Radioactive Evolution

by Richard Hummel

  An odor even more powerful than the room in the cellar exploded from the corridor. His nose burned, and eyes watered at the fetid scent. Jared knew more death and decay awaited him down this passage. Chills creeped down his spine, and he almost turned around, but a facility like this screamed treasure to him. Even if nothing more than a conspiracy theorist nut job creating his own bomb shelter, there was a high probability he’d find something of interest. There was also the mystery of two corpses locked into the cellar. He’d look for answers further down the tunnel.

  Scarlet, I found an underground tunnel. It’s…well, I’m not getting the best vibes from it, but I want to follow it and see where it leads.

  Please be careful. You remember what happened last time we were underground. You almost died, and I had to watch over you for five days until you healed.

  I’ll be careful. If I see any signs of trouble, I’ll run away.

  Jared walked through the tunnel and followed it for several hundred feet before it rounded a corner. Taking the turn, he paused. The tunnel ended into a large room—a dining hall, based on the number of tables and chairs, all arranged in neat rows. There were enough for at least a hundred people to sit comfortably. Several rooms sat off to the right side of the hall.

  Based on the smell permeating the air, Jared expected to see bones or evidence of decaying bodies, but there was nothing in the room.

  He walked around cautiously, expecting creatures to jump out at him at any moment, but Heat Sight and Night Vision revealed an entirely empty room.

  Although there was no visible reason for concern, something niggled at the back of his mind. That niggling sensation created unease and made the shadows come alive at the corners of his vision. Yet no matter how thorough his examination of the room, he couldn’t find the source of his discomfort.

  The closer he moved to the other end of the room, the more his senses behaved erratically. He started to notice dark splotches on the ground, but it was impossible to tell what they were with just Night Vision. Crouching lower, the faint metallic scent of blood reached his nostrils.

  Scarlet, it looks like there was a massive fight or struggle here. Blood spatters are all over the ground, but there are no bodies, or even skeletons. I don’t know what happened down here, but it’s seriously creeping me out.

  I am getting the same feeling. The more I watch the water, the more my instincts scream to run away.

  If we run up against anything we can’t handle, we’ll leave. It looks like this might’ve been a survivor colony at one point, but something terrible happened to the people, and I’d like to find out what.

  Please be careful, pleaded Scarlet.

  I will Scarlet, I promise!

  Jared walked through all the rooms dotting the sides of the hall, but didn’t see any further signs of struggle, or anything worth taking. On the other side of the room, he found another hallway, unsurprisingly in the same direction as the blood spatters.

  Jared marked the passageways he travelled, in case he got turned around, but so far, he’d found it super easy to recall everything he’d looked at. If he thought about the areas he visited, a photographic-like image appeared in his mind.

  I can’t believe I’ve been missing this all my life.

  He’d heard about people having photographic memories, and now having experienced it himself, he envied the gift they’d had their whole life. He’d make certain he never took any of these abilities for granted.

  Thankfully, the physical enhancements remained no matter what happened, but if the nanites in his body were somehow destroyed, then the abilities would disappear. The thought gave him pause.

  What would happen if I got struck by lightning? Or, some electro-magnetic pulse destroyed all electrical devices? Would the nanites survive because they’re a hybrid and live off my biological energy?

  Obviously, Jared had no answer for any of the questions running amok in his brain, but he filed them away for later inspection. It was possible Scarlet knew the answer, but now wasn’t the best time to discuss it.

  Hesitating at the next hallway, Jared looked at the floor and walls. It was obvious that someone, or something, dragged the bodies of those massacred through this entry.

  Jared’s heart rate increased, and the urge to flee escalated so much that he backed up a step, intending to bolt in the other direction.

  Scarlet, how are we looking up there? Everything still quiet?

  It is the same as it was before, but my senses are—it is as if something violent lurks just out of sight.

  You aren’t the only one. There’s this other corridor I’m standing in front of, and it looks horrific. The walls and floor—heck, even the ceiling—have blood stains everywhere. The only reason I’m even considering going further is that the stains are old, faded. The weirdest part is that there are no remnants of anything killed here. Not even a single scrap of clothing. I just don’t understand it.

  Jared.

  Don’t worry Scarlet, I’ll be careful. I’ll take it very slow and if I see anything suspicious, I’ll retreat.

  Taking a deep breath, Jared crossed into the hall, pistol held in front of him. He crept along the tunnel as quietly as possible, looking at every crevice for any signs of danger. The tunnel continued a few hundred feet and opened into another large room. Switching Heat Sight on, Jared paused a few feet away from the opening and crouched for several minutes, ensuring nothing waited beyond.

  Night Vision re-engaged, he stole forward in a low crouch and entered the room. What he saw stopped him in his tracks, icy tendrils of fear snaking through his body.

  What the heck happened here?

  The room had three entrances and every single one of them bore bloody stains. In the room itself, bloody patches and spray patterns painted a gruesome spectacle, a miasma of death and destruction.

  The scent of death and decay emanated most strongly in this place. The metallic coppery taste was palpable. Though the smell wasn’t much better, Jared forced his mouth closed, preferring the smell of decay to the taste on his tongue.

  Like the dining hall he’d just vacated, only the blood remained. No other evidence aside from drag marks, and the occasional furrow in the stone, marked the passage.

  Where did they go?

  Jared looked around the room at the walls and ceiling and found a bunch of holes in them. Unlike the worm’s den, these holes were no bigger than the span of his hand and filled with bits of bone and cloth. Walking closer made it clear that the putrid smell permeating the room, and the entire underground facility, originated here. This was ground zero for the mayhem that happened many years earlier.

  Scarlet, whatever happened to these people was unimaginable. It looks like something dismembered them and dragged parts of their bodies through holes no bigger than my hand.

  What could do something like that?

  I’ve no idea, but whatever, or whoever, did it appears long gone. There’s no evidence this place has seen a living creature in decades.

  Are you coming back out?

  Not yet. There are more tunnels to explore, and I haven’t seen anything to indicate there are predators down here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s freaking creepy, but I think it’s safe at the moment. From the size of these rooms and tunnels, I bet this underground complex weaves under the entire town. My main concern is getting too close to the water, but I think I’ve got a good idea where I am relative to the surface.

  There were two additional tunnels branching from the chamber he stood in, the third being the one he’d just come from. His mind a bit rattled from the discovery of this place, Jared had trouble determining which tunnel led toward the water, and which away from it.

  I wonder.

  Jared brought up the image of the city from his and Scarlet’s flight a few days earlier. Next, he replayed the moments when he entered the cellar and every tunnel
he’d traversed since. Using the photographic images, he merged both the aerial view with his progress through the tunnels and a three-dimensional map emerged.

  “Awesome!” whooped Jared.

  The mental map allowed him to orient himself with the lake and ensure he stayed clear of it for now. The tunnel directly in front of him paralleled the water line and was several hundred yards from its edge. The other tunnel led at a forty-degree angle away from the water and towards the outskirts of the small town.

  Wanting to avoid the water, Jared chose the direction leading away from it. At the end of the corridor, he found another large room with dozens of cots scattered randomly around the floor. It looked like a sleeping area, or an infirmary, but he couldn’t tell for sure since nothing remained but the furniture.

  Contrary to the scene in the dining area, this area showed signs of a massive struggle. Cots lay on their sides, the canvas stretched across them ripped and the metal frames bent out of shape. Blood stained every surface. Jared hoped there were some boosters down here. If it was an infirmary, this would be where he’d store them, if there were any left.

  Hey Scarlet, have you seen any evidence to suggest people lived here within the last ten years? I’m curious if they knew of this place, or if they had any boosters before this massacre took place.

  I…It is hard to say, but there are some structures that look modified, as if someone repaired them.

  If they were here after the nanites became available, and were a recognized colony, then they might have a stockpile somewhere. I’m in what looks like an infirmary, but so far haven’t found anything worth saving.

  A tiny room at the back corner was the only place he hadn’t searched. It turned out to be a small storage closet with floor to ceiling industrial grade glass cabinets. Surprisingly, this room was untouched by the horrors just a few steps away. Opening the containers and cabinets, Jared found a veritable treasure trove of medical supplies.

  “Wow,” breathed Jared. The cache of medical supplies was equal to the stash back at his home colony.

  Scarlet! I found a ton of medical supplies!

  Boosters?

  Nothing yet, but I haven’t finished going through everything yet. I’ll try to bring as much of this out with me as possible. We can return later for the rest of it.

  Jared opened cabinet after cabinet, placing everything he could into an empty crate off to the side. He grabbed bandages, healing salves, sealed bottles of disinfectant, surgical tools, and a smattering of painkillers.

  All that remained was a locked cabinet he hadn’t opened yet. Grabbing a knife from his pack, he wedged it into the door and popped it open. It was hardly heavy duty and not designed to keep a determined person out.

  Jared eyes widened, his mouth dropping open in shock.

  Row after row of booster shots lined every shelf. He fell back on his butt and stared in muted wonder. There were enough boosters to sustain a colony for years.

  Scarlet, I found the mother lode here. There’s got to be at least a hundred boosters.

  Jared emptied some bandages and tools from the crate he’d packed and stacked the boosters inside.

  We need to find some way for you to help me carry all this stuff after we move away from here. No way I’m leaving any of this behind.

  I can hold them with my claws.

  Yeah, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. If we need to fight, it will just get in the way, and if you have to drop them…no, I think I should fashion a sling or something you can wear around your neck.

  You will just need to make sure it doesn’t interfere with my wings.

  We’ll figure something out before we leave the area.

  After he finished loading the crate, Jared hiked back to the cellar and deposited the box in one of the empty rooms. If he had to make a quick escape from the tunnels, he didn’t want to lose it.

  The crate secured in the storage room, he returned to the chamber and took the tunnel running parallel to the water. After a time, the tunnel branched yet again. One led directly away from the water, the other headed towards it. Sticking with his previous plan, Jared took the tunnel leading away from the water.

  The corridor ran for a short distance until he ran into a huge steel door. Thankfully, it wasn’t closed, since he doubted he’d be able to break through it otherwise. Entering the room, Jared froze, his eyes nearly popping from their sockets.

  “Holy mother of all that’s—wow!”

  Forgetting all about decorum and caution, Jared ran through the room, his eyes darting back and forth at row after row of weapons and ammunition. The room held cages secured by padlocks and in each cage rested dozens if not hundreds of weapons. He saw pistols, rifles, shotguns, machine guns, grenade launchers, and even explosives.

  The back wall held barrels of raw ingredients for various explosives and ammunition. There were multiple presses for reloading his bullets.

  Scarlet, you’ll never believe—

  Jared, you need to get out of there NOW!

  Jared didn’t hesitate; he spun on his heel and raced through the tunnels at breakneck speed. He made it back to the house, and Scarlet thumped to the ground as he exited the cellar.

  What’s wrong?

  Get on!

  As soon as Jared leapt unto Scarlet’s back, she leapt into the air. When she was a safe distance from the ground, she banked and headed toward the waterline.

  Look.

  Jared looked out over the water and vegetation. “It’s moving. Scarlet, what—”

  Keep watching.

  As he watched, the vegetation writhed like tentacles on the ground. Even more disconcerting, they moved in the direction Jared just left. Not the small house, but the underground execution chamber he’d discovered.

  “How?”

  Look at the water with your Heat Sight.

  Jared followed her instructions and gasped in surprise. Where before the lake looked like a bunch of independent creature’s swimming around, now it looked like one giant undulating creature. All the life forms, or life form, coalesced into a giant ball of energy.

  The water above the area bubbled and thrashed from the activity and mass of the creature.

  “What is that thing?”

  I do not think it is a single thing, but a bunch of life forms that make up its whole. While I watched from the air, all the creatures swimming in the water had their own volition, but as soon as the plants moved, they stopped their independent movement and like a hive mind moved to that spot you see now.

  “So, all of this vegetation is part of that...thing?”

  I do not know for sure, but it can control parts of it.

  The vines wriggled across the ground, and Jared got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  “In that chamber I found below, there’s a bunch of holes just big enough for vines like that.” Jared projected an image of the chamber to Scarlet. “I bet this thing killed them and dragged their bodies off.”

  It is the only theory we have at the moment, but it seems plausible. Though how did it herd everyone into that chamber?

  “I don’t know, but we’ve got to get rid of that thing. We need to get back into that room I just came from. There’re enough weapons in there to build an army. They have explosives and any kind of gun you can think of aside from phase weapons. We have to get back in somehow.”

  We will watch and learn. It did not start moving until you passed the chamber you showed me.

  “How did it know I was there?”

  I do not know, and I have been unwilling to get closer to find out. Did you come into contact with any plants below?

  “No. At least none that I’m aware of.”

  Clearly, we are missing something.

  “Whatever we’re missing, we need to figure it out. I’m not leaving this area until we get back in
to those tunnels. That cache of weapons is much too valuable to leave here. I’m just glad I brought the boosters back to the cellar. We should at least return and grab them in case the vines spread out that far. We’ll hole up in the barn until we figure out what to do.”

  They flew back to the cellar opening, and Jared carried the crate and safe outside.

  Jared secured the lid of the crate, so nothing fell out. Even losing one booster would be a travesty. They were like gold in the world and he wanted every possible advantage he could get. Scarlet gripped both of the boxes in her fore claws and used her hind legs to launch them into the air.

  “Let’s see if we can find some place to rest farther away for tonight. The barn is probably far enough away, but I don’t want to risk it.”

  Scarlet flew west, away from the finger-like lakes and to safety. They needed to regroup and create a plan to deal with the plant-controlling ball of energy.

  We will find a way.

  Scarlet flew for at least thirty minutes before Jared spotted a row of crumbling buildings with no signs of life around. He patted Scarlet’s side and showed her the location to set down. One of the buildings was large enough for Scarlet to climb inside. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but at least it’d shield them from sight.

  Scarlet set down and squeezed into the building through the partially collapsed room, giving him space to bring the crate and safe inside.

  He popped the lid open and picked up a booster. Composed of surgical grade plastic with a near infinite shelf-life, Jared turned it over in his hand. It seemed like just yesterday he wasn’t sure if he’d survive another two months, and now he had enough for an entire colony to survive years.

  “Scarlet, do you think this booster would give me a lot of free nanites? For enhancements? There are hundreds of them here.”

  I do not believe they would. Their primary purpose is to reset the coding to prevent corruption.

  Jared sent his mind inward, examining the nanites. Now that he was able to sense and understand them, it didn’t take him long to find the code responsible for adapting to his DNA sequence. It was simple really. After injecting the booster, the initialization sequence allowed the new nanites to compare their coding with the existing nanites, and if they are corrupt, it sent a reset instruction, with code parameters to fix them.