“I’ve got a new direction though,” I said. “Rachel said I discovered this myself sohow, so I’m thinking that what I should really be doing is whatever I’d be doing normally if I didn’t know.”
Haley nodded slowly. “That sounds good. What do you think you’d be doing normally?”
“Tonight? Well, I was going to work on a new Rocket suit which is kind of the sa thing as the suit I’m making for Cassie at the base level. It should solve the problem where I can’t carry around a decently powerful suit—once I figure out how to make it lighter anyhow. Anyway, I’m sure I’d be working on Cassie’s version even if Rachel never visited Infinity City, or those alternate universe versions of us never showed up.”
For a mont, Haley’s pupils began to widen into slits. She blinked, her mouth tightening, and they beca normal.
“I hope so.” She said, ignoring what had happened.
More than a year into dating her, I knew better than to draw her attention to it.
I said, “ too.”
She glanced toward the locker room. “I should take a shower.” She went quiet for a mont, and then said, “We’re going to the Chinese buffet on State after this. Do you want to co along?”
I thought about that. “Do you think they’d want ?”
“They’re fine with you. For real.” Her expression hinted at so frustration.
“I’m sure they’re not expecting , though. Besides, we are doing sothing tomorrow night, and if I do figure out the St. Louis thing, it’ll probably be while I’m working in the lab or doing research.”
Haley considered that, and said, “OK, but you should go out with us soti.”
“I will,” I said, and not long after that, she went to the showers.
It was a relief—not to get rid of Haley, but going would have been several kinds of awkward. Beyond Sydney probably wishing Haley were still going out with her brother, Camille tended to flirt with everybody—including . She didn’t an anything by it, but it still opened up more potential for embarrassnt than I wanted.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not ant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Plus they were both attractive, and that wouldn’t make the situation less awkward.
But anyway, they left. Haley smiled at . Sydney said a quiet, “Bye.” Camille tapped the armor near my stomach (the bootup sequence still hadn’t finished), and said, “Nice abs.”
I went back to the lab, and pulled down the faceplate. It sealed, and I noticed that the screen said:
[READY]
I said, “Disassemble.”
Bit by bit, it landed on the floor, reminding of the sound of hail. I knew that it was entirely off because my feet were cold. The suit had kept them warm.
I walked back out of the lab into HQ’s main room, and put on my shoes and socks. They seed warm and dry enough. That taken care of, I sat down at the conference table, opened a computer, and implented the newer version of the bootup algorithm. It took a couple hours, but it worked. I tested it remotely at first, but once it worked, I tried it.
It took four minutes, twenty-six seconds.
It was amazing.
Once I got the armor off, I sat down in the chair, relieved, and thinking through my next step. To get it ready for Cassie, I needed to add weapons, and one other thing. Even though I didn’t intend to include a rocket pack, I had worked out so small jets that would boost her ability to jump. I also knew of one weapon I intended to add whether she wanted it or not—a stun gun.
Grandpa had created a design for the Defenders, but the League hadn’t used it, so it wouldn’t be associated with Captain Commando or the League.
Was I going to do it tonight though? I checked the ti, and noticed that it was after ten. No, I decided. I’d start sothing big later. Now, I’d start research that I could leave halfway through if I found I was getting tired.
Admittedly, the research was a little selfish, but it would be useful for everybody—including Cassie.
I tried to figure out if there were a way to create a ceramic with the sa level of protection Grandpa’s had, but lighter—say forty to sixty percent lighter. So maybe that was crazily overambitious, but it sounded like a good idea at the ti.
I spent the next hour reviewing Grandpa’s ceramics, and coming up with ideas. After deciding one of them might work, I decided to stop. Implenting it would have taken all night.
I did decide to do one thing before I left though. Unlike most people, I had access to sothing that might be able to tell if it would work before I wasted my ti.
I opened up a connection to the League jet, more specifically to the jet’s AI—an alien battle computer Grandpa had recovered and installed in the jet.
It texted back imdiately.
[Yes?]
I described the ceramic, its creation process, and finished by asking, “Do you think this could work? Wait, I know you’re not made for engineering. Are you aware of similar materials used in creating spaceships or armor?”
[Yes. Similar materials have been used by spacefaring races before. I assu you’re wondering if it will work.]
“Yes.”
[It most definitely will, but you shouldn’t waste your ti. A business called “St. Louis Industrial Materials” appears to be ordering the necessary substances to manufacture a similar ceramic. You should order so.]
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