"You understand what you're volunteering for?"
"Calling this 'volunteering' seems disingenuous."
"You could choose to stay in the cell with the others. You will eventually be part of some form of experimentation here, but this requires…special consents. Now, a 'yes' or a 'no' will suffice. You understand what you are volunteering for?"
"Yes."
"You affirm that you are doing this of your own volition."
"Yes."
"You understand that after we start, we cannot stop until all tests are complete?"
I couldn't get the 'yes' out. I couldn't look at the man sitting on the other side of the table from me. I chose to focus on the glint of the torchlight off the spiral-etched sandstone walls around us, on the feeling of the cold metal chair under me, on the weight of the cuffs on my wrists, on the spiderweb in the corner…anything but him.
Testing will be better than rotting away with everyone else, waiting for who knows what to be done to me. I can't stand seeing people disappear from around me one by one anymore. Plus…if I get through this…Orochimaru will grant me a wish, right? But not being able to change my mind…
He cleared his throat and shuffled the papers in front of him with impatience.
"Our results will be useless if we have to keep switching from subject to subject. There is far too much to get through for such unreliability. We will establish a baseline set of results for you, then compare the results of each test to that baseline. This will be repeated for other volunteers, but due to the rather involved nature of our testing, this will be done one at a time. And you will be our first."
"But what if I can't keep testing?"
"After completing these consents, you need to be able to commit to the full cycle of tests. There is no other real choice. This is the only opportunity for you to opt out. After agreeing here, you will have but one method of egress left open to you."
I looked at him, uncertain. He leaned back, light flashing off his glasses. He seemed to savor the attention for a moment before he smirked and continued.
"Yes, one method. I can always kill you, whenever you'd like. Just say the word. I might even make it painless, though you will have wasted quite a bit of my time at that point. Now, you understand that we cannot stop until all tests are completed?"
"Yes."
"You affirm that you are over the age of 18."
"Yes."
"You affirm that you are free of all STIs, to the best of your knowledge?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever abused drugs or alcohol?"
"No."
"Are you a smoker?"
"No."
"Are there any health concerns I should be aware of?"
"No."
"Do you have any allergies?"
"Yes, latex."
He tsked.
"How…unfortunate. But we can work around that. Gloves and condoms are both commonly made in nitrile."
I blushed.
"Now, Melo, do you have any questions for me?"
He was already standing to leave.
"Yes."
He sighed and waited for me to continue. The torchlight flashing off his glasses made it impossible to see his eyes, and made his silver hair look darker. He looked like he had already written off whatever question I had as unimportant.
Well, too bad. I'm asking anyway.
"When this is over, my wish will be granted, right?"
"Within reason, yes. Have you decided on what you would like to ask for?"
My freedom? The freedom of the other prisoners? How much am I allowed to ask for? I have to get this perfect on the first try, after all.
"No."
"Any other questions that can't wait?"
"No."
"Great. Then nothing more is needed from you. You will be led to a private room to rest and prepare. You will be retrieved tomorrow when you are needed. Now, follow me."
He stood, waiting. I rose quickly, nearly knocking my chair backwards in my haste.
My own room?
I tried to tuck the chair back under the table, thankful that the cuffs didn't make that any harder than it otherwise would have been. I walked over to join him.
"Let me take care of those."
He took a small key out of his pocket and gestured at my wrists with it. I held them out to him.
"After all…"
Faster than I could process, he grabbed the chain linking my wrist cuffs together and yanked me forwards a step. While I was still off balance, he held the chain in the air above me high enough to strain my arms. He leaned close, too close. Close enough for me to feel his breath on my face. He smelled like microban cleaner and strong black tea.
"...it's not like there's anything you could do to hurt me even with them off."
He lowered my arms and removed the cuffs, then turned without another word and started walking down the hall. I followed.
