Cosmic Squadron Stellarman Phase 1: Contact
By David Anderson
The clock said 3:37 a.m.
Every other building Daniel could see from Johnny's second-floor window was dark except for the occasional flickering light of a TV screen.
In front of them sheets and sheets of equations spread across the floor like a field of gibberish reaching toward infinity.
Why the hell were they still awake?
"Johnny, it's only the first test of the semester. You can make up for it later," Daniel said. He shook a can of Red Bull, heard a faint sloshing and downed the precious pair of energizing drops still inside. He blinked at the pages of numbers a few times but his friend's grasp of calculus didn't look any stronger than it had when he'd still been able to tell one number from another.
"No way, man!" Johnny protested and vainly tried to sort pages of work for the umpteenth time. He was shortish and skinny, with a mop of brown hair always unkempt no matter how often he combed. Daniel, on the other hand, was tall, athletic, and dark, though if it was from heredity or a gift for getting tan, he wasn't telling.
"If I blow the first test, that's it. The teacher'll think I'm just a dummy tryin' to get his requirements out of the way," Johnny continued.
"Aren't you?"
Johnny made a dismissive "tff" noise, and really, nothing more needed be said. It was the rare student who bragged about being kicked out of another school for dating a teacher and wasn't kidding.
Daniel stood up. "Look, Johnny, if I'm doing anything at all, it's just holding you back. You want to understand this crap, wake up Anne or Steve or somebody who's actually good at this stuff."
"C'mon, Danny! I'd pull an all-nighter to help you get a girl you wanted!" Johnny begged.
"You gonna give me another one of those stupid coupons?" Daniel replied. "I got the other four right here. And don't call me that." He sighed. "Listen, John, I'm sorry but I'm no good with numbers even when I'm awake. You should've asked Anne or Steve and you should've asked three days ago."
Before John could talk him out of it, Daniel was walking away from the off-campus housing and back toward Gordon Hall.
Daniel cursed under his breath. John was going to be sore at him the next time they met, but maybe it'd finally teach him to think ahead instead of just getting a friend to share his problems right before disaster struck. Daniel pondered hitting the Gulp and Go for a late night snack when he realized that standing not ten feet away was a dark figure, watching him.
"Can I help you?" Daniel asked.
"Could be," the watcher replied in a voice he didn't recognize. "You want to save the world?"
"Maybe after I get some sleep," Daniel said and started walking again.
"Come with me and you'll never have to sleep again," the watcher said.
"What?"
"You heard me," he replied, his tone a bit lighter. Almost snickering. He came closer.
"Don't make me hurt you, pal," Daniel warned.
"Try it kid, right here," he challenged and indicated his chin. Daniel was so sleep-deprived and fed up, he did something very foolish. He gave the idiot his wish. He slammed his fist into the man's stomach and immediately his entire arm went numb. It felt like he'd punched the side of a tank, and he wasn't sure he hadn't heard something crack.
"How'd you like to be able to do that, kid?" the man asked with a chortle.
"Stay back buddy, or I swear I'm gonna make you regret it," Daniel snapped.
The man scoffed. "Sure, kid. Hit me right here." He indicated his chin.
Daniel threw another punch, but before it landed his body flashed with a red light. The man flew fifteen feet before slamming into the side of the campus library. Daniel didn't wait to see if he got up; the next second he was bolting for Robinson Hall and the main security desk there.
The familiar lights had just come into sight when suddenly they vanished again, and it didn't take Daniel long to realize two men had jumped in front of him.
"He runs from the truth," said one.
"He fights those that deliver it," agreed the other. Each pulled out a short club with a diamond-shaped ornament on the end, shimmering a soft white. Daniel went into a defensive stance but before he could blink they were attacking with inhuman speed. He managed to dodge one swing, then another, then felt a stabbing pain in his side. The next thing he saw was the glowing head of one weapon speeding toward him, then he saw nothing at all.
"--seven students were assaulted last night--"
"They just hit him over and over--"
"--and he picked up a car like he was Superman or something!"
"--four are still missing as of this morning."
There's news reports in Hell? Daniel wonder. He started to open his eyes when a sharp blow in the ribs did the job for him. He saw he was in a dark warehouse sort of building with dirt caking the windows high on the walls while ragged stacks of boxes decorated the floor space. Daniel's attention was drawn to the figure directly in front of him, however, a man with dull golden skin and empty eyes the color of bronze. In one hand he held a baton with a glowing diamond-shaped head.
"You shoulda listened to me, kid," he sneered in the voice of the person who'd been his punching bag before. "Doesn't matter now."
"What are you talkin' about?" Daniel demanded. He tried to lash out only to realize his arms and legs were chained to a beam.
"If you woulda said yes you'd already know," his captor replied and walked through a nearby door where the babble of news coverage came. Unattended, Daniel struggled and pulled but the chains held fast. He tried to call up his energy, but thought better of it. Who knew where the nearest exit was, and how many of the golden things there were beaten him and it. To say nothing of any outside. Better to wait. A chance would come.
Daniel tried to hop to one side to see if there was anything around he might use to help him escape, but there was no slack. It was all he could do to crane his neck and see a TV just inside the door that was giving off the news bytes he'd been hearing. On it he saw an anchorman's face with stock indexes flickering in and out in one corner, but it flashed and was replaced by an image of a person wearing a metallic white helmet with an eagle-like visor. He heard cheering and whistling from the other room.
"People of this planet," he spoke in a slow, booming voice. "I am Amro Vayon. Wipe thoughts of aliens and higher beings from your minds, I am merely a man like the rest of you. I am commandeering the airwaves simply to warn you all that our world is in peril. We are destroying our planet and calling it progress, and our leaders attack enemies that exist only in their imaginations.
"None of this knowledge is new, but still we wait and hope the problems will simply go away. They will not, children, and the door is closing on our opportunity to solve them. But I have seen the Truth, and I wish to give this gift to my people before it is too late.
"For the past several days I have had my followers travel to many cities and seek out those willing to correct the many problems facing our world. However," he paused, "it has come to my attention that many misinterpreted my instructions and took recruits by force. I extend my deepest apologies, and they will be set free at once."
A chorus of "WHAT?!" escaped the other room. Daniel smirked.
Vayon continued. "Such a negative first impression is regrettable, but it does not change the facts. I can deliver salvation, if you will accept it. Those who wish to join me need not worry…we will find you." There was a buzz and Vayon's face disappeared from the screen to be replaced by the newsroom.
"You heard him," said a voice. "Go cut 'em loose."
"What about…him?" said the voice of punching bag.
"Of course not. You guys go put him in the van and drop him off." Daniel didn't like the sound of that, and liked it even less when four of the metal men walked out, slashed through his chains with their batons and frog-marched him into the back half of a dusty van. Two got in the back with him, including Punching Bag. They locked the doors, seated themselves between the exit and Daniel, and a minute later they were moving.
Daniel sized up his guards. With their empty eyes they were hard to read, but the way they kept their batons upward and ready to bring into action spoke volumes. After a few minutes he cleared his throat and asked, "So, how do you guys think the Bolts are gonna do this year?"
"Shut up," snarled Punching Bag.
The other laughed. "You think you can put us off-guard or something, don't you? Pathetic."
"Come on, guys. I'm guessing I'm not one of the ones you're letting go, and you're probably not gonna tell me where we're going. At least let me feel comfortable on the ride over."
"Shut up!" Punching Bag warned but his companion narrowed his eyes and Punching Bag himself fell silent.
"We're not the bad guys, kid. I'll tell you. You whomped genius over there with your bare hands, and our boss wants to know how."
"If you ain't the bad guys, you'd let me decide if I want to tell," Daniel countered.
"That's one of the reasons the world needs saving in the first place, kid. People think they have to be asked nice. Simple fact there's a problem isn't enough."
Daniel grimaced. All because one idiot had decided to give him trouble in the middle of the night. If only something would take their attention off him, just for a second…
He leaned to look out one window to see where they were headed but Punching Bag pointed his baton at Daniel's head and he returned to his seat. "Can we at least stop by my place so I can get a book?" Daniel asked. Punching Bag growled and the other chortled. Daniel glowered and sat back. He was on the verge of nodding off a few minutes later when there was an explosion and the van skidded to the side of the road. His guards' metal features gaped in surprise for just a second, and Daniel didn't waste it. He gathered all his energy in his fists then lunged forward, punching each in the face at once then kicked open the door and ran out at top speed. Suddenly, another figure jumped in his way.
"I'm getting tired of this!" Daniel yelled and braced himself for another attack, but it didn't come.
"Relax, I'm on your side," said the figure in a voice too deep to be human. It was true he didn't look like the ones who'd just attacked Daniel. He was as brawny as any Bolts linebacker Daniel had ever seen, clad in a black muscle shirt and matching jeans, offsetting his ivory white skin. His bald head was the shape of a square, with a thin gash for a mouth and tiny black beads for eyes. He had no ears or neck Daniel could see. Behind him was a white and blue car-like vehicle, except it had no wheels. On the sides was an insignia of a ring of stars surrounding the letters SDA.
The man, if indeed he could be called that, gripped Daniel by the shoulders and looked about to say something, but stopped and peered over Daniel's shoulder. Daniel looked for himself and saw the weird metal men getting out of the back of the van staggering and shaking their heads.
"A little crash like that couldn't hurt Risen…did you do something to them?" the man asked.
"I don't want any trouble, buddy, but I've had a hell of a night and I'm liable to go off if you keep standing in my way," Daniel warned him.
Out of the car thing climbed three teenagers, a scrawny boy with glasses and sandy brown hair, and two girls, one with a cascade of glistening black hair that made Daniel think of Ireland, and an Asian with tightly muscled arms and legs. "What're we waitin' for, Bohdi?" demanded the boy with the glasses. "They're right over there, let's go bust 'em up!"
"Cliff, I thought I told you to wait in the Advancer til I got you," the square-headed one, obviously Bohdi, replied. There was an edge of annoyance in his voice. "Never mind, let's go. Cosmic Evolution!"
"Cosmic Evolution!" the other three echoed. Each glowed a different color, the bespectacled kid, yellow, the Asian, dark blue, the dark-haired girl pink, and the square-headed stranger in front of Daniel black. He didn't have time to wonder how something could glow black before the light solidified into uniforms and helmets with darkened visors and gleaming black and white guns holstered at the hip. On the chest and forehead of each was a bright white star.
"Stellarman, we meet again," Punching Bag smiled and clenched his fists.
"Get ready to lose again," Black replied.
"You think we came by ourselves this time?! Prox Chain, how 'bout some help out here?!" Punching Bag laughed. The van suddenly exploded, and out of the blast floated a humanoid shape. It was covered in shining black armor edged with silver, with red chains wound around its arms, legs and chest. It landed and opened its eyes, the same dull bronze as the Risen.
"The Truth overpowers all, in the end," he said while whirling a length threateningly.
"Stay by the Advancer," Black told Daniel, then led the four of them in a charge. With effortless ease he grabbed a Risen by the arm, flipped the metal man onto his back and delivered an elbow drop the stomach before lifting the fallen foe and throwing him into three other Risen.
Yellow jumped into the air, drew his gun and . Explosions went up all over the area and blew Risen somersaulting into the air. Pink and Blue dashed between the disoriented Risen, Blue knocking two off their feet with a sweep kick while Pink jumped and clotheslined another two.
With his followers being trounced, Prox Chain joined in. He wrapped one coil around a huge rock and swung it like a mace at Blue and Pink. They backflipped out of the way just in time, and Yellow launched a jump kick at his head. The monster ducked at the last second then flung a chain that hit Yellow in the back and sent him somersaulting to the side of the road. Black drew his gun, flipped down the barrel to reveal a blade and slashed at the monster but even though the weapon sent sparks flying Prox Chain didn't seem hurt at all. An instant later a chain snaked out of the dirt behind Black and lashed across his shoulders. While he staggered forward the chain curled around his waist and threw him into Yellow.
"All together!" Black ordered. Each Stellarman drew their gun and shot a laser beam at Prox Chain. Sparks erupted from the monster's chest. He screeched.
Then he fully uncoiled the chains on his arms and spun at blinding speed with a loud *SHEEEN* as the metal links swung. Each Stellarman was knocked down in turn and the Risen who could still stand rushed forward to keep them busy while Prox Chain stepped toward Daniel.
"This is your last chance, human. Come quietly, and the world will be in your debt."
"Yeah, I'll be the one guy who never came home." Daniel put himself into a defensive stance. The monster swung the lengths on his arms in small circles, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Daniel made it. He harnessed his energy and sent a fireball streaking toward Prox Chain's feet. The monster jumped at him but this was exactly what Daniel had hoped. He jumped at the monster, willing his energy to its highest level. The chains lashed into his chest, then his shoulder, but he managed to ignore his pain long enough to land a double-fisted blow on the monster's chest.
This time, he did more than screech. He howled. He hit the ground like a one-ton weight. Explosions went off from every part of his body. The Stellarmen battered the Risen away and ran to Daniel's side.
"You've earned respite, human," Prox Chain managed to gasp, "but don't think I'm the worst Proxordo has to offer." He and the Risen faded from sight.
"You took him out with one hit," Black said, taken aback. "How?"
"I saw where your shots hit him first, then punched him with all my juice in the same spots," Daniel explained. "I'm not sure what I'm telling you for, though."
"Not bad," Black mused. "You could be a big help to us."
"Is that an offer or a threat?"
"An offer."
Daniel surveyed the four of them and thought for a minute. None of them made a move to force him into the vehicle, none of them had their weapon trained on him while they waited to hear his answer or encourage him to tell them something specific.
"Okay, let's go for a ride," he said.
Pink ushered him into the back of the car-like vehicle with Blue on his other side. The others climbed into the front and started her up. They whizzed down the road, but after a second Pink tied a blindfold around his head. It was really just as well, he felt he needed a break from the craziness that had landed on top of him. This is probably, he thought, that cereal I told Steve to get rid of was bad after all and now I'm dreaming about getting kidnapped by weirdoes over and over. I bet it's Shriners next.
After what seemed like an hour he heard the door opening and one of them stepping out. The other nudged him and he stumbled out of the vehicle himself. A hand gripped him firmly on the shoulder and he was led through twist after turn. Twice he caught his shoulder on the edge of a wall. Finally his escort pulled on him gently to stop, then yanked off the blindfold.
He, Blue and Pink were in a white room with a high, arched ceiling. To Daniel's right were two rows of raised theater seats. To his left was a screen hung on the wall, and below it was a curved a desk. Standing in front of the desk was someone wearing a full-head mask with yellow eyes and a pleasant smile. At least, it looked like a mask.
"Welcome," she said in a voice with a slight metallic echo. So maybe it wasn't a mask. "My name's Valentine. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and we'll do our best to answer them. Stand down, girls."
At this, Blue and Pink flashed then reverted to normal. Blue was eying him cautiously, but Pink looked at him with a concerned shine to her eyes. The violence between them was nothing personal, he gathered.
"Maybe you'd like to have a seat?" Valentine offered. "I'd rather have a Sprite," Daniel said. Immediately Valentine pressed a button on her wrist and a pop can materialized on the corner of one desk. Daniel gratefully took it and popped the top.
"Aki, Caitlin, go check in with the Commander," Valentine told the girls.
"And leave you alone with him?" Blue, Aki probably, asked.
"We'll be all right," Valentine replied. Daniel perked an eyebrow but said nothing. Aki shrugged and the girls left. Valentine pressed a few buttons on the podium and the room darkened, then one by one tiny stars appeared on the screen. Suddenly an image of Earth whirled by and Florida zoomed up until it he could almost see the N. Armstrong U. campus.
"You're in Sol Dome, Daniel, home of one branch of the Solar Defense Alliance," Valentine said.
"Never heard of it."
"Good." The Earth whirled away, shrinking until it became part of a display of the solar system. "The purpose of the SDA is to defend Earth and the other planets from undesirable elements beyond the handling ability of conventional authorities. Our main weapon is a team of warriors born with the ability to channel energy given off by celestial bodies. Cosmic Squadron Stellarman."
"If today was normal, you guys need more than that," Daniel said.
"You're right, Daniel, we do. Do you remember seeing those strange lights south of the city a few months ago?"
"Yeah. Swamp gas and crazy rednecks or something, they said."
"Dimensional invaders, actually," Valentine replied. "Stellarman caught them and exiled them again after two days, but we've been after Vayon's men for five weeks now, and still haven't scored any kind of decisive victory against them. That's why we had Stellarman hurry to the scene when we intercepted one of their transmissions that they'd captured someone with special power."
Her meaning wasn't lost on Daniel. "I'm not afraid to fight, but I didn't know either of you existed yesterday. How do I know I'm being asked to join the right side?"
"Hear it for yourself," Valentine said simply. She pushed another button her wrist and the picture on the screen changed again to show one of the Risen.
"Subject was able to knock a Risen some fifteen or twenty feet through the air with one blow. Request instructions," he said.
"You're sure this was no exaggeration?" a woman's voice replied.
"Two others saw the incident firsthand, mistress," the Risen said. "I was one myself. There is no mistake."
There was a long, thoughtful pause. Finally the woman's voice said, "Deliver the subject to 197-38 for dissection. This power could prove quite advantageous to Proxordo."
"I obey," the Risen nodded. The image hissed into static.
"Do you see what they're prepared to do to reach their goals?" Valentine asked.
Daniel didn't answer for a long time. He'd known he'd had power since he was a kid. He'd never asked himself where it came from, why he had received it instead of someone else, or what he was meant to do with it. Now, one group of strangers was asking him to use it to help them, while another had been willing to kill him to discover its secrets.
He asked quietly, "What happened to the other people they kidnapped?"
"They were set free," Valentine answered without reservation.
Daniel looked down at his hands, then looked up at Valentine. "I don't know who's the right side here," he said, "but I'm ready to use these powers for something. Show me how."
It looked like Valentine's lips had turned up at the edges ever so slightly. "Welcome aboard."
His shoes clattered to the floor. Daniel felt like he'd stuck his feet in buckets of ice water. It was a welcome sensation indeed.
"Hyah!" He lashed out at the air with a punch, then did a spinning jump kick. Muscle memory took over and he began performing a sequence of honed moves all over the SDA gymnasium. Aki and Caitlin watched through a one-way mirror, sizing up their potential new teammate. After a few minutes Black and Yellow entered, then flashed back to normal.
"Cliff, are you okay?" Caitlin asked and walked over to Yellow but he pushed her away.
"Get away! I'm fine," he snapped. "Next time we see that chain guy he's gonna be the one who needs your pity."
"I didn't mean any--" Caitlin started to protest and Aki gave Cliff a nasty look. Bohdi tactfully interrupted them.
"So he's going to be the last Stellarman," he said.
"When his background check and blood tests are done," Aki answered. "Should be any time, Thebes told us."
"Good," Bohdi said, "We'll need him."
"No kidding," Aki added. "It's about time this team had at least one cute boy on it."
"You can keep on saying that," Cliff replied, "but I'm still not mad."
Daniel landed from a jump with a loud thud. Sweat was glistening on his face and arms, but for the first time since they'd met him, was wearing a smile. He picked up his shoes and was walking back out when his way was blocked by the four of them.
"Hey," Caitlin said.
"Hey," Daniel replied. "You were pretty good out there today, but I bet I could help you sharpen your technique."
"Um, thanks…"
Cliff scoffed, "Hey, Danny--"
"Daniel," he replied, his face stern all of a sudden.
"Whatever. It was us who did most of the damage to that chain thing. Just cuz you got off a lucky shot doesn't mean you'd be a good Stellarman."
Cliff's challenge hung thick in the air for a minute. "Well, I'm already warmed up," Daniel said, "Why don't you show me what it takes?"
Caitlin jumped between them. "Are you crazy?!" she yelled at Cliff, "We need another Stellarman! Are you going to chase off the one other person we found with Starlight?"
"I didn't say that sis, but to be one of us, you have to be able to fight something besides air."
"Then see how I do it for real," Daniel replied, emphasizing it with a crack of his knuckles.
Caitlin stood by with a look of shock. Bohdi stood by her impassively, while Aki had her lips curled into an amused smirk. Cliff chortled and raised his fists.
At least this wouldn't be dull…