Thundering Across the Stars, Chapter Two

Most of the galaxy’s old warlords, including Antroar, lacked direction in an era of peace. They had joined the Solidity, because there at least they’d known where they stood, but the Alliance had proved a bitter disappointment and the general feeling among warlords was one of anger that such promising potential despots as Toothfire and The Flash Club should have sold out. Antroar in the aftermath of his return from Earth had been investigating avenues whereby he might recoup former glories when he’d stumbled on records of the experiment which created Contamination, and in the process acquainted himself with several of the latter’s fellow victims who were likewise at a loose end. Together they had stripped down the old laboratory complex and ferried its equipment to the pocket-dimension for some experiments of their own. Contamination on discovering this had given chase, even though the crisis that sent him in search of his old contemporaries had since been and gone, for there were answers he sought as well as a threat to the galaxy to be overcome.

Joe of course had to intuit the very last part from Contamination’s version of events, as the latter didn’t like it to be known he ever did good deeds. Antroar had reunited them in his capacious command-room, which was set out in full ceremony with a long dining-table. On either side the walls glowed with floor-to-ceiling status-screens bordered by ruby-skinned saplings, and about the table’s bottom-end Joe and his three Mini-Flashes along with Contamination had been compelled to sit. Leering upon them from the far-off upper flanks were Forcelife, the two brooding Frankenstinia, the manbeast and the bandaged one, while Antroar held court. Huge atop a platter steamed the honey-roasted haunch of one of the fallen Thorn Legionnaires.

“Why don’t you tell us what this is all about, Antroar?” demanded Flashtease.

“I shall do better than that, Mini-Flash,” the host commenced luxuriously, and threw a lever by the side of his throne. To the right of the diners a trapdoor taking up half the floor rumbled open, and into the high-vaulted hall shuddered a great apparatus made of steel and scarlet bark. Strapped to its frame by the wrists and ankles, Flashthunder’s small figure fretted and squirmed.

“Introductions, I believe, are unnecessary?” Antroar continued. “Each of you has cultivated prior intimacies with my delightful guest of honour. And I am sure you can hardly be blamed.”

“Funny way to treat your guest of honour!” flung out Flashbuoy, who was new to this.

The wolfman rose. “Too bad prettyling is to serve as bait!” he growled, loping over to the captive. “Fun for me to keep around – har!” and clutching a handful of brown pleated tunic-skirt threw Flashthunder’s pants to merciless display.

“You wouldn’t like it if I did that to you!” yelled Flashstanch, indignant.

“He would,” Contamination advised her.

“Then do it to me instead!” cried the self-sacrificing girl. “Can’t you see how terrified he is? Tie me up there and show everyone my knickers, I won’t mind!”

“Yes please!” exclaimed Flashbuoy, forgetting where he was.

Flashtease however beneath the table-top slipped a secretive hand onto Flashstanch’s thigh to tell her to hold her outrage in check. If he knew his friend Joe, he was hatching a plan.

“There is much you might learn from those who follow my cause, Antroar,” that one pronounced. “Their first thought is to set others before themselves. My thoughts however run on he whose ambition once led him to oppose the powers of The Four Heroes and the Next Four combined. Is menacing a helpless innocent the most I should expect of you now?”

“Don’t encourage him, Earthling, I’ve already had a day of his grand design,” Contamination groaned.

Joe however knew what he was about. It was clear Antroar hadn’t enjoyed himself this much in a long time, and villains who were enjoying themselves became careless.

“Ah, but I have followers too, and they will have their fun,” crooned the warlord, kicking his legs one by one over the arm-rest of his chair. “As for you, Collective chief, your unexpected arrival promises to make my gratification complete. Rest assured I have not forgotten the indignities you served upon me. What fate more fitting, then, than that you should witness first-hand the culmination of my finest experiment yet – though it must of necessity come at the cost of this sweet creature you sought to save! Since you are gracing me with your presence, there can be no time but now. Behold!”

With one rooty foot he booted the lever that it fell flat upon the floor, and fitful Flashthunder tied to his tower proceeded to elevate for the eaves. Gawping the other three Mini-Flashes took what they feared would be their last look at his lucky red ones, while Contamination inwardly ruminated on how they didn’t seem to be getting any luckier. Above Flashthunder’s tossing pretty head a rooftop hatch began to slide open, exposing a slice of sky.

That was the opportunity Joe had been counting on.

He fixed his gaze on a wall-monitor showing a schematic of the fortress, and beamed what he saw out through the crack in Antroar’s psychic shields. Croldon Thragg was especially proud of the telepathic decryptor he’d built into his Wonder-Tool. In an instant he was surveying the full architectural plan from the hauler’s bridge, and another instant was all he required to transmit that data to the targeting-computer. Thomthar calibrated a field of fire and let fly, hammering the fortress with pre-programmed precision strikes which left its every occupant unharmed but crippled its defences and reduced the structural stability of its perilous poise to terminal.

As the impacts subsided Joe heaved the table and its loathsome load down the steep incline the floor had become, but his fire-blast flew seconds too late to arrest Antroar’s exit. Not that our hero had much to worry about from the master of the house, who would henceforth be marshalling reinforcement-vines to keep his headquarters out of the canyon while he did whatever it was he did to prepare for an emergency teleport. That was well, for Joe and friends had other concerns. The monstrous five were fast regaining their bearings, and although Thragg and Thomthar had for the most part done exacting work, they’d not been able to prevent a stray hunk of roof-fall disabling the contraption to which Flashthunder was strapped. That one had been close to the end of his juddering journey when it happened, already some distance clear of the summit, and now he and the immovable framework jutted like the tip of a television aerial halfway to the sky.

“We’re coming, Flashthunder!” Flashbuoy shouted helpfully through the hole in the roof. “Don’t go anywhere!”

It was said on Joe’s homeworld that troubles came in threes. At that moment the building’s already doubtful prospects were worsened by the onset of slow successive earth-tremors, shaking the immediate neighbourhood in a manner all too reminiscent of enormous footsteps.

END OF CHAPTER TWO