Fireteam Delta by J. Halpin (ebook reader that looks like a book txt) 📕

The insect was as big as Summers’ head, with six long, thin legs that attached to a thorny carapace. Asle hadn’t known much about the creatures, let alone what allowed them to control the bodies of the dead like puppets. But the stories she’d heard in her youth led her to believe it had something to do with the soul. All in all, it wasn’t much help.

It had been a few days now since he’d eaten his weight in the insects, which were surprisingly palatable given what they looked and smelled like.

He’d assumed he’d gain some kind of control over the dead, like the creatures seemed to have. While nothing had happened yet, he was at least grateful that he hadn’t sprouted four extra arms.

So, for the last few days, he’d been experimenting with the few still living creatures they’d brought along, trying to figure out just how exactly they worked.

He watched as one of the dead lizard’s legs twitched once, and then again.

Summers stood immediately, moving over to the partially burrowed insect, and grabbed it before it could react, pulling it from the lizard’s corpse.

It chittered in response, and probably a touch of anger. As he began to move away, the insect’s legs suddenly contracted around his forearm.

He felt something like a jolt, and his hand suddenly relaxed its grip.

“Fuck!”

The creature squirmed free, skittering halfway across the deck before Summers was able to grab it again. This time, he kept a firm grip on it as he carefully placed it back into a small wooden crate.

He flexed the hand that had released the insect. It didn’t feel as if it were hurt. More like he’d just dropped the thing by accident. But it definitely seemed like something was wrong somehow.

“Huh.”

A sailor moved past him, looking more than a little nervous. Summers stroked one of the new horns on his head. After the changes had taken root, they’d decided to leave the city behind as fast as possible. He didn’t want to risk terrifying the local populace. Besides, given what everyone had done to buy up the parts he’d used, they didn’t need to chance any guards or pissed-off merchants coming to look for trouble.

He sighed before moving to the lizard’s corpse, placing a hand on it.

“Anything new?” Nowak stepped forward, leaning against the wall of the small stockroom he’d been using for testing.

“Not sure . . .” Summers answered.

He kept looking at his hand.

If Summers could manage to move something like the bugs did, then logically, he might be able to move the hamr. Or at least, play tug-of-war with the bits of flesh the hamr was controlling. If he could do that, then he might be able to remove what was left in his body.

Summers yawned.

“Maybe you should get some sleep,” Nowak prodded.

“In a second. I just . . . I wanted to try some things.” Summers focused on the lizard, trying to will it to move.

Nothing happened.

As he pulled his hand back, the creature’s scales seemed to stick to it for just a moment before they snapped back into place.

“Huh.”

Summers put a hand on the lizard again. It didn’t stick. But the resistance had felt familiar, like static electricity.

“Summers . . .” Nowak started.

“Hold on. Just give me a minute.”

Summers poked his head inside the chest cavity of the lizard, looking at where the insect had been nesting. He realized it had made a small tunnel toward the creature’s spinal column.

Summers considered that for a moment before he tentatively reached a hand in, wrapping it around the dead lizard’s spine.

It was disgusting.

He focused again, like before, and after a moment, he could feel something.

Rather, he felt larger, as if his arm extended beyond his fingers.

He released his grip, and his world seemed to shrink again.

“Uh, having fun in there?” Nowak asked.

“No. And stay here for a second. Tell me if something happens.”

Summers grabbed the spine one more time, trying to focus on the feeling.

Again, his body seemed to grow. He focused on the sensation, trying his best to memorize it. It felt worryingly natural to him, as if this was something that was supposed to happen. The oddest part was that he could sense some kind of disparity between his two bodies. While the lizard was more or less uniform, his own body felt like a tapestry of webs. But the moment he looked away, it seemed to fade into the background of his mind.

Eventually, the lizard took on a more solid form, like a branch that extended away from him. He tried to pour his consciousness into the new form and will it to do something.

“Holy shit!” Nowak edged away from the now kicking leg of the lizard. “Yeah, it’s moving.”

Summers let out a small laugh.

At least now, he knew it was working.

<<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>

Apparently, contact with the creature helped, but wasn’t necessarily needed. Summers had managed to get a toe moving after a long hour of concentration, if only for a heartbeat.

“So, it worked?” Cortez asked, staring down from the hammock in their cabin.

“Yeah,” Summers answered, distracted.

“And what are you doing now?”

Summers’ hand hovered over his forearm, trying to sense it much in the same way he had when he’d been looking at the lizard.

“Trying it on myself.”

Of course, he knew his arm was already an extension of his body, but then, it wasn’t entirely his body anymore. Earlier, he’d sensed something more, something outside of his control. He was trying to connect to that.

After a few minutes, it clicked.

If his body was a dim light, then there was a small, thin membrane of blazing sun just under his skin. He hesitated, then drove a single finger into his forearm.

“Jesus fuck, dude,”