Radioactive Revolution: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Adventure

by Richard Hummel

  “All right, we must go. Please stay safe and we’ll be back in just a few hours.”

  “We will. Be careful out there.”

  Jared turned from Vanessa. A momentary pang of sadness pulsed through him as he mounted Scarlet. Glancing back at Vanessa, Jared winked and patted Scarlet on the side.

  She bunched her legs and launched them into the air.

  “Carla, can you hear me?”

  “Yes, and you, me?”

  “I can. Stay close. If you want to have Attis stretch his wings, that’s fine, but try to stay within sight. We can test your telepathy distance too. I imagine it isn’t very far just yet, but I could be wrong. We’ll head directly to the old colony first, and then to the lake. We’re going to the old school so I can find salt for Marie.”

  “Okay, I’ll stay within sight.” Immediately after Carla spoke, Attis banked sharply.

  “He is beautiful and graceful.”

  “He’s also extremely fast and silent, making him a deadly adversary. A great addition to our fighting force.”

  His thoughts ever-turning toward their coming confrontation with the cities, Jared knew the fight was much closer than he wanted. Starting with the destruction in New York City and the destroyed underground facility, the cities knew something was afoot.

  It only took less than twenty minutes to reach the old colony, and that was at a leisurely pace. Both Scarlet and Attis could fly extremely fast if they wanted, and it was only a twenty mile stretch in a straight line, something that took them two days to walk the first time.

  Jared instructed Scarlet to head for the old school building and shared with her a picture of where it was. Scarlet banked with Attis close on her heels. They touched down in front of the building. Jared hopped off and double-checked all of his gear.

  “Ready, Carla?”

  He received a nod in response, and they entered the building.

  “Stay behind me.” Jared pulled out his phase pistol in case there was anything lurking in the building. “Do you remember the layout?”

  “No. I didn’t go to school here. I was old enough to work in the colony, and my dad taught me whatever else I needed to know. My mom helped with my education since my dad was always out taking care of our colony. My mom passed when I was little. She got sick, and—”

  Jared turned to face Carla and lay a hand on her shoulder. He saw the unshed tears in her eyes. “I know what it’s like. I lost my mother to the radiation.”

  “It’s so unfair, you know? We have this technology that could’ve saved her, but it was a few years too late.” She looked at Jared and the same questions he had shone in her watery eyes.

  Jared dropped his hands and turned back down the hall. “It might’ve saved her,” he said over his shoulder. “But you can’t know for sure. My mother still died from it and she had nanites in her body.”

  Carla lifted a shoulder and nudged a stack of books laying in the hallway. “I guess. Still, she didn’t have to die.”

  “On that point, I’ll agree. If they really do have full nanites as Igor suggested, then they wouldn’t need to worry about radiation at all.”

  “They need to pay for everything they’ve done to us.”

  Jared glanced behind him and saw the fire in Carla’s eyes.

  “We’ll have our vengeance, Carla. You and all the others must get stronger first. A single phase round would be enough to take all of you out. That’s to say nothing of the rifles and cannons they also have. Let’s focus on what we came to do here, which puts you one step closer to that goal.”

  Carla nodded her head tersely, and they continued searching the building. Jared hadn’t seen or heard anything to indicate danger, but he’d rather exercise caution and check the whole building to be sure.

  It wasn’t until they reached the opposite end of the building that he found the small cafeteria. Rummaging through the cabinets, he found a couple containers of salt and put them in a satchel he’d brought for the occasion. It wasn’t a lot, but it’d be enough to tide Marie over for a while.

  “Okay, we got what we came for. Let’s head over to the lake. I want to see if there’s anything of interest along the way. I didn’t see any creatures when we flew over here. It seems strange given the large volume that used to live in the lake. I don’t know if they’re still scared of Razael, or if they wanted to leave the area altogether, but it seems unnatural that so many predators fled rather than try to assert dominance over the area.”

  Walking through the small town was uneventful. Just as he’d seen from the air, there was nothing living down here. The only items of interest in the streets were a variety of furniture pieces some of the water folk had hoped to bring back to their new home. Looking at the furniture, Jared smiled. While it would be nice to have some modern amenities and more comfortable items, the water folk hadn’t thought through how to transport the stuff.

  “There’s the lake, Carla. When we get there, just hold up for a minute while I make sure there’s nothing lurking under the surface. I’ve got an ability called Heat Sight that will let me see if there’s anything close by.”

  “That’s neat! I can’t wait to get abilities of my own.”

  “To be fair, Telepathy is an ability. It’s just not as cool for you since you’ve had it for years. Some of these abilities become so innate that I don’t even realize they’re an ability anymore. They become a natural extension of myself. My Night Vision and Temperature Regulating are like that. Before I ever met Scarlet, or had the ability to enhance myself, I could use them.”

  Jared stopped a few paces from the shoreline and held up a hand for Carla to wait. He walked up to the water gently lapping against the beach and flipped over to Heat Sight. It took a slight moment to adjust, but when it cleared, he found no threats in the immediate vicinity. He saw a faint glowing outline far out into the water, but nothing close.

  “Okay, it looks safe.”

  Carla immediately started forward, an eager glint in her eyes.

  “Whoa, whoa.” Jared stepped in front to bar her way. “You know this will hurt, right?”

  Carla paused and looked at him, eyebrows raised. “It will?”

  Her question came out as a squeak, and Jared had to stifle a chuckle. He admired her eagerness, but she needed to know what was in store for her.

  “The amount it hurts largely depends on you. If you absorb only a little, it won’t hurt, but if you want to push yourself to the limit, then yes, it will hurt a lot. Even Scarlet experienced pain because she couldn’t handle the torrent of nanites flooding into her.”

  Carla looked from Jared back to the lake, and back again. Slowly, her expression transformed from fear to determination. Her body tensed as she stepped forward.

  “I can do this!”

  “I’ll be here every step of the way. When you can’t take it anymore, yell out for me and I’ll break your connection. If you want the best results, you need to hang on until you think you’ll pass out from the pain. Though, if you do pass out, I’ll pull you out myself. I don’t really know how much our bodies can handle so I’d prefer if you were conscious when you finish.”

  Jared heard an audible gulp and Carla’s breathing quickened. He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’m here. Before you go in, please let Attis know this will cause you some pain. I don’t want him to think I’m hurting you and attack. Scarlet will take care of Attis when it’s his turn to absorb.”

  Attis and Scarlet had landed a few paces away while Jared explained. Carla walked over and laid a hand on the griffon. She spent several moments explaining what would happen, trying to make him understand.

  “I’m ready.” Carla walked to the edge of the water, but didn’t step in.

  “Whenever you want to start. At first, nothing will happen, but then you’ll see a glow emanate from the lake, that will gradually grow until there is
a stream entering your body. Don’t pull back. When you’ve had enough, yell out and I will pull you back. At that point, you may not be able to break the connection yourself.”

  As soon as Jared finished speaking, Carla slipped off her shoes and strode into the water up to her ankles.

  It took a few minutes, but the faint glow rose to the surface of the lake and grew in brightness. Slowly, a funnel of multi-colored light streamed toward Carla.

  Her eyes widened to saucers as she scrutinized the beautiful colors swirling through the stream. The tide grew, thickened, and wrapped around Carla’s feet. Her face showed elation as she watched the tiny machines, but the smile quickly faded as the excitement turned to pain. Droplets of sweat broke out on her forehead and her brow wrinkled in concentration.

  An involuntary grunt escaped her lips and her shoulders hunched against the intense pain wracking her body. Jared knew exactly what she felt in that moment, since he’d experienced it several times now. At first, it felt cool, a stream of cold water wrapping around the body, but it quickly turned into a boiling inferno and every nerve ending screamed out in agony.

  “It. H-Hu-Hurts,” Carla stammered, teeth clinched tight.

  “As soon as you say the word, Carla.” Jared reached up his arms to wrap around her body.

  “I…” Her voiced faded, and Jared saw her knees buckle.

  He scooped her up, and the flow of nanites stopped, leaving a pulsating shimmer in the water. When he looked up, Attis was just a few feet away in a crouch. Even warned, it didn’t quite sink in for him, and he was ready to rip someone apart for hurting what was now a part of him. Jared didn’t blame him. He hated to see the pain wrought on someone else, knowing full well how much it really hurt.

  “Scarlet, can you please calm Attis down and try to explain this to him? He’s got to go next, but I don’t think we’ll be getting him anywhere near the water if we can’t calm him down.”

  “I will try.”

  Scarlet snorted to get Attis’s attention. When the griffon didn’t immediately turn around, she issued a low guttural growl. Immediately, Attis folded his wings and lowered himself to the ground. He knew who was at the top of the hierarchy with Scarlet, but Jared was just prey that hurt his charge.

  Scarlet and Attis stared at each other for long moments, Scarlet no doubt delving into the creature’s mind, explaining the situation. Several moments later, the large creature turned back to Jared and Carla, nudging her with his beak.

  “I told him she is fine and will revive soon. Well, revive is not quite the right way to describe it. I showed him Carla waking up and…flying.”

  “Whatever you have to do to get through that thick skull of his. We’ll do whatever it takes to get him on board. Should we wait until Carla wakes up to have Attis step in?”

  “I think that is best. He barely restrained himself from attacking you once you picked Carla up. I think only my presence kept him at bay.”

  “Sounds good. Let’s wait. I know you’re fast. I’m fast, and I’ve got a thick skin, but I wouldn’t want to put it to the test against him and his wicked sharp claws and beak.”

  It took fifteen minutes for Carla to wake up. She groaned and hissed in pain as her eyelids fluttered open.

  “Wh-what happened?”

  “You blacked out from the pain. I warned you this would happen. You should’ve told me to stop it a few moments sooner, and you’d have been fine. Hurting, but fine.”

  “I tried to hold out...a long time.”

  “And you did great, but next time please be more careful. I can’t see into your body to know if you were doing more harm than good. Also, if we needed to leave right away, or were attacked, you being unconscious could jeopardize your safety.”

  “Sorry,” Carla said, lowering her head.

  “It’s okay. Everything worked out. Just remember for next time and make sure others you tell about your experience here know the consequences.”

  “I’ll be more careful next time.”

  “That’s all I can ask. Now, let’s get Attis leveled up! First, you need to calm him and let him know you’re all right. He almost bit my head off when I picked you up.”

  Carla looked at him in alarm, and he tried to maintain a straight face, but a crooked smile twisted his lips.

  “Don’t tease like that,” Carla complained, playfully punching his arm.

  “I was never in any real danger with Scarlet around, but he was ready to attack me if he thought I did anything to harm you.”

  It was Carla’s turn to smile as she patted her companion on the side. Giving them space, Jared wondered if he should absorb any nanites while they were here, but realized he still had plenty to learn about his most recent ability before enhancing himself more. He needed to bring Elle and Kitty over soon to help them out, but he and Scarlet were strong enough for the time being. As soon as the other water folk bonded with Scarlet’s brothers, they’d be back to get everyone else leveled up.

  “He’s ready.” Carla motioned Attis toward the water.

  He stopped just short and sniffed the surface. Tentatively, he put one claw into the lake, slowly followed by the other. Attis looked back at Carla and cocked his head.

  “Good boy. Stay.” Carla held up her hand to show the griffon what to do.

  “Let’s stand back, Carla.” Jared waved his hand behind him. “If he gets startled, we don’t want to get in the way. Scarlet will take care of him and make sure he doesn’t absorb too many.”

  They walked back a few yards, and Scarlet took their place. It was difficult to see the water with their large bodies blocking the view, so Jared suggested they walk onto the dock to watch. Once there, they observed the familiar glow congregating around Attis before the stream thickened and rushed into his body.

  Jared saw a shiver pass through Carla’s body as she watched Attis. Jared knew her body screamed in protest with every movement. It’d taken him hours to fully recover and a couple times only sleep had quelled the burning sensation. Leaning back against one of the small outbuildings on the dock, Jared enjoyed the day. It was peaceful and the constant flow of nanites calming.

  It took almost fifteen minutes before Attis showed signs of a struggle, and another two before Scarlet wrapped her tail around his body and yanked him back. Attis lay there panting, his wings feebly trying to push himself up.

  Carla moved to go after him, but Jared held her back. “Give him a moment to recover. Scarlet recovers much faster than me, and Attis might be the same.”

  Carla was antsy and wanted to rush over to him, but she listened to Jared until he could hold her back no longer. Once she affirmed Attis was okay, she returned to Jared’s perch and thanked him for making the journey with them.

  “You’re wel—” A high-pitched whine cut off his words, and Jared’s face turned white as a sheet.

  “Scarlet!”

  “I hear it too. Jared, there is nowhere to hide!”

  “I know, I know.” Jared searched frantically, looking for a way to avoid this confrontation. It was much too early to reveal everything they had up their sleeves.

  “Scarlet, in the water! Can you hold your breath for a few minutes?”

  “For a time, yes. But the nanites?”

  “As soon as you feel it becoming too much, surface and take to the skies. If they are still here, we’ll deal with it then.”

  Needing no further encouragement, Scarlet dove into the water.

  “Send Attis into the sky and have him stay away from the ship. Quick, get inside this shack. We’ll wait them out.”

  Jared and Carla ducked into the cramped building while Attis vaulted into the sky. A few seconds later, the whine of the drop ship’s’ engines passed overhead. Rather than continue on, it halted in place a short distance away. Holes in the small building allowed Jared to peer outside and see the ship hovering some thre
e hundred yards away.

  It slowly lowered itself to the ground out of sight behind the buildings.

  “Scarlet, go now! Stay low to the water and fly away from here.”

  The waterline wasn’t visible from his hiding place, but he heard a splash as Scarlet burst from the water and flew away. Her wings slapped the water in rhythmic patterns as she stayed as close to the surface as possible.

  It didn’t appear as though the ship could see her from their location, but Jared kept a watchful eye in the direction it landed just in case. Several minutes passed before he released a long sigh of relief. They were in the clear.

  “Carla, can you speak with Attis from here?” Jared whispered in case there was some way the ship, and those aboard, heard him.

  “I’ve tried, but I think he’s too far away or he isn’t responding.”

  “Okay, let me ask Scarlet to search for him and keep an eye out. If he’s close to the ship, Scarlet won’t be able to do anything, though. The risk is too great for her to be near that thing.”

  “Scarlet, can you see Attis?”

  “Yes, he is with me. We are flying back home to lie low until the ship leaves.”

  “Thanks! If there’s any way you can hide before you get there, do it. I’d rather have you near if things go south.”

  “I will look.”

  “Attis is with Scarlet. They’ll find a safe place to lie low. I asked Scarlet to stay as close as possible just in case.”

  Carla exhaled a shaky breath, relieved Attis was in good hands.

  “Don’t worry, Carla, we’ll be safe. No matter what happens, we can take care of this lone ship, even if it means destroying it.”

  They waited in tense silence for a long time. The minutes ticked by agonizingly slow and still the ship stayed grounded.

  “Scarlet, I don’t know what this thing is doing, but staying this long in town is not comforting.”

  “Should I come back?”

  “Not yet, but get ready. I don’t know what they’re doing for this long.”