Popirias

Prologue

You did it.

You succeeded in breaking out.

How pitiful they are-- humans.

But despite your nearly flawless plan, you did not count on the body that is now yours to be so low on stamina. The body's legs scream at you to stop running, to slow down, to quit. But now that you are this far ahead, how could you dare to quit? This body was yours now. Your body.

Though you can't say you very much like your human vessel.

It was all planned out perfectly. While their backs were turned you took one of their fellow subordinate's body. You escaped from your vial and inhabited what is now your body. The body came with a variety of memories and thoughts you found fascinating, considering you could not feel things as just a virus.

Now you were one of them. The humans. Not that you liked humans very much, but with a host it was easier to blend in and escape, of course. A virus doesn't usually have legs to break out of science labs with.

But you do.

With what the humans call 'eyes', you swiftly shift your gaze back and forth between astonished faces, the glass you had shattered falling like rain drops to the porcelain floor. You feel a sharp jab in your fingers, and you glance down at your human hands, drops of scarlet oozing from your fingertips as fragments of glass poke through your skin. You fail to recognize what the red stuff actually is, but your attention is more focused on the jab of... pain? 

Is this what pain feels like?

Regardless, your wounds quickly close up, and you find yourself fascinated by your intelligence in regenerating lost skin. Yes, you are the perfect virus.

And you are about to create a life of your own.

Before the scientists have time to properly react to your escapade, you start running again, bursting through another pane of glass to exit into the outside world. You flinch lightly as you take in a breath of air, scents of pine and other smells you cannot recognize mingling together to form one scent that you are able to pinpoint as nature.

Fascinating.

Humans were dumb, but they had privileges you hadn't even known existed. This wouldn't be too bad. Life as a human could prove... fun. If that was the correct word to use. God, you weren't completely prepared for such a variety of memories and ideas. Who knew a human brain could possess such an amazing amount of information?

You'll infect whatever human you can with this vessel. You'll make everybody just like you.

Though snippets of pain brush thoroughly throughout your body, you keep running.

Branches and overgrown ferns lick at your face as you sprint through the forest. The trees cast various shadows along the forest floor, giving you, though very little, shelter from your pursuers eyes. With your senses sharpened and your power of regeneration heightened, you imagine they'll never catch up with you. You'll be completely free.

But, all plans have some sort of flaw, and you quickly realize your plan isn't as perfect as you imagined.

Loud motor noises can be heard in the distance, followed by the cringing sound of trees falling and dying ahind it. You silently damn the advancement of human technology.

Your body's legs ache, pleading you to stop running. But stopping would put all your hard work to complete waste.

No-- you had to see this through. There's no way you're returning to that small, tight tube so awkwardly placed in the corner of the lab.

Leaves of various colors are kicked up and crunched as your shoes hit the ground. Wind is gushing in your ears and liquid stings the corners of your eyes. You are intelligent. You are smart. You are so much better than these humans. You wont let them catch you.

You can't let them catch you.

The end of the forest can be seen in the close distance. But the motors of the human's transportation system grow gradually louder. You can't run forever. Your human muscles will give out eventually.

You need a quick escape route, but no matter where you look or how far you run, you fail to see a pathway that will divert the humans. But you can't give up. So you keep running.

Light blinds your eyes momentarily as you swiftly sprint out of the forest, skidding to a halt as you realize there really is no escape route. Afore you lay the edge of a sharpened cliff side. Rocks jut out in scattered places along the side of the cliff, mirroring the image of a face full of freckles.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Your human brain throws a number of curses at the cliff side.

Just as you are finished checking out the end of your path, a large, checkered vehicle bursts through the trees as scientists pour out of its belly, completely cornering you ahead the front of the cliff. You take a small step back and your heart leaps as you nearly lose your balance. 

This emotion you're feeling... is it fear? How could you, the smartest being to inhabit the planet, feel fear? Such a weak emotion.

And you are sure as Hell not weak.

"Popirias, stop. Come back with us." One of the scientists speaks to you with a calming, soothing tone. A tone that calms you. 

And a voice that angers you.

You stare restlessly at the faces of the humans afore you. They're expecting you to listen. They're expecting you to give up your body. They're expecting you to willingly go back to your test tube and behave like a good little virus.

No. You're not going back. Never again. 

Your first words define your newly obtained individuality.

"Like Hell."

And with that, you turn to face the cliff side, the 'no's and 'stop!'s of your previous masters voices echoing each other like the reverberation of a single chord sounding throughout an empty church.

And you jump.

This will be fine, you tell yourself, your regeneration abilities will repair any damage... right?

Wind brushes the features of your face. You are smart. You are intelligent. You have no reason to doubt your abilities. Your idea is sure to run smoothly.

Air breezes through your palms as you fall.

But your plans never turn out exactly how you expect.