The Natural Selection Retaliation

by Kyle Robertson

  “My guys are elite, Di. They’ll get it done swiftly.” Steve touted his team.

  “You have one siphon and twenty-four destroyers to drain. Your team could be ninjas, but they can’t defeat a tight time window.”

  Steve thought about it and looked at Chip.

  “To make this more time efficient, do you wanna hack a fuel pump lock mechanism?”

  “Come on, Di. You just made our jobs a little more complicated. I’ll hack the system, you multi-task by keeping the wolves at bay while plasma cutting the carbenium lock. Steve, have your team bring the barrels and hotwire a loader to transport them back onboard full.”

  “It would’ve taken longer than an hour to drain twenty-four destroyers and transport the barrels onboard the Yamato,” Steve said. He went to order his crew while Chip and Alikira went to the tanks.

  “The display taunted them with their fullness and Chip got to work.

  “You want to be efficient, right? Use me,” Alikira said. “Jack me in and I’ll crack it in a minute.”

  “Are you controlling the wolves?”

  “Yes, there's no threat.”

  “Then let me crack it. You’re making me feel obsolete.”

  “You put yourself in a strange juxtaposition,” she said. “You’ve ‘tuned me up’ to be the best I could be, but now I’m so good, I’m taking your job away from you. I’m okay being this advanced because I’ll need it to take down the Program, but you do you, Chip. Just remember. This was exactly how the Program was created. The main difference between us is I’m not trying to obliterate the Human Race.”

  Chip understood.

  “Food for thought, Di. I’ll tone it down. When we found you, all my restrictions opened and I went crazy trying to eat all the food. Thanks for keeping me in shape and not letting me get fat. I’ll just be doing me. Just cut the lock when I finish.”

  “So, no wings I take it?”

  “No wings, Di. I did want to put in a flamethrower though.”

  “Ask Carlos. He might want a flaming hot chicka.” She smiled. Chip began to hack the lock mechanism, while Marc hotwired a loader. The rest of the crew lined up the barrels on the loader and Steve scanned the perimeter as they worked.

  “That was faster than last time, Okay, Di, cut the lock.”

  Alikira cut the lock with her plasma cutter and Chip activated the unlock button.

  “Tell Steve it’s time to refuel and go. I don’t want any renegade alligators upsetting the order.”

  Alikira went to Steve, told him it was unlocked, and Steve held up a hand signal to get his squad in-gear.

  They were fast. It took a half-hour to fill 60 barrels. Marc took them into the Yamato in shifts. The other Neo-Khaos took them to the engine room. Steve was right. His crew was efficient.

  “We’re done, Di. What are you waiting for?” Chip asked.

  “The crazy, Chip. When has a mission gone off without a hitch? This went too well. Something’s about to happen.”

  “Something already happened. There were nanite possessed Red Wolves patroling the naval base with nanite mice controlling them. That was ‘crazy’ different. The thing you don’t understand is we’re evolving quickly. You said you’d expect the extraordinary to Carlos. You did and defeated it. I talked to him before we came out here. You did it already, so don’t think of another step this time. When the Program finds out we beat it, that’s next level time. Just be prepared for the next round, because you already defeated this one.”

  “Nothing has seemed to have happened since Ocasio-Cortez.”

  “There was a lot which transpired since Ocasio-Cortez. Our fight has hills and valleys. We’re in a valley right now. When we get to Baltimore, we’re going to go up a very steep hill. Rest before we get to the base of that hill because it’s going to be Everest steep.”

  Alikira realized the Program had her conditioned for the impossible. She just beat it this time. She had to get ready for the next level.

  “Okay, I’ll rest. We have to make an impregnable strategy to put our flag at the top of this very poignant mountain. This is it, Chip.”

  “I’ll talk to Carlos about that flamethrower when I get back on the Yamato. You’re going to need all the accessories to win.”

  Alikira acknowledged the severity of being fully equipped to destroy the Program. It was time to get ready for the final conflict.

  Chapter Five: The Manhattan Project

  “What was Chip talking about with my ‘perfect timing’? What did you do?” Linda asked Steve.

  “Nothin’, I was just about to tell him he’s livin’ through Gaia’s whims. That’s when you came in to inadvertently say I was livin’ through yours.”

  “Remember that philosophy? It works with all healthy relationships, not just ours exclusively. Stop mixing your machismo with your intellect. Those things mix like oil and water.”

  “You’re determined to shake my menace. I can lose my authority that way.”

  “You’re like that water, Steve. You take the path of least resistance. You have the scholarly skills, why go the ‘tough guy’ route with your squad? The enemy’s supposed to fear you, not your marksmen,” she said.

  “They listen to me because I’m mean.”

  “They listen to you because you’re good and they respect your skill. They just tolerate your yelling. Teach them why you’re so good. I bet they’ll stay more true to you with you training them instead of your yelling.”

  Steve thought about her words and she was right.

  “You keep making me better, Baby. That’s why I love to live through your whims.”

  “I guess Chip was right. I do have perfect timing.” She kissed him.

  There was a knock at the door.

  “Hold on, Baby.” Steve opened the door.

  “What’s up, Sledge?”

  “Gaia said everyone’s getting tired of her food. We’re about a day from Manhattan and I know were the tuna and chili cans and the freeze-dried jerky are. I’ll give you a map so you and your team can get some supplies.”

  “So, the leeks, beans, mystery meat, and wheat loves aren't hitting the spot anymore.” Steve assumed. “Give me the map and we’ll get the food.”

  “I think you’ll have enough time to retrain your squad ti make them more fluid,” Linda said. “They’ll be happy to battle the roaches and mutant rats in Manhattan.”

  “What is she talking about?” Sledge asked.

  “I’m about to give you a squad of real marksmen. I’m retraining them all to shoot as I do.”

  “Where did this come from? You always loved your marksman borgey deactivator title. Why are you telling your secrets to level the playing field?”

  “Because, Sledge,” Linda interrupted. “If we’re about to be snuffed like water putting out a campfire, who’s gonna be left to tout his title to? Strength in numbers, right?”

  “Wow, she must be incredibly fun to be able to change ‘your’ mind,” Sledge told Steve.

  “Out of all my enjoyment with Linda, she’s makin’ me learn stuff. I’m maturing. She’s just full of ‘water’ analogies today.”

  “I think our immediate surroundings pushed my words today. We need to feel some dirt between our toes soon,” she said.

  “Appreciate your lady. Don’t do anything stupid to tick her off like critiquing her analogies,” Sledge gave some advice. “Have your team shooting as you do by tomorrow. You all are going on a food run and I don’t need any of you infected with ‘Super-Rabies’. At least you’ll feel some dock pavement, Linda.”

  “Gather your team, Steve,” Linda said. “You can ‘enjoy’ me later on tonight.”

  Sledge began to walk away.

  “TMI, Linda, TMI.”

  

  “What are you filling this flamethrower with?” Alikira asked Chip as he filled her new arm accessory.

  “I put sodium hydroxide in one tank and a glue-gel sulfuric acid compound in the second. They’ll mix and you’re going to fire Na
palm’s bratty cousin at whatever. Don’t worry about a flame retardant. It takes a long while to dissipate and it’s like sand,” Chip said. “It gets everywhere.”

  “You’re making me dangerous,” she said.

  “Only to the enemy. This is it. Let Carlos give you some ceramic earrings. He wanted a ‘hot chicka’. I made you nuclear.”

  “Overboard much? I can torch the southern hemisphere with this.”

  “Nuclear is just a description, Di. I can’t get any Plutonium or Uranium on an abandoned non-nuclear aircraft carrier. Besides, I don’t think Carlos would like your ‘green titanium glow’.”

  “I like rose anyway. Green reminds me of fungus and I don’t want to be that ‘sloppy girlfriend’.”

  “How did you two hit it off? It seems as though you slipped, tripped, and just fell into Carlos. Was it his accent?”

  “We all have accents, Chip. I’m Aboriginal, you sound midwestern, Gaia has a mix of Vietnamese and a Bostonian accent. Linda’s from the west coast. Steve is from the Nevada desert and Sledge sounds like a New York thug,” she said. “Carlos just has that silky dark Latin accent from New Orleans. Latin and French are the two most sexy accents.”

  “So it was his accent.”

  “No, it wasn’t. You just made me think about why I like him more. I’ve always liked Carlos. His intellect, his confidence, his strategic planning, his dark caramel skin, his mysterious charisma, and on top of all that, he respects me. He never treated me like a utensil. He treats me like a woman.”

  Steve knocked on the door.

  “Hey, we’re going on a food scavenger hunt in Manhattan tomorrow. I know why we passed up Maryland. We need food and Sledge knows a place. People want some junk food and Gaia’s making none of that. You two don’t have to pop any locks this time, but you can tag to alleviate boredom. We’ll swing back to Maryland when everyone’s full.”

  “Now, Steve. You know going into Manhattan alone is going to get ‘dark dangerous’. There were twelve million plus living in New York when the extinction attempt went down and many of them were homeless without computers or automaton assistants. There must be a slew of scavenger gangs in Manhattan.”

  “C’mon, Transiton. You know I’m terrible at asking. This is my round-about way of saying I may need some backup. I know they’re humans, but sometimes it's better to avoid certain humans. I vacationed in New York before the attempt and those people were animals before. Now it’s post-apocalyptic and I’m truly afraid of their new wasteland level.”

  “You’re very lucky we need to field test Di’s new flamethrower before we confront the beast. Otherwise, you’d be screwing up Gaia’s menu by yourself.” He looked at Alikira. “Wanna torch some rats tomorrow?”

  “I guess we need to test ‘Big Bertha’. I was just hoping for something bigger,” she said to confirm. She just didn’t realize there was something much bigger in Manhattan.

  

  After their rigorous training the night before, Steve’s team was ready. They stepped on Manhattan Island wanting a conflict. All they saw was abandoned oxidized cars on Whitehall street. New York didn’t feel like Hong Kong. They just weren’t deep enough into the city yet.

  “Okay, people, we need to get to Mickey’s Deli. It’s on the corner of Warren and West Broadway. It’s about three blocks south of City Hall. They have non-perishable storage in the back basement. Sledge used to work there. He gave me the lock code to the back room. Hopefully, the area wasn’t vandalized and pilfered,” Steve told his squad. “Raheem, you’re from Hell’s Kitchen. Can you get us to the deli?”

  “I have used to the subway mostly,” Raheem said, “But I’ve pounded this pavement before. Follow me.”

  Steve knew where they landed, but Sledge’s map discombobulated him.

  “I’m glad Raheem knows where Mickey’s is because Sledge draws like a fourth-grader. I can’t read these hieroglyphics.”

  Alikira saw Steve’s struggles of map reading, smiled and turned the map a quarter circle.”

  “In order to read your map correctly, you must orient it. Make it match the terrain. Carlos taught me that.”

  “Oh, now I see it,” Steve was oriented. “Why did Carlos show you how to read a map?”

  “It’s a component of learning visual flight rules. You can’t route recon if you don’t know where the route is.”

  “Fly Boy’s teaching you how to fly. What else does he know you don’t?”

  “Eatoy aprendiendo Espanol.”

  “What?”

  “He’s teaching me Spanish, Dummy.”

  Steve thought about it.

  “Of course he’s teaching you Spanish. I just need to teach you to shoot, Linda can show you how to make bombs, and Gaia can teach you culinary cuisine. We all could be useless in a month.”

  “Chip told me at McCain Naval Base it’s good to know but to let you all still do your jobs. I could be deactivated one day. I’ll need my friend’s with all their skills to turn me back on. I’m not a superwoman, so don’t be frightened I’ll become one. You’re thinking I’m like the Program. My job is to stop the Program.”

  They all began to walk to Mickey’s. They were looking at all the skeletons frozen in the drive position in their cars. It was a morbid scene. They were never around a group of mass murder. Most of them were off the grid when everyone was executed. New York was inherent in the grid. That was where many lived in close quarters. The Neo-Khaos knew of the event. New York just reminded them with a darkness.

  The silence had a tense heavy presence. There were no birds in the city. It was difficult to perch on a tree in New York and they weren’t near enough to Central Park to hear anything. All the 12 million stories of the city was silent.

  “I bet you’ve never heard… nothing in Manhattan ever, Raheem,” Marc said.

  “This is New York’s shell, Marc. This is showing me how much we need to reach our goal in dismantling the Program.”

  They finally heard a raucous noise. There were scavenger mutts fighting over something.

  “Well, the dogs ain’t dead. Everybody look out for Rabies!” Steve yelled.

  Rabies was the least of their problems.

  Out of nowhere, a vicious lioness attacked the dogs! It must have escaped from the zoo and was on the hunt for food.

  The soldiers were surprised to see a big cat plunge its fangs into one dog’s backside! Then they looked farther to the right and saw a makeshift pride of all types of female feline huntresses!

  Steve put up a hand signal telling everyone to get cover. They gathered behind a large RV.

  “Well, you don’t see that every day,” Marc whispered. “Did you see that lion Serenghetti Plain that dog?”

  “I bet that’s a lioness. The females hunt prey,” Chip whispered. “We need to worry about that crazy pride of all the other big cats. I guess they got all the escaped antelopes and now the cats are hunting the dogs ironically.”

  “I know how animals hunt,” Alikira whispered. “We have to get inside a building. Follow me.”

  She crept to a brownstone to the lower area, She picked the lock and they all went inside.

  “I hate killing big cats for just doing what they were made to do,” Raheem said.

  “Do you hate it over self-preservation?” Steve asked. “Those lions, cheetahs, panthers, leopards, tigers, and Jaguars will starve in the city. They’ll last a while, but dogs migrate when there’s danger. If you kill them now, they won’t have a slow starvation death and you won’t be an arbitrary ‘cat snack’ for them. Survival of the fittest.”

  “Okay, they hunt as a team,” Alikira said. “They single out the weakest one and corral them into a corner. Don’t worry about the initial attack, worry about the blindside attack.”

  “We have Devastators. They have teeth. Bullets have a much longer impact range than teeth. Out of all their hunting tactics, they still bought shiny fangs to a bullet fight,” Steve said. “Are you all ready to test your new shooting skills? Th
e targets will be moving swiftly, but it’s time to show your mettle.”

  “I don’t want to kill them,” Raheem said. “Let me be the bait.”

  “You do know bait is way more dangerous than being a shooter,” Steve said.

  “I don’t care. I’ll risk my life to uphold my belief in not pulling the trigger on them. I’m already in a dichotomy of being the bait so you all can shoot them. Just let me do this before I change my mind.”

  Steve understood his convictions and strategized to be copasetic with his beliefs.

  “Okay. I need three B-14s and two D-18s to sneak across and up the street. The rest of you stay on this side lower. Raheem, fade back farther into the street and yell your head off to get their attention. When they come to eat Raheem, light ‘em up. If any get through, flame on, Di. Your flamethrower is functional now, right?”

  Alikira ran to a back bedroom and set a bed on fire. She came back.

  “Two things, Yep, it’s functional and we better get outa here now, because I set a bed on fire.

  “Okay, we don’t need any smoke inhalation deaths before the extinguishers activate. Let’s get this over with and get some jerky for tonight.” Steve grabbed something off a table and went for the door.

  They slowly crept up the stairs. The animals were busy fighting the dogs. Although the big cats were getting back their wildness, a New York dog’s a scrappy scavenger.

  Steve motioned to his squad to separate and had Raheem fall back a block and a half. He stationed Alikira at the corner of the first block to intercept the ones who didn’t get shot.

  His squad of 5 soldiers stationed themselves on the other side of the street farther up, so the rest wouldn’t get hit with friendly fire. It was time.

  Steve reflected sunlight off of a metal thermos he found on that table in the apartment. Raheem began to yell to gain the big cat’s attention.

  “HEY! YOU KITTY’S HUNGRY FOR SOME REAL MEAT?! I’M STANDING RIGHT HERE! YO MAMMA’S A DUMB PUPPY!”

  He got their attention. A leopard left the dogs for much easier prey. The rest caught on to the leopard’s intentions, left the dogs, and ran towards Raheem!