The world rushed back, Max and the other sentry’s sweeping back into his consciousness through their contagion connection and its nanite sorcery. John forced his will on the nanite storm his small assault had launched on the forest. With it, his view of the world through the nanites began shifting over the next several hours as he finished reading and updating his plan based on the data files he had postponed until landing. As his converts lived and died their lives, others moved in to take their place. Anything consuming the flesh of one of his disciples would inherit the contagion and nanites.
As proof, the rabbit dropped out. A pair of new dog-like creatures sprouted. His tether to them was weaker. The new beasts were third-generation, having consumed the rabbit. He could command them,
