Genus: Evolving

The military mobilized against the weird beach animals that were beginning to move inland.

Originally, there was one of these creatures, but today, there were fifty. Reports stated these animals were simply duplicating – but Michael and his typical team were going to go investigate while the rest of the squadron made contact.

The globsters were resting by the water, apparently sleeping when not bothered by the land’s apex predators.

“Do not engage,” the leader over radio ordered.

One soldier was ordered to approach the nearest globster. Shakily, the soldier reached the globster, touching it with the muzzle of his rifle. Nothing.

“It looks like stealing animals and biting is all it can do,” the soldier said to his group over the radio.

The globster moved suddenly, lunging like it did toward Michael the first time he encountered one, and the lunge made contact.

The globster moved like an octopus, using two tentacles like legs and the rest of the tentacles folding up around the body.

The tentacles wrapped around the soldier, and a blue-white light permeated the soldier from the tentacles and the soldier fell to the ground – brain shut off by the toxin jellyfish use to kill their prey.

“What just happened?” a soldier yelled over the transmission.

“Is he dead?” another one yelled.

The rest of the globsters began to move and start to congregate toward the one that killed the soldier, and they seemed to notice the rest of the team that was watching what was happening. In unison, they “stood up” taller and hissed at the military, a threatening gesture that was enough to engage decisive action.

“Engage! Engage! Fire at will!” the commander ordered loudly.

The soldiers began firing at the globsters. The bullets hit and the globsters deflated slightly as they would be hit. As before, the bullets began to be ejected back out of the globster bodies and the globster would get taller and the wounds would begin to heal.

“No effect, no effect…”

The radio transmission became dulled as Michael tried to engage with his team, seeing the bullets only temporarily slowing the globsters.

The globsters seemed to recognize the tactics and battle formation of the military, and began to synchronize their actions in a similar way, almost mimicking the actions. While the soldiers were reloading and some were falling back, the globsters coordinated a tentacle and sent a shockwave.

The globsters’ general presence in general disrupted electricity in proximity; the only way these creatures were able to be tracked so far. Their directed shockwave shut down vehicles.

A military helicopter stalled from the shockwave, crashing to the ground in a ball-shaped inferno.

“We’re taking casualties…” the radio was saying over waves of interference.

“Fall back, fall back!” another voice.

“We need to evacuate the city!” someone was screaming.

“They’re evolving at will…” Michael realized in awe and horror.

He decided he would have to figure out what these creatures were. They were a mystery that needed to be unraveled. Conventional weapons weren’t going to work.

He would need samples – as the globster population continued to burst and evolve. He would figure out what was going on, and help all he could in the meantime.