Chapter Fifty-two


Maria was in the library, trying to make sense of Wittgenstein. She had a good foundation for him-a thorough knowledge of Principia Mathematica-and various other writings of Russell, Whitehead, and the Math Boys, as she privately called them. But Ludwig- She sighed. Maybe it was the translation. Still, he was downright coherent compared to Hegel. The memory of her encounter with him still made her shudder.

Suddenly Bobby appeared in the doorway. "Hey, Maria-get down to the Bio Lab. You're not gonna believe what's happening there." Maria, intrigued, got to her feet and trudged behind Bobby to the sub-basement level where the Biological Laboratory complex was. She entered-and stopped dead.

There, arrayed in front of her, was the Professor. And her fellow X-Men. And-taking pride of place near the center of the lab-Magneto and his whole Brotherhood. Including, she saw with a pang of dismay, the block of solid matter that was all that was left of Mastermind. The Professor looked up as she and Bobby walked in.

"Ah, excellent," he said. "We have everyone here. Maria, Robert-the Brotherhood has asked us to try to help in the revival of the unfortunate Jason Wyngarde here. Naturally, I have accepted to the best of my ability. So far, that hasn't been all that much."

Maria walked over to Mastermind. "Professor-is he thinking? Have you been able to establish mental contact with him at all?"

The Professor sighed. "Naturally, that is the first thing I tried to do. But he is not 'thinking', Maria. Indeed, I detect no brain activity at all. His mind seems as frozen as the rest of him."

Jean frowned. "Forgive me if this is an indelicate question, sir-but are you sure that he is alive, at all?"

Magneto stirred uneasily, and Maria saw that this question had occurred to him, too. The Professor looked grim. "I believe he is, Jean. I have to. I do not believe that the Stranger would simply kill him. And if he was dead, too, his body would have decayed. There is no evidence that such is the case."

But something the Professor had said was resonating inside Maria. Frozen. Could it be-?

"Sir?" she asked almost shyly.

Professor Xavier turned to her. "Yes, Maria? You have a suggestion?"

"Yes, sir. This isn't like cryogenics, is it? I mean, he isn't frozen like he was on ice, or anything like that?"

Magneto looked startled, and shot Maria a look of respect. The Professor looked as if he had been slapped across the face. "No, Maria, it most certainly is not as if he has been cryogenically frozen. It is not like that at all."

"By God," Magneto said almost to himself. "Is it possible, Charles? Could it be that simple?"

Hank looked startled, too. "Professor! It might work!"

"What might work?" Bobby said, puzzled. Jean and Warren were also frowning. Scott, though, had a light of comprehension dawning on his face. As, Maria noted with interest, did Wanda.

"Maria has noticed something very interesting, Robert," the Professor said. "Mastermind is not frozen in any cryogenic sense. Rather, his whole system is shut down internally. From the inside out, rather than from the outside in, as he would be were he cryogenically frozen."

Bobby nodded. "OK, sir. I get that, as far as it goes. So what?"

"So," the Professor said carefully, "if he is frozen, so to speak, from the inside out-perhaps an internal 'heating' so to speak, would revive him. It would have to be done carefully, and it would almost certainly take time..."

Magneto nodded. "Yes, Charles, of course. I can adjust his internal blood flow in any way you think fit."

The Professor nodded. "Yes, Eric. We can begin right now. Start-slowly-to increase the iron in his blood. I know that his blood is not circulating, that in his current form he doesn't even have 'blood' at all. But in this solid state, he has something where his blood used to be. See if you can have any effect on that at all, Eric. Meanwhile, I shall continue monitoring his brain functioning, to see if this changes in the slightest as we proceed."

Wanda smiled slightly. "Professor Xavier-I believe that I, too, might be of help when the time comes. If you need some odds reduced in your favor, I think I could be invaluable."

Professor Xavier looked thoughtful. "An excellent suggestion, Wanda. By all means, stay available. Hank, perhaps it would be helpful if you remained as well. But the rest of you, I think, can be excused for now."

Maria didn't need a hammer to hit her over the head. She left the lab, with Warren, Jean, Bobby, Scott, Pietro, and the Toad. The latter looked around him very uneasily. He didn't seem to understand why the Brotherhood had to be here in the lair of what he still seemed to consider the enemy. Pietro, though, seemed relaxed and even jovial.

"So, Miss Gianelli," he said with a smile. "It appears that you just might have found a solution of sorts."

Maria shrugged. "I just had a notion, that's all. They're doing all the work."

"Do not dismiss the power of ideas." He laughed. "You seem to have a good effect on my-father." The others laughed, too, and Maria would have blushed if she could have.

"Hey-I was young and irresponsible. What did I know?"

Jean came over and took Maria's arm. "Now, of course, she's a grown-up. Totally responsible." Maria laughed, and the others joined in. Warren looked dubious.

"All I know is, we were all innocent and naive before Maria came to corrupt us." He turned to Scott. "Cyke-weren't we innocent and naive?"

Scott looked at Jean for a second. "Absurdly naive and disgustingly innocent."

Pietro considered this. "Well, we were being hunted by mobs in our native Scandia. And being chased by Doom's robots in neighboring Latveria. Magneto saved our lives. We felt we owed him a debt."

Jean looked seriously at him. "And now, Pietro? Is that debt paid?"

He pursed his lips. "I think so, Miss Grey-"

"-Jean."

"Jean." He took her hand and kissed it. "Of course. Yes, I believe our debt to Magneto is paid. We remain-for now-out of a feeling of loyalty, a fact that surprises us. It has slowly grown up over the past few months. The name 'Brotherhood' is no longer a bad joke."

"Does Wanda feel the same way?" Maria asked with interest. Pietro shrugged slightly.

"Not long ago, I would have said that Wanda would feel the same way I did. I might even have gone so far as to suggest that she would feel the way I told her to feel. Now, though-?" He looked thoughtful. "Wanda has left fear behind. And unquestioning obedience to me. Perhaps the absurd freedom you American women have has corrupted her."

"Perhaps," Jean said with a smile. They waited for a time, sometimes talking, sometimes keeping a silence that Maria, at least, felt comfortable with. Finally, Hank summoned them back into the lab.

Maria looked at Mastermind. He was breathing! "How did you do it?" she asked Hank, who was looking very pleased with the world in general.

" 'Twas simplicity itself," he said in a relaxed tone. "Magneto slowly but surely got his blood circulating. The Professor began noticing brain activity. And Wanda cast a probability spell that worked. Wyngarde's heart started beating again. It will take time, but he is going to be, well, human again."

"I'm glad," Maria said. Magneto came over to her.

"Again, Miss Gianelli, we owe you our thanks."

"Hey, I'd have done it for any stranger." She pulled a face. "Ouch. You know what I mean."

"I do, and you are wrong. You may have done it for any-stranger. But you did it for us. And for that, I am in your debt."

She shrugged. "I was just glad to have an idea that helped, Magneto. Really."

The Professor smiled at her. "Excellent, Maria. Very well done."

"Before I get callouses from being patted on the back, might I point out, sir, that I didn't actually do anything? You and Magneto and Wanda did all the work."

"Point duly noted," the Professor said jovially. The Brotherhood departed-with the now-breathing Mastermind-soon after. The Professor looked proudly at his students.

"This has been a good day, my X-Men. A very good day. We have established a bridge now to the Brotherhood that will not be easy to expunge. Hank, Maria-a very good day's work, both of you. Maria-might I see you in private for a moment?"

The others left, and Maria gulped. Had she done something to screw up, without realizing it? But the Professor smiled as soon as they were alone.

"My dear-I do not want you to show any modesty right now, false or otherwise. This was your idea. This was your triumph. Eric has come to feel a real respect for you. This is something I frankly was not anticipating. It is a tribute to your qualities of mind and heart. Your compassion for a man whom you might have had every reason to regard as an enemy."

Maria smiled. "Gosh, sir, I'm just so goldarned terrific. It's nice to know."

"Young lady, you are whatever I tell you you are."

Maria laughed. "Yes, sir. Whatever you say."

"Maria-I cannot begin to tell you how much you have progressed since you first came here-and it's approaching a full year." He paused. "Maria-I have not forgotten about, well, about 'Anna'. It is like Scott and his optic beams. I have not forgotten about either of you. I swear, someday you will be able to be Anna whenever you wish. You can have the normal life-and love-with Hank that you deserve. A family and children, if that is what you want-and I can tell, very easily, that you do. Please, my dear, do not give up hope."

Maria tried-and mostly succeeded-in not crying. "Sir-I've already had so much... If it happens, great. I'll take it. But don't feel that I need it. I don't."

Charles Xavier took the girl's hand. "I know you don't, Maria Gianelli. But you shall have it, nevertheless. I shall never quit trying to achieve it for you."

"Yes, sir." And Maria went up to her room, and this time did cry for a long time. Tears of joy.


Major Christopher Summers pointed his blaster at one of the Badoon slavers, and cut the creature down before he could call for help. Excellent. The Starjammers still had the element of surprise. Ch'od, to his right, encountered another slaver, but didn't bother to pull his blaster. No, the giant reptoid simply used his hands to dispose of his prey. Christopher winced. The creature was just as dead as his man was, but felt it more. He was still squeamish enough to think it mattered.

Over on his left, Raza-using his blaster, thankfully-cut down two of his own. Their blasters were on silent mode, so they hadn't been heard in the main Badoon compound yet. Where was Hepzibah-? Yes. She was behind Raza, claws out, tail swirling. God help any Badoon she encountered. "Raza!" Christopher called out quietly.

"Aye, Corsair?"

"It's time to make our presence known in an unambiguous way."

Raza grinned, twirled his moustache exactly like a silent-movie villain. "I agree, Corsair. Let these accursed slavers know thy wrath. I am with thee."

Even though Corsair knew Raza was "with him", hearing him say it always inspired him. Hepzibah merely nodded grimly. He turned to Ch'od. "It's time to make a big noise, Ch'od." The largest of the Starjammers smiled eagerly.

"About time, too, Christopher!"

"On three," Corsair said. "One-two- Three!" All four of the Starjammers blasted holes in the gates of the slaver compound, and rushed through. Badoon slavers rushed out of their huts like ants, and the blasters of the Starjammers cut them down almost as they emerged. The prisoners were in the main compound, in the middle of the camp. There were about two hundred of them, all members of the gentle Askar'ian race. Pacifists. Lovers of culture and art. And thus, all the more attractive prey for the Badoon, who enjoyed nothing more than destroying innocence and gentleness for the sheer sake of doing so. The Starjammers had no client in this caper, nothing more than their visceral hatred of slavery guiding them forward. It was enough.

Some of the Badoon threw down their weapons and surrendered. He saw Hepzibah corral them together, and hoped she wouldn't give in to her instincts. All of them had reservations-to say the least-about Corsair's Earth-based notions of fair play. He couldn't trust any of them with prisoners, when it came right down to it. Oh well-get the job done, and worry about that later-

Some of the Askar'i, realizing that they were being rescued, rushed out of their encampment to greet their liberators. Glad as he was to see them free, they had gotten between the Starjammers and the Badoon slavers, and the Badoon had no compunctions about gunning them down if they got in the line of fire. One of the Askar'i seemed to realize this, because he started to herd his people-old, young, male, female-behind some of the huts. As they did so, The Badoon, recognizing the Starjammers, began panicking and either threw their weapons down or ran for the wilderness beyond the compound. A few of the worst of them, knowing that they could expect no mercy, gathered themselves together for desperate final battle. Corsair groaned to himself. This was likely to get sticky. The die-hards opened fire, and one of the Askar'i who had been tardy in reaching cover was cut down. That was enough for Christopher. No more!

"Starjammers!" he called out. "Let's end this! Cut them to pieces!" In a few minutes, it was all over. The die-hards were either dead or fled. The prisoners-he was relieved to see-were all alive, but a few had clawmarks on them courtesy of Hepzibah. The Askar'i cautiously peeked their heads out. They were a tall, thin race, light blue or green in color. The leader approached Christopher.

"Is it true-you are the Starjammers?" he asked with quiet awe in his voice.

"We are," Christopher said.

The Askar'i bowed, taking Corsair's hand. "Bless you," he said. "Slavery is worse than death to us. The Badoon-" He shivered. Corsair was almost, but not quite, ready to ask why they were all such pacifists if slavery was so damned evil to them. No point. In his experience, pacifist races were so mostly because of genetic factors. It wasn't a matter of "blame". Meanwhile, Raza, Ch'od, and Hepzibah came over, having the look of satisfaction that only confounding slavers could give them.

Soon, the Starjammers were back in space. The Askar'i had been taken in hand by troops from the Rim Alliance, who would shepherd the ex-slaves back home. With the thanks of the Alliance Captain, the Starjammers went on their merry way. At first Corsair thought that there had been no profit from the adventure, until he saw Raza carefully examining some very beautiful jewels "liberated" from the Badoon slavers.

"Booty?" he asked Raza. "I'm a little surprised. In this backwater hole?"

Raza smiled grimly. " 'twere well, Corsair, that even little holes such as this have great gifts here and there. If one knows how to look, that is." Hepzibah laughed, and Ch'od nodded with all of his pretensions of worldly wisdom. Corsair smiled as their ship warped towards the central population centers of the Galaxy. Christopher felt that some time on a pleasure world might be of help to all of them. The Starjammers had been driven for too long. Slavers, Imperial aggression-both Shi'ar, Kree, and Skrull-local wars and revolutions... Corsair sighed. It added up. And despite their growing reputation, they were small in number and could do only so much.

"Uhh-Corsair?" Christopher awoke with a start; he had dozed off. "Yes, Waldo?" he said to the ship's sentient computer.

"We're being hailed." Corsair immediately went to the viewscreen, and indeed, there was a small dot on the electronic grid, getting larger as they approached it. "I wonder who that could be," he said slowly. Ch'od snickered.

"There's a very simple way of finding out, Christopher. Answer their hail. Or is that too simple for a subtle Earthman such as yourself?'

Corsair laughed. "Subtle? I thought we Earthers were too simple and naive for a full understanding of complex Galactic civilizations."

"Whoever said that?" Ch'od asked solemnly.

"I was under the impression that you had," Corsair said almost jovially. But he did turn on the intercom. A voice was saying: "-'Buelami' to Starjammers. 'Buelami' to Starjammers. Please respond. Urgent."

" 'Buelami'?" Hepzibah said, her fur bristling. "That's a Shi'ar name!" And indeed, the ship, when magnified, was of definite Shi'ar make. Corsair frowned. One small passenger ship would be no threat to them. Still-Shi'ar? This couldn't bode well. He turned on his communicator.

"'Starjammers to 'Buelami'. State the nature of your business."

"Yes, Starjammers. I wish to beam onto your ship to discuss something of paramount importance. I am unarmed. This is a parley. I wish to emphasize-paramount importance."

"No!" Hepzibah said adamantly. "No Shi'ar can be trusted! Armed or no, this is a trick!"

Ch'od looked thoughtful. "Christopher-maybe so. Even if it is a trick, I am curious as to what it might be. Let him come aboard."

Raza shrugged. " 'Tis your decision, Corsair. I deem there is naught to fear. I, for one, however, shall be ready with fire if it should be needed."

Corsair smiled. "Well, that's always reassuring, Raza... To hell with it. We didn't become the Starjammers by being the cautious types." He talked into the communicator. "Beam aboard."

A moment later, an energy vortex shimmered on the bridge of the Starjammers's ship, and a figure appeared. It had on a helmet of Shi'ar Imperial design. It approached Corsair, and removed the helmet. He stiffened, and Hepzibah next to him hissed. He thought for a second she was going to disembowel the newcomer before a word could be spoken. He then thought that he would. But somehow, they restrained themselves as Princess Lilandra of the Shi'ar Royal Family stood before them.

Christopher Summers looked at her, and she looked at him. "Thank you for receiving me, Corsair," she said quietly. He finally smiled.

"Do you wish a bow, your Highness? Or possibly a curtsy from Hepzibah, here? I fear you shall be disappointed either way."

Lilandra's voice and posture did not change. "If you wish an apology for the actions of my brother, Corsair, I will be glad to provide one. For all the good it will do."

"An apology," Corsair said cautiously. "For the actions of the Emperor D'Ken. That would certainly be an interesting moment, your Highness. The word we would use on my world would be 'surreal'."

Lilandra moved now, making a shrug of impatience. "What do you want, Christopher Summers? I am here. On your bridge. In the heart of enemy territory. Are you not curious at all as to why I am here?"

Raza walked up to Corsair. "I deem we should listen to this Princess, Corsair," he said. "Can do us no harm to listen. There is something fell here, if I mistake not my senses."

Corsair sighed. "Very well, your Highness. Yes-it is odd, to have a member of Impy royalty here on the bridge of my ship. Are you by any chance defecting from the Shi'ar Empire? Is this some civil war you've lost?"

Lilandra shook her head. "No, Corsair. Nothing as melodramatic as that. But I wish it was so, because it would be less alarming than the truth. That is what I am here to tell you. I am to reveal a state secret that very few realize. If D'Ken knew I was here, talking about it, my life would be forfeit. But talk of it I must."

"Hmmm. OK, Princess, you have my attention. What is this secret? And why us?"

"The latter question is easily answered," she said. "You have no stake in Shi'ar politics. You are a thorn in our sides-for good reason, perchance. But you are also thorns in the sides of the Kree and the Skrull, and other races and groups who violate what you regard as standards of justice. You have your own independent position, and you have no axes to grind. Everyone trusts you-which is another way of saying that everyone distrusts you. Ultimately, the two things are one and the same. And you have connections. You might be able to do something. And, Corsair, I tell you-something needs to be done. Badly."

"All right." He looked at the others-Ch'od, Raza, Hepzibah. They had a serious look on their faces. Any instinctive distrust of Lilandra because of who she was was in abeyance for now. "Tell us about it, your Highness."

"It is simply said. The Universe has lost about a tenth of a second."

Christopher frowned. "What do you mean, 'lost'? Where has it gone?"

"That is what we want to know. What everyone who knows of this wants to know. For a tenth of a second, the entire Universe-vanished. Was somewhere else. Or nowhere else. Like it disappeared into a black hole, and emerged."

"Vanished?" Corsair said. "You mean, it wasn't here?"

"Exactly. Did you notice this, by the way? Feel that you personally had lost this amount of time?"

Corsair thought. "No, your Highness, I can't say I have noticed. Would anyone, given how short the interval was?"

"That's what we are asking ourselves. I did not. D'Ken did not. My sister did not. A tenth of a second? You would merely assume you had had a slight mental glitch. Or that your thoughts were 'a million parsecs away'. So far, there is no evidence that this incident has caused any concern-or even been noticed."

"That how do you know it happened?"

Lilandra smiled. "Because there is a place where time is absolute. Where it can be calibrated to an infinite part of a second. And is. The Guardians of this place have informed us of what happened. And believe me, a tenth of a second is no different, scientifically, from a billion years going missing. It is no less significant."

"Where is this place?"

"It is called the M'Kraan Crystal. There, time is absolute and all realities coalesce. The Crystal is a Platonically perfect entity. It is the Guardian of Time. There, above all other places, reality is Absolute. A discrepancy of a tenth of a second means, quite simply, that time itself is in danger of total disintegration. The physics are very clear. Any discrepancy at the Crystal is a threat to the entire Universe."

Corsair nodded. "I have heard rumors of this Crystal. I thought they were old wives' tales. But apparently they are not. Very well, your Highness. I accept that there is a crisis. But what do you want us to do?"

"For now, all I ask is that you take me along on your ship. And that we travel to the world of the Crystal. We must see for ourselves. And we must consult with the Guardians. And if things are as they appear-we must get some help. Somehow. Anyhow. I trust you to do this, as I said, because you are respected by all and beholden to none. You could act-and we need action. Even if D'Ken were other than who he is, were he someone whom I could trust, the Imperial wheels would move slowly. We don't need that. We need you."

Christopher looked at the others. "Well?" he said. "You all up to some Universe-saving?"

Ch'od laughed. Hepzibah shrugged disgustedly. Raza, face thoughtful, nodded. Corsair turned to Lilandra.

"There's your answer, your Highness. How long will it take us to get there?"

"A couple of weeks, perhaps a little more," she said. "I dare not trust to a stargate. It would be noticed. We must go the old-fashioned way." She paused. "That is another reason why I need you, Corsair. Since my departure from Imperial Center, the Beulami is certainly being looked for. But you, as far as I know, are not."

"Fine," Christopher Summers said. "Welcome aboard. The sooner we start, the sooner we'll get there."