Chapter 11: Interception Atasi never would have thought that the idea of finally completing the work of undeading a corpse would actually seem like a relief to her. She was still very grossed out by the whole thing, but after obsessively checking and rechecking her new security system provided by Victoria, she was at least glad for a change of pace.
The entire trip to work was still plagued by constantly looking around at everything, every bird, every fallen leaf drew her attention as she was on high alert for her invisible stalker. It was unlikely to be of any use beyond making the others on the buss think she was crazy, but she couldn’t help herself. Once at work, with one last look around she slipped her card and quickly slipped in closing the door behind her as fast as she could to avoid any invisible followers coming in behind her.
Inside the medical mechanica facility brought her a feeling of security and purpose, though also some concern. Her boss, Victoria, wasn’t looking so good. The poor Dr. Frankenstein could barely stand anymore and was clearly in some pain.
“Here let me help” Atasi rushed over to take one of her arms to help steady her.
“Thanks My dear, ugh” She winced and waved some other employees on to go ahead. Atasi recognized some of them, but others…
“Who were they Ma’am?”
“Different” She took a breath, “Departments. Had to borrow personnel”
“Isn’t that… dangerous ma’am? They aren’t as familiar with the equipment”
Victoria took a moment to breathe, “So many aren’t showing up and some… you heard we had our own intruder, right?”
“Ya just like me, they attacked people like I got attacked too right?”
“yep. Many aren’t coming to work and some can’t so.. we need replacements. We can’t wait. I can’t wait. Plus, I have you. You like my gifts?”
“The security system you mean?” She asked, “Is that all legal?”
“I won’t tell if you won’t” Victoria winked at Atasi “My team will help watch your place while your away too. today might be a long night.”
“Thanks”
A wet squelching noise filled the small service closet in the lower levels of the facility. A nice and out of the way little spot that hadn’t been discovered yet. With a splat the latest victim flopped limply to the ground. The demons were done with her, and her ruined body was no longer recognizable for who she once was, or even what she once was. Two of the demons were mostly faded, they used up too much energy on their fun and would have a hard time continuing to operate for a while.
“Weak” The voice from the thing that once had a name, or names, said. Both at the now dead woman and at the shades that had been his playmates up till now. It had gotten stronger the longer it spent in this place, and they would too eventually, and the more victims they could pile up the faster it would happen. More souls that wouldn’t be laid to rest properly, more angry vengeful spirits to add to the fissure in reality that he had once crawled through. Perhaps she’d become a demon too one day, if she was angry enough. He almost chuckled at the thought.
Or was it ‘they’?
He could no longer remember if he was one or many souls, not that he particularly cared. Right now the only real think he cared about was finding more toys to break before they finally all fled this place. For now though there were still more, and close. So very close. and more than normal.
He Snapped to attention and started to move. Something was bringing more people to this place. More toys, and he was getting so much more excited.
Almost a dozen people milled around a large room while he watched. One or two and he might have made a move right away, but this many meant he’d have to be careful, single them out so they didn’t just all scatter, so for now he would get closer.
Splitting his form and splitting his limbs from 4 to 6 to 8 and more he scuttled along the walls and the ceiling, remaining solid enough to interact but out of range of bumping into the mortals as they scurried about.
What he saw them doing gave him pause. In the room there were two beds next to each other. A large amount of machines next to both. The first was occupied by a mutilated corpse. Flesh and metal stitched together. In the other a half dead woman was being eased into a bed by a young girl.
He was getting excited again. That girl would be so so cute when he finally got his hands on her, when he finally started to peel her. All he would have to do was grab at her and snatch her up..
‘Focus’ he snapped at himself. He knew he shouldn’t be to greedy, if he grab the girl now the rest would see, for now he would just have to watch. Watch them attach the living woman to the same machines they had attached the corpse too, watched at the machines started to fire up, and began to shake with the possibilities as he finally began to understand.
It wasn’t just a corpse; it was a vessel. A vessel that they intended to put this woman’s soul into. A vessel that would allow him to be physical in a way that he could never do as a specter no matter how strong he got. As the machines started to fire up he let go of his more solid form and dropped down drifting incorporeally towards the machines.
Elsewhere the watcher was standing outside the dorm room of the poor girl who’s life she had invaded. She was trying to bring up the courage to knock on the door. Directly addressing a mortal was for some reason making her stomach feel like it wanted to lift into her throat. She had no idea why she was so scared all of a sudden, was it that she had never talked to mortals before or was it THIS mortal. She took a breath remembering the less-than-optimal last meeting, with the wrestling and the electrocution.
Finally, after all other traffic had died down, but before it got too late she knocked on the door.
No response.
She knocked again. She had showed up well after dinner, but early enough that it would be odd if Atasi was already asleep. After trying the door a few more times with no response the watcher jiggled the handle and froze for a moment when she realized that it was unlocked.
After first making sure that she was really alone in the hallway she gently turned the handle and pushed on the door. it swung open easily revealing an empty room with the lights still on. Apparently Atasi was out, or ignoring the knocks, as the Watcher’s observations had revealed that Atasi definitely didn’t sleep with the lights on. The room seemed tidier than it had before which was hopefully a good sign that Atasi wasn’t fully unraveling just yet.
Feeling a bit better about the situation the watcher took a step inside. Perhaps she would just wait in here rather than the hall for the girl to come back. Couldn’t hurt could it? The watcher got a very strong negative the moment she was in the middle of the room. Sharp pain exploded in her arms and her legs, and several points along her back and tail. She barely had a moment to look down at the barbs before the current started flowing.
Being able to tank a good bolt of wall power was all well and good, getting multi-tased still sucked though and the watcher hit the floor, vision blurring and teeth grinding as thousands of volts hit her. Her multitool acted with what little focus she could manage. The jewelry form melting into a blade that quickly danced and spun around her, slicing wildly at anything and everything. huge gouges were taken out of the walls and the floor. The desk would look like it got attacked with and axe and any loos papers shredded as she sliced all the wires that had sunk into her flesh.
Finally, able to move properly she tried to stagger to her feet while pulling all the barbs out of her as fast as she could, while scanning the room. There were devices that looked like cameras in the corners, very odd looking ones with a dome shaped front, and without even reaching out to them she could just feel that they had no trouble seeing her. Cursing herself in her mind for walking in here and getting caught, not to mention almost certainly filmed she sped up the effort to free herself form the barbs. She had thrown half a dozen to the floor when she grabbed one that felt more like glass then the normal metal spikes thrown by tasers.
Pausing to look down at the syringe in her hands the watcher’s blood when cold. Maybe it was the realization and maybe it was the tranquilizers she realized were now pumping in her veins. She pulled out a couple more syringes and tried for the door, but it was much harder than normal to make her legs move and the door.
‘Did I close that?’ she thought to herself, not fully comprehending the servo motor on the hinge as she staggered forward. She grabbed the doorhandle and.
Locked.
“Fuck” she actually said out loud. Saying expletives out loud was oddly soothing, she could finally tell why mortals liked to do it so much, but that was a line of thought she didn’t have time to entertain right now.
The inside of the door now and a keyhole as well, not just the outside, and it had somehow locked itself. in a fit of desperation, she fell to one knee and pulled the multitool into a lock pick. She missed once, then twice, and a third time. Her arm was shaking to much to aim the tool at the small lock opening. Only one choice left.
With the mighty force of her will she got to her feet again and body slammed the door. It groaned but held. It felt heavier to hit than she expected as well. A second try led to the same results before her knees buckled again and she ended up on the floor, vision starting to fade. Getting back to her knees was all she could manage when the door started to open by itself. What was on the other wise however, wasn’t her escape.
There were only three men, but the watcher couldn’t even lift her arms if she wanted to. They were wearing strange goggles and looked right at her as they entered the room, arms and hands out. She could offer no resistance as they pulled her from the dorm. As she felt herself lifted up and carried down the hall, her vision finally faded entirely, and she passed out.
