vivarium | THE HEART OF THE MATTER

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THE HEART OF THE MATTER

Sometime early in the morning (or at least what feels like it, considering that there aren’t any clocks around), Calhoun will scream into a megaphone to wake everyone up. He won’t explain what’s going on, but he will say that he has a surprise for everyone. What is it? Well, they won’t know until they get up! So, everyone line up by the hallway’s door!

He’ll be calling everyone into a “☆ SECRET ROOM ☆” one by one, and spending a few minutes with them. In this room, it’ll be nothing but a table, two chairs, a metal cabinet, and a lone lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. Anyone who’s seen enough cop shows will notice that this is an interrogation room. Granted, there’s a sleeping pod in the corner of the room (rather similar to the same device that returns memories) and this room is a pretty fictional interrogation room as the real things aren't so hardboiled, but Calhoun is a fan of cop dramas and he only has so much power, so this is what he went for.

Anyway, in here, Calhoun will do one of two things:

1) Reveal an unpleasant secret about them. Of course, it might sound fictional at first, but then he’ll go into his little cabinet and pull out a folder to back up his claims. These reports don’t look fake, and well, just think of what the others might think if they heard of this. Sure, you can deny it all you want, but what about your fellow test subjects? How can they ever see you in the same light again? Even if you attempt to convince them otherwise, this will forever linger in the back of their minds. They might even start turning against you, and while Calhoun’s a pretty nice mouse, he can’t do anything to stop you silly test subjects from doing something dramatic.

2) Grant them the fragment of a memory. What a kind mouse Calhoun is being, giving you a freebie! They’ll be placed in a pod, as per the usual, and given part of a memory. The problem is this freebie cuts off at the worst possible time, and any begging, threats or inquiries into the matter are only going to be met by Calhoun’s snickers. It would be awful if something happened and you could never find out if your dear friend Timmy ever got out of that well, right? A real tragedy. Oh well, too bad for you, buddy.

Once Calhoun has called everyone one by one into this “☆ SECRET ROOM ☆” of his, he will gather all the test subjects up, stand on counter of Calhoun’s Corner and make an announcement.

“Listen up, test subjects! While yesterday’s round of Bingo was all fun and games, it’s time to spice things up around here! This is starting to get really bland, like oatmeal bland, and my Master has given me the go ahead to shake things up.”

“Some of you, I've told you a dark, spooky secret, while for the rest, I've shown you a little memory! Who got what, though, no one knows! But you know who you are and you know what you have to lose.”

“So what was the point of all this? Welllllll, like I've said, it’s so boring here, that I’m giving you the chance to redeem yourselves of this sinful dullness. How, you wonder?”

“Give me a show.”

“I think you all know me well by now, what entertains me and what I like to see. So, give me the performance of a lifetime by the end of the next AB Voting round! Of course sooner is better, because you never know if I’m gonna like these plans of yours, but go ahead, take your time! I mean it’s not like there’s much I can do, excepppppt…”

“I can just reveal those little secrets of yours to everyone! Don’t think you can just shrug it off as something I've made up too. I’ll spread out those reports and all the evidence for everyone to see, and we’ll see how long it takes for them to turn on you.”

“And those with a memory, don’t sigh in relief, because you’re not safe either! I’ll ensure that you will never get the rest of that memory I showed you. You can wonder for the rest of your lives what really happened. If you think it’ll be as simple as just asking around when you get out, think again. You’ll never know the whole truth unless you remember it yourself, since this mouse can get his paws in the outside world’s evidence.”

“What if one of you manages to entertain me? Well, not only will you get your full memory back, but everyone’s memories and secrets will be safe! They won’t be getting anything back, but maybe one day, and you’re the one who did all the work, those ungrateful cads!”

“Well, I think that’s about it. Toodles! You know where to find me if you have any questions or love letters for me.”

He winks at the crowd (looking at you, Zelos), then hops off the counter, back into the safety of his shop.

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Heiji leaned heavily against a nearby wall in what was almost a stagger. He was uncharacteristically quiet as the explanation was issued, seemingly focusing not on Calhoun, but on a random spot on the floor.

He did hear the words Calhoun was saying, but his thoughts were whirling far too quickly to really process them.

If he could trust this new memory of his, did that mean he'd killed someone...?

A while later, probably a few hours after that dramatic announcement and all the fun of that morning, Hershel went looking for Heiji. The truth was he was worried, there were quite a few people he trusted and liked in the game but Heiji was one of the highest up there. Maybe it was his attitude, maybe it was how he let Hershel pick ally that round- regardless, once he calmed down Heiji was one of the people he wanted to check in on immediately.

When he did find him he walked up slowly, still feeling pretty shaken about everything but much calmer now that he forced himself to relax and focus on something else. "Heiji, how are you doing?" He asked as he approached, trying not to nervously pick at his sleeve just for something to do with his hands.

Heiji had his hands in his pockets; he seemed a little more subdued than usual. "Could be better," he said. "You get a memory? Or is that rat tryin' to blackmail ya?"

Some of his turmoil from before had subsided, but that didn't actually make things better. Facts, as they said, were facts.

Hershel hesitated, glancing away for a moment before finally answering. "Blackmail." He didn't seem like he wanted to say much more, even saying that was probably a bad idea. Still, outwardly lying wouldn't do him any favors, and saying he didn't want to say would probably be the same as admitting it was blackmail.

"What about you?" He asked after a beat, looking back to Heiji.

"A memory," said Heiji. He paused for a while, as if deciding whether or not to say anything further.

"...I think I mighta killed someone."

Hershel said nothing but he was clearly shocked. It took him a moment longer to even think of what he wanted to say, glancing around to see that they were alone before focusing on Heiji.

"Heiji... if you did wouldn't he have made that blackmail too?" He tried. "I don't really understand how seeing these memories must have worked, but maybe you're just misunderstanding what you saw."

He stopped again, struggling before he sighed. "I don't think you're capable of something like that. Maybe it's naive, but you're a good person. Whatever it is I- I don't know."

"No, that's not it," said Heiji, looking frustrated (rather irrationally, honestly, considering that it was a perfectly reasonable misunderstanding).

"I was... it was because I wasn't paying attention. I was thinkin' about something else -- a case. She was there with me, and..."

Edited 2014-08-19 22:14 (UTC)

"So... you think you made a mistake and-" Jesus that was rough. He wasn't convinced that it still wasn't a misunderstanding of some sort, he certainly couldn't say given how little Heiji seemed to be willing to say.

He hesitated a moment before gently putting a hand on Heiji's arm, trying to show some support, even if he wasn't sure Heiji wanted it or not. "I'm sorry, whatever you saw must not have been easy. For what it's worth I don't think whatever happened was your fault. If it was in any small way I'm sure Calhoun would have tried to lord it over you."

"I don't think it, I know I made a mistake. I don't know for sure if she got hurt or not, but there was a cliff face down below us, and only a narrow river down below. If she took that fall, no way she coulda made it out okay."

Heiji took a step back and leaned back against the wall. "So what about you? You think you really did what it is that rat said?"

"So... she could still be alive?" Hershel asked, starting to understand how the memories must have been. "I see... Do you have any idea who she was?" Not that knowing that made it better, it might make it worse.

He took a step back, considering. "I... don't know. The evidence was-" Pretty damning, in his opinion at least. He rubbed his arm nervously. "Heiji, do you think when we get all our memories back we'd be completely different people?"

"Not really, but the way she just jumped to save me makes me think that we knew each other pretty well. That, or she had some real backbone. I saw her in the other memory, too -- the one with the first murder. Maybe we're related or somethin'?"

Heiji smiled a little, took off his cap, and placed it on top of Hershel's fluff. "Nah, I don't think so. Not you, anyways. You've been here from the beginning, tryin' to help everyone out. You know, people do all kinds of things when they're backed into a corner, but I know you're a good guy. If something bad went down, I know you did your best to stop it."

"She must care a lot about you to do that." Hershel considered that for a moment before continuing. "I know it's not easy but I'm sure if she cared about you that much she wouldn't want you blaming yourself too heavily for whatever it is that happened. Hopefully... hopefully we can find some way to entertain Calhoun and find some answers."

He frowned- of course Heiji was here as long as he was, he knew what Calhoun was like. "I'm... worried. Calhoun probably isn't going to be happy with anything short of betrayal or violence. If someone gets desperate things could get really bad."

And he was a little surprised at the sudden cap, glancing up at Heiji as he spoke. He stared at him for a long moment before looking down and touching the hat gently. It took him another moment to speak. "He said... I killed someone."

It was a dangerous thing to say, and he knew it. He knew from the moment Calhoun started threatening him in that interrogation room that it even if it was a huge lie it could put him in a position where people would no longer want to ally with him. More so, if it was true, well... it made him sick to think about. Heiji was smart though, he clearly had some real investigative sense, and if he did end up condemning Hershel for it maybe that meant he was right to.

He finally looked back up, a little pale. "He showed me a testimony from the... victim's- the person's father. He was howling and screaming about how I killed his son-" He shook his head. "Please don't tell anyone about this, it may come out anyway but..."

Edited 2014-08-20 01:27 (UTC)

"Yeah," said Heiji. That's what made it so awful, Hershel! "But if she was someone close to me, then I shoulda been there to make sure she was okay. Instead I was spacin' out, and she fell instead. You can say I'm a cop or a P.I. or whatever... but I don't even have the right to run a basic investigation."

He lifted himself out of his bleak mood, however, to listen to Hershel's story. The longer it when, the more intense his expression became. "Hershel, I'm sure I don't have to tell ya this, but witness testimony ain't evidence, no matter how compelling the story is. Especially considering the source. Witnesses can misremember things; they lash out at people they think are responsible. Unless this guy saw you knife his kid in cold blood or something, I don't believe it for a second."

"You don't have to worry about me tellin' anyone, but... does this have some connection with the case ya told me about before? Where the boy died?"

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DUN DUN DUN

MURDERRR

REDRUM

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Later on Day 17

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