"In light of the murder of two officials from House Kilik two years ago, the Pentarchy has begun to crack down on unregistered mutants, particularly primates. Here's a word from Representative Carmichael, expressing the interests of the Pentarchy."
Cedric relaxed in his cot, with a strong sniff and a wipe of his nose, he hocked up a lougie, which he unceremoniously spitooned into a nearby bowl, ensuring his mask would not be in the way of his aim.
A rather plain looking Marmot with small, rounded glassed appeared on the screen. Important enough to represent the Pentarchy, but not important enough to get basic eye surgery it seemed.
"Well, yes. Thank you. Well, you see." Cedric let out a bellow and scratched his stomach, this Marmot had the voice of a stereotypical, nasally nerd - it was entertaining.
"This particular incident was caused by claiming an unregistered primate mutant as organic salvage, under rights law-" "Bullshit." He said indignantly
"This mutant savagely murdered Lady Franchaise Kilik and the young Lady Faring Kilik in a fit of blind rage."
"BULL, FUCKING, SHIT." Cedric slammed his fist into his brick cell wall, creating a massive, now crumbling dent.
"Oi, keep it down you dumbfuck!"
He turned towards the cell across from him, a delectable little male feline occupied the cell.
"Oh yeah?" He stormed to his cell door, and with ease - ripped it apart.
"Whoa, WHOA! Guards! The fucking daemon is about to kill me!"
"That's not the only thing I'm going to do, 'dumbfuck'!"
Without missing a beat, he ripped open the feline's cell door, the following shriek of terror finally convinced the guards (Who were just trying to relax) to make their way there. The feline huddled in the corner, pleading for mercy. Cedric picked him up by the neck like a ragdoll.
"Mercy! Please!"
"Mercy?" Cedric smiled, "Okay."
"Huh?"
He threw the feline across the small hall, straight against his own cell wall with a sickening CRACK! - the feline was mewling no more, and blood splattered across the cell. The guards arrived just in time to the gruesome scene. A vixen he was particularly fond of was the first to speak - she was short, but oh so attractively formed and busty. Dark red fur and a bushy tail would sway behind her movements. Bright brown pinpoint orbs scrutinized the many inmates of his new home, earning her somewhat of a reputation. She was a hardass for sure, but never cruel.
"Cedric! That's the third one this month. Damn it daemon, you KNOW that means we have cut your oxygen down again."
"Fucking do it then, that 'representative'" he mocked, "Is a god damn liar."
"Yes, I'm sure he is. Come on, solitary - limited oxygen, you know the drill."
Cedric stared diligently into the Vixen's eyes, and his eyes ever-so-slightly watered.
"Officer Thea... I did NOT kill those women in cold blood..."
The other guards looked back and forth to each other. The Vixen, Thea, responded with a cold gaze. "Maybe you didn't Cedric, but that feline you just did. So move, now." He snorted, but followed them down the dark, dank corridors. It was apparent that the officers were terrified, but not Thea. He loved toying with the newbies, his existence alone on Alcatraz terrified the general populous. There was nowhere else to put him, and the Pentarchy refused to levy funds to allow the most secure prison in the Empire to procure a strong enough material to create a cell he could not break, so they did their only other available option - different cells, and repetition of punishments. Somehow, he avoided capital punishment. He tried to rip his mask off the moment he was detained, but the authorities would not allow Cedric to end his own life to preserve the 'Moral and Emotional integrity of the Empire." Instead, he had to just live - and suffer. He didn't mind them cutting off his oxygen anymore, he used it has an excuse to sleep for a nice, long time. If they never got him out and he died as a result, he was fine with that too. He was depressed during his first year in prison - the start of his second year he gave up and tried killing any inmate that so much as looked at him wrong in an effort to be condemned to capital punishment, but it never happened. He still did it of course, but rarely did an inmate so much as look in his direction for fear of their own lives. This made him feel powerful, it made him feel good, it made him feel... Invincible.
During his free time, he would constantly work out. His shape and height hadn't changed, but his strength certainly had - and it showed with his ability to rip apart cell bars like tissue paper. It didn't take long for them to arrive at the familiar solitary cell. He could break out of it of course, but he'd just get put into another one - so he didn't bother. "In you go."
"Lovely Thea. Say, did you guys refurbish this one since last time?"
Unamused, Officer Thea shoved him into the direction of the cell - followed by adjusting a dial on his breath-pack. He could adjust it himself if he wanted with ease, but out of a strange respect for Thea and understanding it was pointless, he never did. He twittled his fingers in her direction and smiled. "Nighty-Night." She scoffed, and closed the door. He crawled into a corner of the cell, and made sure to hide his face into the wall. He wrapped his arms around himself, and quietly sobbed himself to sleep - trying his best to imagine he was embracing Faring in his arms.
"Wakey wakey daemon, time for breakfast chow." The voice was unfamiliar, yet another guard he wasn't familiar with. Cedric stood straight and tall, stretching as far as he could as he walked out. This particular guard was akin to an Equus, a rarer Korellei. "Ooh, a shiny?"
"Hardly, now get your ass moving." Cedric chuckled.
"What's so funny?"
"You're an Equus, like a donkey. Get my ass moving? That's funny. Hee-Haw." he mocked.
He whipped out his stun baton, which Cedric knew all too well didn't work on him. This guard apparently did not know that.
"Use it on me donkey boy, see what happens." The Equus looked nothing like a donkey of course, it was a rather plain brown Equus. He wasn't familiar with any horses other than a Pinto, but even then this Equus very much was not a Pinto.
Shaken, the guard stared at Cedric then back to his stun baton, and sheathed it. Cedric patted his head, "Good boy. Now, take me to chow oh noble steed!"
Dumbfounded, the guard simply guided him to chow hall. "That attitude is gonna get you killed."
"I really hope it does." Cedric replied solemnly. The Equus did not reciprocate.
The trip was a short one, or at the very least they always felt as they were - since he was so used to the twisting halls. He was also very familiar with the inmates, though that information was rarely relevant, given their avoidance. The chow itself was as plain as plain could be, upon entry the guard finally ceased escorting him. Cedric proudly strided to the cafeteria line. It was eggs and salad for breakfast today - a very common staple alongside something akin to rice within the prison. It was just enough calories to keep a Korellei going for the day, but for Cedric - it was chowtime, and that meant simply demanding more portions. The last time a cook refused his request for a larger portion, he just simply killed the fattest Korellei in the cafeteria and ate his portion. Death meant nothing to him, not anymore. What was the point, all it brought was pain - besides, every murder here was one step closer to capital punishment - and a blissful release. An elderly rodent was one of the servers today, she was his favorite. She always gave him triple portions since they all had extras anyways, and for some strange reason didn't fear him. He respected it.
"Ah, miss Fleek. Nice to see you today!"
She nodded in his direction as he stomped forward, if he stepped on a tail - well, it's their own god damn fault. Naturally, the other inmates rarely blocked his way. The ones that did didn't last very long, in one case a rat Korellei was stern about keeping his spot in line, so he just squashed him underfoot - literally. Unfortunately, that also did not land him capital punishment.
"You eat all this food and yet you never get any bigger! Maybe I should cut down your portions, Cedric."
He waved his hand dismissively, "Come on Miss Fleek, you know well enough why you shouldn't do that. Besides, it's all growing from the outside in." He flexed, his muscles practically splitting at the seams.
"My my, I guess so. Well, you have a good day mister Cedric!"
"I'm sure I will Miss Fleek."
Easily enough, he claimed his tray and found an appropriate spot. He spotted several new inmates, unusually - most of them were female. He listened intently, to ensure that his rule was followed. Everyone respected his single rule, even the guards - because he mercilessly killed anyone that broke it. His chair creaked as he sat down in it - the prison had to specially make a particular chair and table for him, because he kept breaking the regular ones.
"Whatever you do, newbloods. Do NOT, and I mean do NOT tell daemon that you love him - he will kill you on the spot, not even the guards do it."
Cedric nodded his approval while sitting by his lonesome. He slowly enjoyed his relatively bland prison food, he was not constrained by regular chow times. Not a soul challenged him, except for maybe Thea.
Whispers abound, especially amongst the females - what was so wrong about that phrase? The majority answered as they should - they didn't know, all they knew was to not do it. In fact, it was part of their introduction to the prison. He was the only inmate with a specific rule that everyone had to follow.
"What's wrong with him? Why does he do that?"
"Nobody knows, just don't do it."
"I think I'm going to talk to him."
"DON'T, I'm telling you right now, DON'T."
"I'm going to."
"You idiot!"
Cedric tried his best to ignore the exchange. Everyone knew better than to so much as steal a glance at him. From his peripheral, a small - furry shape appeared in his vision. He slowly, terrifyingly turned to the female's direction - she was basically a child. She was a small fox, red by the looks of it - very common.
"Hello daemon!"
"The fuck do you want?" Cedric growled.
"To.... Say hello?"
He snorted, "The fuck."
Cedric rose from his seat and approached one of the guards on duty, another feline practically quaking in their boots.
"Hey, cat. Why the fuck is there a child in my prison?"
"P-Pirate, daemon. Multiple counts of animaslaughter and piracy."
He looked back to the fox girl, then back to the guard.
"Are you fucking serious?"
"That's the official record..."
"Hey kid." He hollered, the café went silent. He thrust his finger in the direction of his half-eaten food.
"Eat that." He turned back to the guard. "Get her the fuck out of here dickhead, she's a kid. She doesn't belong here."
"I can't do that daemon, only the warden can."
He grasped the feline by his tactical vest and hoisted him high in the air.
"Then tell the fucking warden to do it." He rose his paws high in a gesture of surrender, dropping his stun baton. One of the inmates saw an opportunity, and lunged for it. Cedric lifted his foot high, and stamped down on the opportunist, cracks resounded through the cafeteria as the baton shattered - as well as the opportunist's arm. A screech of pain erupted from the Suricata's muzzle. He sat the guard down, and chortled in disdain. "Fucking meerkats."
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Cedric started to trample his way back to his cell.
"You're lucky kid, maybe he's got a thing for kids?"
Cedric stopped, and slowly turned around. "Who the fuck said that?" No time was wasted in pointing to the culprit - a now terrified hippopotamus lie still, figuratively turning white. Cedric rushed to where he sat, and like the guard, hoisted him up.
"Think you're funny? Think I'm a fucking pedo?"
"No!" he gagged. Cedric squeezed his grip tight around the hippo's neck - and he pissed himself. Rank urine poured onto the ground below him, disgusting those nearby. Cedric let go of a boisterous cackle. "You are fucking pathetic, maybe I'll let you live. Gotta pay my tax first though." He reached in and grabbed ahold of one of his giant molars, and ripped it out with ease. The hippo bellow-screamed in pain, and Cedric tossed him to the side. Guards immediately rushed to his aid, all too familiar with Cedric's terrorizing. Cedric had single-handedly turned Alcatraz into the most dangerous prison in the galaxy and yet, still no capital punishment.
He looked around, the only Korellei whose jaw hadn't dropped was the fox girl. Curious, he thought. Either she was too innocent - or she was used to it. If she was used to such behavior, then most likely the charges against her might hold merit. He wasn't sure which possibility was worse. Silently, he trampsed back to his cell. Current events within the Empire skyrocketed tensions to an all-time high, especially for mutants. Yet another sin to add to his repertoire. Every single day, every single waking moment Cedric was alive, he wanted to die. Lady Franchaise... Faring... Especially Faring. What if he had to take a similar action against Tern? He couldn't bear the thought.
Cedric imagined that Von Strauss would have captured him under the table, after all they most certainly knew he could spark the old factories to life. The anathema garnered by employing a serial murderer was too dangerous a prospect for them to attempt. It would only take a single voice, and a shred of evidence to prove his forced employment into Von Strauss, and if that happened they'd be destroyed publicly. It could be that they were just waiting for the 'incident' to die down publicly, but with news castings being his only available source of information, the political climate was fuzzy at best - saturated by the houses to hit with the biggest impact.
Days passed, as they usually do. The news on the holovid was the same as it had been, minus discussing the incident that occurred two years ago. The small fox turned out not to be a child after all, after asking around the guards finally explained to him that she had stunted growth, but none of them had the medical expertise to explain why. She did make a few more attempts to talk with him, which he vehemently fought against. She finally gave up on the fourth, finally convinced by himself and her peers to just not plain bother. Good, as it should be. A clang on the cell awoke him from a nap.
"Cedric?" It was Thea.
"Ah, lovely Thea. I haven't done anything the past couple days, so what's the occasion."
"All inmates need to head to the cafeteria, that includes you."
Curious, Cedric began questioning. "It's not chow time yet though?"
"The UE will be broadcasting an emergency message shortly, the entire Empire needs to watch it."
"That's so strange. Okay then, by all means."
She gingerly unlocked the door. It made contact with the wall with a mighty clang, it was a bit of an annoyance. Following behind Thea, he began again.
"Why weren't you the one to get me out of solitary the other day? It's always you."
"I was on vacation."
"Oh, that's a first. What kind of vacation?"
"Private."
"Surely that's not all. You never take vacation time Officer Thea."
"If you get even a shred of a streak for good behavior, maybe I'll tell you."
Cedric shrugged. "Damn, guess I'll never know."
She stopped, and pivoted around to face him, "Are you really that adamant about keeping your terror record up?"
He replied coyly, "If you give me capital punishment, maybe I'll tell you."
"Damn, guess I'll never know."
A welcoming laugh erupted from Cedric's throat, and he could make out just the barest hint of a smile on Thea's muzzle. The rest of the trip was silent, and before too long they arrived in the familiar cafeteria. Inmates were lined on the many benches, unusually - they were serving a special meal. Noodles and broth. It was a rare dish that the inmates lavished, because it was the only one that ended up having any taste. This... was not a good sign. Cedric voiced his concerns.
"This... is not good."
Thea turned around to face him again.
"How do you know?"
He shook his head, "Noodles and broth, you don't want us retaliating."
"Smarter than you look, daemon."
He returned her casual sentence with an intense glare.
"Always have been. Just... Was always pointless."
"Cedric?"
He said not another word. He sat down comfortably (as best he could) and intently watched one of the holovid screens, naturally the one closest to him - and conveniently placed right In front of his view, a request he put in a year ago. Just a few months ago, they finally acquiesced to his request. The GINN was on, the Galactic Imperial News Network. He didn't even bother getting himself a bowl of what they were serving, instead more focused on what was so important that the entire Empire needed to know.
"Welcome to GINN, the Galactic Imperial News Network, your source for all things Empire! Today, we have a press conference of galactic importance, as the head of House Von Strauss - Helena Von Strauss - is making an appearance today with an important message from the Pentarchy!"
He creaked back in his chair, truly intrigued by what this crazy message was. Had they found another human? Are they reviving more factories? Probably not. A tall, elderly taxidean* woman showed her face on the screen. She wore a fine tan suit with the colors and symbolism of House Von Strauss - tan base, with gold and red accents. A large silver medal of a swooping eagle adorned the left of her chest. A monocle adorned her right eye, made of platinum - most likely pure, he concluded. A haughty status symbol. Blue-grey fur covered the base of her body, with a dark stripe that started somewhere on her back and guided itself to a grey muzzle.
"Good day, women and men of the Empire. As you might as well know, a great tragedy befell Saint Amelìon two years ago, as a blood thirsty primate mutant slaughtered Lady Franchaise and Lady Faring."
Cedric jumped from his seat, spooking those closest to him.
"BULL-"
"Cedric..." Thea called his name, indignantly he plopped back into his straining chair.
"As a result, we were forced to reconsider our stance on mutants in the Empire. However, there has been a grave development that has been resurfacing on many planets within the Core. The Phage I'm afraid, may be making a return."
The entire cafeteria exploded with whispers of concern. Cedric did not join those whispers, because there's no way that was the truth.
"That's... Impossible." He whispered under his breath.
The press conference matched the energy of the cafeteria, sending waves of unauthorized questioning and conversations of terror. Helena raised a paw in the air, splayed wide - signaling the crowd to calm themselves down.
"Indeed, however there is hope. We have identified particular species that show signs of the reviving phage, and we are taking extensive efforts in identifying any further culprits. After this press conference today, we will be releasing a list of Korellei species that are most likely to be a vector for the Phage, as well as guidelines for detainment and control. Additionally, I will be announcing personally the most likely common vectors that are present Empire-wide."
The only one capable of activating the Phage was Cedric, meaning that this was most likely a blatant lie, either that or somehow - the Korellei are activating it on each other. If they aren't, then there's more humans out there. It gave him hope, if a bit twisted in how it presented itself.
"For now, we have identified five major Korellei families that are most probable vectors for the Phage. Canidae, Felidae, Rodents, Avis, and Lacertilia. Serpentes may also be a vector for the Phage, however that is currently just a strong hypothetical.**
Domesticated animals, he thought. Any animal that would be considered a house pet was in those categories - there's no way it was just coincidence, right? He supposed it was possible, but still...
"In light of the scientific evidence that has identified itself over the past two years surrounding the incident, the Pentarchy will begin establishing new laws to protect the Korellei not genetically predisposed to the Phage."
Cedric narrowed his eyes, and caught a glimpse of Thea eyeing him from his peripheral.
"Therefore, as of now, the aforementioned species who are pre-disposed to the Phage will have their rights impacted by the first addendum established since two-hundred and fifty years ago. This decision has not been taken lightly, and has been discussed by the Pentarchy over the last two years. This addendum will serve to preserve the personal freedoms of those not genetically pre-disposed to the Phage, as well as preserving the safety of those species that are pre-disposed to the Phage."
A hush of silence befell the crowd and the cafeteria, listening with bated breath flowing hot from their muzzles.
"As of the end of this Press Conference, any Korellei that falls under the taxidermic family of Canidae, Felidae, Rodents, Avis, or Lacertilia will be required to be officially registered on every core planet's population consensus records. Place of work, place of residence, house of influence, family size, and other important statistics responsible for filtering out potential Phage vector traits. Additionally, it has come to our attention that the 'Daemon of Alcatraz' has snuffed the life of many inmates within the facility, and as an emergency decree stated by myself - and with it the entirety of House Von Strauss, and by extension the Pentarchy as a whole - will be the first and last decree of Capital Punishment since three-hundred years ago. He was offered a chance to redeem himself, and preserve the Empire's interest in Moral and Emotional Integrity that dominates our laws. It seems that he has refused to obey, and by eliminating many lives - whether the young and youthful lives of House Kilik or innmates, the death count is simply too high. This punishment will be enacted a month from now, across all channels - to serve the people of the Empire as a reminder, that no life - whether positive or negative - is above the law of common decency. Nature must reclaim its mistake, and by the Goddess we will facilitate the reclamation."
"YES!" Cedric unintentionally shot up and cheered, finally - he could atone for his sins. The Cafeteria remained silent, and officer Thea as well as another officer stepped to either side of him. He sat down, pleased that his efforts had finally bore fruit.
"This is not a time of panic, but of reflection. Imperial authorities are working tirelessly around the clock to find and eliminate all possible current and future sources of the Phage, and the steps taken today will ensure the future of the Empire - as well as the security and well-being of its citizens. That is all I have to say at this time, if you have questions or concerns - you may voice them to the correct channels."
The cafeteria was in an uproar, many guards surrounded the inmates in the case a riot sprung forth from the rampaging of the affected Korellei.
"What, we're just infected by the Phage now?!"
"This is nonesense!"
"Why me? I haven't done anything wrong! Just because I'm Lacertilian?!"
Cedric simply relaxed in his seat for a bit longer, and decided that now was the time. He stood up, still flanked by the two guards - who for now, weren't doing anything other than eyeing him like a hawk. He stepped up to the current cafeteria register, it was a rather forgetful Talpidae*** that he saw from time to time.
"I think I'll take a bowl, to celebrate."
"Uh, okay. Just uh, gotta get the stuff."
He slowly but deliberately poured him a small bowl of broth and noodles, his miniscule eyes somewhat saved by a rather thick set of black, rounded glasses.
"Oh uh, Daemon? You uh, want more right?"
Cedric raised his hand protest, "No no, I think I'm quite fine this time."
The talpa nodded, and handed the warm bowl to him - he took care to grab it, normally he would simply yoink such dishes out of the hands of the servers - but now, he didn't have to anymore.
"Thea, I'm taking this to my cell."
She cocked her furry head, "What? You still have a few minutes of freedom."
He smiled and shook his head, "Nah - I'm good."
The trip back to his cell was quiet, the two guards still cautiously watching his every movement. He no longer lumbered or stood tall, to their great surprise he was very relaxed and non-confrontal. He squeaked onto his cot, and began to slurp. Thea dismissed the other guards, closed the gate, and removed the top part of her uniform - revealing a plain white tank top, her sports bra barely contained her furry breasts. Cedric looked up at her.
"What are you doing?"
"I get it now." she said, "I don't think you'll do anything to me - or anyone else for that matter."
He stopped for a moment, "You catch on quickly."
"I had my concerns but..." She leaned on the wall across from where he was sitting.
"I don't believe it, I don't understand it. To be honest, I want to apologize to you - that doesn't excuse your actions during your imprisonment here, but I suppose now they make sense."
Cedric stared into his broth, now already half-devoured. The gentle hissing of the mask was all that resounded throughout the cell.
"Why Daem- Cedric, why did you have to do things the way you did? You could of vandalized, or-"
He shook his head, "It wouldn't have worked. Korellei honor life and soul above all else, the Goddess despises unnecessary bloodshed. So, the only way I could atone for my sins - was to simply tip the scales of what my life was worth."
"So, you killed every Korellei you could find an excuse for to justify ending their life, to make yours worth less. What about the girls that admitted their feelings to you? Hell, even a couple of the boys. They were misguided, but you just... Just for telling you they-"
Cedric stared daggers into Thea's gaze, now officially scaring her for the first time she had known him.
"Say it, and the body count rises."
She remained silent.
"Von Strauss is lying, you know."
She cocked her head
"It's me. I'm the vector for the Phage."
"Cedric, you're a terrible man - but you're not an idiot. Excuses to prolong your execution won't work, granted I'm not sure why you would want more time until then regardless."
He swished the bowl, "I'm to be executed in a month. I've reached my goal, I can finally atone for my miserable existence. What harm is there now in hiding the truth."
She plopped down on the floor. "Okay, so let's say that theoretically - you're telling the truth. Is it related to the two women you murdered in House Kilik?"
Cedric shot up, unintentionally letting go of his precious broth.
"I had to! I had no choice!"
Thea proceeded to speak calmly, and structurally - pitting her willpower against his fearsome visage.
"Why, Cedric? Why did you 'have no choice.'?
He plopped down back on the cot with the sound of a protesting creak, as wood cracking on an upstairs floor could be interpreted.
"Lady Faring Kilik was my friend..." He sniffed away a forming tear.
"Friends don't kill friends in cold blood."
"They do if they're affected by the Phage."
Silence filled the room. An eerie, stale silence that was the only possible painting that could project the colors of dark realization.
"You're implying that you killed her not out of cold blood, but out of concern for the Phage? What of her mother then, was she affected too?"
He slowly shook his head, "No, but- I lashed out in rage, didn't know my own strength. Shattered a table, a large shard of the table got stuck in her leg. Death sentence."
Thea nodded, but her tone elicited that she didn't quite believe him.
"That's an awfully complex excuse."
To Thea's surprise, he simply shrugged and stared at the fallen broth - its yellow color now slowly swirling down the drain, like piss in a urinal.
"Then say it's an excuse, if that's what you believe. It's the truth though, that's what happened... Faring gave me everything, and... From her, I simply took everything."
Another long moment of silence hung in the air.
"I can be freed from that burden now though, I can finally atone for my sins. I don't deserve to live here, in this time, so different from my own. Faring didn't thaw a friend, she unsealed a curse. A living, walking, talking curse that dared catch her interest. That... Seduction, that mystery - killed her. I killed her. Now, I must die in turn. The mistake that destroyed the Korellei people."
He looked up and wiped away another tear.
"I can finally destroy that curse, and in turn - destroy my mistakes."
He closed his eyes, and breathed easy. Satisfied.
Officer Thea rose from her spot, and began to don her entire uniform was more.
"Your mistake taught me a lesson, Cedric."
He looked upon her moving form, curious.
"Not everyone is inherently evil, just - messed up."
He shook his head, "Some are..."
"But you're not."
His head fell again, "No, I think I am. Lot of bodies on my record, that's evil."
She opened the cell door, and began to step out - looking back to him.
"I've... Had to end a few lives myself. That make me evil?"
He slowly shook his head.
"No, it doesn't. Officer Thea."
She nodded in turn, "Sometimes, I feel like it does."
She stepped out completely, and locked the cell door. Cedric laid down in his cot and fell asleep, for the first time he felt free of his burdens. He completed his personal mission, and now everything was going to be okay - Faring and her mother would rest easy, and the Korellei people would be free of his existence. Things could go back to normal with him out of the picture, it was all going to be okay now...