This is the 63rd a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.
Evolved, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 2nd February 2013
Word count: 1000
The story:
“His strength,” the soldier struggled for words, “Well it was amazing. He was strong before, but out there… I can’t even describe it.”
“It’s okay soldier, that’s what combat footage is for,” the doctor said as he dressed the soldier’s wound.
“Thanks Doc,” the soldier said flexing his arm with a wince, “These silver bullets are a real bitch.”
“Get on with you, I’m not interested in a soldier’s complaints,” Doc said gesturing to the door. The soldier left, passing a General who came into the room.
“So, you hear the reports? Your little science experiment has yielded a fine fruit,” the pale skinned General said.
“So I keep hearing, I’m looking forward to getting him back in here,” the Doctor said packing away his things.
“I’m afraid that’s where there’s a problem Luke,” the General said, “Just got the call from command, they want him over there, to see their doctors and scientists.”
“You what? I discovered him, nurtured him. They persistently ignored me, they said he wasn’t strong enough, or fast enough.”
“I’m only the messenger this time. He’s been sedated and is being boarded onto the helicopter right now. I’m just following orders.”
“I did,” the Doctor said. “You can’t have him, he’s not a military asset. He’s the future of our race, and our only chance for survival. I let him go on this mission because I believed it would be the way to unlock even more of him, not to show off for those over grown, over aged wind bags that claim to be leading us in this war, after leading us into it in the first place.”
“Watch yourself Doctor,” the General said, his characteristic easy going attitude faded, “The words you speak are treasonous. Once the boy gave up this non-feeding nonsense, his power was through the roof. The humans stood no chance. He might actually tip the balance in our favoor Your mission now is to find another one, and another after that. You are a victim of your own success.”
“We’ll see,” the Doctor said. “I think you might find this order a bit difficult to carry out anyway.”
“What do you mean?” the General asked suddenly concerned. That’s when the alarms triggered, the General dashed to an intercom that hung by the door. “General Eisenhower, report, what’s going on? Have the humans discovered the base?”
“Sir, there’s combat in the main hangar, reports are confused, but it appears the boy is killing his guard,” a harried voice reported on the line.
“What? He was sedated, I ordered him sedated heavily. Send in everyone,” the General ordered.
“Sedation isn’t very effective,” the Doctor said smugly.
The General rounded on the Doctor, “What have you done? I’ll have your fucking head for this,” his eyes had gone black, his skin rippled in his rage.
“Not I, dear General,” the Doctor said, “Sedation has a limited effect on him. His body rejects it. I think what you’ve actually done is piss him off. He’s fed recently, in the battle, so I imagine he’s still juiced, and full of adrenalin. Pull your men back before they get slaughtered.”
“They are vampires, not puny humans. He’ll find not find them such easy prey,” the General said, his skin flushing black as the ripples spread faster and faster, his eyes now fully black.
“I know full well what they are General, we’re all vampires here. But the boy is something else, something stronger, faster, and able to survive what would kill us. I’m not challenging our race, his very existence does, he’s our future.”
The General took deep breaths, and his skin began to pale, he almost seemed to deflate as his posture shifted. Back in human form, he pulled his service pistol from it’s holster, checked the clip, chambered a round, and released the safety.
“Don’t go out there General, just pull your men back. He’s going to make his way down here anyway, I suspect, he’s going to feel pretty betrayed,” the Doctor said.
“Why didn’t you tell us about the sedatives?” the General asked, “I did, it’s in my reports.”
“Then why…” the General said putting pieces together.
“Now you’re getting somewhere If they’re so interested in the uber vampire, the pinnacle of the vampire virus’s integration with human genetics, how did they make such a blunder on an order as to sedate him despite the evidence it was ineffective and has deep emotional reaction?”
“What is this drivel?”
“This drivel? You’ve been set up General. Your superiors want you dead, your whole command. They’d rather sacrifice this whole unit, rather than have word leak of ‘my little science project’.”
There were thuds, and bangs out in the corridor.
The general activated the intercom again, “Stand down, all units stand down.”
“Sir?” the woman on the end of the intercom asked.
“That’s an order,” the General shouted.
The thuds and bangs were replaced by foot steps getting closer. The doctor walked over and opened the door, then walked back to the centre of the room by his examining table.
A figure appeared in the door, a heavily muscled brute, the hair in ragged tufts across his head, nostrils flaring, and blood and saliva dripping from the fangs of his open mouth.
It roared.
“Now I know you’re angry Jamie,” the Doctor said, his arms held in the air. The General behind him just mouthed the words “Good gods,” having never seen the fully transformed boy before. All vampires could transform, but very few could come close to the size and power of this creature.
The beast sniffed, and then it’s whole body started to shift. After a few moments, all that was left was a bloodied and dirty fourteen year old boy.
“Why?” he asked, “Why?”
“We’ll find out together,” the Doctor said, “You can trust me.”
The General wisely stayed silent, as he thought through what all of this meant, and realised the war between human and vampire had three fronts now.
Aspiring 