CH41
"Friends, gather round. Just two more things to show you than I'll let you practice what you want for an hour before we go back to the house." Rick tells them.
"First, I know you have tried out the stunner shooting setting. Well there is also a stunner 360 setting as well. Basically, say you have found yourself surrounded by bad guys. And you think you have no chance of shooting them all before they shoot you. All you do is think 'Stun Global'."
"This will send out a stun blast in a 360 setting centered on you. Good for about 50 feet. Like the stunner shooting setting, it just stuns them. And for each stun setting, those that are stunned will stay that way for about 30 minutes. Varies a little based on surrounding climate, body mass and if their immune system is compromised in any way."
"Compromised?" Lanie asks.
"Are they sick? Do they have a cold? Do they have AIDS? Or worse? The more compromised there immune system is. The longer they will remain unconscious." Rick explains.
"Being stunned overloads your nervous system. Forces your body to go into shock basically, and you have a black out and go unconscious."
"And if they are wearing a pacemaker?" Lanie asks.
"It doesn't affect your body's electrical system in that way. Just overloads your thought pulses in your brain. There is too much going on for your brain to comprehend forcing you to black out for a short time." Rick tells her.
"But the dummy's fall when we shoot them?" states Jenny confused.
"The mannequins are fitted with a small electrical box that mimics a person's nervous system. When you shoot the mannequin the box inside registers the shot and the mannequin falls. Simulating that it is now unconscious."
"Lucile resets them, and they come back up. Ready to get shot again."
"Ok, everyone spread out amongst the mannequins and practice your 360 stunning."
"Remember, just like everything else you have to think it. Just think 'Stun global'."
"And don't get too close to each other. Just because you can do it to others, doesn't mean they can't do it to you if you are standing too close."
After trying this new option, they all walk back to stand with Rick and Alexis again.
"Just one more setting …." But Rick is interrupted by the sound of a baby crying.
"Sounds like someone wants some attention." Rick states.
"I'll go." Jenny tells her husband. "You stay and see what Rick has next. I'll be fine." And kissed Ryan had walks off towards her crying little girl.
"Can I help?" Alexis asks.
"Sure, come on sweetie. I'll show YOU how it's done for a change."
Those two walk off and Rick gets back to explaining the last item the bracer can do.
"Last, but by no means least, you can open a 'Transmat Portal'. Just like how we got here or I got you from where you were to my house."
"This one is a little more trickier however."
"If for example, say Kate here opens one and wants to go home. Where is home? And I don't just mean her Apt. I mean where in her Apt. is home to her."
"She could think home and open a wall on one of her outside walls and when she steps thru, fall those 2 floors to the sidewalk below."
"You have to really think about where it is you want to be, before you activate the 'Transmat wall'."
"There is one thing you can do if you are unsure of where you are going. When you open the Transmat wall, if you look into the wall, carefully, you will see where it is you are going. Kind of like looking thru a window."
"However doing this takes a little extra time on your part. Time you may or may not have."
"I'll demonstrate and then let you each take a few turns. So watch closely." Rick tells them.
Walking over to one of the buildings, he raises his left arm and soon there is a quick flash and they see the familiar looking Transmat wall they have seen before. However this time, not far away they see a second flash that occurred at the same time on a different building.
Rick then steps into the wall where he is and steps out the other wall. Soon after both walls close and look just as they did before.
He then repeats the process and steps into the wall and back out the wall he stepped into the first time.
Walking back over to the others, "In this case I can actually see where it is I want to go before I open the Transmat wall. But I don't have to."
"Kate, you want to go first?" Rick asks.
"Sure." A little unsure actually.
Rick walks her over to the same building and the same wall he just used.
"Now, just think where it is you want to go in your mind. In this case it is that wall on the building over there. You need to think that you want to step outside of the building when you do. If you don't think that you could walk out of the wall and into the interior of the building." Rick tells her.
"Think where you want to go, and then think 'Activate Transmat'."
Kate nods, and stands there, lifts her left arm, and nothing happens. She then lowers her arm and re-raises it and tries again. But still nothing happens.
Turning to Rick, "I can't get it to work, Castle!" Kate tells him, mad at herself. She got everything else. Why not this?
"Did you THINK, in Russian?" Rick asks her.
"rOBHO, rOBHO, rHOBO." Kate's blood is boiling. Such a simple little thing has got her pissed.
Kate tries again and almost instantly the familiar look of a Transmat wall is opened.
"HA!" Kate explains as she does a fist pump.
"Good, now walk thru." Rick tells her.
And Kate walks up, pauses, takes a deep breath and without turning to look at Rick, steps thru and out the other side. Right where she wanted to be.
"Now, think 'Deactivate Transmat' " Rick yells at her.
And Kate raises her arm, and the wall goes away.
"Excellent" Rick yells to her. "Now, come back."
Kate lifts her left arm and opens the Transmat wall and steps thru, and is soon standing next to Rick again.
"Now turn it off." Rick tells her.
Kate raises her arm and the wall goes away.
"See, knew you could do it!"
"Thanks, Castle! Didn't feel a thing, except it felt kinda like stepping thru a wall of air. Kind of like when you step into and air conditioned building from the heat outside." Kate says as she looks into his eyes.
"Yup. It is even more pronounced when you do just that. Here you are stepping from one environment to the very same environment. Since you are going such a short distance." Rick tells her.
"So, who's next?" He asks the others.
After they have all had a turn except Jenny, who is still tending to her baby with Alexis at her side. Rick has them each pick a building and walk in from one side and out the other side using the Transmat, while he watches them all from a distance.
Gathering up everyone for the trip back to the house, everyone checks on Jenny and the baby to see how they are doing. And talk to each other a little. Rick lets them, thinking it is nice to just chat to cool down from the day they have all had so far.
"OH!" Rick calls out. "Almost forgot. Your communication tag you each have just behind your ear. As you listen Lucile will automatically translate any language being spoken that it picks up for you. You will not however be able to communicate back in that same language."
"It works for coded messages also. Though if it is a written, you will need to read it to Lucile for her to break it and tell you what it says."
"She can do that?" Kate questions
"I can break any code you can encounter, detective. It's how I broke the encryption on the laptop you got off of Rook some time ago." Lucile tells her.
"I should have never doubted you Lucile. My apologies!" Kate tells her.
"Hey pumpkin, you want to take us home?" Rick asks
"Sure dad." And Alexis opens a Transmat wall and everyone steps thru and into Rick's living room.
"We literally stepped from Earth to outer space and back again in the blink of an eye. This is going to take some getting used to" Ryan comments to no one in particular.
"It'll grow on you Kevin, it'll grow on you." Rick tells him.
Lucile takes this moment to show herself next to Alexis, "I'm proud of you sweetie. 96 was a new record for you." As she bends down and holds out her arms.
Kate watches Alexis walk into her embrace and seem to hug her back. Like they had done this several times before. Except it was hard not to notice that each of them seems to reach thru each other in the attempt and never actually touch.
Kate walks over to Lucile. "Lucile?" Kate asks
Lucile quickly straightens up to address Kate, "Yes, detective?"
"I know I'm taller than you, but …." Not sure how to ask what she wants to and put it into words.
"I can alter my appearance to anything I choose. Detective." Lucile explains.
"Good. Can you step into me and do what I do?" Kate asks.
Catching on quickly Lucile smiles and alters her form to match Kate exactly and steps into her space. Together they kneel down and reach out their arms to Alexis. Who launches herself into Kate's (their) arms. And 'Kate' wraps her arms around the girl and holds her tight and whispers into her ear. "I love you sweetie!"
"I love you, too, MOM!" Alexis tells her.
For a few moments they remain in this embrace. Then Kate can feel/see Lucile back away and stand. Kate turns her head to see what looks like an exact copy of herself. Crying. Heavily. Lower lip trembling. And then in an instant she is gone.
"Lucile?" Kate calls for her. Looking around she does not see her, but does see everyone with tears running down their cheeks. Kate's eyes land on her dads, who is seriously crying, silently as he can.
Kate races down the stairs and heads for Castle's main Master Suit. Rick starts after her almost immediately only to be intercepted and stopped by Jim who grabs his arm and only shakes his head.
Kate reaches the bedroom quickly. "Lucile? Lucile. Please!" Kate begs while crying.
Lucile shows herself, "Yes, detective?" Still heavily crying.
"I'm sorry! So, sorry. I was only trying to help!" Kate tries to tell her.
"It's alright, detective. It's just, …. Just that was the closest I have ever come to actually holding her in my arms and telling her 'I love her'!
"I owe you detective! So, so much!"Lucile tells her.
"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to replace you."
"It's alright detective. In Alexis's eyes, you already have. You're the one she calls MOM. Not me. Even if I do look like her 'birth mom'."
"Still, you have done more for her than I have. And you can call me Kate."
"No detective. You have done a lot for her already. And it's not a competition. Alexis has made up her mind already. I'm happy to be one of her best friends. And I will do everything in my power to keep her safe for as long as she lives.
"Her, her husband and any children she may have in the future. And her children's, children."Lucile adds.
"Children's, children?" Kate questions
"I'm artificial, detective. With proper maintenance, I anticipate surviving for several centuries to come. Long after yourself, Alexis and Richard are gone from this world." as she unconsciously wipes the tears she does not really have away.
"You really do love her. Don't you." as Kate finally gets it.
"Yes, detective. Alexis, Richard and yourself. I will do everything I can to make sure all of you are safe. For as long as I can."
"If there is anything I can do for you. You just ask. If you feel the need to hug her again like we just did. You just have to ask. I'll do it for you in a heartbeat. No questions asked!"
"Thank you. Detec …., Kate. It is really kind of you. I appreciate the offer. I'll keep it in mind."
"Come on. We better get back upstairs before they come looking for us."
Lucile just smiles. "I'll race you." says Lucile. And promptly disappears.
"HEY! That's cheating!" Yelling at the ceiling. Kate laughs, shaking her head and starts jogging for the stairs and back upstairs with everyone else.
