A Random Book of Randomness

Artificial Countryhuman Part 1

"Why didn't the shackles come off," the stranger asked angrily.

"They need to be taken off manually," Harrison whimpered, "it's a safety precaution, we can take one restraint off for whatever reason and it won't be able to attack."

He reached into the neck of his shirt and pulled out an ID tag that was hanging around his neck, he handed it to the stranger, "here, hold the barcode up to the screen on the restraints and it will unlock them."

6801 watched as the stranger snatched the card out of Harrison's hand and carefully walked up to the door, smiling gently and keeping his wings low to the ground.  6801 reacted how she always would when someone approached her, backing up on all fours, flaring out her wings, and hissing, her back arched and her tail feathers fanned out to make herself look as large and intimidating as possible.

"Easy, easy there, I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to help," the stranger said, he slowly lowered himself to his knees and remained in front of the door, not coming any closer, "I know you're scared, you've been hurt your whole life so you think that I want to do the same, but I promise I don't, I want to help you, I want to get you out of this place, that's all, I promise."

6801 remained tense, she was squished against the furthest corner and still growling, she was still in pain from the electrocution but she learned how to hide her pain very well.  It didn't seem to work with the stranger as he said, "you must be in a lot of pain right now, I had never seen someone survive such a shock like that, you sure are a tough kid aren't you."

"You know, I think I know what will make you feel better," he said, 6801 tilted her head as he reached into a pocket and pulled out a plastic thing.  He ripped into the plastic and revealed that it was one of those treats she would sometimes see the researchers eat, "here, it's a granola bar, you look quite skinny so I'm guessing you haven't had much to eat, it's not much but I'm sure it would be a nice treat, huh."

He held out the bar to her but she didn't move, she was suspicious and confused about his offering, no one had done that before, was it a trick?  The growling of her stomach spoke louder than her better judgment and she slowly inched forward, ready to attack or run if she saw anything she didn't like.

"That's it, honey, here you go," the stranger said, still holding out the bar.

Hunger drove 6801's mind so she didn't notice that he was reaching for her with his other hand, but when she heard a loud beep and a buzz on her neck she jumped and scurried back to her corner, growling and hissing in anger that she had been tricked.  That is, until the shackle around her neck fell off, it was still hanging from the chains that connected it to her wing shackles but it was off her neck, which surprised her.

6801 felt her neck, her hands had bags over them to prevent her from scratching but she could still feel the raw skin that was under the tight metal collar, it hurt but felt so good at the same time, it was a weird sensation not having something around her throat, but she liked it.

"That feels better doesn't it," the stranger said with a smile, "bet it's been a long time since you've had that off, right."

6801 nodded, she couldn't even remember a time she didn't have something around her neck.  The stranger broke a piece off the granola bar and threw it over to her, she stared at it for a moment but quickly snatched it and thread it through the holes in her muzzle and into her mouth, chewing it gratefully.

"You can have more if you let me take the rest of your restraints off," he said, "you want more don't you?"

6801 nodded again and slowly crept closer to the stranger again, still wary but willing to stay put long enough for him to take the shackles off.  One by one, the metal would fall off; her wings, tail, arms, they were all released and they all felt amazing to be freed.  At last came her muzzle, she growled a little when the stranger would reach for it, not wanting his hands close to her face.