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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 12:42:20 GMT -5
Post by Wanizame on Jul 9, 2008 12:42:20 GMT -5
"Is good. Care care ride shark-back. Hold tight."
It trilled and beckoned Erik forward.
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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 12:44:57 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 9, 2008 12:44:57 GMT -5
Jamison trudged down the stairs, pot of coffee in one hand and porcelain cup in the other. He had a pounding headache now from the beastly woman's nagging, demanding more money for weekly groceries with their new addtion to his staff (as if that stick-thin child really needed that much food), insisting he somehow sprout another hand to carry a saucer down with him--he would leave rings on his own furniture if he pleased, thank you very much!
As he rounded the banister and did not see the boy waiting at his desk, he glanced over at the tank. Sure enough, he was inside, easy as you please, babbling at the creature. While such interactions would surely make an excellent study, they were interfering with his plans for the moment.
Slightly incensed and still suffering a headache, Henry took a seat at his desk and poured himself a cup of the black liquid and gulped it down.
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 12:50:01 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 9, 2008 12:50:01 GMT -5
He was tempted. Sorely. But when he glanced around again, he saw that Jamison was back, looking irritated and cranky. And Erik did not wish to provoke his ill will more than he was likely too naturally.
"Later," he promised. "Wanizame can teach Erik, when the professor can't watch."
He patted Wanizame's hand apologetically and scampered out to return to the desk and stand before Jamison.
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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 12:54:14 GMT -5
Post by Wanizame on Jul 9, 2008 12:54:14 GMT -5
The creature let out a series of low clicks and then slid into the water when the boy left, swimming lazily around, watching Erik approach the professor's desk.
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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 13:10:06 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 9, 2008 13:10:06 GMT -5
"Erik, I wish to impress upon you the import of our work. This is for posterity, and as such I want our subject to be as at ease in and uninfluenced by our presence as possible. I am pleased to see that it interacts well with humans, but I cannot have you distracting it while I am trying to record its behavior or else my results might be compromised. Perhpas we can figure out some days where you may enter the tank and socialize with it, but until that time, I would like you to stay out unless I ask you to go in." He lifted a small journal not unlike the ones he always scribbled in and handed it to the boy along with a pencil. "I would also like for you to keep a diary of what it eats every day. Just record what you give it--how many fish and how many apples and whatever else it receives--and what of that number is eaten, ignored, destroyed, buried, et cetera."
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 13:21:34 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 9, 2008 13:21:34 GMT -5
Erik opened his mouth to argue, to protest it wasn't an animal, that he couldn't keep him out of the tank.
But he could. He could keep Erik from the house altogether. Erik could sneak it, true, but the police would be called if he were caught. Whereas, if he seemed to agree, he could sneak in when Jamison was asleep. It would make him sad, and it would be hard to explain to the creature. But it would be sadder to be thrown in jail.
"Yes, sir," he said, taking the notebook and pencil. He glanced back at the tank, at Izame swimming happily. Did he have regret, Erik wondered. "Now, sir?"
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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 13:56:08 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 9, 2008 13:56:08 GMT -5
"Yes, if you please," Jamison said, pouring himself another cup of coffee and sipping this one slowly. "This must be done every day and very meticulously. And since you are likely to see many things that I do not notice, you can section off a back portion of the journal for your own observations." Despite the headache, Henry was beginning to feel the familiar tingle of scholarly excitement grip him in the face of possible future discoveries. "Nothing is too mundane to record; even if you feel something might not be noteworthy, please write it down anyway. We are in uncharted territory, my boy."
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 14:04:36 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 9, 2008 14:04:36 GMT -5
Jamison did not, necessarily, have to instruct Erik to be meticulous. He was already charting things out in his head, organizing the journal before he put pencil to it. The most efficient method, he reasoned, was a table, with the types of food along the top and the days down the side of the page. Then one could easily spot any patterns that might emerge.
As to the back pages, there were many things he would be keeping to himself.
Erik flopped down on the floor before the tank and began making his table, frowning when the lines weren't straight enough and rising momentarily to pluck a ruler from the many implements on Jamison's desk before returning to his spot.
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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 14:39:22 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 9, 2008 14:39:22 GMT -5
With his assistant busily at work, Jamison, sour mood nearly evaporated, sat down to his own mountains of notes, transcribing his observations from earlier into something marginally more legible and glancing at the schedule he had prepared. It would need major editing after the events of the past few days.
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 9, 2008 16:32:50 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 9, 2008 16:32:50 GMT -5
His "spreadsheet" complete, Erik dutifully filled in this morning's feeding, glancing at the tank to confirm his memory. After another moment's thought, he turned to the back.
Creature prefers red objects and keeps a monkey skull, he wrote, though he figured Jamison already knew that. It would be suspicious, however, if he didn't write anything. Like he had something to hide. It is very tactile and likes to explore different textures.
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The Lab
Jul 11, 2008 5:21:59 GMT -5
Post by Wanizame on Jul 11, 2008 5:21:59 GMT -5
The merman was still at the glass of its tank, watching the two, tilting its head at Erik as he wrote but eventually became bored and sand down to the bottom of its enclosure to curl around the warm lights and sleep.
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The Lab
Jul 11, 2008 11:42:44 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 11, 2008 11:42:44 GMT -5
"Erik," Jamison called after a few moments of working in silence, "I think I would like to try a little experiment. Would you run through the lab and find as many objects with bright colors--barring bottles with any substances in them--and take them to the top of the tank?"
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 12, 2008 12:38:47 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 12, 2008 12:38:47 GMT -5
Erik glanced up. That seemed entertaining, at least. He closed the journal carefully, placed it on Jamison's desk, and did as bid. There were knick knacks, some empty bottles of different colored glass, some green, petrified pieces of reddish wood, some stray buttons, and other things Erik wasn't exactly certain of the purpose of. With his arms full, he scurried to the top of the tank, glancing at Jamison with a question in his eyes.
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The Lab
Jul 14, 2008 13:14:54 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 14, 2008 13:14:54 GMT -5
"Very good, very good, now wait a moment. I'm coming up, as well."
Jamison took the bag of marbles from his desk drawer and scaled the ladder. When he came to stand next to the child, he opened the hatch. "Alright, in you go."
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 14, 2008 13:23:59 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 14, 2008 13:23:59 GMT -5
Erik slid into the tank without question. He'd been wondering when punishment would come for being in here before. He supposed Jamison could lock the tank from the outside, but Erik would be able to get out. He did not doubt that.
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