Eventually, the other subjects began to stir. In the capsule across from Subject: 28 hung a girl who had opened her eyes for the first time. Her face contorted in panic, and she began to pound at the glass. Subject: 28 was bewildered; 'how was she already able to move?' It had taken him what felt like eons to have enough feeling in his body to move and here she was, pounding away like some sort of maniac. She tired quickly, the thick liquid resisted her movements and the glass suffered no damage. After her initial shock, she slipped into slumber once more. She woke up several visits later. Visits were the only measure of time Subject: 28 knew. The chamber they were in was locked in eternal twilight, broken only when the figures came with the light to run their tests and scribble on their pads. The figures referred to the girl as DOMINION Subject: 78; which Subject: 28 took it to be her name. As time passed Subject: 78 came to be conscious far more often. She had grown much calmer too; no longer pounding at the glass but instead gazing around curiously. Her eyes darted here and there taking everything in. Subject: 28 had heard the muffled voices of the figures through the glass say something about her developing much faster than the others. He wondered what that meant.
Subject: 78 had taken an interest in 28. That they could see, no other subjects had stirred as much in their capsules. Most of them continued to hang, suspended in the liquid, lifeless almost. 78 would often wave at 28, trying to get his attention. At first Subject: 28 ignored her, he had seen what had happened to Subject: 27 whose capsule was now inhabited by the unconscious DOMINION Subject: 27-B. 28 feared that the same would happen to them if they tried to communicate like he had. But as the figures came and went, Subject: 78 remained. Eventually 28 brought himself to acknowledge her, waving back from time to time. Together in their isolation, they took heart in knowing that they were not alone. As other subjects came and went, they two remained. She was very curious, the way she watched the figures as they performed their experiments, the way she watched the other subjects. 28 could tell she was trying to work it all out in her mind, work out why. Why they were all here, who the figures were, why they were doing this, who they themselves even were. 28 had often wondered the same things. But he was DOMINION Subject: 28, and she DOMINION Subject: 78; that was enough for him. But she was not satisfied.
Twenty-three visits later, DOMINION Subject: 29 awoke. He did not move, save for his eyes opening and then widening with fear. 78 took immediate notice, she and 28 had been making faces at each other through the glass and smiling, she had cast a glance at 29. Her smile was swept away by shock. Subject: 28 followed her gaze, surprised to find Subject: 29 awake after so long a time. He could tell that, like he had once been, Subject: 29 was unable to move. Subject: 78, however, had never experienced that inability. She began to pound away at the glass, trying to get 29's attention. Subject: 28 could see 29's eyes dart towards her, but he could not move to respond. And as 29 stared at her, his eyes began to roll back into his skull and they shut. Subject: 78 did not understand and she feared the worst. 28 saw as much in her face before she began pounding at the glass all the more vigorously. Subject: 28 was growing alarmed, if she did something wrong the figures could come and release the gas. She would be gone. And he would be all alone again. He could not let that happen, he needed her now. Those smiles and waves, moments of silent understanding; without her he might not keep sane here in the dark and cold. He needed to get her attention. Subject: 28 started trying to wave to her, catch her eye, but she was caught up in her own panic and he went unnoticed. 78 realized that her efforts to escape through the glass were fruitless. Frantically she searched for another option and her eyes came to rest on the wires that held her suspended in the tank. Madness in her eyes she seized the thick, black cords and began to heave. Subject: 28's heart was in his throat. His eyes burning, he threw himself against the glass, clawed at it, pounded on it. It was all for naught, she would not stop her efforts and his went unnoticed. Hopelessly his arms fell to his sides and he stared as she braced her feet against the glass walls for leverage. And then there was light, flooding into the room. The two froze, their eyes darting towards the light's source, where the figures would soon emerge from. Immediately Subject: 78 released the cables, her feet sliding down from the glass. And there they hung when the figures came, still as statues. They stared at each other, fear in their eyes, not daring to move. To attract attention. The figures took no notice. For them, it was business as usual. They made their rounds, took their notes, and left the room in darkness once more. The pair relaxed in their capsules. They had been left high strung by the sudden appearance of the figures and took several moments to collect themselves.
Subject: 29 remained motionless, unconscious. 28 could see the anxiety building in Subject: 78 once more and quickly took action to avoid another incident. He waved his hands at her, grabbing her attention. They locked eyes and Subject: 28 gestured for her to calm down. He then pointed at Subject: 29 and then back at himself. She did not seem to understand, so he repeated the gesture. She stared back at him, confused and perplexed. But at least she was calm. Subject: 28 gestured once more for her to stay calm and then placed his hand on the glass before him. She mimicked the motion, placing her own hand on the glass. And there they remained for many visits to come.
Eventually Subject: 29 stirred once more. Subject: 28 and Subject: 78 waited in silent apprehension, watching. 29 moved slowly, his eyelids blinked heavily and his limbs were as though they had been laden with lead. When at last his eyes opened fully, they opened wide and were once more filled with fear. 28 and 78 waved for his attention, motioning for him to calm down and letting him know he was not alone. This worked to a degree, though the panic was still evident in his eyes as his body relaxed. And the two were three.
The visits came and went, too many to count anymore. As time moved on more and more Subjects awoke with varying degrees of motor function. Some could still only hang there in their capsules. Others would tap out rhythms on the glass or make faces across the room. The more who awoke, the less alone and afraid they all were. Some had even developed humor enough to mock and make faces at the figures during their visits. Though they paid them no mind. Subjects 28, 29 and 78 were especially close. As the first three to gain their consciousness they held a special bond, forged in the loneliness of their wait for the others. But now they were many. Subject: 28 was busy having a finger-bending contest with Subject: 29, Subject: 78 watching with a lazy smile, when the figures came with their light and strange, steel canisters.