Lilith dragged me to see The Cabin in the Woods this weekend.
Cloud: I'm pretty sure fraternizing between colleagues is against policy. Lilith: I make policy. And you need to get out of the office. Cloud: I have work. Lilith: It'll still be here when you get back. I mean, for over a month, the only places you've been are your home and Level 8. You barely go back to your office. Cloud: Are you spying on me? Lilith: We spy on all our employees, Doctor. Cloud: Right. Lilith: Come on, you'll like it.
So I allowed myself to go and see The Cabin in the Woods. I'm not particularly a fan of horror films, but this one was interesting and I could see why Lilith wanted to see it. I'm not sure why she wanted me to go with her - was it because of our prior relationship? Was it just because she saw that I was stressed?
And then, after the film, she told me.
Lilith: You haven't been updating your blog. Cloud: As I've said, I've been busy. Lilith: It's part of your job. Cloud: I know. Lilith: Why did you stop posting the Subject Recordings? Cloud: Are you asking as my friend or as my boss? Lilith: Right now, as a friend. If you don't tell me, I can send in a request for a formal meeting where I can ask you the same question as your boss. Do you want that? Cloud: ...it started to get to me. Lilith: The subjects? Cloud: Just one subject. Subject FTH00008. The more I recorded it... the more it revealed... Lilith: I understand. Cloud: Do you? Lilith: You may not believe me, Stanford, but I do. We're not machines. Cloud: But it isn't a machine either. I mean, not completely. Not fully. Lilith: Think of it like an equation, then. Cloud: I'm sorry? Lilith: Your subjects. They were human once. Think of them like linear equations. There are certain constants that all humans possess. And then there are the variables. The things that change us. The things that make us different from those around us. Your subjects are linear equations, but with so many more variables in them then we have. So much more. You aren't a machine and neither are they. Stop trying to act like one. Cloud: ...thank you, Miriam. Lilith: Start blogging again, that's all the higher ups want. You don't have to keep doing the subject recordings, not if you don't want to. Just... report on what's going on. Cloud: Is it that important? The blog? Lilith: More important than you realize.
Subject FTH09093 died today. Or perhaps the correct phrase would be "stopped functioning." I don't really know if they were alive.
No, she was alive. And now she is dead. I watched as she tried to remember her name, as her voicebox started counting down from fifty. When it hit zero, her whole body convulsed and spasmed, the last throes of life.
And then it stopped and she didn't say anything else. I checked her pupils and they didn't dilate or move. We tried other tests (since some of the other FTH subjects already showed signs of not breathing and non-existence pulse, yet they still, well, "functioned") and for what we could determine, she was dead.
I scheduled the autopsy and then sat down and wondered why.
Liquid Len called today. I couldn't be bothered to help him. I have more important things to do.
Subject FTH00008 still taunts me with his silence. I am now testing his galvanic skin response by administering electric shocks. It doesn't appear to have any sort of effect on him.
His skin, the bits that are visible, is fluorescent gray. All his hair has fallen out. When I poke him with needles, he does not flinch or move.
I walked in this morning and he finally spoke to me.
Transcript:
ROWLAND: Hello, Doctor Cloud. CLOUD: Hello, Subject FTH00008. Or should I call you 'Rowland' now? ROWLAND: It is the name I have been given. It is the name the Tower gave me. CLOUD: Did the Tower tell you to write those gospels? ROWLAND: It did. CLOUD: And what about this 'Newborn Machine' you wrote about? ROWLAND: The Tower is the Newborn Machine. They are the same, only different. Parallels. CLOUD: And the Tower will be 'born.' What does that mean, exactly? ROWLAND: There will come a time when the Tower will emerge into this world. When it will remake this world. When all things will become part of the Tower. The Tower will be all that there is. CLOUD: You're talking about the end of the world. ROWLAND: Yes. The end of your world. CLOUD: And why are you telling me this? ROWLAND: The Tower is not the only one waiting. The Tower will be born, but there are others that wish to arrive first. That want to change the world in accordance with their vision. It is just a matter of time. Our apocalypse versus theirs. CLOUD: Whose? ROWLAND: The Night Owls. CLOUD: I'm sorry? What are they? ROWLAND: The Tower is calling me, Doctor Cloud. I have spoken enough. The time for lightning is now. [A tear in space appears] The curve is here. Do you see it? Do you see the Tower? CLOUD: I...I do. ROWLAND: You have seen only a fraction of a fraction. Farewell, Doctor Cloud. We will meet again.
----
He's gone. He opened a rip in the skin of the world and left. I can't believe it.
Test Designation: FTH00008/32 Test Date: 5/25/2012 Test Subject: FTH00008
Test Summary: Subject FTH00008 (also "Childe Rowland") was allowed to believe that the resident authority in charge of testing ("Doctor Cloud") was becoming unhinged in his presence. This was facilitated by acting with certain tics and allowing FTH00008 access to the internet to view Cloud's blog. By allowing the Subject to believe this was the case, it caused him to leave the facility via a controlled Einstein-Rosen bridge.
Test Results: The Subject's controlled opening and closing of the Einstein-Rosen bridge was recorded with the Level 8 room's recording devices. Images of the other side of the bridge, the so-called "Tower" that Subject FTH00008 spoke of, were also recorded and are currently being analyzed by a number of technicians. They have been classified as VIRIDIAN.
Test Conclusions: By following the standard narrative devices, the resident authority was able to trick Subject FTH00008 into revealing its mode of transportation to and from the "Tower." This is a major breakthrough and is hoped to lead to further understanding of both Fossil-Type HOMUNCULI and of the Fossils in general.
Lilith: I'm glad that worked out. He could have easily killed you, you know. Cloud: No, he wanted me to know how helpless I was. Lilith: Helpless and at his mercy. What makes you think he wouldn't have exposed you to HOMUNCULI? Cloud: He could have done so at any time. The fact that he didn't proved that I was of no use to them. He was merely using me for information, like we were him. Lilith: And how did you know going unhinged would make him reveal himself and leave? Cloud: You gave me the idea. Lilith: I did? Cloud: 'Linear equations,' remember? There are certain constants that all humans possess. That applies to the Fossils as well. In those horror stories I read, those blogs... there was a pattern, certain parallels that always seemed to happen. Someone became unhinged, someone went "crazy." And around that vulnerable person, the monster would always lower their guard. They would reveal themselves, confident that the person would just assume they were a product of their fevered mind. Lilith: So you faked going crazy. Like Hamlet. Cloud: And you got my message. I'm glad you didn't suspend me for real. Lilith: Well, it was so artfully done. A Baconian chiper, with the As as 'me' and the Bs as 'help.' Very clever. Cloud: Thank you. Lilith: So, as for what's next... Cloud: What do you mean? Lilith: You were brought to Level 8 because of our HOMUNCULI subjects. There are no more HOMUNCULI subjects. Cloud: Oh. Right. Somehow I didn't realize that. Lilith: Don't worry, we're not going to kick you out. You know too much. [She smiles.] Just stick around for a few more weeks, we'll find another project for you to work on.
Lilith: And? Cloud: And what? Lilith: Aren't you going to ask me? Cloud: What about? Lilith: I heard the recording. I know what Rowland said. You want to ask me if we have any information about the Night Owls. Cloud: Honestly, I assumed Rowland was just lying about that, to make me seem insignificant. As if facing one end-of-the-world scenario wasn't enough, he wanted to give us two. Lilith: You don't believe that it's a lie. Cloud: I don't? Lilith: I know you, Stanford. I've known you for a while. Rowland never lied to you during any of the tests, not even at the end. Obfuscated, yes. Babbled gibberish. But not lied. And you know this. Cloud: ...what are the Night Owls?
She smiled at me. Then she softly whispered into my ear, kissed me on the cheek, and left.
