Alien Arsenal

by Jeffery H. Haskell

  “Okay, Epic,” I say. “Initiate.”

  It has been the utmost privilege of my electronic life to know you. If there is an afterlife for AIs, I surely hope to see you there.

  “Me too, buddy. Why don’t we count it down with some music. Original Trek theme for the road.”

  Affirmative.

  The first bell of the Star Trek theme sounds in my ear. I am indeed about to go where no one has gone before. Once the containment field fails on the singularity, the black hole will be unleashed. Powered by its compression it should devour this planet in a matter of minutes, and the rest of the solar system in a matter of days. Based on the numbers I’m crunching, I’d guess the event horizon will reach the other two planets in the solar system. Even the sun will sink slowly down to its death. There will be no more Th’un.

  “Ares would worship you, if he knew you were going to kill an entire race. My god, Amelia, humans are good at war… but this?” Pythias flippant tone shocks me and I almost let go of the console.

  There she is, standing next to me. Her black hair in an elaborate braid, her slightly too large blue eyes blinking as she snaps a selfie. She looks dressed for a night on the town in a white blouse that falls away beneath her breasts to reveal her emerald encrusted belly button. Low rise jeans hug her hips and end short enough to appreciate her five-inch heels. She raises her phone, pouts her lips in a ridiculously sexy manner and snaps a selfie.

  “Pythia? How?”

  “Magic.”

  Amelia, the quantum gate drive in the suit is spinning up. I cannot override it.

  “Pythia, I don’t know how you got here, but you have to leave. I can’t take my hand off this console or everything I’ve sacrificed for will be undone.”

  She smiles, and it is almost as if time slows down.

  “You saved the Earth, Amelia. But she still needs you and my job is to protect humanity. Find your way home.” She puts her hand on my forehead and the other on the console. With a strength I didn’t know she possessed, she shoves. I flail backward, screaming as my hand detaches from the console. The room vanishes around and I fall into an endless void of white nothing. I can see her, though, eyes closed, head tilted slightly up. Somehow she kept the override going… somehow she teleported here from Luxilla… there is a flash of light and the portal closes.

  I jump as the rifles bark their twenty-one-gun salute. Two more times the Marine honor guard fire their weapons into the sky. I’m still not used to missing an arm and I hold the prosthetic in place to keep it steady.

  A moment later the sky roars as four F22 Raptors from the Arizona State Militia flyby heading north. As they pass overhead, the aircraft second from the right splits off and heads west, toward the sun. The boom of the jet hitting the sound barrier reaches us all the way down here. The other three continue North without him.

  Amelia would’ve loved this.

  Luke stands next to me, casting a pale shadow in his black suit. The rest of the team is here, even Tessa wore a dress for the occasion. All of us wear black. Even Lux’s traditionally white outfit is a black dress with a silver starburst.

  When I woke back up here on Earth I was as shocked as anyone. What the Th’un did to me… what they did while I was awake and able to feel it all, I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I finger the necklace Amelia gave me. The micro ZPFM inside protects me from the others’ emotions. From everyone’s but my own.

  My shoulders shake uncontrollably but I manage to hold back the tears, wiping my eyes and biting my tongue until I can control myself. Everyone, even Luke, has tears streaming down their faces. We held out hope she would come back. That she would appear suddenly.

  Epic’s message to Luke triggered when he returned to Earth without her. Lux returned yesterday with the news. The Th’un system was gone, wiped out by a massive black hole that ate half the planets in the system and counting. Somehow she did it. I know it. If there was anyone in the whole of the universe who could blow up a star system… it was my Amelia.

  The roar of the jets fades as the honor guard finish folding the flag. They march over in a tradition I’ve seen a hundred times and hand the flag to Luke.

  “On behalf of a grateful nation,” the sergeant says. Luke nods and takes the flag, holding it close like a teddy bear. Carlos rests a hand on Luke's shoulder and I lean into my longtime friend.

  The ceremony complete, the crowd begins to break up. Thousands of people showed, from the President to the Arizona AG and everyone in between.

  I stand there, not moving as one-by-one they all leave, everyone but us. Tessa takes Monica’s hand and Teddy’s and leads them away. Pierre moves to stand beside me as Tony stands on the other side of Luke. I don’t know how long the five of us stand there staring at an empty casket.

  “Was it her idea to have it look like a photon torpedo?” Tony asks. I bite my lip to stop the sudden laugh that erupts from me. It feels out of place.

  “No,” Luke says, “but I thought she would like it.”

  “You are not wrong, hombre,” Carlos says quietly.

  Pierre kneels down and places his hand on the coffin. “Goodbye Amelia, we’ll miss you,” he whispers. The magician stands, looks at the rest of us with a nod before walking away. Tony goes next, whispers something I don’t hear before hiding his face as he leaves. Lux waits quietly for him toward the cars.

  I don’t know how long the three of us stand there. I don’t know what we’re waiting for, something. When the sun starts its slow descent into the ocean the sudden change of light breaks the spell. Luke takes a deep breath, and without saying anything turns and leaves. I can tell he wants to be alone. Even without my powers working.

  “Kate, do you feel her? Have you felt her since?” Carlos asks breaking the silence.

  I shake my head in response to Carlos’ question. “I… she’s gone Carlos. I don’t know what’s worse, her being gone or not getting to say goodbye.” I bite my lip again. I will not cry. She wouldn’t want me to wallow.

  “It’s just… I thought…” he deflates like a man who’s lost everything.

  “You thought she’d make it? We all did.”

  “It’s not that… well not only that. Pythia hasn’t returned, and I thought maybe she did something… I don’t pretend to know how all of this works. I did this for Amelia, and now she and Pythia are gone… I don’t have anyone else.”

  I smile. “That isn’t true. You have us and you have her,” I say with a nod. Monica isn’t far away, standing patiently with her hands clasped in front of her.

  “It’s not the same,” he says with a sad smile.

  “It never will be,” I tell him.

  He sighs and pulls me into a hug. “I miss her so much,” he says as his hands tighten around me.

  “I know.” He lets go and sniffles before looking me in the eye with a smile. He leaves with Monica and I am all alone, twirling my gem around between fingers.

  “Goodbye Amelia.”

  I press the gem, deactivating the ECM field for the heartbeat it takes me to teleport to Paris. As usual, the world flashes in a stark white emptiness before I appear in my apartment.

  I don’t want to feel other people’s emotions and I go to squeeze the gem again… instead I pull it off my head and stare at it in abject horror.

  I can feel her. She’s alive.

  The Adventure will continue in Book 5! Turn the page for exclusive bonus content!

  EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT

  One year after VT Day.

  Begin Transcript Studio 50

  [Ranna] Hello, Kate. May I call you Kate?

  [Kate] Of course. It’s a pleasure to be here.

  [Ranna] Fantastic. Let’s dive right in. We were all shocked when you returned from captivity missing an arm. Now that you’ve retired from superheroing, what are you going to do?

  [Kate] Amelia always thought I should pursue my passions. Do what makes me happy. With the help of the money she left me, I’ve been making fashionable uniform
s for superheroes and a civilian line of clothes to compliment them.

  [Ranna] Is that what you are wearing right now?

  [Kate] Yes. This may look like an ordinary leather motorcycle jacket, but combined with Amelia’s formula, it is bulletproof. The same with these pants.

  [Ranna] So they do more than make your ass look fantastic?

  [Kate]Yes, uh, thank you. They are very resilient.

  [Ranna] Moving on… Why did you quit The Protectors? Personal problems or conflicts?

  [Kate](laughing) Nothing so dramatic I’m afraid. We are still fantastic friends. I just… without Amelia I didn’t want to be there. Ironically, I’m there now a lot considering how fast they go through uniforms. Well, everyone but the Protector himself.

  [Ranna] Is he as good a kisser as they say?

  [Kate] Uh, excuse me?

  [Ranna] Oh come now, we’re all adults, surely you’ve kissed him? I know I would. I’d do anything to get in his pan-

  [Kate] Ranna? You look alarmed, are you okay?

  [Ranna] I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s come over me (takes a sip of water) *cough* Okay, let me get back on topic. I’ve heard you think Amelia is still alive?

  [Kate](Clears her throat) Yes. She is. I can feel her presence. Not unlike a memory of an old friend that tickles your brain. She’s out there, I just don’t know where.

  [Ranna] According to the public database you can teleport to people you have a… connection… with? Why don’t you do that? Would you risk losing yourself, risk everything just to save her?

  [Kate] As Amelia discovered, I use quantum teleportation to move between spaces. On Earth, the farthest I can go is the diameter of the planet. From here to Paris in less than a second. But… when you start spanning the stars it is a different matter entirely. From here to Luxilla is a seven-day trip through the quantum gates. I’m willing to risk anything to save her, but I want the risk t0 have a chance at success. Quantum Space has only what you bring with you. I’d need specialized gear, and once the journey started, I wouldn’t be able to stop. Amelia is stubborn, eccentric, and absolutely the best friend I’ve ever had. You ask why I would risk everything to save her? Because no matter the risk, that woman is a treasure to humanity and I would be as guilty as the people who took her if I didn’t try. I miss her every day. Every day.

  [Ranna] You think someone took her?

  [Kate] She’s alive and not here. I can only assume someone took her.

  [Ranna] Were you two close?

  [Kate] She’s my best friend. We shared almost everything. The funny thing is, if you’d asked me three years ago I would never have guessed a geek like Amelia would end up being my bestie.

  [Ranna] You shared everything?

  [Kate] Oh yes! One time-

  [Ranna] Boyfriends? Now that the truth about her has come out she could hardly land a man like Luke Lancaster without… help. Tell me, were you the help?

  [Kate] (smiling) She told me about you. She said that you were an empath hiding your abilities so you could manipulate heroes into admitting things on national TV.

  [Ranna] I… I don’t…

  [Kate] Shh. Just listen.

  [Camera Operator] One time I peed in my mom’s soup.

  [From the booth] I cheated on my wife with Ranna.

  [Ranna] What are you doing?

  [Kate] I’m the most powerful empath in the world, Ranna. What did you think was going to happen?

  [Ranna] I thought you were all fluff and you would come onto the show and I would get you to admit you were having an affair with Luke or The Protector because if it were me, I would.

  [Kate] Was that so hard?

  [Ranna] Yes. I use my abilities to manipulate everyone around me to get what I want because I’m a spoiled bitch who can’t like anyone, let alone herself.

  [Kate] Aaaaand we’re done.

  End transcript.

  There it is true believer, the end of Full Metal Superhero: Volume One. She saved her parents, saved the world from tyranny, and finally from destruction. She built five different suits in the process, fell in love, rescued her best friend and ended lost in space.

  Of course, this isn't the end of Arsenal! Amelia has to get home and how she does that will be the beginning of the next volume. I hope you join me for the ride. It's been a blast writing these four books. The next four should be just as much fun!

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