18:00

47 : Only the Start

Test Tube never exactly cared for any pain her subjects went through. That fact might not have always been true, as she knew she definitely would have cared before the experiment started. And even then, there might've been a small time period during the experiment where she still did.

Though by now, she had learned to cut off any empathy she had. She might not have been successful in ridding herself of all emotional bonds, though she had done quite some damage to them at the very least. She learned not to care about how the subjects felt unless it would affect the experiment.

Regardless of all of that though, she did have to admit that subjects were much easier to handle under anesthetic.

She looked down at the metal table beneath her. The table had been used a fair amount by now, probably being the most used tool in the experiment. The binds had been built in with the possibility of subjects putting up a fight in consideration, though now that there was an unconscious object on the table, they just looked unnecessary.

O-6 had been cooperative, thankfully enough. Reluctant, but that part didn't matter to Test Tube at this point. The cooperation was all that really mattered.

With the vitals hooked up, the subject unconscious, and a tray of tools beside her, Test Tube believed she was ready to begin the operation. At least, physically, she was. There was one small issue : how exactly was she going to do this?

She looked at the button on O-6's chest. It was about what you would expect from an object like her ; a round power button, the same colors as her gain. She often used it to adjust her volume, though Test Tube never quite caught on to how it worked.

Every object had a different anatomical structure. It was common knowledge, even if it was only a general statement. If anybody knew about that more than anyone, it'd be Test Tube. But that was exactly where the problem came in.

She highly doubted O-6 knew her own anatomical structure, so it'd be useless to ask her, even if she wasn't passed out. Although Test Tube could easily revive O-6 if anything went wrong, repeating the process of setting the procedure up would get exhausting. Besides, she had only just managed to get the water to freeze over again with Fan. It wasn't worth it to break through the thin ice.

She huffed through her nostrils. She'd just have to take this slowly then.

She took the scalpel from the table into her hands, making sure she had a firm grip. This one wasn't her usual one, as her older one had become worn out from use. Luckily, she had planned ahead for things like that, so she hadn't had to go to the store again yet. She still wasn't sure what to do if she ended up needing something she didn't have, but she'd cross that bridge once she got there.

She lined the tool with the edges of O-6's button. With some struggle with the specifics, Test Tube pressed the blade into the flesh, making sure not to plunge too deep.

From there, she traced around the button like a child cutting along dotted lines. The circular shape of the button didn't make it easy, but Test Tube thought she was doing an okay job. The slight shake in her hands only made it more difficult, though it was consistent at the very least.

As soon as the line surrounded the button, the blade was pulled out. Test Tube dabbed a wet cloth around the new wound, collecting any blood that might've bubbled up. Thankfully, the cut seemed to be smooth and clean, indicating she had done a good job.

She set her tools back onto the table beside her, leaving only bloodied gloves. She held her breath for a second, reminding herself that risks were alright in this situation. If anything went wrong, she could revive O-6. Fan didn't have to know about that if she did anyhow, right?