In the communal kitchen later, a few scientists approached Mangle. “Hey, kid, I hear you were an abomination advocate earlier today!” an older one exclaimed by way of greeting.617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzloCDcZX6V
“No, I wasn’t. I was simply trying to give an objective view of my subject’s development. The fact that is was misconstrued by the board members does not mean I see any subject here as human.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1wWlU5eUd
A scrawny little student came up to them and laughed. “Tell that to Dr. James! She was livid!”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE66vDBmhXT
Mangle frowned. “Do you speak to all your superiors here like that, Mx. Reich?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSaVQXnz1M
The student shrugged. “Only those I respect, Doc! You got stones, saying you thought that thing was as smart as some of us!”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKRx3mT2v2
Mangle sighed. “That was hyperbole. I don’t actually believe--”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpFAFGGCNA
“Can I help any of you?” Dr. James snapped, walking into the discussion.617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyprQrDGvdG
The scientists all looked away and muttered. Mangle cleared their throat. “Dr. James...about earlier…”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrHVpZPAjA
“No, I understand, Doctor. You were simply trying to be objective and did not see how your comment might be detrimental. The board doesn’t see much merit in what I do, and I overreacted to your simple overstatement. I simply ask that you refrain from doing that again.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWeImuv5Yd
Mangle nodded. “Of course.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTeGH22IfC
Dr. James smiled at the quick resolution. “Now, then, Doctor. We have a few things to discuss. Perhaps you can explain your reasoning for your statement earlier while we’re at it? Surely something astronomical must have happened.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJpbcPyHkh
Mangle shrugged. “It was as I said, the subject devised a name for itself. It was a startling and disconcerting experience for me.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7VhgpRK7X
The old scientist laughed. “Oh, I call mine ‘Joey’! What’s yours?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zDUo3gHGt
“Um…‘It’,” Mangle supplied.617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6wfyc7PXk
All the scientists in the room got quiet.617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqobYZ7a2d
“You...you weren’t joking or saying that it took a nickname you had for it and made that its name, did you? You were serious,” Dr. James whispered.617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuiKqa4wTA
Mangle nodded gravely. “It told me its ‘name’ before I left.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4sbyQg0PX
There was a sudden uproar from all the scientists save Mangle and Dr. James, crying “Kill the thing before it can get dangerous!” and “Geez, Mangle! Tell us when you’re planning to try something dangerous!” and “Dr. James, how could you let such an intelligent subject live?!”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJtbtCbaia5
Dr. James held up her hands for silence. When the cacophony died down, she said calmly, “Listen. We have no way of measuring intelligence in the womb. The fact that this subject is so smart must be simply a freak coincidence. After all, we’re all geniuses, and no one messed with our DNA, right?617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE664xOhrHJ
“Furthermore, the subject is not a threat to us. All subjects are contained, safeguarded, and kept ignorant of the world around them. All we have to do is ensure this subject is not introduced to any other subjects that may turn it against us, and we’ll be okay. Dr. Mangle is more than capable of staying objective in this matter. Anyone opposed to this?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBitkjXQ7Gq
No one argued.
“Well, then, I’ll leave this ‘It’ in Dr. Mangle’s capable hands, and we’ll all go about our business as if this never happened. No need to worry anyone on the outside unnecessarily.”
Everyone murmured agreement and went their own ways, to their houses, experiments, or offices. Dr. James turned to Dr. Mangle. “I hope I’m not misplacing my trust in you, Doctor.”
Mangle shook their head. “No, no! I can handle it!”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2mkkvqf8H
Dr. James huffed in amusement. “A little eager, aren’t we? But I suppose when you’ve only been here two days, with such an interesting project ahead, anyone would be. Let’s talk in my office, shall we?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4m8O8cicx
“Okay, what would this be about?” Mangle asked as they started out of the kitchen towards Dr. James’ office.617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjSUgsD7i1
“I’d prefer to wait until we are in the privacy of my office to talk. The hallways are far too watched for me to feel comfortable.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FojcG4B4F
Mangle nodded. “Perfectly understandable. They have quite the collection of security cameras.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYnBKL7eob
Dr. James hummed. “Yes. I’ve been here for 10 years, and I probably still haven’t found every camera in this hallway, which I go through every day. Big Brother is always watching, Doctor.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9MsTUM5bp
“‘All the world’s a stage,’ I suppose,” Mangle contemplated.617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSXnOnDhyA
“Quite.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Wn2naAO0k
They closed the doors to Dr. James’ office and Dr. James slumped down in relief. “I have to be honest, Mangle. Sometimes I really hate it here.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6jaE9YlBl
Mangle watched Dr. James curiously. “What do you mean?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUES39430m
“I’m here about 16 hours every day. I have no time for my own life, I go home and I immediately fall asleep when my head hits my pillow. This project is amazing, yes, but it’s also incredibly taxing. Did you know that I nearly had a heart attack 8 months into this project? I had worked myself so hard, I nearly dug my own grave. I’m relieved to have scientists who are willing to visit subjects regularly for me, but my doctors say it might be too little too late.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cHRGEijVr
Mangle shook their head in confusion. “I’m sorry, Dr. James, what are you trying to say?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPEVBucYOzf
Dr. James looked at Mangle, eyes full of sorrow. “I may not live long enough to see this project to fruition. My life’s dream, finished after I am dead. If I don’t relieve myself of the everyday stresses of this job, then I will die. No questions about it. The stress will send me into a heart attack. I wouldn’t have this problem on any other project, no matter how painstaking. Never have. But I have to reign myself in to simple observing and administrative work. I’m not asking you to take over my duties, you have your hands full with…‘It’. I shudder at the thought of trying to keep that thing’s curiousity down enough to be manageable.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFvdHFcP84P
Mangle hadn’t considered that. They’d have to work hard as it matured to keep it as restrained as it could tolerate without rebelling. That one thought nearly sent them scrambling back to their previous job. “Do you need my opinions to find a new administrator to do the rounds?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9lZ3tzvZ1
Dr. James waved him off. “No, no, I have someone lined up. They start in a week. But...I do want to make you an offer.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmO9nVivKQ3
Mangle was curious. “An offer about what?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkxOsePpcP
“I’ve been pushing for this since I started, but I need one more person to sign a petition to make it work. I plan on setting up living quarters within the lab, to reduce commuting, and for health reasons for myself. You wouldn’t have to forfeit any housing you already own, I know that you have that beach house down in Bethany that’s in your family, but you wouldn’t have to pay rent here in the city, no hour-long drive through traffic, and easy access to the subjects at all hours should you choose to accept. What do you say?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLg1fzUCYzL
Mangle couldn’t believe their ears. “Yes! Of course, yes! That would be very beneficial. There wouldn’t be any cameras, right?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqE3NvPHfiN
Dr. James laughed. “Not if I have any say in the matter, which I do! Don’t worry, you’ll be allowed your privacy.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kTIUlBWIi
Mangle nodded approvingly. “Well, that’s certainly a relief.” A thought occurred to them. “Dr. James, are there cameras in the subjects’ rooms? I imagine that if any of them are as self-aware as mine is, if they find one they’ll completely shut down until they know they are not being watched.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ADchY2U0l
Dr. James thought about it. “There aren’t any that I know of, and I’ve never seen feed of a subject in the security room, so I’d say there are no cameras in their rooms. But there are cameras and microphones nearly everywhere else, so I imagine that their reasoning is that if one tries to escape, they’ll capture it elsewhere, rather than making it paranoid. Why?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIw22rqIE2
Mangle shrugged. “I was just curious. I need to make sure my subject won’t refuse to participate purely because it feels it is being watched.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxdacfZIVv
Dr. James nodded. “Rest assured, your subject won’t shut down because of that. It might refuse to participate because it has to deal with Dr. ‘Cold Heart’ Mangle, though!”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCo2xJkBkg
Mangle laughed. “I’m trying to tone that down so I can interact with the subject beyond it calling me a liar, rest assured. When will the living quarters be accessible?”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2O92HHgQi
“Give me a month,” Dr. James assured. “I should be able to do something with the offices and add a bedroom. It’ll be more like a college dorm than anything, but it’ll function.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnapmXVkrWM
Mangle nodded. “I’ll be off then. I have some research to do for my next tests.”
Dr. James waved him off. “Best of luck, Dr. Mangle.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iK5LYI7ty
“Thank you, Dr. James.”617Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ41I4w5lqC
