Simon's Experiments II
By Alius111
Chapter Eleven
Enter Vulnus, The Liberator
My head was pounding. Each breath I took drove a mental rail spike deeper and deeper into the back of my skull. My stomach lurched and I thought I might vomit. The rancid stink of mildew and decay permeated the air, mercilessly assaulting my sensitive nose. I tried to shy away from the stink, but the disgustingly fresh smell of mold seemed to radiate from the very air itself, almost as if after generations of rot and festering, that damn stink had been permanently stamped and pressed into the air, like a stain you could never wash out.
Where am I? My mind asked. I'm so cold.
I drew a rattling breath, and my body shivered. The air was so cold. The tips of my fingers had gone almost completely numb. I tired to perk my ears, but the thin membranes of skin had gone stiff. I could hear someone breathing; inhaling and exhaling. Its breath was so calm. I knew it could inly be one person. And a moment later, my suspicions were proven correct.
"Wake up Trog, and meet your teacher."
Groggily I lifted my head (Which felt like it weighed a ton) and opened my eyes. The Grand Councilwoman stood over me, her head held high, her icy green eyes almost glowing in the near darkness that cloaked my surroundings.
"Where am I?" I muttered sleepily.
The Grand Councilwoman's eyes flared slightly in the darkness and she chuckled lightly. "You are deep within the foundation of the original prison, miles under the asteroid's surface."
I growled and tried to lunge at her only to find my arms and legs bound to the metal chair in which I was sitting. My arms were fastened tightly to two large armrests by thick metal braces; my legs were bound in the same manner. Frightfully, I began to panic.
"Why have you brought me here?" I asked, I had never felt more awake in my life.
Again the Grand Councilwoman smiled. I didn't like it. It wasn't in her nature to smile so much.
"Did you know, that sometimes the most horrifying and antiquated things in life can sometimes be the most remedial?" Her voice was cold and it rang with a cruel clarity throughout the chamber. It made me frown in distaste.
"What do you mean?"
"Some believe, advancement in technology can give way to more efficient means of questioning," The Grand Councilwoman replied. "But I for one, believe in more . . . traditional methods of interrogation–"She was interrupted by the loud opening of a door. Light suddenly flooded into the darkened chamber, and the bottom edge of the door gave a scream against the stone floor like a child in agony. I closed my eyes and tried to block out the horrifying sound. But I had to see. I shuddered and watched in fascination as a slim and decrepit silhouette entered the room and silently approached. Its steps were awkward and graceless, whatever it was, it walked hunched over and clumsily as if it didn't know how to work its own legs.
At the sight of the aged and withered thing, The Grand Councilwoman smiled and extended her hand. "Vulnus," She greeted. "How wonderful to see you again."
Bowing, the woman named Vulnus grabbed the Grand Councilwoman's outstretched hand and shook it uncomfortably.
"Greetings," Vulnus said. Her voice was quiet and raspy; it sent a cold shiver running down my spine. "How nice to have your grace in Vulnus' humble abode."
Curios, I leaned forward to get a good look at the strange women.
The women named Vulnus was short and stood hunched over. She was clothed in ragged and flowing black robes with a finely wrought crest that depicted a leering skull. I could see her hands pocking out from under the folds of her robes; her skin was black and deep seeded with varicose veins; they ran intricately underneath her leathery hide like a grouping of spider webs; her fingernails were long and yellow, the edges were jagged and flacked almost as if she had once tried to desperately claw her way out of a grave. But I couldn't see her face. The large black hood Vulnus wore kept her face hidden which only added to the feeling of mystery that seemed to fallow her like a dark aura.
That's when she saw me. I couldn't tell if she was looking at me because I couldn't see her face, but the dark void that filled her hood was turned in my direction and didn't turn away. Suddenly the door slammed shut, and in this shadowy and desolate chamber, I felt truly trapped.
"Hmm," Slowly Vulnus reached out with her claw-like hand and gently caressed my face with her spidery fingers–her touch was so cold, it was like rubbing against a corpse. "Him is a warm one," She said harshly. "Him must not be dear to you if you brought him to see Vulnus."
The Grand Councilwoman chuckled and placed her hand on the Vulnus' withered shoulder.
"He has something I want," She said. "It is now a matter of national security. He refuses to divulge the information, and I brought him here with the hope that you could . . . Persuade him to be a tad more benign."
The dark void looked down at me. I didn't know how, but I knew she was smiling.
"Of Course my lady," She said, running the stiff blade of her finger along my jawline. "Vulnus will liberate him on your behalf."
Growling, I barred my fangs and snapped at her finger; she laughed and clapped her shriveled hands together; when they met they made a noise like two dead fish smacking against each other. It was a sickening and disgusting sound.
"Ooh, him is a feisty one," She said. "But no matter, no matter . . .Vulnus, will work her magic."
"Do whatever seems necessary," The Grand Councilwoman said sternly. "But I warn you, I need him alive. So try and make sure he's not permanently damaged."
Vulnus hissed and bowed. "Of Course my Lady. Vulnus' humble life is but to serve you."
The Grand Councilwoman nodded, and shot me one more hateful look before turning away from the groveling woman and marching into the darkness. Moments later I heard the screech of the door opening and then again as it slammed shut, leaving me in the company of this deranged woman. Now, I was truly afraid.
For a moment, Vulnus stared down at me, looking deep into my eyes. Then she hissed and shuffled over to my side. Her long twitching fingers caressed my cheek and her foul breath washed over my face. I dry heaved and was sure I was going to vomit.
"You,"She said softly. "Are fortunate." Absentmindedly, Vulnus reached into the darkness. I could hear the sound of metal objects clinking and knocking together. Just then she retracted her arm and revealed a long and sharply honed knife which she clutched tightly in her bony fists.
At the sight of the polished blade, I felt all the air rush out of my lungs. Hissing, she leaned forward and pressed the cold edge of the knife against my throat; its icy cold touch seared my skin. I gulped and looked terrified into the dark void.
"Prisoners, can come to love their torturers," Vulnus whispered, delicately running her gnarled finger along the edge of the blade. "They come to see them as fathers, mothers, and as teachers."
Oh God, I'm dead now. There's no way I'm walking out of this alive.
Nervously, I looked down at the knife still pressed rigidly against my neck. One quick movement, that's all it would take. Just one quick jerk and she could slit my throat and end my life. Frightfully, my body started to shiver and I began to whimper quietly. I wasn't ready to die.
"To feel pain, is a wonderful thing," Vulnus uttered. "It let's us know we are alive." Hissing, she slithered upwards and pressed her cold and chapped lips to my ear. I shuddered and tried to drop my ear but her other hand had it clamped firmly in place. "Don't you see?" She murmured sensually. "Pain liberates us . . .it sets us free because we are alive."She released her hold on my ear, and in a flash she unshackled my right hand and pressed it against my chest, directly over my beating heart–It was thumping a mile a minute.
"Can you feel it?" Vulnus tightened her grip on my wrist to the point I thought it might snap. I tried to pull away, but she kept my hand placed firmly over my heart. "Can you feel the life in you? So strong . . . and yet, so fragile." Inhaling, she took in my scent and sighed with passion. Vulnus trembled, re-shackled my hand in the brace, leaned forward and whispered sensually into my ear: "Vulnus will liberate you from your chains, and Vulnus shall set you free."
"Your insane," I said terrified.
Curiously she inclined her head. "Perhaps. But what is insanity but a mind no longer confined and trapped by laws you clutch to so passionately." She hissed and leaned forward until my bulbous nose and the black void that filled her hood were almost touching. I tried to turn away from her, but my head met the backrest and it prevented me from recoiling any further. Again she hissed and pursued until our skin almost came into contact. "Do you want to know Vulnus?" She whispered.
Know her? What does that mean?
I shook my head. "N-no," I said.
The knife came down in a quick silver arc and plunged itself into my shoulder–it was so sudden–I cried out in agony as she twisted the blades handle, before finally wrenching it from my flesh. Whimpering, I dropped my head and bit my tongue. Dark pink blood spurted from the open wound and the pain was electric. The cut wasn't deep, but feeling the blade's icy cold penetrate my warm, soft skin had been enough to make me scream.
Standing upright, Vulnus looked down at me and dropped the knife.
"I know that hurts," She said. "We're really living now aren't we?"
Tears streaming down my face, I growled and spat on her robes.
"You bitch!" I yelled.
"Flattery is only but words," She whispered. "You shall know Vulnus child." And with the stealth of a ghost she lurched into the darkness, and again I heard the clinking and clanking of metal objects. There must have been some sort of table back there. A table where she kept he most sinister tools of interrogation.
When she reemerged, she was holding a large metal prod with some sort of brand welded on the end. Gracelessly she reached out and released my arm, before I could defend myself, Vulnus grabbed my wrist and turned my forearm upwards so my palm was facing the ceiling.
Laughing, she hissed and pressed a button on the prods handle; Immediately the brand glowed orange and she lowered it towards my skin.
"W-What are you doing?" I asked as I smelt my black fur beginning to smoke.
Silently, she looked up at me, and observed the terror shining in my eyes; the glowing brand was only an inch from my skin. "Vulnus is loving you," She said. And with that she pressed the brand onto my skin and pain exploded from my forearm. I screamed in torment and fervently attempted to pull my arm away from the searing heat, but she wouldn't let go. The stink of charred skin and burning fur wafted into nostrils, and that time I really was sick.
Quickly, Vulnus removed the scalding metal from my flesh and backed away as I vomited onto the floor. My stomach contracted and emptied its contents onto the stone floor. For a moment I sat there panting, then I cried out as I lurched forward and was sick again.
Sighing, Vulnus extended her shacking hand and gently wiped the spittle from my mouth with the sleeve of her robe.
"You can make it stop," She said softly. "Just give her what she wants. Vulnus will never stop, Vulnus never sleeps. Why suffer at the hands of Vulnus while you could run free?"
Sobbing I ignored her and cried like a beaten dog. The pain in my arm was terrible. I didn't want to look but I had to. I quivered and looked down at my forearm and moaned. There, imprinted in my charred and blistered skin were the numbers: 10100101. I whimpered and cringed from the stinging sensation that pulsated from my flesh. It hurt. Oh God, it hurt so much!
"I'm not telling you anything!" I spat.
"Suite yourself." Vulnus hissed. "But males are so easy to persuade when given the proper incentive."
And just as before, She restrained my arm, dropped the prod and vanished into the darkness. This time, when she reappeared she was holding a large black ball in one hand and a scalpel in the other. I couldn't even imagine what they were for.
"Her ladyship has instructed Vulnus to do whatever seems necessary," She placed the metal ball between my legs and pressed it up against my groin. "If this were any other time, Vulnus would toy with you more, before coming to such an exemplary step. But, Vulnus doesn't have the time needed. The Grand Councilwoman said she wanted what you have as soon as possible. And Vulnus lives to serve her lady."
Just then, the black ball began to vibrate. It sent a strange tingling sensation surging throughout my body. It was almost pleasurable.
"W-what are you doing?" I said, cringing from the awkward sensation spreading through my groin.
She hissed and removed a white towel from the folds of her robes. "Vulnus, is going to castrate you . . . Completely."
I gawked and was at a lose for words. Horrified, I stared down at the vibrating ball situated between my legs. And with a horrifying realization; I now knew what it was for.
When it comes to males, an experiments genitals are kept retracted until he is about to mate or is aroused in some other way. Usually, it's a voluntary action. But the nerves between the legs are so sensitive. If they are stimulated: there is little a male experiment can do to stop a . . . reaction. As much as I tried to resist, I couldn't stop if from happening.
And then it happened. I felt my body contract, and my genitals released themselves from my groin–there was nothing I could to to stop it. Quickly, just as my genitalia appeared. Vulnus, removed the black ball and placed the white towel over my lap, possibly trying to spare my humility.
Sweating, I panted and watched in horror as Vulnus fell to her knees and moved the scalpel underneath the towel. I could feel my genitals lying there, cold, and limp. Moments away from being lopped off by this insane and demented woman.
Desperately, I tried to close my legs but the metal braces holding my feet apart stopped me from doing so; I was completely exposed.
"Don't fret," Vulnus said. "Perhaps Vulnus will let you keep them in a jar of formaldehyde." Suddenly an idea came to her. She looked up at me and I could see her eyes. They were there, dead and lifeless but yet horribly alive with the dark glow of death. Whatever epiphany had come to her sick and twisted mind. I knew it could only mean trouble for me.
Eyes glowing yellow, Vulnus nodded and dropped the scalpel to the floor.
I breathed sigh of relief as I heard the unmistakably loud clang of metal hitting stone. But my relief was short lived, because the moment the scalpel hit the floor, Vulnus had already reached into her robs and had extracted a long metal cylinder with hundreds of tiny, sharp razors lining the inside. It had to be the most sinister thing I have ever seen. And I knew what it was for . . . and what it would be going on.
"Since your body is so important to you males," She declared in her raspy tone. "Vulnus thinks you will be more obliged to assist our cause when your free of temptation. Now hold still while I liberate you from your physical desires." With her other hand, she reached under the towel and gripped me and brought that damned cylinder teasingly closer.
A spike of fear shot up my spine and my heart began hammering in my chest.
Oh Shit! She's really going to do it. She's going to make me a unique.
At that moment hundreds of images flashed in my mind. I saw everything I would lose and what little I would gain. A mate, kids, if I let her do this I could kiss all that goodbye. I wouldn't be a male anymore. My masculinity, my self respect, and my ability procreate would all be lost. What was I supposed to do? If I didn't cooperate then I was going to lose one of the most important things in my life. I couldn't let it happen. I would give my life to save my experiment, but losing my manhood is where I draw the line.
"ALRIGHT!" I yelled as I felt myself being slipped into the metal cylinder. "I'll . . ." I sighed and dropped my head in shame. "I'll tell you anything you want to know."
Vulnus laughed and pulled the cylinder away from my groin.
"As Vulnus said: Males are so easy to persuade when given the proper incentive." She laughed and snapped her fingers. Suddenly the shackles binding my arms and legs released me.
I watched in confusion as Vulnus leaned forward and whispered something into my ear. My eyes widened.
"No . . .It can't be." I said mortified.
I looked up at Vulnus and she observed me. Slowly she reached up with her gnarled hands and pulled back her hood.
I gasped as I saw my teacher's face for the first time.
Her skin was jet black, leathery, creased and aged; her flesh seemed to be sucked up against her bones , almost as if she was wearing a skintight mask over her skull; Her cheekbones protruded from mer face, stretching and flexing the wrinkles in her skin; the tightly wound cords in her neck snacked underneath her collarbone and traveled along her neck; her eyes were pupil-less and a vivid yellow, they seemed to light up and shine in the darkness with a fiery light. Vulnus' hair was black and flowed down to her waist in ebony waves, it was course, and straw like. But perhaps the most terrifying: when she opened her mouth and laughed her lip-less mouth stretched open like a gaping wound, revealing a set of black gums and a row of long, needle sharp teeth.
Madly, her monstrous face came alive and Vulnus began to cackle. As I watched in mute horror, she slowly backed away, vanishing into the darkness. She was gone. But even as I heard the door open, I could still hear her laughing. But she was gone. Her interrogation had not been as unbearable as I thought it would be.
Gratefully, I sighed and pulled my genitals safely into my body. Feeling uncomfortable. I placed my hands protectively over my groin and crossed my legs. And even as the door flew open and Federation soldiers surrounded me, their guns pointed dangerously at my head. I didn't remove my hands from between my legs, nor did I forget the last words Vulnus whispered into my ear: 'The signal has been sent, make your escape.'
Whimpering, I began to wail.
Alius111: Yes, finally the signal has been sent. Bet you didn't see that coming. It seems that Vulnus truly was Simon's liberator. In the next chapter, Simon will be escaping from prison. And it's about damn time. But until then. Please Review.