Lines Crossed Chapter Twenty One
GRID Traveler Trinity: Lines Crossed
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Loggar, Collins, and Adriana huddled around one of the Shuttle’s work stations. The monitor displayed nanobots taken from Sean’s blood.
Sean hovered in the background looking over everyone’s shoulder. The image of his familiar looking nanobots on top of a semi-translucent organic looking nanobot made the hair at his neck stiffen. “That’s inside me?”
Adriana answered, “Yes, sir. Not this one but many others.”
Loggar said, “Sean, the Necronians engineered bacteria to work similar to the nanobots in our bodies. It’s fantastic. Living cells that can manipulate electromagnetic fields? This is beyond fantastic. This means that anyone can potentially become powerful.”
“Which may not be a good idea.”
“How so?”
“Kathy, we’re on a planet full of people and only a handful have the power. The Necronians control the upper and lower half of this planet . . . “
“How’d you find that out?”
“The Elders told me. But the point is, not everyone of this planet can do magick.”
Collins spoke up, “It makes sense to keep the numbers down, otherwise there would be those who would abuse the power.”
Loggar gave Collins a scowl. “Okay, of course that makes sense. What I was getting at is there would be no limits. Not just the few who could do magick, but more. Like the planet. Their Elders help protect their regions. No SI.”
Sean nodded.
Collins said, “There’s also their body make up. They are human, but genetically and chemically slightly different. Not enough to be called human but not enough to be called Alien either. We have more in common than the Necronians have with Sean.”
“But, Karen, I drank the liquid, and I . . .”
“ . . . was dumb. Sean, one should not drink glowing blue liquid from total strangers.”
“Okay, a bit reckless . . .”
“A bit?”
“Alright, Doctor, very reckless, but I am here feeling pretty good.”
Adriana stepped in, “Which I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
“Yes?”
Adriana tapped in a command on the work station CRT. “Some of the Elder nanobots and your Necronian nanobots are working together. The Bacteria nanobots are using the others like some sort of armor.”
“Or augmented like a cybersuit?” Sean asked.
“Or like commanders.”
“Those things are sentient?”
“I don’t think so. I think more like complex programming. There’s probably a few hundred, maybe a few thousand subroutines programmed.”
“What about his immune system.” Loggar asked.
Collins said, “I can answer that one. I thought it interesting your immune system to be programmed to accept bacteria you never encountered. Apparently, some of the specialized nanobots are programmed to learn the immune system and mask all the Nanobots against white blood cell attacks.”
“Let’s get back to this command thing.”
“Having only one or the other they act as a unit controlled by you. Introduce both to together then you create a second layer of control. They’ll still act as a unit but now you have augmented coordinators, which can also do specific tasks.”
“But to what purpose?”
“That, sir, is a very good question.”
“What about dormant nanobots?” Loggar said.
The other three looked over to Loggar.
“What about dormant nanobots?” She repeated. “We know what happens with active ones.”
Sean faced Collins and Adriana.
Adriana said, “Unknown. I suspect your reaction to the bacteria nanobots was because of an internal struggle.” She shrugged. “Both types are clearly capable of Magick. It was just a question of who would control whom.“
Loggar said, “So, in my case, I would feel nothing?”
Collins spoke up, “I’m not sure about that and I see where you are taking this. We . . .”
“Taking this where Doctor?”
“We’d be introducing foreign objects into your system. We have no idea if the dormant nanobots had time to program your immune system to accept the bacteria.”
“Give me worst-case scenario?” Sean asked.
“Death.”
Loggar said, ”I don’t think so.”
Collins replied, “Genetically engineered alien foreign bacteria. Hello!”
“I already have engineered alien foreign objects still in my body. The Necronians had tens of thousands of years to perfect this. I’m certain this was a scenario they considered.”
Collins thought a moment. “Point. But still.” She turned to Sean. “We’re not supposed to rush blindly into the unknown.”
Sean grimaced.
“This is no longer the unknown. Sean crossed that line and now we have data.”
“I strongly stress you wait for further testing of . . .”
“Of what, Karen? We know what they are. We know what they do. We can infer how they work. We either do or don’t. I’m not . . .”
“But . . .”
“Nothing. I’m not about to pass this up. I’m already established as the religious leader. They’ve accepted Adruqu as giving me magick.”
“What are you saying?”
“We either do this here or I walk into town and do it.”
Collins stared hard into Loggar’s eyes. Neither blinked for a full twenty seconds.
Sean coughed, “Adriana. Please give us your take.”
Adriana took a deep breath. “Sir, as much as this goes against protocol, I agree with Dr. Loggar.”
Loggar and Collins both replied, “You do?”
Adriana continued, “Procedure is lost. And Dr. Loggar could do as she says she would, but only by the Captain’s grace. Sir, you are curious as to what you can do now. You are also curious as to what would happen to Dr. Loggar.“ She paused.
Sean said, “Go on.”
“Sir, I believe the bacteria went through a DNA change to be compatible with your body. As Dr. Loggar pointed out, the Necronians had tens of thousands of years to perfect the bacteria.”
Collins frowned. “Fine! If you want to do this then do it. If you die . . .”
Loggar smiled, “ . . . you will bring me back, Karen.”
It took Loggar seconds to up end the cup of glowing blue liquid. It tasted sweet with a bitter aftertaste. Collins and Adriana were actively monitoring everything: heart, pulse, blood pressure, brain wave, white blood cell, everything.
Collins asked, “How do you feel?”
“I feel well . . . no wait. I’m feeling warm.”
Sean nodded, “It’s beginning.”
Adriana watched an infrared image of Loggar on a monitor. Loggar’s image went from a deep blue shade to green to light pink to red to deep red. She looked up just in time to see Loggar lose consciousness.
Collins didn’t feel the need for urgency this time. One, partly because she knew Loggar’s body temperature would drop back to normal in a minute and two, she wanted her to suffer just a little bit. Just a little you smug bitch she thought.
Sean sat and watched how Collins did nothing special. She and Adriana monitored Loggar’s condition. They watched over her with clinical indifference and it seemed to him they would still be indifferent if Loggar’s condition went from bad to death.
A moment later, Loggar’s temperature started dropping. Sean himself felt a twinge of guilt from being disappointed in there being a less than dramatic outcome. He thought Kathy got what she wanted. Her obsession finally satiated. Now what?