Sleeper Scale (Fanfic)
Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 4:48 pm
This is a story I was working on some time ago, but only just now decided to open up the document and give it a final few sentences to finish it up. Figured it was too good a concept to just leave unread. As with my other stories, I would like to have several follow-up chapters exploring this character and his experiences. We'll see what happens.
My purpose with this story was to use dialogue to greater effect, like I did with The Bugman. I think it's a little stronger here than there. It should also be noted that this story will have more 'mature' themes, such as rape, violence and murder.
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My purpose with this story was to use dialogue to greater effect, like I did with The Bugman. I think it's a little stronger here than there. It should also be noted that this story will have more 'mature' themes, such as rape, violence and murder.
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"I've never seen anything like it."
Detective Rex Hardy stood in the city morgue, looking down on the autopsied remains of the John Doe he had brought in the day before.
"Hell, I've never even heard of something like this," the coroner intoned.
Rex had taken the call himself, driving into Chinatown to recover the body found hanging from the second story apartment of a "natural medicines" shop. Once they pulled it down they found deep lacerations into the victim's chest, which had dripped down into the street below. His tongue had also been cut out. It remained missing.
"I'm telling you, this is a real freak of nature here."
Rex had some familiarity with anatomy, but he needed help to see what he was supposed to. "What's the problem, Herb?"
Herbert, the coroner, took a sigh. There was a 'No Smoking' sign just two feet behind him, but he lit a cigarette anyways, taking a deep drag. Finally:
"Well, first of all, this vic has 16 pairs of ribs."
"And?"
"Humans only have 12 pairs."
There was a moment of silence. That certainly was surprising.
"That all, Herb?"
"What do you mean, 'That all?' That's stunning in itself."
Rex just stared at him. It wasn't his job to get caught up in anatomical abnormalities. He needed a death report. That was it.
"Well, it's not, since you're asking." He pulled the linen cloth covering the body down further, draping it over the ankles.
Rex looked down, then back up. "He's got no dick."
Herbert laughed. "Well, yes and no. It's internal. I've checked."
There was another pause. "What do you think we're looking at?"
"No idea. There's other abnormalities I've found so far: he has a gizzard, for one... You know, that digestive organ that some birds and lizards have? He also has two pairs of incisors rather than one."
"Some sort of circus freak?"
"Could be. I've heard of some crazy defects throughout medical history, but never so many in one living specimen."
Rex sighed. He'd expected to just fill out some paperwork, but this complicated things. He'd have to actually think about the case at hand.
He leaned forward, giving the body one last glance before looking away.
"Will any of it go into the report?"
Herbert laughed again, this time more loudly. "You shittin' me? No one would believe it. This guy goes down as 100% prime-cut human corpse."
"Good. Make sure this stays between you and us. No reason us both looking crazy."
"Sure thing, Rex. Take it easy out there."
"Will do."