Wonder Heroes 4.0

by Ahlquist, Steve

  Susan found herself almost unable to think. Despite her conversation with Theodore, and even though she knew, all along, that this was why she was brought here, she had been able to avoid confronting the truth. Until General Rumpole said it out loud, it was just an abstract impossibility. Now she was confronted with the very real possibility of becoming a Wonder Hero, and changing her life forever.

  The rest of the room was in an uproar. The excitement coursing through the crowd could be felt like a jolt of caffeine. One of the potential candidates, a man in his early twenties, with deep blue eyes and short blond hair strode confidently up to the General. In a crowd of the best and brightest, this one could lead, and the others seemed to sense it. They made way for him and by some sort of silent election chose him to speak for them all.

  “Okay,” said their new leader, slapping his fist into the palm of his hand, “let’s do this.”

  General Rumpole frowned, and raised the megaphone. “Just a moment, please. There are things you should know.”

  The crowd brought their attention back to the General, and Rumpole continued, “The Gauntlets choose the Hero. We don’t know how, exactly, or what qualities the Gauntlets are looking for. We can only bring in the best candidates and hope for the best. So far, the Gauntlets have rejected every candidate we’ve brought to them.”

  Next to Susan, Theodore said, under his breath, “Military.” Then he spoke loudly, and the entire room turned towards Theodore and Susan. “It’s rumored that the gauntlets distrust the military, and only choose civilians, to better represent the planet.” Susan suddenly realized that her hair must be a mess, and that she was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing the day before.

  The General seemed to forget the megaphone in his hand and he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Yes, well, even so, the second and most important thing you should know is that once chosen, you will be a Wonder Hero, a defender of our planet, until you die. The Gauntlet cannot be removed until the, uh, the Wonder Hero dies.” The General looked angry at his inability to control his emotions in public.

  The room again filled with discussion as General Rumpole conversed with the scientists that had accompanied him.

  Susan looked at Theodore, placing her coffee cup on the table. “I can’t do this.”

  “Can’t do what? This? Are you kidding?” Theodore shook his head as if to jumble Susan’s words into an order that made sense. “This is the chance of a lifetime. I mean, I know I don’t really have a chance, and it’s an honor just to be asked, but it’s the chance of your lifetime!”

  Susan could not find the words to respond. She started to walk away from Theodore, from everything. She did not know where she was going. Theodore followed her.

  “Sue! Suzy! Susan! Who doesn’t want to be a superhero? Fighting monsters, defending the Earth?”

  Susan turned. “It’s crazy. People die. Do you know what kind of responsibility that is?”

  Theodore stood up straight and took a step backwards. “Wow.”

  “What wow?”

  “All my life I’ve wanted this, and even having gotten this close, I know I’ll never make it.” Theodore pointed to the blond the group had silently appointed their leader. “Look at Captain America over there, the all American boy. That’s Jay Parker. He’s on the website. Taking triple majors at Stamford, champion skier and decathlon-er… and the girls love him. He’s going to make it. He’s going to put on the gauntlet and the gauntlet’s going to choose him because the world always goes his way. He’ll be a great hero too, probably. He was born to be the kind of hero they write histories about.”

  Susan raised her hands. “So?”

  “Look at me. I wear glasses. I’m too thin, have only meager martial arts skills, and out of the hundred or so people here I’m probably number one hundred. I’ll never make it, even though I want it so bad I feel sick.”

  Susan crossed her arms, and rested her weight on her hip, resigned to hearing the rest of Theodore’s rant.

  “Then there’s you. You’re easily in the top ten percent here. You have one of the best chances of being chosen, but you don’t want it. They are about to hand you the keys to the kingdom and you’re ready to walk away.”

  “I have plans for my life, Theodore,” Susan said, “I have things I want to do. Have you ever thought about what being a Wonder Hero really means? It means fighting and killing and fighting some more. It never stops, until you’re dead.”

  Theodore looked Susan in the eyes, “While you’re enjoying your life's plan are you going to remember the people who fight and kill and fight some more to allow you to live that life?”

  Susan turned and walked into the woman’s room. “There are better people for the job.”

  Suddenly alone Theodore looked down at the polished linoleum floors. “Probably not…” he said, but he was talking to himself. He looked up as General Rumpole read the first name off the list.

  “Parker, Jay.”

  Theodore shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “It figures,” but no one around him noticed.

  Wonder Heroes 4.03

  Jay Parker, the unofficial leader of the Wonder Hero candidates, raised his hand with a confident smile General Henry Rumpole did not return. Jay half-jogged to the front of the room with calls of “Good luck, man” and “Go get ‘em, Jay” following him. Jay reached out and shook General Rumpole’s hand.

  “Henry,” said Jay, “long time, no see.”

  “These men will show you the way,” said the General, disengaging from the handshake, “any questions, ask them.”

  Jay shook his head and laughed to himself. Rumpole acted all business, but it was well known in certain circles that Jay’s father, the head of Magma Corp, was no fan of the General, and the feeling was mutual. On some level, Jay thought, it must rankle the General to have the son of his political enemy here, at the top of the candidate list.

  Jay found himself at the center of a square made by four people, two military men in front, two scientists behind, being lead through doors that silently opened for them, and silently shut behind them.

  After a quick, inertia-less trip in the elevator to Level Four, Jay was lead into another room, almost as large as the one he had just left. A scientist helpfully mentioned to Jay that the Wonder Heroes referred to this room as the Locker. In the center of the room was a hexagonal table, divided into six wedges, one for each gauntlet. There were four gauntlets on the table, and Jay smiled as his eyes widened in anticipation. Armed military in full combat gear parted and allowed Jay and the two scientists to approach. Jay found himself standing in front of the Shadow Wonder Gauntlet.

  The gauntlet was open, like a cylinder with a hinge down one side, and at the top of the gauntlet, built into the table, was a hand shaped depression. As Jay got closer he noticed that the insides of the gauntlets were filled with tiny filaments. Closer still he could see that these filaments, that looked like extra fine steel wool, were hooked and twisted with cruel looking barbs and tiny tubes.

  “Whoa,” Jay blanched at the sight of them. “I thought the gauntlet just wrapped around your forearm.”

  “No. No,” said an older smiling scientist excitedly, her English clipped and precise, “The gauntlets seem to penetrate the flesh and tap directly into the nervous system. I’m told there is very little actual pain.”

  Jay looked doubtful. “How do I do this?”

  “The process is quite simple,” said the scientist helpfully, “place your forearm in the gauntlet. If the gauntlet wants you, it will choose you.”

  Jay screwed up his courage and placed his hand palm down into the hand shaped indentation on the black wedge, and then he lowered his forearm slowly into the open gauntlet.

  “You might feel a tingle, or a pinch,” added the scientist, still smiling.

  Jay frowned at the unwelcome advice as he lowered his arm into the gauntlet. He was surprised at how soft and gentle the coils of barbs and tubes
were. After a second or two Jay felt some relief at the thought that the gauntlet might not choose him. He shook his head and said, “Nothing.”

  The gauntlet suddenly snapped tight around Jay’s arm. He jumped back, but the gauntlet seemed to both tighten and relax its grip simultaneously, as if changing shape to accommodate his arm.

  “Ah! Ow! Ah!”

  Jay was trying to move away from the gauntlet that gripped his arm, tripped over his own feet, and fell hard onto his back. The military men stepped forward but the scientists waved them back.

  “Give him room! Give him room!”

  “Feels okay,” said Jay, between quick breaths. “Oh yeah, it feels good.”

  The gauntlet injected nanobots into Jay’s blood stream. He felt a not unpleasant buzzing in his head, like a painless headache, as a secondary layer of neural networks was piggybacked onto his nervous system. Black steam rose from Jay’s eyes as he rolled to his knees and then climbed unsteadily to his feet. Jay found his balance and looked at the gauntlet on his arm, seeing new details there visible only to him. As he considered the alien technology now permanently grafted to his right forearm, he started to intuitively understand how the gauntlet worked. He smiled and punched his right fist hard into the open palm of his left hand. Quicker than the eye a suit of chain mail-like Wonder Armor expanded from the gauntlet chink by chink, enveloping Jay completely, the Wonder Helmet forming like a bubble around his head. A vibration roiled through the entirety of Wonder Base as the Wonder Computer integrated Jay into all its systems.

  Jay smiled as the soldiers and scientists in the room looked on with awe and jealousy. In a moment Jay had become one of the most important people on Earth.

  “We have a new Wonder Hero Shadow,” said the woman scientist, taking readings with a small whining instrument of some kind.

  Jay shook his head. The name did not feel right. Jeff Stillman, Wonder Hero Shadow, was dead, and his call sign should be retired in his honor. “No,” said Jay, after a moment’s thought. Not Shadow," Jay retracted his helmet and looked directly at the people in the room as he said, "I’m Wonder Hero Jet, reporting for duty!”

  In the main room, Susan rejoined Theodore, who was sitting, back against the wall, knees up, alone. Susan leaned on the wall and slid down next to him.

  “Sorry,” she said.

  Theodore did not look up. “It’s okay, Susan.”

  The room vibrated and the lights dimmed. General Rumpole allowed himself a rueful smile that vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

  “Huh. I’d say that was a success. What gauntlet was that?” said the General aloud.

  The gentle monotone of the Wonder Computer replied. “The gauntlet formerly wielded by Jeffry Stillman has been reassigned to Jay Parker, Wonder Hero Jet.”

  “Jet?” asked the General, confused.

  Theodore looked at Susan. “Can I call them?”

  The General shrugged and looked at his chart. “Next up, Bergeron, Harrison.”

  Theodore and Susan watched as Harrison separated from the crowd and was led from the room by military personnel and scientists. A few minutes later the doors reopened and Harrison Bergeron exited. Susan had never seen such profound disappointment.

  “He didn’t make it,” Theodore could not help smiling. “I’m shocked. I’m happy, but shocked.”

  “I guess the website isn’t perfect,” said Susan.

  Theodore smiled. “I knew that when a military helicopter showed up outside my mother’s house.”

  “Watanabe, Walter!” said the General.

  Theodore leaned over to Susan. “He’s got to make it. He’s almost a superhero without the gauntlets.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. At eighteen the guy was instrumental in adapting some recovered alien technology for use on the moon base, and he’s built a prototype battle suit of his own. Not as good as the Wonder Heroes’ equipment obviously, but real good. His company is worth millions, maybe billions.”

  “I’ve heard of him,” said Susan, “he’s a good looking guy.”

  “Sure,” countered Theodore, “if you like, perfect looking, super people…” He ran out of words.

  Minutes later Walter Watanabe was leaving, looking more angry than disappointed. He walked past General Rumpole without making eye contact and right to the elevator that lead to the helipad.

  “He looks disappointed,” said Susan.

  “Sore loser,” said Theodore, “but still, who are the gauntlets waiting for?”

  “Daystrom, Susan!” called the General.

  “Oh. Of course,” said Theodore, looking at Susan, “I should have guessed.”

  Susan stood and approached General Rumpole directly. She was surprised at how tired the man looked, but he gave her half a smile as she said, “I don’t want this. I can’t do this.”

  “Chances are,” said the General, “you won’t have to. The gauntlets are picky.”

  “But if they do choose me...”

  “It’s forever. Yup,” the General looked her straight in the eye. “Look, I understand your reluctance, but are you sure you won’t end up regretting this?”

  “I’m sure.”

  The General nodded, and Susan stepped back into the crowd. Some of the other candidates looked almost angry with her. Others seemed relieved that their chances just became that much better.

  Rumple consulted his list. “Blackmoor, Huxley!”

  Two hours passed, and ninety more people walked in and out of the silent sliding doors, but no new Wonder Heroes were called. The room had gone from optimistic and upbeat to sullen and withdrawn, from a party ripe with potential to a wake of broken dreams. Susan yawned and wished she could fall asleep.

  “Getting to the end now,” said Theodore, breaking a long silence, “It’s hard to tell if my chances are better or worse. People are starting to wonder who the gauntlets are waiting for.”

  “Who said they’re waiting for anyone,” countered Susan, “they’re just machines.”

  “Alien machines,” corrected Theodore, “very advanced. Who knows how they work?”

  Before Susan could reply a woman yelled and ran to the wide windows. There were maybe half as many people in the room now as there were when Susan arrived, and all of them made for the wide tall windows that looked over the New Mexican desert. Outside the windows could be seen Wonder Hero Ultra, streaking towards Wonder Base.

  “Hey! It’s Ultra!” said Theodore, smiling, then, “Uh-oh.”

  Behind Wonder Hero Ultra there was a rising cloud of thick black smoke that rose over the horizon, blotting out the clear blue, sunny sky. Seconds later it became apparent that the viscous black smoke that threatened to fill the western skies was coming from hundreds of alien jet engines attached to the backs of robots or aliens in power suits. Angry green and jagged red lightning arced through the ever-growing black clouds.

  “What are they?” asked Susan.

  “Retroxin Rocketmen,” said Theodore, “Terraformers and planet killers.”

  Susan turned as she heard Jay Parker’s voice behind her. “All right! Finally some action.”

  For the first time Susan saw a Wonder Hero, in person, fully armored. Wonder Hero Jet strode from the elevator into the room with the easy confidence of a man suddenly become god. Power seemed to radiate from him. The only feeling that adequately described Susan’s reaction was awe. Suddenly the black cloud that filled over a quarter of the desert sky seemed less of a threat.

  Under his breath Theodore said, with unrestrained jealousy, “He’s waited what, like two hours?”

  Jay ran towards the window and dove through. Susan had seen this in the IMAX movie: the windows of Wonder Base were solid and impregnable but also somehow completely permeable to the Wonder Heroes. As Jay dove through the window, the window responded by merely wobbling a bit, like Jell-O. Jay fell out of sight, but as everyone in the room oo’d and ah’d, he rose and flew through the air, streaking t
owards Wonder Hero Ultra.

  The General raised his bullhorn to his lips. “People, the situation is in hand! You are perfectly safe inside the Wonder Base. Let’s keep this moving.” He consulted the clipboard in his hands. “Roman, Kalomo!”

  From the crowd stepped a good-looking black man. Susan guessed him to be about eighteen, on the younger side of the candidates assembled here. Kalomo smiled with an easy self-deprecation that made him instantly likable. He followed the scientists and military guards to the elevator.