Page 1697

((Triple Wednesday -- Page 1 of 3))
Hector looked between the two reapers. “Uh...?”

Voreese took the initiative. ‘Allotropes are basically alternate versions of the same element. The most famous examples would probably be something like diamond and charcoal. Both of those things are just pure carbon, and yet they don’t exactly look identical, do they? Those are carbon allotropes.’

Hector blinked at that. “Huh...” Now that he was thinking about it, he seemed to recall reading about something like this during the research he did a while back. He hadn’t really looked into much further, though, perhaps because it hadn’t immediately clicked for him like some other ideas had. “So, uh... how can a materialization user make different allotropes, then?”

‘That IS the question, isn’t it?’ said Voreese, turning to Garovel. ‘Do you know?’

‘My understanding is that it takes an absolutely ridiculous level of precision. Which would make sense, because allotropes are only differentiated from one another by their atomic structure. So I imagine that the materializer would have to first be capable of manipulating their element on the atomic level.’

Hector’s eyes widened as he tried to imagine that. “That... sounds kinda hard.”

‘No kidding,’ said Garovel. ‘I’m pretty sure it’s a technique that only extremely old servants would be able to pull off. Otherwise, I would’ve had you trying to do it a long time ago.’

“Right...” Hector let the shiny black element fall from his hand and returned to digging.

‘Asad and Zeff may know more about it, of course. We can try asking them at the next opportunity, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up, if I were you. I know you’ve been improving by leaps and bounds lately, but let’s not get too full of ourselves just yet, eh?’

‘Speaking of,’ said Voreese. ‘What the hell is with all this orbiting stuff, huh? I’ve never seen shit like this before.’

‘Heh, well, perhaps I’ll explain that later,’ said Garovel.

‘Oh? Why not now?’

‘Eh. Don’t feel like it.’

‘What? Bullshit.’

‘No, it’s true. I really don’t feel like it.’

‘Pfft. You tryin’ to keep this shit a secret or something?’

‘I’m sure we have no idea what you’re talking about. Right, Hector?’

Hector just glanced at the two reapers and shrugged before going back his digging. With just a little more oomph, he was pretty sure he’d be able to pull the brain out.

He was a little amazed at how much it didn’t bother him, the sight of a human brain just sitting there in front of his face. It wasn’t pulsating or anything like that, but it was pretty squishy and slimy to the touch. Not to mention the smell.

He supposed he had just gotten used to seeing this kind of thing, though he couldn’t really recall a time when it did disturb him, either.

Hmm.

And abruptly, Hector found himself having one of those moments where he simply wondered how the hell he had ended up in this situation. Trying to dig brains out of a ceiling? That was definitely a new one. Certainly not something he’d ever imagined himself doing.