Endless Advance: Age of Expansion - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Uprise Saga Book 2)

by Amy DuBoff

  Widmore examined the monitor from next to Dwyer. “Do you see anything?”

  “His heartrate and neural activity are elevated, but there isn’t any obvious foreign growth in him,” Dwyer replied.

  “I can’t believe I was actually hoping there’d be a worm attached to his spinal column,” Widmore muttered.

  “That would have suggested a more obvious course for treatment,” Dwyer agreed. “As it stands, though, we’ll need to run bloodwork to look for microscopic elements.”

  The major frowned. “How long will that take?”

  “At least half an hour to get preliminary results, but I have no idea how deeply we may need to dive. This is clearly something our standard tests don’t look for.”

  Kurtz barked a laugh. “Such simple creatures you are.”

  “I’m certain you aren’t as advanced as you’d like us to believe. It’s all science,” Dwyer replied. He prepared a syringe. “Hold still,” he instructed, gripping the colonel’s arm. He drew a vial of blood, then stepped back. “I’ll begin analyzing this.”

  “Bring in Luke and his team,” Widmore instructed.

  The doctor’s brow knitted. “Aren’t they busy working on a cure for Ava?”

  “It might be connected,” Widmore said. “We need to explore this angle first.”

  Ava’s heart dropped, but she understood. An unknown alien presence was a security risk for the entire base—and beyond.

  Doctor Dwyer nodded his understanding, then departed with the syringe.

  Widmore turned to Ava. “Lieutenant, while the analysis is underway, see if you can glean any information about how Nox infected the colonel.”

  She inclined her head. “I’ll do my best, sir.”

  Kurtz watched Ava with creepy calm as she approached.

  “Colonel, I know you’re in there,” she stated. “We’re going to get you back.”

  “I already told you, it’s a futile exercise,” Nox said on Kurtz’s behalf.

  “See, I don’t think so.” Ava positioned herself so she could look directly into Kurtz’s eyes. She could see the difference now, when Kurtz was present versus Nox having control. Whenever she spoke with the alien, it was as though a light was missing from within—the ultimate uncanny valley effect with a living, sentient being. She held back a shudder. “You’ve been found out. You have nothing left to gain from remaining inside him.”

  Kurtz chuckled. “Oh, don’t I? Every time you react, you tell me more about you. Whatever harm you wish to cause him, it won’t hurt me.”

  “But you have nowhere to go,” Ava stated. “If you cooperate, you may be able to go free.”

  The colonel raised an eyebrow. “First, I know better than to think you’d ever let me go. I know all your secrets now. No matter what you may promise me in an attempt to save your friend, I’d never be allowed to leave.”

  Ava glanced at Widmore, and he nodded.

  “That may be so, but that doesn’t mean life has to be uncomfortable for you,” Ava continued.

  Kurtz scoffed. “If I were to vacate this body, you’d make every effort to kill me. I’m far too dangerous for you to keep around.”

  “But—”

  “Oh, Ava, you’re making all the wrong assumptions,” Kurtz interrupted. “What makes you think I’m even in this body?”

  “What?” The question caught Ava completely off-guard. “I’m talking to you now. I’ve felt your presence.”

  “A presence, yes. But you understand so little of what I am.”

  Is that even possible? She’d never considered there wasn’t an actual being within Kurtz. The notion that its physical presence could exist elsewhere and what she was communicating with now was simply a telepathic projection was… terrifying.

  “Sir, can I talk to you for a moment?” Ava asked Widmore.

  He nodded his consent and stepped into the hallway with her. “What is it, Lieutenant?”

  “He might not be physically inside Kurtz, sir.”

  Widmore’s scowl creased his brow. “How could that be?”

  “I can’t even hazard a guess. But if there is some way that these beings can gain remote control of a host—”

  “They could be in anyone,” Widmore completed for her.

  Ava nodded. “That’s my fear, sir.”

  “But they’re not. I mean, we’d know, right?”

  “I don’t think we can assume anything.”

  “Shit.” Widmore wiped his hands down his face. “But Nox knows, right? You can see his thoughts, just like any other.”

  “In theory, yes. But it’s not anyone else. There’s no way of knowing if its thoughts operate the same way. For all I know, it could be able to think a lie and I’d never know any difference.” Ava swallowed. “Like I said, maybe it’s only making me think I’m directing the conversation just so it can gain complete control over me.”

  “I don’t think that’s the case.”

  “Why sir?” Ava questioned. “You’re acting like everything is normal with me, but something serious happened. I can’t be trusted.”

  The major studied her face. “You were able to glean what it’d done with the ship earlier today.”

  “That may have been a ruse. Maybe it wanted to get back to headquarters.”

  “Then why try to leave?” Widmore questioned. “Why expose itself in the first place? It could have remained hidden and never tried to escape.”

  Ava shrugged. “Sir, I’m just speculating here. I don’t have answers.”

  “Neither do I,” Widmore admitted. “But I have my instincts. And right now, my gut tells me that this alien presence wants to possess you, but it can’t. I’ll be keeping close watch while you see this through.”

  “I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me,” Ava murmured.

  “The very fact that you can express that concern assures me you’re still yourself,” the major told her. He reached for the door handle. “The truth will reveal itself in time. For now, all we can do is gather as much information as we can. Find out what Nox knows and we’ll try to corroborate that information with verifiable facts.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Widmore nodded and opened the door, gesturing Ava through.

  “Have a nice little chat about me, did you?” Kurtz asked.

  “You’re our favorite topic of conversation, don’t you know?” Ava returned to her place facing the colonel. “Now, I believe you were about to tell me all about yourself.”

  “I think I won’t,” Kurtz replied.

  “Like you have any way of stopping me.” Time to put that theory to the test. She stared into his eyes, preparing to bore into the shared mind to root out what was Kurtz and what was the alien.

  “It’s a valiant effort, Ava, but I’m in control here,” Nox said in her mind.

  “You’re not stronger than me,” she replied. “I’ll find out the truth whether you volunteer it or not.”

  “Only if I’m here to tell you. Good luck.” Nox’s presence disappeared.

  “What the…?” Ava wondered aloud. She searched Kurtz’s mind through his eyes, but there was no hint of Nox—or of Kurtz within. It was as though everything had shut down and was inaccessible.

  “What’s going on?” Widmore demanded.

  “He’s… gone,” Ava stammered.

  “The alien?”

  “Yeah, but not just him. I don’t sense Kurtz anymore, either.”

  Widmore rushed forward and waved his hand in front of Kurtz’s bank face. “Colonel?”

  “That won’t do anything.” Ava shook her head. “He was telling the truth about not really being here.”

  “That doesn’t explain Kurtz.”

  Ava wet her lips. “Whatever this race is, they clearly have a deep grasp of consciousness. If they can project themselves into someone, there’s no reason they can’t take someone and bring them elsewhere.”

  Widmore paled. “But that’s—”

  “It’s all science, sir. Electrical impulses
, chemistry. Add in some Etheric energy and it’s not even a stretch.”

  The major took a steadying breath. “Okay, so the more important question is, how do we get Kurtz’s consciousness back?”

  “By figuring out whatever it is that tethers a consciousness to a specific individual. Nox is paired with Kurtz in some way. He wasn’t jumping around to anyone he wanted. If he could do that, he never would have allowed himself to be captured.”

  Widmore crossed his arms. “Assuming this is a two-way corridor, we lure Kurtz back and figure out how to sever the connection?”

  “That’s what I’m thinking, sir.”

  “How do you call to someone who can’t hear you?”

  Ava cocked her head. “You activate the transmitter. If we can find a physical manifestation of that link, we might be able to activate it.”

  “But Dwyer didn’t find any physical evidence, and you were just saying that Nox doesn’t have a corporeal form.”

  “The scan may not have been looking for the right thing.”

  Widmore eyed her. “What do you know?”

  “I saw a bit of research on Coraxa that might be applicable here.”

  “Then go offer what insights you can to the research team. I’ll stay with the colonel and alert you if his state changes,” Widmore said.

  “Yes, sir. We’ll try to have you answers as soon as we can.”

  Ava stepped out of the interview room, her mind reeling from the last interaction with Nox. How do you defeat an enemy you can’t see?

  She took a moment to lean against the wall, focusing on her breathing to regain her center.

  “Ava! I just heard what’s going on.” Luke ran toward her from down the hall.

  Her heart leaped when she saw him. “I was about to come to see you.”

  His face darkened. “I have news, too.”

  “Did Doctor Dwyer talk to you about Kurtz?” she asked.

  “Yes, he just stopped by and told me to pause my research into your new nanocytes so I can focus on analyzing Kurtz. I’ll never get anything done if we keep shifting objectives!”

  She waited for him to take a calming breath before responding. “I know there’s a lot going on. Was that your news?”

  “No.” He groaned. “Promise not to freak out?”

  That almost always means it’s freak-out-worthy. Ava frowned. “Why would I?”

  “Karen called. She’s going to Nezar, to get inside the government.”

  “She… what?! Of all the impulsive—”

  “Oh, I know. When I tried to tell her she was being an idiot, she hung up on me. Real mature, right?”

  “She’s going to get herself killed!”

  “As much as I want to be angry with her, I’m worried.” Luke took a shaky breath. “She concocted some insane plan to embed herself with her old contacts so she could help you get in. You grab the chancellor, then get out together.”

  “That’s…” Ava shook her head. “The Nezarans may take it as an act of war. Karen infiltrating them on its own would be grounds, but capturing the chancellor…”

  He nodded. “She wouldn’t see reason. The Alucian president apparently didn’t have faith that the FDG would take action without some additional incentive.”

  “Like they know anything about our capabilities.” Ava rubbed her eyes. “Shit, I really didn’t need anything else to worry about.”

  “It’s not your job to get her out of this mess.”

  “Except it kinda is.”

  Luke looked her over with concern. “Ava, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  It was a lie, and he knew it.

  Luke enveloped her in his arms, and she happily buried her face in his chest. “You’re who I’m worried about the most,” he murmured into her hair. “You should be relaxing, not out—”

  Ava pulled out of the hug and held him at arm’s length. “This is what I do, remember? I know what I can take. I’m okay.”

  Reluctantly, he nodded. “I’ll get used to it eventually, though I don’t have to like it.”

  She gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you for your concern, but we have work to do.”

  “Right, the alien.”

  “The colonel is in far more immediate danger than me. That’s priority.”

  “You’re my priority.”

  Ava looked him in the eyes. “Luke, you’re in the Force now. This is about what’s best for the FDG, not us personally.”

  After a moment, he nodded and released a slow breath. “I’ll get back to figuring out what’s going on with you as soon as I can.”

  She took his hand and squeezed. “I know you will. But don’t let me be a distraction. Whatever has taken control of Kurtz is likely the same type of entity that’s controlling Heizberg. Figure out what’s going on with him, and maybe we’ll have a solution for how to help her, too.”

  “Okay.”

  “Now, I may have some information that didn’t seem relevant before,” Ava continued. “Let me tell Widmore about Karen, and then why don’t you show me this lab of yours?”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “I don’t get it,” Luke muttered half to himself. He pushed back from the workstation in his lab and crossed his arms.

  Next to him, Ava had been watching him perform the analysis of Kurtz’s scans. “So, you don’t see anything amiss?”

  “No. There don’t appear to be sufficient neurological variations to account for Kurtz’s present condition.” Whatever was going on inside Colonel Kurtz’s head, it was unlike anything Luke had ever seen before. After reviewing the results of Kurtz’s medical exam, he was left with more questions than answers.

  “It would seem telepathy doesn’t take that much physical real estate,” Jack added.

  “But we’re not talking about just telepathic control, right?” Luke said. “This is a whole consciousness.”

  Jack extended his hand in the air, palm open. “What is consciousness?”

  Luke scowled at him. “You’re not helping.”

  “Settle down, boys,” Tess interjected from her workstation on the opposite wall. “There are a lot of unknowns here. We need to be systematic.”

  “Griping about the monumental task is all part of the process.” Luke smirked.

  “Yeah, yeah.” She chuckled and crossed her arms. “But seriously, what gives? I’d expect there to be all sorts of weirdness going on inside him.”

  “I was hoping that would be the case, too,” Ava said, “but this matches our preliminary assessment.”

  Jack let out a long breath. “It’s not that surprising. After all, it went unnoticed for three years.”

  “That, and he was altering his own medical records,” Luke pointed out. “The changes were subtle, but there was a definite shift in neurochemistry.”

  “True,” Tess conceded, “but beyond that, who’s to say that there needs to be anything physically different to enable control? Ava’s just like the rest of us, right?”

  Luke nodded. “That’s true. They’ve never found a medical reason for Coraxan telepaths to—”

  “Actually, that’s not quite true,” Ava cut him off. “I didn’t want to bias your assessment before, but I might be able to point you toward physical evidence of telepathic abilities.”

  “And you’ve been sitting on that information while we prattled on here?” Luke questioned with a raised eyebrow.

  “It may be nothing, so I didn’t want to send you down a pointless path if you had any other promising leads.” Ava leaned her arms on the high table in the center of the room. “Things got dicey back at the NTech lab, so I never told you the details of my meeting with Jared. He and Andrea had found a part of my brain that seemed to resonate with the telepathic output, or something.”

  Luke perked up. “Do you remember where that was?”

  “More or less.” Ava approached his workstation and examined the monitor. “Here, I think.” She traced her finger between the left inferior frontal gyrus and the supram
arginal gyrus.

  “That’s right in the speech and sensory centers,” Luke assessed. “It’d make sense.”

  “Huh. Well look at that,” Tess said. “I can’t believe we all missed that.”

  “What’d you find?” Jack prompted.

  She pointed to a slight dark spot in Kurtz’s neural scan, which branched between the two areas Ava had identified. The line was no more than a hair’s width, and they’d dismissed it as a defect in the scan.

  “Could that tiny structure really be responsible for such complete telepathic control?” Luke mused aloud.

  “Well, there’s nothing else out of the ordinary here,” Jack replied. “If that’s the only thing different, then it must mean something.”

  “Hmm.” Luke’s eyes met Ava’s. “Maybe it’s time we have a chat with Jared.”

  She nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

  “How soon can that be set up?” he asked her.

  “Probably right away. I think Widmore has been looking for a verbal punching bag to use to decompress from earlier, so I’m sure he’d jump at the chance.”

  “Do you think I could sit in and try to get his input on this analysis?” questioned Luke.

  “I’ll ask,” Ava replied and slipped from the room.

  Jack watched her go. “She seems to be taking everything in stride.”

  “She’s always had a knack for that.” I’d be losing it if I had an unknown alien presence inside of me. Luke sighed. And here I am one of the few people who could maybe help her, and I have no idea where to start.

  Regardless of how helpless he felt at present, he had a job to do. Ava and Kurtz were both counting on him to find a solution.

  “All right,” Luke said to his team, turning back to the business at hand. “That neural connection is a physical thing. What’s it made out of?”

  “Tough to be certain without taking a physical sample,” Tess said, “but this density analysis looks suspiciously like the nanocyte sample Ava brought back from NTech.”

  “Except that Jared saw a neural structure in her scan before she was infected,” Luke countered.

  “And nanocytes aren’t supposed to clump together like this,” Tess pointed out.