Radioactive Evolution

by Richard Hummel

  Everyone visibly relaxed at the news, and Jared smirked, recalling his first experience with a face full of the giant fur balls. The thought made him flinch and look up to the sky, just to be certain Scarlet wasn’t up to any funny business.

  “Some of you might think rabbits warm and cuddly, but I can assure you these rabbits can—and will—hurt you if they have the chance. They are quick, can leap very high, and have really long sharp teeth. Now, that’s the bad news. The good news is that if you stay out of their way, they are relatively harmless.”

  They definitely didn’t look convinced after his initial scare, but Jared thought that was a good thing, so they didn’t get complacent. Jared wasn’t very concerned about their inexperience in battle facing the rabbits. This might be their easiest fight in the days to come and it provided good experience for them.

  “These rabbits showing up is actually fortuitous, since I’d just been thinking we need to go hunting for some pelts to use as blankets and pillows. However, if we want to use their pelts, they can’t be filled with hundreds of bullet holes, so please conserve your shots and let those more experienced shoot first.”

  They are nearly upon you.

  “Get ready!”

  Jared watched as those more experienced raised their pistols, flicking the safeties off. A few others raised their weapons but forgot to switch off the safety. He mentioned nothing to them, wanting to see how they reacted under pressure.

  A few seconds later the rabbits bounded round a bend in the creek, and two people immediately fired their weapons.

  “Hold! Wait until they get closer or you’re just wasting ammunition. I know most of you can barely see anything other than blurry shapes at that distance.”

  Jared flashed a look of irritation when another shot rang out, but everyone else held their fire until the rabbits closed to within fifty feet. A flurry of pistols retorted, sending half a dozen rabbits to their grave and leaving a dozen more to contend with.

  Jared darted behind the group with weapons to protect the unarmed colonists if any of the rabbits made it past the front ranks. Weapons fired in rapid succession, as those who’d forgotten their safeties switched them off to join in the assault. Only three of eighteen rabbits made it to the front lines, which was significantly fewer than he’d anticipated. The rabbits jumped over the line of defenders, right into Jared’s reach, which he conveniently punted back over the line of defense where they were summarily cut down without mercy.

  One of the defenders turned with his weapon and pointed it at a rabbit that jumped over the line. Moving on instinct, Jared kicked out at the hand holding the weapon, hearing an audible crack in the man’s arm.

  Wincing, Jared booted the rabbit back over the line and knelt next to the man he kicked.

  Dang, I didn’t mean to kick so hard.

  “Are you okay, Joel? It’s Joel, right?”

  The man nodded weakly as Jared asked, “Let me look?”

  Joel tried pulling back, but Jared grasped the arm firmly and kept the injury stable.

  “Look, I’m sorry I had to do that, but you pointed a loaded gun at other people. If you’d fired a round, it would’ve torn right through the rabbit into the people behind it.”

  The blood drained from Joel’s face as he stammered, “I-I-I...d-d-didn’t—”

  “I know you didn’t mean to, but in the heat of a battle, we don’t think through everything. Instead, we act on instinct, not considering our surroundings. Trust me, I’ve done more than enough stupid things myself. It will take time for everyone to adapt and learn. I’m just as new to this whole fighting in a group thing as you, but my father taught me the basics of firearm safety. I’ll do my best to recall those lessons and instruct each of you that need the training.”

  Jared caught whispered phrases from several in the crowd, criticizing his actions, one voice in particular louder than any other.

  Of course, George would use the opportunity to sow discord. This guy is really getting on my nerves.

  Jared shrugged off the scoffers, chalking it up to naivety. They wouldn’t have the same outlook had Joel unloaded the weapon behind him and hit someone.

  “Let’s get a bandage and splint to stabilize the bones.”

  Rummaging through the crate of medical supplies, Jared found a splint, but had no idea how to use it. He’d made splints for himself using sticks and strips of cloth. The contraption he held now, was much more complicated, containing dozens of straps and metal inserts.

  “Do we have a doctor? Or medic?” Jared paused, waiting for a response. “Does anyone have even a tiny shred of medical training? I know some basic stuff, and I could probably make a more primitive splint, but I’m not sure how to use this.”

  Jared dangled the splint in front of him.

  Finally, after he gave up and attempted to figure it out himself, someone walked forward and knelt next to him. Jared turned and searched his memory for the guy’s name.

  “It’s Casey, right?”

  Casey nodded his head and grabbed Jared’s arm. I’ve got a little training. My brother worked with the colony doctors and taught me a little of what he knew. I was only a teenager back then, but I think I can remember some of it.

  “I’m sure you’ll do much better than me.”

  Relieved, Jared handed over the medical supplies to Casey, taking a step back so he could work. Although most looked on in concern, they didn’t appear to harbor any resentment. There were a couple that still scowled openly, including George, and it was to those few he addressed with his next words.

  “Let this be a lesson to you. Pay attention to your surroundings. Never put your brothers and sisters in danger. I regret to say I learned that lesson the hard way, and Scarlet and I flirted with death on more than one occasion because of my stupidity.” Jared’s tone of voice brooked no argument and wiped the scowls from their faces. “Always take the time to think through your decision. If in doubt, rely on those around you to help. I promise you, if I see anyone recklessly endangering another, I’ll react in the exact same way. Every person here survived through perilous times, me and Scarlet included, it would be tragic to see someone injured or killed due to recklessness.”

  Although a few directed hateful glances his way, most of the group nodded their heads shakily, their eyes round with fear.

  This was a new world for them, many never having left the colony prior to their enslavement. While Razael held them enthralled, they hadn’t needed to worry about wild creatures, or defending their lives at every turn. Striking out on this new adventure was foreign territory for all but Jared and Elle, and it would take all of them time to get used to it.

  “Now that’s behind us, these rabbits you fought were one of the easiest creatures I’ve come across in the past two years. They can hurt you sure, but with our superior number and firepower it wasn’t even a contest. However, had this been a group of those weird badger creatures we ran from on the beach a few days ago, it might’ve turned out different. I won’t speculate on the outcome, but that would be a fight even I’d try to avoid.”

  Looking around the cart, Jared found Elle and Kitty toward the back and motioned them forward. “Elle, you and Kitty go around the dead rabbits and place your hand on them. Everyone else, watch as they go from body to body and see if you notice anything.”

  Elle and Kitty did as they were told and with each body they touched an almost imperceptible glow pulsed into them.

  “What you observed is the nanites from the rabbits flowing into Elle and Kitty, the same way I explained the other day. These creatures have tiny amounts, but it’ll add up over time, so never ignore a kill. I asked Elle and Kitty to absorb them, because you can only do so once you’re bonded. The only other way to absorb them is if you consumed the flesh of the rabbit. There’s also a good chance these nanites will give Elle the same Maximum Muscle ability I demonstrated for y
ou.”

  Everyone looked deep in thought, and even the naysayers who didn’t like what he’d done, seemed to forget all about the incident while they thought through the possibilities.

  “We’ve got to keep moving, but first does anyone know how to gut an animal? If we don’t gut them now, they’ll spoil by the time we get back and we won’t be able to eat them.”

  A couple folks raised their hands and Jared passed out a few knives they’d gathered from the old colony. With everyone working together, it didn’t take long to rid the dead rabbits of their entrails.

  “If you can lift one, load up the bodies on the cart. We can worry about skinning them later, and we’ll have a decent meal once we reach our new home.”

  After loading up the rabbits, the group continued the trek. They needed to rest multiple times, Jared included. Pulling the cart through narrow passages and over rocky terrain depleted his stamina rapidly. His arms and legs burned from the effort, and his breath came in sharp gasps. It didn’t help that no fewer than a dozen people had intermittently ridden on the cart for a time.

  The short breaks helped him recover enough to keep going for an hour or two before he’d call another halt. Eventually, they reached some of the rock falls he’d seen when scouting the area, and the rest of the colonists didn’t fare so well. Many seemed near collapse. Given the steep incline, he limited passengers on the cart to three at a time. Even that was almost more than he could handle, and he struggled for purchase on the loose rubble.

  This leg of the journey took them eight hours from start to finish, and by the time they reached their destination, all of them had nothing left to give. Only Elle, Kitty, and Scarlet were no worse for wear after the journey. Jared rolled the cart to a flat area and lay right there on the ground, uncaring about anything else. Scarlet and Kitty could search the area and alert them to any dangers. So far, they’d seen nothing in this ravine to suggest any large creatures lived here so he wasn’t concerned.

  Please scout the area, Scarlet. Let me know if you see anything. You can send instructions to Kitty if you find something that needs a closer inspection, but I need to rest. Even Jared’s thoughts came out labored, and he passed out immediately after sending instructions.

  It took Jared less than two hours to recover, but it was already nearing full dark and he needed to make sure these rooms in the cliff were safe for everyone. When he stood up and looked around, half the people still slept where they’d dropped, and the other half sat in states of delirium.

  Chuckling to himself and extremely grateful for his Regeneration, Jared left them to recover and explored their new home. The area he’d chosen cut into the earth, creating sheer cliffs on every side. It proved a great defensive position and concealed them from view. Even flying overhead, people would find it difficult to spot anything here unless they specifically looked for it like he and Scarlet had.

  A dense forest of bleached white trees crowded the area, and Jared imagined a green canopy once covering the land. The trees stood as petrified wooden sculptures, absent any color as the sun mercilessly beat down on them. Although he hadn’t noticed it before, the large clearings they landed in earlier likely served as a small pond or reservoir when water used to flow to the lake. The basin was smooth and deep enough to hold a decent amount of water.

  Although it’d be nice to have water here, it worked to their advantage to have a place for Scarlet—and hopefully her family—to land. Though the area wouldn’t be big enough for her whole family.

  The rooms built into the rock wall were far enough below the ridge line that it’d be impossible to pick them out from a drop ship cruising overhead. This was just one of many ravines in the area, and as long as they kept a low profile, they should remain safe.

  A short distance into the trees he found a staircase carved directly into the rock. The stairs, worn by time and smoothed around the corners, were mostly intact, but a few crumbled under his weight, making the ascent treacherous.

  They’d need to repair them and add in something to prevent slipping if it ever rained. In the weeks he’d been there, he hadn’t seen any yet. If it did, Jared wondered how much of the reservoir would fill up, and if the water would be safe to drink. So far, all of the rains he’d experienced brought a fifty-fifty chance of it being toxic.

  Pushing these thoughts from his head, he picked his way carefully up the stairs. They carried him above many of the dead trees until he reached a wide platform on the southern cliff face. It had to be a solid forty feet wide, with rooms carved into the wall on one side. A few of these rooms had collapsed, and debris spilled out of the doors.

  Jared walked over to one of the intact rooms and stood at the doorway. He peered around the doorjamb, but didn’t go in. Normally he wasn’t claustrophobic, but the thought of the entire cliff dropping on his head gave him pause. Jared took a breath and stepped into the room, his Night Vision activating.

  The main space was open and included furniture carved from rock itself. There were stone benches and counters to one side and a series of shelving inset in the wall.

  Two rooms branched off the main space, including what looked to be a bedroom with two raised stone platforms resembling beds. An open closet with shelves and small cubbies took up an entire wall.

  Stone wouldn’t be the most comfortable thing to sleep on, but they’d collect pelts of the animals they killed for mattresses and blankets.

  Stepping out of the room, Jared tried the other end of the hall and realized it ended abruptly, a wall of dirt and rocks barring his path. He stepped back from the area and oriented himself to the room next door. Based on his current position, this tunnel might’ve previously led straight to the adjoining room.

  Back outside, Jared walked down two doors, directly opposite the collapsed room and found three branches off the main room. One led to the collapsed portion of the tunnel, the other a bedroom identical to the one before, and the third leading to the next room over. Jared walked the tunnel past five other identical rooms before he reached yet another collapse.

  From outside, he looked down the row of rooms and found four of twenty rooms collapsed. Each room would house two people, which meant they couldn’t all fit on this level comfortably.

  At the end of the first platform, another staircase—in even worse condition—led further up the cliff wall. Several steps no longer existed, and he ended up jumping several sections at a time to get to the upper area.

  When he reached the top, he found another row of rooms, only these were much more elaborate than the ones below. There were fewer, but they were large and had arched doors and windows. There were also some low benches dotting the wide platform he stood on, all positioned to look out over the reservoir below. Glancing over the edge, Jared peered down at the group resting below and saw that not a single person had moved while he’d been gone.

  Returning his focus to the rooms on this level, none of them looked collapsed, but then he didn’t know how stable they were considering rooms just below them had collapsed. Warily, Jared entered the first room, careful to inspect the floor for any cracks, or signs of weakening.

  Inside the room, he noted the architecture and furniture showed much more attention to detail. The carved furniture had seat backs, armrests, and intricate swirl patterns. The doorways and windows had arches instead of straight lines, giving the space a more elegant feel. It flowed much more seamlessly with the natural composition of the rock. Instead of one bedroom with two beds, there were two bedrooms with one bed apiece. The same stylized shelving and archways extended into the rooms.

  Each of these rooms also held wash tubs, but without a water source they were little more than decorations. Continuing his exploration, Jared found each of these rooms isolated from the next.

  Reaching the end of the rooms on the second level, Jared found yet another staircase leading up. The third, and final level had only two rooms, spaced far
apart. Fire pits and low benches made it seem like a communal gathering place. He picked the room closest to the staircase and entered a large, vaulted space with several smaller rooms along the sides. The main room had a long stone table with benches flanking it. A hearth to one side looked ventilated, based on the small rays of light filtering through.

  A single larger room off to the right held several rows of counter space and one large island in the middle of the room. Open stone cabinets completed the area and allowed for ample storage. Obviously, a dining area, and some place to prepare food.

  Jared left the room and headed toward the last space.

  It turned out to be a very large living space, complete with half a dozen chairs, couches, several rooms, multiple washrooms, a separate kitchen, and even a room with an open area overlooking the gorge.

  Looking out over the sea of bone-white trees, Jared wondered if he’d ever see it returned to its former glory. For a fleeting moment, Jared through about bringing plants from the lake to start a garden, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Without a steady source of water, he didn’t think they’d be able to grow anything of any significance. They could start a small farm down by the water’s edge eventually and just make daily hikes out there to tend it.

  Although Jared was excited about their new home, despondency always creeped in when he thought of how the world used to be, making him long for better days. Heading back down to the ground, he saw people were finally coming around from the strenuous hike. He saw no reason to restrict their movement and left everyone to roam about the area.

  Scarlet, where are Elle and Kitty?

  Right behind you.

  Jared spun around and jumped. Standing right behind him, the pair stood not five feet away. He’d neither seen nor heard them approach.

  “Dang, you two are sneaky. Did you find anything we should worry about?”

  Elle shook her head, and her cat padded a few paces away to lie down.

  Turning back to the group gathering around him, he addressed them. “I finished exploring the rooms up on those platforms.” Jared pointed to the three ledges. “There are plenty of rooms for everyone, but I suggest everyone double up. Preferably, with someone comfortable handling a weapon. I want everyone to have each other’s back, and it’ll work best if there’s at least one weapon in each room.”