A Tail of Beastians - Chapter Two: A Painful Transformation
Alex felt pain on the back of his head as he came to. He also felt submerged, as if was taking a vertical bath. And breathing under the surface? From what he could tell there was a breathing mask covering his mouth and nose. He slowly opened his eyes, the water stinging them as he opened them. When his eyes were open and focused, he saw he was in a tank filled with light green colored water. He then saw a large rectangular mirror, through the glass window, and saw himself naked in its reflection. "What the hell?" Alex said. He tried to move, but something was holding his arms and legs in place. He looked down and saw metal braces covering his wrists and ankles.
"Ah, you're awake," said a familiar voice, "I do hope you're enjoying your accommodations."
"Actually, I have a few complaints about being naked," Alex said.
"Well that's too bad," said Garret, "You will have to get used to it. You're going to be here before and after the procedure."
Alex didn't like the sound of what Garret just said. "What procedure? What's going on?" he asked cautiously.
"All in due time, Alex. For now just relax. Tell me, how does the water feel?"
"It feels weird. What is this water anyway?" Alex asked, Just realizing that he felt strange. The water felt more soothing to him than regular water did.
"It's my own creation. It's special water that heals any wound or injury. Please don't struggle? Your human strength won't be enough to break those braces." Alex had been struggling to free his right hand, but to no avail. How long was he going to be kept prisoner? From what he understood, it seemed he would be here for the rest of his life. And what was this procedure Garret mentioned? Alex wanted to know what he meant, but he had a feeling that it had something to do with that creature he saw earlier.
"What time is it?" Garret asked.
"It's 5:42 professor," Markus replied.
"Hm, I guess we will start the process at 12. Until th-"
"I need to know something!?" Alex shouted, interrupting Garret. Silence fell upon them. It felt like an eternity passed by to Alex as he waited for Garret to answer him. Just then, when he thought they had left, Garret spoke, "You really want to know what's going to happen, don't you?" It wasn't the question Alex was going to ask, but he stayed silent, letting Garret continue. "Very well," Garret said, "Look up." Alex did so, and saw two mechanical arms. The one on his right held a syringe filled with a thick blue liquid, and the other held an empty syringe. "You will be injected with that transforming chemical. You will be transformed into a new species."
"That's insane. What reason could you possibly have that could motivate you do something like this?" Alex asked angrily. He new it wasn't the right question to ask, but his anger clouded his judgment.
"Reason?" Garret said, his wheezy voice sounding clearer, "There is no reason. I'm a ‘mad' scientist. What do you expect?"
Suddenly, the arm holding the empty syringe sprung to life, and stuck the needle into Alex's arm. He felt a sharp pain as the needle entered, and drew about a pint of his blood out. The arm returned to its position with the needle full of Alex's blood, and disappeared behind a little door that opened on the ceiling of the tank. "I'll be taking a sample of your blood. I need to do research on it." Garret said. Alex slightly heard a door open and closed from behind the mirror-window. Exactly how long he was going to be alone, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he had plenty of time to think about a way out of this predicament.
6 hours later.
Alex was still strapped to the tank, unable to break free of the braces holding his arms and legs down. He heard the door open from behind the mirror-window again. "Well, it seems you didn't do what I asked you to. Kept on struggling against the braces, and tried countless times to escape. Now it seems like I need to give you the choice. Which do you prefer Alex, being knocked out during the transformation process, or staying awake through the whole thing? I should mention this is an accelerated process, so you will feel antagonizing pain." Garret said. Alex thought this over, and then struggled harder against the braces holding him down. Garret sighed, and then said, "It seems you won't cooperate. Very well, begin the procedure." The mechanical arm that disappeared behind the door reappeared, but it wasn't holding the syringe filled with his blood now. Instead, it held him down to keep him from moving. The other arm started moving now. Then the needle punctured his right shoulder, and injected the blue liquid into his blood stream. It was too late now. He was going to be changed forever.
One minute went by since the injection entered him. He starting to sweat, or at least he felt like he sweating. The green water washed away whatever sweat came out of his pores. Another minute went by, and nothing happened yet. Alex started hoping this was just some bad dream, and that he was having trouble waking up. It felt like a nightmare come real to him. Two more minutes went by, and still nothing. He started relaxing for no reason now. He started thinking that maybe the injection was a dud. Almost five minutes since the injection, and still nothing. He wasn't sure what to think. Maybe he wasn't going to change after all, and that this was just some sick joke made up by some stranger. He hoped to god it was just that.
Exactly five minutes since the injection was when it hit. Searing pain rushed through his body like wildfire. His back arched forward, and he began screaming at the top of his lungs. Nothing seemed to happen for the first minute. Then little hairs started sprouting out his skin. His finger started elongating themselves, and claws started to form where his fingernails were. His belly started getting slimmer as white hair grew over it. The muscles in his arms looked like they were getting slimmer also, but the strength in them intensified. His feet grew out skinny as orange and black hair covered them, and black pads formed under his forefeet. His tail bone grew out more bones, forming a tail of skin, soon covered with orange and black hair. His nose, mouth, and chin of his face jutted out to look like a muzzle. Orange and black hair grew over his face and body, but the hair on his head stayed. The fur now stopped growing on his skin, and more of his bones felt like they kept jumping around. He panted hard for air. The pain seemed to ease itself away now, disappearing a little bit at a time. Orange and black fur covered his entire body now. He tried the best he could to stay awake, but his efforts went unrewarded as he slipped into unconsciousness again.
Markus had been watching the transformation Alex went through the whole time. Hearing Alex's screams made him want to look away, but he kept staring at the transformation process just as he had done so many times before. "Well, there doesn't seem to be much in this one," Garret said, "Looks like nothing more than a painful transformation." Garret had almost turned away when something interesting caught his eye made him keep watching. Slowly, the orange fur that grew from Alex's body started to turn white. "Well, well, well. Looks like something happened after all," Garret said, sounding elated.
"Why do you think that happened, professor?" Markus asked out of curiosity.
"I'm not sure, but it certainly is an astounding development. Come, let's leave him to his rest," Garret ordered, already out of the sliding door.
"Yes, sir," Markus replied. He followed the old man out of the room. They walked along the hallways of the large base. Garret turned to a sliding door, and stepped inside the control room. There was a new screen displaying Alex inside his tank tube. He was still unconscious. "Too many things need to be done now. I need to hurry with the orders to the rest of the base." He pressed a button on the desk, and a loud screech could be heard form an intercom. "Attention! All personnel must proceed to their rooms on the second floor. Repeat, all personnel proceed to your rooms." He released the button, and spoke to Markus, "You know the next step, right?"
"Yes, of course, but I don't see the what good could possibly come from this." Markus replied.
"Doesn't matter. So long as everything goes according to plan, then I don't care. Just do it." Markus took a moment to think about what he was going to do, then said, "Very well, professor. I shall follow through with this plan."
"Good, then leave me."