Motif · Book 2, Carl's Doomsday Scenario

The xistera

A jai-alai scoop from a Gold Fan Box, matched to the Cesta Punta skill an Earth Hobby Potion gave Carl at random: a metallic basket that retracts into a bracer, hurls a hob-lobber at 250 mph, and retires the slingshot. The AI's plan for him, traced back to cherry bombs tossed off a cutter onto Arctic ice.

Segment appearances

• Chapter 5 — Boxes at the Pug
• Chapter 8 — Water Lily
• Chapter 17 — GumGum
• Chapter 18 — Miss Quill
• Chapter 20 — Manasa's last song
• Chapter 21 — Katia
• Chapter 25 — Carl's Doomsday Scenario

Progression

A hobby potion gives Carl Cesta Punta and no explanation (ch. 5); a fan box gives him the scoop (ch. 17); the memory of a senior chief lobbing cherry bombs onto Arctic ice tells him the AI planned it. An orange disintegrates against a saferoom door; hob-lobbers pre-lit in inventory fly at 250 mph (ch. 18); Zev wins — no more slingshot. It retracts into a bracer the gauntlet fits over.