Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Machine Made of Meat
Paid publication
Book #1	Welcome to Dorley Hall
Chapter	5
Free publication
Date posted	Dec 15, 2021
Word count	9,747
Points of view	Christine, Stefan
AO3 Scribble Hub
Content warnings
Self-harm, suicide, vile misogyny, violence
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Chapter 5: A Machine Made of Meat is the fifth chapter of the first book of the series. Stefan is introduced to the denizens of the basement, a despicable lot. Pippa, Maria, Abby and Christine talk about Stefan from the point of view of the sponsors. Christine comes out to Stefan and reveals the whole of the Dorley programme. Stefan says he wants to stay.

The title is a line Will says, describing the effects of Goserelin.

Plot

2019, Stefan

Stefan is walked into the common room of the basement. He is introduced to the other boys. Aaron introduces himself and the situation they're in, kidnapped and held prisoner, and points out that Raph was caught for being a serial cheater. Adam is from a cult, while Declan and Ollie beat their partners. Martin killed a guy while driving a car under the influence.

Lunch is served; Aaron continues to cosy up to Stefan. He informs Stefan that they'd been implanted with a drug called Goserelin that lowers testosterone. Declan apparently tried to dig out the implant with a spoon, which is why they are only allowed plastic cutlery. Aaron shares his beliefs that the basement is some kind of feminist psychologist experiment, while Will seems to think it's Woke Jail.

Stefan and Martin talk. Martin talks about his drinking problem and that he ultimately ended up hitting a man while under the influence. His family leaned on the courts and used their influence to get him a light sentence. He believes that the basement is a much more sinister thing than Woke Jail or an experiment, but says he deserves whatever it is.

Pippa comes in to talk with Stefan. She continues to berate him: she doesn't buy the act he's putting on, and thinks he does terrible things once a victim's guard is down. She then tells him that the programme is intended to help people like him, before sending him back to his cell for the night.

2019, Christine

Christine is consumed by guilt about lying about Stefan to Abby. Abby had a close relationship with her family that was cut off when she entered the programme and is still hurt by it. Melissa is like family to Abby, so she feels like the false knowledge that Melissa's friend turned out bad contributes to that pain.

Abby and Christine enter the ground floor kitchen to talk with the sponsors. Christine thinks about the known history of the programme, that used to be run by a mysterious figure called Grandmother who is supposed to have been even stricter than Aunt Bea. In the present day, even third years like her are allowed to freely interact with sponsors who are working on new intakes.

Abby asks about Stefan. Pippa is tormented by how normal he seems. She says Stefan genuinely felt affected by the "first-contact spiel" and was worried she might have caused a suicide attempt. Maria reassures her that she has all the tools she needs to work on him. Pippa tells the story of how Stefan was taken in, and Maria points out that not only was his file full of suggestive but not quite damning comments, but it was also sealed, indicating a cover-up. Christine guiltily thinks about the fact that she hacked into the system and planted that evidence.

Back in Abby's room, Abby vents about Stefan and worries about how she's going to break the news to Melissa. Christine tries to divert her by saying she can investigate into the sealed file and figure out for sure what happened. Privately, she thinks that she might be able to fix the file and provide enough evidence to present to Aunt Bea so she can fix her mistake and get Stefan out of the basement.

Early in the morning of the next day, Christine sneaks into the basement again. Stefan asks again whether Christine is trans. Christine admits that she was once male and violent, and that through the programme she was turned into who she is today. It is a difficult thing to think about, as she is still sensitive about being seen as who she once was, and she feels deep shame about it.

After comforting Christine, Stefan asks a few more questions. How effective the programme is, and whether Mark and Melissa are the same person and how she's doing. Christine repeats that she needs to get Stefan out of the basement, but Stefan firmly refuses.