(text-style:'strike')[<h1>Redacted</h1>]
By Florencia Rumpel Rodriguez
[[Enter the chamber->start]]
Music by Xenojam
TW: abuse, blood, body horror███ days and ██ hours have passed since you've been taken here.
The smell of the room makes your nostrils itch whenever you breathe in. (click-replace:"makes your nostrils itch whenever you breathe in")[only changes when she visits]
(live: 4s)[[[You can tell she's coming->first-visit]] soon.(stop:)]*Good evening, hope you're doing well.* She says. You strain your eyes to see her. Have you met her anywhere else, you would have thought of her as nice.
{
(click-append: "You strain your eyes to see her")[. It's hard to distinguish the white of her clothes from the rest of the room]
}
You can feel the sting of the probe on your side.
*It's time for the test. Please, [[sort these colored cards->first-sorting]].*(set: $color_count to 0)\
(for: each _item, ...(shuffled: ...$colors)) [_item (click: _item)[(set: $color_count to it + 1)]
]\
{
(live: 1s)[
(if: $color_count is 8)[
Once you're done sorting the colors, she tells you to [[rest->first-meeting]].
]
]
}The office is cold and smells of dirty air conditioner filters. You sit on the hall chairs while you wait for them to call you. Your head is looking downwards, because that way it's easier to ignore all the people coming through. You're not suppossed to talk to each other. It's forbidden.
(live: 4s)[They call your name.
[[→ *Coming!*->Coming]]
(stop:)]The room is damp and dark. The flickering lights allow you to see your superior sitting behind her desk. There's an empty chair for you, but it feels wiser to remain where you are now.
(live: 3s)[**Good evening. I will be taking your reports from now on.**
(live: 5s)[**Tell me, what's your status?**
(live: 7s)[(link: "→ *May I report to someone else?*")[*May I report to someone else?*
**Why?**
(link: "→ *Am I allowed to be frank?*")[*Am I allowed to be frank?*
**I was chosen because our existing bonds would encourage total frankness with each other and this level of sincerity is essential for the project to succeed.**
(link: "→ *Mother, I would rather report to someone else*")[*Mother, I would rather report to someone else. Could you arrange this?*
[[→ *Please*->please]]
]]](stop:)](stop:)](stop:)]███ days and ██ hours have passed since you've been taken here.
The room smells of of disinfectant with a hint of blood. (click-append: "blood")[. Your own]
You ripped the probe out yesterday. It hurt.
That scared her. You wonder if she will be coming today.
(live: 4s)[You think you can [[smell her->second-sort]] now.(stop:)]*It's time for the test. Please, just sort these colors as usual.* Says the woman in white.
(set: $color_count to 0)\
(for: each _item, ...(shuffled: ...$colors)) [_item (click: _item)[(set: $color_count to it + 1)]
]\
{
(live: 1s)[
(if: $color_count is 8)[
Once you're done sorting the colors, she hurriedly picks the cards up and tells you to [[rest->second-meeting]].
]
]
}
The toilet seat is damp and your stuff barely fits in the cubicle, but this might be the only place where you can be by yourself right now.
(live: 2s)[You hear footsteps.
(live: 4s)[Someone's in the bathroom.
(live: 5s)[**You're late for your report.**
(live: 6s)[Shit.
(live: 8s)[You've been here for the last hour.
[[→ *Sorry*->sorry]]
(link: "→ *May I have some privacy?*")[(replace: "→ *May I have some privacy?*")[]]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]███ days and ██ hours have passed since you've been taken here.
The room smells of disinfectant trying to mask the cloying odour coming from your side.
The probe has been back in for a while, but the flesh around it has been oozing ever since. It itches.(click-replace: "It itches")[You scratch it](click-replace: "You scratch it")[It never fully heals]
(live: 4s)[You can feel the tension building up in the room. You should be able to [[smell her->third-sort]] soon.(stop:)]*Good evening* She says. She is staring at the probe, but caughts herself looking and averts her gaze.
*It's time for the test. Please, try to sort these colors if you're able.* Says the woman in white.
Your side is burning.
(set: $color_count to 0)\
(for: each _item, ...(shuffled: ...$colors)) [_item
]\
{
(click-replace: "blue")[(link-repeat: "the sky")[]]
(click-replace: "green")[(link-repeat: "moss")[]]
(click-replace: "red")[(link-repeat: "her blood")[]]
(click-replace: "yellow")[(link-repeat: "your blood")[]]
(click-replace: "purple") [(link-repeat: "the twilight sky")[]]
(click-replace: "brown")[(link-repeat: "rotten treetrunks")[]]
(click-replace: "grey")[(link-repeat: "her eyes")[]]
(click-replace: "black")[(link-repeat: "the darkness")[]]
}\
Once you stop poking the cards around, she picks them up and tells you to [[rest->third-meeting]].The office is dark and damp as usual. You can smell some strong disinfectant trying to cover up a cloying smell, but you don't know where it's coming from.
Your mother is sitting behind her desk and you also took a seat. The pain on your side is more bearable that way. You wanted to check a doctor about it, but you can't seem to find the proper time.
**It seems that you have requested for the specimen to receive medical attention several times this week.**
(link: "→ *And they've all been refused*")[*And they've all been refused.*
**It doesn't need medical attention.**
[[→ *Their wound is festering*->festering]]
(link: "→ *As you say*")[(replace: "→ *As you say*")[]]
]███ days and ██ hours have passed since you've been taken here.
You can feel your body melting. Your side throbs with pain.
The pain leaves no room for smell.
You can still [[feel she's coming->escape]]. You can feel her fear. She's terrified, but she's not afraid of you today.You can see her fumbling with stuff if you make an effort. You don't feel as if your body was melting anymore. *I'm getting you out.* She says.
Your probe comes off on its own.
She tells you to stand back. [[You do]].Glass shatters.
Your ears are ringing.
You decide to [[take a step forward]].She's curled up on the floor, clutching her side. You can feel her pain. (click-replace: "her pain")[your pain]
You keep walking. Slowly but surely.
(live: 3s)[*Wait!* She says.
*Please, don't leave me here!*
You [[look into her eyes]].(stop:)]*If anyone knows what it's like, it's you.*
*Please, don't leave me here with her.*
You could say she has been kind to you. Maybe you could [[take her]] with you.
She has also left you rotting for days, so maybe it's better to [[leave her]] here.You pick her up and carry her with you. One step at a time.
(live: 2s)[*Thank you.* She whispers.
There was no need. You can feel her relief.
<hr>
Florencia Rumpel Rodriguez, July 2018
(stop:)]You keep walking.
(live: 2s)[### *Please* (stop:)]
(live: 3s)[### *Don't leave me here!*(stop:)]
(live: 4s)[## *Please*(stop:)]
(live: 5s)[# *Please*(stop:)]
(live: 8s)[You can feel what she feels.
You can hear her.
Yet you keep walking.
<hr>
Florencia Rumpel Rodriguez, July 2018(stop:)]{
<script>
Music.load('audio/music.mp3');
Music.play();
</script>
(set: $color_count to 0)
(set: $colors to (a: "blue", "green", "red", "yellow", "purple", "brown", "grey", "black"))
}**Aren't you happy to be working alongside a familial face on your first week of work? Why would you want for things to be any different?**
(live: 2s)[Your throat ties into a knot and you can feel the pit in your stomach pulling you down. Will you ever be able to tell her that you'd rather be anywhere else, work anywhere else, do anything else? If so, will she ever be able to hear you?
(link: "→ *Not really*")[(replace: "→ *Not really*")[]]
[[→ *Of course, mother!*->first-meeting-agree]]
(stop:)]**We're not family here. I'm your superior, please, don't you ever forget that.**
(live: 2s)[**Give me the report.**
(live: 3s)[**Now.**
(live: 5s)[The smell of disinfectant is making your nostrils itch and your throat sore, but you do your best to giver her the report.
[[→ *Yes, ma'am*->second-visit]]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]**I don't need excuses. I need a full report.**
**What's going on here?**
(link: "→ *The specimen took the probe out yesterday*")[*The specimen took the probe out yesterday and tried to use it to smash the plexiglass.*
Your side hurts. You wonder what it might be.
**Erratic behaviour is to be expected.**
(link: "→ *This seemed to be premeditated by the specimen*")[*This seemed to be premeditated by the specimen. They were really calm throughout the incident. Also...*
*They did all of it while staring into my eyes.*
**I hope you're not planing to quit after this incident. You have two more months before you finish your rotation.**
[[→ *But I never said anything about quitting*->never]]
]]*The specimen is wounded. Their wound has been festering for weeks now.*
*I can feel the smell from my side of the plexiglass.*
*They've been failing simple cognitive tasks.*
*The specimen will die of an infection unless we do something.*
(live: 2s)[**Why do you care about it?**
(live: 3s)[**If the specimen dies, your rotation finishes sooner.**
[[→ *Mother, please, I'm begging you...*->beg]]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]**I can tell.**
If she could actually tell she would have known you never even wanted to be here in the first place.
(live: 2s)[**I need you to finish the rotation or it'll make me look bad. I can't get you another post if you botch this.**
**I will tell them to reattach the probe. We need it for the tests to work.**
[[→ *May I take the rest of the day off?*->permission]]
(stop:)]**You may, but don't turn this into a habit. I expect you to get used to this.**
(live: 2s)[**We all do.**
(live: 3s)[**Also**
(live: 4s)[**Don't make me search for you ever again.**
[[→ *Thank you*->third-visit]]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]Your mother stands and her hand reaches your neck. You get lifted from your chair. Her fingers tighten around your throat. She looks into your eyes.
(live: 1s)[**In here I'm not your mother.**
(live: 2s)[**I thought we were clear on that.**
(live: 6s)[She lets go of you and walks towards the door.
(live: 8s)[**Drop this nonsense and just finish your rotation.**
(live: 9s)[**You don't have that long left**
(live: 10s)[She leaves and closes the door behind her.
[[You're on your own->last-visit]] now. Always been.
(stop:)]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]
(stop:)]
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