I pull my latest attempt at a Titan steel cylinder out of the forge I had to build from scratch (no thanks to the stupid exchange limitations we’re having). When I quench it in oil, a brief glow issues from the tank letting me know I did it right before checking my HUD.
Thank goodness. Only took me two days to make three things. Going to inscribe the rods with Sunder and see if I can’t keep the bio-part off of these scepters, then I can start selling them again. For now though, I need to make some lenses and then make the cylinder into tubes with a smaller diameter.
>P] Hey Kay, did you need some lenses made? [<
>K] Yes. I have some sensors I’m working on that need them. If you could spare one of your aether infused projects, I would like to study how it affects my projects. [<
>P] Anything you need while I’m cutting and enchanting, Mel? [<
>M] Hm? Not right now. I’d like you to enchant some fiber optic filaments, but I haven’t sourced it yet. [<
I’ve had a lot of luck lately creating corundum rods with seed crystals using a suspended draw method like they use to make silicon crystals to make semiconductor wafers. I don’t need lenses that wide yet, but my results with 5-7cm diameter rods have been stellar. I cut a few discs and begin forming the compound lens arrangements needed to focus the beam down from the lasing cylinder size to the high intensity beam thinner than my pinky finger.
That’s pretty great. Now it won’t feel like I’m fumbling around with this stuff when I mount the lenses. I still have to engrave and insert the runeshape for Disintegration Ray. I’m hoping that shape replaces the lazing matrix, but I don’t know enough of the base runes that comprise the overall shape, so I’m at a bit of a loss deconstructing it—not that I tried too hard.
***
“Are you working on yet a different project?” Katie asks me as I walk by a surgical robotics rig that has been newly placed in the lab we built into the island.
“Kinda? Same project. I just don’t want to rig up some janky aether-ink power system when I could spend some quality time testing some new crystals I’ve been growing.” I show her my milk-crate full of crystals of various shapes and sizes. “What is this fancy rig for?”
“I find it more gratifying to work with more range of motion. So I purchased this surgical unit and re-purposed it for Micro Electronic Manatech devices. Melissa and I want to replace some of our old systems with newer tech, and I figure if I can make it as small as possible, I can fit more upgrades. That, and I figure if I make something small enough to fit in the places you already have upgrades, you cant complain about your fear of becoming a cyborg.”
“And Tessa is practically buzzing at the opportunity.”
“Mel and I have a lot of tech in our bodies at this point, I’m not sure why you’re so afraid of it.” She raises an eyebrow, judging me for being irrational.
“It’s a control thing, tied with an irrational fear of someone being able to hack my brain.”
“Ah. With the miss-match of the Supercluster’s and our tech levels, that may be less irrational than you think.” She taps her lips a few times in thought. “So let me know if you need help with the batteries. I have a chemical deposition chamber if you need it.”
“Actually? I could use one. Want to see if Beryllium or Chromium doping will give the right impedance as opposed to planting impurities in the forming solution at different stages.”
“Each process will take several hours.”
“That’s fine. I’ll be in the bomb room trying to tweak the charging interface.” She waves me off and sends me emotions that feel like she’s wishing me a successful playtime? Huh, I like that. Successful buffoonery.
I start by charging a few of each natural corundum with doping and my grown crystals with impurity stratification. The grown crystals charge faster and better, so I decide to skip further testing on the natural crystals and start charging the larger grown variety.
Next, because I know the next part is dangerous, I begin discharging them slowly into a thrust rune, and the multi-layered Chromium, Beryllium, Chromium pattern appears to be behaving the most like a constant discharge battery. Near the end I start going through the motions as I start thinking about making many of the Cr-Be-Cr strata crystals for use in different devices, when the thruster flares a blinding burst I hear a crashing thud against the transparency enchanted steel wall in front of me when I assume the crystal explodes. The boom in the confined space deafens me and I feel stinging pain all up the front of my body. I stay where I lay for a moment, to try and get my vision back, but it’s taking some time for my eyes to adjust after that trauma.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
>K]PENNY! Are you okay?![<
>P] No, and please tone down the brain yelling. Bring the med kit. [<
How the hell did that crystal flare and then overload? It’s usually one or the other, and only the natural ones . . . crap. The flare due to the insufficient doping must have created a crack, which released more energy, then shrapnel.
My eyes aren’t adjusting the way I’d like, so like an idiot I start rubbing them and find that my whole face is wet and sticky. There’s blood in my eyes. I start feeling around for something dry enough to wipe them free, but the front of me is moderately bloody as well, with the occasional sharp, twinge as I feel pointy lumps embedded in my skin. The crystal punctured through the steel? Oof that is a lot of energy.
I hear some dull thumps and other muffled noises before I’m lifted and dragged out of the room. A couple of jabs here and there and the pain begins subsiding. Good, Katie found the med kit.
>P] Kay, if you’re talking to me, I can’t hear you. The blast was too loud. [<
>K] You better not be dying on me. What am I supposed to do besides pump you with healing drugs?[<
>P] Strip me, get the tweezers and start plucking shrapnel? [<
So that’s what she did. She plucked the obvious pieces and then took me to the shower and started complaining about the horrible waste of quality blood. She then felt around and stretched my skin looking for other puncture marks after Atropos looked up what to do on the internet.
“Thanks for coming in and finding me, Kay.” I hug her tight and talk softly in her ear, “I was starting to panic a little about not being able to see and feeling blood everywhere.”
“A little? You shook the whole island and then I find you behind some twisted metal and covered in blood? I want to scream at you about being reckless, but I’m really just angry because I feel emotion so intensely with you and I don’t know what to do when I’m so overwhelmed. None of which I’m accustomed to.”
“I’m sorry Kay, I was trying to be safe.” I hug her waist tightly, enjoying the patter of hot water on my skin, the bleeding and shock leaving me cold.
Footsteps thunder down the stairs and Melissa throws herself through the door. “Is she okay!? Penny! How are you naked and in danger?”
So I explain it to her, slowly and quietly, but she shouts at me after and makes the headache worse. She also does an inspection, and I feel strangely vulnerable under her scrutiny. “Thank god. Tessa says that your organ function seems unaffected, and that you’ll be able to process out the shards remaining while you heal.”
“Tessa can do that? That’s pretty cool.” They both look at me as though I’m an idiot. “Hey, I’m concussed, I have a bit of the brain dumb right now.”
Melissa sighs and pulls my legs into her lap, all of us sitting on the shower floor now. “Please tell me this trauma was at least productive?”
“I think so. The few minutes before the explosion are still a little fuzzy. I remember starting to think about mass-producing my crystals, so I think that one of them had the power distribution profile I was looking for. “
“I definitely have several projects that could use them.” Katie adds, thumbing the corner of my jaw.
Melissa tenses, “So, if you’re helping Katie with her projects, can you spare some time for mine?”
I sigh in relief, I thought she was going to bring up the imbalance again. “Sure hon, what do you need?”
“I need you to free up some time to speak to some dignitaries,” I nod at that and am about to reply when she continues “including the President.”
I suck in a breath and pinch my face attempting to squash a sneer. Take it easy, Penny, Melissa loves you, and she knows you don’t want to speak with her. But if it’s this important to Mel . . . I let out the breath and shut my eyes for a second.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” they both ask, wondering at my reversal.
“That reaction proves you thought before asking me to meet with her, and I presume you have a plan?”
“Uh, yeah, I do. I plan on the three of us going, and to have Katie or me do most of the dealing. Honestly, I wouldn’t even ask you to come but I wouldn’t want to make you look like a coward.”
“Yeah, they do seem the kind of people to think that. If we’re all going, then you both need to look up new suit options and get one with a personal shield.”
“Uh, yeah, about that . . . I was talking with Ophie and Tess, and there are some tier 3 shielding accessories? That I think would be more useful than special clothing. Tessa wanted me to ask you first.”
They’re customizable VIP protection accessories from a reputable business listing. They promise 1 week delivery on almost any design. Base level protection and amenities start at 20kAE.
Holy shit. It starts at higher than my re-entry suit. Oof. Okay, can we get an estimate on magitech that can handle sniper rifle fire and a plasma pistol. And can hold an aether charged crystal that allows the crystal to temporarily boost the efficacy of the shield. I’ll make the crystals to the setting after delivery. Tessa pings me in affirmation.
“Okay. Sounds worth it to me. Tell Tessa what gemmed accessory you want and I’ll deal with the costs.”
“Penny,” I hold up a hand before Katie could finish.
“I have more than 75 million AE, Kay. You keep your aether credits for experiments and gifts.” Katie still doesn’t seem comfortable with it, but concedes. It must have been the ‘experiments’ argument. I turn to Melissa, “The meeting request is more than 10 days out?”
She nods. “in about a month. Location still TBD, but the prevailing guestimate is Singapore.”
“Sounds like a real international meeting. That’s great. But if the world leaders try to kill me, I’m leaving the planet to the wolves.” They both give me an evil eye, “Yikes. Ladies. I was kidding. And I have a lot of work to do.”
“Nope. Not today. You’re going to relax and drink your juice for the rest of the day.” Melissa demands. “You just got blown up and you shouldn’t be straining yourself. Go outside, enjoy paradise, some food and play with something simple.”
Bah, common sense. Who needs it.
“Good idea. I’ll get her rash guard and shorts while you finish cleanup.”
I start to protest, but Mel quietly says “please” before I can make a fuss. She must have been so worried, but unwilling to show it in front of Katie. As soon as she sits me up on a stool I feel immediately drained and glad that she’s here to help. Looks like I’ll be doing work in my HUD this afternoon.
Katie comes back already in her two-piece with a small pile of clothes more me and Mel. Some weeks ago, Katie decided that she had a ‘spot’ on the beach and put a permanent shade and some chairs and towels out there. She sets up in her lounger after setting up two extra chairs. When I see Melissa hit her second long-call in a row, I decide to plop in front of Katie and rest my head on the front of her chair while watching Melissa pace in her bikini while she’s on calls all day.
It’s nice to be reminded that despite our being buried in work, we still like to be together. My emotions swell so I send love and hugs via our mental link. Their responses make me feel cozy.