RACHEL'S VISITORS

Rachel was again in her holding pen, lying on her back, and trying to

collect her wits after being sedated. Gorigan and Lovrina had all but

thrown her back in once they brought her back, and had checked the

locks and hinges of both her holding pen's main door, and the hinges

and padlock on the feeding hatch in the other part of the mesh.

She had slept after the sedation, the day's events and time allowing

tiredness to creep up on her. She had woken an hour or two later,

with an awareness of having had disturbingly violent dreams, dreams

in which she attacked people and Pokémon, bit and clawed and

slammed against them. She had awoken in a rage that she knew had

to be down to the processing, and had fought to control it. She

recalled her bloodthirsty joy at hurting the grunt back in the

Processing Room, something she was unused to, and was so out of

character for her. She knew that this was down to the processing, but

since seeing Lu, she had decided she would fight rather than lie down

and give up as she had almost done before the shock of seeing him

had shaken her out of that dangerous depression and apathy.

She was aware that the effects of the processing were strongest for

about an hour immediately after, then seemed to fade just a little.

She didn't burn with anger as she had when she had attacked the

peons, though how much of it came from a determination to help Lu

escape she couldn't have said. She was on edge, and always on the

edge of her mind was a desire to hit and hurt somebody-preferably

Lovrina, or Gorigan, but if she was going to be honest, anyone would

do. She couldn't allow herself to obey that impulse, and fought to

keep it under her control. She would keep her own mind and live by

her own values as long as she could. Yes, maybe Lovrina, and

Gorigan, and whoever else was involved, would use their machines to

turn her to Shadow, and she knew that she could only resist so long,

but she would keep her humanity and dignity as long as she could.

There was also a possibility that Lu could find help and get her free

before that happened, but she wouldn't rely on that. She hoped for

rescue at some time, but had to accept that it was possible that some

time might pass before she could be rescued from this Shadowy

existence.

She was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps coming

down the corridor. She turned her head to see a white-coated man,

obviously a scientist, coming down the corridor with two bowls, one

with water, and one filled with familiar looking brown stuff. He went

to the food hatch, opened it, and pushed the bowls through. Rachel

fought down the urge to leap for his hand and grab it, and preferably

bite it. She waited for him to take his hand out and re-lock the hatch

before approaching. Yes, the bowl was filled with pokéchow, and it

looked like the same cheap stuff George had used when he'd changed

and trained her. Looking up, she saw that the scientist was still

standing there, and regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and

distaste. She supposed he'd come to gawk at Lovrina's new

experimental subject, but as he noticed her looking at him, he put his

finger to his lips and beckoned her over.

Intrigued, Rachel went over to the mesh and stood near him. He

looked around to make sure there was no-one else coming, and

leaned forwards to whisper in her ear.

"I won't tell you my name." He told her "but I will tell you that I don't

agree with what Lovrina is doing. I don't hold with doing this sort of

thing to humans. I can't stay-I got the person who was to bring you

this to let me bring it instead, feigning an interest in seeing how

Lovrina's experiment was going. I can't release you right now, I'd be

found out, but I will return and find a way to release you. I don't

know when, but be ready." With that, he turned and went back out,

leaving Rachel alone, and with something to think about.

Perhaps she had a chance after all.

She settled down to eat the pokéchow and drink some water. As

unappetising as the stuff was, it was all that she was likely to get,

and if there was to be a chance of escape, she'd need to be ready,

and that meant not feeling faint from hunger or having a gnawing

pain in her belly. Carefully she ate half of what she was given, and

put the rest in a corner for later. After all, she had no idea how long it

would be before she was fed again.

Fifteen minutes later she had a far less welcome visitor. Lovrina, her

entourage of peons in tow, came down the corridor.