The Surface
2:15PM
"You see anything?"
"No." Shaine admitted.
Lindi chewed her lip, ahead so, close yet so far, sat the paper cut Stoma had shoved them out of. Immunity hadn't yet set up blocks around it. Frank was so clumsy lately, jumping into DIY home projects and earning more than a few bumps, bruises and knicks. Immunity was having a hard time keeping up.
"Wait."
Lindi's innards jolted.
"I see Liq… he's by himself." Shaine said.
"What's he doing?"
"Nothing."
The surface buckled. Frank was stretching, the cold biting as the host's arms moved. Shaine clutched the keratin, waiting for Frank to stop moving before jumping down from the hair.
"He's hanging near the cut, figuring we'd be heading there."
"I'd love to. Where do you think Nail is?"
"Hopefully he fell off the arm. Maybe Frank stepped on him."
Lindi didn't see the humor.
"Tough luck."
There stood Nail, gleeful as he pointed his blaster.
"You microbes are so stupid." He said.
"No stupider than you," Shaine shot back. "I saw your academy records. I'm impressed they let you in."
Nail's face turned dark blue.
"You little shit-"
But Shaine was already in motion.
"Run."
Lindi couldn't remember the first step into her sprint as she stared at the blaster's end, she could see pulsing inside the barrel, a cytokine just itching to be released.
"RUN!"
Shaine yanked her.
She didn't pay attention to where she went as they ran, the coronavirus behind her and the murderous T-Cell behind him. The surface was so flat, so coarse with the many follicles and hairs. Up ahead, she could just see irritation. Another cut yawned big, the dermis in various stages of healing. She grabbed for Shaine, their fingers entwining. This particular wound had a scab, partially formed. Lindi jumped.
The crevasse wasn't as deep as she thought but the scab plenty hard enough when she hit feet first, the fibers in her legs jamming hard. The air left her painfully as she tumbled. There may have been shots that rang out as the two slid towards an opening, a side of the scab that hadn't quite closed, temporary covering over it. Lindi squealed as she hit the covering, it buckling under her and the two of them dropped through the hole.
….
Cerebellum Hall
Helix Chamber
2:15PM
Daemon would have preferred to work on his own, that was after all El Muerte Rojo's biggest pet peeve, involving long- term accomplices. That's why it was always expendables who were used. Used and then gotten rid of. But if Daemon wanted to avoid being shot and being regarded with a hairy eyeball he had to grudgingly allow Grace Estrogen to come with him. He was okay until she slid into the mayor's office. Then Tom Colonic became involved. And that turned into an argument with the Helix technicians, a particularly stout cell who Daemon would have loved to compromise his morals and get rid of. The cell was wasting time.
"You're trusting this virus!"
"Vincent-"
"Do you not remember the last one that looks like him who came through here? Fred and Winona are dead because of that virus."
"I'm well aware-"
"I don't think you are, Mayor."
"We don't have time for this!" Daemon hissed.
He took a step forward but halted when the technician pulled a cytokine revolver, pointing it square at him.
"Something new the Council said yes to, for the next peril that came through this door." The technician sneered.
Daemon's eyes narrowed.
"You know how to shoot that thing?"
"Yes!" The diminutive technician was indignant.
Daemon smirked.
"With the safety on?"
The fake bravado deflated as the technician realized his mistake, but Daemon was in motion first, knocking the cell out with one punch.
"Oh god!" Grace was by the technician's side as the virus passed with barely a look down.
"He'll be fine."
Daemon was sizing up the chamber as the Helix spun lazily. Then the virus turned to the remaining technician, a young female. A kid fresh out of school by the looks of her.
"I need you to open it."
The girl glanced to Colonic, who like Grace was startled by the sudden violence inflicted on the white blood cell, but decided trusting the virus was a better avenue than not.
"It's okay Sara."
"Opening it can cause a chain reaction-" Sara's eyes flickered to the down Vincent.
"I'm aware of that. Open it." Daemon was losing patience. "Or I will." The second digit on his left hand burned bright.
Sara swallowed.
"Okay."
She hit buttons and then turned a dial, the protective case sliding up, exposing the Helix.
"That's good." Daemon said, watching the strands turn. Then he saw the one he needed and reached for it-
…..
Left forearm paper cut, Epidermis
2:19PM
"Ow."
Lindi couldn't speak as she lay staring up at the ceiling of the epidermis pulsing gently, platelets giving the whole area a red hue.
"I've never been in a cut before, except for today."
"I have." Shaine sat up. "Got stuck in the clotting proteins. I don't care to do that again…. Oh shit."
"What?"
Lindi sat up too.
"What kind of half ass-?" Shaine got to his feet, staring at their surroundings.
"What's wrong?"
"There's no way out, that's what's wrong." Shaine pushed on the wall. "It's like fibroblast or something."
Lindi felt a chill. "So we have to go back up?"
Shaine sighed.
"Wait…"
The coronavirus crouched.
"You claustrophobic?"
"That's a shit ass question, Shaine."
Shaine shrugged.
"Thought I'd ask. C'mon."
The hole was skinner than Lindi would have liked but she forced herself to take measured breathes, avoiding the panic. It almost worked. Then Shaine stopped crawling, spiking Lindi's angst.
"Shaine, I'd really like to get the hell out of here."
"Shhh."
Lindi struggled to see over her boyfriend's shoulder.
"What is that?"
In the darkness ahead, the creature was asleep, she was sure of it, the tunnel vibrated with every snore as it slept, blocking one of two tunnels. He slid out carefully, reaching back for her.
"Go left and be quiet."
She almost didn't hear Shaine as he barely whispered. Then lights played over their heads.
"C'mon out you brats!"
Nail's voice bounced off the walls, the words quickly absorbed into the dermis, but it was enough. A
choked grumble and Lindi could see dark pupils as the creature woke up.
"Phagocyte." Shaine uttered. "Go. Go now!"
"Hey!"
Nail was there as Shaine pushed Lindi ahead and to the left, a shot barely missing as it sunk into dermis.
Shaine shoved Lindi.
"Don't stop!"
The phagocyte sprung, surprisingly light on its tentacles for how big it was. Nail's triumphant yell of finding his teenage prizes turned into screams of terror as the phagocyte roared drowning out everything. No amount of shots stopped the scavenger as it bared down on the T-cell, Nail disappearing into its maw. Shaine skidded to a stop, spying the cytokine blaster fallen, tossed in the throes of death of the T-cell. He went back, diving for it, fingers barely closing around the barrel before the phagocyte turned, black eyes on him. Fear froze Shaine.
"Oh shit."
The phagocyte roared, throwing the mangled remains of Nail away, and lurched for him. Shaine backpedaled, hearing Lindi screaming something. The tunnel was tightfitting, barely enough room to scrape through as the scavenger creature followed them, its bulk easily sliding through the tissues. Then something caught Shaine in the shins, knocking him off his feet. The phagocyte roared victorious, its tentacle retracting back into its body as its mouth opened wide with wicked teeth. This was it.
Shaine hoped Lindi wasn't stupid enough to stop for him like she had been that day in the Gallbladder when he was caught by the drone. A drone was one thing, a murderous phagocyte was quite another.
A protective sleeve slammed upwards, catching the phagocyte, shoving it into the ceiling of the tunnel. Shaine stumbled to his feet as the phagocyte squirmed to be free, its teeth gnashing in a bitter attempt to eat him.
"Whew, that was close."
"What is that?" Lindi asked.
"I don't know. I've never seen it before."
"Is it going to hold it?"
"Of course it is."
The phagocyte's struggles grew more violent.
"You sure?" Lindi asked.
Shaine dusted himself off.
"Lindi, I'm sure."
CRACK.
The teenagers paused as the Phagocyte thrashed, slamming its chin down harder and harder as more leeway was given. Thick fissures appeared under their feet. There was one moment to glance at each other before the ground gave way.
….
Ulnar Artery Highway
Moments earlier
2:20 PM
"My baby can drive so much faster than this piece of crap." Osmosis Jones said. "Cerebellum gave you this thing?"
"Yes, Jones, Cerebellum Hall gave him this vehicle." Amoriah answered.
"So drab and slow."
"Jones, say another thing about this car I'm going to assign you bathroom duty for two weeks." Veins threatened.
Despite his annoyance cooking over the past two hours Thrax smirked, vaguely noting Veins lean forward. Then came the swearing.
"What the hell…?"
Veins jammed on the brakes as something large slammed into the highway ahead, sending cars in all directions to avoid the collision, the ones who were lucky anyway.
"Holy shit!" Jones sat forward, eyes round. "What the hell is that?"
"Phagocyte." Amoriah was a shade paler. "They're in the scabs. How the-" she glanced up to a sizable hole in the hypodermis ceiling. "Oh Frank…." The cell yanked off her seatbelt. "I swear Thrax, your fucking kid could write a goddamn bestseller."
"My what?"
But Thrax didn't need clarity as he spied a girl stumble to her feet, too close for comfort to the enraged scavenger creature.
"Shit."
…
Heavier objects fell quicker and for that Lindi supposed she was thankful as the Phagocyte broke hers and Shaine's fall. After that she had little to be thankful for as the creature righted itself, its focus only on her and Shaine. She inhaled to scream but a force hit her first, knocking her under an upended trailer.
"Move!"
Thrax grabbed Shaine by his neck, throwing him unceremoniously out from under the trailer and across to the cab to take cover. Giant tentacles slammed down on the trailer, scattering foods, crushing the rectangular box as teeth came over the lip intent on the three.
Safety first, regard for injury later: Thrax grabbed Lindi's arm and threw her easily across the highway, she disappeared behind a car with a scream. The phagocyte leapt for him as shots rang out: Jones, Veins and Amoriah peppering the furious cell with their blasters. Thrax rolled back under the trailer and barely got to his feet before the scavenger hardly bothered by the shots, followed him. Tentacles swiped for him, barely missing as they shredded the trailer.
Thrax flexed his hand.
"C'mon!" He hissed.
The digit turned a fiery reddish yellow which he jammed into the remains of the trailer, the fire growing in strength and quickly consuming the vehicle. The phagocyte roared as fire scorched it. One punch and the trailer busted free from the cab, sliding across the highway, throwing Thrax into the jersey barrier. A screech of iron cab, the shadow grew darker over Thrax as he jumped to his feet and dove over the side of the highway, the trailer crashed into the jersey barrier, breaking in half, the back half of the trailer disappearing into the neighborhood below.
Thrax gripped the side of the highway overpass, listening hard. Everything had fallen silent. Too silent. Then he heard Jones yelling. The white blood cell leaned over the side.
"It's fucking coming! Thrax!"
Thrax felt the freeway jolt, barreling at him, using its tentacles to swing itself across the underneath of the highway, the phagocyte was murderous. Thrax hauled himself up but a thin feeler whipped out wrapping around his ankle. The virus felt his grip slip and jammed his left hand into the side of the freeway as the tentacle yanked with as much leverage as it had. Thrax felt his shoulders pop. A hand grabbed his, Jones was there, in vain trying to get a grip on him. But the phagocyte was too strong everyone knew that. Wishful thinking.
For a moment time stopped as Thrax looked up. Who would have thought the white blood cell would be on a freeway, concerned about him, the El Muerte rojo virus, desperately trying to keep him from dying. The fall was going to kill him. El Muerte Rojo were only so hardy until they weren't. Either the fall or the phagocyte trying to haul him into its mouth, two shitty options. Would there be anything to clean up if he did fall? Would he explode to goo like Anguli-Oris did?
Then Thrax remembered his hand, his deadly left hand, was jammed into the freeway, still burning. A sliver of fire raced up the side of the jersey barrier, Jones oblivious. The fire was slow until it wasn't.
Veins looked over the side before seeing a crack in the highway, red and burning, zipping across.
"Oh shit."
The highway settled hard, part of it slamming down on the phagocyte too primal to notice its demise coming.
Vein turned to shocked onlookers.
"Back up! Everyone back up!"
CRACK.
Shaine pulled Lindi back as the fire broke the highway apart, crushing the phagocyte as the freeway plummeted.
CRASH. BOOM.
Below, the freeway fell, demolished, the phagocyte with it. Thrax inhaled and pulled himself up, but his hand was fatigued. Jones struggled but was able to get him back onto the highway.
"Is it dead?"
Jones peeked over the side and he wasn't the only one as other motorists did too, all of them speaking blurring into a repetitive din to Thrax's auditory canal. He tried to block them out the best he could.
A massive hole where the highway once was, below the road, luckily smashing into an abandoned factory, purple goo spread everywhere.
"I'd say so." Veins said.
Lindi appeared, pressing into Thrax, he could feel her adrenaline with every shake.
"You're fine. Okay?"
Lindi nodded once.
"Freddie." Amoriah was looking up.
A blue sleeve had spread over the gaping hole the phagocyte fell from.
"What the hell is that?"
"That happened in the tunnel. It caught the phagocyte as it charged us." Shaine said. "That's when we fell."
"It's happening everywhere." Amoriah looked out over the highway. She was right as the translucent sleeves appeared, sealing off entire areas."
….
Cerebellum Hall
Mayor's Office
2:30PM
Tom Colonic watched from the window as hemostasis sleeves developed across the City of Frank. He wished he could have made an announcement first but time was of the essence. He wasn't sure if his allowing the El Muerte rojo virus to take a bead out of the helix was considered a treasonous act even if it was for the greater good. His guilt lessened slightly when Daemon held out the bead to him. Colonic tried to act as if it was just a normal exchange. Who cared if a potentially dangerous virus was handing him a helix bead? He had been surprised by how warm it was.
Colonic sighed, glancing at news footage of the Ulnar Artery Highway. What a fucking mess. He cringed to think of how much that was going to cost. But the threat was eliminated once again by Thrax.
"Tom?"
Leah was there.
"There goes my candidacy." Colonic sat in his chair. "If I was thinking of running again. The cameras ready?"
"Yes, sir."
Leah held out a blazer. In the shadows, Daemon stood only yellow orbs telling anyone someone was there. Somewhere next to him, sat Grace. Daemon watched as the mayor slid the helix bead, safe in an air tight box, into a bottom drawer and locked it.
The brain cell looked up.
"Is it going to still be here when I get back?"
Daemon was silent for so long Colonic felt a spike of unease.
"You have my word."
The virus shifted, Grace moving with him as if pulled by an invisible tether.
"I'll even accompany you Mayor."
"I'd like that."
"Tom, the media is waiting." Leah was at the door.
Colonic nodded.
"After you."