Radioactive Evolution

by Richard Hummel

“Wait, you aren’t the first, though. Also, your mother is a queen? So that makes you what, a princess?”

  Because each matriarch passes their essence to their successor, we are collectively referred to as the first.

  Jared’s mind spun as he tried to wrap his thoughts around what Scarlet told him. She snorted upon seeing his confused look and he thought she might be annoyed by his endless tirade of questions.

  I urge you to wait for my mother to explain in more detail.

  “So not only did I steal a dragon from her nest, I stole a soon-to-be queen from a dying mother!” Jared’s voice squeaked, panic obvious in his demeanor. “So, when did you say we need to meet your mother, exactly?”

  As soon as possible. She is already dying, and I must be by her side.

  Jared felt shame and guilt wash through him for keeping Scarlet from her mother. No matter his fears, they needed to get moving.

  Without further delay, Jared pulled up the status screen for Scarlet. Carefully reading through the options, he realized she only had one extra category, Physical Defense/Attack. She also didn’t have the Natural Armor, option under body Manipulation.

  That’ll make these selections easier, thought Jared. He’d already read all the descriptions for each of the enhancements, so he focused on the four new areas in Physical Defense/Attack, which included Skin Hardening, Scale Hardening, Bone Hardening, and Fire Breathing.

  “It looks like our enhancement areas are pretty similar. Well, aside from the whole Fire Breathing bit.”

  That was intentional to make this easier. Though I have a little more control over the nanites assigned to any physical augmentations. Once you make the selections, I can influence them to act a particular way. For instance, if you assigned some to Remodeling, I can dictate what they remodel and where. In time, you will gain that ability for yourself.

  “I’ll leave these selections up to you, but I do think most of them should go into body. No offense, but you’re a bit on the scrawny side at the moment.”

  I can give you a little telepathic slap to the head if you need help remembering that I just hatched a few hours ago.

  Jared held up his hands in apology. “I meant no offense! I just pointed out the obvious. There’s a lot of creatures out there, and a rat could probably take you on physically at this point.”

  Noted, Scarlet said icily. I will receive a significant boost to my physical stature and available nanites once my mother transfers her essence to me. Right now, the amount is negligible, but physical enhancements will provide the most immediate benefit.

  “What is… essence?” Jared said, but Scarlet cut him off.

  We will discuss it later.

  Geez, I just got verbally shut down by a foot-tall sassy dragon. This companionship is going to get interesting, he thought. Perhaps I made a huge mistake injecting those nanites into her. Doing his best to let the stern dismissal slide off him, Jared listened attentively as Scarlet walked him through her status screen.

  Scarlet – Nanites Available: 100%

  body

  Physical Augmentation

  Muscle Mass - 25%

  body Manipulation

  Regeneration - 15%

  Remodeling - 10%

  Physical Defense/Attack

  Skin Hardening - 10%

  Scale Hardening - 15%

  Bone Hardening - 10%

  Fire Breathing - 15%

  “Okay, I allocated everything into Physical Augmentation. Can you actually breathe fire right now?”

  I can only make a tiny spark, as it takes time for my fire glands to mature. With the amount of nanites you designated, I should be able to breathe a small trickle of flame, not much use in an attack until it gets stronger and I grow in size.

  Jared finished going over both of their status screens. Before he closed them out, he asked, “Scarlet, didn’t the professor’s message say something about assimilating traits?”

  The traits he mentions are abilities. When creatures absorb nanites they can develop special abilities. If you kill the creature, there’s a high probability that you also acquire the special ability due to the nanites retaining the naturally evolved coding.

  “So you’re saying I can become a superhero?” The excitement made his voice crack like a prepubescent teenager.

  Superhero?

  “Demigod? Fallen angel?”

  Supernatural powers. Yes, I suppose given enough time you may develop into a being of great power.

  His excitement only grew as he thought of the possibilities. He wouldn’t need to worry about chance encounters with bears or wild dogs. He’d strive to become impervious to the predators that normally hunted him. Bottom of the food chain? Not anymore!

  “Woohoo!” Jared fist-pumped, unable to contain the torrent of emotions running through him. Igor, you mad genius, I hope one day I get to meet you and thank you for this opportunity.

  Elated, Jared felt like he could take on the world. “All right, Scarlet let’s go see your mother.”

  Jared removed the barricade from his temporary shelter and stepped outside to stretch when he felt something breathe down his neck. He froze.

  Stay inside! Jared thought to Scarlet, but she shrugged off his command and slithered out of the room, scampered around Jared, and made a mewling noise.

  Dang, Jared thought, Scarlet’s mother.

  I’m going to die, I’m going to die...

  Slowly, arms stretched out to show he meant no harm, Jared turned around. He expected to see an angry maw filled with razor-sharp death descending toward him, regardless of what Scarlet said. Instead, all he saw were massive tree-trunk legs covered in blood-red scales.

  Jared swallowed hard and craned his neck up. Whoa.

  Unprepared for the visage before him, Jared stood in muted shock, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

  How could such a creature exist? Why hasn’t anyone seen her before? Can the cities really be that ignorant of a creature so massive?

  Scarlet’s mother stood at least two hundred feet tall and had a wingspan that required Jared to crane his head as far left and right as possible. Her scales, the color of fresh spilt blood, covered every inch of her body. Massive legs tipped with razor sharp claws showcased her lethality, easily slicing into the concrete and metal as if made of butter.

  Jared shuddered as his gaze swept upward where her arms gave way to the enormous scaled wings. Massive spiked protrusions jutted from her wings, ready to impale any creature that dared attack.

  A snort and gout of superheated breath snapped Jared out of his stupor. The great behemoth dropped to all fours, and the ground shook with the force causing rocks and debris to cascade down the slope. On all fours, the dragon stood at least one hundred feet tall and was no less imposing a figure.

  How in the world did this creature fit into the subway tunnels?

  The magnificent dragon lowered her head, and Jared saw curved horns that swept back toward her tail, where a row of spikes that started from the crown of her head tracked down her back all the way to a barb-tipped tail, similar to Scarlet’s own. Each horn looked like deadly katanas, and they could impale a man with room to spare.

  This creature from myth and legend lowered her head, folded her wings against her body, and stared at the puny human. Jared looked into her eye and felt his innermost thoughts laid bare for this sentient being. Cold tendrils of pressure invaded his mind and sent shivers racing to his very soul. Nothing remained hidden. Her slitted irises burned with an inner light and reflected flame like molten pools of magma. Jared felt naked in front of her gaze and dared not move an inch lest she forgo her promise to Scarlet and end his very existence.

  The dragon’s lips pulled back into a feral grin as he had these thoughts, and he heard a great huffing noise like a steam-powered engine wheezing to life. When her lips pulled ba
ck, Jared smelled the fetid scent of death and decay from the many creatures whose life ended in her jaws. He could see pieces of flesh and bone between her sharp teeth , causing him to shudder in fear and disgust.

  Unable to move his body even an inch, he couldn’t form a single coherent word or thought. While he stood immobile, Scarlet slithered around her mother’s legs and came to rest near her head. With a monumental effort of will, he shifted his eyes to Scarlet to see her relaxed and curled up next to her mother. He felt some of the tension ease.

  When Jared thought he could take the scrutiny no more, a deep, rumbling voice thundered in his mind.

  Jared Cartwright, I find you worthy.

  Jared screamed. He dropped to his knees, cradling his head in his hands. It felt like his skull split in two and the pressure of a mountain crushed it flat. Liquid trickled down his face. Instinctively, he reached up to wipe it away and his fingers came away stained with blood.

  She doesn’t even have to eat me, she can just talk me to death, Jared thought wryly, the pounding in his head making it difficult to think.

  Mother, Jared heard Scarlet say. His mind is weak. You must speak to him as a hatchling.

  Scarlet turned to look at him and said, Jared, please come closer and place your hand on my mother.

  “You—you want me to,” Jared stammered. “I don’t—I—”

  Yes, you will communicate through touch. My mother’s psionic ability is too powerful for you to bear. Until you increase your mind ability, this is the only way you can speak with a mature dragon.

  “Move,” Jared whispered under his breath. Shaking in fear, his body refused to obey him. Summoning the last of his willpower, Jared raised his eyes to gaze into the fiery eye once more. Just before his hand made contact he hesitated and glanced at Scarlet. She nodded her head, and he placed his palm down.

  Jared’s vision faded to black. Not again...

  A dragon’s ferocious roar ripped through the last vestiges of Jared’s foggy mind. The roar sent vibrations through his body.

  Blinking in confusion, Jared asked, Where am I? Wait. How? I’m using telepathy. Why can’t I speak?

  Completely ignoring his questions, a deep, melodic voice that sounded otherworldly and ancient invaded his thoughts. From the very beginning, or ever the Earth was, we existed. When dragons freely roamed the earth, they ruled the land, the air, the water, and fire. The emphasis on fire did not escape his notice, and it was clear which she belonged to. The scene before him played out as he watched dragons, similar in color and size to Scarlet’s mother, darting in and out of volcanoes.

  We have always had one queen for each dominion.

  Jared’s vision blurred and re-focused, showing Scarlet’s mother in all her majestic glory diving into an active volcano. She reveled in the searing heat of the liquid magma against her scales. Jared didn’t know how, but the heat and comfort of its caress washed over him, and he felt…home.

  My children... Love and anguish exploded into his mind.

  Conflict warred within him while he gazed at her progeny.

  What happened to them? asked Jared.

  The scene fast-forwarded in time, pausing to show humankind bent on eradicating dragons from the Earth. Jared watched primitive men with crudely-made weapons wage war against hibernating dragons, slaughtering them as they slept. Every time a spear or sword pierced the flesh of a dragon, a pang of sorrow stabbed at his heart. The visions flew by so fast, but somehow, he understood them all. Mankind multiplied, creating weapons of war to trap and imprison them. The imprisoned dragons became sport and entertainment in colosseums.

  Amongst the chaos and brutal nature of mankind, he also witnessed those that worshiped and cared for the dragons. In return for their friendship, these humans became exiles, and many died alongside the dragons as outcasts to society. Thousands of years passed, and the persecution continued. Mankind wanted to reign supreme, lords of the earth. Over time, heroes arose in the human kingdoms, and statues were erected to showcase their accomplishments. It was these heroes that waged war against dragon kind.

  The flashback slowed to a crawl and focused on the last remaining fire dragons, flying around a massive volcano spewing steam and smoke. Forlornly, Scarlet’s mother looked around her before she arced into the air and dove straight down the mouth of the volcano, never to resurface. The moment the dragon, whose perspective and feeling he shared, dove into the volcano, a tidal wave of emotions surged into him. Sadness and loss of other dragons. Anger and hatred against mankind. A desire to fight overruled by duty and obligation to protect the last of the dragons.

  He didn’t know if it was his own emotions or the lingering effects of the dragons, but his heart broke. He felt compassion for them and anger at what others of his kind did to them. Prideful and arrogant fools. All of them!

  We burrowed underground three thousand years ago, ending our reign on earth.

  Still floating in the void, an image of Scarlet appeared in front of him. At the sight, love blossomed inside him, and he had no doubt everything he’d seen and witnessed was from Scarlet’s mother’s perspective. The love she held for all her kind paled in comparison to the tiny lizard curled at her feet.

  A time of dragons has begun anew. Even now my family stirs and will once again take to the skies.

  Alarmed, Jared blurted, Humankind has only grown more hostile over the years. Are you sure you want your family to re-emerge into the world?

  From your memories and as far as I can sense, humans no longer populate much of the earth. It will be many years yet before the rest of my family re-emerges. Scarlet will work to carve out a home for dragons here on the surface.

  The moment ended, and Jared knew her decision was final. Nothing he said would change her mind. A resolute desire to see her family grow and flourish drove her motivations, regardless of the peril. Somehow, he knew that thousands of years in hibernation was no existence at all, and dragon kind wanted to live again.

  The finality of the moment abruptly shifted, and a new landscape faded into view. The temperature dipped precipitously, and an involuntary shudder wracked his body. Glaciers and blinding white snow-capped peaks surrounded him.

  A moment later a brilliant white shape darted in front of him.

  White dragon?

  These are the last of the ice dragons who held dominion over the air.

  Jared’s perspective zoomed in to the largest dragon where they flew over a glacier with a massive gash rent in the earth. Instinctively, Jared knew this particular rend in the earth descended miles below the surface. Just before the largest dragon descended into the depths, a psionic wave of energy rolled across the earth, announcing their departure from the affairs of the world.

  I... Jared’s vision swam yet again, making him lose his train of thought. When it cleared, he floated above the ocean, untouched by the ravages of the war that later destroyed most of the earth.

  It’s beautiful, Jared said breathlessly. His eyes roamed the vast emptiness stretching before him and he longed to see an ocean like this someday. I’ve seen nothing like it before!

  The vastness of the open space overwhelmed him, making him realize how insignificant he was in comparison. The ocean’s surface, marred only by the gentle lapping of waves, made him relax. It soothed him like nothing he’d ever experienced before. The sound was peaceful and tranquil-

  A low, deep moan vibrated through his body, and deep sadness pervaded his thoughts. Such a contrast to the feelings he’d just experienced, it angered him that anything could feel such loss when gazing upon the splendor before him. In the distance, several shapes drew near. His vision blurred and zoomed forward into the midst of titanic blue dragons. These majestic creatures dwarfed Scarlet’s mother and differed in so many ways. Where the ice and fire dragons had razor-sharp claws and a single row of spikes down their back, these midnight blue dragons sported webbed
appendages, and their entire bodies looked smooth as glass. He saw individual scales, but rather than overlapping, they merged to create sleek bodies. Their tails ended in a deadly looking trident instead of the barbed tail on Scarlet and her mother. Only one word could describe what he felt at that moment: awe.

  Words eluded him, and all he could do was stare in incomprehension while these dragons flew through the skies.

  Water dragons are the largest of our kind. They live longer and have profound wisdom exceeding all others. They also govern all the other dragons, though they do not dictate our actions.

  One by one they disappeared beneath the surface. He followed the path the dragons took, descending miles beneath the water. If not for a faint glow emanating from the dragons, the darkness would’ve swallowed them from sight. Once the dragons reached the bottom of the trench, they settled in to rest and closed their eyes.

  Unlike most of the dragons, water dragons were not forced to abandon their homes and burrow into the earth. This is their home, and they still roam the depths. Since we removed ourselves from the world, they have remained beneath the water, hidden from mankind.

  Will they surface now that dragons are returning to the world?

  They will remain in the ocean until they are certain man will not hunt them again. Although the largest of our kind, they are the most kind and gentle, preferring peace and isolation to the violence shown by man. Contrary to how humanity portrayed our kind, we do not wage war on them, nor do we rule over them. We prefer to live peaceably, co-existing, but they only saw us as a threat to their sovereignty.

  Jared’s resolve hardened, he’d do everything he could to help bring that vision to pass.

  The last of our kind, the earth dragons have hidden deep under the mountains.

  The scene shifted once more, and Jared stood atop a plateau, a dry heat blasted him in the face as he stood on the edge of a desert butted up against a huge mountain range. He looked down to see a dozen dragons trudging toward the mountains. The slow, lumbering steps of these behemoths sent vibrations up his legs. These dragons didn’t have wings, and their backs looked covered in many layers of scale and bone. Jared recalled pictures of prehistoric dinosaurs and marveled at the similarities.