To those wondering, yes, I am rewriting this and I have to say I'm sorry for giving you the crap I first wrote. Though I will be changing a few things but mostly everything will stay the same.
July 13, 2023
Prophet dug through the ruins of a grocery store, lifting pieces of fallen framework that would take a crane to move. He might be a living weapon but he still had morals that drove him to help any way he could. Though it took him a while to explain to Gould how his memories and personality took over Alcatraz. He threw aside another piece of concrete, and found what he was looking for.
"Here," he said handing off a package of water bottles to a waiting marine. "Get these to the refugee camp."
"Yes sir!" He took the package and hurried through the rubble. There probably nothing left salvageable in the store but Prophet stayed and continued to search. You never know what you could find and the camps needed anything he could find.
"Prophet? You in there?" Came a voice from outside.
"I'm here Gould," he shouted back lifting another piece of fallen ceiling.
"Finally, I've been looking ages for you." He said carefully stepping his way over to Prophet. "We need to get some suit scans done, ASAP. The cradle in my apartment is still working we can do them there."
"I can't leave Gould, these people still need my help." He said throwing a piece of broken shelf away.
Gould sighed. "I know you want to help these people but I think that we have bigger issues. I talked to some of my friend and do you know what we have common?"
"You're all nerds?"
"What? No! Well, yes but that's not the point. The point is that we found out that after the spore everyone in New York who had bad eye sight now has 20/20 vision."
"Good for them, I don't see how this can be a problem however?" He found a package of bread in the rubble and passed it to Gould. "Could you take this back to the camp when you leave?"
"Prophet you don't understand, when the spire released the modified spore it didn't just cover New York. It vented it into the upper atmosphere so now the entire world is covered in it. Haven't you noticed I not wearing my glasses? I don't need them any more, hell, every one in New York doesn't need glasses now!" He turned away, "I'm going back to the apartment come as soon as possible we need those scans. The entire human race may depend on them!"
He started walking away before shouting back, "And yes, I will take this bread back for you!"
As the sound of Gould's footsteps faded away, Prophet moved aside the last piece of shelf and found himself facing the barrel of of SCAR assault rifle held by a trembling marine hiding under the debris, the rifle slowly lowered as the man saw he was rescued.
"What's your name soldier?" He asked holding out his hand.
"Sargent Shepard, sir." The man said taking Prophets offered hand and crawled out of his hole.
"Are you injured?" He asked helping Shepard out of the ruined store.
"No, I'm fine except for my eyes, its weird. But a little sleep and I'll be back in duty."
"What did you say about your eyes?" Prophet asked.
"Oh, it's nothing is just I never had good vision but now I can see crystal clear for a hundred meters." Their route had taken them out of the store and to the gates of the refuge camp, "thank you sir, I think I'll be aright here."
He let go of Prophet's shoulder and walked into the camp leaving Prophet standing there contemplating what had just heard.
"All. Over. The world?" He muttered to himself before turning and started to run to the apartment. He needed to know what the suit could have done to spore, fast and there was only one person who could help with that.
"Prophet! There you are, finally! Come in I got the cradle all set up." Gould said as he let Prophet to the side room where the cradle was held.
"Have a seat," he did so. "Now let's get this show on the road." Gould typed something on his computer and the suit went offline as the scan began.
"Nothing looks out of place in the suit," Gould began as the scan continued. "No alien tissue, no blood anomalies, no- wait! I found a sample of the modified spore and-"
Gould's face slowly changed into one of fascination. "No. No! That can't be right!"
With the scan completed Prophet stood from the cradle and made his way to Gould. "What did you find."
"I. Am not sure. The spore I found in the suit isn't alien now, it's human!"
"What! How is that possible?"
"I might have a theory," Gould began. "The nanites in the suit are half organic and half machine, the spore, while we thought it was fully biological it is actually just trillions of nanites clomped together that are also half and half. But the thing they both have in common is that the organic half is Ceph meaning that if your DNA got corrupted then Ceph DNA would fill in the missing pieces. But while this modified spore is almost completely identical the only thing that changes is the organic half. While the machine half is identical to the nanosuit and was programmed to kill all Ceph on contact, the organic half is human but not clearly defined."
Prophet stared at him, "defined?"
"All humans have their looks and other stuff programmed into their DNA. The human DNA that the spore is programmed with is largely incomplete meaning that the it could enter your body and be reprogrammed to your DNA with out changing anything about you." He sighed, "and this stuff was spread over the whole world. Why?"
Prophet stared down at his armored hand. "Tactical advantage."
"Excuse me," Gould asked.
"Are you aware of the suit's AI."
Gould looked puzzled, "SECOND?"
"Yeah SECOND, it's made to give me intel, tactical options and to give me every single advantage on the battlefield possible."
Gould still looked puzzled, "So?"
"What if it took the whole of humanity in to account when it was designing the spore."
Gould started to get the idea, "Oh."
Now on the same page Prophet continued, "imagine how hard it would it would be for alien invaders to kill an entire species clad in nanosuits."
Gould could only gape in horror and fascination at what Prophet was suggesting. "Everyone," he gasped. "Oh shit!"
July 17, 2023: The entire population of New York is found infected with the newly named Nano Spore Effect. People are told to remain calm while a way to treat NSE can be found.
July 25, 2023: Signs of infection are found in Philadelphia, all travel in and out of New York and Philadelphia are halted to try and slow infection. Research of curing NSE is stopped due to no cure existing, when the nanites in the body bond to your DNA there is no way to remove them.
October 05, 2023: NSE has spread all through the USA and Canada, reports of infection coming from the United Kingdom and Japan though in small numbers. While no negative effects are seen the positive ones are yet to be discovered.
January 11, 2024: Population in New York report that infected individuals are "growing a nanosuit." After careful study Gould explained to the public that this is bound to occur as the nanite concentration in a persons body rises due to the nanites using a method called molecular shifting. The adding or subtraction of protons, neutrons and electrons of molecules to get the desired material. When the nanites first enter the body they immediately set to work on transforming any unused material like solid and liquid foods that are ingested as well as any access body waste and fat are, literally, turned into nanites. This happens to a point where his/her body can't contain them any more and the nanites leave the body. But because they are bonded to his/her DNA they can't leave so on the outside of the body they begin to form a protective layer for the human body in imitation of the original way they were programmed. The formation of this protective layer can be called "growing a nanosuit" but it's real name is Eventual Nanite Overflow. This proclamation calms the general public to some extent as well as explains the rapid weight losses now happening across the North American continent.
January 28, 2024: It is confirmed that the whole world is now infected with NSE but only in the North American Continent and even then mostly in New York are there any reports of nanite overflow.
February 16, 2024: A fully formed protective layer or "nanoshell" is formed in New York around Sargent Nathan Shepard. He is compared to Prophet and the original nanosuit and their abilities are mostly identical, enhanced strength, speed, invisibility, temporary invincibility (armor mode), visor mode with nanovision, an implanted SECOND AI and a new ability called shifting. The nanoshell is able to "Shift" its outward appearance so at a thought from the host it can change its color, shape and texture. Also, Shepard while completely capable of ingesting food and water, is feeling no urge or need to eat anything due to the nanoshell giving his body all the energy and nutrients it needs.
March 03, 2024: Nanite overflow has been reported in all major cities around the world while almost all the people of New York have completed nanoshells.
March 12, 2024: Paranoia of a hive mind forming due to the SECOND AIs linking together to make a single master intelligence and controlling the human race are put to rest with more research into SECOND. What is discovered is that the AI is based off of a persons way of thinking, meaning if a man was more into science than combat then his AI would focus more on gathering data and analysis rather than tactical options. But while the AIs are able to link together to be able to process more data faster, there is no evidence that they can merge to form a larger intelligence.
July 20, 2024: Representatives from every nation of the world come together to try and create a world wide government. Though with nanite overflow happening everywhere and the world still adjusting talks are postponed until everything calms down.
September 04, 2024: It is estimated that 75% of the human race has fully developed nanoshells. But while everyone thought that the nanites would destroy all reproductive organs, it proven that it is still possible to conceive naturally by shifting off the nanoshell and engaging in mature activities.
October 16, 2024: Everyone world wide now has a nanoshell and a few similarities in every human become apparent. Men have an average weight of 240 pounds and a height of 7 feet while women have 200 pounds and 6.5 feet though this varies by around 10 pounds or inches ether way. As well every one can reach speeds around 80 kmph and maintain it until suit energy runs out and can lift up to 950 pounds with power mode active. Anyone over the age of 65 regained the body and face they had when they were 25 and so far no signs of aging can be found in anyone. The average IQ of the world is 180 though this too varies, no one has been found with lower than 150.
December 09, 2024: The United Terran Alliance is formed after agreement from every country in the world and it is agreed that earth is getting to small for its growing population. Research into Ceph space flight and weapons has been put into overdrive and with the help of SECOND AIs progress is estimated to proceed quickly.
March 10, 2025: Ceph space flight technology has been successfully reverse engineered and plans for the first human star ship are in the making.
March 25, 2025
New York Apartment Complex
Admiral Hanna Shepard stood outside on her apartment balcony overlooking what was once Grand Central Park, thinking. She simply could not believe that in two years humanity had progressed this far from pure organics pushed near the brink of extinction to the powerful beings of today. Though, she thought with a sigh, many people lost their lives defended their home and earth would still hold the scars of the Ceph invasion. Central Park was one such scar, the main Ceph spore dispenser had been taken apart and shipped off to area 51 shortly after the UTA was formed. However it would take years just to fill in the hole left behind and though people had already began to try and fill it the time estimated by both man and AI till completion was five years minimum.
But repairs on New York it's self was coming alone much better than anyone could hope. The nanites ability of molecular shifting was not just limited to the tiny machines. A person only needed to put glue or some other material on broken object, say a crack in the wall, then put their hand on it think what they wanted repaired. The persons SECOND would then figure out what the wall was made of then program the nanites to fix it by shifting the glue or other material to the molecular construction of the broken object filling in the crack with the changed material and make it seamless. They could also change the material of any targeted object as well simply by touch, such as making a four centimeter plaster wall into a four centimeter wall of stainless steel. This led to everyone being able to help in repairing the city, but also led to a new building trend. Looking up, Hanna's eyes automatically polarized to enable her to see the metal covered skyscrapers all around without blinding her. Though she helped with repairs she had no part in designing the new futuristic look New York now had, but whoever did needed to get more original. The entire city now looked like something from Star Wars.
"Incoming message... Data package received." The monotone voice of her SECOND who she named Josh broke her out of her thoughts.
She sighed, there goes her two months leave. "Put it on my retina, Josh," she said walking back inside her apartment and sitting on the couch.
"Processing." The plain wall in front of her was transformed as lines of data and text flowed behind her eyes. As Josh translated the data it slowed and stopped, becoming what she thought to be an ordinary report from her ship but the first lines changed that idea instantly.
/UTA/RnD/ to Admiral Shepard/
/Top secret/eyes only/
/Project Explorer/open/confirm?.../
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Constructive criticism is welcome and I'm also open to ideas.