The Dark Edge Chronicles - Hardwire

Inversion

Yes, they would be responsible for more death and destruction than Humanity had ever experienced. Unless ... unless he did something about how psi lords will behave going forward.

The big man's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he abruptly felt the node sluggishly shift. Was it doing so in response to his silent decision? Maybe. After all, it was Jeriko that said the universe itself was watching what he, the first psi lord, would do. And that would alter several probability streams at once, if the universe was involved.

"Did ... did anybody else feel that?" Melanie asked in a hoarse whisper, her eyes flying wide in astonishment yet again.

"Anybody of hardwire capability would've," Jeriko said.

"I know I did," Raven indicated with a frown. "And going by the look on his face, so did our resident psi lord."

"If the probability node shifted, something must've happened," Jeriko said, also looking over at Mordecai. "Could it have been Melanie's upgrade to a Storm Wolf? Will Storm Wolves affect how the future unfolds from this point?"

Her frown deepening after Mordecai, their expert in probability, failed to add to their discussion, Raven went on.

"I don't think so," she said, finally looking back over at Jeriko. "Or we would've felt the node shift as soon as she was converted."

"You guys talk about the future like you can somehow see it," Dee said, her own frown a bit confused.

"Only powerful hardwires can sense probability," Jeriko said, looking over at the frowning detective. "The most powerful can even see where an intention to act will create a branching in the forward moving probability stream. The lone gunmen call those branching events 'nodes'."

"Didn't you say you were drawn to Calgary by a node, Mordecai?" Dee looked at the big man, who immediately nodded.

"I did," he added. "At first I thought it was the Brotherhood's Armageddon Project that created the node with its designed intent to change by force the course of Humanity's continuing evolution. Now, however ..."

The big man's voice trailed off as he returned to his consideration of how the node shifted when he made the conscious decision to leave a positive legacy for subsequent psi lords to follow. Just as quickly, however, he was pushing that consideration into the background. There was still a helluva lot to do, if they wanted a chance to stop the Armageddon Project and its consequences for not just the Dark Edge, but for all of Humanity as well!

"However, considering what we still need to do, I suggest tabling any node speculation and get back to the task of prepping to stop the Brotherhood."

"Good call, Marty," Jeriko said with an agreeing nod. She looked over at a bemused Melanie.

"I know a lot has changed in the last few minutes for you, Melanie. Least of which is that you are now a Storm Wolf."

"Before you ask what that means, I'll tell you," Mordecai smoothly took up Jeriko's thread, also looking at the British hardwire. "You are now in the trenches with us, taking the fight right to the Brotherhood. Jeriko and Raven, you already know, so let me introduce you to our Normal liaisons, two gifted individuals that were instrumental in making this strike against our mutual enemy possible."

He half turned towards the two bemused Normals.

"First, Tragedy McMaster, formerly of the RCMP and CSIS, now a member of Calgary's Police Service. She's been on point for the Normal investigation into the Brotherhood here, in Calgary, and was directly responsible for not only saving my ass after Ravage nearly burned me out. But she also confirmed the existence of the Brotherhood's North American Command in Toronto as well and was part of the assault team that took it out."