Station, стр. 30
The fifth floor was a marketplace of pain, whereresidents took turns gleefully doling out and receiving lashingsfrom light whips that shattered nerves and locked up jaws butcaused no permanent damage. As the Slink continued its descent intonothingness, the pain transformed somewhere in the body, resultingin the perception of some twisted pleasure from the agony. Laughs,screams, moans, and wails melded into a symphony as arms pumpeduntil they were spent, voice boxes eventually falling silent understrain.
Level six was a return to the more mundane partyatmosphere if that party was wrapped in religious idols andsymbology. A large cross dominated the room, from which a redliquid flowed to be ladled by manikins into roughly hewn woodencups. Stars of David were tiled into the floor to be stepped on,and pages of the Koran were distributed to wipe excess drink frommouths.
Level seven was an all-white room, devoid of anyfurniture, counters, or entertainment. Residents were given brightponchos upon entrance, which they promptly donned over theirCelebration Cluster couture. As the residents formed a perimeteraround the room, five manikins - two glumes and three lemmas -marched in to stand in the middle of the circle. The hiss of gascould be heard in the relative quietness, and Hadder could palpablyfeel the Slink's pulsing responses to the new stimulant.
Without warning, one of the residents, a tall Latinawith the top of her head shaved, moved forward and scratched theface of the nearest glume, her sharp nails painting long lines ofblood. As if this was a call to action, another resident, this timeone of Helen and Nestra's lackeys, rammed her elbow into the faceof a flat-topped lemma, sending a wet cracking sound to echo acrossthe room.
From there, all hell broke loose, and sanity waslost.
Residents ran forward to pummel the defenselessmanikins. Hands tore off ears, gouged out eyes, and ripped outhair. Teeth removed chunks of manikin flesh. Fists shattered jawswhile feet caved in chests.
Hadder initially stood by, transfixed by the horrorshow that was unfolding. But as the Slink continued itsdissolution, it dragged Hadder into his own descent into madness.An inexplicable rage began to build deep within Hadder, one thatrefused to stay quiet and demanded action to satiate itsdesire.
One of the glume manikins, already battered beyondrecognition, stumbled into Hadder. Relinquishing control of hisbody to the Slink, Hadder made a claw of his hand and snatched thethroat from the feeble automaton. Blood sprayed like a geyser,baptizing Hadder and those around him in gore. Other residentsquickly joined Hadder, and together they ripped the manikin apart,separating arm from shoulder, leg from hip, and head from neck, acallback to the sick games that children played with helplessinsects.
The orgy of violence raged on for some time untilred mist hung heavy in the air, and only small mounds of visceramarked locations where the five manikins once stood. Shakingresidents stood under masks of red, the final bit of dangerousadrenaline leaving their systems. Without laughter, or high-fives,or words, the group removed their now crimson mantles in silenceand shuffled towards the stairwell, all wishing they could leavethe remainder of their Slinks behind.
As Hadder ascended to Inferno's eighth floor,exhaustion was now added to his growing list of sensitivities,magnifying the effects of all else that was in his system,especially the cursed Slink. Level eight had small stages pepperedthroughout its main chamber, with seating surrounding each. Asresidents randomly arranged themselves at stages, nude lemmamanikins began to populate the platforms.
These, however, were not typical lemma manikins.Beyond having actual mouths that were framed by pouty lips, themanikins were the idealized images of female perfection. Impossiblyslim waists sat upon impressive hips. Oversized breasts hung highin direct opposition to gravity, while round asses bounced quicklyon thin, athletic frames.
Drinks were served, and the Slink continued itswork, replacing the bloodlust of the previous floor with a sexuallust that harkened back to the Bar's second level a lifetime ago.As testicles and nipples swelled, the manikins began provocativedances that were part cabaret, part Cirque du Soleil, and part pornshoot. Residents, male and female alike, reached lustily for themanikins, only to be slapped away. Once the choreographed portionof the show had finished, the manikins twirled through the crowd.One stopped to dance on the one lap of one male resident. Anotherstraddled a female resident, covering her in passionate kisses asit placed its perfectly crafted bare feet in the faces of the mento each side.
Cocks throbbed, and clitorises ballooned, but nosexual releases were to be found on the eighth floor. Hadderdrifted in and out of coherence, heightened sexual desire turninghis cognizance on and off like a light switch. He tried to dampenthe carnal urges with strong drinks, but the beverages that wereserved only added to his arousal.
Just as Hadder thought he could take no more, thathe would be forced to assault one of the manikins or publiclypleasure himself, the intoxicating manikin dancers filed back intoside rooms. Once safely packed away, the group was ushered towardsthe back stairwell, everyone noticeably stiffer than when theyentered the floor.
The final story of Inferno appeared at firstglance a welcome change of pace from the gauntlet through whichHadder had just walked. White curtained beds were organized in neatrows that filled the room. Servant manikins led residents one byone to beds, drawing the curtains closed as each resident settledonto their mattress.
Hadder laid back against plush cushions after themanikin left him alone behind the elegant drapery. His foot shookanxiously, still reeling from his unanswered call for sexualrelease. Looking at his forearm, Hadder felt a momentary sense ofcomfort in seeing that the Slink had all but disappeared. Despitehis head spinning uncontrollably and his brain unable to decipherreal from imagined, Hadder took pleasure in the one idea he knew tobe true - it was almost over.
A figure could be seen moving just outside ofHadder's makeshift room; a female finger caressed the edges of thebed curtains. Hadder grew excited, anticipating a finalsatisfaction after endless longing. He was ready for whatever camethrough that curtain, confident that he could handle it given histime