//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty Eight: Curse of Knowledge // Story: We don't go to Sub-Level Five // by RadBunny //------------------------------// “Please specify a general search query.” He hated that voice. “Company projects begun within the last two years.” “Restricted access. Please enter password.” Sure enough, the code Flask had given him cleared the lockouts, hundreds of files now scrolling across the screen. “Wait. What is ‘Facility Seven?’” “Facility Seven is the Research Laboratory located on the southern border of the Dragon Lands.” “There are more of these facilities?!” “The Stairway company operates a total of fourteen silo-based research facilities.” “Ok, narrow the search down. Projects that have been the highest priority within the past two years. Just this facility.” Now there were only a few dozen. Better. “Summary of this top project?” Astral asked. “Project Venomsnap. Objective: Develop a neurotoxic available on delivery via water, aerosol, or injection. Subjects used: Twenty volunteers from Silo 3. Results: Complete expiration of all subjects. Stage Two Testing approved.” The stallion felt his heart sink within his chest. He knew things were going to get worse. “What about the project involving pregnant individuals?” “Project Counter-Mutation Seven. Fifty pregnant volunteers were injected with a mutagenic substance as a control to determine the binding properties of the counter-agent. Stage Three testing authorized with wider subject pool, awaiting results.” “Were there projects in the past two years involving foals?” Astral asked. He wasn’t going to search Sassi’s project, but he wanted to know to what depths this company had sunk to. “No. Final Executive order banning all tests indefinitely after the murder of Dr. Centrifuge and Slide approximately five years ago. All testing for individuals under legal age had been temporarily suspended after incidents 526 and 262 respectively ten years ago.” He breathed a slight sigh of relief at that. It was a silly thing, to think that he was somehow responsible for any projects started while working for the Company. But knowing he wasn’t associated at least during that period was a comfort. “Why was testing banned after those murders?” “The murders of Dr. Centrifuge and Slide annotated as Incident B932, eliminated the top scientist in infant experimentation and his apprentice. A suitable replacement was not available,” the computer described, “furthermore, it demonstrated past experiments could be unstable even after periods of compliance.” “Explain that last part.” “Experiment iteration ‘Sassi’, previously compliant with the company, murdered Dr. Centrifuge and Slide. While their deaths were deemed necessary by the Owners, and the incident closed, this broke the pattern of compliance demonstrated by ‘Sassi.’ “Sassi murdered those two? Why?” Astral said to himself. The fact she was simply designated as an ‘experiment’ made his skin crawl. An orphan modified against her will and stuck underground? He didn’t want to dwell on it too much. “Search program is not suitable to extrapolate.” “I didn’t want to search- never mind,” the stallion muttered, “What was the specialty of Dr-no. Cancel search.” “Canceling.” Astral promised he wouldn’t delve. So, he’d ask Sassi directly. Turning to a generalized search, he delved into the higher-priority projects, each one making the bat-pony sick to his stomach. Skin grafts to test chemicals. Genetic manipulation on living creatures. Weaponizing multiple viruses and using living hosts as time-bombs. Starving and dehydrating creatures to test supplemental rations. Replacing limbs without anesthetic to test active prosthetic grafting. Testing nerve agents to induce violent rage in subjects. Removing hair and feathers and testing regrowing agents. Testing vision prosthetics after originals removed. “How many creatures have died, to date, with all experiments run by the company? All facilities combined” Astral asked, voice a whisper. “Exact count not available due to occasional record loss at the start of the company and mass-testing with multiple species. Mass graves did not allow for a proper headcount at times. Estimated total deaths are over one-hundred thousand over thirty-six years.” The numbers made his head spin. One hundred thousand. Prisoners? Innocents? He didn’t know, and it didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Another question rose in Astral’s mind. It would cement exactly who was responsible for all of this. “What creatures were aware of these projects?” he asked, “The Board of Directors? The owners?” “All projects are approved by a unanimous vote within the Board of Directors, many of whom own multiple facilities. While this slows down project creation, it ensures all individuals are responsible for the project’s success.” “And other employees?” “Other creatures not directly involved in a project are only informed on a need-to-know basis.” So, they knew. It wasn’t some rogue facility, it was the entire leadership of the company. “Print out the names and pictures of the Board of Directors and Owners,” Astral said. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if he encountered one of these individuals. A darker part of his mind knew that was a lie. The rage bubbled and boiled beneath the surface briefly before cooling. “Printing complete. Next query?” “Display file and notes for Astral Sentinel.” He had to know. “Astral Sentinel. Hired as a Stairways Basic-Clearance security guard, Top Secret Equestrian Security Clearance. Primary duties; ensure low-level entry point is secure and present a false front for the Stairway company. Employee threat level: low.” The stallion paused at that. Employees have threat level ratings?! “Employee under supervision of Security Chief Ledger. Notes made: - Solid work ethic, low risk. - No anticipated trouble. - Understands the importance of his task (what little has been described), offered ideas for improving deflection of questions. Rewarded for the suggestions. - Recommend removing security failsafes in cubical. Termination at workspace a highly unlikely scenario and draws significant power.” That note made Astral’s blood run cold. They had booby-trapped his workstation!? “Further notes: - Prior record indicates firm conscience- requires monitoring to ensure the employee does not discover Company experiments. Risk assessment on discovering morally-compromising experiments: Extremely High. - Recommend for an increase in wages each year to reward lack of questioning. Employee provides perfect diversion for media and has deflected multiple rumors. Company Value: High. - Recommend employee be deemed as ‘essential’ within the next business year.” They liked him. The company that tortured foals and killed over a hundred thousand creatures liked him. His stomach clenched, the stallion shutting down the computer and making his way downstairs with the printouts. Somehow killing the Skitters was easier than internalizing the evils this company had done. Astral had never had the strongest constitution but he usually was able to power through things, hence still being alive. But these projects were a new level of evil he couldn’t fathom. His stomach churned, a chill making his body shudder. The ponies on the Board and the Owners, all unicorns, were a type of evil the Thestral couldn’t process. They looked so normal, and yet underneath each creature lurked something so dark and alien. Astral felt ill. He curled up on the sofa, eyes focused a million leagues away. And I worked for these monsters. They liked me. It was no surprise that Sassi didn’t want to tell him things. Even reading about it all made Astral’s stomach turn. To live it, to be a part of it for this long… Bile rose in Astral’s throat, the stallion dashing over to a sink and vomiting up his breakfast as chills wracked his frame. It was too much to think about. Freaky spiders were one thing. But this other stuff… Returning to the couch, Astral curled into a ball, a lead weight in his chest. He had wanted to know, after all.