Category Archives: Arc 14.9.5: Reality Tweaks

Reality Tweaks: Part 6

“Weird,” I said, “but not surprising. Rook used Abominator tech for his implant. We used it too, but we modified ours with Xiniti technology in such a way that we can’t replace their parts without consent. For all I know there might be a way to turn things back. I think it’s unlikely, but you never know.”

Dayton sighed but followed it up with, “He’ll probably like the power upgrade.”

“Oh, man,” Sean said. “I bet, but he’s still unconscious, so we don’t know yet. Is he going to be okay?” Continue reading Reality Tweaks: Part 6

Reality Tweaks: Part 5

Looking over the place I found myself in the middle of a few different unrelated thoughts. First, that the island was a beautiful place. Especially around the platform where we exited the stairway, the vegetation all but screamed, “tropical island paradise.”

Colorful birds flew through the air above us. Others perched in the trees or on volcanic mound.

Noticing that, I hoped again that it was inactive, and decided to be grateful that Larry wasn’t here. While he was closer to me than some family members, he had the worst luck with fire and natural disasters.

Grandpa told me Larry had been in the fight that made Mount St. Helens blow early. Continue reading Reality Tweaks: Part 5

Reality Tweaks: Part 4

It didn’t take long to reach the surface, relatively speaking. Izzy lead us down a hall off of the main room, giving me a chance to look at the dead, frozen bodies of all the people Rook had turned into robots as well as his own transformed body.

Amy shuddered as she passed it, telling me, “The little bit of him that’s left saw his dead body. Even for him, it’s weird and creepy.”

Haley shook her head, saying only, “Yuck.” Continue reading Reality Tweaks: Part 4

Reality Tweaks: Part 3

Lim glanced off to the side, adding, “I really should go now. I’m going to assume that explaining what’s going on with Ray’s corpse and the Xiniti is one of those things that would cause more problems if you explain it than if you don’t. Tell me if that changes.”

“Sure,” I said, intending to say nothing forever unless Ray reappeared on Earth.

Lim stared into the camera for a moment, giving the impression that he was studying me even though I knew he was just getting a still of the Rocket suit in his video feed. Continue reading Reality Tweaks: Part 3

Reality Tweaks: Part 2

Lim’s face appeared on the screen. I couldn’t even guess where he was—someplace dark that wasn’t his office, for sure. The grey marble behind him and the hint of light reflecting from it suggested that he might be outside.

The polished marble in particular would fit with being in Washington D.C. or a suburb with federal buildings. Lim could easily have been mobilized by the AIs to take down one of the Nine’s outposts. Continue reading Reality Tweaks: Part 2

Reality Tweaks: Part 1

The glowing ring of the portal appeared before us, with the grey concrete of the dock’s control room visible through the circle. It grew larger by the instant, making it clear that we were exiting immediately.

It was less that we stepped through to the room, so much as fell through at an angle. There was no law, I supposed, that a tunnel through time and space had to synchronize with the orientation of the exit point.

Haley let go of my hand, rolling and coming to her feet. I turned on the suit’s anti-gravity, floating to the ceiling like a Rocket-sized party balloon.  Continue reading Reality Tweaks: Part 1