Seeking Sunshine
Commissioned by Jemenfous
Written by TwistedSnakes
Illustrated by Qundium
E-reader link (Mobile-friendly, themes, EPUB and PDF format)
Ezel slipped silently into the dingy alleys of Level Zero. Dressed in a cloak, he blended into the shadows. Everyone around him kept to themselves, huddled as if to make themselves smaller and innocuous. Their faces were hard to make out in the darkness. The only sources of light were the torches and candles leaking through shuttered windows of the 2- to 3-storey buildings. If he squinted, he could make out the vast concrete ceiling that hung just over the roof of the structures. The buildings themselves were dusty and cracked, not from age but from the poor workmanship of their construction.
The lizard strode through the lethargic stream of people with his coat trailing behind him. Some buildings had their first floor converted into a shop where children's books would be sold next to hunting rifles, and barrels of drinking water would be sold next to porn magazines. Makeshift booths were set up on the pavement too, blocking people's paths as the booth owner sold more merchandise.
"Wristwatches from Palmer, Linzel, Naro. On sale, on sale! $80 for one, second one half-off."
"Oxo Smartphones! They go for $1200 on the Surface, but I'm selling it to you now for the cheap, cheap price of $350."
Counterfeit products, the lot. Ezel pushed past an aggressive merchant and pressed on. Level Zero, The Underground, or just "Zero". Whatever people called it, it bore the same odious connotations. Squalid buildings, filthy squatters, and the pervasive smell of piss and weed in the stale, underground air.
The streets got brighter as Ezel entered the black market district. The stores here were more well-maintained, illuminated by fluorescent bulbs rather than fire torches like in the slums. If there was one thing good about Zero, it was its black market. The shops here sold all kinds of things. There were stacks of organs in ice boxes with labels like "Kidney (tiger)" and "Lung (rhino)". Plastic packs of various-coloured drugs were peddled on tables as if they were in a candy store. Slaves were locked away in stacked cages, wearing nothing but copper collars and chained cuffs.
There were only three reasons someone would be caught dead in Zero: they were too poor to afford a living in the sunlit city of the Above, they got on the wrong side of the law (or simply have no legal status), or they were black market dealers. All three applied to most people here, Ezel included. The lizard was the bastard child of a secret affair, kicked onto the streets when he was old enough to walk. From there, he eked out a living through odd jobs and petty theft, avoiding capture when the slave traders raided the slums. He wanted out of this life. If everything went well today, his wish would be granted.
The dingy stores turned into sleek, modern booths made of clean, white panels and clear plexiglass. On display in glass cubicles were sex drones in full body latex suits and gas masks. More sex drones were restrained in various positions. Some were held spreadeagle in an "X" frame, others were forced into kneeling position. People gathered around these drones to feel up their shiny bodies and abuse their fuckholes--originally the drones' mouth and tailholes. Ezel was among that crowd many times in the past, quenching his sexual thirst with a few rounds on a sex drone.
This was Gleipnir. Or at least, a side of Gleipnir the Above didn't see. On the surface, the Gleipnir corporation was a shining complex of steel and glass, producing premium service drones for the wealthy. Here in Zero, however, Gleipnir sang a different tune. After all, the company built Zero with a concrete floor and ceiling, only to abandon the project halfway. Their defective drones were sold in the black market at a discount, if they were lucky. The rest would be public fucktoys for the foul population of Zero. Not that the sex drones could complain; most of them were regular people once, brainwashed by Gleipnir and converted into mindless latex drones--another secret that the Above was ignorant of.
Despite its shady dealings, Ezel was thankful for Gleipnir. If this latex "goo" was how they made drones, then it was valuable in the black market. If the lizard could get his hands on some of this tightly controlled substance, he could make it big. He would move out of Zero, apply to be a legal citizen in Velas, and finally live a life of freedom. But it all depended on whether he could acquire this goo.
Thankfully, he had been keeping his ear to the ground. There were rumours of a laboratory deep in Gleipnir that was no longer in use. The employees had long abandoned the place, using it only as a dumping ground for discarded goo. If this was true, Ezel could gather a huge volume of it and sell it in the black market.
He walked past the stores of Gleipnir drones and products until he came to a quiet street. Shuttered shophouses lined either side of the cracked pavement. The only people in sight were huddled against the sides of the shops, sitting on damp cardboard boxes in their tattered rags and jackets. They didn't react as the lizard strode past.
With each turn down another street, the silence became more oppressive. The light of the bustling market was merely a glow over the roofs. Even the homeless were nowhere to be seen. The street ended in a wire fence that spanned between the shophouses. A faded sign hung in the middle of the fence.
"GLEIPNIR PREMISES" was printed in red at the top. "Strictly no entry. Trespassers will be dealt with severely. Your safety is not guaranteed."
Ominous.
Beyond the fence was darkness, save for a grey wall in the distance. Fluorescent lights were mounted on it at sparse intervals, giving the illusion of a dashed line splitting the darkness in two. This was Gleipnir's headquarters. The building was a skyscraper that towered over the city of the Above. Its foundations extended into Zero, and then further down into the bowels of the Earth. That was where the goo was.
Ezel paused. This wasn't his first felony. He had pickpocketed from passersby on the streets, burglarised a few homes in the Above, and even robbed people in broad daylight. However, he only attempted those after months of practicing with the Thieves' Guild. When he brought up the idea of breaking into the Gleipnir complex, everyone in the Guild was quick to dissuade him.
"Nobody comes back from that."
"Don't mess with Gleipnir dude, you'll regret it."
"I hear there's a giant monster that guards the place."
Ezel scoffed at the last one. His friend, Cliff, was the most insistent.
"Pretty sure one of the drones in the Gleipnir shops used to be Fargaros. Wiped him clean, not one brain cell between those ears anymore." The snake had cautioned. "Please, don't go!"
Yet the siren song of freedom was stronger than the warnings of danger. Ezel hated this life. He hated Zero. He hated being considered the scum of Velas. He hated the looks of disdain from the people Above. He hated how sunlight was a luxury he couldn't afford.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, imagining the warmth of the Sun on his scales. When he opened his eyes again, he reached into his cloak. A utility bag was strapped across his chest, featuring various zips and pouches. He unzipped one and pulled out a wire cutter. In a few quick snips, he made a hole in the fence.
Within moments, he was a mere shadow, a silent streak of black tearing across the darkness. A steel door was bolted into the concrete wall, and the lizard made for it. A flash of a lock pick, the jiggle of pins, the screech of rusty hinges. There was an echoing "boom" as the door closed, leaving no traces of the lizard.
Ezel's footsteps echoed through the vast stairwell. It was in the shape of a large square, with the stairs hugging the walls as they spiraled down into the void below. The lizard peered over the edge and pointed his flashlight down. If there was ground below, it was all swallowed up in the darkness. A sharp, acidic stench filled the air. Patches of black sludge coated the walls and stairs, their shiny surfaces throbbing with an unearthly pulse.
Ezel picked up a rusty rod and prodded a blob of goo. It made a horrible squelching noise, sticking to the rod as the lizard pulled it back. It wasn't like the liquid that Gleipnir used to make its drones. People wouldn't buy it. He had to look further.
Sunshine. Imagine the sunshine.
Each step took him deeper and deeper into the forsaken depths of Gleipnir. He tuned out from the monotonous sound of his echoing steps, letting his body continue the descent on autopilot. Only when he turned the corner did he notice that he was at the bottom of the stairs.
The lizard shone the torch around him. Scattered around him were numerous trolleys of laboratory equipment and metal containment barrels. Goo coated their surfaces, as if something had exploded in the stairwell, splashing the black gunk everywhere. The employees must've fled in a hurry; they left all these equipment behind.
The door was half-hidden by the goo. Thankful for his gloves, Ezel pushed the handle and opened the door. He found himself in a corridor with many doors. Glass panels revealed the laboratories behind the doors. The lizard walked down the hallway, looking for goo that wasn't already congealed into a repulsive mess.
The silence here was jarring and the air was eerily still. This place hasn't been disturbed in years. Ezel walked by lab after lab, shining his flashlight into each window. Some of them were filled with rows of desks with machines and spilled chemical flasks. Others were lined with containment tubes, smashed into shards. Everything was coated in goo. All the labs told the same story: the scientists had left in a rush. Something must've happened here. Something big and bad. Really, really bad.
But the lizard wasn't here to contemplate the motivations of Gleipnir's scientists. He needed to find some liquid goo he could sell, then he could leave and never come back. No more Gleipnir, no more Zero, no more poverty.
At the end of the corridor were double doors. It used to be magnetically locked, but the lack of power had rendered its security useless. The lizard pushed them open. Beyond them was a giant room that was 5, maybe 6 times the height of the corridor he was in. In the middle stood a cylindrical pillar with a grid of monitors mounted on it. Curved desks were arranged in a radial fashion around it, forming concentric circles of work desks and computers.
Windows on the walls allowed people on the upper floors to look into this room. All of them were either cracked or completely smashed. Portions of the walls were missing, as if something huge had smashed through the concrete, turning them into dusty debris. Gravel littered the floor, crunching beneath Ezel's footsteps.
Something shiny caught the lizard's eyes as he waved his flashlight over it. He made his way towards it, navigating the maze of tables and sticky goo until he came to the other side of the room. The source of the shine was a trail of liquid goo flowing down the wall. It seeped out from the air vents near the ceiling in a steady stream, pooling on the floor where it settled into pulsating blobs.
This was it. He pulled aside his cloak and took off his backpack. Inside it was a large funnel with a semicircle opening. He stuck the funnel into the stream, letting the goo gush out of its spout. With his free hand, he dug into his utility pouch and pulled out a roll of tape, which he used to secure the funnel to the wall.
Ezel reached into his backpack and unrolled a water bladder. After unscrewing the cap, he put it under the funnel's spout to collect the stream of goo. The viscous fluid started filling out the bladder, inflating the polyurethane bag. The process was slow, but the lizard had all the time in the world. He could repackage one bag of goo into three, maybe four canisters, then market it as the standard volume required to fully turn a person into a mindless drone. If each one sold at ten thousand, he could get enough to apply for a birth certificate, get a citizenship in Velas, and rent a place. Maybe he could even take a few months off to rest before settling into his new life. A smile spread across his face. Think of the sunshine.
...
...
The lizard woke up to the sound of spilling liquid. He had taped the fourth bladder to the funnel to ease the strain on his arm, allowing the stream of goo to fill the bag past the brim. Getting up, Ezel hastily detached the bag and screwed the cap on. He wiped down the bladder with a rag before putting it down with the other ones.
Four bags. That would be more than enough to live comfortably. Sure, he could make more money by filling a fifth bag, or perhaps make a second trip down to get more goo. But if there's one thing he learnt, it's to never be too greedy. Even the best had succumbed to the allure of second helpings. A friend of his had tried to rob a mansion again, only to find that the security system had been upgraded. Before he knew it, his group was locked in the study room with reinforced steel doors and windows. Couldn't have been more convenient for the police to come and pick them up.
No. He'd make do with this. He picked up a bladder of goo and slung its strap over his shoulders so it sat on the right side of his back. The second one went on his other shoulder, positioning the two bags side by side. He pulled his cloak over them. The other two bladders were similarly slung around his chest and he used a belt to hold them close to his chest.
Thump. Thump.
Ezel had earlier assumed the sounds were from some old machinery that was still running. But that couldn't have been it; the sounds were getting louder.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
They sounded like footsteps of a gigantic creature, echoing through the empty labs. The walls and floor shuddered with each thump, as if they, too, dreaded the presence of the beast.
Ezel stood still. Panicking would only make things worse. He stepped back so he was pressed against the wall and pulled his cloak tighter around him. Slow breaths. He stood still, willing himself to blend into the shadows. With any luck, the creature would just pass him by.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
An orange glow appeared in the upper floor windows. Ezel held his breath. A draconic head peered over the edge of a room where an entire wall was destroyed. Its skin was black and shiny, but its face was a dark visor with glowing orange eyes beneath.
So the rumours were true.
The head disappeared for a second, then the creature leapt out of the upper floor. It soared through the air, smashing into the central pillar and clinging on with its 4 limbs. Monitors were torn off their mounts, smashing to the ground with the sound of shattering glass. The rest of its quadrupedal body had the same shiny, black exterior as its head, except for its orange underside and wings. Its back and tail had fins reminiscent of a shark. The dragon-shark hybrid climbed to the top of the pillar in a swift motion, looked around the room, and let out a deafening roar.
Shit. Not good.
Ezel steeled his nerves. He was willing to bet his life that the beast had something to do with why these labs were abandoned. One wrong move here and he would be the beast's prey. But there was no way he was outrunning a monster of that size. The dragon hasn't seen him yet. He could hide and hope it passed. His breaths were slow and shallow, trying to minimise his movement.
The beast jumped off its perch and landed on the ground, shaking the room. From its eyes shone orange beams of light, illuminating the area as it searched the room. The light darted from corner to wall, wall to ceiling, and back to the floor. It paced about the room searching for something.
Searching Ezel.
Even on all fours, it was twice the lizard's height, effortlessly smashing through the tables. Splinters of wood flew everywhere.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
It rose on its hind legs and let out a roar. This time, the goo in the room responded to its call. Shiny spikes rose out of the goop that coated the walls and floor, writhing in the air like menacing tendrils. One of them snaked around Ezel's ankle, coiling around his shin like a creeping vine.
Oh shit, oh fuck.
Did he dare move?
Another tendril wrapped its sticky, viscous form around his other leg. The closest door was just a few paces away. He needed to move. Now. With a strong tug, he jerked his right leg free of the tendril's grasp, then his left. The sound of his footsteps was enough to catch the dragon's attention, and he was caught in its orange gaze.
"GAWARR!" it screeched.
Ezel was through the exit, running down another corridor of abandoned labs. Behind him, the dragon was tearing through the corridor. The ceiling panels were barely obstacles as the beast smashed through them like paper. Ezel ran. The beast was gaining on him, but he was almost at the end of the corridor. He'd need to climb up the endless flight of stairs until he--
He burst through the doors and found himself in another big laboratory. In his haste and panic, he had run down the wrong corridor. But there was no turning back. He'd have to keep running until he found a way out. If there were signs to indicate the exit, they were completely covered in goo. The entire room was coated in a thick layer of the sticky substance.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Its speedy footsteps pounded like the beat of his heart.
"HGARRR!"
Ezel had to run, even if it meant going deeper into the labs. There should be other exits he could use. He ran down another corridor. Through the windows, he could see another enormous room below. The effects of the goo were more pronounced here: the walls and floors were warping under its corrosive effects. Laboratories were tilting into each other and pillars were twisting beneath the load.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
The lizard could feel the dragon's breaths behind him. The floor thundered with its heavy footsteps. He turned left into another corridor, then right again, trying in vain to shake off his pursuer. Ezel immediately regretted his decision; the corridor had warped into a downward slope. He slipped on the slick goo and tumbled down the incline. The world spun around him in a flurry of black and orange.
The ground slammed into him and he yelped in pain. He scrambled to his feet and took in his surroundings.
"Oh, fuck."
The chamber wasn't even a proper room anymore. Other labs, corridors, and stairwells had sunk through the walls and ceiling, melding into a huge mess of tunnels and cavities. Black goo coated every available surface. Movement from the walls and floor caught Ezel's eye. Goopy figures were shifting in the black liquid. The blunt tendrils looked like arms, the blobs looked like heads with their snout-like protrusions, almost as if--
Was this the fates of the employees here?
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
The corridor behind him was nothing more than a sloped tube of goo. The dragon was tearing through the tunnel with its claws, making it wide enough to squeeze through.
"RAWRGG!"
Ezel couldn't stay here. He took off running, splashing his boots through the thick goo on the ground. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. Primal terror put wings on his feet as he dashed across the room. The dragon was faster still, bounding after him with effortless leaps. It was gaining on him. There was no way out. But he had to try. He couldn't end up like these poor souls.
A door was at the other end of the room. He could only hope it was a way out. But the beast was gaining on him. He wouldn't make it to the door in time. Panic set in. A sick feeling grew in his stomach. His vision clouded with tears.
Please. Not like this.
Ezel couldn't outrun the inevitable. The dragon pounced on him. Its strong feet landed hard on his back and he fell to the ground. The bags of goo burst, coating him with the noxious liquid. He tried to scramble away, but the dragon pinned him down with its hefty weight. Its feet felt malleable against his back, but the weight was crushing.
"HGARRR!"
The beast was triumphant. Ezel turned his head to see the dragon examine him with hungry eyes. It opened his jaws, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth and sticky goo. Its tepid, humid breath washed over the lizard and he shuddered. The beast lunged for him with its open maw. He closed his eyes.
Whoosh!
There was a blast of hot air. Ezel opened his eyes to a flurry of flames. As it dissipated, he saw that the dragon had backed away. The fire had partially melted its body. Another blast of fire was directed at the dragon. Ezel turned to its source; an orca in a purple-orange jacket was shooting a flamethrower in sweeping motions. The jet fanned into a wall of flames, advancing on the dragon as the orca stepped forward. The dragon was pushed into the corner of the room. It let out one last shriek, turned around, and leapt up the wall. Within seconds, it had climbed up and escaped through a tunnel.
Ezel stared in disbelief. He was rescued, albeit coated with the horrible goo. Cleaning his scales would take some time, but at least he was safe. He carefully got to his feet. The orca was walking towards him.
"Thanks." He managed a nervous grin; after all, he wasn't supposed to be here. "I thought I was a goner back there."
The orca raised a cannon-like device towards him.
"Wait what--"
A black orb shot out of the device. It spread out into a huge latex sheet as it hit Ezel. The lizard fell back onto the ground as the sheet continued to wrap and tighten around him. He was forced to curl into a squirming ball.
"Hey! What's this about? Let me go!"
There was a hiss, and Ezel could smell a sweet scent. A haze settled in his mind.
Hard to think...
Need to stay awake...
The squirming latex bundle calmed down as the lizard fell unconscious.
Ezel was conscious, but only barely. His eyelids were heavy. He was upright, but his body wasn't touching anything. Was he floating? It felt like he was suspended in a liquid. Through his half-open eyes, he could see the distorted world around him, curved by the glass of the giant tube he was in. He was in a laboratory with grey walls, illuminated by strips of light built into the ceiling. Empty workstations were set up around the room, each with a computer but nobody sitting there.
What happened? Where was he? Trying to rack his memories was like navigating a heavy fog. He was trying to collect goo from Gleipnir. Then there was a chase. The dragon. Then...
His head hurt. There was a fire. No, the orca was shooting the flames. Then his savior captured him! He tried to struggle, but his body didn't respond through the impenetrable haze of sedation.
He groaned. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the orca sitting in front of a computer with headphones on.
Where was he?
Fuck! The orca was working for Gleipnir. He had been captured, probably to be the next experiment subject. But he couldn't move his body, much less escape from the high-security labs of Gleipnir.
There was the sound of a beep, followed by a whoosh sound. A door had opened, and a wolf walked into the room, dressed in a white suit with a digital tablet in his hand.
"Decro." The orca took off his headphones and turned to face him.
"Orca."
"I called you here because--"
"Yes, I read the message." The wolf stood in front of Ezel's pod and scrolled through his tablet.
"Okay." Orca bit his lip. "I attached the report--"
"Read it."
"Already?"
"Lizard entered the Deep Labs. Caught by Qundium. Waste goo corrupted his cells and DNA. Anything I'm missing?"
Orca shrugged. "That's pretty much it."
"Didn't need a 15-page report."
"With your reading speed, it shouldn't have taken more than 3 minutes."
"Didn't need a 15-page report," the wolf repeated.
"Anyway, I was hoping to pick your brain about what to do with him."
"Toss him back into the Deep. Let Qundium take care of him. I don't know why you even bothered to rescue him."
Ezel felt a twisting feeling in his stomach.
Orca shrugged. "Figured he could be raw material for drone production."
"His DNA is already corrupt with waste goo."
"Then we can just let him go."
"Where to? The authorities?" The wolf's voice dripped with icy venom. "We're going to have to explain why we let their citizens get their hands on our toxic waste goo. We got into enough trouble with the last--"
"Okay, just shut up." Orca snapped back. "I've already rescued him, alright? I'm not going back down to face Qundium again. Give me a minute to figure this shit out."
He turned to his computer, put the headphones on, and typed away.
"I'll be here if you need me. I have some other tasks to attend to."
Decro sat at another desk and tapped on his tablet. Ezel watched helplessly as the two Gleipnir employees decided his fate. Speaking was impossible; he could barely produce a growl from the back of his throat. Regret filled his mind. He shouldn't have come here. He should've listened to the Guild when they told him not to mess with Gleipnir. He should've listened to Cliff.
But perhaps there was still hope. Maybe they'd let him go. He no longer had goo, but at least he could find other ways to buy his freedom. It'd take some time, but at least he could enjoy the sun every now and then.
Think of the sunshine.
Think of the sunshine.
Think of the sun--
"Decro."
"Hmm?" The wolf didn't look up from his tablet.
"I've found this guy in the records. Name's 'Ezel'."
"And?"
"Thing is, he doesn't show up on government records."
"Oh?"
The wolf got up and went over to Orca's computer.
"You have your screen reader on. Mind turning on the screen so I can see it too?"
"Whoops, sorry. I usually turn it off since nobody's around."
The wolf watched the screen for a moment. "No legal protection. Interesting."
"Velas won't be looking for him if he goes missing. Even if he's discovered, he's a nobody."
"Ah. So we can perform whatever experiment we want on him?"
The Orca nodded. "Ideas?"
Decro swiped on his tablet and began tapping. "Let me see. I've got some interactions with waste goo that I've been meaning to investigate."
"Oh?"
"I've had a hypothesis that needs testing. Our current assumption is that once an organism is corrupted with waste goo, it can't be separated."
"Yeah, the genetic shock is lethal."
"This lizard is only partially bonded to the goo."
"It'll spread to the rest of his cells, though."
"We can use the regular goo to turn him into a drone."
"We've tried that before. Subjects succumbed to genetic shock."
"That's because we did it all at once. If the goo was applied gradually, it would rebuild the corrupted DNA with latex drone material."
Orca nodded. "Think it'll work?"
"65% confident. Been meaning to test."
"Sounds like a good idea. Let's do that then."
"Give me a minute." The wolf tapped on his tablet.
Ezel didn't like where the discussion was going, but what could he do? He was no more than a test subject for a company that was notorious for its lack of ethical restraint.
"I've programmed the experimental procedure. You will find it in your inbox." Decro got off his seat and headed for the door.
"Wait."
"Yes?"
"Tomorrow's the last Friday of the month. We have a corporate dinner party, announce the employee of the month and all. You won the award, you know that?"
"I'm aware."
"Wanna come?"
"You know I don't take part in social events."
"I figured you could use some company before the holidays, since I don't see you hanging out with your friends."
"That's because I don't have friends."
"Why not make some at the party, then?"
"My lack of friends is by choice, not circumstance. If there's nothing else, I'm taking my leave. Direct your questions to Omni. There's a reason I coded an all-knowing AI for Gleipnir."
The wolf was out the door. Orca shrugged before turning to Ezel.
"I know you've been listening in."
Oh shit.
"Let's get you ready for your new position."
Orca went up to the control panel in front of Ezel's containment tube. The liquid in the tube drained away, and the lizard collapsed to the bottom of the tank in a kneeling position. The glass walls rose into the ceiling, but the lizard was too dazed to escape. Some of his strength was returning, though, and he looked at himself.
He was naked with his cock and balls exposed. Half of his body was covered in goo. It had congealed into uneven lumps, giving his skin a repulsive appearance. He tugged on it, but it felt like he was pulling on his own skin.
Did the waste goo do that to him?
Orca locked a collar around Ezel's neck and tugged on the leash. The lizard resisted.
"P-please." Ezel fought the numbness in his throat. "Let me go."
Orca tapped on a remote control in his hand. Black goo emerged from Ezel's collar and travelled up his neck.
"Wait! What's this? Please, no--mftt!"
Some of the goo forced itself into his mouth, gagging him. The rest of it engulfed his maw like a muzzle, turning his speech into muffled grunts.
"Drones don't talk."
Ezel grabbed at the rubbery muzzle and pulled, but it had solidified into a latex-like material.
"Mfng!"
"Come along now, or things will get worse."
Ezel nodded reluctantly. The orca led out of the lab and into the corridors. The corridors were a dull purple, illuminated by more strips of light. Scientists in white lab coats pushed past them, some of them accompanied by helper drones carrying chemicals and surgical equipment. He felt vulnerable from his nakedness, but nobody was fazed.
The drones were completely faceless. Traces of their identities were hidden beneath smooth latex. Their heads still kept their original shapes, be it canine, feline, draconic, and so on; but they were otherwise unidentifiable. Tubes were attached to either side of their face, presumably for air and nutrition to be fed into their featureless gas masks. Markings were printed on their bodies in bright orange: the Gleipnir logo on their faces, their drone model and ID on their chest, and a padlock on their null bulges symbolising their chastity status.
"Quit staring." Orca tugged on the leash. "You'll have time to experience it yourself."
"Mnff," Ezel protested half-heartedly. His pleading eyes spoke more for him than his words could.
He was brought into another lab. This one was smaller than the last one, and there was no furniture except for a control panel mounted on a steel stand. Orca tapped the remote and Ezel's latex muzzle turned back into a liquid and retracted into the collar. He tugged on the leash, pulling the lizard over so he could take the collar off. Ezel considered making a run for it, but the lab door had already closed behind him.
"Stand in the middle of the room."
"I'm really sorry," the lizard pleaded. "Please don't turn me into a drone."
"Another word from you and I'll turn you into a statue instead."
Ezel whimpered. He'd seen the "display pieces" before: a victim is chained in position before being encased in a solid layer of resin. He reluctantly walked to the middle of the room, stepping onto the raised platform.
"See the metal rod on the ground?"
The lizard looked down. There was a metal rod laying horizontally across the platform. In the middle was a T-joint, connecting it to a pole that protruded from the platform, raising the rod so it barely touched the ground.
"Stand with one foot on each side."
Ezel spread his legs so they were shoulder-width apart. He put the arch of his feet over the rod, allowing his heels and the balls of his feet to rest on the ground. The orca tapped his Gleipnir badge on the control panel.
"Welcome back, Master Orca," a feminine digital voice greeted him.
"Omni. Restrain the subject."
Panels on the platform slid open, and metal arms emerged from below. Two of them secured metal cuffs around Ezel's ankles before welding the other end onto the rod. Two more grabbed Ezel's arms and pulled them behind his back. Another pair of cuffs were snapped around his wrists, binding his arms behind him. His wrists were pulled down, forcing the lizard into a squatting position.
"Aoww!" Ezel yelped.
The metal arms retracted into the platform.
"Done, sir."
"Thank you, Omni."
"You're welcome, sir."
"Load up Decro's most recent programming sequence."
"I found: 'Avian-Drone-Extended-Release-Test-001.drt'. Is this the script you are looking for?"
Avian?!
"Yup." Orca nodded.
"Acknowledged. I've compiled the script and loaded it into the hardware. Should I perform the full scan of the subject?"
"Proceed."
"Performing full scan."
A beam of green light shone around Ezel. He struggled nervously, but there was nothing he could do against the unyielding restraints.
"Subject fully analysed. Species: lizard. Biological age: 25. Genetic corruption detected. Suspected cause: waste goo. DNA corruption is at 65%. Bone density--"
"Is his DNA compatible with the procedure?"
"Yes, sir."
"Okay good. Is the procedure ready?"
"Yes, sir."
"Please," Ezel begged. "I'll do anything!"
"Begin procedure."
Glass walls descended around the lizard, enclosing him in a clear cylinder.
"Inserting rear probe."
Rear probe?!
The middle of the T-joint opened up, and a black dildo emerged from it.
It was headed for his pucker!
Ezel struggled, shaking his head violently. His ankles and arms were held in place securely, making it impossible to move more than a few inches to the side. The distance wasn't enough to escape the probe, and its rounded tip slid between his crack.
"Gngg!"
He steeled himself as the probe continued rising. Its cold surface pressed against his pucker, and he gasped as a wave of sensations washed through his body, making him shiver. It felt repulsive and humiliating, but there was also a pulse of pleasure. His cock tensed, and Ezel tried his best to quell the feeling. He didn't want to be aroused, not in front of the orca who was turning him into a drone.
The probe pushed against his rear entrance, and the lizard fought back, tensing his ring of muscles. His efforts were in vain. The smooth, tapered end of the dildo spread his muscles open effortlessly, entering his warm tunnel.
Oh fuck, oh fuck.
Ezel struggled. The dildo was girthy, spreading his inner passage beyond what he was used to. The pain was mixed with pleasure as he endured the probe's size. It continued to delve deeper into him until the lizard felt it could go in no further. He raised his hips as far as his restraints allowed to accommodate the rising probe.
"Please." He gasped. "I don't-- I can't-- Oh god it's--" He screwed up his face and clenched his fist.
How much further was it going?
Ezel was sure his muscles would tear if it didn't stop. He had not been stretched so much before. The dildo stopped extending and Ezel sighed in relief. He shifted his hips, but the dildo pressed firmly against his tunnel. The cuffs on his wrists and ankles held him in place, preventing him from getting up and extracting himself from the probe. His breaths were heavy as he tried to relax.
"Beginning goo infusion."
The lizard could feel the dildo pulse in his rear as a jet goo was pumped through it. The sticky fluid poured from its tip, coating his rear tunnel with its black sheen.
"Oh, fuck." Ezel groaned.
His senses were overwhelmed. It felt cool and warm at the same time, as if his nerves couldn't describe the sensation of the goo against his flesh. The goo throbbed against his trembling flesh, stoking Ezel's unwilling arousal. The lizard was bent over with his gaze towards the ground. It was too much for him to bear. The stimulation was sending wave after wave of shivers throughout his body. His heart was beating fast as the receptors of his body were pushed to its limits. He was humiliated. The primal stirrings could not be held back. His throbbing cock was fully erect, standing proudly on display while embarrassment showed all over his face.
"Procedure has reached a stopping point."
Ezel's perch shuddered as it started rising. The lizard grunted as the dildo shifted within him. His feet could no longer touch the ground, but the cuffs held him on the rod. The dildo in his rear stopped him from falling over. The perch hoisted Ezel so that his head was level with the orca's. The glass walls around him retracted into the ceiling.
The orca stepped up to the restrained lizard. The cuffs kept Ezel's legs spread, keeping his manhood exposed. Ezel's cock stood proudly on display while embarrassment showed all over the reptile's face. Orca and wrapped his fingers around the reptile's throbbing dick. He gave it a firm squeeze at its base, moving upwards towards its tapered tip as if to milk Ezel. A bead of clear precum emerged from the cock slit.
"You're very eager."
Ezel whimpered and turned away. While he wanted freedom, his libido-fuelled instincts wanted Orca to jerk him off, to milk him of every last drop of cum.
"Decro added aphrodisiac into the mix?"
"50 milligrams per litre."
"Oh, that's very potent." He slowly pumped Ezel's dick with sensual strokes.
"Hnfgg, oh fuck, please..."
"Goo will be pumped into his body at specified intervals to gradually introduce dronification," Omni explained. "This will prevent genetic shock due to the corruption of waste goo."
Orca nodded. "How long will it take?"
"Two weeks."
"What happens until then?"
"The procedure requires the subject to be stored in hibernation for one day to allow the initial infusion to stabilise. After which, the subject may be toyed with."
"Sounds good." Orca let go of Ezel's dick, leaving the lizard huffing with unfulfilled need. "Send him to Zero. I'm sure the people there will make good use of him."
Orca stepped back as the platform descended into the ground, bringing Ezel down into the void below. Floor panels slid back into place, blocking out the light of the lab. The world above Ezel was a rectangle, shrinking until it was no more than a slit of light, then darkness. He could feel his perch being rolled along a set of guide rails.
In the distance, he could see a blue glow approaching. He emerged from the tunnel, finding himself in a vast room. The blue glow came from the ceiling lights reflecting off the tinted glass pods. There were rows and rows of them spanning the chamber. Some of them were empty, but most of them held a person within. Each subject was different; there was a red dragon that still looked normal, followed by a figure that was more drone than person. All of them were asleep within their hibernation pod.
Ezel shuddered as his perch slid into an empty pod. The glass lid descended over him, plunging him into a deafening silence. Cold mist filled the pod. The lizard calmed down.
This was a quiet place.
He could rest here.
His eyelids drooped.
He fell asleep.
Ezel woke up. He was in a familiar place: the Gleipnir section of Zero. Around him were sex drones mounted in various compromising positions, with people exploiting their fuckholes for pleasure. This time, however, he was on the wrong side of the experience. His perch was in the middle of a square column with glass walls in front and beside him. He had joined the ranks of Gleipnir drones.
He opened his mouth, but his protests came out muffled. A thick latex tendril had snaked up his back and wedged itself in his maw. Its tip was lodged in his throat, pulsing against his gullet with its cool, slimy surface. His neck bulged from its girth, and his breathing was laboured.
"Hey, he's awake!"
The voice was from a stag on the street below. His friends stood around him, watching the perched lizard with greedy eyes.
"Go on then." His friends pushed him forward. "Give us a show."
The stag chuckled. He headed to the back of the platform, climbed the stairs, and stood in front of Ezel. The lizard's head was level with his chest, allowing him to look down on the prisoner.
"You. What's your name?"
"Mnffh..." Ezel groaned.
"Haha, forgot you can't speak. Not that your name matters anymore, right? You're just going to be another nameless drone."
The deer patted Ezel's cheek teasingly. The lizard sneered.
"Bet you enjoy this sort of thing. You probably walked into Gleipnir and volunteered to be their next shiny drone."
Ezel shook his head.
"No? Then why is your cock standing like that?"
The stag stroked the underside of the lizard's exposed dick, starting from the base and working his way to its tip. Ezel shivered and squirmed.
Oh god.
Why does it feel so fucking good?
"Haha, look at you." The deer's scornful laugh stung. "You really love this, don't you? You sick fucker."
The lizard whimpered. This was humiliating, but he was helpless to defend himself. He strained his arms, but the cuffs refused to give.
"Mngg..."
He writhed about as much as his restraints allowed. The deer got to his knees and gripped Ezel's shaft. With firm pumps, he jacked the lizard off. Ezel threw his head back as pleasure surged through his body with each jerk of the stag's hand. The stag's friends watched in glee, taking in the show of forced stimulation. Ezel moaned and huffed. His vision was filled with splashes of colour, swirling around in disorienting patches.
"Mmm, look at your cock. Such an eager slut, aren't you?"
Ezel gave up protesting. It was pointless trying to explain to the stag that his arousal was driven by the copious amounts of chemicals injected into him. Even if the stag understood him, what good would it do? Still, he held on to his dignity. If he could refrain from ejaculating, then perhaps the stag would change his mind about his perversion.
He clenched his pelvic muscles and furrowed his brow, trying to quell the rising surge within him. The stag was relentless, pumping the lizard's cock with increasing vigour. Ezel's hips were thrusting as far as they could go, restricted by the invading probe in his rear.
No, he had to endure this.
It felt like his head was filled with steam, building up immense pressure that was craving for release. He was struggling to hold it in.
"Cum, you slut. You know you want this."
Ezel whimpered. His balls were aching for release.
"Mngff!"
"Show me you want to be a good, obedient drone."
He didn't want to be a drone!
With his other hand, the stag fondled Ezel's balls, massaging them in his fingers.
Damn, it feels good. Too good.
Ezel shuddered. He squeezed his thighs, attempting to hold back the dam of built-up euphoria. But cracks were forming in the dam; he was fighting a losing battle. He couldn't hold it back forever.
But he needed to try.
He clenched his jaws on the latex tendril and squeezed his lower muscles. His rear tunnel tensed around the dildo, flooding him with a satisfying fullness.
Oh fuck, no, please!
"Cum for me, drone."
The stag grasped the lizard's balls firmly and worked his cock with sturdy pumps. There was no holding back.
"Hfnggf!"
There was a flash of warmth as Ezel went over the edge, shooting his load in fierce bursts of spunk. The stag continued pumping his cock, eliciting jet after jet of his white essence with each stroke. He gave it one last pull, milking the last dribbles of cum before standing up and smirking. His face was covered with thick cum--Ezel's shameful outburst.
"I knew you like this, you pervert."
The lizard hung his head, reluctant to look at the stag.
"Aww, don't be like that. You did well."
With his hand, he cleaned the cum off his face and wiped it over Ezel's muzzle. His friends were laughing in the background. Some of Ezel's cum dripped down into the lizard's mouth and he could taste its sweet-salty flavour.
"Hope you like the taste of cum. You'll be swallowing loads of it soon."
Ezel turned away, refusing to look at the stag as he rejoined his friends and continued down the street. His strength was gone; he felt utterly defeated. He could see his reflection in the glass. His face was bitter. The clumps of waste goo were gone, replaced by the smooth, shiny goo that was going to turn him into a drone. His spent cock dripped with residual cum, making the floor sticky with his seed.
He looked up at the ceiling lights in his display window, letting his vision blur so they merged into a circular orb.
"Hey! There's a new drone we can play with!"
There was the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs behind him.
Sunshine. Imagine the sunshine.
It was probably his second or third day in the display window. It was hard to tell, given that there was no sky in Zero and the underground city never slept. He didn't get much rest either; people have been entering and leaving his glass prison, taking turns to play with his helpless form.
A dragon and a leopard were on the platform with him, feeling up his body. The leopard grabbed the rubbery bulge at Ezel's crotch, making the lizard moan. Goo had engulfed his cock and balls, compressing it into a null bulge--"nulge" as advertised by Gleipnir--with a green padlock symbol. The leopard squeezed the latex nulge and Ezel gasped. Despite the thick layer of rubber around his manhood, the sensations were extremely intense. Each squeeze felt like a heavenly massage, milking his dick for all it's worth.
Yet despite the overwhelming pleasure, he couldn't orgasm. The nulge kept him always on the verge of climax, never letting him go past the peak. He thrust his hips forward, desperate for release.
"I think he likes you touching him there." The dragon chuckled, stroking Ezel's chest and fondling his nipples.
"He's just a horny fucker." The leopard gave the bulge another squeeze.
Ezel moaned, his voice at a higher pitch than before.
"See?"
Their laughs were stifling. As they stroked his latex-coated body, the lizard could feel his arousal hitting an unyielding ceiling. That is, if he could even be called a lizard anymore. His lower body was completely engulfed in the rubbery goo. It had modified his DNA, turning his toes into talons. His claws clenched the metal rod with a firm grip, holding himself steady on the perch. Behind him, his tail was flattening, fanning out into an arc of black, latex feathers.
"Ghhhg!" He shivered as the dragon gave his nulge a squeeze, too.
His face, too, was gradually transforming. The end of his reptilian snout was tapering at its end, forming a sharp tip on his upper and lower jaws.
A bird.
The goo was turning him into a bird.
He convulsed uncontrollably as the pair assaulted his nulge with gropes and squeezes. The dragon was pinching his nipples in turn, further stimulating him. But try as he might, the nulge was preventing him from achieving his much-needed orgasm.
Colours of white and orange danced across his vision as his body was wrecked with torturous pleasure. If he focused on them enough, he could make out a bright circle amongst the shimmering hues.
Sunshine. Imagine the sunshine.
How long had he been here? It felt like ages, but it couldn't have been more than just a few days. The transformation was advancing. His horns were slowly shrinking, reduced to mere nubs on his head. Between his shoulder blades, a pair of wings was sprouting.
If there was one thing to be thankful for, it was that the tendril in his mouth was gone. It has changed form, enveloping his new beak in its latex material. It also solidified in his mouth, forming a ring that kept his maw open. That, Ezel was not thankful for.
Someone was already prepared to take advantage of that fact. The tiger pushed a button in front of Ezel's display, lowering the perch until the prisoner was barely above the ground. He climbed up onto the platform and stood in front of the lizard.
Ezel was confused, but only for a moment. The tiger's intentions were apparent once he unzipped his pants and revealed his erect dick. The perch's height ensured the lizard's beak was level with the feline's crotch.
No, no, no!
The lizard twisted away, but the tiger was stronger. The tiger grabbed his head with both hands and pulled him in. Ezel could not defend himself as he got a mouthful of feline dick. Its tip rammed against the back of his throat, making him gag.
"Ngfhhr!"
The tiger shoved his head away, then pulled him back in. Ezel got another taste of the tiger's shaft. It tasted of lightly salted meat. He could also smell the tiger's musk mixed with the faint scent of lavender deodorant.
Ezel was rocked back and forth as the tiger abused his mouth. He tried to push the cock out of his beak with his tongue, but it only pleasured the tiger more.
"Yeah, work that tongue, bitch."
The lizard groaned. He had to endure this unending ordeal; he had no other options. His fists were clenched, trying to overcome his gag reflex so he could stop choking on the phallus. Tears were in his eyes.
"Uff yeah..."
The tiger was getting more and more excited, thrusting his hips against Ezel's face with each tug. The air in the chamber grew humid as the tiger huffed away. His pleasure was accumulating, building up into a mass of carnal desire.
"Fuck!"
He blew his load, shooting a copious jet of cum down Ezel's throat. The lizard coughed as he choked on the spunk, quieting down into a soft whimper.
The tiger pulled his cock out of the lizard's mouth. Ezel hastily turned his head down, letting the cum drip out.
"Oh no you don't." He grabbed Ezel's beak and tilted it back up, making the cum flow down the lizard's throat. "You're swallowing everything."
The jizz tasted bitter in Ezel's mouth. He felt revulsion in his belly, more from the experience of being used than the actual taste of cum. The tiger wiped his dick on the lizard's face before zipping up.
A crowd had formed around them, chuckling as the tiger sauntered away. So many people had gathered around him to watch his plight, but not one of them stepped up to rescue him. All they had to do was to release him from the perch and he'd be free.
Then again, why would they? There was no reason to get on the wrong side of Gleipnir, especially to waste a perfectly usable sex drone. Ezel sighed at his reflection in the glass. He was in no position to judge; he'd have done the same.
He closed his eyes.
Sunshine. Imagine the sunshine.
Ezel shuddered as another jet of goo was pumped into his rear. The latex had formed a falconry hood around his head, blindfolding him. He could no longer see his abusers as they took turns to fuck his maw. It happened so often, nobody bothered to raise his perch anymore. Cum dripped out of the side of his beak.
The rest of his body had been fully converted into an avian form. His rubbery wings were folded behind him, resting on his cuffed arms. Green stripes had appeared on his black latex skin, resembling the colour of his former scales.
"Oh! The bird drone is finally free."
Bird.
Nobody thought of him as a lizard anymore. Just "that bird drone".
There were footsteps coming up the stairs. Ezel steeled himself. He had gotten used to controlling his gag reflex.
Sunshine. Imagine the sunshine.
Ezel could see again. The falconry hood had hardened into a helmet, forming a blank visor over his eyes. The ring gag in his beak was gone, but the helmet had spread over his mouth instead, keeping his beak closed in its solid shell. A tube was connected to each side of the helmet, forming a gas mask as it supplied the bird with air, food, and water..
He was almost a drone; he looked the part, but his mind was still not ready. A spiral pattern was projected on the inside of his visor, swirling at a slow but steady pace.
"You are a drone," said a robotic voice coming from within the helmet. "Your purpose is to serve."
The voice had echoed through Ezel's gas mask so many times, he could hear it in his mind too. The outside world was only a whisper in his consciousness; the spirals and the voice were his reality. The fog in his mind was so thick, he did not notice when his perch was raised and a snake stepped onto his platform. Nor did he realise that the snake was hugging him from behind, nuzzling against the cheek of his gas mask.
"You know Ezel, I always saw you as a competitor in the Guild."
The bird couldn't comprehend the words spoken. His mind could only focus on the endless repetitions of the unchanging mantra.
You are a drone. You desire nothing but to obey.
The snake didn't care.
"You were always more skilled, more ambitious than me. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't achieve what you accomplished so easily. You didn't even have to try."
Your master's presence is the sunshine in your life.
The snake's hands explored the drone's latex-clad chest, tracing the smooth curves of his pecs.
"But your biggest strength was also your biggest weakness, your Achilles' heel."
He reached down and gave the drone's nulge a firm squeeze. The bird shuddered.
"When I spread the rumours of the abandoned labs, I knew you couldn't resist. Get rich quick, seize your freedom, right?"
The snake continued kneading the latex bulge, making the latex drone squirm within his grasp.
Your master's commands are law.
"Everyone else knew to keep away from anything to do with Gleipnir. Not you. You're too determined to go for the prize. Too determined to succeed."
You will never enjoy another orgasm again. Your master's pleasure is your only goal.
The drone thrust his hips, but the dildo in his rear stopped him from moving further than a few inches.
"You were so arrogant, thinking you could break into Gleipnir when everyone else had failed. People better than me. Better than you." The snake sneered.
He groped the drone's crotch and pressed its squishy bulge. Tugged. Squeezed. The drone's frantic breaths came out as hisses through the vents in his gas mask.
"I've observed you over the past two weeks, Ezel." The snake spat out the name like it was poison. "You don't know how gratifying it was, watching your identity slip away day by day."
You will serve and obey without question.
"Enjoy the rest of your life as a fucktoy. You deserve it. If you still have a mind in that empty drone head of yours, remember this: I'm the one who bested you. Me, your 'friend' Cliff."
The snake let go and stepped back. The drone humped against thin air, overwhelmed with arousal as he tried to reach an orgasm that would never come. The snake chuckled and stepped off the platform.
"And for the record, we were never friends."
The drone didn't hear any of the snake's words, much less understood them.
You are a drone.
Your master's presence is the sunshine in your life.
Sunshine. Imagine the sunshine.
Decro and Orca walked through the filthy streets of Zero. Despite the congestion of people, they had no trouble making their way through them. Their presence seemed to be a frightening aura, parting the crowd as they pressed against the walls, eyeing them with furtive glances.
"Tell me if you see the drone," Orca said.
"Hmm?"
"Echolocation doesn't work through the glass."
"Ah."
They continued through the displays of shiny drones until they came to a raised glass chamber with a bird drone within. A horse was busy feeling up the drone, playing with its nulge. When he noticed the pair, he hastily got out of the chamber and walked in the opposite direction. Decro and Orca stepped onto the platform and stood in front of the drone. The rubber bird was shivering, still overwhelmed by the horse's gropes.
"Looks like the test is a success," Orca said.
"We'll have to do further testing to ensure statistical significance," Decro countered. "But yes, this is a success. Let's make sure the drone suit works as expected."
"Sure. Engage cock tube."
The drone's latex nulge shifted, melting away so that the outline of its cock could be seen. The latex-encased shaft immediately stood at attention, fuelled by endless stimulation with no release. A tube emerged from the tip of the drone's dick, curving up and merging with its beak.
The orca grabbed the shaft and pumped it. The drone stayed on its perch, shuddering in bliss despite its best attempts to remain obediently still. Its moans were soft so its pleasure wouldn't overshadow Orca's. The orca pumped faster and faster, working the rubber cock with zeal. Days of pent up libido were taking its toll on the drone. The climax was imminent, but the drone held back. Its programming taught it not to cum without permission.
"Now, cum."
The drone gasped. Its cock throbbed as a powerful orgasm washed through it, spewing his load in surges. The cum travelled up the tube, feeding the drone its own sweet, sticky cum. The drone didn't complain, swallowing it down in dutiful devotion.
"Good drone."
The latex bird shivered in bliss from the compliment.
"Yeah, definitely a success."
Orca pulled out a handheld device comprising a handle with a rectangular head at its end. He pointed the head at the drone's left pec and pressed a button on the handle. Tiny nozzles in the device sprayed the drone's ID on its chest. "ZE-72" read the label. A barcode was printed below it, making it easily identifiable under digital scanners.
"Omni, put this drone on sale." Decro spoke into his wristwatch.
"Yes, sir."
As the pair exited the chamber, the drone's platform retracted into the column, taking the avian drone with it. The drone sat quietly on its perch as it descended into the darkness below. It would be stored in a pod until a wealthy customer eventually bought it. The drone would then serve in his home on the Surface, forever basking in the light of the sun.
~ End ~