Prisoner 836
Apr. 24th, 2020 11:45 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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The Spire pulsed. Not audibly, though he perceived it as something like sound. A humming that rose and fell, unchanging and unending. It was as familiar to him as his own heartbeat. It pulsed, and the shards embedded within him pulsed in time with its power.
Not today. Lucien's searing anger had knocked him out of time--no, revealed how imperfect he had been. The pulsing in his head was fitful now, still sparking with pain. He had begged for mercy, but they both knew how meaningless those words were. His contrition was total, as was expected of him. There could be no other way. He would do everything that was necessary to correct his mistake.
And he would not show how much he hurt, as he made his way to the cell. Prisoner #836 was kept isolated from the prison proper. In the other cells, there were many others, restrained for many reasons. Dangerous but valuable individuals, who posed a threat to the Spire but could not yet be killed. Disobedient guards, left to wonder when they would next be dragged to the torture chamber by the more compliant ones. For some, he did not know the reason why they languished there, only that Lucien wished it.
And then there was Prisoner #836. 836 should have been so simple--he had captured many others like him. He knew something, and retrieving the information should have been simple. All the others had broken without the collar ever activating once.
But 836 was stubborn. At first, it simply seemed like insolence. So many claimed to not remember. He had left the matter to the torturers. He had so much else to attend to.
That had been a mistake. A careless one. Whatever slow progress had been made in retrieving 836's memories had been obliterated in an instant, when the man had been found outside his cell. 836 had been dragged to a new, isolated ward, but the damage was done. A failure he now suffered for.
The ward guards straightened up as he approached. "The new prisoner. Where is he?" If they heard how raw his voice was beneath the deep distortion, they showed no sign of it.
"This way, sir." Guard 427 led him through the twisting passages in silence toward... an open cell door.
He grabbed the 427 by the collar, blank white eyes staring into terrified blue. "Sound the alarm. Find him. And when you have done so--lock yourselves in empty cells. I will deal with you later." He gave the collar one last yank as he let go, sending the man tumbling to his knees. He was already striding away, the sharp sting of his failure burning deeper into him. He had to find 836. In this moment, nothing else mattered.
Not today. Lucien's searing anger had knocked him out of time--no, revealed how imperfect he had been. The pulsing in his head was fitful now, still sparking with pain. He had begged for mercy, but they both knew how meaningless those words were. His contrition was total, as was expected of him. There could be no other way. He would do everything that was necessary to correct his mistake.
And he would not show how much he hurt, as he made his way to the cell. Prisoner #836 was kept isolated from the prison proper. In the other cells, there were many others, restrained for many reasons. Dangerous but valuable individuals, who posed a threat to the Spire but could not yet be killed. Disobedient guards, left to wonder when they would next be dragged to the torture chamber by the more compliant ones. For some, he did not know the reason why they languished there, only that Lucien wished it.
And then there was Prisoner #836. 836 should have been so simple--he had captured many others like him. He knew something, and retrieving the information should have been simple. All the others had broken without the collar ever activating once.
But 836 was stubborn. At first, it simply seemed like insolence. So many claimed to not remember. He had left the matter to the torturers. He had so much else to attend to.
That had been a mistake. A careless one. Whatever slow progress had been made in retrieving 836's memories had been obliterated in an instant, when the man had been found outside his cell. 836 had been dragged to a new, isolated ward, but the damage was done. A failure he now suffered for.
The ward guards straightened up as he approached. "The new prisoner. Where is he?" If they heard how raw his voice was beneath the deep distortion, they showed no sign of it.
"This way, sir." Guard 427 led him through the twisting passages in silence toward... an open cell door.
He grabbed the 427 by the collar, blank white eyes staring into terrified blue. "Sound the alarm. Find him. And when you have done so--lock yourselves in empty cells. I will deal with you later." He gave the collar one last yank as he let go, sending the man tumbling to his knees. He was already striding away, the sharp sting of his failure burning deeper into him. He had to find 836. In this moment, nothing else mattered.
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Date: 2020-04-24 11:20 pm (UTC)He squirmed harder, a note of desperation in his voice. They may have already fixed what made the previous collar malfunction, and he probably wouldn't be able to tamper with this new one. He didn't want it on, he didn't. He wanted to work. "That thing won't help you! I won't submit!"
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Date: 2020-04-25 12:06 am (UTC)He put the collar around the 836's neck, snapping it shut.
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Date: 2020-04-25 12:15 am (UTC)"He's not." He waited for the pain of talking back, for the punishment the collar always gave him. He waited for the loss of focus, of memories. Three, four, five... It didn't come. "He's not."
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Date: 2020-04-25 12:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-25 12:32 am (UTC)He pulled his hands away, exhaustion starting to wear at his will to fight. He had to be smart about it, anyway, wait for the right moment again.
"I'll never give you that satisfaction."
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Date: 2020-04-25 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-25 12:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-25 01:01 am (UTC)He didn't relent until the struggling lost its conscious intent, becoming more of a reflexive spasm that signaled the man was truly in distress. Only then did he release the pressure, standing up with the leash in hand.
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Date: 2020-04-25 01:13 am (UTC)He had to get up. He had a feeling he'd be dragged if he didn't. He pushed onto his knees, pausing there for a second as another wave of dizziness passed through him. He got onto one knee. Two feet. He glared at the wall as he finally got up, but didn't say anything, and he didn't reach up to try to remove to leash, even though he wanted to.
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Date: 2020-04-25 10:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-25 11:14 pm (UTC)"Slow down! I'm coming." He hated this guy so much. He was glaring daggers at his back as he half-ran after him, trying to ignore how humiliating this was. He should plan his revenge instead. He'd get back at him, sooner or later. He was the smart one after all.
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Date: 2020-04-26 12:43 am (UTC)Through the twisting corridors he dragged the prisoner, to yet another cell, not far from the torture chambers. There was a rack here, heavy restraints hanging expectantly open. If the prisoner could slice the locks on the doors, then he would simply be kept from reaching them.
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Date: 2020-04-26 12:53 am (UTC)Except he quickly changed his mind about that when he saw the cell he was being brought to. He spotted the rack, and immediately tried to step backwards again. He grabbed onto the door of the cell with both hands. “Look, just bring me back to my other cell.”
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Date: 2020-04-26 01:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-26 10:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-26 11:35 am (UTC)And then there were the rest.
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Date: 2020-04-26 11:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-26 12:03 pm (UTC)"You will learn. Perhaps you will even enjoy it one day, if I permit it."
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Date: 2020-04-26 12:13 pm (UTC)"No one would enjoy this. This won't make me tell you anything."
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Date: 2020-04-26 12:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-26 12:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-26 12:57 pm (UTC)"Your life is not required. Only your work." He snapped the other ankle restraint into place.
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Date: 2020-04-26 01:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-26 02:15 pm (UTC)"You must first be made to understand your failings, before you can be trusted." He grasped one of the prisoner's wrists in his ungloved hand, clawtips pressing against skin as he pulled the arm straight to strap it down.
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Date: 2020-04-26 02:42 pm (UTC)He tilted his head to watch the last restraints snap shut around his wrists. He couldn’t help the way his hand jerked slightly at the sensation of claws against sensitive skin, but he wasn’t fighting it.
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