Partial Failure of a Thymalladus Implant

Sentenced to a long life

With regards to your son's operation...
Well, we've got good news and bad news.

— Catalurgic surgeon

Becoming what's known as a Chimera is one of any would-be Catalurgyists greatest nightmares; their body becomes no longer their own as the Rendling flesh implanted within them metastasizes and mutates the rest of their body into a terrible monster. The chance is not insignificant, either; 30% of all implants are failures, and 10% of those result in a Chimera.
However there's actually a third outcome that is rarely ever spoken of; when the body manages to resist the cancer of Rendling cells just enough for an "equilibrium" to be reached. The unfortunate patient's body becomes a microscopic battle ground for the rest of their life, leaving no more space for any future injury or sickness at all.

Pre-Surgery

The good news is, he's not dead.

— Catalurgic surgeon

In any human's journey to become a Catalurgyist, one specific surgery must alway occur; the impanting of the Thymalladus. This organ is of artificial design, taking specific Rendling parts and combining with mechanical limiters in order to suppress the natural mutative properties of the monstrous biology.

A kidney is removed, the patient's immune system is suppressed, and the Thymalladus is implanted. If the patient is too weak, their immune system too overwhelmed, or the Thymalladus not properly limited, then death or Chimeric mutation occurs.

The bad news is that there's been a partial Chimeric event.

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— Catalurgic surgeon

by National Cancer Institute

Rendling Cell

Rendling Cell

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Partial-Chimera

Type

Medical/Mutational

Quality of Life

Poor

Risk of future complications

Zero*

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by National Cancer Institute

The Biologic Battleground

In a partial failure, two specific things must occur; one, the Rendling cells within the Thymalladus must not be entirely properly limited, so that they begin to rapidly multiply when introduced to the host's chest cavity. And two, the patient must have a strong immune system that's been suppressed just enough for the Rendling cells to get a firm start on mutating the body.
What happens next, and as well for the remainder of the patients long life, is that their body becomes an endless battleground where Rendling cells are continuously mutating and spreading across the body just as rapidly as the patient's own immune system manages to kill and defend.

I've been told the sensation is excruciatingly painful.

— Catalurgic surgeon

For the rest of the unfortunate failed Catalurgist's life, this war rages on inside them. Pain radiates from every nerve ending as parts of their body are broken down, mutated, torn apart, and rebuilt time and time again -- never bad enough or mutated enough to end their life, but just enough to cause sever discomfort. This symptom shows visibly as strange and misshapen lumps that form, wriggling and writhing underneath their skin, only to melt away later. Sometimes strange patterns and markings appear on the skin itself, before eventually scabbing over.

But there's also more good news to go along with this, I promise. It's not all bad.

— Catalurgic surgeon

https://unsplash.com/photos/lsxKuARrQXI by National Cancer Institute

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by National Cancer Institute

Prognosis

No more colds, no more sickness. Most injuries will heal incredibly quickly. He's going to live a long, long life after this.

— Catalurgic surgeon

With the patient's body locked into an endless painful war, there is simply no "biological space" for essentially anything else to occur. Viruses, bacteria, or other infectious diseases are immediately eradicated within the body by the two clashing forces. Cancers never occur because at this point the entire body is essentially a cancer fighting itself.

Almost all injuries healed incredibly quickly by the rapidly reproducing Rendling cells, which then are rapidly taken over or killed off by the on-edge immune system. So long as the injury isn't massively life threatening, such as intense head trauma, catastrophic organ damage, or full amputation of parts, then the wound can be healed in as soon as 30 minutes from time of injury.

There's just... one... last... drawback...
We'll need to monitor your son for the rest of his life. Not that we think he'll do anything, or that he's done anything wrong... but rather for what will happen when he finally passes from this life and onto the next.

— Catalurgic surgeon

The Final Symptom

One of the properties of Rendlings that makes them so difficult for humanity to handle is the fact that they're so difficult to kill -- often to the point of being called "unkillable". No matter how many wounds given to them, or how many pieces they're in, some Rendlings will relentlessly get back up and resume their rampage.

The same can be said for their cells, in the case of a partial failure. When the unfortunate host finally passes away, be it due to exhaustion from old age or from some form of lethal wound, their bodies cells will finally concede the war within. The Rendling cells, given full access now, will complete the horrific mutation they started all those years ago -- finally mutating the failed Catalurgist into a Chimera, and setting off on a rampage wherever they currently are.

All in all...

Your son is considered quite lucky.

— Catalurgic surgeon

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