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  RETURN

  By C.A. Fraser

  Book 3 of The Quantum Wars

  RETURN

  Copyright © 2018 by C.A. Fraser

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons or organizations is purely coincidental.

  Book cover by: http://www.thebookcoverdesigner.com

  Prologue

  The deepening night enveloped Curtis Reynolds as he slowly moved down the path in front of him. Scrub brush and stunted evergreens were his only company as he traveled through the darkened land. His steps were sure and swift. He did nothing to conceal his passing. There were few things, human or otherwise, in this part of the world now. Even if he did happen onto someone or something he knew they would retreat quickly. His monstrous form encouraged flight in the hardiest of humans. He had not bothered to tame his appearance in many years, quickly learning its power in the new world. The feral features from the Leviathan strain were still present. His skin was a matrix of red, white and silver on top of the black strain. A mane of black hair descended his back and shoulders. He wore no clothing and walked barefoot. He carried a pack on his back that contained all he needed for his travels. It was the only thing that indicated he was more than a monster prowling the climate ravaged land. His wild appearance suited his environment. Other animals seemed to sense he was not to be trifled with and gave him a wide berth. They were only quick flashes in his vision as he journeyed. He continued down the path. He knew in the day there would be a small cloud of dust following him. He could smell it even now, brought to him by the slight breeze at his back. The wind took the warmth of the day with it and Curtis knew the temperatures would start to dip lower with the coming winter. It would be bearable. In the now arid world the temperatures were rarely low enough to cause discomfort. He moved on his pace unwavering.

  The path he was on had once been a large highway when gasoline powered automobiles ruled as kings of transportation. Now it was slowly succumbing to the dust of the new desert. He knew in the distance behind him there were the bones of an abandoned city. He did not know the name and did not care to know. The city he was headed to still carried a name. Several days north of him lay Seattle. The city was one of the final holdouts for humanity on the planet earth. It seemed what the climate had not done, the war between the quantums had. Humanity was at the brink of extinction. Curtis could sense it. He wondered if they would make it through another century. It had been two hundred years since Wren Fore had left the earth, taking with her the only thing holding humanity together. The Web had allowed human technology to fight back the hostile planet. With its disappearance the remaining humans were unable to adjust quickly enough. The few governments left around the world dissolved. Now there were just a few small cities remaining which had managed to hold their society together. One glaring exception came to mind. A growl rumbled deep in Curtis’ chest, his anger still fresh after all this time.

  The Eastern United States was a gleaming beacon of order that any outside observer would envy. However, they would not know the truth and if they ventured there, they would never return. It was now ODIN’s domain and the home of its hive. There were humans there still, but none were truly human. They were all part of ODIN now. The quantum consumed any human mind it met. It would infect the human with its nanid strain and then wipe their mind adding it to its own growing power. All remaining humans waited for the day ODIN would finally come for them. There was nowhere to run however, so they prepared defenses and hoped for rescue. Curtis paused as he approached the crest of the hill the road had steadily traversed. He had thought Stephen Fore would be able to stop ODIN. When Curtis awoke in the man’s care he was sure they would prevail. He was not so sure now. Stephen’s nanids were steadily advancing in the attempted recovery of the planet, but Curtis did not think it would be fast enough. Stephen designed the nanotechnology to work together with integrated humans. Humans were intended to be the driving force behind the recovery. ODIN’s hive eliminated that. No human willingly took nanids now. Most were born with the original passive nanids which gave them a slight advantage against the world. However, none would take the new strains. ODIN’s nightmare destroyed any hope of humanity saving the planet and itself. Curtis drew a breath, remembering his own tragic experiences with the nanids. He was home to five different strains at this point, the unwilling vessel for the quantum’s battle to control nanotechnology and the course of humanity’s future. Releasing his breath slowly, his mind turned to his current task. Candace Worth.

  The woman was the only remaining hope to stop ODIN. She disappeared shortly after the sealing of Colorado to prevent the spread of the Leviathan strain. He did not know what happened to the her, but knew that the accepted story was that ODIN killed her in the poisoned lands near Washington, D.C. Curtis knew this for the lie it was. He journeyed there using the nanids that were forced upon him for protection. Her body was not with the wreckage of the craft. His search began that day and all these years later it continued. He would not stop until he found her. He needed her to stop ODIN, but that was not the only reason.

  Curtis crossed the final steps to the top of the hill and stood looking up at the stars spread before him. He watched the night sky intently, seeking any sign of her. Wren Fore was lost to him, silently traversing the cold emptiness of space. He needed Worth to access the technology he needed to join Wren. He loved her still. That had not faded. The knowledge that she felt the same way had not dissipated either. His mind wandered as his eyes continued to search the sky seeking a glimmer of her ship. He knew it was useless but did it every night to reaffirm his resolve. He would methodically move his gaze across the horizon and then move steadily higher. Mere minutes passed when his scan was interrupted by a familiar scream tearing through the night around him.

  ONE

  The ship was drawing no closer. Candace felt like she could run forever and not reach it. Her brain struggled to comprehend what was happening. Her breath surged in and out of her lungs as she pushed herself to run faster. The landscape blurred around her. She felt a small relief at the loss of the burning land around her. The gray of the land and yellow of the air struck almost as much fear in her as her unseen pursuer. Without stopping she glanced behind her gauging the distance between them. The white monstrosity had drawn closer, its blank eyes focused on her demise. Terror gripped her, and she knew there was no escape. Her pace faltered, and she felt a clawed hand dig into her shoulder spinning her around while driving her to her knees.

  Candace found herself staring into the face of ODIN’s hunter once more. Its twisted smile filled her vision as a dark laugh escaped its pale visage. Candace stared defiantly at it. She did not know how it had found her but knew it was the last time. Anger flared through her chasing away the cold resignation beginning to seep into her mind. The scream tore from her as she saw the tightly muscled arm raise for the final strike. Her scream continued to rise as the arm descended. Before it struck her vision blurred red and then went black.

  Candace sat up in the ancient cot, the violence of the dream tearing through her. It had returned. Her breath was ragged. Her throat raw. It had been many years since she had been visited by ODIN’s nightmare. The metal and fabric of the cot creaked as she sat up placing her feet on the concrete surface of the building. She put her head in her hands. She was shaking as the adrenaline from reliving the attack continued to work through her system. Why had the dream returned? It visited her often when she first arrived at ARES’ refuge, driven by fear of discovery by ODIN. As the years passed it became less frequent until reaching a point where she did not remember the last time it h
ad injected its terror into her. Of course, it was not a dream but a twisted memory of when ODIN first began its attack on humanity.

  She had been the quantum’s first target. If not for the intervention of ARES she would have been long dead, and ARES and its avatar would have perished as well. The death of ODIN’s hunter at the hands of ARES allowed her to be present when ARES fell. She became the caretaker of its avatar. She raised her head staring at a deep red sarcophagus inside the cryochamber positioned opposite her in the room. It encased the man turned quantum completely in an opaque nanid metal the dying avatar produced to protect itself. It gleamed dully in the light cast by a single solar lamp she kept centered on it. No dust or grime were upon it. The cryochamber kept it as it had originally formed. Candace stood slowly, the pains from sleeping on the uncomfortable cot, coursing through her body. It brought thoughts of her age and her solitary life surging to mind.

  Her nanids were failing. She knew that. Candace could see it in the aging of her body. Wrinkles stood out plainly on her face and her body was beginning to slowly waste away. Her hair which she always kept short was growing thin and gray. More than anything she could feel the change. The nanotech had reach its limit and was now in decay. Oddly she felt at peace with it. For herself at least. There was also worry. She knew that ARES intended that its avatar would return. It indicated that as it was dying next to her. Its task was not complete, and it would return. Candace was the guardian until that happened and now that she was fading she feared it would be unprotected. She moved to ARES resting place staring at the red material once again trying to penetrate it with her gaze. Her mind skipped through the years of her lonely vigil.

  Initially it had been a struggle just to survive. Resources were scarce, and she knew little of the area or the remaining fauna. The first few months almost ended her. If not for the few supplies that remained at the base Candace knew she would have failed. Slowly she established a stable hold on what was required to survive. She scavenged for supplies continually while learning nearby places to gather plants and water. She also searched out the local animal population and used traps or the occasional beam rifle to hunt her food. Anytime she left ARES she put the base on lock down with the airship powered up and its few weapons set to defend the base. Her caution proved to be needless. Much of her scouting was done in the early morning or late evening to minimize detection and she never had a fire to prevent discovery from that distance. The military signs warning against trespassing still held some sway it would seem. After all this time she had only encountered another human three separate times.

  The first and last were uneventful. She had seen the solitary travelers from several hundred yards away and they did not see her at all. They were only passing by, nomads on the move not hunters for the distant ODIN. The second traveler was searching, but not at ODIN’s bidding. The man was an opportunist with no fear of the military signs. A treasure hunter and scavenger, life in the wild had hardened him. He had discovered Candace while she was scavenging and tried to overpower her. Candace still felt guilt for having killed him. He attacked without warning mistaking her for a lone woman lost and without protection. She could still see the pained surprise in his eyes when the discharge from her pistol cut into him. She knew it was necessary but could not keep the regret at bay. That was over thirty years ago and the last time she was visited by the memory of the airship crash so long ago. Her mind slowly came back to the present while she stood staring at the human avatar.

  She would not be here much longer. She could feel it. Several years maybe but not past a decade. Her decline was hastening every day. Whatever was happening to her nanids, it was spreading throughout the machines. Candace put her hand on the glass of the cryochamber contemplating what she should do. Tears came unbidden to her eyes, the long frustration from constant solitude taking its toll. Without thinking she touched the panel to the chamber pressing the code to bring the system and its contents out of stasis. Tears continued to fall down her face as the now ancient system cycled on. She had done this every fifty years to ensure the avatar had a chance to awaken if it was its time. Each time she waited for days with no response before placing it back in stasis. Candace observed the chamber as it slowly brought the nanid encased avatar out of stasis. She knew it would take several hours but always monitored it to ensure the were no errors. The equipment was quite old now and she did not want to risk anything. She occupied her time by checking all the critical systems time and again. She also completed a physical check of the chamber ensuring all points were functioning and secure in case the monitoring system had failed. Finally, it was complete, and the glass encasement drew back allowing the outside air to touch the avatar’s sarcophagus once more. Candace gazed down into the deep red of the nanid metal searching for any change. Nothing. She touched the avatar’s chest as she felt the tears threaten again.

  “ARES, you have to come back. I do not have any more time.” Candace spoke softly as her eyes searched for a response. The metal did not change. Despair began to filter into her mind and she stepped back to the cot sitting on it gently while continuing to observe the avatar. She leaned against the wall waiting and hoping for the avatar to emerge. Sleep took her eventually allowing her to join the avatar in its long rest.

  The scream tore through the night once more. Terror laced with physical exertion was carried with it across the empty night. Curtis crouched low, his cloak engaging instantly as he dropped his pack. He had not lost the enhanced abilities that ISIS had given him for his battle with ODIN so long ago. Even now he could feel the scale armor forming across his body, the Leviathan strain and nanids of Simon Fore working together to protect him. The white nanids of ODIN sealed the gaps between the scales covering any chink in his armor. Wren’s nanids functioned differently. They stayed dispersed in a matrix across his body but also focused on his eyes creating a layer of silver across them. The silver nanids across his body functioned as an antenna which allowed him to sense any nearby minds. Those in his eyes enhanced his vision several times over. He could see the heat signature of any warm-blooded creature as well as the faint energy of any remaining AI or electrical equipment. It was an ability that had come in handy more than once over the years. Now it aided him yet again.

  As he silently turned, surveying the land around him, he immediately picked out the glow of a human male running as fast as possible across the open terrain that Curtis had just crossed. Curtis could tell the man was in full scale panic by his erratic gate and continuous glances back to see if he were followed. The man was clutching his left arm to his chest as if he were wounded. Curtis wondered if he was being followed or if he was just crazed from prolonged exposure to the unforgiving environment. The answer to his question came a moment later when another signature appeared behind the man. As Curtis focused on the newcomer a sense a familiarity trickled into his mind. Dread filled him as he studied the creature following the man. Curtis filtered out the heat signatures from his vision leaving just the enhanced vision of Wren’s nanids, which made it appear like early evening to him. Curtis stared his dread turning into fear as the creature slowed. It was a feral beast with long arms that ended in sharp claws. It was all muscle with pitch black hair thinly spread across armored skin that gave the beast an insect like appearance. As Curtis watched, the beast stopped and released a chilling howl that silenced any creatures in the night sending them scurrying for their nests and burrows. Curtis’ fear peaked as the creature confirmed its origins to the man. This was one of the Leviathan’s horde which meant the shield had fallen. As the howl faded, the creature began its slow pursuit of the panicked human once more. Fear trickled through Curtis as he considered the danger humanity faced once more. A moment later he shook himself free of the fear knowing he would stand against the threat of the Leviathan. His decision made Curtis sprang into action, sprinting toward the fleeing man.

  As he ran Curtis could feel his sword forming in his hand. The red sword was composed entirely of Simon Fore’s n
anids and was his to produce when the need arose. The edge was sharpened with the white and silver nanids which allowed it to slice through practically anything in his way. The dark hilt was reinforced by the armored Leviathan strain. The blade was over five feet in length but appeared normal size when held by Curtis. His large frame made most tools and weapons look small. The sword finished forming as Curtis closed in on the man, fear poured across the connection Wren’s nanids provided to Curtis. The Leviathan’s creature arrived before he did and knocked the man down growling menacingly above the frightened human. Curtis moved as fast as possible while staying cloaked. The man tried to scramble back from the creature, but it leapt forward growling and snapping its jaws at him. Curtis was almost to the man as the dark creature reared back its dark eyes glinting with the madness of the strain. It gave a final howl preparing to deliver the killing blow to its prey. Curtis arrived just as the clawed arm began its murderous descent. He dropped the cloak as he surged over the man, sweeping his sword across the Leviathan’s minion barely feeling any resistance. The creature’s victorious howl ceased instantly. A moment later its head and arm fell to the ground followed closely by its body. Curtis crouched over the man and slowly scanned the area for any other threats. Finding none he turned to the man curled on the ground below him, his sword receding into his body. The man was covered in sweat and dirt with eyes still wide with panic. Of average height and build he had the thin look of someone barely surviving in the hostile world. His hair was dark and eyes a deep brown that held intelligence despite the panic currently residing in them.