Devastator

  Devastator

  Book Two of The Warp

  By

  Jason Cordova

  PUBLISHED BY: Anticipation Press

  Copyright © 2018 Jason Cordova

  All Rights Reserved

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold 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 wasn’t purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  * * * * *

  Cover Art and Design by Lee Dunning

  * * * * *

  Acknowledgements

  It’s been a few years since I’ve been able to set foot in The Warp. I want to thank Chris Kennedy and company for the opportunity to continue Tori’s story. Without the hard work of his publishing house this would never have come to life. I also would like to thank Dr. Bob Boan. His insights into quantum theory and the brain helped me give the science in this some backbone. Special thanks to Scott Bragg and James Cochrane for the computer help. As always, if there are mistakes, they are mine to fit the story and not theirs.

  I also want to thank the following for their support: Chris Smith, Mike Massa, and Kacey Ezell. You three were some of the biggest supporters when I was writing this novel, and your constant pestering helped push this one out while all I wanted to do was procrastinate. Yes, they are all part of the Four Horsepersons group. Also a huge shout-out to honorary horseperson, Philip “Docfather” Wohlrab, for answering basic biology questions and what the body does in a fight.

  Lastly, thank you to Michael “Subdude” Gants for helping me draw out The Warp and assisting me with designing pretty much all of the amazing worlds within. You freaking rock, man.

  If I missed your name, I’m sorry. Your help is not unappreciated. I just have a bad memory.

  * * * * *

  Dedication

  This is dedicated to my foster brother, Shawn.

  Really wish you were still here so you could see all this.

  * * * * *

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  About the Author

  Titles by Jason Cordova

  Excerpt from Book Three of The Warp:

  Excerpt from “Obliterator:”

  Excerpt from Book One of the Kin Wars Saga:

  Excerpt from “Wraithkin:”

  Excerpt from Book One of The Milesian Accords:

  Excerpt from “A Reluctant Druid:”

  Prologue

  “The future of warfare isn’t on the battlefield or the skies above,” the man standing on stage said as he looked out over the seated crowd. He could only see dark outlines thanks to the bright spotlight shining on him, but he knew precisely who was in the crowd. Of the hundreds out there, hanging on his every word, he only cared about impressing one person—a man who could make or break an innovator such as himself.

  “Cyberterrorism has grown at three times the rate of conventional terrorism over the past five years,” he continued and began to pace across the stage. He had his speech memorized, as he’d been planning this event for almost eighteen months. “State-sponsored terrorism, where the hijacking of planes is used to send a message to another country, has gone by the wayside. Security measures put in place have reduced the success of that sort of terrorism to zero. Suicide bombers, once the bane of military and civilians alike, have slowed in most areas of the world.”

  Except Indonesia, he didn’t say. Southeast Asia had turned into a political and religious mess, and nobody wanted to admit it was happening. It was one of the reasons he chose to base everything out of the United States.

  “We now have multi-state parties infiltrating and stealing information on an unprecedented scale,” he said as the screen behind him changed scenes. “Worse still, inattentive employees are falling victim to phishing attempts they find online and are allowing third party sites access to their companies’ supposedly secure mainframes. With legions of companies out there selling personal information to anyone willing to pay, it’s only a matter of time before various enemy states use this information to their own ends.”

  He knew he had them now. Though the spotlight blinded him, what little he could see was very encouraging, with everyone typing notes into their laptops and hanging on his next words. He had their bites, now it was time to set the hook and reel them in.

  “With the new quantum net available from Rathe Solutions, we now can provide a safe, completely encrypted environment anywhere, whether it be on the Internet or anywhere else. The quantum net is guarded by a 4096-bit advanced encryption standard and can transfer data at over one hundred thousand terabytes per second. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the future. We boldly invite you to step forward and join us in it.”

  The crowd audibly murmured at that revelation. Rathe Solutions and Technologies had been leaking all sorts of rumors in the lead up to the Taipei International Information Technology Show, more commonly called COMPUTEX Taipei. Thousands of companies and almost a million people passed through the doors of the convention centers which shared hosting responsibilities throughout the week, and it was the biggest tech trade show outside the United States. Indeed, COMPUTEX Taipei even featured Leo Champion, WarpSoft’s primary owner and founder, as its keynote speaker.

  He’d be on the following night. For now, Rathe Solutions—more importantly, he—had stolen the show.

  “The quantum net allows the users to have unparalleled access to instant communications, file transfers, digital uploading and downloading, as well as instantaneous streaming capabilities,” he promised as the slide behind him changed. “No longer will viewers be forced to deal with lag or delays when watching their favorite streamer broadcasting live from within, say, The Warp. The connection will be immediate, secure, and completely…free.

  “That’s correct, ladies and gentlemen. Rathe Solutions is so certain of our quantum internet that we’re offering to install it in any city with pre-existing infrastructure for free. Humanity needs to take a bold new step and blaze a path in technology, and we’re going to run it for free. Free quantum internet for all humanity is our ultimate goal. Does this sound good to you? It sounds amazing to us! Rathe is willing to put its money where its mouth is, and we’re here to help.”

  This is going much better than planned, the man thought as he looked at the crowd and waved as the audience reacted to his announcement with thunderous applause. He knew there were only three cities in the world at that moment which could actually support the quantum net, but the foundation had been laid. He knew it’d only be a matter of time before other cities upgraded their systems to better handle the new network.

  The spotlight dimmed, and he could see much better. His eyes sought out the man he was looking for in the crowd. He finally found him, in the back near an aisle exit. He smiled and bowed his head slightly to the other man. Leo quietly applauded him and bowed in retu
rn, a sign of mutual respect. You have no idea what you’ve helped bring about on this little ball of mud, do you? Gargoyle mentally chuckled as the applause continued to roll. Leo Champion might be a genius and brilliant innovator, but he was still human, after all.

  And humans make mistakes.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 1

  Tori pushed through her second set of push-ups quickly, her strong arms powering her along. She exhaled easily as she pressed the ground away from her body, brain set in an “alpha state” as she worked out. She was aware of her immediate surroundings while her mind was actively imagining that her arms were pushing the Earth away. It was a good feeling, the exercise and the tiredness.

  It was far better than the alternative.

  The rising sun in the east was just beginning to peak over the horizon, reflecting off the James River and casting various colors across its surface. Low clouds off on the horizon also added to the colorful display, and the birds were already up and singing. With the exception of a few others like her jogging the Noland Trail, the city of Newport News, Virginia was enjoying the Saturday off.

  She hopped up and trotted over to the pull-up bar. She began to lift herself off the ground in quick repetitions, as her mind started going over coding and mathematical equations. It helped her to drown out the pain of her morning routine, while systemically keeping her darker thoughts at bay. There was no reason to dwell on the past.

  It’d been just over a year since she’d defeated Crisis and disrupted the plans of the cyberterrorists now known as the Rogues. The nightmares still came, but with less frequency these days. She’d fought them through counseling and her own workout regimen, and the demons were in a steady retreat. She could make it through an entire night without the bad dreams on occasion, which was a huge step from where she’d been during the first few weeks after.

  She dropped from the bar and stretched. The next part of her workout involved jogging the rest of the trail, which was almost two miles long, then skirting past the Mariner’s Museum before she was back on campus. It was usually a fairly easy run, but this morning she felt a little stiffer than normal. She was also painfully alone.

  “Stop,” she told herself as she tied her shoelaces. She didn’t need to dwell on the fact that Dylan was back at Denver University. She knew she’d see him in two months. Her father had already given his blessing for her to travel to Colorado to visit him and his family. She was given a lot more freedom than the usual seventeen-year-old college freshman.

  After everything that had happened to her in Crisis, she’d taken a break from school and gone on vacation, at the insistence of both her father and Leo Champion. She’d met up with Dylan and his family in Rapperswil, on the shores of Lake Zurich, and had spent a full month there, recuperating. She’d also developed her relationship with Dylan into something tangible.

  Upon return from vacation, she’d focused on finishing high school as quickly as possible. Thanks to the remote learning system her father had set up for her before their move to Germany, she’d been able to knock out her last two years of high school in a matter of months, and had been accepted for early enrollment at a number of universities. After some careful research and consideration, she’d surprisingly chosen Christopher Newport University over more notable schools like California State Polytechnic University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

  Despite the amazing weather and food Southern California had to offer, and the reputation MIT brought to the table, it’d been the friendly and welcoming attitude at CNU which had decided for her. She’d never really liked Chicago while she’d lived there; it was the complete opposite of what she found in the coastal area of Virginia. For starters, she was able to go out after dark without too much worry, something that was simply not done if she ventured anywhere south of Wrigleyville. Chicago still had Newport News beat on quality food, but the Tidewater region was catching up quickly to the Windy City. The differences between the two couldn’t be any more pronounced.

  Plus, being away from the expected helped her feel a little safer. She was seeing a psychiatrist to help her deal with the nightmares which still plagued her. Sixteen months might seem a long time for some, but her psychiatrist had assured her that everyone’s minds dealt with things differently.

  “And here comes the highlight of my day,” she whispered as a group of incredibly fit men came running along the trail, each and every one of them with their shirts off. While she liked Dylan a lot and would never cheat on him, there was just something about a Navy SEAL team out for an early morning run that made her stomach do backflips.

  She’d discovered that the SEAL team ran along this route quite by accident, after she decided to jog earlier than normal a few weeks before. She’d initially been terrified at the sight of twelve incredibly fit men running at what seemed like full speed directly at her. She’d screamed and dove into the bushes, which had caused them to stop and make certain she was okay. After a few embarrassing minutes of explanation, one of the SEALs had recognized her from television. Suddenly she had some of the most dangerous Special Forces soldiers in the world asking for her autograph and to pose for selfies. Initially mortified, Tori had eventually warmed up to the attention and was able to start talking to them on a more regular basis.

  “Good morning, Ms. Adams,” the SEAL leading the pack said as the men slowed to a walk. They all smiled and waved but nothing else. Once they’d pegged her as being underage, the flirting had ended immediately. However, they still stopped and spoke with her, even if it was for only a few minutes. She liked to think it was because she was cute, but deep down she knew it was because she was, for lack of a better word, famous.

  “Good morning, Lieutenant,” she replied and tried not to stare too hard. “How’s Lorna?”

  “Ready to pop any time now,” the SEAL smiled at the mention of his wife. “She hates being pregnant and just wants to get it over with.”

  “I bet,” she nodded. She pointed at the SEAL’s shoulders. “I feel sorry for her.”

  “Maybe he’ll be slender, like her?” He shrugged. “If he’s like me, well, I think this might be an only child.”

  She giggled. “I hope not. The world needs more good people in it.”

  The SEAL opened his mouth to speak when his Bluetooth suddenly chirped. He blinked in surprise as Tori cocked an eyebrow at him. He grinned and held up a finger.

  “Sorry,” he apologized and moved away a few feet.

  “Lieutenant Massa, how can I help you, sir or ma’am?”

  She tuned his conversation out as the SEALs milled about, each exercising on their own with pushups and weird combination sit-ups while they waited. She knew they were ready to continue running and the stop, while nice, wasn’t what they were out to do. Still, they were all polite enough. They no longer fanboi’d her, for which she was grateful.

  “Roger that, sir. We’ll be ready.” The lieutenant ended the call and opened his mouth to speak.

  Tori’s own cell suddenly began blasting O Fortuna, her dial tone for any number originating from her dad’s work. She did some mental math and realized it was already noon in London, which was where he and Chelsea were spending their honeymoon. Why is he calling from work if he’s supposed to be on his honeymoon?

  She pulled out her cell. “Hello?”

  “Tori?” the Australian accented voice was easily recognizable even though they hadn’t spoken in months.

  “Mr. Champion,” she said with a smile. She watched the SEALs grow silent as they realized she was talking to the wealthiest man in the world. She had to admit being famous wasn’t that bad of a thing at times. “This is really early for me, and it’s even earlier for you. What’s up?”

  “Well, first off, I wanted to see how you were doing,” Leo said. “I try not to pry into my employee’s personal business, but your father is on holiday, so I decided to reach out directly to you.”

  “I’m okay,” she stated. “Dylan went back to school last w
eek now that fall break is over, so I’m just focusing on homework and midterms.”

  “That’s good, good,” Leo said, his voice distracted. “Listen, I actually called for another reason, but now I’m having second thoughts about it.”

  “C’mon, spit it out,” she said. One of the younger SEAL’s jaw dropped at her statement. She stuck her tongue out at him. Don’t eavesdrop then.

  “I need your help with The Warp.”

  Her heart suddenly turned cold, and her palms grew sweaty. Her morning workout had made her heartrate climb, but as sudden fear poured through her veins, her heart began to hammer wildly in her chest. She swallowed twice and tried not to panic as she felt a little dizzy. Blood drained from her face and she knew, from the concerned look Lieutenant Massa was giving her, she looked like she was about to faint.

  “I’m not going back in there,” she whispered in a hoarse voice. “I told you I was never going back in there.”

  “No, I would never ask you to do that,” Leo said, trying to placate her. “Never. No, I need your help with something else related to it, however.”

  “What?” she asked and tried not to let the relief in her voice be too obvious.

  “I need you to put together a team of gamers and Mods you trust,” he said. “A list for me, actually. I’ll do the actual recruiting and whatnot. But I need people who you think are the best and brightest of the bunch, plus are trustworthy, to go in. People whose skill sets might have slipped under our radar.”

  “I suppose…how soon?” She said. “I mean, how soon would you need the list?”