The hivemind is conquering for me?-Chapter 702: Slithering Surprise
"Very well, let the fun begin. He-he-he." Yacob chuckled before unceremoniously drawing back the skin flaps of the Y incision like curtains.
He then reached to his left and retrieved what looked like a bone cutter, my suspicions were then confirmed as he started cutting into the Drakoshi’s ribs. Only they didn’t quite look like ribs.
"Yacob, what’s with the stuff between its ribs?"
"Great question Apollo and one I was about to explain when I took the ribs out, bare with me for a moment. This stuff is incredibly durable." A few minutes later, Yacob was finished and pulled out the entire front section of the Drakoshi’s ribcage before showing the observation room.
"Here is the Drakoshi’s Ribcage, now the first thing that is so much different from our own ribs is that there are no gaps between the ribs. This mass of extra bone looks like one solid block, but is actually a series of interlocked plates that have enough flexibility to allow for compression of the lungs. Since the Drakoshi at this strength don’t use armour anymore, they have their insides do the work for them. This ribcage can sustain much more damage than one of a human if they were of comparative structural integrity."
He then put the ribcage to one side and began rummaging around inside the cadaver. "What next? Lungs?" He then cut and pulled out the lungs. "No, nothing extraordinary about them- Oh, they do have a better resistance to heat than ours though, but meh. Oh I know, the hearts"
Yacob then pulled out one massive heart and then another smaller one. Raising them above him like some sort of ritual sacrifice as he addressed the observation room. "Two hearts One larger than the other. They allow oxygen and blood flow to be pumped around their body much faster making them tire less hastily. It does also mean they have higher blood pressure compared to us, but they handle it perfectly fine. Though if you have ever seen a Drakoshi bleed before, it explains why they are such spurters."
Yacob then told everyone that he needed to harvest the rest of the organs in silence as he had a short window, but as I was watching him and checking over every organ he pulled out, he then pulled something I couldn’t name. It was a small orb-like thing and it wobbled around like jelly.
"Yacob? What is that thing?" I said pointing to the orb in his hand.
Yacob then leaned close to me and whispered. "Apollo, I have no idea what this is. No one does. We have tried to extract this from living targets before, but the moment it’s disconnected from the body or the body dies, it turns from a solid black orb into this gelatinous monstrosity of stink. There is some speculation that it’s like a pseudo embryo, that this is what the Drakoshi looked like in its cloning process, but we have no proof and the Drakoshi prisoners are less than helpful when it comes to answering."
That was interesting. Having grown my own clones before, I know that they didn’t have any gunk in their stomach like this.’ Though if they had, it’s not like I would have been able to check afterwards...’ I shuddered at that particular memory and was brought back by Yacob yelling.
"Alright everyone. Thank you for coming. If the dissection was not to your liking, do not worry, not every session will be like this. Next time, the day expedition. We will be going to the other side of the moon via ship. Once there, we will be exploring the terrain and wildlife of a high density Psionic hotspot. We have come to an... Arrangement with the apex predator of the region and will be safe from his pack, but weapons will be needed as it’s almost a certainty other things will try their luck. Like I said earlier, more information will be sent to you in the coming week. Have a nice day everyone!"
As he said that, two individuals wearing scrubs entered the room and began wheeling the Drakoshi away through a door while Yacob walked towards another and said. "Apollo, this way."
I looked towards the observation room a moment, Gabrielle simply waved at me, sat next to her was her old friend that she knocked out earlier. ’Looks like they made up.’ I thought with a smile before turning to follow Yacob.
Walking with Yacob in silence for a couple of minutes, we arrived at the end of a corridor at which point the man began removing his scrubs. "Take off your scrubs as well Apollo." He said as he got fully naked.
I just shrugged my shoulders before doing as he asked. He then threw the scrubs into a draw then when opened I could smell a fire. "Think fast." He suddenly shouted and threw a towel at me. I grabbed it trivially before he wrapped one around his waist. "Scrubs in the incinerator and follow me."
He then walked ahead and entered through a door. I quickly followed. A moment later I opened the door after him and my face was instantly moistened. "Steam?" I walked into the room without feeling much different until I heard. "How’s the temp? Is it to your liking?" Looking through the steam, Yacob was sitting back relaxing on a bench.
"I don’t know, I always have my Thermokinesis active let me- Oooh, that’s quite pleasant actually." I admitted as I felt the heat and moisture of the steam nourish my skin.
"Dead Drakoshi is a smell that’s hard to get rid of. Opening up your pours the help exfoliate helps a bunch, so we will just rest here for a bit. I thought you could do with sharing in this experience since you didn’t run away like the others.
Looking around the room, it did not look like a usual sauna. Mainly the foliage everywhere dripping water droplets and the floor had a grassy feeling. "Yeah, this place is nice. What made you choose these decorations for your private sauna though?"
Yacob then turned to me, confused. "Private Sauna? Apollo, this is not a private Sauna, I wouldn’t have a private anything in this wing. It would take up space where a nice beastie enclosure could go."
As I was about to ask what this place was then, I suddenly sensed movement from my right and looked over inquisitively. "Oh, they don’t usually come out when I bring a second, they must find you interesting." Yacob declared, his face a bright smile.
A moment later from the direction I was looking, something moved towards me and a moment later made itself clear.
"A snake?" I asked confused as the thin red snake slithered towards me. And then another emerged from the steam and another and another as they continued to slither over to me and up my legs.
"Oh, they are taking a liking to you. Must be your Pyrokinesis. These are Pyresnakes. No I did not name them before you ask, so uninspired... As you can probably guess, these snakes are imbued with Pyrokinetic psionics. They are from a planet with very steamy jungles. They are actually the reason this room is so steamy, they naturally heat up the room and whenever they enter their water on the other side of the room, they steam the place up."
I could feel their heat as they slithered around me. I had no problem with the snakes doing what they wanted to do. I was in their home after all, but when one started licking me in a way that clearly was not using its sense I asked. "Um, why is this snake licking me?" I asked, turning to Yacob who was also covered by a few snakes at this point.
"Oh, don’t worry, they aren’t venomous. They have a unique tongue to snakes you might know about. They have these tiny hooks on their tongues that will clean you of debris. It sounds weird but-"
-"Say less. I’m on board!" I said a bit too eagerly. I hadn’t felt truly clean since I left home world. Those specialised drones worked magic cleaning me up, so I was not wasting this opportunity. "Aaahh."
...
I closed my eyes and allowed my slithery kin to do their job. It felt phenomenal. There was only so much Orchid could do with her tongue before her thoughts turned sexual, so this was a treat that was hard to beat. With my Thermokinesis down as well, the five snakes were leaving warm trails across my body as they moved, it felt sublime.
As I was revelling in the amazement, I suddenly felt a great deal of weight land on my shoulders and wrap around my neck. Opening my eyes. A massive snake head the same size as my own was now staring directly at me, its tongue flickered out and booped my snoot.
We just stared at each other for a few seconds after that before I felt I needed to address something.
"Um, Yacob? This snake is having a staring contest with me."
"Oh it’s fine Apollo, I’m sure it’s just- Goodness me It’s the Matriarch! H-Hello lady Sithrik." Yacob exclaimed in pure unadulterated delight. A moment later while it continued to stare intensely towards me the snake suddenly, surprisingly spoke.
"Keeper. Jussst who iz thiz darling you have brought into my den?"
