Chapter 3, Part 3


Chapter 3, Part 3—Infection: Despair Event Horizon


"It's so much darker when a light goes out than if it had never shone."—John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent


The Pons, 11:34 AM

Osmosis Jones was running for his life. Behind him, he could hear the shrill wail of the Immunity sirens coming closer, could picture the red-and-blue flashing lights and almost feel the handcuffs closing, cold and vice-like, around his wrists. He'd never been more scared in his life.

His breath tore from his lungs in ragged pants, mingling with the already hot summer air. He was deep within the Pons area of the Brain Stem District now; a small area brain remote and far enough away from Cerebellum Hall that none of its residents had yet to be alarmed. Many of them did not even know about the break-in happening the first place. For the most part, the residents of the Pons continued on with life like they always had, the majority of workers conducting their work in doors, helping to regulate Frank's breathing and heart rate, or at one of the Pon's many control towers, helping to broadcast important radio signals to all other areas of the brain.

Unlike most areas of the body, the brain stem was so deep in Frank's inner workings—almost as deep as the subconscious, and that was saying something—that it hardly ever saw the light of day, making it a popular spot for night life and wild parties for cells and germs that could last well into the next day.

Without knowing any of this, Osmosis didn't know how lucky he was to stumble into the Pons undetected, especially as close as he was to the Red-Light District. Since today was the day of the Mayor's commencement, the streets were almost deserted. The majority of nerve cells had gone to the Cerebellum, the neon lights to their stores switched off, their entrances deserted and gray.

However, right now Osmosis didn't even bother looking at the stores. All he was concerned about right now was getting away.

So focused on that, Osmosis didn't even care where he was running to until it was too late. The narrow street he'd been running down had reached a dead end.

"Oh no," he groaned, slowing to a stop. His whole body ached, but it was no longer from the transformation. It was from exertion. He looked at the high wall he would have to climb over to make his escape. "Why's it gotta be so high?"

He stiffened, turning around as the sound of sirens drew closer. No, it wasn't just his imagination; the Immunity car was drawing closer. Oh Frank, what am I gonna do? I can't be trapped here! There's gotta be a way to escape.

He looked up at the sturdy wall again. The killer claw on his index finger lit up as if it had a mind of his own. Osmosis gasped as a warm current of heat ran through his body. He looked up at the fence, flexing his claw. His whole body was filled with a strange sort of longing as he imagined what it would be like to set it on fire.

Oh, it would be so easy to rip, and burn, and tear... No, Osmosis cried, but in his mind, he could already picture the hungry, swirling flames. His claw flexed again, this time on its own accord.

Mmm, baby, it's Ozzie time! It's time to turn up the heat in here! He purred, the thought as uncoiling as pure and uninhibited as a double-helix strand of DNA.

He raised a deadly claw up in the air.

But before could bring it down, his mind cleared. Wait-stop! What am I thinking!? Setting anything on fire seemed appealing right about now. I can't harm something that's a part of Frank! Not here, and not like this! I can't do it.

He was scared by how much the idea excited him.

That was why, when he saw the flash of red and blue lights turn the corner, he threw himself against the window of an empty warehouse to the right of him instead. He kept his claw tucked away from him as he fell through, glass shattering against the against the shoulder and the side of his cheek, eyes scrunched tight from the impact.

When he opened them again, he was inside the building, his claw leaving spider web cracks on the ground.

No! Osmosis thought, recoiling in horror, but the festering red-gold remained.

He heard the low sound of the Immunity vehicle rolling to a stop on gravel. A second later, he heard the sound of heavy boots hitting the ground. He held his breath, staying low. Luckily, his killer claw chose that moment to deactivate. Osmosis sighed in relief as the hungry, aching feeling in his claw and in his chest subsided.

The yellow beam of a flashlight swiveled around and the virus backed as far as he could against the nearby wall, hardly daring to breathe. The footsteps sounded like they were still coming from outside, but closer.

"This is it?" A female voice asked, cutting through the silence like a knife edge.

"Yep, this is it." A much gruffer male voice agreed. "Last stop before heading back to the station. Sources say the perp ran this way, but I can't imagine any virus getting this far. Whaddya think?"

Osmosis watched the yellow light filter between the cracks, hardly daring to breathe. It then flickered over in the direction the tall fence he'd been trying to climb only moments before.

"I don't see any signs of virus activity here," the female voice said, "It's so dark and quiet. I'd be less surprised if we saw a ghost."

Her partner chuckled. "So whaddya say we head back, then?"

Boots scuffled. "Agreed."

It wasn't until the Immunity officers got back in the car and he heard the doors slam shut that Osmosis was able to breathe. The whole place was plunged back into darkness as the two drove away.

He slumped to the ground, feeling tired and drained and completely exhausted. Now that he'd stopped running and his claw burned out, he was cold now as well. Shivering, he drew his knees to his chest, and drew Thrax's chain out of his jacket pocket. What was left of it, that is. The jacket was a charred mess, ruined by the heat-just like him.

Just like Thrax, just like Thrax, just like Thrax—The cruel voice taunted, and this time Osmosis believed it. Frank, he was right! There were cells back there, and he'd wanted to burn them!

Ashamed, Osmosis curled even tighter into a ball, whimpering softly to himself. A single tear rolled down his cheek, sizzling as it hit the ground.

"Frank, no... I-I don't wanna be a virus," he groaned, wiping his face on the back of a clawed hand. "I-I'm not like Thrax, I'M NOT!"

You are, the dark voice whispered, and he closed his eyes in a silent plea, doing his best to resist it. Please. Please. I don't want to be a virus. I don't wanna feel what Thrax feels, or be cold and hungry all the time. I don't wanna burn things. I don't wanna hurt anybody. Please! I don't wanna be the bad guy! Another boiling tear ran down the side of his face and then another, and Osmosis buried his face in his hands.

Please, somebody help me, he begged again, realizing for the first time ever that viruses could cry.


5:23 PM

"Osmosis! Are you there? This is Drix to Osmosis, can you hear me?"

"Drix!" Osmosis exclaimed, waking with a start. It was funny, but he didn't even remember falling asleep. He had no idea how much time had passed although judging by the darkening shadows outside, it had been at least a couple of hours. But despite his condition, he felt refreshed and relieved, his whole body aching with relief as he heard his partner's voice crackle to life on the radio. He pulled the walkie talkie out of his pocket, flicking the dial to on.

"I hear you, partner."

"Goodness, Ozzie! Where have you been?" Every syllable of his partner's voice crackled with relief. "I've been all over Frank trying to find you." Before the newly turned virus could even think of a way to respond to that, Drix pressed on. "You need to come back to the precinct, and quick! There's been so many new developments. And Chief thinks he knows what might have happened to the missing beads."

Osmosis looked down at the chain, still looped around his wrist. He'd been absentmindedly thumbing the beads with one claw. His expression immediately slipped back into one of unease. "About that...Drix...I can't come back to the precinct."

"What? Why not?"

Of all things, why did Drix have to sound so genuinely surprised? Osmosis stared down at his ugly set of claws, trying hard not to cry. Why did Drix have to make things even harder than they already had to be?

His clawed hands curled into fists.

"I don't know. I just can't." Please Drix, please don't make this hard.

Drix paused for a moment. "Tell me where you are." He said, his voice conveying that this was a perfectly clear and reasonable idea. "And I'll come find you."

Osmosis laughed unsteadily. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Drix... I don't really feel like myself right now."

"Are you injured? I'll bring a first aid kit." The alarm was sharp in Drix's voice.

"No! It's not that, Drix...It's just...I don't know how to tell you..." Osmosis swallowed hard, feeling guilty. What was he going to tell Drix, that out of the blue Thrax's chain turned him into a virus? As ashamed of himself as he was, part of him wanted to drop the act and tell Drix everything. But what can I say that's not gonna make him freak out on me?" He took another deep breath, this one to steady his nerves, bracing himself for the worst. "Okay... I'll tell you where I am, but on one condition. You gotta come alone, deal?"

"Deal."

Osmosis hesitated for a moment, his voice trailing off. "And Drix..?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't be a better partner. Or a better cop."


5:45 PM

Drix drove towards the old warehouse as fast as he could, thankful for Osmosis's spare set of keys and the car. It would have been a long trip down to the Pons on foot, even for someone without feet like him, who travelled around on a wave of cherry-scented propulsion. However, even in a car the trip didn't feel fast enough. Drix might not have been the most emotionally perceptive of micro-organisms (though he was incredibly so for a pill), but he could tell without a doubt by the tone in Osmosis's voice that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong, and it was his duty to find out what.

As he pulled up to the old warehouse, he wondered why Osmosis had chosen here to meet up of all places. It was far away from the neon lights and colorful city nightlife. The building was dusty and abandoned, looking like it hadn't been used in years. He pulled the car into park right outside, then squeezed out of the tight space with a pop.

Drix looked around. There was no sign of his partner anywhere.

"Hello? Osmosis?" He called.

"Over here, Drix." A muffled voice said. It sounded like it came from inside the warehouse.

"Osmosis?" Drix frowned. There was a large, shattered window but it was too dark to peer inside. He went around the side and pushed down the door with brown, squeaky hinges instead. It hit the ground with a thump, dust settling on the ground. Drix waited for it to clear before stepping on inside. He squinted into the darkness.

"...Osmosis? Where are you?"

"I said... I'm right here."

Drix gasped as red virus approached him, its pale greenish-yellow eyes glinting in the low light. He raised his arm cannon in response.

"You, virus! What have you done with Osmosis Jones?"

"Ooh, Drix, that hurts." The virus flinched, holding up his hands in surrender. He tried to flash the cold pill a teasing smile, only for his expression to fade back into one of heartbreaking despair. "...It's really that bad, huh?"

Drix stared at him a second, caught off guard and not really knowing what to think. Suddenly, it clicked. Drix lowered his gun with a gasp.

"Osmosis?"


Author's Note: Whoo hoo, first update of 2019! After a relaxing New Year, Chasing Snarks is ready to be back in business, baby! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's a short one but a heavy one. I really thought long and hard about what to write since we've been building up to this point for so long, and decided to show how Osmosis turning into a virus is beginning to take its full psychological and emotional toll. We'll be touching on some of the more physical aspects of Ozzie being a virus next. :)

On a somewhat unrelated note, I had a dream a couple nights ago where kid!Ozzie met kid!Thrax and it's been bouncing around my brain ever since. I really want to write a fic about it, either as a longer one-shot fic or a shorter multi-part story. I imagine it would be fairly cute and lighthearted, and definitely not as in-depth as this story. I'm considering putting it off or writing it now. If I wrote it now, you guys would be seeing the first part of it in three weeks instead of the usual update of Paradigm Shift. I figured I'd just throw it out there. Which would you prefer: Paradigm Shift or a Thrax and Ozzie kid fic? If you have a preference, leave it in the comments! Otherwise it's up to me to decide.

Well folks, that's all for now. See you all in three weeks!