Free Mega 3: When Giants Collide (Mega Series) by Jake Bible

it.”
    “Yeah, but she’s not an asshole,” Shane said.
    “Exactly,” Max agreed.
    Ingrid didn’t bother to hide her grin as she took the rod from Moshi. “This is completely next gen tech,” she announced. “In fact, it could even be calle d nex t next gen.”
    “We are impressed, Ingrid,” Ballantine said. “Let’s move along.”
    “Yes, sir, of course,” Ingrid nodded. “Stand back for a second.”
    No one argued and they all took a couple steps back.
    Ingrid waved the rod back and forth and in seconds the air lit up with blue sparks and strange green lines.
    “This is the particle field,” Ingrid said, “and anything that crosses this field will basically be evaporated.”
    “That is not technically accurate,” Carlos said. “A liquid would be evaporated, but a solid would be-”
    “I think she was dumbing it down for us,” Thorne interrupted. “How about you let her?”
    “I really wasn’t trying to dumb it down,” Ingrid said. “I just know you are in a hurry and didn’t want to bore you with detailed explanations that have no bearing on how it works.”
    “I believe all the details have bearing on how it works,” Carlos snapped.
    “Continue. Please,” Ballantine growled.
    Ingrid stopped waving the rod and the blue sparks and green lines disappeared almost immediately.
    “Let me demonstrate in the tank,” she said and walked back into the Toyshop. “Follow me.”
    “Will this be worth our time?” Ballantine asked Carlos. Carlos just shrugged. “Wonderful.”
    Team Grendel followed Ingrid through the shelves until they came to an open space about ten feet square. She tapped at a tablet and a large tank of clear liquid lifted from the floor.
    “We just keep those hanging around?” Max asked.
    “You know there’s like a ton of water outside the ship, right?” Shane said.
    “This isn’t water,” Ingrid smiled. “It’s a containment gel we use to keep projectiles and explosives from damaging the ship when we test them.”
    “Oh,” Max smiled, “cool.”
    “Can we come down here and play with it sometime?” Shane asked.
    “No,” everyone said at once.
    “Well, fuck you too,” Shane pouted.
    Ingrid grabbed a step ladder and climbed up so she could dip her hand and the rod into the gel. She started waving it again and the blue sparks and green lines reappeared. Then she flicked her wrist and the sparks and lines shot away from the rod.
    Everyone stared in disbelief as the gel in the sparks and lines’ path was vaporized, leaving a completely empty space. Then the gel above the space crashed down and the concussion rocked the sides of the vat, making everyone cover their ears as a loud bang echoed through the Toyshop.
    “Sorry,” Ingrid winced, “I should have suggested ear protection.”
    “That was a sonic boom,” Darren said. “How the hell…?”
    “The particle field,” Carlos began then cringed. “ Evaporate d every atom in its path, leaving a swathe of dead space.”
    “True dead space,” Ingrid smiled. “For a split second, there was nothing there. Absolutely nothing.”
    “Why isn’t Gunnar here?” Kinsey asked.
    “Not now, Ms. Thorne,” Ballantine smiled, “let them finish.”
    Kinsey glared at Ballantine, but let it go and nodded to Ingrid.
    “So that was a sonic boom?” Max asked.
    “More like thunder,” Ingrid answered, “but, to be honest, it’s actually like nothing else ever done before.”
    “You two didn’t come up with this, did you?” Thorne asked.
    Carlos frowned, Ingrid smiled, and they both looked around until they found Moshi peeking at them from behind a shelf.
    “Our very own Moshi developed this technology,” Ballantine said. “She has been working on it for some time now, well before her tenure on the Beowulfs.”
    “So we just have to wave a rod and flick our wrist and it wipes out everything in its path?” Shane asked. “Cool.”
    “How many do we have?” Darren asked. “Will we each get one?”
    “This