Experimentation. Knowledge. Understanding. These were the keys to the world's survival. The only thing that could prevent their progress was the close-minded morality restrictions placed on those who were trying to save those very people. Morality was like an emotion. It changed and shifted from person to person. But facts didn't change. Knowledge was permanent. These beliefs had led her here, to The Chroma Isles was the perfect place to work. Flowers and herbs dotted the land in every spot and every corner. There were old ruins with secrets to explore and there were plenty materials to build her workplace. The building was a small manor, made up of stones and grey bricks. There was an alchemy room, a bedroom, a dining room, testing rooms, and a small prison. Nothing too grand and the majority of the space was meant for work, rather than parties. Caroline had already moved in and was ready to begin with her experiments. Her noble patron had sent a…volunteer for her first experiment. It was a gift, like a gift basket a neighbor made for newcomers. Only for life experimentation. The volunteer was a middle aged man who was one of the noble's enemies. He had been caught, knocked out, and taken to the manor. There he waited in a small jail cell that had been built in the basement. He was lying on a comfortable small bed. All his clothes had been replaced with a common tunic and some brown pants, the clothes were to be burned along with any items he had on him. If anybody searched for him, they would find no evidence of his existence. The man's eyes opened to see the bars of his prison and a woman standing behind them.
"Where am I?" The man asked, eyes glaring at the woman and the knight by her side.
"You're awake. Good." Caroline responded with a melodious voice, "You see you've been sent here because they need me to hold onto you for a while. You will be feed whatever food you request and you will have a nice bed. I can't let you out but I can provide you with any medical attention you need. Oh and don't think of escaping. Every door is locked and there are no ready weapons available. So, how can I help you today?"
The man was shocked. He had been expecting a cruel death or some sort of torment but instead, it seemed that he was going to get cared for by a beautiful woman. If that was how the prisoners were treated, he almost didn't want to leave. The man just shrugged and planned that he would escape later before he got dragged to a different prison.
"Not much. I'm fine." He responded.
"Great! Now I would like to perform a medical check up you. Just to check for any injuries or issues with your health. Do I have your permission for a medical check up?" She asked.
Whether he said no or yes was irrelevant. Either way he would be dragged to the experimentation room. However, asking first often made subjects feel more comfortable and more in control. The man had a grin on his face. Now he would be healed and cared for. This would be interesting. Of all the prisons that he could have ended up in, the man felt lucky that he had gotten this one.
"Of course you can." The man responded.
Caroline smiled and motioned for Bradyn, her loyal knight, to open the cell. Once it opened, the man stepped out and was guided to the medical room. The medical room smelled of herbs and chemicals, as though it had just been cleaned. The room itself was extremely tidy. In the middle of the room was a wooden table with cuffs attached to it. The cuffs were for the arms, legs, and the neck. The man was beginning to look concerned but they made him sit on the table anyway. Taking her journal and a quill, Caroline began to ask the man all sorts of questions. She asked about his diet, any past medical ailments, family ailments, and how much he drank. Then she began to inspect his ears, eyes, and nose with a variety of tools.
In between the inspection, she scribbled notes onto her journal. The man was healthy and seemed to be in tip top shape. She then asked him to remove his shirt and to lie down, which he gladly did. Pressing her palm against his chest, she cast a paralysis spell on him. His eyes widened in alarm as he realized he couldn't move. Caroline slowly cuffed him down to the table. His arms and legs and neck were trapped. Then she walked over to her medical desk and took out a pair of thin gloves along with a box of tools. After putting on the gloves, she tied a clothe around his mouth to gag him. Caroline took a sharp cutting tool and began to cut into his skin. The man screamed in agony but his muffled screams couldn't be heard by the outside world. After cutting him open, she used a clamp to stop the blood from pouring out. After all, she couldn't let her precious test subject die before she was ready.
"Just think of it this way, the data I collect from you will be invaluable." Caroline said with a warm smile.
Although her smile was warm, her heart was cold to this man. She began to inspect his still beating heart. The man was still screaming and trying to break free but the cuffs held him down. His eyes were wide with terror as she began poking and prodding at his innards with her medical tools. She scribbled a picture down and a few notes. Then she reached over to her desk and picked up a vial of some strange liquid. The liquid was purple and filled with some sort of magic. Caroline yanked out the cork and poured a portion onto the man's liver. Tears fell from his eyes as the pain became worse and worse. His voice had gone hoarse from his screams. The purple liquid was slowly eating away at his liver. Due to all the pain, the man fell unconscious. Yet Caroline continued her twisted study, taking notes as she went along. Taking an orange liquid from a shelf, she poured it onto the liver and watched as the effects of the purple liquid stopped. The liver was damaged beyond all repair but she now had the new information.
She was done with him. He was no longer useful to her. She took a small dagger and carved out his heart. After putting it in a jar of methanol, she began to harvest the man's other organs such as his eyes, lungs, and a few others. Each of them was placed in a container full of methanol for later studies. Caroline removed the clamps and unlocked the manacles holding him to the table. He was nothing more than a warm corpse now. The man had died when his heart was stolen. The healer ordered her knight to carry the man to an outside bonfire where the body was burned. Meanwhile, Caroline was busy cleaning up the blood and changing out of her medical clothes. She bathed herself then returned to her study to write down a few notes. Then she headed outside to get some fresh air and to inspect some of the flowers that the island provided.
Her eyes turned to the sky and she wondered what new opportunities that the day would provide to her.
What we learn can unlock the true potential of this universe.
