//------------------------------//
// 3.5-Interlude 
// Story: Beyond Earth and Heaven 
// by normandyman 
//------------------------------//

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Cionne awaked in a great chamber barely lighted. Though confused, he could distinguish a quite large number of tables with lab devices on them. He tried to call somebody, but the image of the monster attacking him in the night was enough to erase any mist in his mind. However, the urgency didn’t allowed him to know how dangerous his situation really was. When he tried to move a lot of straps and chains was binding him to some sort of rack. He was hanging on a wall and the place was, in fact, a lot more scary: chains, anatomic maps of both humans and ponies and almost a dozen of tubular cells, three of them closed and operative. In panic, Cionne tried more desperately to get free. 

“Please, don’t do that. Specimens get nervous with noises.” 

A shadow, which Cionne identified as his attacker, walked toward him. His voice was shrill but also rough, like if two persons were talking at the same time. A creature inside one of the cells immediately began to hit the walls of its prison. 

“See?” It said.

The creature walked to a table and picked up some tools. The creature inside the cell struck the tank more vigorously, screaming something but muffled thanks to the device. 

“Usually the rifts don’t pass unnoticed to me, much less the travelers. The way you hid your magic is… intriguing.” Cionne tried one more time to get free, but the chains and stripes were firmly tied. His captor didn’t paid attention to him more focused on its own tools. “Forgive the security, but the last one did a lot of troubles, and he was only a simple human. Good subject. You may like him. Now, if you excuse me, I have to do some tests.”

The creature showed a strange tubular tool with a green stone in one of the ends. Closer it walked, more monstrous it looked like.

“What are you?” Asked Cionne trying to dissimulate his terror.

The creature one more time ignored him. It reached the rack, showing only its pair of unexpressive and big blue eyes.

“To your comfort, I don’t pay attention to lab rats. Save your breath… you’ll need it.”