Mmph.  Not your bussssiness." \>"Fair enough.  How can we help?" \>She narrows her eyes, scrutinizing you. \>"Well, I AM a little cold.  Alsssso, I haven't eaten or drank in some time now..." \>"Okay then.  Can you shed some light on why all your staff are dead?" \>"I CAN, but I'm not ssssaying anything to you." \>"Alright then.  How did you survive whatever happened?" \>"I haven't been here in a while, sssstupid.  I wassss gone when- bah, you almost got me to say too much." \>"Oh.  Well... how can Kitten and I get out of here?" \>She hisses loudly. \>"Who issss Kitten?  And you want me to tell you how to get out?  Assss if.  I know if I told you, you'd leave me for dead." \>You're not particularly liking this woman. \>In response to her question, you pointedly jerk your head towards Kitten.  The doctor follows your gesture, and her glare softens when she connects the dots. \>She lifts and slams her head on the desk. \>"I sssshould've known.  I'd ssssay cut me some slack... but I really don't deserve it." \>"Right.  Anyway, we're not gonna leave you for dead.  Kitten loves you like a mother, she's not gonna-" \>LeCoyle interrupts you with a surprised hiss. \>"Sssshe... what?  SSSSONIA, is that true?" \>": )" \>"OF COURSE IT IS.  YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH FOR ME, DOCTOR." \>The snake's expression softens immensely. \>"...thankssss.  Eheh... you've alwayssss been so sweet, SONIA." \>LeCoyle smiles again. \>"Ssssay, Anon, was it?  I don't ssssuppose you'd be willing to look for some food, maybe something warm, while SONIA and I catch up?" \>...you're torn.  You worry about leaving Kitten alone with someone like this, but you also figure helping LeCoyle is your best shot at finding an exit. \>"Alright, I can do that." \>Another fanged grin. \>"Thankssss..." \>Kitten turns to you with a "smile." \>"I'LL BE HERE WHEN YOU RETURN." \>You nod and head out. \< Kitten \> \>Kitten gently waved goodbye to her new friend, claws clicking together loudly, then turned to her doctor. \>She smiled warmly at the snake woman, who returned the favor immediately. \>"It'ssss great to see you, SONIA.  Really." \>Kitten's mind wandered, her emotions went wild. \>She couldn't believe she was face to face with the doctor again, after all these years... \>Her emotions got the better of her, and she threw her arms around the doctor affectionately. \>"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH." \>Kitten nuzzled the side of her monitor against Doctor LeCoyle's cheek, purring.  The doctor closed her eyes and sighed. \>"I misssssed you too.  I'm glad you sssseem to be doing well.  How'ssss the heart?" \>"STILL WEAK." \>The doctor seemed to deflate a bit. \>"...I know.  I'm ssssorry." \>"IT'S OKAY." \>The two women remained in their embrace for a few minutes of silence, then Kitten spoke. \>"DOCTOR, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ANON?" \>"Well... he sssseems nice enough.  I don't know about humanssss though.  How did you two end up together?" \>"HE FOUND ME, AND HE WAS NICE TO ME." \>"Ah.  Sssso I assume that means he'll be back with supplies soon?" \>"HE SHOULD BE." \>"Ssssplendid.  I wassss rather afraid I would die in this room, but it seems that I've found my salvation." \>Kitten nodded... and playfully poked LeCoyle's snout.  The snake flinched, blinking rapidly. \>"SSSSONIA?  What wassss that all about?" \>"=3" \>"...fair enough, I ssssuppose." \>"DOCTOR, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED HERE?" \>LeCoyle winced at her experiment's question. \>"...well... let'ssss just say an experiment of mine, ah, had some side effects." \>"OH.  DID IT WORK?" \>Kitten felt an odd twinge of happiness as a familiar fanged grin crossed the doctor's face. \>"Ssssssswimmingly." \>"=3" \>"GREAT!  HOW DID YOU SURVIVE?" \>"Ah, well, the nature of thissss experiment effectively rendered me immune to the side effect.  How very fortuitoussss.  It sssseems the effect was localized enough that you were not harmed, thankfully.  Tell me: are there any other Sssspecimens still here?" \>"NONE THAT I KNOW OF." \>"Ah, I ssssee.  What about... oop, forget I ssssaid that.  Ah, incidentally, you don't ssssuppose Anon... went to the basement, do you?" \>" ',:(" \>"WHY DO YOU ASK?" \>A loud THUD shook the room from beneath. \>"Eheh... no reasssson." \>Kitten looked down at the floor, concerned. \>"WHAT'S DOWN THERE?" \>"Err, nothing TOO dangeroussss, eheh... Sssso long as it's not in a bad mood..." \>"...ARE YOU SURE?  I... FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NOT TOO CONCERNED WITH MY FRIEND'S SAFETY." \>"I'm ssssure he'll be fine, SONIA.  You worry too much." \>"WELL... OKAY.  I JUST WORRY BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE I'VE SEEN IS DEAD.  DID YOU KNOW THAT?" \>"Did I know- yessss, I knew.  That'ssss the side effect I mentioned before.  A sssshame, but... sometimes science comes at a cost." \>Another THUD. \>"...SHOULD I GO CHECK ON HIM?" \>Legitimate concern and alarm covered LeCoyle's face. \>"Heavenssss no!  SSSSONIA, you can't risk an altercation with your condition, sweetie." \>Mustering up a little strength, the doctor rose up and embraced Kitten tightly. \>"I don't want to lose you again, SSSSONIA.  That day you died on the table will sssstick with me forever..." \>Kitten couldn't help but purr and return the doctor's affections, despite her growing concern for Anon... \< Anon\> \>\*THUD\* \>...what the hell? \>You came down to the basement, looking for anything warm or edible, and followed that humming sound from before.  Now, you're standing in a large, open, pitch-black room... \>And apparently SOMETHING else is in here.  The earthshaking thuds ring out every now and again, heralded by some loud, raspy sound. \>Okay, okay, let's think about this. \>It's moving, you can't see it, and that rasping is probably breathing.   \>You'd head back the way you came, but it sounds like whatever this thing is, it's between you and the stairway. \>Shit. \>You back up against the wall and grip your crowbar tightly, then scan the room with your phone's light again. \>...you see nothing, but hear another, louder rasp, followed by a thud. \>It's getting closer. \>You gulp nervously. \>"...hello?" \>There's a sound like someone sharply inhaling, then silence. \>You slowly wave your phone back and forth, then place it on the floor, sliding it forwards. Another sharp inhale accompanies your movement. \>Your phone goes a fair ways... \>Then is stopped by a massive, clawed hand. \>Alright... no sudden moves.  You don't need to set this thing off. \>Besides... Kitten was friendly.   \>Maybe this thing will be as well...? \>You swallow your fears and speak. \>"Hello... could you hand me my light, please?" \>Silence.  Then, loud footsteps. \>The clawed hand hands over your phone roughly, and you quickly turn the light towards the mysterious entity. \>Golden eyes glint as its pupils contract harshly.  A hissing breath accompanies the creature hastily shoving your light downwards.  The light glints off of gold scales, revealing a tall, draconic being. \>You both are and aren't surprised to find that, like Kitten, the creature is obviously female, with broad hips and a modest bust.  This despite her ostensibly being reptilian. \>Several transparent tubes pump various garishly-colored liquids through her body, not one of which remotely resembles normal bodily fluids. \>You cautiously tip the phone back upwards. \>What seems to be a custom rebreather is attached over a long, thin snout, and a pair of silvery horns twist about in a manner that's oddly aesthetically pleasing. \>The dragon glares down at you, breathing heavily. \>You smile sheepishly. \>"Thanks.  I'll turn the light down, sorry." \>She responds with a raspy scoff, keeping her eyes focused intently on you.  Even considering your height difference, it seems she's looking down her nose at you. \>You dim your light a bit, and the dragoness nods appreciatively. \>"So, uh... I'm Anon.  What's your name?" \>She narrows her eyes, taking a deep breath.  Then, she speaks, her voice tinny and muffled as if fed through a radio transponder. \>"Regina." \>"Well, it's nice to meet you, Regina.  Do you need help with anything?" \>Another deep, raspy breath accompanies a death glare. \>"Answer me this: what is it you seek here in my domain?" \>"Oh, I was looking for some things for the doct-" \>Regina slams a scaly fist into the wall beside you, snarling, then coughs and wheezes. \>"Get out." \>"What?" \>"OUT.  I haven't an ounce of desire to fraternize with the quack's goons." \>"Goon?  I'm only helping her to get out of here." \>Regina scoffs again haughtily. \>"Hmph. Very well.  Perhaps I-" \>She cuts herself off with a cry of pain, seizing up as her tail slams into the floor with a thud.  She recovers with a hissing gasp. \>"...perhaps I was hasty in my judgment.  I shall be keeping an eye on you, Anon." \>"Understandable.  ...do you mind me asking about your mask?" \>Her pupils contract even farther. \>"Life support, courtesy of Lucille and her cronies.  Hmph." \>She shakes her head derisively. \>"Life support?  Are you sick?" \>"Hmph.  Not precisely.  No, I'm broken." \>"...broken?" \>"Lucille and her staff experimented upon me, and ultimately destroyed my health.  I now require this mask and these chemicals to even survive." \>"Oh.  Is that why you're in such pain?" \>"Mm, I assume as much.  I had no such issue before waking up here." \>"How bad is it?" \>She glares coldly, drawing herself up to her full, imposing height. \>"To be blunt: the pain is more severe than anything I have ever experienced in my life." \>"Is there a way I can help?" \>"No.  Unfortunately these machinations are the only barrier between me and death.  Regardless of the misery wracking my body, I would rather like to remain alive." \>"I understand.  You mentioned Lucille... I don't trust her either.  But... I've been exploring with Kit- err, SONIA, and she trusts the doctor wholeheartedly.  So, I'm witholding judgment for now... but I'm not gullible." \>"SONIA... that computerized cat?  My, the poor thing is still alive?  I know she has a rather severe heart defect." \>"She's doing well, actually.  She was so excited to see the doctor again." \>Regina's eyes widen. \>"...beg your pardon?  Lucille is HERE?  In this infernal dungeon?" \>Oh boy. \>"...uh, just so I know we're on the same page, we ARE both talking about Lucille LeCoyle, right?" \>Another snarl from Regina backs up a vigorous nod. \>"Precisely.  15 foot long, serpentine charlatan with false hair and a wicked grin?" \>"Yep." \>"Then yes, we are indeed on the same page.  My my.  I hadn't anticipated her returning to this purgatory." \>"Well, she's here.  And to be honest, I don't want SONIA around her.  I know she trusts LeCoyle, but after seeing what she did to you-" \>Regina raises a clawed hand. \>"Say no more, I understand.  She has been through a lot, and I wouldn't want to see Lucille exacerbate her already-poor health.  Myself, I'm irreparable... and I won't sugarcoat it: SONIA's heart may not improve beyond its current state." \>"...right.  I want to get her out of here, but I don't know if she'll be willing to leave without the doctor." \>Regina sighs deeply, coughing a bit afterward. \>"Alas, poor thing feels such loyalty to such a monstrous individual.  Though... I shan't deny that Lucille has been unflinchingly polite and even... remarkably kind to me.  However, no amount of niceties will spur me to forget or forgive what she's done to me, nor any of the other Specimens." \>"I understand." \>Regina nods, then braces herself as another wave of pain wracks her. \>As your newfound potential ally seizes and shudders, you can't help but mutter a prayer to Asclepius.  It's a long shot, but better than doing nothing. \>...a vague notion washes over you, telling you to aid LeCoyle for now, but to remain diligent. \>Regina comes out of her attack gasping for breath. \>"...Regina, is your equipment portable?" \>"Indeed.  It is fully integrated into my body, you see. The system pumps chemicals through my body, and even purifies and reuses them so I do not require refills.  I must begrudgingly admit it is a remarkable bit of hardware, though the nature and developer of it deserve nothing more than scorn, I say." \>"I see.  I ask because... I was wondering if you might wanna try to leave with us." \>"...I... would rather like to escape this place, but I so not know how well I could reintegrate into society, looking the way I do now." \>"I wouldn't worry about that.  SONIA and I were discussing an escape plan... do you know if there's a generator around we could use to keep her charged?" \>"I'm afraid I haven't the faintest idea.  My apologies. This fortress is very large, and I haven't seen the whole of it." \>"...what exactly IS this place, anyway?" \>"The LeCoyle Labs Testing Facility.  This is where Lucille does most of her dirty work... or it WAS.  She abandoned this facility after a major project of hers." \>"Did her leaving have something to do with all the skeletons I've been finding?" \>"Possibly so.  Though I cannot say for certain." \>"Mm.  Does SONIA know you exist?" \>"I think not, no.  I have seen her a few times, but haven't spoken directly to her." \>"Maybe I can introduce you sometime." \>"Perhaps so.  She seems like a cheery individual." \>Regina puts a scaly hand to her chin. \>"...Anon, where IS your companion right now?" \>"Upstairs, with LeCoyle." \>The dragoness mutters some colorful swears. \>"Hmph.  I wonder if the old battleaxe knows I'm still alive and well?  Knowing Lucille, she probably has her ways of monitoring me from afar.  I must admit, she truly does think of everything.  It's even the slogan of her company." \>"What can you tell me about LeCoyle Labs, anyway?" \>"It's a research firm helmed by Lucille.  She's been getting funds from all sorts of benefactors because, believe it or not, she sincerely does produce scientific marvels.  The firm's stated goal is simply to advance scientific knowledge and the general quality of life." \>Regina pointedly taps on the clear plastic tubes running in and out of her body. \>"Ironic, is it not?  LCL claims to pursue a higher quality of life for the general populace, and look what they've done to me.  Me, and countless others." \>"...what about the doctor herself?" \>"Hmph.  She... surprisingly seems to care about her specimens.  Myself included... but her methods are abominable." \>"Understood.  As much as I hate to say it, though, I think our best bet is to help her for the time being.  She's cold and starving... know where we can find any food or some fuel to start a fire?" \>"Hmm.  There is a considerable amount of wooden furniture down here.  Perhaps we could break down a chair or desk for kindling?" \>"Good call.  And food?" \>"That, I'm afraid, I cannot help with.  I cannot eat, myself, so I have no reason to scavenge." \>"Well, we'll find something." \>You use your crowbar to break a wooden chair down into a bundle of sticks, then use some wires laying around to tie said sticks together for easy carrying. \>You wander the basement with Regina, looking for any food.  While you do so, you keep talking with her. \>"So, what do you mean by saying the doctor is kind and caring?" \>"It's bizarre, truly.  She is unfailingly polite, never hesitates to ask how a Specimen is feeling, makes certain they get anything they want or need... Ha, I even recall... when I first woke up here.  She... apologized.  Lucille broke down into hysterical tears and earnestly apologized to me.  She swore she'd make things better.  And, truthfully, I suppose in some way she did.  I am alive, even years later, when I was forecasted to perish within mere weeks." \>"Huh?" \>The golden dragoness hangs her head slightly, taking deep breaths. \>"...I was ill.  Terminally so.  I contracted a condition so very rare that not a hospital in my homeland knew how to treat me.  I had 14 days left to live... when I blacked out.  I awoke on a table, in this very facility, to Lucille's tearful face." \>A few tears well up in Regina's eyes, but she shakes her head and wipes them away. \>"But... that does nothing to excuse her perverse experiments.  Her blasphemous acts.  No matter how much good comes from them, the ends do not justify her means." \>"...I'm sorry." \>Your companion nods sadly, wincing as a minor spasm runs through her body.  You continue searching, to no avail. \>"Well, Regina, I don't see anything.  Let's go warm her up for now.  Maybe she can point us at some place that may have food." \>"...very well.  It will be interesting to see Lucille again." \>You just hope it doesn't get heated. \>It doesn't take long to get back to the doctor.  When you step into the room, she's embracing Kitten, eyes closed. You clear your throat, and she opens her eyes, smiling. \>"Hello Anon.  Did you have any luck with ssssupplies?" \>"I found some kindling, so we can warm you up." \>"Ssssplendid!" \>She releases Kitten... and hesitantly hugs you somewhat weakly. \>Smiling awkwardly, you stiffly hug the snake back, looking to Kitten for aid. \>"=3" \>...so much for that.  LeCoyle sighs happily. \>"My SSSSONIA has been telling me what a nice, helpful person you are.  Thank you for being sssso kind to her.  I'll be honesssst... I don't like humans. But I can make an exception in thissss case." \>The doctor pats your back, then gasps.  You hear Regina step into the doorway behind you. \>"R-Regina?  You came to ssssee me?" \>LeCoyle releases you and slithers towards the dragoness.  Regina steps back, looking conflicted. \>"My my... it'ssss good to see you.  Are you feeling any better thesssse days?" \>The dragoness affixes the snake with a cold glare. \>"No." \>LeCoyle looks devastated. \>"You mean... the painssss haven't stopped?" \>Regina shakes her head just as another attack wracks her body.  The doctor cries out in horror. \>"NO!  NO!  Sssstop, please!" \>Moving slowly, weakly, LeCoyle gently wraps a fair bit of her length around the seizing dragoness, then coddles her head close, resting her (remarkably large for a snake) bust atop Regina's head. \>"Sssshhh... it's okay, it's okay.  Take deep breathssss.  Remember what I told you." \>Regina gasps a few times, then her breathing calms down.  Her body stops spasming.  LeCoyle hugs her close, tears pouring down her face. \>"T-they're worsssse than before... I'm sssso sorry." \>LeCoyle remains wrapped around her Specimen as you carefully build a small fire.  The doctor smiles appreciatively. \>"Thankssss." \>"You're welcome.  I couldn't find any food down there." \>"I undersssstand.  Try the cafeteria down the hall later.  Right now I am far more concerned with my Sssspecimens' wellbeing.  SSSSONIA?  Can you come closssse so I can examine you?" \>Kitten complies immediately, and LeCoyle checks her heart monitor. \>"Sssseems okay... have you had any episodes?" \>"A FEW.  I GOT ELECTROCUTED, BUT ANON SAVED ME." \>"Did he now?   He sssseems to be good at that, eheh." \>You clear your throat. \>"Doctor, may I ask for your rationale behind Kitten's state?" \>"Hm?  Well... SSSSONIA has a very severe heart defect.  Before my intervention, I wager sssshe had mere days to live.  Indeed, sssshe... flatlined mid-surgery once.  I had to do what I could to sssave her, but... I couldn't fix her heart.  I'm ssssimply... simply... not intelligent enough." \>Regina cries out again, and LeCoyle inmediately hugs her close once more. \>...maybe you were too fast to judge her. \>As LeCoyle gently soothes Regina's attack, you start to wonder if all her experiments were like this.  Were they ALL hopelessly ill before she stepped in? \>Still, you remain cautious. \>"So, why did you leave?" \>The doctor winces. \>"I'm not ssssaying anything about that.  You may be kind, but I sssstill don't hand out my secrets to anyone." \>"Fine.  Why come back?" \>"I... I wanted to ssssee how the stragglers were doing.  I sssshould have returned sooner, judging by Miss Omnium's declining health..." \>LeCoyle sighs and hangs her head. \>"Doctor, can you please help me get Kitten and Regina out?  I think they can live better lives out there.  Kitten could help more, but she's dealing with censors.  Can't you do something?" \>The snake looks up at you, expression unreadable. \>"You... you think you can do what I failed at, eh?  Eheh.  Eheheh.  Eheheheh!" \>She laughs madly, then sighs again. \>"...they desssserve better.  And I can't offer them that.  But... I don't know if they can ssssurvive out there." \>"We won't know if we don't try.  Drop the classified info, and let Kitten help." \>"...I will not.  I will do many thingssss for my Specimens, but I will not release my secrets.  SSSSONIA, I'm sorry." \>Kitten "frowns," but nods. \>"I UNDERSTAND." \>"Well, can you at least tell me what Kitten IS?" \>"...yessss.  SSSSONIA was originally a heart patient, as you know.  However, when it became apparent that her heart could not ssssupport her body any longer... she became what you see today.  A SSSSemi-Organic Network Interface Android.  By converting her into thisss, I saved her life... but, but..." \>More tears well up. \>"...but doing sssso exacerbated her condition.  Her heart issss even weaker than before.  I tried, SSSSONIA, I tried so hard!  B-but I couldn't... I couldn't fix you any other way... I'm ssssorry." \>Kitten rushes forward and embraces the weeping doctor. \>"Doctor.  Kitten loves you and trusts you like a mother.  I'm not asking you to entrust your secrets with me, I'm asking you to trust her the way she trusts you." \>"...ssss... Anon, I would trusssst her with my life.  Sssshe doesn't have to know everything... but I will lift ssssome of the classified information censors." \>LeCoyle types madly away at Kitten's keyboard, then nods. \>"Done." \>"Thank you.  Doctor, even if I learn something you don't want me to, I wouldn't act on that information.  I just want to help your patients, secrets be damned." \>"...thank you.  I sssstill have my reservations, but... I trust my SONIA." \>LeCoyle smiles earnestly. \>"...Doctor, do you know why I'm here?" \>"Eh?  I... I do, yessss.  I can't ssssay, but I know.  You aren't ill, don't fret.  I promisssse you that." \>"...alright.  I can tell Kitten uses older technology, have you considered using modern tech to fix her?" \>"Yessss, but putting her under anaesthesia may prove fatal.  Her heart is sssso very weak, Anon." \>"Well, can't you make some system to replace her heart altogether?" \>"That'ssss what I was hoping to do someday, but her condition was worse than anticipated.  I approximate her body woukd reject ssssuch a system, unfortunately.  I have dreamed up sssseveral potential solutions, Anon, and none worked or would work." \>"Can't you upgrade what parts aren't attached to vital organs?  Surely more modern equipment would be easier on her heart..." \>"I CAN do that.  But of coursssse, that will only help so much." \>"Well, even a little improvement is still an improvement." \>LeCoyle nods, then glances down at Regina, who quietly shudders.  The doctor sighs and frowns. \>"I wissssh there were something I could do for you.  Ssssorry." \>...you're beginning to lose patience. \>"Doctor, why can't you just tell me why I'm here?  Why everyone is dead?  How to leave this place?  Why do your secrets matter so much?" \>Immediately, she hisses and draws herself up higher, glaring down at you. \>"I already TOLD you that I will not hand out my ssssecrets to you, no matter how you ask for them.  You are here for a reasssson. My sssstaff are dead due to a proprietary experiment.  There ISSSS an exit.  That issss all you need to know." \>Your patience grows thinner. \>Deep breaths.  1, 2, 3, 4... \>"Look.  I can only assume I'm here for one of your experiments, since you refuse to explain anything to me.  Your secrets are getting tiresome.  I can work things out myself.  You killed your staff, kidnapped me, abducted hopeless patients and mutilated them for science,  and refuse to explain to them why you pissed off for god knows how many years.  The way I see it, you are a self-centered, bigoted, useless bitch, and insane to boot.  You probably think it's still the 80's.  You yourself said you can't help either of these two, so why should I bother helping you?  You can starve for all I care.  I'll find the exit myself.  Kitten, Regina, and I will abandon you the way you left them to die." \>LeCoyle draws herself up even higher, livid at this point. \>"You think you know everything that happened here, huh?  Well guessss what, Sherlock?  It'ssss not that simple!  You come in here and immediately assssume you know better than someone factually more intelligent than you, that you are qualified to write off my lifesaving surgeries because they're unorthodox?  You have the GALL to think I'm unaware of even the date?  It'ssss 202X, you idiot.  I may be getting along in yearssss, but I'm not senile.. You think I WANTED to leave my beloved patientssss behind?  I want nothing more than for them to have happy livessss.  I've dedicated DECADESSSS to saving patients like them.  And you have the NERVE to assssume I left them for dead?  You want to leave me to sssstarve?  Fine, do it.  But know thissss.  If either of thesssse women die from their conditions because I wasn't alive to help, their blood is on your hands. Underssssstand, fuckwit?" \>You tighten your grip on your crowbar... \>And hear a familiar muffled sob sound. \>"D-DOCTOR... WHY DID YOU LEAVE US?" \>LeCoyle freezes, then slowly slouches back to her original posture.  She immediately embraces Kitten, eyeing you angrily. \>"SSSSONIA, sweetie, I didn't want to do it.  I... never intended to... I thought I could come back ssssooner..." \>LeCoyle's fury dies down, replaced with a look of remorse. \>You're still not at all happy with this woman, but for now you just want to comfort Kitten. \>You step closer to her, with LeCoyle glaring the entire time, then embrace the cat, sandwiching her between your body and the doctor's. \>Kitten continues to sob quietly. \>"PLEASE... TELL ME WHY..." \>Despite her death glare, tears well up in LeCoyle's piercing yellow eyes. \>"SSSSONIA..." \>The snake rests her head atop Kitten's monitor, tears flowing openly now.  She takes a deep breath, then sighs. \>"...you desssserve to know.  Regina, you too." \>Now fully out of her spell, Regina staggers closer to Kitten, narrowing her eyes at the doctor. \>"...Girlssss.  I'm ssssorry about leaving you.  I knew my departure wassss coming, but I thought I would be back soon.  I... misssscalculated.  I wassss physically incapable of returning here for decades.  I tried.  Heaven knowsssss I tried.  I cried mysssself to sleep almost every night, worrying about you.  And now?  Jusssst today?  I find mysssself here again.  I couldn't be happier to ssssee you again... but your conditionssss haven't improved.  Regina issss worse than before... I may have ssssaved you, but I'm still a failure.  I'm ssssorry.  Ssssso... sorry." \>You clear your throat. \>"I'm SURE you tried your best.  Lemme guess, you got caught and sent to prison." \>She gives you a withering glare. \>"...try 'trapped in limbo between dimenssssions for 30 years.'" \>"...what are you talking about?" \>LeCoyle sighs and shakes her head. \>"...well, I ssssuppose at this point I should just tell you.  Not everything... but ssssome.  After all, you've been good to my girlssss." \>She sighs wistfully again. \>"...I come from another world than you're ussssed to. We all do. In fact, you're in thissss Otherworld right now.  I ended up trapped between the worldssss after my last experiment, only occasionally capable of sticking a finger, the tip of my tail, on occasion even an eye into one of the two worlds.  I wassss imprisoned in a void, left to desperately try to return home.  I managed... after 30 yearssss of attempts, pulling materials from whatever holes into the two worlds I could find.  It worked... but I had no way to ssssee where I would emerge.  I ended up appearing insssside a car... YOUR car.  Sssseems my, ah, bulk ended up knocking you out.  Sssso I drove your car here, which mind you is VERY difficult with no legs, and placed you in storage.  Ssssince you're human, I anticipated that you might panic and attack me... I had rather hoped that SONIA and Regina had escaped, since the others had.  Unfortunately, they hadn't.  Weak from hunger and exhausssstion, I collapsed in that office where you found me.  And THAT issss all you need to know for now." \>She squeezes Kitten tightly, then slithers over and hugs Regina as well. \>"I'm ssssorry, girls.  What I did wassss not right.  I sssshould've let someone else do the maiden voyage." \>To your surprise, she hugs you next. \>"I... ssssorry, Anon." \>...you have mixed feelings. \>What she went through IS terrible, but it doesn't excuse her actions.  That said, she's clearly stressed out to extreme degrees. \>You hesitantly return her hug, recoiling a bit when she flicks her tongue past your ear. \>"Thankssss... for being so good to them." \>"No problem... how'd you even drive my car, anyway?  Even I have trouble fitting inside." \>"...err, well, it wassssn't easy, eheh.  I had to coil around you, usssse my tail to press the pedals, and steer with my arms.  You ssssit way too close to the steering wheel; it took some maneuvering to get to a position where the wheel wasn't getting caught by my chest." \>As if subconsciously demonstrating, she squeezes you closer, her sizable bust pressing against your chest.   \>Kitten dashes over and hugs the doctor... and Regina begrudgingly joins in.  LeCoyle smiles tearfully. \>"T-thankssss... I hope you two know I love you like my own children.  Never forget that." \>The doctor trails off as her stomach growls loudly. \>"...Anon, I don't ssssuppose you could go look for some food...?" \>"I'm on it." \>You break away from the group hug, then make your way towards the cafeteria. \>...hm.  If it's been 30 years, will there even be anything edible in that cafeteria? \>(Besides, it feels like that conversation went on for a year.) \>Nonetheless, you keep on your path.  Eventually, you arrive at your destination. \>It's a garden variety cafeteria... oddly mundane for a place like this.  LCL logos are plastered all around the room. \>You head into the kitchen, popping open a vending machine on the way so you can snag a drink as well. \>It's amazingly clean in here, despite the dust.  Seems the chef ran a tight ship. \>You dig through some boxes of food... \>Everything seems to be horribly expired. \>1999... 2005... 2012... 2020... \>Oh, hang on, what's this? \>...Instant Meal, just add water.  The packaging boasts it keeps for "up to 31 years!" \>How convenient! \>Curious, you read the packaging of this, uh, "food." \>"CHEF CALLIE CO'S INSTANT MEAL!  Just add a water, and it's 'ready to go!'  Contains a 'delicious' meal consisting of one (1) cut of vension, one (1) servings of mashed potates, and a (1) 'sweet' chocalote desert! Safe for to store for up to 31 years!  Chef Callie Co's: we aim to 'please!'" \>...never before has a box of foodstuffs given you such visceral discomfort.  Oh well, at least you aren't the one eating this bootleg nonsense. \>You find a sink in the kitchen, and are shocked to find it working.  You pull the instant meal out of the box and add water to the various contents.  Luckily, it came on a tray, so carrying it isn't so bad. \>As you head back through the kitchen, you second guess your decision to grab a soda; instead, you grab a bottle of tea from a different vending machine. \>"Delicious" meal in hand, you rush back to LeCoyle. \>The doctor, facing away from you, is coiled up beside the small fire you started, with one arm wrapped around Kitten and the other around Regina. \>You slowly sneak up on the unaware doctor, creeping along the hallway.  When you get close, you reach up and tap her on the back of the head. \>There's a loud hiss as she ducks down and begins looking around in a blind panic.  Eventually, she spots you, then glares. \>"Not. Funny.  I sssscare easily." \>"Oh, sorry.  I brought food and drink." \>Her glare immediately softens into an appreciative smile. \>"Really?  Thankssss." \>You hand over the tray and bottle of tea, and she graciously accepts with more "thankssss." \>You work your way over and sit beside her, squeezing between Kitten and the doctor. \>Kitten purrs and rubs the side of her monitor head against your cheek.  She then throws an arm around you. \>"=3" \>"GLAD YOU ARE BACK, I MISSED YOU." \>"Missed you too." \>You lean forward to speak to Regina. \>"Are you alright?  Need something to drink?" \>"I'm fine, thank you.  I cannot drink, anyway." \>LeCoyle frowns. \>"Cannot?  Regina, my dear, you don't NEED to, anymore.  It'ssss all perspective." \>"I... I suppose that makes some twisted sort of sense." \>The snake nods and takes a bite of her questionable meal, wincing. \>Hoping to smooth things over a little, you try some small talk. \>"So, doctor, how did you get into science?" \>She smiles nostalgically. \>"My mother wassss a scientist, and her mother before her, and HER mother before HER.  But beyond that... I do thissss to help people.  To ssssave lives like those of these two wonderful women." \>She throws her arms around Kitten and Regina, then hugs them close, sandwiching your head between one bare, furry bosom and one clothed, scaly one. \>Conflicting thoughts fill your head as it's gently squeezed between two sizable pairs of breasts... but you ultimately will yourself to remain stoic. \>You shift yourself so that your head isn't placed so low, then speak again. \>"...Doctor, I'm sorry I was hostile.  I've been under a lot of stress lately.  Lost my job, ended up somewhere I've never seen before, met a woman with a severe issue and saved her life... it's just been a rollercoaster." \>To your amazement, she gives you a sympathetic look. \>"Don't apologize.  If anyone sssshould be sorry, it's me.  I had no excusssse for being so hateful towards you.  I undersssstand stress.  I've been under a lot of it mysssself, between worrying about my specimens, worrying about my situation, and trying to get home." \>"Home... you said this was the Otherworld, right?  Can you explain a little?" \>"Ssssure.  The Otherworld issss an alternate universe conveniently mirroring your Earth and located in the same logical space as your world.  It'ssss complicated.  Thingssss are similar, but humans don't exist in our world.  Err, well, they DO, but they're very uncommon." \>"Oh.  Well, thanks for the info... how do I get home?  Not like there's a door, right?" \>LeCoyle breaks into hissing laughter. \>"Eheheheh!  Actually, there issss!  Well, of a ssssorts.  Funnily enough, Doorssss are the scientific term for localized overlaps of your world and ours. In layman'ssss terms... they're portals between Earth and the Otherworld." \>"Oh, wow." \>"Indeed!  I have sssstudied these Doors in the past, but I digress.  You ssssaid you lost your job, eh?  Ssssorry to hear.  If I may assssk, what was it?" \>"I was a software engineer.  It wasn't the best job; my supervisor was an egotistical asshole who fired me to hire his nephew." \>"Ah, nepotissssm.  Alwayssss fun, eh?  Makessss me happy to be an only child, so I'm not tempted to hire nephews or anything.  I hate that you dealt with that. I wassss let go from a job I enjoyed once... though I suppose that doesn't apply to you, eheh." \>"Nah, it was a pretty bad job.  I like the material, like the field, couldn't stand the conditions." \>Kitten squeezes you close. \>"TELL US MORE!" \>"Well, uh... not much to tell, really.  I'm a pretty average guy.  Went to school, got a degree, got a job, stayed single, stayed on good terms with Mom and Dad until the old man died last year..." \>"OH... I'M SORRY." \>"Thank you.  It was cancer, bless him." \>LeCoyle leans on you a bit, a concerning grin on her face. \>"Cancer?  Anon, have you been tessssted to be sure it's not hereditary...?" \>Oh boy... \>"Of course I got tested.  Three times, actually.  Got it done right after dad's funeral." \>She loses the worrisome grin in favor of a more friendly smile. \>"Oh, good, good.  You're a ssssmart fellow, eh? Eheh, not that I'd be much help tessssting you... I'm not versed with humans." \>...then what the hell was she thinking about doing??? \>"Thanks for your concerns, anyway.  Heh, I'd figured a lady like yourself may have a cure for that sort of thing." \>"Eheh, you flatter me.  I'm not that brilliant... though I have made ssssome breakthroughs in- ah, I ssssay too much. You don't want to hear me ramble on about my findingssss." \>"I'm enjoying this chat!  Can you tell me more about those Doors?" \>"Likewisssse!  It'ssss nice to have an audience to speak to.  Doorssss open up at utter random, never closing when they do.  They can be anywhere, and lead to the corressssponding location in the opposite world.  To usssse them is as simple as traveling through.  For example, I drove your car through one eassssily." \>"Interesting." \>Regina clears her throat. \>"Lucille, were you not working on something involving these Doors?" \>The doctor glares harshly. \>"Ahem.  Regina, ssssweetie, that's not something I'm comfortable sharing." \>You interject. \>"I'd be interested in hearing.... I won't tell a soul if you share it with us." \>"No, no... it'ssss classified... I cannot let it sssslip into someone else's hands.  Though... no, no, I musssst adhere to my principles." \>"I understand... but I do wish you'd share a bit more." \>"Ssssorry.  Proprietary sssscience." \>Shrugging off her secrecy, you hit up Kitten instead. \>"So, what's your story?" \>"I WAS BORN WITH A SEVERE HEART DEFECT. MY FATHER ABANDONED MY MOTHER BEFORE I WAS BORN, AND SHE FELL ILL WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG.  I LOST HER ONE DAY BEFORE I WOKE UP HERE." \>LeCoyle sniffles and hugs Kitten close. \>You also hug her. \>"Sorry to hear, Kitten." \>"IT'S OKAY.  I HAVE THE DOCTOR NOW, AND YOU!" \>You nod, then turn to Regina. \>"Your turn, Regina." \>"...I was the daughter of a very wealthy, powerful couple, an oil baron and the owner of a bank.  I contracted a rare, terminal disease in my twenties, and rather than fix me, my parents disowned me and pretended I never existed.  The day they erased me from the family tree, I blacked out, only to wake up here." \>The doctor now turns and embraces the dragoness, who gently wipes tears from her eyes. \>"I... I hate them.  My parents are horrible, horrible people." \>Hearing their stories makes you pity them even more.  Kitten especially hits close to home since your dad passed recently. \>As LeCoyle embraces Regina, you propose a group hug.  Kitten joins you in wrapping around the two reptiles, purring happily. \>The doctor sighs happily, smiling. \>"You know, Anon?  You're alright, for a human." \>"Thanks?" \>She lets off a hissing chuckle as the four of you continue to hug. \>You eventually decide to fire off another few questions. \>"So, who's been running this place while you were gone?" \>"Ah, a colleague of mine... a very dedicated assssistant.  Sssseems she wasn't able to keep things afloat.  I'll have to make a housssse call, eheh." \>"Who is it?" \>"Ah, well... I'd be lying if I ssssaid I remembered. Ssssorry, 30 years of purgatory can be hell on your memory." \>"You'd tell me if you remembered?" \>"Ssssure.  Anon, I hope you know my ssssecrecy isn't personal.  It'ssss just... there are some things I can't let out." \>"Eh, it's fine.  Changing the subject, how do I find one of those Doors?" \>"There'ssss actually one rather close to this very facility.  That'ssss why I wanted my testing labs here: convenient location." \>"So if Kitten, Regina, and I escape..." \>"...you could take them home to Earth, yessss." \>"...really?  You'd let them go to my world?" \>"Of coursssse.  I want nothing more than for my patientssss to live happy lives.  If they feel going to your Earth issss the best way for them to be happy, so be it." \>"What about you?" \>LeCoyle sighs, and smiles wearily. \>"Ahh... I have 30 yearssss of work waiting on me.  People to talk to, gravessss to visit, research to do... I'll be bussssy for some time, most likely.  Bessssides, I'm not exactly tempted to go anywhere that's full of humans." \>She makes a disgusted face, then shakes her head and smiles sheepishly. \>"O-oh, ah... s-sssssorry." \>"It's alright.  So, where's the exit?" \>"Mm, leaving sssso soon?  Aren't you forgetting ssssomething?" \>She pointedly taps on Kitten's heart monitor. \>"If you want to take her home, you'll need to help me figure out a temporary ssssolution for her energy problems.  I can make ssssomething, but I'll need parts... and an idea.  You sssseem like a smart fellow, I'm sure you have something in mind." \>"Okay, but one question first... where's my car?" \>She chuckles a little. \>"Don't worry about it, I parked it very delicately." \>"...can I ask you something?  What's your grudge against humans?" \>LeCoyle's expression gets dark. \>"...ssss.  If you musssst know... humans are responsible for several things I've had to deal with in life.  Humanssss rendered one of my patients so broken, so injured, that I was barely able to salvage any of her original body.  Humanssss raided and burnt one of my test facilities, thank heavens I was able to evacuate my patients.  HUMANSSSSSSSSSS...." \>...tears fill her eyes. \>"HUMANSSSs... k-killed... my mother..." \>She hangs her head sadly, and you sympathetically wrap an arm around her. \>"....sorry I asked." \>"It'ssss okay, you couldn't have known.  Ever ssssince all this happened, I've hated your kind.  But... you ssssshow so much kindness and understanding... I trust you.  Anon, tell me: what sssshould I do for SON- no.  What sssshould I do for Kitten?" \>"Well, maybe you could give her a way to keep charged with a cigarette lighter port, like in a car? Or... would it be possible to make a strong enough support system that this wasn't a problem anymore?  Oh, and maybe you could show me how to set up my house so she can wirelessly charge?" \>The doctor nods emphatically. \>"Excellent ideassss.  I believe I could attempt a car charger... I can definitely sssshow you how to wirelessly charge her systems.  But, assss for eliminating the problem altogether... I don't think I'm capable of making such a powerful system.  Sssssorry..." \>"It's okay.  Y'know, when this is all over, we'll have to stay in touch, so you can help me with Kitten." \>A baffled look dawns on LeCoyle's face. \>"You... want to keep in touch... with me?  I asssssumed you hated me." \>"No, I don't hate you.  Do I agree with your methods? No.  Have you achieved amazing things with those methods?  Yes, absolutely.  Have I seen notes from and about your staff that set off alarm bells in my head?  Yes.  But, Lucille, I believe that your heart is actually in the right place.  Regina and Kitten aren't in the best health, hell, Regina's miserable, the poor thing, but thanks to you, they're alive.  You did what no other doctor could do for them: you saved them. And given how far science has come in 30 years, I believe you can improve your methods.  So, I mean it: I want us to stay in touch." \>You hug the clearly bewildered doctor... and to your shock, she bursts into tears. \>"H-how can you be sssso readily forgiving of me?  After all my hosssstility, my secrecy... what I've done to your friends... You are far too kind to thissss old scientist." \>She continues to sob. \>"It'ssss so hard, Anon.  To leave behind thosssse you love for so long... to be unable to check on them, to comfort them, to help them.  Over the passsst thirty years, I've been nothing but stressed and depressed.  I-I don't desssserve such kindness..." \>"Lucille, everyone deserves kindness." \>That seems to defeat her altogether.  She buries her face in your shoulder, weeping incoherently.  Eventually, she manages to regain some composure. \>"Th-thank you.  S-sssshall we get to work?" \>"Sure. First, how can I keep Kitten's heart rate in the green?" \>"Ssssimple.  Help her sssstay calm, and avoid letting her overexert herself. \>"Gotcha.  Second, do  you know where we could find some peripherals that might help Kitten?" \>"Ah, I think I know where ssssome are... what sort do you have in mind?" \>"Hm.  Battery packs... maybe some adaptors for more modern parts?" \>"Ahhh, good idea.  I believe I ssssaw some Kitten-compatible batteries in the test chamber upstairs.  Sssshould be a straight shot there.  Assss for modern adaptors, ah... I've been gone a while, eheh.  I wouldn't know what to look for, unfortunately." \>"Gotcha.  Now... can we change out Kitten's head?  CRTs drain a lot of energy." \>"Well... that'ssss tricky.  I can abssssolutely DO it, but it would be a drastic procedure akin to surgically replacing one's entire skull.  The sssstress could lead to medical issues, but then you raise an excellent point about power concerns... I ssssuppose the main question is finding a suitable replacement that is sufficiently spacious to serve as her skull, and thus house her brain." \>"Her- I thought her mind was digital?" \>"Eheh... not exactly.  Her brain issss stored inside that monitor.  Sssso we'd need a similarly sized replacement." \>"...what about one of these?" \>You pull out your phone and search up a picture of one of those colorful old iMac monitors.  LeCoyle's eyes widen. \>"Wow... that'ssss what smartphones look like now?  I ssssaw a little bit of the new world through holes in my purgatory, but... I'm still not fully up to date, eheh.  Anyway; that monitor lookssss like a fair candidate.  If you could find one like that, I think we could make it work." \>"Great.  Thank you." \>She nods, smiling. \>"Alright, so we have an idea where to look.  I think we should all go together, it'll be safer as a group." \>Kitten immediately hugs you close and grabs your hand. \>"GREAT IDEA!" \>LeCoyle chuckles and rubs Kitten's ears playfully. \>Regina steps in front of everyone. \>"I believe I am the strongest of us, so I think it best that I lead." \>"Agreed, Regina; desssspite your condition, I trust you're still quite strong." \>You nod, and the four of you head off towards the stairway, with LeCoyle guiding you from behind.  Kitten squeezes your hand lovingly, her plastic claws digging in slightly. \>Once you reach the second floor, everything changes. [] \>This floor seems considerably darker and more neglected than the others.  Cobwebs dangle from every surface.  An eerie chill fills the damp, oppressive air. The windows of the various rooms are all shattered to the point you can't see through them at all. \>Kitten shudders and pulls herself closer to you. Regina adopts a more defensive stance, and LeCoyle looks uneasy. \>"The tesssst chamber is ahead of us.  It'ssss a bit of a walk, but it should be a straight shot." \>There's a faint dripping sound from a nearby room. \>Your mind races.  Is it another patient?  A leaky pipe? Or something else...? \>You glance at Kitten's heart monitor.  Seems to be alright... If things go south, you or Regina will have to carry her.  Can't afford to have her run. \>"Uh, Lucille... what's that sound?" \>"...I... don't know." \>Oh, that's reassuring. \>"Well... is whatever killed the staff still here?" \>"It wassssn't a specimen that killed them anyway..." \>The dripping remains faint, the slow rhythm of the sound sending an odd sense of visceral discomfort through you. \>You soldier on, following Regina, cuddling Kitten close, and glancing back at the concerned doctor. \>You eventually reach a large door. \>"Okay, thissss is it.  I think I ssssaw some battery packs around here..." \>You turn to look back at LeCoyle... \>...nothing.  Nothing's there but the doctor. \>That dripping sound seems fainter... slower. \>Relieved, you enter the test chamber.  This room is even more dilapidated than the hall you just left. It's in a frankly ridiculous level of disrepair. \>You cautiously scan the area... nothing seems to be dangerous. \>...you can still hear the drips.  They're growing fainter again... \>"...so, Lucille... if it wasn't a specimen, what DID kill them?" \>"Well, ah, it'ssss kind of a long story-" \>Regina stops in her tracks. \>"...do you three hear what I hear?" \>...oh god.  What IS that? \>The dripping sound, still faint, is now accompanied by what sounds like an 80's arcade gane falling down the stairs.  It's a discordant, harsh, hysterical cacophany of what sounds like an outdated sound card. \>LeCoyle's concern becomes full blown alarm now. \>"...that... no, no, it can't be." \>"What?" \>"Don't worry about it; jusssst ignore it, e-eheh..." \>You steel yourself, turning on the low-light flashlight on your phone.  The harsh synth babbling continued, growing steadily louder. \>You take a deep breath... \>"Hello?" \>Silence.  The sound abruptly stops... \>Then resumes, growing louder and closer at a horrific rate.  Whatever it is, it's coming fast. \>Your body screams that you need to be running right NOW.  Adrenaline rushes through your system as your head pounds. \>What the hell could possibly have LECOYLE on edge?   \>No, no; dammit, stay calm.  Kitten and Regina turned out okay, maybe this one will too. \>You steel yourself once more. \>"Hello?  We mean no harm." \>Again, the sound pauses, then resumes, approaching rapidly.  Despite wanting to keep this diplomatic, you grab your crowbar and get ready to swing if necessary. \>Suddenly, from around the corner, a beam of color-changing light shines.  The synth sounds are very loud and clear now. \>You gulp nervously, protectively throwing an arm in front of Kitten... \>It rounds the corner and stops abruptly in front of your party.   \>...what? \>Standing in front of you and your team is what appears to be yet another LeCoyle specimen. \>Once again, it's obviously a woman.  She appears to be a bat of some sort, though her wings are oddly angular in shape... almost as if they were pixellated. \>Her body is covered in fur of a deep, bluish purple color, and it looks almost synthetic.   \>Square panels of an unknown material glow brilliantly in assorted colors, apparently embedded within her like Kitten's heart monitor. \>But most striking is her head... \>...or lack thereof. \>Where her head should be is instead merely a shaft of light beaming from her neck.  It slowly cycles through several colors, a short sting of those hysterical beeps heralding each color shift. \>A fair ways ABOVE her neck, however, is what almost looks like a pixel art visage of a bat's face; it matches her fur color, so you can only assume it's supposed to be her. \>Her wings, fingertips, and neck drip a viscous, navy blue fluid. \>The woman turns her "face" towards you. \>"57 48 4f 20 41 52 45 20 59 4f 55 3f 20 2?" \>Her voice is incredibly rapid and sounds heavily compressed, like an old videogame. \>LeCoyle gasps. \>"I-I thought you were dead!  It'ssss me, the doctor!" \>The bat stares, beeping. \>LeCoyle stares, dumbfounded, as you smile nervously at the flashing bat. \>"Hello, my name is Anon.  What's yours?" \>She stares at you for a moment. \>"45 4c 4c 49 45 2e." \>...hm.  It would help if you understood her. \>The bat tilts her "head," panels flashing different colors.  Eventually, she repeats herself, slower. \>...oh!  It's hexadecimal. \>You run her code through an app on your phone after she repeats it even slower. \>"Ellie?" \>She "nods", all her lights going green.  Her "face" is replaced with a checkmark for a moment. \>She then pauses, shaking a large amount of that navy fluid off her wings with a synthetic trill. \>In the hopes of speeding up communications, it's probably best to streamline the translation here.  You turn to your motley crew. \>"Okay, who understands her best?" \>LeCoyle tentatively raises a hand, only for Ellie to loose a loud beep.  You turn back to her, seeing a WAIT sign where her head should be. \>She begins babbling hexadecimal again, but this time subtitles are projected beneath her pixellated head. \>"is this better" \>You nod. \>"Much.  Thank you, Ellie." \>"welcome" \>"So, uh, what's your story?" \>Her face becomes a large eye and glares at LeCoyle, who sighs deeply. \>"Misssss Ellie was one of my many patients.  Ssssaddled with multiple tumors... spread across her entire body, you see, brain and all.  Far too much canceroussss tissue to safely operate traditionally.  Sssshe, ah, came into my care some weeks before my inadvertent trip to purgatory, where I performed an emergency procedure in hopes of saving her.  Unfortunately, though I wassss able to radically alter her physiology, Ellie passed away on the table... or, so I thought." \>The bat lets off a series of musical flourishes as her various panels flash different colors. \>"i did die yes but only for a moment | i came to in the morgue | doctor where is my head | i cant feel it" \>"I... I had to remove it, ssssweetie.  It wassss too far gone." \>Ellie's hologram face vanishes entirely as all her lights go blue.  That navy blue fluid runs down her body. \>...you vaguely wonder what that stuff tastes like, but shrug it off.  Stupid intrusive thoughts. \>While Ellie continues to glow blue, you lean over towards LeCoyle and whisper. \>"what's that... blue fluid?" \>"jusssst the coolant for her hologram projector and other augments, i believe.  nontoxic and ssssafe to touch." \>You nod, then step forward, hugging the distressed bat.  Her body is surprisingly cool to the touch, with her fur feeling oddly plasticky.  She shakily wraps her arms around you, silent for the first time since you've met her. \>Her whole body trembles and shudders as she clings to you almost desperately.  You know without a doubt she'd be crying if she were able. \>Kitten steps forward and joins the hug, sniffling herself. \>"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AWAKE?" \>"ten years last week i think" \>Now Lucille joins in, remorse all over her face. \>"I-I'm ssssorry, Ellie." \>"doctor how am i alive without my head" \>"I wassss able to consolidate your mind into a series of chips embedded into your body... they are enough to function exactly as your brain once did." \>"i am not the same person i was | doctor | if i was that bad why not let me go | why do all this to me" \>"I..." \>The doctor tears up. \>"I jusssst wanted to save you..." \>"why" \>"Th-that'ssss what I do... I want to help people like you, people who the medical community have given up on." \>Ellie falls silent again, then pulls herself closer to you, shuddering again. \>You hold the shaking bat close, feeling small claws dig into your back a little.  LeCoyle comes closer, joining the impromptu group hug.  Her tears have moved on to full blown hysterics now. \>Through her sobs, the doctor speaks. \>"E-Ellie, jusssst think: you're alive and well now.  Not a bit of cancer in your body now.  You have a ssssecond chance to-to live.  If you hate me for what I've done, I undersssstand.  But pleasssse, please take this chance to enjoy your life.  Make the besssst of a bad situation.  Pleasssse, do this for me..." \>LeCoyle withdraws into tearful silence, holding Ellie close to her.  The navy coolant runs down her white labcoat, but she doesn't seem concerned. \>There's an extremely long pause, during which Regina silently joins the group embrace.  Eventually, Ellie "speaks." \>"i am torn | my body is not the same | everything has changed | am i even me now | but | i am alive | i am cured | more or less" \>LeCoyle nods, still crying. \>"Y-yessss, exactly.  You're better than you were, even if thingssss had to be changed to get you there." \>"i dont know how to feel | i dont know what to think | i dont know | i dont know" \>The snake now pulls Ellie extremely close, wrapping around her a few times. \>"Ssssshhhhh... it will take time to get used to things.  I'm ssssorry that you needed such drastic augments.  It'ssss going to be okay.  I'm here for you." \>LeCoyle takes a deep, shaky breath. \>"M-mother'ssss... here..." \>She collapses into a sobbing heap, burying her face in Ellie's shoulder. \>... \>You step forward and embrace the weeping doctor, as do Kitten and Regina.  For the first time, the latter shows no hesitation in approaching Lucille. \>LeCoyle raises her head for a moment, then promptly buries her face in your shoulder instead. \>She wraps her arms around you, patting your back roughly. \>"...ssss...  sssshe... they couldn't..." \>She sniffles and sobs, unable to formulate what it is she wants to say.  Eventually, though, she finds her words. \>"......I had tried for sssso long.  Finally, it happened: I wassss with child.  M-my daughter... Tessssa was born.  She and I had a handful of happy yearssss... then came the symptoms.  It wassss unheard of; a disease so rare it had never been seen before.  They.... they... couldn't do anything sssshort of drastic, experimental surgeries.  Rather than take a chance, they gave up, and I- I-" \>She now wraps a coil around you, squeezing you lightly. \>"....I losssst my Tessa.... After that, I made it my life'ssss goal.  Nobody sssshould lose their life over a doctor being too spineless, too scared, too weak to TRY.  My methodssss may be cruel in some people's eyes.  I may sssseem heartless.  But, Anon... I... I jusssst want to prevent another Tessa..." \>You gently run your hands along the coil wrapped around you, trying to soothe the upset scientist. \>"Sssshe was my baby, Anon..." \>You feel tears well up in your own eyes.  A glance shows that Regina is also on the verge of crying. \>Kitten's screen takes on a blue glow. \>":'''(" \>Ellie's lights remain blue, and she sits silently, gently running a hand along LeCoyle's side. \>The doctor continues to weep bitterly, her tears soaking your shirt. \>"I missss her so much, Anon.  Th-that'ssss why... why I treat all my patients like my children.  It helpssss, even if only a little... I jusssst... I wish I could've done something for her.  Anything.  All I could do wassss be there for her as her condition worsened.  At leasssst... she passed knowing she was loved and cared for." \>Ellie suddenly flashes pink. \>"i remember something now | doctor | when i was dying what did you do" \>"...when your vitalssss began to decline rapidly, I cradled your head close, singing you one last lullaby. If you were going to leave thissss life, I wanted you to do so knowing someone cared." \>"thank you" \>The doctor can't muster up the composure to reply,  and instead hugs Ellie once more. \>Kitten and Regina rush forward to embrace LeCoyle, and she pulls them into a warm hug. \>"I love you all, and I hope you never forget that." \>Using the coil wrapped around your waist, Lucille pulls you into the embrace as well. \>"Thankssss for listening to me, Anon..." \>"It's no trouble, Doctor." \>"Actually... call me Lussssille, please." \>"Lucille.  I'm here to listen.  What you went through is terrible, something no parent should ever have to experience.  And it sounds like you've kept this bottled up for a long time.  I can listen to you... but I hope you'll go get some help after this is all over.  I want you to live a happier life than what you do now." \>She smiles tearfully, hugging you closer. Apparently accidentally, she presses your cheek against her chest... a fact you swiftly decide to try and ignore.  This is not the time to be thinking about racks. \>"Thank you... thank you sssso much.  For being ssso understanding.  It'ssss been 40 years of hell, Anon.  Though, admittedly... my time in limbo renderssss that sort of measurement a bit inaccurate." \>The doctor gives you a look you interpret as her begging to change the subject.  You nod discretely, prompting her to gently squeeze you with her coils. \>"So, ah... you were going to say something about the experiment that put you in limbo earlier..." \>"Ah yessss, I nearly forgot.  I ssssuppose it's only right that I come clean.  You ssssee... my experiment, Project Keyhole, was intended to allow for the use of localized dimensional distortions to facilitate convenient travel between two overlapping realities.  In ssssimpler terms... it was intended to allow the user to create temporary Doors between our world and yours." \>"Wow, that sounds amazing." \>"Thank you... it wassss a commissioned work, but an important breakthrough in science nonetheless. Problem issss, the sheer amount of energy and the level of distortion at play, well... led to an incident.  The Keyhole exploded violently during it'ssss maiden usage.  The disssstortion ripped through my facility, killing most staff members nearby, damaging some valuable equipment... but also destroyed the device itself.  OR SSSSO I THOUGHT!  Assss I discovered shortly, the Keyhole's components were fired across the room at incredible speeds... and ended up embedded within my skin.  Sssso... I was able to create a localized Door after much experimentation.  In my excitement, I entered the Door... only for it to closssse behind me.  Once in limbo, I found that the Keyhole had ssssomehow stopped working properly; the only Doors it made now were too small to accomodate my, ah, size.  Sssso I toiled away at upgrading the machine integrated into me over three decades, grabbing parts through pinhole Doors... and I finally made it home." \>She takes a deep breath and sighs. \>"And that'ssss what happened." \>You subconsciously hug her again as you process what you've just heard. \>"So, you're part machine?  You and your patients seem to have a lot in common, then." \>"That'ssss not inaccurate, I suppose; more like I simply have the Keyhole embedded into me.  Though it ISSSS configured to essentially behave as an extra, artificial organ." \>"...isn't that dangerous?  What happens if it goes off without you preparing for it?" \>"That hassss happened before... it was extremely painful, but I lived.  The ssssheer energy required, as well as the nature of the device's emitted distortions essentially mean that even using it once leaves me rather exhausted, sore, and weak.  And that'ssss just for a hole large enough for my arm.  Creating a Door large enough to fit my entire body...?  I feel like I haven't eaten in weekssss, I'm still weak, and it feels like I went through several car accidents.  Needlessss to say, I can't use this device willy-nilly.  It issss programmed to immediately abort any operation that would prove fatal, at any rate... though that does not account for simply not having the energy to sustain myself." \>"So more akin to, say, low blood sugar?" \>"Not a bad analogy, though thissss is a tad more dangerous." \>"I see.  What was that earlier about time being weird with limbo?" \>"Well, ssssee, I didn't age in limbo.  I didn't FEEL 30 yearssss go by.  But, ssssomehow, mentally, I knew that time passed.  The pssssychological effects of limbo are fascinating, I really must record them for future study... but I digress.  Ssssome time-based necessities still arose.  I sssslept, ate, and generally lived as normal a life as possible, but I never aged beyond my years at the time of entry." \>"Interesting.  Changing the subject for a moment, do you suppose anyone else is alive here?" \>"Hmmm... I can't think of anyone elsssse... I believe... yes, yes, she escaped.  No, thissss should be everyone." \>"Great.  Shall we get back to looking for those batteries and a monitor?" \>"Perhapssss we should... unless there's something else you want to know?" \>"Hm, a few more, then we'll get moving.  Could we make Ellie a new head?" \>"It would be difficult to integrate a different head with her current configuration.  Bessssides, her hologram projector is very flexible and customizable, so it should suffice." \>"Okay then... do aliens exist, or...?" \>"...that'ssss an odd question to ask, isn't it?  Though... I won't deny that I've sssseen some rather exotic people and places through the mini-Doors the Keyhole produced..." \>"Hmm.  What are you planning to do with the Keyhole now?" \>"Well... I'm not certain I can remove it from mysssself, not safely anyway.  I could attempt to build a new one... but it wassss the product of years of research, and would take time.  I ssssuppose it would be best to continue improving it, then use it to further knowledge of Doors and their mechanics.  Of coursssse, this is secondary to my eternal goal." \>"Understandable... I think that answers all I have for now.  Of course, there's a lot to ask, but we should get to work helping these women get into better positions." \>"Of coursssse.  Anon, let'ssss practice medicine." \>With that, you and your party share one last embrace, with your head ending up sandwiched between four respectable busts. \>...not an unpleasant scenario, really. \>You desperately think unattractive thoughts until the hug ends, then the five of you set out on your quest anew. \>"Sssso!  Batteriessss for Kitten.  I believe... they sssshould be close.  If I were a battery, where would I be...?" \>"Hmm.  Let's see... are there any IT rooms on this floor?  They'd probably have parts for a computer like Kitten." \>The feline cyborg slides over and grabs your hand. \>"=3" \>"GOOD IDEA, ANON!  ACCORDING TO MY MAP, THERE SHOULD BE FOUR TECH SUPPORT ROOMS AHEAD." \>"Maybe we should split up, then." \>Ellie flashes red as her "head" becomes a skull and crossbones. \>"that never ends well in movies | or cartoons | what if something is here" \>"There sssshouldn't be anything else here, Ellie." \>Regina shudders for a moment, but regains her composure; she then protectively wraps an arm around the light-studded bat. \>"Worry not, I will stick with you." \>"thank you | what was your name again | sorry" \>"Regina.  No need to apologize, Ellie." \>The golden dragon chats away with her newfound friend for a moment, then the two depart for a room indicated by Kitten, leaving you and Kitten with Lucille. \>The snake puts a hand to her chin in thought. \>"Hmm... I do wonder if Ellie hassss a point... but... hm." \>"I'm sure it'll be fine.  If you're worried, take Kitten and I'll go alone." \>"Are you ssssure?" \>"Absolutely." \>"BUT ANON, I WANT TO GO WITH YOU." \>"Well..." \>You glance at her beeping heart monitor.  Readings are healthy, luckily. \>"I WILL BE FINE, PLEASE LET ME COME." \>You glance at Lucille. \>"Anon, if you don't let her go with you, I'll be forssssed to call you a monster.  Look at that fasssse." \>"=3" \>"...alright, it's settled.  Kitten and I will check one room, Regina and Ellie will check one, you'll check one, then we'll all convene in the last room.  Sound good?" \>Kitten and Lucille nod, and you set off for the tech support room. \>...it's remarkably dusty in here.  Easily, inches of the stuff cover every visible surface.  Cobwebs dangle everywhere. \>Kitten cuddles close to you, trembling slightly.  Her heart rate increases a tad, but remains steady, mostly. \>Every single PC in the room is destroyed.  A canine skeleton clad in a tattered coat sits in a rolling office chair, an empty, dusty beer bottle clenched between its teeth.  The skeleton is nearly coccooned in spiderwebs. \>"I DON'T LIKE THIS." \>...sure is odd that a fellow would die drinking on the job like this, isn't it? \>"Did the doctor always allow drinking on the clock?" \>"NO, BUT I REMEMBER THERE WAS A TECHNICIAN WHO GOT IN TROUBLE A LOT FOR DOING IT ANYWAY. THIS MUST BE HIM..." \>"Oh.  Sorry to hear you knew him." \>"IT'S ALRIGHT." \>You hold Kitten's hand tightly, feeling those plastic claws of hers gently dig into your wrist.  It seems to calm her, as her trembling slows to a halt. \>Hm.  These webs... \>You keep an eye out for anything spidery while scanning for batteries. \>...nothing. \>Oh well.  You turn to Kitten, shrug, then start out the door... \>Only for the skeleton to suddenly rise from its chair. \>Immediately, you step between the lurching bag of bones and Kitten, who lets out a squeal of shock. \>The skeleton's arm stiffly swings at you, and you handily block it with your crowbar.  It rears back for a second strike, this time aiming high enough you duck it easily. \>With a roar, you slam the crowbar down, splintering the dusty, brittle skull of your assailant. \>"BONE apetit, jackass!" \>Undeterred, the now-headless skeleton seems to... slide backwards before rearing both arms back in preparation of an overhead attack. \>With a sidestep, you swing your weapon into its spine like a baseball bat, hearing a sickening CRACK. \>The skeleton goes limp as a strand of webbing connected to the ceiling snaps. Kitten points upward. \>"ANON, LOOK!" \>You follow her pointing... [] \>A baleful yellow light shines from a vent in the ceiling, a vent that has countless strands of webbing extending from it in every possible direction. \>It occurs to you that everything in this room is connected to one or more webs. \>As if reading your mind, whatever is casting the glow visibly manipulates a web, flinging the skeleton's beer bottle at your head. \>Panicked, you dodge at the last second, only for a followup attack in the form of a skull fragment being thrown to connect.  The bone chunk smacks your cheek rather hard; not enough to injure you, but enough to sting. \>A loud, guttural whirring not unlike a floppy disc reader echoes from above you.  Kitten, concerned, steps towards the exit. \>Before doing anything else, you guide Kitten out of the room, deflecting makeshift projectiles and helping her stay calm.  Once she's out, you close the door behind her, then turn to face your opponent. \>The glow dims a bit, revealing that it seems to be cast by a singular, apparently artificial eye.  The eye fixates on you, its pupil narrowing dangerously. \>Without warning, your adversary yanks several threads of web, lifting the shattered skeleton up and whipping it about like a marionette in a blender.  It proves impossible to avoid all the blows coming down on you, so the bony puppet smacks you around a bit. \>Finding an opening, you swing with all your might, knocking the puppet down like a macabre piñata.  The yellow eye glares hatefully, retracting the severed webs with a grumble. \>"HEY!  If you wanna fight, get down here instead of pulling this puppet shit, coward!" \>The eye widens in shock, and a rapid series of clicks echoes out from the vent. \>"-.-. --- .-- .- .-. -.. ..--.." \>Before you can work out the apparent Morse code, a spindly, extremely pale lavender limb reaches out of the vent, a bony hand clutching a cluster of webs. \>The hand quickly rolls this cluster into a ball and chucks it at your chest. \>Thinking quickly, you sidle out of the way of the ball at the last second.  It slaps against the wall, where it bursts into a network of webs. \>A frustrated hiss escapes your attacker as they reel in the wasted webbing, glaring at you. \>"Why are you attacking me?  I haven't done anything!" \>There's a pause, and the being taps on the vent's interior again, this time also flashing its glowing eye in time. \>".. -. - .-. ..- -.. .. -. --. / --- -. / -- -.-- / -- .- -. --- .-." \>... \>You think back to the last message it tapped, and manage to work it out in your head.  It seems incredulous that you called it a coward. \>"YOU'RE the one hiding in the vents, throwing dead men at me rather than facing me." \>".-- .. - ... / -... . ..-. --- .-. . / .... --- -. --- .-." \>With a shrill whistle, the being's yellow eye flashes rapidly as it again extends a hand.  This time, it grabs a handful of the webs dangling from the vent already. \>Shaking with effort, it yanks a small desk towards you, restricting your movements a bit. \>Simultaneously, another web is manipulated from within the vent, lifting a femur bone and twirling it menacingly. \>Keeping an eye on the spinning bone, you lock eyes with your opponent. \>"Look.  I don't want this.  I just want to help the woman that was here with me before.  If you'll leave me alone, I'll leave you alone.  Unless you need help of some kind?" \>The being gets an incredulous look in its eye. \>".. -. ... ..- .-.. - / -- . / - .... . -. / --- ..-. ..-. . .-. / .- .. -.. ..--.." \>You mentally process its message. \>"I'm sorry for insulting you.  I do mean it though: I'll help if you need it." \>"-. --- / -. --- / -. --- / .-.. . .- ...- . / -- . / - --- / -.. .. . / .-.. .. -.- . / - .... . / --- - .... . .-. ... / -.. .. -.." \>Before you can translate this one, your foe surprises you by... dropping the femur. \>You cautiously lower your weapon... \>And the being extends its spindly arm again, this time letting it dangle limply. \>".--. .-.. . .- ... . / .--- ..- ... - / --. . - / --- ..- -" \>...you carefully step forward, meeting its haunting yellow gaze. \>"If you're sure that's what you want, I'll go.  But, if there's ANYTHING, I can help.  Sorry we got off on the wrong foot.  Your puppetry is impressive." \>It narrows its eye, sizing you up apprehensively, then carefully retracts its arm, as though worried you're up to something. \>".-- .... .- - .----. ... / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .- -. --. .-.. ." \>"I don't have an angle.  I'm just... Anon.  A guy who ended up surrounded by people in need, and wants to help as much as he can before going back to where he belongs.  If you want, I can make you a part of this operation.  What do you say?  Bury the hatchet?  At the very least, could I ask for your name?" \>The eye narrows further, roaming up and down your body, especially watching your hands. \>"- .... --- .-. -.-- -... . .. -." \>"Oh.  That's an, uh... unusual name." \>".- -. -.. / .- -. --- -. / .. ... -. .----. - ..--.." \>"...I guess that's fair.  So, why attack me?" \>"- .... --- ..- --. .... - / -.-- --- ..- / .-- . .-. . / ... - .- ..-. ..-." \>"What do you have against staff members?" \>"-. . --. .-.. . -.-. - ..-. ..- .-.. / -.-. .... .- .-. .-.. .- - .- -. ..." \>"I see.  Well, there's only one staff member left alive, and it's the doctor." \>The eye widens. \>".-.. ..- -.-. .. .-.. .-.. . / .-.. . -.-. --- -.-- .-.. . ..--.." \>"Yes, her.  Do you know her?" \>Rather than tap, the being nods what you assume is its head, causing the eye to bob up and down almost hypnotically. \>"What do you know about Lucille?" \>".. / .... .- ...- . / .-. . .- -.. / .... . .-. / .-. . ... . .- .-. -.-. ...." \>"I see.  Y'know, it's good you know Morse.  Did you always know it?" \>"-.-- . ... --..-- / .. / .-- .- ... / -... --- .-. -. / -- ..- - . --..-- / .- -. -.. / ..-. --- ..- -. -.. / - .... .. ... / . .- ... .. . .-. / - .... .- -. / ... .. --. -. / .-.. .- -. --. ..- .- --. ." \>"...wow.  Uh, anyway... do you want to see Lucille?" \>".. .----. -- / -. --- - / -.-. . .-. - .- .. -." \>"Are you mad that she left?  Because, well, it wasn't entirely intentional..." \>".... . .- ...- . -. ... / -. --- / .. .----. -- / -. --- - / -- .- -.." \>"...then, why...?" \>".. / ... .... .- .-.. .-.. / . -..- .--. .-.. .- .. -. / .-.. .- - . .-." \>There's loud skittering sound overhead as you visibly see Thorybein reposition themselves.  Eventually, they prepare to exit the vent, and you step out of the way. \>With a THUD, the puppeteer lands face flat on the ground, webs cascading down behind them.  They let out a painful groan before slowly rising onto long, spindly legs. \>Cutting a lean figure, Thorybein stands at just a bit taller than you; mere inches, in fact.  Most of this lies in the rather dandy top hat balanced atop their head. \>Below that, one large, luminous yellow eye glimmers, while a smaller, purple one holds a monocle in place.  A high collar surrounds their lavender head, while a pair of mandibles jut from either corner of their mouth. \>Glancing further down reveals an outfit not unlike that of the stereotypical aristocrat vampire, albeit it seems entirely woven from spider silk. \>At first glance, you think Thorybein is yet another woman with a sizable chest.  However, further inspection leads to two things: the realization that those "breasts" are merely coccoons of webbing... and a wave of revulsion running through you as you notice they're MOVING. \>Thorybein follows your gaze down, and, with one of two sets of arms, cups the twitching coccoons.  With another arm, they tap on the wall. \>"-- -.-- / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. .-. . -. --..-- / .- .... .-" \>A small rip in one of the two mounds releases a minuscule, obviously mechanical spider.  With a frown, Thorybein spits a small gob of webbing and repairs the tear, nodding. \>Tearing your eyes away from the web sacs, you smile at the spider woman, who returns a fanged grin. \>She grasps her top hat and takes a deep bow, smiling the whole time. \>".--. .-. --- ..-. . ... ... --- .-. / --. --- ... ... .- -- . .-. / - .... --- .-. -.-- -... . .. -. --..-- / .- - / -.-- --- ..- .-. / ... . .-. ...- .. -.-. ." \>"I see.  Wait, Professor?" \>She nods eagerly as the spiderbot from earlier climbs up onto her shoulder. \>"Interesting.  So what's the story with these little robots?" \>"- .... . ... . / .- .-. . / -- -.-- / -... .- -... .. . ... --..-- / - .... .-. . -.. -.. ..." \>She gestures grandly, and the spiderbot, err, Thredd, apparently, leaps onto her outstretched hand.  With a snap of her finger, the bot leaps up into the air, fires a small strand of webbing, and reels itself up to the ceiling, where it crawls about aimlessly. \>"Ohhh.  Neat!  And, can I just say, I like the hat." \>She beams and tips said hat. \>"We should probably head outside.  Kitten is probably worried." \>You head out of the room, and the arachnid follows.  Once you step outside, Kitten tackles you, wrapping her arms around you. \>"ANON!  I WAS SO WORRIED!" \>Regina smiles wearily, and Ellie glows green. \>"I am glad to see you're alright, Anon." \>"yes | me too" \>Meanwhile, your new acquaintance stands behind you awkwardly, smiling sheepishly. \>Lucille frowns, looking past you. \>"Ah... who'ssss your friend?" \>"This is Professor Gossamer Thorybein.  She-" \>Kitten interrupts you. \>"SHE ATTACKED ANON AND I!" \>Regina steps forward instantly, throwing an arm around Kitten protectively and glaring at Gossamer. \>"And you're going to take that lying down, Anon?" \>Lucille draws herself up to a more menacing height, baring her fangs with a hiss. \>"Explain yoursssself, woman." \>You throw your arms out, hoping to defuse the situation. \>"Now, hold on!  It was all a failure to communicate.  Everything is fine now, right, Gossa-" \>You're interrupted by a sharp kick to the back of the head, knocking you flat on your face. \>You look up to see the spider woman smiling gleefully.  She lets out a mad cackle and... speaks? \>"You damned fool!  Never turn your back on your opponent!" \>You grasp your crowbar tightly, and attempt to stand... only for the treacherous spider to step forward, pinning you to the floor with a heeled boot.  She's surprisingly heavy for her slim build. \>"Awww, were you gonna use that crowbar on little ol' me?  Heehee!  Should've swung while you had the chance; too late now!" \>Your mind races. \>Why would she betray you now, surrounded by people?  Why is she doing this anyway? \>...if she gets past you, Kitten is in danger. \>You bellow loudly and attempt to flip the professor off of you, no easy task given her bizarre weight.  She giggles maniacally. \>"Go on, squirm!  Heeheehee!  You'll never get out from under my heel, worm." \>A welcome voice interrupts her. \>"Ahem.  Are you forgetting something?" \>The spider looks up in confusion just in time for Regina to knock her down with a shoulder bash.  The dragon winces in pain as Gossamer staggers, releasing you. \>You hop to your feet, steel yourself, and swing your weapon into her chest with all your might.  There's a sickening SQUELCH as the metal bar squashes the web cocoons on her bosom. \>Gossamer gasps... then cackles wildly as countless Thredds explode across the room. \>"Ha-HA!  You saved me the trouble of doing that myself!" \>Glaring, you slam the bar into her stomach, interrupting her laughter with a loud OOF. \>"I don't care how many of your toys are here; it's 5 against 1." \>Gossamer locks eyes with you and smiles.  With a sickening C R A C K, her smile spreads almost literally ear to ear. \>"Is it?" \>She snaps loudly, and there's a deafening cacophony of whooshes and yelps. \>You turn to see all of your companions strung up like puppets, dangling from webs wrapped around their limbs. \>The professor cackles once more, leaping up and clinging to the ceiling.  A loud crack accompanies her head swiveling all the way around to grin at you. \>"IT'S SHOWTIME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!  PROFESSOR GOSSAMER THORYBEIN PRESENTS: PROGNOSIS TERMINAL, A TRAGEDY IN ONE ACT!" [] \>Putting one of her hands to her chin, Gossamer scans your wrapped up party, running another hand through several webs attached to them. \>"My my... such interesting new puppets.  I daresay my babies could control you all alone... but there's no fun in that!  I'LL take the helm, children, just let me choose my puppets; let's see, decisions decisions~" \>She grasps two bundles of webs, jerking Regina and Ellie upwards like marionettes. \>"Perfect!  You'll be the vicious Dracolich, and YOU will be the blinding Thunderroc!  Now GO, my puppets, and strike down that worm!" \>With rapid, elaborate hand movements, Gossamer forces Regina and Ellie to stiltedly run towards you, clawed hands extended.  The bat flashes rapidly, and Regina looks alarmed. \>The two come to a halt as Gossamer abruptly stops her gesturing. \>You lock eyes with the smirking spider. \>"What ARE you?  Why are you doing this?" \>She rolls her huge, luminous eye, leaving her smaller one stationary. \>"I'm a VILLAIN, idiot.  This is my job, my passion, what I was BORN to do!  Woe betide anyone foolish enough to cross my path, heehee!" \>As she laughs, you scan your surroundings for anything of use. \>...there's a sharp bit of metal, apparently broken off a set of shelves or something.  Seems sturdy, and it's fairly long. \>You grab the makeshift sword and raise it high, again staring down the mad arachnid. \>"If you call this a show, you're the shittiest playwright in history." \>She glares witheringly. \>"SILENCE!  Just give up and willingly join my troupe, Anon.  It'll be faster and less painful for you." \>...you have an idea as you eye up the myriad Thredds scurrying around.  You carefully pull out your phone... \>...Wi-Fi signals everywhere.  Bingo. \>Thank God you still have that stupid virus file from work on your Dropbox.  Just have to push it to those little fuckers, and... \>...shit, wait.  There's hundreds, maybe even thousands of them.  If only they all connected to a single device. \>...hm?  What's this? \>A device labeled SPINNERET is listed alongside the various Thredds. \>Gossamer rolls her eyes and laughs. \>"REALLY?  Face to face with death, and you're playing with your phone?  Pathetic. Dracolich, give him a taste of that lovely tackle you gave me, eh?" \>Against her will, Regina is roughly thrust at you shoulder first. \>Thinking quickly, you dive out of the way of the hurtling dragon, barely missing her.  Gossamer laughs mockingly as she slams Regina into the wall behind where you once stood. \>Your captive friend spasms painfully, driving Lucille to cry out in despair. \>As the spider rolls her eyes, you quickly set your phone up to deliver every single virus file you have to SPINNERET.  While it does so, might as well keep her talking. \>"Villain, huh?  Watch too many cartoons growing up?" \>"Ha, you wish!  There are more like me out there, more people with evil coursing through their veins.  That you've met one personally is an honor you'll be taking to the grave very soon!" \>The professor swings Ellie at you, and you duck, hearing her beep frantically as she sails overhead. \>"Bah, shut up; you're just lashing out for the attention mommy and daddy never gave." \>"SILENCE!  I'll have you know my mother was very proud of my work, thank you!  Presumptuous bastard!" \>She now yanks both Regina and Ellie towards you, a maneuver you barely avoid by rolling away at the last second.  The two women are bashed against each other roughly, visibly infuriating LeCoyle. \>Gossamer grins at you menacingly. \>"Heh!  You're more lively than I expected; congratulations on being a legitimate challenge!  Now... allow me to kill you outright, eh?" \>She cackles... but stops abruptly as your phone finishes uploading. \>"...something... something's wrong.  What's that smile all about?" \>As you grin, Gossamer's yellow eye goes staticy. \>"Wh-what did you do?" \>The Thredds around the room go limp, dropping Kitten and Lucille, while panic spreads across their master's face. \>Her eye continues to fuzz out, and two of her arms twitch erratically.  She clutches her head with two free arms. \>"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?" \>Her head twitches violently, her smile becoming a pained grimace. \>Shaking, she erratically swings Regina and Ellie towards you; you crouch down, then yell and throw your makeshift sword at the madwoman.  She lets out a shrill shriek as it lodges into her chest, but manages to swing your friends at you once more. \>The spider's attack misses feebly as she stares at you, horrified. \>"Sorry to cut your little show short, but I had a point to make.  It was knife to meet you, and I took a stab at making friends, but I'm afraid you just pushed me over the edge." \>You run underneath her and grab your weapon, then swing it at her again, this time lopping off an arm.  Gossamer falls to the floor roughly, then scrambles back, fleeing from you. \>A deep crimson fluid runs from her mouth as she babbles rapidly. \>"N-no, it isn't supposed to be like this, I was watching you the whole time, my plan should've worked!  You have a weakness for people in need, so I pretended to be mute and left for dead; my only mistake was in not outright killing you.  But, mark my words, you've not seen the last of me, oh no.  I.  WILL.  RETU-" \>There's a loud hiss as Lucille suddenly wraps around the ranting spider.  With a mighty squeeze, she crushes Gossamer's body with a horrendous CRUNCH.  The spider stops speaking abruptly as her staticy eye goes black.  Her smaller eye glazes over. \>To your shock, Kitten jogs past you, carrying the crowbar.  With a grunt of effort, she slams it into the professor's face, the hook lodging into her artificial eye. \>With that, LeCoyle roughly drops the dead antagonist, leaving her little more than a head on a ruined body. \>"Hmph.  Sssstupid bitch.  Issss everyone alright?" \>Regina and Ellie both bleed colorful chemicals slightly.  Kitten's heart rate is faster than it should be.  You feel a nasty bruise on the back of your head.  Lucille winces and runs a hand along her length. \>"Maybe I sssshouldn't have done that.  I'm sssstill sore from opening the Door.  I couldn't help mysssself.  Sssshe hurt my girls... she hurt YOU, Anon." \>Lucille beckons everyone closer, and inspects for any further injuries.  Once satisfied, she hugs each of you individually, a smile on her face. \>You turn around to cast one last glance at Gossamer's ruined form. \>Satisfied that she's gone, you turn away from the spider and grab Kitten's hand.  You gently interlock your fingers with hers, whispering into her ears to calm her. \>Once her heart rate slowly returns to normal, she hugs you tightly. \>"I WAS SO WORRIED SHE'D HURT YOU." \>"YOU were worried? I was worried about you!" \>"I'M FINE.  BUT, THE OTHERS GOT HURT..." \>"I know.  I'm sorry, everyone.  I should've been more cautious." \>"Nonssssense.  You couldn't have known sssshe was here." \>"...who is she, exactly?" \>"I... I haven't the sssslightest idea.  Very sssstrange woman." \>"Are these villain types really as common as she said?" \>"Eheh, well... they exisssst, anyway.  Not many of them are out there, but they exisssst.  I've never had to kill one, though..." \>"Do you think she COULD come back?" \>"NO, I THINK WE'RE CLEAR.  NONE OF HER THREDDS ARE ONLINE ANYMORE, NOR IS HER SPINNERET UNIT." \>"Great, great..." \>Regina shudders. \>"Mmf... that was... painful..." \>Ellie's panels flicker various colors as she lets out an agreeable sound. \>Once everyone catches their breath, you all walk on your way, looking for those batteries.   \>...hm?  What was that sound? \>You turn around and glance back at Gossamer's inert corpse.  Her motionless, headless corpse. \>Wait. \>Shit. \>You immediately lapse into a lengthy stream of swears as your party all return to see what the ruckus is.  Lucille mutters angrily under her breath. \>"Alright, sssso.  We have to find that head, obvioussssly." \>Regina nods sagely and begins scanning the room, rubbing her temples with a groan.  You also look around, more frantically. \>Kitten taps you on the shoulder, shaking. \>"ANON, L-LOOK." \>You turn slowly, and let loose another string of profanity. \>Atop Ellie's shoulders, obscuing her usual hologram, sits the smashed, ghoulishly grinning head of Gossamer Thorybein. \>Sparks fly from around the still-wedged crowbar jutting from her eye, and a horrific gash across her forehead reveals wiring and metal. \>She turns her smaller eye on you with a glitchy, stuttering laugh. \>"H-H-HERE'S JOHNNY!" \>Ellie's lights all go pale purple, showing a stylized VA logo.  Gossamer winks with her single functional eye as she has Ellie tip her hat. \>With that, she forces the bat to lunge at you, claws outstretched. [] \>Panicked, you clumsily duck, getting a collection of small nicks from your winged friend's claws for your troubles. \>Gossamer cackles madly, a sound mixed in with static and glitchy noise. \>"Y-YOU'LL NEVER BEAT ME, YOU SON OF A-" \>You circle around Ellie, with the possessed bat pivoting to prevent you from getting behind her. \>"N-EVER TURN YOUR BACK ON AN OPPONENTTTTT-T-T...." \>As she spins around, Gossamer is completely unaware of Kitten slowly creeping up on her.  Once she gets close enough, the cat shoves the antagonist over, making her stumble towards you.  As she staggers, you catch her and restrain her. \>"NO, NO, NO!  YOU COULDN- KILL ME BEFORE, -MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN NOW?" \>You motion for Regina, and in one fluid motion she dashes forward and rips the spider's head off Ellie's shoulders.  Gossamer gasps as the dragon crushes her head viciously. \>Metal flies everywhere as Gossamer is destroyed. \>...to your growing frustration, she speaks again. \>"F- y-you, yo- never kill- e" \>Regina throws the chattering head to the floor and stomps it, flattening it and proving it's nothing more than metal. \>"....i- still alive" \>Indeed, somehow, Gossamer still seems to be hanging onto life.  Her purple eye twitches madly, the metallic skull that houses it crushed beyond recognition.  A small speaker relays her speech, and frayed wires spit sparks at random. \>She turns her eye up at you pitifully. \>"....hurts...." \>For a fleeting moment, rage fills your heart... only to give way to something unexpected. \>Pity. \>Locking eyes with the spider, you crush her eye to end her suffering.  A loud CRUNCH accompanies your action, as does the sound of a computer shutting down. \>"....th...you..." \>...Gossamer Thorybein is dead. \>Lucille leans down to inspect the ruined villainess, an intrigued glint in her eye. \>"Hmmm.  An android?  Interessssting.  I built a few of thesssse back when I did commission work.  Thissss particular individual doesn't look familiar, though.  Remarkably durable consssstruction..." \>She mutters to herself quietly, then slithers over to Gossamer's body.  She rummages through the crushed metal hull with a frown. \>"I wonder..." \>Lucille lets out a triumphant hiss as she holds a strange device aloft. \>"AHA!  Thissss is her power source.  If I make a few modificationssss... I should be able to convert this into a makeshift portable battery for SON- err, Kitten." \>The cat practically tackles you, wrapping her arms around you and purring in her strange way. \>"ANON, I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO GO WITH YOU!" \>She nuzzles her warm screen against your cheek, tiny static shocks popping against your skin. \>Lucille nods happily and looks across your party. \>"Right!  Sssso... hm.  Regina, ssssweetie, we'll want to do something for your episodes... and Ellie, we must fix that coolant leak.  Once we get that done... I think we can leave." \>You smile warmly. \>"Thank you, Lucille." \>The doctor beams. \>Without hesitation, you charge forward and hug Lucille happily. \>"Thank you, really." \>A faint blush comes to her scaly cheeks as you release her. \>"I'm jusssst happy we can improve my Kitten's life.  With a power ssssource like this... who knows?  Maybe her heart rate will sssstabilize more easily?  Maybe sssshe'll be able to do whatever she pleases physically... I'll give it a quick insssspection and make sure it doesn't have any of that spider's code left, and I should be able to tweak and install it tonight." \>Kitten smiles and hugs you again, rubbing her boxy monitor against you once more. \>As you get caught up in the moment, you realize you nearly forgot Ellie.  Releasing Kitten, you walk over to the brilliantly glowing bat.  She stands silent, lights glowing blue. \>"...something wrong?" \>"i hurt you | i hurt you and let myself get possessed | im pathetic" \>"No you aren't." \>"the doctor is a genius | regina is strong | kitten is bighearted | you are crafty | im nothing | im just ellie" \>You throw an arm around Ellie and pull her close. \>"It's okay.  You've had a rough day.  There's no shame in being captured by Gossamer.  The fact that you're still standing now shows what makes you great: your determination.  Ellie, think about it.  You survived not only cancer, but a surgery that Lucille thought was lethal.  You fought a 20 year coma and came out the winner.  You're just as special as any of us." \>Her lights slowly change color from blue to green. \>"thank you anon" \>After Ellie seems to calm down, you turn back to Lucille. \>"So, what do we need now?" \>"Hmm.  Well, I believe I know where to find what we need... but..." \>She yawns and slowly collapses onto her stomach. \>"....I'm exhaussssted.  Can we take a sssshort rest?" \>You smile, feeling a bit tired yourself. \>"Sure." \>You and the patients sit down around the tired doctor, and she yawns again.  A thought comes to mind... \>"Lucille, I was wondering... how are we going to stay in touch after all this is over?  I really mean it when I say I want to stay friends with you. Hell, I wouldn't mind working with you sometime." \>She smiles a little bashfully, her chin pressed to the floor. \>"Actually... I wanted to asssk you something.  Would you... would you mind me tagging along when you take Kitten and the otherssss to your world...?" \>You smile at the drowsy snake. \>"Yeah, of course you can come along.  We're friends, aren't we?" \>"...friendssss?  You're too nice to thissss old doctor.  Thank you, Anon.  I jusssst... I don't know.  I feel like sssseeing the sights your world has to offer may do me some good." \>"You're absolutely welcome to come along.  Ellie?  Regina?  What about you two?" \>"i wanna follow too | if only for a little while" \>"...I... want to come along as well.  I want to be with my friend, Ellie." \>The dragon throws an arm around the bat, and the latter returns the favor. \>"That's good.  I'm glad you too made friends." \>"she understands me | my parents disowned me too" \>"Indeed, we've found common ground." \>"THAT'S GREAT!" \>Kitten purrs loudly, looking across the motley mob of misfits you've collected with a digital smile. \>"CAN I SAY? I LOVE ALL OF YOU. YOU'RE LIKE A FAMILY TO ME.  EXCEPT YOU, ANON.  YOU'RE MORE THAN THAT.  THANK YOU SO MUCH.  FOR HELPING ME... FOR HELPING EVERYONE." \>The other two patients nod and express similar sentiments... and Lucille sniffles quietly, happy tears in her eyes. \>"T-to think... a human performed thesssse acts of kindness, just out of the good of his heart.  Anon, thank you.  For sssshowing me... there's still good people out there in the world." \>She yawns loudly and closes her eyes, prompting the others to yawn themselves. \>"think ill take a nap | what about you guys" \>"Mm, indeed... I believe I shall retire as well." \>"ME TOO.  ANON?" \>"Maybe a few minutes..." \>You all lay back and doze off in the floor of the lab... \>...you awaken, hours later, to find yourself raised off the floor.  Momentarily confused, you blink a few times, only to realize you're lying atop Lucille's tail, as are Kitten, Ellie, and Regina. \>Thinking for a moment, you gently grab Kitten's hand.  Leaning over, you kiss her on the "cheek," waking her up and bringing a pink hue to her screen. \>"=;3" \>You motion for her to follow you, then slide off Lucille's tail.  Don't want to make her uncomfortable, after all. \>Once back in the floor, you smile at Kitten, then throw an arm around her.  You hug her close, feeling her smooth fur and the wires running across her body under your fingers. \>She purrs quietly, and seems to slowly drift off to sleep again, leaning against you.  You meet her halfway, and begin to doze off again yourself. \>Before long, the two of you are asleep in each other's arms. \>"Anon... Kitten... wake up; I need to sssshow you something." \>You wake up with Lucille looming over you, an excited grin on her face. \>"Take a look at what I've been up to!" \>She gestures over to Kitten, and you gasp. \>In place of her blocky, beige CRT is a sleeker, rounded, green monitor not unlike the Mac monitor you showed Lucille before. \>Onscreen is a paint program displaying a cutesy black cat's face, complete with requisite =3 smile.. She has green eyes. \>A familiar, but less monotone voice speaks up. \>"HOW DO I LOOK?" \>Kitten's eyes dart back and forth, and she winks, sticking out her tongue playfully. \>"Wow, y-you look great." \>A blush appears on her cheeks as Lucille laughs heartily. \>"Turnssss out?  Changing her monitor wassss much easier than expected.  I hope you two like it...?" \>"I DO, THANK YOU, DOCTOR!" \>A faint blush creeps to Lucille's face. \>"Think nothing of it, Kitten, ssssweetie." \>"Kitten, you've always looked cute to me, but I really love your new look.  More importantly, YOU love it, and I want you to be happy above all else.  Lucille? Thank you." \>The doctor nods as Kitten hugs you tightly, her purring sounding a bit more natural now. \>"THANK YOU." \>"I'm glad it went sssso smoothly.  Sssshe didn't even wake up while I performed the swap, eheh.  Incidentally... I did ssssome more work as well.  I've been looking at Gossssamer's power core... and I think it'ssss ready for installation.  Now, thissss procedure won't be too intrusive... but I fear it will be painful.  Issss that okay, Kitten?  If you don't want to ssssuffer the pain, I understand. But know that allowing me to do it will grant you vasssstly better battery life, faster charging, and perhaps some improvement in how well your life support system can maintain a steady heart rate." \>Kitten gets a thoughtful look, then nods. \>"I'LL DO IT. THE BENEFITS ARE WORTH A LITTLE PAIN." \>Lucille nods and turns to you. \>"Anon, I assssure you she'll be fine.  It will definitely ssssting.  But sssshe will come out of this stronger, better." \>"...I understand.  What do I need to do?" \>"Hm.  Ssssee if you can find me something to patch Ellie's coolant leaks, and something to aid Regina's issues.  I ssssuspect her episodes stem from lack of proper maintenance on her support system.  If you can find me ssssomething to lubricate her fluid pumps, I believe that may quell some of her pain. Even ssssimple machine oil would suffice." \>"Sounds good." \>"Take the otherssss with you." \>You nod and beckon for Regina and Ellie.  Kitten hugs you one last time. \>"I'M GONNA BE OKAY; I LOVE YOU." \>"Love you too." \>Lucille gently leads Kitten into a nearby room, waving for you to head off, and so you do. \>A thought hits you, and you double back to Lucille. \>"Immediately, I know two things that would work fine, and I'll bet the maintenance department has them." \>"Excellent.  I would greatly appreciate it if you collected thosssse for me." \>"I will... but I want to ask you something first.  Is Kitten going to be awake for her surgery?" \>The doctor sighs. \>"...yessss.  Unfortunately, that'ssss the case." \>"Then I want to be there with her." \>Lucille stares at you, face unreadable, then suddenly hugs you tightly. \>"Come along, then.  I'm ssssure she'll appreciate the company." \>You follow the snake into her makeshift operating room.  Kitten sits in a large chair, looking around the room with a concerned smile. \>"OH, HI ANON!" \>"Hi, Kitten.  I'm gonna be here for you during the surgery." \>Her screen displays a huge heart for a moment as you approach her.  You take a seat and grab her hand. \>Lucille pulls on some gloves and nods briskly, her voice adopting a more serious, businesslike tone. \>"Are you ready, Kitten?" \>The cat audibly gulps, then nods. \>Lucille sighs and closes her eyes, taking a deep breath.  She exhales, then slithers up alongside Kitten. \>With great care, the doctor prepares a rather jagged-looking device.  She takes a shuddering breath, then, without warning, plunges it into Kitten's chest, just alongside her heart monitor. \>A horrible digitized scream rings in your head as she squeezes your hand painfully, claws nearly drawing blood.  Kitten shakes like a leaf, heart rate picking up a bit. \>Lucille, tears in her eyes, pushes the device in further, eventually stopping when, you presume with a shudder, it simply won't go any farther. \>Kitten sobs with agony, trembling violently and clinging onto your hand desperately.  Lucille also breaks into sobs, though she finds the clarity to hook some wires to this new device. \>Eventually, she slithers back, nodding.  Choked of words, she simply sniffles and leaves the room. \>A meter on the new device shows a full battery.  Kitten's heart monitor shows her pulse gently coast to a healthy rate. \>She continues to shake, gently touching her new hardware with her free hand.  She winces every time. \>You gently cuddle her close, feeling her tremble in pain.  She again touches her new augment, and again lets out a yelp.  Carefully, you grasp her free hand so she can't touch the battery anymore. \>She lets out a sniffling sort of sound and turns her screen to you, tears running down her "face." \>"I-IT HURTS..." \>You plant a kiss on her glassy cheek, and smile sympathetically. \>"I know, I know.  But, it's supposed to help." \>"...I... I DO FEEL... BETTER?  BUT IT HURTS SO MUCH..." \>"Want me to ask the doctor about it?" \>Kitten nods, and you slowly release her, heading out of the room.  You quickly find Lucille in a sobbing heap, pounding a fist on the floor. \>"Uh...." \>"....w-why... why doessss the solution have to hurt her so badly?  Am I curssssed?  Am I only able to causssse misery...?" \>... \>"Lucille, Kitten said she feels better, but the battery hurts.  How long do you think that will last?" \>She doesn't look up before responding. \>"...ssss... could be hours, could be days, what do I know...?" \>"Lucille..." \>"...I anticipate her pain to sssstop in around an hour or two.  About 60 to 120 minutessss more agony than that woman deserves." \>She sighs deeply and raises up, staring at her reflection in a nearby broken window. \>"...what'ssss wrong with me, Anon?  Why do I causssse suffering with every move I make?  Why... why... why can't they jusssst have normal, happy lives?  Maybe... maybe they'd have been better off if thissss old snake left them alone to begin with." \>You gently place a hand on Lucille's shoulder.  She tenses up at your touch, but otherwise shows no reaction. \>"...sssstupid.  How could one woman be sssso STUPID?" \>She bangs her head against the wall with a painful hiss. \>"Lucille, stop it.  You're not stupid.  If anything, you're a miracle worker.  Look at these women.  Tell me what you see." \>"...four livessss ruined by an incompetent quack?" \>"No.  I see four hopeless cases solved, four terminal conditions reversed, four lives saved.  All by your hand, all thanks to your brilliance.  Sure, their lives aren't as easy as they were once, but do you know what?  Now, they can have a shot at a happy life.  Because, rather than throw up your hands and give up, you rescued them." \>"I damned them to livessss of pain." \>"No, no.  This is all because of the old tech here, I'm sure of it.  All you need is better equipment, and I'm sure you can work more miracles, maybe even right old wrongs.  Lucille, don't doubt yourself or your work.  Though it may not be comfortable, I don't think any of your patients would say your intervention wasn't worth it." \>She stares at the wall in silence, then slowly turns to you, tears running down from behind her askew glasses. \>"...thank you, Anon.  Do you really think... they believe it'ssss all worth it?" \>"I'm certain of it." \>She lunges forward, bringing you into a tight hug. \>"You... are ssssimply too nice to me.  Truly, you've sssshown me more kindness in these few hours than any other human I've ever met." \>She sighs and rests her cheek against yours. \>"I think... I think I... l-love... you." \>A shiver runs down your spine as Lucille gently kisses your cheek, her forked tongue tickling your skin. \>"Lucille, think about this for a moment.  You've just gotten home from three decades in purgatory.  You're tired, hungry, and weak from the Keyhole device. You've talked about your grief, your fears, and you've had to put someone you love through pain. It's been an emotionally draining day.  I'm the first human you've seen, and the mere act of showing you any kindness has you... overreacting." \>She pulls back a little and stares at you, a small frown on her face. \>"Wh-what?" \>"You don't love me, not like that.  You've been through a lot, and your emotions are just running wild on you.  Take a deep breath, think it through." \>She follows your orders, then sighs, a faint smile appearing. \>"I... ssssuppose you're right.  I wassss hasty.  Ssssorry.  Eheh, it wassss foolish to believe you might love me back, anyway, even if I DID really feel that way." \>"Don't misunderstand me: I DO love you, but as a part of this strange extended family we've formed here.  Romantically... I only have eyes for Kitten." \>Her smile widens as tears well up in her eyes again. \>"You... conssssider us a family?  I haven't had a family in... f-forty yearssss.  Anon.  You treat my SSSSONIA well, alright?  I can tell the two of you sssshare a bond... and I'll do all I can to support it.  Sssso maybe I DO love you... but as a sort of, ah, son in law, perhaps. Eheh." \>A faint blush comes to her cheeks. \>"....s-ssssorry about, ah, th-that." \>"It's fine, really." \>"I'm just glad everything seems to be working out.  Who knows, maybe you'll find someone special someday?  A woman as loving and caring as you ought to have no trouble." \>She blushes again and laughs off your speech. \>"Eheheh... ah, perhapssss we should check on Kitten." \>The two of you head into the makeshift operating room, where Kitten sits, still trembling.  Lucille gently wraps around her. \>"Doessss it still hurt, sweetie?" \>The cat nods, and the doctor puts a hand to her chin. \>"Ssssorry.  It sssshould stop soon. Until then, we're here for you." \>You walk up and sit as close to the coiled Kitten as possible, gently rubbing her ears.  They twitch fitfully, and a quiet, hesitant purr escapes her speakers.  She reaches a hand out to you, and you take it, gently lacing your fingers with hers. \>Lucille gently rests her head atop Kitten's, then sighs.  She closes her eyes, then quietly hums a soothing tune, a nostalgic smile on her face. \>The two of you keep this up for an hour, after which Lucille gently leans down. \>"Feeling better, ssssweetie?" \>Kitten looses a broad grin. \>"IT DOESN'T HURT ANYMORE!" \>"R-really?" \>"REALLY, DOCTOR!  THANK YOU!" \>Lucille smiles triumphantly, then quietly, sheepishly adds: \>"err.. c-call me mother, ssssweetie." \>Kitten tilts her head in confusion, but nods. \>"OKAY, UH, MOTHER." \>There's a squeal of happiness as the snake embraces Kitten happily. \>Eventually, Lucille releases her patient, then sighs happily. \>"...ssssay... where did the others go?" \>As if on cue, Regina and Ellie step into the room.  The dragon wears a solemn expression, and Ellie a skull and crossbones. \>"Guys?  What's wrong?" \>Regina sighs. \>"Anon.  Do you recall how Lucille asked you to collect some things...? Well, you are too late." \>A smiling face slowly appears above Ellie's shoulders. \>"we already found them" \>...it's still concerning how insistent Lucille is on using her patients as surrogate children.  You make a mental note to get her in therapy once this is all over. \>For now, though, there are other things to think about. \>"That's great, you two!" \>"I daresay we make an excellent team." \>"agreed" \>The duo present a roll of duct tape and a can of WD-40.  Lucille examines their findings with a squint. \>"Hmmm.  I can make thissss work.  Sssshouldn't take me long." \>"While you do that, I'll stay here with Kitten." \>"Ssssay no more, I wouldn't have it any other way, eheh." \>Lucille and the others leave you alone with Kitten.  Your partner smiles and hugs you tightly, purring. \>"ANON, THANK YOU SO MUCH.  FOR EVERYTHING.  I LOVE YOU, I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT." \>"And I hope you know I love you back." \>She purrs louder, practically squeezing you at this point. \>"I'M SO HAPPY I MET YOU.  WITHOUT YOU, I WOULD HAVE NEVER MET REGINA, NOR ELLIE.  I WOULD NEVER HAVE SEEN THE DOCTOR AGAIN.  I WOULD HAVE STAYED HERE UNTIL I DIED ALONE... BUT NOW?  I HAVE YOU, ANON." \>She "kisses" you, bumping her screen against your cheek, and you return the favor.  She then launches into repeated smooches, each one accompanied with another I LOVE YOU.  She only stops when Lucille pokes her head back into the room. \>"Ssssorry to interrupt, but... Regina and Ellie's repairs are done.  Do you two want to come ssssee?" \>The two of you nod and follow her... \>Regina immediately seems more lively and healthy, the fluids in her many tubes now flowing easily twice the speed they were before. She lets off a hearty chuckle. \>"That's MUCH better." \>Ellie lacks the dripping blue coolant now; her lights seem to glow more steadily and bright than before.  A smiling bat face appears over her shoulders. \>"i didnt really feel bad | but its nice not to be bleeding coolant" \>The two look at Kitten's new battery with intrigue. \>"Does it help?" \>"FEELS LIKE IT SO FAR!" \>"can you feel how charged it is" \>"MMM, 98%?" \>A quick glance at her meter confirms her guess as accurate.  She grins happily. \>"THIS IS GREAT.  DOC- MOTHER, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THIS." \>Lucille smiles, once again getting misty eyed. \>"I'm jusssst happy to help you all.  I'm sssso happy you all feel better.  That'ssss all I wanted.  I jusssst want you, my patients, my... family... to be happy." \>Using her tail, Lucille sweeps everyone into another group hug, including you. \>"I love all of you, really and truly." \>The patients mutter similar sentiments, and you noncommitally nod, thinking again about a good therapist for a 15-foot snake woman. \>Lucille sighs happily. \>"Well then.  I ssssuppose that's it.  I believe we are clear to leave, everyone." \>"Are there any more patients?  Anything we need to grab?" \>"No, we are sssset to go, Anon!  Missssion accomplished." \>"Alright... one more problem though... how are we all going to fit in my car?" \>The doctor snickers. \>"We aren't.  We're taking MY car." \>...after an uneventful trek to the exit of the facility, you find yourself seated in the massive backseat of Lucille's extremely long car.  It's practically a stretch limo. \>Regina and Ellie amicably chat away, making plans.  They look out the windows at the scenery going by, casually grabbing one another's hand. \>Lucille drives, humming along to the radio and beaming at her passengers through the rearview mirror. \>And Kitten.  She sits right next to you, nearly in your lap, one arm wrapped around you.  She rests her head against yours, purring right in your ear. \>Her fur brushes against your arm, and the warmth of her monitor lulls you into blissful comfort. \>Her cat face is replaced with a massive heart symbol as you plant a kiss on her screen, and she swoons slightly, her heart rate blipping up just a little. \>She sighs happily and begins gently rubbing her head against you.  It's an odd feeling... \>...but you could get used to it. Source: https://sofurry.com/s/V1YZZqye Part of the series Completed CYOAs Previous: https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1436857-tricky-business.md Next: https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1465668-after-midnight.md