“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll find instructions on the back of the box,” Gene said.
“I’m not even sure,” Alec added, “we’re going to find the box.”
“What’s interesting to me,” Jill said, “is how some superpowers are easy to get from Anna, and others turn out to be impossible. Like when we asked for the power to read each others’ minds, or to make copies of ourselves. Anna would have none of it.”
“I think it’s that metaphysics thing,” Alec said. “To see directly into each others’ minds — or to clone ourselves — would fundamentally change our concept of identity, and therefore we would no longer be us.”
“Whereas mere antigravity, apparently, is no biggie,” Gene said, as he floated gracefully through the air, pausing at the fruit bowl to examine a large glowing purple kumquat that Alec had materialized next to the strawberries.
“I wonder,” Bob said, “whether we can teleport. That wouldn’t seem to pose any metaphysical problems. We would still be us, in all our unique separateness.”
Alec shook his head. “You’d be introducing too many variables into the experiment. We need a controlled environment. I think we’re right on the cusp.”
“Cusp?” Bob said, “wasn’t that the name of a book?”
“Maybe,” Alec shrugged. “It has a ring to it.”
“Hey, let’s stay on topic, and not go wandering into the void,” Gene said. “Bob, I thought we’d all agreed to stay right here in your apartment until we know it’s safe. Imagine if the powers that be found out just what we’re up to here. I seriously doubt it would end well.”
“The powers that be,” Bob said, “think Anna is gone; they’ve long stopped paying attention. Where’s your spirit of adventure?”
“Maybe my spirit of adventure is trying to stay out of a jail cell,” Jill said.
“Oh come on. What jail cell could hold a gal who can shrink herself down and walk out between the bars?”
Jill started to protest, but it was already too late. Bob had sauntered over to the laptop and was typing something to Anna.
And then he promptly vanished.
I’m really enjoying your story! The move into superpower territory reminded me of the “Superpowers” episode of This American Life that I happened to listen to recently (though it’s an old episode). You might enjoy it if you haven’t heard it already: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/178/superpowers. It poses the age-old question: would you rather be able to fly or to make yourself invisible 😉
Yes, I remember happily listening to that one when it first came out. Wonderful episode!
I mentioned the “flying or being invisible” question to a friend this evening, and he pointed out that if you’re invisible, you can board planes to fly wherever you want, and nobody will know. 🙂
Oh, clearly invisibility is much more practical. Being someone who sneaks on planes is not very romantic though (in the broader sense of romantic). Being able to fly is a romantic superpower.