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Post by hrothgar on Sept 9, 2009 0:06:27 GMT -6
With another day behind them, the old causeways opened up all at once like a great writhing flower made of steel, salvage and people. A slow churning crowd of people milled about on the old thoroughfares under the safety of moonlight. The air was tense as the various clans and tribes went about their trading rituals, water for fuel, food for drugs, bullets for clothing. Every manner of item available was bought and sold... but more valuable than all were the services of a few trained individuals.
Hrothgar was not there though, not in the main hustle and bustle. It wasn't safe, he looked too human and there would be too many people demanding too much of him. Instead he made his trades along the outskirts, finding the small families and outcast sorts amongst the ruins of Kenny Wood. Any day of the week he could go to the market and make a decent bit of trade doing anything from removing bullets to pulling teeth. No, nights like this were given like some sort of sabbath as a holy gift to those who couldn't stand on their own. With gentle eyes he visited those hiding in the ruins near the old broken down parts of the park. Stepping over decay and debris he found a seat on an old bench overlooking the dystopian now almost nightmarish looking ruins of what had once been affectionately dubbed "Kiddieland." He had made his way through the other parts of the park and now waited for signs of movement in the little section below. He knew better than to go down there alone, if they wanted help they could come to him.
In the cool moonlight he seemed to have a glimmer to him almost. The silvery light framing him against the darkness as he stood up on the bench. Back straight, chin up, eyes cast out over the darkness and ruin. Perhaps in some forgotten past he could have been an angel, some bringer of hope in the eternal darkness. Alas, he himself and many others were through with putting their faith in gods and angels. Hrothgar was not here for the good of some god, but for the greater good of all peoples who shared Pennsylvania with him. He gave a nod, and with hands gripping the strap of his satchel he kept vigilant eyes on the park.
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Post by experiment24601 on Sept 9, 2009 0:31:28 GMT -6
Experiment 24601 stumbled into a park of some sort. She was unaware of where her travels had lead her. Her stomach howled for food, and she had a needle and thread on her. She just needed to find the right food. Bread...water. Her black eyes scanned the area, as her unkempt tangled hair matted to her face in sweat from walking for so long. Then there it was, an old man had set out a small slice of bread and a glass of water on a box he used as a table. She walked over to it thinking it was for her, and as she looked at the man whom looked at her with fear in his eyes, she became confused as he screamed out and ran in the opposite direction.
She knelt before the bread and pulled out the needle from her pocket. Her face was of course exposed as she had not yet acquired something to hide her monstrous face. She had no mouth, and no teeth. No jaw beneath the skin, just bone. Raw, ugly stitches scared her tissue from throat to sternum. But as she pulled out the needle she attempted to saw away the weak string. Occasionally stabbing herself as she had no training on how to do this herself. Minutes went by and half an hour left until she finally opened her skin to reveal her Esophagus Taking the bread she dipped it in the water and shoved it down her throat. Making herself swallow as the pain became so familiar to her. She shook and trembled but this time no one was holding her down. This was all her doing. She shoved another piece of wet bread down her throat as blood spilled to the ground.
Screaming echoed in the park and she ignored them as best she could. The last piece finally went in and she was getting pale, she took the needle and pulled out a small spool of thread and threaded it shakily, sewing up her so many times opened wound no where near expertly...but effectively. She had made it to the end, and she slumped against the box. Her eyes at half mass as her ugly body exposed to on lookers. Scars...horrific scars from being an Experiment all her life. Dots, all over her for arms from the Scientists not even bothering to sterilize their needles for the chemical injections. She raised her black eyes to three people who had something what looked like they were going to use to beat her as if she were some animal. Dear god no, not again.
She raised her hands up as a pathetic excuse to defend herself. shutting her eyes tightly as the thread seeped red with blood. Dried crimson stained her pale skin as well as the ground before her. But the bread was gone, as well as the water...and the pain in her stomach was gone. That is all that mattered. She could survive another day...provided these people left her alone...
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Post by hrothgar on Sept 9, 2009 0:45:41 GMT -6
The Commotion was what attracted his attentions all at once. His ears burned as he turned now towards the scene unfolding. He stood for a moment, watching on, trying to make sense of what he was seeing in front of him. Whatever it was didn't make sense, like some kind of horrific being ripped from the pages of Lovecraft it crawled about gurgling and dripping blood. He felt his breath catch as he suddenly jumped down from his bench and headed towards her.
Already he could tell what was going to happen. He could see people approaching her, armed men, the kind of people who did not need another strange abomination making their lives any more confusing and horrifying. It made sense what they were going to do, rather than have another creep, monster or strange thing crawling through the darkness around their homes, they were going to kill it and be done with the problem. Hrothgar understood this mentality all too well, it was far too simple a way to be thinking and far too dangerous a thought pattern when left alone to its own devices. Duty bound as a duly appointed vassal of the Dragon King he knew he had to intervene now or bear witness to the infinite cruelty that humanity was capable of.
The sound of a gunshot rang across the open pavilion area where the strange interloper was now resting. Hrothgar strode swiftly forward as his heavy pistol still smoked from firing a round off into the air. He fired a second to make sure he had the attention of the three men around her. "Back, back the lot of you." he said, his voice cold and gravelly, a twang of a Germanic accent clinging to the ends of his words. "One more step and there'll be a lot more to contend with than a gunshot." He warned as he placed himself between them and her, standing tall with his gun arm outstretched and sweeping back and forth between the assailants. "Move along now, there's nothing more for you here."
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Post by experiment24601 on Sept 9, 2009 0:53:27 GMT -6
Gun shots rang through her ears and she had to press her hands over them tightly and squeeze her eyes shut as if nothing was happening. Her heart was racing from blind fear, as she heard the shouts of an angry man through her hands. The voice was hard, cold, scary. It hurt her ears to listen too. It made her want to crawl away like a dog with its tale between its legs. As the crowed started to separate, She heard the voices saying threatening things to her as they left. She curled herself up in a little ball, dried blood all down the front of her matted beat up lab dress. She held the needle and thread in her bloody hands and just focused on breathing.
Her black eyes looked up at the man who was separating the crowed. He had a sense of power in him, and it reminded her of the scientists. That is what scared her even more. She ended up hiding her face from him, not wanting to be seen for what she was. Because as she had well learned, she was not normal, and she was looked upon as..an abomination.
((UGh...its short I am sorry))
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Post by hrothgar on Sept 10, 2009 9:58:19 GMT -6
The crowd began to disperse, he felt like some sort of police officer shooing off a crowd of onlookers. He sighed, keeping his weapon cocked and aimed until the armed men safely made their departure. With a tired hand he relaxed his grip on the weapon, fanning the hammer back into place gently and tucking the gun underneath his coat. Force, it seemed, was not something that Hrothgar showed any great deal of interest in these days. It was a sentiment that seemed to roundly contradict his warrior past. Those days were gone now and there were more important things to do than add to the post apocalyptic body count. With his weapon safely tucked away he took a knee now, sliding his medical satchel off his shoulder and taking a good long look at the woman laying prostrate on the ground before him.
He tried to put that grim visage of himself behind now. The woman looked pitiful to say the least, dripping blood and trembling. Hrothgar could feel the fear almost radiating off her. If there was ever someone in need of sanctuary and care, this was her. H was picking up a different sensation as well amidst it all. Whatever she was she wasn't entirely human, she felt as thuogh she was part shifter but something was definitely out of place. It was hard to tell with her sitting curled up in a ball like that though, he'd have to get her to trust him enough to let him take a look. He took a deep breath... "Shh.. easy now. They're gone, you're safe now." he said, his voice low, quiet. His words came in slow clear syllables, speaking in a way that assured her that he wasnt a threat and tht he was trying to help her comprehend what he was saying. "My name is Luther, and I'm going to help you. Do you understand? You're bleeding quite a bit and it needs to be taken care of , otherwise you might get sick."
He reached to his side , finding his little aluminum canteen. He slowly unscrewed the top and offered it to her, extending his arm slowly, sure to make no sudden movements. "Here... I have water, can you drink something?"
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Post by experiment24601 on Sept 10, 2009 17:03:42 GMT -6
Experiment 24601 opened her black eyes as the man knelt before her. Speaking in a gentle voice only one other person had done for her. He reminded her of Marc. She had snuck away for a while because she felt she did not deserve such kind company. And his lover from what she seemed to be, thought of her as an abomination...the main reason she had left, was she feared the woman would harm her. He stated to her his name was Luther, that he was going to help her. She didn't know what to make of that. He pointed out the obvious by saying she was bleeding and said it had to be taken care of or she might get sick. 24601 lifted a shaking hand and used her index finger to write in the sand. "I am Sick." She let her hand go back to her side as she cradled an object to her chest. The one gift of friendship she had been given. Twas the journal Marc had given her. She had yet to write in it, but she treasured it as if it were an infant.
When the man pulled out a jug of water and asked if she wanted a drink she lifted her head and showed him her face. Her missing mouth was prominent, as she looked at him with black eyes. Scars on her cheeks, nails ruined all to hell from scratching messages into the chairs she was often tied too. Her jet black matted hair stuck to her sweating bloody face. Her arms were bare and he would see numerous holes where doctors did not sterilize their needles for injections. A name on her chest across the dress read "Experiment 24601" Yes, if he looked at her now he would see all the suffering and living hell she was put through for 17 years. Yet, if he could look into her eyes, he would see wisdom. He would see something truly beautiful. Experiment 24601 was indeed a hideous creature on the outside, but in her mind, her heart, she was truly something to behold. Yet no one had ever taken the time to see it. Except Marc, and from what it seemed, this man. Offering her help when she needed it, offering her water, even if she had not the ability to drink it. She looked down at the ground where she had drawn her message and added two more words. "Very sick"
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Post by hrothgar on Sept 10, 2009 19:57:34 GMT -6
The sight that suddenly unfolded itself to him was not what the doctor was expecting. She had no mouth, a medical impossibility that she could have lived this long without one unless someone had been feeding her. Then he noticed the scars o her neck, numerous ones. It was almost Lovecraftian the way her throat seemed gnarled and scarred. The image was downright hideous.
But the doctor did not bat an eye, his face remained calm. This was a man who'd seen people blown apart, suffereing from mustard gas burns.. every level of mutilation possible had been witnessed. This was nothing new to him and as soon as the brief shock subsided his mind began working on the conundrum of her condition almost as if she was some sort of puzzle to be figured out. He retracted his canteen and screwed the top back on. "I see" He said calmly, reaching into his medicine satchel now. He'd brought plenty of clean syringes and it seemed that, at the moment, injections would be the only way to help her. He was hesitant though, the marks on her body clearlyshowed signs of infection and scarring after improper use of hypodermic needles. She seemed scared enough as it was, she didn't need more needles now.
He sighed and put the needles away in that olive colored satchel of his, clearly marked with red crosses on the front back and sides. The shuffling of surgical tools and pill bottles could be heard as he snapped the overflap shut. "Its clear to me you're hungry and in need of some shelter, and well, as I can see it you're in no shape to be running around out here in the cold as it is. You need medical attention, food, and someplace warm to sleep. I'd like to help you Miss....."
His eyes read the tag now as she held it up "Experiment... 24601? Is that the only name you have?"
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Post by experiment24601 on Sept 11, 2009 16:38:02 GMT -6
"I see." was the reply to her face. It was strange in a sense, he didn't scream, cringe in disgust. Or even if Marc's case, demand to know whom had done such horrid things to her, (which was in a way of also pointing out the fact that she was at a disability.) He put the canteen away and looked at her again. Even when she sat there shivering and bloody, he had no sign of emotion that hinted in fright or mortification. But she saw him pull out a syringe and immediately became frightened of the man. Cringing away as if he were acid to her skin backing up into the fallen chair and staring at him as if begging him not to. He put the needles away and she calmed down some. "Its clear to me you're hungry and in need of some shelter, and well, as I can see it you're in no shape to be running around out here in the cold as it is. You need medical attention, food, and someplace warm to sleep. I'd like to help you Miss....."
24601 stared at him for a long while. He looked at the tag and addressed her. "Experiment... 24601? Is that the only name you have?" She slowly nodded as if confused. It was her label...was there any other kind? Her black eyes looked down at the ground again. The puddle where her blood lay. She had in fact just eaten, she had a slice of bread and water. Usually that was all she could afford before bleeding to death. She crossed her arms over her stomach and just held herself. There wasn't much she could do to communicate with the man except writing words in the sand, or using her journal. But she would rather save that for writing passages to herself. She looked down at the sand and extended her index finger again to write in the sand. "Why do you wish to help me?" She asked curiously. Most people just ran, why is it he wished to help her..? Was it just his good deed for the day? Was it just that he felt bad for her? did he feel pity? She did not know. But it was something she wished to find out.
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Post by hrothgar on Sept 11, 2009 17:04:28 GMT -6
He shook his head..."A name like that no wonder you're in such a state" He said solemnly. "Whoever tarred you with such a title has seen fit to take something essential and vital to your humanity from you and make you simply ... an experiment, an item, and not even a permanent one at that." Hrothgar's eyes turned sad suddenly, years ago he would have shed tears for her but he knew it would not help to remedy the situation. Still the sympathy, the remorse, the trembling apollogy too great for words and far too late to utter lay trapped behind that gaze of his. He swallowed and bowed his head, taking her arm now, almost expecting to see numbers tattooed on her inner forearm. He held her hand now with both hands. "But you are not an experiment, if you leave my company with nothing else remember this... It is blasphemy to everything I've worked in my life to achieve if you were to leave otherwise."
With eyes downcast he watched her write her next response in the cold sand, the sight reminded him all too much of Lavinia from Titus Andronicus... tongue cut out and hands chopped off as she etched words into the dirt with her uncle's walking stick. He furrowed his brow as he read... watching the letters take shape.
"why.... do.. you.. wi.. wish to... help..... me" he read aloud, slowly to make sure he understood her. He looked up and nodded. "I am a doctor, Physician , Surgeon, Apothecary... " He said as if reciting it with practiced ease. "Thoroughly trained and versed in my arts with one noble truth guiding my hand, etched into my mind like Prague's Golem. This is that the most glorius, wonderful and noble thing in the world is to take away the suffering of others, to heal the wounds, to stifle the pain, and to cure the illness of all those who seek my help. Not by God's will or by Man's law, but by the simple truth that we must all treat others as we would wish them to treat us. That is all."
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Post by experiment24601 on Sept 11, 2009 17:20:04 GMT -6
24601 looked at the doctor as he spoke. She was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to write. Such words of utter kindness he said to her. She was almost rendered to tears. "But you are not an experiment, if you leave my company with nothing else remember this... It is blasphemy to everything I've worked in my life to achieve if you were to leave otherwise." He took her hand in both of his and she squeezed his back as if accepting the affection. Her black eyes slowly faded to their white calm state. She put her finger to the sand again, and wrote. "Help me." She was allowing him to help her, he reminded her of Marc. There fore, she could trust him. She extended her arm to him so he could inspect the other. But she was still cautious. She used her other hand to write another message. "But please, move slowly, sudden moves will frighten me." She wrote and looked at him with her white eyes.
((Epic...fail))
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Post by hrothgar on Sept 12, 2009 0:30:36 GMT -6
He watched her write the words out. He took them to heart as best he could, a smile on his face. It wasn't often that he found a patient that came with it's own instruction manual. He looked back up at her and let his grip relax around her hand. "I will do my best Miss 24601... " He replied, bowing his head politely. It felt revitalizing to have such trust, sometimes even he thought his job was tedious. Stitching, bandaging, diagnosing... not only did she provide a new challenge but also a friendly face. He felt his heart racing just to think of it... that or it was the way she looked at him, the look of kindness returned. In a strange way it reminded him of Aida.
"I'll need to find something else to call you though" He said with a sigh. "It doesn't feel right stumbling over a numeral when talking to you. Twenty-four six oh one dosent really roll of the tongue... wait a moment..." He paused, looking at the sand. He bit his lip as his brows wrenched together in stern contemplation as he began to write the numbers out on the sand...
"2... 4....6... 0...1, Transferred directly .. lets see... no, the zero doesn't translate unless... no no. but if we increased each value by 1.... thats hrmnnn.. C, E, G, A B... wait If we make it a 24 instead of just 2 and 4... then increase that by one like the others we get a Y. Y,G,A,B... that could spell GABY. Ah! Gabby! Short for Gabriella!" He announced with a triumphant. "Hah!" as he pulled his finger from the sand where there now stood a jumbled and complicated mass of letters and numbers scrawled in the grit. "Gabriella! I'll call you Gabriella. Err, that is... if that's okay with you?"
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Post by experiment24601 on Sept 12, 2009 1:14:21 GMT -6
24601 looked at Luther as he seemed to stare at her for while. But it was not disgust that held his eyes, but kindness. 24601 was still getting used to being treated so gently. As he announced that he couldn't address her by her number, he wrote them out in the sand and began to decipher them into a new name. Gaby, he said. Gabriella...it was...such a beautiful name to be blessed with...Her white eyes seemed to be misty with tears...as well as shining the glowing white. He had taken the time...to give her a normal name. Marc had given her the gift of communication...Luther had given her the gift of a proper title for a woman. When he asked if it was alright she wrote in the sand. "I would like to be called Gabriella.." Slowly she lifted her head to meet his gaze. If she had a mouth she would be smiling at him. NO, she would be beaming at him. But also considering that the stitches that went from throat to sternum limited her neck movement, she ended up just using her eyes to look at him. She wrote in the sand again. "Few, think of me as normal....very few think of me as an equal creature. I thank you for NOT being one of them." Her articulation and spelling was wonderful it was as if she had written her entire life. She had a talent for her mind. And it was going to get her far in live...little did she know of that little detail.
((Sorry another crappy post...I need...sleep...))
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Post by hrothgar on Sept 12, 2009 19:17:01 GMT -6
He let his mouth curl into a broad smile. "Gabriella..." He said now, slowly getting to his feet and offering his hand to help her up. "A name derivative of the Archangel Gabriel who's name in hebrew meant Strength of God, for it was upon him that god entrusted great strength and power. And so shall this name serve you in the days to come, by it you shall draw strength. Whether by god's hand or by your own, remember this. " He placed his hand on her shoulder and bowed his head. "Experiment Twenty Four Six oh One, by the authority bestowed upon me by the Emperor Alexios Komnenos of Constantinople , The Knights of Malta and King Xenophon of Pennsylvania... I bestow upon thee the name Gabriella of Terrywood. Err... Better make that Wood for short."
With warm and steady hands he helped her rise, taking off his own jacket and draping it over her shoulders to keep the cold off. "Come now Gabriella... if I may, I'd like to see you taken care of. If there is damage that can be undone then I would like to remedy it as soon as possible."
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Post by experiment24601 on Sept 13, 2009 1:42:21 GMT -6
Gabriella Wood. That was the name bestowed upon Experiment 24601. As she stared up into the kind eyes of Luthor, he placed a hand on her shoulder, and told her the meaning behind the name. Told her she would find strength, and by the authority bestowed upon Luther by the emperror Alexios Komenos, of Constantinople, Knights of Malta and King Xenophon of Pennsylvania...he gave her a name. A real name. It was in that moment this man had broken through the walls of Experiment 24601, and pulled from her very soul, the woman that was Gabriella Wood. He helped her up and offered her his jacket. The warm fabric cloaking her from the bitter cold.
"Come now Gabriella... if I may, I'd like to see you taken care of. If there is damage that can be undone then I would like to remedy it as soon as possible." Gabriella felt tears sting her eyes as she slowly nodded and took his hand. She was a little unsteady on her feet and dizzy. But that always happened after she had eaten. She had lost a lot of blood...another thing she was used to. She looked at Luther again unsure of what to do. She couldn't thank him because that would require speach, she knew not of hand signals, and she could not write and walk at the same time. So she just stared at the man with bright yellow eyes. Curiosity, gratitude, confusion, caution...so many emotions depicted in such bright white eyes. Yet when they are black you could see even more emotion. Fear, anger, resentment, depression, longing, desparate....Gabriella was capable of emotion...even if her face did not have the ability to show it with lips, they reflected in her very eyes...
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Post by hrothgar on Sept 14, 2009 14:38:14 GMT -6
His strong careful hands helped her to her feet, holding her hand tight to steady her and bringing her close by as if afraid she might fall over. He was careful, slow and patient with her. However excited he might have been or however the thrill of discovery might have made his heart tremble he hid it behind a mask of warmth and almost fatherly concern for the young woman now in his care. There was almost a bizzare feeling now as he got a good look at her. In many ways she seemed more like some sort of Homunculus of vaguely human design. His brain couldn't help but wonder if her body even operated on the same principles a human body did. It would be interesting to see but not without the proper precautions taken first and a stern mind towards the ethics of human examination.
He could see the stitches more clearly now, the clear sign of repeated deep lacerations to the throat and permanent looking lace-like stitches obviously designed to seal the wound up like a tennis shoe. It altogether made too much sense now. With no mouth and no other apparent forms of consumption, she must have been cutting her neck open every time to push food down it then seal it up. It couldn't have been a very efficient way to eat, and all at once seemed like something that would have been fatal to a normal human being. She was a shifter though, and shifters seemed to regenerate wounds fairly quickly when they weren't delivered by Silver implements.. this would explained the lack of infection scarring around the wound and the reason why there were so many scars that looked very well healed over. He made a mental note of everything he'd have to look at when they got back to his office in the ruins of Allegheny General. He had managed to salvage a good deal of equipment, and thank god Xenophon had managed to keep electricity running.
He led her along, holding her hand as they made their exit from Kennywood park. "I'm taking you to my Office... its a long walk, almost 9 miles. But if you can make it with me a mile and a half there's a grocery store parking lot and some shopping carts... it may not be dignified but in your condition it'd be better to ride the rest of the way in a cart than to walk the remaining 7 on your own. Do you think you'll be okay until then?"
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