Forums » Sci-Fi Roleplay » On the Run (1x1)

Dr Eric Lansing was in his lab doing what he did best: experimenting. His latest batch of mice were brewing nicely in their petri dishes, and he was making the rounds of his lab, double-checking that everything was in its proper place. A slightly odd glow emanated from his left shoulder, where a rat perched comfortably.

"Well, Tungsten, I'd say that today has been a perfect day," Eric said as he glanced out the one window of his lab. To be fair, it wasn't actually his lab--he was borrowing it while his was undergoing repairs. Eric rubbed his hands together as Tungsten chattered back; apparently agreeing with him.

Eric turned back to look at the petri dishes and sighed. "You know, I did get that other assignment earlier. Maybe I'll start working on that." He went over to his desk, pulled up the file, and perused it briefly. His eyes lit up. "Thermite is included? Excellent."

Within twenty minutes an elaborate array of equipment was spread across a table. He pulled on some gloves, adjusted his lab coat, and began to combine solids and liquids. Fifteen minutes later, he sat down with a sigh. "Well, not as exciting as I had hoped. Oh well." He swiveled back to his computer, ignoring the concoctions bubbling behind him.

Tungsten chattered a warning as the goop began to boil over. Eric winced and put the rat to the ground. "I'm trying to concentrate here, Tung." But the rat scrambled up his leg and wrapped its tail around his ankle. Eric got the bad feeling just as he turned around. The explosion knocked him and his chair back several feet, rocking the entire lab and blowing out the far wall. Eric, himself, was knocked unconscious.

Closed eyesrested as the boy was covered in dried blood and dirt from his struggles.
Finally caught, violet eyes glanced up to the bars that had been taunting him for days.

It was pitch black in the room, and he heard his tail make a purring noise and nuzzle up to him in an attempt for comfort, but it didn't help him much. 64 as he was called narrowed his eyes when he heard sound beyond the room he was in.

He knew the facility was multi-use, and that many scientists used it when their labs were out of commission. He paused hearing a noise, then BOOM!
An explosion. Debris scattered into the room as light filtered in and nearly blinded him due to being in the dark for the last few days. He glanced up and realized the cage lock had been damaged. He quickly grabbed the bars and shook it hopefully... and SNAP! Clink. The lock broke and fell to the floor. 64 grinned and quickly exited the cage, stumbling a bit. He still had a bit of sedative in his system from when he was captured, but it wasn't as bad now.

64 headed through the hole in the wall into the new room. He glanced around and noticed Eric, pausing.
The male seemed to be okay, only unconscious. 64 then shook his head, why should he care? Another damn scientist. But his good nature got the best of him and he walked over, moving Eric into a sitting position against the wall. "...There... he'll be fine..." He muttered aloud to soothe his conscience.

Something moved from under the desk, as Eric's body was moved gently towards the wall. A slightly knocked-about rat toddled towards the strange-smelling creature that had just entered the room.

Glowing faintly, Tungsten approached and began to attempt to climb up this new arrival's leg. Of course as he tried to climb, he was chattering unhappily.

Eric groaned as he came around. He felt concussed. No surprise, he had just survived an explosion. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times.

"I-I must have hit my head harder than I thought." He muttered, seeing a human with ears and a tail. Using the wall for support, he regained his feet. "Ah, you're not security personnel. Who are you? How did you get in here...?" He still hadn't seen the demolished wall, or the slightly caved in ceiling.

64 was a bit surprised, almost kicking Tungsten off his leg before he realized what he was.
"Oh... hello." He paused and looked to his tail menacingly as it madea noise only he could understand, "NO! You CAN'T eat it!" 64 then sighed.

He paused as Eric came around, stepping back quickly, glancing around for a place to hide, but it was too late as Eric spoke. 64's tail hid behind him.

"Uhm... I'm another scientist... you blew in the wall to my lab so I was wondering what was going on..." He lied. The chain around his neck rattled as he spoke, and his clothing and condition gave it away that he certainly wasn't a scientist.. not to mention those ears... and something furry peaking out from behind him with jagged teeth...

Eric brushed himself off, felt his head for a lump, then pulled off his gloves. His left hand had an odd scar to it--the result of an acid burn from years ago. But his eyes took in 64 as though he was a specimen. "I see. Scientist."

It was clear he didn't believe it. "Which lab is yours? Tungsten, come here before you get in trouble. Sorry for the rat; he's always running off or giving someone a piece of his mind." He knelt to grab the glowing rat from 64's leg before catching sight of the tail.

"Does your tail have teeth?"

64 watched him quietly, he didn't enjoy the look Eric gave him at all, violet eyes narrowing.
At the next question he paused, "Uh..." He pointed to the lab he had been held in beyond the busted wall.
"...The one you damaged along with your own."

He paused looking at the small rat and grinning a bit. He loved animals himself.
He then froze at the comment, trying to play it cool.
"...It's a mouthtail. I'm a tailmouth. It has it's own digestive system attached to my own, lungs, nervous system, and brain." He explained simply, trying to sound as if it was a scientific thing or something.

Eric looked at the dilapidated wall and his face went white. Well, whiter. If that were possible. It was obvious he didn't get out in the sun much, if at all. "Oh man.... I've destroyed lab equipment, but this one takes the cake. I'd say probably at least four thousand dollars worth of damages..."

He settled Tungsten onto his shoulder again, feeling the whip-like tail curl against his neck and across his shoulder. At the mention of tailmouth and mouthtail, Eric swiveled back--his bewilderment switching to sudden and intense curiosity.

"A tailmouth? And mouthtail? Does the digestive system share a stomach with you as well? What about what it eats? Can it--you?--taste what it consumes?" The questions fell like water from a broken pipette. "Can you control it? Or does it have a mind of its own?"

64 watched as Eric's face went white and bit back laughter.
This guy obviously made these mistakes often.

He watched Tungsten and smiled a bit in a friendly manner, he thought the little glowing rat was kinda cute.

64 paused however as he was suddenly the attention of Eric and bombarded with questions.
"Uh-uh.... well, it has it's own complete digestive system which merges with my body's large intestine at the end of it... it has a set of lungs so it can make sound... it can think for itself... I can't taste what it tastes, and it can't taste what I eat... thank goodness as it eats quite a few things I don't like." He glared at the tail as it made a content purr.

"And I can't control it... it has a mind of its own. It has it's own section in my brain through the nervous system or something... I don't know all the detai--"

A man walked in, "Dr. Lansing, what happened in he--" He paused seeing 64, "An escaped specimen..."

64 swore under his breath, "...busted."

Eric was practically taking notes as 64 described the mouthtail. At least that's what he thought it was called--quite an accurate description really.

So caught up was he in his notes, that he didn't feel Tungsten climb down from his shoulder, small but sharp claws hooking into his long lab coat until the glowing rat reached the floor and then scrambled over to 64 again, giving an interested sniff.

The voice behind Eric startled him into turning and his face turned white. "Ah-uh-about the lab--it was an accident! I swear!" He caught 64's muttered swear and 'busted' comment but figured it was directed at him.

"What? Specimen? You mean, him?" Eric pointed over his shoulder, paused, realized Tungsten was once again missing, and then redirected his pointing at the glowing rat on the floor. "That's just Tungsten. He's okay, not a specimen--well, not directly anyway. More like an, uh, impromptu sudden result that occurred extraneously when my then-current project, ah, evaporated...." When in doubt, use jargon and confuse everyone.

64 smirked a bit at Eric's confusion. He then looked to Tungsten and smiled, kneeling down.
"Hi there." He seemed interested in the little guy. But he was always fond of animals.

The other scientist stared at Eric.
Then to Tungsten.
Then to 64.

"No that wasn't..."
He paused, "The lab isn't an issue anyways..." He then paused again.
Then suddenly pointed at 64, "I meant that THING! He's a specimen we were experimenting on! He's not supposed to be walking around like that! He's DANGEROUS!"

64 scoffed looking away and feigning hurt, "Aww man, dude, you're hurting my feelings. Dangerous? I'll only bite your hand off if you try to lock me up again."

Eric was used to people's reactions when they met Tungsten. The scientist before him reacted normally. It was 64 behind him who wasn't at all phased by the glowing rat that reacted uncharacteristically. And Tungsten was practically climbing onto the kid's arm, naked tail wrapping around the arm for balance as he carefully aimed for the shoulder.

Eric couldn't help himself, he took a step back upon hearing the word dangerous associated with the animal-human who had just tried to help him.

"Dangerous? But...Tungsten likes him and he wouldn't like dangerous people." But what really confused him was the association of experiment and the specimen, and the specimen being a hybrid of animal and human.

"Is that why he has a mark on his face?" Eric asked suddenly, realizing the stripe across the "specimen's" face wasn't a birthmark or a strange pattern from the already strange markings--but a mark of abuse. Now, Eric didn't mind animal testing; in fact--judging by Tungsten--Eric was in full favor of testing on animals. But animal-human hybrids was pushing it too far.

The scientist was a bit confused by the whole thing, but breathed a sigh of relief when Eric stepped away from 64. "He's very dangerous. Took someone's arm off with that tail of his. As for the mark, no idea. We got him from some slaver who sold him to the company." The scientist explained. 64 glared, crossing his arms, "And if they weren't trying to jab me with a needle, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I didn't consent to this."

The scientist scoffed, "You're part animal! And your DNA is more animal than human, therefore under standards you're considered the same as a monkey. And able to be tested on."
64 stared, "...Monkey...?" He then burst out laughing, "A monkey!? Seriously?! Look at me! Do I look 'mostly' animal to you? Yeah, I have a tail and ears. So what?"

The scientist took out a gun, "And you're dangerous. So get down on your hands and knees and I'll sedate you Number 64." He said simply.

64 shook his head, glancing to Tungsten, "You might wanna get down buddy. If this guy decides to shoot you might get hurt." He gently picked up Tungsten with no fear, placing him on the floor before lightly stroking the animal's small head with his finger then prodding him in Eric's direction. "Go on."

Eric watched the exchange, his hands balling into fists, but now that a gun had been drawn into it, well, he flipped out.

"You brought a gun to work? What the hell were you thinking? He's not that-" but he cut himself off, realizing that the tail did have teeth and a digestive system to boot. "Never mind." Eric felt something inside him crumble and die when he said the next couple of words. "64, you'd best do as he says."

Tungsten chittered reluctantly as he returned to Eric. If anyone was watching, his glow might have taken on a slightly blue-ish tint. And he crawled reluctantly up to Eric's shoulder again, not taking care to only hook the fabric of Eric's labcoat--but also catching skin as he made his way up to perch on Eric's shoulder.

The scientist looked to him, He already took a few fingers off another worker here. I need my fingers as a man of science thank you." He replied simply.

64 sighed a bit, realizing he was pretty much trapped in a corner.
There wasn't any outs at the moment.
He reluctantly got down on his hands and knees as the scientist approached him.
He made a mental note to remember the guy. He held fierce grudges and wasn't about to forgive the guy.

The scientist held the gun to the side of 64's head, taking out a syringe and jabbing it in the side of 64's neck, which was quickly met with and audible groan as the sedative took effect quickly.
The scientist stood, taking off his belt and tying 64's arms to his tail, pinned behind his back.

"Would you watch him while I go and prepare a new holding area? Obviously the previous one..." He looked to the hole in the wall, "...Won't work anymore." He said simply, seeming to be attempying to guilt-trip Eric into agreeing since he blew up the lab in the first place.

Eric grimaced as the scientist administered the sedative and then watched as Number 64 slipped into unconsciousness.

"Uh...sure. I guess." Eric was struggling with what he'd just witnessed though, and he looked at the scientist. "You're going to put him in another cell? What exactly are you studying him for?"

He probably shouldn't be asking so many questions, but he was curious. Tungsten chattered unhappily in his ear, but Eric gently clamped the rat's muzzle shut with his hand.

"Not now," he muttered to Tungsten.

The scientist looked to Eric.

"Yes, we need to keep him safely away from the other scientists here."
He then paused, "Several things. How his DNA reacts to ours, DNA mixing, testing medicine on him, studying his connection with the parasite from his backside and how it re-acts to certain medicines or foods and how it affects the main body. Also why such a phenomenon occurs and if we can cause the parasite to duplicate." He explained simply. the 'parasite' he spoke of, being the mouthtail.

He then proceeded to leave, "I'll be back soon, he shouldn't hurt you now, I'm going to speak with out advisor on where to put him." He left the room.

64 was just silent, out of it thanks to the sedative.

The scientist was no sooner out of sight, then Tungsten made his decision known. He bit Eric on the ear. And it wasn't just a nibble.

"OW!" Eric yelled, clapping a hand to his ear and pulling the rat off his shoulder. Tungsten chattered angrily at him even as Eric put him on the floor and then checked his ear. There was blood. A fair amount given that Tungsten had bit him with sharp teeth. "That hurt, Tungsten! Consider your shoulder privileges revoked."

But the rat was running over to the downed experiment and was climbing onto the furry guy's shoulder.

Eric sighed and continued to hold his bleeding ear. "I know, Tungsten, but I can't just haul off someone else's experiment...." Then again, didn't this type of experiment violate the laws against human testing? If the kid was part animal, then he was definitely part human.

"Damn it, Tungsten. If you bite me again, I'm gonna chop off your tail and use you for another experiment." Eric let go of his ear and washed his hands before pulling on gloves and slinging Number 64's arm over his shoulder. "We're going out the back way."

Tungsten chittered and clung tightly to 64's shoulder as Eric hauled them to the door, peered down the hallway, and then hauled ass to the emergency exit. He knew exactly where to go, where they wouldn't be discovered.

64 countinued to sleep, the sedative having been rather strong.
He heard a shout and flinched in his sleep.

As Tungsten climbed on his shoulder, he felt it, but couldn't fight the sedative enough to open his eyes and see was it was, just instead groaning.

As Eric grabbed his arm and slung him around his shoulder, he felt dizzyness wash over him.
He felt himself being dragged. He half stumbled along, half opening his eyes.
"...wha...t..." He mumbled in a daze.

In the back of his mind, it hit him. This guy was helping him.
He tried to force his legs to cooperate to no avail.

He dragged 64 up the emergency stairs to his former lab. If the last lab had seen an accident, this one had to have seen an on purpose. Heavy plastic draped half the lab, securing a portion of wall that looked out onto nothing but air.

Eric gently lowered 64 down to a chair. He'd felt the kid trying to walk, but the sedative was still strong. A breeze stirred the plastic wall.

"Try not to move around much; this lab isn't very secure and I'd rather you not fall off the second story." Eric then turned back to survey what he had still available to him. Fortunately, nothing had been touched or moved since he'd vacated.

Tungsten remained perched on 64's shoulder and stuffed his whiskery nose into the kid's ear.

64 allowed this, weakly trying to help rather uselessly.
He almost felt nauseous moving so much while sedated.

He glanced over to the plastic wall, then to Eric as he was placed on a chair.
"Why... are you doing this.... you'll get in troub--"
He chuckled a bit as Tungsten stuck his nose in his ear, "Hey... cut that out... it... tickles..."
His cat-like ear twitched a bit.

He glanced back to Eric, "...what are you... doing?" He muttered, fighting the sedative pretty fiercely.
The walk had helped a bit, getting his system to start clearing it out faster.