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Robysto7 t1_iw91lyd wrote
The Sum of Zero
Distant thunder boomed on the horizon, dark storm clouds swirled in the sky while the waves crashed below. Detective Falcona was out of her jurisdiction in international waters. She pulled alongside the massive super yacht and boarded. No alarms, no guards, it was too quiet. She drew her forty four magnum, releasing the safety and slowly checked the deck. As she investigated flood lights snapped on, speakers played classical music. A slow clap echoed from the bowels of the yacht.
Falcona swung her gun towards the claps, her arch nemesis Connor Chaos ascended from below. Impeccably quaffed blond hair looked out of place against a loud hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts. He smiled at the detective. "Lunar eclipse party is next week Detective, you're early, I don't need that much help setting it up, I have hired goons for that. Surprised you found me this quickly, thought it would take you longer. How are you?" Connor asked in his gently devious tone.
"Probably shouldn't have named your boat after your ex-wife. Couple bribes here and there let me track down the good ship 'Starlight'. Add in some good ol' fashioned detective work, here I am. You're getting sloppy Conman." Falcona growled.
"Keeping the family tradition alive, maybe you are as good as dear old dad. Sorry to disappoint you dear but you have no power here. You can't lock me up on these waters." Connor smirked.
Falcona kept her gun trained on him. "The only place I'm gonna lock you up is in a casket." She growled. With a flash Connor disappeared, reappearing behind Falcona. He put his lips to her ear.
"How are you going to shoot what you can't hit? Besides, you think a normal bullet will put me down? Your reach exceeds your grasp Falco." He sneered.
Falcona didn't turn around. "These ain't normal bullets." Falcona fired two shots into the deck, they warped behind the two, Connor grasped her around the waist, teleporting them a few feet away making the shots miss.
Connor chuckled. "Well......that's interesting. Miniaturized my wormhole tech, how did you do that?" He asked while keeping his grip around Falcona's waist, lightly squeezing her.
"Little gift from your old partner." Falcona broke Connor's grasp and quickly turned firing off two more shots, both missed as Connor teleported up to the ship's mast.
"You should see the look on your face right now! You didn't really think assassinating me would be that easy, did you?" He cackled. Falcona couldn't take aim, Connor kept teleporting around the deck, mocking her. Connor was smart, no discernible pattern to his ports. Rain began to fall, Connor ported to Falcona's side.
"Storm is about to arrive, according to the radar it's going to be a rough one. Let's continue inside, I don't want your trench coat and hat to get wet." In the blink of an eye the two were inside the super yacht's bar. "That's your father's old get up right?" He asked while going behind the bar.
"Yeah, figured they were good executioner's clothes." Falcona took aim, Connor didn't move.
"You already shot up the deck, please don't shoot up the bar too. I like it here." Connor poured two glasses of scotch, waving Falcona over to a barstool. She hesitantly sat down, placing her gun on the bar, barrel pointing at Connor.
"Drink up. This is a friendly bar, not going to slip you anything." Connor took a sip as a show of good faith. "I don't remember you getting promoted to executioner......detective. I hate to repeat myself, but your reach exceeds your grasp. Killing me would bring about dire consequences, seems you didn't do any detective work on that front, did you?"
Falcona slugged down her scotch. "Gonna monologue at me about the moral implications of killing one to save billions? Don't. Heard it already." Falcona lit a smoke, Connor poured another round.
"Kill me, and you will kill billions." Connor's lips curled into a sinister smile.
"Christ almighty you have a big ego."
"Gods tend to, comes with the territory. Don't misunderstand me dear, I'm the keystone of the new world I made, remove me and the whole thing blows up......literally."
Falcona peered at Connor over the rim of her glass. "You think your doomsday crap scares me? I'm only killing a man, not a god, I don't give two shits if you made the supers and the schmucks. The machine's getting bigger Conman, now you're just a cog in it. Nobody's gonna miss you." She grumbled.
"You're not seeing the forest for the trees dear. I created them, thus I can destroy them. They exist because I allow it, they will end when I, and only I, demand it. Kill me, kill the planet. Not a fair trade." Connor finished his drink and poured another round.
"You're bluffing. If you told me the sky was blue I would still go outside and check." Falcona narrowed her gaze at Connor, she was the one bluffing.
"When I nudged evolution along not even I expected it to work as well as it has. Their numbers are growing, getting stronger, spreading far and wide, developing unforeseen powers. A success. I do enjoy watching their exploits, trying to stay human when they are so, so much more. Not even what they call superpowers can overcome the human dilemma.
Long story short detective. Once my heart stop beating it triggers a signal embedded in everyone's dna, specifically the one that triggers the initial genetic and quantum changes that give people their powers in the first place. If my calculations are correct, around two billion people carry the original sequence, another couple hundred million, give or take, carry the second generation. Third gen should be popping up soon. With those numbers, it'll be total annihilation."
Robysto7 t1_iw924v4 wrote
Falcona yawned, she knew that got on Connor's nerves. He continued anyways. "Once that signal activates it triggers a sub-atomic rearrangement of the human body, creating a heavy radioactive reactor, then the reactor melts down. In essence a walking nuclear weapon. Imagine the horror of billions of nukes going off all at once. It would be........Chaos."
Falcona shot back her drink, even if it was a bluff she didn't have the chips to call it. "You ain't gonna live forever Conman, pretty shitty dead man's trigger." She scoffed.
"False. After analyzing the data I acquired when I..................experimented on you and your sister, I concluded you were a success, your sis went a little haywire, sorry about that."
Visions of a dimly lit hospital room flashed in Falcona's mind, the sound of her sister sobbing flooded her ears. She pushed the thoughts from her mind. "I ain't got no powers, you failed on me."
Connor's menacing laugh echoed off the glass liquor bottles. "Haven't figured it out yet? When was the last time you got the flu?"
"Can't remember." Falcona couldn't remember getting any sort of illness in the past decade.
"I strengthened your white blood cells, made them super efficient, also tinkered with your telomeres. Repeated the procedure on myself. Natural death is no longer a concern to us. Once you write your magnum opus, you stop writing. Anything else would be a let down. That's why I live the pirate life now in solitude, watching from the sidelines forever. I needed a companion, I could think of no lovelier companion than you dear." Connor blew a kiss to Falcona. She put her gun to her head.
"So I'm gonna survive this?" She cocked the hammer back.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Connor said coldly.
"Why not? Sounds better than spending an eternity with you." Falcona was bluffing again, she had a hunch Connor had a contingency plan for this too.
"Because I tied our hearts together for all eternity. You have a dead man's switch in you too. You'll kill us all. You'd be history's greatest monster.......too bad there won't be anyone left to write the history books. Your choice detective, I know you'll make the right one." Connor raised his glass, Falcona put her gun down and raised her glass as well. Connor breathed a sigh of relief. "Cease fire? I know you hate me for a multitude of reasons but this is in everyone's best interests. I'm retired, I want to keep watching from the sidelines, you can meddle all you want, just stay out of my lane. Stay safe dear, wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you, you're still fragile like a normal person."
Falcona rubbed her hand over her face and slowly leaned over the bar. She planted a deep kiss on Connor's lips.
"Well that was certainly unexpec........" Connor's body froze up, his head hit the deck hard as he fell. Falcona wiped her lips on her sleeve and took a drink. Lit up another smoke to get the taste out of her mouth, her stomach turned. She looked down at Connor as she hopped onto the bar top. He was stiff as a board, his eyes wide open, fear danced in his irises.
"Quit bitchin, you're fine. Think of it as a waking coma, your organs still work, your muscles not so much. Still flesh and blood Conman. Thanks for indulging my curiosity, always did wonder what you did to me. You didn't think I came in here without an ace up my sleeve right? Don't answer that. Might hurt yourself. Should last about three days, by that time I'll have you settled in your new digs." Falcona hopped down behind the bar and searched Connor's pockets. She took the gigantic ring of keys for the boat off him along with a strange small glass box containing a swirling blue and white marble. She'd ask him about it on the voyage.
Falcona left Connor lying on the deck as she explored the yacht. It was nice, little too opulent for her tastes. Luckily for her the yacht was mostly automated. She plotted a course for back home. She hoped the boat was fast enough to outrun the storm on choppy waters. With the truth in hand Falcona sailed into the abyss of the night.
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If you enjoyed this you can check out more stories set in this universe at r/StarCityChronicles Thanks for reading.
Crystal1501 OP t1_iw9703n wrote
You have a subreddit now? Well, I just joined! I always look forward to your stuff!
Robysto7 t1_iwe7cy1 wrote
Happy to hear that, thanks for reading. I figured with having almost 30 stories set in the same universe it would be nice to have a place to compile them. More coming soon!
Crystal1501 OP t1_iwe7uqk wrote
FYI I'm still waiting on a sequel to the 'Time Heals All Wounds' one :P wouldn't mind seeing how Doc Connor handles being locked up here as well lol!
Robysto7 t1_iwea8ks wrote
May want to read "Yearly Traditions" Connor is locked up somewhere else, somewhere dark. I do want to write a part two to "Time Heals All Wounds" but everything I've come up with hasn't been up to snuff.
Crystal1501 OP t1_iweajik wrote
Alright, I'll wait!
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Merihelmi t1_iw8zte9 wrote
V: Think about what happens if you lose!
H: The I would have lost anyway in the end.
V: And what if both of die?
H: Then nothing matters anymore to us and people are safe?
V: But what happens when this ends? How will I spend my time if not planning and running away from you? When I won't see you anymore? Or if you win, do you know how boring life is? What will you do anyways after if you won? Become a dentist? With what education and money? Do you even know how to fill a tax form?
H: ...
H: And do you know how to do that?
V: Why would I actually pay my taxes?