Chapter 360: Chapter 360: Animal Mutation 1
Evelyn Ford took The Gilded Tortoise back to the cabin and placed it in a glass jar. She wanted to observe it for any changes and see if it would mutate.
Evelyn opened a nearby glass case and extracted some venom from the Sting-tail Scorpions. She planned to mix it with the Cannibal Flower to create a pesticide to spray on the farm’s soil.
All the livestock had to be moved into her space; none could be left behind. The cellar also needed to be cleared out and disinfected. Just the thought of countless creatures burrowing up from beneath the earth made Evelyn’s skin crawl.
Worried the pesticide wouldn’t be potent enough, Evelyn added a bit of every poison she had. Seeing her mixing the concoction in a full protective suit and helmet, Ronan Kendrick led the two German shepherds from their doorway over to Quincy’s cabin next door.
Over the next two days, Ian Yates continued to catch and bring Evelyn various creatures: red ants, sowbugs, and ground beetles.
Evelyn kept them in cups to observe them. So far, the small creatures showed no signs of change.
Evelyn had finished mixing the pesticide. It was extremely potent, so spraying it required wearing a protective suit.
Ronan Kendrick took on the heavy task. Evelyn moved the newborn livestock into her space. The livestock area was managed by Officer Graham, who had assigned everyone else to the greenhouses to harvest cabbage and radishes.
As the pesticide settled on the ground, a pungent odor filled the air. Suddenly, a critical problem occurred to Evelyn.
She found Officer Graham, Quincy, and Taylor Vance, and led the three of them to the pond out back.
"My theory is that the toxic sun is forcing animals to mutate. As the temperature rises and the permafrost thaws, microorganisms and insects hibernating underground will emerge. The ice in the pond is melting, which means creatures from underground might surface there too. If our water source gets contaminated, the consequences will be unthinkable."
"There’s sand and charcoal at the bottom of the pond. Will that help?"
Evelyn shook her head. "It’s hard to say. We can’t clean the pond itself, since it’s fed by groundwater."
Quincy ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "So what do we do?"
Evelyn stared at the pond in silence, then sighed. "Boiling the water before filtering it should be fine. I’ll go get some Water Purification Pills."
"Should we disinfect the cabins? They don’t have concrete floors, just wooden planks. They might not hold up."
Evelyn nodded. "We need a full-scale disinfection. First, have everyone focus on harvesting all the crops. The sun is getting more vicious by the day, so people should avoid going out during the daytime as much as possible."
"What about the livestock?"
Evelyn thought for a moment. "Let’s spray the pesticide in the livestock area first and see if it works."
Back in her cabin, Evelyn stared at The Gilded Tortoise in the glass jar. It showed no changes, but the insects Ian Yates had brought back later had all grown larger. Moreover, Evelyn noticed they had more teeth.
On the seventh day of the red sun, insects suddenly filled the sky. Evelyn had experience dealing with plagues of insects, so she didn’t panic. The pond had already been treated, and most of the livestock had been moved into her space.
Although the winter wheat wasn’t fully mature, they had to harvest it early to minimize their losses.
The temperature held steady at minus one degree Celsius. To everyone, this felt relatively comfortable, almost warm.
"Evelyn, look at this."
Wyatt Vaughn and Joelle Finch approached Evelyn, holding up a piece of clothing. Seeing the white eggs clinging to it, Evelyn frowned.
"Parasitic flies. Have you been doing laundry?"
"We did. The weather’s been nice the last few days, so we figured we’d wash our dirty clothes. This shirt was hanging out for two days and still wouldn’t dry. That’s when I noticed the eggs. Quincy said to report any issues we find, so I brought it straight to you."
Evelyn wasn’t sure what species of fly it was, either.
"Burn this shirt. And stop doing laundry for now. From now on, add a Water Purification Pill to the water after you boil it."
Wyatt Vaughn could see how exhausted Evelyn looked. She had to worry about everything on the farm, both big and small, for so many people. Even a single shirt had to be brought to her for inspection. He started to worry about her health.
"Evelyn, you should get some rest. Let other people handle these things."
Evelyn nodded. "Aside from fetching water or using the toilet, no one is to go outside. My energy is limited. If something happens to anyone who disobeys, they’re on their own."
Wyatt Vaughn and Joelle Finch exchanged a look and nodded quickly.
"Don’t worry," they said. "We’ll make sure to follow the rules strictly."
Evelyn nodded. "Later, tell everyone to gather in the screening room for a meeting."
Back in her cabin, Evelyn lay down, intending to rest for just two minutes. But the moment she closed her eyes, she was fast asleep.
When Ronan Kendrick returned from the disinfection work, he found her completely worn out. He was both heartbroken and angry to see her push herself this hard.
That evening, Evelyn woke up and was about to head to the screening room when Ronan Kendrick stopped her.
"What do you need to say? I’ll relay the message."
Seeing his insistence, Evelyn sat back down. "The food and vegetables we’ve grown on this farm are thanks to everyone’s hard work. Have Mr. Graham distribute supplies from the granary. A lot of insects have appeared these last few days, and the ones Ian Yates brought back are showing signs of mutation. A massive swarm of mutated insects could be coming. Tell everyone to stay inside their cabins. Give each person a whistle, and tell them not to go outside."
Evelyn pressed her temples. "This is all I can do. If people don’t listen and get into trouble, their life or death is not my concern. The farm’s food supply is limited. If anyone wastes food, they will be expelled from the farm, no exceptions."
Ronan Kendrick nodded. "Okay, I’ll tell them. You get some rest."
Ronan was gone for only ten minutes. When he returned, Officer Graham and Taylor Vance were with him.
"What’s wrong?"
"Ronan said mutated insects have appeared. We came to take a look."
Evelyn handed the glass jar to Officer Graham. The sowbug inside had grown enormous and was chewing on a vegetable leaf she had dropped in.
Their expressions soured when they saw its densely packed teeth.
"Will they attack people?"
Evelyn shook her head. "They probably won’t. The insects that appeared during the day didn’t fly down to attack us, either. But the mutated ones carry viruses, so it’s best not to touch them."
Officer Graham’s face paled. "If the refugees outside eat them to stave off hunger, will they die from the virus?"
"I don’t know. All we can do right now is protect ourselves."
"Besides insects, will other animals mutate too? Like birds, tigers, horses, sheep?"
"It’s possible."
Everyone fell silent. They had worked so hard to build this peaceful life; no one wanted to see it destroyed.
"I’ve prepared pesticide for everyone. If you use it sparingly, it can last for a year."
"Evelyn," Quincy asked, "what are your plans for the temporary workers? Paul Pence and his family, and Austin Moss and his daughter?"
"They’ve all worked very hard. Whether it was planting, chopping wood, or cleaning, they’ve all been diligent and responsible. At a time like this, do you really think I’d kick them out?"
Quincy held up his hands. "That’s not what I meant. It’s just that everyone is on edge, afraid this crisis will cost them their place on the farm."
"As long as everyone keeps to themselves, stays inside, and doesn’t go looking for trouble, I won’t kick anyone out."
