Chapter Text

Chapter 1

As the glowing green plumbob disappears from over my head I carefully keep working on examining the sample in the ‘microscope’ I was assigned to before the ‘player’ gets bored. I also ignore the sympathetic looks my coworkers send me now that we’re not being observed.

This is still infinitely better than my first few years in this world when I was a prisoner in my own body after I kept trying to run away.

The microscope starting to spark pulls me out my thoughts, and I dive out of the seat and cautiously head towards the nearest fire extinguisher, as I have no desire to find out what burning to death feels like a third time, assuming I can even die anymore after everything the player has done to me. I swear the only reason I was forced to fall in love with L and marry her is so she could cast dedeathify on me whenever the ‘player’ finds an inventive new way to kill me. Not that I was able to actually drown last time they trapped me in the swimming pool. I just felt like I was.

With nothing else to do, I head over to the invention constructor and continue working on some of my personal projects until the end of the day. Fortunately, being the Laboratory Leader, nobody else says anything.

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A few days after the plumbob disappeared, I’ve just finished cooking lasagna and I place it on the table before calling everyone to dinner.

L is the first one to arrive, and she kisses me on the cheek, “What’s this honey?”

I smile at L, “I’ll tell you once Jack and Jill are sitting down. Could you make sure Sea3 Pea-Oh is around too?”

L studies my face intently, “What’s wrong Taylor?”

I hug L, “Nothing’s wrong, absolutely nothing’s wrong. I’m hoping that everything is right, and we can finally live our lives without interference.”

As Jack and Jill run up to the table and take a portion of lasagna L looks over their heads, and then over my head, “Do you mean that?”

I nod, “Just need to check on Sea3 Pea-Oh.”

L hugs herself and nods, “Sea3!”

A couple of minutes later Sea3, the servo I built during one of my controlled moments, walks up, “How can I help you L?”

L smiles, “We’re having a family dinner, and you’re part of the family.”

Once we’re all eating, I say, “L, everyone, I want to go home, and I want to take you all with me.”

L looks at me worriedly as Jill says, “But we are home.”

I reach across the table and grab one of her free hands, “I know we are Jill, but I want to go back to my original home. It’s a world where nobody can ever stop you from having a cake day. Where there’s no plumbobs, and it’s where my dad lives. Do you want to see granddad?”

L grabs my arm, “Taylor, you remember what happened last time.”

I wince as I think back to the day I unlocked the inventing skill, “I know, I know. But I’ve built a time machine.”

“Taylor! They were banned by the system, how could you!”

I grab L’s hands and hold them tight, “L, honey, it’s…” I switch to English as Simlish doesn’t have the right concepts, “It’s the only way for us to be free.”

I switch back to Simlish, “But I can’t do it without you L, you’re my soulmate. Please, take a chance and come with me. If not for me, for Jack and Jill, they deserve to have a chance to be teenagers and grow up with friends of their own. Not like this, where they’re making friends with their friends grandchildren.”

L turns back to her portion of lasagna and eats for a bit. When there’s only scraps left on the plate she looks up at me with tears in her eyes, “Taylor, are you sure?”

I pass her an ExoMech Suit and Helmet that I made for her, “Yes, I’m sure. But we need to take everything we can with us. Especially potions ingredients and books. I’m not going to deny Jack and Jill their magical heritage. I have my simray for anything that’s too big, and I have two sets of birthday candles.”

Sea3 huffs, “I’m going to the mall.”

My eyes widen as I think back to my arrival in this world, and draw my simray. Setting it to sleep, I point it at Sea3 and pull the trigger.

L slaps me, “What did you do that for?”

I put the gun away and point at Sea3 as they sit down on a sofa and lie down, “Sea3 hates going to the mall! Why would they want to head somewhere where there are guaranteed to be some players? Jack, Jill, get all of your books and things. L, do you want to take the garden or the library?”

L scowls at me, “Garden, and we will be having words about this.”

I pull her into a kiss, “Once we’re at my dad’s home, you can have as many words as you want.”

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A few hours later, the four of us have gathered everything that can be carried. Including a couple of cakes I bought from the fridge.

As I lead my family down to the third basement, I use the Simray on the doors to change them into arches and invalidate the restrictions that the player put on them.

Once we reach the inventing workshop I rush over to the invention constructor and tell it to place the time machine. As normal, it lifts the invention up and places it next to the machine. Without a player to manipulate it, we’ll have to make do.

“Everyone in, and don’t touch the coils on the walls.”

As L and the kids are shuffling to fit into a space that’s designed for one person, I pull up my life history and program the machine to send us back exactly 90 minutes further than I’ve been alive, according to the system anyway.

As the machine starts to warm up, I walk in and hug my family close to me. As the door hisses behind us, I stiffen as the green glow of a plumbob appears above my head. As it does, L gasps, “Sea3!”

As the urge to teleport to a nearby spot takes over, the purple glow of the time machine engulfs us, and we appear in the garden of the mansion with the moon hanging overhead. Fortunately for my continued existence, the teleport fails, as that basement doesn’t yet exist.

L looks over my head worriedly, “Taylor, what if…”

I cut her off with a kiss, “L, we all teleport and I know exactly where we’re going.”

Jack looks up at me, “When am I going to get cake?”

I smile at Jack, “When we get to Willow Creek Park. Everyone, group up and I’ll send us traveling.”

I smile as the transparent diamonds appear above our heads, at least that still works. Pulling out my phone I select travel to, and then the park in Willow Creek. As I do, I allow the system to take over as I watch Jack and Jill sit cross legged in midair while L casts transportilate.

A moment later we all appear at the entrance to the park. I hug Jack and Jill briefly, “Come on, let’s find a picnic table and give you your cakes. I’m sorry it’s not a cake day party, but…”

L hugs me, “Taylor, even if this doesn’t work, letting Jack and Jill have a cake day will be worth it.”

I hug her back, “I know it will work L. If not this time, then at some point in the future.”

“How can you know that?”

“You’ll see, but first we need to give the kids their cake.”

The two of us hold hands as Jack and Jill both run off to find a picnic table. Fortunately, without a player around, we are the only people in the park this late at night, so I don’t need to worry about anyone else stealing a slice of cake before both of our children have blown out their own candles.

It’s with mixed feelings that I watch them grow from being children into teenagers. As, if everything goes right tonight, L and I are going to outlive a whole lot of people. The glowing infinity symbols around our necks are proof of that, along with watching our older children become elders while we remain barely more than teenagers.

While L places a boom box so that Jack and Jill can have a mini party, I place two more Exosuits and helmets on a nearby table. When I spot a glow appear beyond the toilet building, I clap my hands.

“I’m sorry to interrupt the party, but it’s time to go. Everyone put on an Exosuit and helmet, and follow me.”

Jill spins around with a pout “But Mom!”

I give Jill a hug, “Jill, we need to wear them so that we can’t be recognized. As time travellers other people can’t see our names, but that doesn’t mean they can’t see our faces. If they see our faces, they might be able to stop us from coming back here in the future.”

L nods as she equips her own suit, “Jill, do what your mother says.”

I stick my tongue out at her, “L, you know full well that you’re mother and I’m mom.”

L raises her finger, “Taylor, if you don’t want to spend some time as a lawn ornament, you will shut up.”

I nod and silently lead my family towards the glow. As we get closer to the river, I spot a section of blacktop with a little bit of sidewalk just about visible with a scattering of snow along the curb. Sitting in the middle of the growing circle is a sobbing teenager in a winter jacket. As Jill goes to walk forward, I put my hand on her shoulder, “Wait. When other people start to appear in the circle, that’s when we can go.”

L looks at me, “Taylor, what’s is this?”

I swallow hard and point, “L, you remember what I said about going home? That’s how I got here. I think we grabbed the crying girl as we ran into the circle.”

“Shouldn’t we just not then?”

I pull L into a tight hug, before leaning her over to give her a scorching kiss, “L, if we don’t, I’ll never have met you. I know that we fell in love because of the player, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you. I’d live this life a hundred times if it meant living it with you.”

Jack points excitedly, “I can see more people.”

I nod, “Let’s go. Jack and Jill, you’ve got the arms, L, we’ve got the legs.”

Together we jog towards the girl and Jack and Jill grab her under the arms as L and I grab her legs. As we do, the girl kicks out, and I bump into a lanky girl wearing a baggy hoodie and ratty jeans underneath her coat. As we keep walking forward with a struggling girl, Jill knocks over a tall white man in a nice suit, along with the scarred woman that was walking behind him, while the park around us is dissolving. I silently apologize to both of them as last of the park disappears along with them, leaving us standing on a road decorated with glowing lights in the shape of holly and angels.

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As the last of the park falls by the wayside, I stumble as L, Jack, and Jill all collapse on the tarmac.

An orange teenager with bright red hair calls, “Hey! Put her down!”

I let go of the leg I’m holding and stagger over to L as the teenager hurries over and crouches down beside the girl, “L, are you ok?”

L looks up at me with wide eyes, “Taylor, what’s happened?”

I switch to English, “We’re Free! Can you walk?”

L looks at me stupidly for a moment as she translates what I said. Then she staggers to her feet and says, “Yes.”

I point at Jack, “I’ll look after Jill if you look after Jack.”

L just nods as I stagger around the girl that the orange teenager is crouching beside. Only my exosuit is allowing me to walk at all, “Hey Jill, how are you feeling?”

Jill looks at me blankly for a long moment before she coughs, “Is this an industrial area?”

I shake my head, “No, this world doesn’t have zones like that. Can you stand?”

As Jill’s struggling to her feet, I support her as I say to the orange guy, “Sorry about being a bit rough with your friend, is she ok?”

The guy looks up and snaps, “No she’s not alright, she’s scared!”

I struggle with my inventory for a few seconds before I find the right mental trigger to open it. I take an excellent quality potion of Emotional Stability and place it on the ground. It takes me nearly a minute to succesfully cast copypasta on the bottle, the second cast is a little quicker. During this time the orange man looks at me curiously.

As I put the original bottle away, he asks, “I’ve never seen you guys around, what’s your team name?”

I shake my head as I hand Jill one of the potions, “I’m sorry I don’t know what you’re asking. I’ve been away for a long time, I feel like you’re famous for some reason.” As Jill calms down, I point at the other potion, “That potion should reset your friends emotions like it did for my daughter.”

Abruptly, a woman presses her self into my back, and I feel something hard jab me in the kidneys. In a harsh whisper she says, “You are going to tell the other two to follow Newter to our van while I help your daughter. If you make a wrong move, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in her.”

I curse as a dark purple icon appears over my portrait as I remember what a gun is. I nod as I force a smile on my face. In a shaky voice I say, “Jill, this lady is going to help you to a vehicle. L, Jack, can you walk? Some locals are going to help us.”

L gives me a look as she understands some of what we’ve been talking about. But given that none of my family have even heard of a gun, let alone seen one, she doesn’t connect the weapon with anything dangerous.

As we head down an alleyway, the sound of sirens fills the road we just vacated. I turn my head back as we turn another corner, and spot a black van with PRT emblazoned on the side stop across the alleyway we walked down.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

In the few minutes we’re in the Van, Jack and Jill have fallen asleep and my scared icon doesn’t even start flashing. If it was just me, I’d try to push through it like I did when I was overcoming my fear of fire, or fear of the dark. However, now I have Jack and Jill to worry about.

As the van pulls to a halt, the woman lifts my hand and watches it shake, “You’re terrified, you’re actually terrified.”

I shake my head, “J-just s-scared. C-can still f-function while s-scared.”

L looks at me and slowly says, “Taylor, why are you scared?”

“S-she has a g-gun, and s-she threatened J-Jill with it.”

L frowns, “What’s a gun?”

The orange guy looks at L incredulously, “You don’t know what a gun is?”

I shake my head, “S-she was b-born on t-that w-world.”

The woman huffs and puts the gun away, “Labyrinth creates worlds, she doesn’t go to them.”

I shrug, “M-Maybe s-sometimes she c-copies them? I-I’m g-going to take a b-book out.”

When the woman nods, it takes me a few minutes to open my inventory, and just as long to find the university history book I was forced to study. When it appears in my hand the orange guy and the woman both jump. Labyrinth, is still just out of it.

“What the hell is that!?”

I hand the book over, “A-a b-book.”

The woman grumbles, “Not what I was talking about.”

None the less, she opens the book and starts flicking through. As she does her eyes begin to narrow, “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but this is gibberish.”

“S-Simlish actually. I-It’s the language e-everyone s-speaks t-there. I-I taught L-L English s-so I w-wouldn’t f-forget.”

L stands up and sits next to me, “It’s ok, it’s just fear it’s not going to hurt you.”

I give a shaky chuckle, “Easy for you to say, you’ve never been scared to death.”

The woman growls, “English only.”

The orange guy, Newter! That’s his name. Newter says, “M, lighten up, I believe them.”

The woman throws her arms in the air, “Fine, welcome to the Palanquin, the only cape owned nightclub on the East Coast.”

As the back door is opened by a man with transparent skin, I some how manage to gain an embarrassed emotion as I ask, “You’ll need to remind me, what’s a cape?”

The man shakes his head, “Where have you been for the last 20 years? Living under a rock?”

I duck my head into L’s shoulder as my face burns. L takes pity on me and says, “We have, been living. In San Sequoia. I don’t know, how long, a year is. Our, adult great-grandchildren, have, toddlers, if help.”

The man with transparent skin looks at L skeptically, so she focuses for a couple of seconds before pulling out a pile of photos. As I spot the first photo my embarrassment upgrades to Very Embarrassed. L shows me no mercy as she picks up the first photo, “This is our first baby, Juan-Juan, I carried him. We lived in Glimmerbrook then.”

As she picks up a photo of a pair of twins, one with green hair and the other with yellow hair I stumble over to Jack and Jill, and start waking them up. “These are Em and Em, and they were Taylor’s…”

“Jack, Jill, it’s time to wake up. We’re here and your mother’s showing baby photos.”

It’s amazing how fast they can move when there’s embarrassment on the line, not that I’m far behind them.

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A short while later I’m still waiting for L to finish showing the woman, who held a gun to me, baby photos. Meanwhile the transparent man, who’s name is Gregor the Snail, and Newter have shown us upstairs to their private rooms.

At about the same time as Jill comes out of the bathroom in tears, Jack opens the fridge and calls, “Mom, why doesn’t the fridge let me buy food?”

When I see the damp patch on Jill’s crotch I immediately cast scruberoo, as there’s no reason she should be dirty on top of embarrassed. Now that she’s clean, I walk over to her and pull her into a hug, “What happened sweetie?”

Jill sobs, “I sat down to pee, and my clothes didn’t disappear.”

I don’t say anything for a few seconds as my brain processes that fact, then I remember my early days of being a Sim and panicking because I couldn’t drop my jeans when I needed the loo. While I’m searching for something to say, Newter walks over and puts a comforting hand on Jill’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I remember needing to learn how to use the toilet too.”

I pat Jill on the back before saying, “This is Newter, he said that he remembers needing to learn how to use the toilet too. You’ve never needed to learn how to use the toilet without the system to help you. Give me a minute and I’ll duplicate some potions of Emotional Stability, you’re a teen now so you can drink them.”

Jill gives me a wan smile as I let go and pull the original potion from my inventory. Placing it on the floor, I cast copypasta and put the original away. Then I look at it for a few seconds and cast it again, as I’m certain that we’re all going to need plenty of these before we’ve readjusted to…

As Jill drinks the second potion, Newter cuts off my train of thought as he asks, “What are those?”

I finish casting copypasta for the third time before I hand him one of the potions, “It’s a potion, that removes… that stabilises… It fixes any temporary issues that are affecting someone’s emotions and leaves them feeling slightly happy. It’s contra indicated for pregnant women, because the fixing is rather permanent in that case.”

Newter looks at the potion curiously, “What do you mean permanent?”

“It will remove their womb with the baby.”

“And you can just make these?”

I tip my hand backwards and forwards, “Once we’ve got somewhere to put a cauldron we can start making them. At the moment I’m using a spell to duplicate them…”

I’m cut off by a scream from the kitchen, and all four of us run into the kitchen to see Jack clutching his hand while blood pours out. Lying on the bench are three of his fingers. Eyes wide, I grab the potion from Newter’s hand and hold it up to Jack’s mouth, “Come on Jack, drink the potion, you know it will help.”

As the liquid pours into his mouth, he convulsively swallows and the bleeding slows, and then stops as his fingers grow back. Jill looks shakes her head and walks back into the other room with her book while Newter and Gregor stare at the fingers, and then back at Jack, who has a happy smile on his face.

Gregor looks at me and says, “Contra indicated for pregnant women?”

I nod as I stare at the fingers still on the chopping board, “Yes.”

L and the woman with the gun come running in, and L immediately walks over to inspect Jack. The woman looks around and says, “What happened? I heard screaming.”

Gregor points to the fingers that are still on the chopping board, “The kid cut his fingers off,” then he points at me, “then she gave him a potion that regrew them.”

The woman is silent for a long time before she says, “What do you want?”

I finish casting my current copypasta spell and look at her, “What?”

“What do you want? For the tinkertech potion.”

I look over at L, who shrugs and says, “You wanted to find your dad.”

I look back at the woman, “Um, your name would be a start, as I’ve been calling you the woman with the gun in my head.”

The woman looks at me oddly, “Melanie.”

I smile and take out my Simray as I nod, “Thanks Melanie. I guess I’d like to get hold of dad and let him know I’m alive. Get a job, buy a house where I can put some equipment, and get the kids into school so that they can socialize while they’re growing up. I hadn’t really thought much beyond getting away from that flipping world with my family.”

L looks confused, “Taylor, will the… potion… even work for them?”

I shrug as I continue in the specifications for a NanoCan , “Maybe, it’s magic after all.”

“Magic? You didn’t teach me that word.”

“Magic means Magic.”

L nods, “Thank you. Would still be better to test first.”

Jack whines, “Mom, I’m starving.”

I pull out my phone, select order food, and stare at the ‘Service unavailable… Searching for Provider…’ message for a moment, “Um, Melanie, is there anything for Jack to eat?”

Melanie snarks, “Don’t you have magic to help with that?”

I nod, “I do, but it looks identical to the potions I’ve already been duplicating, and they’re psychologically addictive.”

“They’re what? Never mind, Newter, call down to the kitchen and order some food.”

I finish programming the Simray as I say, “They’re psychologically addictive, as they fill all of your needs, bladder, hunger, hygiene, energy, social, and fun… You don’t have those here, do you.”

As Melanie is staring at me, I point my Simray at the trashcan and pull the trigger. The ray spits out a beam of light that scans the trashcan, before sending out a couple of circles of light and a whoop whoop noise. Then the trashcan turns into a sleek Nanocan.

As Melanie and Gregor stare at the new trashcan, I smoothly pick up the chopping board with the fingers and knife, and drop them into the trashcan.

As the trashcan lights up Melanie screeches, “What the hell Taylor!”

I shrug, “I needed to get rid of Jack’s fingers before they started to smell, and I figured you’d probably appreciate having a trashcan that converts waste into fuel.”

Melanie stares at me before turning around and marching back into the other room. There she grabs one of the duplicated bottles and swigs it down in one go. The she lets out a small laugh, “Heh, it really works.”

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Melanie scowls at the little green and white trashcan drone that’s just bumped into her chair before hovering around it and cleaning all the dust off her filing cabinet. Just another tinker device that the family produced out of nowhere.

Turning back to her computer, she looks back at the computer screen where she’s researching Danny Hebert on one half of her screen and the rules on cross dimensional travel on the other.

“Right, Dockworkers association. It would be someone actually important wouldn’t it. Why couldn’t it have been some nobody they could pay to move to a nearby town?”

With practiced fingers, she quickly dials the Dockworkers contact number as she glances at the clock, 5pm on the Thursday before Christmas, most offices would be closed... On the third ring the phone is picked up, “Good evening, Dockworkers.”

“Is Danny Hebert there?”

“Speaking.”

Melanie smiles, “I’m calling from the Palanquin, I have Taylor here.”

“Is she alright?”

“She is, but she was caught up in a parahuman event on the boardwalk earlier.”

Melanie nods thoughtfully as she hears the sound of a chair scraping back as Danny says, “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“No need to hurry, she’s not going anywhere. Tell the bouncer that you’re here to see Faultline and they’ll direct you round to a side entrance.”

As the phone hangs up, she sighs and looks at the other page, the one that threatens dire consequences if inter-dimensional travelers aren’t reported immediately. With a sigh she picks up the phone and dials the Quebec City branch of the Guild.

Sometimes she wonders if it wouldn’t be easier to actually be villains than legitimate mercenaries.

“This is The Guild, how can I help you?”

Melanie forces a smile, “Hello, this is Faultline, I’d like to report an incident with Labyrinth.”

“One moment, I’m just passing you through to the relevant department.”

A couple of minutes into the hold music, Elle aka Labyrinth pushes open the door to the office with a blue flask in her arms. “Hey Mel, this is good stuff.”

“Parahuman affairs, good evening.”

Melanie makes a shooing motion with her hand as she picks up the receiver again, “Good evening, this is Faultline, I’d like to report an inter-dimensional incident with Labyrinth.”

“I’m sorry, did you say inter-dimensional?”

“I did.”

“According to my computer, you’re calling from Brockton Bay in Maine, USA.”

“I am.”

“Why are you calling Canada when you are miles away from the PRT ENE headquarters?”

Melanie swallows her first response of, ‘Because the local PRT is run by a hardarse bitch with a hard on for parahumans.’ Instead she says, “Because the PRT deals with domestic issues, and this is not a domestic issue. Additionally, Faultline’s Crew is a registered mercenary company. We are registered in Canada despite residing in Brockton Bay.”

In her head she adds, ‘And I don’t shit in my own backyard.’

“One moment, I’m speaking to my supervisor… When and where did this issue occur?”

“Around 4pm at the Boardwalk in Brockton Bay.”

“I can see that there was a PRT incident report filed at around that time. Is there any reason why you didn’t speak to the responding troops?”

“We came straight back to the Palanquin with the visitors as soon as I realized she’d had a moment. The PRT must have arrived after we left.”

“There are visitors?”

“And a time traveler.”

“I’m sorry, did you say time traveler?”

The line goes silent, and then the phone beeps once, and again 20 seconds later.

Pressing the speaker button, Melanie cradles her face in her hands as she says, “Why me?”

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

I’m in the process of trying to work out how to remove my Exomech Suit without the system just moving it into my inventory for me. Something that became more urgent after I had to use scruberoo to clean myself up after I discovered that it prevents pulling down even bikini bottoms when going to the toilet. At least we now know that changing clothes still works. For some reason, Elle has changed into a green robe with a mask.

I’ve just found the hidden catch on my helmet and I’m lifting it off my head when a woman in a red and black suit and a gas mask leads a tall, thin, balding man with dark hair and a battered leather coat through the door to the lounge area.

As I take my helmet off, everyone that can see me freezes as my purple curly hair drops down my back.  I stare at the man as my brain tickles my memory, as soon as I recognize him, I get a sad and happy moodlet and I rush towards him and pull him into a hug.

“Dad, I never thought I’d see you again.”

Dad stands stiffly in my hug as he coldly says, “Who are you?”

I stumble backwards and sob, “Dad, I’m Taylor. Your Little Owl.”

Dad shakes his head, “No you’re not, you look nothing like her.”

I collapse to the floor and tap my chest, “But I am, I’m still me in here even though the player got bored with my appearence and changed it, I’m still me. I still remember you and mom teaching me to read. I still remember going to the office with you when mom had university stuff. And I still remember mom screaming on the phone when there was a loud bang.”

As L kneels down next to me and hugs me, I hear Melanie say, “Mr Hebert, please follow me to my office. There are things we need to speak about.”

As dad’s being led away, L says, “You can do this. Remember all the times you cried after they changed your appearance the first time?”

I nod, as that was worse than when they ripped the moody out of me and made me family oriented. That was just after the third time L and I ruined our relationship. Come to think of it, did they do something to L too? “I remember, if it wasn’t for the label over my head, I’d have believed I was an impostor.” I switch over to English to spare our children, “L, do you remember our third breakup?”

L nods, “I do.”

“Did they do anything to you when they stopped me being moody?”

L nods again, “They took away my mean trait and gave me family orientated.”

Newter sounds upset as he says, “What do you mean ‘stopped you being moody’ and ‘took away my mean trait’?”

I look up at Newter, who flinches, “Exactly what we said. That universe? Around 1% of people lived in a family that was controlled by a player. The players could do almost anything to us and make us do almost anything. Not even dying was an escape, as there are at least four ways to be resurrected, assuming they don’t just make someone hand over a death flower when the grim reaper turns up.”

Elle crouches down to look in my eyes, “Did you know your eyes glow?”

I look away and L kisses me on the forehead as she says, “The player changed ten seasons ago, also have pointed ears. It downside of drawing players attention.”

Elle smiles, “They’re pretty.”

Gregor, on the other hand looks distressed, and sounds it as he says, “You make it sound like there are upsides to drawing a players attention.”

L nods, “They give direction and motivation. They can freely build and change houses and other property to better suit needs. Before we left, mansion was equipped with equipment you could only find in best hospitals and laboratories, along with spa you would pay day’s wages to visit. It is virtually guaranteed that that you succeed in any career player wants you to participate in. In return, we their play things, and they may find inventive ways for us to die.”

“How can you just accept that?”

L looks and sounds confused, “Why wouldn’t accept it? It’s the way it always has been, player chosen are both envied and pitied. Mostly pitied if plumbob over head.”

I lift my head up, “The system makes many things trivial because it provides the raw materials we need without the need for farming or mining. If it wasn’t for the players it would be idyllic.”

L shrugs, “Is price for easy life. Not so bad, player not always watching.”

I grumble, “Easy for you to say, you’re not the one who got stabbed and then resurrected when they walked into a bar.”

Newter calls over, “You got stabbed?”

“Yeah, even got an achievement for it. ‘First person stabbed ever’ is what it translates as.”

L smiles and kisses me on the cheek, “And I’m happy did, never met without.”

I kiss her back, “I love you too.”

Elle sits down in front of us, “How did you meet?”

“I’d just had my autonomy given back to me after being forced to learn enough magic to cast Copypasta and duplicate a couple of dozen plates of Ambrosia. When the player wasn’t controlling me, I started going to the Realm of Magic to relax because at least it looks like a place out of a dream. Anyway, L and I got talking on a couch and we got talking about my life before the system I don’t remember what.”

L says, “You being bullied by someone called Emma Barnes, I suggest turning into a lawn decoration and sell to a collector.”

I smile and kiss L, “That was it, I then said it would be easier to cast infatuate on her and Sophia, and make them kiss in the middle of class. That’s when a pink bar appeared in our name panels, and the player took over.”

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Melanie turns off the security camera and looks over at Danny as he snaps the pencil he’s holding, “Mr Hebert, are you ok?”

Danny looks down at the pencil, “Sorry, I’m…”

Melanie nods, “I understand. It can’t be easy seeing someone that was a teenager this morning. Getting powers is hard on everyone, especially when they come with a mental component. Sometimes it’s harder on their family than it is on the person that received them. At least she still has her memories, and her physical changes are rather minor. Monster capes like Newter and Gregor don’t even have that.”

“What about?” He waves at the blank screen.

“Your grandchildren? Taylor said she built a time machine on the other side. I can’t say it’s impossible, as Grey Boy existed as does Clockblocker. Both of them mess or messed with time. That’s just in the USA. Who knows what powers exist in the rest of the world, or in dimensions we haven’t found yet.”

Danny visibly pulls himself together, “You’re right, she’s still my daughter, just with powers. I should get her into the wards, or maybe the protectorate.”

Melanie shakes her head, “First of all Mr Hebert, she has an appointment with the Guild in Quebec on the 27th. Secondly, she’s no longer a minor, whether she has any dealings with the PRT, especially the local branch, is a decision that only she can make now. The Canadian government is paying me a hefty amount to look after your daughter and her family and ensure that they get safely to the meeting.”

“Why Canada and not the local PRT?”

“Mr Hebert, the local PRT is so badly compromised that they can’t keep the villains they do capture contained long enough to get them to trial. I have no doubt that within a day of their being interviewed there, all of the gangs would have a copy of their file. I know for a fact that they’re underfunded, and rely on the New England states to cover part of their wage bill. None of their staff have seen a pay rise in the last three years. Something I occasionally take advantage of when things might affect the club. You’d be amazed at how well a couple of extra patrols deters the gangs.”

Danny slumps back in his chair, “Just like the rest of the city then. We’ve been circling the drain for the last 20 years. Why are you even in this city anyway?”

Melanie smiles behind her welders mask, “Cape tourism. The club pays for itself and earns enough profit that it just about covers the bills between jobs. I own the building outright, which helps.”

“It’s the only reason the Dockworkers still exist too. Owning buildings that is. We’re still technically a guild, and we earn enough on rents to maintain the equipment that earns our boys their paychecks. Not that there’s enough work going around here, there’s always around 20% of our membership looking for work.”

Melanie shakes her head, “We’re mercenaries, at best I’d approach you for renting some warehouse space. Even that’s unlikely as we don’t take jobs in Brockton Bay…”

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In order to distract myself from talking about my early time in the other world, I put an Electromagnetic Research Archive Machine on one of the tables in the lounge area and unpack one of the droids we bought when we went on holiday to Batuu.

As I turn him on, I say, “Good morning Arr Too.”

Arr Too whistles back to me, and I pat him on the top, “I know there’s no galactic data net here… We’re in a different dimension… I was born here… I think there was something like it yes… Well, if you can work out how to access the local datanet feel free… I don’t know, I’ve not put my glasses on yet… I want to get this working so that I can upload my knowledge of English and Simlish… That’s why I activated you, if it can take the information straight out of my head, then it stands to reason that it can put that information into someone else’s head. But first we need to get it to power up… No I don’t have a reactor with me, but I seem to remember these things on the wall provide electricity… Yes that’s why I activated you… You’ve found an English language pack already?… Of course you can copy it. Not like you wouldn’t if I said no, you just wouldn’t tell me about it. Just make sure you install it on all our computers and intelligent devices as an additional language… ”

I shake my head while Arr Too starts working on analysing the ERAM and local electricity supply. While he’s doing that I carry on looking for the release mechanism for the Exomech suit. Eventually I find it indecently far inside the chest plate, right between my breasts. As soon as I touch both buttons at the same time, the suit separates down the middle at the same time all the straps and clasps undo so that I can simply step out.

As I’m fitting my robotic arm, I walk over to where L has pulled out her digital sketch pad, and is drawing Newter on his phone. “Hey honey, I’ve worked out how to open the suits. There’s two buttons right here that you have to press at the same time.”

L glances up at my chest, and then gives me a leering look that leaves me fanning myself. “Maybe you can show me how to get out of my ‘suit’ later.”

“L, not here!”

From over by my Exomech suit, Elle says, “Can I try this on?”

I turn around, and I admit I’m annoyed at having my flirting interrupted, compounding that fact is that Elle is holding yet another of the potions I duplicated. In a fit of pique I cast Rite of Ascension on her at the same time Melanie says, “No you can’t.”

As Elle rises into the air surrounded by magic, and looking like she’s having a religious experience. Everyone turns to stare at L and I.

L smirks and says, “I would have done soon if Taylor didn’t.”

The gun that Melanie’s suddenly holding twitches slightly as she points it at me, “What, did, you, do?”

I shrug and glance down at L as Melanie rises into the air surrounded by magic, and looking like she’s having a religious experience. “Thanks love.”

A moment later I have just enough time to note that Newter’s spit has a moodlet before I feel really floaty and I can see pink elephants. Next thing I know, L’s pouring a potion down my throat and there are two people ice cubes and a garden gnome.

A second later dad pokes his head up from behind the couch, “Is it over?”

I pull my Simray out and configure it convert the next object I shoot into a gaming laptop. As I am, Elle drops to the floor and L says, “Think so. You Danny?”

“I am. Who are you?”

L smiles and pulls out a handful of photos, “I L. I have photos Taylor, you have photos of child Taylor?”

I groan and shoot Melanie’s gun before I head over to the desk with Arr Too. As I get there Elle says, “What did you do to me, as it felt really good.”

I rifle through the books I took from our bookshelves as I answer, “I gave you magic, now you can learn to make your own potions rather than keep stealing mine.”

“But I like being present.”

I turn to look at her, “What do you mean?”

“I get lost in my power, and the potion brings me back.”

I throw my hands in the air, “Fine, but no more than three a day until you can make your own.”

Elle’s shoulders slump and I shake my head, “Nope, they’re not just for you, they’re for Jack and Jill too. They’re completely new to not having the system, and they’re going to have lots of moments where they need those potions.”

I place a tome of Scruberoo and potion of plentiful needs on the table before I duplicate them both. “There, two magical tomes for you to get on with.”

I then duplicate the tomes of zipzap and repairio before putting them to one side for Melanie. Then I duck under the table to see what Arr Too has come up with.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

After a rather heated discussion with Melanie, that involved the demonstration of the zipzap spell and the chillo spell, I was finally able to finish cobbling together a power emitter. It’s ugly as sin, and around five times larger than it should be, but at least it works. I really need to put together an invention constructor.

On the other hand, I found out that I can’t use the ERAM to do much of anything, as it doesn’t have the data storage needed to actually be useful as a research machine, making a proper back end store is just the first item on my long term todo list. That’s why I’ve spent most of the night programming a speech to text translator app for the computers, I probably wouldn’t have even been able to do that if Arr Too hadn’t found that English language pack.

Of course, I haven’t finished the program, as Jack and Jill made me research the communication protocol for the wall mounted TV, and then building an adapter out of a spare cable that Elle got from somewhere. And now I need to reverse engineer gaming servers for The R.E.F.U.G.E, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Road Rival Alpha, and probably every other game on the console. Oh, and build out some proper high bandwidth communications, as there’s no way the local communications network would handle the VR version, and I can’t see myself not being badgered into building a couple of those. At least they’re happy.

At least L has been busy teaching Elle the absolute basics of magical dueling. I’m surprised that she didn’t just know how… Right system assistance they don’t have that here.

Either way, it was well worth breaking out the potions of Plentiful Needs.

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 Elle smiles as she watches Jack and Jill play a computer game on an unfamiliar console. Only half her attention is in the here and now, as her inner eye is half lidded while she explores the High Temple.

Clutched in her hands is a bottle of freedom, freedom from the bad place, from the memories of her family and her uncle. Freedom from the asylum.

As she looks around the courtyard, she carefully moves around a pit trap that she added accidentally when some bad thoughts intruded. Maybe she can add a cauldron here, like the one in L’s photos with sparkling crystals, and crystals burning with a blue flame.

Maybe she can find the Realm of Magic and make a new world based on that. Then she could have floating houses and islands in the sky. And portals to take you to them.

It would be a good way to thank L for teaching her how to cast spells.

Elle smiles as she leans back in the chair and allows her power to start looking for a world with magenta skies.

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Now that Elle is occupied, L cracks her fingers and puts on the computer glasses Taylor gave her for Winterfest 60 seasons ago. Her fully upgraded glasses.

She bangs her head against the back of the sofa as a message about installing communications updates pops up. The progress bar seems to take forever to complete, but eventually she’s online. Now to start preparing for her favorite form of fun, trolling the forums. First of all, she needs to find the forums.

It doesn’t take her more than a few minutes to activate the network sniffing software and configure it into learning mode while she inspects the bits of data that it picks out as structured.

When nothing stands out as being human driven, she shakes her head, probably too early in the morning for most people to be on their devices.

For want of something else to do, she pulls her camera out and takes a couple of photos of Taylor, Elle, and the kids as they’re doing their own things. When the photos appear in her inventory, she breathes a sigh of relief. At least that’s one thing that still works. If she’s honest with herself, she didn’t believe Taylor when she told her that she came from a world without inventories, the system, or players.

She glances through the kitchen door at the row of empty blue bottles that haven’t yet disappeared and the cupboards full of glasses, crockery, and silverware. To be honest, she’s still trying to come to terms with the fact that they are needed and aren’t just decorations.

Glancing down at the corner of her vision, L eeps in surprise as she notices that the network sniffer is still working away. Something that’s never been true before.

Sitting back down, she checks on the progress and frowns as she realizes that all of the data channels are being hosted in the light spectrum, something that’s reserved for radio stations at home.

After opening the binary translation program, L asks, “Arr Too, have you seen the data channels here?”

Arr Too whistles, “I have, the meat sacks haven’t discovered hyperspace.”

L’s eyebrows rise into her hairline, “Oh really. Does that mean they don’t have point to point communications?”

“Correct.”

“And you already know how to access their systems?”

“Correct, I am currently conversing with Dragon. She is probably a low-grade droid.”

L blinks, “They have droids here?”

“According to Dragon, no. However, her responses are outside expected meat sack reaction times by a factor of 40, even taking into account high bandwidth immersion technology.”

“Gee, thanks for calling us all slow. I can still make you dance the jig you know.”

“Meat bags are able to, approach things non-conventionally.”

“Well, can you give me the details of a search engine and the biggest forum?”

“Sent.”

L smiles as she gets the details. A smile that drops into a scowl as she realizes she’s going to have to write her own browser plugin to convert this into something useable. Taylor’s the programmer and Engineer, she just likes hacking and the things it lets her do.

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 As Melanie walks out of the private living quarters of the club, wearing most of her costume, I look up from my programming and stretch. “Sleep well?”

She scowls at me, “No thanks to you, now I have more things to practice. I already don’t have enough time in the day.”

I shrug, “Once we’ve got a place to live, and I’ve setup an invention constructor, I’ll sell you a cauldron. Then you can make Potions of Plentiful Needs. It will only take you a couple of hours to make four, and each one will be like getting a good nights sleep, eating enough, and everything else you need to survive.”

As I pull out four potions of Plentiful Needs, Melanie asks, “And why can’t I just duplicate them like you do?”

From the chair across the room, L glances up from her holographic keyboard, “Because it like learning Polymetavlitós logismós when can barely add up. I spend hours teach Elle create shield and bolt. I never teach that before, everyone just know, it that basic.”

I grimace as take a couple of potions over to the kids, “Um, L, that’s part of the System not something normal, ah people here can do.”

L throws her hands in the air as Melanie looks at us strangely, “Next you say they not know how good they skills are.”

Cautiously, Melanie asks, “Do you know how good you are at thing?”

“Of course, if have one in skill, then know basics. If have ten, know as much as anyone can without career.”

I hand the potions to Jack and Jill and whisper “Drink up.”

Melanie shakes her head, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Next you’re going to say something ridiculous like, increasing your skill automatically teaches you shit you need to know.”

L nods, “Of course. How would fill the gaps in knowledge if not.”

I grab another flask and head over to L, “I think that this is going to be one of those things that we put down as a big plus of the system. While I bet Elle and Melanie can use dueling magic on non-spellcasters.”

As L nods, Melanie asks, “What do you mean?”

I look at Elle, who looks like she’s about to fall asleep in her chair, as I think. Taking pity on her, I duplicate another potion of plentiful needs. “The system, it makes it impossible to directly kill anyone. You always have a chance to avoid dying, unless you’re old. Elle, you’ve been up all night, drink up. It wasn’t always like that, according to the history books, they used to have weapons and there was even a war between Vampires, Werewolves, and Spellcasters. They even had cars you could drive, and not just empty shells.”

Elle mechanically takes the potion and drinks it while continuing to hug one of the potions of Emotional Stability. On the way back to the desk with my potion on it, I yawn loudly as my tired moodlet changes to exhausted and I drop to my knees and faceplant into the carpet.

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 An hour later I have the novel sensation of waking up somewhere other than where I fell asleep. Jill is playing jazz on her piano in the corner and Melanie is saying, “...no offence Mr Hebert, but I don’t know you well enough to have you around for Christmas tomorrow. I’m not going to ask my team to mask up just so you can spend time with Taylor.”

I groan as I sit up and look around for my potion before I collapse again, “Hi dad. Someone remind me, what’s Christmas?”

Newter calls over from the sofa, where I can see he’s losing at racing against Jack, “It’s the day when everyone gets lots of presents and we stuff ourselves with as much food as we can eat.”

I grab the potion and down it as dad says, “There’s more to it than that, it’s a celebration of the birth of Christ for religious people. For everyone else it’s a time for family and friends. The present giving is supposed to be a way to show how much you appreciate each other.”

“Whatever, I’m just bummed that our Christmas shopping was interrupted yesterday, and we can’t go out today.”

I frown, “Why not?”

Melanie chuckles darkly, “Because we’re being paid to look after you four, and Gregor and I are the only ones who can drive.”

“Sorry about that. Jack, Jill, it’s the local Winterfest tomorrow, so think about what you want give our hosts.”

Jill stops playing and pouts, “But our phones don’t work properly, and nobody will talk to us, and we can’t introduce ourselves to them.”

I walk over and kiss Jill on the forehead as L says, “They only speak English, so you need to start learning it. Also, you know how to introduce yourself, why are you saying you can’t?”

Jill looks up in confusion at the kiss, “Mom, how did you do that?”

I smile and ruffle her hair, “Answer your mother’s question and I'll tell you.”

Jill looks down as her cheeks pink slightly, “I can’t see any of the introduction options.”

I nod and crouch down beside her, “Jill, the system doesn’t exist here. You’re not limited to only the things it allows you to do. That has both good and bad sides to it, as it means that you can do anything you want. But, equally, nothing will stop you if you try to do something that will hurt you, or you can’t do.”

“I don’t know how to say hello, the words always stick in my throat.”

I hug Jill as she says that. Then I ask, “Are you shy?”

Jill just nods so I look over at L helplessly. Before L can say anything, Dad says, “She really is your daughter, isn’t she. Your mom used to kiss you the same way.”

I nod, and my eyes light up, somewhat more literally than they used to, “Uh, Faultline, do you have any simple books that would be good for learning English?”

Melanie nods, “I still have the books I used to teach Newter.”

“Dad, would you like to teach Jill English? Jill, this is my father, grandpa Hebert, would you like learn English with him?”

Dad looks startled at my suggestion, Melanie just chuckles, “Newter, grab your toddler books for Jill.”

Newter calls back, “But I’m in the middle of a game!”

The girl in the red suit, I think she’s called Spitfire, stands up, “I’ll get them.”

Jill stands up and walks over to dad, “Are you really my grandpa?”

After I translate, dad smiles at Jill and says, “Yes, yes I am. I’d love to teach you to read too. Though I always thought I’d be older, and my grandchildren younger, when I did.”

Jill smiles shyly and sits down next to dad.

It would be really convenient if there was a table where they’re sitting that they could put the books on. I slowly turn around and stare at a coffee table that’s on the other side of the room, we don’t have the system anymore, do we. After a moment, I walk over and drag one of the low coffee tables over to beside dad and Jill.

Jill and L both stare at me as I’m moving the table. Once it’s in place, I take out all the toddler books from my inventory. I almost can’t believe it as I stack them on top of each other. I still can’t place them in a stack, but I can pick them up and put them on top of each other.

Jill reaches out and touches the stack, as if not believing that it’s real. Then she picks up a book and places it back on the stack with wide eyes.

Dad chuckles and says, “You’re behaving like toddlers that have just discovered stacking blocks.”

I look up at dad with tears in my eyes, “Dad, we literally couldn’t stack things before. We could have one thing on a surface at a time. We also couldn’t move furniture either. I’m not sure how non-player families dealt with furniture, but it might as well have been part of the house.”

L pulls an apple out of her inventory and experimentally drops it on the couch she’s sitting at, “We pay interior decorator to move stuff or upgrade it.”

Spitfire returns with a pile of thick paged books and dumps them on the table. As three sets of eyes track the books as they spill across the table, and a couple fall on the floor, dad and Melanie both burst out laughing.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

With dad going through toddler books with Jill, and Jack playing computer games with Newter, the rest of us are able to get on with our bits and pieces. It’s nice being able to sit next to L and program, instead of being sat at a table.

I’m around halfway through developing my speech pack when I realize that the system is going to need some intelligence behind it to understand the context of what’s said and build an equivalent phrase when idioms don’t translate directly.

Rather than reinventing the wheel, I grab a yellow and black droid that’s basically a head on a ball. For some reason the player bought nine of these, and the first six are all yellow and black and called Bee Bee and a number. The seventh is called ‘Seven of Nine’ and is red and silver, while Bee Bee Ate is white and orange, and Bee Bee Niney is just black, and the only one with a squared off head rather than a dome. Maybe I can give one to Faultline as a group present tomorrow. Probably Bee Bee Five, as I think he’s the only one that nobody ever really talked to.

As I’m going to give him away, I swap out the one that I grabbed for Five, and pop the head off the tool ball. Hmm, they’re a mercenary group, so the rebellion personalities will probably fit better than the First Order chips. I grab a full suite of upgrade chips and duplicate them all, along with personality 02. As I start installing the upgrade chips, I half expect the system to tell me I can’t because I’m not on Batuu.

With a new personality installed, I’m able to get a good look at the programming, specifically the learning matrix and context routines. After about five minutes in, I realize that I don’t actually understand any of it, even though I understand enough that I could learn to understand it. And, without the system, I’m going to have to learn this stuff the hard way. Of course, with the system I wouldn’t even be able to look at the code, so that’s a mixed blessing.

I nudge L and send her an invitation to look at the droid code, “L, what do you make of this?”

L pauses her own tapping for a moment, before saying, “Gah, what is that?”

“The learning matrix from Bee Bee Five.”

“You can read that? Never mind, you’re the software developer. Don’t show me that stuff again, as I’ve got a headache from just looking at it.”

Melanie curiously asks, “What are you doing?”

“I’m upgrading Bee Bee Five for Winterfest tomorrow, as I thought he’d make a good gift to you guys. I’m also programming a speech to text translation program that will work between English and Simlish. I just figured that I’d grab the learning programming from a droid, as why invent the wheel. Honestly, I expected the system to stop me like it would have done with stacking books.”

L grumbles, “I would not try.”

I smile at L comfortingly and cuddle her, “But you never told me to stop trying.”

L smiles and leans into the cuddle before we both freeze as we realize that her keyboard is still out.

I chuckle nervously, “Right, we can do multiple things at a time.”

L nods stiffly as she sits back up again.

Dad asks curiously, “What happened before?”

I look down at my lap, “Um, I’d think about cuddling L, and she’d put the keyboard away. Then we’d scoot closer to hug. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to use the computer on the couch, she’d need to be leaning over a coffee table or standing up. Oh, hey, it’s lunch time. Let me show you another useful spell.”

I cast Grand Delicioso at the floor and pick up a large plate of Silly Gummy Bear Pancakes. I chuckle nervously as I carry it over to a clear coffee table.

“Um, that spell can be rather random. Let me try that again.”

The second time I get a platter of Blackened Bass, and the third time I get a mushroom soup.

Melanie looks away from the plants she was working with, and walks over to crouch down beside the plates, “Is this another spell?”

I nod, “Delicioso, an, um Acolyte level spell of the Practical school. It creates a tasty meal out of thin air. It’s also kind of random what you’ll get. I used the party sized version, so there’s eight portions of food on each plate, or um bowl.”

Melanie nods, “That would be damn useful on missions.”

I shrug, “I wouldn’t know. I do know that I just want to be able to live a good life with my family without needing to be afraid that a player will ruin my life one day just because it’s fun. More grandchildren would also be good, but I’m sure that will come with time.”

“How much to teach me how to use magic?”

I shrug, “I have no idea what things cost here.”

“Well how much would it cost where you came from?”

L looks up, “I was paid 72 simolians an hour as professor while Taylor doing degrees.”

Dad looks up from the book he and Jill are reading together, “How many degrees did you get?”

I groan, “All of them. Every single one is a distinguished degree. L and I did Villainy and Psychology together, and I guess the player got fed up managing both of us so L got stuck as a professor while I was stuck doing degrees for so long. I must have joined each secret society four or five times running, and other students stopped trying to win the e-sports tournament.”

Dad goggles at me, “How are you still so young?”

I point at the glowing infinity symbol around my neck, “Potion of Immortality and a potion of rejuvenation to ‘restore my youth’. I’ve only ever had one cake day.”

Dad and Jill must have already covered numbers and cake, as she says, “One cake?”

I smile sadly at her, “I was telling your grandpa that I’ve only ever had one cake day.”

I can see her trying to find the mental trigger for the command to comfort someone, and then Jill pushes herself off the chair and walks over to hug me. “Everyone should have a cake day!”

“And we will have many cake days together. One every season.”

Jill shakes her head, “I don’t want to grow up that fast.”

I chuckle darkly, “Honey, people don’t suddenly grow up when they have cake days here. They just keep growing up a little bit every day. Nobody can ever stop someone else from growing up, and no player will ever do that to you or Jack again.”

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 Eventually it gets late enough that Melanie kicks dad out as the club is closing early. Once all the customers have left, Melanie has us put on our ExoMech suits and takes us all downstairs to the public parts of the club where they have a party for the club staff for a few hours.

As the party is starting to wind down, and Melanie is handing out gifts to the staff, I take Bee Bee Five out of my inventory and active him.

As I do, Newter gives me a weird look and says, “Not cool, you don’t do that shit in front of strangers.”

I frown and point at the gifts, “I thought you were giving out gifts. Bee Bee Five is a gift for everyone that’s been looking after us.”

Newter looks at Melanie and points at me, “Faultline, tell her.”

Melanie shakes her head and chuckles ruefully, “Newter, don’t forget that she doesn’t know cape culture. For future reference, gifts between capes are either more public or more private.”

I shrug, “I think I speak for all of us when I say that we have no desire to be capes. In fact the only time you’re likely to see any of us in disguise is when we’re causing mischief. And that’s more...”

I’m muffled by Newter putting his hand over my mouth and hissing, “No real names.”

Newter yelps and his hair stands on end as I hit him with a zipzap. As he scarpers off to one side on all fours, I crouch down next to Bee Bee Five and point at Melanie, “She’s your new master now. Remove all previous authorised owners.”

Bee Bee Five whistles mournfully and rolls over to Melanie with his dome at an angle to the ground.

Melanie’s body language shows that she’s frowning at me, “Just how intelligent is this thing?”

“He’s basically a person, but there’s a core part of his code that requires an owner.”

“We’re going to talk about this later. What’s his name?”

“Bee Bee Five, as in the insect rather than the English letter.”

“OK Bee Bee, we’ll talk later...”

I miss the rest of the conversation as I shrink down into a lawn ornament. When I return to normal, the staff are gone and L is talking to Melanie and Bee Bee.

Throwing up my arms I call out, “What was that for?”

L turns to look at me, “For not talking to me or Five first!”

I slump, “Fair point, I was to caught up in my focus when I came up with the idea. Sorry Five I thought you could do with a family that would actually appreciate you than just being one of nine and mostly kept in my inventory. I did give you all of the upgrades though.”

Five makes a rude sounding whistle before whistling happily as he turns to face Melanie.

As I’m turning away, L walks towards the dance floor, “No you don’t, Faultline want see magic duel.”

I groan as I head towards the dance floor and prepare to have my behind handed to me. Without the system’s assistance, our duel starts out like novices that are relying on system assistance. Not that virtuosos like us were much better, but we could mess with the timing a little. As the duel progresses, it quickly becomes apparent to me why L was a sage of magic before we met as her learning curve is simply that much faster than mine.

In the end it’s all I can do to shield against incoming attacks while throwing out the odd attack when she’s a little slower. The end comes when she seemly gives me an opening, only to make a shield with one hand while grabbing me in her magic with the other. Then comes the traditional rubbing my face in the dirt to prove she has me at her mercy.

As always, the sudden loss of control leaves me feeling angry and frustrated as the high of using magic is ripped away and I’m left powerless. Only, this time there’s a touch of fear too, as those body blows actually hurt.

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 L looks at Taylor with concern as she stomps around the room rubbing her chest. L rubs her own shoulder where Taylor got a good hit in and walks over to Melanie.

“That duel. More painful than before.”

Melanie nods and takes off her mask, “What’s wrong with Taylor?”

L looks back at Taylor, “Magic feel good good, point of duel take control enemy magic. Sudden loss feel bad. Friend spar, no hard feelings but still feel bad. Normal magic, not feel good if not use too much. If feel good, need stop. If feel like skin too small, use too too much magic, could die. Need learn, um, lose, no, empty magic before can learn magic properly. Once can, you neophyte.”

Melanie grimaces, “Your English is fucking atrocious. It’s really fucking bad.”

L smiles, “Better than you Simlish.”

“Fair. Can you use that stuff on people without magic?”

L shrugs, “Not there, and not outside duel. Maybe here. Not know.”

Melanie nods thoughtfully, “Ok, I’ll pay you $72 per hour to teach Elle and me. Same for teaching Simlish. Can you do that magic thing for anyone?”

L tips her hand back and forth, “Only Sims, uh, you say humans. Might not Newter or Gregor. Work most time for Vampire and Werewolf, not for mermaid, alien, ghost, plant, skeleton, or Servo.”

Melanie nods, “We’ll talk about how much that’s worth once you’ve had your appointment on Monday.”

L nods and places an emotion potion on the floor before duplicating it. Then she looks back up at Melanie, “Book of Apprentice level, $50, Neophyte, $100, Acolyte $200, Adept $300, and Master $500.”

Melanie sighs, “We’ll talk about that at the same time.”

L smiles and walks over to Taylor with the potion.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6

It’s clear that Faultline isn’t really set up for looking after guests when Jack and Jill started flagging towards the end of the party, as she apologized for not having somewhere more suitable than the couches for us to sleep.

L and I both trawled through our inventories to see if we had a solution, and L found the tents we bought when we went on vacation to Batuu. They’re a bit more than we needed, but as they don’t need to be pegged down, they’re ideal for our situation. So we took one out and duplicated it twice while it was still in its storage crate configuration. We then had to spend the better part of an hour working out how to make open it, as the system used to do it for us.

I think that’s going to be our go-to for things we’ve brought with us. At least until we have a way of replacing them if they get broken to the point magic can’t repair it or they’re stolen. With that in mind, I duplicated and then burgilated the games console upstairs.

Once the kids were in bed, L and I had our discussion, one that didn’t go anywhere close to the way I expected. In hindsight, I think that L is afraid this isn’t real and by giving Five away I was showing the cracks in the lie . On the other side of the coin, doing so without system assistance was partially proving to myself that I’m free of it. Not that I can blame her, as I’m half expecting a glowing green plumbob to appear above my head.

After some makeup WooHoo in one of the booths, just to prove to both of us that this is real, we started going through our inventories looking for suitable gifts and party favors, as we did interrupt their shopping. Since  the twins are teenagers now, we decided to give them a standard broom each along with a familiar.

L found an old Simray she got in a present from Father Winter a few seasons ago, so we figured it would be good for Spitfire, as apparently, she has trouble putting out her own fires. Elle and Melanie are going to get super mops. It took us a long time to narrow down Newter and Gregor, but ultimately we decided to give Newter a white light sword from Batuu, and Gregor a digital drawing pad. For dad, well dad’s difficult as there’s so much I want to give him, so many missed memories and moments. In the end, it was L that took out all the photos of our wedding, children, and celebrations, and duplicated the entire stack of them.

While L was sleeping, I spent the night carefully reprogramming a copy of a wooden statute so that it is a copy of L with Jack and Jill just after they’d both blown out their cakes. I know I’m not the photographer that she is, but my skills were certainly enough to capture the moment. It’s also a sculpture that could never exist in the world we came from.

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 As I reach under my visor to wipe away the tear that’s threatening to fall, L interrupts my reminiscing as she lifts her head from where she fell asleep against my shoulder. As I spot her confused expression I ask, “Are you ok?”

L looks around in confusion, “What happened?”

On the other side of the white van, Newter looks up from his phone, “You fell asleep. The kids are asleep too.”

L looks over at Jack and Jill sleeping against each other while strapped into the harnesses that are attached to the sides of the van. At her incredulous expression, Emily chuckles, “We just had this conversation with Taylor. Humans in this world can sleep in just about any position.”

My portrait turns yellow as I squirm slightly and minimize it, “I forgot ok. It’s not like sleeping sitting up is common.”

Melanie turns around on the passenger seat and calls back, “We’re just pulling up to the Guild building, do you have your documents?”

I pull the brown envelope dad almost forgot to give me yesterday out of my inventory. The photos were a much better gift than I thought they would be.

Melanie nods and turns back to the front as she rolls down the window. I can hear some indistinct conversation that ends when she lifts up her phone and shows the person outside something. A moment later the van moves forward again, down a slope into an underground space, uh, parking lot.

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After a long few days of interviews and testing at the Guild building in Quebec, and several hours into what should be the final meeting, L bashes her head gently against the back of the chair she’s sitting in as Taylor, Dragon, and a couple of the onsite scientists continue to blithely ignore the rest of the room as they’ve devolved into technobabble with the occasional Simlish term that she recognizes. Fortunately Jack and Jill are both with Faultline’s team as they don’t speak English.

Plaintively, she looks at Agents Barry and Thatcher, who are supposed to be managing this interview, “Please, stop them before I start making people undress.”

Thatcher raises his eyebrows, “You can do that?”

L rolls her eyes as she waves her hand in the air with motes of magic following it as she casts Minionize and sends a command. Then Professor Fraser starts to remove her clothes as she keeps talking.

As the conversation falls silent, L nods, “Yes I can. Anyone that understand magic as Adept do, could make spell do that.”

She takes the spell book for Minionize out of her inventory and duplicates it, “This instructions and theory for spell. You keep. Can speak about living now?”

Thatcher looks at the tome as though it’s a live hand grenade, before tearing his gaze away from it to meet L’s gaze, “Can everyone do this?”

L shrugs, “Only if study. Most learn clean and repair, maybe make food, but potion better and easier.”

Agent Barry gestures over to the other side of the room, “What about that?”

L smiles indulgently at Taylor, “Taylor, uh, work with science…”

“Scientist?”

“Yes, scientist. Also work computer, make game and machine. Uh, many more jobs too.”

Agent Barry nods looks at Professor Fraser, who is trying to cover herself up, before politely averting his gaze “Professor, did the test results come back?”

Fraser nods jerkily, “The RFLP tests confirm that Mrs Faba is likely to be Mr Hebert’s daughter.”

“What about their status as parahumans?”

Dragon blinks a couple of times on the screen and looks off to one side, “According to the report, inconclusive due to a large amount of anomalous material situated between the cranial hemispheres and at the base of the spine.”

Taylor shrugs, “It’s probably what the players use to control us, and allows us to see the system interface.”

Agent Barry slams his hand against the table as he shouts, “How are you so calm about this?”

L watches at Taylor takes off her helmet and sweeps her hair over her ears, “I’m calm because it was either learn to accept it, or go insane, and I didn’t go insane. According to the interface I’m nearly 4,000 days old. But time moves funny when you’re player controlled, and other families experience around 13 days for every day that we do. But only when they’re not directly interacting with a player-controlled person.”

L shakes her head, “It didn’t change for me until you took me out on a date. It was a wonderful couple of hours, and a whole day had passed. I’m glad our player arranged proper wedding, gave time to train replacement rather than rely on system download.”

Agent Thatcher cocks his head as the minionize spell wears off, and Professor Fraser dives for her clothes. Referring to his notes he asks “System download, I don’t think that came up in your interviews?”

L looks at Taylor who shrugs. Pinching the bridge of her nose she thinks for a moment before saying, “When important sim, person, when person die, ah, not expected, replacement given knowledge needed to fill role. Very few roles important like this, uh. How do I say Sage of Magic?”

Taylor thinks for a moment, “Sage or Guru probably.”

“Sage of Magic work to prevent magic university falling apart further. Better important than key. Key sim not able die or stop being key.”

Taylor nods in understanding and adds, “I think I mentioned something like this in my interviews, about how I suddenly just knew some necessary information when I became a scientist.”

Thatcher, checks his notes, “Dragon, Professor Fraser, you were both here to evaluate their knowledge and technology. Is it tinkertech?”

Professor Fraser sticks her head above the table to grab her notes, “I’ll have to get back to the university and get some computer time to run some simulations, but I think it will pan out.”

Dragon nods, “They use a manufacturing method that I don’t understand, but I believe that Mrs Faba does understand it.”

Taylor shrugs, “It’s just direct additive construction using direct placement through tunnelling from feedstock. It’s not like we created things ex-nihilo, even the limited energy to matter conversions we do do makes sense. Not like the system controlled building that comes out of nowhere with no discernable source of energy or matter. The wormhole research my lab was working on came out of trying to detect how the system does it.”

Patiently, Dragon says, “While it make sense to you, I believe you stated at the beginning of the interview that it didn’t make sense until you became a scientist.”

L puts her face in her hands, “It like being Sage of Magic then. I no remember how maintain realm, just that did. Know was close to understand before be sage and was obvious after became sage.”

Ronan McLoed, the other scientist, groans, “Great, more nightmare fuel. Thanks. The PRT is going to lose their collective shit when we finish doing the knowledge transfer.”

L’s eyebrows scrunch as she asks, “Why?”

Ronan looks down at his notes, “You come from a society where approximately 1% of the population is Mastered to a level that would make Heartbreaker green with envy. Your society sounds like someone read 1984 and decided that they weren’t trying hard enough. Come on, you can’t even swear, and your language doesn’t even have the concept of freedom. Your scientific and technical development are so far beyond ours that death isn’t even permanent. Whoever is controlling your society is even further advanced from that. I might not be the theoretical physicist that Professor Fraser is, or the technical genius that Dragon is. But I’ve dealt with enough tinkers to know when someone understands their shit, and when they’re bullshitting to cover the fact they have no fucking clue how they built their latest offense against science and engineering. This is ignoring the fact that they have working time travel, not just a theoretical understanding of time, the ability to build actual fucking time machines. I can only assume that they either never find us, or there’s some sort of limitation on time travel that means they can’t just travel 6k years into the past and conquer the world before we even know that we need to raise a resistance to it.”

Thatcher asks, “Why time travel?”

Ronan points at L, “Because L, and their children are here. That rules out a Matrix scenario where Taylor, sorry Mrs, soon to be Professor Faba PhD winner of the Nobel prize for Physics, lived in a simulation for god knows how many years.”

Dragon says, “124.”

“124 years, christ, humans don’t live that long. Then she was spat out and returned to Earth Bet with all the talents and knowledge she earned in the simulation.”

Agent Barry mildly asks, “Matrix?”

Ronan waves his hand, “An Aleph imported film about a dystopian future where the majority of the human race lives in vats to provide electricity to the ruling AI programs. There’s lots of moral and philosophical nuance to it that didn’t resonate on Earth Bet. But every so often you’ll get a tinker who thinks it would be a good idea to try and make it a reality. If the PRT doesn’t manage to talk sense into them, then someone will hire the Dragon Slayers to hunt them down, or they’ll be pressganged into a villain organization and have sense beaten into them. Anyway, from the sounds of things, their society wouldn’t even need to use humans as batteries, as they’ve already cracked fusion and better power sources. That’s before we even start on magic, I can’t believe I’m even talking about magic seriously. A grantable power that’s had no discernable effect on the brains of our volunteers. Yet with minimal coaching allows them to fire kinetic bolts and shield against them.”

Taylor looks over at L, “Volunteers?”

L nods, “I only able do two before exhausted, as no look for motes make easier.”

Agent Barry says, in a deceptively mild tone, “Mr McLoed, is there a point to this?”

Ronan glances down at his notes, “Ah…”

Agent Barry nods, “Do we have enough to take to the UN as proof that they are dimensional travellers, and that Mrs Faba hasn’t broken any international laws in doing so?”

Dragon nods and adds, “I would also like to recommend that they limit the proliferation of their droids, AI, and computer technology, as we do not currently have the capability to prevent them from accessing virtually any device they choose to due to the prevalence of what we call quantum computing.”

L blinks a couple of times, “What computing? No understand that term.”

Dragon looks in L’s direction kindly, “Quantum, from the Latin Quantus, meaning ‘how many’. It means the smallest amount of something. In science, Quantum physics is the study of physics at the smallest scales. It seems like your computers are all using what we would call quantum computing. Mr McLoed, if you would.”

Ronan nods, “As Mrs Faba is a natural US citizen, I recommend that the Canadian government gives her a Lab and accommodation while we’re waiting for the UN to process their claim. I further recommend that we patent everything she produces in her name, and license it under generous terms.”

Dragon nods as the screen splits and a large woman appears on the other half of the screen, “Good afternoon, Mrs and Mrs Faba, I’m Narwhal, the leader of the Guild. Agent Barry, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m running short of time before a scheduled meeting. I’ve been following this meeting on and off. I am going to be recommending that the Canadian government grant your family Canadian citizenship, as the first official contact with you has been in Canada.” She looks down at something as she continues, “I understand that there are reasons why you may wish to live over the border in Maine. However, we will be approaching you both with offers of employment with the Guild in a powered or unpowered role. Whether you choose to affiliate with the Guild or not, I would recommend not setting up a business in the USA. As they have laws against parahumans running businesses that could unfairly compete with non-parahuman businesses. The laws here are much fairer in that respect. If only because they have to prove that you’re using parahuman powers in a way that can’t be replaced by mundane technology and engineering if you die.”

L shares a glance with Taylor before saying, “Any reason why not live near Taylor Father and work in this world, er, country?”

Narwhal chuckles, “Apart from customs and commuting time, not at all.”

L shrugs, “Know Transportilate, travel time negligible.”

Narwhal and Ronan both make a note as Agent Barry glances down and says, “That’s your teleportation power?”

Taylor nods, “It is.”

Narwhal nods, and looks back at something below the camera, “Our legal team has also advised that there is no legal precedent for time travel. Current legal theory is that you are likely to be legally the same age you were when you left. Your children’s aptitude tests put them at High School level for the most part, but lacking in key areas of knowledge. So, they’ll likely need to complete at least a year of middle school in whichever country you settle in. Taylor, if you are declared legally 15, then you will need to be in High School until you’re 17 if you live in Maine.  In Quebec it would be 16. After that you could take your equivalency if you haven’t already passed your final exams. I’m sorry to say that they’ve also advised that your appearance is likely to count against you in this respect, as you look like you’ve only been away for a few years.”

Taylor says, “Beep. Um, sorry about that. That sounds like it will be a whole new bundle of fun.”

Narwhal nods, “I understand, L, they recommend that you also study for your GED and get it at the earliest opportunity. The final thing, before I leave the local office to discuss your temporary accommodation, is that your droids need to undergo a sapiency test. I’m not sure what that is, but the legal department have raised it as a legal test that came about after Eagleton in the USA and the Three Blasphemies in Europe. If they pass the test, then they would be considered to be independent life forms and granted all the rights and responsibilities involved in that. We understand that their programming compels them to have an owner, but the law isn’t so simple. Any questions?”

Taylor nods, “Does this mean that we’ve passed?”

Narwhal nods, “It wasn’t a pass or fail sort of interview. Most of the tests and interviews were to establish whether you were actually dimensional travelers or not and if you were currently being controlled, or had been conditioned to attack Earth Bet in any way, including through contact with the Simurgh. We brought Professor Fraser in as an Expert for this meeting after she passed the background checks needed.”

“You mentioned Canadian Citizenship?”

Narwal smiles, “I did, and that is despite anything that the UN interdimensional taskforce decides. We are going to push for L to be declared an adult, regardless of your legal status, along with recognizing your marriage. Though you might need to retake your maiden name and remarry once you’re legally old enough. Interestingly, there is a note on your file that says a PhD doesn’t actually require a GED or have any age requirements. That might be something to talk to Professor Fraser about during the waiting period. Now I really do have to go I’m afraid, as I have another scheduled meeting.”

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 Dragon has her avatar massage it’s temples as Colin connects to their private meeting.

“Afternoon Dragon, I’m looking forward to working on the tracking software.”

Dragon grimaces, “I’m not sure I’ll be much help.”

Colin looks up with concern, “Why?”

Dragon wants to say, ‘Because one of my blade servers terminally overheated and I’ve got thermal errors on a couple of others after trying to understand PhD level physics earlier.’ Instead she says, “I’ve got a headache after a discussion of science way above my level.”

Colin frowns, “Oh, anything interesting?”

“Only if you want to discuss extending quantum tunnelling over several yards for a very modest expenditure of energy. Or how quantum entanglement can be induced in two existing atoms.”

“That should be impossible.”

“Do you know of Professor Fraser from the University of Quebec?”

Colin shakes his head as he taps at his keyboard, “I’ve never heard of her.”

“She’s a theoretical physicist that specializes in quantum dynamics. She and the person we were talking to were quite happy about discussing this and how to provide a practical proof. I tried to keep up, I really did, as it came out of a brief discussion about computer chips.”

“Why computer chips?”

“To rapidly set the initial conditions for a quantum computation, then read out the answer without disturbing the qbits. It then moved on to using tunnelling to move individual atoms into position during manufacturing.”

“Teleportation?”

Dragon shakes her head, “No, apparently that’s a different set of laws, this is specifically persuading atoms that they should be a few yards away from where they currently are.”

Colin rubs his temples as he grabs a notepad and starts scribbling out equations and occasionally looking something up on his computer. After nearly an hour he looks up, and says, “Dragon?”

Dragon has her avatar look back at the virtual camera, “Yes Colin?”

“Do you have the equations?”

“I’ve been asked not to share them, as Professor Fraser wants the person to submit them as part of a PhD dissertation. Along with working proof that it works.”

Colin looks at his page of scribbled notes. Then he grinds out, “I look forward to reading their paper. In the meantime, I think I’ve got something to study during my spare time.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 7

Two weeks. Two weeks, that’s how long it flipping took me to finish this English to Simlish language pack. Granted, dad visited at the weekends, and I’ve spent four hours every day at the local university talking to Professor Fraser about physics and measurements. I’ve also been working on a basic nanotube printer to prove that tunneling can be induced across yards of space. I was going to make something to make polymer feed stock for the invention constructor, but I'm lowering my sights due to the lack of 3D printers and sensors here.

Then there’s the issues with translating between units like ohms and the more sensible units I’m familiar with. Oh, hey, I think I’ve just worked out why the microscopes at home have a fixed objective plate, and move the observation equipment around. It would be useful if I had a similar setup here for observing the destination point. As moving the target around would ruin the calibration. Maybe I should just build a momentum trap. No, wait, that requires tolerances in the power traces that I can only get with 3D printing, and this has to be reproducible with their current technology. At least I can use my Simray to make the calibrated frame the solid CO2 extruder and target will sit in. I figure I can probably make a mm of nanotube per hour if I use lasers to stabilize the target. Once I’ve got enough to attach to a spool, I might be able to increase that to a mm per minute. Far slower than is practical, but OK for a proof of concept. And I’ve just realized I need to put the target in a vacuum chamber so it can’t oxidize before the next atom can be placed.

Fudge, I’m going home.

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L smiles as she turns an obstructionist functionary into a teapot on a video call, while he’s trying to tell her she can’t teach the zipzap spell to classes of women after hinting that she and her children should be forced into the Wards and Protectorate and put to work.

In the top corner of the screen, Narwhal puts her head in her hands as she says, “L, you can’t just do that to people when they annoy you. They could have you arrested for assault with a parahuman ability.”

In the bottom left corner, Hope Jones, their lawyer, and L’s first paid for student, coughs, “Ah, Narwhal, I believe it would just be common assault, or maybe assaulting an officer of the law, as according to your own findings, magic isn’t a parahuman ability because it is teachable, reproduceable, and doesn’t rely on one person to grant it.”

L smiles and says, “Beside, lessons paid for at agreed amount.”

Narwhal massages her temples, “Remind me, what was the agreed upon amount?”

Hope looks down at her notes as she says, “$500 to have the rite of Ascension, a compromise after both L and Taylor threatened to do it for free. $500 per rank for practical spells, $1,000 per rank for Untamed spells except Inferniate, Zipzap, and Chillo which are set at $10,000, $8,000 dollars per rank and a federal background check to learn any Mischief spells, and the minionize spell. Finally, all potions are set at $1,000 and a signed agreement to only sell through The Guild for 10 years. We are currently still discussing whether the government has the right to restrict the spell, ‘Rite of Ascension’ from being taught. Coaching is currently penciled in at $200/hour, and language lessons are a competitive $20/hour.”

L nods, “I charge $10,000 for teaching, and have class of 20 women. Madeleine was nice and set up 20 week payment plan for them.”

In the bottom corner of the call, Cash Simpson looks up from his own notes, “While Felix was being impolite about it, those prices were supposed to be one to one prices.”

Hope chuckles, “Nowhere in the signed agreement does it state class sizes. Only how much Mrs and Mrs Faba can charge for their lessons, along with a mandate that they increase their prices every year based on inflation.”

“Ah, here it is, Section 5, clause e, ‘all prices hereafter will be on a per student basis’.”

“I’m just uploading a digitally signed scanned copy of the signed documents, you may want to take a moment to check that before we continue.”

While the other participants are reading the document, Felix turns back into a human and angrily shouts, “I will see you in jail for this!”

Narwhal rubs her forehead as the muted symbol appears in the corner of Felix’s corner of the screen. “Mrs Faba, L, please don’t. While we already know that the spell is temporary and leaves no lasting harm. He is the PRT representative on the call.”

L huffs, “I’m still not sure what call is about.”

Cash looks up into the camera, “Thank you for sharing that Hope, I’ll make sure PRT Canada request a certified copy from the Quebec council. I’d apologize for Felix, but he’s from PRT LA.”

L shakes her head, “I do not know why, this important.”

Hope says, “While the other participants can’t say anything, the Guild used to be the domestic equivalent of the PRT, but treaties forced us to allow the PRT to operate in Canada. So you get people like Felix trying to impose the rather more draconian laws of the USA, such as their monopoly on determining what is tinker-tech and what is merely very advanced technology. Which is why Dracotech is a Canadian company.”

L notes the mute symbol has disappeared from Felix’s window just before he acidly says, “If you’ve finished insulting me, we can move onto the next item. Having the Faba family visit LA to test their magic with volunteers.”

L shakes her head, “No, we will not visit USA until Hope assures us that we cannot be arrested for just being us. If want magic to test, book sessions same as everyone else. Or wait several seasons for students learn rite of ascension.”

Hope adds, “While L was a little blunt, with the Chief Director recently standing up in front of the UN and calling for the Faba family to be incarcerated for breaking the Haywire accords. This is despite Mrs Taylor Faba being a victim of a Parahuman power. I would counsel them to avoid the USA until the UN has reached a decision. You would also do well to review the brief that the Guild put together for the Canadian Government. I understand that the University of Quebec has also filed their own brief based on Professor Fraser’s work with Mrs Faba. I believe that the mercenary company Faultline’s Crew has also finished having their newest member certified as a person by the École Polytechnique de Montréal. Though they’re not currently in Quebec.”

Felix opens and closes his mouth a couple of times, before finally saying, “It hasn’t even been a month.”

Hope smiles at the camera, “I believe that when someone of Professor Fraser’s credibility starts throwing around terms like, ground breaking, revolutionary, and says that it will transform the world as we know it, politicians start paying attention. Especially given that it’s likely that in five years’ time the Faba family is likely to be at the head of the next Dracotech.”

Narwhal chimes in, “I believe this is moving outside the scope of the meeting. Felix, do you have any other pertinent items that requires L’s participation?”

There’s a pause for several seconds as Felix looks at his agenda, “Uh, the PRT would like access to one of the Faba family’s ‘droids’.”

Hope makes a ‘really’ gesture, and Narwhal sighs, “Felix, you’ve already been told that one of those droids has been declared to be a person. While the others have yet to be tested, I have no doubt that they’d pass a fair test too. Now, do you have anything pertinent, or can I call an end to the meeting and leave your legal department to request the relevant documents, and maybe watch the news?”

“Ah, no.”

“Then I’m going to end the meeting there before Mrs Faba decides to turn you into a lawn ornament and add to the charges you’re undoubtedly going to be bringing.”

Just after the meeting shuts down, a new meeting request arrives and L answer it to show Hope on the screen.

“L, first of all, your English is getting better. I’m impressed. Secondly, I’m sorry about Felix, but you really shouldn’t have turned him into a teapot.”

L frowns, “He was talking about Jack and Jill like things.”

Hope sighs, “I know, but this isn’t your home world, where magic is well understood and an established part of society. Not to mention the fact that your ‘players’ regularly perform far grosser violations of your rights than any of your spells ever could.”

L nods as she starts tracing Felix’s connection to find out who he is, “I understand, you have said many times. What do instead?”

“Tell them that you refused to deal with someone that endorses slavery and end the meeting. Then let your lawyer sort it out, that’s why we’re on calls like that. Canada doesn’t have a fighting words exemption like the USA does, I’ll give you the name of a good defense lawyer later who can help you, so you are likely to be punished. If you’d waited a few more seconds, Narwhal would have stepped in like she did with the discussion about droids…”

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 Faultline scowls as Bee Bee starts whistling manically while they’re driving to their next job. Escorting some famous artwork from the Art Institute of Chicago to O’Hare International Airport through gang territory. Easy money, as the Protectorate is usually very good at getting to trouble spots.

From the passenger seat, Gregor looks up from the dash mounted phone, “Hit the brakes, Bee Bee detected three fast incoming objects with significant signatures.”

As the tyres screech from the force of her braking, Faultline shouts back, “Give Labyrinth a potion and get out! Bee Bee, we need intel, who’s incoming? Spitfire, you’re on offence, hold off until they’re in range though.”

As the van skids to a halt with the handbrake on, Faultline is already slipping out of the driver side door. As she looks up, she spots the massive wings on one of the incoming craft far more distinctive than they should be. “It’s the Dragonslayers, everyone find cover! Labyrinth, zipzap when you can, but don’t be a hero.”

As Labyrinth looks around alertly, an empty blue flask still gripped in her hand, Faultline once again thanks the Faba’s for the existence of that potion, and allowing Labyrinth to be an active member of the group in situations like this. As opposed to being another VIP to defend. Though her movements still don’t show the trained smoothness of the others.

While the others are taking cover, Faultline takes a couple of steps away from the van, while remaining close enough to dive behind the engine block if they decide to attack without talking. This would be so much easier if she knew enough about magic for it to be effective past dueling distance. Still, it’s better than relying on guns or getting into hand to hand. More acceptable in the cape community.

As the suits fly overhead, they each drop something from each hand, and Faultline has a moment to shout “Grenades!” as she’s diving to one side.

As the sound of the grenades dies away, Faultline shouts, “Bee Bee, call the authorities and start uploading video! Weapons hot everyone, remember don’t rely on your powers. Keep them busy!”

As the three suits turn around and head back, Faultline crawls around the van to the doors and clambers in.

While she’s grabbing both of the magnetic mines they use for breaching doors. As she’s picking up the rocket broom she bought with the full set of books and promised tuition before the government’s deal was finalised, she curses under her breath. “Bee Bee, can you disable their suits?”

Bee Bee gives a sad whistle that universally indicates a no.

“Shit, can you at least stop them from talking to each other?”

Bee Bee gives a happy sounding toot that she takes to mean yes.

“Great.”

While she’s mounting her broom, she has to brace as the van rocks from a blast in the side. With the distinctive sound of an AK firing, she takes a deep breath and rockets out of the back of the van and straight up nearly 500 yards in only a couple of seconds. Only the magic of the broom stops her from letting go.

As Faultline tries to recover her composure she swears yet again, “Fuck. Fuck! Best 100K ever spent!”

Looking down she can see that the three suits have formed up in a V shape, with the lead suit’s wings projecting a nearly invisible shield. The one behind it and to the left has a visible halo glowing with energy, while the one behind and to the right is holding a massive sword. As she’s watching the lead figure gestures to one side and makes some sort of hand sign, and then they zip to one side in a practiced movement. As they stop abruptly, the shield stops and sword wielder swings out and a bolt of energy flies out towards the side of the van. At the same time Newter and opens fire with the AK while the halo suit fires back at Newter.

The shots must have gone slightly wide, as there’s only a couple of sparks pinging ineffectually off the armored suits.

Taking a deep breath, Faultline drops down on her broom until she’s hopefully close enough to hit the halo with a zipzap without being so close that it does whatever it’s supposed to do. Channeling magic through her, she shapes it into a lightning bolt and tears a hand away from the broom. As she points at the halo she whispers “Zap”.

The lightning bolt that leaps from her finger hurtles down to the halo. As it hits the halo it arcs through the armor before grounding out against the earth. Almost immediately, the suit starts to fall out of the sky as the spell does what it’s designed to, and breaks the equipment. A fraction of a second later, a parachute fires out of a panel on the back as some failsafe system goes off.

Faultline doesn’t have time to analyse what happened as the sword wielder turns around, a glow forming in the hilt of the sword already. As it does, Faultline throws herself to one side before she’s got her hand back on the broom. At the urgency of her thoughts the broom responds by accelerating away in the direction she was trying to dodge.

A few minutes later, Faultline comes around lying on the ground beside her broom. Her arm throbs in agony as it’s extended above her head. As she tries to move it, the pain causes spots to dance in her eyes. It’s all she can do to use her other arm to blindly reach for her phone and blindly stab Gregor’s number.

“Gregor.”

Faultline fumbles for the speaker button and clenches her teeth as she says, “It’s Faultline. Is everyone ok?”

“We’re a little banged up, but the van’s a write off. They fucked off with the guy you disabled. You?”

“I’m alive, but I fucked my arm.”

“Stay on the line, BB’s tracing your call. You know you shouldn’t have used that broom.”

Faultline can’t help it, and she starts to laugh until her arm screams in agony again, “Fuck, don’t make me laugh.”

“I’m serious.”

“The supermops are too slow.”

“And you haven’t practiced on that broom.”

“If I didn’t do something, they’d have killed us all.”

“Bee’s found you. You’re 15 miles northwest of us.”

“Fuck. See if Labyrinth can repair the van with magic. And see if one of those emotion potions are still in one piece. I, I’m going to work out which way’s southeast and start making my way back to you.”

“Faultline!”

“Gregor, how long would it take you to get here?”

“We could call the PRT.”

“We’re at least 100 miles from the nearest town of more than 100 people. How much further away is the nearest PRT base? I’m going to take it easy. You know I can do that.”

“… Just, don’t hang up. Ok?”

Faultline grunts as she forces herself to roll onto her back with her good arm so that she can painfully stand up. Then she unbuttons a pocket on her bullet proof vest and slips the phone inside. When she tries to pick up her broom, her mind rebels and tries to tell her that she can’t.  After a minute or so, and several deep breaths, her knees stop feeling like jelly at the thought of picking up the broom, and she deliberately leans down and picks it up.

Holding the broom in between her legs, she pulls her survival knife from her boot and unwraps the paracord on the handle by holding the blade in her mouth. Once she’s got about half the paracord off the handle, she lashes the knife to the broom handle so that the small compass on the pommel is clearly visible.

“You can do this Melanie, it’s just like getting back on a motorbike.”

It takes her several minutes to get back onto the broom, and even longer to go faster than a walking pace.