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“Alright Max, are you ready?” Max nodded, blowing his white hair out of his equally pale face. The last restraint clicked into place, humming quietly when the containment field started up. The nanobots under his skin shifted restlessly, little lines bulging and writhing against his arms as they waited for the startup command. “Now, this might hurt a little bit, but don’t be scared. It’ll be over before you know it, and you won’t have to go through it again.” Max nodded again, giving the doctor a beaming smile.
“Don’ worry, Doctor Penn! Mama says I’m brave, so I can handle the Pigmenting!” he said, settling back and getting as comfortable as he could on the cold metal table. Dr. Penn chuckled, scribbling something down on his tablet before setting it aside and stepping up to the control panel. “I’m going to enter the startup code now, okay? Please don’t bite your lip, because that’ll injure you,” he said. Max nodded, determinedly puffing out his lips to make sure his sharp teeth didn’t go anywhere near them. Dr. Penn laughed at the childish antics, entering the code and his password. He accepted the dialogue prompt, preparing himself for what happened next.
The bulging lines stopped moving, freezing in place before starting to glow. The bright white light shifted, taking on a more lilac hue. Dr. Penn’s eyes widened, scrambling for his tablet. ‘Oh god, please let him be a One or a Two…’ he thought, silently cursing the poor child’s luck. He barely closed his hand around his pen when the screaming started. He closed his eyes, not wanting to watch yet another child go through this.
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It burned. Max felt like his entire body was on fire, like someone had filled him up with kerosene and dropped a match. He writhed in the restraints, suddenly realizing why they were necessary. His skin cycled through several hundred different colors, starting to smoke as he overheated. It flashed between orange and purple for several seconds, the colors swirling together and darkening until they settled on a creamy brown. His hair was the next thing to have color leech into it, a dark purple spreading from the roots to the tips. His eyes snapped open, flashing brightly and staring ahead, blank and unseeing as binary started to rapidly scroll across them.
They flashed through every color under the sun, finally settling on a bright lime green. The glow changed too, a softer emerald that shone dimly against the white walls of the hospital room. The binary slowed to a stop, fading away as his muscles relaxed. He trembled violently for several minutes, waiting for the next bout of pain. When nothing came, he let out a sigh.
“D-Doctor Penn? I think.. I th’nk it’s done…” he slurred, his eyes starting to flutter closed. Dr. Penn looked over at him, tears welling up in his eyes as he scribbled something else on his tablet. He set it down, picking up a large, cylindrical device before heading over to Max.
“Not quite yet. There’s… There’s one more thing I have to do,” he said softly, pressing a button on the pen. Nothing visible happened, but it started whirring quietly as it powered up. He grabbed Max’s left forearm, holding it flush against the table. “Now, please don’t struggle. It’ll just be harder on the both of us,” he said, taking a deep breath to steady himself before pressing the Brander against Max’s skin.
White lines outlined the blueprint of a tri-tipped spiral, the center where he pressed the tip of the Brander. He clicked a button several times, increasing the size until it covered nearly all of Max’s forearm. He pressed another button, grimacing when Max’s screaming started again. “D-DOCTOR PENN! STOP IT! IT-IT HURTS!” he wailed, his legs thrashing against the table. More restraints came out of the table, holding his thighs and knees flush against the table so he couldn’t squirm. Tears streamed out of Max’s eyes, puddling on the smooth metal beneath his head. Dr. Penn ignored it as best as he could, carefully tracing the outline with the Brander.
“I’m sorry, Max. I have to do this. Everyone has to know,” he said, seeming genuinely sorrowful as he finished the second part of the spiral. He moved the Brander back to the center, starting on the third portion. The first and second lines were already starting to swell up, standing out harshly against Max’s skin. Max tugged at the restraints, still screaming loudly. Dr. Penn finished the third spiral, removing the Brander and wiping his brow. Max sniffled, trying to clutch his arm to his chest. “Please don’t do that. I’m not finished yet, and you’ll just hurt yourself more,” Dr. Penn pleaded, frowning. He clicked another button on the Brander, placing it about three inches below the bottom part of the spiral design. A word was outlined this time, and he was just as slow and meticulous as he was with the spiral.
When he was finished, he released Max. Max scrambled away from him, holding his arm to his chest and huddling with his back to the corner. “W-Why? Why did you do that to me?” he whimpered, eyes full of betrayal. Dr. Penn raked a hand through his hair, pushing his bangs back from his face.
“Max, I had to. It’s the law. All Tertiaries, especially Class 3 and above, must be Branded immediately after their Pigmenting,” he explained, frowning. Max’s eyes widened, more tears spilling down his cheeks as the sensitive burn rubbed against his shirt.
“W-What? But… I’m not a Tertiary!” he gasped, wiping his eyes furiously with his other arm. Dr. Penn bit his lip gently, tapping his fingers against his leg.
“You are, Max. From this day on, you’re a Class 5 and will be treated as such. I suggest you get used to it.” With those cold words, he collected his tablet and left the room, letting the door hiss closed behind him. He sighed, pressing another button on his tablet before putting it to sleep and sticking it in his pocket. This was the last Pigmenting.
He needed a drink.
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Add Maxwell Johan Mohr to the Tertiary Database?
YES Added Maxwell Johan Mohr to the Tertiary Database.
Add Maxwell Johan Mohr to the ‘Brutal’ Watchlist?
YES
Added Maxwell Johan Mohr to the ‘Brutal’ Watchlist.
Notification sent to Branch Heads: Chief Eilam Penn, Dessa Jae, and Doctor Wilhenna D’Loer.