Page 386

“Uhh. W-why is Lynn on her own?”

<“I’m not too clear on the details. You should probably just ask her yourself.”>

“I, uh... mgh...”

<“Or have Colt ask her. Whatever works.”>

“Any progress with that child doctor?” said Colt.

<“Sorry, not yet. I should get back to that, actually. Give me a ring if I can help with anything else.”>

“Roger that,” said Colt.

The conversation ended there. Colt and Bohwanox went off to explore the rest of the bunker. Hector, on the other hand, wanted to get some training in. He was sure he’d fall back asleep if he did practically anything else. He went up above ground again with Garovel, and the first thing he did was make a giant half-dome to shield himself from the sun. Then he began some simple sword practice.

As his thoughts drifted back to his battle with Karkash, Hector soon began thinking about his own ability, about some of the things he still wasn’t sure he fully understood.

“I’ve got a question...”

‘Yeah?’

“If, um... well, for instance, if I make a metal box or something--” He paused to do just that, materializing a large iron cube directly in front of him. “--what happens to it if I just... like... leave it there?”

Garovel tilted his head. ‘What do you mean?’

“Ah, like... if I don’t destroy this cube here, and then I just go somewhere else, um... somewhere really far away, I mean... then will the cube, um... stay? Or will it destroy itself when I get too far away?”

‘Oh. It’ll stay. You didn’t know that, already? Even after all those criminals you left coated in metal for the police?’

“Well, I kinda figured that’s what happens, but I just... uh... wanted to be sure, ‘cuz... now I have a follow-up question.”

‘Alright.’

“So I can go like a hundred kilometers away from this cube, and it’ll stay here, but... what if I try to destroy it WHILE I’m that far away from it? Would that work?”

‘Ah! No, that wouldn’t work, but you bring up an important point.’

“I do?”