by Wyatt Kane
Nor did she seem unaware of his desire. She was open and willing despite Dinah’s warning.
But this was important. “That isn’t what I meant,” he said.
“How disappointing.”
Ty paused just to look at her. Despite his best intentions, he might have given in to his desire anyway. But it was Tempest who held back. “The device?” she said, reminding him.
“Huh? Oh, right. Yes.” He drew a deep breath. “Let’s see what we can do with your father’s tools.”
With that, he moved to the holographic imager and touched the on-button. In moments, the screen lit up, giving him a bunch of options.
Ty knew that the screen was only part of the machine. There would be sensors and projectors all around the workshop, most likely focused on the workbench. He held his arm out and rolled back his sleeve so that the device was visible from all angles and tried a voice command.
“Scan.”
Seconds later, a metallic voice responded. “Scan complete.”
Ty couldn’t help but smile. This was going to be amazing!
“Replicate,” he said. And just like that, a holographic image of a device appeared over the top of the real one on Ty’s arm.
Ty took half a step back. “Explode image,” he said.
All at once, the holographic device broke apart into a thousand pieces or more. It was like the deconstructed device within the display cabinet but spread out over a larger area. Even the circuit boards had been exploded, so that every coupler, switch, transistor, and amplifier hovered over the workbench with everything else.
Most were too small to see clearly.
“Zoom and label,” Ty said.
It worked. Now, Ty could see everything. The hologram looked like a miniature city, complete with roads and buildings that were actually crystal processors or memory stacks. The labels floated above all the pieces, from the CPU through to the nanite repository, and each piece looked like it was begging him to play with it.
He stared at it all in a state of awe and excitement. Nor was he the only one to be impressed. Tempest was openly fascinated.
“Cool,” she said.
Ty let out a spontaneous laugh. Already, he could see options for improving the device’s effectiveness. It would be complex but not impossible, and the holographic imager would certainly help.
And it could get even better. “Display power and efficiency schematics,” Ty said, and along with the deconstructed device, the imager now displayed a screen full of charts.
It was like an attribute list for the device itself, complete with every stat he could ask for.
“Better and better,” Ty murmured. He could now see at a glance what impact his changes might make. But even that wasn’t the end of it. There was still one more thing to try.
He reached out and touched one of the transistors. He couldn’t feel it, but the imager knew what he was doing and highlighted the item. Just to see if he could, he mimed plucking the transistor out of its housing, and the hologram followed suit.
Ty almost crowed with delight. To him, this was like a toy shop built just for him. “This is incredible,” he said, and without waiting for Tempest to respond, he got to work, manipulating the image with improvement in mind.
Without the imager, he would have had to do the work directly on his device, and that might not have been fun. But as it was, he was having the time of his life.
It was almost too easy. He didn’t even have to walk around the workbench to access the parts he needed to adjust. He just told the imager to ‘rotate’.
As he worked, he found himself thinking about the way that Tempest and Dinah had been interacting at lunch. He altered a pathway within the hologram and said, “I was wondering about something.”
“Really?” Tempest replied archly. “Just one thing?”
She had a point, but Ty refused to be distracted. “For now. It’s about the attraction enhancement thing. I was just wondering how far that extends. I mean, Bain wears a device, yet you said he makes your skin crawl.”
Tempest nodded. “I don’t know how it works exactly. But it’s not the same with everyone, and Bain is the first of us who has malignant tendencies. He’s a villain, whereas the rest of us are predisposed to be heroes. Instead of desire, from the moment I first saw Bain, I felt nothing but hate. And fear. It was like he was antithetical to everything I am.”
She grinned. “Just like we are complementary. It’s like you and I are waffles and ice cream. As for Bain, if I am the waffles, then he would be… I don’t know, a puddle of vomit. Not something that goes together at all. Kind of disgusting to think about.”
Ty nodded as he worked. The part of the device that analyzed genetics seemed to do a good job, but there was something slightly off about how it translated intent to reality. It wasn’t a huge translation error, but Ty was sure that he could improve it. Carefully, he gave a module a small tweak and glanced at the stats screen.
It made an immediate difference. The overall effectiveness of the device increased by more than 17%. Satisfied, Ty pushed that part aside and started digging into the nanite production sequence instead.
“Yeah,” Ty said. “I think I know what you mean. I caught some of that myself when Bain turned up at my apartment. It was like a shiver that ran through me, like he radiated evil.”
“Exactly. Maybe it has something to do with our alignment. I’m Neutral Good, the same as you. I don’t know if I would be attracted to anyone different.”
Ty was working his way through yet another section of the device. “What about you and Dinah?” he asked as nonchalantly as possible.
Tempest actually blushed. Yet she didn’t back away and responded with a very broad grin. “What about us?” she asked, challenging him.
Only a day ago, Ty might have backed away from that challenge. But today, he was different. He wasn’t about to back down. “You know what I mean,” he said.
“Maybe I don’t. Tell me.”
Ty laughed. “Does our enhanced attraction work between members of the same gender?”
Tempest cocked her head to the side. “And how would you react if it did?”
Ty thought about. He had experienced a moment of jealousy when he thought that Zach had been Tempest’s lover. But for some reason, Dinah was different. He could hold the image of them together in his mind without any jealousy at all.
In fact, there was a considerable positive feeling about it.
“Just curious more than anything else,” Ty said.
Tempest’s expression became very naughty. “I bet you are,” she said. Ty just grinned. “And to answer your question, yes, the attraction exists between us as well. And the others. But it isn’t the same with everyone. I feel a stronger connection with you than with anyone else.”
Surprisingly, Tempest looked away at the last. It was as if she hadn’t intended to reveal quite so much.
“Me too,” he said, and that was enough. Tempest reached for him and kissed him noisily on the side of his face.
Ty grinned and returned to his work. As he did, he wondered what it all meant. Did he have to share Tempest with Dinah? What about the others who wore the Architect’s devices?
If so, did he even mind?
Then there was his attraction for Dinah as well. Sure, they had only met once, but that was all it had taken with Tempest as well. It had only been Ty’s own sense of propriety that had kept him from doing anything about it right away.
And what had Tempest said on top of the boulder? Something about wanting him all to herself, just for that moment? What did she have in mind when she’d said that?
Technology, Ty decided, was much simpler. He had tweaked the holographic image about as much as he felt comfortable with at this stage. Once again, he checked the power and efficiency schematics and saw that his changes should improve the device’s performance by about 25 percent with no additional risk of failure.
“Shall we see if this works?” he asked.
Tempest nodded, her eyes bright with excitement.
Ty’s heart was pounding as he moved to the fabricator. Such a machine could make literally anything if the raw materials were available. With it, he could craft a microscopic circuit board or a full-sized jet plane, as long as he had the plans. Upgrading the device should be a piece of cake.
He turned it on and listened to the electronic whirr and hum as the fabricator woke up. “Transfer updated specifications to the fabricator,” Ty said.
“Transfer complete,” came the same electronic voice as before.
Ty held his arm out in front of the machine and gave Tempest a nervous smile. “No time like the present,” he said. Then, “Stabilize.”
As soon as he said this, two of the fabricator’s arms reached out and gripped Ty’s forearm in a cold, steel embrace.
“Modification mode,” he said. Then he drew a deep breath to steady himself. “Implement changes.”
A dozen electronic arms started moving all at once. In a shorter time than Ty would have believed possible, the device’s outer casing was off, and the fabricator was working within.
There was nothing for Ty to do now other than wait and hope for the best. He found himself gritting his teeth, so he tried to relax, but it wasn’t easy. He knew that if he’d made a mistake, if the holographic imager hadn’t modeled the outcome correctly, he could be in trouble.
It took no more than a couple of minutes, and then it was done. The fabricator grew quiet.
“Release,” Ty said, and the machine let him go.
22: Upgrades For All
When Ty had first enclosed the device around his wrist, it had felt like a lightning bolt shooting through him.
This time, it was quite different.
At first, there was nothing. Then, his wrist beneath the device grew warm. The warmth spread over his arm and into his body. It was electric, like a version of the lightning that had happened before but less potent. Still, it was powerful enough to make Ty clench his teeth.
“Ty?” Tempest asked, sounding worried. “Are you okay?”
Ty nodded. Fortunately, he didn’t feel the same nausea as he had before. But his breathing was fast and his heart was pounding in his ears. He had to grab hold of the workbench for support as the sensation of warmth flooded his system.
“I’m fine,” Ty said, partly to reassure himself, but also to reassure Tempest as well.
And he was fine. Better than fine. Ty could literally feel his body becoming even stronger than before. It was exhilarating.
The feeling lasted for some seconds before his heartbeat returned to normal and his breathing slowed. When it did, he stood straight and let go of the bench.
“See? I told you I would be okay.”
“Yes. But you had me worried there for a moment.”
Ty nodded. He’d been worried for a moment as well. “Let’s see what it did,” he said. With that, Ty used the device to call up his profile for the second time.
General
Name: input required
Modifications: None
Unique Skill: Technological Enhancement
Alignment: Neutral Good
Baseline
Strength: 4
Durability: 3
Healing: 5
Stamina: 4
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 5
Skill: N/A
Post enhancement
Strength: 7
Durability: 6
Healing: 7
Stamina: 6
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 6
Skill: 3
Ty focused mostly on the Post enhancement stats as the Baseline ones were the same as before. The first thing he noted was that his Skill level had increased, which was fantastic! If he had been able to build the stun gun and enhance the device before, he couldn’t help but wonder what he could do now.
His other attributes had also improved, with several of them being nearly twice what he’d originally started with. And he could feel it as well. His clothes had been on the tight side before, but now they were uncomfortable. It was as if he’d grown another size or two in an instant.
Tempest looked at him with suppressed excitement. “That’s amazing,” she said. Then she grinned at him. “But don’t you think you’d better enter your name? Or are you still undecided about whether or not you want to keep your device?”
Ty gave a short laugh in return. She had understood his motivation perfectly. Within moments, he corrected the omission and showed it to her:
Name: Ty Wilcox
It was just his name, and yet the gesture felt oddly symbolic. It was as if his role in the team was somehow official now where it hadn’t been before.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much. Now, how would you like to do that to mine?”
Ty smiled. “Of course.”
◆◆◆
The holographic imager made it easy. Ty simply scanned Tempest’s device to make sure it was the same as his own and called up the earlier changes he’d made. Then he superimposed them on the image of Tempest’s device and checked the readouts.
There were no discrepancies, so Tempest held her arm out beneath the fabricator just as Ty had done.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“More ready than you were,” she said, grinning broadly.
“Really?”
“Just hit the ‘go’ button already!”
Ty didn’t need to be told twice. He did as Tempest asked, and within a few minutes her upgrade was complete as well.
He had to admit, she handled it better than he had. But then, she was more durable.
“Shall we see what it did?” Ty asked.
Immediately, Tempest called up her profile.
General
Name: Tempest Flaire
Modifications: None
Unique Skill: Energy manipulation
Alignment: Neutral Good
Baseline
Strength: 6
Durability: 5
Healing: 5
Stamina: 6
Agility: 6
Intelligence: 6
Wisdom: 5
Skill: N/A
Post enhancement
Strength: 16 (+5)
Durability: 15 (+5)
Healing: 14 (+2)
Stamina: 9 (+8)
Agility: 8 (+4)
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 6
Skill: 5
Ty’s first thought was that compared to his, her stats were amazing. Even before her enhancement, there was nothing wrong with her physically. Afterward … well, he’d already known she was strong, but every one of her other physical attributes was seriously impressive.
“Holy shit,” he said. Then, “Um, what are the numbers in brackets?”
“I told you. My skill gives me a boost. Remember?”
Ty remembered. “Energy manipulation,” he said. “Does that mean you can channel it, like in a kamehameha wave?”
Surprisingly, Tempest knew what he meant. “No. Nothing like that. It’s more internal. It’s good for boosting my attributes, but so far, not much else.”
“Still, it’s very impressive.” Then, “So, did it work?”
“Hmm?”
“The upgrade. Did it work?”
“Oh, yes. It’s given me an extra point or two across the board. So thank you.”
Ty smiled. “My pleasure.”
“No, that comes later,” Tempest purred. She looked him up and down with obvious intent. “Or, if you like, that could come now.”
Perhaps it was the upgrade Ty had given them both, but the attraction he felt for Tempest was stronger than ever. Without even realizing he was doing it, he pulled her close and started kissing her on her neck at the same time as his hands wandered down to her perfect behind.
She responded in kind, and things might have developed in interesting and wonderful directi
ons if someone hadn’t chosen that moment to clear her throat.
“Didn’t I tell you two I’d be down soon?” Dinah said, her expression full of playful amusement.
Tempest laughed and broke away from Ty’s grasp. “Dinah, your timing is perfect,” she said, although Ty privately disagreed. “Let’s get you upgraded as well.”
Dinah’s perfectly formed eyebrows rose in surprise. “Upgrade?” She glanced at Ty’s and Tempest’s devices. “You mean you’ve already made improvements?”
“He sure has,” Tempest said before Ty could speak. “Boosted my stats almost across the board.”
Dinah gave Ty a warm smile. “I am impressed,” she said. “I came down to let you know that I’ve found out some information about Bain and to ask if you were hungry, and here’s you, already making a difference.” She glanced at Tempest. “I think we should keep this one.”
At the mention of food, Ty realized he famished again. The additional changes his body had gone through meant that he was metabolizing everything he could like crazy. Yet that wasn’t his only reaction to Dinah’s arrival. Ty couldn’t help himself. Just like before, he was captivated by her. She was calm and elegant in a way that few people seemed to be, and her deer-like modifications were so natural that Ty couldn’t imagine her any other way.
“Uh, would you like me to do the same for you?” Ty asked, trying to break himself away from staring at her.
Surprisingly, she didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked at him quizzically, then walked up and placed a hand on his chest. “Are you taller than you were before?” she asked.
The touch of her hand was electrifying. She felt warm and somehow magnetic even through his shirt. Ty almost flinched at the contact, and Tempest snickered beside him.
“I don’t think so,” he managed. Then he thought about it. “Maybe. My clothes are tighter.”
Dinah stayed where she was and looked at him closely. He caught her delicate scent and thought about forest flowers in the spring.
“You’re bigger,” she said, then colored again. She shot another glance at Tempest and said preemptively, “That’s not what I meant.”
Tempest sniggered openly, and Dinah took a graceful step back. Ty realized that his heart was pounding again and that there was sweat starting to gather in the small of his back. He’d never known any woman to have this effect on him before, and now there were two of them!