Melisende’s expression changed, her smile widening. “Nick, I didn’t expect to see this version of you ever again. I know you told me I would, but with alternate universes, it’s not that simple.”
It was still Melisende’s voice, but the accent had changed. Amy’s held a hint of the Florida woman whose blood she’d used to learn English.
“Amy? This is so weird. Did you go home afterwards?” Continue reading The Portal: Part 7
Darkness surrounded me, and I felt myself drop. I knew the feeling from my lessons with Kee and from just a second ago—I was changing universes again.
Except that I then received another communication, this one from Hal.
[That’s not where I put you. You’re slipping through the multiverse. Please stop.]
A rainbow glow surrounded me again, yanking me somewhere new as the connection with maybe-Govan ended with him saying, “What is this?” Continue reading The Portal: Part 6
The presence of Artificers pervaded everything. Though the Ghosts might have confused my senses, I doubted it. The Ghosts remained unnoticed unless they wanted to be. Artificers, except for Lee, Kee, and other members of the Live faction, had no reason to learn stealth.
Too powerful to be threatened by most beings, they emanated power without hesitation.
I sensed them on both sides, even from within the Rocket suits. Continue reading The Portal: Part 5
Okay. I knew when I was and where I was. Next problem? Getting to Mars or Earth and getting back home. I might make it to Mars, but given that something had smashed a space station and burned enough of the planet that I could see the damage from space, Mars might not be the best place to be.
Artificers or one of their creatures would be able to do that.
Lee had once said that he hoped to have 10,000 years with Earth before the Artificers realized he was here. This was about 8000, give or take a few centuries.
Could I possibly have been unlucky enough to appear as everything began? Continue reading The Portal: Part 4
I didn’t reply. I had other problems to deal with. When someone teaches you the purely theoretical baby steps of a skill, whatever that skill is, they try to make the first time you have to do it for real as easy as they can.
I felt sure that Kee wouldn’t have dropped me into a time gate with no guidance as my first experience doing it alone. The good news was that she’d explained it to me and given me exercises to practice—almost the same ones as for interstellar flight.
So, I knew how to do it—theoretically. Continue reading The Portal: Part 3
The darkness felt cold even through the Rocket suit. If it reminded me of anything I’d experienced before, it reminded me of traveling through “near space,” the slower layer of jump space that you could still access closer to a planet.
It wasn’t a physical cold. My suit’s internal temperature was a comfortable 70 degrees.
Since learning more about it, I’d suspected that Jody and Rachel had unknowingly manipulated it while using their powers. Except at this point, Rachel manipulated it knowingly.
Within the blackness were lines of light, possibly stars or something else that turned into streaks when filtered through near space. Continue reading The Portal: Part 2
I spoke over the comm system’s general channel, “Magnus is powering his people up. If I had to guess, he’s powering up everybody he can. Expect people with powers to become more powerful. Don’t be surprised if they develop new ones or if unpowered people start changing…”
I stopped, and Amy added more, “Magnus is trying to escape into the portal. Some of his people will be trying to escape with him. Watch for that.”
I understood how Amy knew. She’d grabbed all of that out of Rook’s head as her spear sucked it in. Continue reading The Portal: Part 1
Jody’s eyes fired off bolts before I had time to warn Dayton. Several shots hit, the red bolts striking his torso. Though I didn’t see a hole in Dayton’s suit, something must have made it through because he yelped.
In that moment, Rook punched him, throwing Dayton backward.
He did roll and come up on two feet, but something about the hesitancy in his movement told me that he was hurt.
Jody might have continued to fire bolts at Dayton, but he didn’t get the chance. As Dayton fell back from Rook’s blows, the Bloodspear pierced Jody’s back. Continue reading Stage Three: Part 12
With the Rocket suit’s speed and the short distance, I might as well have teleported.
If he were anything like the Xiniti I’d fought, he would have still been able to avoid me anyway, but instead, he stumbled sideways, still faster than a scooter, but not faster than I flew.
I punched him and he hit the ground, turning and pointing his arms at me as if to fire his weapons. Except the weapons didn’t fire. There wasn’t even a spark.
My implant offered a choice: “What is your priority? Disable weaponry or continued disorientation.” Continue reading Stage Three: Part 11
While Dayton’s strength, speed, and reflexes blew away a normal person’s, Jody was in another league.
Dr. Nation’s system for triggering improvements and latent powers had worked for Dayton. I’d seen figures ranging from 30-50% when Dr. Nation showed me the results. For that matter, Dayton’s mimic ability had become more flexible over time.
Instead of mimicking movements exactly, he could adjust them for his own build and strengths without thinking. He’d even reached a point where he could analyze a fighting style on the fly and anticipate moves he couldn’t do.
So, he wasn’t totally outclassed, but maybe 50% outclassed? Continue reading Stage Three: Part 10