Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 8

 Five heroes sped across the open plains of Kansas, chasing one of the now two red Legion mutants as it set fire to a wheat field.

“Thunderstorm, can you get us some water on that fire?” The captain of the league called into the comm.

A woman flew over and zoomed into the cloudless sky. As she moved, clouds formed quickly, turning into a downpour in a matter of moments. The blazing wheat fields quickly extinguished.

“Marco! Get on his left; I've got his right. Zane Brain, I want you to find a way to stop him!” The speedy hero Master Blaster sped quickly across the ground on his faster than sound morphon powers.

The villain was hit by Blaster, who threw him hard to the left, and Marco, a baseball bat wielding hero, hit him again. They tossed him back and forth for a moment, not giving him time to respond.

Zane Brain, a man with a massive cranium, levitated above the ground. He held out a hand toward the villain and focused on his psionic powers. A field of mental energy caught the villain.

“Good! Hold him.” Blaster said. “Thunderstorm, freeze him solid. We have to contain him.”

While Zane fought to keep his focus so the villain was bound inside his mental powers, Thunderstorm swooped down. The rain quickly turned to snow, and a harsh, icy wind ripped through the plains. She gathered the cold into a bright blue energy ball in her hands and was just about to throw it when the villain let out a powerful roar along with a wave of force that threw everyone away. Zane lost control and fell to the ground.

“STOP HIM!” Blaster yelled.

The creature ran toward Zane, knowing he was the first target to kill. Zane was struggling to gather himself and barely looked up in time to see the monster ready to kill. At the very last moment, a series of lightning bolts pierced the creature, and it exploded in a gory eruption of matter.

“Thank you.” Zane said to Thunderstorm.

Blaster and Marco arrived on the bloody field. “That was not the plan.”

Marco shrugged. “I doubt anything can come back from being blasted apart that hard. He’s dead.”

Zane picked up a small metal orb from the ground. “What is this?”

Blaster took it from him. “Not sure. We’ll bring it back to BADGE.”

Marco laughed. “It laid an egg. Cute. We should.... woah, what the hell?”

The gore evaporated around them and then congealed into two forms.

Blaster charged his legs again. “Crap, crap, crap. Get outta here!” He grabbed Marco in a fireman’s hold and then sped away as Thunderstorm and Zane flew high.

Soon, two more of those creatures would be on the prowl, and one was enough to nearly take them out. Two would be too much.

***

Drocha laughed with glee as he watched the entire event transpire through the lens of a hijacked surveillance satellite. His creations were sending leagues fleeing, and that gave him no small amount of ego boost, as if his ego could get any larger.

“They almost had a good plan. Too bad none of them died.” Drocha watched with a wistful look of a father seeing his children playing as the now new creations went in different directions to cause chaos.

Drocha checked his sensor system again. With a hard pound of his fist on the desk, he growled, “Why hasn’t Nova shown his ancient face!” After fuming for a moment, he centered himself. “This isn’t right. I should have seen him by now. Change of plans.” He moved over to yet another control station. This one was alien, made of Legion tech. He put in a command using organic computer systems. “Scan every camera using Nova’s face. If there is any sign of him, show it to me.” He gave the command, and the computer processed it.

“I suppose it’s time for the second one to emerge. Should be most entertaining.” He changed the view of Canada. “Computer, is sphere 43811 ready?”

“Sphere 43811 is at seventy percent completion. Power cannot reach maximum at this time due to...”

“I know. The problem will be solved soon enough. It is good enough. Now to find it so I can create havoc.” The view zoomed in closer, but there was a red light that blinked when the image arrived, but there was no sphere. “Computer, where is 43811?”

The computer answered, “The location of sphere 43811 has altered fifty miles north of last known location. Searching....”

The image automatically shifted north of Manitoba and focused in on the sphere that Justin and EB had been sent to. A team of heroes and several BADGE agents were around it.

“Why did it move?” He asked.

The computer answered, “Movement command issued, location adjustment made.”

“I never... must be a computer glitch. Not to worry. My friend will take care of the rabble and then break Manitoba into pieces. Should prove most entertaining while I wait for the ultimate phase of my plan.”

He pressed a code in and then sat back to watch the show.

***

Chase sat on a chair from Christopher Columbus’s ship while Santa used magic to send his sleigh and reindeer back to the North Pole without him. Nova paced with a baby in his arms and his eyes on a muted screen. Heroes were fighting dozens of the Legion monsters that had spread across most of North America and were now heading toward Australia and the Pacific region.

“Those damn things are too strong.” Nova whispered in a gentle voice.

Chase said, “How many have we actually stopped?”

Nova looked at another screen with numbers on it. “We’ve captured twelve, but several dozen more are roaming around causing chaos. It is so hard to keep them down long enough to freeze them or lock them up in some restriction. They want to die, or really be destroyed, so they can rebirth into two more.”

Santa’s sleigh evaporated into a mist, and then he solemnly said, “You aren’t wrong. One of Legion’s worst villains to fight us was Trexler; she would do just this. Her doppelgangers would go for the kill with no fear of death; they invited destruction because it just doubled her forms.”

Chase asked, “How did you stop her?”

“I’ve been thinking about that. It was so long ago, I can’t remember how they stopped her. My warriors were busy trying to take down Legions HQ on our moon. Lord Dragon led the fight on the planet; he would know. But...”

Nova said, “We don’t know where he and the others went.” He suddenly looked up and gave a soft nod, which caused the door to his room to open.

Gar walked in holding something in his hand.

Chase asked, “How did you know he was there? I couldn’t hear anything.”

“I’m Nova.” Was all he said.

Gar held up the small silver sphere. “The labs looked at this and found it is strange. It is morphonic, but it is unlike any morphon signature we have on record.”

Chase asked, “Is that one of the spheres that came out of those Legion things?”

“Yes, Triblade captured one, and this was left there. They are finding them all over the place after fighting those creatures.”

Nova took the sphere and handed it to Santa. “You got anything?”

Santa held it and closed his eyes. An aura of power resonated from his hands around the sphere. He took a deep breath and released it. After a moment passed, he said, “I don’t know much, only that this is the same substance that Legion used to power their abilities and technology. I never saw this come out of one of them when they died. This feels... wrong somehow, but I don’t know why.”

“Is it dangerous?” Chase asked.

Santa said, “I don’t know. It feels inert, like it is without something. I don’t believe it can hurt you to hold it or that it will explode. It is a raw material of some kind.”

Nova took the sphere and looked at for a long moment. His body swayed and rocked to keep the baby sleeping. “I have an idea.” He held the sphere out to Chase. “Take this to the Oracle... he might tell us more about this. He has access to every scrap of knowledge ever to exist in every computer; there must be something.”

“On it.” She stood up, and her wrist comm activated at the same time as Gar’s and Nova’s.

Agent Brandel’s panicked voice came through. “The sphere! It’s opening! BADGE!”

Nova quickly punched in a command, and the view changed to the field outside of Manitoba. The sphere had a bright light across the middle, and the heroes were all readying themselves for a fight.

“Damn!” He pressed a switch on his comm. “Any hero not currently contending with Legion Creature, head for these coordinates. We have another Legion mutant hatching.”

Santa said, “Guess it wasn’t just a distraction.”

Nova nodded. “Which means we have no idea what Drocha is up to. If he opens spheres across this planet, we cannot contend with them all.”

Gar asked, “Why hasn’t he already?”

Nova said, “That is the biggest question. What is keeping his hand still? Two spheres are bad, but just a problem, not a catastrophe. Damn it, we have to find him... we have to stop this.”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 7

 

Coach Thrasher dashed toward the monster, screaming with wild abandon. The monster readied an attack with his hands and met Thrasher with fists against fists. With amazing speed, both struck each other over and over. Thrasher used two of his four arms to grab the creature by the strange tentacles coming out of its back and flung it over, slamming the monster into the ground.

“AND STAY DOWN!” Thrasher screamed at it.

The monster screeched with a deafening pitch, then shot straight off the ground into Thrasher’s abdomen, shoving the brutish hero across the park and slamming in into a city bus, bending the entire vehicle in half. The monster beat Thrasher mercilessly as Thrasher was pinned against the metal and glass of the bus. Blood streamed down Thrasher’s nose and from his eyes as the monster pummeled him.

A beam of blue energy hit the monster, removing it from Thrasher. A younger woman in a white super suit ran up to Thrasher. “Coach!” She held up her hands, and white light shone from her that healed his wounds.

A team of heroes swarmed into the middle of the park, focusing most of their attention on the legion creature. It held its ground well against all of them, withstanding their attacks and returning pain for pain.

“SNOW! DO IT!” The captain of this League yelled.

A beautiful woman with blond hair and a blue outfit thrust both hands forward, and a beam of icy energy hit the creature. It flew toward her, but as it did, its body became darker, and a frost formed over its skin. With a terrible thud, it hit the ground as a solid block of ice.

“What do we do now?” The captain of the league asked Thrasher.

Thrasher snarled, “Smash it! That thing is Legion, a little ice aint gonna keep it down forever.”

The captain looked over at a young man in a golden uniform who was flying above the ground. “Smash him in an open area; I don’t want this park covered in defrosted guts.”

“Gotcha!” The boy flew by with incredible speed, grabbing the outstretched arm of the monster and then zipped away as fast as EB.

***

“That was too easy,” Santa said to Nova.

Nova nodded. “It was a hard fight, but hardly more than most supervillains our people face daily. Legion warriors are no easy take-down. Something is wrong with this.”

Chase said, “Count your blessings when they come.”

“I’m not dismissing this victory, but it raises more questions. Drocha wouldn’t create weak monsters.”

An unusual beep buzzed out from his comm system. It was the encrypted signal from Justin. Nova typed in his code, and the screen opened up with Justin and EB waiting to speak. “Sir, we have something... unusual.”

“What is it?”

Justin turned the comm device around to show a sphere hovering above the ground in an open field. “The signal we’ve been following grew in strength for a moment and pointed us to this location. This is in the middle of nowhere in Manitoba, Canada. The sensor was precise, more so than usual, leading us to this sphere.”

“That is strange.”

EB hopped up and clung to Justin’s shoulder to look into the comm unit. “What is weirder... is that a word? I’ll look it up later. Anyway, what’s weirder is that this sphere moved.”

“Moved?” Nova asked.

EB nodded quickly. “Yeah, so, like, it was closer to Winnipeg and then it just started moving a few hours ago. We checked with BADGE sensors, and they don’t show it. Like it was here, then there and...”

Chase said, “If it moved, it could be active. We need people on this.”

“I agree.” Nova said to her and then addressed them. “Keep a healthy distance from that and keep following the signal. We have to find Drocha. I’ll have Gar send a team in that direction to monitor this.”

EB said, “Wait, I would LOVE to kick some Legion butt. Those jerks blew up my homeworld, and I want some payback. I want to shove an egg right up...”

“No. Your priority is finding Drocha; you two are my only people on this special mission. Keep moving.” Nova gave his command.

EB gave a quick salute and said, “On it, boss. Your number one bestest BADGE operative is on the case, and so is Justin.”

Justin let out a sigh and said, “We’re on it. Justin out.”

After the screen went dark, Santa turned to Nova and said, “This could be a deflection, a ruse. Legion will do anything to win. The monster in St. Louis is still a key problem until we are certain it’s dead. If we divert attention to this new sphere, it might give Drocha reason to toy with us more. Shift things around and keep us guessing his next move while his mother ship flies here.”

“I thought of that as well.” Nova said, “But we can’t be certain. Besides, if this turns out to be a real risk, then it will raise far more questions than answers.”

“Why?” Chase asked.

“If this turns out to be a genuine threat, then why would Drocha direct our attention to it? If he knows we’re tracking his signal, then why not stop us? That aid came through our tracing of this signal, and as far as I know, no one outside of the few of us knows that Justin and EB are following it.”

Santa said, “So, if this turns out to be a distraction. Then it will mean we are still fooling Drocha. Which means we must respond to it normally, or we risk him catching on to our advanced knowledge.”

Nova nodded. “This game is a chess match between masters, and neither can afford to lose. Right now, we have one advantage, that signal we are tracing. It is the first time in far too long that we have something ahead of him. I have to keep playing his game to be certain that he isn’t aware of our little advantage.”

Chase shook her head. “I miss the fights with villains who are all punch and little thought. This game is complicated, and it’s almost political.”

Nova laughed, “Trust me, no war is more bloody and complicated than politics.” Nova’s comm unit beeped again, this time with the standard signal. He clicked it on. “Gar, good timing. I need you to contact the League in Manitoba...”

“Sir, we have a report from Golden Comet in the field.”

“Put it through.” Nova looked at his comm unit as the screen activated with a feed to an open field in Missouri.

Gold Comet, the hero who took the frozen Legion creature away from St. Louis, looked at him through the comm. “Director, I brought the monster out here and smashed him against the ground. It was like breaking a giant block of ice. He’s in a million little pieces now. Found this little thing left behind.” He held up a metal orb the size of a golf ball. “Some kind of power source. I’ll bring it to the station. I think you should bring in a clean-up crew to.... wait, what...”

The shiny golden hero looked around the ground.

Nova asked, “What is it, son?”

“Sir.... the bits and pieces of the monster... they’re gone.”

Nova frowned and then his eyes widened. “Get out of there now. Move!”

“What the what!” The young man jumped back as two blobs of purple goo formed in the middle of the field and slowly transformed into two identical copies of the monster. “NOT POSSIBLE!”

“GET AWAY NOW, THAT IS AN ORDER!”

Nova watched the screen and then looked away as the screaming of Gold Comet became a blood-curdling horror followed by a cut signal.

“DAMN!” Nova hit the side of Santa’s sleigh with a powerful punch.

The baby in the crib roused and began crying. Santa picked up the baby and rocked her around. “Is he...”

“Dead,” Nova whispered. “He graduated just last season. I’m going to make Drocha pay for every hero he has cost this world. I don’t care if I have to live another ten thousand years, I will make him pay.”

“What was that?” Chase asked.

Santa said, “One of Legion's little games. Several of their own were easily defeated, but they simply returned stronger and often doubled or tripled in number. Like the hydra from ancient Greek legend. The trick was to not kill them, but just stop them.”

Nova said, “Tell Gar, we are at code red. I need a moment.”

Chase clicked her comm. “Gar, we have a code red. Alert heroes that Legion monsters are on the loose. They must be contained but not killed, they will duplicate if killed.”

“Understood.” Gar answered.

Chase looked up at Nova standing off in a corner. Most people never saw how much pain he felt with a hero was killed. He exuded such a strong presence of focus and determination. Little did the world know how deeply it hurt him to watch heroes die in the line of duty. 

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 6

 A shiny sphere hovered over the Gateway Arch National Park, with the famous St. Louis Arch casting a shadow over it. People were out and resting on the park grounds, enjoying a picnic provided by BADGE aids. Volunteers from a local church were helping hand out the box lunches.

Coach Thrasher, normally the athletics coach for the BADGE school of heroes, carried four gigantic boxes of supplies in his four massively muscular arms. His face twisted with a fierce snarl. He placed them with a loud grunt near the volunteer station.

“Oh! You scared me.” A woman held her chest as she looked up at the terrifyingly muscular superhero teacher.

Thrasher cleared his throat and tried to relax his face. “Sorry. A bad habit I developed. I always look angry.”

“Why?” she asked while tearing into one box to get out the food supplies.

He said, “When you work with kids who just gained superpowers, you have to deal with bloated egos. A little fear helps keep them in line.”

She said, “Humility is a bitter lesson to us all. Now, why don’t you grab some lunch and join the others? This is time to rest.”

Coach Thrasher spent a moment considering his response, but then grabbed a lunch box with one of his four hands. “True. Who knew just a few weeks of everyone being in that virtual world would leave the real world in such a mess?”

She checked off a list of supplies as she counted them out. “I know, and we all thank you for your help. Getting the water and power working right again was a big job.”

“It was nothing.” He said.

She asked, “So... what about that sphere?”

He gave the sphere a long look. It hovered over the park at a good distance in the air, yet no one was under it. Everyone gave it a wide berth. “BADGE is still working on that. They seem dormant for now.”

“Is it true?” She whispered.

“Is what true?”

“Someone is inside that thing?”

Thrasher nodded. “That is entirely possible. But I don’t know. We only.... wait... what is it doing?”

She looked up as people screamed and scurried away from their lunches. The sphere moved toward the ground as a split appeared across the middle. In the gap of the newly formed divide, a bright light shone that made a high-pitched whistling sound.

Thrasher swore under his breath and then yelled, “MOVE, MOVE, GET OUT OF THE WAY!” He waved his arms around. The people needed little encouragement as they fled the sphere’s proximity. Thrasher ran toward it as he slapped his comm unit on his second left wrist. “BADGE, the sphere in St. Louis park is opening. Get me help! Tell Nova! I will engage whatever comes out of that thing!” He turned off the comm.

Skidding to a stop in front of the sphere, Coach Thrasher readied his four arms for combat. He trained heroes for years in both athletics and how to kick butt. It was going to be a pleasure to fight.

The sphere flashed a brilliant light as the two halves opened. A strange fleshy creature fell out and hit the ground. It was muscular, had purplish-dark skin, and what appeared to be tentacles on its back. This thing held the ground and breathed deeply as if it hadn’t breathed in months.

For a moment, Coach Thrasher allowed hope and common sense to fill his raging mind. Perhaps a mutated person escaped. It could need help, not combat.

“Hey! Are you okay?” Thrasher didn’t move toward it yet.

It remained still, breathing and adjusting. Its tentacles shuddered and slowly moved more.

Thrasher took a step closer. “Hey! Look, I’m with BADGE. We can help. If you surrender to me, I can...”

It suddenly turned and looked at him with a demonic, fang-filled face and screeched. If there had been a human in this, it was hardly visible now. It launched itself from the ground right at Thrasher.

***

“Oh, my God.” Chase watched the monitor in Nova’s room. Thrasher and this strange creature were battling hard.

Nova called into his comm unit, “Where are the other heroes in the area?”

Gar answered, “They are on their way. We are spread thin.”

“You don’t have to tell me that.” Nova barked and then softly said, “Sorry, didn’t mean to get angry.”

“Understood.” Gar replied, though his tone sounded like a kid unfairly scolded by his parent.

Chase said, “Look at him go. Thrasher has slammed that creature into the ground five times. He is really holding his own against it.”

“It won’t last long. Those things are Legion-born.” Nova said, “They are fierce warriors.”

Santa frowned. “Something is... off. Thrasher shouldn’t be fighting it so easily.”

At that moment, the creature grabbed Thrasher by one of his arms and spun him around, throwing him across the park toward the Mississippi River. Thrasher’s enormous body left a sizable gash across the park’s greenery.

“Good, he didn’t hit the arch.” Santa whispered.

Chase said, “This is hardly the time to worry about public art.”

Santa said, “I know it sounds uncaring, but it isn’t. I want that creature defeated, and I want the people safe. That is the priority. But the collateral damage from combat can leave scars in culture that never heal. If that arch is destroyed by some villain in a conflict, every time anyone looks at a photo of it in the past, or the remains of where it had been, the pain of memory will haunt them.”

Nova nodded, “Santa is correct.”

They all cringed when they saw Thrasher slammed repeatedly against the pavement.

“Gar! What is the ETA of hero support in St. Louis?” Nova yelled into his comm.

“Zeta Squad is almost there.”

“Tell them to move it. I don’t want to have to replace our head coach.”

***

Justin and EB stood on the deck of a boat in the middle of the ocean. Both were looking at a sensor device held between their hands. The boat was a supply ship carrying medical supplies to a BADGE station in Europe. The BADGE people running the boat did not know why Justin or EB were present, other than as observers.

“The signal is changing,” Justin commented.

EB heard a beep and pulled Justin’s arm over to look at the comm. “Aw crud, crud, crud. We’ve got a problem.”

Justin yanked his arm back and looked at his comm. “No, this isn’t good. A sphere opened in St. Louis. They’re calling for hero support.”

“We gotta go. I know how to fight Legion. Did it a lot back on my homeworld.”

Justin said, “No. We have to stay focused.”

“But a Legion monster will rip St. Louis and drown it in the Mississippi. And besides, we are just going in circles out here. I’m getting seasick. And finally, I really, REALLY want to throw some exploding eggs at a Legion jerk. I’d shove one down Drocha’s throat if we could find him. You know, maybe not an exploding one. I should make the hottest possible egg with hatch pepper concentrate, scotch bonnets, oooh, there’s this new pepper...”

“Look!” Justin pointed at the scanner.

EB was still tabulating various hot peppers in his arsenal when Justin grabbed his attention by shoving the scanner in his face. “What are you... hey, looky, the signal’s waaay stronger.”

“Yeah, whatever is happening in St. Louis just pushed the signal to seven times stronger for a moment. It’s leveling off, but we have a trace again.”

“Awesomesauce!” EB hopped around. “Now, I’ll get the chance to shove a hot pepper egg down Drocha’s throat.” He ran to the pilothouse of the boat and yelled, “Mr. Sulu, warp nine!”

Justin approached the BADGE pilot of the boat and said, “We’ll be going. Get these supplies to Amsterdam, meet Dr. Henderson, she knows you’re coming.”

“Understood, sir.”

EB hopped up and looked at the scanner, “So, we need to get to...Canada.... OOOOH CANADA....” As he poorly belted out the national anthem of the Great White North, his magic scooped them up and sent them zipping across the planet toward their next destination.

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 5

 A magical aura surrounded Santa’s sleigh as it broke through the Earth’s atmosphere. Chase sat next tohim, holding tight while they sped into space toward the BADGE space station. A few satellites met them as they zoomed toward the massive orbital station. Near it, resting dormant for the moment, was the League Wars Orbital Arena, ready for the next major event.

“I don’t think we should land normally,” Chase said.

Santa turned the sleigh slightly as they moved toward the station. “I know. I suspect that there are secret processes going on in this operation.”

Chase smiled. “You always seem to be a step ahead.”

“I was the most decorated general of the Vexillians during the Legion War. Also, the only one to survive it. I have to think tactically. Nova must have a secret operation searching for Drocha. He knows, just like me, that Drocha will have eyes and ears everywhere.” They dodged some space debris.

Chase nodded. “Drocha must have tapped into our resources long ago. Also, he got into our minds during the Ren Wear incident. His knowledge of us is scary to think of.”

“But he didn’t get to Nova, and that is what will save us.”

They had to dodge yet another bit of space debris. “Why didn’t we just zap in? You have the magic to do that.”

“I could, but an anti-teleportation field currently protects the station. I can get through it, but it would register my presence. I want to be certain Drocha doesn’t know I’m here. This sleigh is impossible to trace, even with Legion tech. Now...” he pulled the sleigh into a hard curve to avoid an orbiting telecommunication satellite. “Where is Nova?”

“He’s in his special quarters. I don’t know how we’ll get in though.”

Santa smiled with a twinkle in his eye. “The same way I can get into any home I want at Christmas.” He touched the side of his nose and they sped up with a magical blast. The sleigh, reindeer, and occupants all turned into smoke for a moment.

Chase gasped a breath and found herself sitting in the sleigh in the middle of Nova’s quarters. In fact, the sleigh and reindeer were taking up a sizable portion of the quarters.

Nova, holding the baby, frowned at them. “Did you have to bring the whole sleigh?”

Santa jumped down and helped Chase out of the sleigh. “It was the only way.”

Nova, giving a side eye at one of the magical reindeer, said, “Now that you’re here, I will need to brief you on what I have planned.”

Santa said, “I didn’t come here because you summoned me; I came because I have information for you.”

“What is it?” Nova paused immediately concerned. It wasn’t often Santa came to him with vital information.

Santa said, “When it was revealed that Drocha was behind all this, I knew it was time for me to return to the fray. I abandoned my hopes of retirement and simply being Father Christmas. I was about to come and join BADGE in their efforts against him, but something strange happened.”

Chase said, “The Ren Wear incident?”

“No.” Santa pulled out a seat and sat down. “It was before that happened. Drocha is reestablishing Legion. He is using this world to do so. However, on this planet are people who he would certainly need to pay attention to, if only to monitor. EB and I are the only surviving members of the Legion attack on Vexillia, and I was the primary general who fought them. We would have special knowledge of their tech, their tactics, and more. Yet, he paid us no special attention. I used all my magic and resources to prevent any spying at the North Pole. It was utterly clear. Still is. When I returned, I expected something to be there, and yet it remains untouched.”

Nova frowned. “That doesn’t seem logical.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Santa sat back and said, “I wondered about something — a rumor that we heard on Vexillia over seven centuries ago. So, I left Earth and went back to our homeworld system.”

“What did you find?” Nova asked.

“Nothing’s changed. The planet is still destroyed, and a ring of rock and dirt, which are the remains of our once proud world, still orbits our sun. I wasn’t sure what I would find to prove my theory. Then, a few days ago, something odd happened. I picked up a signal from Earth.”

“What sort of signal?” Chase asked.

“It was a weak signal that simply pointed me toward a nearby solar system, one where Legion staged their war on my people. An ancient command ship was hanging in space, still damaged from one of our assaults. Inside was a computer that held information. I could access it, and I found the truth.” He sat forward. “Drocha... is a clone.”

“What?” Nova asked.

Santa said, “We knew Legion had a power struggle before they attacked us. In fact, most spacefaring civilizations were hoping their internal struggle would end them. Unfortunately, their fight ended, and they continued on under Emperor Krul. However, it was their former leader that I didn’t know about until now. Rumor had it that they executed a man in a creative way so Krul could take power.”

Chase asked, “What does this have to do with Drocha being a clone?”

Santa said, “What I found was that before the internal struggle, Drocha was the leader of Legion. He was tired of their simply challenging worlds; he wanted to rule them. He wanted to spread his rule across the galaxy as the supreme leader. He had a plan to create god-like generals under his authority, replacing the warriors of Legion. What that means exactly, I didn’t find. What I learned is that he began a cloning process to create generals who would be powerful and absolutely obedient. They were all clones of him.”

“This is one of them?” Nova asked.

“Yes, but it is more complicated than that. You see, Legion opposed his idea of supplanting the Legion Generals with clones of him. Thus, they rebelled before the cloning process concluded. They overthrew him, and one of their most powerful generals used a time power to send Drocha into a time vortex. He was thrown outside of time, most likely reentering time far in the distant future.”

Nova said, “Sadly, we’ve already met that Drocha when he tried to compress time in the World Corps incident.”

Santa said, “Legion destroyed all the cloning chambers, save one. Drocha had one last clone, the original clone he was experimenting on to perfect the process. It was inside a cloning chamber that was shut down. But Legion Tech is powerful, and he survived all these centuries. Either on purpose, or purely by accident, when the Drocha from the future arrived and caused the World Corps incident, he activated the Legion Tech. The clone finished and exited. Why he focused on Earth, I don’t know. What I know is that he would have no knowledge of the Vexillian war, and thus not know about myself or EB, or the others that survived.”

“Which is why he completely ignored you.” Nova said.

“Precisely.” Santa nodded. “This Clone has used the knowledge of cloning and mutation that his creator programmed into him. He has an insatiable desire for power, a strange hatred of Earth, and the technical brilliance of Legion tech, which he is using to mutate specimens into his new Legion.”

“Then we must stop him before he finishes,” Nova said. “We must find him.”

“There is one more thing.” Santa pulled out an odd-looking computer device with Vexillian text blinking on it. “The Legion ship I was on wasn’t his birthplace. It was just a wreck from the war. Drocha has a command cruiser, where this clone came from. It is powerful, massive, and on autopilot. The ship is heading toward Earth right now.”

“We will blow it out of the system the moment it arrives.” Chase said.

Santa shook his head. “Legion’s most powerful forces fought against him in that ship, and the ship survived. The ship was designed to respond only to one person, Drocha. They didn’t destroy it because they couldn’t; they simply left it adrift... until recently, when it heard its master’s call.”

“I still don’t understand why he hasn’t unleashed his power here.” Nova said, rocking the baby in his arms. “Why call on a command ship? The Renn Tech incident severely hurt Earth. His new mutated forces would be far too strong for us to handle as it is right now.”

“I don’t know,” Santa said. “Drocha was a master tactician, but his clone is something entirely different. This could be a plan, or this could be a miscalculation. Right now, we have a lot to deal with.”

“Right now, I...”

Chase’s comm unit beeped at her. “Chase here?”

Gar’s voice came through. “Tell Nova we have a problem. One of the spheres just opened.”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 4

 

Five BADGE shuttles slowed down over the middle of Chad, Africa. These shuttles were painted bright blue with a yellow strip around them. The logo, ATLAS, was emblazoned on them. These weren’t military shuttles, but relief and emergency efforts. This fleet was exclusive to Arx’s command and the ATLAS group.

“Coming in on Faya-Largeau, Chad.” The pilot announced.

Arx moved through the group of his ATLAS best and looked out the window at the small settlement in the middle of Chad. Renn spheres hovered over the grasslands, though much sparser than in other parts of the world. “The landing zone is outside the city.”

A gray-haired man in the copilot’s seat looked at the monitor. “We have a signal. They are ready for our arrival.”

“Good.” Arx turned around and spoke to his people, who were the leaders among the ATLAS teams. “The mission is to use this place as a distribution center for relief supplies. Each team will assess the supplies and parcel them out to the movers, who will get them to the other cities. Team Gamma, your specific target will be hospitals and medical clinics. Your people will receive all medical supplies, and everyone else will move the remaining supplies as they see fit.”

The shuttle landed, and the door opened. They exited quickly, all experienced in how this worked.

Arx was the last to step out of the shuttle. He watched his people with a sense of pride in them as they worked efficiently. Stacks of boxes were neatly set on dozens of pallets.

“Where are these coming from?” Disco Tim, a hero with a brightly glowing Afro hairdo and ATLAS uniform, asked.

Arx looked at the boxes, all perfectly balanced with food and essentials. “I think Nova has someone making them for us. I haven’t got word were they are coming in from, but I’m glad we have them.”

Disco Tim strutted away to help his team.

Arx’s eyes lingered on the boxes for a moment before he looked up at the nearest sphere. A deep feeling sank in his chest. One of these spheres contains the woman he fell in love with. It was impossible to know which now, but he ached knowing that one held her captive. What was it doing to her? Was she still alive? The feeling of her holding him when they courted on the station remained a precious memory. She suffered so much pain with her brother’s death, and then Drocha took her. She deserved so much better.

“Hey, Arx!” EB zipped up in front of him.

Justin walked over to him as well. “I told you, no running around like that. I can hardly keep up.”

“I wasn’t running. If I were really running, you’d never keep up. Hey, looky, Arx and his people are here.”

Justin caught his breath as he said, “I know.”

Arx frowned. “What are you doing here? Did Nova send you to check up on our progress?”

EB said, “Nope. We are on a... oh, right...” He leaned in and held a paw up to his face to deflect anyone seeing him whisper, “It’s a secret.”

“Not helping.” Justin muttered and then said, “Let’s just say we have our own orders. We are following some traces that led us here. I thought maybe your ATLAS systems on these shuttles picked up something.”

Arx leaned back in the shuttle and asked the pilot, “Are sensors picking up anything unusual?”

The man checked over his readings and then said, “Nothing out of the ordinary. Do I need to scan for something?”

Arx looked back at Justin. “What are you looking for?”

“Don’t worry. We know there is a signal, just hoped you might have a more exact location. I can’t actually tell you what it is, and I have to leave it at that.”

Arx asked, “Tell me you know something more about these spheres? Has BADGE made any progress in saving the people inside?”

Justin seemed to catch the desperation in Arx’s voice as he gained a more sympathetic tone. “Sorry. No. They haven’t given up looking, but as far as I know, we haven’t found that answer.”

Arx gulped back the heart in his throat as he put on a professional face. “I hope they find something.”

EB looked around and saw the sphere. “Oh... right, that girl. Uh... I mean... you know... HEY, you guys look half dead. Here,” He zipped around and everyone got a large chocolate egg. “Eat them up, morphon infused with magic. Will give you a real pep. And they’re the most awesome chocolate you’ll have ever tried. Trust me.” He then looked at one of the boxes. “Wow, these are from Santa’s workshop. I knew he was having these made. They are the best. You've got a lot.”

“EB... EB!” Justin got the attention of his companion. “We have to be going. We have work to do.”

“Right, right. Hey, Arx, chin up. BADGE is smart and can figure things out. Trust me. They have the smartest people. You’ll get.... uh....”

“Come on.” Justin took a bite of the chocolate egg he had already been eating on.

EB zipped away and Justin sped away as well, moving at speeds he naturally couldn’t move. Doubtless, there was a benefit from the magic egg he had eaten.

Arx watched them leave and then looked at the sphere again. “What are they looking for?” He climbed back into the shuttle and excused the man at the copilot’s station so he could sit there.

“Sir, can I help?” The pilot asked.

“Just prepare to take off and deliver supplies when Team Alpha finishes sorting them.” Arx accessed the sensor system and targeted the spheres.

“Sir, you know our sensors can’t...”

Arx angrily stated, “I know. But there might be something. We can help... I have to help... I have to hope she can be saved.” A tear was rolling down his cheek; the pain in his heart was overpowering him. He almost didn’t come on this mission just because of facing the reality of what happened to Adrianne.

***

Drocha smiled at the screen on a smaller monitor near him. He watched Arx from inside the shuttle, a perfect view through a hijacked camera near the pilot. He paused the screen with a casual flick of his finger and zoomed in on the tear creeping down Arx’s face.

“How sweet, he still loves her though she is utterly gone.”

Reversing the feed for a moment, he listened to Arx pour out his heart in a single, languishing moment. The words, “I hope she can be saved,” repeated a few times.

“Romance, one of the greatest weaknesses of the human condition. For all their powers and victories, such pointless weaknesses still hold them back. How shall I use this to my advantage?”

He pondered this for a moment and then said, “I will choose the right moment, my dear friend, to use this against you. For now, I’m curious about what these two are up to.” He changed to another camera within the shuttle that looked out the door.

EB and Justin were speaking with Arx near the supplies. They were far enough away that the mic of the camera couldn’t pick up what they were saying. Drocha lost his smug sneer as he glared at EB, watching the bunny’s mouth moving.

“Damnit, I can read Agent Justin’s lips like a book. But, that thing talks too fast, and its mouth is so odd. What is he saying?” He paused the video and reversed it, replaying the encounter a few times. When Arx leaned into the shuttle to ask about the sensors, he could hear that part of the conversation.

“So, they are following a signal... which is utterly impossible. Perhaps they are simply following false leads.” He sat back and poured thoughts into this, his eyes glued on the screen. “What are they seeing? What could they possibly think they’ve found?”

He checked his own sensors for a moment. “My network is secure; they can’t hope to see it. However...” he cocked his head as he watched the monitor. “Perhaps it is time to unleash a little of my power, give them something to distract them until it is too late. This should flush out Nova as well, get his attention and draw him into the open.”

Working the controls, he focused on a sphere far distant from Arx’s location. Putting in a command, the sphere on the monitor began to blink and show a short countdown. “This will be most entertaining.”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 3

 A BADGE shuttle descended through clouds and spheres toward a landing zone near Reykjavik, Iceland. Chase, in the copilot’s seat, watched the skies with horror and awe. Hundreds of silver spheres hovered as if suspended in a thick liquid.

“This is a surreal sight,” Chase whispered while leaning to see the ocean of orbs surrounding them.

The pilot, a retired military navigator, said, “I’ve flown missions in fifteen conflicts and then

commercial piloting for ten years before retirement, and I've never seen anything like this before. They don’t show up on any radar or scanner, so I gotta use my eyes to make sure we don’t bump into one.”

She put on a warm smile. “Thank you for your service.”

“It was nothing. When BADGE called for help from retired pilots for their non-combat missions, I was more than ready to get off my butt and do something productive again.”

“When the BADGE agents and robots can return to normal service, you will get to relax again.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. This is a thrill. These shuttles are amazing to pilot.” A beeping signal caught his attention, and he flipped a switch. “BADGE shuttle seven here.”

“Landing platform one is clear.”

“Taking her down.” He activated the autopilot, and the shuttle met the ground.

Chase bid him farewell and left the shuttle to meet with the others. EB, Justin, and several officials from the United Nations met them.

A bold-looking woman with a thick German accent stuck out her hand. “Good to see you. I’m Gretchen Geist. Glad to meet you, Agent Chase. Are you the official BADGE negotiator?”

Chase said, “No, I have other duties to fulfill. The official negotiator will arrive in a few minutes.”

The American representative said, “I hope we can figure this out soon. Everyone is on edge.”

Gretchen Geist said, “We have little time. Everyone is scared, and they are ready to launch.”

EB pipped in, “That’s nuts. I mean, nuclear bombs can’t blow those spheres up. Legion tech is like totally solid. It took us years to crack their defenses back on Vexillia, and that was with some serious magic and power you guys aint got in those warheads. This one time...” He cleared his throat as Justin gave him a well-practiced withering glare. “Anyway, I’ll let you guys talk it out. Just take my word for it, if anyone starts shooting nuclear warheads at those things, it won’t end well for you. Be smart.”

Justin said, “Excuse us, Ambassadors, we have work to attend to.”

“Yes, good luck,” Gretchen said.

Justin led EB and Chase away from the group of Ambassadors waiting for the official BADGE negotiator to arrive.

Chase asked, “Do you think they’ll actually do it? Try to blow up the spheres with nuclear bombs.”

Justin said, “People are scared. The whole planet was nearly destroyed by Ren Tech. Those spheres represent the villain that brought us to the brink. Millions of voices are screaming for the military to get involved somehow.”

“Won’t work.” EB snorted. “That crap is impervious to anything in the common human military.”

Chase said, “Our negotiator will make that clear. Right now, I need to get to my father.”

EB asked, “Why are we here again? I mean, we’ve already checked Iceland twice for signs of Drocha.”

Justin said, “This is a cover story. You are going to zap Chase to Santa’s place in the north.”

“Why not just ask me to zap you from the station? Why bring her down here? I mean, I love seeing you, and we certainly could spend more time together. Hey, why not find a hot spring to visit? Oh, there is this amazing place up near....”

Chase said, “No one, even on the station, can know what Nova is actually doing. We are part of that scheme. So, we meet here so you can send me the rest of the way. No hot springs, and no side trips. Now, get to it.”

“Fine,” EB muttered and then created a glowing blue egg. “Toss this at a wall or rock or something solid, and a portal to Santa’s place will open.”

“Thanks.” She took the egg.

“Good luck finding Santa. We haven’t had contact with him since before the Ren Wear incident.” Justin said.

Chase said, “I can always find my father. You just find Drocha before these idiots irradiate themselves out of fear.” She threw the egg at the ground, which created a small blue doorway in the surface. She jumped up and slid through, the portal closing the moment she was gone.

***

The face of a reporter appeared on a cracked monitor in a dark room. Around the monitor was a vast network of cables and tech. The woman stood outside the United Nations building in New York as she reported.

“Two nations with nuclear arsenals have declared that they are ready to launch. Ten other nations have activated all their weapon systems in an effort to satiate the concerns of their populations about the spheres. Negotiations have begun in a secure location to move forward with a clearer joint mission. While the United Nations has clarified that they will support any efforts to destroy these spheres, BADGE maintains that such retaliations against the spheres will likely prove useless and could further put the world in danger at a precarious time.”

A deep laugh chortled out of Drocha as he watched this broadcast. “They defeated my plan, but they are still just vermin infesting this world. Foolish, scared little mice running around under my feet. Soon, I will have everything I need to finish this damned world and achieve my purpose.”

Turning in his chair to another computer screen, he analyzed the readings with an increasingly furious sneer. “Why can’t I see you?” He growled. “Damnit, how can Nova hide from me so well? Perhaps I need to flush him out.” He looked at another monitor. “Their power isn’t ready... some, though, are near enough to pose a problem. This should get that crotchety Nova’s attention. Soon.” His eyes flickered with the blinking dots on a map of the world, dots representing every sphere he has.

***

Chase approached the beautiful workshop in the icy north. Though invisible to most who approached it, she could always see this place; it was home to her. Even now, with the world aware of who and what Santa is, his workshop remains hidden.

Pressing her hand against the ornate door, it knew her and let her in. With her memory restored, she found the aromas, the sights, and the sounds of this place like a warm blanket.

“Father!” she called out down the long hallway that led to the actual workshop. His magical ear would hear her from anywhere in this place.

Yet, he did not respond.

Chase walked further in, passing the wood cared walls covered in elegant artwork of Christmas and winter. Once she entered the actual workshop, the small elves scurried about working at their machines.

Santa did not manufacture billions of toys each year for children, not anymore. His mission each season remains the same as it has been since he began. He uses his magic to spread family love, generosity, and community around the world. His gift to the world each season is the feeling of Christmas. Even Chase found that corny, but it was often very much needed during the harder winter months, especially in these difficult times that have come over the past few years.

Chase saw the elves working on special boxes, each filled with first aid kits, canned food, and other necessary items for emergency needs.

“Dad’s at it again. Bet he’s out delivering these to relief centers.” She approached one of the elves, which were just magically created beings to operate this place. They were hardly more than the robots BADGE used, just made of magic and not technology. However, they could answer simple questions.

She tapped one on the shoulder. “Where is Santa?”

The elf gave her a funny look. “Santa is away.” And then walked on.

“Ah, straight to the point.” She rolled her eyes.

At that moment, the domed ceiling of this place split and opened, revealing the crisp, bright blue Arctic sky. Santa’s sleigh and reindeer lowered slowly through the opening. Once he had landed in the middle of the factory floor, he waved his daughter over with that glorious smile of his on his chubby face.

“Chase! I thought I heard you calling me.”

She rushed over and jumped up into the sleigh to give him a big hug. “Where have you been?”

He said, “Further than I have gone in seven centuries.”

“What?”

Santa said, “I visited Vexillian space again.”

“But, Vexillia is gone. The planet was destroyed... or so you told me.”

“I told no lies. The planet and all the surrounding moons were destroyed, and they remain that way. But I found out more about what Drocha has been up to... what he has done.”

“What?”

Santa snapped the reins again, and the sleigh lifted. “I was on my way to BADGE when I heard you call to me. I have to see Nova now.”

“What’s wrong?” Chase strapped herself into the sleigh.

“Drocha... I know who he is. Or, to put it more clearly, I know what he is.” With that, they sped away.

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 2

 

Arx led a small team of ATLAS members out into the tomato fields in Grainger County, Tennessee.

“Okay, I want these fields picked as fast as possible. You were briefed on what a ripe tomato looks like; pick them and leave the green ones for later. Go!” Arx gestured toward the field.

This was the speed team, all fast morphonic people. They zoomed in a great blur as they quickly plucked the ripe berries from the manicured vines.

His wrist comm beeped, and he spoke into it, “What is it?”

A man’s voice said, “Sir, we’ve cleared all the peaches from the trees in Georgia, boxed and ready to move them to the food lines.”

“Good. Take your team to the HQ in Atlanta and find out where you can help harvest next. We need food on the tables.”

“At once, Agent Rodin out.” The comm beeped off.

A BADGE student assigned to Arx for this mission ran up to him. “Mr. Arx! They found us!”

Arx looked back and groaned. “Crap. I don’t need this.” He clicked an emergency signal on his comm.

“Why are you trying to run from them?” The girl asked.

Arx said, “I have an unpleasant history, one that might make people uncomfortable. I’m working in the relief efforts in the field for a reason. I don’t want to be on the news.” Two WVLT news vans stopped near them.

The student said, “People remember who you were, the famous and beloved movie star. You were the biggest star in the virtual world. I went to all your movies.”

“That wasn’t real. It was fake. Happy hormones hyped people up, so Drocha’s system could then abuse them. Now, unfortunately, they know my face.” He watched the Knoxville news team exiting a van on the distant dirt road that ran along the side of the fields. “When I lost my silver skin and most of my memory, I thought the world would forget me, or bury the evil villain Arx I had become. The new Arx, head of ATLAS, was unknown. But, that damn virtual world turned me back into a celebrity, and now the world knows me again. Only the reality of my past is also here, and I don’t want our work to be ruined by that. So, I don’t want to deal with the media.”

A purple flash of light became Strange Quark, who was drinking a wild-colored mixed drink. “You rang?” He stated with a comical hint in his voice.

Arx said, “Media blitz.” He pointed to the approaching news team.

“Gotcha.”

“Wait,” Arx held up his hand. “You,” he pointed to the student. “Tell the news nothing about me, or anything about BADGE’s work with the spheres. You know nothing. If they ask about ATLAS stuff, tell them we are hard at work with relief. That is it. Good luck.”

“Wait, you want me to talk to the media? I’m a student.”

“Consider it training.” Quark said and snapped his fingers. He and Arx vanished in a flash of light.

***

Nova waited while Justin spoke to Chase and Gar about what they were doing. Justin, speaking through the monitor in Nova’s private room, said.

“We’ve searched seven Renn Tech facility locations, including a factory that manufactured the Renn

Wear. We haven’t found the source of the signal. EB has been jumping around, helping Arx and the relief teams. However, he has also been getting me past some blockades around the Renn Tech facilities so we don’t raise any alarms. Right now, he is.... I don’t know. But he’ll be...”

EB zipped up to the side of Justin and jumped up and down so he would appear every other second in the wrist comm. “Hi..Buddy...just...looking...around...for...security...cameras.”

Chase said, “What’s going on? What signal? We have every BADGE person available scanning for any evidence of Drocha.”

Nova said, “I know, and I hope we turn up some help there. But I also know my enemy. Drocha is not someone to be underestimated. He is Moriarty, a master tactician and schemer. His Renn Wear plan confounded us until he put it into motion. He blatantly set his spheres right in front of us, knowing we could never crack them until it was too late, which was correct. His Renn Wear was insidious. We only figured out they were dangerous moments before they nearly destroyed the world. Eight billion people are recovering from what could have been a mass extinction event, and we only skimmed success out of this because of a computer anomaly caused by Alex and Krystal, and we lost them in the process of saving this world.”

“What are you saying?” Gar asked.

Nova said, “I need BADGE working like it would in any emergency case. I need you, the robots, every hero, every student, every agent all working to find Drocha, solve the spheres, and help the suffering people. I want you looking for answers with your last breath. At the same time, I’ll be here, looking into a clue that might lead us to the right answer.”

Chase said, “You want us wasting our time?”

“No. Your work will produce results. Helping people is necessary, and searching for answers might provide aid in my job. But I know Drocha has eyes and ears in our operation. Not in infiltration... at least I hope every member of this team is trustworthy. But he could hack into our system and learn a terrifying amount about us to recreate it. From that simulation, he garnered more information. You unwittingly let him in on how we operate, what we use, and our methods. There isn’t an inch of BADGE he didn’t see firsthand... except this room.” Nova held out his arms.

Chase said, “I’ve never been here before.”

“I have,” Gar said.

Nova nodded. “Of the people in my life, only Gar, EB, Santa, and Strange Quark have ever been in here. And Quark got in without my approval. That means the simulation that harvested your thoughts had nothing to work with. This room was a void in his world. It simply didn’t exist. As far as Drocha is concerned, I have walked outside of reality.”

Gar asked, “What is the purpose of this?”

“This room is my private place to rest and remember the long life I have lived. It is my most private home. These items have traveled with me for centuries, reminding me that what I have done has meant something to this world. And, this room also contains the most sophisticated, secure communication system known to exist, thanks to EB and Santa’s help.”

EB grabbed Justin’s wrist and yanked it down so he could talk without jumping. “Yeah, the Oracle of Tech helped create this and the scanner we’re using. It’s so cool, the Oracle even used some Vexillian tech with my help. He said I was smart for a bunny.... which might have been an insult, now that I think about it. Whatever. The computer is so complicated and different that a human computer system could never hack it, and Legion NEEEEEEVER got through our codes. So, nasty old Drocha won’t even know what he’s missing.”

Nova said, “From here, I’m leading a search.”

Gar asked, “For what?”

Nova touched the screen, and strange symbols appeared that he seemed to be typing into. After a moment, a little window opened, with a buzzing sound coming out. “This is a distress signal from ancient legion tech. Someone is using Legion tech to call for help, and they are doing it from Earth.”

“Drocha?” Chase asked.

Nova nodded. “I don’t know what he has planned. But, he is using an old Legion signal to call for aid in it. We have to find him and shut that signal off, ending his threat before he makes his next move.”

Chase said, “So, what do you need us to do? I can help look for the signal. More people out there...”

“Will alert Drocha to our secret plan.” Nova said, “No, Gar will take charge and lead the relief efforts and the official BADGE search for Drocha and answers about the Spheres. Outside of this room, you have never heard of this signal or that Justin and EB are working directly for me.”

“I’m in charge?” Gar pointed at himself.

“Yes, you.”

“What about me?” Chase asked.

Nova slowly picked up an antique jingle bell. “There is only one other general on this world who has led armies in combat against Legion. We must prepare for the possible invasion of a new Legion, if that is what Drocha has planned. I need you to go to your father, Santa Claus. We need his help.”

Continue the Story

Heroes Rising Fiction: Dea Ex Machina Part 1

 

Torrik held a hand out, casting a spell that encapsulated himself with a special barrier. The bitter winds of this land cut around him; inside the sphere, he was warm. In every direction he looked, there was ice and dark skies. Antarctica had healed quickly after the battle with Lady Echidna, though it was merely layers of snow and ice that covered the scars the conflict had left.

In the distance was a glowing portal with strange vines blocking it. This was the fissure between their worlds. The only known doorway that breached this world with the magical world. The creatures within the portal, nearest it, were dangerous. Even worse, those on this side might gain access to powers not allowed in the human world for thousands of years. Torrik had cast a special spell creating these vines to block access. Very few could hope to get through them, and even if they survived the dangerous vines, the creatures on the other side would attack.

“I am ready.” Torrik whispered these words, a hint of sorrow in his voice. He touched the vines, and they slowly slithered away, revealing a clear path home.

Turning once back, looking where he had come, he could see the world long thought lost to his kind. In the skies, as tiny dots at this distance, were the Ren Spheres. The world trembled in their presence still, unable to understand where to go next.

“I wish I could have done more to protect you. But this problem is bigger than one Satyr.” Torrik stepped through the portal, the vines returning to block it the instant his second hoof passed by.

***

A young agent of BADGE walked down to the main floor of operations and handed a computer tablet to Gar. “Sir, the hourly report on the spheres. No change.”

“Thanks.” Gar said, “Take command. I will bring this to Director Nova.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gar left the operations center and sped down the lift to the main floor. In the mess hall, there were students sitting and chatting as they ate their lunches. Exhaustion was evident on their faces. No one has fully recovered from the experience in the virtual world; they haven’t had the time.

Walking through the station, Gar entered another lift and journeyed up to the training level. Various training rooms and theaters filled this corridor. Here, students and heroes could put their skills to the strictest tests; they could also examine tactics and previous performances on the movie theater screens. Right now, all the training robots were gone, sent down to join the others in the relief efforts across the planet.

Gar stopped at a door and pressed a button. It opened to reveal the inside of the largest movie theater on the station. A theater that could seat up to four hundred had only one occupant.

Gar walked in and sat down next to Chase, his eyes on the screen. International News Network, or INN, was relaying the news of the day.

The news anchor spoke as visuals appeared to punctuate the stories.

“Relief efforts continue across the planet. At this time, the death toll from the Renn Wear incident has increased to fourteen hundred. Among them are heart attacks, nutritional issues, and other health conditions not addressed while inside the virtual world. Thanks to massive efforts from BADGE, twenty thousand medical robots have been quickly assembled in the fifteen robotic plants and sent out to tend to the population. Even after a month of recovery, the World Health Organization still designates the entire planet a health crisis. -

“Pockets of unaffected people have been found across the planet. Most are in secluded locations. However, some superheroes could protect tiny portions of the population during the Renn Wear incident. Those people have stepped out to help and provide aid in our time of need.-

“The World Health Organization still advises people to be cautious of consuming any food that was left out during the incident. Canned, jarred, and frozen foods are preferred. All grocery stores have cleared produce and outdated food from shelves. Restocking is taking time, which is creating a food crisis planetwide. Rationing will go into effect in many highly populated areas until the food situation levels off.-

“Finally, the United Nations has issued a warning to all nations to be careful. Paranoia is high at this time with the Renn Sphere’s still in the skies and no sign of an answer to removing them. Nations across the world have armed their defenses and issued over ten thousand threats against Renn Tech and Drocha, warning that they will defend this planet. BADGE has not commented on this rise in defenses at this time, but they too have massed defenses in case of further incident.”

Chase turned the sound off while the news went to the weather.

“You have the hourly report?” Chase asked with weary in her voice.

Gar nodded and handed the computer tablet to her. “Nothing’s changed.”

“Good... well, not good. I want this to end. It’s like Drocha is purposefully driving us crazy by doing nothing. Those damn spheres hover over this planet like bombs waiting to destroy us. Drocha has vanished, and Renn Technology is utterly dead. It feels like we won, but yet our enemy is just waiting to pounce.” She was venting, and it wasn’t just because of the lack of information about Drocha or the spheres.

Gar quietly asked, “Where is he?”

Chase let out an irritated sigh. “In his quarters, with the baby.”

“We should go see him,” Gar said.

“I agree. He’s taking this harder than I expected. We need him active, not babysitting.” She got up, pressed a control button on her chair that turned off the screen, and marched right past Gar toward the exit.

Gar followed her.

Stepping into another elevator, Chase pressed her comm unit against the control panel and said, “Authorization, Chase, Beta Pi Alpha.”

BEEP! The computer needed Gar to speak.

“Oh, right. Authorization, Gargoyle, Seven Delta Pi.”

The lift zoomed away toward a top-secret, highly secure location. Very few people on this station even knew this existed. Those that did could show no one else without Nova’s personal permission.

When the lift stopped, the doors split open right into one person’s private quarters. Loud music met them at the door. A massive chorus of voices accompanied symphonic sounds.

Chase walked into the room with Gar. The room was the largest quarters on the station. Artifacts littered the walls and shelves, many of which would give archaeologists euphoric delight just to be near. Weapons and stone tablets, sculptures and tapestries. Each one depicted an ancient warrior who had lived through them all. This was the life and times of the greatest hero Earth has ever had.

That hero walked around the room, rocking softly to the music as a baby slept in his arms.

“Director?” Chase announced as loud as she could over the music.

Nova looked up and then said, “Computer, pause playback.”

The symphony stopped abruptly. Chase asked, “Was that the Carmina Burana?”

Nova smiled at the sleeping baby. “Krystal loved that piece of music. The first time she and I did anything together outside of work was to go to a performance of this in London. She played it often while pregnant, and it seems to calm the baby down.”

Chase snorted out a chuckle. “Unusual bit of music to lull a baby to sleep.”

“Whatever works. I’ll do anything to remind this baby of her parents.” Nova walked over to a crib in the corner and slowly lowered the sleeping child down onto what looked like pelts. Nova mused, “Lief Erikson’s crib, a gift from his mother after I taught him to swim as a little boy.”

Chase said, “Sir, I know you’re taking the loss of Alex and Krystal hard, but we need you. The spheres are still out there and...”

“I’m not standing around doing nothing.” Nova calmly interrupted her.

“All you do is pay attention to that baby. You haven’t even been to a single briefing. EB and Justin are planet-side helping with relief efforts; Arx, Gar, Quark, and I are doing our best to keep things moving. You don’t know what is happening.” Chase held back the anger in her response out of respect.

Nova smiled at her as he walked across the room. “I know. The spheres are still out there, unchanged. The world is arming itself in case Drocha shows up. Drocha is oddly absent. And the recovery efforts are moving forward. And we still don’t know what Drocha needed in making that AI algorithm with human minds. Did I miss anything?”

Chase said, “That’s about it. But... how?”

Nova moved aside an ancient Sumerian shield, revealing a high-definition display. He put in a code, and a complicated encoded signal unscrambled itself. Finally, Justin’s face came through clearly. “Time for another update?” Justin asked.

Nova said, “A brief repeat of our early meeting from this morning. I think it’s about time we bring Chase and Gar in on what we’ve been up to.”

Continue the Story

CALL FOR AVATAR IDEAS (& Sentinel bonus rewards)

 

Now that we have established Heroes, Villains and Renegades as our new name, we need to create new avatar items for the "Villains" and "Renegades" factions.

Because it is important to us to involve our community, we want to include our valued players in some of the things like this. We see a lot of art submitted and thought it would be a great idea to throw this out there.

It's not a race or contest, but players that submit useable things will be granted mps for doing so. The first 3 approved submissions will receive 100 mps for each, then an additional 50 for every additional approved submission.

NO PROFANITY, NO ADULT CONTENT! This game has younger players, so please folks, be respectful to that, and your fellow player's children too.

(Weird and funny ideas like Super Ducks and Supervillain Quackheads are most welcome.)

Please use the Sentinel to submit under the "Contests and Entries".



Of course, the usual editorial bonus for reviews, commentaries, game guides, gear talk, fan-fiction, and origin stories still applies.

Post your entries to the Sentinel page as per usual.

REWARDS:

PLATINUM: 7 Strange Fiction cards (only reserved for EXCEPTIONAL submissions)

GOLD: 5 Strange Fiction cards

SILVER: 3 to 4 Strange Fiction cards

BRONZE: 1 to 2 Strange Fiction cards

These rewards go out after the end of each month and are IN ADDITION to the usual Sentinel rewards from Daniel Andrade for published entries.

Here are the categories/prompts:

Category One:
REVIEWS/COMMENTARIES of ad hoc and regular events, including fan-fiction role play, etc.

Category Two:
GAME GUIDES, GEAR TALK, and other editorials about game mechanics.

Category OPEN:
What is your origin story? How did you end up in the Heroes Rising universe?
(And any other Fan-Fiction.)

REMINDER:

Post your submissions to the Sentinel page as usual for Categories One and Two. To enter the OPEN CATEGORY post your entries to the with the following in the title: "AUGUST CONTEST" and the title of your entry. Please also add a link to your entry in the Sentinel page so that we can monitor all entries.

Yours Quackily,
SQ

Continue the Story

Fan-Fiction: Pax Dystopia: An Islanders' View Day 3

Day 3

"Seems like comms are restored," said Agent Tasha.

The group holed up at the airport had managed to scrounge up an above-decent meal to start the morning out, but it didn't take long for tempers to start flaring when the discussion topic became that of the vast number of unconscious people around them and across the island. Half of the contingent had wanted to try to reach their families now that the main threat to their safety appeared neutralized, however there was a vociferous section that preferred to stay isolated until BADGE, the police, the military, whoever, showed up. At one point, several demanded for Tri-blade to come clean on some conspiracy theory involving subjugating the populace for the meta humans to take over the world, but Tri-blade quickly disarmed the thoughts by correctly pointing out that BADGE certainly would have appointed more well-known or at least more notorious heroes in this area. Eventually, they decided to wait a little while longer. The appearance on the TV screens of a live broadcast - from the island of Barbados, not too far away - was a surprise, but met with cheers and joy.

"Maybe whatever Ren Tech had schemed up got overwritten," said Tri-blade, "and hopefully that Chorad fella or whatever his name is, will be getting their just desserts soon."

"Something we haven't thought of," said Agent Tasha with worry in her face, "these people, they're unconscious, but not in suspended animation or anything like that. We have no idea what their vitals are. They're going to need hydration and who knows what else?"

Tri-blade nodded, then called out to everyone, "Any doctors, nurses, anybody with any medical knowledge?" Three people stepped forward, hands raised.

"We're all based at Victoria Hospital nearby," the oldest of the three nurses said, "and you're right on treatment. But we can't go out to every comatose person and give them IVs, feeding tubes and ventilators. It's impractical and close to impossible."

"I have a hunch," said Tri-blade, "that the Ren-tech may be keeping their brain functions active. Remember how they were acting before they shut down. That probably also means they're keeping the breathing and blood circulation going as well."

"That still means they need some kind of feeding tubes, no to mention preventing skin infections. Even if we had a full staff of medical professionals... getting equipment out to everyone? Impossible!"

"Nothing's impossible! After all, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" called a voice. Everybody turned to see a blue-skinned creature wearing a black dress, a 1950's style beehive wig, and holding a novelty cigarette holder to his mouth.

"Nice dress, Audrey?" asked Tri-blade, torn between laughter and confusion.

Strange Quark snapped his fingers and the dress and cig holder disappeared instantly, revealing Quark's regular outfit. The wig, however, remained present.

"Well scored, Tri-blade. Ten points to Gibbendorr!" Quark said as he strutted out to the group.

"Appreciated, Quark." He gestured to the others. "Everybody, Quark. Quark, everybody. Formal introductions on pause, for now..."

Quark nodded sadly, suggesting to Tri-blade that things were truly in a rough patch.

"What can you tell us?"

"Firstly... do not try to remove the RenWear. While it's sort of kept the brain functions active, removing it will sever everything. They'll be lost forever."

"Oh my lord," said Agent Tasha, covering her mouth.

"Secondly, everybody will starve if we don't keep them going. How many people do we estimate are in St. Lucia?" Quark continued.

"Probably in the two hundred thousand range," said Tri-blade. "and that's just one island in this chain. We have no idea how many conscious people are in the other islands..."

"We've yet to have contact with any other agents in the region," Agent Tasha added.

"If we can get as many people together in one area as possible, it'll save us a ton of time," replied Tri-blade. "Quark I already know you're required all over the planet... how much time can you give us to help teleport folks over?"

"Not much, Tri. Torrik's working non-stop state-side, and I'm supposed to be at the India-Pakistan border 985 seconds ago. If I hurry I can get anybody I see in the eastern part of the country -"

"No, go south, please. The Grenadines. Anybody there will be isolated. Get as many as you can to Victoria Hospital. If you happen to land in St. Vincent, please do a check-in and let us know the situation. Everyone here who can drive will try to collect people and bring over here. C.F., Quark."

Quark's eyebrow raised, then he nodded. "Two other things of note, Tri."

"Yes?"

"Thirdly, based on availability, we're going to send at least two BADGE robots to assist. You and Agent Tasha should be able to command them accordingly."

"And lastly,... we've got Nova."

Surprising Tri-blade and Quark alike, a cheer went up from the crowd who had gathered around to listen in on the dialogue.

"It'll take some time for him to get fully up to speed, but with him alive, we know we have a shot at this," Quark smiled as he vanished in a spark of light.

After the group divvied up assignments to head out and gather as many of the unconscious as they could to bring to the area hospitals, Agent Tasha took Tri-blade aside.

"Um, what's C.F.?"

Tri-blade puta a hand on his friend's shoulder as he softly said, "Children first."

[Tri-blade] [ID: 10879]

Continue the Story

Fan-Fiction: Pax Dystopia: An Islanders' View Day 2

Day 2

The journey was deliberately slow. Agent Tasha had been directing the bus driver to take the routes where there were more likely to be masses of people, but after around an hour everybody noticed that the initial din of chaotic behavior had dropped significantly. The vast majority of people that they had come across frantically charged towards the bus, waving Ren Wear glasses in outstretched hands, but there were a few extremely scared locals who had the good fortune to lock themselves in their homes.

While Tri-blade projected an energy shield between the houses and the marauders, Agent Tasha scampered towards the residents and quickly ushered them to the bus. It was no small feat for Tri-blade to retreat to the bus without getting overrun or risking harm to the bus itself.

As they continued their journey, Tri-blade periodically tried to call his allies, his leaguemates, and the other St. Lucia-based heroes. No responses. Could they all have been overrun? Has the BADGE communications network been disabled? He put the negative fears aside as they approached a gas station to refuel.

"They're unconscious," remarked Agent Tasha as she stepped out. Tri-blade cautiously went inside the gas station with her to get the pump activated while the driver grabbed the pump. Three people - each wearing Ren Tech glasses, laid on the floor. The woman behind the counter - an employee, was gripping the glasses tightly, as if resisting them being placed on her until she collapsed.

"What do we do?" asked Agent Tasha.

"I'm not sure," replied Tri-blade. "I'd rather get Director Nova's advice before anything... but one thing's for sure.

He looked at the bus outside. The bus was nearly jam-packed with worried passengers.

"We're going to need another vehicle soon."

-

Their final destination - the capital city of Castries - had both a seaport and airport in close vicinity. Tri-blade, who was now in a separate bus driven by one of the Lucians they rescued, called out to Agent Tasha in the lead vehicle. They had driven throughout the night, and most people were running on pure adrenaline at this point. The sun rose on a quiet landscape, with only the chirping of birds to be heard.

The two buses pulled over next to each other. Passengers slowly exited to stretch their legs and share their stories with each other, while the two drivers, Tri-blade, and Agent Tasha surveyed the scene.

"Nothing's moving at all," remarked the first driver.

Agent Tasha added, "Probably a good thing where the airport's concerned. Glad no planes have been in the air during all this."

"I would ordinarily say we should try to fortify in case we have another surge," said Tri-blade, "on the other hand we have to consider if we're isolated from the world in general." He scratched his chin in frustration.

"Let's go to the airport, but carefully. Our first priority has to be keeping these guys safe. Second priority is reaching BADGE... or anybody. If our comms are out, maybe the computers or radios there will be of help.

"Any objections?"

The others shook their heads, and after a quick conversation with those gathered around the buses, they made their way to the airport, their spirits lightened, and their hope boosted.

Three hours later, and the group was just finalizing their fortification of the airport main hall, when the comms of Agent Tasha buzzed.

"Oh my god, it's BADGE..." she muttered to herself in disbelief. She tried to keep her composure as she answered the call.

"Agent Tasha, St. Lucia, Castries, check."

"Good to hear you," came the calm voice of Gar. The others, on hearing the well-known voice of Gargoyle, started muttering sounds of gratitude. "We haven't been able to reach most of our field agents so far."

"How about the other leagues?" Agent Tasha asked, motioning Tri-blade to approach.

"Even fewer," he said sadly. "Of all hero groups only Ice Ray Academy has evaded the swarm."

"Gar, this is Tri-blade," Tri-blade called out, "What about the senior BADGE officials - Nova, Chase, Justin, EB?"

"Chase has fallen, as has Justin. Nova too, but we haven't located him. EB, he's still with us. Strange Quark and him are teleporting all over the place trying to locate people. Right now, we don't have a full strategy on any of this."

"Stay strong, big fella. Unfortunately, I don't know what to do with the people with the RenWear. Does BADGE have a position?"

"Not yet, Tri-blade. Until we know for sure where Nova is, EB may be the senior person to advise..."

"Oh..." said Tri-blade and Agent Tasha in unison.

"Wish I could advise myself," said Gar sheepishly.

"You're doing great, Gar. We'll wait and analyze on this end. If Quark contacts you, can you ask him to pop over?"

"You got it, Tri," said Gar, his voice slightly more cheerful.

"We're just glad to hear from others. It's been a day," said Tri-blade.

"Ditto!" cried Agent Tasha.

"I have to reach out to the next set of Agents now, so stay safe," said Gar.

They said their good-byes, then Tri-blade pulled Agent Tasha aside.

"We're not alone and that's the best news we've heard so far. Next steps, keep our crew hydrated, find some food and get at least a little bit of rest. We have a lot to plan for if we're going to help everybody else on this island."

Agent Tasha nodded, concealing her worry for the moment.

[Tri-blade] [ID: 10879]

Continue the Story

Sentinel bonus for August and Call for Avatar Submissions

Now that we have established Heroes, Villains and Renegades as our new name, we need to create new avatar items for the "Villains" and "Renegades" factions.

Because it is important to us to involve our community, we want to include our valued players in some of the things like this. We see a lot of art submitted and thought it would be a great idea to throw this out there.

It's not a race or contest, but players that submit useable things will be granted mps for doing so. The first 3 approved submissions will receive 100 mps for each, then an additional 50 for every additional approved submission.

NO PROFANITY, NO ADULT CONTENT! This game has younger players, so please folks, be respectful to that, and your fellow player's children too.

(Weird and funny ideas like Super Ducks and Supervillain Quackheads are most welcome.)

Please use the Sentinel to submit under the "Contests and Entries".



Of course, the usual editorial bonus for reviews, commentaries, game guides, gear talk, fan-fiction, and origin stories still applies.

Post your entries to the Sentinel page as per usual.

REWARDS:

PLATINUM: 7 Strange Fiction cards (only reserved for EXCEPTIONAL submissions)

GOLD: 5 Strange Fiction cards

SILVER: 3 to 4 Strange Fiction cards

BRONZE: 1 to 2 Strange Fiction cards

These rewards go out after the end of each month and are IN ADDITION to the usual Sentinel rewards from Daniel Andrade for published entries.

Here are the categories/prompts:

Category One:
REVIEWS/COMMENTARIES of ad hoc and regular events, including fan-fiction role play, etc.

Category Two:
GAME GUIDES, GEAR TALK, and other editorials about game mechanics.

Category OPEN:
What is your origin story? How did you end up in the Heroes Rising universe?
(And any other Fan-Fiction.)

REMINDER:

Post your submissions to the Sentinel page as usual for Categories One and Two. To enter the OPEN CATEGORY post your entries to the with the following in the title: "AUGUST CONTEST" and the title of your entry. Please also add a link to your entry in the Sentinel page so that we can monitor all entries.

Yours Quackily,
SQ

Continue the Story