Starfall

by David Reiss

  “Mmm!” she affirmed, then silently sent, **He’s sad and he’s lonely and he’s done bad things, but I’ve literally been inside his brain. He can be better, I promise.**

  “All right. It’s your decision,” I sighed, and then turned to face the gathered heroes. “Cuboid is temporarily unable to remotely control a body. He’ll probably be able to build a new, smaller relay within a few hours. You should decide upon your plans for him soon.”

  “We’ll discuss it,” said Cloner. His excess bodies must have wandered off because there was only one of him here now. “Can he hear us?”

  I was about to answer ‘no’, but Whisper spoke first: “Yes. He can respond, too…He’s just moping is all.”

  “I am not,” Cuboid sulked, his voice emitted from a speaker embedded near the awning of a now-seriously-damaged nearby building. “I am merely taking a moment to mourn the inevitable decline of the human race that I have grown to love.”

  “I think we’ll do fine,” Titan interjected dryly. “This little girl doesn’t look like a threat.”

  Whisper simulated a blush and hugged her doll tighter. She’d once recommended replacing Titan’s brain with a baked potato, but I was reasonably certain that she’d only been joking.

  Cuboid replied, “If not her, then the next AI, or the next. You don’t understand the threat. Sooner or later, an artificial sentience will arise that can destroy everything.”

  “A similar argument has been used against metahumans,” Valiant noted, expression grave. “That all people with powers are a threat ’n should be treated as humanity’s enemy.”

  “That is different. There have always been metahumans who’ve stepped forward to defend humanity.” Cuboid said. “There have always been heroes.”

  Cloner smiled wryly. “Yeah, well, we thought that there was an AI who stepped forward to defend humanity too, but you’re fired. Obviously.”

  “Everything I did was to defend humanity!”

  Regrowth shook her head. “The lives we bring into the world are our children. This little girl is humanity’s daughter…we should be protecting her and helping her grow.”

  (**I like her,** Whisper sent to me quietly. **Introduce me later!**)

  “I understand the sentiment, but you don’t understand the danger,” Cuboid stated. “I exist in constant terror of the things I might have done if my creator hadn’t installed sufficient restrictions on my actions.”

  “Everyone with power struggles with the moral consequences of that power being mis-used,” said the Red Ghost. “The only way to move forward is trust and cooperation.”

  And punishing those who misbehave, I didn’t say. That truth was self-evident.

  Cloner spoke up again, sounding tired. “All right, that’s enough discussion. Cuboid, you’ve lost this battle and you’ll have the opportunity to argue your case in a court of law. You’re under arrest. I’m sending a dozen clones to secure your facility while our lawyers work out the details. D’you understand?”

  “I do.”

  “Awright. That’s one girl rescued and one bad guy taken down.”

  “And one more to go, I presume.” I said sadly.

  All eyes turned to me.

  Fighting my way free was anathema; even the thought of initiating violence against men and women who had fought on my sister’s behalf caused my throat to fill with bile.

  “Doc?” Cloner’s crooked smile was playfully irreverent. “We should talk. Wanna join us on our shuttle?”

  I nodded in acceptance and took Whisper’s hand to accompany her as we all departed the battleground.

  Most of the Brooklyn Knights kept their distance, but Shrike drifted closer as we walked.

  “I appreciate your willingness to come here and offer your assistance,” I began awkwardly. “Our last meeting didn’t end particularly well…”

  “Yeah, well, it wasn’t a hard decision. We weren’t here for you,” he said stiffly, then smiled to my little sister. “Hello there, sweetheart. Are you doing okay?”

  “I am.” Whisper smiled prettily, “Thank you!”

  “You’re very welcome. My name’s Shrike.”

  “I know,” she replied, then her voice dropped to an embarrassed whisper, “You’re one of my favorites.”

  Shrike grinned victoriously and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Shrike is one of my favorites now, too.” I said. “All of you are. If ever you need anything, you need only to ask.”

  The hero’s expression grew strained. “If you’d just told us why you wanted the bomb-”

  “You couldn’t have afforded to believe me,” I interrupted gently. “You’d have fought me anyway.”

  He smirked wryly, “You’re probably right.”

  Whisper looked up at me, concerned. “What did you do? I don’t see anything in the newspaper archives.”

  “Check hospital admission records,” I offered sadly.

  The effort took only a moment, then her eyes widened and she swatted at my side.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, not certain whether I was apologizing to Whisper or the hero still walking next to us.

  “I’m not happy about you hurting my friends,” Shrike grimaced. “But I suppose that we both know that you could have done worse. So…whatever. I’m glad you’re not dead.”

  “Thank you.” I paused. “Oh, I almost forgot to mention—I was traveling to alternate universes and ended up in your dimension; while I was there, I destroyed the Legion’s strongholds on your Earth. I’ll be in touch with further details.”

  Shrike stopped walking, wide eyed and jaw hanging open in shock. He was still standing there when Whisper and I arrived at the shuttle.

  “After you,” said Cloner, looking more than a bit amused.

  I nodded and led Whisper inside.

  Somehow, without a single word having been spoken aloud, the majority of the brightly clad heroes knew to stop outside and only Valiant, the Red Ghost and the team leaders—Cloner, Titan, and Psion—joined Whisper and me within the aircraft.

  This was a different model vehicle than the one I’d travelled in with the Paragons on another dimension, but I certainly recognized Professor Paradigm’s hand in the interior design. Everything was elegant and comforting, an effective use of space without becoming starkly utilitarian.

  The first section of the shuttle was all comfortable-looking seats, entertainment systems and equipment storage, but Cloner led us further to a smaller stateroom.

  “Take a seat,” Cloner offered.

  The Mk 40 wasn’t lightweight, but Valiant—seven and a half feet tall, a veritable mountain of superhumanly dense muscle—weighed more, and he was quick to take his place at the table; I settled into a chair and Whisper sat next to me.

  The Red Ghost cleared his throat. “Before we begin discussion, I should explain. Doctor Fid, everyone at this table is aware that I have discovered your secret identity.”

  “And refused to divulge it,” Titan groused.

  “Which isn’t to say that I won’t,” the red-masked hero warned, looking directly into the empty star-field of my helm’s faceplate. “If it becomes necessary, Doctor Fid’s true identity will become quite public.”

  Whisper’s hand clenched around my own, nervously.

  “I am surprised,” I stated simply, mind racing. “May I ask what inspired your choice to maintain this secrecy?”

  “My peers have decided to trust my judgement…that revealing your identity unnecessarily had the potential to cause harm to a great many innocents. We’re hoping to negotiate terms rather than inflicting that pain.”

  I thought of AH Biotech, a growing company staffed by hundreds of idealists using their talents to save the world, of my friend Aaron and his daughter Dinah. Not to mention the very many contacts that Terry Markham had cultivated with politicians and public figures over the years. The number of people who would fall under harsh scrutiny was incalculable.

  There was a selfish aspect, of course; the work that I�
�d done for Crimson Technologies would also become suspect. But that, I was certain, was the least of the Red Ghost’s motivations.

  “It is kind of you to take their well-being into account.” Behind my mask, I frowned. “What, exactly have you told the others?”

  “As mentioned, they are aware that I’ve confirmed your identity. Also, I’ve informed them you consider Doctor Terrance Markham’s ward, Whisper, to be your little sister,” the Red Ghost explained evenly, his steely expression revealing not even a hint of duplicity. “And that I had evidence that your recent excesses, from your final confrontation with Skullface and Dr. Chaise onwards, were all intended to see to your sister’s well-being.”

  “We sympathize,” Valiant said softly. “We do. But that doesn’t mean we can let you go.”

  “I understand,” I sighed, then steeled myself. “So long as Whisper is safe and my people remain unharmed, I am willing to submit to your authority.”

  “Before we get to sentencing,” Cloner quirked an irreverent smile; I couldn’t detect any malice in his voice but he’d surprised me more than a few times, “there’re a few complications to iron out.”

  “For example…Blueshift claims that you’re immortal,” Valiant grimaced, “but Psion has seen you bleed and Titan swears that he watched your body burn. Given that you’re here, alive, and that you’ve claimed an AI as a younger sister…I presume that you’re some sort of artificial being?”

  Technically, my current body had been cloned and heavily modified. “In a manner of speaking.”

  “In order to keep your identity secret, you would need to be incarcerated within a black-site supermax prison.”

  “Such facilities are generally not noted for the humane treatment of their inmates,” I noted, somewhat uneasily. I may have been willing to submit to their authority, but I wasn’t under the illusion that my intention would reign eternal; the idea of a Fid driven mad by physical or mental duress was enough to frighten even me.

  Titan laughed bitterly, “I’m pretty sure everyone here knows that you deserve worse.”

  “Nooo...” Whisper whined.

  “Almost everyone,” I amended, smiling sadly behind my mask. “It’s all right, Whisper. He’s not wrong.”

  “You could be good,” she objected. “You can.”

  “I’m sorry.” My voice grew soft. “I’m guilty, sweetheart. I’ve done terrible things and the stain of that doesn’t go away. The best I’ve ever been able to promise is to be a bad man who does good things.”

  “Is that a promise you’re willing to make?” asked Psion, curiously. “Is that a promise that you believe you can keep?”

  It was the first time that the Korean woman had spoken aloud in my presence since our last meeting. Despite Wildcard’s extraordinary healing abilities, there was a new roughness to her voice and I couldn’t help but remember the grievous damage I’d done to her and her teammates. One of my emerald-hued force-needles must have struck her larynx.

  Setting aside the guilt that gnawed at my conscience, I considered her questions carefully then sat a bit straighter. “For Whisper’s sake…Yes. Yes, I can.”

  “Well then,” Cloner smirked, a hint of smugness creeping into his tone. “Maybe we can come to a different arrangement.”

  “Oh?”

  “Doctor Fid retires,” the Red Ghost stated. “You cease all criminal activity of any kind. That’s non-negotiable.”

  The mission I’d embarked upon so long ago had, at its heart, the goal of punishing heroes who were unworthy. The worst of those had long since retired, and the best of those remaining just proved their willingness to stand against a peer who crossed the line. These were true heroes; the only unworthy creature present was me.

  I gave Whisper’s hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze. “Agreed.”

  “Also, you will work with Professor Paradigm and myself to bring your life-saving technologies to the public.”

  “I do not recommend releasing all of them; some can be easily mis-used. We’ve discussed this.”

  “Then you promise to work in good faith with a committee of my choosing to evaluate the risks.”

  “Again, agreed.”

  Cloner piped up, “The Red Ghost acts as your parole officer. Also non-negotiable.”

  “Done,” I said, although I wasn’t certain how that would work. The details could be arranged later.

  “You let that little girl grow up the way she wants,” Titan interjected. “You don’t pressure her to follow in your footsteps. I don’t want any of my trainees having to fight Fiddette Junior. You let Doctor Markham raise her.”

  “Of course,” I chuckled, my fond smile hidden. “I always thought my sister would make a better heroine, anyway.”

  Psion looked amused. “How d’you think that would have worked? A heroine with a villain for an older brother?”

  “I expected that family gatherings for the holidays might become awkward if we both invited guests,” was my dry reply.

  **You could invite Joan the Glassblower,** Whisper thought mischievously.

  **And you can invite Cherenkov,** I teased in return. **I’ve already thought of four ways I can ‘accidentally’ break his legs that probably won’t violate my parole.**

  She filled my brain with white noise for a moment, then we both giggled silently while the unaware team leaders continued to make demands.

  “…and you’ll return the gold that you stole from Fort Knox.”

  I’d spent a fair bit of that but would be able to replace the difference from the fortune I’d taken from the Ancient’s lair. “Agreed.”

  The negotiation continued. Some items I questioned, but most I did not; it was obvious that the heroes wanted reassurances and visibility into my actions, but also that they were considering the long-term ramifications of their actions. They didn’t want to leave an immortal villain with grudge as a problem for their children’s children to deal with.

  Cloner’s influence, I was sure. He seemed the type to champion the long view rather than short-term justice. given that I was benefiting from his forethought, I could not complain.

  “There’s one last thing,” the Red Ghost finally said, gravely. “And this one isn’t a requirement of your parole…it is a request.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “You’ve saved entire worlds.” Valiant’s expression was somber. “You’ve saved cities. And after the earthquake in Chile, you helped me save children’s lives. If the threat is grave enough and we call on you…would you be willing to fight at our side?”

  I stilled. “You want Doctor Fid to become a hero?”

  Titan looked as though he’d tasted something sour but he didn’t voice an objection aloud. The Red Ghost must have convinced him earlier.

  “Nah, that won’t be the name we use.” Cloner smirked. “Haven’t you heard? Doctor Fid’s dead. That tin can’s gonna need a repaint, though.”

  “My favorite color is blue.” Whisper offered; her voice was shy but her smile was like the sun.

  19

  The black Labrador whined, crouched low with ears pulled back and tail curled between her hind legs. She raised her head slightly then again drooped; when she padded forward it was with a nervous shuffle, her weight shifting to one side and then the other. Nostrils flared with every quick breath, confused tension in every movement…and then the little creature’s tail began to wag. Like a switch had been thrown, all hesitance was lost: the puppy bounded forward like a shot.

  Nyx ignored Whisper’s offered hand and bowled the little android over, barking happily and licking at her face. Whisper giggled and pushed ineffectively at the dog’s neck, a weak pretend at an attempt to stop the assault.

  Aaron grasped my shoulder and I looked away from the playful pair. Behind me, I heard a shriek of joy as Aaron’s daughter, Dinah, joined the fray.

  “How’s she doing?” he asked quietly, eyes glassy with emotion as he watched the children play.

  “She’s…going to be okay,�
�� I replied, willing that to be the truth. “Sometimes, it’s as though she was never taken.”

  “And other times?”

  “She has nightmares,” I murmured. “She thinks I don’t know.”

  Aaron grimaced in sympathy, then looked abashed. “I wasn’t certain that she slept. She didn’t, the first time she came to stay the night with Dinah.”

  “Technically, she doesn’t need to. But…she likes to.” Dreaming served many purposes for human psyches, and served similar functionalities even for an artificially sentient little girl. Consolidating and processing information, solidifying emotional memories and helping to develop her core…she needed the stability, the strength that came with a pleasant night’s rest. The previous evening hadn’t been a pleasant night.

  I turned back to watch the children play. Tonight, I hoped, would be better.

  “How’s the trial going?”

  “Still in the early stages. It’s going to take months. Maybe years.” I sighed and took a sip from the cold bottle Aaron had brought for me. Cuboid’s arrest had been front page news as had Whisper’s resurrection, and the prosecutor was taking his time to plan his case even with the Department of Metahuman Affairs pushing to fast-track the trial.

  “That can’t be easy…” Aaron gestured with his own bottle. “Having this all drawn out.”

  “No, it’s good. Whisper will have time before she has to testify.”

  “Good.”

  For a moment we were both quiet, just watching the girls play. They’d all come back to their feet now and were running in the grass, a strange game of tag evolving between them. Their laughter made me weep.

  “You got her back,” Aaron said, his voice rough. “You said you would and you did.”

  “The heroes brought her back.”

  And they had, with cameras flashing and reporters shouting questions as the heroes led Whisper to Terry Markham’s door. The photo of a sobbing former CEO falling to his knees to hug his ward was going to win someone a Pulitzer.

  (Earlier that same evening, Doctor Fid had entrusted Whisper into the heroes’ care and disappeared into the night sky. The Red Ghost called Dr. Markham to inform him of the extraordinary news and arranged for the Boston Guardians to deliver the little android to her home. The news reports didn’t mention Doctor Fid’s participation in the rescue at all, nor was his presence mentioned in the official DMA reports.)