Lines Crossed Chapter One
GRID Traveler Trinity: Lines Crossed
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
The Johnson had been in Space Dock for the last four weeks getting her engines upgraded to the newer GRID drives. Sean and crew were looking forward to finally ditching Trank and STIM. It was during the last week when Collins requested to run some test on Sean to further understand the Necronian nanobots. He agreed and figured she’d ask him to turn his face to the left and cough along with other questionable tests. She did that, too, but went further. This latest test had him standing in a Decompression/Compression Thermal chamber - DeCom. He could only think of being crushed to death, expanded like a balloon, broiled alive or all of the above, in different orders. Collins asked him to relax, again. He was wired up to a dozen beeping blinking machines and could see Kathy seating next to Collins. The Doctor’s staff was abuzz just outside the large chamber windows. The chamber was one of a dozen large chambers, located in Med Mid Deck, used for a variety of reasons. This chamber was a favorite for temperature experiments and rapid decompressing.
“Okay.” Sean said.
Several seconds passed, then, “Captain . . .”
“Yes?”
“You are not relaxing.” Collins said over the chamber speakers.
Several more seconds passed.
“Captain . . . “
“Yes?”
“You’re still not relaxed.”
Sean laughed. “Doc, it’s a bit of a challenge when I got dozen of wires protruding from me.”
He heard Collins’ chuckle. “Well, yeah, but I still need you to relax. Think about something you’d rather be doing right now.”
Sean said, “Okay,” and closed his eyes. He started thinking about bedding Loggar, but figured that wasn’t going to relax him.
“Captain . . .”
“Yes?”
“Think about a nice pleasant walk on a beach somewhere nice.”
Sean concentrated. A walk on a beach. What type of beach? Is the sand devoid of life? Will something jump out and eat me. Is the water too close? Where’s the next exit Ville? What am I breathing? Would I be able to drink the water? Can I . . .
“Captain?”
Sean still had his eyes closed, “I’m relaxed.”
“No, Captain. Open your eyes please.”
Sean did so . . . and nearly startled himself. “What the . . . ?”
Collins watched a dozen monitors as they recorded the unbelievable. She had slowly spiked the chamber temperature to 500 degrees C. The wall radiators glowed a dull orange. What air was left created small drifting wispy semi-translucent waves across Sean.
“How do you feel?”
Sean looked around. He saw a dirty brown haze surrounding him. He knew what the glowing radiators meant, but felt absolutely nothing. “Doc? Kathy?”
A Staffer said, “Doctor, the Captain’s heart rate is increasing. Blood pressure at 150 over 95.”
“Captain,” Collins began, “Take a deep breath. You seem to be unharmed.”
Sean’s voice came over small speakers in front of Collins. “Ummmm, you’re not the one inside hell.”
Loggar leaned over Collins’ shoulder and said, “Sean, my love. The nanobots are protecting you. Your backside should feel warmer than your front.”
Sean nodded. His back felt about ten degrees warmer.
Loggar continued, “The nanobots are actively redirecting surrounding heat behind you. It’s quite remarkable, really. You ought to see the infrared scans.”
Sean nodded and thought, “If you say so.” He lifted a hand up and looked at it. Brown fog surrounded it. “Amazing.”
“Sean,” Collins started, “I’m bringing the temperature back to normal. Let me know if you feel uncomfortable.”
The chamber radiators’ orange glow slowly dimmed to matte grey. A minute later Sean felt a rush of cool air.
Another minute passed. “Captain, take a deep breath please.”
Sean did so. The air smelt burnt. A hint of metal hung just inside his nostrils.
“How do you feel?”
Sean had been on an adrenaline rush. Now, coming off it, he felt suddenly drained. “Tired.”
The chamber door opened and Sean slowly walked toward the entrance. His knees buckled but he caught hold of the doorway. Several staffers reached Sean and helped him to a chair. Collins walked over and placed a small disk on his forehead. She then stepped back, with a MedScanner in her hand, guided it up and down Sean’s body.
Collins said, “Captain, you lost three kilograms. You’re dehydrated and . . . wait.” Collins frowned and rescanned Sean. “You just gained a kilogram and electrolytes are back to normal.”
Sean nodded. He was feeling better. “There’s a question in there.”
Loggar looked over Collins’ shoulder and read the scans.
She nodded to herself.
Sean looked at Loggar, “Kathy?”
“Your nanobots, Sean. They are actively collecting material from around us.”
“Collecting?”
Collins walked into Chamber one and ran her hand along one of the walls. Interesting she thought. She walked over to the opposite wall and slowly moved her hand along the surface. It felt “off.” She walked over to the observation window and touched it. Her eyes snapped open. It felt rough.
Loggar said, “The nanobots are infinite in their abilities. Even though it looks like we can perform magic or we have special powers, it’s all technology-based. The studies we conducted on Necron showed that the nanobots are as good as their environment.”
Sean frowned.
Loggar continued, “The reason you felt tired earlier was because the nanobots were drawing energy from you. A large amount of energy. . .”
Sean replied, “But, what about me feeling better in seconds?”
“The nanobots replenished your body’s sugar supply, salts, water.”
“How?” Sean pushed.
Collins walked out of the chamber. “By cannibalizing whatever material is nearby.”
Sean snapped, “It’s eating the Johnson?”
Loggar replied, “Yes and no.” And left it at that.
Collins stepped up close to Loggar. She looked her straight in the eyes. “The no part means we are the other source.”
Loggar returned the stare. She wondered if this had been a challenge. “Under certain circumstances . . .”
“And they are?”
“The nanobots will, of course, use Sean as a resource. They are highly intelligent and work to keep the host alive . . .”
“The host being me,” Sean spoke.
Loggar broke eye contact with Collins. “Yes, Sean. Anyone or anything near you is fair game when you can’t supply the nanobots with what they need.”
Sean paused in thought. Then said, “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with this.”
Loggar nodded. She wanted to tell Sean he was missing the big picture. He had power. “On Necron there’s an abundance of resources to fuel the nanobots.”
Sean said, “I need to be certain.”
Loggar thought for a moment. She guided Sean to an unoccupied desk. She turned to Collins and asked, “Do you have any sugar? Maybe carbon, too? A small piece of both.”
Collins walked to one of the many cabinets along the office wall. She opened one and pulled out two boxes. One box was marked “SynSkin” and the other STIM tablets. She walked back to Loggar and Sean. She handed both to Loggar.
Loggar smiled, “I think this is perfect.” She pulled out a wrap of SynSkin and two STIM tablets. She turned to Sean and handed the items to him. “Sean, can you make some sort of fire from one hand?”
Sean replied, “I don’t know.” He thought for several seconds and extended his middle finger. He chuckled as he thought “finger fire.”
A second or two later his middle finger ignited in a bluish flame.
Collins scanned Sean. She turned to an assistant, “Paul, record this on monitor two.”
Paul nodded and grabbed a nearby MedScanner. He tapped in a few codes on the tiny screen and pointed the device at Sean.
Collins asked, “How are you feeling, Captain? Heat? Anything?”
Sean said, “Both hands are tingling, but other than that, fine.”
“Open your other hand, Sean.”
He did so. Half the SynSkin was gone and only one STIM tablet was left. Sean increased the flame.
Everyone watched as the rest of the SynSkin and tablet crumbled, then faded into his palm.
Loggar broke the silence, “Collectively, the nanobots are intelligent enough to know a proper food source. We’d have to conduct a few experiments, to know for certain, if the nanobots would use the nearest living organism as a resource, if nothing else existed.”
“Is there a way to turn them off? Like before?”
Loggar shrugged impatiently.
Collins and Sean caught the gestures true meaning.
“Kathy, I really can’t in all good consciousness feel comfortable knowing that I’m feeding off my crew. My Goddess, that’s pretty creepy.”
Loggar’s mood turned dark. “Sean, the nanobots should always use you first . . .”
“Or whatever I’m touching?”
She stopped and remembered the SynSkin and STIM tablets. Sean had a point, but this was science. This was something bigger than all of them. This was magick. This was why The Most High was out here. Humanity, on its own, would never have reached out as far so fast. It had always been The Most High that worked behind the scene. It was The Most High that now had the means. Loggar sighed. “Sean, there are so many questions about the nanobots. But, we shouldn’t be too overly cautious in finding out the answers.
Sean stared into his lover’s eyes and was gripped by a slew of emotions. “The Johnson is in dock for a few more days. I’d like to be certain I can decide who and what gets eaten; if not then we need to turn these things off.” He stood up and turned to Collins, “Give me a full report at the next Staff meeting. I’m hungry. I’ll be in Starboard’s Bow.” Without another word he walked out leaving Loggar and Collins alone.
Loggar was about to follow, but stopped.
Collins watched Loggar hesitant.
Loggar faced Collins with a blank expression. “Doctor, I need you to be with me on this. We are about to leap forward in human existence. The Necronians handed us a gift and we have to understand it.”
Collins leaned in close. “I can’t jeopardize the Johnson or its crew. I’d love to do magick, but not at a potential price of soul.”
Loggar pursed her lips together and mentally counted to ten. Technically, she could order Collins to cooperate by way of The Most High. She could also make her go away. It would take one communique to GRID Command and Collins would be transferred off the Johnson. But what exactly would that accomplish? Loggar thought, ‘I have power, but to abuse it is not the end game.’ “Doctor, I agree.”
“You do?”
“I’ve been chasing magick my whole life. Now that I’ve tasted it and know it is within reach again I sometimes miss the immediate picture. I’m looking at everything from a distance.”
Collins nodded. “You do have to understand the Johnson is not just a ship to us. We’ve been through hell and back during the SI wars. Johnson is our friend.”
Loggar nodded and smiled though she really thought Collins was foolishly being sentimental over a vessel. She thought the same of Sean.
“The next round of tests should be Sean’s control over the nanobots.
Collins nodded. “Agreed. Let me go over this last test. I’ll give you a copy of the report.”
Loggar said, “Thank you, Doctor.” Then she moved closer. “May I ask you a personal question?”
Collins nodded, “Certainly.”
“What are your feelings toward Sean?”
“The Captain?” Collins laughed.
Loggar frowned.
Collins responded, “Loyalty, Goddess. Nothing more, nothing less. He’s lead us through the worst of the SI war. The Johnson is the only ship in GRID to have 100% mission accomplished. But if you’re wondering what I feel on a more personal level, relax. Everyone knows the Captain is in love with you . . .”
“That’s not exactly what I was getting to. I just . . .”
“Just wanted to know if you had any challengers?”
Loggar stared for a moment.
Collins waited a few seconds. She had to lean in close to hear Loggar.
“I wasn’t worried about that. I just wanted to know if you liked Sean.”
Collins searched Loggar’s face for tales. “Yes, I like him. I respect him. I don’t think anyone else on board feels differently.”
“May I call you Karen?”
Collins nodded.
“Please call me Kathy.”
Collins thought this was an interesting turn of events. “Okay . . . Kathy. A bit strange calling the Goddess by her first name.”
Loggar smiled. “I need a new circle. I’d like you to join it.”
An extremely interesting turn of events Collins thought. Asked to be part of The Most High Goddess’ inner circle. Dawn is gonna spit bricks when she finds out.
“Think it over, Karen. I see I need general counsel from intelligent like-minded thinkers.”
Collins nodded and watched as Loggar turned and left the labs. She watched Loggar disappear down the long corridor. “Never become friends with Heroes unless you’re not worried of being disappointed.” she said to no one.