Amoeba (The Experiments) (61 page)

After twenty minutes of wincing and trying to convince an always lethargic Reed that he wouldn’t be eaten entirely by giant pigs, Jake made his way back from the dining building to his bungalow for the second time. Not that he minded. Cal needed the calories and since she was eating real food, a treat was all right. So carrying the Rickie and Lou pink pudding creation, Jake moved on to his porch. He stopped when, reaching for the door handle, he heard Cal’s ornery giggle seeping out.

“Billy
, this is so great.” She giggled again.

“I knew you’d love it.”

“Lately, and I don’t know what it is, I just enjoy viewing a firm butt. Thank you for sharing with me.”

Jake’s eyes widened, and hoping that those pregnancy hormones didn’t kick into high gear while he was out of the room, Jake walked inside. Billy sat at the table and Cal flipped over on the bed, pulling her hands out from under the pillow and looking really guilty. “Cal?”

“Hey Jake.” Cal smiled. “You got me more pudding?”

“Yes.” He stepped to her. Through the corner of his eyes he saw Billy snickering. “What are you hiding
?”

“Nothing
,” Cal answered short.

“Cal.”

“Nothing.”

“Cal!” Jake snapped.

“Oh, all right.” She got off the bed and reached for her pudding, which Jake pulled away.

“Give it up first.”

“You drive a hard bargain.” She reached under the pillow and pulled out photographs. She exchanged them with Jake for the pudding, setting one of the bowls on the night stand.

“Oh
, Cal,” Jake said.

“Huh?” Cal stirred her pudding. “Isn’t this really neat? They made pink pudding.”

“Where did you get these?”

Cal pointed to Billy.

Billy stood up. “Guilty. I didn’t think you’d mind, Jake. I figured since she wouldn’t get to see the loin cloth flapping, that she would like to have those last final moments to treasure.”

Jake grunted and tossed the pictures on the bed. “Under normal circumstances
, I wouldn’t mind, Mr. Bamboozle. However, at this point in her growing hormonal stage, she doesn’t need them.”

Cal snickered. “You called him bamboozle. I’ll miss that.”

“And the loincloth,” Billy added.

“That
, too.” Cal smiled.

“Cal
, please. Billy?” Jake looked at him.

“Yeah?”

“Out.”

“I’m gone.” Billy stood up and started to leave,
but he stopped when he saw Cal’s pudding. “Oh, Jake, can I ask for your expert, honest, Jake the Great opinion?”

Jake rolled his eyes. “What?”

“Do you
really
believe something unknown killed Paul today?”

“Absolutely not. I think they killed him,
and set it up just to fuck with us. This is the Iso-Stasis Experiment, they fuck with people. Trust me. And . . . I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Paul wasn’t the stasis at all. That maybe Lou, Judge or . . .” He glared at Cal, “. . .REED is the stasis.”

Cal scoffed at Jake.

Billy looked a little surprised. “Really? You think?”

“Trust me
, I am not ruling it out.”

“Excellent. I’ll quote you on that.” Billy walked to the door. “Night.”

“Night.” Cal raised her spoon.

“Night
,” Jake said and watched the door shut. “Quote me on it. Fuckin journalist.” He walked to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He glanced at Cal who scraped the bowl. “I did bring you two.”

“Yeah
, I know.” She placed the spoon in her mouth, set the bowl down, and grabbed the other. “Thanks.”

“Could you possibly enjoy that pudding any
more?” Jake asked sarcastically as he took a drink of his beer.

“Well
, actually . . .” Cal got a twinkle in her eye.

“Cal. Stop. All right. Fuck.” Jake plopped down on the bed.

“Jake, I’m kidding.”

“Good
, because it’s getting frightening.”

“Do you really dread the thought of being with me more?”

“Absolutely.” Jake grinned and brought the bottle to his mouth. “Not.”

“Thanks.”

“Until you get round.”

Cal gasped, rolled her eyes, called him a ‘dick’ in her mind, then returned to enjoying her Paul pink pudding.

“Sorry.” Greg walked into his office, papers in hand. Dr. Jefferson sat there waiting, along with Douglass, Reed’s investor. “The copy machine was jammed. I know you are a busy man, Mr. Douglass, and I’m sorry if this has held you up.”

“Not a problem.” Douglass took the papers Greg handed him. “I’m the one intruding on your meeting. I appreciate you letting me sit in. Aldo seems to trust what I say. So no hold up is a hold up.”

“I’m surprise Aldo isn’t here. He said he was coming back.” Greg gave papers to Dr. Jefferson.

Dr. Jefferson took them. “Aldo had
a business merger he couldn’t leave. He’s hoping next week or at the very least in a few days.” Dr. Jefferson noticed some of his copies were smeared. He held one up with a chuckle. “Sometimes life’s simplest things can become our biggest headaches, can’t they?” Dr. Jefferson gave a smile.

“I wish the island was one of those problems.”

“Things have been quiet. The Stasis awakening is nearing,” Dr. Jefferson commented.

“If what is out there doesn’t get them first.” Greg sat down and raised his eyebrows. “Look. Four mutilations were found this past week. All unidentifiable animal remains. All looking the way Paul did.”

Douglass flipped through his notes. “You still haven’t found out what is doing the mutilations?”

“No
,” Greg answered. “No stomach acid found at all. Animal saliva was found in the remains, different types that we are chalking that up to what fed on the remains. There was not one unknown substance in there. However, our Lt. Col Graison did find a trace of protoplasm in the remains.”

Douglass shook his head confused. “What’s that
?”

“Cell structuring
,” Greg explained. “However, what Jake found was not consistent with human biological make up.” He shrugged. “But it can mean something. It cannot. Undeterminable. Jake just noted that he found it.”

“Here’s something you may not have thought about
,” Dr. Jefferson pointed out. “The areas where the bodies were found.”

“We searched the regions
,” Greg said. “We couldn’t spot anything that looked like it was doing the killings.”

“No.” Dr. Jefferson shook his head. “I’m not talking about what did this
, I’m talking about the region where the bodies were found. Look. All of them were found near the large eastern cavern in that wooded area there. That area is located nearer to the far side of the island rather than where the control center and the compound is.”

“So.” Greg tossed his hands up.

“So look at what’s going on in that region,” Dr. Jefferson stated.

Douglass tilted his head in wonder. “Haynes
’ volcano. It’s active. You think it’s the sulfur it seeks?”

“I think it’s the heat
,” Dr. Jefferson stated. “The further away from that volcano you get, the cooler it is. That side of the island is hot, especially with that volcano ready to blow. We placed the compound where it is for that reason - safe from the heat, and safe from actual eruption. I’m just saying that whatever it is, maybe it likes the heat.”

“Maybe.” Greg released the notes from his hand and sat back in his chair. “Or maybe it
just hasn’t discovered yet what’s beyond that region. And if that’s the case, we’re in trouble, because what happens when it does?” After drawing up the concerned looks he sought, Greg leaned forward to his desk, grabbed his notes, and continued in the meeting.

Cal crunched her granola loudly then spoke with her mouth full. “Pig.”

“Nah.” Billy shook his head. “Too big.”

“How can you tell?” Cal asked.

“Another Dingo
,” Lou commented. “That’s what I think it is.”

“Ay-E es an-him-ian
,” Reed suggested.

Judge s
hook his head in disagreement. “No, it’s not any bird. Again, too big.”

“Dudes.” Rickie snapped. “Maybe it’s an elk.”

All heads turned to him.

“Rickie
,” Billy snapped. “We’re on a tropical island.”

“Still
, guy, it’s the experiment.” Rickie shrugged.

Cal took another bite of her granola. She adjusted her M-16 better behind her back and squatted down to the meshed, bloody mess on the ground
. “Jake will know when he gets here, but I think Lou’s right. Look, a tooth.” Just as she reached for it, Billy pulled her away.

“Cal
, don’t touch that.”

“Sorry.”

“And how can you eat?” He asked her.

“I have to eat
, I’m hungry,” Cal told him. “You know, I start my fourth month in two days. Boy, aren’t I lucky knowing the exact date of my conception.”

“And in knowing the exact date of conception
, how can you say you’re starting your fourth month?” Billy questioned. “You’ll only be three full months pregnant.”

“Yep.” Cal chomped. “There are no half months in pregnancy Billy. You have to say the end of the three full months is the start of the fourth month. Or else, going by your theory, I would deliver a baby at eight and a half months. Which means, when will I be nine months pregnant
?” She finished off her granola. “Actually, I would already be considered in my fourth month if I used the period method.” She heard the whines from all the men. “What? You can stare at a mutilated animal and I can’t mention period?” She smiled. “Period. Menstruation. The curse. Hey . . .” She pointed to Lou. “That was your nick name.”

“No.” Lou corrected. “Large Curse.”

“That’s right.”

“Sarge is here.” Rickie pointed. “I hope they gave him the jeep. I don’t feel like carrying this one back.”

Jake trotted up through the woods to the clearing. “Sorry. Fuckin Stan argued with me. He wouldn’t give up the jeep. But I got it.”

Cal was curious. “I wonder why. They wanted these things, you know. You would think they would be more cooperative. Of course, everyone has to admit. Even though it’s disgusting. It does pass the time. Especially during these past two weeks. Boring.”

Billy rolled his eyes. “Yeah but for how long Cal? Yesterday how many of those broken bits of cocoon did we find.”

Cal shrugged. “Reed knows. He’s keeping count.”

“Eh-eh-een.”

Cal held her hand out. “Seventeen. But don’t worry.” She tapped her waist. “Stasis animals or not
, I have the Stasis guillotine.”

Jake shifted his eyes oddly at Cal as he bent down to examine the remains. “Has she been this talkative since I left
?”

Everybody moaned a ‘yes’.

“God, Cal. Since when do you ever talk this much?” Jake looked at the remains. “Dingo.”

“Yes!” Lou clenched his fist.

“Okay.” Jake stood up. “I have the shovels back in the jeep with the truck. We’ll shovel this . . .” Jake sniffed. “Fuck. Does anyone smell that?”

Lou hunched in a blush. “Sorry. I had those beans last night.”

Jake grunted and rolled his eyes. “I don’t think that’s . . .”

A loud, eerie bird squawk rang out in the woods,
followed by a loud rustling of leaves and cracking of branches.

Cal shifted her eyes. “Why doesn’t that sound good?”

Jake extended a protective arm out in front of Cal, backing her up. “I don’t know, Cal. But it doesn’t.”

Billy’s shocking gasp was heard. It shivered and his mouth dropped open. He trembled so badly he couldn’t speak. “Oh . . . Oh . . . . sh . . . shit.”

“What?” Jake looked at him, then turned his head to where Billy pointed.

A long shrill bird scream
preceded the deformed large open beak that was about the size of a compact car. The beak opened wide, exposing the forked tongue and it squealed again. Its blast of hot smelly breath hit smack into the participants causing Jake and Cal to turn their heads and Billy, Rickie, and the others all to scream.

If it was a bird that emerged through the trees, it certainly
had lost something. Large, featherless, scaly, with tumorous looking bumps sprawled out across it’s purplish body. Its eyes protruded wide, bulging from its peanut-shaped head. It flapped its scaly wings as it took another step towards them, its foot smashing into the dingo remains.

Everyone groaned in disgust as the remains splashed out at them.

Judge gasped when he saw the bird. “Dear Jesus.”

Reed whined, backing up. “Um ed.”

Lou’s eyes widened. “Now
that
is a big bird.”

“No one move
,” Cal ordered when she saw everyone get ready to run.

“Cal.” Jake stopped her. “We should run.”

“No, Jake,” she argued. “Dinosaurs can’t see you if you stay still. Birds are ancestors of the dinosaur family.”

“Where in the fuck did you hear that
?” Jake asked with an edge, staring at the bird who was casing them.

“Sarge, she’s right
,” Rickie commented. “I saw that, too, in Jurassic Park.”

“Jurassic Park? Rickie
, this isn’t a fuckin . . .”

“Jake
,” Billy interrupted. “Actually, that is a viable theory that they used in that book.”

Jake moaned. “I still say on my count we run.”

The bird squawked loudly again and took another step, this time toward Reed.

Cal breathed out in relief. “Thank God, he sees Reed.”

“Cal.” Jake shook his head disapprovingly.

The bird opened its mouth widely and cried out with such force
that if Reed had had any hair, it would have been blown backwards. Reed shrieked, and the bird closed its beak, pulled back its head and shot a peck at Reed, nailing him in the head and sending him flying back. Reed landed on his back.

“Jake.” Cal nudged him. “The bird
’s occupied. I say we run.”

“Sarge
, like, I vote we let Reed be seed.”

“No.” Jake reached for his revolver. “I vote we just take it out.” He lifted
the gun from its holster, clicked back the chamber, and when he did, the featherless beast turned its head away from Reed, snared its eyes at Jake, and with a loud squawk charged at them with a vengeance.

Everyone ran.
Everyone, that is, except for Reed.

As Jake stopped running to fire upon the grotesque bird, the amphibian lifted up in the air with a wide spread of it
s wings, shot through the woods, extended down it’s clawed feet, and swept up a running Billy by the shoulders.

With Billy’s scream so came Cal’s,
and she ran forth leaping up, hoping to pull Billy down by grabbing hold of his ankles, only to be lifted up into the air too.

“Fuck!” Jake screamed. “Cal let go before he gets too . . Fuck! High.” Jake put his revolver away watching the bird turn and lift higher. “Fuck.”

“Sarge, he’s heading over to the cavern.” Rickie pointed. “How you gonna get over there guy?”

“You have to go first
, Rickie. Go monster if you have to, but get over to that cavern. I’ll take the jeep.” Jake started to ruin. “I’ll take the road to the beach and come up the other way. “Hurry!” Jake sped off.

“Eye-eye
, Sarge.” Rickie took off running. He jumped over a passed out but not dead Reed, and ran with a high speed through the woods.

“Oh God, we’re dead. We’re dead. We’re dead. We’re dead.” Bill looked down to see the ground getting further and further away.

“I told you we shouldn’t have run,” Cal yelled. “Everyone ran. He attacked.”

“Now is not the time to be bitching Cal we . . . oh shit.” Billy saw the deep cavern just under his feet. Swallowing, and hating to do it,
he reached up his hands, and with a body shudder and a loud verbal dramatic cringe, Billy grabbed hold of the slimy feeling bird legs just in case it decided to drop them. “Please, God. Please.” he closed his eyes. “Our Father who art in heaven . . .” He heard Cal snickering. “What?”

“Nothing, go on, keep praying.”

“Oh God, she’s enjoying this.” Billy closed his eyes again and prayed in a quiet mumble to himself as he and Cal soared with that bird over the cavern.

In his run,
Rickie saw the cavern just ahead. “Okay, I can do this. I jumped further than this on the beach. And . . . if I miss, as long as my head doesn’t fall off, I’ll be back.” He stopped, backed up, kept his focus straight ahead, and started to run. Only when he ran, he sang his inspiration music - the theme to ‘Greatest American Hero’. “
Look at what’s happened to me. I can’t believe it myself. Suddenly I’m up on top of the world. Could have been somebody else
. . .” Rickie screamed the last word as he leaped - legs out, kicking in the air - fast and furiously over the cavern. “Whoa.
Believe it or not I’m walking on air
. I am so cool.” He screamed again as he lunged his body forward aiming for the other side. He landed hard and with a violent roll. When he stopped moving, Rickie stood up and, like a cat who ran into the wall, shook it off. He raised his arms high in the air like a Rocky-victory sign, and then after sniffing out a scent to follow, Rickie charged ahead into the woods.

While driving, Jake kept his eyes on the soaring bird that toted his wife and Billy. He took the route down to the beach, driving as fast as he could. Then Jake sped onto the old overgrown road that he hoped would not only bring him to the other side of the cavern, but to the woods where he watched the bird lower down.

Cal saw the ground moving into her focus at a ra
pid speed. Waiting until she knew it was safe, she released Billy’s ankles, dropping to the ground and curling her body into a ball so as to roll out of it safely. A few seconds later, with a grunt, Billy dropped clumsily a couple of feet above her head.

The bird flew off.

In what looked like a recently made clearing, Cal stood up first, slowly bringing her M-16 around in front of her. She reached her hand down to Billy. “You okay?”

Billy stood up. “Yeah. What about you?”

“I’m fine.” Cal stared. She had only taken a slight breath when she cringed. “Man.”

“What is that smell.”

“Everything.”

“Where are we?”

Cal just looked at Billy. “I’m supposed to know this?”

“Sorry.” Billy took in the broken trees that looked like matchsticks
, the muddy ground they stood upon, and the bird droppings that splattered about making it look as if someone had recently painted the landscape.

Turning her body clockwise, Cal looked around. She saw a small amount of black smoke seeping up into the sky beyond the trees. “All right. Volcano. There.” Cal pointed. “So we go this way.” She went to turn around and stopped. “Maybe not.”

“Shit.”

Out from the trees in every angle, they came. Birds
, many of them, and all of them looking as big and as ugly as the one that brought them there. They weren’t loud in their noises, but they still were vocal, sounding like a magnified soundtrack to the Alfred Hitchcock Movie The Birds.

They drew closer, e
ncircling Cal and Billy.

“Cal.” Billy moved closer to her. “About this point in time
, I think Jake should have created a bigger guillotine.”

Cal just pumped the chamber to her M-16. “When I shoot them down we run. Got it?”

“Yeah.” Billy nodded. He looked at the birds that moved in. “Talk about being in a bad episode of
Land of the Lost
.”

Cal chuckled at his remark. “Ready?”

“Yep.”

Holding up the weapon
, Cal opened fired, spraying out the bullets into the birds that blocked their way. “Run!” She ordered Billy, charging forth and firing as she did. The bullets seared into two of the birds, blood shot out, and the birds were ripped apart. But her firing was an attack signal to the birds that circled them. They went after Cal and Billy, squawking out in an evil way, diving their beaks down at them, trying to get them.

Cal and Billy, running nearly together, dodged the
beaks that slammed into the ground around them, causing the ground to rumble and sending up clouds of dust as if they were tiny meteors smashing into the earth.