Seven Wonders (55 page)
Authors: Adam Christopher
Jeannie watched as Bluebell took Aurora aside by the elbow and whispered something over this shoulder. He nodded, and for the frst time they split up. Bluebell returned to Dr Cane, and placing a friendly hand on his shoulder, asked him something about his home town back in England. She'd done her research.
"Dr Jean Ravenholt." Aurora held his champagne in one hand, and had the other extended. Jeannie shook it, remembering this time. His gloved hand was hot and the champagne in his other hand appeared to be steaming slightly.
"Mr… Aurora's Light, it's a real honor to meet you."
Aurora laughed like a Hollywood flm star of the 1940s. His eyes fashed white and his fame-hair swirled. "Just Aurora is fne." He took a sip of his drink. "I understand you developed the theory of the black light converter back at Albuquerque."
Ah. Forbidden territory. It was true, she had, but Cane took the credit. Even though he lived in an entirely different hemisphere, he was the spokesperson for the lab. Jeannie had to tread carefully.
"Hmm," said Aurora, half into his glass. "Don't worry about Dr Cane. Bluebell has his full attention. I just need to know that the black light converter theory is actually yours, not his."
Jeannie's eyes fickered to Dr Cane. He and Bluebell were laughing together like old friends. Aurora smiled.
"She can have quite a way with people."
"I'm sure."
"Like you wouldn't believe."
Jeannie took a gulp from her own drink, slightly too large than intended. The champagne was too dry.
"The converter is built on my design, yes. The whole thing is, truth be told."
"Ah." Aurora smiled, wider this time. His teeth we perfect. "How have the tests been so far?"
Jeannie relaxed. Aurora the superman was trusting her to a conversation she shouldn't really be having. Fuck it, go for broke.
"Well, actually," she said. "Energy transfer and absorption has been eighty per cent, which is beyond our initial hypothesis and more than enough to depower a hero." She paused, aware again of who she was talking to. "Of course, in theory only. We have only tested it on controlled power outputs."
Aurora nodded. "Of course, of course. Would you be interested to know that with just a few adjustments you can actually transition the energy source from one type to another, transferring the electron balance across space and time to another target?"
Jeannie stopped with a mouthful of champagne. She swallowed only when the fzzing on her tongue became too sharp. "Are you sure about that?" She raised an eyebrow.
Aurora raised his glass. "Quite sure, yes. I will transmit the schematics to you in the morning."
"Ah. You will? Okay… what for, exactly?"
"You've made an admirable start here, Dr Ravenholt. But we need the device a little off-spec, shall we say."
"You need?"
Aurora smiled. The warmth had gone. "Who do you think is funding this project? Funded your post-doc? Arranged the opening in San Ventura?" He gestured to Frank Cane with his now empty champagne fute. "Found you a suitably senile and absent boss?"
Jeannie gulped. Despite the radiant heat from Aurora, she felt cold in her chest. Her eyes ficked the Bluebell. The beautiful superheroine was looking at her again, the smile as perfect and charming and fake and dead as Aurora's.
"What do you want?"
Aurora sighed. "Dr Ravenholt, I want a weapon that will let me steal the superpowers of other heroes and transfer them to me. And I'd like your help with that."
He clinked his empty glass against Jeannie's half-full one, that hung at a limp angle from her hand.
"Here's to the start of something beautiful."
ANGRY ROBOT
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Up, up and away!
An Angry Robot paperback original 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Adam Christopher
Cover art by Will Staehle (lonewolfblacksheep.com)
Distributed in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York.
All rights reserved.
Angry Robot is a registered trademark and the Angry Robot icon a trademark of Angry Robot Ltd.
This is a work of fction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fctitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, superheroes or other persons, living, dead or imaginary, is entirely coincidental.
Sales of this book without a front cover may be unauthorized. If this book is coverless, it may have been reported to the publisher as "unsold and destroyed" and neither the author nor the publisher may have received payment for it.
ISBN 978-0-85766-196-8
EBook ISBN 978-0-85766-197-0
Printed in the United States of America
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Table of Contents
#1: TONY AND THE ATM
#2: THE START OF SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL