Ria The failure still vexed her. The villain had eluded her again. Even though she all but had him trapped in the end. But the girl was not lost, this time. For once, his efforts had failed. But that had not been her success. In the end, Das Ria’s only success had been to save one of the officers who …

Jack After trying to absorb it for a bit, he asked, “Why can’t we just go back to Earth from where we are? If all you have to do, to change from one world to another, is ‘spin our particles’, why does it matter where you are? What prevents you from sending me back to Earth by doing the same …

Jack She was a spook, he reminded himself. Even so, he could not believe her. She seemed too human. “Not possible.” “When you see me in better light, I’ll probably look a bit older than you seem to think now,” she admitted, then affected a mock-serious look, quirking an eyebrow. “I have five grandchildren. But call me ‘Gran’ and you’re …

Jack Rogan was now lugging a massive backpack. The materials looked nothing like similar gear from Earth, but it was clearly a manufactured product, not homespun. Of course, Jack already knew that an unfamiliar and very non-primitive hand weapon swung from the man’s hip, and a military knife of modern manufacture resembling a ka-bar hung in a scabbard strapped to …

Jack The large man, sitting on the ground, straight-backed and cross-legged like a guru, stretched his hand out, palm first toward the unlit campfire, and stated, simply, “Fire”. Jack watched as a jet of blue flame, like a propane torch, flared from the man’s palm and danced over the firewood, rapidly setting it aflame. He closed his eyes and held …

Payton As she slipped her shield back into its home, the girl began slowly approaching her, staring intently, obviously preparing to attack. The blade remained reversed; she had no wish to kill. She merely intended to remove an obstruction as gently as possible. As a police officer, Payton knew she should ignore that fact. Police training was clear on the …

Payton While still five blocks away when she felt the fire begin, Payton had leaped up the building side to get a better view. She hung there now, her left hand gripping the surface of a fourth floor window as her right hand held a flux-powered “spyglass” monocle to her eye. Flashes of flux here and there… they had been …

Nam They passed a wide, horizontal stone ring engraved with badly worn Bruxilan script and animal figures, a bench that had probably once surrounded a flower bed or a statue. She didn’t know why, but it seemed to her the arrangement should also have some religious significance. Something about it nibbled at her memory. “They bring the girls they have …

Nam “An Ijin is the spirit of a Natural whose life has ended. A Seryahdin is someone who carries an Ijin.” She wondered even before she finished saying it what even that would mean to him. The man waited, obviously still waiting for the explanation to come forth. Dis-armoring complete, Rogan turned away, gesturing for the others to follow. He …

Nam The searing heat now vanished, she settled down onto the cold stone floor in whole-hearted relief. They had, of course, returned to Rogan’s ambush spot. All were sweating profusely and breathing hard. The American guardsman was panting at an alarming rate and didn’t appear aware of his surroundings. Grayed out, she guessed. Poor man only had the constitution of …