Free Binary Cycle - (Part 1: Disruption) by WJ Davies Page B

layer: geological evidence that proved something terrible happened on Taran, some forty-million years ago, causing the extinction of most plant and animal species on the planet. An earthquake in Ganji had knocked a city-sized chunk of rock from a mountain, revealing a myriad of planetary history. The newly exposed rock had flashed its geological evidence to her team of researchers like an ancient history textbook blown open in the wind.
    It was an exciting discovery and had propelled funding into planetary research, an area of interest in which Cassidy excelled and was passionate about. The initial enthusiasm turned into confusion and then frustration, as it became clear that there were no answers to the question of the cause of that great calamity that had rid the planet of most of its life forms.
    Scientists, geologists, and archeologists banded together and scoured the planet, searching for any sign or explanation of what happened to Taran all those eons ago. The extinction layer was indeed ubiquitous around the planet, all lining up to exactly the same point in the planet’s history: forty-million-years ago. The only thing that they knew for certain was that the average surface temperature had plummeted from a balmy 28 Celsius to well below zero. This resulted in a massive bout of die-offs, apparently involving widespread glaciation and a resulting fall in water levels.
    Cassidy skidded around a tight curve and felt the exhilarating rush of a vehicle on the verge of losing control, at the edge of chaos. Despite her safe and simple lifestyle now, Cassidy had not always shied away from adventure and true peril. In fact, she felt that as the years went on, she had more and more inclinations to take up vestiges of her old life. She imagined that’s what had led to all of her recent forays into the jungles of Ganji. She wanted to feel useful again, to
contribute
back to society— to science. But this latest project had brought her full circle back to the dig from her youth, and her recent discovery had unearthed much more than anyone was willing to except.
    Something crashed into the side of her vehicle—a strong and powerful force which sent her buggy sliding to the edge of the cliff, dangerously close to teetering over. She cranked the wheel to the right, correcting her path and swerving into the middle of the road.
    What the hell was that!?
    She looked around frantically, keeping one eye on the road, but couldn’t locate the cause of the disturbance.
    Another loud thud on the back of the buggy forced Cassidy to turn and look behind her. 
    She nearly passed out from fear and disbelief. Standing on the back of her buggy, in full hunting form, was a large adult Spindroth. Its body shimmered white and silver, and although Spindroth were shape shifters, and could assume an infinite variety of forms, this one was shaped decidedly like a human. Black orbs rose out of the top of its head like bug-eyes, malicious and calculating. 
    “Shit!” She cried out, jerking the wheel left and right, hoping to throw the creature off balance. She brought the buggy all the way to the cliff edge, and then yanked the wheel sideways, cutting across the gravel.
    It worked.
    The Spindroth lost its balance and tumbled off the side of the buggy. It slashed out with a sharp hook as it fell, slicing a gash in Cassidy’s shoulder. 
    Pain seized her body as the poisonous venom entered her blood stream. She bit back tears. Thank god she was almost home. Left untreated, this wound, small as it was, would become infected and she would fall into a fever dream. Her arm throbbed, but luckily the cut wasn’t too deep. 
    She still had time.
    Cassidy glanced in the rearview mirror, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.
    Dammit!
    The Spindroth hadn’t fallen over the cliff as she’d hoped, but instead was chasing after her car, using its forearms and legs to propel it faster, running like a rabid dog hungry for blood. Two black orbs rose from