The Queen's Cat

As Kestrel journeyed further into the Polluted Zone, she observed something unusual. The beings there were becoming more 'ordinary'. Not in their looks, but in an uncanny sense of mental balance and maturity. This balance suggested an improved capacity for rational thought and logical reasoning, making Kestrel be even more careful.

The monsters here had developed a certain regularity in their life. It was as if they had established their unique lifestyle within this world. Kestrel even started to consider the possibility that life here may not be that bad.

A mutant walked up to Kestrel. He had the perfect body of a human male, wearing a suit that fit him well. But on top of his neck, there was a tall, thin, metallic pyramid. Where his neck ended, human skin mixed with partially decayed metal. At the top of this pyramid, there was a single, unusually large eye. The eye blinked and looked down at Kestrel, who was sitting by the road.