As the stone touched my gauntlet, I connected with it and through it the Galaxy Core Device (GCD) itself. How did it feel to use a device that could destroy galaxies and create new ones?

You’d think it would be a moment of enlightenment or maybe ascension, since you assumed powers that you’d normally think were reserved for gods.

What surprised me is how normal it felt. I’d been absorbing knowledge from my implant on demand for years now. I’d been training with Kee to understand what Artificers could do for years and while I’d only been interfacing with Abominator and Artificer technology with those skills for a few days, it felt natural.

So, when I connected to the GCD, it felt more like additions to a computer menu in the Rocket suit’s HUD, discovering that I could move my toes with the flexibility of my fingers, or noticing a brand new color, sound, or smell. In short, small changes that forced you rethink everything, but only when you noticed they were there.

I saw everything I’d seen before, but in addition, I now knew the systems that made up the device. Starting with the stars in the infinite number of universes that it drew power from to the weapons and armor it generated to the pocket universes it created for various purposes internally.

I understood in an instant how to use it as a kind of powered armor, how to use its weapons to attack and kill an Artificer in all universes, how to use its abilities to empower and change creatures (including humans), and expand an Artificer’s senses. 

What I did not understand was how I beat Magnus or Ray if they had access to all of this.

Spark appeared, her faun-like form visible in my mind, and said, “Neither of them did. While I have to obey commands from the person with the creator’s tool, I have a great deal of latitude in how I portray the user-interface of this device to the user. Among other things, I’m free to remove commands from a user’s consciousness when I deem them distracting to the task at hand.”

She smirked. “I chose to only give them the options they asked for and didn’t explain all of them as well as I might have.”

That explained why it took Magnus years to get anywhere. Even with a premodern understanding of technology, he should have been able to get farther. What it did not explain was… “So, with Ray, how did he get the ability to stop time?”

With a tilt of her head, she said, “He asked the right questions and listened to the answers. Every time he didn’t understand something, he’d ask me to explain it again. Fortunately, he had no training at all, only Magnus’ power. With you talking to him, he had no time to fully explore what I could do and lacked the skill to notice what was being hidden.”

I let out a sigh, “I guess I should be grateful that you act independently. Is there anything that I should avoid doing?”

“If there is,” she said, “I’ll make sure you can’t find it.”

She smiled at me, but I didn’t doubt she meant it.

“I want to put all the beings that are fighting my friends back where they’ve been kept in this place,” I began to say, and instantly understood the commands to do it.

All of them disappeared in flickers of subtle power very much unlike the portals I’d created on my own. They were there and then they weren’t.

Ray said, “Nice. You’ve got a rapport with the device that I did not have. Would you mind sending me back now? I’d prefer not to have a conversation with your friends or grandparents.”

In my head, Daniel said, Could you give me a second? I’ve been listening in since time started moving forward and I’m walling off any memory of Magnus or your conversation until after he “dies.” Zayde’s helping. 

“Sure,” I told Ray, “I’ll set that up.”

Ray didn’t respond, staring out into the room at nothing. Right. The Mentalist was probably helping by taking Ray’s brain offline, though he could easily be good enough to help Daniel at the same time.

Around us, I noticed that both teams were landing and had begun to walk toward the middle where I was. I happened to notice Cassie looking across the room where her father had caught up with Night Wolf and begun to walk toward us.

He glanced toward Cassie and said something to Night Wolf.

Haley and Jaclyn walked next to Vaughn, who limped on his left side. Jaclyn carried Jody’s unconscious body. C followed the three of them, standing off to the right of Jaclyn, watching Jody and sometimes talking with Jaclyn.

Over an implant channel, Haley said, “This is so weird.”

“Yeah,” I said, watching them walk. “Is Vaughn okay?”

“I think so. He’s all there mentally. I’m not sure how he got hurt, but that’s not the weird part. Red Lightning’s going to get to you about the same time we are.”

I saw her frown as she glanced in that direction.

“Tell Jaclyn not to drop Jody,” I said and heard her stifle a laugh.

Vaughn looked at her, and she tapped her head, pointing toward me.

Daniel spoke in my head, You can send Ray back. We’re done.