Radioactive Evolution

by Richard Hummel

  Jared woke before the sun cracked over the horizon and started pulling on his gear. By the time he’d finished, those accompanying him were ready to go. Everyone was eager to go visit the city and their own homes. Stacking all the manuals near the ladder, Jared asked Scarlet to once again keep people away from the loft, and then they set out to explore.

  Vanessa chose to go with the search party and walked next to Jared, holding his hand since she still preferred using Telepathy.

  I’d like to go to my home and see if there’s anything left.

  Jared replied out loud for the benefit of the whole group. “Vanessa asked to see her old home, and I think it’d be a good idea for all of you to go to your old homes, provided they are within the area we’ll be searching. While we are in the city, everyone needs to remain close and always travel in groups.”

  No matter how many times Jared tried to pick up the pace, it wasn’t in the cards for these people. They shuffled forward at an agonizingly slow speed, and Jared dreaded their journey to the mountain. They didn’t even have any equipment to burden them.

  Shaking his head, Jared used the time to get to know Vanessa better. He found out that her parents had been in charge for many years while enslaved, but that finally they’d endured enough and cracked under the strain, never to be seen again. He also found out she had a little sister, but never knew what happened to her after their minds were taken from them. It was obvious she wasn’t with the group, so Jared surmised that she was dead. The conversation reached a lull as Vanessa lapsed into silence, thinking about her sister. There was nothing Jared could say to ease the pain, but he stayed by her side, ready to support her in any way he could.

  “I’m curious—what exactly did you do beneath the water? You mentioned your parents were the leaders, and then you, but…”

  We did nothing. Sometimes Razael gave us freedom to roam the lake, but we could not leave. From time to time, he commanded that we congregate with other creatures, though we didn’t know why. Leadership was nothing more than comforting and supporting everyone, doing my best to keep them from going mad.

  Jared squeezed her hand, hearing the hitch in her voice. He knew this was a difficult topic for her but talking it out with someone would help her recovery.

  Smiling, Jared said, “For what it’s worth, I’m glad that you survived and that I met you.”

  For a brief moment their eyes met, and a surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins. The strength she exuded enthralled him. His mother was the only other woman he’d known that matched the strength and compassion portrayed in Vanessa.

  The moment passed, and Jared looked away, his heart thudding in his chest. He felt Vanessa’s pulse racing under his fingers as he squeezed her hand and knew she’d had a similar reaction. Smiling tenderly at her, Jared nodded his head in the direction they traveled.

  “I think we’re here.”

  Several of those in the group disappeared into houses along the road. Jared guessed it was their homes as there was no order, but random selection. Remaining in the street with Vanessa, Jared kept a watchful eye on the surroundings and houses to make sure they weren’t surprised by anything. He expected they’d run into some animals that left the lake, but surprisingly there were none. It could be that everything was deathly afraid of Razael’s influence returning and had permanently vacated the area. If not for the cities knowing about this area, it would be the perfect place to stay. Just thinking about the destruction of the tunnels set his blood boiling.

  “Ow!” Vanessa cried.

  Jared snapped out of his funk and looked at Vanessa. “What’s wrong?”

  “Your hand,” she rasped.

  He looked down and saw that he’d squeezed her hand, leaving imprints. Snatching it away, Jared apologized. “I’m so sorry, Vanessa! I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was thinking about the cities and their constant meddling. This would be the perfect place to start the colony again now that Razael is no more. Instead, we find ourselves slinking off to some hidden ravine where we must start anew.”

  The compassion Jared witnessed moments earlier returned, and Vanessa gave him a re-assuring smile, grabbing his hand once more.

  We will survive this and come out stronger than ever before. We have each other, and we have hope, thanks to the nanites.

  They stood in the middle of the street watching the others ransack their own homes and pile goods into the middle of the street.

  He used the lull in conversation to check in on Scarlet. Hey Scarlet, how are things back there?

  It looks like everyone is working hard at disassembling and assembling the weapons and everyone read through the manuals. There are also a couple people that seemed like they really knew how to handle the weapons already. I think one of them was Johan, the one Vanessa said used to work with his parents in the armory?

  Yep, and if he’s up for it, I might put him in charge of the weapons again.

  How are things going out there?

  Slow. Everyone moves so slowly, I’m not sure how far we’ll get today. I’m thinking we can spend another day here, but then we should get out. If we don’t get to all the houses we need, we’ll make some trips back here in the future.

  I agree. We do not know when that ship will return to make sure it completed its task.

  I’ll let you know when we head back.

  Jared turned back to Vanessa and asked, “ Johan is the person you told me used to work in the armory, right?”

  Well, he was young, but yes he often went with his parents. Why?

  “I think I’d like to put him in charge of our small weapons stock if he’s up for it. I know you all need time to recover, but maybe if we keep everyone busy and give them things to own it will help everyone take back their lives.”

  Thank you. The years with no control over our own bodies, our free will stripped away, will take time to overcome, if some ever do. Vanessa gazed lovingly over those in the group.

  Jared’s demeanor softened. Her compassion for her people warmed his heart, and he resolved to be more considerate of their plight and experiences going forward. He had a mission, certainly, but if he pushed these people away, his objectives became impossible.

  “I think it would be prudent for us to know of any skills your people possess. When we get to our new home, we’ll be entirely on our own. When you lived here before, the cities recognized your colony and provided supplies. I don’t expect that to happen again, and—”

  Jared’s voice trailed off as he looked into her eyes. The white, murky eyes that was just one of the mutations wrought to her body.

  “I—Vanessa, I don’t want the cities to see any of you. If they—If they saw your mutations, they might kill you. Or worse, they might capture you for testing and experiments like they did with Razael.”

  Vanessa blanched and gripped his arm tighter.

  “Scarlet and I set out on a mission to see justice brought to the world. These people sitting up there in their posh homes, their clean air, and with complete immunity to radiation poisoning need a reality check. I bet most of them don’t know what it’s like down here. Hundreds of years of technological advancements up there and we’re still living a primitive life sharpening sticks and stones. They don’t care about us. They never have.”

  I never really thought them evil. They gave us the nanites and occasionally some other things to help us survive. Now we know the truth, but it’s hard to reconcile in my head.

  “I know. My mother died because of the technovirus. I could blame the professor for it because he created them, but he only wanted to give us the same advantage as those above. It was those in charge of the professor that shut his research down, and they’re the ones that lied to the world. Heck, if you need any more proof about how evil they are, just remember Razael. It’s obvious they’re the ones that mutilated him and drove him to madness. Your entire colony ended
up at the bottom of the lake because those in the city perverted and destroyed him.”

  When you put it that way...

  “It’s the truth, and one day they’ll pay for it all.”

  Vanessa didn’t ask any more questions. They lapsed into silence, each lost to their own machinations. Thoughts of vengeance ran rampant in Jared’s mind.

  Their little band of survivors combed the city for hours, slowly making their way through each and every house. The pile of items grew, quickly becoming a mountain of supplies. There was no way they’d be able to take everything with them in one trip.

  A short time later, Vanessa paused in front of a small single-family house, a faraway look in her eyes.

  “Is this your home?” asked Jared.

  It was.

  “Would you like me to come with you?”

  Yes. Please, Vanessa added, her hand tightening around his. After they’d crossed the threshold, her grip squeezed harder, and sharpened fingernails stabbed into his hand.

  Jared grabbed her other hand to reassure her.

  “Relax. I know this is hard for you, but I’m here and will keep you safe. Take all the time you need.” He released her hands, and panic flared briefly behind her eyes. Holding up a hand to forestall any argument, he said, “I’ll stay right here, please do what you must.”

  It didn’t take long for Vanessa to finish her search. She held a small bundle of clothing and a metal box.

  “Find anything worth taking?” Jared asked gently.

  I found some old clothes, though they need patching, and a few pictures kept in this box. I also have a sewing kit, but I don’t even know if the thread is strong enough to use.

  “I’ve got a kit too, but I’ve rarely used it. Normally, I’ll just find a new change of clothes and toss the old ones. My pack is the only thing I keep repaired.”

  Looking around the room, Vanessa whispered, I’m finished here. Her voice shook as she barely controlled her tears.

  Jared held her for a minute until she calmed down. Once the tension left her body, he released her, and they left her childhood home behind. Jared admired her poise as she exited the building, not so much as casting a second glance behind.

  It took the group another few hours to search the remaining houses in a five-block perimeter of the city center. Sifting through the massive pile, Jared found a decent amount of clothing, small pieces of furniture, various small appliances, all manner of backpacks and duffels, and lot of practical items like lighters, axes, hatchets, saws, and various tools. Out of all the items, the electronics and furniture stood out as excessive. Sure, they’d bring the solar panels, but it’d take them a long time to get it up and running.

  “You know we won’t have electricity where we’re going right away, right?”

  One of the waterfolk, a man named Pete, walked over and placed a hand on Jared’s arm.

  They are wind-up devices.

  Jared furrowed his brow at Pete, wondering what that meant. “What do you mean? What’s a wind-up?”

  Pete showed him by grabbing a small object that had speakers attached. He extracted a small plastic crank on the back and rotated it in a circle. The lights on the front of the object came to life, and Jared’s mouth dropped open.

  “What’s it do?”

  These are walkie talkies, Pete responded. We can use them to communicate over distances. Well, at least when everyone gets their voices back.

  “Wow, that’s a great find, though I’m surprised they still work.”

  I like to tinker and can fix many types of electronics. Pete shrugged and returned the walkie talkie to the pile.

  “Excellent! Vanessa, make sure you keep track of everyone’s skills and abilities. We can jot them down later. I guess we’ll have an immediate use for those solar panels after all. Now, the more pressing question, how the heck are we going to transport all this? I don’t have nearly enough crates, and there’s no way you all are strong enough.”

  Jared. He turned at Vanessa’s touch. We used to have carts for those that worked on the outskirts of the city. Some of them might still be in decent condition, and they’re big enough to transport the solar panels. Jared thought back to which houses he’d visited before and realized he’d not seen too many of the houses bordering the small town.

  “Okay, I’ve been to a few of them and didn’t see carts, but there’s at least three houses I didn’t get to yet. It’s quite a hike, so it’d be faster if I went by myself. In the meantime, why don’t all of you wait inside one of these houses and lock the door? I’ll move quickly, but I don’t want you exposed out here by yourselves.”

  They all piled into the house, and Jared ran toward the closest neighboring home. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until the third and final house that he found a cart sitting against a rotting wooden barn. The cart itself was under a small metal covering and looked in good repair. It had a couple longer handles in the front to pull it, but there were also small handholds along the sides for others to help.

  “Perfect!” Jared exclaimed.

  The wheels looked like car tires, and the back had a tailgate that dropped to allow easy admittance. Carrying it would be a chore for him, but his extra strength should get the job done, and as slow as everyone moved, he shouldn’t have any issues keeping up.

  Grabbing the handles in the front of the cart, Jared strained to pull it from where it’d sunk into the dirt after years of neglect.

  Once he’d freed the thick rubber wheels of dirt and started pulling, a teeth-grinding sound grated on his nerves as the rusted axels protested. He had the oil from his weapons cleaning kit, but nowhere near enough to satisfy the wheels. Jared rummaged through the barn until he found an oil can at the bottom of a tool chest. No longer liquid, the oil was a thick greasy substance he smeared over the metal rods. Once he’d greased the wheels, the cart rolled with little effort. No sense in wasting a good set of tools, he added the box onto the cart and headed back into the city.

  Jared made it to the main street when he caught sight of something disappearing around a corner. He blinked a few times, unsure of what he saw. Before his recent Perception enhancement, he wouldn’t have seen anything, but ever since the upgrade, he’d grown used to seeing things in his periphery that previously went unnoticed.

  Setting the cart down quietly, Jared stalked after whatever it was he’d seen, but when he rounded the corner the street was empty.

  Maybe, it’s just my imagination.

  Shaking his head, he moved back toward the cart. The moment he rounded another corner, another almost imperceptible movement caught his attention.

  Ha, I’m not imagining this.

  Certain he’d seen something that looked like a small person, he looked at the street they’d just ducked down. The layout of the city streets formed a perfect grid.

  Jared recalled an image of the surrounding buildings as he planned to confront whoever stalked him. Sprinting toward a cluster of buildings, he ran swiftly and silently to an adjacent street, trying to corner them.

  Standing at the corner opposite where he’d seen the person enter, Jared crouched and jumped around the edge of a building.

  “Gotcha!”

  The street was empty.

  What the heck?

  Jared was certain he’d moved fast enough, and he’d not made a sound.

  How?

  He spent a few more minutes looking around but found no signs anyone passed by.

  I can’t lead them back to everyone else. What if there are more of them?

  Scarlet?

  Yes?

  I may need your help. I think there’s someone stalking me, but whoever they are, they’re too fast and sneaky for me to get the drop on them. Can you make sure everyone’s safe there and come give me a hand?

  Yes, give me a moment.

  Jared didn’t stand
there waiting, but instead picked up the cart and made a show of lugging it through the streets. He glimpsed the tiny form another time but decided not to pursue until Scarlet arrived.

  I am above you.

  Instead of looking, Jared responded, Can you see them? I think they’re just ahead and to the right, down a side street.

  I see nothing.

  Okay, keep an eye out for anything that moves.

  Jared walked farther and once again saw the person.

  There, on the right, about two blocks in front of me.

  I saw something, but...they vanished from my sight.

  How can someone just vanish like that? How can we—

  Jared almost smacked himself upside the head. It was the second time he’d been an idiot and forgotten one of his abilities. Not wasting any time, he activated Heat Sight and moved toward the side street where he’d last seen the person.

  Scarlet, make sure they don’t leave out the other end when I get close. Oh, and use Heat Sight.

  Rounding the corner, Jared peered down the street. Again, he saw nothing, but as soon as he started down the street, he noticed a small, huddled mass against some debris next to a house. The lump of clothing stirred and gave off a faint heat signature.

  Casually strolling up the street, Jared pretended to ignore the small figure. Curious, he cycled through his normal vision and back to Heat Sight. If not for the enhanced ability to see thermal signatures, he’d walk right past the person, never knowing any better.

  It was like they were using some sort of cloaking ability.

  Keep an eye on the area just inside the mouth of the street while I double back, instructed Jared.

  Jared circled around the building and scaled the roof. He positioned himself above the person, still visible with his Heat Sight on, and jumped.

  He landed right in front of the person, brandishing his phase pistol.