Tag Archives: Nick

Arc 10.4.0: Truth and the True

Truth and the True: Part 13

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I’d only been there for about a month, so I had no way to know if he were lying. On the other hand, even if he were telling the truth, it would still be an excellent excuse to make the birthing chambers disappear for a few days.

Combined with Emmy’s disappearance, my mind found it all too easy to imagine that they’d grab her and then create the True while the machine was out of sight. Who’d know? I certainly wouldn’t because I didn’t memorize the time needed to create the True while I was looking at them last–though I didn’t think it was too long. I’d have to look in the birthing chambers’ library to know the exact times it took to clone anything. Continue reading Truth and the True: Part 13 →

Arc 10.4.0: Truth and the True

Truth and the True: Part 12

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In the face of all that, I knew what the first thing I had to do was. Send Lim a message so that he knew that he was right. The Nine had infiltrated the FBI—and by the way, they’d also infiltrated the Engineering Department of my university.

In the grand scheme of things, the FBI was more important to the country, but the university had a more immediate impact on my life. Lim would want to know in any case. Continue reading Truth and the True: Part 12 →

Arc 10.4.0: Truth and the True

Truth and the True: Part 10

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Looking down at the words on my phone, I wrote back, “What?”

Three dots that indicated that she was writing appeared. I waited. Then more words appeared, accompanied by a beep. “There’s a file cabinet in Sandy’s office and he shoved a bunch of folders in there when I got close to his desk. Don’t know what’s in there, but he didn’t want me to see it.”

Even as I thought about my reply, she added, “Might not be the Nine, but it’s worth a look.” Continue reading Truth and the True: Part 10 →

Arc 10.4.0: Truth and the True

Truth and the True: Part 9

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I clicked and took the call. Lim sat at his desk at home. Blinds covered the window behind him, but the darkness of the night outside surrounded the edges of the blinds.

Lim sighed and shook his head as he saw me. “You struck pay dirt. Even though I want more detail and more proof, we’ve now got direct confirmation from Ryan and Hardwick’s own mouths that they’re connected to the Nine. We even know that they’re planning to do things that sound questionable once they’ve gotten out from under the Nine’s thumb as well as a near confirmation of the murder of Dean Whiteford.” Continue reading Truth and the True: Part 9 →

Arc 10.4.0: Truth and the True

Truth and the True: Part 8

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Standing up and stepping away from the chair, Hardwick grinned wider. “There’s one more thing you should know. Those files you took included records from Red Lightning’s breeding program and how our company assisted him at that time as well as things I’ve done to protect the products of that breeding program—including hiring the Executioner, a known criminal. Continue reading Truth and the True: Part 8 →

Arc 10.4.0: Truth and the True

Truth and the True: Part 6

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It’s worth noting that technically I hadn’t received a physical list. I’d received a list as part of Hal’s message to my implant. When I thought about the message, I knew everything on the list. Russell Hardwick’s name was on one of the most recent conversations.

It had happened yesterday around eight in the morning, only a few hours before I’d come into work. The message described the location as Sandy LePage’s office, but the meeting was with Ryan McCall.

Of all the meetings, and there were more than 20, this one stood out because of who was involved, when it happened, and where.

I knew I wanted to look at it first. Continue reading Truth and the True: Part 6 →

Arc 10.4.0: Truth and the True

Truth and the True: Part 5

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Whatever emotion showed on my face, he took it as disbelief. “Look, you saw us talking. We’ve been talking a lot since she broke up with Sandy.”

I glanced around. While Emmy and Sandy’s relationship might have been an open secret for some people, it was possible that saying it aloud might force someone to take official notice.

The people in line for the door ahead of us weren’t close and no one stood behind us. On the other hand, there were people coming in our direction—Art and Zola. I hadn’t been wrong in thinking that Art was both a good six inches shorter and 20 years older than I was. It did surprise me that he could get away with wearing a “Rick and Morty” t-shirt in an office environment. On the other hand the shirt’s message, “I’m not arguing. I’m explaining why I’m right,” fit Art well enough. Continue reading Truth and the True: Part 5 →

Arc 10.4.0: Truth and the True

Truth and the True: Part 4

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In order to power the abilities that supers have, humans need to be changed. The standard Abominator practice involved implanting genes that allowed humans to absorb energy not only from our reality, but from others as well. The Abominators were working to set things up so that they controlled which humans could use the powers they’d gained.

At the point where they’d designed the True though, they were at a point where those genes weren’t fully understood or as effective as they’d eventually become. So, they were trying to design human soldiers that used a lower level of energy, something a normal human body could produce. Continue reading Truth and the True: Part 4 →

Arc 10.4.0: Truth and the True

Truth and the True: Part 3

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Then I worried if they’d notice that I was looking around or worse, that I was barely working. For a moment I felt like my heart was about to speed up, but it didn’t. My implant informed me that it was, “Quelling ‘fight or flight’ response,” and I began to feel normal.

While I hoped it wouldn’t do that when I was in a fight, I felt relieved to know that it worked.

Though I didn’t see either Art or Zola, I decided that I ought to get back to work. I could check through access to the library later.

Coding did distract me from the world for a while, but not forever. Midway through the afternoon, it struck me that if someone in the company had a Citizen’s Mark, finishing the helmet might be the best thing I could do. My implant’s hack into the birthing chamber platform only allowed me access to the library of creatures, but not total control. Continue reading Truth and the True: Part 3 →