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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Broccli_Head" data-source="post: 975805" data-attributes="member: 105">issue#5, part IIValor McCoy watched the electromagnetic chamber and glanced back and forth at the dials and computer screens in the observation room. His colleague Dr. John Hatcher paced back and forth as his very low temperature experiment progressed. The various readings indicated that the cyronic chamber was working. The temperature was creeping towards absolute zero. “I think its working, John.”John Hatcher shrugged his shoulders. “We’ve gone further. I’m just hoping that those quantum figures you gave us are accurate, and that they can be translated to the machine to stabilize our test material’s molecular structure.”“Of course they are. Do you doubt?”Hatcher rolled his eyes, and then opened them wide as the energy levels spiked, and the temperature dropped significantly.“You see?”The energy levels jumped again, so much that red lights began flashing and then within seconds, klaxons went off.   “Dr. Hatcher, the test material is..um..growing” exclaimed one of Dr. Hatcher’s technicians. Then he added more desperately, “The chamber, it’s breaking!”Super-cooled gases began emanating from the containment chamber, and valves began popping, releasing tubes that began spraying liquid helium. The plexiglass wall between them and the chamber-room started to crack. He felt a presence. “Run, John. Get your men out of here,” stated Valor. He saw something inside the extremely cold room. John began to back away, and Valor gripped his right wrist and his clothes instantly became armor plating.   Sparks flew and smoke began pouring from the machinery in the observation room. The technicians began coughing. Valor formed a telekinetic bubble around most of the group and attempted to use his battlesuit’s infrared sight to peer into the mess. It was absolutely black. There was a complete absence of heat. He quickly switched to a different wavelength and saw a myriad of strange energies and something large. It crouched ready to pounce. “Get out of here!” he yelled and everyone ran from the room. The glass exploded. Machine parts and melted plastic bounced off his armor and he leaped forwards screaming and firing his telekinetic blast to confront the thing in the room. It was a massive, four-legged beast with two canine-like heads. The creature's mouth was filled with sharp teeth. Most depressingly, The blast did not even seem to phase the creature. “Foul demon! Go back to where you came!”Valor’s scientific mind couldn’t think of what else to call the beast. The thing shimmered like ice as it bounded towards him. One of its jaws snapped shut in an attempt to crush Captain Valor. Valor attempted to push the creature back with more telekinesis, but it was too heavy to move. He didn’t even want to try and affect its alien mind. From out of the icy fog, something spiky struck Valor, penetrating his armored suit. He smashed into the nearest wall. Then before he could recover it clamped down on his body with its other head.  For a creature so large, its bite was surprisingly gentle. The teeth did not penetrate Valor's armor. But then, Valor screamed as his joints began to stiffen and his mind began to numb.  The fight became a battle of wills.  In the end, Valor lost, and all he could think of was service to his new master.**“Did you bring it?” asked Armando Montoya. Slipstream handed him the bundle that he had asked for.  Montoya was relieved. Now he had his Somnus costume and could don it on at a moments notice.  Although, today, Sunday morning, he wasn’t expecting much trouble, and he was to check out this afternoon.  He had also been concerned that the hospital staff had seen the gem embedded in his chest, but Valor had assured him that for some strange reason none of them recalled the memory of it.  He was sure that They were looking for him, and the less that any “normals” knew about him, the less chance that They would find out… Armando Montoya grew up in Detroit/Millenium City and was brilliant as a child. During his adolescence he discovered that he had a latent talent mental talent. He remembered the Battle of the Detroit and the rebuilding. During his teen years, he was recruited by Mind, Inc and received treatments to augment his mental powers. He took on the name Somus. Over time, however, he discovered that the psionic institute was a front for PSI. His morality was greatly opposed to their agenda and he bided his time until he could find a way to escape and protect his family. Over two years he sent his family to the east coast spreading them between Boston and Providence, RI. Then he ran.Somewhere in upstate New York PSI found him and nearly caught him.  Armando remembered his last encounter with the PSI’s hounds, deep in the bowels of a cave system, with their leader, Hypnos on his heels.  He stumbled blindly and finally into a cave filled with sparkling gems. The largest drew him towards it.  He reached out in desperation and following the brief but incredible burning sensation, found the large gem embedded in his chest, The rest of the gems in the cave had been reduced to dust. With augmented power, he surprised his hunters, blasting his way out of the caves, leaving Hypnos and his gang unconscious. Then he flew towards Boston and changed his name. With Dr. Valor McCoy’s help, he enrolled at MIT, and finished his degree in Computer Science and Systems Operations. However, instead of staying at MIT, and much to the disappointment of professors and colleagues, he had obtained a teaching position at Bunker Hill Community College. MIT was too high profile.  PSI would come sooner or later. They would want revenge and they would want the Gem. Better that they had a harder time finding him. “Montoya! Montoya! Dude, you’re spacin’ again”Slipstream’s voice brought him back to the present.  Montoya tried to smile, but it still hurt. Despite the healing that the speedster had performed, Armando was still hurting.  It pained him to laugh and yawn, and there was a tightness in his gums and muscles.  He was also sure that the metal rods and wires the doctors had placed in his mouth were still inside, but now fused to his bones.  Hmmmm….titanium-laced bones… Armando thought as he rubbed his chin. Slipstream’s pager started buzzing. He looked at the number, and reached for the phone. “You know, I can help you guys out. I have some skill in electronics. It would not be too hard to make some radios for us to communicate and be located easier.”“Yeah, yeah. Talk to Jae Son. I’m not the one who has trouble gettin’ to the scene,” Slipstream responded as he dialed. Armando was going to say something more, but he was shushed, “Dude, it’s Cambridge PD. It could be important.”Slipstream recognized the voice on the phone. Captain McKinney was normally a solid, dependable officer, except now he seemed a little shaken. The speedster put him on speaker-phone. “Yo, Slipstream. Somethin’s up in Kendall Square,” he said. “We don’t know what, but we’ve had a lotta phone calls outa there. Crazies yellin’ somethin’ about zombies, monsters from hell. I sent three squad caas and they ain’t reported back. ‘Cept one of my best saagents screamed, before the radio went dead.”“Not good,” commented Montoya.“Like, Legion Extreme is on it Captain!” Slipstream declared and hung up the phone. He was about to bolt across the Charles to Kendall Square,  when Armando spoke up. “Umm, don’t you think we should contact the others?”“Oh, yeah. Dang! Those radios would sure come in handy.”Slipstream dialed Dr. Lu’s, but only got a hold of Dragonfist.  He informed him of the zombie situation and then handed the phone to Armando who called Valor’s lab at MIT.  He got the answering machine, and had to leave a message. Before he finished, Slipstream was zipping from hospital room and down the back stairs. Armando, grabbed the bundle Slipstream had brought, blasted the window and flew out into the chilly morning, still in his hospital gown. Ooops! he thought, activating his prismatic sphere for modesty. He headed across the river above the water-skating Slipstream towards the T-station at Kendall Square. In flight, he changed into the dark-body suit and cowled cloak of Somnus, Master of Sleep. In almost no time, the duo saw the chaos. Knots of people, including some in police uniforms, were chasing individuals who were screaming.  Nearby, three or four people dragged a woman from her car. Further back, a coffee house worker was being restrained by two others.  Across the street, another group forcibly led a struggling man in business suit.  They all looked like civilians. Slipstream looked up towards the prismatic sphere that contained Somnus, “Hey buddy, do you have any suggestions?”“Uhh…you go first.”“Hah! I always do.”Slipstream sped towards the first knot of people.</blockquote>

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