FF8 Presents The Thing

Chapter 12

Ward’s body is put onto the examination table. Dr. Kadowaki is still a bit fogged up from the drugs and the others help her get into the room. Seifer follows at a distance. Quistis places an oxygen mask on Ward then rips his shirt open. This allows Dr. Kadowaki to prep Ward’s chest with a gelatin substance.

Seifer, “ I really enjoyed that quick trial I got... Nothing like wham bam thank you ma’am execution style. Did it ever occur to you brilliant geniuses that someone wanted you to find my clothing ripped up?”

Dr. Kadowaki snaps, “ Seifer will you shut up! I am trying to save a life here!”

Fujin wheels the portable fibulatrer over to the table. Dr. Kadowaki has to straddle Ward in order to stand over him. Unnoticed.. Selphie slips something off the instrument table.

Dr. Kadowaki, “ Irvine, turn on the oxygen and keep that mask on his face! Zell, hold his shoulders down.”

They quickly do as she asks. Dr. Kadowaki warms the prong up and pressed them to Ward’s chest. Then she shoots a current into his chest. His body jerks upward making it hard for Irvine and Zell to do as needed. Strange chirp is heard in the mask.

Dr. Kadowaki, “ One more time.. but more current.”

Dr. Kadowaki sends more bolts of electricity into Ward. Laguna was waiting nervous nearby. This was his dear friend... he was not sure he could lose Ward after losing Kiros . Then suddenly Ward’s body begins to shake all over. His chest cracks open into a hideous maul.... Dr. Kadowaki falls off before it can bite her hands off.

The THING that was Ward begins to spread and fall apart into different creatures. Seifer moves them out of the way and begins to torch the THINGS before they can escape the lab. Even the smallest particles seem to scream in the flames. The others watch in horrified fascination. Seifer still has his torch as he leads the surviving people into the room. He lays the dynamite on a table as he keeps the gunblades with him.

Selphie, “So.. what do you got in mind?”

Seifer, “ I’m gonna test everyone.”

Irvine, “ How are you gonna test us?”

Seifer, “ Through our blood.” Hands Irvine some steel cable, “ I want you and Dr. Kadowaki to tie everyone down. “

Irvine, “ Why?”

Seifer, “ Do it if you wanna live.”

Irvine, “ What if I refuse?!”

Seifer looks him in the eyes as he puts the edge of the gunglade to his chest, “ Then I will kill you. “

Irvine swallows, “ I see.. “

Then Selphie springs on Seifer with a scalpel. Seifer, without a flinch turns his gunblade on her and slashs into her before pulling trigger sending her body flying against the wall.

Irvine cries out, “ Selphie!”

Her death quiets any further protests. Not long everyone but Dr. Kadowaki is tied up. Selphie’s body is also tied down to a chair. Seifer, in the corner, was warming up a wire in the flame of a bunsen burner.

Seifer, “ We are going to take samples from everyone.”

Laguna, “ And then what?”

Seifer, “ When Ward changed into an alien.. I noticed that every cell of that thing is alive and self sufficient. When a normal man bleeds its just tissue. But its blood has a built in desire to survive. The alien blood will try to escape the hot needle. “

Dr. Kadowaki takes an sample of blood from everyone, including Selphie on little plates with their names on them. Seifer is he last to draw his own blood.

Seifer, “ To be fair... “

Seifer heated the needle in the budsun burner more. The wire is glowing red hot. Then he lowers it into the blood. The blood only make a soft miss. Seifer reheats the wire and tries it again. Same reaction. Dr. Kadowaki sighs in relief.

Dr. Kadowaki, “ Oh, thank goodness... “

Seifer, “ I thought you would prove clean, especially after you tried to revive Ward. “ and hands her a torch, “ Watch them.”

Dr. Kadowaki nods and stands guard. Seifer then proceeds to test his own blood where they can all see. The same harmless hiss as he tests twice.

Zell, “ ... Seifer.. I... “

Seifer ignores him, “ Lets Test Selphie next.” Tests the blood and it also proves to be human.

Irvine speaks bitterly, “ Selphie was human too.... That means you murdered her.”

Seifer ignores the cowboy and moves into Irvine’s blood, “ Lets test your blood now!”

Squall, “ This tests proves nothing... “

Seifer, “ Well, you were the only one who could have got to the plasma... “ Holds the wire over Irvine’s blood dish. “ So we’ll do you last.”

Then the blood seems to scream as it tries to escape the hot needle. Irvine seems to bolt forward dragging Squall, Zell and the couch with him. The bounds on Irvine break. His body warping as its his head splits open into a gaping maul with tentacles trying to grab Seifer and engulf him.

Seifer, “ Dr. Kadowaki!”

Dr. Kadowaki puts herself between Seifer and the monster trying to fire off a shot but her torch was not acting right. The others watch helplessly as Irvine tackles Dr. Kadowaki. Seifer tackles Irvine's back and the three go rolling, Seifer pounding at irvine’s head. Irvine knocks seifer across the room with one powerful hit. Dr. Kadowaki gets a grip on the torch and tries to bring it around to fire. Thing Irvine then engulfs her head inside his giant maul. Her legs kick as he holds her up with ease.

The others are freaking at this as this was nightmare come true. Seifer tries to use his torch but its busted. he grabs his gunlblade and begins to hack at Irvine. Irvine tries to swing Dr. Kadowaki’s body like propeller. Seifer grabs and shoves a grenade into the maul then uses his own body to cover Zell and Seifer. The grenade goes off, causing Irvine to explode into many pieces.

After people catch their breath, Seifer resumes the testing. Now they know the test works. Seifer brings the heated wire down to Laguna's blood sample and the blood simply hisses. So Laguna is untied and given a torch. Seifer wanted to test Fujin next. She is the most calm of the group. Once again, Seifer puts the heated wire down and the blood simply hisses.

Zell, “ I wanna go next!”

Seifer, “ No problem. “ Tests Zell’s blood sample with a heated wire. The blood also hisses harmlessly.

Zell, “ OH yeah!” And realizes he is still sitting next to Squall who has yet to be tested, “ Okay, can you guys untie me?”

They all wait, holding their breath as Seifer tests Squall’s blood. The needle goes down and makes a hiss... He then reheats the needle and again it makes a harmless hiss.

Squall, dryly, “ That was fun.. Can I get up now?”

There is silence. Then Zell starts to giggle. Seifer tries not to laugh. Laguna tries to scowl at Zell but his smile ruins the effect. That is when Seifer bursts out laughing. Its has an infectious quality as soon everyone is laughing. It was a much needed laugh as they were tense and scare for far too long. Laguna has the honor of untying Squall, who is the only one who didn’t laugh.

Then their laughter dies as they remember Raijin was still out there. The storm was at its worst when Seifer, Zell, and Laguna make their way to Raijin’s shed. The door of the shed is wide open. They look inside to see there is some floorboard loosened. Seifer pulls them up to find a large hole in the ground. The hole is fifteen deep deep, and same dimensions of the shack. Its space is filled with a strange metallic object.

Seifer, “ This is where all the missing items went!”

Zell, “ Whoa.. like a spaceship!”

Laguna, “ Looks it.”

Seifer, “ Smart son of a bitch too.. “

Laguna, “ But where would he go?”

Seifer, “ Anywhere but here.”