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part #3 of The Quantum Wars Series
“What is your next step, Fore?” it thought as it studied the man.
The man was kneeling with Kelly Holt on the ground, while one of the humans stood nearby. ODIN could not see what Fore was studying, but sensed it was important. It did not have long to wait. Stephen rose revealing one of the Leviathan’s avian minions. A moment later the strain infected bird took flight flying east with a much speed as it could muster. Calculations spun through ODIN’s mind, as it watched the bird slowly disappear. It was trying to divine Stephen Fore’s purpose in allowing the creature to go free. The answer snapped in place a millisecond later. ODIN saw the intent and could sense the outcome of the it. It saw all the future begin to stream out in front of it, calling it to action. It also saw its enemies closing and knew its battle was far from over. With a last look at the human settlement, it turned leaping off the building’s edge and morphed into a white blur as it landed on the dust covered street below. It knew what its next step should be, but time was short. ODIN pushed its body harder, winding through the abandoned streets giving the human settlement a wide berth. It did not want to be detected. It could not afford any delays, if it were to turn the future to its favor. Soon it arrived at the ship Alex had hidden in the city long ago. Within moments it was lifting off holding low to the ground as it turned east. Minutes later it was out of the city flying into the slowly emerging night.
EIGHTEEN
The pitch black of the corridor did little to stop the two creatures patrolling it. The cool of the mountain fortress was unchanged despite the blazing heat of the day on the surface above. The creatures moved steadily through the corridor striding with purpose as they moved deeper into the facility. Their elongated limbs bristled with fur and were tipped with deadly claws. Elongated beastly faces swung back and forth as the pair scoured the corridor scanning for intruders. If there had been light, their gray eyes indicative of the Leviathan strain would have stood out clearly in the vicious countenance of each. They traveled steadily moving deeper following the curve of the tunnel as it descended deeper into the rock of the mountain. They encountered no other of their kind, most concentrated within the city to the north, patrolling higher chambers, or searching the area surrounding their mountain home. Soon the tunnel began to narrow drawing tighter around the pair as they moved forward in the subterranean dark. The beasts continued, their heavy heads scanning cautiously, until abruptly one stopped and turned to the wall of the tunnel inches away from it. The other stopped as a muted growl came from it.
The first stopped studying the wall as its enhanced eyes helped reveal the door recessed into the wall. It was solid metal and surrounded by the rock of the mountain on all sides. Without pause its clawed hand sought out and touched a panel on the wall. A sharp click followed by the shriek of rusted metal echoed through the tunnel finding its way up the path the beasts had just tread. The door finished its opening journey grinding slowly to a halt and revealed the darkened interior of the room it guarded. Both beasts seemed agitated by the noise and were alert for any other of their kind. A moment later lights began to slowly cycle on in the room spilling out into the tunnel. The pair did not wait any longer as both stepped into the chamber. The second seized the door pushing it shut slowly trying to minimize the screeching of the metal. A moment later the lock clicked back in place sealing the beasts inside.
The second turned from the door staring at its partner as if waiting for directions. As it watched the beast in front of it, the skin of its body began to sag and elongate dripping off its body revealing the man hidden beneath it. The second beast looked down at its own body experiencing a similar transformation. A moment later Simon Fore sighed with relief as the last of the disguise pooled to the floor. He looked to Stephen Fore watching the nanids that made the disguise pool around his father before absorbing back into the man’s robes. Simon stepped forward scanning the room. It was sparse with walls of thick metal. A few equipment lockers, filled with weaponry and supplies, and computer interfaces spread across the four walls breaking up the dull surface. A large table dominated the center of the room serving as the last nerve center for the massive complex and quantum above it. Simon stepped next to his father feeling his patience drawing thin.
“What do we do now?” he asked glancing at his father. Without a word Stephen strode forward touching the surface of the table with both hands. The table responded instantly with holographic projections springing up across its surface. Readouts from across the base came online showing the status of long unused systems. Information was sparse because the equipment was either destroyed by the bases new masters or unable to function after so much time. What Simon could see was that there were creatures wandering throughout the base. He knew there would be a long battle ahead of him and his father. He scanned the various data searching for anything regarding the quantum. There was nothing. No video, no audio, no monitoring of any kind remained of the chamber.
“Is there nothing remaining of ARES?” he queried. A short shake of his father’s head was all the answer needed. Simon felt a small grief for the quantum. Their connection had been forced, but he had developed a kinship with the quantum despite their final parting. As his thoughts roamed over the past he felt the presence that had been with him when he awoke emerge disturbed by his thoughts of ARES. There was no communication just the deep pool of consciousness that observed him silently. Simon felt his enhanced mind reel from the entity. It was utterly alien. Nothing about it was human or quantum. He struggled to understand its intent but found no answer. A moment later it was gone, and he found himself staring at his father his breath held tightly in his chest. His father had not noticed because he was focused intently on the projections in front of him as his hands blurred across the table below. An instant later the various projections blinked out only to be replaced by a projection of the quantum secured in its chamber above them. His father’s hands hovered slightly above the table as the man stared intently at the data now steadily displaying. Simon felt dismay at the information. The Leviathan had completely consumed the quantum leaving nothing of ARES. Frustration and anger fought within him as the data continued to cycle. Stephen turned to him holding Simon’s eyes with his own.
“Are you ready?” Stephen asked, looking at his nanid enhanced son. It was Simon’s turn to nod wordlessly. Without pause Stephen turned to the table as his hands once more became a blur. Seconds later the projection of the quantum dimmed as a single message dominated the holographic image.
QUANTUM PURGE COMMENCED
Simon felt a surge of relief at the words. The Leviathan would soon have no place to hide. The humans had finally gained an advantage. Both men turned exiting the room, sealing it behind them. The automated system slowly began destroying the rogue quantum’s latest home.
The deep night was just beginning to recede across the high desert city the Leviathan called its home. It was staring intently at the figure in front of it concealing its twisted glee at the news the bone colored creature was delivering. The humans in Seattle had fallen to its horde. ODIN’s minion confirmed the news that had come to it from its winged minion which returned a short time ago. The Fores had fallen as well, but not without cost. The wolf and former commander were destroyed during the human’s initial resistance. They were not lost in vain as their efforts had weakened the last settlement enough to allow its horde to overrun it. ODIN’s minion was not without its share of praise having split the settlement by creating strife within it. The Leviathan leaned back into the high-backed chair that served as its throne. Black in the gloom of the emerging morning, the chair was deeply polished with strain infected blood of its minions, a fitting finish to the chair to seat their master. Several of its closest creatures crouched and knelt around the throne seeking the Leviathan’s approval and providing protection alternatively. It looked at the assembly feeling the satisfaction of its victory flow through its mind.
Its gaze settled on a human female gazing adoringly up at it. A former member of the inept United States military, she now belonged to it. Her body which had been fit prior to the infection of the strain was now perfected. Lithe muscles wrapped her body making her ten times stronger than she had been. Hands with strain tipped claws made her a danger to all creatures not infected by the strain. As the Leviathan continued to study the woman it felt the animal urging provided by the human part of its mind. Its eyes trailed to the rise of her breasts with nipples growing rigid as the woman reacted to her master’s gaze. As its eyes moved to the swell of her buttocks, it stood moving from the chair slowly covering the distance to the woman. Sensing her master’s need she turned placing her hands on the floor, head lowered in submission while raising her toned buttocks in the air revealing her quickly dampening sex for her master. The Leviathan stopped looming over her relishing the utter control it had over the woman.
Without further pause it tore the clothing from its body, ignoring ODIN’s minion and its own creatures. Kneeling behind its consort, the Leviathan pressed its burgeoning manhood into the woman succumbing to the human urges present within it as a gift for its victory. The woman mewed in response her body shifting and adjusting for her master as it thrust into her over and over deep growls rumbling from its chest. Minutes passed without notice as the pair continued their coupling the woman eagerly pushing back hoping to satisfy her master. Finally, in a crescendo of growls and cries the Leviathan thrust deeply into its concubine releasing long pent up seed into her womb. The pair held still, the Leviathan’s hips pressing into her as it enjoyed the lingering sensations of its orgasm. Moments later it pulled back standing up as it glanced out into the slowly brightening sky.
It would have everything. The last major settlement was gone. Now it would be free to sweep the rest of the west under its control. The groves of Stephen Fore would be eradicated removing the taint of the man from the planet at long last. Then it would turn to the East and ODIN. A deep chuckle rolled through it as it turned from the woman with her ass still raised in the air for her master. It ignored her moving back to its throne. Before it was halfway to the chair weakness washed through it. It stumbled, its body not responding. Shaking its head, the Leviathan stopped seeking the source of the weakness. Expanding its mind, it sensed the connection to the quantum computer to the south slowing fading. Anger ripped through it as it realized it had been betrayed. The source of its power had been compromised. Straightening to its full height, the Leviathan whirled to ODIN’s minion standing rigidly nearby for all intent a passive observer.
“Traitor!” it yelled, the deep bellow echoing out of the room into the fleeing night beyond. It leapt to the ivory human as the strain transformed the Leviathan from the handsome dark-haired male to a giant slavering beast in an instant. ODIN’s harbinger did not move as the Leviathan seized it, razor sharp fangs finding the white throat. ODIN had left the body already; the vessel was empty. Denied its small revenge, the Leviathan roared gripping the white body and violently throwing it from its presence. The body hit the wall of the chamber with a sickening thud. The empty vessel slid slowly to the floor as blood ran from its eyes, nose and throat and formed a crimson pool around the ivory body. The Leviathan spun to the doors of the chamber sprinting onto the roof. Its ears brought the sound of an airship to it as reports and visions of the ship began to stream in from the horde. Coming from the west it had been hidden from view by the fleeing night. The Leviathan studied the sound and information attempting to divine its intent. The answer came to it as the ship accelerated streaking faster toward the building where it was standing. The Leviathan heard the engines scream louder as the ship began its suicide run on the building. Without pause it sent its thoughts to the minions in the building.
“Flee! We are under attack!” It became a dark blur as it surged to the edge of the building. It leapt off as the ship impacted, exploding as it drove into the building. Rage surged through as it flew into the air beyond the building before hurtling to the Earth below. The humans and ODIN would learn what it meant to face the Leviathan.
The feed from its body in Denver ceased as an explosion tore through the building destroying the Leviathan’s chamber and those within it. ODIN pulled deep into itself the empty city of Washington, D.C. deathly silent above it. The manipulations it had attempted were not following the patterns it had seen in its calculations. Frustration flowed through it. There were too many quantums influencing events to have any accuracy. Now the Fores and humans would have an upper hand. They would defeat the Leviathan. It had seen the weakening of the rogue quantum which meant the massive computer in Cheyenne Mountain had been disabled or destroyed. Fear trickled from its human forms above. If Stephen Fore had access to Cheyenne Mountain, then it was possible he could have access to the D.C. facility as well. ODIN could not allow itself to become compromised as the Leviathan had.
The choices it had were few. A battle with the humans would become protracted and bloody. It could not afford that, especially with ISIS emerging in the space around the Earth once more. Even now it could detect only a few remaining craft around the planet. The other quantum’s drones functioned precisely and with impunity destroying ODIN’s fighters with ease. It had lost the space around the planet and if ISIS came to the planet ODIN would not be able to stand against the joined forces of the Fore family. There was nowhere for it to flee either. Only one option remained viable after all the calculations were concluded. It would have to seal itself and the humans it had converted behind a quantum shield waiting for a time long after the other quantums had failed or moved beyond the Earth. Its decision made ODIN expanded out of its home into the myriad minds spread across the former United States. In seconds it consciousness was spread across hundreds of miles bending all the humans in its thrall to a singular purpose. The engaging of the quantum technology used as a prison for so long would now become its shield to block the humans and prevent its destruction. Members of its hive beyond the border of the shield became white blurs retreating to the shield boundary to assist with the final stages. Others began securing the necessary supplies and resources to ensure the survival of the humans. Even with ODIN’s nanids they still required a steady stream of nutrition and water. Much could still be produced from the Earth even with the ravaging effects of climate change. Minutes ticked by as ODIN monitored the final preparations needed to ensure it and the humans survived. Finally, when all was ready it retreated into the quantum computer once more. As it expanded into the computer interfacing with the nodes that would generate the shield, it issued a simple command.
“Engage shield.” Moments later the quantum shield came in place surrounding Washington, D.C. and several hundred miles around it. The invisible wall would protect the quantum and its hive from its enemies for years to come. ODIN cycled down all non-critical processes focusing its resources on maintaining the shield and securing its realm. Its time behind the shield would be long and ODIN needed everything it could spare to ensure it was functional when the time to emerge finally came.
NINETEEN
The battle above the Earth had taken a strange turn. Wren knew the drones she sent against ODIN’s fighters would win, but it seemed ODIN had surrendered the space around Earth prematurely. The battle was fierce, the quantum-controlled humans’ prowess in battle made them deadly opponents even when facing the evolved drones. She calculated the outcome to last many hours before the drones overwhelmed the last of the fighters. The initial strike was swift, disabling many before they could even respond. Others fought back as more in reserve activated once the attack commenced. The cold skill of the defense drones would have won as the machines worked at a coordinated level that allowed them to out maneuver their opponents over the extended battle. Now it did not matter. All the remaining humans had stopped fighting, leaving their ships floating quietly in the space around the planet. Wren felt confusion cross her quantum consciousness, an unfamiliar sensation for the quantum she had become.
“SIA, what is the status of ODIN’s fighters?” she asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear the AI’s thoughts.
“All ships have gone dormant, Wren,” the AI replied. Wren could almost detect a hint of impatience in the program’s response. It knew she had the answer already, but was duty bound to respond. Wren smiled knowing her old friend all too well.
“Why have they gone dormant?” She asked, truly perplexed at the behavior.
“Investigating.” Flashes of the ships floating in space, surrounded by her drones bristling with weapons, passed through Wren’s mind. She dismissed them waiting as SIA’s scans continued. The AI turned to the Earth below them the scans of the space around the planet did not reveal the reason. As the sensors settled on the North American continent, Wren felt a familiar sensation wash over her. A huge swath of the Eastern United States was obscured from view. SIA’s sensors were unable to show the landscape and abandoned cities that should be easily seen. Wren ran through the information she was being shown, checking the ship’s sensors to ensure they were functioning normally. All came back functional and supplied the same images as the previous scan. She was shocked. ODIN had given up the battle and sealed itself behind a quantum shield much like the one it used to hold her father prisoner for many years. Wren leaned forward in the protoplastic chair concentrating on the shield.
