apart.”
Atom smiled. He held out his arm, pointing to various sections to illustrate his explanation.
“Not with a welded set of voltaic piles on each end. They allocate the magnetic fields into these sections and direct the diamagnetism across a controllable level here.”
“That’s impossible,” Jayne said. She stared at his arm. “Even Faraday couldn’t control the effects on such a direct scale.”
“He didn’t have Doctor Loquacious either,” Atom corrected her.
Jayne looked back up at Atom before she grinned again.
“Excuse me?” Rose asked.
The pair looked at her.
“Can you translate that for the rest of us?” Rose asked.
“My apologies,” Atom said.
“It’s a magnetic cannon,” Jayne said.
“It sends out a controlled burst of vibrations,” Atom said, “that act to undermine the magnetic structures of the intended target.”
Rose shook her head while the words flew past her mind. She was never much for higher learning, always satisfied to have the technical minded Jayne run the ship as she saw fit. The mathematical genius of Gabriella was enough to make her feel dimmer than normal. Now with the addition of the brainy Atom, she supposed she would have to learn a few things just to keep up.
Atom seemed to sense her confusion. “Essentially, it emits low frequency magnetic pulses that can shake things apart.”
“You say controlled,” Jayne said. “How controlled?”
Atom chewed his lower lip while he looked around the cage. Thankfully, the natives were so cocksure of the fact that Rose and her crew were going nowhere that they had left the cage unguarded. Atom tipped his head toward the bars that held them. His eyes narrowed. Rose gazed at him, if she didn’t know better, she’d swear he could see something just outside the cage. No sooner did she have the thought than he spoke.
“That rock there,” he said. “The one just a few feet away.”
Rose looked out at the small rock the young man pointed out.
“Keep an eye on it.” He poked the thin cannon between the wooden bars. A soft, low hum sounded from the barrel. Within moments, the rock beyond disappeared in a cloud of dust.
“Yebat!” Jax shouted.
“Holy cow!” Magpie yelled.
Jayne and Click cheered. Gabriella came to Atom’s side. He grinned when she laid her hand on his mechanical arm.
Rose smiled. She was impressed. “Do you have a plan?” she asked.
“I thought perhaps,” Atom said, “I could discreetly disassemble the cage and we could slip off, unnoticed.”
Rose considered this option for a moment. She leaned to one side, looking beyond Atom before she asked, “Do you think there is a chance we could?”
“Oh, yes,” Atom said.
Rose cocked her head at Atom. “I wasn’t asking you.”
“Ah,” Atom said, turning toward Jax who was behind him. “Sorry.”
“Perhaps,” Jax answered. “They seem busy with victory party. We might get away clean if we are careful and quiet.”
“If it helps,” Atom said, “I believe they are waiting for the moon to reach the other horizon before they begin. So we have about an hour or so.”
“Begin what?” Gabriella asked.
Atom turned back to the young girl. He sighed. “I’d rather not say.”
Gabriella’s nostrils flared. She put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at the man.
“You’d rather not? Well, I’d rather you did.”
Atom’s head rocked back at her words. He looked horrified. “It’s much too terrible for such delicate ears.”
“Delicate ears?” Gabriella squealed. She poked Atom in his naked chest. “I’ll have you know these delicate ears have heard more than you can imagine.” She gave him a curt nod.
Rose chuckled.
“If you insist,” Atom said. “They intend to have most of us for some kind of ceremonial dinner.”
Gabriella clutched her throat and winced.
“Most of us,” Jayne repeated.
“Yes,” Atom said. “Him…” He paused, lifting a finger to Click. “They intend to hang up by
Atom smiled. He held out his arm, pointing to various sections to illustrate his explanation.
“Not with a welded set of voltaic piles on each end. They allocate the magnetic fields into these sections and direct the diamagnetism across a controllable level here.”
“That’s impossible,” Jayne said. She stared at his arm. “Even Faraday couldn’t control the effects on such a direct scale.”
“He didn’t have Doctor Loquacious either,” Atom corrected her.
Jayne looked back up at Atom before she grinned again.
“Excuse me?” Rose asked.
The pair looked at her.
“Can you translate that for the rest of us?” Rose asked.
“My apologies,” Atom said.
“It’s a magnetic cannon,” Jayne said.
“It sends out a controlled burst of vibrations,” Atom said, “that act to undermine the magnetic structures of the intended target.”
Rose shook her head while the words flew past her mind. She was never much for higher learning, always satisfied to have the technical minded Jayne run the ship as she saw fit. The mathematical genius of Gabriella was enough to make her feel dimmer than normal. Now with the addition of the brainy Atom, she supposed she would have to learn a few things just to keep up.
Atom seemed to sense her confusion. “Essentially, it emits low frequency magnetic pulses that can shake things apart.”
“You say controlled,” Jayne said. “How controlled?”
Atom chewed his lower lip while he looked around the cage. Thankfully, the natives were so cocksure of the fact that Rose and her crew were going nowhere that they had left the cage unguarded. Atom tipped his head toward the bars that held them. His eyes narrowed. Rose gazed at him, if she didn’t know better, she’d swear he could see something just outside the cage. No sooner did she have the thought than he spoke.
“That rock there,” he said. “The one just a few feet away.”
Rose looked out at the small rock the young man pointed out.
“Keep an eye on it.” He poked the thin cannon between the wooden bars. A soft, low hum sounded from the barrel. Within moments, the rock beyond disappeared in a cloud of dust.
“Yebat!” Jax shouted.
“Holy cow!” Magpie yelled.
Jayne and Click cheered. Gabriella came to Atom’s side. He grinned when she laid her hand on his mechanical arm.
Rose smiled. She was impressed. “Do you have a plan?” she asked.
“I thought perhaps,” Atom said, “I could discreetly disassemble the cage and we could slip off, unnoticed.”
Rose considered this option for a moment. She leaned to one side, looking beyond Atom before she asked, “Do you think there is a chance we could?”
“Oh, yes,” Atom said.
Rose cocked her head at Atom. “I wasn’t asking you.”
“Ah,” Atom said, turning toward Jax who was behind him. “Sorry.”
“Perhaps,” Jax answered. “They seem busy with victory party. We might get away clean if we are careful and quiet.”
“If it helps,” Atom said, “I believe they are waiting for the moon to reach the other horizon before they begin. So we have about an hour or so.”
“Begin what?” Gabriella asked.
Atom turned back to the young girl. He sighed. “I’d rather not say.”
Gabriella’s nostrils flared. She put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at the man.
“You’d rather not? Well, I’d rather you did.”
Atom’s head rocked back at her words. He looked horrified. “It’s much too terrible for such delicate ears.”
“Delicate ears?” Gabriella squealed. She poked Atom in his naked chest. “I’ll have you know these delicate ears have heard more than you can imagine.” She gave him a curt nod.
Rose chuckled.
“If you insist,” Atom said. “They intend to have most of us for some kind of ceremonial dinner.”
Gabriella clutched her throat and winced.
“Most of us,” Jayne repeated.
“Yes,” Atom said. “Him…” He paused, lifting a finger to Click. “They intend to hang up by
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