The stench was overpowering, sapping Jeremy's will to fight. Not that it would have done much good anyway. They had passed through so many twists and turns in the almost pitch black darkness of the sewer canal that Jeremy never could have found his way back if he tried. He knew a rescue party was his only hope of escape.
But Jeremy didn't intend to give up and go passively without a fight. He ripped off small pieces of clothing and dropped them along the sewer canal. He wiped his hands along the walls whenever he got the chance, hoping to leave some scent, some trail for others to follow. But mostly he conserved his energy for the fight he knew that lay ahead.
The mass of creatures that carried him slowed and dissipated as they got closer to a large, well-lit chamber. They unceremoniously dropped him in the middle of the chamber, at the foot of some steps leading up to what appeared to be an old, warped throne.
"Now, now. Is that anyway to treat our honored guest?" said a feminine voice.
"Sorry, Mother," said one of the larger creatures.
Jeremy looked up and saw a large anthropomorphic rat stretched out across the throne. Her long thin toes curled and stretched as she watched him with amusement. A small tin crown sat on its head and it wore a long, old musty robe with a puffy white neckline.
"Welcome, Dr. Green. It is a pleasure to have you in our modest abode," said the rat.
"Where am I? And who are you?" asked Jeremy.
The rat sat up and spread her arms wide.
"You are in the kingdom of the rats, in the presence of their ruler, their most holy Mother, the Rat Queen, " said the rat, standing up on the tip of her toes.
The rats behind Jeremy all solemnly bowed.
"You... you're crazy..." said Jeremy.
The rats behind him hissed loudly.
The Rat Queen slowly descended down the steps leading up to her throne, the claws of her toes clicking with each step. She stood in front of him, barely four feet tall. She glared up at him, but said nothing.
Then she slowly walked behind him and faced her servants.
"Leave us!" she said.
"Your highness!" protested one of her rat subjects.
"I said, leave us. Do you dare question me?" she yelled.
"No, Mother," said the rat, lowering his head.
"Then, be gone. All of you!" said the Rat Queen.
She stared silently, waiting patiently until all of her subjects had left. Then she sighed loudly. Her chest deflated a little as she relaxed her shoulders.
"Sorry about that, Dr. Green. But I have found that it is easier to keep them under control if you use a bit of theatrics. I know it is a little melodramatic and it can be quite tiring, but it makes things so much easier. I mean, they are tough little critters but they are just so dull. Can I call you Jeremy?"
"Wha.. who?" said Jeremy with confusion.
"Oh, I'm Mara, by the way. Or I used to be before I became the 'Rat Queen', " said the rat, casually tossing her tin crown to the side. She walked in front of him and held out her hand.
Jeremy made no attempt to shake it.
"Why have you brought me here?" said Jeremy coldly.
"Well, that's a fine how do you do? Pretty rude, if you ask me. Here let me help you. My name is Jeremy, pleased to meet you, " said Mara, forcefully shaking his hand. "I'm Mara, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Jeez, was that so hard? I mean, I am used that kind of behavior from the rats, but I expected better manners from an educated man such as yourself."
"How did you know..."
Mara smiled as she laid down on the steps in front of him.
"Oh, I know everything. What rats lack in strength, they make up for in numbers. I have eyes and ears everywhere. You may not see us, but we are there. Watching and listening to everything, " said Mara. "And of course, whatever you people try to throw away eventually ends up here, in my kingdom such as it were. You have no idea how much you can find out by going through a person's garbage."
"You went through my garbage?"
"Well, not just yours - everybody's, including Horizon Labs. Not much else to do down here. Just talk or mate. And rats are not very good at either one of those, believe me, " said Mara. "After spending over a year down here I can testify to that!"
"You have been down here that long?"
Mara nodded. "Since the outbreak. Got infected while I was working down here..."
"Why didn't you just come up and join Animalia?" asked Jeremy.
"Well, after I was first infected, I was a little indisposed, if you know what I mean. By the time I learned what was going on I was in no condition to travel. And after I gave birth, I couldn't just abandon them. I had to nurse. Then I had to teach them, to raise them. Before you knew it, I was a grandmother. And keeping all those kids and grandkids in line takes effort, let me tell you. A real firm hand. Any sign of weakness and they will eat you alive. Literally. Hence, my little persona," said Mara, waving her robe around. "Besides, I don't want to join Animalia. That's why I had my subjects bring you down here. Sorry they were a bit rough. As I said, they aren't too bright. Inbreeding and all that."
"Me? What do you want with me?" asked Jeremy.
"Duh! What do you think, silly? Do you think I want to look like this, to live like this? 'Queen of the Rat People'? You are my ticket out of here," said Mara, rubbing up against him. "I want your cure. I want to be normal again."
"Cure?"
"Oh, don't act stupid. I know all about it. Your attempt to cure your sister, your failure and her transformation into a freak like me, and how you are working to reverse her transformation. I want you to do the same for me. I want you to make me human again, " said Mara.
"But there is no cure. I never finished my work..."
"Don't you think I know that!" spat Mara angrily. "I waited patiently, oh so patiently, in the shit and the muck, surrounded by filthy feeble-minded inbred morons. Then I get word that you might quit, might give up. Well, I won't allow it. You must complete your work. You must find the cure. You must make me human. I command it!"
Jeremy realized that the girl really was insane. She had been living down here too long, isolated from society. Is this the same fate that awaited him? He had to get out of here, but he decided it was best to play along, at least until he could be rescued.
"Okay, I'll do my best. But I need to get back to my lab, to my equipment..."
"Oh, we can get all that stuff. Just tell me what you need and one of my subjects will get it, either by theft or from our own scavenged supplies. You can just work down here. Think about it - working all the time, no interruptions, no pesky bosses or committees or councils. I am sure you will be done in no time at all," said Mara.
Jeremy did not miss the irony of the situation. This was what he wanted ... once. But now he wanted something more. A family. A life. He wasn't sure if he could ever come up with a 'cure'. He doubted such a thing was possible. At best he had hoped to prevent others infected with the virus from becoming animals by selectively isolating and silencing the genes that gave them animal features. But reversing the transformation seemed an impossible feat. And he didn't relish the thought of being trapped in a dank subterranean prison trying to prove it.
"I see you still have some reservations. Maybe if your sister isn't enough to motivate you, something else will. Maybe if you suffered infection firsthand it might spur you to action. Care for some milk, Jeremy?" said Mara, cupping her breast. "My children found it quite tasty. I think you would enjoy it, too."
Jeremy backed away in disgust.
"Well, there are other ways to convert," said Mara, dropping her robe and rubbing her nude, furry body against him.
Jeremy roughly shoved her to the ground.
Mara hissed at him. "Don't forget who is in charge around here! One word from me and my subjects will be at my side. It doesn't have to be a female, you know. I can have you forcibly raped. It's not a pleasant experience, I can assure you."
"I'd rather not," said Jeremy sourly.
"I don't blame you," said Mara, slipping her robe back on. "It's a horrible, miserable existence. And I can't risk you losing intelligence or something. But you better produce some results or it may be my only option. But in the meantime, there are other ways to motivate you."
"What do you mean?" said Jeremy.
"Well, I may not be able to convert your sister. But that doesn't mean we can't convert one of your friends. It would be a shame if Sophie were infected with this nasty rat version of the Animalian virus. I understand she wants to become a pterodactyl and build a little love nest with her beau Roland. It would be just horrible if someone deliberately infected one of them. You can't be converted twice, you know. Well, unless some smart guy figures out a way to cure the infection and reverse the damage," said Mara.
"Okay, okay. Just leave her alone. I will do what you want," said Jeremy.
"You better. And remember - the clock is ticking. If I don't see some results soon, I will be forced to take action to motivate you, " said Mara. She snapped her fingers and made an odd squeaking noise. A large rat-man appeared out of nowhere. "Take him to his new quarters. He will give you a list of items. You are to fetch them immediately so he may begin his work as soon as possible."
"Yes, Mother," said the rat-man. He grabbed a hold of Jeremy's arm. "Come with me."
"Oh, one more thing. I wouldn't be counting on any kind of rescue if I were you. These sewer tunnels are a maze, a literal labyrinth. I should know - I used to work in them. It will take years for them to find you, if they ever do. I swear I will infect any human that sets foot in my kingdom. And if they even get close to you, you will be infected, too. You will develop that cure one way or another - if not for me, then to cure yourself. Do you understand?" asked Mara.
"Yes ... your highness, " said Jeremy spitefully.
"Good. Now shoo! Off to work with you," said Mara.
Jeremy followed the Rat-man as he led him to his new lab, or more accurately, his new prison cell.