The Skeleton-Project

 

It’s so dark here. Where ... Where am I? Wait. Who am I? What happened? I cannot move! I ... I just cannot! I can hardly breathe! My heart is beating faster!

 

Relax. Calm down and try to remember. What's my name? E. Something with E. Erwin, no. I know an Ernest, but my name is different. E, e, e. ERWIN! Yes! My name is Erwin Krepp! Slowly everything’s coming back! I’m a researcher at an institute. I belong to the Plagues. No, I'm not just a researcher!

I am a senior commander of the entire research organization. Yes. Yes! We have tried to do something about the mortality rate of our soldiers. We were looking for a way to allow them to continue fighting even after defeat. Right. How far did we have progressed already? I know. We focused on an organic exoskeleton to better control movement. Muscle growth and regeneration were also in focus.

We had already come so far.

 

What happened? I still remember how I accepted a good dozen subjects. That's right; I could not wait to try out the new mutagens and injected half of them right away. And then...? What happened then? The subjects… Did it work? Come on! Remember! Something should happen to their bone growth. Did it happen? I ... I ... Yes! Now I remember! The mutagens worked great! The lifeless bodies of the dead soldiers had begun to form a second skeletal structure over their bodies. Their injuries healed, only they did not move. After all, they were dead. I remember being scared. But scared of what?

I was worried that my job would not satisfy him. Him? Whom? No ... Noma! Yes exactly! This lousy amateur was fortunate that he is one rank higher than me; otherwise I would have given him my opinion long time ago. But that has nothing to the point. Remember. The mutagens have mostly worked well, but in order to breathe life into the bodies, I had to reach into the bag of tricks. I was still holding a charge of Zig particles that I never needed to use before. But they should now prove useful to me. I had programmed the kinetic imprint on the subjects' bony substance, but to move around they needed a functioning brain. But did I get one? Was I able to convince the commanders to provide me with more resources? No, they would not have provided me any further without promising results.

A brain… Where did I get it from? Wait. I! I injected the Zig particles to myself! Now I remember everything! My brain! I had the power to move and deform bones with my sheer will! The kinetic ability overcame me and I fainted. But why can’t I move? My body feels so strange. I feel like I'm in a cage. My eyes... Slowly I recognize faint green flashes of light. Yes, they are gradually adapting.

My heart, I feel how it beats irregularly and presses against my chest. The view becomes clearer. Clear. As always, I am wearing my gas mask, which explains the green light. But it sits so incredibly tight. It presses firmly against my temples and forehead. It hurts. I start to recognize outlines.

I'm down in the middle of my lab. Why the hell can I not move?! I feel like I weigh a ton. I look down through the circular glasses. In front of me lies a big pile of bones. It almost looks like ... like a ribcage? Wait! IS THAT ME?! What the hell happened?! I knew that the Zig particles have some side effects, but that?! This is too much! I ... I cannot move! I want to get out of here! I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!

 

 

What happened? How long was I away? My chest hurts. I feel how exhausted my heart is. I need to stay calm. What’s past is past. If this huge ribcage is really mine, then I should be able to move it somehow. My muscles are weak. No matter how much I push and pull, I cannot compete against the bony shell outside.

 

If the Zig particles have such a big side effect, then the main effect should be even bigger. So I should be able to move bones by my will - hence also my own. Calm... Stay calm. Look at your body. Choose a target. Yes. That rib over there. Can you feel it? It’s moving! Yes! It’s moving! HOLY FUCK THIS HURTS LIKE HELL! I just ripped it out of my body, using my sheer will.

 

 

What's this? The pain is already subsiding? And ... no way! The rib has already regrown! That's incredible! Marvelous! It works! Now all I have to do is practice. Carefully… Take your time.

Try to lift your ribcage. CRAP! The ribs just break way too fast! At least it only hurts a little. Why am I starting at  my chest? The spine is supposed to hold the whole scaffold. Carefully... Close your eyes and concentrate on your backbone. You can do it. Bend it forward slowly. It’s working! I can lean forward. Oh dear. When I see my body like that, I must almost laugh. I won’t win any beauty contest anymore, but I've never been vain anyway.

Nice, that’s done. I’m turning my head. Is that even possible? … That crack did not sound very healthily. But it will heal again. And now I can look around. I see the ossified corpses on the tables. One is already falling down. I hardly thought of it! It's really remarkable how well the serum worked. Come on. Stand up! Incredible… All the lifeless bodies move perfectly and come towards me.

Their faces, if you can call them that way, are pretty ugly and cartilaginous. Well, whatever. They're dead anyway. Come on. Help me. I want to get up...