Log entry 1
Subject number 1
Tester ID: 33014
The animal is violent. It wants to escape. At night, it howls. It is also humanoid in appearance but could not be further from humanoid in mental capabilities. Jerry and I (identification number 12230) are testing how close to humans it is. It seems to have an intelligence that cannot be displayed by typical tests (IQ, etc). The animal is childish, almost human. We wanted to keep it oblivious of the experiment, but it learned very rapidly. Perhaps more rapidly than a human would have.
We performed three tests on it today. One for its intelligence, which it passed with flying colors, to use an ancient expression. One for its tolerance to loud noises and bright lights. It failed very rapidly. Finally, we performed a talking test on it, where we sent in a nurse who tried to be friendly to it and also monitored its speech patterns. It was not friendly in return, but its speech patterns are interesting.
We have sent the test results to Lab 3. I am General McDonavan, tester ID 33014, signing off.
Log entry 2
Subject number 2
Tester ID: 33014
This animal is patient. Its blue eyes glisten in the artificial light. It, too, is humanoid. Referring back to entry 1- the first animal is a half-human. I was talking to lab three over the communicator yesterday, and they said that the first animal has autism. Autism is a disease that we had all thought to be extinct. Until now. My job is to test the second animal for autism.
We performed an intelligence test on it. It passed that one easily. We performed the lights and loud noises test on it. It failed that miserably. Finally, we performed the speech test on it. Its patterns matched subject number 1’s patterns, but it wasn’t unfriendly to the nurse. Instead, it parried all of her questions. It seems to be able to interact more with humans, but still isn’t fully able to.
We have sent the test results to Lab 3. I am General McDonavan, tester ID 33014, signing off.
Log entry 3
Subject number 3
Tester ID: 33014
This being is odd. Subject 2 was declared autistic. I don’t know if subject three will be. It is female, and autism wasn’t found in females as much as in males. Then again, autism wasn’t found at all for at least two centuries.
We perform the three tests on the female. It does similarly to the males. I suspect it is autistic. I send it to Lab 3. I sigh as I go to my quarters for the night. I don’t know if what I’m doing is right. I am General McDonavan, tester ID 33014, signing off.
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Log entry 4
Subject number 3
Tester ID: 33014
The animal is autistic. I am told that this can be serious. We now have three autistic specimens and are testing the country for more. From one side, I hear voices of fear and anger saying, “annihilate them”. From another side, I hear voices of curiosity saying, “Study them”. That’s the tough thing about being a general- you have to make the choices. I’ll study them. Today, when I observed subject number 3, it knew I was there. This was through one way glass that was hidden. Here is my account:
“I know you’re there,” a tear choked voice says, “well, it won’t work. Don’t play dumb. You’ve tried to confuse me with patterns and clutter. It won’t work. You can’t change 2+2 to be five. Likewise, you can’t change my nature. If you kill me, there will be more of my kind, as you call it. Why do you hate us? It isn’t really hate, is it? Just fear and anger. You have to do what’s best for your people. I don't begrudge you that. I… I forgive you.”
I sit in shock. What I’ve just heard is more human than almost anything that I’ve ever heard. I am General McDonavan, tester ID 33014, signing off.
Log entry 5
Subject number 2
Tester ID: 33014
This animal is curious. It made a series of booby traps. When the nurse came in, she was caught in them. I was about to press the button for security, when the Lieutenant stopped me.
“Let's see what it does,” she says.
I nod in agreement.
The animal circles the nurse with a piece of metal pipe, apparently plucked from the plumbing system. The nurse is crying.
“Don’t be scared,” the animal says, “I know you think I’m a savage. Let me change your mind.” It cuts the nurse out of the trap with a piece of plastic. “You are free to go. I won’t stop you,” the animal says, dropping both the plastic and the tube.
“Wh-why?” the startled nurse asks.
“Because I am not like you. I don’t want to harm others,” the animal says, now sitting cross legged on the ground. Harmless.
The nurse rushes out.
I am perplexed. The lieutenant and I look at each other.
“That creature just showed mercy,” I say.
“Most unusual,” the lieutenant says, “must be its human nature.”
“I think it's the opposite,” I say.
Lieutenant shrugs.
I am General McDonavan, tester ID 33014, signing off.
Log entry 6
Subject number 1
Tester ID: 33014
The animal knows English. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised (after all, it was raised with humans until they found out that it wasn’t normal), but I am surprised at the depth at which the animal communicates very human emotions. The animal wrote a poem. Here it is for the records:
White walls, white sea
Everything is whitewashed
I’m the speck of dirt
They want to wash out
Bad genes, bad life
The life of a test subject
Sad, but necessary
Not for itself, but for others
Iron hearts, iron minds
They can’t comprehend us
They don’t try to comprehend us
Will I ever leave?
White walls, white sea…
Maybe I should be transferred off of this study. The poem really messed with my emotions. Then again, I am one of the only generals… I’ll start treating them differently. They already know the premise of the experiment, which isn’t great. Tomorrow, I’ll introduce them to each other and try to get to the bottom of this.
I am General McDonavan, tester ID 33014, signing off.