The Night Nurses came when all the lights were off. In that hazy land between dream and reality, they appeared as large and gangly shapes, so tall their heads nearly touched the ceiling. Their distinguishing quality was their uniformly long and thin fingers. The Night Nurses were perpetually silent. The Night Nurses were the ones who administered mysterious drugs to us each night, though we did not know their purpose.

Subject P016, nicknamed 'Peas', was my friend and a fellow Child of the Cells. Peas was pale all over, from her skin to her hair. The sole exception was her eyes, which were a striking gold, and the numerous scars that riddled her arms. Peas was thin and delicate, walking with a grace that suggested a deep fragility. Peas was withdrawn and quiet, with few connections to the other Children. In particular, Fate and her cronies were bent on tormenting her. However, Peas always brightened up whenever I'm around.

Recently, Peas' condition was worsening, and it seemed that the Babysitters were taking a special interest in her. Every so often, I'd catch flashes of something running under her skin.

All the Babysitters obeyed Mother's words without question, though we her Children had no idea who she was and what she looked like. All of her words were filtered down to us via the Babysitters, who spoke of her with reverence and fear. Periodically, certain Children were whisked away, never to be seen again. Rumors abounded that those children were sent to see Mother. No one knew whether that was true.

I am Subject X789, though the other Children nicknamed me 'Eater' after that old joke about how seven ate nine. My body condition was normal, without any irregularities. At this time, I noticed no effects from the drugs the Night Nurses administer to me.

The Children were the unlucky inhabitants of the Cells. Despite our age range being rather large, the Babysitters said that Mother considered us all her Children, and so we referred to ourselves by that name. Each Child was assigned an alphanumeric identifier that acts as their name, and each Child was given a unique cocktail of mysterious drugs at night by the Night Nurses.

The Babysitters watched us in our day-to-day life in the Cells, waking us in the morning to check our physical conditions and assigning us tasks throughout the day. Babysitters were humanoid, though there was always something gruesome and grotesque about their bodies. Most sported bloodied mandibles, and some had proboscises in place of mouths. All of the Babysitters dripped a stinking fluid wherever they went.

Subject F810, nicknamed 'Fate', was one of the stronger Children, and seemed to receive special treatment on part of the Babysitters. Fate was unfailingly loyal to Mother, pinning her hopes on being chosen so that she could leave the Cells to see the being she so idolized. As such, Fate would frequently report Children who she perceives as having committed some infraction for punishment. Despite this, Fate had a charisma that commanded the attention of the other Children, and thus she held sway over a crew of cronies. Fate had unruly dark hair and cruel hazel eyes.

The Cells: a bleak place, built entirely out of desolate gray concrete. There were no windows in the Cells for us to look out at, no stars for us to gaze upon...and thus, no knowledge of the world outside. We, the Children of the Cells, spent each day here in a regimented schedule determined by Mother and enforced by hideous Babysitters. All of our meals were comprised of tasteless gray sludge. At night, we were locked into our individual cell for a Night Nurse to come and drug us.