Nanite Storm: Travails in Nanotechnology Read online

  Nanite Storm

  Immortality Interrupted, Volume 2

  C.F. Villion

  Published by C.F. Villion, 2016.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  NANITE STORM

  First edition. June 23, 2016.

  Copyright © 2016 C.F. Villion.

  ISBN: 978-1533766687

  Written by C.F. Villion.

  Also by C.F. Villion

  Immortality Interrupted

  Shi

  Nanite Storm

  Watch for more at C.F. Villion’s site.

  To my favourite three people in the world, your patience and love mean everything to me. Love you.

  Nanite Storm

  Immortality Interrupted, Volume 2

  C.F. Villion

  Published by C.F. Villion, 2016.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  NANITE STORM

  First edition. June 23, 2016.

  Copyright © 2016 C.F. Villion.

  Written by C.F. Villion.

  Also by C.F. Villion

  Immortality Interrupted

  Shi

  Nanite Storm

  Watch for more at www.starstraeder.com.

  To my favourite three people in the world, your patience and love mean everything to me. You guys rock.

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  TWENTY-NINE

  THIRTY

  THIRTY-ONE

  THIRTY-TWO

  THIRTY-THREE

  THIRTY-FOUR

  THIRTY-FIVE

  THIRTY-SIX

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  Coming Soon

  Dear Reader,

  Preface

  If you have stumbled across this book you might want to put it aside for now and rather get Book 1: Shi (Immortality Interrupted #1) for free. It starts the journey of Eliza Beckett Taylor and her search for true immortality and freedom.

  I promise it is worth it.

  ONE

  "You lied to me, Eliza."

  Denny's tone was accusing, I didn't blame him, but he was wrong. I sighed and closed my eyes. They stung from staring at the same building for hours. It was early and the night stretched out in front of us. It promised to be hellishly long.

  "I didn't lie, Denny, I told you it would be boring, and yet, you insisted on coming with."

  "Boring yes, but you didn't say it would be fucking boring!" He flung the accusation at me.

  "Dude, chill out."

  One of us had to be calm, and it certainly wasn't going to be him. He was acting like a child. I had little patience for kids, I liked them well enough but couldn't handle being around any.

  Of course, I had eighty plus years to cultivate my stance on the matter. I never had any, and my only experience came from watching from the side lines.

  He was the closest thing to family I had left. A grandson, though not of my blood he meant as much to me as if we shared that connection.

  I destroyed his carefully crafted lie of a life and killed him, so I owed him some patience. But, he was hitting my last nerve and working himself up even further.

  "Fuckity, fuck,"

  "Go for a bloody walk," I ground out through tightly clenched teeth, "Please," I added in an attempt to soften my irritation.

  He got out and slammed the door behind him. Little snot, I thought as he walked away. I opened all the windows and let the fresh breeze clear the car and my head.

  I peered at the building again. We had parked up the road from it, tucked behind a big van. More nondescript than our SUV, my initial thought was that it contained cops on a stakeout. But so far no one had entered or exited.

  Of course, if there were police officers inside I could always claim to be a PI on a stake out with a rookie. I wasn't a bloody investigator, and the badge in my pocket was a forgery.

  When we took on this 'case' for Viv, it was in payment for her help, not to start a business. But Denny was keen on the idea and looked into obtaining business cards and offices.

  That came to an end rather quickly. I refused to go that far. It wasn't the start of a new career, and I had zero interest in stalking cheating spouses and the other shit P.I.'s dealt with during their jobs.

  It was a means to an end. The end being the task app on my tablet hacked into. And according to Denny Viv was the only person who could do it. So in exchange for stealing back her stolen nanites she would get into the Man's system. The Man hid many things, and if we could get just a peek into their setup, we could perhaps get a hint of their endgame.

  Not that I had any plans to put a stop to their endgame, but a heads up to when that would happen could be handy. That way, I could plan when I needed to bunker down.

  And that was the only thing I knew for sure, that eventually their endgame would involve an end to the world as people knew it. Perhaps the world to follow would be a better one, but that was wishful thinking.

  Something Denny felt a possibility, but Asher and I both knew it was naivety. But neither of us wanted to spoil that for him. Just because we were old and cynical, it didn't mean we had to ruin his dreams.

  Denny's life as a conman should have made him more cynical than either of us, but after he had woken up from his faked death, he appeared more optimistic. He certainly seemed keen on making a new life for himself. But, way too eager to drag me into it with him.

  There were suddenly too many people in my life, and it felt crowded as of late. Two weeks and three days since I last had to go for an injection. A period filled with more happiness than ever before and more frustration than the entire eighty-three years prior.

  Immortality had many pitfalls, and with my particular choice of immortality, the price had been steep. Daily tasks for the Man that eventually included more torture and murder than even the most zealous serial killer could endure.

  And yet, endure it I did. Not gracefully by the end and I had compartmentalised the situation. For days after Asher's first cup of tea, I couldn't stop crying.

  This mysterious man granted me true immortality, and I still wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse. My body detoxed, and the Man's cocktail of chemicals left my system.

  It was horrible. And though I felt great in general, the fog lifted. I saw clearly for the first time in many years, and it wasn't a beautiful picture.

  My tears could never wash away all the horror of my past, horror inflicted by my hands upon hapless victims. Victims of the Man, same as me, but I still had a life, unlike those poor souls.

  My hands trembled in my lap, and these were thoughts that I shouldn't indulge right then. I rubbed them together and gave them a once-over. No liver spots, nor any other signs of age.

  My concentration remained strained, and my hands trembled for a long time. I missed Denny all of a sudden. His childishness would be a welcome change to these thoughts of m
y past.

  I had been so caught up in my past that I failed the first step of surveillance. I wasn't looking out for my quarry. And so it came as one hell of a surprise when I saw the very thief I was staking out going down the same alley Denny had gone down.

  "Fuckity, fuck," I muttered and got out.

  Swiftly and quietly I locked the car and made my way across the road. I kept a fair bit of distance between us, making sure he didn't see me. The darkness and general disgusting nature of the alley made it easier.

  I hid whenever he cautiously peered over his shoulder. Trash that I was happy not to see afforded the perfect cover. I couldn't see Denny and for a stupid moment, I hoped he had left the alley and was wandering the street on the other side.

  I ought to know better by now, though. A shot rang out, and feet slapped the road hard as someone ran away.

  TWO

  My heart thumped hard as I cautiously peered out from behind the pile of rubbish and into the alley. I saw a shape on the ground, curled on his side. In the darkness, I couldn't tell if it was the thief or Denny.

  I got up slowly just in case the shooter was still around and waiting for another unsuspecting victim. Luck appeared to finally be on my side, and no shots rang out. Walking towards the groaning figure my heart sank, it was Denny.

  I rushed to his side and gently touched his shoulder, I needed to see the wound, but common sense dictated that I didn't move him. Gunshots were horrible at any given time but for all I knew he had rolled into it and plugged the hole.

  I didn't want him to die. Please, Lord, don't let him die.

  Out of habit, I ducked just in case my prayer was considered sacrilege and the Almighty decided to smite me after all. Nothing happened, and Denny's groaning increased in volume.

  "Denny, who shot you?"

  Asking him if he was okay would be dumb. And if he were to lose consciousness, I needed to hurry and get the info to stop the dumbass that did this.

  "The guy we were watching." He whispered, between clenched teeth.

  I nodded and brought out my phone, a flash of guilt for not doing so earlier passed through me. I dialed emergency services.

  "What's your emergency?" A rather cheerful voice on the other end asked after two rings.

  "My friend's shot and we are in the alleyway between Rochester and West Streets, the closest one to the corner of West Street."

  "An ambulance is on the way to your location."

  I didn't give the person on the other end the opportunity to ask me anything and hung up. A very long, tense few minutes followed while I waited to hear the sirens.

  My instinct to flee the scene remained strong after all this time. Even though Denny getting shot wasn't directly my fault. Of course, it was my fault; I should have kept track of Viv's thief. I'd become too easily distracted lately.

  The paramedics arrived and got down to business immediately, an awe-inspiring sight. One turned to me and spoke quickly.

  "How many times was he shot?"

  "Only once that I'm aware of."

  He nodded and together with his partner they turned Denny onto his back and found the gunshot wound right away. The welling pool of blood made it painfully obvious.

  But with swift, deft movements, they tore open his shirt and applied pressure to the gaping hole. I blanched, it was horrifying to see so much blood coming out of a loved one.

  Much sooner than I thought possible they had him on the stretcher and into the ambulance. They were getting ready to leave, and I hurried back to my car. I would follow the ambulance to the hospital.

  My stake had ended. If the thief had any common sense, he would be long gone and wouldn't come back here. And since he was talented enough to steal nanotechnology I assumed he would be far away by now. But, maybe he was clumsy and left me plenty of clues to follow.

  The ambulance sped past me lighting up the night, their lights more a sickly hue than blazing victory. I shook my head; I assumed the worst. Denny would be okay, and they would save him.

  I should have said no. To both of them. But when Denny couldn't convince, me he asked Asher to work his magic. He found me in my bedroom, a place he hardly ever entered.

  My imagination ran wild, as always. The bed was big and spacious, and we were alone. Denny had left in a huff after failing to convince me. To Viv, no doubt. The warehouse had descended into peace.

  Relatively, speaking. I felt many things with Asher around, but peace not necessarily being one of them. As it was, he found me reading in bed.

  He quirked an eyebrow and leant in my doorway seductively. Before I clamped down on the thoughts swarming through my head, my body flooded with hormones.

  Whispering, to my brain, how sweet it would be to give in, to invite him into my bed and life.

  "I'm ready whenever you are Baby."

  I swear he purred, but the situation increasingly compromised my higher brain function. With much effort, I pushed off of the bed and retreated to my dresser.

  Jewelry and perfume bottles were in need of rearranging. I had let things get into a terrible state lately and now seemed to be a particularly good time to deal with it.

  He even moved like a cat when he wanted to, because I didn't hear him sneak up behind me. The heat he radiated enveloped me and further degraded my mental state.

  How easy it would have been to lean back into him, to feel his body pressed against my own. Heat travelled down my spine and curled pleasantly around my body to settle midway.

  One touch and I would be lost.

  "I will always find you and bring you back. You know that don't you?" He whispered, perilously close.

  "Promises, promises."

  I shrugged and tried to remain calm. Not much chance of that. But the heat receded, and I could finally breathe again. With a shuddering sigh, I turned and almost lost it. Instead of leaving he retreated to the bed and now reclined on it. Like a king.

  My brain finally gave in, curled up into a small ball and left my body to its own devices. And that was when the bastard struck.

  Instead of throwing me on the bed and having his wicked way with me he slowly stretched to show off the excellent set of muscles the deception filter displayed. I might have been drooling at the time because my memory is a bit fuzzy here.

  I do remember that he climbed off my bed and walked over and leant down and I closed my eyes. Instead of the kiss I was sure to receive he whispered something.

  "Yes, yes anything. Anything you want."

  "Thank you."

  And with an insulting pat on my bottom he left the room. Still dazed and under the influence of my lust, I felt confused by the sudden departure.

  Once I was firmly outside his alien mojo, his request came back to me. I grabbed the book still lying open on my bed and hurled it out the door towards his retreating back.

  He laughed and briefly waved before disappearing down the stairs. I stomped around and kicked at the furniture.

  The bastard seduced me into taking Denny along for the stakeout. And as much as I blamed Asher, I blamed myself more. I should have stayed strong and ignored my bloody hormones.

  THREE

  Hospitals sucked, doubly so when waiting in the emergency room. It gave me the willies as I sat waiting.

  We weren't related so until he stabilised I wouldn't know what the hell was going on. I fidgeted for a while and tracked the time on the emergency room's old clock.

  A television stuck in a corner played black and white images no one cared to see. Country music blared from the nurses’ station, and the banality of it all grated on my last nerve. I had to get out of there.

  I stood and left the ER, ignoring the signs indicating the passageway I walked down was off limits and designated to hospital personnel. Away from the noise and urgency of the emergency room.

  Dull, boring and quiet, bliss after the waiting room. I slid down the wall and sat down on the cold hospital floor. I brought my hands up and gave them a quick once over.

  But n
o blood clung to them; I hadn't touched his wound or got anywhere near the site. It was shocking that somehow something that horrific hadn't touched me, that it left no mark.

  My usual paranoia leaked past my concern, and I performed an inspection. No taint, no spots, no age marks touched them at all. Small and pale, my hands looked like they had never done a day's hard labour of any kind.

  I snorted, what a joke. My life before was comfortable, but I did what good wives did and took care of a household. And after Shi entered my life my hands worked harder than I had ever thought possible.

  And it was terrible work. No doubt about it. I was a good little assassin for the Man, never questioning my tasks. After all, the little bit of research I had done into my targets showed people the world would be better off without.

  Now though I wondered how much of it was a plant, breadcrumbs left for me to find by the Man. Of course, it became evident how my process worked as soon as I completed that first assassination task.

  And it must have been so simple to direct my clumsy investigations. Internet searches were never private, regardless of what the public thought. The Man's resources span much wider than I could see. For decades, I didn't even know my damn ex was in on it all.

  It bugged the hell out of me that I didn't know how far his involvement went, that I couldn't see how his role played out. The past couple of weeks I've been trying not to think of Richard and certainly not indulge in memories.

  I brought my head back sharply and knocked it against the wall behind me, knocking sense into myself would be awesome. Not nearly hard enough to crack my skull but I did bang it hard enough to hurt like hell. All I accomplished was a headache.

  Some staff members were making their noisy way down my quiet corridor, and at any moment, they would round the corner and see me. I couldn't deal with their questions, so I got up and walked away in the opposite direction.

  Instead of finding more quiet hallways I stumbled onto the hospital cafeteria. Finally some luck. People at cosy little tables were drinking coffee and chatting. A few looked worn, and there were some shell-shocked expressions.