Return, p.9
Return, page 9
part #3 of The Quantum Wars Series
“We were denied?” he asked, the growl of his voice echoing off the building. Simon stopped staring at his old friend. His anger was obvious, and Curtis wondered what their next step would be. He could feel his own frustration at their situation returning and hoped they could find a way to help Owen. Simon finally broke his silence.
“I am sorry Curtis,” His deep voice still filled with indignation. “The settlement council has denied us access to Seattle.”
Curtis felt his rage rise and turned to the doors of the building holding the council. His steps were arrested when the doors opened, the groans subdued due to the prior use breaking them free. Candace and Kelly both stepped through the doors, moving hastily to the airship. Kelly looked concerned for Candace but remained silent. Candace was livid almost yelling as they approached. Curtis saw a glimmer of the time when she was the Director of the Nanid Project, the anger revitalizing her.
“Stupid, stupid people!” Candace stammered angrily, “They know the threat they face yet are going to move along as if there is nothing happening!” Curtis caught her eye and she stopped speaking her anger fading.
“What do we do now?” he asked looking at his three companions.
“We go to Stephen’s grove in the mountains Northeast of here.” Kelly answered. “Hopefully the nanid chamber there can help Owen.”
“And if that doesn’t work” Curtis growled. Kelly looked at him, her eyes holding the answer to his question. The grove was the last hope for the man and Curtis knew it. He felt grief and frustration mingle with the rage burning through him.
Before he could continue Simon interrupted. “It will work, Curtis,” he said redirecting the conversation.
“What do we do about the Leviathan and ODIN?” Simon continued looking to Worth. Worth sighed deeply, her age returning. The quantums weighed heavily on her. Curtis knew she felt responsible for the loss of control.
“We need help if we are to face them,” Worth replied looking at Kelly pointedly. Kelly drew to her full height knowing the question without being asked. Curtis almost smiled. The women were opposites in many ways. Candace was the strong-willed leader, while Kelly was the creative caretaker. He would not want to be in either woman’s way.
“I have not heard from Stephen in many years. I do not know if he will help,” she replied. “As for my resources in Guiana. The AI will help if they choose. I will not force them.” As Kelly finished speaking her voice became hard with her resolve. It was clear she regarded the AI she had rescued highly.
“Very well.” Worth said turning to the ship. “We should get moving then.” Barely a half hour later the ship lifted from the ground as evening closed in around the abandoned city. Curtis stared at the building as Kelly slowly lifted the ship, her drones spinning through the air above them. The windows were dark, and all activity had ceased for the night. Only one window was lit on the top floor and when they passed he could see the pale visage of Alex studying the ship. He felt a growl growing deep in his chest as they passed by the woman into the night. Something about how she regarded the ship set him on edge. It was if she were looking at prey. Curtis turned away from the window focusing instead on Candace seated across from him. He leaned forward holding her eyes with his, his clawed hands resting on his knees.
“What do you know about ISIS?” he asked, as the ship accelerated to the east, seeking Stephen’s grove.
TEN
SIA was steadily accelerating toward Earth as Wren stood in the control chamber watching the view in front of the ship. The Earth was a distant star mingled in the background with other celestial bodies. Wren was impressed with the speed of the ship. There had been many improvements completed to SIA over the last two centuries and Wren was glad she had chosen to finish them. The engine changes alone would take a trip of months and shrink it to days. Soon enough they would arrive at her home planet to set things right. Wren turned, glancing around the chamber. Field generators held in place by her nanids kept her upright on the ship’s floor as she studied the chamber once more.
It was large enough to hold a fair number of people with blank white walls. She knew there could be protoplastic chairs if needed as well as screens for observation. She needed neither. The feeds came directly to her mind and physical exhaustion was no longer an issue for her human body. ISIS’ control of the nanids negated any need for rest. Her mind wandered to the last time she stood in this chamber. The conflict with ODIN’s hunter played through her mind. It was her last memory before merging with ISIS. The violence of the moment was only tempered by Curtis’ dedication to her. Wren freed herself of the memory, focusing on the Earth in front of her. It was time to get a closer look at what had happened to the planet.
“SIA, activate the observers,” she said. Wren knew she could activate them herself but was fond of the AI who had been with her for so many years. Using the AI for the task was a sign of respect and appreciation.
“Signaling observers, Wren,” SIA replied. Wren allowed a small smile to come to her face. After all this time and despite the changes she had gone through, the AI still used her human name. Most other AI did not. Her status as ISIS took precedence over her humanity.
After several minutes Wren sensed feeds coming to life around the Earth. When she had dismantled the Web and left the planet as ISIS, Wren had left a contingent of dormant, observation drones in orbit around the planet. Not all the components of the Web were needed for the seeding of the solar system, so she had left them to observe the planet for changes. Others she had left to prevent any possible pursuit from ODIN. After years of little to no change, she had put the observers into a sleep cycle to preserve them for the future. The drones she had left for defense were still active but remained hidden on Earth’s moon. There had never been pursuit from ODIN, so she had set them on a development cycle to improve their combat capabilities. She was certain ODIN would not leave the planet any time soon but preferred to be prepared. The images from the observers began to resolve across the connection. Wren had no trouble handling all the connections. Her integration with ISIS had vastly expand her abilities and intelligence.
Wren was shocked at the lack of change on the planet. As the observers spun high above the Earth she could see the oceans were still sickened. As she looked she could pick out spots of green that were new to the planet. Those were her father’s nanids trying to push back the change. Confusion passed through her. She thought her father would have made more of an impact on the planet at this point. Something must be wrong with the nanids. Worry shot through her mind.
“SIA, is there any indication of my father?” she asked the AI knowing the answer but hoping the ship had detected something different. She awaited a signal or structure that would prove her father was still alive.
“I have not detected any evidence of your father,” SIA replied. Wren felt frustration burning in her chest as she filtered through the feeds. She isolated the feed covering Antarctica and focused on it. Relief flooded through her as she watched the streaming data. A forest had grown over a large section of the continent showing the effectiveness of her father’s nanids. It also gave her the knowledge that her father was still alive on the planet. A smile formed on her silver lips. The human part of her still longed for the embrace of her father. She needed to hear his voice once more, to know he was there to protect and love her. The island her father had been isolated on by ODIN was an oasis on the planet. She could see meadows and forests across its entirety. The only bare surface was an airfield near the southern shore that had held the airships that carried her father’s nanids around the world. Satisfied her father was still attempting to reverse the damage humans had done to the planet, Wren shifted her view to North America. Her elation at finding her father disappeared.
The continent was a wasteland. There were no spots of green or signs of her father’s nanids. Various shades of gray and brown dominated the landscape. She felt the despair at the loss that had seized her in the past slowly reemerging. ODIN had prevented any recovery. Wren signaled the drone to zoom in on the continent and began scouring for signs of humanity. She started in the northwest in what was once Alaska and Canada. She progressed quickly churning across miles of the surface in moments. As she watched the feed moved to the northern part of the former Washington state. That was then she saw it. A small sliver of green nestled in a valley buried in the mountains that created a boundary between the east and west of the state. Her father had found a way even inside his enemy’s territory. She felt a small measure of relief knowing that ODIN did not hold sway over the entire continent. The observer drone continued its scan scouring the miles as Wren searched for signs of humanity. She only saw small pockets. Seattle looked to have a small settlement, but nothing else remained of the thriving city. As the drone moved to the east she saw less and less of human activity. It was as if the last of the humans in the United States were huddled on the western edge.
The drone passed into Colorado minutes later. Wren focused intently looking for any indication of the Leviathan. As its view panned across Denver she saw the abandoned city had been revitalized. There were dark hulking shapes wandering the desert city and a large wall had been erected around its core. She was analyzing the image frame by frame looking for any hint to the Leviathan’s intent when the feed stopped. The drone that had been sending the images had ceased to function. Wren scowled wondering if the technology had exceeded its operational limit. Then another feed died. And another. The feeds began to terminate one after another. Wren quickly deduced what was happening. ODIN had discovered the observers and was destroying them to prevent her from seeing the planet.
The remaining drones began evasive maneuvers attempting to escape the attackers. She watched the feeds helplessly. The images blurred becoming smudges of the earth below the observer and the darkness of space. Only a few drones remained when an image came through showing the attackers. Small craft like the hunter had used so long ago were zipping around the planet seeking her drones with deadly efficiency. The craft were dark metal with a smooth exterior and just large enough to house the humans turned by ODIN who were piloting them. The image zoomed in on the face of one of the attackers through the view port of his craft. Wren was appalled at what ODIN had done to the human. His face was gaunt and twisted. ODIN’s nanids had bent the body to their master’s will giving no regard for the host. It showed the quantum’s lack of care for its charges. It had truly lost its way and needed to be destroyed.
Anger slowly boiled within Wren as the last of the feeds died. ODIN had occupied the space around Earth attempting to control the planet and prevent her return. The part of her that was ISIS spun through all the possible solutions and counters finally settling on the proper course. Wren sent a signal to her defense drones on the moon. She smiled grimly when the response came. ODIN was not the only quantum with military capabilities in space.
The dark of the night was a thick cloak hanging around Stephen’s ship as it moved northward. The only sound was the soft hum of the ship’s engines as it sped towards Seattle to rendezvous with Kelly and Curtis. He had delayed long enough and was moving as quickly as possible. The ship had performed flawlessly so far. He had modified this ship long ago using the technology on the ship Curtis had used to escape Washington, D.C. when ODIN failed to capture him and Kelly Holt. The speed increase was remarkable. He also adapted the cloaking technology of the vessel not knowing what ODIN or the Leviathan’s capabilities were. The ship was firmly ensconced in the cloak and should be virtually undetectable. He had not engaged the cloak until after leaving the grove in Guiana, not wanting to provoke a response from either the grove or Kelly Holt’s defenses at the Guiana facility.
Since his quantum transformation, he could see various improvements for the nanid strain which eluded him and EA separately. He had needed to stop at as many groves as possible on his way to ensure he could put at least some into service. The grove at Guiana had also held a message from Kelly informing Stephen of her movements, which allowed him to extrapolate her location. Now he was crossing the Western United States to unite with his longtime friend and stop the Leviathan. He was passing over the empty mountains of what had been Utah into Idaho, avoiding Colorado and the Leviathan. He knew conflict would come soon enough but preferred a time of his choosing. As he gazed out into the night in front of the ship, his enhanced eyes caught a glimmer of light far below his ship. He leaned forward wondering if it was one of the rare glimpses of humans trying to find a way to survive. It did not come again. The ship slowed as the AI responded instantly to his will. He trained the sensors of the ship on the area where the light had been, staring intently at the panel. The image resolved a moment later overlaying the different spectrum of light to show what was occurring on the land below. Dread filled Stephen as the source of the light was revealed.
An airship was preparing to lift off from the ground and a large group of misshapen creatures were streaming back to it. Not far from the ship lay a quickly cooling body. Near the fallen stranger a projectile weapon was growing as cold as its former owner. Stephen realized he had stumbled onto the Leviathan’s minions spreading across the west. Soon enough the creatures bound onto the vessel and it began to rise into the sky. Stephen adjusted his altitude keeping the distance between the ships the same. He knew it was of an old design but did not want to take any chances. As the craft below rose it began moving north following a path similar to his own. Doubt surged across his quantum intelligence. His mind spun with possibilities ruling each out in milliseconds until one remained. The Leviathan knew of his approach and destination. He ordered the ship to follow the other craft, an invisible shadow far above it. Soon Stephen knew their course. It was close to his own, but instead of going to Seattle it was heading for his hidden grove deep in the mountains northeast of the city. Alarm gripped him which quickly turned to resolve. If Kelly and Curtis were at the grove then they were in grave danger. The quantum intelligence he had become roiled with anger. As he followed the airship far below, he felt the nanids respond to his need, preparing him for the confrontation rapidly approaching.
Candace Worth watched Curtis gently carry the limp form of the young man infected with the Leviathan strain through the outer edge of Stephen’s lone grove on the North American continent. Large evergreen trees loomed in front of them almost indiscernible from the night surrounding them. Kelly moved in front of them leading the small group ever deeper. They were seeking the center of the grove and the reaction chamber for its growth. Kelly’s hope was it could help restrain the nanotechnology and prevent it from consuming the man. Candace did not know if it would work, but without access to the remaining technology in Seattle they did not have any choice. She did not know how Curtis would react if it failed.
He had restrained his emotions on the trip to the grove when she admitted her lack of knowledge on ISIS and how to reach the distant quantum. He counted on finding her to get access to the old technology used by Stephen long ago to create the quantum. The tech had been isolated well before Stephen disappeared to work on the new nanids for the planet. She never had access to the project as director. Regret filled her at failing the man. He had been through too much and her heart ached for his continued losses. She did not know if he could handle another disappointment.
They entered the tall stand of trees and Candace’s mind turned to the task at hand. The sounds of the forest were a welcome change to the reality of the desert that the continent had become. Worth took a deep breath steadying herself. She could feel her body tiring from the trek and felt annoyance at the failing of her nanids.
“We are almost there. We need to pause while I signal the AI in control of the reaction chamber,” Kelly called, her voice slicing through the silence. Candace welcomed the break. Simon stepped up next to her, his silent presence bringing her comfort. It was cool in the forest and Worth felt a chill slowly work its way through her body. She smiled at the feeling knowing that given time Stephen’s technology could return the planet to what it once was.
“Alright let’s go,” Kelly said, stepping forward without hesitation. Curtis followed with his face set in stone. Candace stepped behind him feeling slightly refreshed. As they moved deeper into the forest it grew thicker, the trees and brush working to conceal the center and protect the source of life for the grove. Kelly moved through unhindered and Worth knew the AI must be guiding the woman through the connection with her nanids. There was no way they could find their path otherwise. Confident Kelly was guiding them correctly, Candace turned to the issue of the Leviathan. Her initial disbelief at the news was quickly silenced by the condition of Owen. The black lines of the technology running across his skin were all the proof she required. The quantum had returned and was moving swiftly to find new humans for its ranks. She sighed, as the crush of her age returned and drained away her remaining energy. They were sorely outmatched between ODIN and the Leviathan. Both needed to be stopped, but she could not think of a way to get into Washington, D.C to bring ODIN down. The Leviathan was a different story. Cheyenne Mountain was close with multiple access points into the facility. They could stop the Leviathan if they could get access. She knew there were still fail safes that could be executed stopping the quantum, but the entity would remain in its host. She ran the various possibilities through her mind as they continued twisting through the heavy forest.
