The scientists told Harvey that he’s getting a new roommate, which is complete nonsense. Surely they have plenty of spare rooms. Can’t they just put whoever they’re bringing in somewhere else?

Nonetheless, Harvey watches silently as the guards move an extra mattress into his cell. He’s sulking in his usual spot, curled up in the corner.

He can’t help but wonder about his new roommate. Were they some sort of alien species? Probably not. The scientists keep the extraterrestrials in a separate wing. Then what’s wrong with them? Everybody he’s seen here is different in some way. Surely they are too.

Once the extra mattress is in place, the guards that brought it into the room leave, allowing Harvey to have some time to clear his running mind. He buries his head in his hands, shielding his eyes from the harsh fluorescents shining down on him. He’s always been sensitive to those lights, and he can recall multiple occurrences of him hurling things at them just to get them off.

He stays like that until the sound of the door opening catches his attention. He looks up to see the two guards carrying an unconscious body between them. This must be his roommate. Maybe they won’t be as irritating as he’s anticipating. Maybe they’ll allow him to ignore them for his own sake.

The guards set the experiment down on the mattress and Harvey notices a tattoo on their neck. It’s identical to his own, only theirs says ‘P213’ rather than his ‘P120’. All of the patients have it, but theirs is red and inflamed, likely having been fairly recent.

One of the guards takes something out of his belt before leaning down toward them. It’s a metal rod about half a foot long and has a button on the side. He holds it up to their neck and presses the button once. Suddenly, the new experiment snaps awake, looking like they nearly had a heart attack. They look at the guards, but they’re both already heading toward the door.

“So. What kind of freak are you?”

Harvey asks, his words punctuated by the dull thud of the door closing.