Dead and Dying

[Sulley]

[Open.]

Thunder rumbled through Sulley's chest, startling the nurse so that she fumbled with her needle and dropped the syringe. The woman stooped to retrieve it. That's when he struck.

Sulley's eyelids flashed open and without a sound his sharpened hand plunged into the woman's back, exiting out of her left breast. A thin grunt escaped her mouth as he withdrew, and then she thumped to the ground. She was still alive but his hand had pierced her spine. She'd die slowly on the cold floor of the infirmary.

Sulley's breathing was heavy. His hand dripped as it returned to his side, and slowly he climbed off of the stretcher. His body ached, making him stagger, sending the man crumbling to his knees. A pressure began to throb between his eyes. Sulley moaned quietly.

"Barbara? When he wakes up we'll--" the doctor coming into the room stopped abruptly at seeing Sulley kneeling on all fours. "Ahem. Uh, Sullivan. . .you're awake already? We expected you to be out for another. . ." And this time he stopped talking because his wandering eyes had seen the nurse. The man didn't looked shocked. Instant fear shadowed his eyes. Fear for his own life. He took a step back.

"Now look here, son. You don't have to do this." The doctor put out his hands, as if they would do any good. Sulley stumbled to his feet, rushing forward as he did. His hands wrapped around the doctors', piercing them from all directions, instantly contorting their shapes into pulpy masses. The man cried out. Sulley sharpened his head and slammed his forehead into the doctor's face, splitting the man's skull in two.

Sulley's breathing was now raspy, as if with each pump there were knives brought across a concrete surface for a sound affect. He needed to run. He needed to leave the infirmary. But he didn't have the strength to move. He dropped to the ground, bringing the doctor's body with him, and the two huddled on the floor together. One man dead, the other slowly dying.

[Lucian Verdus]

"Observation: It would appear we have found what we have sought in the infirmary," The electronically synthesized human vocal patterns of Lucian's Inquisitor preceded its arrival, along with Lucian himself. The pair of machines entered the room wherein the dead and the dying lay, one of whom being the leader of the rebellion himself. The pair coldly regarded this sight, the two pairs of glowing optic sensors trained on the rasping mutant. "Statement: The leader of the rebellion does not appear to be in good shape. And he has supplied us with corpses, though we have little use for them now. It is a shame that this facility has little technology."

Lucian peered down at the rebellion leader, "You are the rebellion leader. Virile, murderous, and irrational. You are the picture of humanity today. You are an example of what the remainder of the rebellion is, or shall become. You are a threat. We, however, can restore you to health, if you permit us. We have just enough technology laying around for the restoration of your physical structure. We have a sufficient number of servitors, relative to the potential number of usable corpses and technology, and it is wise to use what we have for more... efficient structures. One of which may be you, if you are compliant."

"Warning: Progenitor, he is dangerous. We should not trust him so easily. After all, he has been observed possessing the capacity to kill fellow mutants. Considering the view that most mutants possess on our kind, it is predictable that he will have no qualms about de-servicing us." Lucian took a few tentative steps toward Sulley, not in his immediate reach, to observe him better. "Advisory: Perhaps we should call in some Close-Combat caste servitors to suppress him, so that he is not as resistant. After all, he will not resist if he knows that resistance means the detonation of both the servitors... and himself." Lucian turned to glance at the Inquisitor for only a moment, returning his attention to the mutant as he spoke. "We will see how compliant he is, first."

Already, a pair of close-combat servitors were moving toward the infirmary, prepared to station themselves outside in the event of emergency suppression. The rebellion leader was a paragon of resistance, of might, and of the drive to be free. To attain his allegiance or fear was to attain that of the entire rebellion, it appeared. He was, in any case, important. Important enough that he would serve as an easy jumping-off point in the mental war on the mutants, if one was needed. "Speak quickly. Time is limited," Lucian advised.

[Sulley]

Sulley's spine stiffened as footsteps approached. Or were they footsteps? His vision was blurry and his beating heart was loudest in his ears. The feet were accompanied by a buzzing. No, a humming. Something that made additional noise, as if breathing, though somehow Sulley was fully aware of how lifeless whatever had entered was.

Slumped in a sitting position, Sulley rolled his eyes to see the figure which peered down at him. His lips moved but half of what he said was gibberish to the man on the floor. He suddenly became aware of his soiled pants--soiled by the blood of the doctor. He wanted to thrust the corpse away from him but he found himself unable to. There was no energy within his body to do anything except sit there and surrender to the eyes of the robots around him.

He hadn't met Lucian before nor encountered his servitors. Sulley had been blessedly unaware. Even when the thing claimed a position of leadership within the Protectors, Sulley hadn't let his eyes wander far past Starlight. A fault of his own. He might have been aware or at least less clueless as he was now.

As it was, Sulley could not comprehend what a robot--was he a mutant or a guard?--would want from him, but he was fairly certain it wouldn't be to help. Bearing his teeth in a silent snarl, the man sharpened the part of his body that was closest to the nearest being. His senses stayed alert, ready to switch focuses at any given moment. Attempted physical contact would be futile. Anything that touched Sulley would surely be severed.

[Emby Foster]

Emby was headed no where in particular. Just walking, trying to forget recent encounters with certain robots. Anything to keep her breathing from hitching and going into hyper-speed. It seemed she was walking in the wrong direction for her goal because as she turned a corner, the two servitors came into her view and even though she never came across this brand of Lucian's inventions, it had him written all over them. Without really knowing why, she started a cough and hurriedly pushed past the servitors. If Lucian was in there, it meant he was after someone, trying to make them "perfect". And if they were like Emby, they didn't want anything to do with it.

The minute she was inside and a good two yards away from the door, she stopped running and coughing. Her breathing grew louder and filled her ears. Oh yes, she was scared but she kept moving forward. She could just barely make out Lucian's voice. She walked up to the room and stepped inside, completely and utterly surprised by the scene she walked in on.

Two bodies bled out, Lucian and one of his inventions and by one of the bodies: Sulley. Her hand clamped down over her mouth to cover a scream. She felt her heart pick up its pulse and for a moment, her breath faltered completely. Somehow she knew Lucian hadn't killed the two people and that only left Sulley. She swallowed that, trying not to think about it as she moved forward. "He doesn't want what you're selling, Lucian," she said, her voice wavering and not coming off as she wanted to. For once, she wanted to be brave and a desire to prove to Sulley she didn't just have to be a spy.

Moving around Lucian, she looked at Sulley. He didn't look well. Fear gripped her stomach. What was wrong with him? Despite her fear and hate of Lucian, she asked him, "What's wrong with him?" Her voice just above a whisper.

[Lucian Verdus]

An intruder. Not something Lucian expected, nor wanted. That it was one of those designated as a potential hindrance and annoyance did not make it any more pleasant. However, it seemed more viable to use diplomacy in the given situation. Further assaults would not look good if any more interlopers decided to waltz in. The two machines coldly regarded the girl as he examined the bodies, Lucian's claws twitching with a strong desire to impale the girl as she evidently could not resist insulting perfection yet again. The inquisitor immediately picked up the transmissions coming from Lucian's behavior core, charging up his shock prod just in case. He was sure to keep it within his palm, however.

"Initial analysis shows heavy internal stress, possible internal hemorrhaging and bleeding, and an overall critical state. Despite your unintelligent assumption to the contrary, I do not desire a full conversion of the subject. It is my wish that I am able to surgically examine him and both repair and replace needed parts. I will not externally influence the subject, nor will his brain be influenced unless it is vital," Lucian promptly answered. "Warning: it is obvious to any being with sight that the subject only has so long to live. It is best that they become compliant, so that they might be operated on. Any time spent debating or discussing the usage of mechanical assimilation on the subject's ravaged internal organs is time that could be spent saving the subject's life," the Inquisitor interjected.

There was a pause, and Lucian's cylinder was heard faintly humming again. "Query: You are biologically similar to the subject, are you not? More so than his victims. Suggestion: Speak with the subject and suggest that he submit to our operations. You have our assurance that he will not be fully converted into a citizen caste or higher. Supplication: Anything lower than a citizen caste is servitor territory, and already living humans are incapable of becoming a functioning servitor model." Lucian turned to Emby, "The Inquisitor speaks the truth. I do not seek to grant him perfection, only preserve his life. He has not given myself or anyone to whom I am associated a reason to permit his death. If it were our wish for him to be dead, you would not have found us offering him a chance at life."

[Sulley]

Sulley's jaw flexed as he ground his teeth together, willing strength to enter his body. He pulled energy from an unknown source, and with painful grunts the man pushed himself to feet. His chest rumbled. A belt between his teeth would have been nice; he was biting his tongue. The warm blood coursed through his mouth, trickling out of the corners and down his chin. Sulley's eyes beamed with murder.

He has not given myself or anyone to whom I am associated a reason to permit his death. Was he not Sulley Trace? Responsible for most of the mayhem within the walls of Freakopolis? Had he not killed a pregnant woman? Slaughtered mutant children? Taken the life of his own wife and child? Was killing not instinctual to the man? Did he not revel in the buzz of listening to the beating heart cease? Did this being not know?

The world turned. The walls moved; the blood crawled up his leg. Emby's face amplified in his eyes. For a moment, all he saw was her. He should tell her to run. It wasn't safe. Would he be warning her away from the robot, or from him? He wasn't sure.

Sulley's sharp eyes rolled into the back of his head. He nodded vigorously. Fix him. To hell with it. He would see another day. He would keep that face safe.

[Emby Foster]

Emby watched in horror as he lifted himself up. She took two steps forward and the backed away. Who know what Sulley could do? She looked to the dead bodies, a wave of nausea filling her stomach, knowing his power had come into play but she didn't throw away the thought that he probably could have done it on his own. She turned around, her hands covering her mouth. She could taste the bile in the back of her throat. At least she wasn't having a panic attack.

Emby turned back around as Lucian and his robot explained Sulley's condition. She looked back to her dying leader. Fear, hurt, distrust, pain and worry all filled her eyes as he stared into them. She furrowed her eyebrows and closed her eyes, willing back tears. When they were gone, she opened them up and looked to Lucian.

"I guess there's no choice then. Just...don't turn him into you. Even though you said you weren't....just don't." She looked back to Sulley, saw him nodding his own head and took a deep breath. What she did was right. She stepped back away from the whole scene. "Get when you're done. I think I'm going to vomit." It was too much for her now. She ran out the room, going into the next one and fell down, trying desperately to keep from vomiting, seeing as now she was having a panic attack.

[Lucian Verdus]

"Affirmative: He will find his physiology to be improved internally. Improved, but not perfect, as per the agreement. All that it depends on is his own compliance, and we will be able to proceed without any significant conflict. If he attempts anything, however, we may have to introduce disciplinary parameters." The Inquisitor stated. Already, Lucian was lifting his newest experiment in his claws, the Inquisitor gathering bits of metal around the room. Labor servitors were requisitioned to bring some of the reserve metal in, and two had begun wheeling their way down with armfuls of detritus.

As they arrived, Lucian began to brief his subject on the impending procedure. "I am afraid that there is no easy way to anesthetize you for this procedure," Lucian began, setting the man upon the operating table. "While it is against preset parameters to modify your pain receptors, or your biological processor at all, I will still be able to deliver a calculated electrical impulse that will temporarily disable your external functions. If my calculations are correct, you will not awaken until after your internal systems are repaired. Internal damages will be patched or replaced, and you will be less susceptible to internal injury, as well as severe fatigue and viral infection, prior to this procedure. It is a privilege to be able to improve an individual of such standing, and we hope that you keep the generosity of myself and my kind within your memory."

The servitors soon wheeled in with the appropriate parts, each setting them down in small piles beside the operating table. The Inquisitor stood by the piles, prepared to hand over whatever was needed to his master. Lucian held up his small, precision hand. Out of the palm came a small rod with a slight bulge at the tip. "Calculating voltage and current," Lucian stated as the rod began to buzz, crackling with faint sparks of electricity. "Initiating temporary deactivation in five... four... three... two... one."

Zap.