Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

i.

CARRION’s awakening, if it could be called such, was slow. It wasn’t as much a gradual drift from unconsciousness as it was gently reaching awareness, one part at a time. 

Sensation was first. The feeling of running water against its flesh, cool and smooth and slick. The bump of fish and rounded stones against its tendrils, the disorienting movement as it drifted down what seemed to be a river. 

Sound came next. Many of its ears were submerged in water, but it could hear well enough. Closest to itself was the sound of rushing liquid. 

Further ahead, there is the rustling of leaves, and the chirps at twittering as something CARRION vaguely recalls being ‘birdsong’.

Vibration followed shortly after sound. Through the air and water it could feel. To its left, under the river, a tall construct, smooth and blunted. Above the water, it was jagged. All harsh angles and textured surface. A rock wall. 

To its right, a gradual incline. First comes a smooth surface that gives easily. Past it is a soft and loosely packed surface, that is followed shortly by flexible, thin, smooth objects that rustle in the wind. Mud, dirt, and grass respectively.

Then came smell, and with it, an influx of scents. The river had a wet, earthy smell, mixing with algae, fresh and green. That in turn was mixed with the tang of fish and the sweet smell of flowering plants nearby. There was the harsh odor of wet stone from the left. To the right, the soft smell of loam, of growing things, the richer aroma of ripe fruits and the sharp hint of freshly turned soil. 

Then, CARRION tasted. The water was alive with flavor. An undercurrent of mineral taste, layered over by the occasional muddy grit and the tang of small, unseen organisms. Above the surface, it could taste the wind, carrying with it a dash of salt, the faintly sweet promise of nectar-filled flowers, and the distant hint of possible prey.

Finally, sight. Initially, it was just light and dark, stark contrasts with no distinction. Slowly, images started forming, blurred and formless at first. As the moments passed, the world came into focus.

The rush of the river was a churn of white and blue under it, the rock wall a towering presence of gray and brown on one side. To its right, the gradual incline was a canvas of green, with specks of vibrant colors - flowers, it vaguely recognized. 

Awareness of its surroundings blossomed within CARRION's mind. It understood now, in some vague way, that it was within a river, surrounded by stone and forest and life. But understanding of itself was still lacking. 

It drifted lazily down this winding waterway, tendrils trailing and grasping at sensations. Movement was slow and uncoordinated. Propelling itself with purpose seemed an insurmountable task. Instead it meandered at the river's whim, a passenger in its own flesh.

There were glimpses, flashes of knowledge. A familiarity with certain scents, a reflexive twitch of tendrils at certain sounds. But these were surface level reactions. 

The smells and sounds, the tastes and sensations were familiar yet strange. Memories seemed locked away, just out of reach, and CARRION wasn’t yet sure how or why it had come to be in this place. 

Why had it awakened here, now? What was the purpose of its existence? These ponderings floated along its neural pathways like creek pebbles, present but smoothed by the steady flow of sensation. CARRION was content to simply experience, active yet groggy, thoughtless yet not, as the river took it where it may.

 Its awakening was not a flip of a switch, but a gradual brightening. Awareness and understanding would come in time, as steady and sure as the waters that bore its drifting form. The air was fresh and clean, the sun warm and enticing against its flesh. CARRION was content.

But with its contentment came unease. Although it had no memories to call upon, only faint impressions and feelings, it knew that it was unaccustomed to remaining sedimentary.

It’s comfort was underlaid with restlessness, and a feeling it could not yet place. A gnaw, almost itchy, in the center of its mass. It yearns for something, but for what, CARRION does not know.

Its reverie in the river was broken by a sudden turbulence, a shift in the gentle flow of the water. There was a disturbance - a thrashing, a desperate struggle, an organic dissonance within the harmony of the river.

The sensation spiked sharply. A flurry of movement against its tendrils, a flurry of scents and sounds, each punctuated by panic. The smell of fish, stronger than before, accompanied by the metallic scent of blood. The sound of water disturbed, overlaid by a soft but frantic splashing.

Its awareness honed in on the source of the disturbance. A large fish, silver-scaled and gasping, pinned to a rock by a shard of broken wood. It writhed and bucked, scattering drops of river water and fish blood into the air. 

CARRION watched. The thrashing of the fish, its futile struggle against the inevitable, drew its focus. It was the first other creature it had encountered in its waking state, the first direct contact with life apart from its own.

The sense of unease within it grew. It recoiled from the thrashing fish, from the violence of the scene, even as another part of it was drawn towards it. There was something in the struggle that touched it, a primal understanding that bypassed its slowly awakening mind and dug deep into its being. The urge to approach was strong, overwhelming, akin to a magnetic pull.

With an effort, it pushed against the river's flow, tendrils working to pull its body towards the struggling creature. Closer now, it could see the fish’s gills moving rapidly, its eyes wide and bulging. It felt a connection, a kinship of sorts with the fish, caught as it was in a situation beyond its understanding or control.

For long moments, CARRION and the fish remained locked in this tableau. The thrashing gradually slowed, the fish's energy draining away. As the struggling diminished, so too did the river's surface calm.

And then, it understood the feeling it had before. It wasn't a physical sensation so much as an internal gnawing, a hollowness that yearned to be filled. It looked at the fish, the dying creature pinned against the rock, and the understanding dawned. 

CARRION was hungry.

And so, CARRION D̷̨̥̣͍̯̥̮̳͓̯̤̑̀̈̃̔͊̌̀̄̋̕Ę̸͙̳̫̤͉͍̙͕̬̙̯͙̦͕͒̎̈́̍̐̽̑̇̔̆̂̚̚͝V̵̨̟̘̼̜͉̗̖̈́̓̊̾̊͑̍̿͑͋̀͗̾͂͜Ȏ̴̲̻̹̥̱̭̩̼͓̫̭̙̖́͛͑ͅṲ̵̔̓́R̸̡̨̘̩̦̪̖̜̅̈́̈́̉̂̉̋͑̈́̋̚̚͠S̵̘̰̥̠͎͍̆̽̄̾̑͋͌̉̐̽̆̉.

Chapter Text

Begin Transcript 00:00:10

GRAHAM: Good Afternoon, Dr. Marley. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us about your research.

MARLEY: Good afternoon, Professor Graham. It’s a pleasure to discuss our project with you.

GRAHAM: Now, from my understanding, your team has been researching an entity known as ‘Carrion’. Could you elaborate on the choice of name?

MARLEY: It’s CARRION. The distinction is vital.

GRAHAM: I’m afraid I’m not following.

MARLEY: (laughing) No one ever does.

[00:00:35]

GRAHAM: I… alright, then. Why is it that you chose… that name?

MARLEY: We needed to.

GRAHAM: (pauses) Pardon?

MARLEY: It was… we needed to call it that. That’s its name.

GRAHAM: (hesitates) I was under the impression that this… Carrion—

MARLEY: (Aggressively) CARRION.

GRAHAM: Of course. That… that it was dormant, no? Asleep in its containment chamber. Is it capable of communication?

MARLEY: It is in stasis now, yes. As for communication? CARRION is most likely incapable of speech.

GRAHAM: Then how do you know it’s name with such certainty?

MARLEY: Because that is its name. CARRION. We couldn’t call it anything else. We would never.

[00:01:22]

GRAHAM: I... I see. What can you tell me about its physiology?

MARLEY: (remains silent)

GRAHAM: Doctor Marley?

MARLEY: (startles) Oh! I… I apologize, professor. I’m unsure as to what came over me.

GRAHAM: (hesitantly) Nothing to apologize for. I was asking about its physiology. I have heard that it is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

MARLEY: Yes, CARRION is… (she trails off)

GRAHAM: Doctor Marley?

MARLEY: Can you hear it?

GRAHAM: Pardon?

MARLEY: The song. You can hear it, can’t you? The song of its heartbeat.

GRAHAM: (confused) Doctor, if you are unwell, we can continue this interview another time—

(There is the sound of a chair screeching, and the rustling of fabric.)

MARLEY: Stay. I wish to continue.

GRAHAM: We may continue another time. Thank you for your time today—

MARLEY: No.

(There is the sound of rustling.)

GRAHAM: Please let go of me, Doctor.

MARLEY: You can’t. It’s not supposed to work like that.

GRAHAM: (angry) Let go of me.

MARLEY: (softly) I cannot.

(There is the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Prof. Graham takes a deep breath.)

GRAHAM: I… apologize.

(There is a long pause, filled with nothing but the sound of Dr. Marley’s heavy breathing.)

GRAHAM: (Getting closer to the recorder.) I will take my leave now.

(There is the sound of rustling, and a short altercation. There is the sound of glass shattering, a thump, then the sound of panting.)

MARLEY: You will not be leaving here.

[00:02:54]

MARLEY: (voice breaking) It hurts.

END TRANSCRIPT 00:02:54

ii.

CARRION learns many things.

Flowers smell nice, but they don’t taste very good. It learned that on the second day. Unpleasant and bitter. Flowers do not provide biomass.

CARRION likes biomass.

But CARRION likes flowers.

It’s interesting.

CARRION learns.

The humans here are strange. They were not clad in yellow nor white nor grey, completely unlike the medical men and the guards that sought it dead.

CARRION watches them, but they do not watch it. CARRION knows instinctively what happens when eyes are laid on its form, how humans react to the unknown.

CARRION does not want to be feared.

It just wants to live.

The humans here dress strangely. They cover themselves in lambs wool and the pelts of beasts. They travel on tall, four legged creatures and speak a tongue it does not recognize.

They travel down a road of hard pressed dirt, and carry with them sticks and sharpened metal. Weapons, CARRION thinks. Not guns. CARRION has learned to recognize a gun when it sees one. But the sharpened metal, the swords— as the humans called them— posed no threat to CARRION.

The sticks however, those were a different story.

It was more common to see swords than sticks, but the ones carrying sticks tended to travel in groups. The sticks were long and of varying sizes, but they all had the same effect.

The sticks— the staves— they were used to cast magic.

CARRION observed the magic.

Fire. The humans twirled the fire into shapes, into beams and cones and spears they used to attack the growling beasts of the forest. They used their staves to manipulate fire, to shape it to their designs.

CARRION knows fire. Fire hurts. Fire was often used against it, a tool to corral it, to harm it. But the fire the humans held did not act like the fire CARRION knew. It was tame. It was... docile.

The humans here were not afraid of the fire, and the fire did not harm them. It was a strange sight. Fire and man, living in harmony.

Sometimes, they would show other kinds of magic.

Ice would spring forth from their hands, crisp and cool. Lightning would bend to their desire, falling from the sky and striking their enemies. Blue-green energy would surround them, not unlike the barriers the men in white would use.

All of this they controlled with their sticks, their staves.

CARRION liked the magic. The magic did not hurt it. The magic was not hostile. It was beautiful, like the flowers, like the soft songs the humans would sing when the sun fell and the moon rose.

CARRION watches. It listens. It learns.

CARRION likes to learn.

And the more it watched, the more it learned, the less the humans seemed like the guards and the men in white.

These humans were different. These humans were not a threat. They were strange and unfamiliar, but they were not harmful.

CARRION felt a strange sensation, an unfamiliar urge. Not hunger, not fear, not anger.

It was curiosity.

CARRION was curious about these humans, about their magic and their songs and their strange clothes. It wanted to learn more. It wanted to understand.

It wanted to understand everything.

CARRION’s curiosity was insatiable, like a deep pit demanding to be filled. It sought out experiences, sampled the world around it with an air of innocent wonder. From the tiniest grain of sand to the tallest of trees, nothing was too insignificant or daunting for it to explore.

Light fascinated it. The way it danced on the surface of the water, filtered through the leaves overhead, and painted the world with colors - it was magical. CARRION would often float on its back, tendrils spread wide, basking in the radiance of the sun.

Night was no less intriguing. The darkness brought about an entirely new world. Sounds were amplified, scents intensified. Above, the twinkling stars created a shimmering tapestry, their light cool and distant. They painted tales of worlds far away, tales that made CARRION yearn for something it couldn't quite grasp.

Touch was a source of endless wonder. The various textures of the world provided an orchestra of sensations. The cold slickness of river stones, the prickle of grass, the brittle crackle of fallen leaves - all spoke to CARRION in languages both new and somehow familiar.

It found joy in the simplest of things. Rain, for instance. The droplets that splattered against its flesh sent ripples of delight through its being. CARRION would stretch out during storms, gathering as much of the rain as it could, relishing the chill as each droplet splashed against its body.

And yet, amid this paradise of discovery, there was an ever-present undercurrent of hunger. It was a gnawing emptiness that lurked in its depths, a reminder of its otherness, its monstrosity. This hunger was a part of it, as natural and essential as the need to breathe is to a human.

CARRION learned how to hunt, how to sustain itself. It was a predator, after all, though not by choice. It was as much a slave to its nature as the fish were to the river's currents.

It did not take joy in the kill, but neither did it feel remorse. It was a necessary act, an echo of the world around it. Life feeds on life. This was the way of things, the rhythm of existence.

A stark contrast to its time in the lab. CARRION remembers little from its time in the lab, but it can recall the blood-blood-fight-fight-red-red-red that has consumed it. That had led it to consume others in its simpleminded goal of survival and escape.

CARRION hungered now, but it wasn’t the all consuming EAT-EAT-EXPAND-DEVOUR that had filled its mind.

It was a calmer hunger, more subdued. It did not demand the flesh of men and the creation of hives, it was satisfied with CARRION gorging itself on the small, fur-less creatures that lived in burrows near the river bank.

CARRION’s life was calm. It was blissful, and quiet. 

Good things never last.

00:01 - Automated security systems online. All cameras operational.

01:17 - Motion detected, Camera 4 (East Entrance). Identified as a raccoon. No action taken.

02:23 - System backup initiated. Completed without issues.

03:12 - Security Officer Ramirez began patrol of the west wing. Completed at 03:38. No irregularities reported.

04:00 - Daily system diagnostics run. All systems are operational.

05:09 - Motion detected, Camera 16 (Server Room). Access door opened with authorized keycard - Dr. Hayden. Entry logged.

06:45 - Security Officer Patel took over from Officer Ramirez. Morning briefing conducted.

07:53 - Fire alarm sensor tripped in Lab B. False alarm. Likely caused by steam from experiment. Alarm reset.

09:17 - Visitor check-in: Ms. Erica Simmons, Cybersecurity consultant. Escorted to Meeting Room 3.

10:33 - Unauthorized access attempt, Camera 12 (Main Gate). Individual turned away by Officer Patel. Description: Male, approximately 6', wearing a gray hoodie. License plate recorded.

12:12 - Package delivery. Scanned and cleared for biological and explosive materials. Accepted by Reception.

12:20 - Security Officer Patel retrieves the package from Reception. Begins returning to security desk.

12:27 - CCTV footage from Camera 9 (Main Hallway) shows Officer Patel stopping abruptly and looking at the package. His movements appear more rigid than normal.

12:30 - Officer Patel, still carrying the package, enters the restroom. Remains inside for approximately 10 minutes.

12:40 - Officer Patel leaves the bathroom, package absent. Officer Patel approaches Dr. Hayden in the hallway. The two engage in a short conversation before Dr. Hayden looks alarmed and moves away quickly.

12:42 - Dr. Hayden is seen on Camera 7 (Research Wing Corridor) hurriedly entering his lab and locking the door. Officer Patel follows closely behind and begins aggressively pounding on the door.

12:44 - Security alerts are activated. Additional personnel are dispatched to Research Wing Corridor.

12:47 - Backup arrives. Officer Patel manages to break the lab door's security mechanism, entering the room. Sounds of a struggle are heard over the security intercom.

12:49 - Camera 15 (Inside Dr. Hayden's Lab) captures Officer Patel lunging at Dr. Hayden, pinning him against a lab counter. Dr. Hayden attempts to fend him off using a nearby lab instrument.

12:52 - Security Officer Clarke and two other security staff enter the lab and taser Officer Patel, effectively subduing him. Medical staff are called to the scene to tend to Dr. Hayden, who appears shaken but mostly unharmed.

13:05 - Officer Patel is taken into custody and placed in a secure holding area pending further investigation. He remains unconscious.

13:15 - Dr. Hayden, once treated, mentions his earlier encounter with Officer Patel. A search of the bathroom is initiated.

13:23 - The package is located in the restroom's trash can by Security Officer Clarke. It contains a glowing blue rock, approximately the size of a fist.

13:27- Security Officer Clark reports his findings to Director Morrison. Director Morrison orders the site to be put on lockdown. The package is sent to an external location.

15:47 - Camera 23 (Holding Cell) captures Security Officer Patel awaken from his unconsciousness. Begins to pace the cell. He is seen to be murmuring, although no audio is provided.

15:56 - Security Officer Patel stops his pacing. He looks towards the ground, and spits out a mouthful of blood, along with what was later confirmed to be a severed tongue.

15:59 - Head Physician Beaumonte arrives on the scene. She confirms Patel as dead. Samples are taken. The body is taken off site for disposal.

16:15 - The facility remains on lockdown. No one is allowed entry or exit. All personnel accounted for.

16:30 - Routine perimeter check conducted by automated drones. No anomalies detected.

17:02 - Director Morrison holds a debriefing session with senior staff to discuss the events of the day and provide guidance on next steps.

17:45 - Cybersecurity consultant, Ms. Erica Simmons, completes her assessment in Meeting Room 3 and is escorted out of the facility.

18:30 - Evening shift security staff arrive. Morning shift, except for those involved in the day's events, are debriefed and released.

19:15 - Daily system diagnostics run. All systems remain operational.

19:50 - Security Officer Ramirez, having been kept on-site due to the earlier incident, starts his evening patrol. No irregularities reported.

20:30 - Dinner is served in the cafeteria.

21:04 - Motion detected, Camera 5 (South Entrance). Identified as a rabbit. No action taken.

21:45 - Director Morrison sends a memo to all staff, expressing condolences for the day's events and ensuring that a thorough investigation will be conducted.

22:10 - Security Officer Clarke ends his shift and is replaced by Security Officer Lee.

23:00 - All labs and offices have been locked and secured. Security patrols continue as scheduled.

23:45 - Automated security systems undergo a brief maintenance update. All cameras offline for approximately 5 minutes.

23:50 - Security systems back online. All cameras operational.

24:00 - No further incidents reported.

End of Log for February 2, 2018.

Chapter Text

To: [email protected]

Cc: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Subject: FUCK YOU

DEAR MORRISON AND LACKEY

IM DONE. THIS PLSCE IS AWFUL AND UNSAFE I was a professor at STANFORD UNIVERSITY I DONT NEED THIS JOB AS MUCH AS YOU APPARETNYLY THOUGHT I DID 

Its hard to believe Ive stayed for this bullshit for as long as I have. I dotn give a shit about ethics in science, and I know you dont either, but you cant risk the lives of your employees (ie, me) and act shocked when they dont stick around anymore. 

Even now off site I still hear that FUCKING song ive been drinking to keep it out but it comes back and IT FUCKING HURTS

I know you try to keep that shit under wraps but GUESS WHAT???

I HAVE A USB WITH THE DOCUMENTS IN IT

YOUR SHIT IS GOING PUBLIC

CARRION, X-EASY, THUMBTACK??? ALL THOSE PROJECTS??? YOUR ASSES ARE GOING TO JAIL AND ILL LAUGH WHEN YOU DO

GO TO HELL

Andrew Hayden

Head Scientist at Relith Sciences

Phone: (XXX)-0197-4471

Office: (XXX)-221-1665

Email: [email protected]

There's something lapping at the water.

Soft enough that the vibrations barely reach CARRION from where it lays strewn across a rock. The sun is warm against its skin, pleasurable in a way that Consuming is not. Several tendrils dangle in the water of the river, pulled back ever so slightly by the slow current. It is there that CARRION detects the vibrations of a disturbance in the water, and there that it smells the scent of the creature. One of CARRION’s eyes opens, lazily, taking in the being before it.

It is not a beast that CARRION recognizes. The creature looked like a stag, but was not one. It is a pale white, larger than the deer CARRION knows, and much more noble. Its horns curl behind its head in a spiral. 

Its head is lowered now, as it laps slowly from the river.

CARRION watches. 

It is after a few moments that the creature spots CARRION, yet it does not startle. It lifts its head and stares, yet it does not move, even as CARRION drags it’s body forward, through the river, and towards the being.  It remains docile, as upon a whim, CARRION sheds the greater part of its mass, emerging from the pile of biomass as a much smaller being. 

It is still, as the biomass sinks to the bottom of the water, becoming hidden under the muddy silt of the river. It simply stares.

And when CARRION lunges, it does not have time to flinch.

To: [email protected]

Cc: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Subject: Re: Professional Conduct and Confidentiality Reminder

Dear Dr. Andrew Hayden,

We have received your email dated February 9th, and are compelled to address several points urgently.

Firstly, we must express our disappointment in the tone and language used in your communication. While we understand that workplace situations can sometimes be challenging, it is imperative that all correspondence maintains a level of professionalism and decorum expected at Relith Sciences. The use of profanity and aggressive language is not in alignment with our company's values and policies.

If you are experiencing personal issues, including those related to stress or mental health, we encourage you to contact our employee assistance program for support. They are well-equipped to provide confidential and professional help.

We would also like to remind you that as a valued member of our team, your contributions are important to us. We are open to discussing any grievances you may have in a constructive and respectful manner.

Regarding your concerns about workplace safety and ethics, we take these matters seriously. Relith Sciences is committed to maintaining a safe and ethical working environment. If there are specific incidents or practices you believe are contrary to this commitment, we urge you to detail these concerns through the proper channels, namely our Ethics and Compliance department, so they can be investigated thoroughly.

It has come to our attention that you claim to be in possession of confidential documents on a USB drive. We must remind you that as a former employee of Relith Sciences, you are bound by the confidentiality agreement signed at the commencement of your employment. This agreement expressly prohibits the unauthorized use or disclosure of any proprietary or confidential information. Failure to adhere to these legal obligations can result in severe consequences.

We advise you to return any and all proprietary materials in your possession to the company immediately. We hope to resolve this matter amicably and without the need for intervention. However, we are prepared to take all necessary steps to protect the interests and confidentiality of Relith Sciences.

In closing, while we regret that your tenure at Relith Sciences has ended on a contentious note, we urge you to consider the legal and professional ramifications of your actions moving forward.

Sincerely,

Gwendolyn Hayes

Human Resources Manager

Relith Sciences

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (XXX)-147-6670

CARRION cannot say what spurred it to possess the beast.

Boredom, perhaps? But CARRION was content with its life by the river.

Curiosity? But CARRION already knows what it feels like to possess something. To become something, to mimic its likeness, control its heartbeat, its muscles, its mind.

CARRION knows what it feels like.

So what was it? What spurred it to commit such an act? To snuff out the life of another, to become it?

Was it nature?

What inspired it to do such an act ultimately doesn’t matter, CARRION decides. It can feel itself settle just next to the brainstem, its tendrils spreading, creeping through the brain and through the spine and through the nerves.

It feels itself settle.

And then it opens its eyes.

Relith Sciences @RelithSci · Today

🖤 We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our esteemed colleague, Dr. Andrew Hayden, who tragically lost his life in a house fire at the age of 46. Andrew was not just a brilliant scientist, but a cherished member of the Relith family. His groundbreaking work and passionate dedication to science have left an indelible mark on our community and the world.

In this time of grief, our thoughts are with Andrew's family, friends, and all who knew him. His legacy will continue to inspire us all.

#InMemoryOfAndrew #ScienceCommunity #RelithSciences