Chapter 10: Of the cruelty of [Humans] (Patreon)

She had spent almost six hours cataloging each and every sound-based attack...No, they weren't attacks. Not all of them anyway.

She spent six hours cataloging the [Speech] of these [Humans], her current form was that of a human, not a single one of those that came into this [Room] had been close to her current configuration, and her form seemed to be more...Small.

Perhaps most of these [Humans] were part of a cast dedicated to this kind of environment? What would that make them? Workers?

Dr. Hamilton certainly didn't seem like a [Worker] class, that one commanded other [Humans] but she wasn't able to find any biological marker that made him inherently superior to the rest, even if most of them seemed to secrete biochemical markers similar to those the biological samples secreted when they wanted to surrender to her.

And like her, he didn't listen and continued, he was even better than her as he didn't even seem to be fazed by their surrender, at some point she even had to block those sensors as the [Room] was stinking with the defeat of all of those around him.

Maybe he was a [Predator] in charge of these [Prey]?

But why would a [Predator] even bother to keep them around? Was he safeguarding them to eat them later?

She was quite curious to see how Dr. Hamilton would decide to eat them, so when [Lunch] came, she redoubled her vigilance...

But "Remember to return in time to those of you that decide to leave for lunch." Dr. Hamilton said as much before leaving the room.

No one left after him, if anything they just continued working while opening small square-shaped entities, there she stood looking in almost horror as she saw them [Opening] those square-shaped entities and fishing out of them [Biomass].

One fished a smaller square-shaped mass of fiber with some animal biomass surrounded by vegetal biomass and [Ate] it with small [Bites], she...She...She may have been mistaken in her understanding.

These [Humans] were a more terrific organism than she had expected, these [Things] surrounded themselves with the dead bodies of square-shaped entities, those that stood at the top of her previous existence.

Then while under the gaze of some square-shaped entities they took younger forms (As she could infer those were younger since they didn't speak and had less of a bio-electric signal) and feasted on their entrails!

And these were [Prey]!

They were the same meek creatures that paled under the gaze of [Dr. Hamilton]!

What kind of apex predator was this species?!?

Had been her [Design] been flawed?!?!?

She hadn't found anything of note in her current form!

Nothing that indicated that she could do that kind of thing with the square-shaped entities!!!

It was true however that the square-shaped entities hadn't reacted to her, if anything they seemed to treat her as superior, as none had questioned her while she moved in that room, almost as if they feared her...

She wondered why before, but if those had seen their younger be [Feasted] upon on the regular, she could see why, the square-shaped entities weren't equals to the [Humans] no...

They were closer to her, they were [Slaves] to the humans!

What kind of secrets held this [Body] that allowed it to make such a mighty existence bow to them?

She...She needed another [sample], her current body must be flawed in some way, and that was it!

Surely the [Blueprint] they left for her was a weakened one!

Surely a mighty entity that could do all of that wouldn't be as weak as her form had been, why she had needed to burn plenty of biomass and energy to keep this body working before in the metallic tunnel!

And that was merely by trying to move under an environment under 0°C of temperature!

Her previous [Glorious Form] could survive in environments as cold as -50°C!

No way this form could be that bad at temperature management while holding a rein over the square-shaped entities!

"...Do you think he will survive?" Oh? They started speaking!

"The intern? Nah, either he will get cannibalized by the remains of P4 or he will be turned into a new P-Series by Dr. Williams." Another voice spoke, rude!

She wouldn't cannibalize anyone...Okay, maybe she would, but still!

"Well it's his fault for killing P4, he was kinda cute..." The voice of another one sounded, this one had a higher pitch, she made note of it as it sounded more in line with what her body returned of an approximate pitch for [Voice].

"...It was a 10-ton crab without eyes, the only reason we know what side it's his Face is because the thing needed to leave a mouth...And even then we can't be sure that's his face!" The first voice spoke back.

He had the right of it, actually, she didn't have a [Face] per se on her previous model, all sides could function as her [Face] since she had sensors everywhere!

She had made that design to work like that since some of the P-series she fought against had some weird fixation with attacking at her [Face], so to predict the attack more easily she made one side of her look like it had a [Face].

"Even so, she was cute." The other voice said, curious...Most had referred to her previous form as either [It] or [Him].

Only this voice seemed to think of her as a [She].

"Also, it was a she, not a him. The design on the mandible was of a female crab." The previous voice said.

Her mouth was of a female? She had chosen that one because that was the most efficient and offensive design she picked up...

"It's a weapon, it probably made the design choice following the most efficient mouth it could get its hand on. It didn't have feelings." The first voice said.

Again, that one was smart, maybe she would try to steal his [Blueprint] later, she would need to make sure he was distracted on a [Rest] cycle first though.

Could she be able to track him to his [Den]?

Did they even need a [Den]?

She was aware that she could function on her biological [Brain] for extended periods of time, the only reason she went into a [Rest] cycle was to be more efficient with her energy while she waited...

She wasn't sure how long they would continue in this place, the mere fact that she managed to arrive when no one was around was a blessing in itself, but while she could continue on this form for almost 30 hours...

They had bigger bodies and as such should be able to hold more biomass and energy...She may need to prepare an escape...

But her current form was...

["Spaghetti"]

Main Core referred to it as such, she wasn't sure what kind of bioentity was called [Spagetti], but since Main Core had been quite helpful it must be some kind of ambush predator...

"One week of extra work says that intern will be eaten by P4." One of the voices spoke.

"Joseph, it's rude to bet on the demise of a fellow worker...Also only one week? A month says he ran to RH and is in the middle of a change to a new Lab." Another voice said admonishing the first one.

He spoke of a [RH] that seemed to have more power than Dr. Williams, perhaps another level of [Predator] above Dr Williams?

"Guys...He could be dead right now...Also One week of work on site that he is the new host to P4...If he is I will also add another extra week that says I can make her [Evolve] into another Crab before one of the nekomimi faction gets to P4." The voice with high pitch spoke.

Getting two levels of [Bets] on her side.

They continued to speak like that while feasting on the remains of the young square-shaped entities they brought, after finishing those, they moved to a side of the room where they placed those remains in a hole within the dead body of one of the bigger square-shaped entities.

She wondered why? Were they holding some level of respect for the young dead?

She thought that for barely a second as the high-pitched [Human] moved something on the far end of the dead body of the square-shaped entity...Then the dead body started emitting a clear [Liquid].

Main core registered it as [Water], but she knew that those liquids within one body aren't such a banal thing, no...The lifeblood of one shouldn't be just [Labeled] as the banal thing that [Water] is.

If the square-shaped entity sustained using water, then that wasn't mere water but [Blood]...Mostly made of H2O, but still!

The horror she saw made her shiver, these humans were nonchalantly bathing the dead young bodies with the blood of another dead member of the square-shaped race!

She...She needed to run away from here, she wasn't sure why the square-shaped entities hadn't risen against them!

Such disrespect to their young and they stood there like nothing!

"[Cleaning of test chamber finished.]" Or so she thought, but when the square-shaped entity spoke it was to only say that!

No inflation in its tone, no hidden anger or any emotion at all!

She was more rattled than them!

"Oh, he finished? Weird." Said one of the voices, the one that had bet a month.

"And he survived..." The one that bets a week said.

"So no one won?" Spoke the high-pitched voice.

The three only stood there looking at another square-shaped organism, this one held a projection on its body of her previous den, there the [Prey] stood with a metallic container full of bio-organic remains of her previous body.

She could even see the dummy core she made within the remains of the bucked, and how the [Nanites] she left continued to self-destruct in the bucket.

"Well...Someone call Dr Williams and give him the good news..." Said one of the voices.

"Not it!" And the higher pitch voice quickly said, "Not it!" Followed by another.

Leaving the one that originally said that fuming and grumbling as she saw him leave the room they were in, the other two continued exchanging theories about how that [Intern] had managed to survive and if he was [Contaminated] or not.

Rude.

She was not something that could [Contaminate] anyone!

She thought so at least, she didn't remember having any [Blueprint] for a way to propagate over large areas...Most of her stuff would self-destroy after a certain amount of time passed or turn inert if enough biomass or matter could sustain itself and wasn't intrinsically bound to her nanites.

So it was impossible for her to [Contaminate] anyone really.

After around ten units of sixty seconds (Or 10 minutes as Main Core seemed to have taken a liking to those units) the Dr Williams returned. He immediately glared at the main monitor where the [Intern] had continued to push the same button to try and open the door out of her den.

"So either P4 is playing a new game or he somehow managed to actually kill the only surviving original P-series subject. Opinions?" Said the Dr Williams human.

Wait, the only original surviving P-Series?

Hadn't she just fought a P9 subject a few days ago?

"He might have gotten a lucky shot into P4 Main core? He has been brandishing what looks to be a cracked Core at the camera." Said the high-pitched voice human.

Oh, he was indeed brandishing her dummy core, and breaking it further by grabbing it too hard...Thank you [Intern] for making it harder for any study to bring accurate data.

"I think P4 is playing dead in an attempt to escape," Said another voice in the room, he was going over her last core dump. "There are no mentions of reinforcement in the immediate core area, and P4 used to take regular schedules to check its defenses."

Oh, did she forget to add those? That would be...

["Problematic."]

"So either we let him leave and risk everyone in base...Or leave him there for a week without letting biomass near P4." Wondered aloud Dr Williams.

Was that [Human] really allowing the [Prey] to decide the fate of other [Human-Prey]?

That...wasn't something a [Predator] would do...

Oh...

Her [Eye] turned around to see everyone else and they all stood there in silence, till the high-pitched one said "Should we prepare accommodations for hi...." She started saying but shut out as Dr Williams turned his eyes to her, "...For the new possible P4 Subject?" Ended saying high pitch.

"Why yes Miss Brown, that is the spirit...But we don't have enough funds to give P4-B good accomodations, he...Or no that thing is no longer [Human], P4-B may use P4's former den. Give it P4 previous allotation of Nutrient paste." Said Dr. Williams, somehow that [Human] was sure she had survived.

But why did it though she would remain within her den?

"Yes sir." High pitch said while she seemed to push some weird small squares in a long rectangle in front of her.

Were those small square-shaped entities?

At the same time high pitch pushed those weird lines seemed to move and react on the square-shaped entity with crystal-like body, and then the [Human] within her den looked straight at one of the square-shaped entities within her den.

She strained her [ears] to try and listen in, but barely managed to hear "[Subject temporary name P4-B, you will remain within site till you are deemed free of influence, please use the accommodations, no further testing will be done and so, all the biomass provided will be the standard unit. Subject P4, if you wish to acquire further biomass please move towards the gate and an appropriate test will be started.]" High pitch turned towards Dr Williams as if asking something.

"Heh, good enough I guess. Good job on noticing P4 would want extra biomass after surviving that encounter...If it survived the stupid crab." Said Dr Williams.

"Sir...Subject P4-B seems to be speaking, should we parse him?" Asked another one of the [Humans].

"Yeah sure, why not. We will not record all of his interactions afterward, so I hope it uses them wisely." Said Dr.Williams, the human that had spoken moved, and after pushing some of the squares in front of him another one of the crystal-like things showed a projection of the [Human].

He had thrown his bucket with the remains of her dummy body to the side "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? LET ME GO! P4 IS DEAD! BESIDES NUTRIENT PASTE? AT LEAST GIVE ME ENOUGH TO SURVIVE. I CAN'T SURVIVE STARVED AS P4 WAS!" He went on and on.

Speaking about how if she was alive he was in danger, about how he would quit, about how he wouldn't do it again...He went on quite the long tirade about reasons of why that was unfair and how he was sorry, about how he wouldn't try to make her evolve into a cat girl...

What even was a cat girl?

High pitch seemed to take offense at that as her eyes turned dangerously similar to those of another [Predators] she had fought before, the one with slit eyes and a smooth tail, she remembered that one because it had been not only fast and agile, but because she hadn't managed to defeat it.

"...And he wasted his chance. Cut the recording from the log, mark the reason for deletion as nonimportant for the experiment." Said Dr Williams.

No one contested that, so that must mean the reasoning the [Human] said wasn't good enough to risk them opening the door from her [Den], not that it was an effective way to contain her, as she was no longer inside.

"Continue going over the [Core Dump], also prepare for the dummy exposition, we will get the [Tour] from that school in...12 hours, so you have two hours to prepare and finish. Get the fake recordings of weapon testings and six hours of rest and another two hours to finalize everything. Afterward, we will move to cold weapon testing in the remote location. With some luck, P4 will stop playing dead..." Said Dr.Williams while the other [Humans] groaned at that.

What was a [Tour]? And why had they reacted like that?

She would need to check and investigate further, besides...At the very least if she understood them right she would get a chance to investigate further when they turned to the [Rest Cycle] in two hours...

And at least six hours to roam around before they started moving...So in around 12 hours, she would find out what that [Tour] was...And perhaps that would be her way to escape this place?

She hoped to find some [Biomass] within that period at the very least...

But for now...

For now, she would continue filling her database with their interactions, with some luck she would be able to mimic their [Speech] well enough to try and hide among them...

She hadn't found another [Human] with the same [Phenotype] as hers, neither in form nor size...So she was getting worried... She didn't want to try and [Neutralize] one of the [Humans], they held too much power so she wasn't sure she would be able to kill them.

Maybe she could find enough [Biomass] to mimic one of their bodies without having the full [Blueprint]?

She would need to check on that option with her six-hour window...

But that would need to be done later, right now...She would analyze and investigate these [Humans]...If nothing else she needed a [Prey] to stalk.