Convulsive Box Set

by Marcus Martin

  Pete clambered onto the trunk and grabbed the binoculars from Lucy.

  “Amy!” he cried, in horror.

  “What is it?” said Johnny.

  Pete didn’t answer. He leaped off the trunk and hurtled through the ivy curtain, repeating his wife’s name. Lucy cursed then sprinted after him, back into the field.

  “Guys, wait!” cried Karys, whose voice quickly faded among the thick plant growth.

  Lucy raced towards the rising smoke. She emerged into the scorched clearing behind Pete. The vast centipede creature lay in pieces. Its scattered spiny legs twitched slowly as the last impulses drained away from its nervous system. Across the clearing was the first larva. It had been severely burned in the heatwave, but continued to feed on the sergeant’s body. Its sibling was nowhere to be seen. Miraculously, the glowing embers at the edge of the clearing were dying down, as the plants nearest them dissolved to Gen Water, collapsing onto their smoldering neighbors and dousing the flames.

  “Amy!” cried Pete, falling beside his wife. She looked at him with pain and disbelief in her eyes.

  “It’s gonna be OK honey, we’ll get you out of here,” said Pete, with a tremor in his voice. He took the bundled jacket from Ruth’s hands and pressed it harder against his wife’s lacerated shoulder. She screamed in pain, then fell limp.

  “No, no, no – stay with me, honey,” begged the farmer, slapping his wife’s face desperately. His hands trembled as he tried to revive her.

  Ruth sat in a daze, staring at the destruction around her.

  A sobbing noise rang out from across the field.

  “We need to get out of here, fast. Get us back on the path,” said Lucy, hauling Ruth to her feet.

  “Honey, wake up,” said Pete, desperately pawing at his wife’s cheeks.

  “We have to get her back to base, come on,” urged Lucy.

  She placed Pete’s bloodied hand against the shoulder scruff of his wife’s jacket, and clenched it tight for him. Lucy assumed the same grip on the other side, and they dragged the unconscious woman into the plant growth, following in Ruth’s footsteps, as the sound of sobbing rang out from the field behind.

  “Oh my God,” said Johnny, rushing to meet them as they approached the gate.

  “Help us get her in the truck,” grunted Lucy, as she dragged the woman clear of the ivy threshold.

  “We can’t take her back – there’s too much blood,” said Karys, alarmed.

  “We’ll figure it out, dammit. Just help us,” said Lucy.

  Karys grabbed the woman’s belt and helped heave her into the truck.

  “It’s gonna be all right honey. Just stay with me,” said Pete, clutching his wife’s hand.

  “Drive!” ordered Lucy.

  Karys snapped out of her shock and kicked the vehicle into action, spinning them around and hitting the gas.

  “This is insane, we’re bringing a huge risk into the camp,” protested Karys, as the speeding truck bounced over the dirt track.

  “If there’s a chance to save her, we have to take it,” said Lucy.

  “Those weren’t our orders,” said Karys.

  “To hell with our orders, this is an actual person we’re talking about!” cried Lucy.

  “Are you crazy?” snapped Karys, straining her voice over the engine.

  “It’s a risk we have to take,” said Lucy.

  Before Karys could reply, Ruth interrupted from the back. She tapped the rear window twice and signaled them to stop. Lucy looked back at the blood-soaked woman in the cargo bed. Her face looked pale, yet serene. Karys brought the truck to a halt. She and Lucy climbed out to inspect the rear.

  Pete looked at his wife, shaking his head repeatedly. He moaned as he rocked on his knees and stroked her hair, begging her to open her eyes. Gently, Ruth lifted his hand from his wife’s wounded shoulder. She took his hand in hers, looked him in the eye, and shook her head once. The man broke down and rocked over his wife’s body, distraught. Ruth slumped back against the side of the truck, biting her lip and blinking away the tears forming over her eyes.

  “You know we can’t bring the body into camp,” said Karys quietly.

  Lucy nodded, staring at the woman.

  “I’ll bury her,” croaked Ruth.

  “We don’t have time to do that – not by sundown,” said Karys, anxiously.

  “We need to burn the body, anyway, otherwise they’ll just use her remains to grow stronger,” said Lucy, bleakly.

  “No, you can’t – not my wife,” begged Pete.

  “She’s at peace now, Pete. She would understand,” said Johnny, gently lifting his friend away from the woman’s body.

  “We can use some fuel from the jerry can,” muttered Karys, trying to be discrete.

  “I’ll do it,” said Pete, standing up. He nodded his head compulsively, while wiping his face with his sleeve.

  “You don’t have to,” said Lucy.

  “Yeah, I do. I owe her that. This is all my fault,” said Pete, choking on his words.

  Johnny placed a consoling hand on his shoulder, then helped Lucy and Ruth to unload the body as respectfully as they could manage.

  They lay the woman by the roadside.

  “You wanna say a prayer?” said Johnny, delicately.

  “And say what?” croaked Pete, standing over his wife’s body.

  “We’ll give you a moment,” said Karys, placing the jerry can on the ground and stepping away.

  Lucy, Ruth, and Johnny peeled away one by one to stand on the other side of the truck. The sound of Pete sobbing was interspersed with Karys’s attempts to decontaminate the truck, as she wiped down the bloodied cargo bed, and the crews’ hands.

  After a moment, Pete returned.

  “I couldn’t do it. Can one of you–” he faltered.

  “That’s OK. I got you,” said Johnny, sweeping him up in a hug.

  Ruth gave Lucy a grim nod. She snatched the bloodied rags and the discarded jacket from Karys, then peeled away from the group. The sound of liquid glugging from a bottle soon mingled with Pete’s sobs. Lucy tried to distract herself as the fire crackled behind the car. Pete sobbed harder, pushing Johnny away and sinking against the pickup. He clutched his sides in despair.

  Ruth returned, looking sick to the core. She shoved the jerry can into the back of the pickup, then stepped away from the weeping husband.

  “It’s not a proper fire, so it won’t get rid of the whole body. It should cauterize the wound sites, though, so it’ll be less of a magnet for other creatures overnight,” said Ruth, with forced detachment.

  “We can deal with the leftovers tomorrow, when we revisit the field. The sergeant’s body should have degraded by then. We’ll need to study the resulting Gen Water,” said Karys.

  “I get it now. You’re a sociopath,” said Ruth, laughing coldly, and giving Karys an aggressive jab on the shoulder.

  “Screw you. I’m trying to maximize the data we have so we can kill those things,” said Karys, shoving Ruth back.

  “By going back into the field of death? No thanks,” said Ruth, squaring up to her.

  “It’s a risk worth taking,” said Karys, her face just inches from the old sailor’s.

  “Cut it out!” said Lucy shoving the pair apart.

  Ruth cursed and stormed off several paces, while Karys stayed put fuming, and adjusted her flak jacket.

  The putrid scent of burning flesh wafted across the roadside. Lucy grimaced as she watched Karys fussing. The woman was taking great care over her vest, briefly revealing a flash of yellow against the black. The padding had felt different to Ruth’s. With a sickening realization, Lucy stepped closer towards the newcomer.

  “You’ve been lying to us,” she said, quietly.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” said Karys, coldly, as she tugged the zip on her jacket.

  “How did you do it?” said Lucy, scrutinizing Karys’s appearance. She could see no trace of current or former lesions on the woman’s skin. She didn’t look
infected. It had to be something else.

  “Do what?” said Karys, blithely.

  She made for the pickup but Lucy grabbed her arm.

  “You’ve got protection – against the creatures. I saw it, in the field. It could’ve taken you, but it didn’t,” said Lucy.

  She grabbed Karys’s zip and yanked it down fully, revealing the flak jacket. Two horizontal yellow strips of tape clung to the front. A slight opening revealed a pouch at the top. Lucy seized the jacket and ripped open the top.

  “What the hell are you doing? Get off!” cried Karys, wrestling Lucy’s grip to stop her opening the pouch. She twisted and hunched, trying to mask her torso.

  “You’re a liar!” cried Lucy.

  “I don’t know what you’re – hey!” yelled Karys.

  Between the outer layer and the Kevlar lining, Lucy’s hands traced over something plastic and squishy. A sickening feeling spread through her stomach.

  “Tell me the truth,” grunted Lucy, prying further.

  “Back off!” yelled Karys, elbowing Lucy hard in the collar bone.

  With a cry, Lucy grabbed her field knife and stabbed it into Karys’s chest. Karys staggered backwards into the pickup. Blood oozed from her chest. Johnny leaped up in horror.

  “I knew it,” said Lucy, defiantly.

  Karys cursed angrily as she ripped off the flak jacket. She lowered it to the ground, taking great care to avoid the blood dripping from it, while tilting it up to stop the leak.

  “Ma’am, you’re bleeding real bad,” stammered Johnny.

  “It’s not her blood,” said Lucy, angrily, pointing her wet blade at Karys.

  “You could’ve got me infected!” fumed Karys, frantically checking herself over.

  “Infected with what?” said Johnny.

  “Great question, Johnny. Why don’t you tell the group, Karys?” said Lucy, seething.

  Karys kicked the truck angrily, then glared at Lucy.

  “Fine. It’s blood from an infected,” said Karys.

  “What’s an ‘infected’?” said Johnny.

  “When did you last rotate off the farm?” said Karys.

  “’Bout a month ago,” said Johnny.

  “News travels slow,” said Karys. “There’s been an outbreak in DC. A new disease, linked to the creatures. We don’t know much about it, but it’s highly infectious. They’re quarantining a lot of people right now. However, the pathology lab recently discovered that infecteds seem to have a degree of immunity from the D4 creatures.”

  “Like, they don’t get attacked?” said Johnny.

  “Not directly,” said Karys.

  “So you strapped a bag of some infected person’s blood on for your own protection?” said Ruth, stepping up beside Lucy.

  “Hey, I’m not the monster here, I’m just doing my job.”

  “Did this ‘infected’ have a name? Did they volunteer their blood, or was it taken from them?” said Lucy, seething.

  “I don’t know, alright? I’m a botanist for God’s sake! Yesterday, I was in DC reporting to the Medical Council on the progress of the North West fields. The pathology director told me about some breakthrough in the lab, which needed urgent field testing. Harvey gave me this jacket, with the bag fitted in it. You think I wanted to be his guinea pig?” protested Karys.

  “You could’ve refused,” said Ruth.

  “That doesn’t go down so well in DC right now. Lot of people refusing stuff. I don’t wanna get caught up in politics if it means my rations get cut off,” said Karys.

  “So here you are, hiding behind someone else’s blood,” said Lucy, clenching her fist.

  “Do you have any idea how many people are getting killed in DC right now? The creatures are all over the city. It’s way worse than before. The military’s being torn apart and we need a way to protect them. In eight months of fighting these creatures, this is the first thing we’ve discovered that might work,” insisted Karys.

  Had it been that long? Lucy couldn’t tell anymore. It felt like so much longer. Like her life in San Francisco was centuries ago.

  “So you’re cool with rounding innocent people up and bleeding them dry?” said Ruth.

  “In my last mission, I lost half my team to the creatures. When Harvey offered me a chance of protection, I took it, alright?” said Karys.

  “And someone else paid the price,” said Lucy.

  “Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know,” said Karys.

  “Did you ask?” said Ruth.

  Karys looked away.

  “So the mission you announced earlier – when you first arrived – you didn’t really want us to capture one of the creatures, did you? You wanted to test the jacket. You knew the group would be a target, but that you’d have protection. Did you expect any of us to make it out alive? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t send you back in there without out it. Then you can experience what we just went through,” growled Ruth.

  “I was scared too – I had no guarantee the jacket would work,” protested Karys.

  “You were confident enough to plot a suicide mission for the rest of us,” Ruth fumed.

  “I’m sorry, OK? I had no idea how Harvey was getting the blood,” said Karys.

  “You mean you didn’t care enough to ask,” said Ruth.

  “How did they even discover the immunity?” said Lucy.

  “Apparently it was a fluke. There was a break-in at the lab a few days ago – D4 creatures. When the clean-up team arrived, the only people left standing were the infecteds,” said Karys.

  “And three days later, here you are, wearing their blood,” said Ruth.

  “It’s not like that!” protested Karys.

  In all their arguing, no-one noticed Pete getting up. No-one noticed him quietly moving behind the group. No-one noticed him slip his hand into Lucy’s holster, until it was too late.

  “What the hell?” said Lucy, feeling the sudden tug against her side.

  “Pete, no!” cried Johnny, as the farmer recoiled backwards, clutching Lucy’s pistol.

  “Take it easy there, friend,” said Ruth, drawing her own pistol and training it on the distraught man.

  Pete’s eyes were filled with tears. His jaw quaked, and he dribbled uncontrollably, as he raised the pistol to the group.

  “She’s gone,” he stammered, weakly.

  “Pete, don’t do this,” begged Johnny.

  “She was everything I had, and I failed her,” said Pete, sobbing.

  Lucy stared at him, numbly. Maybe he should pull the trigger. End it there and then for both of them. It would be nothing less than they deserved. Two failed partners, alone in an unrecognizable world, no longer able to pretend they had hope.

  “I’m sorry,” said Pete, raising the gun to his head, and squeezing the trigger.

  “No!” cried Johnny, diving at his friend.

  He tackled him to the ground, wrestling the gun away, while Pete cried out in despair, appalled to find he was still alive. Johnny tossed the pistol clear, as they continued to tussle. Lucy scooped it up and watched. She absently ran her thumb up and down the safety.

  “It’s gonna be OK,” insisted Johnny, repeating his plea until Pete gave up the struggle.

  Exhausted and despairing, the widowed farmer lay in his friend’s arms, sobbing. Lucy stared at the pair as Johnny rocked his friend gently, trying to soothe the rawest of wounds. He refused to give up on Pete. Lucy’s mind flashed to Lopez, knowing he was still trapped in DC, counting on her to save him. She couldn’t give up on herself. Not yet. Not while he needed her.

  The group stood in silence for a moment, processing everything that had just happened. The crackling fire accompanied their meditation, sending wafts of putrid incense across the funeral guests, as the dead woman’s fat hissed and squeaked as it popped amidst the flames.

  “Why did you save me? You should’ve let me die out there. It would’ve left her alone, don’t you see?” sobbed Pete, staring at Lucy.

  “What’s he talking
about?” said Johnny, weakly.

  Lucy swallowed, hard.

  “Yes, Lucy, what is he talking about?” said Karys.

  “Not now, Karys,” said Lucy, quietly.

  “I think now’s a great time, after you just attacked me with a knife,” she said, briskly. “Maybe it’s your turn to share with the group. I’m sure they’d all love to hear how you know so much about infecteds’ blood, given that the discovery was made after you were expelled from the lab,” said Karys.

  Lucy’s lips tightened.

  “You should’ve let it take me,” sobbed Pete.

  Johnny looked from Lucy to Karys imploringly, searching for answers.

  “When the creature went for Pete, in the field, Lucy threw herself in front him,” said Karys.

  “You saved him?” said Johnny.

  Lucy nodded. A tear formed in her eye as memories of Dan came flooding back. If she could’ve traded places with him, she’d have given anything in the world. Yet she’d robbed Pete of that chance.

  “Ask her why she did it,” said Karys, glaring at Lucy, coldly. “Anyone curious? Ruth?”

  “Pff, please, I already know her deal,” grunted Ruth.

  Karys blinked, taken aback.

  “You know she’s infected?” she said, staring at the older woman.

  “And yet we’re still friends. Cute, isn’t it?” said Ruth.

  “She’s one of them infected people?” said Johnny, pointing at Lucy.

  Lucy nodded at him, then stared at the ground. She waited for the others to unite against her; to detain her, and take her in. She wished they would. Then she could resist. They’d have to kill her. She’d be free from her debt to Lopez. Free from all her guilt and pain. They could end it there and then. No more mutations. No more secrets. No more failing those she loved. She closed her eyes and placed a hand over her womb. Someone, surely, would take their chance; put an end to the abhorrence she’d become.

  A long moment passed before Lucy realized no such relief was coming. She was stuck with her path, until someone took it from her. A bitter sense of duty nagged from the depths of her conscience. She couldn’t just abandon Lopez, or the other infected people in DC. Whatever she was feeling, they had it worse at the hands of Harvey. With resignation, she opened her eyes and spoke.