A keyboard is heard tapping away on the other side of the transmission until eventually the man answers.
~"Well, according to the most recent data, subjects with Tendency scores higher than 100% enter a state that we have 'lovingly' named "Animus Mortuum" to keep with the Roman/Latin theme we have going on here."~
The second word hits him like a bullet, forcing its way deeper into his brain till it finds some lost memory to give itself meaning. A shiver runs down his spine as he asks, "Mortem? As in… Death?"
The distorted sounds of a slow mocking clap can be heard through the transmission.
~"Good job, yes, mortem means death. Animus Mortuum is Latin, it means Brain Dead basically. Which is the best way to describe those poor sods. They can barely eat on their own. If they're lucky…."~
The static and silence drag on for a while until he finally manages to change the subject from how close he was to waking up a vegetable. Or not at all.
"If everything in here is named after Roman stuff, then what is your name?"
~"My name? Huh. Most people don't ask me that. Better things to think about I guess." He clears his throat "You can call me Mercury. Consider me your guide through this Hell."~
A frown creeps onto his lips.
Hell.
It'd be funny if it weren't so true.
"I can't think of a name, so I'll stick with- what was it? 13?"
More typing is heard, followed by the voice sounding even more tired than before.
~"Alright, I'll put you down as 13, though, not like names mean much down here. You'll have to move up a few levels before you can find anyone to call you by it anyway."~
"Down? I take that to mean that Phlegethon is underground?"
~"No, Hell's on a cloud. Now, if you will look to your left, you will find a container. A lock box of sorts. Your code should be 1324. What a coincidence, 13."~
He peers over the edge of the pod, feeling the rough, worn paint as he reaches down for the white box. It is rectangular and has an orange stripe down the center, on top of which are bold, white letters labeling the box as "24C."
He fumbles with the box a bit, repositioning it on his lap till he can find and enter the code onto the square keypad. 13 wafts away a cloud of dust produced by the lid as it unseals itself and swings open to reveal a set of clothes.
He lifts the shirt out of the box. It's nothing impressive or exciting. A drab, gray jumpsuit with large, plastic buttons that seem to glow a bit in the pale light of the monitor.
13 considers the shirt for a bit before finally looking at his own body and realizing he is naked. He hadn't noticed since both the pod and room are rather warm from the heat produced by all the machinery.
The pants being no more exciting than the shirt, he quickly dresses and check the rest of the box's contents, finding a drawstring bag with GENTEC's ever-present logo on it filled with a hand held radio, an empty water bottle, and, to his surprise, a loaded pistol.
His hands trembled a bit as he turned the gun over, carefully avoiding the trigger, the cold weight of it was alien to him… and yet disturbingly familiar, as if the scent of gunpowder was that of home.
"Wh-why do I need a gun?"
~"Need a gun? Well, I suppose you don't, but that was what you added as your personal item when they put you in here. I'm going to assume the gun had sentimental value and not that you want to kill everyone."~
"Personal item?"
Mercury can be heard cursing before his mic cuts out and leaves 13 alone once more. 13 sits there in his pod, staring at the screen he had despised only minutes ago, desperately hoping for it to chase away the quiet, but it does not.
The soft hum of the screen fills the silence with its eerie vibration, but it now feels accusatory, as if 13 was responsible for its return. After a few minutes pass, he has become restless and stands, trying out his legs for the first time as he climbs out of the pod. After a few seconds of awkwardly waving his arms while trying to maintain balance, a small smile of relief graces his lips as he begins slowly stretching his stiff limbs. He is in the middle of a deep squat when the transmission crackles to life again, startling him and making him lose his balance. He looks up the the screen again to listen, his sore knees protest audibly as he settle into a sitting position with his legs crossed.
~"I apologize, 13. My boss all but kicked down my door to come ask about you. You should be honored, Hestia rarely takes interest in any subjects, even Blanks."~
"Right. Honored."
~"I'm serious, brat. She's in charge of every subject in the Lazarus Project, you should be grateful she made time for you specifically. It means you might not die again so soon."~
13 doesn't respond immediately. Pausing to consider Mercury's confusing words.
"What do you mean 'again?'"