Dark Doses Read online

  “The land’s intact, Dad. Can’t tell otherwise.”

  “Damned alien things.”

  “Eradicators.”

  “Stupid name.”

  “Accurate, though. They warned us what they were going to do and then did it, down to the last human genetic traces.”

  One month ago he’d landed back in California and surveyed a total loss. The Sacramento Restoration Bunker had been gutted. In Denver the Bunker had become radioactive glass along with most of Colorado. Tampa Bay’s Bunker drowned under feet of seawater. Nashville’s and Albany’s, he’d never reach alive. Which left only Midland.

  The trip to Texas underscored the Eradicator’s methodical approach with plenty of evidence of the last fight for survival: twisted wreckage, blackened char, wholesale devastation. No traces of the vanquished though. Even the graveyards had been sifted for viable genetic material. The aliens had obliterated it all, at least what they could find.

  Global contingency measures had all failed including the gene bank his ship carried, which was compromised by an X–class solar flare that, ironically, likely saved him from Eradicator probe detection. Doom rode upon those ionized particles though, more certain than any Eradicator weapon.

  The biometer shrilled again: temp 102.5 and climbing. Overhead the sun spawned a drunken twin, which persisted when he blinked.

  “Let’s head back to the Bunker.”

  “Did you get what you needed, Billy?”

  “William, Dad. I’m not ten anymore. Billy’s gone… much longer than you’ve been.”

  “Son… you’ll always be my Billy.”

  The Midland Restoration Bunker abutted a sprawling intact wind and solar farm—a fortuitous surprise. Clean room techniques had been applied to the farm’s construction like on the Bunker itself. It must have worked. Without taint by human genetic material, the aliens had been indifferent.

  Deep in the Bunker’s main vault, William fed the two mature goldfish into the supply intake. Moments later a small panel registered eleven total samples of viable human female DNA, representing the eleven Trojan horses he’d recovered so far from the surrounding ponds and streams.

  The tally for male DNA samples read zero.

  No blue markers meant no restoration for humanity. With no time remaining, according to his biometer.

  William slipped the juvenile goldfish out of the chill pack. In its dead, black eye his reflection wavered.

  “You’re a real keeper, little buddy. Do me proud.”

  He snapped open his pocketknife and drew a gash across his left palm. The biometer shrilled its warning as spurts of blood streaked across golden scales. The fish dropped into the supply intake.

  He waited.

  “What are you doing, Billy?”

  “Making you a grandpa.”

  When the male DNA count registered one, he tapped Commit. To the subsequent warning about an excessively–low male sample size, he tapped Override.

  The biometer joined the scanner and his remaining gear on the vault floor. One day his prodigy would discover them and contemplate their purpose, if fortune smiled and his irradiated contribution proved viable.

  Outside, the spiteful sun teased him with a tiny ray of hope.

  “Restoration’s finished, Son?”

  “God only knows.”

  “What now?”

  “Now…?”

  “It’s over?”

  Almost.

  He turned southeast. “Lake Amistad’s that way. Did we ever fish it?”

  “You grew up too fast.

  “Huh?”

  “Time ran out on us.”

  “Yeah. Since it’s happening again… wanna do some real fishing, Daddy, like we used to?”

  “Now that’s my Billy.”

  IN CLOSING

  About the author:

  Todd has always been a fan of the dark, strange, and twisted tale. Picture a vat of liquid Disturbed bubbling and churning away. Now imagine each of Todd’s stories being plunged into that vat right before their emergence into the world and you’ve got a pretty good handle on the essence of his writing.

  About the artist:

  Cover art for DARK DOSES was created by the amazing, talented Robin Nuttall.

  Find out more about Todd:

  Todd's Primary web site

  Todd on Twitter

  THANK YOU!

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  DARK DOSES

  FORWARD

  CHAPERONE

  GAME OVER

  SHADOWS IN THE MIRROR

  TO SOAR FREE

  PERFECT SOLDIER

  PLAYING WITH FIRE

  THE FISHERMAN