The successful deactivation of the Tsunami Machine caused a massive booby trap bomb to detonate, crippling SKULL’s cyborg Star Giant station and threatening the lives of all aboard it!
In the chamber of Dr. Swastika’s Body Farm, smoke, flames and chaos filled the air. The ship stopped listing but the icy water’s level was now thigh high… and climbing! The smoking remains of Dr. Swastika had just been revealed by a cowering SKULL technician. “He’s… he’s dead!” he cried over black, burnt technology of the Nazi’s support tank.
Sentinel replied, “I don't believe that, not for a second.”
“Nor I! Not the master!” shrieked the agent of SKULL. “The power surges that had wracked the computer systems must have also sent current into the master’s support tank. He’s been… electrocuted! It cannot be! No!”
(OOC: We’ll continue in initiative order…)
Viper waded through the dark, freezing salt water. A fish brushed past his leg. For a moment he remembered the hammerheads. The human serpent reached out with two big hands to pry Swastika’s support tank from the fried, melted machinery. It took some doing and finally, he wrapped Forester’s parachute around the ghastly head in a jar and slung it over his shoulder. Then he said to the Ghost: "How many pods, will everyone fit?"
The Ghost shook his head no. “Respect for life doesn’t seem to be of much concern to SKULL.”
Sentinel’s and Viper’s speeches got the room motivated on escape. “I don’t want any trouble,” said Shockwave. “Let’s go!” barked the ebon birdman. “I have no beef with any of you,” spat Morgue.
Viper said: “We're taking a slow walk to the pods while some of us are going to buy time fixing the hole. Live together, or die alone. I suggest the former!”
Forester’s extinguisher arrow put out half the fires in the chamber, improving the air. His second arrow put the weeping SKULL agent out of his misery. Unconscious, he slipped into the rising black water. It was waist high now.
Forester asked the silver-clad mystery woman to help Grey.She said, “I’ll try” and approached Agent Grey and the Ghost. At a touch, Grey was waking up. Groggy. “What the hell?” he muttered and tried to stand. The Ghost began filling him in. Forester organized the civilians with help from Miles Hudson and Senator Henry Westphal. They were panicky, anxious to leave.
Water at stomach level now and Morgue had enough. He, the fierce birdman and Shockwave set out, not waiting for a “slow walk” or for civilians. They left via the only exit. “Hurry up!” he called.
“Hold the bus for us!” growled Sgt. Stone.
Slingshot looked genially at the silver clad woman. "Thank you. I am Slingshot. _You_ can definitely call me Scott." “I am Nanite,” she replied quietly.
To Sentinel’s question about telepathy, she said: “No, I’m afraid not.” Her teeth were chattering.
Then Sentinel reestablished contact with the Star Giant again. The weird leviathan seemed only able to convey emotion. Sentinel received alien, otherworldly sensations of great relief and joy, tinged with aching, ancient sorrow.
The Ghost peered out, looking right through the wall. “I see the hole,” he said to Slingshot. “It’s big. We don’t have much time.”
Aquon said, “Maybe I can help too.”
Stone looked at the civilians, and then to where Morgue just left, and then to Slingshot. “What the hell. I’m comin’ too,” he rumbled.
Ghost told Viper how to reach the escape pods and then Slingshot, Ghost, Aquon and Stone set out to buy what time they could for the rest. “Good luck!” the Ghost called back.
Water was chest high now and the civilians were ready to move out. Terrified and cold, they swam toward the exit, Viper, Sentinel, Forester, Nanite and Agent Grey attempting to save their lives. Before long, the water had them unable to touch bottom. They wound their way through the service corridors toward the escape pods, alarms still sounding across the installation.
Meanwhile, Aquon was making good time. The water had completely filled the halls they were traveling. Slingshot elongated his form and grew webbed hands and flipper feet. The Ghost phased through the water, surreally. Stone held his breath until he happened upon an oxygen mask that he shared with Slingshot. Drowned SKULL soldiers floated by. The water grew red as they continued. Soon there were parts of bodies that were caught in the booby trap bomb blast. Then they found the gaping maw to the outside. The hole had a hundred-foot radius!
They floated in a blackened, blast-damaged room that must have once held the Tsunami Machine! A few scant red emergency lights revealed that slag and twisted wreckage was all that remained. Slingshot could feel the water pressure again and actually saw outside the man-made structure! The gigantic tentacles moved slowly in the great black gulfs and on them were more of the non-Euclidean, alien architecture that hurt his head to look at.
Slingshot quickly expanded his form like a giant airbag and plugged the hole. Using his engineering knowledge, he formed arches and flying buttresses with his own body to support his efforts against the amazing pressure of the ocean depths!
Aquon and Stone put their backs into it, supporting girders and steel that had been weakened by the explosion. The strain was enormous (lose 15 power points, Slingy)!
Meanwhile, deep in cyberspace, Lightning Strike tried to make contact with the Star Giant, to get it to surface in an attempt to save as many lives as possible! Somehow, the high-voltage vigilante knew that his plea had been received. Then he looked for a way out.
Meanwhile, those that plugged the hole saw the fruits of their labor. The water level in the room fell to their necks. The air was poor, but breathable. They continued to hold back the ocean!
Meanwhile, the heroes leading the civilians to safety finally made it to the escape pods. Clone was there, waiting for them. Better still, the water level was falling! A bank that had held six life pods now held two. Each pod seated four. The eight shocked, weeping civilians were loaded. The Senator in one craft, Miles Hudson in the other. Hudson looked out at the heroes, and at Sentinel, and thanked them. Agent Grey, Forester, Nanite, Sentinel, Viper and Clone watched the hatch safely close. The escape pods were away! Following Viper’s plan, the heroes blasted out of an escape hatch, safely inside Sentinel’s energy sphere.
The size of the leviathan surprised them anew as they rose above its gargantuan mass! Apparently, the Star Giant had been rising, because they were not as deep as before.
KER-PKSSPLASHHHHH!!! Sentinel’s large energy bubble surfaced in the middle of the Atlantic!
It was day, but the sky was dark with heavy storm clouds. A hard rain lashed their transport orb and above them, the massive CHESS Omni-Carrier hovered silently! Grey managed a weak smile. Boats were in the water pulling the civilians from their life pods. The fresh air felt good.
A ripple in space opened and Hip Hop was with them in the large sphere. “How’d it go?” he said.
Moments later, other heroes surfaced nearby. The Ghost had seen that the escape pods were launched and the Star Giant was ascending, so they swam for it. Lightning Strike was with Aquon, Ghost, Stone and Slingshot, unhappily wet again. (He had seen them through a camera and joined them before they left. -Ye Expositional Ed.)
The Ghost floated above the water, near Sentinel’s sphere. He gazed back down into the dark depths with his X-Ray vision. “I can see the Giant,” he murmured. “It’s rending the SKULL station from its phosphorescent hide with its terrible tentacles... But not the alien architecture.” The young hero was quiet. Then: “It’s done... It’s free. It’s swimming back down… It’s gone.”
“Letting that thing go, I hope you know what you’re doing,” muttered Grey. Then, a strange, otherworldly sensation of gratitude washed over the heroes… and was gone.
OOC: Replies and responses to ANY of the above, please.Last call to tie up any loose ends before we go to the next thing. Figure you should also give me any immediate plans for approximately the next 10 minutes or so, if you have any.
Thanks!-Ye Ed
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Forester:
OOC: Who are the remaining heroes who emerge at the end of the issue? Is Venus there? How about any other former members of Freedom Force? Any other Golden Age heroes? Were there any signs of Agent X? Any known villains? Were Ratman or Skin Deep ever spotted after their disappearance in Issue 20?
TO CLONE: When Clone reappears near the end of the issue, is he in solo form or in multiple form? Forester says, "Thanks for your help," and extends his arm to shake hands with Clone. If none of Clone's doubles are there, the archer asks, "Any chance I could shake hands with a few of your clones too? I really get a kick out of your power." (Forester wants to see a display of his powers to ensure that Clone is not Skin Deep.)
TO THE BIRD-MAN: Forester also introduces himself to the fine-feathered fellow. "I'm Forester," he says smiling. "In case we meet again some time, what's your codename?"
TO GREY: After Grey has recovered and Ghost gets him up to speed, Forester walks over to Grey and says sternly. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Grey. You're a good kid, still a little wet behind the ears, though. But I can tell you've got a lot of potential."
TO SENTINEL: "I wasn't joking earlier. I really want to know about that energy you use? What is it? Where does it come from, and where does it go? Unless it's not honorable to share your secrets after the good fight."
OOC: Now that Sentinel has told us that Miles Hudson was Agent America, a Golden Age hero who apparently went bad, do the rest of us know any more details about the so-called fallen hero? Did he work for the Nazis? Was he blacklisted in the 1950s? Become an underworld double agent?
TO GREY: "Now that you're feeling better, Grey, maybe now you can fill in the rest of the details about Agent X. We know SKULL killed him, but how exactly? Did a member of the Over-Men ambush him, or did something else happen? Was the agent's corpse ever retrieved? Given SKULL's preoccupation with resurrection and mind-control, I want to make sure his body is safe. I wouldn't want him turning into an Uber-Zombie."
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GM Replies:
Replies to Forester’s OOC Questions:
Forester OOC: Who are the remaining heroes who emerge at the end of the issue? Is Venus there? How about any other former members of Freedom Force? Any other Golden Age heroes? Were there any signs of Agent X? Any known villains? Were Ratman or Skin Deep ever spotted after their disappearance in Issue 20?
GM:At the end of Issue 22, two groups of heroes have surfaced from the briny waves:
1) the group in Sentinel's energy sphere, who rescued the civilians: Agent Grey, Forester, Nanite, Sentinel, Viper and Clone.
2) the group that plugged the hole to buy the others time: Aquon, Ghost, Sgt. Stone and Slingshot, who are joined by Lightning Strike. They are treading water right now.
The civilians took the escape pods and they have surfaced too. As I said, rescue boats are in the water pulling the civilians from their life pods. The CHESS Omni-Carrier is hovering over the PCs and no heroes onboard the carrier have emerged yet, save Hip Hop who just joined the group in Sentinel's energy bubble.
No one, save these characters I've listed above, are seen by the PCs at the end of Issue 22.
You do not immediately see Morgue, Ratman, Skin Deep, any of the Uber-Men, Shockwave, unidentified fierce black birdman, Venus, Doc Rocket, Agent X, or anyone else who is not listed above. Ratman and Skin Deep have not been seen since Issue 20. Clone has only been in single form since you encountered him at the life pods.
OOC: Now that Sentinel has told us that Miles Hudson was Agent America, a Golden Age hero who apparently went bad, do the rest of us know any more details about the so-called fallen hero? Did he work for the Nazis? Was he blacklisted in the 1950s? Become an underworld
double agent?
GM: Forester knows what the public knows: The first appearance of superheroes took place in WW2 with the Liberty League. During the McCarthy era, all masked heroes were somewhat suspect. Why are they wearing masks? What have they got to hide? After that, they sort of fell out of the public eye. Nothing dramatic, no great betrayal or final epic battle. The Golden Age ended with a whimper. Agent America and Doc Rocket were the least persecuted by Senator McCarthy, perhaps because they had no "super powers." Publicly, there were no heroes for decades after that. The age of heroes was forgotten and the world moved on.
Then in 1980, a new resurgence of extranormals began, heralded by the formation of the Freedom Force (Dynamo, Blazon, Tornado Man, Storm Giant, and Frostfire), this world’s preeminent superhero team, comprised of Earth’s mightiest heroes, who battled the deadliest supervillains known to mankind! The FF captured the imagination of the country for over a decade. Hundreds of extranormals revealed themselves in the 1980's, the decade of the extranormal renaissance. Agent Grey already told you that he was the FF's government liason in these years.
The second age of the superhero ended in the early nineties. The FF chose to end their US government sponsorship in 1992, for reasons that were never made clear, and they've operated in a much smaller capacity ever since. Extranormal activity waned globally.
In late 2004, the last members of the Freedom Force went missing during the alien S’korian Empire’s invasion of Earth. The FF launched a counter-attack against the alien invasion fleet and their leader, the evil, galactic, time-controlling celestial, Eon! Their efforts must have succeeded; the alien ships left our solar system a year ago. Earth is back to normal, but the FF is nowhere to be found.
A year has passed without a Freedom Force. When and if there will be a third age of the superhero remains to be seen, dear readers!
-Ye Emotional, educational Ed
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Viper:
"Looks like the Uber-stench didn't make it. Neither did a few of Swaz's potential experiments. Do we need to keep an eye out for them? Might want to make sure people don't need any rescue or (smiles at Hip Hop) get lost. What do you say Sentinel?"
"It's time to load up this circus train, I s'pose. (to Slingshot) I guess this is your prize. (hands Slingshot the head of Swastika) Not exactly the prize you'd want to bring home to the ole girlfriend. Maybe you can turn it in for 2 smaller prizes when we get onboard."
"I don't know about you folks, but I just want to get on board and dry off a bit. A beer sounds good about now too. Hey Grey! That floating bus have any cold ones on it?"
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Sentinel:
“Letting that thing go, I hope you know what you’re doing,” muttered Grey.
Sentinel walked over to Grey as he muttered those words and took him aside and smiled and said; “Glad you’re looking better than a few moments ago Grey; our nation can’t afford to lose men like you. Honestly, I’d have been more comfortable with it leaving if we’d made better contact with the creature, but without its aid we likely would not have gotten free, stopped the tsunami machine, and be here to debate about it. From what I could tell it was a victim of Swastika, just like the other captives we freed.”
Then his face hardened as he continued: “Before we have any “official” debriefing of what happened here I need to tell you some of what we learned about Swastika’s mind control and my suspicions of his manipulations over the years… at this point you’re the only government agent I trust and you need to make the call as to who hears this and who we can trust.”
If Grey indicates this is the time and place and they can get the privacy, Sentinel will relate his suspicions about Swastika’s manipulations per his mental monologue a couple issues back.
Sentinel also inquired, “Have you been notified as of yet why we lost contact with the carrier earlier? Were they also attacked? Is our crew up there unharmed?”
Sentinel had chosen not to reply to Forester’s earlier inquiry regarding his powers and hoped the question had been a passing thought by Forester and would be lost in the commotion. He was surprised by another direct inquiry.
Certainly Forester had proven himself an amazing ally with astonishing skills, but Sentinel was concerned that he had never even heard of him before meeting him despite his research and study and thus knew nothing about him or his background … and with his discovery moments earlier about Swastika’s influence and manipulation, he was suspicious as to why Forester was being so boldly curious.
Sentinel met the inquiry openly this time; “Certainly we’ll have time to share “trade secrets” a bit later,” and lowering his voice a bit he said, “when we’re out of mixed company”, as he gestured to everyone else still around them. “I know I’d love to know how you became such an amazing marksman and how you came up with those arrows of yours. Are you just that well-trained? Or are you powers partly “gifted”? And, you seem to have uncanny observation abilities, again well-trained? Or something more? But I suppose right now isn’t the time or place. Perhaps when we’re sharing that drink with Viper…”
Sentinel expanded his sphere into a platform for those not in crafts already (the heroes in the water) and welcomed them aboard to await pickup from CHESS. He kept a personal shield around himself but at an almost invisible level at this point given that the status of the CHESS omni-carrier crew and the few missing villains were still unknown.
As he extended his hand to hoist up Sgt Stone he was unusually awestruck, but gave a firm hand to him and said, “Sir, it has truly been an honor serving by your side today; you were amazing in the battle and … all the stories about you … still don’t tell the half of it!”
If he has the opportunity to get near Hudson, he would try to see if his suspicions are correct. Is Hudson dazed and confused like his life has been stolen from him for years? Or is he more aware of things than Sentinel would have thought??? “Senator, Mr. Hudson. Are you alright? Do you know what’s happened to you? Can I help you somehow?”
Viper said: "Looks like the Uber-stench didn't make it. Neither did a few of Swaz's potential experiments. Do we need to keep an eye out for them? Might want to make sure people don't need any rescue or (smiles at Hip Hop) get lost. What do you say Sentinel?"
“I’m not sure what kind of search we could mount at this moment, hopefully CHESS can scan from above and locate any “others” still around in the general area?” as Sentinel looked towards Grey.
“I don't know about you folks, but I just want to get on board and dry off a bit. A beer sounds good about now too.”
Sentinel slapped Viper on the shoulder in a friendly manner and added, “you did great today, big guy; I much prefer fighting by your side then being on the receiving end of your anger”, as he thought about their meeting just a couple days ago, “and once we get the rest of this cleaned up here, first rounds on me.”
Re: New FF: Issue 22: The Final Death of Dr. Swastika!
Just because you name the issue after it doesn't mean we believe it ... you tricky GM you! :)
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Forester:
After hearing Sentinel's hushed-tone reply, Forester responds: "Well, considering our colleagues include rubber-guy, lightning-fellow, and hominus reptilius, I think we're always going to be in 'mixed company'. But sure, we can save the metaphysical shop talk for later, if you like. I don't really have that much to tell."
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Lightning Strike:
Once we are all together back on the surface of the ocean, Strike looks around to make sure there aren't any losses.
Strike locates Grey and moves to speak to him and the other heroes. "We were lucky to get out of this with our lives. The intel on this whole operation stunk. Grey, how can you tell me that nobody knew that these Nazis were still around and planning this? The resources needed to pull this operation together must have been enormous and probably took years of planning. Your organization didn't spot anything out of the ordinary."
"If it wasn't for Swastika losing control of the Star Giant, we may never have had a chance. We can't be expected to fly blind into an operation and come out ahead every time. Our luck will run out. I expect Chess to equip us with both information and equipment if this 'partnership' is to continue. I suspect you will want a thorough debriefing but I for one could use a little rest."
Strike will attempt to charge up once we get aboard the Omni-Carrier.
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NPC Replies:
Forester says to Clone, "Thanks for your help," and extends his arm to shake hands with Clone. “Any chance I could shake hands with a few of your clones too? I really get a kick out of your power." (Forester wants to see a display of his powers to ensure that Clone is not Skin Deep.)
The Russian hero shook hands. “It is I who should be thanking you! But I… I have never made duplicates of myself before. You see, I am not the original. He is… down there,” he said, casting his sad eyes at the black waves. “He must survive.”
Clone concentrated a moment, and divided himself. “I did it!” they both said simultaneously.
After Grey has recovered and Ghost gets him up to speed, Forester walks over to Grey and says sternly. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Grey. You're a good kid, still a little wet behind the ears, though. But I can tell you've got a lot of potential."
Grey laughed.
Forester said, "Now that you're feeling better, Grey, maybe now you can fill in the rest of the details about Agent X. We know SKULL killed him, but how exactly? Did a member of the Over-Men ambush him, or did something else happen? Was the agent's corpse ever retrieved? Given SKULL's preoccupation with resurrection and mind-control, I want to make sure his body is safe. I wouldn't want him turning into an Uber-Zombie."
Grey stopped laughing. “Agent X was killed in London by agents of SKULL. But not before he managed to steal blueprints of the Tsunami Machine and get them to Doc Rocket, a retired Brit hero living in the UK. The British authorities have possession of Agent X’s remains. He was one of CHESS’s top operatives and a friend. He’ll be missed.”
Viper called over: "I don't know about you folks, but I just want to get on board and dry off a bit. A beer sounds good about now too. Hey Grey! That floating bus have any cold ones on it?"
“It just might,” called Grey.
“That’s the best news I’ve had all day,” said Sgt. Stone.
After Sentinel related his suspicions about Swastika’s manipulations per his mental monologue a couple issues back, he inquired, “Have you been notified as of yet why we lost contact with the carrier earlier? Were they also attacked? Is our crew up there unharmed?”
Grey looked up through the rain at the massive Omni-Carrier, “Don’t know. Let’s get in there and find out.”
As Sentinel extended his hand to hoist up Sgt Stone he was unusually awestruck, but gave a firm hand to him and said, “Sir, it has truly been an honor serving by your side today; you were amazing in the battle and … all the stories about you … still don’t tell the half of it!”
“Mebbe I’ll sign an auty-graph for ya later kid,” grumbled the granite goliath. “Right now, help me up, willya?”
Sentinel said to Westphal and Miles Hudson: “Senator, Mr. Hudson. Are you alright? Do you know what’s happened to you? Can I help you somehow?”
“Where the hell are we?” asked Westphal. His face was still hard, but his eyes betrayed his fear. Miles Hudson said: “Lancaster, Sarge? What’s going on?!”
Strike locates Grey and moves to speak to him and the other heroes. "We were lucky to get out of this with our lives. The intel on this whole operation stunk. Grey, how can you tell me that nobody knew that these Nazis were still around and planning this? The resources needed to pull this operation together must have been enormous and probably took years of planning. Your organization didn't spot anything out of the ordinary."
The CHESS agent growled: “You don’t know the half of it, junior. See those civilians you just rescued? Half of them are top CHESS administrators!”
…To be continued in Issue 23!
