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#25 |
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Solar Man of The Atom: In the Muskogee,
Oklahoma of another reality, a young Phil Seleski grew up a comic book
lover. Phil's favorite comic, Dr Solar, Man of The Atom, inspired
his interest in science and helped determine his field of study. Like his
comic
book hero, Phil excelled in the sciences and became a brilliant nuclear
physicist. His crowning achievement was the design and construction of
the first nuclear fusion reactor for the Edgewater Advanced Fusion Energy
Research Center.
During the reactor's first test run, something went horribly wrong.
There was a core breach, and a reactor meltdown was imminent. Doctor Seleski,
in an attempt to stop the disaster, threw himself into the reactor's leaking
anti-proton pumps. As a conscious Seleski floated in the plasma, he wished
that the whole incident would stop. It did. The pumps stopped leaking and
all of the deadly radiation that was in the process of being released simple
disappeared.
Seleski survived the incident and made a startling recovery. However,
things would never be the same for the good doctor. The accident had somehow
transformed him into a being of pure energy. He also soon discovered he
had the power to manipulate energy in all its forms.
A suspicious world mounted an attack against Seleski and in the ensuing
conflict; Seleski inadvertently created a black hole and destroyed his
world. Faced with the horror of his actions, Seleski abandoned his timeline
and found his way to the Valiant Universe, to a point in time before the
accident happened. Once here, the grievous Seleski split himself into two
personas; one a physical manifestation of his guilt, and the other an incarnation
of his childhood hero, Doctor Solar, Man of The Atom.
"Born" with the collective memories of Seleski and his own comic book
origins, Doctor Solar believed the Phil Seleski of the Valiant Universe
to be a potential murderer, and set out to destroy him. Seleski convinced
Doctor Solar of his intent to save the world during a final conflict in
the reactor that spawned them. Seleski managed to absorb Doctor Solar and
emerged from the reactor at the point that this timeline's Phil Seleski
was about to hurl himself into the anti-proton pumps. After absorbing this
timeline's Phil Seleski, the fully recombined Phil Seleski successfully
prevented nuclear disaster, and fulfilled his dream of being a hero. Seleski
was granted a second chance at life as Solar, Man of The Atom.
Dr Erica Pierce: Erica Pierce was Doctor
Phil Seleski's colleague at the Edgewater Center. During the accident that
granted Seleski his powers, Erica Pierce was caught in the reactor as well
and granted similar powers.
"The
Trip Home, Part III"
September 7th,
1991, 14:15 a.m. EST:
Muskogee, Oklahoma:
Ma’s Coffee
House:
Ivar is sitting in the counter, nursing a cup of coffee, pondering the events of the last few days.
Ivar Anni-Padda has just spent the last few days of his life running from the evil woman known as Erica Pierce, the MotherGod.
Now he finds himself the unwilling savior of the world. He has to stop his past self from saving Phillip Seleski, the man destined to become Solar, Man of The Atom, from jumping into the heart of a nuclear reactor.
Ivar just got back to 1991 using a time arc from the year 4001 *.
*: Timewalker
24...Mike.
It’s been almost a day since Ivar landed back in 1991. He has spend the last 25 hrs reviewing the events of the past few days–which to him have seem like years–, which culminated with him leaving The Warmaster’s X-O Manowar armor, which was taken from Aric Of Dacia during the fight with MotherGod the day she took over the world *, protecting the time arc which brought him here.
*: Timewalker
19...Mike
Ivar has realized that today will be the day he dies, there’s no stopping that. Succeed or not this will be his final day on this Earth, which has brought forth all his feeling to the foreground...his feelings towards his brothers, himself and others, specifically Nefertiti, the only woman he’s ever loved.
He has realized that he will never see her again.
Ivar stood u, paid for his coffee and left the café.
“Well, I better go do this, and may god help me.” Ivar thought as he walked passed the door into the street.
T-Minus 1 hrs:
September 7th,
1991, 14:32 a.m. EST:
As Ivar walked down the road towards The Edgewater Reactor, he took the time to look at the people around him, knowing that in 1 short hour their entire world will change, only to die in less then a week.
Ivar approached a park and sat on a beach. Then he took a package of bubble gum out of his coat and opened it.
Suddenly a 7 year old kid approached him.
“Hey mister, would you like to play with us? We are missing a 7th player.” The kid said as he pointed towards the football field.
Ivar sighed as he took a look at the children playing and laughing, and he recalled the world he had just abandoned. To Ivar it was a decision between letting the people live under the rule of Erica or die at the hands of Phil. Not an easy choice at all.
“Not today kid, not today.” Ivar said as he stood up and padded the kid on the head “Here, give them to your friends. You might as well rot your teeth.” Ivar said as he handed his package of gum and left the park.
Ivar walked for a few minutes till he reached “Roy’s Handgun Emporium”.
Ivar entered the store.
“May I help you sir?” asked the clerk.
“Yes, I need your most powerful weapon, and I don’t mean handguns. I’m looking for an automatic weapon, most preferably an Uzi or anything more powerful.” Ivar said with a stern look in his eyes.
“My, my, that’s a tall order fellow. What might you want to do with such a weapon?” The clerk asked with a smirk in his face.
“I plan to slaughter an alternate dimensional version of myself that unbeknownst to him will cause this entire reality to fall on the mad hands of an out of control goddess if I don’t stop him.” Ivar said as he crushed 2 handguns in his hands.
The clerk attempted to activate the store’s silent alarm but Ivar jumped the desk and tackled him, stunning him with a hand heldstun buzzer from the 57th Century.
Ivar dragged the clerk’s body to the back of the store and then took out a hand held scanner from the 40th Century form his pocket. Ivar programmed the scanner to locate any Uzi’s in the vicinity.
After a few seconds Ivar located the store’s secret stash of weapons.
Ivar kicked a fake wall covering that broke into a hundred shards.
“May Mog have mercy on my soul for what I’m about to do.”
Ivar entered the secret room and minutes later came out packing a lot of weapons.
“I could use the X-O, but I don’t want to risk keeping the time portal unprotected.” Ivar thought.
Meanwhile at the time arc left open by Ivar as he arrived in this time line.
The Warmaster’s X-O armor stood guard over the opening vortex, when suddenly a blast of energy came out of it, knocking the empty armor off it’s feet and unto the ground.
As the armor attempted to stand back up a humanoid figure jumped out from the vortex and ripped the armor with his bare hands and mouth.
It was Gilad, The Warmaster, who had survived Ivar’s attempt to kill him.
“Well big brother, let’s see what world you brought me to.” Gilad said as he chewed on the metal frame of the X-O,killing it. A shriek came out from the X-O as it died.
Meanwhile Ivar, inside Roy’s van, headed towards The Edgewater Plant, ready to kill his past self before he can enter it and cause the hell Ivar has lived for the past week.
As Ivar’s van approached the plant he hid the van behind the coolant containment system.
Ivar exited the van and, weapons in hand( an Uzi, an M-16 and a belt with grenades) the ground in front of him suddenly began to shake. A sudden flash of light, followed by a tremendous boom exploded in front of Ivar. The sonic boomcaused the air molecules around Ivar to move, lifting his coat and moving his hair as if he were in a breeze, but in reality he was in the middle of an expanding vacuum, but Ivar stood his ground, not letting anything detract him from his mission.
As Ivar walked closer to the plant he noticed a Stop sign that read “Stop Nuclear Power.”
“This is it. This is the place we’re I’ll die.” Ivar thought as he looked at the sign and touched it with his hand.
Ever since he arrived here from the future he’s been scouting the location, searching for the perfect place to ambush himself. His past self must not be allowed to break into the plant or interact with anyone, or he risks creating an alternate timeline. For better or worse events in this reality must be lived out, ending with it’s destruction a week from now when Phil Seleski becomes a black hole that destroys the entire quantum continuum.
The next few minutes were terrible ones, as Ivar hid behind some bushes, waiting for his counterpart’s time arc to appear.
Suddenly Ivar’s time tracker began to hum inside his coat.
“It is time, he’s here. He should becoming here in the next few minutes, following Phil.” Ivar thought as he clenched his guns in his hands.
A few minutes later Ivar saw his past self pass by the Stop sign, a smile in his face as he read it.
Ivar 2 took a laser torch out of his coat and as he prepared to cut a “door” in the plant’s metal fence Ivar 1 came out from the bushes.
“Stop now or die!!” Ivar 1 yelled, pointing his guns at his past self.
“?” Ivar thought as he looked at his future self. “Who...who are you?” Ivar 2 asked as his future self approached him
“I’m your future self. I have come back from less then a week into the future to stop you from going in there. Once you enter that building you will cause a chain of events that will end with Erica Pierce ascending to the status of Goddess and Master Darque taking control of the world.” Ivar 1 said as he took the safeties of his guns off. “If I can’t convince you to stop I’m ready to kill you, no matter how long it takes me.”
“But there’s a time arc inside. If I miss it I may never leave here.” Ivar 1 said as he walked away from the fence, returning his torch to his coat pocket.
“I know. I have a time arc waiting for you not far from here. We just have to wait till this explosion’s over before we can go. Can I trust you not to go inside?” Ivar 1 said, a look of relief in his face.
Ivar 2 walked towards Ivar 1 and placed his hand on his shoulder “You have nothing to worry about brother. I’m with you on this one.” He said as he looked at Ivar 1’s guns. “Now please,put those away.”
Ivar 1 dropped his guns and grenade belt on the floor. The 2 of them started to walk back to Ivar 1’s time arc.
“So, a week into the future you say, huh? Anything of interest?” Ivar 2 asked.
Ivar 1 looked up at the sky, thinking about the good (meeting Rebecca, falling in love with her, even if he never told her.), the bad (losing Aram,and having to kill Gilad). “There was some good, but overall it was bad, very bad. And I’m glad I didn’t have to kill you to stop it.” Ivar 1 said, a small solitary tear running down his left cheek.
As the 2 Ivar’s walked down the road to Phil’s house a shadow jumped from the bushes to the side of them and tackled Ivar 2 to the floor. It was Gilad.
“Now you die!!” He said as he twisted Ivar 2’s neck in half and ripped it out of his body, holding it over him, slurping the dripping blood on his face. “And you’re next “brother” Gilad said as he threw Ivar 2’s head at Ivar 1’s hands.
Ivar dropped his alternates head on the ground and jumped kicked Gilad in the chest.
“You murderer! I don’t know how you got here, but I won’t let you live this place alive, do you hear me?!? I’m gonna killed you!!!!” Ivar said as he rammed Gilad and threw him against a brick house, causing the front of the house to start to crumble.
Gilad grabbed Ivar by the shoulders and tossed him against the houses’ porch, breaking the stone stairs.
As Gilad attempted to jump on Ivar’s chest Ivar lifted his legs and kicked Gilad at the trash cans.
Suddenly the bright lights caused by the explosion stopped. Phil had fulfilled his destiny and had become Solar, Man of The Atom.
As the explosion receded Gilad began to fell pain in his entire body. He was no longer part of the regular time continuum.
Ivar stood up and watched as his “brother’s” body began to disappear, his energy flowing from him all the way to the open time arc.
“It may not have been by my hand, but it was by my actions that you die today murderer. Beg to whatever God you pray to that we never meet again, or my wrath will be unmatched, understand?” Ivar said as his coat was lifted by the air rush caused by Gilad’s decomposition.
As the last vestiges of Gilad remained a voice came out from what was left of his head “I’ll return Ivar, and when next we meet I will take whatever you hold dear from you and make it mineeeeeeeeeee...” the voice said before Gilad finally disappeared.
Ivar lifted his head, clearing his head from his face with his left hand. “It’s over, I saved them all...only for them to die in 8 days.” Ivar thought as he walked towards the time arc.
As Ivar approached the time arc he saw it getting smaller, till it disappeared.
“Nooooo!!” Ivar yelled as he ran towards the arc, only to see it disappear for good.
Ivar fell on his knees as he took his time tracker out of his pocket to check it for the next time arc.
“Oh Great Mog, it can’t be.” Ivar said as his eyes opened wide.
The time tracker read:
Next Time Arc: September 28th, 1991.
“It’llbe too late by then.” Ivar thought as he fell completely to the ground, punching it with his fist.
Suddenly Ivar felt a breeze in front of him. As he lifted his head he saw what appeared to be a time arc forming in front of him, but his tracker didn’t respond to it. As Ivar focused his vision he noticed that what he thought was a time arc was in reality a T.I.M.E. Gateway.
“My god. Rebecca!” Ivar yelled as he stood up and noticed Rebecca standing at the event horizon of the T.I.M.E. vortex.
“Yes Ivar, it’s me. Now come, he’s expecting you.” Rebecca said as she held her hand out for Ivar to grab it.
Ivar grabbed Rebecca’s hand and she pulled him inside the T.I.M.E. Gateway. As the Gateway closed Ivar kissed Rebecca and held her in his arms.
The Edge of Reality, A Place Outside The
Normal Flow Of The Quantum Continuum.
It’s a barren place, with no life as far as the eye can see.
To put it into human terms The Edge of Reality is very similar to Earth’s Grand Canyon as far as visuals are concerned.
The sky is a clear shade of purple, while the rocks that make up the entire valley are of a solid shade of gray.
Suddenly a T.I.M.E. Gateway materialized in the center of the valley. Rebecca and Ivar walked out of it and it immediately disappeared.
“Welcome Ivar, to The Edge of Reality, or as some of us call it “Forever” Rebecca said as she opened her arms, pointing in all directions, a sense of joy filling her insights.
“Forever?” Ivar asked as he took a deep breath of air, the fleshes air he’s ever breathed before.
“My grandfather was very fund of an old TV show from the 1960’s...about 20 years before it ever existed actually, thanks to the Angel Computer which allowed him to know the history of the future*.” Rebecca said as she walked over to Ivar, putting her hands up to his face.
*: Rebecca’s Grandfather was the Golden
Age Dr Tomorrow from The VH 2 line of books.
“It was in memory of him that The Director created...
The City on The Edge of Forever.” Rebecca said as she looked up, lifting Ivar’s head up as well.
A giant metallic and rock city hovered above them. It was of a red and yellow colored metal, with its base constructed from the same rock in which they were standing.
“Oh My God.” Ivar expressed as he moved in circles, trying to absorb as much information as he could from where he was standing.
“Come, its time for you and The Director to meet.” Rebecca said as she grabbed Ivar’s right arm. In seconds they both de materialized and re materialized inside The City.
Ivar found himself in a room full of computer monitors, all of which were in cluster sets. Each cluster, 18 in total, was made up of no more and no less then 150 monitors, and each cluster monitors one hero from the Ivar’s reality, but each monitor has a different version of that hero, 150 versions per cluster.
As Ivar and Rebecca walked alongside the monitor clusters they approached the center of the room.
“This is known as The Womb, which is from where we can monitor all the different realities created by Phil Seleski after the event we call “Alpha & Omega”.” Rebecca said as she held on to Ivar’s right arm and walked him through the hall.
As Ivar and Rebecca kept walking Ivar noticed other people in the room, working alongside the various technical operators who monitored the heroes.
“Ivar, this is Cynthia Fourwinds, she’s the Turok from Reality VH 65, which was destroyed a few days ago by Solar Prime *.
*: See Unity 2000 For The So Called Destruction
of The Valiant Multiverse... Mike.
“Nice to meet you Ivar, I’ve heard much about you.” Cynthia said as she shucked Ivar’s hand.
Suddenly a door opened to the right of Ivar and the female Rai he met at Erica’s reality.
“You already know our resident Rai, or as she was known before, Yuri Sakamura.” Rebecca said as she bowed in front of Rai.
“Come, The Director awaits you.” Rai said as she stood back up and walked back into the room.
Rebecca and Ivar followed her inside.
As Ivar entered the main control room he noticed a huge rotating chair, with a humanoid figure covered in shadows in it’s center, making it very difficult to make out.
As Ivar approached the center of the room Rebecca and Rai stopped, letting him approach The Director alone.
“Welcome to The City, Ivar Anni-Padda. I’m sure you’ll be very happy here.” A voice that was heard from all across the room said.
“Than...Thank you, whoever you are.” Ivar said as he stopped at the foot of the rotating tower.
“Rebecca told you who and what you are, and what you were created to do, has she not?” The voice asked.
“Yes, she did. She said that I was created by you as your eyes, for you to know what happens in my reality, the same way others here where created by you for the same task.” Ivar said, looking up, trying to make the clocked figure out from the shadows.
“I will say this only once.” The voice said. “Are you interested in joining us, The T.I.M.E. Vaulters, in our attempt to keep multiversal harmony from the chaos we are currently experiencing?” The voice said as 3 giant monitors came down from the ceiling.
The first monitor showed an Aric inside his X-O armor fighting against Magnus Robot Fighter *.
*: Unity 2000 3...Mike.
The second monitor showed Gilad Anni-Padda, Ivar’s brother,placing a call to Geoff McHenry, the current Geomancer from Ivar’s VH Reality *.
*: As seen in Armageddon
1999 #2...Mike
The third monitor showed Ivar Anni-Padda from VH 2, Rebecca’s reality, talking with the woman known as Gamin *.
*: As seen in Armageddon
1999 #2...Mike
“By Mog!” Ivar exclaimed as he saw his alternate, a ruthless, sneaky, scheming version of himself.
“He’s...so different from me. I see darkness is his eyes. I don’t like it. Turn it off, now!” Ivar yelled as he turned away from the monitor, clenching his fist.
“He is but one of many version of you that you will meet if you join us Ivar. Based on what you just saw, have you come to a decision?” The voice asked.
Ivar lifted his head and looked at Rebecca and Rai. For centuries Ivar had only loved once, and no matter how hard he’s tried that love has been lost to him for a long time. Now he’s found a new love, and his heart forces him to stay with her...not matter the consequences.
“Ye...yes, I will stay with you, I will help you.” Ivar said as he turned around and lifted his head one more time in an attempt to look at the face of the enigmatic Director.
“Excellent. Rebecca, showed him to his quarters and then return.” The voice said as the chair in the tower rotated backwards.
As Ivar and Rebecca left the control room Rebecca gave Ivar a Fold Map.
“Here, this belongs to your alternate, the one you didn’t like. It’s called The Map of Everwhen. By the 40th Century he will lose it...or think he lost it. It will actually be stolen, by me. It will help you go anywhere you want no matter in which reality you are.” Rebecca said as she walked Ivar down the hall to the living quarters.
“Anywhere?” Ivar thought, flashes of Nefertiti bombarding his head, but one look at Rebecca’s eyes made them disappear.
“Yes, you will find it useful. The Director has made sure to equip us with the best tech or artifacts he can find, no matter where they come from.” Rebecca said as they reached Ivar’s room.
“Well, good night, you should rest, tomorrow will be a hard day.” Rebecca said, but as she walked away Ivar grabbed her and made her turn around, and then he kissed her and lifted her of her feet and took her inside his room. “I don’t ever want you to leave me again, I love you.” Ivar said.
“I love you too.” Rebecca said as she kissed him.
Monday December 18th 2000
From Eric Gill:
Michael, just read your "Through the Looking
Glass" story.Great work. As somebody
who got into Valiant after their demise, it sometimes makes it hard to
keep track of the different VH lines. Your story held it's own just by
itself though. Just wondering....I don't suppose you everfinished
the finale did you? Kind of leaves you hanging at the end of #24 if so,
could you let me know where to find it?
Eric Gill
The wait is over
Eric!
Timewalker 25 is
here, and I really hope that you enjoy it as much as you did the past issues.
I know that I had
already send an answer to this comments to you before and gave you a completely
different end to expect from this but don’t’ worry, what I told you would
happen to Ivar will still happen to him very soon.
Thanks for the
comments.
Later.
Mike Sacal