Chapter 1 - The Visitors

The Complex was the official “Press Name” for the castle that housed the Guardians. However, all the members of the Guardians knew it by a more personal name: Sarah. Sarah was a vast series of computers that controlled every aspect of The Complex: from security to cleaning. There was even a female looking android roaming The Complex that was a physical extension of the computer system. She too was named Sarah.

The beauty of having a cybernetic link to Sarah was the ability to perform multiple tasks with incredible efficiency. Franklin was directing the APU to build a fuel drone while on a nearby terminal scrolled lines of code for the program that would pilot it. Franklin performed both tasks from memory... his memory. The APU was recording both processes in order to build duplicate drones in the future.

The drone itself looked like a miniature version of a tailless Concord. Its intended mission (along with a network of other drones) was to wait in a remote location until needed. If the Guardians jump jet were low on fuel, one of the drones would calculate an intercept course and provide in-flight refueling. The whole process would be practically seamless to the pilot, and allow refueling above Mach speeds. The jump jet would now be global transportation.

'The Fire and Ice jump jet has come within tracking range,' Sarah's voice echoed in his mind.

Franklin concentrated a bit further. While the APU continued to work on the drone, and he wrote the code necessary to pilot it, Franklin brought up an image of Sarah's long-range radar map. Threading it's way along the Rocky Mountains at just under Mach 1, the Fire and Ice jump jet (an older version of the Guardians jet) was hugging the terrain as it headed towards The Complex's hangar. Franklin guessed their ETA at 14 minutes, 32 seconds... but that was just a guess. He set the countdown function on his watch.

Franklin dismissed the radar map and accessed Sarah's security system. He quickly decrypted a file that was hidden (even from Sarah herself) and executed the program it contained. Sarah's satellite system broadcast a signal to Fire and Ice's jet, and a moment later the jet began beaming a signal back to Sarah. Hidden in the dash of their jet, a small camera began transmitting a view of the cockpit.

Even though the fish-eye lens distorted the view, Franklin could see Ice piloting the plane, with Fire entering information into the copilots' terminal. However, it was the third passenger Franklin concentrated on. It was a young girl, no more than twelve or thirteen.

'Franklin,' said Sarah, 'I am receiving an unauthorized sat-signal from-'

'Ignore it,' replied Franklin, 'And erase all records of the transmission.'

'Yes Sir,' Sarah replied.

Franklin adjusted the program to suppress Sarah from detecting the signal again.

The girl was thin and tanned, with medium brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She sat too far from the lens to make out further details.

'Audio On,' though Franklin. A moment later, he was tapped into the cockpit voice recorder.

“See anything yet?” asked Ice.

“Illusion is watching TV,” replied the girl, “Power and Force, are in their private rooms. Xerox is working on a computer.”

Franklin felt a chill run down his spine. How did she know that?

“Terrain is...” the girl hesitated, “taking a shower. Valkyrie is...” The girl stopped.

“Is what?” asked Fire, turning her seat around to look at the girl.

Even though Franklin could barely make out any facial expressions on the girl, her body expressions showed she was anxious.

“Valkyrie is underground in a medical room. She's watching over Gabriel who looks like he's injured.”

“Can you tell what's wrong with Gabriel?” Fire asked the girl.

“Not until we get there. I can only see him from here.”

'See him?' thought Franklin, 'They're over a hundred and sixty miles away, and she can pinpoint every member of the team? Holy Cow!'

“What about the Warlord and their tenth member?” asked Ice.

Franklin felt his blood run cold. How did they know about him?

“I don't see the Warlord. But their other member is underground, building some sort of plane,” the girl answered.

“They probably think they own the patent on having a 'mystery member' on their team,” chuckled Ice.

'This is bad Franklin,' he thought to himself, 'Very bad.'

Franklin opened an additional link to the security cameras in the TV room. There sat Illusion... out of costume.

'Sarah. Display the location of the Warlord.'

Another display appeared, showing a middle-aged man reading a newspaper. 'Interesting.' Franklin made a mental note to himself. 'She couldn't see Don...'

Dismissing the latest display, he opened an intercom link to the TV room. “Illusion?” he said.

Shela Leigh MacGreggor-Delboso was watching the weather channel as the forecaster described picture perfect skiing conditions at Keystone, Colorado. Was it last Thanksgiving they went skiing? Or the Thanksgiving the year before? Either way, it felt long ago. She needed to get out. She needed to go skiing. She needed to cuddle up next to Scott under a thick goose-feather eiderdown and sleep for 24 hours.

“Illusion?” came Franklin's voice over the intercom, ending the daydream.

“Yes?” Shela said as she muted the TV.

“Fire and Ice are approaching the LZ. ETA: 14 minutes.”

Shela sighed inwardly. Although she enjoyed their company, she didn't feel like getting into costume. She just wanted to lie around in her sweats and silly pink bunny slippers Scott had given her for her birthday. A thread of anger seeped into her being, followed by a twinge of guilt. 'Damn it! I need a vacation! Lord knows I need one right now.'

“Alert the team, Franklin,” Shela said with a noticeable tone of weariness, “We'll meet them in the hangar bay.”

“That won't be necessary,” Franklin replied, “I'll meet them there myself.”

“You?” Shela said, “Since when did you become social?”

“Well, by the time you shower, shave your legs, put on your makeup, get-”

“Okay, wise-ass,” Shela snapped, “I'll send the twins while I'm getting ready.”

There was a click as Franklin closed the intercom.

“That boy,” she said to herself as she got of the couch and turned off the TV, “I have half a mind to sick the twins on him.”

Shela walked to the intercom. “Sarah?” she said.

“Yes miss?” came the computer's reply.

“Patch me into the intercom system.”

“Yes miss,” Sarah replied, followed by a slight echoing sound as the computer activated every intercom speaker in The Complex.

“Attention everyone. Fire and Ice will be arriving in approximately fifteen minutes. I want everyone in costume in ten. Power, Force, meet them at the LZ.”

She paused for a moment to hear any replies. She could only make out the word 'Cool!' from one of the twins, and then she shut off the intercom.

By the time she entered her bedroom, Scott was just coming out of the shower.

“Save me any hot water?” she asked.

“Oh? Were you going to take a bath?” Scott grinned, “Because I used up the last of the soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and the last clean towel.”

“Give me that!” she demanded, snatching the towel from around his waist and dashing for the bathroom. He gave a half-hearted chase and managed to goose her before she slammed the bathroom door.

“Missed me! Missed me!” she mocked.

“Oh yeah?? Well... I left the seat up... on purpose!”

“Makes me feel like Ah'm back home,” she laughed.

Allen 'Scott' Delboso had forgotten that his wife was the youngest of six in her family, and the only girl. Of course she would feel at home. He knocked on the bathroom door and said [in a mock baritone voice], “You need any help in there, ma'am?”

To his surprise, Shela opened the door and stuck her head around the side. “As a matter of fact loverboy I do. If you're 'up' to it,” she said, batting her bedroom eyes. For a moment Scott wished he was wearing something. “What can I do for you?” he said, recovering his composure and stepping closer to the door.

Shela grinned. “Iron my costume,” she blurted, and slammed the door. The 'click' of the lock confirming he was out of luck.