torg 03- The Nightmare Dream

by Jonatha Ariadne Caspian

  It was a truly glorious, experience-filled way to die, and the Jakatts met their fate happily, thanking Lanala for granting them such sensations.

  75

  Angus Cage worked in the Royal Library, dusting the tables where the court scholars unrolled scrolls and studied tomes of ancient knowledge. It had been almost twenty-four hours since he had given the information to the Guardian, and while he wondered how the Mystery Men were faring, he found himself wondering more and more about Clemeta. Whenever his mind started to question the strange hold she had over him, he would instead find himself thinking about her eyes, or her lips, or the curves of her body. He was so caught up in the memories of their night together that he didn't notice the activity around him. Not at first.

  He became aware of the shocktroopers after they had ranged out around the chamber, cutting off all exits. They were traditional Nile soldiers, bare chested, wearing white skirts and colorful, stripped headdresses. They carried Nile Schmeissers, and there were at least two squads of them. Cage, on the other hand, was only one man, and an unarmed man at that.

  "Is there some problem, masters?" Cage asked, trying to appear as harmless as possible.

  One of the soldiers, whose headdress marked him as an officer, laughed, "No problem at all as far as I can see. And they told us to be careful, that you were one of the famed Mystery Men. Ha!"

  Cage flashed them a winning smile. "A Mystery Man? Now whoever gave you that idea?"

  Cage moved then, faster than the soldiers anticipated. He grabbed the machinegun of the nearest shocktrooper, using it to batter the man senseless. Then, before the others could react, he fell backwards, rolled behind one of the massive study tables, and came to his feet firing. The machinegun cut down five of the shocktroopers before one of them rushed up behind Cage and smashed the butt of a Schmeisser into the back of his skull.

  The blow caught him by surprise, and wild colors exploded before his eyes as the pain registered. He started to fall, and the colors muted to gray. Then to black.

  Angus Cage was unconscious before he hit the floor.

  76

  Clemeta had seen the Royal Marshall issuing orders to two squads of shocktroopers in the main hall, and she had become deathly afraid. She had been too far away to hear the exact nature of the orders, but something deep within her told her that they had to do with Cage.

  Now she was hurrying through the back corridors usually reserved for the servants, running to find Cage, to warn him before the shocktroopers caught up with him. As she approached the Royal Library, several slaves ran passed her. She stopped a young maid, grabbing the girl by the arm and spinning her around.

  "Speak, girl," Clemeta demanded, "what are you fleeing from?"

  "Shocktroopers, my lady," the young girl stammered. "They have entered the library with guns drawn!"

  Clemeta released the girl's arm. Not waiting to be dismissed, the maid bowed and ran down the corridor, away from the library.

  Clemeta stood for a moment, considering her options. She could walk away now and leave Cage to his fate. He was an adventurer and all. He knew the risks involved in the game he was playing. Or she could go forward. Perhaps she could use her station and authority as Royal Escort to trick the soldiers into releasing Cage into her custody. Then the two of them could flee the palace and disappear into the streets.

  She started forward, telling herself that the path to true power would be easier to follow at Cage's side rather than with Mobius. After all, how long did she think she would be able to manipulate the Pharaoh with only her natural charms. He was immune to the effects of her perfume, unlike Cage. She told herself all of these things, but she couldn't quite understand why she was

  The Nightmare Dream

  worried about the man called Angus Cage.

  She heard shouts now, and the sound of machinegun fire. Quickening her pace, she pulled a pistol from the folds of her dress. Reaching the door, she watched as Cage was battered to the floor.

  "How dare you!" Clemeta screamed, taking aim with the pistol at the shocktrooper standing over Cage.

  Before she could squeeze the trigger, however, powerful arms wrapped around her from behind. They were too strong for her, choking the life out of her. After a moment, she ceased struggling and let the pistol fall from her hand.

  "Bring her here," the Royal Marshall said, and the man holding Clemeta forced her into the chamber.

  She was shoved to the floor, falling beside Cage. She glanced at him, saw blood above his eye where his head hit the stone floor, but also saw that he was breathing. Then she turned a fierce look upon Teth-Net.

  "How dare you handle me like this!" Clemeta raged. "Do you know who I am?"

  "You are the Royal Slut," Teth-Net said, offering Clemeta a mocking bow. "And you are a traitor to the Empire."

  Clemeta could barely contain herself. She tried to rise, but a sandaled foot pushed her back down. "When the Pharaoh hears of this, he will..."

  Teth-Net cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Save your threats, my lady. The Pharaoh is already aware of the situation. He returned this morning and I informed him of your little meeting with the Guardian. It was the Pharaoh who ordered this operation."

  Clemeta swallowed hard, trying to maintain an air of indifference to the Royal Marshall's words. "So what happens now?" she asked.

  "That is up to the Pharaoh," Teth-Net smiled coldly. "Take them to the Audience Chamber."

  77

  The Guardian watched the airfield through a pair of binoculars. It was a small base, consisting of a number of pre-fabricated metal buildings surrounded by a barbed wire fence. He saw a number of guards stationed about the fence; others walked the interior of the base. Workmen, armed with belts full of tools, entered and exited the buildings at a regular pace. The largest building stood open. It was built at the head of a canal, and a PBY seaplane waited within, rocking quietly upon the water.

  He lowered the binoculars and turned to the rest of his strike team. The first member was Rocket Blue, one of the famed Rocket Rangers of Terra, wearing the battle armor of that elite corps of soldiers. Although he had never seen Rocket Blue out of the armor, and even though the soldier's voice was heard through a distorting microphone, he was quite sure that Rocket Blue was a woman. But whether the Rocket Ranger was male or female, Rocket Blue was someone to have around when the going got tough. The Guardian had an idea that this mission was going to be as tough as it got.

  Second was the Golem, a super-strong giant of a man whose body was covered in protective rock. Unlike Rocket Blue, however, the gray stone was not a mechanical device. Somehow, the Golem was actually able to transform his flesh into stone.

  The third member of the team was a super-fast speedster who called himself Wind Whirl. He was young, with a sharp tongue and a quick wit. He fancied himself a comedian. The Guardian considered him a fool, but Dr. Frest had assigned him to the team. Until proven incapable of helping them, the Guardian would give him the benefit of the doubt.

  The fourth team member was Raven Wing, dressed in a black outfit that revealed more than it covered. Her powers included flight and a billowing cloak of darkness that could spread out to obscure a limited area. She was also an expert at hand-to-hand combat, which made her good looks even more of an anomaly. Heroes should not be cover girls, the Guardian thought. It somehow tarnished their images.

  The fifth member of the team was Earthwave, who was able to manipulate solid ground in some amazing ways. The Guardian wasn't sure if this ability sprang from the gadget-covered costume that Earthwave wore, or if it was a natural ability, or some combination of the two. He decided it was the latter, for he had seen Earthwave cause concentrated quakes, ride waves of flowing rock, and even erect walls of dirt in front of fleeing bad guys. His powers would come in handy in this operation.

  Finally there was the Guardian himself, dressed in black coat and hat, wearing a black mask. He carried a diamond-tipped cane, his trademark and a weapon to be reckoned with.
In addition, he was stronger than most normal men, and he was an excellent fighter. But more, he was a leader, and that put him in charge of this team of Mystery Men.

  "The base appears to be quiet, just going about its regular business," the Guardian told them. "That will all change once we arrive. There are twenty guards from my count, but that does not include any that may be within the buildings. Before we take this place apart, I want to get a closer look at that seaplane."

  He looked over the group, then issued orders. "Rocket

  Blue, take the Golem and wait near the main gate for my signal. When you get it, take down the generator building. Earthwave and Raven Wing, station yourselves at the south fence. When you get my signal, I want you to trash those guard barracks before the general alarm can be sounded."

  "What about me?" Wind Whirl asked. "I didn't come all this way just to watch."

  "I wouldn't dream of leaving you out of the fun and games, kid," the Guardian said lightly. "You're coming with me."

  78

  Father Bryce dozed in the co-pilot's chair, snoring softly as the airplane continued its trip over the Indian Ocean. A patch of turbulence rocked the plane, however, and Bryce sprang awake.

  "What was that?" he asked, startled by the jolt.

  "There's another storm front ahead of us, Father," Tom said as he fought to keep the plane level.

  "Another front? Have we reached Great Britain already?"

  Tom shook his head. "No, we're just off the coast of Africa. I've got to set us down for fuel."

  "Africa? Then what does that storm mean?" Bryce asked nervously.

  "It means there is another realm out there, beyond the storm," Tolwyn said as she entered the cockpit. "They have sliced up your world, Christopher, carving out chunks in which to set their own reality."

  "Another realm? Baruk Kaah, Uthorion, the Gaunt Man ... weren't they enough?" Bryce felt himself losing it as the full impact of the meaning of the storm hit him. He bit down on his tongue, forcing the madness from taking hold of him. Then, once he felt he had control of himself again, he asked, "Can't you go around it, Tom?"

  "I could try, but we're very low on fuel," Tom said. "I need to get us to an airfield."

  "Do you know of any in this part of the world?" Tolwyn asked.

  "There's one outside of Qina, in Egypt. That's the place I usually stop on hauls along this route. It's as good a place as any to try. Now hang on, I'm going through the storm."

  Bryce crossed himself, offering a short prayer for his companions. He was beginning to hate traveling through the storm fronts between realities. As a matter of fact, he didn't think he'd ever like rain and thunder and lightning ever again.

  The front was before them, a looming wall of raging rain water and streaks of lightning. Bryce had a moment to examine the wall, to remember his previous trips through similar obstructions. Then the airplane flew into the storm.

  79

  The Guardian and Wind Whirl carefully made their way over the barbed wire fence to the back of the hangar. No one had noticed them yet, and everything was proceeding according to the Guardian's plan.

  "There is a door around the side, but we'll have to go through the water way to use it," the Guardian whispered.

  "Let's do it, then," Wind Whirl said impatiently. "I'm a man of action. I'm used to speed. This sneaking around is cramping my style."

  The Guardian grasped the young hero by the throat, moving with a blinding speed of his own. He squeezed,

  The Possibility Wars

  cutting off Wind Whirl's air. "Your style means nothing to me," he hissed angrily. "If you do anything to hamper this mission, I will kill you. Do I make myself clear? Nod once if you understand me."

  Wind Whirl nodded.

  "Very good," the Guardian said, releasing the young man. "Now follow me."

  The Guardian could feel Wind Whirl's hate-filled eyes boring into his back, but he didn't care. Let the youth think of me however he pleases, the Guardian thought. All that matters is that we complete our mission.

  He reached the corner of the hangar and peered around it cautiously. He saw two shocktroopers standing on the other side of the water way—too far away to take out quietly. He backed up behind the hangar and turned to whisper to Wind Whirl.

  "That way is not open to us," he said in a hushed tone. "We will have to make our own entrance."

  Wind Whirl looked confused. "How?" he whispered. "Neither of us have the Golem's strength or ..."

  The Guardian cut him off. "We have this," he said, holding up his diamond-tipped cane.

  The diamond tip was extremely hard and strong, and it was pointed to a cutting edge. The Guardian put all of his muscle behind it, slicing a deep cut into the metal of the hangar wall. He repeated the process, cutting at a cross angle from the first slice.

  "Luckily," he said as he pulled back on the sliced metal and bent it open, "this pre-fabricated material isn't very thick."

  They entered the hangar quickly, looking for any guards that might be around. All they saw was the seaplane, and a deep green shadow against the far wall.

  "Well, look what we found," Wind Whirl sneered,

  "absolutely nothing! Maybe this whole mission is a bust, Guardian. Did you think of that?"

  The Guardian ignored him. Something about the quiet of the hangar disturbed him. Something about —

  "The green shadow!" Guardian yelled. "Wind Whirl, watch out for the shadow!"

  The warning came to late, however. Machinegun fire exploded out of the green mist, for that was what it was. The Guardian could see that now. Round after round emerged from the mist, cutting Wind Whirl apart in a macabre dance of bullets and blood. Of course he would be their first target. If they gave him a chance, his speed would allow him to dodge the bullets. He never got a chance to prove that, however.

  When the firing stopped, Wind Whirl fell to the floor of the hangar, his body torn to pieces by the bullets. The Guardian, furious that someone in his team should be cut down like that, started to move forward, but a voice stopped him.

  "Take another step and we will open fire," the voice called out.

  The mist faded, revealing a dozen shocktroopers and a green-cloaked figure.

  "The Green Shroud!" the Guardian gasped.

  "I am flattered," the Shroud said, "you remember me!"

  "What is this all about, Shroud?" Guardian demanded, stalling for time as he tried to think of a way to take out the twelve machineguns pointed at him.

  "What does it look like? We discovered your spy and moved the operation to a more secure area. Then we set this little trap for you and your friends."

  Images of Angus Cage in the hands of Mobius, undergoing extreme tortures, flashed through the

  Guardian's mind. Then he saw the rest of his team, still unaware of the danger they were in. He turned to look out of the hangar, hoping to see some sign that they had reacted to the machinegun fire.

  "I wouldn't worry about your teammates right now if I were you, Guardian," the Green Shroud said pleasantly. "I'd worry about myself."

  The Guardian turned back to regard the villain with a cold stare. "I'd worry about you, too."

  "Bravado to the end, is that it?" the Green Shroud asked. "Bah! Take him!" he ordered, and the shocktroopers started to move.

  80

  Rocket Blue heard the machinegun fire. It came from inside the hangar, where the Guardian and Wind Whirl were heading. Round after round sounded from within the metal building. It sounded like they were emptying full drums of ammunition into their targets. She shuddered, knowing that the reaction could not be seen because of the battle armor she wore.

  "That sounds like trouble," the Golem said.

  The two of them were watching the main gate, but they saw no activity that suggested the base was on alert. The guards at the towers along the fence continued to talk or shuffle in obvious boredom, as though they could not hear the gun fire.

  "Golem, I'm going in," Rocket Blue informed him. "F
ollow after me and take down those guard towers."

  "You got it," the Golem said, but he doubted the Rocket Ranger heard him. She was already airborne, flying on great jets over the fence and toward the hangar.

  Rocket Blue only got a short distance when the next portion of the trap was sprung. Electrified cables burst from a hatch in one of the towers, hurling themselves directly at the Rocket Ranger. They wrapped around her battle armor before she could react, sending volts of disrupting energy through her suit. The jets immediately conked out, and Rocket Blue plummeted to the ground, landing hard. She remained where she fell, unmoving.

  Golem, screaming his rage, tore through the barbed wire like it was string. He ignored the shocktroops rushing toward him, ignored the guards in the towers. He was heading directly for Rocket Blue.

  Before he reached her, however, a huge figure stepped out from behind a building. It was taller and broader than the Golem, and it wore a battle suit that seemed patterned after the Rocket Rangers' suits.

  "Allow me to introduce myself," the armored villain said. "I'm Tank."

  Then he swung a massive, armored fist at the Golem. It landed with a jarring thud, and everything went black.

  81

  Raven Wing heard the commotion on the other side of the base and immediately saw it for what it was. "This whole thing is a set up," she told Earthwave, "a trap."

  Earthwave pointed his hands at the ground, directing his energy at the earth. Suddenly a mound of sand rose up under him, giving him a better view of the base. "What should we do?"

  "I would suggest that we —" but Raven Wing didn't get a chance to finish. Two figures appeared on the other side of the barbed wire fence. They were dressed in mirror-image uniforms, covered with the same designs only inversed one to the other.

  "The Rage Brothers!" Earthwave shouted, ordering the mound of sand to propel him forward. It rolled across the ground, and Earthwave rode it like it was a surfboard.

  "Earthwave, wait!" Raven Wing called, but he ignored her. The Rage Brothers were two of his most notable enemies, and he couldn't be reasoned with when his mind was made up. In some ways, Earthwave was as slow and dense as the elements he manipulated.