Three weeks later, William followed Dr. Beil into an elevator that descended far below the building’s apparent foundation. When the doors opened on Level B-7, a nauseating cocktail of scents assaulted his nostrils—industrial bleach failed to mask the sweet stench of infected flesh and something metallic that made his stomach lurch.
“Mr. Wilson,” Dr. Beil announced, his voice echoing off concrete walls, “today you’ll document our most successful enhancement project. Subject 908 begins his final transformation phase.”
They walked past a series of reinforced observation windows, and William couldn’t help but glance through them as they passed. In one cell, something that might once have been a large dog dragged itself in endless circles, its hind legs replaced by jointed metal appendages that scraped against the floor with every movement. Another cell contained a pulsing mass of flesh that occasionally sprouted what appeared to be human fingers before retracting them with wet sucking sounds.
“This is Mr. Kraig,” Dr. Beil said, stopping before a larger observation chamber.
Inside, a middle-aged man sat peacefully on a metal cot, absorbed in reading a paperback novel. Thinning brown hair framed kind eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses, and his hospital gown hung loosely on a frame ravaged by terminal cancer. When he noticed them watching, Kraig looked up and smiled warmly, waving with genuine gratitude.
“He volunteered for our enhancement program,” Dr. Beil explained with clinical detachment. “Terminal bone cancer, given three months to live. We offered him immortality.”
William began setting up his camera equipment, hands steady despite the surreal situation. “What does he think we’re doing to him?”
“Experimental cancer therapy. Cutting-edge treatment that could save his life. He’s quite grateful for the opportunity.”
William watched through the glass as Kraig returned to his book, occasionally glancing up hopefully at the observation window. The man had absolutely no idea what was about to happen to him.
“Begin documentation,” Dr. Beil instructed.
Day 1 – Pre-Transformation Subject appears optimistic despite terminal diagnosis. Cooperative and eager to begin treatment. Subject believes he is participating in revolutionary cancer therapy that could extend his life indefinitely.
William photographed Kraig performing light exercises, eating institutional food with apparent appetite, and chatting cheerfully with staff through the intercom system. When Kraig noticed the camera, he gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up and mouthed “thank you” to his unseen benefactors.
Day 3 – Initial Injection Subject received first dose of Compound X-7 at 0800 hours. Reports joint stiffness and increased bone pain. Subject remains optimistic about treatment outcomes and continues asking when he can contact his wife Tammy to share the good news.
Kraig still attempted to read, but William noticed him shifting constantly, unable to find comfortable positions. His movements had become labored and stiff, like those of an elderly man suffering from severe arthritis.
Day 7 – Skeletal Integration Begins Subject’s bone structure showing initial signs of metallic fusion. Pain levels have increased dramatically. Subject repeatedly requesting stronger medication and permission to see his family. All requests denied per established protocol.
Kraig had abandoned his book entirely. He spent most of his time curled in a fetal position on the narrow cot, whimpering softly with each breath. When he attempted to stand, William could see rigid outlines beneath the skin—something foreign was forcing its way along his spine. Dark bruises spread from each vertebra where metal components were integrating with living bone and tissue.
When Kraig noticed William with the camera, he pressed himself desperately against the observation glass, palms flat against the surface.
“Please,” his voice cracked through the intercom, raw from screaming. “Something’s wrong with the treatment. I need to see a real doctor. I want to go home to Tammy.”
Dr. Beil calmly switched off the audio feed. “Subjects often experience doubt during the transitional phase. The pain can be… quite significant. Continue documentation.”
William raised his camera, and through the viewfinder, Kraig’s face appeared gaunt and hollow, his eyes sunken with agony and growing desperation. The man was beginning to look skeletal himself.
Click.
Day 12 – Structural Realignment Subject’s spine has completed metallic integration. Human bipedal posture no longer sustainable due to structural modifications. Preliminary quadrupedal positioning observed. Vocal cords showing severe stress damage from prolonged screaming. Verbal communication rapidly deteriorating.
Kraig’s legs had buckled completely under the weight of his transforming skeleton. His spine now curved in an unnatural arch that forced him onto hands and knees, and the metal components had broken through his skin in multiple locations, creating weeping wounds that refused to heal. His arms had elongated grotesquely as the bones stretched and reshaped themselves, each change accompanied by audible cracks that echoed through the observation chamber.
When Kraig tried to speak, only strangled gasps emerged from his throat, punctuated by bloody foam that bubbled from his lips.
“The vocal cord damage is entirely intentional,” Dr. Beil noted with clinical satisfaction. “Screaming tends to disturb the other subjects and interfere with their own transformations.”
William watched in horrified fascination as Kraig attempted to crawl toward the observation window, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. The man’s hospital gown had torn completely, revealing the full extent of his metamorphosis. His ribcage was expanding rapidly, the bones thickening and protruding at sharp angles that strained against his skin.
Click.
Day 18 – Sensory Modification Subject’s facial features surgically sealed as planned. Eyes, mouth, and nasal passages sutured closed while subject remained fully conscious per procedure requirements. Enhanced tactile and auditory capabilities should adequately compensate for loss of visual input.
William had watched through the observation window that morning as three technicians held Kraig down while a fourth worked methodically with needle and surgical thread. No anesthetic had been administered—they needed his nervous system fully active during the delicate procedure to ensure proper integration.
Kraig’s face was now a mass of crude black stitches that pulled his skin into unnatural folds, creating deep furrows where his eyes and mouth had once been. Blood seeped constantly from the closure points, staining his white hospital gown a rust-brown color that grew darker with each passing hour.
The thing that had been Mr. Kraig sat huddled in the corner of his cell, pawing desperately at his sewn face with elongated, claw-like fingers. Several stitches around what used to be his mouth had been torn loose, creating small gaps that leaked saliva mixed with blood.
“Why keep the subject conscious during facial closure?” William asked, adjusting his camera settings to capture the horrific details.
“Enhanced subjects become dangerously aggressive when they can see their own reflection,” Dr. Beil explained matter-of-factly. “The psychological trauma of witnessing their transformation often leads to self-destructive behavior that can compromise the entire enhancement process. This preventive measure protects our investment.”
William wondered who they were really trying to protect from psychological trauma.
Click.
Day 24 – Behavioral Assessment Subject exhibiting dramatically increased hostility and territorial behavior. Physical strength has tripled baseline human capacity. Cognitive function appears significantly diminished, but consciousness clearly retained at core level.
The creature that had been Mr. Kraig hurled itself repeatedly against the reinforced walls with bone-crushing impact, each collision leaving visible dents in the steel-reinforced concrete. Between these violent outbursts, it would sit in perfect motionless silence, its sewn head tilted as if listening intently to something only it could perceive.
During one of these eerily quiet moments, it made a sound—a low, keening wail that seemed to form recognizable syllables. “Ta… mmy … Ta… mmy…”
“It’s trying to say ‘Tammy,’” William realized with a chill. “It’s calling for its wife.”
Dr. Beil nodded with obvious satisfaction. “Consciousness retention was a primary design goal from the beginning. Purely mindless subjects have extremely limited research applications. The psychological torment actually enhances the physical capabilities quite dramatically.”
William stared at the creature in its cell. Even without eyes, it seemed to know exactly where they were standing, pressing its sewn face against the observation glass and leaving bloody smears with each breath.
Click.
Day 28 – Transformation Complete Subject 908 successfully created through full enhancement protocol. All physical modifications properly integrated. Recommend immediate behavioral testing for potential combat applications.
William packed away his camera equipment while Subject 908 sat motionless in its cell, head cocked at an unnatural angle as if listening to their preparations to leave. As they walked away down the corridor, it began making that sound again—”Ta… mmy … Ta…mmy…”—until they were finally out of earshot.
“Excellent documentation, Mr. Wilson,” Dr. Beil said as the elevator carried them back toward the surface world. “Your photographs will be invaluable for replicating this process on a much larger scale.”
William nodded, trying to process what he’d witnessed. “How many more subjects are scheduled for this particular procedure?”
“We currently have a waiting list of over two hundred terminal patients. All desperate for hope, all grateful for any opportunity to extend their lives.” Dr. Beil’s smile was genuinely warm. “Your meticulous documentation proves that our enhancement process works flawlessly.”
That evening, William reviewed the complete photographic record on his computer screen. Each image showed another stage of Mr. Kraig’s systematic destruction and reconstruction, the transformation from hopeful cancer patient to grotesque hybrid creature documented in clinical detail.
William felt a slight twinge of something—not quite guilt, but perhaps mild discomfort at his role in the process. Then he remembered his monthly paycheck and the difference it was making for his family. Thirty thousand dollars could solve so many problems, could give them all a chance at a better future.
He uploaded the files to the facility’s secure server and closed his laptop with a decisive click.
Mr. Kraig had been dying anyway, hadn’t he? At least now he would live forever, in a sense. And his wife Tammy would receive substantial insurance compensation for his “accidental death” during experimental treatment. When viewed objectively, everyone benefited from the arrangement.
William went to bed without dwelling on the sounds Subject 908 had made during its final moments of transformation. He had more important things to focus on—like tomorrow’s assignment and which new subjects he’d be documenting next.
The work was definitely getting easier with practice.