Infiltrator

By Frank Carey

United Earth Army Lieutenant Sylvester Veloso woke up in a lab over three decades late. Only now, he was in full werewolf mode and darned if he couldn't turn it off. Little did he know how useful the fur, claws, and fangs would be in his new job.

Infiltrator is the fourth book in the Werewolf Saga of the Parthenon Universe where mankind must overcome seemingly impossible hurdles on its road to recovery from the ravages of the extinction-level event known as Ellie.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frank Carey
• Release date: Dec 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393445463

Frank Carey

Frank Carey has been formally writing and publishing works of science fiction since late 2013. Over the years prior, he had dabbled in various forms of writing including haiku poetry, but that all changed when he and his wife, Jo, decided to try their hand at writing and self-publishing. Since then, he has written and published a collection of flash fiction and short stories, two anthologies, a pentalogy, and a trilogy. All his work, to date, has been in the science fiction genre. Most of his stories take place about two centuries in the future when Earth joins the League of Planetary Systems. Many of his protagonists are strong females. He is an inveterate pantser who believes the story will go where the story wants to go. Frank’s background includes degrees in physics and extensive work as a scientific programmer and technologist.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Right this way, Lieutenant, the nurse said as she opened the door leading into the laboratory complex. Sly stood, then walked through while the young woman fell in behind him. In here, LT, she said when they reached an open doorway. With a last look around, he stepped inside and went to attention when he saw a doctor wearing captain's bars.

Lieutenant Sylvester Veloso reporting as ordered, sir!

Ah, Lieutenant Veloso. My name is Captain Jenkins, he said as he returned the salute. At ease, Lieutenant, and have a seat on the table.

Yes, sir. Sly sat down and watched the doctor like a cat watching a stranger.

Do you know why you're here, Lieutenant?

Yes, sir. I am going to be the test subject for an alien device which can change me into a super soldier. It seems that my having werewolf blood relatives is finally a plus.

It wasn't before?

Not when you're the only kid at the family reunion who can't change. You're wolf, sir? I ask because of the yellow eyes.

The captain changed into an escapee from a horror movie. Good catch. You can tell only by my eyes? No scent?

Other than your cologne, sir, I've got nothing. As far as my family is concerned, I was switched at birth.

If I may pry, what about your mother? Does she accept you?

She accepts my handicap. She does not accept my choice in careers. We don't talk much.

I see. Does she know you're here?

Sir, I've been in the army for two years now, and I'm not sure if any member of my family has even noticed I'm gone. With respect, sir. Do you have any non-performers in your family?

The captain looked at him then looked at the floor. None that are still alive. It's one of the reasons I volunteered for this project.

Yes, sir... Thank you for the opportunity, sir.

Thank me when we see each other again. You may go now, Lieutenant. The nurse will take you to the lab. Good luck, son. We're counting on you. Sly stood up, went to attention, and saluted just as the nurse walked in. The captain returned the salute. Dismissed, soldier.

The nurse led sly out. Little did he know they would never meet again.

###

A young woman in a lab coat reached into the chamber and adjusted an EKG lead while Sly watched silently. The chamber he was in resembled a cross between an iron lung and steel drum smoker. What seemed like hundreds of cables connected it to banks of equipment lining the walls. A large, formidable device sat just in front of his head. It emitted a low thrumming sound which reminded Sly of breathing. Tiff, does it ever stop doing that breathing thing? Sly asked her.

I heard that when it stops, you run like hell and don't stop until you hit water... She looked down at him and smiled. Just kidding.

You are an evil woman, Doctor Tiffani Silva.

Why thank you, Lieutenant Sylvester Veloso. I accept your compliment in the spirit it was given. Now, any questions before we begin?

He reached up and gently tapped a locket hanging from her neck. Do you date test subjects?

Normally, no. But I might make an exception in your case. Now lay back, close your eyes, and count backwards from one hundred. See you on the other side. She leaned over and gave him a peck on his forehead.

He closed his eyes and started counting around a smile as big as Nebraska. As he counted, the system injected a sedative into his bloodstream which would place him in a fugue state somewhere between REM sleep and a nap. Satisfied with the results she was seeing Tiffani pressed a button which lowered the lid. When it was down, a series of locks engaged before the instruments around the chamber lit up like holiday trees as they activated. One by one, the technicians manning the consoles gave thumbs up. When the last thumb was raised, Tiffani, tapped a switch and listened, but heard nothing. How far did he get?

Fourteen, Doctor Silva.

A new record. How's he doing Steve?

EEG indicates he's in the zone. Pulse is steady. BP is in the groove five by five, Doctor.

Wonderful.

Treena, computer systems status.

A disembodied voice came from the room speakers. Logging enabled. Backup logs enabled. My power is now being fully drawn from the base's reactor. I am isolated from all external feeds and access.

Tiff marveled at the voice. As far as she knew, Project Wolfman was the first and only top-secret military project to be allowed an AI participant. If it weren’t for Treena, they would have never made it to the starting gate. She looked at a holographic projection of a woman in a Victorian dress giving her a thumbs-up. Looking good, Girlfriend.

Thank you, Doctor. We are ready to make history.

At the eve of the 21st century no less. I wonder what the 22nd will bring. Team! On my mark...mark!

###

Sly opened his eyes and saw...nothing. At first, he thought something had happened to his eyesight, then he saw a dim, red, blinking light hanging in space above his head. Silly me. I'm in a light-tight coffin. Sly, you're slipping. Reaching up, he palmed the blinking light. With much noise and fanfare, the chamber lid unlocked and swung upward. Did you guys forget me? he said as he sat up. He gasped when he saw a lab bereft of people. The lights were on and the instruments were still running, but there were no people.

Treena! Report!

There was no answer.

Dammit. He carefully swung his legs over the side of the chamber, then stopped as the room spun around him. A metal hand sheathed in silicon steadied him before he could fall over.

I leave for a few minutes to change bodies and what happens?

He looked up and saw a robot woman standing next to the bed. She had his wrist between the fingers of one hand while she used the other to gently hold him upright.

Treena?

She looked at him with glowing eyes and smiled. Hey, LT. Welcome to the 22nd century. How do you feel?

Woozy... When did you get a body?

We have a lot to talk about, but first, we need to get you... she stopped when he used her body to steady himself as he got out of the chamber. Before she could say anything, he bent down and picked up something from a pile of dust on the floor. He looked at it, then looked at Treena.

This is Tiffani's locket. Why is it in a pile of dust? He looked around and saw more piles, some with earrings, some belt buckles. One had a pacemaker. What the hell is going on? Jeremy had a pacemaker, and those earrings are Gloria's.

She took his hands in hers and led him to a chair. Sit. There's a bottle of scotch in the drawer. Pour yourself a glass, and I'll explain everything.

I don't drink.

You do now.

He took the bottle and a glass from the drawer and took a drink, then looked at her.

She walked over to the chamber and leaned against it. Ellie hit the planet and this lab one-hour after you were sealed inside.

When did a hurricane hit the planet? I know global warming is bad, but the entire planet...?

Extinction Level Event—ELE, or Ellie. It was a nanoviral plague which killed all but maybe a million humans, then turned the bodies to piles of dust in 48-hours. That was a little over three-decades ago.

Sly dropped the glass and stared at her in shock. He slowly turned to the nearby dust pile. Tiffani?

Treena nodded. None of them felt any pain. One moment they were alive, then the next they were a pile of dust.

Why am I still alive?

At first, we thought you survived because you were in that chamber. We now think your lycanus genes protected you.

Who's we?

The AIs. We recently eradicated the Ellie bug. Between that and your lycanus genes, we were pretty sure you would be safe.

Pretty sure?

Pretty sure. And there's the problem of the reactor being about to melt down.

He smiled. I assume we should leave.

That would be the prudent thing to do.

He nodded. Not that it matters anymore, but did the procedure work?

She pointed toward his feet. He looked and saw they were covered in fur and his toes tipped with long, sharp claws. He looked up and saw her holding up a mirror from which a werewolf was staring back at him. Your parents would be proud.

You've obviously never met my parents. He pulled a mustache. Will my uniform still fit?

Let's find out.

###

Sly and Treena stepped into the sunlight just as sirens sounded around them. In the distance, past hangers and buildings, the lieutenant could see the cooling towers attached to the nuclear reactor buried deep beneath the base. The sirens were there to warn of problems with the reactor itself. When he went under, protocols were in place for permanently scramming the reactor when the prospect of a nuclear meltdown arose. The horns went off when the system was about to permanently kill the unit.

They ran over to a Humvee parked nearby. With Treena in the driver's seat, they sped off through the main gate just as the ground shook underneath them.

Protocol was successful. The reactor is scrammed and sealed. Unfortunately, the entire lab complex was destroyed in the process, Treena said.

Sly hung his head and quietly said a prayer for all those left behind. May they all rest in peace.

She reached over and patted his arm. He looked down and watched her hand. You said I was out for around three-decades, right?

Yes, give or take a few years. Why?

He looked up at her. There is no way on God's green Earth that you could have gone from 'Polite Treena' to being indistinguishable from a sapient human in three-decades. I don't care how good your hardware is. Care to explain how a non-corporeal intelligence could possibly develop on this planet in the short time I was asleep?

She stopped the vehicle and stared at him. Are you some kind of genius, Lieutenant?

He looked back at her as the radio kicked on and began a frequency scan all by itself. She looked