Radioactive Evolution

by Richard Hummel

  All the doors looked identical, so he picked the first door on his left and entered. It was a small room that held two beds, a metal chest of drawers, a metal bookcase on one wall, and an LED light fixture that worked when he flipped the switch on. Aside from the furniture, the room was empty. No pictures. No objects. No bedding.

  His hopes at finding equipment and clothing for everyone plummeted until he opened one of the drawers.

  “Jackpot!”

  His inspection rewarded him with a row of vacuum sealed packages containing shoes, clothes, blankets, pillows, and various toiletries.

  Scarlet, I found clothes, blankets, and a place for everyone to live. There’s a living space down here just past the laboratory.

  I will let everyone know.

  I still have more exploring to do, and there’s another tunnel that leads out of this room, but I’ll head back with the items shortly.

  Jared resumed his exploration of the living areas and found each room had the exact same items. There were thirty rooms in total, each capable of housing two.

  Before moving on to explore the other tunnel, Jared grabbed packages to examine the sizing and material. Thankfully, all of the clothes were adjustable and came in two main sizes, small and large. Shoes, on the other hand, were a bit harder to use universally. Curiously, he picked up a pair to see how they worked.

  They were a flexible running shoe, with half a dozen straps on them. He could adjust the length of the shoes using latches on the sides, the width using a single latch on top, and a pair of Velcro straps secured them in place in lieu of laces. The soles would need cutting for smaller shoe sizes, but otherwise they looked functional and durable.

  They really thought of everything here.

  The sealed clothing, varying sizes, and adjustable shoes suggested they’d prepared for any scenario and wanted each of these rooms equipped to house any two people who needed them. The blankets and pillow were a rough spun material that felt scratchy. And while it might be durable, it wasn’t designed for comfort. Regardless of the material, Jared thanked whoever created and abandoned this bunker for their foresight.

  It’s as if the universe wanted them to stage a coup of the powers in play. Sure, it hadn’t been easy with his near-death experiences, but he couldn’t ask for a better, more equipped place than where he now stood. He and Scarlet had gone through numerous trials, but in the end, it had all paid off.

  Jared returned the new clothes to the package, placed them back in the drawer and left the room.

  He followed the only corridor remaining and found a door identical to the armory.

  No way.

  Jared opened the door and froze, his jaw falling open in shock. The room beyond boasted military vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Cars, trucks, motorcycles. He’d never seen so many gathered in once place, since they didn’t use many vehicles these days. Many of the older ones relied on gasoline to function, and it was a scarce commodity to find. If they had fuel stored here, this would be the single most valuable place in the entire country, excepting the cities of course.

  Walking around the vehicles, he quickly realized that every one of them ran on electricity. Excited, he tried turning them on, but not even a click or spark of activity registered. They were all dead. Then again, the solar array hadn’t been on, so they’d all just lost their charge. Now that the power was back on, he’d need to find a way to recharge them. It would make getting around a lot easier. It’d also protect them from many of the creatures that now roamed the area.

  Scarlet, I found an entire garage filled to the brim with vehicles. They’re all dead, but we might be able charge them using the solar array. Wait, actually... After closer inspection, it looked like they each had a plug connected to a charging outlet.

  “They’re plugged in already.” mumbled Jared. “Maybe there’s a switch to turn on the charging station?”

  What is a vehicle? Scarlet asked, interrupted his thoughts.

  You know what a wagon is, right?

  Of course.

  These vehicles are electric powered wagons made of metal but enclosed on all sides.

  It sounds intriguing, but I will stick with flying.

  Jared chuckled at her response. He’d stick with flying too if the situation called for it, but these could be invaluable for transporting their gear, weapons, and people when the need arose.

  Jared looked for a power switch but didn’t see one in the immediate area. He was torn between his desire to tinker with the new toys and get the much-needed clothing to the waterfolk. In the end, he decided duty must come first, and the vehicles could wait until they had more time to fully inspect them and the area.

  Hiking back to the dorm area, Jared ran from room to room and pulled a pair of clothes and shoes out for each person. They might feel perfectly normal walking about in their birthday suits, but it made him slightly uncomfortable, and he looked forward to getting them into more civil attire.

  Jared looked at the pile of clothes and shoes he’d created and realized he’d need another crate to carry everything. Jogging back to the laboratory, he emptied one of the containers filled with old lab equipment and carried it back to the dorm. The clothing loaded, Jared picked up the crate and made his way back to the cellar.

  Hey Scarlet, I’m on my way—

  Jared cocked his head to the side as he heard a high-pitched humming noise that grew in volume. In an instant, he placed the noise.

  Scarlet, make sure you’re in the barn! Is anyone outside?

  No, what’s wrong? We’re safe in the barn.

  Stay there! I’ll explain in a minute.

  While Jared spoke with Scarlet, he activated Thermoregulation and decreased his body heat. He ducked back into the mouth of the tunnel just to make sure he wasn’t visible. The moment he crossed the threshold, a drop ship passed overhead.

  What are they doing here?

  It wasn’t just passing through either. It hovered directly over the town. He couldn’t risk poking his head out to see what they were doing. Wait, why am I acting like this? They aren’t exactly hostile all the time. I mean, I know they lied to us, but they don’t know I know. Jared contemplated going out to see if he could get their attention but decided against it.

  They may not show hostility in survivor colonies, but this was also the place of a research facility, military complex, a huge number of weapons, and a dragon imprisoned beneath the water. If they knew he’d discovered the complex below there was a good chance they’d just kill him and bury the secret with him.

  After a few minutes, he felt the ground rumble, and his curiosity almost got the better of him, but he’d promised Scarlet—and now Vanessa—to exercise extreme caution, and he wanted to abide by his promises.

  Fifteen minutes later, Jared heard the aircraft hum increase in volume, and it passed overhead again. Cowering back into the tunnel a short distance, Jared waited until he no longer heard the ship before he moved out into the open. Jumping out of the cellar, Jared looked in the direction the ship visited, but saw nothing that showed its purpose.

  It was in the same general direction as the garage full of vehicles he’d found, and Jared wondered if he’d somehow alerted them to his presence. There was nothing he could do about it now in any case, so he picked up the crate and took a step toward the barn.

  Before his foot landed, the ground bucked beneath him, sending him stumbling off balance. The crate tipped on its side, and Jared landed hard on his back. The ground bucked again and again, throwing him several feet into the air, only this time a loud explosion accompanied the shifting earth. Whipping his head toward the sound, he watched the ground erupt in a cloud of debris. Buildings around the explosion blew outward, and Jared’s eyes widened as he looked to the lake.

  The laboratory!

  Jared! What was that? Are you okay?

  I’m fine Scarl
et, just stay where you are! A drop ship flew over, and now there’s some explosions going off. I don’t know what’s going on but stay there until I can figure it out.

  The ground stopped vibrating for a second before a whole series of explosions ripped through the air. Jared watched, dumbfounded, as a web of explosions blew apart the ground in a crisscrossing pattern.

  “No!” Jared shouted, the blood draining from his face and a cold pit opening in his stomach.

  The explosion pattern mirrored the underground facility. He watched in horror as everything he’d just discovered vanished in an instant. Buildings all across the area crumbled to the ground, collapsing into the newly formed craters. Every time the chain reaction reached one of the large underground rooms, the explosion magnified tenfold as massive bombs shook the ground and geysers of debris shot into the air.

  Jared dropped to his knees, sick to his stomach. Everything he’d endured. The discoveries he’d made...all for naught.

  Jared screamed incoherently, shaking his fist at the sky and wishing he could call down justice to obliterate the cities.

  The explosions continued to ripple out from the garage, spreading throughout the entire sub-structure. He watched in horror as the armory exploded in a massive detonation that threw him to the ground. Despair welled up within him. He lay there, unmoving, staring at a cloudless sky while the explosions raged on, slowly tapering off, the occasional secondary explosion making tiny popping noises under all the rubble.

  Jared, what happened?

  Stay. Please. I’m okay.

  You do not sound okay, I’m coming—

  Stay!

  Jared instantly felt guilty for yelling at her, his emotions getting the better of him.

  Sorry, Scarlet. Please, just stay. I’ll be back soon and explain everything. I just...I need a minute.

  Scarlet didn’t answer, no doubt getting the message that Jared didn’t want to talk about it right now. After several minutes, Jared picked himself up off the ground and surveyed the area.

  “It’s gone. It’s all gone,” he said, a hitch in his voice as rage and sadness warred for control of his emotions. The armory, infirmary, dining hall, laboratory, barracks, garage...all gone.

  How did they know?

  He didn’t know where the city that had dispatched the ship was, so he couldn’t be certain how long it’d taken them to arrive, or when they got the alert, but Jared suspected it was when they turned on the electricity and subsequently released Razael. It made sense they’d want to monitor what happened there. Although he didn’t know which city deployed the ship to destroy the facility, Jared no longer held any doubts about who experimented on Razael.

  “It was the cities,” breathed Jared. “Just like the wars, the technovirus, my mother’s death, enslavement of humanity, Razael’s death, and his imprisonment of the waterfolk.”

  All the recent and past atrocities lay squarely on their heads. Jared looked at the crate next to him and the clothes he’d salvaged before everything else turned into a pile of ash. At least he’d gotten enough clothing for everyone. He already had the crate of boosters, medical supplies, and a crate full of weapons manuals and explosives. Not everything was a loss, but losing all those weapons and vehicles, not to mention a perfectly sound barracks, made him furious.

  On his way back to the barn, Jared turned over everything in his head. By the time he reached the barn, he’d decided on a course of action and knew what needed done. He stepped into the barn with a grim look on his face. Scarlet waited for him within but didn’t speak when she saw him. They knew each other well enough at this point to know Jared would speak to her when he was ready.

  “Everyone,” Jared said raising his voice. “Please gather around.”

  He waited until everyone assembled and then he opened the crate and grabbed the first outfit. He called names of each person, choosing the sizes that fit best with each person. Thanks to his Memory Recall he’d grabbed sizes to fit everyone. Clothing and shoes doled out, Jared suggested all of them dress before he explained what happened. Once everyone was clothed, he spoke.

  “As some of you no doubt remember, there is a military complex beneath the city here.” Jared saw looks of surprise flit across some faces, but most present nodded their heads in recognition.

  “What some of you may not know is that there was an armory containing hundreds of weapons and tons of ammunition. That is where I got the explosives to kill Razael and free all of you.” Jared pointed to the crate up in the loft. “There was a section of the facility unexplored by those that used to live here. Those in the colony,” he clarified.

  Again, he saw people nodding their heads in agreement.

  “Well, as you know, I found a way through the barrier blocking the entrance and discovered Razael imprisoned beneath the water.”

  Vanessa place a hand on his arm, sending a warmth through his body. Her touch comforted him and helped him get through his explanation.

  “What I also found in that facility would’ve kept us safe, housed everyone, and given us the means to thrive as a new colony. Obviously, I found all these clothes,” Jared gestured to those around him. “But I also found a dormitory, some kind of laboratory, and a massive garage with all kinds of electric vehicles.”

  Jared paused for a moment, anger threatening to drive him over the edge.

  Composing himself as best he could, he seethed, “It’s all gone.”

  Whispered voices echoed around the room, but a single, overpowering voice thundered in his mind, and the mind of all those present.

  How?

  Jared turned to Scarlet. “I’m sorry, Scarlet. I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d try to fly over and protect me. A drop ship landed somewhere by the garage I found and set off a series of bombs throughout the tunnels. From what I can tell, it destroyed everything. The latticework of bomb detonations followed the same path of the tunnels below.”

  Jared bent his head to Scarlet’s and said, I think we should tell them about the techno-virus and bonding. We may as well lay it all on the table and play the cards as they fall. My only hesitation right now is this George character. We don’t know his story, but in light of this recent development we need to push ourselves to get stronger as fast as possible. There’s only so much two of us can do. We need allies.

  I think it is a good decision. The short time I spent with them allowed me to know where their loyalties lie. Aside from George, they will not betray us. I think Damien is all bravado and when push comes to shove, he will fall into line. I also believe they are strong enough to hear the truth.

  After a few minutes, he turned back to the group and his voice changed. Anger raged just beneath the surface, but an undertone of hope turned a few heads in his direction.

  “Not all is lost. You have the clothes on your back, we have a temporary shelter, and the boxes I have in the loft are more than just explosives. There are dozens of weapons manuals for everyone to read and study, medical supplies that should last us a while, and over one hundred nanite injectors.”

  Jared paused, expecting some sort of fanfare or applause, but they remained silent, as if the news were commonplace. Shaking his head in bewilderment, Jared hesitated, trying to find the best way to broach the topic.

  I can show them?

  In a moment, I think I need to prepare them first.

  Jared hesitated, trying to find the best way to bring it up. He didn’t see a great way to rip the bandage free and just started at the beginning.

  “We have something else the cities above know nothing about. Well, only one person, but for all we know he’s long dead, or imprisoned. He shunned the regime in charge up in the cities and brought us the nanite technology that allows us to survive the radiation. This professor gave a gift to mankind, but perhaps no one, besides me and Scarlet, stumbled upon that gift.”

  A bit on the dram
atic side there?

  Jared ignored her and plodded forward.

  “If you’ve not guessed already, Scarlet and I have a unique relationship. We are bonded, and not just a close relationship, but physically bonded together through a fusing of our nanites. That bond unlocks access to the nanites, allowing us to improve our strength and acquire abilities.”

  Shocked expressions and looks of disbelief washed over their faces, and Jared didn’t blame them for second-guessing him. If he’d been in their place, no doubt he’d have done the same.

  “The price for this bond is to learn the truth. It’s to learn that much of what you know is a lie.”

  He emphasized each word and let it sink into their hearts and minds. They needed to know the gravity of the situation and to walk into this without false expectations. Jared motioned for everyone to gather around Scarlet and place their hand on her.

  While everyone found a place next to Scarlet, Jared addressed her directly. Scarlet, please show them the message from Igor and gauge their feelings and mental fortitude. Once they’ve had time to digest it, let me speak with them before we show them how I found you and the bond.

  Every person lost their desire to stand after reading the message. Many sobbed openly, crying out with names of loved ones, or spewing venomous words to those responsible.

  Scarlet, is everyone okay?

  They…will be fine. The emotional strain these last few days has taken a toll on them.

  Jared gave everyone some time to process what they’d seen, recalling how he’d felt after learning the truth. The righteous hate, the rage, and loss of his mother still haunted him, and even now tinted his thoughts red with vengeance. He let the emotions out with a strong breath of air.

  A clear head and mind were what these people needed, and thoughts of vengeance could wait until later.

  After everyone vented their frustrations, Jared returned to his explanations. “What you read at the end of Igor’s message gives me hope that one day, we can right the wrongs done to humanity. I hope you will stand with me in our quest to bring justice to the world. Not only did the elite take advantage of the helpless survivors here on earth, but they oppressed the dragons as evidenced by Razael’s imprisonment. I’ve taken a vow to bring justice to everyone, humans and dragon alike. Before I ask you to decide, I’ve asked Scarlet to show you our bond.”