Browsing the stock (OPEN)

[Dr. Strages Valvatorez]

Prisoners seemed to flee in terror, locking themselves back into their rooms as they caught wind of what was coming their way. The methodical noise of heavy metal footsteps seemed to resonate long ahead of the actual trio. What came into sight, in the now nearly deserted halls, was truly something most prisoners feared more than anything. A rather calm man in a pristine white lab coat trotted along without a seeming care in the world, on either side of him was what looked like a machine built for war.

The escort was enough to scare off even the most fearsome prisoners, but what they really feared was the man that strode between the two robotic guards. Some called him a butcher, some called him a madman, some even called him a sadistic psychopath. The people of the Black Rose Corporation simply called him Dr. Valvatorez, or Strages if they weren't being formal. He didn't really care what people called him as long as they didn't interfere with his research.

"Hmmm, who should we test today?" Strages asked aloud, tapping a stylus on his chin as he held a tablet computer in his free hand. He looked down as he walked, looking through the files of several prisoners. There were a quite a few interesting specimens in this particular facility and he couldn't wait to start experimenting on them. The only choice to be made right now was where to start first.

The file labeled simply as 'Fox' had caught his attention early on, but after reading into it further he decided not to open that little Pandora's box too soon. If he wanted even a blood sample from that prisoner it would likely have to be completely voluntary on the prisoner's part, or risk ending in disaster. Strages really didn't feel like taking such a risk so soon after his move to Asylum 39, especially since that prisoner had killed several guards less than a week ago after a failed attempt at experimentation.

"No wonder they called me here, the research staff here seems utterly incompetent." He sounded somewhat disappointed but not surprised as he thought out loud. He continued to walk along the corridor with his two body guards, deciding that the first prisoner he saw would likely be his next test subject.

[Liadon]

Liadon right now was about as oblivious as anyone could get at this moment...he was completely immersed in his book as he walked the halls. Every noise...every person, every sight....he had tuned absolutely everything out as he read his book. It was a rather nice novel...well, he liked it, at least. Not his favorite author, but it was rather intriguing anyway. As he turned the page he was on, he also turned around a corner...completely oblivious to the scientist and the two mechanical bodyguards that were down the hall to his left. He actually was walking pretty well in front of them, but they were a few hallways down from him. As he read though, his thoughts wandered...he wondered how his friends were doing, and what they were doing right now...also, thoughts of freedom and the possibility of escape were constantly on his mind, which was also constantly working on attempting to figure out a possible plan of escape...though it was hard, with so few details about everything. He needed more information....a LOT more information...before he could craft a true, high success rate plan of getting out of here.

[Dr. Strages Valvatorez]

Dr. Valvatorez spotted Liadon and instantly sent one of his bodyguards to halt the prisoner. The bot on Strages' left extended a set of strange treaded wheels under it's feet and zoomed down the hall, blocking off Liadon in mere moments. It screeched to a halt and held up one hand, effectively blocking the hall Liadon had about to go down.

Strages and his remaining bot walked up, with Strages waving with a casual air. "Ah, excuse me. I'd like to run a few tests on you." The scientist said in a neutral tone as he stepped up behind Liadon, his other bot pretty much boxing the two in for the moment. Strages put one finger on the top of the book and pressed down, lowering the book out of the way of Liadon's face. "I'm the head researcher, recently transferred to this particular facility. I merely wish to run a few diagnostics, make sure all the equipment is accurate and such. It'll be pretty standard stuff if you've ever been to a doctor's office for a physical."

Strages bent removed his finger from the book, now that he was sure he'd explained things accurately to the prisoner. It wasn't like the prisoner really had much of a choice, but Strages preferred not to piss people off if he could avoid it. If someone didn't hate you, they were more likely to cooperate with you after all.

[Liadon]

Liadon, in his oblivious state, hadn't even noticed the mechanical giant that had blocked his path, and pretty much crashed right into it. As a result, he ended up falling backwards after his collision with the unyielding metal construct, his book skidding a little bit away as he fell backwards to the ground. As he rose, it was clear he wasn't reacting as other mutants normally would...he was reacting with irritation far more than fear, especially as he turned to look at his book and noticed that he had lost his place as a result of this inconvenience. He really did not like being bothered or disturbed by anything, be it Black Rose employee or anything else. He simply ended up grabbing his book and began heading back the way he came, flipping through the pages at a rapid pace to find his place once more...only to find that that route was -also- blocked off. This caused his irritation to grow further as this scientist proceeded to explain. Liadon made a sort of derogatory noise before replying, his voice clearly showing his annoyance with this interruption, though he did quickly assess the situation first.

"Yeah, it's real clear that you'd 'like to' run a few tests. Clear enough in that you're not really giving me so much a decision in the matter. Real fine work, by the way...not only did you disturb me while I was focusing on something...you made me lose my place in the book I was reading."

To emphasize the last part, Liadon snapped the book shut and shook it at the scientist a couple times, almost as if it were a weapon of sorts instead of a regular book. After tucking the book beneath his arm Liadon would continue.

"Now...may as well get this over with because clearly, I have no other option. The only question is are you now going to drag me there, or will you at least allow me to walk on my own feet, oh mighty researcher?"

His last three words were dripping with sarcasm. It was clear that, at this moment in time, Liadon was not impressed with Strages. What would likely intrigue the doctor the most though, is the complete lack of fear of him. The doctor at this point would be wise to tread carefully, as if he had read Liadon's file, he would realize that he was beginning to get a little bit too close to ground zero, so to speak. A pissed off Liadon was a very dangerous and deadly Liadon, and he was only a few steps away from becoming angry as it was.

[Dr. Strages Valvatorez]

"Whether you walk there and back under your own power is entirely up to you." Strages said with a grin, though the gesture never seemed to reach his cold eyes. He had indeed read through Liadon's file, and in fact had the file open on his tablet computer in his hand. While Liadon was a powerful Telnos, that only applied when that metal brace wasn't on the prisoner's neck.

Strages turned his back then, lifting his empty hand and snapping his fingers once. The bots seemed to respond to that gesture, one staying behind the group while the other led the way as everyone moved back the way Strages had come. In reality the two bots were more like extensions of the doctor's will given physical shells to act for him. Strages would never admit it, but he was somewhat curious to see if Liadon would be able to pick up the psychic commands. If that proved true, well then the 'routine checkup' he'd promised the prisoner might turn out to anything but routine.

"If you behave yourself and act civil you'll find this experience painless and over quickly. I might even give you a few books for troubling you." It was a standard tactic of his, give a few little trinkets to get prisoner's to behave. Most were so deprived of things like books and other little things that they'd hop on the chance to get a few for free. He'd used candy as a reward for some of the younger subjects he'd tested. "The sooner we finish things up the sooner you can get back to your books."

[Liadon]

Liadon did nothing more than grumble in an irritated manner for a few seconds and walk along with the little escort that this scientist kept. Clearly, this guy must be scared if he has to resort to such drastic measures to keep mutants at bay and intimidated. Perhaps he was overcompensating for something, too...it was hard to say, truly. Oh, and bribery...a classic way to try and coerce cooperation, but it only really worked if it was something that appealed. Unfortunately for this scientist, Liadon already had several books as it was....unless he was able to allow for Liadon to obtain a few very specific Stephen King books anyhow, as he was only missing a couple from the complete collection of his works...which honestly annoyed him that he was lacking those two. He did grumble a bit in response to the bribery attempt.

"...unless you can manage to get your hands on Stephen King's 'IT' and 'Dreamcatcher,' I'm not really too interested...I already have plenty of reading material as it is. Good attempt though, and I find it unlikely you'll find either of those in good condition these days...they're fairly old novels, after all. Right now I just want to get this inconvenience out of the way."

He knew he was lucky enough to somehow have the fortune to find all the books he had in fairly decent condition...though of course, they had an occasional flaw such as a coffee stain on multiple pages, or the corners of certain pages torn, but every word was, thankfully, still readable, and they weren't truly falling apart. He always made sure to keep the older books especially in the best condition he could manage.

[Dr. Strages Valvatorez]

Strages simply smiled in a smug manner as Liadon walked. It seemed the prisoner wasn't intimidated at all, and rather seemed annoyed. Even the little offer of a small bribe didn't have much effect, but it did had some. Strages tapped in a few notes on his tablet, adjusting Liadon's file to reflect the taste in reading material and the two books that were mentioned. He made a note to acquire a physical copy of each book, knowing that it would an easy task for himself. The scientist, his two guards, and the subject passed without question through several check points on the way to the labs and soon they were outside Strages' personal facilities.

"Ah, here we are." Dr. Valvatorez said as the mechanical doors opened for him and his group. The room inside was very... sterile. The walls and ceiling were both a dull colored metal, clean but not reflective. The floor was spotless, white, and solid. There was various pieces of lab equipment, machines, and specimens on tables inside jars. There were smaller robots going about the lab, taking care of mundane tasks.

One of the smaller bots came up to the group and handed Liadon a hospital gown, though it wasn't open in the back like most such garments. "Just change into that please. There's a changing room to your left. You may keep your socks on but please remove your shoes." Strages instructed as he strode further into his lab. One of his large bodyguards walked with him while the other stood next to the door that Strages had indicated as the changing room.

"Do be quick. After I finish calibrating all the equipment by conducting a few simple tests on you, I'll send you back to your room." Strages stated, though mentally he planned on finding another test subject to give closer inspection after he was done with Liadon.

[Liadon]

Liadon was still quite annoyed over everything...though admittedly, he knew it would wear off pretty well as soon as he was away from this researcher and back doing his own thing. He made sure though, even in his annoyed state of mind, to catalogue every detail he could about the sections of the Asylum that he had not seen yet...from the mental map layout he made in his mind, to the details on the security. It was never really easy to tell when any tiny piece of information would be useful in planning the escape. However, he also did all this discreetly...he didn't want anyone picking up on what he was doing. After a bit of walking he would finally reach the room where the testing was to take place. He wouldn't take the gown gently at all....rather, he snatched it and wordlessly walked over to where he was supposed to change. Best to get it over with quickly....admittedly, he was halfway tempted to flip this scientist off with his pushiness, but he knew that was a terrible idea. It didn't take long to switch outfits...mainly because the gown and his robes were so similar in how to don and remove, though the one thing he did not change was the fact he had his gloves on. He wasn't about to remove those. He did go ahead and remove his footwear, but that was more sandal-like than anything, so removing these left him barefooted. After a mere moment or two, he emerged from the changing room...he wasn't sure how quickly the scientist was used to having people change, and didn't really care if he was faster or slower than any others. He then strode near the scientist and waited...silent, but still annoyed.

[Dr. Strages Valvatorez]

Strages just nodded toward Liadon once the prisoner reappeared in the gown. If truth be told, Liadon had changed quite quickly compared to most prisoners Strages had tested before. "Good. Now please take a seat on the table over there." Strages instructed, pointing toward a examination table with paper over it like in a normal doctor's office. Once Liadon was seated though any resemblance to a 'normal doctor's office' vanished. A multitude of tiny bots advanced on Liadon, Strages seemed unconcerned as he tapped a few items on his tablet computer.

The bots connected various wires and electrodes to Liadon. It was over so quickly that they really didn't even give Liadon time to be alarmed before they'd all left him. Liadon now had many wires attached to him, connecting him to several machines. The machines hummed and beeped as they monitored the vitals on Liadon as well as a few other things such as stress level and brain activity.

"Just relax a minute and this will all be over soon." Strages stated, tapping a few more things on his device. He hummed to himself as he studied the read outs.

"Vitals are good. Brain activity way above average... though that's quite normal for a Telenos. Body temperature normal. Muscle density and bone mass normal." Strages said in an almost bored tone before tapping his device again. As soon as that was done a small robot about the size of a mouse scurried up onto the table with Liadon. Before Liadon could react it touched the prisoner's finger and gave a slight pinch as it extracted a few drops of blood for a sample before blowing a clear substance over the extraction site, stopping any further bleeding better than any bandage ever could.

The tiny robot scurried away, it's task done. Strages gave no real notice to what had happened. "Red blood cell count normal. White blood cell count normal. Blood sugar levels normal. No viruses or foreign bacteria detected. You're quite the healthy fellow Liadon." Strages said with a self satisfied grin. He tapped a few more items on his device, mumbled a few things to himself as he made adjustments, then put away his stylus.

"There we go, all finished. Thank you for your cooperation, you've been most helpful." Strages seemed satisfied for now with how the tests went. The many tiny robots swarmed over Liadon again, removing and disconnecting the wires and other devices just as smoothly and quickly as they'd attached them to begin with before scurrying off once again. "You're clothes await you in the dressing room. Just leave the gown in there if you would. The other item in the room is yours to keep since you were so cooperative. One of my servants will escort you back to you're lodgings." What Strages didn't mention was that the other item was a paper back book. It was used, but still in good condition. Even the cover looked decent, all things considered. The title simply said 'Dreamcatcher'. It was a bribe of course, but also a subtle show of just how well connected and efficient Strages could be when he wanted to.

[Liadon]

Liadon grumbled a little, but went ahead and sat on the table that was motioned to....which was when a swarm of insects....no wait, they were tiny robots....swarmed over him. He wasn't really alarmed by this...more curious than anything. Strange...he might not be an expert in the mechanical, but unless science has made some truly drastic leaps from what he last knew of...it was completely impossible for this many robots of such size to be functioning this smoothly and effeciently under the same computer system. The sheer amount of data from that many units would require a computer with quite a vast amount of processing power....far greater than the laptop this scientist was carrying around was capable of. Very suspicious, as he saw no other computers nearby....Liadon wasn't able to place his finger on it exactly, but he had a growing suspicion that something was off. He ignored the scientist's droning voice for the time being as he tossed and turned this quandry like a rubix cube in his mind...he would figure this out eventually. He was jolted out of his thoughts as another robot, slightly bigger than the individuals in the swarm earlier, stabbed his finger to extract blood and used some sort of paste to stop the bleeding. Interesting indeed....he observed the movements and everything of this swarm as it came out once more to diconnect everything from him. Yeah...there was no way his laptop could handle that many tiny robots. Not to mention he doubted they'd be able to stray far from whatever computer they were connected to. He filed this puzzle in the back of his mind as he heard the scientist mention what was in the changing room. This puzzled him a bit...but he went ahead and entered the room to change back into his regular clothes, doing so before looking around for the item....which turned out to be one of the two books that he had mentioned earlier. This set off alarm bells in his head...not about the gift itself, but about the scientist. He would have to be extremely careful around this guy...there was no way he could afford to slip and mess up. He went ahead and grabbed the book, as well as the one he had been reading when he crashed into this huge annoyance. After exiting the room, dressed once more in his regular garb, he would appear slightly less annoyed...but still annoyed to a degree.

"All right...well then, I'd like to get on with my day now, since you're done with me."

[Dr. Strages Valvatorez]

"Very well. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." Strages said with a somewhat disinterested tone as he turned and walked toward his office near the back of the examination room. One of the large robots stepped toward Liadon before opening the door and then motioning toward the opening, silently insisting that Liadon exit first. The bot waited till Liadon went through the door and then followed him silently.

Strages leaned back in his chair in his office, closing his eyes. He concentrated and instead of seeing the darkness of his own closed eyelids, instead he saw what the robot escorting Liadon saw. They were going down the almost labyrinthine halls of the asylum, Liadon walking slightly in front of the one robot. Strages grinned, there was just something soothing about seeing the world through the eyes of a machine. This wasn't the first time he'd done this either, or even with this machine. He'd spied on people using any machine that was handy. Digital cameras, security surveillance, a laptop, and even cell phones had let him spy on many many people. That had also helped him accumulate more than a little blackmail material as well, making his position in the company more than secure.

He continued to observe Liadon until they reached the intersection where he'd taken the prisoner in for testing. The bot stopped then, made a short and almost formal bow then turned and left Liadon standing there. Strages opened his eyes again, seeing his office once more as he looked about with his own eyes. "I'll be keeping a close eye on that one." Strages said to himself with a little grin.

[Liadon]

As he was escorted, Liadon couldn't help but shake the feeling something -other- than the robot was watching him. Definitely not a comfortable feeling. If only he could get his collar removed...he'd easily be able to figure out if it was just him, or if there was definitely something more going on. It wasn't long before they had reached the spot with the beginning of this whole ordeal....and Liadon couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at how the robot had given a rather formal bow before walking off. There was NO way that could possibly be programmed in for what that thing must be designed and programmed for. This was getting more and more suspicious....he frowned as he watched this frobot walk off before he decided it probably would be a good idea to pay Fox a visit and maybe see what his thoughts were on this...even his analytical mind was having a hard time placing some of these puzzle peices together...not to mention, it was a good idea to give Fox a heads up about that guy....Liadon did not want to see anything happen to anyone because of that man's actions, and he highly suspected that he got off extremely lucky with merely a few simple tests to make sure the equipment worked right...with that lovely thought he would begin heading over back towards where he stayed, which was actually right across from Fox.