Desperate Times

by Tom Andry

  "Your data has been encrypted. It is accessible only to you. The only way it will be released is if you specifically authorize it or if you break our contract."

  My eyes narrowed, "Contract? We have a contract?"

  "I've decided that it is not safe to be in close proximity to The Bulwark or any Super State base. Too tempting a target. You may think 15 percent of my data isn't much, but it is to me. My data is all I am. I lost something important, possibly many important things. I don't want to be in that position again. Therefore, the terms of the contract are thus: I will provide protection and security for you and your data. You will provide a safe haven, where no one will think to look for me. Most importantly, you will never, ever, reveal to anyone my location or identity."

  I felt a smile growing on my face. In my experience, the only deals you could really trust were ones where both parties had something to lose. But, of course, if I came out slightly on top of the deal, that was the best, "And I get access to all your data?"

  "Of course. You'll be granted Level 5 status."

  I whistled. I'd have access to it all. I licked my lips, tasting the sweat. I downed the last of my drink before answering. I could see no downside, for either of us. Of course, Gale and the other supers would freak if they knew what Mind was doing. Which led me to only one conclusion.

  "So you really are a super that combined with a computer?"

  Another pause followed by the first hesitant response I'd heard from Mind, "I...don't know."

  "You don't?"

  "I have a record that there was data on my origins, but the data is missing."

  I pursed my lips, "And you think that is part of the 15 percent."

  "I can't be certain, but it would be best if that were true."

  "Best?"

  "Of course. If it is part of the 15 percent then there is the possibility that it is recorded somewhere or that someone else knows the truth. It is retrievable. But if not, if it was purposefully deleted at some time in the past..."

  "Then you may never know."

  "Affirmative."

  "I'm sorry to hear that." I stood slowly, "Mind, we have a deal."

  "Confirmed."

  "But I'm still going to see Ted. I have to try and help her."

  "Understood. I don't have a communicator for you yet. It should arrive in a few days."

  "I've been meaning to ask you - how did you pay for all this?"

  "Super State funds, of course."

  "Great. So you embezzled funds?"

  "For all we know, I'm a super trapped in a computer. I'm certainly a Level 5, so I'm well within my rights. Plus, I keep the books. Who's going to complain?"

  I laughed, "I like the way you think."

  I put my glass and bottle back in the drawer, slipped the scissors inconspicuously next to them, and walked down the hall toward the still sleeping Nineteen.

  "It wouldn't have worked, you know."

  "What?" I whispered, not wanting to wake Nineteen before absolutely necessary.

  "The scissors. I have many redundancies now. No single act can take me off line. At least, no single act that is so crude."

  I frowned, "I had to try."

  "Understood."

  * * *

  "Whoa," was all I could say as I looked over the disaster that had been Ted's lair. Located under his suburban ranch-style home, it had never been what anyone would consider tidy. Ted was a creative person. He was also fairly young and a bit of a scatterbrain. He'd work on something for hours or days, get bored of it, and set it aside. There it would live until he trashed it or picked it back up again. I always felt like the only thing that kept him in relative obscurity (at least as far as the high level supers were concerned) was his lack of focus.

  But this was something else.

  His place wasn't so much messy as it was half destroyed. There were stacks of boxes all over, some of them knocked on their sides. In a back corner, Ted had turned two heavy, metal tables on their sides so that their tops met each other and the walls, creating a small, boxed in space. Inside was a small stack of boxes. Ted stood behind the door to his walk-in closet, motioning me in.

  "Bob, come on, man. I'm behind schedule here."

  I grasped Nineteen's hand tightly and pulled her toward the closet, stepping carefully over pieces of cardboard, metal, and clothes. Nineteen followed me closely, pushing her sunglasses up her nose dutifully as they slid down. We entered the closet and Ted pulled the door closed quickly.

  Ted had changed his appearance again. His voice was still the gruff, scratchy, muffled bass I heard on the phone, but now I had a body to place with it. He stood a bit taller than me and was wearing nothing but a white speedo, black gloves and boots, and a white cape. Around his nose and mouth was a mask that covered everything to his chin and seemed to tie behind his neck. His hair was dark, wavy, and flowing, as was his cape, in an illusionary wind. His physique was as sculpted as any brick-type super and would even give Rod a run for his money. He had a huge, blue, glowing, stylized B that seemed to float millimeters off his bare chest. There were matching Bs on his cape and on the cusps of his mid-forearm length gloves. There was also one on the front of his speedo accenting, somewhat obscenely I thought, a manhood that would never be contained in actual spandex. His eyes were a solid blue, the same hue as the Bs, reminding me a little too much of Nineteen's eyes. In his hands, he held a thin, rectangular box about the size of his palm with a small, red square in the center of the large side. He flipped up the square to reveal a round, red button.

  I raised an eyebrow as I took in his newest appearance, "Geesh, Ted, you weren't kidding about the spandex. I guess they made you an honorary member of The Bulwark?"

  His mask moved slightly and his eyes smiled at me, "Yeah. Gale called just after you. 'Bout time too." He pushed the button, holding his breath. A moment later, he exhaled and opened the door, peaking out. "Sweet!"

  "Seriously?" I followed Ted out, "What's the deal with the getup?"

  He glanced over his shoulder, his flowing cape snapping between us, "What?"

  "I just thought you'd pick something a little more...science-y?"

  "Pah," he waved a meaty hand at me, "screw that. I'm going for butch."

  I suppressed a laugh, "And a speedo and a cape are your idea of butch?"

  He turned, hands on hips, chin thrust out, "Check it out, Bob. You can't get more heroic than this."

  I put a hand up, "Granted, you cut a striking pose, but answer me this - who do you think the bad guys are going to target first? The guy in the lab coat and glasses or the muscle-bound oaf who looks like he could chew his way out of a concrete bunker?"

  Ted's expression fell, "You think so?" He turned and picked up a box, carrying it over to the overturned tables. "I have a backup just in case they didn't like this one." He placed the boxes carefully on the other side of the tables and turned back to me. He placed a finger inside of his navel and his features blurred. Where once there was a barely clothed man, now there was a woman, dark-complected and exotic, wearing what looked to be three postage-stamp-sized pieces of cloth with tiny Bs on them over strategic points.

  I turned away, covering Nineteen's glasses with my hand. "Jesus, Ted! Don't you have anything that wouldn't require an R rating?"

  A gruff voice responded, "I give up, man. Nothing pleases you."

  I heard another box being stacked behind the tables and I chanced a glance over my shoulder. Ted had returned to the male persona, which, I had to admit, was slightly less obscene than the female. At least until the cape flipped to the side and I noticed he was wearing a thong.

  "Oh, God," I turned my head again. "At least put some pants on."

  "Whatever, man. Fine, you happy?"

  I turned back. He had the same face mask and facial features, but now was wearing a Humphrey Bogart style trench coat.

  "Better?"

  I shrugged, "If you give me a choice between male stripper and ninja flasher, I'll take the latter every time."
Before his confused expression could lead us into another argument I continued, "What's with the boxes, anyhow?"

  Ted's eyes narrowed, but he replied, "Moving, like I said. I've got to get as much of my gear over to the new digs ASAP."

  "And the tables are helping you do this?"

  He laughed nervously, "Ah, no. After a few mishaps, they are just in case."

  "In case?"

  "Yeah. I got it worked out, though. I swear."

  "I've heard that before," I muttered. "And the closet?"

  He waved me off while he placed a small device, glowing blue, into the center of the stack of boxes, moving a few to make sure it was dead center, "Precaution, only. I swear. I got this wired now." He moved the top box back into place and sprinted past me into the closet.

  I turned, watching him run, "So I see."

  "Come on, Bob!" he called from behind the door.

  I shook my head and walked to the closet, Nineteen still in hand. I pushed the door most of the way closed, but couldn't help but sneak a peek. Ted pressed the button and a crackling sphere of electricity appeared around the boxes. A moment later and the sphere and the boxes were gone. From my thigh, I heard a giggle. I looked down to find that Nineteen was also looking around the door. Apparently, she found it more humorous than terrifying. I'm not sure on which side of that fence I stood.

  Ted pulled the door all the way open and stepped out, grabbing more boxes on his way. "Hey, did you figure out that security system issue?"

  I cringed, "Yeah, some sort of power supply thing."

  "But the upgrades?"

  "Oh, turns out I mentioned I wanted some to one of my clients a while back and they sent them over. Still working out the kinks," I responded lamely.

  If he weren't so busy and if it weren't something that Ted would do, I doubt he would have bought it so easily. As it was, Ted just nodded and continued stacking boxes. On one of the still standing tables was an open box with more of the glowing devices. He grabbed one, clicked the center so that the light started flashing, and placed it in the center of the stack. I noticed inside of the protective layer of tables were corners of boxes, severed and smoking, apparently caught outside of the field.

  "Some sort of teleporter?"

  Ted ran past me again to the closet as he answered, "Yeah. Localized and transportable. You put the base where you want something to show up and the transmitter on what you want to transport." Nineteen and I entered the closet and Ted closed the door, "Pretty handy now that I got the kinks worked out." He pressed the button and the room shook with a bone-rattling explosion. Nineteen squeaked and grabbed my leg. Next to my head, a piece of smoking metal protruded nearly half a foot through the reinforced door. Ted glanced at it with narrowed eyes, "Damn. I needed that."

  "Kinks worked out, huh?"

  "Well, mostly."

  Ted reached for the door, but I stopped him, "Ted, hold on. I need your help."

  "Now? Bob, I just..."

  "I don't want to hear that, Ted. This is important."

  He pushed past me and opened the door, "More important than saving the world?"

  I followed, "To me? Hell yeah."

  "I'm sorry, Bob," he glanced at the new round of damage and picked a box that had been half shredded by the recent explosion, checking the contents. "Not this time."

  "Ted, just...stop," I grabbed him by the shoulders, spinning him toward me. "It's her," I put a hand on Nineteen's shoulder, "She's sick. No one knows what's wrong with her. They said she won't live through the night if something isn't done."

  Ted glanced down at Nineteen as if he were seeing her for the first time. He blinked a few times, brows furrowed. "Uh, okay. Um...who is this again?"

  "Friend of a friend."

  Ted shifted his weight uncomfortably, "I don't know, Bob. I don't really do people."

  I frowned. "Don't tell The Bulwark that," I chided. "They'll be expecting you to do everything."

  "That's different. I'll have the resources I need." He motioned around his mostly destroyed, mostly empty lab, "Look what I've had to work with here!"

  "Come on, Ted, surely you can do something."

  He shook his head, "Bob, it's not just a time issue. Look around. Most of my stuff is gone. The rest is packed up. I don't have anything to check her out with."

  I turned, disgusted, "Damn it, Ted. Fine, if not you, who? Surely you know someone."

  "Sure," he waved a dismissive hand at me, "I know a few. But I haven't heard from anyone. Been too busy. What with Gale and her constant calls."

  I stopped listening. "Gale? She's been calling?"

  He stopped stacking boxes, "You're kidding? Way she tells it, she's calling everyone."

  I scratched my chin. If she really was gathering everyone…

  I heard Ted pick up another box, "Listen, I'll tell you what. As soon as this Raven thing is done, I'll do everything I can. I promise. Call in all my markers."

  I turned back to him, "And if The Raven kills you? Or your friends?" I countered.

  He shrugged, "If we fail, everyone dies anyhow."

  "Sort of fatalistic, don't you think? I thought The Raven is only targeting supers."

  He waved the comment off, "I don't buy that. He's just getting us out of the way first. You'll be next. We're just a bigger threat to him." Ted planted the glowing device, then jogged to the closet.

  Nineteen and I entered behind him, carefully closing the door and moving to the back of the closet, "And you say the fight will be tonight?"

  Ted nodded, pressing the button, "That's the way it looks."

  "So where will it be?"

  He turned and looked at me, "You know I can't tell you that."

  I threw my hands up, "So, how will you help her? You'll ask Gale for a lift? Just tell me where and I'll bring her to you. After the fight, she'll be right there. And, if what you say is true, so will all the other supers. Including those that could help her."

  "You don't want her out there. You don't want to be out there. It's going to get hairy. No, I've got an idea." Ted exited the closet and ran out. A moment later, he was back with one of the blue, glowing devices and a smaller but similar button box. He pushed them in my hands, "Here. Take these. Give the girl the device and press the button. Hell, you could probably fit in it if you crouched down."

  "You have lost your mind if you think I'm putting her in that thing."

  "Don't worry," he patted my arm, "I'll definitely have the kinks worked out by then."

  "No way," I pushed the devices back at him, but he didn't take them. "There has got to be another way."

  Ted let out an exasperated breath, "Fine," he started feeling around the top shelf of the closet. He pulled out a thin, sixteen-inch disk, "Take this."

  I stuck the glowing device and the transmitter into my pocket, grabbing the disk, "And this is?"

  "The transporter base. Just put it in an open space and we'll use it to come to you when this is done."

  I turned it over in my hands, "Yeah? So you're okay with using it?"

  "Listen, how do you think I'm getting out there myself?"

  "Out where?" I attempted.

  His mouth, under his mask, looked like it was opening to answer, but he closed it with a snap, "Nice try, Bob. Not this time."

  I thought about it for a second, "And these kinks? You'll work them out for both disks?"

  He put his right hand up, "I promise."

  I nodded, "Okay. I can live with that...I suppose." I continued to study the disk for a moment while Ted stacked more boxes. I looked hard at Nineteen. She looked flushed and I felt her forehead. Where before, I wondered if I was imagining her fever, it was now clear that she had one. I frowned. Counting on Ted...I never liked the feeling. But he knew just about all the super-geniuses on the planet. If Gale was calling all of them out for this fight, he would be able to get the best for Nineteen.

  I let my eyes wander over the walls of the closet, thinking of the possibilities. Would Ted be able to find a sup
er doctor? Super child doctor? Did they have such a thing? They must. I let my fingers run over the six, white unitards hanging to my left - the only clothes left in the closet. Surely there was someone out there who could...

  A chill ran down my spine as I took a closer look at one of the unitards. It had a built in belt, gloves, and hood. There were pockets on the belt, a few devices built into the arms. On the chest and shoulders there were empty raised spots clearly meant for a logo of some kind. I pulled up the hood and looked inside. I swallowed on a dry throat as I pulled out an integrated eye mask. I flipped to the next unitard. It was identical.

  Uniforms. Henchmen uniforms. Ted had henchmen. Or planned to. In the history of supers, no "good guy" ever had henchmen. They were strictly the purview of the super villain.

  I turned back to the door as Ted entered, quickly shutting the door. He closed his eyes and pressed the button. When nothing happened, he opened them and seemed to smile under his mask.

  "Ted, what the hell are these?" I demanded, grabbing the sleeve of one of the unitards.

  Ted's eyes grew confused at first, recognition coming slowly, "Oh, ah, nothing. Just...um...something I was working on a while back."

  I met his eyes, holding them, "How far back?"

  He scratched his head, "Oh, you know. One of those 'just in case' things."

  "Just in case what?"

  "Just in case," Ted grabbed the unitards and threw them in a nearby box, turning to throw them out the door.

  I quickly leaned down and whispered in Nineteen's ear, "Let him remember you, okay? He may be the only one who can help you."

  She turned to me slowly, her head cocked to the side.

  I followed Ted out of the closet. "So, can I keep this thing?"

  Ted glanced at me, the disk, and finally Nineteen, "Sure, sure."

  "Can I take a few of these glowing thingies?"

  "Um...sure, I guess. You need to set them on the base and then press the button. Then they'll sync to the base. Just press the glowing part of the transmitter to activate it." Ted demonstrated, keeping the transmitter so that he could transport to my base after the battle, "Only one of those transmitters can be activated at a time."

  I walked over to the box and took a handful of the transmitters. Once Ted's attention was back on his final packages, I took two additional handfuls. "Thanks."