Everspring: The Forerunner Archives Book 3

By J. Rock

The mutations are no more.

After barely surviving the events in Everwinter, Juno Quinn and her family are on their way home. But that doesn't mean all is right with the world. Refugees from Everwinter now flee to Eversummer, bringing together two races of people separated for over half a millennium. A clash of cultures is inevitable. But that's not what has Juno worried. Altair, the man she loves, claims to be a Forerunner, and that his people are returning...

But returning from where? And what are their intentions when they do?

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. Rock
• Release date: Mar 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310451553

J. Rock

J. Rock lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, and works inthe Parks & Recreation department. Other than writing andreading, J. enjoys camping, fishing, mountain biking, andplays bass guitar in a local alternative band. He is currently atwork on a new scifi story, In Other Worlds.Contact J. Rock: [e-mail] on the web: http://dinosaurianovels.webs.com/eBooks by J. Rock, available at all major online retailers:Everwinter: The Forerunner ArchivesDinosauria Volume IPart I: A Memory of TimePart II: GardenPart III: Twin City CrossroadsPart IV: NuevogatoDinosauria Volume IIPart V: This Is WarPart VI: PurplePart VII: Supermassive Black HolePart VIII: The HarrowingDinosauria Volume IIIPart IX: The Hunt for the NuevogatoPart X: The Twisted CombinationPart XI: A Brief History of DinosauriaPart XII: Worthy AdversaryDinosauria: The Complete Volumes I, II, & IIIThe Dinosauria Cycle (Volumes I-III)The Death Clock - a short storyEx Machina - a short storyUpcoming Works (working titles):Untitled Forerunner Archives Sequel (2015)In Other Worlds (2015)Contact J. Rock: [e-mail]

Book preview

EVERSPRING:

THE FORERUNNER ARCHIVES

BOOK 3

☯

a novel by

J. Rock

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Copyright 2016 by J. Rock

All art/graphics by J. Rock

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Other works by J. Rock, available at all online eBook retailers:

Eversummer: The Forerunner Archives Book 1 (Free)

Everwinter: The Forerunner Archives Book 2

Dinosauria (a twelve part serial series) Parts I-III Free!

Short Stories

The Death Clock (Free)

Ex Machina (Free)

Contents

Prologue: The Return

Part I: Krakelyn

Part II: Everspring

Epilogue: Headshot

About the Author

PROLOGUE: THE RETURN

I sometimes dream that I’m the last human alive.

The dream seems to come when the winds are blowing from the north, where the natives of this planet say the Great Poison took root, making natural things unnatural and a mockery of creation. They think the Forerunners destroyed this world. Left it irradiated. They have no idea what happened. That the world stopped spinning. Their records go back only as far as the event known as the Mutant Wars, a few centuries past, and truly know nothing of their Forerunners.

Of us.

I believe it is better that way. They have enough on their horizon as it is. An inevitable clash of worlds. One side of the planet lives under the rule of a fundamentalist, fanatical religion, obsessed with perfection and the rooting out of imperfection.

The other side, ironically, is infested with mutants—humans that were born abnormal or had their genes deliberately altered to make them hardier in unfavorable conditions. Cold, specifically. They call them Everwinter mutants, and they are among the most canny and lethal of opponents I have faced. One in particular, known as Pilcrow, has been a splinter in my side for some time now. This mutant makes Primus Halix look like a martian nettik.

I have made contact successfully. My current employer is the highest ranking man in Krakelyn, the capital of Eversummer. His name is Jonathan Quinn. He is my first step in infiltrating their government, gaining their trust, stabilizing this world in preparation for the Return.

And it needs a lot of stabilizing.

If we are to truly make the Return as seamless as possible, it will take myself and my fellow Assassins at least five years standard. Navani is in agreement with me on this. I hope you find that satisfactory.

On a personal note, I am homesick—a feeling I have had almost no experience with. I often question the wisdom of the Forefathers switching off our emotics when they dispatched the Assassin's to Earth.

At any rate, turning off our emotics has been a particular gamble, and I know the Guild supports me in this, but I think the Forefathers will come to regret their decision. I oft times find myself getting attached to places and things in ways completely foreign to me. I get sentimental, and I am not the only one. Navani has it far worse. She is talking of ending her lifearc and starting anew, somewhere alone on Earth. I admit to having similar thoughts now and again. Having so little control over my thoughts and feelings is disturbing, to say the least. If the Return were not inevitable, I daresay you would have a rash of defections on your hands.

But I ramble.

Things are progressing according to plan. Let the Guild know they will soon have a new chapterhouse to prepare. Earth will be ready for the Return.

The gods be with you, dear wife.

Altair

Tolomey spreads her fingers, splayed across the message, her husband's words projected onto the back of her hand. She imagines they are like tattoos, permanently inked to her skin. She's read the letter four hundred and sixty two times since receiving it, over five years ago standard now. And by now, she feels none of the mental tugging one gets when the emotics do their work. She is sad, yes. She misses him, of course. But she doesn't feel it. Can't.

It is better that way. It allows her to focus.

She pulls her hand away from the image of the handwritten note—a facsimile sent via radio projection—and the words reassert themselves now that her appendage is not in the way. She sighs heavily then swipes the words away, replaced instantly by the glowing homescreen of her personal wireless. A vidbit of she and Altair graces the backdrop, both wearing stony expressions. It's almost amusing to think that people used to smile for photos. Well, the emotics put paid to that. What was the point anyway? The purpose of a photo is to convey visual information about a particular time and place, not to depict a pair of shallow people having an equally shallow time in the pursuit of shallow personal amusement.

"Imperatus Tolomey, the stern and authoritative voice of Primus Halix sounds in her mind. We're about in position. The Everspring is yours. Bring us home."

Thank you, Primus, she sends back. Halix had been her mentor since birth. She should feel proud, but there’s nothing to feel anymore. Not ever. Halix is back on Everfall anyway, far, far away.

Tolomey turns and nods to the other officers on the bridge, who nod in return. The ship is hers.

The Return is hers.

She addresses the flight deck. Begin retro thrust sequence. She removes the navglove from its holster on the console and slips it on, the material automatically conforming to her palm. A wisp of a grin forms on her lips before her emotics kick it away. She'd been dreaming of this moment since childhood. She raises her gloved hand and an image appears from thin air before her.

A map. The nav guide.

The planet Earth spins in space just inches from her nose. She uses the glove and mimics grabbing the planet, the image turning at her suggestion. She lets it spin. It's hard to believe that this is the same planet her people once ruled. It looks nothing like the maps in her father's study, back in Madeem Vallis on Everfall. Those parchments had depicted a world full of islands. Massive, bulky hulks of land that stretched for miles all over the face of the globe like puzzle pieces. Now, the world has but one continent, a thick strip of rock circling the equator, and two oceans—one north, one south.

And Altair is down there, somewhere.

Tolomey can’t help but wonder where.

His letter suggested he was headed for the city of Krakelyn, in Eversummer, but that'd been years ago. Then, three months ago, they'd received a message—the Return signal from a grounded satellite in Everwinter. Grounded satellites had been placed all over Earth for the Assassins to call home once the population had been stabilized and prepared for the Return. The signal had been transmitted using Altair's personal ident code, but there was a good chance he'd moved on from there since then.

Tolomey prayed Altair had been right, that the world was ready for the Forerunners. Because things may have changed.

It was rumored that the Return would not be proceeding as the Assassin's had been assured. It was rumored that the Forefathers were becoming less and less interested in the well-being of the residents of Earth. The Return was supposed to be a mutual event, beneficial for all involved. But there were whisperings that the plan might have changed. No one knew for sure. The Forefathers would tell no one outside their circle of twelve.

Many, Tolomey included, felt that the Old Ones were hiding something important. Mandatory updates to the emotics happened at nearly weekly intervals now. Some suggested that the Forefathers were expanding the algorithm, damping emotion even further. Tolomey was not so sure herself. Yes, she'd felt the suppressors kicking in more often lately, but at the same time, she was sure her mind was clearing, becoming more rational. Smarter. Maybe.

In front of Tolomey’s eyes the virtual globe stops spinning and a glowing red dot—situated on a north facing peninsula in Eversummer—appears before her eyes. She raises the navglove and inspects the dot.

Is this right? she asks, turning to Drader, her secondary commander. The first anchor point is here? I thought we were going to keep the anchors at a minimum distance in order to prevent misunderstandings with the locals—

That plan has been changed, Imperatus, Drader informs her from the top of the flight deck. Forefather's orders.

And yet they told you and not me…

Tolomey hesitates, but knows better than to argue, especially now. Without her emotic, she would feel angry and betrayed that an officer of lower rank was trusted with sensitive information before her. But she does have an emotic, and her mind is clear. Right?

Of course, Primus, she nods, unconsciously gritting her teeth. A lump grows in her throat. Is she feeling something? The Forefathers were getting on her nerves, sticking their dirty noses into everything now! She looks around the Everspring flight deck, at all the instruments, screens, panels, buttons, cameras. Are the Forefathers watching, even now? Of course she knows what the answer is.

The lump grows, threatening to choke her. Her hands are balled into fists. They changed the plan without telling me...

Then something releases in her mind. Something breaks, and she’s relaxed. All is wiped clean, her emotic finally kicking in.

What took so long?

Are you alright, Imperatus? Drader asks, looking down on her with false concern.

She doesn’t answer. Tolomey swipes the Earth image from her view, the flight screen coming up in its place, providing a real-time view of the Everspring as it orbits into position around the Earth. Tolomey swipes again, this time downward, the flight screen image falling to the floor in front of her. She steps onto the projection, walking gingerly across the image to the point where the red dot had been represented on the globe earlier.

Then she reaches upward, pulling down on an imaginary lever. A massive projected pillar appears from her fingers, gliding gently down to the crimson point on the Earth.

Anchor point one, ready, Tolomey announces. Let's bring our baby home, brothers and sisters. There are no cheers from the crew, only suppressed smiles. They set to work immediately, making the final preparations for the Return.

She turns to Drader. May I ask your thoughts on the change in our anchorage, Commander?

Drader blinks. Thoughts, Imperatus? I have none. Only orders to follow and carry out. Just as you do. He pauses. Is there a problem?

She shakes her head. Of course not, it's just... Altair could be down there. She composes herself, standing erect. Of course not, she reiterates.

Good, Drader replies. The bridge is yours. I must make a report to the Forefathers. There are plans to update our emotics before landing on the planet. He’s talking as if he’s the one in charge here.

Of course there are, Tolomey keeps to herself, squeezing her fists again. Carry on, Commander, is all she says, as if giving an order.

Drader turns and leaves, leaving Tolomey at a loss.

Something is not right here.

She looks down at the map projection at her feet. The projected pillar now hovers directly over the anchor point.

Krakelyn.

The city Altair was supposed to be infiltrating.

Or had already.

Anchor one ready, Imperatus, one of the crew announces. Awaiting your command.

Tolomey hesitates, but only briefly. In the name of the Forefathers, and the people of Everfall and Everspring, let the Return begin, she orders.

PART I: KRAKELYN

1.

No, you're not, I whisper, stifling a furious giggle. Stop bloody telling me that!

It's true though, Juno. I swear by the gods, it's true! Altair comes at me, assuming an Omnite offensive stance, front leg bent, back leg straight. His punches come stiff and efficient, allowing me ample time to block.

Shhh! I protest. You know I don't want the others to hear this crap! I shake my head, trying to keep my composure. He comes at me with a high-low jab combo that I use both hands to block, as he taught me. And don't speak of the gods to me! You've been telling me off and on for the past three months that you are a Forerunner, and I have yet to believe you. Why don't you just give it up?

I'll give up when you believe me! Altair returns, tossing a few more jabs my way as we spar next to the morning fire. I dodge his moves and give him a playful push. I smile. Three months ago I wouldn't have been able to get within a foot of the man. My Assassin training is going pretty well, all things considered.

"Oh gods, I give up! I proclaim ironically, doing a dramatic gesture skyward. I don't believe in the gods, but it's funny how some habits, like a turn of phrase, are so hard to break. I don't understand you, Altair. When I first met you, you were all business, hardly ever smirking, let alone smiling. You practically had no personality. Now, you insist on running a joke. One I have yet to laugh about, by the way." My voice has gotten louder.

I think it's hilarious, an annoying whine sounds from a pile of blankets on the other side of our campsite. Traylor's loathsomely cheerful face emerges from the pile, grinning at me like