Stump you on the last testfic? Too bad. It was "Crusade."
Now that we've got the last one finished up, here's the next one.
--Chad Yang

Testfic#3: An End to the Pain

"So there's no need to make up your mind anymore," said boy looking down 
upon the corpse.
In all repects, it looked an exploded carcass. It could have been a 
human one, except for the fact that there were no bones. Where the bones 
should have been were muscles, and they reached out weakly in little 
tendrils, like dying worms.
The boy watched silently as they tried to connect with the fallen pieces 
of flesh. They spread themselves in a net across the grass.
"Can't help but feel sad for them," he thought.
He watched the heart pump away uselessly.
<We are weak . . . if we do not do this . . . we cannot live on.>
In his mind, he saw the speaker. She was gone, no more. She died 
protecting her only child . . . one that came from her body, but was not 
hers. And now, only memories remained.
<Don't be too mean to us . . .>
"I remember her saying that to me."
He watched the tendrils with a certain sadness on his face. They 
continued reaching, shivering as they connected.
"He wants to live on."
"Yes," said a voice from his right. The boy didn't look up.
<Why do Parasites exist? . . . To destroy mankind . . . Is it to stop 
overpopulation? Or is it to put an end to pollution? . . . It's true you 
know. Humans are destroying the Earth . . .>
"Yes it's true. He's dying from the poison in his blood . . . the rust 
of garbage . . . the monster who can dodge bullets is dying from a 
single wound."
<All in all, Parasites were born from humans . . . from the angle of the 
creatures of the Earth, Humans are poison . . . and Parasites . . . 
Parasites are the antidote. . . . Who makes the final judgement? Who 
decides which species is more important? Who has the right to do that?>
"Make your descision. There's not much time."
". . . To tell the truth, I don't want to kill him . . . I don't want to 
kill a life striving to survive . . . Yes, I don't want to kill him . . 
. and this, in itself is mankind's greatest treasure . . ."
"So what are you going to do?"
". . . This may seem strange . . . but after this battle . . . I no 
longer feel the need to kill him. You said that there's a fifty percent 
chance he'll come back? I'll leave it to fate."
He looked at the carcass again. 
"To mankind, he's just another creature. I will not kill him for mankind 
. . . As a man, I shall not take away the life of another lifeform . . . 
I shall not see them as inferior to us . . . I shall not . . ."
"It's decided then . . . let us leave."
The boy began walking away.
<Perhaps I've committed a crime against mankind . . . perhaps I am 
responsible for the deaths of thousands . . . but I will not kill him in 
the name of protecting humans. Have dangerous creatures no right to 
live? . . . It isn't a good thing . . . but I'd rather look at this from 
nature's point of view.>
"Do you think the Earth is a beautiful place?" The voice asked.
"I don't know," said the boy.
"I really hate those people who go around saying things like, 'for the 
Earth!' The Earth can't really feel anything."
The boy stopped walking.
"Should I really leave it to fate?"
He turned back, eyes sad.
"I'm just a normal person . . . all I can do is protect my own family . 
. . and I've failed in that."
The carcass was recognizably more human now.
"I'm sorry . . ."
Tears came to his eyes.
"I know it's unfair, but . . . I'm sorry."
He raised the meat cleaver in his left hand.

"What happened?" The little old woman stood in the door.
"There's really a monster! They just found the corpse," yelled the man 
as he ran by.
"A corpse?"
She looked to her side. The meat cleaver she'd given the one-armed boy 
was there, leaning against the wall.
"Have you succeeded?"

The boy walked on, alone on the road. He had two arms.
In the distance was the city . . .


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