Insanity

[Rezantis]

OOC: Influence is set up as follows.
10 points - +1 to any Roll
3 points worth of persuasion
2 points worth of conversation

--

IC:

"I think better," Nathan opines calmly, "although I suppose that's for you to judge, not me."

This is not going to be fun, is it?

[Brian]

There's a pregnant pause before Hathoway says, "My.  Lucidity."  Another pause, and then the dim glow of a struck match for a moment.  "Well.  You've been better behaved, so far today.  I must say, I'm impressed."

The match's glow is waved out, but a tiny spark remains in the darkness, brightening briefly.  "The test then, and the first order of this ... gristly business.  What happened to your students?  The ones who went with you?"

The specter grimaces.  "Bad luck," he sighs.  "Wish I knew," he says with a helpless shrug.

[Rezantis]

"I . . . I don't remember very well."

There's a brief pause.

"I think Alexander and MacIntyre are dead.  I don't . . . think . . . I know what happened to Simmons."

[Brian]

"Hmm," Hathoway noises.  "Interesting.  What do you remember, Dr. Shuker?"

The specter grimaces.  "Where to begin," he mutters.

[Rezantis]

"I don't remember much of anything after going through the gate," Nathan says slowly, "I know that I went to look into pre-Church cultures . . . but I don't know what I found."

[Brian]

"Hum," Hathoway says.  Then it's quiet for a minute, except for the flare of another match.  "This is a curious thing.  Well, Ridgewick, it appears the experiment may have been a success after all....

"Now, we can't know what happened, Dr. Shuker, and if you don't remember what happened through the gate, well, that just may be for the best."  The glow of his pipe bowl intensifies briefly as he takes a contemplative puff.  "We'll need to keep you for observation for at least another day ... but it appears that the anabaric shocks have managed to excise the memories linked to your madness.  Not a true recover, but perhaps good enough."

The specter frowns.  "This seems unlikely," he mutters.  "I don't trust this at all."

[Rezantis]

There's a long pause.

". . . what were they supposed to do?"

[Brian]

"Well," Hathoway says, with the overly-cheerful voice of someone who likes to talk about what they think, "as one doctor to another, it's simple.  By inducing trauma in an environment where it can be overcome, the previous trauma is made to pale, and thus be made easier to grasp and master.  The mind is a complex thing to the casual observer, but it's still an animal thing.  Treating a man like a beast obviously has results."  He pauses.  "Pending," he says, suddenly wary, "your performance while we observe you.

"Still, this has been much more productive than I'd anticipated.  You may be cured, or harmless enough to be released.  And that's really what matters, what?"

The specter shakes his head slowly.  "Is he baiting you?" he asks doubtfully.

[Rezantis]

"I suppose that makes sense," Nathan says quietly, "This was never my field."

He lapses into silence and waits for Hathoway to continue the conversation - or let him out of the chair.

[Brian]

Hathoway grunts, as though disconcerted.  "Very well," he says.  "Ridgewick, let Dr. Shuker enjoy some more time in the garden.  I'm sure it will have a soothing effect."

"Of course, Doctor," Ridgewick replies.  The door opens, and before Hathoway can be seen, he vanishes into the hallway.  Ridgewick hits the lights and sighs, shaking his head, as the orderlies come forward to begin unbinding Nathan.

[Rezantis]

There's nothing really to say to that.

Nathan lets himself be led out to the garden.

[Brian]

Once he's back in the garden and left to his own devices, Nathan gets to enjoy some freedom from the oppressive darkness.  Though, it seems that the specter doesn't manifest in the light -- or around the orderlies.

[Rezantis]

Hooray, another dose of nothing to do.

Upon getting back to the garden, Nathan finds himself somewhere quiet he can sit down - there's not really anyone to talk to, nor any puzzles or the like to be working out.

So he's going to sit quietly, work out exactly what he can and can't take from the Real - and what he can get from the dream of Earth - and try not to look like a dangerous lunatic.

[Brian]

Nathan is not in the yard for very long before something appears overhead.  At a glance, it's a giant, metallic insect.  It's probably about the size of a conventional helicopter in the real world, judging by the two people crammed towards the beetle-thing's rounded front, peering down through the glass.

Beyond that, smooth and sleek carapace-like hulls lead back to ... well, they're either projections of energy in wing shape, or it's some kind of metal wing flapping so fast it's reduced to a mere buzz.  It's only overhead for an instant, and coming down towards the center of the garden, before the inmates begin to panic, most of them running towards the doors, a handful moving to cower in corners (there's nowhere to hide).  One of the guards runs inside, while the other three try and retain order by shouting.

The flying-beetle-machine-thing (yes, it even has a pair of twitching mechanical antennae) slows as it comes in for a landing, releasing a continual high-pitched whine.

[Rezantis]

Nathan towards the side of the garden himself.  Being -underneath- that thing when it comes down would probably be rather painful.

Outside of that, he's going to regard the scene with interest.