11.f

Worm 11.f

Dinah Alcott, a young precognitive, sensed a rapidly increasing probability of her death, visualized as a mosaic of potential realities. 43.03485192746307955659 percent chance she would die in the next thirty minutes, the number ticking upwards. Desperate for her “candy” – a drug that soothed her powers’ side effects – she sought out Coil, her captor.

Coil, a strategic villain, was on the phone, discussing the need for a replacement after a recent loss to the Slaughterhouse Nine. Dinah informed him of the impending danger. He questioned her, determining that the threat was localized to their base. Mobilizing his troops didn’t significantly improve their odds of survival.

Dinah, needing her “candy” to focus, pleaded with Coil. He refused, demanding she concentrate. He used his own power, a form of timeline manipulation, to probe for solutions, revealing that Crawler, a monstrous regenerator from the Slaughterhouse Nine, was the threat.

Coil’s attempts to find a solution through deploying his troops or the Travelers, a mercenary group, proved futile. The realization hit that Crawler was likely targeting Noelle, a powerful but unstable member of the Travelers.

Dinah confirmed that Crawler would prioritize Noelle. Offering her to him temporarily increased their survival odds, but ultimately led to their demise within five hours. Desperate, Coil forced Dinah to explore a future where they survived, despite the immense pain it caused her.

Dinah, after a painful ordeal, revealed they survived by hiding in Noelle’s vault, everyone packed in the dark, the air thick with the smell of meat and sweat. Coil, taking charge, ordered the vault opened and his troops to prepare for a confrontation.

The chance of survival, after this decision, dropped to three point one percent. Coil, unfazed, prepared his troops, ordering them to use laser attachments against Crawler. He had Trickster, a teleporter, inform Noelle of their presence.

As they entered the containment room, they found signs of Crawler’s attack. Coil turned off the lights on Noelle’s side of the room, as she requested. Noelle, hungry and agitated, spoke with Trickster, who tried to calm her and prevent her from attacking.

Sundancer, a member of the Travelers, whispered an apology to Dinah, explaining their predicament and their promise to each other. Noelle, unable to resist her hunger, continued to pound on the vault door. Trickster and Sundancer tried to reason with her, reminding her of their agreement and the danger she posed to them.

Eventually, the banging stopped. The group waited, fearing a trick. After a tense period, Coil ordered the door opened. They found the base damaged but Crawler gone. Dinah, in immense pain, asked for her candy. Coil agreed, sending her to her room.

Despite the agony, Dinah used her power once more. The chance of her going home someday had increased to thirty-one point six percent.