Zahn und Klaue
By evolution-500
Genres: Horror/Angst/Tragedy
Feedback: Always welcome
WARNING: This story contains violence, course language, disturbing themes and imagery. Reader discretion is advised.
Disclaimer: KILLER INSTINCT is a property belonging to Rare and Microsoft. I do not own any of these characters.
Chapter Nine: RIPTOR
"The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow" - Isaiah 34:14, King James Bible
Hours after the death of Michael, Konrad crept up the ladder into the attic with his remaining bodyguards along with Gupte and Rogers.
"What is this all about, Herr Baron?" Gupte asked.
"It's right over here," Konrad said quietly as he stepped toward the tables.
Following him, Rogers and Gupte cast their eyes down to the skeleton as it lay there unmoving. The latter looked up at the aristocrat, unimpressed.
"This is it?" she said. "One of your Halloween props?"
"It is no prop of mine, Herr Doctor."
The skeleton didn't move.
Konrad leaned close to it.
"I don't understand," he grumbled. "It wouldn't shut up these last few days."
Gupte rolled her eyes.
"Let's get-"
"RAAAH!" Spinal roared, rearing it's head up, startling everyone, causing Gupte and Rogers to jump and yell along with Konrad shouting "SCHEISSE!".
Spinal laughed contentedly on the table.
"Ohhh you little-" the aristocrat refrained from smacking him.
Rogers chuckled.
"Very funny, Baron," he said.
Konrad shook his head.
"Nein, this isn't me," he said. "What you see is no joke."
"Oh come now, Herr Baron," Gupte said. "It wasn't funny the first time, and it isn't funny now."
The Baron stared silently at them, then shifted his head in Dieter's direction.
"Undo the ropes."
The bodyguard gawked at him.
"What? But Baron-"
"Just do it."
As Dieter nervously undid the ropes, Konrad pulled the mask out from his pocket and held it out.
"What are you doing?" Rogers said confusedly.
"Just making sure that it doesn't attack," Konrad answered.
He frowned.
"Really, Baron, you've gone too far. I know what you're trying to do and it won't work."
"You know nothing."
Gupte bristled.
"Now look here, Herr Baron-"
"Nein," Konrad cut sharply, "you listen. I am not trying to scare you, nor is this a joke. What you are going to see is real, and I'll prove it to you."
Looking back to Dieter, the Baron watched as the last of the ropes were removed. Roger covered him with his pistol, his hands steady and carefully fixed on the skeleton. Tossing them aside, the bodyguard backed away quickly and nervously. Spinal remained on the table.
"Rise."
Spinal gave him an unmistakably hateful look.
"I said rise!" Konrad ordered.
He watched as the skeleton reluctantly pushed himself off the table and stood up onto its feet.
"Step forward."
Spinal obediently followed his instructions, stepping toward them. Gupte and Rogers stared at the thing in a mix of horror and wonder.
"Stop."
Konrad watched as it halted just in front of the two scientists.
"What in the world?" Gupte said.
"I know," Konrad nodded. "I'm just as puzzled as you are. Go on, check for yourself. It shouldn't attack."
Gupte ran her hands along Spinal's ribcage and skull.
"This is some sort of animatronic," she said.
"Nein, it isn't."
The duo continued feeling along the creature's body, even between its bones for some indication of a wire or sign of machinery. Finding nothing, Rogers and Gupte turned to look at him.
"Why did you bring us here?"
"Because I want to know what this thing is," Konrad said. "I want to know how it is still alive and how it's able to move around. Even more, I want to know its energy source and how to kill it."
Gupte shook her head.
"This is beyond us," she said.
"Bullshit," the aristocrat said. "Take some samples for examination."
Rogers stared at him.
"Samples?" He said incredulously. "Baron there is nothing! There's no blood vessels, no apparent sinew, nothing!"
"Well something is allowing it to move about!" Konrad retorted. "I want you to run this creature and its shield through every test you can think of. Carbon dating, chemical, mineral, and spectral analysis, thermal imaging, anything available that can provide some insight into this thing. I want a pathologist's report as soon as possible. Money will be no object. If you are in need of extra personnel or equipment, let me know and I will have it all arranged."
"I think I know a colleague in America who might be able to be of some help," Rogers said.
"If you think they could, then by all means get in contact with them immediately, even if they are entirely outside of your respective disciplines. One thing, however - I want this all to be done discretely and quietly. I don't want any of this getting back to the Board. Do you understand?"
Both scientists nodded.
"Good." Konrad said. "Any questions?"
"Yes, you said to analyze the creature's shield?" Rogers repeated.
Pointing to the other table, Konrad directed their eyes to the writhing mass with yellow eyes and watched as both scientists paled. Moving slowly toward them, Konrad watched as both doctors put on some latex gloves and took out some plastic containers, then started swabbing the skeleton. When they finished, they turned their attention to the shield. Gupte was in the midst of swabbing the driftwood when a tentacle brushed against her arm. Gupte always struck Konrad as a strong and capable woman, so to see her visibly flinch and jerk back violently from it as if she had been burned startled him. She stood back, staring at the shield with loathing before resuming her duty. When she briefly touched the shield's head, that brought a loud yell from Spinal.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Rogers yelled.
Grunting loudly as he strained his muscles, it took all of Konrad's will and concentration to keep the creature from moving.
"Keep working!" He said through gritted teeth.
When they finished, the two doctors put their samples into their pockets. Relaxing his muscles, the aristocrat lowered down the artifact.
"When you are both done analysing those two, I want you to then run some tests on this mask," Konrad said.
"Why not give that to us first?" Rogers said.
Konrad opened his mouth, then paused.
"I probably should, but it is dangerous," he said. "This mask is the only thing keeping him from killing us all."
The duo glanced nervously to Spinal as he shifted his mandible around in annoyance.
"On second thought," Konrad said, "perhaps it would be a good idea to start with this first."
He then looked at the skeleton.
"Lie back down on the table."
The skeleton stared at him.
"I said lie back down on the table." Konrad hissed.
Spinal turned around and went back to where he lied.
"Stay."
Konrad gestured to Dieter with his eyes to tie him back up, then watched as the bodyguard hastily wrapped it back around its body. Once he finished tightening, he backed away. Lowering his arm, Konrad watched as Spinal angrily started to thrash wildly on the table, yelling and roaring in rage as it tried to get free. Rogers and Gupte stared, flinching as it continued to wriggle around.
Turning around, Konrad handed them the mask.
"Do whatever it takes to get answers," he said. "I want it all done as soon as possible."
Several weeks later, Jurgen and Konrad visited Gupte and Rogers at her office.
"I take it you have the report for Spinal?" he said.
She nodded, handing him a folder.
"Medical reports for it were an enormous headache," Gupte replied as he opened and studied the information within. "I had to call for a lot of favors on this one. From all accounts, the creature seems to have endured every sort of trauma imaginable and then some based on the various marks on its bony body."
"Further analysis revealed teeth marks from numerous animal species," Rogers added.
Konrad nodded to himself as he read the results.
"Ja, I suppose it make sense for there to be shark teeth present given its semi-nautical appearance," he said aloud. "Birds, bears, dogs..."
He furrowed his brow.
"Human?"
"Yes," Rogers nodded.
"Such a huge list," Jurgen muttered.
"We've also found a bit of coprolite on it."
"Coprolite?"
"Coprolite," Gupte explained, "are the fossilized remnants of an animal's meal after it was digested."
"So our skeleton stepped into prehistoric shit," Konrad said.
"More like digested and pushed out by something huge. Some of the teeth marks discovered indicated something enormous." said Rogers.
"Then perhaps it had been eaten by a whale."
"The coprolite is millions of years of old. Hundreds of millions, in fact."
"So, what? You mean to tell me our skeleton was eaten and shat out by some sort of dinosaur?!"
Gupte shrugged.
"We're still considering human error on that one," she said.
"What about carbon dating?" Konrad demanded.
"Tests were inconclusive," Rogers said. "A lot of our sources say that the sample had been contaminated, but there were others saying that it's billions of years old. I've gotten quite a lot of flack for it."
"And the mask?"
Gupte shook her head.
"We couldn't get any reading," she said.
"What?" Konrad said, puzzled.
"We tried everything, but it's like the relic isn't even there."
The aristocrat suppressed a shiver.
"What about the creature's shield?"
Rogers cleared his throat.
"We've been running into some...complications," he replied.
"What kind?" Konrad pressed.
"Every time we made contact with it brought some sort of reaction. It made the skeleton much stronger and more volatile."
"Ja, I noticed," Konrad said.
"What do you make of this?" Jurgen asked.
Rogers shook his head.
"From the tests we did the shield is capable of absorbing any kind of energy. Kinetic, electrical, light...We've even tried sound waves and the damn thing still can pick up on that."
"Tell me, Herr Doctor," Jurgen said, "is the shield controlling the skeleton, or is it vice versa?"
Both doctors shook their heads.
"Impossible to determine."
"Have you detected any signs of radiation?" Konrad asked.
"Nein," Gupte said, "but spectroscopy was able to pick up an odd energy and mineral signature from the bones, shield and mask."
So there was an energy signature.
"Do you know what kind?"
"I think you'd be better off putting together a team to investigate, Baron," Rogers said. "This is entirely outside my field of expertise."
"Same with me," Gupte replied.
"Hm." Konrad hummed.
As time passed, Konrad sought out special effects companies and artists, interviewing dozens. Unfortunately, finding the suitable candidate had proved to be much more difficult than he had originally anticipated.
Legacy Effects, while phenomenal, were far too expensive.
The same could be said of other exceptional effects companies such as Industrial Light and Magic, Digital Domain, and Weta Workshop.
John Carl Buechler was considered briefly, along with Mr. X Inc and several others.
Some of the work from the interviewees, while good, didn't match Konrad's expectations or standards. Several were just plain awful. A couple that Konrad really wanted to work with weren't available due to conflicting schedules, while a few were arrogant and stuck up. Others had questionable attitudes, opinions and Facebook profiles.
The search became such that at one point Konrad had forced Dieter to drive around and get some Halloween effects make-up and masks along with how-to books, using his poor bodyguards and Jurgen for experimentation.
The results were, to put it bluntly, disastrous.
Paint jobs tended to be runny and got into everything including clothes and fur, while prosthetic pieces would clumsily hang off. Konrad's fur and fingers often got stuck together, making it a pain in the ass to work with. Sometimes they would get stuck to someone's face and the only way to pry them free was by giving Konrad's hand a bit of a trim with scissors, making otherwise adequate makeup jobs to sport the odd mustache or beard. It gave Dieter plenty of photo opportunities and laughs. Jurgen had to stop being a participant due to the fact that he was developing red and itchy skin, a previously undiscovered allergic reaction to the materials, while Roger had to pull out due to deteriorating health.
The best that Konrad was able to pull off was a clown, but that in itself wasn't exactly something that was hard to do.
Konrad was about to call the whole thing off when he had struck gold with a Ukraine-based effects company. A small group with some talent, they proved to be the ideal candidate, willing to work at a much lower figure than Konrad was fully prepared to pay.
Score one for Team Sabrewulf.
On the other hand, however, matters at the Sabrewulf estate continue to grow complicated and troubled. There was an uncanny and an increasingly oppressive air surrounding the castle, something that everyone living there became all-too aware of.
Although sound proofing had been finally implemented and the creature was tied down tightly, that didn't stop Spinal from being a nuisance. Konrad had been experiencing horrible nightmares, the likes of which he never wanted to mention to Jurgen. Often in the dead of night he would hear footsteps and Spinal's distinctive cackle somewhere out on the roof or in the hallway just outside his door, sometimes in the walls.
Some times Spinal would just loom over him while he lied there on the bed.
The worst were the bodies or body parts. When Konrad awoke one morning, the first thing he had noticed was an odor. Opening his eyes, he let out a startled scream, causing Dieter and Jurgen to burst into his room and recoil with horror. Around the bed were five bodies that were either gruesomely flayed or disemboweled, suspended in the air with ropes and poised like obscene marionette dancers, with countless arms, limbs and offal piled indelicately on counters. None of them had any heads. It was an awful experience that took countless hours to clean. Dieter had gotten rid of the bodies, though he made no mention where or how, nor had Konrad felt like inquiring any further about that. Instead, his focus was more on other matters such as whose bodies they had belonged to. A thorough search and headcount of household staff revealed no missing servant or guard, nor were there any news items about missing persons, further deepening the mystery. Since then, Konrad and the others kept their eyes and ears open.
Further attempts at communication revealed that the creature knew thousands of languages, notably Swedish, Japanese, Spanish, Hebrew, and Italian along with numerous dead languages such as Aramaic, Latin, Nubian, Chane, Akkadian, Egyptian, Acroa, Numidian, Chorotega, Ba-Shu, Favorlang and so on, although the entity seemed incapable of forming complete dialogue in any one - a lot of it was just mindless incomprehensible gibberish, but more often than not the creature just made a series of grunts, squawks, roars and other abnormal noises.
Meanwhile, Ferris continued to be as charming and vitriolic as ever. Researchers were growing increasingly restless and uneasy, especially in the midst of the nonstop vile threats that he uttered. Several of them had threatened to quit. Others reported suffering from dizzy spells, fainting, tanning, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, forcing Konrad to build a specially designed hallway with a lead-lined, shock and heat proof chamber all the way down at the end to put them at ease, complete with sound proofing so that Ferris' disgusting voice could be drowned out. More complications arose with Ferris than with Spinal, surprisingly; whatever transformation the mercenary had undergone had granted him abilities that no one was able to account for, including the ability to emit large pillars of fire, flight, enhanced strength as well as turning himself into a flying fireball. Even more, Ferris was somehow able to bend light, rendering himself practically invisible to the human eye, as well as phase through walls, making him a nightmare to contain. Several had been either injured or killed in their efforts to prevent his multiple escapes.
Research into his organic composition revealed that his entire being was encapsulated beneath a fiery plasma that occasionally emitted orange ribbons like solar flares. Beneath this plasma was a thin translucent "skin" that both protected and sustained the rest of the body, although it seemed to be in a state of nonstop decay and regeneration all at the same time. All the fat within Ferris' body had shrivelled into an emaciated frame underneath. Due to the self-sustaining nature of his condition, the mercenary had no need to use a washroom or to eat; in theory, it's possible that he could live for a very long time. Plans were underway to develop a protective suit and mask to keep him stable.
Further complications arose in Gupte's lab.
"I'm sorry, Herr Baron, but there is nothing more I can do."
Konrad stared at Gupte.
"But surely there must be something that can be done!" he insisted. "Couldn't you treat my condition in the same way one treats Sickle Cell Anemia?"
Gupte shook her head.
"I'm afraid it's not as simple as that, Herr Baron," she said. "If your file had been made accessible to the rest of the Medical Community our chances of finding other options would have been much better, but given our current situation...again, there's only so much I can do."
The aristocrat tightened his fist. Damn it.
"I wish that I had better news."
"So do I," growled Konrad.
The door to Gupte's office flung open.
"Schneider, what the hell is the matter with you?!" Gupte demanded. "Can't you see I'm busy with someone important?!"
"I'm sorry, Herr Doctor, but we have a situation," Schneider said. "The creature in the dungeon is acting strangely!"
Getting up from her chair, Gupte followed him out the door along with Konrad and Jurgen. When they approached the cell door, Konrad watched as they peered inside, then stood up to see what the fuss was all about.
Lying on the floor with rotting skin, the cobra had curled itself into a ball. Beneath the hood, tiny shriveled arms trembled while further down its tail were a pair of thin pink legs. The creature thrashed its tail about violently and started to writhe.
"What is happening to it?" Jurgen asked.
"I think it's going through death throes," Gupte replied. "The change to its body must be too much for it to handle. It'll be only a matter of time before it stops completely."
Watching the creature convulse on the floor sickened Konrad.
"Can someone just get in there and kill the damn thing already?" he said.
"I wouldn't recommend it, Herr Baron, it's fourteen feet long. A person could get hurt."
The creature banged mindlessly against the floor and wall.
Konrad growled.
"Ahh, fuck this," he said as he got out his cellphone. "Dieter, I'm by the downstairs cell. Get your ass down here."
When Dieter and Roger arrived, Konrad waved them over.
"What's going on?" the former asked.
"The creature you transported here is dying," he simply said.
Dieter shrugged.
"Not my fault."
"Nein, I didn't say it was," Konrad said. "The problem, however, is that the creature isn't dying quickly enough. So, I want you and Roger to get in there and put it out of its misery."
Roger blanched at the proposal.
"You have got to be kidding," he said.
"I wish I were." Came the grave response.
Dieter shook his head.
"Fuck," he said. Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled, then nodded. "Alright, let's get this over with."
Taking out his Beretta, he nodded to Schneider, who then got out the keys for the cell door and unlocked it. Throwing the door open, the researcher backed away quickly, making room for both bodyguards as they stepped through.
Dieter studied the creature. It was much bigger than he remembered. He also didn't remember it having legs.
He gave a questioning glance in Konrad's direction.
The Baron's only response was a shrug.
Raising his sidearm, Dieter stepped to the twitching and convulsing serpentine mess, then glanced about the cell. He had to be careful where he fired, otherwise the shot could ricochet and someone could get hurt. The best way to properly do this, he reckoned, was by doing it low and aiming the weapon up toward the ceiling next to its eye or in its mouth, thereby blowing its brains out. It'll be messy, but less chance of there being collateral damage. Currently, the creature was lying on its back, its belly up in the air.
Dieter took a slow and cautious step forward when the creature rolled back onto its belly, facing the wall opposite him. The snake's body started to ripple. He watched as all the bones and muscles started to restructure themselves beneath its skin, all of it just as awful to see as it was to listen to. Every reconfiguration of bone was accompanied by an audible pop and crack, every reformation of muscle by a squelch. As the creature changed and expanded, it urinated, producing an unholy stench that made Dieter's eyes water and Roger give looks of disgust. It then started to shit, releasing a foul black oily substance all over the floor. A new sound accompanied the horrible noises as the creature's skin started to violently tear itself apart. The tiny shrivelled arms that hung beneath the "hood" have now become massive, powerful arms with huge biceps and deltoids while the legs became more muscular. Pushing itself off the floor, the creature shakily rose up on its newly formed legs onto its tiptoes, towering over the two bodyguards, its tail flicking around in the air, waving off dead skin around the room, causing both men to duck and stare in horrified wonder. Dieter watched as the musculature on its back rippled, stiffened and tore violently through its dead skin. Staring up at the ceiling, the creature had its mouth open, trembling all over before suddenly eliciting a loud guttural roar with its newly formed lungs and vocals that made the bodyguards wince. It was a deafening and unearthly sound, like the squawk of a parrot and nails on a chalkboard played through a filter. Lowering down its head, the creature shook itself like a dog, tossing free all of its remaining skin everywhere, pelting every corner and direction, including the bodyguards who tried covering their eyes. Looking disgustedly at the dead skin around him, Dieter couldn't help but be reminded of caterpillar cocoons.
'I wish that this had been just some goddamn butterfly,' he thought grimly. Just a nice, friendly beautiful butterfly.
Unfortunately, that was not what he was staring at.
Orange in color with black stripes on its back and a yellow undersection, the creature was tall, a whopping seven footer that stood on its tiptoes, kind of like a dog. Proportionally, it was very humanoid, with a robust, heavily muscled torso, a very slim waist and sturdy muscular legs. The creature had retained its serpentine features, including its cobra hood, but the hood itself hung over the shoulders like a pair of wings or like a protective shell. In fact, the entire back itself seemed to have become a sort of scaly, heavily muscled and armored shell. The most human feature of the thing were its arms and hands; despite having only three fingers on each hand excluding an opposable thumb and having huge talons at the end of each digit, they looked remarkably human. Disturbingly human.
And incredibly strong-looking - Dieter could easily imagine those arms and hands crushing someone or something in their grasp.
The worst feature were the feet of the damn thing - on each of the beast's four toes, including its dewclaw, were four enormous sickle-like talons. It was as if Freddy Krueger decided to build himself a dinosaur and this monstrosity was the result.
'Fuck, that is what this thing has become!' Dieter thought. A fucking dinosaur.
Completing the overall package, a long tail with a curiously sharp stinger at the end swished around behind the creature, sometimes hanging directly over itself, reminding Dieter of a scorpion. As the creature lowered down its serpentine head, a forked tongue slipped out and flickered periodically as it nuzzled the dead skin, sniffing. To his disgust, the creature then started to eat it, munching and crunching loudly. Looking to Roger, Dieter gestured with his eyebrows that it was time to leave. Backing out slowly, carefully avoiding any sort of noise, the bodyguards took their time and got out from the room. Grabbing the cell door, both men tried to push it back. A squeaky hinge made Dieter's heart stop, causing the creature to halt. The moment that had happened, both bodyguards slammed the door shut. No sooner had they closed it when the reptilian creature gave a guttural roar and slammed hard into the door with a bang, knocking both men off their feet.
"RUN! EVERONE OUT!" Dieter yelled as he hastily pushed himself up and scurried away. "EVERYONE, GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
"SCHNELL! SCHNELL!"
"Mein Gott!" Konrad said.
"Herr Baron, we must get you out here," Jurgen said as he tried wheeling him away.
Konrad watched as the beast smashed its way through the door. Researchers gave startled screams and were running for their lives as it charged after them, with personnel dropping clipboards containing notes, beakers, sensitive equipment, even test animals as it pursued them through the hallway, with some ducking behind closed doors. From the other end of the long hallway, an animal handler ran up to the creature with a long rod-like control pole with a noose at the end, jabbing and yelling in its direction as it ducked back, snapping with its jaws at the noose while another handler snuck up behind and lassoed it around the neck. Snarling, the creature turned to face him as the other handler hooked his pole around its neck. The men struggled violently to reign it in until they both were suddenly whisked right off off their feet as it reared itself back, throwing them aside as if they were mere toys. Clawing off the nooses, it stepped toward them hungrily.
"HEY! HEY!" Dieter yelled, waving his arms at it. "HEY FUCKFACE! OVER HERE!"
Turning its ugly snake head to face him, the creature roared at him, revealing a series of sharp teeth along with a huge pair of viper-like fangs that dripped with venom.
"Jesus," the bodyguard blanched. Discharging his sidearm at the creature, Dieter bolted, narrowly avoiding having a chunk taken out from him by the animal.
"GET ME A TRANQUILIZER GUN AND FIVE HUNDRED MILLILITERS OF THORAZINE!" Gupte yelled to some researchers.
Hearing her, the beast turned in their direction, then looked directly at Konrad. With four great strides it lunged toward the wheelchair bound figure just as he pushed his butler away. Grabbing hold of the beast's hungrily snapping jaws, Konrad threw the creature back with every bit of strength that he could muster back to the cell door, causing it to stumble back.
Standing up from his seat, Konrad peeled off his cloak as everyone murmured around him.
The beast gave a challenging growling hiss, baring its viper fangs, pawing the ground, producing sparks as its claws scraped noisily against it.
Konrad bared his own and roared back defiantly.
The two charged one another, colliding together as Konrad tackled the beast into the cell, knocking both opponents off their feet. Rolling around along the floor in a frenzy, Konrad tried to maintain dominance over it, but the creature beneath him was a good three hundred pounds heavier and stronger than he was, knocking him off balance as it climbed on top. Dodging to the side as it tried to bite him, the aristocrat grabbed a shackle that was chained to the wall and latched it onto one of the beast's arms. The creature tried slashing at him with the shackled claw, only to be pulled back. Looking down at the chained limb, it started to scratch, claw and gnaw at the manacle like a captured coyote. Using its distractedness as an opportunity, Konrad latched on the second manacle onto the other limb. The beast struggled furiously in its bindings, letting out an infuriated roar, then darted its head down at him. Konrad grabbed its snapping bestial jaws, scowling as its hot acrid breath huffed into his face and as saliva and venom oozed down next him. Curling himself into a fetal position while he was on his back, he planted his feet onto the creature's ribs, then pushed it off with as much power as he could afford, tossing it back.
Rolling away, Konrad scrambled quickly to his feet when something latched itself around his neck.
"HERR BARON!" Jurgen yelled.
Gasping, Konrad struggled for air, his eyes bulging as his clawed hands tried to pry the long tail off as it coiled around his throat.
The creature was slowly dragging him back toward it when Dieter, Jurgen and Roger grabbed hold, trying to unravel it from Konrad.
"GET THE DAMN THING OFF HIS NECK, IT'S SUFFOCATING HIM!" Jurgen yelled. "ROGER, KILL THIS FUCKING THING ALREADY!"
"Got it."
The bodyguard raised his sidearm when the creature spat at him. Crying out, the bodyguard stumbled away.
"MY EYES! OH GOD IT BURNS!"
"TAKE HIM TO THE SHOWERS!" Gupte yelled to other researchers as she readied the tranquilizer gun. Aiming carefully, she steadied herself, then pulled the trigger. There came a muffled puff as a dart lodged itself into the creature's neck. Rearing up its head, it roared in surprise.
Konrad continued to struggle helplessly in its grip as it reeled him in like a fish caught on a hook.
"It's not working!" Dieter said.
"I can see that, thank you!" Gupte retorted as she loaded in another dart.
"HIT IT AGAIN!" Jurgen yelled.
There came another muffled puff, this time, an identical twin dart wedged itself just right beside its sibling.
The creature continued unperturbed.
Konrad wheezed.
"WHY WON'T THIS FUCKER GO DOWN?!" Dieter yelled.
"For fuck's sake," Gupte said as she reloaded another.
Another dart appeared. It only slowed slightly. Konrad felt his face turning blue beneath his fur.
"HE'S LOSING AIR! SCHNELL, DIETER, SCHNELL! HELP GET IT OFF!"
Konrad was starting to lose consciousness.
"STAY AWAKE, HERR BARON! WE'RE ALMOST FINISHED!"
"SHOOT IT!" Dieter yelled.
"What do you think I'm trying to do, you fucking moron?!"
Another dart appeared, followed by another, and another, and another, and another. By the time it collapsed unconscious onto the floor, it had over a dozen darts protruding out from its body. Once Jurgen and Dieter finished unravelling its tail, Konrad took in a sharp breath of air, gasping and coughing.
"Are you okay, Herr Baron?" The butler asked concernedly.
Nodding, the aristocrat wheezed and coughed for a while, then took long, slow, deep breaths. Looking at the researchers outside, his eyes narrowed at a particular individual. Pushing himself off the floor, he stormed angrily toward him.
"Herr Baron?" Jurgen said, puzzled.
Konrad continued toward the researcher, watching as his colleagues shrank away from him. Snatching the cellphone from his hand, he violently smashed it down onto the floor.
"What the- MY PHONE!" The man yelled as it was stomped into ruin.
Once he finished, Konrad lifted up his head, his gaze meeting the man's.
"How many times do you people need to be told?!" He growled. "NO! CELLPHONES! ALLOWED! There is no streaming! There is no Facebook! There is no Twitter, Tumblr, or any social media allowed on these premises, especially when you are at work! Article Two of your contract specifically states this. You are supposed to be a professional, so fucking act like it! Failure to comply will result in immediate termination, dismissal without pay and a lawsuit filed against you. Do you understand?"
The man stared at him, his face pale.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
He nodded vigorously.
"You better. There won't be any next time. You saw nothing of this, nor will you mention it to anyone outside."
Konrad then looked around the room.
"The same applies to everyone of you."
Turning around, he marched angrily to his wheelchair. Once he finished putting on his cloak, he settled back into his seat as he was joined by Jurgen, Dieter and Gupte.
"Thank you for saving my life," Konrad said gratefully. "You especially, Herr Doctor."
She nodded.
"Now, Dieter, if you'd be so kind as to finish the job," he said.
The bodyguard turned around was about to comply when Gupte blocked his path.
"Wait!"
Konrad stared at her.
"Herr Doctor, what are you doing?" he said. "Let him through."
She looked around.
"Come with me to my office," she said quietly. "Let's talk there."
The trio followed after her. Konrad cast one nervous glance to the closed cell, listening as the creature slept. Closing the office door behind them, he looked expectantly at her.
"Well?"
She sighed.
"I'm sorry, Herr Baron, but I must protest against this," Gupte said. "I want it alive."
"Absolutely out of the question." Konrad said.
"Herr Baron, please! I need it for further analysis."
He scowled.
"Herr Doctor," he said slowly, "the animal is far too dangerous to be kept here. We're lucky no one was killed by it."
"But the animal has been contained, Herr Baron."
"And what if it gets out again?!" he demanded. "Look at it, Gupte. It is not the same as it was before. It has become faster, stronger, and larger, with an appetite to boot. What if it breaks loose and eats someone?!"
"I will make sure that proper precautions are in place," Gupte promised. "You won't have to spend any money, it will be on my tab. I will take full responsibility for it."
"You will take full responsibility for it," he said doubtfully.
"Of course!"
"So, you are going to look after it. Tell me, how do you plan on feeding it? This is a large animal, Herr Doctor, and judging by its reaction it's going to need a lot of energy to be kept properly fed. What do you plan to do, give it the odd intern when no one is looking? If that's the case, then I recommend starting off with that cellphone-using dipshit you have out there."
"Herr Baron," she said sternly.
"Are you also going to be to cleaning up after it as well?" he pressed. "Large animals tend to shit, Herr Doctor, in case you have forgotten, and they create one hell of a stench when left unattended. Same with bathing."
She quietly digested his points.
"What if it mutates again, Herr Doctor? What if it becomes even bigger, grows five heads or wings?"
Gupte rolled her eyes.
"Don't be absurd," she said.
"Doc," Dieter spoke, "in case you haven't noticed, your snake turned into a friggin dinosaur. Absurd went sailing by a little while ago."
"It's not a dinosaur."
The bodyguard huffed.
"It's a big scary reptilian thing that walks on its hind legs like a human, that has claws, teeth, tail and an asshole - that doesn't make it a banana now, does it?!"
"What about medicine?" Konrad continued. "What if it becomes ill, gets parasites, or has a severe allergic reaction when it's inoculated against viral infection? You have the money, know-how and resources to ensure all of that?"
She stared hard at him. Konrad then leaned forward.
"What if it gets out again, this time killing everyone here? What if it kills or maims a child?"
Gupte hesitated.
"You have the resources to ensure that it not only remains sealed in but also the money to stave off potential lawsuits?"
She took off her glasses and pinched her nose, then sighed loudly.
"Nein," she conceded. "You're right, Herr Baron, I don't have enough of either. But you do."
"And why would I want it alive?"
"Herr Baron, these mutations present a tremendous opportunity for us," she said. "For you especially. We might be able to find a clue for a possible cure through studying it."
"Are you just saying that, or do you know for a fact?"
"I don't know for certain," she said. "But as you had pointed out, we cannot rule out any possibilities at this point without checking all avenues."
Konrad quietly looked around, his head lowered thoughtfully.
"Fine."
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Gupte said as a female researcher entered.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news," she said.
"What is it?" Konrad said.
"Your friend has been badly burned by the creature's spit and is in critical condition."
"Ah nein."
"I'm sorry, Herr Baron, but I need to deal with this," Gupte said as she followed after the other researcher.
"I want to see him."
"You'll get the chance to see him after we're finished tending to his wounds. You'll only get in the way."
As she exited the door, Konrad looked over his shoulder.
"Get me the hell out of here, Jurgen."
"Jawohl."
Konrad sipped from his glass of sherry at the dining room table while Dieter smoked.
"Well, Herr Baron, it looks like we have another guest to take care of," Jurgen said dryly.
He scowled.
"Yes, thank you, Jurgen. I'm quite aware of our predicament," Konrad replied.
"Five bucks says the next creature to appear at our doorstep is a vampire," joked Dieter.
"Don't even say such a thing!" Konrad scolded. "With my luck that might just happen."
"If more start to appear," the bodyguard said, "it's going to get awfully crowded in here."
"Ja, I'm quite aware of that."
"So what do you think we should do about it?" Dieter asked.
"Gupte is adamant on keeping the damn thing."
"But what about after she finishes studying it?"
"Killing it would be the obvious answer," Konrad said. "There's one problem, though."
"And what's that?"
"Disposing of the body."
The bodyguard nodded.
"Just leave it to me, Baron. It'll be a synch."
Dieter was forced to eat crow as time went by.
Various efforts to kill the creature resulted in failure.
Whatever sort of evolution or mutation the animal had undergone made it extremely difficult, almost impossible, to kill. Not only was its skin thick and dense, but the creature had an adaptive regenerative ability that allowed it to develop resistance or immunity to whatever sort of trauma or ailment it had before, even going so far as to resurrect it back from the dead, amazingly enough. The first time this was discovered, six people ended up getting killed before the damn thing was finally subdued and returned back to its cell. Not even freezing temperatures had any sort of effect.
Further studies revealed other troubling news.
Jurgen and Dieter rolled Konrad into Gupte's office.
"You wanted to see us," Konrad said.
The doctor nodded.
"I finished examining the animal," she said. "You won't have to worry about it mutating further or getting five heads or wings as you had feared. Plus, I think I now have a plausible explanation for your condition, Herr Baron."
"I'm listening," he replied.
"I believe that your condition is the result of a retrovirus," she explained. "A retrovirus, in case you don't know, is a type of RNA virus that inserts a copy of its genome into the DNA of a host cell that it invades, thus changing the genome of that cell. Unlike a regular virus, they contain an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, which gives them the unique property of transcribing their RNA into DNA after entering a cell."
"If my condition is the result of a virus-"
"Retrovirus," she corrected.
"Retrovirus, then why is it that people aren't infected by me?"
"It's not so unusual, Herr Baron," Gupte said. "Certain retroviruses tend to be passed on through inheritance after infecting human cells. In your case, Herr Baron, it's unique. It is my belief that this particular retrovirus strain had not only transferred genetic material from its host, a wolf, onto one of your ancestors, but it had been passed down through your family for so long that those features that once made it viral in the first place have long become inert, possibly bred out with each successive generation."
"That could explain why the Baron doesn't infect anyone through bites or scratches," Dieter said.
"Does this mean that it's curable?" Konrad asked.
"It's possible, but unlikely," she answered regretfully.
He sighed.
"Damn."
Another complication with the animal came a few weeks later.
It had started with a phone call.
Answering his cell phone, Konrad heard Dieter's voice at the other end.
"Sir, we have a problem."
When Konrad entered Gupte's office with Jurgen, he saw Dieter and the doctor huddled over something. Moving away to make room for him, the Baron's stomach churned at what he saw.
Nestled on a sweater were five leathery round elliptical objects.
He stared at them.
"Tell me those aren't what I think they are," Konrad said.
"I'm afraid they are," Gupte replied.
"But how?!" he demanded.
"What do you think, Doc?" Dieter asked. "Could the snake have been pregnant before its mutation?"
The doctor shook her head.
"Nein," she said. "That's impossible. All of the cobras were female. We made sure of that."
"Then how did this happen?" Dieter asked.
She took off her glasses and wiped them with a cloth.
"Certain animal species are known to parthenogenetically reproduce," she explained. "Frogs, lizards, certain species of sharks, insects-"
"Snakes?" Konrad interjected.
"Nein," she said.
"Then how?!"
"Obviously it's another unintended side-effect of your condition in another host body."
Konrad quietly stared at the eggs with loathing.
"I want these fucking things destroyed as soon as possible."
"Herr Baron-" Gupte protested.
"NEIN!" Konrad snapped. "You have one creature for study. I will not have this house be a breeding ground for monsters. Dieter, take these to the incinerator and make sure it's on the highest possible setting. I don't want any traces of them anywhere."
"Yes sir." the bodyguard said as he grabbed hold of the eggs and carried them off.
The worst discovery about the animal came the next day.
When he, Jurgen and Dieter entered Gupte's office, the scientist had a grave expression on her face.
"What is this about?" Jurgen asked.
Gupte sighed.
"I'm afraid I have some more bad news, Herr Baron," she said. "It concerns the animal in the cell."
Konrad regarded her apprehensively.
"The creature?" he said. "What is it? Has it gotten loose? Have more been killed?"
"Nein, nein," she said. "Studies on it yielded some rather interesting results. Not only is its spit highly acidic, able to burn straight through materials the longer it continues spewing, but its venom has become extremely potent, with new never before seen proteins. Even more, injuries sustained from the creature's claws proved to have a strange and detrimental effect on those afflicted."
He studied her carefully.
"What do you mean?"
Gupte stood up from her desk.
"You better come with me and see for yourself, Herr Baron."
Konrad stared at the crouched figure on the ground, then shut the hatch on the cell in revulsion.
"What happened to him?" he demanded while facing the door. "What the hell did you do to Roger?!"
"It's not what I did, Herr Baron," Gupte said. "Rather, it's what your condition has done. I found him eating mice in one of the labs one day. He's been physically and mentally degrading rapidly ever since. There's barely anything left of him."
"You said that my condition wasn't infectious!"
"It isn't," she said, "but by transferring your condition onto another host species, it would seem that not only had the retrovirus inserted human genes into the creature's genome, but it also had activated those infectious traits that had long been suppressed or dormant."
"But I myself had been scratched by it," Konrad said. "Why aren't I turning?"
"I think because you're the originator, the retrovirus has given you an immunity of sorts," Gupte answered.
Konrad shook his head.
"Small comfort," he said
Despite not being infectious himself like in those shitty horror movies, it was through him, albeit indirectly, that that particular cliché had ended up becoming a reality. He was bitterly aware of the irony. Roger deserved better than this.
"Dieter," he spoke at last.
"Yes, Baron."
"Do what needs to be done."
The bodyguard gravely nodded as he opened the cell door and reached into his coat.
"How sure are you about this?" Konrad asked, not turning away for a moment.
"I'll need to run further tests," she said. "With your permission, Herr Baron, I'd like to inject other species to confirm-"
"Absolutely not!" Konrad snapped.
A shot rang out. When Dieter returned, he looked down at himself and at his shoes, buttoning up his coat as he left the cell.
"It's done," he said.
"I want you three to leave me alone for a moment," Konrad ordered.
"Why-"
"Just do it."
As Jurgen, Dieter and Gupte walked away, Konrad continued staring into the cell. His shoulders sagging, he regarded its occupant pityingly, then gave a respectful and sorrowful nod in silence.
Later that evening, the men sat at the dining room table, not saying a word to each other. Konrad took a long gulp of red wine, then refilled his glass. Jurgen made no effort to chastise him. Meanwhile, Dieter quietly smoked his cigarette, the fumes trailing off around him as the clock noisily counted down the hours to midnight.
"...Things are getting out of hand, Herr Baron." Jurgen spoke finally.
"Ja, thank you, Jurgen!" Konrad growled from his seat in the dining room as he took another glass of wine.
"And what do you intend to do about it?" Dieter demanded.
"If any of you have suggestions, now is the time to speak. I'm all ears for any possible solutions."
All three men fell silent.
"Open up a theme park?" Dieter said from across the table.
"Be serious."
"Okay, okay," the bodyguard replied, his brow curled in thought. "Hm, this is a tough one. You could donate it to a zoo."
"Now you're being stupid."
"I'm not!"
"Dieter," Konrad said in a restrained tone, "do you honestly believe that any zoo out there is just going to take a dinosaur without asking questions?!"
"You could just tell them that it's something found by one of your subsidiaries in Africa or South America."
"At which point I'd be accused of wildlife smuggling and have Interpol along with other counter groups such as the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking on my ass," Konrad argued.
"Maybe it wouldn't have to be a zoo," Jurgen said. "Do you remember that South African gentleman you met at one of those charity events years ago? The one that had his own private game reserve in Kenya?"
Konrad strained his mind trying to remember who it was the butler described.
"Ahh, I remember him," Konrad said. "Ferguson. Arrogant oaf of a man and a shit. I'd rather be in conversation with Spinal than that half-wit."
"What about Lord Godfrey from Australia? He's a renowned fanatic of animals with his own private zoo. I heard that he's always searching for new species to add to his collection."
"And illegally, or so the rumor goes."
"Now's not the time to be picky," Dieter said matter of factly.
"I can afford to be, especially when said-man had been suspected of financing terrorist organizations and rebel insurgencies in different countries."
"What about that tycoon from Texas, Sheridan?" Jurgen said. "You're friends with him, Herr Baron."
"Same problems as before, plus there's still the issue of the animal infecting people."
"How about just release it into the wild?"
"Are you insane?!" Konrad roared. "I'm not going to do that!"
"No! Not here!" Dieter said. "I mean like in South America or Africa or wherever."
"And have it eat or infect some villager that has the misfortune of coming across it? I don't think so. A dinosaur running amok in Africa is bound to make headlines!"
"Wouldn't be the first time."
"I beg your pardon?" Jurgen said.
"In the Congo region there were reports of a brontosaurus. Locals called it Mokele...mokele..." Dieter frowned. "I don't know what the actual name is."
"As interesting as that sounds, how do you propose transporting the animal and releasing it without anyone noticing and getting hurt, let alone killed?"
The bodyguard opened his mouth, then paused.
"Damn."
"You could always dump it off on some remote uninhabited island," Jurgen said.
Konrad nodded.
"That definitely could work," he said. "The problem with that, however, is not only finding a suitable site, but also finding a reason and opportunity for travelling to that region in the first place. I'm pretty sure that the Board members and accountants would be puzzled. Even more, there's still the issue of transporting the damn animal unnoticed."
"It shouldn't be a problem," Dieter said. "All we'd have to do is just drug it."
"That's assuming there's a drug powerful enough to keep it down. Even more, I'm worried about it infecting other animals, even people should they stumble across it."
Jurgen leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. "What about...sealing up the creature in a steel container and dumping it in the deepest ocean trench? It along with Spinal, the mask and Ferris?"
The aristocrat tilted his chin.
"That's not a bad idea," he admitted. "Very tempting, but there are so many ways that could go wrong. Potential discovery is a major issue. I highly doubt airport security are going to allow the containers to go through unchecked."
"You could always bribe them." Dieter pointed out.
"Which in turn would make Herr Baron vulnerable to blackmail and/or prison." Jurgen countered disapprovingly.
"Even more," Konrad continued, "there's a very strong possibility of their being stolen. Hell, people could mistakenly ship them to the wrong destination and in so doing unwittingly release them."
"Even if they get lost en route or stolen," Dieter said, "so what? Why not let someone else deal with them?"
"So what?!" Konrad repeated. "Dieter, people could get killed! If someone dies due to Ferris' homicidal rage, Spinal's bloodlust, or that animal's appetite, the police will be called in asking very uncomfortable questions and in turn trace their way back to this house!"
"Baron," the bodyguard said pointedly, "do you want to get rid of these things or not?"
"You know I do, Dieter, but I am not going to let people die as a result!"
"Suppose that everything ran smoothly," Dieter said.
"Dieter-"
"Just suppose," Dieter cut him off. "Suppose that during their transport I were to go along and supervise the whole thing. Would that bring some peace of mind?"
"To an extent it would," Konrad said.
"You doubt my ability? My loyalty?"
"You know I don't, Dieter," Konrad said. "Your talents are without question, of that there is no doubt."
"So what's the problem?"
"Other factors. Suppose that everything does go according to plan. We dump the creatures into the deepest oceanic trench. Can we be absolutely certain that no one would be present? Can we be sure that no one would find the containers, return them back to the surface or open them? How long would it be until someone stumbles upon them?"
"Baron."
"Just hear me out for a moment," Konrad insisted. "Gupte's animal probably wouldn't survive the pressure or the cold temperatures of the ocean. However, Spinal doesn't have lungs, and his shield feeds on anything that makes contact with it. And then, of course, there's Ferris. Can the cold drown him, if not keep his temperature down? What if the pressure makes him implode? If he dies, he could either irradiate the water, killing off entire species of marine life and habitats, or he could go supernova and take out the fucking planet!"
The three men quietly digested the facts.
"Okay," Jurgen said, "so we don't include Ferris in the plan. It's still manageable."
"But again, there's still the question of opportunity, witnesses, costs, and potential discovery."
"There must be a way to get rid of these goddamn things," Jurgen said.
"Well, unfortunately, there isn't," Konrad replied.
"I refuse to believe that. There must be some way of dealing with them!"
"If I had my druthers, I'd put them on a rocket and send them both into the sun. Can't do that now, can we?"
A gleam shined in Dieter's eyes.
"Actually Baron, yes you can!"