“It’s okay, Vanessa. I understand. I’ll try my best to get along with him. Maybe we just need to sit down and hash it out. Sorry, I didn’t actually come here to talk about George and my problems. I wanted to update you on Attis. I mistakenly assumed it might go faster based on the level of intelligence Kitty has, but I was wrong to have set such high expectations. Kitty bonded with Elle nearly a decade ago. They’ve had time to learn from each other, and their need for survival drove them into such a close relationship that they’ve understood each other in ways that few of us will ever achieve.”
Hope returned to Carla’s eyes. “I’ll work with him every chance I get.”
Squeezing her hand, Jared reassured her they’d work through it as a family. “I know. We’ll get there. Scarlet can communicate with Attis at an instinctual level, and once you’ve upgraded his Intelligence enough, she’ll be able to have more conversations with him and teach him. When Scarlet first told me, I got discouraged, but she reminded me that her brothers can help with the process when we find more companions for others to bond. It will take time, but we can do it.”
Jared stood and stretched. “Please try to rest. I’ll stay up throughout the night to keep an eye on you. Scarlet will do the same for Attis. The moment you both awake, we want to get you together and work through the changes. Then, we'll set out for the old colony. You can load up on nanites in the lake. It’s hard to say how many nanites you and Attis have with no baseline to work with. Tomorrow will be telling for you and those waiting to bond.”
Tomorrow would indeed be telling. Jared suspected that everyone had a ton of dormant nanites swirling around inside their bodies, but they wouldn’t know for sure until after they went through the evolution process. Only a few hours remained before they found out.
Jared spent the next few hours cleaning and organizing his weapons and equipment. It gave him a chance to finally examine the phase rifle in detail.
He picked up the gray and white weapon, turning it over in his hand. It was smaller and weighed significantly less than the rifle he'd taken off the mercenaries corpse months earlier. The top part of the weapon was round with a hole bored through the top lengthwise which functioned as a sight. Inside, there was a digital targeting reticle that glowed a faint green. The finger guard curved down into a sweeping point that ended just before the handgrip. The grip itself was made of the same material as his phase pistols.
The safety was quite different compared to traditional weapons and both points on either side of the grip needed constant pressure to activate the weapon.
Picking up the battery, Jared found a couple different buttons. Depressing one, a bright, neon green glow lit its side to show the remaining charge. Another button to the left of it showed a heat gauge in bright red. The last of three buttons read vent. He didn’t know what the button did, but he suspected it was a way to purge the heat when used too much and the gun stalled from the heat. Baffled by the technology, Jared finished cleaning the phase weapons and put them back into his pack. In hindsight, he probably should’ve tried to understand the technology before cleaning it, but there really weren’t many moving parts and the main source of confusion came from the battery itself rather than the weapon.
Unceremoniously, he field-stripped his 9mm taken from the Daggers and performed a quick cleaning. He hadn’t used it much, and it was still in good shape. The mercenaries weren’t the best of people, but it appeared they knew how to take care of their weapons.
A fleeting thought popped into his head about Loch and Iliana. He wondered where they were and if they’d safely made it back to their base. They’d kidnapped him and tried to steal from him and Scarlet at least twice, but Jared wasn’t a cold-hearted monster to kill them outright. He genuinely felt sympathy for their plight. They’d fallen in with the wrong crowd, but similar to him, they wanted to bring justice to those deserving. The biggest distinction between them was they didn’t care who they stepped on to make it happen. Definitely a big difference between their agendas. Where Jared planned to go very far out of his way to make sure nothing happened to innocent people, the Daggers couldn’t care less, the end justifying the means, as the saying goes.
Finished with his cleaning task, Jared picked up his now dry pack and was about to put everything back into it, when he heard a light clink. Frowning, Jared shook the pack and heard it again. Turning it over he shook it out, but nothing tumbled free. He opened every pocket but found nothing to make the rattling noise. Confused, he set the pack down in thought.
What—
“—Aha! There you are!” Jared flicked his eyes to Vanessa’s room to make sure no one heard him. He hadn’t meant to speak aloud but had gotten carried away. Underneath the flap was a layer of material that peeled away from the rest of the bag. If someone didn’t know where to look, it was easy to miss. The seam followed the same contour as the flap itself and a tiny concealed zipper under the buckle held it shut.
Realizing what he’d put in the flap months ago made him excited. The handful of credits he’d retrieved from the dead explorer’s pack beneath the streets of New York remained secured in the pouch. The credits could net their budding colony some much-needed items. Probably the one thing he wanted most was a press so they could pack their own bullets. The credits could buy a lot of them, but the ability to pack their own, with the large barrels of gunpowder he already had, would be a better investment. Jared kept the credits concealed in the flap for now but catalogued them in his mind so he wouldn’t forget.
An idea struck him as he finished gearing up. They had a leatherworker now; perhaps they could make him something that would fit the oddly-shaped phase pistol. On their way out, he’d stop and ask.
Jared stood in the room looking around for something else to keep him occupied. He could sit and meditate for a while, but he felt like he’d done enough of that over the past couple of days, and he was antsy. In his room, his meager possessions looked pitiful in the large space. A single change of well-used clothes lay folded on a shelf. After Vanessa found out he only had a couple spare shirts, she’d scrounged up some spares along with a couple pairs of pants.
A few small tools and knives lay scattered about on the stone dresser. The only item of any significance in the room was the box of explosives and manuals in the closet. They had no way to secure the stuff in a locked room so it remained in his closet where he hoped it was out of sight enough that people wouldn’t get harebrained ideas and try to take any of it.
He walked over to the box with the manuals and selected a few at random, in addition to the book on explosives. When he went back into the room, he saw Carla tossing around in her sleep. A few more minutes of restlessness and she returned to her calm state. There was no evidence she was in trouble. It was likely just some pain seeping through to her conscious state.
Before cracking open the book, Jared activated Clear Mind. He wanted complete cognitive function so that everything he read he understood in absolute clarity and could recall in a moment’s notice. It’d been a few hours since he’d last used the ability, and it took a few moments to center himself and calm the raging highway of thought speeding through his mind. After he’d found a center, Jared used active meditation to order his mind.
The first several chapters proved an introduction to all things explosive. They included details about high temperature burning substances to short, forceful detonations. Liquid chemicals, solid object reactions, and heat regulated materials made up most of the different explosives. The list of different compounds used was immense, many of which should be easy to find. The section on ammunition reloading piqued his interest. Skimming the segment, everything made sense to him and brought back memories of helping his dad hand-load their bullets.
When he got to the section about blasting caps and primers, he paused.
“I forgot all about primers. How could I forget about that?” Closing his eyes, Jared did a mental inspect
ion of everything in the weapons and explosives cases he’d rescued from beneath the tunnels. There was no press, nor were there any primers. They had gunpowder for the bullets, but no way to prime them for use.
He should’ve remembered the primers. If he’d spent a few minutes recalling the experience when he was younger, he would’ve remembered. During the many times working with his father, he recalled handing him primers while packing the bullets.
Is there a way around that requirement? Can we make them ourselves?
He kept reading through the book and flipped to the index, where he found a section dedicated to primers. He could make primers himself but needed to find mercury, nitric acid, ethanol, and something to use for the metal caps. He could make nitric acid from mercury using electricity, and they could make ethanol from yeast, which they shouldn’t have trouble finding. It would be quite the production, but at least they had the option to make it themselves.
Why must everything be so difficult?
Every facet of life was difficult in this world. Those in the floating cities had every form of convenience at their fingertips, like automated robots to perform all their menial labor. No concerns of dying by radiation or mutated creatures. Extravagant cities with lush vegetation, and likely any food they wanted.
Someday that will change. Someday, they’ll experience our life, or we’ll bring their life to the rest of the world.
Jared continued reading through the night, pausing occasionally to check in on Carla and make sure she was okay. From time to time he reached out to Scarlet to check on Attis. He needn’t have worried since all appeared in order.
As with his own changes, they took quite a while for Carla, and it wasn’t until late morning when she woke. By that point Vanessa and Elle had already left the room, leaving Jared alone. When Carla woke and looked at Jared, he immediately noticed a change in her demeanor.
Jared rushed over and helped her sit up. “How do you feel?”
“I…different?” Carla shook her head to clear the remnants of sleep from her mind. “I can’t place my finger on it, but I feel different.”
“It will take you a while to get used to all the changes. I’ll walk you through some instructions that Scarlet gave me after upgrading my mind for the first time. First, can you try to speak using telepathy? I want to see how far you progressed with these enhancements.”
“Can you hear me?”
“Yes, I can! We’ll have to test your range when we get outside, but the fact you can already speak like this is great. Though, you could already use telepathy in a limited fashion, so perhaps it’s not all that surprising, but I’m still happy to see the change. Next, explore the nanites in your body. There are several ways to do this, but I’ll repeat what Scarlet told me. Follow the nanites.”
“Follow them?” Carla cocked her head to the side, confusion etched onto her face.
“Cryptic, right? Yeah, Scarlet has an odd way of answering questions, but it really is an accurate way to describe this. Examine yourself and feel the nanites. Once you feel their presence, you can delve into them with your mind. It’s a little disconcerting at first, but you’ll get the hang of it with practice. I want you to do this for the rest of the day, even while we fly back to the old colony if you can manage it. If you think it will split your concentration too much while atop Attis, then wait until we get back.”
“I’ll give it my best shot.” Carla looked determined to learn and progress as fast as possible.
“Awesome, that’s all I ask. The sooner you understand and can work through all of this, the faster you can upgrade to the next level. Not that you couldn’t keep enhancing everything now, but you need to get used to the current changes before adding anything else. If you can learn how to add categories, your options for enhancement paths will broaden a lot. I’ve been doing the same for any changes I go through. It helps if you break it into chunks.” Jared rubbed the top of his head, thinking back to the first set of enhancements he’d gone through, the increased strength, and the subsequent idiocy when moving large pieces of concrete around.
“Let’s say I‘ve experienced too many changes, too fast. I recommend taking things slow. Take the time to get used to the changes, and then you can do more enhancements and upgrades. We have an entire lake of nanites to burn through. While we don’t know how many are there, we’ll keep using it until they run out, and then move on to hunting creatures in the wild.”
“I’ll practice every chance I get and let you know when I’m ready for the next lessons.”
“Thanks, Carla. Now, let’s round everyone else up and go see Attis. I’m curious to see what changes happened to him.”
Vanessa and Elle joined them as they headed over to Attis. Jared wasn’t sure what to expect. He hoped for the best, but it was difficult to say how much the griffon’s intelligence would increase overnight.
When they reached the clearing where Scarlet and Attis resided, it was clear something had changed. The giant bird of prey was no longer cowering off to the side, eyeing everything like his next meal. He stared at the trio with cold, calculating eyes.
Staring into the solid black eyes of the creature, Jared imagined the bird was trying to understand what he saw. Before today, everything was another meal. Every encounter with any other being, be they human or animal, was just another battle in his struggle for survival.
Now, however, it appeared the griffon looked at them in a new light. Not necessarily as prey, but as an entity he didn’t quite understand.
Carla rushed over to Attis, but Jared cautioned her enthusiasm, voicing his concerns.
“Be careful. I don’t think he’d harm you, but this is all very new to him. If you notice his behavior, he isn’t treating us like enemies anymore, but his mind is sharper, and we don’t know what he’s thinking.”
“I can hear him. He’s confused.”
“All the more reason to be cautious. Just approach slowly and take this one step at a time. Scarlet is right here if you need any help. We’ll take as long as you need before heading out. Since we are all flying, this trip won’t take long at all. While you get re-acquainted with him, I will go have a chat with Casey, Pete, and Marie to see if they need anything from the old colony.”
“Scarlet, please keep a close eye on them and be ready to intervene should you need.”
“I will keep an eye on them and try to listen to their communications if I can. Though, I do not think we have anything to worry about with the two. I do not trust Attis not to hurt anyone else, but for myself and Carla, he will not harm us.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back shortly.”
Jared left with Vanessa, Elle, and Kitty. The giant cat refused to let Elle out of her sight. It was probably a precaution with Attis around since no one knew the bird’s motivations and if he would attack. Jared didn’t blame the big cat at all, and that was part of the reason he wanted Scarlet to remain vigilant.
“Vanessa, Elle, can you two go around and see if there are any small items anyone needs? Let them know we’ll be out for a short time and can look for some things in town. We won’t spend hours scouring the area, so if it’s not something we’ll easily find, it’ll need to wait. I want to be back by the time the dragons get here. This trip is mainly about getting Carla more nanites from the lake and a couple items for Pete.”
Jared grabbed Vanessa’s hand, beckoning her to stay for a moment. He led her over to the side of the clearing. “I think it might be better for you to stay here today. As much as I want to spend the day with you and continue our conversation, Attis concerns me. Scarlet and I can handle anything he might do, but if something happens—”
“It’s okay. I understand.” She looked a little disappointed, but Jared knew she saw the wisdom in the decision. “I’ll use the time to talk with my people and see if I can get to the bottom of the resentment and unrest caused by George.
“Vanessa, please be careful. If George is willing to go against me when I have a dragon to back me up, there’s no telling what he’s capable of.”
“He won’t hurt me. He’d have to contend with the entire group if he tried.”
“You’re probably right, but promise me you’ll only confront him in a public place? I mean, I know you probably don’t want everyone overhearing your conversation, but at least do it someplace where others can see you.”
“All right, I promise.”
“Thanks. I just want you to be safe.”
Vanessa looked up at him and smiled.
Jared gazed into her eyes, drinking in the sight of her beautiful face. He loved how her smile crinkled her nose and created tiny lines at the corners of her eyes. He almost bent down and kissed her, but she broke the connection and followed after Elle. Before Vanessa left the clearing, she glanced back at him, her eyes smoldering and cheeks flushed.
It took Jared more than a few minutes to recover from the encounter. It left him weak in the knees, her presence intoxicating to him. Once he’d recovered, he followed the pair to ask Pete what he needed from the colony.
As usual, Jared found Pete in his room, which doubled as his workshop. Every time Jared walked into the room, it seemed more cluttered and packed than the time before.
“Pete? You in here somewhere?”
A crash in another room—followed by muttered curses—reached his ears, and he smiled.
Maybe that’ll teach him to clean things up, Jared thought, the corner of his mouth ticking up in a smirk.
“I-I’m back here.”
Jared picked his way through the maze of gadgets and gizmos on the floor and every flat surface within the room. Pete was in the bedroom, using one of the flat counters as a desk. He had a small desk lamp pointed at an array of parts on the counter.
“What are you working on?”
Radioactive Revolution: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Adventure Page 6