Symbiote Mask Stories

Andy pressed the side of his face against the window. The cold bit into his cheek, and he couldn’t see through the glass much thanks to the rain, but that didn’t matter. Even if he could see there wouldn’t be much there. It was 4:30, and most folks had already gone home. Rather than go home himself, Andy had spent most of the two hours since his final class lingering, either in the student lounge playing Smash Bros, or in the hallways doing laps and studying the ads on the public corkboards. Once he settled in the dining hall, he nestled himself in a booth, people watching until there were no more people to watch, and then for a little while longer. At its peak, the Eldersburg Community College dining hall was a bustling hive of student activity. Young people weaved their way between tables carrying trays of cafeteria fare to their tables, where they either met their friends or sat alone hunched over their laptops doing schoolwork. Lovers met, snuck kisses, and indulged in clumsy flirt...

Dr. Henson scratched the stubble on his chin. “So, any guesses?” The six residents of Biological Survey Station Delta all stood around the stainless steel table, eyes trained on the object situated they’d carefully there. The whole thing was covered in countless strands of multicolored wires, each one hooked to one of half a dozen monitoring machines scattered all around the room. What could still be seen wasn’t much, since it was only about the size of a volleyball – maybe a bit bigger. After a minute of shuffling and confused glances, Dr. Malek broke the silence. "Some kind of ceremonial mask, maybe?" Dr. Henson gave him a look over top of his glasses – the kind of look that makes clear why no-one volunteered guesses. "What kind of mask" he gestured towards it with an open hand "has fucking veins in it?" Nobody answered. Dr. Ryuzaki and Mrs. Warren both leaned in to take a closer look, quickly followed by Dr. Quinn. Dr. Ryuz...