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 Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 12:58 pm
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The basement cat was not particularly unfamiliar with metal cages really. Once you've been in one, you've been in all of them to him; just like how one human face seemed to blend right into another. Sometimes, he liked to study them from what he could see above the waist from between those cold bars of silver. How one scientist was portly and had hidden but not quite invisible food stains on his shirt, sneaking meals in his shifts. The drama between two female coworkers about a third, unnamed male, and the dark mutters they each gave off when alone and moody. The yowls of other cats if they were not properly sedated, the various degrees of impassiveness, cold looks, wincing, and such on what little he might see or infer upon the humans' faces.
Oh yes, he was more intelligent than they gave him credit for; months of testing and observation might do that to a cat. Perhaps it was because of his assumed lethargic state and tendency to forget eating, the dull-eyed stares and the low "mrrows" he gave them when taken out of his cage for a small walk to keep his health up, that deluded the humans into thinking that he had failed the highest level of testing. It was a wonder to them that it was still alive after all these months, a small symbol that experimentation did not always yield deaths nor out of control cats. Sometimes, natural sedation just came in, and this black one just so happened to sometimes help calm down others . . .
Oh, how feeble the human brain must be!
The cat remained curled up within the cage, his semi-emaciated body allowing him greater room to do so than most. But oh, how quickly hunger sharpens the mind! He watched what lay beyond, knowing there were others just about but daring not to speak lest it make something more than he wanted. It was hard to know who to trust here, but oh, it did not stop the mind's cogs from whirling . . .
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 1:22 pm
How long had it been since he had gotten here? His mind felt empty, pained and he was hungry..cold, just like everyone else in these god-forsaken cages.
Everything was blank before he made it to this city that had cursed him. He didn't remember humans being his owners, loving and caring towards him. He didn't remember the easy food, easy life, and the bastards waiting on him hand and foot, being loyal to him with every beck and call. That had been the only thing that had kept him actually liking humans--even if they had tossed him out into the cold, made him lose his mate...
All he remembered now was that humans took his children and scarred them. They took his lover and ripped him apart, they took JiYong's and his best friend and murdered her, tearing away their second litters' mother and destroying their lives by taking him as well. JiYong must be horrified...eleven children, a territory with 20+ cats and no one else to help him...The anger was slowly rising, but he became smart towards these humans. Another cat was acting similar...going about his business, doing what the humans seemed to want him to do. Dumbied down. But he knew better. Even with his 'failed third level' mind. He was proof that not every cat was messed up in a physical sense after all that testing.
Tempo was a large cat, being a pure-bred norwegian forest cat. So he had little room to move, even with the lost weight and thinning fur. As the dramatic nurses wandered out of the room, he narrowed his eyes and slowly moved to stand, moving over to the bars to reach out and mess with the locks on the door. He'd broken them before--he knew they were easily shattered with just a few heavy blows. Looking off to the side to the next stack of cages, he blinked. There was that cat.. "Hey, you--red-eyes," he called, his eyes squinted and irritated from the intense lights. "You keep watching the humans...what have you figured out." None of the other cats responded. They were all out cold, dead, or so stupid at this point they could barely communicate with one-another.
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:24 pm
The cat's ears pricked at the sound of Tempo's voice. An odd one, that large Norwegian . . . At first the black cat was not sure if he enjoyed being waited upon as he was, being that there was a sense of utter bitterness and sarcasm to his actions that needed no words. He was also one of the oldest ones held there besides hismelf, most of the others either still confined by collars or newly freed of them. That one he was sure had watched him before, though up until now the two had little exchanged words.
The basement cat saw no need to ignore conversation when presneted the opportunity, however; it would be impolite, no? What else could he do after all - people watch the rest of the day? The tediousness of their predictabiilty grew boring after a time.
"They go in shifts," he replied, voice slightly raspy from disuse and lack of water. "During lunch - midday, I believe, or around it. Younger ones taken out soon after for a walk. Will be very soon . . ." He glanced to the side where a long stretch of hall was, curving sharply to the left. Within seconds, the sounds of water filling a plastic bottle were heard, the gurgling from the emptying large canteen echoing to them easily. "Mr. Burkley's water is filled. Twenty-five steps to others' cages. Will let them out and leash them for walk." Mr. Burkley was the particularly portly man's favorite companion, an ironically slim man that loved excercise in such excess it was any wonder that he had not developed a masculine figure from his many walks.
Sometimes, he made the cats walk twice the length normally allowed. Mr. Burkley was a man that saw the envelope and pushed it without guilt; he was quite taken with the idea of cats being more intelligent than others thought, but his manner was brisk and at times stoically blunt. Weaker cats have on one than one occasion been dragged about on that deadly leash of his.
At present, Mr. Burkley began to walk down that hall to them, and the black cat turned his red eyes back to Tempo "Until he leaves then," he said simply, mouth twitching into a wry grin as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, head bent slightly to avoid rubbing roughly against the top of his cage. The human might not be taking either of them out, but it would be far quieter without so many souls watching his escape. A pity, yes, but not all things were possible when trapped - not even saving more than one soul.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 10:54 am
Tempo eyed the cat wearily--he seemed to know what was going on. For a long time now Tempo had sat and pondered what he might have forgotten about humans...but all he could think about was escaping, getting back to his family. His ears drew back when he heard the b*****d begin to fill up his waterbottle.
Frowning, he sat down, then slumped onto his stomach. Tempo didn't often get walks...the older cats weren't given that freedom really. Of course, they had the rec room, but how often could they actually communicate there? Cameras set up everywhere, microphones to try and catch a word or two out of them. These humans didn't understand how intelligent cats really were before they started the experiments.
Narrowing his eyes, he nodded to the black cat and shifted so his back was facing the bars of the cage. He could prop his head against the back of the cage and just...watch. But now he knew how his kittens felt...how his female friend had felt. Watching the nurses clear out ChaeRin's body had been difficult...but at least he knew the kittens and JiYong were safe. Even if he didn't get to meet the young brood.
Mr. Burkley came and went. He walked quite a few of the cats--one of which didn't come back from his 'walk'. A young thing, no more than a month or two old he'd have to say. The b*****d probably killed him...it was some kind of population control. That and the cats that got their heads torn open to take a peak at how much their brains had developed. It sickened him...and the smell of death never really went away.
As soon as the man had finished his 'walks', he was able to get back up and make his way to the bars of the cage again. Lying down and tucking his paws, he looked back over to the black cat's cage. "I've been here once before," he admitted, not knowing if the cat would respond or not, "For my children. This past time was just bad luck--I know how to get out of here if...we could break the locks."
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:23 pm
The black cat too withdrew from the bars as the steps hastened to them, eyes affecting once more the vacant look that so easily fooled the skinny hairless b*****d. There were a few clicks and several yowls as young kittens were subdued enough to be collared and leashed - like a common dog! - and pulled out of their cages for another grueling hour of excersize. "Oy you, keep it down," Mr. Burkley grumbled to a particularly loud specimen as he dragged them along, thankful forhis thick boots and gloves - lest he would have een suffering many scratches and bite marks all these months of working.
Step, step, step, step . . .
At length he exhaled and sat up as much as his cage allowed him, stepping forward once more with a mischevious glint in his eye. "Break? There are more fashionable ways to undo a lock than bashing it open." As it was, his particular cage had plenty of those things one atop the other, a minor maze of metal and various company logos plastered across to taunt him. In them lied a quiet history for his "other attempts at escaping", coined the humans.
Which was hardly the case. BC didn't have full intention of leaving until this day. The others were just tests to see how they reacted, get a good glimpse about the laboratory to find out the quickest access to a window; doors were usually locked and beyond his reach, and the locks would have taken more time to undo even if he could. No, windows would be the best bet.
As if on a television show, he flourished a gesture to display each lock. "Not all have that brute strength, and certainly not I in my emaciated state," he went on. "Necessity is the mother of all invention, they say." Picking one of the outermost locks, he unsheathed one of his own natural claws (chipped, sharper than most, certainly in use) and placed it carefully within the hole designated for the key. Several turns later, a soft click was the result, and he pushed the lock off. "Simple devices with simple tools," BC told the other with a little grin, not once showing the stab of pain he had felt while doing so - tugging nails was not pleasant. "Save your strength for the escaping itself, I say."
Thus it went on with those that could be picked thus. Two were of the turn-knobbed variety, but BC's human watching paid off. Many days of memorizing the exact locations of the numbers on its face (both seeing it from the front and imagining the same placements from behind) aided him when he watched the knob turn, using intensely-concentrated hearing to listen for each individual click in place - each has a distinct sound - to put to each number. At length the last of the locks fell out, and BC slunk through the opening with a satisfied sigh. "Though feel free to do so, if you feel in a violent sort of mood," BC said to him, closing the door and working on putting back the locks one by one . . .
Such an escape looked easy, but it had cost BC many of his claws, leaving him with one per front paw and two per his back ones. Not to mention precious time. Oh, but he would have been out of here sooner if he had not made elementary mistakes in the beginning! Hence his patience and concentration now, though even as his eyes remained steadfast on the locks, paws deftly working to put them in the closest order possible, his ears remained up and alert in the case that humans decided to come back early from lunch.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 12:53 pm
The forest cat watched him quietly, curiously...watching as he began to pick the locks. He himself just had one large key-lock...he'd been isolated for a long time since he'd been caught via attacking the humans. Now he was just under strict supervision when he's out of the cage, and usually was unable to go on walks and such because of his extreme aggression.
Looking down at the different bandages littering his shaves wrists, he frowned and pushed himself to stand when the other cat began to get down to his last few locks. These locks were flimsy...but he hadn't tried to bust it in a while. At least he was awake enough right now to get it all worked out.
Reaching around the bars, he wrinkled his nose and grabbed onto the heavy lock, beginning to pull at it harshly. His claws scraped against the slick floor of the cage--until the actual latches to the cage snapped from the pressure. THese weren't very strong cages...weakly made, obviously inexpensive. They probably didn't expect cats to be heavy enough to snap locks and bars.
Releasing a breath, he looked around. The shattering noises hadn't been too terribly loud..and the stupid human wouldn't be back for a little while longer, so..
Pushing the door open, he gingerly leaped down to the ground, glad that he had long since lost his shoes and such in the previous struggle when he'd first been caught. Looking up to BC's cage, he made his way over towards it..eyeing the other cats as he went. Frowning at how drugged they were--some probably even dead--he wished he could make a mass escape..but now wasn't the time. He couldn't manage to get a bunch of sedated cats out of here.
Waiting, Tempo eyed the black cat quietly, tail flicking nervously and ears swiveling this way and that. "Do you need help?" He seemed to have it down pretty well--but it was taking a long time...
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:05 pm
"No, no, for all appearances it will do." He stepped back and admired his handiwork briefly - the cage seemed for all intents and purposes like it was stil holding him - and nodded to him. "There, I am finished. Let them guess at this Houdini's escape! Now. Know you well the Facility?" BC asked, gesturing for his companion to follow as they briskly walked; he dared not spare a glimpse at those they left behind, lest it made the forest cat give pause and, consequentially, stop him as well. "You mentioned being here once before, so that will aid us. I have knowledge of the ins and outs here, and to some extent the outsides, but otherwise I will have to be dependant upon your memory until it is safe. Lead the way."
It hurt his eyes, the way the lights bounced off the too-clean walls and floor. Was this how humans kept their consciences quiet? By making sure not a hint of blood was in sight once something went wrong? The cat's eyes narrowed as they walked, holding back a hiss and wishing they were not escaping on such a damn sunny day; he had never been one to be good with bright lights, and his extended stay at the Facility only made it worse.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:13 pm
Watching him still, he waited for him to get out of the cage then began to head down the hall towards the dual-doors leading out of the actual work-room they were shoved into. "I do..." Hopefully nothing had changed since he'd been here last, "We have to get to the storage downstairs, though. Unless we want to hide out till nightfall, then we can just go through the front doors. They only keep a guard here at night, but that's with the dogs in their building." How he remembered all this, he wasn't sure...but he knew they had to keep away from the dogs as long as possible.
"It's a long run from here to the gate closest to my territory, but I know there's hole in the fence there that Lorne kept open for me.." Lorne had been by a few times to make sure he was still alive. Apparently he was checking up for JiYong to make sure the blonde didn't have to worry about being alone in the territory too much longer.
But already he felt exhausted. From not walking for quite a while, to when he was able to walk he never did go far. Not much room to move in the facility recreation room.
Pausing at the double-doors that lead out into the main hallway, he took a breath and looked over to the black cat, cocking his head slightly. "Most windows here I cant get through," he was too big--but maybe he'd lost enough weight to not have to worry about it, "But there's a completely broken out window in the storage room that's big enough."
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:34 pm
BC nodded slightly and pondered this information. "Lorne I know of. Admirable that he stays behind, but I do not envy his position." The two had not passed many words to one another at this point, but that would probably change in the future . . . He seemed he knew The Facility the best of them all even. "Well from what you tell me, the storage room is the best bet. I have no intention of listening to the snarls of dogs for another night," he stated, "nor do I wish to stay for too long even for nightfall. Humans have a tendency to figure out cats have escaped at the worst possible times, and a building in lockdown is not what we need now if we hope for a cleaner chance at escape." The black cat looked tired enough as it was, and it was a wonder that he was keeping up such a sharp mind in the middle of the day.
"The storage room, then . . . Forward down this hall, curve to the right at the intersection, forward again. Should lead to the stairs, I believe . . ."
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 1:43 pm
Nodding slightly in agreement, he perked his ears and listened...before pushing the door open slowly, carefully. Sniffing a bit, he headed out of the room and made his way down the hall that the man had told him. He kept close to the wall, knowing that the cameras didn't usually catch very closely to the floor. The floor was slick, and for his cramping legs he was surprised he kept traction as well as he did.
Turning again when he remembered the man's directions, he paused suddenly. Tempo kept in front of the black cat because he was larger--he could take a blunt hit without having much of a problem. The emaciated cat behind him seemed like he'd crumble of something like that happened.
But, down the hall was one of the guard dogs--looked familiar. He could smell Lorne nearby, so maybe it was the dog. But upon thought, the dog popped its head up to stare towards them, nose twitching, then stood up and padded away to bark at a few humans. The humans made their way to the dog, and out of sight. Yep, definitely the dog he knew...his name he never had received, but he was thankful for the animals that actually cared to free them. Swallowing thickly, he rushed down the hall to the basement door, which was propped open to get some airflow. Now to hope that the window was still busted.
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Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:17 pm
Curious . . . he scented dog and readied himself to fight, but surprisingly it did nothing more than trot away and . . . draw humans attention away? Perhaps the mutts were of some consequence after all, disdainfully nasty beasts that they were. His companion barely missed a beat once this opportunity was presented, and the large forest cat barreled down the hall, BC trailing right at his heels and keeping low. Luckily for them, the door was propped open.
It was semi dark there, but BC had an almost homely feeling about him as they stepped down into the storage room - so like and unlike his old home. all that was needed now was the loud sound of cars crashing on the television upstairs and the snap of an open can. "I can taste the fresh air now," he whispered to his companion as they sought out the window, breaking from him to spread the search. There was all sorts of odd equipment about, cages needing cleaning, various bags of generic cat food, empty bags, broken traps, empty vials . . . It might have been a second underground lab addition had it not been for the utter lack of room and the musty smell about. BC's thin figure allowed him at least that ability to maneuver about without causing too much noise.
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Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:16 pm
Tempo was...beyond excited to be free. As they made their way downstairs, he had this feeling that it was almost...too easy for them to escape. He heard the dog barking upstairs still, obviously keeping the humans busy while they made their escape.
Letting his eyes adjust to the darkness, he took in a slow breath before hopping up onto a few boxes, towards the still-busted window up near the ceiling. "There it is," he breathed, smiling. He was able to move without much noise...but he was heavier, so it was hard to make sure things wouldn't fall under his weight.
He waited for the other cat to get out the window, trying to make sure he didn't fall back out since it was pretty high up--before scrambling to get out himself. In the process, he knocked over a box, which caused quite a ruckus. "s**t--run," the forest cat said quickly, bolting past the other cat to lead the way towards the gates. he could hear the humans yelling, scrambling to get downstairs and figure out what it was they had heard.
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Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 2:08 pm
For a moment, he was overrun with the greatest desire to simply stay behind, watch what come at him, and tear it apart. Let a feasting of violence commence, let the alarms wail and the bright lights hurt him, the injections that might come! No needle would persuade him to leave, no fang or claw or whatever else contraption the humans would prepare for him next. He was as much a failure to them as he was that untalked of black speck, that one experiment that was both inconclusive and yet not researched enough to consider trash to be tossed out. Had he not decided to escape, why, they might have kept him here for all his years to study why this particular selkirk had come to the Facility so feisty, so blood-thrilled that he scared one scientist into a different section of the building, so mad that they were close to deeming him rabid without the disease . . .
But BC took ahold of himself. Iron bars taught more than just "civility" here - but patience as well. Weak as he was, the black cat clawed his way up the mountains of forgotten items half through his own power, half through the sheer domination of will (a superpower within itself). He heard a canine of some sort scrabbling down the stairs just as his hind tipped through the open window.
BC wasted no time following the forest cat, forcing his strides to become as long as physically possible. Oh damn the humans for having to be so stupid that he had to nearly starve himself of food and water to help give the appearance of a wasting away cat! Why could they not be perceptive enough to notice on their own? Of course, the scientists had to keep track of a great number of cats . . . Inattentiveness was still inexcusable.
But again, a sheer force of will can accomplish many things with a mind over body mentality, as the cat was enforcing upon himself as he fled after his companion.
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Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 2:43 pm
Any hesitation Tempo didn't see--he was worried for his companion, but he wasn't about to get caught by this hell hole again. he was going home where he needed to be, where he knew his family needed him.
Glancing back at the cat, they came upon one of the fences and he rushed along its side, trying to find the hole. The large rock in place of where a hole was was still there--the one Lorne promise...and within a minute he managed to push the thing out of the way. It drained what little strength he had, but as soon as he was under that fence, and after he made sure the black cat was as well, he was rushing off towards the ruins.
Tempo heard the rattling of the dogs slamming into the fence, yowling and snarling after them. A few tried to dig out the hole further, but they were too large and bulky to ever fit through it before they got to safety. Tempo didn't stop, just continued to run, glancing back at his companion every now and again. It was only when they were half way through the forest that he stopped, stumbling a bit and panting heavily. "I-it's...just up ahead.." He breathed, seating himself for a short amount of time. He didn't hear the dogs anymore, but he knew they'd follow soon..
"You..." He looked to the black cat, giving a weak smile, "Thank you..you're welcome to stay at my territory until you recover.."
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:06 pm
It took BC more than twenty seconds to be able to recover enough breath to reply, his mind somehow not as drained from the experience as his body was. Oh, how cumbersome it was to have the haggard physical mobile be less in tune than the commanding, intangible mind! But then, he did choose to be starved and in want of water . . . Less complaints, more focus.
The black cat did not remember much of their flight from the Facility, however long or short it happened to be, nor of how it was they had managed to escape. What mattered was that they did and that now, though on trembling legs, he had to find refuge. Thankfully, his companion provided. "I hardly did as much as you did," BC replied after he was able to recollect his breath and some semblance of control over his tongue, brushing sweat off from his brow and giving the forest cat a little smile in return. He fixed his askew tie and cleared his throat. "But your offer is most appreciated. If for a night or two, I shan't impede on your company for more."
He tilted his head up slightly to breath in the air, letting out a small sigh. "Oh, the wonderful, wonderful open air once more! May I never trade you for anything. Now, where is this territory of yours, friend, and what might it be called?"
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