She let go of my hand as I walked towards the black rock like table and the gleaming silver egg in it, for some reason every step I took closer to it, I could hear my heart thump. It was a sound so ancient it was like listening to ancient drums from a time before men roamed the earth, but then again drums were only a thing when men roamed the planet. The egg suddenly started glowing brighter, the thumping and thrumming sound of my heartbeat became a pulse as the light danced with it. Silver and blue, and then a deep green and golden yellow. I could hear it, and it was because I could hear it I realized that it wasn't my heartbeat I was hearing, but rather the heartbeat of whatever was inside that egg.
I paused, I don't know what this world was on about, but I'm a black man, and not just any black man I'm a fucking Nigerian. We see shit like this and we run the other way, fast and quick before you can even say stop. And that flight response that has been so deeply ingrained in not just my mind but my bloody genes is kicking in. I turned around to look at Carol, honestly I just wanted her to tell me to come back and not have to worry about what was in front of me, but all she did was give me a reassuring smile and tell me to go on. It didn't work, I was absolutely not reassured. This was the kind of shit that happens in horror movies! I was about to be possessed! Or worse eaten or taken over by an Alien!
As I moved closer the pulsing and the heartbeat grew louder, and this time I could hear mine. And it became a symphony of sorts, my heartbeats and those of the creature within the egg seemingly synchronized, pounding and thumping to a wonderful crescendo that seemed to culminate in a climax all so ancient it made me feel reverence for whatever the fuck was going on, like I was part of some sacred ritual or prayer. I placed my tiny hands on the egg, and in that moment all sounds vanished.
And then there was pain, so much of it that my eyes went dark, my brain felt as if someone was taking a rake to my skull. My bones shook as my tiny muscles pulled taut and twisted like the sinuous rope of old sea faring vessels. I felt as if my spine was being stretched, broken, realigned, grinded to dust and being put back together again. I opened my eyes just in time to see the metal egg breaking down, turning into a liquid that surged into my body, and that brought another wave of pain.
I fell to the ground. I could feel my body convulsing as fire and ice rushed into my veins, to my head and my ears, settling there as my head felt a lot heavier than normal. And then I could feel strings, hundreds and thousands if not millions of them stretched across my entire body. The pain was blinding yet I could not scream out or cry, I just kept on hearing Carol telling me it was going to be okay, but I did not feel like it was, the darkness came again, and this time I was actually sure that I really died. And unlike the first time I welcomed it; death would be better and preferable to the horror I just experienced, at least I'll have my voice back.
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"His reaction to the bonding is completely unlike anything we've ever seen, while we know the composition of the shells that hold the beasts are special, we never expected that the shell for the seventh beast was actually biomechanical, much like the terminal orbs. The shell had melted like nanites before going into his body a forming a layer over his brain just behind his skull. And then it proceeded to integrate itself with his brain tissue, by this point 35% of all his nerves have been replace with the biomechanical material the shell is made from, the process has slowed, but I believe his entire brain would be fully made of that material in another 10 to 12 years."
"What about the specimen, has it been damaged? Are there any long term effects to him and his abilities, will it be ready to lead the holy army in the coming Jihad?"
"So far we've not see any adverse effects, and the bond with the beast is extremely strong as the creature has refused to leave his side since it hatched. But if there has been any extensive damage, we won't know until he has awakened and an extensive test have been carried out."
"Then you people should hurry it up, the other six have proven themselves to be the best in a certain number of fields and are almost ready to begin carrying out missions. This number seven as you call him is weak, woke up late from his incubation, mute and has an ability that's pretty much useless without a voice. We are trying our best not to consider him a failure and scrap the entire project, you've achieved and impressed us a lot with the first six even if they do have certain…. defects. Begin your testing and his training as soon as possible, you have four years to provide a suitable answer and warrior to the caliphate. You know we are burdened with divine mandate from Allah; Dr Salami. Do not disappoint Allah's expectations of you."
"I swear to you Mallam Bako, I will not bring dishonor to the Caliphate, Insha'Allah number Seven will be a great general for the armies of our sultans and emirs, for our mandate is divine."
"I would expect nothing less from the Caliphate's top scientist, and also one last thing, his mother…. Your assistant Caroline…. She is a heathen, and even if she has converted the stench of her unbelief will pollute our good works here. So get rid of her, you don't have to kill her we are not ungrateful that she has given her womb, time and energy for this project, but she will infect them all, so keep her away, especially since she seems particularly attached to Number Seven."
"It will be as you say Mallam Bako, Sa an Juma."