Chapter 17
by Carycomic
NEW YORK CITY, USA (MARCH 20, 2019)
Darren Cross (CEO of Cross Technological Enterprises) and Hugh Jones (CEO of Roxxon Energy Corp.) sat across from Sunset Bain (CEO of Baintronics, Inc.) as they looked at the hologram now being projected by her database's governing A.I. within her private sound-proofed office. The hologram in question showing an object that resembled nothing less than a half-completed scale model of both the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. But, one made entirely made of solid gold!
"It's certainly remarkable looking. I have to admit that," said Cross, very carefully.
"I agree," added Jones. "How did you come by this unusual artifact?"
Bain grinned. "Ultron. Summarize provenance."
Whereupon, a disembodied voice instantly complied.
"The artifact was salvaged from the floor of Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, by the Panini Archaeological Expedition from the University of Modena, Italy, on Dec. 14, 2017. But, it was stolen from them, by Count Luciano Nefaria of the Maggia, two months later. It was then stolen from him, in transit, by a cult of Zygon heretics who worship something called Shuma-Gorath! They smuggled it to an underwater base, on the floor of the Bay of Biscay, off the French coast of Brittany. Yet, whatever ritual they intended to perform with it, they wound up being interrupted by Silurian Sea Devils who succeeded in making off with it. Only to lose it, in turn, to commandos of the Action Force."
"The latter subsequently hired a former SHIELD telepath, named Marvin Flumm, to perform a psychometric scan of it. Thereby learning that it is of ancient extra-terrestrial origin. And that its original owner-builders dubbed it. . .an Infinity Gate."
"It was on Mr. Flumm's recommendation that his friend Norbert Ebersol was hired as part of the reverse-engineering team assembled by Action Force. With Ms. Bain ordering me to make sure that all background checks fail to disclose that Mr. Ebersol is already working for her!"
"Between Mr. Ebersol's computer hacking on site, and Mr. Flumm's telepathic reception of the required information (via the psionic augmentor built by your people, Mr. Cross), Ms. Bain's R&D staff have managed to construct a duplicate of the Infinity Gate from the ground up. With, of course, certain electronic modifications made courtesy of your own technicians, at Nth Command, Mr. Jones. "
"In short," Bain concluded. ". . .our gate is now ready to be opened. Won't you join me, gentlemen?"
Whereupon, they descended to a top-secret sub-basement laboratory in her private elevator. When the elevator came to a complete stop, they exited into a control room overlooking a massive testing floor. Bain wasting no time going over to one of the control panels and flipping a switch that turned on the two-way intercom system.
"Is everything all set, Dr. Strang?"
The green-clad head of Research and Development pressed a button on what most people would have initially thought was a wrist watch on his right arm.
"Ready whenever you are, madam."
"In that case… Activate!"
There followed what seemed like an eternity (although probably more like five minutes) of lightning flashes from within the odd-looking object. Plus, a strong wind gushing outward from it in all directions! When the flashing and gushing finally ceased, however, everyone looked at the silhouette standing within the almost-pyramidal entrance. The owner of that silhouette revealing itself, a second later, to be a woman. One with short black hair. . .and a body covered in what could only be described as a robotic exo-skeleton.
"I am Nekra of the Borg," she declared. "Adjunct Species 62896. Autonymic designation: Kromagg. And you will be assimilated."
The futile gunfire and screams of terror that followed were confined to the lab by the same kind of soundproofing that Bain had in her office.
BARROW, ALASKA
EARTH-TRN9423
(TEN MONTHS EARLIER)
Logan "Nekra" St. Clair hung the last intravenous bottle before assuming a triumphant stance, arms akimbo, in her skin-tight black unitard.
"Sorry, guys. I know this makes the conversion process a lot slower than drinking my vitae directly. But, the truth is I'm saving that mixed blessing for Quinn Mallory, himself. Once I catch up to him, of course! And, with you five as my posse, that will prove sooner than he even expects."
She looked at the half-exsanguinated Kromaggs in the manta ship sickbay as she said this. Naturally not expecting any reply, at all. She was therefore quite shocked when she heard a male voice reply: "If faster vampirization is your only problem, my buddy Kronus and I can be your solution."
Nekra swung about, gasping as she beheld the two intruders to her left. One with a red beard and a green suit of armor. The other seeming to crackle and sparkle with a black-and-gold aura of electricity.
"Who are you? How did you get in here without me hearing you?"
The electrostatic one grinned. "The name is Speed Demon. And I'll show you how."
Before she had a chance to scream, she was being vampirically injected with the alien transmode virus from Earth-8545. Following which, Speed Demon did the same thing to the unconscious Kromaggs! When all that had been accomplished, he looked at Kronus.
"Put me through to Mystique."
Whereupon, the Vi-locked time traveler activated a holographic transceiver.
"Mystique here."
"It's me. Did you get that LMD body, yet?"
"Affirmative. The SHIELD of Earth-74425 will never miss it."
"Then attach the head from Earth-6195 and let him do its thing!"
"As soon as you send me Kronus."
Speed Demon looked at his time-traveling companion.
"You heard her, buddy! Return here as soon as your mission's accomplished on Earth-1136."
Five minutes later (from a relative viewpoint), the ad hoc cyborg version of Wolverine was battling a mystical indigenous superhero known as Coyote just outside Las Vegas, Nevada. With the latter just starting to get the upper hand when he was suddenly ambushed from behind. . .by the Supernatural Adaptoid.
Coyote resisted the ensuing attempt to control his mind as best he could. But, in the end, the techno-organically enhanced will of Kevin "Proteus" McTaggart won out.
"You will now teleport yourself to Earth-200508 and infect the resident Impossible Man of that universe."
Meanwhile, Kronus teleported back to Earth-TRN9423. There, Speed Demon gave him new orders.
"Help me take this ship and its crew- -including Nekra- -to this world's 23rd century. We have some fellow E.T. cyborgs to upgrade."
FOREST HILLS, QUEENS,
NEW YORK CITY, NY
(EARTH-774)
Before any of the astounded trio could act, Alizarin Crimson had uttered a spell that immobilized Flash Thompson, May Parker, and MJ Watson-Parker using the Ruby Rings of Raggadorr. Leaving them unable to even so much as close their mouths! Not that the scantily-clad wizardess did not enjoy seeing their shocked expressions. Just the opposite, in fact; she delighted in them.
"Shakespeare's Puck said it best when he observed what fools you mortals are. All it took to convince you three that I was Stella Stargaze was a low-level Illusion of Ikonn combined with a parody of her egotistical behavior! But, the time for that particular pretense is at an end. With your husband out of the way, my dear. . ."
She looked pointedly at MJ as she added this. ". . .I can now search this residence with impunity."
Whereupon, Alizarin Crimson uttered another spell summoning up the Winds of Watoomb. The second this was accomplished, household items began flying about May Parker's living room. Not just the items in that room. But, from every other room in the house, as well!
It was as if an invisible tornado were raging around them. Yet, the structure of the house did not implode. Nor were the four people in the midst of this magical gale drawn off their feet by cyclonic suction. After five minutes of this, however, Alizarin Crimson finally saw what she was apparently searching for.
"Aha!" she exclaimed, snatching the object out the air as it flew past. "My researchers were right. What I sought was here. I thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Parker. And. . . my apologies for the mess."
With a condescending smile that evinced how much that was a lie, the scantily-clad wizardess teleported away.
Tbc
If the name "Zoe McLellan" sounds familiar, it's because she played Special Agent Meredith Brody (opposite Scott Bakula as Duane "King" Pride) during Season 1 of NCIS: NEW ORLEANS. That's why I couldn't resist using her for my latest update of "Web of Deceit."
Earth-TRN-9423: my in-joke reference to comics independently published by IDW (9=I, 4=D, 23=W)..
Sincerely yours: Cary