“One general law, leading to the advancement of all organic beings, namely, multiply, vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die.”
-Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species
2:21 a.m. • Skamania County, Washington • 6/18/18
-Dr. Navin Svadilfari-
Hidden in the hollowed-out recesses of a depleted stratovolcano on the west coast of the U.S. is a man. A man with a short-temper and a high intellect. A man with a bright future full of dark intentions. A man who is just as poised to wreak havoc on the human race as the gurgling mountain in which he resides.
Sitting in the meticulously concealed depths of Mount Saint Helens is Dr. Navin Svadilfari, a Norwegian environmentalist who can’t start his morning without a boiling mug of black coffee and the latest headlines synced to his tablet.
The morning of June 18th, 2018 being no exception, Dr. Svadilfari powered up his tablet and blew on his steaming beverage. He impatiently drummed his slender fingers on the large chrome table in the parlor of his Helens Hideaway as his drink continued to cool and his news continued to download.
He glanced at the silver watch perched on his wrist; the doctor had been anticipating the arrival of his five colleagues since two that morning.
And now, nearly half an hour late, there was still no sign of any of them.
“Imbeciles,” he grumbled as he finally lifted the coffee to his mouth, gingerly tilting the cup to test the temperature of the liquid on his lips. Satisfied with the drink’s semi-searing quality, he took a sip and let the liquid simmer its way down his throat.
After throwing one last disdainful glimpse toward the closed doors of the elevator, which rested in the opposite corner of the state-of-the-art chamber, Navin inhaled a refreshing breath of the crisp ventilated air around him, and began to scroll through his daily dose of the outside world.
The first headline made Navin shake his head in disapproval.
Students and Police Force Beat One Another During Standardized Testing Protest in Wisconsin.
The doctor forcefully shoved his glasses further up the bumpy bridge of his nose. “Barbarians.”
His scornful eyes flew across the next piece of news.
QuikFuel Oil Spill in Australia Contaminates 37% of the Great Barrier Reef.
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The Fittest
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