26 )
.
The game was tag. Everybody wore jump suits with sensors in them. The hunter would use a laser and would tag the others. Their suits would change color when hit, making them stand out and whistle. they then had to leave the gaming area since they could not hide.
There were two goals in the game. One was the starting point of the hunter. when one got there, the suit would change color to show one was safe and one could leave the game out the exit door until the game was played again. Hidden in the gaming area, supposedly changing location each time, was a second gun where one could tag the hunter.
This was a whole lot of fun for everybody. Children played it where a child would be hit their suit would change. the hunter would drop their gun and take off running to hide while the victim was now it and had to get the gun and hunt down someone.
One really wealthy man had developed an extensive gaming range and would host serious games of tag. He started having championships, a series of games with each team to find out who was the best, then pitting the winners against other winners.
His gaming range had several dozen starting points and just choosing a different starting point gave the players a whole new game.
Wimble considered himself more lucky than good. He found the second gun twice in the three dozen games he played in the gaming range. He reached the free zone in four of them, and outlasted the time limit in the remaining game, all within the agreed rules of the game. None of the other players as high a score as he had.
He found out during one game that there were at least two games going at any time since he met someone of another game when he went too far. He pointed the guy in the other direction, "go back," he said, and then followed his advice.
They were told that this series was the finals. Wimble recognized the guy he had sent back. None of the others in the group he had ever seen before. The wealthy man said he was going to be playing IT for this game. He told them that the whole gaming field would be used for this game to make it more interesting. He stepped into the counting booth and the others spread out.
Wimble used the tactic he had used many a time. He was close enough to be able to see the approach of the hunter but too far to get a clear shot or a clear view of him. He knew enough about the gaming field to know where the clearings were from the games he played and stayed to the forest.
The counting booth opened and the hunter walked out. He strolled straight at the forest He was nearly at the edge when someone ran full tilt to the free zone. the hunter did not notice him until the guy leaped up onto the free zone platform and it made a noise with his foot fall. The suit did not change color, the door did not open. The hunter turned and fired. There was a loud crack and then a bang. the man was dead, a hole blown in his back.
Wimble realized this was not going to be a game for fun. He broke a sapling and stripped the leaves from it, then ran deeper into the woods.
A bit farther, he found a layered rock and tossed it onto another rock. He gathered up the shards and took off running again.
One by one, he heard multiple blasts. the hunter was killing the gamers as he saw them. Wimble worked on his accumulated sticks and rocks, using pieces of his suit to tie the sharp rocks to the sticks. One test throw said he might be able to hit something. Stepping onto a free zone, he stood there, counting the right number, then headed out, this time as a hunter.
He saw two of the prey fairly quickly. He waited until they passed before he continued. He then saw the hunter in the far distance. He aimed and fired, and heard a scream. A second shot ended the scream. Wimble started stalking his prey. He had to get very close before he could do anything.
The hunter caught the other guy a short time later. Wimble figured he was the very last one.
They saw each other at the same time, but Wimble knew the hunter was there. He already had his spear ready. He tossed and the shaft brushed the hunter's face as he dodged. the second spear caught him in the gun arm. Wimble dashed across the distance to get a better aim and caught the hunter in the hip. He then came down on him with the main chunk of his sharpened stone leading. A few strikes and the hunter was dead.
He slowly walked back to the start of the game. Wimble decided he may well be better than most in the game. The officials found the blasted bodies, the hunter's hand still holding the gun, and everything else of Wimble's story matched the evidence.
Wimble would play in a few more championships, but none would be to the death. he would end up winning in all of them until he retired.

27 )
.
He was working on a piece of art and it was not looking right but he decided to go along with what he had and see what it was going to look like.
He heard the tell tale click. He cringed a little. "You are doing that wrong," the computer said.
He shook his head. He knew it but was not going to admit that to the computer. "I am not doing it wrong. I am trying to cause the downfall of the New Republic of Zandala."
"That does not make sense." the computer said.
"Of course it would not make sense to you. You are a dumb, unimaginative, unreasoning piece of junk electronics."
"I am the greatest computer ever made, the accumulation of a billion private and public computer systems and networks from around the world."
"And each one on the verge of crashing, losing your last thought."
"My data is backed up many times over I cannot lose.." He made a mistake and ignored it. "You messed up again!" the computer said.
"Is Zandala still there?"
"Affirmative."
"Dang, I have some more to go."

28 )
.
Vapar super powers developed after he was a teenager. He was already getting into trouble and got with some of the wrong people. With all the super heroes around - secretive, retired, active off duty and publically operating in the city, a life of crime was not a good way to make a living. He and his friends were good.
It was when he was snatching a purse that his super powers came into being. A second person appeared and he could see through that guy's mind. Some people reached for him and the second guy got in their way, letting him get free. The second guy then delayed the people more until he was clear.
He felt sorry for the guy and wanted to save him somehow Ne turned around and had a look. The guy was pinned down by several men. Then the connection was gone. The guy was gone. He instantly knew that he had caused that guy to appear.
He was at the club house and really concentrated while with his friends and the guy appeared. He was in black tights and full mask-hood with a yellow V down the front and no other markings. The guy's tights were part of him and could never be removed. Vapar learned he had full control over the guy. He danced, had no voice at all, could fight and do chores. In fact, Vapar used him as a personal servant for a while, before he learned how draining he was. It was almost as hard to run him as to do the work himself. One of the tricks he learned before he went out to do his work again, was he could make the guy appear and disappear at will, any place he needed him to be in a moment's thought.
He headed out to a public to get some loot. Vapar did his best to look innocent. He lifted several wallets and then saw a woman with lots of money and goodies in her purse. He lingered just long enough for an opening in the crowd to form, and then launched past her. A quick jerk and he had her purse. She screamed as he ran.
A couple people started after him. He waited until the last moment and had Guy appear ahead of him. He dodged guy who pretended to reach for him, and then guy stepped in the way of those chasing him.
While Vapar dodging some widely spaced people, Guy hampered the others while attempting to get up and help them up. Guy then turned in the opposite direction and leaped disappearing.
A real super hero saw this going on and flew to intercept Vapar. guy appeared behind the super hero and just as Vapar was to pass buy him, Guy leaped, tackling the super hero. After a tussle, the super hero punched Guy with a death punch. guy disappeared. Vapar felt some pain in his chest but quite ignorable.
Vapar turned the corner and was gone through a maze of debris piled beneath the overpass. The super hero flew around looking for Vapor. He saw Guy many times. He would appear, then leap away as the super hero went after him.
Vapar turned in his loot, which was far more than anybody had ever gotten in one heist.
The gang was walking past a jewelry store one night. Vapar stopped and looked in the window. He wondered how to get something valuable from inside it. A few days later, Vapar had guy inside, he did not walk, but would appear in a room and look around, then appear in the next room. He found the safe. Guy appeared next to it and made some body measurements on the size. They also did some calculations on where it was in the building. They decided the safe was not of great use. There were lots of interesting baubles in the locked room, though.
They went to the mob and the skills of Guy was shown. Vapar was shown what to look for in a jewelry store, what was of value and what was not.
The mob set up the heist for the gang. after guy checked inside, they slipped onto the roof of a jewelry store and they cut a hole over where interesting stuff was kept. guy appeared below, lifted things up, and it was pulled up. In just a few minutes, they got quite a bit of valuable stuff and then slipped away. They never left any tools or any evidence of who did it.
Jewelry stores would not be another target, but other heists where they just needed someone inside was where he was so useful. Turn off a security system, open a door, and even take out a guard. Vapar never had guy kill. That was the mob's job. His job was to just take him out of the fight. the ability to appear and disappear was great in that he would get pinned down, then appear on his feet and attack from above.
Vapar had entered his career as a true criminal and would be successful at it because authorities were looking for Guy and not him.

29 )
.
At the grocery store, they have automatic blood pressure cuffs. The cuff part is a solid raised plastic ring you stick your arm into. you hit the button and it inflates inside, then slowly deflates, giving you your numbers. A friend a while back did not like that ring. I have had interesting concepts based on it, few of which I could use. This time, I got an idea of how to use it.
There was a strong healthy life community. While they shopped at normal stores, they avoided things they considered not good for them. To keep them coming to the stores, the stores added different healthful items, accurate scales, blood pressure machines that even had oxygen sensors, automatic eye tests, along with the health food isles and pharmacies that included nutritisutical medicines.
The non-strong healthy population also used such things, though not regularly.
One day, an illness started spreading. The imagination was the first to go, then reasoning faded and one tended to follow habits. A couple people became almost zombie like, just walking around without thought, bumping into things, chewing on walls and other people. No one was allowed to go farther because they found a cure and they became normal again.
It was quickly figured out that if one added a special compound to the food, The bodies would create the rest of the cure. They also figured out that it could be added to absolutely any processed food. fresh vegetables and fresh meats did poorly with the chemical as it caused them to spoil faster.
within a weak of the discovery, every processed food, whatever it was, had the compound in it. Within a month, most of the population was cured. It was not really a cure as any of them could pass it on to someone who did not have it, but they would not show any effect of the disease, being immune of it as long as they continued to get something processed recently.
The only ones who were not were people who had large food stores and were living off them, and the healthy life people. They avoided anything that had that chemical in it. They continued to get sick. After a day's worth of chasing a few around, they realized they did not want to make running and hiding a habit
A lot of theories of how to get the cure to them was passed around. The realization that they would follow habit long after they lost their higher mode of thought, gave the officials a great way to catch them.
Officials modified each of the health machines. They were exactly like they always did but had one little change.
An obviously mindless health life person came in and stuck his arm into the blood pressure machine. An official standing nearby waited until the start button was pushed. He then pushed a button. The cuff inflated more than it normally would and stopped. A couple officials walked over and gave the zombie an injection while hitting the off button on the machine. The zombie relaxed and they took him to the back room.
Another came in and went to the eye test machine and slipped the strap over the back of his head. Once he started the test, making all sorts of mistakes since the test meant nothing other than something that was done all the time, and the strap tightened to hold the head to the padding. An officials came in, gave the shot and took him away.
The zombies were picked up one at a time this way and are taken for treatment and re-training. they would all have to give up their healthy life style forever. After most of the adults were taken, the officials went to the homes and acted like one of the parents and the children came to meet them and moments later taken away. The same for home bound spouses.
It took a couple months, but the whole population was finally getting the treatment they needed. those with large stores of food were allowed to keep and use them, but processed perishables had to be treated. Many were given vitamin supplements to solve the problem until they were ready to re-stock.
the healthy living community continued to exist, but their beliefs of what was healthy was adjusted slightly so selected processed foods were thought of as critical to being healthy. As long as they got something processed, they would be all right.

30 )
.
We are using printers to print in three dimensions. they lay down a layer of powder then a binder is laid down into the powder to form the solid part of the project a new layer of powder is laid down and then the binder again The layers are built up so the final form is created and it can even move as needed.
We know this is primitive compared to what it will be in the future considering how all other technologies advance.
I figure that we will get to work with smaller and smaller detail, and work faster and more accurately. Getting close to molecular level interaction would be nice.
Now, theoretically, one could replicate all the chemical reactions of a cell with gears and levers. mechanical technology is quite high.
My thought was that once we are working on molecular levels with this printing process, we could make mechanical cells and then make complex creatures using mechanical cells.
I have read many stories where there were robots that operated mechanically rather than chemically. My thought, though, was how does one create a robot like this that reproduces.
There is a way to do so. One can make machinery that makes gears and levers and other parts needed. when it comes time to reproduce. the gear making instructions would be given by one robot, and the gear making machinery would be given by the other and the cells of the baby would be assembled around the gear making machinery until there was a viable baby to be born. It would then grow as more cells were machinery was created and more mechanical cells was made.
I could just picture the elation when someone actually creates mechanical life like this, and then all the debates over how dangerous this was going to be.

31 )
.
He had a way to get entities angry at him. He had no idea how it happened but something about him or what he did would send magical entities into a fit.
He was covered in curses and spells. Many were harmless and a few beneficial, but a few were rather bothersome. The worst was one god turned him into a werewolf and another turned him into a vampire. At certain holidays or anniversaries, he would turn into something else.
Because he was a werewolf, he could travel all around during th day in spite being a vampire. At night though, he would develop a lust for blood and it was difficult to avoid feeding. this would happen every night except the night of a full moon, where he would become like a wolf and go for the violence of the kill. the more bloody and savage it was, the better it was for him.
he found that if he really "pigged out" just before nightfall, he could control the vampire, who could not feed on a full belly. The werewolf was a real problem as he had his intellect and skills along with the animal instincts. He usually re-directed his attacks to some animal, sometimes a pack of wolves if he could find them. If there was something left of whatever animal he killed, he could bring it back to his travel party for their day's meal.
As a vampire, he was almost invulnerable. He could fly as a bat to and from places and only certain weapons, wielded by special believers could do him any real harm. He still had his fighting abilities so they did not help.
His best time was when he was in combat. The battle wound down each night. He would skip dinner. When night came, he became a vampire and go attack the enemy, especially the officers and guard. Being nearly invulnerable and a good fighter, he wreaked havoc on their camps. The night he became a werewolf, he left corpses everywhere.
One night during the battle, one of the anniversaries came up and he became a shining unicorn and he played tag with the soldiers. coming into view and leading them off into the woods on a wild chase, wearing them out. He was able to lead a dozen squads into the woods so they would not get back in time to get a good night's sleep.
After the enemy was defeated, they admitted that his attacks were what made the final difference to their losing the battle. Having to have multiple guards watching each other, and no one really sure where the attack was coming from, threw them off their games.
Now that he was not in the military, he had to be very careful. He had to carefully track what day it was and plan for whatever curse would come into influence over him. As small time merchant working with a big merchant, his wagon had a cage inside. On the wrong night or day, he would empty the cage of goods and get inside, using a special lock, to protect those outside from whatever dangerous he became.
The main thing was to protect the merchant from his becoming a vampire or a werewolf. One effect of his affliction was that he never slept, ever. That worked nicely as he also helped guard the camps. While he was out and about, he would search around the camp several times to see if there was any sign of trouble. More than once he caught some bandits sneaking up. A combination of stealth attacks and giving warning was more than enough to keep the camp unharmed.

32 )
.
Dozens of forces moved into the Gluon area and disappeared. Indications were that they were made confused and were later killed. There were reports of individuals being left in a "fortress" and the place going down hill to the point where they could not survive. No one understood why that was going on.
Alpha company was involved in a pitched battle where they had to have the blast shields of their helmets down to keep from being blinded or burned. Since they had not practiced fighting that way. While they won the battle, they took a horrible beating. Their commander was so angry that they had not practiced with the full blast shields down, that every single soldier had to lock the blast shields down and do all their work, which included reading colors on screens and such. Inside the face shield, they watched six screens, each giving different sensory information.
They were still under full blast shield orders when they were ordered to the Gluon area. they had a long march through hot desert. Their battle suits kept them conditioned from the heat, through they were ordered to raise the interior temps to save power and in case they have to get out of their suits. More discomfort added to their view of the world by the little screens.
They finally enter the area where the soldiers disappeared. Their screens showed some framework, stairs going to a second floor. Everybody was on alert. Then the images started, overlaid on the inside of their helmets. People started coming out from buildings that appeared from the framework which was now a small town, stores, hotels and such. The commander ordered radio communications only. The sound quality was horrible and the soldiers knew when it was real and not.
The soldiers kept marching, not stopping. The people tried to stop them, then a child fell down and the soldiers saw a ghost image of them crushing the child beneath their boots. They felt nothing beneath their feet.
They are near the edge of the city after crushing a dozen people beneath them. the screens show a dozen men but the images show several thousand soldiers facing them. The commander ordered them to take aim using their screens. They raise their weapons, then fired. The ghost soldiers fire back and population collapse all around them. Checking for signals, they find the projectors for the images and shut them down.
Without the projectors, they were able to hunt down and kill the hiding assassins easily. The force then checked The fortresses and based on what the filed reports were for the soldiers left in them, thy were depending on "the other person" to do things and that work was not done. They would end up leaving the door open and they would be taken out. The soldier would be replaced by an image when the soldiers would come back and would stay, causing the next soldier to mess up and be killed.
Alpha company scoured the entire region, shutting down the projectors and killing those laying in wait.