Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Kidnapped and then rescued by the world’s most feared supervillain, David begins learning of some of his family’s secrets as they attempt to find their way home.

Brought to you by the warped mind of Nuuan

Chapter 9

“This makes me feel like I’m wearing a dress!” David complained about what the natives had given him to wear. All his clothing had been ruined in the swamp, so interlaced with the tendrils that had attacked him that it had been impossible to remove. Then the chemical they had used to kill and dissolve the plant tendrils had also dissolved the clothes he wore, leaving him no other choice but to wear what he thought of as a girl’s wrap around skirt. At first David had refused to get out of the bed and put it on, until he noticed that this was exactly what the men wore here, the women actually wore something similar to a sleeveless tunic.

“That’s unusual,” Ayers was looking at David’s legs.

David had already noticed how much his body had tanned since he woke and did not have to look at what the DEHA agent found strange. “My leg,” David hesitated, “It won’t ever tan.”

“Davey lost his leg when he was five,” Ryan stated.

“I made myself a new one,” David grinned, then quickly looking down so he would not have to meet their eyes. He did not see Ayers eyes widen in surprise.

“Your leg, that’s the synthetic skin I’ve heard about?”

“Yeah,” David explained, “It always remains the same color, something I never thought about trying to change until now.”

“So you’re the brains behind all those prosthetics?” Ayers asked.

“Yeah I guess,” David almost whispered.

“So you built your coyote too?”

“Well not the first one,” David confessed, “Mr. Gossard made me the first one.”

“I have received many upgrades since then,” The Coyote interrupted. “Nothing of the original that Mr. Gossard built remains.”

“So do you feel up to some walking?” Ryan looked at David.

“Yea I guess so?”

“Good, because we need to get you in some real clothes and get moving.” Ryan grinned.

“You had real clothes for me and you made me wear this?” David motioned at the skirt thing he was wearing. “Why couldn’t you have brought the clothes here?”

“Guess we never thought about that,” Ryan laughed.

~o~O~o~

“I’m opening the crossing,” Apocalypse stated, “Keep an eye out for anything that may stumble through while I check the realm.”

“I know the drill already,” Ayers raised the heavy beam rifle ready to his shoulder, “After that giant six legged cat, you don’t have to remind me again, ever!” Ayers thought back when that creature had leapt through one of the many portals that Ryan had opened over the past weeks since they had left the nomadic natives that had healed David. The creature had come through the portal and charged straight at Ayers. If Apocalypse had not been ready, the creature would have mauled Ayers before he could bring his rifle to bear.

Up until that world, Ryan had not said no to many crossings, of course the one the monster cat had jumped through was one of them, although Ryan had said it was because the area on the other side of the portal he created had some kind of domed barrier or force field that stopped anyone from walking through it, and that was the only crossing within the barrier.

On the world they were currently one Ryan had said no to three crossings in a row. One of them Ryan had said was a dead world, nothing but burned out buildings and a highly radioactive atmosphere, the other two he said we had to avoid Oz’oth. Both Ayers and David pushed him for more information over the hours it took to arrive at this crossing location, but he was tight lipped, only adding that the Oz’oth were a cruel militaristic people that dominated many planets in several realms.

“So how does this realm look?” Ayers asked several minutes after Ryan released his disk like probe through the portal, “This one a no go like the last three?”

“Same realm,” Ryan stated, “another location but… This is the one we want.”

“Why would you port us to another place on this planet Uncle Ryan?” David asked.

“It isn’t on this planet, just in the same realm.” Apocalypse saw the puzzled look on David’s face. “Sorry Davey, I learned all this using different words and all these years I never had a need to change. What you learned as the universe is what we call realms. There are many realms, even our scientists didn’t know how many are out there, all held together by the expanse.

“So they are like alternate dimensions.” David smiled, proudly showing that he understood what his Uncle was explaining.

“Close enough. Now let’s get moving.” Apocalypse motioned for everyone to go through the portal he created.

~o~O~o~

David stepped out of the portal into a grassy field. Looking around he took a couple steps away from the portal toward Ayers, who had come through before him. The color of the grass reminded him of his Uncle Wes’ yard, His uncle had told him the strange blue-green color was because his yard had Kentucky bluegrass, although the grass in his uncle’s yard was not this tall, David stood almost knee deep in the rich blue green carpet of grass. The rolling hills and the vast expanse of grassland reminded David of an Iowa Corn field in late June, as the corn would be about the same height. Even non farmers like David and his family knew the saying of how corn should be knee high by the fourth of July or it would be a bad year. Off in the distance David could see where small groups of trees broke the endless sea of grass, like the occasional rock that stuck up out of a river or pond.

Apocalypse closed the portal once he came through then pointed to their left, “The next crossing is that direction.”

David quickly realized that wading through the tall grass was a lot more work than necessary and found himself following directly behind his uncle’s footsteps, walking within the path his uncle’s passage made, Ayers was quick to see the economy of this and picked up position several steps behind David. They walked in silence only the sounds of birds in the distance for more than an hour when from the back pack David had slung on his back they heard the distinct British accent of the Coyote begin to sing off key;

“I’m sitting in the railway station
Got a ticket for my destination
On a tour of one night stands, my suitcase and guitar in hand
And every stop is neatly planned for a poet and a one man band
Homeward bound
I wish I was…”

“Kid drop the back pack and step away slowly!” Ayers chuckled over the sound of the coyote’s singing.

The coyote’s head popped up out of the top of the back pack as both David and Apocalypse stopped and turned toward Ayers. “Sir, I was only attempting to give us a little traveling music!” The coyote retorted.

“The only way that could be considered traveling music is if your objective was to make everyone in earshot run away screaming.” Ayers laughed.

“Enough,” Apocalypse pointed ahead, “We have quite a distance to cover, I would like to make it to the crossing by tomorrow.”

A couple of rest breaks and several hours later Apocalypse held up his hand signaling David and Ayers to stop. As Ayers saw Apocalypse forming a rifle from his armor, Ayers brought his own up and ready and began scanning their surroundings for signs of trouble. David glances nervously around, worried about what would cause his uncle to have them stop. David watched as Apocalypse shouldered the rifle then seemed to be aiming at something hidden in the tall grass. A few seconds later a pencil thin beam shot out of the rife cutting a line through the tall grass. Apocalypse began walking toward whatever he had shot, at the same time allowing his armor to reabsorb the rifle he had used.

“What is it?” Ayers shouted, his rifle still at ready as Apocalypse stopped by whatever he had shot and bend over.

Standing back up Apocalypse turned around and held up a small four legged creature with one hand as he began walking back, “Dinner!”

“We aren’t going to eat that thing?” David gasped.

“Sure, why not?” Apocalypse continued walking back to them.

“What the heck is it?” David asked.

“It’s a rabbit.”

“It doesn’t look like a rabbit!” David grunted is displeasure.

“It’s got long ears like a rabbit,” Apocalypse held it up by its tail, which was twice the length of its body and covered in long bushy fur, so its head could be seen above the tall grass.

“It looks more like a long eared rat,” David cringed.

“You do realize that rabbits are in the rodent family?” Ayers chuckled.

Apocalypse kept his armor on until after the thing he killed was skinned and roasting on a spit above the campfire he and Ayers had built. “So Davey how do you want your rabbit? Medium? Well?”

“I wish you’d stop calling that thing a rabbit,” David huffed, “Rabbits don’t have long tails or horns.”

Ayers snorted trying to hold back from laughing, “The kid’s got a point, not many rabbits with horns around.”

“Okay then it’s not a rabbit.” Ryan grinned when he saw David perk up, thinking he had won the argument. “So how do you like your jackalope cooked?” David lost the confident look on his face, crossed his arms across his chest and looked away from both men as Ryan and Ayers burst out laughing.

In the morning, the three finished off the remains of the jackalope for breakfast then began packing up their camp. Before leaving Ryan no longer wearing is armor, passed around one of the large water skins the natives on the desert planet had given them before leaving. When it reached David, the coyote reached out for it before David could give it back to his uncle. Taking several large gulps the coyote handed it to Ryan.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Ayers said, “Why does your coyote need water? I mean it’s a robot right?”

“Sir,” The coyote stopped from slipping down inside the backpack, “I use water as a fuel source.”

Looking from the coyote to David, Ayers stated, “Water isn’t a fuel?”

“Acttttuallly,” David began, “water is two thirds hydrogen and is a very good fuel source.”

“Are you telling me your coyote runs on hydrogen fuel cells?”

“No, battery technology is not advanced enough to make them small enough for that.”

“Then how exactly does your coyote use hydrogen as fuel?” Ayers concern was evident, “Don’t tell me that robot has a nuclear reactor inside it!”

“It’s a fusion reactor, and it’s really small,” David defended.

“And it makes me fun at parties for blowing up balloons!” The coyote grinned with a toothy smile.

“Damn!” Ryan laughed, “All this time I thought the coyote was full of hot air!” The coyote blew a raspberry at Ryan and slipped inside the backpack, the last noise it made was of the zipper of the backpack closing.

~o~O~o~

It had taken the crews over three months to dig out the over expanded Aegisium from the underground complex, Luckily most of the doors were weak wooden doors on that level so they never gave the Aegisium the required pressure to form correctly or opening those passageways would have taken years instead of the time it had. All work had to be done with brass tools and the men had to wear protective gear and oxygen masks since the Aegisium gave off vast quantities of hydrogen gas when it was broken up, a single spark could cause an explosion.

Most of the syndicate men had refused to surrender and died fighting the DEHA troops or during Apocalypse’s entry. Wesley continued to go over the after action reports on his desk, stopping only to take an occasional sip of the lukewarm coffee that was getting colder with each passing minute.

It was a clean bust, but he had lost three agents to the syndicate gunmen and another in critical care leaving one missing in action, presumed dead. The interrogations went as well as could be expected, of course the men they arrested refused to talk but then that was not unusual and why the DEHA employees psychics. They had learned that David was indeed being held there and also that prior to the DEHA raid Apocalypse had entered, tearing up the place. Wes knew that everything pointed to Apocalypse teleporting himself, David and the missing agent out of the complex. But if that were true why hadn’t Ryan returned with David by now?

It was fairly well known that Apocalypse had the ability to teleport, He had even been caught stepping into one of those portals he creates on camera a few times. Wes could only hope that this had something to do with how Ryan seemed to disappear for sometimes months at a time always refusing to explain where he had been after showing back up. Can he also teleport through time either intentionally or by accident? If that is the case it must be accidental because Ryan would never leave Their baby sister waiting for news of David like this. “Ryan will eventually show up, he always does,” Wes muttered to himself, “and this time I’m going to get some damn answers.”

Dropping the papers to his desk Wes sighed and picked up the phone receiver then punched in some numbers. “Hello.” The voice on the other end said.

“Hi Paul it's Wes, is Ryan around?”

“No, sorry Wes I haven’t heard from him.”

“You know how important this is?”

“Yes, It’s all over the news up here,” Paul replied, “And if I knew where he was I would tell you, honest. If I do hear anything you will be the first one I call.”

“Thanks Paul.”

“Anything else I can help with Wes?”

“Oh, I almost forgot, think you can make it down this weekend?” Wes asked, “We’re getting the family and close friends together for a barbecue at my place. Nothing fancy, just something so everyone can get together and talk.”

“The devil himself couldn’t keep me away from one of your cookouts Wes, I’ll be there.”

“Okay, see you Saturday then.”

“See ya then Wes.”

What Wes needed to ask, he could have asked over the phone, but even the phones for the DEHA could be tapped, best to talk in a place that privacy could be insured and Paul could make sure no one heard what they may discuss.

~o~O~o~

Several hours later Ryan stopped everyone at the top of one of the low grassy hills, Looking ahead they could see a distinct line where the tall grass stopped and what appeared to be a corn field began. “Kinda looks like back home,” David pointed out.

“This means we are nearing whatever this planet has for civilization,” Ryan warned then continued walking, “Keep your eyes open, we have no idea if whoever or whatever planted that is friendly.”

Twenty minutes later the three were walking between the rows of the crop. Living in Iowa his whole life, David was quite accustomed to corn fields, but these plants looked nothing like corn now that they were walking through the field. It looked like some kind of strange crossbreed between corn and grass. The stalks were somewhat purple and the leaves were longer and thinner than corn. “What is this stuff Uncle Ryan?” David asked as he tried to keep sight of his uncle ahead of him in the plants that towered above his own head.

“I believe its sugar cane,” Ryan guessed.

“I think you’re right,” Ayers said from behind David, “Looks just like it.”

Over an hour later they came to a place in the seemingly endless field where the cane had been cut down and hauled away, leaving about eight inches of the plant’s stalk sticking up out of the ground. To their left close to fifty yards away a line of men were cutting the cane and handing it off to others that were stacking the harvest onto wagons. One of the ones stacking the cane into the wagons spotted them and ran over to another and began pointing at the three after they emerged from the tall cane.

“So much for spotting them first,” Ayers groaned as he saw the one that had been told about them walking toward them, “Best hope they are friendly.” As the man walking toward them passed one of the wagons he laid the long handled curved bladed knife he had been using to cut the cane with on the back of the wagon.

“That’s a good sign,” Ryan stated after witnessing what the man had done, “He’s coming unarmed, make sure you stay the same. We need to look as peaceful as we can for now. David stay between us.”

*You are lost?* The man spoke as he drew near.

Recognizing the language Ryan quickly replied, *We are travelers, our journey takes us in that direction,” Ryan raised his left arm and pointed.

The man’s eyes grew wide in surprise as he quickly took the couple remaining steps between himself and Ryan grabbing Ryan’s arm and pushing back the sleeve of Ryan’s shirt, exposing the midnight blue armband on his forearm. *You are blue arm!* the man gasped, *The overseers will have you killed!*

*We are from far away, I do not know of these overseers you speak of,* Ryan tried to calm the man, *Why would they wish me dead for a simple armband?*

*The elders speak of tales when arms were once here, she says the overseers came and killed them. Now we have no arms and serve the overseers.* The man released Ryan’s arm, *I thought they were only stories told to children.*

*I would like to hear these stories, if you would allow?* Ryan asked in the strange language.

*Yes, yes of course,* The man said excitedly, *Hide your arm from the rest, it may not be good for some to see what you are.* Ryan made sure his sleeve covered his armband and followed the man back toward the wagons.

Once closer to the wagons that were being loaded the man shouted and a young boy that appeared to be about David’s age came running out to meet them, *This is Yani,* the man spoke to Ryan, *Yani you will take these people to the storyteller.*

*Yes father.* The boy answered.

~o~O~o~

*Why have you brought strangers to me child?* The old woman asked from the chair she sat in under the shade of the porch roof, which was not more than some posts in the bare ground with some kind of tarp hung loosely over the poles and attached to the sod and wood dwelling.

*Father told me to bring them to see you,* The boy replied.

*Alright then, go back to help with the harvest,* The old woman brushed a strand of the long gray hair behind her ear, *We do not wish the overseer to see you not working.* The boy took off at a brisk run back toward the fields.

*Come closer and state you name traveler,* The old woman leaned forward, *My eyes aren’t that good anymore and I like to see who I am speaking to.* The three stepped closer, only a few steps away the old woman’s eyes grew wide for a moment, then she looked around and picked up a wooden cane. *Let us go inside out of this heat.* She slowly got up from the chair, leaning heavily on the cane as she motioned the three to follow her inside.

Once inside with the door closed the heat felt worse, although the woman would have known this and was probably the main reason she was outside in the first place. “I believe I know your mother,” The woman spoke in plain English, looked at Ryan. “She was called Leanne correct?”

“Yes,” Ryan answered.

“You knew my grandma?” David interrupted.

“This isn’t…”

“No,” Ryan affirmed, “David’s mother was adopted when her parents died. He was born on Earth. How do you know of my mother?”

The old woman smiled at Ryan then sat down in a chair. Pulling a drawer open in the small table that sat beside the chair, the woman reached in and withdrew a picture and handed it to Ryan. “Your mother gave me this after you were born. We were very close before she became D’pak.”

Ryan found himself staring at a picture of his mother holding a baby wrapped in a dark blue blanket. The baby would have been Ryan.

“Your mother told me that day, the day you were born, was worth all she had given up when she became D’pak. You are D’pak also?” She asked. Ryan pushed his sleeve up so she could see the dark blue bracer on his arm. “You should not have come here, the Drav have taken control of this world and are allied with your enemies. If they discover a D’pak they will make you reveal where she has been hidden.”

“The Drav pose no threat to us,” Ryan stated, “I’ve fought them before, their weapons are too primitive.”

“Yes they were, but that was over four hundred seasons ago,” The old woman explained, “They had help, someone betrayed our people and they were able to equip some of our weapons to themselves.”

“But that is impossible!” Ryan proclaimed.

“As I said, we were betrayed.” The woman continued, “They went after the museum. A place we never thought to worry about, but even though we stopped using those weapons long ago, they were still functional. They have yet to adapt any of the pak bands to work, but they have managed to make some of our weapons work.”

“This is not good, I must destroy those weapons.”

“No!” The old woman demanded, “You must do nothing of the sort. What you must do is get away from here immediately before you are found, our future depends on her, not those weapons. Anyway those weapons have all been sorted out, at least the ones they can use. The only things that remain at the museum are the bands and weapons they could not use.”

“Do you know exactly what was left?”

“No but they continue to store everything they cannot use there, and conduct experiments trying to make those items they cannot use, work for them. I do know that all the pak bands there are all bonded to long dead wearers. And the Drav are short lived so none know of the meaning behind the colors.”

“Short lived?” Ayers asked.

Looking at Ayers the old woman asked, “You are of Earth?”

“Yes ma’am,” Ayers responded.

“You have a very nice world, Leanne took me there to visit a few times. Your people are very similar to ours. Leanne though it highly possible that your people may be descended from a lost colony.” The woman continued by answering his question, “Yes the Drav are very short lived, they reach adult status by five or six seasons and most do not live beyond thirty seasons.”

“Still, I must remove this threat,” Ryan brought the discussion back on topic, “I will need to know everything you can tell me about this place the Drav keep our devices store at.”

“You are D’pak,” The old woman scolded, “Your responsibilities are to her, not our people.”

“While you are correct,” Ryan argued, “The chance that the Drav could learn the secrets of the pak pose too great a risk to her.”

“Ma’am, On our world Ryan here is known as Apocalypse, because that is what he brings to those that he fights. And he won’t be alone, There is no way in hell I’d go back and let his brother know I did not help.” Ayers grinned at Ryan, “Anyways I have an idea that I think you will both like.”

“A brother?” The old woman looked strangely at Ryan.

“Let’s hear this idea of yours,” Ryan ignored the woman’s question.

~o~O~o~

“You were telling me before that these arm bands could be changed so that they could be used by someone else,” Ayers asked, “Can you show me how this is done?”

The old woman’s mouth opened and eyes grew a bit wider even though she tried to hide the surprise she held that any D’pak would give out that information. Seeing this Ryan spoke up, “They have a saying on Earth, in for a penny in for a pound.” Seeing the woman’s face turn toward confusion he explained, “What it means is that if you are going to take a risk, you may as well go all the way and take all the risks, not just some of them.”

“Okay,” Ayers continued, “The idea is that we get into where those arm bands are stored, since you have the armor and weapons you provide cover while I modify as many of the arm bands as we can and give them to her people that come with us. This way we not only take those armbands away from those Drav critters, but give them to the people they have enslaved so that they can drive the Drav off their world.”

The old woman gave Ayers a toothy grin, “I think I like this companion of yours, he has much boldness for one of a race so weak.” Turning to look at Ryan, “I think that is what your mother liked best about that world.”

“Yes I can show you how this is done,” Ryan stated rolling back his sleeve exposing his arm band, “What I do show you must never be shown or told to anyone. If the Drav or any other race were to learn of this, it would give them access to all of the realms and the firepower to enslave it all.” Touching several places on the exposed armband Ryan drew his hand back as it began to expand outward away from his arm, a seem appeared then the whole band hinged open on itself. Ryan quickly grabbed the open armband with his free hand.

“You have never chosen a Sa’na?” The old woman saw that it was not his arm band but an exact copy of the one that remained on his arm.

“Holy shit, you can clone those damn things?” Ayers gasped.

“That is not a copy,” The old woman stared longingly at the new dark blue pak band a tear running down her weathered cheek as she remembered the one who once wore it, “That is his D’pakna, the mate to his D’pakja.” Pointing out the dark blue band that remained on Ryan’s arm.

“It was my mother’s” Ryan sighed, “ I can use this to show you the procedure.”

The old woman’s voice sounded almost frantic as she looked toward Ayers, “No matter what, you must never put that on!”

“Why?” Ayers asked.

“It will bond with you, you will become D’pak!” She answered.

Ayers thought of how their plan hinged on modifying the armbands in the museum so that the old woman’s people could put them on, bond with them as she put it. He couldn’t help but wonder why it would be different for him to put on one himself? So it would be part of him for the rest of his life, that’s exactly what her people would be doing once he made the modifications.

Seeing the doubt in the man, the woman tried to explain, “Wearing that will change you. You will become D’pak! You will remember who you once were but never be the same again. Swear that you will not put that on.”

“Given the circumstance,” Ayers stipulated, “I can’t promise that, we don’t know what may happen once the fighting starts and it may be necessary.” Ayers jokes, “Not that I would really want to be mistaken for Apocalypse once we return home anyway.” Changing the subject, “Do you think your people would want to go along with this, take the chance to fight the Drav? The only thing left would be finding a way to sneak into the place.”

“Both of those are easy, we will be taking the wagons into the town in the morning and there will be no shortage of men and women that wish to be free of the Drav.” The woman studied Ayers, hoping he would heed her warning. It was a pak band that she had lost her own true love to. Not any pak band but the exact one that Ryan now held had taken the one she should have grown old with away from her. The old woman took solace in the fact that at least her love did not have to suffer the slavery the Drav has put their people through. If she had given Leanne the choice she would have returned and fought the Drav, maybe even driving them off their world, but to keep her love safe, the old woman had personally destroyed the anchor arch that Leanne used to travel back and forth between the worlds easily.