Radioactive Evolution

by Richard Hummel

  Collecting his thoughts, Jared realized he’d progressed far enough up the tunnel he could see over their heads to freedom. The crowd thinned further up the tunnel. He just needed to get past this last tight grouping and he’d have a clear path to run away.

  Jared deactivated the ability, and reality slammed into focus once more. The mass of bodies pressed in around him. He danced away from their attacks, countering with jabs and slashes of his own. The trail of bodies he left in his wake kept any creatures from approaching his back, letting him focus on only those he could see. His body began to tire, and a few attacks slipped through his defensive maneuvering, igniting lines of fire across his arms and legs.

  None of the injuries would cause any serious damage given his regenerative abilities, but if he took any more serious hits, it could be fatal.

  One last thrust of his knives, and he punched through the last row of lizards into open tunnel. Digging in his heels Jared sprinted up the tunnel, almost running head first into three massive creatures that dropped from the ceiling to block his escape.

  “What the—”

  Giant lizards that blended in perfectly with the tunnel unfolded massive appendages with razor spikes trailing up their arms. Their heads held a crown of bony spikes. Fangs jutted from their mouths, and their bodies were covered in a thick looking shell. They resembled a praying mantis, and Jared hoped they weren’t as fast, or this wouldn’t end well.

  The momentary halt in his forward progression cost him as he felt a sharp pain shoot up his back from a lizard that had caught up to him.

  Concentrate, Jared!

  Dreading the pain he was about to feel, Jared activated Hyper-Cognition. A sharp stab lanced through his head, and stars blossomed across his vision. It took several moments to collect his thoughts and focus on staying alive.

  He’d only have a few seconds respite before the horde of lizards he passed surged after him once again. His only hope would be to engage the giant lizards and hope the smaller ones would break off their pursuit. Not knowing if that would even work, he balked at putting his fate into the hands of mindless creatures. They’d shown little sanity or intelligence so far.

  The only thing he could come up with was that these big guys controlled the hive-like behavior of the lizards and maybe they’d hold them at bay to avoid killing their own. It was risky, but he was out of options. For all he knew, these bigger creatures had special abilities that’d make short work of him. Whatever happened, he figured his best bet was to confront them and either take them out or get past them. Somehow, he doubted he’d be able to outrun them. They had powerful bodies and looked like they’d easily catch him.

  When reality came back into focus, Jared lurched forward to avoid a second slash at his back. He rolled forward under a slash from one of the giant creatures and vaulted upward inside its reach. Jabbing a knife into one of its eyes, he planted his foot into the creature’s shoulder and launched himself to the side. The creature elicited a menacing growl and staggered backward.

  A second giant lizard tried to capitalize on the move and bat him from the air, but he pivoted mid-flight and spun horizontally around the arm. He didn’t escape unscathed as the razor spikes on its arms shredded his shirt and ripped into the flesh beneath. It’d only caught a thin layer of skin, but it was enough to send a wave of fire up his arm. Blood trickled down to his fingers, making his palms slick. He had trouble maintaining his grip on the knife as he dodged and weaved among the giants. Dodging one appendage, Jared didn’t see the second that smashed into his back. He lost one of his daggers and rolled across the ground.

  He risked a glance behind him to see the horde of lizards held at bay several paces from their giant cousins.

  Even if I kill these things, the rest will just rush me.

  The situation looked hopeless, but he refused to give up.

  Dropping his second knife into his other hand, he wiped the blood from his fingers and snatched the blade off the ground just as a clawed foot snapped out at him, catching him in the side and spinning him to the ground. The kick snapped something in his chest. His breath caught in his throat as a sharp, stabbing pain punctured his chest. Jared suspected he’d broken a rib, but he couldn’t afford to stop, or it’d be the end.

  Waiting for an opening in the onslaught of claws and feet, Jared found what he was looking for and darted at the giant lizard in the middle. Feeling like a Kung Fu artist, he ran up the creatures extended leg, sprang forward past a slashing claw, and jabbed both knives simultaneously into its eyes.

  Jared dropped to the ground, losing one of his knives, his palm too slick with blood to hang on.

  The blinded lizard thrashed about, laying into its kin on either side. Using the advantage, Jared dove to the side, through the legs of the giant lizard on the right. Hearing the movement, all the lizards turned toward him, but the middle lizard could no longer see its target and laid into its ally.

  Retaliating, they both clawed and kicked at each other. In a desperate move to end the fight, the first lizard Jared had jabbed in the eye sunk its fangs into the other’s throat. The blinded lizard cocked its arm back, and with a massive uppercut eviscerated the lizard through its stomach.

  That just leaves one of you giant pests.

  Looking up from the gruesome spectacle of the two dead enemies, Jared didn’t see the last one. Frantically, he searched the ceiling.

  Dang, where’d it go?

  In answer to his question, a massive armored leg booted him down the tunnel, cracking several more ribs and his left arm.

  Jared screamed in pain from the kick and again when he landed fifteen feet up the tunnel. His cracked ribs shifted inside and sent a fresh wave of agony through his body. The moment he hit the ground, a loud mental assault exploded in his head.

  Jared!

  She’d made it. Scarlet made it!

  Jared felt immense relief hearing Scarlet’s voice. He lay on the ground in a mangled heap. His left arm hung limply by his side, and he used his right to cradle his ribs. Every slight movement sent shivers of pain pulsing through his body, punctuated by sharp stabs.

  He’d never injured his ribs like this, but he knew from watching the doctors in his home colony it could cause severe damage to move around with cracked ribs. He could puncture a lung, cause internal bleeding, or the bone could perforate his skin. After the imminent threat on his life was over, he’d need to explore his injuries. He tried to re-task all available nanites to Regeneration, but no matter how many times he tried, he couldn’t muster up the concentration needed. He was in too much pain, and the giant lizard poised over his body paralyzed him in fear. It hadn’t recovered from Scarlet’s mental assault yet, and he hoped it wouldn’t until she got there, or he was dead.

  These lizards were nothing for Scarlet, and she should be able to shred through them like paper. Jared was completely out of the fight with nothing to do but wait and pray she made it in time. A few heartbeats later half a dozen powerful roars cut through the commotion in the cave. Swaths of the lizards keeled over, their brains turned to mush, as his vision darkened.

  The whooshing of multiple streams of dragon fire jolted Jared awake. He blinked his eyes against the intense, searing light filling the cavern. Superheated streams of fire in varying colors incinerated the lizards. It was like watching a person step on an ant. Completely outmatched, the lizards turned to run back up the tunnel, in Jared’s direction. Before they’d taken a single step, Scarlet swooped over their heads and interposed herself between Jared, the mob, and the remaining mantis. Jared watched in awe as these massive beings of power plodded forward spewing a steady stream of super-heated fire ranging in colors from red to violet.

  One dragon had a deep purple flame, and everything in its path ceased to exist. Coincidentally, he was also the biggest of the dragons. Scarlet included, there were thirteen dragons easily dispatching the hundreds of lizards
.

  Red dragons with crimson eyes.

  Dark red dragons with obsidian claws and spikes.

  Ancient.

  Deadly.

  They were as different from one another as one human to the next, but they all had similar traits that undoubtedly marked them as one family.

  The shape of their heads, horns, and the spikes on their backs formed symmetry amongst them. Even Scarlet, who’d changed herself significantly, portrayed the same traits as her brothers. Their serpentine eyes held the same shape and inner fire he’d seen in Alestrialia and now Scarlet. They glowed with such intensity it was hard for him to hold any of their gaze.

  His awe at seeing these magnificent creatures morphed to fear as the lizards, with nowhere else to go, raced up the tunnel toward him and Scarlet.

  Jared, stay down.

  The warning came just in time as Jared tried to lever himself to his feet and move out of the way.

  He’d like to think the lizards a challenge for Scarlet, or that he’d done enough damage to make it easier, but Scarlet snuffed them out like tiny insects. Even the giant mantis didn’t stand a chance, her single tail swipe impaling the creature through.

  The onrushing horde staggered to a halt at the fearsome display from Scarlet. They hissed nervously as the dragons hemmed them in on all sides.

  With a great roar, Scarlet unleashed a stream of brilliant violet flame into the remaining lizards. Jared watched in horror and awe as every lizard she scorched popped like a ripe melon and promptly disappeared into nothingness. One second, they were there, the next it was as if nothing existed. Small pieces of flesh and pools of liquified lizard the only evidence of what remained.

  With no place to run and certain death on the agenda, the lizards went into a frenzy. Those on the front lines sprinted for freedom and died immediately as the dragons unleashed their rage. Those in the middle of the horde clawed each other to get away. Arcs of blood, limbs, and screeches filled the air. Scarlet and her brothers obliterated the lizards, but they wreaked as much havoc on themselves in their haste to get away. It didn’t take long before they all lay in smoking pools of liquid and charred corpses.

  “Thank you, Scarlet. I don’t know how much longer I could’ve held out,” Jared coughed, wincing in pain at his broken ribs.

  Use Telepathy so you don’t hurt yourself more. Also, I think you managed just fine on your own; you killed a lot of them yourself. You must show me how you managed such a feat when you recover. I can sense you have grown your abilities.

  Confirming all the lizards died in the onslaught, Scarlet turned to face Jared. When she turned around, Jared gasped in surprise.

  Scarlet! You—you’ve changed.

  I have?

  He watched her crane her neck to look at herself as if she didn’t believe him.

  How? Scarlet asked to no one in particular, but a deep, oppressive voice intruded into Jared’s mind, straining his mental capacity.

  The fires forged her anew.

  The huge dragon Jared saw leading the group and spewing ultra-violet fire walked over to them and stared down at him.

  I am Malsour.

  Ugh, Jared groaned, his head feeling like it was being crushed in a vice. Nice to meet you, Malsour, but do you mind dialing back the mental pressure? I used several abilities that taxed my mind to the limit, and your voice is sending spikes of pain ripping through my head. I need time to recover before I can handle it.

  Abilities? How can you speak in my mind?

  The voice still made him wince in pain, but he could endure it better than the overwhelming pressure he’d felt before.

  Jared held up his hand toward Malsour, beckoning him to come closer.

  Scarlet lowered her head, and said, It is okay, Malsour. He only wants to show you.

  He can mind meld? Malsour asked incredulously.

  Yes, but he needs physical touch to share a thought space. His improved Telepathy is new to him, and he is learning to expand his abilities, but he has a long way yet to progress.

  Malsour paused a moment longer before he lowered his head to Jared. Placing a hand on his giant muzzle, Jared sent thoughts, images, impressions, and feelings through the bond. He also showed the abilities he used and how his mind went into overdrive.

  The communication felt odd to him and lacked the same level of intimacy he shared with Scarlet. He tried entering a shared thought space, but Malsour blocked his effort, preferring for Jared to show him without melding his thoughts together.

  Do not presume to merge with my mind, growled Malsour.

  Brother, admonished Scarlet.

  Malsour didn’t apologize, but bowed his head toward Scarlet and asked Jared to wait. He did not know Jared and didn’t want to share such an intimate form of communication just yet.

  Bending to Malsour’s wishes, he sent the images and impressions like he used to with Scarlet. He also shared his gratitude for their arrival and willingness to aide him. They’d saved his life, and he wanted them to know how grateful he was.

  As he shared the images, Jared smiled with extreme satisfaction as he watched himself bob and weave a deadly dance through the lizard horde. The moments he activated Hyper-Cognition were intense. Everything slowed, and it seemed like paths lit up in his mind as he worked out the best way forward, and when it ended, the deadly dance resumed. If he hadn’t experienced it firsthand, Jared would’ve been in awe watching the intricate balance between finesse and power he’d exerted to survive the battle.

  You did all that? In seconds? Impressive. I have never seen a human capable of such a feat. Turning to his brothers, Malsour said, Come, brothers.

  His brothers crowded around him and bent their heads together. In just a few seconds, Malsour relayed the scene to the other dragons. With one accord, they turned their gaze to him and all dipped their heads to him, acknowledging his skill.

  Scarlet moved next to him and Jared placed a hand on her side. He felt her emotions through the bond and she positively beamed at the praise given him by her brothers.

  Whispering to him alone, she said, My brothers give praise sparingly. I have thousands of years of my mother’s memories; not once have I seen them regard a human with the same respect.

  A blush crept onto his checks as he regarded the dragons.

  Thank you! he said to them. This earned him several widened eyes as they looked to each other for confirmation they’d all heard him speak.

  Another voice intruded into his thoughts, one not as powerful as Malsour’s, but still more than his taxed mind could handle.

  How can you speak like this?

  Jared groaned and reached his uninjured hand up to clutch his head.

  Yes, I can use Telepathy, but my abilities are technological advancements. I’m surprised it even works with you. It requires nanites, and I wasn’t sure you’d have any this far beneath the surface. Also, can you please dial it down on the mental pressure please? As Malsour no doubt showed you, I pushed my mind to its limits, and your voices are much more powerful than I’m used to hearing.

  Malsour took over the conversation again.

  We have these nanites, but in tiny quantities. Many of the creatures we feed on down here have none, but from time to time the cycles of nature reach our hunting grounds. We have much to learn about this.

  Scarlet is a great teacher. She taught me all about them, and she is the reason I can use Telepathy and some of my other abilities. If anyone can show you how they work and what you can do with them, it’s her.

  Sildrainen informed us of you, your bond, and the other humans that seek companions. I cannot promise we will commit to the bonding, but I would very much like to meet these other humans. If you represent them and they espouse the same values and drive, I may submit to the bonding.

  Thank you, Malsour. Scarlet delved into the mind of every human in our sm
all settlement, save one, and found all of them pure of heart and purpose. I believe you’ll find them acceptable. I’ll warn you now, many of them still have fears because of Razael, but they all know he acted against his nature and will.

  Malsour snorted and bowed his head in anguish.

  Oh, I’m sorry. Scarlet, you told them about Razael right?

  She shared with us the images from your mind. Thank you for putting his body to rest.

  It was Jared’s turn to bow his head, which sent a fresh wave of pain through his body.

  Jared, you need to rest and heal, stated Scarlet.

  I will, but I need to examine my injuries first and make sure my ribs and arm heal correctly. The Natural Armor really helped me out here. I wouldn’t have survived otherwise. The razor limbs on these things cut right through my defense, and I think only the armor kept me from losing an arm or my body being laid open. Even the arm and cracked ribs would’ve been much worse, but the nanites absorbed the impact when it kicked me.

  Jared lay back on the ground.

  Please absorb the nanites from those you...melted. It might be best for you to ask your brothers to eat any of the lizard corpses remaining, especially the larger ones. They need to absorb as many nanites as possible before they bond.

  We will take care of it, please rest.

  Thank you, Scarlet. I’m relieved to see you made it back safely. I want to hear all about it later.

  Jared expanded his awareness, entering a trance similar to the one he reached when splitting his thoughts. Only this time, he wanted to probe his body and assess the damage. The lacerations and cuts on his limbs were the least of his injuries. In order of importance, he assigned all his available nanites into Regeneration to focus on the deep cut across his back, his broken arm, the cracked ribs, and lastly his mental exhaustion.

  He had five cracked ribs, but thankfully didn’t need to re-align any of them. Some bits of the ribs had broken off, but his nanites should remove the shards and repair the bone with little effort. His arm was a different story. He needed to re-align it to prevent it from healing wrong.