Relict Legacy

EARTH FORCE

- Book one -

SHEMER KUZNITS

Relict Legacy, Earth Force, book one

A self-published book by Shemer Kuznits

Copyright © 2019
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I’d like to thank my wife for her continued support and my two young kids who provide constant inspiration.

I’d also like to thank all the beta readers and proofreaders who have helped in the making of this book: Ian Mitchell, JD Williams, Chris Bridgeman, Yoav Golde, Jeremy Diaz, Jason Davis, Ben Evans, and Josh Spinney.

Special thanks to my good friend Gaddy Weisman, who has had a hand in everything I publish, and to Hanan Cohen & Nadav Marx - two other friends who are also my dedicated alpha readers.

And lastly, a giant big THANK YOU to all my patrons over at Patreon, for their continued support and encouragement. Your belief in me is the primary reason I continue writing.

-Shemer Kuznits

1 - A Chance Meeting

2 - First Encounter

3 - Level Up

4 - Scavengers

5 - Mechanics

6 - New Faction

7 - The Space Station

8 - Sheltered Existence

9 - Diamond

10 - Space Trade

11 - Restorations

12 - Detour

13 - Companionship

14 - Moonwalking

15 - Earth Force Rising

16 - Synthesis

17 - Second Contact

18 - Gauntlet

19 - Shooting Gallery

20 - Warped War

21 - Mortal Contact

22 - Voyage

23 – Pit Stop

AUTHOR’S NOTE

1 - A Chance Meeting

Nori raced through the torn-up and dilapidated streets.

Her heart was in her throat and her legs churned as she gave her all to escape the beast that was chasing her.

As she turned a corner, she chanced a glimpse behind her. The giant four-legged monster, metallic tubes sprouting from its body, was closing in on her.

A line of text flashed across her vision.

Warped, level 2

“Shit!” Nori hissed. The text’s appearance nearly caused her to run into an overturned trash can. She knew she was in trouble. She couldn’t shake off the monster.

A metal bar hanging below a set of raised fire escape stairs caught her attention; it was a possible escape route, but if she screwed up, the beast would get her.

With the beast quickly closing in on her, she was left with no other choice.

***

Lana sadly watched the street from the safety of the building’s third floor. A tanned woman with dark-blonde dreadlocks was being chased by one of those creatures. In the past few months, Lana too often witnessed the horrors of the Calamity that Earth had suffered. At first, all electronic devices had shut down, sowing chaos. Then, the mutations started. People and animals transformed into fearsome monsters that hunted and killed indiscriminately. All attempts to fight against the new threat had failed as the monsters proved nearly immune to every type of weapon. The collapse of what remained of civilization was quick to follow.

Lana sighed as she watched the Warped monster closing in on the woman. It looked like it was going to catch her right below the window. At least Nathan’s not here right now to see her dying. The poor guy has been through enough, she thought.

Nathan was sixteen years old and one of those bright, reclusive teenagers who skipped high school and got straight into a college. Although he was one of her classmates, they had hardly ever spoken before the Calamity. But that was before their world got turned upside down. Before the Tec.

Now, she and Nathan were the only ones left on the campus. Everyone else had either evacuated to one of the fortified shelters or had been caught by the roaming monsters. They were alone, depending on each other for survival and comfort. Somehow, despite the danger, they had managed to endure unscathed.

As the running girl and the pursuing monster got closer, two lines of text flashed in front of her eyes.

Nori, Human, level 0

Warped, level 2

Lana closed her eyes. One of the changes brought on by the Tec was the ability to view simple information on anyone they met. This was both a blessing and a curse. You always knew the names of the people you watched getting slaughtered.

A metallic howl drew her attention back to the street. Lana frowned. “What the hell is she doing?”

Nori changed her course and was running straight towards the wall under her window.

Lana’s eyes widened. The woman had given up her small lead. Is she trying to get herself killed faster?

The monster was about to corner Nori. The woman looked fit and athletic, but she was no match for a Warped. In the six months since the creatures had first appeared, to her knowledge, no one had managed to kill one.

Lana’s hands flew to her mouth as the monster leapt, its maw wide open and its metallic tentacles pointing forward, aiming to tear apart the woman’s flesh.

But things didn’t turn out as she expected.

At the last possible instant, just before the monster’s jaws closed on her, Nori launched herself forward. Both her palms reached for the ground while her left leg came around to compensate. The maneuver was smooth and flawless, putting the woman’s entire weight and momentum into a single spinning kick. Her heel smashed against the side of the leaping monster’s jaw and the hundred-kilo beast was sent flying, crashing against the wall. Before the creature could recover its wits, Nori ran toward it and leaped on its raised muzzle, using it as a platform to reach high and catch a metal bar three meters off the ground. Making use of her momentum, Nori launched her body higher, caught the edge of the raised fire escape, and pulled herself upward.

The woman leaned against the wall, breathing hard, though her eyes never stopped scanning for threats. Her eyes locked onto Lana’s astonished gaze on the other side of the window.

***

Hardly daring to believe her eyes, Lana’s hand moved to the window latch and pushed it open.

“Come in, quickly!” she urged the tall woman.

Nori narrowed her eyes as she took in the sight of the raven-haired girl. Seeing nothing suspicious, she climbed through the window, leaving the Warped to howl on the street.

“Anyone else with you?” the tall woman asked hoarsely, her eyes darting around, taking in the room. Everything was a mess. Trash littered the floor and furniture was spread haphazardly across the room.

“Just my friend Nathan. He went out to bring us something to eat.”

Nori studied the other woman closely. The woman was younger and shorter than her and wore baggy clothes. She looked ordinary, but there was a glint in her eye that spoke of friendly optimism. That would never last, she thought bitterly. Nothing good will last in this broken world.

Unlike Nori’s calculating look, Lana’s expression was full of wonder. For her, the athletic woman with the dreadlocks was something out of legend. She braved the streets on her own and managed to escape one of the Warped. She even kicked it in the face. “Ahem,” she said awkwardly. “I like your tan.”

Nori ignored Lana’s admiring gaze. “I wouldn’t mind something to eat as well. I’ve been running on empty for a while now.”

A disappointed howl came from outside, followed by the heavy steps of the monster as it ran away, looking for easier prey.

The door opened suddenly, revealing a young man, hardly more than a boy, holding a small pack of Cheerios. When he saw Nori standing next to Lana, he took a step back, his eyes wide in fright.

“Nathan, wait, it’s OK!” Lana said hurriedly. “This is Nori. She’s nice. She just escaped one of those monsters, and she’s hungry. We can spare some food, right?”

The teenager halted his retreat and looked at the tall woman with apprehension. Then he looked back at Lana and nodded.

“Great!” The woman beamed. “Nathan says we can spare some for now, but we’ll have to go look for more later.”

Nori frowned. “You got all that from the nod he gave you?”

“Huh?” Lana said distractedly, already reaching out for the box. “Oh, yeah, I sort of learned to understand what he means, you know?” She motioned to the man to sit, then she lowered her voice. “Poor Nathan isn’t doing very well. I think he saw something horrible before we met that traumatized him. He’s sort of withdrawn into himself. He doesn’t speak and he’s wary of strangers.”

“How have you two survived on your own? Why didn’t you join one of the shelters?”

Lana shrugged. “We tried going there once, but Nathan’s too uncomfortable around other people. On the other hand, he’s amazing at finding us food and keeping us hidden, so we make do.”

“But why stay on campus? There are better, more secure places.”

“Oh, it’s not so bad here. We know this place like the back of our hand and the Warped almost never come inside. And if they do, Nathan can--”

Nathan gave a throaty sound, cutting her off.

Nori frowned. “Nathan can what?”

“Oh, nothing,” Lana said lightly. “He’s just really good at escaping them and finding food.”

Nori stared hard at the shorter woman, then swung her gaze to study the young man.

Lana, Human, level 0

Nathan, Human-scion, level 0

She raised her brow, seeing the man’s information. Everyone else she’d met since the Calamity was listed simply as ‘human’. There was something weird about these two, but they didn’t look dangerous.

Nori was still exhausted from her wild run and the adrenaline rush was draining away, leaving her weak and trembling.

She collapsed into a beanbag. Staring at the small pack of cereal, she reached into a small pouch on her belt and drew out a chocolate bar. “I’ll share mine if you share yours.”

2 - First Encounter

“So, you’re from one of the shelters?” Lana merrily chewed on the piece of chocolate.

Nori shrugged. “Not really. I go from shelter to shelter. Not many can survive the open streets, so I do what I can to help—delivering messages mostly. Luckily, we don’t need much food or medicine anymore, but people have other needs and other people they’re worried about, so I try to get word back to them whenever I can.”

Lana nodded. “Isn’t it weird though? A few months ago, I was just another history major and now I can see people’s names when I look at them - and I barely need to eat. Nathan and I both used to wear glasses, but the day after the text messages first appeared our eyesight was 20/20 again.”

Nori nodded. “It’s the same everywhere else. I saw a ninety-year-old grandma get out of her wheelchair and start doing laps, and a guy I met swore he used to be missing two fingers.”

Lana sighed into her bowl. “I was so excited when it first happened. Everyone was. I thought I was dreaming when I saw that ‘Tec Infusion Commencing’ message. The news said it was happening all around the world - well, before the TV and all the other electronics shut down …” She sighed again. “So what do you think it all means? It’s gotta be aliens, right?”

Nori nodded. “Everyone thinks so. It looked like a gift at first. Everyone was healing rapidly, but then the power went out and people started to Warp.”

Lana shuddered. “A few days after it started a friend of mine picked up a remote control and it came apart in his hands. Then all the electronic bits grafted into his skin. Then he started to change, turning into one of those …” she swallowed hard. “... those Warped. He killed two other students before the rest of us got the sense to run away.”

Nori’s expression grew grim. “It happened to a lot of people. And not just people, animals too. That dog thing that chased me - it’s just one of many. I saw a Warped rat with metal spine ridges eviscerate a normal cat and then eat the remains. It grew bigger before my eyes as it ate.”

Lana shuddered. “That’s horrible!”

“Not as horrible as when it’s people doing it to other people,” Nori added darkly.

The young man whimpered. His cereal bowl was left untouched beside him as he crawled into the fetal position, his eyes wide with terror.

Lana rushed over and hugged him. “It’s alright, Nathan. We’re safe here.”

The man shuddered as the woman continued to murmur comforting words to him.

“Sorry about that,” Nori muttered, lowering her head.

It took Lana several moments to calm Nathan, then she returned to her seat. “It happens to him from time to time,” she said quietly. “I think he really needs other people around him, but he goes wild every time I try to force the issue.”

“You should be careful. It’s not just the Warped that are dangerous out there,” Nori said grimly. “There are a bunch of gangs out on the streets as well. They are dangerous. Almost as much as the Warped.”

“The streets?” Lana looked at her in disbelief. “How do they survive the Warped?”

Nori shrugged. “Many don’t. I heard one of the gang leaders had somehow made it to level three. They say he’s as strong as an ox.”

“Level three? That’s the first I’ve heard of anyone above level zero. How do you think he managed that?”

“I think he must have found a way to kill the Warped. The interface we all suddenly have looks a lot like a computer game. If we have levels, it's reasonable we can gain experience to raise it. And every game I have ever played awarded XP for killing monsters. As for how he actually managed to kill one … I have no idea. I saw a policeman empty his shotgun at a Warped person, but the wounds just immediately healed—even the head wound. That gang leader, Bulco, must have found a way. I’m betting he had upgraded his attributes when he leveled up. It’s the only thing I can think of that explains why he’s so strong.”

“Attributes?” Lana furrowed her brow.

“Don’t you know?” Nori looked at her with surprise. “Everyone has them. Just clear your mind and think ‘status’.”

Lana closed her eyes, then jumped up. “Holy hell!”

Lana, Human, level 0 (0 Tec)

Path: -

Attributes:

●       Strength 1

●       Agility 1

●       Intelligence 3

●       Control 2

●       Awareness 2

●       Appeal 2

“So, what’s your highest attribute?” Nori asked with a faint smile.

Lana laughed, clearly a little embarrassed. “Intelligence, three.”

The blonde nodded. “That’s not bad. Most people’s scores are one or two. I met a bodybuilder whose strength was three, so I’d say you’re pretty smart.”

“What’s your highest score?”

“Agility, three.”

“That makes sense. The kick you gave that monster was unbelievable, I bet a normal person wouldn’t be able to do that. And that jump afterward … How did you do that?”

Nori shrugged. “I always liked sports, and I practiced Capoeira since I was a little girl. That kick is called Meia-Lua. It’s designed to focus the body’s entire kinetic energy into the leg. And as for that jump … I almost didn’t make it. I would never have tried that if that thing wasn’t about to eat me.”

Listening as the two women talked, Nathan covertly accessed his own status screen.

Nathan, Human-scion, level 0 (0 Tec)

Path: -

Attributes:

●       Strength 1

●       Agility 2

●       Intelligence 3

●       Control 3

●       Awareness 3

●       Appeal 2

He didn’t have a clue as to what the ‘scion’ part meant, but his attributes appeared to be even higher than the standard if he was to take Nori’s word.

Finishing the last of her cereal, Nori put down her bowl. “Thanks for the shelter, guys, but I should move on. It’s going to be dark soon.”

The two students exchanged puzzled looks.

“Won’t you stay a little longer?” Lana asked in a pleading voice. “It’s just that … it gets kinda lonely ... just the two of us here.”

“I should get going. Thanks for the snacks. I should be good for the rest of the day.” She paused and studied the two students. “Why don’t you come with me? I’m heading to Lou’s Yard. The shelter’s fairly close so we should make it there before nightfall.”

“We can’t,” Lana answered slowly. “I told you - Nathan doesn’t do well with other people.”

Nori shrugged and got to her feet. “In that case, I wish you the best. I’ll try to stop by next time I’m around here, check up on you.”

Nathan threw Lana a worried glance.

“No, wait! It's… it's not safe out there,” the dark-haired woman blurted.

Nori frowned. “How do you mean?”

Lana hesitated as she looked at Nathan. The young man looked down, then nodded.

“The Warped that chased you is still around; it's probably looking for you. You should stay here until it leaves.”

Nori's eyes narrowed. “And how do you know that?”

In response, Nathan stood and, not meeting her eyes, beckoned for her to follow. Frowning, Nori complied. They walked down a narrow corridor with doors on both sides. Reaching the last room, next to the stairs, Nathan opened the door, revealing a desk with a dozen black monitors hanging on the wall above it.

Nori frowned. “It’s the security room, so what? We can’t use it—electronics don’t work anymore, remember?”

Nathan nodded and placed his hand on a keyboard at the desk.

A single monitor flared to life.

Nori gaped at the blurry image, hardly believing her own eyes. “How … how did you do that?”

Nathan looked down and pointed at the corner of the active screen. It showed part of a corridor leading outside the building. Something stirred, revealing a four-legged Warped creature, sitting patiently, facing the exit.

Nori stared at the monitor, then back to the young man, and then back to the monitor. “Looks like I’m staying a little longer.”

***

They each took a corner of the room and got ready to sleep.

“So, I gave it a lot of thought,” Lana said, after covering herself with a tattered blanket. “It should have a purpose, right? I mean - everything that happened ... it can’t all be just a meaningless catastrophe. You don’t give people the ability to heal almost instantaneously and reduce their need to eat if you plan to kill them, right? Maybe this Tec thing was meant as a gift? Maybe some people were simply incompatible and became Warped instead?

“You’re an optimist.” Nori’s dreadlocks flailed as she shook her head. “Have you considered that it could be the other way around? Maybe they intended to turn all humanity into a monster slave-race, but only a small part of the population was affected as intended? That would explain the text interfaces we suddenly have, maybe it was meant as a control device.”

Lana shuddered. “I really don’t like that theory. Besides, if super-intelligent beings were responsible, then why was only ten percent of the population affected? Why keep the rest of us?”

Nori shrugged. “Everyone’s gotta eat.”

Lana threw a quick glance at Nathan, but the young man was already asleep. “That’s a pretty horrible idea.”

“Think about it. We barely need food, but those creatures eat everything they manage to get their claws on. And it makes them bigger. From where I’m standing, it looks like the Earth has turned into their feeding ground.”

“I think I like my theory better,” Lana said.

“I like your theory better too,” Nori said and drew in her blanket. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

***

A loud bang shook the walls, causing all three to jump to their feet.

“What was that?” Lana said, her face pale.

“Sounded like a sonic boom,” Nori replied. The tall woman stepped to the window and eased the curtain aside. Then she simply stood there, gazing out into the night sky.

“What do you see?” Lana approached and looked out. Her jaw fell as she saw what was on the other side.

A huge ball of fire was descending from the sky. Despite the flames, it had a distinct artificial shape.

“It’s a … it’s a … it’s a ...” Lana stuttered helplessly.

“A spaceship,” Nori said grimly. “Looks like everyone was right. It’s aliens after all.”

“But … why is it burning?”

Nori frowned. “I don’t know. It shouldn’t be from entering our atmosphere - it's too low for that.” She followed the descending ship, then her eyes widened. “It’s heading this way!”

The ship devoured the last few hundred meters within a second or two and hit the ground. The earth-shattering impact threw them all to their knees as chunks of stone and dust fell from the ceiling.

Coughing and struggling to stand, Nori called out. “Everyone OK?”

Lana rose as well. There was an open, oozing gash on her forehead.

“Shit. Here, press this.” Nori put a clean cloth on the bleeding wound.

“Thanks,” Lana said weakly. “Nathan, are you alright?”

The young man nodded, though he looked pale.

“What was that?” Lana asked. “Did it hit our building?”

“No chance. If that thing hit anywhere near us, we’d all have been incinerated by now.” Nori moved to the window. “Oh, wow, it looks like it landed in the square at the end of the street. It looks mostly intact, but it’s still burning.”

Lana and Nathan hurried to the window. Sure enough, further down the street where a large square with shops once was, now lay a huge piece of flaming metal.

“So, a spaceship, eh?” Lana tried to smile.

“The impact destroyed everything around the square,” Nori said, frowning. “I just hope no one was around. We should check it out.”

“What?” Lana took a step back. “You want us to go out in the middle of the night to investigate a spaceship? An alien spaceship?”

“If not us, someone else will. And around here, the gangs are the only other ones who dare to go out on the streets. It’s pretty close, we can make it there and back before anyone else gets there.”

“It only takes a second for a Warped to kill you,” Lana pointed out.

“Suit yourself. I’m going out there.” Nori put on her jacket and fastened her shoelaces.

The two students looked at each other for a long moment, then the girl's shoulders slumped. “Wait up. We’re coming too.”

***

“Nathan, are you sure it’s safe going out from here?” Nori whispered, looking through the cafeteria’s service exit.

The man nodded at her and offered a faint smile.

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