Bonsai (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
trimmedback) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
themainframe2013-08-31 05:04 pm
trimmedback) wrote in themainframe2013-08-31 05:04 pm
video; memory leak, violent death/gore trigger warnings apply
[The lighting in this memory is dark, but oddly clear. Through Bonsai's alien eyes, light that would be squint-worthy for a human causes no problems. She's in a room longer than it is wide, looking straight ahead at a line of Reptilians standing up against the wall. In her peripheral vision, others can be seen. Bonsai is part of the opposing wall's line.]
[They're human-like in frame, with long lizard tails wrapped neatly around one leg to allow them to press their backs to the wall. Their skin is green and the scales are just barely visible in the dark and distance. Frills as chameleon-like as their tails take the place of hair, and the backs of their hands are adorned with thick bony plating. The sex variation is made only by a slighter roundness to the lower abdomen of about half of them. Their eyes are dark and a few of them have violently red throats.]
[It becomes clear that they are children when another Reptilian walks in, a good foot taller than the tallest of the wall-bound juveniles, with their tail curled tightly behind them. Across the room, a few more throats flush red. Bonsai's view flicks upwards towards the front of the room, where a screen is set into the wall. Clinging to the wall above is it a creature, it's black pits of eyes fixed on a chair in the center of the room.]
[The Reptilian adult takes their place standing behind the chair, and shouts something back towards the entrance they'd come from. It's hoarse and raspy in the original language, but the memory overlays english over it in a thick male voice.]
Present yourself.
[Across the room, another few throats light up red. Another juvenile walks into the room, shoulders lacking the tight tension of the rest of the room's inhabitants. Their tail is wrapped, not in the tight chameleon curl behind them, but around their stomach like a comfort blanket. Bonsai looks down again, and her claws are visibly digging into the soft flesh of her palms.]
[The adult male gestures for the juvenile to sit in the chair, and they obey. Closer now, it's clear that they're trembling.]
Requesting information: Identification.
[It becomes clear now that the child in the chair is a girl, no older than ten. Her voice shakes in both Reptilian and in English.]
C-colonization Experts, Beta Division, 26-72-F.
Requesting information: Status of parental units.
Deceased, s-sir. Reason for t-termination: association with known anti-government group.
[In the line of Reptilians Bonsai can see, not a single throat stays pale. The adult male nods firmly to the alien clinging to the wall above them.]
Mental Health testing will now begin.
[Bonsai looks down abruptly as the screen comes on. The girl in the chair makes a noise like she's choking, and from the colored light on the floor from the video, it shows that Bonsai resists looking at the first two pictures, but can't resist the third.]
[On the screen is a picture of several adult Reptilians, split from collar to groin, the ground below them soaked with blood and displaced viscera. Bonsai stares for a long time as one of the females, and her attention turns immediately back to the girl in the chair. She's gasping for breath, doubled over in the chair. The noises she's making are alarmingly similar to human sobbing.]
[Bonsai is too busy looking at her to notice as the alien on the wall slinks down and approaches the girl in the chair. Her throat is redder than any of the children against the wall, and the fear in her eyes is obvious, even across species borders.]
[Bonsai turns her attention back to her feet just as a sick wet sound, too quiet for how loud it feels, replaces the girl's crying. The adult male's voice echoes in the following silence.]
Dismissed.
[Bonsai doesn't look at the chair on the way out. Her eyes are fixed on the shirt collar of the Reptilian in front of her.]
[After a few moments of static, the human version of Bonsai's face appears on the screen, eyes wide and mouth open. It's the closest to a real expression she's had so far.]
[They're human-like in frame, with long lizard tails wrapped neatly around one leg to allow them to press their backs to the wall. Their skin is green and the scales are just barely visible in the dark and distance. Frills as chameleon-like as their tails take the place of hair, and the backs of their hands are adorned with thick bony plating. The sex variation is made only by a slighter roundness to the lower abdomen of about half of them. Their eyes are dark and a few of them have violently red throats.]
[It becomes clear that they are children when another Reptilian walks in, a good foot taller than the tallest of the wall-bound juveniles, with their tail curled tightly behind them. Across the room, a few more throats flush red. Bonsai's view flicks upwards towards the front of the room, where a screen is set into the wall. Clinging to the wall above is it a creature, it's black pits of eyes fixed on a chair in the center of the room.]
[The Reptilian adult takes their place standing behind the chair, and shouts something back towards the entrance they'd come from. It's hoarse and raspy in the original language, but the memory overlays english over it in a thick male voice.]
Present yourself.
[Across the room, another few throats light up red. Another juvenile walks into the room, shoulders lacking the tight tension of the rest of the room's inhabitants. Their tail is wrapped, not in the tight chameleon curl behind them, but around their stomach like a comfort blanket. Bonsai looks down again, and her claws are visibly digging into the soft flesh of her palms.]
[The adult male gestures for the juvenile to sit in the chair, and they obey. Closer now, it's clear that they're trembling.]
Requesting information: Identification.
[It becomes clear now that the child in the chair is a girl, no older than ten. Her voice shakes in both Reptilian and in English.]
C-colonization Experts, Beta Division, 26-72-F.
Requesting information: Status of parental units.
Deceased, s-sir. Reason for t-termination: association with known anti-government group.
[In the line of Reptilians Bonsai can see, not a single throat stays pale. The adult male nods firmly to the alien clinging to the wall above them.]
Mental Health testing will now begin.
[Bonsai looks down abruptly as the screen comes on. The girl in the chair makes a noise like she's choking, and from the colored light on the floor from the video, it shows that Bonsai resists looking at the first two pictures, but can't resist the third.]
[On the screen is a picture of several adult Reptilians, split from collar to groin, the ground below them soaked with blood and displaced viscera. Bonsai stares for a long time as one of the females, and her attention turns immediately back to the girl in the chair. She's gasping for breath, doubled over in the chair. The noises she's making are alarmingly similar to human sobbing.]
[Bonsai is too busy looking at her to notice as the alien on the wall slinks down and approaches the girl in the chair. Her throat is redder than any of the children against the wall, and the fear in her eyes is obvious, even across species borders.]
[Bonsai turns her attention back to her feet just as a sick wet sound, too quiet for how loud it feels, replaces the girl's crying. The adult male's voice echoes in the following silence.]
Dismissed.
[Bonsai doesn't look at the chair on the way out. Her eyes are fixed on the shirt collar of the Reptilian in front of her.]
[After a few moments of static, the human version of Bonsai's face appears on the screen, eyes wide and mouth open. It's the closest to a real expression she's had so far.]
video;
He doesn't want to judge. But it's *hard*, especially considering he can't tell how old these children were.]
...do you want company?
video;
I.
[She takes a deep, shaky breath.]
Yes. I would... Appreciate human company at the moment.
video;
video;
I was... preparing a meal.
video; action
action;
Please, come in.
[There's an awkwardness to how she says it, like she's unfamiliar with the phrase.]
action;
[He pauses to remove his shoes, placing them neatly by the door]
...I'm sorry.
action;
Requesting: cause of apologies.
[What are you sorry for?]
action;
Was an expression of sympathy.
[video]
This peculiar memory, with these peculiar creatures, it's curiosity that keeps her watching. Curiosity and then horror.]
That...that was a kit. A horrible thing...to be shown to a kit.
[video]
The overseers deemed it... important, that we know what became of our parents for their disobedience.
[Bonsai takes this with an intense level of seriousness.]
[video]
That's fox-hearted! It's horrible! A kit, something that young-- that's stuff of nightmares, or something told by nursey-mates to scare younger kits!
[Is she mad at Bonsai? Maybe, it depends; but she did catch the...uncomfortable edge, when watching. So she's mad at the situation and at these overseers.
[video]
[She is quiet, and her face is pale.]
My people are... expected not to respond to the fates of our fellows.
[Her voice has taken on a slight tremble.]
Every child in that room has been in that chair, myself included. We learned that the way to stay alive was to say nothing.
[video]
Anyone would react to violence like that! Frightening kits into staying silent-- that's the work of a tyrant, not a good leader!
[video]
They do not see themselves as our leaders. They see us as their property.
[There's no hesitation when she says this one-- it's not forbidden to admit.]
[video]
audio
[Personal memories he tended to avoid commenting on, but this was another matter entirely. He knew what oppression looked like, even if they were a different form a life entirely. Bonsai's aversion to 'overseers' suddenly made a lot more sense.]
[And doing nothing to help her would go against everything he fought for back in his own world.]
Bonsai, if you have a moment to spare, we need to speak.
audio
Yes, I--
[She swallows, and it's faintly audible.]
Requesting: preference of audio feed, video feed, or face to face interaction.
audio
Which is most comfortable for you?
audio
[A pause.]
I am... irrationally distrustful of the safety of our connection. They were monitored in my line of work.
audio;
[In person it is.]
audio;
no subject
no subject
Patients.
[???]
Medical patients.
[She headtilts slightly where someone would inflect for a question mark.]
no subject
Back home I worked at Arkham home for the criminally insane. For the treatment and care of crazy nutty psychos.
[sigh]
Gosh I miss it.