D1-01-In The Flesh ...Slave Ship:
Simone’s Notes:
Learned helplessness, as a technical term in animal psychology and related human psychology, means a condition of a human being or an animal in which it has learned to behave helplessly, even when the opportunity is restored for it to help itself by avoiding an unpleasant or harmful circumstance to which it has been subjected. Learned helplessness theory is the view that clinical depression and related mental illnesses result from a perceived absence of control over the outcome of a situation. The American psychologist Martin Seligman's foundational experiments and theory of learned helplessness began at University of Pennsylvania in 1967, as an extension of his interest in depression. Quite by accident, Seligman and colleagues discovered that the conditioning of dogs led to outcomes that opposed the predictions of B.F. Skinner's behaviorism, then a leading psychological theory. In part one of Seligman and Steve Maier's experiment, three groups of dogs were placed in harnesses. Group One dogs were simply put in the harnesses for a period of time and later released. Groups Two and Three consisted of "yoked pairs." A dog in Group 2 would be intentionally subjected to pain by being given electric shocks, which the dog could end by pressing a lever. A Group 3 dog was wired in parallel with a Group 2 dog, receiving shocks of identical intensity and duration, but his lever didn't stop the electric shocks. To a dog in Group 3, it seemed that the shock ended at random, because it was his paired dog in Group 2 that was causing it to stop. For Group 3 dogs, the shock was apparently "inescapable." Group 1 and Group 2 dogs quickly recovered from the experience, but Group 3 dogs learned to be helpless, and exhibited symptoms similar to chronic clinical depression.
*Alex*
I don’t know how long I have been here. Everything looks the same to me. Those sick monsters did this to me, you know? I’m stuck playing their sick games. But, I can’t quit. I have to survive! I have to get out of here and warn Mustang!
I look up at the sky. Funny… When did it get darker all a sudden? I feel so cold… My stomach hurts now. Uh oh. I have a bad feeling about this. Those bastards must be up to something. That could explain why they haven’t been chasing me for the past couple of days. I paused in my tracks. If they aren’t chasing me, then that must mean… I felt the color from my face drain right away. “Oh no!” I thought. “They are raising Hell in the city! I’ve got to get out of here and warn Mustang before it really gets worse!” I looked all around me again. The trail looks all the same. Nothing but dead trees and snow. I began to feel cold once again. I could barely feel my wounds anymore. I had been using the snow to treat them. But yet, that is not enough. I haven’t had anything to eat in days. I’m tired, but I know I can’t sleep. If I do, Azrael-sama and Edward-sama could come and attack me if freezing to death doesn’t get me first.
I shook my head hard. No! I can’t let that happen! I have to go warn Mustang! I have to save my friends! I have… I have to get out of this forest and get help! I push myself to feet from my knees and pressed myself to keep walking. I didn’t care if I was injured, hungry, or tired anymore. I had to get out of here to safety. I had to go and try to warn Mustang… Somehow…
Suddenly, I heard a low creaking sound. I didn’t stop moving at first. All in my head, maybe? (I hadn’t had anything to eat or sleep for the past few days after all. It could have been my mind playing tricks on me.) But then, the sound came again. Only this time, it was much lower and louder. I paused again and looked around for the source. It didn’t come from the ground. That sound must be coming from above me. Just then, a huge shadow covered me as it eclipsed the dying winter sun above my head. I slowly began looking up. A structure began slowly sailing into view. I squinted at this large object for a long while. I began to think that I was looking a flying ship. After a few seconds of looking, I realized that I was indeed looking a huge flying ship. Confusion invaded my sleep-deprived mind. What is a ship doing flying? Why was it here? And was I hallucinating around?
I blinked a few times. Nope, this they was real alright. Okay, so what was it doing flying over me? I stared on at it still. I began to think it said something on the side. Amazingly, it does. “Slave Ship” is it’s mighty title. That didn’t ring any bells in my head at first. Right then, my eyes widened as I realized what the name meant. This was a ship to collect pets like me and take them hostage. I have to warn Mustang and them! I picked up speed once again. However suddenly, I began to hear a soft lullaby singing in my ears. I tried to ignore it at first and keep on running. My attempt turned out to be in vain for the music got louder and louder. The last thing I could remember was sinking into a heavy screen of black…
D1-01-In The Flesh ...
