Radioactive Revolution: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Adventure

by Richard Hummel

  Alarm coursed through Jared and he drew back, searching the room for any obvious threats. He ran through the two rooms and down the hall to make sure nothing lurked in the shadows before darting away to grab Casey.

  “Casey, drop what you’re doing, Johan needs you. Head wound, not sure what the source is.”

  When he got back, Jared found Johan stirring and mumbling to himself.

  “Johan? Johan!”

  The man glanced up at him, wincing in pain as he grabbed the back of his head.

  “Hey, careful now. Just lie back. Casey’s on his way to treat your head. You have a nasty bump that’s bleeding. What happened?”

  “George.” Johan spit his name out, anger evident in his tone.

  That cold, hollow pit that had become all too familiar opened in Jared’s stomach.

  No, not now.

  The timing for George to go rogue couldn’t be worse. Scarlet’s brothers were almost there, and the cities likely had a response force on the way after their little escapades earlier.

  Jared waited a few more moments until Casey arrived and then bolted from the room.

  “Jared? What’s wrong?”

  “George attacked Johan.”

  Jared heard Scarlet’s growl as he sprinted up the stairs to George’s room, but he wasn’t there.

  This is bad.

  Jared’s skin crawled with the realization that George might have chosen this time specifically because the cities were in the area.

  Exiting George’s room, he sprinted to his own, grabbed all his gear, and strapped on his pack.

  “Vanessa?” Jared projected his thoughts to her instead of shouting. He didn’t want to upset those around her with the information just yet.

  She looked at him from across the room and left Elle’s side to join him. Seeing the concern etched on his face, she mirrored the look with one of her own.

  Vanessa grabbed his arm, following his example and using telepathy. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s George.”

  A brief flash of annoyance crossed her face, but the seriousness of his demeanor must’ve made her realize it was more serious than a brief spat between the two of them.

  “What did he do?”

  The other people in the room were staring at them, probably wondering what they were talking about. Motioning outside, Jared led Vanessa a few paces away and switched over to a whisper.

  “He attacked Johan, and I don’t know where he is right now.”

  “He what?! Did you check his room?”

  “That’s the first place I looked before I sprinted up here. I’ve got to go after him. I’ll do a room by room search before I go, but I think he’s headed back to the old colony. He probably thinks he’ll get special treatment if he rats us out to the city.”

  Vanessa gasped. “You don’t think he would?”

  “I do. I told you before, he doesn’t like me, and Scarlet could never get a read on him. I think there’s more to him than we know. Do you remember when he joined the colony before everything happened with Razael?”

  “No, I—”

  “He might’ve been someone who knew about Razael. It’s possible he was from the city and wanted to keep an eye on everything. There’s a lot we don’t know, but if I find George, I’ll be having a very long discussion with him.” Jared grabbed Vanessa by her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. “I will do whatever it takes to pry the truth from George. If he doesn’t come peacefully, he may not come back at all. I want you to know I’ll go to the ends of the earth to protect you, the people here, and the dragons. If George is trying to expose us—”

  Vanessa placed a finger on Jared’s lips. The gesture sent shivers racing down his back. She leaned in and planted a timid kiss on his lips. She lingered there, allowing Jared to overcome his shock.

  Hesitant at first, Jared returned the kiss, his lips parting slightly as his senses exploded in euphoria. A moment later Vanessa stepped back, and the world dimmed slightly as the sensation vanished.

  Jared knew he looked like an idiot with a cheesy grin plastered on his face, but he didn’t care.

  “Go. Find George and bring him back. Do whatever you must.”

  Snapping out of his stupor, Jared’s spirit plummeted. To go from such a euphoric experience straight into a desperate hunt for a malevolent person that may end in someone’s death was not the way he’d imagined their first shared kiss to go. Sure, they’d shared a couple quick pecks before, but this was so much more, and he longed to ignore the man hunt and find a quiet place to be alone with Vanessa. It made him resent George all the more.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Please keep everyone inside. If we attract the city’s attention in our hunt, things could get ugly fast. Scarlet’s brothers should be close if we need help. She asked them to be more cautious in case the cities retaliate.”

  “All right, enough talking. Go.” Vanessa gently shoved him toward the stairs.

  One by one, Jared searched each of the rooms for George, startling many of the water folk. He didn’t have time to explain the situation to every person.

  “Sorry, is George in here?” The response was always no.

  Every room searched thoroughly, Jared knew George wasn’t in their little settlement anymore. Thankfully, he hadn’t broken into the medical room to steal any boosters, but then maybe he’d already grabbed some before they’d installed the door. Jared also didn’t know how many weapons the guy had taken.

  They’d faced a lot of dangerous creatures, but nothing scared him more than another human hell-bent on their destruction. It was the Daggers all over again. He knew he had to find George and bring him back before it was too late. Though he’d never trusted him, there’d been no reason to kill or exile the guy. Vanessa was right. If he’d tried to exile George, he’d have lost the trust of other people.

  If George succeeded in contacting the cities, they were all doomed. If Scarlet’s brothers hadn’t reacquired their ability to fly, they’d be sitting ducks for the drop ships.

  “Scarlet? Kitty? Elle? Meet me in the clearing now!”

  It took only a few moments longer for Kitty to arrive with Elle seated on her back.

  “We need to search this area for George. I think he’s headed for the old colony, but we can’t risk it if he’s hiding nearby and leave this place defenseless. Kitty and Elle, please help us search on the ground. Scarlet, fly overhead and use your Heat Sight. I’ll search further east and follow the river back to the ruined town and lake. I’m sure he’s headed east and then north, but I want to be certain.”

  Kitty turned to leave, but Jared stopped her. “Please be careful and use your camouflage. He knocked Johan out and stole weapons. I don’t know how many, or which kind, but we need to treat him with extreme caution. If you find him, shout out mentally for help and Scarlet and I will come.”

  With that, Kitty bounded toward the west to search the surrounding trees and river. Scarlet leaped into the air, and Jared took off at a sprint to the east. Following his own instructions, Jared flipped back and forth between Heat Sight and his regular vision to make sure he didn’t miss George hiding nearby. There was no way to track George across this terrain. The ground was hard and there was no greenery to announce the other man’s passage. Jared had to hope there was no place George could hide.

  Jared grew worried as he reached the ruined city. He still hadn’t seen George in the six and a half miles between their settlement and the tip of the lake. He seconded-guess himself on which way the man had gone, and he was too far from Kitty and Elle to find out if they’d seen him.

  “Scarlet, when’s the last time Elle checked in?”

  “They are fine and have not found him. Should I tell them to head back home?”

  “Yes, if they didn’t find him yet, he is far enough away there won’t be an immediate threat
to everyone else. We’ll keep hunting him.”

  “They will head back and patrol around our home in the event he doubles back.”

  “Thanks, you see anything up there?”

  “Not yet. I will head toward the old colony.”

  “Please be very careful. If you see or hear anything to suggest a drop ship, get out of there as fast as possible.”

  “I will be careful.”

  Jared set out in the same direction. He could’ve had Scarlet pick him up, but there were many places for George to hide along the way, and they needed eyes above and below.

  A feeling like an icy splash of cold washed over his body as Jared had a bad premonition. Fearful of what might happen, Jared checked in on Scarlet’s family. “How far away are your brothers?”

  “They are close, but as we warned them, they are exercising caution in their approach. They planned on finding a place close by to make their home. While many, if not all of us, could fit near our little clearing, there is little room to do anything other than lie down.”

  “That’s a good idea. Hopefully, it’s not too far away.”

  “If they cannot find a natural place, then they will clear the forest, or attempt to burrow into the ground.”

  “I think we should do that too.”

  “Clear the forest?”

  “Burrow into the ground. Well, it might not matter if George reaches out to the cities. If we’re able to stay in our homes there, we should have a back door to escape, should anyone, or anything, ever come for us.”

  “It is a wise decision. Though I do not know where you would begin.”

  “We’d have to start somewhere you can fit. We don’t have a lot in the way of digging implements. A few shovels, but it would take us much too long to create anything worthwhile. I was thinking you could use your fire to burrow into the earth like your mother.”

  “I can, but it will take some time. I will ask my brothers to stop searching for a place and head over to the clearing now.”

  Jared thought about it for a few moments before responding.

  “It’s liable to raise a lot of smoke and ash, and it would be a beacon for anyone nearby. If George is trying to rat us out, that’s probably not a good idea.”

  “Excellent point.”

  “Maybe just have them stick around in case we need them?”

  “Very well.”

  The entire conversation with Scarlet only lasted a moment, and he’d already run a mile toward the old colony.

  “You see anything yet?”

  “I think—I see something, though I do not know if it is a human yet.”

  “Can you get any closer?”

  “I—”

  Scarlet’s words cut off, and a spike of alarm pulsed across their bond.

  “What is it?”

  “Ships. Lots of ships. I can hear at least five.”

  “Hide, quick!”

  Jared sprinted for all he was worth toward the old colony. If it was George who Scarlet saw, he needed to get there as soon as possible to take him out. He didn’t even want to question the man any longer. It was clear where he wanted to go, and his motivations plain. The man wanted to rat them out, but what he didn’t realize was that they would likely kill him on sight.

  “How much farther was the heat signature you saw?”

  “You were nearly ten miles away.”

  George must’ve run the whole way to get so far ahead of him, if it was George anyway. Pushing himself to his limits, Jared flew across the ground. He only hoped none of the ships passed overhead. If they saw him running this fast, they’d realize he wasn’t a normal person.

  “Please stay close, Scarlet. If any of these ships see me, I’ll need your help. Are your brothers well enough to fly yet? We might need them.”

  “Ashazad, Kanundran, and Malsour regained their ability to fly. The rest need more time.”

  Jared prayed that was sufficient if they got into a heated battle with these ships. Hopefully, it didn’t come to that, but Jared’s luck had been off lately, and he didn’t want to rule out the possibility.

  The miles passed much too slow. Even running as fast as he was without tiring, it seemed a snail’s pace compared to what he was used to. When he’d travelled ten miles from their home, Jared heard the ships. Scarlet said she heard five, but from his position he only heard two. The sound rose and fell as if the ships were flying in circles.

  Jared kept a wary eye on his surroundings, always cognizant of places to hide in the event a ship flew overhead. Another mile ticked by, and Jared worried. He might already be too late. If one of these ships found George, there’s nothing he’d be able to do but try to take the ship out to keep their base a secret. He hoped that the cities would shoot the man down where he stood, but there’s no way he’d rely on good fortune.

  “Scarlet, I don’t know about this. I still haven’t caught up to him yet, and from the sounds, these ships are getting close.”

  “I can alert my brothers?”

  “Not yet, but there’s a good chance we’ll need them.”

  Another two miles and finally he caught sight of someone stumbling down the road. Jared used his Magnified Vision to zoom in and identify George. He carried one of their phase rifles, and based on the bulges in his backpack, he’d stolen a decent amount of their gear.

  You conniving little…

  Jared’s thoughts trailed off as anger clouded his mind. This guy was selfishness incarnate. He’d gone through the same trials as the rest of the water folk, yet he’d turned his nose up at all of them and decided his life was worth more than anyone else’s. It grated against Jared’s nature, and he wanted nothing more than to teach him a lesson he wouldn’t forget.

  Jared crouched low, prepared to activate Maximum Muscle and sprint the remaining distance, but he faltered when the familiar scream of a drop ship roared into the area. Jared’s fears came to fruition as the drop ship zoomed into focus. Jared dropped to his belly and made himself small, hoping he’d avoid detection.

  George dropped to his knees, holding his hands above his head. Jared watched the ships phase cannon pivot to point at George. It hovered in place for an agonizing amount of time before lowering itself to the ground.

  “Jared? What happened?”

  “There’s a drop ship headed right for George. I think we have to take it out.”

  He searched the sky for signs of other drop ships, but it was impossible to say. They moved so fast at full speed it didn’t really matter if he saw one now or not.

  “Get ready. The ship is touching down.”

  The ramp of the ship lowered, and the ever-present spherical probes rolled out. Fully expecting more robots to come pouring from the hold, Jared’s jaw dropped open when a human being flowed regally down the ramp.

  “Scarlet! It’s a human from the cities. They’re walking down the ramp toward George. I can’t tell if they’re male or female from this distance, but they look…normal. They’re wearing a uniform similar to the ones I stole.”

  George waved frantically at the person walking down the ramp and collapsed at their feet. He piled the weapons and bag in front of the mysterious person and waved back the way he’d come.

  Resigned to what was about to happen Jared made up his mind. “It’s time. We’ve got to take them out.”

  “On my way.”

  “Please have your brothers ready. If this person can use nanotech like us, they might be able to alert their allies the moment they see us.”

  Jared drew in a deep breath, feeling as though the universe was out to get him. Ever since he’d come to this area, he’d experienced setback after setback and nearly died. He’d found the water folk, which was a break in his bad luck streak, but now one of those same people threatened to upend everything he’d fought for. If more drop ships came to support this one,
things would get dicey fast. Rather than delay the inevitable, Jared activated his abilities and launched himself forward. When he got within half a mile, the city-dweller looked up and zeroed in on him.

  The man pushed George violently to the side. It seemed a casual gesture, but George went flying several feet away.

  “This guy looks very dangerous. He batted George aside like a rag doll. He—” Jared dove out of the way as his opponent detached a long rifle from his shoulder and in one swift motion sent a ray of death streaming for him. The move was so smooth and practiced it amazed him. There was no hesitation, and his accuracy was superb. If Jared had not reacted immediately, there would be a smoking hole in his body.

  “Take him out!”

  “Almost there.”

  Almost as if the guy had heard him, his head snapped up to the sky, and Jared, his vision still magnified, watched him squint. Glancing in the same direction, Jared saw Scarlet approaching.

  “How did—”

  The man reattached the rifle to the back of his uniform, threw the weapons and ammunition George brought up the ramp, scooped George up, and threw him headlong into the hold. The ramp hissed shut behind them, and the ship rose off the ground.

  “Hurry, Scarlet!”

  He needn’t have worried, because a moment later Scarlet crashed into the drop ship from above, ripping and slashing with her claws. Like the previous ship, she sliced off the engines on the back, so it had no thrust. It smashed back to the earth on the half-retracted landing struts and the ramp hissed open once more.

  The human he’d seen before literally flew from the hold in a headfirst dive that carried him a dozen yards from the downed ship. He spun in the air with two massive pistols in his hands and fired on Scarlet.

  The rounds sizzled into her side, leaving black scorch marks on her scales. Scarlet roared in pain and anguish as the rounds impacted. The barrage was steady and had amazing precision as the rounds hit the same location over and over.