NorthernKraken — Roleplayer Guild

Interacting With: Everyone     Mentions:@Almalthia@MsMorningstar@Argetlam350@ZAVAZggg@Inertia

“I don’t understand though Angus, what’d they go an’ hurt that lady for?”

  Skull caved in, pink visible, blood, sticky, pooling in hollows left by footsteps in the mud. 

 “She wasun’ a lady Col’,”

  Shopping – parsnips and tomatoes and cabbages, a leg of red, fatty meat, strewn about the mass of silky blonde hair streaked with brown and sticky crimson. 

 “She were a wolf pretending to be a lady.”

 A groan, a half-hearted attempt to lift from the floor. 

 “Is she the one what took Susie and Marie-Ann from the village?” 

  Fabric, bright and fluttering in the grey breeze. 

 “They think so.” 

 A glint of steel. 

 “How do they know?”

“They just do.”

“There are monsters in this batch,”

 The commander’s words rang in Colin’s ears. Monsters. Here. He should’ve known, been more diligent, more alert – he scanned the room. A woman, the soft bulge of fangs above her lip – except no. Not pale enough. She was human. What was the commander – 

The man. With the hood. Of course. 

His heart thudded. His blood - ice. Pale skin, just visible through ghostly strands of white hair hanging limp from the man’s hood. The hard to pin-down, but clearly unnatural way he held his mouth – a mouth meant for teeth, not fangs. 

 Colin’s hands twitched, aching to reach, either for the weapon strapped to his back or the ones hanging from his belt. Legs, similarly, ready to carry him far away at a moment’s notice. The Commander’s armour clinked softly with each step as she moved through the crowd. The bloodsucker was shackled – iron digging into translucent skin, and they were surrounded by the most efficient monster fighting force in the land. He hadn’t been slain where he stood, and Colin wasn’t one to contradict the Red Hoods. They must have needed him for something, what, he didn’t know, but… well, he didn’t really have much choice, did he?

 The rest of the keep was decidedly less opulent than the main hall, something which brought Colin a measure of comfort, despite the crawling feeling in his gut and the feeling like the walls were going to crush them all between them. The bare stone that reeked of history, the flickering candlelight that twisted their shadows… terrifying, but more familiar than anything he’d seen all day. 

 Their footsteps echoed as they followed the man with the scars and the scowl – Finley, apparently – to their rooms. He caught Eliza’s eye. She’d slipped away earlier without his notice, but she’d been talking to what appeared to be a friend of hers, so he’d settled for listening to the speech alone. He was glad they’d ended up with the same group though, she seemed like she’d be a useful ally, hopefully even a friend – plus, that butterfly thing she’d had was awesome.

 They came to a stop, and the odd looking group clustered awkwardly around the man as he detailed the particulars of their stay. Who were Celestina and Von Lillen? He supposed he’d found out soon enough. 

 “Lehta.”

 “Lehta.”

 “Lehta.”

 “Lehta.”

 “Lehta.”

 Crackling, swooshing, whistling. People were speaking – mouths moving. Hot face. Painful chest. Numb Hands. 

The walls were wood.

 They were going to die.

 “Are you trying to get yerself killed lad?”

 The woman with the kind eyes was saying something, doing something, towards the woman with the red –

Blood welling up, sinking into the grass

-hair? 

 The woman with the kind eyes was smiling, scared, what was she saying?

It didn’t matter, harsh words had been exchanged and it was his turn to get wood for the fire.

Did that look mean something? 

It was cold and it was dark, and his bare feet sank into the cold loamy Earth as he ran, towards the wood-store with his breath crystal and cloudy and loud.

 The giant with white hair- 

A hand on his arm.

”No need to scream child, I have no wish to hurt you”

- was talking-

He didn’t.

-Then- Rubbing wrists. Smiling. Why was he so close to her? Why didn’t she-

Stinging.

“Fecking move Lad!”

Jelly knees collapsing, on the ground, stinging turned to ripping.

- run?

Blood soaked into the Earth. 

A man, human, was walking across the hall.

A stretching, elastic sound –not ringing or whistling, and oh, sound.  "Chain me up. It matters little to me if I am chained or not. My life, in particular, belong to the Red Hoods- again, chained or otherwise."

His hands were shaking – his whole body was shaking. 

 The sensation of wood beneath fingertips, of a familiar stiff but far from unbearable pain in his bad arm, of Nessy – raised. Arrow strung – pointing at the creature. When had that happened? How was there even room?

His voice, not his voice, but coming from his mouth – “Don’t fecking try anything, bloodsucker. One move, and this arrow’s in your chest.”

ASSOCIATED PROJECT(S): 
PROJECT ELEPHANT//PROJECT REF#1023

NAME: KIERAN SMITH

D.O.B: 11/10/1996

AGE:24

SECURITY PROCEDURES: LOW RISK//
CLOSE SUPERVISION RECCOMENDED//
SEE APPENDICE #987 FOR DETAILS//

: Brown, short

: Brown

 5'10

 155 Ibs

 Lean, not muscular. 

: Surgery scar beneath hair. No other significant markings.

Subject was raised in a suburban environment in a traditional nuclear family setting. Subject was the youngest of four siblings, and reports suggest the parenting style was 'hands off' as both parents worked (See Appendix 872 for detailed family history). The children were expected to contribute to household chores and perform well academically, although undue pressure was not applied. Teachers describe subject in childhood as being independent and keen to try new things. Subject engaged in numerous hobbies, focusing on several outdoor pursuits such as fell walking, rock climbing, and bird watching. Subject enjoyed biology in school, and indicated an interest in entering the field of conservation science after graduating college, possibly ornithology. Subject also was greatly interested in music. 

 Subject was recommended for the 'Daedalus Scheme for Gifted Youth' at the age of sixteen by his manager at work. This scheme was a front for PROJECT ELEPHANT recruitment, and promised professional mentoring alongside money for college. Following recruitment, Subject's family received mind alteration therapy, and a story painting the subject as having being involved in a motor vehicle accident was spread.

Subject 8712 shows high level of social awareness, and is highly interested in other people. From the beginning of the interview, subject's outward demanour did not indicate discomfort or anxiety. Reports from staff state that subject engages with others to a high degree during recreational time, particularly those who appear unwillingly isolated. 

 Subject seems to have a concerning level of curiosity, and will frequently enquire about things that Deadalus staff would rather remain confidential. Staff are encouraged to ensure that subject is supervised in order to maintain security. Fortunately, the subject appears to have developed an interest in programming by television personality 'Gordan Ramsay', and spends a large portion of his rec time when not socialising watching reality style television. Staff should encourage this behaviour, as it does not seem to be harmful, and reduces risk posed by subject's observational skills. 

 Intake reports indicate that subject was previously highly creative and engaged in numerous activities. Subject still expresses interest in these activities, however this has been fleeting at best. In interview, subject still appears to posses a high degree of creative thought, however, this is clearly no longer expressed to the degree it once was.

 Subject may often seem unfocused and disorganised. Despite keen observational skills and curiosity, subject has difficulty maintaining concentration for extended periods of time. Subject reports feelings of tension in regards to the highly structured regimen maintained at this facility and the levels of organisation enforced. Emotional regulation appears to be an area the subject struggles with significantly - whilst no such events occurred during the interview, staff have reported extreme emotional outbursts such as episodes of tearfullness, panic, and anger towards staff and self. Subject expresses guilt and remorse following these episodes, and appears to want to gain better control over them. It is unclear at this time whether this is related to PROJECT ELEPHANT, although it appears this is likely the case.

L: Good afternoon Kieran, my name is Louise Platte, and I’m part of the team carrying out your ongoing psychological assessment. I thought that today we could talk a little bit about your values and your aspirations in life, does that sound okay to you?

K: Y’know, I’d rather not, if that’s cool with the Daedalus Corp?
L: Well, what would you like to discuss?
K: I was thinking maybe toast? Or ohh! I know! Climate Change! That one’s always a hit.
L: Well, I’m sure we can-
K: I was joking.
L: Oh, [laughs] very funny. Would you like to begin now?
K: Shoot. 
L: All right, I thought we could start with some of your interests. What did you like to do before you came to this facility?
K: Don’t you have all that on file? I’m pretty sure I remember going over that already.
L: I’d like to hear it from you, help us get to know each other a little better.
K: Err, okay? I had quite a lot of hobbies when I was a kid, my parents gave me a pretty free rein, so I spent a lot of time outdoors with the other kids in the neighbourhood. When I grew up, I got seriously into stuff like rock climbing, fell walking, that kind of outdoorsy bullshit. I had a job at weekends - the thrilling task of dispensing candyfloss slush puppies to little kids at the fair. It was a good laugh though, plus I got money, so you won’t hear me complain about it. On the nerdier side of things, I liked to read a lot - I was working my way through Lord of The Rings. Kinda wish I could’ve finished it… music as well. I played it, I listened to it, talked anyone within range’s ear off about it. I was even in a shitty band.
L: What kind of music?
K: Oh, you know, typical not-quite nerdy teen in the early 2010’s. Lots of pop-punk, indie, rock kind of stuff - Green Day was a big one, pretty sure it was a requirement at my school to know all the words to ‘Jesus of Suburbia’.
L: What was it you liked about that music?
K: Probably the fact that was what all my friends were listening to, and it was  the kind of stuff they wanted to play. And yeah, a lot of my friends were girls with heavy eye liner, in case you were wondering. Music’s always been a way of connecting with people for people - there is nothing on this Earth quite like the feeling of playing music with somebody else. With my parents and my family, my tastes were totally different. Mostly dad-rock. Did you know my parents’ first dance was Nickleback’s photograph?  I mean come on guys! Did you not know you were gonna have kids one day?
L: Well, each to their own. 
K: What was yours?
L: Pardon?
K: You’re wedd- oh shit. Sorry. I didn’t realise you were separated, I should’ve-
L: It’s… it’s quite all right. How about we stick to talking about you though. Hm?
K: Sorry, of course…
L: So, we talked a little about the past, how about the future?
K: You mean my shiny-bright future as a lab rat?
L: You’re not a-
K: They did tell you I can tell when you’re lying, right? Don’t… don’t try to pretend that we’re here willingly. You’re better than that. 
L: Let’s talk about goals. What are some of your goals?
K: Death? 
L: I-
K: Joking. I don’t need to be put on suicide watch. Again. Goals, huh? I mean, half the time my goal is ‘make it to the end of this thought’. I don’t… I don’t really think about the future very much. It seems a little…
[Silence Lasting 01m21s]
L: Where did you go?
K: Aw shit, that’s what you lot always say when I go all space cadet. Sorry.
L: No need to apologise, it happens to the best of us. 
K: Sure it does.
L: How about we move on. Let’s talk about the things you value - what’s important in your life? 
K: Do you mean existencially…?
L: However you want to answer the question is completely fine. 
K: I’m gonna go ahead and say Chef Ramsay. The guy’s a legend. 
L: Well… I suppose…
K: Are we done here? Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Shooty in the corner over there is starting to look antsy. Is something going down? I love it when something goes down - entertaining af. 
L: I suppose we’ve covered a lot of ground today. It was nice to meet you Kieran.
K: You too Louise. 
[FOOTSTEPS]
K: Oh, I almost forgot, she still loves you, you know.
L: What are you-
K: Your wife. She still loves you, and you still love her and… I’m reasonably sure that she’ll give you another chance if you just… let yourself open up a bit more. She loves you, she just can’t deal with all the secrets. I thought… I thought I should tell you. Sorry if that’s overstepping… but… I mean, you know what I can do. Might as well try and help.

//INTENTIONS>> The intention of project elephant was to produce individuals with enchanced social inferential capabilities. Procedures were carried with the aim of increasing sensory abilities in order to detect minute chemical and physiological (E.g. heart rate, body temperature, etc.) shifts in others. Further procedures were carried out to allow subjects to interpret and understand these data.  

//PRIMING PHASE>> The pliability phase was introduced following pilot tests that individuals responded better to neurological stimulation following repeated application of gradually increasing doses of Poneratoxin over the course of two years. This treatment was most effective on individuals with indicators of good psychological and emotional health.

//SURGICAL PHASE>> Microsensory fibres were surgically implanted below skin in order to allow for detection of chemical shifts. Crispr editing of select brain tissues, along with photogenetic alterations in accordance with pilot tests were carried out in order to allow the brain to process this information. Magnetic and electrical stimulation was also carried out to allow for integration into sensory systems. 

//TESTING AND ASSESSMENT PHASE>> ONGOING

02/23/2011 - Selection agents dispatched. Circulation of advertisement for pseudo-scheme with applicant specifications including good educational attainment, high level of engagement in extracurricular activities, and good community standing. Application process also caries soft barrier of additional markers of good psychological and emotional well-being. 

02/23/2012 - Selection process completed. Subjects, here referred to alphabetically A-F. For full details of process consult appendix item 001. For mainframe subject references consult appendix item 002.

03/01/2012 - Psycho-emotional pliability preparatory procedures commenced. For full details of this procedure consult appendix 003 - 026

03/24/2012 - Subject D is deceased. Cause of death unclear, however, prelimanary reports suggest self-inflicted asphyxiation. Increased security measures implemented for this stage of the trial.

06/13/2013 - Subject B was eliminated at 0200 hours by a member of the security staff in sector H, corridor 2C. Preliminary reports suggest subject B was attempting to leave the facility unauthorised.  

03/01/2014 - Full reports from this stage of the trial are included in appedix items 027-102. Subjects A, C, and F were found to demonstrate the intended mental state. Subject E was removed from the trial due to unsatisfactory progress. 

03/06/2014 - Surgical Enchancement stage commenced. 
Neo-Cortical Stimulation - 103-105
Limbic Integration - 106-120
Sensory Implantation I - 121-130
Sensory Implantation II - 131-140
Enchanced Neo-Cortex - Stem Integration Procedure - 140-180
Neocortical Enchancement - 181- 313

11/03/2014 - Subject A entered status epilepticus following the Enchanced Neo-Cortex - Stem integration procedure. Upon failure of benzodiazepine therapy, barbiturates were administered. Upon failure of barbiturates, a general anaesthetic was administered and subject A was placed on ventilation. See Apendix 314

11/19/2014 - Subject A was confirmed to have suffered brain death. Life support was withdrawn. See Appendix 315 

12/25/2015 - Surgical Enchancement phase of trial completed. Subjects C and F were found to have responded positively to this phase of the trial.

01/01/2016 - Subjects transferred to testing and training department following complete neurological assesment. Subject C was found to have suffered brain damage to an unknown, but apparently severe extent. Subject F had no evident neurological damage, although test subject F was found to differ significantly from original results, all was within the expected range.

 - Increased capacity of subject's sensory abilities in relation to emotional output of others due to micro-implantation beneath skin and in sensory organs.

 - Ability of subject to receive and process data from implants.

 - Ability to retroactively recognise emotion left on objects from chemical outputs to a high degree of precision.

 - Due to increased neocortical processing power, is capable of inferring simple thoughts from others. The subject reported hearing thoughts as 'voices', the content of which appears to be unspecific in nature, and mainly pertaining to basic needs. Examples from targets have included -

 Familiarity with the target appears to increase the accuracy of this 'telepathy', and a large amount of it appears to be based on microexpressional inference combined with the subject's emphatic sensing and processing. The subject does not appear to be able to apply the skill on retroactive targets.

Subject has demonstrated skill in a remarkable variety of activities. Upon intake, interests ranging from piano to sports, and self identifying as a 'twitcher' [NOTE - TWITCHER. NOUN. COLLOQUIAL TERM FOR SOMEONE WHO WATCHES BIRDS]. This is unsurprising, given that subjects for Project Elephant were deliberately selected from a pool of psycologically stable high achievers.

Following the pliability priming phase of project elephant, subject has expressed little interest in engaging in most of these activities. It is unclear whether the subject retains these cultivated abilities following neurological alteration.

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