2001: AlertForce Reunion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you enter the conference room, it is already dark.  You see some familiar silhouettes in the darkness, but you cannot tell exactly how many or who are here with you.  You quickly find a seat in the darkness as Thermo approaches the lighted area at the head of the table.

“My friends, thank you all for coming after so long.  I was reluctant to summon you this way, but the crisis is of immense proportions and Jack and I felt it was the only way.  If you will direct  your attention to the viewscreen, we have prepared a short mission briefing to fill you all in on the reasons for our gathering.”

Thermo takes out a small pocket computer, and activates the viewscreen on the wall behind him.  He quickly steps to the side as the screen flickers to life. 

As the images coalesce, the following story is related (with appropriate background images a-la a 1940’s newsreel accompanying the narration):

In 1978, a large meteor fell to earth in a region of the former Soviet Union called Kamchatka, causing a great deal of damage and nearly destroying a small village.  When Soviet scientists reached the remote area to study the meteor, they learned that in fact what had fallen to earth was some type of capsule, and not a meteor at all.  The capsule was quickly taken to a secret research base in the deepest part of Siberia for intensive study.

Upon opening the capsule, the Scientists discovered that it contained six metallic rings, or discs, each about the size of a large bracelet, and covered with intricate markings and designs. 

The scientists further discovered that when a human being placed one of the discs on his wrist, it would instill in that person a paranormal ability, at quite a powerful level (10 AP).  The abilities included flight, abnormal strength, energy blasts, certain mental abilities, and others.  Each band produced different abilities, and the bands could also produce different effects in different people. 

Upon further study, the scientists learned that if certain of the carvings on the bands were depressed in certain orders, the bands could be combined.  After the correct sequence was pressed, two bands could be pushed together to form an interlocking band, which would then glow for a few moments and form a single band of the original size.  The sequence could be pressed again to disconnect the bands.  When two bands were connected in this manner and then worn by a human being, that person would be instilled with not only both of the powers related to the two individual bands, but also with a third, new power (again, the powers varied with the combinations of bands, and with the different subjects who tested the bands).  This third power would be at a level vastly superior to that of the powers provided by the single bands (20AP). 

Eventually, after several more years of study by the team of Soviet scientists, they discovered a method of connecting three of the bands together, and providing the wearer with six different abilities (the three original 10ap powers, three additional 20 ap powers representing the different combinations of two bands, and a third, even more incredibly powerful ability (30ap)).

The research that yielded these results took almost ten years.  By 1988, the science team were nearing the crucial discovery of how to connect a fourth band.  Obviously, assuming the mathematic progression of abilities and power levels progressed, adding a fourth, fifth, or even the sixth band to this grouping could provide the wearer with godlike, or even omnipotent powers.  The implications of such a device falling into evil hands do not require explanation.

In early 1988, the research of the science team was interrupted.  Until that time, this research project, as well as several others which were being staged at the secret Siberian facility were kept completely secret.  No one in the west, and for the most part, no one even in Moscow was aware of the projects.  However, in the summer of 1987, an Israeli spy stumbled upon some paperwork documenting some of the information about the meteor and the research project.  Through channels unknown at this time, that information fell into the hands of the secret organization called VIPER (whom AlertForce has fought many times).

VIPER planned to obtain the bands for themselves, which would virtually assure their ambition for world domination.  If the Soviet science team were correct in their estimations, if a member of VIPER were to don the bands when all six were joined, he or she could simply dissolve an entire army (say the U.S. army), an entire continent, or even perhaps the entire world with a mere thought.

At 3:00 a.m. on March 4, 1988, VIPER staged a raid on the research facility.  However, one of the scientists was actually still working at that time, and happened to see some of the VIPER agents approaching on a security monitor.  The scientist knew what was about to occur, and he grabbed all six of the bands and bolted out of his lab and into another section of the facility, with five VIPER agents hot on his heels.

He stumbled into another of the top secret labs housed at the facility, where a separate team of scientists had been working for almost fifteen years on time travel experiments.  They had, in fact, developed a prototype time travel machine.  Their machine was not able to transport human beings, but it had in experiments transported a number of inanimate objects through holes in the timespace continuum created by a rapid “energy cascade” reaction.

The fleeing scientist knew little of how the device worked, since he was working on a separate project, but he did not want the bands to fall into enemy hands, so, he quickly placed them into the prototype machine, hit the powerup sequence, and when the bands vanished, trashed the device, the computers, and set fire to the lab.

As he ran out into the Siberian night, the VIPER agents caught up with him and captured him.  For eight months, VIPER held the scientist and tortured him.  Eventually, his will worn down, the scientist told what he had done with the bands.  He was killed the following morning.

VIPER then set about reconstructing the Soviet scientists’ work on time travel, in an effort to create a similar machine which would allow them to retrieve the bands.  Although the Soviet Union had fallen shortly after their aborted raid, and the scientists working on that project had scattered through the new Russian republic on other projects, VIPER systematically kidnapped and tortured each one over the course of several years, until they reconstructed all of the time travel research and had developed a new, even better device of their own.

What VIPER learned about the time travel device is that by creating a massive energy surge in a highly charged magnetic field, the device can create small holes, or bubbles in the time space continuum, through which objects or people can pass.  The bubbles are highly charged with energy, and will fluctuate in size, or oscillate, for a number of hours before they disappear.  As such, in theory, if one travels through one of these bubbles to another time, the bubble would oscillate back open at least once, and possibly several times, during approximately 24 hours, allowing the traveler a chance to return to his own timespace unharmed.

Approximately six months ago, one of the scientists who had been captured and tortured managed to escape before being killed.  He happened to be a mutant, and was able to use his mutant ability of two dimensionality to escape, but not before he was injected with a slow poison.  He tracked down Thermo at his Alaska school, and related the information you have just been given. 

At this point, the screen goes blank and Thermo steps back to the head of the table.

“When Dr. Vissiarinovich contacted me and gave me this information, I immediately contacted Jack.  Through some additional investigation, Jack was able to learn that VIPER’s device is almost ready.  They have recruited six powerful supervillains and plan to activate their device tomorrow at midnight, sending the villains through the device to the six different places where the bands landed, with the mission to bring those bands back within 24 hours and hand them over to VIPER.

In the last six months, Jack has been able to recreate most of the time travel research that it took the Soviet scientists over 25 years, and VIPER over 13 years to produce. 

Jack has managed to create a time travel device of our own, similar, if not as powerful, as VIPER’s.

You see, Jack and I decided, for better or worse, that going in and stopping VIPER from going forward with their plan was not a good idea.  Who knows how many different places VIPER has spread this information and research to?  Assuming we could stop them, we might face the same challenge in another month from a different part of VIPER, or from some other group entirely.  No, as long as those bands are “out there” and could theoretically be retrieved and combined, the threat to the world remains.

That is why we decided that we have to wait until VIPER starts their plan, and then go in after them, and get the bands ourselves, so they can be destroyed.

So you see, that is why you have all been summoned.  If you agree to help, we intend to wait until VIPER activates their time portals, scan for where and when they go, and use our machine to send you in after the villains to stop them, and retrieve the discs ourselves.”

Thermo gives a long look around the room, and then to Jack.

“Now, Jack’s machine is not quite the same as VIPER’s.  Our machine does not cause an energy cascade, and an oscillating bubble.  Our machine creates only a tiny, surgical hole in timespace, through which a person can be slipped, or squeezed, like a watermelon seed between pinched fingers.  To get home, you will have to jump back through VIPER’s bubble.”

Thermo stops and waits a beat, seemingly expecting some reaction to that, but none comes. 

“Now we don’t know which villains have been recruited by VIPER, or which each of you will face on the other side.  Therein lies the risk.  But we don’t have any choice.  However, as insurance that you don’t come back into a VIPER ambush if you are successful, Jack and I will be tasked with infiltrating VIPER HQ and taking control of their machine before you jump back through.”

Thermo takes another long, slow look around the room, stopping to look at each face directly.

“I know this plan sounds crazy.  I know it sounds desperate.  And…  well.   I suppose it is.  But Jack and I don’t see that we have any choice.  If no one tries to stop this, and VIPER gets those bands, the world as we know it is over. 

So…."

Thermo manages a weak grin.

 â€œAny questions?”

 

GAME CHRONICLE:

After the briefing, all was in readiness for the use of the time travel machine, and the following evening at midnight, all the AlertForce members who responded to Thermo's call were standing on the "launch pad" in Jack's makeshift lab (the team's old danger room under the L.A. mansion).  The team consisted of Iron Knight, PAL, Chameleon, Loup Garou, Waterlord, and Spexx.

When Jack pushed the button, the heroes glowed, shimmered, and vanished into the ether of timespace.  When they regained their senses, each was in a different time and location.

 

Chameleon: Egypt, circa 2000 B.C.:

Chameleon found himself in Egypt, and quickly used his heightened senses to begin tracking his villain quarry.  He eventually located Slither, and since he had the upper hand as to knowledge, Chameleon transformed into one of Slither's former Destroyer teammates (the Pounder) and managed to convince Slither to come back with him to the vortex site.  He then attacked with surprise, and was able to subdue Slither after a pitched battle, thereby obtaining the band from his timespace era and fulfill his mission objectives.

 

PAL: Alternate future, circa 2006:

PAL emerged from the time vortex above a tropical island, in the midst of a strange situation.  He immediately saw a chopper beginning to crash (as it turns out, the crash was caused by the chopper partially colliding with the time vortex itself.  AlertForce later discovered that this caused some strange side-effects in the timespace continuum).  PAL helped bring down the chopper safely, and befriended the pilot, a superhero known as Major Maximum.  PAL learned that in this timeline, no superheroes had ever existed until the year 2005, when a large explosion in Cuba caused worldwide mutations to begin.  Neither AlertForce nor any other super powered beings had existed in this world.   Nevertheless, the Major was tracking two supervillains from his timeline, and PAL assisted him in subduing those villains.  Maximum then agreed to assist PAL in locating his supervillain and the band he was seeking.  The two together located none other than the Plasmagician, who made their task simple by attacking shortly after their battle  with the local supervillains.  Plasmagician split into eight entities, and fought PAL and Maximum to a standstill for quite a while, but teamwork proved too much for the mystical villain in the end, with Maximum finally being able to pound the top hat down over Plasmagician's head.  PAL was able to retrieve the band.  Interestingly, however, as will be reported below in more detail, when PAL entered the VIPER time vortex nearly 24 hours later, Maximum was also drawn through the Vortex, and is now stranded in AlertForce's timespace.  Whether he will ever be able to return home is unknown at this time.  At present Maximum has been taken in by AlertForce and resides at the AlertForce mansion.

Spexx: All too familiar future, circa 2433

Much to his chagrin, when Spexx emerged from the time vortex, he found himself back home in his own bleak future.  As you will no doubt recall, Spexx is a fugitive from a dark future in which most of the Earth's population is either literally or practically enslaved by a totalitarian government which tightly controls technology and uses it to subjugate the population.   After avoiding a run-in with the local police, Spexx was able to locate the band's crash site, and soon also located the supervillain Typhoon, who was snooping around near the site and attempting to get past the (well-armed police and fire squads).  Sticking to the rooftops, Spexx tried the simplest method of attack first -- he called the police.  Typhoon made short work of the police vehicle dispatched to investigate, however.  After watching Typhoon slip past the police and head into the building in which the band had landed, Spexx slipped in himself, and actually was able to search for, find, and retrieve the band before Typhoon could.  He then launched a surprise attack on Typhoon, and nearly knocked him out with a well timed conk on the head with an arc welder (thanks to his handy-dandy omni arm).  The battle lasted only seconds after that, and Spexx was able to subdue Typhoon with a grenade.  Spexx then dragged Typhoon through the sewers and was able to reach the vortex site without other incident.  He did make an attempt to destroy the band he had retrieved, without success.

 

Iron Knight: World War II

Iron Knight had perhaps the most volatile potential in his odyssey.  He emerged from the time vortex at Pearl Harbor, on the morning of the Japanese attack.  Nevertheless, he was able to track down the band's landing point, and to avoid interfering with the battle in progress while finding it.  He eventually confronted and defeated his oldest and most feared nemesis, the Living Magnet.  In so doing, Iron Knight cleared a lot of demons from the back of his mind. 

 

Waterlord: A familiar past:

Waterlord emerged from his time portal on the top of the US Steel building in Pittsburgh, circa 1971.  He soon saw sirens up Grant street near the Civic Arena.   As he went to investigate, he saw a flash of light, heard an explosion, and saw a ball of flame fly through the Arena's roof and head towards the Allegheny river.  He went there to investigate, and saved a superhero from drowning.  That hero was Inferno.  Waterlord then returned to the Arena, and found that Perpetual Motion Man was fighting the members of the Pittsburgh hero team known as the Guardians.  He had just punched Inferno into the river, and was shooting energy blasts all around the arena at Midnight and Ghost, who were doing all they could to dodge through the rows of seats.  Waterlord assisted in the battle, and with the later help of the Wall, the heroes managed to drive PMM to flee down into the sewers.  Waterlord followed, and fought PMM to a standstill until he used his growth powers to escape back up to the streets.  Waterlord followed, and the battle eventually raged down to the point, where the Wall and PMM fought and shook the earth.  Waterlord summoned a great fist of water from the mighty Ohio river, and slammed PMM into unconsciousness, thereby gaining victory over his foe and gaining the band he sought.  He even managed to convince the Guardians to allow him to leave with PMM and the band.

 

Loup Garou: Inca dinca doo:

Loup emerged in a jungle.  Sniffing and using his photo memory soon revealed that he was chasing the Bricklayer.  He followed the scent to an Inca place of worship, where Bricklayer had convinced the local population that he was a god.  Loup jumped to the top of the pyramid and slammed the Bricklayer off his throne with a mighty martial kick.  An epic battle ensued, during which Bricklayer was forced to flee by flying away.  Loup used the old AlertForce favorite form of attack, the move through, and launched himself with wild abandon after the Bricklayer using his jumping skills.  He slammed into the villain with enough force to knock them both out.  Loup's vaunted regeneration saved him, though, and when the dust cleared, Loup headed back to talk to the incas, with Bricklayer in tow under"knockout maintenance."  Loup was hailed as another god by the Incas, but he politely refused the offer of the chief's daughter, instead arranging a barter with the chief for the band that the tribe had found and exalted as an artifact from the gods.  Loup was able to get the band and the Bricklayer back through the time portal without further trouble.

 

Jack and Thermo: Viper

Jack was able to lead Thermo deep into VIPER headquarters before VIPER sprung its trap.  As if they knew Jack was coming, the two AlertForce heroes soon found themselves surrounded by a large number of VIPER guards, as well as two supervillains -- Cheshire Cat and the Rubber Band man.  a lengthy battle ensued, during which many walls were busted, many guards were knocked out, and many blows were exchanged by the heroes and villains alike.  Thermo was restricted in his battle tactics, since Jack warned him that his ice or flame powers in such close proximity to VIPER's time portal device could doom his friends to being stuck elsewhere in time.  Limited to his hand to hand combat skills, Thermo was no match for Rubber Band, who began attacking relentlessly.  In a desperation move, Thermo also used a move through maneuver, and slammed into Rubber Band with such force that the snapback effect knocked out both Thermo and the Rubber Band.  Meanwhile, Jack was engaged in a pitched martial arts battle with his old nemesis, the Cheshire Cat.  In the midst of the battle, however, AlertForce's teammates emerged successful from VIPER's time machine, and entered into the fray with surprise.  Iron Knight blasted Cheshire Cat while he was not looking, knocking the villain out.  The rest of the battle was merely mop-up, with AlertForce making short work of the rest of the VIPER guards.

Not wanting to press their luck, Jack ushered the team quickly out of VIPER HQ, and back to AlertForce.  After some argument and philosophical debate, AlertForce cooperatively destroyed the alien bands, through the use of Thermo's heat production powers, which he pushed to their uppermost limits to melt the alien metal to a useless blob.

The mission was declared a success by Thermo, who then promptly announced his retirement from active combat duty on the team.