Thoughts On Goria #3: Spreading the Infection: Socket and Chronophage

An strange thing about Goria: He can't bleed after after his first confrontation with Pandora Celee, who manages to cut a tendril off. The Necrocyte reroutes his veins and arteries to prevent his "wounds" from bleeding, and adapt so they can reroute at a instance before being cut. But, his tendrils still seep a fluid that helps him climb walls, and grip onto other surfaces. Being that this is still a biological fluid, the infection can still be spread from this. Goria learns this twice.

Both times happen in the same event ("23," named after the Jimmy Eat World song), but only one time goes noticed by Goria. That one is Milo Sorban. The build up is that Harbinger is hired to kill Cory Harion, with aid of punks Milo and "98" Jones. Harbinger notices that Goria's girlfriend, Mina Ross, is watching, and reacts by throwing her out of the highrise's window, effectively killing her. Goria finds Cory's corpse being ripped apart by Sorban and Jones, and promptly beats them crap out of them, inadvertently killing Milo Sorban. He also inadvertently infects him when a tendril touches and open wound.

Sorban returns to life due to the Necrocyte "rebooting" his body. But, due to the damage Goria did to him, he's incomplete. His right arm is heavily mutated, his left eye is missing (an ironic shot, due to Milo gouging out Cory's left eye), and his battered skin and muscle doesn't heal, and seems to be at perpetual state of bruising and cut, giving him a disturbing look. The Necrocyte gives him the extremely enhanced strength and agility that it gives most of the Infected, but his ability is more of him being kept alive and mutated than any other weird, disgusting ability. At least he can talk, unlike Vomir, what he's harder to look at.

The second time it happens is around the same time. He touches a young woman who witnessed Cory's murder, who becomes Infected. After being taken by the authorities, she's placed in the witness protection program due to Harbinger being a threat, and her being alive. It's not long afterwards that her eyes start glowing, and she accidentally ages someone who tries to cut her in line in a shopping mall.

TORAH gets a call about her a few years later, after she learns to control her abilities, and think about sending Goria and Mystery after her, as Zeta and Gomorrah are fighting Bio-Lynn, and Sin is training Basil Zapata and Cameron McDonald to fight Infected enemies. Vlad doesn't, though, when Dr. Stephen Ross is killed by Harbinger. Goria and Mystery go after Harbinger, only for Goria to nearly die (SPOILERS BE FOLLOWING) only to be saved by Mystery who takes a bullet for him. Harbinger is caught reloading and crushed under a press in the factory, finally stopped, but only after killing Mystery, who finally reveals her last name. Vlad sends Goria on a vacation to Colorado, where the so-called "Chronophage" is waiting to "come home."

The twist? As if it wasn't obvious yet, Chronophage is Mina Ross. Due to the timing of her return, though, this is awkward for Goria, due to him being in a relationship with Bonnie Carson. But, it's fitting due to Goria never coping with two people's deaths; Mina's, who blamed himself for, and Erica DuPont, who he could've saved twice. He copes with Elaine's death after Samael attempts to infect her, only to end up making her slowly melt into a pile of goo until Goria kills her to put her at rest again.

I haven't thought out the whole romantic triangle that result from this. Bonnie is good character, and is a good balance to Goria. But, Mina has a lot to atone for, due to her being the reason Goria is who/what he is in the first place. Only time will tell how this will end up.