Zukunft
August 4th, 1942
Today is the day. I shall be making medical history doing something that has yet to be done before. How all of my peers scoffed at me, telling me what I envisioned cannot be done. I shall show them, the fools! Sometimes if you want to create something new and unique, you have to be willing to break a few eggs in the process. And that is exactly what I shall do.
August 30th, 1942
My subject appears to be showing the first signs of pregnancy. I cannot be 100 percent certain at this point, but all of the signs are pointing in the right direction. The subject has missed her menses this month and complains of tenderness in her female organs. Have I already attained success in my first attempt? Was what I envisioned easier than I had even dreamt? I am excited and nervous at the same time – but my peers will have to bow to my superior intellect in this instance. For if what I have created does in fact reach full term, I will have means to create an army that will surpass all those comprised of mere humans. When this comes to pass, I shall be the one laughing.
October 15th, 1942
The subject is indeed pregnant; her abdomen already stretching as if indicating the fetus is full term. Internal examination reveals normal gestational signs but the distension of the uterus is somewhat troubling. I fear the subject will not be able to sustain the growth of the fetus and that her uterine wall will tear, nullifying my creation before it can take its first breath. Not much can be done at this juncture. I shall have to wait to see if divine miscarriage is in the cards.
December 2nd, 1942
The subject can no longer sustain her own life as well as the life growing insider her. She has been placed on intravenous fluids to feed her body while I have rigged an iron lung to ensure that she still breathes without causing harm to the fetus within. With some difficulty, I have measured the circumference of her abdomen at 107 inches – well over 8 feet. I am shocked that the skin on her stomach has not split, especially given the rapid rate of growth but the body is a miraculous thing. I can see signs of wear on her epidermis, something I liken to metal fatigue; something I am certain will create a distressing problem should the skin rent. The fetus is active, the entire surface of the distended stomach rippling as it moves. If my calculations are correct, the subject will not survive the pregnancy, nor will the fetus. I give the entire experiment only three more weeks at the most before catastrophic failure occurs.
December 24th, 1942
It lives. I cannot believe it. I was called to the laboratory early this morning as the epidermis of the subject finally failed to contain my creation growing inside of her. While it was a shame we lost the subject, the spoils of our experiment are ever so much more exciting! I have never before seen anything so monstrous and yet so beautiful! I feel like a father seeing his child for the first time. I have nicknamed it Zukunft as that is what it is – the future. More to follow once I have had a moment to observe and examine.
December 27th, 1942
Zukunft has been very hungry, a sign of viability in my eyes. I cannot believe how quickly it has grown since its birth, having gained an astounding 62 pounds already. It weighs well over 150 pounds at the moment and if its accelerated growth is any indication, it will outgrow its enclosure in no time. I will admit I find some of this troubling. Zukunft shows an incredible amount of awareness already and I can feel it studying me as I observe its behaviour. I think it’s doing things simply to demonstrate that it can; using a stick to bring its food closer, drinking from its hands in order to keep its face as dry as possible. It should not be demonstrating such things but I am happy it does, even if the ramifications of such gestures are troubling. I swear I see cunning in its dark eyes, but of that I cannot be certain.
March 14th, 1943
Zukunft has killed two of my most trusted aides. It was a gruesome attack perpetrated at feeding time. I had assumed it was used to our presence, wanted to be feed instead of starving but perhaps I have been wrong all this time. At the window of the enclosure, as I looked in on the men I had trained personally, their bodies mangled and bloodied, I realized for the first time what I had created. As sad as I am to see my experiment end, I know I must kill it before it kills me.
March 16th, 1943
It cannot die. Nothing I have tried has worked and in the process it has killed three more of my aides. I simply cannot have this, but what can I do? Why can I not kill what I have created? What is this abomination? Have I created a new god? I must think and weigh my options carefully. Something must be done.
April 1st, 1943
I have figured it out! Or rather someone else has given me the answer that I desire. Zukunft will be going to an underground facility buried in the heart of Hamburg. It’s meant for research, but it has the capacity to contain Zukunft without worry. I shall be able to wash my hands of the entire experiment and begin anew. While the transport will be dangerous, and many are likely to not live through it, it only matters that miles of concrete lock Zukunft away from the rest of the world.
April 6th, 1943
I fear this shall be my last entry in this journal as I must flee for my life. It is not the Allied forces; Zukunft has escaped and with it a new hell on Earth.
Copyright © 2013 Julianne Snow
ABOUT THE AUTHOR –
They came from the sea, leaving evidence of their arrival in the sand. Millions, perhaps even billions of them in an organized display of power and existence across the beaches of the world. At first no one truly understood why they chose to reveal themselves to the human world, their existence having been so well hidden in the depths of the oceans. But nevertheless, they came, dragging their scaly tails, and smiling through their reptilian-like mouths. Their grasp of our languages was astounding, further evidence they had been planning their relocation for quite some time. We had no real idea what their agenda was, but in time it all became very clear.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Brent Abell lives in Southern Indiana with his wife, sons, and a pug who sits around eating the souls of wayward people. His stories have been featured in over 30 publications from multiple presses. His work includes his novella In Memoriam, collection Wicked Tales for Wicked People, and novel Southern Devils; which are now available. He also co-authored the horror-comedy Hellmouth series. Currently, he is working on the second book in the Southern Devils series and the next book with Frank Hill in the White Creek Saga.
The FlipSide of Julianne 