Excerpts from Bodger’s diary.
15th Mendar,
I’ve divided the test subjects into five groups of three, A to E, keeping each in their own cage. Each group will receive a gradually higher dosage than the last, with group A getting the lowest and E getting the highest.
So far the only effect has been to increase the activity of the subjects, maybe it just acts as a mild stimulant?
17th Mendar,
Definite change in behaviour today. Group A seem to be acting normally. The subjects in group B aren’t moving. Each of the rats in the other groups have backed themselves into a corner and are growling at each other!
Every rat in groups C, D and E attempted to bite me when I administered their dose. There’s a definite increase in violent behaviour. Must be vigilant, I have no idea what will happen to me if I get bitten.
Picking up a rat from group B, some form of rigor has set in. Breathing seems stable, but they aren’t eating or drinking.
20th Mendar,
Very strange! No matter how I return the subjects in group B back to the cage, they always move to point perfectly north. This is the only time I can get them to be active. As soon as they have realigned themselves they enter the rigor state again. I may be imagining this, but they appear to be cocking their heads as though they are listening for something.
Group C have started to throw themselves against the side of the cage. They seem to be trying to escape. They no longer try to bite me, but struggle to get free. This is making injections very difficult.
Group D are still staring each other down. Their growls are getting unbearable. If I’m not careful someone will overhear all this noise!
All the rats in group E are dead! From the look of things the largest subject killed the others and then ran headfirst into the side of the cage until it had beaten it’s brains out. The deaths were particularly violent, each victim had been shredded.
23rd Mendar,
The behaviour of group B has begun to change. They no longer arrange themselves to point north. No matter where in the room I place them, they arrange themselves to point at group D.
A subject from group C escaped today. It struggled so hard I couldn’t keep hold of it. I keep a bucket of water in the lab in case of fire. The rat ran to it and jumped in. It then swam to the bottom and stayed there until it drowned.
Only one subject from group D has survived. There are no signs of violence. Post mortem looks like the other two died of heart attack. At least the growling has stopped!
26th Mendar,
Let a subject from group B go free today. It walked right over to the cage holding the remaining member of group D and sat nose to nose with him. No violence, is it just me or do they look like they’re communicating?
Another rat from group C escaped, they are almost impossible to hold now. Luckily I’ve removed the bucket of water. That didn’t stop him though! He jumped out of the window and ran straight to the canal. Another fatality for group C.
Subject D has lost all of his hair. His skin seems to be turning grey and becoming more like leather. He stares at me intensely now whenever I’m in the room.
28th Mendar,
Whenever I’m in there I can feel subject D staring at me. I can almost feel his presence in my mind!
His physical appearance has changed. His skin has become a dark leathery grey, and if he continues to grow he won’t fit in the cage much longer. His feet seem to have become larger and he’s developed a protrusion on his tail, some sort of caudal fin maybe? His whiskers have dropped out, and his ears are becoming flattened against his head. There’s a definite increase in muscle mass, and the arteries are getting more prominant.
Whenever I let a rat from group B out, they head straight for his cage and try to set him free. Could they really be communicating? The remaining rat from group C is terrified of him.
30th Mendar,
All the other rats are dead, only subject D remains! I came into the room this morning and found them. The bodies appear to have been dried out, there is no fluid left in them. They almost look like they have been mummified. The corpses were all contorted in strange, disturbing postures. What the hell is going on here?
36th Mendar,
I stopped the injections a few days ago, but his state hasn’t changed. He’s huge, his tail is much thicker and stronger than it was. His ears are almost unnoticable, and his eyes, dear god, his eyes!
I don’t want to go in there now. I can hear him in my mind, urging me to set him free. Whenever I sleep I can see those eyes in the darkness. It’s going to kill me, I know it’s just a matter of time. I can’t live like this! Oh, god what have I done?
I need to speak with Hansel, he’ll be able to kill it for me!