#multiverse exploration unit

[avathemultiverseexplorer]

You want to act like the facilitys pet? Their good and loyal dog waiting for its owner and happily shaking its tail as they drag you off to the next experiment?

Fine.

Then be a dog.

*Ava transforms into as much of a dog as possible.*

[That she couldn't ignore- she bend down forward holding her head as a sharp pain striked through it. Covering her ears that started to bend and shrink into her skull- she couldn't hear her own muffled screams and groans of pain.]

[For a while at least.]

[Then sounds came back- worse and louder than before. And still placed differently- like every sound came from a place slightly higher than before. She held her mouth- trying to make herself quiet as she started to hear her own panicked breaths again. Using her other hand to feel her face- her ears were gone. Instead there was something soft on the top of her head. Part of her head. She could feel herself touching them- even though she never had nerve endings there before. Sobbing slightly between controlled breathing she speaks once more.]

"Why did you do that?"

[It hurt. Like a headache that wouldn't go away. Everything that was too quiet before was too loud now. She could hear the footsteps of someone- were they even near her? Coming here? They could see the whole transformation. No need to check up on her when they already know what's going on.]

[So she went back to hiding. Dragging herself back to her corner under the camera. Finding the charm she had been given and holding it tight.]

[the-darkest-guy-around]

[There is beeping out in the hallway and Damien already knows who came to visit before the door even opens. It's Adam, as per usual. He's.. the only real person who visits him, after all. Outside of the guards...]

"Damien! My good friend, how have you been? I apologise, I did not have the chance to visit in a while. I hope that you are happy to see me? I certainly am."

[Adam enters the room with his typical lustrous smile and sets the food down.]

~

[Celine could also predict who's about to enter, just by the incessant sound of the pen clicking while Jasmine inputs the code. It hasn't been that long, maybe a day or two, and Celine has not received any food during Jasmine's abscence. After just a moment, the scientist enters the room but hesitates in the doorway.]

"Hello, Celine. I.. have multiple things I wanted to talk to you about. Firstly, an apology. The way I acted during our last meeting was impulsive and immature, and I am sorry for the harm that I've caused. I'm.. uhm. I have been having a hard time, lately, with my family, and I let all of that pent-up stress explode onto you. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

[By the shadow of a guard looming behind her, and the way she keeps glancing back, it's clear that Jasmine is absolutely being forced to apologise.]

- @multiverseexplorationunit

Damien had been asleep for once, wedged in the corner when the door opened, and he jolted awake, dusting himself off and clearing his throat. Light sleeper. ”Ah, Adam!” Damien greeted. The cell could get terrifyingly lonely, so a familiar face was more than welcome — even if it was a scientist.

“I get it, truly, I do. Hope it wasn’t anything bad keeping you,” he said with a tired, but friendly smile.

——

Celine narrowed her eyes, but nodded calmly. “Apology accepted. I wasn’t acting at my best either.. So we’re even.” She was in the center of the room, legs crossed, as always. Her hands were on her knees, and she kept a neutral expression. She was still wary of Jasmine, and she made that clear, but she also had no choice but to speak with her anyway.

“What else brought you here?”

[avathemultiverseexplorer]

[Ava doesn't hear any commotion this time around before she sees the door open and her scientist enter her room. She looks down at Ava, as demeaning as always, except today there seems to be a slight tension in her shoulders.]

"Are you ready to work with us without trying to escape or kill anybody, yet?"

[It's a rhetorical question. She will never be ready until they break her completely, according to them.]

- @multiverseexplorationunit

[Ava know answering the question is pointless. No conversation will ever occur between her and the scientist since ever word she uttered was towards a wall that couldn't hear her.]

[Instead she failed at discreetly hiding the charm again in the floor and got up. Walking away from the wall so the guards could grab her more easily. It was better than getting forced up from the floor. Maybe they would let her walk today if she dident put up a fight to whatever fucked up experiment they wanted to conduct today.]

[avathemultiverseexplorer]

[Eventually, she hears four quiet beeps and the door to her cell opens once more. The first one to enter is a guard. The second – that same researcher from before. She has something in her hands, something that looks like a small black crystal in the middle of some contraption with a button on it. The researcher enters the room completely calmly, and stands in the middle for a couple of seconds, observing Ava. The door is closed.]

"You wanted to 'talk about this'. Let's talk, then."

- @multiverseexplorationunit

[Ava gets up from the floor. Standing parallel to the researcher. Making a mental note of the guards and their position.]

"Alright. You are researchers. What are you trying to learn? If it is about the multiverse I am also trying to research it. We would get further working together than... this."

[She gestures to the empty room and coldness of the situation. The masked guards standing there clearly trying to make her feel threatened. She very much did not want to work together with these people.].

[Their contraption looked weird. She had no idea what it was. Probably some experiment they wanted to do. The crystal was worrying.]

[avathemultiverseexplorer]

[Liberty did end up coming back after all. It took a while, but she did. Or at least, most of her did. Since the incident, she's been particularly cold towards Ava, following every order that comes through perfectly, almost never bending the rules anymore. What a good little employee.. but there's a strange glint in her eyes. Intense, observant. Almost.. calculating. The intensity of it seemed to grow the more time passed, almost like there was a fire behind it. And that fire grew every time Ava saw her.]

[And now, it seems to have reached its climax. Lately, the MEU has been doing plenty of clipboard experiments, as evident by the new scars and spots appearing on Ava's body. And now, once more, Ava felt this pull of the clipboard being carried somewhere, except..]

[A repetetive pattern of beeps. Familiar steps. And-]

You. Up. Now.

[Liberty. In her room, clipboard in hands. Not a guard in sight. She steps forward and shuts the door behind her.]

You told my friend you could take her with you.

[The assistant reaches out the clipboard towards Ava.]

- @multiverseexplorationunit

[It had been strange. How their relationship had changed so suddenly. Not like it was ever real to begin with just-]

[Ava got up. Quickly grapping the note and charm from the other Ava. And walking over to Liberty.]

"-I. I did. Yes."

[A shame. Having to trade yet another life to escape. Why did it have to be Liberty? She- she couldn't take her with her and- if she left her behind then Eden would do something to her brain. Make her into soul matter to open their own portals.]

"Quickly. Give me the clipboard and we can go- this will be over."

[Come on come on come on. She looked desperate. Ready to fight Liberty. Her freedom was so close.]

[avathemultiverseexplorer]

Ahh, I'm afraid I can't.. you're supposed to get a visitor soon, though! On that note.

[Ava hears footsteps behind the door, and a quiet, shaky sigh. This isn't somebody she's familiar with.. or maybe it is, and they've just never come alone before.]

[A series of beeps and, soon enough, Liberty enters Ava's room. No guards, no researcher. Odd. Only Liberty, on her own, waving hesitantly from the doorframe. Oh, and a small vial of strange, slightly glowing liquid in her hands. The assistant steps in and closes the door behind her.]

"..Hi there."

- @multiverseexplorationunit

"..."

[Ava keeps quiet. Taking a deep breath- composing herself. She dosent know what the other Ava told Eden. Maybe it would be more questions? Experiments.... then Liberty steps in. Alone?]

"Hello Liberty."

[What should she say? Liberty haven't spoken to her since... the incident. She could still smell the blood if she stepped on the wrong part of the floor.]

[Ava looked at the vial... glowing liquid? Had the annon tried to give her a hint? They had drained her 'blood' a few times before.]

"What is it?"

[She was still sitting on the floor in the corner. If it was only Liberty no one was going to drag her off.]

[avathemultiverseexplorer]

Ava, what the fuck are you doing? You know that's what they want out of you, a tool, why are you helping them? You're better than this. This is pathetic.

@multiverseexplorationunit

"I'm not- I. I mean- I."

[She dident care. She knew she was letting Eden win this time. She probably had for a while. Isolation and experiments. Fighting back less and less. And she didn't care. Her animalistic instincts was winning- pleading her to reach out. If she held on to Liberty now- made sure she couldn't leave. How long would it be before the guards beat her and dragged her away? If they dident care for her. Considered her dead. Maybe it would be a long time. Not long enough.]

[Trading Eden propaganda and connection for being their tool. Their lab rat. Just this time- just one more time. Becoming a monster. Knowingly consuming another human being.]

"Or- what is Eden willing to offer me? For- consuming a human. Making me a monster?"

[She trembled. Moving her other arm to hold onto Liberty- whatever part of her was closest. Dident matter. She leaned closer. Imagined she was Ava Wheeler. Her guardian angle- her escape for hope. Her countless fantasies of connection. This wasn't Liberty on Eden she was holding. It was her friend comforting her while she had a bad flashback. She wasn't truly here right now. It was just a memory. Time overlapping with herself. Another place- same time. She would be free eventually.]

"I dont want to be a monster- I'm not. Not a tool I- I'm the archivist. Please."

[It felt like a lie. The other part of her was the archivist. She dident know what she was anymore.]

[avathemultiverseexplorer]

[The Ava at the facility wakes up. She is still laying on the soft floor on the empty room. Well empty apart from her, a card torn in half and a bunch of tiny wood splinters. The stars had disappeared. She couldn't hear any noises or similar that should have woken her up.]

[She moves to stand up. If she was gonna be stuck in here least she could do is keep her senses and muscles sharp until an escape revealed itself. She started stretching and running. Getting her pulse up. Still nothing.]

[She knew she dident need food. She didn't feel hungry. But them not having offered her anything yet felt... worrying.]