“In quiet moments and shadowed halls, I can hear the echoing cries of eternity; as if my presence has set the placid stillness of time rippling in on itself.”

 

“Left wrist, right collar bone, left ankle and shin all broken.  Severe skull fracture just above the left temple.  Punctured lung, busted spleen, shattered jaw and…oh yeah, a nose flatter than that wall back there.”

“…..”

“Well, I can’t say I fully approve of your methods, but the results speak for themselves DJ.  That hideout is all but destroyed now, but for the life of me I don’t understand what this all means.”

“What what means?  From what I gathered, the man in the hospital was under orders to retrieve some sort of jewel.  His buddies wouldn’t say what kind of jewel, and our little intensive care friend was in no shape to answer any questions.”

“Yes, I understand that, but what baffles me is that he was running with the Hellions.”

“What’s strange about that?  He seemed fairly comfortable throwing fireballs at me.  Are you telling me that’s not the Hellions’ idea of fun?”

“Oh no, it’s just, well, he was dressed as a 5^th Column soldier.”

That brought back memories.  Bad memories.

 

“And who, exactly, are the 5^th Column?”

“You mean you don’t know?  Where the hell have you been for the last 60 years?  Everyone knows the 5^th Column.”

 

Oh, I knew them alright, but I never suspected them to be here.  This was a bad sign.  A very bad sign.

 

Joker?  If what Azuria is saying is true…

“I know.”

 

“Listen Joker, it’s been a long day, and I need time to assimilate this information.  How about you head home, and I’ll see what I can dig up for you tomorrow.  Oh yeah, I’m promoting you to Security Level 4.  Your ID should automatically update.”
”Fair enough.  Tell me Azuria, is there a library around here?”

 

Cardiovascular Nanites back online.  They’re registering at less than 20% optimal efficiency.  It will take some time for them to adjust to the new environment.

“Just as you’d guessed, they came back online right when she promoted me.”

What are you thinking Joker?

“I’m thinking it’s high time I figured out exactly what this place is all about.  If I’m gonna be bound by the rules of this world, I’d best know what they are and fast.  There’s no telling what he’s up to, or how long we have to stop him.”

 

The library, or what was left of it, turned out to be a gold mine of information.  From the formation of the Freedom Phalanx to Nemesis’ maniacal attempt to destroy cities with nerve gas, it was all there.  This world, and in particular this city, was plagued with both costumed heroes and criminals.  It had faced its own Pearl Harbor during World War II.  It had seen the rise and fall of its own sworn protectors, but worst of all, it had been devastated by its own curiosity.  The Rikti had seen to that.

 

Things were starting to fall into place.  The massive ‘war walls’, as they called them, were relics left from the war with the Rikti.  At one time they had divided friend from foe, but now they served as a constant reminder of how humanity has dared to reach beyond its sight.

 

The blessings brought by the discovery of alternate earths, evidenced by widespread personal teleportation and advanced medical techniques, brought with them the curses of countless destructive incursions into their reality.  From the assaults of the Amerika Korps of the Reichsman to the ultimate destruction of the Rikti War, Paragon city had indeed stepped into a hornet’s nest they were just now realizing they couldn’t contain.

 

Through the dark days following the Rikti War and the valiant sacrifice of Omega Team, Paragon city had emerged apparently stronger and more resolute.  It had stood on the threshold of its own destruction and survived, but the unavoidable arrogance of victory had blinded the city, and its heroes, to the poison slowly killing it from within; a poison that was quickly reaching its most critical, and destructive, stage.

 

Joker, what is it?

“Something in the back of my mind.  I could swear that this is all very familiar, at least the implications it all leads to.  I could swear I’d heard this before, but for the life of me, I can’t think where.”

 

“Perhaps you merely need a different perspective to truly grasp what is happening.”

 

I still don’t know where he came from, but how he got there doesn’t really matter.  How he knew what I was thinking, now that was the question on my mind.

 

“Who are you?  How did you…”

“Know?  It is no concern of yours.  Suffice it to say that, in time, you will come to know me well.  For now, your path lies to the west, in a place called Steel Canyon.”

“And exactly what am I to do there?”

“There you will find a man who was born of fire, and the first piece of the puzzle.  Do not fear the journey, though death shall besiege you from all sides.  Sometimes we must fall…”

 

And with that, he was gone; as soundless as he’d arrived.  This city holds many mysteries, many secrets, but some are more dangerous than others. 

 

******

I must admit one thing, the city was well organized.  A short tram ride later and I was stepping quickly onto the platform at the Steel Canyon station.  This area was distinctly different from Atlas Park.  Where Atlas had manicured lawns, the Canyon had faceless office buildings.  Where Atlas was warm and inviting, the Canyon was cold and foreboding.

 

I could see how this place came to be named as I made my way north along the nearby wall.  The towering skyscrapers all but blotted out the stars, and the cool breeze could be heard whistling high above as it wound its way through this man-made mountain range of steel.  Despite the wind and the occasional passing of a car, the canyon was as quiet as the grave, and it wasn’t long before I caught scent of something else familiar to the recently departed.

 

There are moments in my travels that I can never forget, and the look of abject terror staring back at me from the young woman’s face shall swim in my nightmares for the rest of my days.  I had seen that look before, and I knew what it meant.  In those eyes could be seen the terror of knowing one’s own fate, and the knowledge that it is truly unavoidable.  That look had shattered my dreams.  That look had started it all.

 

I must admit that the sight before me froze me in my tracks.  A young woman was being man-handled by a massive figure straight out of the insane mind of Mary Shelly.  Unlike her creation, however, this one seemed to be mindless, and was following the direction of some sort of mix between a surgeon and a butcher.

 

All manner of crude instruments hung from his belt, including a vicious looking saw covered in what could only be dried blood.  The bleached bare rib cage of some unlucky victim was spread across his chest, covering the top of the apron protecting his clothes from stains portending crimes too horrible to linger upon.  His head and face were hidden behind the grisly trophy of some poor sap’s skull he wore as a mask.

 

My moment of weakness had allowed them to escape into a nearby sewer grate, and though I feared what would be waiting below, I felt obligated to save that poor woman from a fate far worse than death.  I had seen, on any number of occasions, the horrors man will inflict on his fellows when left to his own devices, and in most cases, the intervention of but a single heroic soul could have prevented the loss of countless lives.  In this case, I was hoping that my soul would be strong enough to face the horrors awaiting me in the sewers ahead.

 

Following them was more difficult than I had at first envisioned.  The sewers were a web of side passages, forking paths and dead ends.  They seemed to breathe with a malevolence all their own, and the echoing groans of the butcher’s patchwork abomination were being twisted and altered in ways too befuddling to fully express. 

 

With no little effort I was able to track the two and their package into a cavernous chamber no doubt long forgotten by the city’s original builders.  The sight that greeted me there was better suited to a nightmare than the world of man.  Unfortunately, it was in this foul mirror of hell that the next stage of my search was destined to take place.

 

“Ahh, fresh meat at last.  I was beginning wonder if I would be able to complete my latest creation.  Put her on the table back there, and I will see to her when I’m ready.”

“Yes doctor.”

“Don’t worry my dear.  Soon you will no longer fear death, you will transcend it.”

 

Her scream was drowned out by a sudden moaning coming from behind me.  In an instant I had spun around, sword drawn, but it was far too late.  Another one of those patchwork monsters had somehow snuck up behind me, only this one was different.  It was wearing some sort of backpack.  In the brief moment it took me to comprehend what I was seeing, it was all over.

 

The blast sent me flying backwards into the large room, and alerted all the locals to my presence.  Even if I could have stood after the explosion, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.  With no more than a glance, the ‘doctor’ signaled for his men to move in.  I only remember seeing the first bolt strike me just above my left knee before it was lights out.

 

******

 

“Ladies and gentleman.  I am standing before you today with news of the most important discovery this world has ever known.  As many of you know, I have spent the last decade attempting to decipher what has become known as the Antikythera Mechanism.  It has been hypothesized that it is no more than an ancient piece of technology designed to aid in calculating the relative positions of heavenly bodies, but I am here today to tell you I have found its true pupose.”

“Impossible doctor!  The Antikythera Mechanism has been ravaged by time.  It is an ancient artifact that is no more than a curiosity for historians to ponder over.  It has no scientific value.”

“Wrong on both counts, but I understand why you think this.  In fact, the Antikythera Mechanism is no more than 112 years old.”

“Preposterous.  It has been stated by no less than 5 world authorities that it is at least 2000 years old.  Do you really think we can believe such a preposterous statement?”

“Ladies and gentleman, please.  Let me explain.  The ‘age’ that these authorities have measured is a false reading.  The device has been subjected to stresses that you can only imagine, and these stresses have aged it prematurely.”

“But doctor, what in the world could age something beyond our ability to accurately measure?”

“Finally, a good question.  Perhaps it is best said that what in the WORLDS could do such a thing.  This device has been aged beyond what seems feasible because its very use separates it from time itself.”

“Are you saying that the Antikythera Mechanism is some sort of time machine?”

“It is not a time machine, it is merely the key.”

“Key to what, doctor?”

“My dear colleagues, it is the key to EVERYTHING.”

“Joker, I’ve heard enough.  The mission brief said we were to ‘extract’ the dear doctor before he gave away everything.”

“I agree, I’m just curious to know what this is all about.”

“Well, I’m not.  The guy’s obviously a nut, and our orders are to retrieve him before he does too much damage.”

“Very well sergeant, you may proceed.”

“Thank you sir.  Alright folks, listen hard.  This is Sergeant Hergotz.  The captain has given me the green light, so let’s do this just as we trained.  Any resistance is to be met with superior aggression.  Remember folks, we are terrorists here, nothing more.”

“Are you sure that’s entirely necessary sergeant?  They’re just scientists for cripes sake.  I doubt any of them have ever even touched a gun in their lives.”

“I respect your opinion sir, but this operation was put under my control, and I will not fail.  All teams proceed as planned.”

 

“What the hell happened captain?!  Why did a simple covert extraction turn into a fucking bloodbath?!”

“Sir, I have detailed exactly what transpired in my report.  I left out nothing.”

“I understand that captain, but what the hell am I supposed to do about 15 dead civilians, and a convention hall that looks like a war-zone?!”

“Sir, sergeant Hergotz went berserk, that’s all that can be said.  He was under orders to retrieve the doctor with as little collateral damage as possible.  The plan was to kill the power to the room, drug and extract the doctor, and disappear before anyone was the wiser.”

“So where the hell did it go wrong.”

“Just where I said, sir.  Sergeant Hergotz opened fire on the crowd.”

“But why, soldier?”

“Because he’s a psychopath.  It’s been on every fitness report for him I have ever written.  The man’s got a serious case of bloodlust.”

“That’s not how he tells it.  According to him, the civilians panicked when the lights went out, and starting rushing the doors.  According to him, they slammed into him as he was carrying the doctor out, and he was forced to clear a path through them to the prearranged exit.”

“Then he’s lying sir.  From my lookout position, I could see the entire conference room; from door to door.  He deliberately veered off course and into the crowd before making his way to the preset exit.”

“Well, this doesn’t look good captain, and you can consider yourself and your entire team on suspension until this thing blows over.”

“I understand sir.”

“Damn right you do.”

 

Joker…JOKER!

“Doctor, he looks to be coming around.  How should I proceed?”

“I’m not quite ready for him yet.  Put him back under sedation until I get through with this other one.”

Joker wake up!

“Yes doctor.”

“Joker, did you hear about Hergotz?  That fuck got promoted to captain.”

“Well isn’t that great, I no longer out rank him.  How’d he manage it?”

“Word is the general’s practically got a tattoo of that fucker’s lips on his ass right now.”

“So, what’s the word on Brantiff?”

“He’s not talking, but word is that Doctor Irons’ team is close to a breakthrough.  The general’s already in the planning stages of selecting personnel.  Five bucks says Hergotz’s team gets the nod.”

“And he can have it.  There’s no telling what they’re cooking up in that lab.”

“True, so what this I hear about you and some scientist down in Red Sector?  I didn’t realize you went in for that nerdy shit.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me Mendez, but suffice it to say that she’s only a nerd at work.”

 

“Aaron, I’ve got great news!”

“Really?  Then tell me all about it.  Does it have to do with your work?”

“Yes.  Doctor Irons took notice of my work, and he’s recruited me to help him make the initial tests on the Gateway.”

“That’s wonderful.  I’ve been reassigned as well.”

“Oh yeah?  Where to?”

“Protection detail in Veridian Sector.”
”You devil!  When were you gonna tell me?”

“Well, I was hoping we could discuss this over dinner, and then perhaps…”

“I’m way ahead of you.  I’ll be sure to bring a change of clothes.”

“Hehe, you nerd.”

“You brute.”

 

If I had only known then what I know now I would have demanded her transfer back to the relative quiet of Red Sector.  At least there she was safe from the possibilities.  Veridian Sector may have been exciting, but there was a reason they kept highly trained personnel such as myself and my team on site at all times.

 

Joker…

“Yeah?  Where are we?”

We’re lying on an examination table.  That doctor is still working on the girl.  It’s a good thing you can’t see what he’s doing to her.  Well, ‘her’ is rather subjective now…

“Why can’t I move?”

They introduced some form of paralytic agent into your bloodstream.  It’s the same substance that was on the crossbow bolt they hit you with earlier.  Don’t worry, the nanites have repaired the damage, but they are having a bit of trouble creating new antibodies to fight off the agent they’ve been hitting you with every half hour or so.

“Wonderful.  Do you have any good news?”

I have determined that the doctor here is called Doctor Vahzilok.  He’s been rambling for some time about how his work will save humanity from the fear of death.  He’s quite mad.

“So this guy’s planning to carve me up into some kinda Frankenstein’s monster?”

That’s about what I’ve gathered, yes.

“Well isn’t that peachy.”