“Which one?”
“The instant sex change one.” The scientist pounded the keyboard with one hand. “She’s locked me out. We’d better get out of here—”
It was too late. The room flooded with pink light. Killer Whale dropped to his knees, as did the others. He had been punched, stabbed, and burned, but his body had never felt such pain before. Before he finally passed out, he heard women screaming all around him.
Part 2
Chapter 5
When Starla woke up, she hoped it had all been a terrible nightmare. She tried to feel next to her for Billy, but found she couldn’t move her hands. She groaned as she strained to break whatever held her in place; after a minute of that she gave up, panting from the effort. She tried her legs with similar results.
A dim red light came on to reveal thick chains around her limbs. What were they made of that she couldn’t break them? She flailed around some more to no avail. As she did, she noticed how thin her arms and legs had become. That could only mean one thing: she was a normal woman again.
“The powers given to you by Earth’s sun won’t work here,” a voice said.
“Who are you? What do you want?”
An alien, its blue skin looking dark purple in the red light, looked down on her with its three eyes. “I am Commander Sulfam. I will be prosecuting your case.”
“Prosecuting? I didn’t do anything to you. I never even met you before.”
“That doesn’t matter. Your crimes are well-known throughout the galaxy. Soon you will get the punishment you deserve.” Sulfam’s pincers clacked together. “Of course, if you confess, it will go much easier for you.”
“Confess? I don’t even know what I’d be confessing to!”
“Genocide. A list of planets too numerous for me to name right now.”
“What? I’ve never destroyed any planets!”
“I never said you destroyed any planets. Only their people.”
“This doesn’t make any sense. You can’t keep me here on these trumped-up charges. I want a lawyer!”
“Your counsel is already here.” Sulfam motioned to the other alien who had abducted Starla, the purple-skinned one. “Lieutenant Kila, advise your client to start cooperating.”
Kila put a hand on Starla’s shoulder. “Your confusion is understandable, Gor-Bul. The charges Sulfam speaks of were not committed by you. They were committed by the people of Kor-Gan. In particular a Kal-Bul.”
“My father? That’s impossible. He would never kill anyone. He saved me.”
“Perhaps, but there is much evidence to support that he destroyed numerous races throughout the galaxy. Under Galactic Peacekeeper Code 156.9 any surviving heirs are to stand trial in his place.”
“Wait, aren’t you supposed to be defending me?”
“I am your cousel. My counsel is to confess to your father’s crimes. The Elders will go easier on you then.”
“Meaning what?”
Sulfam answered, “Meaning life in a labor camp instead of death. It’s your choice.”
“This is absurd. My father didn’t do anything! If you take me back to Earth, we can get the records from the computer—”
“That is not possible. If we take you to Earth you’ll regain your powers and try to escape.”
“I won’t. I want to clear my father’s name. I know he would never do such things.” Even as she said this, Starla felt a flicker of doubt. She didn’t really know that. She had only known her father as a hologram, an algorithm compiled by the Crystal Lair’s computer based on records of her father. She had never really known the actual person. Could he have committed such atrocities?
“If you will be so kind, Commander Sulfam, I would like a private word with the defendant.”
“Of course.” Sulfam nodded to them before he left the room.
After he had gone, Kila bent down to unlock the chains. “These will no longer be necessary.”
The chains slid off Starla to land on the floor with a clank. This left her completely naked. Despite where she was, Starla’s first impulse was still to cover her privates with her hands. “Can I get some clothes? I don’t want to run around here naked.”
“I will have some brought to you.”
“Thank you.”
“I must apologize for the rough way in which you were taken. It is not our usual procedure. Commander Sulfam thought given your powers that surprise would be the best option.”
“What about my husband? What did you do with him?”
“Your husband?”
“The man who was in bed with me. Did you take him too?”
“No. He remains on Earth.”
“Are you going to do anything to the people of Earth?”
“The Elders have no interest in such a primitive planet.”
“Thanks, I guess. So what’s going to happen to me?”
“You will be taken to the Elders. They will decide your fate.”
“And you’re going to defend me?”
“Your guilt is already a matter of record. The trial is only to verify the facts to determine your sentence.”
“You mean I’m already guilty? What kind of system is this?”
“It is the system that has existed since your ancestors were painting on caves.”
“You have to understand, my people didn’t kill anyone. I know they didn’t. They were peaceful.”
“So peaceful they annihilated themselves.”
“They did end up destroying themselves, but they didn’t wipe out any other planets. You have to believe me.”
“There is no proof to back your assertions.”
“Then get some! There have to be records somewhere—”
“We have already located all pertinent records.”
“Then can I read them? Please, I want to understand what’s going on here.”
“I will ask the Elders if that will be acceptable.”
“Ask the Elders? But you’re my counsel. Shouldn’t you be giving me everything we need for a defense?”
“I have already told you, the trial is not to determine your guilt or innocence.”
“But I am innocent! I’ve hardly been out of the solar system.” Starla brushed tears from her eyes. “I’m just as primitive as everyone else on Earth.”
“As I’ve told you, this matter concerns your father.”
Starla’s fists clenched. She badly wanted to hit the alien, but in her present state it would only break her hand. “Leave me alone, please.”
“Very well. I will have someone bring you clothing and nutrients.”
“Thanks.” Starla’s tears turned to sobs after Kila left. This was a nightmare! Marooned in alien space with no powers, facing either death or life in prison, and she had no way to call for help. She doubted they’d even let her send a farewell message to Billy. What could she tell him in any case?
She furiously wiped at her tears. She couldn’t let it end like this. Even without her powers she had to find a way out of here. She hopped off the bed they’d held her on and began to explore the cell. As she felt along the walls for a weakness to exploit, she tripped a switch. She hoped it would reveal an escape tunnel like in a story, but it didn’t.
Instead, a panel slid back to allow her to see where she was. Above she saw a purple sky mottled with orange clouds. All around her were buildings that appeared to be carved from black crystal, into shapes no human architect could ever dream up: fans, spirals, and even a reverse teardrop. Purple bubbles flitted through the sky, each holding an alien of some kind.
“We’re not in Kansas anymore.”
***
Melanie hugged herself in the escape pod, trying to keep her wits about her. She had failed miserably. She had let the villains breach the oil platform’s defenses and then let them overrun the place. To make it worse, she had abandoned Sally and Allison.
When the pod came to a stop, she whimpered. Killer Whale must have come after her. Melanie searched her pockets, but she didn’t hav
e any weapons. She had been so careless she hadn’t been wearing her uniform with its utility belt full of helpful equipment. She looked around the escape pod, but found only a flare gun. She clutched it tightly in her hands as the pod began to rise.
The pod surfaced after a couple of minutes; Melanie was thrown from her seat to the floor. She waited on her knees for Killer Whale to tear the pod open, or he might have that beast Neanderthal do it for him. Well, she wouldn’t go down without a fight, not this time.
There was a flash of gold light that momentarily blinded Melanie. When her vision cleared, she saw the face of a woman with wavy dark red hair, a gold crown nestled amongst it. The woman’s deathly pale skin reddened a little. “Melanie? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Melanie said. She put the flare gun down. “I’m not sure about Sally and Allison. And Paul—”
“Paul’s here. He’s the one who called for help. Stand back and we’ll get you out of there.”
Melanie pressed herself as tightly against the far wall of the escape pod as she could. Elise used her golden trident to shred the metal of the pod enough to make a hole big enough for Melanie to slip through. She slid out of the hole to splash into the cool water of the Pacific.
She let out a sigh of relief to see Paul there, along with a half-dozen of Elise’s royal guard. He had seaweed wrapped around his right arm and shoulder, the Pacifican idea of a bandage. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“A little woozy, but I’ll be fine,” he said. “What about Sally and Allison?”
“I don’t—” she stopped herself as a scream escaped her lips. Like a scene out of Jaws, a great white shark was heading straight for her. It had to be one of the creatures Killer Whale had used to attack the platform.
The shark skimmed by her without taking a bite out of her. It went up to Elise, practically nuzzling her like a dog. “It’s under my control now,” Elise said. “The link to Killer Whale has been severed.”
“That’s good.”
“Take hold of his fin. He’ll swim you up to the platform. Then we will reclaim it.”
Melanie said nothing to this. She reluctantly grabbed the shark’s fin. “It’s all right,” Paul said to her. “Elise won’t let it hurt you.”
“I know.” She was still glad when Paul swam next to her. While Melanie had been part of the Super Squad for over three years, it was still hard sometimes to accept things like someone who could make a great white shark do her bidding.
Elise led the way up to the platform. From the smoke rising from the converted oil platform, Melanie knew something bad had happened after she left. The villains had probably trashed the place to make sure no one in the Super Squad could use it. Without Robin and Holloway Corp’s money, Melanie didn’t know how they would rebuild it. That was if there was anyone left to rebuild it. If something had happened to the Velocity Gals it would just be Melanie, Elise, and Starla left. And Elise had sworn not to help the surface world anymore; she was only here because of Killer Whale.
Elise went up the ladder first, followed by her guard. Melanie and Paul brought up the rear. The latter insisted he could climb up without help, but Melanie stayed close in case he started to slip. “Maybe you should stay down there,” Melanie said.
“I can make it,” Paul said. He looked up the ladder. “Someone has to keep her from killing him.”
“You mean Killer Whale? You think she would do that?”
“Without hesitation. You don’t know what it’s like down there. Any moment there could be a coup attempt.”
“I didn’t realize it was that bad.”
“She doesn’t like to spread that around. It’s been rough on her. She’s so different anymore, so much harder than she ever was, even as a man.”
“I guess that makes sense after what happened with her husband and mom.” Melanie thought of Robin, how the death of her parents had hardened her into a dedicated vigilante. Maybe that pain had finally caused her to snap and kill Captain Howe. She still didn’t want to believe that, but she had to admit it was possible.
The ladder led them through an airlock and then into a hallway. Elise and her guards had already spread out in combat formation to search for the villains. Melanie ran a hand along the wall, noting the scorch marks from blown power relays. Had they overloaded the generators?
There was no one in the hallways. No sign of the villains or the Velocity Gals. Melanie shivered, feeling as if she were in a haunted house. She pressed closer to Paul, but she really yearned for Robin. No matter the situation, she always felt safer with Robin at her side because Midnight Spectre always had a plan to get them out of trouble.
“In here,” Elise called out.
Melanie followed the guards into the control room. She gasped, both hands going to her mouth. On the floor of the control room were four young women, two of them adults and two in their late teens. She bent down beside a teenage girl clad in a gray suit many sizes too big for her. She brushed long brown hair away from the girl’s face. In the girl’s face she recognized the man who had nearly killed her.
The other three on the floor must have been the assassin’s comrades. Elise knelt beside a girl who looked almost as she had when she first became a woman, the only difference being the girl’s hair was a bit more golden than Elise’s had been. The girl wore Killer Whale’s black-and-white bodysuit, the garment tight on her chest and hips while loose everywhere else.
There was only one conclusion to draw: someone had used the alien weapon that had turned the Super Squad—including Melanie—into girls four years ago. But who? Allison and Sally could have, in which case they could be here as much-younger versions of themselves.
The lights in the room flickered a few times before the emergency lights finally stayed on. The platform’s backup systems had come back online. Melanie hurried over to the main computer. A raven-haired teenager clad in Ion Man’s armor was slumped over the station. Melanie shoved her aside to access the system.
Her body turned cold as she studied the system logs. “Oh no.”
“What is it?” Paul asked.
“It’s worse than I thought. They didn’t just use the weapon on the villains. They redirected it via satellites in space.”
“Meaning what?” Elise snapped.
“Meaning the whole world is like this.” What she didn’t tell them was those satellites had all been owned by Holloway Corporation and that according to the security logs Midnight Spectre had activated the system.
Chapter 6
Billy rolled over in bed and felt around where Starla should be only to find an empty space on the mattress. He opened his eyes to make sure she wasn’t there. She must have gotten up to use the bathroom or perhaps to tell her robots to make them breakfast.
His stomach rumbled at this thought. He and Starla had worked off a lot of calories last night. By the end of the week they’d probably both look anorexic. This thought brought a smile to his face. He couldn’t think of anything better than a whole week with Starla, no worries about work—either of her jobs—unless there was a catastrophe that required Apex Girl.
He rolled over to the other side of the bed and then got to his feet. Once he did, his boxer shorts slid down to pool at his feet. He hadn’t lost that much weight overnight, had he? He bent down to pull them up, keeping the waistband in one hand as he toddled towards what he hoped was the bathroom.
He tapped on the door. “Starla?” he called out, but something was wrong with his voice. It didn’t sound like him anymore. If anything it sounded like his mom’s voice. Getting no answer, he opened the door.
A light came on. As soon as it did, Billy screamed. “Oh my God!”
In the mirror he saw a half-naked young woman. She brushed aside tresses of light brown hair to reveal a pair of breasts almost the size of Starla’s. She pinched her left nipple and winced. That confirmed this wasn’t a dream—she was a woman!
“Oh no,” she whispered. She backed against the wall and took a handful of
her long hair as she tried to think back to last night. She remembered a weird dream where a pair of aliens stood over the bed. One had been blue and crablike while the other had been purple and elflike. The purple one had put a hand to Billy’s head before he could say anything.
That had been it. But maybe it had been real. Maybe aliens really had been in their bedroom and maybe they’d used a ray gun like the Tinker had made for Major Dalton three years ago. He knew what such a weapon would do to Starla, it would make her into the puny, rail-thin girl Dr. Roboto had paraded on live TV, giving her the name Anorexic Girl.
It would be easy enough then for the aliens to take Starla, or even to kill her. Billy put a hand to her lips, her boxer shorts dropping to the floor again. She forgot about those as she ran from the bathroom.
“Starla? Are you here?” she called out. She didn’t get an answer.
Billy found the ladder that went down to the first floor of the Crystal Lair. She almost broke her neck when her feet missed the first rung. She had shrunk several inches in becoming a woman, but her brain hadn’t caught up yet. She concentrated as she took the next step.
At the bottom of the ladder she hoped to find Starla, but she wasn’t there. She did see one of those robots who maintained the place. Billy waved a slim hand over the robot’s eye. It gave no reaction. “Hey, wake up! Gor-Bul needs your help.”
“Voice input not recognized,” the robot said. Its red eye scanned her. “Intruder alert!”
“Oh crap.”
She ducked just before the robot’s left arm would have taken her head off. Billy scampered away, back to the ladder. She had reached the halfway point when she felt something warm tickle her feet. Billy turned to see the robot nearly level to her thanks to a pair of tiny rocket engines. “Crap!”
She didn’t have time for anything fancy; she slid down the ladder like it was a fireman’s pole. Before she hit the bottom, she threw herself to the ground. Her unfamiliar feet stumbled, but she managed to roll back into a squatting position.
She saw the orange chair Starla had used to conjure the hologram of her father. Maybe that could help her call off the robots. Billy hurried over to the chair and sat down. She felt a tingle of electricity run through her. Hair lashed across her face as she turned quickly to the right to see the robot adjusting its course to resume its pursuit.
Girl Power Omnibus (Gender Swap Superhero Fiction) Page 50
