Nanomachine War series Box Set

by Don Viecelli

  “Is there anything else we can do?” Mun asked looking at both of them. They had all been working nearly around the clock and so far had nothing positive to show for it.

  “I tried every solution I could think of. Nothing works,” Janice said sadly shaking her head. “Electrical shock stuns the nanomachines for awhile, but the voltage required will kill the human host. None of the chemical compounds I tried worked to stop them. I can think of only two possible solutions. One is to receive more of the nano-agent we were given from Vice Leader Di made by the Qumru people. Or two, find a way to interfere with the quantum control messages the Yoyka send to their nanomachines.”

  “We don’t have the technical capability to stop the messages. We need more help from the Qumru if that is even possible,” Doctor Colbert said.

  The situation seemed hopeless. Janice looked outside the office window at the people sleeping in the hallway and in other rooms. They now had thirty-five people in the building trying to keep the nanomachine contagion from getting inside and infecting them. There had been no new people allowed inside for the past three days. Everyone else in the city on the outside was infected as far as they knew.

  “I could try drawing blood from myself or Doctor Mun and try another transfusion to see if we can pass our immunity on to others, but it hasn’t worked so far,” Janice suggested looking at James.

  They told Doctor Colbert about the injections they received and even tried a blood transfusion on him, but the nano-agent was only effective on the protected individual and was not transferrable or contagious. It couldn’t be passed on like the Yoyka nanomachine that easily infected others.

  “We tried that already and you know it didn’t work on me. I think we need to make plans to leave this place soon before someone breaks in and infects the rest of us,” James said.

  “It’s strange the infected people are not more aggressive than what we’ve seen outside. Most of them look like they are just going about their normal lives. They are actually ignoring us so far,” Doctor Mun said.

  “I think that’s because the only instructions the nanomachines received so far is to help repair the starship. They haven’t turned on us yet, but I fear when the Yoyka learn some of us are still uninfected, they will seek us out.” It seemed like the logical conclusion to Janice, but the fear was real. The infected people could easily turn into a mindless mob if directed to do so. Janice had no illusions about the final outcome.

  It was time to go back to work. Each of them had duties to perform. Janice walked back to her lab where she still had experiments to perform trying to counteract the Yoyka nanomachines. Doctor Mun contacted the other MCDC offices that were still operating to see how they were doing. Doctor Colbert was tasked with trying to reestablish communications with Earth, but so far the satellite links were still blocked.

  Janice just sat down in her lab when her comphone buzzed. It had been silent for days. She was desperate for some word from Doug. She had not heard from him since he had left to meet up with Vice Leader Di over a week ago. Now the comphone was working. The caller ID flashed on. “Doug! Is that you?”

  “It’s me, Jan. I’m sorry I couldn’t reach you earlier, but it’s okay now. Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine, dear. Just tired; that’s all. I missed you. Where are you?”

  “Well, that’s one of the reasons I’m calling. We’ve re-captured the starship. It’s under our control now. But we don’t have a lot of time. I need you and everyone who’s not infected to come outside. We landed a Qumru spacecraft behind the MCDC building. Everyone needs to put on face masks and come on board the spacecraft. We’ll take you to the starship.”

  Janice was stunned, but also elated at the sudden news. She quickly regained her composure. “There are thirty-five of us. I’ll tell the others and we’ll start heading outside in a few minutes. What about the people outside the building? They’re infected.”

  “I brought some people with me, Jan. We’ll take care of them. They won’t be able to get close. Hurry! We need to leave as soon as possible. There are others we need to pick up as well.”

  Janice raced down the hallway to find Doctors Mun and Colbert. She told him what Doug wanted. They told everyone in the building to come to the back door entrance and bring their face masks, air packs and a few personal items with them to go outside. They were being rescued.

  Everyone did what they were told. The last persons to leave were the three doctors. Doctor Mun locked the door on his way out just in case someone had to return to use the lab. They didn’t have to walk far. They could see the spacecraft a few meters from the building. The dust storm was still blowing outside, but it wasn’t strong enough to make walking difficult. It only took fifteen minutes for everyone to get on board.

  There were three Marines standing in a line scanning people for any infection and guiding the people on board. A few infected persons were lying on the ground nearby stunned by the energy rifles the Marines were carrying. When everyone was on board the Marines climbed up behind and closed the hatch door. The spacecraft took off.

  Janice made her way to the front of the spacecraft where Doug was waiting for her. Janice threw herself into his arms and kissed him. “I didn’t know when I would see you again,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Doug kissed her again and held her tight. “I’m sorry I couldn’t call. The links were all blocked until we took control of the starship. Please sit down and strap yourself in. We need to take off. We’ll talk later.”

  Captain Tills was at the controls. Doug sat down beside her. It hadn’t taken them long to learn how to operate the Qumru spacecraft. The AI, Shonya, translated all the control systems to English and the spacecraft practically flew itself with automatic instructions from the AI. They would return to the starship and unload everyone. Then others would continue to pick up everyone they could find on Mars who had remained uninfected by the contagion. There would not be many, but they would try to save all they could before everyone else on Mars became infected.

  It was Doug’s suggestion they use the starship to save the uninfected people on Mars. The starship had plenty of room and food would not be a problem. All they feared now was the arrival of the Yoyka and that time was fast approaching.

  Chapter 37

  Washington

  President Mary Woodley Anderson entered The Situation Room located on the ground floor in the West Wing of the Whitehouse. It was early in the afternoon so light from the outside gardens filtered in through the hallway windows casting various light patterns on the walls and floor. It reminded Mary of her childhood home in North Carolina. Why that particular memory surfaced now that she was about to convene a National Security Conference meeting surprised her. She suspected it was her mind trying to relieve the stress she was feeling at the moment.

  The room was filled with powerful men and women in government. Vice President Allen Denton was standing across the room speaking with Carlo Russo, Secretary of Defense. Standing next to Russo was General William (Bill) Bradstone, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS). William Straiter, Secretary of Homeland Security; Susan Liang, Secretary of State; Rodney Williams, National Security Advisor; Shoji Ito, NASA Administrator; and UN Ambassador Manuel Rodriguez were already seated at the table. Several staff members were sitting in chairs along the walls. Allison Conley followed the President into the room. Everyone stopped talking and sat down when the President took her seat. It was time to begin.

  “Welcome, everyone. We have a lot to discuss, so let’s begin with what we know. Mars is no longer safe. The people still on Mars are all probably infected with the alien nanomachines. The good news, which we just recently received, is that just over two hundred Mars colonists have been saved from the infection.”

  “How is that possible?” Carlo Russo blurted out.

  “It appears some of our people were able to capture the alien starship and take over control. They sent spacecraft down to Mars and rescued
all they could find that were not infected. It seems we have a new ally in this war. His name is Vice Leader Di. He is a Qumru android soldier. He helped some of our people on Mars take control of the starship. Two of our people involved are UN Security Director Douglas Martin and the other is Marine Captain Shirley Tills, a UN Peace Keeper. They are currently working with Vice Leader Di to finish repairs on the starship and are preparing to leave Mars.”

  “You say the Qumru solder is an android?” Vice President Allen turned in his chair to face Mary. He wanted to ask more questions on this development, but decided to wait for Mary to explain.

  “Apparently so, Allen. The Qumru developed androids hundreds of years ago to perform various tasks. Now they provide military duties. They live on a second Qumru home world called Holtu. It seems they are not affected by the Yoyka nanomachines that require a biological host to infect.”

  “I would say that is most fortunate for them and us,” General Bradstone said thinking of the possibilities this presented.

  “Perhaps, General, but that is the end of my good news.” Mary paused for a moment and looked around the room before continuing. “The Yoyka aliens are on their way to Mars. They know we are here; a brand new planet for them to conquer. The Yoyka enslave the local population with their infectious nanomachines. Then they use the people and planets to provide all the natural resources they need to supply their military Empire. Mars was just the first stop. They plan to enslave us next.”

  “How can we stop them, Madam President?” William Straiter, Secretary of Homeland Security wanted to know.

  “That will be hard and costly. We have a space transport shuttle loaded with Marines and nuclear missiles headed for Mars. However, it will be another two weeks before they arrive. The starship is no longer a threat. In fact, it may be the one thing that can help save us.”

  The President continued. “Doug Martin sent a message this morning to the UN Secretary-General saying the Qumru already developed a preventive solution, or nano-agent they call it, made with nanites that can stop the Yoyka nanomachines from infecting people, but it must be injected before the person becomes infected. The only problem is the nano-agent must be mass produced using quantum computers. Our computers are experimental. The starship has the equipment to make more of the solution, but not enough for everyone on Earth.

  “Doug Martin, with the help of Vice Leader Di, is sending us the information our scientists can use to develop more of this solution. There is another possibility that some of the Qumru passengers aboard the starship know how to create a real antidote to the Yoyka nanomachines. The Yoyka coming here may know this as well. They will do everything they can to capture or destroy the Qumru starship.”

  “I thought the Qumru passengers were just stored minds. How can they help us?” Allen Denton asked skeptically.

  President Anderson focused her attention on the Vice President. “I have been told the starship has the capability of regenerating duplicate Qumru bodies using the host’s DNA genome sequencing data. They will regenerate the person the mind belongs to and then upload consciousness back into the body.”

  “That’s incredulous!” Carlo Russo sounded unconvinced.

  “Perhaps so, but true according to the message I received. If the Qumru do have the means to defeat the Yoyka nanomachines, then we must do everything in our power to protect and aid the Qumru against the Yoyka. The starship must leave Mars before the Yoyka arrive. They will come here to drop off our people or they may flee to the Qumru home world called Holtu in another solar system to escape the Yoyka. Once they have an antidote, they will return.”

  President Anderson took a deep breath. “Whatever the starship does, we must prepare Earth for the arrival of the Yoyka. It is very probable they will attempt to send the infection to Earth. If that happens, millions will become infected within days. The Yoyka will be able to take control of vast areas on Earth. We will not be able to stop the spread of infection except by drastic quarantine methods. Whole countries must be isolated; no travel in or out. Millions of people will die just trying to escape the spread of the infection.

  “I instructed our CDC people to prepare for the worst case scenario in our country. People will panic, but we have no choice but to begin implementation of wartime procedures. I plan to ask Congress for Emergency Powers and a vote for war.

  “The UN Secretary-General is conducting an emergency session with the Security Council Members as we speak. I believe we have less than eighteen days before the Yoyka appear in our solar system. We must be prepared to fight or lose everything we have.”

  Mary pounded the table with closed fists for emphasis. “The Qumru people were taken by surprise. We will not be! We have been warned and we will act.”

  “When do you tell the public, Madam President?” Allen felt the importance of keeping the public on their side.

  “I will hold a press conference tomorrow morning. It’s time to tell the people the truth about Mars. The rumors of what happened up there must stop before more panic results in our cities.

  “We’ll meet again tomorrow. I will need the status of our military, General Bradstone, and what we need to do to prepare for the coming battles. I will inform the other Cabinet Members today what I have told you. Are they any questions?

  There were no questions, so President Anderson ended the meeting. “That is all for now.”

  The NSC meeting was adjourned. The hard task of preparing the county and the world for war was about to begin. President Anderson’s stress levels began to rise again.

  Chapter 38

  The Starship

  Doug Martin woke with a start. It was dark in the small compartment on Level 7 of the starship. He looked at the time on the comdisplay. It was only 6:01 am in the morning, Mars time. Janice stirred next to him. “What’s the matter?” She felt for his arm.

  “It was just a dream. I don’t remember what it was about.” Doug relaxed and turned to face his wife. It had been too long since they both had slept in the same bed with each other.

  “What time is it?” Jan asked brushing back her hair from her eyes.

  “Just after six. I don’t need to get up for another hour.”

  Janice smiled in the dark. “That’s good. I’m awake now.” She didn’t have to say another word.

  Doug leaned over and kissed her gently. Neither of them was wearing any clothes so that made the next move much easier. Doug caressed her body knowing all the right places that pleased her. She responded in kind. Both had missed each other from their long separation and were not about to waste another moment. They made love passionately. Doug felt the same desire as when they were first married two years ago. He tried to slow down until Jan reached the same intensity as he felt, but it was no use. He couldn’t hold back and felt bad. He was out breath. “I’m sorry, Jan. It’s been too long.”

  Jan did not say anything at first. She snuggled up against his side and let him hold her tight. One nice thing about being married to the right woman, Jan knew everything about him. She let him rest for several minutes and let nature take its course. When Doug was ready for the next love making session, Jan moved on top of him and took control. This time they made love slowly and expertly for several minutes until Jan achieved the desired climax. This time they both were exhausted enough to fall back asleep until Doug’s wristcom lying beside the bed woke them up. It was time to go to work, but this time they were ready to face the day together and that made life a lot easier to take.

  Doug and Jan ate breakfast in the dining area on Level 6. When they finished, each poured a cup of coffee to take with them to begin work. Jan headed for the medical and science research deck on Level 11. The quantum computer equipment was there and Jan needed to figure out how they worked.

  Doug headed for the Command Center Bridge on Level 1. He knew Vice Leader Di would be there watching over the starship. Di did not need to sleep or eat, being an android, but he did need to keep his functional systems operating at peak efficienc
y. Doug never saw how he did this and Di kept that part of him a secret. Doug was curious how the android was created and what he was made of, but he decided to wait until they understood each other better before he asked Di.

  “Good morning, Vice Leader Di,” Doug said in a good mood for a change. He set his coffee down on a control station counter. “Anything happen while I was gone?”

  “It was a busy night. Another fifty humans were brought up from Mars during the night. We can find no more humans on Mars that are not infected with the Yoyka nanomachines.”

  “How many did we save?”

  “My count is two hundred and twelve humans out of fifteen hundred of your people. That’s fourteen percent. You are fortunate. Normally the Yoyka nanomachines infect ninety-eight percent of a world’s population within a matter of days.”

  “Why do you think that is? Were we better at controlling the spread of the infection?”

  “No. I believe it is because of the number of miners on Mars and the distance between your cities. They were able to keep away from the general population longer.”

  Doug accepted that analysis. It made sense. He picked up his coffee and took a sip. He walked to the end of the Bridge that overlooked the Command Center below. It was a busy site with several people moving equipment throughout the room.

  “How are the repairs going?”

  “They are almost done. Your people are fast workers. The starship is ready to leave,” Di said.

  It had been a busy week. They decided to force the sixteen infected Qumru crewmembers back into cryosleep with the hope they could remove the Yoyka nanomachine in time without killing them. The other choice was to “space them”, but Doug and others said no. Di explained the unlikely possibility of removing the nanomachines without harm. The Qumru researchers had found no way to do this and had chosen the mind upload method leaving their bodies behind. Di even proposed doing the same thing with the infected humans left on Mars. It was something to consider even though it gave Doug the chills.