I finally made my way through the station to the Command Center. Her I finally found equipment that was actually operating. Lighting was limited to the emergency lighting and many of the lights on the command consoles were red or dark, but there a few stations that were green and operating. I had figured as much since there was obviously life support, gravity, and propulsion (keeping the station in orbit). All non-essential systems like lifts, robotics, infirmary, galley, lighting, etc. were offline. I found one computer station that appeared to be operational.
Moving the defunct robot out of the way, I tried to access the computer. I wasn’t sure what I could do since I wasn’t part of the BADGE command echelon, but I should have at least basic system access. As soon as the authorization credentials were entered and accepted the main monitor on the wall came to life. Commander Nova, looking angry and tired, sporting several wounds and a bloody lip stared at me for a moment and then began speaking.
“If you are watching this, then we either haven’t returned to the station yet or won’t be returning at all. I have mobilized all meta-humans and powerful beings on the planet to aid in this fight. That includes those criminals housed in Purgatory and elsewhere. The situation is the darkest that I can ever recall in all my years. Most of the world’s military was disabled overnight. Planetary communications have been disrupted to the extent that coordination between countries is virtually impossible and even using the BADGE Communication network is becoming unreliable.”
“I leave this recording in the hopes that it serves as a warning to any who may find it. The Earth is lost. We are fighting, but I have no hope of victory. The best I can hope for is the mutual destruction of our foe. He is powerful beyond belief and that power has twisted him. He was once one of my most trusted lieutenants and a friend. I mourn the loss of that friend, but that which remains is evil and must be destroyed.”
There followed a brief history of what had happened. The first thing I learned was that I was not in my own dimension, which was a relief, and that this all started almost a year ago, during the search for the Ruby Shards. It appears that up until that point in time, the histories of my home dimension and this dimension were identical, but something caused those histories to diverge.
During the collection of the Ruby Shards, the hero known as Strange Quark was found to be the receptacle for the power and being of Lady Phoenix. Krampus had him captured and tried to extract Lady Phoenix from Quark and transfer her into the reconstituted ruby. In Crossroads’ universe, the energy was then transferred to Chase who took on the form and power of Lady Phoenix. The heroes eventually defeated Lady Phoenix and Krampus, saving Chase and the other Mythics at the same time.
However, in this universe something went wrong. Instead of the energy being drawn out of Quark, it attached itself to him, melded with his own strange multi-dimensional powers. The result was a being part Strange Quark and part Lady Phoenix and wholly insane as the two personalities vied for dominance. Lady Quark, as they called themselves, then went on a rampage.
The first victim was Krampus. He tried to help Lady Phoenix separate from Quark, but instead was absorbed into the matrix, quite by accident. His power adding to the whole, but his soul was devoured and destroyed. He was only the first of the Mythics to fall to this new being. All the Mythics tried to rescue their Lady. All were absorbed. What existed now was a terrifying creature with an insane hunger for power and a warped sense of humor.
“Lady Quark is unrelenting,” Nova continued. “They have absorbed all types of energy to feed their hunger. The power grids of most of the countries on the planet have been drained and rendered inert. Nuclear, solar, geothermal...all forms of energy or stores have been drained. There are only a few pockets of “normalcy” left. I believe they only exist because Lady Quark is leaving them for a “snack” later on. They aren’t going anywhere so they can get to them whenever they feel like it.”
“I have compiled a list of heroes who have already sacrificed themselves in the battle against Lady Quark.” At this statement, a list of names began scrolling across the screen, “They aren’t all BADGE operatives, some are villains, and some are just regular people who took a stand. Nevertheless, every single one of them is a hero worthy of honor and respect. Without their sacrifice, we would not have lasted this long.”
As Allyson scanned the list of fallen, her heart clenched and her eyes teared up as she saw the names of many friends and colleagues. Agent Justin, Agent Leslie, The Wizard, Shadow Walker, The ShitShow, Kid Chaos, Macaia’s Daughter, Azure Archangel, Zen, Timebender.... The list went on and on. She didn’t see some of the big heroes like Hot Wings or Miðgarðsormr, so maybe there was hope yet. She looked very carefully and did not see another name on that list. Crossroads.
Allyson decided to try to do something she never tried before. Something she was afraid to do when she first realized she was in a different universe. She was going to contact this universe’s version of herself. Looking with herself, Allyson began calling for herself, but applying the “flavor” of this universe. The “flavor’ is the defining element of this universe. When speaking to any of her dimensional counterparts, their name and essence carried this “flavor” to differentiate them from counterparts from other universes. Allyson recognized the “flavor” of her home universe and could tell that the “flavor” that this universe carried was slightly different
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