Tag Archives: Rachel

Arc 14.9.5: Reality Tweaks

Reality Tweaks: Part 10

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It was good that Stephanie was up for saying hi. The last I’d seen her, she’d been in no condition to do much of anything thanks to Dominator trigger commands.

Of course, she’d now been removed from the triggering situation for days. So, she might not be affected.

I set my implant to remind me to respond to Courtney later. Thanks to Hal sending out messages to more than one hundred heroes and groups in my name, I had several times than many responses. Thanks to Hal, most of them wouldn’t need a personal response, but a few deserved it.

One of them was from Prentkos. Continue reading Reality Tweaks: Part 10 →

Arc 14.9.5: Reality Tweaks

Reality Tweaks: Part 9

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We didn’t talk after that. At any rate, we didn’t talk much. People leaned back in their seats and napped or at least closed their eyes. I would have too if I hadn’t been flying the plane.

In the end, it wasn’t a long trip. I took the jet up to a high altitude and then aimed the jet downward toward Grand Lake.

We didn’t have any trouble with intercepting planes, missiles, or paranoid supers. Instead, we dropped into the lake, entered through the underwater entrance, and emerged in the base.

After the water drained from the airlock, I floated the jet into the hangar.  Continue reading Reality Tweaks: Part 9 →

Arc 14.9.5: Reality Tweaks

Reality Tweaks: Part 1

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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 →

Arc 14.9.0: Engine

Engine: Part 9

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From where she stood next to Nataw, Kee smiled. “You met him in the future, and he chose not to kill you. I think Govan will be reasonable, provided we’re talking to the version of him who spared you. If we’re about to talk to a version of him that doesn’t know anything about that, it could become messy.”

“Great,” I thought back to her.

Continue reading Engine: Part 9 →

Arc 14.9.0: Engine

Engine: Part 8

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Tiger, meanwhile, had begun to sniff Nataw and Lee, starting with their butts and crotches.

I wondered if he’d still do that if he understood that they were older than our universe. Then it struck me that, given his understanding of English, he might have decided to start there because he’s a dog.

Nataw watched him and then scratched Tiger behind the ears. Then he said a word that my implant translated as Hideaway’s name in the language of a long-fallen galactic empire. “[Hideaway]. You’re a long way from home. I never liked the Abominators, but I did like what they did with your people. Dogs for hunting dinosaurs. Who’s a good boy?”

Tiger leaned in to the head scratches. Continue reading Engine: Part 8 →

Arc 14.9.0: Engine

Engine: Part 3

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“Good,” Grandpa said. “I’m sure I must have told you how I met him. He’d been summoned by a Nazi sorcerer and trapped. We later came to suspect he’d allowed himself to be trapped, simply so that he could meet me. He never fully explained why.”

I nodded, “I don’t know either, but I think I’ve got enough of a picture of his long term goals that I can guess.”

Grandpa laughed. “I’m in the same position. Too bad comparing notes might have disastrous consequences for both of us.” Continue reading Engine: Part 3 →

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 14.6.0: Stage Two

Stage Two: Part 9

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Cassie looked down at the ground and then back down the hallway, “That’s what the muddy footprints were? That’s so gross.”

Then she said, “Who wants to get the door?”

Marcus shifted into a pile of goo that seeped in the door’s direction but stopped just in front, asking, “Is it booby trapped?”

Daniel frowned, “I can’t tell.” Continue reading Stage Two: Part 9 →