by Saless
Chapter 98
“How did you do that?!” Erica exclaimed.
Sarah opened her eyes, but the glow around her hand remained, as did the light. “I really don't know. I just concentrated on pushing energy into the cord and it worked.” she said.
“Is it tiring?” Jill asked worriedly.
Sarah shook her head, “No, not really. That big blast I shot at the hills was way more power than what I'm using now. I feel like I could keep this up all day.”
You might, at that. But it is late, and this is a new use of your powers. I suggest you stop now. Vash said.
Sarah shrugged, “Okay.” The glow slowly subsided from her hand, and the light dimmed and then went out. Once it had she dropped the cord. “I guess we should really be getting home, anyway.”
“ Yes, I want to get Jill in bed before she passes out.” Mike agreed. She glared at him for that, but he just grinned back. Sarah opened the portal and they all walked through, and then she opened another portal for Mike and Jill. “See you tomorrow!” Mike called as he led Jill, who was a bit unsteady on her feet, through the portal.
“I guess I should be getting home, too.” Tiffany said. “I'll see you at work tomorrow Sarah. Or do you want me to pick you up?”
Sarah glanced at Erica, who said, “No, I still want to drive her in. You don't mind, do you?”
“No, of course not. Bye!” Tiffany said, and left. She walked back to her car, but found an unfamiliar man in a black suit leaning against it.
As she approached he stood up and, glowering, said, “You were under strict instructions not to make contact with Ms. Kinsley and her friends!”
She had been fearing this confrontation, especially since they still hadn't gotten any information from Erica's father. “So? They're my friends, I'll talk to them all I want.” she said.
“Do you at least have some information for me?” he asked gruffly.
“Why would I have any information for you?! I don't even know who you are!” Tiffany replied.
“I work for Special Agent Garner. He instructed you to watch Ms. Kinsley and report back to him. He would have contacted you before now, but he's been busy. Now you'll be reporting to me, and I'll pass your report along to Agent Garner.” he said.
“First off,” Tiffany said, “he never identified himself to me. Secondly, I don't spy on my friends! If you want information you'll have to get it from someone else!” With that she pushed him aside to get to her car, while calling out for Sarah as loudly as she could mentally.
“Do you want to go to jail?!” he growled as he grabbed her hand just as she was about to open the door. “If you don't do what Agent Garner wants, you'll be arrested for the murder of John Green!”
“Oh please!” Tiffany said, trying to keep up a strong front despite her fear. “Whoever killed John was just protecting Sarah. You couldn't convict them for that if your life depended on it! Now let me go!”
“I think you should do as she asks, before I call the police.” Sarah said from only a few feet behind him. He spun around, his hand reaching for something in his coat. Seeing only Sarah standing there, he relaxed somewhat. She had her cell phone in her hand and one finger poised over the 'call' button.
“This doesn't concern you Ms. Kinsley.” he said dismissively.
“ Considering that your boss has been trying to blackmail my friend, and you're holding her here against her will, I think it is my concern! Now let her go and leave, or I will call the police!” Sarah said angrily. Tiffany was surprised by how forceful Sarah was being, until she noticed that Sarah's hands were shaking.
He looked conflicted, but then Erica came running up. “Are you okay Sarah?” she asked breathlessly as she came up beside her.
Sarah's eyes stayed glued to the man as she said, “I'm fine.” Erica nodded and turned her glare on the man who was still holding Tiffany's wrist.
Grunting in annoyance he let her go. “I'll be in touch.” he said gruffly, and walked away.
“Are you alright Tiffany?” Erica asked.
Nodding, Tiffany said, “Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for coming, I don't know what I would have done if you didn't.”
“Maybe you should stay here tonight. Sarah can portal you over to your apartment to get whatever you need.” Erica suggested.
“That's okay, I should be alright now.” Tiffany said. Turning to Sarah she hugged her and said, “Thanks for coming to the rescue!”
“Your welcome, but are you sure you'll be alright?” Sarah said worriedly.
“Sure!” Tiffany said with false confidence.
“ I may not be able to hear your thoughts, but I can tell you're not as confident as you're pretending to be. I really think you should stay here tonight.” Sarah said.
“I agree. Come on, let's go!” Erica said, grabbing Tiffany's arm and gently pulling her towards Sarah's apartment.
“Yes, let's!” Sarah agreed, and pulled on Tiffany's other arm.
Tiffany laughed, “Okay, okay! Just let me make sure my car's locked!” With that done they returned to Sarah's apartment, making sure that door was locked, as well. Sarah portalled Tiffany to her apartment to get what she'd need while Erica set up the couch, which folded out into a bed. By the time they returned she had sheets, blankets, and pillows all in place.
“Will you be okay out here by yourself?” Sarah asked, “We could sleep out here and you could use my bed, if you want?”
“I'll be fine Sarah! And thanks.” Tiffany said.
They said their good nights and went to bed.
Sarah was awoken in the morning by the smell of bacon, ham, eggs, and cheese. Erica stirred beside her, “You cooking breakfast already, Sarah?” she asked sleepily.
“Not me.” Sarah replied.
“Good morning!” Tiffany called as she pushed the door open with her foot and carried a tray of food in. “I hope you like it!” she said. Sarah sat up and Tiffany set the tray on Sarah's lap. She left and returned a few moments later with another tray for Erica.
“You didn't have to do this Tiffany!” Erica exclaimed as she looked at the large omelet that filled the plate and the cheese that threatened to overflow it as it oozed out. There was also a glass of milk, silverware, and a napkin on the tray.
Tiffany shrugged, “I liked helping Sarah cook for everyone yesterday, so I thought I'd do it again. Besides, I wanted to thank you again for last night.”
“Thanks Tiffany, it's great!” Sarah said after trying a bite of the omelet.
Erica took a bite and said, “Mm, you're right!”
Beaming, Tiffany said, “I'm glad you like it! Did you want anything else?”
“No, this is wonderful Tiffany! Thanks again.” Sarah replied. Erica nodded her agreement.
“Okay, I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” Tiffany said.
She returned to the kitchen to finish up her own breakfast. By the time she'd finished Sarah was walking in with her and Erica's trays. “Do you usually cook like that for yourself?” Sarah asked as she portal-cleaned the dishes.
Tiffany smiled as she watched Sarah magically cleaning the dishes as if it were totally normal. “Not really. It's just not as much fun when you're the only one eating it.” she replied.
Sarah nodded and looked at Tiffany's plate. “You want me to clean that, too?” she asked.
“Sure, thanks!” Tiffany replied. In moments the dishes were all cleaned and put away. “That's a really handy trick, isn't it?”
“Yeah, it is. I think I'll see if I can't use it to dry myself off after my shower.” Sarah replied.
“Why not just use it to clean yourself, then you don't even need to take a shower?” Tiffany suggested.
Blushing, Sarah mumbled, “Well, that wouldn't be as much fun as taking a shower with Erica.”
“Okay, that makes sense.” Tiffany said. She laughed as Sarah ran back to join Erica in the shower when she heard the water start. She took a seat in front of the TV and watched the news while she waited.
On the screen she saw what looked like Main Street of their town! A panicked reporter was speaking, “...anything like this! It looks like a man made of fire!”
To Be Continued…
Comments
The plot thickens.
It's interesting reading the two companion stories and this one and getting 3 POV's on certain events. I like how Sarah and Tiffany confronted the agent. It may be that they will need to get a bigger place like a Frat house or something, so the group both have their privacy and protect each other. It's getting so the only ones they can trust are each other.
I hope Mana contacts them soon or there could be an unexpected confrontation. Mana's meddling may backfire.
Juggle, Juggle. Who spilled the marbles on the floor?
Hugs,
Trish-Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Nuh uh! You're not getting
Nuh uh! You're not getting me this time! I'm going the other way! *Bam* Who put that door there? ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Okay, if someone is at a loss...
First there was Watcher 5 then Watcher Watcher 2 then this one - in the string of our authoress' predicaments.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
WOW!
Five chapters in less than two days, including the side stories! Be careful not to outrun yourself! (That usually just produces an accident.)
I'm going to be repetitive and tell you again that I love this story!
--- Martin
Yeah, I been busy! I even
Yeah, I been busy! I even got 5000+ words on my Terror Contest story written! Maybe I'll even get it done before the deadline. ;)
Thanks Martin! ^_^
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
The Watcher
Is on very shaky ground. There is no evidence that anything illegal is going on, except for the vanished corpse, and that is no evidence now. It can be attributed to the X-Files and buried as a cold case. But these newer manifestations should call in some agency linked to mutants from KittyHawk.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
you will be pleased to know that
i've got all the puns out of my system now, And i can't tell you how delighted (dam!! where did that come from) i was to see not one but three postings today.
Things do seem to be moving forward now, And i think you can be pretty sure that the watchers watcher will not take being sent on his way by three women without planning some form of revenge! Mind you it would be quite interesting if Sarah was arrested.... After all what Jail would be able to hold her?
Kirri
If he's a good agent,
revenge won't enter into it.
On the other hand, things are going to get interesting when they start selling stuff on ebay. It's a good thing Erica is setting up a corporation. That'll make it a little more difficult to trace back to Sarah and company. It won't slow down someone who is trying to trace things, but at least it won't openly attract the FBI's attention. They probably have trackers on the web to look for instances of the names of the people under investigation (perfectly legal -- as long as they only search public areas,) so keeping their names off of the site would be a good idea.
Actually, they could cause a little misdirection by joining a few email lists and posting to some fora and newsgroups -- not enough to make it look like they are purposely muddying the waters, of course.
There are two standards to adhere to. They can openly sell their goodies without any legal problems, but attracting attention is not a good thing.
The Blue Flame ...
Was a land speed record vehicle built thirty years ago or so.
Now let's not get into a flame war about Saless's sudden burst of chapters.
As we have seen the FBO, FBR, FIB, FUC* ... never mind that last one ... are grasping at straws and not very nicely.
Sarah and her new electrical power scare me as it did Vash. She created a power out of nothing just by imagining she could do it. I fear she may try to push power into Jill to help her *because she thinks she can* and Jill will be hurt or hurt someone inadvertently. I mean, this new jerk FBI guy might so piss off Jill she TKs him by his, um, you know .... there is a fight, Sarah panics and the next thing you know Jill has ripped of the man's .... EWWWWH THAT'S painful!
Now as to Fred and Susan, I'm totally confused. Were they helping teach you to juggle?
I'm also confused about former ex-dad, when was he questioned? Did dad stay quiet because he feared they wouldn't believe him or did he have an attack of conscious and deliberately aid his child? If so there is hope for his rehabilitation.
John in Wauwatosa with Susan and Fred.
P.S. Saless, you have got to stop introducing so many new characters, we're getting confused. And what of Jennifer the blue fire elemental and Omar the six foot tall pooka that can influence ATMs?
John in Wauwatosa
Who are Susan and Fred?
Your pet smilodons?
I have yo know
I was contemplating TK power in an interesting way today. One would be capable of coordinating hundreds of things at once, 'feeling around' and inside the surroundings, manipulating things on cellular level and smaller... with a (self-imposed) limitation to the upper size and mass of any single object manipulated. And said manipulation included:
Opening the pupils rapidly, moving the inner ear balance tendril thingies and listening bones (that conduct eardrum vibrations) in a very violent yet controlled manner (during clapping hands) to make vertigo/sensory overload clapping.
Using chem mediators in nerves to stiffen the limbs, or moving them without their owner's consent.
Jamming barrels of multiple guns. Or making them backfire.
Demolishing oh-so-fragile circuitry in hi-tech weapons and/or cyborgs/robots.
Shutting the pupils and stiffening the eardrums to achieve sensory deprivation effect.
And they keep telling me I am nuts ;)
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Stupid TK tricks
My favorite kitty people came up with a trick where they compress the carotid arteries, temporarily knocking the victim out. It's not a new trick, actually. It's a new method of the choke holds that are used in martial arts.
Later, someone shot a high powered rifle at Cara. She detected the bullet (remote sensing,) and pushed it down to the ground where it expended its momentum in the dirt. Immediately after, she pinched the end of the barrel, which caused the weapon to blow up in the face of her assailant. Also, she jammed some of the smaller parts of some handguns that her attackers were sneaking around with.
These are mostly nonlethal tricks. Even with a weak TK power, it would be no trick to stir someone's brain or compress his heart. In fact, Beowulf Schaffer (Larry Niven's Known Space series) used his 'imaginary arm' to kill someone that way.
What can I possibly say?
A little motion goes a long way. ;)
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Actually...
It was Gil the ARM Hamilton...
Eric
Portals and Wormholes
Per comments after the last chapter about portals;
I read a book by Kip Thorne from Cal Tech, a few years ago. The book was on Black Holes and such. Kip is a friend of Stephen Hawking.
Kip was able to theoretically demonstrate that a wormhole, a much shorter passage thru', or out of, space-time from one location to another, could be held open by a tube constructed with a material with negative mass. At least that's what the math indicated. Antimatter, like positrons and anti protons and neutrons, has positive mass.
Brane theory, which is like string theory with many or infinite parallel universes or branes (from membranes; imagine multiple parallel two dimensional membranes, separated from each other by a distance on the order of the length of a string, more than trillions of times smaller than the diameter of the smallest elementary particle) might work such that a portal or wormhole might form in a brane, other than ours, when that and our brane touch in two places. It is suggested that black holes distort space-time so much that they exist in our brane and others at the same time.
I have no idea of the utility of all this mumbo-jumbo speculation. I just thought it might give others some ideas (or nightmares, I guess).
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee
PS. I just had a thought. There is a quote that is something like: "The most amazing thing (about the universe) is that it is (or isn't, can't remember) much more complex than we could possibly imagine."
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee
Plate-cleaning technique
Again, I'm greatly enjoying the story so far, and dreading catching up with the current chapter and having to wait.
I'm not sure about Sarah's plate-cleaning technique. Unless there's something unobvious going on, it seems that it should be the equivalent of scrubbing the food residue off with a dry brillo pad -- that is, not a thorough way to kill germs, like using soap and hot water. It's a labor-saving preliminary to washing them by hand or putting them in a dishwasher, but not a replacement for that.
To be sure of removing every microbe from the surface of the plate, Sarah would have to have microscopic control over the dimensions of her portals, ensuring that they dynamically adjust to every minor irregularity in the surface of the plate. Does she really have that degree of control?
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