Jessica was transported out of the prison within a week. She was handed a bag with clothes from her closet, or replicas since her actual clothes were still “evidence”, some toiletries, and a goodbye from her lawyer. Raymond officially stopped being her legal counsel the moment she stepped on the transport bus. She hugged him, thanking the man profusely, and got on. Her dad was somewhere nearby, unable to get close for another few weeks, but he was there nonetheless.
The bus was heading to the Bound Department’s Complex, where Jessica would be trained in her duties and set up in a job at the department, no doubt somewhere far away from leadership where she wouldn’t be a risk to the higher-ups. That was good. She had no interest in so much as being in charge of a pet rock let alone another human person.
She remembered suddenly the rush she felt when she ordered Maddie to bow. Now, past the present moment, she felt dirty. Like a mad woman abusing her power. That was going to be fun to talk about with Dr. Lindsay.
“I wouldn’t be too bothered by it,” King whispered in her ear. “This was your first taste of power after a long period of being powerless. I’m truly proud of how restrained you were. It was fitting for one of such class as yourself.”
King was getting better at flattery, it seems. An image of a queen with a grizzled old advisor whispering in her ear struck Jessica and made her laugh. King’s grumbles of indignation didn’t help one bit. A guard looked back at her from the other side of the bars. The bus itself had a prisoner section, with vertical bars in front of the seats to secure handcuffs too, or in Jessica’s case, to hold on to since there were neither backs nor seatbelts back there, and a gurads section. That’s where the driver was, along with padded seats with seat belts.
Jessica had read somewhere that this was intentional, due to a famous prison escape due to a truck smashing into the bus. If that were to happen now, the prisoners would be in no condition to run. Jessica squirmed under the gaze, adjusting in her seat. It was not comfortable, even if the bus never bumped around, what with it hovering and all. She couldn’t imagine how this would feel if the bus had wheels like pre-war vehicles.
“Chess?” Jessica asked. The guard raised an eyebrow, but Jessica just pulled up the board on her glasses.
Two games later the Bound Department Complex was in view. A dark stone building that seemed to stand in shocking contrast to the more lightly colored buildings around it. Jessica had been here before, during her yearly check of her entity. Jessica always thought the building looked terrifying, and she was reminded of that now. The bus pulled into a garage labeled “Transport”. The door rose up, revealing a drive that dipped down.
It was a decently well known fact that much of the Bound Department was underground but looking into the well lit slope, she was filled with dread. She wondered, briefly, if she would ever surface again. She banished the thought. Bound live among civilians all the time. She was being ridiculous and King agreed. His steady words helped to center herself as she was taken deeper.
They pulled into the drop off zone, marked by yellow lines, automatic double doors like ones in a hospital opening to allow a pair of agents in nice suits and headphones out. Jessica was led off the bus, a hand helping her out the back. She was handed off to the agents, one of whom she saw wearing a purple armband which excited her, and a form was signed. She walked into the hallway, walls painted the most boring grey possible.
There were no doors for offices it seemed. The floor was a parking lot with many automatic doors like the ones she entered by. They came to an elevator and the bound agent scanned their chip. The doors opened to a mirrored space and Jessica was made to enter first and to stand against the back wall. The unbound agent freed a single ear from his headphones.
“You gonna be trouble?” He asked. Jessica shook her head. The headphones came off the unbound agent. The bound agent made no move to do the same.
“My colleague has a decently strong entity, he can’t take the risk. I on the other hand am a plain guy who is easily restrained if you pull something.” The agent shrugged, “Though if I’m honest I don’t think that is a big worry.”
Jessica smiled at that. That was a good sign at least. She wasn’t sure if this agent was indicative of how people generally saw her but it was nice to not be treated like a time bomb at least. The agent was really just there to explain what I’ll be doing the next 48 hours. To Jessica’s dismay, it boiled down to paperwork and doctor’s appointments. By the time the explanations were wrapping up, they had left the elevator and were approaching some sort of dorm area.
“Then, once the doctor is through with you, you’ll be given a few options for job contracts.” The agent, who seemingly refused to give her a name, informed her. This surprised Jessica for a few reasons.
“Doesn’t my aptitude tests tell you which job I’ll be suited for?”
The agent shrugged, “Sure, but if you’re a bound kid who's always dreamt of being on the wall and your aptitude is for a desk, then being forced on the latter job will create bitterness and reduce productivity. They’ll be recommended for the desk job but a test isn’t everything. People, Bound especially, are more complex than a test can realistically put into numbers.”
That made a lot of sense, and she supposed it was nice that she would get a choice at least. As much as she wanted an out of the way job with minimal responsibilities to anyone but herself, she was also a bit worried she would be shoved in a box or dark corner somewhere completely isolated. That was not going to be the case it seemed.
The bound agent, who had been silent the whole time, had been silent the entire trip, opened a door. The unbound agent waved her through, “Welcome to intake, your glasses have been uploaded with your schedule. We’ll walk you to your room then you’ll be on your own. Word of advice, don’t fuck around and everything will be fine.”
Jessica absorbed that as the trio walked to her temporary quarters. Intake was an equally bland landscape consisting of multiple hallways and doors like the rest of the complex. She wondered just how far beneath the city the Department spread. She decided that thinking of the thousands of tons of material above her was uncomfortable and focused on her glasses.
The schedule was there alright, she had a day filling out documents, then tomorrow was hundreds of tests. Lovely. The list genuinely made her blanch, eliciting a laugh out of the unnamed agent.
“It looks worse than it is. Most of the day is already spent so you’ll be in bed before too long. The tests apparently suck though.” He said far too cheerfully.
“I’m guessing they’re a Bound exclusive?” She asked as they stooped in front of a door that looked like any other.
The agent smirked and said, “Raise your chip to the reader, this door will only open for you and the head of security. You do NOT want him to have to open this door, so make sure to get to the doctor on time. You’re familiar with the pathing on your glasses, so enjoy your privacy. Have a good day.”
The moment Jessica opened her room, the men began to walk off. She entered her room, and noticed a food replicator, a door that led to a half bath, a desk with a tablet set into the top, and a bed that was decidedly nicer than the prison mattress she’d been sleeping on for months. She decided to sit at the desk. The tablet rose immediately to a comfortable reading angle and the first document popped up.
She checked her glasses and found many of its capabilities disabled. Calls and texts of course, but also her chess app and anything else. Even the calculator was disabled. It seemed that her schedule was not the only thing that was uploaded. She sighed, “Let’s do something fun tonight King,” She said purposefully. She mentally asked him to review the documents with her to make sure she understood what she was signing.
It started normal enough, verification of information, background check details, consent forms for the doctor tests. But as she worked through them, a few began to stick out. Consent to entity recursive therapy if deemed necessary, Consent to mental combing security checks upon end of employment, and others that got more and more uncomfortable. She was required to sign them, there was no option given to opt out and when she tried to move past a big red warning popped up stating:
Warning! This document is required to be signed for employment in the Bound Department. Failure to sign is grounds for premature termination of employment. You will be escorted off the premises immediately upon failure to sign. Are you sure you wish to continue
She groaned at the third time this popped up, “What’s the point of consent if they’re making it a requirement to join. Why not just make this a single document? It’s annoying as shit!”
King sent a mental shrug, “Probably to ensure that you are properly informed of security measures and control measures should a Bound Agent be deemed unfit for service. Nothing here screams that this is anything special. I suspect that silent agent from before signed the same documents.”
Jessica had figured something similar but it seemed a bit excessive. She had spent a good hour reading consent forms before moving on to the employee handbook. This was separate from the Agent’s handbook, according to her glasses anyway that gave a basic rundown of the documents. She read the documents anyway, ignoring the summary. While she found some interesting tidbits, she would have King help her properly memorize it all later.
The moment she finished the replicator turned on and a simple sandwich and juice drink were dispensed into a plate and cup respectively. Her dinner was fine. It filled her up. When she had finished eating she had gotten a pop-up on her glasses asking if she would like to shower. She declined, having no desire to do anything but sleep after the mind-numbing work.
Lights out was not for an hour but Jessica went to bed anyway. The lights turned off after a few minutes, which was nice. She hoped tomorrow would finally be a new page in her life, that the worst was behind her. She cried into her pillow until sleep took her.
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Jessica smirked as she held out a hand. Monopoly was a game she hadn’t played in years, but King had found it in an old memory of her Dad.
They played in a castle room Jessica had created from the void. Nothing was permanent here, so making massive things was out of the question, but a room made the place feel less like a space of fear and more one of comfort. King’s head leaned into the room through a large open window, moving his pieces by will alone, a method that Jessica practiced much to her joy. It was fun pretending to be telekinetic.
King heaved a sigh and passed her a few paper bills. “I believe you are affecting the dice with your desire to win.”
Jessica laughed, “Am not, You simply don’t understand Monopoly economics.”
King, being the head of a pseudo economy back in the Dusk, thought the premise of the game simplistic. Unfortunately, since the game was based on an artificially restricted economy, it did not work like an actual economy in the least. He had bought properties seemingly at random, while Jessica focused her funds on a specific corner, She had gotten a nice little monopoly on the green squares and King was close to bankruptcy.
“Monopoly economics indeed,” He grumbled as Jessica rolled the dice, landing on one of King’s properties. She passed perhaps a tenth of her money back.
It was a pretty slow back and forth as Jessica slowly drained King of funds until her victory. At which point both of them were very done with the game.
“What jobs do think you’ll be offered?” King asked as the board was waved away. Jessica pondered a moment.
She shifted off the bed and did what had become a common practice, leaning against King’s side. His scales had become streaked with gold, and became a bit warmer to the touch than before. It made for a nice backrest and the physical contact during the isolation of her cell had been very welcome. King seemed to enjoy it as well, his voice sounding lighter, as if her mere touch was a joy. King had quickly become her emotional support through the whole case, which so far wasn’t a bad thing. Though his talk of how much better she is than other people was a bit grating at times.
“Hopefully something unobtrusive. Filing reports or guard duty. With your power we could make good riot suppressants for all I know.” Jessica offered. She had little preference as long as she was given clear enough instructions.
King gave a warm smile. The feeling quickly grew cold, “It’s not going to be that simple you know.” His warning was clear.
Someone was clearly against her being a part of the department.
“They can’t give me jobs that I’ll fail at, It’d add more fuel to the fire.” Jessica responded.
Raymond had promised to get her in touch with his cousin… brother… relative, whatever, who handled governmental suits. He wouldn’t be representing her but his relative would in a lawsuit over the trial and the city’s handling of it. She was protected from retaliation by law, but that didn’t mean too much while she was who knows how far underground.
She sighed to herself. “Let’s just hope whoever is choosing my options wants me as far from the center of attention as I do.”
She stood and stretched, patting King on the head, “I think it’s time to sleep now.”
King pushed into her side, and she enjoyed the contact a moment more. The world went dark as she slept.
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Jessica showered in an empty communal shower, it was nicer than the prison’s but not by much. She followed the path on her glasses to an unmarked door, scanned in and entered. It was an exam room, much like the ones she went to every year for her check up. She sat in the provided chair, it was less comfortable than the exam bed but she wasn’t in the mood to lay down, King’s warning fresh in her mind.
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“I didn’t mean to worry you, I simply-” King tried to say,
“Neither the time nor your fault. Please let me focus.” She whispered.
The room was hospital white, with the normal cupboards and drawers that were entrenched into the walls. There weren’t any of the health posters that drew the eye like at the west hospital, just the bare white walls. There were two doors opposite each other, the one she came in and the one the doctor was going to enter from. Since she couldn’t use any recreational features on her glasses, she just reviewed her schedule again, and again. The morning was to be a complete physical examination, a lunch, then an “Entity Examination” which only slightly worried Jessica, but King just scoffed.
“Let them look, child. I’ve nothing to hide.” King assured her, though she could feel the twinge of worry. She doubted the Department would care if the process hurt the entities they examined. “Must you think such things?” King demanded, exasperated.
Jessica muttered an apology as she spied the Interview portion of her day. It was an hour, right after dinner, followed by an hour of freetime and lights out. The schedule mentioned a few things like integration whatever that meant the next day but it sounded benign. The interview still worried her though.
The door opened suddenly, the same one she had entered from. Odd. The doctor, a harried woman with unkempt hair in a ponytail and a wrinkled lab coat, walked in profusely apologizing and trying to catch her breath.
“I am terribly sorry, security was a nightmare. Hah. Never had to argue that I needed to hear a patient speak to examine them before but, heh, common sense never stopped bureaucracy, am I right?” She took a deep breath, looking like she had run to the room, “Sorry again, for being late. I’m. Oh wow, one second. Hoo. Ran here from the elevator.”
Jessica just watched as the woman scanned her wrist on the wall and a cup of water was dispensed, trying not to stare at her. This was not what she was expecting.
“Again,” The doctor said once she had, “My sincerest apologies, I’m Dr. Maria.” She held out a hand. Jessica shook it unsure of the situation. She seemed friendly at least.
“We are running late so apologies for moving along, please pull off your clothes for the examination.”
Jessica proceeded to stare in surprise. Seriously? Dr. Maria just turned away, tapping at the wall. It probably displayed only on her glasses cause it really looked like she was tapping a random wall. The doctor turned back, “Come on, This is a full physical and I can’t do that while you’re in jeans. No cameras in here so don’t be shy.” The doctor pauses, “Sorry, that felt unprofessional. Please disrobe to your underwear so that we may begin.”
Jessica sighed, and obeyed. The doctor had at least apologized, but it didn’t erase the uncomfortable feeling Jessica had. She was asked to take different poses while her muscles were scanned. She sat down for reflex checks and a blood draw. Jessica couldn’t help but space out a few times, engaging in conversation with King or just daydreaming, only to be brought back to earth by Dr. Maria. It was boring, worse than the paperwork even.
Jessica checked the time as the doctor checked on her readings, the feeling of the thick pill she swallowed making her a little ill. It was almost lunch time. The pill was a camera to scan her GI tract, because this physical was that exhaustive. Dr Maria was, at least, kind throughout the whole exam. She whizzed through tests quickly and mostly painlessly.
“Alright, last test.” Dr Maria informed her, much to Jessica’s relief. “It’s also the most unpleasant, so don’t be too relieved.”
Jessica groaned aloud, causing a giggle to leave Dr Maria’s lips. “Sorry, this is the nerve map. It’s necessary for the examination of your entity after lunch.”
She swiped at the wall, hand and foot prints appeared on the wall and floor. “Stand here please, hands on the wall.”
Jessica complied, “Is this going to hurt?” She asked.
“Yes,” Dr. Maria answered, “A lot.”
Jessica just sighed, “Very reassuring,”
Putting shaky hands on the wall, she stepped on the footprints. The moment she did a full body shock caused her to jump and yelp like a kicked dog. Jumping up and down, she shook herself as the jittering feeling raked up her spine. Dr. Maria laughed a bit, “Yup, that’s everyone’s reaction.”
Jessica glared but that only caused more laughter, “Ha! Don’t be so upset, I had to do the same thing. Just in case an employee manifests, we all have to get mapped. I know it sucks.”
That made Jeassica feel a bit better, but King’s laughter was what put a smile on her face, “Just wait till after lunch.” She reminded him. That shut him up. Dr. Maria gave a weird look, and asked, “Was that to your entity?”
Jessica blushed, this was the first time she had been asked so bluntly and suddenly she was self-conscious about it. “Yeah, we can talk to each other. Helped during the trial.”
Dr. Maria’s eyes lit up, “Seriously? That’s cool! What’s it like? What does it say?”
The questions battered Jessica as they poured out. She tried to get a word in but the flood never faltered so she just went silent. The schedule pinged for lunch, which decidedly ended the interrogation. Dr. Maria looked like she wanted to crawl under a rock when the alert went out.
“Shit. Sorry, That’s not what I-” The woman took a deep breath, “Head back to your room, I’ll finish up here. Sorry about that… again.” She turned to the wall, while Jessica just mumbled and quietly left the scatterbrained woman.
“She was nice though,” King reminded her, which was true. Kind people were rare in her experience so Jessica chose not to judge the doctor.
Jessica ate another sandwich, with more juice. She thought to herself, asking for silence while she ate. She spent the 30 minutes worrying about everything yet again, super relaxing. She was prompted to follow another path after lunch. Time to find out what this Entity exam is exactly.
She followed the bland halls, the evenly spaced doors, the occasional turn, while she could probably find her way back without her glasses it would be a painful affair. Why does there need to be so many rooms for a freaking intake floor? Jessica had no idea. It felt wasteful, purposeful, isolating. Perhaps it was meant to disorient her? She didn’t know and her destination was in her sight. Once again just a normal door like any other. She scanned her wrist and the door opened.
She walked through into a room that she knew was big enough to move past a lot of the doors she had passed. It looked like something from a bad alien movie. Most of the room was taken up by what appeared to be a giant glass jar. It looked like a giant jam jar you’d see in pre-war movies with no top, just it running into the ceiling which rose twice as high as the medical examination room. Next to this jar was a massive bank of computers, with a comically small singular workstation.
In that work station was a small man in a wheeled office chair, whose gray hair was so wispy it was as if he was bald and living in denial hard enough to manifest hair by sheer force of will. Behind him in a similar wheeled chair was a much younger man. He had a full head of black hair and a far more serious face. They both wore lab coats so Jessica assumed they were both doctors.
She also saw what was probably not a device of torture but she couldn’t be sure. It was a table… or maybe a bed? It vaguely resembled a masseuse station, with a space for your head and a place for your arms. But it not only had a helmet type of object at the end with the face hole, there were also a lot of very long needles hanging above it with wires leading to the computer banks. The helmet had wires as well but the several inch long needles that she could see from the doorway. In a farther corner was a square of opaque screens that obstructed view.
The young doctor spotted her and jostled the older doctor. The elder looked up and grinned wide at the site of her. “Jessica! Excellent, please follow Dr. Reycliff. He will give you a change of clothes as I doubt you want to damage your current ones.”
Jessica sighed, the clothes she was wearing had been taken from her closet, and she had a pair in a small bag she was issued that she was wearing at the time of her arrest. So yeah, she’d rather keep it intact if possible. The younger doctor, Dr. Reymond, led her to the screened off section and waved her inside.
“Scrubs are inside. Stand under the faucet and pull the chain before you dress. You need to be sanitized before the examination.” The man’s voice was smooth and light in tone, but there was an edge, he was clearly uninterested in anything beyond the exam.
“Thanks,” She said as the screen closed behind her. She undressed and stood beneath the shower head and pulled the chain. Freezing liquid knocked the breath out of her and she gasped at the sudden cold. She stumbled away and tried to cover herself, finding her skin perfectly dry. “Fuck that’s cold. Fuck.”
She expected a comment from King but he was silent. She knew this was just as worrying for him since there was no telling what exactly was about to happen, but judging by the large jam jar in the room, she had a partial idea, even if it didn’t make much sense.
King rejected it outright, “They cannot remove me from your soul, period.”
“Would it kill me?” Jessica couldn’t help but ask.
King scoffed, “If they could perhaps, but there’s nothing to grab. They would need a way to remove your soul itself and nothing that you’ve seen would indicate that the soul can be directly manipulated that way. No, it’s something different.”
That was a partial relief at least. Jessica, having finished getting dressed, left the screen and approached the probably not a torture table.
The older doctor laughed, “Smart girl, already knows what to do.” His voice, while older and more gravelly, was very kind. She could imagine him telling stories to his grandkids. “Lay face down on the table, head securely in the helmet. Quickly now. I’ve very rarely examined a black level entity and it is sure to be a show.”
“Black level?”
A voice echoed over the loudspeaker, it was harsh and feminine. “That information is not for the public. Please continue with the examination Dr. Herris.”
The old doctor waved a hand at the wall, which Jessica suspected was only one way, and scoffed. He helped Jessica lay down on the table. Explaining the steps he took to his collegue, training him perhaps?
“Now, it is important that the head be facing the floor directly, some will attempt to look sideways, that’s normal so don’t be short with them. Simply reallign their head and move on.”
Her arms were adjusted and to her dismay strapped down. “Don’t be too tight, proper blood flow is necessary for a good reading.”
Her legs were next and despite the urge to struggle she stayed calm, taking deep breaths. This was just an exam. It shouldn’t hurt. It was going to be fine.
“Finally, once the subject is secure, you take the inhibitor and inject into the brain stem. It will be absorbed by the nerves so it’s best to be over cautious when making the injection.” Dr. Herris continued. “Watch my technique.” Jessica felt her hair being pushed out of the way and a cold finger pressing into the base of her skull.
“Feel the soft part just below her skull. It is necessary to verify where it is bacause some patient’s skulls can extend a hair or two further down and it pays to double check.”
A second finger, likely of Dr. Reymond, pressed into the same spot. Jessica piped up. “Is this going to hurt?”
Dr Herris took this as a good teaching moment and spoke to his student before answering, “Now, do remember that the subjects are human, if they ask for reassurance, give it. It costs nothing to be kind.”
A soft hand was laid upon her back, “It will for a bit, but I’ll be injecting you with a powerfull pain inhibitor into your brain stem. You’ll lose a bit of definition in your sense of touch and it can be a bit unsettling, so let me now if you’d like a calming agent before-”
The stern woman’s voice spoke over the speakers once more. “I am a busy woman doctor, skip the inhibitors and get on with it.”
“If you’re so busy go back to your office! I’ve been leading the field since long before you started as a damn secratary. You want me to go faster? Shut up!” The old man chuckled to himself, “Ahh the joys of imminent retirement.”
Jessica felt the sharp needle press against her skin, “Thank you for your cooperation, again, if it becomes to much, say so. We have a lovely agent that-” The needle jabs into Jessica’s neck as the doctor continues without missing a beat, leaving Jessica gasping in shock more than pain. “Will make all the world seem unimportant. There’s good reason morphine is still used after so many decades.”
The pain immediately ceased, on second there was a painful needle in her neck, the next, there was still obviously a long piece of metal in her neck but it didn’t hurt. The needle left her body, and the back of her neck was wiped and something pressed against it. That is a really weird feeling.
“Ah! One moment.” Suddenly there was something pressed against her mouth. “Please bite onto this. When people lose pain sensations it can lead to teeth grinding, very bad for you.”
She bit onto the rubber mouth gaurd, it tasted like… rubber. Gross. The doctor’s voice faded but not enough to completely disappear. Jessica had to focus a bit but he was still audible.
“Now, the readings come from the nervous system, so the jacks above take the nerve map, find the clusters, and-” There was a clacking of keys followed by the very disconcerting sensation of becoming a pincusion. Jessica whimpered, the lack of pain not changing the fact that several dozen massive needles in her back, arms, legs, and even her ass was severely uncomfortable.
“Next is the brain, now the jacks can’t penetrate bone, but that’s not an issue. The brain is powerful enough to be read without a direct connection so-” More clacking followed by a bunch of hard cricles pressing into her head. “There we are. Now, the subject is prepared for examination. Would you like to do the honors?”
There was a flare of electricity and a feeling of wind in her viens. She was frozen as her vision doubled. No, not doubled. She was seeing two things at once. Her body moved without permission, only for her to realize that it was most certainly not her body. A gray and gold streaked clawed hand pressed against glass, wings pushed against the cool barrier, the space was very small, a bit cramped for King to be sitting.
Jessica spat out the guard. “What the fuck?” She was beginning to get a bit sick, so she closed her eyes. It helped, but now she was trapped in a jar. “Dr. Herris, what’s going on? I really don’t like seeing two things at once.”
There was a moment of silence, the two doctors seemed to be in awe of King’s form. Then there was a flurry of activity as the young Dr. Reymond bagan to type rapidly and Dr. Herris made several observations.
Dr. Herris muttered, “They share senses. Write that down,”
King was beginning to panic causing Jessica’s fear to grow. His body thrashed a bit, but it was obvious he wasn’t breaking out. This didn’t help his panic.
Dr. Herris explained, “Reproducable astral projection! My life’s work. Used to examine entities as they are without the inbetween of the Bound. Sorry, it is very rare for sense sharing to go both ways. Does that mean he talks to you?”
Jessica kept her eyes closed, sending comforting thoughts to King. She was just happy that her soul hadn’t been sucked out of her body. “It’s a projection, this isn’t real. I’m safe, we are safe. Calm down!” Her mental voice shouted.
Jssica notably did not answer the doctor’s question. So instead he moved on to King. “So, while the readings are being taken, would you care to chat?”
King was taking deep breaths, then spat out. “I would recommend you give me a moment. Perhaps you would deign to warn your patients before potentially causing a panic.”
A light chuckle left the doctor. “Honestly, I can’t. If you know what’s coming you might try to fight it. Best it be a surprise so we can get it over and done with.”
King growled a bit, “That is an acceptable reason.”
“What’s your name then?”
“King”
Dr. Herris chuckles, “Bit of a big head you’ve got there eh?”
Jessica watched through King’s eyes, two of which she realized were closed, probably for her benefit, as he lowered his head to be eye to eye with Dr. Herris, “No. I simply know my place.”
“That a fact, care to explain this ability of yours? The records we recieved are fascinating but odd. How do you compel people?”
King glared, “I compel the same way any king does. With authority.” Jessica felt his body flex, it felt strong, even in the cramped enclosure.
“What does that mean? Kings enforce their word through laws and military might. They cannot simply tell a room to bow and be obeyed.” Dr Herris argued.
“Is this going to take much longer?” Jessica asked,
“About 3 hours,” Dr. Herris answered dismissively, “Now,-”
King interrupted, “Besides, that’s not even my ability. Our bond is barely enough to allow my presence to touch her own. It will need to deepen and get stronger before such things like my innate abilities can come through.”
“More than one?” Dr. Herris asked in wonder, “Oh you must describe them! Having two abilities is such a boon!”
“I will not.” King said firmly, “I will not distract Jessica with shiny trinkets that may not come for years. Instead she needs to learn the basics of weilding my presence and authority before anything like that.”
“You keep referencing your authority but authority is not a basis for power in and of itself. There must be a geater basis.” Dr. Herris argued.
Jessica sighed, “Explain the hierarchy.”
Dr. Herris turned towards her. “Hierarchy?” Excitement laced his voice as he turned back to King.
King simply nodded. “Yes, if you wish to call it such the Hierarchy is the basis of my authority.”
Dr. Herris paced and waved at King to explain, He growled, “I would highly recommend showing me basic respect while I hand you the secrets of the universe.”
“Do you? Odd way to frame the phrase. I asusre you abilities do not work while you’re on the inside of the glass. Jessica would be a good conduit but-” The mouth guard was shoved back into her mouth roughly. “She’s otherwise unavailable for comment.”
King just chuckled, “You call me full of myself. At least I have a basis for my hubris. May I be allowed to attempt a harmless test of my… “Ability” then?”
Dr. Herris chuckled, “If you must.”
Jessica felt king smile a fang-filled grin. “Dr. Herris, bow at the waist for an appropriate amount of time.”
The doctor bowed low, and everything seemed to freeze. The world held its breath, then the doctor laughed aloud. “This is incredible! I have no ability to stand up! Mark, write this down. We must take notes!”
The doctor resumed pacing, still bent at the waist. “I can do other actions, but I’m stuck bowing. This is fascinating.”
The doctor stood. His eyes looked wild, manic even. “An appropriate amount of time indeed.”
He stopped pacing, and bowed once more. “My sincerest apologies for my rude behavior. I must know how that happened. If you would please explain this Hierarchy then I would be so grateful.”
Jessica thought she was about to die from the stress of the moment, but the way King relished the apology almost made that worth it. “Don’t ever fucking do that again.” She hissed mentally.
King chuckled, “Apology accepted. Now, listen close and save questions for the end.”
King proceeded to fill the next 2 hours with a long-winded rant about universal order and how the very matter of life understands it’s place in the Hierarchy. King learned how to raise hmself high in the Hierarchy, and how to use it to reinforce his authorty, creating what boils down to a positive feedback loop untl he was the undisputed King of the Dusk. Dr. Herris had questions, a lot of them.
King signed, “Again, I am not controlling your thoughts, I can’t even do so as it would be a direct abuse of my authority.”
Dr. Herris was in the terrible position of just not getting it, but being so close. “Matter isn’t conscious. There must be some interference with the brain and how it signals the body!”
King shook his head, “Again, that’s not how authority works. It does not affect the brain, if it did then you wouldn’t be aware that there was anything wrong. You wouldn’t be aware of the authority being exercised.”
Dr. Herris pulled at his hair. “But that makes no sense. This whole business is impossible. That would require a shift of my world view that I am too old to make dammit! I refuse to become religious so late in life! There must be a natural explanation!”
Jessica wondered at the bizarre comment. Before she could ponder how anything about this lead to thoughts of the afterlife, Dr. Reymond announced the end of the exam. Dr. Herris begged for another hour but soon the second vision from King was gone. Jessica opened her eyes, blinking at the bright lights. It seems she needed to readjust. Lovely.
The machine pulled itself from her, and she was slowly helped out of the chair by Dr. Reymond. The elder doctor was grumbling furiously to himself, looking like a child being taken from a candy shop without being allowed to get any. The secrets of the universe huh?
“I can’t help it if others are unable to comprehend it. There’s a reason more people don’t take the path I have.” King responded to her sardonic thoughts.
Right. Jessica stretched behind the screens before changing, letting the slight tightness in her back loosen up. The pain inhibitor was going to be active for another hour or so, apparently that was normal as the multiple stab wounds in her back, which were sealed the moment they had been left in her back, would distract from her interview. She was told to be mindful of her teeth and sent back out into the hall. The interview was directly across the hall, by design most likely.
She walked in, and sat in a metal chair. She waited for a good 10 minutes, chatting with King about his experience outside of her head, before the door opened and a sharp looking woman stepped through. Something immediately set off alarm bells. The air around this woman was uncomfortable, it was wrong. Jessica immediately disliked this woman.
The woman sat down, shooting a smile so cold it could freeze hell over. “Hello Jessica, I’m Director Amelia Hernandez, and I will be making your life a living hell if you don’t do exactly as I say. Is that understood?”