Chapter 36: Subject 53
The light was lit and the door unlocked in a swift motion as the two monsters descended into the basement. Uneven stones became briefly highlighted with a cool light as the light descended deeper.
The lever was pulled and lights flickered before switching on with an electric hum; the light was set down and the two monsters nodded at each other before each taking a side of the room and began gazing at the small monitors.
Both of them frowned almost immediately at the sight of several blinking triangles marring the field of green digits. They turned to each other and shared a brief look before glancing at the monitors and selecting a small button in the corner of each screen.
This process was repeated to several monitors and as the cylinders began to slide down into the floor, the glass ball rolled toward a hole where one of them had stood.
Dashing forward, one of the monsters managed to grab it with a tail just before it plummeted into the gap in the floor. The monster huffed and held up the orb as if to certify the fact that it was safe only to frown. They brought the orb closer to their face and narrowed their eyes.
"What is it?"
A small crack glimmered on the once smooth and transparent surface; before the monster's eyes the cracks spread in glistening spidery lines as they skated across the clear surface.
*Crick*
The monster's eyes widened as the orb began to glow just as they pushed away the other and in a heartbeat the glass shattered launching shards across the room—well, those which didn't cut through the body of the first monster.
A bright flash of white was followed shortly by a huge explosion as several nearby cylinders exploded sending waves of liquid flowing over the ground seeping into cloth and winding around glass until it met another pool and was tainted pink.
"This is bad."
A monster pushed themselves off the floor and headed toward the wreckage where the other lay. Liquid which slowly stopped pouring out of the cracked cylinders darkened a stained lab coat. He could see the ground beneath their stomach and trails of crimson flowed from there outward until they diffused into the liquid on the floor.
He bent down to pick them up only to blink in surprise as he turned to look at where his tail had once been, perhaps shrapnel had sliced it off for he left a trail of blood behind himself as he walked around the other monster.
"Can you walk?"
They coughed and blood rushed out of their mouth as they looked up at him.
"It's doubtful"
Keys jangled from above and a door creaked open. Light footsteps.
"We are in trouble"
*Cough* "Yeah"
A light blue glow flickered into view as footsteps descended the final steps into the room.
Hollow eyes widened and lit up in rings of fire before he rushed forward.
"What happened?!"
*Cough* "When the lightsources are damaged, trait essence causes them to combust. Give Doctor the information, he can fix the flaw"
The monster glanced down as themself as their feet and body dissipated before closing their eyes.
The other monster glanced down at the dust which had begun to dissolve into the liquid soaking everything and a cold feeling froze their chest. It hurt. It hurt more than their tail. Water blurred their vision, what was this?
"There was an explosion, one turned to dust, the other is wounded, and some of the germination chambers were damaged." The newly arrived monster reported over a slim headset.
"…" Silence over the return signal "Kill the survivor, he'll be nonfunctioning. Clean up what you can, I need to grab some materials I'll be back." Then only static.
A sharp bone needle pierced the monster's soul dusting him immediately before the newcomer grabbed a mop from a closet.
The liquid on the floor swirled as it dripped into cracks and crevices mixing the two small piles of dust into one.
Sighing, the monster pulled the headset off his head and let it rest around his neck as he started on the other side of the room.
~O*O~
The taller figure touched a crack on the left side of his face and sighed as he blew on the surface of the steaming liquid to cool it down. Holding the bamboo tea cup with both hands, he gazed over the field of vibrant flowers as sunlight, or rather warm light, shone down from above. He hadn't been here in a while but it was still beautiful, all of the flower populations were in balance with each other under the artificial sunlight of the barrier undisturbed by humans or monsters.
The light warmed his shoulders and he allowed a small smile before taking a sip of the tea. It was steaming but nice, rose and lotus his favorite.
Rolling his eyes in different directions behind closed eyelids he watched the colors dance and spin before merging together.
Subject 20 and 21 were gone, they had been his most successful creations though they lacked the will to do things on their own, they lacked drive, they lacked… determination. Subject 20 had been better than 21 with a hint of perseverance but it had been too passive, not proactive.
No matter what happened, time was running out and though he did need new lab assistants number 53 was doing quite well.
He finished the cup and set the cup down on the overgrown stone before smiling and pushing himself off of the stone pillar as air rushed upward all around him. The cup got smaller before disappearing from view and his lab coat flapped wildly before he landed with a small *Tup* on both feet, wisps of yellow and orange disappearing as fast as they had blinked into existence.
A small fluffy bee buzzed past slowly before settling on a stalk of lavender and he dispelled the interest of the carefree creature before looking up at the sunlit barrier with *aspiration and thoughtfulness.
It was time to begin the replacement.
~O*O~
The monster smiled sadly as he tied the two dusty red scarves together before looping them around an inner bough of a pine tree. Snow fluttered down as he concentrated on creating a perfect fallen knot.
"Sans" The voice over the headset startled the small monster causing them to fall a couple of stories before catching himself in a cloud of cyan and red
"Yeah?"
"It's time"
"… Coming."
The two scarves fluttered softly from their spot near the trunk, sheltered from the majority of the weather as snow began to fall speckling the crimson cloth.
A small figure's lab coat was highlighted by wisps of disappearing color as he glanced at the snow dusted evergreen one last time before letting the cloud of color consume him.
A red scarf flapped furiously in the wind before vanishing with a soft pop.
(notes)
Heh, I absolutely love describing the sensation of falling, after all it's rather like flying :)
More divergence~ Yay :D
*definition- aspiration- hope or ambition of achieving something (but what does he want to achieve?)
The two monsters who 'fell down' were supposed to be twins? Idk
Why are all my pens alcohol based? X-x
~PhysikLily UwU