A new mortuary technique, whereby dead bodies are liquified, has gone into operation in Florida. The alkaline hydrolosis process breaks down a corpse into liquid, ash, and implants over a three hour period.
The machine has the awesome name of Resomator.
The horror story possibilities unfold quite naturally. Being cremated liquified alive, for starters. Finding... objects in the reduction, for another. How about finding an innocent-seeming liquid is actually part corpse fluid?
MORPHEUS:
We are, as an energy source,
easily renewable and completely
recyclable, the dead liquified and
fed intravenously to the living.
Posted by: James Foster | August 31, 2011 at 13:32
Soylent green is people! (someone had to say it) Also, check out the novel "The Seven Madmen" by the early 20th c. Argentine writer Roberto Arlt (some intended corpse liquification in there, as well as lots of general Dostoevskyian goodness). You'd like him, I'm almost sure.
Posted by: YagoColas | September 01, 2011 at 07:04
Excellent catch, James.
I like the way the movie opposes that wet image to the battery one (coppertop).
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | September 12, 2011 at 14:43
That's a new one to me, Yago. I'll hunt one down - thanks!
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | September 12, 2011 at 14:46
Received in email:
"Basically, a race between drowning in a mildly caustic solution and
pressure, as the mechanical pressurization is probably fast enough to be
noticed while drowning and much faster than the heat coils would warm the
volume of the tank up - a person would probably not have time to notice a
heat change before drowning. Presuming a partly-filled tank, the
pressurization would kill before the temperature would be noticed. Also,
unlike a crematorium (thanks to James Bond pointing it out for us) there
would be no flames, so no light, so a pitchblack tank with caustic liquid
and probably toxic fumes (if the tank is not filled), and rapid pressure
spikes. Unfun."
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | September 12, 2011 at 16:38