Thanks Cancerian
Be careful with the spoilers though. Not everyone has read through all this yet, hehe.
Chapter 3: Horrible Truths
Talos’ body writhed more actively now, as his head remained pinned under the large rock. The parts of his crushed head began to glow suddenly, as his hands soon gained stability, and reached over to grip the sides of the rock.
His head and face regenerated slowly beneath the water, the water bubbled with his muffled growling, causing bugs nearby to fly away quickly.
His hands slowly began to lift the rock away, as the parts of his face slowly began to grow back beneath it. Within moments, he had lifted the rock a good distance from his face, before he finally tossed it aside with a splash.
Talos sat up slowly in the water, as he then got up onto his feet. The water sloshed around his legs as he looked to both sides with slow turns of his head. He had lost his target.
But Talos was a very patient creature, and this was hardly the first time an experiment had ever been this difficult to capture. He didn’t panic, and he didn’t complain, staying silent as usual. He knew that he would acquire his target, sooner or later…he always did.
His body glistened wetly as he walked out of the pond, the ever-present deep breath resounding from his menacing maw.
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“Ok…ok…” Shorty panted just a little as he fled into the misty woods with this mysterious wasp. “I think we lost whatever that thing was…so why don’t we stop for a minute?”
The wasp flew above him as he took a moment to stop and catch his breath, lowering his head. After he beat the creature that was after him, and the wasp led him into the mists, he felt like he could have run forever. But now, the shock was wearing off, his heart was slowing down, and he was now remembering his physical limitations…in his current form, anyway.
“I was wondering when you would finally stop…” the wasp responded, as Shorty heard its feminine voice in his head once more. “I was going to tell you multiple times that we were at a safe distance…but every time I tried to get close to you, you’d just run faster…”
Shorty panted as he responded. “Sorry…just instinct I guess…I don’t like the idea of a flying stinger coming that close to me.”
“Really?” The wasp responded. “After I just saved your life from something much worse than any insect I’ve seen on this world…you really think I would sting you after doing that? Some friend I would be…”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa…” Shorty jerked up his head as he heard this, finally catching his breath. “I just met you, so don’t be calling yourself a friend of mine so quickly…I don’t even know who you are, or why I can even hear you talking…as far as I remember, flying stingers don’t talk at all.”
The wasp set down on the ground near Shorty, before it responded. “That is because I am not truly of your world.”
“I don’t understand…” Shorty furrowed his brow.
The wasp flew up and circled around the sky. “This is going to be hard for a creature like you to understand…but the sky is not the limit to your world. This world is merely part of a vast universe, and many of the stars you see at night are other homes to other beings, which are far, far away from this one.”
Shorty’s eyes widened at this revelation, looking up at the sky where the wasp circled. He would have debated this idea, but the existence of the creature he turned into, and the other creature he had fought were evidence enough. “Wow…and that’s where you come from?”
“Correct.” The wasp flew back down onto the grass, closer to Shorty. “I am called RITA: Robitic Interpersonal Tactical Assistant, and I have been sent to this world to watch over and help you.”
“Who sent you?” Shorty asked, curiously.
“I am not at liberty to tell you…” Rita answered. “They prefer to be known only as the ëhelping hands’.”
Shorty nodded slowly, before thinking of another question. “How long have you been here, watching me?”
“Ever since you arrived in this world.” Rita responded, simply.
“You mean since I was born?” Shorty’s eyes shot wide open, as he walked closer to Rita now. “That must mean you knew who my parents were, right?”
Rita didn’t answer…
“C’mon…” Shorty got a little impatient. “You must have known them, if you were watching me that long. I can’t remember them at all, and I can’t find anyone who knows about them. Tell me, please!”
Rita waited another moment, almost hesitating, before answering. “Shorty, I don’t know how to say this to you…”
“Say what to me?” His face got closer to Rita’s now. “What?”
“You have no parents…” Rita responded.
Shorty froze as he was hit with this information, not quite understanding, as he lifted his head back up, away from Rita. “That doesn’t make sense…Bron told me it takes a mother and a father to make a baby dinosaur.”
“Not always, Shorty…” Rita responded. “Sometimes, on other worlds, creatures are engineered…”
“Engineered?” Shorty looked down at Rita again, the term very alien to someone like him.
“Created by a single being, for a specific purpose…” Rita answered. “The truth of your existence, Shorty, is that you are an experiment. You were created by a being that calls itself ëThe Progenitor’.”
Couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He started to get angry, as he shook his head. “I don’t believe you…it can’t be true…I have to have parents…it can’t be true!”
“Shorty, get a hold of yourself!” Rita spoke to him firmly. “You know what happens now, when you lose your temper. Calm down, so I can tell you the rest. ”
Shorty panted a bit as gritted his teeth…his eyes turned red for a moment, but he soon suppressed the urge, calming down so he could hear the rest of what Rita had to say. “Ok…I’ll listen…why don’t you start by telling me what this Progenitor thing is?”
“Very well…I can tell you what I know…the Progenitor is an intelligent creature from another world, who can use his vast knowledge of DNA and genetic engineering to create his own new species, by assembling pieces from existing ones.”
“Am I to understand any of that?” Shorty furrowed his brow.
“I’m doing my best…I was never originally designed to inform a creature like yourself…basically, The Progenitor can create living things all by himself, and you’re one of the things he created….you were given your initial form, and placed on Earth to mix in with everyone else, until your alien genes finally matured.”
“Alien?” Shorty gave her a weird look.
“Yes…in addition to your ëlongneck’ genes, you were also given the genes of many other species through this universe, mixed together. And now they have activated inside of you, giving you your new form.”
“This is too much…” Shorty lowered his head.
“That’s not all, I’m afraid…The Progenitor has likely judged you as a successful experiment, so he has sent his creation, Talos, to retrieve you…your form is to be copied numerous times, and added to his growing army.”
“What happens to me then?” Shorty was scared to ask.
“In most cases, the experiment is considered weaker than the clones to be made, so it is often killed.”
“What?” Shorty’s head shot right back up. “What happens to the failures, then?”
“The Failures are simply killed.” Rita responded flatly.
Shorty walked closer to the wasp. “So you’re saying I’m dead either way…”
“Fear not…” Rita responded. “The main reason The Progenitor sent Talos after you, is that the helping hands are here now…they have constructed a device that keeps The Progenitor from creating a direct mind-link with you. Without it, The Progenitor would have been able to steer you right towards him by placing orders in your brain.”
“The helping hands are here?” Shorty asked. “Then why don’t they come out themselves?”
“Unfortunately, the only way they can keep the device working properly is to stay exactly where they are. They have set the spot as a rendezvous point, that I am to lead you to.”
“What are the helping hands going to do with me once I reach them?” Shorty furrowed his brow again.
“All will be explained to you once we arrive.” Rita told him. “I unfortunately don’t have the time to give you all the details.”
“I just still can’t believe all this…” Shorty spoke softly…the reality of this all had just hit him like a sledgehammer. “I don’t have a family…I don’t have parents, when all this time I thought I did…all this time, I was trying to live a life I wasn’t meant to live…” He clenched his eyes shut. “My life is a lie…”
“Shorty…” Rita spoke to him sternly. “Stay in control…”
“My whole life is a lie!” He spoke again, getting louder, huffing and puffing.
“Please Shorty, don’t give in to the urge again. Not now!”
“GRAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” Shorty suddenly roared out in a rage, his eyes going blood red once more. Rita could only watch as he got up onto his hind legs, and transformed into the creature once more. He wasted no time as he ran out through the misty lands, still roaring out in anger…anger mixed with pain, and sadness…the worst kind of blind rage he could fall into.
Rita follwed him as quickly as he could, trying to stop him before he did any damage, or attracted the attention of Talos.
Unfortunately, a male duckbill dinosaur was in the area, enjoying some food from the water nearby. He heard the sound of the creature’s roaring, and quickly looked up to see it running right towards him.
Before he could react, though, the creature soon hopped right on top of him, pinning him to the ground.
“Shorty, no!” Rita called out to the creature.
He didn’t listen, still lost in a blind rage, as he extracted his claws, and jammed one right into the duckbill’s stomach. The dinosaur roared in pain and jerked as blood began to leak out of his mouth. The creature roared viciously, keeping up with the attack, jamming his blades into the male’s stomach over and over again, staining the grass and his flesh with blood as he growled and snarled…before a tail suddenly came down and smacked the creature right off his victim.
The creature grunted and rolled back onto his feet, before he suddenly saw the female companion of the duckbill.
“Oh my stars! Herald!” The female attended to her wounded mate quickly, as a few children frantically scrambled around them, each of them shouting “Daddy! Daddy please don’t die! Please don’t die!”
It was at that moment the creature finally snapped out of his rage…he mournfully turned and fled, letting out a frustrated roar as he disappeared into the trees once more.
Rita followed quickly, and lost him for a brief period of time…the little robot kept up its search though, and eventually found him, deep within the woods. He was in his original form once more, parts of his body stained with blood as he lay on the ground curled up, sobbing.
“No…no…no…” Was all Shorty could manage to say through his tears. “How could I have done that?”
“Now you see…” Rita told him softly. “Now you know what it is you’re capable of doing…now you know just how dire your situation is.”
“He’s gonna die, isn’t he?” Shorty asked ashamedly, referring to the duckbill.
“I don’t know…” Rita responded. “He may die…or he may yet live…either way, we cannot waste time by waiting to find out. Not with Talos on your trail. We need to get you to the rendezvous point.”
“Leave me alone…” Shorty groaned. “If this is what I’m capable of now, then I’d rather have Talos find me, and kill me…”
“Shorty…” Rita spoke a little louder now. “If Talos catches you, there will be multiple versions of your altered self all over the galaxy. More innocent blood will be spilled, and that means even more blood will be on your hands…now get back on your feet!”
Shorty nodded slowly, as he stood back up, still stained with blood on parts of his body, a shaming reminder of what he had just done.
“Don’t give in to despair.” Rita spoke once more. “The helping hands will be able to save you from all this, I promise…all I need is for you to follow me, and trust me.”
Shorty nodded again. “Well…if it ultimately means getting rid of this horrible monster inside of me…then lead the way.
Rita complied, flying around him a few times, before going out into another section of the woods, leading him in the right direction.
“You should stay on foot for now…I know you can leap very far in your other form, but that will just make it easier for Talos to spot you.”
Shorty looked around at the woods, before gazing back at the wasp in the distance. “Good idea.” He responded, before vanishing into the mist with her once more…
