Chase, missing an arm and looking much sadder than the Chase that Allyson knew, fingered a piece of grey stone she kept on a chain around her neck. “Sir, that is an all-or-nothing kind of plan. You aren’t known for adopting all-or-nothing solutions. Check that, it’s a nothing-or-nothing plan. Either she they win and she destroys the Earth or we win and we destroy the Earth.”
“You’re right, Chase, of course,” answered Nova. “But this planet is already dead. Our remaining scientists have assured me that Lady Quark has drained the planet of so much energy that the core has now cooled past the point of any hope of recovery. In a few years, the magnetosphere will weaken to the point that we will no longer be protected from cosmic rays or solar winds. At that point, the first solar flare , regardless of how weak, would destroy all remaining life on this planet.”
“If we act now, we can get the remaining population of the planet and at least save enough of the human race to successfully colonize a habitable planet.”
“So that’s why you let the off-world heroes leave without a fight!” Hot Wings exclaimed. “They are scouting out planets for us!”
“As I said, I believe in a Plan B, C, D, E, etc....”
“I was going to ask how you were going to get the coordinates of a black hole, but obviously you’ve thought of that,” stated Alysia.
“Yes, the closest black hole to Earth is Sagittarius A, at the center of our galaxy. And one of our friends gave me the coordinates of the event horizon.”
“Sir,I appreciate the confidence you have in my abilities,” Alysia demurred. “But I don’t think I have near enough the range to reach the center of a galaxy with a portal!”
“You never know until you try, Crossroads,” Nova stated sternly. ”However, you won’t have to portal that far. Some of our friends have setup a series of star gates from just outside the orbit of Jupiter all the way to the event horizon. If we could connect a portal from her to the star gate, we should be able get this to work.”
“What do you want me to do, Commander?” Allyson asked.
“Miss Robicheaux, we have no right to ask for your help. You are not from this universe. You should just go home and keep yourself safe.
“With all due respect, Commander, you know I won’t do that.” Allyson stated firmly.
“I know, but I had to say it anyway. If you would like to stay to help, our first priority is getting all survivors off this planet. Sadly it won’t take long. There are enough ships waiting beyond Jupiter to handle the refugees.” Nova pressed a switch on his command gauntlet and several view screens around the briefing room activated, momentarily displaying the image of several large colony ships in space, the showing the bridge of at least eight different ships.
“We’re ready to start the evacuation, Commander Nova,” announced one of the ship commanders on the screens.
“Thank you, Captain Ortiza. Standby. We are sending and advance team to lock in the locations of the holding decks.”
“Acknowledged. Standing by.”
“Can you portal to those ships, Alysia? Allyson?” Nova asked.
“Can you have them display the holding areas we will be putting the refugees in?” Allyson asked.
“Captains, please switch display to the holding areas.” Immediately the view screens showed large empty spaces, large enough that they could hold thousands of people without being too crowded.
Allyson and Alysia looked at each other then looked at the screens. Then they both disappeared. Everyone’s eyes shot to the screens where they saw either Allyson or Alysia appear briefly then pop out and appear on another screen. They were back in the conference room in under 30 seconds.
Alysia smiled and said, “No problem, Commander.”
________________________________________
It took almost two days to evacuate the planet. just over ten million survivors from a population that was approaching eight billion. They heroes worked non-stop, directing the people where to go, on planet and on ship. Alysia and Allyson maintained their portals almost the entire time, alternating who slept while the other one held all eight portals open at one time. It was exhausting, rewarding, and heartbreaking all at the same time.
During this time, Lady Quark was observed by satellite. They were creating something, but it was impossible to make out what it was because they apparently knew they were being observed and obscured the sky above where they worked. What worried everyone was that they made no move to stop what the heroes were doing, even though they must have been aware of it.
Finally, the portals were almost all closed. Only one remained open in China. Most of the population were already onboard the ships, but there were a few stragglers being herded towards the last portal. Suddenly, there was a blue/red flash and Lady Quark was there.
Hot Wings immediately launched himself at them. He moved faster than the human eye could follow. A streak of yellow-white flame. He slammed into Lady Quark and was immediately flung backwards by the force of the impact. Lady Quark didn’t budge at all. Several other heroes lined up to attack Lady Quark, knowing this might be their final battle.
Lady Quark eyed the assembled heroes calmly and then spoke in a voice eerily reminiscent of the Wicked Witch of the West, “Get them, my pretties!”
And from behind Lady Quark, came a dark tidal wave of horror. Thousands upon thousands of horrible death threatened to crash into the heroes protecting the refugees. In only ones or twos they might have been called cute, or at least strange. But the numbers they came in made it absolutely terrifying. A horde of blue/red ducks waddled surprisingly quickly towards the heroes. The heroes were horrified and nonplussed, and that hesitation almost cost them their lives. These cute little ducks were armed with razor sharp toothed beaks and clawed webbed feet.
The heroes unleashed their own tidal wave of destruction upon that ravening horde just before being overrun. Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Lightning, Radiation, and Magic slammed into the front line of the Duckmageddon, blasting the entire front ranks away. But the ducks kept coming first one hero, ‡ Florida Man ‡, fell, his screams of rage and resistance horribly drowned out by the gentle quacking of an uncounted number of ducks that tore him apart.
The heroes began giving ground, backing up slowly towards the evacuation point, just waiting for the word that all civilians were safe. Another hero fell to the quacking mob, then another, and another. Still the heroes held on, until...
“Now!” Nova commanded.
A wave of earth threw the mass of ducks back for a moment, and in that moment, every single here dropped through a portal that was opened up right under their feet. The heroes disappeared in an instant. For a long moment, there was nothing between the evacuation staging area and the mass of ducks and the ducks surged forward towards the portal.
Suddenly a shadow blocked the weak sunlight for a moment and then the massive unfettered form of Miðgarðsormr slammed into the ground, crushing a thousand ducks at once. The other ducks swarmed the massive Serpent of Midgard, but were mostly ineffectual because his scales were too tough for the ducks’ teeth and claws to penetrate. Miðgarðsormr struck mighty blows left and right demolishing the quacking horde. But still they kept coming.
But something different was happening now, they began to pile up, on atop the other. Soon it was a pyramid of ducks that began to rival Miðgarðsormr in size. Then they started to change shape and melt together. Soon there was a single massive red/blue duck facing the great serpent. And it was pissed.
The battle between these two titans raged back and forth for several minutes without clear indication of who had an advantage. Until a second gigantic duck appeared. And then a third. A fourth. Miðgarðsormr was quickly swarmed under by a dozen giant ducks. Not all those ducks survived, but Miðgarðsormr didn’t return with the rest of the heroes when the evacuation site was shut down. No one knows what happened to him.
Nova, watching the satellite feed of the battle from the lead colony ship, gave the order. “Open the gates, open the portal."
Alysia and Allyson joined their powers to maintain the portal as a dozen star gates between them and the center of the galaxy were opened. The pressures of the gravity forces at work against their portals was tremendously overwhelming, but the two portal masters kept on.
And down on the former Planet Earth, a small portal appeared, the size of a standard closet door, but behind that door was the most powerful force in the universe. Lady Quark had a moment to realize what was happening in front of them. A moment in which they returned to lucidity and reflected upon what they had done.
As the forces of the black hole began to tear the planet apart and draw it and Lady Quark into the portal and the finality beyond, Lady Quark smiled and said, “Do you have any idea how much power there is inside a black hole, Nova? Don’t think this is the end. Quack!”
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