This choice: ...something else happens. • Go Back...Chapter #6Meanwhile, underneath the Nevada desert by: Yote   Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in a research laboratory three miles underground, a scientist sits in a room prototype by several feet of lead, a faraday cage, and the new, prototype shielding. It is a small room, containing only the scientist, a computer, and a two-way microphone, linked to the outside by a single high-bandwidth cable.
The monitor is displaying real-time footage of a similar room several miles away, containing two US marines, his research subjects, and a small, egg shaped device called prototype #2, confiscated - along with all the scientists that worked on it - during an armed raid from Transfor-tech, the night before the government shut it down.
The scientist clicks on the microphone. "Private Jennings, if you can pick up the device and turn Private Richards into... let's say, a cat."
The soldier in the other room obliges. The scientist watches as the other soldier glows and shrink. A tabby cat pulles itself out from inside his army fatigues.
Ten minutes pass. The scientist clicks the microphone on. "Jennings, how does Private Richards appear to be faring?"
"Uh, fine, sir," Jennings replies on the status of the little animal, which sits still with military bearing.
Another ten minutes pass, and the scientist clicks the microphone on once more. "Jennings, how is Private Richards faring now?"
"Sir?" the soldier asks.
"Private Jennings, report on the status of Private Richards," the scientists repeats.
The soldier turns to look blankly at the surveilance camera. "Sir, I don't know any Private Richards, sir." Then he crouches to tickle the cat behind the ears.
"Interesting," the scientist notes grimly, leaning back in the chair. He runs a search for Private Richards's records on the military database, and finds nothing.
Somehow, Prototype #2 was a reality warper. Not only did it transform its target with perfect accuracy, over time reality warped around the target to fit, and fit it perfectly, so that only the target held any memory of the original reality. It had been an insidiously difficult thing to detect, let alone study, as any evidence of the effect was, by definition, self-erasing. Lord knew how much damage had already been done. They had no way of knowing.
And somewhere out there, the scientist thinks, suddenly aware that the four shielded walls around him are now the safest place on Earth, is prototype #1.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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