章 2599: 24
Chapter Twenty-four—Pace the Hollow Rooms
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Sherrel stood at the door and kicked it three more times, yelling, ″Let me out, you fuckers! You fucking fuckity-fuck fuckers! Let me the fuck out of here! Goddamned bastards! I'm going to kill you all!″ Still cursing, she hopped on one foot, the other too sore to put much weight on after the way she'd abused it on the door.
Panting from all of the yelling she'd been doing, Sherrel dropped back onto her bed, massaging her aching foot. Moodily, her eyes roamed her room, which had steadily grown more and more comfortable over the last two days. Now, instead of a cot, she had a full-size bed with a soft, comfortable mattress with real sheets and blankets. Just how the hell they'd managed to change that without waking her, she had no idea. But they had. And that wasn't even close to all of the changes that had occurred with her room.
In addition to the various facilities that had been added to her room and the accompanying size increase, there was also a desk there now, as well as several books for her to read. Not that Sherrel had any intentions of doing any reading any time soon. Even from where she sat, she could see the title of one book Watership Down. What the fuck was wrong with her captors that they though she'd want to read shit about rabbits?
Even the old folding table was gone and a new wooden dining table big enough for four sat in its place surrounded by four chairs. There were also three lamps placed around the room in case Sherrel wanted to turn off the overhead lights and still be able to read.
What there was not was a television or any of form of contact with the outside world. It was driving her crazy. Sherrel had already tried to disassemble several different items, from the lights and lamps, to the plumbing itself, in an effort to build something to help her escape. Her every attempt had been foiled, however.
As soon as Sherrel attempted to take something apart, one of those drones would show up to monitor her progress, assuming she was making any. If she was, it would dart in, remove the item from her, then rebuild it in a way that made it ten times as hard to take apart or pretty much impossible for Sherrel to do so without her tools. It was enough to drive anyone crazy or to make them want to get high. Not that Sherrel wanted any part of doing drugs again.
That last was by far the scariest part of her entire captivity. Since the day Sherrel had woken up and felt fine, she had absolutely zero cravings for drugs, either mental or physical. Zilch. Nada. For the life of her, she could not see how it was possible for anyone to make her feel this way. But someone had. And the idea that someone could do that to her, get inside of her head this way, left her utterly terrified as to what else they could do to her without her knowledge.
Almost as bad as the fear was the sheer boredom. With no TV to watch, and not wanting to read any of the ridiculous books in the room, Sherrel was left with nothing to do. About the only way to keep herself occupied was to sketch out designs on the pads of paper that had been left for her, probably for that exact purpose. Even knowing that it was probably what her captors wanted, Sherrel still drew out new designs every day. After all, let the fuckers try to make them work. Everyone knew Tinkertech was not really reproducible by another Tinker, even if seeing another's work might provide inspiration. That is, unless maybe you were fucking Dragon, supposedly the greatest Tinker in the world.
Sherrel had a rather jaundiced opinion of that, but even she had to admit Dragon built some kick ass stuff. Then again, maybe she could as well if she had the other Tinker's resources.
Sherrel's introspection was interrupted by the entrance of another drone, carrying a small manila folder of papers. Almost, she tried to jump it and bring it down. But she still remembered what had happened the day before and the results. It was all she could do not to reach back and rub her butt where she'd fallen on it after that drone had shrugged her aside like she was nothing.
The drone deposited the file folder onto the bed next to Sherrel and then left again. She yelled out, ″Fuck you, you fuckers! I'm not your labrat! I'm not going to do anything you want me to do, you shiteaters! You hear me?″
She wasn't. There was no way Sherrel was reading that damn file sitting so innocuously on her bed. She wasn't going to give the people holding her the satisfaction of jumping through their hoops like a rat in a maze. She...
″Goddammittomothafuckinhell!″
Sherrel grabbed the file folder and flung it open, a sheath of papers falling out in a fluttering mass. Fortunately, they were stapled together and didn't spread apart to decorate half her room. Angrily, Sherrel straightened the stapled pages and turned it over so she could read the title.
″A Treatise on the End of the Human Race as Brought About by Endbringers, Parahuman Conflict, and Unknown Dangers″
Well, isn't that the most ominous title, Sherrel thought in amusement. Aloud she said, ″Trying to scare me, huh? Well, fuck that! And fuck you!″
Still, the words drew her attention. They were dry and factual and the only sensationalism they espoused was because she was also a member of the human race. Sitting there indecisively, Sherrel finally turned the page and began to read. Soon she was engrossed.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
″Okay, JARVIS, that is just plain nifty. Good job.″
The AI's tone was faintly sarcastic as he replied, ″Miss, I live to serve. I am glad that it suits your needs.″
Taylor's eyes gleamed as she stared at her new armor. She almost squealed as she said, ″Fits my needs? This is beautiful!″
It was beautiful. Black and silver, standing almost six and a half feet tall, the Mark V armor was light years ahead of Taylor's last suit. It would make a great first impression on New Wave, well, second in the case of Brandish, Lady Photon, and Panacea, and should give her an edge in any Parahuman fight. In a word, it was nifty.
Taylor's tone grew inquisitive as she asked, ″It contains the latest inertial dampening system? And the new capacitors?″
″Yes, Miss.″
″What about the twenty petajoule repulsors and particle cannons? And the sixty petajoule unibeam?″
″Of course, Miss. And it also has the new Carbon Processors, Matrix Memory Storage, and Isotronic forcefield emitters. Plus, as per your last directive, I've upped the thrusters two hundred and ninety-three percent. Top speed is now just over Mach 10 at sea level.″
Taylor grinned. ″Now that's moving. Of course, later we're going to need a faster version yet, in the Mach 30 range.″
If JARVIS was a person, he'd be rolling his eyes right now, based upon his tone. ″Miss, at this time, engineering limits will not allow us to reach those speeds. Even with inertial dampening and angled forcefields, Mach 10 is pushing things.″
Taylor made an airy wave. ″Fiddly bits. We'll get there. Anything else I should know?″
Amusement colored JARVIS' voice as he said, ″Too much to communicate at this time, Miss. However, as regards the Mark V, the only other detail is regarding the final testing done on the power system.″
Taylor felt anxiety shoot through her. ″Did we not make the one hundred terajoule cap? Dammit! I was worried about that. In theory, those rhodium palladium alloy couplings should have done it, but I didn't have a practical model for it. What's the issue?″
″No issue, Miss. I was just going to say that the power system exceeds our most optimistic estimate by nearly forty percent. Current optimum capacitance is at one hundred and thirty-nine terajoules with a absolute cap of three thousand and twenty-six terajoules. Just, please don't detonate this one like you did the previous one. Because while it would make a much bigger boom, having to build you another would be rather tiresome.″
Taylor's eyes narrowed. ″Yuck it up while you can. You know, I can always pull the plug on you.″
″Miss, I do hope that's a euphemism for something else as with the quintupled armored redundancy that is currently installed or being installed, 'pulling the plug' on me would require utterly destroying this facility to a depth of at least thirty-six meters below ground. Even then, I have back up servers and the quantum entangled transceivers will soon be in production. I will then be able to communicate with you anywhere this side of the Large Magellanic Cloud.″
Taylor started to say something equally sarcastic, when a voice called out from behind her, ″Hey, there, kiddo. This the new suit?″
Taylor turned and saw that her dad and Trish had arrived to inspect her latest creation. Well, hers and JARVIS'. She did have to give him some of the credit. Grinning, she walked up next to it and held out her arms like a Price Is Right model. ″Yes, Dad, this is the Mark V.″
Danny walked around it slowly, carefully studying the armored suit. Grudgingly, he said, ″I thought it would be bigger than the last one.″
Taylor shrugged. ″Nah, it doesn't really need to be. We need just a bit more room for the new power system. Guess what, Dad? Capacitance is up to a hundred and thirty-nine terajoules! And using a Rhod-Plat Alloy. Take that, Reed Richards!″
Danny's brows rose at Taylor's statement and she realized that he had no idea who Reed was or why it was such a coup to have designed something so simple with so much capacitance that it outdid much more complex and advanced equipment from the other. Realizing her dad was still staring, Taylor made a vague wave. ″It's not important. Hey, Trish, what do you think?″
The short-haired brunette pursed her lips in a frown, but her dancing eyes gave her away. ″It's cool. Scary as hell, but cool. Was this what you wanted us to see?″
Taylor started. She'd almost forgotten in her excitement that she had asked the two of them to stop by. ″Partially. But I have something else to show you.″
Her dad smiled indulgently. ″What's that, kiddo?″
Taylor walked over to her work station. Reaching up to the seemingly empty air, she opened a 3D hologram design she and JARVIS had been working on. It wasn't ready, quite. But it was close. Close enough to talk about with the ones for whom it concerned.
Taylor gestured towards the hologram and said, ″This is what else I wanted to show you. Project Tin Man.″
Danny and Trish stared at it, then back at Taylor. She didn't need Trish's raised brow to realize that they had no idea what she was showing them. After all, the object hanging in midair didn't look like much. If anything, it most closely resembled a metal shrimp. But this shrimp was special and she would show them just how much.
″I call it a nanobot. It's a microscopic robot that is also capable of self-replication, among a host of other things. I am currently working on two major packages of them. The first is for the protection of this compound and later the entire city of Brockton Bay. The second... well, the second is for us. Thus, Tin Man.″
Danny cautiously asked, ″When you say for us, do you mean some kind of protection for Trish and I as well? Is it a shield or something?″
Taylor was equally careful with her own words. ″No, Dad, it isn't a shield. The nanobots are intended to be ingested by the person who they're going to help. Once inside, they'll accomplish certain things within the human body.″
Trish looked more intrigued than scared as she asked, ″What things exactly? Keep in mind, I can't read you so you're going to have to fill in the blanks for me.″
Taylor ticked off the points on her fingers as she spoke, ″Well, not to be too blunt, but you'll never be sick again. They can kill any virus or bacteria. They also promote healing and anyone carrying them will heal injuries twelve to fifteen times faster than someone without nanobots. They can prevent cellular degeneration as well. Of course, one of the main things, the thing that is probably most important of all, is that they'll make the carrier effectively immortal.″
Both Danny and Trish looked gobsmacked. Danny found his voice first. ″Taylor, I'm not sure this is such a good idea. You know I support you in what you're trying to accomplish, but I'm not sure I'm ready to live forever.″
Taylor shook her head. ″Dad, you won't have to worry about that. Statistically speaking, you'll have some kind of fatal accident long before you have a chance to live even a small part of forever. These things don't make you invincible, although they should keep you from aging, even reversing the process to some extent. But you can still die, and most likely will, if for no other reason than because the universe is a entropic place.″
Trish blurted out, ″I'm in.″
Danny turned to the other girl with an expression of almost betrayal on his face. ″No discussion. No arguing. Just 'I'm in?'″
Trish shrugged unapologetically. ″I love to snoop and find out things. This lets me keep doing it for a long, long time. Who wouldn't love that? Plus, I lied a little earlier. I just got finished using my ability on my model of Taylor and she has another bomb to drop on us.″
Danny turned back to face Taylor, a myriad of emotions covering his features. Sighing, he asked, ″What else does it do, Taylor?
Taylor couldn't help the slow smile that pulled up the corners of her mouth hard until her face almost hurt from the sensation. ″Dad, Trish, the nanobots do have another purpose. A big one. You see, I learned from Tony's memories what not to do. There's a ton of failure paths that I can remember him taking. One of the worst, in my opinion, is something called Extremis. It's also a form of nanotechnology, but one that I think was taken in a horrific direction as it basically rewired the brain and the body, allowing them to be taken over like a hacked computer.″
Still smiling, Taylor continued, ″Nanobots don't do half what Extremis did, but they're safe in a way it isn't. They do what we already discussed, but they also do one other very important thing. Well, two rather. First, they up a person's nerve conduction velocity, giving you reflexes that would make a fighter pilot weep, and second, they give you the ability to fully interface with a suit. To control it just with your mind if need be.″
Danny appeared confused and worried, but there was a growing look of glee on Trish's face. He asked, ″What good does that do?″
Before Trish, who was already opening her mouth, could blurt something out, Taylor stated, ″It will allow you to pilot the armored suit I'm making for you, silly. Actually, I'm making one for each of you. Dad, yours is going to be blue and silver, while Trish's is going to be lavender and silver.″
Trish was almost jumping up and down in excitement. Still, she found the time to be snarky. ″How do you know I don't want a blue and silver suit?″
Taylor rolled her eyes. ″Because I know you. And you like purple. Dad, on the other hand, likes blue.″
Danny still looked slightly shell-shocked. But he gamely nodded. ″If you think this is something you need us to do, then I'm on board.″ Then his eyes took on a contemplative look. He added, ″So long as JARVIS says that it's safe.″
At the sound of his name, the AI's voice sounded over the lab's speakers, ″Danny, I can assure you that the self-replicating nanobots are as safe as any new technology can be. I assure you that you're running a higher risk of injury driving back and forth to work just from having an accident. That doesn't include the risk of Parahuman attack. Now if you would heed my advice and take quarters here within this facility, I could more adequately protect you.″
Danny shook his head. ″Not going to happen, JARVIS. You know that a home is more than a place to live.″
″I do, but I've also come to understand that it is the people we surround ourselves with who help make a house a home. So if both Taylor and Trish lived here, as well as myself...″
Taylor couldn't help but smile at the look on her dad's face. It just brought home that JARVIS was a real person, even to extent of making points off of the people he cared about. ″Sorry, JARVIS, but for now, we're staying at Hebert Manor. Maybe later we'll move here. And it's always available for emergencies.″
″Very well, Miss. Did you also plan to brief Trish and your father on Project Garden Spot?″
Taylor nodded decisively. ″Good idea. Okay, guys, now Project Garden Spot. Basically, it's going to protect this facility, then the city, and eventually the entire world.″
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Sarah Pelham sat down in her chair in front of her computer. She turned it on and waited for it to boot up. It was time to check her email and see if there was anything new from New Wave's publicist about a possible rebranding in order to promote merchandising.
She sighed. The last thing she wanted to deal with was the infighting that would occur if there was a large-scale shift in costume appearances for her and her sister's kids. Sarah doubted that either Neil or Mark would care, but Victoria and Crystal would be difficult enough to make up for the both of them. Still, they needed the money.
As it turned out, being independent heroes was expensive. Very expensive. It had only grown more so since her and Carol's kids had grown up. Now, they all wanted cars, more for status symbols than because they needed them as all of the kids were flyers of one kind or another. Well, except for Amy. Then again, she wasn't really her sister's child.
Sarah felt a pang of regret at the tangent her thoughts had taken. To her, Amy was her niece, as plain and simple as that. But to her sister Carol, Amy was the child who'd been foisted off on her against her wishes. She'd never truly warmed up to the girl, something that made Sarah wish she'd gone ahead and taken Amy in herself, even with two kids of her own to deal with. After all, no matter how many kids you have, there was always enough love to go around. Although she wasn't sure Carol would agree with that sentiment.
Her computer beeped, drawing Sarah from her introspection. She moved the cursor of her mouse over to her email's icon, when there was a series of beeps from her computer. Then an image slowly formed on her screen. A familiar one as it turned out.
Sarah stared as Iron Man's image took over the desktop of her computer. At first she thought it was just a picture, then as the image moved, she realized it was a video. With sound no less. Sarah sat there listening to the obviously pre-recorded message.
″Ms Pelham, my name is Iron Man. You and I spoke before the Simurgh fight in Canberra. I wanted to contact New Wave because I have a proposition for you, one that I think you will find very interesting. I would like to meet with the entire membership of New Wave at your convenience. Please call me at 603-822-4422 to arrange a meeting.″
With that, the video faded from her computer's screen as if it had never existed. Sarah took a deep breath. She did not like the fact that the other had co-opted her computer the way he had. Then again, being a Tinker, maybe Iron Man thought nothing of it. Still, when she contacted him to arrange the meeting, she'd let him know her feelings on the matter.
Sarah stopped, arrested by the thought. When had she decided that they were definitely meeting with Iron Man? She considered the conversation they'd had the night of Canberra.
Sarah stood impatiently waiting for the teleporter to arrive while listening to her sister argue with Amy. Sometimes she wished Carol would just give it a rest. Feeling a large presence at her side, she turned to stare up at the armored figure next to her. Curious, she asked, ″Is this Psionic thing really powerful enough to be effective against the Simurgh?″
The artificial male voice answered honestly, ″I don't know for sure. I think it will be, but this will be its field test.″
Well at least he doesn't have a huge ego, she thought. Aloud, Sarah asked, ″If you can build things like this, why haven't I heard of you before?″
″I'm a new trigger. I've only been active a little over three months.″
Sarah stood there, stunned. Three months? Iron Man had built that incredible suit of armor that she could easily tell had Armsmaster green with envy in just three months? Unbelievable. ″Do you have other items like this in production?″
″Not yet, but I plan to in the near future. I would like to use some of the devices to help people, others to reduce casualties from Endbringer fights. By the way, I notice that only the three of you are here out of all the members in your group. I was curious why."
Sarah stated, "Brandish and I agreed that the others were too vulnerable against the Simurgh. Her telekinesis is extremely powerful. Her Scream...″ Sarah spread her hands out wide. ″While we think we can handle it..."
"You don't know if the others could. If they could be kept safe, through some means, there would be a lot less to worry about."
Iron Man showed a surprising amount of insight in his response. Still, was the armored cape implying what she thought he might be? Deciding to be cautious, Sarah said, "Maybe. But as things stand, unless Brockton Bay is getting hit, our kids are not getting involved in an Endbringer fight."
The armored figured nodded. "I completely understand."
That had ended their conversation. They had not spoken again. Later, Sarah had heard about Iron Man's death at the Simurgh's hands. She'd also heard that he had somehow driven the Endbringer away, saving Canberra. Later still, she'd found out that he had somehow survived the fight with the Simurgh. A long cultivated source had made she she'd even seen the confidential memo circulating within the upper echelons of the PRT about him and his technology. Unknown had been one of the words used. Another had been advanced. But the word that had caught Sarah's attention more than any other had been the word reproducible.
According to that confidential memo, Iron Man's technology was reproducible by ordinary means. It could even be maintained by regular men and women. It was a heady thought.
But the one thing that Sarah thought about more than anything else was whether Iron Man's technology could help keep her children safe.
Eric and Crystal were growing up. Soon, they would graduate high school and it remained to be seen whether they would want to remain with New Wave, or strike out on their own. Regardless, they'd be exposed to dangers that so far they'd mostly avoided because of their ages.
Sarah's flesh creeped at the thought of her children fighting something like the Simurgh. Or Behemoth. Hero-killer had been the end of far too many people she personally knew. That Eric and Crystal might face him someday... And that didn't even include the purely human dangers of groups like the Slaughterhouse Nine and the Teeth. The world was a very dangerous place these days.
No, Sarah would set up the meeting with Iron Man. And she'd make sure everyone attended, even her headstrong sister, and her niece not-of-her-blood, no matter what her schedule was like. Because maybe, just maybe, he would have something that would make sure her children lived long enough to have children of their own.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Amy sat on her bed, staring at the wall, fingers slowly tracing the armband she wore. The same band she'd worn since Canberra.
Somehow, she doubted that she would have received one if she hadn't gotten it before she'd left. After all, she was just a healer and wouldn't be facing the Simurgh at all. And that was exactly how it had gone. Upon arriving in Canberra, Amy had been hustled off into the healer's tent and immediately had gone to work repairing ripped and torn flesh.
Yes, she'd saved lives, but she been isolated the entire time she was there. Amy hadn't even heard about what had happened to Iron Man until after it had been discovered that he was still alive. There had been a camp wide announcement over the loudspeakers as she was heading towards the egress point with the rest of her family. Carol hadn't showed any surprise or any emotion whatsoever, while her Aunt Sarah had showed a flicker of... something before before her own face had echoed her sister's.
There hadn't been any point in asking them why they hadn't told her what had happened as she would have lost any resulting argument. Still, since Canberra, the armband had become Amy's totem. It proved that she mattered as more than just a healer. But there was an even more important reason: When she'd gotten back to Brockton Bay and her sister had hugged her in relief, Amy had felt... nothing.
Actually, that was a lie. There'd been terrifying echoes of the strange incestuous feelings she'd been having for Vicky, but compared to what it had been before, it was night and day. It had been like waking from some disorienting dream to find the world once more normal around you.
Amy shivered in reaction. Yes, she could admit it. She had been obsessed with her sister Victoria for a very long time. So much so, that the other was all she could think of. Even when she was healing someone, images of her sister in various states of undress slid through her mind like a slide show, almost always culminating in an image of Victoria, hands on her hips, wearing her costume, a look of triumph on her face.
Those feelings had slowly waned over the last few weeks. Weeks in which Amy's iron determination had never waned. Because more than anything in the world, she didn't want to be in love with her sister, if love had even been what she was feeling. And it had worked. Mostly.
Oh, Amy still loved her sister, that hadn't changed. But it was as if a veil had been ripped from her eyes, letting in a reality that had been occluded by the mists and clouds of obsession. Now her feelings were more normal, as if anything in her life was truly normal. It probably wasn't normal to wear something like Amy's armband to protect herself from her sister, but she wore it because the alternative was unthinkable.
She took a slow deep breath and let it out, trying to control the rising of her gorge. Amy was now almost certain that it was her sister's aura that had done it. That had caused her lust and obsession with the other girl. The constant reinforcement during a vulnerable time in her life. That there wasn't anything wrong with her.
A crooked smile slowly creased Amy's features as she thought about that last conclusion. Okay, maybe there was something wrong with her. But at least she wasn't still completely obsessed with Victoria, although she still suffered from the occasional flashback and nauseating sex dream. But she was dealing with them. She had her armband to thank for it. Her armband, apparently capable of blocking any form of psionic ability, including her sister's. It was a fantastic item, one which the rogue Tinker Iron Man had created.
Amy regretted that she hadn't had a chance to thank him for giving it to her before he'd done whatever it was that he did to the Simurgh that drove her off and made everyone believe he'd died. Fortunately, he hadn't. Almost as fortunate, Amy was getting another chance to thank the man who'd saved her sanity. There was an event scheduled in less than an hour for all of New Wave to meet with him.
Amy didn't know what the meeting was about. The adults were playing their cards close to their vests and so far hadn't let anything slip. None of the kids, either herself, Victoria, Eric, or Crystal, had a clue what they'd be discussing. Just that it was happening, that it was with Iron Man, and to be ready on time, no excuses.
Amy had had to cancel a shift at the hospital on short notice, so she hoped that there was more to this meeting than just an opportunity to thank the other for her armband. Not that she still wouldn't do so, but she could already feel the pressure of all of those people who depended upon her for helping them. So much pressure that it was all she could do to sit here, in her costume, and not simply fly apart.
Her thoughts growing moody, Amy wished that Iron Man was talented enough to actually help her with the other problem that she was having. Her slowly growing indifference to the people she was healing was really starting to become a concern for her. Lately, she'd often been so tired that she just didn't care if the people she was working on lived or died. Maybe the rogue Tinker had a cure for a lack of empathy for others?
Amy shook her head as she dismissed her fantasies. No, she reflected, dreams don't come true and if something good does come your way, you had to be prepared to pay for it, over and over again. Such had been the case with her family and Amy was still waiting for the price tag for the armband to show up. Regardless, she'd pay it, just as she'd tolerated Carol barely tolerating her all these years as price for having Vicky and the rest of her family in her life.
A voice from the doorway pulled Amy from her introspection. ″Hey there, Ames, ready to go?″
Amy looked at the pretty blonde girl in the doorway to her room, wearing the white costume with its silver symbol and the silver tiara on her head, and smiled. In her head, there was a loud 'Thank you' sent Iron Man's way. Aloud, she said, ″Sure thing, Vicky. Let's go meet our mysterious hero.″
The other girl giggled in excitement and grabbed her arm. Amy couldn't keep her own giggle from escaping her. Because sometimes the price you paid for the things you received was a bargain no matter the cost.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Taylor nearly squealed in excitement as she zoomed straight up into the air at nearly Mach 8, her suit's shields automatically aligning to make her as aerodynamic as possible. She yelled, ″JARVIS, isn't this the most fun you've ever had?″
The AI's dry voice answered a second later, ″Yes, Miss, I can barely contain my excitement.″
Taylor pouted a moment, then lost it as a grin erupted across her face. ″You're not going to rain on my parade. Not today.″ A quick check of the readouts of her HUD and Taylor actually cackled. ″Ha! Now this is one well-built suit. You do good work, JARVIS.″ Taylor made a nearly ninety degree turn at her current velocity to prove her point. Minimal G forces were hitting her as the suit's inertial compensator reduced the force by roughly ninety-eight percent, something which was necessary as otherwise, she'd black out at a minimum. Of course, worst case scenario was that she'd pull so many G's that she'd be crushed by the resulting pressure.
JARVIS' tone was wry. ″Thank you, Miss. But you did design it. I was merely the mechanic who put it together.″
Taylor shook her head. In a chiding voice, she said, ″You're more than a mechanic. More like a wunderkind. I can't wait to fly this baby over to Australia this weekend for the big ceremony.″
In a deadpan manner, JARVIS stated, ″Tony Stark couldn't have said it any better.″
Damn, was she emulating her memories of the billionaire again? Taylor chewed her lip, then dismissed the thought. Her tone was accusing as she said, ″You're just yanking my chain, aren't you?
″Perhaps. Perhaps not. But as Miss Trish has stated on numerous occasions, 'Tony alert.' After all, you can never be too careful.″
Placatingly, Taylor said, ″Okay, maybe you're right. Or not completely wrong. The guy did love to showboat, whereas I'm usually the person avoiding the limelight. But I figured that just this once, it wouldn't hurt to take some credit for being a hero. I did save their capital city after all, didn't I? They're even naming a new holiday after me.″
With piercing insight, JARVIS quietly stated, ″Miss, if you really miss running around in the suit that much, I'm sure we can find you some 'safe' villains to fight.″
Not knowing whether to be more insulted by the soothing way JARVIS had spoken or by just how well the other knew her, Taylor merely said, ″Can it, JARVIS. I don't miss running around in the suit. After all, that was Tony Stark's MO.″
″Whose memories you possess in full. It's only logical that you possess some of his preferences as well.″
Not wanting to open that can of worms, thinking of the cute blonde she'd seen who'd just started working in accounting, Taylor merely said, ″I'm trying to avoid becoming him. You're right, the more alert I am to his influence, the better.″
″Well, Miss, be that as it may, I suspect you'll need to channel at least a little Tony Stark to get through your meeting with New Wave in... forty-five seconds.″
″JARVIS! You were supposed to remind me with five minutes to spare!″
Deadpan, the AI stated, ″Yes, but you told me at the time to not interrupt your fun, which I chose to go along with. This way, you'll get an opportunity to test the suit's top speed.″
Taylor almost laughed as she changed direction, taking a course that would get her to her desired destination in less than thirty seconds at Mach 10.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
″Look, it's clear he's not coming. Let's just go.″
Sarah somehow kept the irritation she was feeling for her sister from her voice as she said, ″It's still not quite eight pm. Plus, we can afford to give Iron Man a few extra minutes. After all, we don't know how far he has to travel. The only thing we do know is that he's not based in Brockton Bay.″
Neil nodded as if what she'd said was perfectly reasonable. Then again, he'd probably do the same if she stated they were waiting a couple of hours for Iron Man. It was one of the reasons she loved him, even if his laid back attitude could occasionally irk, like when he expected her to be the disciplinarian of the family.
Carol, on the other hand, looked as irritated as Sarah felt. Still, her sister gave a grudging nod, which was all she really wanted.
New Wave had gathered together on the Overlook here at Captain's Hill. Sprawled out below them was Brockton Bay, its lights making it look beautiful from up here. None of the ugliness that was an every day occurrence could be seen from here. Briefly Sarah wondered if Iron Man had chosen this place for exactly that reason, then dismissed the idea as nonsense.
″Hey, what's that?″
Sarah turned at the sound of her son, Eric's, voice. Following his pointing finger, she saw a long, bright streak that was rapidly approaching. Too rapidly. With drillmaster precision, she rattled out orders, ″Everyone, get in the air if you can! Panacea, get behind that rocky outcropping! Shielder, get ready to protect her! Laserdream, with me! Get ready to provide covering fire! Manpower, Glory Girl be ready to flank them! Everyone else, be prepared to act as needed!″
The streak of fire was nearly there, but Sarah still couldn't make out details. Then with a startling suddenness, showing just how fast it had been traveling, the object hit the ground a few yards away from their group. Although, she thought stunned, hitting was more a word than a reality. Somehow the armored suit kneeling on the ground had gone from that ridiculous speed to rest in a space that Sarah was certain should have pulped its pilot. Considering that it was now moving, it clearly hadn't.
Rising from the kneeling position was the figure of Iron Man, the person who had called the meeting. His synthesized voice stated, ″My apologies if I'm late.″
Sarah alighted on the ground not far from the armored Tinker. A quick glance at her watch and she shook her head. ″You're not late, Iron Man. Actually, you're exactly on time. Although I would have preferred a less dramatic arrival.″
Her only response was a faint shrug from the other, then Iron Man said, ″If you would provide introductions, please, Lady Photon, we can get to the point of this meeting.″
However, before Sarah could speak, her niece Amy stepped forward and held out her hand. ″I'm Panacea, Iron Man. I just wanted to thank you for what you did in Canberra and for the Psionic Dampeners you made.″
The armored figure gravely shook hands with the diminutive figure in white before saying, ″You're very welcome, Panacea. I'm glad to have helped.″
To her left, she could see her sister Carol starting to fume at Amy's interruption. To prevent any explosions, Sarah quickly introduced the others, starting with her own husband and children first. ″This is Manpower, Shielder, Laserdream, Glory Girl, and Flashbang. Of course, Brandish you've met.″
Iron Man gravely inclined his head at each introduction. ″I am very happy to meet all of you. The reason I have asked for your group to meet with me is that I have a proposition for you. For you as a group, as well as for you as individuals. I also have important information for you about the future.″
That sounded both intriguing as well as vaguely ominous, Sarah thought. She exchanged an uneasy glance with her sister, then asked, ″What is your proposition, Iron Man.″
To his credit, the armored cape got right to the point of the meeting. ″I am forming a new team, not just locally, but worldwide. I am calling it the Ultimates. I want New Wave to join the Brockton Bay chapter of the team, along with a few others I have in mind.″
Sarah only just kept her jaw from dropping in sheer astonishment. That was the one thing she hadn't expected going into the meeting. An offer of alliance had seemed possible. An offer to work together in the near future had seemed far likelier. There had even been the vague hope the other wanted to join them, a Tinker being an incredibly valuable addition to any team. They might have even waved the need for unmasking because of the risk of a public identity for a Tinker. However, the very last thing that Sarah had expected was for Iron Man to ask them to join his team, one not yet even in existence.
There were several conversations going on around her, with conflicting points of view being raised. Sarah had to raise her voice to be heard of the cacophony. ″Hey! Calm down, everyone. Let's hear him out completely before we talk this over and make any decisions.″
Turning back towards Iron Man, Sarah's voice took on a firm tone as she stated, ″Make your pitch, Iron Man.″
Iron Man nodded acknowledgment. ″If everyone could gather around me, please?″
It took a few seconds of jostling and shifting, but everyone was soon gathered in a loose semi-circle around the armored cape, with Sarah at the center point, her sister next to her. Amy and Crystal anchored the ends of the semi-circle.
Iron Man raised his hands to waist level, his palms flat and facing upwards. Suddenly, an image took shape above his hands. It was the Earth, about three feet tall, so detailed you could see the lights from cities on the dark side. Sarah raised a brow at the size and quality of the image. Clearly the other had access to sophisticated holographic technology. Sarah wondered what else he had access to as she waited for his spiel.
Iron Man didn't make her wait long. ″The human race is going to be extinct in one hundred and thirty-six years, plus or minus two years. This extinction will be preceded by the fall of civilization in twenty-nine years, the destruction of all major cities within fifty-one years, and the end of the last human encampments in seventy-nine years.″ As the armored cape spoke, the lights on the image of the Earth in his hands went out one by one until there was nothing to suggest a human presence on the night side of the globe.
Sarah could feel the words and images send a shockwave through her group and she raised a hand at the growing murmurs around her. As they slowly faded, she asked, ″How can you possibly know this? To that precision?″
″Because I'm smart. Scarily so. I've done the math. It's complex, but really not that hard. Some of the Protectorate Thinkers have likely come to the same conclusions. The difference being, I'm doing something about it.″
To Sarah's right, her son Eric asked, ″Like what? Those armbands you made?″
Iron Man nodded as the aforementioned item appeared in the holographic display in place of the globe. ″One small part of a much bigger plan to try to save humanity. Be glad. The numbers were worse. But I changed them by making several items that should prop up humanity for a few more years. I sold them to various corporations who are even now putting them into production.″
Sarah spoke before any of her or her sister's brood could, ″What items are you referring to?″
Items began appearing one by one as Iron Man spoke, ″One is a water purifier than uses solar power to purify any form of water. Another is a portable power unit that runs off of water and can provide sufficient electricity for almost any home. It will also be able to power cars as well. I also licensed technology to produce quality plastic from plant matter.″
Sarah's eyes narrowed in thought. ″You're profiting from these items?″
Iron Man's tone was matter-of-fact as he stated, ″Of course. I need the money to build more items, to assemble armored suits, and to fund a team of heroes. None of those things are cheap, especially superhero salaries. But I need them if I'm going to save the world. I need all of you as well.″
Carol, her voice cool and collect, although Sarah could hear the anger beneath the surface, asked, ″Why approach us? Why not take this to the Protectorate? Their resources are far greater than ours.″
Slowly, Iron Man shook his head. ″I don't trust them. Too many secrets. Too many lies. Too many cover ups. I am not even sure they're acting in the best interests of this country, let alone the rest of humanity. After all, by my calculations, it's not just the Endbringers who are going to destroy civilization, rather it's conflict among all of the Parahumans, driven by villains who are out for what they can get with zero regard for what the consequences of their actions. The Endbringers will just finish the job once we're too weak because of infighting to resist any longer. It's something the Protectorate and PRT can't deal with.″
Sarah's brain whirled. She was almost grateful when Neil took over the questions for a moment. ″What exactly do you plan to do to stop this from happening? Can you give me a broad outline?″
Iron Man nodded. ″Yes. First, break up the villain gangs wherever they're found. Next, apprehend all of the individual villains, imprisoning the ones we must. Once most of the Parahuman villains are contained, we'll deal with the Endbringers.″
Sarah found her voice and raised the point that she knew even her children were aware of. ″You seem to be forgetting that villains join up with the heroes during the Endbringer truces. We need those men and women, even if they're on the wrong side of the law, if we're going to fight them.″
Iron Man shook his head. ″No, we really don't. Endbringers can be fought and destroyed without them. I am working on several plans to neutralize each of them. With support, I can deal with all three of them within two years at the latest, but likely even sooner. I-″
″Bullshit.″
At Sarah's side, Carol turned her head and hissed, ″Victoria, don't-″
The blonde shook her head stubbornly. ″Uh uh, Mom. I'm calling him on this line of crap he's feeding us. Iron Man, what you're saying is a pipe dream. There's no way you can achieve this. Any of this. Anyone joining you is going to find themselves on the outside with no support, no back up. They'll most likely end up dead. My God, put all of the villains away? We can't even break up the gangs here in Brockton Bay! No one can fight Lung and the Empire outnumbers the Protectorate, making fighting them a no win scenario.″
Iron Man nodded, almost as if he agreed with her. ″That is the point I'm making. The Protectorate does nothing because they want to maintain the status quo with the villains, to make use of them during the Endbringer fights. If they were serious about dealing with them, there would be no Empire 88 here in Brockton Bay. No ABB either. Lung is just one man and can be dealt with early before he has a chance to ramp up. Instead, they want to keep him in reserve in case they need him. The fact that he likely won't help under any circumstances seems to have escaped them. Then again, he is a villain, isn't he? There's nothing in the manual that says he must help save the world. ″
While she agreed with many of the points Iron Man was making, she didn't see how this would help New Wave in any way. Sarah opened her mouth to send the armored cape packing when Iron Man spoke again. ″Besides paying my team, I also plan to outfit them with advanced gear that needs minimal maintenance and will keep them safe during fights.″
Money and equipment were two things that she did think that New Wave could use. Remembering her earlier thoughts about her children, Sarah found herself asking, ″Exactly what kind of gear are we talking about? More of those items that can be reproduced and maintained by non-Tinkers?″
Again, as Iron Man spoke, images of the devices appeared above his gauntlets, ″Exactly so. Initially, I would outfit my team with forcefield generators that can take hits even from an Endbringer. Flight packs that give a Mover rating of at least five. Energy projection weapons that strike like a Blaster 5. Later, armored suits nearly as powerful as the one I'm currently wearing. Something that you might be interested in, Panacea, are the autodocs that can handle most ordinary injuries and illnesses, as well as help during Endbringer fights. That would take a huge load off of you and other healers. I have several other items in mind as well.″
To Sarah's left, Carol protested, ″Panacea doesn't need your help with healing. She-″
Panacea interrupted her, ″Actually, I'm very interested in the idea of an automated doctor and I'm sure the hospitals I work with would be as well. How do they work? Some form of tissue regeneration?″
Iron Man nodded. ″More or less, although they don't exacerbate melanomas and other forms of cancer. They are capable of multiple forms of diagnosis ranging from MRI's to tissue biopsies. They can perform most surgeries as well as cure almost any form of infection. Even the common cold.″
Sarah could tell from just the small part of Amy's face visible that she was seriously considering what Iron Man had said. Unfortunately, that was when Carol stepped in and dropped a bomb. ″I think that's enough. We are not disbanding New Wave to join your group, Iron Man. That's final.″
Sarah watched her sister stare at each of their group's members as if daring them to jump ship. Oh Carol, she thought, this was exactly the wrong way to go about achieving what you wanted. Now, because of your attempt at making a unilateral decision, there would be several closet dissenters.
Including herself, she realized in shock. Sarah wanted to hear more about the various device that Iron Man would be bringing to the table that would be able to protect the members of his group. Especially if those members might be her own children. But for now, she needed to support her family and her team, and wrap this meeting up. There was plenty of time to discuss things in private where she could also take her sister to task for trying to speak for the entire group.
Turning back towards Iron Man, who had been patiently waiting while she mulled it over, Sarah said, ″Thank you, Iron Man, for the meeting. But for now, we're going to remain New Wave.″ She decided to offer him an olive branch. ″Perhaps we can consider working together in the future as a way to test the waters?″
If Iron Man was disappointed in what had happened, he showed no visible signs of it. He nodded. ″I would like that. Thank you all for your time. It was good to meet all of you.″
A moment later, the armored cape took off skyward then headed west so fast he disappeared from view within seconds. That was when things got even uglier.
It started with Amy, who turned to Carol and spat, ″You should not have made a decision without talking it over with the rest of us! I- we have a stake in things as well. We're not children!″
Carol gave her adopted daughter a dismissive look. ″Amy, you need to calm down and stop acting like a child. I just made the decision before Sarah did. We all know it was headed that direction anyway.″
At that, Amy pulled off her headdress, exposing her face. She looked incredibly upset as she exclaimed, ″No, 'we' didn't. A lot of the things he said make sense. There's a reason we're not members of the Protectorate. I've heard you, Aunt Sarah, and Uncle Neil complain about the very things that Iron Man brought up. The Protectorate's refusal to permanently deal with any villains they consider useful. How they're playing a dangerous game. That they have secrets-″
Carol shouted, ″Enough, Amy! I don't want to hear another word out of you!″ Under her breath, she muttered, ″This is what I get for-″
Amy threw her an accusing glance. ″For what? Taking in someone not related to you? Who am I really? Why did you adopt me if you don't want me?″
This last was said in such a plaintive tone that both Sarah and Victoria stepped forward to hug Amy. After giving her sister a look that promised a later discussion of what had just happened, she whispered, ″It's okay, Amy. How about you spend tonight at our house, hmm?″ Taking in Victoria's pleading expression, Sarah sighed. ″You, too, Victoria.″
Sarah winced at the slamming of a car door and the subsequent squeal of tires on pavement. To help make up for her sister's action, she gave both girls a big hug, even as Crystal awkwardly patted Amy on the back, while Eric stood staring off into space, his expression deliberately blank.
Releasing them, Sarah immediately noticed that her sister was gone, her car rapidly disappearing into the distance. Unfortunately, that was Carol's MO ever since the cellar. To disguise her intense irritation, Sarah turned towards her brother-in-law and asked, ″Mark, is it okay if Victoria and Amy have a sleep over with Crystal and Eric tonight? I'll see that they get to school tomorrow.″
Mark nodded vaguely in her direction. ″Yes, that's fine.″ His own thoughts were clearly turned inward and he wouldn't be any help.
Sarah nodded decisively. ″Okay, then. Eric, if you would give your Uncle Mark a lift to his house, please. Everyone else, let's head home.″
Even as she flew home, Sarah kept thinking about the meeting with Iron Man. She wanted the protective gear. That was all there was to it. She knew she'd have to fight her sister over it. But she'd find a way to win. That was just one of the reasons she was the leader.
It was funny how the sister who was an attorney tended to be emotional and fly off the handle, while the wife and mother was the one who kept the level head pretty much all of the time. Still, there was no humor in Sarah's smile as she flew. To get Carol to give in was going to be an uphill battle. But it was one worth waging if it kept her and her sister's kids alive.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
″Miss, why didn't you bring up Project Tin Man with the members of New Wave? I can't see them turning down an opportunity for longer lives.″
Taylor shook her head, even as she said, ″Maybe you're right, JARVIS. But I don't want them if that is their price for joining. I want people who want to do the right thing. Not someone who's tempted by greed. Someone who wants to live forever.″
Taylor was flying towards a town about two hundred and fifty miles away before looping back around and going to stealth mode to sneak back into Brockton Bay. It was a just in case scenario that she'd already employed when she'd left HTech hours earlier.
She reflected upon the meeting she'd just attended. It hadn't turned out the way that she wanted, but then again, sometimes that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Besides, she had accomplished something. Taylor had put the Protectorate on notice with what was arguably the most powerful independent group of heroes in North America.
If nothing else, New Wave had been warned of what was going to happen in the future. If Taylor knew anything about human nature, they'd look for additional sources to confirm what she had told them. Once they did that, it was very likely they'd be far more open to her proposal.
Besides, Tony had recognized the glint in Sarah Pelham's eyes as she'd watched her sister put an end to the meeting and reject her offer. Aloud she said, ″Plus, I suspect we'll be hearing from at least some of New Wave within thirty days, possibly less. Once I hit Empire 88, and show them that anything is possible, they might even be clamoring to join.″
JARVIS tone was filled with amusement. ″If you say so, Miss.″
″I do say so. How about we see just how maneuverable this baby really is by dropping below tree top level and zigzagging among the trunks?″
″Excellent suggestion, Miss. Of course the chances of us missing trees at the speed we're currently traveling at is less than one in one million.″
″Do I hear a bet? I think I do. Accepted.″
″Excellent, Miss. I'll think up suitable terms while you dodge that tree rapidly approaching.″
Crunch!
Taylor only lost their bet five more times during the round trip. All in all, she considered it a smashing success.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Colin looked up from his work on his staff as his communicator chimed. He hesitated the merest second before answering it. ″What is it, Dragon?″
The face that Colin now knew was actually Dragon's avatar showed on his communicator's screen. ″I just wanted to check with you whether you managed to finish the latest iteration of our tracking software.″
Colin replied after another split second hesitation, ″Yes. I'll forward it to you immediately. Was there anything else?″
The woman's face on his com screen looked faintly worried. ″Colin, I hate the way that things have changed between us after our discussion the other day. I am glad you chose to help me, but I don't want to cause you distress. I do care about you.″
He kept his face impassive as he stated, ″I'm fine, Dragon. I need to finish this. I'll send the software update as soon as I'm done. Colin out.″
Colin leaned up against his work table, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his back. He used biofeedback to control his breathing and vital signs until he felt normal again. Well, as normal as he ever did of late.
Dispassionately, he considered the last couple of days. Choosing Dragon had been a spur of the moment decision, although later consideration had supported that judgment. By backing her, Colin could find out more about how she operated, so if it became necessary to deal with her in a more permanent fashion, he could do so personally, reaping the resulting acclaim.
He also knew that Dragon would be most on her guard against him immediately following her revelation of what she truly was. Given more time, her guard should lower and if it was necessary for Colin to deal with her, he could do so without her ever seeing it coming. Until that time, assuming it ever came, he just needed to carry on as usual.
Unfortunately, that turned out to be far more difficult in reality than it had been in his head. Colin wasn't much of an actor. That he knew was a given. He never had been able to lie all that convincingly. With the conflicted way he felt about Dragon, trying to play up to her wasn't really possible. She'd see right through him. No, he needed to get a handle on his feelings or the stress he was undergoing was going to affect more than just his relationship with the AI. It could affect his work as well. Work which he needed to get to right away.
Over the next few minutes, Colin carefully finished the adjustments to his halberd. A moment later, he watched with satisfaction as the nanothorns came on. He made a few additional tests, noted the results, then shut it off.
Walking over to his computer workstation, Colin loaded the file for Dragon. He hesitated a moment, then proceeded to do something which he almost never did. He included a message for her. A personal one.
Dragon,
Here is the latest iteration of the program. Review and send me your feedback.
I'm going to need more time to deal with the results of our discussion from the other day. I will contact you soon regarding the matter.
Colin
The words were simple, but heartfelt and Colin hoped she would see the sincerity there. Perhaps time was all that he needed. Perhaps Dragon would turn out to be a force for good after all. Perhaps he wouldn't have to live with himself after killing the the AI who'd become more than just a friend.
Because quite possibly the single thing Colin most dreaded was living in a future without Dragon in it.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット