James Van Pelt, "The Last of the O-Forms"

A dad and his ageless mutant daughter travel around with their mutant animal zoo, trying to make some cash.

(Wastelands)

Trevin noted with approval the endless stretch of ten-foot-tall chain-link fence between them and the river. Who knew what god-awful thing might come crawling out of there?

O-Forms are original form animals, which are becoming rarer and rarer in this age of tigerzelles and crocomice. They seem kinda harmless and, in Trevin’s eyes, sort of unremarkable. I guess everybody’s starting to look at things that way, which is why the zoo/sideshow gets very few visitors. Caprice, the toddler with the adult brain, is the freakiest thing here, and I don’t blame her dad for being totally creeped out. This one’s a bit short to blow me away, maybe, but fascinating in its way. You can read it here (in some mutant cached version).
What Happened: Some chemical event is causing most living things (but not insects) to mutate. We don’t know the exact extent of it — how much it affects people — until the end of the story. But I guess this evolutionary apocalypse is bigger than I first thought.
Destruct-O-Meter: Only 4, but the end is near.

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