Probing

I pulled the lever, and watched as the probe launched from the side of the station. The engine kicked into gear, and it took off.

I had done the calculations as best I could, but as the station was falling into the collapsing star, I thought I wasn't going to know if I'd succeeded or not.

But as the station fell, time seemed to slow, I assume, as suddenly the sensors went wild, getting more and more data, rapidly.

So I did get to see the probe succeed and save them.

And then I got to see them die anyway.

Rules Of The Game

He found me in the alley behind the nightclub he'd just fought his way through, killing only those trying to kill him (Rule 9).

I was smoking a cigarette, and he paused, knowing he had to let me finish (Rule 15).

I told him, "You know as well as I do that I had no choice but to tie up loose ends" (Rule 22).

He spoke, softly, as he reloaded, "And I have every right to retaliate" (Rule 6).

I nodded as the drunk bum I'd just met and slipped a fifty to took the shot from behind (Personal Rule).

Required Secondary Powers

The Incident that gave the entire Class of 2031 superpowers wasn't exactly even. For every Glory, Solstar, or Mrs Anderson, there were a dozen people who could... change their skin solor, or carbonate water, or some other useless ability.

But then there was Saf.

Saf, at first, thought he'd not gotten any powers, until he was tested, like the rest, and discovered he in fact had hundreds of powers. All the minor powers other heroes really had to have to stop their backs breaking when they lifted something or friction prevention when they sped up.

And then he met Powershifter...

Past The Post

Turn into the hairpin, speed up, pass the post.

It's only a few microseconds each lap.

Turn into the hairpin, speed up, pass the post.

But he had time to think.

Turn into the hairpin, speed up, pass the post.

Even if he won, he'd lost the overall grand championship.

Turn into the hairpin, speed up, pass the post.

And that really shouldn't matter right now.

Turn into the hairpin, speed up, pass the post.

But he knew that, waiting for him, was an angry bookmaker, and his criminal 'friends'.

Turn into the hairpin, speed up, drive into the post.

Sure Bet

After they did it to the third slot machine, I slowly began to follow them, as they did it to every free machine. They'd go up, insert their ticket, ring up a full bet, reach out, and then stop, withdraw the money, and go to the next machine.

After a few more, I walked up.

"Evening sir, can I ask what you're doing here?"

"Oh, this is just a good luck ritual."

I sighed.

"Sir, money laundering-"

He finally bet, and won a big jackpot.

He then left before I could work out he could rewind a few seconds constantly.

Deliberate Design Flaws

They didn't build in any way of reprogramming a spaceship AI from outside the spaceship because if they had, it would be used by their enemies.

They didn't build in any requirements to shut down into a spaceship's AI because if they had, it might not fight their enemies after a crew-wipe.

They didn't build in any way for a spaceships AI to get creative in its targeting programs because if they had, it might decide an enemy wasn't an enemy.

They didn't build a spaceship AI that understood changes in ship design because they didn't foresee themselves being targeted.

Magical Defense Team

The Captain opened another door. "And of course, this here is Dr Evenlyn Jamice-Worler, the most important member of our Magical Defense Team, our psychologist."

"Hello."

I blinked.

"I... I'm sorry?" 

"Ah, another one. Very well, you understand how magic works, yes?"

"Well, yes?"

"Do you understand that the will of the caster of a spell is what truly guides, shapes the spell?"

"Obviously."

She smiled.

"In order to be able to stop a runaway or dangerous spell, we need to understand the caster."

"Can't you just overwhelm it?"

The guide spoke.

"Oh, Demon Azrelasia is next on the tour."