Chapter 10 For Science
Jack, instead of getting cleaned, planned on becoming quite dirty. His love for anatomy and physiology, coupled with a Ph.D. in Philosophy, fueled his curiosity about the human body, making him eager to dissect the strange-looking feline before him, believing he could be the first scientist to examine this new-age creature.
Lilith had not removed the knives lodged deep into Scruffy’s brain. Jack, having given up on remaining clean, walked up to the corpse and pulled out both knives, resulting in a gush of clear liquid and blood.
Examining the knives, he noticed the edges were slightly chipped from Lilith's powerful stabbing and the beast's defense in weak spots. Attempting to use the knives below the neck to open up the chest, he pushed with all his strength, but the knives cracked and were unable to penetrate the neck.
Jack sighed, “If Lilith did not kill this damn Scruffy, we would have been in trouble.” Noticing its long claws, he thought, “Maybe I could pull out a claw.”
Each claw was about a foot long. Acting on this idea, he decided to use the largest middle claw as his new scalpel. Placing both feet on its paw, he pulled at the base of the claw where it was not flat.
*Shhhhhhh*
The nauseating sound of flesh being split apart was heard. Jack was rewarded with a new scalpel. The effort left him gasping for air, falling limply as he waited to recover. Finally able to breathe, he irritatedly said, “This damn cat's flesh is too strong.”
After a minute, Jack stood up and tried piercing the small notch under the corpse's neck. This time it entered like butter. Pushing it in and pulling it down like a pen line followed wherever the claw went. Upon reaching the abdomen, he made two downward diagonal cuts along the ribs. Now, the final part of the dissection required breaking the sternum or the middle of the rib to reveal the organs underneath. Taking the claw like a chisel, he smashed down.
*Crack Crack Crack Crack*
The bones were even more resistant than the skin; it took Jack all his strength to pull one claw. It took him nearly the same amount of effort to crack the bones. After cracking the final bone connecting the two ribs, it was like a bridge opened; the heart, the lungs, and all their vessels were visible. What shocked Jack, besides the defensive capabilities of this creature even after its death, was that its organs had incredible vitality. The organs looked fresh and lively, and it seemed that it just died.
At this moment, Lilith walked out, wearing black pants, a black top, and a hair tie enrapturing her long hair in a high ponytail. Jack thought it was time for a break as well. He now did not think he needed to rush because the organs’ vitality is something he could not even imagine.
Jack said to Lilith, “Welcome back dear, guess I need to hurry up and get to the table, huh?”
Lilith nodded her head. Jack took off his soiled shirt, detailing his muscular upper body looking no different from lifetime athletes. He washed his hands briskly with the water from the faucet outside the home.
He then mentally ordered Lilith, “Please dear, cover the cat with something that won't stick, so Ralphy does not see it.”
Lilith again nodded and grabbed a tarp and covered the carcass. Jack, who left to cleanse himself, walked past Ralph's room and saw him playing with his cheese piece. Jack thought to himself, I guess the dissection just got put down on the list of priorities.
Jack showed and returned to the hallway with a casual blue t-shirt and faded jeans. He knocked while saying, “Ralphy, let's go eat before your mom gets mad. Also, bring your chess pieces; let's play after lunch.” Ralph was more than happy to have lunch with his parents, and to play chess with them was even more of a prize.
Jack was a grandmaster at one point during college, and Lilith lost many times against him before. But after a while, the true genius showed, and she would beat him 60% of the time. The result was an offspring that was beyond gifted playing the game. Lilith made a simple lunch of tuna sandwiches. Then, while drinking barley tea, the family of three played chess.
After multiple rounds, Jack believed it was time to get back to work. It was clearly not because of the queen of hollows beating him multiple times. Standing up, Jack said, “Okay, kiddo, you and mom keep playing; I will go do something.”
“Don't worry, dad, I will beat mom to avenge you.” Ralph said dismissively.
Jack nearly tripped while he was walking. He caught himself and protected himself, “I am going out for scientific research, Ralph. It’s for science.”
Ralph then delivered a mighty blow to Jack’s pride. “It's okay, dad, if I lost 4 times in a row I would run away too. Don't worry.”
Nearly holding back a tear from dropping, Jack wanted to scream, I am leaving for science again. But he felt that if he said that, it would only make him look worse.
Jack grabbed multiple garbage bags and duct tape along with rubber gloves. He poked holes in the backs for his eyes. He got more bags and wrapped them on his extremities. Only his eyes were visible, but he still had placed glasses over them as well. He knew this time it would be the bloodiest part of the dissection.
Nearly 2 hours later, Jack had completed his dissection.
The result was shocking, to say the least.
Jack had removed each organ and found that they all had a third membrane that covered them. It would convert nutrients at a much faster degree. This would mean the creature would be much more powerful; however, it would need to feed more often. The creature also carried incredible explosive strength. Each muscle fiber was higher density and created a much more profound formation. The circulation was much more complex and beneficial for nutrient transportation. This was the reason for its incredible speed, despite its large size.
He tried to feed the heart of the creature to Big, the only hollow to have consumed a white orb, besides Lilith of course, and it ate it with relish.
Big, quite clumsy due to its large physique and much greater strength than normal, became much more agile. He was now much faster than ordinary hollows, who had the same speed as a regular human being.
He then shared the rest of the meat with the rest of his hollows and found the same result. Jack thought, “This is why flesheaters and hollows desire humans, to evolve. They will take on any trait that the meat’s owner had.
Now, with Ralph’s squad upgraded, Jack moved on to the bones and skin. He did not have any skill with crafting, but he used its claws to cut Scruffy’s skin into 3 sections. He removed all the blood from it and started a fire. He hung the skin close to hitting it would dry and become leather.
He used his favorite bone, the femur, as a new hammer for himself. He separated two claws from the hind legs as Lilith’s new daggers. And he left a radial bone for Ralph. Jack wished he knew anyone with knowledge of crafting.
Even the all-mighty Lilith was useless when it came to crafting.
Jack removed all his trash bags and had the hollows take the bones away that he was not going to be using.
When he had completed all his tasks and was standing by the fire, warming himself up, Jack heard someone screaming in pure bliss.
“Yah!!!!! WOOHOO!!!”
Ralph ran out of the house and jumped onto Jack. “Dad, I actually beat mom for the first time. I sacrificed my queen and rook and checked her with my pawn and King.”
Jack laughed and said, “Haha, yeah, I would rather lose than sacrifice those two.”
Ralph was confused but did not think much of it. And continued, “Dad, can you make my victory stake now.”
Jack laughed, “Well, I did promise I would grill it myself. Let's set up the BBQ.”
