〃What's going on？〃 she asked； turning her gaze toward the trees and the little wooden hut。
NOW。
And that was when the first screaming started。
There was a dumpster just off the path near the bathrooms； by the old…fashioned hand…pump fountain that supplied rinse water。 Its hinged double lids were thrown back； and it was full to overflowing with food and trash； paper and plastic； half…emptied soda cans and candy wrappers galore。 A swarm of yellow jackets buzzed sluggishly over the garbage； probing for treats。
Because Gwen was about to burst and her mind was elsewhere entirely； it didn't strike her as odd to see wasps on a dumpster in the middle of November。 The call of Nature was screaming in her bladder； she pumped some water into the little fountain bowl and rinsed her apple； then waddled on as fast as her feet would carry her。
Gwen looked out over the park as she hiked。 To the east over the river the sky was darkening： a violent； ugly atmospheric pigmentation。 The storm was returning with measured steps； slowly reassembling its power base。 She could feel the rising wind； buffeting soft but insistent against the grass。 She could hear it； whistling through the trees。
We should go soon； she thought； and took a bite of the apple。
Bitterness flooded her mouth； coating her tongue； sinking into the spaces between her teeth。
〃AGH！ PFEH！！〃 Gwen gagged and spat the offending fragment as far away as she could。 〃What the hell 。。。 〃 she began； looking at the apple in her hand。 Droplets of water laced its surface like silvered ribbons。
Droplets that suddenly； impossibly moved 。。。
〃Guhh 。。。 〃 Gwen tried to speak； but her lips and gums were going numb； and the inside of her cheeks felt utterly dead。
Omigod； her mind whimpered。 Am I poisoned？
That thought was followed instantly by another； ten times more urgent。
Did I poison the baby 。。。 ？
Gwen dropped the apple。 It crumbled apart； pinkish meat giving way to reveal a wormy； rotted core。
A violent wave of nausea hit her； brought the bile up to her throat。 She couldn't even taste it。 Her flesh went flush with sweat as the taint coursed through her system。 She bit into her tongue； felt pressure but no pain。
There was a high ringing tone in her inner ears； as if her acuity had been boosted to the point where the air itself was audible； where every whisper of a blade of grass was like a buzz saw in the distance。
I will not pass out； she told herself； I will not faint I will not 。。。
The ringing in her ears was a drone now； incessant and pulsing； a strange new frequency beating like the wavelength of life itself。 She was aware of her body hyperventilating； fighting for consciousness and equilibrium； vaguely aware that she was moving forward。 It was as if her flesh had gone onto auto…pilot； cocooning her consciousness into a chrysalis of sound and numbing sensation as she moved inexorably toward the bathroom and release。
The angled wooden aperture that led to the door was before her。 Gwen grabbed onto the corner post for support； looked up。
And saw the deer。
It stood shivering at the tree line some ten feet away。 It was a yearling； its coat still dappled with snowy flecks of white； and it was injured。 A dark smear matted its left side just beneath the lung； like a gunshot wound gone septic。
It hobbled toward her。
Gwen stood frozen； unable to move； watching as if from a great distance as the deer came up； nuzzling right into her belly like a suckling。 Her thoughts kept de…rezzing into the slipstream； going god this is crazy this can't be real it's like a flashback i can't let this happen i can't 。。。
Gwen tried to move； her limbs were clublike； leaden。 The yearling nuzzled deeper； its hide glistening with sweat。 Gwen looked down in horror； realized that the flecks of white were not fur at all； but moving； mottled discoloration under the surface of its skin。 The deer shuddered； frenetic whole…body tremors that wracked its flesh as it tried to burrow into her。
Gwen pushed her hands to the end of its snout； fighting to keep it off。 She felt the wetness there； felt its tongue snake between her fingers； rough and smooth； licking her。
A dark patch stained her shirt； growing。
〃NO！！〃 Gwen pushed away； feral and reeling。 Her hands came up； trailing ropy stringers of saliva from its foaming mouth。
She fell back against the wall； the whine in her head a roar as she sagged to the ground； the contact broken； her legs splaying out like a puppet with its strings cut。
The deer buckled then； too； spindly stick…limbs giving way like a wobbly card table。 It fell like a ruptured feed sack； squirting pale gelid goop thick as Campbell's soup from the hole in its side。
The wail cut off abruptly； leaving a curious black hole of sound in its wake。
The deer shuddered as its eyes rolled back； fixed and dilated。
And the wasps poured from its open wound。
Dozens of them； flooding the air。 Hundreds； swarming around and over the carcass。 Thousands of them； madly buzzing： an entire colony at work。 Breeding within the ravaged animal。
Then eating their way out。
Gwen screamed； full…throated and raw； as the insectoid cloud spewed forth from the hole： a black…and…yellow blossom； all noise and wings and stingers； their hard little bodies pinging of the wooden walls and ing back for more。 Swirling around her； sealing her vision within a bright buzzing tunnel of shadow and stinging sound。
When Gwen screamed again； one flew into her mouth； and as she continued； they went for her eyes； her ears and hands as she screamed and swatted and screamed 。。。
Micki found her screaming and batting at the empty air； a look of dislocated terror plastered across her face。 A dead deer lay beside her； its carcass shriveled and stiff。 It had been dead for a week； maybe two； and had long since gone condo to the ants and insects。
〃I'm here； honey。 I'm here；〃 Micki said； fighting down her own terror as she reached for Gwen。 Gwen knocked her hands away； not seeing her at all； fighting off insects no one else could see。
Micki pushed through the hysteria； helping her up； holding on for dear life。 〃Shhhh； it's okay； baby； it's gonna be okay 。。。 〃
〃No；〃 Gwen rasped： hands clutching her belly protectively； head cocked as though listening for distant tremors in the earth。 〃No； something's w…wrong 。。。 〃
〃Shhh；〃 Micki said。 〃It's a dead animal； baby。 Just a poor dead deer 。。。 〃 She reached for Gwen； grasping her shoulders。
〃Something's wrong！〃 Gwen cried； shaking loose of Micki； not even seeing her through the dread； terrible veil of certainty。
〃What？〃 Micki shuddered in her grip。 〃I don't understand 。。。 〃
〃It's DEAD！〃 Gwen wailed； suddenly snapping into focus。 〃CAN'T YOU SEE IT！ IT'S DEAD 。。。 ！！〃
Then unconsciousness swept over her； and she dropped to the ground like a stone。
Twenty
At twelve fifty…five； Reactor One began to sing。
Fred Jenkel blinked back sweat； unable to deny what was happening even as he refused to admit the evidence of his senses。 He was not having a good time。
He had worked in nuclear power for going on ten years； he knew the heart of the plant from the ground up； every tick and hitch of its proper operation。 The system worked； he believed that with all his heart 。。。 no； more than that。 He knew it worked； because he knew how it worked and why it worked。 Jenkel's first article of faith stated that there were no miracles； only mechanisms； that all things physical ultimately functioned； and that functionality ultimately made sense。
So when noon had rolled around and the berated water had failed to halt the power surges or significantly reduce the ion population； Jenkel's next impulse had been as clear as it was logical。 Increase the boron content of the coolant； he'd thought。 Max it out。
Supervising Operator Roger Sykes had agreed。 He was a congenial man in his fifties； lantern…jawed and brush…cut； with a military trimness only lately giving way to civilian middle age。 Sykes had spent fifteen years on Navy subs before moving into mercial nuclear power； and he ran a tight ship。 He was an engineering anomaly； a good manager who was still a good engineer； and he and Jenkel worshiped at the same altar。
〃Increase the boron content；〃 he'd said。 〃Max it out。〃
This they did。 It worked； for a while。
Then； at twelve…sixteen； the neutron count inched up again。
〃Hmmmm；〃 Sykes murmured。 〃Hmmmm 。。。 〃 They were not the type who panicked easily。 Besides； it was nothing fast enough to trigger an automatic reactor trip or anything。 It wasn't unstable。 Just drifting。
Slowly。 Relentlessly upward。
At twelve…thirty； Sykes turned to the crew。 〃Okay；〃 he said。 〃Do a turbine runback； shed the load。〃 He checked the meters。 〃Let's slow this unit down。〃
Henkel and Jenkel obeyed； began stepping in the rods： the control rod clusters ratcheting down their exactly spaced chutes； each tucking in its portion of the fuel assembly for a nice little nap。
By twelve thirty…seven the reactor core had slowed； rolling off as the rods stepped into place。 Everyone nodded and breathed a sig