109: Cosmic Ray Storm, Strange Silver Man
On the balcony, Anna stood letting the breeze blow through her damp long hair.
Wearing a red nightgown that outlined her curvy figure.
"That tramp--"
Anna's eyes drifted towards the homeless man packing up to leave under the streetlight.
After a moment's thought, she didn't ponder further.
Such vagabonds were commonplace on the streets of this beautiful country after all.
So Anna wasn't too curious about the homeless man moving to change his sleeping spot at night.
Soon there was the hum of an engine below.
Looking down from the balcony, Anna saw Andrew's R8 coming from the other end of the block into the underground parking.
"Back so soon.
I'd have thought he'd be out with Gwen a little longer."
In the parking below, after parking the car Andrew directly took the elevator upstairs.
Just as he was about to unlock the door with his key, he remembered he'd given the keys to Anna.
Andrew could only knock on his own door: "Cousin Anna."
As soon as the knock sounded, the door opened.
Anna, clad in a nightgown with lingering moisture on her body, asked "Did you drop Gwen home?"
Andrew nodded: "Yes, I'm just getting your bedding ready for tonight."
Seeing Andrew enter without so much as a glance her way, going straight inside to find bedding.
Anna was taken aback.
Watching Andrew's retreating back without turning back, Anna looked down at herself doubtfully: "Am I..."
"Old?"
Though Gwen's cousin, Anna was still a woman. At times there was a strange desire to win or lose.
Seeing Andrew unaffected, Anna suddenly wondered if her charm had waned.
Looking towards the fitness area, there was a full length mirror. After thinking for a bit, she walked up to it.
Her sensuous curves were vividly reflected.
"Should be...
Not bad."
Andrew, busy looking for things, was naturally oblivious that Anna had grown slightly insecure owing to his indifference.
After preening awhile, Anna regained her confidence.
When Andrew emerged holding a four-piece set,
In order to prove her allure, Anna deliberately let one shoulder strap slip off.
Andrew walked up saying: "Cousin Anna, these are brand new. Worn just once."
"Your room's the second one."
"I'm off to bed first."
Having said that, Andrew placed the night suit set in Anna's hands and added "I'm taking a shower first."
Anna stared blankly at the pajamas in her hand, then murmured faintly: "Oh.."
From Andrew's room came the sound of running water.
Anna sank into deep insecurity again.
In outer space, a spacecraft marked with NASA's logo - symbolizing the collective wisdom of all their scientists - hovered along.
After a while, it seemed something exploded in the front section.
A ripple of energy dissipated suddenly.
Inside, Reed Richards' voice rang out urgently: "Susan, hang on!"
"We just need to harness the cosmic storm particles, we're nearly done!"
In the main pilot seat, Reed in the latest spacesuit, shouted to girlfriend and assistant Susan Stone beside him.
"I'm trying, but I've no control at all!"
Susan struggled to grasp the control stick in her hand.
In the two rear seats, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm were also doing their utmost to salvage damaged equipment.
"Reed, something's wrong. This cosmic ray storm seems far stronger than anticipated."
"Power systems have been affected, diverting all efforts to rescue them!"
Hearing the rear updates, Reed's face also darkened.
This was completely different from what he'd expected.
Though scientific experiments rarely go ideally,
The intensity of this cosmic storm had exceeded his estimations altogether.
Seeing Susan and friends behind trying their best to rescue systems, Reed could only grit his teeth ultimately.
"Retreat!"
The three looked at Reed in surprise. Susan exclaimed loudly: "Have you lost it, Reed?"
"This is your lifelong dream, ours too!"
"It's at our fingertips, yet you want to give up?"
Ben and Johnny behind also glared at Reed angrily.
Reed could only sigh, explaining: "The explosive power of this cosmic storm far exceeds my calculations."
"If we try to tough it out, there are only two outcomes."
"Two?" Ben asked.
As Reed's friend for years, he knew his personality all too well.
If there was even a sliver of hope, Reed would strive towards it.
His choosing to retreat showed neither outcome was good.
"One - the ship gets completely paralyzed, we drift into space and eventually die from lack of oxygen."
"Two - the ship explodes and we all perish."
Susan was still somewhat unwilling: "Is retreating really necessary?"
"Reed, this is your lifelong dream. If we..."
Before she could finish, Reed interjected: "Experiments can be conducted anytime."
"Even if NASA withdraws sponsorship after this, we can find other backers."
"If it fails once, we try again the next time."
Reed's eyes gradually hardened: "But I'd rather the experiment fail than risk your lives!"
For a moment, silence pervaded the ship, broken only by the hull quaking from the cosmic storm.
"Ready to depart and head back!" Susan broke the silence, speaking first.
Ben and Johnny behind also smiled.
Their bond was unspoken yet strong.
But the next instant, Ben, the burliest of the four, suddenly changed his expression: "Reed, what do you make of that?"
Ben's voice drew all eyes out the ship's glass.
Earlier nothing lay ahead, but now a profoundly deep blackness had materialized, as if from thin air.
It was jarringly incongruous against the surroundings.
All present, though not topmost, were among the scientific elite.
With basic knowledge enough to pilot a spacecraft to space.
It took them moments to realize what it was.
Among them, Reed's face changed wildly before regaining calmness: "How can it be...
A micro black hole is actually forming here!"
"Susan, hurry!"
Reed pulled his lever with all his might.
Susan on one side, and the other two behind, swiftly began operating too.
Soon, the ship gradually started turning, while the small black hole grew at a shocking pace.
...Pleading for flowers...
Soon, the ship finished turning, and six jets at its rear spewed out six columns of azure fire.
Just then, the black hole behind unleashed powerful suction.
The ship, having just flown some distance, was as if gripped by invisible hands.
This situation made Reed and crew feel utter despair, trying their utmost to rev the engines.
Propulsion energy gushed out recklessly.
But to no avail, the ship not only stopped moving forward, it started getting pulled back.
To Reed and crew, this spelt doom.
Even light couldn't escape a black hole's pull, let alone their man-made ship.
But just then, for some reason a faint silvery glow emanated from the black hole's center.
Next instant - Bang!
A shockwave of colorful energy rippled out instantly, the black hole vanishing without a trace.
The energy ripples, piercing the ship as if ignoring all obstacles, entered the interior.
Then slammed into the bodies of the four Reeds.
They only felt a mighty force instantly rush into their organs.
Before they could react, they blacked out over their consoles.
With the black hole gone, numerous things burst out from it.
Mostly tiny meteorites that pitted the ship's surface.
One meteorite though, was the size of a palm. After hitting the ship and shattering, it left a pile of black, fluid colloid-like substance sticking to the surface.
Freed of the black hole's pull, the ship's engines instantly unleashed powerful thrust.
It blinked out of sight, flying back in the originally set course.
The space fell silent again.
Who knows how much later, the area changed again as the silvery glow intensified.
Next moment, a silvery hoverboard shot out directly through space.
Atop it stood a silver humanoid creature.
Unsure if a living being.
After emerging, it first glanced around, then looked towards a direction.
The hoverboard under its feet instantly burst forth at a terrifying speed, carrying the humanoid creature away from the star system.
On Earth, Andrew was used to waking up early now.
Wearing a loose athletic shirt, he sweated away on the treadmill.
Just then Anna walked out in pajamas.
Seeing Andrew running, she joked "Quite the regular life huh?"
"No wonder you're so fit. Must have lots of girls chasing you."
"Actually I just moved to New York recently, not too many acquaintances yet."
Anna sat down, watching Andrew with great interest: "What about Gwen?"
Andrew smiled "She's different for me."
"Different?"
Anna probed further "What's the difference?"
Just then the doorbell rang, and Gwen's voice called out: "Cousin Anna, open the door!"
Earlier Gwen would just enter via the balcony.
Only today with Anna home, she politely took the door.
Hearing Gwen's voice, Anna glanced at Andrew and said "Let's continue this conversation next time."
Having said that, she got up and went to open the door for Gwen.
To be continued...