Chapter 8: Acquisition

Naturally, the device was huge. A long clear cylinder, far bigger than any Lilliputian skyscraper, hung in the air. It trailed down to a metal, rectangular base that looked like complicated machinery. The top of the gigantic device was capped off with another bit of metal. All that the Lilliputians could see was some circular lights on that cap. It looked quite curious indeed.

“What is that? What the fuck is that.” said Gonzalez. He spoke between coughs.

There was no answer though. Instead, Lachelle simply brought the device to them. It would seem to squish them flat, but she slid her finger over some button on the device’s top and that base opened. The metal ‘floor’ of it parted like a circular maw, complete with jagged metal teeth-like prongs.

Of course, it wasn’t designed to look like a maw on purpose. Those ‘teeth’ were simply to help it hook into the ground. Nevertheless, it still sent the Lilliputians into a state of fearful panic. There wasn’t anywhere to go even if they dared to defy Himari’s orders, though. The cavity of the device covered the entire courtyard, let alone the skyscraper of a main building it was centered on.

With a thundering quake, it made landing. The prongs stuck into the foundation of the courtyard. Lachelle raised her fist up and gently hammered it even deeper into the ground. At that point, those metal teeth whirred up and dug deep. Lachelle hit another button, and the device’s bottom began to seal with the Lilliputians in it.

“This is it.”, said Mr. Gonzalez. “We’re all gonna die!”

From all around them a circular borders of metal closed in. It threatened to flatten them all together. Then, at the last moment, when all hope seemed lost, a current of air erupted from the churning metal below them.

The device closed from the bottom up, it seemed, and had air jets to bounce the Lilliputians up and out of harm. In the moments the Lilliputians were airborne, the metal floor came together, then made a ‘pfft’ noise as a series of cushions inflated from little divots from the side of the cylindrical rim surrounding them. That saved them from any injuries as they fell back down.

The executives, the courtyard, the skyscraper and everyone inside that area were stuck inside the monolithic vial device. They all breathed a sigh of relief at being safe, but it faded fast when they saw the teeth of the grinning Brobdingnagian woman.

She hit another button.

The entire device whirred up again. From both the floor and far above came a strange watery liquid. It came as a rain at first, and they had some time to process it. The cushions withdrew back into the bottom sides of the device.

“What is this stuff?”, said one executive.

“It feels almost like water, but not quite.”, said another.

Then, the deluge started. The substance flooded the entire device at a speed just slow enough to not rip the building apart. The Lilliputians found themselves tossing and churning in the waves all the while. The liquid entered their lungs. They all screamed but no words came out yet, curiously, they didn’t drown.

The device took but a few seconds to fill. Even once it did, the Lilliputians didn't calm down. They couldn’t with the sensation of the fluid entering their lungs. They did, however, freeze once a familiar voice came over their headsets.

“Enjoying your swim? That came from packets embedded in the device: powder that expands in volume when made liquid via a chemical reaction. Another genius device from Oshie Corporation R&D. Now, I’m sure you’ve noticed you’re all still alive, and the building’s completely intact. In fact, even your headsets still work.”

Lachelle lifted the vial up and the Lilliputians found themselves floating exactly where they stopped. They didn’t move at all. The fluid around them did abide movements of their hands: they weren’t frozen, but rather lacked the ability to swim through it. The ‘water’ seemed to move around them instead of letting them move they entire bodies within it.

They were brought up with Lachelle as she rose to her awe inspiring full height. Through the transparent cylindrical walls around them, they could look down at the harrowing drop of a view that the Brobdingnagian could see every day of her life.

Then they were brought in front of the Brobdingnagian's necklace, where a smiling Himari stared back at them from the safety of her mobile ‘office’.

“It’s a proprietary chemical blend. The fluid is engineered to be breathable. Right now, the liquid is passing oxygen to the alveoli of your fluid-filled lungs. It’s not too pleasant a feeling I’m sure, but your bodies might get used to it before the journey’s over.”

Himari laughed.

“It also simulates being stuck in place without actually being sticky or overly viscous. It’ll keep you safe on the bumpy journey back. Did you know that it's not water itself which causes electronics to malfunction, but rather the impurities in it? This liquid is free of impurities, but even in their presence it’s still entirely non-conductive. Every computer inside the building will still work, just like your headsets. Not a single piece of furniture will be out of place, no windows broken. You’re all perfectly preserved.”

Her smiled widened a moment before settling back down.

“Lachelle, store them safely and let’s be on our way.”

“Of course, Mrs. Yamamoto” said the Brobdingnagian.

The image of the Gulliverian’s smiling face slowly faded out of sight of the executives while they were brought all the way down to Lachelle’s skirt pocket. There, they were shrouded in near darkness, as only the sunlight that filtered through the fabric reached them.

Lachelle turned on her naked heels with a quaking reverberation throughout Lilyork city. Then, she started marching back to her purse.

--==--==--==--

Within the Lilliputian metropolis, those Gulliverian lawyers were still hard at work cataloging things. They had assessed the buildings of the city more or less entirely, and were now occupied photographing the damages Lachelle’’s body had made in its many destructive movements.

The lawyers crowded the foot-shaped craters, near a mile long and over one thousand Lilliputian-feet wide. There, they tallied what rubble and such they could. Any surviving, but living, Lilliputians were hastily crushed out by the soles of high-heels and business flats. An injured Lilliputian almost invariably cost more than a dead one, so it was prudent policy.

They stumbled as Lachelle was on the move again. High above them, she chatted with Himari. The conversation was heard over their headsets.

--==--==--==--

“Excellent work today.”, said Himari.

“You too, Mrs. Yamamoto.”, said Lachelle.

“Thank you, Mrs. Yamamoto.”, said Himari.

The two shared a laugh.

“That was very sweet of you, back there.”

“Think nothing of it.”, replied Himari.

Then, there was a pause.

“You may reward me for it later.”, Himari said, tone professional as always.

The two laughed again, and then they heard a scream over their headsets. Lachelle paused.

--==--==--==--

Far below, while the two were chatting, one meek Gulliverian lawyer was finishing up taking photos of a broken building. She was off on her own, and thus not easily spotted by the Brobdingnagian. Before she knew it, that giant pink sole of Lachelle’s hung overhead. It was but a second till it fell, crushing her and dozens of blocks around her.

But an inch tall to the Brobdingnagian woman, that lawyer’s body simply exploded into red mist beneath the oppressive weight of her step. The fluid sprayed out all over the ball of the foot. The lawyer’s death rattle was picked up by the headset.

--==--==--==--

Lachelle lifted her foot up and inspected the result. It was hardly appealing.

“Urgh, yuck. Wet.”

She grinded her naked sole against the city foundation. More quakes rocked the area, tumbling countless Lilliputians and a good few of the Gulliverian lawyers. After a couple rubs her foot was clean enough of it.

Himari sighed.

“It’s alright, accidents happen. She must’ve froze up when your foot went overhead. Perhaps if she had the courage to speak up instead, this could have been prevented. It’s not too much your fault. To be bold, I do not think Oshie Sama will mind the added expense. I think she’ll be much too pleased with today’s work.”

Lachelle finished wiping her foot, then got back on the move.

“Thanks, Himari.”

“Ahem.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Yamamoto.”

“There we go. Now, grab your purse and let’s get back. The lawyers are professionals, and will finish up their task without issue. Their Gulliverian transports will pick them up within the hour.”

“Of course.”, said Lachelle.

The dark-skinned woman returned to the edge of the city, smashing a few more buildings to dust along the way. She hoisted her purse back up, sipped her heels back on, then marched away from the city in the direction she came from.