Lore of the Sleepers: LORE Series, #1

By J.C. Willis

          J.C.Willis' 2023 sci-fi fantasy novel LORE of the Sleepers follows Captain Nick Sevren, a soldier known for his quick wit and devastating temper. Sevren belongs to a specialized military corps responsible for keeping an underground facility known as the Sanctuary safe in a post-apocalyptic world. The Sanctuary houses millions of people (known as sleepers) and animals in cryostasis and keeps their minds active through a fantasy program called LORE.

          Things get complicated after Sevren becomes entangled in the political machinations of the Sanctuary's administration by foiling an attempted sexual assault he is later framed for. To secure his freedom, he must do the evil Administrator's bidding by plugging into the L.O.R.E. program and helping two terrorists escape the underground Drow (dark elf) city of Vash'Pal with an ornate box. He only has three days, or he will die in the real world. The box contains the wraith gauntlets which are the last piece of a Codex sought by an evil wizard. With all three pieces, the wizard can activate the Font of Eternal Life and become immortal in the game so that his life will never "reset" and start over.

          Things quickly escalate once Sev'Ren, now a Drow "in game," learns that one of the terrorists is, in fact, the princess of the dark elf city. Sev'Ren must fight in the Drow arena to win the freedom of the other terrorist, Gun'Dros, who assassinated the Drow King to find the box and also stole a sacred book from the Assassins Guild. Only when the box makes it above ground and sees the light of the twin suns, will Sev'Ren be safe. He is poisoned in the last fight, however, and in order to live, must join the Assassins Guild and help them retrieve the book. He also agrees to help the princess after she explains to him the stakes of allowing the evil wizard to win.

          Deceit and betrayal await around every corner as Sev'Ren struggles to save himself, the Drow, the princess, and the sleepers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Willis
• Release date: May 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223086741

J.C. Willis

         J.C. Willis was an American born author who grew up in South Georgia and North Florida. He earned his master’s degree in organizational leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN. J.C. began writing his debut novel after obsessing over video games and books about dark elves, wizards, and dragons.          Inspired by notable authors such as Sophia Steward, Terry Goodkind and R.A. Salvatore, J.C. was interested in putting his own twist on an amalgamation of science fiction, dungeons and dragons, and dark fantasy. When he’s not world building, he can usually be found playing with farm animals or hiking in nature.

Book preview

Lore of the Sleepers

LORE Series, Volume 1

J.C. Willis

Published by J.C. Willis, 2023.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

LORE OF THE SLEEPERS

First edition. May 23, 2023.

Copyright © 2023 J.C. Willis.

ISBN: 979-8223086741

Written by J.C. Willis.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

LORE of the Sleepers (LORE Series, #1)

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About the Author

Chapter 1

Adam Sykes swiped his security card casually on the access pad of the elevator. A few moments later the doors slid open with a buzz.

He pressed one of the more than fifty optional buttons. Today, he was heading down to the board room. It was a secure chamber located on one of the lower levels of the Sanctuary Facility. The facility was an enormous habitable hub, below ground, that housed millions of people from the irradiated wasteland above. Most of those people, known as sleepers, were now kept in cryostasis.

He already knew why he had been summoned. He always knew what was happening in his installation. A well-placed favor here, a promotion there, a simple passing conversation was all he needed. Being the Administrator had its perks.

He had his network. A delicate tangle of relationships carefully developed over the years.

Another buzz and the doors slid open to a short corridor flanked by rows of blue-toned LED lights within the transparent walls on each side. The short walkway ended at a set of black double doors with a golden L.O.R.E. symbol emblazed with the outline of a dragon breathing fire. Two security guards in blue tactical gear stood holding Smith & Wesson M&P15 rifles to either side of the doors. They both nodded their heads in recognition as the doors parted for Adam.

The boardroom itself was a bleached white oval with stainless metal rafters and a huge crystal chandelier in the center. An opulent grey marble table ran the length of the room. A plush red carpet covered the floor in stark contrast to the rest of the room. It had a clinical feel, devoid of greenery or life.

Each of the grey leather chairs flanking both sides of the table were occupied by a mixture of scientists, military personnel, and select board members.

A lone chair sat empty at the head of the table.

His chair.

Adam nonchalantly strode across the room and took a seat. His sharp sky-blue eyes quickly took in the mood of the room. Apprehension and fear engulfed his audience.

Immediately to his left sat his lead scientist, Rachel Raft. To his right, Issac Holmes, head of security.

Administrator! So glad you could finally join us, came a contemptuous welcome from a man seated further down to Adam’s right.

The owner of the voice boasted a sharply tailored black suit with silver sleeve cuffs. A red handkerchief flared dramatically out from his jacket pocket. His blonde toupee only served to accentuate his age.

Frank Sutton, chairman of the board.

Ah Frank! So glad to see you, Adam lied, in a jovial voice. I assure you I came with the utmost haste, he told the man, followed by a thin lipless smile.

You can wait until I’m good and ready, and like it...

Administrator, sir, we have detected an anomaly in the system, Rachel offered, attempting to focus the conversation on the matter at hand and dispense with the fake pleasantries.

Oh?

He already knew about the report, of course. But he played along willingly. He knew exactly how to play his part.

"A group identifying themselves as The Triad has infiltrated the system using our backup NPC (Non-Player Controlled) files in L.O.R.E.," she reported.

Adam swiveled his chair to face Commander Holmes. With feigned exasperation, he asked, Is this true?

Issac was a man Adam had known for years. He was smart, deadly efficient, and loyal to a fault. His grey beard and balding head were the only betrayals of his years. Otherwise, the man was an ox of a human with a broad, muscular build and a no-nonsense attitude.

Issac cleared his throat, Yes sir, we detected the breach this morning during routine system scans.

Low grumbles of worry began around the room.

Adam quickly held up his hand, commanding silence.

Issac waited until the room settled and then continued, We’re not really sure exactly when they infiltrated but it seems they’ve divided their efforts into three main zones, The Kingdom of Scull, Runestone, and Mythrane.

How could this happen? Frank interrupted incredulously. You all said the system was full proof.

Frank Sutton was a man who styled himself an entrepreneur of the L.O.R.E. program based on his financial contributions. His family had become one of the richest in the world due to their involvement in arms sales and energy production before everything had ended with the Great War. He was as brash and reactive as he was old and arrogant.

A fool. But a useful fool none-the-less...

Come now, let’s hear the full report before we make any assumptions, shall we? Adam cautioned.

Frank gave a dismissive grunt and turned his scowl towards the Commander.

Issac licked his lips and thumbed at an invisible piece of dust on the grey marble.

"Eight test NPCs were overwritten and morphed into live avatars by The Triad using a virus. They scattered so quickly upon upload, however, that we were only able to triangulate estimations of their exact whereabouts," Issac said.

Couldn’t we just take an active roll call to determine who the terrorists are? a junior scientist asked.

We thought about that, Issac continued, All heads are accounted for. They must have skipped the last shift change.

And? Adam pressed.

And we believe this was an inside job, as in members of the administrative team, considering the tactical know-how demonstrated. They knew exactly where and when to hit us.

Issac shifted uncomfortably in his chair, They even left calling cards embedded into the virus code.

Gasps and fevered whispers arose around the room.

Say it...

The commander cleared his throat again, Based on spawn data, they seem to be going for the Codex.

The room erupted into a whirlwind of commotion. Frank shot to his feet and started yelling at the other board members, Issac frantically began motioning for order by waving his hands, and Rachel just laid her head on one hand with her elbow resting on the arm of her chair.

The Codex was a collection of pieces of gear, in game, that if controlled by a single entity, had the potential to make them living Gods within the program. L.O.R.E. (Latent Omnipresent Reality Engine) was the application that sustained the sleepers, or humans, in cryostasis, by keeping their brain patterns supported through neurostimulation.

Intoxicating chaos...

Adam sat still and let the room work itself into a frenzy before slowly lifting his hand again for silence.

The Administrator demands order! boomed Issac, in a voice that seemed to rattle the air.

Everyone either froze in place or sank back down into their chairs.

How certain are we of that? Adam asked in a concerned voice.

The wraith gauntlets are in play, the Drow King is dead, Issac’s eyes narrowed, The Book of Shadows stolen from the stewards. We do know that the Obsidian Crown remains with the elves, and the amulet of Vaelor’s Peace is at the Citadel, there is good news there at least.

Are the gauntlets still within the Pit of Scull? Adam asked, ignoring the other two pieces.

We believe so, sir. They are most likely still in the possession of the Drow.

Rachel slowly raised her head from the palm her hand, The Drow are lawless brutes who only value strength and subterfuge.

Their sleepers are barely able to afford their cryopods, she continued incredulously.

Yes but paid for nevertheless with all intents to be free of the rest of the realm, said a clearly frustrated Issac.

Free, Rachel snorted with a laugh.

I guess you mean other than the ones dumb enough to venture out of the pit and end up as slaves, she said.

Issac nodded, Yes, but in the pit is the problem. Down there it’s chaos, in fact, he continued, The last nine envoys we sent, when we had the backups, never returned to report back. Now our security teams refuse to even speak of that place. They got tired of feeling the sensation of dying repeatedly when they were plugged into the network. Can’t really say that I blame them, dying in the game takes its toll on the mind eventually.

Hushed conversations started up once more. Frank Sutton looked overcome with anxiety. The withering skin stretched thin across his face from years of plastic surgery and was noticeably twitching.

This is it...

Adam motioned for Issac to lean in closer, Call Luther.

Issac nodded and quietly radioed the summons into the headset hidden within his ear.

Adam continued studying the room while he waited for his assistant to arrive.

Luther Cain was a man of many talents, a chameleon of sorts. Talents that had benefited the Administrator greatly. He was also a man of many needs too. Needs that sometimes could be problematic to those in power, like Adam.

Quieting the fallout from Luther’s most recent unwanted tryst had proven difficult, but not impossible. His usefulness to the Administrator far outweighed the effort of the coverup. Adam just wished the man could control himself around the fairer sex. This time had almost cost him his life after one of the Elites, Captain Nick Sevren, had caught him in the act and beaten him within an inch of his life.

Luther will not like this next part. It is a necessary risk, though. There is no one else...

The Administration, of course, had found Luther an innocent bystander who just happened upon the scene. He was attacked trying to heroically save that poor woman from the deranged, now confined, Captain. Or, at least, that’s what the official record now reads.

Adam turned his attention to the double doors as they slid open.

In limped Luther Cain, righthand man to the Administrator himself.

Luther had an ever-present paleness to him along with sickly lizard-like lips, and golden eyes. He often darted his tongue out between breaths out of habit.

He wore a cast over the entirety of his left leg that he was now forced to drag awkwardly behind him as he walked. His face was a battered mass of lumps and bruises. A stapled cut ran along the ridge bone of his right eye.

Sir, Luther wheezed. He slightly bowed his head as he came to a halt beside Adam.

Adam put on a cheerful smile, There you are my friend! he waved a hand towards the table, Shall we all give the hero of the Residential Unit a round of applause?

Soft, non-enthusiastic claps filled the room.

Luther smiled slyly and gave a knowing nod.

Luther, I’ve invited you here to explain to these fine people what would be needed if we were to insert two agents into the system.

Adam paused a few moments for effect.

Baseline inserts, he added.

Rachel and Issac exchanged uncomfortable looks, trying not to draw attention.

Luther darted his tongue out, wetting his lips. Well, ideally, we would wait for a unit to expire naturally.

Frank wiped away a bead of sweat from his brow with his handkerchief, before returning it to its pocket, Unit? Expire?

Yes, Luther continued, As you know, L.O.R.E. is composed of millions of sleeper units, and millions more of animal units. All perfectly preserved in cryosleep. Our synaptic stimulation process improves average cryosleep lifespans from a mere 200 years to well over 10,000 years. This is by design to try to outlive the radiation above. As units near the 10,000 marks, they would expire."

Frank looks confused.

They die, Mr. Chairman, Luther said bluntly. New units would then be introduced into the system from naturally born specimens homegrown in the Residential Unit, at least in theory.

Frank and the rest of the board all listened intently.

Luther knew he had their full attention.

Our closest expirations are only approaching 800 years. If we pull them now, we will lose them. Unlike administrative personnel, most units are scheduled for full cycle".

He waited for the gravity of the situation to fully take hold.

One board member put her hand to her mouth in shock.

To baseline insert two agents we would need to manually make room for them.

Full realization finally set in.

Frank spoke after what seemed a silent eternity, You are talking about killing people.

Unfortunately, yes, Luther confirmed, "The backup NPCs commandeered by The Triad were the last available unaccounted-for pods and they are stored at random within the cavern complexes housing the cryogenics. That The Triad found them is quite curious indeed."

But who? Frank asked with implied intent. Surely not any of the elven sleepers, we paid the most credits!

Not any of the human sleepers either! another board member shouted. Human sleepers make up the backbone of the system!

We are getting ahead of ourselves, Luther cautioned, while scanning the faces staring at him.

To override the system to accept baseline inserts, we would need to grant the Administrator emergency clearance.

"Ok, let’s do that