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→
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→
I held the phone up to my ear and said, “Hi. What’s the bad news?”
Lim gave a small chuckle, “It’s good to know you’re paying attention. That’s what all of us involved in teaching you have been aiming for, but you’re right. It’s not good news. It also isn’t terrible news, but it’s bad in what it represents.” Continue reading Isolation: Part 4→
Lim, who had years of following both the original League and us didn’t hesitate. Tapping the screen exactly twice, talked into it, and as he finished, his words blasted out of speakers throughout the complex, “Evacuate immediately! Only take something if you’re holding it. There’s nothing in here that’s worth your life. Again, get out now!”
“Uruk,” Daniel said, shaking his head. “That’s where Gilgamesh ruled, assuming that he was a real person. Also interesting? Gilgamesh wanted to be immortal and he went to find Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim was basically Noah down to building a boat to preserve the world’s animals and his family during a massive flood. In Sumerian myth, Utnapishtim was given immortality by the gods afterward.”
Izzy glanced over at him and smiled, “You beat me to it.”
I thought back at Daniel, Me too. Because I don’t even dare to touch some of this stuff.
Next to the scrolls on the desk were clay tablets with the odd triangular marks and lines of cuneiform. There was even a clay cylinder with a kind of scene. In addition to the cuneiform, there was a scene that showed a man in what looked like a kilt and another creature with a man’s torso, a lion’s body, and what appeared to be wings on its back. Continue reading Older Enemies: Part 9→
Even though I didn’t expect any problems here, I still found myself telling the jet, “Be ready for action. You’ll be better at projecting scenarios we might have to respond to than I am. Warn us if you realize one of them is happening.
“Also, and this is probably paranoid of me, but could you monitor the media for any signs of being manipulated by the Nine in their coverage of our activities? I don’t know what to ask you to look for, but maybe similar wording or similar negative perspectives? Maybe even attempting to create a certain perspective on us that could then be turned negative? I don’t know anything about propaganda or public relations, but I feel like that’s the Nine’s most effective weapon right now.” Continue reading Older Enemies: Part 8→
Lim grinned, “The Pocono Mountains. It’s an old supervillain lair that we use to store things we don’t want to lose. It’s hidden under an abandoned resort. We’ll get you exact coordinates once you’re in the air.”
I wasn’t sure I liked how he phrased his last sentence, “Uh… Check on it? Did you lose it or something?”
He laughed, “Not exactly. We sent it to a safe place. You’re not the only person who’s ever asked us to pick up a bad guy’s stuff. In fact, we encourage it. Legally speaking, it’s the best choice. If you take it, you’re stealing evidence. If we take it, the prosecutor can use it at trial—which is much better.”
“I know. My grandfather told me about that. Plus, it was covered at Stapledon. So, where is it? Can we visit or is it so top secret that nobody can know the location of the vault?” Continue reading Transitions: Part 3→
The Legion of Nothing: A Series of Online Superhero Novels (Updates Monday and Thursday)
