The Scavenger

The Scavenger [A Short Story]

"Change the filter now kid, don't want you catching that virus now do we?" The Medic patted them on the shoulder; the Scavenger looked up at them acknowledging they heard the Medic.

The Scavenger turned the filters on either side of their mask anticlockwise till there was a clicking sound that indicated they had unhooked the filters. Straight after the clicking sound followed the hissing of air, this was the backup filter kicking in; after that a sliding sound of the hatches closing cutting off the filter connectors. Once that was all done they began to change the filters around putting the new ones on and the depleted ones into their sack.

They watched as the other members of the squad did the same, as well as preparing their specialized equipment. They listened in on the Professor and Bruiser who were in a discussion with the Mutant.

"So how is it you Mutants don't need masks and all that?" The Bruiser asked the Mutant as they checked over their crossbow; the Mutant sat forwards, resting their elbows on their thighs and their fingers entwined before them.

"I'm immune to the virus that's why, was that not a given?" The Mutant responded,

"Yeah but aren't some of you not all immune?" The Bruiser asked, the Medic answered this time on behalf of the Mutant,

"The Mutants are immune to the virus, there are just some of them which destroy the virus then there are the Carriers. They're just like Mutants only they can infect others with the virus; those that aren't immune of course" The Medic spoke as they handed out fresh backup filters.

"So the Carriers are the ones who wear the masks in the city?" The Bruiser asked,

"All Mutants need to wear the masks in the city, there isn't enough equipment or time to check if they're Carriers or not" The Medic answered; the Professor joined in,

"The masks they wear do the complete opposite of ours as well, where our masks filtrate the air for us to breath theirs filters the air they breath out" the Scavenger could hear the excitement build as the Professor explained. The Bruiser nodded slowly as they registered the newly learnt information; the Mutant on the other hand had moved their attention to the Scavenger,

"So why are you here Scavenger?

What are you looking for?" The Mutant asked seeming genuinely interested, the Scavenger got to their feet and starred off to the east, into the old ruins of a past city which now was a jungle of overgrown foliage, flora and degrading buildings.

"Ignore them they don't speak, at least not very often" The fifth member of the squad finally spoke looking up from cleaning their bladed weapon, the Mutant looked over then back at the Scavenger who only continued to stare off into the jungle city.

Once the squad had checked their equipment, suits and masks they all headed into the jungle city. The Scavenger peered through cracks and openings in the ruin buildings created either by time or plant take over; decades of undisturbed history lay still within. The floor of a particular building had been pierced and lifted by grass, roots and weeds which littered the ground of the jungle; the walls were seeping with life from vines, trees, fungi even the occasional tuft of flowers; more life grew from abandoned equipment within from furniture to tech, there was even growth from the fallen; the forgotten left behind by the virus and time. "Keep up Scavenger these buildings have all been looted, the good stuff is further into this jungle" chuckled the fifth member; the Scavenger had no idea what to name them, no name no title, the Scavenger decided fittingly they would be known as 'No-Title'.

Behind them they could hear the Bruiser and Professor deep in conversation once again,

"So how it happen?" The Bruiser asked,