9:30 AM, 29th of March 1989.
Location: My apartment
I've spent the past few days training. I've gotten hurt so many times, I'm working on my barriers. Specifically making them airtight but still allowing me to breathe. Original Magneto could do it in space, so I must be able to as well.
By experimenting with a candle flame I could create a permeable barrier, one that allowed air in and nothing else. Unfortunately that kept the carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and smoke inside. So I moved on, to a small government lab set aside for my use with an air meter which was relocated into a pressurised vacuum sealed area. So I would seal the sensor inside a bubble and try different things and not have the outside interfere.
I found that through a version of electrolytic reaction (apparently), the barrier acting as a catalyst is able to break down carbon dioxide into plain carbon and breathable oxygen. Directly removing any issue of breathing inside the barrier semi-permanently aside from a small build up of dust in the air. The hardest part was keeping the process from unbalancing the ratios of these gases to dangerous levels, because oxygen in high enough doses is toxic.
It is a lot harder finding ways to strengthen the defensive qualities of the shield itself, but it was obvious to the researchers that inspected the original barriers that they were layered electro-magnetic fields and so powerful they actually formed a field of energy that repelled any atoms or compounds that tried to enter. Hence even Chemo having troubles piercing them with anything less than brute strength. They were rated and to my surprise proved they were enough to stop low calibre rounds. They handled large, spread out impacts far better than high power pinpoint attacks.
The layered barriers I invented in the Chemo fight proved to be only about one and a half times as effective as the standard barrier. After all, anything that would pierce one would continue to the second… if a projectile had enough velocity and force it would go through them all but it did stop slightly heavier arms from fully penetrating. Anything less than 9mm rounds I didn't have to worry about.
Inspired by a memory of Mass Effect I recalled Cyclonic Barriers, my own were static fields… what happened if I made them into a spiralling energy field? Surprisingly effective barriers I found. They were sufficient to stop a .45 calibre bullet. They also added a deflection effect, which sent any slightly off angle shots further off course.
However this was all I needed for my next venture.
At some point I had given up the whole moving to the US thing. Being the premiere French hero was a decent gig. I think I had already given up after Chemo. But yesterday I made it official. Fleur-de-lis rang my apartment to congratulate me on my excellent taste.
I followed this up by starting my new company, Magic with Magnets.
So today is the day! I woke up to my alarm and hurried to put on some thick woollen gear, because I was going somewhere cold.
I had so many tempting options available, but my first thought was to take advantage of my improved shields. And so, armed with a torch and a camera I went deep sea diving in the English Channel.
I made a systematic sweep, out past international waters. Searching for metal deposits. It seemed the barriers were non-stick, the energy field generating little friction which gave me the capacity to reach a goodly speed deep underwater before the pressure burst my bubble. I tested with an empty one first, to keep dry.
I can't say it was a significant haul, but cannon and some trinkets from what was once the Spanish Armada were in high demand by museums. Especially since I could find the best, most intact specimens. Plus, there was so much of it. Too much, really. If I came back repeatedly I'd flood the market with cannon. I settled on several of various sizes with ammunition.
On my second trip down, later after lunch at a nice sea-side town I found a more intact wreck, only half buried in sediment. Merchant Navy, from WW2 I think. I poked around, but the cargo was long since decayed. Grain? Wool? I have no clue. But the name at the bow should tell me. She seems to have been torpedoed or perhaps run into a lost sea-mine.
I take some photos for posterity and move on.
Further along I saw a flash of light in the distance, bright. So I drifted closer, to find what could only be ocean dwellers. They were uniformed, a group of five. Armed with spears made of a coral-like substance and each had the heads of a fish. I have absolutely no clue which group they are. Not likely to be Atlantean.
They seemed to communicate with each other, because they came to a decision and took an aggressive posture.
Well, I didn't come here to start a war with random people I don't even know, I decided to back down.
Unfortunately the group saw this as an opportunity, surging forward on flipper feet to stab their spears at me, which lit up brightly with arcs of electricity. Magic lightning?
Boy, was I glad they used their magic… because it was real electricity generated by magic rather than magic itself pretending to be electricity. Meeting my barriers I held their otherwise non-magnetic coral weapons back by the current that was licking the edges. Tearing them free the arcs abruptly died and the spears fell to the seabed several metres below.
So they apparently need user input to use the active effect.
The five looked at each other, burbled something and scattered. I managed to get a few photos as they fled.
Shrugging I took the time to salvage the spears for my own curiosity, but nothing I did could activate the magic trick. I guess that deserved research. I kept them and returned home, before I ran into the rest of these fish-men or stumbled on their city. I'm not equipped appropriately. Next time, I'm coming armed. Besides, France should be curious about their neighbours below the sea.