Radioactive Evolution

by Richard Hummel

  Scarlet remained silent for a time before she said, The brain occupies the third segment, but if we destroy the brain, the rest of the worm may go into uncontrollable convulsions. With the size of that thing, we do not want to be anywhere near when that happens.

  I think we can lure it out, but we need to find bait.

  We have bait, Scarlet teased, motioning her head toward their prisoners.

  Ignoring Scarlet’s comment, Jared suggested, “After you’ve healed, you can hunt down a few wild animals. Maybe a couple dogs or rats. There’s plenty of them around to snatch up.”

  Although this worm had easily dispatched them before, Jared looked forward to a rematch.

  The few miles to the coast passed quickly, and by the time they’d come up with a viable plan, Jared saw a number of buildings along the shoreline. There were way too many places for creatures to hide, the buildings so close together. They walked south, following the coast until they came upon a destroyed marina, hundreds of destroyed boats lay in heaps next to partially collapsed docks. Just off the north western side of the harbor was a trio of buildings split out from those around it. Jared jumped off Scarlet’s back and trotted ahead of everyone, intent on checking the buildings for danger.

  “Scarlet, please keep an eye on them while I check out these buildings.”

  A quick search of the three buildings revealed no cause for concern, and Jared ushered everyone into the largest building to give Scarlet some room for her transformation. Jared double-checked the bonds on Loch and Iliana and asked Scarlet to keep an eye on them once again so he could scout their immediate surroundings.

  Jogging around the area, he looked for a way to get on top of the building for a better vantage. There were some handholds and even a ladder, but the bottom half rusted away and stood fifteen feet off the ground. If he could reach a ledge about eight feet off the ground, he might be able to pull himself up and jump for the ladder from there. Dropping his gear into a pile on the floor, Jared secured his weapons and snapped the straps closed on his holsters. Crouching a few times to flex and limber himself up, Jared crouched low and leapt.

  “Whoa!”

  Jared’s shout echoed between the buildings as he launched twenty feet into the air, right to the edge of the roof. Surprised by the insane jump, he almost failed to grab the edge before he fell back to the ground. Scrambling for purchase, Jared climbed over the ledge and collapsed onto his back, adrenaline surging through him after the incredible feat.

  How the heck did I jump so high?

  There’s no way he’d jumped this high using just his strength. Granted, it was all new to him, but it seemed impossible even given the massive enhancements he’d gone through.

  Scarlet, I think I gained a new ability!

  I did not think to check earlier. After your rabbit… adventures.

  Jared sighed. He’d never live this one down.

  “Let me quickly check the area, and I’ll head back in for you to check it out”. Jared jumped to his feet and scanned the area three times using all his sights and senses. Seeing nothing to pose a threat, he carefully climbed down the building. Jumping up had been one thing, but standing on the edge, he just couldn’t make the leap of faith to jump off. Especially not knowing more about this ability, or if it was an ability. After grabbing his gear, he hurried over to Scarlet and sat next to her, placing a hand against her side.

  It looks like the nanites from the rabbits gave you an ability to tap your strength reserves in short bursts. It looks like the nanites rapidly force adrenaline and blood flow through your muscles, giving your body maximum strength and speed for a short duration. The drawback for the ability includes increased strain on your body and could cause injury.

  What if I increased bone and muscle density? Jared asked, finally starting to get a handle on how all of this worked.

  That would help, though there would always be a risk of pushing yourself too hard. However, you should be able to use the ability periodically with no notable side effects.

  Thanks, Scarlet. If ever I want to increase any more physical aspects, just smack me in the head until I choose Mind. I’m glad that I’ve got you to help me out here, but I want to understand all of this myself.

  Very well, said Scarlet, her words playful.

  Jared smiled. He enjoyed Scarlet’s teasing nature.

  How much bigger do you think you’ll get tonight? Do we need to move those two? Jared nodded his head at Loch and Iliana.

  They should be fine over there. Also, remember that I will burn through the last of my mother’s essence, and my growth may be unpredictable.

  This whole essence thing seems like a hugely unfair advantage, teased Jared.

  As a matriarch, I carry the continued existence of our family solely on my shoulders. It is a burden, not an advantage.

  Ah, fair point. All right, I’ve got things on lock here. Feel free to sleep when you’re ready.

  Jared settled in to wait and busied himself by going through all the gear and weapons from the other explorers. He grabbed all the boosters and the ammunition for the rifle and Colt. At first, he placed all the other pistols in a separate pack, intending to leave them for Loch and Iliana, but he changed his mind and left them only one pistol each. He also put one booster for each of them in the pack in the event they really were low on time like Iliana said. Jared looked at Iliana in his peripheral and found her watching him rummage through their belongings.

  We could’ve been friends in another life, thought Jared. Maybe that chance still exists in some future scenario.

  For now, Jared intended to go it alone with Scarlet until he found people willing to help without compromising his moral center, if such people even existed.

  Jared saw Iliana flinch, and her eyes widened in surprise. Glancing over his shoulder, he found Scarlet the source of her enthrallment. The transformation had started but wasn’t quite the same as the pulsating flow from nanite enhancements. Rather, she shimmered, a wispy haze covering her body for a split second. With each shimmer, her form changed. It looked like a mirage, and it made him blink a few times to make sure he actually witnessed the phenomenon.

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” whispered Jared.

  Iliana looked over to find Jared’s gaze focused on her. She lowered her eyes and replied, “She’s incredible.”

  Turning back to Scarlet, Jared became mesmerized with the shimmering veil of light, his thoughts churning in time to the movement. Jared was so lost in thought, thinking about Iliana and the choices that might’ve led her to this situation that he hadn’t realized everyone but himself was asleep.

  Jared felt pity for the two explorers. They’d fallen in with the wrong crowd. Perhaps that wasn’t who they were, and absent the fraternity, maybe they were good people. It wasn’t too late for it to happen, but not today or any time in the near future. If he ran into them again in the future and they altered their ways, then perhaps he’d consider working with them.

  The night passed quickly as Jared stripped all his weapons down and cleaned them, spending extra time on his Colt and its holster. Jon’s blood caked half the weapon and belt, and it took several hours to rid the contamination from his beloved revolver. Several hours later, Scarlet was the first of the three to rouse, and she mentally nudged him.

  I am awake.

  Jared turned to see the much-improved Scarlet. Even though he’d watched some of the changes take place, he hadn’t paid attention to how much she’d actually grown.

  Whoa. I thought you said there was only a little of the essence left?

  I was mistaken. Though I think the last time, it changed other aspects of my body. This time, only my physical size changed.

  Wow, Scarlet. These changes are impressive. I can’t believe you were an egg barely more than a week ago, you’ve got to be almost twenty feet tall now!

  Although
she still had a long way to go before she reached her mother’s stature, she was well on her way.

  I need to eat soon. I feel weak and need to replenish my strength. The Regeneration and physical changes drew on my vitality, and I need to replenish it before we do anything else.

  Jared assured her they’d find something for her to eat before hunting the giant worm.

  We’ll leave these two here. Jared motioned to the still forms of Loch and Iliana. I’ll make sure they’re tied up, toss this survival pack either into another building or up on the roof, and we can head out for the island. Once we get far enough away from here, you can take to the sky. I just don’t want them to find out how fast we can heal.

  Scarlet grudgingly accepted the plan, but that was fine by him. It wouldn’t be the first time they disagreed on something, and they both needed to learn to accept each other, quirks and all.

  Jared grabbed the extra pack and left the room. He looked through each of the buildings for a hiding place, but they were empty, a couple loose rocks here and there. He found nowhere to stash the gear.

  Walking back outside, Jared circled each building, assessing which was the easiest to scale. The smallest of the three had a brick exterior and enough of the bricks missing to provide ample handholds up the side. Jared tossed the pack onto the roof and returned to Scarlet.

  “Good, you’re awake,” said Jared, seeing the two blinking the sleep from their eyes. “We’re leaving, and I’m leaving both of you here. I’ll leave you tied up, and I’ve also left a pack with two injectors and a couple pistols. I put the pack on top of one of the buildings, but you’ll have to figure out which one on your own.”

  “You can’t—” Iliana started to say, but Jared cut her off with a sharp tug on the rope as he finished tying them together.

  “I can, and I will. The only reason I’m leaving you alive is that you didn’t want to harm Scarlet and me directly. If you’d tried, both of you would’ve experienced the same fate as your friends. This is not a negotiation, and I won’t change my mind. Free yourselves, find the pack, and head back to your camp down south. We have other plans, and they don’t involve babysitting the two of you or looking over our shoulders to make sure you aren’t following us.”

  Iliana looked terrified, while Loch looked resolute and accepted the situation with a firm nod.

  Jared suspected he knew they’d barely escaped with their lives and this was a favorable outcome compared to their demise. Jared motioned for Scarlet to exit the building and secured all his gear. Taking one last glance over his shoulder, he felt a small stab of guilt at what he’d done and was about to do. Iliana must’ve seen the conflict in his eyes as her frightened look morphed into one of desperate hope.

  That hope evaporated as Jared narrowed his eyes and promptly left the building. He felt a slight tug of guilt but quickly dismissed the feeling. They deserved much worse than the mercy he was granting them. He could deal with his unresolved conflict at a later time.

  Jared mounted Scarlet and said, Let’s move!

  Once he was certain they’d moved far enough from the buildings, Jared hopped off Scarlet and untied her wing.

  “Go hunt.”

  Scarlet needed no further prodding as she bunched her legs and launched herself into the sky.

  “Oh, let me know if you see Loch or Iliana. In the meantime, I’ll keep heading toward the island,” Jared called after her.

  Every step he took brought him a step closer to the worm that almost ended their lives.

  It was payback time, and although they faced a creature that might’ve rivaled Scarlet’s mother in size, in its own habitat for that matter, Jared believed they had a strong chance of success. He also wanted to exact some vengeance for hurting his companion.

  Instead of waiting for Scarlet to finish the hunt and pick him up, he decided to stretch his legs and run toward the island. He could get things set up while he waited for her. She also needed to get some bait for the worm. Flexing his muscles, Jared poured on the speed. He ran at a fast clip for five miles before tiring. At that point, he’d nearly reached the island and slowed his pace to a walk.

  How’s the hunt coming along? Jared asked, unsure if she’d be able to hear him at this distance.

  I found a pack of wild dogs. I am chasing them down, but they are agile, and it is proving bothersome.

  We’re not in a rush. I’ll get started here. By the way, how far away are you? From the island that is?

  Nearly seven miles.

  Oh wow! I’m almost at the island. Your range must have increased after all your changes. It will definitely help when we need to coordinate things like this.

  Jared busied himself getting ready for their fight, scaling the cliff he’d fallen over just the day before. It was a simple enough plan: lure the worm out, attack with ranged weapons, Scarlet dive-bombing with fire attacks, and retreat. If they needed to repeat the scenario multiple times, then so be it. The worm itself probably didn’t fear anything. It was the apex predator on this island, and anything else on it was just a nuisance to kill.

  Halfway up the cliff, he almost decided to wait for Scarlet to carry him up, but decided it was just laziness. Pushing his body, Jared forced himself to finish the precarious climb.

  Upon reaching the top, he held in place for a long time, ensuring he hadn’t disturbed the worm. They didn’t know how far the underground tunnels networked across the island, or if it could sense their presence.

  Slowly, he walked toward the hangar, looking for a place to anchor his rope. He’d tie off one end up here, and the other around his waist. If the worm got too close or started its death throes, he could sprint off the edge of the cliff and get away from it. The other option was to have Scarlet fly below the ledge and he’d leap off onto her back, but he wanted that as a last resort on account of her recent injury.

  His rope attached to a concrete and metal pillar, Jared shimmied over the edge and found a crevice ten feet down to stuff all his gear in. He then climbed back up, sitting on a natural outcropping to wait for Scarlet and their bait. Occasionally he felt tremors rock the island, but they felt far enough away that it didn’t warrant concern.

  I’m all set, Scarlet. See if you can carry two of the dogs as bait. This thing is definitely still awake and moving around. I felt the ground shake just a moment ago.

  I have two of them and will drop them down once you are ready.

  Jared put some weight on the rope and gave it a few sharp tugs to make sure it would hold his weight. Satisfied, Jared told Scarlet he was ready, come what may.

  There were a lot of variables here, but it was the safest plan they could come up with. Still, it would be a tricky battle, and anything could change the outcome. Once the creature revealed itself, Jared would climb over the edge of the cliff and pepper it with phase rounds. His attack was more of a distraction, with Scarlet providing the real firepower. The plan was for her to remain in the air where she could avoid the creature’s attacks, and hopefully its death throes.

  With her increased size, she might even have a chance at physically fighting the worm, provided its entire body wasn’t involved. The two halves of its body he’d already seen had to be thirty feet long, and that was just the ends of it. They had no idea how much of it remained beneath the earth.

  Jared hesitated as he thought about the actual size of the thing.

  Scarlet, I’m having second thoughts about this. I was just doing calculations about the size of this thing, and I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for us to go head-to-head.

  Let us give the plan a chance. I think it is safe enough, and if we run into trouble, I will fly away, and you can jump over the edge. It will be worth the effort if we are able to kill it.

  Hearing the rhythmic beat of Scarlet’s wings, Jared looked out from his perch and found Scarlet flying overhead with two squirming dogs in her claws. They lo
oked like rabid, flea-infested monstrosities. Unlike the rest of their kind, they didn’t have any fur, but a thick black hide that served as their skin. Scars and claw marks indicated they’d seen a lot of fighting, perhaps amongst themselves for dominance. The dogs’ eyes were black, and sunken into their heads, giving them a deadly, ferocious visage. Massive canines dripping spittle completed the terrifying look and Jared immediately hoped he never met a pack of these things in the wild.

  Those dogs look disgusting Scarlet. You really ate them?

  There are few options in the area, and I needed to gain my strength back as soon as possible.

  Jared shook his head. The things Scarlet put into her mouth amazed him, but she was right. There weren’t a whole lot of food options around. One of these days they’d find something that actually tasted good. If not for Scarlet’s sake, then for his. Rats, lizards, and now wild dogs looked nasty, and no doubt tasted disgusting as well. About the only decent thing she’d eaten since being hatched was the rabbits. Jared shrugged. If it helped her regain strength, then who was he to judge? Scarlet’s cuisine choices were hardly something to dwell on at the moment.

  Taking a deep breath to calm his wild nerves, Jared said, All right Scarlet, dogs away.

  He glanced above and watched Scarlet bank toward the structure. She swooped low and threw both dogs past the broken doors into the hangar.

  They yipped and growled, scrambling across the floor. Shortly after they landed, he heard them growling and barking at each other as a dog fight ensued.

  If the crazed dogs didn’t lure this creature out, then they’d call it quits and leave the worm alone. He wasn’t about to risk himself or Scarlet as bait, and the racket the dogs were making could be heard a mile away.

  Jared waited for several tense moments as the dogs continued their ferocious duel. A tremor rocked the ground, but it didn’t feel any stronger than the previous one, and he wondered if the creature was too far away. A moment later another tremor vibrated the ground, increasing in tempo and intensity. Jared panicked, and a wave of doubt rolled through him.