Wonder Heroes 4.0

by Ahlquist, Steve

  As he was shuffled through the long subterranean corridors, Spratsis 3 of 8 stared into some of the cells, both impressed with the caliber of prisoners and strangely honored to be included among them. “Is that Maximass?” He asked, straining his neck for a longer look. Matt simply pushed his prisoner forward, ignoring the questions and comments. “What’s that thing?” asked the Spratsis, having caught a glimpse of the Dodecapuss.

  Matt stopped in front of a cell that might be considered more traditional. Atmosphere, gravity and temperature were kept nearly at Earth normal. The cell was constructed of simple stonewalls and strong metal bars.

  Inside this cell was Spratsis 2 of 8. As the two prisoners considered each other, several conflicting emotions ran through them. They summed up all those emotions in one word and said, simultaneously, “Brother.”

  “I thought you two might enjoy sharing a cell,” said Matt.

  The door opened at a mental command from Matt’s gauntlet and Matt removed the paw restraints from the new prisoner. Spratsis 3 of 8 joined his brother in the cell. The Spratsis brothers stared silently at each other as Matt ordered the cell to be closed and secured.

  Spratsis 2 of 8 peered through the bars at his captor. “We have more brothers you know.”

  “Yeah, I kind of guessed that from your names,” said Matt with unveiled sarcasm, “2 of 8, 3 of 8, very subtle that.”

  “We will have our revenge!” said 2 of 8, but he was talking to Matt’s back.

  Matt said, “That cell might start getting real crowded then.”

  As Matt walked back to the elevator, there was one cell he wanted to ignore. He did not want to see her, but in the end his curiosity overtook him, and before he knew it he was looking into the pink and black eyes of Princess Gargoyle. In her last battle she had been grievously injured, but her self-replicating bionics had already rebuilt her leg and most of her arm.

  Before Matt could look away she spoke with a soft, wavering sibilance, “How fares the new team, Matthew?”

  Matt declined to answer and kept walking.

  “Don’t walk away, Matthew. I’m lonely,” cooed the Princess, “Harlan taught me things about human men, when he visited me in my cell.”

  Matt stopped, and clenched his fists.

  “He found me beautiful. We sang in each other’s dreams. We did… sexual things… no human can imagine…”

  Matt controlled his breathing and began walking again. Princess Gargoyle contorted her small mouth into an imitation of a human smile. She imitated a human laugh. “He was a fool to love me.”

  Matt entered the waiting elevator.

  Gargoyle was shrieking now. “I almost killed you all!”

  Matt seethed as the elevator door silently closed.

  The last thing he heard was Gargoyle’s taunting laugh as she said, “I’ll just have to settle for having murdered your sister. Say goodnight to Cassie for me!”

  The last thing he heard was Gargoyle’s taunting laugh as she said, “I’ll just have to settle for having murdered your sister. Say goodnight to Cassie for me!”

  Wonder Heroes 4.08

  The Wonder Moons are a series of satellites launched into orbit from Wonder Base with which the Wonder Computer tracks all objects within the immediate vicinity of Earth and extending out a little over two light-years in all directions. Given the size of the solar system, with its planets, planetoids, moons, comets, asteroids, Oort cloud and Kuiper belt, not to mention the comparatively small number of artificial spacecraft and debris launched from the Earth, plus the dangerous gathering of extraterrestrial starships that sit just beyond the legal boundaries of Earth space, this was a rather large job, requiring a massive amount of computational power and surveillance. Fortunately the Wonder Computer was one of the most advanced artificial intelligences in the universe, and was therefore able to perform this function with comparative ease. In the case of a full on invasion of Earth by alien star-craft, the Wonder Moons were equipped with powerful energy cannons that few alien technologies could withstand.

  Natural objects act in a natural fashion, locked as they are in elliptical orbits under the steady, predictable forces of gravity and motion. Artificial objects stand out because they often use their ability to change direction, using various sorts of technologies and power sources to alter course. Human made craft are monitored, but regarded as harmless. Alien craft are not permitted within the solar system, defined as being the outer edge of the Kuiper belt, and just inside the Oort cloud, without permission. Since the year 2021 and the rise of the Wonder Heroes as Earth’s protectors, several fleets of alien starships, dangerous visitors from any number of alien empires, hover just outside that boundary, nestled among stray asteroids and chunks of icy methane. As long as the Wonder Heroes are alive and able to defend the planet, these alien star fleets would never dare to attack, but like the sword of Damocles, still threaten to fall at any moment.

  Smaller than a baseball, an irregular hunk of lead that could be traced to a star gone supernova nearly a billion light years ago blazed through the atmosphere above the Pacific Ocean. The Wonder Computer paid the object little heed. It was small enough to burn up upon entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, and the trajectory would cause the object to splash harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean.

  As the meteor blazed through the sky, the friction of the atmosphere generated heat enough to turn the lead to gas, revealing a solid green crystalline interior, a twenty sided gem about the size of a golf ball and of a composition never before seen in this galaxy.

  The gem splashed into the ocean with a sizzle and sank quickly into the deep depths below, landing upon the soft silty seabed and somehow burrowing beneath the sand. The gem glowed with light and warmth, and attracted the attention of several curious sea creatures. Some ocean life investigated, quickly determined the gem no good as food, and moved on.

  Secure beneath the great ocean the gem began to stimulate the elements and molecules around it, altering the chemical composition of the life forms it met with. Soon the gem was surrounded by organic flesh. Then it began adding to itself, becoming larger, becoming alive, and becoming aware. Programming replicated in the fires of supernova ran through the appropriated nervous systems of primitive mollusks and fish, genetics were altered and ruined. In hours the gem was acting as the power source for a creature never seen before on the ocean floor, a composite creature self actuated for nuclear reproduction.

  This new creature, resembling a crab with its four spindly legs and large powerful claws, but also a shark with its fearsome row of teeth and beady black eyes, raised itself from the silt and scurried across the ocean floor towards the nearby California coast. The monster had sensed the radiation and power present within the secure walls of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, and moved with purpose towards that goal.

  Susan Daystrom slept fitfully. She dreamed of rats and combat. The combination of new quarters and a large alien artifact of unknowable power permanently attached to her right forearm made it difficult to get comfortable. Sleep came quickly the night before because of her exhaustion after the battle in Calgary against the Spratsis, but now in the early morning hours she was becoming restless. After the fighting in her dreams became too much for her, she woke up.

  Susan did not move from her bed, but stared at the crimson Wonder Gauntlet. The room was windowless and completely dark, but with minimal mental effort the gauntlet allowed Susan to see into both the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums. As Susan stared into the gauntlet she could perceive increasingly more detail revealing itself almost fractally. The gauntlet appeared smooth and solid to the casual outside observer but close inspection allowed one to see the tangle of woven monofilaments and nearly microscopic components that allowed the Wonder Gauntlets to function. Earth’s brightest minds had so far only scratched the surface of the science behind the Wonder Gauntlets. The alien device on Susan’s arm represented technology perhaps a million years more advanced than that known
on Earth. No one knew how the gauntlets worked. It might as well have been magic that powered them, for all that science could tell.

  With this in mind, Susan wondered again what had compelled her to willingly merge her body and mind with such a wholly alien artifact.

  The clothes Susan had arrived in, including her school ID, keys and any cash she had kept in her pockets had been destroyed when she first summoned the Crimson Wonder Armor. Now she wore the red tee shirt and briefs that were always left behind when the Wonder Armor was dismissed. As Susan rolled out of bed she looked with displeasure at a small pile of boxes that contained red spandex jumpsuits exactly like the one that had been prepared for her to wear at the press conference the previous day. She immediately determined that she would not spend the rest of her life dressed in shades of red.

  Fortunately, as promised, her personal effects had been moved from her dorm room in Cambridge to her new rooms here at Wonder Base while she was in Calgary the day before. The Wonder Computer provided her with a hot cup of coffee on request and she started her day searching through the professionally packed moving boxes. She found her favorite oversized MIT sweatshirt and some comfortable plaid pajama bottoms to dress in.

  Susan’s room and the rooms of her fellow Wonder Heroes occupied Level Two of Wonder Base. The counterintuitive numbering of the floors, starting at the top and working down, took some getting used to. When the original Wonder Heroes first summoned the Wonder Base here in New Mexico, the complex was built from the top, continuing down and into the Mesa. Below Susan, on the third floor, were the visitor accommodations and the business affairs offices where a staff maintained the Wonder Heroes brand, such as licensing deals, public relations, and technology investments. WHI, (pronounced ‘why’) or Wonder Heroes Industries, as it was officially known, regulated access to the confiscated alien technology of the various would be extraterrestrial conquerors the Wonder Heroes defeated. It was deemed essential to get technology on Earth to a point where the planet could defend itself without the Wonder Heroes, but it was equally important to prevent this technology from falling into the hands of people who might misuse it.

  Susan was also interested in the various Wonder Hero charities. She knew that Terry and Jeff Stillman, the previous Wonder Heroes Light and Shadow, had worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people worldwide, on such varied issues as land mines, education and women’s rights. Susan hoped that her position would allow her to continue and expand upon their work.

  With some time to herself before the day started, Susan decided to explore the lower levels of Wonder Base. During the events of the last few days, with the unprecedented escape of Princess Gargoyle, the betrayal of Harlan Flicker and the formation of a new team of Wonder Heroes, much of the nonessential personnel of the Wonder Base had been evacuated, but over the last twelve hours staff was beginning to return. Susan left her apartment and took and elevator to level three, where the janitorial staff was out in full force emptying trash receptacles and wiping windows, and some early morning office workers and technical staff were beginning to arrive, to get a head start on the day.

  Susan was acknowledged in the hall. Everyone was respectful, and no one tried to speak to her, they merely smiled or gave her a polite “Good morning.” It was a strange thing to have so many people suddenly recognize her, the effect was distancing and disconcerting. She had never considered the possibility of being a celebrity, but today there was hardly a person on Earth who did not know her name.

  Susan’s gauntlet chimed in her head, somehow bypassing her ears. She had a message from Theodore. Susan looked at her wrist and saw a three dimensional image of Theodore’s head floating above it. With a thought she connected the call.

  “This is cool,” said Theodore, “I’ve got a floating 3D picture of your head here.”

  “Yeah,” replied Susan, “I’ve got you the same way. What’s up?”

  “Did you get breakfast yet?”

  Susan changed direction, looking for an elevator to take her back up to level two. “No. Me and my coffee can join you if you like.”

  “That would be… Cool!” Theodore’s face registered geeky surprise, “Hold the gauntlet up to a mirror! Your three dimensional head doesn’t have a reflection. I think the image is created in our minds.”

  Susan imagined Theodore in his apartment, looking at his gauntlet in the mirror. She held her gauntlet up to a darkened office window, ignoring the puzzled looks of passers by and could see the reflection of the gauntlet, but Theodore’s floating head was not reflected. “That’s creepy,” she said.

  Theodore replied, “You’d think it would be just as easy for the gauntlet to put the reflection in our heads too.”

  Susan found some stairs and took them two at a time. “It doesn’t bother you that the gauntlet can put images into our heads that aren’t there?”

  “Don’t get paranoid, Susan,” replied Theodore, summoning his creepiest Twilight Zone inspired voice, “the gauntlets are our friends. When are you coming up?”

  “I’m right outside,” said Susan as she made her way down the yellow hallway. The white door in the center of the hallway opened and Susan stepped into Theodore’s apartment. The layout here was completely different from her room. All Susan could say was, “Wow.”

  The apartment had several pinball machines installed, a theater style home entertainment center, and a fully functional kitchen. Moving boxes were open, and Theodore had used the contents to fill every square inch of shelving space with toys and books. Theodore was making waffles.

  “I was up all night, playing with the layout of the room.” He put a plate of waffles on the counter near Susan. “I didn’t sleep much.”

  Susan grabbed two waffles. “I know what you mean. I’m too excited? Is that the right word? I dreamed about rats all night.”

  “How about apprehensive?” asked Theodore, “I keep expecting to be woken by an alarm, and be teleported halfway around the world to fight the Moebius Worms or something.”

  “Is this how we live now? Always waiting for the next disaster? How do you get used to this?” Susan took a bite of waffle. “Oh my god! These waffles are awesome.”

  “Thanks, they’re sour dough,” said Theodore, buttering his waffles, “My mom emailed me the recipe.”

  “Tell her they’re great.”

  “Tell her yourself. She’s coming by tomorrow, I’m going to show her around.”

  Susan frowned. “I have to call my mother today. I only talked to her for like two minutes yesterday, and she was totally freaking out.”

  “Freaking out in a good way or a bad way?”

  “My mom only freaks out in a bad way.”

  Before Theodore could reply, the Wonder Computer interrupted, “Good morning Theodore. Good morning Susan. The General has scheduled a meeting in the conference room for 8am. He wants to go over today’s agenda.”

  Susan glanced at her gauntlet. The chronometer indicated that they had fifteen minutes to finish breakfast.

  Susan and Theodore arrived at the meeting right on time, Susan still dressed in her sweatshirt and pajama bottoms having decided against ever wearing the red jump suit again. Jay and Kalomo were waiting in the conference room. General Rumpole, in full uniform, stood at the end of the table. The atmosphere in the room was cool. Immediately Susan sensed Kalomo’s discomfort as Jay’s seethed.

  Theodore was oblivious to the drama. “Kal! That tee shirt is awesome!”

  Despite the chill in the room Kalomo smiled. His tee shirt was a Wonder-Motion Vid-Shirt, and it depicted the six original Wonder Heroes making a special appearance at a comic book convention two years ago. As Theodore watched the tee shirt the Wonder Heroes appeared to materialize on stage, having just teleported in from Wonder Base.

  “I got it at Wonder Con,” said Kalomo, “They only made a thousand of these.”

  “You were at Wonder Con? I’m so jealous. I was stuck in Oakland…” began Theodore, before th
e General cut him off.

  “If you two don’t mind, I’d like to get this meeting started.”

  Theodore looked up at the General, then around the room. “Sorry. I thought we were waiting on Matt.”

  “Matthew is seeing to family business.” The General pointed towards the white wall behind him, causing it to become an illuminated screen. Theodore smiled. The walls of the Wonder Base were all coated with a quantum polymer that allowed any surface to become a monitor.

  “This meeting is just us,” said the General, “and you two are ruining my schedule.”

  Susan sat down across from Kalomo and Theodore faced Jay. “Hey, Jay,” said Theodore.

  Jay said nothing, keeping his arms crossed and staring at the table. Not taking the hint, Theodore said, “Jay? You okay man?”

  “We were reviewing yesterday’s operation against the Spratsis,” said the General. Pictures and video from yesterday’s battle appeared behind him. Susan got to see Jay backhand her in the side of the head repeatedly, from many different angles, and at different speeds. The punch looked more violent in the video than it had been to experience it.

  Theodore stared at the screen. He had not known about this, and he was right there when it happened. Theodore looked at Jay, but Jay did not look up. Kalomo met Theodore’s gaze, apparently Kalomo had just found out about this as well.

  “Jay has something to say to the team,” said the General.

  Jay did not look up from the conference table. “Look, I’m sorry. I lost my head. It won’t happen again.”

  Susan nodded, but said nothing.

  Jay looked up at Susan. “Okay?”

  Susan nodded again. “No problem,” she said, “Forget it.”