[Voice]

[most_unwanted]

[There's a quiet crunching sound before Mulder speaks up, sounding thoughtful.]

Show of metaphorical hands. Or antennae, whichever you're partial to: Who here has been kidnapped for a special one-on-one date with our captors? I'd like to arrange an off-journal meeting to speak about your personal experiences if anyone happens to have some free time. It shouldn't take long, just a few minutes. I'll be hanging around the shops in town most of the day, I've got some... supplies I've been meaning to find. [Still looking for a basketball, woe and alas.] We can always head elsewhere from there, though.

I understand that it's a sensitive topic for most people, and it's all right if you'd rather not talk about it. Or if you'd rather be anonymous, just slip a note under my door detailing anything you can remember about the experience itself. Anything at all, before, during, after. Your answers will be kept in confidence. I'm in Community Building 7, Floor 2, Room 10.

Comments

[i_speak_softly]

Where can I meet you? [Since he also has some other things to say that are probably best kept off-journal.]

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

If you're willing to come over to Community Building Seven, I just got back to my place.

[And he's pretty sure the place isn't bugged. He... sort of checks almost everyday for Ways They Could Be Listening.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Playing back the original message.] 7-10. I'll be right there.

[In about twenty minutes, he'll be knocking on your door.]

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

[Mulder sets aside his journal for the time being and goes to get the door.]

He-llo.

[Ok they haven't met in person. Let's take a moment for Mulder to bask in the OMG MAN-SIZED TURTLE moment here. It's not everyday...]

It's good to finally meet you in person, Don. I'm glad you could make it, come on in, get comfortable. Don't mind the clutter.

[Mulder hastily brushes a bunch of sunflower seed shells into a trash can, and then moves some stacks of papers off of one of the chairs. His livingroom basically has files and folders on most of the surfaces, he's such a busy man with no life and no pay-per-view TV. Books on the paranormal are set among all the papers. That and there's a fishtank in one corner, sadly he's only obtained one goldfish that lived so far.]

[i_speak_softly]

[Well, that was a somewhat more enthusiastic greeting than Don usually likes. Answering it with a terse "hi", he glances around the apartment. His gaze lingers momentarily on the fishtank, and then he offers Mulder another sheaf of papers for his collection.]

[The papers are covered with notes and formulas, which may or may not be legible, depending on Mulder's graphological prowess. If he can read them, he will find that the equations demonstrate a small but meaningless difference between two sets of numbers.]

Sorry it took so long.

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

[Don't worry, Mulder will chill out after the initial "OMG MEETING A GIANT TURTLE PERSON FOR REAL". And his attention turns to the papers he's offering, scanning it over. Some of it, he can make out, it just takes a bit of concentration. Better to get clarification though.]

No problem. What am I looking at here?

[i_speak_softly]

The biodata from the barcodes. There is a difference from baseline, but I think it's all explained by my estimates being off. I can't get any real baseline readings here.

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

[Ohh, very fascinating. Mulder squints a bit at the numbers, after a moment pulling out his reading glasses to throw those on. That's better. Now he's getting a good idea of the comparisons...]

I was hoping there'd be something there. Even if that estimate for the baseline isn't perfect, it's bound to be close enough, and it's at least giving us this much. It's a significant finding, in my book.

[i_speak_softly]

I was guessing the signal would be subtle - but I'd love to see how your own formulas work out.

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

Subtle enough not to be noticeable... at least, until someone is paying attention. I'll be sure to let you know what I work out.

[i_speak_softly]

[He nods.]

You were asking about the kidnappings?

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

That's right. I wondered if you could provide any details about any personal experiences you might have had? Anything you're willing to talk about would be helpful.

[i_speak_softly]

[Don is silent for a moment before he speaks. He's really never recounted his kidnapping to anyone.]

I was working in my lab. The next thing I knew, there were three droids in the room with me. I fought them... I don't remember being taken. When I came to I was in a cell. They drugged me, I lost track of time. They would wake me up, take me to another room and show me pictures of things. I woke up again and I was back in the village enclosure. I walked home. I had no feelings towards anything for a week. I didn't know anything was wrong with me until it was all over.

[He falls silent again. It's still painful to remember.]

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

[Mulder's expression grows sympathetic. He's seen too much of this same kind of bullshit go on back home, and to keep seeing it repeated here, it bothers him a great deal.]

...I appreciate this. I know it's not easy to talk about, but that's good, it's more than some people remember.

You recovered fully, after that week went by, right? No long-term effects beyond that?

[i_speak_softly]

[He nods.] No lasting damage.

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

A lot like the wide-scale experiments, from the sound of it. Whatever it is they test on us, none of it is strong enough to permanently alter us... yet. Aside from the wings and those barcodes.

[i_speak_softly]

[Don curls his toes in the carpet, then says:] Not entirely true.

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

Why do you say that?

[He gets a sinking feeling, and that sense of rage at the Malnosso that spikes up every time something like this happens.]

[i_speak_softly]

The alternate-life experiments... sometimes they leave people with memories of their other selves. Sometimes a lot of memories.

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

...Emotional turmoil. Yeah, you're right. The psychological mind-altering ones are worse than the physical changes. As much as no one wants to wake up as an inanimate object.

[i_speak_softly]

That hasn't happened to me. Yet.

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

I'm sure there are some experiments that no one wants to ever experience firsthand.

[i_speak_softly]

You've only been here a few months, right?

[ufo-fanboy.livejournal.com]

Only since this past March.

[Sometimes it feels like forever, sometimes no time at all.]

[i_speak_softly]

Can I ask how the recent experiments have gone for you?