The Superman App: Chapter 10

[JP71]

[COLOR=gray]The latest chapter, and, hopefully, my most impressive to date. The story is really revving up towards something big, big, big. I hope this chapter gets lots of feedback, as in terms of story development, it's one of the toughest chapters I've ever tackled. Also, I wrote all 6000+ words in a single sitting, and proofed it three times. Fit to drop now. Keeping the continuity is getting to be a chore, but I try my best not to fuck up. Ha ha. Enjoy. And please comment.[/COLOR]


[COLOR=#808080]Previous Chapters: [/COLOR][COLOR=yellow]1,[/COLOR] [COLOR=yellow]2,[/COLOR] [COLOR=yellow]3,[/COLOR] [COLOR=yellow]4[/COLOR][COLOR=yellow], [/COLOR][COLOR=yellow]5[/COLOR][COLOR=yellow], [/COLOR][COLOR=yellow]6[/COLOR][COLOR=yellow], [/COLOR][COLOR=yellow]7[/COLOR][COLOR=yellow], [/COLOR][COLOR=yellow]8[/COLOR][COLOR=yellow][COLOR=yellow],[/COLOR] [/COLOR][COLOR=yellow]9[/COLOR]




[COLOR=gray]TEN.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Each subsequent thump on the motel room door was weaker than the last. For an indeterminate time Derek and Simon did nothing but stare at the door, listening intently to the sounds beyond, albeit unsure of what to do next.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?What if he?s been followed? We could have Chinatown?s entire mob underworld crashing through that door at any moment,? Derek frantically whispered to Simon. Super-powered Simon may have become, but he was still very new to all of this, lacking experience and confidence enough to be the ultimate crime fighter, although he seemed to improve with each passing hour. Derek set A-Sop to scan for Asian blood in the immediate vicinity. It so turned out that the only Asian within a two-thousand kilometre radius at this time was the individual hammering at the door with ever-decreasing strength. Simon decided to let him in.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Chen literally collapsed into the arms of the naked Adonis. Modesty didn?t seem to have a place here, and Simon secretly relished his nakedness, now that he was of bodybuilder-stature. The opening moments of the first two Terminator movies, when Arnie emerges from the time bubble in his birthday suit, came to mind, and Simon managed a mild grin. In contrast Derek wasn?t so bold, and immediately scrambled back into his sweat-pants, vacating the bed so that Simon could lay the man down to recuperate. Chen was dirty, malodorous, and looked like he?d been dragged through the trenches. Despite his weakened state, greyish pallor, and tattered clothing, Chen did not pass out. Urgency and fear seemed permanently etched into the troubled lines of his face, and his bottom lip looked like it was caught in a trembling loop.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Fuh-food.... so-so...hunnnngry,? he stammered, forcing Derek to once again meet his boyfriend?s gaze. ?We didn?t bring anything. Simon... couldn?t you just super-speed your way to the shops? We passed a convenience store about five minutes drive from here.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Er... fine sight I?ll be, wearing the latest in Bruce Banner designer leg-wear,? Simon remarked as he considered just how he was going to dress himself in order to interact with public life in a more or less conventional manner. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Well I?ll take the jeep then. I think there?s a McDonald?s Drive-Thru nearby as well. As long as you don?t mind babysitting Hung Flung Dung here,? said Derek, momentarily cocking his head in the direction of their dishevelled guest. At this point A-Sop acknowledged his creator and the two spoke in Mandarin for a short time.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Hey... no secrets between you two,? Derek snapped, holding up a warning finger whilst butterflies engaged in a mating frenzy in his stomach. He grabbed up the keys to the jeep before slipping into his trainers. Where his stockings had gotten to was anyone?s guess.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I was merely stating to Saviour Chen how pleased I am to see him, Derek. There is no need for concern,? said A-Sop with a blank tone that harkened back to when he was first activated, before he had picked up the odd quirk here and there. Perhaps this had to do with Protocol-17 and how the unit was meant to behave when in the company of his creator.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Just as Derek was about to leave, Chen gestured towards him with a shaky hand.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Tuh-take... this....if you get in trouble, press the red button.... once... and once only. Very important not to overload it,? Chen stammered, pressing the small cylindrical device into the teenager?s hand. Derek immediately examined it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?What does this do??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Nuh-no time.... please go... nuh-need food,? Chen urged, desperation and dehydration making a croak of his vocals. He was on the verge of losing consciousness. Derek didn?t have to be told twice. Then....[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Give... phone to me, please,? Chen croaked. Simon didn?t see the harm in handing it over. Despite Chen?s weakened state he managed to tap out what appeared to be a predetermined sequence of instructions into A-Sop?s display screen, but he also tapped the dragon logo on the back of the phone?s chassis three times, finally finishing the sequence by running a dirty finger along the right bezel, from top to bottom, but finishing mid-way between the two points. Simon?s eyes waxed large when A-Sop immediately turned from black to pure white, the glow surrounding it bright enough to hurt your eyes.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?What the fuck?? Simon shielded his eyes when a searing, bright energy pulse engulfed the room. When it subsided, and his vision returned to near-normal, Chen looked a hell of a lot better.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Do not be concerned, Master Kelly. This was a standard procedure, designed to interface with A-Sop and bring me up to speed on all that it has experienced since activation. A cranial implant is now processing the data and downloading it into my cerebral cortex,? Chen explained, now managing something of a smile, although the lines of his face retained a look of urgency, caution, and also a little fear.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Protocol-17 shit, eh? No need to explain. But you also look rejuvenated. What else did that pulse do for you?? Simon eyed Chen a little suspiciously.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Nothing more than a repair job. My body, like the bodies of my compatriots, is 16 percent cybernetic, consisting of a various collection of sub-dermal and bioelectric processors designed to extend my lifespan. Some of them stopped functioning upon my emergence into this era, but A-Sop has just repaired them. All I need now is some food and rest. It is most fortunate that I found you at this time. My son would have been honoured to meet you.? Chen hung his head in grief, his eyes welling with tears. Then as an afterthought: ?Protocol-17 is merely a parameter designed to keep custodial matters pertinent to A-Sop?s design accessible only to its creators, and no one else. It requires no further explanation.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I know about your brush with Tang?s people, and about the warehouse in Kowloon. The body of the woman... was she???[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?My late wife. Destroyed by a device of my own making. I should have been more careful with the calibrations, but there simply was not enough time. The Tau-Tek-Sha was seconds behind me. Its emergence into the same room as the portal generator would have shorted it out.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Tau-Tek-Sha? I hope to fuck this isn?t something else I need to be worried about. I?m already the Chinese Mob?s Number One Enemy.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?It is the consciousness of the Chief of Police Operations from my era, suspended in a plasmonic matrix. Since it has no mass it takes no time to travel, and time itself can be bent into a loop and manipulated to its will. It did not start out with this power, but acquired it during the Rebellion. Affairs in my era are far from savoury ones.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?This wouldn?t have anything to do with those electric grabbing claws that have now twice assaulted my boyfriend, would it??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Aye... that was the Tau-Tek-Sha. In the future it acquired the base schematics of the Alpha Series Omega-Pi units and attempted to gain access to this era via the hacking of A-Sops? OS, effectively using it as a locator device. You see, it will not tolerate defectors from what has now become a Police State. All we wanted to do was make the future better by carefully altering the past. But the Uprising put paid to that. Alas, this is only the beginning of our problems, Master Kelly. I fear that the Tau-Tek-Sha will grow more adept at its attempt to cross over into this era with each subsequent portal assault. Although, it gratifies me, Simon, that you managed to short out the first portal and A-Sop was able to fend off the second occurrence, however it almost destroyed it to do so. I need to further investigate this.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Er, just call me Simon, okay?? Simon had so many questions. ?So you?re a defector, yeah??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?The Saviour Archive, of which I was a part-custodian, was created and maintained throughout many centuries, as a base blueprint for re-booting the Human Race. We, its custodians, are as much the Archive as the great knowledge it contains. The template was of Asian origins, of course, for there are no other human genome variations extant in my time. I am surprised that A-Sop was able to bond with two Caucasian males. This is most illuminating. I must run some diagnostics after I have eaten.? Chen now paused and eyed the motel room door with near-panic in his eyes. ?I am not proud to be a deserter of my people. But I saw an opportunity and took it. I wanted a better life for my wife and son. She was an albino and ridiculed by design. Alas, I made too many mistakes, and my family is no more.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I?m sure he will be back any minute with the food,? Simon assured the future-Chinaman. ?I?m truly sorry for your loss. Why don?t you take a shower before Derek gets back? You stink to high Heaven.?[/COLOR]





[COLOR=gray]Derek eventually returned with a shit-load of food. He also found some clothes, which he?d nicked off a washing line, and there was even something for Chen to wear. Simon was really impressed, especially when the black and red plaid lumberjack shirt and jeans fitted him perfectly.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?What gives? These look like they were tailor-made for me.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Yeah I know. I gave a blow-job to this guy from McDonald?s in exchange for free food. Forgot to bring money, y?see. I also gave him a lift home. His housemate was built like you. So I gave him a blow-job as well, and then as I was leaving saw that they?d left a line of washing out. I couldn?t resist.? Derek tried to sport a face of pure angelic innocence, but the look he got back from his fellah was one of great disapproval. When Chen got out of the shower he looked semi-decent. With a towel wrapped around his stringy waist it was clear from the scarring on his body that he?d not had things go well for him for a long time. Some of the scars were the result of surgery: the bio-synthetic implants and such. But others were clearly the result of wounding, and a great deal of it, probably going back (or forward?) many years. He made a beeline for the food set out in several paper carry-out bags on the bed. He started on a double cheeseburger with ravenous zeal.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]The shirt and jeans hugged every delicious contour of Simon?s very muscular body. The shirt was a little tight across his chest, and Derek tried to keep his boner down when he saw how bulbous and shapely his pecs looked inside the shirt, especially how the buttons slightly strained as he breathed. Then Derek noticed the state A-Sop was in as he rested on one of the bed?s pillows.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?He?s gone white. What the fuck happened to him??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Do not be concerned, Derek. Saviour Chen merely interfaced with my database to acquire all data obtained since my activation. It is a standard procedure, nothing more. Please understand that I had no knowledge of Saviour Chen?s whereabouts, or that he was even present in this time, until my sensors picked up his bio-implants. For security reasons the implants cannot be detected from long range.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Simon explained to Derek about the implant in Chen?s skull, as well as his sudden rejuvenation.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Jaysus... he?s a fuckin? Borg,? Derek remarked, taking a sudden precautionary dislike to the man from the future.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Sounds Swedish,? said A-Sop before going into another of his now famous standby modes in order to recharge. Chen did not comment, but just continued to gorge on the junk food. But the boys weren?t letting him have his way. They had way too many questions.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?This gadget you gave me,? Derek began, turning the device over and over in his hands, ?what?s it do, exactly??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Chen regarded him cursorily between mouthfuls of strawberry shake and French fries. For a man of middling age he had the appetite and table-manners of a hyena. ?Short-range teleport. Had you run into trouble from the Tangs, it would have instantaneously transported you up to two-hundred metres in any direction. But it is crude at best. I tried to make improvements to it, but being on the run makes it difficult to improve on anything. Had I had access to my equipment in Kowloon, things would be a lot different right now.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?So I could press this button now and re-appear, say, in the middle of a busy motorway??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Aye... I have had some narrow escapes using it, and I have the scars to prove it, but it has kept me alive and capable of eluding Mister Tang for quite some time. My son also had a device like this, but we got separated a few days ago. His device must have malfunctioned as the Tangs tightened their fatal net. We have internal communications systems in our bodies. I know that he is dead.? Chen chewed more slowly, now, as he remembered the good, albeit rare times, he shared with his family. Simon decided to refrain from disclosing the gory details pertinent to how Chen?s son died at the grisly hands of the Tang Dynasty.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I fought the leader of The Faceless. He told me that your wife?s body and the portal disintegrated.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Hmm... I programmed it to explode should it be tampered with, or if the Tau-Tek-Sha should try to access it, which it obviously did. Hmmm....? Chen paused as he accessed some of the data uploaded from A-Sop to his cranial implant. ?The Tau-Tek-Sha used A-Sop in scry-mode to attempt to gain access to this world.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I thought you said it can bend time and manipulate it to his will. Surely it can travel backwards in time without tapping into A-Sop.? Simon was fascinated, but it was a morbid fascination at best.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Aye, indeed it can, but it would expend too much energy in the process, a failsafe incorporated into its matrix by its creators, our sworn enemies. They have no collective title, but they are the reason for my defection. As one of the creators of the A-Sop system, and part-custodian of the Saviour Archive, I was declared an enemy of the state. But there was another reason for my defection. The telemetry I received from all six A-Sop units sent into the past worried me greatly. You see, Simon and Derek, all six were damaged during the time-travel process. My fellow Custodians feared sabotage, but I was unable to ascertain such, as I had already stepped through the portal with my family. But from what I can so far gather is that your A-Sop?s damage is extremely minor, whereas the other five units... well, I have yet to determine what became of them. I fear the worst, though. The Tau-Tek-Sha will, no doubt, try to gain access to this era through one or more of the other units.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?What about these symbols on my skin?? Derek rolled up a sleeve to show Chen the ones and zeroes laser-etched into his wrist and forearm. Chen regarded them with austerity, almost dropping the shake all over the candlewick bedspread.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Huh-how did you get these??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?A-Sop gave them to me. They started out as Chinese writing, but after the first portal attack they?d changed to ones and zeroes, binary code.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Quickly.... remove your upper garment. I need to see the rest of the code,? said Chen, suddenly at his most animated. Simon looked on, incredulity etched into his way-too-handsome face. The strawberry shake spilled from its paper cup, but Simon?s lightning-fast agility caught it before it could stain the bedspread. Derek didn?t want to show his flabby body off to a near-stranger, but he guessed now wasn?t the time to be modest.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Astonishing. You say that these appeared when you were attacked by the Tau-Tek-Sha? But this code could not be of its design. Its creators could interpret only abstract code... for their database bordered on the surreal, the absurd. The Tau-Tek-Sha, in its very existence, is a contradiction, and as such will be extremely difficult to defeat, if it should come to that. This is binary code, so simplistic that the Tau-Tek-Sha would not have noticed it. Alas, the code is incomplete. But I know it to come from the Saviour Archive. Clever, my brethren have found away to piggy-back a signal onto the Tau-Tak-Sha?s configuration wave. This is good, not bad. Ah, but if this is what I think it is, we must allow further attempts for them to get the entire code through.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Why can?t they just download the code into A-Sop,? Derek questioned. He scratched his arm nervously before dressing once again.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I would imagine that they tried, but feared detection by the Tau-Tek-Sha. Instead they modified A-Sop?s warranty ? or his default-settings to be more precise ? as a foundation and destination for uploading the code,? Chen excitedly explained.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Why would you need a warranty for a smart-phone in the future?? A valid question, this time from Simon.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?You forget, Simon... the A-Sop units were designed to look like phones so that they could easily assimilate into this culture. We could have made them look like anything, even people, I suppose.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]More thoughts of The Terminator movies once again popped into Simon?s mind.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Chen continued: ?Think about your culture as it exists today... you have become so dependent on your mobile phone devices. And now you have super-smart-phones, essentially computers, at your disposal. It is almost absurd how much of your lives you place into these devices. The choice to make the A-Sops into what they are wasn?t a difficult one. This particular era in your history is a crucial one... the ideal time to send back the A-Sops to those designated them, and hopefully help to usher in a very different future.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?A different future? But one dominated by China and North Korea? What happened to the rest of humanity?? Was Chen deliberately withholding information? Simon was determined to find out.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?In my era there is no China or North Korea, but an amalgam of the two, which, in the aftermath of great global catastrophe, saw to abandon the old ways and strive to rebuild the world with a lean towards democracy. Remnants of other Asian cultures eventually were accepted into the fold, promised peace and prosperity for all. In fact... communism by then will be an alien concept to most; however, in saying that, the enemies of the Saviour Archive no doubt intend to march under its oppressive banner once again. The Tau-Tek-Sha, despite being disembodied, if allowed to succeed, could become the greatest, most powerful dictator this planet has ever known. In any era.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Let me guess, Ed Lee eventually becomes leader of Ireland. Can?t say the country will ever be better off with an Asian Prime Minister,? said Simon with a snort.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Not only the leader of Ireland, but eventually a key player in the re-structuring of a better Europe, after the collapse of the Euro and a disbanding of the Economic Commission and International Monetary Fund. His daughter will marry Chang Lee-Hom, who is currently an Asian-American actor and global humanitarian, but will eventually enter politics and one day sit in the big chair in the Oval Office. Can you see the pattern??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?So then, all the recipients of the A-Sop phones will enter politics at some stage, and eventually form the foundations of... what... a pan-Asian coalition??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Of sorts, although conspiratorial in its infancy, once they bring down the Illuminati and halt their nonsensical New World Order, the Saviour Archive will have an even better start and greater stability throughout its rise to supremacy. The idea is to ensure that the seeds of oppression should never be allowed to take hold, ones that will one day give rise to The Tau-Tek-Sha. Well, that was to be the plan. Wesley Tang stole A-Sop from Edward Lee, but using my teleporter I managed to get it back. I could tell that Tang was closing in on me, and I didn?t want him to find the phone, so I entrusted it to your mother, Derek.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?You were humping my Ma. Bit of a fucking stupid thing to be doing when on the run from the Mob and a psycho super-entity from the future,? scoffed Derek, although he was glad that A-Sop had come into his life.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I was missing my wife, and a man has needs no matter what era he is born into,? Chen defended, somewhat abashedly.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?What... and has your cock got cybernetic shit in it as well?? Okay that was a bit harsh coming from Derek.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?No need for that, Derek. The man didn?t do any harm. And it?s common knowledge around the estates that your ?aul one charges for it,? said Simon, coming to Chen?s defence. Derek couldn?t argue with that. His Ma was a whore: this he?d accepted ages ago. More power to her, he always maintained.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Your mother is... a good friend, Derek. And your home, I felt, was the last place the Tangs would ever think of looking for A-Sop, although you have now already crossed path with The Faceless. Unfortunate, but not entirely surprising, given how much of this town lives in fear of them. But enough questions for now, young Masters. I have told you everything I know up to this point. According to the data I absorbed from A-Sop, you two have had quite the adventure this past couple of days. I need to run some diagnostics on A-Sop now. Please do not be alarmed, but this next part may surprise you beyond your level of understanding.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Chen was done with eating, and so he offered what was left to the boys, who ate quietly as they allowed the future man to do his thing.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I?d been monitoring the Tangs for some time, but could not stay out of their firing line for too long. History has no record of Edward Lee?s father ever owing Mister Tang a life-debt. But as a result I felt it necessary to remain in Ireland, if only to keep an eye on things and eventually get A-Sop to its rightful recipient. He is, after all, of greater service to the world in the possession of not only Edward Lee, but the descendants of Lee. Hmmm.... you might want to stand back for this.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Chen tapped out another sequence across A-Sop?s now brilliantly-white casing. Within seconds the phone re-booted, hovering in mid-air, but that was just the beginning. The room began to fill with shimmering geometric vector-shapes, a kaleidoscopic laser-show like something out of Tron. To any passer-by outside, they would have thought that a rave was going on inside, albeit one without any music.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Simon?s and Derek?s eyes bulged in wonder, as the room and its contents were overlaid with a fully-interactive tech-lab, one forged from purest neon blue. Chen wasted no time in setting to work. Before him were a series of screens, layered one over another like the tabs of a computer?s browser. He used hand gestures to flick through the screens, each one displaying all manner of technical jargon, schematics, diagrams, and pulsing symbols like Matrix Code, only blue instead of green.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Should?ve taken the blue pill, Simon thought with mild amusement.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Chen worked feverishly, but with something of grace, too. On a virtual keyboard suspended from a scaffold of bent laser-light, Chen typed instruction after instruction, causing new symbols and pictures to present themselves in all their holographic splendour. His eyes, enhanced by his internal cybernetics, absorbed the information with miraculous speed, but he wasn?t so much learning, here, as he was setting certain mechanisms into play.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Damn... I cannot establish a link with the future. I have a theory as to what the binary code on your skin refers to, Derek. But I cannot be certain for sure. Why would my brethren go to such lengths to alter the warranty? And by warranty I mean default settings as I already stated, a way of restoring your A-Sop to its original state should you run into trouble. Hmm... I have isolated the area of A-Sop that was damaged during its travel back in time. Scry-Mode?s command parameters have picked up a malignant virus, forcing it to block the effects of the Total Body Enhancement App unless the program runs in tandem. I can quarantine it, but I cannot remove it. I also cannot undo the damage. There is more...? If Chen?s expression had been one of grim wonder upon arriving at the nature of A-Sop?s corruption, then it turned to one of outright deathly fear upon reaching a most sobering of conclusions.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?A-Sop has bonded to both of you, again a symptom of the damage it sustained. The unit has changed so much that its default settings will no longer reset it. Its bonding parameters were changed also, allowing it to be compatible with Caucasian males. Edward Lee will never be able to avail of its Applications.? Chen?s chest sunk with a despondent sigh. He scrolled through further screens.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I have a question for you. Why does the future leader of Ireland need to win the lottery and have a huge cock?? A most valid question from Derek Malone.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?The Male Sexual Organ Enhancer was added as a last minute bit of fun. What, can future mankind from a post-apocalyptic society not have a little fun amidst the chaos and ruin? It is no secret that many Asian males lack a certain... er... quality... to their manhood. This was added purely out of vanity, and the entire enclave of the Saviour Archive took a vote on it. As for the lottery app.... this era of history is replete with economic crashes, fuel crises, property devaluations, global recession. Not every recipient of an A-Sop is rich. But money is power in this era, history records that. Besides, this was the only way we could allocate funds to the recipients of the units. Seemed like a good idea at the time.? Chen was a wealth of information.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I lost my lottery ticket,? said Derek, his head hung as if in shame.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Too bad the App can only be used once. In the future, amidst records available to the Saviour Archive, lottery wins are extremely limited. The plan for Edward Lee was to have him win the European Lottery, a vastly larger prize sum... but we were unable to obtain the numbers. In any case, his daughter would marry a very rich man: Chang Lee-Hom, a billionaire by the time he takes his seat in the White House. The Irish jackpot for this particular week in history was deemed sufficient by me and my peers.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Well from what you told us, it?s looking like A-Sop belongs to us, now,? said Simon, unwilling to give up the most precious of prizes.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Indeed,? admitted Chen with a heavy sigh, ?... even If A-Sop could be re-booted, the first four of the Total Body Enhancement Apps have been used up. That they cannot be re-initiated is a failsafe put in to ensure a phone can only be used in this capacity a total of ten times. Edward Lee would have become huge and muscular just like you, Simon, but the enhancement not only builds muscle strength and other impressive abilities, it alters the recipients? genetic code, so that they can pass this power onto their sons, and their son?s sons, etcetera.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?So with the first four stages already used on me... should Edward Lee attempt an enhancement, what would happen to him??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?He would explode.... literally,? said Chen with a macabre glint in his eye. ?I concede that A-Sop is now yours?, Simon and Derek, but I urge you to work closely with me, in the hope of salvaging what we can from this mess. Yes, I admit do defecting to the past, essentially turning my back on my people and their plight, but it now transpires that I may be of better use here than back in my own era. And from the great efforts of my brethren to assist us, they seem to approve. They will give their own lives by switching off their life-sustaining implants just to bolster enough power to send this code backwards in time whilst remaining invisible to the Tau-Tek-Sha. It would seem I have a powerful ally in you, Simon.? Chen bowed in admiration of Simon the muscle-hero.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Ahem... hello... am I fucking invisible, or something?? Derek felt a little rejected right now, and he was determined to voice his concern.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?And Derek, too. I?m sure your 13.5-inch cock will serve some purpose in the near-future,? Chen jested, enjoying a brief moment of light humour.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Then....[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Another blinding pulse, this time detrimental, if anything. Chen was almost knocked back from the virtual console generated from A-Sop?s brilliant inner-workings. But he quickly regained his measure and returned to the multi-screens to determine the nature of the overload. He tapped ghostly keys feverishly as he searched for his answer. It took less than a minute to find it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]The holographic work-station collapsed in on itself, re-forming as shifting beams of dancing laser light. Then the light began to coalesce into a hovering nucleus, which quickly became brighter and denser the more it was observed. Eventually the hologram began to take on the aspects of a human, albeit a very large one. It was so large, in fact, that everything above the bridge of its nose disappeared into the motel room ceiling, a fact that was quickly rectified by the owner of the hologram. It lowered its head sufficiently in order to regard the ?gnats? it now shared a room with. The behemoth?s form was translucent, shimmering softly, as if it fell short of acquiring true substance. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]The being was at least 7-feet tall, maybe more. His shoulders were wide and massive upon which mountainous traps made a dwarf of his head and bull-sized neck. Ostensibly Asian, his muscles were gigantic, defying anything ever before witnessed by human eyes. Boulder-sized slabs of pec-meat depended from a chest that seemed ill-equipped to suffer their great size and weight, and even though in holographic form, it was plain to see that pitch-black crescent shadows were cast beneath each mighty pectoral. As the being bared its fang-like pearly-whites, so those mighty pecs strained and heaved and cracked with rippling power. Clad in a very low V-Neck tunic of some sort, could this fucker have looked any more like General Zod from Superman II? Well, had Terence Stamp been a twenty-something Asian hunk at the time of filming, he might be a dead ringer for this guy. Except this guy had a good 1000 lbs on him... all of it muscle.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]His voice should have boomed, but instead it came out of A-Sop?s built-in speaker. But it was loud enough to be understood perfectly, especially when he spoke perfect English and had the face of none other than Chang Lee-Hom himself. But it seemed he had turned his back on his movies and music. He now lived for size and power and muscle and strength. And if this was the archetype for a future US President, then the world was in serious trouble indeed.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]He regarded each of them cursorily, regarding them as little more than flies to be swatted, a minor annoyance to one so powerful. It was clear that he?d used up all ten of the Total Body Enhancement Apps, and he was a monstrous colossus of muscle to be sure.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Where is Wesley Tang so that he can join his Brothers?? The brogue was clearly American. At least he spoke perfect English.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?The A-Sop unit he stole was not for him. I foiled his plans, which proved fortunate. Although, having seen you, it would seem that your A-Sop?s corruption runs deeper than the unit intended for Edward Lee. Please, Lee-Hom, or may I call you ?Xavier?, as the world will come to remember you by?? Chen wasn?t a tall man, and his neck hurt like hell as he craned it in order to meet the gaze of this sudden aggressor. History was not meant to play out like this. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I am known as ONE. I was designated recipient of the first A-Sop. Therefore I am the first and the most powerful of my Brothers. Wesley Tang must join us on the Seats of Power. Give me the A-Sop unit and I promise I will not destroy this puny country entirely. I will leave one third of its population alive, out of the goodness of my heart, of course.? ONE?s facial expression was stony, devoid of humanity, corrupt and heartless. Good job he was here only in holographic form at this time.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?If you are fully up to speed on your A-Sop?s operating system, you will know that once a unit has been designated an owner, this cannot be compromised. The A-Sop originally intended for Edward Lee, but then stolen by his traitorous ?friend? Wesley Tang, has been consigned to another,? Chen eagerly explained. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]At this point Simon stepped into view, pumping up his upper body as adrenaline surged through every vein and capillary. It was pointless trying to outmuscle a muscle-giant, for he still had six more stages to undergo himself before he could be any kind of match to this monster (a ridiculously handsome one to boot). ?If you are ONE, as you have designated, then I am er....? and he paused to confer with Derek, ?what number is our A-Sop??[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?TWO... you?re TWO,? Derek hastily whispered his reply.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?I am TWO, to your ONE. ONE may come before TWO, but TWO is twice as much as ONE,? Simon announced, although it was probably the corniest thing ever to spring from his beautiful lips. He puffed his chest out even further, almost peacock-fashion, and the buttons of his shirt began to put up a fight.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]ONE-Lee-Hom snorted derisively and spit a gobbet of holographic phlegm from a scowling mouth. Fortunately it blinked into nothingness before it could find a target. But it was the equivalent of throwing down a gauntlet.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?The SIX of the Seats of Power must unite to bring the ULTIMATE into this world. All governments will collapse beneath his power, and we as his foot-soldiers shall pave the way,? ONE-Lee-Hom growled.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?If the ULTIMATE you refer to is the Tau-Tek-Sha, I must inform you, sir, that like the Satan of Old, it will come to you as the Prince of Lies. It will use you to achieve its aims and then crush you under its mighty foot of oppression. Join with us to help annihilate this potential future, one I have struggled to avoid for most of my life,? Chen declared. ?It is not too late to walk away from this. With my help a better destiny awaits you... a better destiny for the world, too.?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Although it should not have been possible, the Giant known as ONE reached down a mighty hand and picked a living flesh-and-blood being into the air, bringing him up almost to biting level. Chen appeared tiny in the apparition?s grasp, whilst Simon and Derek looked on, powerless to assist Chen in any way. But Simon at least tried something. Somewhere inside the huge hologram, a hovering A-Sop generated the whole thing. He attempted to reach the super-phone, but was knocked back by a powerful electrical charge. Still, it was enough to destabilise the hologram and he shrank down to the size of a small child, before fading into oblivion. Chen collapsed on the bed, his chest heaving frenetically. He gulped ravenously on air, but it was clear to see that his number was up. He struggled to get up from the bed and at the same time indicate to the two lovers to approach him. He managed to get Simon to lean an ear to his quaking, life-leaking lips.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]?Allow the code through... do not let the Tau-Tek-Sha destroy an already tenuous... future. I think the code will allow you to... to...ha....haaaaa.........aggggghk!!?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]Unable to utter his final words in their entirety, Mister Chen died clutching his chest, a look of raw fear the final etching his face would ever display. A-Sop landed on the floor and immediately activated his obsidian shielding.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=gray]For the next few minutes the boys did nothing but hug each other tightly. They were at a loss for what to do. Although they had each other, right now they felt very, very alone.[/COLOR]


[COLOR=gray]To be continued....[COLOR=yellow]HERE[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[rtulde]

Great expansion of the plot. I wondered if we'd get past small time crooks to a world saving mission. Now all Derek and Simon have to do is prevent an apocalypse and defeat the dictator from the future. I can't wait keep up the good work.

[umlerian49]

I have to sit down-- my head is spinning! Maybe you could publish a little flow chart or something so we could keep all these plot points straight. I'm curious how long that "single sitting" lasted.

The other cool thing is that we have a glimpse of what the tenth enhancement looks like. A-sop's software wasn't as damaged as the other phones, so does that mean Simon won't be as big and powerful, or maybe more?

Great job.

[JP71]

Originally Posted by umlerian49

I have to sit down-- my head is spinning! Maybe you could publish a little flow chart or something so we could keep all these plot points straight. I'm curious how long that "single sitting" lasted.

The other cool thing is that we have a glimpse of what the tenth enhancement looks like. A-sop's software wasn't as damaged as the other phones, so does that mean Simon won't be as big and powerful, or maybe more

Great job.

I wrote this chapter in about five hours. Normally I never write this intensely, although I ate lunch at my desk. But I simply couldn't stop myself. I'm sure you've had times like this yourself writing Big New World, when the narrative has you caught up in its inescapable white-water current. My main concern with this chapter was the technobabble. Just how can you keep this stuff simple enough that the reader doesn't get a headache, but also create that sense of other-worldly science in keeping with the story's ever-developing ambience?

Did I put too much into it? I wanted to get all this tech out of way, so that the final few chapters can be non-stop action all the way, and, of course, tonnes of uninterrupted shows of incredible strength and awesome muscle-growth.

I hope I didn't scare anyone away. But this story owns me now, and I am held captive, powerless.

[portamivia]

We don't mind being held captive, as well! Great new chapter, keep Simon growing. Can't wait to see what he can do... and hopefully his attitude will getting cockier and cockier...

[JP71]

Originally Posted by portamivia

We don't mind being held captive, as well! Great new chapter, keep Simon growing. Can't wait to see what he can do... and hopefully his attitude will getting cockier and cockier...

Plenty of growth to come. As for his attitude, well, you'll have to wait and see.

[JP71]

Originally Posted by rtulde

Great expansion of the plot. I wondered if we'd get past small time crooks to a world saving mission. Now all Derek and Simon have to do is prevent an apocalypse and defeat the dictator from the future. I can't wait keep up the good work.

Hmmmmm, ideas ideas.... so many ideas

[Reeza]

Originally Posted by JP71

My main concern with this chapter was the technobabble. Just how can you keep this stuff simple enough that the reader doesn't get a headache, but also create that sense of other-worldly science in keeping with the story's ever-developing ambience?

Did I put too much into it? I wanted to get all this tech out of way, so that the final few chapters can be non-stop action all the way, and, of course, tonnes of uninterrupted shows of incredible strength and awesome muscle-growth.

I hope I didn't scare anyone away. But this story owns me now, and I am held captive, powerless.

I'm finally catching up with this story. This chapter certainly was challenging to read with all the technobabble, as you call it. I'm hoping that as long as I've picked up the essence of the main conflict I will be able to follow the rest. Maybe you could start the next chapter with "Previously on The Superman App . . ."

I'm glad to hear your promise of non-stop action, strength displays and muscle growth yet to come. I look forward to that. Meanwhile, I think I will re-read a chapter of "Hugeman" to relieve some tension.

[JP71]

Originally Posted by Reeza

I'm glad to hear your promise of non-stop action, strength displays and muscle growth yet to come. I look forward to that. Meanwhile, I think I will re-read a chapter of "Hugeman" to relieve some tension.

Gosh, I havent gone near HUGEMAN in ages. I really should dust that one off and continue. Very hard to pick up a story after you lose interest, but I've done it before.

I do apologise for all the tech in the lastest chapter of Superman App. But at least now I've cleared the way for a really enjoyable ride from here on. Think Superman II... and multiply its action by a factor of 500. Not to give anything away, of course.

[michaelv2]

I'm sorry that I've not kept up so well on this story, but I'm up to chapter 10 and it is totally awesome! I don't know where you get this stuff, but I'm guessing it's from a flux capacitor. Amazingly cool - thanks for writing!