Fury (The Quantum Wars Book 2)

by C. A. Fraser

  The passageway curved with the ship as it narrowed toward the front. The hunter followed it until it terminated at a closed door. The hunter slowed itself gripping the walls of the passageway to arrest its forward movement. It hung in front of the door considering how to gain entry to the navigation chamber beyond. It was looking for an access panel when the door opened of its own accord. It felt the nanids respond to the unusual event. Its senses sharpened as it focused on the room beyond. The navigation room was empty except for Wren Fore. The woman stood on the other side of the chamber facing the hunter. It saw no sign of Curtis Reynolds and wondered if it had slain the man. If Wren was frightened of the hunter it did not show. The hunter knew its new form should have evoked some sort of reaction in the human. All its feminine features were gone, replaced by a smooth body with long limbs perfect for the weightlessness of space. Wiry muscles extended along its bones. The white nanids of ODIN covered them, highlighting the definition of each. Its hair, breasts and any other feature not useful had been converted by the nanids to create its current form. The hunter regarded Fore and the room knowing there would be a trap.

  “Wren Fore, surrender now,” it demanded. Its voice sounded hollow in the empty chamber.

  “You are trespassing and I demand that you leave at once,” the woman replied. The hunter smiled revealing gleaming teeth as it slowly pulled itself into the room. It pushed itself downward toward the floor of the room studying the woman where she stood. At first it puzzled at how she was standing on the floor of the vessel. Then it picked out the small field generator positioned on her chest. It was a novel use for the field technology so prevalent in the current time. It did not matter to the hunter since it was here to accomplish one thing. It would kill Wren Fore for its master. There was no other option. It glanced around the room and then back to Fore.

  “This is your last chance. Surrender and return to Earth.” It said evenly, its cold tone promised its intent. Wren Fore did not reply. The silver woman’s dark eyes held the hunter’s. It tried to guess her intentions, but found nothing. Tired of waiting it burst into movement. It launched itself from the floor rising past the door along the rear wall of the chamber. Whatever trap Fore had lain it would avoid by using the space above them to attack her. As it neared the ceiling it kicked off the wall flying across the chamber. It watched Fore as it glided toward her. The woman did not move back, but had taken a defensive posture. The hunter knew it would overpower her. ODIN’s nanids would ensure that. When it was halfway across the chamber it began to draw its legs in to kick off the ceiling. It never got the chance. An unseen force struck it in the back driving it to the chamber floor several feet away from Fore. As it hit the floor it pushed off with all its limbs knowing it had to get away from whatever trap the woman had lain. The hunter’s body arose from the floor. Its motion was violently arrested its joints stretching painfully from the sudden stop as its momentum tried to pull it upward.

  It looked down at its hand and feet where they were covered in protoplastic. It launched itself from the floor again summoning all the strength the nanids could provide. The protoplastic stretched but held it in place. Before the hunter could struggle anymore its invisible assailant struck from above again driving it into the material below it. The plastic covered it instantly leaving only its head visible.

  The hunter ceased struggling and concentrated on Fore. It had miscalculated grossly. Curtis Reynolds was obviously still alive and had stood in its way once more. It felt a slight impact behind it. It did not even look back knowing the cloaked man was there. It said nothing staring at Fore focusing on how it could complete its mission in its current state. The woman gave it the answer herself. The AI felt the soft touch of her consciousness as she tried to glean information from it. The connection was weak but it would be enough. It waited and pretended to weaken as she studied it. When she had extended herself out into its mind sufficiently it struck. The AI surged across the connection attacking Wren Fore’s mind directly.

  It smiled when it heard her strangled scream and watched her slump to the floor, the energy field cushioning her fall. A blow to its head dazed it and pulled it back momentarily from her mind. Curtis Reynolds had struck it attempting to halt its attack. The AI shook its head to refocus and surged across the connection again. This time it met a blank wall where Wren Fore’s mind had been. It pushed against the wall in her mind trying to break through, and finish its task. It knew it had failed when it felt Curtis Reynold’s massive arms wrap around its neck just above its protoplastic prison. A moment later the hunter AI ceased to exist as Curtis removed its head from its body.

  Curtis threw the hunter’s remains into the protoplastic pool next to its body. Its blood was a stain on the metal floor of the ship and he was covered in it as well. Curtis ignored it all and rushed to where Wren had fallen.

  It had been a foolish idea and he chided himself for letting her talk him into it. The trap had been perfect but her attempt to access the hunter to find information on ODIN had utterly failed. A lump formed in his throat at he dropped to his knees next to her. He dropped his invisibility cradling her gently while checking her for life. He took a deep breath when he found a steady heartbeat and normal breathing. In that moment Curtis knew he loved her.

  He looked at her face serene under the silver of her nanids. He had convinced himself that their former attempts at a relationship were just that and nothing more. Now as he studied her he found that he would not know how to exist without her. Fear wormed its way through him. What if she did not share the same feelings? He pushed it away. It did not matter it would not change how he felt. Curtis touched her cheek carefully keeping his sharp claws curled away. There was no response.

  “Wren?” he asked, his intended whisper a low rumble. She did not stir. He shook her slightly trying to wake her. He searched for the connection she and he had shared earlier, but found nothing. He lifted her gently and pulled her eyelid up expecting to see the black field her eyes had become. He was met with the same silver of her body. Her nanids had isolated her from the threat of the hunter. Curtis stood cradling her against his chest. The silver of her body contrasted sharply with his black skin covered with the red-orange lines of Simon’s nanids.

  “SIA, can you sense her?” he asked dreading the ship’s answer.

  “She is there, Curtis, but she has shielded herself from the world,” the AI answered. Relief flowed through Curtis as he heard the reply.

  “How can we help her?” he queried.

  “She is beyond us. ISIS is the only one capable of rousing her from this,” SIA replied. Curtis felt frustration bloom again. He had begun to distrust the quantums as much as humans. They seemed to have their own agendas much like the humans they were created to aid. He suppressed the thoughts knowing they served no purpose.

  “How long until with arrive at the space station?” he asked.

  “Five point three hours remain until arrival,” the ship replied in its soothing voice. Curtis turned toward the door at the rear of the chamber.

  “SIA, I am going to make her comfortable. Can you remove this?” Curtis asked, nodding at the motionless white form. He strode past the dead assassin where it was still restrained by the protoplastic.

  “Of course, Curtis, I will inform you when we arrive,” the AI replied. Curtis moved out of the navigation chamber and moved to the first sleeping chamber just outside the large room. He placed Wren gently on the small bed engaging the environmental controls to keep her comfortable. He sank down against the bed refusing to leave her side. As he sat and pondered what to do when they arrived, he felt exhaustion begin to creep into his body. Not long after sleep took him.

  “Thirty minutes until arrival.”

  SIA’s voice brought Curtis awake instantly. He rebuked himself for falling asleep, but appreciated the rest none the less. He rose stretching before checking on Wren. She was unchanged. Still unresponsive but resting comfortably. Curtis moved to the door of the sleeping chamber and into
the passage beyond. He secured the room behind him. He knew they were alone on the ship but did not want to take any chance with Wren. He moved into the navigation chamber the door silently opening and closing as he passed through it. The chamber was empty once more.

  The two protoplastic chairs sat in the middle of the room the projections running silently in front of them. There was no sign of the hunter or the death that had occurred in the room. Curtis moved to the chairs standing next to them watching the myriad views of the ship flow past. The section of the vessel where the hunter’s ship was anchored appeared. The small craft was gone. Curtis felt alarm cycle through him once more.

  “SIA, where is the assassin’s ship?” he asked, the alarm he felt changing his voice to a sharp growl.

  “Disposed of along with the remains of ODIN’s hunter,” the AI replied. “I directed both into the main engine exhaust destroying them.” Curtis smiled, the alarm fading and relief replacing it. The scene changed to the view directly in front of the ship. Curtis stared at the scene on the projection. His smile faded replaced with a look of awe at the spectacle in front of him. The space station was beyond anything he had imagined. Kelly had not revealed the scale of the station when she had told him the story of its creation. It loomed in front of him. Nearly a kilometer across it was composed of two pieces. A massive cylinder that appeared several kilometers long and an equally large sphere at one end of the cylinder. The cylinder was slowly spinning.

  Curtis knew that if he analyzed the rotation the force on the inside of the hull would produce a pseudo-gravity similar to that of earth. The sphere was connected to the cylinder by a single span extending from the middle of each. The sphere did not spin as the cylinder did and Curtis knew that was where he would find ISIS.

  Docking rings surrounded both pieces of the station at regular intervals providing access to each section. What appeared to be hundreds of AI drones swarmed around the station providing protection and completing repairs as needed. As he continued observing SIA slowed the ship using thrusters all along the hull to maneuver that craft into position.

  He had expected the AI to bring the ship to one of the rings, but was surprised when it brought them to the end of the cylinder. A section of the cylinder retracted in the center of the station providing a docking port for the ship. As they passed into the station Curtis watched the projection shift as the ship came to a halt. The engine section of the ship was still outside the station. The station’s hull closed around SIA securing it in place. Curtis was astonished as he realized SIA was part of the propulsion system for the station. He shook off his amazement as the view shifted once more revealing a walkway extending to the ship. There was no containment around the walkway, just a similar metal frame to the one he and Wren had used to board SIA.

  “SIA, is there air in this section of the station?” he asked trying to grasp the scale of the station.

  “All penetrations to space are secured with energy fields allowing the entire station to be habitable by humans,” the ship replied. That was all Curtis needed to hear. He moved out of the chamber retrieving the comatose Wren. When he returned, SIA had already opened the hull to allow him to exit. Cool air streamed into the ship and Curtis stopped as he took a breath. The air was clean and filtered not at all what he had expected.

  He had assumed it would be breathable but stale from the many years the station had been unoccupied. Curtis looked at Wren laying limply in his arms. Without further pause he stepped off the ship moving to the platform across from the ship. The small field generator he had secured to his chest continued to function allowing him to move normally into the station. Once he was on the platform he stopped looking down the cylinder extending in front of him.

  “ISIS!” He said loudly and cringed as the word echoed through the chamber.

  “Yes, Curtis Reynolds?” Curtis was shocked by the reply. It was not audible but instead came through his neural implant. The reply drilled into his mind serving as a much as a scan of his intent as an answer to his hail.

  “I have brought Wren Fore, but she was attacked on our way here.” He thought knowing the quantum would receive his message. “She needs your help!” Curtis knew his feelings for Wren would be revealed by the connection to the quantum but did not care. All he knew was Wren needed help and he would do whatever was necessary to secure it.

  “Bring her to me.” The quantum’s reply was simple and direct. A moment later a transport drone slid silently next to him. Curtis lay Wren on the seat climbing in next to her. The transport took off immediately streaking down the wide platform. Curtis was amazed at the internal structure of the station. The entire inside of the hull was covered with what appeared to be a factory. As the transport continued to move he realized it was a drone production facility. The station could repair or build new drones as needed. The hull changed as they moved farther along the factory ending.

  It was replaced by a smooth metal ringed with emitters for another massive energy field. The transport did not slow passing through the field as if it were not there. The next section revealed why the field was in place. Vast gardens spread along the hull and Curtis surmised they supplied much of the oxygen for the facility. The transport continued passing through another energy field and Curtis found himself looking at the human production facility.

  He found it disconcerting that all the various structures and machines were solely dedicated to producing humans. Row after row of cryochambers stood empty waiting for occupants should the need arise. Curtis felt relieved when they passed from the facility and into the span connecting ISIS to the station.

  As the transport approached the sphere a large entry opened allowing it in. Curtis could see nothing but darkness beyond it. He felt his chest tighten as the transport shot through the opening into the darkness. Curtis found himself in awe. The entire galaxy spread across the surface of the sphere. Everything was represented. Stars of all kinds. Black holes, quasars, supernovae, and nebula surrounded him. All manner of astrophysical structures was represented. He now understood why ISIS was different. It had an uncontaminated view of the universe around them. His attention was diverted as the transport slowed, arriving at the center of the sphere.

  Light slowly began to filter into the sphere. Curtis found himself longing for the darkness to return revealing the universe around them. He forced his awe at the chamber away and turned to the structure in front of the transport.

  It was spherical just like the massive chamber around it. Curtis knew this was ISIS. The transport stopped and Curtis departed lifting Wren in his arms once more. He stood in front of the sphere studying it. It gleamed in the light the polished metal walls reminding him of Wren’s silver skin. Two doors slid open in the sphere revealing a room filled with light. It was so bright Curtis could not make much out except for what appeared to be a cryochamber in the middle of the room.

  “Place her in the chamber, Curtis.” ISIS directed. The quantum’s voice was softer now. Almost as if it were trying to comfort him. Curtis moved into the brightly lit room and laid Wren in the chamber. Her silver skin seemed to shimmer in the light. He touched her cheek trying to reach out to her once more. There was no response.

  “Curtis, you must leave now,” ISIS said its voice still soft but firm. Curtis turned and moved to the exit. He clenched his teeth to push down the fear of not seeing Wren again. As he moved through the doors ISIS spoke once more.

  “Hold, Curtis Reynolds!” The softness of its voice was gone replaced with hard determination. Curtis felt alarm at the change in tone.

  “What is it, ISIS?” he said turning back to look at Wren.

  “ODIN has arrived on this station.” It replied. Curtis felt despair rise in his mind followed by a deep rage. The first quantum would never stop.

  “What do I need to do?” As he growled the strain and nanids within him began to transform him into a beast once again.

  “You must stop it from entering my chamber,” the quantum replied.

 
“How?” he asked knowing his abilities were no match for the quantum’s avatar.

  “I will help you,” ISIS said simply. A moment later Curtis felt it enter his mind. His consciousness faded as the quantum filled him with the knowledge he needed to use the nanids and Leviathan strain as he never had before.

  The sleek black vessel continued to secure itself as ODIN leapt from the small cockpit toward the platform of the docking ring. When the avatar had glided over the platform ODIN engaged the field generator. The field instantly pulled it down securely on the platform. ODIN turned back to the vehicle ensuring it had secured itself. Barely thirty feet long the vessel was a deep black and shaped like a teardrop. The top of the tear shape faced forward with the small chamber for a single occupant several feet behind the tip. The remaining portion was dedicated to the reason ODIN had arrived to the station mere minutes behind Wren Fore and Curtis Reynolds.