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The Lab
Jul 15, 2008 11:34:13 GMT -5
Post by Wanizame on Jul 15, 2008 11:34:13 GMT -5
As soon as the boy was in the tank, the creature stirred and swam up, popping its head above the surface with a grin. It seemed it wasn't in the mood to get out of the water, however, and simply waded near the edge of the tank, watching the boy and casting occasional glances up toward the hatch where Jamison waited.
Why didn't the man ever come inside? Was he afraid of it?
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Erik (age 8)
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not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 15, 2008 14:23:55 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 15, 2008 14:23:55 GMT -5
Wanizame's hesitation confused Erik, and he glanced up at Jamison.
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The Lab
Jul 17, 2008 0:48:11 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Jul 17, 2008 0:48:11 GMT -5
Jamison looked at the assorted pile of objects and took out his notebook. "I believe it already keeps a pile especially for green objects, doesn't seem particular to them..." he said aloud, outlining his hypothesis and the set up for his experiment. The boy had climbed obediently into the tank and stood on the little beach, which pleased him, and the creature was still somewhere in the water. He selected two bottles from the pile Erik had amassed and leaned over the hole. "Look lively now, boy; I'll be tossing things to you. I think we'll start you on blue, and the creature will have red. Catch!" He dropped first one bottle and then the other into the tank.
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Erik (age 8)
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not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Jul 17, 2008 11:09:48 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Jul 17, 2008 11:09:48 GMT -5
Catching things was no big deal for Erik--he barely had to move to do so, or at least his movement was hardly visible. He wondered what this would prove.
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The Lab
Aug 12, 2008 17:34:31 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Aug 12, 2008 17:34:31 GMT -5
After dropping down a few blue bottles and marbles and tossing a few red items down with instructions for them to be placed on the ground near the creature, Jamison selected a few yellow objects as well as blue and held them aloft.
"Erik, make a pile of your blue items on the side away from the creature. Now, when I toss you a blue item, put it in your pile, a red goes to the creature, and anything yellow is to be thrown back up to me. Ready?"
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Erik (age 8)
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not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Aug 12, 2008 18:07:54 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Aug 12, 2008 18:07:54 GMT -5
Without any idea what this experiment was for, Erik nodded, and complied with the blue items. He was going to get paid for this?
"Ready," he said, his pile artistically complete.
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The Lab
Aug 12, 2008 18:22:20 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Aug 12, 2008 18:22:20 GMT -5
Jamison was too absorbed in his own sorting to catch the hint of incredulity the child was omitting. His declaration of readiness, however, caught the old professor's interest quickly enough, and so he quickly finished his sorting and moved back over the open hatch.
"Alright, now, be sure you don't miss!" he called, and dropped the first three objects in quick succession: two reds and one yellow. He scooped the next pile up--one blue, one red, and one yellow--and waited for the return of the first yellow object before sending down the next batch.
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Erik (age 8)
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not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Aug 12, 2008 18:26:30 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Aug 12, 2008 18:26:30 GMT -5
Erik sent them to their intended destinations without delay and with an unconscious grace: the two red to Wanizame, the yellow back up to Jamison. As easy as the task was, he could not help but feel anticipation for some sort of "reveal" when the professor's intent became clear.
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The Lab
Aug 12, 2008 20:30:56 GMT -5
Post by Wanizame on Aug 12, 2008 20:30:56 GMT -5
The little merman merely blinked at the proceedings and happily received its boon of Red-Things without having to work for them. It settled onto its haunches over the sandy part of its "beach" and waited, thick fingers grasping and relaxing against its knees.
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The Lab
Aug 21, 2008 17:02:23 GMT -5
Post by Professor Henry Jamison on Aug 21, 2008 17:02:23 GMT -5
Their game of tossing and sorting continued for several minutes, Jamison mentally keeping track of how many objects each of them had in his possession. When his stock of items was down to nearly a third, he paused and took one of each color.
"Now, Erik, put all three of these into the creature's 'hands,'" he called and dropped all three marbles into the boy's waiting hands. He then got down on his hands and knees and leaned down over the hatch to see what the creature would do.
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Erik (age 8)
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not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Aug 25, 2008 13:23:13 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Aug 25, 2008 13:23:13 GMT -5
Now just as curious as Jamison, with less background to understand why, Erik did as he was asked, and dropped all three into Wanizame's waiting hands.
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The Lab
Aug 26, 2008 11:02:27 GMT -5
Post by Wanizame on Aug 26, 2008 11:02:27 GMT -5
The shark got the gist of the game, certainly: blue to Erik, yellow to the professor and red for itself, but it also had piles of Not-Red items in its underwater collection, so when Erik dropped the marbles into its hands it simply slipped into the pool and sorted out the things down there, unwilling to give up the things it had been given.
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Erik (age 8)
- Ingenious Pilot -
not yet a manwhore
Posts: 165
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The Lab
Aug 26, 2008 11:27:34 GMT -5
Post by Erik (age 8) on Aug 26, 2008 11:27:34 GMT -5
Erik glanced up at Jamison, as if to ask what this meant. He knew the creature wasn't stupid, but what was this going to prove?
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