“It’s asking permission to bind a weapon to a child. Seems children weren’t able to equip multi-tools till they hit puberty and needed an adult to give them a weapon. Since blades can’t hurt the child there is no danger… but it’s also warning me to tell you to be careful about charging it up. See the central grip you’re holding?” Steven did as his hand was covered in warm inky blackness. “If the sheen ever turns from blue to black, make it discharge pronto. Otherwise it’ll explode without a multi-tool to regulate it’s power. And for your information, the explosion radius is more than thirty kilometers.”
That last part put a grin on his face. “That would be so amazing to see go boom, but warning will be heeded. This is still an ancient artifact. If the grip goes black I’ll stop channeling. Anything else?”
“Yeah, it seems that it won’t absorb upon touch like mine. It’ll light up close to you, but unless you directly channel energy inside it, it won’t pull constantly.”
“Kind of like that safety feature to tell the truth. Don’t want to go to sleep buck naked and it go off because we’re spooning. Not a big deal though. My weapons can explode too if the sensors overload.”
“Okay, channel into it like you normally would.” Oliver felt Steven’s humming hand increase and the vambrace covered the whole spear now rather than their hands. He gave approval and winced.
“MOTHERFUCKER!” Steven yelled as the crushing pain took hold.
Quickly over and the spear hit the ground whereas Steven was hopping up and down waving his hand with a red face.
Stephanie grimaced and asked “You alright?”
“What the hell do you think!” he glared. “Fuck that hurt worse than sticking your dick in a bed of ornery fire ants eating Ghost Peppers. Damn.”
“Give me your hand.” Oliver ordered and Steven reluctantly did so, but he still wanted to keep cursing. He felt around gently to say “Aside from swelling, I don’t feel any broken bones.”
Sucking it up Steven grabbed the flail and said “Let’s get over with it right now. Same hand. I’ll need Renee to look at it after, but get it over with.”
This time Steven cursed doubly and they all heard a few crunches of bone this round. Despite it, when Oliver recovered, Stephanie was adamant to have that pink knife.
A single tear of pain and quiver of her lip is all she made as her left hand broke a few bones, but she got the desire.
Just as it was laid down Renee came right in and paused. “Auntie! Your hand!” she came right into the room and glared after feeling. “Multiple fractures. The nanites will put it back together, but take this for the pain till I can do a scan.” Her bracelet sent a painless needle into Stephanie’s hand and neck. Pain relief was near instantaneous. “Now let’s get you to the med bay.”
“Soon enough, but can you help Steven too.”
“Compound fractures. What the hell did you two do?” Renee asked critically, also administering pain killers her own body stored up.
“We got Star-sabers bound to us. Mrs. Menann got a knife and I got new upgrades for my old toys.”
“How?” She looked around and stopped as Oliver raised his right hand. “Should have known it was my idiot husband’s fault. Come on, all of you.”
“One minute. There is one thing I need you to do first. It’s why we called.” Stephanie said, being careful to not touch her injured hand though she hardly felt it.
“Right. Oliver couldn’t do it, so like all men, they leave it up to a woman to get the job done. Like always.” She taunted. “So what is the issue?”
Stephanie very carefully retold her theory of the cube and Renee nodded, but she made sure to only change the story that Oliver’s multi-tool tested it to determine it was for a woman’s sake. Stephanie also noticed Oliver had hid the color change in his own device to make sure her blind study went unobstructed.
“Got it! I can try.” Renee grabbed a cube and her bracelet began consuming it much like Oliver’s had. Her lips parted as her focus was taken inwardly judging by her unfocused gaze. The cube broke down and all around the bracelet appeared oval designs like little ochre filigree. Each little oval was as black inside as the rest, but the pattern made the bracelet rather pretty than completely glossy black.
“Uh, Renee? Renee? Renee!” Stephanie’s third yell snapped her back to reality and Renee pinched the bridge of her nose.
Then she turned and slapped Oliver upside the head saying “Only for women my ass! They’re unisex batteries.”
He smiled as the smack was halfhearted, but Stephanie asked “Tell me what you know.”
“Auntie, my chip with the bracelet just cooperated to tell me I can store and retrieve over fourteen trillion terawatts of power. Give or take. I needed my chip to do the calculations.”
“Did you read his mind in the time when you touched him?”
“No, I just wanted to hit something and he was closest.”
“She did not.” Sparky confirmed.
“Oh, and I can integrate my chip with my bracelet to see images and it’s showing me it is now complete… and Stars there are near countless programs to unlock, but I don’t know how or where to start. It wasn’t like that before and I didn’t know.”
“You can see its capabilities?!” Oliver asked. “All of them?”
“Yep!” Her gaze unfocused again. “Mine is specifically functioned to heal and repair. It can’t create shit like a factory… not like yours. Mine works on biology. And now I know why. The female mind is wired a bit differently and works through feeling and sensation… while yours is able to do complex engineering and problem solving. It is why you’re better at puzzle solving than me while you’re pathetic when it comes to being a medic and the more intricate healing arts… I’ll need a good long while to study up on what I’m viewing. It does a hell of a lot more than I imagined.
“Right now though you are all going to get checked out so I don’t feel it would be better to cut off your hands and let them regenerate. Best to know soon enough than later.”
Problems turned out to be minor and not need to chop a hand off.
Chapter 2
Two days later Oliver was back to normal, getting plenty of sleep. Renee had declined taking a Star-saber of any kind as she was more than powerful enough to deal with anyone. Stephanie was working hard with Jessica trying to engineer a program able to create sheathes for the weapons. It would fit in leather well enough till she physically grabbed it and cut right through. Stone and Deegen were upset with her as they wanted what Steven liked to gloat over. But she made sure that till they could be safely stored, no further weapons would be bound. It was finalized after Jake came down and saw what one little pink dagger could do to a solid chunk of tungsten under its own weight with a bare pinch between Stephanie’s fingers. Until she could come up with a sheathe that didn’t weigh a compressed ton just to hold it, he banned further binding and took Steven’s lance and flail to his absolute horror. Steven’s gloating turned to a pout, but followed the captain’s orders at least till a solution could be found. Till then he went back to his usual weaponry.
At the moment Oliver was fulfilling a promise to the chief engineer of the Dorgenox, Jacob Wrench. He was out flying his fighter known as the Flare, a yellowish personal boat-shaped, two seated space fighter. It had two sharp wings holding a pair of psionic cannons as the sole weapons. One of only two known remaining ships in a prototype production of three, it couldn’t be piloted by just anyone. It had no peer in terms of maneuverability and could outrun nearly any ship made. The downside was a sensitive steering system that makes even the best known pilots sick. But in Oliver’s capable hands and reflexes, it was perfect. A pair of angled solar sails were unfurled above a clear crystal cockpit. It was sharply angled and sleekly designed for both lethality and beauty.
The Flare had been later replaced by Seeker fighters, just like what the Hunters flew, but they were manufactured about a century later and little more than half the Flare’s size.
&nbs
p; “Okay, My Friend, that’ll do for me for quite awhile I’ll believe.” Jacob said and Oliver turned to find the optionally short and bald engineer with his eyes closed and breathing deeply.
“If you’re going to puke I told you where the bags are. I made sure to have spares after Stephanie spewed all over earlier this morning. I’m glad solvents got rid of the smell. It’s why I was four hours late to let you have a ride.”
“Stop talking about puking already and my stomach will settle.” When Oliver said nothing Jacob opened up his eyes to find the Sapphire Nebula still once again, but found the Dorgenox seeming to be hanging upside down. Slowly the view rotated and both ships seemed to be correctly positioned. “I’m better. Just got dizzy. I see why they got passed over in production, but I enjoyed flying in her. You give her a name yet?”
“I’m just keeping her the Flare. She got the name for the blast she makes in the instant back flip the ring of plasma it flares out. No other fighter can make such a tight flip to make near perfect circle of expanding energy. Since it is mine, I’m keeping this beauty just the way she is.”
“Quaint. Well head on in. I need to get back to work with Steph and Jess.”
“How is it coming along?”
“The gravimetric field she needs hasn’t been properly invented yet so I’m doing my best. Those two ladies want me to effectively make a black hole in terms of gravity to compress a sheet of metal so thin the atoms lock in place. I tell you it is easier said than done and damn dangerous. Damn dangerous indeed. I have to go slow with the machines I got to make the specs Jess has figured out. I really needed this break away from those two gals. They hover and I hate that. Leave me alone to work. Is that too much to ask?”
“If you want an assistant I’ll help out. If you need something I can make better, don’t forget I have this.” He lifted his right arm.
“Boy, I completely forgot. Now that you offered I can’t refuse to see that little toy in action. When can you start?”
“I’ll need about an hour to check over the Flare’s systems, but then I should be free. Renee’s been busy lately and I’m just learning how to project barriers so I’ll need to do something with my hands to rest my mind.”
“Sounds good. It’s why I love tinkering. It keeps me from thinking too much. When I’m idle for too long I tend to get in trouble.”
“Oh?”
Jacob leaned back to laugh. “Better believe it. Last week I inadvertently shocked my mate when she was watching a show and I was trying to increase power efficiency manually and shocked the crap right out of her. She’s still pissed she streaked her thong a little.”
The two men chuckled as Oliver flew inside the docking bay and spun around inside to land easily. The hatch lifted and Jacob hopped right out, being so short his eyes barely cleared the lip of the cockpit. “Look forward to seeing you in an hour, but call if something comes up.”
“Will do.” Oliver acknowledged, hearing ‘Thanks for the ride again.’ As he looked over the ship’s internal readouts, checking for any sign of wear or damage. Not all the bugs have been worked out as it was still considered a prototype. As it so happened after flying Stephanie earlier, Oliver began reconfiguring some of the ship’s software to be slightly more efficient in some areas and loosen parameters on others. Little by little he worked on perfecting the capabilities of his fighter. It took time, but that wasn’t an issue.
Customizing and enhancing is instinctive.
When reports were fixed he did a visual inspection and when the display matched the engine converter, he closed it up and locked the Flare down from unauthorized opening. Only he and the captain had access now.
It was little over an hour when it was done and Oliver arrived on level five, the power station that ran throughout the length of the Dorgenox. It was bright, but oddly quiet except of a continuous and soft crackle of electricity gathered from mostly the captain, but also from every crew member. But from where Oliver exited he heard “I heard you the first time, Woman! If you can do better then by all means…” He sighed, but quickened his pace to find a junkyard of tools hanging on the walls and cannibalized parts everywhere else. Some tools were manufactured, but most seemed to be handmade by a skilled craftsman. Around the corner he found Jacob Wrench about half Jessica’s height glaring at each other. “I wouldn’t keep harping if you’d just listen!” she said.
“Enough!” the two seemed to jump out of their skins as Oliver’s deep baritone voice boomed.
Jessica had a hand over her heart and gasped to say “Don’t do that, Oliver. You scared me half to death.”
“Good job, Bub.” Jacob chuckled and rubbed his shiny head.
“What is the problem here?” Oliver approached them and unhooked the indigo shield from his back to lay against the table of assorted pieces.
“I’m just trying to make sure he doesn’t kill us all. My scans show he’s two whole microns off my design specifications for the containment field we need so it doesn’t collapse in on itself and make the ship implode down to the size of a pea with us still in it. Even just one nanometer will cause a catastrophic failure.”
Oliver looked at the holographic design hovering over the work table and picked up a piece of metal to look down at Jacob to ask “Were you planning to add a micro-bore inflation strip?”
Jacob blinked a few times before a grin spread over his whole face. “Finally someone who thinks like me. Yes, in fact that was my next step before she measured and decided to jump down my throat for the hundredth time.”
Jessica threw her auburn hair over a shoulder, her hazel-green eyes confused. “What is this micro… something.”
“Tell her, Bub.” Jacob sat down to enjoy her reactions.
“Micro-bore inflation is a process in which a thin piece of superheated ceramic is gradually pushed through a non-magnetic metal in a gradual twisting motion. Rather than squeezing out excess metal it heats the metal from the inside out, thereby expanding the metal, strengthening it fundamentally and leaving the smallest of holes to vent heat behind when extracted. If he uses a point five micron strip in this part, it’ll expand exactly two microns when cooled. It’ll also be twelve percent stronger and pliable under extreme stress than done without this process. Jacob will effectively make your idea more safe and reliable for more than three or four uses.” Oliver sat the piece down.
“Is that true?”
“Every word, Jess. Now please leave me alone. I’ll stick to your specs unless I or my new assistant here find a better method.”
“You’re pitching in?” Jessica blinked as it registered.
“It’s an interesting concept. And if his instruments can’t create something, my multi-tool likely can. And I hate to say it, but you yelling doesn’t help him work any faster. If it is alright with you, can you at least trust me to work it out? You know how fast I learn and retain everything. Please trust me.”
Jessica looked between them to purse her lips before saying “Fine, I know when I’m the third wheel. I need to check on my wife anyway and see if her marbles are back in place after the ride earlier. Sorry by the way.”
“Don’t be. She just made sure I remember to stock more barf bags for any passengers from now on. And thank you.”
“Need me, call me.” She turned and left the pleasing junkyard.
“Thanks for your help, Bub. Peace and quiet at last. Hurry and familiarize yourself with what I’m creating while I heat up the ceramic bore strip.” He got up and slid on a pair of gloves.
Hand on the screen, Oliver moved parts around and used the other hand to relax his gaze and read through in flashes too fast for human eyes to follow let alone understand. In his mind he recreated the idea and saw how it was made of two spheres, one inside the other. The inner would do the hard work and the outer would make sure no stray energy would escape. He could almost see and envision it, but the mental simulation had his jaw part. “No… not strong enough. Nowhere near.”
“What was that?” Jacob
paused halfway and turned hesitantly.
“Both the inner and outer containment will rip itself apart if only put under a quarter of total output… unless the design is altered to fifty meters tall.”
“Jess doesn’t screw up calculations. Programming is her forte.”
“Trust me.” Amber eyes bore with confidence and fright. “The design and execution is ideal for using gravity to compress matter to thereby lock in atoms themselves, but the reinforcement structures are lacking and will tear apart the outer shell and once it ruptures the inner, with even a crack, we’ll all be doomed at just a quarter of power.”
“I’ll believe you. It won’t hurt at least to add more support.”
“And power cycles need to be sped up to exactly the speed of light and placed in a vacuum. Air pressure will add more unneeded stress.”
“Hmmm… I see you’re point. We don’t really realize just how much air can put on something… I can rig up a secondary power source out on a remotely operated drone to send out to space. After I get started on the bore I’ll get to working on remote operations. To be on the safe side we’ll do all power tests safely away. You add what you think is necessary and I’ll throw in any ideas later.”
“Be sure to add a kill-switch in the drone if anything happens.”
“Always do.”
They got to work. Oliver first mentally made hundreds of thousands of intellectual trials before coming across the most promising and physically wrote down parts and new designs on the holographic display. It took the rest of the day and half the night before they said goodbye for the evening.
Midmorning of the next day Oliver called out “Hello, Jacob. Wow, those parts came out looking great.” The surprise in his tone had the ship’s chief engineer chuckle. He was sitting at his desk tinkering with his back turned.
Jacob set down the parts and dark brown eyes widened as soon as he looked up into the overgrown man. “Nice lip. What happened?”
A split lip had already dried of blood and closed well. Bruising wouldn’t occur thanks to nanites cleaning the body of old, dead and burst cells. It still smarted with the slightest movement and would rip open if smiling, but he didn’t see that coming anytime soon. “Got it sparring with Stone this morning. I tripped over my own feet and his boot met my teeth.” Oliver widened his mouth to show many front teeth were completely missing. Nine between the top and bottom to be accurate. “Just got away from Renee pulling the shards all out. I’m just glad the roots are already showing signs of regeneration. I’ll still have a gaping smile for three more months before they grow back.”
Void's Psionics Page 4
