Files, Cabby [Inanimate Insanity AU]

File: Test Tube

Keeping up with everything in a competitive environment like this can be challenging, but since all I've done most of my life is take notes I find it rather easy to keep up. The notes can help me with hypotheses, especially ones of my teammates and enemies. "There's always answers to everything" is the motive I live by, and that's why Test Tube has been bugging me so much.

Second elimination is when it started. Fan's elimination. I'm fully aware those two have so much history together, so I'm not shocked their moment was longer than the rest of the competitors. One thing set me off. A whisper. A simple whisper Fan gave to Test Tube, and her reaction.

"I promise, I will. When the time is right."

Her face told everyone that she was feeling a deep, deep sadness, but I remember looking in those dark eyes and feeling... anger. Resentment, even. It didn't make sense then, and trying to make sense of it for the past few days is not helping. It shouldn't be driving me this up the wall, especially since it could've been a completely unrelated issue from the game altogether, but I need answers.

Ever since Fan's elimination, Test Tube feels more different. Hollow, even, as if the liquid from in her glass container was never there. It's fake, and I know it's fake. I've seen that facade too many times before, and once again, it makes me go nuts. The behavior of objects can be very weird during competitive games like this, I feel like it should be studied more, but that's besides the point. I've secretly been spying on Test Tube, or at least trying to get glimpses of her, but I think she's aware I'm watching her, since she ends up excusing herself and leaving shortly after arriving on the scene.

She knows I'm onto her.

And I'm going to get my answers.

———

I met up with test tube on the beach with Bow and Goo, since she's been hanging out with them a bit more often.

I chose to speak in a friendly, energetic tone.

"Test Tube! Testy, girl! There you are!"

"Hahaha hey! Please don't call me that ever again," she responded quickly. "Anyway, what's got you up so early?"

"I could ask the same thing!" I looked at Bow, who was trying to build the world's most fancy sand castle.

"Bow wasn't sleeping well, so I thought hanging out with her early this morning would make her feel better." Test Tube rubbed one of her eyes, and I noticed that hollow look again.

"Ohhhh I gotcha! Guessing she didn't take too well to Fan's elimination?"

Test Tube frowned. "No, nonono, firstly stop bringing that up," She got a bit closer with a slightly more aggressive tone. "secondly she told me she's been having really bad headaches. That's all."

I stepped back in shock with the sudden anger projecting from her. "Apologies, didn't mean to hit a nerve there..."

"It's fine," Test Tube sighed, yawning in the process. "Just don't bring it up right now."

I figured it wouldn't be any better to continue, considering her clearly sleepless attitude, and chose to converse with the other contestants. I had no idea when the next challenge would be, but it most likely wouldn't be a while, so I spent the rest of the day trying to get a bit more info out of the others on what they knew about Test Tube. Shockingly, Paintbrush knew quite a bit, they did know her from season two after all, so it should've been expected.

What I didn't know was the same night, I would learn something brand new about her.

———

I woke up at around 11:15pm in my room at the sound of a door opening and closing. I got up quickly and checked the peephole. It was Test Tube. I watched her leave the hallway and exit through the back door. Thank goodness we were both on the first floor of the small hotel MePhone had created, or else I would've completely missed her!

Thank goodness I squeaked my wheels clean that day because oh boy was it a long roll to follow Test Tube. She walked a good 25 minutes to get to the other side of the island, which no one had gone over to in a good while. I was shocked she had all that stamina, especially with that amount of sleep! She stopped at the edge of a hill, and I watched as she pulled off a small chunk of it, revealing a passcode. I managed to write it down as she entered it, 1-3-9-5. A door-sized hole opened up in the side of the hill. She stepped back, double checked to make sure there was absolutely no one watching her, and trudged deep into the ground.

Amazing, really, how many answers I got but at the same time so many more questions. Why hide this place? How often does she come here? When was this place made? WHY was it made? Does Floor know about this? If he doesn't, how did she hide it from him?

I chose to keep quiet about it. Letting more people know that Test Tube had a secret underground bunker on the island would surely send the others into chaos! I won't let that happen. Not for now, at least. I went back to my room and went straight to bed. I can't remember the last time I fell asleep so quickly, must have been the wheel work from the almost 55 minutes of rolling around the island.

3:55 am was when I woke up again, with Test Tube inches away from my face. She put a hand over my mouth before I could get out a yelp. I felt my body quiver in fear. Her eyes were so, so much more hollow than before, close to lifeless. I stared at her with a mix of fear and confusion.

"Cabby, you and I need to have a serious talk." She said softly.