Defenders of the Earth: This Is Their Side Story

"Replacement"

Earth B

Present Day

Rick studied Amy as she stood at the counter, running her peeler on apple skin. A mundane task, to say the least. He'd asked why she did certain things up-close, given her special abilities. According to Ames, she could nail a great deal of chores without touch, but others required her actual hands, just to make sure she would get them right — just to ensure she didn't grow too lax. She wouldn't use 'kinesis for everything. That would render Amy a lazy girl.

She looked so cute in her shirt and shorts, a little ponytail hanging down her back. He recalled a saying on domestic women: barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. That was a picture that the world adored.

Two of those boxes were certainly checked. She was in the kitchen. Her feet were bare. But Amy wasn't pregnant at the moment, though. Rick didn't think that she was, at least.

That reminded him of a particular topic, one he'd been meaning to discuss at length. He walked from behind and took her into his arms. "We never really talk much about your mom," Rick uttered gently as he rocked a bit.

Amy stopped peeling. She didn't respond.

Rick knew he'd touched on a sensitive spot. He wouldn't press the matter if it bothered her, but he did want to learn about Cathleen. He'd heard about the woman just recently: she'd battled Amy's father in another dimension. Mandrake escaped. Cathleen had not. Rick wasn't sure when it'd happened, though.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay." Her voice was gentle. Delicate. "Tell me again about Dimension Y."

A brand new topic. That was a clue. She wasn't in the mood to discuss Cathleen.

He cleared his throat. "From what I've learned, every dimension can be reached by a portal, but those only open occasionally." The one his dad found was still accessible. Rick wasn't certain when the portal would shut. "Dimension Y is closed off for now — but it will be open later on today...only for about half an hour or so."

She turned to him, looking intrigued. "And after that?"

"Then it's closing up for the next twenty years." He heaved a groan. He really did want to see Dimension Y, but simply couldn't risk getting stranded there. Thirty minutes wasn't much time to explore.

At least he could travel to Dimension A, as soon as his schedule allowed him to.

His cell phone rang. He took the call.

"Mom?" he muttered.

"Rick!" she said. "Someone just came through the portal up there!"

Rick froze stiff as the words sank in. Dale had been working in Monitor. She'd pledged to keep an eye on the portal today, having an interest in the thing herself.

He had to ensure that he'd heard her right. "Someone came here from Dimension Y?"

"Yes," she answered. "A lone spacecraft. It's charging the base."

"It's heading for you?" He turned from Amy.

"It's going to touch the strip in around ten minutes."

Rick couldn't grasp what was going on. Why was someone heading toward Monitor? And why were they taking a serious chance? They had half an hour to go back home. If they failed, they would be stuck here — at least for a couple decades or so.

He needed to get a closer look at this. "I'm coming there, Mom." The drive wasn't long.

Amy touched his wrist. "I'm coming too."

Dale watched the craft on a video screen. It was about sixty seconds away.

She pulled a microphone and tried speaking again. "Aircraft," she uttered. "Identify."

There was no response as the jet touched down. It landed on the strip before a closed entrance — a long gold door that kept vehicles out.

The spacecraft wasn't deterred by that. Its missiles shifted, rising in place, aiming directly at Monitor.

Dale scowled a bit. "What in the world?" It wasn't really going to attack the base...

A light upon the jet was a solid red. Then it faded — replaced by green.

Twin missiles fired, straight ahead, blowing a hole right within the door.

Dale hit the deck, then crawled away, coughing amid the thick smoke and flame. Glancing back, she saw a lone figure hopping out of the craft. They were soon covered in the thickening haze.

Dale began to wheeze. She stumbled about. What was going on? Who had attacked?

A thin cloth wrapped right around her face. Someone had taken hold of her from behind. The room grew dim. Her held was light. She soon realized she was falling asleep.

Rick weaved his way through the haze with Amy. What was the story behind the smoke? He didn't like the looks of this at all.

Then he noticed something that he liked even less. "Mom!" he shouted, spotting Dale. Someone was pulling her into a craft. They closed the cockpit — with Dale inside — then shifted a little at the jet's controls. Could this be the person from Dimension Y?

The craft began rising, heading for space. The pilot was flying his mother away.

Rick hurried to a Defender jet. He knew he couldn't shoot the abductor down, but he could grab their ship with a tractor beam.

Amy hopped in right behind his seat.

He stared at her. This would be hard. "You have to get out," he managed to say. "The pilot is headed for Dimension Y. If I'm pulled into the portal with them...I'll be stuck there for the next twenty years." He didn't want Amy to risk that too. They didn't know what the dimension was like. At the same time, the thought of losing Amy was a painful one.

"Let's go," she said. "If you're getting stuck, then so am I."

The other craft fled, hitting the clouds. The pilot wasn't wasting any time at all.

Rick pursued, gritting his teeth.

"I'm trying to stop them," Amy relayed. "It seems that my power can't hold that jet."

"It's really fast," Rick replied. His tractor beam couldn't touch the thing.

They soared into space. The race went on. A number of rocks drifted on their path. The other pilot dodged with a few sharp turns, whipping the craft around expertly.

Rick made a squint. Who was this person?

Then he saw a cloud bank of purple and white. That was the portal to Dimension Y.

The other craft zoomed, picking up speed. It would reach the bank in five seconds or so.

"No, no, no!" he shouted ahead.

The craft hit the cloud.

The portal closed. The fleeing vehicle was nowhere to be found.

Rick slammed a fist on his ship's controls, watching the darkness in a state of shock. His mother was gone. Just like that. The portal wouldn't open for two decades.

He slowed the craft, taking deep breaths.

Amy reached around and put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find a way," she said quietly. "We're going to find a way to get her back."

Earth Y

Dale woke up on a comfortable bed. The room was small, and lit dimly.

A blonde girl was staring at her in awe.

"Who...are you?" Dale managed to ask.

The girl twitched a bit, still looking stunned. "I'm the person who brought you here." She grinned a tad. "My name is Duffy."