Ah, you're awake. Now the experiments can begin in earnest! Please, don't struggle, it'll
only wrinkle the restraints. MWAHAHAHAHAHA! Okay, I'm good. Rini, on the other hand, is
about to find that she's in a world of trouble! But first, the disclaimers:
Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, DiC, Pioneer, and Cloverway, in that
order, none of whom are me.
The Island Of Dr. Moreau belongs to H.G. Wells and his descendants(if any), also not me.
_This_ is emphasis, and *this* is thought.
And now, the terror continues...
******************************************************************************
The Island Of Dr. Tomoe
by Scorpinac
Chapter 3: How Rini Learned Of The Beast Folk
I eventually adopted a routine for my stay on the island - wake up, have breakfast with
Mimete, and sometimes Hotaru and Melanie(though they seemed to want to avoid me), take a
bath, wander the grounds striking up the odd conversation or two with the various servants, try to
become friends with Hotaru and Melanie, get an update from Greg, have lunch, more
conversations, now with the added possibility of talking to Kaolinite or Mimete, admire the view
of the ocean, take a walk on the beach, have dinner, join the others in the lounge, then off to bed
and sleep.
In short, nothing of any real interest occurred for many days after my arrival on the island,
and for a brief while I started to content myself by seeing it as my new home. Though I had
arrived with only the one set of clothing to my name, the dress and underwear I'd been wearing
when I was "dismissed" from the Millennium, Mimete made it a personal point once she heard
how long it would be until a boat was likely to come to sew three new dresses and undergarments
for me, and Tomoe even "inherited" a few to me from Hotaru.
The only thing they couldn't give me were a pair of shoes since neither Hotaru nor
Melanie had any - and I sometimes wonder if they ever did. Not that it really mattered, by the
time I had landed on Tomoe's island I had already long become accustomed to being barefoot
anyway. Only one thing truly bothered me.
From the day after I arrived on the island I could hear what sounded like the Cougar that
had ridden in with me roaring and screeching from somewhere in the house - the laboratory, in
fact. I could also occasionally hear loud, animal like noises out in the island's jungle at night
while trying to go to sleep, but could never get a straight answer about it from anyone no matter
how I asked.
By the eighth day I noticed that the noise from within the house began to change slightly,
less animal, less bestial, and more into something else, I wasn't quite sure what. Then one day the
sounds became closer to human, like a person was suffering and in great pain. It was on the
nineteenth day of my stay on the island that things changed, when my curiosity finally got the best
of me.
I was heading down the hall to go wander the grounds after my daily bath when I started
to pass the hall that lead to the laboratory, and heard the noises again. I stopped and glanced
down the hall towards the door to the lab, listening to the moans and screams of whatever lied
within, and wanting to know if something, or someone, needed help, I turned and started to walk
quietly closer to the door, despite that I had been implicitly instructed to never venture anywhere
near there.
Finally I was at the door, and pressed my ear to it, and sure enough, the horrid, anguished
wailing of whatever it was came from the other side. My curiosity won out in seconds, and I tried
the door, but it was locked tight. I began pondering about how I could get inside when I heard
footsteps from somewhere nearby. As they got closer to where I was, I ducked into a closet a
couple feet away, leaving the door open just enough for me to peek through.
A few moments later Kaolinite came up to the laboratory door, pulled out a key, unlocked
it, and stepped inside. As the door closed behind her, I jumped out of my hiding place and caught
it, nudging it open enough for me to slip inside as well. At last, I was in Doctor Tomoe's
laboratory. And what I saw there will stay with me for the rest of my days.
The room was filled with science stuff - test tubes, sample dishes, bottles, jars, pans, blood
bags, microscopes, beakers in various shapes and sizes, Bunsen burners(my nan taught me what
those are and what they looked like), and some of those metal rings for holding tubes and beakers
over a Bunsen burner. A small table was set to one side with operating tools on it - scalpels,
saws, scissors, giant tweezers(Mimete later told me they're called Forceps), mini-mirrors(like
what a dentist uses?), and mini-drills - some of which looked recently cleaned.
Against one wall was a sink with other various science/operating tools, some of them with
dried blood on them. And in the center lay an operating table, a machine beside it monitoring the
heart and breath rate of the "patient", along with an IV bag dripping clear liquid down a plastic
tube into the "person" on the table.
And when I say "person" and "patient", I am being too kind. In truth, at first I could see
very little of who or what lay on the table. Between me and the subject lay an upright rack filled
with tubes and beakers, various unknown fluids flowing through them in a variety of colors, and,
of course, Kaolinite, who stood next to the table near the head, obscuring the top of the person
completely from view. But the wails I'd followed most definitely came from the subject on the
table.
"Let's see now," Kaolinite said. "Yes, tissue replacement and alteration seems to be
taking hold nicely. I'll just give you your next shot, mark it, and prep you for your next surgery."
So saying, she turned to the side and picked up a booster, a small bottle, filled the needle with
fluid from said bottle, returned the bottle, and then turned back to the "patient", and a loud,
pained cry from the helpless soul a moment later, which drew a small jump from me, indicated
that it had been injected with the fluid.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Kaolinite commented idly as she pulled the needle from the
booster and chucked it, then turned and moved away from the table as she dropped the booster
back where she got it. Gathering my courage, I moved around the tube rack for a closer look at
who or what was on the operating table...and gasped out loud when I saw it.
What lay there looked to be in the general shape of a man, but with fur and carefully sewn
shut incisions all over his body. It was strapped down, and the face was contorted, not really
human, but more like a beast's. Everything about it was horrific, and it seemed as though parts
had been sewn on, and others cut off, in a horrible display of mutilation and disfigurement. And
as I watched, it continued to moan and wail in pain, very much alive and awake.
Unfortunately, my gasp of shock and revulsion had gotten Kaolinite's attention, who's
voice suddenly broke into my terrified state:
"Hey! What are you doing in here!? How did you get in?!" I did not answer, I did not
even turn to look at her, I merely turned on my heels and ran for the door, tore threw it and then
the house, until I found my way out onto the grounds, and I did not stop. I ran to the gate,
pausing only to shove Unazuki aside and turn the gate wheel as fast and hard as I could, opening
it in only a few moments, and then dove out of the compound, even as Unazuki, in her slow,
drawling speech, plaintively called after me, entreating me to stay and tell her what was wrong, at
least I think that's what she called, I wasn't paying that much attention.
My first thought was to reboard my lifeboat, head back out to sea, take my chances, but
glancing at the beach, I immediately remembered why that was currently impossible. At some
point after my landing on the island, either Mimete, Kaolinite, or perhaps Tomoe himself, had two
or more of the servants pull the boat fully onto the beach and had it left sitting there flipped upside
down. Even if I'd had the strength to push it back into the water, I'd never be able to flip it back
up! So, with no where else to go, I dove headlong into the island jungle.
I would like to state for the record at this point that I am now well aware of the fact that
running into the jungle was probably the dumbest thing I could have done, but please try to
understand - after seeing what lay trapped in the laboratory, I was utterly afraid for my life in that
house. I was convinced that Dr. Tomoe and his assistants had been performing unneeded surgery
on a human being, and I was equally convinced they might decide to operate on me next, now that
I had seen their secret.
And so I ran, like a frightened animal runs from a predator, into the seeming safety of the
jungle woods. I cannot say for certain how long I ran, but I can say that the sun looked to be at
about the midday level when I finally did stop and catch my breath, my side threatening to tear
wide even as I stood and huffed like the big bad wolf before the door of the little pigs. I breathed
sharply for several moments before I finally noticed what lay before me on the ground, something
that did _not_ help my demeanor in the slightest:
It was a rabbit, and someone or something had ripped off its head and torn open its body.
In fact, I don't think the whole thing was there anymore - it looked as though some of it had been
torn out and carried away, but I could not be sure. I do know that I could not spy several key
organs in the remains.
After vacating what little remained of my breakfast via its original entrance, I paused to
take a good look at my current surroundings, and found I had _no_ idea where I was - I was lost!
But considering what I still at that moment presumed to be the alternative, I accepted it. Therefor
I began to scan around for anything that looked like food or water, mostly water, and anything to
tell me where I was.
After several moments more, and a few minor scrapes and cuts from branches I had to
push my way past in order to proceed, I emerged into a clearing that held a small stream leading
into a moderate pool of water, either a lake or a lagoon. And just when I had thought myself to
have come to a relative place of safety, I was again presented with danger, for I was not the only
one to have come to that stream at that moment.
Less than thirty feet away from me, kneeling down on all fours, and slurping noisily away
at the water, was a monster! It had the general shape of a man, but was covered in light orange
fur with multiple black spots therein, its feet were bare and looked more feline than human, its
hands, what I could immediately see of them, looked to be missing one or more fingers, and those
it did have seemed to end in sharp claw-like nails. Its face was the most horrible, so far removed
from anything human I had ever seen it could not possibly belong to the same race as I. It was
distorted, with a rather feline mouth cuffed with whiskers, now damp from the stream, and its ears
were partially pointy, and erupted from the top of the skull, its nose was short and seemingly
squashed against its face. The only thing remotely human about it was the fact that it wore a pair
of simple brown pants that seemed a bit stretched on its frame.
Again I let out a gasp, despite myself, but this time it did not seem to notice, at least at
first, or it didn't care. Deciding I did not wish to wind up on its dinner menu, I started to step
backwards into the jungle slowly, but before I got more than a few steps away, my foot fell on a
twig which snapped instantly, and the monster's head snapped up and stared at me. I will never
forget those eyes - they were vertical black slits in the center of almost pure golden orbs.
In that instant my fear was overwhelmed by awe, wonder, and curiosity. *What could
have crafted such a creature?* My mind was transfixed, my body frozen and unable to move any
further as the creature and I continued to stare at one another; and then, it turned and bolted away
into the woods beyond, moving on all fours in a very elegant and feline manner at absolutely
incredible speed.
*Yes,* I thought, *It is very like a large, misshapen cat!* My curiosity now in full
command, I moved as fast as I could after it, following in its wake back into the thick woods,
deeper than ever. I struggled through the trees again for only ten or so minutes, however, before
I admitted to myself that I had lost sight of the creature. Worse, I was even more lost than
before. I could not even see the stream or lake I had just come from.
With again no other recourse, I began to push through the woods around me, seeking
something, anything that would ensure my survival. Chance was with me, and about a half hour
or so later I tripped into another small stream - or the same one, I am not really sure - and quickly
drank my fill. When my thirst was eased, I saw nearby a bush covered in blackberries, and
deciding to take a chance, attempted to refill my belly. The berries were far bitterer than what I
was normally accustomed to, but I felt no ill effects to suggest poison, and managed four or five
handfuls before I could take no more, due in large part to the taste.
With my stomach thus calmed, I sat down and leaned against a tree and let myself drift off
to sleep for a nap.
The sun looked to be somewhat near ready to fall below the horizon when I woke, and
wishing to find something more flavorable to eat than the berries in my immediate vicinity, I began
to follow the river. I had been walking maybe ten or twenty minutes when I realized something
was watching me. Stopping and glancing around, I at first saw nothing, then noted what looked
to be a shape crouching in the trees a few feet away.
"Hello?!" I said nervously. "You don't want to eat me, do you? I'm sure I taste just
awful..." There was no response, so I continued walking, but casting my eyes over my shoulder
from time to time, I realized the shape was indeed following after me. Just as I was considering
the possibility of breaking into a run, though, I came into another clearing.
I stopped to examine my new surroundings, and found it to be a simple, empty, grass
covered area devoid of trees, and little else. However, as I stared into the clearing, I saw two
things of note. One - an actual path to one side, leading away, though to where I had no idea.
And Two - three squat, short creatures frolicking in the waning light of day.
These creatures had almost stubby feet, no truly visible toes that I could detect, and wore
only brief loincloths over their "special" spots. Their bellies were slightly extended, as though fat,
and their hands had only three fingers as far as I could tell. The faces were decidedly inhuman,
their eyes squinting and small, their mouths little more than slits across their faces, their noses
little stubs that ended with a flat surface on the front.
The ears were normally placed, and it looked as though some attempt at hair growth was
in play on the tops of their heads, as one had brown hair, one had medium dark blue hair in a small
pony tail down the back of its head, and one had light red/auburn hair in two tiny "dog ears", one
upon each side of the head. I detected that two were female, the brown haired one a male, by the
fact that the other two also wore simple loincloths over their chests, despite having nothing to
really hide at present.
As I watched, the one with blue hair began swinging around a tree branch like it was a
sword, and the other girl, the red head, began dodging around it, acting as though she admired the
other, seemingly having "stars" in her eyes. The third ran around both of them, every now and
then grabbing up some grass and tossing it in the air around the others. Their movements were
often times jerky, as though their legs were very stiff, and unwieldy. The noises they made as they
frolicked sounded nothing at all to me like speech, but more like the squeals of young pigs rolling
around merrily in the mud.
Deciding to take my chances on the path, I carefully stepped away from the stream and
eased my way around the clearing toward the path, trying to keep as much distance between me
and these new creatures as possible, not wanting to interrupt their curious play. But just as I was
in reach of my goal, the red haired girl spotted me, and drove up a fuss. Before I knew what was
happening, all three were surrounding me and all but dragging me back into the center of the
clearing.
Not wanting to be hurt by them, I moved with them, and quietly watched as they started
to dance around me, trying, as far as I could tell, to get me to dance or play with them, every now
and then pulling on my dress as though they wished to disrobe me. As I carefully observed them
from up close, I found they were no taller than myself, and it occurred to me that they might have
thought me one of them. I also found myself thinking more and more of how animal like they
were, how porcine. Yes, that was it! They were very much like pigs, in almost every respect, and
yet something human also seemed to be evident, giving them a truly unnerving aspect.
As they continued to frolic around me, I took a chance and began to move as they did,
joining the "game", and they started to squeal in delight, which to me confirmed my earlier
assumption. I continued to participate in their odd dance for several minutes more before I saw
an opening, and then I dashed out of their circle. Unfortunately, they took exception, and began
to fuss further, prompting me to dash onto the path and away as fast as I could, and not once did I
look back until I was far enough down the path that I could no longer hear them, and then only to
make sure they had not followed me.
Once I had again caught my breath, I took a look around myself, attempting to determine,
for the millionth time that day, where I was. I could not rightly tell where the path lead me, but
right then anywhere was preferable so long as it wasn't with those pig-like creatures. And just as
I decided to continue walking down the path, I felt the same sensation of being watched.
Glancing around, it took me only seconds this time to pick out the dark shape in the trees of my
earlier pursuer, who apparently had not lost sight of me for even a moment.
I immediately started walking, resolutely following the path and keeping my eyes away
from the shape that followed me, and continued in this for I am not sure how long, stopping only
when I reached a fork in the path. As I stared at the split before me and pondered on which was
the best way to go, I heard a rustling. Turning to my "shadow", I noted that it was still keeping
its distance, watching me from afar, and for the first time I realized I could make out its eyes -
vertical black slits in the center of almost pure golden orbs. It was the cat-creature from the
lagoon! And then another monstrosity erupted onto the path, landing in the middle of the left
hand branch of the fork.
The new terror was covered in brown fur, black shorts, and a loose white shirt. Its feet
looked crooked, as though it stood consistently on tip-toe, its hands were four fingered and
clawed, its nose a black stub in the middle of its face and looked wet. Its mouth was more like a
pair of jaws, filled with pointed teeth, the top row of which protruded slightly giving it a feral,
vicious look. The eyes were coal orbs behind slightly drooping brown bangs, and the ears almost
vanished into the side of the head. The head itself was more round than any I knew, the hair on
the top unkempt and straggly everywhere.
It saw me almost at once, and stared at me for several moments. I felt sure that this
creature, if the cat-thing didn't, would devour me for food, and then it did something even more
horrifying. It spoke.
"Five man..." it growled in a very male voice, and I must report that I was unable in the
least to repress the shiver that then ran up and down my spine. It took a step toward me, and fear
dominated me once more; I turned right and dove headlong straight back into the woods, pushing
my way past branches, shrubbery, bushes and everything else to get as far away from this latest
monster as I could. And only moments into my newest flight, I heard something following me,
pacing me. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw the cat-creature _still_ following me! I was now
totally convinced it was toying with me before finally pouncing and devouring me.
Now completely and utterly consumed by panic, I pushed forward, trying to go faster,
faster than the monster that wanted to eat me, faster than sound, faster than light! Anything to
regain my freedom, to save my life from death. And then my foot hit something - a root, a
branch, a rock, I don't know - and I tumbled forward, passing suddenly out of the woods as I did
so, and landed with a "THUMP" on the sandy beach.
I had to gaze around for a moment to assure myself that I had truly escaped the woods
and certain doom, and then sighed with relief as I pulled myself up to sit properly on my rear. I
glanced at my foot, only a slight stub and minor scrape, and I started to relax myself a little with
the thought that I was finally safe when two strong hands suddenly grabbed me by the arms and
hauled me to my feet!
As my mind whirled on the fact that I had been caught by my human hunters, and my
captors began to brusquely walk me back up the beach toward the compound, which to my
surprise was less than a mile or so away, I glanced to my left to see who held me. There, holding
my left arm by one hand, was Kaolinite! Her expression did nothing to hide her ire at me, and I
could tell she was all too eager to hand down whatever form of discipline suited her - no doubt
strapping me to the operating table and beginning my "surgery" that very night, or so I thought at
the time.
I then turned to my right to see who else was holding me, expecting to see the maddened,
bespectacled eyes of Dr. Tomoe himself. It wasn't. Of all people, it was the one person I had
hoped would have let me go, let me escape. Staring at me, a cross, upset look on her face, was
the woman who had saved me from death, and had at times looked on me almost as my own
mother looks on me.
Mimete.
"You shouldn't have done that, kiddo," she said, a tinge of concern in her voice. "We
told you to stay out of the lab for your own protection. I told you you didn't want to know what
was out in the woods. You only have yourself to blame."
As I felt myself go numb with fear, I was hauled back up and into the compound, and
towards the house, the misshapen servants and valets watching from the side, some looking
unconcerned, others looking forlorn. As I neared the house itself, I saw Hotaru standing just
outside the door, looking at me with anger in her eyes, Melanie watching me with a scowl just
behind her. I freaked.
"NO!" I screamed, beginning to thrash about, trying to break free from my captors. "No!
I don't want to be cut up! I don't need surgery!"
"Surgery?" Mimete said with a note surprise in her voice. "Why would we... wait... no...
you mean you think...? That was the cougar!"
"No!" I screamed again, then blinked. "No, I...the cougar?"
"Yes!" Mimete said. "Just relax, kiddo."
"No! You're lying!" I snapped, my mind flashing back to what I had seen on the
operating table. "It was human! It was a man! You mutilated him!" Before I could protest
further, Kaolinite's free hand suddenly came down across my cheek, hard! I fell instantly into
silence, and was subdued. I had never been slapped before. I had always been reproached with
words and grounding, sometimes even confiscation of my toys for my bad behavior. Only once in
my memory do I recall doing something that caused my father to take his hand to my rear, and I
had made sure never to do anything afterward to warrant a repeat performance.
A short while later I was back in my room, and Kaolinite and Mimete dropped me on the
floor, Kaolinite leaving immediately in a huff. Mimete stopped at the door, and her face softened
slightly.
"You'll have to stay in here for a while," she said. "Dr. Tomoe will talk to you later and
try to explain what it is we're doing. Please, just listen and hear him out. Once you understand,
you'll agree with what we're doing. I know you will." And with that, she closed the door, I
heard a click, and she was gone.
Refusing to give in easily, I immediately got up and grabbed the doorknob, and twisted as
hard as I could, but it was securely locked. For a moment I considered escaping out the window,
but they had apparently taken that into account as well, and had locked it, too, adding an extra
bolt lock on the outside...somehow.
With no other way open to me, I began throwing my own weight against the door, over
and over and over again, praying it would give way. I stopped after about half an hour or so. It
hadn't even been dented...
I was trapped...
******************************************************************************
So much for _that_ escape attempt! And for the record, the "pig creatures" were Miharu
Akiyama, Nanako, and Kotaro Honjo from the SuperS season(various, the last two are from Rei's
and Lita's/Mina's upgrade eps.). And if you didn't guess, the "bear man" was Chad(Rei's would-
be beau?)! Next time - the "good" doctor tells all! Be there!!!
Remember to R&R!
only wrinkle the restraints. MWAHAHAHAHAHA! Okay, I'm good. Rini, on the other hand, is
about to find that she's in a world of trouble! But first, the disclaimers:
Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, DiC, Pioneer, and Cloverway, in that
order, none of whom are me.
The Island Of Dr. Moreau belongs to H.G. Wells and his descendants(if any), also not me.
_This_ is emphasis, and *this* is thought.
And now, the terror continues...
******************************************************************************
The Island Of Dr. Tomoe
by Scorpinac
Chapter 3: How Rini Learned Of The Beast Folk
I eventually adopted a routine for my stay on the island - wake up, have breakfast with
Mimete, and sometimes Hotaru and Melanie(though they seemed to want to avoid me), take a
bath, wander the grounds striking up the odd conversation or two with the various servants, try to
become friends with Hotaru and Melanie, get an update from Greg, have lunch, more
conversations, now with the added possibility of talking to Kaolinite or Mimete, admire the view
of the ocean, take a walk on the beach, have dinner, join the others in the lounge, then off to bed
and sleep.
In short, nothing of any real interest occurred for many days after my arrival on the island,
and for a brief while I started to content myself by seeing it as my new home. Though I had
arrived with only the one set of clothing to my name, the dress and underwear I'd been wearing
when I was "dismissed" from the Millennium, Mimete made it a personal point once she heard
how long it would be until a boat was likely to come to sew three new dresses and undergarments
for me, and Tomoe even "inherited" a few to me from Hotaru.
The only thing they couldn't give me were a pair of shoes since neither Hotaru nor
Melanie had any - and I sometimes wonder if they ever did. Not that it really mattered, by the
time I had landed on Tomoe's island I had already long become accustomed to being barefoot
anyway. Only one thing truly bothered me.
From the day after I arrived on the island I could hear what sounded like the Cougar that
had ridden in with me roaring and screeching from somewhere in the house - the laboratory, in
fact. I could also occasionally hear loud, animal like noises out in the island's jungle at night
while trying to go to sleep, but could never get a straight answer about it from anyone no matter
how I asked.
By the eighth day I noticed that the noise from within the house began to change slightly,
less animal, less bestial, and more into something else, I wasn't quite sure what. Then one day the
sounds became closer to human, like a person was suffering and in great pain. It was on the
nineteenth day of my stay on the island that things changed, when my curiosity finally got the best
of me.
I was heading down the hall to go wander the grounds after my daily bath when I started
to pass the hall that lead to the laboratory, and heard the noises again. I stopped and glanced
down the hall towards the door to the lab, listening to the moans and screams of whatever lied
within, and wanting to know if something, or someone, needed help, I turned and started to walk
quietly closer to the door, despite that I had been implicitly instructed to never venture anywhere
near there.
Finally I was at the door, and pressed my ear to it, and sure enough, the horrid, anguished
wailing of whatever it was came from the other side. My curiosity won out in seconds, and I tried
the door, but it was locked tight. I began pondering about how I could get inside when I heard
footsteps from somewhere nearby. As they got closer to where I was, I ducked into a closet a
couple feet away, leaving the door open just enough for me to peek through.
A few moments later Kaolinite came up to the laboratory door, pulled out a key, unlocked
it, and stepped inside. As the door closed behind her, I jumped out of my hiding place and caught
it, nudging it open enough for me to slip inside as well. At last, I was in Doctor Tomoe's
laboratory. And what I saw there will stay with me for the rest of my days.
The room was filled with science stuff - test tubes, sample dishes, bottles, jars, pans, blood
bags, microscopes, beakers in various shapes and sizes, Bunsen burners(my nan taught me what
those are and what they looked like), and some of those metal rings for holding tubes and beakers
over a Bunsen burner. A small table was set to one side with operating tools on it - scalpels,
saws, scissors, giant tweezers(Mimete later told me they're called Forceps), mini-mirrors(like
what a dentist uses?), and mini-drills - some of which looked recently cleaned.
Against one wall was a sink with other various science/operating tools, some of them with
dried blood on them. And in the center lay an operating table, a machine beside it monitoring the
heart and breath rate of the "patient", along with an IV bag dripping clear liquid down a plastic
tube into the "person" on the table.
And when I say "person" and "patient", I am being too kind. In truth, at first I could see
very little of who or what lay on the table. Between me and the subject lay an upright rack filled
with tubes and beakers, various unknown fluids flowing through them in a variety of colors, and,
of course, Kaolinite, who stood next to the table near the head, obscuring the top of the person
completely from view. But the wails I'd followed most definitely came from the subject on the
table.
"Let's see now," Kaolinite said. "Yes, tissue replacement and alteration seems to be
taking hold nicely. I'll just give you your next shot, mark it, and prep you for your next surgery."
So saying, she turned to the side and picked up a booster, a small bottle, filled the needle with
fluid from said bottle, returned the bottle, and then turned back to the "patient", and a loud,
pained cry from the helpless soul a moment later, which drew a small jump from me, indicated
that it had been injected with the fluid.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Kaolinite commented idly as she pulled the needle from the
booster and chucked it, then turned and moved away from the table as she dropped the booster
back where she got it. Gathering my courage, I moved around the tube rack for a closer look at
who or what was on the operating table...and gasped out loud when I saw it.
What lay there looked to be in the general shape of a man, but with fur and carefully sewn
shut incisions all over his body. It was strapped down, and the face was contorted, not really
human, but more like a beast's. Everything about it was horrific, and it seemed as though parts
had been sewn on, and others cut off, in a horrible display of mutilation and disfigurement. And
as I watched, it continued to moan and wail in pain, very much alive and awake.
Unfortunately, my gasp of shock and revulsion had gotten Kaolinite's attention, who's
voice suddenly broke into my terrified state:
"Hey! What are you doing in here!? How did you get in?!" I did not answer, I did not
even turn to look at her, I merely turned on my heels and ran for the door, tore threw it and then
the house, until I found my way out onto the grounds, and I did not stop. I ran to the gate,
pausing only to shove Unazuki aside and turn the gate wheel as fast and hard as I could, opening
it in only a few moments, and then dove out of the compound, even as Unazuki, in her slow,
drawling speech, plaintively called after me, entreating me to stay and tell her what was wrong, at
least I think that's what she called, I wasn't paying that much attention.
My first thought was to reboard my lifeboat, head back out to sea, take my chances, but
glancing at the beach, I immediately remembered why that was currently impossible. At some
point after my landing on the island, either Mimete, Kaolinite, or perhaps Tomoe himself, had two
or more of the servants pull the boat fully onto the beach and had it left sitting there flipped upside
down. Even if I'd had the strength to push it back into the water, I'd never be able to flip it back
up! So, with no where else to go, I dove headlong into the island jungle.
I would like to state for the record at this point that I am now well aware of the fact that
running into the jungle was probably the dumbest thing I could have done, but please try to
understand - after seeing what lay trapped in the laboratory, I was utterly afraid for my life in that
house. I was convinced that Dr. Tomoe and his assistants had been performing unneeded surgery
on a human being, and I was equally convinced they might decide to operate on me next, now that
I had seen their secret.
And so I ran, like a frightened animal runs from a predator, into the seeming safety of the
jungle woods. I cannot say for certain how long I ran, but I can say that the sun looked to be at
about the midday level when I finally did stop and catch my breath, my side threatening to tear
wide even as I stood and huffed like the big bad wolf before the door of the little pigs. I breathed
sharply for several moments before I finally noticed what lay before me on the ground, something
that did _not_ help my demeanor in the slightest:
It was a rabbit, and someone or something had ripped off its head and torn open its body.
In fact, I don't think the whole thing was there anymore - it looked as though some of it had been
torn out and carried away, but I could not be sure. I do know that I could not spy several key
organs in the remains.
After vacating what little remained of my breakfast via its original entrance, I paused to
take a good look at my current surroundings, and found I had _no_ idea where I was - I was lost!
But considering what I still at that moment presumed to be the alternative, I accepted it. Therefor
I began to scan around for anything that looked like food or water, mostly water, and anything to
tell me where I was.
After several moments more, and a few minor scrapes and cuts from branches I had to
push my way past in order to proceed, I emerged into a clearing that held a small stream leading
into a moderate pool of water, either a lake or a lagoon. And just when I had thought myself to
have come to a relative place of safety, I was again presented with danger, for I was not the only
one to have come to that stream at that moment.
Less than thirty feet away from me, kneeling down on all fours, and slurping noisily away
at the water, was a monster! It had the general shape of a man, but was covered in light orange
fur with multiple black spots therein, its feet were bare and looked more feline than human, its
hands, what I could immediately see of them, looked to be missing one or more fingers, and those
it did have seemed to end in sharp claw-like nails. Its face was the most horrible, so far removed
from anything human I had ever seen it could not possibly belong to the same race as I. It was
distorted, with a rather feline mouth cuffed with whiskers, now damp from the stream, and its ears
were partially pointy, and erupted from the top of the skull, its nose was short and seemingly
squashed against its face. The only thing remotely human about it was the fact that it wore a pair
of simple brown pants that seemed a bit stretched on its frame.
Again I let out a gasp, despite myself, but this time it did not seem to notice, at least at
first, or it didn't care. Deciding I did not wish to wind up on its dinner menu, I started to step
backwards into the jungle slowly, but before I got more than a few steps away, my foot fell on a
twig which snapped instantly, and the monster's head snapped up and stared at me. I will never
forget those eyes - they were vertical black slits in the center of almost pure golden orbs.
In that instant my fear was overwhelmed by awe, wonder, and curiosity. *What could
have crafted such a creature?* My mind was transfixed, my body frozen and unable to move any
further as the creature and I continued to stare at one another; and then, it turned and bolted away
into the woods beyond, moving on all fours in a very elegant and feline manner at absolutely
incredible speed.
*Yes,* I thought, *It is very like a large, misshapen cat!* My curiosity now in full
command, I moved as fast as I could after it, following in its wake back into the thick woods,
deeper than ever. I struggled through the trees again for only ten or so minutes, however, before
I admitted to myself that I had lost sight of the creature. Worse, I was even more lost than
before. I could not even see the stream or lake I had just come from.
With again no other recourse, I began to push through the woods around me, seeking
something, anything that would ensure my survival. Chance was with me, and about a half hour
or so later I tripped into another small stream - or the same one, I am not really sure - and quickly
drank my fill. When my thirst was eased, I saw nearby a bush covered in blackberries, and
deciding to take a chance, attempted to refill my belly. The berries were far bitterer than what I
was normally accustomed to, but I felt no ill effects to suggest poison, and managed four or five
handfuls before I could take no more, due in large part to the taste.
With my stomach thus calmed, I sat down and leaned against a tree and let myself drift off
to sleep for a nap.
The sun looked to be somewhat near ready to fall below the horizon when I woke, and
wishing to find something more flavorable to eat than the berries in my immediate vicinity, I began
to follow the river. I had been walking maybe ten or twenty minutes when I realized something
was watching me. Stopping and glancing around, I at first saw nothing, then noted what looked
to be a shape crouching in the trees a few feet away.
"Hello?!" I said nervously. "You don't want to eat me, do you? I'm sure I taste just
awful..." There was no response, so I continued walking, but casting my eyes over my shoulder
from time to time, I realized the shape was indeed following after me. Just as I was considering
the possibility of breaking into a run, though, I came into another clearing.
I stopped to examine my new surroundings, and found it to be a simple, empty, grass
covered area devoid of trees, and little else. However, as I stared into the clearing, I saw two
things of note. One - an actual path to one side, leading away, though to where I had no idea.
And Two - three squat, short creatures frolicking in the waning light of day.
These creatures had almost stubby feet, no truly visible toes that I could detect, and wore
only brief loincloths over their "special" spots. Their bellies were slightly extended, as though fat,
and their hands had only three fingers as far as I could tell. The faces were decidedly inhuman,
their eyes squinting and small, their mouths little more than slits across their faces, their noses
little stubs that ended with a flat surface on the front.
The ears were normally placed, and it looked as though some attempt at hair growth was
in play on the tops of their heads, as one had brown hair, one had medium dark blue hair in a small
pony tail down the back of its head, and one had light red/auburn hair in two tiny "dog ears", one
upon each side of the head. I detected that two were female, the brown haired one a male, by the
fact that the other two also wore simple loincloths over their chests, despite having nothing to
really hide at present.
As I watched, the one with blue hair began swinging around a tree branch like it was a
sword, and the other girl, the red head, began dodging around it, acting as though she admired the
other, seemingly having "stars" in her eyes. The third ran around both of them, every now and
then grabbing up some grass and tossing it in the air around the others. Their movements were
often times jerky, as though their legs were very stiff, and unwieldy. The noises they made as they
frolicked sounded nothing at all to me like speech, but more like the squeals of young pigs rolling
around merrily in the mud.
Deciding to take my chances on the path, I carefully stepped away from the stream and
eased my way around the clearing toward the path, trying to keep as much distance between me
and these new creatures as possible, not wanting to interrupt their curious play. But just as I was
in reach of my goal, the red haired girl spotted me, and drove up a fuss. Before I knew what was
happening, all three were surrounding me and all but dragging me back into the center of the
clearing.
Not wanting to be hurt by them, I moved with them, and quietly watched as they started
to dance around me, trying, as far as I could tell, to get me to dance or play with them, every now
and then pulling on my dress as though they wished to disrobe me. As I carefully observed them
from up close, I found they were no taller than myself, and it occurred to me that they might have
thought me one of them. I also found myself thinking more and more of how animal like they
were, how porcine. Yes, that was it! They were very much like pigs, in almost every respect, and
yet something human also seemed to be evident, giving them a truly unnerving aspect.
As they continued to frolic around me, I took a chance and began to move as they did,
joining the "game", and they started to squeal in delight, which to me confirmed my earlier
assumption. I continued to participate in their odd dance for several minutes more before I saw
an opening, and then I dashed out of their circle. Unfortunately, they took exception, and began
to fuss further, prompting me to dash onto the path and away as fast as I could, and not once did I
look back until I was far enough down the path that I could no longer hear them, and then only to
make sure they had not followed me.
Once I had again caught my breath, I took a look around myself, attempting to determine,
for the millionth time that day, where I was. I could not rightly tell where the path lead me, but
right then anywhere was preferable so long as it wasn't with those pig-like creatures. And just as
I decided to continue walking down the path, I felt the same sensation of being watched.
Glancing around, it took me only seconds this time to pick out the dark shape in the trees of my
earlier pursuer, who apparently had not lost sight of me for even a moment.
I immediately started walking, resolutely following the path and keeping my eyes away
from the shape that followed me, and continued in this for I am not sure how long, stopping only
when I reached a fork in the path. As I stared at the split before me and pondered on which was
the best way to go, I heard a rustling. Turning to my "shadow", I noted that it was still keeping
its distance, watching me from afar, and for the first time I realized I could make out its eyes -
vertical black slits in the center of almost pure golden orbs. It was the cat-creature from the
lagoon! And then another monstrosity erupted onto the path, landing in the middle of the left
hand branch of the fork.
The new terror was covered in brown fur, black shorts, and a loose white shirt. Its feet
looked crooked, as though it stood consistently on tip-toe, its hands were four fingered and
clawed, its nose a black stub in the middle of its face and looked wet. Its mouth was more like a
pair of jaws, filled with pointed teeth, the top row of which protruded slightly giving it a feral,
vicious look. The eyes were coal orbs behind slightly drooping brown bangs, and the ears almost
vanished into the side of the head. The head itself was more round than any I knew, the hair on
the top unkempt and straggly everywhere.
It saw me almost at once, and stared at me for several moments. I felt sure that this
creature, if the cat-thing didn't, would devour me for food, and then it did something even more
horrifying. It spoke.
"Five man..." it growled in a very male voice, and I must report that I was unable in the
least to repress the shiver that then ran up and down my spine. It took a step toward me, and fear
dominated me once more; I turned right and dove headlong straight back into the woods, pushing
my way past branches, shrubbery, bushes and everything else to get as far away from this latest
monster as I could. And only moments into my newest flight, I heard something following me,
pacing me. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw the cat-creature _still_ following me! I was now
totally convinced it was toying with me before finally pouncing and devouring me.
Now completely and utterly consumed by panic, I pushed forward, trying to go faster,
faster than the monster that wanted to eat me, faster than sound, faster than light! Anything to
regain my freedom, to save my life from death. And then my foot hit something - a root, a
branch, a rock, I don't know - and I tumbled forward, passing suddenly out of the woods as I did
so, and landed with a "THUMP" on the sandy beach.
I had to gaze around for a moment to assure myself that I had truly escaped the woods
and certain doom, and then sighed with relief as I pulled myself up to sit properly on my rear. I
glanced at my foot, only a slight stub and minor scrape, and I started to relax myself a little with
the thought that I was finally safe when two strong hands suddenly grabbed me by the arms and
hauled me to my feet!
As my mind whirled on the fact that I had been caught by my human hunters, and my
captors began to brusquely walk me back up the beach toward the compound, which to my
surprise was less than a mile or so away, I glanced to my left to see who held me. There, holding
my left arm by one hand, was Kaolinite! Her expression did nothing to hide her ire at me, and I
could tell she was all too eager to hand down whatever form of discipline suited her - no doubt
strapping me to the operating table and beginning my "surgery" that very night, or so I thought at
the time.
I then turned to my right to see who else was holding me, expecting to see the maddened,
bespectacled eyes of Dr. Tomoe himself. It wasn't. Of all people, it was the one person I had
hoped would have let me go, let me escape. Staring at me, a cross, upset look on her face, was
the woman who had saved me from death, and had at times looked on me almost as my own
mother looks on me.
Mimete.
"You shouldn't have done that, kiddo," she said, a tinge of concern in her voice. "We
told you to stay out of the lab for your own protection. I told you you didn't want to know what
was out in the woods. You only have yourself to blame."
As I felt myself go numb with fear, I was hauled back up and into the compound, and
towards the house, the misshapen servants and valets watching from the side, some looking
unconcerned, others looking forlorn. As I neared the house itself, I saw Hotaru standing just
outside the door, looking at me with anger in her eyes, Melanie watching me with a scowl just
behind her. I freaked.
"NO!" I screamed, beginning to thrash about, trying to break free from my captors. "No!
I don't want to be cut up! I don't need surgery!"
"Surgery?" Mimete said with a note surprise in her voice. "Why would we... wait... no...
you mean you think...? That was the cougar!"
"No!" I screamed again, then blinked. "No, I...the cougar?"
"Yes!" Mimete said. "Just relax, kiddo."
"No! You're lying!" I snapped, my mind flashing back to what I had seen on the
operating table. "It was human! It was a man! You mutilated him!" Before I could protest
further, Kaolinite's free hand suddenly came down across my cheek, hard! I fell instantly into
silence, and was subdued. I had never been slapped before. I had always been reproached with
words and grounding, sometimes even confiscation of my toys for my bad behavior. Only once in
my memory do I recall doing something that caused my father to take his hand to my rear, and I
had made sure never to do anything afterward to warrant a repeat performance.
A short while later I was back in my room, and Kaolinite and Mimete dropped me on the
floor, Kaolinite leaving immediately in a huff. Mimete stopped at the door, and her face softened
slightly.
"You'll have to stay in here for a while," she said. "Dr. Tomoe will talk to you later and
try to explain what it is we're doing. Please, just listen and hear him out. Once you understand,
you'll agree with what we're doing. I know you will." And with that, she closed the door, I
heard a click, and she was gone.
Refusing to give in easily, I immediately got up and grabbed the doorknob, and twisted as
hard as I could, but it was securely locked. For a moment I considered escaping out the window,
but they had apparently taken that into account as well, and had locked it, too, adding an extra
bolt lock on the outside...somehow.
With no other way open to me, I began throwing my own weight against the door, over
and over and over again, praying it would give way. I stopped after about half an hour or so. It
hadn't even been dented...
I was trapped...
******************************************************************************
So much for _that_ escape attempt! And for the record, the "pig creatures" were Miharu
Akiyama, Nanako, and Kotaro Honjo from the SuperS season(various, the last two are from Rei's
and Lita's/Mina's upgrade eps.). And if you didn't guess, the "bear man" was Chad(Rei's would-
be beau?)! Next time - the "good" doctor tells all! Be there!!!
Remember to R&R!