"Cool! Let me know when you have it finished, I want to see it." Wouldn't that be great to use my creative genius for making toys to play with instead of a suit to get myself killed in fighting supers? Nope, I guess fighting supers is how I play.
"Right 'O."
"Hey, what's with everyone wearing hats lately?"
Jimmy looks to the hallway door leading back to the common area, "I have no idea, but more and more people are wearing them over at the Oppenheimer Dorms. Even my roommate is wearing a ball cap all the time now."
"Wow, maybe I'll have to get one." Fat chance of that. I hate wearing a hat and will hate even more having to wear this helmet I'm building. Except it has all kinds of really cool features and it will most definitely save my life.
I get to work as it's going to take several hours to make the helmet, plus a few pieces I'm planning on putting into an overpowered fist Taser. Most of today will either be heating metal or slow cooling and reheating to add the temper, so I settle in on my laptop and work on my power supply design while the foundry does its job. I had originally planned on not powering the suit in any way, and for movement, that's what it'll be. For me to make a powered suit, I would have to add way too much weight, which would affect my speed. Instead I am planning for lighter weight with fewer bells and whistles. But, now I'm beginning to see the need for more firepower, which either means something like a gun that uses individual stored power rounds, or an energy weapon that does not use ammo.
I just don’t have the strength to get the armor to where I want if it isn’t powered in some way. It will be too heavy. So, if I’m not going to power the armor, I need to power the weapons and repeller field. The question is whether I can make a power supply that can power an energy weapon that is strong enough to play in the big leagues and is still light enough for a Class 2 to carry without being weighed down.
Decent amounts of power can come from one of two places: stored power or generated power. For what I need a strong enough battery is going to weigh so much that I may as well just make a power generator, which is exactly what I'm doing in designing a mini-nuclear power supply.
I’m using Promethium-147, which normally isn’t used for this sort of application, but it has the power potential, safety, and stability I require in a nuclear generator that will be operating within a few inches of my skin.
Did I mention one of the really, really cool things about Nova Academy? If you are able to provide the Science Department Oversight Committee a safe and viable design for an invention, they'll let you build it – even if it is nuclear powered. The Academy actually loves when you bring them new inventions, because they have a clause built into your admissions paperwork that they are permitted to study your designs and make derivatives of the invention that they can sell. Fortunately, the student does also get a healthy commission of every sale.
Well, I'm about to give them a doozy. A high energy, nuclear powered, hundred year power supply — with no moving parts. Right now I'm putting the final touches on my presentation to the Committee for our meeting tomorrow and I'll hopefully have full approval by next week. They'll make millions off of it, which I can live with so long as I get to build it in their facilities.
It is late afternoon when I finish making my helmet and the other parts. I am also able to finish my presentation and practice it a couple times, so I head over to my dorm to clean up for my date with Carly tonight. We're going to see the new Commander Khan movie that just came out and then have a late dinner at our favorite restaurant, Power Pizza.
Chapter 30
"So, Mr. McCleary, let me see if I understand this correctly. This device of yours, you plan on encasing a seven hundred gram plate of a…,” Professor Manstein stops for a moment to hold up the pair of glasses he has hanging from a chain around his neck, as if he were actually reading from my paper, “…an alloy of Aluminum, Potassium-40, and Promethium-147 contained within a proprietary alloy you have created, but which does not have a name."
"Yes, sir. The chemical composition of the alloys for both the power source and shielding and protective case are included in the Appendix."
"And you believe this will give you a thirty amp continuous power supply that will last roughly a hundred years?"
The disbelief he is putting into his voice is annoying me, but I suck it up. "Yes, sir. All of the calculations and proofs are included in my paper." I look over to Carly who is attending the meeting with the Oversight Committee more for her own curiosity than any moral support she thinks I need. She seems to be completely absorbed in the Committee members and does not notice me. Something has her attention, and I'm guessing she's poking around in one, or all, of their brains.
"Very well, Mr. McCleary, you seem to have submitted all the required documents for us to make our decision. I only have one final question. Can you assure this committee that the materials to make this device will all be acquired legally? Specifically the radioactive materials?"
"Yes, sir. In fact, the radioactive materials will be created here at the school under Science Department supervision." That got him to shut up.
Pursing his lips and raising his eyebrows, Professor Manstein conceded, "Very well, Mr. McCleary, you'll have the Committee's answer by midweek."
"Thank you, sir," I reply, in the respectful demeanor I've maintained throughout the meeting. You can't be too respectful to someone who has the ability to completely crush your dreams.
Carly and I exit the Committee's conference room located in the staff offices of the Science Department, "What'd you think?"
"The professor on the left, Reynolds. He was wearing one of the devices that blocked my telepathy."
"But he wasn't wearing a hat?
"No, but he was wearing a hair piece. I think it was imbedded in his rug. The rest of them I could read and they were all drooling over your invention, except for Professor Manstein."
"What was his problem?"
"His specialty is nuclear engineering. He was thinking he can make a better version of your design than you can and it was annoying him that you submitted the design."
"Bullcrap! I engineered the crap out of that thing. No way he can make it better."
"He was thinking you should have put a feedback loop and power cutoff into the design so you can interrupt power generation if you want to."
"Well, yeah, I could have. But that defeats the entire design concept of not having any moving parts that can break during a super fight. His idea could work on less intensive uses…in fact it's a pretty good idea. I should have thought of that, and likely would have if my intended use called for it.” I’ve stopped being defensive and started thinking about it, but in the end refuse to give Manstein credit for having a better idea.
"Yeah, well, you never told them you intended to install the thing into your combat suit, so don't be surprised if they try to make you install one,” Carly says.
I laugh, "They don't need to know it's for my suit, and they can demand all they want of any changes to improve the design. And, what they don't know about the final build won't hurt 'em. I may need to build two of them, so there’s going to be some sleight of hand going on anyway."
Looking thoughtful, Carly replies, “You want to try having lunch at Oppenheimer Quad? I want to check something."
"Why?" I'm suspicious, because the last time we ate at Oppenheimer Quad, we had to make a hasty exit.
"Nothing I want to talk about just yet. After we have lunch, I might know more."
"Okay, back into the lair of the mad scientists. Great." I hate Oppenheimer Quad and every one of those unpredictable mad scientist wannabes who live there.
Chapter 31
We get to the Oppenheimer Commons and the place is not only packed, a full half of the students are wearing hats of one sort or another. "Again with the hats," I mutter. "Hey, you're not scanning anyone are you?" I don't want a repeat of last time. It was creepy. And a little scary.
"No, I'm completely closed up and keeping my brain
to myself,” Carly replies, keeping her voice low.
Some of the students look at us, but there are just too many people in the food court for us to stand out. We have to walk one behind the other to get through and I lead Carly over to the counter to get in line to order. The people in here may be a bunch of science geeks, but don’t let that fool you as nearly all of them are physically super in some way or other. Pushing through the crowd is as much about asking nicely to pass as it is pushing through people.
"What are you going to get?" I ask Carly, but she's not paying attention to me or the menu board behind the counter. Instead she is looking all around at everyone she can see. No one's paying attention to us, so I don't think she's scanning anyone. "What do you see?"
She grabs my hand and pulls me out of line, "Let's go."
This is her scouting mission, and I'm clueless as to what's going on, so I follow. She has my hand in a vice until we get to the same double door exit we left from last time.
I'm looking around when Carly stops and pulls me to the side of the door so other people can pass. "Okay, listen," Carly pulls me close and I bend down so she can speak into my ear. "I'm going to do a quick scan. Just long enough to confirm something, so be ready. As soon as I finish we get out of here."
Nodding in response, I reassure myself of the grip I have on her hand and make sure no one gets between us and the door.
Banging into me, Carly says, "Go, go, go," and pushes me toward the doors and we make our exit.
On the way out I look back and at least half of the people are looking at us. I wait until we're on the other side of the dorms in the quad before I ask, "What did you see?"
"Most of the people with hats on were blocking me and every one of them snapped their head up as soon as I scanned them. I don't think they could pick me out with all the people there, though." Carly is agitated and starts walking faster, "They all had that same metallic flavor, like last time, and there's no way that it’s natural. No one’s mind tastes like metal.”
"Somebody's distributing the hats." It is a conclusion I am giving, not a question. “The question is, 'Why?’ ”
Carly's not responding, doesn't look at me, and speeds up even more.
"Carly, what's going on? You know something.” I'm not always slow on the uptake.
"Not here," is her short reply.
We head over to Carly's dorm, and it's the first time I've been here. Every person we get close to stares at me until we pass and I'm beginning to understand why Carly never wants us to hang out in her dorm. She did say my ability to block telepaths was rare, and they all seem to know it whenever I get close to them.
The lights are out and curtains are pulled when we walk in Carly's dorm room, but the room's not empty. A rather average looking girl with brown hair is sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor. She ignores us as Carly crosses the room and works the lock on her personal locker. I gave her the lock at the beginning of semester and anyone wanting to break into her locker may as well tear a hole in the side wall as try to cut that lock. Carly is only in her locker for a few seconds and comes out with a large leather-bound journal with an old brass buckle strap holding it closed.
"Imelda. I'm sorry to bother you right now." Looking down at Imelda on the floor, Carly continues, "Can I ask you a question?"
Imelda takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, with just a touch of annoyance on her face, "What do you want?"
I'm guessing they're not best buds.
"I'm sorry to bother you, I know how much you hate being disturbed when you're mind walking."
"Who are you?" Imelda ignores Carly and is looking at me with surprise.
"I'm with her."
"Well, who are you?"
Thinking Carly is looking to ask her a question, I better give her an answer, I tell her, "I'm Carly's boyfriend, Theo," and try to give her my imitation of a friendly-harmless smile.
She stares at me for another twenty seconds without saying anything and I can actually feel her trying to pry open my brain. It doesn't hurt, but I'm getting annoyed that she's trying.
"Imelda," Carly takes a step forward, "Could you not. I just need to ask you a question."
"What?" Imelda never takes her eyes off me.
"Have you scanned any people lately, maybe some of the science majors, and felt anything strange?"
"Well, yeah. Everyone has. They're trying to free themselves of our 'oppression,’ " she replies, saying it in a sneer.
My head nearly explodes as the meaning of that statement hits me like a hammer.
Carly looks down at her and doesn't say anything, but I'm pretty sure they're communicating telepathically. Then, after a full minute of silence has passed, with both of them just staring at each other, Carly says, “Let's go."
Imelda and I stare at each other as we make our exit. Me with a smile, and her with a look like she’s having a hard time opening a pickle jar.
I'm not having a hard time keeping up with Carly, but I would be if I were a baseline. She's making good time heading out of her dorm building. We're halfway to the parking lot before I realize that's where she is going. "Hold on. Are…where are we going?" It's my first question since we left the dorm.
"We need to go off campus to talk."
Now, that surprises me. Nova Academy is freaking huge and has open fields and private areas all over the place. "Okay," I reply, not understanding, but going along.
Carly’s only response is to get in the car and open the lock so I can get in.
Chapter 32
Carly is staring straight ahead, not saying anything, so I keep the burning questions I have to myself for a while longer. We're just coming into town when Carly turns onto a road named, "20 Mile Road," that from the map I remember goes exactly nowhere for at least twenty miles. Which I'm wondering at this point if that is how far Carly is going to take me before she starts talking to me again.
In actuality, it was only eleven miles before she turns off onto an unmarked dirt road we are passing.
Now standing in the middle of the woods on a dirt road, I'm ready for some answers. "Now can you tell me what's going on?"
Taking a deep breath and slowly blowing it out, Carly says, "Yes. I'm sorry. I got spooked back there. We didn't need to come out here, but I wasn't feeling safe on campus and I need to be somewhere where I can't detect anyone else."
I lean back against the front fender of the car and cross my arms, indicating I'm waiting for her to go on.
Carly starts out, "I don't know where to start on this. I…. It's…. There's a lot of history you don’t know. It could matter to what's going on, or it may not. But, I think it is time to tell you before things go any further."
"From the beginning, then?" I offer.
"Yeah, okay. You know what ‘The Event' was," she not quite asks, "Of course, everyone does." You can see she’s grasping at how to explain whatever it is she is trying to get out.
The 'Event', as it is commonly known, was a near death experience for the entire human race, when, nearly three hundred years ago, a beam of gamma radiation and other materials that were ejected from a Hyper Nova in near the core of the galaxy, reached Earth. The beam barely missed, or rather, barely hit, the Solar System and the Earth was bathed with a massive dose of gamma radiation and ejected high mass materials from the core of the exploding star. The gamma radiation is not what created super humans, it instead killed nearly half of the world's population. And for a large portion of the remaining life, the gamma radiation disrupted and fragmented their DNA. During the Event, Earth was bombarded with heavy elements and fractured long molecules the super nova’s core ejected from its center in the wake of the gamma radiation. These pieces of long strand molecules were similar to the long strand molecules which fell into earth's primordial soup billions of years ago that evolved into life. Nearly every person on earth was affected to some degree as the fragments managed to bond to their own fragmented DNA during the bombardment and from ingesting the m
olecules that contaminated the planet’s ecosystem. A billion years of evolution happened in about a year.
Evolution is a messy process. Only the fit survive. The unfit die, either from being eaten, or killed, or from starvation. Or, from an inability to procreate. Or, for some evolutionary changes that are not viable and are labeled deformities, diseases, or aberrations.
Of the half of the population that survived the initial gamma radiation bombardment, and the weeks after of slowly dying of radiation poisoning, they survived and were “gifted” with hyper intensive evolutionary change. Many were extremely fortunate and developed superior traits, or their children did. But even more people who thought they had survived the gamma radiation bombardment, soon found out they were no less doomed than the dead.
Over the next year after The Event, after the gamma radiation victims quickly died, another nearly billion people died because their DNA had been altered in ways that were not viable to survival. And for the next fifty years after that, people and all life on earth, thrived like never before, died, or found they could no longer reproduce because of the changes to their bodies. Only a small percentage suffered no changes, and most of them interbred with those who were changed over the next several generations.
This all happened nearly three hundred years ago and it changed the course of Earth's history forever. Once all the bodies were cleaned up, and humanity went through a famine for nearly three years after the Event, we pulled it back together and started getting back on our feet. But there was nothing normal about the world. Not anymore. People and animals, and even plants, began to show changes. The real changes, however, occurred in the children conceived after The Event. Real super powers began to emerge as well as unimaginable deformities. Miscarriages went up to over seventy percent of all pregnancies in the first generation after The Event.
Over a period of nearly fifty years humanity worked out its new condition as successful mutations were able to survive and procreate at accelerated rates and the undesirable and unviable mutations were weeded out of the population. Genetic screening had become the norm once the early super geniuses began to rapidly accelerate technological achievements. By the time the twenty year mark hit after the Event, humanity was on an upward population growth rate unlike anything that has ever been seen. Food and resources were plentiful and the world economy was booming. The average family size shot up to over 8.2 persons per household in nearly every nation.
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