10-12-2016, 12:09 PM
Ivan nodded to the Ascendancy and smiled. He was just doing his job, after all. Just like his pops. Thanks were nice, but not necessary. He was just glad to see the Ascendancy up and around, no worse for wear. He was looking forward to practicing with the power, now. A universe had opened up to him. This was so much more than brute force. The possibilities were endless. It seemed the threads could be woven in ways you couldn't dream of.
He'd never really been a studious person. He did alright in school and passed his tests. But study of for the sake of study was alien to him. He just wanted to know how to do what he needed to. In that he was like a dog with a bone in his mouth.
He'd found an old motorcycle at a market for practically nothing. For some reason it seemed to call to him. The sleek lines and shape begged to be noticed and he brought it home, keeping it in the common back yard of their apartment. For a good year, he'd read up and watched videos and little by little, was able to restore the engine until he was able to start it up. It fascinated him, the timing of the whole thing. He laughed when he had gotten it. The freaking thing ran on explosions, in the engine.
The four-stroke engine had pistons that, once the engine kicked over, cycled up to draw a mix of fuel and air into the chamber, then cycled back down to compress the mix to a certain pressure. Then the spark-plug fired and the whole thing exploded, driving the piston up, turning the shaft. The downstroke expelled the residue out of the chamber into the exhaust and the whole process started again. The piston cycled up, drawing in a new mix. 4 or 6 or 8 cylinders working in sync, all together, turning the drive shaft which would then be put into gear to turn the wheels.
It amazed him. People had been burning stuff forever. Even blowing stuff up. The idea of harnessing controlled explosions....genius. He felt like that now. He had been ready to use the power- like people had burned or blown stuff up for centuries. Like the fists he had created to punch those creatures in the tunnels. Even those exploding disks. Brute force.
There was so much more possible. The bone was in his teeth now. He'd prolly give Nox a call. Nox had put some thought into his weaves. And the Padre's weaves were in the back of his mind. He still didn't understand them fully. But the big picture, like the engine, made sense. It was in the execution that he'd need practice and work.
They went to the room of the Sigma. He was sitting up on his bed, bandages on the floor, talking to the Padre. The Ascendancy greeted the guy before thanking Jensen for the healing. Ivan didn't much care for the Sigma. Something about him rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was the way the guy had been all ready to set off the powder keg in the Square. It had been stupid.
Then another man entered and only spoke into the lull to say his had the Ascendancy's clothes? Was he his valet or butler or something?
He'd never really been a studious person. He did alright in school and passed his tests. But study of for the sake of study was alien to him. He just wanted to know how to do what he needed to. In that he was like a dog with a bone in his mouth.
He'd found an old motorcycle at a market for practically nothing. For some reason it seemed to call to him. The sleek lines and shape begged to be noticed and he brought it home, keeping it in the common back yard of their apartment. For a good year, he'd read up and watched videos and little by little, was able to restore the engine until he was able to start it up. It fascinated him, the timing of the whole thing. He laughed when he had gotten it. The freaking thing ran on explosions, in the engine.
The four-stroke engine had pistons that, once the engine kicked over, cycled up to draw a mix of fuel and air into the chamber, then cycled back down to compress the mix to a certain pressure. Then the spark-plug fired and the whole thing exploded, driving the piston up, turning the shaft. The downstroke expelled the residue out of the chamber into the exhaust and the whole process started again. The piston cycled up, drawing in a new mix. 4 or 6 or 8 cylinders working in sync, all together, turning the drive shaft which would then be put into gear to turn the wheels.
It amazed him. People had been burning stuff forever. Even blowing stuff up. The idea of harnessing controlled explosions....genius. He felt like that now. He had been ready to use the power- like people had burned or blown stuff up for centuries. Like the fists he had created to punch those creatures in the tunnels. Even those exploding disks. Brute force.
There was so much more possible. The bone was in his teeth now. He'd prolly give Nox a call. Nox had put some thought into his weaves. And the Padre's weaves were in the back of his mind. He still didn't understand them fully. But the big picture, like the engine, made sense. It was in the execution that he'd need practice and work.
They went to the room of the Sigma. He was sitting up on his bed, bandages on the floor, talking to the Padre. The Ascendancy greeted the guy before thanking Jensen for the healing. Ivan didn't much care for the Sigma. Something about him rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was the way the guy had been all ready to set off the powder keg in the Square. It had been stupid.
Then another man entered and only spoke into the lull to say his had the Ascendancy's clothes? Was he his valet or butler or something?