“We don’t have any sign of trouble here, sir.” Shinobi said through his small screen.
Nova looked over at Kid Chaos. “has your team found any leads we can follow?”
Chaos said, “not yet. We’ve been scouring New Amsterdam’s seediest places for info on this secret organization. These crime bosses know nothing. I’d wager this secret organization doesn’t deal with the regular street-scum.”
“I don’t think so either. Keep searching for clues, for anything that will give us a lead.”
Chaos gave a swift salute with two figures off his forehead, and the signal ended.
The elevator behind him opened, and both Chase and Dr. Stone came out. The doctor stopped at the sight of all the people on the screen now looking at him. “Wow, is this where all the heroes are commanded?”
Skelanimal, on a small screen in the upper corner, replied, “hell no. We just answer his call when we feel like it.”
Nova muted Skelanimal’s feed and then addressed Dr. Stone. “Ignore him. Doctor, we have a growing situation and I hope you have something to help me.”
Doctor Stone came up with a computer tablet in his hand. “Agent Chase brought me up to speed on the way. I just finished installing my computer equipment in the lab and I think we can use it to help… I hope.”
“In what way?”
Stone went to hand the tablet to a person behind one of the computer stations and jerked back at the sight of the faceless robot operating the system. “Uh… can I talk to it.”
“How can I be of assistance?” The robot asked in a dry tone.
“Oh, uh, here, use this to connect to my lab.”
“Understood.”
Nova asked, “what is this?”
“I have developed a sensor system that can identify spikes in morphonic radiation. Specifically, I can see when it is in use. If my theories are correct, these Avatar creatures are made mostly of morphons, thus their bodies utilize them like our bodies utilize calories. This means that when they simply breath and walk, they are using morphons that should show up like a glowing light in a dark room. At least that is the theory. I wanted to test this more before putting into any sort of use.”
Nova said, “trust me, we often test things as we go. Fire it up.”
Stone watched the robot do its work, then took the tablet and used it to control the system. “Can I put it on the main screen, that will help see this working.”
“Do as he asks.” Nova turned back to the monitor just as all they cut the channels off, replaced by a large map of the planet.
Stone walked up and punched controls. “Okay, so… activating the sensor net… connecting to the BADGE satellite system. Annnnd, it should go active… now.”
A yellow fuzz covered the map. This completely blocked the continents.
“What’s that?” Nova asked.
“That would be the morphonic radiation in the atmosphere. The system is reading the broad spectrum, it will take a second to narrow down spikes.”
Chase asked, “is there that much morphonic radiation in the air?”
“More or less. This is highlighting it, so it makes it look like a lot more. But, it is over the entire planet.” Dr. Stone said as he continued his controls. “Don’t worry. As far as we have determined they’re harmless outside of creating super powers in people.”
The image changed, and the yellow haze faded into thousands of dots all over the planet.
“What are those?” Nova asked.
“That would be the location of all strong concentrations of morphons. Likely, these are all the people who are currently using morphons for powers.”
Chase folded her arms and sneered. “I don’t think I like this. You can track all the heroes without their knowledge. It just doesn’t feel right.”
“This system would have a hard time tracking people by name. But, yes, I suppose it could do that.” Stone was oblivious to her discomfort.
“What about the avatars?” Nova asked.
“Narrowing the sensors down to the strongest signatures. And… there.” The yellow dots almost entirely vanished, only four remained.
“Four? Only Four? There should be six.” Nova said.
Stone shrugged. “This is what my sensors are reading. I can run them again, but I doubt they’ll come up with anything different.”
Chase said, “what if... they are dead? Would that effect the morphonic signature?”
“I don’t know. I have never studied a user of morphonic radiation before and after death. If they dissipate when a person dies… I don’t know.”
Nova asked, “can we determine which is which?”
“Not at this time. I have to refine the system to determine specific radiation signatures within the morphonic field.”
“We have locations, that is enough for me. Robots, I want each of those four tagged by all our sensors. Get me the nearest heroes to each one, I want people to find them and protect them.”
Chase frowned as she cocked her head. “Is that one… in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?”
“Looks like it.” Stone zoomed in on one particular dot that moved along the Atlantic Ocean, almost directly in the middle.
***
Timebender raced across the ocean surface. The waves were hardly moving and his feet stepped on the liquid as though it were rock. Being able to slow time has its benefits.
Reaching a US Naval cruiser, he gets on board and re-started time.
“Hey! Where’d you come from?” An officer barked at him.
Timebender flashed his BADGE card and then tapped the comm in his ear to speak with his HQ. “Hey, do I know where I’m going?”
Stevie Krayne answered through the comm, “yes. Nova’s coordinates are in the middle of the ocean. You’re almost there.”
“And… this is where one of those Avatar guys is?”
“That’s their best guess.” Stevie answered.
The officer tapped Timebender on the shoulder. “Look, I don’t care if you’re with BADGE, we don’t take passengers, especially in the middle of the ocean.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll…” he was stopped as he slid to the side and grabbed a rail to keep from toppling over the edge of the boat. The waters grew turbulent, and a siren blared from the ship.
“Warning! Unknown submerged vehicle surfacing!” A voice boomed over the intercom.
The officer asked Timebender, “are you here to fight a supervillain?”
“Not on the menu today, skipper. I have no idea what this is.”
The ship’s crew went into action, getting ready to defend their vessel. Everyone paused and their mouths went agape in unison as a World War II era German warship lifted out of the water’s surface. It was covered in decades of sea-life and debris, the name Scharnhorst still visible on the side. Standing on the deck of this lifting ship was a man made of water and rock, his hands held out as the waters beneath the damaged warship carried it up.
The officer on the US Navy ship muttered, “holy crap.”
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