Forgotten Past: Chapter Twenty Two-Mutation Nears Completion
Her back itched and the first thing to pop in Carolyn’s mind as she
stared at the reflection of two small bumps on her shoulder blades was
Riddick’s voice, “You could even get wings.”
The bumps were small, but they had that same itching feeling as her
hands had the night before the claws appeared. Were wings growing
beneath the surface, just waiting to come out? Carolyn was terrified of
the possibility, her mind rejected the transformation.
With a pained cry she extended the claws on her right hand and used
them to scratch her back, careful not to break the skin. I have to get
back on deck and meet with Bruce, she told herself and forced the
painful itching to the back of her mind before pulling her shirt back on.
Carolyn left her quarters, heading back on deck as the drone of
unfamiliar voices entered her ears. She could smell them and the
realization froze her in her tracks. “I’m changing,” she whispered, then
forced herself to follow the voices to the boarding deck.
Bruce spotted her immediately through the throngs of people and
headed in her direction. He was almost to her, when Riddick stepped
into his path.
Bruce tipped his head back slightly to stare directly into the larger
man’s dark goggles. “Careful, big guy,” Bruce said, trying to push past
Riddick.
Riddick moved quickly to block Bruce’s path again. “You Levake?”
Riddick growled quietly.
With a nod, Bruce struck out his hand. “Yeah. And you are?”
Riddick glanced back at Carolyn, who was leaning against the wall
silently. She nodded and he stepped out of the way. “All right. Creed’s
over there.”
Bruce stepped by then turned curiously. “I still didn’t catch who you
are?”
Riddick walked away, saying over his shoulder, “Think of me as
Creed’s personal bodyguard.”
Realizing he wasn’t going to get any answers out of Creed’s
“bodyguard,” Bruce continued in her direction, mindful of the many
pairs of dangerous eyes watching his every move.
“Hey, Creed,” he began as he approached her.
Carolyn cocked her head slightly and smiled at Bruce, conscious of
Riddick’s cautious eyes on her. “Bruce. How you been?”
Bruce smiled back. “I’ve been good. Better now knowing you’ve got
something I want and you’re willin’ to give it to me.”
“Surprised?” Carolyn questioned.
He nodded. “Very. Notorious, and seemingly nefarious, space pirate
Creed Xander wants to give someone something she stole. That’s quite a
thing. I must be moving up in the world.”
Carolyn smiled without humor then jerked her head towards the door,
indicating he follow her. “You linked up at the main cargo hold, right?”
“Yeah. ‘Cause you said you’d be handing over some of the aluthium,”
Bruce answered as he trailed after her.
“Good.” She stopped and turned to him. “Grab your crew and come
with me.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back,” and Bruce turned and headed back into the
room.
He came out a few minutes later with his crew in hand and they
followed her to the main cargo bay. The boxes of aluthium alloy were
stacked and placed near the cargo doors.
“Just load ‘em up,” she said. “All this is yours. I’ve got what I need
in a
smaller cargo hold. When you’re done ask someone to take you to the
main conference room and we’ll discuss that information I was telling
you about.
Carolyn struck out her hand for Bruce to shake amiably and he went to
take it, freezing as he saw the four white points protruding from her
knuckles.
“What’s this?” he questioned curiously.
Carolyn lifted her hand so he could see. “Shhh,” she warned, then
extended the four bone claws.
“Damn! What’s that?” he exclaimed, eyeing the deadly claws.
“Just do what I told you to do, and you’ll hear all about it.” With that
parting comment, Carolyn left the room, leaving a stunned Bruce
behind her.
~~~
“This is the information I was talking to you about,” Carolyn began,
without preamble, as usual.
A holo-screen was projecting onto the table, showing a mutated DNA
strand from a drop of blood taken from frog/man. The normal double
helix was mutated into a triple helix, showing the obvious mutation. A
simple blood test had shown Carolyn that she was rapidly forming a
third strand, as well.
Bruce and the rest of the crew present leaned forward curiously,
studying the rotating image.
“And this,” Carolyn added as Riddick reeled in frog/man, “is the result
of that,” and she pointed again to the DNA strand. “Turns out, that if
liquefied aluthium alloy and animal DNA are mixed, then injected into
the blood stream, it causes mutation.”
“You think that’s why The Company has been sending out such large
shipments? To mutate people?” one of Bruce’s crew questioned.
Carolyn turned to him. “I’m sure of it. There must be some serious
testing going on with this stuff. But more than that, they use aluthium
in a spray form to cause amnesia. If inhaled, you lose your memory.
There’s more than that though. I had to learn this the hard way...”
Carolyn held up her hands, backs to the room, and extended her eight
claws. A collective gasp rose from the room’s occupants and Carolyn
quickly sheathed the dangerous looking claws.
“Three years ago, a ship I was co-piloting was hit by a comet and I was
forced to land on a desert planet with three suns. Every twenty-two
years there’s an eclipse that blocks out all light and some very nasty
predators come out to play. Unfortunately for me and the rest of the
crash survivors, we landed just in time for the big show.
“So, as we’re bookin’ it outta there, I catch a stab in the back from a
creature’s tail spike and take a flight. I get dropped and I live. You
know the rest from there, Bruce.” Carolyn took a breath. Her back was
killing her and she was starting to feel weak, but she couldn’t stop now.
This was to important.
“When I got stabbed, some of the creature’s blood must have mixed
with mine. Since I started pirating, The Company has been getting
trouble from me, and they captured me and sprayed me with aluthium.
After that, I started mutating.” Carolyn reached over and flicked out
the lights, then pulled off her dark glasses, showing the room her eyes.
They were completely black except for the slight silvery blue glow, like
that of an animal. “Along with the claws, my eyes have changed. I
believe the creatures blood has mutating properties of its own, because
I began to change long before I got sprayed.
“If any of you believe that you could have, at any time in your life,
gotten some sort of animal’s blood mixed with your own, do not get
aluthium in your system. Don’t even lick your fingers after handling it.”
She stepped forward, then froze, the pain in her back almost
unbearable.
“Riddick,” she choked out, her eyes searching for his and he stepped
forward, his face a stony mask. “Riddick,” she repeated weakly, then
collapsed into a pile on the floor.
“Carolyn,” he whispered fiercely, kneeling beside her. “What’s
wrong?”
“My back,” she managed finally. “Something...” she trailed off, her
breathing labored from the pain. “Growing,” she sputtered before
falling into unconsciousness.
~~~
“Surgery...”
“... serious? How long...”
“It’s... in her back...”
“Wings?”
***