Chapter 1

One year after the Seeding 4

Mille had been having a hard time controlling their daughter, though she had the enhancements like her husband John, she still didn't have the control that he did. Now at 8 1/2 months, their daughter's mental powers were far above what Mille's were. Had John not instilled the morals in their daughter that he had, the girl would be completely out of control. Like all children she liked to play games and her favorite was hide and seek with her mother, thing was she took it too far most of the time. The last time she'd appeared in her Grandfathers house, for the first time Millie hadn't been able to sense her, damn it Millie thought, she'd learned to block. It had taken John finding her, bringing her home and shutting off her moving power for a month to convince her to never do it again, though John wanted to keep it off for a while longer.

John had started to worry and had explained to their daughter that the more she used her abilities the easier the government men could find them. This had in turn scared the little girl half to death and for a week she wouldn't leave her mother's side. That was last week, so far they hadn't had any trouble with the government men but John was sure they were gearing up for a major assault upon the property. Though he didn't have need of new equipment, he still ventured into town from time to time. John now had enough money to do almost anything he wanted, with the nanomites his equipment no matter how old was never too old to work.

John had just gotten his shipment of seeds when he detected a familiar presence. Damn it! He thought

he'd felt them earlier, he was sure they weren't going to fall for the tricks that fooled them last time.

Letting Millie know what was going on he prepared all his defenses and a few he'd developed over the last year.

John had loaded up and was preparing to go when he felt the first of the agents approaching. Their tech had definitely improved in the last year, they were using a different energy source, the signature was on a different wavelength. John was afraid of this he'd had no agents near his property or his family, this time though he was alone miles from all the defenses he'd established around his place. Sighing he decreased his neural output, lowered his abilities to almost none existence, slowly he pulled out heading out of town.

Two miles from the town John thought he was clear enough to bring up his abilities a quarter of the

way. Too late he felt the agents begin to move in, coming to a stop John brought everything up full. Now the bastards were on the run towards him, John brought all his senses up and formed two different shields around him and the wagon just as the first of the agents topped the hill. Soon there were about 25 - 35 agents trying to encircle him, more than a little irritated, John decided to try something he'd learned a few months ago.

Letting loose a wave of energy designed to knock out regular humans, John felt, almost too late, the energy

weapon that was fired towards him. His first shield was of little consequence stopping the blast, the second he'd brought up half as strong as he could, thinking he didn't need more but stronger than he thought the agents weapons were. The two waves crossed causing momentary sparks of energy then continuing on toward their targets, distracted a moment watching the agents fall unconscious too late he felt the energy weapons blast start to penetrate his shield.

Cursing he was gathering everything to thought shift as he called it and had actually started to fade

when the wave swept through and briefly caught him. Feeling as if ants were crawling all over his body, John fought to stay conscious, son of a bitch! Appearing in front of the house Millie and their daughter both were screaming when John almost fell off the wagon. John could hear the nanomites communicating trying to compensate for the excess energy that was coursing through his body, <Master control, detection of massive energy levels spiking through out the control's corporeal vessel, all nanomites not draining and displacing energy shut down all functions 2 hour units, reactivate and replicate at that time to excess>. This wasn't installing John with

a lot of confidence about staying conscious. Millie started to reach for John when he held up his hand for her to stop, the energy was of a type to disable anyone with abilities like theirs.

It was getting harder and harder to maintain a sufficient level of awareness, John tried to push the

energy out of his body anyway he could think of but nothing was working. Damn it to hell! John was starting to lose the battle for consciousness. If I pass out there won't be any control for the nanomites, no one to compensate for any new dangers or agents that might threaten his wife or daughter. Quickly

John knew what he had to do <all functioning nanomites this is control, set perimeter defenses to maximum, I

want no energy signatures to be detectable within. This will remain in effect till master control releases alert, when controls corporeal vessel loses primary function go to double alpha alert> John hoped that would be enough till he woke up.

<Compliance control, double alpha will be enacted, all 5 bands of energy shields will be powered to 100%,

analysis of energy complete, all shields now adjusted to cause cessation of the energy now in excess in

control's corporeal vessel. All data downloaded to control's processing center.>

John watched the display, hmm they were trying an older energy used in a new way, just like he thought,

they thought they had a solution and they had nothing. Damn it, he felt like an idiot! He could stop anything

they threw at him, he'd just gotten complacent, not having seen an agent in a year now. Millie was starting to get pissed, if John lost control and passed out they'd be vulnerable for a few hours. She'd heard everything that had transpired between John and the nanomites, at least now she wasn't as worried but what the hell was double alpha alert? Looking at John she felt him getting further and further away, the worry was etched on her face. John could barely see now but tried to reassure Millie and their daughter, <I'm about to lose consciousness all the defenses are at full please don't worry I'll be back soon> with that John was unconscious. Millie began to tremble without the nanomites or John, they really had no warning of what was

going on.

John was floating in a weightless void, though pleasant John was extremely worried about his family. A voice called out from a distance, "John? I feel your presence in the Miacarian dream sharing field," John

wasn't sure but he thought it sounded a lot like Mitch. "Yes John, it is the container you knew as Mitch, you have done your race proud, you are the first of the the limited races, that has been able to achieve this level of awareness. Ah I see, you are under attack." With that John felt Mitch wave his hand and all the energy was drained from his body.

"Thank you Mitch, I let my guard down, I have shamed myself allowing them to get to me. The agents have managed to advance their machinery, I was careless thinking I was stronger than I was." John felt that Mitch would be angry if he wasn't honest besides he knew everything John did anyway, why hide anything?