Jack’s eyebrows tied themselves up into knots. “Know him?” he asked. “I just got here. I don’t know anyone but you and Blue.”
“Right, right, of course,” Jazen said, clearly disappointed. “It’s just that no one’s seen him in twelve years, and I thought maybe… never mind.”
“Who was he?” Jack asked.
“He was the Circleman from Cognito. That’s what we call them,” he added, gesturing up toward the seats. “He held his seat for almost five hundred years. He was a real hero, like Legend. And he was a good friend.”
“Five hundred years?” Jack asked. “How’d he live so long?”
“It had something to do with his powers, but I’m not exactly sure.”
“Why hasn’t anyone replaced him?” Jack asked.
“He was there so long,” Jazen said. “After five hundred years he was more than just a man. He was an institution. No one could replace him. No one wanted to try to fill his shoes. Also, you have to understand, Cognito is an odd part of town. The whole place is one big hideout. People go there to disappear, not run for elections. If they wanted to be in the public eye, they wouldn’t be in Cognito.”
Jack thought Cognito sounded like a good place for someone like him to live. “What’s it like there?” he asked Jazen.
“I don’t really know. Without Stendeval, Cognito’s more mysterious than ever, and the Inner Circle… well, it just isn’t the same. I can tell you this: If Stendeval were here, we wouldn’t even be talking about anyone dissecting you.”
Jazen had a concerned look about him that he couldn’t quite hide entirely. He didn’t come right out and say it, but Jack got the feeling that with Stendeval gone, anything could happen.
Jack gulped as the clock struck noon. It was time. Jack heard footsteps in the tunnels, and the members of the Inner Circle began to enter the sphere. The first to arrive was a giant man dressed like a medieval swordsman, with a thick, bushy beard and a fur cloak. Jazen whispered that the brute was the warrior king of Varagog Village. Jack recognized him instantly as Hovarth, the barbarian warrior from his comic books. “Holy cow, that’s Hovarth!” Jack said. Hovarth looked down on him with a suspicious eye and rested a giant sword and battle-ax on the table. Next, a man with silver skin and a bright blue supersuit flew into the room. He took his seat at the Galaxis chair. Jack knew who he was too.
“That’s Prime!” Jack exclaimed.
“Right again,” Jazen said.
“I don’t believe this,” Jack said. “He’s one of my favorite heroes!”
“One of ours, too,” Jazen said. “He’s the Circleman of Galaxis. He’s also one of the last Valorians in the galaxy, which is something you may or may not have read in your comic books.”
After Prime, a mechanical orb about the size of a grapefruit whizzed into the room. The orb settled by an empty chair and then projected a beam of golden light that formed the shimmering image of the most beautiful woman Jack had ever seen. She looked like a backup character from a sci-fi comic book Jack liked. “Is that… Virtua?” he asked.
Jazen looked at Jack, a little surprised. “Just how many comic books have you read, Jack?” he asked.
“A lot,” Jack answered.
Jazen told Jack he was correct, and that Virtua was the new Circlewoman of Machina. Like Jazen, she was a sentient program, a Hard-Light Holo projection of a gorgeous artificial intelligence. She was followed by another familiar face: Chi, the Circleman of Karateka and leader of the ZenClan ninjas. Chi walked slowly toward his seat and then flipped through the air to land in it without making the slightest sound. He looked just like he had in Jack’s comics. He was an Asian man with snow-white skin, wearing a sleeveless blue karate robe over a black supersuit. He carried himself with a quiet, dignified authority—a dangerous ninja wrapped in a cloak of tranquility.
Finally, the Circle was joined by Jonas Smart, who also required no introduction. The Inner Circle was filled with heroes from Jack’s comic books. He hoped that would work in his favor, but had no idea how accurate the portrayal of these heroes in his comic books really was. Jack looked from face to face. Virtua showed signs of pity, Hovarth eyed him with contempt, and Smart’s expression conveyed outright disgust. Prime looked on Jack with a stern military gaze, and Chi’s face was impossible to read. “Call me crazy, but I don’t think any of these guys wanted you to bring me here,” Jack said to Jazen.
Jazen stared at Stendeval’s empty seat. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when Jonas Smart knocked on the table, calling the meeting to order.
“Shall we begin?” Smart asked the rest of the Circle, leaving Jack to wonder what Jazen had started to say. “The reason I called this meeting is standing before you now,” Smart said, walking around the Circle like a lecturing professor. “Throughout the ages the people of the Imagine Nation have been blessed to live in the best of all possible worlds. As we in the Inner Circle all know, that is no accident. We have fought to keep things this way, and paid for our perfection with the blood of heroes. That fight continues today. Our world is under siege.” His face turned sour. “Twelve years ago we were invaded by an enemy who has targeted us as the next stop on an intergalactic feast. Invaders who go from planet to planet, eating up all life and natural resources before moving on to the next target. One needs only to look upon the oncegreen planet of Mars to understand the full scope of the devastation that the Rüstov leave in their wake.”
“Jonas,” Prime interrupted, “we were all there. The whole of this Circle fought in the battles. What is the point of this history lesson?”
Hovarth answered for Smart, speaking in a thick English accent. “I think the point, Prime, is that if we’re not careful, history might repeat itself.”
“Thank you, Hovarth,” Smart said. “That is exactly right. The Rüstov attacked us here first, knowing full well that if the Imagine Nation were to fall, there would be no one on this planet strong enough to stop them. These are dangerous times. The idealist traditions of our great nation notwithstanding, we do not need to be tempting fate by bringing new people into our lands, people we do not know or trust beyond the shadow of a doubt.” Smart pointed to Jack. “Emissary Knight has crossed the line by bringing this creature, this infected child, here. Knight will tell you this boy is somehow resisting the Rüstov technovirus. What I see is a Rüstov sleeper agent, brought here by a Mecha, no less! Emissary Knight expects us to stand by idly while he sneaks an infiltrator in to infect our perfect world? Impossible. I want this boy terminated and sent to my lab immediately, and Emissary Knight dismantled pending a full investigation.”
“You can’t do that!” Jack yelled.
Smart shot down a fierce look. “Emissary Knight, you will instruct your charge to be silent or—”
“The boy has a right to defend himself,” Jazen cut in. “And so do I, for that matter.”
“Jonas, please!” Virtua agreed. “Emissary Knight’s loyalties are well-known. Let the boy speak. I for one would like to hear what he has to say.” Chi and Prime agreed, and Smart sat down and sulked.
“What should I say?” Jack whispered to Jazen.
“Just tell them the truth,” Jazen said. “Tell them who you are. You’ve got nothing to hide.”
Jack swallowed hard and looked up at the Inner Circle. Smart’s words had cut him pretty deep, but Jack could at least take comfort in the knowledge that he wasn’t a Rüstov sleeper agent. He also thought about what Jazen had said earlier. It didn’t matter that no one else had ever survived the Rüstov infection. He could beat it. He was special. He had to be to make it this far, didn’t he? Jack wasn’t so sure. He didn’t feel very special. His stomach felt hollow like an old, dead tree. He could barely breathe, let alone speak.
“Hi. My name is Jack Blank?” he squeaked out, sounding more like a question than a statement. “I’m uh… twelve years old, and I, umm…” Jack paused, unsure what to say next. “I wasn’t really ready for all this,” he admitted. “I don’t know any
thing about invasions, I don’t know anything about Rüstov spies… I don’t even know my real name. I just know that I’m not a Rüstov.” Jack was finding his voice. “I know it’s only my word against Mr. Smart’s, and you don’t have any reason to trust me. You don’t know me. But I know you. I read about all of you back where I came from. You’re my heroes. Heroes wouldn’t go through with something like this. The heroes I read about would give me a chance. Because I’m not a Rüstov. I’m just me. I’m just a kid who would really love to not be dissected.”
Jazen patted Jack on the back. “Well said,” he muttered. The panel stared back at Jack with curious eyes.
“What do you mean, you don’t know your name, boy?” Hovarth asked.
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know anything about who I am,” he said. “I only found out yesterday that I was born here. I have this birth certificate. We were hoping to find out more, but my file was ruined.” Jack took out his infected file and placed it on the table above him. “I’m not looking to make any trouble for anyone. Really, I’m not.” The members passed Jack’s file around the table, examining it. Hovarth held it with only two fingers, keeping it as far away from himself as possible, before passing it to Prime.
Prime squinted at the file but didn’t seem to make sense of it. “Jonas, is there no other way to get any information about this boy’s past?” he asked. “No other way to find out who he really is? He may be telling the truth.”
“That information is immaterial—he is infected,” Smart replied. “As for his records,” he continued with a patronizing tenor, “I’ll spare you the history lesson and simply remind you that countless records were lost in the invasion along with a great many lives. His family is most likely dead.”
“Jonas!” Virtua scolded. “Don’t say such things!”
“We can hardly assume otherwise,” Smart replied. “The SmartCams have been constantly broadcasting his image since he arrived and no one has claimed him.”
“That’s hardly surprising given your coverage of his arrival,” Virtua countered. ‘“Rüstov spawn terrorizes Hero Square?’ A bit sensational, I think.”
“It’s the truth,” Smart said. “This boy is a danger to us all. I refuse to take any chances with him. Lives are at stake.”
“Including his life!” Jazen said. “He’s one of us. He has powers and he’s immune to the Rüstov infection. They tried to kill him because of it. When I found Jack, he had just destroyed a Rüstov Para-Soldier.”
A surprised murmur ran through the panel. Prime tilted his head, clearly impressed. “Is this true?” he asked. When Jack nodded, Prime seemed pleased. “Just what are your powers, young man?”
“He doesn’t know what—,” Jazen began.
“I control machines,” Jack interrupted.
“You what?” Jazen asked.
“I figured it out last night,” Jack quickly whispered to Jazen. “I was going to tell you, but I didn’t want to freak you out. You know, seeing as how you’re technically a—”
“Don’t worry about me, tell them!” Jazen exclaimed.
“I control machines!” Jack repeated, turning back to Prime and the rest of the Circle. “I don’t mean to do it, it just happens. It doesn’t happen all the time, but that’s got to be it. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Machines react to my feelings. My mood. Yesterday I was really excited and drove a huge boat through a crazy storm to get here. I’d never even been on a boat before, but it worked with no problem. In the Hall of Records I had all this nervous energy and suddenly Jazen had a glitch. And before that…” Jack paused and thought about the events of the previous day in a new light. “Before that I was really scared and yeah, I’m pretty sure I used a power generator to blow up a Rüstov Para-Soldier.”
The Inner Circle whispered excitedly among themselves.
“Destroying a Rüstov Para-Soldier…,” Prime repeated. “Impressive for a boy your age. More than impressive.”
“It’s simply unheard of,” Virtua added. “Your powers must be mighty, indeed.”
“It makes sense,” Jazen said, seizing the moment. “It makes perfect sense. Let’s say Jack controls machines. The Rüstov are living machines! If his power is automatic, that has to be how he survived infection this long. His natural instinct to survive is keeping the Rüstov in check. That’s how he controls the Rüstov inside him!”
“But he doesn’t control his power,” Hovarth argued. “It changes with his moods. What if the Rüstov adapts when he relaxes? Gains the upper hand?”
“That’s why Jack belongs here, where we can teach him to control his abilities,” Jazen argued.
“It’s why Jack is dangerous,” Smart countered. “For all you know, this boy is controlling you right now. He could be using you to slip past our defenses so he can call back the Rüstov Armada!” Smart turned to his fellow Circlemen. “This is all the more reason why Emissary Knight has to be dismantled, if only temporarily. I want to run a full diagnostic on him. He’s not himself! I’m not questioning his loyalty, it’s this…child. He needs to be exec—” Smart stopped himself. “He needs to be put to sleep so that we can end this threat. Then I can dissect his body and examine both his biological organs and any technological tissue. It’s the only way to harvest his power so that we can all resist the Rüstov infection. That way, everyone can benefit!”
“Everyone except me!” Jack said. “They’re not actually going to do this, are they?” he asked Jazen.
Jazen looked over the Inner Circle’s faces one by one, trying to guess their feelings on the matter. “This is the Imagine Nation!” Jazen pleaded. “Here, of all places, we should be able to find an alternative to this. I know what I’m doing. I’m not being controlled by Jack.”
“So you say,” Hovarth interjected. “Surely it is better to err on the side of caution, no?”
“Not if it means dismantling me and killing this boy,” Jazen said. “We’ve already sacrificed so much to the Rüstov. We’ve all but closed our borders. Now we’re going to kill the people who come here?”
“You’re the one who brought him here, Emissary Knight,” Smart noted. “His blood is on your hands.”
“Harming this boy won’t serve this city,” Jazen replied. “It will betray everything the Imagine Nation stands for. If you do this, the Rüstov have already won.”
“On the contrary,” Smart reasoned. “Legend’s sacrifice against the Rüstov proves that the suffering of one individual can, in fact, serve the greater good. The logical conclusion is that the more suffering we see, the better things are actually getting.”
“That makes no sense!” Jack objected.
“Child, don’t tax your feeble mind trying to understand why I’m right—just accept that I am,” Smart said. No one else argued with him. Jack was suddenly worried. Coming into the sphere, Jazen had made it seem like Smart’s whole plan to dissect him was too crazy to take seriously. Now it looked like a real possibility. “Enough of this,” Smart continued. “I move that we vote on this matter now, and then proceed to the festival outside.”
“I have a question first,” Chi said softly, speaking up for the first time.
Smart blew a sharp snort of air out his nostrils and frowned. “How nice of you to join us, Chi,” he quipped.
Chi opted not to dignify Smart’s barb with a response. He directed his attention to Jack and Jazen. “How exactly did you find this boy, Emissary Knight? What led you to him?”
“It’s part of my job to seek out gifted ones, Circleman Chi,” Jazen replied. “Generally, when dealing with power levels like Jack’s, they’re impossible to miss.”
“Yes, but that wasn’t the case here, was it?” Chi guessed. “I reviewed the SmartCam footage from the Hall of Records. You told the customs clerk that you were encouraged to bring this boy back. What did you mean by that?”
Jazen hesitated but was compelled to speak. “Two nights ago I received a letter… a letter that told me about Jack. It was from somebody important, som
ebody we all trust. He told me where to look for Jack. I followed the directions, and there Jack was.”
“Who was this letter from?” Chi pressed, digging deeper.
Jazen pulled an orange envelope from his jacket pocket and held it in the air. “It was from Stendeval,” he said.
The entire Circle let out a collective gasp, but no one was more shocked than Jack. A letter from Stendeval, the man who had been missing since the Battle of Empire City, written about him?
Smart wasted no time in casting further suspicion on the matter. “I can see why Emissary Knight didn’t bring this up himself. That letter was probably sent by the Rüstov!”
The letter was passed around the table, and the Circle erupted with arguments debating its legitimacy. All of the Circlemen were up in arms, quarreling. All except for Chi, who somehow maintained his Zen-like calm. “Thank you, Emissary Knight,” Chi said peacefully. “Jonas, I agree. We are ready for a vote. I invite you to begin.”
“I intend to,” Smart said. He stood up, clearly upset by the Stendeval business. He cleared his throat, then straightened his jacket and hair, composing himself like a lawyer readying his closing statements.
“Even if you don’t believe this child is a Rüstov conspirator,” Smart began, “no one can argue that he is not infected. Our laws demand that we terminate him before he becomes one of the Rüstov himself. It is unfortunate, but there is no other possible future for him. Any attempt to forcibly remove a Rüstov parasite has resulted in the death of the host, in every case! On the motion to have my Peacemakers execute the infected child and donate his body to science, I vote yes,” Smart said, unflinchingly certain of his own infallibility.
As Jack listened to Smart pontificate before the Circle, he was floored by the man’s ice-blooded nature, as well as the absolute pride he seemed to take in that nature. Jonas Smart wore his lack of a heart on his sleeve.
“I might add that I resent Emissary Knight’s tactics,” Smart added. “Invoking the name of Stendeval in the hopes that it might sway this panel’s ruling. You dishonor his memory, sir.” Smart pointed an accusing finger in Jazen’s direction. “But perhaps that is part of the enemy’s plan. A mysterious letter written in the hand of an old friend. Someone whom we all miss. Whom we all trust. But a letter telling you to bring an infected child into the Imagine Nation… It troubles me that you did not find this suspicious, Emissary Knight. I further move that the emissary should be dismantled immediately for a full system scan by SmartCorp engineers. Circleman Prime, you are next.”
Accidental Hero (Jack Blank Adventure) Page 9