one new mouse

[vivariummods]

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.

Comments

[babel_hacker]

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

[formicarium]

[ Calhoun sucks in a breathe and... ]

That's top secret!!

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

[babel_hacker]

Gah!!

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

Who said you can shout?!

[formicarium]

[ 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. ]

[babel_hacker]

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"?

[formicarium]

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!

[babel_hacker]

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

[Hahah... remember...]

[formicarium]

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

1/2

[babel_hacker]

Well, no, I don't--

[babel_hacker]

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

[formicarium]

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"... ]

[babel_hacker]

["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?

[formicarium]

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? ]

[babel_hacker]

[HE NOTICED.]

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

[formicarium]

[ 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 ]

[babel_hacker]

[MAKE HIM.]

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