Chapter 24:// Birthing out

 

Nobody thought there would be so many fluids involved. The cobra’s clear saliva was dripping out of her hissing mouth, the user’s dark red blood was spilling out of the bite in his thigh, his clear sweat was pouring out of his body, light blue hydraulic antifreeze in the cyberarm joint was leaking out and dark yellow piss was coming out of his pants.

Don’t mock the man. You would have peed on yourself too. You see, evolution has provided humans with organic controlling entities of her own, just like an artificial device needs a digital daemon, a controlling entity. Evolution’s daemons may reside in the reptilian part of the brain, the one that feeds your primal desires, your fears, your self-preservation. Humans might think that they are advanced, logical, living in communities, with laws, justice, ethos and various other fictions but when the push comes to shove, they become animals.

It’s what they do to survive, and they seem to be damn well tenacious so far.

Expelling all excess baggage is a sound tactical decision, in a fight-or-flight situation.

That’s why Leo peed himself.

But that’s not all he did. He also went along with the swerving prosthetic arm that was trying to rip itself out of his body. He didn’t have time to think why it was doing it, or who was giving that command. He just went along, adrenaline overclocking his muscles and making him for a few critical seconds, a superhuman.

Leo slammed his prosthetic shoulder on the floor, and as it was hinged in a lever position it broke with flashing sparks. It didn’t come off, it was too well-built for that, but it did give way and allowed him to squeeze through the bars and out of the cage of death.

He pulled himself upright, putting weight on his good leg, and looked back as the cobra was twisting her body around again to chase after him.

The other inmate yelled for help, the prison door opened with a flashing light, the cobra slithered in the corridor and closed the distance fast.

The warden appeared in the door, his shockstick sparking, ready to be shoved into Leo’s battered body.