The Difficult Task of Raising a Weapon

Shadow: Unenjoyable Experiences

Hmm? I slowly come back to consciousness, wondering where I am. Beneath me is a hard, slick surface, not the scratchy cardboard I expect. I don't feel my tablecloth on top of me, and I sit up in confusion.

Oh. Right. I let my eyes scan the large room I'm in through the bars of my spacious cage. I yawn, my head clearing slightly and affording me a semblance of mental acuity. I slowly stand up, stretching my back in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain that comes from sleeping in a cramped position on a metal floor. I stop stretching once I feel alright and start looking at the activities of the few people in the room.

From what I can tell, it must be before G.U.N.'s normal hours; the man over there mopping is a janitor, and those few scientists to my right are all working on the same machine. No one else is in sight. I walk forwards, feeling the 1-and-a-half-centimeters-thick steel bars of the cage I'm in with my hands. The bars are about 3 centimeters apart, affording me no chance to slip in-between. I sigh, deciding to watch the people until something happens. I stand at first, listening to the conversation of the three scientists. After a while, I sit, crossing my legs, and realize I still have my shoes and gloves on, something that surprises me. I thought they'd have taken these by now, but no, apparently not. I continue to eavesdrop on the rather boring babblings of the engineers, cataloguing internally with much boredom their words about a slightly improved balancing system for bipedal droids.

Don't they have anything better to do than spend the early morning hours chatting about robots? I mean, even I think that's boring, and I don't find many science-related topics tedious. Chaos, they need something more interesting in their lives...provided that 'something' isn't me, that is. I groan slightly, lying down and lolling my head back, gazing up at the steel top of my cage. I should be thanking every force abounding in the universe that I'm still alive, but I'm not. Instead, I'm finding myself ridiculously bored. Ugh. I don't know if that says more about my personal arrogance or the fact that I'm barely two months old and still a selfish child. Hmm.

My ears swivel towards the door I had been carried in yesterday as it opens, and a veritable rush of scientists comes through the doors. I lazily roll over, lying on my right shoulder as I watch the humans come in. A prick of doubt spikes its way into my stomach as Professor Marya walks over, leading Lieutenant Topaz and two other, lower ranking, soldiers behind her. My throat tightening in fear, I roll myself up and sit bow-legged, looking up at the humans several feet above me. To my surprise, Topaz is the one who speaks.

"Alright, back corner," she says, motioning clearly for me to move back so she can safely open the door. Unfortunately, my generally impudent personality and impertinent mood leftover from my boredom make me flick my ears and ask:

"Why?" I look at her, tilting my head to the side, and she gives me a sharp look.

"I told you to, and I'm authorized to handle you. You listen to those authorized to handle you, or there are consequences. Now, back corner." My ears flick again, this time at her tone, and I almost make a retort, but the words successfully slap me out of being an idiot and make me scamper to the back corner. I sit down again, nervously chewing on my lip. I hope Topaz won't stay mad at me; I don't need more trouble here. She opens the door, and the two men behind her step into the enclosure. She closes the door, and I watch the soldiers warily.

"Uh...hi?" I venture nervously, and the closer of the two reaches out and grabs my arm, yanking me onto my feet between them. I wince slightly, but I let the men buckle some sort of harness onto me, one made of kevlar and metal. "What is this?" I ask them, genuinely curious, craning my neck to look at the straps on my back and side. "Why are you putting it on me? What does it do?" The second man stops fiddling with a cord he seems to have successfully attached to the back of my worn contraption, and Topaz makes some sort of signal to the men. She opens the door, and I stay where I am, figuring I shouldn't try to leave.