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The Nanosurge
🕑 Added 2021-06-05 17:14:13 +0000 UTC[Excerpt from e-mail between FEMA representative Gustavo Avila and Marshal Charge. Subject: The Nanosurge, date Aug 15, 2011]
I included what I could find. Sorry, I can't do more, but they're clamping down on this hard, and since the threat is over, I have limited pull. You owe me a drink next time I'm out there, glad you lived through it. Do you figure the casualty estimations from the attack are anywhere near accurate, or is the city council fudging the numbers again?
Sorry for your loss
Gustavo
attached files
firstspot.pdf
naming.pdf
wishiknewmore.pdf
dontaskwhereigotthis.pdf
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firstspot.pdf
[Excerpt from the debriefing of Sergeant John Hassel, Dec 21, 2001, UAE]
Look man, you can record this all you want, ain't gonna change shit. I saw what I saw and I ain't crazy. We were moving in on [REDACTED] according to orders, doing a sweep. I was in my tincan, providing rear support and scanners. Never fun in built-up areas, but what are you supposed to do. Place was deserted. Not evacuated, it had a different feel to it. Looked dead, but no bodies. Or animals. We got spooked, but the CBRN scans came back clear. No poison gas, at least nothing dumped recently. Still, I switched on the internal circulation, I could stand smelling my own sweaty pits for an hour or two to make sure I didn't get anything in the system. Only reason I am alive today.
We had reached the [REDACTED] when the screams started. Think it was Ortiz, kept flailing around like someone had doused him in napalm but nobody fired shit. Just kept screaming and tried to get the uniform off, and then the next guy started, and the third. It was like they were being scalded, and then there was blood and they were coughing up red and by now people were freaking out. The order came out to get protective gear on, but I think I was the only one who had engaged mine. The rest were... infected? Compromised?
I couldn't do shit. Turned off the radio so I wouldn't hear the screams, and when Ortiz fell over and started to melt I admit I ran. Should probably have shot them, would have been kinder, but it's hard to do that, you know? Even if you know you should. Some of them shot themselves. The rest... the rest screamed and died. You've got the transmission. I know you've got what my cams caught before I ran, even if you didn't find any bodies.
Quite frankly I don't care what you do with me. Desertion, sure, it was either that or die. Put me in jail if you want. I ain't going back out there. Not with that shit still out there.
...
naming.pdf
[Excerpts from Professor Leah Wu's correspondence during the third quarter of 2002]
Look, I know what I said, but this is fascinating. Look at the attached scans. It's not a gas as much as a swarm of minuscule creatures attacking organic matter. I've included a video of the last experiment, the little buggers devoured that steak, and I think it's safe to say their performance is impressive. Tell Ben that he's wrong, it's not a chemical reaction they are using, but I'm not sure exactly how they break molecular bonds like that. There are bacterial traits in there, but the creatures are clearly mechanical. I propose the name "Nanovores," and if Harley wants to fight me for it, tell her she submitted her analysis two hours after mine. This is my win.
...
All the details will be in the attached report, but I wanted to flag two things immediately. First, the Nanovores (thanks for sticking up for me with that) needs to eat to survive. I separated a portion of the swarm and starved it, and after 4 days, they had turned inert and did not react to renewed feeding. Still, I'm going to keep isolating that sample just to make sure they haven't gone to spore. Perhaps there is some way of reactivating them...
The second is that if they get enough to eat, they breed. The sample was introduced to half a pig and devoured it in 52 minutes 31 seconds. Once they were done, we measured a marked increase in their mass. This is alarming; if they are released in a high population setting, they might breed exponentially until they run out of food. Thank god they've only been deployed on isolated targets so far; the desert is acting as a natural shield. I doubt an EMP blast would do anything; they are too small to sustain a charge. Heat or chemicals works best to destroy them so far, but dropping napalm on a suspected site is not the answer we are looking for, though it's served to contain attacks so far.
....
Tell them to get off my back; I'm moving as fast as I dare. The density of our sample has increased substantially, and I don't want to risk a leak. So far, they have shown some preference for what they choose to feed on. Meat is preferable over plant matter, fresh meat is preferable over cooked. [REDACTED] got me some human remains, but they did not discriminate between human, beef, pork, or chicken. I've included the videos of the test; sorry for the disturbing content. We need to crack this. Whoever is behind these attacks must have some way of controlling or deactivating them other than waiting for them to starve themselves out or razing the entire site. I knew Ben joked about it, but I don't think anybody would be that reckless. Or evil.
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I agree with you, we've come as far as we can in these facilities. I don't like giving up the samples, but they've made me nervous lately. Think they've tried eating through the rubber in the seals, we've replaced them, but I can't shake the feeling that they're after me, personally. I know. I'm laughing at myself too, but if you've seen how they move, it almost feels like they are following me around the lab. Not gonna lie; it will be nice to get them out of here. Let Jun and his team handle this. I need a vacation.
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wishiknewmore.pdf
[Excerpts from Major Waterford's correspondence with Captain Jun Ninomiya, Nov 14, 2002]
Don't give me that kind of talk. You will obey orders; we are here to do a job. If you can't, then quit, but good luck finding anywhere else that wants to hire you. You were fine with feeding them pigs and cows, don't tell me that apes got your knickers in a bunch? If the screaming bothers you, turn off the sound. I need results. There have been two more attacks. I value my men more than your scruples. I need a way to neutralize them, preferably yesterday.
If operation [REST OF THE DOCUMENT REDACTED]
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dontaskwhereigotthis.pdf
[Excerpt from Jun Ninomiya's diary (translated). First entry Jan 02, 2003. Last entry Mar 17, 2003]
Bad day again in the lab, I know it's needed, but live testing never sat well with me. The nanovores clearly prefer live meat, but I still can't understand how they are capable of making that distinction. They are too small to be programmable, and there is nothing in our 'dissections' that indicated that there should be any preference for anything other than protein content.
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Human testing. Did not ask about the subject, which was heavily sedated and unresponsive. We left the hood on. The activity level was markedly higher. The subject weighed 67kg but was devoured in half the time a monkey or pig of a similar size would have been. More and more, I am becoming convinced that this is a weapon intentionally made to target humans.
...
Human testing phase II. Smaller subject, heavily wounded but not sedated. Restrained, left the hood on. Even higher activity levels from the nanovores, do they want victims that are awake? I know it's foolish to assign them mind or intention, but I have begun to think of them as evil. And hungry.
...
I should quit. I should have quit last year.
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I can't do this anymore. I keep dreaming about them. Walking into their container. Embracing them. Letting them strip me bare. Breathing in them is the quickest death; subjects with CBRN classed gas masks lived on average 175% longer.
...
Where does he keep getting the PEOPLE?
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Rumors that we are pulling out of the UAE. Will they shut us down? I hope so. We're not making any progress, we just keep feeding them in the vain hope of finding some means of control. Wa keeps pushing for more, but I can only tell him the facts. Not what I feel. It's not scientific, but I can't help but think I'm right.
The nanovores are evil. They selectively choose and hunt humans. Fear and strong emotions attract them, sedated subjects are less interesting, and dead ones are just meat. I've identified three modes: Feeding, Breeding, and Hunting.
Feeding is the base level activity. Their hover and movement abilities are subdued. They stay low to the ground and clings to surfaces. Conserving energy?
Breeding is induced when the protein-based food supply is enough to trigger population growth. The swarm can increase exponentially, and they keep the activity level even when the food supply decreases. Their hovering ability is much stronger, reaching a height of a few feet depending on winds. This mode seems to be more reliant on the wind to help them reach new food sources.
Hunting is... I don't have words for it. It is an elevated state of activity like breeding, but they actively seek out human victims, even going against the wind if needed. I'm not sure what they use to locate their victims. Scent and visual seem irrelevant. Sound could be a candidate, but I'm not entirely convinced. There's something else, something I'm missing. It's almost as if they feel us. Wa would call that superstitious nonsense, and he would be right.
...
[Excerpt from e-mail between Marshal Charge and FEMA representative Gustavo Avila. Subject: The Nanosurge, Aug 16, 2011]
Is this it? Sorry to sound needy, but the military is clamming the fuck up. Chen's contacts are giving him the runaround. Or they don't know, which is somehow scarier.
That last diary excerpt explains a few things, and maybe I can fill in some more blanks. I need someone out there to know what I know in case there's another strike.
My theory is that whoever created the nanovores was controlling them telepathically. As always, this is off the record, but that's how we stopped them. Had an allied telepath, and no, not naming names, don't trust the news on this. They're not telling the truth. The individual is not important; what they did is. Reading what you sent, I think the telepath might have shunted them back into the feeding cycle or whatever that scientist called it? Calmed them down until we could get a CBNR team in and wipe the beach. Can still smell the chemicals.
I don't like the mention of spores, but since it doesn't come up again, that didn't seem to be a thing? I hope. Been four weeks since it happened, and it's been calm. Don't know what would have happened if they made it into the city. It would have been worse. Chen said the military had been prepared to bomb the city. Nuclear. Too many solid buildings for napalm. Yeah. You see why I want the facts out there? I'll include everything I know and saw from my end.
If you learn anything about who might have done this, contact me. There are eight years between your last files and this attack. What happened? Where were they kept? Who did this?
I want them to pay. And I want to make sure it never happens again.
Probably best to stay away from here a few more months, but if you make it here by new years, I can get you into all the good parties. I owe you that.
O.
Comments
Syksy
Oh I love the way this was written 💚🦦 so creepy, mood was somewhere between "ohh lowkey fascinating" and "eww" the fact that the characters were incorporated into the story to explain Nanosurge was such a nice surprise, made the world feel even more alive Also... the nanovores... no wonder distance is necessary if nanovores are actively looking to eat...😬 That one diary entry about the recurring dreams made me real suspicious and wary, I mean did think that it could be just dreams, but did wonder if they are able to influence minds or emotions if one spends extended period of time with them...
Asher
This is so good. You have such a talent for writing in character voice and I love these little back and forth style snippets. This one is particularly chilling and fascinating. I find myself on Ortega's side, wanting more information. Brilliant work as always, thank you for sharing!
