by JN Chaney
J. N. Chaney
Copyrighted Material
The Vernal Memory Copyright © 2016 by Variant Publications
Book design and layout copyright © 2016 by Variant Publications
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living, dead, or undead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from Jeff Chaney.
www.jnchaney.com
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THE VERNAL MEMORY
J. N. Chaney
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
PART 1
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
PART 2
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Epilogue
Author Notes
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About the Author
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The Vernal Memory
Variant Saga #4
The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance.
Everlasting is on the brink of total war. As the terrorist organization known as Garden attempts to assassinate key members of the Leadership, another unseen hand has plans of its own...
Back at the human outpost, Mei Curie and her team are working to create the ultimate cure for the Variant gas. But with the war raging deep within the city, the shield could collapse at any moment, killing millions. Time is of the essence.
Meanwhile, Terry waits beneath Everlasting, having been rescued by Garden's forces. In an effort to repay this debt, he agrees to assist them in a dangerous task. With Lena Sol at his side, Terry sets out across the sea to a foreign land, seeking a prize that may very well end this conflict once and for all.
For Rob,
A human.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’d like to extend my appreciation and love to all the people who made this series possible. First, to my family, whose supportive words have continued to help drive me forward. To Sarah, who has been a constant inspiration to me as I have delved more and more into this mad world. Next, to James, Boyce, Geoff, Dustin, Nick, Heather, Dylan, Josh, Leslye, Brad, Steven, Vickie, Travis, Stephanie, Jessica, Jennifer, Valerie, and all the many people who have helped me along the way. To my beta readers, who have proven useful and encouraging throughout this entire series. Finally, to Rob, a true friend and one of the most talented people I know, whose council and advice has helped forge the finer points of this tale, and for whom this book’s dedication is deservedly given.
I could not ask for better people to have with me on this great journey, and while we may not always talk, know your actions have made an impact on this work and my life. It is only because of you that these pages exist, and it is because of you that others will follow.
PART 1
There can be no tyrants
where there are no slaves.
– Jose Rizal
A good deal of tyranny
Goes by the name of protection.
– Crystal Eastman
PROLOGUE
IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAGING SEA, a lone ship slipped between the towering waves. The strong winds raged, and thunder cackled in the night, taunting the boat with its ferocity.
“It is a good night to be at sea!” cried the captain of the Waveguard, beating his chest to the song of the storm. The rain blew hard into his face. “Tonight we are alive!”
This was a ship known in many harbors, for none had such a crew. Its captain, a legendary wavemaster, had traveled most of the known world, seeing more than most men could dream. Yet here, amidst this wild and natural chaos, he was truly in his element.
“Shall we circle back, sir?” called Sederin, a newer member of the crew. He’d joined several months ago, but had only made it through a few storms, and none so fierce as this.
“Do not be fooled by this tempest!” shouted Hux, staring out into the storm. “She means us no harm.”
“Yes, sir!” answered Sederin, a confident smile on his face. It was the look of a man who had complete faith in his leader.
“Have the others head into the cabin,” ordered Hux. “Tell them to secure our passengers. Stay on deck until everyone is clear.”
“What about you?” asked Sederin.
“I’ll join them soon,” he bellowed, turning back towards the sea.
The crew scrambled to leave, having secured the storm sails and cargo. They'd ride out the remaining winds safely from within.
Hux would follow soon, but not yet. He was made for this, born and bred in saltwater waves.
He took a deep breath of the thick air, and smiled.
The Waveguard had recently passed through the border of Everlasting, a forbidden kingdom on the other side of the great wall, probably to no good end. Probably to death.
It was the realm of the gods, the host of the great Eye, the golden city on the hill. No place in all the world was more mysterious or dangerous. One of the last uncharted frontiers. For these reasons and more, few men had dared to venture here, to the land beyond the walls. The world would call him a fool for this, a witless man of senseless delusion and risk.
Hux grinned a wild, mad smile as thunder echoed against the horizon’s edge, and he let loose a mighty bellow of a laugh. Let them mock him for daring to live. Let them call him a fool! He would see the gods, themselves, and rest his spear upon their necks. Let the deities of Everlasting come and try to stop him. Let them greet him at the gates.
With all his strength and spirit, he would resist them.
For Hux was a wavemaster of the sea, which meant he could not be ruled. Not by any man alive, nor god in Heaven's throne.
Rain beat against his face, and he sat atop the bow, fighting heavy winds. Despite his lust for adventure, Hux still had a mission, a reason for his destination—to rescue Terry, a friend and ally, who’d been stolen to the other side of the wall, seized by some creature.
A Guardian of Everlasting, protector of the gods…or so the legends had said.
But Hux was, in his own view, a real seeker of truth, not so eager to believe in fairytales. He would sail and see with his own eyes. He would fight.
“Captain!” called someone from the cabin door.
Hux turned at the voice
and saw a broad-chested man waving at him. It was Ludo, a farmer, and one of the Waveguard’s newest passengers. “Aye!” responded Hux, leaping down.
“One of your crew has fallen. They require assistance,” said Ludo.
“How bad is it?” asked Hux, entering the door with him.
“Ysa says he will live. It’s only a few cuts.”
“If it isn’t bad, why did you call for me?” asked Hux.
“Because you were sitting out in a storm like a madman, you fool,” said Ludo. “Something had to be done about it.”
Hux laughed. “Aye, I am a fool, I suppose. I signed up for this mission of yours, didn’t I?”
“An action I do not take lightly,” said Ludo, looking him in the eye.
“You asked me to help you rescue an innocent man…a good man, I should add. I couldn’t turn you down,” said Hux.
The ship jerked, and they each held the rail for a moment. “Regardless, I thank you, sir,” said Ludo, standing straight.
“None of that!” laughed Hux, slapping the farmer’s back. “Not from a man who fought a Guardian and lived. You call me by the name my mother gave me.”
They entered the lower deck, which was filled with cots and benches, crewmates scattered throughout. Ysa, Ludo’s wife and a former priestess of the Eye, sat with a stack of bandages, tending to the injured crewman. She was a quiet woman, but deadly, gifted with enough power in her to rival a small army. Hux didn’t know a man alive who could kill a woman like that.
The ship lurched and Hux grabbed one of the nearby pillars. Ludo stumbled, catching himself on a bench. “Watch the storm,” laughed Hux.
“I don’t know how you do this,” admitted Ludo.
“It’s easy. You just need to train your legs to love the sea,” said the wavemaster.
The outer door swung open, and Sederin came inside. “Captain!”
“What kept you?” asked Hux.
“Sir, there’s something in the water. I saw it not far from us. Some sort of object coming out of the sea!”
“Wind and rocks, that’s all,” said Hux. “The waves rise and fall…create illusions in a storm like this.”
“It wasn’t a rock, Captain. It moved on its own, and there was some kind of light.”
“A light?” asked Hux.
“Green, like nothing I’ve ever seen,” said Sederin.
“Show me,” ordered Hux.
“You’re going back out there?” asked Ludo.
“Only for a moment. Stay here and watch the others,” answered the captain. He followed Sederin, stopping a few times whenever the storm tossed the ship. A shower of hard rain hit them as soon as they opened the door.
Sederin grabbed hold of the railing to steady himself, then pointed starboard. “It was over there!”
Hux saw nothing, but he knew better than to jump to conclusions. He scanned the horizon, observing the roaring waves of the black sea, letting his eyes adjust to the storm, staring through the chaos.
Beneath the surface of the darkened sea, a glimmer appeared, growing brighter. It lifted higher, becoming clearer, before finally breaching.
Surrounding it, a large body rose from the roiling waves, standing far above the ship’s mast. Towering over everything, steady in the heavy winds, the monster raised its tentacled arms high into the sky. Its daunting green eye shone on the distant cliff near the shore, scanning to the left and right, as though it were looking for something. “What in the world is that?” balked Hux.
“Is it a Guardian?” asked Sederin.
Ludo stood behind the captain. “It’s not like the others. This one is different.”
“We need to turn the ship around,” said Sederin. “There’s still time to flee!”
“Won’t it see us?” asked Ludo.
“Quiet down,” said Hux, lifting his arm to silence them. “We’re anchored now, and there’s space between us. The storm is too strong to risk a move.”
“But staying could be suicide,” said Sederin.
“Quiet yourself, boy,” ordered Hux, keeping his eyes on the lurking fiend in the water. “You’ll give us away.”
The Guardian twisted its glowing green eye to the northeast, the opposite direction of Hux’s ship, and then paused. It lingered there a moment before slipping back into the storming sea, submerging completely.
Sederin opened his mouth to say something, but Hux motioned his hand to quiet him.
The sky lit up, roaring a thunderclap so loud it shook their chests. The cackle startled the other men, but the seasoned captain would not be moved. He could sense the coming threat. He could feel the waters shift. “Nobody move,” he whispered to the other two.
“What is it?” asked Ludo.
The planks of the ship shuddered with the slightest of movement. The others might interpret it as part of the storm, but such was not the case. The water beneath the boat had been displaced. “The monster is moving below, passing to the other side. Remain completely still.”
“Beneath us?” Sederin’s eyes widened.
“Still your feet,” Hux whispered, to which his crewman obliged.
Seconds later, an emerald beam of light rose from the nearby waves, piercing the clouds. The Guardian revealed itself once more.
Sederin took a step back, nearly collapsing, when Hux grabbed him by the shoulder, keeping him still. The three men stood motionless, staring into the breadth of the goliath, insects before a god.
The Guardian’s green eye swept across the waters and onto the beach, darting between the trees. It waited there a moment, then plunged into the waters from which it came, tossing the ship and forcing Sederin and Ludo to the deck floor, while Hux caught himself on the railing.
Hux let out a hand to Ludo, who took it. “Easy,” said the captain.
“It didn’t see us,” said Ludo.
Sederin got to his feet, a look of both wonder and panic across his face.
“I’d wager it’s looking for something,” said Hux.
“It completely ignored us,” said Ludo. “I’ve never seen such a thing.”
Hux nodded. The beast had left their vessel alone and untouched. Either the Guardian had not seen them or it was more concerned with something else. “Perhaps it thinks us unworthy of its time. We are but men, after all.”
“What sort of world have we come to?” asked Ludo, staring where the Guardian had gone.
“You asked me to take you to the realm of the gods,” Hux told him. “I should say, we’ve finally arrived.”
CHAPTER 1
Ortego Outpost File Logs
Play Audio File 1287
Recorded: March 21, 2351
HARPER: The second delivery should be leaving Central tomorrow afternoon. We had to wait for the storm to pass through here before proceeding, hence the delay.
CURIE: There’s no helping it. We couldn’t afford to lose the cargo.
HARPER: You’re not wrong about that. Those injections take time to produce, so it’ll be at least a week before we have another out your way.
CURIE: I understand. I’ll make certain everyone gets their assigned dose. They’re all pretty excited about it.
HARPER: Are you sure they understand what you’re asking them to do?
CURIE: I’m planning another briefing as soon as the supplies arrives, but I think we’re all on the same page.
HARPER: Just make sure you remind them about the limitations. This isn’t a permanent solution to Variant, but it’s close.
CURIE: I’ll make them take notes if I have to. Don’t worry.
HARPER: Good. With any luck, these inoculations might be the last step in finding an actual cure to Variant.
CURIE: Do you think we’re really that close?
HARPER: If you’d asked me a year ago, I would have said there was no chance. However, after everything we’ve seen, I’m staying optimistic.
End Audio File
Garden Headquarters
March 21, 2351
Somewhere undergroun
d, deep beneath the streets of Everlasting, Terry sat with his back against the wall. He watched in silence from the corner of a claustrophobic room as a dozen rebels unloaded armfuls of stolen weapons. It was not the first time such a thing had occurred in the few weeks since his arrival, nor would it be the last.
“Trouble?” asked a female voice. He turned to see the armored soldier Jinel Den standing over him, her rifle firm against her chest.
“What?” He blinked.
“You look troubled,” she told him. “Or are you nervous about the mission? Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” She laughed.
“I should go with you,” he said, eyeing the rifle. “That way, maybe you could avoid a full-on firefight.”
“We already talked about that, remember? You’re staying out of the enemy’s sights.”
“I’m faster and stronger than all of your soldiers. I could get in there and do what you need without being seen. You wouldn’t have to—”
“You’re too valuable to risk like that. I can’t have you getting caught. It’s not worth it.”
He pressed his lips together in frustration. She was right, of course. If the Leadership dissected him, found the key to his strength, they’d start engineering their own hybrids. It wouldn’t take long for them to create an army and wipe out all of Garden’s resistance.
But he also hated the idea of both sides slaughtering each other. It all felt so pointless.
One of the other rebels called for Jinel from across the room. She waved at them. “Time for me to go,” she said, glancing at Terry.
“I just want to help,” he muttered.
“And you will,” she assured him. “I’ll find something you can do. Something important.”
He watched her join the rest of her team and leave. The bustling interior of the base suddenly grew much quieter as the two dozen soldiers disappeared into the hall toward the exit. In their place, a few analysts worked quietly in the corner, waving their hands against an invisible display only they could see. Even here in this underground bunker, Everlasting’s advanced technology was abundant.