Author's Note: Many, many thanks for all the great comments and input into the last chapter! There were a lot of great arguments for every options, and they all helped me decide where the story will head in the next few chapters. I hope you enjoy what is in store for Brandon and his crew!
Also, I'm still dedicating each chapter to a reader who leaves a comment explaining why they chose like they did. It doesn't have to be someone who votes for the winning entry, just someone who takes the time to tell me what they think. That helps me out more than you know!
Recap: Brandon explored the Bellagio casino with Mandeville and began to question if he was still human with all the superpowers he now had.
Winning Choice: “I may have altered DNA and nanobots in my bloodstream, but I’m human. I know it. I feel it. I’m human, and I am going to fight to stay that way.”
“I’m human. I know it in my heart.”
Mandeville looks at me a moment, then nods. “Remember that. You’re going through something unique in the history of our species. What’s human has never been easy to answer, but you’re going to be one of the people defining what that means, or doesn’t, from here on out.”
Still, I look around the casino floor and feel surrounded by aliens. Would they consider me human if they knew what I could do? Maybe not, but that’s a problem for another day. I know what I am.
“Switching away from philosophy, you used your powers well at the base, but I didn’t see you use your telekinesis,” says Mandeville.
“I haven’t used it since I fought those FBI agents and rescued you,” I admit. It’s been kind of frustrating, to be honest, and I’m a little annoyed that he noticed. “Every time I’ve tried to practice with it all I get is a headache from concentrating.”
Mandeville raises an eyebrow. “Really? It’s the same thing that allows you to fly, just focused in a different way. What have you been trying to do with it?”
“I tried lifting some trash cans,” I admit. “Nothing fancy.”
“Your nanobots can exert an energy field that interacts with physical objects or other energy. Our understanding is that they should operate like an extension of your body, like an arm. You just need to train your mind to use it. Come, let’s try something.” He walks across the casino floor, weaving through the crowd.
“Are you sure now is a good time?” I ask the back of his head as I follow.
He waves my question away dismissively. “Why not? Your friend isn’t here yet, and it’s better than playing slot machines or people watching.”
His cavalier attitude surprises me for a moment, then I realize he is doing what he always does - controlling the situation to get information. He wants to see what I can do with this ability for his own curiosity or plans. Well, it’s something I haven’t been able to figure out on my own, so why not.
We stop at the edge of a roulette table behind the players just as they drop the ball into the spinning wheel. The shiny sphere spins a few laps around the wheel before falling into the numbered slots around the edge, clacking and bouncing before settling to rest in a red slot. It’s the number three. The dealer calls out the number and slides a chip onto Red Three on the table before sorting out the bets.
Mandeville leans in a bit, whispering. “Try thinking of this power as part of your body, like an arm or a leg. That’s how it helps you when you run, your brain just extends the force through the actions of your legs.”
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Power Play (Book 2)
ActionBrandon Stamp is abducted, experimented on, and given super powers. He discovers he is a pawn in a power struggle between groups who want to use him and his abilities for their own ends. His wife is missing, his friends may be dead, and he is lookin...
