SEVEN
"I guess you were right," Piper said finally. "Without time my spells are useless. And without a fire I can't even make a potion. Even considering I could make one before that reactor goes critical. I wonder how much longer it's going to be?"
"Nine hours seventeen minutes approximately," said Malcolm.
"How could you possibly know that?" Piper asked.
"Oh, sorry," said Malcolm. "I have this habit of being able to know exactly what time it is. Always have had it. Even though time is not moving for us I still know how much time has passed inside the bubble."
"I see," said Piper. "Well, I'm open to suggestions. What I don't understand is why my explosive power worked when my spell didn't."
"Probably because your explosive power is part of the physical magic that makes you what you are," said Malcolm.
"Now how could you possibly know something like that?" Piper asked.
"Simple physics," said Malcolm. "The spell would be an external power that you are able to somehow summon and direct where you want it. Similar to collecting solar radiation and directing it into battery for storage to use later.
"However, your explosive power seems to be more attuned to who and what you are. Your own personal power supply, if you will. Since you are protected from the time freeze it is logical to assume that your power is as well. So it doesn't suffer the same restrictions as your spells."
"You figured all that out from what little I've told you?" Piper asked.
"It's a matter of physics, actually," said Malcolm. "Quantum physics to be more precise. You see while we do no fully understand what time is we do understand a lot about it. Such as it moves both forward and backward. Anti-neutrinos, for example, are the only known element that can travel faster than the speed of light. However, due to a long technical explanation that I won't bore you with, they can only move backward in time. In order for that to happen time must necessarily have to move backward as well.
"We also know that time is not a static phenomenon. It moves or flows if you will. I've heard it described as being not unlike a river. It flows from one point to another. That's part of what our experiment was designed to prove. We have the theories and mathematical equations telling us how it works. We were attempting to demonstrate it. Off hand I'd say we demonstrated it very remarkably."
"A lot of good that will do if we can't fix things and everything gets destroyed," said Piper.
"You do have a point," said Malcolm.
"Maybe I should try my explosive power on that shielding again," suggested Piper. "Maybe if I try enough I can at least punch a hole in it."
"It would be like throwing a rock into a cloud," said Malcolm. "The surrounding electromagnetic forces would immediately move in to compensate."
"Okay, do you have any ideas?" Piper asked.
"I'm afraid not," said Malcolm. "Perhaps if I knew more about how your magic worked. That might give me some insight into it."
"That's hard to explain," said Piper. "I'm not sure I understand it myself. All I really know is that my ancestors were witches and we inherited our powers from them. My grandmother had telekinesis and my mother was able to have premonitions like Phoebe."
"And your ability to freeze time," said Malcolm. "Where did that come from?"
"Originally Melinda Warren," said Piper. "She started our line. She had all three powers. She was burned during the Salem witch trials. But I was born with it."
"And this explosive power," said Malcolm. "You were born with it as well?"
"No," said Piper. "That came later. Our powers increase the longer we have them. Actually it's not really an explosive power. It's kind of like my ability to freeze time. Only in this case I speed it up so fast that the object can't withstand the strain and explodes."
"So your ability is basically time manipulation," said Malcolm.
"Yeah, I guess so," said Piper.
"Speeding up time," said Malcolm thoughtfully. "That may be the solution."
"What do you mean?" Piper asked.
"Well, as you've explained it," said Malcolm, "your explosive power seems to stimulate the electrons that make up an object causing them to move faster. It may be just what we need to bring your sister out of the time freeze."
"Are you insane?" Piper asked. "I told you what happens when I use it. Whatever I use it on blows up. I can't risk that with Phoebe."
"It may be our only hope," said Malcolm. "However, I don't think you have too much to worry about. Your sister, as is everyone and everything else, is caught in what could be called an unnatural time freeze. They're unharmed except they exist between moments of time. If you use your power it might be enough to isolate her from the freeze and bring her more in line with us."
"Or it might blow her into a million pieces," said Piper.
"I should think not," said Malcolm. "You see under ordinary circumstances your power would stimulate the electrons of an object without any regulating force. That's why they explode. If I'm correct, and I believe I am, then the field generated by our device will act as a regulator of sorts. You would be speeding her up while it would continue to exert its force on her. The result should be that your power won't actually stimulate her electrons but simply form a shield around her so to speak that will protect her from the freeze."
"And if you're wrong," said Piper. "I kill my sister."
"And if you don't," Malcolm said, "everyone dies in just over nine hours. Including both of your sisters and you. Considering the circumstances and the time constraint I don't see we have any other option."
Piper looked at Malcolm. As much as she hated to admit it he had a point. They were fast running out of time. At least inside the bubble back at the experiment. And if they didn't do something Phoebe would be dead anyway. Plus there was no guarantee her power would even work on Phoebe. Her freezing didn't work on witches. It was likely her explosive power didn't either since it was basically the same ability only reversed.
Piper turned to face her sister. They had all taken drastic risks in the past. But this would be the most drastic risk Piper had ever taken. She wished Leo were here to give her some guidance and advice. She could certainly use it right about now. But without that she would have to rely on her own judgment. And something told her to trust Malcolm.
Saying a silent prayer that this would not be some horrible mistake, Piper brought her hands up and tapped into her explosive power.
