It wasn't the first time Six and Fern had been outside the lab.
Six had been to many things outside the lab; award ceremonies, live testings, all sorts of press conferences where she and the other Special 7 were the focal point of the gathering, and Fern, well, she hadn't been at that lab her whole life. But this was a new experience for them both. A private school. It was filled with the shrieks of middle schoolers and teachers wandering up and down the halls, trying to regain control. This would seem out of the ordinary for a private school, but it was early in the morning, and once things settled down, it would seem just as organized as any other private school. Six was being carried in her travel cage by the first scientist while Fern was being lead on a leash by the second scientist. Six cowered in the corner of a cage, wishing her ears weren't so big as to pick up every single sound made.
"Who knew human children were so noisy?" Six asked, and Fern smiled.
"Yes, but I like them still," she said, "They're sweet, and they love you simply because you're an animal. If there's ever been any true animal rights activists, it's human children."
Six nodded, still a bit wary of trusting any humans after the last few weeks in the lab, especially after Gerry told her about Jasmine and his adventure into her cage. Six had become completely distrustful of THEM and was no longer being as cooperative as THEY'D like her to be. Six felt bad about this though, because she knew she could get away with that attitude, as she was part of the Special 7, and THEY'D never do anything to hurt one of the rabbits from that group. Finally, the scientists stopped in front of a classrom, exchanged a few words with the teacher and then were lead inside.
Sixs cage was placed on the teachers desk, with a sheet laid on top of it, covering her from the childrens view. Fern sat beside the desk, keeping Six company simply with her presence if nothing else. The room eventually quieted, and Six started to shudder. She felt a large *THUD!* on the table beside her, and nearly jumped out of her fur. She quickly scurried to the other corner, and huddled in deep into the straw, shivering. After a few moments, she heard THEM begin to speak to the children. Thankfully, she'd learned to listen.
"There's two rabbits on this desk," the male scientist said to the children, "One of them is smarter than the other. She's a rabbit we've been testing intellignece enhancing drugs on for quite some time now. The other is just a simple rabbit, nothing special about it at all."
After a wooshing sound, the sheets were pulled off the top of Sixs cage, and she could finally start to look around, though the bright schoolroom lights blinded her momentarily. She squinted, shook her head, flopping her ears back and forth, before finally able to see the cage beside her. Inside was another rabbit from the room, one she'd never spoken to. They were placed on the opposite end of the room, for one, and outside of Gerry, Doug, Kevin and the remainder of the Special 7, she didn't really socialize much. It was a rabbit the same size as her though, but shaking intensly, scared out of its mind. Six hopped across her cage and looked at him. She glanced up at the spot where his nametag should be attached to the cage, but there wasn't one. She then looked at the top of hers, and spotted her nametag. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Because we've enhanced the intelligence of one of them, they will react more logically under stress, pressure and fear. Watch," the female scientist said, as she walked in front of the desk, and started fumbling with the latch on the other rabbits cage. Six wiggled her whiskers, and looked back towards him, now noticing he was staring at her.
His eyes said it all.
The scientist reached into the cage, grabbed the rabbit and pulled him out. He kicked rapidly with his hind legs, trying desperately to get free. Six hopped back across the cage, her head tilted straight up in curiousity at what was about to transpire. The female scientist turned the rabbit over, still holding him, so his stomach was face up, as the male scientist came to her side and pulled the cap off a needle. He then pushed the tip into the rabbits stomach, and injected him with something. After a few seconds, he stopped kicking, and they put him back down into the cage. After a few moments of shivering, he finally started to move. He started to run in circles, and then directly into the metal grates of his cage, bashing his face against them violently.
Six backed up at the sight, and huddled back into the far right corner, as far away as she could get. She shut her eyes, not wanting to witness this. This wasn't at all what she had expected. After a few minutes, the sounds stopped. Six let her eyes flutter open, and she spotted the rabbit lying on the floor of his cage, his face cut and bloody. She whimpered, lowering her ears over her eyes. Then she heard the latch sound above her, and realized they were coming for her. What would she do? There was nothing she could do. A hand reached in. THEY pulled her out. THEY turned her over. THEY injected her. Same process. After Six was placed back on the floor of her cage, she just stood there, unsure of what this would do to her.
After a few minutes, she began to feel a tinglig in her back right leg, and then a burning. She contorted herself so she could get her head back there, and started chewing at her paw. The pain became worse. She gnawed faster, as the schoolchildren hooted and hollored around them. After a few minutes, the pain subsided, and she laid on her side, her eyes glazing over from finally have relief. It was only after a few seconds of pleasure did she realize, upon glancing down at her leg, than she'd gnawed her back right paw completely off, and it was laying there in the straw.
"You see, the first rabbit felt the pain, but didn't know what to do about it. He resorted to complete and total destruction of his senses in order to rid himself of this feeling. The other rabbit, she's the intelligent one. She found the pain and isolated the pain by riding herself of the spot where the pain was emenating from."
Six tuned them out. Her eyes were glued to the paw that used to be her back leg. It was a bloody stump, laying there in the hay, almost crying to her. Wondering how she could do this to it. Six felt like she was going to throw up. After a few more minutes, Six passed out. When she woke up again, she was in a room, but not the normal room. This was a holding room, probably for her to recover in. She heard the sound of a food bowl being pushed around, and rolled up onto her stomach, crawling to the front of her cage, only to find Fern eating her dinner. After she finished, she looked back up at Six, and sat down.
"I didn't know what to expect, but I wasn't expecting that," she said.
"That wasn't even educational," Six said, exasperated.
"Apparently it was a science class," Fern said.
"Why did they choose me? I'm...I'm one of the 7. I'm not supposed to be subjected to this sort of thing. I'm special..."
"I suppose everyone really is expendable," Fern said, licking her paw, "Don't take it too personally."
"Too personally? I gnawed off my own paw for the amusement of children!" Six shouted, before realizing she didn't have the energy to shout. She laid back down on her side, and heard the door to the room open. The female scientist from earlier came in, took Fern, and exited the room. Six sat back up and looked at her stump, which was wrapped in gauze. She felt sick again, but not as sick as she did moments later, when her eyes scanned the room and landed on Ferns food bowl.
Laying inside the bowl was the remains of the other rabbit from earlier.
Six had been to many things outside the lab; award ceremonies, live testings, all sorts of press conferences where she and the other Special 7 were the focal point of the gathering, and Fern, well, she hadn't been at that lab her whole life. But this was a new experience for them both. A private school. It was filled with the shrieks of middle schoolers and teachers wandering up and down the halls, trying to regain control. This would seem out of the ordinary for a private school, but it was early in the morning, and once things settled down, it would seem just as organized as any other private school. Six was being carried in her travel cage by the first scientist while Fern was being lead on a leash by the second scientist. Six cowered in the corner of a cage, wishing her ears weren't so big as to pick up every single sound made.
"Who knew human children were so noisy?" Six asked, and Fern smiled.
"Yes, but I like them still," she said, "They're sweet, and they love you simply because you're an animal. If there's ever been any true animal rights activists, it's human children."
Six nodded, still a bit wary of trusting any humans after the last few weeks in the lab, especially after Gerry told her about Jasmine and his adventure into her cage. Six had become completely distrustful of THEM and was no longer being as cooperative as THEY'D like her to be. Six felt bad about this though, because she knew she could get away with that attitude, as she was part of the Special 7, and THEY'D never do anything to hurt one of the rabbits from that group. Finally, the scientists stopped in front of a classrom, exchanged a few words with the teacher and then were lead inside.
Sixs cage was placed on the teachers desk, with a sheet laid on top of it, covering her from the childrens view. Fern sat beside the desk, keeping Six company simply with her presence if nothing else. The room eventually quieted, and Six started to shudder. She felt a large *THUD!* on the table beside her, and nearly jumped out of her fur. She quickly scurried to the other corner, and huddled in deep into the straw, shivering. After a few moments, she heard THEM begin to speak to the children. Thankfully, she'd learned to listen.
"There's two rabbits on this desk," the male scientist said to the children, "One of them is smarter than the other. She's a rabbit we've been testing intellignece enhancing drugs on for quite some time now. The other is just a simple rabbit, nothing special about it at all."
After a wooshing sound, the sheets were pulled off the top of Sixs cage, and she could finally start to look around, though the bright schoolroom lights blinded her momentarily. She squinted, shook her head, flopping her ears back and forth, before finally able to see the cage beside her. Inside was another rabbit from the room, one she'd never spoken to. They were placed on the opposite end of the room, for one, and outside of Gerry, Doug, Kevin and the remainder of the Special 7, she didn't really socialize much. It was a rabbit the same size as her though, but shaking intensly, scared out of its mind. Six hopped across her cage and looked at him. She glanced up at the spot where his nametag should be attached to the cage, but there wasn't one. She then looked at the top of hers, and spotted her nametag. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Because we've enhanced the intelligence of one of them, they will react more logically under stress, pressure and fear. Watch," the female scientist said, as she walked in front of the desk, and started fumbling with the latch on the other rabbits cage. Six wiggled her whiskers, and looked back towards him, now noticing he was staring at her.
His eyes said it all.
The scientist reached into the cage, grabbed the rabbit and pulled him out. He kicked rapidly with his hind legs, trying desperately to get free. Six hopped back across the cage, her head tilted straight up in curiousity at what was about to transpire. The female scientist turned the rabbit over, still holding him, so his stomach was face up, as the male scientist came to her side and pulled the cap off a needle. He then pushed the tip into the rabbits stomach, and injected him with something. After a few seconds, he stopped kicking, and they put him back down into the cage. After a few moments of shivering, he finally started to move. He started to run in circles, and then directly into the metal grates of his cage, bashing his face against them violently.
Six backed up at the sight, and huddled back into the far right corner, as far away as she could get. She shut her eyes, not wanting to witness this. This wasn't at all what she had expected. After a few minutes, the sounds stopped. Six let her eyes flutter open, and she spotted the rabbit lying on the floor of his cage, his face cut and bloody. She whimpered, lowering her ears over her eyes. Then she heard the latch sound above her, and realized they were coming for her. What would she do? There was nothing she could do. A hand reached in. THEY pulled her out. THEY turned her over. THEY injected her. Same process. After Six was placed back on the floor of her cage, she just stood there, unsure of what this would do to her.
After a few minutes, she began to feel a tinglig in her back right leg, and then a burning. She contorted herself so she could get her head back there, and started chewing at her paw. The pain became worse. She gnawed faster, as the schoolchildren hooted and hollored around them. After a few minutes, the pain subsided, and she laid on her side, her eyes glazing over from finally have relief. It was only after a few seconds of pleasure did she realize, upon glancing down at her leg, than she'd gnawed her back right paw completely off, and it was laying there in the straw.
"You see, the first rabbit felt the pain, but didn't know what to do about it. He resorted to complete and total destruction of his senses in order to rid himself of this feeling. The other rabbit, she's the intelligent one. She found the pain and isolated the pain by riding herself of the spot where the pain was emenating from."
Six tuned them out. Her eyes were glued to the paw that used to be her back leg. It was a bloody stump, laying there in the hay, almost crying to her. Wondering how she could do this to it. Six felt like she was going to throw up. After a few more minutes, Six passed out. When she woke up again, she was in a room, but not the normal room. This was a holding room, probably for her to recover in. She heard the sound of a food bowl being pushed around, and rolled up onto her stomach, crawling to the front of her cage, only to find Fern eating her dinner. After she finished, she looked back up at Six, and sat down.
"I didn't know what to expect, but I wasn't expecting that," she said.
"That wasn't even educational," Six said, exasperated.
"Apparently it was a science class," Fern said.
"Why did they choose me? I'm...I'm one of the 7. I'm not supposed to be subjected to this sort of thing. I'm special..."
"I suppose everyone really is expendable," Fern said, licking her paw, "Don't take it too personally."
"Too personally? I gnawed off my own paw for the amusement of children!" Six shouted, before realizing she didn't have the energy to shout. She laid back down on her side, and heard the door to the room open. The female scientist from earlier came in, took Fern, and exited the room. Six sat back up and looked at her stump, which was wrapped in gauze. She felt sick again, but not as sick as she did moments later, when her eyes scanned the room and landed on Ferns food bowl.
Laying inside the bowl was the remains of the other rabbit from earlier.