Handle with care

This afternoon has been very quiet, many residents are decile. It was around the time that I collected my rations for lunch that anyone of them properly explained it to me. That was when I heard the news about the crocodile whom was in cocoon hibernation. Apparently one the headless types had entered forcefully into the space and tore open the cocoon. As they say around here, being in that shell makes you the most vulnerable. If you are to sustain a break during the cocoon, you will simply rot to death for good. And yes, this would be often true. However there is factors that means I could potentially save them in time.

"Give me a chance to save their life. I have helped a cocoon stage before. We could be successful even when it is fragile work. I know that I can't guarantee anything but its worth the effort." Was what I said to the reptiles as soon as I could. They all stuck to their vote of keeping the crocodile died.

This clan of reptiles and their allies (mostly the grass grazers without heads and some of the scaled faction of the bird types) were all saying that the crocodile elder would only ever be a corpse and that I had permission to use the corpse for research.

I didn't come to them to ask to use the anyone of them for undignified studying like that. I had hoped that my time here was proof I wasn't here to treat anyone like a test subject. It was my promise that I wanted to keep.

It was when around this point that I was nearly shouting at them about such things, understanding that this was breaking pride that other creatures had. 'Just about everyone has told me, not to dissect them when they die.'

This was when other residence had stepped in. They cooled down the argument I was having with this faction of the zoo. The folks whom came in to help me had later told me, once the patient was within a enclosure, that I should try to save this crocodile's life.

This faction understood that this was a no guarantee to save the crocodile however they did want some certainty of showing my surgery skills. I guess this was a test of how good I am at saving a mutant life, that my researching (although not invasive as previous visitors) was good enough to deal with future issues. This sort of comment was a slip up by the tiger whom was the last to see me with the crocodile.

I have to focus... most of the hardest work like getting past bones and skin is not a problem when all that was protecting the organs, bacterial cultures and organ fluid movement is within the cocoon webbing. The point of cocoon hibernation is this is when the mixture of diseases takes over and rearranges the whole body. This is when similar organs of melted together, bones are reshaped and the muscles tissues are completely torn (then eventually reworked into the new bone structures). Some areas are replaced and others are added. C1A or CSCC is the highest active in this stage. During this stage the brains present are extra safe in a cell membrane while the owner is in deep sleep patterns. As normal, they do not feel pain in cocoon hibernation. These are advantages we need to make the most of now before the cell decomposition.

One of many issues that is a problem is the acidity of the cells actively working, burning away all things that isn't necessary to the new body. This denaturing of cells could melt me as I am poking my own limbs into the open shell. Worse for me is not knowing how the diseases choosing what DNA to use or not, this isn't in my research records.

For me, I have nanotechnology. This forces my cells as I would prefer. These creatures of mixed mutated individuals don't at all in for all case I have encountered - never has once had I found one with nanotechnology. I can't go around giving nanotechnology to others, there is danger enough with it being inside of me. These cell changing machines could become their own plague if hacked into with the right resourcing. I can't make more data base hubs for nanotechnology to be remoted hive minded from, nanotechnology requires a flesh brain pathway network in order to stay active anyways. Not all creatures have enough compacity to hold machine types of this nature. This means, I can't use it to fix crocodile man in a long term use but I can for the short term that I am conducting surgery - a emergency only method as this is risk of DNA contamination to me.

At best, I can give replacement flesh where it has rotten to death - when it was clearly a detriment to the survival of the patient. This tends to be the inner contains; all sorts of blood, kidneys, stomach types and lymphatic cells. I can move and guide bones into place or help the body remove bones that the body is rejecting. I can give more energy of glucose and other vital vitamin supplements. Not that I like the idea but in a dire time if nanotechnology is to risky for the reward - supply a small few drops of donor stem cells. I can use the reactivity of the c1a to continue the cell melting staging for a while longer.

I will less then surprised to find if there is something in the body that isn't present any scanning. Just anything as a clue to what is the control of the trigger of cell transformation and what is conducting the cell orders when no nanotechnology is there to argue. Just anything that is a step closer towards answering where the intelligence boast comes from. What is the truth, what is the real transformation disease?

I can identity cscc and dd195 but they aren't the cause of the behavioral pattern change and control of bodies. This is what has strikes me as the most annoying part about looking for answers, as every other standards of testing has been inconclusive. None of my data in any abnormal lipid, cell structures, abnormal fungi or exactment of organs... Not anything in the DNA of chain count of dd195. The restructuring of a body is a slow process that takes whole years sometimes to achieve normality from. It's not at all a overnight result.

Dreams, brain wavelength interference, sustaining of the brain... there has to be a brain structure within this cocoon. A brain that isn't the normal hosts whom should be in control.

First was to check all the things I can see for infections that isn't the symptoms of c1a or Ddc195. Remove any rotten or dead flesh. There is risk of removing to much. My brother fetched crate of spare sealed meat, the off cuts of whatever meat creatures are being farmed here and what I have from my van. Triggered Ddc195, which soon allowed the flesh to be accepted by the patient.

Is the extreme activity of c1a and Dd195 the acceleration of the healing process? Must be. Well no. There is bones being reshaped or even removed - but they were original and belonged. These bones aren't any show of rot and there is no detection of any infection according to my brother. What the parts are being picked and chosen isn't natural, not survival based chooses. The lack of main stomach, but the track is here. Lack of livers or kidneys... things that c1a is doing, taking it away from the host.

Ddc195 started attacking parts that didn't make sense.

"You should interven... and stop the Dd195." I looked up at puppet2, that wasn't my brother. I stared at the drone body a long while without even passing a second thought - giving system no room to read them. I had a feeling in me, a sort of dread I had been ignoring.

I look back to the patient... Ddc195. It was a created disease with a purpose, and for some reason it's everywhere. For something so speiclist to be in everything I came across (especially this past 4 years). Back at the Libaray, the sicko talked my ears off about it. Sick as it was, why would a goverment use someone like him... let his mistake. Unless it wasn't, "Why are you stopping? Aren't you trying to save them?" That isn't my brother speaking.

"I need the finer toothed bone saw, if I am to cut out the source of Dd195... which is replicated in marrow of certain bones." I don't have any notes of which bones, "Would you please fetch me the saw and the camera's?"

"Is that to document for research?" He knows me... I was just screaming about this only just this past lunch, "Don't you have a eye to record with?"

"I need the specialist camera. I can't scan into bones. Hurry up and fetch them. I have to stay here and cut away what I can." puppet2 walked away for a little bit, hovering near the doors into the grage side of the clinic. I make sure that I in focus with helping organs around or removing more rotten flesh out the cocoon. I stitched up a few holes from cutting away the rotten.

The door to the garage closed, I sent a coded instruction to the Van to make more distrations in there. Once for sure that I am not being watched by the computers, I sigh and act quickly. I moved away with moving some tools over. I pulled a sealable jar over too. I constantly was checking the way the puppet2 left.

And if that (Ddc195) is attacking that (cscc cells), it means that the other (cscc or something within it) is a foreign cell. I have to contain it too. (One removed from a host body), I need to prevent the spread. My biggest concerns isn't the patient, (I have to hope that it will take the puppet2 to be distracted away from me).

There is quiet a ruckus with the garage; it has folks in my waiting room intervening for some reason or another. It distracting to hear such loud screeching but all i can do is to keep cutting. The infection has disolved my protective gloves layers... It has lightly started stinging my hands. I had to kit the fluid vacum on and force a lot of this acidic burn away from areas.

"There is detection of c2a." I jolted for a second with the hover drone flutterign into here, "Please calm down, you don't need to set yourself off at this moment." I really debated if this was him... i really wasn't sure.

"Is poison still looking for the bone imaging camrea?" I asked, my hand is ready to grapple a amount that would hinder the hover drone.

"You know that cscc is the one that is detected in bone marrow and not Ddc195." I sigh in releif, he would be the one paying attention where pioson doesn't. Poison steals his data... but not all of it. But just to be sure.

"I hate that sicko that made that." I peer at his reaction.

"You're testing me... We both know that the guy whom was intent on humans only would make the Ddc195." I smile and continue chopping out all the traces of forgien cscc. He hovered as a second set of eyes, "Why did you have the Van crash into the puppet2?"

"Poison isn't a machine." I warned, "And why would Ddc195 attack the cscc unless of course it was..." I waited for him to finish that thought.

"Ddc195 is attacking?" I nod and showed, "That means that c2a and any further progress isn't." He hovered in looking closer, I am cuttings through membranes of the cscc. membranes. I found missing organs like the stomach... and the livers and kidney. But they are all shrunk. The membrane is more a plastic like texture with a reflective like property. I poured a water into the cocoon area, diluting the acidity more. The mirror property was very camouflaging the organs with help with the property of water and blood. I haven't yet cut into any blood vessels, which I know I should have already.

The only way i could best put what is going on with this half man and half reptile... was that the two were being glued together with c1a, separated and organized by c2a and dissolving in pouches of Ddc195 that c2a was creating. The body was being forced to rely on c2a, as it removed integral internal structuring for it to replace. Which made coming to the thing we found together, something I predicted to find with these creatures. Removing a worm like mirror structure, which I soon sealed in a air tight jar. I looked for any sign of this worm like structure in other section.

But it were like I pulled a plug, Ddc195 was sudden beating out the cscc. It was closing open holes where I removed cscc or rotten meat. It was sealing the cocoon. It was fast, trapping half of my left hand and three fingers. I did have to cut myself to remove them... preventing the invasion to include me into that. The nanotechnology that was sunk into the cocoon lost connected and broke down. the nanotech of my hand sealed the cut as a temporary measure.

What had only been though as a mirror like tap worm was hitting the inside of the glass jar. It knocked the glass to thud a little. It stopped in notice that it had moved the jar. It slowed with looking around, spying what was outside of the jar. It continued to then try another knock. I slide the bin of removed flesh to catch the jar from smashing across the floor. It slams about within the bin, still in the jar. Stopping silent. I looked to my brother in... he does the check and there was sudden ereuption of banging about from it again.

"So... now we have some answers." I muttered... He moved away from its sight ant it stops being violent.

"Now I know what I am going to remove." He looked at me.

"I look forward to see my own in a jar." I peer into the bin and the glass jar was intact, with it trying to unscrew the lid from the inside. I take the glass jar from the bin, tighten the lid - impeeding the progress it made of twisting. It hissed from within. The tail end hitting about in a temper tamtrum.

"I don't think mine is located in this body." I proposed as a thought, "But... the easiest way to know for sure would be... to well..." I looked to the pateint at the table... the egg like shape it resembles, "I knew." I took tape out from a near draw. I sealed it better. I marker the lid. I take it around to the clinic lock freezer, "And now we have a back up to chop later... since it was the cause of the cscc." I step around back to the flesh bin... picking up a membrane. I have this sampled onto several different plates. I air seal all of them, "And now we know why organs seem to disappear." I felt I got so much out of this, "I really really hope... that he lives."

"Do you recon that the wolves overheard us?"

" The Alpha leader would know for sure. We can't hide this from them. This could explain the war going around here." I opened the freeze to triple check that the sample was freezing up... yes. closed it, "Because now i know what i am fighting, we can save the few lives from this data." I cleaned up myself, eyeing the dangers of this room, "Do you think the reason why the current vault dwellers would allow a superemisit research to be come so wide spread?" I asked thinking out loud mostly.

"Ddc195 was created to remove foreign DNA out of humans... and now it removing DNA foreign to the host its immunity system. You think they continued from his research, perfected the Ddc195 into a anti-wormer?" My brother docks himself to a computer, inputting all of the data to a back up locked admin sever.

"I mean... That sicko was hell bent on humans only and made a virus that infected 13 cities. Suddenly its no longer contained in those cities. The city's are meant to be the vault government's way to test and vaccinate the people whom weren't able to vault. Those underground weren't infected. Us on the surface are infected." He disconnected from the computer as I sit back at a chair, I was disinfect my own wounds. Sewing my lost fingers. My ring finger is gone. The fact that my pinky was removed will drastic weaken all joints in that hand. To be fair, this isn't the first time I lost my hands and arms. The problem about loosing my limbs now, is that they aren't going to grow back human. I seem to loose more that this keeps happening.

"We never really go all the facts back when we were travellling. Sure we broke into houses of the dead and looked at all the newspapers and internet. The fact that everything has been hushed."

"I am starting to think the nuclear chain reactions weren't to wipe out machine lodgic." I were a momentarily startled with how someone from the waiting side barged in, "Holy..." I stabbed myself with a sticthing needle. I felt some lingering pain for a while before i could collect myself, "Sir. Was there somethign urgent? I mean, I do know about what my van did to my machine drone servant. I couldn't trust it after what it told me."

"Well there was that which I was going ask. But... It seems you are to be trusted." I nod towards the gorilla leader. I continued sewing up my hand, "You're not one the wormed... you see... we knew about that. But no single doctor sent has encountered it before. When they did come close to that turth, they were turned as one them or murdered. You said that you are infected."

"No denial here. I am. I suspected it a long time... the more recent events before coming to the zoo was evedeince enough to worry. I just... didn't execpt my own problem to also be yours." I bandage wrap, "Now I know. We know. My brother ai will beable to continue fighting this battle, even if I lose my life. So you could say that there a sort of gauntee with us... that we can stop this."

"I am glad to have you on our side. Nothing to do with going against any goverments, ai's, pure humans... none that matters." They stand right up to the cocoon, "I thought he be awake."

"What I do know is that the low level stage of cscc, isn't foreign cell or batctira or fungi. It is our own bodies way of eveoling with our enviroment. The next stage is where the parasite comes in from another source, makes home of your body and takes over. Any stages after is the parasite. The melting flesh together is a trigger side affect of Ddc195, it a disease degsined to remove foreign DNA. The freak made Ddc195 is a nasty peice of work, has no regard to anyone life. Cscc seems to overwork Ddc195 into causing the graphing of things that shouldn't be mixing. Say a plant and a human or a creature and a human." I sigh that i could see this was boring them, "Right. Sorry." I look to them, "I have removed the parastie from them, i gave it my best to help thier recovery. I honestly do not know how they are going react, if they going remeber anything or have any side effects from the donor organs. It's going to take sometime to really see any results. I really pray that I did the right thing."

"Even if he does die or looses memories, you did something he would have appreacted. It's that he has contorl again. He can move as he pleases." I nod in understanding.

"So not everything is infected with the tape worm mirror thing from hell." I looked at the freezer, paraniod at this point really.

"We will talk more when your rested. You look ill."

"Well, i have my own war to fight." I showed my hand, "I have to sleep everytime I loose my hands. Well... these weren't my orginal hands. The next set aren't going to be my last either."

"I hope that you return with us. because you can stay here perdeminatly. Now that your in the know. You don't need to leave or listen to what the others say. The voting thing is to keep those of us not wormed from being so. You know?"

"I really do." I hold myself... with standing up, "I have to wake up to help anyways. I have flks around here whom need me. I have folks out of here whom need me. As long as I am needed, I don't want to leave."

"This will make the 7th time you been melted down." My brother tracking, "She melted maybe before that... given I have no way of finding any record of when she became infected with c2a. She had it after we left the city and thats all I do know." He sent commands with several different bodies, mostly that the spider was crawling around packing away. A new legged container was transporting the goods and tools, its not a new disgen but its a new drone of his. The examiner table is wheeling itself through to the waiting room. Folks are already there with taking over the transporting it - as that was what the gorilla leader was here for.

"You can fight your war here... on your side of this building. We will have wolf checking in. I have no doubt that even if your sleeping, Doc... Your ai brother can do medications while your gone."

"Yes. He will be my keeper." The nodding. leave for the rest of the night. It is extremely past my time to sleep... let alone my own body triggered into a regeneration.

"Kate, you can't be a human anymore." He reminds me.

"I know." as much as it may bother us both, this was something I am still conflicted about.

I remember while back, we were just arguing over this. My lacking of organs and human shaping... my way of walking on all four. No vault or underground shelter is ever going to treat me as a human. No human is going to treat me like I was. My solace is with the zoo folks, nightmares whom will be always judged by others.