Database
Chapter 6: Database
The screen had become filled with file-shaped buttons. I had no idea what to do, or how to work computers. I could use a keyboard just fine because all the buttons are labeled, but the mouse was completely clueless to me. I then turned to Sparks and Mikka who were just standing there watching in confusion. I looked at them for a second, then asked, "Do any of you know how to work this thing?"
Sparks shot me a look that said 'you dont know how to use it?' Then he said, "Well, maybe.....but what is all this stuff?" directing a motion towards the keyboard and mouse. I guessed that he might be a quicker learner than me. I signaled him to come on up. He hopped up and began studying all the equipment.
"Ok," I began, pointing at the keyboard first, "this is a keyboard. Use it to type words and other things we might need." He gave a quick nod, and let me continue. I pointed towards the mouse and said, "This is a mouse. I have no idea what it does.....thats your job."
Mikka looked up at me and said, "But Raik, that looks nothing like you." I stood there with total confusion on my face. All I could say was, "What?"
She got a big smile on her face and said, "Well, it's a mouse right?" I nodded in response. "And your a mouse right?" she asked.
"Technically, yes....but where are you getting at?" I asked, still a bit confused. She kept her smile and said, "Well then, if your both considered a mouse, then why dont you look alike?" I gave a "seriously??" look and said, "Your kidding, right?" She kept smiling which I guessed ment 'yes.'
"No, wait. Look. Here's the super long tail!" Sparks said laughing, and grabbing the mouse and showing the cord which plugged into the back and grabbing my tail as well. He then smiled too and said, "I always wondered why your tail was so long, and today, I got my answer!"
Mikka chuckled quietly. I just looked at him and said, "Haha, very funny. Just remember, you'll be a Raichu soon too, and your going to have the same sized tail!" Sparks looked at me and said, "It's a joke. Have some fun. I mean were leaving this place, so why not party?"
"We can party, but save it for when we get out of here, okay?" I asked. Sparks and Mikka both said, "Fine," and we continued with the computer. Sparks was now messing around with the mouse, trying to see how it worked. After a few minutes, he managed to figure out the basics and we could now start to search for some kind of floor plan for the facility so we could find the nearest exit and leave, once and for all.
The files appeared on the screen vertically, and read:
Basic Facility Procedures
Facility Resources
New Staff
Facility Experiments
Other
I watched and read down the list, and stopped when I read "Facility Experiments." Thats what I wanted to know...the acronym on my tail! I quickly said, "Go into the experiments one." He nodded and got in.
There were more files listed, only these were all of the acronyms:
BSTS
RPTS
MCTS
KDTS
DSTS
PDITS
I looked at him, and he looked back, with surprise. First, I let him check his first. He entered the DSTS file and the screen flashed more files:
DSTS01
DSTS02
DSTS03
We decided to read some of the other logs, just to see how it went with the other Pokemon subjected to this experiment. We opened the file and a typed document appeared on the screen. It wasn't very long:
"The De-Evolutionary Stones we have tested are going to change Pokemon capture forever. The stone is the same size as any average evolutionary stone, only it has no symbol embeded into it. The using of the stone is basic, simple, and will require good aim and a Pokemon that has a either evolved or has a pre-evolutionary stage. Once the stone hits it's target, it reverts them to a childhood form...literally. The stone has the negative effect of the evolutionary stones, making the Pokemon weaker and easier to capture."
Well, that explained the reason Sparks was a Pichu instead of the Pikachu he claimed he was before. He looked more satisfied now knowing what was happening to him. We continued to read:
"Subject 01 was administered the test at 19:00 hours. The test rendered him unconscious for an average of 3.4 hours and had no effect. The only major difference was a large lump from where the stone had hit him. The first prototype was trashed and discontinued."
The only question was what had happened to the 'failed test subject.' I didn't want to know, so we ignored the question, and read the next subject's file:
"Subject 02 was issued to test the newest prototype of De-Evolutionary Stone. The newest one had increased strength to make-up for the weaker one. The testing began at 03:00 hours and ended with surprising results. The subject did revert back to the childhood form, but after 4 minutes, it quickly changed back, showing the new prototype to be a failure. The flaw, yet again, was the lack of strength the stone had. The stone was expected to put them in their childhood form for an average of 30-45 minutes. We had to fix that before testing another prototype."
One more file left. Sparks number. He quickly opened it and rapidly scanned through it. I followed:
"Subject 3 is the latest of the test subjects for the De-Evolutionary stone. The newest model had a high energy level, and was up to the point where it was believed that the Pokemon would be out for the expected amount of time. The suject was brought in at 23:00 hours, and was quickly administered the test. The tests were proving very successful, up until it reached the expected amount of time. The 45 minute time limit had been greatfully surpassed, and was going on 1.4 hours. It appeared that the energy levels in the stone had been set too high, causing an irreversible reversion to the childhood stage. The subject is still in good condition for more experiments, but nothing has been released about whether or not to put him into a new experiment, or just condemn him to execution."
After reading that, I had a stunned look on my face. The words "irreversible" and "execution" haunted my mind like Ghastly haunted an old house. I looked over to see how Sparks had taken it. He had a grim look in his eyes, and despair looked as though it had swept through his entire body. I walked over and patted him on the head and said, "Sorry, man."
He looked up at me, tried to flash a quick smile, and calmly said, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine. At least they didnt kill me" I saw his eye lid give a quick twitch. I knew he was just trying to cover up the real pain he was feeling, but I didn't want to pester him.
I looked down at Mikka on the floor, who was looking up at us in confusion. I decided to change the subject, and asked, "Do you want to open your file?" She stood there and thought, and then said, "I don't mind, really..."
We opened the file marked "PDITS" and it brought up a typed document, but no other files. We bagen to read the document:
"The Power Draining Injections are revolutionary to our studies, making testing easier on us and the Pokemon. The injections are given to the Pokemon through a syringe, and the newest batch can last for up to 15-16 hours. During the time the injection is in effect, the Pokemon can use no elemental attacks such as Thunder Bolt or Psychic. The Pokemon can however use physical attack like Tackle and Iron Tail, and injections are being worked on to cancel out those attacks as well. Due to the basic properties in making these, only 3 test subjects were needed to test new ones."
Well, there wasn't anything new that we didn't already know. We continued to a section where it mentioned marketing ideas:
"The goal for this was initially to help us, but ideas to sell it as a hunting aid was highly considered and is still being decided. If put into tranquilizer darts, the Pokemon could not fight back in anyway, making it easier for beginner hunters to catch their prey. The product could rake in millions, but is only a thought."
I just couldn't believe what they were thinking. They were going to sell it as a weapon for the humans enjoyment. This whole experience was questioning my trust in the humans. I thought that after this, I would be just about done with humans for good.
There was only one file left that was of any interest to me. Mine. I had to see what they were doing to me. Painful headaches that cause blackouts aren't normal, and I was going to find out what they were doing and why these headaches had been bothering me since my arrival.
I motioned Sparks to the file labeled "MCTS" and we entered it. The file brought up 3 more files:
MCTS01-05
MCTS06-10
MCTS11-14
I was tired of reading them one-by-one. I wanted to know now. I told him to click mine, and another document popped up on the screen. This one was long, but it explained everything and I was shocked at what I read:
"The Machter Mental Control-Chip is a fine piece of technology. The chip shows off only the best nano-technology has to offer. The chip is placed into the surface of the skull, and, once activated, will lock on to the brain waves of the test subject and allow them to be controlled by our computers."
I stood there, my eyes enlarged to the size of tennis balls, and my mouth agape. I thought I might pass out and die right there on the spot, but some unknown force kept me standing.
"Mind control!? They're using mind control!?" I thought, still stunned. I turned towards Sparks, who was now looking at me with remorse and sympathy, but also with a bit of stun. I skipped the other 3 files, and went straight to mine:
"The latest subject was captured and imeadiately brought into the surgical operation room. He was unknowingly fitted with the newest model of our chips. The latest model is a Machter Model 3 Type 12, which we have proven to be more successful than the others. The subject was subjected to the testing and with positive results. Eyewitnesses say that he began to grab his head furiously and then fell to the ground for a few seconds. They then got control, and successfully made him brutally attack the other subject at the other end of the room. Due to the injections the reports said he had taken, he had beaten the other subject brutally with nothing more than his bare hands. This just shows the true power of the chips."
I tried to comprehend what I had just read, but I couldn't because it was so unbelievable. I had visiously beaten another Pokemon! I wiped my face with my hands, roughly. I was now getting a headache, and just the thought of getting another one of those made me afraid that at any minute, I could lose control and attack them. There had to be something I could do, but what?
After a while, I got my idea. I figured that maybe if I could fry the chip with an electrical shock or charge, it would no longer be able to be used by them. The only problem was that I had those stupid injections in my system still, so it wouldn't work, and Mikka was a Water-Type so she couldn't help even if she didn't have the injections.
Another problem was that I had no idea where the chip was located. Without that knowlage, I couldn't fry it. Just then, I realized the most obvious answer to that question. The computer must have had a file on the operation or something.
I quickly scrolled through some more info on my tests, and then I found it. Attached at the bottom of the document, was an X-ray with the label "MCTS14". The picture showed what was supposed to be my skull, facing to the right, and near the top, right behind the ear, was a small black dot. It had to be the chip. I felt behind my ear where the X-ray showed the chip to be located, and I felt a small bump in a straight line form.
"That must have been where they put the chip..." I thought, still feeling the scar.
I had to worry about that later, main priority for now was to find a map to help us escape. We went back and opened the file named "Basic Facility Procedures" and found ourselves looking at another bunch of files:
Rules
Cleaning/Repairs
Emergencies
Security
None of them sounded helpful except for the "Emergencies" file. We figured it might have a map for fire exits or something of use to us. We opened the file and it brought up more files:
Fire
Break In
Escaped Test Subjects
Obviously, the one that could help was "Fire" so we entered that and were greeted.....with a map showing the exits! The facility was pretty big, but I mangaged to find the room we were in. The nearest exit was just down the hall outside. We turned the computer off, and exited the room.
We continued down the hall and found the door. The door was labeled with a small sticker on the front that said "Exit". According to the map, this wasn't a fire escape, so it wouldn't make a sound when opened. This one had to be pushed open. After some serious struggling, we got it open, and wandered into the darkness before us.
The screen had become filled with file-shaped buttons. I had no idea what to do, or how to work computers. I could use a keyboard just fine because all the buttons are labeled, but the mouse was completely clueless to me. I then turned to Sparks and Mikka who were just standing there watching in confusion. I looked at them for a second, then asked, "Do any of you know how to work this thing?"
Sparks shot me a look that said 'you dont know how to use it?' Then he said, "Well, maybe.....but what is all this stuff?" directing a motion towards the keyboard and mouse. I guessed that he might be a quicker learner than me. I signaled him to come on up. He hopped up and began studying all the equipment.
"Ok," I began, pointing at the keyboard first, "this is a keyboard. Use it to type words and other things we might need." He gave a quick nod, and let me continue. I pointed towards the mouse and said, "This is a mouse. I have no idea what it does.....thats your job."
Mikka looked up at me and said, "But Raik, that looks nothing like you." I stood there with total confusion on my face. All I could say was, "What?"
She got a big smile on her face and said, "Well, it's a mouse right?" I nodded in response. "And your a mouse right?" she asked.
"Technically, yes....but where are you getting at?" I asked, still a bit confused. She kept her smile and said, "Well then, if your both considered a mouse, then why dont you look alike?" I gave a "seriously??" look and said, "Your kidding, right?" She kept smiling which I guessed ment 'yes.'
"No, wait. Look. Here's the super long tail!" Sparks said laughing, and grabbing the mouse and showing the cord which plugged into the back and grabbing my tail as well. He then smiled too and said, "I always wondered why your tail was so long, and today, I got my answer!"
Mikka chuckled quietly. I just looked at him and said, "Haha, very funny. Just remember, you'll be a Raichu soon too, and your going to have the same sized tail!" Sparks looked at me and said, "It's a joke. Have some fun. I mean were leaving this place, so why not party?"
"We can party, but save it for when we get out of here, okay?" I asked. Sparks and Mikka both said, "Fine," and we continued with the computer. Sparks was now messing around with the mouse, trying to see how it worked. After a few minutes, he managed to figure out the basics and we could now start to search for some kind of floor plan for the facility so we could find the nearest exit and leave, once and for all.
The files appeared on the screen vertically, and read:
Basic Facility Procedures
Facility Resources
New Staff
Facility Experiments
Other
I watched and read down the list, and stopped when I read "Facility Experiments." Thats what I wanted to know...the acronym on my tail! I quickly said, "Go into the experiments one." He nodded and got in.
There were more files listed, only these were all of the acronyms:
BSTS
RPTS
MCTS
KDTS
DSTS
PDITS
I looked at him, and he looked back, with surprise. First, I let him check his first. He entered the DSTS file and the screen flashed more files:
DSTS01
DSTS02
DSTS03
We decided to read some of the other logs, just to see how it went with the other Pokemon subjected to this experiment. We opened the file and a typed document appeared on the screen. It wasn't very long:
"The De-Evolutionary Stones we have tested are going to change Pokemon capture forever. The stone is the same size as any average evolutionary stone, only it has no symbol embeded into it. The using of the stone is basic, simple, and will require good aim and a Pokemon that has a either evolved or has a pre-evolutionary stage. Once the stone hits it's target, it reverts them to a childhood form...literally. The stone has the negative effect of the evolutionary stones, making the Pokemon weaker and easier to capture."
Well, that explained the reason Sparks was a Pichu instead of the Pikachu he claimed he was before. He looked more satisfied now knowing what was happening to him. We continued to read:
"Subject 01 was administered the test at 19:00 hours. The test rendered him unconscious for an average of 3.4 hours and had no effect. The only major difference was a large lump from where the stone had hit him. The first prototype was trashed and discontinued."
The only question was what had happened to the 'failed test subject.' I didn't want to know, so we ignored the question, and read the next subject's file:
"Subject 02 was issued to test the newest prototype of De-Evolutionary Stone. The newest one had increased strength to make-up for the weaker one. The testing began at 03:00 hours and ended with surprising results. The subject did revert back to the childhood form, but after 4 minutes, it quickly changed back, showing the new prototype to be a failure. The flaw, yet again, was the lack of strength the stone had. The stone was expected to put them in their childhood form for an average of 30-45 minutes. We had to fix that before testing another prototype."
One more file left. Sparks number. He quickly opened it and rapidly scanned through it. I followed:
"Subject 3 is the latest of the test subjects for the De-Evolutionary stone. The newest model had a high energy level, and was up to the point where it was believed that the Pokemon would be out for the expected amount of time. The suject was brought in at 23:00 hours, and was quickly administered the test. The tests were proving very successful, up until it reached the expected amount of time. The 45 minute time limit had been greatfully surpassed, and was going on 1.4 hours. It appeared that the energy levels in the stone had been set too high, causing an irreversible reversion to the childhood stage. The subject is still in good condition for more experiments, but nothing has been released about whether or not to put him into a new experiment, or just condemn him to execution."
After reading that, I had a stunned look on my face. The words "irreversible" and "execution" haunted my mind like Ghastly haunted an old house. I looked over to see how Sparks had taken it. He had a grim look in his eyes, and despair looked as though it had swept through his entire body. I walked over and patted him on the head and said, "Sorry, man."
He looked up at me, tried to flash a quick smile, and calmly said, "Don't worry about it. I'm fine. At least they didnt kill me" I saw his eye lid give a quick twitch. I knew he was just trying to cover up the real pain he was feeling, but I didn't want to pester him.
I looked down at Mikka on the floor, who was looking up at us in confusion. I decided to change the subject, and asked, "Do you want to open your file?" She stood there and thought, and then said, "I don't mind, really..."
We opened the file marked "PDITS" and it brought up a typed document, but no other files. We bagen to read the document:
"The Power Draining Injections are revolutionary to our studies, making testing easier on us and the Pokemon. The injections are given to the Pokemon through a syringe, and the newest batch can last for up to 15-16 hours. During the time the injection is in effect, the Pokemon can use no elemental attacks such as Thunder Bolt or Psychic. The Pokemon can however use physical attack like Tackle and Iron Tail, and injections are being worked on to cancel out those attacks as well. Due to the basic properties in making these, only 3 test subjects were needed to test new ones."
Well, there wasn't anything new that we didn't already know. We continued to a section where it mentioned marketing ideas:
"The goal for this was initially to help us, but ideas to sell it as a hunting aid was highly considered and is still being decided. If put into tranquilizer darts, the Pokemon could not fight back in anyway, making it easier for beginner hunters to catch their prey. The product could rake in millions, but is only a thought."
I just couldn't believe what they were thinking. They were going to sell it as a weapon for the humans enjoyment. This whole experience was questioning my trust in the humans. I thought that after this, I would be just about done with humans for good.
There was only one file left that was of any interest to me. Mine. I had to see what they were doing to me. Painful headaches that cause blackouts aren't normal, and I was going to find out what they were doing and why these headaches had been bothering me since my arrival.
I motioned Sparks to the file labeled "MCTS" and we entered it. The file brought up 3 more files:
MCTS01-05
MCTS06-10
MCTS11-14
I was tired of reading them one-by-one. I wanted to know now. I told him to click mine, and another document popped up on the screen. This one was long, but it explained everything and I was shocked at what I read:
"The Machter Mental Control-Chip is a fine piece of technology. The chip shows off only the best nano-technology has to offer. The chip is placed into the surface of the skull, and, once activated, will lock on to the brain waves of the test subject and allow them to be controlled by our computers."
I stood there, my eyes enlarged to the size of tennis balls, and my mouth agape. I thought I might pass out and die right there on the spot, but some unknown force kept me standing.
"Mind control!? They're using mind control!?" I thought, still stunned. I turned towards Sparks, who was now looking at me with remorse and sympathy, but also with a bit of stun. I skipped the other 3 files, and went straight to mine:
"The latest subject was captured and imeadiately brought into the surgical operation room. He was unknowingly fitted with the newest model of our chips. The latest model is a Machter Model 3 Type 12, which we have proven to be more successful than the others. The subject was subjected to the testing and with positive results. Eyewitnesses say that he began to grab his head furiously and then fell to the ground for a few seconds. They then got control, and successfully made him brutally attack the other subject at the other end of the room. Due to the injections the reports said he had taken, he had beaten the other subject brutally with nothing more than his bare hands. This just shows the true power of the chips."
I tried to comprehend what I had just read, but I couldn't because it was so unbelievable. I had visiously beaten another Pokemon! I wiped my face with my hands, roughly. I was now getting a headache, and just the thought of getting another one of those made me afraid that at any minute, I could lose control and attack them. There had to be something I could do, but what?
After a while, I got my idea. I figured that maybe if I could fry the chip with an electrical shock or charge, it would no longer be able to be used by them. The only problem was that I had those stupid injections in my system still, so it wouldn't work, and Mikka was a Water-Type so she couldn't help even if she didn't have the injections.
Another problem was that I had no idea where the chip was located. Without that knowlage, I couldn't fry it. Just then, I realized the most obvious answer to that question. The computer must have had a file on the operation or something.
I quickly scrolled through some more info on my tests, and then I found it. Attached at the bottom of the document, was an X-ray with the label "MCTS14". The picture showed what was supposed to be my skull, facing to the right, and near the top, right behind the ear, was a small black dot. It had to be the chip. I felt behind my ear where the X-ray showed the chip to be located, and I felt a small bump in a straight line form.
"That must have been where they put the chip..." I thought, still feeling the scar.
I had to worry about that later, main priority for now was to find a map to help us escape. We went back and opened the file named "Basic Facility Procedures" and found ourselves looking at another bunch of files:
Rules
Cleaning/Repairs
Emergencies
Security
None of them sounded helpful except for the "Emergencies" file. We figured it might have a map for fire exits or something of use to us. We opened the file and it brought up more files:
Fire
Break In
Escaped Test Subjects
Obviously, the one that could help was "Fire" so we entered that and were greeted.....with a map showing the exits! The facility was pretty big, but I mangaged to find the room we were in. The nearest exit was just down the hall outside. We turned the computer off, and exited the room.
We continued down the hall and found the door. The door was labeled with a small sticker on the front that said "Exit". According to the map, this wasn't a fire escape, so it wouldn't make a sound when opened. This one had to be pushed open. After some serious struggling, we got it open, and wandered into the darkness before us.