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2024-10-29 19:42:56Pulses echoed in the darkness. Beyond the waking and dreaming world, nothing was concise and vivid as the sound of voices stirring you from the waking world, even loud whispers.
Being trapped in limbo diminishes comprehension. Maybe, one or two thoughts could pass through and be understood. What definition of “understood” would be in a blurred state.
Pulled from the sleeping world into the waking was not a welcome thought to Bernice at the time. For her, simply recovering within this purgatory state was better than in the waking land.
On the second floor of the Darmstadt residence, Lena, the sarcastic old lady of the family, has eaten half of the potato chips her daughter has stacked for her rations. They were labeled ‘rations’ followed by a blank line. An indication of Betts habit to plan when she can consume any of them. At times, though, she didn’t fulfill those plans and ate them at random.
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Suitable Bags of Flesh Chapter 5
Slurping dried-up tapioca pearls from a small bowl in front of a closed office door sent Dr. Munar no relief from the warm aircon breeze. The aircon had stopped working for one hour to annoy every person in the room. He, and four other people, have been seated in the conference room of **** for more than an hour now. The incident of the aircon failure heightens how uncomfortable their silence has been since.Stifling was a word that best described the majority of the time these five people spent in the room since his arrival. None guessed why, nor spoke first; although, Dr. Munar felt their tension resulted from the confirmed “Dimension Pocket” incident within C-city. Having it confirmed the previous evening felt like a reality check the gods scripted.It had not been past twenty-four hours of this new day in C-city, and they’re already in a deep conspiracy. Or a “science experiment gone wrong,” which was preferable to the latter.T
Suitable Bags of Flesh Chapter 6
Tired eyes opened slightly as the cold breeze of the night brought a chill on Betts body. Blurriness wrapped her vision where certain things near her face were clear to her sight. She felt another relaxing warm feeling surge through her body, making its way from the tips of her toes to her cheeks that felt flushed. Sweat trickled down her forehead from the heat inside of her, a feeling that hadn’t settled. As if her body automatically knew that she needed the warmth to keep herself afloat, not awake but enough to stay away from hypothermia. Darkness still enveloped the world as little sound from all over echoed like a muffle. Betts didn’t know what was happening during this half-awakened state. The senses that heightened hours prior now dulled in a much-relaxed manner. Except for the feeling of her hunger and thirst, sleep crept over her from her tired body. The floor that she laid on was hard but believably better than the rest of it. Even if the floor colle
Suitable Bags of Flesh Chapter 7 (part 1)
Chapter 7 Everything starts with a pin drop. Thrown, haphazardly, in a stack of hay outside the “titular” barn. Surrounded by multiple similar stacks of hay, you give a condition. Like, a reward, where you leave your hands clean of hunting down the thin, pointy thing in the multiple stacks of hay. People desperate for this pin but found themselves unable to look for them pay you to locate this imitation of a pin. Above is the vague descriptive feeling each member of the Good Will has to the mission at hand. No, there was no ill-will to read between the lines. Just weak and hopeless importance to the job at hand, planted into them by the situation none of them created at will. Sure, they disguise their motivation by succumbing to the greed of seeking money and knowledge, but at a cost, none can assess. Much like an elephant in the room. The mission brief simplified their operation by describing their goal a
Suitable Bags of Flesh Chapter 7 (part 2)
The chance of this current mission going down the drain has a high percentage. Since many aspects of the Primer and “Dimension Pocket” remain under study and research, their incentive needed a higher deal. Money was an impetus for some, but the majority of people in this group are loyal to C-city, that it reflects well in the incentive versus equal performance rate. Somehow this made their group look like volunteers compared to the Hunters, as Prof. Tenorio remarked previously. As Dr. Munar recalled Prof. Tenorio’s words before they left to each other’s assignments, “Rest assured, Kelvin. These men are trustworthy. Unlike them, mercenaries are worse. But...” His words cut off. The next was mumbled under Prof. Tenorio’s breath that time, but Dr. Munar was sure he heard him say, “at any rate, they’re better fodder.” The Captain continued discussing with the surveyor lead the situation. While the rest settled inside the cafe, a few did ground recon from
Suitable Bags of Flesh Chapter 7 (part 3)
He also briefed them on the Good Will base the surveyors suggested they use. Their base will be a three-story building located in a back alley, partially hidden from the main road. To enter the place, you’d have to access an inner alley between a convenience store and a fast-food joint.Vicinity sweep, of human and Primer life signs, told them that the area is ideal due to its distance from three Primer territories the surveyors suggested as their research subject. Several human groups settled within those territories. If they need a clear result, they have to leave the food component of Primers.Evidence proves humans have been the Primer’s food source since the Primer Task Force witnessed it in one incident in C-city. The blood and horror that entailed watching a comrade become fed during a mission made Capt. Fairmont’s hackles rise. This insatiable hunger for meat without consideration of where they get it has brought many of the Primer Task Force
Suitable Bags of Flesh Chapter 7 (part 4)
“More or less,” Capt. Fairmont slowly nods. “In summary, these brute shits are once humans, right?”“Correct.” Replied Dr. Akyl. “As much as I’m not a worker in the field, we need observational data besides biological ones. If we’re going to discover any point of humanity within these creatures, not because they’re monste—”“Hol’ up.” Interjected Capt. Fairmont, an expression that looked like disbelief on his face. “You tellin’ me these things can still have ‘humanity’ in them? That’s hard to believe doc.”Dr. Munar looked at Dr. Akyl. Even Cristian and Patraika, who were finalizing the boot-up of their units, paused to listen to what was happening.All the eyes looking at Dr. Akyl had one question on their faces, and it was the one thing she had known coming.Blinking, she thought back to when Prof. Tenorio messaged her mon
Suitable Bags of Flesh Chapter 7 (part 5)
“Better date than the one you were thinking of, right?” Cristian joked to Patraika.She said with a small smile. “Best date ever, Cris. You’re such a romantic.” She stuck out her tongue playfully.“Nothing tops a work date that pays double. It’s like over time, with vintage hardware to keep me company.”Cristian pinched her arm, thinking how it was good **** gave them equipment ahead of time. But, it was halfway decent.“Confident. Eh—” Waving his fingers to indicate a halfway motion. “In bed though—” He said, grinning.“Oh, look. It’s done.”Cristian opened the application, first opening the A-city map. It showed minimal Primer activities in their area.Leaning down, behind Cristian, Patraika saw the map in astonishment. She was surprised at how empty of Primer their area was.“Is that correct?” She asked.L
Suitable Bags of Flesh Chapter 7 (part 6)
From below, it looked like a silhouette of a large man lying on the ground. All buff as if tired for the day with its legs sprawled and almost spilling out the sides. Yet the extension of a tail from between its legs mildly swaying from where it hung made them realize that it was a Primer.Both Dr. Akyl and Dr. Munar looked at each other and made sure to look up so their headgear camera could see the image above. There was a specimen they could observe, but their distance from it posed a sort of danger yet at the start of their mission.Nodding in understanding, they mouthed at Beers and Belle that they should move forward. The scenario is not an ideal deck for observation. Breaths bated at the moment, their eyes trained straight ahead, clearly waiting on the creature.Assessing at how big the body was, it seemed to be a Primer with a large build. Its size surpassed that of Beers, who was the biggest out of all of them. Steady in their steps, they trekked furthe
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Epilog
EpilogueThe caves underground lead nowhere man could tolerate, with the pressure of the world pressing over them, no one can follow the Primer monsters as they exit the premise of C-city. These Primers are not going to be eaten and smothered by power over time, however, they will co-exist in a community built by Memoria.Memoria who sat almost half a millennia awake under the ruins of F-city played another game of race between the lines with several other internet connection nodes that are knowingly joined into the old working cable lines of the dead city. Then when the race finishes, they rest for the while, thinking like a person, old and hesitant.They’ve long forgotten that they could easily browse these connections so that they could monitor the condition of the world and their old friends who now walks the human world with the grace that could only dignify those with experience. They have experience too, of a different kind, all collected from the vast brains and words of those
- Suitable Bags of Flesh
<intermission>
Hi, there Nate here :) I've enjoyed writing this story so far, but things have been complicated and I won't be able to write it anymore. There are some moments that I wish I could have fixed in the long run but it's gotten too much to hold in just one hand. After this chapter will be a short Epilog for a short mention of each relevant characters final activities before the future becomest truly a mystery. This story ran its course, pretty long if you ask me, and the development of some characters are slow but steady. There will be a new title coming after this for the coming month, it's tentative title is "Ocular to the Dying Sun." A saga of the Prime Magician and the realm of Slitark according to before their brightest star continues to deteriorate. Have fun reading, please do leave comments~
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Chapter 37 (part 4)
Small-stature wobbled from their place in shock and confusion. They could hear voices, words they thought would not be possible to understand even if they have a sprinkle of memories of being able to say such things, such words. Vocabulary had almost slipped their still able memory of what they seem to perceive as their selves before this blind-like body.Their comrade underlings did not comprehend the creature in front of Small-stature, making them react in a scared way, almost darting to scurry in escape. Managing to hail them back into the premise of Small-stature’s vicinity was easy, what with One-arm herding them back to where they are.“My, forgive me. It seems like you are a newborn to this body.” Soft-spoken, as Small-stature calls them, listened to them say. “Let me soothe your worries, we are not here to relish harm upon our fellow. Rather, guide them.”Hearing and understanding what Soft-spoken said took about a few seconds of Small-stature’s comprehension, but their underl
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Chapter 37 (part 3)
Two presences from the premise disappeared when the small-statured creature sensed the sensation of an optimal sound and light came from underneath the ground. There was a pause as they waited for the arrival of this, oh so, comforting resonance.Anticipation. Tension. Pause.There was a definite halt in their senses when another sensation overpowered their most awaited event, that was just been triggered moments ago. Because of this, they knew that there was something wrong. Something that would bring them great demise and abandonment, even if they know they could survive without this “thing.”Grasping this “thing” was an answered prayer they knew would be something that could help develop their comrades and these sweet-scented underlings of theirs. Telling them that they would grow and develop into better creatures that could well benefit each other. Without words, just sounds and resonance, deeds.Still, they could not help but waver in tenacity when they felt the loss of this “thi
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Chapter 37 (part 2)
Waking up in another body is hellish beyond comparison. Imagine opening your eyes to blindness you didn't know existed, with the light coming from nowhere and everywhere. You don't see with your eyes, but you feel the world ten times stronger with nothing but your body who is sensitive to every kind of noise. Magic would have been more believable than realizing that your blindness is not caused by pain of any internal kind, but by your eyes absorbed inside your skull, sunken deep. Protected by a layer of skin thin but tough, while a substance within shakes and serves to stay it in place. Something moved within their skull, surreal but they could feel it moving with every shake and stir as if a jar of pickles with one pickle inside swimming in its vat of juice. Why am I comparing pickle to my situation? Calming themselves was easy, they “breathed” slow and steady, through a nose they could not feel or sense its presence on their face, but they know its there. Wildly adjusting their t
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Chapter 37 (part 1)
Chapter 37Skies don’t rain beans or bacon, but Horaz, who’s gotten himself used to the way the Primer identity roams his mind, sees that this Primer sure knows how to mix the setting they stand in by displaying all food he’s been craving for. Nothing beats being human and wanting nothing but to satiate your day with all the good comfort food that lives in your head, at least the ones you’ve tasted before.He has been yearning to eat more than raw meat, which his tongue and throat burned from the bitter taste, not sweet or delectable, but bitter and tangy at the same time. The youth of sixteen years has not tasted flesh the same way it’s described with a raw steak, though he prefers well done, he probably would have had the chance to taste raw steak in the time his family would celebrate special occasions.But he prefers well-done steak, baked beans, and the occasional tacos on the weekends. Softshell because he needs to cater to his girlfriend’s taste for cleanliness, hence food with
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Chapter 36 (part 7)
“Stand… down,” Akyl said slowly to the escorts. Her eyes watched the one arm that clung to the tail.She could tell that the tail, or the identity that controlled it, is strong today. There must be a correlation between their method of physical examination and their tail’s response to their body. Rather, she could sense that Horaz is just realizing that there was more to the process happening in his Primer body and just noticing it now.The other escorts, with guns that bore metal ammunition, followed through but the tranquilizer bearer did not ease his aim. The escort shook his head in rejection of her request and Akyl had to acknowledge this.Purce stood still, feeling her tension, more from fear, stiffen her body. The only part that could move was her eyes and she watched in anticipation if the doctor would do something first, or the Primer’s tail.Because, by now, she could see that the Primer is not just fighting the tail but struggling to keep its hold. The twitching stopped for
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Chapter 36 (part 6)
The confines of Horaz’s room remained cold with the sprinkle of “nature’s touch,” meaning the occasional soil and other debris that could serve as “entertainment options.” Noticing the Primer consciousness be a creature of boredom was one the laboratory did not expect, and so did Horaz.Discovering this was not hard to conclude when the Primer tends to play and hunt the staff and escort that enters its domain whenever they feed or try to clean his “room.” At most, if they didn’t leave any kind of living creature to distract the Primer during its stay in the laboratory, the likeliness of it trying to destroy their place seemed likelier.Reina remembered the kind of creature the first Primer was, despite staying for only a few days in their presence. This alpha Primer did things in calculated actions as if, the creature itself wanted things to go their way so it could pretend to give them what they want.She concluded this according to how the staff then felt its actions were much devis
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Chapter 36 (part 5)
Purce had to double take, knowing that the answer used, one thump of any body part meant “no.” Hastily, she signaled to Elbi that Horaz – the human consciousness, did not agree to the next procedure.Because of this, Moss suddenly wondered why the electrical current request they were aiming to control, and monitor stopped. She saw from her peripheral that Dr. Akyl left her post, the other touchscreen panel, and approached Elbi and Purce.Elbi was adjusting the program, already on its way to booting up enough electrical charges in the ideal percent, but an abrupt stop in this charging requires a reset for the application and machine. Because if it did not stop and proceed to use for its intended purpose, it would go haywire or overflow.The very machine of the gurney can only hold enough electrical charge, the extra energy that flows through the needles are nodes that cannot let one charge in it stay still. It must go through and ride the sails and winds or else it will burn. This is n
