vivarium | one new mouse

It's been two days since the vote. Since then, there has been little activity. The speakers have never been turned on since that day, and there's been no sign of the owner of that voice. No further contact has been made, and it seems as if the group was abandoned again without a clue as to why they're here.

... Unless any members of the group are lucky enough to wake up early enough to catch a glimpse of something, uh, "new"...

In the Greenhouse, while the artificial sky is a reddish colour from "sunrise", a large metal ladder is placed in front of the sickly trees. Beside the ladder is a children's wagon, filled with apples, and on top is an upright mouse with a gas mask... Yeah, as if this place couldn't get any weirder.

The mouse quietly mumbles to itself, something along the lines of "... work... not paid... test subjects... spoiled", and holds an apple in one paw and a tape gun in the other. It appears to be taping the apples to the tree branches, one at a time, occasionally climbing down to grab an armful of apples to bring up. It's only a third way through the pile of apples (which only seems to be about a dozen...) so catch it while you can.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Calhoun turns his head, looking down at the Atsuro, continuing to hold onto an apple and his tape gun. ]

Can't you see that I'm busy, test subject? Sheeeesh, what's a mouse gotta do around here to tape apples to a tree in peace?

[ He sounds... whiny. He sighs and shakes his head. ]

[Yeah, now he's sure he's not imagining it.]

You can talk?

[ Calhoun just looks at Atsuro like he has three heads. ]

Of course I can talk! I'm not just your average mouse, you know. Look, I even got working thumbs like you.

[ He places down the tape gun and apple on top of the ladder and jumps off. He's... extremely small, as in 3'2" small, but he stands in front of Atsuro and holds up his paws to show. His paws are definitely shaped like a mouse but clearly has opposable thumbs that he's wiggling. ]

[Atsuro looks down at the talking mouse with an incredulous expression.]

Y...eah, you do. [Uh.] So if you're not an average mouse... what kind of mouse are you?

[ He sees you making that face. ]

The mouse who's in charge of watching you bunch! Making sure that you're not misbehaving, getting in trouble, killing each other, though you've already screwed the pooch on that one.

Honestly, I leave my eyes off everyone for a few days and this is what I come back to. I really don't get paid enough for this.

[ He sighs and shakes his head. ]

Okay, okay, you're a unique and special mouse!

[Atsuro raise his hands up when the mouse starts talking on and on. A few points stands out to him from his words.]

Wait, in charge of watching us? Are you really sure about that? And doesn't that mean someone put us into this place on purpose?

[If this weird mouse is telling the truth, that means someone assigned him to the role. And that someone have a reason for it.

The person behind this weird situation...?]

[ Calhoun has a tendency to ramble on and on, so better start getting used to it, Atsuro... At the very least, he seems satisfied that he was called unique and special. ]

Of course I'm sure! I'm a mouse of my word. Actually, you know, just between me and you...

[ He looks around then waves Atsuro in to try to get him to lean down, while using his other paw to cup the side of his gas mask, as if he's trying to keep this a hushed secret. ]

[...? With a blink, Atsuro pauses before leans down and turn his head, so he can listen to whatever this mouse might whisper.]

[ Calhoun sucks in a breathe and... ]

That's top secret!!

[ He shouts right into Atsuro's ear. What a jerk. ]

Gah!!

[Atsuro immediately moves back and covers his poor ear with a hand. Have a glare, you damned mouse.]

Who said you can shout?!

[ Calhoun snickers into his paws. Atsuro's glare has no effect on him. ]

Don't be so huffy, test subject, I'm just playing! It's like a practical joke that you humans like.

[ It's... not really, but he's a mouse, what do you expect from him. ]

Aren't practical jokes supposed to be... nicer than that?

[It doesn't feel worthy of being called a "practical joke". He thinks.]

And did you just call me "test subject"?

That was plenty nice. You're just being a baby.

[ He waves Atsuro off. Pshhhhh. ]

And did I scream too loudly for you? Is your hearing going bad? Yes, I called you "test subject". I mean, that's what you are!

My hearing's perfectly fine. Because I sure didn't remember signing up to be one!

[Hahah... remember...]

Of course you don't! You don't remember anything, do you?

Well, no, I don't--

Wait! That means you know about it and how we get amnesia, right?!

Well, duuuuuuh, of course I do! I'm pretty much your supervisor, I gotta know everything about you little bunch. What kind of mouse would I be if I didn't even know something like that?

[ "Little"... ]

["Little"...]

I don't know, but it doesn't make me feel better about it. Like why give us amnesia? Why everything about this? And why a mouse like you?

Good grief, you're just filled with questions, aren't you? All right, since I'm feeling generous today, I'll answer a few, top secret or not!

Well, for starters, you're all here for an experiment, but take it however you want on what kind of experiment it is and why. And what kind of question is that? Why a mouse like me? Why not a mouse like me?

[ Notice how he doesn't answer or even acknowledge the first question? ]

[HE NOTICED.]

Okay, how about some specific details like what kind of experiment? And why give us amnesia?

[ STOP NOTICING THINGS ]

Does it really matter what kind of experiment it is, test subject? Will that get you to act in a different way? We need natural reactions here, you know!

[ STILL IGNORING THE AMNESIA QUESTION ]

[MAKE HIM.]

So does the word "ethics" mean anything to you? And will you answer my question about amnesia already?!

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