Sentinel 26

A Quick Recap of What You Need to Know

Dear Reader,

First of all, if you're reading this - thank you! I really appreciate it.

I've spent the last year and a half writing about this character, learning how he and those around him think and act. As their personalities solidified, the stories started to write themselves. Over time, the Nanoverse has become a small collection of connected stories, and that means some details carry over from one to another.

Now, I don't want you to have to read half a dozen stories just to understand this one. So, this is here to fill in the blanks a bit. I'll include story titles next to relevant facts, but don't worry - you don't have to go back unless you want to.

Let's start with the characters.

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Carl Maitland

The main character. A drifter from Missouri whose life was a blur of odd jobs, hotel rooms, and one-night stands. He crisscrossed the country in the 1974 Camaro he inherited from his dad.

In 2025, at age 35, he acquired an A.I.-controlled combat suit made of military-grade nanotech. He named it Nano. (Creative, right?)

→ As seen in "Drifting Anyway"

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Sentinel 26 (aka 26)

A version of Carl whose timeline split when Carl's second wife, Chloe, asked him for help finding her Carl after he got lost in time. He favors precision and planning unlike Carl prime.

→ As seen in "Project Sentinel", "Sliver", and "Sentinel 26"

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Prime

The original Carl from the main timeline - before the split. He's married to Chloe. He favors the direct approach, often meaning he throws himself straight into whatever he sees.

→ As seen in every Nanoverse story I've written!

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Sliver / Sliver Carl

A version of Carl from the mirror dimension. In his world, he didn't bond with nanotech - he bonded with an alien. He works a normal 9-to-5 job as an airplane mechanic but hunts supervillains in his off time. In his world, superheroes have to be government-registered, but he refused and operates off the grid.

→ As seen in "Sliver" and "Sentinel 26"

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Skeever / Skeever Carl

A version of Carl Prime who fought alongside Sliver in the future. Together they battled a villain named Blight, who poisoned both Skeever and his Nano suit. The infection affected his mind, and out of embarrassment, he adopted a holographic disguise as a space hippie named Skeever.

He's a genius-level intellect. He struck a deal with 26 to study his power source, hoping to replicate it and cure himself. 26 and Prime often jump to his timeline for advice, though Skeever refuses to let them take tech from his future - he doesn't think they're ready for it.

→ As seen in "Project Sentinel" and "Sentinel 26"

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Chloe Maitland (Echo)

A powerful telepath - the first superpowered being on Earth, codenamed Echo.

When news of her abilities leaked, Russia (now called the Kremlin Republic in this timeline) kidnapped her. With nuclear threats hanging overhead, no one dared to intervene - until an old mercenary called in a favor from a friend with a suit of armor and a knack for getting things done.

Carl dropped in, rescued her, and the two fell in love along the way. She now has her own nanotech suit, which she calls Echo.

→ As seen in "Subject: Echo"

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Charlene Maitland

Carl's first wife - the woman who helped him stop being aimless. (Honestly, I believe that if I ever wrote a timeline without her, Carl would've become a villain. She's his heart.)

26 is married to his timeline's version of her. Prime's version rejected bonding with Nano, just like every version of her - she's not a fighter. In every timeline, she dies a natural death in her seventies.

→ As seen in most stories that go past the year 2075

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Katrina Maitland

Carl's daughter with Charlene. She stays out of the adventuring life but wears a necklace with a small piece of Nano, keeping her unusually healthy. She lives a long, happy life, marries a man named Jerry, and has two daughters of her own.

→ Mentioned throughout the Nanoverse but rarely seen

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Robbie Maitland

Carl Prime's son with Chloe. Not much is known about him yet. A future version of him occasionally appears wearing his own nanotech suit, which he calls Zero.

When Carl jumped to the future, his older self mentioned that Robbie handles the "light work" until he's fully trained - meaning he's never actually seen combat.

→ As seen in "Sliver" and at the end of "Hunting Grounds"

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Kevin

A small gray cat with one ear - a stray from the mirror dimension. 26 took him in, cleaned him up, and quickly grew attached. When a vial of super-serum accidentally shattered rolling off Carl's worktable, Kevin licked it up and gained super-intelligence and teleportation.

26 and Prime later helped him bond with a blank nanotech suit so he could communicate and move around more freely.

→ As seen in "Sentinel 26"

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Roo

A prehistoric caveman who befriended Carl Prime after Carl was captured by Predators while stranded 52 million years in the past. Roo sacrificed his life to save Carl, who still wears the tiger-tooth necklace taken from Roo's body.

→ As seen in "Hunting Grounds"

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Daniel Harris

A soldier Carl Prime befriended during World War II. He died fighting beside Carl in France. Carl later visited his parents to tell them what happened - another hard loss that stayed with him.

→ As seen in "Project Sentinel"

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Other Notable Elements

The Terminator Timeline

Carl learns it's all real. He joins a small resistance force - including John Connor - to fight back against the machines.

→ As seen in "Heavy Metal Carl"

Tal-Kit

The planet Nano originated from. It was settled millions of years ago by ancient humans who left Earth before the last ice age. They send scouts periodically to monitor Earth, though their true motives remain unknown.

The 1974 Dark Gray Camaro

Carl's constant companion - inherited from his father. It's practically a character itself. In the future, when gas-powered cars are outlawed, Carl keeps it hidden and in perfect condition. Prime sometimes drops by 26's timeline just to borrow it and go for a drive.

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That about covers the recurring characters and essential background.

Hopefully this makes the story easier to follow if you're new to the Nanoverse. I'll let you get back to the chaos now.

Thanks for your interest - and happy reading!

- M.