In The Dark, Act I
By: XStryker
Thread: Iron Writer!
Posted: August 07, 2004
Act I
::Scene: Absolute darkness. A heavy silence; but gradually, the sound of breathing arises, faint at first but growing clearer, magnified by the lack of any other sound. Suddenly, there is a sharp intake of breath; and the silence is punctuated by the clearing of a throat.::
Voice: ::with a struggling, raspy tone:: Ugghh
Voice: Where am I? ::the voice is male, adult, and likely human.::
::a pause::
Voice: Hello?
Voice: Hello?
Voice: Is anybody out there?
Voice: CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?
Voice: HELLO?
::another pause, with no response::
Voice: Please
Voice: If anyone can hear me, I need help.
Voice: I cant move. I cant see.
Voice: My head hurts I dont know where I am.
Voice: I dont know if Im in a dark and silent room or if Im blind and deaf.
Voice: I dont remember anything. I dont
Voice: ::sob::
Voice: I dont know who I am!
Voice: My god I dont know who I am.
Voice: I dont know what is real. I dont know if this is real or if Im crazy.
Voice: ::hopefully:: Or dreaming.
::a pause::
Voice: Or dead.
::another pause. The voice is sobbing::
Voice: OK. I can feel tears on my eyelids. I am talking and thus my mouth can move.
Voice: I am breathing.
Voice: I I think that Im alive.
Voice: I think, therefore I am, right?
Voice: I dont know anything about philosophy.
::pause::
Voice: I dont think Im crazy. My head hurts, and Im disoriented and confused. I have no memory of who I am. But I dont think Im crazy.
Voice: Although, I am talking to myself.
::pause::
Voice: But when I talk, I can hear myself talking, so I cant be deaf.
Voice: So I can hear myself, and feel tears on my eyelids, and move my mouth. And my tongue.
Voice: I can feel my tongue in my mouth. ::gulps:: I can swallow. I can taste the inside of my mouth.
Voice: There are no bits of food inside my mouth, so I havent eaten recently.
Voice: But there is some nasty plaque or whatever on the outer surface of my teeth. So I havent brushed my teeth recently. But there probably has been some food inside my mouth at some point.
::pause::
Voice: I can feel facial hair with my tongue. I have a mustache. And a beard.
Voice: I havent shaved in a while.
Voice: But my mustache isnt especially long. A few weeks, or a few months.
Voice: But not a few years.
::pause::
Voice: So I have a face, and a tongue, and teeth, and a mustache, and a beard.
Voice: I can hear, taste, and feel, at least with my face.
Voice: And I felt my own tears, so I guess I have eyes, too.
Voice: Yeah, I can move my eyes. But I cant see anything.
Voice: I still dont know if Im blind or not.
::pause::
Voice: My tongue and the inside of my mouth are moist. And I have tears.
Voice: That ought to mean I have probably had water to drink I guess in the last 24 hours?
Voice: And I have eaten, I guess, but not recently.
::pause::
Voice: Perhaps I am in a dark room. Or perhaps I am blind.
Voice: I have no prior memory, so perhaps I have suffered a head injury. Maybe I lost both my vision and my memory in some kind of accident.
Voice: I cant move, so maybe I am paralyzed, too.
Voice: Maybe I wake up like this every morning, blind and paralyzed, with no memory of the prior day.
Voice: Maybe if I just wait long enough, whoever gave me water will come and take care of me, and explain, perhaps for hundreth time, how I came to be blind and paralyzed and an amnesiac.
::pause::
Voice: HELLO?
Voice: COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME?
Voice: IM ALONE AND CONFUSED AND I HAVE NO MEMORY!!!
Voice: Maybe my caretakers dead.
Voice: Maybe hes dead, and now I am alone and forgotten, in a remote area or a house with thick walls.
Voice: Maybe Im going to die of dehydration.
::pause::
Voice: So, who am I?
Voice: Well, Im probably not lucky, am I?
Voice: ::chuckles:: Heh. I can laugh. Thats good.
::heavy breathing::
Voice: I can curl my lips and breathe towards my nose.
Voice: My breath smells awful.
Voice: But I can smell. I can smell, hear, taste, and feel, to some extent.
Voice: But I cant see, and I cant move my neck or anything below it.
Voice: Maybe I was hiking on some lonely mountain, and there was an avalanche.
Voice: Perhaps my spine is shattered, and brain injured. That could explain the paralyzation, blindness, and amnesia.
::pause::
Voice: HELLO?
::pause::
Voice: No echo.
Voice: I dont feel any breeze whatsoever.
Voice: No birds calling, wind blowing, nothing. Everythings silent but me.
::pause::
Voice: I dont think Im outdoors.
::pause::
Voice: I could I could spit! Or at least drool. Then Id know for sure which way is up.
::the thick sound of phlegm is heard::
Voice: Down is towards my chin.
::a pause::
Voice: That means my head is basically upright.
Voice: So Im not lying down?
::pause::
Voice:: Where the fuck am I?
::pause::
Voice: I can feel the drool on my neck! I have a neck, and it can feel!
Voice: But it cant move.
Voice: Although my chin can.
Voice: I can feel the drool rolling down my chest, too. Thats good.
::pause::
Voice: Now I dont feel it anymore.
Voice: Where I had felt it before is now somewhat cool. I dont think Im wearing a shirt.
Voice: Have I lost all feeling below the top of my chest?
::pause::
Voice: I feel it again. On my stomach.
Voice: It must have rolled over something, like maybe a bandage.
Voice: Although I think a bandage would have absorbed the drool.
Voice: The path of the drool continued on my stomach almost straight down from where it had been interrupted on my chest, and at roughly the same rate.
Voice: I think it must have rolled across something smooth and non-absorbent. A rough surface probably would have diverted the direction and slowed it down.
::pause::
Voice: It has reached my leg. I have a leg!
Voice: My lap. It has reached my lap. My thighs is oriented horizontally.
Voice: I am sitting down.
Voice: And something smooth is on my chest.
Voice: Probably across my chest.
::pause::
Voice: I think Im strapped to a chair. In a room.
Voice: And if there is anyone around, either they cant hear me
Voice: or they have no interest in helping me.
Voice: I think I am a prisoner.
::Scene: Absolute darkness. A heavy silence; but gradually, the sound of breathing arises, faint at first but growing clearer, magnified by the lack of any other sound. Suddenly, there is a sharp intake of breath; and the silence is punctuated by the clearing of a throat.::
Voice: ::with a struggling, raspy tone:: Ugghh
Voice: Where am I? ::the voice is male, adult, and likely human.::
::a pause::
Voice: Hello?
Voice: Hello?
Voice: Is anybody out there?
Voice: CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?
Voice: HELLO?
::another pause, with no response::
Voice: Please
Voice: If anyone can hear me, I need help.
Voice: I cant move. I cant see.
Voice: My head hurts I dont know where I am.
Voice: I dont know if Im in a dark and silent room or if Im blind and deaf.
Voice: I dont remember anything. I dont
Voice: ::sob::
Voice: I dont know who I am!
Voice: My god I dont know who I am.
Voice: I dont know what is real. I dont know if this is real or if Im crazy.
Voice: ::hopefully:: Or dreaming.
::a pause::
Voice: Or dead.
::another pause. The voice is sobbing::
Voice: OK. I can feel tears on my eyelids. I am talking and thus my mouth can move.
Voice: I am breathing.
Voice: I I think that Im alive.
Voice: I think, therefore I am, right?
Voice: I dont know anything about philosophy.
::pause::
Voice: I dont think Im crazy. My head hurts, and Im disoriented and confused. I have no memory of who I am. But I dont think Im crazy.
Voice: Although, I am talking to myself.
::pause::
Voice: But when I talk, I can hear myself talking, so I cant be deaf.
Voice: So I can hear myself, and feel tears on my eyelids, and move my mouth. And my tongue.
Voice: I can feel my tongue in my mouth. ::gulps:: I can swallow. I can taste the inside of my mouth.
Voice: There are no bits of food inside my mouth, so I havent eaten recently.
Voice: But there is some nasty plaque or whatever on the outer surface of my teeth. So I havent brushed my teeth recently. But there probably has been some food inside my mouth at some point.
::pause::
Voice: I can feel facial hair with my tongue. I have a mustache. And a beard.
Voice: I havent shaved in a while.
Voice: But my mustache isnt especially long. A few weeks, or a few months.
Voice: But not a few years.
::pause::
Voice: So I have a face, and a tongue, and teeth, and a mustache, and a beard.
Voice: I can hear, taste, and feel, at least with my face.
Voice: And I felt my own tears, so I guess I have eyes, too.
Voice: Yeah, I can move my eyes. But I cant see anything.
Voice: I still dont know if Im blind or not.
::pause::
Voice: My tongue and the inside of my mouth are moist. And I have tears.
Voice: That ought to mean I have probably had water to drink I guess in the last 24 hours?
Voice: And I have eaten, I guess, but not recently.
::pause::
Voice: Perhaps I am in a dark room. Or perhaps I am blind.
Voice: I have no prior memory, so perhaps I have suffered a head injury. Maybe I lost both my vision and my memory in some kind of accident.
Voice: I cant move, so maybe I am paralyzed, too.
Voice: Maybe I wake up like this every morning, blind and paralyzed, with no memory of the prior day.
Voice: Maybe if I just wait long enough, whoever gave me water will come and take care of me, and explain, perhaps for hundreth time, how I came to be blind and paralyzed and an amnesiac.
::pause::
Voice: HELLO?
Voice: COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME?
Voice: IM ALONE AND CONFUSED AND I HAVE NO MEMORY!!!
Voice: Maybe my caretakers dead.
Voice: Maybe hes dead, and now I am alone and forgotten, in a remote area or a house with thick walls.
Voice: Maybe Im going to die of dehydration.
::pause::
Voice: So, who am I?
Voice: Well, Im probably not lucky, am I?
Voice: ::chuckles:: Heh. I can laugh. Thats good.
::heavy breathing::
Voice: I can curl my lips and breathe towards my nose.
Voice: My breath smells awful.
Voice: But I can smell. I can smell, hear, taste, and feel, to some extent.
Voice: But I cant see, and I cant move my neck or anything below it.
Voice: Maybe I was hiking on some lonely mountain, and there was an avalanche.
Voice: Perhaps my spine is shattered, and brain injured. That could explain the paralyzation, blindness, and amnesia.
::pause::
Voice: HELLO?
::pause::
Voice: No echo.
Voice: I dont feel any breeze whatsoever.
Voice: No birds calling, wind blowing, nothing. Everythings silent but me.
::pause::
Voice: I dont think Im outdoors.
::pause::
Voice: I could I could spit! Or at least drool. Then Id know for sure which way is up.
::the thick sound of phlegm is heard::
Voice: Down is towards my chin.
::a pause::
Voice: That means my head is basically upright.
Voice: So Im not lying down?
::pause::
Voice:: Where the fuck am I?
::pause::
Voice: I can feel the drool on my neck! I have a neck, and it can feel!
Voice: But it cant move.
Voice: Although my chin can.
Voice: I can feel the drool rolling down my chest, too. Thats good.
::pause::
Voice: Now I dont feel it anymore.
Voice: Where I had felt it before is now somewhat cool. I dont think Im wearing a shirt.
Voice: Have I lost all feeling below the top of my chest?
::pause::
Voice: I feel it again. On my stomach.
Voice: It must have rolled over something, like maybe a bandage.
Voice: Although I think a bandage would have absorbed the drool.
Voice: The path of the drool continued on my stomach almost straight down from where it had been interrupted on my chest, and at roughly the same rate.
Voice: I think it must have rolled across something smooth and non-absorbent. A rough surface probably would have diverted the direction and slowed it down.
::pause::
Voice: It has reached my leg. I have a leg!
Voice: My lap. It has reached my lap. My thighs is oriented horizontally.
Voice: I am sitting down.
Voice: And something smooth is on my chest.
Voice: Probably across my chest.
::pause::
Voice: I think Im strapped to a chair. In a room.
Voice: And if there is anyone around, either they cant hear me
Voice: or they have no interest in helping me.
Voice: I think I am a prisoner.
In The Dark, Act II
By: XStryker
Thread: Iron Writer!
Posted: August 07, 2004
Act II
Scene: The same.
Voice: I should stop talking. Maybe someone is listening.
Voice: Maybe theyre just waiting for me to spill my guts or something.
::pause::
Voice: But I dont remember anything!
Voice: And if I stop talking, I think Im going to lose my mind.
Voice: I mean, its not like I can sit quietly, reminiscing about the past, right?
Voice: Or can I?
::pause::
Voice: Im speaking. I remember how to speak.
Voice: I speak a language Common.
Voice: Which is spoken everywhere, by pretty much everyone.
Voice: So I could be from anywhere, I guess.
::pause::
Voice: except Thebes.
Voice: They speak Thebean.
Voice: I dont think I know any Thebean.
Voice: So Im not from Thebes.
::pause::
Voice: I am strapped to a chair, probably.
Voice: I dont think thats how prisoners are normally treated.
Voice: I mean, they could have just handcuffed me or something.
Voice: because wherever it is Im from, I guess they handcuff prisoners.
::pause::
Voice: I dont know what they do with prisoners in Thebes.
::pause::
Voice: Who knows? Maybe Im not a prisoner at all.
Voice: Maybe Im in some kind of hospital.
Voice: Maybe they strapped me in so I wouldnt hurt myself or something.
::pause::
Voice: yeah. And no one responds to me screaming at the top of my lungs for help?
Voice: This aint no fucking hospital.
::pause::
Voice: And it aint no ordinary prison, either.
Voice: Or at least, Im no ordinary prisoner.
::pause::
Voice: If Im paralyzed, why would they strap me to a chair?
Voice: If I was really paralyzed, they wouldnt need straps.
Voice: Am I really paralyzed? Am I really blind?
Voice: Or is my paralysis brought on by some kind of drug or toxin?
Voice: Or have I been Bound?
::pause::
Voice: Bound?
::pause::
Voice: Thats a spell. Thats when a magic user binds you using a spell.
Voice: When they weave flows of Air.
Voice: And tie them off.
Voice: Do I know magic?
::pause::
Voice: Cause that would be super.
::pause::
Voice: Ummm Magic. Weaving flows of Air.
Voice: Magic users do that.
Voice: Tanes from Aryth they use magic.
Voice: Aryth its pretty there they dont use guns at all.
Voice: Or watch television. Or ride jetbikes.
Voice: Am I Arythian? Am I a Tane?
::pause::
Voice: No, because where Im from, prisoners are handcuffed.
Voice: And Im pretty sure I know how to ride a jetbike.
Voice: Keys in the ignition and all that.
Voice: And use a gun.
::pause::
Voice: I know how to fire a gun.
Voice: There are a lot of kinds of guns. N5 Shotguns, Wondershot Pistols, Supervolt Rifles, Balefire Pistols..
Voice: Although only the OmniSent used them.
::pause::
Voice: And they also used Leashes. On Tanes.
Voice: In Aryth.
Voice: Where they wear sarha.
Voice: And maybe frolic in the Marobian Flower Fields.
::pause::
Voice: Ive been there, havent I?
Voice: Thats why I know about Tanes, and Marabon, and sarha.
Voice: Am I an OmniSent agent?
::pause::
Voice: Maybe I am.
Voice: Maybe the Celpo has tracked me down.
Voice: Everywhere and Nowhere.
Voice: The Celpo is Mother.
::pause::
Voice: I dont think Im an OmniSent agent.
Voice: I know too much.
::pause::
Voice: Now I know what kind of prison this is.
Voice: I am in a blackroom.
Voice: And because I know what a blackroom is, that means I am a Celpo agent.
Voice: In a Celpo prison.
Voice: And it doesnt matter whether I speak out loud or not, because my thoughts are being recorded anyway.
::pause::
Voice: If I were a traitor, I would be dead. Blackrooms are for failures.
Voice: Mother does not tolerate failure.
::pause::
Voice: So Ive been mindwiped, but only just enough to remove my identity and any specific knowledge of any missions Ive been on.
Voice: And probably any passwords I know.
Voice: But not my knowledge of Celpo procedures, because Mother isnt done with me.
::pause::
Voice: Despite my failure, I am too valuable to go to waste.
Voice: Even the worst Celpo agent is better than anyone else could ever be.
::pause::
Voice: So Im being recycled.
Womans voice: Well done, Agent XI. I think Im going to like you a lot better the second time around.
Scene: The same.
Voice: I should stop talking. Maybe someone is listening.
Voice: Maybe theyre just waiting for me to spill my guts or something.
::pause::
Voice: But I dont remember anything!
Voice: And if I stop talking, I think Im going to lose my mind.
Voice: I mean, its not like I can sit quietly, reminiscing about the past, right?
Voice: Or can I?
::pause::
Voice: Im speaking. I remember how to speak.
Voice: I speak a language Common.
Voice: Which is spoken everywhere, by pretty much everyone.
Voice: So I could be from anywhere, I guess.
::pause::
Voice: except Thebes.
Voice: They speak Thebean.
Voice: I dont think I know any Thebean.
Voice: So Im not from Thebes.
::pause::
Voice: I am strapped to a chair, probably.
Voice: I dont think thats how prisoners are normally treated.
Voice: I mean, they could have just handcuffed me or something.
Voice: because wherever it is Im from, I guess they handcuff prisoners.
::pause::
Voice: I dont know what they do with prisoners in Thebes.
::pause::
Voice: Who knows? Maybe Im not a prisoner at all.
Voice: Maybe Im in some kind of hospital.
Voice: Maybe they strapped me in so I wouldnt hurt myself or something.
::pause::
Voice: yeah. And no one responds to me screaming at the top of my lungs for help?
Voice: This aint no fucking hospital.
::pause::
Voice: And it aint no ordinary prison, either.
Voice: Or at least, Im no ordinary prisoner.
::pause::
Voice: If Im paralyzed, why would they strap me to a chair?
Voice: If I was really paralyzed, they wouldnt need straps.
Voice: Am I really paralyzed? Am I really blind?
Voice: Or is my paralysis brought on by some kind of drug or toxin?
Voice: Or have I been Bound?
::pause::
Voice: Bound?
::pause::
Voice: Thats a spell. Thats when a magic user binds you using a spell.
Voice: When they weave flows of Air.
Voice: And tie them off.
Voice: Do I know magic?
::pause::
Voice: Cause that would be super.
::pause::
Voice: Ummm Magic. Weaving flows of Air.
Voice: Magic users do that.
Voice: Tanes from Aryth they use magic.
Voice: Aryth its pretty there they dont use guns at all.
Voice: Or watch television. Or ride jetbikes.
Voice: Am I Arythian? Am I a Tane?
::pause::
Voice: No, because where Im from, prisoners are handcuffed.
Voice: And Im pretty sure I know how to ride a jetbike.
Voice: Keys in the ignition and all that.
Voice: And use a gun.
::pause::
Voice: I know how to fire a gun.
Voice: There are a lot of kinds of guns. N5 Shotguns, Wondershot Pistols, Supervolt Rifles, Balefire Pistols..
Voice: Although only the OmniSent used them.
::pause::
Voice: And they also used Leashes. On Tanes.
Voice: In Aryth.
Voice: Where they wear sarha.
Voice: And maybe frolic in the Marobian Flower Fields.
::pause::
Voice: Ive been there, havent I?
Voice: Thats why I know about Tanes, and Marabon, and sarha.
Voice: Am I an OmniSent agent?
::pause::
Voice: Maybe I am.
Voice: Maybe the Celpo has tracked me down.
Voice: Everywhere and Nowhere.
Voice: The Celpo is Mother.
::pause::
Voice: I dont think Im an OmniSent agent.
Voice: I know too much.
::pause::
Voice: Now I know what kind of prison this is.
Voice: I am in a blackroom.
Voice: And because I know what a blackroom is, that means I am a Celpo agent.
Voice: In a Celpo prison.
Voice: And it doesnt matter whether I speak out loud or not, because my thoughts are being recorded anyway.
::pause::
Voice: If I were a traitor, I would be dead. Blackrooms are for failures.
Voice: Mother does not tolerate failure.
::pause::
Voice: So Ive been mindwiped, but only just enough to remove my identity and any specific knowledge of any missions Ive been on.
Voice: And probably any passwords I know.
Voice: But not my knowledge of Celpo procedures, because Mother isnt done with me.
::pause::
Voice: Despite my failure, I am too valuable to go to waste.
Voice: Even the worst Celpo agent is better than anyone else could ever be.
::pause::
Voice: So Im being recycled.
Womans voice: Well done, Agent XI. I think Im going to like you a lot better the second time around.
In The Dark, Act III
By: XStryker
Thread: Iron Writer!
Posted: August 07, 2004
Act III
Scene: The same. The womans voice is smoky, alternating between playful and malicious.
XI: So Im Agent XI, huh? Or is that who Ill become?
Womans voice: :Wouldnt you like to know? Dont expect to get answers from me. You seem to know where you are, so why would you expect youd get answers here?
XI: Youre right, I shouldnt expect any answers whatsoever. But I like asking questions.
Womans voice: And youre so good at answering them! Dont let me stop you.
XI: Dont I deserve to know something?
Womans voice: You can guess how you got here. What do you think you deserve?
XI: I am Celpo, I guess. And I suppose I failed.
Womans voice: I asked you what you deserve.
XI: Not death, surely.
Womans voice: And why not?
XI: Because I am Celpo. I must assume I served faithfully, or Id be dead already.
Womans voice: You assume quite a bit.
XI: I know nothing. All I have are assumptions.
Womans voice: So, then, I ask again, what do you deserve, failure?
::pause::
XI: A second chance?
Womans voice: Indeed, that you do. A second chance that I will be quite delighted to provide.
XI: Youve wiped me clean. Youve erased everything that was me. I deserve to know who I am! Or was.
Womans voice: Ive done nothing to you. Who you were is irrelevant. Its who you will be that matters.
::pause::
XI: And who the hell are you?
Womans voice: Why should I tell you?
XI: You know who I am. You can call me Agent XI, but I have no idea what to call you.
Womans voice: What would you like to call me?
::pause::
Womans voice: Mommy, perhaps?
XI: Are you my mother?
Womans voice: The Celpo is Mother.
XI: You dont sound old enough to be my mother.
Womans voice: I dont raise failures, so I guess I aint yer mommy.
XI: Im not going to call you Mommy.
Womans voice: What do you want to call me?
XI: How about Ghost?
Womans voice: Do you think Im dead?
XI: I dont know but I cant hear you breathing.
::pause::
Womans voice: Clever boy.
XI: I dont think youre physically here.
::pause::
Womans voice: I like it when you come up with answers. So if you like, you can call me Nightshade.
XI: Nightshade, huh? Beautiful and deadly, perhaps?
Nightshade: Perhaps. But whos to say Im humanoid? Maybe Im a giant, hungry spider.
XI: I seem to be caught in your web, dont I?
Nightshade: Not to mention paralyzed by my venom. Suppose I lay a cluster of eggs inside you? And watched my newborn arachnid kids hatch inside you, eating you from the inside? Can you picture that, tiny little spiders crawling out of your mouth?
::pause::
XI: Please stop. Thats horrible.
Nightshade: OK, so Im no spider, but believe me, injecting you with spider eggs is something I could do. That is a very real possibility and you should remember it. I have a supply of them.
::pause::
XI: Then Id say youre capable of limitless cruelty, Nightshade.
Nightshade: You have no idea.
::pause::
XI: So youre Nightshade, and Im Agent XI.
Nightshade: As far as you know, yes.
XI: I think you got a better deal, name-wise.
Nightshade: Im somebody. Youre nobody.
XI: Agent XI pretty generic. If thats who I was, I guess I wasnt too important.
Nightshade: If you were an agent worth the name, would you be here now?
XI: Everybody makes mistakes.
Nightshade: To err is human.
XI: Whats that supposed to mean?
Nightshade: Its sad that you even need to ask.
XI: Are you human?
Nightshade: or am I a vicious arachnid? You know, Ticondera has some spiders you really wouldnt like to see.
XI: Actually, I would. Right now, Id like to see anything at all.
Nightshade: You just want to see me.
XI: I seriously doubt I can. Youre not physically here, remember?
Nightshade: Maybe youre the ghost, XI. If you have no memory, do you still have a soul?
XI: You tell me. Youre the Celpo blackroom scientist. Did you wipe my soul clean, too?
Nightshade: I havent done anything to you, yet. As far as you know.
XI: Maybe you havent. Because I realize, now, that youre not a Minder.
Nightshade: And why is that?
XI: Because Im hearing you speak in stereo. I may be a failure, but Im still Celpo. If I concentrate, I can tell the difference between real sound and telepathic speech.
Nightshade: Very good. So I suppose you wish to see, then? Very well.
::the sudden re-emergence of light is blinding, and XI lets out a startled cry. The light reveals the back of a strange, high-backed, metallic red chair, with several wires attached to it. All that can be seen of the chairs occupant is a bare forearm on each side; the hands appear to be hidden inside shafts on the strangely curved chairs base. The chair faces a slightly curved white wall. After the initial flash, the light takes on an ambient quality.::
XI: Ow, fuck, my eyes! I wanted to see, not be blinded!
Nightshade: Fickle, arent you?
::pause::
XI: Ow Well, at least I know Im not completely blind. My visions starting to come back.
Nightshade: And what do you see?
XI: White. Blurry white.
Nightshade: What else do you see?
XI: I can sort of make out my nose, and my mustache. I have blond hair. Am I Tasnican?
Nightshade: Maybe. Am I Tasnican?
XI: No I dont think you are.
Nightshade: And why not?
XI: Because the light in this room is without any defined source. And because theres no trace of mechanical distortion in your voice, even though you arent here. Youre using magic. If you were Tasnican, youd be an Elemental Priestess. But Elementalists and spider-torturers dont mix.
::pause::
Nightshade: Hows your vision?
XI: Getting better. I see a stark white curved wall in front of me. I assume it probably absorbs sound. I have no idea what it does to thought or magic.
Nightshade: Well, assuming Im using magic, Id say its at least somewhat porous on that front, isnt it?
XI: For all the good it does me. Oh, I can see my thighs, too theyre wasting away. My muscles have atrophied Im kind of disappointed Mothers not taking better care of me. But I suppose it means I have no chance of walking out of here, much less running.
Nightshade: Exactly. Would you like to see the rest of you?
XI: Im a little afraid to. But yeah, absolutely Thanks, I guess.
Nightshade: Dont bother with courtesy. We are Celpo.
::There is a small flash of light, coming from in front of the chair. A silvery, rectangular object slowly rises from in front of the chair; it is a mirror, tilted to show the chairs occupant. The reflection shows the upper torso of a bedraggled, emaciated man. He has a bushy blond beard and mustache, and thick, unkempt hair that seems to grow outwards moreso than downwards. Fierce, focused blue eyes peer out from dark-ringed, hollow sockets. There are strange scars and marking on his chest, which is partly covered by a metal bar that straps him to the chair.::
XI: Ive seen better days. At least, I hope I have.
Nightshade: Maybe youll see better days ahead. But dont count on it.
XI: So you can conjure up mirrors out of thin air. Are you a conjurer?
Nightshade: What do you think I am?
::pause::
XI: I think youre Crystalese.
Nightshade: Why?
XI: Specifically, youre Agari. You answer almost every question with a question. Just like the gurus on the cliffs of Agart.
Nightshade: Id say your line of reasoning is fairly thin.
XI: And so is that mirror. In fact, it has no more physical presence than you do, my Agari captor.
Nightshade: What makes you so sure?
XI: You made your voice appear in the room, even though you arent here. You created light that has no true source. And then you made a mirror appear, but my reflection has shadows as if the light came from a single point. That mirror is an illusion, and that makes you a traditional Agari illusionist, an adherent of the Sacred Circle of Parvati-Maya also known as the Spider Cult.
Nightshade: That mirror is real.
XI: Oh yeah? Ill prove it!
::He spits at the mirror. The spit lands on the mirror and rolls down it.
XI: Thats probably just another illusion!
Nightshade: Would I do something so wicked, just to fuck with your mind?
::Before he can answer, the mirror angles to the side. The reflection now shows a blue-skinned woman with long, flowing black hair. There is a red dot at the center of her forehead. Her midriff is bare; she wears what might be termed a tube top, except that its made of a bolt of red cloth, twisted in the middle. She wears a pair of baggy red breeches made of some thin, gauzy material. There is a ruby in her navel. She is grinning.::
XI: Traditional Agari garb. I almost think youre going overboard to suit my expectations.
Nightshade: Maybe. I am an illusionist, after all, right?
XI: Indeed. Which just leaves the question of what my purpose shall be.
Nightshade: And, perhaps, where you are.
XI: Oh, Ive figured out that one.
Nightshade: You have?
XI: Absolutely. That little flash when you made the mirror. That was unintended. That was a manifestation of unstable ambient mana. Were in Aryth, near the Source. My minds been wiped, but I know Ive seen that. If I had to venture a guess, Id say Im here because I fell into the Source.
Nightshade: Thats a very good guess. You jumped in, actually.
XI: That sounds foolish of me.
Nightshade: You have no idea how hard it was to fish you out. We pretty much had to bend reality itself.
XI: Bend reality?
Nightshade: Its the sort of thing you can only do when you draw on the power of the Source.
XI: And Ive swam in it, in a matter of speaking.
Nightshade: Yes. And as my final reward for your cleverness, Im going to tell you your fate. The chair you are sitting in will draw every last drop of that delicious mana you drew from the Source. Youre going to make a terrific battery, Agent XI.
::The lights go out. The sound of a great engine is heard, accompanied by a long scream that distorts into nothing at all.::
Scene: The same. The womans voice is smoky, alternating between playful and malicious.
XI: So Im Agent XI, huh? Or is that who Ill become?
Womans voice: :Wouldnt you like to know? Dont expect to get answers from me. You seem to know where you are, so why would you expect youd get answers here?
XI: Youre right, I shouldnt expect any answers whatsoever. But I like asking questions.
Womans voice: And youre so good at answering them! Dont let me stop you.
XI: Dont I deserve to know something?
Womans voice: You can guess how you got here. What do you think you deserve?
XI: I am Celpo, I guess. And I suppose I failed.
Womans voice: I asked you what you deserve.
XI: Not death, surely.
Womans voice: And why not?
XI: Because I am Celpo. I must assume I served faithfully, or Id be dead already.
Womans voice: You assume quite a bit.
XI: I know nothing. All I have are assumptions.
Womans voice: So, then, I ask again, what do you deserve, failure?
::pause::
XI: A second chance?
Womans voice: Indeed, that you do. A second chance that I will be quite delighted to provide.
XI: Youve wiped me clean. Youve erased everything that was me. I deserve to know who I am! Or was.
Womans voice: Ive done nothing to you. Who you were is irrelevant. Its who you will be that matters.
::pause::
XI: And who the hell are you?
Womans voice: Why should I tell you?
XI: You know who I am. You can call me Agent XI, but I have no idea what to call you.
Womans voice: What would you like to call me?
::pause::
Womans voice: Mommy, perhaps?
XI: Are you my mother?
Womans voice: The Celpo is Mother.
XI: You dont sound old enough to be my mother.
Womans voice: I dont raise failures, so I guess I aint yer mommy.
XI: Im not going to call you Mommy.
Womans voice: What do you want to call me?
XI: How about Ghost?
Womans voice: Do you think Im dead?
XI: I dont know but I cant hear you breathing.
::pause::
Womans voice: Clever boy.
XI: I dont think youre physically here.
::pause::
Womans voice: I like it when you come up with answers. So if you like, you can call me Nightshade.
XI: Nightshade, huh? Beautiful and deadly, perhaps?
Nightshade: Perhaps. But whos to say Im humanoid? Maybe Im a giant, hungry spider.
XI: I seem to be caught in your web, dont I?
Nightshade: Not to mention paralyzed by my venom. Suppose I lay a cluster of eggs inside you? And watched my newborn arachnid kids hatch inside you, eating you from the inside? Can you picture that, tiny little spiders crawling out of your mouth?
::pause::
XI: Please stop. Thats horrible.
Nightshade: OK, so Im no spider, but believe me, injecting you with spider eggs is something I could do. That is a very real possibility and you should remember it. I have a supply of them.
::pause::
XI: Then Id say youre capable of limitless cruelty, Nightshade.
Nightshade: You have no idea.
::pause::
XI: So youre Nightshade, and Im Agent XI.
Nightshade: As far as you know, yes.
XI: I think you got a better deal, name-wise.
Nightshade: Im somebody. Youre nobody.
XI: Agent XI pretty generic. If thats who I was, I guess I wasnt too important.
Nightshade: If you were an agent worth the name, would you be here now?
XI: Everybody makes mistakes.
Nightshade: To err is human.
XI: Whats that supposed to mean?
Nightshade: Its sad that you even need to ask.
XI: Are you human?
Nightshade: or am I a vicious arachnid? You know, Ticondera has some spiders you really wouldnt like to see.
XI: Actually, I would. Right now, Id like to see anything at all.
Nightshade: You just want to see me.
XI: I seriously doubt I can. Youre not physically here, remember?
Nightshade: Maybe youre the ghost, XI. If you have no memory, do you still have a soul?
XI: You tell me. Youre the Celpo blackroom scientist. Did you wipe my soul clean, too?
Nightshade: I havent done anything to you, yet. As far as you know.
XI: Maybe you havent. Because I realize, now, that youre not a Minder.
Nightshade: And why is that?
XI: Because Im hearing you speak in stereo. I may be a failure, but Im still Celpo. If I concentrate, I can tell the difference between real sound and telepathic speech.
Nightshade: Very good. So I suppose you wish to see, then? Very well.
::the sudden re-emergence of light is blinding, and XI lets out a startled cry. The light reveals the back of a strange, high-backed, metallic red chair, with several wires attached to it. All that can be seen of the chairs occupant is a bare forearm on each side; the hands appear to be hidden inside shafts on the strangely curved chairs base. The chair faces a slightly curved white wall. After the initial flash, the light takes on an ambient quality.::
XI: Ow, fuck, my eyes! I wanted to see, not be blinded!
Nightshade: Fickle, arent you?
::pause::
XI: Ow Well, at least I know Im not completely blind. My visions starting to come back.
Nightshade: And what do you see?
XI: White. Blurry white.
Nightshade: What else do you see?
XI: I can sort of make out my nose, and my mustache. I have blond hair. Am I Tasnican?
Nightshade: Maybe. Am I Tasnican?
XI: No I dont think you are.
Nightshade: And why not?
XI: Because the light in this room is without any defined source. And because theres no trace of mechanical distortion in your voice, even though you arent here. Youre using magic. If you were Tasnican, youd be an Elemental Priestess. But Elementalists and spider-torturers dont mix.
::pause::
Nightshade: Hows your vision?
XI: Getting better. I see a stark white curved wall in front of me. I assume it probably absorbs sound. I have no idea what it does to thought or magic.
Nightshade: Well, assuming Im using magic, Id say its at least somewhat porous on that front, isnt it?
XI: For all the good it does me. Oh, I can see my thighs, too theyre wasting away. My muscles have atrophied Im kind of disappointed Mothers not taking better care of me. But I suppose it means I have no chance of walking out of here, much less running.
Nightshade: Exactly. Would you like to see the rest of you?
XI: Im a little afraid to. But yeah, absolutely Thanks, I guess.
Nightshade: Dont bother with courtesy. We are Celpo.
::There is a small flash of light, coming from in front of the chair. A silvery, rectangular object slowly rises from in front of the chair; it is a mirror, tilted to show the chairs occupant. The reflection shows the upper torso of a bedraggled, emaciated man. He has a bushy blond beard and mustache, and thick, unkempt hair that seems to grow outwards moreso than downwards. Fierce, focused blue eyes peer out from dark-ringed, hollow sockets. There are strange scars and marking on his chest, which is partly covered by a metal bar that straps him to the chair.::
XI: Ive seen better days. At least, I hope I have.
Nightshade: Maybe youll see better days ahead. But dont count on it.
XI: So you can conjure up mirrors out of thin air. Are you a conjurer?
Nightshade: What do you think I am?
::pause::
XI: I think youre Crystalese.
Nightshade: Why?
XI: Specifically, youre Agari. You answer almost every question with a question. Just like the gurus on the cliffs of Agart.
Nightshade: Id say your line of reasoning is fairly thin.
XI: And so is that mirror. In fact, it has no more physical presence than you do, my Agari captor.
Nightshade: What makes you so sure?
XI: You made your voice appear in the room, even though you arent here. You created light that has no true source. And then you made a mirror appear, but my reflection has shadows as if the light came from a single point. That mirror is an illusion, and that makes you a traditional Agari illusionist, an adherent of the Sacred Circle of Parvati-Maya also known as the Spider Cult.
Nightshade: That mirror is real.
XI: Oh yeah? Ill prove it!
::He spits at the mirror. The spit lands on the mirror and rolls down it.
XI: Thats probably just another illusion!
Nightshade: Would I do something so wicked, just to fuck with your mind?
::Before he can answer, the mirror angles to the side. The reflection now shows a blue-skinned woman with long, flowing black hair. There is a red dot at the center of her forehead. Her midriff is bare; she wears what might be termed a tube top, except that its made of a bolt of red cloth, twisted in the middle. She wears a pair of baggy red breeches made of some thin, gauzy material. There is a ruby in her navel. She is grinning.::
XI: Traditional Agari garb. I almost think youre going overboard to suit my expectations.
Nightshade: Maybe. I am an illusionist, after all, right?
XI: Indeed. Which just leaves the question of what my purpose shall be.
Nightshade: And, perhaps, where you are.
XI: Oh, Ive figured out that one.
Nightshade: You have?
XI: Absolutely. That little flash when you made the mirror. That was unintended. That was a manifestation of unstable ambient mana. Were in Aryth, near the Source. My minds been wiped, but I know Ive seen that. If I had to venture a guess, Id say Im here because I fell into the Source.
Nightshade: Thats a very good guess. You jumped in, actually.
XI: That sounds foolish of me.
Nightshade: You have no idea how hard it was to fish you out. We pretty much had to bend reality itself.
XI: Bend reality?
Nightshade: Its the sort of thing you can only do when you draw on the power of the Source.
XI: And Ive swam in it, in a matter of speaking.
Nightshade: Yes. And as my final reward for your cleverness, Im going to tell you your fate. The chair you are sitting in will draw every last drop of that delicious mana you drew from the Source. Youre going to make a terrific battery, Agent XI.
::The lights go out. The sound of a great engine is heard, accompanied by a long scream that distorts into nothing at all.::