Antinode Vapors

By Ryan Viergutz

Troubled computer hacker Marillion Telos, troubled by a snake that has annihilated his computer records, desires the secret of the universe. At the right moment in time a seeress named Sybil Avasa comes to him and tells he must infiltrate the vault of a prominent corporate executive.

On his way he will reunite with old friends potentially turned enemies, an old flame who might have betrayed him and Davrat Jortiran, the executive himself. In the end he will have to face the snake, Rapscallion, who could crush Marillion's plans and kill him in the process.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ryan Viergutz
• Release date: Aug 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370497881

Ryan Viergutz

I'm a freelancer, writer, roleplayer and gamer. I don't want to live in the same place any longer than a year for a very long time and I am always yearning for adventure. The first two overlap often enough that they're almost the same thing, though they aren't by anyone's measure. Regardless of the state I'm in, I am always roleplaying and I allow myself to indulge in gaming, usually of a video game variety, sometimes. At any given time I will have a scifi or fantasy book in my hands or in my travel bag.

Book preview

Antinode Vapors

Ryan Viergutz

Copyright 2014 Ryan Viergutz

Published by Ryan Viergutz at Smashwords

This work is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved. This is a work of

fiction. All characters and situations depicted in this book are fictional. Any resemblance to

real people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Books by Ryan Viergutz

Secrets of the Empire Tatsuro Calesani, Chaos Mage

Enemy Territory Stricken by Entropy

Necessary Lies Splinters in Three Souls

Can't Fall Back Absolute Mayhem

Overthrown (Coming 2016)

Last Chance (Coming 2017)

Ghost Infection

Silph and Leah Helcion Brixton

Blown to Smithereens Fatal Proximity

No Stone Unturned (Coming 2017) Devil's Wombs (Coming TBA)

Before Indoctrination (Coming 2016)

Antinode Vapors

Salvation Polarity

Blindsided

Instability

Two Ends of Destiny

Oracle Dream

Chapter 1

Aliens, reptiles and salamanders poured through the cracks he had left open in his network for their inevitable arrival. Thousands of them crept between the drawbridges built from code and the murder holes in the top level of his operating system. He had prepared so many defenses that he thought they might block most of their advance or force them into a retreat. In reality, his enemies rushed straight into his files and shredded them.

As soon as they forced him to retreat he realised what had gone wrong. He had expected a smaller, surgical strike team to advance on him, led by his rivals. Instead, in a matter of days, most of his enemies had joined forces and assaulted his code in one last desperate attack. While their army of thousands dwindled to hundreds, then to dozens, he had no more defenses to face them. He'd become powerless to stop them. One by one, his terminals fell silent and shut down.

Marillion threw a glass bottle at the nearest monitor and blocked his face with an arm when the glass and plastic shattered in front of him. He crossed his arms, his room suddenly dark and silent, and glared at the afterimage of the battle on his retinas. He would need months to recover his data and at least a year to attempt another strike on the magnitude of the Ganymede Blast.

One of his dozen surveillance cameras still provided him a feed. He saw movement on it and leaned forward, concerned that his enemies had come to assassinate him. He clutched the pistol on the desk and grimaced at the movement on the monitor. They might have destroyed his data but they wouldn't take his body without a fight.

I'm not here to hurt you, a woman said, her voice scrambled by static. I'm here to ask you for your help, if you're willing to provide it.

Marillion left his hand on the pistol's grip. He listened for her to arrive at the door. Instead she walked around outside of his apartment building and occasionally slipped into the sight of the camera. She had a white leather jacket tight over her slender shoulders and dark grey cargo pants that looked like they carried hundreds of objects in their pockets. He'd seen pretty girls who meant him harm, though, and he couldn't be taken by her appearance.

Aren't you going to say anything? the woman said. I happen to be impatient.

You're the one who's consulting me, Marillion said. What do you want?

I have an important object I'd like to claim from its erroneous owner, the woman said. I believe you're the best person to help me.

Marillion swiveled his chair to look at her through the camera. The darkness of the room troubled him. Plugs on his temples and slots on his limbs itched to dive into the grid again. Before his body had rejected the treatments a year ago, he wouldn't have had to put up with darkness unless he wanted it. That would vary on precisely what you need.

He guessed the woman knew where he had mounted the camera or she wouldn't have dodged it so skillfully. I need a professional hacker. You're one of the best, Marillion Telos.

How do you know my name? Marillion said. Who are you?

The woman chuckled quietly. It's unlikely you'd know my name. I'm not nearly as widely respected as you. My name is Sybil Avasa.

I've never heard of you, Marillion said. Why should I trust you?

Someone's trying to kill you, Sybil said. I think I know his identity.

Marillion squinted. You know his identity? How about his name?

Sybil sighed. He doesn't have a name. He has hundreds of them.

He removed the pistol from the desk, pressed the buzzer to let her in and swiveled his chair toward the door. If she'd learned that much about his Enemy, she could prove dangerous in the long run. He wondered how much she knew about Jortiran and how much of his identity the woman had deciphered. Marillion had fought him for years, throughout the network, and he had a narrow grasp of his personality and motivations.

Miss Avasa walked up the stairs and knocked on his door. He let her in. Now he had a much clearer view of her. The woman had thin spectacles with black wire rims. Her sharp blue eyes looked warily at him, clearly uneasy at the attention he'd given her. While she was slender, she had more muscle to her build than he'd thought upon first glance. She sat in a folding chair, her eyes on him unwavering, and crossed her arms.

Marillion smiled. You seem suspicious of me, Miss Avasa.

Sybil shrugged. I'm not sure you have the heart for this mission, Marillion.

Marillion curled his upper lip and leaned back in his chair. It creaked comfortably beneath him. The sound, minus the purr of computers and the hum of electricity, echoed much louder than usual. He squirmed and looked aside. Why should that matter when someone is trying to kill me? It's not like I have a choice.

You always... Sybil started. "Well, you usually have a