All posts by Jim Zoetewey

Jody: Part 4

“We have a way to make implants. I have to make sure they’re safe and assuming I can do that, I’ll make them available to everyone.

“Oh,” Julie said. “Is it one of the machines from the island?”

I shook my head, “Nope. It’s older than that, but similar in origin. I’m only going to pass them on if they’re safe.”

She’d stopped smiling, “I get it now. Do you have any other tests you want to run?” Continue reading Jody: Part 4

Jody: Part 3

“Wow,” I said, considering it, “I hadn’t been trying to enhance your abilities, but that is obvious now that you mention it. It should be able to interface with your suit, but I think I’d change the design to fit your needs specifically… Let’s start by making sure it reproduces your power and then after that, I’ll see if I can’t come up with something better.

“Provided it works, you can attach the spare sonic to your costume.”

I handed her the sonic unit. It was loosely cylindrical except that the back end was rounded and the front flat. She held it under her right forearm and it attached. Continue reading Jody: Part 3

Jody: Part 2

With that, the meeting was over, or at least my part.

Vaughn left to call Dayton, and everyone else left to discuss how and where to probe Jody’s loyalties best. I could have gone along, and I wanted to, but no one else could improve the buzzers.

Chris might have, but he was out in a version of the Rocket suit helping with the fungus cleanup downtown. He’d served as my double enough that some people might think something was off when they met me in the suit. Continue reading Jody: Part 2

Jody: Part 1

Vaughn grinned, “They’re already involved. They were reporting to Daniel’s dad about Futuremen Capital. They thought Magnus was involved.”

“I remember,” I said. “Sydney wanted buzzers for them. I genuinely don’t remember if I provided them at this moment. I know I provided people in the community with designs.”

I hoped none of them got to the Nine, but chances were good that they might have. Plus, during the mushroom zombie fight, I learned that you could overwhelm them if you had enough people with voice powers. Continue reading Jody: Part 1

Castling: Part 9

Fun. That wasn’t the first word I’d apply to a multi-year fight for the future of your civilization, but as a way to keep your spirits up when facing a struggle you knew you could only begin to imagine, it was worth a shot.

I was glad they’d found my killbot tech useful even though I didn’t love being partially responsible for political assassinations. The Human Ascendancy deserved what they got, but the precedent would linger. If Kal’s group were lucky enough to win and future generations celebrated their success, assassination might be viewed as a legitimate technique for people dissatisfied with their government. Continue reading Castling: Part 9

Castling: Part 7

I would have asked how we would connect, but Rachel leaned forward and said, “I’m going to have to hold your hand.”

I disassembled the glove with a command and she leaned forward to take my right hand.

In my head, she said, “This is how the Ghosts do interstellar flight—at least when I’m involved. I don’t have enough power to manage it alone. Could you start pulling in power?”

“How much? A lot?” Continue reading Castling: Part 7

Castling: Part 6

We couldn’t blast away with the main engine without risking that Dixieclone might notice the sound and realistically there was no “might” about it. Izzy would. If he had the same powers as her grandfather, so would he.

Trying to stay conscious of what was around me and hoping I wasn’t mumbling nonsense words, I said, “Fly anywhere I point and quickly, but not too quickly. Use our anti-gravity systems.”

Concentrating on the ambient energy around me, I couldn’t tell what was going on outside my head, but I knew I wasn’t dead. That would have to be enough. Continue reading Castling: Part 6

Castling: Part 5

I watched the jet’s stats as we climbed. It had no issues. Then I thought of a possibility, “Ghost are you feeling anything?”

Rachel said, “No,” but she also gave the smallest shake of her head as if I shouldn’t talk about it.

Then she started tapping on her left forearm, using the “keyboard” I’d built into our suits. It was just a setting that made letters appear on either sleeve and turned the spots touch-sensitive.

Her text appeared in my HUD. Continue reading Castling: Part 5

Castling: Part 4

Artemis flinched, “Sorry, sir, but my point is that it feels like internal warfare. No one else would know.”

I made a mental note that whoever Artemis was, she didn’t believe she was the goddess. If she had, she wouldn’t be quite so deferential.

Dixieclone nodded and then sighed, “That’s not a good sign. The moment’s too crucial to handle everything we need to and that too.”

Artemis looked from side to side as if to check who was in earshot, saying, “That’s my worry.” Continue reading Castling: Part 4