《Gods' Plague (Hiatus- 2/01/18)》 Chapter 1: Part 1: Breaking Free A room full of white coats run around in a room with monitors on every wall, showing almost incomprehensible images. Some are graphs with lines crisscrossing one another, some are simply pictures that show blood cells, and some display information about the proportions of different unspeakable chemicals. On one side of the room is a one-way mirror that shows a single raised white platform surrounded by half circle arches that supply information to the monitors. Scientists run around like mad, making sure that all the equipment is working appropriately. The head of all these scientists is Dr. Morris Michael with the nickname MM. He appears rather worried as he keeps walking back and forth on the spot while making sure everyone is doing what is supposed to be done. Before he could make another round, the door to the room opens. Four people walk in with another scientist leading in the front. Although he could be said to be a scientist, he wears casual clothes such as a checkered sweatshirt, and jean pants. He appears to be more ready for a family meeting than a big experiment. The name of this person is Dr. Jeffrey Hander, another head scientist. The person who followed him in is frowning as if he is reliving another disappointment. Wearing a formal black suit, he has two agents at his sides which helps his appearance as a senator who funds this organization called OTRA- Outside Threat Response Organization. His name is Hank Gifore. He speaks in a depressed tone to Dr. Hander and Dr. Michael. ¡°Do the both of you know how many of these experiments I¡¯ve been to that have ended in failure? I¡¯ll tell you, eight hundred and fifty seven. Eight hundred and fifty seven kids dead due to bodily explosion and poisoning. Do you know that if a single portion of this organization was made public, my ass, and many others, including yours, would be in the electric chair? If the next three experiments do not have a single success, that is guaranteed to happen to us.¡± The two head scientists have very solemn expressions when Dr. Michael says while trying to sound reassuring. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry Senator, this time, I think we have found the perfect subject.¡± He hands a clipboard to Hank Gifore who subsequently gives a puzzled expression. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you people, I can¡¯t read this crap?¡± Hank Gifore shoves it back to Dr. Michael who coughed a couple of times before he starts explaining. ¡°The subject this time is the last of the twelve set of terra. Terra-Twelve. He is male, nine years old, abducted from the local hospital in the state of Dakota when he was one years old after we found that his genetics perfectly matched to our standards and conditions. His family were taken care of soon after.¡± When he saw Hank¡¯s complexion sink, he skips forward a bit. ¡°We placed him under the LAMO program- language, arithmetic, memorization, and obedience. All of which were personally taken care of by Dr. Hander. I also overviewed all of his biological adjustments and minor experiments personally. He showed excellent progress under both programs and can execute commands on point while retaining his emotional quotient. His immune system has also been disabled. This was made due to the failures who either died from the mid-pass process and the post-process, with the rejections that occurred. Senator, I believe that we have created the perfect candidate for the bio-psyche-morphis.¡± Dr. Michael finishes his report with a smile. Hank Gifore silently shook his head, ¡°All of this just to create the perfect walking psychic bioweapon. Great. You even create a speech that sounds similar to every other one.¡± ¡°Uh, this way Senator.¡± Dr. Hander awkwardly extended a hand to the one-way mirror. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡± ¡­¡­ Today should be my turn, right? When are they coming? Am I going to disappear too? I sit on my bed with my knees huddled to my chest. The cool air that comes from the ventilation vent above my head, is said to be clean, or at least that was what I have been told by the people in those white suits. They only come here to change this bag that hangs over my bald head or to bring me out there to one of their rooms. The rooms are always full of things called needles and other things called screens that read my blood pressure among others. They say that I am sick with something, but I feel fine. Although sometimes I faintly feel like there is something inside of me, but I¡¯m told to ignore. There used to be other patients in the rooms next to mine, beyond the walls. At least I think they were patients like me. We would knock on the walls to play games and even created our own language, but they¡¯re gone now. I¡¯ve been told that they were cured, but I don¡¯t feel that is right. When I ask, the faces of some of the doctors change, like they were holding in a secret. Even if the doctors did something to them, I can only follow what they say. That is the only thing I can do. Seems like they¡¯re here. ¡°Hey buddy. Today is a big day for you.¡± The nurse walks in with the same white suit and beckons me to go with her. My body moves on its own and my extremely pale hand clutches her glove. Other nurses and doctors wait in the hall and silently follow after us as we walk. ¡°Why is today a big day?¡± I ask. The nurse jovially answered. ¡°We¡¯ve found a cure for you and are going to give it to you.¡± It¡¯s a lie. Even though that is the thought that comes, I can only walk along. We finally come to a wall and the nurse raises her index finger to touch it. A portion of the wall moves out and then slides up, revealing a room with a cluster of equipment orientated towards a single center platform. I find that the center had a pole-like extension coming out of it with an upside down V design. This was to hold patients so that their body was fully exposed and that blood flow remained in the arms. The nurses direct me to move in front of it.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. You can¡¯t. The nurse who brought me here lightly pushed me forward as a doctor stood in front, waiting for me move to the center so I can be strapped. You can¡¯t do that. A terrible feeling rose inside of me, but my body still followed their instructions. No. Soon enough, my arms, legs, head, and chest are strapped to it. My body trembles and it finally makes some movements to resist the restraints before the familiar doctors¡¯ voice comes from the intercom. It is Dr. Hander. ¡°Terra-Twelve, I need you to behave.¡± My body suddenly stops resisting, completely out of my control. Don¡¯t listen! ¡°We have a special visitor with us today and he wants to see you get better like me and Dr. Michael. I guarantee that you will feel better after this is over.¡± He always lies! Don¡¯t listen! Don¡¯t listen! My body still doesn¡¯t budge, even with the internal voice yelling non-stop. Since the time I had the first injection, this voice always intermixed with my thoughts. Strangely, occasionally it cried out saying ¡®I¡¯ or ¡®you,¡¯ but it also did it with the utmost intensity, like it is trying to get passed a barrier. The effort it put in though, wasn¡¯t enough. My body, and most of my thoughts always stayed with the doctors instructions. ¡°We¡¯ll begin the preparations. The time is 6:30 p.m.¡± Dr. Hander¡¯s voice stops and the several nurses and doctors move around the machines. They hook up cables and write something on the tablets that some of them carry around. One of the doctors came up in front of me with a needle that glared from the light. ¡°This will only hurt a little bit.¡± He says. He brought the needle to the side of my temple and it slowly enters. The pain is faint, but the pressure that it causes, makes me wince. He did the same thing to the other side of my head, to my joins, spine, sternum¡­ He finishes and says hazily, ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad, was it?¡± My entire body feels numb and my vision is fuzzy with my eyelids dropping. I can only hear the sounds of their distorted footsteps. ¡°Terra-Twelve, I need you to remain conscious.¡± My fuzzy vision becomes clear again. I look at the opposite wall that I know that they are watching me through. ¡°When you hear that voice talking to you when the machines activate, don¡¯t repress it. Free it from any constraints. Blink once to show that you understand.¡± I blink as he says. What is he up to? ¡°All of you need to evacuate the area.¡± The doctors and nurses practically ran through the way we came in. The wall quietly closed behind them. ¡°The preparations are done. The time is 6:43 p.m.¡± We need to get out of here. We? I think in a confused manner. That is the first time it ever used ¡®we¡¯ before. ¡°We¡¯ll begin the introductory process. The time is 6:44 p.m.¡± The machines hum and begin to spin around the platform. As they accelerate, I feel a pulling sensation on my skin. I close my eyes as they feel like they are being pulled out. Pain seems to ripple across my entire body and my ears pop. I clench my jaw to keep it closed from the suction, but it feels like it isn¡¯t enough. I can feel something warm flowing out of my nose and ears before my body starts to shake even more like I¡¯m going to vomit. ¡°Blurgh.¡± My stomach lurches and I retch a few times before a hot liquid that tastes like iron comes out of my mouth. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not allowing us to die here. The voice sounds heroic as my stomach calms down. The warm fluid also stops flowing from my ears and nose. ¡°Introductory process completed. The time is 6:55 p.m.¡± Dr. Handers excited voice echoes from the intercom. ¡°We¡¯ll begin the mid pass process. Toxin assimilation. The time is 6:55 p.m.¡± Toxin? I see what they¡¯re doing now. I¡¯m afraid they want me to be fully integrated to you. The thoughts are easier to hear as they come. I open my eyes just in time to see several needles with a black substance jab into my skin. I can only watch as the fluids drains from them. Although you won¡¯t be able to hear what I say if you agree or not, because of what you have to do or you will be dead. I need you to come to a decision and a promise. The black color visibly moves into my veins from the injection points and I lose any feeling to those parts. The decision has to be made now. It is whether or not you are to join with me completely. If you do so, they may use you for as long as you aren¡¯t killed. You already know the pros and cons of this. Yes. A single thought grew from my mind. The black lines submerged themselves under my skin, but the feeling of my skin returned. ¡°The mid pass process was a success! The time is 7:03 p.m.! We¡¯ll begin the post process. Brain deconstruction! The time is 7:03 p.m.!¡± Dr. Hander voice is so excited that it shakes. The machines around me start to buzz and hum with rising octaves. They seem to pass through my ears and directly into my mind. The promise that I need you to comply with is a simple one. You just have to promise that you will be without their control. If you can¡¯t promise this, then I won¡¯t be able to help you. I can¡¯t hear or feel anything except for the thoughts, humming and buzzing as they consumed my entire world. My legs and arms no longer exist. My heart, eyes, and head no longer exist. It is just the sound and several thoughts that don¡¯t seem to come from myself. I know that it is difficult because of their brainwashing, but I need you to agree to it! I don¡¯t care if you suffer a relapse in the future, I need an answer right now with your full intention. At least there would be hope! I¡¯ve constantly tried to reverse what they¡¯ve done, but you only heard bits and pieces of what I¡¯ve said because of their control. Hear me and say something for once! I¡­ agree. Through the intense sounds that fracture my mind, these two thoughts floated through the bits of my consciousness. Abruptly, the sounds coming from the machines stop, and my mind is clear. ¡°They¡¯ve finally forced us.¡± That voice that has always been within my thoughts echoes from beside my ears. My eyes open to see a transparent blue snake floating, circling around me. The straps that supported me were gone, but I am held by an unseen force. There is no sound coming from the intercom, but I think that someone is yelling from it. I can¡¯t be sure. ¡°Do you want to destroy them and everyone like them or go someplace else?¡± The snake whispers gently. ¡°I want to go somewhere else.¡± For some unknown reason tears flood out of my eyes. As if, the family I¡¯ve never seen welcomed me into their home out of the cold with cheers and celebration. ¡°I want to be as far away from here as I can get.¡± ¡°Okay. After this, we won¡¯t be able to hear one another for a time, but it shouldn¡¯t be for too long. Like before, I¡¯ll always remain beside you.¡± The snake gives one last glare at the wall, before it flashes and my body falls to the ground covered in leaves. Chapter 1: Part 2: Strange Creature ¡°Uhhh.¡± My back pulses in pain and I groan in response. Even though it is not near the level that I experienced at the hospital, it is still pain. I quickly come back to my sense and take in a deep breath. The smell of decomposing leaves surrounds me along with an intense humid air that has a subtle smell of something else that I can¡¯t seem to identify. I open my eyes to see a gray film covering the sky and the air. The trees that stand above me have green-gray leaves and bark that is also tainted by the gray. I am in a forest? It is similar in smell and appearance that I¡¯ve been exposed to, but what is this smell and this gray color? As for the sound of insects, there does not seem to be any indication. I think and turn my head. The forest is moderately crowded with trees and there is no sight of sky anywhere else besides the spot that I presume to have fallen through. The snake that took me away from the hospital suddenly comes before my eyes. It smoothly floats above me and silently looks at me with its gemlike green eyes. For some reason, I feel a pain in my heart. ¡°How long before I hear you again?¡± I ask it. The snake makes no indication of having heard me and gazes at me. Then it shrinks and moves onto my chest before curling up like a kitten with its eyes closed. It is fine. It did say that it will be able to talk to me again after a while. An old memory surfaces in my mind. ¡­ Dr. Hander and I were sitting across from one another at a table in the same white room. Dr. Hander had his casual clothing that he always wore and he his face was filled with an amicable smile. There was a yellow folder in his hands that smelled of disinfectant. He opened it and brought out pictures of people who had different pigments, eye, and skeletal structures. They also wore different clothing and had various hair styles. ¡°Today is the 1265th day that you¡¯ve been admitted to this hospital since you were around one years old. Since you¡¯ve been here, you have shown very good progress. Very excellent, in fact.¡± He placed the pictures onto the table. He then pointed at them, ¡°Today, is a special occasion.¡± I held my tongue and kept my face neutral to let him continue. It was a trained courtesy. Dr. Hander looked me and said with his smile, ¡°Everything has a name and categorization. These people here, have personal names, and names given to them based on their physical characteristics by others. Same as my colleagues and I. Now, take a look at these.¡± He then brought out pictures of animals, plants, and bacteria. ¡°These organisms are not given personal names, but names as a species based on their characteristics to gather them all into one collective categorization. ¡°You on the other hand, don¡¯t fit into any of these for categorization, or are you fit for a personal name. The reason being that you are so different from other humans to be granted a personal name and you are too different to conform to any collective organization due to your illness. Now, I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t be named, and that is why today is special. Everything needs some form of name to actually gain identity and yours is Terra-Twelve. It signifies the land that we live on and the number to attempt to find a cure for your illness.¡± ¡­ The old memory disappears within the recesses of my mind and I find myself staring into open space. What was going on? I ask myself, forgetting whatever I reminisced about. I look back on the curled serpent that seems to be sleeping and I smile. Right, I need to give you a name. What would make a good name for you? What about Caerulus, because of your blue scales? Caerulus¡¯ tail coils around my arm in a comfortable fashion. I nod my head before I think, what should I do now? Find people or just walk around. I carefully get up with Caerulus in front on my chest and curiously look around. I come to a conclusion, these trees should be from the South-Eastern United States. The problem is that they appear to deviate from them, but how? I walk closer to one of the trees and take a closer look at it. This is strange. It is definitely Bald Cypress, but the veins are black, and the leaf is dominantly gray¡­ I break off a piece of bark and a thick, black liquid flows out that releases a black gas which combines with the gray air. The liquid clots and stops flowing out from the tree. The liquid becomes a gas at a much higher rate than water and it also clots like the blood of an animal. I was never told anything about this kind of setting. I suppose I¡¯ll move on. Maybe I¡¯ll see something more definite. I walk forward while keeping an eye out for anything strange. It is only a few step when I notice the sound of something heavily breathing some feet away. I stop my feet and listen. I realize the sound is getting closer with the slow snapping of twigs. For some reason, I also notice that my breathing rate is increasing and my heart is beating faster. Caerulus opens its eyes and props its head over one of my arms that holds it. It stars in the direction of the sound with its eyes becoming more hostile. When I look at Caerulus in front of me, I get a feeling of security, and my breath returns to normal. On a rational level, I find this ridiculous, but it is inexplicably a good feeling. The bearer of the heavy breathing moves around the last tree blocking my line of sight and it astounds me.Stolen novel; please report. It is a deer. To be exact, a mutated form of a deer. It has no fur, which shows its gray skin, and black veins that quite visibly pulse through its body. All the muscles that a deer should possess are there, in a much more pronounced form. Its eyes are completely black like a Hollywood demon and three inch long teeth can be seen going along its entire jawline. The weirdest thing about it are the four tentacles that come out of its slightly open mouth. They act like antennae as they twist in the air, pointing themselves at me. Is that really a deer? I could not be sure about my initial judgement. The creature has the shape and basic head of a deer, but it is wildly different from the type that I have seen before. The deer opens its mouth wider, showing its numerous sharp shark-like teeth. It lets out a cry that sounds like the mixture of a squealing of a pig and the croak of a frog before it bolts toward me. Caerulus shifts through my arms like smoke and flies in front of the deer before its entire body enlarges to fit the deer inside. The deer opens its eyes wide in a form similar to human disbelief and its tentacles swirl in a frenzy. It tries to turn around to run away, but its body is swallowed into Caerulus¡¯s mouth where it entirely disappears. Caerulus floats back into my arms in contentment and closes its eyes. I continue to stare at the spot where the deer was and the sight keeps replaying in my head. I never knew that could happen. ¡­¡­ I look about and travel through the forest with Caerulus in my arms. In this direction, I notice that the gray air becomes lighter, or affected by something. The smell becomes fresher and I can hear the distant sound of insects and birds becoming closer. The sky also takes on a blue color with the sun shining from some direction. I turn my head behind me to see that the gray air to confirm that it is actually denser. This creates a line of thought that bugs me, Maybe it is some kind of blight or pollution? If that is the case, then why am I not afflicted, or haven¡¯t been afflicted at all? They told me that my immune system is gone, so anything could kill me¡­ I continue walking until I come to the end of the forest that appears to have been cut down with numerous stumps hidden in a thick green overgrowth covering a large field. The air is also completely clear of the gray gas, but something else fills my nose. I quickly set my eyes on the source, or rather sources. They are blood stained pikes standing at around ten feet in height. Each one of them are equally distanced from each other by around three hundred to five hundred feet. The blood appears to be fresh¡­ What is this? Another thing that I¡¯ve never heard of before? In the medieval ages, and even during the French revolution that happened in the late 1700¡¯s, the action of a decapitated head placed on a pole was still an occurrence. However, never in my mind, did I imagine that there would be lone standing pikes that are covered in blood, that are actually evenly distanced from one another. They don¡¯t seem to have the purpose to scare something off, but more to secure the area? The thought seems ridiculous at first, but the pikes are placed in such a manner, and near the forest moving further into the field. I suddenly hear steady footsteps coming closer from the fields¡¯ direction. I hide behind a tree, sticking my body as close as I could to it. The confident noise of a conversation draws near. What are they saying? I try to listen, but the words that I can hear are a jumbled mix of different languages. After a few rounds with the conversation coming nearer, I figure out that the words come from, at least, five different languages with the grammar being similar to English. My mind sorts through this and the information that was drilled into me from the doctors since the time I could remember, and I begin to translate what they¡¯re saying ¡°These patrols are bullshit! Why do we have to patrol every other time and why is it always you and me in our Core? There are also at least six other Cores that can take our place!¡± A voice full of complaints drifts over. ¡°We¡¯re Eye Cores, we¡¯re supposed to. Hey, just think of our rank increasing soon. It¡¯ll be worth it then.¡± The other voices says. ¡°That won¡¯t happen to us, at least as long as that Over Core, Johan, keeps taking the spotlight for our entire Core.¡± What is this Core and why do they keep saying basically the same thing but with placement of possibly groups and individuals? My mind boggles as I listen and try to think of what they mean. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The sound of their footsteps suddenly stop and a couple of clicking noises come near my ears. The silence continues for a while when one of the voices whispers faintly, ¡°The scanner is obviously picking up something from the forest, but it¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°I can see it, dude.¡± ¡°Get fucking serious!¡± ¡°What do we need to be serious about? It is obviously as small as a child, what do we need to be afraid of? It is probably just another low mark natum that accidentally wandered into the area.¡± What kind of classification is natum? Are they referring to me? ¡°A Core encountered and assumed what they found was a ¡®low marked natum¡¯ a few weeks ago, but it turned out to be moderate cascus. All twelve members were killed by it and it escaped.¡± ¡°¡­ What should we do?¡± The complainers¡¯ voice became a bit more stressed. ¡°Am I your nanny, or something? Obviously, we need to confirm before we contact the rest of the Core.¡± ¡°This, really sucks.¡± A set of footsteps moves forward before they are abruptly stopped. ¡°Hold on. My scanner is showing that it should be behind that tree.¡± ¡°These unreliable things, I nearly walked to my death!¡± By this point, I realize that they are definitely referring to me. I glance at the spot where Caerulus was situated to find that only its tail is sticking out of my chest. That also disappears. I guess Caerulus has the same idea. I step out from behind the tree with my hands raised above my head. I see two men wearing white and red ¡®modern¡¯ body armor. The white serving as a background for the red to form a shield surrounded by illustrations of strange creatures. In their hands are weapons that appear to be semi-automatics, which are pointed in my direction. The two men stare at me with confused expressions. The slightly taller of the two turns to the other one to whisper, ¡°Is this the moderate cascus?¡± The other responds indefinitely, ¡°No¡­ I think it is really just a child.¡± I continue looking at them while wondering, Are they this unsure? As far as I know, I¡¯m a child. He directs his voice to me, ¡°Hey, where do you come from?¡± Even though I can understand them to an extent, I don¡¯t know what words they use or if they change according to the situation. It would be better if I go by the truth and make them understand that I can only hear what they say. I point to myself and shake my head. The other man whispers, ¡°Amnesia?¡± ¡°It might just be a case where he can¡¯t speak.¡± The other man directs his attention to me while whispering, ¡°I must say, he really is strange. It looks like he crawled out from one of the cancer wards in the Straits museum. And even though he just came out of the plagued forest, he doesn¡¯t even have a scratch.¡± ¡°In any case, he isn¡¯t a Devourer, but this is very strange. We haven¡¯t received any missing reports from any of the front acres¡­ I¡¯m going to send a message to the rest of the Core and we¡¯ll bring him with us.¡±