Written by Barry Reese
Bring Out Your Dead
April 16, 4022
North Am Metroplex. Eastern Seaboard. Grid Designate : Bos-411. Gehenna Level
"The facts are indisputable -- Magnus hasn't been seen in almost a year. We have to assume that he's never coming back. Thus, we must now decide how best to protect North Am in his absence..." President Shooter's voice was grave, tinged with the understandable worry of what life would be like without North Am's greatest defender. Shooter himself was a tall, thin man with a pock-marked face and short-cropped brown hair. He had ascended to power in recent months, his platform based on rebuilding the damaged portions of North Am as quickly as possible, while at the same time helping to ensure that Earth would never again be threatened by the Malevs..
No one spoke out in opposition, though a few of the assembled Senators nodded their assent. Just a few short months ago, it would have been inconceivable that the Northam Senate would meet in the Gehenna level of Bos-411... but with the widespread destruction in the Atl-320 grid, the seat of government had been moved. Since Gehenna was one of the fews grids spared from Solar the Destroyer's wrath, it made as good a home as any.
Shooter waited for his words to sink in before continuing. "Now, all of us are somewhat distrustful of the Starwatchers...they betrayed us, in fact, in the days following the Malev War. They placed their own agents in our midst and sought to take our government from us, slowly and in secret. But they also stood with us against the most recent Malev assault and their number now includes Torque, Magnus's own son. He has assured me that we can trust the Starwatchers to help us rebuild -- and fortify our defenses against further attacks, be they committed by the Malev, rogue freewills, or even the Destroyer."
Nikolas Clane stood up, his long blonde hair trailing down his back. He was very young, only in his early twenties, but had quickly risen to a position of prominence following the deaths of Senator Clane and his daughter. Nikolas was a distant relation but he'd parlayed the family name into a senate spot for himself. Quick-witted and handsome, he was a rising star in the North Am government. "Trust the Starwatchers? Please, President Shooter, tell me you're joking! The Starwatchers, or Psi-Lords as some prefer to call them, are dedicated to enforcing their law above all else. Turning over even a portion of our power to them is basically giving them permission to take over our entire planet! Magnus would never have done such a thing -- he saw them for what they are...."
Shooter narrowed his eyes at Nikolas. He admired the young man's spunk but thought that Nikolas did too much grandstanding. "What would you have us do, Senator Clane? Refuse their aid? Our grids like in ruins, even after the hard work of the past few months. Our production of servant robs has increased, but even their mechanical strength is hard pressed to do what is required. The Starwatchers have learned from their mistakes and are willing to work with us in building a brighter future -- Torque has assured me that the Starwatchers want to make amends for their actions. With an alliance between North Am, the Starwatchers and the newly formed Freewill Consortium, we can move forward, always honoring the past, but working for tomorrow." Shooter felt pleased with his performance as many of the senators nodded enthusiastically. Even Clane seemed impressed, sitting back down with only a few mumurings. The days when North Am was an utopia were gone forever, but the human spirit was still persevering....
Psi-Lord Precinct Cluster/Designate : "The Palisade." Sol System.
"The vote's come back -- President Shooter swayed them our way." Balaam's voice was neutral, though he was very pleased by the turn of events. He felt truly sorry for all those who had died at the Destroyer's hands. The Starwatchers had been partially responsible for those deaths, since they'd unwittingly brought the Malevs back to life following the Malev War. The Starwatchers had helped rebuild Earth using scavenged Malev technology, never realizing that the malevolent machines still survived.
Psi-Prime Gryffen glanced back from the viewscreen, his eyes scanning over the faces of Balaam and Torque. The two of them were particularly close and Gryffen suspected that Balaam cared for the younger man very intensely. "Excellent. We should begin erecting the metroplexes right away -- and preparing for the Destroyer's eventual return."
Torque clenched a fist. He was still adjusting to being a Psi-Lord, having been added to their number when the Malevs attempted to assimilate him. "He won't come back anytime soon. He knows better."
Gryffen shrugged. "For beings who are immortal like us, young Torque, patience is a virtue. The Destroyer will return to Earth eventually... we only have to wait. His arrogance is too strong to ignore the world of his birth forever."
Torque looked out the viewport, seeing the fragile ball of blue and green that floated there. Earth had been through so much in the last few decades. We're going to make sure nothing like this ever happens again, dad. I promise you that... I just hope that wherever you are now, you know that.
The Lost Land, Day 27
Magnus whirled, narrowly avoiding the mechanized creature's assault. The robot was large, with a dark green tint to his metallic sheathe. An orange "7" on the robot's chest was the only thing that differentiated him from the countless others who lay in pieces around them. "Surrender and I'll slag you painlessly..."
The freewill slashed again with his razor-sharp extensions. From the looks of him, Magnus mused, the freewill had been designed for some form of excavating. He was covered with diamond-tipped drill bits and whirling buzz saws. "You-are-known-to-this-unit-Magnus. You-are-the-robot-killer. Our-master-has-warned-us-of-your-coming."
That bit of information made Magnus wonder but he didn't have time to fully digest it. Since his arrival here in the Lost Land some 27 days ago, he'd tried to explore the jungle-like area in which he'd found himself. It hadn't changed much since the Unity War, but of course, he shouldn't have expected it to. The Lost Land existed outside of time.
He'd encountered the first freewill during his third day. A frightened courier droid, it had posed no threat to Magnus and had been allowed to live. That had been a mistake, for an hour later Magnus found himself under attack by a freewill army. Evidently, the courier had recognized him and spread the word. Since then, Magnus had been tracking the robots to their lair.
Magnus chopped at the robot's neck, his Harbinger strength more than sufficient to lop the freewill's head clean off. It clanged to the ground, bouncing several times. "You master should have built you stronger, then."
The aftermath of the battle left Magnus feeling empty and alone. He'd been pleased to find robots to fight, losing himself in the thrill of action. Now, however, he was once again left with his memories. He saw Leeja, again and again, standing before him. She'd been under Malev control at the end, when the Destroyer's blast had separated them forever. She had gone to the great beyond, while Magnus had once again been deposited in the Lost Land. It hardly seemed fair.
Still, he felt only the vaugest stirrings of pain over her loss. Since his own death and rebirth*, his memories of Leeja and his friends had seemed like ghosts. He could recall everything that had happened but the emotional connection had been broken.
(*See Magnus # 57-60 for more.)
"Magnus-Robot-Fighter?"
Magnus whirled at the sound of the robot's voice, tensing himself immediately. The freewill, however, was the courier model that he'd first met days ago. Magnus relaxed somwhat -- the courier models were not, without heavy modification, much of a threat. "Did you tire of sending your friends after me?"
The courier droid stepped forward, moving gingerly past the shattered remains of his compatriots. "I-am-designated-C8."
Magnus grunted, running a hand through his hair. Being in the Lost Land was having a strange effect on him this time -- his hair was longer and thicker than it had been in years and the gray streak he'd worn for some time was fading. He hadn't noticed any rejuvenation effects during the Unity War but with the Lost Land, one never knew any rhyme or reason for the place. "Nice to meet you, C8. Do you mind telling me why your friends have been trying to slag me?"
C8 remained a cautious distance away. "You-are-the-robot-killer. Our-master-told-us-that-you-have-attempted-genocide-on-our kind."
Magnus didn't reply to that -- he had, in fact, issued an order during his tenure as President that instructed law enforcement to slag all robots. It had been an action he'd regretted in time, but he had no defense for what the robot accused him of. "I only kill rogue freewills now. Ones that threaten to harm humans."
"We-wish-no-harm-to-humans. We-desire-only-to-live-in-peace-with-our-master."
"Then you and I have no problem. I am curious, though -- who is your master and how did you come to be in the Lost Land?"
C8 hesitated for a moment. "My-master-has-asked-that-I-take-you-to-see-him. He-says-it-has-been-many-long-years-since-your-paths-have crossed."
Magnus blinked. "You're saying that your master knows me? What's his name?"
"His-designation-is-Mekman."
Sol System. Unity Colony.
The Destroyer watched Earth from afar, his mood darkening. He'd meant to leave the world behind after wiping out the Malevs but it still preyed on his mind. They were giving in to the Starwatchers, turning over control of their planet to a bunch of fascists. It churned his stomach and made him consider what would have happened if he'd wiped out the Psi-Lords along with the Malevs....
"Such thoughts lead down dangerous paths."
The Destroyer glanced over at his companion, noting her shimmering silver beauty. "Adrianna. It's been a long time." He made no move to greet her, offered her no hand to hold.
The woman offered an enigmatic smile. "Yes, it has. Do you still fear our love? What happened once may not happen again -- time, as has been proven again and again, is not absolute."
The Destroyer looked away, his mind running over fragments of the past. Once, in an event that may or may not have happened (in Solar's life, you never knew - not even if you were Solar himself, or an aspect of him...), he had loved this woman. Their energies had mingled, creating a reality that threatened all of creation*.
(*In the Valiant/Image crossover Deathmate. The woman here, in case you don't recognize her, is Void.)
He looked over at her, lost in her ethereal beauty. He reached out a hand to her. "I don't get lonely like Phil. I'm the Destroyer."
"We both feel the despair, the lonliness...we are forever apart from others."
Solar the Destroyer took the woman in his arms, kissing her passionately. Almost instantly, she melted away into a bundle of light. Her form dripped away from him, leaving him horrified and scared. "Again... It's happened again." The Destroyer turned away, feeling the cold touch of madness creeping in. In recent days, he'd experienced blackouts and odd hallucinations. "This is impossible. Nervous breakdowns are what happens to Phil, not me...."
If any of the few thousand inhabitants of the Unity Mining Colony had heard the strained sound of his voice, they would have cringed. What happens, they would wonder, when a God goes mad?
The Lost Land, Day 28
The freewill village was larger than Magnus had expected. The robots were of all types and sizes, but they all regarded him with fear. Everywhere he went, led by C8 always, the robots had quickly moved aside, as if they feared he would strike out at them randomly. They have reason to be suspicious -- C8 was right. I tried to wipe them all from existence....
The courier robot stopped outside a small metal hut and turned towards Magnus. "Our-master-waits-within."
Magnus frowned, wondering if he should even bother entering. Mekman had been an emotionally disturbed man who had so worshipped mechanical life that he'd sought to emulate it. He'd finally been altered by the Malevs into a bizarre cybernetic lifeform -- one that Magnus had thought he'd killed*.
(*In Magnus # 36.)
Girding himself, the robot fighter entered. The smell of oil and metal struck his nose, making him feel oddly at home. Having been raised by the robot 1A, Magnus was well-used to such scents. He saw robotic debris lying about, as well as tools for altering or repairing freewills. In the center of the room, suspended on mechanical legs that made him resemble some form of grotesque insect, was Mekman. His human skin was pulled taught over the metal in the center, giving him a "face".
"Magnus! What a surprise...."
"I thought you were destroyed, Mekman."
Mekman scuttled across the floor, his metal bits making a scraping noise. "Oh, I was. You ran your hand through my brain, after all! But the Malevs had already downloaded my memory engrams onto a computer chip. They revived me right before you and Rai brought them down."
Magnus kept a close eye on Mekman, not trusting him at all. Mekman was a lunatic and a dangerous one, at that. "How did you make it here?"
Mekman grinned insanely, the sunlight streaming in glinting off his metallic body. It was hard for Magnus to even recognize that this thing before him had once been human. "I went into hiding after the Malev War -- had to stay safe while you and the Starwatchers carried out your genocide plan! Then I and some of my followers fled North Am... we found a gateway, a portal that led here. It was heaven! We have freedom from human emotions and human oppression!"
"You're just as crazy as ever..." Magnus wondered at Mekman's story but didn't feel the need to refute it. Were there really passageways to the Lost Land scattered throughout the world? He doubted it, but if not, that meant that Mekman was lying about how he'd made it here. "You're welcome to stay here with your robots, Mekman. It's better for you here than it would be back in North Am -- but don't threaten the humans around here. Do you understand?"
"Of course I do, Magnus." Mekman scurried away, moving behind a large stack of mechanical parts. "Word of your arrival in the Lost Land has spread quickly. There are many who are interested in speaking with you -- some were here during the Unity War, others not. All times and places connect here, did you know that?"
"Yes, I did. I don't plan to stay any longer than I have to, though. As soon as possible, I'm returning home." Magnus narrowed his eyes as Mekman ducked behind the stack, searching for something.
Mekman reappeared, clutching a small device in his hand. It wasn't anything that Magnus recognized but that meant nothing -- Mekman could have found it anywhere in the Lost Land and its point of origin might never be discovered. "Please, Magnus, don't leave so soon -- not when I've promised to turn you over to a friend of mine!"
Magnus poised himself to leap aside, expecting some sort of energy blast. The intense psychic pain he experienced, however, threw him to his knees. "What...are... you thinking?! I'll break you...open...for this!"
"I think not!" Mekman moved back towards Magnus, raising his energy staff into the air. He brought it down hard on the robot fighter's skull. "Do you think I'm a fool? You'll never allow us to live freely -- you'll slag us all!"
Magnus fell forward, the psychic bombardment doing far more damage than Mekman's physical blows, many of which continued to fall long minutes after the robot fighter was unconscious. Mekman pulled back, a thin line of saliva hanging from his grinning mouth. "C8! Contact our friends and tell them that Magnus is ready for pick-up!" The madman bent forward, lifting the heroe's chin. "You'll wish I'd killed you, Magnus. My friends aren't as kind as I am...."
North Am Metroplex. Eastern Seaboard. Grid Designate : Bos-411. Gehenna Level
"Careful! Not good idea to be hasty!" Elzy's Goph-speak echoed throughout the lower levels of Gehenna. She watched as her employees dug deeper into the floor, scavenging for long-lost treasures or salvable parts. She'd thrown herself into her work since the Destroyer's killing blast, preferring to scurry deeper into the hidey-holes of Gehenna while the politicians cleaned up the top areas.
"Elzy! What this?" Elzy turned towards Nita, a bright-eyed and dirty-faced young worker. Nita was peering down into a hole, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.
Elzy hopped down from her perch and moved over to kneel beside Nita. "Let see." Elzy let out a whistle. "Big find!" Elzy pulled back more of the shattered stone, revealing a set of six airtight tubes, each covered by dirt and grime. The tubes were long and coffin-shaped. Elzy spat onto the surface of one, reaching down with a filthy arm to clean the tube's surface. What she saw made her blood chill. "Uh-oh. This going to bring milespire cloddies down here for sure!"
Within the tube, staring placidly back at her, was a man.
NEXT ISSUE : Mekman has turned Magnus over to his mysterious allies, while Torque leads an investigation into Elzy's find! Plus : President Shooter takes a trip to the ruined grid designated Atl-320... and finds something that may turn Torque's life upside down!
AUTHOR'S NOTES
I hope you enjoyed this return to the world of the 41st Century. I promise that the future will bring both robot-smashing action and political intrigue. Torque and the Starwatchers will get a bit of attention here and you may even see Rai in these pages, so it won't be just about Magnus. I'm hoping to move North Am forward a bit, dealing with the devastation caused in Magnus # 64. If anything here confused you, don't worry -- the Freewill Consortium, the Destroyer's madness, etc. will all be dealt with. I'm going to try and mesh the "Steel Nation" era's sense of adventure with the mature subject matter of the Giffen era. Let me know how I succeeded.
Barry Reese