Not too hollow, not too full . A Walking 'Meat' is what I decided to call it.
Meat went into a rage again today. Its eyes glowed red, its body twitching and turning, trying to grab the nearby observer.
"Shit!" The young scientist cried as he stepped back.
Zapp!!
The collar shocks the corpse, stunned to the floor.
"This is why I told you to wear protection properly when getting close to him." Said the female scientist, spinning the remote in her hand.
"I didn't expect the relapse to be this random! Why did Lucas insist on not using a mouth collar?"
That's what those scientists call "relapse". When the undead is in an aggressive state.
From what I observed, it happened when the vaccine effect wore off.
I reached out, just to check to see if that flicker of soul had vanished into the deep depths again. But no. It's still there near the surface. The parasite just stole its stirring wheels for the moment.
They inject the vaccine. Meat went under quickly. His breath slowed. Eyes shut. Muscles still as if sleeping. An aftereffect of vaccine reinjection.
"Do you think he dreams?" the youngest scientist asked.
The question hung in the sterile air. The others didn't answer him.
Dream? Can wandering in that place be called a dream? Things are sure happening in there, but it's like watching the surface of water moving without knowing what happens beneath.
The oldest watched the brain scanners. "The effect of the vaccine is now steady," he muttered.
"You guys go check on the others, "I'll continue to deal with him," said Lucas as he walked in from the monitoring room.
"Yeah, yeah, we know." The youngest scientist teased Lucas.
Their voices faded down the hall and left the two together. Of course, Lucas would stay. He always stays. The other scientists even joke that it is his favorite boy.
I watch him as closely as he checks his subject. He talks to it like he's human. Like there's still someone in there who might listen. Maybe he's right.
That meat is progressing. That's undeniable, even from my perspective. Every time he wakes from that dead-sleep, he's a little more… aware. He touches things, tracks movement, mimics emotion. I've seen fledgling spirits with less clarity.
They think it's the vaccine. The relapse reduces with every dose. A few more could lead to a permanent cure. Souls don't just return unless something pulls them back. I still believe there is much more.
Lucas turns from the monitor. Meat is now awake, his fingers fizzling with the thin wires attached to the scanner.
"Hey, no—nope. Hands off." Lucas rushes forward, not out of fear, but instinct. He uncoils the cords from its hands before anything sparks.
It stares at him. Not blankly but not mindlessly.
Lucas kneels by the bed with a sigh.
"Gotta find something for you to play with," he mutters. "Before you tear the place apart…"
Meat slightly tilts its head. A motion so small most wouldn't notice.