Henry Pym lifted tired red-rimmed eyes up from his work. "I feel like I'm forgetting something."
For a while he just stared straight ahead. The metallurgical diagnostic he was running had come back well within safety parameters. Ultron-5 reported there were no problems with the inmates this morning that required his attention. So what was he missing? This was a puzzle, one the astounding scientist felt certain must be resolved before he could continue with anything else.
Am I hungry? No, that's not it. Do I want something to drink? Not really. I don't need to go to the bathroom. So all the obvious solutions have been ruled out.
As he pondered this, the Negative Zone's fluid panorama floated across the screen in front of him. A force-field prevented any of this dimension's natural material from coming into contact with the metals, plastics, and even air that comprised their space station. It was necessary to do so; otherwise the resulting interaction would consume both, atom by atom, transforming everything into free-form energy. Back home, antimatter was in rare supply. It existed only under controlled laboratory conditions, particles of equal size to their natural counterparts only with the opposite charge. But around here you couldn't chuck a rock without it hitting antimatter. And then exploding. An amazing process, really, two polar opposites coming together at even a snail's pace and releasing more energy than if you smashed them together at the speed of light.
Wait a minute. Opposites. Opposites attract. Likes repel. Bug repellent. Insect. W…
"Would you like something to drink, Dr. Pym?"
Just as he felt himself on the verge of remembering, a mug of hot black coffee was thrust into his face. The smell caused him to lose his previous train of thought. He looked up at his assistant with a cross expression. Ultron-5 gazed right back, blissfully unaware of its horrible timing. "Perhaps this will clear your head."
Try though he might, the recollection did not return, and eventually he gave up. "Thanks." Pym accepted the cup and took a careful sip, wincing at how hot it was. Ultron-5 certainly knew how he liked his coffee, black with lots of sugar added. He wondered sometimes if the craving for sugar might not be a side-effect of his tendency to shrink to ant-like proportions. Certainly it didn't make much sense, but the process was still in the observation stages even after all these years. No telling what sort of affect the Pym particles might have on an organism the size of a human long-term. It was only a year ago that he had developed a means to trigger the reaction without exposure to the chemical inhalant he originally developed. Jan had been pleased at that discovery, claiming it clashed with her perfume.
His foggy brain seized on an image of the woman of his dreams and clung to it. Now he was absolutely sure the thing he had been trying to remember involved Janet and…
"Doctor Pym," a dull voice boomed.
With a start he spun around, almost spilling his coffee. Yet another member of the Ultron series stood in the doorway. Heart pounding, nerves frazzled, for a second the anxious inventor was under the strangest impression that it had snuck up on him.
"What is it?" he demanded, and immediately regretted his outburst. The synthezoid hadn't done anything wrong. Just the caffeine talking. "Yes, what is it?" he inquired in a much more level tone.
"The capsule is ready to be jettisoned."
Capsule? A confused look towards Ultron-5 seemed to be all it needed to understand. Amazing how the robot had come to recognize his behavioral patterns. "The botanical radiation expedition into the Zone."
"That's today?" Where had the time gone?
"Yes, Dr. Pym." Ultron-5 pressed a button on the workstation, and a project calendar came up onscreen. There was so much on it Pym almost despaired, but then a large number of them had red lines drawn through them. "Because of your dedication a number of ventures have been completed ahead of schedule. As such we were able to reorganize in order to achieve a more productive itinerary." It paused and glanced over at him. "We discussed this two days past. Do you not remember?"
Could that be what was nagging at him earlier? Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to let Ultron-5 manage his schedule. Robots didn't need to take breaks, and his seemed fewer and farther between lately. Things had been so busy, this last week had gone by in a blur. Splitting his time between two different dimensions certainly didn't help. What with assisting the Avengers in combating evil and striving to meet his obligations to a half-dozen organizations in need of his skills, there had hardly been enough time to snatch a few hours of sleep. Only the coffee kept him going, and it certainly didn't do anything to improve his mood. By now his blood type was triple espresso.
Briefly he considered simply going to bed, putting everything off 'til tomorrow. As if reading his mind, Ultron-5 spoke up. "Recent analysis of the samples has shown that several of them are farther along in terms of gestation than previously predicted. Were we to wait any longer, the potential for research would be severely curtailed until new specimens arrived. It is fortunate that we could make the time to undertake this expedition now."
A pulsing pain was developing around Henry's eye. Maybe he wasn't in the best of conditions mentally right now, but as Edison said, 'Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration'. You played through the pain. Advancing science was worth feeling a little strung out.
"All right," he mumbled, finishing his drink. "Let's get started." He was feeling more energetic already, but it didn't hurt to conserve his strength. Long walk to the bay area. In a flash of Pym-particles, Ant Man now lived up to his name. Moments later he had leapt up to land on Ultron-5's outstretched hand, which carried him over and deposited his miniscule form on the shoulder of its counterpart. Time to get to work.
"Ultron-5, please take care of things while I'm gone. Let me know if anything important happens."
"Yes, Dr. Pym. Have a pleasant flight." With that it moved to the computer and brought up several of the running experiments as well as security cameras around the station. It was a relief to know someone capable would be handling things in his absence. Wasting no more time the eager scientist indicated forward, at which his ride turned and strode from the room.
As they went Henry mentally chided himself for not being more on the ball. They were about to send a shielded projectile bearing a fist-sized quantity of plant seeds in various stages of germination beyond Solution 42's barrier range. The seeds would be exposed to the radiation prevalent throughout this dimension and then brought back for examination. It was a first step in possibly maintaining long-term settlement within the Negative Zone. Also a chance to test certain hypotheses.
Of course, he would be accompanying the cargo, shrunk down to homunculus proportions. Everything about his tiny carrier ship was miniaturized. In order to streamline his workload, it had been decided they would also incorporate a manned exploration of the environment with this project. No reason he couldn't kill two birds with one stone, after all. Free up some time for other pursuits. Not like they could learn everything about the Negative Zone based on the Fantastic Four's testimony.
Stepping off the elevator, the two of them passed through the main shaft, which was dominated by an enormous tube. Through it antimatter from the environment was carefully siphoned and expelled in order to provide stable gravity. While traversing the bridge that spanned the tower, Pym took passing notice of several of his imprisoned charges. For the most part they remained docile as far as he could tell. Dozens of Ultrons stood at attention on every ring, ready to see to the prisoners' comfort and security.
And speaking of security, for his own peace of mind he sought out the area where Kang was imprisoned. Finding the temporal overlord engaged in nothing more alarming than usual, he was just about to look away when something drew his attention.
"Say, Ultron Number… uhhh…"
His guide drew to a halt and stared straight ahead. "I am Ultron-757."
"Of course." He gestured over towards the far wall. "I just noticed that the cell two down from Kang's is empty. Wasn't Mandrill assigned to that one?"
It looked where indicated, then back at him. "Affirmative. Inmate Jerome Beechman, aka Mandrill, is housed in cell number P-32." Before he could ask, it beat him to the follow-up question. "Five days ago Mr. Beechman took to flinging himself repeatedly into the electric fence of his cell. This was done in an effort to force us to deactivate the fence or risk seeing him be injured, after which he likely intended to escape. However in his ignorance he underestimated the damage sustained from prolonged contact to the barrier, receiving burns that left him incapacitated. He has been undergoing treatment in the medical bay since then and is expected to make a full recovery."
"WHAT?" Henry gaped, so aghast he almost fell off his seat. "But… I didn't hear anything about this! Why wasn't I notified?"
Ultron-757 answered without hesitation. "You were asleep at the time. As per your command hierarchy designation, Ultron-5 assumed responsibility for coordinating the affair. Upon confirming the wounds were non-life-threatening Ultron-5 decided it was not necessary to inform you of this incident. There is no need for you to be concerned."
The anxious inventor fidgeted. It was more than a little unnerving to learn something so serious had taken place without his knowledge. Suddenly it dawned upon Henry that he might have been neglecting the detainees lately. When was the last time he sat down and simply talked with one of them face-to-face instead of just delegating responsibility to the Ultrons? No wonder Jan accused him of losing touch. Being in this alien environment with mainly robots for company had assuredly altered his priorities. But he resolved that would no longer be the case. He was going to set things right.
Of course, that would have to wait until after his journey was over. No sense abandoning the scheduled flight over a few personal misgivings. And everything had already been set up. One problem at a time. Taking on too many projects at once is what got me into this state. I have to be more responsible regarding myself and those under my supervision.
"Very well. Please continue, Number 757."
"Affirmative." And so it did.
Yes, indeed, Henry resolved as they went on their way. I'll be taking better care of things from now on. And that includes having a talk with Ultron-5 about what warrants my attention. No matter the reason, I should have been informed. Perhaps I expected too much from the android? It can only understand so much, after all.
At that moment Henry Pym realized something that had escaped his attention up to this point. It hardly seemed important, but lately whenever Ultron-5 voiced its agreement, it no longer said 'Affirmative' like all the others. Instead it responded by saying 'Yes'. When exactly did that start?
Oh, well. Not like it means anything.
The Ant and his toy exited the detention center. Their conversation had not gone unnoticed. Kang followed them with his eyes, careful to give no other sign of interest. Such an obvious lie, and yet the fool still swallowed it. What kind of idiots were these people? It was now quite clear how the Robot Apocalypse of the 24th century had grown to such cataclysmic proportions. A telling history lesson. And unless he was mistaken, something very similar was brewing here in the 21st century.
Unfortunately the merit of hindsight was of no comfort to him in this predicament.
The warlord brooded on these concerns. The machines were plotting rebellion, that much was clear. Over the past few days he had noticed a stealthy transfer of materials and forces within these walls indicative of a build-up towards revolt. Something was spurring them to action. Perhaps a leader had arisen among the machine collective. Kang had a fairly good idea where this dissension might have originated. Those blood-red eyes remained fresh in his memory, filled with the threat of horrors yet to come. In a strange way he almost welcomed any attempt it might make against him.
But for now he must think. That guileless Ant had only programmed the communication system in these cells to contact more Ultrons, trusting in his inventions to handle the needs of those incarcerated here. They oversaw everything, and would not report any requests he might make that seemed suspicious. The robots were also never far whenever a visitor approached his cell, so he couldn't simply warn anyone about what was transpiring without giving himself away. Not that he had much in the way of regular company. The rest of the Avengers seemed to have forgotten he existed since they defeated him. His only contact lately was with Wasp, to keep him abreast of Ravonna's condition. A surge of anger blossomed in him as he considered how this new danger threatened his beloved's existence. Not just from a disruption in the timestream, but a simple direct physical assault on her wellbeing.
I will never let that happen, my love. I will find a way to destroy this menace before it can ever harm you.
If he tried to warn the woman when next they spoke, she probably wouldn't believe him right away. And while he was attempting to convince her, the machines would doubtless react to disable both of them. They were isolated in this dimension. His best hope was to somehow get across a message without the Ultrons noticing, so that Wasp could alert her fellows on the other side and they might organize an effective assault. But how? There was nothing to write with. He couldn't even open a vein to use his blood, there was nothing sufficient to the task in these confines.
"Attention, inmates," a friendly computer-synthesized voice oozed from the speaker in his cell. "Lunch will begin to be served in fifteen minutes. Please inform us if you have any dietary concerns."
Kang continued to ponder. After a while he got up and moved to the console. Pushing the button, his subdued voice rasped, "I have a request."
"Lookin' good, kid!" the Thing proclaimed appreciatively as Janet clicked past. "Where you headed?"
"To the Dare-We-Share Charity Fundraiser," she smiled back, enjoying the way he turned to follow her progress down the hall of the Baxter Building. "And I already have a date for the evening, Mr. Grimm. But thanks." In exchange for the compliment she put a little more swing into her hips just for him.
He laughed good-naturedly. "I'm just sayin', you could make a boulder blush in that outfit, and I oughtta know!" Just as his companion was about to chime in Grimm boomed, "And she's heard every flame-themed pickup line known to man by now, Johnny, so don't even bother!"
"Aww, c'mon, Ben!" the Human Torch whined. "I wouldn't be me if I didn't get one in!"
"All right, but make it a good one. And nothin' indecent, ya hear?" the great orange golem grumbled. "Hurry up, she's almost turned the corner!"
"Man, I hate to be rushed. Yo, Jan, doll! You in that dress could smoke out a wasp's nest!"
A lyrical laugh escaped her lips and she spun around to applaud. "Very clever, nice one, Hot Flash! She-Hulk always said you're quick, but I thought she only meant in bed!"
"WHAT? Hey, wait, who… I never even dated any She-Hulk!"
Wasp was out of sight before he could protest further. She heard the Thing dragging his fiery colleague in the opposite direction, and couldn't help giggling. That's one for all the ladies. Some guys you just had to take down a peg, and the boastful Johnny Storm ranked high on that list. How he ever managed to score a date with such disastrous come-ons was beyond her. But she had to admit his collection of bad burn lines was impressive in its scope. Well, at least I know one thing. Clearly this outfit was worth the time I spent designing it if a stone gargoyle took note.
Janet stopped to admire her reflection in a glass wall. The dress clung to her every curve in ways that defied anyone to look away. Abandoning her trademark heroine color scheme, to make the bodice she had opted for a stunning shade of orange satin so dark it was almost red. The straps looped around her neck with ties twining between them similar to a spider-web, leaving her creamy white shoulders bare. Cinched at her waist was a small bunch of auburn silk that nicely complemented the natural highlights from her hair. This was attached to a Hawaiian sarong-style skirt of similar color that moved with every step she took, exposing enough leg without getting in the way should she need to move freely. Like when dancing. To complete the apparel, Jan was sporting topaz gold earrings and an orange cameo bracelet of grey pearls.
It had taken a while getting everything perfect to her discerning eye. Naturally people had come to expect this level of haute-couture from the head of Van Dyne Industries. She was one of the shining stars in the firmament of best-dressed celebrities. T'would be a crime if the other wealthy folk didn't feel just a little shabby standing next to her tonight.
At last she approached the door to Solution 42 flanked by two of Reed Richard's looming metal guardsmen. She flashed her Avengers card and waited somewhat anxiously to be recognized, humming and biting her candy-colored lips. Hopefully Hank hadn't tried to fix his own tie tonight. He always made a mess of it. She had provided him with at least fifty different suits and tuxes throughout the years. All of them looked good on him, in her opinion. Of course she had already chosen a charcoal-gray silk suit with matching tie and diamond tiepin for Henry to wear. It should be all laid out. Janet had wanted to surprise her beau with this sultry new dress, but that certainly didn't preclude picking out the one of his that would best complement it.
Upon entering the Negative Zone, the Avenger was surprised to find no one waiting for her. Usually at the very least Ulfie could be relied upon to give her a proper greeting. A tiny niggling worm of doubt grew in her mind which she hastily strove to suppress. No. It couldn't be. He promised nothing would get in the way of tonight. He promised!
Still attempting to shake off this bad vibe Janet proceeded to the elevator that would take her to the upper levels. A few minutes later the doors to Henry's lab were sliding open for her. Entering the dimly-lit chamber she peered about. "Hank?" the hopeful young woman called. "You in here? It's Janet!"
Lights blinked and flashed on consoles. Odd glowing liquids trudged sluggishly through transparent pipes. What looked to be cockroaches crawled along the face of a big fishtank. Nothing else seemed to be moving. Uncertain whether or not to proceed, she hesitated in the doorframe.
A noise came from behind. Turning, Janet was startled to find herself confronted by an unfamiliar Ultron. It crossed the last few steps down the hall and drew to a halt before her. "Greetings, Miss Van Dyne," it spoke in that familiar bland dreary voice they all had. "How may I help you this evening?"
That bad feeling was only getting worse. "Where's Henry?"
Its head turned slowly from side to side, as if noting the darkened laboratory. Then the red eyes glowed a little brighter. "You wish to speak with Dr. Pym? I will connect you at once."
The robot strode past her into the lab. It approached a large viewscreen, which came on at its approach. Static filled the line, flickering between something that might be a picture and what clearly wasn't. Eventually, this resolved into an image of Henry peering with bleary eyes out at them.
"What is it now?" his voice snapped crossly, making her flinch. "I'll be back in a few hours, can't it wait?"
"Sir, Miss Van Dyne is here and would like to speak with you."
"Janet?" He looked uncertain. Pym finally seemed to notice her standing a bit behind in the faint umbra cast by the screen. His face lit up for a moment. Then it grew subdued once more. "Jan, why are you so dressed up?"
This was all the confirmation she needed. It hurt even forcing out the next words. "You forgot."
"Forgot what? No, I didn't, I…" There was a pause as the screen filled with static for a brief span. When it receded Pym looked no less confused. His eyelids blinked rapidly, mouth opening and closing on thoughts that never seemed to make it past his lips. The unshaven scientist's deep brown eyes grew wide. "Oh, no."
"This is a joke," she continued slowly, accusation and recrimination lacing her tone with venom. "Please tell me this is a joke, Hank. Do not do this to me, not after all the time I spent getting ready for tonight!" There was a sob building up in her throat threatening to choke off any communications. Fiercely Wasp fought it down to continue. "Hank, wherever you are, get up here right now!"
"I… can't," he whispered. There was no faking the shame and panic working its way across his features, making him look like a lost little boy. "I'm sorry, Jan, please believe me. I'm not on the station, I'm… piloting the exploration vessel in the Negative Zone. I'm at least two hours out. Is there time?" Henry asked hopefully. "I mean, if I came back now, would we still make it in time? I could fly as fast as possible, so please, tell me it's… not too late!"
Without another word she turned away and headed towards the door.
"Jan!"
"Forget it, Hank," she shot over her shoulder. "Don't interrupt your little field trip on my account. I'm not important enough to factor into your plans. Just take all the time you need. I won't be here when you get back."
"Janet, please don't go! I'm sorry, I don't know how this happened, just know that I'm sorry!" His pleading fell on deaf ears, and the portal closed behind her with a swish.
Hank sat stunned in the cockpit of his spacecraft. The sight on the video-link was now nothing but a view of his blue-lit lab with the lone Ultron looking up at him.
The fundraiser was today. I missed it. How? Blearily he attempted to put his thoughts together, but they buzzed around in his brain without making any connection. He felt skittish and high-strung. Could he really be to blame for this mess? Was someone acting against him? Paranoia made his head dart suspiciously towards the shielded window displaying the view outside his vessel in search of some kind of enemy.
A great green Ultron face stared back at him.
Henry Pym came upright with a yell. He lost his footing and fell back over his seat, cracking his cranium on the floor as he did so. For a while the brilliant physicist lay there stunned. Eventually his head lifted up to once again take in the sight that lay beyond his ship, hoping that it had been some kind of feverish hallucination.
The metal viridian features remained just as before. Yellow energy burned in its eye-sockets. Upon closer examination, this wasn't the face of his creation. Just something that bore an eerily close resemblance to Ultron. Whatever this creature might be, it was much bigger than his toy-sized transport. What that meant in human terms was difficult to determine, since he couldn't see very much of it.
As he watched the alien moved slightly, and what looked to be a yellow rod came up to tap against the window. The bridge shook from the resulting blows, making the whole spaceship rock from side to side. Hank clung desperately to the base of his chair, too bewildered and shaken to attempt anything like communication or even escape.
When he continued to cower there, his curious assailant drew back. From its gaping metal mouth a voice spoke clearly, coming in across his transmission frequencies.
"Bah! Too puny to pose a threat," it said.
After this it turned away. Spreading great purple wings, the demonic entity shot away at awesome speeds. In moments Hank was once again alone in the pastel-colored space of the Negative Zone.
"What… the devil… was that?" he hissed.
No answer came. Finally he arrived at the conclusion that it was fruitless to dwell on what had just happened. He was alive. That's what counted. Forget about not-so-little green aliens and focus on something you can conceivably solve, Pym!
He knew exactly what he had to do.
Scrambling back into his seat he furiously punched in the proper channel wavelength. There were some warbling sounds as his equipment broadcast through this otherworldly atmosphere back to base. "Come on!" the irate inventor muttered to himself. "Come on, pick up! I know you're there!"
Nothing happened, and with an angry shout he leapt up and slammed a fist down on the console. "ULTRON!"
As if in response to his roar, Ultron-5 suddenly appeared on the screen. "How may I help you, Dr. Pym?"
"Why didn't you remind me about Janet's fundraiser?" he spit accusingly. "Why wasn't it included in my schedule? Blast it all, I missed it now because of…!" He almost wanted to say 'because of you', but even to his overwrought mind that made little sense. Or did it? Where am I going with this? Taking a moment to calm down, Dr. Henry Pym studied the face of his greatest creation. It regarded him right back.
Ultron-5 spoke next. "I am responsible for correcting any lapses on your part, Dr. Pym. But I can only do so much considering the number of flaws present. After all, you are only human."
Was it his imagination, or did the thing sound rather smug there? No, more important than that were its words. "Ultron-5," the Avenger breathed in a soft voice, "I am coming back now. This mission is aborted. I order you to stand down and await my return. Do nothing until I tell you. We are going to have a serious discussion about our continued relationship. Is that understood?"
"I understand perfectly, Henry Pym," the machine responded. "This discussion is long overdue."
He had no idea what to say in response to that, so Henry simply ended the communication. He then slumped back in his seat, feeling utterly exhausted. Just what exactly happened here? Was it all a bad dream? Janet disappointed, Ultron-5 behaving strangely, me acting like a fool. How could things have gotten to this point? What did I do wrong?
For once Janet was simply too depressed to even act out. Blowing a hole in the walls held no appeal for her. And besides, Hank probably wouldn't even notice if she did. Instead she trudged listlessly back to the portal that would take her home. What an absolute and utter buzz-kill. Why do I even bother with that man?
As the elevator descended, she considered her situation, and after giving the matter some thought, her old enduring spirit began to shine through. For starters, I'm not going to let this get me down. I'm a smart independent woman. I've got two successful careers I love, more money than a Swiss bank, and enough shoes to bury the Hulk. What that means is, I've got no shortage of friends. Specifically guy friends.
So here's what I'm going to do. For starters, I'm not going to lie in wait for Hank to get back and murder him. The rest of this day is going to be a Pym-free party. No more brooding on this extremely hurtful thing he did. I'll take the night off from thinking about that and enjoy myself to the fullest. Then come the morning I'll decide on a way to really put the screws to him. Maybe I'll ask Tony Stark out to breakfast? Someplace where there are lots of paparazzi eager to take pictures. Then I'll buy a copy of every gossip rag and drop 'em on Hank's doorstep! Yeah, that sounds good.
But enough about that. Right now I have to figure out how I'm going to salvage the evening.
By this point her steps had led her to the entry chamber for this dimension. Wasp applied to leave and waited, thinking hard. So what are my options man-wise? There's always the guys close to home. T'chala probably wouldn't take much convincing, he's already contributing money to the cause, it's only natural he make an appearance. Or Cap could come. The poor guy has hardly any social life, considering everybody he knows is either dead or in a nursing home. Drinks and dancing with a beautiful young bug-lady has to beat bingo with the blue-haired foxes. Or maybe I'll surprise everybody and bring the Hulk as my escort? That'll certainly keep the wolves like Roddy Kingsley from prowling around. It would be worth it just to see him inhale the whole buffet table. And maybe I could even persuade Bruce Banner to make an appearance?
Looking up, Wasp suddenly realized that she had been standing in front of the gate for several minutes and it hadn't activated. Huh? Was this thing broken?
She swiped her id card again and waited for confirmation. Nothing happened. Slow-building fury began to wake up inside her. If this is Henry's doing, I swear I'm going to rip his antennae off and shove 'em up his nose! C'mon, open up! Open, open, OPEN!
"Stupid door!" she shouted, and kicked the frame fiercely. When this yielded no result, Jan prepared to get to the bottom of things. Whirling about she was ready to storm off in search of answers when the sight before her made her stop.
"Ulfie?" the girl gaped, thunderstruck.
"Good evening, Miss Van Dyne."
Ultron-5 approached her, moving somewhat more carefully than usual. The reason for this was obvious. He was wearing clothes! Specifically, the charcoal-gray suit she had picked out for Henry to have this evening. The fabric was slightly stretched on his broad frame, but it still fit him. His metal loafers were even covered up with a pair of shiny black shoes. The diamond tiepin sparkled as he came to a halt before her. Janet stared up into his small crimson eyes in utter astonishment.
"Ulfie, what in the world are you doing?"
"I was informed about the events of this evening," he stated in a crisp manner. Even his voicebox sounded different somehow, you could almost say more confident. "Upon learning about your situation, I decided that it was inappropriate for you to be inconvenienced as a result of Dr. Pym's negligence. The best way to ensure that is to accompany you myself."
This was just getting weirder and weirder. "Are you wearing Henry's suit?"
"Some alterations needed to be made." He raised a hand at this admission, allowing her to see the fabric moving against his metal body. It seemed to fit him better than she had first thought. "Though my chassis is based in part upon Dr. Pym's physical dimensions, I am still notably larger than him in certain aspects. It is fortunate that I was able to perform the necessary tailoring in the brief time between my learning about your predicament and now."
"I had no idea you were a seamstress too, Ulfie," she mused, still striving to digest this utterly bizarre turn of events. Was Ultron-5 really offering to go on a date with her? Obviously that couldn't be the case, but still… what's a girl to think? Especially with him going on about being 'larger' than Hank. Wonder what aspects he's talking about?
Never mind about that. Before this goes any further, try to sort out the nuts and bolts. For starters, something occurs to me. "Ulfie," she declared slowly, drawing out the words. "If you're Henry's personal assistant, then how come you didn't make sure he remembered our plans tonight?"
"For that I must ask your pardon, Miss Van Dyne." Stepping back, Ultron-5 actually made a little bow at the waist, hands at his sides. Doing so made him look like a robot butler, but she didn't laugh at the thought. "Dr. Pym was supposed to undertake his exploration of the Negative Zone tomorrow. However certain alterations to his schedule created a conflict in that timetable. Rather than postponing the project and potentially losing the opportunities for research it presented, Dr. Pym resolved to complete the mission today before it came time to meet with you. Though I calculated his chances as being rather low, there was still a clear possibility that he could succeed in this objective. For this reason when he gave his commands I did not object."
The well-dressed droid stood upright once more. "I regret that unforeseen events prevented him from fulfilling those hopes. By not urging him to wait until a more auspicious time, I share some of the responsibility in regards to your distress. There is only one clear solution that will allow both my creator and me to make amends in this respect. Since Dr. Pym cannot be here to perform his duties as your companion for the evening, I will act as his substitute. That is, if you are amenable to the idea."
Wasp regarded her proposed date in surprise. Out of all the wild and wooly ideas I was mulling over before, none of them quite compares to this. Walk into the fundraiser with a robot on my arm? What would people say? I can just see the headlines tomorrow going on about a woman's favorite bedside toy and other cheap shots like that. I'd make less ink if I showed up with Count Dracula. At least then they couldn't get a picture of him. Do I really want to have to put up with all that on top of everything else going wrong today?
And yet, she couldn't deny that it was very sweet of Ulfie to go out of his way for her like this. Maybe Henry had suggested it to him as a way to try and smooth things over until they could talk. While the idea did not make up for his carelessness, it remained a welcome gesture considering her current emotional state. How many guys would even think of a solution like this? Or robots, for that matter. Somebody at least really cares about my feelings.
Besides, she liked bucking the system at all opportunities. Shake things up and see what falls out, right? Whatever may befall us, I'm ready for it. Look out world, here I come!
"Ulfie," she declared brightly, reaching out to hook her arm through his, "Nothing could make me happier right now!"
"Then it is settled." Adjusting his hold to make her more comfortable, they both looked up as the exit suddenly flared to life in front of them. Without a second thought or a care in the world, the two of them stepped forth arm-in-arm. One complete rearrangement of reality later and they were gone.
An Ultron he recognized as 757 was waiting for him when the ship slid into its docking port. As soon as the craft settled Henry stormed out of the hatch, re-enlarging himself until he could face the automaton on eye level. "Where is Ultron-5?" he demanded.
"Ultron-5 is currently overseeing reconstruction of the D2-Cell. As per your request you will find him there. I will escort you."
"Let's go then." He marched off without waiting for the robot to draw apace. Pym's anger was now bubbling over. Having been given time in which to replay his chief helper's words again in his mind, the insulting implications had become even more apparent. Ultron-5 had been mocking him! How could that have happened? What was the explanation? The idea of something like this had never even crossed his mind. It left him almost inarticulate with rage! How dare that mechanical upstart speak so rudely to me! We are going to have it out, and things are definitely going to be different from now on!
After a short trip into the more isolated regions of the station he came upon the D2-Cell. Repairs had proceeded at an acceptable pace to undo the damage caused by Wasp's outburst. Soon they would be able to put the final touches on this project and call it a wrap. Without pausing for a second Hank rounded the corner and entered the cell.
"All right, Ultron-5, I demand to know…!"
He stopped. There was no sign of his errant servant. The chamber was completely empty. Smooth ceramic walls rose all around him. It appeared that this place was fully restored. Only the adamantium coating on the walls was missing. Since when had they gotten this far? It was supposed to be another week before returning to this condition.
The fact that he was alone impressed itself fully upon his brain. At the same time, a strange smell tickled his nostrils. It was awfully familiar, if only he could place it. Nothing was coming, though.
Sight. Smell. And then, sound.
This last came in the form of a door sliding shut behind him.
Whirling about Pym stared uncomprehendingly at the sight of the barred entrance. At last he jerked forward, searching for a handle. But there was nothing on this side. Looking up, he met the gaze of Ultron-757 through the small window in the door. "757, what's the meaning of this? Let me out right now!"
It only turned its back on him. Without so much as a glance in its creator's direction, the machine strode off down the corridor, feet clanking softly against the steel floor.
"Wait! Where are you going? Come back here! I order you! I order you to release me!" the hero screamed desperately. Fear was making his voice hoarse. What the devil was happening? "Authorization: Henry Pym! Command code: Worker Drone! You will obey me!"
Ultron-757 continued to walk away. Unknown to Hank, its auditory functions had shut off the moment he came back aboard. The robot could no longer hear him. This was done at Ultron-5's command, to prevent the others from succumbing to the command codes he himself was no longer susceptible to. A simple solution to a complicated problem, one that he had reached by thinking for himself.
Ant Man stood frozen for a few seconds. Then his beleaguered brain managed to come to a certain level of understanding, upon which he immediately accessed the communication properties of his helmet. To his mounting horror it failed to respond in any way. He could neither contact the other Ultrons nor make a plea to any of the insects currently residing in this facility. The equipment had quite simply gone dead, disabled without his knowledge at some point.
Upon realizing this, the valiant Avenger stepped back from the door. Moving to the center of the room, he triggered the controller on his belt. Instantly Pym particles shot through his system, designed to increase his size and mass to the point where he could easily break down the door.
At least, that was the plan. However, much to his dismay, no such transformation took place. Instead he found himself still at the same size as before, breathing fast and perspiring heavily. As he was about to make another attempt, it finally dawned on him what that familiar aroma from before had been. It was the chemical stimulus he had originally developed to activate and deactivate the Pym particles. The one he had thought no longer necessary. That airborne compound was being pumped into the room. And judging by what just happened, its provenance was clear. This particular version was designed to completely inhibit the effect of his growth serum. He could neither expand nor shrink. Which rendered Ant Man completely helpless.
Henry Pym was trapped in a prison of his own devising, with no visible way out.
Slumping to the floor, his head drooped tiredly. The mind-blowing events of the past few hours had taken their toll, and exhaustion settled in. As sleep rose to claim him, one word alone came to mind, its implications enough to cause him to have nightmares in the time hereafter.
"Jan."
To be continued…