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Challenge #03468-I180: Acts of Diminished Responsibility

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A Knomira thinks they know better than the safety and security personnel, demanding they let her take her normal shortcut through the station to get back to her quarters. That area is blocked off due to upgrades being done. Long story short, Knomira forces her way in, refuses to acknowledge warning signs, and ends up in an ICU drawer.
Warning signs are there for a REASON people! -- Anon Guest

Floating on a cloud of really great painkillers. Watching friendly colourful blobs drift and collide on a screen a short distance from her face. This could not be real. That was the reasoning Valeska settled on by the time the colourful blobs faded into the face of someone in Medical Reds[1].

"You're a dream," she announced. "And kind'a dreamy. What'cha doin' this weekend?"

Doctor Imaginary was scowling and unhappy. "I am growing three new essential organs for you. While I'm at it, I might see about inserting some functional brain cells." A tap to a little badge on her chest that flashed like a mirror. "Do you even remember what you did to yourself?"

"Uuuuhhh," said Valeska. She tried to remember what she'd been doing. "I was on my way home..." That was where the memory greyed out. "I argued with some really selfish people."

"We have some recordings of the events preceeding your injuries," said Doctor Imaginary. Her face dropped into a corner so that the rest of the screen could display securicam footage. "Do you recognise yourself in these images?"

"Hey yeah tha's meee," Valeska singsonged. "Makin' my waaaayyy home. Havin' my beeest day. Oh wait it's the [BODILY WASTE VENTS]. They wanted me to go the long way."

"Yes," cooed the dream, in the same manner one might encourage a child to repeat a lesson. "That's right. Do you remember why they wanted you to go the long way?"

"They wanted to ruin my best day," sulked Valeska. "They gave me a bunch'a nonsense 'bout how it wasn't safe. It's always safe! It's my way home."

The dream sighed and played an audio clip. "Ma'am, the flooring and support structures have been removed from this sector owing to microfatigue buildup."

"Do you understand what that meant?" said the doctor in her dream.

"It's a bunch of big words hiding the real excuse that they were meaners who were spoiling my day."

"I keep sending memos to install Truth Booths in these things," muttered the dream. "Which word do you need explained first? Do you understand what flooring is?"

It was a long, long dream. Going through every word that the meaners had said.

"Doesn't matter, doesn't matter," insisted Valeska. "They were hiding the truth. They wanted me to take the long way round when I was already tired and my feet hurt. They were meaners and I know my rights. I have the right to go home any time. Any way I want to."

"Please read this sign," said the dream doctor on the dream screen.

Valeska shut one eye. "Dan-ger. Do not en-ter."

"And this one?"

"Un-der con-struc-tion." The next one was, "Fal-ling haz-ard. My eyes are fine, doc. I can read! I can read good."

"Then please explain this," the footage wound on, showing Valeska boldly marching past every single one of those signs to turn and give the pursuing officers a rude gesture.

She fell screaming, "I know my riiiights!"

She fell four floors. Bouncing off of, and sometimes through, structural pieces. Sustaining multiple injuries.

"They made me spill my boba," complained the watching Valeska.

"Critical and chronic reality dissociation syndrome," sighed the dream. "We should attach the DR anklet and assign a truly resilient therapist as soon as possible."

They'd also wait until she was more cogniscent to test her again. The results did not improve.

[1] Colour-coded for your convenience, medical technicians wear red to conceal any bloodstains, or just tradition. Dependent on who you may ask. Engineers wear blue for historical reasons, and those who carry out religious duties wear black to absorb the sins of many.

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / smarques27]

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