ᵐᵒᵈᵉˡ ⁰¹ ⁽ᵗᵉˣᵗ⁾

[littlebisque]

[Two weeks. Two weeks she's been here, every day more stressful than the last. Natalie depends on logic, it's her only anchor in a twisted-up, confusing world - but there's not enough of it here. Powers that shouldn't exist, technology that shouldn't exist, machines that the government put inside her. A job that's loud and chaotic, where she's sent arbitrarily from one random item to the next, fast, fast, fast, never letting her stop, and the machine blares angrily at her if she's even two seconds late. She can't stand it, but she's terrified of what might happen if she tries to quit.

And that's not even to mention the bizarre images and voices vibrating in her head - (that last one's the network, of course, but it's hard to tell how much of it is real, if any, and it deeply unsettles her). She's been trying to ignore it, but it's easy to activate, and there's no end to it.

She's had enough.]

I can't do this

Please let me go home

["Post." And the thought slips away into the ether.

She doesn't expect a reply, not really.]

Comments

[restingstitchface]

Physically or mentally?

[There exists more than one kind of prison, after all.]

[littlebisque]

Neither

[restingstitchface]

No, I suppose not. But I believe that plenty of people around here are willing to stop you. Our hosts for a start. Have you questioned why we have our registration status tattooed onto our arms?

[littlebisque]

[She has. It would kind of make sense to brand them, so they can immediately tell the freaks from the rest, but... why make it so easy to hide, then? Why make it only visible in the dark?]

Do you know why?

[restingstitchface]

Easy categorization. It's a coding system that delegates tasks and denotes warnings or encouragement when appropriate. Think of your tattoo as a distinguishing mark; then think about how you treat those bearing different titles accordingly. They don't need to manage us if we manage ourselves on their behalf.

Also. Bureaucrats love their lists, I suppose.

[littlebisque]

I don't understand.

[restingstitchface]

Well, it's a complicated issue. But I'm willing to understand it for both of us. Would you like that?

[No responsiblity. No reality. No worrying about logic. Isn't that nice?]

[littlebisque]

I guess

[You're a weird one, Mr. Crane...]

[restingstitchface]

[ Dr. Crane :| ]

Then perhaps we'll meet again when you're in better spirits. You have my number if you need to make a call.

[littlebisque]

[but i thought you lost your license though. yknow, on account of all the murders]

Okay. See you later