Category Archives: Book 07: Compound Kids

Arc 7.7: Go Time

Go Time: Part 1

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I woke up with my head on the lab table. Wood wasn’t the most comfortable pillow. I pushed myself up, trying to remember what I’d been doing.

The satbot lay on the table. I’d finished it, tested it, and it worked. Then I’d tested the other bots’ ability to connect to it. Haley and I had tried it out in Denver, and it had managed to connect. The phonebot had managed to successfully impersonate a house’s landline, and the mobile connection bot had been tested in every way possible outside of Turkmenistan.

I checked the time on my cell phone. It was 3:42am.
Continue reading Go Time: Part 1 →

Arc 7.6: Remote Control

Remote Control: Part 6

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I let out a breath. “This seems to be escalating. I don’t know if we’ve got any enemies from the magical end of things, but we’ve got spies. You said it was a fairy or from Faerie, but do you get any sense of place? Like maybe Turkmenistan’s got it’s own fairy tales?”

Amy frowned. “I don’t know this world’s history or magic very well. I’d never even heard about Turkmenistan before this year, but wouldn’t that be like Afghanistan or Pakistan? So jinn, maybe, but I don’t think it was a jinn. It didn’t feel like it had that kind of power.”

Putting my arms on the table, I crossed them and leaned forward. “Something small, and not so powerful?” Continue reading Remote Control: Part 6 →

Arc 7.6: Remote Control

Remote Control: Part 5

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Haley kicked her shoes off and literally leapt across the room, landing on all fours. She hadn’t transformed. However her body worked, she was already stronger and faster than normal humans even before a transformation.

As she crouched, she sniffed the air near the doorway.

Almost simultaneously with Haley’s leap, Amy touched her gem, setting off an explosion of red, darker red, black, white, and pink. Continue reading Remote Control: Part 5 →

Arc 7.6: Remote Control

Remote Control: Part 4

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Izzy’s forehead wrinkled. “Why do you think that?”

“I’m not sure, but I think she may have talked to the invaders in their native language. Anyway, I know that somewhere in there Amy used magic to transform a little in their direction. Something like that. That whole battle’s a little blurry at this point.”

“I think you’re right,” Daniel said, glancing over at Izzy and then back to me. “Judging from the way she made that shield and that she can fly, her magic is pretty flexible. It’s worth a question. Who do we talk to if it doesn’t work?” Continue reading Remote Control: Part 4 →

Arc 7.6: Remote Control

Remote Control: Part 3

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I tested the satellite bot for a while, and then I started to think about the next generation of roachbot. I’d started out creating armor with the nanotech I’d designed, but I ought to be using it to construct roachbots. If I did it right, I’d only have to perfect a design, and then I’d be able to create hundreds if not thousands of them trivially.

Better yet, it would probably make for a faster design process since I’d be able to do the work within a CAD program instead of physically constructing every version. Continue reading Remote Control: Part 3 →

Arc 7.6: Remote Control

Remote Control: Part 2

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I blinked. I knew that Lim probably had an agenda, and felt fairly sure that in a choice between me and the government, Lim would choose the government, but I couldn’t fault a man who’d sworn to serve the United States for actually doing his job.

Plus, when it came down to it Lim had admired Grandpa as the Rocket, and I had a hard time believing he’d deliberately screw the League over without a reason.

Something of that must have shown on my face because Gordon sat a little straighter in his seat. “I’m not saying anything other people aren’t saying. Look, you weren’t here before the program exploded. Continue reading Remote Control: Part 2 →

Arc 7.6: Remote Control

Remote Control: Part 1

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I spent the largest part of Saturday morning working in the lab. No one was in when I walked through the door, and that part of the morning may have been the best part.

Lost in my thoughts, I worked on a bot that could use a satellite connection. Combined with bots that could tap into a phone line, I’d have redundant communication methods.

Neither of them, unfortunately, would allow real time control. Continue reading Remote Control: Part 1 →

Arc 7.5: Off Campus

Off Campus: Part 10

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In my rearview mirror, I saw Courtney’s shoulder’s tense. “That bothers me. Remember Mr. Beacham from high school?”

Keon glanced over at Courtney, and said, “I can’t say I remember him at all.”

Courtney nodded. “I know. You didn’t go to high school with us, but give me a second. Nick and Camille will remember him.”

“Nick’s mentioned him,” Haley said, “and I met him once. He was the teacher Evil Beatnik possessed.”

Courtney looked from Haley to me (to the back of my head, anyway). “Evil Beatnik possessed Mr. Beacham?”

Keon frowned. “Wasn’t Evil Beatnik a big deal back in the 1950’s or 60’s?”

From the back Camille said, “Yes. It was awful.” Continue reading Off Campus: Part 10 →

Arc 7.5: Off Campus

Off Campus: Part 9

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The photographer said, “Not happening. I took those pictures. They’re mine. End of story.”

He pulled his camera with one hand, and held his left a little away from his body as if he intended to block with it. It didn’t look like he’d had any kind of martial arts training. The way he held his arm, it would come up too slowly.

Hunter asked me, “Isn’t there some kind of law against taking pictures of people like us?”

I glanced over at Haley, and she shrugged.

Continue reading Off Campus: Part 9 →

Arc 7.5: Off Campus

Off Campus: Part 8

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Haley and I both laughed a little at that. Ironically, if we had broken his camera, the trend would have continued. Calling us celebrities wouldn’t be quite accurate, but thanks to our grandparents, the Rocket and Night Cat were household names.

Then Haley’s expression changed to a frown, and she glanced backward. I followed her gaze to see Gifford walking towards us followed by Hunter, Courtney, Camille, and Keon.

Gifford reached us first, taking long steps that I hoped weren’ t obviously boosted with his power–a hope that ended as a gust of wind passed me.

Continue reading Off Campus: Part 8 →