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Ep 73. Refuge

4/4/25

The lab room is filled with the sounds of an assimilated object's noises and the sound of strong thick glass being hit. The assimilated object tries to attack Painkiller, hitting the glass instead. It makes a loud clack sound. Painkiller flinches and says eek. Fossil squints her eye at the assimilated object. Fossil says, The flood must have pushed this one into the containment chute.
A large assimilated object can be seen within the glass chamber. It is covered in egstrom that fills the bottom of the chamber. Worm like tendrils protrude from is body and eyes. The object itself is a carry out bag. The text on the carry out bag says Thank You, Have a Nice Day! The bag has a smiley face on it, but the eyes are sunken and black and are where most of the tendrils are protruding from. Fossil continue to look at it and says sarcastically, How convenient. Painkiller says, This person is stretching all the way to the ceiling. If the parasite did that, then, I think I might throw up. Normally they may have been our size. A panel shows the three characters standing side by side to visualize what Painkiller is saying, where the bag object is about the same height as Painkiller and Fossil.
A text box says, Later. Fossil is putting their goggle back on finally. She says, I've gotten some of Carrot's things together, For your trip. She continues, handing a box and a folder to Painkiller. She says, This folder contains instructions on how to make strong fertilizer with chemicals. Good luck reading his ugly handwriting. Painkiller adjusts a hat that they're wearing, saying, If I can read a doctor's handwriting, I can read anything. Painkiller asks, Does Carrot have any warm clothes? All I could find was this hat.
Fossil says, He commissioned a plant themed thigh sock collection with Rogue. Fossil recalls a memory of Carrot participating in a photo shoot. Painkiller shouts, Fancy! Later, Painkiller can be seen wearing an outfit made entirely out of repurposed socks. Painkiller says, I'm glad that sutures work on clothes! Do I look cute? Fossil says, You look like an elf. Painkiller shouts, Shut up! Painkiller walks out of the lab's front door, saying, I'm leaving before the assimilated start defrosting! Don't expect me to come back any time soon!
Painkiller trudges through the snow past a frozen assimilated object. They think in text boxes, It's still very cold, even wearing this. Am I going the right way to the radio tower? Painkiller leans to their right. Text says lean. A small broken wooden structure can be seen partially buried in the snow. Painkiller thinks, I don't remember this, shed? It's super small.
Painkiller starts moving the debris around to investigate the wreckage. Text describes the sound of shifting, creaking, and shuffling in the snow. In the next panel, Painkiller says, Hmm. In the third panel, the back of Painkiller's foot takes up the whole panel as if something were quickly approaching it.
Something stabs Painkiller in the foot, making them jolt. Text says stab. Painkiller thinks, I, I've been. Painkiller screams, Stung! I'm gonna die!
Painkiller continues screaming, showing the full scene where they are being pecked by a brown chicken. They fall to the floor. The chicken calls out angrily, flapping its wings at Painkiller. Painkiller looks back towards it in shock. Painkiller says, Chicken?
Painkiller thinks, it was a wrecked chicken coop! The chicken continues making angry sounds, sitting in the snow. Up in a tree, six other chickens can be seen. There is a black and brown chicken, a black silkie chicken, a white chicken, a yellow chicken, a brown and yellow chicken, and a black and white speckled chicken. Painkiller begins lowering the chickens down from the tree with a plank of wood.
The chickens follow Painkiller to the radio tower. Under the radio tower, Painkiller is setting up remnants of the debris to make a shelter for the chickens. Painkiller says, Sorry, I know it's small. I'll upgrade it for you guys later.
In the radio tower, Painkiller is smoothing out a blanket on the floor. The things they were keeping inside the blanket are scattered around the floor and on the desk. Laying on their back, Painkiller looks off to the side, bored. They get up and rummage through a storage cabinet under the communications. Painkiller says, Ah? They pick up a book titled, Radio tower owner's manual. Painkiller says, I guess it's something to do.
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