He quickly undressed, then shouted, “This is horrible! I feel like the radiation is cooking my body! Get out of here if you want to live!”
Beauregard shape-shifted into a monstrous wolf. He looked at the two criminals and growled at them. They panicked and ran away from the mutated canine.
The mutated Steampunk sniffed the air, then he scurried deeper into the suburb.
Chapter 14
Reb hobbled through one of the neighborhoods. Soon, she identified a house that had severe damage. On a hunch, Reb decided to search the residence. She peeked through a huge hole in the wall and noticed the basement. It was filled with strange tools and a workbench. Reb hopped through the hole and entered the house. A masked man crawled into view from under the workbench.
She pulled the sword out from her baton and held it in a threatening manner. “Stay back! Don’t be fooled by the gas mask! I’m not one of your friends! Have you seen any Steampunks in this neighborhood? I’m trying to find my family! Tell me the truth or you’ll be sorry!”
The cannibal held his hands up in the air. “I don’t want any trouble! My boss, Lionel, kept one of your friends captive in this basement, but he mutated into a horrible monster and busted through the wall!”
Reb put her weapon away and picked up Malcolm’s clothes. “Wonderful. I know who wears these clothes. The day just keeps getting worse. I don’t want to handle mutants.”
The cannibal unmasked his face as he was feeling lightheaded. “This radiation is giving me problems. I’ve been sneezing all day long.”
“The anti-radiation serum isn’t going to save you. Honestly, I don’t understand why anyone would choose to live in a nuclear zone,” Reb commented.
“Well, I don’t understand why anyone would wear clothes from the 19th Century and graft metal in their bones,” the cannibal grumbled.
The strange man then had a violent sneeze that caused his face to explode. Blood sprayed onto Reb’s torso before the cannibal fell on the floor.
She shook her head. “Death by sneeze. That’s a new one.”
Reb took Malcolm’s clothes and exited the damaged house.
*****
Percy and Gable wandered into a park.
“Do you think we’re going to survive this time?” Gable asked.
Percy tried to remain optimistic. “Sure. We’ve survived quite a few disasters. I know this seems bleak, but we still have the upper hand. Radioactivity doesn’t kill Steampunks and we’re bound to run into the others at some point.”
Gable checked his shrinking supply of antidote. “Our lack of serum is the part that worries me. I don’t have much left.”
“Try to stay positive. You have a wife and two kids to think about. They need you to be strong,” Percy logically said.
“You’re right. Normally I have a lot of confidence, but this burned-out town is wearing me down,” Gable admitted.
They heard an animal growl. Percy and Gable spotted the mutated wolf nearby and became alarmed.
“What the heck is that?” Percy asked in a panicked tone.
Gable shook his head. “I assume it’s a mutated Steampunk!”
The wolf howled and ran toward them.
“Run!” Percy shouted, and the two men fled from the hideous beast.
Beauregard, in his mutated form, was much faster than the two Steampunks. He tackled Gable and violently gnawed on his right shoulder. Luckily, Gable’s grafted coat protected him.
“Dad, it’s attacking me!” Gable cried.
Percy stopped running and whipped out his pistol. “I can’t let you hurt my son!”
He fired the gun several times. Bullets struck the monster, but his grafted bones protected him from harm. Startled, the wolf turned its attention to Percy. It growled and prepared to pounce on him. Percy ran through the park while the monstrous canine pursued him. He came across an old jungle gym and climbed on top of the structure. The wolf caught up to him and barked while it watched him on the jungle gym. Unfortunately, the old equipment collapsed under Percy’s weight. He braced himself for a violent attack, but Giles appeared and hurried over.
Giles waved his hands around in the air as he hollered, “Over here! Come and get me! Leave them alone!”
The disfigured wolf stared at Giles and barked. Giles ran away from the park and the mutant chased him. Percy watched as the two figures disappeared from his line of vision.
I would recognize that British accent anywhere. Giles, why did you have to distract that monster? Your bravery is such a liability sometimes, Percy somberly said to himself as he shook his head.
Gable hurried to the broken jungle gym and helped his father stand up. “Dad, what happened?”
Percy brushed the dirt off his shirt. “Giles showed up and lured the wolf away from me! He probably saved my life, but I don’t want him to be a sacrifice.”
“We’ll find him. Don’t forget to stay positive. Practice what you preach,” Gable replied.
“I suppose you’re right. They disappeared down the street. Let’s follow them,” Percy suggested.
The two men hurried away from the park in search of their companions.
*****
Reb continued to walk through the neighborhood. She heard a creature hissing behind her and she whipped around. The giant Komodo dragon stared at her and growled. Reb held up both of her blunt weapons and prepared for a confrontation. The lizard rushed toward her, but the crippled woman tumbled to the left. Reb quickly climbed on top of a sports utility vehicle that was parked in a driveway. The mutated Malcolm tipped the vehicle over and Reb landed roughly on the pavement. She swatted at his face multiple times with her baton. The impact was ineffective and the monster clamped his mouth on her injured leg. He tossed her in the air and she screamed. Reb landed on the sidewalk, causing several cracks to form in the pavement. The monstrous lizard grabbed her again and flipped her through the air a second time. He performed this task three more times before Reb finally lost her temper.
“Stop doing that! I’m not a chew toy! Let’s give you the antidote so I can give you a real scolding! Furthermore, you’re butt ugly as a mutant!” Reb ranted. Then she stuffed a syringe in the monster’s neck and injected the serum into his bloodstream.
The effects were almost instantaneous. Malcolm crawled away and began to shape-shift back into his human form. After his bones and muscles returned to normal, he collapsed on the lawn. He cautiously stood up. He was completely naked.
Malcolm rubbed his left temple. “I have such a headache. Who the heck are you?” he asked in confusion.
Reb hurried to Malcolm and handed him his clothes. “I’m your agent, doofus. You turned into something interesting. These are your clothes. Don’t worry. I promise not to look at your precious jewels.”
Malcolm looked down at his crotch. “Why not?”
Reb angrily threw his clothes at him. “Shut your stupid face! Seriously!”
“I don’t remember anything. Did I really mutate into a monster?” Malcolm asked as he got dressed.
“Kind of like a weird looking Komodo dragon. You were some type of reptile instead of a human,” Reb replied.
Malcolm finished buttoning his shirt. “Too bad I can’t remember anything. You look roughed up. I’m sorry if anything happened.”
Reb shrugged. “What else is new? I’ve been blown up a couple of times. Being chewed up and tossed around can be another thing to check off my bucket list.”
“Lead the way. I’m really tired,” Malcolm admitted.
Reb took his hand. “This probably feels like a terrible hangover, but we need to keep moving. We need to find the rest of our group before those cannibals show up again.”
She led him into another section of the town.
*****
Lionel and Harold watched Reb and Malcolm as they walked.
“They look familiar,” Harold mumbled.
“I remember them now. She’s from that Nelson family. I saw them in the media quite a bit before we c
ame to this town,” Lionel replied.
Harold looked at his boss. “You seem worried about them.”
“The Nelsons are public figures and that’s a problem for us. If they survive and reach a major city, people will learn too much about us. Other Steampunks will also notice if the Nelsons vanish,” Lionel explained.
Harold felt worried. “What does that mean for us?”
“It means we need to use the nuclear plant’s reactor to destroy a huge amount of territory. Nobody can know about our experiments. I’ve wanted revenge against the Steampunks for a long time anyway. This is my chance. I’m going to make sure the reactor becomes unstable, so it will explode and destroy West Virginia. Even if it doesn’t create an explosion, the reactor will have a meltdown and create miles of radioactivity. We know exactly what happens to Steampunks when they’re exposed to massive amounts of atomic power. Both scenarios are a terrific plan for vengeance. Harold, we’re going to become martyrs. Did you find any serum?”
Harold handed a small handful of syringes to his boss. “It’s not much, but I found a few antidotes in some cars and houses.”
Lionel looked at them and said, “That’s fine. It will give me enough immunity to power the reactor and create an unstable reaction.”
“Is this what you really want?” Harold asked.
Lionel clutched the syringes in his right hand. “Yes, it’s exactly what I want.”
Chapter 15
Giles ran frantically through a suburb while the mutated wolf chased him. He could hear the beast panting and running in close pursuit. The Steampunk spotted an open window in a house. Giles climbed through the opening then slammed it shut. Giles picked up furniture and barricaded all of the exits. The monster quickly found Giles’ hiding place and tried to break into the house. Beauregard smashed into the front door, but a bookcase protected the entryway. The canine turned his attention to one of the windows and attacked it. He successfully broke the window, but it was barricaded with a desk and overturned lounge chair. The hideous beast soon lost interest and galloped in a different direction.
Giles sighed as his heart raced. I wasn’t sure if that was going to work, he thought to himself.
From behind him, he heard somebody turn on a power tool. Giles turned around and saw a masked man wielding a power drill.
“Thanks for protecting my house from that monster. Allow me to repay you,” the cannibal threatened.
Giles pulled out a Steampunk pistol and aimed it directly at the criminal. “Don’t even think about attacking me! I’m the one who’s armed with bullets!”
“People will do desperate things when they’re hungry!” the cannibal hollered.
He tried to stab Giles, but the Steampunk dove out of the way. Giles landed on the floor and then aimed his gun up toward the homeowner. He fired two shots, but the bullets went through a wall instead of hitting his assailant. Giles stood up and aimed his gun again.
“Drop the power drill! I mean it!” the attorney warned.
The cannibal raised his weapon. “You’re not going to shoot me. I can tell that you’re too rattled.”
He raced toward Giles to kill him. However, Giles shot the cannibal in his left side. The masked man dropped the power drill and fell onto the carpet. He grabbed his side as his blood seeped into the carpet.
Giles walked toward the cannibal and aimed the gun directly at him. “Killers like you deserve to die. A bullet through the forehead will end your life in an instant.”
The cannibal replied, “You’ll be doing me a favor. I don’t even remember why we came here anymore. There was a reason, but everything is so foggy to me now. At some point, my colleagues and I developed a taste for human meat.”
Giles lowered his weapon and pulled off the man’s mask. Like the other cannibals, his face was covered with radiation burns.
“My conscience would never let me kill someone in cold blood. Besides, you’re too pathetic and gross to gun down. You honestly don’t remember anything?” Giles wanted an explanation.
“Not really. My boss Lionel seems to have all the answers. You should talk to him instead,” the cannibal recommended.
Suddenly, the criminal felt extreme pain from a migraine. The cannibal clutched his head and fell on his back.
Giles was confused and weary. “Now what’s the matter? You were fine a second ago.”
The cannibal rolled on the carpet as he shouted, “I feel like my head is going to explode! Headaches are common in this town, but I’ve never had one this bad!”
He crawled to the power drill and grabbed it.
Giles raised his gun again. “What are you doing? Leave the power drill alone! It’s not going to help your headache!”
“You’re wrong! Maybe it can alleviate the pressure in my head! Let’s give it a try!” the crazy man insisted.
He turned on the power drill and penetrated his right temple. He drove the drill driven inside his own brain. Blood sprayed from the wound and the man collapsed on the floor.
Giles looked at the blood that stained his boots. Great. These psychopaths always have to spew blood everywhere and ruin my clothes. Obviously, the nuclear energy is driving the residents insane.
He felt a sudden transformation as his own back muscles and bones began to shift. Giles dropped his gun and landed on his knees. He clumsily took a syringe and injected the serum into his wrist. The mutation stopped, but it left Giles tired and weak. He wiped the sweat off his brow and then hobbled to the front door. Giles pushed the bookcase out of the way and opened it. He exited the house and tried to keep the sun out of his face.
*****
In a different section of the town, Savannah and Priscilla ran into Percy and Gable. They hugged each other and all felt relieved.
“You’re alive! Thank goodness!” Savannah said as she clutched her husband.
“We ran into a lot of trouble. This town is infested with cannibals. Gable and I encountered a mutated Steampunk, but Giles lured the creature somewhere else,” Percy discussed.
“Do you know where Giles went?” Priscilla asked.
Gable shook his head. “No. I hope he’s okay.”
“That young man is one of the toughest and most resourceful individuals I know. He’s probably hiding somewhere. We’ll find Reb and Giles. I’m just not sure where to look,” Percy explained.
Savannah had an idea. “We should start at the sheriff’s station. Giles likes firearms and that’s the perfect place to find them.”
“That’s a great idea. Let’s go before we start mutating again. I already had a couple of false alarms,” Gable replied.
They hurried to the sheriff’s station and arrived quickly as a result of their enhanced speed. When they arrived, Percy and Gable ripped the door off its hinges. The foursome entered the old and dusty station. It was completely vacant.
Priscilla picked up a pump-action shotgun. “Reb and Giles were never here. This is exactly the type of weapon they would snatch.”
Gable examined the prison cell. “We could use a shotgun. It might be a piece of junk from the 21st Century, but I’m sure it can still blow away those psycho killers.”
“Personally, I find this town depressing. It used to be a normal town where people thrived. Now it’s just a burned-out shell,” Priscilla said.
“Unfortunately, we have a lot of towns like this across the nation. Most of them aren’t radioactive, but the ruins of cities and neighborhoods are everywhere. During the Apocalypse, part of San Francisco was blasted into the ocean. Remnants of the city are still underwater. Those annoying pirates looted quite a few resources from the remains,” Savannah added.
Gable gripped one of the iron bars on the prison cell. “It will be a lot less depressing when we escape this nuclear zone. These iron bars could be effective weapons. I’m going to steal one of them.”
He yanked away one of the iron bars and held it like a staff.
Percy picked up a notebook and flipped through it. “Guys, take a look at these
notes. It seems to be a log from one of those cannibals.”
The group closely examined the unusual notebook that was signed by Lionel.
One of the earlier sections read:
Today, my research team and I are going to conduct our project in West Virginia’s nuclear zone. We need a huge source of atomic power to execute our plan and this nuclear plant was abandoned years ago. That means we’ll have the freedom to conduct our research. If everything goes according to my plans, we’ll be able to build atomic bombs and missiles that will destroy the Steampunks. It’s time for normal human beings to reclaim America. I believe the anti-radiation serum will protect us from the deadly nuclear energy. After all, it seems to prevent Steampunks from mutating into hybrids. I’m sure it will work very well for us too.
Savannah frowned. “Non-grafted humans have such a grudge against us. I don’t understand why because they were the ones who set the Apocalypse in motion. The Steampunks are the ones who rebuilt the nation.”
“Some people want a scapegoat for their problems. Let’s keep reading,” Percy replied.
They read another following passage:
Our nuclear weapons look very effective. Unfortunately, we can’t launch any test missiles without catching the attention of the Steampunks. We have to keep everything quiet and there seems to be another complication as well. The radiation is giving us some side effects. Apparently, the serum doesn’t completely protect us from nuclear energy. Can’t those primitive Steampunks do anything right? I’m sure the serum would have been perfect if regular humans had created it. For some reason, I have a cough and headache that comes and go. This morning, I woke up with a few radiation burns. It won’t matter. We’ll be done with our research before everything gets worse.
Gable rubbed his chin. “It seems like the radiation is starting to affect the writer in this passage. I wonder what the other passages say.”
They flipped to one of the more recent entries:
The Post-Apocalyptic Society: A Nelson and Hyde Vendetta Page 8