Volume 8: Telophase
Issue 5: Hell Creek Redux
Jannette Adrian Churchwell
By Nova
Two rough hands grabbed either side of my body, shaking me from my restless dreams. Before my eyes even opened, my powers rushed through my unseen assailant. A woman—an inch or two taller than me—whose anatomy I didn’t quite recognize. I nearly struck at her, my powers intuitively reaching for her heart… But, as my eyes opened and adrenaline rushed through my veins, I recognized the beaked mask looming above my face; close enough that I could feel a cool breath against my skin.
“M-Miasma?” I squeaked.
“Wake up, sleepy head!” she giggled, sounding downright elated.
I glared at her. My panic from before gave way to an annoyance bordering on anger. “Get off,” I said.
Miasma seemed to carefully consider this, and—as she nodded her head back and forth, perhaps lost in thought—I became uncomfortably aware that she was stronger than me. If she didn’t want to leave my bed, I might need to resort to giving her a heart attack to push her off.
But it didn’t come to that. “Ooh, party pooper,” Miasma finally said in a playful half-grumble. She slid off the bed and came to lie on the ground beside it. I glanced warily at her, before casting my gaze around my surroundings. I was still in my tent—or, rather, the curtained-off section of the tent I shared with Miasma and the medic team. It was nothing too impressive: just a bed resting a few inches above the canvas-covered ground, a trunk for the few belongings I brought with me, and a blue curtain for privacy.
Clearly not enough privacy.
Miasma stared at me, resting her head on her hand, not saying a thing.
“W-what are you looking at?” I asked.
Miasma cocked her head. “Just looking at you.” She paused for a second. Self-consciousness rose through me, as if I had been caught with something stuck between my teeth. But, whatever I had expected, it wasn’t what she said next. “You’re pretty cute.”
I blushed, furiously, then realized what she was really saying. I wasn’t wearing my mask. “D-don’t-” I stammered, pulling the blanket up to cover the lower half of my face. “D-don’t look!”
“Oh my God.” Miasma laughed. “You know your little facemask, like, barely hides anything, right? You just look like a doctor. Like a regular, non-powered doctor. Honestly, I say give it up. Do an Asteria and go sans-mask.”
“Asteria’s got glowing eyes and team of make-up artists,” I grumbled. “But did you really come into my room to stare at me?”
“Babe, calling this little thing a ‘room’ is being way too generous,” Miasma said. “But I’m here to wake you up. Anything else is just a bonus.”
I glared at her. “Stop,” I grumbled. I didn’t know what she was trying to accomplish with her mocking flattery of me, but—whatever it was—I knew one thing for sure. Miasma was messing with me.
She only giggled in response. Trying to change the topic, I instead asked, “H-how long was I out?” Last thing I remembered was collapsing into bed after working, almost nonstop, for twelve hours.
“Hmmmm.” Miasma thought for a moment, still lying on the floor. “About… ten hours?”
“O-oh…” That made sense, especially given how far I’d pushed myself yesterday. Healing one patient after another, not spending more than a few moments with each… It almost felt like I was working on a conveyor belt of meat, not given enough time to read any identity into my patients.
But it was finally over. After a day of work, me and Miasma had managed to treat all the patients the government had put in front of us. It was good that we’d managed it, especially since—after three days of lockdown—the military expected to open up the “Hell Creek Experience” again…
“W-wait.” I sat up in my bed. “Did they do it? Open it up?”
Miasma shot two finger guns at me. “You betcha!”
I was up on my feet in an instant, not caring anymore that I wasn’t wearing my mask—or anything except a gray tank top and boxers, really. I dug through the trunk at the foot of my bed, scrambling into my scrubs and lab coat.
“I didn’t know you wanted to kill dinosaurs this much. That you had this killer instinct,” Miasma said as she watched me change.
“I don’t,” I muttered. I pushed through the curtain and out of my “room” as soon as I finished getting dressed. I heard Miasma scramble to her feet behind me and jog to catch up.
“Then what’s the big deal?” she asked.
“It’s my job to help people. Our job. If they’ve opened the shield, then we’re needed.”
And, Holly needed me.
“Your job, maybe,” Miasma muttered. “This is more of a, uh, part-time gig for me.”
I pushed through the opening flap of the tent and into the chaos of the camp outside, just in time to witness a gray military helicopter roar over the field hospital. “What else has happened?” I shouted at Miasma over the din. “Has anyone gone in yet?”
“Yep! I heard they’ve even got a camp set up inside, and I know they’ve also rescued some survivors!”
“Survivors?”
“Yeah, a couple IMAGO execs, journalists…” She pressed her index fingers against the beak of her mask, as if momentarily lost in thought. Then, she blurted out, ”Oh, and a class of high schoolers!”
My heart skipped a beat. “H-high schoolers?” I asked.
Miasma laughed. “Haha, yeah… Some shitty field trip from Hell, apparently.” She shook her head as the roar of the helicopter’s blades faded into the distance. “The only other thing I’ve heard is that they’ve started airlifting the ‘high-priority’ survivors… You know, those who have the right connections.” She chuckled now. “A bunch are stuck here, though, until the roads are safe.”
“O-oh…” My head spun. That high school group… It had to be the one from Chapel High, right? Florian, Camilo… even Amber. Were they alright? Was Holly?
I had to find out more.
As the artificial mountains that denoted the barrier between Hell Creek and the rest of the Extinction Refuge loomed before us, I noted how much busier the area seemed than when I was last here. Trucks unloaded crates of supplies, while medics and soldiers streamed from a cave near the entrance. A gaggle of very muddy, tired-looking people stood just off the road, staring out at the chaos with exhausted expressions. A few of them were notably shorter than the rest and, as I narrowed my eyes, I thought I recognized one… His ruffled, black hair, his lanky stature—somewhat tall for a teenager… Was it…
Camilo?
The sight of him made me breathe a sigh of relief, though I grew concerned as I realized that I didn’t see Florian or Amber with him… Nor Holly? Where were they? Were they safe?
Were they alive?
I almost ran to Camilo, to ask him myself—not even thinking that I was supposed to be Stitch, not Jannette—when I heard a shout carry across the crowd.
“Stitch!”
I turned, searching for the voice, when I spotted Ripple striding toward me—spear in hand. “Stitch!” she shouted again. “How’ve you been?”
“Busy,” I said. Beside me, Miasma stepped away as Ripple approached—and pulled me into a hug. I glanced around, back to where I had seen Camilo… But he was already gone. They must have moved the high schoolers somewhere safer… Maybe even to the field hospital?
“I’ve been busy, too,” Ripple said, pulling my attention back to her. She stepped back and cast her gaze toward Miasma behind me. “I see we have company…” Ripple said.
Miasma stuck out her hand towards her. “Name’s Miasma. Nice to meet you.”
Ripple looked towards me. “Miasma, really?” she said, exasperation in her tone.
“W-what?” I asked.
“You didn’t hear about the bank job she did in Portland a few months ago?”
I looked to Miasma, who didn’t flinch. “No, I didn’t… Should I?”
“She killed three people,” Ripple said bluntly.
Miasma shrugged, but kept her hand outstretched toward Ripple. “Shit happens. Don’t pretend you’ve never caused any collateral damage, Ripple.”
“I try not to run, laughing, out of a bank with bags of cash when I do.”
“It’s an adrenaline rush. Sue me.”
“I think that’s the DA’s job, not mine… Or is that why you’re here? Looking to get a clean slate?”
“Is that true?” I asked Miasma.
“Can’t a girl just wanna be where the action is?” she responded.
Ripple didn’t look convinced and still refused to shake Miasma’s hand. “Well then… You’ve heard of me, and I’ve heard of you. Guess we don’t need introductions.”
“Guess not…” Miasma said, retracting her hand.
I cleared my throat. “H-have you heard anything about the survivors?” I asked Ripple.
She shook her head. “Nothing, except that they’re organizing more sweeps of the dino-zone for anyone who isn’t already accounted for.”
“We should get in there, see how we can help,” I said.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“And maybe kill a few dinosaurs. You know, for the bragging rights,” Miasma said, trailing behind us as me and Ripple marched toward the entrance of Hell Creek—a cave in the side of the artificial ridgeline. The passage twisted and turned as we ventured into it and, as we bumped past a constant stream of people passing through, a sudden wave of hot, humid air washed over us.
“Holy fuck,” Miasma said, pulling on her heavy cloak. “It’s like walking through a portal to Florida.”
I’d never been to Florida, but I had to admit that the humidity was like a punch to the gut. I coughed on the thick air, and I could feel a trickle of sweat beginning to build under my mask. But we didn’t have much further to go. We turned one last corner and emerged into Hell Creek.
Blinking in the sudden light, a small camp resolved in front of us, although small might only be relative to the massive camp we’d left behind. There were scores of tents, boxes of supplies, and a constant circulation of people between them. A line of soldiers stood at the edge of the camp, looking over a vast green swamp full of plants I didn’t quite recognize.
And, in the far distance, I saw a line of huge shapes on the edge of a thick and tangled forest. They walked on four legs, with long, thick tails, and grazed incessantly on the plants below them. I didn’t know what kind of dinosaur they were… but there they were.
“That son of bitch finally did it,” Ripple muttered beside me.
“Huh?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Ripple quickly said. She motioned over to a gaggle of soldiers who hovered around a hastily set up array of computer screens. “Let’s check in, they’ll tell us where we need to go.”
I nodded, not wanting to wait any longer. “Let’s go.”
“Excuse me,” Ripple asked one of the soldiers who held a tablet. She somehow loomed over him despite being at least a foot shorter than him. “The three of us are here to help.”
He glanced between us, before turning toward a tent with a red cross hanging over the entrance. “Archean, we have more for you!”
“A-Archean?” Ripple asked, a strange tone in her voice. I’d heard something like it once before… when we fought Red Queen. Was it… panic? “I-I thought he was, you know… getting some rest?” she continued.
“No, ma’am. He’s still on site,” the soldier said, motioning to the tall figure which now emerged from the tent. His most notable feature was the Triceratops-shaped, skull-like helmet which protected his head. But, one of the horns had been broken, and his ruby-colored suit and leathered cape was left in tatters. I recognized him from a few of the meetings the FBI had held a month or two ago. It was Archean.
“Ooh,” Miasma said as he approached. “It’s been a long time since I’d seen him.”
“Yeah,” Ripple said, her jaws clenched.
Archean jogged up to us, limping slightly as he did so—his gaze not once leaving Ripple. “Hey,” he breathed.
“Hey,” Ripple said.
“It’s been a while…” Archean said.
I glanced between the two of them. Did they… know each other?
Ripple pursed her lips. “Five years?”
“Felt like more.”
“Well… I guess it has been, you know…”
“Yeah.”
They stood in silence for what felt like ages. Miasma leaned in close to me, whispering in my ear, “Do you ever really wish you had some popcorn?”
“Hush,” I hissed at her, before creeping up to Archean. “H-hey,” I said to him. “My name’s Stitch. We haven’t, uh, met.” While I had seen him in passing—at some of the meetings for Kelly’s task force—I had never actually spoken to him before.
He turned from Ripple, straightening his posture as he fixed his gaze on me—seemingly noticing I was there for the first time. “Oh, y-yeah. Sorry about that.” He stretched out his hand to me, and offered a tired, yet warm, smile. “It’s good to meet you, Stitch.”
I shook his hand. As my powers traced through his body, I detected a host of cuts, bruises, and even a fractured bone or two. A hormone imbalance—elevated cortisol and melatonin levels—signaled a complete lack of sleep. Archean had clearly been working nonstop since all of this started. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said as he let go of me. “There are people who need you.” Although he didn’t offer a hand to Miasma, he still glanced at her when he said it.
“It looks like you might need me,” I said.
Archean laughed. “Maybe,” he admitted, “but I have someone else for you first.”
“More patients?” Miasma said, resting her weight onto one hip. “When do we get to kill some dinosaurs?”
Next to me, I heard Ripple draw in a sharp breath. At the same time, Archean’s mouth fell slightly open. But, quickly composing himself again, he said, “Who said anything about killing?”
Miasma shrugged. “That’s what a little bird’s been saying.” When Archean only looked more confused, she added, “A little bird that goes… cuckoo, cuckoo.” She put her finger up to her temple, making a circling motion as she said it.
While Cuckoo hadn’t exactly said kill dinosaurs in such direct terms, her willingness to cause a meltdown in IMAGO’s reactors had clear implications.
“Oh.” For a moment or two, Archean remained silent as he processed what Miasma was getting at. “It shouldn’t come to that.” He looked between me, Ripple, and Miasma. “As you can see, the gate’s open and… Well, the military agreed to IMAGO’s terms.”
“Which are?” Ripple crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke.
“They have free access to the Refuge as long as they don’t cause any property damage—whether it be the dinosaurs or the Refuge itself. That is, unless it means saving a human life.” He gave Miasma a pointed look. “There are still people inside, and I’d rather see them safe and sound before anyone gets ideas about causing more destruction.”
Still people inside… The words weighed me down. I shot a look toward the cave opening, which remained busy with people passing through. I needed to get there, as soon as—
“Took them long enough,” Ripple mumbled. There was an unexpected bitterness in her tone—almost accusatory—which I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of. Was she talking about… IMAGO? The military?
Archean?
“Aawww,” Miasma cooed, clearly disappointed. “If we’re not killing any dinos, I’m going back to the hospital,” she said. “At least there’s some action going down there.”
“Wait,” Archean said, alarm edging his voice. “Before you leave, you should tend to the wounded here.” He looked between me and Miasma. “Both of you.”
I gave a short nod. Archean gestured to the tent, but I was already moving toward it. The faster we could finish here, the quicker I could figure out what was going on with the Chapel trip…
And with Holly.
“Fine,” Miasma sighed. She trailed after me, and we entered the tent—leaving Archean and Ripple outside.
The tent was significantly less hectic than the field hospital, but still abuzz with activity as medics moved between a dozen or so patients lying on stretchers.
“Let’s get to work,” Miasma said, letting out a sigh of green smoke. But, before the haze even started to fill up the space, a shriek drew my attention.
“Help! A… Attack!” someone shouted. “Villain! We… We’re under attack!”
It was a teenage boy, who shot up from one of the beds. The movement clearly caused him pain. Although he looked athletic, he now strained himself to remain standing—letting out a groan.
“It’s o-okay,” I stammered. I tried to sound soothing, but Miasma’s cackling next to me didn’t exactly help. I shot her a glare, and her laugh faded to a quiet snicker. Then, I turned to the boy, who stared at us with wide, blue eyes. “It’s going to be alright. What’s your name?” I said.
“Daniel,” the boy—Daniel—said.
A medic rushed to his side. “You can’t do that,” he said to Miasma.
“Do what?” Miasma raised her hands defensively. “I just walked inside, like I was told.”
Although the medic radiated with anger, he now gently put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder—encouraging him to sit back down again.
I walked closer to them. “Okay, Daniel. We’re here to help.” The medic stepped aside as I approached, and I let my hand come to rest on Daniel’s arm.
“You… You’re Stitch, right?” he breathed.
I nodded as my powers coursed through him. Beyond the bandaged wound on his shoulder—which looked like it had been clumsily treated at least a day ago—he was covered in minor bruises and scratches. I set to work sealing the wound, treating the developing infection, and patching up the minor injuries.
“Are you… Are you from the high school?” I said, my powers already repairing his injuries. Judging by how young he was, he could easily be a Chapel student—but I needed to be sure.
“Y-yes…” Daniel said, looking at me quizzically.
That was the confirmation I needed—he had been on the field trip. With Holly. “Did you see any other survivors out there?”
He shook his head. “I mean, I’ve been with my friends… But we made it out together.”
His friends. Maybe the group of students I had seen earlier, where Camilo was? My brows furrowed. “Are you sure you didn’t see anyone else?” I asked. “What about…” I cleared my throat. “I heard that there are still people missing. Like this one person… Holly Lin was still missing. Do you know her?”
“The… librarian?”
Yes, the librarian, I wanted to scream at him—but I held back, instead nodding vigorously. “Have you seen her?”
“I mean…” He paused, as if trying to remember something. “Not since we got separated… But that… That was days ago.”
“Where is she?” My heart beat furiously in my chest.
“I… I don’t know? Why… Why are you gripping my arm so hard?”
I hadn’t even realized that my hold on his harm had kept growing increasingly firmer as we spoke. From where he stood next to us, the medic’s stare burned through me—as if he were wondering the same thing.
“S-sorry,” I stammered, relaxing my grip. “I… I’m just trying to help,” I said, my voice quiet. “Can you at least tell me where you saw her last? It’s very important that we find any remaining survivors…” I stared pleadingly into his blue eyes.
“Okay…” Daniel trailed off. “Umh, we were by the Triceratops exhibit, you know?” His thick brows knotted together. “I think she ran… Like, left from the gift shop? Into the forest.”
“Good,” I said, patting his arm before I let go of him. “Oh, and you’re all fixed up now, Daniel.”
“Umh… Thanks?” the boy said, but I had already turned away from him—facing Miasma now. She completed a circle around the tent, green smoke trailing after her.
“Hey Miasma?” I said. “Can you take care of things here for a minute? I’ll be right back.” Although Daniel was all patched up, there were still five remaining patients in the other beds—their conditions varied, but no one appeared to be in need of my immediate attention. Miasma should be able to hold off their injuries.
“Oh?” Miasma said, striding back to me now. “Are you sure I can’t help you? You seem really fixated on this… Holly person.”
“Please.” I didn’t have time for any more of her teasing. “I just need a minute.”
“Ooooohh… So it’s like that?” The villain chuckled deviously as she tapped her fingertips against her beak, green smoke still seeping out from it. “Don’t worry. I can handle things here. You do what you need to.”
Relieved—and, strangely, thankful—I exited the tent. I headed back to Ripple and Archean, who remained just a short distance away. The tension between them from before hadn’t waned, as they talked quietly—avoiding each other’s gaze.
“—at least Egg’s babysitter is…” Archean trailed off.
“That’s not really important now,” Ripple hissed back, interrupting whatever he had been about to say.
They both turned to me in an eerily synchronized movement. “Oh, Stitch. Everything okay?” Archean said, glancing toward the tent.
“Yes… Everything is going well. I just had a question for you,” I said.
Archean nodded. “Sure. Shoot.”
“How well do you know the Refuge?” I asked.
“Well… I’ve only worked on it for the last four—”
“And a half,” Ripple interrupted,
“—years,” Archean finished.
“Umh.” I glanced between the two of them, while they exchanged a weird look. Ignoring it, I continued, “So… I was just wondering if you know where the gift shop is?”
“I don’t think this is the time for souvenirs, is it?” Ripple said, a warning in her voice. She stared at me now—maybe she already knew where I was going with this.
I shook my head. “I just heard that… there may be survivors nearby.”
Ripple sighed, her stare unwavering.
If Archean noticed, he didn’t say anything. “Where?”
“Someone… named Holly Lin… ran away from the gift shop. Leftwards, toward the forests.”
“That would be…” Archean paused, drumming his fingertips against one of the bones sewn into the sash across his chest. “That sounds like the border between the Ankylosaurus and the…” He stopped. “When was this?”
“A couple of days ago,” I said, relaying what Daniel had told me. “When all of this started.”
I waited for Archean to say something more, but he didn’t.
“Wh… What?” I pressed.
“Well, all the barriers went down, so the exhibits could have merged…” Archean murmured, looking down at his feet.
Ripple punched his shoulder—slightly too hard to be friendly, but not hard enough to be antagonistic. “You’re beating around the bush. Out with it,” she said bluntly.
Archean lifted his head, his skull-shaped mask facing me. “If she went that way…” He took a sharp breath. “It sounds like she ended up in the T-Rex exhibit.”