“That’s why there’s such a difference. When I was questioning Misery before, she was able to upset me just by turning the conversation. She knew this too, and she used it to her full advantage. Now that we’re using English, well it’s a whole different ball game. If she gets mean, I just make a joke over it. Most of the time I can, anyway.”
“Maybe,” said Hal, “But she still got you mad before, very mad.”
“Well sure,” said Ms. Infinity, “She still can…well Hal is there something else you’re trying to say?”
He didn’t speak, but the nervousness in his face was palatable.
“Hal,” she said, “Are you afraid? You can say it if you are. Please say it every time you are afraid. I need to know it. I never, ever want you to be afraid to speak up.”
“You did make me a little nervous.”
“You’re afraid because I was harsh with her, right? Do you think I might hurt you?”
“I don’t know. I know that you would never want to, but what if you were angry?”
Ms. Infinity looked sad, but she spoke graciously, “Thank you for saying that. My mother and I have had many discussions about this. Our only choices for dating and marriage on Earth are human. And we have to think about things like this. She has been on me from day one to never, ever let any argument get physical. Not with a friend, not with a lover. Not ever. Even when I’m fighting crime, I have to be extraordinarily careful. I don’t hit a human if there’s any other way.
“Misery is not human. I could fight her—I had to fight her—because she is a superhuman who threatened Earth. But since she has become a prisoner, I have not laid a hand on her. I think she has has picked up on this, and taken full advantage. She does not think twice about being extremely cruel with her words. And to tell you the truth, I’m not cut out for interrogating. I don’t really have the stomach for it. But you didn’t hear it from me.
“Anyway Hal, I’m glad you brought it up. Once again remember you are free, and you don’t have to be with me. If you do break up with me, you should never, ever fear retribution from me. But please also know that if you are with me, I will never hurt you. I’m sure we will have our arguments. That is what couples do. But I’m confident that we are both civilized enough to keep those verbal. Anyway, always do tell me if you are afraid for any reason. I hope that is good enough.”
“You know what? That is good enough for me.”
“Thank you, Hal.”
“I wonder,” said Hal, “Do you really think you’re doing so badly interrogating Misery?”
“The thing is,” said Ms. Infinity, “I’m still no closer to an answer.”
“So, what exactly is the question?”
“You have to realize that Earth is a great distance from Center. It makes no sense that a Centerian would even care about attacking us. The thing too is that now I know that there was a full military contingent. That suggests an attempt to colonize. That seems very unlikely to me. The cost of maintaining a colony like that from such a distance would easily outweigh any benefits.”
“So why? Or is there another question?”
“Who sent her? And with a totally unfamiliar army too…”
“Interesting that,” said Hal.
“What is?”
“That means they’re not from your planet.”
“Right,” said Ms. Infinity.
“So whoever they are…”
“...They aren’t going back? Maybe. But then I would assume they have somewhere to go to. Although perhaps they were her colonial subjects too. That’s the thing…”
“What?”
Ms. Infinity thought a moment. “I’m wondering. You don’t think she might be the mastermind, do you? Could this be her colonial project?”
“It’s a thought. She might not intend to go home.”
“But how would she even think of Earth in the first place? I doubt she would have gone this far just to get back at me. But then…”
Ms. Infinity paused. When she thought about it, she did know the answer. She got up in a hurry. Wiping her face, she spoke hurriedly, “You may not want to hear this, Hal. Up to you, I guess.” Then she flew away in a flash.
“May not want to?” laughed Hal, “I couldn’t catch you if I tried!”
Within a second, Ms. Infinity was at the prison cell, staring hard at Misery. “Tell me now, Misery. It is the General, isn’t it?”
“You are pathetic You were his shame…”
“I know. I know,” interrupted Ms. Infinity, “You made that abundantly clear. And I heard it many times before you ever came around. It was the mantra of my childhood. But there was something else you said before I went out to your space station. It went over my head before, but you said I deserved what was coming to me. So what was that exactly? From who?”
“You pathetic little wench! You really do think this about you, don’t you!”
Ms. Infinity took out the communicator she had found at the space station. “Oh. I don’t think it’s all about me. In fact...suppose I contact the general now?”
Misery laughed coldly. “You wouldn’t dare! It would be the death of you.”
Ms. Infinity looked back knowingly. “And you just gave it away. It is him after all. Anyway, he doesn’t scare me anymore. What can he do to me now? Nothing. But you had better be terrified. What do you say I contact him right now? You can explain that army of yours. I mean, funny how you talk about treason.”
“You know nothing!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. Do you want me to contact the general right now, and tell him everything? I’ll do it right now.”
Misery tried to keep her defiance. She stood tall, but there was no mistaking the fear in her eyes.
“Yeah. I thought so,” said Ms. Infinity.
“Why do you care?”
“You know what? This whole thing is ridiculous. I don’t need any more of this. I have my answers.”
21. The Big Reveal
As Ms. Infinity returned to the kitchen, she saw Hal, still cleaning up after their meal. He didn’t seem to notice her arrival until she called, “Hey Hal. I have a surprise.”
“Oh. Hi,” he said, “What’s up?”
“I have the mystery all wrapped up. Why don’t you come with me and have a powwow with our guest?”
“Really? Are you sure? I mean…really?”
“Yeah Hal. I think it’s time for the big Scooby Doo reveal.”
“Oh. I’ll keep quiet just the same.”
“Just follow my lead.”
Ms. Infinity led Hal into the prison area. He saw Misery up close for the first time. She looked human, just as she had seemed when he was filming her. She was fair skinned, tall and thin, her long blonde hair parted to the right, and partly covering her right eye. There was little else he could see; she was covered, as most women of Center were, nearly head to toe, in a white robe with blue trim. Looking scornfully at Hal, she snickered, “So this is your hobby.”
Ms. Infinity shook her head. “Ignore her, Hal. We have other things to talk about.”
Standing in front of the bars, she began to speak, “So what has been going on? I think it’s quite clear now. Not about me, Misery? Oh, I beg to differ.
“Misery was sent by a certain member of the military. My escape some years back was an embarrassment to him. ‘Shame’ is a word she chose. Now it would seem to me that he has presidential ambitions. And if they are to be met, he has to take care of this little skeleton in his closet.”
Hal wondered exactly why his companion was so important. She had said that much of what was going on was “over his head,” and now he was beginning to understand what she meant.
She continued, “So there was this job of fetching the embarrassment, me that is, to make a public example, and reclaim the general’s honor. But that would mean taking a long journey, and thus an extended leave. He certainly was not going to do it himself. His absence would have had consequences for him. If you want power and influence over pe
ople, the least you need to do is be present. I would suppose that’s why it has not happened in all these years since I left. When he did finally assign the mission, it was an arduous job for which one would probably get little or no thanks. Now Hal, do you know what that means?”
“I…don’t follow,”
“Nah. You wouldn’t. You’re a man. It means women’s work.”
Hal rolled his eyes, but was silent. Misery watched him intently.
Ms. Infinity continued, “The general also obviously figured the job was capturing a woman, so he might as well send a woman. Misery could do it. No problem. I’m sure he never saw past his sexism. But then there’s one other detail.
“Misery had designs of her own. I’m going to take a guess that this is why she chose this moment to agree to this mission. She was in contact with some other interesting characters, people I did not recognize. I don’t think most people in the leadership would recognize them either, though I know of one person who did. Whether she was interested in completing the general’s orders or not, I don’t know. But she was far more interested in her colonial mission.
“The asteroid, the meteor shower, the waves of antimatter, none would have completely destroyed the Earth, or even the bulk of human civilization. But they would certainly have devastated our cities and our people. It would have been the preparation she needed for her invasion. This is why she took the trouble of learning English.
“Think of it. The general was scheming behind the president’s back, preparing for an eventual coup, and she was working for him. But she was also scheming behind the general’s back, on a much, much grander scale. It almost makes me want to respect her. Almost.”
“Excellent!” said Hal, “So then…”
“Then what?”
Hal motioned with his arms. “So…”
“She would have done it if not for us meddling kids?”
“Of course. So. Ms. Infinity. You have done a wonderful job. This case is blown wide open. So…can we go outside?”
“What?”
“Well, if it is alright, I would like to talk to you some more.”
“Oh, alright.”
They stepped outside and walked some way up the stairs. Ms. Infinity gave Hal a cold look. “What is it?” she said.
Hal looked at Ms. Infinity pointedly. “So now that the case is solved…”
“Yes…”
“Now what are we doing about it?”
Ms. Infinity looked at Hal in annoyance. She was silent for a few seconds, seemingly trying to find an appropriate retort. Finally she snapped, “Oh Hal, I don’t know!” Then she walked away up the stairs.
Hal followed Ms. Infinity up the stairs and up into the main hall. She sat down on a couch and looked at him blankly.
“Okay,” said Hal. “I guess we don’t have to decide this second. But I hadn’t exactly planned on spending the rest of my life in a spaceship with a prisoner. Not a reflection on you.”
“Just leave it alone right now.”
“Well…” he answered, with a pause. Looking back at her, he saw that she was in a poor mood.
“Okay, but please. Let’s come up with something soon. I know you’re under pressure. But…”
“No Hal,” snapped Ms. Infinity, “You don’t know pressure. You have never met pressure! Do you understand that if I make the wrong move, the consequences could be deadly for everyone? I can’t make this decision just like that.”
“Okay. I see that…”
“No! You don’t see! You want to go home. Great. I get that. But you have to get this. This is what it means to be with me. I’m not a lot of fun sometimes. I’m under tremendous pressure. Are you really prepared to deal with me? Are you, really? Because even after this, it won’t be long before I’m dealing with some other huge decision. That is what my life is about. One huge, high pressure situation after another.”
“I see.”
“I’m sorry. Maybe we aren’t meant to be together. Maybe…”
“Hold on!” said Hal, “Not so fast. You’re forgetting something. Not long ago, I nearly made the ultimate sacrifice myself. I nearly ran this thing into the sun.”
“Hal,” said Ms. Infinity, “That’s the point. That’s why I can’t mess up, ever. Your life is on the line. I have you to worry about, and everyone else.”
“Now you’re missing the point. I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. Far from it. I’m trying to show you that you’re not alone here. I’m willing to share this, you know. I want to share it. C’mon Bonnie. This means a lot to me.”
“Well…”
“Look, I may be only human, but I care a great deal about you. Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t rush you. But please. If this is, as you say, our mission, then I would appreciate if you let me in here. I can share your burden, to the extent that my non-superhuman capabilities can help you. You know, nothing much. I’ll just dedicate my life to you.”
“Are you sure? I mean, really? This whole thing is a humongous burden on me. Are you really ready to take this on?”
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll handle it like every other difficult thing in life, one day at a time.”
“You mean that?”
“I really do.”
“You know, this whole thing is way bigger than you even imagine.”
“I wonder,” said Hal, “It may be big, but is it really over my head, like you would say? Look. These are aliens, to me at least. But let’s not forget I happen to know an alien. You remember Bonnie Boring, right? And she’s not so bad. I’d say she’s pretty great. In fact, I dare say that she’s not so different from the rest of us. Okay, lots of powers, higher than human intelligence. But you know what? She’s still human to me.”
“You’re trying to cheer me up, right?” said Ms. Infinity.
“Well, hold on. It’s more than that. Look. I refuse to believe that it’s all an act. Right? I mean, you’ve said it. Bonnie is not the disguise. This is.”
“That is correct.”
“So, look. How different are these people really? They’re of a different world from mine, sure. But then they’re people too, right? They have feelings too, and motivation. They can be good or bad.
“So this Misery. She’s a sociopath, like many we have on Earth. But there is more to that picture, I think. I wonder if there isn’t some fear here. For one thing, now that she lost her army, she has nowhere to go but home. And now that she’s failed her mission, well what happens to her there?”
“Well, very simply,” said Ms. Infinity, “If her treason is discovered, they’ll kill her.”
“Right,” said Hal, “That’s obviously on her mind. Not that I sympathize much with the would-be destroyer of my world, but one must understand her point of view. But besides that, I wonder, if they do kill her, or if you kill her, what happens next?”
Ms. Infinity thought for a moment. “I don’t know,” she said, “If it were up to the general, he would probably send someone else. There are other variables though…”
“And that’s the thing,” said Hal, “This really won’t be over. How far can we take this? I know you are powerful, but can you really face their whole military?”
“Well, that’s not the concern. I really don’t think that it would come to that. But then it’s possible that this wouldn’t be over. So that is something to consider. It could mean potentially putting the Earth in continued danger.”
“Anyway, I believe what I said before still applies. Now I don’t know why this general needs to have you executed…”
“That’s right,” remarked Ms. Infinity with grim humor, “You really don’t.”
“Okay,” said Hal, “So some of this is over my head. And obviously it’s a demand we will never give into. But am I wrong to think that there is an element of pride here?”
“Well….”
“You can laugh, but it makes me think of the worst customers back at work, right? You know the ones who really get into screaming mode when we can’t take
the coupon, or they’re mistaken about the price, or if you won’t take the return. And you know as well as I do, some of these people are full-on sociopaths. But sometimes when there’s no other way, we’ll just settle the whole thing by giving them ten percent off of the sale. It’s not even much of anything, just a token gesture. But it works, right? It makes them feel better, like they won something. I mean, it’s ridiculous, but often it’s just a little thing like that and a conflict is resolved.”
Ms. Infinity laughed. “Well,” she said, “If nothing else, we at least have some of the same reference points. So what do you recommend we do?”
“Yeah, that’s the thing. It doesn’t really lead to an answer. It’s just a thought. Or maybe it’s a guiding principle? At least it’s something to consider?”
“Okay, Hal. I get it. Look I promise I will give your suggestion some thought. I do see that you are serious about helping me. Could you please give me a few minutes?”
Ms. Infinity sat for a considerable time, thinking in silence. She seemed no closer to a decision, but at least her mood had picked up. It wasn’t just Hal’s kindness either. Something about his determination reminded her why she was in this in the first place. After all, heroism wasn’t about powers and costumed identities. At its heart, it was about the willingness to follow one’s conscience, to do what was necessary, even when it seemed like too much.
Still, as sincere as Hal’s intentions were, he could only help so much. There didn’t seem to be much of an answer in his suggestions. It wasn’t his fault. While some of observations were apt, there was still much he didn’t know, and he could not help but betray a few mistaken impressions.
Anyway, there didn’t seem to be much room for creative solutions. It really boiled down to three simple choices: Release Misery, kill her, or retain her as a prisoner.
The last of those choices was the easiest to eliminate. She obviously could not keep her detained forever. Soon enough, there would be many other things to do besides attending to a prisoner, some of them urgent. She was a superhero, not a jailer. There was also nobody else she could hand her over to.
Ms. Infinity (Book 1): Earth's Greatest Hero Page 22
