This time, recovery will take longer. The biomass scattered among the ruins condenses into tiny droplets, clumps together, slowly flows and slides down, restoring a unified body. The diversity of specialized parts with a common foundation is the key to the success of all viable systems. And everything capable of life wants only one thing—to live.
Continuing to regenerate, I conserve my strength. Lazily turning my head to look around, I see her among the pile of debris and scattered body parts—rather, what remains of her. A torn piece of a human clinging to its existence. Almost the entire lower half is missing; only a short stump remains of her right leg. From the exposed cavity, intestines trail along the ground. Beneath the exposed ribs hang remnants of kidneys. How can this still be alive? Yet it managed to crawl about a meter through a puddle of its own blood. Its hands claw at the asphalt with their last strength. A depressing sight—but inspiring at the same time.
I slowly approach, examining the dying body. A leather jacket. Dark hair. A girl in her mid-twenties, no older. She was probably hiding here with someone from her family. Perhaps her relatives are now among those crushed by the collapsing building. I don't even know who was luckier...
As carefully as possible, I turn the body over. For some reason, I'm curious to see her face. The left side has been torn away, her eye has popped out, covered in blood... But she's pretty. Her single eyelid twitches, unable to open. Her bluish lips are motionless. Of course, she's already lost consciousness. This isn't life anymore—it's just an excessively prolonged agony.
The rhizome spins under the skin like black hairs. Organic matter cannot simply disappear without purpose. Live or become food—a simple law.
"No way! Is that too simplistic logic for a human?" The carnivorous growth protests, but there's still enough compassion and ambition within me. I control it—not the other way around. A dozen branching filaments descend toward the wounded girl. But this time, not to digest her instantly. A hemostatic coagulant seals most of the ruptured vessels. The rhizome continues to penetrate between cells, forming its own channels, connecting to the circulatory system, creating thin membranes and supports, beginning to pump components of my plasma and lymph into the dying organism. I lift the human fragment off the ground.
A six-motor "seraphim" casually hovers overhead. Nothing can faze this drone. All for the sake of hype-worthy footage. Higher up, a reconnaissance "orlan" drones around. I hadn't noticed it before. Something caught its attention. It's looking around. So something's brewing. It's quite possible our "yellow-and-blue" opponents seriously messed up after my spectacular performance and hastily began evacuating the city. That's very likely, since they're also watching the Holding's broadcasts. If so, artillery crews should soon bring something like "tosochkas" closer and start firing on retreating enemy units.
I almost guessed correctly... Two "sushkas" tear through the sky. They're blasting with "fabas" on the western side. Reducing everyone there to stardust. They move on to the next batch. Exactly. I've stirred up this nest. The rats have run away... But it won't end quickly. They won't want to abandon their equipment in the west, they'll try to haul it out, get stuck in the suburbs, and artillery and the "heavenly host" will methodically target them. The officers won't want to irritate their frayed nerves, so soldiers will arrive here only as a last resort. And rightly so. But it will take a long time. A very long time...
"For now, the whole city is mine... Ours," I smirk, looking at the half-dead heap of human flesh in my arms. "Shall we go somewhere? Show you the sights?"
The girl is silent. She doesn't even glance at me with her single remaining eye. It's immediately clear—this young lady has character. Her bloody body tries to slip out of my grasp, ready to slide back onto the ground again. "Well, here we go. We just met, and you're already sitting on my neck..." I grab her tighter and sling her over my shoulder.
"Oh, never mind... We'll get up again!"