Rei heard water dripping within the darkness, and a gasoline smell reeked the cold air. She blinked her eyes until her focus turned clear. "Where am I?"

The underground chamber appeared to be a cavern, but black ooze was everywhere across the murky water. From the ceiling, mucus hung down like stalagmites with sharp pointy tips. Hills of muddy blackness stood with pieces of trash sticking out.

Rei tried to move, but more slime-covered half of her body glued her to the wall. "Sesang-e!"

How in the heck did she appear inside an oily cave, penned to the wall as if she was in an alien movie? She remembered shocking the sewer water with her partner. And then….. Darkness.

Maybe the creature took her while being shocked. No wonder she lost consciousness.

Rei shook her arms. But the solid oil wouldn't break. If she has Luna's cybernetic body, breaking loose wouldn't be a pain to her.

"Welcome," said a slimy voice, approaching her.

Rei's heart jumped when the blob rose toward her from the water. His creepy white eyes glowed at her, and his smile spread with an emptiness inside his mouth.

"I finally got you," he chuckled like a boiling pot. "But I admit you almossst got me."

Rei cleared her throat. "Who….. who….. What are you?"

The blob extended out his arms and rested one hand on his chest. "Call me Muck. I am a mutant, jussst like you. But the chimera virusss never infected me."

"What….. Happened to you?"

"It isss a long ssstory, but sssince you are ssstill hanging here, I will tell you everything. Hehehe."

*****

Luna felt like she was going to buy new boots after she finds Rei and kills the monster. Strong shoes helped her appear attractive to other girls whenever she was in the mood for dating. She wasn't sure, but she believed most females liked masculine qualities from their desired partners. And having good hygiene helps too with the smell.

She kept feeling thick mud beneath her boots as she strolled through the sewer river. Four Nocturnal anteaters followed her, carrying laser rifles. They also wore night-vision goggles under their hoods. Not everyone could afford cybernetic eyes in the city.

Luna? Skye's voice echoed inside Luna's head.

Luna kept strolling while she kept her gun out, ready to shoot at anything in the tunnel. What is it, Skye?

I identified the human DNA in the oil sample. His name is Buck Simpson, age 40, white male.

Luna paused when something splashed into the water. It was only a rat, swimming toward the other side. She hated rats, not a tasty meal to eat. She still preferred fry chicken. What do you know about this Buck?

He worked at an oil company called Texan-Con, Skye continued. They transferred him to Moreau City to help the miners pump the oil from deep beneath the city. Without warning, toxic waste and oil flooded the tunnels, trapping the workers. Buck was one of them. Tragically declared decrease. I feel sorry for his family.

Luna sighed, knowing most corporations don’t care about their expendable workers. If the payment was good, there was always a risk. So I will assume he didn’t die?

In theory, the toxic waste might have fused his genes to the oil. Morphing him into a new life form. But what do I know? This city is full of crazy shit.

Luna agreed to that. I gotta find Rei. That thing took her.

Oh no. I hope it isn’t too late. She is a nice girl.

Luna smirked. She will not let Rei die alone.

*****

“After I awoke, I found myssself in a pool of oil beneath the cavernsss,” Muck continued. “I thought I wasss dead, but I realized I could move with the oil.”

Rei felt a little bad for him. He was only a family man, trying to provide money for his family. But then his corporation left him for dead in the oil caverns. Pain, loss, and suffering turned him into a monster.

“I vowed vengeance againssst the city and the company who abandoned me here!” Muck shouted, raising his fist toward the ceiling. “They will pay for ssseparating me from my family, and murdering my friends!”

Rei glared. “Is that why you are murdering innocent people up there? Why not attack the corporation instead?”

Muck formed his body into a conical shape. “I need fear to drive the city into choasss. When the city fallsss, ssso will Texan-Con. Without people, they can’t make money. Without money, they will fall.”

Rei shook her arms. “You are insane!”

“They made me insssane! But asss for you…..” He grew a tentacle and rubbed Rei’s chin. “You will make me an army to help my vengeance sssuceed fassster.”

“Army?”

“Yesss, an army of oil mutants like me. My oil ssseeds will enter your womb, and you will grow asss many oil baby monsssters asss I needed. But I will take good care of you…..”

Rei shivered. Daeche mwoya1?