Highly toxic

Even if the warnings of the dreaded poison hadn’t come rushing back to him Jason would have recognised the warning signs of being exposed to contact poison. There was a tingle on his skin. He was already starting to feel woozy.

The mercenary started to run. Yes, he needed to be mindful of the hunters in the jeep but he would be dead or crippled unless he got the black Z’orlock goo off himself. The security detachment sent to kill him had the same mess to deal with too.

Jason pulled off his shirt, using it as a makeshift towel as he ran towards the line of trees ahead. There were plenty of trees out here but the cluster he was aiming at had broad leaves and fat trunks. He hoped they were indication enough of a pool of a stream just over the ridge. A glance backwards revealed no sign of the jeep, the hunters or any more of the planet’s horrible creatures.

Each running stride towards the line of raised earth that formed the ridge before the trees felt like a roll of the dice. Each step was one possible step towards freedom and life or perhaps one step away from the only people for miles around who might have anti-venom with them.

It was a gamble that Grimes was willing to make. The people back at the compound had been utter bastards. The scientists responsible for all sorts of monstrosities and a corporation only interested in money and power. The mercenary had no problem with money and power but he had no desire to work for truly evil and no trust for such a company. They’d hang him out to dry as soon as look at him. Escape had been the right call, based on their response after he failed to turn up for assignment, the corporation had concluded he knew too much.

He was out of breath by the time he reached the ridge. He shouldn’t have been. This was the effect of the toxin. It was seeping into him and already his left hand felt numb.