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Spoiler
In a previous story Supergirl has had her mind taken over by a strange nebulous alien consciousness. Part of this invasive mind belongs to a Kryptonian genius called Vel. Poor Vel was experiencing a sort of multiple personality disorder, caused by a nameless monster mind and so to preserve his brilliance until a cure could be found Vel's mind was stored in a green crystal matrix.
Then Krypton was destroyed and that crystal matrix made it to earth where it spawned all sorts of chaos. First the matrix infected a pair of siblings called the Sandersons, the brother Bobby received Vel's genius while his sister Kimberly was consumed by the monster. Supergirl and her friends then had to resolve all the problems they then spawned be it murder or financial destruction of the world economies.
Then the crystal infected a scientist, Molly Matthews who had worked for the Sandersons. Using Vel's genius while manipulated by the cruel monster Molly developed technologies to transfer her mind into Supergirl's body. In order to make the plan a success the monster, utilizing Vel's genius manipulated events in order to kill Supergirl's friends. However Selena Walsh, the titular Broker and Detective Lisa Kozny of the NYPD survived the attempt on their lives. However Supergirl had succumbed to the evil plan to hijack her and Lucy Wuan, a potent mercenary spy had been left in a coma.
Also now in the mix was Neyra Thornton, a mere artist and friend to Supergirl. Bestowed with the responsibility of a secret government program called INFINITY Neyra had become Special Agent Nerys Jones. As Jones it was up to her to reunite Selena and Lisa, Lucy if possible and find a way to put an end to Vel and the monster once and for all. Neyra also had one other asset, one she was keen to protect, her girlfriend and novice heroine, Spydra.
Then Krypton was destroyed and that crystal matrix made it to earth where it spawned all sorts of chaos. First the matrix infected a pair of siblings called the Sandersons, the brother Bobby received Vel's genius while his sister Kimberly was consumed by the monster. Supergirl and her friends then had to resolve all the problems they then spawned be it murder or financial destruction of the world economies.
Then the crystal infected a scientist, Molly Matthews who had worked for the Sandersons. Using Vel's genius while manipulated by the cruel monster Molly developed technologies to transfer her mind into Supergirl's body. In order to make the plan a success the monster, utilizing Vel's genius manipulated events in order to kill Supergirl's friends. However Selena Walsh, the titular Broker and Detective Lisa Kozny of the NYPD survived the attempt on their lives. However Supergirl had succumbed to the evil plan to hijack her and Lucy Wuan, a potent mercenary spy had been left in a coma.
Also now in the mix was Neyra Thornton, a mere artist and friend to Supergirl. Bestowed with the responsibility of a secret government program called INFINITY Neyra had become Special Agent Nerys Jones. As Jones it was up to her to reunite Selena and Lisa, Lucy if possible and find a way to put an end to Vel and the monster once and for all. Neyra also had one other asset, one she was keen to protect, her girlfriend and novice heroine, Spydra.
Tuesday
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"Buenos dias…. You're listening to Canary FM, it's 8am here on the islands, 9AM on the peninsula and these are the local and national headlines this Tuesday. Two people are feared dead and many more or are missing after a landslide on the west flank of La Palma. The landslide which appears to have happened before sunrise cut through a section of the coast road where the missing couple are feared to have been. A rescue effort is underway though the area of the disaster is currently shrouded in dense fog. A spokesman for the Guardia Civil says that visibility is expected to improve during the day which will allow the extent of the landslide to be determined…”
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A bedside telephone rang. It was the early hours in Washington D.C and the bedroom was dark save for the soft red glow of an alarm clock that sat next to the phone. After several rings a hand emerged from beneath a duvet and grasped the handset of the phone while the duvet shifted, emulating the movements of the person beneath. Then, moving from the shadows into the glow of the red LED clock the face of President Katherine Garrison appeared. She blinked as she looked at the time and with concern spoke into the phone.
“Yes?” Garrison asked.
There was a pause as she listened and then as she took in the other person’s words she pulled the duvet cover back with alarm and began to rise.
“Already? How long do we have? And the others? Who have you managed to assemble? Oh, okay, good. The situation room then,”
Katherine settled the handset back on its cradle and turned on the lights to the bedroom. She would have precious few moments to get dressed before her staff came to escort her to the situation room. Hurriedly she dressed, that simple smart outfit she had been keeping for such a moment finally seeing the light of day.
Garrison’s mind was whirling as she processed the news and just as she slid her feet into some flat shoes there was a tap at the door.
“It’s okay, enter,” Garrison called back.
The door opened slightly and the face of secret service agent Anvi Kulkarni appeared. Of Indian descent and with deep dark brown eyes she made for a beautiful, if not deadly woman. The secret service always had at least a few female agents on duty to help accommodate a female President in what had been an overwhelmingly male domain and tonight it was Anvi’s shift. She wouldn’t be alone but she was the acceptable choice for advancing into the presidential bed chamber at such an hour.
“Ah, Anvi, good. I am ready…”
Anvi nodded and noting Garrison was dressed allowed the gap in the door to widen. Outside there were familiar faces, but all out of context. The hour, the place they were in, it all spoke of the emergency and far from the normality which would have them all cross paths in much different settings. Garrison took a breath and then walked onwards out of her room.
“OK, talk me through it,” Garrison said as she turned to walk while the small flock of advisors that had been able to assemble fell in behind.
There were glances between the staff and one realised it was them who was on point.
“Yes, Ma’am, ummm, well, at 0430 hours local time the National Data Buoy Center detected tsunami activity on buoy number 44401 positioned in the mid-northern Atlantic ocean. We also begun to receive reports from Spain that a landslide may have been responsible,”
“Spain? But that’s…”, Garrison began to query.
“NOAA assures us the threat is very real, despite the distance,” another advisor interjected.
Garrison glanced sideways and took in the stoney faces. Indeed to them the emergency did seem very real.
The President and her entourage made their way downwards several floors and those that needed to enter passed into the Situation Room. There were already some people waiting, some in uniform while others were as smart as they could muster considering the hour. Seeing Garrison the gathering began to rise to their feet but her confident hand confined them mostly in their seats.
“Good, mostly familiar faces,” Garrison smiled, trying to convey some confidence, “Oh and some not so familiar faces, but I am sure I will get up to speed,” she said warmly to some who she did not recognise.
The gathering waited until Garrison took her place near the head of the table before taking their positions too. Many that were there were junior to someone else who was not present, the early hour being for those who aspired to become top dog and not the top dog themselves.
Garrison looked over those that had a place at the table, “Okay, I’ve been given a quick briefing on the way down here as to the what and a little of the why and from what I can gather all of that is beyond our control. The egg is broken, the omelette is in the pan. So, with that in mind, let’s focus on what we can do to prepare for this thing. How long do we have?”
There were glances around the table, eyes settling on one of the new faces she did not recognise. No doubt roused from his bed, this poor individual probably had been hauled in to advise the president until some higher up advisor could be found.
“Gee, I guess that’s me… my name is Wayne, err, Doctor Wayne Dortmund, I am with NOAA, Ma’am. I am an oceanographer,”
“Well, thank you for making it in at such an hour, Doctor Dortmund. Now forgive me for being abrupt but what is your assessment of the situation? How long have we got, do you think, before this tsunami makes landfall?”
Dortmund’s inside voice scoffed at some of Garrison’s words. Several agents with a police escort had practically abducted him from his house and now with a multi-page data dump in front of him he was expected to answer a simple to phrase yet incredibly complex question.
“This is a lot to take in, but I believe we still have two hours or so. But you have to understand the Atlantic coastline of the United States isn’t just one point. It’s a long complex line. You could be seeing landfall happen over many hours across the whole length of it, not to mention in Canada, and down as far as Brazil. Has anyone warned them by the way?” Dortmund explained, his arm gesturing at a world map on the large TV screen at one end of the room.
There were murmurs in the room but someone from the State Department interceded, “It’s a cooperative system, everyone with a relevant facing coast line, ally or not will have gotten the call from NOAA already.”
“Okay, good,” Garrison responded, “So, two hours give or take”
Garrison noted the time. It was so early, practically the whole country would be asleep. Time to wake everyone up!
She glanced at the map of the country and tallied up the states that could be affected, “Where are we with the state governors? We need them on the line.”
“We are already reaching out to them. We’ve mostly had contact with their deputies but all the states affected have been contacted,” an advisor said, looking down a list on a sheet of paper.
“I take it FEMA have a plan?” Garrison asked turning her head to face a man who sat behind the FEMA table marker.
“A specific plan, for this, no, but we have plans for hurricanes and flooding which address the basics. The automated callout system has been activated already and we have some mobilization happening. But it’s mostly preparation for after the event , not before or during. I think you are going to need the military for that,”
Garrison nodded, “Understood, if we are going to evacuate people we are going to need the national guard’s help and that’s for the governors to organise. But we have other resources too and that’s where you come in,”
Sat nearby a row of military men looked between each other sensing they were on point. Just then a female advisor entered the situation room, a thin brown folder in hand which bore the presidential seal. The advisor saw the President and the pair locked eyes.
“Oh! One moment, gentlemen,” Garrison said as she beckoned the advisor to approach.
The advisor walked with haste and placed the folder on the table in front of Garrison before quietly talking to her.
“Oh, is this the…?” Garrison began as she flipped open the folder, revealing a few sheets of paper inside.
“Yes, Ma’am, a draft of the executive order for the national emergency declaration,”
Garrison scanned the lines of text and deciding all was in order signed the bottom and then slid the folder and its contents away.
A General sensing that Garrison was free to listen began to speak,“Well, Madame president, we have many bases on the east coast that host transport helicopters. But, the number of civilians in the firing line, it’s immense. And with only two hours? We are going to have to be selective,”
“As I feared. OK, suggestions?” Garrison asked.
“Hospitals, retirement homes? Prisons maybe? It’s not like the schools are going to be full at this hour,” the FEMA man suggested.
“Umm, if I may just cut in here,” another man said, trying to get into the conversation, “but we have at least half a dozen nuclear reactors all along and near that coastline. Many are operational, some are not. If they get compromised in some way…”
“Yes, he’s right,” one of the generals groaned. Everyone at the table would have one concern or another but compromised nuclear plants seemed to trump a lot of those.
“What do you have to do to get them offline so we can get ahead of this thing?” Garrison asked.
The man, in a shirt but no tie, was with the department of energy and like many others at the table had been on call for just a moment like this, “Taking all that capacity offline? I mean, it’s covering a lot of the base load. The only way to do it is to get the big users to shutter their operations. You can’t just turn the grid off, the entire system might collapse and you’ll have an even bigger disaster on your hands. No, we have to wind down the load and power generation together,”
Garrison gestured with her hand at the individual who for the moment had the attention of the room, “OK, I want you to get that started. Now. Those nuclear facilities need to be shut down and secured ASAP,”
“Yes, Madame President,”
= = = = =
New York stood out boldly against the dark sky, the city lights painting their colour onto the low hanging storm clouds that had edged in from the east over the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Occasionally the storm clouds crackled with lightning and the angry roar of thunder rolled through the air while the rain hammered down. The majority of the citizens below however continued their slumber, the early hours being host only to those that worked on through the night, be they doctor, nurse, police officer, fireman, taxi driver, or one of the many that either served or enjoyed the city’s night life.
Watching the night sky from behind the glass walled corner of a hotel Selena Walsh, The Broker, stood silent and alone. For her sleep was again a difficult commodity to find. When she had been the loner, on the run and in hiding she found sleep to be a dangerous friend, a distraction that might lead her to being captured. And if it wasn’t her fear of capture that prevented her to sleep it was the nightmares from her mistreatment at Guantanamo and Leavenworth. It was only as she had begun to soften and experience what it was to be loved again that she had begun to make friends with the world of sleeping. Now though, events had rekindled her relationship with her old friend insomnia. Insomnia driven by anger at her failure to protect herself, the others and most importantly, the wedge she could feel between her and Supergirl.
Selena’s mind ran on as she watched the storm. She had thoughts about what Molly Matthews had done to Supergirl. She had thoughts about the others in her group, and if they were up to the task of putting things right. Would she be able to get Spydra into the fight? Or would the protective Neyra thwart that idea? Selena thought that there must be a way. And what of Lucy, the loyal if occasionally insubordinate ally; was she in any shape to help? Selena imagined the position of the pieces involved in this impossible game of chess. But was she black, or white. And her teammates, could they be hers to manipulate or would she have to play against them?
And then, in the corner of her eye Selena saw movement. A reflection in the glass. Neyra had entered the common area that formed the corner of the hotel space on that floor. Even dishevelled at this early hour she somehow looked great. Neyra used the vending machine that stood to one side and bought a bottle of water then noticed Selena at the window.
“Can’t sleep?” Selena asked, still looking out at the night sky.
“Hey, Selena,” Neyra answered, pausing to look Selena over, trying to read her from just how she stood at the floor to ceiling window. “Bad dreams. You?”
For several nights now Neyra had been woken by a bad dream, one that had reoccurred since she had shed her world as an artist and graphic designer for her father’s company and become FBI Sepcial Agent Nerys Jones. The Glock which was locked up in her hotel room safe was the source of her nightmare, she was sure of it.
There was a pause before Selena replied, “Sleep? Me? No. There is far too much on my mind for that,”
Selena spun around from the window, her red hair swishing back from her shoulders revealing her bruised face. The many subtle and varied colours of her bruises decorated Selena’s cheekbones and around her eyes. Having been set up by the wicked combination of Vel, his monster, and Molly Matthews Selena had fallen into the hands of an old enemy, Captain Walker and he and his unwilling protégé, Corporal Shepherd had used her as a punch bag.
“If anyone can get Supergirl back I know you can. She’s still in there, I know you can talk her back. Maybe help her take control again,” Nerya said, before opening the bottle of water she had plucked out of the vending machine and taking a sip.
Selena thought on Neyra’s words, wanting to believe that she could be right, even though she had doubts. When Selena first took revenge against Supergirl it seemed so easy compared to what she felt she faced now. Under alien control, the genius of Vel, and his sick alter-ego, the monster, with its cruel streak, the power of Supergirl might do anything.
“This is far bigger than what I can fix, Neyra. But I am torn between knowing we need everything that the INFINITY program can give us, and the glaring spotlight it puts us under,” Selena explained.
“I don’t like it much either. But without INFINITY you’d be in Leavenworth now. And Lucy? Lord knows what would have happened to her next. Even Detective Kozny would have been suspended if it wasn’t for INFINITY,” Neyra recalled.
“Careful, you’re beginning to sound like a fan,” scoffed Selena.
Neyra’s head tilted slightly as she let loose a subtle glare, “You know I think this INFINITY thing is an abuse of power. But with it we might be getting access to Molly later and even get a peek at her damned work,”
“Perhaps. We will see. But even with all that there is still one thing missing. We are going to need Spydra,” Selena said.
“You know Supergirl asked me to keep Laura out of this. That glaring spotlight you mentioned is exactly what she wanted her to avoid. It’s too soon for her.” Neyra replied with irritation.
“No, Neyra, you’re wrong. I think her time is coming sooner than you…think…” Selena responded, her voice trailing off as she saw Neyra distracted by something.
Neyra seemed to glance over Selena’s shoulder at something she could see out the window causing the redhead to turn. All across the city the pair of women could see the subtle glow of red and blue flashing lights. The NYPD seemed to be out in force for some reason.
Neyra seemed anxious, “What do you think it means? Do you think it’s something to do with us? Supergirl maybe?”
“I… I don’t know,” Selena said slowly, “but I think we should find out. Wake Kozny, and see if she can find out what’s going on,”
= = = = = =
In the situation room things had steadily evolved. More and more of the key staff had begun to make it in and important data had begun to be plotted on the various screens that lined the room.
Dr Dortmund of NOAA, now armed with a laptop was starting to get a grasp of the incoming data from the array of sensors that lay in the path of the impending tsunami, only what he was seeing didn’t make sense.
“Well, Doctor?” asked one of the generals.
“I …I don’t understand it. The wavefront is going to be so narrow, it’s hardly anything. The models have gotten this completely wrong,” Dortmund explained as he studied the screen.
“Show us,”
“Oh, certainly. Well, may I, a moment?” Dortmund said, gesturing to one of the screens.
It was then that one of the screens flickered and the data stream that Dortmund had been referring to appeared. He rose from his seat and stood by the side of the large screen and using his fingers dragged and zoomed the image to show the eastern seaboard.
“The assumption is that this tsunami has been triggered by a landslip in Europe, yes? And the models suggest a pressure wave, sloooowly fanning out, like this, towards our coast. And what you normally see in advance of the wave arriving is this gradual pull of water away. The tide… it goes out,”
“Yes, like we saw in Japan,” Garrison nodded.
“Yes, exactly, and the one in Indonesia before that,” Dortmund added before continuing, “but the tidal data all along the coast is barely off track. Sure, the dome of water that is coming causes some deviation but it’s nothing. Except in once place,”
Dortmund used his fingers to manipulate the image on screen and drew the image in towards New York.
“Here. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But it’s going to hit New York. If things were normal the levels there would still be on the climb towards high tide. But the tsunami is causing this precipitous drop. These results are well outside normal limits of deviation,”
“You’re sure? It’s just New York that will get hit?” asked the man from FEMA.
“That’s what I’ve been asking my colleagues at the data center. Are they sure? They even went analogue, you know, sent a few guys out to actually read the manual gauges in case the data stream was false. We are practically normal everywhere bar here,” Dortmund exclaimed, tapping the screen where New York stood.
The man from the department of energy looked at the numbers with dread, “My god, look at those numbers go… Indian Point, it’s going to be in trouble,”
Garrison looked at the map and the data coming from around New York, “If we are sure it’s just New York you only need to take that one station down, yes? Make it a priority, there should still be time,”
The man looked back in frustration, “Madame President, you don’t understand. It is shutdown. Being close to such a major city we had made it a priority. But the latent heat in the reactor, it takes days before the core cools off. I thought the danger was from flooding, but you’re telling me the Hudson is going to run dry first??!”
“Not totally and certainly not for long. Errr, how long is too long though?” Dortmund asked into the room, suddenly putting the man from the department of Energy on the spot.
“I am going to have to make some calls!”
It was then that Garrison observed her trusted NSA advisor Clive Westmoreland entering the room. It was early for him to appear, normally he would still be preparing her morning briefing pack with the rest of the analysts.
The pairs eyes met and their expressions did the talking for them. Garrison’s eyes gestured at what was playing out in the room.
Sorry good friend, but I am busy. There is a crisis. Yes you are important to me but this comes first. Not now.
I know you think that, but there is more. And you have to know.
Garrison felt a sickening in her stomach as she read Westmoreland’s face. It was serious and somehow more serious than a tsunami and a potential nuclear meltdown. In that moment Westmoreland saw that she had relented.
“Gentlemen, excuse me a moment,” Garrison said as she began to rise from her seat, “make sure we stay vigilant elsewhere but focus your efforts now on New York. Let the state governor and the mayor know they have our fullest attention. Find out what they need. Now then, Clive, with me,”
Garrison stood and walked into a glass walled side office, Westmoreland following close behind. The pair entered and with the door still ajar they sat opposite each other.
“Another tough day at the office huh?” Clive asked. His attempt at humour was weak though as he felt the tension in the room.
“Clive… what is it?” Garrison asked as she glanced back into the situation room which filled with murmured chatter about helicopter airlifts, movement of supplies and the imminent tsunami.
“It’s Supergirl. We are starting to think she… well she might have fallen to Vel. She might be rogue,” Westmoreland explained.
“What? When? How?!” Garrison asked in shock before realising something, “No, wait, didn’t we just make contact with her yesterday when she did the test on Matthews at the courthouse?”
“Yes, and we learned Vel isn’t in Matthews. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t there before,” Westmoreland said, his index finger tapping onto the desk.
“Oh god. The Mech demonstration. Supergirl came to save me when Matthew’s creations attacked,” Garrison realised.
“And that’s when it may have happened. The INFINITY team got to that conclusion themselves last night and they don’t know half the things I do now. They want to see the Mechs and have access to Matthews along with a few other things,” Westmoreland followed on.
“Wait, what things? What else has happened?” Garrison asked nervously.
“I’ve heard that overnight Switzerland hauled in our ambassador about a load of firefighters getting killed. They think Supergirl did it, by accident.” Clive whispered.
“They think? What else….” Garrison asked, equally quiet.
Clive could barely contain himself, “I get the occasional kooky Supergirl report that gets past the filter but when a boatload lands on your desk at once that’s something else. Katherine, the word’s out Supergirl has microwaved a dog to death with her eyes in one incident and almost left some kid for dead in another. And those came from our own investigators! There are even more seeping through, many abroad. Something is up with Supergirl and it points back to the attack on you at the demonstration,” Clive explained.
Garrison closed her eyes and her head dropped as she thought through her decision and sighed.
“OK, give the INFINITY team what they want. Make it happen. But why now, dammit? If ever we needed Supergirl it’s now,” Garrison said with a hint of anger or disappointment.
Clive looked back into the room, aware of the impending tsunami, but not of its evolution. His eyes studied the screens and the data and gradually he understood what was happening. In fact, his experienced eyes saw beyond even the significance of the tide gauges and began to grasp the answer to one of the big questions. Why?
“Jeez, it’s like it’s out of our own playbook. It can’t be coincidence, this must be Vel too,” Westmoreland said, his eyes dancing back and forth as they studied the screens beyond the glass walled office they were in.
Garrison looked between him and the screens, unsure what he had seen, “You think… you think they used Supergirl to do this?”
Seeing the President’s uncertainty Westmoreland knew he had to explain, “They know. All this bad news about Supergirl is piling up on my desk. Vel nor the monster know how to control her body and they aren’t good people like Supergirl is. I would be lying if I said this was anything but a guess. But it’s my best guess. Create a tsunami, then save the city and look good. Be the hero! Make all the bad news just noise, or lies…”
Garrison looked at the screens, then back at Westmoreland.
Garrison’s expression became hopeful, “If you are right then New York might survive. But we have to keep a lid on what we know. If Vel has done all this to keep their possession of Supergirl a secret then let’s make them think we are fooled. ”
Westmoreland nodded, “Okay, agreed. But that monster is out for power. If it’s waiting to strike it’s waiting for a reason and we need to know what that reason is. One thing is certain though, some of the INFINITY team is still in New York, Matthews too, Vel might be trying to get some collateral damage,”
Garrison looked at the men and women beyond the glass wall sensing that maybe, just maybe they might finally switch from defence to offence. The financial crisis that Vel had spawned. The hack attack against the government. The assassination attempt on her life? And now the stealing of Supergirl? They had been on the backfoot the whole time. But if this tsunami really was some sort of false flag to restore Supergirl’s image, it would the first time they were ahead of the curve.
“Clive, pass on your regular work to your deputy. Stay in the loop, but I think the INFINITY team need a powerful friend with a gentle touch, understand? Get them and Matthews to safety first. We can try and work out what the long game is later,”
Clive’s expression changed. INFINITY was a powerful tool to wield but one false step with it could lead to disaster for the Government of the day. There were unknowns operating as authentic agents of the government out there and if they abused their power, or if INFINITY became exposed it could ruin his career. And being so close to President Garrison, it could destroy her too.
Garrison could read Westmoreland easily, “I know, good friend, I know, but this time moving pawns isn’t enough, now I need my knights,” Garrison reassured him.
= = = = = = = = = = =
“OK … going live in … 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, …” counted down the studio floor director before her out stretched hand silently signalled with their fingers … four … three … two .. one…
“Good morning New York, I’m Maria Coffey …” began the attractive, dark eyed, dark haired breakfast show host from the studio’s comfy sofa.
“And I’m Tom Bagells,” smiled Maria’s co-host into the camera.
“…and welcome to the Coffee and Bagels Breakfast show …” the pair said in unison.
Maria, holding her cup of coffee looked approvingly at Tom, “So Tom, I know that you love bowling and so you’ll be glad to hear that coming up later we have local bowling legend Lawrie Hearns here with us. If you folks at home remember, he won the national bowling championship three years in a row and is the reigning world champion…”
“Wow, well I am looking forward to that, probably just as much you are going to love our first guest…” Tom responded.
“Oh yes, that’s right!” beamed Maria.
“Yes, Broadway’s rising starlet, Veronica Wright, who is performing in the revamped show CATS is up in a short while. Today we will learn how she got her big break and the secret to that distinctive voice she has among other things,” Tom added.
“But first …” Maria said with a hint of surprise, “we are getting news of … well … what IS it that we are seeing here?” as the camera feed switched to a camera shot from the top of New York’s taller buildings in Manhattan.
“Oh, bizarre,” Tom said noting in the early morning light the water of New York evidently flowing outwards from the city, parts of the seabed poking through the thinning depths of water.
“Is this some sort of extreme low tide or … or what are we looking at here, do you think?” Maria speculated.
“Well, on the line we have a witness down at one of the ferry terminal’s calling in. Let’s see if he can shed some light on this,” Tom said, prompted by his producer into his earpiece.
“Hello?” said a voice.
“Hello! You’re through to us live … we understand you’re down by the waterfront. Tell the folks viewing who you are and what it is you see?” Tom asked calmly.
“Hi, I’m my name’s Ernie Toller and I live over in Murray Hill. Well, I’m takin’ my morning walk in the park, St Vartan’s, and I see traffic is backin’ up and I hear sirens so, I make my way round the block to, you know, FDR Drive, and the police are locking down the ferry. There are cars stopped by some police cars and all the drivers start getting out and walking away; right quick too. The foot passengers from the ferry started heading away as well, so I ask, a cop, what’s going on, is it terrorism? And he’s like NO, there’s a flood coming. Then I see the water … but it ain’t risin’, it’s flowing out so fast, the ferry has grounded. I’ve never seen anything like it…”
“And how long have you lived in New York?” Tom asked.
“All my sixty years. Sixty years here and ain’t seen nothing like it! The cops are waving me away now so … I gotta go …” Ernie finished.
“OK, thank you, you stay safe now,” Maria replied her smile fading slightly as she spoke.
“You too,” Ernie answered before hanging up, a pop and a hiss marking the end of the call.
“OK, we have a feed from our partner news channel, so let’s drop in with them and see what’s going on…” Tom said with the hint of concern on his face.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
A tired looking New York Mayor was sat at a table inside the disaster management facility for the city. Around him were some of the most senior officers of the FDNY and the NYPD who were coordinating their efforts with their various precincts in the city. An officer with the National Guard was also there, talking with his subordinates at the various units around the state.
“I think we are good to pull the trigger,” a NYPD officer said to the Mayor, a phone handset in his hand, “The National Guard helicopters are wheels up and my boys have the streets locked down,”
“It’s just as well, the gig is up. Word is getting out , the news are picking up something is wrong. Better to do it now before people get the bad news second hand, Mr Mayor,” an advisor urged.
Having been afforded some time to prepare the decision had been made to get assets into position first before triggering the public into action. If they hadn’t done so many of their plans to manage the crisis would had been mortally wounded. People would have tried to flee, clogging up the arteries of the city and preventing the emergency services and military from moving. Instead, having prepared the ground the citizens would have no choice but to follow their instructions they were about to receive.
The Mayor went pale, knowing the risks that went with what he was about to do, but he knew he had to do it. Nodding nervously he then heard the NYPD officer give the instruction down the phone.
“OK, do it… send the signal”
Using the emergency messaging system the whole of New York City was to be alerted. Low lying areas were about to be told where to assemble to be airlifted out while boroughs with high rise buildings were to shelter in a high place. It wasn’t a perfect system but it was going to save lives and help keep the streets clear.
= = = = = = =
Detective Lisa Kozny, Selena Walsh and Neyra Thornton had quickly packed their gear away and were trying to formulate a plan. Kozny’s links with the NYPD had let her quickly figure out that her uniformed colleagues had been told to lockdown the city but there was so much rumour she didn’t know what to believe, until now.
Suddenly the women’s cell phones began to emit a piercing high note that they had no option but to pay attention to.
Neyra began to read aloud the message first, “Emergency Alert System - Tsunami Warning. You are in a designated shelter in place area. You are to ascend as high as possible, either in the building you are in, or one in the vicinity. Do not attempt to use a vehicle.”
“Tsunami warning?!” Kozny exclaimed, “Did anyone feel an earthquake?”
Selena read the message on her phone in disbelief, “I don’t know about you but this looks like the monster’s handiwork,”
“But why? Why this? Why now? It can’t be an attack on us. A few flight of stairs up and we’ll be fine, right?” Kozny wondered.
Selena shook her head, “I’m not sure, but we’ve nothing to do until Neyra’s FBI contact gets back to us. Without Matthews or access to the Mechs our plans to figure out what Matthews did to Supergirl are dead in the water,”
Neyra checked her calls to make sure she had not missed anything. Her contact at the FBI, Deputy Assistant Director Ingram had taken her request to have access to Molly Matthews amongst other things but evidently had not responded yet.
Selena observed Neyra and sensed her body language, “I take it you’ve had no reply?”
“No, not…” Neyra began to reply only for her phone to erupt into life in her hand.
Kozny’s eyes widened, “Who is it?” seeing Neyra hesitate to answer it.
“Unkn…unknown caller?” Neyra responded in confusion. This was her INFINITY issued phone. Only her pre-established contacts in the FBI knew her number as well as those on her team.
Neyra weighed up what it might signify but with circumstances as they were she knew she had to answer.
“Special Agent Jones,” Neyra began, referring to her alternative identity, Special Agent Nerys Jones.
The voice at the other end scoffed very subtly, “Jones? I understand you want Dr Matthews and a chance to look over her machines, yes?”
“Err, yes. But who is this?” Neyra asked.
“A friend, Jones. Ingram has told me of your shopping list. You don’t have much time. Get to Belvedere Castle in Central Park. Matthews will be there. You’re all taking a helicopter ride to Pittsburgh and then on to the Mech test site,”
“Pittsburgh? What the hell is in Pittsburgh?!” exclaimed Neyra.
“You wanted Special Agent McGee don’t you? He’s laid up there. And coincidentally so will your other colleague, Special Agent Luna Wang,” the voice explained.
“Lucy…” mouthed Neyra silently before she responded, “Yes, we need him especially,”
Lucy had been in a coma since Molly’s brother the airline pilot, Andy had tried to kill her and everyone else on board the flight she had been taking, along with Selena. McGee had in the meantime had been secretly helping Neyra from afar while having to do his own job with the FBI.
“Then go, Special Agent Jones, and god speed,” said the voice before the line went dead.
Neyra heard the line disconnect and slowly her hand holding her phone dropped to her side.
“Who was that? What was that about Lucy?” Kozny demanded having seen Neyra mouth her name. When Kozny had last seen Lucy she was still in a coma at the Hackensack hospital.
Selena’s eyes looked intently at Neyra, also silently demanding to know what she had learned on the call. “We are getting it all. I don’t believe it. Matthews. The Mechs. McGee. We just have to get to Central Park, ummm to some castle,” Neyra explained, still in disbelief at the call she had just received.
“Belvedere, I know of it, but what about Lucy?” Kozny demanded.
“She’s being airlifted to Pittsburgh. They must be moving at-risk hospital patients out of the disaster area. It’s where we will rendezvous with McGee. Come on we should go. Lisa, can you drive?” Neyra explained as she gathered up her go-bag.
Selena’s chess playing mind visualised where these pieces were and went through her next moves, only to come to a horrible conclusion. If she was to achieve her own goals it made sense that she had to play a different game from Neyra, if only for just a little while.
Kozny nodded and noticed Selena, deep in thought, “Hey, you okay? We need to go!”
“I will be right behind you, I’m just gathering my things. I will meet you in the parking garage,” Selena said as she began to put the last of her things into her bag.
“Okay, see you down there,” Kozny replied before edging out the door, helping Neyra to leave as she did so.
The door closed and Selena was alone. She had already made a call to her mercenary friends the night before in a bid to summon some friendly muscle into the fight, just in case. Might they be able to help with her change of plans now?
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
In the control room at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant operators were monitoring the state of their reactor. The order had been put out to commence load shedding which had then led to the reactor being taken off line. But a reactor doesn’t become cold the moment the complex fission reactions stop. The core remains incredibly hot, and takes a long time to finally cool.
To keep the core cool required billions of gallons of water each day. The cooling system drew its water from the Hudson, fed it through a heat exchanger that was connected to the core and out again into the river. This meant there was no recycling loop here, the Hudson’s waters were continually being drawn in cold and expelled warm.
Now, in the early hours of this Tuesday morning a control room operator had his eyes fixed on a rarely observed gauge, the depth of water covering the inlets to the cooling system. The many feet of water had become few and now it was becoming inches. Very soon now you would be able to see the inlet ducts themselves as they became exposed to the falling water level. The Hudson still flowed, but with the bay of New York emptying the imbalance of water levels was telling.
“Is there any sign it’s going to bottom out?” asked the senior controller.
The operator tapped the gauge and calculated the rate of loss and concluded that if anything, the level loss was still accelerating. With a shake of the head he could only respond with “Not yet,”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The body of Supergirl emerged from the waters just off the Lower Bay of New York and climbed into the early morning sky. Her reds and blues glistened and her hair looked momentarily wet before the water seemed to run off it leaving it dry.
The monster within Supergirl’s body took in the view, the water ahead seemingly being dragged away from the shore towards the open water. The monster knew that behind it lay the well-crafted shockwave of sea water which was going to wreak its havoc on the city. A havoc that had to be resolved by Molly Matthews whose mind also occupied the Superheroine’s body.
Vel too also took the opportunity to study the work that he had been tortured to do.
“Are you satisfied? You won’t get away with this. You think that the humans will love Supergirl even more but you are wrong. I know their resolve is strong. They will uncover your plan,” Vel protested.
The monster listened then hissed with cruel laughter.
“I don’t have to fool them all. Just enough. I am going to punish them for thwarting me when I had the Sandersons in my grasp. I am going to topple their houses and destroy their livelihoods. The streets will be awash with the bodies of loved ones. But the more terrible the disaster the more loved Supergirl will be by the ones left behind. And their love will buy me time to begin the next step of my plan…” the monster explained.
Just then one of the last few flickers of lightning of the receding storm illuminated Supergirl’s face, revealing her wicked smile.
“Your hubris caused you to fail last time. And you will fail ag… ahh…nooo…. Stop…. Please…” Vel pleaded, his fleeting moment of rebellion instantly quashed by the monster’s powerful mind as it began to torture him again.
“Know your place, Vel… now…. How long before our creation strikes?” hissed the monster’s inside voice.
“Please… stop…” Vel pleaded.
“How long!?”
“Please… half an hour perhaps….” Vel relented with a gasp.
“Good – then we shall wait a little longer before we let Molly wake up…” the monster’s inner voice said prompting the physical form of Supergirl to let out a cackle.
In the distance the pontoons of a bridge were becoming exposed to the damp air and Liberty Island was starting to stand proud as mud flats began to peek through the falling water line.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Kozny was behind the wheel of the FBI issued SUV, Neyra alongside her while Selena seemed content on the back seat. It was a minor thing, but Neyra had almost expected Selena to try and call shotgun for a place up front.
With the blue lights flashing the SUV climbed out of the hotel’s parking garage and onto the streets of Manhattan which were eerily quiet. They had expected the less compliant citizens to still try and make a bid to escape in their cars but here there was no traffic at all. Some vehicles had been abandoned however and Lucy weaved between them before carrying on their way. On the streets there were people carrying belongings desperate to enter one tall structure or another, perhaps because where they lived was a little too low to the ground for their liking.
On the car’s dashboard the infotainment screen showed a map which was guiding them towards Central Park and Belvedere Castle. As they went the trio noticed how the various intersections on the route had been blocked by the NYPD and they had to cross through one checkpoint before turning onto a main street.
“Please don’t tell me this is all for us?” Neyra asked with a frown.
“No, I don’t think so. I think they’ve set up these corridors so the critical traffic can get through. Look …” Kozny said as she let up on the throttle as she approached a crossing.
From ahead an ambulance approached, its flashing lights and sirens demanding full attention as it went. Immediately behind it was an NYPD cruiser, the occupants glancing at the team’s SUV, and giving Kozny an acknowledging nod as they passed by.
In the back seat Selena seemed quiet but her attention was on her phone which she thumb typed quickly on while the pair upfront were firmly distracted by the task of getting to Central Park.
“Any word on what’s going on?” asked Kozny.
“My data is very slow at the moment, I guess the net is hammered with people trying to keep in touch, but the live news text stream says the bay is turning into mudflats, and we know what that means,” Selena replied.
“Jeez, it must be close,” Neyra responded anxiously.
Just then, overhead and travelling in the same direction as them were some transport helicopters flying, line astern. They looked like military helicopters and they seemed to be descending.
Neyra craned her neck to take in the spectacle, “Well this is getting real, real fast!”
Seeing the helicopters overtake them overhead gave Kozny a renewed sense of urgency and her foot placed a little more weight on the accelerator, the note of the engine and the climbing needle of the speedometer responding immediately.
Ahead of them the trees lining Central Park seemed to grow taller and taller as they approached the southwestern corner.
“The castle, where about is it?” Neyra asked.
“It’s about three quarters of the way up, more of less on the center line. But I don’t think our ride will be there, it’ll be on open ground somewhere, right Selena?” Kozny wondered.
“Uh, what? Oh, sure,” replied Selena, firmly distracted on the back seat, phone in hand, tongue out in mischievous thought.
Neyra looked over her shoulder at Selena with curiosity before the thundering blades of passing helicopters caused her to flinch in her seat, snapping her attention forward once more. Selena, whose past with the military had given her experience of such spectacles barely reacted to the chaos around her, she had other pressing concerns.
= = = = = = = =
Supergirl had been in a passive hover out in the lower bay, the vantge point being used by the monster that occupied her mind to judge the time to let Molly Matthews take the helm. Molly’s memories had been taken from her, and believing she was Supergirl had tried to fill the heroine’s boots, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.
The monster saw that the stage was now more or less set. The outgoing tide was slowing and soon the backed up water out to sea, dragged in by the tsunami would need to return home with nowhere else to go.
“This is it, the moment has come!” the monster’s internal voice hissed, “Aid this imbecile Matthews…”
Vel who was also privy to the moment and constrained by the monster watched on in horror, knowing the weapon of mother nature was about to come to life.
“It’s too much… even for her… even for her power… many innocent people are going to die! I hate you! I hate you! Why are you doing this?”
“Always you want to know! What I am, where I am from! I will show you if it will silence your incessant questions! But not now! Now you are to make Supergirl a hero again! No one is to think anything is amiss!” the monsters snapped.
“Bastard!” Vel managed to get out before he felt Molly’s mind being let into the fore.
Supergirl blinked to see herself in the hover in the early morning sky over what seemed like some estuary with the tide out.
“Oh… what… where…where am I?” Supergirl said out loud. Her eyes narrowed and her powerful vision took in the view ahead of her.
In the distance the Statue of Liberty stood upon her little island. Only, there was no water, only mud flats. In fact the mud flats seemed to extend out towards her, only streams and narrow little rivers that had carved their own channels into the mud remained of the normally abundant waters.
“What? What’s going on?” Supergirl thought in confusion. Her mind tried to recall what she had been doing last.
“To the east. I flew east. After the test on Matthews. But… why am I back here again?” Supergirl wondered as she spun around in the air looking for clues.
It was then as she looked back east towards the climbing morning sun that she could see it. In rows, backed up as far as she could see were the angry white crests of waves that seemed to fold in on themselves over and over as they consumed the outgoing water. New York’s bay was now a shimmering wet field of mud and rock, with the occasional wooden ribs of lost boats peeking through.
“Oh! Oh no! That’s a… that’s a tsunami!” Supergirl realised.
Any concern she had for the gap in her memory was gone as quickly as she was from her spot in the air as she dashed towards the body of water to see what she was up against. The white crested waves loomed ahead. Miles wide the many ranks of troughs and peaks looked unstoppable but the heroine knew she had to come up with something fast or else…
The form of Supergirl twisted and faced back towards New York her vision focusing in onto every fine detail. There were military helicopters on the shores from Coney Island to Long Beach and people getting on board.
“The humans, not so helpless after all!” ran the thoughts of the heroine. But were they Molly’s thoughts or that of Vel’s lurking beneath the surface.
Supergirl looked at the shape of the bay and realised that it would act like a lens almost, the focal point becoming the southern end of Manhattan. Perhaps she could use the shape of the bay to act as a choke point. But she couldn’t wall it off. There was no time, even with her powers. And even with time what materials could she use? There was nothing of sufficient volume to build with.
Supergirl considered her dilemma, “Can’t stop it. Can’t divert it. But maybe… yes maybe! Maybe I can slow it down?! The sea temperature is going to be about 20 celsius, so I am going to have to drop it by say 23C to get it to start to freeze. How much energy is that?”
Supergirl flew ahead of the waves and settled herself between the banks that supported the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge and felt the gaze of Liberty heself on her back. “Here… I make my stand here,”
Closing her eyes and clenching her fists Supergirl began to draw heat form the very ground she stood on, the wet mud starting to frost over white. “Yes, here we go!”
= = = = = = =
Detective Kozny, Neyra and Selena had made it to a checkpoint manned by the National Guard. An officer then had directed the trio to take their FBI vehicle onto a track which led down to the softball fields. Being there had caused Kozny to contemplate the irony of the situation, she having pursued the assassin Delacroix through the very same place at what seemed to be the beginning of the whole adventure for her.
Marshalled into what now seemed to be a dumping ground for anything on wheels the trio got out of the SUV and asked one of the National Guardsmen who was in charge of managing traffic where they might need to go.
“Well ma’am there is a command post, perhaps they can help you out,” the soldier said before he got distracted from the conversation. One after another a series of school buses laden with elderly passengers from a retirement home had arrived.
“OK, thanks,” Kozny responded before leading the others away. Behind them the buses began to park neatly into ranks, perhaps to become their final resting place in a watery grave.
The trio began to enter the area with the softball fields with the organised chaos in full flow. Large twin bladed transport helicopters were departing and replaced with another arriving before being boarded by elderly people who needed assistance. Some used wheelchairs to get up the ramp, others walking sticks or frames. In some cases people were even taken up on gurneys. National Guardsmen kept the helicopter operation running smoothly while the NYPD dealt with crowd control.
“Hey look, that must be it?” Neyra asked, the tall beauty pointing at something appearing between a gap in the crowd.
Stood at one end of all the softball fields stood what appeared to be a military styled Winnebago painted in silver and grey. The words painted on the side were partially obstructed but Detective Kozny knew what it said.
“Yes, that must be it. It’s a FBI command post. Let’s go,” Kozny urged Neyra and Selena.
Selena put a hand on Kozny’s shoulder to stop her a moment.
“I’m going to see if I can find our ride out of here, you get Matthews. I will meet you by the command post,” Selena explained.
Kozny glanced around at the chaos then back at Selena. She was suspicious but knew that dividing their task up might make their escape easier, “Okay, but be quick,”
“Sure,” Selena nodded then spun away.
Kozny turned to look ahead again and saw Neyra still threading her way towards the mobile FBI command post and the detective began to push her way after her. It was then as the pair got close that they saw an agent in a dark blue FBI emblazoned jacket appear at a door at the top of the entryway steps. The agent seemed to be looking for someone in the crowd and then his eyes settled on the approaching women.
“Agent Jones?” the agent called out above the din of the helicopters which provoked Neyra to nod in response and acknowledge with a thumbs up.
Encouraged by knowing she was in the right place Neyra pushed forward with confidence, Kozny now very close behind and the pair made it to the foot of the steps of the truck-like vehicle which bristled with antennas and a dish.
Neyra produced her badge, as did Kozny and the agent at the top of the steps also revealed his badge, “Special Agent Shilton, FBI, come on in, we don’t have much time,” Shilton urged the women.
Ascending the steps Neyra and Lisa Kozny entered the command post. Inside it was spacious, with operators sat back to back on headsets co-ordinating with the NYPD and the National Guard, either trying to keep the restricted traffic corridor moving, or managing access to the airlift zone.
Shilton walked down narrow passageway between operators and passed through a bulkhead door nearer the back, entering into a larger office space beyond. The two women followed behind leaving the chatter filled space behind them.
Inside the next area Shilton took his place to one side. A hooded woman was sat in a chair flanked by two army MP’s with an officer who stood off to one side, a folder of documents under his arm. The hooded woman’s head turned nervously hearing Shilton, Neyra and Kozny arrive, one leg trembling with anxiety.
“This is Dr Matthews?” Neyra checked.
“Yes Ma’am. You need to sign some documents for us,” the officer said, offering out the folder.
“Oh? Right. Sure.” Neyra said hesitantly. She didn’t know if it was the responsibility of it all but something felt off as she accepted the folder and placed it on a table, opening it to reveal the few sheets of paper within.
The officer reached into his pocket and pulled out a pen which, with a double click deployed the nib, offering it to Neyra. Neyra sensed something was off but wasn’t sure what it was before a more streetwise Kozny acted.
“Wait a moment…” Kozny said, stepping forward and begun tugging off the hood.
“Hey, don’t do…” the officer protested, but too late as the hood was tugged free.
Beneath was Molly Matthews for sure. But she had been beaten, one eye swollen, a bruise on a cheek. The revelation caused Neyra’s jaw to drop slightly.
“Hey! What the hell!” Neyra snapped as she spun around and crouched by Matthews’ side.
“You! How dare you,” Kozny growled as she squared off with the officer.
Neyra tried to look into the eyes of an evasive Molly who turned her face away, “Who did this to you?”
Molly didn’t reply but her bitter expression seemed to suggest her beating had come recently.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. She was handed to me hooded, last minute. I’ve only had her for the ride here. It must have happened inside,” the officer stammered under the glare of Kozny.
“I saw you just yesterday, for the test and you were alright then. This happened at Riker’s, right?” Neyra asked kindly, trying to engage with Matthews.
Matthews looked at Neyra and remembered her at the test at the courthouse. The Sanderson Test as it was called required Supergirl to gently use a variation of her heat vision to draw out the presence of Vel or the monster. But with Supergirl under the influence of the monster herself the test was used as a means of torture instead. It was just as Matthews was starting to suffer that Neyra stepped into the path of the beam. For this reason alone Matthews felt that finally she was with someone she could trust.
“Some of the guards… they knew some of the victims…my victims,” Matthews murmured.
Neyra looked at the officer angrily then at Kozny. Perhaps she would know how to navigate the situation.
Kozny understood Neyra’s concern and knew what to do, “Show me that paperwork! I’ll tick the right boxes and then Agent Jones can sign,” Kozny said knowing that she could make it well documented that Matthews was not in great shape.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The waters that approached Supergirl’s position fast were instantly transformed into ice which then tumbled off behind her to be replaced by yet more arriving water.
“It… it could work!” Supergirl exclaimed.
The water continued to rise around her however and she had to focus to keep her own body temperature down. As the water froze on contact it made a distinct sound, almost like when hot metal was quenched by a blacksmith as they worked, only instead of steam there was ice.
Sheets of ice tumbled over each other as they crawled up the bay, forced on by yet more and more ice that radiated outwards from her body in a broad V pattern. She stood like a rock in a fast running stream and as the ice field grew so did the noise. Instead of the sound of running water a steady cacophony of crunching, crashing and crushing ice could be heard.
“Ngh…” grunted Supergirl as she felt herself nudged back ever so slightly and she used her power of flight to push back against the torrent of water that was now growing noticeable to her, even with her power.
= = = = = = = =
Special Agent Shilton picked up a ringing phone and listened a moment before he replied. “Okay, I will let them know, thank you,”
Shilton set the phone down again and looked between the assembled group, “Agent Jones, your ride has arrived, it’s on softball field number 4 and will get you to Pittsburgh,” Shilton began before looking at the MPs and the officer, “The National Guard are packing it up. You’re out on 6. I suggest you hurry. Word is Supergirl has slowed things down with ice but it’s starting to pile up at Battery Park,”
Neyra looked anxiously at Kozny who was just finishing ticking off the relevant boxes on the prisoner transfer forms.
“What about you?” the officer asked Shilton.
“We are going to be holed up with the Central Park precinct. They have commandeered a vacant floor of a nearby office building. We will be dry, don’t worry,”
“Agent Jones,” Lisa said, offering out the pen towards Neyra, “I’ve marked where you are to sign, it’s all set,”
“Take her, I will catch up. Field number 4” Neyra said as she accepted the pen.
Lisa nodded and clicked her fingers at the two MPs who aided Matthews to her feet and then rehooded her.
“Sorry, Doc, but it’s just for now. We don’t need anyone else knowing you are out,” Kozny said to Matthews before turning to Neyra, “Don’t keep us waiting!”
Neyra looked down at the paperwork and saw where she needed to start signing, “Don’t takeoff without me!”
= = = = = = = =
At Indian Point the depth gauge of the water inlet valve had dropped firmly into the yellow having departed fast out of the green. A worker looked in horror over a railing at the edge of the plant and could see the Hudson draining before his eyes, the almost vacuum like behaviour of the bay around New York doing its worst.
“The core temperature is good, so is the primary coolant loop. But the heat exchanger is starting to climb. We are losing flow rate from the inlet, the pressure is dropping,”
“Raise the pump speed,”
“We are at 100% already,”
“That’s the normal range though. They are rated for more than that. Take us to 105%”
“At those pressures though, what about cavitation risks?”
“Cavitation?! What do you want least? A cavitation damaged pump impellor or an uncovered core? Because if we don’t keep the exchanger cool the primary loop is going to boil over real fast,”
= = = = = = = = =
Supergirl’s body was aglow having absorbed so much heat from the water, and now she was sensing she had become counter productive to the process, her very own body heat was starting to escape and slowing her freezing of the ice.
“Must…get ....energy….away…!” she thought, with some effort.
Supergirl looked left and right, then skyward and realised what she had to do next.
“Ngggghhhh” she growled, as her eyes began to well up with a pale blue light before her heat vision fired upwards into the clouds, her teeth clenching as she sought to drive out the ambient heat of the sea water that had built in her body and send it into space. The water continued to crystalise then tumble on as blocks, some water managing to escape the heroine’s wrath, slowly lifting the less dense blocks of ice from the bed of mud beneath.
= = = = = = = = = =
Detective Lisa Kozny and her prisoner had not gone far before they met up with Selena who was escorted by two men in black FBI tactical gear. They carried short rifles clipped to their harnesses and side arms in their holsters and made for formidable escorts.
“I found our ride! Where is Jones?” Selena asked, her eyes settling on the hooded Doctor Matthews a moment, a tiny hint of a smile appearing on her face.
“Finishing off with the MPs. She’ll be right behind us, but she knows which pad we are on,” Lisa responded, her hand resting on Matthews’ shoulder.
“Ma’am,” one of the FBI men said to Lisa, gesturing to her to hand over Matthews.
Kozny nodded, feeling more comfortable having her hands free while two significantly capable men kept a good hold on the prisoner.
The two black dressed FBI men took possession of Matthews and Selena gestured to Kozny to follow, “Let’s get her aboard, hopefully Jones won’t be too far behind,” Selena said.
The five figures made their way through the rapidly thinning crowd. The National Guard had begun to board the last helicopters and the various emergency service workers who were left behind started to trot away.
“Detective?! Detective Kozny? Jeez, is that you?!” called a voice causing Kozny to look about her.
Detective Kozny looked about her and saw in the middle distance an NYPD officer say something to his partner, patted him on his back then gestured at her for a moment. The two seemed to say their farewells before the first uniformed officer trotted towards her.
Kozny didn’t recognise the officer but he apparently knew her and it could be about something that was important. Lisa looked at the lead FBI escort, trusting him more than she trusted Selena and grabbed his forearm.
“Hey, I’ve got to deal with something. Don’t leave without me and Special Agent Jones”
“Yes Ma’am! We will be on the pad spooling up,” the heavily armed FBI man acknowledged.
“Lisa, please, come with us, before it’s too late,” Selena urged the detective.
“Go on, I will be right there,” Lisa responded.
Selena glanced between her escorts, Matthews and Kozny and felt that the die had been cast. Inside her own thoughts she sensed the truth, “No… no you won’t,”
Selena and the escorts along with the hooded Molly Matthews headed away, mingling with the slowly dispersing crowd and Lisa turned to see the approaching uniformed officer.
“Detective, wow, you got back on your feet fast,” the officer began.
“Hey, officer, I’m sorry, do I … do I know you?” Kozny blinked, trying to place who this man was to her. His name badge was on view but she didn’t recognise it but she could see he was from the Central Park Precinct.
“Oh, christ, sorry, I guess you weren’t … look, I was the one … I was there … I was there when you were shot, Detective,” the officer explained.
That’s when the memory flashed into her mind. Delacroix. The struggle. Kozny’s gun loose on the floor. Delacroix choking her out … whispering her cruel words into her ear. Then there was the gunshot … Delacroix had been interrupted at the crucial moment, and not by a superheroine, but by an everyday hero, a beat cop. This cop!
“Oh that was you?! Oh god, you saved my life…” Kozny said with gratitude.
“When she shot you, and that close, I really thought … well I thought … but look at you, you’re up already?! When they sent the keg of beer to the precinct house we heard you were okay but … I didn’t think they meant okay-okay. How is this possible? Even with a vest …” the officer asked in surprise as he just gestured at her all round good health.
“Look, when this is over I will tell you what happened,” Kozny explained with a smile.
The truth was she had been having a bad week and she had left a bad batch of shooting range ammo in her service weapon. It was that ammo’s poor performance that had saved her along with her vest.
Kozny offered out her hand which he accepted but she then drew the officer in close, patting him on the back firmly.
“Yeah but then I’m gonna catch the bitch,” the cop added in to her ear.
Inside Lisa died a little at the cold reminder of what she had done. Neomi Delacroix, the woman who had shot her was dead by Lucy’s hand. It was a death that she, Lucy and Supergirl had collectively covered up. It was the first time Kozny had been truly compromised as a cop, the others having always kept her clean. This time though there was no way out and every time she thought she could put it behind her, here it was back in the fore.
“EVERYONE OUT - ICE IS COMING!”
Kozny and the cop broke their embrace both turning to see the source of the voice which had managed to overcome the noisy scene. A national guard officer with a radio headset pushed to his ear had heard the call and shouted it out. Spinning around the officer looked up to the tower of the nearby Belvedere castle, his commander on one of the battlements pointing towards the distant encroaching ice. Then the rout began as everyone’s efforts kicked up another gear and a hint of panic set in.
Just then there was a collective gasp as overhead the grey clouds with their strange light glow seemed to transform first towards purple then red.
“Ice?! Shit, that can’t be good, detective, we have to get to the rally point!”
“Rally point?” Kozny asked in confusion.
“Yeah! They said the park and our house is going to be underwater, we’re setting up house up there,” the officer said, pointing up to an office block. Along one floor, high up, an advertising banner showed the floor was available to lease. Well, today it was being commandeered by the NYPD.
“Oh yeah, I just heard about that. But it’s okay, I’ve got a ride out … it’s complicated … now go … I’ll be okay,” Kozny responded.
“Oh? OK, Detective! Good luck” the officer replied. Turning around he saw some of his colleagues trotting across the park they had been helping to marshal. They too had heard the order, it was time to leave.
The area was now a mess. Discarded belongings, abandoned ambulances, school buses, and police vehicles were in the park grounds. The National Guard who had been organising the airlift on the ground began to embark on the remaining transport helicopters and now Kozny began to feel the urgency in her stomach. That was when Neyra appeared from between the thinning ranks of people who were trotting to safety, an FBI agent in tactical uniform with her.
“Lisa? Where are the others?! I told you to go together …” Neyra began.
“I got caught up,” Kozny said, gesturing towards the departing police officer, “but I made sure the escort knew they’re not to go without us …” Lisa explained.
“They’ve gone ahead? Shit we must have passed each other,” the agent in tactical uniform cursed, “come on, I’ll take you to the chopper,”
The tactical geared agent led the way as a cacophony of noise began to rise. People in high rise buildings, leaning out windows for a view of the spectacle began to shout and scream and point towards the danger. The tsunami was coming, but, it was made of ice.
What had been a fast walk turned into a trot and then a run as it became apparent in the distance that ice was breaching the park perimeter, spilling over the sides and encroaching onto the grounds.
Then the trio could see the chopper sat on softball field 4, its blades steadily spooling up, while another FBI tactical officer sat half out beckoning them to come quickly. Over the trio ran, Neyra part boarding first before she stopped in her tracks.
Inside on a bench seat were two more officers in tactical gear, while on the other side ... well … no one was there.
“Where is Matthews?!!” bellowed Neyra. Her head bobbed to see if there was another compartment in the helicopter but there wasn’t, this was it.
“What?!” Kozny said in disbelief, pushing her head through the gap to look inside.
“She isn’t here. Selena isn’t here either,” Neyra growled at Lisa before looking to the men inside. “Where did they go ?! Why didn’t they come with you!?”
“Ma’am? We have been here the whole time. There was another FBI team, maybe they went with them by mistake?” said one of the tactical agents.
“Other team? Lisa, quickly, phone her…” Neyra urged the detective.
Neyra and Lisa’s escort who was stood at the back glanced around. Ice was crushing up against the park fence and bursting through. Cars, trash cans, signs, street lamps, debris, it was all crawling towards them relentlessly. If it had been water the danger would have been upon them frighteningly fast but this was slow motion destruction they were watching.
“There is no time! We will sort this clusterfuck out in the air, someone has her for sure,” the escort said.
Reluctantly Neyra and Kozny boarded the transport and with all the other FBI men in tow the helicopter took to the air. Lisa pulled out her phone while Neyra looked down below, the advancing ice floe devouring all in its path.
The cabin was noisy and Lisa held one hand on her free ear while she firmly clamped her phone to the other. There was a ringing tone and then …
“Selena?! Where the fuck are you?!” Lisa began the moment she heard Selena answer.
“Lisa?! Are you both safe?! Are you in the air?” Selena responded.
“Yes we are in the fucking air. Where are you?” Lisa growled. Neyra turned to face Lisa, her expression revealing her relief knowing Lisa had made contact.
“Good. Don’t worry, we have Matthews, she is safe with me. I will meet you at the test site. Go on to Pittsburgh as planned and get McGee. See Lucy while you are there,”
“What are you doing, Selena?! Where are you going?!” Lisa demanded.
“I want some quality time with Matthews first. You know why…” Selena said slyly.
“Selena, I told you … I warned you … if you fuck us… look, it will be Ney … Nerys on the block for this. Come back… come with us to Pittsburgh … please don’t do this to us!” Lisa begged.
“No, Lisa, and I swear, I didn’t quite want it to be like this, you were always meant to be coming with me…” Selena answered.
“With YOU?” Lisa barked.
“Yes, because … you know Laura trusts you more than me, it’s going to be a hell of a lot more complicated getting her onside without you,” Selena explained.
“What makes you think I would help you lure Laura into your game???!” Lisa responded drawing a shocked look from Neyra hearing Laura’s name.
“Lisa, we are going to need Spydra and I’m afraid Neyra will delay and delay and delay. She is convinced Supergirl would want to keep her out of this, but it is time and I’m forcing her hand,” Selena continued, in the background the whirling blades of a helicopter started to come through.
“Don’t do it! If you hide with Matthews now I swear I’ll …” growled Lisa.
“Oh we wont be hiding. In fact I will be quite close to home, Spydra’s home. She remembers where we met, I have no doubt. Now, goodbye … and I promise, we will all be together at the test site …” Selena said, her tone hinting that she intended to keep her word.
“You promised you wouldn’t do this but you have. Why should I trust you ag…… HELLO? HELLO ?!” Lisa blurted only to realise Selena was gone.
“FUCK!” Lisa yelled before slapping her phone down onto a space on the bench seat beside her.
“What the hell is going on?!” Neyra demanded.
Lisa seethed a moment in silence as she regained herself. Then she began to work it out. Selena had said last night at the hotel after the failed test on Matthews that she would get her ‘muscle’ into the mix. And she had been left to her own devices on the back seat of the SUV as they made it to the park. Her mercenary friends were very capable it seemed. Kozny was all too aware that she and Neyra were in the company of others who might not be in on their INFINITY status and had to phrase her words carefully.
“Selena and Matthews are with that team we worked with before. You know. With Laura. You need to get Laura to Selena … that’s what she needs. Do that while we are in Pittsburgh and … well … she promises she will be in time for us to hook up at the test site,”
“THOSE men!” Neyra began. She realised that they were the mercenaries, the ones that Laura as her alter ego Spydra had defeated in her final test. And now Selena wanted Laura to join them.
“Is that what this is about? Getting Laura involved?”
“You need to cool off, understand? We can talk about this when we get into Pittsburgh, and I know where Selena will be, okay … it’s a safe-house, we’ve all been there before.”
Neyra’s expression hinted at the simmering kettle of anger inside of her. The safe house that Lisa referred to was actually one of Selena’s bolt holes. The one in question however was where Neyra then Laura had been taken to in Supergirl’s world in bid to understand who or what Spydra was.
“I don’t know who I am mad at most, Lisa. You or her. If anything happens… I am so screwed…” Neyra said, not knowing where to look. Part of her thought she was going to throw up, or scream in anger, but with their company she was forced to contain herself.
“It won’t. I’m sure. She can be a cold bitch, but she knows you are on the line. Even she has limits,” Lisa tried to reassure Neyra.
Neyra rolled her eyes and turned her head away. She raged with anger inside at Kozny who she had hoped would keep Selena in check but had failed her. A stony silence befell the cabin, the men in tactical gear reading the room. Few words would pass between any of the occupants until they touched down in Pittsburgh.
Lisa turned away and watched New York fall behind them. The Hudson and the Lower Bay were white and a chilly fog was rising off them below the morning storm clouds. Out there was Supergirl for sure and whatever it was she had done it had somehow frozen the sea.
= = = = = = = = = =
Supergirl felt the tug of the water ease on her body until the tide seemingly went slack. The tsunami was over. The heroine flexed in the ice and easily broke free and then turned to look back at the city to the north and the banks of the bay either side of her.
Then landscape had been transformed into something akin to the arctic circle in winter. Slabs of ice, twisted and buckled littered the bay, a light mist forming on top of it as the sun started to peek through the fading storm clouds.
“Oh my… I … I did all that?!” Supergirl thought to herself in awe. She then lifted herself into the air to take in the view.
For several blocks inwards from every shore and every bank for miles around there was ice which stood stacked up several floors of most buildings. The north of Staten Island was buried, and Lady Liberty now stood ankle deep in ice. The fringes of Brooklyn were lost in deep white and everything south of Harlem appeared to be a glacier, the distinctive green rectangle of Central Park completely erased from view. Hoboken too had been hit and even the New Jersey port of Newark had suffered, many thousands of containers now scattered in disarray, either into the frozen bay, or all over the neighbouring airport.
“I’ve got to help them!” Supergirl thought as she realised how enormous the task was.
= = = = = = = =
At Indian Point the emergency continued to evolve. At first the Hudson had bled so much water into the draining Bays of New York that they had needed to push the pump levels to their limits to keep the reactor cool. And somehow they had managed the task. And then, as the tsunami waters arrived the Hudson had begun to back up to the point it was flowing backwards, slabs of ice and debris in tow.
In the control room what had been re-emerging calm was suddenly shattered again as an alarm sounded and one of the many annunciator lights pulsed red, indicating a problem once more.
“Low flow rate alarm – exchanger line,” called out a control room operator to the operations manager.
The operations manager walked the control room, glancing at the needles and gauges around him with a frown.
“Inlet level normal, if not a little high. Pump rotation normal… what’s going on?” he wondered.
“We’ve got a climbing core temp again on the primary loop,” called out another voice, “Hey wait, the expansion tank, it’s compressing on the exchanger line,”
Another annunciator light switched to red, flashing for attention.
“Pressure Relief Valve – Exchanger Coil”
“What the hell?” muttered the operations manager. Something was happening and he was trying to diagnose what it was.
Then a phone rang at one of the desks in the control room and an operator picked up.
“Control Room, listen we are in the midd… what? How… but….ok so how are you…. you don’t know? Ok, but how soon can… oh… I…. I see. Okay…”
The operations manager looked at the operator with questioning eyes.
“The cooling outlet. The tsunami rose over the outer apron of the site carrying debris and it has stopped up the outflow with shipping containers. They’re jammed in there solid. The site guys don’t know how they are going to get them out. Everything is buried in crap,”
No one in the design phase of the plant had ever considered the Hudson running backwards. But for a while during the crisis that’s what had happened, and the outlet structure had witnessed back pressure that had drawn in all manner of debris including several shipping containers. The jam was not water tight by any stretch of the imagination, but the outflow was seriously compromised and the main cooling circuit was in jeopardy. Water could be drawn in from the inlet, but not expelled causing the water to get hotter and hotter inside the circuit with nowhere to go.
The operations manager assessed the news and looked at his gauges once more and chose what to to, “Sound the level 2 alarm and get me the site manager. We need outside help,”
= = = = = = = = = =
In the situation room at the White House there seemed to be some relief. President Garrison was on a video call with Mayor Ackerman of New York along with some of his senior NYPD officers.
“We are getting reports from the precincts that the ice has stopped advancing, but there is a lot of it. In some places they are saying up to ten floors deep!” Ackerman explained.
“But the penetration is not as bad as we thought. If this hadn’t been ice god knows how much would have been covered,” explained one of Ackerman’s aides.
“Agreed,” Garrison nodded as an advisor whispered in her ear, “…we’ve had reports that Supergirl was observed freezing the water. Hopefully she’s helping you now wherever and however she can,”
Ackerman looked surprised, “Supergirl, oh, wow, that figures I guess. Well thank god for that else things would have been so much worse. But now we have new problems. With all this ice I am going to have a lot of citizens trapped in place, perhaps buried in ice. And worse, most of my equipment resources are gone. I doubt I can muster much at the moment. The NYPD managed to place some vehicles out on the bridges, the FDNY too but the roads aren’t passable,”
Garrison pointed with her pen at one of the men from FEMA who were at the conference table, prompting them to speak, “Good morning Mr Mayor. FEMA are already looking to airlift in supplies. We are opening up stockpiles inland as we speak and the various branches of the armed services are preparing to airlift them in,”
Ackerman looked relieved to hear the news, “I will have our boys liase with you to establish the best locations to deliver into but I suspect you are going to be using building roofs for some areas.”
“Understood,”
It was then that one of the men from the department of energy raised an arm having just ended a phone conversation. President Garrison noted the raised arm and nodded for the person to go ahead and speak.
“It’s Indian Point. They’ve just declared an emergency. Debris has compromised the cooling loop. They are going to need heavy machinery quickly to clear the obstruction if they are to keep the core cool,”
Garrison’s hands rose to her head and she took in a deep breath while her mind whirled.
“OK, you gentlemen need to get an idea of what they specifically need and then figure out how to get it to them. Do they mean cranes, or cutting tools. Do we need a barge or can we airlift it in. Do we need more personnel or is it available on site already?”
“Well, Supergirl could probably do it in a flash…” piped up an advisor.
Garrison was loathe to hear the suggestion, especially knowing that Supergirl was not herself. And at any rate it had always been policy of any President that you could accept the heroine’s help but not ask for it, else risk the geopolitical storm that might come of it. If any nation thought Supergirl was not impartial, or that she was on call to serve some other nation’s whims that could be a problem for everyone.
“Ackerman,” Garrison began, “you know the drill. I kindly suggest that you put a message out to the NYPD and FDNY. If any of your men just happen to see Supergirl, have them mention Indian Point’s problems. I’m not permitted to do any more than that,”
“Yes, of course Madame President,” Ackerman nodded before turning to his NYPD colleagues who shared the table with him back at the disaster management center in New York.
= = = = = = = = = = =
Far off in Pittsburgh a comatose Lucy Wuan was wheeled into a segregated ward by two porters while a physician studied the clinical notes that came with his new patient on a clipboard.
“Hello Miss Wang, oh, Special Agent Wang. Apologies… now what do we have on your chart?” the doctor said, speaking to Lucy like she was awake.
The doctor noted Lucy’s status albeit with the name Luna Wang on the top of her paperwork. She was healthy save for a cleaned up gunshot wound which had grazed her thigh and her evident coma. Technically, it had been concluded, she could wake up at any time. Her brain patterns seemed normal though a little more active than typical and there seemed to be no lasting damage from her hypoxia she had apparently experienced.
“Oh, you were on that BlueGlobe flight?” the doctor asked, though not expecting a reply.
Lucy had been on a flight with Selena piloted by Andy Matthews. The brother to Molly Matthews the now deceased Andy had been intentionally infected by the effects of the monster and Vel. By some miracle Lucy had somehow broken Andy free from the monster’s influence and convinced him to land the plane, rather than continue to asphyxiate everyone on board. However, Lucy’s excursion away from a drop down oxygen mask had taken her to the brink while many others had succumbed even with their masks on their faces.
“Hmmm, well, a little time I think and you’ll be up on your feet young lady. Lord knows we need good people like you, New York is a mess!”
Deep, deep down in her comatose mind though the words from the outside world barely made it in. Lucy was in a dream like state, but she was in control up to a point. With her were three echoes from her past, two friendly and one evil. The quartet were inside a large cube shaped concrete walled chamber. Lucy was sat in one corner while McGee and Matthews sat together in another while the monster was restrained in some kind of metal bondage frame.
Lucy had defeated the monster only with help of the others. Once she knew she was in control of the world they now occupied she had used a clever escalation of logic to overcome the enemy. Now though, with the monster restrained Lucy had opted to play a cautious waiting game and refused to awaken with the monster lurking in her mind, possibly able to pull her strings.
One of Molly’s legs trembled with nerves, trying to be patient but failing. She was scared of the monster, feared Lucy, and was desperate to know the fate of her brother.
“I … I can’t take it any longer! Lucy, you have to wake up! You heard that voice from outside, there is nothing wrong with you!” Molly begged Lucy.
“She’s right, Lucy. You need to wake up, Supergirl needs you,” McGee added.
Lucy looked back angrily at the pair and shook her head, “I told you. Not until I get the all clear and we’ve dealt with that…. that THING”, she said, pointing at the restrained monster.
“But my brother! We haven’t heard the whispers for what feels like an age now. I am really worried about… about what has happened to him! Or to me!” Molly protested.
“Whispers?” asked Lucy.
Molly glanced at the monster, “It’s only a weak copy, like me and Agent McGee, but it seems like the various blends of the monster and Vel can communicate somehow, between hosts. We hear them as whispers.”
McGee continued, “This copy, it seemed to receive messages, but wasn’t able to send them. That’s why we think it’s just an aberration,”
“And how many of these hosts do you think there are?” Lucy wondered aloud.
McGee gestured at the monster, “Well that’s the thing. I think there are only two hosts at any one time. And the hosts can be any sort of mix of Vel and monster. The way they were talking I think Kimberly Matthews was nearly full on monster while her brother was almost all Vel,”
“So… who are they? Who are they in now?!” Lucy pressed.
McGee glanced at Molly who reacted guiltily in reply. She wasn’t sure if McGee was prompting to answer or if he was seeking her blessing to explain.
“What is it?” Lucy asked, sensing she had touched a nerve.
McGee looked to Molly still and she turned away knowing the truth had to be told. McGee bowed his head a moment as he formulated his answer for Lucy.
“When this copy of Molly was made she had only been partially taken by the monster. But her real world self probably succumbed a little later and then as you know, the monster made her infect her brother too. And that’s when the whispers started. We heard their plan to kill you, Selena and Detective Kozny on the plane and while Andy did that Molly was going to infect Supergirl,” McGee explained.
“Infect Supergirl… oh no…” Lucy murmured.
“We don’t know if that’s happened yet but it’s all gone quiet and I am not sure what it means,” McGee added.
“Lucy. I could be dead. The physical me I mean. Or Andy. Or both of us. I just… I just don’t know. And Supergirl? This fucker might have control over her even as we speak!” Molly begged Lucy as she pointed accusingly at the monster.
The monster grinned wickedly and transformed itself, mimicking Supergirl, “Go on, wake up! I dare you! With you gone I will kill these two fools and take control of you!” the fake Supergirl hissed as it tested its bonds once more.
Lucy looked between the others, her expression revealing her determination to wait. When she heard the right voices from the world outside, people she trusted, then she would feel safer to wake up from her coma, but not before. Wake up now, without help and she might succumb to the monster, even if it was a weak second rate copy of it.
= = = = =
In New York clear skies had begun to sweep away the storm clouds and sunshine began to fall upon the ice, revealing it to be a mix of clear and opaque frozen water and riddled with all manner of debris, particularly grit and sand churned up from the seabed.
Supergirl had known that even with her strength and speed she was only one person and the devastation in the area of New York was vast. Thousands of buildings were in among the newly created ice and for every place she could help there might be thousands more that she just had no time for. Fortunately though it seemed that the early warning from NOAA, the cell phone alert system and Supergirl’s slowing of the tsunami to a relentless but dangerous crawl had paid off.
As Supergirl patrolled above the ice covered streets she could see people were leaning out of windows and photographing the bizarre scenes below them. What she had feared would be cries of despair of terror were actually cheers of praise as thankful people celebrated not having been flooded out.
Supergirl flew up to one window where two men in their twenties or thirties were leaning out, behind them some similar aged women with their children. It seemed there were several families in the room, presumably from the apartments below.
“Hey, you all okay in there?” Supergirl asked with concern.
“Hey Supergirl. Did you do this, with the ice?” one of the men asked.
“What? The ice? Yes, but… are you all okay?” Supergirl asked.
“Hell yeah. Our neighbour downstairs saw the alert, woke us up and it said we had to go up high. And then later with the ice, we heard it long before it got here,” the second man explained.
“Oh?! Okay, umm good,” Supergirl responded in surprise though a hint of disappointment almost came through in her voice.
Below the hovering Supergirl a group of police officers emerged into view from around the corner of a city block cautiously walking over the ice.
“Hey look, it’s Supergirl! ” echoed one of their voices off the walls lining the street.
Supergirl turned her head and saw the officers. Glancing back at the group through the open window she waved and said goodbye before she drifted down to greet the officers.
“Oh hey. Wow, it really is you,” one of the officers said.
“Hello officers. Is there anything I can do for you? I’m feeling a bit like a fifth wheel here,” Supergirl said.
As if to highlight her point people were still calling her name from windows, cheering and clapping. Overall it seemed in this area at least people had made it to safe places in time and hopefully those who had no high place to go got airlifted instead.
“Oh is that right? Well that’s good news then. We are just starting to check out how things are in our precinct but so far so good. We just passed two blocks and everyone seems safe,” one officer explained.
“Hey wait, didn’t we get… let me see…yeah… One P-P sent it. Supergirl, do you know where Indian Point is?” another officer asked after consulting his cell phone.
“I’ve heard of it but not sure where it is. It’s a nuclear power plant, right? Is there something wrong?” Supergirl asked.
“They are in trouble over there. Do you think you can help them out? I think they need something lifting,”
“Well, I’ll do my best. Point me in the right direction and I will see what I can do,” Supergirl smiled. Certainly if it was a test of strength she knew she was up to the task.
“Sure, let me pull up the map on this thing. We’ll get you headed in the right direction,” the officer said as he tapped the screen of his cell phone.
= = = = = = = = =
Supergirl followed the Hudson northwards and could see the subtle curve to the left before the dog leg the police officers had shown her on the map. Hooking right then left the distinctive feature of the river played host to the Indian Point nuclear plant which sat on the east bank.
Supergirl pushed on at speed then settled down on a building adjacent to one of the two domed structures that she guessed housed the reactors. Below her she thought she could see the problem, at least it was what many plant workers seemed to be concerned about as they looked into what looked like two channels.
Jammed into the channels were shipping containers and some slabs of ice. Welling up around the containers and spilling over the sides of the channels was water which seemed hot enough to cause the thick ice to seemingly steam as it underwent its melting process. This outlet water had become hot due to its long dwell time in the heat exchanger, the flow rate constrained by all the containers and debris forced into the channels.
Supergirl drifted down and landed among the plant workers who were powerless to remove the debris.
“Oh thank god! We didn’t know if you would come. Can you help us?” one of the workers asked.
“Sure, I guess you want those containers gone, right? The water, is it safe?” Supergirl asked. Part of her was certain she would be safe in the water, but there was also a nagging doubt.
“The monitoring gear for the outflow has been wrecked but Control says the reactor is okay, the water should be fine. But the core is going to overheat if we can’t get the channels freed up,” the worker replied, pointing down into the channel.
“OK, I am on it,” Supergirl nodded and took to the air before landing on one of the containers which had become upended and stood proud above the mix of thawing ice, water and other debris.
Supergirl crouched down and grasped the container and began to haul it into the air using her power of flight. The container groaned and protested as it dragged against neighbouring containers before finally becoming free. Supergirl flew behind the plant and finding an area free of ice she placed the container down and returned for the next one.
= = = = = = = = = = =
In the Situation Room within the bowels of the White House the assembled team managing the crisis watched a muted TV News feed of the action. The helicopter had Supergirl in view and observed as the heroine removed the obstructions one by one from the cooling system outlet.
“Yes!” exclaimed one of the men at the table. He was from the department of energy and knew well that the reactor was going to be saved.
Garrison however had her own view on the matter. If the monster was waiting for something before showing its true colours then it was imperative that the dirty secret of its control over Supergirl stay that way. Only a few of her cabinet members must know and if anyone outside of her direct control suspected that something was wrong with the heroine, they needed to be kept quiet somehow. If the monster thought that the world knew the truth, well, the need to play nice would be over. This truly was a crisis, probably worse than any other President had ever seen. For now though the secret was safe.
Across the nation and in fact much of the world, the people of Earth would be watching the very same feed and be grateful that Supergirl was there to save the day, and more so than usual. A nuclear crisis was being averted before their very eyes and against a backdrop of a city that, instead of being awash with a multitude of dead, was instead merely encased in mostly still ice. Today would be remembered as a signature moment in the Superheroine’s career.
“You might think you’ve won this round, monster but we still have the INFINITY team. If anyone can fix this it will be them,” Garrison thought, with visions of Supergirl’s hand picked friends pulling together to put things right.
Little did President Garrison know however that the criminal, Selena J Walsh, AKA The Broker had possession of Molly Matthews and was headed in one direction while Neyra Thornton and Detective Kozny were headed in another. The team was seemingly more broken than ever now that the Tsunami had struck.
End of Part 1 - Saving Supergirl
