Chapter seven: Nathan Stark's secret

Disclaimer: see previous chapters.

The walk to Nathan Stark's old home was relatively short, but it was also disturbing, seeing how Beverly, for one, would not stop humming the March of the Empire from the Star Wars™ series. (When confronted about it she just shrugged and said that she was crazy.) The fact that Holly joined in did not make matters any better either. (When she was confronted about this, Holly said that she was an astrophysicist and she did love Star Wars, so the matter was dropped.) The call from senator Wen was more generic, but did not do anything good to fix the party's mood, so it was generally a sombre or potentially crazy group of people that arrived at the old home of the last Dr. Stark.

"So, what have we here?" Beverly channeled yet another past life of hers as she quickly pressed down the correct code on Stark's electronic lock, almost praying that it would work.

And it did work, as the paved front yard of Stark's household opened wide and swallowed the impromptu party whole, literally.

/

"Ouch! Where are we now?" Lupo snapped and fell silent, as electric lights automatically reacted to their movements and illuminated a large underground chamber full of very advanced technological marvels, all of which were weapon-related.

"...Okay, I take it back. I think I found the perfect place to take Zane to after we rescue him and the others," Jo said brightly, her eyes twinkling. "This is the perfect place for me to get-" She paused and looked at Zoe and Kevin.

"Actually," Holly spoke thoughtfully, "aren't you with Jack Carter? You made it a special point to rub into Allison's face once we returned from space..." she trailed off, clearly lost in her thoughts, but that was okay, since everyone stared at Beverly, who shrugged, slightly uncomfortable:

"What? It was Wen's idea. I think that the two of them make a lovely couple."

"Only because you've been impersonating Allison for several weeks," Jack growled.

"Yes," Beverly agreed. "Grandfather Jacob was right, by the way. One cannot live in somebody else's skin and end up as he or she originally was. My impersonation of Dr. Blake has resulted in my insanity at her hands," she jabbed her finger at Jo, "but as for impersonating Allison Blake? I am sorry."

"Fine," Jack grunted after a pause. "You may be crazy, but you did save Holly's life - presumably – and you did bring us here, where are weapons for us to use against Wen and her underlings."

"In which case, I should point your attention to this one," Beverly pointed to a large device that looked like a cross between a TV antenna and a missile launcher. "It sends an electric pulse that will knock everyone unconscious at a radius of 13-14 meters and bringing the Astraeus crew out of the VR Eureka at the same time."

"Yes, but they will be like Holly, or even worse, after being stuck completely immobile for a long time," Jo said thoughtfully. "We'll still need to go there, without getting knocked out."

"Then shouldn't you be talking to the genius in your team?" Beverly shrugged, and everyone instinctively looked at Henry, who, meanwhile, was obviously busy thinking about something else, until he realized that everyone was looking at him.

"What?" he asked belatedly. "I was just thinking about Stark..."

"You miss him," Jack said, rather than stated anything else.

"Yes," Henry nodded, slightly sheepish. "I do. I know that he was not a very likeable man to most of you, especially you, Jack, for obvious reasons, but he had his good sides as well, and he and I were friends, of a sort."

"What good sides?" Zoe asked after a pause. "He pretended to be Iron Man 'cause of his name?"

"Actually, on our sessions he confessed that his idols were actually George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt," Beverly said dryly. "A man could have far worse idols than two of America's great presidents, you know?"

There was a pause as everyone else thought about this. "Er, don't misunderstand me, I'm sure that we can talk about Stark at a greater length and detail later, but shouldn't we be thinking about freeing Allison and the others?" Jack asked.

It was then that Jo's cell phone rang. "And it's senator Wen, again," Jo confessed, her face an angry grimace. "What should I tell her?"

"I'll talk to her," Henry said firmly and took Jo's phone.

TBC