Geneticus Book Zero (COMPLETED)

Chapter XI

Cenerea, 3rd planet from the star Letria, Regalius,

The Homeland, Central Region, The Capitol City,

Eighteen Cenerean Months Ago

Jay watched Harold walk barefoot across the slate tile floor of his living room and sit down on a silver plastileather couch, the material generating a stretching noise as he sat. The old man leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, his hands dangled carelessly between his legs as if he were 20 again. Jay could almost see Harold as he was so many years ago, some crazy young man in his prime and not this scary University Instructor angry at life his students believed him to be.

Harold glanced over at Jay, noting the young man strangely stared back at him as if he knew something Harold did not. The instructor shrugged off the look and decided to continue the story. "So, about a week goes by and I was waiting on the missile defense script to finish running through its second set of server address ranges, Browne came in the server room. She told me she received intel on some sort of machine that the Military was developing from a buddy in the Eastern Region."

"Now, me being the inquisitive sort, I really wanted to vet this info. It just so happened that only the day before, I located an ERDF data server with a poorly secured firewall, so, I decided to go digging around in its folders. As I explored this treasure trove of classified material, I found it, the port access information. I mean, my gut told me to make my little adventure a hit 'n run, and that was where I messed up. I didn't listen. I forced my way in, and instead of just making a quick data dump and getting out with whatever I could copy, I got greedy, deciding to go take a leak and let it download." Harold laughed. "Yeah, the night before was some kind of party...you know, Browne, Josie, and a couple bottles of local hooch..."

Jay looked down and grinned.

"... well, when I came back, I had a real surprise waiting for me..."

...

Cenerea, 3rd planet from the star Letria, Regalius,

The Abandoned ERU Particle Accelerator,

Forty-Three Cenerean Years Ago

Meta pushed back from the terminal in fear. "Fuck! What the hell is this thing?"

Red flashing lights lit throughout the entire complex. Emergency horns blared through the tunnels.

Browne, Josie, and Tank raced into the server room, the trio all out of breath.

"What the hell is going on Harold??!?" Browne asked frightened.

"I don't know...this machine you gave me the intel on, whatever the fuck that thing is, just latched on to me and I can't shake it! It's too fast! I've never seen anything like it! It's tearing through every security measure like paper as if my firewalls don't even exist."

"Do you think it can find us?"

"It already has. We need to leave, NOW! It's in this room!" Harold spotted the security feeds from the various cameras switching focus. It was watching them.

The four rebels quickly ran for the ladder to evacuate the underground complex. Tank lifted Josie up and followed close behind.

Tank looked down at Browne. "Come on, let's go! What are you waiting on Browne??!?" he shouted from the top of the open hole.