Frostburn (Ultrahumans Book 4)

by Niall Teasdale

  ‘We’ll see if I’ve recovered by the end of the week. Has Cottontail finished the digging?’

  ‘She’s cutting the access into the book vault now. Hugh said you had something to seal the room?’

  ‘Uh-huh. Sure do. Adamantium’s going to be bringing the gear through in a bit. It’s a bit messy to lay down, but once it sets, it’s stronger than concrete.’

  ‘Sounds great. Hugh also said he wanted to get it done today, if possible.’

  ‘Doable. This is quite a place. Kind of weird to look at on the outside, but it’s gorgeous on the inside.’

  Cygnus grinned. ‘It’s certainly unique. And when you guys have finished here, it’ll be even more unique. Your room is over here, and I’m going down to check on the digging.’

  There was a slight bulge in the floor of the vault when Cygnus walked in. Cottontail was taking it slowly and carefully to minimise the damage, and she was cutting through concrete which was a good bit slower than soil.

  ‘She should be through any minute,’ Doctor Ultimate said, and a second or two later, a crack appeared, then a widening circle as Cottontail drilled up into the room.

  As the circle widened to about two feet across, there was a sudden jolt and then the girl in the trapper hat surged upward, stopped spinning, and caught herself on the sides of the hole. ‘Could someone give me a hand?’ she asked. Her feet were hanging in mid-air.

  Cygnus stepped forward, reached down, and lifted the slim girl out of the hole with ease. ‘That’s pretty clean. If ever I need a hole cutting in my house again, you’ve got the job.’

  ‘Thanks, I think. It widens out a bit below the concrete raft. You’re going to need a ladder or something putting in. It’s straight down for about four yards from there.’

  ‘I can fly, but a ladder might be good.’

  ‘For now,’ Ultimate said, ‘we can just seal up this end.’ He waved a roll of plastic at them. ‘Leave that to me. It’s hermetic. Your air conditioning won’t be disturbed. I take it Elaine has arrived?’

  ‘I sure have,’ Elaine said from the doorway. ‘Someone want to show me what I’m sealing so I can estimate how much of the compound we need.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Cottontail said. ‘We’ll go round through the outside entrance. You can actually walk into that.’

  You could indeed walk down the slope into the underground chamber Cottontail had cut. It was a little on the steep side, but you could do it. And then you got down to the bottom and found that there were actually three chambers in a sort of cloverleaf pattern. The slope down came in as the ‘stalk’ and the lobes went off from there, each a good fifteen feet across and ten feet high. The pipe up to the vault was at the top end of the middle lobe, and there was some dim light coming down from it now: Doctor Ultimate had sealed it over with plastic. The only real light came from the torches they had brought with them.

  Elaine tapped at the glowing screen of a tablet as they walked around. ‘Okay, so I figure we’ll need three tanks per room and another for the access ways, and we’ll add another for contingency… Okay. Not a problem.’

  ‘What is it you’re actually going to do?’ Cygnus asked.

  ‘Uh, it’s a nanotech thing. Not actually live nanobots, just a microparticle solution. It soaks into the soil and then binds together. This sandy soil is perfect for it. It’ll basically be rock when it’s set, which it’ll do pretty quickly, but it’s best to give it a few hours… Yeah, we can have the whole thing sprayed down by tonight and in the morning it’ll be time to bring in the crates.’ She looked back at the entrance. ‘And I’ve got a portable screen generator ready to set up so no one can get in through there… Bases covered. Yeah.’

  ‘Very professional.’ Cygnus turned to Cottontail. ‘Thanks for doing this.’

  ‘Hey, the Doc asked. He set me up with some really sweet gear for monitoring wildlife in the desert when I first joined up. That’s what the Union is all about, right? Helping each other to help the world.’

  ‘Yeah… Yeah, I guess it is.’

  ~~~

  Adamantium was a big guy. Once upon a time, some thirty years earlier, he had been a metallurgist named Adam Stone, a fine figure of a man by all accounts. Then, while working on a meteorite discovered in the Canadian wilderness, he had been infected by what Doctor Ultimate had finally concluded was an alien nanotech virus which should have consumed him. Instead, his latent Ultrahuman genetics had adapted and, in a way, consumed the virus, and Adam Stone had turned into a man composed of living metal.

  The late-afternoon sun glinted off skin which was a uniform platinum, but he was pulling what looked like a heavy trolley through the wormhole and the light shifted with his muscles, or whatever the metal analogue for his muscles was. His eyes, lips, and nails were a slightly variant colour, but it was often hard to tell, and he did have hair: a slightly unruly, but carefully trimmed, short cut which was steely grey. He was a handsome man, older than Doctor Ultimate, but he had not aged since his transformation and possibly never would. He was very strong and very tough, and he was the backbone of the Union of Ultrahumans having helped found it.

  Right now, the great Adamantium was just playing porter. ‘Okay, where do you want it?’ he asked once the wormhole closed.

  ‘We’re storing it in the hall,’ Elaine said. Her eyes scanned over three crates and eleven large cylinders sitting on the trolley. ‘Ain’t gonna get that through the door though.’

  ‘Not a problem. The crates aren’t heavy and the cylinders only weigh twenty kilos each.’

  ‘We’ll take two each,’ Cygnus suggested.

  The silver man with muscles on his muscles grinned. ‘I wouldn’t mind the assist. It’s nice to have someone else around to help with the heavy lifting.’

  Cygnus walked over and pulled two of the cylinders out of their mounts, putting one under each arm with little apparent effort. ‘Well, come on then, big boy. Let’s see what you’ve got.’

  Turning, Adamantium picked up a cylinder. ‘That’s funny. Ally says that to me all the time.’ Cygnus and Elaine looked at each other; the way he had said it, it did not sound like he recognised it as bawdy humour. ‘Oh, you can call me Adam. Let’s get this stuff inside and then I’ll get back to the fridge.’

  ‘You’re coming back later in the week, though, right?’

  ‘Uh-huh. Hugh said it’d take two of us to position all the gear.’ He started off toward the house. ‘Uh, it’s okay if Ally comes along, isn’t it?’

  ‘Brightstar? Sure. We’re making arrangements for the beds. Uh, we don’t need an extra one for Brightstar, do we?’

  Adamantium glanced at Cygnus and, if it were not for the fact that his face did not change colour, she could have sworn he was blushing. ‘No… No, one for the two of us will be fine.’

  ‘We should be good then. Let’s get this done and you can get back to her.’

  ~~~

  ‘Well, she put enough effort into it,’ Alice said. ‘Alison has been trying to subtly indicate her interest for quite some time, but Adam is… Well, he’s as clueless as Hugh, to be honest.’

  Doctor Ultimate blinked and looked up from the tablet computer he was reading. ‘I’m generally regarded as one of the most clued-up men in the world, dear.’

  ‘And how long was it before you noticed I was after you for more than help with my mathematics?’

  There was giggling from four women and a grin on Alice’s face. The most intelligent man in the world did not, however, blush. ‘Less time than it took me to respond. I was convinced you would change your mind if I ignored it for a week or two. I do admit to being quite surprised when you didn’t.’

  ‘Hmm… I believe Alison finally just gave up at the Christmas party last year and decided the direct approach was best. Gossip suggests that, faced with an entirely naked Brightstar with a vaguely fanatical gleam in her eyes, Adam finally took the hint. He’s still just as oblivious about any other women he may find himself with, but Alison tends to want to make sure. That’s
why she’s coming to stay.’

  ‘She’s got nothing to worry about here,’ June said. ‘Cygnus and I are quite happy. Elaine is gay. Andrea has Jacob.’

  ‘Ah yes,’ Ultimate said. ‘How is Mister Dannon?’

  ‘He’s good,’ Andrea replied. She was perched on the edge of one of the sofas, pulling on a boot. ‘No indications of a recurrence, though the UID don’t seem to be entirely convinced.’

  ‘The UID are being difficult on a number of things since the problems earlier this year. I’m sure things will settle down soon enough.’

  ‘I sure hope so. He gets a little tetchy being stuck behind a desk.’

  Cygnus got to her feet as Andrea did. ‘Okay, well, I’ll be back after a quick tour. Uh, there’s something I want to show you, Hugh. Uh, Alice too, though it’s more of a Doctor Ultimate thing…’

  ‘Mysterious,’ Alice said, smiling.

  ‘Interesting,’ Ultimate added. ‘We’ll still be up. I am now intrigued.’

  ~~~

  Cygnus walked out of the bedroom she shared with June carrying a robe which was actually too small for her and a pair of glasses which had been recently purchased with plain glass in them. She saw Alice’s eyebrows rise and gave her a quick smile. ‘Excuse the nudity. I figure you’ll believe this without seeing it, but… Well, science, and seeing is believing.’

  ‘And you’re naked because?’ Alice asked.

  ‘Oh! This tends to ruin anything I’m wearing.’

  ‘This?’ Doctor Ultimate asked.

  Cygnus dropped her robe and glasses onto a sofa, took in a breath, and changed. One second she was the tall, slim, buxom, and beautiful Cygnus, and the next she was still slim, but that was about the only similarity. ‘This,’ Penny said.

  ‘Oh,’ Alice said. ‘That explains… a number of things.’

  ‘This,’ Penny said, picking up her robe, ‘is Penny Worthington. June and I met through work. We both worked at the same company and we decided to get an apartment together. And then I got hit with a Guardian essence after a particularly crappy Christmas party and turned into Cygnus.’

  ‘And you see it as an “Ugly Duckling” story.’

  ‘She does,’ June said. ‘I think she’s beautiful whatever shape she takes.’

  ‘It certainly explains how Cygnus is able to entirely vanish,’ Ultimate said. ‘When we get you back in the scanner, I’d like to have you perform that change as part of the sequence. Both ways.’

  ‘Ah, but you lost your chance to see it done properly,’ June said. ‘The change has changed since the ship.’ Ultimate peered at her, but June waited for Penny, now in robe and fake spectacles, to sit down beside her before continuing. ‘When she first got her powers, Penny and Cygnus were really different. Penny was pretty much the same as she had been.’

  ‘I healed a bit faster,’ Penny said. ‘Uh… and I could change into Cygnus.’

  ‘Yeah, but she was Penny, slightly klutzy, short-sighted, and gorgeous. The change took longer too. Now she’s always Cygnus. She just allocates power to being able to change shape, and then she takes the shape she’s used to. The glasses are fake.’

  ‘Which is a point. When I’m this shape, I have glasses and I fiddle with them. I’m not short-sighted now, and I don’t trip over my feet or cut my finger chopping vegetables, but it’s like my mindset shifts a bit because I’m used to being Penny. I guess I could make myself a short-sighted klutz, but those happen to be things I really don’t miss.’

  ‘You’re a little worried by that change, however, June,’ Alice said. It was definitely a statement rather than a question.

  ‘I was more worried,’ June replied. ‘I’ve had a little time to adjust and Penny does still seem more like Penny than like Cygnus.’

  ‘If you wish to keep the distinction,’ Ultimate said, ‘it would be best to practise. This is why you elected to show us, I assume.’

  ‘One reason,’ Penny agreed. ‘I also figure… Well, I guess it’s a matter of trust. I trust you. Both of you. Viviane knows. Red Huntress does. And Elaine.’ Penny nodded to the girl who was sitting silently beside the older couple.

  ‘I take it then,’ Alice said, ‘that Bianca Fullerton does too?’

  ‘Bianca shared a little secret of hers,’ Elaine said, ‘so Cygnus returned the favour.’

  ‘And it was right after the ship,’ Penny said. ‘I wasn’t sure about changing and if I’d had to wait to get home… So I let Bianca in on it, but by then I trusted her enough. I, uh, don’t really know Adamantium or Brightstar, so…’

  ‘Giving away your secret identity is not a requirement of the Union,’ Ultimate stated firmly. ‘Thank you for letting me in on it. There will be no official record made.’

  ‘It’s partially a matter of security,’ Alice added. ‘If asked, the Union can say they don’t know, even if individual members may do. Many of the senior members and all of the council are public anyway, but it’s not an actual requirement.’

  Penny nodded. ‘I’d like to keep Penny and Cygnus separate for as long as possible. To be honest, sometimes it’s nice to be anonymous. Everyone in the city knows Cygnus. Penny can go to the supermarket without anyone asking for her autograph.’

  Ultimate laughed and Alice grinned. ‘I should imagine,’ Alice said, ‘that that alone warrants keeping your ability a secret.’

  ‘So we’ll make that scanner experiment private,’ Ultimate said. ‘You can trust me–’

  ‘He’s a doctor.’

  ‘That’s my line,’ Ultimate grumbled.

  ‘Yes, dear, but I’ve always wanted to say it.’

  18th November.

  Barty Hull knew the streets of Deale Harbour pretty well. At one time he had driven a cab around the neighbourhood, and he lived just over the border in southern Churchton. His block had escaped the riots unscathed, which he considered good luck and assigned this to his Irish heritage, even if the only Irish heritage he had was his maternal great-grandmother. He knew there was more to it than that and always raised a pint, or several, to the Irish gods on St Patrick’s Day.

  Then again, Barty was prone to lifting a few pints most nights. He was not an alcoholic, obviously, but he did like to force down a few beers at his favourite bar in Deale whenever he could afford to. And that was most nights since landing a job in construction thanks to all the work that needed doing in Churchton. Everything was swings and roundabouts, and the riots had been good to Barty. Luck of the Irish, right?

  His luck ran out as he cut down an alley he had used as a shortcut hundreds of times before. It had a bit of a reputation for muggers, but Barty could handle himself. Boxing was his preferred method of self-defence; boxing and his drinking habit were the main reasons he was still single. Barty considered himself prepared, on the lookout, and he did see the shape of a man in his path and he readied his fists to respond should this not simply be a fellow traveller. It came as something of a shock when the figure raised its hands and a wash of cold, white particles, like windblown ice, rushed at him. In a second, he was held fast in a cocoon of ice which thickened and hardened into a tomb as the stream continued and the figure walked closer.

  Barty could not speak or breathe, and he certainly could not move. The ice held him firmly and he figured the only buffer he had between himself and the cold was the alcohol in his bloodstream. All he could do was watch as the figure walked up to him. He heard it say something, but the ice muffled the sound, and then the thing that was attacking him reached out and touched his icy prison and the alcohol just stopped doing its job.

  Mind-numbing cold soaked into his body. He felt it draining the heat from his very core, sapping his strength, and the urge to just sleep and let it happen washed over him. Within seconds, Barty blacked out, which at least meant that he was spared the pain of freezing to death.

  ~~~

  Skadi figured she would give it until one and then head back to Red’s place. The Huntress would still be in her club; Skadi could change clothes and head down there for a
nightcap, and then they could head up to Red’s apartment together. That sounded like a plan.

  Churchton had been fairly quiet tonight and Deale was, if anything, quieter. Twilight was about which almost made Skadi’s presence redundant. However, Skadi knew what the street thugs did not: Twilight could not actually be in every shadow just waiting for them to make a move. Skadi caught her share of muggers and the rape she had stopped the month before had been one of her proudest moments.

  Something made her pause over an alley not that far from Titanic Street. She sniffed. Snow? There was no way there could be snow in New Millennium City right now, especially not this near the harbour. She scanned the alley and spotted something glinting, catching the street lights at the end. She located a drainpipe and slid down to street level, unslinging her bow at the bottom and readying an arrow, just in case.

  When she found the source of the flicker of light, she was fairly sure that it was no danger. The light was glinting off a man encased in half an ice sculpture. She had no idea who he was, and she rapidly determined that she was never going to get to know him personally. She took a phone from where it was tucked into her quiver and dialled.

  ‘Yeah, this is Skadi, Maryland registration zero sixty-one. I have a possible homicide victim. Alley off Arcady Street.’ She waited for the response. ‘No, I don’t think an ambulance is going to be much use. Guy’s an ice cube.’ Pause. ‘Okay, I’ll be here.’

  Then, because the man she had found was frozen into a block of ice, Skadi dialled another number. ‘Twilight? I think your serial has done it again…’

  ~~~

  Twilight looked up into the night sky, away from the popsicle currently being examined by a couple of crime scene officers. The alley had been cordoned off by the NMCPD, but that was not going to stop the people she was watching for.

  ‘Here they come,’ she said.

  ‘Seriously?’ Skadi said. ‘You’ve called in Doctor Ultimate?’

  ‘He was at the house anyway.’

  ‘You’ve got Doctor Ultimate staying at your house?’

  ‘Him, his wife, and Backroom from the San Francisco Stars.’