by C. A. Fraser
“Simon you cannot!” Wren said her voice strained with emotion. Simon held her hand trying to explain himself.
“Wren I must go with them. I am the only one who has stood up to that tech. If I do not go and they fail, I will never forgive myself.” Curtis watched while they argued and knew Simon was right. The nanids that had been produced by ARES while it occupied Simon were the only thing that saved both of them. He stepped over to them feeling conscious of his appearance hoping they would not reject his overture. He knelt next to the sitting pair so he did not appear intimidating.
“Wren and Simon I need to apologize for what I have brought on you and the attempt on your lives. I know it is not enough and do not expect your forgiveness. Know that I will do everything I can to stop Landis and to repair the damage I have done to your family and the rest of humanity.” Curtis said needing them to know he was not the monster that had dropped out of the airship to attack them. Wren turned and her black eyes bore into him. He felt as if she could look through him and see the truth without his words.
“Curtis do not be ridiculous. You are no more responsible for this than any of us. Landis is at fault and will answer for his actions.” She said putting her hand on his arm. It felt good to have contact and Curtis remembered their time at the NDP when he had thought there was more between him and Wren.
“You do not owe us anything and we bear no grudge toward you.” Simon said echoing Wren’s statement. Curtis felt a smile slowly come to his face. He hoped it did not appear menacing and felt it slide away with the thought. He turned to Wren once more gently placing his clawed hand on hers.
“Wren, Simon must come with us on this mission.” Curtis said knowing it would hurt her and wishing he could spare her. “If things do not go as planned he may be the only one who can stop Landis.”
“Fine then I am going as well.” She stated. Curtis felt the finality of her statement ring through him and offered no protest. ARES spoke silencing the room.
“Wren Fore you will not accompany the mission.” The AI stated. “You are needed here to assist with the quantum containment.” Curtis saw anger leap through her body and Wren rose pushing past him as she strode out of the room without a word to the quantum. Curtis watched her go and felt a familiar ache press into his chest.
ELEVEN
Simon lay on the bed in the room assigned him by the NDP when they arrived. He had not even tried to sleep. It would allude him. There was too many thoughts and issues for him to rest.
Wren had disappeared into her room and would not answer. He knew she was hurt and needed some time to process. He just hoped to see her before they left to stop Landis. Frustration surged in his mind. He felt ARES stir disturbed by his emotional turmoil.
Simon did not even know how to reconcile his new reality with an AI embedded in his mind. An AI capable of making him practically invulnerable while also turning him into a nanid factory. He shook his head and rose from the bed. He needed to move to harness some of his restless energy.
Simon moved to the door stepping into the hallway of the massive facility. He turned and strode down the hall heading deeper into the complex hoping to clear the jumble from his head. He knew he would not get lost. The AI had given him an intimate knowledge of the former military base which Simon used to navigate his way. He did not think about a destination. He needed to walk. His steps echoed off the walls and he made no effort to silence them. The halls were empty and Simon saw few people as he wandered through the different levels of the place.
Everyone had retired early to prepare for the upcoming operation. Simon preferred it this way. It minimized any chance of interruption and allowed him the time he needed. His steps continued on as his thoughts churned and he attempted to establish some order in his crowded mind.
He barely noticed his surroundings and only stopped short when the doors to the quantum chamber loomed in front of him. The two guards on either side of the massive doors nodded at him recognizing him and knowing he was allowed to enter if he chose.
Simon scanned the doors warily knowing that he would have to enter the room but feeling hesitant. He knew if he crossed the threshold there would be no turning back and questions would be answered that he might not want to be. Simon closed his eyes and stepped forward opening them when he heard the mechanisms deep in the walls begin to draw the heavy metal doors back. The doors opened enough for him to step through revealing the enormous room behind them and the massive cooling tower for the quantum within.
Simon paused for a moment and then stepped through quelling his remaining reservations. After he entered the doors shut behind him the metallic sound of their meeting echoing the finality of his decision.
Wren sat up in bed. She had fallen asleep. The anger and frustration finally fading enough that her body rested. She had woken when Simon left his door shutting with a soft thud and his steps fading down the hall.
She stood moving to pursue him. She needed to speak with him. She was still angry over his going on the mission but she could not let him leave without reconciling. Her hand was on the handle of the door when SIA’s silent whisper came across her neural implant.
“Wren wait!” The AI pleaded. Wren stopped and turned looking for the AI. Her eyes adjusted and the AI slowly emerged into her vision the birdlike form drifting in the middle of the room. Wren started to ask the AI what it required when another shape began to form next to it. She scanned the new presence as it slowly took form next to SIA.
The light it emitted was a soft green that darkened as it drew closer to the center of the AI. It resembled an ocean creature from the past. A ray. Wren remembered pictures and videos of the them. Graceful creatures who had not deserved their fate. A polluted ocean had slowly destroyed most life within it with only the hardiest organisms surviving.
As she watched the being slowly descended to the floor and then began to take on a humanoid shape. The features of the being slowly began to form and Wren was suddenly looking at an image of her father.
“What is going on SIA?” Wren asked her voice filled with confusion.
“This is a messenger from your father Wren.” SIA replied in its usual matter of fact tone.
“Wren,” her father’s voice brought all questions to a halt and she focused on the AI in front of her. It was obviously not her father. However, the set of the face and the way the AI held its body was identical to Stephen Fore.
“Who are you?” she asked still not believing what was in front of her.
“I am a small part of what Stephen Fore has become and have been sent to you as both a harbinger and guide.” The AI replied. Wren felt tears spring to her eyes as relief filled her. She had known her father did not die in the explosion so many years ago but even with Worth’s omission she still had no proof her father was alive. Proof was now standing in front of her and she wanted scream her elation and share her joy.
The AI paused sensing her need to process what was occurring. Wren quickly regained her composure and smiled pushing back the tears. There were thousands of questions whirling through her mind and she did not know where to begin. The AI spoke pausing any questions she had.
“Wren you must not accompany the mission to stop Nathan Landis.” Wren felt suspicion begin to rise in her mind. If this was a trick of ARES to get her to stay, her and the quantum would have words. She did not care how powerful and protected it was. Anger slowly ebbed through her as she stared at the AI in front of her.
“Who or what sent you?” she demanded.
“Stephen Fore.” The AI replied offering nothing more.
“Please prove it.” Wren replied. She had to know the truth. She could not be manipulated into doing ARES bidding. The AI regarded her the green glow ebbing from her father’s face as it held her gaze. It slowly moved to Wren and held out its hand. Wren watched as the hand approached her face hovering for a moment then slowly moving to the side of her head where the neural implant was located.
She felt a slight tingle and
then her eyes widened as a small sliver of information passed from the AI to her implant. Her tears renewed and if she had been able she would have clutched her father to her. The only thing that could have proven her father had sent the AI had been given. The coordinates that only she could detect on the pictures of her and her father had been given to her by the AI standing in front of her.
“Wren you are too important to risk on this mission.” The avatar of her father spoke his voice calming her as it had many times in the past. Wren looked at the AI who was part of her father and knew it was right. She could not go with Simon. There would be little she could do to assist the operation and would more than likely be an impediment to its success. She looked back to the image of her father considering what it meant.
“What would you have me do?” Wren asked hoping she did not sound as unsure as she felt.
“Learn the truth.” The avatar replied placing its hand on the side of Wren’s head once more. The flow of information began and Wren’s dark eyes widened even more as what her father’s messenger revealed triggered the nanid reaction once again.
Her skin became lighter turning a muted silver color and she felt connections to the all systems in the facility ebbing faintly around her. ARES was a massive entity in the distance hovering silently in its chamber. She was startled to realize she could sense the humans as well. Their minds were faint compared to the AI but were there none the less. The AI took its hand from her head and Wren looked at it with new vision.
She felt as if she were truly seeing her father for the first time. Wren knew the next step in her journey. All doubt fled her as she finally understood the reason for her father’s mission. His mission was not only to restore the planet but also to save humanity.
He had placed in her the last chance for what was left of humanity to begin again. Wren closed her eyes seeking out Simon with her new nanid sense. After locating him Wren turned from the two AI knowing they would be there for her if she needed and strode out of the room.
Simon stood in front of the huge cooling tower that encased ARES. It rose far into the room and from his current vantage Simon could not see the top of the tower. He could feel ARES stirring within him and knew that the quantum was waiting for him to approach. It felt strange to Simon that the quantum now seemed hesitant to influence him when his experience so far had demonstrated a willingness to intervene on its part. A tendril of fear began to work through him. He wondered if this was something he should walk away from. He could turn around find Wren and they could leave not looking back. The NDP and military could handle Landis.
As he thought it Simon knew he would not do it. He had his duty and would not forsake it. It was clear that his nanids might be the only thing that could stop Landis’ plague and save what remained of humanity. Simon clenched his jaw the muscles tensing and releasing with his stress as he looked at the smooth walls of the tower.
He scanned the walls for signs of an entrance but there was nothing that marred the smooth surface. He sighed and stepped closer trying to find a way in. He slowly circled the quantum not seeing any. When he had completed one circuit he placed his hand on the surface of the tower. It was slightly warm and vibrated with the inner working of the massive computer. As he watched the surface began to shimmer and the wall in front of him slowly faded revealing a room filled with instrumentation as well as a cryogenic chamber and its associated components.
Simon paused momentarily and then stepped into the room scanning the features of the room as he moved slowly toward the cryogenic chamber. It was a standard chamber from what Simon could tell and it appeared fully functional. As he approached the lights in the room brightened adjusting to allow him to see all the details of the room.
He stopped in front of the chamber curious as to who it belonged to and suspecting it was for Stephen. He moved to the side of the chamber to look for the nameplate and stopped in shock as he found it. Simon did not understand what he was looking at. It did not make sense. He stood staring at the name plate trying to comprehend what it meant. The nameplate on the chamber said SIMON FORE.
“Welcome home, Simon.” ARES said it’s voice surrounding him in the room. Simon spun around the confusion turning to anger and fear.
“Tell me why my name is on that chamber, ARES!” Simon shouted he felt the nanids reacting to his emotions thickening and trying to protect him. There was no way they could save him from this. His name on that chamber meant his life was not what he was led to believe it was. He had not been rescued all those years ago but was instead part of the program designed by ODIN and Stephen to rescue the world. ARES reply came gently through its connection with him. The quantum showed him the truth beginning with his rescue.
It slowly moved through Simon’s history trying not to overwhelm the man. The cryogenic chamber had been used to keep Simon stable after his rescue. The young boy’s body and mind had been broken. He would have died or worse gone mad without intervention. Stephen and ODIN worked together to design a new nanid strain that would be able to link to a quantum and then used it with Simon and linked him with ARES. The combination of the nanids to repair his body and the quantum to heal his mind had brought him back from the brink.
They discovered after the fact that the nanids they used could be used as a weapon when in control of the quantum. This had been held in the closest confidence between the quantums and Stephen. Until Simon had been caught in the explosion the secret had been held. After that it was easily explained as an adverse reaction. The computer then caught up to recent events. Simon felt anger flare in him again at what it revealed next.
Wren was part of the program as well but the strain acted differently for her showing a level of adaptation that exceeded expectations. When Wren was born she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia which would have quickly taken her life if Stephen had not intervened. He had leveraged all of his influence to get her the same treatment as Simon and had saved her by doing so. The disease was eradicated by the nanids and she flourished. After Wren any remaining specimens of the nanid strain were destroyed to prevent any further use. The quantums had used their link to the Fore children to subdue the more aggressive responses of the nanids. The reason was twofold. One to prevent discovery of the enhanced nanids and two to give the children a chance at a normal life.
Simon leaned against the chamber overwhelmed by all that had been revealed. He felt manipulated and betrayed by everything and everyone. He fumed spinning through the information again and again. ARES was silent waiting for Simon’s reaction. Simon stood and looked around the chamber feeling the anger fading. He needed to find Wren but he had more to do with ARES first. He stepped to the middle of the room ensuring he was a safe distance from the various equipment. He closed his eyes steadying his mind and slowing his breathing. After he was sufficiently focused he spoke.
“ARES show me how to use the nanids.” He said. The quantum immediately began streaming all the knowledge it had of the nanid strain and how to use them. Simon smiled despite all that had occurred. When they confronted Landis it would be with an unexpected advantage.
Nicole could not believe what was happening. Her whole reality had been transformed. She had been working at the new Landis facility on the surgical team that was testing Mr. Landis’ new nanotech strain. Something had gone terribly wrong after Nathan’s surgery and she had found herself surrounded by nightmares prowling the facility. She had been trapped in one of the surgical suites when the outbreak occurred. She did not know how it had begun and was not sure how they would get out of here.
She only knew that Nathan Landis had rescued her and brought her to his suite several floors above the surgery center. She had been here ever since and only knew that they were trapped and he was trying to devise an escape. It had been over a day and Nathan had a couple close calls trying to get them supplies. She felt a fondness for him that she had held onto for quite some time. She had felt this way even before his integration with the strain that gave him hi
s mobility back. She had been attracted to his intelligence and power as much as his rugged looks. Now she looked into his eyes while they were in bed together. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her.
When he pulled back to continue their joining she looked at his chiseled body down to where it met hers. Nicole looked at herself before glancing back to Nathan. She had hoped that Nathan found her as attractive as she did him. Her breasts were not too small or big and her body had curves but not overly so. A soft featured face framed with dark hair and deep brown eyes completed her.
Now she had her answer. She could not believe how lucky she was to be here with the man she had secretly admired for so long now. Her mind went back to how this had started.
Nathan had just returned from scouting a path out and had been attacked by one of the creatures wandering the facility. His wounds had been superficial and were healing quickly but she had insisted on checking him. She removed his shirt to check the wounds on his chest and was amazed at how quickly they were recovering. She had run her hand over the wound and felt him take in his breath. When she glanced at his face to see if he was in pain she had seen not pain but lust. Without thinking she had leaned forward and kissed him. All the emotion of the last few days had overwhelmed her and she had given into her budding feelings for her rescuer. Nathan had returned her kiss forcefully and they had begun what had turned into an extended sexual interlude.
