Chapter Nine
Changes keep on coming
Nellie floated in the web of information, strings winding from her head and body and off into the distance. It had taken her a week of real-time to finally make it all conform to her way of doing things, but it was worth it.
Before, she had been constantly having to keep the storm of information at bay to...
2024-08-13 08:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Eight
Docking
Crush breathed a sigh of relief when the Talon dropped out of Transit Space, hearing Cara and Andy doing the same. After the disaster on the arc ship none of them were going to be comfortable in that chaotic mess of a place. Not for a long time.
“Scan?” Crush called immediately.
“Clearing now,” Sec called...
2024-08-12 08:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Seven
One small step
The Indomitable maintained a steady orbit as the two women on board bickered about where to land. Below them, the single massive continent waited. The strange landmass curved up and over the top half of the planet, a long arm down the far side thinning as it passed the equator until it terminated in a series of islands that...
2024-08-08 08:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Six
New beginnings
Nellie read and reread the messages, but no matter how many times she did, they didn’t change.
At least she knew it wasn’t an attack now. The transfer process was a lot more than uncomfortable. Nell had almost ended up braindead as a result. If she hadn’t spent all that time practicing her control of the nan...
2024-08-07 08:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Five
Messages
First Message received - Sender: Lucy.
Hey Nell,
I know you are really busy up there, so I am sending this instead. I have received a response to the message we sent back. They are talking in the same language as us, which is strange, don’t you think?
I’ve swi...
2024-08-06 08:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Four
Opening Moves
“I have it programmed to be in Transit Space for about an hour and a half, then exit and return after a long-range scan if possible,” Boone reported as the Orb launched from the Sparklight.
The Carrier had been moved into position a short distance away from the Jump Point that had brought them to this system. As far...
2024-08-05 08:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Three
Bad News
The charts provided by the strange Captain Blagden and his crew did not paint a very pretty picture. Their system was blockaded by well over one hundred fifty ships, most of them cruisers or even capital ships.
“They are only blockading us on three sides,” Salem noted, her elegant finger tapping insistently on the...
2024-08-01 08:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Two
Unexpected Arrivals.
Greetings,
We extend our warmest greetings to you, the maker of this small scout vehicle. One of our gate devices recovered it as part of its automatic gathering routines. No harm or ill intent was involved in this act. It was purely automatic, and safeguards are in place to ensure sentient...
2024-07-31 08:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostChapter One
Change is the only constant
“Explain this, please,” Salem said sternly. Her eyes raked over The Girl, taking in all the changes.
“Explain what?” The Girl replied innocently.
The last time Salem had seen The Girl, she had been a thin, sort of gangly child who could have passed for anything from ten to twelve years old, de...
2024-07-30 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostPrologue
Four months after the battle…
The outer rim of Sagacity controlled space — Border with Nanite Imperium.
Fleet Admiral Hardwicke leaned over the command screen and brought up the details on the jump point. It was one of three possible exits in this system from the Nanite Imperium’s system. All around the ...
2024-07-29 08:00:10 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Sixty
Evolving Situations
Wesley stumbled out the door of the safe room after the others and collapsed against the cliff wall, looking anxiously around to see if there was anything that looked urgent.
Like a bit of the cliff shearing off.
Nothing seemed different than before, so he closed his eyes and allowed the process to co...
2024-07-26 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Nine
Sleeping through the end of the world.
Wesley woke from a deep, dreamless sleep, immediately knowing something was wrong. The silence in the safe room immediately made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
For a short and heart-stopping moment, Wesley thought he was alone. Wes decided that the revelation of exac...
2024-07-25 08:10:01 +0000 UTC View PostHey all,
Now that we have completed Book 3 I just wanted to take a moment to let you know about the plans for Book 4, which is already well underway and (I think) even better than Book 3.
And speaking of Book 4, there will be a change to the posting schedule beginning next week.
I will post a total of 4 chapters each week (Seriously, not just because it is book 4, that is just...
2024-07-25 08:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Eight
Down Under
“Everyone get ready,” Wesley called as he readied the shovel. “It will probably attack the second one of us touches down.”
“No shit!” Dolin snapped.
“Shut up, Dolin!” Another woman called over. “You dozy bitch.”
“Ah, kiss my ass, Rachael, you stuck up—” Dolin started.
“F...
2024-07-24 08:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Seven
Welcome to the Jungle
Wesley marveled at the changes a few upgrades could make.
To say that the troops had been surprised by the creation of a literal pile of upgrade cubes would be like saying a starving man was surprised by the offer of a three-course dinner. They were more than amazed at the smiling Joy handing ...
2024-07-23 08:10:01 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 55
Epilogue
Sector Space - 1 week after the battle ended.
A week in transit space had not improved either of their moods, and Carter was more than looking forward to a shower when their shuttle dropped back into regular space.
“I’m seeing minimal traffic in the system,” Maxton replied from the...
2024-07-23 08:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 54
Search and Rescue
“Hand in there, Cara!” Crush grimaced as he felt something tear inside his guts. Power armor could do a lot, but gut-shot was gut-shot. Carrying a half-dead friend over your shoulder at the same time was simply not advisable in his current condition.
Crush put his head down and ran faster before blood loss could f...
2024-07-23 08:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Six
The Morning After
Wesley had no idea how long he sat on the wall, watching for movement. What he did know was that it was light when he blinked and came back to himself.
All around him, people were moving listlessly. Many were just sitting, staring into space the way he had been.
“Come on, Wes,” He muttered...
2024-07-22 08:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Five
The Sundered Day
Rupert, for all he looked like the usual gormless posh boy, was right on the money when it came to them facing a completely different enemy from the previous night.
Their first clue came when the creatures reappeared, clad in the scavenged armor of the bandits they had killed. Their approach varied, and very fe...
2024-07-21 08:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Four
The Ravening Horde
“Hold!” Malia called as the charging creatures hit the base of the rise. Every second, they got closer. Malia stared, unblinking, until the lead one drew back its long, thin arm to launch the spear. “FIRE!”
The archers fired, sending a hail of arrows at their attackers, while Wesley picked targets, ta...
2024-07-20 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Three
On the road again.
Bob and Earl waved them off, and as a reward, they earned themselves a couple of slices of Joy’s freshly baked pie.
Honestly, after a couple of bites, they almost volunteered to accompany them to the South before sanity and self-preservation reminded them they were on gate duty for a reason. Namely, they w...
2024-07-19 08:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Two
The Assignment.
Wesley spent much of the following day working with Earnshaw’s people to develop their new crafting production line. The Mayor had set up quite the system overnight, with repair materials collected in a central location for conversion into upgrade cubes, mods, and reinforcements.
Naturally, there was still a fa...
2024-07-18 08:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 53
This far, but no further.
“STOP!” Lucy screamed in her ear, but Nellie ignored her as she reached out to the nanites in the Bly. They responded in their millions, responding to her call.
One word echoed in her mind as she prepared to unleash them all.
Consume.
“Stop!” Lucy said again as the world faded away and was ...
2024-07-18 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-One
The old and the new.
“Hey, shit! Hey!” The gate guards began to wave excitedly as they drew near to the city. “I said he’d come! Didn’t I, Bob? Didn’t I say?”
“We both said,” the grinning Bob nodded. “You know we both said it, Earl.”
“Yeah, but I said it first!” Earl replied proudly as they drew n...
2024-07-17 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty
Bad news never comes alone
The Keeper had left them alone for a minute, which was kind of him. Malia was staring at her badge as if she had never seen it before, and Wesley didn’t blame her. Those people, whoever they had been, were her people.
“I’m sorry,” Wesley said again, coming to stand next to her. He didn...
2024-07-16 08:10:01 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 52
Above and Below
Nellie's face contorted in pain as the Talon absorbed another brutal blow. The modified cruiser, now a wounded beast, started to tilt to one side as its thrusters sputtered and failed.
“How long until that beam is up?” Nellie yelled over the warning klaxons.
“Thirty seconds!” Remy replied.
“Pilot, ...
2024-07-16 08:05:00 +0000 UTC View PostChapter 51
Boarding Party
Tippett waited his turn at the back of the line, more than happy to allow the higher ranks to be the first ones through the door.
“Seals locked! Move! Move! Move!” Silver's voice boomed, the urgency in his command palpable. The Imperial Line Security Force, known for their strict hierarchy, used the names of me...
2024-07-16 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Nine
The Trouble with Feeling Safe.
Wesley sat and ate a cold pie while Malia fussed over the haircut she was giving Joy. It was the final step in making her ‘safe,’ or rather the closest to it you could get in this world.
A haircut, a change of clothes—and absolutely no one touching her tail—was all she needed n...
2024-07-15 08:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Eight
Loot and Scoot
It was crazy; it really was. Wesley looked around at the destruction around him and had to ask… How is this my life?
A little over an hour earlier, Wes had dropped a seven-story stone tower on a creature that looked like it belonged on the cover of a heavy metal album. Now, he was walking around a marshland co...
2024-07-14 08:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Seven
Take it all!
“Need backup!” Wesley called as he started to fire on the approaching horde. This was the weakness of his strategy. He could defend easily enough against a spread-out attack, but an attack from a single direction could break through if they were determined enough.
That was the grim reality as Wesley was forced...
2024-07-13 08:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post