All posts by Jim Zoetewey

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 10

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While Dayton’s strength, speed, and reflexes blew away a normal person’s, Jody was in another league.

Dr. Nation’s system for triggering improvements and latent powers had worked for Dayton. I’d seen figures ranging from 30-50% when Dr. Nation showed me the results. For that matter, Dayton’s mimic ability had become more flexible over time.

Instead of mimicking movements exactly, he could adjust them for his own build and strengths without thinking. He’d even reached a point where he could analyze a fighting style on the fly and anticipate moves he couldn’t do.

So, he wasn’t totally outclassed, but maybe 50% outclassed? Continue reading Stage Three: Part 10 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 9

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Then, for lack of a better word, Jody activated.

He turned, eyes glowing in multiple sensor streams. Then he began to fire bolts from alternating eyes, all of them in my direction.

I guessed that I owed my continued survival to the fact that he’d had less than a day to get used to his transformation. That, and the designer’s choice to use many small shots instead of fewer, higher-powered shots.

Many shots worked for Jody’s strength, but also for my suit’s ability to repair and general resistance to damage. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 9 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 8

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“Bait,” Dayton said. Despite their camouflage, my HUD filled in their outlines. Dayton had grabbed Sean’s shoulder.

“Remember this is the Nine. He might not want to, but he’ll turn on us the second they tell him to.”

Sean looked down, the head of his outline staring ahead—into metal shelving, but then over at Dayton, “We’re not going to be able to save him, are we?”

Dayton took a breath, “I don’t know how this will play out. It’s going to be hard, but maybe. You’ve taken him in training, and there’s lots of metal.”

“Yeah… But we don’t know what he is now.” Continue reading Stage Three: Part 8 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 7

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“But first,” Rook said, “some reintroductions are in order.”

I looked around the room, checking my feeds and my HUD. Rook didn’t show up looking through the stone, which was extremely good news. The last thing I wanted was for him to have a connection to Lee’s device.

Rook’s voice continued, “You knew him as Blur or as ‘Jody,’ but we have a new name for him now. We call him Rapid-Fire. It took a little talking to persuade my boss to let his toy go, but since he couldn’t access his memories of Magnus and all the training he did, the boy was useless to us as a member of Magnus’ squad. I’m sure there’s a way to get it back, but we needed help fast, and what do you know?” Continue reading Stage Three: Part 7 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 6

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That’s when I noticed a detail that I didn’t like at all. It might have been a small thing, but it hinted at bigger problems.

As Rook’s minions put down their packages and their arms transformed into weapons, the claws disappeared and shortened into straight barrels. That would be nothing except that, assuming normal human proportions, the barrel ended well before the human arm would have.

Even assuming all of Rook’s henchmen had short arms, the gun was just past where the elbow should be.

Put bluntly, there was no room for an arm in there. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 6 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 5

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Our first problem with following Magnus? The window. Amy and I rose to find Sean, fists clenched, staring at the window and the empty room behind it.

The window wasn’t moving at all.

And look, that wasn’t as stupid as it seemed. The frame around the window might have been made of metal. It wasn’t, but it could have been.

Colored black, but it appeared to be ceramic to me.

With a wordless scream, Sean punched it. His hand bounced off, and Dayton said, “Whoa, dude. Let them try.”

Sean wasn’t listening. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 5 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 4

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Victor’s mouth opened without saying anything. He closed it, sighed, but asked, “Do you think it’s possible?”

I looked over at Cassie, who’d frowned but then started talking, “It depends. We’d need to make sure our birthing chamber has the right templates available. I’d say yes if we had the one you’d used. We all know what happened to that one, though.”

Over the implant channel, Sean asked, “What happened?”

“It’s not in working order,” I said. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 4 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 3

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Jaclyn added, “I’m not pulling you all again—not unless we know what we’re running into.”

We didn’t. Due to limited fuel supplies, a limited number of bots, and any hints that the place existed, Hal hadn’t sent any down here.

“Everybody flies?” Haley asked.

It wasn’t a bad idea. Between camouflage and not touching anything, we’d avoid a lot of potential triggers.

A voice said, “I’m here to bring you to Magnus.” Continue reading Stage Three: Part 3 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 2

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Then he started laughing. I’m pretty sure I even heard a “Mwha-ha-ha” somewhere in there. Then the communication ended, leaving me to hope that it was an ironic “Mwha-ha-ha,” because an unironic “Mwha-ha-ha” would be a cliche.

It called up mad scientist vibes at best and at the most horribly wrong end, it reminded me of how Artificer technology had been designed to destroy civilizations either through madness or temptation and runaway self-interest. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 2 →

Arc 14.6.5: Stage Three

Stage Three: Part 1

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Inside the room, we found the welcome committee. They were prepared for us, but there’s a difference between sending a bunch of guards to stand in the entrance in case someone gets through and executing a well-planned ambush.

This was not a well-planned ambush.

The guards here, and there were more than 20 of them, all of them with automatic weapons, weren’t in the best shape. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 1 →