by C. A. Fraser
When ODIN was created and had proven its worth to humans there had been many ways to utilize its power. The decision was made that for specific scenarios the quantum would be allowed to determine the best course of action. There were caveats of course. There could be no harm brought to humans or the planet and there could be no offensive actions toward other nations.
In this instance it was a question of containment. If Stephen’s plan were to come to fruition there could be nothing to disturb or hinder it. It was left to ODIN to determine the outcome. Its solution was strange but upon review it was the only way to ensure her father was allowed to complete his work. ODIN would create and maintain a shield around the project using the quantum communication field in conjunction with energy field technology to isolate the facility assuring anonymity.
It was a huge undertaking and one that would consume the quantum’s resources to the point it would be capable of little else. The government had turned to the other quantums to fill in during ODIN’s absence and had used ARES to mimic the original quantum to complete the ruse.
“You knew all along.” Wren said simply. The woman gave her a slight nod. She knew she should be livid but found that she had no anger towards the woman in front of her. It had been her father’s choice and the deception was needed to ensure his success. Worth had been acting in the best interest of humanity as her job dictated. Any sense of betrayal Wren felt paled in comparison of the peace brought to her by Worth’s disclosure.
“Why tell us now?” Wren asked wondering what had changed to cause Worth to risk revealing it to them.
Worth smiled her features softening as she looked between Simon and Wren.
“We are going into a situation that we do not know the outcome of and it would be unforgivable if one or both of you never knew the truth.” She stopped and Wren thought she could see a sheen of tears in Candace’s eyes.
“But,” Worth continued, “It will not come to that and Landis will be stopped. That is why we have ARES in the first place.” Wren nodded accepting the statement but not knowing how much truth it held. She looked back out the window of the ship wondering if there would be enough time to save themselves and humanity.
The Leviathan stood in Nathan Landis’s former office. It was standing at the window looking into the darkness outside. The night had enveloped the facility and its dark cover was unbroken by any lights from the buildings. It smiled knowing the fear that must be festering in the facilities occupants.
The conversion of the local staff was going well. It had been able to learn so much from them. It started in the surgical suite. The staff who were versed with the strain were of utmost importance. It was there it learned how motivating pain was. However, it wasn’t until it shut down all access throughout the buildings that it had learned the power fear held for it. Even now the secretary who had been locked in this office was weakly begging for his life while the strain took him.
The Leviathan moved away from the window stopping to check the progress of the strain on its newest recruit. Its collective was in its infancy but once it had gained sufficient size it would be unstoppable. It stepped away from the body content to let the nanotech do its work and left the office to continue its methodical conversion of every living thing in this facility. After that it would send its new scouts out to retrieve more converts.
It stopped at the next office on this floor. It leaned closer listening for sounds of movement from the room. It knew there was someone in the office. The sensors and cameras within the building were still functional and in its control so it knew the status of every single meter of the facility. It was enjoying the hunt though so it was content to test out its new body. It stayed quiet for several minutes not moving. Then it heard the confirmation it needed.
A slight scuff of a heel on tiled floor had given her away. Slowly the Leviathan opened the door the lock releasing automatically. The woman was sitting at the desk unmoving. It was obvious she had heard what had happened to her peer in the office next door. Her paralysis was exquisite. The Leviathan reveled in her fear.
She made no sound as it approached understanding her fate. It grabbed the woman forcing her to stand and then took her arm in its hands watching her carefully. Tears were slowly dropping down her cheeks and her mouth moved with unspoken words her mind unable to overcome her terror. She made no sound and no effort to flee or fight. Even as the needle sharp claws that had replaced its fingernails pierced her skin to deliver the strain she was silent. It was not until the strain penetrated her brain that her screams began.
The Leviathan stood back observing as she slowly fell to the floor marking every detail of her conversion and filing it away for use later. After the woman grew silent it left the room to continue its mission.
Wren lay in the small room deep in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. It was a room reserved for a mid-level officer visiting the compound. Their arrival had been uneventful but still exciting. Wren had been filled with wonder as the airships broke formation and one by one disappeared into the gaping hole in the side of the mountain.
At a dizzying speed, they made their way into the interior and landed in a large staging area just outside a massive door that she was sure the airship could fit through if needed. As the group emerged from the ships Wren gazed with unease up at the hollowed out mountain ceiling high above them.
Tons of rock hung above them providing protection but also a muted threat if the supports ever failed. She shifted her gaze to the large door that had replaced its smaller predecessors as the function of the facility changed with times passage. She wondered why it remained. Any purpose it might have served was usurped by the new field technology. She continued to investigate the area. They were surrounded by old technology that had been common and cutting edge in its time. It was fascinating.
The facility had served many purposes through time and was in military control for most of it. It had been originally a control center and nuclear bunker and morphed to a data monitoring station when the nuclear age passed. It had finally been abandoned when climate change had ravaged the planet. The NDP had acquired and revitalized the complex as a location for nanid production and the location for ARES once approval was received to develop a second quantum. They worked in conjunction with the military to run the facility and monitor the globe for disasters of any kind.
Wren was beginning to wander toward the large door when Director Worth interceded and moved her and Simon towards the opening. She could see the glow of quantum field technology as they neared it and assumed the door had been left as mere remembrance. Worth moved them through and assigned escorts to their rooms with assurances of a meeting in a few hours after they had some time to rest.
Now she was here in a drab empty room on an uncomfortable bed waiting. Simon was in the room across from hers and Wren assumed he was sleeping because he had not disturbed her. She knew he had been through an overwhelming event and would need to rest in order to cope with all the changes. SIA was hovering above and to the side of the bed where Wren was trying to rest unsuccessfully. Her mind would not slow down. She reviewed all the recent events again and again attempting to find hidden meaning or something she missed.
Exasperated she stood and paced around the room. She stopped and looked at SIA. She had kept the AI close since the encounter with ARES not wanting to endanger it any more than necessary. She was surprised that the AI had not been forced to into isolation when they entered the complex. She assumed it met the clearance requirements for the NDP since Stephen had designed it or it was simply not detectable. She doubted that. She was still considering the issues when there was a knock at the door.
Wren opened the door to see a NDP Security guard waiting while another was at Simon’s door. Simon emerged from his room looking annoyed at the interruption and still half asleep. Wren felt a small smile crease her lips.
“Not enough beauty sleep?” she said as they stepped next to each other and followed the wordless guards.
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�Ha-ha… Did you get any rest?” he replied stifling a yawn as they headed deeper into the complex.
“Not a wink.” Wren said. The response seemed to spark a glint of worry in his eyes but he covered it quickly.
“Well obviously it is overrated judging from how I feel right now.” Simon said trying to keep the banter going. Wren knew it would be gone soon enough and appreciated the attempt. The hallway they were following their escort in widened into a larger walkway and then branched in two directions. The left branch went to the nanid production facility. The other led to ARES. The guards took the right and made their way deeper into the mountain.
“At least we know where we are going.” She said nudging Simon as they continued on. A halfhearted smile confirmed that their banter had failed and any mirth was driven from the situation. Wren had no idea how Simon was dealing with all that happened and did not know how to help. She withdrew into herself and focused on the back of the guard in front of her as they guided them to a conference room ahead. The hall continued on and she could see it open into what looked like a large control room but before she could see anything else they were at the glass doors to the conference room and the guards pulled them open.
Wren could see Worth as well as several men and women she did not recognize. There was a large table with proto chairs arranged in a horseshoe shape around it. There was an interface and display for ARES participation if the quantum was needed. Wren knew ARES would be in the room but she was concerned what vessel it chose to use. At the end there was a blank wall that was used for quantum communications with the other NDP locations throughout the world. A few rations and water containers were the only other things in the room on a small table in the corner opposite the empty communications wall.
Wren wished they could be anywhere else but here. If only the events of the last several days had not occurred, she and Simon could be searching as always and not up to their necks in a nanotech conflict that she suspected would not end well. Wren sighed, feeling the thoughts wash over her, as she stepped into the room followed closely by Simon.
As soon as they stepped in the conference room ARES started communicating to Simon. The AI had been quiet since they left the Fore’s vacation home and Simon did not know what had caused it to activate. He felt slightly annoyed by the AI’s ability to directly insert information into his consciousness. It was not really speaking to Simon as much as giving him information in the form of memories.
It was a weird sensation that caused Simon to feel slightly disoriented and nauseous. Thankfully everyone was taking a seat. He quickly sat in the chair next to Wren near the doors they had just stepped through. Wren settled into her chair and Simon could tell she was not in the mood to be in this meeting. Director Worth sat across from them watching them as they looked around the room. The chair next to her sat empty and Simon assumed it was for Kelly Holt. Worth did not offer any explanation for Holt’s absence but Simon assumed she was caring for Curtis. The rest of the chairs were taken by various NDP security officers and representatives from the military.
The chair began to form to his body gently supporting him. The nausea eased and he slowly adjusted to the information flow and began to absorb what he was being given. Simon instantly felt anger when he recognized what the quantum was showing him and then betrayal. The quantum continued to give him information even as Director Worth began to speak.
“ARES bring Washington online.” She said addressing the AI.
“Yes Director.” The AI replied. Simon felt the nausea return. He felt the AI’s answer as well as heard it. It was like he thought and said the words from two different minds. He shook his head trying to rid himself of the sensation of being outside and inside his body at the same time. He focused on the wall as the nausea faded away once more.
Then the wall disappeared and was replaced by the image of a similar room across the country in Washington. He closed his eyes needing to slow the amount of stimuli to allow himself to adjust. When he opened them it appeared as if they were all sitting in the same room at the two different tables.
This communication was unlike any prior in human history. The quantum interactions that occurred made it seem as if they were all in the same room. Simon felt like he could walk into the other room and join the various NDP department heads at the table. He recognized Tim Reed amongst the group as well as Roland Alexander.
Simon studied Roland. The sallow skin and unhealthy appearance of the man bothered Simon and made him want to shift in his chair. His attention was again diverted when Worth spoke once more.
“Thank you all for attending. We have a situation on our hands we had hoped would never occur.” The woman looked around the rooms as she spoke. “Nathan Landis has fashioned a new type of nanotechnology and we think he will try using it to gain control of the country.” Simon watched Worth pause letting her words sink into the meetings participants. She definitely knew how to hold a room. Simon had seen her in meetings before and it was an impressive talent.
“We have already had an incident of an infected person attacking a normal human and we expect more. It is imperative that none of this information leave these rooms. There is no reason to incite panic in the populace with improper communication of this event. If it is needed the people will be told and protected but until that is deemed appropriate, there is no communication. Understood?” Worth finished and looked around to confirm understanding.
“How do you know it was Landis?” Roland Alexander’s voice cut through the silence. Simon looked at the man waiting for him to continue as Worth turned her attention to Roland.
“I have already given out the evidence for everyone to review, Roland. How could there be any doubt.” Worth replied. Simon could see her irritation at the man’s question.
“Well,” Roland’s voice slowly rolled the words drawn out for effect, “It could be a setup to distract us from the true perpetrators.” As he finished Roland’s gaze fell on Simon and Wren. Simon felt the anger renew at the information he had received from the quantum. He fixed Roland with an icy glare his skin darkening in response to his anger.
He leaned forward in his chair as Wren and Worth both started to speak. Wren was denying the accusation and Worth was berating Roland for the distraction. Roland simply smiled in a smug way that indicated he thought he was in control. Then Simon spoke his voice bolstered by ARES.
“Roland,” His voice cut through all conversation silencing the room. The smile faded from Roland’s face. “Why don’t you tell us what your payment was.” Simon held the man’s gaze watching the panic slowly begin to spread through him.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” Roland replied but all his confidence had evaporated with the knowledge that he was found out. All the walls in the rooms activated at once the quantum placing the deeds of Roland Alexander on display.
Roland had been Landis’ source within the NDP functioning as an impediment to the nanid advancement but also as a spy. He had given large amounts of information on the nanids and quantums to Nathan Landis which in turn had allowed Landis to develop his new nightmare. Roland had just delivered a plague of unknown proportions on humanity and would not get away with it. Simon repeated his question.
“What was your payment?” his voice rolled over Roland and the man flinched not responding. Panic seized Roland and he attempted to stand but the proto-chair which was now in ARES control enveloped his arms and legs holding the man in place. Simon stood and strode to the wall staring down at the man.
The fear in Roland’s eyes shone bright through the quantum channel and Simon shook his head in disgust and pity. All eyes in the room focused on Simon. ARES flashed an instruction into to his mind and Simon felt his pity turn to sadness. The quantum had already run through the protocol and a sentence was prepared for Roland.
“Roland Alexander you are hereby exiled from the United States on authority of the ODIN protocol and all nanid enhancements will be removed forthwith.” Simon’s voice was
normal now ARES allowing him to deliver the verdict in his own voice but the impact was the same.
Gasps echoed through the room at the quantums use of the protocol but no one questioned the decision. It was correct they all knew that. It was just a rare occurrence for a quantum to issue such sentences without human judgement involved.
Simon turned away as two NDP security officers came in the room and removed Roland from the meeting. Simon returned to his seat feeling exhausted from the exchange. Worth stared at him from across the table like she had never seen him before. Simon tried to smile weakly taking Wren’s hand for support. Wren looked worried and he knew there was nothing he could do to change it.
Worth cleared her throat bringing everyone’s eyes to her and Simon felt relieved to no longer be the focus.
“The situation is more severe than we had ever hoped. We need to take action now to stop this from escalating any further.” Worth spoke trying to get the meeting back on course. Simon felt the connection occur before ARES spoke to the room.
