Two if by Sea (20/32)
So this chapter is definitely different. I hope it doesn't give anyone metaphorical whiplash. (I'm rather fond of it, despite its being so unusual.)
Previous chapters, general information/warnings/ratings/etc. found here, on the master index.
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Day One:
Subject appears human. Displays unusual pigmentation in eyes and hair. Significant to half-blood physiology? Fully developed lungs suggests capability to breathe air without limitations, though presence of gills brings up the issue of redundancy. Appears to possess considerable physical strength: destroyed two previous experimental subjects (23 and 14) during capture. No great loss.
Day Three:
Subject has significant tolerance of chemical sedatives. Capacity to heal may be related. Subject's gills continue to function properly while unconscious. Will wake soon. Have prepared a battery of tests in anticipation.
Day Seven:
Subject's pain threshold is disappointingly low. Healing capacity is still promising. Have turned to alternate oxygenation methods. Half-blood physiology is strange, but may yet be useful.
Day Nine:
Current subject has aversion to seeing subject 38's physical form. Relationship to brother significant? More tests needed to determine.
Day Ten:
Subject talks too much. Accordingly, have suppressed speech center of his brain. An easy matter.
Day Thirteen:
Despite oxygenation, subject's health continues to degrade. Must make alternate plans; subject is proving most enlightening. Subject may indeed be the key to our research. Must consult the book for further edification.
Day Fourteen:
Have not yet determined the limits of subject's ability to heal. Shall reach a conclusion soon. Subject most unsatisfying when unable to answer questions. Have restored ability to speak. Subject seems subdued. Perhaps an effective punishment?
Day Fifteen:
Ignored subject while tending to various other experiments. Amusing, how it is convinced that it is the center of attention. Despite the negative attentions paid it, its desire for contact overrides basic self-preservation. Reconsidering its integration, despite the obvious benefits its flesh could provide. More tests needed. Book is inconclusive at best. Other book is needed to complete the research. A small stumbling block, easily overcome.
Day Nineteen:
Subject has developed relationship with other subject (35.) Strange-subject 38 also bonded with 35. Considered implications: bond as tool to shape future events? Emotions associated with bond disgustingly predictable.
Day Twenty Three:
Abilities of subject determined and catalogued. Adequate and suitable for use. While subject cannot go indefinitely in aquatic or amphibious form (Appendix C for further dialogue) it can live on land with no adverse effects. However, after some consideration, will be scrapping its memories after transfer and integration is complete. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but it's not much of a mind.
Day Twenty Five:
Deliberately let subject 35 overhear plans for subject. Expecting break-out to be staged soon; thus, am assured that subject will return at a later date, when side-experiments are complete. May even retrieve second book by then, though second guest has yet to arrive. Patience is a virtue.
Day Twenty Six:
Post-escape suggestions planted in subject's subconscious. Manipulating its feelings of loyalty and duty should produce satisfactory results.
Day Twenty Seven:
Break-out completed, as expected. Subject is gone.
I will prepare a warm welcome for his return.
=======
So...lab/research notes are a lot harder to fabricate than I'd anticipated. I strove for a certain level of objectivity, both because that's something I remember having to do with lab reports and abstracts and things, and also because that's my impression of how Ukoku operates. (And yet, there are little snarky comments that get in there.) I hope I was able to balance it well enough so that you could tell it wasn't being written by a soulless robot.
Speaking of balance, I tried not bombard you, the reader, with too much information. I'm not sure whether I succeeded. Also, I made the weensiest nod to Dokugakuji's friendship with Kougaiji, probably so weensy that you could miss it if you blinked. Yes, the unfortunate subject #35 is Kou. He seemed like a good fit as another person subject to Ukoku's will.
I can only guess that this chapter has brought up more questions than it has answered. To which I say: all will be revealed! (No, but really. I enjoyed the obfuscation.) I don't know if I'm pushing too hard to make there be multiple layers/possibilities, but it seems to be one of those things that I can't stop doing because it makes me think. I try not to leave too many loose ends, because I know I'll have to tie them up in some fashion at some point in time. Was it Hemmingway who said something to the effect of "if there's a gun [in a story] the reader knows that the gun's going to get used." In other words, I try not to make throwaway elements in a story, because I personally find it dissatisfying when there are all sorts of bits and pieces that I'm left wondering about at the end. (It feels oh, I don't know...discourteous.)
Anyway, I'm off to bed, now that this is up!
~later
Previous chapters, general information/warnings/ratings/etc. found here, on the master index.
=======
Day One:
Subject appears human. Displays unusual pigmentation in eyes and hair. Significant to half-blood physiology? Fully developed lungs suggests capability to breathe air without limitations, though presence of gills brings up the issue of redundancy. Appears to possess considerable physical strength: destroyed two previous experimental subjects (23 and 14) during capture. No great loss.
Day Three:
Subject has significant tolerance of chemical sedatives. Capacity to heal may be related. Subject's gills continue to function properly while unconscious. Will wake soon. Have prepared a battery of tests in anticipation.
Day Seven:
Subject's pain threshold is disappointingly low. Healing capacity is still promising. Have turned to alternate oxygenation methods. Half-blood physiology is strange, but may yet be useful.
Day Nine:
Current subject has aversion to seeing subject 38's physical form. Relationship to brother significant? More tests needed to determine.
Day Ten:
Subject talks too much. Accordingly, have suppressed speech center of his brain. An easy matter.
Day Thirteen:
Despite oxygenation, subject's health continues to degrade. Must make alternate plans; subject is proving most enlightening. Subject may indeed be the key to our research. Must consult the book for further edification.
Day Fourteen:
Have not yet determined the limits of subject's ability to heal. Shall reach a conclusion soon. Subject most unsatisfying when unable to answer questions. Have restored ability to speak. Subject seems subdued. Perhaps an effective punishment?
Day Fifteen:
Ignored subject while tending to various other experiments. Amusing, how it is convinced that it is the center of attention. Despite the negative attentions paid it, its desire for contact overrides basic self-preservation. Reconsidering its integration, despite the obvious benefits its flesh could provide. More tests needed. Book is inconclusive at best. Other book is needed to complete the research. A small stumbling block, easily overcome.
Day Nineteen:
Subject has developed relationship with other subject (35.) Strange-subject 38 also bonded with 35. Considered implications: bond as tool to shape future events? Emotions associated with bond disgustingly predictable.
Day Twenty Three:
Abilities of subject determined and catalogued. Adequate and suitable for use. While subject cannot go indefinitely in aquatic or amphibious form (Appendix C for further dialogue) it can live on land with no adverse effects. However, after some consideration, will be scrapping its memories after transfer and integration is complete. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but it's not much of a mind.
Day Twenty Five:
Deliberately let subject 35 overhear plans for subject. Expecting break-out to be staged soon; thus, am assured that subject will return at a later date, when side-experiments are complete. May even retrieve second book by then, though second guest has yet to arrive. Patience is a virtue.
Day Twenty Six:
Post-escape suggestions planted in subject's subconscious. Manipulating its feelings of loyalty and duty should produce satisfactory results.
Day Twenty Seven:
Break-out completed, as expected. Subject is gone.
I will prepare a warm welcome for his return.
=======
So...lab/research notes are a lot harder to fabricate than I'd anticipated. I strove for a certain level of objectivity, both because that's something I remember having to do with lab reports and abstracts and things, and also because that's my impression of how Ukoku operates. (And yet, there are little snarky comments that get in there.) I hope I was able to balance it well enough so that you could tell it wasn't being written by a soulless robot.
Speaking of balance, I tried not bombard you, the reader, with too much information. I'm not sure whether I succeeded. Also, I made the weensiest nod to Dokugakuji's friendship with Kougaiji, probably so weensy that you could miss it if you blinked. Yes, the unfortunate subject #35 is Kou. He seemed like a good fit as another person subject to Ukoku's will.
I can only guess that this chapter has brought up more questions than it has answered. To which I say: all will be revealed! (No, but really. I enjoyed the obfuscation.) I don't know if I'm pushing too hard to make there be multiple layers/possibilities, but it seems to be one of those things that I can't stop doing because it makes me think. I try not to leave too many loose ends, because I know I'll have to tie them up in some fashion at some point in time. Was it Hemmingway who said something to the effect of "if there's a gun [in a story] the reader knows that the gun's going to get used." In other words, I try not to make throwaway elements in a story, because I personally find it dissatisfying when there are all sorts of bits and pieces that I'm left wondering about at the end. (It feels oh, I don't know...discourteous.)
Anyway, I'm off to bed, now that this is up!
~later