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    "I don't think it can be used for anything right now, this is the prototype, the largest piece of the prototype. This is the actual broadcaster, as opposed to the transformer, you can't really use one without the other."
    "What happens if you hit something with those waves before it gets translated?"
    "If you don't do the transformation and just do the broadcast, essentially all you're sending out is unmodified sunlight." Matthew seemed to be feeling a bit more confident as he explained, surrounded by a quartet of attentive super heroes.
    "At what intensity?"
    "Standard. Maybe a little higher, you might be able to give someone a sunburn. But if you added the other unit to it, the transformation unit, you'd be broadcasting up into maybe the high ultraviolet, specific wavelengths, maybe."
    Eclipse interrupted with, "Is it possible to put it together with the other part, at this point?"
    "The plans and the prototypes of that went out to the GEMINI Group about a week and a half ago, we'd heard that they had some significant breakthroughs."
    "Excuse me," Scott broke in. "Hey, Dad?" he called.
    "Yeah?" He wheeled over. "I notice you've fallen in with some of your fraternity. Sorry I didn't recognize you, Powerhouse, but it was dark."
    "That's okay."
    "You might want to call your lab and tell them to put extra security on," Scott told his father. "I think someone's going to try to steal something you're working on over there."
    "Okay. Oh, Dr. Small, hello."
    "Dr. Scott." They shook hands.
    Meanwhile, the Justice Defenders conferred.
    "Chlora has been held in check mainly by the abysmal weather conditions we have here," Powerhouse mused.
    "Oh, shit," was Alchemy's characteristically succinct response.
    "If he gets his hands on an endless sustained source of solar energy...."
    "He's already got an endless supply of water," Eclipse observed, glancing out at the rain. "Now he'll have an endless supply of sunlight, too—uh-oh."

Meanwhile, Back in Boston...
    [*Boston is held in a grip of evil! The villain Brute Force and his impenetrable force field is wrecking havoc in the city. Luck of the Revolution has been battling him for hours.*
    Luck thinks to herself, "I've been pounding on this guy all day, and nothing hurts him. I need a new strategy."
    "Forget it, Revolutionary! You will never be able to beat me! As long as my concentration lasts, this field is invulnerable. And I have an unshakeable will!" Brute Force taunts her, ignoring another powerful blow from her staff.
    Luck smiles. "That's it! You may have an unshakable will, but do how are your taste buds?" With that Luck whips out three tins of Star Crunchies and throws them at the overconfident fiend. Brute Force's concentration is shattered as he grabs the tins of Star Crunchies and pulls one open. "Star Crunchies—I can't keep my mind off the wonderful flavors: regular, dark chocolate and, my favorite, raspberry!"
    Luck quickly wraps the villain in a bent light post. Brute Force, is of course, still eating Star Chrunchies. "Everyone has their weak spot—yours was your Taste Buds!" Later, the police chief is thanking Luck for her sterling work, "You deserve our thanks for dealing with Brute Force, Luck!"
    "It's a thanks I'll have to share with Star Crunchies, Chief!"
    Star Crunchies! Now in Raspberry!]
    The division leaders at Agglomerated MegaFoods put the one page storyboard down and look over at the young and enthusiastic employee who was pitching this ad campaign for them. "My god," the youngest of them thought, "We just hired this kid—he can barely be out of high school. He doesn't even look like he shaves..."
    "Well, what do you think?" The fresh faced young man with the gelled wavy hair and flawless complexion was obvious excited.
    The man to the right, the youngest of the three, devilishly beautiful and well dressed, spoke "We're not entirely sure, Peter. We were hoping for a wider market, and to be honest, a more experienced lead man on this..."
    Peter's obvious excitement over the project override any ire his bosses comments might have caused, "But I have more!" he pulled open his art case and pulled out a stack of art boards, "Product tie ins! Action figures in the cereal! Television ads—both cartoon and live action! Comic Books for the Agglomerated Publishing line! I just started with that one because it's a classic and well tested format. I can handle this account, sirs. I have to!"
    In his hurry to get them across the table, the art boards slide out of Peter's hands, covering the table with 4-color portrayals of the Revolution alongside various AMG products.
    The trio of senior directors conferred quietly on the other side of the desk. They came to a conclusion and turned back to Peter. The man in the center, a middle aged man whose presence spoke of solidity, experience and fatherhood, voiced their conclusion, "We've decided to put you on the account, under Wendell Jenkins. Jenkins will help you direct your obvious enthusiasm for this line. We feel the two of you will make an excellent team."
    Peter's face lit up, then sobered somewhat as his boss continued. "I understand. That makes perfect sense! I'll run these over to Jenkins right now..." The young ad man gathered his scattered pages together and stuffed them back in his bag before heading for the door.
    As he did so, the third and oldest of his bosses, a man with pale and wrinkled skin, age spots on his hands thin white hair spoke, "Don't disappoint us on this one, son."
    "Don't worry sir. I won't! I promise!" The door to the office closed silently, and Peter didn't hear the conclusion of his bosses thought.
    "You won't like what happens if you disappoint us...."
    Out in the hallway Peter ran through the crowded floor to get to Jenkins desk. Working with another man—an older, established company man—wasn't perfect, but it wouldn't get in his way. He'd show them. He'd show them all!

"All right, Dr. Small, no offense but I've got to offload you," Alchemy told him.
    "We'd best get me over to the GEMINI Group," he agreed. "Find out if they have made any progress on it."
    "Oh, the people working on the stuff in Lab 3? They said they had the thing on-line yesterday, should be ready to go any minute," Dr. Scott informed him. "As soon as you bring the other half." The group exchanged a resigned look. They took the JD minivan to GEMINI Group. (It was a great little van, by the way. When it was working, it could get over 180 mph, got 200 miles per gallon, and the headlights had built-in lasers. Unfortunately it tended to break down when the wind blew from the wrong direction, and the electronics weren't waterproof.) Powerhouse decided to fly on ahead with Scott, while Alchemy chauffeured Small in the van. Eclipse kept Dr. Scott company. She noted that he was in excellent physical condition, aside from the fact that his legs ended just above the knees. The car appeared to have seen considerable modification; she guessed it was his own work.

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© 1999 Rebecca J. Stevenson