by Wyatt Kane
All thoughts went out of Ty’s brain. He stood and gaped at Tempest, immediately aroused and also profoundly disappointed that he had missed out on the fun. Strangely, he didn’t feel jealous at all. But he couldn’t help but wonder what Tempest might think if it had been him and Dinah without her instead.
Tempest laughed at his expression.
“Look at you. So forlorn and heartbroken. Don’t worry. I’m sure there will be other opportunities.” She leaned in and gave him a kiss good morning, then changed topic entirely. “What are you up to?”
It took Ty a few seconds to remember what he was doing. “I’ve created a power supply,” he said. “Now I’m trying to figure out the best way to make a shield. So you don’t have to worry about me in a fight.”
Tempest understood. “Something strong enough to withstand anything Bain can throw at you.”
“Yes. It can’t be metal, because that would just be too heavy and cumbersome, and it wouldn’t solve the problem anyway. I’m thinking some sort of energy field, but I’m just not sure….” He trailed off.
“You need to find some way to disperse the energy,” Tempest said.
“Exactly.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so? That’s what my power enables me to do. Why don’t you just replicate that?”
Ty looked at her, astonished. “Yes, that would work.” Then he frowned in puzzlement. “But how?”
“Look,” she said. With that, she called up her profile and made to touch her Unique Skill. Her finger went through the hologram, but it sensed what she was doing anyway and displayed a much more detailed screen that reminded Ty of the schematics display that the imager offered.
It showed all the technical detail about how Tempest’s power actually worked that Ty could ask for.
He stared in astonishment. It was exactly what he needed. “That’s amazing.”
As he spoke, he realized what it meant. It meant he, Ty, could probably replicate any skill that existed with technology, as long as he could access this information. All at once, his little enhancement skill no longer seemed so little any more.
It was a potential game changer. He literally had the power of a god at his fingertips. All he needed was time, and he could do anything.
He stood there, his heart pounding as if he were being chased by Bain.
“Ty?” said Tempest. “Are you okay?”
Ty did what he could to rein his imagination in. It was early days yet, and just because something was theoretically possible didn’t mean it would be easy.
“Yes. Sorry, I was just thinking about something,” he managed.
“Something pretty amazing, by the look of it?”
“Yeah. My skill – there’s a lot I could do with it.”
Tempest grinned very broadly. “I understand. I was like that with mine as well. So was Zach, and Dinah. And many of the others as well. It takes time to really understand it.”
Ty took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah.” Then he grinned. “But just thinking about it isn’t enough. I’ve got to actually do something as well.”
“Really? Who would have thought?” Tempest said, teasing him.
Ty let out a laugh. Then he turned his attention to figuring out how to translate the information Tempest’s device displayed into something he could use.
It wasn’t easy. In the end, he came up with a kind of mesh suit with hundreds of tiny field projectors all over it. He designed it with a hood that he could flip over his head and long sleeves with thumb holes to ensure that when the field was active, it would cover him entirely. And an opening or two to enable necessary functions.
When it was done, he again commanded the fabricator to do its thing.
As the mesh garment started to come to life, Dinah came down to join them, carrying a large plate of pancakes.
The warm aroma of rich, buttery pancakes filled the air. Instantly Ty’s mouth started to water. Yet that could have been in reaction to Dinah herself, who looked just as stunning as she had the day before.
Moving as gracefully as ever, the deerkin placed the pancakes on the workbench and smiled at Ty. “We missed you this morning,” she said, her rich, smooth voice enough to make him regret that he hadn’t been there all over again.
“So I heard,” he said. “I guess you’ll just have to make it up to me some time.”
Dinah smiled broadly. “Whenever you like,” she purred. Then, “What’s that you’re making?”
“Something to help against Bain,” Ty said.
“What is it? How does it work?”
“I’ll show you if you like,” Ty said.
Both Tempest and Dinah nodded at once.
As soon as the fabrication process was complete, Ty inserted the palm-sized power converters he’d manufactured earlier into the pouches he’d added to his design and made sure the contacts were set.
Then, with both women watching in open appreciation, he quickly stripped off his outer layer of clothes.
“I like it so far,” Tempest said. “But I don’t see how that will help against Bain.”
Ty felt himself blushing. Nevertheless, he continued with what he was doing and put his new, filamentous suit on. It was a better fit than his clothes were now, but the power converters at the back made it slightly uncomfortable.
“It’s a metallic onesie!” Tempest said at the same time as Dinah asked a question.
“What are those little discs all over it?”
Ty didn’t know how he felt about it being called a onesie, but it was an accurate description. He grinned. “That’s the secret. They project a field that should dissipate all the energy of Bain’s attack.”
“How do we know that it works?” Tempest asked.
It was a fair question. Ty immediately thought of the profile display that his device projected, and wondered if it could possibly be sophisticated enough to display his new durability. Maybe as an armor class with an associated attribute boost, like Tempest’s skill did for her. It would be impressive if it did, but he didn’t really hold out much hope.
“Activate,” he said, and the same glowing blue nimbus that had surrounded him in his dream appeared all around.
“Pretty,” Tempest said. But Dinah was looking more thoughtful.
Ty brought up his profile, but it still displayed the same stats as before. Durability: 6.
He shrugged. “I guess we test it,” he said. Then he turned toward Tempest and grinned. “Hit me.”
The blonde woman raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
“It has to be tested. And really, I’d much rather test it against you than Bain.”
“Oh really? Are you saying that I don’t pack the same punch as he does?”
She was teasing him, and he knew it. “Let’s just say that with you, we can build up to full strength. With Bain, we don’t have that option.”
“Fair enough. Are you ready?”
Ty steeled himself, breathing deep, and nodded.
Tempest hit him. It was a hard, quick blow, aimed straight at his stomach. And Ty couldn’t help himself. He flinched away from it. Yet when it connected, he barely felt it. It was as if she had brushed him with a feather duster.
Yet his flinch surprised her. Her grin immediately turned into an expression of concern and she stepped toward him. Nor was she the only one. Dinah reached for him as well.
“Are you okay?” the blonde woman asked, sounding worried.
“I’m okay,” Ty said, hastening to reassure them both. “That was just me being an idiot. I didn’t feel a thing.” He grinned broadly.
“What, nothing at all?” Tempest asked.
“No. Barely a whisper. Did you hit me with all your strength or just part of?”
“About a quarter,” Tempest said. “I didn’t want to hurt you if it didn’t work.”
“This time, hit me with everything you’ve got.”
“Are you sure?”
Ty nodded. “As I said, we’ve got to test it.”
“Okay.”
This time, instead of simply hitting him without any fanfare, she wound up and put real effort into it. Ty closed his eyes at the last moment to stop himself from flinching. And when she connected, he did feel it.
But not as the massive impact that he knew it to be. It was like she had patted him gently on the stomach.
“That’s pretty impressive,” Tempest said.
Ty grinned broadly. “I think we’ll call that a success,” he said.
◆◆◆
With his shield working, Ty only had one more thing he needed to do. He needed a weapon. Something powerful enough to get Bain’s attention.
And, with only about an hour to go before he had to get ready for work, he needed it quickly.
If he’d had to start from scratch, Ty wouldn’t have had enough time. But he still had the blasters and stun-baton he had taken from the mercenaries who broke into his apartment.
“What do you think? Should I work on the stun-baton or one of the blasters?” he asked, this time talking to Tempest and Dinah rather than Gremlin.
“How close do you want to get to Bain?” Tempest asked.
It was a good point. “Blaster it is,” he said.
But Tempest looked uncertain. “What are you going to do with it?” she asked. “A blaster won’t stop someone like him.”
Ty grinned. “I know.” A blaster generated a concussive blast of energy that could knock a man down at eighty feet or take his head off at point blank range. But for someone like Bain, it would be no more than an annoyance unless Ty managed to jam the barrel hard up against him.
“I’m going to make it more powerful. And maybe make a few more tweaks.”
With that, still in his mesh onesie, he took one of the weapons out of his backpack and placed it on the workbench for the holographic imager to scan. That done, he exploded the holographic projection to expose the workings within.
The blaster was simply made. No more than a plasma generator and a barrel to guide it. Effectively, the blaster generated a controlled explosion with only one outlet. At the squeeze of the trigger, plasma would erupt from the barrel and launch itself toward whatever the weapon was pointing at.
As weapons, blasters were reliable and easy to operate, and if they had an occasional reputation for blowing up in the user’s hands, the ease of use more than made up for it. A single plasma cartridge was typically good for about fifty shots, and with Ty having taken three of the weapons from the mercenaries, that gave him a couple of spares.
It took only a little while to tease the plasma generator into generating more power. But the efficiency schematics indicated that the casing would no longer be able to withstand the pressure and the weapon would very likely fail at the first use.
So Ty strengthened the casing as well, and, just for fun, added the ability to adjust the power of the weapon with a simple click of a switch.
Then he fabricated the result.
“Done,” Ty said.
27: Glitter And Bling
Ty would have liked to test the new, improved blaster, but this was the Architect’s workshop, not a firing range. All that was left to do now was to get ready for work.
He was starting to put his shirt on over his mesh onesie when he realized he had a problem.
Ty was several inches taller than he had been when he bought his clothes. He was more muscular as well. His shirt had been a tight fit already, but now, with the mesh bodysuit complete with the power packs at his back and a blaster tucked into his belt, it was impossible to button it up.
Ty didn’t know what to do. He looked at Tempest. “Um, do we have time to pop into a menswear store so I can pick up a shirt that fits better?”
Surprisingly, the stunning woman’s features became somber. She glanced at Dinah, who nodded in agreement. Ty didn’t understand what the interaction between the two of them meant until Tempest started to speak.
“There is another option. If you don’t mind. Zach was about your size, or maybe just a little bigger. I think he would have been honored if you were to take a shirt from his wardrobe.”
Ty didn’t know what to say. Zach had been dead for only a couple of days. And while Tempest and Dinah hadn’t said much about it, Ty had seen their grief in hesitant moments and expressions of sadness more than once.
Zach had been a big part of their lives. He had been part of their team. They knew him. To Ty, the idea of wearing the dead man’s clothes made him slightly uncomfortable. He was already effectively taking Zach’s place. Was it right to wear his clothes as well?
Yet Tempest’s offer seemed to be more about respecting their friend than anything else. And besides, as usual, Ty wasn’t exactly flush with spare cash.
He nodded. “If you think it would be okay,” he said.
“Of course it would,” Tempest replied. Then she grinned playfully. “Although finding something suitable might be tricky. Zach’s style was fairly flamboyant. Do you like pink?”
Ty couldn’t tell if she was joking or not. Nor did she give him the chance to respond. She just led him back up the stairs, with Dinah following behind.
If the penthouse had wings, Zach’s rooms were on the opposite wing from where Ty had spent the previous night. And if Tempest’s room was subtly feminine and elegant, Zach’s was the definition of flamboyance. The chandelier was a glitter ball, and everywhere Ty looked, there were purple and pink cushions stacked in piles. There was more perfume and makeup on the dressers than Tempest had on hers.
Ty felt like he’d walked into a tribute to Liberace. It was an assault on his senses. Not only were the colors not to his taste in the least, but the lingering perfume in the air was cloying.
Tempest and Dinah both smiled at Ty’s reaction, but their smiles were sadder than they might have been. Ty understood that there was genuine affection for the man.
“He was quite the character,” Tempest said quietly. “There’s a walk-in closet. This door,” she added, leading the way.
Despite the glitter and bling, Ty couldn’t help but feel a certain solemnity as he headed to the closet. It was almost as if Zach’s room had become a shrine to the man. As if his presence was somehow still there.
In a single moment, Zach had fundamentally changed Ty’s life in the most unbelievable ways. Ty couldn’t help but feel a profound respect for the dead man’s spirit.
The closet was spacious and cluttered with fur and glitter. For a moment, Ty worried that he would find nothing suitable for work. But Dinah had followed him in, and she unerringly sought out the most subdued of Zach’s clothes. Shirts of neutral colors. Trousers that could have been made in the same factory that produced the ones that no longer fit Ty.
“Maybe try one of these?” the deerkin said.
Ty picked a shirt that was somewhere between pink and tan and which Zach may have called coral or burnt sienna, and held it up against himself. Then he put it back and chose one that was a more neutral white.
There was a full-length mirror on the closet wall, and Ty could see that Tempest was right. The shirt fit. If anything, it was just a little large. Perfect for hiding the unusual shapes of the blaster and the power packs.
He quickly chose a pair of trousers as well and put them on.
“Not bad,” Dinah said, approving the result. “It covers your onesie well.”
“Thank you.”
It was time to go. Ty couldn’t help but feel anxious. He was just going to work, the same as he’d done nearly every day since he’d gotten the job. Yet he was also going to be bait dangled in front of the most dangerous person in all of New Lincoln.
Sure, he was confident that his new technology would do what he designed it to do, and Tempest would be there as well. Yet he couldn’t help but draw a deep breath to calm himself.
Tempest noticed. She grew serious. “Are you up for this?” she asked.
Ty shrugged. “I don’t want to be running and hiding for all my life. If Bain wants this device, he’s going t
o have to work for it.”
“Good. So, are you ready to go?”
It was all Ty could do to nod. Tempest turned to Dinah. “Keep your ears open. All going well, we’ll have him within a few hours. We’re going to need to put him in a hardened cell somewhere. Have a chat with some of our friends and find somewhere suitable.”
Dinah nodded. “No problem. I’ve already got a couple of possibilities lined up.”
And that was it. The three of them headed back to the main entrance and paused on the bridge over the pond. It was another gloomy, New Lincoln day, completely unlike the day before.
At the thought, Ty couldn’t help but wonder. Had it really been just a day? So much had happened that it felt like weeks.
“Stay safe,” Dinah said, her expression a peculiar mix of confidence and concern. Then she reached for both Ty and Tempest together and gave them a big hug. “I wish I could be going with you.”
Ty understood then that he wasn’t the only one who was nervous about facing Bain. He and Tempest both murmured words of reassurance, and then they were ready. As she had done several times before, Tempest gripped Ty under his arms and launched them both into the sky.
Neither of them noticed the man down on the ground who was dressed in the same uniform as the mercenaries who had broken into Ty’s apartment. But that man noticed them. He had been watching for just such an event, through digital binoculars that allowed him to see very clearly.
As soon as Ty and Tempest were away, the man touched his ear to activate his phone implant and made a call.
28: The Concubine Club
Tempest knew where the Concubine Club was but didn’t fly right up to the entrance. Although Ty would have loved to see Angie the Hutt’s expression if they landed in front of her, it wouldn’t have helped their cause. Anyone waiting for Ty to arrive would be immediately forewarned that Tempest was with him.
So instead, she touched down in a discrete alley not far from the Club and steadied Ty in the usual way.