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Prologue
From here I understand it all. The new age potheads are right. Everything in the universe is a vast web; a cosmic game of Kevin Bacon. This place I'm bouncing around- the tachyon field- isn't what my brother thinks it is. He's got a stick so high up his ass that he couldn't admit that he couldn't understand it. It isn't some place where time halts. It's . . .
Well- have you read any works on Aborigines? No. Then let me explain the reason for the existence of the universe as best I can: 'Row- row- row- your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.'
Excuse me for a moment... my brother is attempting to free several years ago right now. An act I know both succeeds and fails. I wonder how much of this- this place and my thoughts- I'll actually remember when I reappear in White Sands a years from now? Probably as much as Angelica remembers meeting me several hours ago- to a time she didn't voice and a place she didn't go.
Poor Sis- it's a shame what happens to her in the brawl with the Wolf Pack. Who knew Josh would be willing to do that? I mean really- he seemed like such a nice guy. Or maybe that doesn't happen here.
That does raise a question I've had since I got here? Anything that can happen, does happen- correct? Doctor Bridge-Traeger's work- or is it Doctor Weinstein-Traeger yet I'm not sure- which means she could be my sister in law- pointed out there are infinite worlds. Her controversial theory on causality breaking anti-tachyons has proven correct. But if all choices that can be made are made, why make any decisions at all? It doesn't matter, we're already doing the opposite.
So- what is it you wanted to know? The battle with the Wolf Pack. Right, if you really want to know... here goes. Remember it is a pretty rough road and there will be no bathroom breaks between here and lunch time. So if you have to go- better go before we start- comprende?
Okay- here we go.
Didn't you listen? Fine. Use the bathroom. I'll wait.
Anyway, I don't blame any of them. Especially Josh. It's easy to see how this could all go badly from here but when you can only think in a linear fashion it is easy to see how things ended the way that they did.
Besides- Ellie got through this whole thing relatively okay. That's the important thing. She's a civilian. Hell, she's so close to all of us that she's practically family. She was closer to Andy and Freckles but we had some laughs too. I always thought if Andy's parahuman ability hadn't been being a total smeghead, those two might-
And yes. Andy's a parahuman. Most of the general public isn't aware there is actually small difference. Parahuman is a subgroup within exohumans. How can I explain this in something you'd understand--- It's sort of like the difference between a beagle and poodle. Completely cosmetic. An exohuman's powers come out natural through normal development. Take me for example. My speed began to show up when I was just a little kid. At seven I could out run cars. By ten I out clocked a bullet train. By the time I was twenty, I could move so fast you needed a degree in quantum mechanics to find if I was there or not.
A parahuman is an arbitrary point of separation for someone who has the genetic hardware and can have abilities if they are triggered by an outside source. My brother is the prime example here. Actor and horrible poet who gets hit by a car. Then all of a sudden he can build a radio from two electrodes and a pair of coconuts. Nobody's sure what causes some people to require a trigger. It could be environment in the womb, exposure to viruses... I remember Andy and Freckles had a really bad case of the chicken pox back in eighty six. Anyway, the general public and even some stupid scientists use the terms interchangeably. Andy doesn't correct people. Truth be told, think he's embarrassed by his "lower" status.
The latent are a whole other can of worms. Which I'm sure this whole incident has made you all too aware.
Josh was dreaming. He was riding a giant green parrot across the rainforest. Thin wispy pink clouds floated by him as he soared towards the warm glowing saffron sun. What a lovely, exhilarating day! Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder and he nearly fell off the bird. "Don't be afraid, Josh," whispered a young girl as she slipped her arms about him, "I need you to do something important for me."
Josh sighed, "This is the weirdest dream I've ever had."
"I'm real," said Chloe seriously, "you know me as Somnambula . . . Chloe . . . the girl who dreamwalks, remember?"
"I do," said Josh, "What brings you into my dream?"
"I need your help Josh. Mr. Weinstein is being influenced by Gray of the Wolf Pack. I think it's on Mr. Wolf's orders. Mr. Wolf and Joe Bridges are apparently planning to bring about some sort of evil regime on Earth. Mr. Weinstein thinks he's going along with them to gather more information, but they are manipulating him. If you really love Angelica, you have to go in there, and use your powers to destroy her. You can reassemble her later."
"I can't hurt Angelica!" protested Josh, sudden hot tears streaming down his face.
"You HAVE to, Josh . . . for Angelica's sake. Right now they are in there beating her senseless. If you do nothing, she'll die for real," implored Chloe.
Joshua groaned, "And what do I do after I make Angelica disappear?"
"I don't know yet. Go to Harmonics' and Ellie's apartment and stand watch unobtrusively. I really need to go find Harmonics and Major Patriot and talk to them. I think they'll be able to decide upon a course of action once they know what Angelica and I found out."
"What did you find out?" asked Josh.
"No time, Josh," said Chloe as she jumped on a small dog with wings and flew away.
Josh found himself staring at the ceiling. He jumped up, pulled on his costume, and started to run towards Andrew Weinstein's office.
Sleep was never meant to be so exhausting. Chloe slumped on Tuffy's back, between his black-feathered wings. "I sure hope they're asleep now, too," she said, thinking of the past and present leaders of the League of Explorers. "There's no way I can get into the city on time otherwise."
Tuffy sniffed the air and banked to the left. "I smell the distinctly jingoistic scent of Major Patriot's dreamself off in this direction."
Neither of them had felt the need to comment on this new mode of transportation. Few things within the dream realm were truly static -- why should Tuffy's form be any different? Chloe enjoyed both the chance to relax between dream-visits, and the exhilerating feeling of the dream-wind in her hair. This, she was sure, was what real superheroes felt like, when they zipped off to save the day. Nevermind that instead of the vast cityscape of New York City, they were rushing over the unsettling waters of the Sea of Dreams.
She thought of her subaquatic encounter with Callidy, and later, the mental image that Angelica had sent her of the occultist dressed in a bunny suit. That brought a tiny smile to her face, and for a moment she forgot what she'd learned from him right before seeking out Josh. The gravity of the situation wiped the smile away.
It came as no surprise to her that Major Patriot was dreaming of the battlefield. Even here, in her element, Chloe felt inadequate next to the career soldier. Here was an actual hero, someone who had risked life and limb both in the government and under Andrew Weinstein. True bravery required going out into the world, not trying to save it from her bed. Nonetheless, Chloe screwed up her courage and manifested in Primeaux's dream.
Unlike Josh, the Major adapted immediately to Chloe's presence. "Somnambula," she said in her usual brisk way, "What brings you here?"
"We need to find Harmonics. Angelica and I went stumbling through the rift, time after time, and I think we figured out what's going on, but we don't know what to do and well, Mr. Weinstein's not going to like it. You guys need to tell him."
Primeaux took in the arid landscape of her dream. "We're not going to find Harmonics here."
"That's where I come in," Tuffy said, and at last Major Patriot balked. Apparently no one had debriefed her on a talking, winged corgi. Tuffy lowered his nose to the ground -- it was practically there already -- and gave a single sniff. "I'll bring him over."
Tuffy trotted off on his stubby little legs. Minutes later, he returned, nudging Lucas Curry ahead of him with bumps of his nose. Harmonics looked distinctly ill-at-ease and stressed. "Look, kid, I was just trying to get a nap in... we don't have time for this."
Chloe drew herself up, as if standing straighter would make up for her youth and stature. "I just got back from speaking with Professor Callidy. Angelica and I saw some strange things when we found the rift, so I asked the Professor for his advice... you're not going to like what we came up with. The Church of Histhology is trying to summon the fifth beast into the world, I don't really understand how or why. All I know is that they chose a human vessel. A vessel we'd all welcome with open arms."
Major Patriot and Harmonics looked at her expectantly. Even Tuffy sat at attention, though he already knew what she was going to say.
"It's Mr. Weinstein's brother, Malcolm. He's the Fifth Beast, and he's going to make way for the Histhologists' new bodies. They're called the Zestrrz."
Next: To the Rescue
Characters created by Jesse N. Wiley and various authors
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