That did not just happen. Electrons were trickling out of the wire into open space, simply obeying physical laws, oblivious of the impact on stressed sentient beings hovering around the operating table.

Daniel squinted his eyes tightly until he saw white stars. It hadn’t worked before, but maybe it would work this time.

Eyes open, twinge of hope. Nope. Fucking nope.

He looked down at the mess before him. This was like defusing a bomb. It was just as complicated, so it wasn’t his fault for failing, was it? Yes, it was, you shit. Stop rationalizing and save some lives. Or wallow in self-pity some more and lose a hundred. Just metal, anyway, right?

Back on track. Focus.

Daniel took another look at the colorful tangle of wires, like arteries and veins, pulsing desperately, attempting to maintain faux-consciousness in the blue-brain at the head of this model. He knew that ten or twenty families’ welfare depended on this being’s survival. Instead of giving him power, this knowledge made his knees buckle.