GRADUATION

[descentinto]

[ There’s a spark in the darkness outside the dome, somewhere. The pale rainbow of some kind of bio-luminescent jellyfish. Then another. Then two more. Then ten more.

Within moments, the seafloor around you is illuminated by jellyfish, shining brighter than nature should allow, and you find your surroundings changed. Statues, piles of gold, paintings, all of them lie scattered around for as far as the eye can see in any direction. Just a disgusting amount of wealth.

The frosted glass box in front of all of you just… vanishes. And standing at a podium that doesn’t at all match the previous silhouette, you finally get to see The Professor, in all his slightly ghoulish glory.

Honestly? This might be exactly the kind of man you pictured he would be. ]

Allow me to introduce myself properly, boys and girls. I am Professor Gunnar Maelstrom, one of the five sitting members of the Faculty here at VILE. I suppose, one way or another, this is where it ends.

[ You’re getting close, gumshoes! Don’t give up! ]

Comments

[fivestagegod]

What, exactly, do you get out of refusing to answer us now? Unless you're mad about the comment on your looks, in which case the fact that you look like every employer I've ever had is not my fault.

[descentinto]

[ he really does look like a resident evil villain I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR WEEKS ]

Just to unsettle you, mostly. It would make one hell of a secret to take to my grave if I die here.

[fivestagegod]

Hey, come on. I did say that I'm not entirely behind that happening, didn't I?

[descentinto]

True, but even among VILE we tend to settle things by group vote. I suspect you might be in the minority, there.

[ladygeryon]

Group vote, huh? Did your Council also vote on whether or not to do this experiment?

[descentinto]

I proposed it, they approved it. Simple as that.

[fivestagegod]

That assumes you're going to let us get away with that in the first place.

[Like. Just saying.]

Assuming you are, though, I can't say I blame the others for being mad. I'm honestly a little annoyed myself, but that's more because I find evolution to be the driving force behind - and core tenet of - scientific experimentation. I can't say I'm too thrilled about something like this being used to perpetuate monetary greed.

[like, the torture is fine?? the torture is fine as long as it's actually going somewhere.]

[descentinto]

A fair point. It's difficult to kill me in any way that matters.

[ He shrugs. ]

Better than struggling for grant money.

[fivestagegod]

If you're struggling to get grant money, you're doing the wrong kind of science entirely.

[if your issue is "i want to do science but unfortunately am evil" are you just completely unaware of pharmaceuticals]

God. Umbrella would love you, it's to a point where it's actually a little stupid how well you'd get along with everyone there.

[descentinto]

Perhaps in another world, Doctor Birkin, we could have been colleagues. Tragic, really.

[fivestagegod]

It's your own fault that we're not, you know? You had access to me for weeks and it never occurred to you that I come from the land of "fuck you, got mine" and would've joined up voluntarily if asked. But I guess that's the nature of tragedy as you're defining it, sure.

As it stands, I'm less after you than the others are. I still don't actually hate you, after all of this. I just think this whole thing is sort of a waste as far as potential goes.

[descentinto]

A fair perspective. Perhaps it's time to end this.