nanites can manipulate things at the molecular level and induce all manner of nifty effects and abilities. They tap into the user’s own natural body electricity, or something, and prolonged use can turn you into a vegetable. The effects that can be produce are nothing short of miraculous, though, and terrifying in their potential. By changing their electrical polarity and potential charge, they can electrify things, like people, and can infiltrate electronic devices and control them. They can even dissolve substances like acid. I’m sure there are many mild mannered NP users out there, who don’t make the news, but the only ones I’ve ever seen are raving murderers and crazy people.
Actually, I did know an NP user who wasn’t mad, a man named Captain De Lacy. He was the commanding officer of the Sardonis Mist, a Protectorate Fleet frigate that I served on briefly during The Push into Gossamer. He used his nanites to interface directly with many of the ship’s systems when we’d suffered a direct hit to the bridge. The blast had killed many of the crew staff through decompression, but not De Lacy. By the time I’d gotten there to help with the damage control, he had encased his head in some sort of energy field and had all these strange black wires going from his arms down into the command console he was affixed to. The strangest thing I’d ever seen. He was controlling the entire ship, and later when I asked him about it he said it was like he was the ship, he saw through its sensors and felt each hit that struck us. It took its toll though, he was bed ridden for as long as I knew him after that, which didn’t turn out to be long as it was. The Sardonis Mist was destroyed a week later, after we’d deployed for the ground assault.
Well, all that talk about ugly business and my brooding mind, not to mention my little chat with Cuts had wound me up tight. When this usually happens the best way to work it out is through exercise. I pinged Crege, to see if he was keen for some sparing. He was. I headed down through Deck 2 and further on towards Deck 3 and the forward cargo hold.
While I waited for Crege, I unlashed a few supply crates and moved them out of the way, forming a large enough area to spar. I opened the armoury and pulled out a few of the blades we keep there, checking them over for nicks and chips. When I was satisfied I had a decent blade, I made to exit the armoury when suddenly the lights in the hold went out.
I was instantly alert, falling into a defensive guard stance. I slowed my breathing and concentrated. I listened. When I was sure I wasn’t in immediate danger of being attacked, I activated my tactical app and initiated a secondary function of the program. A wireframe image filtered into my vision, overlaying the infrastructure that I knew was about me. It may be dark, but my brain has seen this compartment many times. The app tapped into the local network and built a three dimensional construct of the compartment from security footage moments before the black out. I couldn’t see my assailant, but I could at least navigate around the hold without tripping like an idiot.
I confidently stepped out into the hold, my blade before me and slightly high. I heard a faint scuff to me left, a rustle of cloth, then a swift woosh. I ducked and rolled, coming up a few metres away from where I was. I instantly fell into guard again and was rewarded by a bright flash from my blade as it connected with another. With a grunt and kicked out in front of me and was rewarded with a solid connection. My attacked rolled away, and I pressed my advantage swinging my blade in a circular sweep before me. A foot struck out and caught me behind my heel, I slipped by hadn’t put all my weight on that leg yet. Pulling my blade back into a low guard I caught the enemy’s blade on my own once more and in the flash that followed I was able to spot a swinging fist aimed at my face. I ducked and drove my shoulder into their
Actually, I did know an NP user who wasn’t mad, a man named Captain De Lacy. He was the commanding officer of the Sardonis Mist, a Protectorate Fleet frigate that I served on briefly during The Push into Gossamer. He used his nanites to interface directly with many of the ship’s systems when we’d suffered a direct hit to the bridge. The blast had killed many of the crew staff through decompression, but not De Lacy. By the time I’d gotten there to help with the damage control, he had encased his head in some sort of energy field and had all these strange black wires going from his arms down into the command console he was affixed to. The strangest thing I’d ever seen. He was controlling the entire ship, and later when I asked him about it he said it was like he was the ship, he saw through its sensors and felt each hit that struck us. It took its toll though, he was bed ridden for as long as I knew him after that, which didn’t turn out to be long as it was. The Sardonis Mist was destroyed a week later, after we’d deployed for the ground assault.
Well, all that talk about ugly business and my brooding mind, not to mention my little chat with Cuts had wound me up tight. When this usually happens the best way to work it out is through exercise. I pinged Crege, to see if he was keen for some sparing. He was. I headed down through Deck 2 and further on towards Deck 3 and the forward cargo hold.
While I waited for Crege, I unlashed a few supply crates and moved them out of the way, forming a large enough area to spar. I opened the armoury and pulled out a few of the blades we keep there, checking them over for nicks and chips. When I was satisfied I had a decent blade, I made to exit the armoury when suddenly the lights in the hold went out.
I was instantly alert, falling into a defensive guard stance. I slowed my breathing and concentrated. I listened. When I was sure I wasn’t in immediate danger of being attacked, I activated my tactical app and initiated a secondary function of the program. A wireframe image filtered into my vision, overlaying the infrastructure that I knew was about me. It may be dark, but my brain has seen this compartment many times. The app tapped into the local network and built a three dimensional construct of the compartment from security footage moments before the black out. I couldn’t see my assailant, but I could at least navigate around the hold without tripping like an idiot.
I confidently stepped out into the hold, my blade before me and slightly high. I heard a faint scuff to me left, a rustle of cloth, then a swift woosh. I ducked and rolled, coming up a few metres away from where I was. I instantly fell into guard again and was rewarded by a bright flash from my blade as it connected with another. With a grunt and kicked out in front of me and was rewarded with a solid connection. My attacked rolled away, and I pressed my advantage swinging my blade in a circular sweep before me. A foot struck out and caught me behind my heel, I slipped by hadn’t put all my weight on that leg yet. Pulling my blade back into a low guard I caught the enemy’s blade on my own once more and in the flash that followed I was able to spot a swinging fist aimed at my face. I ducked and drove my shoulder into their
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