Compass
Room N1C
The room looked exactly like it did when she entered it the first time. No changes were made to it, not even to change the window scene. Only the bed looked sat on rather than slept in.
Irah had been spending all of her time, during the lock down, to explore what she could do. The only thing she hadn't been able to test was strength or endurance or anything else like that. When lock down was lifted she looked at the door, but decided to stay here on her bed. She had learned many things, nothing of which told her going out of her room would be any more profitable than staying inside. Irah had been doing a lot of thinking, about what had happened to her, why it happened. She came up with nothing and no one else she had an interest in talking to.
The door suddenly opened and
Cyrus, Irah's Handler, stepped in. He gave the room a perfunctory look over before giving a quick nod. "Lockdown has been lifted. Specials are now free to leave their rooms." His face and voice softened a little. "You are welcome to join the majority of the others for breakfast in the cafeteria. I can confirm that the variety available is quite impressive."
Irah watched Cyrus enter her quarters, she blinked listening to him. She sat up then and slowly got off the bed, standing up she pushed her white hair behind her shoulder and faced her handler, still wearing the grey cotton boy-shorts and sports bra she had been given as underthings. She still didn't understand why she had to cover up as no one had explained that to her, she felt no shame about her body or the scars or even the grafts where her bionic limbs met with flesh. Using her left eye she did a quick scan of Cyrus, her eye showing the use by lighting up like static. "It doesn't matter what food tastes like, or what kinds are offered." She spoke softly, still simply standing in front of her bed in her underwear watching her handler. She hadn't been given much information if any she could actually use. Just that she had to follow orders, and didn't try to leave this facility. "I heard the announcement, the others are all out of their quarters?" Irah asked she had no real interest in the others, she had been listening in on them and had grown bored of that, she just wanted someone to explain things to her and no one else seemed to know any more than she did. She stood waiting for an answer from Cryus.
"Yes, I believe most of the others have taken the opportunity to get out,"
Cyrus said lightly. He indicated the wardrobe with a little gesture. "You should get dressed and at least get something to eat, you need to look after yourself. You'll be no good for the missions without eating a balanced diet."
"You mean the human parts of me won't."
Irah stated as she turned to the wardrobe and simply grabbed a grey t-shirt from the many in the drawer, then a pair of pants and pulled them on. "Is there more I am supposed to wear?" She asked unsure of the rules she was supposed to be following, she still didn't know why she was supposed to wear these 'clothes' in the first place. Why did everyone here have so many rules and regulations. Too many questions and no answers. Some might think she was impertinent, but she really had no real emotions about things other than curiosity.
Cyrus' mouth turned up at one side in a half smile. "Yes, your human parts." He gave Irah a quick once over with his eyes. "Some shoes of some sort might make you a little more comfortable. Although the Compound is well maintained, you wouldn't want to catch your foot on something sharp." He paused a moment before inquiring, "How do you feel living here? Are you happy?"
"I don't even think something sharp would harm me."
Irah scoffed a little but she obediently put on shoes, like he had said, she wasn't aware the function of socks and so ignored that piece of clothing. "I'm fed and apparently clothed. I'm awake, it is a better state then before." Irah barely shrugged her shoulders, she wasn't sad, or even mad about being here. But she did nothing here, and she had done nothing in the tube she had awoken in. She didn't really know what would make her happy. "What... is happiness?" She asked after a momentary pause, since she had awoken she had been curious, she had been startled and even felt pain. She didn't have a lot of experience with emotions that she remembered anyways.
"You don't know?!"
Cyrus couldn't believe that the Special had no knowledge of one of the base human emotions. "It's joy, a feeling that something has brought you that you like. What that might be differs person to person. Personally, I enjoy relaxing with the other Handlers, doing my job well, alcohol." He didn't include sex in his list - he didn't want to encourage the breeding of Specials. They already had enough of them. "I am making it a directive of yours to go find what makes you happy. Start by interacting with your fellow Specials."
"Mocking me doesn't make you a very adaptable handler. How am I supposed to find something to make me happy when I don't know what that is or how to be happy in the first place?"
Irah shook her head to indicate a negative response. "I dislike talking to the others, they know about as much as I do. Where can I get alcohol? How do I ingest it? I doubt hanging out with the other handlers will make me any more happy then I am now, speaking with you getting mocked. I had a small hope that because we were similar in how we were changed maybe you would help me understand, I was wrong. If you'll excuse me... I have a fruitless mission to attempt to accomplish." Irah didn't rant, she spoke softly through it all, and slowly like she was calculating her words before she spoke them. She knew now however not to ask questions of her own handler, because he was only going to mock her and give her pointless missions apparently. She was learning quickly from every experience and so far, what she was taking from these lessons was that she should interact less and be alone more. She was mulling over what might make her happy and how she would find it. She slowly walked towards the door, she had asked him a question still and hadn't been dismissed either so she wasn't going to leave the room just yet but she wanted to be near the exit so that when she was she could just leave.
Cyrus' one normal eye widened. "Mocking you? Now look here," he said angrily, taking a step towards Irah and pointing at her. "I might have missed the mark with my directive to you, but I
never," he raised his voice, "never meant to mock you!" He realised how loud he'd got and clamped his mouth together. "Fuck missions, jobs, directives, whatever. One thing you need to do is get better at recognising people's intentions." He stood there, a vein on his head pulsing visibly. "Well, you gonna get out of here or you waiting for me to get out?"
Irah watched him for a moment, "You don't like me, you don't like the others. But you don't like being told you aren't very good at handling... well me at least. That's interesting." Irah said still speaking softly, his ire was a little interesting but Irah wasn't worried about him hurting her. Pain didn't seem to bother her very much, she had noticed, his shouting was loud but it wasn't frightening. "If I am dismissed I will go eat and try to find happiness... I'm just a tool, how am I supposed to know what is helpful when no one has offered to help? The others seem to... get a hold on clothes and social behaviors... like they remember it. I don't. I don't remember anything, but that's my problem. Am I dismissed?" Irah asked softly, she did however quit looking him in the face and she was now averting her eyes downward. That rude guy from the room she had awoken sounded much like Cyrus did, but she had done something wrong. She had made Cyrus angry by speaking, so now she knew... She should speak less or she would make everyone mad.
Cyrus was speechless for a moment before stalking to Irah and standing close to her, looking down into her face. "As long as you don't forget who's in charge here, I don't give a fuck what your opinions on me are." He jerked his head towards the door. "Dismissed."
Irah gave a nod and left through the door out to the
Dorms: N1.
"Fuck!"
Cyrus spat out once Irah was out of the room. He grit his teeth, wanting to smash something, but took a number of deep breaths in order to calm himself down. He couldn't let her get to him. Fuck it. As long as she didn't cause trouble and followed his directions in missions, she could act how she wanted. He made sure he felt calm enough in case he came across anybody else before heading out to
Dorms: N1.
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