Insects

Chapter One

By the year 2020 the fact that greenhouse gasses were changing the World’s climate was beyond doubt. Despite the irrefutable evidence, there were still those that refused to acknowledge that mankind’s actions were related to the heavy weather, now afflicting the planet. Who were these skeptics? In general, those that benefitted most from the lifestyle they’d created for themselves and the exalted positions they now enjoyed.  

The changes within the Worlds weather patterns were becoming increasingly unpredictable and undeniable in equal measure. While some areas of the planet suffered ice age temperatures, others suffered droughts and a previously unknown intensity of heat. The only certainty was uncertainty and many despaired of their leaders seeming unwillingness, or capability to make the necessary changes. John Bulmer, his wife Melisa whilst disappointed were amongst those that came to realized that they could rely on nobody but themselves. They were not alone they had gotten to know others that shared their sense of frustration of those in power. There was another completely unexpected and disturbing phenomenon that became increasingly apparent over time. The insect population began to mutate. At first it was barely noticeable, the changes slow, but by the year 2024 it was impossible to ignore. The insects were growing and at an accelerating rate. The humble ant was now 3 inches long and was seemingly growing ever bigger by the week. Again, there was a disturbing silence from those in power and worse. An increasing number of so called experts began to appear on TV to explain away the phenomenon. Not only were they unconvincing, they added to people’s fears, what exactly were they trying to hide and cover up? Many suspected that there had been a chemical spill at the massive chemical complex twenty miles outside of town. If that was in fact the case the authorities had done very good job in keeping it quiet. Equally the cities elders were not going to push the issue  the plant was the easily the biggest employer in the area.

Chapter Two

The Insects

Pain that was all that the young ant had ever known since he’d learnt how to walk.  His body had been growing, growing rapidly and unnaturally so and way too fast. His body hurt and all over, as it stretched and elongated, his legs growing infinitesimally by the minute. Whilst unknown to him, his life span had more than doubled from that of his ancestors. That was not a fact that would have given him any joy had he known. During his entire life he would continue to grow the intensefying growing pains all he would ever know. Only his naturally industrious nature gave him any respite from the agony and he endured.

It was now the year 2024 and the city was called San Diego. The ant was now 9 inches in length and before he eventually found rest in death he would have grown to 12 inches in length and ten times in girth also  Due to the pain that dominated his every wakeful moment, he felt only anger and towards all. Whilst his ancestors had been an industrial race, he and his companions had become less so and the anger he felt was intensifying by the day. The pain and the anger that the ants endured was directed both towards each other and any living life form they encountered, mankind in particular.

The ants were not alone in suffering from the effects of their rapid growth rate the entire insect kingdom was similarly affected, those that flew too and they were becoming an increasing problem for the residents of San Diego. It was a process that had begun three years earlier, but was accelerating with each passing year. While a wasp or bee sting  had always been unpleasant it could now prove to be fatal. Would the process eventually wind down, or would it continue indefinitely? That was something that remained an unknown and it was certainly something well beyond the capability of the individual members of the insect kingdom to understand; they had not been blessed with such attributes, only anger and rage. The fact was they would endure a lifetime of pain that would at times become excruciating and that was all they would ever know during their now extended life spans. For years now the so called experts had been explaining away the phenomenon as nothing to worry about. For many their explanations of an evolutionary leap forward within the insect kingdom was accepted, but not by all. John Bulmer and his wife Melisa together with their circle of friends were amongst the skeptics and doubtful ones. For them and many others across the World, it was an argument that was fast losing what little credibility it ever had and they began to make their own plans, had little choice.

Chapter three

A bad situation

It was in the year 2023 that John, together with his wife Melisa, had first connected with a group of environmentalists in their home town of San Diego. Neither John, nor his wife was particularly active, or strident environmentalists, but that something worrying was happening on planet earth had become impossible to ignore. First it had been the weather it had become increasingly unpredictable and extreme in every way. Over time the news had gradually become merged with the weather forecasts. It was as if all previously known weather patterns had gradually intensified and with each passing year. How the weather patterns changed varied across the planet. Parts of the southern hemisphere suffered from ever rising temperatures, while much of the northern hemisphere experienced ceaseless rain snow and ever colder winters. Whatever

weather condition had been the norm in any given area began to intensify and pretty much worldwide. Drought, freezing temperatures, heat waves, storm force winds, hurricanes, tornados and even volcanic eruptions and earthquakes became the new reality and worse. Given the pressures of everyday life for many the phenomenon was brushed aside as something to be endured. While that was in itself worrying enough the Worlds insect population began to mutate! It was a gradual process and one that was barely noticed, at least for the first few years. Within five years the changes affecting both the weather and the Worlds huge and diverse insect population became impossible to ignore.

John Bulmer was a regular guy, a truck driver by profession and cared less about what was happening worldwide. Like many his concerns were mostly limited to his family and what was happening locally. Nevertheless he began to feel increasing concern. The ants within the San Diego area were now, on average, ten inches long. More worrying, every species of insect had also grown and at much the same rate. Whilst the humble ant was relatively harmless, even despite its vastly increased size, other insects posed a greater threat and that was increasingly becoming i cause for concern. Over time the insects had become increasingly aggressive, all of them and without exception, even the humble ants!

John was a big guy, six foot four, well built and a biker during his youth. He’d met his wife Melisa, in his twenties, she had been, a nurse, and had remained so for many years after their marriage. Melansa at five foot ten was a comfortable fit within John’s strong arms and Melisa was easily the more intelligent between them, but never exploited that fact. Instead she made sure that the important decisions that John made were the right ones. It was an indication of Melisa’s intelligence that John was rarely, if ever was aware of that fact. Friendly by nature, they’d always enjoyed an active social life and for many years the weather had dominated the conversation, but that had slowly changed. The early stage of the rapidly increasing growth rate affecting the insect population was dismissed, as normal, or evolutionary. As the years passed by that argument became progressively less credible. What had begun as social gatherings within each other’s homes graduated into something more. More often than not John and Melisa hosted the meetings, simply because theirs was the most suitable venue, their lounge huge. For years the worsening and unstable weather had dominated the conversation during their regular meetings, but that too had slowly changed. The ever increasing growth rate of the insects began to dominate the conversation. Melisa was convinced that the increasingly unstable weather and the fast mutating insects were interconnected and many within their small group were increasingly sharing her view.

Slowly and increasingly worrying it became clear that the growth rate amongst the insect population was accelerating and gathering momentum.

A seemingly endless group of supposed specialists began to pop up regularly on television. Without exception they explained away the phenomenon as normal, a byproduct of global warming. As far as John, Melisa and their small circle of friends were concerned, the explanations given increasingly lacked credibility and they began to make their own plans. The fact that the increasingly aggressive nature of the insect kingdom was due to the life of extreme pain they now endured was not known. Even if this fact had been known it would have made no difference. Bee and Wasp stings, once a painful irritant, had become life threatening as they’d grown. By the year 2024 they had grown to twelve inches in length and with a wing span of thirteen inches. Whilst always unpleasant a sting from one of them had now become life threatening.

It was maybe two years later and during a meeting within John and Melanie’s spacious lounge that John first raised the issue of leaving town and finding a place that they could better defend and secure. By now their three daughters, July, 16, Emma 17 and Ana 18 partook in the meetings. July in particular, found the insects frightening, hideous and scary in equal measure.

We have two choices, John pointed out, at one of their many meetings. One option is we all sell up and find a small tenement block we can share. The other option is we sell up, head to the hills and find ourselves a place we can more easily fortify. While the two suggestions were each in their own way radical, no one openly disagreed, though some had reservations about moving to the nearby hills. Surely there would be even more insects in the countryside? Melisa and Ana were amongst the doubters, they would voice their concerns once the others had left.

John, now 38, was highly respected amongst the small group of seventeen. At six foot four and strongly built, he was a gentle giant and passive by nature. His wife Melisa was the more talkative within their relationship and perhaps the more concerned about their daughter’s safety. Melisa was four years younger than John, six inches shorter and she enjoyed a very keen mind. Together with their three daughters they had been discussing the option of getting out of San Diego for a while now. Emma, their youngest daughter lived in fear of the insects and of late, only ventured from the house with her father and even then not far.

Emma was, by a stretch, the most beautiful of their daughters and she was tall, at a close to five feet eleven inches tall. Emma was also slim and with unusually long legs that she liked to show off. Her long blond hair that hung straight to her middle back, framed her pretty face and unusually big blue eyes, another of her attractive features. It had now been more than a year since she’d been outside of the house alone. Even on the few occasions that she’d been out with her father as protector, she’d felt a tense as a coiled spring. As far as Emma was concerned anywhere had to be better than San Diego! John and Melisa had been more than aware of the interest in their daughters amongst their fellow survivalists during the many meetings they hosted, they were fast growing up!

Chapter Four

It was during another of the meetings at John and Melisa’s house that the issue of abandoning San Diego was first seriously discussed.

John, we have no clue as to how long this situation might continue. Mike, the only single member of their group pointed out. There must be a limit as to how big the damn things can grow, surely! Mike at twenty eight was the youngest member of the group. He had until relatively recently enjoyed a successful career as a web site designer. He could have been described as lanky at just over six foot tall, thin and with an unruly mop of hair, but got away with it. He was also and by a wide margin, the sharpest and smartest within their small group.

Mike, we don’t know and that’s the problem. John pointed out. The weather has continued to worsen during the past 5 years and with no sign of a let up, in fact the opposite. What if the insects just keep growing, can you imagine grappling with an ant the size of a car? Emma visibly shuddered, her less squeamish sisters also. I personally think we should all sell up, head to the hills and find ourselves a huge farmhouse. Between us we stand a better chance of protecting ourselves from both the weather and the insects up there, John said. There were no valid objections, John’s argument persuasive and logical, they would each of them try to sell their properties. That they would, at best, realize half their true value was a certainty. The norms of everyday life within America had gone down years earlier. Nevertheless, at the right price, they should hopefully be able to off load them. As John pointed out, they would between them still have a sizable sum of money and hopefully would be able to buy cheap. The general consensus was that heading to the nearby hills was their best bet, had the hills not been a source of safety since the beginning of time?  Melanisa still had reservations, but kept them to herself, not wanting to frighten her daughters, she’d share them with John later. She was not alone; several of the wives and girlfriends shared similar reservations and concerns. Surely the countryside and the hills would be even worse in terms of the insect population?

Yes you’re right, John agreed once everyone had left and speaking softly, as they lay in bed. Melisa had pointed out the obvious. The difference is that we can prepare defenses up there in the hills, dig ditches and all manner of stuff, to keep the bastards out.Melisa eventually agreed with his plans, but not without misgivings, stupid she was not. If and it was right now a big if,  John somehow found a place up there they could at least fortify the place.

Chapter Five

One month later

Dad, Mum, come and look, July called excitedly from the kitchen window. John hadn’t been to work for a month now, Melanie neither and both of them were soon at her side.

At last the Governor is doing something and about time, John exclaimed, gazing at the army through the window. There was a sizable squad of soldiers on foot and armed with flame guns and with heavily armed eight wheeled trucks backing them up.

Gross, July exclaimed, as two burning flies, at least nine inches long, crashed onto and writhed upon the small lawn fronting the house. Unknown to John it was not the Governor of San Diego that had called out the army, but the President of America. Across the entire country the army was out and in force, all other activities cancelled.

Oh no, July groaned, as a huge swarm of wasps, all grotesquely huge, attacked the soldiers on mass. The orderly column of soldiers deteriorated within seconds into a confused scrum of flaying arms, as they tried to beat them off. Many of the wasps were on fire, as they attacked the column of soldiers, the eight wheelers spraying them with their flame guns. Melisa huddled July away from the window, the scene outside now grotesque and was glad that Ana and Emma were still in bed and asleep the hour still early. That they would soon awake was a certainty and Melisa, her arm around July rushed up the stairs. She’d remain with them; she didn’t want them to see what was happening outside.

John felt impotent, as he watched the scene unfold, but yards from where he stood. Several of the soldiers were now writhing on the ground in agony, they’d been stung and two of them were now on fire. The swarm of wasps, now on fire writhed upon the ground, but it seemed to take them an age to die. The army, now on top of the situation, began shooting them, though they were clearly shaken. The short battle was soon over, but at a cost, two soldiers badly burnt and four writhing in agony from stings, their deaths slow in coming. John went out as soon as it was safe to do so, but there was nothing he could do. The soldiers, all young, were badly shaken, their young commanding Officers not much better. The fight back against the mutated insects had at last begun, but that it was