Yet if one thing brought her close to doom, it was the lack of oxygen. A human could not survive even seconds in the void of space, but while Centerians have the same needs as humans, they can delay them far longer, and both Bonnie and Betty were quite exceptional in these as well as other qualities. Were Bonnie in peak condition, she would have been able to hold her breath for many hours. But now her body was spent, and desperate for the lifeline. She had only minutes left before her heart stopped beating, and death finally claimed her.
But it was in this most desperate of moments that her salvation came, in the most unlikely of ways. For suddenly her spaceship arrived, and hovered just above. And among its many features, most of them created by Bonnie’s own labors, one was now to prove crucial. It issued a great wind, enough to create an Earth-like condition within a small area. This had been meant to ease her situation in case of an extended battle outside the ship. It now saved her life.
Now after lying, forlorn in the desolation of the moon darkness, Bonnie stirred from the rocks, severely burned, badly injured, and barely conscious. She was in a strange, dreamlike state, and she would not remember what she saw, nor could she have understood its significance. Her enemy however, would certainly have been alert to the sight, and quite alarmed, for she was being saved by his missing assistant.
A crevice opened. A light shone down, and with it a figure emerged and floated down to meet her. Before her was a woman, her face as beautiful as the moon’s perennial night, her brown eyes glowing as brightly as two stars, her skin nearly as dark as the sky above her. Her true name, unknown to all who dwelled on Earth, could be translated to Insipid Servant, though this had been adapted loosely, to Pam Gilroy. She now looked down upon Bonnie with an expression of care and regret, and communicated in the manner of Centerians.
Far as I have come, hard as I have labored, at the cruel behest of horrible men, I now cease. Here at the last, I turn away from my task, for I see the unspeakable fate that hangs in the balance, and I know the choice that must be made. I soon leave this world to you, and accept the consequences that will come to me. So long sister. Your cause is just and good. May you live and flourish.
The woman flew away. Bonnie then fell unconscious once again, and remembered the sight no more.
Minutes later, Betty’s long labor finally bore fruit when she located the ship. Instantly she broke her trance, then flew faster than lightening. Many thousands of miles of the moon’s desolate surface passed below her, reduced in her flight to a blur of grey. She held to her hope with everything she had, her nerves near a breaking point as she finally approached the ship’s position. Then she found it at last. Between her telepathic communication and her super senses, she was only just able to perceive it as she approached.
There below the hovering ship, her heart nearly stopped as she saw the sight that she had begged all the heavens for, her daughter, unconscious and badly injured, but still alive. She dropped suddenly from her flight, and plummeted onto the ground beside her child. Gasping in the small atmosphere from emotion, she fell upon her knees and closed her eyes, and said a brief prayer of gratitude.
She ordered the ship open, and a crevice appeared. She then picked up her daughter and flew her inside. She began to carry her through the hall, now longer than she remembered it, headed to a bedroom to lay her down. But when she cleared the hallway, she came upon a sight that stopped her in her tracks once again, for she saw the ship’s interior for the first time in years. And what she saw was something she could not have been prepared for, not even if she had queried her daughter for hours.
This was like no other spaceship she had ever seen, far beyond even the capabilities of her native world. But indeed, it hardly looked like a spaceship at all. It seemed much more like an enormous mansion. The main hall was an atrium, extending many yards in each direction, the ceiling of glass unimaginably high. The floors were beautifully carpeted, the center furnished in a depressed area with leather couches, massage chairs, and a huge flat screen TV. Some distance away there was a large kitchen with stainless steel appliances. There were rooms in every direction. At least one of the bathrooms had a hot tub. There were also many hallways, too many even for her to count. Somewhere down those halls, according to their conversation, there had to be a racetrack, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, tennis courts, and many other things she dared not imagine.
“Crazed curses of Center’s Slags! She’s living better than me! No wonder she always wants to come here!”
Johnny Gunn paced back and forth around the rocky outcropping outside the trailers of Uri Presputnik’s compound. The sun was high in the summer Arctic sky, but the wind was picking up, and Johnny was shivering as he walked. Uri sat laconically on a rock, ostensibly supervising his staff, at least as much as he ever did. Nobody seemed to have much to do besides pacing around and occasionally cleaning their weapons. Soon Johnny punched the side of the trailer several times, and yelled at Uri.
“Where the hell Is Pam? I want to go home!”
“I don’t know,” said Uri, momentarily picking up his attention, “Nothing to do with me, I assure you.”
“I knew it!” said Johnny, “Every one of them is the same. They’re all witches. Sooner or later they all sell you out. Why should she be any different?”
“With all due respect,” said Uri, “We’re deep in the middle of the North Asian wilderness. Where do you honestly think she went? I would be more concerned for her safety. I believe it may be time to send a few of my men to look for her.”
Johnny turned to Uri in shock. “Oh really? You’ll let some strange guys alone with her? Hell no! I’m not giving her that chance. She wanders off, let her die.”
“You are married, right? You must tell me how you manage this.”
At that moment, Pam came up from behind one of the trailers. “Don’t worry, men. I’m alright. Please give your Pam a break. You didn’t expect me to use those Port-a-Sans.”
“Don’t tell me that!” said Johnny, “I don’t want to know about your disgusting female stuff.”
“I guess I knew that. So I understand I have to manage payment. Then we will go home.”
“No! I tell you what to do!” said Johnny, “I’m telling you. Go pay the Russian!”
Pam stepped into their plane and pulled out her bag. She took out many bundles of big bills and handed them to Uri. They took a few minutes to count them. Then they began their farewells.
“Very well then,” said Uri, “I believe this is has been good for both of us. We will be in touch then about the next stage.”
“Absolutely,” said Pam, “Thank you for everything.” She then paused, and looked at Johnny. “Are we going home then?”
“Just follow me. You have to learn to stay out of my way. This is men’s work. I don’t need girls telling me what to do.”
Johnny began walking toward his private plane. Pam followed a few steps behind, just as she was expected to. “Oh no,” she said under her breath, “He just couldn’t have done any of this without me. I could have left him flat just now. But I know, just like Dad. Let him think he’s in charge, just this last time.”
Johnny reached the door of his plane and looked back at Pam. “Get into the back!”
“Of course, dear.”
“I have big plans tomorrow. I expect you right there when I need you.”
“Of course you do.”
For several hours, Betty attended to her daughter. Not only was she unconscious, but she also had a high fever, over 300 degrees Fahrenheit, very nearly beyond the acceptable range even for a Centerian. Luckily, the ship had more than enough facilities. The fridge had an ice maker, and Betty made an ice pack for her, which she alternated with her own freeze breath in a simulation of a polar climate, a medical trick of cooling from their old world.
Betty was also concerned about the many bone fractures, probably from the fall. She monitored her daughter’s insides with her x-ray vision. Happily, the oxygen and cooling had made all
the difference. Before long, her bones were well on their way to healing, though it would be a few days before she could walk completely without limping.
Bonnie was also covered in burns from head to toe, many of them severe. The treatment they had was hardly different from Earth’s, basically antibiotic liquids, together with aloe and moisturizer, and these could both be found in any of the many bathrooms. Here too Bonnie proved quite resilient once she was in a hospitable environment, and soon her burns were beginning to show very clear signs of healing.
After several hours, Bonnie was still unconscious. Betty looked at her daughter sadly, but at last resigned herself to turning in for the night. She flew her daughter into her bedroom. It was rather like a teenage girl’s room, indeed not far in spirit from Bonnie’s own room at home. There was a large mirror attached to the desk, and a generous wardrobe, as well as a large chest of drawers. The walls were painted bright pink. The biggest difference between this and home was that it was much neater.
Betty placed Bonnie down in her bed, then stepped outside the bedroom, and found the nearest sofa. She took off her shoes and began to lay down. “Jeans,” she said to herself, “Ugh, I need my pajamas. Alright. Just this once.” She then transformed her clothes into her nightshirt.
Suddenly she heard a voice from the other room, “I heard that, Mom!”
“What?” cried Betty with a start.
“I heard that! I’m going to remember that next time you lecture me about abusing my powers.”
“Bonnie!” cried Betty. She immediately flew off of the couch, and into Bonnie’s bedroom. “Bonnie! You’re alright!
“Hey Mom,” said Bonnie, “I don’t want to hear you complain again when I transform into my pajamas.”
“Fine, Bonnie! Fine! Go right ahead and tell me what kind of hypocrite I am! I don’t care! You’re alright!”
“What’s the matter? I’m aching all over and…wait! Why are we here? I don’t remember coming here.”
“My love, I think there is a story to tell.”
Bonnie was shocked when she discovered what had happened. She tried and tried to piece the events together, but her memories came to a sudden halt after she heard Gunn’s announcement and she started flying. She looked anxious, even terrified.
“Sweetheart,” said Betty, “I know this is scary. I’m relieved that you’re safe.”
“Whatever, Mom!” snapped Bonnie, “Really. Just…whatever!”
“Honey why don’t we talk about it. What is on your mind?”
“Mom! Whatever!”
Betty looked at Bonnie sadly. She was concerned, but hardly surprised. This was more or less how she always handled difficult emotions. She wondered how long her patience would hold out.
They soon went to bed, finally taking in a relatively normal night’s rest. After they woke, Betty attended further to her daughter. The rest had done a lot of good; Bonnie seemed to grow more energetic by the second. The situation began to look increasingly like any parent with a sick child, albeit in very unusual quarters.
As Bonnie sat restlessly in her bed, Betty sat at the edge, and smiled warmly. “Amazing, You’re almost healed. I would certainly take it easy for a day or two though.”
“If I must,” said Bonnie, “I sure hope Earth gets by without Ms. Infinity.”
“It got by many years without her dear,” said Betty, “Honestly it’s no crime for you to rest. I say we go home though, if you’re up to it. I’ve seen quite enough of the Frankenstein job you’ve done to this place.”
“Hey! This is my pet project. I’m proud of my work. You know Mom, this place is quite comfortable now. You might like it if you give it a chance.”
“I’ve seen enough,” said Betty, “How come you can’t clean your room, but you can do all this to the Boring Family Ship.”
“That’s what you call it?” cracked Bonnie, “Look, I’m struggling to come up with a cool name, but almost anything has to be better than that. And it obviously can’t have our family name. I’m keeping a secret identity.”
Betty looked at Bonnie with a mixture of sympathy and scorn. “I love you, but you’re going to have to pardon me if my priorities aren’t always in line with yours. I just have to work for a living. Maybe things like flashy spaceships and secret identities aren’t on my radar. You know what? Maybe you can start thinking about some other priorities too. ‘Infinite Power’ indeed.”
Bonnie cackled, but her tone showed nerves below the surface. “Uh, not so fast Mom. I caught you with your clothes transformation. And you know what? Why not? I have some powers. Let me get a little enjoyment out of them. I mean, do you really expect me to just stick a costume under my clothes? Even Superman can do that.”
Betty looked at Bonnie blankly. “You know what, dear? I’m starting to worry about you again.”
Bonnie rolled her eyes. “Stop it, Mom. I’m perfectly lucid.”
“I know. That’s the problem.”
“Oh God, Mom! Not another of your preachy speechys!”
“Do you even hear yourself? Look, I’m your mother, and I know when my girl is not okay, and it’s all over you. Bonnie, you’re going to have to put on your big girl undies now and deal with your emotions. It’s perfectly okay to be afraid…”
“…Oh come on! I don’t need your pop psychology. You can be afraid if you want.”
“You know what? I am afraid for you. Are you even awake to all that happened here? You were this close to death. Do you have any idea what this does to me? I don’t even know exactly how you were saved, and I may never find out. I’m sorry, but I’m less comfortable with this superhero thing than ever. Honey it’s really hard on me, having to worry about you nonstop, and I don’t know how long I can keep doing this. I just wish I weren’t the only person watching out for you.”
“Stop it Mom. I’m fine. A few little nukes can’t stop Ms. Infinity! Baby, I am the queen!”
“Oh no Bonnie,” said Betty, looking at her daughter in shock, “I do not like that. You have no business getting a swelled head. That’s exactly what I’m trying to prevent here. I mean, how do you feel when you meet someone like that. My dear, you don’t have to go far to think of a very ugly example.”
Bonnie looked back at her mother in scorn. “You’re comparing me to Johnny Gunn?”
“Honey of course not! My whole point is that you are better than that. I’m just warning you. Bad things come to people with swelled heads.”
“Oh come on, Mom! Let me get a little snarky, just here on my own private turf. I get it. If I were acting like this in public, I’d deserve to get slammed, sure. But let me have my moment. I just got hit hard and I survived. What is wrong with a victory lap? You can’t tell me I haven’t earned it.”
“Enough! I’m sick of your star attitude. Young lady, you can go and take a shower, and then we’re going home.”
As Betty left her, Bonnie mocked her mother under her breath. “Take a shower and we’re going home! Well, sorry for living, Mom! I’m the superhero here. I can be a star on my ship! I’m Ms. Infinity, damn it!”
Suddenly Bonnie stopped. “Wait! What I just said. ‘Star on my Ship, I’m Ms. Infinity’.’” I think I just heard a name. There it is. Starship Infinity! Love it. Going once? Going twice? It’s a name. From now on, this is Starship Infinity!”
16. A Hero’s Limits
The next morning at the “Crystal Palace” complex of Gunn Fortress, Johnny Gunn stood, squad-legged, red in the face, screaming at his receptionist.
“Where the hell is Pam? I told her to be here first thing in the morning! Now it’s ten thirty, and no sign of her!”
“I tried her home and cell,” said Linda sheepishly, “I’m sorry but both are disconnected…”
“You do it again and again until you find her!”
Linda wanted desperately to shout at him, but she knew it was pointless. She simply got back on the line and tried the futile task of calling Pam again. “Sorry. Still the same. Disconnected. Do you wa
nt to…”
“OH! THAT’S JUST FRIGGIN’ GREAT!” screamed Johnny at the top of his lungs.
The employees all shrunk from fear, some doing their best to hide from view. Red faced, Johnny moved in closer to Linda. “YOU HAVE TO FIX THIS NOW!”
Linda did not reply. She did her best to keep her dignity, though her tension was palatable. There was complete, strained silence throughout the office. After a few seconds, Linda said, “There is nothing else I can do.”
Johnny put his head down, his hand over his eyes. It was clear to everyone watching that his next blow up was just seconds away. But finally, a young woman approached Johnny Gunn. “You know what, Mr. Gunn, I think you need a massage. I can help you.”
Johnny picked up his head and took his hand off his eyes. “You. I think I remember…”
“Rachel Bonita.”
“Rachel. Well come into the office then. I have an important meeting in half an hour.”
All eyes were on both Rachel and Johnny as they went into his office. Linda had seen this drama play out before. All is well again, she thought, Mr. Gunn has a new mommy.
Fourteen men sat at a long, luxurious table of shiny finished wood, hanging on to Gunn’s every word.
“Now,” said Johnny Gunn, “It’s finally time to take this country back. As you may well know, I had a few problems with…well, if I may use the term loosely, a woman. But I’m here to tell you, I have taken care of it once and for all!”
“You sure about this now?” asked Miles.
“Positive, Miles. I always come through. Johnny Gunn is the man! New York’s mayor is mine. We can open up our slush fund from their taxes. Anyone who tries to say anything will find a cozy spot up in Rikers Island. Chicago? I bought up all the weapons manufacturers in the region. They have been doing some fine research, haven’t they Jimmy?”
Where Infinity Begins Page 17