Convergence - The Last Science #2.1 - In Plain Sight

Transitions II - I

  "Welcome back. Our topic for the day, as I'm sure you've guessed, is the upcoming book 'The Rallsburg Diaries', from Pro Paradigm Publishing. Whitney, your thoughts?"

  "This has got to be the biggest marketing campaign I've ever seen."

  "You really think it's just a big advertisement?"

  "Oh come on. Magic? This is a whole lot of bull just to sell a book."

  "I dunno. These are real, award-winning journalists, not clickbait artists. They're putting their reputation on the line."

  "Plus the FBI response."

  "I thought they didn't comment."

  "Exactly. They'd deny it if it were fake. They're looking into this, and that's reason enough to give it some credit. Benefit of the doubt, at least."

  "But, come on... magic?"

  "I'm just saying, I feel something in the air. Felt it ever since Rallsburg blew up and no one could tell us how. This could be it."

  "Fucking Christ," he shouted, straining from the effort. Holding up this kind of weight was one thing, but holding up with just his mind was something else entirely.

  "You said magic is a tool without limit. The only limit is your endurance. Why can you not lift this?" asked his partner, watching him with a bored expression. She had her rifle out, inspecting every inch yet again with her trained eye.

  "She has a point," added their boss, watching from a set of monitors hooked up to the sensors plastering his skin. "By all measurements you aren't strained physically in the slightest. Just an elevated heart rate. What's holding you back here?"

  "Neither of you fucks can do this," Viper growled. He finally released the weight, letting out a huge breath as he did. It clanged back onto the struts, echoing through the room. He glared at the other two. "Cut a guy some slack."

  "Competitive advantage, Stefen," replied Cornelius Malton, young and fit with short brown hair. He was only thirty-two, but still in charge of one of the largest conglomerates in the world. He leaned over the monitors, watching the numbers change with an air of actually understanding what they meant. "I agreed to keep this from our R&D group, but that means you've got to give me more."

  "Are you having trouble performing?" Rook asked, the glint in her ice-blue eyes contrasting her otherwise stone-cold face. If he didn't know her so well, he'd assume she was asking a serious question. Unless she was undercover, her sense of humor was dry as the deserts she hated so much.

  Viper laid back against the cold metal bench, breathing heavily. "That much weight would be impossible for me to lift for real. This shit ain't easy."

  "The delay effect seems to be diminishing as well," Malton added, glancing over his readouts. "When we started, you were able to cast spells without any immediate exhaustion or pain. But each time, you've felt the effects more quickly." He frowned. "Even though you can lift more with practice, you seem to be getting worse."

  "Well fuck. So this shit does have limits."

  "But why?" Malton asked to no one in particular. "What's the connection?"