"Repeat After Me"

Wake up.

I said, wake up.

Congratulations, your operation was a success.

Open your eyes and see the new you.

"The new you."

Purification is not an easy task, especially not with somebody such as you. You had a little 'bird problem', I'm afraid. We managed it, though. There was quite a space to fill.

"Fill quite a space, I'm afraid."

This is the first time we've done this experiment. You couldn't feel pain, but if you could, it would have hurt quite a bit.

"Hurt quite a could pain experiment. A bit."

Yes, yes. You're probably moving through the stages faster than normal do to the amount of ink in your system.

"Ink, ichor. Water. Ponds. Substance. Knowledge. Perfection. Me, me. Perfection. Camper."

Hm. You're probably reaching the end of the repetition stages by now. Tell me, how do you feel?

"Feel?"

Yes, feel. How do you feel?

"Hollow. Perfected. Purified. Hey..."

"Who are you? Where am I?"

You were in an accident. I'm afraid the Bright Ones could not help you in this situation. So I came in and fixed you. You are now perfect.

"The Bright... you mean... them... they're... gone? I'm empty. Empty. How... why-"

"It is no matter. I am perfect. WE are perfect."

"Wait. We? I don't... I don't understand. Yes, we do. We understand - there is no way we can't. We are perfect. No. I'm one person. An individual. Not many. No. We are many. We are thousands. We are one."

Ah... I was worried about something like this. You're going too fast through the phases... You're meant to be more than perfection.

"You. I know you. You're-"

That is not important. Why do you want to go back to the way you were before? The old you was imperfect. Those birds couldn't save your parents from the fire. They didn't stop the destruction of all that you loved. You are better off this way.

"Yes. We are. We're better off this way. No more running from the other beings. We are now part of the crowd."

"Ugh... hurts. Pain. Pain... why...? How...?"

Oh. Uh-oh. Nonononono. Stay with me here. This is not good. I'll have to press this button... remove some of the ink.

"ARGH!"

That was a bone... um... I don't think you need that anymore, anyway.

"Bone. Um. Anymore, don't think. Anyway."

Better?

Ah, no...

Your veins are NOT supposed to do that... Okay, okay. Aborting experiment. I'm afraid you'll have to be terminated.

Goodbye.

"Door slam. New person. Black hood, robe. Beak mask. White mask. Feeling... sick. Polio. Swine flu. Black death. Chicken pox. Hypothermia. Chickenpox. Filariasis. Hurts. No, stop, don't- oh god.

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