divinity: nightmare sketch 20-24 END (Patreon)

some info on 001's past. he was initially treated rather well considering his status as property. cared for and given good amenities. they listened to him when he told them his limits, and were kind to him in front and when hes away. however, this treatment was always suspicious. 

because of his status as perfect, the scientist and military officials were happy at his creation and strength. in alot of ways he seemed angelic. they allowed him to make some independent movements due to his intense obedience. he listened and behaved as appropriate and never complained on what he was going to endure. 

like the water test, he didnt complain at all, and only told them to stop when he was at a comfortable limit. even though he spent a whole week in isolation and limited mobility, he said nothing of the sort. he would cut himself if told to, he would run till he dropped if told to, he would shoot on demand without hesitation. he learned language and was given education without questioning what he was hearing. 

the only things that made his mind confused where the occasions that highlighted his real status in the facility.. property. zero on occasion communicated with 001 via telepathy. for example, when he was told he was the perfect dog, he did question them for the first time, wondering what dog even meant. it was a word that he never heard before. but they were quick to shut him up and tell him to just obey without question, which he reluctantly did.  zero was the one that told what it meant. it was an insult. a humiliation of his character and personhood. zero made it clear that 001 was only a trained animal to their eyes. 

post saving zero, his treatment radically changed. it was jarring but he had to expect this to some degree. he killed people after all. even though he was trained to do this all his life, the officials hated that he did it on their own men and without being told to. he was stripped of any kindness. his room was no longer a thing, and was given a small tube for his sleep, or what it really is called, being on standby. if he wanted to sleep, he was denied. if he wanted to eat, he was denied. if he was given education, he was harshly taught. if he made a mistake, he was severely punished. if he had clothes, they took it away, just like zero, on the days he wasn't officially training but being tested or experimented on, he was naked just like zero was. he was told to strip on command if at any point they wanted him to. for even more humiliation and degradation, he would wear a collar that said dog. or a collar with his name 001 on a a little trinket, the same ones dogs would wear. if he was told to bark, he did. the degradation was severe and made 001 slowly increase his resentment. it also made him question his reality, if he truly did the right thing, and sometimes even feel regret. like if he was a dog, he wanted to be a happy one. 

still over time, the degradation became less common, as 001 began doing real missions and the other numbers were being focused on. he was still and always is looked at with suspicion, and the people that stepped on him, even literally, felt an intense joy seeing a monster at their feet. to be seen like a commodity, where even the clothes on his back was optional, felt like hell. no physical punishment to any severity could come close to his humiliation over the years. 

it was worse when he wasnt doing what he was trained for, such as being a servant or butler, a cleaner, or any type of servitude that wasn't his qualifications. if he had a seat, it was the floor, if he was allowed to speak, it was a yes sir, or yes master. 

he had a second breakdown from this mental anguish and caused a massacre in one of his missions, even trying to restrain him was null, which showed to the people that their ways to subdue him was likely never real. if he truly tried, not much would stop him besides a nuclear bomb. it was all mental that made him so obedient to abuse, so accepting of hurting himself for the sake of those people. it was a shred of his lasting conditioning that was held on by the people to make him do what they want. to this day, 

he fears that he is still their dog, all these years later. he fears that if one day, if they tell him to bark, he will. 

its hard enough that he is still under them on means of 'employment'. that he has a family to protect, zero to keep safe. these burdens make it harder for him to act out, even if all he wants to do is see blood. he fears for them just as much as he fears his own self betraying his independence. for their sake, he is willing and was willing to go through the trauma. but he always wonders if he let this happen from the conditioning or the self sacrifice.