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Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Ch.9
Chapter NineChanges keep on comingNellie floated in the web of information, strings winding from her head and body and off into the distance. It had taken her a week of real-time to finally make it all conform to her way of doing things, but it was worth it.Before, she had been constantly having to keep the storm of in...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Ch.8
Chapter EightDockingCrush breathed a sigh of relief when the Talon dropped out of Transit Space, hearing Cara and Andy doing the same. After the disaster on the arc ship none of them were going to be comfortable in that chaotic mess of a place. Not for a long time.“Scan?” Crush called immediately.“Clearing now,...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Ch.7
Chapter SevenOne small stepThe Indomitable maintained a steady orbit as the two women on board bickered about where to land. Below them, the single massive continent waited. The strange landmass curved up and over the top half of the planet, a long arm down the far side thinning as it passed the equator until it termin...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Ch.6
Chapter SixNew beginningsNellie read and reread the messages, but no matter how many times she did, they didn’t change.At least she knew it wasn’t an attack now. The transfer process was a lot more than uncomfortable. Nell had almost ended up braindead as a result. If she hadn’t spent all that time practicing her...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Ch.5
Chapter FiveMessagesFirst Message received - Sender: Lucy.Hey Nell,I know you are really busy up there, so I am sending this instead. I have received a response to the message we sent back. They are talking in the same language as us, which is strange, don’t you think?I’ve switched languages for the reply. I’m us...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Ch.4
Chapter FourOpening Moves“I have it programmed to be in Transit Space for about an hour and a half, then exit and return after a long-range scan if possible,” Boone reported as the Orb launched from the Sparklight.The Carrier had been moved into position a short distance away from the Jump Point that had brought th...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Ch.3
Chapter ThreeBad NewsThe charts provided by the strange Captain Blagden and his crew did not paint a very pretty picture. Their system was blockaded by well over one hundred fifty ships, most of them cruisers or even capital ships.“They are only blockading us on three sides,” Salem noted, her elegant finger tapping...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Ch.2
Chapter TwoUnexpected Arrivals.Greetings,We extend our warmest greetings to you, the maker of this small scout vehicle. One of our gate devices recovered it as part of its automatic gathering routines. No harm or ill intent was involved in this act. It was purely automatic, and safeguards are in place to ensure sentien...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Ch.1
Chapter OneChange is the only constant“Explain this, please,” Salem said sternly. Her eyes raked over The Girl, taking in all the changes.“Explain what?” The Girl replied innocently.The last time Salem had seen The Girl, she had been a thin, sort of gangly child who could have passed for anything from ten to tw...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk4 - Prologue
PrologueFour months after the battle…The outer rim of Sagacity controlled space — Border with Nanite Imperium.Fleet Admiral Hardwicke leaned over the command screen and brought up the details on the jump point. It was one of three possible exits in this system from the Nanite Imperium’s system. All around the bri...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.60
Chapter SixtyEvolving SituationsWesley stumbled out the door of the safe room after the others and collapsed against the cliff wall, looking anxiously around to see if there was anything that looked urgent.Like a bit of the cliff shearing off.Nothing seemed different than before, so he closed his eyes and allowed the p...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.59
Chapter Fifty-NineSleeping through the end of the world.Wesley woke from a deep, dreamless sleep, immediately knowing something was wrong. The silence in the safe room immediately made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.For a short and heart-stopping moment, Wesley thought he was alone. Wes decided that the...
Nellie and the Nanites Book 4
Hey all,Now that we have completed Book 3 I just wanted to take a moment to let you know about the plans for Book 4, which is already well underway and (I think) even better than Book 3.And speaking of Book 4, there will be a change to the posting schedule beginning next week.I will post a total of 4 chapters each week...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.58
Chapter Fifty-EightDown Under“Everyone get ready,” Wesley called as he readied the shovel. “It will probably attack the second one of us touches down.”“No shit!” Dolin snapped.“Shut up, Dolin!” Another woman called over. “You dozy bitch.”“Ah, kiss my ass, Rachael, you stuck up—” Dolin started....
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.57
Chapter Fifty-SevenWelcome to the JungleWesley marveled at the changes a few upgrades could make.To say that the troops had been surprised by the creation of a literal pile of upgrade cubes would be like saying a starving man was surprised by the offer of a three-course dinner. They were more than amazed at the smiling...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk3 - Ch.55
Chapter 55EpilogueSector Space - 1 week after the battle ended.A week in transit space had not improved either of their moods, and Carter was more than looking forward to a shower when their shuttle dropped back into regular space.“I’m seeing minimal traffic in the system,” Maxton replied from the seat behind him...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk3 - Ch.54
Chapter 54Search and Rescue“Hand in there, Cara!” Crush grimaced as he felt something tear inside his guts. Power armor could do a lot, but gut-shot was gut-shot. Carrying a half-dead friend over your shoulder at the same time was simply not advisable in his current condition.Crush put his head down and ran faster ...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.56
Chapter Fifty-SixThe Morning AfterWesley had no idea how long he sat on the wall, watching for movement. What he did know was that it was light when he blinked and came back to himself.All around him, people were moving listlessly. Many were just sitting, staring into space the way he had been.“Come on, Wes,” He mu...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.55
Chapter Fifty-FiveThe Sundered DayRupert, for all he looked like the usual gormless posh boy, was right on the money when it came to them facing a completely different enemy from the previous night.Their first clue came when the creatures reappeared, clad in the scavenged armor of the bandits they had killed. Their app...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.54
Chapter Fifty-FourThe Ravening Horde“Hold!” Malia called as the charging creatures hit the base of the rise. Every second, they got closer. Malia stared, unblinking, until the lead one drew back its long, thin arm to launch the spear. “FIRE!”The archers fired, sending a hail of arrows at their attackers, while ...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.53
Chapter Fifty-ThreeOn the road again.Bob and Earl waved them off, and as a reward, they earned themselves a couple of slices of Joy’s freshly baked pie.Honestly, after a couple of bites, they almost volunteered to accompany them to the South before sanity and self-preservation reminded them they were on gate duty for...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.52
Chapter Fifty-TwoThe Assignment.Wesley spent much of the following day working with Earnshaw’s people to develop their new crafting production line. The Mayor had set up quite the system overnight, with repair materials collected in a central location for conversion into upgrade cubes, mods, and reinforcements.Natura...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk3 - Ch.53
Chapter 53This far, but no further.“STOP!” Lucy screamed in her ear, but Nellie ignored her as she reached out to the nanites in the Bly. They responded in their millions, responding to her call.One word echoed in her mind as she prepared to unleash them all.Consume.“Stop!” Lucy said again as the world faded aw...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.51
Chapter Fifty-OneThe old and the new.“Hey, shit! Hey!” The gate guards began to wave excitedly as they drew near to the city. “I said he’d come! Didn’t I, Bob? Didn’t I say?”“We both said,” the grinning Bob nodded. “You know we both said it, Earl.”“Yeah, but I said it first!” Earl replied prou...
The Rifleman - Bk1 - Ch.50
Chapter FiftyBad news never comes aloneThe Keeper had left them alone for a minute, which was kind of him. Malia was staring at her badge as if she had never seen it before, and Wesley didn’t blame her. Those people, whoever they had been, were her people.“I’m sorry,” Wesley said again, coming to stand next to ...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk3 - Ch.52
Chapter 52Above and BelowNellie's face contorted in pain as the Talon absorbed another brutal blow. The modified cruiser, now a wounded beast, started to tilt to one side as its thrusters sputtered and failed.“How long until that beam is up?” Nellie yelled over the warning klaxons.“Thirty seconds!” Remy rep...
Nellie and the Nanites - Bk3 - Ch.51
Chapter 51Boarding PartyTippett waited his turn at the back of the line, more than happy to allow the higher ranks to be the first ones through the door.“Seals locked! Move! Move! Move!” Silver's voice boomed, the urgency in his command palpable. The Imperial Line Security Force, known for their strict hierarch...
The Rifleman - Ch.49
Chapter Forty-NineThe Trouble with Feeling Safe.Wesley sat and ate a cold pie while Malia fussed over the haircut she was giving Joy. It was the final step in making her ‘safe,’ or rather the closest to it you could get in this world.A haircut, a change of clothes—and absolutely no one touching her tail—was all...
The Rifleman - Ch.48
Chapter Forty-EightLoot and ScootIt was crazy; it really was. Wesley looked around at the destruction around him and had to ask… How is this my life?A little over an hour earlier, Wes had dropped a seven-story stone tower on a creature that looked like it belonged on the cover of a heavy metal album. Now, he was walk...
The Rifleman - Ch.47
Chapter Forty-SevenTake it all!“Need backup!” Wesley called as he started to fire on the approaching horde. This was the weakness of his strategy. He could defend easily enough against a spread-out attack, but an attack from a single direction could break through if they were determined enough.That was the grim rea...
