The walls were far too white, causing the florescent light to burn one’s eyes, and the scene seemed to be a blinding white nothingness underneath it. All of it was sterile, blank, impersonal. It was the sort of environment Dr. Mangle always felt odd walking into. It was like a piece of what made up a human mind was always left behind the doors leading into these spaces. Emotions, perhaps, or a certain amount of imagination and free thought. To be certain, something about Mangle changed within these walls. It was nothing that any scientist was unfamiliar with, seeing as the cardinal rule of their work to be as objective as possible, never getting attached, and never interfering with the process of scientific theory.805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKISrrEScJ
Today was the day that Mangle would make the world of science change on its head, for today was the day the Dragonborne Project got its permanent scientists.805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hvxYBM845
Dr. Mangle, being one of these scientists, in fact the second in command of the project save for Dr. James, its creator, was apprehensive about meeting their most promising subject and working with it. The guard escorting Mangle seemed to sense this. “It’s harmless,” he said. “The most it can do is bite you with its teeth, and those aren’t anything to worry about. You ever been bit by a kid, Jess?”
“No, never have,” Mangle replied absently.
“Don’t hurt much at all. Really, if it bit you there wouldn’t even be a mark, and it’s actually pretty docile besides. I can’t imagine what you’d have to do to get it upset enough to bite.”
“Yes,” Mangle said, growing tired of the conversation already. “You said it was...26 months, correct?”805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2WyrZgZA4
“Yeah,” the guard nodded. “It’s a hyper little thing. You could almost compare it to a human toddler!”
An awkward laugh was shared between the two as they stopped in front of a plain white door, with only a small black dragon decal with the number 8 on it to set it apart from its surroundings. Mangle put a brand-new key card in a slot on the outside of the door, the red light above it turning green. The guard coughed. “I’ll just...I’ll just be going, then?”
Mangle grunted. “If you want to.”
The guard left and Mangle scoffed. Typical. Some people just couldn’t stand being around experiments and watching how they worked. It was truly pitiful. They opened the door and observed the experiment that was to be theirs for the next...however long they were on this project.
Inside the room was all white, with a cot in a corner, and an old metal desk with a chair. And sitting on the cot, was a small girl, a toddler really, with wild black curls, and piercing brown eyes, with mocha-type skin. She was running a bat wing over the amber scales that covered her joints. When Mangle closed the door she looked up. “Who a’you?” she asked.805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ74yE9TnmR
Curious, then, Mangle noted. “My name is Dr. Mangle.”
“Hello!” she chirped.
“...Hi.” Mangle could tell that this was going to be a long few years already.
“D’you know Mommy?” the subject asked.805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8crfLyonk
Mangle was taken aback. This thing has a mother that visits it?! “Mommy?”
She nodded. “Mommy comes with food! She say-ed… say-ed… peremenz were gonna happen.”
Mangle’s brain was desperately trying to keep up with the subject’s fast paced thoughts and speech. “Peremenz… Experiments?”805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdESSnTPP8
Another nod. “She say-ed it’s fun game!”
Dr. James must have brought food to the subjects every day. Oh, she was clever. “A game, huh? Do you…” this sounded so alien, seeing as they were talking to a subject, “Like games?”
This girl couldn’t stop nodding. It was as if it was a bobblehead. “Games fun! ‘Sept Tell Me. Tell Me boring!”805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0QLIjXKTt
“‘Tell me’...?”
“No! Boring! Boring! No play!” it said, shaking its head rapidly.805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqXBTgm9Tw
This, at least, seemed to have a simple explanation. “Is that where doctors come in and ask things?”
The subject nodded. “No play wi’ you. Hate game! Hate it!”805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5yVRxmfkR
What? Everything was suddenly spiraling out of control. “I don’t want to play. I just wanted to see you.”805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡik0o4HL71g
There was silence for a long moment. “...Lie. Wanna be alone. No like liars.”805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCbsw6SDVCz
Nothing could be done if the subject was uncooperative. Mangle said, “All right,” and left.805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0mbOYiLkR
Once the door was closed Mangle shivered. The subject’s mind was very quick for its age, and it could definitively say what it wanted. This was the first time Mangle was working with something so intelligent. Mangle wasn’t worried, certainly not...Okay, maybe a little. But it was nothing they couldn’t overcome. They’d been through scarier, like that time they were elected to go on the Vomit Comet...but they digressed.805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbP30xmB6O
This would be an experiment just like any other, they reasoned, it would be fine.
Even though it would really be an experiment like no other.805Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2KSWxe72i
