Doomsday Hunter

by Eric Vall

  Once the mutants were gone, the human race could start to rebuild.

  All on the shoulders of Marcus and the Scavengers.

  Suddenly, Karla’s voice popped into my head.

  Hunter? Miss Nash questioned. Are you there? We’ve got some… interesting developments going on over here.

  My heart sank into my stomach.

  “What’s up?” I asked softly enough so nobody else in the helicopter could hear, which wasn’t hard since it was crazy loud.

  My father’s algorithms are going crazy right now, she explained. Did anything unusual happen during your mission?

  “What, other than fighting off bloodthirsty mutants?” I joked. “Other than that, no. The mission was successful, and I should be ready to go after I wrap some things up with the Scavengers.”

  Just you? the voice in my head questioned. What happened to Natalie?

  “She hasn’t made a decision yet,” I explained. “She’s still got a lot to work to do here, with her own people, so I’m not sure if she’s going to be coming back to Dimension One.”

  Hunter… that’s not going to work, Karla sighed. My father ran some further calculations while you’ve been off on your adventure. Remember how the success of this mission gave the timeline a ninety percent chance of survival?

  “I do,” I confirmed.

  Well, he finally found the variation that makes the odds better, she continued. If the dimension’s Wayfarer is removed from the timeline, the chance of humanity’s survival jumps up to ninety-nine point eight percent. It’s a major difference.

  “You’re just telling me this now?” I grumbled. “That would have been really great to know back when Natalie was still on the fence about this whole thing. But I don’t know what she’s thinking now, and I’m not going to just force her to come with me.”

  We would have told you sooner, Karla explained, but you were in the middle of fighting off a bunch of bloodthirsty mutants. And making love to her. I didn’t want to interrupt--Wait… Hunter! That’s it!

  “Uhhh, what?” I asked.

  Okay… sooooo… This is a personal question.

  “You watched my heart rate when Natalie and I were being intimate,” I noted, “I don’t think any question is going to be too personal. Trust me.”

  Did you use a condom?

  Okay, that was definitely way more personal than I thought it was going to be.

  “Uhhh… no, but what does that have to do with--”

  Did you pull out?

  “What does that have anything to do with--”

  It has to do with everything, Karla reiterated.

  “Uh… No, I didn’t,” I admitted. “Is that a problem?”

  Not a “problem,” per say, Karla replied. But it does complicate things… If she’s pregnant, it means your fates are now forever intertwined. That explains why my father’s algorithms are going crazy at the moment… And it creates a very interesting predicament.

  “What’s that?” I dared to ask.

  Natalie cannot stay in her dimension, the voice in my head announced. If she stays in Dimension Nine-Fifty-One, the timeline is completely fucked.

  “Wait… ” I shook my head and tried to make sense of it all. “I thought you said if we were successful, there was a ninety percent chance this timeline would survive?”

  That was before this new development, she explained. If Natalie is pregnant with your child, then your DNA is going to stay here, and leaving her in Dimension Nine-Fifty-One would completely rip apart the time-line and destroy every living thing there. In short, if you can’t get Natalie to come back with you, to your original dimension where your DNA is anchored, her entire dimension is doomed as soon as she gives birth to your child.

  “But how do you know?” I asked as my head started to spin faster than the helicopter blades. “We just had sex yesterday. Doesn’t it take like a week or two to know for sure? Doesn’t morning sickness happen like four or six weeks after? Can’t things happen in childbirth? This world is pretty tough to survive in-- even without the crazy mutants and--”

  It’s our formulas. The double arrow. The only explanation for our numbers looking all fucked up like they do is because she is definitely going to bear you a healthy child in forty weeks, or our systems wouldn’t be spitting back this chaos. She needs to come back with you.

  “So, she doesn’t really have a choice, does she?” I questioned as I glanced across the seats of the helicopter to Natalie. The blonde woman had been staring out the window with a slight smile on her lips, but when she noticed me look at her, she glanced at me and her smile widened until I could see her perfect teeth.

  She had no idea my child grew inside of her right now. I guess she had wanted it, since she’d demanded my sperm when we made love on the beach, but I didn’t even know if I wanted it.

  Just two days ago I’d been a Pest Control Technician. Now I was… what? Some sort of dimensional and time-shifting Jean-Claude Van Damme warrior?

  Holy shit. I was going to be a dad.

  Holy shit, the beautiful and badass blonde warrior woman across from me was going to give me a child.

  Your heart is racing. What’s wrong?

  “Uhhh, I’m just… Trying to come to terms with everything,” I said, and I realized Natalie had tilted her head a bit and was staring at my face with her eyebrows raised.

  “What’s wrong?” I saw her lips move, but I couldn’t hear her over the helicopter.

  “Nothing,” I mouthed back to her as I waved my hands and forced myself to smile.

  Natalie smiled at me again, nodded, and then turned to look back out at the ruined earth we flew over.

  Something seems wrong, Karla said.

  “I’ll have to double my efforts to try and convince her,” I said. “She has to come back with me. I don’t want this world to be destroyed when I just worked so hard to give it a chance, and I want to meet my kid.”

  Just put on that whole “charming Midwesterner” act you do, Karla joked. Who could say no to that?

  “You think I’m charming?” I smiled at the rare compliment from Karla.

  Don’t push your luck, Hunter, she chuckled. Just get her to return with you to Dimension One, and let me know when you’re ready to return. Over and out.

  Karla’s voice went silent, and I glanced back over at Natalie.

  The blonde woman was now yelling at her Scavenger friends, and she laughed heartily as she reminisced about our mission.

  She needed to come back with me. I had to convince her.

  Since we were airborne, the ride back to the camp took only about fifteen minutes. Soon, the helicopter landed atop the large Scavenger boat, and we all exited to an enthusiastic crowd.

  The rest of the Scavengers lined the beach of their camp, and they let out a loud cheer when they saw Natalie and me.

  “A hero’s welcome?” I whistled. “I definitely didn’t expect that.”

  “Neither did I,” Natalie admitted as we made our way down to the beach.

  The Scavengers greeted us one-by-one, and each of them sang our praises and told us how grateful they were to have us around.

  Unfortunately, I couldn’t celebrate for long.

  My mission was over. The timeline was saved, and it was time for me to go home.

  So, I walked up to where Marcus, William, Harrison, and Natalie were standing with a somber expression on my face.

  “Look guys… ” I sighed. “I don’t know if Natalie told any of you, but I’m not from around here. Like, really, really not from around here.”

  “She tried to explain,” William admitted, “but I think I got shit for brains, ‘cause I had no idea what she was talkin’ about.”

  “You’re a dimension hopper?” Marcus nodded. “And Natalie is one, too, and can come with you, but now you’ve now come to say goodbye?”

  “I--Uh, yeah,” I said as I blinked at them. “That’s… well, that’s exactly what I’m doing. My job is done here, and there are other time
lines that need to be saved. Plus, not gonna lie… As much as I’ve enjoyed your hospitality, I miss my own bed. And my shower. And clean clothes.”

  “Wow,” Harrison chuckled, “maybe we should all come with you to this new timeline?”

  “You’ve got showers?” Marcus asked.

  “Yeah,” I said, “And--”

  “And you got like hot water?” he pressed as his eyes got wide.

  “Yeah, but--”

  “And like toilets that flush?” William asked. “That’s amazing.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, “But hopefully with the stuff we did here today--”

  “How about hospitals?” Marcus blurted. “You got those places? Where it’s safe to have a baby?”

  “Yeah,” I sighed. “But--”

  “It sounds like heaven,” Marcus said, and the two other men nodded as they looked over at Natalie.

  “Unfortunately, the Wayfarers are the only ones who can come along,” I explained. “Speaking of which, Natalie--”

  “I’m still not sure I can come with you,” the blonde woman cut in and hung her head. “My place is here, Hunter. I-I think I’m in love with you, and… I hope… I… I hope your child grows inside of me, but I can’t just abandon my people. Especially when we need new children to rebuild our society an--”

  “Natalie Carr?” Marcus growled as his eyes narrowed. Then he stepped toward her and crossed his arms.

  “Huh?” she asked as she bit her lower lip and stepped back.

  “I’ve changed my mind,” he hissed as he pointed at her. “You disobeyed an order when you stole our dune buggy. You have committed treason against the Scavenger way of life and against your brethren.”

  “But...what?” The blonde woman blinked in shock. “I thought that--”

  “Sure sounds like treason to me,” Harrison sighed.

  “And you know what we do to traitors,” William continued.

  “Aye,” Marcus said as he nodded. “We banish them.”

  “But… You fucks!” Natalie hissed. “Hunter and I just risked our lives to… to…”

  She paused when she noticed the three men smiling at her.

  Then her eyes were filled with tears, and a small smile curved up the corners of her mouth.

  “Treason?” she asked.

  “Treason.” Marcus winked. “And for that, you know what must happen. Natalie Carr… You are hereby banished from the Scavengers. You are no longer welcome here, so please go somewhere you are. Like another awesome dimension with that handsome man who hopefully put a baby in you.”

  The blonde woman grinned widely, and then she hugged Marcus in a tight bear hug.

  “Thank you,” she whispered to her now ex-leader.

  “Don’t mention it.” He smiled back. “Now, get out of here, before I have to do something even more drastic.”

  “Yeah,” William snickered, “like tell you about his collection of golfballs. Ya don’t wanna be here when he starts talkin’ about that.”

  Marcus simply rolled his eyes and then stepped away.

  Meanwhile, Natalie dashed over to me and wrapped me up in a tight embrace. She pressed her lips against mine, and the Scavenger crowd erupted into cheers once more.

  The blonde woman pulled away with a deep blush, and then she recomposed herself.

  “I’m ready.” She nodded. “Show me this beautiful world where you come from, Hunter.”

  “Alright, Karla,” I announced, “I’ve got the Wayfarer, and we’re ready to head back to Dimension One.”

  Finally, Karla snarked. You know I’ve been doing nothing but sitting in the lab for almost twenty-four hours, right?

  “Hey, I’ll gladly trade you,” I joked. “I’ve been out here running for my life against bloodthirsty mutants for the last twenty-four hours.”

  Trust me, Hunter, the voice in my head continued, I would gladly be out there in the field if I could be. Now, make sure you’re holding onto the Wayfarer. You need to be making skin to skin contact. There’s going to be a quick flash of light just like before, and you’re going to feel a bit dizzy.

  “Let’s do it.” I announced, and then I turned to all the Scavengers. “Goodbye, everybody, and good luck.”

  I pulled Natalie close to me as the Scavengers waved goodbye.

  The next thing I knew, I felt a soft pulsing in my brain from where the microchip had been implanted. The sensation started in my head and then slowly spread out across my entire body.

  That’s when the glowing started. Natalie and I were both fully engulfed in a dull white light, and our forms began to fade out of reality.

  Then nothing but darkness.

  “Welcome back, Hunter,” I heard Karla’s voice announce, but she was no longer in my head. “And welcome to our humble abode, Natalie.”

  I threw open my eyes to see I was now back in Dr. Nash’s lab. Everything was still dusty and crumbling, but I could see the smiling, balding head of the doctor looking down at us from the large monitor.

  “Congratulations, Hunter Bragg,” his voice announced. “You have successfully completed your first mission as a Wayfarer.”

  “My bank account thanks you.” I smiled at the face on the screen.

  “Your bank account?” Karla crossed her arms and scoffed. “So, it’s still just all about the money for you, then?”

  “Hunter?” Natalie interjected. “W-What is all this?”

  The blonde Scavenger looked around in awe as she stepped forward and stared up at the floating face on the screen.

  “This is my world,” I explained. “This is what your world would have been, if Doomsday never happened.”

  “There would be giant screens with decapitated heads floating on them?” she asked as her mouth hung open.

  “I’m afraid there aren’t quite as many people in this world like me, my dear,” Dr. Nash chuckled. “I am one of a kind.”

  “You can say that again, Father,” Karla laughed.

  “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” I announced to Natalie as I walked over and put my arm around her. “I’ve still got to introduce you to video games… Chinese food… Minnehaha Falls… Hell, when football season rolls around, I can show you the non-crumbled version of the stadium your people used to explore.”

  The blonde woman sighed and leaned her head against my shoulder. “It sounds like a lot to take in. I’m not sure I’m ready for that sort of culture shock just yet.”

  “Fine,” I noted, “then maybe for now we go back to my place, cuddle in bed, and see where tomorrow takes us?”

  “That sounds much better,” Natalie admitted. “I’m ready for anything, as long as it’s with you.”

  I looked over at Natalie and gave her a broad smile, but then I was interrupted by the sound of Karla clearing her throat.

  “I hate to break up you two lovebirds,” the brunette chuckled, “but we need to do a quick inspection of your vitals. Both of you.”

  “Oh, come on,” I pleaded jokingly, “we just got back from a dangerous mission, and the first thing you want to do is strap me back to the chair?”

  “There are no straps this time.” Karla shrugged.

  “Unfortunately, a vital check is integral,” Dr. Nash’s voice spoke up. “We still aren’t fully sure of the effects of interdimensional travel on the human body, so we want to make sure nothing went wrong on the way back.”

  “Okay, okay.” I conceded. “But I can’t promise I won’t pass out in the chair, mid-exam.”

  Natalie chuckled as Karla walked past and motioned for us to follow her into the other room.

  We obliged, and soon the two of us were in some sort of makeshift doctor’s office, with an exam bed, a few chairs, and lots of medical equipment.

  I sauntered over to the exam bed, positioned myself on it, and then waited for what came next.

  Meanwhile, Natalie hopped up onto the bed beside me and let out a long, deep sigh.

  “Is this what all your beds feel like in Dimension One?” she asked. “It
’s like I’m sitting on a cloud. It’s amazing.”

  “That’s actually one of the more uncomfortable ones,” I noted, and the Scavenger’s jaw hit the floor.

  “You mean… they get better?” Natalie whispered as she gently patted the padding.

  “I can see why you hooked up with this one,” Karla joked as she approached with two blood pressure arm bands and a reflex hammer. “Her innocent ignorance is adorable.”

  “That’s just one of the reasons.” I winked at the woman beside me.

  “I’m going to put these on you,” Karla said as she attached the arm bands to Natalie.

  “What is it?” the blonde asked.

  “It measures your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing,” Karla explained. “It hooks up to the computer screen over there so I can get your readouts.”

  “I’m not sure I understand,” Natalie said as she looked at me for confirmation.

  “It will be okay.” I smiled at her, and then I held my arm out for Karla to attach the device to my arm. It actually did look way more high-tech than the ones I normally saw in the hospital, but I figured Karla and her dad had the best equipment they could find.

  “Okay, you know how this goes… ” Karla announced as soon as she set my monitor, and then she placed her hand just above my knee as she grabbed the hammer.

  The brunette tapped the narrow end of the hammer against my knee, and it instantly jerked forward in response. Karla raised an eyebrow as her mouth curled into a frown. She tapped my knee again, watched my leg leap forward, and then moved over to Natalie. Karla repeated the actions on the blonde Scavenger, whose appendages had the exact same reaction.

  Our faux physician then put the stethoscope’s earpieces into her ears, raised the bell up to Natalie’s heart, and listened closely. Then she asked the Scavenger to take two deep breaths and concentrated on her lungs.

  “Huh,” Karla mused as she removed the stethoscope from her ears.

  Then she walked over to the video monitor, pressed a button to focus on Natalie’s stats, studied it for half a minute, and then tapped on her chin.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Natalie’s lungs sound great, and her heart seems to be stronger than any human I’ve ever inspected before.”