Mimetic Response #5

A light switches above me. I am in a dark [[room]]. The light illuminates a table in front of [[me]]. I can barely see a [[black glass planel]] showing my reflection.

It is a rectangular room. The floor is cold concrete, and the walls are gray. I do not know where I am.

I am a criminal. I prefer that term over being called a monster. Deep down, I am a freedom fighter.

No matter how long I stare into my reflection, I cannot see who stands on the other side. I am bound to the chair with no escape. [[I wait.]] [[I call out to someone.]]

I stay in my seat a little while longer. Someone taps on the glass. A speaker shrieks above me, and I am unable to cover my ears in time. It rings for a good while until a [[voice]] comes through.

"Hey, anyone there?" I ask. There is no response. I look deeper into the glass. "I know someone's in there. Talk to me." [[No one speaks to me.->I wait.]]

"Greetings," said the voice. [["I trust you know why you're here?"]] They're using a voice changer of some kind, and it's echoing off the walls and into my ears. The voice is deep, [[cold]].

This entire room is cold, and it's clinging to my skin. The most I can do is shuffle in my seat to get some heat going.

I do, but I'm not telling them shit. I don't know how they [[nabbed]] me, but they did. I'm staring into the black glass, waiting. I suppose they want me to affirm something of theirs. I won't. There's no reasoning to listening to these [[people]].

I got too cocky for my own good. It happens to the best of [[us]]. Never thought they'd somehow tail me. So much for internet privacy, I suppose. I only hope they haven't caught the [[others]].

They think we're monsters. Subhumans. If you had told me a couple of years ago that these bastards would somehow infiltrate the government and create their draconic [[laws]] designed to put us all away, I would've laughed my ass off.

I read the law. I swear, I read it. What we did wasn't against the laws until those bastards showed up. It was victimless, harmless. What we did was not a reflection of what we'd do in reality But no. Because their feeble minds could not separate fiction from reality, we are in this [[situation->nabbed]].

Foul-mouthed the lot of them. Bawdy jokes, unorganized, childish to certain degrees. They're the kind of people I hate the most. I love them all nonetheless. They're the only ones who will accept me for who I am. "You are charged with endangerment to society and conspiracy against our country and her people. What do you have to say for yourself?" The voice says. Guess those are the charges they've come up with, huh. [[Remain Silent.]] [["I don't know what you're talking about."]] [["Go fuck yourself."]]

We're freedom fighters. Not monsters or subhumans like those bastards want you to think. We're harmless, and what we do is victimless. But they're so fixated on their false [[morality]], and we can't do anything about it.

They waltzed into the government and other positions of power and spouted their morals, their ideals, and everyone ate it up. Who wouldn't? What person in their right mind would be against violence and other terrible human atrocities? A few of us tried to argue that it was all fiction, that it didn't affect reality, but they didn't listen. We were branded as immoral. At least there wasn't any laws effecting us then. At least we were [[together->others]].

"Well, I suppose you do technically have the right to remain [[silent->victimless]]. Still, it won't do you well to remain quiet if you value your life. Let's make a deal. You give up the names and location of your compatriots, and you'll be spared. It's that simple." Odd. I know a few of our comrades have been caught before. We don't hear from them ever again. It's always a moment of silence when it happens, and none of our [[operations]] are ever exposed.

"Don't play stupid. We all know why you're here. Instead, let's make a deal. You give up the names and location of your compatriots, and you'll be spared. It's that simple." Odd. I know a few of our comrades have been caught before. We don't hear from them ever again. It's always a moment of silence when it happens, and none of our [[operations]] are ever exposed.

"An agressive one, aren't we. It's just like you savages to be that way. I must remind you that should you use such a tone to me again, your life shall be forfeited. However, I am not unkind. Let's make a deal. You give up the names and location of your compatriots, and you'll be spared. It's that simple." Odd. I know a few of our comrades have been caught before. We don't hear from them ever again. It's always a moment of silence when it happens, and none of our operations are ever [[exposed]].

It's funny now that I think about it. I'm probably closer to death than anyone else in this entire world, all because of what we did. What did we do, you ask? Why, we were some of the worst terrorists/criminals to have ever roamed this land. We enjoyed the things they hated, we kept to ourselves beneath the surface of society, we valued entertainment, we spread our joy to those who wanted it. It is peaceful, harmless, [[victimless]].

"We know that you have three compatriots. [[Arjan]], [[Elysia]], and [[Eli]]. We only need to know two about them, and you can live. What say you?" [["I don't know anything."->"..."]] [["..."]]

Arjan. There isn't a more typical member of our community than him. Foul-mouthed, bawdy jokes, the kind of person I hate the most. I hate it even more when his human side seeps out when he starts acting like some kind of therapist. Man does what he loves, and I respect that. Damn good at it too. He keeps a mean dobermann that's only nice to us and no one else. I don't think he has anyone else in this world other than us. (text-colour:red)[He should be operating in an underground club north of the city.]

Elysia. Good person, even better artist. She's the nicest person in our group, helped me through the process and all that. Her family abandoned her when they learned of the stuff she was into. All of our families did, but it was especially hard when she was disavowed by her sister. I try to convince myself that it was those propaganda that they ate up, but any reasonable mind should be able to tell the difference between fiction and reality. (text-colour:red)[She should be at a safehouse in the southern part of the city.]

Eli. Family man. Got two kids; one son and one daughter, and a wife who loves him more than he loves himself. He's been into this whole thing since he was a kid. Like all of us, he was shocked to realized it had become illegalized. He could've just ignored it or even join in with the hate. But no. He decided to join up with us instead. He's the nicest man I will have ever known. (text-colour:red)[His house is in the eastern block of the city. ]

"I see. It seems you will need some artificial convincing." There is a mechanical whirring, and I feel a prick in my harm. A cold liquid seeps into my veins, and my heart papitates. My tongue feels looser somehow. "Now that that's out of the way, you should be more cooperative. Let's begin. What is Arjan to you?" [["He's a friend."]]

"I keep my promises and have determined you to not be a suitable subject for questioning. There is no point in keeping you alive any longer." The lights turn off, and there is a prick in your arm. A cold liquid flows into your vein, and blackness replaces darkness. [[Return to Start->start]]

"We know that you have three compatriots. [[Arjan]], [[Elysia]], and [[Eli]]. We only need to know two about them, and you can live. What say you?" [["I don't know anything."->"..."]] [["..."->"..."]] [["Go to hell."]]

"What is his distinguishing feature?" [["He's got red hair."]] [["He's got a dog."]]

"What general direction should he be in?" [["North."]] [["South."]] [["East."]] [["West."]]

"What general direction should he be in?" [["North"]] [["South"]] [["East"]] [["West"]]

"What kind of building should he be in?" [["Club."]] [["Hotel."]]

"What kind of building should he be in?" [[Club.]] [[Hotel.]]

"What kind of building should he be in?" [[Club]] [[Hotel]]

"You're either lying, or your tongue's stiff. We caught you in the west. [[Try again->"He's got red hair."]]."

"What did you say was his distinguishing feature again?" [["Red hair."]] [["Dog."]]

"Alright. That's enough questioning for today. We'll see if you're really telling the truth by [[tomorrow->Day 2 Dead 1]]."

"What did you say was his distinguishing feature again?" [[Red hair.->"Red hair."]] [[Dog.->"Dog."]]

"I see. Even the medicine isn't effective. That's a shame. We have no more use for you." The lights turn off, and there is a prick in your arm. A cold liquid flows into your vein, and blackness replaces darkness. [[Return to Start->start]]

Day 2 "We were unable to find him and have determined you to be a liar and useless." The lights turn off, and there is a prick in your arm. A cold liquid flows into your vein, and blackness replaces darkness. [[Return to Start->start]]

"What did you say was his distinguishing feature again?" [[Red hair->"Red hair."]] [[Dog->"Dog."]]

"What kind of building should he be in?" [["It's a club."]] [["It's a hotel."]]

"What kind of building should he be in?" [["A club."]] [["A hotel."]]

"What kind of building should he be in?" [["A club"]] [["A hotel"]]

"You're either lying, or your tongue's stiff. We caught you in the west. [[Try again->"He's got a dog."]]."

"What did you say was his distinguishing feature again?" [["The red hair."->"Dog."]] [["The dog."]]

"What did you say was his distinguishing feature again?" [["The red hair."->"Dog."]] [["The dog."->"Red hair."]]

"Alright. That's enough questioning for today. We'll see if you're really telling the truth by [[tomorrow->Day 2 Alive 1]]."

Day 2 "You were wonderfully cooperative yesterday. Thanks to you, we have caught Arjan. Only one more person, and we can let you live." To be continued...

"What did you say was his distinguishing feature again?" [["The red hair"->"Dog."]] [["The dog"->"Red hair."]]