The Monsters
Kei’s leading the way to the factory where they are holding the monster we are supposed to investigate for the AHC. Building is the usual butcher factory you can find here in Changye. Place is full of butchered meat. Blood stains on the floor and wall. All kinds of fresh meat smell and liquid noises somewhere. Kei’s calmly shifting through the meat hooked in the factory. She stops at one of the creatures being hooked and bled.
“Caught a troll?”
“Yeah.”
The man who is watching the bleeding process answers. He is using a device to drain the blood of the troll.
“This close to Changye?”
“Part of a Pact. Traveled from the Balkans. Got caught by Hunters roaming the wild. Offered the live corpse to us for processing.”
Kei looks at the blood.
“Full of maggots.”
“Yeah. But it’s probably his diet. Uh, you guys send them to inspect those creatures?”
Kei pockets her hands and nods slowly.
“Yeah. Got some business with you folks.”
“Oh. Biggest troll you’ll find here”
“So part of that pact?”
“Kinda. He was leading.”
Kei shows her business smile and leaves. I watched the process for a while before hearing Kei call out.
“Akun. We need to go now.”
“Sure.”
The man closes the machine and takes his flaying tools out. I thump him on the shoulder.
“Good luck. Don’t hit the intestines.”
He shows his teeth and wears his breathing mask. I follow Kei inside and find her wearing the gloves she brought. Opening her case, taking her personal tools out. She makes a quick diagnosis of the monsters.
“No gas or poison. Seems to be okay.”
She takes a thin metal rod with a hollow tip and thrusts it inside the creature.
“Well, good news, it’s a carbon-based lifeform.”
I stand close to the beast while also keeping myself out of reach. I’d rather not get tainted by monster-taint. Once you get it on you it’s hard to take the smell off you.
“Got any clue?”
She shrugs and takes another tool. This time it’s a tiny drone the size of a roach controlled remotely by the app she installed on her device.
“Initiate scan. Report if there’s any abnormal organ.”
“Got a medbot too.”
Kei drags a stool close to where she places her tools and kneads her neck.
“Well, cheaper than hiring a Doc to do the autopsy. You think we can light a cigarette here?”
“Probably. Not much to contain here with the smell.”
She fishes a stick of cigarette out and smokes. She did not notice her boot crushing a pebble.
“Guess this type is the type to sharpen their teeth with pebbles.”
Kei raises a brow at the pebbles under her boots and kicks them to the side.
“Well, they have to sharpen their claws and teeth to be worth a threat. Wow, I’ve gotten too used to an air conditioned room.”
“Yeah. I get you.”
I grin. The factory’s bad. It smells bad. You can almost feel the grime padding the walls. The mixture of smell and constant wet sounds seems to come from everywhere. Workers four walls away can be heard shouting at their co-workers about where and how to cut.
“You seem used to it.”
“Worked in a butchery once.”
“Good god, Akun. How many jobs have you hopped around before coming to my office?”
“The gig pays. You learn a lot from these gigs.”
“Can’t deny that. Never did work on many gigs.”
“But you’re familiar with this process.”
She grins slightly.
“You can always look it up, Akun. We got skill packages now that come with AR-wreaths which instructs you how to do the job.”
“But you have experience clearly.”
She shrugs and takes a look at the drone digging through this thin membrane just below the heart area of this malformed troll.
“Yeah. It’s always good if you know how to diagnose someone or something. Look at this black membrane, Akun.”
She shows me the encasing around the troll’s heart. The drones bite on the membrane until it manages to worm its way in, scanning it.
“Healthy heart. Ooh, look at this. It’s trying to grow another one behind its heart.”
“Really?”
I look at the projection of her transmitter and it shows this small organ was in the midst of growth. It seems to be small and hidden.
“Do trolls do this?”
“Not from what I’ve heard and read. Well, other than the heart. Look at this.”
“Chems from augs secretion. I hope they aren’t adapting to it.”
“We’ll need to record this and send it for analysis. Hmm, it doesn’t seem like it, but it seems to enjoy eating augmented humans.”
The scan of the belly shows pieces and scraps from parts usually found in cyberware. The tiny pieces of chrome were being digested. The serials from these chromes, the ones we found, confirms it seems to be a european brand of augs they prefer there.
“How did they even get this thing whole?”
“Lots of tranquilizers. Around ten times the dosage considered lethal for humans and this bastard has a lot of its stomach. And I mean a lot. Enough to knock out four bulls.”
“Cause of death?”
“Bullet to the head. Was quick and easy.”
“You think there’s still humans in the belly then?”
“Probably. Look. It’s a finger.”
“Kei. This is why I will never eat monsters known for eating us.”
“Please, it’s likely all of humanity today has eaten something resembling a human one way or another.”
And as someone who has worked inside a flesh pit mine once. I’m sure there’s a lot of people who have eaten human flesh. The thought of it disgusts me. This is why I’d rather spend more on REAL meat than artificial and synthetic flesh.
Kei laughs at me and continues her diagnosis of the troll. After spending about two hours in the room. Someone from the shop’s management told us they need to start cutting the troll. Me and Kei took a step aside and watched them open the troll like how you’d skin a hog. From its ass up to its mouth.
***
After the diagnosis we visited more places where creatures somewhat similar to the troll’s fate are. Mostly the usual creatures around the outskirts.
From what I understand the creatures are currently roaming the outskirts of the city and have been attacking Roamers and Hunters. One of the most common things we found among these creatures are the augments present in their stomach. These creatures devour augmented humans and seem to relish on the synthetic parts.
But other than the monsters having augs in their stomachs. Kei found strange mutations happening to their bodies. Like the first troll we found, they’ve this black membrane in their bodies encasing their organs. One of the creatures we found, a gnoll, had this membrane on their brain. It also shows this gnoll was capable of using stone weaponry.
That got Kei’s interest so she called Aidan to escort us to the outskirts where Aidan’s freelancers took us to where the gnoll is. A small overgrown forest with knee-high grasses. Trees covered in vines and ground full of mud. We found the gnoll’s habitat. One gnoll is here and like the gnoll we found. It is using a spear for reach and a shield. Too bad for the gnoll since the freelancers were using high-powered rifles and a shield didn’t save its skin or provided protection.
The habitat smells somewhat okay. Didn’t smell bad and honestly had this aroma in the air resembling crushed fruits. Kei starts searching while the freelancers start guarding.
“Look at this. They have been using stoneware to cook their food.”
“That’s bad.”
“Yup. It means our monstrous friends are starting to have an attention span. Hmm, give them enough time and they’ll evolve.”
I crossed my arms and locked eyes with Kei. She knows what this means.
“The Bureau will have a field day with this.”
“They will. We can live with the creatures, but if they start learning how to use weapons and cook their food. It’s going to be another problem for us.”
Kei raises her head.
“Hmm, I wonder if the AHC wanted us to show this. Is this what they want to say? That the anomalies are starting to have sentient thoughts?”
“Probably. We’ve been doing the basics and we found out already. Unless there’s a scheme here or the AHC’s gotten too lazy.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Nevertheless, I think we should take this seriously for now, Akun.”
She signals me to take pictures. I pulled my scouting camera and started taking pictures of the evidence we pulled. My wreath should have captured the spear-wielding gnoll so it’s best if I upload all of this to my workstation later.
“Guess we're going to make an article about this?”
“We have to. This will get us some clicks and if this is what the AHC wants us to see and wants the whole of Changye to learn, then it’s best if we just do it. They’re using us to reveal their secrets, while also not taking any blame for it. If people know they might have known this. Imagine the backlash.”
“Guess we’re the new convenient source eh?”
“Not that bad. I don’t mind it. But if they keep doing this, then I’ll consider it first.”
“Sure you will.”
Kei shrugs and radios the freelancers. We returned to Changye and got inside. While being processed at the entrance, we saw immigrants trying to get in. Most of them are already going to the lanes to help in the construction effort going there. Flesh spit mining companies are also hiring people. Persuading them into doing a dangerous minimum wage job likely to make them hate artificial meat after they’re done with it.
Getting processed, we separated with the freelancers. Kei told them to get something and they happily took Kei’s tip. Sitting on the service train, we rode straight to the AHC where our client’s waiting for us.
Guilford Beaufort’s the same. Kei sits across from him and she examines the pictures we’ve taken and the notes she written.
“Why us?”
“Because it’s more beneficial for all parties.”
“I get that. Bad PR is still an advertisement.”
“Not for us. People tend to look down on the AHC. Call us the discount bureau for our services. Maybe we are. But we’re still the only ones who do most of the work while the Bureau solves problems that take time. While they are long term, we are the short-term solution.”
“How quaint.”
Kei smiles and then takes her order from the waitress. She seems charmed by Kei.
“The evidence is here. We will write the article for you. But you surely know what will happen after this is released?”
“Of course, it’s beneficial for Changye in the long run.”
Kei raises a finger.
“Do we include the part where these monsters have been eating augs like candies?”
“Of course. We have to make them more monstrous.”
“Then the deal is done.”
She shakes hands with Beaufort.
“We will write this. I’m hoping you’ll help in spreading the word?”
“Of course we will.”
After we left the place we met Beaufort. Kei lit a cigarette and told me her honest thoughts about him.
“Akun. That guy’s one hell of a scumbag isn’t he?”
“Yeah. But he knows business.”
“That he does. His eyes were constantly measuring us. How he’d profit and all of that. Beyond that, he has little interest. Probably hates monsters.”
“He does. Reason why he’s in AHC. Those people hate monsters more than anyone in this world.”
We later released the article titled under the anomaly within beasts. The implications that the monsters are learning caused a ruckus and as expected it didn’t take long for a monster purge to happen. The AHC practically sponsored the damn thing and for the next few days.
The butchering factories of Changye became full of monster meat sold for cheap.
The Monsters
Kei’s leading the way to the factory where they are holding the monster we are supposed to investigate for the AHC. Building is the usual butcher factory you can find here in Changye. Place is full of butchered meat. Blood stains on the floor and wall. All kinds of fresh meat smell and liquid noises somewhere. Kei’s calmly shifting through the meat hooked in the factory. She stops at one of the creatures being hooked and bled.
“Caught a troll?”
“Yeah.”
The man who is watching the bleeding process answers. He is using a device to drain the blood of the troll.
“This close to Changye?”
“Part of a Pact. Traveled from the Balkans. Got caught by Hunters roaming the wild. Offered the live corpse to us for processing.”
Kei looks at the blood.
“Full of maggots.”
“Yeah. But it’s probably his diet. Uh, you guys send them to inspect those creatures?”
Kei pockets her hands and nods slowly.
“Yeah. Got some business with you folks.”
“Oh. Biggest troll you’ll find here”
“So part of that pact?”
“Kinda. He was leading.”
Kei shows her business smile and leaves. I watched the process for a while before hearing Kei call out.
“Akun. We need to go now.”
“Sure.”
The man closes the machine and takes his flaying tools out. I thump him on the shoulder.
“Good luck. Don’t hit the intestines.”
He shows his teeth and wears his breathing mask. I follow Kei inside and find her wearing the gloves she brought. Opening her case, taking her personal tools out. She makes a quick diagnosis of the monsters.
“No gas or poison. Seems to be okay.”
She takes a thin metal rod with a hollow tip and thrusts it inside the creature.
“Well, good news, it’s a carbon-based lifeform.”
I stand close to the beast while also keeping myself out of reach. I’d rather not get tainted by monster-taint. Once you get it on you it’s hard to take the smell off you.
“Got any clue?”
She shrugs and takes another tool. This time it’s a tiny drone the size of a roach controlled remotely by the app she installed on her device.
“Initiate scan. Report if there’s any abnormal organ.”
“Got a medbot too.”
Kei drags a stool close to where she places her tools and kneads her neck.
“Well, cheaper than hiring a Doc to do the autopsy. You think we can light a cigarette here?”
“Probably. Not much to contain here with the smell.”
She fishes a stick of cigarette out and smokes. She did not notice her boot crushing a pebble.
“Guess this type is the type to sharpen their teeth with pebbles.”
Kei raises a brow at the pebbles under her boots and kicks them to the side.
“Well, they have to sharpen their claws and teeth to be worth a threat. Wow, I’ve gotten too used to an air conditioned room.”
“Yeah. I get you.”
I grin. The factory’s bad. It smells bad. You can almost feel the grime padding the walls. The mixture of smell and constant wet sounds seems to come from everywhere. Workers four walls away can be heard shouting at their co-workers about where and how to cut.
“You seem used to it.”
“Worked in a butchery once.”
“Good god, Akun. How many jobs have you hopped around before coming to my office?”
“The gig pays. You learn a lot from these gigs.”
“Can’t deny that. Never did work on many gigs.”
“But you’re familiar with this process.”
She grins slightly.
“You can always look it up, Akun. We got skill packages now that come with AR-wreaths which instructs you how to do the job.”
“But you have experience clearly.”
She shrugs and takes a look at the drone digging through this thin membrane just below the heart area of this malformed troll.
“Yeah. It’s always good if you know how to diagnose someone or something. Look at this black membrane, Akun.”
She shows me the encasing around the troll’s heart. The drones bite on the membrane until it manages to worm its way in, scanning it.
“Healthy heart. Ooh, look at this. It’s trying to grow another one behind its heart.”
“Really?”
I look at the projection of her transmitter and it shows this small organ was in the midst of growth. It seems to be small and hidden.
“Do trolls do this?”
“Not from what I’ve heard and read. Well, other than the heart. Look at this.”
“Chems from augs secretion. I hope they aren’t adapting to it.”
“We’ll need to record this and send it for analysis. Hmm, it doesn’t seem like it, but it seems to enjoy eating augmented humans.”
The scan of the belly shows pieces and scraps from parts usually found in cyberware. The tiny pieces of chrome were being digested. The serials from these chromes, the ones we found, confirms it seems to be a european brand of augs they prefer there.
“How did they even get this thing whole?”
“Lots of tranquilizers. Around ten times the dosage considered lethal for humans and this bastard has a lot of its stomach. And I mean a lot. Enough to knock out four bulls.”
“Cause of death?”
“Bullet to the head. Was quick and easy.”
“You think there’s still humans in the belly then?”
“Probably. Look. It’s a finger.”
“Kei. This is why I will never eat monsters known for eating us.”
“Please, it’s likely all of humanity today has eaten something resembling a human one way or another.”
And as someone who has worked inside a flesh pit mine once. I’m sure there’s a lot of people who have eaten human flesh. The thought of it disgusts me. This is why I’d rather spend more on REAL meat than artificial and synthetic flesh.
Kei laughs at me and continues her diagnosis of the troll. After spending about two hours in the room. Someone from the shop’s management told us they need to start cutting the troll. Me and Kei took a step aside and watched them open the troll like how you’d skin a hog. From its ass up to its mouth.
***
After the diagnosis we visited more places where creatures somewhat similar to the troll’s fate are. Mostly the usual creatures around the outskirts.
From what I understand the creatures are currently roaming the outskirts of the city and have been attacking Roamers and Hunters. One of the most common things we found among these creatures are the augments present in their stomach. These creatures devour augmented humans and seem to relish on the synthetic parts.
But other than the monsters having augs in their stomachs. Kei found strange mutations happening to their bodies. Like the first troll we found, they’ve this black membrane in their bodies encasing their organs. One of the creatures we found, a gnoll, had this membrane on their brain. It also shows this gnoll was capable of using stone weaponry.
That got Kei’s interest so she called Aidan to escort us to the outskirts where Aidan’s freelancers took us to where the gnoll is. A small overgrown forest with knee-high grasses. Trees covered in vines and ground full of mud. We found the gnoll’s habitat. One gnoll is here and like the gnoll we found. It is using a spear for reach and a shield. Too bad for the gnoll since the freelancers were using high-powered rifles and a shield didn’t save its skin or provided protection.
The habitat smells somewhat okay. Didn’t smell bad and honestly had this aroma in the air resembling crushed fruits. Kei starts searching while the freelancers start guarding.
“Look at this. They have been using stoneware to cook their food.”
“That’s bad.”
“Yup. It means our monstrous friends are starting to have an attention span. Hmm, give them enough time and they’ll evolve.”
I crossed my arms and locked eyes with Kei. She knows what this means.
“The Bureau will have a field day with this.”
“They will. We can live with the creatures, but if they start learning how to use weapons and cook their food. It’s going to be another problem for us.”
Kei raises her head.
“Hmm, I wonder if the AHC wanted us to show this. Is this what they want to say? That the anomalies are starting to have sentient thoughts?”
“Probably. We’ve been doing the basics and we found out already. Unless there’s a scheme here or the AHC’s gotten too lazy.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Nevertheless, I think we should take this seriously for now, Akun.”
She signals me to take pictures. I pulled my scouting camera and started taking pictures of the evidence we pulled. My wreath should have captured the spear-wielding gnoll so it’s best if I upload all of this to my workstation later.
“Guess we're going to make an article about this?”
“We have to. This will get us some clicks and if this is what the AHC wants us to see and wants the whole of Changye to learn, then it’s best if we just do it. They’re using us to reveal their secrets, while also not taking any blame for it. If people know they might have known this. Imagine the backlash.”
“Guess we’re the new convenient source eh?”
“Not that bad. I don’t mind it. But if they keep doing this, then I’ll consider it first.”
“Sure you will.”
Kei shrugs and radios the freelancers. We returned to Changye and got inside. While being processed at the entrance, we saw immigrants trying to get in. Most of them are already going to the lanes to help in the construction effort going there. Flesh spit mining companies are also hiring people. Persuading them into doing a dangerous minimum wage job likely to make them hate artificial meat after they’re done with it.
Getting processed, we separated with the freelancers. Kei told them to get something and they happily took Kei’s tip. Sitting on the service train, we rode straight to the AHC where our client’s waiting for us.
Guilford Beaufort’s the same. Kei sits across from him and she examines the pictures we’ve taken and the notes she written.
“Why us?”
“Because it’s more beneficial for all parties.”
“I get that. Bad PR is still an advertisement.”
“Not for us. People tend to look down on the AHC. Call us the discount bureau for our services. Maybe we are. But we’re still the only ones who do most of the work while the Bureau solves problems that take time. While they are long term, we are the short-term solution.”
“How quaint.”
Kei smiles and then takes her order from the waitress. She seems charmed by Kei.
“The evidence is here. We will write the article for you. But you surely know what will happen after this is released?”
“Of course, it’s beneficial for Changye in the long run.”
Kei raises a finger.
“Do we include the part where these monsters have been eating augs like candies?”
“Of course. We have to make them more monstrous.”
“Then the deal is done.”
She shakes hands with Beaufort.
“We will write this. I’m hoping you’ll help in spreading the word?”
“Of course we will.”
After we left the place we met Beaufort. Kei lit a cigarette and told me her honest thoughts about him.
“Akun. That guy’s one hell of a scumbag isn’t he?”
“Yeah. But he knows business.”
“That he does. His eyes were constantly measuring us. How he’d profit and all of that. Beyond that, he has little interest. Probably hates monsters.”
“He does. Reason why he’s in AHC. Those people hate monsters more than anyone in this world.”
We later released the article titled under the anomaly within beasts. The implications that the monsters are learning caused a ruckus and as expected it didn’t take long for a monster purge to happen. The AHC practically sponsored the damn thing and for the next few days.
The butchering factories of Changye became full of monster meat sold for cheap.
