BBW: Anomaly Points Book 1

I usually like waking early in the morning because it is quiet and no one is around, but not on a naval base, especially not on a naval base with super hearing. I was never going to get any peace and quiet here. Maybe I will swim back again.

I decided to wander out and find some breakfast. This is my first time on a military base of any sort. I followed my nose to where I could smell food. The mutation is going to be useful on land.

I was gathering some strange looks, but I guess I was the only one not in uniform. In my opinion, t-shirt, shorts, and jandels should be the standard uniform in summer. I found a dining hall, but apparently, I was not allowed to eat there. I was in the wrong Mess. Why can’t they just call them the dining hall or a Food Court like normal people?

Civilian Consultants were supposed to eat in the Officer's Mess. I didn’t know why we had to eat in anyone's mess. The officer's mess was fancier than the other one, and I was told I could not enter wearing open-toed shoes. They were not impressed when I kicked off my jandels and tried to enter barefoot. I was going to be reported to the duty officer, whoever they were. I just shrugged. I told Lewis it would be better if I went home.

When the young man on the door discovered I had only bought jandals with me, he had a junior run off and got me some standard-issue boots. When they arrived, I slipped them on. I didn’t bother with the socks or lacing them and went in to have my breakfast. Apparently, t-shirt, shorts and boots are more acceptable. Who knew? It is my first time on a military base.

I was sitting in a quiet corner, trying to be left alone and sipping my third cup of tea, when another flunky ran up. Apparently, I was supposed to report for a medical examination, and I was late. It sounds like being late is the ultimate crime around here.

“Don’t worry about it, kid, nobody told me.”

“Yes, sir, orders should have been delivered to your room.”

“That sounds labour intensive. Have you not heard of messaging apps?”

“Yes, sir. Can I ask you to hurry, sir? We juniors tend to cop the blame regardless of fault. Shit flows downhill and all that.”

“It sounds like I am the man that is needed around here then.” At the questioning look, I said, “I am a civil engineer. Making shit flow uphill is definitely something I can do.”

The medical exam was pathetic. There is no mention of mutations, just standard stuff and filling out forms. I might have made some of the answers up. I don’t know why I bothered coming here.

After lunch, I was escorted to see Commander Lewis.

“I have half a dozen complaints on my desk already. I have a city in crisis. I don’t have time for your shit.”

“It is not my shit. They are your regulations. I don’t know them or care about them. And what was with that fucking useless medical exam? I thought we had a bloody city in crisis.”

“The medical exam was needed to get you access to the training facilities. I fit it in while I was waiting for Miss Vaa’i to be discharged. She is now ready. We are leaving by Helicopter now, picking up Miss Vaa’i and Miss Hardcastle at the hospital helipad and flying out to the HMNZS Manawanui, which arrived at the quarantine zone this morning. We will be based on the Manawanui until the Anomaly is dealt with, six days from now.” He breathed, “I have had clothing and footwear issued to you for safety reasons aboard ship. This is not a pleasure cruise.”

No, it sounded like my worst fucking nightmare. I thought being stuck in a harem apocalypse was my worse nightmare, but now I am going to be stuck on a boat with who knows how many fucking people and nowhere to escape. For six bloody days. I am even more glad I took time out yesterday. Maybe I will last more than a day before going insane.

The helicopter ride was great. A quick hop across the harbour to pick up Carla and Sophia and then a nice flight to the Manawanui. I had only flown over the gulf once, and that was two decades ago.

It turns out the HMNZS Manawanui is the Navy’s diving support vessel. There were forty crew members permanently stationed on it, and they were frantically making room for many more who were expected to arrive soon. I would be sharing a small bunk cabin with Carla, Sophia and Amanda the doc. Amanda was already on board.

Amanda is probably around ten years older than me. She is short and slim with brown hair. I had looked her up as soon as I could, and she was born in India and trained in the UK, specialising in internal medicine. That meant she focused on the internal organs and diseases that affected them. She had done some genetic stuff as well. I bet Carla’s body being strengthened against pressure was right up her alley.

There was no way Carla’s mutation was going to remain hidden on a crowded ship like this, so I don’t know what Lewis’s problem was. If he also ends up getting volunteers to mutate, this is going to be public knowledge as soon as we dock. If not sooner. The Navy might not know about messaging apps, but I bet the people do.

There will still be a public backlash to mutations because that is just people. He probably wants to control the release and put their spin on it. The Navy has everything under control blah blah.

The navy didn't waste time as Carla, Sophia, and I were in a conference room all afternoon getting a crash course on diving from the head of the dive team, whatever they were called. Tomorrow, we will be in the water, practising and testing. Technically, Sophia didn’t need this, but she may, and what the hell else was she going to do?

All the dive teams were currently out in the water looking to capture mutated fish that had swum away from the anomaly. They focussed on where the trawlers had got most of the dead ones. Switching from killing to capture was not easy, and the trawlers were being equipped with makeshift containers to keep mutated fish alive if they could.

The diving course was the basics. We had a crash course in depths and pressure and different types of air. We practised hand signals, putting the equipment on and off and checking it. Carla’s scales did not phase the instructor, so he had been briefed.

My brain was full by the end of the day. The ship’s helipad was at the front. I suppose it is called the bow. As I entered the deck, the flunky there said the next landing was due in 45 minutes. I walked to the front and just watched as the ship slowly moved through the moderate swell and let my mind drift.

My mind kept plugging away at the fact that Carla needed Essence to change forms. None of my mutations required me to use Essence actively. Maybe I was using it without realising it? I had a lot, so maybe I didn’t notice it when I used it. Do I use it for my poison? Back when it was my only mutation, I felt weak after a couple of pieces of fruit. Was that the poison running out or my essence at the time? I have been through two mutations since then. When I fought the shark, I had been through two mutations, and I used a lot of poison without feeling weak. I was exhausted and hurt, so maybe I didn’t notice.

I feel this is important, and I don’t have time and space to consider it. This is why I need space. I need head space to think. I do not need distractions like the flunky coming to tell me to get off the helipad for the incoming helicopter. I can hear the helicopter quite clearly and track it. I have plenty of time.

I sigh. I am not going to have time and space until the anomaly is dealt with. I head into the ‘mess’ to find some dinner.

After dinner, Commander Lewis summoned the four of us to a meeting.

“We have collected enough live fish that we are sure are already mutated for a first attempt at mutating with four volunteers. These Navy personnel will go with Miss Vaa’i and Mr Wilkinson near the anomaly. You will stop before it gets dangerous, but inside the mutation zone. You will deploy a platform, which will be anchored to the seabed, and cages of various animals and some aquatic creatures will be left there so we can monitor them as they mutate. The volunteers will attempt to direct their mutations with the already mutated creatures, and then you will return here. Dr Mohan will have the infirmary ready here, but we may evac them to Auckland if necessary.”

“I anticipate it will be,” Amanda said, “the rooms are being prepared now. I will go with them.”

“The plan is to monitor the animals and watch the mutations. This in itself is a worthwhile exercise. From tomorrow, we will have five days before the destruction of the anomaly. We plan to hold off on sending more volunteers until the first four have mutated and we can see the results.”

“Based on the two of you,” Amanda said, “that will take three days.”

“That will give us one to two days to send the final volunteers, depending on the animals that survive. We anticipate that you will go with the second wave of volunteers, Miss Hardcastle.”

“I have some questions,” I said.

“Go on.”

“Would it be possible for Carla and I to spend longer in the anomaly’s essence sphere?”

“I anticipated that and possibly. We can send a small rubber dingy with you, but if the volunteers are overcome and need to be extracted, that will be the first priority. We will be able to communicate.”

“Fair enough. Secondly, when Carla and I were taken to Auckland Hospital that first time, I would have been wearing a diver's watch. What happened to that watch?”

Lewis looked at Amanda, who shrugged her shoulders. “Why is that important?” he asked.

“Because when Carla and I swam out to the anomaly, I recorded where I felt the effective sphere of mutation was using the satellite navigation on it. This time, both Carla and I should be able to sense it, and we can see how far it has grown.”

“That is important information to have had,” Lewis said.

“Yes, well, I haven't had any time to bloody think. I have been rushed around and crowded with people. It is not helpful.”

“I will contact the hospital,” Amanda said. “Patient possessions would normally be kept with the patient, but this was a special case.”

“There will be more instructions tomorrow, but right now, I want the volunteers to come and talk to you and get a first-hand account of what they might expect.”

I sighed. It was going to be a long night.