The Awakening: Book 1 of the Evaran Chronicles Read Free

The holographic projection worked as I predicted it would. I knew you would be curious based on your profile. However, it is time. Prepare yourselves.”
    Evaran looked off to the sky in the west. Dr. Snowden and Emily followed Evaran’s gaze. A loud boom shattered the silence, and the house shuddered as if an earthquake had hit it.
    A jolt of adrenaline shot through Dr. Snowden. His breathing went ragged as he saw square chunks of the environment turning transparent, then fading to complete darkness. This must be the deallocation Evaran had mentioned. Why was it coming from the west? The sound the deallocation generated was similar to radio static. He rubbed the goosebumps on his arm and stepped out the front door in bewilderment. “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”
    Emily stepped out of the doorway and gripped Dr. Snowden’s right arm. Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped. “Whoa!”
    The deallocation crept faster toward them. Cars, houses, and streets disappeared before their eyes. Dr. Snowden shielded with his left arm instinctively as he saw the wind toss the neighbor’s lawn fixtures around.
    “The deallocation is almost complete. Come stand by me. We will do this together,” said Evaran.
    Dr. Snowden moved to Evaran’s left side and hunched over, with Emily in tow.
    Evaran put his arm around Dr. Snowden. Emily maintained her death grip on Dr. Snowden’s arm.
    “This isn’t real! This is preposterous!” said Dr. Snowden over the deafening noise.
    “Dr. Snowden … focus!”
    Dr. Snowden and Emily shut their eyes and focused on blanking their minds. The deallocation was almost on them. Dr. Snowden peeped out and braced for impact. Although he could feel no pain, he felt himself beginning to slip away.

    Dr. Snowden winced as pangs shot through his body. They passed as quickly as they came. It was enough to make him try to open his eyes. He immediately shut them due to the blinding light. His nostrils flared as the smell of sweat poured through them. He could almost taste it. He tried to talk, but his throat did not move. His stomach tumbled, and disorientation set in. He tried to move his arms and legs, but they were heavy and unresponsive.
    He heard the distant, yet distinct, voice of Evaran. “Do not try to move just yet. Your bodies are readjusting after a few weeks of being under. Even with the periodic maintenance done to you, your bodies are still in need of repair. The nanobots are repairing your bodies now. It will be a few minutes or so.”
    Prickles ran throughout his body. His hip region had the most intense prickle sensations. His mind swirled as he tried to focus on Evaran’s comment about nanobots. He was able to move more every passing second. He squinted hard and then peeped out, letting his eyes adjust. He watched as the environment around him became less blurred. Sounds became clearer. He heard Emily coughing and moving around on her bed. The pace at which he was recovering struck him as odd, like a cold car engine warming up.
    He heard Evaran still talking. “These nanobots are a remarkable accomplishment. They can repair damage, fight off diseases, and even have rudimentary sensory aspects to them. I have seen other nanobots before, but never this advanced. They have integrated themselves quite well. Interesting. I will need to download the schematics for these before we leave.”
    Dr. Snowden attempted to open his eyes completely. His throat unclenched, and the initial disorientation passed. He tried sitting up, but his arms gave out. The prickle sensations were gone now, and in their place was a warmth spreading throughout his body. He knew these sensations were real. In the virtual simulation, his aches felt disconnected from the realization of them. He heard Emily and two men groaning. They must be going through the same sensations he was.
    After several minutes he tried sitting up again. His vision was sharp now, and he could move his body around better than he could ever recall.