This is what I had written before NaNo. I'll be counting chapter 2 on, but this is simply what was already there.566Please respect copyright.PENANAqcPTC7yNsY
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The walls were far too white. Lights were fluorescent and burned your eyes, and the walls seemed to be a blinding white nothingness underneath them. All of it was sterile, blank, impersonal. It was the sort of environment Dr. Mangle always felt odd walking into. It was like a piece of what made up a human mind was always left behind the doors leading into these spaces, emotions, perhaps, or a certain amount of imagination and free thought. To be certain, something about Mangle changed within these walls.8964 copyright protection562PENANANAU3ftT04L 維尼
It was nothing that any scientist was unfamiliar with, the cardinal rule of their work to be as objective as possible, never getting attached, and never interfering with the process of scientific theory. Today was the day that Mangle would make the world of science change on its head, for today was the day the Dragonborne project got its permanent scientists.8964 copyright protection562PENANAUvFenRDav0 維尼
Dr. Mangle, being one of these scientists, in fact the second in command of the project save for Dr. James, its creator, was apprehensive about meeting their most promising subject and working with it. The guard escorting Mangle seemed to sense this. “It’s harmless,” he said. “The most it can do is bite you with its teeth, and those aren’t anything to worry about. You ever been bit by a kid, Taylor?”8964 copyright protection562PENANAm3feNKJqTb 維尼
“No, never have,” Mangle replied absently.8964 copyright protection562PENANAzeXwtQhMBy 維尼
“Don’t hurt much at all. Really, if it bit you there wouldn’t even be a mark, and it’s actually pretty docile besides. I can’t imagine what you’d have to do to get it upset enough to bite.”8964 copyright protection562PENANAZlnJFwo2CA 維尼
“Yes, quite,” Mangle said, growing tired of the conversation already. “You said it was...26 months, yes?”8964 copyright protection562PENANASRNKkQRmLL 維尼
“Yeah,” the guard nodded. “It’s a hyper little thing. You could almost compare it to a human toddler!”8964 copyright protection562PENANADYK9qYxPCN 維尼
An awkward laugh was shared between the two as they stopped in front of a plain white door, with only a small black dragon decal with the number 8 on it to set it apart from its surroundings. Mangle put a brand-new key card in a slot on the outside of the door, the red light above it turning green. The guard coughed. “I’ll just...I’ll just be going, then?”8964 copyright protection562PENANA24JW9cGwik 維尼
Mangle grunted. “If you want to.”8964 copyright protection562PENANAdjIHXtL2Ot 維尼
The guard left and Mangle scoffed. Typical. Some people just couldn’t stand being around experiments and watching how they worked. It was truly pitiful. They opened the door and observed the experiment that was to be theirs for the next...however long they were on this project.8964 copyright protection562PENANACVBu411AUH 維尼
Inside the room was all white, with a cot in a corner, and an old metal desk with a chair. And sitting on the cot, was a small girl, a toddler really, with wild black curls, and piercing green eyes. She was running a bat wing over the amber scales that covered her joints. When Mangle closed the door she looked up. “Who a’you?” she asked.8964 copyright protection562PENANAixWrzAr7PU 維尼
Curious, then, Mangle noted. “My name is Dr. Mangle.”8964 copyright protection562PENANA2XIR4Mo9cI 維尼
“Hello!” she chirped.8964 copyright protection562PENANAXhLEQILNPf 維尼
“...Hi.” Mangle could tell that this was going to be a long few years.8964 copyright protection562PENANAoKwAIVQVOq 維尼
“D’you know Mommy?” the girl asked.8964 copyright protection562PENANAAOSJJXd7Wu 維尼
Mangle was taken aback. This thing has a mother that visits it?! “Mommy?”8964 copyright protection562PENANAAWM31AdIsu 維尼
She nodded. “Mommy comes with food! She say-ed...say-ed...peremenz were gonna happen.”8964 copyright protection562PENANAOXWKeWYQha 維尼
Mangle’s brain was desperately trying to keep up. “Peremenz...Experiments?”8964 copyright protection562PENANADxhldMcObW 維尼
Another nod. “She say-ed it’s fun game!”8964 copyright protection562PENANA4xf1TEflxS 維尼
Dr. James must have brought food to the subjects every day. Oh, she was clever. “A game, huh? Do you…” this sounded so alien, talking to a subject, “Like games?”8964 copyright protection562PENANA11g4Igy40L 維尼
This girl couldn’t stop nodding. It was as if she was a bobblehead. “Games fun! ‘Sept Tell Me. Tell Me boring!”8964 copyright protection562PENANABKVmcB1Hxe 維尼
“‘Tell me’...?”8964 copyright protection562PENANAc6wK0DcI4J 維尼
“No! Boring! Boring! No play!” she said, shaking her head rapidly.8964 copyright protection562PENANAW7H2ukyyoy 維尼
This seemed to have a simple explanation. “Is that where doctors come in and ask things?”8964 copyright protection562PENANAEWc4HHJah4 維尼
The girl nodded. “No play wi’ you. Hate game! Hate it!”8964 copyright protection562PENANAY5IMxD67Rb 維尼
Everything was spiraling out of control. “I don’t want to play. I just wanted to see you.”8964 copyright protection562PENANAr01nFqUhwP 維尼
There was silence for a long moment. “...Lie. Wanna be alone. No like liars.”8964 copyright protection562PENANAzk8GnUZFXD 維尼
Nothing could be done if the subject was uncooperative. Mangle said, “All right,” and left.8964 copyright protection562PENANAwEiDHgUDhm 維尼
Once the door was closed Mangle shivered. The subject’s mind was very quick for its age, and it could definitively say what it wanted. This was the first time Mangle was working with something so intelligent. Mangle wasn’t worried, certainly not...okay, maybe a little. But it was nothing they couldn’t overcome. They’d been through scarier, like that time they were elected to go on the Vomit Comet...but they digress.8964 copyright protection562PENANABn8jmqsClX 維尼
This would be an experiment just like any other, they reasoned, it would be fine. Even though it would really be an experiment like no other.566Please respect copyright.PENANAyrtuhofFuM
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