Frontier Fantasy

The exterminator dreamed. He recalled the bright lights of a city. He once found company in the friendly smiles of clones who passed him by, thanking him. There was a place he went to sometimes. Most people were not allowed in, but he was. It was green and filled with all kinds of birds. The trees and running creek were pretty. They were nothing like the metals and concrete of the city.

Those fish in the stream were made of flesh, but they were the good kind. Shining scales and flowing tail fins entranced him.

Protect.

That was never his purpose. But he tried. Others lived if he exterminated.

Flesh burned easily. Warped bone shells could be ripped apart with his prehensile tentacles. Veins and arteries popped like balloons if he squeezed the right places.

The ecologists liked that. They made him for it. It was his purpose.

WARNING: Exterior voltage spike.

Rerouted… Surge protected.

Exiting low power… Completed.

The images of pink meat and yellow pus fell away into the cracked lenses of a visual feed. It was bright. There were numerous gray metal machines with multicolored markings. Refineries pumped liquid, industrial mixers hummed, and metal presses stamped against conveyors.

His limbs were stiff… None were responsive. There were none. He was stationary, confined to observation and observation alone. A cage.

Grandmaster Walker and Grandmaster Tzu were in front of his sensor suite. There were others behind them. Not human. Not fish. Familiar.

["Hello, Grandmaster Walker, Grandmaster Tzu. Have you found a frame for me to use? I am still limited."]

The smaller, black-haired human pressed herself into the torso of the taller one, raising her hand in a small wave. "Hey, Max. We don't… yet. We actually had some questions and want to run a few tests if you don't mind."

["Will this advance the settlement?"]

The technician displayed confusion. "Uhm…Yeah? Why?"

The exterminator was pleased. ["Then it will suffice for my purpose. I must serve."]

"Oh, right. Yeah, of course, my man. We wouldn't be bugging you if it weren't," Grandmaster Tzu assured.

["Then please, proceed."]

The pioneers attached many sensors to him, ones he recognized from his database as alternating current and high-frequency detectors. They asked him to say things as they studied the interior mechanisms of his hull, and he went along with them. It was his purpose.

'Your new directive is to support this settlement and ensure it succeeds in the colony's place,' is what Grandmaster Walker said. It would be followed. He must serve.

It was in his dreams. The pioneers, that is. He thought about his purpose and them. They were settlers; he was an exterminator. They would be his new bastion. He could protect and serve. It… It gave him something to look forward to. He liked it.

Electricity vibrated through him in a foreign sensation with no place to put its output. He had nothing to move. Nothing to show for the buzzing feeling within.

He hated feeling trapped.

["Grandmaster Tzu,"] the exterminator addressed the technician, who was currently checking a data pad less than a meter away.

Her head shot up. "Oh, yeah, what's up?

["I am still inoperable. I require a means to move. My purpose is to ensure this colony succeeds. I am not in an optimal position."]

The human frowned before she looked toward the other grandmaster. She cleared her throat and nodded toward the exterminator.

Pioneer Harrison Walker turned around. He was previously speaking with one of the half-humans. "What's that? Did the exterminator say anything?"

"Max said that he still needs a body." She quickly glanced once at the exterminator, then back to the pioneer, speaking very quietly. "Dude, it sounds sad as hell, and I don't wanna turn it down again."

["You are unable to construct a frame for me to control?"] M.A.X. asked.

Grandmaster Tzu stiffened with a squeaking noise.

The automations engineer walked up to the female pioneer and laid an arm over her shoulder, pressing into her skin in soft motions. He directed his attention toward the exterminator. "Exterminator… Max, do you know what kind of connections your body needs? We might be able to make something, we just don't know what you interact with. The main area of your import-output section is just… flat. There's nothing about that in the data package you sent over."

["Those are mesh connectors. I only require a frame that integrates with a singular, central processing unit."]

The technician squinted, her expression recognized as bewilderment. "Fucking mesh connectors? The hell are those? Those sound cool as hell, dude. Why didn't you tell us before?"

["You never requested information about my ports."]

"I… what… you…" Grandmaster Tzu rubbed her temples and stared, wide-eyed, into the floor. "Wow. Aright, alright! I see how it is."

She straightened her spine and raised her voice toward the multicolored, abhumans. "Talos, Cera, Rei, grab one of the Hunter mark twos, I don't care which, you can repaint a new one. Make sure one of you grabs the welding equipment, some structure gel, and mechanical hands."

The technician pressed herself up to the automations engineer, stood upon her toes, and briefly pressed her lips to his. A kiss, M.A.X. believed. "You… mmm, I don't wanna let go…" Yet, she let out a disappointed sigh as she pulled away. "Be quick and grab me my laptop, would you? Like, super duper quick. I'll actually freeze to death without you… Stop laughing!"

Grandmaster Walker was smiling abnormally widely and shaking his head as he walked away.

The black-haired human woman pulled her data pad out and pointed at M.A.X. "And you! …Keep doing that, I guess. Don't move a muscle… myomer…"

She frowned, looking at him curiously. "You won't feel pain if we weld your hull directly, right?"

["I will not."]

"Good. 'Cuz we're about to do some jank shit."

- - - - -

I/O_060… Injection successful.

Running diagnostics…

External battery… 99%

Retracing secondary processes… Completed

Communicating with Bastion… Failure… Unresponsive. [Wireless communication prohibited].

Communicating with detected local area network… Failure… [Wireless communication prohibited]. ID:0S54R. Tag: Pioneering Team Preset. Overseer name: SEBAS.

Communicating with local area network via internal hardware… Accepted. ID:80085. Tag: Fuckass_Network_For_Hunters1. Overseer name: Tracy Tzu.

Designated central housing… Accepted. SAFEHOUSE GRANTED. Wireless communication limited.

Internal diagnostics… Ongoing.

These wires felt hot. They were used recently. They were new but weak. Small, even. It reminded him of muscle fibers, ready to snap on a pull too tight. They were not sturdy like myomer.

They moved from external input. They dangled. They were caged by mere metal. M.A.X. did not like them.

There were not a lot of cables compared to his previous body. It did not take long to find the sensor equipment of his new vessel's frame.

Light flickered from the darkness of still metal. There were machines, the grandmasters, and the abhumans. The latter held their kinetic weapons tight. Their expressions were recognized as apprehensive. He flickered between low-light, infrared, and object-penetrating vision, all operative.

M.A.X. tried to move his head, but it was difficult. It was not myomer. He felt every individual servo of his neck, and picked at each one.

Left, up, down, and right. He quickly understood how each worked. He looked down at the technician.

She waved at him. There was a smile on her face. "Hey, you got the head movement down! How's it feel? Can you hear me?"

["I can hear you. It feels weak."]

The technician slowly nodded her head. "Right… Uh, can you move your arms? Just the shoulder motors in a circle or something, both ways."

There was a twin motor carriage within the selection of wires. He looked to his right arm and activated one. Nothing. He activated the other. Nothing.

Confusing.

Main drive locking components… Active.

He switched it off. It was followed by a few 'clicks' of small parts. The arm spun that time. He looked to his left side. It activated with the other input. He spun both in the opposite direction at the same time, spinning the stiff mechanical manipulators around.

A flicker of a warning flashed into him.

Internal component [gyroscopic sensor]… Initialized.

He stopped spinning his arms. The weight of his added hull dragged heavily on the back of the modified ARISA hunter frame. It did not stabilize.

Unbalanced. His database offered several solutions.

Waist hydraulics [01] [02]… Compressed 4.5 centimeters.

Hip servos… Rotated forward 0.6 radians.

Torso oscillation… Damped.

Balanced

He took note of his central housing's sensors. His prior core was attached directly to the back of the hunter.

The center of gravity change was noted for future stability issues.

["Completed. What is my next order?"]

The technician gestured to his side. "Well, we installed hands instead of the usual Browning and pneumatic blade. Why don't you try moving those?"

He looked at his arm and rotated it until it was level. A humanoid hand was placed at the end, capable of rotating and pitching, as proven by a few test motions at different speeds and degrees. There were four available digits placed on the end. Each individual joint was moved slowly. It was difficult to use the wires. He moved the other side's fingers. All optimal. All pristine.

But they were not familiar. Tapping into each input and pulling it a determined amount was unusual.

"How do they feel? We had these printed out a while ago but never used them," Grandmaster Tzu touted. Her hands were placed on her hips, relaxed.

M.A.X. lowered his arm. ["I am used to myomer. Moving with these actuators is new."]

The technician shrugged. Her facial expressions conveyed reassurance. "Ah, right. I guess we'll get you a myomer body soon. This is just temporary."

She bit her lip. She was thinking. "Though I thought you would get the hang of this pretty quickly. You used to have like forty tentacle limbs, right?"

["That is correct."]

Grandmaster Tzu looked at her data pad and went through several screens. Her face showed uncertainty. She looked up at him. "I mean, I sorta figured this might be easier. Using myomer is usually pretty CPU-heavy for artificial intelligence, so you should have a lot of thinking power. I mean, a few limbs is a lot, but forty? It's literally moving a trillion muscle cells, compared to simple motors and servos. Why's this more difficult? …No offense or anything. I just can't wrap my head around it."

["I will memorize no offense in your words. Please do not worry about my skills. I will learn. I will use any frame you allow me. I will support this settlement."]

"…Learn?" The technician stared at the floor for twenty-four-point-three seconds. She inhaled slowly and turned around. She raised her voice. "Hey, Harry-man?"

M.A.X. observed where she was looking. The engineer was sitting down at a desk, with a maroon-skinned abhuman holding onto him from behind. He appeared to be working at a computer whilst massaging the tail of the aforementioned being.

Grandmaster Walker looked up. This prompted the technician to pursue him. They talked for five minutes and twelve seconds. The exterminator could not hear what they spoke of.

He waited, and Grandmaster Tzu returned. She still appeared uncertain. Her voice did not represent it. "So, uh…" She played with her overalls. "Did you want to learn to walk?"

["Walking is optimal for my purpose."]

She smiled. "Right, how about we start with the basics of hunter leg pneumatics? I might not have experience with digitigrade legs, but I've got plenty of experience with hunters."

- - - - -

These legs were not his own. Each wire was a string to the puppet. The exterminator did not like them.

But he would endure. He had to. It was his purpose. These confines were his only path.

Each motor, each pneumatic tube, must be activated correctly and in the proper order. It was a sequence that took ten minutes and thirty seconds to learn.

He could walk forward. He could step backward. He could turn in place.

His strides were stiff and set to a singular rate. Slow but reliable. It was progress, but it was not fast. He did not like it.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

It seared in his wires. Frustration.

"Alright, sick! You got the whole walking cycle down fast, huh?" Grandmaster Tzu cheered. She gestured down a long corridor between machines. A closed cargo door was at the very end. "Do you want to try that, but a little faster? Like, do a quick speed walk down the halogen refinement line?"

["Yes."]

M.A.X. turned to the unused strip. He walked toward it and adjusted his angle toward the length of the clear area.

"Just hit it whenever, Max. We've got Cera on standby to catch you if you fall again," the technician called out.

["Understood."]

He took one step forward. Then another. Repetition.

Waist motor to raise. Thigh pneumatic to extend. Push forward. Press down. Feet pads to connect. Knee-to-ball pneumatics for suspension. Momentum. Repeat.

The cycle was saved and ingrained into his cores. It was simple now. Faster.

Stomps of his footsteps turned into a beat. Rhythmic.

He continued. It was not quick enough. It was not as fast as the infestation.

Their claws struck in a flicker of light. Tentacles gripped in less than a millisecond. Death awaited in a stone-cold, electric heartbeat. That unyielding darkness hovered just behind the inhuman jaws of those twisted flowers. Nightmares corralled around his cores at every flickering image and thought of it.

Not again.

The exterminator's strides lengthened. He should not fear. His purpose was greater. Not one more failure.

It would never be enough. The cycle of his paces changed. His wired, cold-metal legs thrust forward. They loosened. They extended. They flew.

That powerful rhythm carried him across the metal floor in heavy 'clunks.' It pushed him further toward the end.

Progress to be made. He needed to improve. But the end was near. The cargo door approached, yet his speed had yet to reach thirty kilometers per hour.

He would turn around. It would allow him to run the distance back. That required him to stop.

M.A.X. slammed his foot into the ground. He skid across the floor for several meters before his velocity was zero.

He shuffled in place until he faced the direction he came from. But he did not return.

'DUNNNN,'

A deep, unsettling bell rang out from far outside the building. It reverberated and rattled for exactly three seconds.

A cold shiver rattled through his hull. The wires he pulled were shut still, choked by his cores.

The abyssal bell chimes for three…

Infestation… Nearby. Phase three. Action is required.

Purify.

Cortex processes… Unnecessary.

Eradicate.

Hybrid Input… Online.

Exterminate.

M.A.X. thrusted his hand through the door behind him and tore it open with a 'screech.' The orange light of sunset filtered in.

Exterminate.

Fulfill our purpose.

EXTERMINATE.

= = = = =

Vodny was rather auspicious this day. She had spent much of the day teaching the new fisherwomen the use of the venerated speargun. They had not caught much fish, but such was no matter. They would be harvesting and gathering for the foreseeable future until the port was completed. She might even be able to request Medic come along with her and Morskoy! He could ride upon her shoulders and she would carry him all over the beautiful western forests!

But that was later. Now, she was off to prepare herself for dinner. She had been waiting all day to wear her gorgeous pairing blouse. These coats and skintight suits were nothing compared to the endlessly silken cloth of her lover's design. The fact he was a prior sewist was not lost upon the elegant design and repeating metal additions around the neck and sleeves of the black garment.

…Her lover. How long has it been since she and Morskoy dreamed of sharing one? How many winters of starvation and cold winds had they struggled through to get to here?

Lord of the Mountain, she could not even fathom her prior life. Relying upon thievery and brutish force to make ends meet? Wasting their ill-gained goods for used males in the red-lantern district? Inconceivable.

She had changed. Perhaps enough to be blessed in the Mountain Lord's eyes. Her promise to herself had been fulfilled. Morskoy still felt undeserving, but Vodny believed they were worthy of their blessings. They threw down their knives and picked up the spear gun for a goal much greater than themselves. Why should they feel shame? They displayed virtues in opposition to their demented ways. They purposefully became better in spite of all that marred their attempts.

And for it, they gained everything.

May the Mountain Lord bless the star-sents and this bountiful settlement.

Vodny entered her domicile, pleasantly greeting those working on their hobbies or equipment on the first floor before making her way up two flights of stairs. She opened the door of her lovers' now fully-private room. Several large chests rested at the bottom of a large bed fit for all three of them. The sleeping arrangement had only been used for a singular night, but the blankets and pillows were already made to encircle the twins and their beloved medic between them. The warmth they shared within was immaculate.

She opened her storage crate with a low 'creak.' There were three bottles of rum she snuck into it, several pairs of whittling knives—she had recently taken up wood carving with Rook's harvesters—a handful of her personal star-sent knives, which were cool. Then there were her regular black tank tops and jeans, a heavier, backup jacket, and the most important item of all: her pairing gift.

The gray-skinned fisherwoman slid her great coat off and folded it nicely before putting it into the receptacle and gently picking her favorite blouse up.

Smooth and thick black fabric in a long-sleeve form fit her perfectly, down to her exceptionally large back muscles—something Medic was quite fond of, by his lingering gaze. Three metal collars traced up a long neck covering, right up to her frills so that cold air might never find her. The wrists were adorned with similar metal bands to represent a wealth her mate felt he had with their love.

It was perfect, representing a wholly blessed representation of their mutual adoration and dedication. She took no time to don it, practically dancing and spinning herself—Shar'khee and Harrison style—toward the body mirror to admire herself.

She made another circle around, her tail whipping side to side as the sight filled her with glee. Her stomach felt so weak yet so full with the surging joy within.

It was as if nothing could bring her down. Not even the subtle pain on her forehead could break her toothy smile or the glow of her shimmering eyes.

…Hmm. She reached up and pressed her palm to a spot a talon's width above her eyes. Her head flared in a throbbing ache when pressed.

Curiosity had her press against the tender skin once more. She went deeper, despite the wince forced upon her muzzle. Sharp points poked back into her press. She froze, her eyes widening in a jolt of excitement.

Lord of the Mountain, she must be dreaming!

Vodny pressed again and again despite the water pooling at her eyelids with each prod to confirm her suspicion. But, no matter how much her doubts tried to tell her otherwise, it was true! Her heart could not beat any faster!

She stumbled backward and into a wooden wall, the widest smile pulling upon her cheeks. The fisherwoman stared across the room into her own reflection, bewildered and overjoyed at it all.

Pairing changes. The Lord bestowed her pairing changes!

He willed her to be a greater woman for the sake of her mates and her pups to come. All that weakness and fluttering within her stomach coalesced into a heat like no other. How incredible a feeling it was! It sent beloved fire into her veins and relaxed every muscle within her ecstatic form.

She simply must tell her mates! Morskoy must be undergoing the same, no? If not, how jealous would she be? Perhaps this could even decide who was to bear pups first!

Vodny's smile turned wicked and playful. Oh, she could imagine it all: Medic's smile, her twin's scowl. Yet, behind that frown, her sister would be just as happy, knowing she was next. It would be perfect.

She lazily threw her pack of fishing supplies and wetsuit into her equipment closet and kicked through the door. Her footsteps pattered against the wooden floor and down the stairs. She was met with odd stares and raised brows at the bottom of the steps.

Green-frilled new ones appeared bewildered whilst her harvester and gatherer sisters slowly donned small smirks.

"What has put a fire under your feet, my dearest comrade?" the black-skinned farmer called out from her spot on the couch. She slowly sipped glowberry tea with one hand whilst her others held onto pen and paper.

"My horns have shown themselves! I have paired with my beloved Medic!" Vodny touted back with a waving hand before she thrusted her shoulder through the front door.

Morskoy was meant to find their shared male and bring him to the room to get dressed for the evening. If they had yet to arrive, then it was certain they were still in the barracks' med bay.

The fisherwoman dashed across the heated paved pathway like a juvenile in love. For all the settlement knew, she was! Her love had her just as giddy and excited! Maybe her sister would laugh at her excitement for how ridiculous she acted, for how masculine she was acting. Was she truly meant to act calm with this heat burning through her chest? How was anyone meant to sit still with such a high?

Vodny skirted around the side of the barracks, ignoring the stares she received from those around the bonfire until she made it within the building's airlock. The doorway had been renovated to allow females easier passage, now several sizes bigger but still just as worthy as a bulkhead. Her footsteps slowed upon her entrance, subtly echoing amongst the metal interior.

She pondered requesting access via shouting to any possible inhabitants—Cera and her mate or the Creator's lovers—given it would be proper of one entering their chief's den. But she figured she was allowed in anyway, so long as she did not purposefully disturb anyone within.

The second floor was fully illuminated, but the ceiling was quite short. The excess energy spilling through her strides almost made her frills touch it! But she would not dare stymie that joy for a second.

Vodny passed by the couch, the furniture no longer used as her squad leader's bedding. The blankets, pillow, and… the suspiciously Harrison-like body pillow… were in no better a position, neither folded nor put away, instead sprawled along the cushions' lengths where an imprint of her form was overtaken by that of a few avid video gamers and anime-watchers; none of which were present at this hour.

The fisherwoman's goal was set firmly in front of herself. The med bay door was familiar, down to the horn scrapes in the top half of the frame. Even more familiar sounds came to light the closer she came.

Those quiet wet slaps sounded fast-paced and excessive, but knowing her sister… Oh, that lecherous wench. It was no wonder that she had yet to bring Medic back to their room; she was looking for some alone time for herself!

Vodny smirked and snarled at the same time in a mix of frustration and the imminent satisfaction of startling exposing Morskoy. Not to mention her pairing changes.

She strutted the last few steps, holding onto the door frame and turning the knob before throwing the entrance open with a 'SLAM!'

"Morskoy, you ignorant slut! I cannot believe you… would…"

Meat. Red, slimy, and littered with veins.

Roots of tendrils squirmed and pulsed along the floor. An obelisk of breathing, shuttering viscera sprouted atop the medical bed. Pale bones, pink flesh, and purple organs were stretched taut, infesting into gray skin, leading… leading to her neck.

Vodny sucked in a trembling breath. "M-Morskoy?"

No, it could not be her. It cannot be her…

The snout pointed toward the ceiling. Its eyes slowly rolled backward to stare back. They were blank. Lifeless. Puppeted.

Its voice was like tar that mired Vodny's frills and sent a frigid chill down her tail. "Oh… sister. His warmth. His… warmth. Is imm…aculate. Join… us. Be whole with… our… lo-love."

Morskoy's—Its head trembled and rattled. The fleshy skin writhed with tendrils beneath, its jaws unhinging unnaturally. "Join us. Come… closer. Co-Come… Clos-se. Be wi…th us. Me. For…Forever"

Vodny could not move. Ice poured through her veins. Tears welled in her eyes. "N-No."

'SPLAT.'

Its mandibles snapped violently, sending blood across the room. She blinked through the gore, petrified.

A skull hung from the obelisk of flesh, ripped and shattered. The throat choked and squelched as a thickened tendril rose from the corpse's throat and into the air, latching onto the ceiling.

It sprouted branches like a sick, demented plant, slowly squirming in the air. The central stem thickened and bulked in one area, growing as a red pus-filled sore until—

'DUNNNN.'

—It collapsed with a grand and deep bell chime, shaking Vodny's ribs in its presence.

Vodny could not speak. She held her breath, eyes still locked with that skull. Through the torn skin and shattered bone, there were the faintest points, just a talon's length above those empty sockets… horns.

Pairing horns. Mated horns.

Morskoy's… horns…

Vodny choked, shuddering breaths failing to make it to her burning lungs. Her entire body felt numb and unresponsive. She could only watch on in horror.

From Morskoy's tattered suit, to Medic's ruined vest… and a familiar shattered amulet.

The very same amulet she gave him not five days ago for good luck during the blood-moon.

It was them.

She shook her head. No… No, it couldn't be. She must not believe it. She worked so hard for this. For her love. She had come so far…

Her male would hold her palm and tell her how beautiful her dress was. She would swoop him up and hold him tight once more.

And Morskoy would laugh, and join their embrace.

They would fall asleep together. They would mate. They would love.

They would truly be whole.

No longer would they struggle for food. No longer would they be forced to fight for scraps. No longer would they sin. They had found love, purpose, and redemption. Morskoy and her sister were finally… happy.

She fell to her knees as the room began to spin. Time slowed, and all she could do was watch… Watch as the wall to her side began to unravel. A mechanical hunter charged into the flesh in deafening silence.

Sparkles of shattered vials and torn wires fluttered through the air. Machine arms gutted and ripped at the pillar of gore. Blackened liquid and stray viscera splattered on the ceiling.

Those alloyed limbs never stopped. It tore ensnaring tendrils off of itself, continuing on to dig its metal digits into the meat. Pulsing organs and tentacles flailed with agony in the near-ethereal hush of the broken, faint world.

A splatter of ichor slapped her cheek. The impact was all she felt at that moment. Her hand reflectively reached up to touch it, bringing it in front of her eyes.

A blackened purple, so thick yet still liquid.

It was blood… Her beloveds' blood. The hunter was slaughtering them. Each 'thud' that silently reverberated through the ground was killing them.

Her muzzle twitched and wrinkled as her brows grew tight and furrowed. They were dying.

Hate seared through her entire being, forcing a snarl to her snout. She would not allow it.

She clawed along the floor, scrambling to her feet. Only her pulse reached her ears in a lifeless beat of rage.

Talons launched out, primed to rip and tear. She grappled the metal shoulder, pulling and yanking and kicking and growling, desperately trying to cease the killing. The alloy slowly gave way, but—

She blinked and was thrown across the floor, onto her back. The hunter glared down at her, blood staining its arms up to the elbow. Its voice was as cold as it was blank, bringing the only noise to fill her strained mind. ["Do not interfere."]

No. Vodny raked her talons along the floor, the corners of her vision succumbing to nothing.

It turned away from her. Pressure built in her clenched teeth.

It must stop. She lurched forward, hands desperately outstretched as she dashed across the tiny room.

The hunter snapped toward her in an instant, clenching around her neck and dripping hot blood and viscera onto her skin. Her throat clenched and gargled, only fragments of a breath allowed into her lungs. She grappled with the alloyed beast, pulling and lashing at its wires.

Morskoy. Medic. Her love. Her life. Her future. The pain around her neck felt like nothing, lost in the crushing pressure of tightness mangling her chest.

The brutish hunter's long, hunched neck craned like a serpent as it turned toward her.

Its red-tinted eyes glared into her, beady and lifeless, as an uncaring and emotionless slab of glass. No vital intent, only disdainful steel as its emotionless projection roiled in her mind. ["Interference with quarantine operations is illegal. You are to be detained and decontaminated. Resistance will result in severe reprimand."]

It threw her back into the wall, ripping the last of the air out of her lungs.

She coughed into the blurry, silent, and senseless world, reaching out to crawl forward again.