Project StrikeForce by Kevin Lee Swaim Read Free Book Online Page A

blood
pressure normal. According to the EEG readouts, Frist was unconscious.
    Dr. Elliot turned to the nurse. “Kara, would you
start the program?”
    The nurse nodded and typed commands on her
keyboard.
    A large countdown clock appeared on the monitor.
As it started to tick down, Dr. Elliot continued to lecture. “When we reach
zero, the nanobots will be injected. There are billions in the cylinder. Once
they are successfully inserted, we’ll take a short break as they receive their
positioning instructions. The next step is the nano-carbon material. Once
injected, we’ll start the Weave. The nano bots will use the buckeyballs to form
a mesh sheathe over the skeletal framework, primarily the arms, legs and ribs,
rendering the skeleton much stronger than a normal. Make no mistake, this will
not render the subject bullet proof or invulnerable to harm. But, in
combination with his battle armor, will increase his chance of survival.”
    The timer reached zero and everyone took a deep
breath. “We are injecting the nanobots now. This will take several moments.
Please note that our test subject is completely unconscious. The migration of
the nanobots would be excruciatingly painful if the test subject were awake,”
Dr. Elliot said.
    The tube of clear liquid drained, quickly at
first, then slowing to a trickle. In less than five minutes, the tube was
empty.
    “The nanobots are injected, and are en route to
their destination along the skeletal axis. Keep in mind, they are incredibly
small, and are pumping through the blood stream of a living organism. They must
find their way to the skeletal structure and prepare for the nanocarbon
material.”
    Eric was fascinated. They had just injected
several million dollars’ worth of nanobots, at the cost of a billion dollars to
develop, into a living human being. He shuddered at the thought of billions of
tiny ant-like robots plunging through his bloodstream and crawling along his
bones.
    On the screen, a number climbed until reaching 85
percent, and a gentle beeping started. “We’ve reached the threshold,” Dr.
Elliot said. “The nanobots that didn’t make it to the skeleton will go inert
once when done. As the blood flows through the kidneys, they will eventually be
excreted through the urine. Kara, please begin the injection of the
nanocarbon.”
    Kara nodded, and with a few mouse clicks, the
black nanocarbon drained from the glass tube.
    Eric was startled to see a triumphant smile on her
face. It struck him as odd, her demeanor at odds with the other techs. He tried
to remember details from her personnel file. He knew she was a registered
nurse, recruited years before, cross trained in the project’s technology, but
the rest of the details were lost in a blur.
    On the monitor, a graphical representation of
Frist’s body appeared, the skin peeling away until only the skeletal structure
remained. A red mesh displayed and wrapped the bones, the proposed pattern.
Above the graphic, the words WEAVE BEGINNING floated, next to a countdown timer
displaying thirty minutes.
    “Nanobots are starting the Weave,” Dr. Elliot
said. “You can watch as the red mesh turns green. We can’t actually see it
happening, of course, but this screen will give you an idea of their status.”
    The timer started counting down and the mesh
slowly turned from red to green. The first ten minutes crept by, the audience
sitting on the edge of their seats, fascinated.
    Eric saw another twitch in Frist’s eyelid.
    This time, Smith noticed. He cleared his throat.
“Nathan, are you sure the subject is unconscious?”
    Nathan nodded. “Of course. You can see his vitals
on the screen. He’s completely unconscious. Notice the blood pressure, it’s
105/60. He’s out. If he wasn’t, he would be in agony and his blood-pressure
would be through the roof.”
    Dr. Oshensker stood and walked behind the machine,
threading his way through the cables and IV tubes, inspecting them. “Everything
looks good,”