Rustle, rustle, rustle.
A gigantic, grotesque creature crawled and writhed from time to time in the silver-white laboratory. It sometimes looked almost human, but its form kept distorting, sprouting tumor-covered wings, tentacles, and horns. It could even emit dangerous low- or high-frequency sound waves.
Outside the superalloy chamber sealing in the "X-Research Subject," James stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the images on the screen. He remained silent for a long while, an extraordinarily complicated look in his eyes.
Although Dr. Zola beside him was now a "robot," the image formed on the photon screen in his chest was intensely humanlike. His lips quivered nervously, and he seemed exceedingly cautious.
From the fall of the German Empire after World War II to the present, Arnim Zola had followed this gentleman for nearly half a century. Though he no longer experienced the various physical sensations of a human, he knew Mr. Howlett well.
At this moment, he was in a very bad mood.
"Has it always been like this? Has it never stopped?"
A mechanical, synthesized voice crackled as Dr. Zola spoke:
"More or less. The X-Subject still has the instinct to absorb energy and matter, but its continuous, disordered 'metamorphic reactions' have never stopped."
The room fell silent again for a while. Inside the sealed laboratory, the mutant creature trembled as it grew covered in scales. Half its body took on a gel-like, fluid appearance.
James was about to say something when a low voice behind Zola spoke earnestly:
"Sometimes, it 'sleeps.'"
He turned around. The speaker was a bearded dwarf, not quite five feet tall. He wore black-rimmed square glasses and a well-fitting research uniform. He had thick brows, large eyes, and a full head of brown hair streaked with silver.
"Sometimes, the X-Subject turns into