The Inadequate Experiments: 1. White Noise [Rough Draft]

Part 2; Inequity - 15. Grave Discoveries

I was still pretending to sleep when the bell rang at 7:30 the next morning; a daily routine for everyone at the Compound, including subjects such as myself. I heard the mechanical lock on the door of my room slide to an unlocked position only seconds before the door opened to reveal Dr Williams. In person that day, like she had been the night before. Maybe she had decided she could trust me enough to come in person.

“You slept well, I hope?” She asked carefully. I wondered, if I hadn’t been awake to hear her conversation with Dr Wills, would I have noticed the hesitant tone of her voice? She was checking I didn’t over hear.

“Surprisingly well.” I raised my eyebrows, pretending to be surprised. “These beds are comfier than they look… Did you manage to get some rest?” I added, trying to be nice.

Something flickered behind her eyes. Almost… worry. But it disappeared in the same instant I saw it. “A little, but there are a lot of jobs to do around the Compound that are more important than resting.”

I nodded, unsure of how to go about replying without somehow giving away the fact that I heard the phone conversation.

“And you, Seraphina,” she continued, barely waiting for me to nod, “are a very… interesting case. Unusual.”

“You keep saying I’m interesting.” I pointed out. “Could… could it have something to do with…?” I didn’t know how to phrase it, but Dr Williams seemed to know what I meant.

“Something to do with how you were conceived?” She asked.

I nodded again.

“It is highly possible.” She admitted. “But until we are completely certain I am unable to discuss the topic with you, or any other subject on this Compound."

I decided to play dumb. Or rather, play victim to whatever they gave me. Maybe, if I could convince them that I couldn’t remember… whatever they didn’t want me to remember… they wouldn’t give me a higher dosage, and that might give me a chance to be able to remember… whatever it was they wanted me to forget. I could feel the information locked away in the back of my head, in a room in the back of my mind, like the one Oliver told me about in his where he locked away all the pain. I just couldn’t get the door to the room to open for me. I could feel the headaches starting again, coming slower that morning; a dull ache in my temple, but the more I thought about trying to remember, the more it hurt.

“So… you don’t know what’s wrong with me?” I asked. “Why I keep getting these headaches?”

Dr Williams’ eyes glinted, and I could tell she believed that I didn’t remember. “I’m afraid not.” Lying cow. “But we’ll find out soon enough.” She reassured me.

For saying that she was one of the people virtually ruling the world, her ability to lie so easily worried me a great deal. Fleetingly, I wondered what Calliope would think of her idols doing this to her brother and I. I imagined she would ask each of us to do a very detailed written recount of everything we experienced in the Compound if she found out. So I decided that she had better not find out. She was just a girl. A fifteen year old girl, at that, who was in way over her head.

“Can you give me anything for them?” I asked her carefully. “For the pain?”

A ghost of a smile spread across her face. “Pain killers will interfere with our results, I’m afraid.” She told me.

“Oh.”

“But not to worry!” She insisted. “Once we find out what’s causing them, they’ll be gone really quickly. Besides, all you need to focus on today is your lovely boy, Oliver. Well,” she paused to laugh, “breakfast, then your lovely boy Oliver.”