Christine had turned on the light.
“The moon...” They all turned to Rachel as she whispered the words. “It shone through the window.” She pointed at the window. The storm shutters were down.
“It’s OK, Mom. Let’s get you cleaned up,” Christine said. She helped her mom up and led her towards the far corner of the room, where their makeshift washbasin sat.
In the meantime, Joe had opened the door. On the other side, there was a cry of alarm and an immediate call for Shelley.
Several people came to their door over the next few minutes, to see if everything was all right. The look of Joe’s face, splattered in his own blood, told them that something had gone wrong. Joe tried to make an excuse, the flattened nose still giving him a severe nasal accent.
“Ib’s o-kay” He said to a concerned-looking John as Shelley led him away. “It was an accidend. I jusb fell opf de bed!”
He didn’t convince anybody. Least of all John. The former special-ops soldier looked in on Rachel and the kids. Their expressions told a different story.
Things were definitely not OK.
Chapter 62
Kevin
November 11, 3:55 P.M., Undisclosed location
At his desk, Paladin Wallace listened attentively to the man across from him. Cups containing tea sat largely forgotten in front of the two men. Kevin had his elbows on the desk, his fingers steepled. The position of his hands left only his eyes visible to his guest. His expression did not betray whether he was pleased or angry.
Which made it all that much harder for Sage Jonas Enright.
Kevin knew what the young man was thinking. Jonas had no idea how Kevin would react to the information. Would he rage and yell? Smile and encourage? He suspected that Jonas had heard of Kevin’s actions over the last couple of days. He probably thought that Kevin had become more unstable by the day.
They think that I’ve become ... volatile.
He watched as Jonas cleared his throat to cover up for the hesitation.
“Well, sir, it seems that the titanium shells of the nanobots were vulnerable to degradation by exposure to high concentrations of nitric acid.”
Kevin shook his head slightly.
“Um,” Jonas went on, “nitric acid is fairly common in certain food types, like beets and garlic. The concentrated amount required to break down the titanium shells is not usually found in food, but in supplements or dietary aids.”
Jonas let that sink in. Eventually, the Paladin nodded. “So, some people made it because they were doing a cleanse, or a diet?”
“Very possible,” Jonas agreed.
“What else do you have?”
“Well, we have also determined that certain types of radiation would have destroyed the processing units of the nanobots or interfered with the kill command. There are probably thousands of people out there who can thank their exposure to various radiation for their survival. The statistical effect on the overall lethality has been negligent.”
Kevin digested this information, then nodded for the Sage to continue.
“We have captured and tested several of the animated specimen and have made some interesting discoveries.”
Letting his hands drop to the desk, Kevin sat up straighter.
“We were already aware they required stimulus to act and can confirm that this is primarily sound. The trait of the wide-open eyes is directly related to this. It aligns the ear canal and eardrum better, enhancing hearing slightly. The angle of the head has everything to do with picking up sound as well. The obscenely open mouth ...” Jonas’ eyes lit up with excitement. “Now, that is quite interesting!”
“Go on.” Kevin encouraged.
“Firstly, it enhances their hearing.”
Kevin frowned at this, his expression turning to one of disbelief.
“Sir, I swear it’s true!” Jonas thought for a moment, his eyes resting on the teacup in front of him. “Here.” He reached for the teaspoon. “Take your spoon.”
He waited for Kevin to grab his own spoon.
“Tap it against your wrist. You can’t really hear that, can you?”
Kevin complied.
“Now try the nail on your finger. You can hear something, but it barely registers.”
He demonstrated. Kevin did not copy the man this time, his expression darkening.
Jonas saw this, and his eyes flared briefly. “OK. Now tap it lightly against your eyetooth. That’s the mandible-looking tooth.” He pointed to one in his mouth.
Kevin was clearly losing his patience. He relented with a sigh, tapping the spoon against the tooth. His expression changed as he did this. He placed the spoon down.
“You’re right. The sound is clear and quite loud.”
Jonas nodded excitedly. “The specimens all had the same trait in this regard. The nerves leading between the eardrum and the eyeteeth had grown larger, indicating that they are receiving sounds this way. But there is more!”
Jonas put his spoon down and composed his thoughts for a second.
“They are communicating.”
“What?” Kevin leaned forward in his chair at this news.
“Yes, sir. The testing we have done with the specimens confirms it. They are using their eyeteeth as a primitive type of antennae. The nanobots in the brain are using those enhanced nerve passageways to send signals out through the eyeteeth, as well as to receive signals. There is a limited range, but they have reacted to signals from others — even when there was no stimulus. They have even shown the capability of communicating through walls!”
Jonas was about to continue, but a knock at the door interrupted him. Kevin looked at the door, then at the digital clock on his desk.
“Sorry, Sage Jonas. We are out of time.”
He stood up, a clear signal that the meeting was over. The Sage grabbed his notes and also stood. He was about to turn away when the Paladin addressed him.
“Keep testing. Find their weaknesses, Jonas.”
The Paladin didn’t need to say more. Removing this threat was paramount to Rosae Crucis plans. Jonas nodded and left the room. He passed Sage Peter Torrance in the doorway. Kevin was keenly aware of the glance they exchanged as they passed one another, Peter one of uncertainty, Jonas one of relief.
Kevin returned
