Message #77303

[Fury]

NIGHT 10 EVENTS (FINAL)

VOTE SONYA - Velax #204, Ketchum #208

Rookie Agent Ketchum had zero training and zero experience, except for last night. It didn't matter. He was a full-fledged Secret Government Agent now and he was THIS close to a Nobel Prize to boot.

He had invited the Hunter Scientist Velax to join him as an Agent although it didn't really matter as he had reached parity and could openly reveal his newly assigned identity. Velax could see no choice but to join him but before Ketchum could get confirmation from Headquarters, two-way communications was mysteriously severed. No matter, he sets off to join Velax for one last lynching wearing Lefanis' Nobel prize around his neck...

The Hunter Scientist Velax too sets off to meet Ketchum. However, he had one last card to play and he was determined to play it. He packed an extra gun for the ultimate confrontation and either they were dying tonight or the Thing was.

Both Ketchum and Velax make their way to the station gym where they had hung Sonya. It was also the place where Telrunya was burnt to a crisp and it was the only lead they had that somehow, Telrunya had infected Sonya. In the gym, they find Telrunya partly in ashes as well as Sonya who was still hung.

"Cover me", whispers Ketchum as he cuts Sonya down. They they both aim their examine Sonya who doesn't even blink much less move.

"This can't be right", whispers Ketchum again as he kneels besides Sonya. Then he hears a gun being locked right behind his head.

"Sorry, Agent Ketchum", says Velax. "There's no way I'm joining you." He presses both his guns into the back of Ketchum's head. "I LIED."

In an instant, a spear-like tentacle bursts out from Velax' chest and he drops his guns and frantically grabs his chest in a futile reflexive action. The Thing growls: "How many people have you shot, Velax?" It sneers: "When you shoot someone, make sure they're dead... and stay dead." Then it steps from behind Velax as it tosses him aside like a rag doll.

Velax the Hunter / Scientist is attacked and killed.

Frantically, Ketchum grabs both the guns that were dropped and rolls to one side and as he comes to his knees fires both weapons in one fluid motion in a move that would have made his mentor proud. He empties all his rounds at the Thing who shudders at each impact but nonetheless keeps moving forward until all that is coming from Ketchum is empty clicks. Then, finally, as the last to fall, Rookie Agent Ketchum is torn to bits by the Thing.

Ketchum the Researcher / Scientist turned Secret Government Agent is attacked and killed.

The Thing slowly searches Ketchum's clothing and he (yes, it is a he) pulls out Ketchum's last research. He goes through the paper until he finds the pertinent information he is looking for and underlines one word with a blood stained-finger:

SELF-PRESERVATION

Each cell or group of cells is self-aware and has an in-built desire for self-preservation, even at the expense of the larger biomass it spawned from. After the torso of an assimilated individual has burned to death, the head separated away from the fire and developed arthropod-esque legs and eyes stalks to facilitate escape. When a small sample of Thing blood was exposed to a heated wire, in the presence of its form and still infected host, it leapt away in an attempt to escape. Similarly spilt Thing blood was seen to pool and run in rivulets looking for escape.

While fire has a devastating effect on its physical form it has been shown that the blood and soft tissues remain intact deeper inside and are seemingly self-aware or lucky enough, with the host creatures sensory organs and motor skills devastated, to still effect an ambush of a new host once he was left alone near the corpse.

He smiles and tears up the paper into bits. The Thing, with his cunning selection of infection target has ensured its survival. Then he reaches into one of his pockets and takes out a small piece of card that he had recovered from the place of his lynching and with his blood-stained finger... signs it - with a smile.


THE END