By: Synbios Posted on: November 30, 2010
The following transcripts - edited for public viewing by Lucretian Athenaeum
scribes - has been extracted from several of our Sentaari master Telepaths,
after an expedition to rescue doctors and nurses that were trapped in Creville
Asylum. The complete record has been deemed unsafe for public view, due to the
sordid history of the Asylum.
Transcript 1 - Subject: Male doctor, Neuropediatric Studies
Memory extract 721, dated [CLASSIFIED]:
Documentary - Early Bloom
The potential for mortal learning is highest during a person's formative years,
where the brain's ability to absorb new information is at its peak. Studies have
shown that early to late childhood is where most Achaean mortals learn basic
survival and social skills the fastest.
From Dr. Kortoxian's research notes, however, there are rare individuals who
show an additional canny for magic at these years. Unlike similar children who,
after months and years of accelerated learning, gain knowledge of the mystical
arts, these children, who have been designated the term 'Innates', seem to have
a genetic mastery of magic, able to control these forces like a fresh graduate
from the Shallamese University's Magi Division. Through various means like [DATA
EXPUNGED], we were able to obtain a few specimens for study.
Through the use of groundbreaking movement-isolation methods such as the
newly-developed curare shock treatment - the credit goes to the esteemed
Professor Darien - the institute was able to force the specimens to depend more
and more on their latent power to function properly during the initial testing.
The success was not without its drawbacks, though.
An unfortunate majority of the institute's initial subjects, due to the curare
shock treatment still in its working stages, ended up dying due to overdose of
the paralytic drug, while others, to quote some of our colleagues, 'turned their
magics inward, resulting in [DATA EXPUNGED]'. Eventually, Professor Darien was
able to determine the standard dosage of curare such that the next generation of
subjects did not find themselves suffocating from paralyzed lungs. Eventually, a
select portion of the subjects was screened for further testing, with some
displaying varying degrees of proficiency with differing schools of magic,
ranging from Tarot magic to illusions to more esoteric ones, like shamanism and
occultism.
Over the course of several years, the institute branched out into different
departments, accommodating the various mortal races of the land, all for the
purpose of gathering more Innates for study. One of the institute's most
generous sponsors was Lady Maim de Vermiis, whose friendship with our founder,
along with support from the Loving Hearts Orphanage, has ensured a steady supply
of research material.
Transcript 2 - Subject: Female doctor, Siren Inmate Division, Surgery Department
Memory Fragment 563, Date [CLASSIFIED]:
Restraint of subject 18 is successful...her illusory magics were no match for
Maldaathi volunteer [DATA EXPUNGED]...preparing amputation procedures.
Removal of index and ring fingers successfSTOP IT HURTS MY BEAUTIFUL FINGERS
AAAAAAAAAAGH...Proceeding to cauterization procedurHOLD THE WOMAN STILL. KEEP
THOSE LIFEVISION MASKS ON. Cauterization successful.
Initiating hypnoindoctrinationYOUR FINGERS ARE WHOLE YOU ARE STILL BEAUTIFUL THE
PAIN IS A LIE THE SCARS ARE A LIE THE PAI-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME YOU
MONSTERS?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!? DAMN IT, APPLY FIVE SYRINGES OF
DELPHINIUM, STAT!
Experiment attempt #3 status: Failure. Scheduling another attempt in four hours.
Transcript 3 - Subject: Horkvali Inmate, Transplantation Department
Memory Fragment 823, Date [CLASSIFIED]:
Who are you? No, who are YOU? I'm...I'm me, but...why are you on my neck? I
don't know, I should ask you the same thing - why are you using my body?
"Subject is attempting to communicate with the transplant."
"Excellent. At least this one resorted to communication instead of
confrontation. Note that down."
What am I doing here? What are WE doing here? Why am I attached to one body? Why
are WE attached to one body? Where am I? Where are WE? Who are they? WHAT are
they?
"Interesting, subject is growing used to the transplant now, and is now
coordinating movements relatively well."
"Continue the experi-wait, what's it doing? ...Oh Gods, call the guards!"
I-We are an abomination! What have they done to us!? No! THEY are the
abominations! Destr-KILL-BURN-oy-ESCAPE-now!
Transcript 4 - Subject: Head Surgeon, [DATA EXPUNGED] Department
Memory extract [DATA EXPUNGED], dated [DATA EXPUNGED]
Documentary - Magnum Opus
Beyond our expectations, beyond the boundaries of what could be scientifically
quantified as 'luck', we have produced our finest patient - we shall call him
'Alpha-Plus' - during what could be considered as decades of painstaking
research and experimentation. Alpha-Plus has shown an exceptional degree of
occultic magic, even to the point of causing localized Aeonic distortions
without the aid of Tarot cards(by this point, we've made it standard procedure
to outfit his handlers with speed elixirs, just in case).
Through the judicious application of Procedure [DATA EXPUNGED], performed by
none other than Doctor Kortoxian himself, we were able to maintain an acceptable
level of accelerated learning on Alpha-Plus, with the minor side-effect of
eliminating unimportant areas of his brain - such as empathic action and logical
thought - in order to culture the brain into learning and magic. Discussions
against the implementation of this revolutionary procedure were silenced when
our objectives were made clear - after all, Alpha-Plus won't be needing emotion
and logic when his brain has been extracted and its essence distilled and
synthesized into the most potent learning drug in the lands. Think about it -
the medicine that will render myrrh obsolete when one dose of this can turn
geriatrics into geniuses!
Some months after Procedure [DATA EXPUNGED], Doctor Kortoxian has given us the
go-signal for the final operation: the lobotomization of Alpha-Plus. Making sure
that he was well-sedated for the procedure, we secured him in our finest surgery
theatre. As per prescribed instructions, we administered [DATA EXPUNGED],
ensuring one final brain growth spurt before we would start. We began ocular
extraction, pulling out one of the eyes to insert a screw, which would connect
the severed retinal nerves to a device for the monitoring of his consciousness
levels. By this point, we were ready to open his skull and to the treasure
locked within.
That was when things took a turn for the worse. From the lower floors, we could
hear shouts and crashes as the cell doors mysteriously unlocked and spilled the
entire inmate population into the complex. At the same time we heard the snaps
of leather, as Alpha-Plus's hand snatched a scalpel and severed a nearby
intern's jugular. Behind us, doors burst open, as the liberated wards of the
children's section began to chant horrible curses. One of my friends found
himself [DATA EXPUNGED] by one of them, as one of the girls [DATA EXPUNGED] a
doll that looked strangely like him. We heard a horrible voice cry out, and I
saw one of our Xorani inmates - having regressed to an animal-like state - bite
into the spine of my assistant, before proceeding to leap hungrily at the
corpse.
I ran for cover, as I saw Alpha-Plus stand, pointing a finger at one of the
surgeons, who began to freeze in place as Aeonic magic held him in stasis. He
then nodded at some ravenous inmates, as they began to [DATA EXPUNGED].
I took shelter in one of the cabinets, waiting until the carnage died down. It
felt like hours, hearing all the screams of agony as inmates ravaged the
institute. Just when the sounds died down, the cabinet door was ripped open, and
Alpha-Plus stared down at me, his screw eye looking down on me-
"Screw-Eye? I like that name, Doctor, thank you. For giving me a name, I am
going to reward you-"
I'MSORRYI'MSORRYIPROMISENEVERTODOITAGAINPLEASEFORGIVEMEDON'TSENDMETOTHATPLACEAGAINOHGODSPLEASESTOPIBEGOFYOUPLEASENOMOREITHURTSITHURTSITHUUUUUURTS-
[Transcript ended prematurely. Subject and Telepath sedated and subjected to
Class-5 Mind-Wipe Treatment]