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#4
AUG 11 |
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The Church of Valor, Part Four
“Trom”
“Trom”
Kent didn’t know how long he’d waited as Celeste got operated upon. He had forgotten when he last ate. All he could remember was how he should avenge what the Valorians did to Celeste. He looked through the porthole of the ICU helplessly as Celeste looked so fragile laying on the hoverbed. Decontamination Net surrounded her hoverbed to keep her area sterile and only the doctors and nurses were allowed to enter from that point. Even with the century’s advanced medi-care they still were not able to fully heal her.
Kent cursed his heightened hearing as he tried to ignore Celeste’s labored breathing. He felt like smashing something up. His eyes glowed red without him noticing it. He had to go to Brande; he needed his help and perhaps Brande had a trick or two up his sleeve. Kent tore himself away from the portal. He found it hard to leave Celeste but there was nothing he could do here.
Had he waited a little longer, he would have witnessed the green glow in Celeste’s room…
“We have to go to Trom then,” Cosmic Boy decided.
“That would take weeks!” Live Wire protested.
“Not necessarily,” RJ Brande said, “but we need to get to Mars first.”
“Why Mars?” Cosmic Boy was surprised.
“Allens, do you have enough energy for a retrieval?” Brande asked the twins, ignoring Cosmic Boy’s question.
“We can’t go far...” Dawn Allen replied.
“…or as fast as we used to, yet,” Don finished.
“I need you to get Marla’s body back. I need to bury him to Mars before we head for Trom,” Brande said then, after some time, added, “We might call Jan as well.”
“Who’s she?” Live Wire asked.
“A he, actually; Jan is from Trom. He stays with me as a part of an exchange study/cultural discovery that Trom plans to conduct. Jan’s father is a respectable leader of the planet and wanted to test the program first before launching it fully.”
“That’s right. After Colu, Trom is a closed planet, so travel is very limited if not outright prohibited,” Imra said.
“Jan’s father, Tarn, is a friend of mine,” Brande revealed.
“We’re ready to leave,” Don said.
“You’ll find his body in the east area of the church,” RJ said as the twins zoomed out of the house. “Be careful!” he hollered after them but doubted if they heard him.
Laurel quickly turned the Omnicom off. She was sure that with all the ears with super-hearing, someone heard Dreamer’s transmission. What she heard about saving the Daxamites to save the galaxy sent a chill through her spine that she was not able to shake off. With a burst of speed, she flew across the hall to her private chamber. She tore through her closet to look for her inertron-lined bag. After finding it, she quickly put the Omnicom inside it…and not a moment too soon as Ol-vir knocked on her door.
“Come in,” Laurel cried out as she stuffed her bag back to her closet.
“Are you well, sister?” Ol-vir greeted her.
“I’m a bit perplexed,” she replied honestly. “What was going on in there?”
“Those are non-believers who not only mocked the church but had intentions to harm it. We caught them and thought it would be best to put their abilities to a more beneficial manner.”
“Beneficial for us, you mean?”
“Mind your tone, Sister. I’ll overlook it for now, taking into consideration what you…we…went through today.”
“I’m sorry,” Laurel said as she bowed her head.
“I would sooner harm hundreds of them than see them harm a single one of our congregation. Bear that in mind; the church comes first than anyone or anything else,” Ol-vir said as he turned toward the door.
Not even Valor would be more important than his church? Laurel thought.
“Praisemaster, wait,” Laurel said aloud, to which Ol-vir stopped. “I was thinking I might need a leave after what happened here.”
“Whatever for?” Ol-vir asked without turning around.
“I might need counseling back in our homeworld. With what I’ve seen here today, what I’ve heard and Lou’s betrayal, I…” she trailed.
“I understand. I will draft a recommendation later tonight so you can leave first thing tomorrow morning. In the meantime, do reflect on what I’ve talked with you about.”
“Yes, Praisemaster. I’ll be in my room in quiet meditation.”
“That would be best.”
“I hope you don’t mind us using a transuit to put Marla’s body in. In our hurry we forgot to bring a body bag,” Don said as he entered the room.
“That’s okay,” Brande replied.
“It was really strange how he kept on bleeding. It must have been more than an hour since Doyle…” Dawn trailed, wondering if she should finish her sentence.
“Was murdered,” Brande finished for her. “You can say it.”
“But we did check for pulse, just to be sure,” Don confirmed.
“Wow, it sure is crowded here today,” A curly blonde teen-aged boy said as he entered the portal.
“Jan!” RJ cried. “Thank God you’re here, my boy.”
“Is anything wrong?” Jan asked. “Is that Mr. Latham?” he quickly added as he saw Marla’s limp body in a transuit.
“Yes,” was all RJ can reply to him. “We’re on our way to Trom; we thought you might want to join us,” he added after he drew a breath in.
“Is there anything wrong?” Jan asked suspiciously, his eyes darting from Marla to Brande and back again.
“Nothing, we – that is, I – want to show these teens the project your father and I are working on.”
“Oh, let’s hurry then, we need to get to Mars,” Jan said, then added, “Wow! The twins are here! Where have you been? And Jenny!” as he walked towards them to give them a hug.
“Long story, cub. We’ll tell you enroute.”
“Sure. To the hangar, then.”
He seems cheerful even after seeing this Mr. Latham dead. I would suspect they would have been close because of their association with Mr. Brande, at least, Imra shared her opinion to Cosmic Boy telepathically.
I was thinking the same thing myself, Cos replied.
“I seriously doubt we could fit in there,” Apparition remarked after seeing Jan’s ship.
“It’s just for my use. It only fits six people, pilot included. So, where’s your cruiser?” he asked.
“We don’t have one,” Live Wire replied.
“Then we’ll go, m’boy,” RJ slung an arm around Jan’s shoulder then pointed to Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl one at a time, “and the three of you, plus the pilot, makes 6.”
“Yeah, I guess we’ll just have to put Mr. Latham in the cargo, since we’re not bringing anything,” Jan suggested.
“I supposed it can’t be helped,” Brande sighed.
Colu
“After a thorough examination and analysis, I have found out that Sharn Naux created this malicious hardware that enabled her to leech my intelligence to her. She used microbots to place mental block in my brain that was able to block my train of thoughts then, using the same microbots, would boost her own brain activity.” Braniac 5 was speaking to the Coluan Council. “I would suggest for her detention at the earliest possible instance and be given the highest punishment: banishment from the SleepNet.”
Most of the Council nodded in agreement. “With the evidence we have seen, we are convinced of her guilt and we will not entertain any defense she has to say regarding the matter. It has been decided that she will be immediately locked up in her quarters and no longer be able to access the SleepNet,” Chief Councilman Schwan ordered. Sharn Naux stood up to protest but Schwan quickly raised a finger for warning and added, “Do not let us have the Stargrave escort you to your cell.”
“This is not fair,” Sharn said mournfully, but knew not to fight the Council. She swore under her breath that she will get even.
Mars
“Finally!” Rj said as he stood up from his seat to open the door.
“Are we really here?” Live Wire looked around the endless desert and mountain ranges that disturbs the otherwise flat landscape of Mars.
“Yes, hurry everyone, time’s-a-wasting,” Brande replied as he took out from his pocket what looked like a calculator then started punching numbers. To the Legion’s surprise a door opened on the mountain in front of them. When the door was opened wide the pilot steered the cruiser in then landed in front of what looked like a wheel that was big enough to fit the entire cruiser in its hole.
“Where are we?” Cosmic Boy asked.
“Mars…my one secret sanctuary; I guess you would call this my fortress. My own Fortress of Solitude,” RJ replied with a chuckle, enjoying a private joke that no one seem to have understood.
“I hope you wouldn’t mind me asking why we are in Mars when we are sorely needed on Trom?” Cosmic Boy politely asked despite his restlessness.
“Because of this, m’boy,” RJ replied as what looked like a large wheel came alive with a steady hum at first that quickly grew louder as it built to a roar. “The Stargate,” he finally revealed with great pride in his voice.
They quickly went back in the cruiser and then entered the Stargate and, within moments, exited on the other side.
“Welcome to Qwan, Trom’s moon.” RJ spun his chair around to look at the three Legionnaires agape faces. He smiled a little then continued. “Imagine something that would be able to connect all galaxies. A united universe will no longer be a dream, don’t you think?”
“That was certainly fascinating!” Cosmic Boy replied, astounded.
“That was awesome!” Live Wire exclaimed enthusiastically. “Can we do it again?”
RJ gave a smile of satisfaction then spun back around to open the ComLink. “Let’s call home now.”
“RJ, my friend,” Tarn greeted his friend.
“Tarn, you old so-and-so, are you not happy to see me?” RJ jokingly returned the greeting.
“I see my precious Jan is with you…but I’m sorry, I can’t ask you to land. No, I prohibit it.”
“Why not?” RJ’s surprise and panic was evident in his voice. “Am I no longer welcome?”
“You are most welcome here but we have off-world visitors here. Daxamites, they say. Unfortunately they want to ally with us but we are not really ready to open to other worlds. They are taking it rather hard. They say they are missionaries from the Church of Valor.”
“We’re too late...” RJ whispered mostly to himself, but was loud enough for everyone to hear.
“You knew about this?” Tarn and Jan both said.
“Yes, that’s why we’re here,” Cosmic Boy answered on behalf of RJ.
“We can’t let these butchers set camp to our planet like they did Earth!” Jan was shaking, weather with fear or anger, no one could tell.
“Do you know them, Jan?” Tarn asked.
“Yes, they are ruthless. They kill people who think differently from their ideologies. They killed Celeste!”
“Where did you hear that from?” RJ looked at Jan in surprise.
“Just this morning, Celeste was on the Vid and they maimed her and Kent in front of a camera.”
“By damn!” Brande muttered. “Marla!” he suddenly remembered his friend’s body.
“Did they kill him too?” Jan asked.
“Well, there they go,” Tarn said before RJ could answer Jan’s question.
“Are the leaving?” RJ asked.
“Yes, and a little steamed, but I doubt they could convince us with anything.” Tarn replied. “That Roxxas person was starting to get on my nerves, though. He was really…”
“What’s that?!” Cosmic Boy pointed out the window. Everyone looked at the window and saw globes no bigger than basketballs raining down from the Daxamite’s ships. “They are trying to scatter those globes all over Trom.”
“What’s going on?” Tarn asked, his voice quivering.
From Jan’s ship, the group could see the three Daxamites breaking from the atmosphere. Five more joined them, one from each ship in orbit. Each one let out a flash of heat from his eyes, superheating the glass-like metallic basketballs that were jettisoned from the ships.
“Hide, father, hide!” Jan cried out. “Steer us closer!” he commanded the pilot.
“Don’t you dare! Go back to Earth!” Tarn said as, from behind him, a loud explosion was heard.
“Let us out!” Cosmic Boy said as he, Saturn Girl and Live Wire started to put their transuits on.
“You are staying put!” RJ whirled around his chair. “No one leaves the cruiser!”
Jan quickly overpowered the pilot and was steering the ship closer. Brande tried to tear Jan away from the controls, but Jan proved stronger. Imra started to punch the override to the bay doors but, before she was able to finish punching the codes, RJ hollered at them, “Open that and the vacuum would suck us out!”
Imra looked worried then thought hard. She gave a smile and said, “Nice try, sir, but I’m a telepath. You just thought that the ship would compensate automatically for the sudden depressurization.” Then the door swung open.
“Go back to Earth Jan,” Tarn said over the ComLink. “I’m going to help them transmute those things that are falling from the sky. If the worst happens, I trust you to keep Trom’s culture alive. We will see you soon. We might be the first to transcend but we’ll see you.”
“No! No!” Jan cried out as his father left the ComLink to join the Tromites in trying to transmute the glass-metallic globes. “You won’t be able to transmute those. I know those things!” When he knew his father can no longer hear him, he spun around then cried after the Legionnaires. “Wait! I’m coming with you.”
“Stop this foolishness at once!” Brande said. “Everyone sit down!”
But no one was even listening. Jan put on his transuit and the pilot, now in control of the ship again, started to leave the area as quickly as he could. The portals slid open as Jan and the Legionnaires prepared to engage the Daxamites.
“Please don’t do this! It’s not yet time!” RJ said as he walked towards the four.
“We have to do this, sir,” Cosmic Boy said, “even if it costs us our lives.”
“Look at what they are doing to Trom,” Jan pointed at his planet that was slowly becoming a ball of fire. “I need to avenge my family! My race!”
“Exactly! And you would no sooner throw your life away if you join in the fray. How would you do that if you’re dead? And pacifism is your path. Your father believed that there are no deaths. That this is just a mortal shell we would soon be free from.”
“Even so, I want to get my satisfaction by helping these Daxamites achieve their transcendence earlier,” Jan said, his voice cracking from the hatred he felt.
“Brace yourself!” Live Wire cried a warning. “A Daxamite!” he yelled as he let loose a stream of lightning bolt toward the Daxamite, which the latter shrugged off.
“Grab on to something!” Cosmic Boy yelled as he tried to repel the metals on the Daxamite’s clothing. But, with no leverage, he started to slide to the other side of the ship. The Daxamite’s strength was more that Cos could have handled that he had to repel the ship so that he would not be crushed.
“Lead, isn’t it?” Jan said. “I’ll show you how to kill a Daxamite.”
“No…” RJ whispered. “No, Jan, no!” He cried. “Remember the killing cub, remember the cub!”
Slowly the Daxamite vomited blood. Blood came out from his nose, ears then eyes and blood slowly began to cover the seat of his pants. Other Daxamites who saw it started to scurry to their ships with others closely following them.
“Back to the Stargate! Hurry!”
“That’s for my family,”Jan whispered, a tear slowly rolled down his cheeks. “My family, who are not like Marla!” he said as he fell on his knees. His fists pressed hard on the ship’s floor, supporting the entire weight of his upper body. “Forgive my weakness, father,” Jan said as he raised his hands to his face. “Forgive me,” He said once more as if to confirm his contrition.
“Someone stop him!” Brade shouted. “He’s going to kill himself!”
Imra reached out to Jan head, wresting control of his motor functions. Jan’s hands slowly fell down to his side as his tears fell in a steady stream. Sleep, commanded Saturn Girl telepathically. Jan’s vision started to blur, then his body collapsed altogether on the floor.
“What have I done?” he said mostly to himself trying to fight the mentally imposed drowsiness. The last thing he saw was his planet in cinders.
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To Be Continued...
Next: In Legion of Super-Heroes #5: Starhaven, Dryad, Xanthu
A Legion back up feature...
The Cub Who Killed
“Today is a special day for you, my son,” Tarn said as he woke Jan up early one morning.
The child rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up straight.
“Come on outside and walk with me in the garden,” Tarn said, standing up and walking to the doorway, waiting for his son to follow. Jan rose from his bed and sleepily put his shoes on. He took his coat from his bedside hanger and wrapped himself in it.
Tarn took his son’s hand and silently they walked out the door, out of the house, toward the garden.
“Today is your 7th birthdate,” Tarn broke their silence as soon as they reached the garden. “You know what that mean, don’t you?” Jan shook his head. His father smiled then ran a hand through his son’s curly hair. “This means that your restraints finally come off. You will be able to enjoy a Trommite’s natural ability to physically transmute things. You will be able to make gold out of air, diamonds out of sand. But with this comes a great responsibility: you must never use your ability on any living creature.”
Jan stared blankly at his father.
Tarn smiled a little, remembering his confusion when his father gave him a similar talk when he was Jan’s age. “Let me tell you a story. A story about the cub who killed.”
Once upon a time there was a father who loved his cub so much that his son meant the world to him and he would talk incessantly about his son to anyone who would listen. Oh, how his cub means the world to him…but the cub had a mean streak in him that his father chose to ignore. Anything he was told, he would do the opposite. On the day his restraints came off, his father warned him never to use it on any living thing.
“You will be enrolled at the finest school on Earth. You have an option to stay on the dorms or you can stay in Mars if you want to or, if you want, you can share the apartment Marla and I live in,” RJ Brande told the wide-eyed Jan as he gave him a tour of the Mars base. “All of this, of course, will be half scholarship and your father pays the other half.” RJ continued with a chuckle.
“I really hope you enjoy your four year study/cultural exchange on earth. Now, tell me about the cub who killed.”
“But father, why can’t I use it on living objects?” the young cub asked.
“Because life is precious and a miracle, and we must transmute ourselves according to our will and not anyone else’s, which is why it is not within our right to take unto our own hands others transmutations.”
“What about the animals?”
“They too are part of our lives. A Trommite can only take his own life and no one else’s. Remember that.”
But the petulant child only saw that as silly theology.
“Jan, this is Professor Roxxas. He’s a xenopologist, meaning he studies the life and culture of other races. He was very fascinated when I told him about a Trommite in my class. You are the first Trommite to ever leave your planet.” Prof. Zizig introduced the two.
“Greetings, Jan,” Roxxas said. “I’m a Daxamite and I’ve been very much looking forward to meeting you. We have a lot to talk about. Now, tell me: are the transmutative abilities of Trommites real?”
“Yes, sir. We can transmute all known Trom elements.
“What about carbons?”
“Yes, we can.”
“Even carbon-based life forms?”
“We can’t do that, sir. Let me tell you about the cub who killed.”
As soon as the cub’s restraints came off, he went to the garden. He saw a butterfly lazily dancing in the breeze. A wicked grin crossed his face. The butterfly screamed as his body turned to air. Insects nearby saw what happened and warned other insects about the cub. The birds learned about it and told the news to everyone who would listen. Soon everyone learned of the cub’s deed.
“This metallic-glass is called Pyrellium. It is such a rare element in the universe.” Roxxas showed Jan a sheet of metal that looked like a piece of glass. “I have a transmuter friend such as yourself who can create such metal, but it would take hours for him to finish a six by six sheet of the material. I was wondering if you can do it.”
“The components are strange to me, but let me try,.” Jan replied.
“This council has found your son guilty of transmutation of a living organism,” the head of the Trommite council spoke. “We cannot allow him to live among us. As his father, we burden you to carry out the sentence.”
The cub’s father, upon hearing the decision, hung his head. He was shamed and soon he would lose his son as well.
“My child,” the father called as he reached home. “I’m sorry,” he said as he gave his son a hug.
“Are you going to transmute me then, father?” the cub asked in a quivering voice.
“That is what they told me to do,” his father replied. “I have no choice,” he said as he slowly detached himself from the embrace.
“Why not just let me go out there. I’ll find my way. I can live with my ability,” the cub suggested.
“We dare not let you take another life,” came the sad reply.
“I shall not let you take my life,” the cub replied as he turned his father to flecks of carbon.
His mother saw the whole thing and shook with fear. She started to scream as she ran.
“You are not telling on me,” the cub said as he turned his mother into steam.
The birds overhead soared higher in panic. They feared that they will be transmuted next.
“Here, we were able to shape these pyrellium into globes. Each globe contains radioactive energy. I want you to put up a barrier of inertron as we project these things.”
Jan did as he was asked. The pyrellium bounced harmlessly on the inertron. The case did not break.
“Wow, that’s one awesome metal. It is hard to transmute and it’s hard to crack,” Jan said.
“See what happens if we apply heat to it,” Roxxas said as he used his heat vision on the globe. When he was satisfied with the heat, he hurled it towards the inertron barrier. The globe shattered and the radiation energy quickly ate through the inertron.
“Wow!” Jan said in awe. “Where do you plan to use that?” he asked.
“Oh, that’s just research. You see, this kind of radiation is the only known energy that can penetrate inertron. It was an amazing discovery and it still has yet to be named. Would you like to name it?”
“Hmmm…Wildfire, I guess.”
Soon everyone in his community learned about it and they left. People from nearby towns left their homes as well, in fear that the cub might go there as well. Soon the cub was alone. At first anything he wanted he would just create. But soon he discovered that life is best to be spent with other people. He missed his father who had loved him so much. He remembered his father’s words: Trommite can only take his own life and no one else’s. He whispered ‘father’ as he raised his hands above his head and turned himself into flecks of carbon.
“Jan, I want to show you something,” Marla called after Jan one afternoon after he came from school.
“What’s that, Mr. Latham?” Jan replied politely.
“Call me Marla, please. I’ve been asking you that since we first met a year ago,” Marla replied.
“I can’t do that, sir, it would shame my father,” Jan said with a warm smile.
“All right then.” Marla surrendered. “First I want you to watch me die, then we will talk about the superheroes of millennia ago…”
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