The "lower floors", as they were simply called for lack of a better name, smelled like dust, mothballs, and desperation. However the latter might just have been it's sole inhibitor.
Otto and I never went down to the "lower floors" for anything other than testing the occasional weapon. I had built a miniature Dum-E to bring Quentin food and water, so I never had to interact with him for long.
Otto and I walked down the stairs, me walking like a normal human being, Otto suspended in mid-air walking on his tentacles. The landing that opened up to the first of the "lower floors", which was, in a word: disgusting.
Completely unfinished, which was due partly out of laziness, the other part not caring because I never go there anyway. It was dark and mostly void of technology besides the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, and the chamber Quentin was hooked up to when we needed to test weapons.
Quentin, who was sitting in a shitty metal chair, looked up from the torn book he was reading. His face didn't flinch, he had grown accustomed to this routine through conditioning. Like training a dog. He huffed and got up from the chair.
"Are you here to shoot me with it or slam it against my head." Otto rolled his eyes.
"I'd love to do both but you're not worth it. Prototype?" He gestured to the cylinder in my hands, and I obliged.
"Just do what you're supposed to do." I said, dismissing his irritating questions and looks with a flick of my wrist.
God, he makes me think of what an older Pete-
No. No. I cannot think about him, and I will not think about him. I do not need memories of that brat distracting me.
Once Quentin was securely hooked up to the machine through countless things that I don't want to explain, Otto put a thin sheet of vibranium in front of Quentin.
"Let's see how much vibranium this thing can go through," Otto chuckled "We'll try and stop it from burning you when it goes through but you might just have to be collateral damage." He said with a shrug.
Quentin, apparently out of witty things to say, sat there stone-faced for what was about to happen.
The machine wired, and out came the bean of light. I glided right through the sheet of vibranium and right onto Quentin. He let out a scream that was cut off by a gasp when Otto powered the machine down.
"Don't be a baby." He said to Quentin, who only glared back. Then he looked to me "Could you check the thickness of the vibranium and write it down?"
Once I had finished that, I looked over and gave a thumbs up. "Excellent," Otto said "Test one of five is complete."
