"There are many competing theories," says Rete. "The most widely accepted is that Tinkers are able to outperform mundane precision engineering with some secondary power and their designs invariably rely on those very fine details."

"Hm...that makes sense. Do people with powers ever look different from people without?"

"Yes, infrequently. Some called 'case 53' capes are completely unable to pass for unpowered and have very divergent appearances. Others have minor changes, or have them only when using particular power aspects."

"That's...odd, if they aren't mutants."

"It's understood to be a normal power variation on Earth Bet, where Lorica is from," says Rete.

"Is it usually the same between parent and child?"

"Capes in general can transmit powers, but it is not genetic and can also pass between spouses, and to adopted children, and to other people with whom a cape spends a lot of time," says Rete. "I'm not aware of statistics on case 53s in particular in this characteristic and can't look it up from here."

"That's...incredibly odd."

"Evidently the Earths differ considerably in this respect among others. On Bet, powers have existed only since 1982."

"We don't know how long mutants have been around, but it's longer than that."

"I would expect the rate of mutation to be approximately constant if you mean the same thing by the word as we would," says Rete.

"Not exactly--it got called that at the beginning and it stuck, but actually it's a recessive gene."

"A single gene?"

"I think it was more complicated--but it's hard to remember, it's not the kind of thing we've had time to worry about since I was, like, six."

"That makes sense. I'm sorry," says Rete.

"I--appreciate your sympathy."

Handsqueeze.

"Lorica is likely to remain in fugue for the next several hours, but if we are approached by more Sentinels or must move on for other reasons I will be able to find a least-bad time at which to interrupt her," remarks Rete.

"Okay. How deep is fugue?"

"She's conscious, and she's interacting with me through her helmet, but she's very focused and in a flow state regarding what she's working on. She may be able to respond to some questions without breaking fugue, and can snap out of it at need with more or less disorientation depending on timing. She can hear you but isn't resolving what you say into words."

"I meant more like, if I manage to scrounge enough metal, would I be able to wrap up all of us and what she's working on and get out without interrupting her."

"It would be better if any jostling happened while she wasn't doing precision work, but if you move smoothly this shouldn't interrupt her."

"I have learned to do a remarkably good smooth over the past decade or so. Okay, let's see how much I can find."

"Are there any items you'd like me to add as suggestions on her to-do list?" Rete asks.

"...Something that can hide or disguise biorhythms? The Sentinels will come after us regardless, but if she doesn't have an X-Gene then if the Sentinels can't tell there's a living human body there they probably won't bother with her."