The Armory, where Ryker kept his rifle, was only a few blocks from the Circuit City. He made it a habit of always picking it up after his Circuit City shift and returning it at night before going home. There were numerous Armories around the city, and with an active account, Ryker could drop his weapon off at any location, but he found the routine and familiarity comforting.
Besides, the tram was one of the city's services that didn't allow weapons. He always found it annoying that the city allowed open carry of all weapons but restricted their carry on public transit, but he didn't make the law. Now that he most likely wouldn't be returning to Circuit City, he could think about placing his weapon in another Armory.
"I need to call the corporate office," Ryker thought while he walked along the streets. "Maybe I could go to another store, and they could help me?" He continued thinking of ways to keep his job or get a new one.
Before he knew it, Ryker stood before the Armory's entrance. The sign above the door was two rifles leaning on each other like an A, with the rest of the word creating the cross-section. The door was made of solid anti-ballistic glass, along with metal bars covering it. Ryker opened the door, and a wave of warm air washed over him from the store.
Inside were two heavily armed guards flanking the entryway. They wore what looked like full tactical gear, which was probably super-enhanced equipment. There was also a good chance that they both possessed superpowers too. The Armory didn't mess around when it came to security. Ryker went through the metal detector. Before he walked through, he placed his backpack to the side so it could get scanned. Once through, he headed to the counter.
The clerk was a professionally dressed middle-aged woman. She smiled politely as he walked up and placed his identification on the counter. She checked his identification and current holdings and ensured that he was all paid up with a few flicks of her fingers on a keyboard. Of course, being all paid up wouldn't last long if he didn't either find a new job or get paid well on his evening job.
"One moment, please," The clerk said.
She moved toward the back of the building, where they kept all the turned-in weapons and ammunition. The business functioned almost like a bank in the fact that the customer could deposit and receive their weapon. However, it wasn't a place where the customer could store all their guns and unlimited ammo. Although, it all came down to how much money someone was willing to dish out. Ryker didn't have a lot. When the clerk returned, she carried his rifle and the three magazines he had turned in.
The weapon the clerk handed to Ryker, stock first, was the AA-8. AA stood for Aegis Arms, and the model number was for the year it was produced. It was an older model, but the majority of reviews for it were positive. The reviews and the low price were why Ryker purchased it.
Like many products created after the arrival of the gates, the AA-8 was designed by Intelligence-based supers. It was made of a mixture of a lightweight yet durable polymer along with a hardened alloy that was resistant to damage. It also came equipped with a number of safety features, such as a multi-fingerprint safety switch and a trigger interlock.
The rifle was easy to use and easier to maintain, another point in its favor since Ryker couldn't spare much money for replacement parts. The rifle was also stock equipped with various other features, including a holographic sight, a laser rangefinder, and a built-in targeting computer. The targeting computer could only be used with a specific type of bullet and Ryker only managed to buy ten of the rounds. He marked the magazine that had them so he didn't get them confused. They were for emergencies.
Ryker ensured the chamber was clear, but he didn't let the bolt go forward; He would do that outside when he loaded it. He then checked that all his rounds were there, especially the ones that worked with the targeting computer. Once everything was in order, he signed that he had received his weapon and ammo, placed two magazines in the bag, then headed back out.
Long shadows were starting to descend on the city, and everything shone with an orange glow. Ryker loaded his weapon with the clinking and thunk of metal slamming together. The few people on the streets didn't even look his way. The Bounty Board, where Ryker usually visited and signed up for jobs, was a few blocks away. He knew the perfect place along the way where he could have some privacy and security while he learned more about his superpower.
A few minutes later, Ryker pulled himself over the ledge of a roof, which belonged to a small tax business that sat in its own space on a corner. The roof had a slight ridge around the perimeter, and no taller buildings were in the area. The only access was with a little bit of parkour and climbing. Ryker had found the spot the last summer when he was looking for a place to be alone, just as he currently wanted. Ryker sat down with his back against the ledge and pondered where to start.
"Okay, superpower," he started, "what the heck kind of power is this, and what did you mean by there isn't enough space in the chapter?"
Ryker got an exasperated feeling that he should even need to ask that question. "I should be smart enough to figure it out," he thought.
"I don't like having thoughts implanted in my head. Plus, you're being cryptic, and I want answers."
----------------------------------------
After receiving his answers and dealing with the repercussions of the knowledge, Ryker was finally ready to head to the Bounty Board. The sun was setting, and the later he got there, the more dangerous it became, so he wanted to hurry.
"WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED!" Ryker screamed.
…….Damnit….😒
"What did you do? How did it get darker?" He looked around wildly. "No! You can't be a superpower. You have to be a villain manipulating me. GET. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD!"
Ryker realized that it wasn't some supervillain. It was his power, and it couldn't get out of his head, so he relaxed and stopped yelling.
"No, I don't realize anything," Ryker seethed. "Tell me why I should believe you."
….😞
Fine, but this is going to be the only time I do this. It's going to be difficult for you to believe and even understand. I don't see any way you can handle this easily.
"How do you know anything about what I can handle."
I know everything about this world.
"Are you God?"
Not even close, but I might as well be. At least as far as you're concerned.
"If you're not God, then what are you?"
I thought you were smarter than that. You can't figure it out on your own? There were clues.
….🤔
I guess not.
I'll try to make it easy. It's either that or your brain might melt.
Ryker focused inwardly a got a sense of the limits of his power. He could tell that his power wanted to see him through every trial and tribulation he might endure. His internal sense alluded to his power's ability to know and do things that others couldn't and that it is an almost omniscient, omnipotent ability. It knew the future but wouldn't give him all the answers. He could also tell that he could be invincible with his power, as long as he didn't blatantly try to end his life.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Do you need more?
"I understand the concepts, but why would my brain melt?"
You really want to do this, huh?
"I need to know. If you don't tell me, I'll – I'll jump off this building headfirst."
Okay, first, that won't kill you. At worst, you'll be a quadriplegic. I could keep that from happening, though.
"You said if I try to kill myself, I could. I have that free will, don't I?"
Does any of us? Isn't that the question? Look. If you do that, and I let it happen, you'll die. Me? I'll just be at the end of the story. The end of this story.
"What does that mean?"
Ugh…Listen, I'm just a – super-buff, totally devastatingly handsome – guy over here trying to write a story. One I thought was cool. I thought I'd give you an awesome superpower. Post it on a writing website and get lots of people to read it. Then I could get a super huge following and publish books, quit my day job and not be depressed all the time. But you're making it difficult.
"What?"
I guess I can't be surprised it's come to this. This was planned, but I am kind of pantsing it as I go, too.
"I don't even want to know how you're pantsing something. But...So, what? I'm just a figment of your imagination, then?"
Maybe. Maybe not.
"You're being cryptic again."
Have you ever heard of the Infinite Monkey Theorem? It's a proposition that an unlimited number of monkeys, given typewriters and sufficient time, will eventually produce a particular text, such as Hamlet or even the complete works of Shakespeare.
"You're a monkey?"
What!? I thought I made you more intelligent than this. No. It means with infinite time and infinite space, there are endless possibilities. So maybe there is the dimension you live in, and I'm channeling and perhaps guiding it from my dimension. Anything is possible in the multiverse…if it's real and it isn't just another story I'm making up.
"Okay…."
Want me to blow your mind some more?
"How?"
Might as well go for broke. Do you read Edgar Allan Poe?
"Huh?"
I'll take that as a no. Now that I think about it, I don't even know why I asked. I knew the answer. Anyway…He, Poe, has a poem where he says that life is but a dream within a dream. What if all lives are dreams within a dream? Notice how it's hard to remember every time you wake up from a dream?
Imagine if every time you sleep and dream, that's a life that you lived. Not only that but every time you fall asleep in that life and dreamed, that was a life. So, every time you wake up, your brain has to process all the lives you dreamed, and from every time you dreamed in that life. And when you die in this life, you'll just wake up and be like, "Man, that was a crazy dream."
"You're making my head hurt."
Told you, but there's more. In the Infinite Monkey Dream Theorem, what if you dreamed a life where you were me, writing this story? Or reading this story? Hello, out there. So, you do have free will because you're the one writing this. At least somewhere.
"Okay, wait a moment. I need to go back to the beginning. So, if I got this straight, you aren't God.
Nope.
"You are my superpower."
Yes.
"How is this a good superpower? Sure, it helped in the fight by knowing certain things, but other people can do magic, control machines, and fly. I can know if someone is a little more scared of me than someone else. What good is that?
I helped a lot more than giving you others' motivations. You would have been steamrolled by Pixie Dust without me. I mean, come on! Have you ever read a book? You're the main character. Take a few minutes and think about it.
"You're helping me, but you're also controlling me?"
Kind of.
"And that's because you are a writer in another dimension that controls everything because I'm just a character in a story."
You're the main character in my story.
"What's the story about?"
It's about you getting your powers, learning to use them and dealing with issues in the world.
"What issues?"
I can't tell you that.
"Why?"
It'll ruin the story.
"But I'm a person! Not a character in a story! I exist!"
Yes, yes, I know. But I really need this conversation to end. I think that we've covered enough. Do you need some time to deal with it? You're not looking so good.
Ryker was hunched over, his hands gripping his hair tightly. Tears streamed from his eyes. He didn't even know when he started crying. His breathing was ragged, and he feared he might pass out if he didn't calm down. His power was right. The information he received made his brain feel like it was melting.
See! I'll do another time skip to give you some time to deal with it.
"Wait! If you know everything, what about my parents? Am I right about them?"
All in due time.
----------------------------------------
After receiving his answers and dealing with the repercussions of the knowledge, Ryker was finally ready to head to the Bounty Board. The sun had set, and the later he got there, the more dangerous it became, so he wanted to hurry.
"I hate you, but if you don't let me down, we'll be okay," Ryker said to his superpower.
He hopped down from the building and set out on a brisk pace to the Bounty Boards. The sun was gone, but the city was still lit up all around. Streetlamps and traffic lights glowed brightly. Along with the storefronts and passing vehicles, plenty of light was on his path.
Ryker didn't have a watch, but he estimated that there were at least two or three more hours before the average stores closed and the streets became more desolate. The city wasn't too bad during the day, but the night was a whole different beast. He usually made sure he was somewhere safe by the time everything closed.
The Bounty Boards had a few lesser areas where most of the information was posted, but Ryker was headed to the city's main one. It was located in an open lot close to downtown, by the river. The police station sat on the other side of the river.
Over the years, the lot had been a part of numerous proposals for development, from hotels to baseball parks. Although, none really stuck, and the city started using it to post bounties. After that, other people began to put up other requests for services. Once Bracers became popular, there was an even more significant influx of people going there, looking for fugitives or completing other requests.
The LitLARPers were the ones who caused the increase in popularity. Apparently, it had something to do with them pretending that life was a game. They all imagined they were completing quests and getting experience to level themselves up. While Ryker didn't have time for such frivolous activities, he was interested in getting a Bracer to check his attributes compared to the rest of the population. Even more so now that he had a superpower.
The open lot had a layer of gray dust hovering a few feet off the ground. It was visible by the two spotlights erected on each end of the lot. A tall chain link fence topped with concertina wire surrounded the entire area. It was open all the time, with two guards posted at the entrances on opposite sides. Along with the guards, there were usually two to four roving officers in the area. The guarding and roving officers left everyone alone for the most part. They were there just to keep the peace.
At the far end of the field was the actual bounty board. When it had first been erected, it was a simple, if not extensive, board on stands where officers clipped the wanted posters. Now the board was a large digital screen split into two displays.
A lot of twos in this area.
A list of names, prices, and last known locations was on one side of the screen. It looked like how airlines listed their flights inside terminals, which Ryker had only seen in movies. There were three different lists that it scrolled through as well. There was a city, state, and country list. It was constantly scrolling and flipping through the considerable lists. If someone wanted to attempt a capture, all they had to do was wait to find who they wanted.
If they didn't know what the mark looked like, they had to wait for the screen on the right, which displayed pictures and any additional information if it was possessed. The right screen was much slower than the left, so most people wouldn't stick around to get the info, especially since they had Bracers or other technology to look it up.
Next to the large digital screen were additional boards that resembled the ones from the past. Although, the smaller ones didn't contain information on bounties. These became a place for people to post jobs and other odd requests. Almost all of the information was digital, too, but it became a prominent hangout spot for the growing community of LitLARPers.
It appeared that right in front of the large digital boards, some of the aforementioned people were congregating in front of the screen. They started getting loud, and Ryker noticed that it was getting increasingly rowdy. People were beginning to push and shove. Their faces indicated that it might get worse. From the edge of his vision, Ryker could see a couple of officers were already heading in that direction.
Normal human curiosity made him want to know what they were all riled up about, but he didn't have the time. He was already multiple hours behind his usual time, and he feared that he might not be able to get any work done before the night was over. Ryker gave the crowd a wide berth as he headed to the smaller boards to the left of the digital displays. He didn't deal with the bounties; those were for supers.
Ryker paused at the line. He was a super now.
"Not now. I don't even have the authorization to go after the bounties. That takes training and deputizing, both things I can't get until I'm eighteen." he said, keeping his voice low.
Ryker made sure to keep the thought in the back of his mind, though. He knew that he couldn't legally get paid for the bounties yet, but there were ways to get around that. Besides, now that he was a super, it didn't hurt to take a look.