One step closer to the first release of the Journal of Array Designs and this week we show you another array that you can find in there.
This week we give you the Quicksilver Mettle array.
Notation: Transmute Human into Mercury if Human Blood is present and Contain that transmutation.
Description: Ever saw a man bleed silver? It is as painful as it sounds. The Quicksilver Mettle array falls under the broad category of “poisonous” arrays along with the likes of the Crypt’s Breath and Peace of Mind arrays. These arrays are much more lethal than most arrays in that they only need to scratch an opponent to be lethal. The Manstopper and Hatchling arrays may cause more damage and look more impressive, but the poisonous arrays are far more insidious threat.
Where other poisonous arrays use arsenic, this array, as its name implies, uses Mercury and this is for two purposes. Mercury poisoning is a slower death sentence than that brought on by arsenic, and it is one that you know is coming. Gang members, warlords and politicians are often found shot with rounds inscribed with this array as it sends a powerful message to those left alive. Mercury poisoning begins with a terrible itch as if live insects are crawling under your skin. The itch never stops, no matter how much you scratch. Then comes the swelling, the skin and hair discolouration and skin peeling. This progresses to sweating, increased heart rate and blood pressure, hair and teeth falling out, before the mercury begins attacking your liver and your stomach starts bloating and your eyes turn yellow.
That is not the worst, however. The worst is the madness. There is a reason they say someone is “as mad as a hatter”. Hatters use mercury in felt production, and they all lose their minds eventually. So do victims of the Quicksilver Mettle. That is why this array is used. It’s all about sending a message. And that is also the second characteristic of this array: the silver blood. It’s not truly blood, and it’s not truly silver. It’s simply the mercury leaking out through the bullet hole. But it sends a message to the victim. It tells the victim that they will die in pain and madness.
It’s all about sending a message.
I see a minor glitch in this array as it appears to say that it transmutes humans into quicksilver in the presence of human blood. So the whole person becomes a puddle of mercury? Or have I completely misunderstood the logic of the array?