Episode 29: Weapon Eyes

An hour prior to Cameron Scott’s suicide. Possibly the murder of Sophia Ridge. Her body that is. Misery loves company it seems.

Colonel Jack Ramse stalked about Ganthorian Hilton’s alien armory in a welcomed usage of solar powered lamps. Now that the sun shields were removed the collectors let the sun in during the day and absorbed its energy. Ramping up their low-level power sources made things more comfortable at night.

Having had taken a quick bath to feel invigorated and giving himself enough time to devise a strategy he got dressed and dove right in. Bad choice of words considering Cameron Scott had jumped into the microbial shark tank leaving poor Sophia to skinny dip her skeletal remains. Some help those pesky superior beings were.

Behind him James Ian Pryce was tinkering at a table with something mechanical looking. He had no idea what the boy was doing. At the moment he didn’t stress on it. Eying the returned drones that had survived the Vampire attack he puckered in thought on how best to utilize them going forward. Turning his profile toward James he interrupted the lad.

“These drones. They manipulate gravity dropping Vamps like flies by making them heavy. Can they also make things lighter?”

“Sure can. How do you think aliens helped build the Pyramids?”

“What kind of range can these tinkertoys travel? Wait! What? Pyramids? I don’t want to know.”

“Not the Ganthorian’s, mind you. The Osirian’s! That’s how the ancient Egyptian’s named their chief God Osiris. Anyway, I could probably increase their distance with programming. Otherwise, I’m guessing 100 miles tops. The further any signal relay goes the less it reads and responds. Why?”

“Well, we don’t know exactly where these Vamp’s call home. But, if they’re within range we can still use these drones. Not only as combatants but to get us there faster. They can lift us up and haul us, right? That would help us conserve our bodies from the wear and tear of any long trek.”

“Neat idea. I don’t see why not.” James puffed his lower lip.

“Another idea! Sophia used ultraviolet light to toast the Vampires. Can we create grenades like that? Even retool these Ion guns to create the effect?”

“Easy enough. I like your thoughts, Jack. I can even fit a few of the drones with the Lava shells I made for Ruby. Whatever gives us the advantage.”

“We need protective armor. Something to keep us from being bitten or torn apart.”

“Life fiber. Remember my bringing that up? Nobody seemed that interested in it.” He revealed one of his gloves from a pants pocket. Showing Jack as he put it on his left hand, he willed it to strengthen up. Changing color from white to grey then hardening around his knuckles.

“Shake?” James extended his hand. Jack reaching out to grasp the boys hand felt softness to the touch but just as quickly it turned as hard as steel only flexible. The alteration took Jack Ramse by surprise.

“It’s molecular structure obeys its wearer. It can be cloth until you will it to be what you need it to be. In this case steel like armor. Yet easily manipulated to move freely.”

“Good job, Kid. We should have listened to you more.”

“All good. We’ve been kept busy, so I understand. Now you know. If we all wear these fibers, we would be like Knights.”

“Okay! Tech wise, I think we have an advantage.” Jack released the boys hand watching the fiber return to its original material. “What about ways we can save Cameron’s body from Verago?”

“Well, like I said, that Chinese bestseller he and Malcolm brought back from their salvage run has loads of magic spells in it. It’s all Doctor Strange kind of stuff. But, with each spell there’s a curse to it. This keeps anyone from using it unless it becomes absolutely necessary. We’re talking seriously dark magic here Jackson. Jack! Sorry!”

“My dad used to call me Jackson. Can anyone access these spells? Perform them?”

“Sure. Might be fatal though.”

“What if an Immortal spoke them?”

“Gaicazar?” James raised a brow! “Interesting idea! Maybe. Although Verago depleted his Immortality a bit. We could run it by the guy. Only worry I have is him being so in tune with God that he might not want to delve into dark magic. All blasphemy and heretic kind of thing.”

“I guess we convince him. If anything, he would want to destroy evil. So, fight fire with fire. I’ll talk to him.”

“Other thoughts.” James added! “Malcolm! When his ruins expose themselves, they seem to create different power sets to those who touch them. I say we test run touching those and sample possibilities. You, Ruby...”

“Stop right there. Ruby stays here.”

James creased his brow! “Worried about her health? You know, don’t you?”

“You already knew?”

“Suspected.” James shied away from direct eye contact.

“I need you to stay here with Ruby and Greta. If anything goes wrong at least I know you three are safe.”

“Two.”

Both men looked around hearing Greta Winston’s voice but didn’t readily see her.

“Snooping?” Jack squinted toward the direction of her tone.

“Testing myself. Sorry! I don’t mean to intrude on Ya’ll. I’d turn to normal, but I’d make you blush. My clothes don’t seem to follow me along. Won’t even say what I’d probably do to poor James.” She giggled!

“Nice to see you embracing these powers instead of being bummed out about them.” Jack nodded!

“I’m getting used to it. Feels easier going back and forth now.”

Inspiration striking like lightning James stepped to a cabinet to his left and pulled out a long length of life fiber cloth. Fanning it out he guessed at how much might be needed. Convinced he had calculated right he hauled it toward Greta’s voice.

“I’ll hold this up. Greta? I want you to walk into the material and drape it around you. Once you’re covered just expose only your neck up.”

“Alright then!” The men observed the material being claimed from James and forming around Greta’s exquisite build. Once her entire body was shrouded, save for her head, she stood there perplexed. “What now?”

James shrugged one shoulder. “I want you to tell the fiber to form around your body as if a second skin.”

“Yeah, okay. Uh! Feel me up?”

The cloth constricted instantly, enveloping around her every muscle as it tightened up as if her own flesh. Before Jack and James her body stood directly in front of them. Jack chuckled and planted a hand over the eyes of James.

“What’s the matter?” She shivered! “This shawl thing feels cozy.”

“A bit too cozy. You might want to look at yourself a tad closer.”

Her head still invisible Greta glanced down at herself. Sure enough, she had serious camel toe, and her nipples were sky high. She quickly hid her private parts from them.

“Just tell the fiber to expand in your trouble centers. All it takes is letting it know what you need of it.”

“Hide my private parts. Here and here.” She touched herself. To everyone’s surprise her breasts turned invisible. As well as her vaginal region. “That ain’t what I meant.” They then returned to show the cloth, only thicker and less exposing.

“That’s better.” Jack expressed, removing his hand away from James.

“That looks good on you Greta.” The boy acknowledged! “Now try and will your whole body to go invisible again.”

“Gotcha!” She swiftly faded away! “By golly, I like this. Now I can go all see through and back. I might miss my hat though.”

“I like your ponytail.”

“At least you can come and go as you please. This bit of stealth could come in handy. Can anybody turn invisible wearing that stuff?” Jack pondered aloud, overriding James Ian’s compliment.

“I don’t think so. It adapts to what you are. You don’t have her power. All it might do for you other than armor up is fine tune your own abilities.”

“What about Elle? Could it become diamond all over?”

“Good question.”

Greta danced in step revealing her head to them. “I’ll go find Elle.”

As Greta departed Jack eyed more cloth from the cabinet. Rubbing his chin, he considered the possibilities this life fiber might offer.

“You mentioned Malcolm’s runes. What if any of us wore these then touched a rune. Would it adapt to the ability of the rune?”

“I love your mind.” James grinned! “There is only one way to know. We’ll try it in the morning. If it does, then Cam in Sophia’s body can power up as needed.” Neat idea until they realized he and her body were long gone. “You know nothing is going to stop Cam from going after his body and Sabbath.”

“Yeah, I know. Let’s keep cataloging our thoughts. What else--”

James grew grim, tilting his head down. Fingers applied to his temple. Before Jack’s scrutiny, the boy started arguing with Sophia Ridge in his mind. His expressions turning his face red with anger. Something was going on with his dog. With Sophia in control of the German Shepard the connection was easy to eavesdrop on.

Once the argument was over James returned to Jack fulltime. “Sorry! I had to put Sophia in her place.”

“Go figure.”

“Where were we? Oh, yeah! Weaponized! This doohickey I’ve been working on is a sonic collar. Breaking down a translator collar I’m adding more to it. Bats are susceptible to sonar at night. If I can use this silent whistle in the form of a low frequency sonic scream that only they can hear, it might send them into a panic. To the point they can’t even think straight.”

“Who wears this? And how does this effect Xander? We both know you won’t be able to keep Sophia caged up.”

“I’ll block Xander’s ears with tiny plugs. Of course, that might make her deaf to everyone else. Just make sure she stays close to you. And, yeah, I’m scared shitless I’ll get my dog killed in all of this. It sucks ass.”

Jack raised up a length of life fiber, “Trojan horse?”

“Now I know how you rose in rank.’ James was impressed! “Don’t say Trojan around Sophia. You know how perverted she gets.” The colonel smirked! He knew all too well.

A few minutes later Greta guided a sleepy Eleanor “Elle” Franklin in. She was only wearing a long black tank top. Impressed by Greta’s outfit was the only thing that got Elle out of bed. In ready Jack peeled another length of life fiber from its spool and tossed it at Elle. “Try this on.”

Snatching it from the air Elle wrapped it around her body.

“Tell it to tighten up.” Greta took charge giddily.

The material following direction molded around Elle to form fit her body. Second skin indeed. Just as Greta had faced earlier the cloth tightened up in all the wrong places. Greta stepped in front of Elle to block the view of the guys.

“Might wanna--” Greta pointed out Elle’s nipples and her plunging camel toe.

“Not all of us worry about modesty. But I’ll humor you.” The material evened out with more concealment. Greta then stepped aside.

“Feels good, don’t it?” Greta purred!

“Sure! Why am I wearing this, Jack?”

“Try something for me. I want you to think of your diamond covered areas then imagine them all over your entire body.”

Eyebrows rose at the thought. Giving in, Elle pondered the option. The life fiber scanning her diamond hide reinvented its material to compensate. In minutes from Elle’s neck down her whole body morphed into diamond. In awe Elle Franklin clenched her fists and admired the change with a fixation.

“Isn’t that something!”

“Wearing this you might not be able to absorb sunlight unless you expose your real arm. But the suit with protect the rest of you from localized injury. Same goes for your healing hand. All you need to do is tell the suit you need your hand. The suit will reveal it.” James pointed out! “Oh, and if you want to protect your head more just tell the life fiber to cloak your scalp too. Keep your eyes open to be able to focalize your energy storage.”