Zenith: Last Revenant - Chapter 93

Deep within the artificial planetary object floating in the void, a metal star-like space vessel, the Mortifier, boasted several long winding tunnels and corridors.

This vascular system covered almost every fiber of the unimaginably large metal ship, hiding inconceivable wonders and mysteries; a series of large metal doors blocking passage for anyone who would search for said wonders.

Strange, muffled grunts could be heard sometimes escaping through the small crevices and cracks along the walls, hinting at the tremendous horrors those held captive were most likely being subjected to.

Behind these reinforced metal doors laid a recently built research facility. Unlike the one in the bioship, when Spencer created the Mortifier V2, he had great plans, allotting a large space to this dark, dreadful section of the ship.

If one would pass through these incredibly thick metallic hurdles, the challenges would only just start.

Anyone brave enough to venture into these halls without guidance would be first met with a series of long passageways. Long, winding, slithering metal corridors with railways at both ends. Behind those railways the walls on both ends were packed with energy supply pipes, various kinds of data cables, and many suspicious-looking flashing instruments each displaying metrics that for most held no significant meaning.

From a distance, they actually looked somewhat like blood vessels.

The corridors went on, traversing into the looming darkness, slithering away seemingly into eternity.

The passageways, these guided corridors slithered away leading to the far ends of the spaceship obscured by ominous and eerie darkness. It gave the illusion that there was no end to it, but it kept on going forever…

It was an extremely dangerous design for the uninitiated, especially for the potential intruder. Even though it would have required an exceptional amount of bravery and most likely stupidity to try to potentially offend the entity owning this majestic but terrifying vessel…

Eventually, at the end of the path, another black metal door awaited the unwary ‘traveler’, barring further advance for those that didn’t have the proper credentials. Not that there would be any meaningful chance for anyone to reach this point, as besides the eerie atmosphere, the occasional muffled screams that the wind carried all the way to the end, would have attacked the strongest of minds and bravest of hearts.

Also, the chance of sneaking by the night-omniscient owner was practically null. Not entirely impossible, but escaping through the Divine Sense was not a task just anybody was capable of doing…

Still, even not factoring that into account, the state-of-the-art design and tech would be enough to catch almost any curious mice unless they had the means to mask their presence entirely.

The eerie sounds, the muffled grunts were the home to the area beyond these doors.

Still, even against all chances and fate, a mouse, perhaps guided by Lady Destiny herself would find his or her way somehow through the second hurdle, the second barrier, he or she would find himself in a large, gigantic room.

Its sheer size was enormous. A large hall, about the height and width of several school gymnasiums…

Murky, green fluid filled each of the containers. Their insides were bubbling as if that something was breathing, though it was impossible to properly make out anything other than a dark amorph shadow-, it seemed like some living thing was squirming and writhing in each of them.

Cords and pipes, which crisscrossed along the floor like capillaries were connected to each capsule and were linked to countless unidentifiable devices that had been set up with complexity that one could call nonsensical.

In a way, the sight resembled the lab of some typical mad scientist’s evil lair.

Yet, there was a vast difference between those cartoons and children’s stories.

The atmosphere this place created.

Like entrails of a chimera, mixed several beasts together to form one, an abomination.

The whole place would have given the shivers to anyone present. It carried the stench of the unholy, the supernatural.

Something vile, something sinister… almost as if a demonic presence loomed over forming into a massive dark, albeit invisible cloud.

Standing in front of one of these tubes, a woman with fiery red hair and a long white lab coat stood, holding a dark grey tabloid device in her slender hands.

The woman, Bey’on was looking at the screen of the machine in front of her, watching as the diagnostics run, showing a cascade of numbers along its course to completion. At the same time, her fingers were tapping the screen, creating a cacophony of ticks and tacks as she typed at a lightning-fast speed.

She hummed with an eerie delight, humming a happy, cheerful tune as she made notes about the results of her latest round of experiments.

“Hmm… Still not ideal.” She muttered, clicking her tongue with a slight annoyance. “Something is missing, but I’m just not sure what. The formula is perfect… the conditions are good… what could I have possibly overlooked?” She muttered as she looked at the screen of the device she held in her hands.

A small pout, a displeased frown settled across her face as she reached for the small vial holding a dark, reddish-looking vicious thick fluid; Spencer’s Blood.

“With the sample he gave, I should be able to kickstart the transformation… yet somehow the process cannot progress… What am I missing?”

Looking up from her device she scowled at the numerous cylindrical tubes around her. Each containing some unknown substance and someone… or something inside, squirming desperately.

“Hmm… maybe the issue is not about the formula, but the host? Are these… primitives too weak, too faulty to be able to have any form of meaningful reaction? Are these… Kryptonian just that useless?!”

“Just a bunch of trash!” She hollered, growing angered and annoyed at the same time.

Fuming with her helpless rage, she kicked on one of the tubes before walking away, towards the further darkness… Her pitter-patters could be heard along the way for quite a while.

At the screen of the capsule, she stormed away with a rising annoyance, the information it gave would have sent shivers down almost anyone’s spine.

Yet, from the vital signs that instead of stabilizing but was slowly deteriorating downwards, it gave light to the reason for this crazed demoness’ huffing.

So far, each attempt at the grand project she was ȧssigned to by Spencer was a failure. Each specimen inside the countless sea of tubes she had attempted to inject with the first version of the Omon Formula that HE created was somehow turned out to be a failure. Whilst there weren’t any violent reactions, all potential outbursts were contained within the sturdy glass walls of the containers, the chances of survival were basically nil, zero.

Looking around, this wouldn’t even be a unique case as unfortunately, all the other devices were showing similar outcomes…

…

With the annoyance and frustration due to the fact that after dozens of rounds of experiments, she had nothing to show but abominations that had the lifespan of a mayfly, Bey’on stormed towards the far end of the hall, where, unlike the previous ones, a simple-looking door laid away with an uncharacteristic silvery shine.

This was the second, smaller test chamber, where another similar, but at the same time, a vastly different experiment was taking place.

For starters, unlike the sea of tubes in the large hall, only three were erected in this one. Also, these looked much more refined, much more illustrious than those faceless ones before.

With hurried steps, Bey’on quickly reached the door and -as it had no visible security or lock of any sort- simply pushed it open.

“Did you have any luck?”

As soon as she stepped in, the figure standing in front of the three containers, Spencer asked with a carefree, almost cheerful-sounding tone. From the sound of it, it felt as if he already knew the outcome and just wanted to further push the Bey’ons buŧŧons.

After all, whilst she looked like an evil, mad scientist to many, she was also easy to tease, and flustered. Turning her into a helpless, shy schoolgirl was one of the most exciting hobbies for Spencer as of late.

“Grrr… Hmpf! You clearly know the answer to your stupid question. Why ask then?” Bey’on huffed, puffing her cheeks and pouting, looking exactly as Spencer hoped.

Noticing the wide stupidly satisfied smirk plastered on his face as he looked over, Bey’on’s face only grow redder with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

She took almost a minute to slowly calm herself, as commenting or acting any further would just play into his game.

Eventually, she managed to collect herself enough to have her face return to the previous insipid, mostly emotionless look. She stepped over to Spencer’s side and looked at the three cylindrical containers.

Unlike the rest in the large hall, these were filled with a different-looking fluid. It was of a brighter, orange hue, almost golden at its base. Three distinguishable humanoid figures were floating in it, two looking slim, and slender, holding feminine curves whilst the one at the right looked like a mass of nȧkėd muscle, a hulk of a man.

They were the three Fasha companions Spencer had taken with him. Now each resting and slowly transforming as the strange liquid fused more and more with them, seeping deeper and deeper into every fiber of their beings.

After their initial shock of finding that their friend has once again gained an incredible amount of power, and has reached heights that not even the most sacred of their race’s myths and legend have entailed, Spencer explained to them what he was doing. He also explained his grand vision, his plan to create a new home, a new world for only his people that he would create.

It took a bit of time, but eventually, after some back and forth even the most feisty of them, Cassa also agreed to undergo the experiment and serve as willing test subjects in the hopes of becoming the progenitors of the new Omonian race, Spencer’s people. (Also, they would finally be useful, and would no longer feel like dead weight…)

Clearly, by the different saturation of the fluid that filled up their containers, it was obvious that Spencer wasn’t using the same as Bey’on was experimenting with.

No, this was a slightly modified version of it. It was much more potent, having used not just simply his own blood, but a wisp of his refined ethereal essence as well. Due to containing a minuscule amount of his true self, the core of his existence, Spencer was limited in the quantity he could do before he would feel its weakening effects himself.

Still, despite the dangers these tests would have, Spencer was determined to go along with it. Not just simply to fulfill his twisted curiosity but also to fulfill the promise he made to them. With all their quirks and faults, they were still useful for Spencer’s future plans. Also, he did feel slightly responsible for the destruction of their homeworld… Well, only slightly.

“What do you call this one? I know it is still based on the Omon Formula, but it looks… so different.” Bey’on asked, inspecting the monitor in front of them, that connected all three tubes together.

On it, three humanoid silhouettes were shown. Unlike the unstable amalgamations of Bey’on failed test subjects, these three looked stable, the screen showed only bright green instead of the erroneous red.

A progress bar currently showing ‘14.875%’ and slowly climbing higher flashed at the bottom center.

As is already expecting and probably waiting for this question, Spencer’s face flashed a wide grin.

Raising his right hand into the air, as if he was the maestro in a grand orchestra, he waved it theatrically.

“Ah, my dear… This! This is a unique creation, something that cannot be replicated but only a handful of times… this is…”

[*Author’s Evil cackle resounding in the background* “Find out in the NEXT Episode…. Or on my *******! MUHAHAHAHHA!”]