The rooms flew by, and he saw no changes—the underground facility was exactly as he’d left it the day before. Jared made great time as he neared the armory. On the way there, Jared had two warring thoughts. They could grab all the weapons and gear and fly away from this place. Or they could come up with a plan to kill the creature in the lake.
The thoughts swirling in his mind, it went into overdrive. He moved as if in slow motion, but his mind accelerated much faster than he’d ever experienced.
This must be Hyper-Cognition!
He’d briefly examined the nanites responsible for this area of his brain, but they were much more complex than the ones that handled physical changes, so he’d not spent a lot of time learning about them yet.
All he knew for sure was that the nanites meshed into his brain and created an electrical array of sorts that allowed his neural pathways to expand and speed up his thought process. Even the thoughts about how the Hyper-Cognition worked happened in the space of a nanosecond.
Wanting to take advantage of the increased mental capacity, Jared used the rapid-fire thoughts to analyze what he knew about the creature in the lake.
Based on the congregation of life forms when it became active, it couldn’t move locations, or perhaps it had an underground cave it lived in. Recalling the images he’d observed from Scarlet’s back, he peered intently at the undulating blob under the water, hundreds of singular bodies swirling around it.
How could we kill this thing? I know there’s C-4 in the armory, and it should work underwater, but I’ve never used it before, and I’ve only read about explosives in books. As Jared sifted through his memories of explosives, he never recalled seeing them in his colony, nor observing them in use.
Pulling up the images of the armory, Jared scanned the books on the shelf, looking for anything that might give him information about explosives, how they worked, and their limitations. A book sat on a shelf near the bottom, titled Explosives: Nitroglycerin, Thermite, C-4, Semtex, & Gunpowder.
Perfect!
The next thing Jared looked for was anything he could use as an explosive beyond the C-4 he’d already seen, but the only other barrels he could see from his cursory scan earlier was gunpowder, and he knew that wouldn’t work.
Throughout the entire Hyper-Cognition process, he’d only managed to take two steps down the hall, even though he’d been sprinting when it activated.
This is amazing!
Jared thought of all the ways he could use it in combat. He vowed to spend more time learning and using the ability in less dire circumstances. Turning the images of the armory over in his mind, Jared skimmed over all the various handguns, machine-guns, and even rifles. None of them provided the penetration he needed under the water to have an impact against the creature.
Quickly realizing that explosives were the only solution, or something that would ignite underwater at the very least; he ignored the rest of the arsenal.
Jared wracked his brain for anything he’d ever learned about fire and its ability to burn underwater. Although he recalled fire that could ignite underwater, he didn’t remember any details, and Memory Recall wasn’t helping.
All the possibilities he remembered exhausted, Jared focused on only the items he knew would work. He’d come back for the rest after the creature was dead.
Jared deactivated Hyper-Cognition.
“Ugh.” Jared stumbled into the wall, his brain slowed to a crawl, and throbbing pain pulsed at his temples. His limbs seemed uncoordinated and he struggled to regain his balance.
Wow, that hurts. I won’t be doing that again so soon. Jared grabbed his head in pain, putting pressure on his temples to stop the throbbing.
Gathering his wits, he hobbled the rest of the way to the armory and set the crates down. Before Jared gathered the explosives and books, he used his rifle to smash the locks on all the cages, running around all the pillars to make sure he captured all the contents of the room in his memory. A mental inventory of sorts.
The crate near overflowing with materials, he saved the manual on explosives for last and flipped it open to the table of contents. It only took a few seconds of scanning to find a chapter on Unquenchable Flames, just after sections on Magnesium and Blasting Caps. This book could prove invaluable to him, especially if it detailed how to create different types of bombs and components for reloading ammunition.
Scarlet, how’re we doing up there? Jared asked before he started reading through the entry on Unquenchable Flames.
So far, I see no movement on the surface, but the activity within the water sped up slightly.
I’m almost done. I’ve got the start of a plan to deal with this thing in the water, but I want to make sure I’ve gathered all the necessary materials.
Jared returned his attention to the book in front of him and read the title of the section Thermite, a type of fire that could burn underwater. The list of ingredients made this an unlikely avenue:
1. Iron oxide
2. Aluminum powder
3. Magnesium ribbon or thermite ignition mixture
For military grade thermite, use the following ingredients:
4. Barium Nitrate
5. Sulfur
6. Dextrin
Jared’s eyes roved over the various containers and barrels in the room. He found oxidized iron, aluminum powder, and magnesium strips. However, he found none of the barium nitrate or sulfur. He scanned the list of ingredients and then jumped back to the index to see if it talked about each component individually. Sure enough, there were entries describing each component.
Jared, you need to go! The plants are moving again.
I’m moving! Jared said as he quickly threw the ingredients and a few more weapons into the crate. For good measure, he raced into one of the cages and ripped off the wooden lid to a crate of grenades. Quickly grabbing a couple handfuls, he put two in his pocket and dumped the rest into the crate, filling up the empty space.
I really hope these things can’t detonate accidentally.
Hesitating for only a second, Jared shrugged. Either he got out of there now or risked dying at the hands of the carnivorous plants gunning for him. An accidental explosion was a much better way to go.
Every nook and cranny of the container filled, he high-tailed it out of the armory as fast as he could run carrying his burden. He made good time even with the added weight, until he reached the execution chamber.
Jared skidded to a stop, throwing himself backward. The crate landed on top of him, spilling some of its contents. The chamber was no longer empty. Writing vines covered in thorns slithered around the room. They reacted to his presence and stretched for him. Night Vision didn’t allow him to see much detail, but the tips of the thorns were darker than the vines and shared the same faded color as the blood splatters throughout the room. Jared imagined them stained with the blood of the many victims whose flesh they’d ripped into.
Panicking, Jared righted the crate, unceremoniously stuffed the items back in, and backpedaled from the entrance. From a safe distance, he watched the vines moving around the room. They were much faster than they’d looked on the surface, and Jared wondered if what they’d seen above was just an echo of the activity occurring beneath the earth.
Scarlet, I’m in trouble here! The plants already infiltrated the bunker. You remember that execution chamber I showed you? Well, it’s full of thorny vines.
As Jared looked closer, he saw a viscous fluid dripping from the thorns and knew he couldn’t let them touch his flesh.
Can you get out another way?
There is only one path leading from the chamber to the armory. Maybe there’s a hidden tunnel somewhere, but I don’t have time to look for it. Hold on, I’ve got an idea. This is a military grade complex, so it should be able to withstand some serious damage, right?
Jared. Recklessness is not the way to
go.
I’ll be fine. My hearing on the other hand… With that, Jared pulled the pin on a grenade from his pocket, tossed it into the room, and raced back up the tunnel, putting as much distance between the explosion and himself as possible. Just before he rounded the corner, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the nightmarish vines clawing toward him in the tunnel entrance.
Oh man. I wonder what’s attracting it? Can it sense my heat, my blood, or the nanites? What if killing the thing in the water doesn’t eliminate the threat? Can we even kill it? Whatever it is.
A violent explosion interrupted his thoughts and set his ears ringing. A wave of intense heat washed over him, and the concussive force of the explosion rocked him back on his heels. After the explosion, it was silent for a short moment, and then Jared heard a furious scraping and thrashing from the room. Peeking around the corner, he found the explosion had only made it angry.
It blew apart dozens of vines, but it didn’t diminish the danger in the least as more vines entered the room.
That didn’t work, Scarlet. I think I made it mad!
Jared feverishly cycled through his options, looking for any way to get out of the situation.
I could go back to the armory and shut the door, but how much time would that really buy me? How long would it take to burrow through the ground? How long before I ran out of oxygen?
No, that wouldn’t work. He needed to get through the chamber in front of him, or he’d die down here.
Scarlet, can you see where these vines enter the ground?
I see some of them wiggling around, but it’s hard to say. There are hundreds of strands, and they spread out all over the place.
See if you can pinpoint where they enter the earth and breathe your fire on them. I want to see if there’s any reaction to the ones in here. Be careful not to get too close. I don’t want one of these accidentally grabbing you. It looks like it secretes some kind of fluid from the thorns.
Okay, diving now.
Jared didn’t have long to wait as half of the vines in the room thrashed about. They entangled others and weaved about the room with abandon.
It worked! Do it again, Scarlet, I think I can get through if you take out a few more.
Get ready!
Again, Scarlet breathed fire on the vines, and half a dozen more of the vines fell limp, creating a narrow path for Jared to run through. It was still a great risk, since there was no way to predict how the vines moved. It seemed completely random. If the creature was smart enough to block the entrance, he’d be trapped.
It’s working Scarlet. Let’s go for one more pass just to be safe.
Ready?
Yes, go!
At the same time, Jared threw another grenade into the room and picked up the crate filled with his loot.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited until the grenade detonated and surged ahead. The concussive and heat waves slammed into him, shoving him back a step. He pushed through and sprinted for all he was worth, angling for the tunnel that’d take him out and into the clear.
The moment he entered the tunnel, his body slowed, and his mind raced ahead, Hyper-Cognition activating of its own volition. It’s possible he’d activated it subconsciously, but it came as a surprise to him. Jared almost deactivated it the moment it started. It only heightened his sense of dread to see several dozen of the vines laying limp on the floor while dozens more emerged from the holes.
Jared observed the vines with a mix of horror and fascination. It wasn’t until several of the newly emerged tendrils sped up noticeably, even in the Hyper-Cognition state, that his fascination gave way to outright terror.
Filtering out any other thoughts but survival, Jared deactivated his ability and strained his muscles to the brink, Maximum Muscle activating and propelling him through the entry.
A grin on his face, Jared rejoiced in his close call as his upper body cleared the threshold. A moment later, a wave of fiery agony exploded down his back, wiping the grin from his face. Searing pain arced down his spine in waves, the pain clouding his mind and vision as he struggled to make it out of the underground facility.
Scarlet, I’m...I’m coming.
Jared! Are you okay?
Jared didn’t answer as he continued his mad, stumbling dash through the corridors. At last, the storage room came into view. By this point, the pulsating agony cascading across his back spread to other parts of his body, and his mind fogged over. His brain was trying to shut down to separate his consciousness from the massive amount of pain he’d endured in just a few short minutes.
Jared dropped the crate and crawled toward the cellar.
Almost...there...
He made it into the room and collapsed face down, oblivious to Scarlet’s panicked cries as darkness enveloped him.
Scarlet’s screamed, her rage washing over Jared as he faded in and out of awareness.
Jared? Jared? Answer me!
Scarlet? I’m here. The words echoed in his mind, but try as he might, he couldn’t project them to Scarlet. Involuntary grunts passed his lips as he struggled to no avail.
Slowly, as if in a fog, Jared struggled to his knees, not in control of his own body. He looked up at Scarlet, his eyes dull.
No! Jared screamed in rage, but he was powerless to stop whatever controlled him. He watched from the recesses of his own mind as Scarlet ripped into the floor. Her rage washed over him again and again. If she didn’t get to him before his puppet-master forced him back down the tunnel, he was a dead man.
Jared, stop! Scarlet shouted, forcing as much psionic pressure into his mind as she could. Jared hesitated only a moment and took two unsteady steps toward the corridor.
Before he took another, half of the roof collapsed in front of him, and he cheered Scarlet on.
Scarlet’s claws closed around him. She did her best to avoid squishing him or cutting him on the razor’s edge of her claws. However, whatever controlled him didn’t know or care and thrashed his body around.
Psionic pressure repeatedly battered his mind as Scarlet tried to break the hold of the creature holding him hostage.
Scarlet flew to the same building they’d slept in the night before and set Jared down inside. She settled in behind him, blocking all the exits from the room. It served to keep him confined since whatever controlled him was not smart. It didn’t try for his weapons, running, or using any of his abilities like Maximum Strength to get away.
Jared, please wake up.
The anguish in her voice pained him. If only he could get a single thought to her. To let her know that he was still inside his head.
Several hours later Jared watched as his body changed direction and started scaling the wall. He fell multiple times before Scarlet’s voice whispered in his mind.
Forgive me, Jared.
The next instant, Scarlet’s tail launched him into the wall, knocking him unconscious.
Several days passed, each the same as the last. Exhausted and desperate, Jared didn’t know if he’d survive much longer. His body was broken and bleeding.
After four days, Jared returned to consciousness lying on the ground, his body unmoving. Not even the being controlling him could overcome the fatigue.
Scarlet lifted her head to look at him. The sadness in her eyes devastated him.
Jared? Can you hear me? Her tone forlorn, Scarlet pressed at the boundaries of his mind. For a split second, Jared felt the presence in his mind give way.
Scarlet? A single word was all he managed before his mind was once again shrouded. With that one word, he pushed all the love and hope possible along the bond. Her eyes widened in surprise, joy and determination bubbling to the surface after so many days of despair.
Jared, are you okay? Jared? No!
The scream pierced his mind, the psionic pressure pushing him past his limits. He passed out, spent fro
m the effort of sending that single word.
Two weeks passed, but Jared only managed to break through a few more times. Again and again, he repeated her name, letting her know that he was still fighting, still holding on to hope they’d make it through. His body was in a state of catatonia. It might’ve been one of his abilities triggering, or a side-effect of the massive trauma he’d endured. Whatever the reason, it prevented him from dying, but also meant he wasn’t healing completely.
The next time Jared’s consciousness surfaced, he lay on the floor a few paces from Scarlet, feeling in slightly more control. He sensed his nanites, the barrier that’d been there before weakened. Rather than using energy to reach out to Scarlet, Jared sent his senses within and opened himself up to the nanites. Their familiar presence greeted him, but he didn’t make it far before he realized there was something abnormal about them. Something blocked him from delving further or sending commands to regenerate himself.
Stepping back in his mind, he found a foreign presence encapsulating the nanites. The code algorithm was altogether alien, and he couldn’t make sense of it.
What is it? Surely, it can’t have taken over all the nanites? thought Jared.
Now that he knew what to look for, Jared cast his mind out wider, specifically looking for nanites responsible for body Manipulation. He found several clusters that showed no sign of the malicious code blocking his access. For each of these clusters, he converted them to Regeneration and forced them to heal and eradicate the foreign substance within his body.
After the mental exertion, darkness once again enveloped him.
The next time Jared woke, he knew something was different. He felt stronger, his body no longer throbbing with the constant fever. The aches and stinging wounds along his arms and legs looked healed. He was still too weak to move, but his consciousness was finally his own.
Hello? Scarlet? Are you there? Jared asked excitedly.
Jared? I’m here!
Radioactive Evolution Page 20