by James Maxey
“He’s not a genius,” said Sarah. “Look, I get your frustration. Not being able to track down the dervishes is driving me crazy. I’m even open to the idea that we might somehow be able to make a target they can’t resist and try to trap them. But what could possibly possess you to do this on live TV without running it past anyone?”
“I did run it past someone,” said Clint. “I talked with Sister Amy about it a few weeks ago. I mean, not the part about losing my temper in a press conference, but about how I might make myself a target. As a superhero who’s publicly a Christian, attacking me has to be a great temptation. Sister Amy said she couldn’t tell me what to do, but said I should trust what the Lord puts in my heart.”
“Then you should have told them to attack New Jerusalem,” Sarah said, crossing her arms across her chest. “You had no right to put every member of the staff here in danger.”
“Everyone who works here is part of the Covenant, even if they sit behind desks instead of going out in the field,” said Clint. “They voluntarily signed on to fight on the side of good. They have to know that makes them a target of evil. The innocent people in a mall or a park or a bus station, and the carpenters and workers at New Jerusalem, they’ve done nothing to make themselves a target. To me, the choice seems clear.”
Steam-Dragon sat on her haunches. “He’s starting to make sense. I hope they do attack. Servant’s right. We can totally kick their ass.”
“Don’t be cocky,” said Sarah. “I’ve got more experience fighting supervillains than any of you and the dervishes nearly killed me. You don’t think they learn from past mistakes? You don’t think our enemies can adapt, switch tactics, and take us by surprise?”
“Maybe you’re scared because they did whip you,” said Steam-Dragon.
“You’re out of line, Steam-Dragon,” said App. “Sarah’s courage isn’t up for debate. On the other hand, Clint’s little speech isn’t really a topic of debate, either. He said what he said.”
Chimpion nodded. “It’s too late to worry about whether or not it was a good idea. It’s time to start planning how to respond if they do attack.”
“Actually, we’ve been planning that for a while,” said Sarah.
“What do you mean?” asked Clint.
“The Knowobokov Foundation isn’t putting all this anti-dervish tech out into the world without implementing it over the whole island. We have ferro-sensitive fields feeding us data for a two mile radius around the building. They couldn’t sneak a sword into the perimeter if they tried.”
“Not a steel one,” said Steam-Dragon. She flexed her claws. “You can, however, print a razor sharp edge hard as diamond using carbon composites.”
“True,” said Sarah. “But you guys work here. You’ve got to have noticed all the cameras.”
“I’ve even spotted the hidden ones,” said Chimpion.
“These aren’t camera’s you can buy off the shelf. They see way beyond the visual spectrum, and are backed up with cutting edge software. It’s a pretty good bet the dervishes have an elevated heart rate and body temperature when they launch into their attacks. Our cameras will trigger an alarm if they detect a sudden spike in metabolic activity.”
“No matter how advanced they are, all cameras have blind spots,” said Chimpion. “For my morning warmups I like to travel from the basement to the roof without using the stairs or the elevators. I’ve got my time down to three minutes, nine seconds. Not a single camera has spotted me.”
“I need to talk to the prisoner,” said Servant.
“Smith?” said Sarah. “He’s off limits.”
“Why? You’ve gotten no information from him,” said Servant. He cracked his knuckles. “Give me five minutes and he’ll tell us everything we want to know.”
“You don’t think we’ve got people a bit more skilled at interrogation than you are?” asked Sarah. “Smith’s a dead end. He genuinely doesn’t know how the dervishes got their hands on his tech.”
“Any answers yet on how a janitor suddenly got smart enough to build a time machine?” asked Chimpion.
“Hmm,” said Steam-Dragon, before Sarah could answer. “Maybe there was some kind of smart virus going around. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Mark was smart the day I met him, but around the time we started building my suit he, like, jumped to mad scientist genius. It was exciting, but also kind of scary.”
“And I still want to know why he was a perfect match for a man who died on death row over a decade ago,” said App.
“What?” asked Becky.
App looked sheepish. “Sorry. That might have been something I should have mentioned to you earlier. Or, maybe it’s something I shouldn’t have mentioned at all.”
Chimpion looked at Sarah. “Speaking of things that shouldn’t be mentioned, you told me not to tell about the list. I’ve held my tongue, but no longer.”
“List?” asked App.
“When Becky’s partner was killed, Sarah was given a list of names to investigate. There was some connection between Mark and Smith.”
Sarah’s lips pressed tightly together.
“What’s the connection?” asked App.
“You know something about Mark?” said Steam-Dragon.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” asked App.
“I don’t have any firm information,” said Sarah. “There’s no point in spreading rumors and speculation.”
“Then only share facts,” said Chimpion. “You have a list of names. We know at least two of them have turned into technological geniuses in less than a year. What’s significant about the people on the list? What connects them?”
“I’m not at liberty to say,” said Sarah.
“You gave me a speech about the importance of being a team player,” said Chimpion. “Now it’s your turn to be part of the team.”
Sarah shook her head. “Look. What I know… it’s crazy. I don’t mean it sounds crazy. I mean it’s just flat out beyond anything that passes for sensible, believable, actionable information.”
“You do know that you’re saying this in the presence of a dragon, a talking chimp, Christian Superman and a guy who downloads superpowers off the internet, right?” asked App.
“Yes,” said Sarah. “And I also know that every word we’re saying is being streamed to the Knowbokov Foundation thanks to App. The information is classified. I tell you, and, boom, I’m in jail.”
“We all have security clearances,” said Servant.
“She doesn’t,” Sarah said, looking at Steam-Dragon.
“It’s just because the paperwork isn’t finished,” said Steam-Dragon.
App said, “Privacy mode.”
Sarah looked at him.
“I don’t stream everything I do to the servers,” said App. “Back when the lab techs first put me back together, Mrs. Knowbokov approached me about being part of her team of superheroes. I was disoriented from having missed a whole decade of my life, and more than a little disturbed to find out that the belt was recording everything I saw or heard or felt. One of the things I demanded in exchange for joining the team was privacy when I needed it.”
“But our conversation was being recorded until you put yourself in privacy mode?” asked Steam-Dragon. “That’s kind of creepy. I didn’t know I had to watch what I said around you. You need a warning label, man.”
“If we do truly have a moment of privacy,” said Chimpion, “It’s time to be a team player, Skyrider. What do you know?”
“You don’t think it’s going to look suspicious that we were talking about how I couldn’t talk just seconds before App turned on his privacy mode?” said Sarah.
“It’s definitely going to be suspicious,” said App. “So even if we all start talking about the weather, our handlers are going to suspect you spilled the beans, though of course we’ll all back you up and say you didn’t. Why not go ahead and tell us?”
Sarah sighed. She looked at Servant. “You know who I really am, don’t you? I got this vibe from you that you f
igured it out the first day we met.”
Clint nodded. “I did fight you and your sister a few times before Rail Blade took me down. You’ve plainly had some work done on your face, but I still recognize your body language. And the way Mrs. Knowbokov fawns over you, especially when you were injured… I don’t feel like she works hard to keep your secret.”
“Are the two of you being intentionally cryptic?” asked Steam-Dragon.
“I haven’t always been Skyrider,” said Sarah. “I used to be… the Thrill.”
“That mind control bitch?” said Steam-Dragon. “The terrorist who helped destroy Jerusalem? The fucking alien?”
“I never controlled anyone’s mind,” said Sarah. “I was witness to the destruction of Jerusalem, but I certainly didn’t cause it or condone it. And I’m as human as you.”
“I don’t consider that something to brag about,” said Chimpion.
“I mean, I was a little girl when all this happened,” said Steam-Dragon. “But I remember all the news stories. I remember people talking. And later, when I was serving in the Middle East, everyone said all the trouble over there started when you and your sister destroyed Jerusalem.”
“How ignorant of history can you be?” asked Sarah. “The problems in that area are a lot older than either of us. But I don’t need to explain myself to you. I’m not to blame for the city’s destruction. I could tell you the whole story, but it’s long, and it’s not really what you want to talk about.”
“I lost my legs fighting in a war they say you started,” said Steam-Dragon. “So maybe I do want to talk about this, yeah.”
“Fine. Another time. Right now, you want information on Mark. You want to know what connected him to the mad scientist in Kentucky. You want to know why his name was on my list.”
“All this is true,” said Steam-Dragon.
“So here’s the truth,” said Sarah. “My name is Sarah Knowbokov. My mother is Katrina Knowbokov, the woman who funds this team. And my father… my father was Nicholas Knowbokov, and he’s the reason for that list of names. I’ll tell you why, but you aren’t going to believe me.”
Chapter Fourteen
Genius Psychopaths
“M
y father was a telepath,” said Sarah.
“Dr. Know,” said Servant. “Rex Monday was obsessed with destroying him when he tried to recruit me.”
“You met Rex Monday?” asked Sarah. “Why didn’t I know this?”
Servant shrugged. “I didn’t see how it was even remotely relevant. It was a long time ago, a different life. I was twelve years old and already a major player in the Detroit underworld. Rex Monday turned up one day. Told me he was my true father, that all his children had superpowers, and that he wanted me to join him to fight some sort of revolution.”
“Your dad was a supervillain, Servant?” asked Steam-Dragon.
“I was a supervillain also,” said Servant. “People called me Ogre back then.”
“I remember a TV movie about Ogre,” said Steam-Dragon. “Wasn’t Ogre killed by Rail Blade?”
“Not killed. Something worse,” said Servant. “She trapped me in a giant solid iron cube. My protective fields kept me from being crushed, and fed me just enough energy to keep me alive.”
“Your fields give you energy?” asked Chimpion. “Not the other way around?”
Servant scratched the back of his head. “I’m probably not explaining it right. The eggheads around here have tried to break it down for me. I couldn’t eat enough calories in a lifetime to generate a force field strong enough to protect me from a bomb blast. Apparently, my cells tap into something called vacuum energy. This energy is everywhere in the universe, and can keep me alive without food, water, or rest.”
“Are you immortal?” asked Steam-Dragon.
“We’re all immortal,” said Servant. “We just won’t be spending eternity in these bodies.”
“Great,” said App, shaking his head. “You’ve given him a chance to preach.”
“You’d welcome the sermon if you’d been through what I’ve been through,” said Servant.
“How did you escape the iron cube?” asked Chimpion. “I’ve seen pictures of it. It’s huge.”
Servant nodded. “Rail Blade retrieved me after a few years so her father could dissect me. They had no idea I was still alive. For that matter, I had no idea I was still alive.”
“What do you mean?” asked Chimpion.
“The whole time I was trapped inside the cube, I didn’t know what had happened. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe, or see or hear anything. There were no smells. The only thing I felt was heat and pressure. I genuinely believed I’d died. I thought I was spending an eternity in Hell for my sins.”
“Wow,” said Servant. “No wonder you found religion.”
“Yes,” said Servant. “And religion found me. Since Rail Blade didn’t expect me to be alive, she was unprepared for me lashing out blindly, knocking her out. She had pulled me out into a sewer, so I still couldn’t see a thing, but on mindless, animal instinct I started walking. It had to be the hand of God moving me that night. I staggered from the sewers, dazed, blinded by the faintest light, deafened by the rustling of wind through grass. The three years of isolation had crushed my will, shattered my mind. Blind and dumb, I stumbled on a sidewalk. While I was on my knees, a hand touched my shoulder, and the first voice I’d heard in three years asked if I was okay. I looked up and there was an old black woman standing before me. She had a Bible in her hand. It turned out to be a Sunday evening, and she was on her way home from church. She took me to her home and fed and bathed and clothed me. Her kindness was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. When Rail Blade finally tracked me down a few hours later, I surrendered to her peacefully. I’d seen hell, and told myself I’d do whatever I needed to do not to go back ever again.”
“But you weren’t in hell,” said Steam-Dragon. “It wasn’t God that put you in that cube. It’s like me waking up in a hospital and finding my legs were gone. It feels like hell. It feels like the punishment of God. But if you stop and think it through, there was no God, just dumb luck and dumber politicians that got us wrapped up and a war that couldn’t be won. I think some philosopher said hell is other people. That seems about right to me.”
“There has to be a hell,” said Servant. “Whether it’s a lake of fire or simply a cold, silent void, I don’t care to discover. Without hell, there could be no ultimate justice. Some men are beyond the reach of human law. Adolf Hitler died without ever facing trial for his actions. But what human punishment could possibly suffice to punish his crimes? His execution wouldn’t have balanced the scales. Without Hell, we’d be living in a universe with no underlying justice.”
“That’s a great argument coming from a guy who just confessed to being a supervillain,” said Steam-Dragon. “Ogre killed a lot of people. You never faced your day in court. And now, what, you’ll avoid hell because you’ve made nice with God? You can murder people, peddle dope, and God gives you a free pass?”
“There is no free pass,” said Servant. “But there is grace. Who I was isn’t as important to God as who I am. That’s why it’s called being born again. Ogre won’t get into heaven. Servant will.”
“How did this turn into theology hour?” said App. “We’re completely off topic. What’s up with that list of names, Sarah?”
“Right,” she said. “Like I said, my father was a telepath. But maybe a better word to describe his powers is omnipath. He could read anyone’s mind anywhere, at any time. He claimed it took enormous effort just to hear his own thoughts, and not be overwhelmed by the constant roar of the collective minds of the entire world. This is one reason he dedicated his life to making the world a safer place, doing all he could to eliminate hunger, disease, criminality, and war.”
“Well he sure did a great job of that,” said Steam-Dragon.
“Yes,” said Sarah. “He did.”
“I was being sarcastic,” said Steam-Dragon.
“That wasn’t lost on me,” said Sarah. “But what if my father got closer to his goals than I was willing to give him credit for when he was alive? By any objective measure, there are fewer wars today than at any time in the past. The death toll in the World Wars numbered in the tens of millions. Today, a fraction of that total die in the various global conflicts. The same is true of hunger. There are millions of people underfed, but nothing like the mass starvation of earlier centuries. In most advanced nations, your odds of dying from a contagious disease is relatively low, even with drug resistant bacteria.”
“So, what, your father gets the credit for these things?” asked Steam-Dragon.
Sarah shook her head. “I mean, obviously, the roots of this progress, like the discovery of vaccines and antibiotics, have their origins before my father was even born. Still, my father devoted a great deal of his time, money, and influence to help make the world a place of greater safety and fairness. Which brings us to the list. The people on this list helped my father think through the world’s problems.”
“Really?” asked Steam-Dragon. “So Mark was, like, an advisor to your father?”
Sarah shook her head. “Mark was a murderer. So was Smith. Both were executed via lethal injection. The same was true with all the other names on this list.”
“What do you mean, executed?” said Steam-Dragon. “Mark was alive. And maybe he cut some legal corners at the end of his life, but he definitely wasn’t a murderer.”
“Mark wasn’t a murderer, no,” said Sarah. “But the man he used to be was. He had a long history of violence against the women in his life that culminated with him killing a lot of people in a fit of rage.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Steam-Dragon.
“Even if you do,” said App, “I don’t see how a guy like that was going to help your father. Especially since, like you said, he was dead.”
“Here’s where things slip into crazy,” said Sarah.
“You’ve sounded so sane up until now,” said Steam-Dragon.