The Collector

Korse looked up before checking the time on the wall clock; she was late.

“Come in,” he called as he closed the file on the screen.

Looking up expectantly, Korse narrowed his eyes as Doctor Fielding entered his office. He didn’t like Doctor Fielding. In truth, he didn't like very many people, but he particularly didn’t like her. He wasn't convinced that she was thorough enough in her work. She was a good doctor, that wasn't in question - yes she could cure someone of their illnesses, but this was the wrong unit for her. She was perhaps too much of a doctor, intent on saving people. This was something of a departure for her. Not everyone was cut out for torture and he strongly suspected that she was one of them.

Fielding briefly looked around the office' she had never been there before. On the few occasions they had met, it had either been in her office or with a prisoner. She noted that it wasn’t a very large or grand office. Most of the furniture was as expected: bland, monochrome and purely functional. A few personal items stood out in sharp contrast to the remainder of the room. An ornamental mahogany hat and coat stand near the entrance was home to his long grey frock coat. A matching mahogany book case lined with old, pre-war books, mostly on military strategy and spy craft. The final item, tucked away on one of the shelves was a small, ornamental brass photo frame. An intricate vine pattern wound carefully around the square frame, decorating it in a distinctive but subtle way. Oddly, although the photo frame stood on a shelf, clearly on display, there was no photograph nestled behind the glass.

“Doctor Fielding,” he swept a hand to indicate the chair opposite him across the desk. “May I have your report?”
“Subject, Party Poison…”
“Yes, yes,” Korse waved his hand irritably. “I know who he is. Just give me the report.”

Fielding frowned. She did not like Korse and like many others just like her, she had her reasons but she was good at her job and he was treating her like a rank amateur. It was humiliating and completely unnecessary. She hadn't wanted to be transferred to the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W Unit but the recent removal of three doctors from their positions had required it. She was starting to grow suspicious about what had happened to them. Officially the reason given was temporary relief from duty due to stress, which had sounded like a considerate action on BLI’s behalf. It had given her a warm feeling that the company she worked for was being so caring towards its staff, but now she wasn't sure. One of those doctors had been an acquaintance from medical school and, on her transfer, she had sent him a message saying how sorry she was to hear that he was so stressed and hoped he felt better soon. That had been three weeks ago and having heard nothing in reply she was beginning to worry.

“He has taken the anti-viral medication.” She answered curtly. “He was expecting to be given Genezen but I explained to him that it was an antiquated drug. He will probably be well by tonight, certainly tomorrow.”
“Any follow up required on that?”
“No, there would have been with Genezen, but not with Bryzik.”

Korse nodded and made a note in his file.

“I have a written report,” she tipped her head as he finished his note.
“I see that,” Korse stared in return. “I like to make my own notes. Any side effects of the Bryzik?”
“It’s very strong, so it will have knocked him out, he’s weak anyway, he may be out for some time. Perhaps a few hours.”
“And the Varsill?” He asked with a sly smile.
“He took two at a relatively low dose, but I assume you don’t want him suspecting anything just yet.”
“He took it without question?” Korse raised an eyebrow; it was unexpected.
“Virtually,” she nodded. “He asked what they were and I told him that they would help the Bryzik work and could be considered similar to vitamins, as he’d been run-down from eating desert scraps.”
“And he went for it? He believed you?”
“So far,” she nodded.
“You're certain he swallowed them?”
“I know how to give tablets to prisoners, Korse!” She snapped.

Korse’s head snapped up and he fixed her with cold, glowering eyes. Fielding swallowed hard as his icy stare seemed to dig down into her soul. In that moment, she understood why he had such a fearsome reputation. His eyes seemed at once ferocious and dead; somehow capable of reaching in and tearing every ounce of happiness from her heart.

“My apologies, Exterminator Korse,” she replied with a small, quiet voice. Clearing her throat, she continued: “He seems quite broken. I was surprised at the speed of the change.”
“He’s not as broken as he wants us to think, but I'm happy to play along to see if he gives his end game away. In the meantime I want you to increase the dosage.”
“Already?” Fielding asked with a frown. “You realise you're risking him being able to fight back, don’t you? Surely, it’s better to wait until he’s addicted?”
“Trust me, that will come surprisingly quickly.” Korse smirked. “He’s taken something very similar before now. The body does not forget.”
“I need to arrange a meal schedule for him,” she reached into her file only to be interrupted.
“No,” Korse cut in. “I want you to keep promising him food, but don’t actually provide any.”
“No food?” She frowned at the idea. “He’s already weak, that would just…”
“He’s not weak enough,” Korse crossed one hand over the other as he leaned forward on the desk. “My plans for him require absolute submission. I know he’s faking being broken and he can act as meek as he likes, but I know him better than you do and it will take much more than he’s had.”
“I disagree,” Fielding straightened her back as she took a deep breath.

Korse smiled slowly; he liked that she wasn’t afraid to stand up to him.

“Do you?” His voice sounded as though he was actually chewing the words as he spoke them. “And what do you know of what I have planned for him?”
“If you’re giving him Varsill then I assume you’re planning to brainwash him?”
“Oh, my dear doctor,” he chuckled cruelly. “That is only a fraction of what’s in store for Poison. After I'm finished with him, his mind will be completely malleable. I will be able to make him believe anything I choose. Make him do anything I want. The best part about all of this is that he’s still being tortured, but, as yet, he's unaware. By the time he is aware, by the time the pain begins, he will be quite unable to resist.”
“All the more reason not to rush it, I would have thought?”

Korse raised his hand to his mouth, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on his lips. Perhaps he had been hasty in his assumption of the doctor? Was it worth him employing an expert if he wasn’t prepared to take her advice?

“I am impressed at your dedication, doctor. What do you suggest?”
“Perhaps combining Varsill with something like Hallsig?”
“What does that do?” Korse raised a curious eyebrow.

The doctor offered a smile, one that Korse recognised as cruel; he was approving more of this doctor with every passing minute.

“It’s quite a new drug, it will prevent him from sleeping. He will still tire of course, but the drug prevents the body’s ability to sleep. He will grow increasingly tired and given his current state, within no more than two days will be too confused by exhaustion for his body to even notice the dosage change never mind fight it. Then, you can increase it as much as you need. If we keep using the Hallsig, the effect of the Varsill will be much stronger and faster. Especially if you also intend less subtle methods of torture.”
“What if you were to give it to him now? Would it wake him?”
“Certainly, as I said, it prevents the body from sleeping. So yes, he wouldn’t be able to remain asleep.”
“And the Bryzik, will it still work if he’s awake?”
“Yes,” the doctor held in a smile at the exterminator’s lack of understanding. “It isn’t essential for him to be asleep for the drug to work, it’s merely that the strength of the drug and his current level of health has made him pass out.”

Korse drew his lips into a thin, broad smile, almost bordering on a sneer. The doctor had just handed him exactly what he needed. He knew that the android wouldn't convince the Killjoys for long but it would be amusing to see how they dealt with it. In the meantime of course, Poison would know that no one was looking for him. An additional and delightful aspect to his mental and emotional torture.

“Very good.” He made a few more notes before closing the file. “Start him on the Hallsig immediately. Make sure he’s restrained on the bed too.”
“He doesn’t need to be,” she replied with a puzzled expression. “Remember, it won’t give him any extra energy. He won’t be able to escape at all.”
“Ah, doctor, you have much to learn in this unit. You’ve told Poison he’s going to be fed and he won’t be. You’ve told him that his companion will return to him, but she is being reprogrammed before that happens. You’ve told him he’ll be there for the rest of his life and I want him to worry about exactly how long that life will be.”
“Exterminator Korse,” the doctor’s voice faltered momentarily. “Do you intend to make him work for BLI? To use against the zonerunners?”
“Not at all.” He replied to her surprise. “If I do that, he merely becomes another figure to hate or a rallying focus against us.”
“Then what? I need to be aware of your plans so I don’t accidentally do anything to contradict what you need.”
Korse considered the question; he knew his motives were partly personal. Well, in fact, mostly personal.
After he had killed his own family, bringing his own nephews into BLI had seemed a good idea at the time. His actions in BLI’s name had found him favour and because of his position within the S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W Unit the boys had been high profile additions to many of BLI’s campaigns.

Mikey, he knew was compliant following his treatments, but he had always had his doubts about Gerard. Despite taking the pills on a daily basis, Korse couldn’t help but notice that underneath the fog surrounding the older boy’s mind, there was an emotion. It had started, he realised now as deep sadness for their loss. Then later it had morphed into hatred. If he had realised sooner that Gerard had retained the memories they had tried to erase, he would never have allowed him so much freedom within the city. But Gerard was clever; he knew enough not to give anything away or even discuss it with Mikey. Three years his junior, Mikey, whilst trusting of BLI, was very much under Gerard’s influence. Also that of Gerard's long term friend Frank. Despite being younger than Mikey, the boy admired Frank simply because Gerard did and the three seemed inseparable. If Korse had for a moment trusted his instincts, he would not have been in the position that Gerard had placed him in. But he couldn't, wouldn’t, blame himself for trusting his nephew. He had provided both boys with everything they had needed for a successful life with BLI: a home, medication and a career with a generous income.

The cute boys became handsome young men and were frequently sought after to promote BLI’s ever expanding empire. Until, of course, that fateful day when the pair along with Frank had escaped Battery City to go on the run in the desert. Joining forces with a fourth zonerunner already known to them as part of Doctor Death Defying’s entourage, they had become The Fabulous Killjoys one of the more successful and problematic band of rebels.

Korse had been humiliated and feared for his career, even his life. He had been right to be afraid and, as a result, had been committed to the second acceptable level of existence in punishment for the boys’ very public rejection of everything BLI stood for. Korse was now technically part android, with the implants inside him overriding those parts of his brain dealing with compassion. His career, and possibly even his life, had been saved only because he had submitted to the operation.

Now with skewed reasoning, and unrestrained hatred for Gerard, whom he blamed for his humiliation, Korse was consumed with the need for revenge. He didn’t want to make Party Poison an example to other zonerunners, he merely wanted to destroy him - slowly and utterly. Perhaps to then release him back to the desert, an empty, lost shell.

“Very well, I’m going to destroy him.” He finally replied. “To take every happy memory he’s ever had, to forget everything except the pain. To break him beyond repair, then throw him away like the refuse he is. And you get to help me.”

Notes

Thanks for reading! I really do appreciate it!! Any thoughts/comments? Would be great to hear from you. Sas xx