Title: Subject

[swirlsofpurple]

 

Cilla’s careful to mould her body language and facial expressions precisely. She’s been working towards this for a long time. After an interminable amount of measured words and exact movements, her interviewer cracks a slight smile.

“Welcome to the team.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll show you the sub-levels.”

She nods, nervous: though she’s worked in the building for years, her previous position didn’t allow her below the ground floor.

She’s lead to a control room in sub-level C. It has a wall filled with screens, each showing a different cell. Each contains a person sitting still, staring blankly.

“These show the subjects currently performing within desired parameters.”

Cilla knew what was here, but actually seeing people treated as lab-rats is still too much. She feels sick. She wants to howl, with rage and pain and anguish, instead she stays stoic. She knows it’s a test.

“What’s the purpose of the experiments?” Cilla asks.

“Don’t ask such questions. It’s not for you to know.”  

*

She does her job, does what’s expected, and nothing else. Even as the place eats at her, itches beneath her skin, she’s come too close to be hasty now and ruin everything.

She keeps her eyes open, but never spots what she’s looking for.

Until one day she’s shown sub-level D. Another control room, another bank of cells. These people aren’t sitting quietly. There’s trembling and muttering, rocking and screaming, keening and frenetic scratching.

“These are the touchier subjects.”

Cilla opens her mouth to comment and then she sees her: far too thin, far too pale, flinching and whimpering.

This distorted creature looks nothing like Nicole, but Cilla has no doubt it’s her.

Her breaths are sharp and painful; she digs her fingers into her arm to keep from outward panic- not entirely successfully. Her boss gives her a displeased frown.  

She scrambles for cover, forcing the words out, “They’re disgusting, why not just kill them?”

Her boss sneers but seems pleased enough with her response.

*

Knowing where Nicole is makes her bolder: she tells herself because she has a good starting point. But really she can’t stand leaving her there a second longer.

That night she goes through the records: searching blue-prints, alarm systems, escape routes, forming a plan.

*

Tears sting Cilla's eyes as Nicole backs away from her.

“It’s me,” she says, making what she hopes are comforting shushing sounds.

Cilla manages to cajole Nicole out of the room, but she worries it’s more out of fear than wanting to come.

“It’s going to be okay now,” she whispers, “We just need to pretend for a little bit.”

She straightens, putting on the mask of the stoic lab worker, Nicole shrinks further. But Cilla knows she can’t break character if she’s going to get them out. She hopes she’s not doing too much damage. It’s going to be okay. It has to be.

“Transfer,” Cilla tells the guards at the door. She shows them the papers, hoping the forgery is good enough to fool their fancy detection kits.

They nod for her to pass. She keeps her face still against her relief.

*

Subject 319 has left the facility and remains unaware of the ongoing experiment.

Tracking and observation of subject 319 in progress.  

Phase two of experiment on subject 319 [designation Cilla] may now begin.  

Comments

[eeyore_grrl]

Nice switcharoo there. It follows the rest of the set up and what we know of the company. Well done.

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you :)

[adoptedwriter]

I like the present tense in this. I was hooked in right away.

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you :)

[bleodswean]

EEEEEEEE!!!! Perfect twisty-ness! I love the economy of your words and the wealth of impact you make!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, so glad you liked the twisty-ness :).

[gunwithoutmusic]

Oh, keep this up, please - I love how your mind works and the stories that come out. This world you're building is just so interesting to me and I can't wait to read more :D

[swirlsofpurple]

That's such a lovely comment, thank you :)

[alycewilson]

Whoa! I didn't see that twist coming. It will be interesting to see where this leads.

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you :)

[halfshellvenus]

Ooh, ominous ending--and such a good twist!

How horrifying that whoever is running those experiments may have tortured Nicole solely as bait to trap Cilla. Or that the Cilla experiment may be based on how she copes with whoever Nicole has now become. :O

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, glad you liked the twist :)

[flipflop_diva]

EEEEEEEEEEP!!!!! I did not see that coming omg!

I love the setup and how we get all invested and wonder what is happening — and then, ahhhh, twist!

I really, really want to know more!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, so glad it made you want to know more :)

[murielle]

Wow! Oh Wow! Poor Cilla! Poor Nicole!

Very well done, and wonderful take on the prompt!

[swirlsofpurple]

Thank you, glad you liked my take :)