Chapter 10

Ark II: Beginning

KATHUNK

“Woah! Dammit Bryan, learn to drive! I can’t f***ing aim when you’re hittin every bump in the road!” shouted a young man in the back of a pick-up truck.

He had a rifle in his hands and was aiming up into the sky. Next to him were two other men, likewise holding rifles and aiming into the sky. To the casual on-looker it might seem like these boys were doing a rather extreme version of duck hunting.

“What the hell do you want from me!” Shouted the driver, Bryan “I can’t see more than 5 feet in front of the truck!”

Bryan squinted his eyes, desperately trying to improve his visibility, but it was to no avail. The fog was simply too dense.

BANG

Behind him, Bryan heard the sounds of guns firing into the fog.

“How close are they?” Bryan yelled

“’Bout ten feet out! Floor it!” yelled the same young man as earlier.

Bryan slammed the accelerator, putting the truck up to its maximum speed. After a few moments the sounds of gunfire ceased.

“Alright, I think we lost ‘em” said the young man.

“Should I slow down now, Terry?”

“Hell no, keep it up until we find another gas station, we’ll have to stop there for a minute anyway.”

“Alright…by the way, how’s the…”

“S’fine, it stopped hurting after I woke up.”

Bryan nodded, convinced. Terry had always been like that, and even if he was still in pain he wouldn’t have admitted it.

“I don’t know how he does it. If it was me who got stung by one of those things I’d still be out of commission.” Bryan thought, shaking his head.

But somehow, Terry just kept soldiering on. Hell, from where Bryan stood it looked like Terry was getting even stronger. Now he was killing them left and right, and he didn’t seem to be having much trouble seeing through this fog either.

As if he were reading Bryans mind, Terry suddenly peaked through the back window and said “Make sure you stay focused on the road, it starts winding a little ways ahead and I don’t feel like getting into a car crash right after we finally managed to escape the bugs.”

“Yessir, you got any idea where we are though? It’d sure make it easier finding a gas station if we knew we were close to a town.”

Terry thought for a moment and said “Way I figure it we’re about thirty miles out from West Jeff, so there ought to be a town nearby no matter which direction we go. Just follow the road and we should reach London in half an hour.”

“Right, maybe while we’re there we can find something to eat. I’m star-”

“LOOK OUT!” shouted Terry.

Bryan whipped his head back around and saw a man crossing the road. There was no time to decelerate, he was about to crash right into him!

Or at least, that’s what Bryan thought would happen. But instead he blinked and the man was gone, leaving Bryan bewildered about what had just happened. He was about to ask Terry about it when he heard a heavy thunk on the roof of the truck.

“Holy shit…” Terry said

“Guys, what’s going on? Should I stop the car?” Bryan said eyeballing the top of the cab.

“Yeah..Yeah, we might need your help for this one.” Terry said, everything about his tone indicating that something dangerous had appeared.

He could hear the sound of multiple weapons being cocked behind him, so Bryan pulled to a halt and grabbed a pistol out of the glove compartment. When he got out of the car and saw the threat that had appeared Bryan blanched, fear draining all the color out of his face.

What they had thought was a man was actually something far more surreal. Though it stood on two legs and was human shaped, that was where the similarities ended. It’s head sported massive bug eyes and long antennae that sprouted from where its nose would be. Its arms and body were thin but anybody looking could tell that whatever it was made of was harder than rock. In contrast to it’s upper body though, the creatures lower body and legs were thicker despite being covered by that same hard material. It wore a cloak, though it didn’t hide the bizarre hump it had on its back.

All in all, it looked oblong. But that didn’t mean it was weak, the thing practically oozed power and authority. Whatever it was, it probably wouldn’t go down as easy as the wasps and it might even be harder to kill than that Tarantula was.

I cocked my gun and pointed at the monster, ready to fire at Terry’s say so, but just before he gave the order the creature spoke.

“Lower your weapons…I mean you no harm…not that those toys…could hurt me.” it said, making a choked noise afterwards.

“Why should we believe-” Terry began, but before he could even finish his sentence the monster, quick as a flash tensed his legs and jumped between the four of us, snatching out weapons right out of our hands and not even giving us a millisecond to react. Then, just as quickly, he jumped back towards the truck, dropping the three rifles and pistol onto the ground in front of him.

“That’s impossible…” said Terry, awe and surprise mixed together in his voice.

“We’re all gonna die, aren’t we Terry?” I said, slumping over onto the ground

“Do you humans even…listen to others…when they talk?” said the monster.

He started walking towards us.

****

“Tch, why does this stuff always happen to me?” I said, exasperated by the men in front of me.

It had been four months since the fog had rolled in, and in that time I had taken to escorting humans out of the fog. Of course, I wasn’t doing this out of the kindness of my heart.

Cleaners and Scouts could always be found wherever humans were, and I was more than happy to use them as bait to lure fresh meat out into the open. Though I had yet to get any Cleaners to bite, I knew for a fact that there was a desperate Caretaker in the area who always had a few Scouts flying around so, in exchange for being the worms on my hook, I brought the humans to safety. It was a win-win scenario.

So when Ember alerted me to a vehicle that was still running, driving down the back roads and being chased by a hoard of Scouts, I got excited. Not only would I get to eat soon, I’d have fresh bait and I could probably finagle a working truck out of the deal too.

But when I finally found the truck not only did they give the Scouts the slip, the drivers were also hopelessly stupid.

“Imagine pointing a gun at a Lord. You may as well try throwing rocks at a cleaner!”

Shaking my head I approached the men, who all bunched up together into a group. The leader, Terry, stood in front of the rest of his friends as if to protect them from me, thought he didn’t have the same fear in his eyes as the others did.

“Hmm, perhaps this one has some backbone.”

“Stop your cowering…i’ve come to escort you…out of the fog.” I said

The three men in the back were still far too frightened for my words to have registered, but Terry said “Out of the fog? You know a way out of the fog?”

“Of course…though the journey…would normally take a while…the fog has…expanded recently.”

About a month ago the fog started expanding again, increasing its diameter from 150 miles to 250 miles, as far as I could guess. If my estimations about its expansion were right, then everything between Columbus Ohio and Louisville Kentucky was engulfed by the fog. Not that I’d ever bothered to venture that far down south.

By car the journey from where we were and the nearest edge of the fog could be undertaken in less than three hours. Not enough time to catch a meal, but more than enough time to escort these men out and steal their truck.

“Suppose we do let you take us out of here, what would you be wanting from us in return? You can’t expect me to believe that you’ll do it for free.” Terry said.

“Hmph…the wasps and the Tarantulas…are attracted to you humans…they will come…I will kill them…and eat them…”

“So you’re after food, eh? Well I can respect that. I’ll be your bait, just promise me you’ll get these guys to safety, no matter what.”

“You are a strange one…but I will ensure their safety…”

“Hold on a minute! How do we know he won’t just eat us?” said one of the three frightened men

“Good god I hate answering that question. Every time I have to say it, that I-”

“Don’t be stupid Bryan, if this guy wanted to eat us he wouldn’t have to come up with some excuse. You saw him just now, yeah? He could tore off our heads before we knew what was happening but he didn’t. I reckon he’s not like the other bugs we’ve seen up until now.” Terry said

Well now here’s something new, a human with a brain in their head.

“Kukuku…I think we’ll get along…just fine…”

“Right, heh. Bryan, go ahead and start the engine-” the man named Bryan ran off, shutting himself into the cab of the truck “The rest of you, into the bed with me. You don’t mind riding in the back, right?”

I shook my head.

“Great. By the way, do you gotta name?”

“Forminus…”

“Well Forminus, it’ll be nice to-” but he stopped suddenly and strained his ears.

“Ah shit!” shouted one of the men climbing into the truck.

“They’re back! Forminus, hurry we have to-!”

“Be silent…I see no cause for alarm…this is why I offered you…my services…just sit back and watch!” I shouted, propelling myself off of the ground with my new legs.

I flew right into the heart of the swarm that had just arrived to threaten the humans, slashing every Scout I came across. By the time I had finally fallen to earth, 25 of their corpses were scattered around.

The swarm, rather than continue hunting this lot, turned tail and ran to report back to their Caretaker. They weren’t foolish enough to try and take me on.

“Why are so many…after you four?…They normally travel in groups…of two or three but that swarm…held several hundred of them.”

The four men looked at each other then looked at Terry, wondering if they should answer.

“That’s all it was, at first.” Terry said “’Bout a week ago we got ambushed, and like you said there were only a few of them. The four of us and Farmer Knox, fought em off well enough. It wasn’t the first time we got into a scrape with the wasps, but this time was a little bit different. See, out of nowhere while we were fightin, a Tarantula showed up. We tried runnin but then…”

Terry stopped and placed a hand on his stomach, grimacing as if he were remembering something painful.

Bryan continued for him “And then two of the wasps shot their stingers out, right into Terry’s stomach and Farmer Knox’s chest. They-”

“Wait, what!? You…you were shot by the Scouts…a week ago and you still live?…lift up your shirt…you may be closer to death…than you think…”

The fact that he hadn’t died yet was nothing short of a miracle. Even I was only out and about for three days after I was stung.

“You don’t need to worry about me, I’m fine.” Terry said, nonchalantly.

“Lift up your shirt…or I will do it myself…” I said.

Terry’s easygoing grin changed into a grimace, but he didn’t have a choice. Slowly, he undid his jacket and pulled up the t-shirt underneath, revealing rippling abs and a fully muscled chest and torso. Indeed his body would have been truly olympian, much more fit than I had been when i was a human, were it not for one flaw that ruined the image of this attractive farm boy.

Everything, from his hips to his chest and reaching over his shoulders was a horrible shade of frost bitten purple.

Terry’s friends all winced when they saw how far the venom had spread, but Terry himself wasn’t as concerned.

“I know it looks bad but trust me, I feel fine!” he said, pulling his shirt back down.

“Pshht, you fool…you’ll be dead within a week…if you aren’t prepared properly…” I said.

“What do you mean? I’m stronger than I’ve-”

“-ever been right? But your…strength will just keep increasing…eventually you’ll tear yourself apart…you need to be prepared by a Caretaker…well…then again, perhaps not.”

“What the hell’re you talking about?” said one of Terrys friends.

The two who were in the truck bed came running back over here after they overheard that Terry might die. The third, Bryan, was still in the truck looking over at us while keeping an eye on what was around them in case the wasps came back.

“It’s a long story…do you wish to know your fate?…I warn you it’s not pretty…you may be better off dead…” I said

Lizzy taught me an important lesson. Some people are too weak to live in this place, some people would rather die. I wasn’t about to take that choice away from him.

Terry showed no fear though, as he said “If you know what’s going to happen to me then say it. I’m not gonna die yet, no matter what! I’ve still gotta repay Farmer knox for…” he stopped then, and for a moment his courageous face was tinged with sadness. The young men around him were likewise downcast.

“I suppose this Farmer Knox must have been someone precious to them. Come to think of it…”

“What became of him?” I asked.

Again, it was Terry who answered “After he got stung the old man couldn’t run anymore. He asked Tim to carry him to the combine and leave him there. ”

He stopped again though, and another man, Tim, continued “I-I didn’t want to. But Terry was already injured and Knox kept shouting at us to do as we’re told.”

His face was painted with regret, but Terry didn’t accuse him of anything. He just said “It’s alright, we all know what that crazy old bastard was like. He went down swinging, even rammed that spider into a propane tank and saved our lives.”

Tim didn’t look any less guilty, but he nodded at Terry, appreciating his attempt to console him.

“So he didn’t die…from the venom?”

“No, he died with his boots on, like a real hero.” Terry said.

“Mmhmm…regardless, you will be next…if you aren’t prepared…you see, I used…to be just like you…when I was human.”

“What?!” Tim shouted “What do you mean ‘when you were human’? You…you’re not…?”

“Indeed, I was. Though after I was stung… I lost most of what made me human…now I’m just like the rest…of these insects…kukuku.” I said, chuckling a little.

Terrys fearlessness finally cracked when he heard me say “after I was stung”, he clearly knew what that meant for him.

“So I’m going to…be like you?” he said, looking my grotesque ants body up and down.

“Not necessarily…just a couple of months ago…I happened upon another Lord…she looked like a grasshopper…though she tasted rather a lot…like crab…”

“Tasted?! You…! But I will become a bug?!”

“Indeed…but it gets worse…tell me, what do you know…about entomology?”

Just as I had with Lizzy, I gave them the same spiel about insects and oxygen. After hearing this, and hearing about how the fog allows us to live, all three of them were wearing grim expressions, but none of them said anything.

“As I said earlier…maybe it would be best…for you to simply die…the last Lord I met…set herself on fire…to escape this place…give yourself a moment to consider…before we leave.”

I then left Terry and picked up one of the Scout carcasses carrying it to the truck bed, where I ripped into its sternum and gratefully devoured the sweet meat beneath its exoskeleton. By the time Terry and his friends had finished discussing his condition I had already eaten my way through five of them and was halfway through the sixth when they finally approached me.

Like before, Terry stepped up and said “I’ve made a decision.”

“And…?” I said nonchalantly.

“I’ve decided to live, even if it means becoming like…whatever you are. With strength like yours I can make sure that Farmer Knox’s death wasn’t in vain. I’ll guide every survivor out of this fog, and kill every damn bug I see until there’s none left!” he said, looking for all the world like a true hero.

“Kukuku…”I laughed mockingly “So naive…but very well, Ember, come out.”

The hump on my back shifted and vanished as a spider the size of a golden retriever climbed off of me. Its body was vibrantly colored, with many oranges and red hues decorating her.

Tim and the other human immediately raised their guns, readying themselves to fire, but-

“Lower your weapons…or I’ll rip your heads off…this is my Caretaker…Ember.”

They did as they were told.

“You said something about a caretaker earlier too…” Terry said

“Indeed…your Caretaker will be your…life support in this place…they will tell all you need to know…and offer you any support they can.”

“So this spider is going to be my Caretaker?”

“No…she is mine…your Caretaker is the one…who sent those wasps…Ember will call the wasps back…and alert their master that you are here.”

“Indeed, Candidate Terry! As a matter of fact, I’ve already-”

“Woah! Who the hell was that!? Who’s there?!” Terry shouted, raising his own gun and looking around.

“Kukuku…fool, that was Ember…”

“Wah? It can talk?” Terry said

“Uhh, who are you guys talking about? I didn’t hear anything.” Tim said

“Of course you didn’t…you’re not a Candidate…Ember?”

“Ahem, right Master! As I was saying Candidate Terry, I’ve already contacted your Caretaker, and he was just delighted to hear that you were finally ready to receive Her Majesty's gifts! I daresay he was almost as happy as when I got to see my Master for the first time! He’ll be arriving here himself in just a short while, and asks that we stay put for a moment.”

“Uh…right, got it Miss Ember…”

I nodded my head, glad to see him being respectful. Most people treated Ember like she’s the same as the Tarantulas. We might get along, if he survived his transformation.

We waited there for about an hour before we heard the telltale drone of wasp wings in the distance. At first the crew jumped up, ready to fight, and I had to explain that the Scouts were under the command of the Caretaker again to calm them down.

When they did a figure emerged from the fog and approached Terry. Like Ember, it’s back was vibrantly colored (green and blue), and just like Ember he did a funny little dance to greet Terry. He then turned and performed the same dance for Ember and I.

“Salutations, Lord of the Ants! You have my thanks for saving my Masters life! And you too, Lady Ember! Ahhh, how I’ve envied you from afar being able to serve such a powerful Lord…but now my wait Is over!” he turned to Terry “Greetings, my Master! I’ve awaited this day for so long, please allow me to explain what’s about to happen.”

“Uh…o-ok, sure little guy.” he said, absentmindedly patting his Caretaker on the head.

“Mmm, thank you Master! To start with, I’m going to encase you in a cocoon made of my web…” and on he went, explaining everything the same way Ember had when I went through the change. Though, there was one slight difference this time.

“Ah, ordinarily I would wait to cocoon you until after we arrived at the hatchery, but given how long you’ve been running around without proper care, I’d like to do it immediately. And, um, I’m sure your friends would want to make sure I don’t do anything weird while I cocoon you, just for peace of mind…”

“Yeah…I reckon they would.” Terry said, smiling at the eager spider.

I left the men to say their heartfelt goodbyes. No need to intrude on such a personal moment.

“Teehee, Miss, Lady, they sure do show me a lot of respect! Bwahaha, maybe if you ever get any other servants I can be your second in command” Ember said.

“Tch, don’t let it get to your head. Besides, you’re already my second in command.”

“Aww, Master…”

Terry, Bryan, Tim and (after overhearing the fourth man's name) Cory finished saying their goodbyes, allowing the Caretaker to wrap up Terry in his spider silk. He handed Terry off to the Scouts, who would carry him to the place where the Caretaker stored all of his candidates.

Though I doubted Terry’s fate would end like the other candidates would. He struck me as exactly the sort of person who would survive the change. After all he had already lived for this long and, just like me, he had something he needed to live for.

“At least there’s nothing to betray him. Just pure, unadulterated, duty is all he needs to keep himself going.”

With his work done, the Caretaker turned to address Terry’s friends “Thank you for keeping my Master safe in these lands. I understand that you lost someone precious, both to you and to him. In honor of the man my Master cared for, I will search the place where he passed away and bury him, as human tradition dictates. And also…I apologize for my hand in his passing. Please leave the Master in my care, I promise I’ll die if it means protecting him.”

The little spider had me translate for him, but I couldn’t do him justice. Every word he spoke was filled to the brim with genuine admiration for Terry, and guilt for what happened at their farm.

Part of it must have gotten through though, because the three of them nodded their heads.

“It ain’t gonna atone for Knox’s death, but you better protect him.” Tim said

“Make sure you find a way to contact us after Terry cleans this place up, he’ll want to brag after all.” Bryan said

“..Just…Just make sure you bury him right. Knox would kick our asses if he got dug up by a spider and eaten or something.” Cory finished

The Caretaker saluted the three men, showing that he understood them, and started scuttling away to his new Master, practically humming with excitement!

…but then…

My feelers picked up something. Something dangerous. More than anything since becoming a Lord, this freaked me out. Not a single time, in the entire four months I’ve been Forminus, did I sense “Danger”, not even when I fought Shiron and Kuron. That meant that this new foe was even stronger than they were.

“EVERYBODY GET DOWN!!!” I screamed, pulling Ember back under my cloak.

And not a moment too soon. The second I touched the ground a hail of spikes came shooting out of the fog. They weren’t like normal Tarantula spikes either, these ones were much stronger, piercing right through the truck, leaving behind nothing but a twisted mass of bent steel, shredded tires, and destroyed leather from the seats. Even the engine block looked like metallic swiss cheese.

Like Ember and I, Cory and Tim managed to duck in time, but Bryan and the Caretaker…

Bryan was unrecognizable. It wouldn’t be applicable to call him a human anymore, more like a slab of meat. The caretaker meanwhile had been on the outskirts of the attack, but he still had two gaping holes that went right through his abdomen. He wasn’t dead but he wasn’t far off.

I pulled myself to my feet and ran to him, cradling the spider in my arms.

“My Lord…?”

“Yes, I’m here for you little one…”

“So kind…please, my Lord, look after my Master..”

“Don’t say that, you’ll be fine. Here, take one of my fingers, I don’t-”

“N-No, please, I couldn’t…i’m not worthy…it’s ok…after all I finally got to meet my Master…please…promise me.”

“I…very well.”

“Ha…thank you…I wish…I could have met you first…”

He trailed off. There wasn’t much time left.

“Please…would you grant me…a final request?”

“Anything, little one.”

“Let me be of service…just one time…I beg of you, Master,..”

I knew what it wanted. Ember had asked the same.

I nodded

His final feeling, one of contentment, as the sweet little spider passed away in my arms.