2nd Floor Common Room - noon
After the debacle of Wilderness Survival, Parker headed back to the dorms, considering hiding staying in her suite until the meeting in Rory's room. On her way past the second floor common room, though, she stopped, arrested by what she saw.
Angela, Zero, and Z were all seated at a long table behind a pane of ceiling-to-floor glass. Electrodes were attached to their temples and wrists, and under their shirts. Centre scientists were showing them flashcards, asking them to predict the answers.
"A star." Zero got it wrong, and grinned, then waved at Parker.
"God, don't you know you're not supposed to be here?" Parker asked, her fist clenching.
"No, she doesn't belong here." Sydney's quiet voice beside her startled her into turning toward him. He looked the same as ever, but his outline wavered very slightly, as if under water. "Fortunately for her."
"Make them stop."
Sad eyes studied her, and Sydney slowly shook his head. "It's already in motion, Miss Parker. You can only survive the hurricaine. You can not stop it."
After a few minutes, Zero was led out of the room by a Sweeper, who thanked her for her participation and said they'd give her the mallet back after she was off Centre property. She waved to Parker again, giving her a puzzled glance as Parker stared after her.
Meanwhile, the testing continued.
"A cross," Z guessed tentatively. The card, when revealed by the man in the white coat, turned out to be a circle. "Darn."
"No, that's good."
"Three wavy lines," Angela said, concentrating. The scientist smiled at her, showing her the card. Then he beckoned to a Sweeper, who took Angela by the arm, pulling her to her feet. "Where are you taking me?"
"No! Let her go!" Parker crossed the room to pound on the glass. The people inside ignored her, except for Z, who frowned, and took the electrodes off her temples, looking from Angela, being led out of the room protesting, to Parker. Then one of the technicians pressed a hypodermic to Z's neck, and she struggled only a moment before collapsing.
Parker spread her fingers on the glass, feeling sick, keeping her voice to a whisper. "I never wrote that down. I never told anyone. How did they find out about Angela?"
"The Centre is everywhere, Parker. You know that," Sydney chided her.
"They're not here. They're not. I'd know if this was happening, so this isn't real. They'd warn me...." The glass disappeared from under her fingers, and Parker stared around the common room. Then she sat down on the floor, her head in her hands A small kitten wandered in, then another. She didn't move as they started mewing and butting against her.
[ooc: come on in and talk to a dazed, barefoot Parker She's gone now, but the CR is here for all your common room needs]
Angela, Zero, and Z were all seated at a long table behind a pane of ceiling-to-floor glass. Electrodes were attached to their temples and wrists, and under their shirts. Centre scientists were showing them flashcards, asking them to predict the answers.
"A star." Zero got it wrong, and grinned, then waved at Parker.
"God, don't you know you're not supposed to be here?" Parker asked, her fist clenching.
"No, she doesn't belong here." Sydney's quiet voice beside her startled her into turning toward him. He looked the same as ever, but his outline wavered very slightly, as if under water. "Fortunately for her."
"Make them stop."
Sad eyes studied her, and Sydney slowly shook his head. "It's already in motion, Miss Parker. You can only survive the hurricaine. You can not stop it."
After a few minutes, Zero was led out of the room by a Sweeper, who thanked her for her participation and said they'd give her the mallet back after she was off Centre property. She waved to Parker again, giving her a puzzled glance as Parker stared after her.
Meanwhile, the testing continued.
"A cross," Z guessed tentatively. The card, when revealed by the man in the white coat, turned out to be a circle. "Darn."
"No, that's good."
"Three wavy lines," Angela said, concentrating. The scientist smiled at her, showing her the card. Then he beckoned to a Sweeper, who took Angela by the arm, pulling her to her feet. "Where are you taking me?"
"No! Let her go!" Parker crossed the room to pound on the glass. The people inside ignored her, except for Z, who frowned, and took the electrodes off her temples, looking from Angela, being led out of the room protesting, to Parker. Then one of the technicians pressed a hypodermic to Z's neck, and she struggled only a moment before collapsing.
Parker spread her fingers on the glass, feeling sick, keeping her voice to a whisper. "I never wrote that down. I never told anyone. How did they find out about Angela?"
"The Centre is everywhere, Parker. You know that," Sydney chided her.
"They're not here. They're not. I'd know if this was happening, so this isn't real. They'd warn me...." The glass disappeared from under her fingers, and Parker stared around the common room. Then she sat down on the floor, her head in her hands A small kitten wandered in, then another. She didn't move as they started mewing and butting against her.
[ooc: come on in and talk to a dazed, barefoot Parker She's gone now, but the CR is here for all your common room needs]