The Campbell Chronicles Part Two
Chapter 5
Nicholas Campbell hovered cross-legged in the thermosphere of the planet Cradle, absorbing sunlight. Pale yellow energy bathed his body in a thin film, flaring in time with his breathing as he exhaled and inhaled. Suddenly, his gaze snapped to the planet below: "Huh, Namor and Naiad convinced the Atlanteans to join their settlement. I honestly didn't think that many would come with them."
Uncrossing his legs, Nicholas drifted downward, shivering slightly as the last of the solar energy faded into his body. He watched large blue lights bloom beneath the ocean before fading away. His eyes flared as he reached out to the world, linked with Cradle's magnetic field, and used it to boost his mental powers.
New mines blossomed in his perception, shining like stars. Fear, nervousness, hope, and wonder bombarded his senses so intensely that he was forced to retreat.
'Nicholas,' Wanda called, breaking through the spiral of emotions. Shaking his head, Nicholas's hand drifted to his temple, where he pressed two fingers into the side of his head. 'Yes.'
'The spell is ready, and it's almost 8.'
'I'm on my way.'
Turning, Nicholas faced the direction of foliage and shot off into the distance, his body becoming nothing more than a blur across the sky.
–XX –
Arriving in Foliage, Nicholas hovered above a clearing where Wanda, Alexi, Arcanna, and Roslyn were gathered in a loose circle. In the middle of their circle sat a complex orb formed of red threads interwoven with arcane symbols. Beneath the orb sat a runic circle formed of ever-shifting geometric designs. It all burned with red light, outlined in a whitish-blue aura.
Wanda approached him as he touched down, strands of her Auburn hair stuck to her sweat-soaked face. "It's ready, and we'll be monitoring it as you speak to the people of Earth to ensure nothing goes wrong."
"Good, good, I had a thought on the way over: watch out and make sure children or teens don't use our invitation to run away from home. Although I want to help everyone, we can't have people believing we kidnap children."
Alexi approached. "I am already having Hazel scan the minds as you touch them during your broadcast; if there is any genuine abuse, we will try to help them through legal means."
"Good. In case you didn't know, Namor and Naiad are back with the mutants of the Ninth Tride," he focused on his mother. "There are two individuals that stand out: an Atlantean named Scour, who can manipulate sand, and another named Siren. She is more interesting because she is descended from Arthur Campbell. Her family founded the silent school, the premier magic Academy of Atlantis."
"Her family was eventually kicked out for their mutations, but they continued studying magic secretly. She specializes in medical magic; I believe she could help the science Citadel. As for Scour, I think Namor will ask him to build structures in Oceana."
Wanda raised an eyebrow, "If they just arrived, how do you know this?"
Nicholas rubbed the back of his neck, "I may have peaked into their minds to ensure there were no problem children."
"Nicholas!" His mother chastened with narrowed eyes.
Wanda smacked him on the arm, "This is supposed to be the place for everyone, a place for a clean slate and a second chance."
Nicholas raised his hands in surrender. "I know, I know, but I'm nervous. We did it with everyone coming through the portal, even though the Celestial said they would only let those that wouldn't hurt cradle come through."
Both women fell silent, disapproval still heavy on their faces.
After a moment, Wanda cleared her throat, "Did you find anything?"
One corner of Nicholas's lips curled in a smirk, "No, but we may want to let Siren look over the Phoenix's rebirth serum to put the Atlanteans at ease about taking it."
Alexi nodded, "That's fine; your grandmother's been trying to create a better version; maybe Siren will have some insights."
"It's time," Roslyn called near the spell.
Alexi patted Nicholas on the shoulder while Wanda kissed him before both broke away and went to reform the loose circle around the spell.
Taking a deep breath, Nicholas stepped toward the circle. Swallowing, he placed his hand on the spherical cluster of runes and thread. Energy rushed through him as probability in the form of images in a fractured piece of glass flashed through his mind.
For a moment, he stood there riding the wave as he centered himself, allowing himself to relax and let the spell become part of him. As the magic settled into place, Nicholas reached out with his mind and joined the earth's magnetic field, using it to brush against the minds of every mutant on Earth.
All around the world, people stopped what they were doing as they felt a presence.
Nicholas's brow bunched together as he used the earth's magnetic field as a medium for his power to prevent accidents.
Those who could feel energy felt a wave of pressure wash across the world, gently nudging things to prevent disaster. Pale blue energy surrounded cars, keeping them on the road, while other forces wrapped around planes, keeping them in the air.
Gentle psychic nudges kept People moving toward their destinations as they listened.
Once everything was moving smoothly, Nicholas spoke.
'Meta-humans of Earth, my name is Nicholas Campbell, and I speak to you from Cradle. A recently terraformed world on the other side of your sun.'
As Nicholas spoke, the power that had shielded Cradle from the larger universe faded. A shimmer passed through the sky as the world became visible.
'I come before you today to reveal your history, a wrong done to you, and a place where anything can be achieved if you're willing to work for your dreams.'
'I and certain others of the world of Cradle are from the ancient city of Brigadoon, which grew up on earth billions of years ago after we arrived here from another multiverse. We made a home in what is now the plane of Africa and were content to let the rest of early humanity be.'
'That changed, however, when an alien species called the Dominators came to Earth and started manipulating the DNA of early humans to stifle their potential so that they would not evolve into a race similar to the one you call Superman.'
Nicholas glanced at one of the threads that made up the spell circle. Wrapping it in his power, he projected what could've been to the meta-humans of Earth had the dominators not manipulated human DNA.
On the heels of those images were the atrocities the dominators committed against early humans. Screams of long-dead humans echoed across the world in the wake of those visions.
Gasp exploded worldwide as fantastical cities shimmered into existence before their eyes, and humanity with various abilities scoured the world and spread out across the Milky Way galaxy.
Every meta-human felt a lurch in the chest as they saw their dream taken away as the dominators altered humanity.
Long yellow clawed fingers tapped machines, serrated teeth spread into sinister smiles, and red eyes reflected the light of humanity's changing fate.
'My people fought off the dominators and spread out to try to undo what they had done, but unfortunately, we were only partially successful, and metahumans are the result. I contact you today not to bring you sorrow but hope and offer you a place on Cradle, where together we may reclaim humanity's stolen destiny.'
'If you would like to see what cradle has to offer, close your eyes and wish to come to the world; if you mean the people here no harm, you will be teleported here; if you don't like what we have to offer, you will be put back on earth, with your memory of any time here on cradle erased.'
'Now, I can feel the uncertainty from some of you at that last bit, but you must understand, the people of Cradle need to be protected, and some in your world would try to use Cradle for their own ends,'
Nicholas could feel the minds of such individuals despite only being connected to the metahumans, his free hand curled into a fist. He wanted so badly to expose them to the world, but he would not endanger the people of Cradle on a gambit that would most likely be explained away.
With nothing more to say, Nicholas withdrew his hand from the orb and massaged the burgeoning headache in his temples.
Wanda approached him, wrapping herself around his waist, "You did good."
Moving his hands from his temples, Nicholas wrapped his arms around her and kissed the crown of her head. "I hope it was the right thing to do. A part of me wanted to continue hiding Cradle to keep our people safe, but I know they would've chafed at that restriction."
Wanda opened her mouth to say something but was cut off as a circle of white energy flashed into existence on Cradle's second moon.
Still wrapped in each other's arms, Nicholas and Wanda rose into the air to investigate this new development.
–XX –
They stepped out of the portal. She closed her eyes as warm sunlight bathed her green skin. Raising her arms, she spread them wide, letting the wind wash over her skintight bodysuit. Kneeling, she ran her hand across the soft grass. "It's certainly better than the last moon we had," she commented, glancing at her husband.
Alto was a tall Skrull, standing at 6'4". His shoulders were broad, showing off defined muscle beneath his black spandex suit. Messy red hair swayed in the wind as pointed ears twitched, taking in the sound of one of his people emerging from the portal. The beginnings of a rust-colored beard covered the three ridges of his chin.
Green eyes locked onto his wife as she stood, "Do you think they will allow us to stay?"
Thea stretched, showing off her 5'11" form.
Even after these years, Alto's gaze was still drawn to the curves of her body and the way her bun-shaped dark hair glistened in the light.
Amber eyes met his, shining with love, "That Void Titan, Tiamut, wouldn't have sent us here if we would be rejected."
"If we can trust him."
"He brought us back from the dead…"
"And teleported us to a multiverse that is not our own."
Thea moved in front of him and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Our people are strong, and we will survive, no matter what."
Alto stared at her, raising his large hand to cup her face. "I love you," he said.
"And I you."
They leaned in, their lips brushing against one another in a gentle kiss.
"I hope we're not interrupting."
Alto and Thea drew apart and turned toward the voice, their bodies tense.
A green-haired man descended from the sky; an Auburn-haired woman pulled close to his side.
They touched down a few feet away, and the woman unwrapped her arms from around the man's waist.
Both took in the newcomers.
The green-haired man was 6'2" with short green hair combed to one side, yellow eyes, and blue tribal tattoos on the back of his hands that looked like tree branches. He wore a white button-down shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a black vest, black slacks, and polished shoes.
The woman at his side was 5'7" tall and curvy, with defined muscle, tan skin, wavy Auburn hair, and green eyes. She wore a red leather corset underneath a long crimson leather coat, tightfitting jeans, and black high-heeled boots with a three-inch heel.
The man stepped forward with a weary smile. "Hello, I am Nicholas Campbell," he gestured to the woman, "and this is Wanda Nelson."
"May we know what you are doing on Cradle's second moon?"
While Nicholas spoke, Wanda eyed the green people scattered across the moon. According to her, there were over 5,000.
Alto and Thea shared a look before Thea stepped forward.
"I am Thea, and we…," she gestured at her people. "We are the mutant Skrulls of Carpiax IV. We once lived peacefully beneath the crest of Earth's moon, but as the scroll Empire invaded the Milky Way galaxy, they discovered us and wiped us out for being impure," she sneered at the last few words.
Nicholas and Wanda shared a look. While neither had ever met Skrull, many people across Nicholas's family's native multiverse had brought stories of the shape-shifting alien race. They were said to be conquerors and skillful at infiltration. They can even take on another's form, memories, and powers by using some ritual, but in all the information they had ever been given, they had never heard about a mutant variant.
Turning his gaze away from Wanda, Nicholas focused on the two Skrulls: "That tells me your history, not how you arrived here on Cradle's Moon."
Thea intertwined her hand with her husband, "After our deaths, we were approached by the Void Titan Tiamut and offered another chance to live in a different multiverse away from our people's prejudice."
Nicholas and Wanda looked at one another, the tension leaving their shoulders as Nicholas turned back to look at the two Skrulls. "If Tiamut brought you here, you must be safe."
Alto stepped forward, placing himself in front of his wife. He looked at them with narrowed eyes, "Just like that," he asked, suspicion heavy in his voice.
"You are not the only one who the Celestials brought back," Wanda said from her place beside Nicholas. She looked at Nicholas. "Granted, they are the only ones brought back by one personally; instead of technology they created, the sentiment is the same."
Ignoring Wanda, Nicholas continued, "Cradle has become a haven for those mutant races that died in the other multiverse. Having said that, you are the first alien mutants to arrive."
Alto's green hands curled into fists, "Is that going to be a problem?"
"As long as you mean the people of Cradle no harm and are willing to work for what you have, you will be treated like any other residents of the planet."
"What if the people of Cradle harm us?"
Nicholas's eyes narrowed, and Wanda's form became wreathed in crimson power. "Then they will be dealt with harshly."
Alto gave a stiff nod, "All right then."
Nicholas and Wanda relaxed, and Wanda stepped forward, "Now that that's settled, your people need to decide who will be your voice on the Council."
Alto turned to look at Thea, and the dark-haired Skrull nodded.
"I will go, but I want to bring a few people with me."
"That's fine."
Two more Skrulls emerged from the crowd as the white portal sank into the ground, forming an obsidian platform.
The man was 6'0" tall, with green skin, lean, wiry muscle, Amber eyes, three ridges for a chin, and close-cropped black hair. Like the rest of the Skrull, he wore a black skintight bodysuit with green accents.
The woman at his side was 6'0", curvy, with defined muscle, a large bust, Amber eyes, angular features with three ridges for a chin, and dark red hair tied back in a ponytail.
Thea smiled, "These are our children." She pointed to the man, "This is Polo." She turned her attention to the woman, "and this is Artie."
Nicholas and Wanda took turns shaking hands. "It's nice to meet you. I hope you find peace and success here on Cradle."
Nicholas turned to Thea and pointed to the obsidian circle that the portal they emerged from had transformed into. "This circle could teleport anywhere on a cradle with a disk."
Thea nodded, and the group made their way toward the obsidian disc. As they stepped onto it, Thea turned to Nicholas, "Tiamut wanted me to pass on a message to you."
"Okay?"
"He said he grieves for the potential lost when children die, so he has arranged for them to be reborn on Cradle."
Nicholas and Wanda's eyes widened.