“I have kept these images out of the hands of the media,” said the General, “Officially the operation was a one hundred percent success and the new team functioned like a well-oiled machine.”
“I thought we had,” said Theodore sarcastically, and a bit too loud.
General Rumpole ignored Theodore’s sarcasm and moved on to the day’s business. The General pointed out several places where the team might have been able to improve their performance. A fair man, he also pointed out what the team did well. He particularly praised the tactics employed by Theodore and Kalomo.
“Standing back and providing cover for your teammates was excellent,” said the General as images of Wonder Heroes Ghost and Gold appeared on the walls behind him, “still, Jay could have used more direct backup.”
After the combat review the General moved on to other matters. “As Wonder Heroes, you know that you are Earth’s first, and often last, line of defense against extraterrestrial invaders. That means that you’re also going to be the target of some of those forces. Wonder Heroes can defend themselves, but like any person, you could still be vulnerable through family.”
If Susan’s thoughts had been wandering, they were not now. She sat up straight and thought about her mother, already unhappy that her daughter had become a Wonder Hero, now having to deal with threats against her own life. “How serious a consideration is this?” she asked.
“Serious enough for Matt and, uh, Terry to put their parents into witness protection,” replied the General. The mention of Terry, the former Wonder Hero Light, put a lump in the General’s throat. “Serious enough for Terry and Jeff to raise their daughter here at Wonder Base.”
“My dad won’t like this idea,” said Kalomo, “he’s spent years building his business, he won’t leave the store.”
Jay agreed, and looked up from the point on the table he had been staring at for most of the meeting. “My father’s the CEO of Magma Corp. He’s not going into hiding.”
“We can provide round the clock security, keep it as discrete as possible,” said the General, “but I can’t promise they’ll be safe. We’re not talking about normal, everyday criminals here.”
Theodore raised his hand. “My mother’s arriving tomorrow, and I’ve already arranged quarters for her on level three.”
“We have plenty of room here at the Wonder Base,” said General Rumpole. “When fully operational the place is like a miniature city. We have nearly two thousand full time staff and scientists here at any given time. I’m sure we could make your mother quite comfortable.”
The General looked at Susan. “How about you Susan?”
“My mom and dad are separated. I’ll have to talk to them I guess.”
The General nodded. “Think about this, people. Not just your parents, but brothers, sisters, close friends, lovers, if you think that anyone close to you being threatened might cause you to lose focus, then it’s better to deal with it now. Let me know and we’ll make arrangements. If you want me to talk to your families, I will. I know it’s tough. I’m in the same boat as you are, believe it or not, my wife lives here on Wonder Base.”
As the team dealt with these new issues, if possible the tone of the meeting now turned even more somber. Pictures of Paul Kettles, Terry and Jeff Stillman and Harlan Flicker were projected onto the screen behind the General. “Okay, onto the funeral. You will be present at the service to provide a sense of continuity, to pay homage to the fallen heroes, and, truth be told, to provide security if some alien predator sees the funeral as a weakness to be exploited.”
General Rumpole cleared his throat, and his voice warbled a bit. “We’re burying four heroes today…”
Theodore furrowed his brow. “Wait a minute. We’re burying Harlan Flicker as a hero? He betrayed the team. Hell, he betrayed the entire world.”
Rumpole fixed Theodore with a stare to melt steel. “I’ve personally witnessed Harlan Flicker perform feats of bravery and sacrifice far beyond what I would have asked or expected of anyone. If some alien somehow got inside his head and messed him up then that in no way diminishes his service to this world. Harlan Flicker was a Wonder Hero, and he will be buried side-by-side with his fallen comrades.” The General cleared his throat again, and his eyes moistened. In response he stood straighter, calling on his military training to see him through his emotional turmoil. “Besides, Matthew demanded it.”
An hour later the team was assembled in the teleport room. Susan was dressed in a black skirt that reached conservatively below her knees and a matching blouse and a stylish black coat. The men all wore black suits. Susan’s coat and the men’s suits were tailored to cover the gauntlets. The General joined in full uniform. At the last minute Matthew O’Dette entered with his three year old niece, Cassie Stillman, in tow. She was wearing a black satin dress and a white hat with a black ribbon.
“It’s okay to be sad sometimes, Uncle Matt,” said Cassie as she entered the teleport room.
Cassie stopped short at the sight of all the people in the room that she did not know. Then she ran to General Rumpole who dropped to one knee as she hugged him. “Uncle Hank!”
“Hello Cassie,” said the General with a heartfelt smile, “how’s my favorite girl?”
Cassie did not answer, but instead just looked at Kalomo, Theodore, Jay and Susan, trying to figure out who they were. Susan smiled and Cassie smiled back. The General handed Cassie over to Matt and led the team onto the teleportation pad.
Cassie whispered into Uncle Matt’s ear, “Who are all these people?”
“They’re my new friends,” said Matt, quietly.
“Where are we going again?” she asked.
Matt swallowed and said, “I told you, we have to say good bye to mommy and daddy and your uncles.”
Cassie smiled and less than a second later teleportation was complete and the team found themselves in Washington, DC, on a hill overlooking the Potomac. Jay exhaled loudly. Four markers, Gold, Crimson, White and Onyx, made of a synthetic crystalline material, stood in a row in front of rectangular holes next to which were the colored caskets that bore the scant remains of the Wonder Heroes.
The crowd at the funeral, kept only to family, highest-level international dignitaries and heads of state, were all gathered around a lectern where a multi-denominational group of clerics had gathered. Susan prepared herself for a long day of speeches and remembrances. Matt put Cassie down and she immediately crouched in the wet grass and felt it with her hands. She looked at the gathered crowd and waved to the President of the United States, who waved back with a wan smile.
All eyes were on Cassie as Matt took his place beside the crystalline gravestones. Susan found herself with the Jay, Kalomo and Theodore, standing at the edge of the crowd. Many of those assembled cast glances her way. She could feel herself being silently appraised and judged by those in attendance. She wondered if they knew about Jay’s behavior the day before, and if they in some way held her partially responsible.
“Theresa!” said Cassie, too loudly, reading the letters on the white crystalline tombstone. “That’s mommy’s name!”
An older woman sobbed audibly. The priest delivering his too small eulogy tripped over his words.
Cassie noticed a tear streak down her Uncle Matt’s face. “Why are you crying?” she asked, again too loudly.
Matt lifted Cassie into his arms and hugged her tightly, quietly telling her to shush. Cassie became angry or embarrassed and petulantly rested her head on her uncle’s shoulder. “I want mommy,” she said.
Wonder Heroes 4.09
The Diablo County nuclear power plant consists of a small facility with two large containment domes encasing twin nuclear reactors generating eleven hundred megawatts of electricity. The plant sits on a rocky section of coastline on the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by large amount of land to which, for security purposes, the General public has no access. Save for the roads leading to the plant and the plant itself, the area is in p
ristine natural condition.
The containment domes are massive, in the literal sense of having a lot of mass, built to prevent the leakage of radiation in the unlikely event of a major nuclear catastrophe. It has been estimated that the domes can withstand the impact of a fully fueled jet plane without suffering significant damage. If there is a direct attack on the power plant by armed terrorists or alien invaders, the facility maintains a well trained and equipped security force to defend itself. Simply put, the Diablo Canyon nuclear facility was as safe as any nuclear power plant in the world could be.
Just off shore, something resembling the claw of a lobster, but several orders of magnitude larger, reached out of the water and pulverized an unsuspecting seabird that was resting lazily on the waters, bobbing with the gentle waves. The genetics of the seabird, like all the life forms the monstrosity attached to the claw met with, were incorporated into its morphogenetic structure. As the creature clambered onto the rocky beach, it took its first gulps of air into quickly developing bird-like lungs. The creature’s eyes acclimated themselves to the new, waterless environment and its legs developed muscle mass sufficient to allow it to walk on land as easily as it had scurried on the bottom of the sea. Random gene expression caused black and white feathers to sprout along the monster’s back.
The creature scuttled up the beach and over the two layers of barbed wire topped electrified fencing, breaching the power plant’s security. Alarms went off, and security protocols were initiated. The monster scurried in a slight sideways zigzag for the nearest dome, containing reactor number one. As the monster closed the distance to its target a large dark green van roared into view, screeching its brakes and cutting off the creature, halting its advance. A dozen armed men tumbled out of the vehicle and without a moments hesitation began to open fire.
Bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the creature’s enormous lobster claws but penetrated its shark-like head, penetrating the thick shark bone skull and destroying the simple brain within. The creature spasmed violently, spewing thick luminous bile from its cavernous mouth. The legs of the creature buckled and collapsed beneath it. The armed response team waited with fingers poised on triggers, but to all appearances the creature was dead. The smell of rotting seafood filled the air.
“Hold your positions!” shouted the team leader, not daring to take a step closer.
More security forces arrived, surrounding the unmoving creature. Homeland Security had been notified, and the call was kicked upstairs to the White House and the Wonder Heroes. Though the threat appeared to be over, the security personnel stayed alert. Alien lifeforms were tricky and unpredictable. The sole job of this security detail now was to simply contain the threat until experts could arrive.
The green gem at the heart of the creature forced the development of a second brain, fusing genetics appropriated from seabird and shark. Writhing dendrites established connections with those parts of the creature’s nervous system still intact, and then, recognizing a weakness, the gem encased the newly formed brain in a strong chitinous skull, similar to the larger claws that had proven to be bullet proof.
To the shock of the assembled security team the creature suddenly stood up on its spindly legs and began to advance towards the containment dome again. The security forces, now more than three dozen men and women, immediately opened fire. As bullets tore the creature to pieces, its mouth opened wide and the monster screeched with pain and rage, angry and birdlike. Every bullet wound seemed to heal as quickly as it tore through the creature. The loss of a limb barely slowed the creature as it quickly spawned an improved replacement.
The creature reached a small electric vehicle used by maintenance crews to get around the facility and abandoned in the wake of the creature’s attack. Oversized lobster claws ripped the car into a torrent of pieces, forcing some of the security forces to retreat. One man was caught by a piece of debris and fell. Despite the nonstop fire of the automatic weapons and the copious wounds the creature was suffering, it scurried forward and with a series of quick claw attacks murdered the injured man and ripped his body to shreds.
Human genetics were quickly parsed and processed. Most of the traits of humanity were instantly discarded as being useless to the creature, though two qualities were found instantly useful: the brain and opposable thumbs. The bird/shark hybrid brain was augmented with human forebrain and a facility for simple logic. With this new structure in place the gem downloaded its full programming into the creature’s brain. With a flash of understanding bordering on the spiritual the monster reared back, now standing twelve feet tall on two legs.
The creature raised its lobster-clawed arms into the sky and roared its name to the winds. “I am Tūkaitaua! Destroyer of armies!”
Bullets now bounced harmlessly off the exoskeleton of the creature. Tūkaitaua sported a head with forward looking eyes, another useful human trait, and a wide mouth of shark-like teeth. Its body was dark gray with a red clay mottling. Feathers sprouted and molted from his back, as if the creature were holding its wings, eager to show themselves, at bay.
Tūkaitaua now ran on two powerful legs, and with the snicker-snacks of its mighty claws it cleaved through the security forces, leaving the scattered remains of their bodies in its wake. Below the fearsome claws the monster grew a second set of smaller, more human like arms, and in these it now held assault rifles culled from those security forces cut down in battle. Now able to return fire with deadly accuracy and seemingly unable to be hurt, Tūkaitaua forced the retreat of the security forces. In mere seconds the creature found itself outside the dome of reactor number one.
The security forces had retreated and were regrouping. Tūkaitaua made a few test swipes at the concrete dome, and determined that its claws could slice into the reinforced concrete easily. Soon the monster was using the curved blades of its deadly claws to dig a tunnel through the impenetrable dome, towards the heart of the nuclear reactor within.
Kalomo attempted to stay focused on the seemingly endless parade of religious and political figures delivering their comment and eulogies on the fallen Wonder Heroes, but his mind continuously wandered to the safety of his mother and father, and his two younger brothers, Pemba and Choma. The General's comments at the morning briefing had rattled him. Kalomo knew that his father would never abandon the sporting goods store he had spent so many years building into a small yet steady business against great odds and much competition from national chain stores. His mother was a teacher with many years seniority in the Abilene School system and his brothers, both thirteen years old, had friends and lives in Texas.
Kalomo hated to think that his family might have to give all that up because of the danger his new job brought upon them, but all that paled beside the secret he planned to spring on his parents when they visited tomorrow. Becoming a Wonder Hero and putting all their lives in danger was one thing, but what he planned to tell them tomorrow was even bigger news. The youngest Wonder Hero had no idea how his parents might react.
Kalomo pushed these thoughts aside as his attention was snapped back to the present, because Matthew O’Dette, Wonder Hero Ultra, was taking the podium. Matt’s three year-old niece Cassie was standing by his side, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, her finger in her mouth, watching the gathered crowd with an occasional smile.
“My sister Terry was my best friend growing up…”
“Mommy!” said Cassie, recognizing the name.
Matt reached down and squeezed Cassie’s hand. “That’s right, Cassie, mommy.” Matt looked back at the small crowd of mourners, “She was my best friend growing up. Even when I went off to college, and met Paul and Jeff, and called them my best friends, I knew I was lying, it was always Terry. Even after she married Jeff, and I married Paul…”
Jay nudged Kalomo and shot him a smile. Kalomo shook his head. He had been trying hard to work with Jay and ignore his shortcomings, but it was much harder when he behaved so immaturely.
“…we di
dn’t grow apart, we grew our family,” continued Matt, squeezing Cassie’s hand again. “Cassie,” Matt gestured towards an older woman in the crowd. “Mary Kettles, Paul’s mother, who I am proud to say is like the mother I never had, and Jim and Nancy Stillman, Jeff’s parents and the best grandparents anyone could ask for.”
The alarms on the Wonder Gauntlets chimed.
Cassie rolled her eyes and said, “Uh-oh!”
Matt wiped a tear from his eye and said, “Dammit.” Cassie shot her uncle a look for using a bad word. Matt looked at his niece apologetically and said, “Sorry Cassie.”
General Rumpole stepped closer to Susan, Theodore, Jay and Kalomo. He was listening to his Bluetooth, getting the same information, in different form, that the gauntlets were feeding the team about the situation at the Diablo County nuclear power plant.
“Listen, you four go on ahead," said the General, his voice low, "Let Matt finish up here, and he’ll join you in a couple of minutes.”
Jay leaned in. “Who’s the team leader?”
“It’s only for a few minutes…”
Jay was insistent. “We don’t know what we’re doing…”
The General frowned. Jay was being too loud. “Crimson," said the General, pointing at Susan. "Take charge. Do what you can until Matt gets there. Now hurry.”
Jay punched his fist into his palm, and summoned the armor of Wonder Hero Jet. An instant later the teleporter dematerialized the team and whisked them across the continent to Diablo County, California.
Cassie had noticed Jay’s transformation from the podium. She knew exactly who that Wonder Hero was. “Daddy?” The little girl looked to her Uncle Matt for confirmation.
“That wasn’t daddy, Cassie.”
Cassie looked confused, and sad.
Tūkaitaua had tunneled halfway through the twenty feet of reinforced concrete that separated it from the radiation within when the bullets that the security forces had been ceaselessly raining upon the creature's back suddenly ceased. Tūkaitaua concluded that the humans had given up and were now running away, hoping to escape the coming nuclear catastrophe. The creature felt no emotion, but understood that no matter how far the humans ran, it would not matter. There was no escape for these creatures from a planet Tūkaitaua planned to destroy.
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