[22] Oh look, a new toy!
...And just as I had need of something to keep my hands busy, a project literally falls from the sky, ha ha ha!
Oh, Edensphere, the things I do for you! I even stayed up all night to poke and prod at this amusing little creature. Oh, but I couldn't, for this find turned out to be more interesting than I thought.
[And here, he draws a line beneath 'more interesting' in an amber liquid. Those that have fought the ants before and have good memory miiiight identify it as the blood of an ant.]
When our dear friend Toushi found the corpse, what he had found was something far unlike what we'd seen before: The creature was dead before it even fell. Signs of decomposition had not begun to form when I arrived on the scene and had a brief peek, and when I went on to take a look inside I found so much more ... hmm. Where to begin, where to begin~
My first observation was that the ant appeared slightly crushed. It was subjected to a fair amount of pressure, injuring it greatly. I have easily determined that these injuries are what killed it. However...
My second observation was that the chitin was easily handled by my scalpel and some pressure. Having a thick outer shell made it harder to destroy them when they invade, and any specimens I received from oh-so-helpful adventurers required me to subject the chitin to a bone saw. The external appearance of this creature had probably seen better days.
I will save you the details on the smell... but I can only describe it and its internal appearance as diseased. There was something wrong with this creature before it perished and fell. I, however, am quite well, so it is nothing that could possibly be transmitted from the specimen to a human at the very least. I will, however, seal off this room in the Clinic until further notice to prevent any unfortunate accidents.
Perhaps its sickly state was why it fell before any sign of the rest of the colony. Perhaps it was weeded out from the rest to preserve the health of the others. Judging by the state of its internal organs, however, its illness was well advanced and hopefully contagious to its kin.
At the very least, we know they may be coming - it is about that time of year again, isn't it? - but let us hope they arrive as ill as this one.
If I discover anything more, I will be sure to inform. This body is far too interesting to leave alone now!
Oh, Edensphere, the things I do for you! I even stayed up all night to poke and prod at this amusing little creature. Oh, but I couldn't, for this find turned out to be more interesting than I thought.
[And here, he draws a line beneath 'more interesting' in an amber liquid. Those that have fought the ants before and have good memory miiiight identify it as the blood of an ant.]
When our dear friend Toushi found the corpse, what he had found was something far unlike what we'd seen before: The creature was dead before it even fell. Signs of decomposition had not begun to form when I arrived on the scene and had a brief peek, and when I went on to take a look inside I found so much more ... hmm. Where to begin, where to begin~
My first observation was that the ant appeared slightly crushed. It was subjected to a fair amount of pressure, injuring it greatly. I have easily determined that these injuries are what killed it. However...
My second observation was that the chitin was easily handled by my scalpel and some pressure. Having a thick outer shell made it harder to destroy them when they invade, and any specimens I received from oh-so-helpful adventurers required me to subject the chitin to a bone saw. The external appearance of this creature had probably seen better days.
I will save you the details on the smell... but I can only describe it and its internal appearance as diseased. There was something wrong with this creature before it perished and fell. I, however, am quite well, so it is nothing that could possibly be transmitted from the specimen to a human at the very least. I will, however, seal off this room in the Clinic until further notice to prevent any unfortunate accidents.
Perhaps its sickly state was why it fell before any sign of the rest of the colony. Perhaps it was weeded out from the rest to preserve the health of the others. Judging by the state of its internal organs, however, its illness was well advanced and hopefully contagious to its kin.
At the very least, we know they may be coming - it is about that time of year again, isn't it? - but let us hope they arrive as ill as this one.
If I discover anything more, I will be sure to inform. This body is far too interesting to leave alone now!