Insects

By Terrence Aubrey

By the year 2016 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 and status quo in the 21st century.
The changes within the Worlds weather patterns were becoming increasingly unpredictable and unexpected in equal measure. Parts of the planet suffered ice age temperatures, whilst other area’s suffered drought and previously unknown intense 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 and their three young daughters were amongst those that realized that would need to make their own stand.
There was another completely unexpected and disturbing phenomenon that became increasingly apparent. The insect population began to mutate. At first it was barely noticeable, the changes slow, but by the year 2016 was impossible to ignore. The insects were growing and at an accelerating rate. The humble ant was now 3 inches long and growing ever more rapidly. Again, there was a disturbing silence from those in power and worse. A successive group of so called experts began to appear on TV to explain away the phenomenon. Not only were they unconvincing, but added to people’s fears, what exactly were they trying to cover up?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terrence Aubrey
• Release date: Apr 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311695598

Terrence Aubrey

Terrence Aubrey was born in Bristol, England, the only son of a Ballet dancer mother and composer father. Rebellious of nature and from an early age, he abandoned his education at the earliest possible moment, fifteen. He showed no inclination of following in the artistic footsteps of his parents during his formative years. Preferring a self enlightening process, he set off upon an adventure that led him to experiment with understanding the mind and the development of self awareness. During that period he enjoyed extensive World travel across the countries of Europe, the America’s, north and south and the FSU. He found those travels, enriching, mind opening and educational and in equal measure. He discovered both a passion and love of writing by chance, while establishing a website. It was a website than required a lot of varied content. That ultimately led him to the writing of many articles upon diverse subjects. That in turn led to him creating a blog. The leap from blogging to writing full length novels was a gradual process. Many of his novels reflect his environmental concern for the way we, the human race have evolved and the consequences that path has led us towards. Whilst many of his novels are dramatic, even apocalyptic, they also show a way forward. Whether you believe that way to be better or worse than the current status quo is for you to decide. Terrence Aubrey currently lives on a farm in southern Spain and cultivates Avocados. He has four sons, three dogs and writes. He has now published several works of fiction and they can be found on Smashwords.

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About the Author

Terrence Aubrey was born in Bristol, England, the only son of a Ballet dancer mother and composer father. Rebellious of nature and from an early age, he abandoned his education at the earliest possible moment, fifteen. He showed no inclination of following in the artistic footsteps of his parents during his formative years.

Preferring a self enlightening process, he set off upon an adventure that led him to experiment with understanding the mind and the development of self awareness. During that period he enjoyed extensive World travel across the countries of Europe, the America’s, north and south and the FSU. He found those travels, enriching, mind opening and educational and in equal measure.

He discovered both a passion and love of writing by chance, while establishing a blog site. Through writing and publishing a host of blogs upon topical World issues his passion for writing grew. His primary passion was environmental and mankind’s seemingly total disregard for the very planet we each depend upon. The leap from blogging to writing full length novels was a gradual process.

The majority of his novels reflect his environmental concern for the way we, the human race have chosen to live and the consequences that path has led us towards. Whilst many of his novels are dramatic, even apocalyptic, they also show a way forward. Whether you believe that way to be better or worse than the current status quo is for you to decide. Terrence Aubrey currently lives on a farm in southern Spain and cultivates Avocados. He has four sons, three dogs, two ex wives and writes. He has now published several works of fiction and they can be found on all of the best online eBook publishers.

Prologue

By the year 2016 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 and status quo in the 21st century.

The changes within the Worlds weather patterns were becoming increasingly unpredictable and unexpected in equal measure. Parts of the planet suffered ice age temperatures, whilst other area’s suffered drought and previously unknown intense 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 and their three young daughters were amongst those that realized that would need to make their own stand.

There was another completely unexpected and disturbing phenomenon that became increasingly apparent. The insect population began to mutate. At first it was barely noticeable, the changes slow, but by the year 2016 was impossible to ignore. The insects were growing and at an accelerating rate. The humble ant was now 3 inches long and growing ever more rapidly. Again, there was a disturbing silence from those in power and worse. A successive group of so called experts began to appear on TV to explain away the phenomenon. Not only were they unconvincing, but added to people’s fears, what exactly were they trying to cover up?

Chapter One

The Insects

Pain, that was all the young ant had ever known. Since he’d learnt how to walk his body had been growing, growing rapidly, unnaturally, 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, if known. During his entire life he would continue to grow, the intense growing pains, all he would know. Only his naturally industrious nature gave him any respite from the agony he endured.

It was the year 2021, the place San Diego, California and the ant was now 9 inches in length. Before he eventually found rest in death he would have grown to 12 inches in length. 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. 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.

The ants were not alone in suffering the effects of their rapid growth rates; the entire insect kingdom was similarly affected.

It was a process that had begun ten years earlier, but was accelerating with each passing year. Would the process eventually wind down, or would it continue indefinitely? That was something that remained an unknown. It was certainly something well beyond the capability of the individual members of the insect kingdom to fathom. The fact was they would endure a lifetime of pain; at times intense, it 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, his wife Melanie and their circle of friends were amongst the disbelievers. For them and many others across the World, it was an argument that was fast losing credibility.

Chapter Two

A bad situation

It was in the year 2015 that John, together with his wife Melanie, had first connected with a group of environmentalists in their home town of San Diego. Neither John, nor his wife was active, or strident environmentalists, but that something worrying was happening on planet earth had become impossible to deny.

First it had been the weather, it had become increasingly extreme and in every way, extreme and unpredictable. Over time the news had gradually become merged with the weather forecasts. It was as if all previously known weather patterns had gradually multiplied and 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, or snow. Whatever weather had been the norm, began to intensify and worldwide. Drought, freezing temperatures, heat waves, storm force winds, hurricanes, tornados and volcanic eruptions became the new reality.

That was in itself worrying enough, but then the Worlds insect population began to mutate. It was a gradual process 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 were impossible to ignore.

John was a regular guy, a truck driver by profession and cared less about what was happening worldwide, his concerns were mostly limited to his family, but he felt increasing concern.

The ants within San Diego were now, on average, 6 inches long. More worrying, every species of insect had also grown and at much the same rate. Whilst the humble ant was relatively harmless, despite its vastly increased size, others insects posed a greater threat

That in itself was cause for concern, but became secondary. 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 Melanie, in his twenties she had been, a nurse, and had remained so for many years after their marriage. Melanie at five foot ten was a comfortable fit within John’s strong arms. Melanie 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 Melanie’s intelligence that John was rarely, if ever aware of that fact. Sociable 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.

During the early stages of the increasing growth rate affecting the insect population were dismissed, as normal, or evolutionary. As the years past 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, their lounge huge. For years the worsening and unstable weather had dominated the conversation during their regular meetings, but that too 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 was interconnected, the others soon shared her view.

Slowly and worryingly it became clear that the growth rate amongst the insect population was accelerating. An endless group of supposed specialists began to pop up regularly on TV. Without exception they explained away the phenomenon as normal, a bye product of global warming. As far as John, Melisa and their small circle of friends were concerned, the explanations given increasingly lacked credibility. They began to make 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 2021 they had grown to twelve inches in length and with a wing span of 10 inches.

It was 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. By now their three daughters, July, 15, Emma 17 and Ana 18 partook in the meetings. July in particular, found the insects both frightening and hideous 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 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 hills? Melanie 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 Melanie was the more talkative within their relationship and perhaps the more concerned about their daughter’s safety. Melanie was four years his junior, 6 inches shorter and with a very keen mind. Together with their three daughters they had been discussing the option of getting out of San Diego for a while. July, their youngest daughter lived in fear of the insects and of late, only venturing from the house with her father.

July was, by a stretch, their most beautiful daughter and was tall, at a little over six foot. July 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. 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 July was concerned anywhere had to be better than San Diego.

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

Mike, we don’t know and that’s the problem. John pointed out. The weather has continued to worsen during the past 15 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? July 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.

There were no more 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 disappeared 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 and hopefully would be able to buy cheap.

The general consensus was that heading to the hills was their best bet. Melanie 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 sharing the same worries. Surely the countryside, the hills would be even worse in terms of the insect population?

Yes you’re right, John agreed, speaking softly, as they lay in bed and Melanie had pointed out the obvious. The difference is that we can prepare defenses in the hills, dig ditches and all manner of stuff, to keep the bastards out.Melanie eventually agreed with his plans, but not without misgivings.

Chapter Three

One month later

Dad, Mum, come and look, July called excitedly from the kitchen window. John hadn’t been to work for a month, 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 armed with flame guns and 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.

Melanie huddled July away from the window, the scene outside now grotesque and was glad that Ana and Emma were still in bed, the hour early. That they would soon awake was a certainty and Melanie, her arm around July rushed up the stairs. She’d remain with them; Melanie 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 were on fire. The swarm of wasps, now on fire writhed upon the ground, but seemed to take an age to die. The army, now on top of the situation, began shooting them, though 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