You know, I’d forgotten that Megaton had been playing with rockets in high-school? He’d planned on becoming an aerospace engineer; after all of this he might just do it anyway. Our space adventure gave him a huge boost in that direction—two weeks in zero G means we’ve officially clocked enough extra-atmosphere time that we’re spacers now. How cool is that?
But, details. We didn’t even think about diverting the Big Meteor of Death. What, leave it hanging around out there, a big old Sword of Damocles? Is this a 90s movie starring 80s hair metal bands?
Nope, we mined the crap out of it. Megaton drilled holes and I planted bombs. Nuclear ones. When we backed off and detonated all of them, without enough mass for gravity to hold it together, the BMOD just sort of came apart. Close to two dozen big pieces and hundreds of small ones. We got to work on the big ones, breaking them down more and pushing them on their way; by the time we finished we were in the middle of a new and expanding asteroid field. Then we came home.
How close did we cut it? Between our weeks in the god-fish’s recursion loops and the search and then playing space-miners? Doesn’t matter, we got home a month before the BMOD did.
So yeah, we pulled off the mission at point-blank range by interplanetary standards. Even so, more than two thirds of the BMOD’s fragmented mass is going to miss us completely now. The rest is in small enough bits that the Big Meteor of Death is arriving as an “unexpected” and spectacular meteor shower over most of the northern hemisphere (NASA is watching to destroy any bigger pieces that might follow troublesome trajectories—good target practice). Kitsune and I are watching it tonight at my Bear Mountains cabin. We’re there now and the light is dying, so that’s it for now. So all my best, Future Me. You’ll know how this all turned out, but here’s me crossing my fingers on my own current “personal adventure.”
Wish me luck.
From the totally classified journal of Hope Corrigan.
* * *
I put the pad in my bedside drawer and went downstairs. Kitsune—Yoshi—puttered in the kitchen; he’d turned out to be a finickily domestic man and watching him made me smile. Rei wasn’t domestic, but Kitsune always chose the face most suited to the moment so I never saw her when it was time to do the dishes.
He grinned wickedly when he saw me, and I flushed remembering what we’d done in the kitchen earlier. Getting a pine-smelling horse blanket from the closet, I turned off the tap, took his hand, and led him outside. The cool spring night sang with the usual mountain sounds: vibrating insects, burbling creek, whispering trees. Best of all, the sky was practically cloudless, just enough wisps to lend majesty to the fading sunset. Climbing to the deck, I arranged the blanket and settled onto the couch, pulling Kitsune down beside me. The first stars were coming out.
I love the stars.
Kitsune stretched out so his head lay in my lap, making me laugh. It had to be a fox-thing, it was the same no matter what face he wore. When I ran fingers through his hair he reclaimed my hand, twining our fingers together.
“Why do you do that?” I asked.
“Do what?”
“Drape yourself on me all the time?”
He chuckled quietly. “You’re like a warm rock. You are a rock. Do you know, through everything that’s happened you haven’t changed at all?”
I swatted him. “Hey! I’ve changed. I’ve changed all over the place.” I started to laugh.
“What?”
“I’m just remembering, I told Shell you’re like water. You know, always changing.”
He tucked my hand in by his cheek, chuckling. “So we’re a Zen garden.”
“Hmm?” The rough feel of his chin was distracting me.
“There’s one at Hikaru’s shrine.” When I threatened him he laughed and reclaimed my hand. “A central rock, surrounded by sand raked in ripple patterns. It’s a metaphor for nature. The rock represents an island, the sand is water. The sand patterns can change, but the rock, that’s always there. Stability in chaos. Permanent and changing, always the same garden.”
“So poetic, rolling my eyes now.” I took my hand back to play with his hair some more. I couldn’t seem to stop doing that. “A Zen garden, huh?”
“You make me want to meditate.” He laughed when I swatted him again, and then pointed.
Overhead, stars had begun to fall.
Glossary
Ajax: aka Professor Charles Gibbons. One of the founding Sentinels and the naming breakthrough of the Ajax Class, Ajax wore Greek-style armor and carried a huge short-handled battle maul. He was also a tenured professor at the University of Chicago (he wrote The New Heroic Age, the seminal work on superheroes and the Post-Event Era), and one of Astra’s trainers. Ajax died fighting Seif-al-Din in the Whittier Base Attack, and Astra carries his maul in his honor.
Agent G: aka George Gregory Garrison. Agent G is a polymorph. His default shape is a flesh-toned amorphous humanoid blob. He can shapeshift to copy any target he gets a good look at, within limits of his mass and variable density (this allows him imitate targets ranging from 5’10’’ to 6’5” with varying builds). He’s become an amazing mimic, and works with the DSA, FBI, and other intelligence and law-enforcement organizations when a double is needed. His mutable body is very tough and strong (roughly equivalent to a C Class Ajax-Type), and even a little “stretchy”—a feature that’s occasionally proven useful. (Agent G was created by Grayson Judd.)
Alice: aka Alecia Springer. Alecia is an A Class Animator and a Hillwood Academy student. She is a talented and imaginative girl, and her power allows her to animate her drawings to bring to life a host of fantastical creatures. Some are animals like Myst the fairy-fox, others fully sentient beings like Sassafras the treewife, and all come from the fairy kingdom of Avalon—the dream-world where she imagined her adventures as a plucky young heroine named Alice. Alecia wants to help people but loves her fairy friends and doesn’t consider them weapons or tools to be thrown into danger, and she’s still trying to decide what to do when she graduates. She’s still playing with future code-names, and is currently partial to The Illustrator. (Alice was created by Jori Miller.)
Ambrosius: aka Agent Elijah “Eli” Quinn. Agent Quinn is a B Class Merlin-Type, although often mistaken for a Kinetic or Projector-Type. He generates liquid light from the spiritual power of his “inner well.” Eli can shape his light into solid forcefields and project it as blasts of power. He can also use more gentle emanations of his light to aid physical and spiritual healing. He can “see” the spiritual state of people around him, as well as detect powers of a magical or psychic nature, by the light of his inner well. Eli is a TDSSRD agent (Texas Department of Safety, Superhuman Response Division), a White Hat. (Ambrosius was created by Austin Murrey.)
Andrew’s Designs: Somebody needs to help capes look good and not so much like happy cosplayers. That’s Andrew, the premier costume designer for capes who can afford his exclusive services, and Andrew has designed most of the Sentinels’ and Young Sentinels’ costumes. Andrew himself is something of a mystery; he is well-built, very fit, and carries himself like an ex-soldier—not exactly a normal thing in the fashion industry. Meeting him, Astra and others have wondered if he is or might have been a cape himself (some keep secret identities, after all).
Anne-Marie Corrigan: The daughter of an old blue-blood Chicago family, Anne-Marie scandalized high-society by marrying John Corrigan. John was a decade older than her, not from one of the best families, and not yet successful. Their children are Josh, Aaron, Toby, Faith, and Hope. When Faith died of a childhood disease, Anne-Marie founded the Faith Corrigan Foundation. The foundation throws charitable art and social events and collects millions of dollars in donations from Chicago’s elite towards medical research and children’s aid at home and abroad.
Archon: Archon is the designation of one of the thirteen extrarealities encountered by Astra during the events of Team-Ups and Crossovers. Its name is taken from the name of the US government agency tasked with dealing with su
perhuman crimes and with “atypical situations” that might call for a superhuman response. In a major divergence from Reality Prime history, the Archon extrareality appears to have always had superhumans, although they weren’t publicly recognized until recently. How this is possible without major historic divergence until the 1990s is unknown, and the question gives extrareality theorists fits. This isn’t the only thing that bothers researchers. Superhumans in Archon aren’t breakthroughs; their powers don’t typically manifest from traumatic triggering events. There are also indications of both superscience and magic operating independently of Verne-Type or Merlin-Type powers and agents investigating Archon are turning up evidence of both aliens and mythical races—again leading to the puzzle of historic non-divergence. (Note: Archon and everything and everyone in it is the wholely owned intellectual property of Dave Barrack. See the Grrl Power serial webcomic.)
Artemis: aka Jacky Bouchard. Jacky was the victim of a deranged breakthrough. Obsessed with her and believing himself a true vampire of the Dracula variety, he killed her parents, kidnapped and imprisoned her, and used his vampiric powers to turn her into a vampire as well. She staked and decapitated him, burned him to ashes, and scattered him on Lake Michigan. Jacky never had any vampire obsessions before, so she did not “inherit” that part of her supernatural breakthrough; she is not repelled by crosses or garlic, does not need permission to enter a home, and after an encounter with another breakthrough’s Word of Life, is the world’s only known living (vs. undead) vampire “daywalker.”
The Ascendant: Just three years after the Event, Doctor Simon Pellegrini wrote The Sleeper Must Awaken, the manifesto of The Foundation of Awakened Theosophy. An organization dedicated to using meditative imaging and “enlightenment” techniques to trigger breakthroughs in its followers, it was dismissed as one of the more harmless “origin sellers.” Unknown to the public, Dr. Pellegrini was also the Ascendant, a supervillain terrorist who claimed credit for several mass-disasters which killed hundreds or thousands while triggering handfuls of breakthroughs. It’s believed that the Ascendant was behind the Green Man attacks on Chicago.
The Ascendancy: So far the only known members of the Ascendancy are the Ascendant and the Wreckers, plus escapees from the Detroit Supermax breakout (many of them teens) who may have stayed with him. The DSA is closely monitoring all former members of the Foundation of Awakened Theosophy as well. The Ascendancy believes that 1.) breakthroughs are the next step towards racial apotheosis, 2.) that as transcendent humans, breakthroughs are spiritually awakened and superior and should “guide” unawakened humanity, and 3.) when a sufficient number of sleepers awaken then all of humanity will experience a collective awakening (the self-awakened will still be on top, of course).
Astra: aka Hope Corrigan. The titular heroine of the stories, Astra achieved an A Class Atlas-Type breakthrough when the Dark Anarchist dropped the Ashland Overpass on her in a messy assassination aimed at someone else. In short order she became Atlas’ sidekick and then the youngest member of the Sentinels. Her parents are John (Iron Jack) and Anne-Marie Corrigan.
Atlas: aka John Chandler. Atlas was the first Post-Event superhuman to be caught on video (impressively catching a falling plane), and the first to put on a costume and give himself a superhero codename. Only eighteen at the time and “Just a boy from Texas, ma’am,” Atlas dedicated his life to protecting others and advancing the image and position of superheroes. The naming breakthrough of the Atlas-Type, he died at the hands of Seif-al-Din while protecting the President during the Whittier Base Attack. Many consider him the archetype by which superheroes are measured.
Barlow’s Guide to Superhumans: Barlow’s Guide is a famous publication, updated annually and listing all known superheroes, their powers, and brief biographies (when known). It’s pretty thick, and it established both the Power-Type categories and the Power Scale (A Class through D Class denoting highest to lowest power levels). It is not an official or scientific publication, however.
The Bees: Julie Brennan, Annabeth Bauman, and Megan Brock. The Bees were that circle of It Girls you hated or idolized in high school: glamorous, from “good” families, and supremely confident. When Hope’s friend Shelly died during high school freshman, year Julie led them in “adopting” a broken and lost Hope. Julie is the bossy leader, Megan the group’s snarker, Annabeth the nice one who just likes everyone to be happy, but since graduation they’ve all shown other sides of their character (especially Annabeth). They remain very important to Hope, although she struggles to maintain the connection under the pressures of her superhero career.
Doctor Beth: Doctor Jonathan Beth is the Sentinels’ resident physician, and a researcher of “superhumanology.” He studies breakthroughs and the manifestations of their powers and has written many monographs, giving lectures around the world. He carries lollypops for good patients and reminds Astra of her family doctor.
Black Powder: aka Tycho Kwon. Black Powder calls himself a “trouble shooter.” He has the power to transmute bullets as he fires them, changing them into a substance that defies analysis (and breaks down fast after firing). The transmuted bullets can take any property of density, frangibility, etc., allowing him to fire anything from stunning “mercy bullets” to rounds that can pierce an A Class Ajax-Type’s hide. His power doesn't just affect impact: his transmuted bullets let him penetrate defenses like forcefields and magnetokinetic interception. Formerly US Army, Black Powder is now a civilian contractor with the DSA. He works on protection details and teams serving General Warrant on extremely dangerous breakthroughs. (Black Powder was created by Jacob Crimin.)
Blacklocks: Capitalism creates a service for every need. Blacklock Security is a developer and supplier of superhuman restraints, everything from titanium shackles and cells to “sandman” tranquilizer packs, hoods, and more exotic means of restraint. Today most heavy-duty shackles are referred to as Blacklocks.
Blackstone: One of the Sentinels’ founders and a mentor to Atlas and later to Astra, Blackstone was a retired US Marine turned stage magician. His power is essentially “stage magic”—he can appear and vanish both himself and objects he pulls from his hat or waves away (teleportation), fly (levitation), and spin completely convincing visual illusions. He has always been the team’s intelligence analyst, and after the deaths of Atlas and Ajax, the last serving founders, he became the team’s de-facto leader.
Breakthrough Powers: Breakthrough powers come in all shapes and sizes, although most tend to conform to “types” made popular by media exposure or societal beliefs, and they range from trivial or close to human ability (D Class) to amazing (A Class). Power naming conventions vary; the most common powers are named after the first breakthrough witnessed exhibiting them (Atlas-Type, Ajax-Type, Volt-Type, Verne-Type, Merlin-Type, etc.), or a classic type (Speedster, Kinetic). (Author’s note: one of the best sources for power-types is the TV Tropes wiki, under Stock Superpowers. But beware, TV Tropes is best read with someone who can force you to stop.)
The Brotherhood: In the aftermath of the Event, many street gangs found themselves becoming minions to street-level supervillains. Chicago developed two such supervillain/minion gangs; the Brotherhood and the Sanguinary Boys. The two fought constantly for turf rights to various criminal activities (mainly protection rackets, prostitution, and street-distribution for the Chicago Mob).
Burnout: aka Roger Carr. Burnout was one of the super-celebrity creations of the entertainment industry. A talented singer who manifested pyrokinetic powers (immune to heat, able to generate and control flame), he became a huge recording pop-star—which lead him into drugs, groupies, and eventually convictions for multiple counts of statutory rape and drug possession.
Capes: There are a few reality television series devoted to superhumans, and Capes is one of the better ones. It is entirely action footage shot by camera crews following different CAI capes around on patrols and missions, and interviews with the subjects.
Chakra: The Sentinels’ most contr
oversial member, Chakra is an A Class Mentalist who gained her tantra-based breakthrough powers during an episode of epiphany-triggering episode of ritual sex. She describes her powers as Tantric Magic, but while they are charged by tantric rituals they largely conform to classical psionic powers (forms of telepathy, ESP, precognition, psychic healing, and levitation). Although now a full-time Sentinel, she holds a degree in psychology—she studied sexual behavioralism—and was a licensed sex therapist. After becoming a Sentinel she capitalized on her fame to write The Sacred Gates, a book on sacred sex.
The Chinese States: Also known as the Secession States, these are the territories which revolted against Beijing in the aftermath of the brutal suppression of minority and politically distrusted breakthroughs following The Event. They are currently struggling to suppress their own would-be warlords. In this they are being assisted by Indian and League troops. It’s expected that most of the Secession States will confederate with a reformed Beijing to reunite China, but at least four will almost certainly go their own way: Tibet, Xianjang, Manchuria, and Hong Kong.
Citizens for Human Rights: CHR is a political activist group which loudly advocates restrictions on superhumans and superheroes. They have picketed to protest the special legal treatment of superheroes—such as being able to testify while wearing a mask—and to support superhuman registration and the right to know when they are living next to superhumans.
The Crew: Superhero vs. Supervillain fights can cause a lot of damage that has to be cleaned up quickly, and the Crew is a superhuman contracting company which specializes in fast cleanup. It hires Ajax-types, strong telekinetics, and other superhumans with powers that do the job. Crew members often take on codenames like Border, Irons, Brace, and Gantry, and when they aren’t cleaning up after superhuman fights they are traveling to disaster areas where reconstruction speed is vitally important.
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