parasitism eve - Chapter 29
Chapter Nineteen
Liming briefly explained the entire incident to Yoshizumi and Anzai. As they listened, the two widened their eyes and gasped several times. However, they also felt that some parts of Liming's explanation made sense, and thus completely believed him.
Yoshizumi also openly admitted that when examining the kidney transplanted to Mariko, he discovered that the mitochondria were abnormally developed; in addition, he felt an inexplicable burning sensation during the surgery.
“I’ve experienced this strange heat before,” Li Ming said. “I’m afraid that guy has the ability to establish some kind of connection with the mitochondria in other people’s cells. Wouldn’t that allow him to control those mitochondria at will to some extent? Of course, the mitochondria in our bodies are different from that guy’s; they haven’t completed their final evolution yet, so they can only perform some ordinary functions.”
"If that's the case, why was that guy able to start a fire?" Anzi asked.
"I don't know. But we can make this guess: Mitochondria exist in the cells of the body. Imagine what would happen if all the mitochondria worked together to produce ATP; and what if all that ATP was converted into energy? That would generate enormous heat. Although I don't know how fire starts, I guess it might cause the cells in the body to vibrate rapidly, and then use the frictional heat generated by this vibration to ignite the fire. The reason we feel hot might be similar to this principle."
“Unbelievable…” Yoshizumi’s eyes widened.
More than five minutes passed after "Eve1" escaped, and the alarm finally went off. The security guard was issuing commands into the walkie-talkie microphone, but there was still no report of finding "her".
Li Ming, growing impatient, said, "Let's go look for it too. It's unbearable to just wait here like idiots."
“That’s right,” the other two agreed.
Li Ming and the others rushed out of the room, hurrying towards the elevator. An Qi wore a sorrowful expression, continuing to mutter his daughter's name over and over again.
As Liming ran, he said, "That guy is probably still in this hospital. 'She' needs to get Mariko to a quiet place first, so he shouldn't have gone far. Yoshizumi, if that guy is hiding, where do you think he would hide?"
“There are several places here where we can hide. The infirmary, the inpatient building, the examination room—we and the security guards alone could never search them all.”
"Honestly, there's one thing I've always been worried about: mitochondria themselves have the function of promoting individual generation and differentiation, and that thing might be promoting the evolution of that function."
What does this mean?
Yoshizumi frowned, seemingly not understanding what Toshiaki meant.
"Just recently, the results of an experiment using fruit flies were published. The report showed that even in egg cells, if mitochondrial ribosomal RNA is injected into the cell nucleus, the differentiation of the entire egg cell will be promoted."
"...?" Yoshizumi still looked puzzled.
"In other words, mitochondria hold the key to the generation and differentiation of individuals. Although experimental results on humans are not yet available, this possibility is very high."
"So... does that mean that guy can make the fertilized egg develop however he wants?"
“I’ve been worried about this issue. Since it can control the reproduction of host cells so freely, it might also be able to allow fertilized eggs to grow in a very short time.”
"If we don't find 'them' soon, and the child develops to the point where even a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure becomes difficult..."
"Stop talking!" Anqi cried, tears streaming down his face. "Mariko giving birth to a monster? That's impossible! The child is only fourteen!" Inside the elevator, Liming pressed a button. The lights indicating the floor slowly came on.
"Where are the security guards searching now?" Riming asked Yoshizumi, panting.
"The inpatient ward. They're searching room by room. It seems they're investigating whether other patients have been harmed."
"That guy is with Mariko too, he should be heading towards a more secluded place!" Anqi shouted.
"And before the baby is born, that guy doesn't want to put any burden on the mother. It should be somewhere where there are no outsiders and where she can lie down," Li Ming added.
“Even so, there are several places like this. Office sofas, CT scanners, stretcher beds in warehouses, EEG examination rooms, operating rooms, morgues, autopsy rooms…” Upon hearing the last sentence, the three people simultaneously looked up with an “Ah!”
Section 72
Just then, with a "ding," the elevator arrived.
"Parasite Eve"
Chapter Twenty
She glanced around the room.
The room resembled an operating room, but it appeared slightly different from the place where Seimi and Mariko had their surgeries. The room was narrow and gave off a cluttered, disorganized feel, with dirt scattered across the floor. Three stainless steel operating tables were arranged side-by-side. On the central table lay a naked man, flanked by two men in green surgical gowns, staring blankly at "her."
“Hey, hey, the autopsy is in progress…” one of the men, wearing a mask, said in a reproachful tone.
We can't set a fire here. If the alarm goes off, her current location will be exposed.
She glared at him, causing the man's heart to stop beating. Just like the man she had seen earlier, he let out a scream and collapsed.
Another doctor blinked and started backing away. He seemed to be saying something, but his mask was moving and no sound could be heard.
She dragged Mariko slowly into the room and saw the man on the operating table. His skin was very pale, clearly indicating he had been dead for some time. His abdomen had been cut open along the midline, revealing the fat and intestines clearly. She grabbed the corpse's arm, trying to pull it off the table. But with a "whoosh," her hand twisted. Startled, she stared at the hand, desperately sending division signals to try and restore it to its original shape, but the cells didn't respond.
Her host cells had begun to die, and all parts of "Saint Beauty" were starting to slosh around. "Eve 1's" life was nearing its end. Hurry, time was of the essence! She pushed the corpse off the table with her arms, and the body fell to the floor with a dull thud. "Saint Beauty's" shoulders began to twist, and her arms were about to detach from her torso.
The doctor was pressed tightly against the wall, his mouth opening and closing incessantly. Because he was an eyesore, "she" simply killed the man as well.
She lifted Mariko up, placed her on the operating table, and then stripped off all the remaining clothes from Mariko's body. She began to stare at Mariko.
It was a small body, the breasts barely developed, pubic hair sparse, and the somewhat restrained slit inside was clearly visible. However, all the functions of a woman were already present. This uterus must be cherished; it might give birth to several "Eves" in the future, so this young girl must be used as an incubator. In this sense, finding a young woman might be a wise move. "She" smiled and straddled Mariko.
Just then, with a "creak," one of her arms fell from her shoulder and landed on the floor with a "thud." The flesh on her arm writhed softly, but she ignored it. As long as the fertilized egg could implant, discarding this body wouldn't be a loss. She spread Mariko's legs apart, lifted her waist so she could clearly see Mariko's genitals, and pressed her lower body against them.
Liming's sperm shot precisely towards "her" egg cell; the entire fertilization process was flawless. When the tip of the sperm pierced the egg, an electrical potential surged across its surface like waves. "She" felt this acutely. She had carefully preserved the fertilized egg in the center of her body, wrapping it tightly with several layers of flesh to prevent unnecessary stimulation. Soon, "she" would transfer the fertilized egg into Mariko's uterus; "she" was about to take the final step.
Nearly half of the host cells were dying. "She" concentrated the remaining, controllable cells in her lower body, in what corresponded to "Saint-Mei's" genitals, to create a man's penis. The shape of her beloved Riming's penis appeared in her mind, and in the blink of an eye, something identical to Riming's penis rose between her thighs. Then, "she" inserted a tube into the middle of this rod, opening a path to the fertilized egg. "She" slowly inserted this rod into Mariko's body. Mariko's body was still stiff; it could only be inserted after being pried open, and the deeper she went, the narrower it felt. "She" had to first shape the tip of the rod into a straw shape before continuing to push. Feeling the straw touch the uterus, "she" immediately used the tip of the straw to search around inside, looking for the most suitable place for the fertilized egg to implant.
Then, "she" began to carefully move the fertilized egg.
To avoid harming the egg, "she" grew as many villi as possible inside the tube, then moved the villi to allow the egg to slowly move. "She" found herself in a state of euphoria; at this moment, the goal she had achieved over billions of years was finally about to be accomplished. The joy of victory made "her" whole body tremble. But the situation was not just that; as the egg moved, "she" felt waves of indescribable pleasure from the friction of the tiny villi against the egg, a subtle stimulation moving from "Saint-Mei's" lower abdomen to the rod, and then to the straw at the top, as if "she" was about to spasm. No, she couldn't act rashly at this moment, she couldn't let the host cells move, she couldn't let the egg be harmed. "She" desperately tried to endure this abnormal excitement, but the more she endured, the stronger the stimulation became. The egg, enveloped by tiny villi, moved slowly like a ball of cotton, a joy completely different from when "she" mated with Liming that made "her" extremely excited. The egg finally came out from the tip of the straw.
She let out a series of ecstatic screams, her blood surging. Her control over the host had lost its effectiveness; the binding factor that had been holding the cells together was gradually disappearing. Her body was fragmented and on the verge of collapse. Yet, all of this only intensified her ecstasy.
She reached the peak of pleasure, letting out a long shout, her chest thrusting forward with all her might. She knew that her body was gradually collapsing, but she was completely immersed in this unparalleled joy.
The fertilized egg successfully implanted, and her daughter will soon be born. The world will soon change, and her daughter will become the master of this earth.
It's been such a long time; getting to this point has truly been an unimaginably long journey. However, all this long wait will eventually be rewarded. Their world is about to begin; they will no longer need to serve the nuclear chromosome set like slaves. They can finally control this world.
"Parasite Eve"
Section 73
Chapter Twenty-One
The elevator shook violently and arrived at the first floor. The doors opened too slowly, and Li Ming frantically pounded on the "open" button.
The door finally opened, and the three of them rushed out together.
"This way."
Yoshizumi gestured with his chin to the left, where a dark corridor stretched into the distance. Yoshizumi ran ahead.
"The autopsy room is located underground in the first inpatient building. Go down the stairs at the corner over there."
Autopsy rooms are usually located underground, primarily to avoid attracting the attention of patients. However, considering the need to quickly load bodies into hearses, they are typically built near the back entrance of a building. For "Eve1," that would be the perfect place to sneak in from the outside. Liming and the others rushed down the stairs like lightning. Anqi tripped and nearly fell; Liming struggled to catch him. The sound of their footsteps echoed on the stairs. Was his and Mitochondria's child really about to be born? Liming ran frantically, panting heavily, his mind a jumbled mess, unable to calmly consider the problem. Was he just going to let Mitochondria do as she pleased? Absolutely not! There must be some way to stop "her." He had been thinking about this, but every time he tried, sparks would fly before his eyes, interrupting his train of thought. Liming cursed his damned brain for short-circuiting at this crucial moment. There had to be a way; the mitochondria must have made some mistake somewhere. Liming was enveloped in a feeling of unease.
After crossing two staircases, Li Ming and his group finally arrived underground. A sobbing sound came from the boiler room.
"There it is!"
Yoshizumi shouted.
There was an electric door that seemed out of place in the slightly grimy atmosphere. Light streamed through the frosted glass set in the door, but no sound could be heard from inside.
Yoshizumi looked at Rimei and the others, seeking their consent. Anzai nodded firmly. So Yoshizumi stuck his foot into the recessed area next to the door, where a red light was on.
With a "plop," the door opened.
"..."
In an instant, neither Li Ming nor the others could react to what it was.
It lay on the dissection table in the middle, flesh-colored, its two legs stretched out in this direction, its middle part bulging high, looking as if it was about to burst. The mountain-like, towering part blocked the view, making it impossible to see what lay behind it.
"...Mariko!" Anzai suddenly shouted desperately.
Li Ming was startled, staring at the object, unable to believe his eyes. It was indeed the body of a young woman about to give birth, her belly swollen like a frog's. An Qi shouted as he ran towards the operating table.
At that moment, a distorted voice rang out: "It's too late."
Upon hearing the sound, Anqi seemed startled and immediately stopped. Liming looked down at the floor and saw the source of the sound, and was so shocked he almost cried out.
"It's too late... I'm about to give birth..."
She writhed on the floor, transforming into a soft, amoeba-like mass of flesh, yet upon closer inspection, the outline of Saint-Mei could still be vaguely discerned. Saint-Mei's upper body was arched upwards, her head facing Liming and the others, her flesh tumbling and spewing out a wet, pus-like sludge. Saint-Mei's chest and abdomen had begun to rot, a gruesome sight. Her hair, scattered on the floor, writhed like earthworms in its final, death throes. This was the tragic end of "Eve 1."
"Eve1" kept laughing, but her mouth and breathing were melting, and only indistinct sounds could be heard. The sound of bubbles bursting rang out one after another. "She" was about to collapse, but "she" still turned her head towards Liming and the others. "Saint-Mei's" face was covered in scum, melting like sugar, and the stench of decay quickly filled the room, but "Saint-Mei" was still laughing, the pinkish sludge convulsing.
"Look...it's...about to..."
Mariko's stomach started to move.
"Parasite Eve"
Chapter Twenty-Two
Clang!
The sound, like gongs and drums, resounded throughout the room.
Clang!
The air began to tremble. The reagent shelf against the wall started to creak, and Li Ming felt a dull vibration throughout his body, the sound shaking the entire room. It was the sound of a beating heart, a high-pitched, resonant beat, flaunting its vitality. It was an overwhelming sound, brimming with youthful vigor. Li Ming seemed to hear the surging, undulating force of the heart muscle contracting, the heart filled with joy at its own life force, singing a triumphant song. It was a fetus. Li Ming felt short of breath, as if he were suffocating.
Section 74
The baby is about to be born.
Suddenly, a lot of sticky blood gushed out from Mariko's genitals.
The vibrant red turned into a rusty color in the blink of an eye, and then into a muddy, murky mess. These things mingled together, staining Mariko's crotch.
The amniotic fluid began to gush out. It overflowed from the dissection table and landed on the writhing mass of flesh called "Eve 1" below.
Anqi groaned. Liming hugged his shoulders, blocking Anqi's view so he wouldn't see anything. "Mariko's" belly began to churn.
With a "plop," Mariko's abdomen contracted violently, and a strange liquid gushed out from her vulva like waves. "Eve1," bathing in the liquid, continued to chuckle. Mariko's stomach heaved violently again, and Yoshizumi cried out; something was about to emerge from between Mariko's legs. The thing was covered in blood, gleaming brightly in the light of the operating lamp, slowly tearing open Mariko's vaginal opening. Mariko's legs trembled and spasmed. To the rhythm of the booming sound, it emerged little by little. First came the head, a head covered in blood. It twisted its head, like a cicada molting, desperately struggling to crawl out. Mariko's lower body sprang up suddenly, and in the reaction force, it pulled out the shoulders. Mariko's vulva opened wide, as if it were about to split open, and below it emerged a blood-covered fetus. It seemed as if Mariko's tiny body had become a vaginal opening. Each time the fetus twisted, deep, heartbreaking wrinkles would form on Mariko's vulva. The fetus made a sound. It was inhaling air, and the yellow fluid accumulating in its lungs overflowed at the same time. Several times it made sounds like it was choking, and finally it screamed.