36 Adrif

Immersive mode's white environ is transformed into a dim and trembling realm.

Spasmodic red and green lights signal the malfunctioning systems. The crash is imminent.

SUBJECT 001'S LEVELS ARE DECREASING DRASTICALLY

STASIS.MODE ACTIVATED

SUBJECT 001'S LEVELS HAVE NOT HALTED

SUBJECT 001'S LIFE EXPECTANCY: TERMINATED IN 80 SECONDS

———

The Ermine's teeth dig deep within the flesh. Its arms grip around the arms of the prey to keep it from flailing out to attack. The steel grip squeezes the last of the creatures air from the lungs.

The edge of a canine is halted as it tries to get a tighter grip on the back of the humans' skull.

It grinds its teeth on the hard material. Blood fills its mouth as it sucks and tongues at the unknown substance. It feels solid like the shipping containers.

Fluid gushes out from the punctured neck and the base of the skull. It floods down the shoulders of the human and through its thick coverings. A puddle of slick red forms beneath the suspended body.

The ermine takes a deep breath and smells the dying remains of the human within its jaws. It smells similar to the other kills it has consumed, but the hard shelling around its skull is unusual.

The ermine tightens it's grip once more as it hears the last few beats of the creature's heart peter out within its chest.

Crack

A bone within the neck gives out under the intense pressure.

Blood drips off the muzzle of the lean predator. The drop ripples as it spirals down toward the earth.

The droplet stilled.

The moment stopped.

————

W.E.SCU PROGRAM INITIATED

=TAG-ALONG PROGRAM ACTIVATED=

=ALERT SYSTEM ACTIVATED=

=ALERTING ORIGIN=

=ORIGIN SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTED=

=S.I.D connecting to SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER 2.0=

- - THE VESSEL IS TERMINATING

- - REQUESTING RECORDS

- - SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER 2.0 NO LONGER OPERATIONAL WITHIN CHEN, SIA

- -TRANSFER TO VIABLE VESSEL PENDING

SUBJECT 001 AND SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER ARE SYNONYMIC

W.E.SCU PROGRAM INITIATED

- -NEGATIVE

- -ENERGY LEVELS UNSTABLE

- -DATA TRANSFER PENDING

- -COMMENCE SHUTDOWN

- -THIS IS AN ...

OVERRIDE OF SYSTEM COMPLETE

ADMINISTRATIVE COMMANDS NULL AND VOID

SUBJECT 001 AND SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER ARE SYNONYMIC

COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF SUBJECT 001 AND SYNTHETIC INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPER WILL RESULT IN COMPLETE SEVERANCE

SEVERANCE IS NOT NECESSARY

W.E.SCU PROGRAM IS INITIATED

CHANNELS OPENING

WITHDRAWING HYDRONE

RECORD TRANSFER TO S.I.D COMPLETE

ORIGIN DISCONNECTED

HYDRONE PROCESSED

CHANNELS STABLE

TRANSPORT COMMENCING

Time retreated into itself.

————————-

I had been...

All this time I had been tightly bound to this existence until...

'I need...'

Finally, I had succeeded in ripping away from the hooks, but what awaited me was a vortex into infinity.

Every moment until now had been me pulling myself away from fate by the roots.

I felt as if I had been anchored deep within the earth.

"Mom....m....I'm so ... I can't... make it," I quivered against the knowledge that this was my end.

"can't .....breath.'

'can't...breath!'

I stopped my flimsy banging on the bottom of the door and closed my eyes.

'It's all over. I couldn't make it.'

My eyes were blind with tears.

My limbs felt so heavy.

I slammed my fist on the door for several moments, but there was no answer from the other side.

I couldn't fill my lungs.

Every breath did half its job.

I felt like I was suffocating, but I continued to call for help.

"Please, Apex help me! Help me! I need you! I need you bad!"

Everything still felt like it was tilted and shaking.

I fell against the door and gasped a few times.

"Apex!!! Mayday! Mayday!"

I took a deep breath and screamed out.

A door with medical symbols on it came into sight.

I could see it after a few moments.

I wobbled down the hallway to the one room I always knew was OCCUPIED.

The flashing lights made me feel dizzy.

Green and red lights greeted me within the immersive mode.

——————

It pounced.

I lost it.

It was too fast.

I turned on my knees to keep it in my sight.

The next moment it appeared.

One moment nothing was there.

Then I looked up with my left eye at where I believed the thing would be.

I pressed my shaking palm to the sunken eyelid.

I tilted my head toward my right shoulder as pain coursed through my face.

My hands dropped from my face to grip the ground and stabilized my balance.

I spun in a circle and collapsed to my knees.

"Ufff!"

An intense pressure shoved at my shoulder.

My entire right side of my face was in pain.

I recoiled backward a few steps holding my face.

"Aaagh!"

WARNING!

MUSTELA ERMINEA'S SPEED EXCEEDS SUBJECT 001'S CAPABILITIES

INSUFFICIENT DATA

WARNING! WARNING!

AN ORBITAL BLOWOUT FRACTURE HAS OCCURRED

I felt pain and fire in my right eye.

The ermine's white tail flicked back into my face.

WARNING!

"What the hell?!"