Chương 24: Drowning Life

The liquid took in the bigger picture, now branching out across the room. A tree formed on the ground with each branch being a vein of the liquid and each fruit being a prism. Of course, the smaller details could not be ignored and the vein continued to rush towards 072827. A pincer came bearing down upon the tube growing on the floor but the pincer glanced off the tube and hit the ground besides it. The protective layer was left with all but a blemish on its smooth exterior.

The walls of the closest prisms each now had its own vein attached to its base as the liquid inside introduced itself to the plastic wall and started wearing away at it. The creatures inside pressed against the further wall, awaiting some messiah that would deliver them from this hell.

The liquid inside the blue crab and spider drained away, leaving only behind a bubble which lazily outlined the shape of the creature that died trembling in the confined of the cage created by the veins. As the liquid withdrew, it left behind a glistening white shell that was completely hollow within. This was the same as the bubble in the cage which was now half full. Or half empty.

072827 slowly backed off but the futility of the situation was apparent. The liquid had come in through the door and was slowly growing another vein towards it. A thin veil stretched across the veins like the skin between each finger on a bat. It slowly backed up against the wall featuring the door but at the same time it fell backwards from the door.

The first prism was eaten through and the vein ran straight for the monkey that was trapped inside. It let off a series of panicked hoots and pained screeches as the liquid began to wrap around and form a film over the monkey.

As the liquid took off each layer of the monkey one by one, blood began flowing out and over each vein only to be absorbed into each vein before dissipating in it. It ate away further exposing the pristine white beneath it as the colors interchanged between red and white running top down the chest of the monkey. Underneath the solid layer of calcium was a red spongy mass in each bone but that layer only lasted so long before disappearing. Then came back the whiteness that shone perfectly with the slightly yellow tinted shell which sparkled under the hanging lights from above.

As the liquid wore away at the rib cage and the membrane in between each rib, the pulsating organs spasmed around as their host attempted to reach air. First to go were a pair of large ovaloid structures which immediately depressed like a balloon once the smallest hole was formed. The surface of the organ wore away to reveal an even sponger pocket marked structure underneath.

It was at this point that the other side had also worn away at the backside of the monkey and taking a step back, nothing was left except a crystal structure to remember the monkey and its struggles.

--Sample Cage 455-464211--

"Jonathan! Are you done yet! Technically you still haven't repaid me yet!"

"One second! I'm about done! I'm able to fit my head through but not my body!"

"Why don't you let us through first then!"

"I'll be able to rescue others faster!"

"Let us out! That snake looking thing is about to come through!"

"How do you know?"

"That first cage was just broken through and the primate inside died! I don't want to die like him!"

"Or her, can't ever assume."

"Whatever! Just let us out first!"

"Fine! So distracting! Talking back at you will drain more time than finishing the hole!"

"Thanks! Whooo! Free at last!"

Each of the eight moles quickly hopped over the edge of the hole and tumbled through, leaving only the big mole inside.

"Thanks for letting us go~ Have fun!"

"Yeah have fun dying hehehe am I right Mark?

"You sure are! Angela lets go!"

"We're not waiting for him?"

"What can we do to help! The most we can do is to not block him anymore!"

"Hey Jonathan! Look behind you! The liquid just broke through!"

Back inside the cage, the mole rammed itself into the hole it had made. Slightly too small. A shame. The plastic whitened under the stress and deformed slightly, but it was meant to snap before it gave way. The liquid made its way to the rear end of the mole and up the rear it went.

"Eeee! You traitors! I find you in hell!"

But the other moles had already run far away between the prisms and out of hearing distance. At first the legs went limp as the front legs whirled around attempting to hit back whatever had made itself into its rear end. The legs hung limp as the back stood perfectly horizontal and soon inch by inch, centimeter by centimeter, the spine too, began to falter but it still stood stiff only because of the solid object that had stuck itself through.

The front limbs went stiff and the jaws hung wide open as the mouth began to froth and drip down saliva. The eyes spun wildly and the nose twitched uncontrollably. At once, everything stopped. The liquid had pierced straight through from rear end to front end. Now it was time for the offshoot veins to do their work as they split from the rear end and front end to wrap completely around the mole except for a band which was occupied by plastic.

The liquid spread further, now having completely dissolved and absorbed whatever was in the first row and the prisms which fell around a radius from the door, forming a semicircle of prisms which had been broken into.

The bubble inside the cage was now entirely empty.

--Sample cage 505035+506000--

"Hey one of your mole pals has come in and is gonna break us free! Has your love for them grown yet?"

"Alejandros… You know that there was never any love right?

"Well, he's doing a pretty good job don't you think?"

"He's doing this pretty frantically… what's pressuring him so much?"

"Don't worry! Of course any rookie at breaking out would be nervous!"

"You sound like you've broken out before hmmm… suspicious…"

"Well I mean, I have been chased around, remember?"

"By what? Dreams of food?"

"You don't know how scary it is!"

At this moment, the plastic wall was pierced and a siren began wailing. The door slammed shut.

"What is this sound!"

"You tell me! Your good pal over there is the one who set it off I bet!"

"You think I know? We should get out right now!"

"Tell your friend over there to hurry up then!"

"He's not my friend! I don't even know him! Just wait for him to be done!"

--Main holding area for mutants--

An emergency set of thick metal doors slammed in as the sirens went off. They attempted to interlock, but the doors simply dislocated and bent outwards between the shell of the liquid and the hydraulic pistons. But nowhere did this leave a proper holefor any creature to escape from except the liquid. The last wisp of opportunity slipped through the pincers of 072827 and flew straight out the doors.

--Outside--

"What's going on in there! Someone get me the people who work there! This building is rated as a high level threat and I want to know what's in there!"

A man stood in the still night as red and blue flashed over his face.

"What do those darn researchers even do to make it this dangerous…"