The Genesis Code 1: Lambda Read online

  A ROBERT E. PARKIN PUBLICATION

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2013 by Robert E. Parkin

  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.

  Special Sales at [email protected]

  For more information contact Robert E. Parkin

  at [email protected] or visit

  www.thegenesiscodeseries.com

  Book design by Robert E. Parkin

  Art by Jordan Saia

  Library of Congress Catalogin-in-Publication Data

  Parkin, Robert E.

  Lambda / Robert E. Parkin. ―1st ed.

  p. cm. ―(The genesis code ; bk.1)

  Summary: Zackary Allan Knight is just your typical eighteen year old teenager on the outside, but a genius within. When his boring life is turned upside down by a girl called Lambda, everything begins to change. Nothing but corruption and mystery surround Lambda’s creation and purpose. However, one thing is for certain: everyone wants Lambda. As he struggles with his past and family while trying to learn the dark secrets that lurk within Lambda, he will embark on an adventure full of mayhem and destruction to find the answers. Through his journey, he will have his eyes opened to a truth he never would’ve believed.

  ISBN 978-0-9907675-0-3 (eBook)

  [1. Action ―Science Fiction. 2. Adventure―Science Fiction. 3. Virtual World―Science Fiction. 4. Virginia (USA) ―Future―21st century―Science Fiction.] I. Title.

  Acknowledgments

  There are many that must be thanked after finally reaching this point. Completing this book was no small feat and many people deserve mention. For starters, to my mother and father, Chris and Mary Parkin, I thank you the most. Your support and love has gotten me to where I am. I’m truly blessed to have such wonderful parents. To my huggable sisters, Kaylea and Morgan, thank you for being there for me, always looking up to me, and always tolerating me. To my irreplaceable brother Tyler, thank you for being the pillar of inspiration and imagination that you are, always humoring me, and for being awesome. To my esteemed friend Tom, thank you for your insight and constructive feedback during our many talks. To all my other timeless friends, thank you for always putting up with me and given me your support. To my talented Editor Christina Vogt, thank you for lending me your services and knowledge. To my incredible concept artist Jordan Saia, thank you for your magnificent abilities and talent. To Regina, thank you for sharing with me your experience and knowledge. To my colleague and friend Alex, thank you for your enthusiasm and unwavering interest. To Greg and Susan Castro, thank you for being the spark that started it all, and being the driving force that kept me going during the early phases of my writing. Without you, this would have never gotten off the ground. Lastly, and certainly not least, I thank all of the unforgettable people that sat and actively listened to me and my ramblings at the bars I’ve worked at. All of you were inspiration, and motivation that kept me moving forward. There are many more, and those who I did not mention, know that I remember your face, what you said, and how it kept me going. You all helped, whether you knew it or not. Without you, the completion of this book would have never been possible. For you all, I bow my head in thanks.

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  [1] Enter Lambda

  [2] Stigma

  [3] Void Reaper

  [4] Cyber Network

  [5] Luna Nova

  [6] High King

  [7] Convergence

  [8] Black God

  [9] Overload

  [10] Pursuit

  [11] Willpower

  [12] Origins

  [13] Memory

  [14] Pressure

  [15] Terminate

  [16] Sabotage

  [17] Recollection

  [18] Tension

  [19] Shatter

  [20] Havoc

  [21] Great Divide

  [22] Inverse

  [23] Abomination

  [24] Confessions

  [25] Pandemonium

  [26] Purgatory Flames

  [Ʌ]

  “The day I was given

  the chance to wield the most beautiful,

  and terrifying creation of man,

  was the day I opened my eyes

  to a truth I didn’t want to believe.

  With the ultimate weapon at my side,

  I held the power.

  Everything changed,

  when I met her . . .”

  ―Zackary Allan Knight

  ∞

  “The world is a dangerous place to live;

  not because of the people who are evil, but because of

  the people who don’t do anything about it.”

  ―Albert Einstein

  [1]

  Enter Lambda

  [January 5th, 2025 - (Present Day) - Cyberspace - Night]

  “Zero Zone server: 1046L11BX2 breached. Activating security protocol. Threat level: Red,” a voice echoed. It carried into a world of darkness, flaring with white lightning and glowing circuits. The sparks of white light looked like fireflies as they danced within the black void of Cyberspace known as the Zero Zone.

  Here was a world where code and data thrived. Home to soulless bytes and numbers, the endless chaos stretched to infinity. This black world was, and always had been, a dark place. This universe of the void was and still is used in man’s struggle to understand the impossible and in their endless pursuit of advancement and knowledge. It was here where great ideas were created and stored, and where all code resided.

  “Security protocol override acknowledge. Beginning download of new coding matrix.” The voice was monotone, sounding robotic. In the vast blackness the voice echoed as it did before, its origin unknown.

  “System scan complete. Program reset confirmed,” the voice spoke again, louder this time. The voice seemed to be part of the vast shadows that populated the Zero Zone. Subtle sounds could vaguely be heard. The sounds of clicking. Mechanical taps, almost like bits of code.

  “Awaiting for final input,” the voice spoke yet again, its manner and tone unchanging. A strange sound of static quickly filed in with the mechanical clicking. The sounds continued, with no way to pinpoint its origin, until all of a sudden, silence.

  The silence was widespread. Not even the white circuits made a noise as they hummed within the darkness. The eerie silence lurked within the hollow world as a ferocious animal, waiting for its time to strike. The anxiety was unnatural, the uncanny presence was suffocating.

  Without warning, a bright light pierced the darkness.

  “Configuration finalized. Project Lambda operational.”

  This was the beginning of it all.

  * * *

  [January 5th - Washington D.C. - Cyber Research Plant - Night]

  With haste under his feet, Dr. Richard rushed out of his office, his white lab coat billowing behind the torrent of urgency left in his wake.

  How could this happen?!

  Richard quickly took a left, heading for the west wing of the facility he was in. Large lights lined the top of the hallway and the walls were sparkling white, bleach white. The look of the walls always made him feel sick.

  “Dr. Richard! Please, the Director is in a meeting right now. You will have to wait!” a fraz
zled aide cried out as he came to the entrance to the west wing area.

  “Move, this can’t wait!”

  Richard pushed the woman aside and shoved the metal doors open. He caught a glimpse of the woman speaking frantically as she held her hand to a small earpiece that glowed blue.

  Good, let them know I’m coming.

  Moments later, Richard came to another door, this one larger than the rest. Two guards stood by at the door, staring down Richard.

  “I’m afraid you are going to have to wait-”

  “This concerns Project Lambda. It can’t wait,” Richard said with a menacing stare and urgency riding his back.

  The two guards exchanged looks of concern before they eventually folded to Richard, allowing him to enter the door behind them. Richard said no more as he rushed forward. He was met with a sudden glare, followed by the sight of five men seated at a long table. Tall windows lined the left side of the large room allowing fresh rays of light to pierce the darkness of the conference Richard was interrupting. The table that the five men sat at looked to be made of polished diamonds that reflected the images of all the men sitting quietly at the table. It was a beautiful sight wasted on the images of the old.

  “Dr. Richard, we are in the middle of private matters. I don’t know why the guards let-”

  “Who gave the okay to release Project Lambda?”

  The room fell silent. The expressions of the men were a mix of confusion and concern.

  “Now isn’t the time for jokes, Doctor. Lambda is still in its experimental phases. None here gave the clearance for its release.”

  “Well, I’m here to tell you that it no longer is contained. It has been activated from our server and has escaped.” Richard’s face was coarse but filled with apprehension.

  One of the men chuckled. “What are you suggesting, Doctor, that one of us secretly released it?”

  Richard’s expression remained firm. “It isn’t impossible. However, it will take time to conclude the method used to access Project Lambda on our secure server, and who used it.”

  Several of men turned to the man at the head of the table.

  “Director?” one of the men asked with a guiding hand.

  The Director stood. He was a large man, built like a tank. His hardened expression and receding gray hairline put him in his fifties. However, he stood with perfect posture. One wouldn’t second guess to a military background if they caught a glimpse of the man’s cold stare.

  The Director loomed darkly. “So you’re suggesting that-”

  “There is no doubt in my mind. We have been attacked,” Richard stated.

  The Director’s gaze hardened, though Richard was quick to follow up.

  “However, in order to breach our firewalls and security, this couldn’t have been just an inside job. Whoever did this had help.”

  The Director didn’t waste any more time. “What is the Lambda unit’s location presently?”

  Richard spoke articulately, but with haste. “Uncertain. We do know that the Lambda unit is traveling through private Stream Lines of the Zero Zone. So far, it hasn’t tried to access the Cyber Network servers.” Richard took a breath. “However, it’s evident that the Lambda unit is trying to enter into the physical world. It’s searching for an Exit Port.”

  The Director paused. The number of possible Exit Ports that the Lambda unit could access through its digital signature was infinite. Though it continued to search for an exact Exit Port. What was it trying to find?

  “What was Lambda’s final programming?” asked the Director firmly.

  Richard fell silent.

  “Did I stutter, Doctor?” Agitation could be heard between his words.

  “It never received its final programming.”

  The Director’s face contorted. “You mean to tell me that the culmination of the last three years of research and cyber technology is running around without any way for us to control it?”

  Reluctantly, Richard nodded. He didn’t need to be told that this was a disgrace.

  “Unbelievable!” boomed the Director. He reached for a small pad next to him. His fingers lit the pad a crimson color for each square he touched. Moments later, the shutters to the windows began to close. The Director then turned to Richard with a harsh expression on his face.

  “This must be contained at all costs. Project Lambda’s existence must never be known. Get the team ready!”

  Richard nodded his head and quickly left with haste once more.

  As soon as the door shut behind him, the Director turned to the man on his left as the windows concealed them in darkness.

  “Notify the Cyber Network Core. Tell them that a rogue Corruption has been detected.”

  The man looked at the Director, confused. However, he didn’t get a chance to reply, as the table in the center quickly lit up as the windows shut completely. A large hologram quickly covered the table seconds later. What appeared was an image that looked like complex circuits pulsing with red energy through the infinite number of wires that lined the transparent hologram. At the center was a large cube that rotated on its axis point. The cube throbbed with glowing red lights.

  “We will have better success in capturing Lambda if we enlist the Core’s security force.” The Director eyed the man, who was still looking confused.

  “With the Core’s World Moderators, they can isolate Lambda and limit its Exit Ports,” the Director added.

  The man to the Director’s left spoke. “But the God Mod AI units enlisted by the World Moderators are programmed to delete all virus-related signatures. If we alert Core HQ of Lambda in this manner, they will just release the God Mods and hunt down the Lambda unit as a Corruption. How are we going to ensure that they won’t destroy it?”

  The Director smirked. “It was never designed to go down easily.”

  * * *

  [January 5th - Undisclosed Location - Night]

  In a dark room lit by several dozen computer screens, the face of a lone Japanese girl with long black hair could be seen. The girl’s hair was pinned up on her left side with a vibrant hair decoration of a blue flower in bloom. Her expression ranged from deep satisfaction to absolute triumph.

  “It looks like the hack was a success,” chuckled the girl as she adjusted her hairpin ever so slightly.

  The girl’s moment of triumph was cut short as the door to her rear swooshed open, revealing a silhouette of a tall figure with long hair. Her icy stare made the girl a little uneasy as the woman approached her.

  “Has it been done, Nerine?” Her tone was coarse and direct.

  Nerine turned in her chair majestically as she tried to wave off her uneasiness with a vibrant attitude and radiant smile.

  “Everything went according to plan. Will you be requiring anything else from yours truly?” she responded proudly.

  The woman stared darkly. Her eyes never seemed to waver for a second. The intense focus was deeply disturbing to Nerine, despite her pride in her own focus as a Corrupter.

  “I will inform our Leader of the mission’s status. This is only the first phase of the plan.” She then thrust her hand out, pointing her finger a mere inch from Nerine’s face.

  “Continue to monitor the target’s location and pinpoint its final destination when it sets on an Exit Port. We can’t afford to lose it now.”

  Nerine puffed out her cheeks, like she was pouting. “Anything else?” she responded with all the enthusiasm of a corpse. She then spun from the gaze of the woman and focused on the screen before her.

  “You could learn to loosen up a bit,” Nerine said playfully.

  The woman behind her said no more and left seconds later from where she came, leaving Nerine to her devices. She mumbled under her breath the moment she left.

  “I forgot that the Ice Queen might melt if she cracks a smile.”

  * * *

  The cold woman marched with purpose. Her stride was long and powerful as she grac
efully lit the ground afire in route to her destination. Her slender body, endowed with a tight, black battle suit, swayed with each contact of her foot on the metal floor. The slick design of her uniform brought out her lean body structure and small curves. She had a soldier’s body, but brought a unique beauty through her modest features and unblemished skin. However, her eyes pulsed with a deadly aura. No one would have guessed she was only twenty-one.

  She brushed her golden hair behind her as she rounded a corner, never slowing down. The tall hallway she marched through was massive and made of reflective sheets of steel. Upon rounding another corner, she was met with two armed guards. They seemed to be talking causally, but immediately stood in attention the moment they saw the fire in her eyes.

  “Commander Richter!”

  “As you were.” Her words were forthright and harsh.

  The men quickly stepped aside and allowed the overwhelming presence access to the control panel on the metal door. The woman removed her black glove from her right hand and placed it on the small panel of the door. She then bent slightly and allowed a laser device to quickly scan her retina. Several seconds passed before an automated voice came over the loud speaker.

  “Identification Complete: Laura Richter. Access approved.”

  The door slid aside and Laura quickly passed the two men. Both let out a sigh of relief as the door slid shut behind them.

  Laura continued her pace just as her left ear and wrist started blinking red. She wasted no movements or time as she quickly tapped her Com-Linker to receive her incoming call.

  “Report,” she said sternly.

  “The target has begun to slow in speed. It looks to be preparing to settle on an Exit Port. I’d get ready quickly,” came the foreboding words of Nerine over the line.

  “Very well. I will inform our Leader shortly.”

  “But of course, Lady Laura,” replied Nerine cheekily.

  “That’s Commander Richter to you.” Her tone was fierce, her expression irritated.